Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Law - Essay Example Should the parents happen to marry at some time after the birth, citizenship is automatically granted to the child retroactively. If the child is over 14 at that time, however, his or her consent is needed. Some persons are entitled to Wulfrunian citizenship by a simpler process than naturalization. Renunciation of foreign citizenship is still almost always required. Minor children of a person granted Wulfrunian citizenship are normally granted Wulfrunian citizenship as well. Former citizens of newly independent Wulfrunia who lost citizenship other than by renunciation or deprivation may be granted Wulfrunian citizenship after 1 year's residence in Wulfrunia. Wulfrunian citizenship must have been possessed for 10 years before it was lost. A stateless person born in Wulfrunia may be granted Wulfrunian citizenship within two years of age 18 if he has lived in Wulfrunia for a total of 10 years, including 5 years continuously before application. An Wulfrunian citizen who acquires another citizenship by voluntary action automatically loses Wulfrunian citizenship. The exception is in cases where permission to retain Wulfrunian citizenship has been obtained in advance. In practical terms this is quite difficult to obtain, since it needs to be in the interest of the republic of Wulfrunia to grant this dual citizenship. Wulfrunian citizenship is also automatically lost by serving in a foreign army. In the UK, the Natio... Minor children of a person granted Wulfrunian citizenship are normally granted Wulfrunian citizenship as well. Spouses of Wulfrunian citizens The marriage has to have lasted a minimum of 5 years; and The couple has to have lived together for 5 years; and The spouse applicant has to have lived in Wulfrunia permanently for a minimum of 6 years. Long residence in Wulfrunia A person who has lived in Wulfrunia for 30 years, or 15 years in cases of 'sustained personal and occupational integration' is entitled to grant of Wulfrunian citizenship. Former Wulfrunian citizens Former citizens of newly independent Wulfrunia who lost citizenship other than by renunciation or deprivation may be granted Wulfrunian citizenship after 1 year's residence in Wulfrunia. Wulfrunian citizenship must have been possessed for 10 years before it was lost. A person who lost Wulfrunian nationality as a child (other than by deprivation) may re-acquire it by declaration within 2 years of turning 18. Stateless persons born in Wulfrunia A stateless person born in Wulfrunia may be granted Wulfrunian citizenship within two years of age 18 if he has lived in Wulfrunia for a total of 10 years, including 5 years continuously before application. Loss of Wulfrunian citizenship An Wulfrunian citizen who acquires another citizenship by voluntary action automatically loses Wulfrunian citizenship. The exception is in cases where permission to retain Wulfrunian citizenship has been obtained in advance. In practical terms this is quite difficult to obtain, since it needs to be in the interest of the republic of Wulfrunia to grant this dual citizenship. Wulfrunian citizenship is also automatically lost by serving in a foreign army. Dual citizenship Wulfrunian law substantially

Pediatric Healthcare Disparities Essay Example for Free

Pediatric Healthcare Disparities Essay Disparities in healthcare of children are complex problem that is associated with the disparities that exist in healthcare systems. These inequalities in the access to health care include the following factors: race and ethnicity, insurance status, education, English language proficiency, and poverty(Sobo, 2006). The aforementioned factors affect access to healthcare and the quality of service received. The racial disparities in pediatric healthcare are a tremendously pervasive depressing problem. Instead of those who most need the healthcare receiving it, they are given less priority hence these services did not reach them(Lieu, 2003). Among the most important gauges of soundness of health in children is being able to acquire healthcare services that are of high quality. Children’s health needs appropriate and apt use of medical services like physical examinations, laboratory test for diseases, and immunizations. These services are deprived to the children of the socioeconomic minority. Healthcare disparities observed pertains to less access to healthcare services and acquisition of low quality health care services by people whom are poor, of racial and ethnic minority, limited English proficiency, and low educational attainment. Children that belong to the racial and ethnic minorities receive an inferior quality of healthcare. Not only are there a small number of children in the minority class suffering from this type of problem but millions of them(Beal, 2004). Mortality in infants in Black communities is doubled when compared to the mortalities of infants of the White communities. Even this maternal and societal health’s most significant gauge confirms that the existence of racial and ethnic disparities is true. In United States, the people of color at present have a bleak healthcare condition. Approximately 20 percent Black and 30 percent Hispanic Americans do not have consistent source of medical care compared to less than 16 percent of the White Americans. There is a three-fold increase to the numbers of Hispanic children that do not have access to healthcare when compared to children that are not Hispanic Americans(AHRQ 2000). These alarming data poses a threat to the state of health especially of children that belongs to this people that belongs to the racial and ethnic minorities. Studies which were done for the determination of the factors involved in the disparities of pediatric healthcare are of significance in identification of populations involved in these dilemma. In a study done by Hambinge et al, it was found that in well-child visits (WCVs) the black and Latino children were given less counseling(Hambidge, 2007). Racial minorities in United States such as the Latino and Black children are the main population that suffers from these inconsistencies in the provision of healthcare. Scott (2004) indicated in the conclusion of their study that Hispanic or Latino children has increased risk of having no access to healthcare services in the last 15 years. Hispanic or Latino is defined in the study as individuals that came from countries in Central America, North America, Caribbean, and Europe. The absence of access to healthcare services was found to be greater in Hispanic/ Latino children with low economic status, whose parents have no college degree, and born in other countries or not born in United States. The race which is most predispose to lack of access healthcare are children of Mexicans due to their poverty status or low educational achievements(Scott 2004). The study of Flores (2005) found an association in children’s health and healthcare to Limited English Proficiency (LEP) of their parents. This factor has a significant impact as a barrier for the acquisition of healthcare in children. The research also indicated that parental LEP has a direct association to the possibility that children in need of medical care can not be brought to healthcare providers. Racial and ethnic healthcare disparity is proven through this study because the bulk of the children that participated in the study were of racial and ethnic minority groups, 82 percent Latino, 2 percent Caribbean black, 10 percent African American, 2 percent non-Latino white, 1 percent African, 0. 3 percent Asian, and 1 percent combination of other races. Large portion of this participating population can not speak English very well. Thus, the ability to speak English fluently of children and their parents will determine their chance of receiving appropriate healthcare services(Flores, 2005). The continuing presence of racism in the healthcare sector of the society is found to be related to the underrepresentation of minority racial and ethnic groups in professions of the medical industry. Generally speaking people that are poor are predominantly people of color such as the Blacks and Hispanics. Poverty does not allow them to be with the education needed to work in healthcare industry so they are underrepresented in this profession. Study results prove that people of color in the medical profession tend to provide more healthcare services to those people which are also of color. The possibility of providing healthcare services to the poor portion of the population is also proven to be attributed to those medical professionals that are people of color. This underrepresentation explains why the racial and ethnic minority receive less healthcare services(ERASE ). Even though it is said that in professional fields the race of an individual hardly matters it is rarely true. The complexity of the factors that are involve in the disparities of healthcare in general should not hinder in the search and implementation of solutions that will alleviate the disparities suffered by the people of racial and ethnic minority, low educational attainment, limited English proficiency, and economically challenged. It is the responsibility of healthcare providers to serve the public with equality to promote the health status of the whole population instead of only those that belong to the elite portion of the population. The present ways of addressing the disparities in healthcare is focused not only on the professionals that will provide the services but also to the public consumers of these services. The goal is centered towards providing equal chance of receiving quality healthcare services. One of these strategies is the establishment of guidelines that will help medical practitioners handle, diagnose, and treat with professional competence the health cases of the people that belong to socioeconomic minority. Another strategy is helping the patients and their families pursue healthcare of high quality thru assessment of healthcare services provided by the healthcare recipient or client. Publications are written in various languages to facilitate understanding of the contents by those people that are with Limited English Proficiency. Booklets or pamphlets are also produces to help parents assess if their children were provided with health services of high quality. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is also finding ways to develop enhanced strategies for quality improvement of healthcare services. Their initiative is focused on eliminating healthcare racial and ethnic disparities, supporting of the healthcare providers that supply services to communities of the minority people, and conducting seminars or trainings on how to address healthcare disparities(AHRQ 2000). The existence of racism can not be denied even though the society has already learned to accept that people are of diverse cultures and beliefs. Various organizations have been established to stop the disparities in healthcare of children and promote equality in the acquisition of these services. Despite the research and strategies that are implemented to counteract the increasing numbers of children having no access to good quality healthcare especially those of the minority racial and ethnic origin, the problem is still present along its complexities. Though it’s a cliche â€Å"children are the future of every nation† thus it is only prompt that actions should be undertaken to promote holistic growth of their well being. Eradication of these disparities in pediatric healthcare will ensure that tomorrow’s generation will have a better health.

Strategic Management Approaches of McDonalds

Strategic Management Approaches of McDonalds My research topic deals with one of the most profitable societies of the world, The McDonalds. It underlines the strategic management approaches adapted by McDonalds that helped it to grow from a small business to one of the most successful corporations. McDonalds is the leading fast food service organization in the world. The story of McDonalds started way back in 1954 when, Raymond Kroc its founder envisioned a nationwide fast food chain upon seeing a hamburger stall in San Bernardino, California. By revolutionizing the American Restaurant Industry, Kroc proved himself as the pioneer. Today McDonald is one of the most valuable brands globally, worth more than $25billion. It is number one fast food chain stores with about 40 million customers visiting it per day. The Golden Arches and its mascot Ronald McDonald have gained universal recognition. Though the company has its roots in the U.S., McDonalds today has become an accepted citizen of the world. The main focus is on the strategic evolution of this corporation. The strengths and weaknesses are highlighted which throws light on how McDonalds has survived in the competition. Keywords: strategic management approaches, Raymond Kroc, strategic management approaches How McDonalds has maintained its position? McDonalds has been able to maintain its competitive advantage by constantly adding new items in its menu. This means that an analyzer type of strategy is followed by McDonalds, i.e. introducing new items and defending the existing ones. In Strategic Management, developing a mission and vision statement is the primary step. It reflects the managements aspirations for the organization and its business providing a panoramic view to customers and giving specifics about future business plans. How McDonalds has defined its MISSION AND VISION: McDonaldS MISSION AND VISION: To serve quality food, fast and also at low cost. The vision of McDonalds is to dominate the food-service industry at global level. Global dominance means to set up standards of performance for customer satisfaction and increase market share and profitability by implementing values and execution strategies (Flack, 2008). What is the companys strengths? Strength can be described as a distinctive competence that gives the firm a competitive advantage in market. For example image, market leadership, buyer supplier relations, financial resources, etc. McDonalds strength lies in creating an image in the peoples minds and introducing them to a new culture of fast food. Customer care, delivery, speed and cleanliness are its core strengths that lead to its expansion. They were successful in creating a corporate symbol and its advertisement campaigns established its brand image in the minds of millions of people. McDonalds identified two main competitors i.e. the Burger King and KFC. The marketing strategy of McDonalds is concerned with internal resources, external environment, and its competencies. McDonalds product value is its strength. Customers know what to expect when they enter into McDonalds. It gives emphasis to human resources by satisfying its employees and customers both. Next comes the innovation aspect. In order to serve the new tastes and trends of people, new products are launched. Its diversity into new businesses can also be considered as its strengths. The question arises is how much effective are the above strengths in the long run of the company? McDonalds today is not as amendable as it was during its inception. So what are the driving factors which have resulted in its decline in sales and services? In order to analyze this factor we have to identify the weaknesses in the companys business and marketing strategy. The factors that are considered as strengths become a weakness if it blocks the performance of the company. Customer choices and trends change. Generally, people get tired of their old brands which they had been using over the years. When they do not get a product with the expected innovation they switch to new brands. With so many outlets, people find McDonalds everywhere. This over exposure can also be a reason for abstinence. Then maintaining standards of a huge chain is difficult and if there is lack of quality or service in any one outlet, then the brand as a whole gets affected. Reaching the target audience is the secret of any marketing strategy. So the target audience should be chosen carefully. It is very crucial for an organizations success, that its customers attain satisfaction level. Earlier McDonalds targeted mostly the young person, which has changed now. Now McDonalds has turned into a more general kind of market i.e. it now concentrates on families also. They started targeting diverse market which comprises of elderly people to children, by launching products such as the Happy Meal for children and Egg McMuffin for the elder ones. With the changing lifestyle, the demand for healthier food has increased and also ever changing demographic group demands fast, low in calories quality food. McDonalds responds to this kind of opportunity by introducing new and innovative products. Earlier, they had introduced a new product which was a regular hamburger and tasted like the real one but was made of Soya beans, a plant material. This product was also used to target another demographic group, i.e. vegetarians. McDonalds generally uses psychographic segmentation by which it targets the middle and working classes. These type people are more susceptible to enter fast food restaurants because they lead a fast and busy life and therefore require some fast meal. In short McDonalds customers belong to all age groups and classes, but comprises mainly of working and middle class people. (Kroc, 2001). The above factors point out key strengths and weaknesses at the external level. There are some internal factors also which affects the performance of the company. One major factor is the relationship between the franchise dealers and the management. Organizational strength is the back bone of any business and once it begins to shake the whole system can collapse. But slowly McDonald is recovering from all these weaknesses. Through latest technological developments it has become easy for its brand managers to communicate, compare and improve the services. They can also use internet in order to improve, motivate and compare performances of other centers. The analysis of all the external as well as internal strengths and weaknesses of the company should be done so that a sustainable plan for the further improvements in the company can be drafted. For any kind of improvement or expansion the availability of internal resources is a must. By analyzing this aspect, a modified strategy can be formed to suit the companys vision. Hence with the use of all the core competencies, the corporation can successfully grow and sustain in the competitive market (Richard Whittington, 1993) In 2003 the change in the top managerial level created a new wave in the performance of the corporation and also some major changes were incorporated to retain and sustain the quality and innovation aspect of the brand. Now let us understand the sustainable competitive advantage of McDonalds. What is meant by sustainable competitive advantage? How is it significant to McDonalds? SCA is the advantage a firm has which is very difficult or mostly impossible for competitors to possess or break through. It can be either brand, cost structure, dynamic customer care, or any kind of patents. The advantage should be either proprietary or distinctive in order to be considered as sustainable. Other than this, three different aspects have been identified that helps in SCA. First, there should be a good integration and coordination between the organizational and managerial processes. Therefore the much needed value is created when every employee in the organization strives to work for one common goal. The organization should learn to be flexible and change as per the needs in the environment such as customer trends, government restriction or innovations in technology. Nowadays McDonalds is focusing on organizational behavior as well as managerial expertise. Earlier it was ignored because the organization was more involved in establishing its outlets everywhere than strengthening its core competency. As a result the revenue did not increase much inspite of newer outlets being opened. The firm suffered a huge loss for the first time since their inceptions which ultimately lead to changes in the managerial strategies. Second, structural, financial assets and technology aspects of any firm are excellent market position which helps in building SCA. No doubt McDonalds is abundant in aspects such as structure, technology and finance. All that is needed is to identify and incorporate these assets in the right direction towards the improvement of the company. From 2003 onwards the company has really started to concentrate on its competencies. Third, the greatest advantage is the vision of the company with which it started. Sustaining this dream over the passing years is any companies greatest advantage. A company usually revolves around its vision statement, so sustaining this vision and working in accordance with it, is a great SCA. McDonalds was started to help people who were too busy and had little time to cook. The vision was to provide value, customer care, quality and cleanliness. Keeping its vision in mind, the corporation which slackened a bit earlier because of its incompetent franchise holders is being weeded and new and better people are put in this place. Thus, SCA means implementing the best value based strategies using all the unique advantages of the company which cannot be replicated by the competitors. In todays scenario, everything is outsourced from employee appointment to customer care. No organization is efficient enough to handle all kinds of work. It is not possible for big corporations like McDonalds to concentrate on every small detail. But core competences of the company should not be outsourced. Mostly companies concentrate on their core competencies whereas outsource its remaining operation. McDonald has recently tested its drive by order facility. Outsourcing is therefore helpful in the increasing external suppliers and overcomes the difficulties faced due to lack of latest technologies and other innovations. So what makes McDonalds still strong and maintain its rank as one of the leading business. The answer is its core competences and the internal as well as external sustainable competitive advantages. Of course, to keep up with the changing business environment, the company has also begun to outsource, but then it should not be carried away by the outsourcing mania. This company has recently started to go back to its golden era because of large scale revamping of its structural and organizational changes being incorporated (C K Prahalad and G Hamel 1990). Strategic Allies: A strategic allys means an organization is working together in a joint venture or a similar arrangement with one or more organizations. McDonalds is in strategic alliance with: Wal-Mart, Chevron, Amoco, Disney and Coca-Cola. Wal-Mart, the largest retail chain in U.S. and several neighboring countries, is symbiotically allied with McDonalds. In each Wal-Mart stores, there are McDonalds restaurants. Thereby it offers its customers excellent low cost fast food in a convenient way. Chevron and Amoco are two petrol pumps with which McDonalds is in alliance with. This alliance represents ultimate convenience. Nothing can be more convenient than filling the car with as well as getting a meal, that too all in one stop. Another important alliance of the company is with Disney. Sole right has been granted to McDonalds to sell fast food in Disneys theme parks around US and at other Disney spots in the world. As per the terms of the agreement, McDonalds will operate as restaurants and Disney wil l promote its films through McDonalds. CONCLUSION: As such there is no particular competitive strategy that guarantees to achieve success each time. Risk attitudes change due to industrial volatility, environmental uncertainty and several internal conditions might also be involved. Since the marketing function is consumer oriented, customer needs should be identified and then strategies should be designed to meet those needs. The distribution system brings the product or service to the place where in can best fill customer needs. Since every product requires support from distribution channels, so the right choice of distributors and wholesalers is very important. Promotion of products is more important than advertising. The location, size and nature of markets defined by business strategy will indicate the content of promotional material as well as it will guide the promotion mix decisions. Pricing is another complex issue which is used as a competitive weapon because it is related to cost, volume, tradeoffs etc. Changes in pricing p olicy are likely to provoke competitors response. Marketing has received increasingly greater attention in the competitive business since the early modern era. The old marketing concept focused on selling of the existing products of the firm and promoting it to maximize sales to attain profits, but now the new concept focuses on the potential customers of the firm and seeks to earn profit by customer satisfaction with an integrated marketing program.

Appearance: What You See Is Not Always What You Get Essay -- Literary

Thomas Pain once said â€Å"[a] long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.† Appearances are the first thing to catch one’s attention. Whether it be a supermodel, a famous photograph, or the unmistakable golden arches: we take notice. The essays written by Judith Ortiz Cofer, Eric Schlosser, and Nora Ephron demonstrate the effect appearances have on individuals and our society undividedly. In Judith Ortiz Cofer's essay "The Story of My Body," she shares her struggle with appearance and self-esteem. Ms. Cofer admits her definitions of appearance changed when she relocated to the United States at age eight. She states "I was born a white girl in Puerto Rico, but became a brown girl when I came to live in the United States" (Cofer 323). For instance, Cofer is identified as a palm blanca in Puerto Rico and as a colored girl during her first encounter of color prejudice. In addition to her cultural dispute with appearance, Ms. Cofer displays an internal dispute with her appearance in size. At age twelve standing five-feet tall, Ms. Cofer was viewed by her family as a tall young woman in comparison to her mother who was no taller than four-foot-eleven. Her mother exemplified this by saying â€Å"†[s]ince you are so tall, this dress will look good on you†" (Cofer 326). Her classmates at her New Jersey public school viewed her appearance very differently. Ms. Co fer was perceived as the "4F, skinny, short, bespectacled" (Cofer 326) kid on the playground impervious to competition; whereas her true competition lay in the classroom. Appearance is what creates an initial attraction to one’s significant other; for example, Cofer describes her first crush, Ted, whom she describes as "pretty with yellow ... ... photographic coverage of events must be published regardless of the subject, simply because the events took place. The author states " That's why photojournalism is often more powerful than written journalism" (Ephron 438), emphasizing that censorship harms the purity of death and that interpretation and judgment must be left to the reader. Ms. Ephron establishes, appearances are memorable and powerful. Society’s views always fluctuate, as they are allowed, and censorship is a major threat the right to form our own opinions. An initial reaction can be everlasting. This is why it is believed that appearance and first impressions are most important. Although, understanding what we see versus what we get is vital. It is imperative to venture past first appearances and impressions; sometimes there lies honesty or deceit. Appearances are not always what they seem.

Should Sociology Be Scientific?

In sociology there are two main contrasting views to how the subject of sociology should be approached and studied, as a science or not. In this essay I will be explaining the arguments of each side of the discussion fully, and aim to show the positive and negative points of either approach to studying sociology. The first argument I will analyse is Positivism. Positivists support the view that sociology should be studied as a science, arguing that society and the activities of the individuals in society as a whole hold main similarities and attributes to the physical or natural world. Positivists believe that social factors are largely involved in determining human behaviour, an example being that positivists think that people wish to seek partners in order to allow them to marry and produce children, letting them fulfil societies expectations of them. Positivists use scientific methodology, which means that their procedures resemble methods of collecting data that are usually seen in practice in natural sciences. Examples of some of these methods are questionnaires, structured interviews or statistics. Using scientific procedures in the Positivists view means that more accurate results will be collected, they hold the view that it is possible to see society in an objective way. An example of this is Durkheim, who believed the social facts of society could be considered in the same way as objects and events of the natural world. He thought that social facts did not only consist of things that could be observed objectively or in a direct manner, but also belief systems which exist in the consciousness of individuals. To look at these belief systems in a scientific manner Durkheim thought that they couldn't be changed at will, but were controlled by society making them available to scientific approaches. Correlation is another part of scientific methodology, where by looking at different social facts correlations are found between them, where there is evidence of a relationship between two or more different factors. Durkheim found that in his study of suicide there was a relationship between suicide and religions, (e. g. Protestantism and a high suicide rate). After correlations are found between social facts the researcher may believe that one social fact causes another to make a hypothesis, such as crime causes a person to become working class, or being working class causes a person to commit crime. One problem with this part of the positivist scientific methodology is that some correlations found by researchers may just be by chance or indirect. This can happen where two social facts are found together but in actual fact don't have any direct connections to each other. It can happen that a third social fact has a relationship with both the other social facts, which can cause them to be linked. An example of this is gender being the cause of both level of criminality and location in the class hierarchy, which illustrates that class and crime aren't actually linked, but are both related to gender. In positivists research they also believe that if findings are verified and found in many different contexts such as in different societies around the world and during different time periods the research can be see as being a law of human behaviour, which is the main aim of the positivist perspective. This is where a statement is found to be true in all circumstances, a comparison being scientific laws such as gravity being established, positivists hold the view that these laws can be found in human behaviour. Durkheim thought he had found a law of human behaviour when his research into suicide had the conclusion that suicide rates always increased when in society there was a drastic change in the economy. Using scientific methodology such as questionnaires does have the positive of being reliable, as the data could be collected repeatedly and it is likely to achieve the same conclusions over and over again, but also has the weakness that people can lie and be biased in the questionnaires towards themselves. Another problem is that questionnaires restrict the answers of the individual being asked the questions, which also can happen in structured interviews where the individual cant put across what they want to say because of the structured questions and style of the interview. Also questionnaires and scientific methodology doesn't take into account the individual differences that could be involved in the issue that is being researched. An example of this is suicide. Research into the matter of suicide has been criticised when it has been done using scientific matters as Douglas made the criticism of Durkheim's research that not all suicides can be treated as the same type of act as they could have different or contrasting meanings behind them, e. g. lderly Eskimo's will kill themselves for the sake of their society, where as a someone in a western society may kill themselves because they are depressed. Also, in Durkheim's research into suicide, J. D Douglas criticized him saying that the statistics used weren't valid, as the decision to if the sudden death was a suicide is made by the coroner, who in turn is influenced by the family and friends of the victim. This creates the possibility of there being systematic bias in the decision, having the consequence of not very reliable statistics to base his conclusions on. Another weakness of scientific methodology is it can result in generalisations in the conclusions, where the researcher will split the data collected into different categories, as Durkheim carried out in his study into suicide, which can be too reductionist, missing out important factors in the issue being researched such as the background of the suicides etc. Another method used in sociological research is observation, which positivists believe that the social world can be objectively observed and classified. Observation is not only used by positivists, but is also used by many anti-positivist sociologists who have observed situations in connection with subjects like education and suicide, where Atkinson observed the processes involved in the decisions made by coroners in the coroners courts. One problem with using observation is that it is restrictive in the type of situations it can be used in, such as in the study of the subject of politics, sociologists are prohibited from observing the British Cabinet. Also because the results are based on how the situation was observed through the researcher, it is possible for there to be interference from the researcher in the data collected. Another group that support the idea of sociology being a science is realists, who see much of sociology being scientific. An example of this is the realist's sociologist Keat, who saw Marxist sociology as scientific as the models developed by Marx was evaluating processes and institutions in society based on empirical data. Realists suggest that both natural and sociological sciences have the same aim in the research carried out which is to develop theories and create perspectives to explain the world based on collected evidence. Auguste Comte was a founder of sociology, and through founding the subject attempted to show it as a science using a scientific manner in his research, studying social phenomena. He talked about discovering the laws social phenomena being the main aim behind the subject of sociology, and scientific methods being the best way of accomplishing this. He also thought that society as a whole was greater than the individuals within it, which in other words meant that society was more complex than the number of people in it, that it involved many other variables. One procedure that Comte supported was the HD procedure, which was where you started with a theory, created a hypothesis based on that theory, slected a research method that could be verified and analysise the data collected through this method to see if the hypothesis was correct. One problem with this procedure is that although it does have reliable data that is collected, and a straight forward procedure involved, a negative aspect of creating a hypothesis to work with before carrying out the research is that it brings in the possibility that the researcher will pick a research method which will be biased to the hypothesis by be the method most likely to prove it. An example of where this happened was the research into aids attempting to prove it as a ‘gay plague'. Another example of a positivist theory was made by Karl Popper, who created the theory of falsification. Popper believed that the best way to see if a theory or conclusion was true was to let it stand the test of time. In this he meant that the longer a theory was supported and unreputed by other sociologists, the more true it was. Popper was critical towards Marx, saying that he was unscientific because he didn't use empirical data and that Marx's theory couldn't be proved wrong or right as Marx left his theory open to when the revolution would actually happen, meaning that if a revolution didn't happen in that time period, Marx would still be able to argue that it was going to happen ‘some day in the future'. The other side of the argument of should sociology be scientific is held by anti positivists, such as Max Weber. Weber claims that to come to true conclusions the motives of a situation or a persons actions must first be understood. An example of this is if a person is fishing, are they doing it because its their hobby, or maybe because they are hungry. One process supported by Weber was verstehen, which is where the sociologist imagines himself or herself as the person or in the position of the person whose being studied. Weber thought that the motives behind an action are just as important as the actions themselves for coming to the truth behind a subject. There third perspective involved in the debate is Post Modernism, which believe in the grand narrative, or that there is no such thing as just having one dominant theory. Post Modernists believe the best results and theories are academic pick and mix's, where conclusions are drawn from many different perspectives and theories to get an all round finding that includes all the different points of view involved. Post Modernists also think that there is no such thing as one objective truth, and that no one method or way of looking at sociology can arrive at true conclusions as in reality, society is always changing as is the norms and values within society. One post modernist who believes that there is no one technique that can find the truth (a belief held by epistemology) is Lyotard, who sees all epistemology as being based on more the researchers opinions instead of being based on objective knowledge. This is known as being a metanarrative.

Transformation of Work

Bachelor of Science (Hons) In Marketing BMME1 1142A Type of Assignment: Module: Lecturer: Member: UOB ID No. : Date of Submission: INDIVIDUAL TRANSFORMATION OF WORK (BAFW4) MR JOHN NEO BOON LEONG KAM YONG KUAT 10038891 27th JUNE 2012 Page 1 of 4 BMME1 1142A Transformation of Work (BAFW4), Individual Assignment, 27th June 2012 Kam Yong Kuat (UB: 10038891) A critical review of an academic article concerned with certain aspects of new issues of work Cross, S. and Bagilhole, B. (2002) Girls’ Jobs for the boys?Men, Masculinity and NonTraditional Occupations. Gender, Work and Organization, Vol 9, No. 2 pp204-226 Introduction of Gender segregation of the labour market By nature, there has always been occupational segregation through gender in all countries. This is the case, despite the differences in economy or political situation in the different areas. Even though it has been a long while since women have participated in the working force, women and men still tend to work in diffe rent industries, for one reason or another.Research conducted by Simon Cross and Barbara Bagilhole (2002) has shown that men dominated industries like drivers of road goods vehicles, production works, maintenance managers, warehouse and storekeepers, technical and wholesale representatives. And on the other end of the spectrum, only two occupational groups are wholl y female dominance (more than 90%); nurses and care assistants. Other female dominated industries including counter clerks, cashiers, catering assistants, primary and nursery school teachers and cleaners or domestic helpers.Unfortunately, gender segregation operates both horizontally and vertically in the working force. Not only are men and women allocated qualitatively in different field or work, women happened to make up the vast majority of the lower levels of the occupational hierarchy. Taking example from the nursing industry in the US, men makes up only the clear minority, yet, most are strongly encouraged to apply for promotions into managerial positions.William (1992) has highlighted on a very interesting metaphor of the ‘glass ceiling’ to that of ‘glass escalator’ in order to reflect the men’s smooth and inexorable rise to senior management. Many theories have been put forward to explain the persistence of gender divisions in employment, and it has mainly focused on women’s inability to compete on equal terms to men in the labour market. (Cross and Bagilhole, 2002) Men, masculinity and ‘non-traditional work’According to research conducted by Hearn (1992), masculinity has been found to be far from uniform and it is seen not as ‘the essence of men’, but rather as a product of cultural and historical forces. There have been other theories that highlight that man who worked in nontraditional occupations tended to present a less masculine gender-type compared with men in traditional male-dominant occupations (Chusmir, 1990). Judg ing from the entertainment and media scene in Singapore, it seems to further prove what Chusmir (1990) has argued. 0% of make-up artist, hairstylist and fashion designers tend to portray a more feminine persona, moving away from the traditional male masculinity. Some have even been regarded as a ‘fairy godmother’ (David Gan – Asiaone News, 2010). It may be due to the fact that clienteles from these industries are mainly female, thus the feminine persona, and eventually, homosexuality. But these also further clarify the point that Collinson and Hearn (1996) made, that masculinities are ‘socially produced, reproduced and indeed changeable’.There are also arguments that suggests men adopted a ‘transformed’ masculinity in nontraditional occupations such as teaching (Galbraith 1992) and men who reject stereotyped gender roles, and who performed non-traditional work, reported little or no gender role conflict (Luhaorg and Zivian, 1995) Page 2 of 4 BMME1 1142A Transformation of Work (BAFW4), Individual Assignment, 27th June 2012 Kam Yong Kuat (UB: 10038891) Cross and Bagihole (2002) however maintain that masculinity is the shorthand for ‘gender identity’.And therefore, through this study of the various subjects, it looked at ways in which masculinities are defined, ‘transformed’, (re)constructed, and maintained by men working in non-traditional jobs. Findings of the study of masculinity in non-traditional work One of the subject interviewed mention that ‘caring is seen as a predominantly female job because people see carers as being female, and aspects of caring like being empathic and sensitive to people’s needs are seen as something that men can’t do’.This has initiated the subject to challenge traditional ideas of appropriate gender behaviour in the work of a caring job. Another participant also highlighted the need to challenge the traditional culture of getting inv olved in the caring scene, even though he has been introduced to traditional masculine values since young, through the doings of his father and brother. He would be deemed as different from being a ‘real men’ if he would to pursue in caring work.One younger participant also noted that he have received adverse reactions when he mentioned to girls he met during a party, that he was a male nurse. He has to resort to lying about his occupation as women were not interested if he’s a nurse. The vast majority of women will start to question his sexual orientation or start to share their problems with him. These are just a few of the challenges that the participants have shared with regard to their sexuality and masculine identity. Nonetheless, the participants also have their fair share of attempts in challenging the challenges.A male gynaecologist who was also part of the study highlighted that he often felt otherwise when he observed his female counterparts treating f ellow female patients, and thought it was a bit shoddy. And because of that, he strives to ensure that he handles his patients with more tact and effort to ensure that his patients felt comfortable. This has gone down with well with his patients and he has been duly recognised for the efforts. One of the other participants, a male nurse, views his work as a lifelong career, something that he will be doing for the rest of his life.With this attitude and approach, he tend to take the job more seriously and look to strive better than his female counterparts, whom many a times, enters the industry, viewing it just as a second job or something to do until something better comes along. (Re)constructing a different masculinity There are also the few that look to (re)construct a different masculinity, by identifying with their work as being better indications of their true self (Cross and Bagilhole, 2002). The participants see their job as something that genuinely brings out their true natu re as a caring person.One of the male nurse involved in the study commented that he used not be able to express his emotions in public, due to the stereotypical views of the general public. But after joining the nursing industry, it has helped him to better express himself in a more liberating manner. He now has no problem sharing his emotions with people around him. This could also be the reason why based on recent reports, it has shown that more male nurses have been reported to enter the industry (More male nurse entering the industry – Asiaone, Page 3 of 4 BMME1 1142ATransformation of Work (BAFW4), Individual Assignment, 27th June 2012 Kam Yong Kuat (UB: 10038891) 2010). It could also be largely due to that fact that people have grown to understand and empathise that the work one does, is not a direct reflection of your sexual orientation or personality. Conclusion Based on the studies of the various subjects, Simon and Bagilhole (2002) was able to establish that the male s either attempted to maintain a traditional masculinity by distancing themselves from female colleagues, and/or partially (re)constructed a different masculinity by identifying with their non-traditional occupations.The men involved in the study have also shown to be actively maintaining traditional male values, and not challenging their gender identity. When challenged about their masculinity, some of the subjects have maintained themselves as the dominant gender by reformulating the perception of their work as being more men’s work, for example, by denying that a care-taker’s job involves caring only. It has a certain element of planning and management involved that will make the male dominance stands out. Just as how Segal (1999) argued, ‘men have remained the dominant sex by constantly refashioning masculinity’.Through this study, it is apparent that men have been able to successfully maintain their traditional advantages even in female-dominated work places. Even in female-dominated workplaces such as nursing, it does not naturally set the change or biasness in the women’s favour. The men’s behaviour and practices contributes to their dominance in the industry. WORKS CITED Feminine Males within Entertainment Industry Yoshio; http://www. whatshappening. sg/events/index. php? com=detail&eID=51825 David Gan; http://news. asiaone. com/News/The%2BNew%2BPaper/Story/A1Story20101110 -246661. tml More male nurses entering the industry http://www. asiaone. com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20100712-226496. html Cross, S. and Bagilhole, B. (2002) Girls’ Jobs for the boys? Men, Masculinity and Non -Traditional Occupations. Gender, Work and Organization, Vol 9, No. 2 pp204-226 Chusmir, L. H. (1990) Men who make non-traditional career choices. Journal of Counselling and Development, 69 (September-October), 11-16 Galbraith, M. (1992) Understanding career choices of men in elementary education. ‘Journal of Educational R esearch. 85,4 (March-April), 246-53 Hearn, J. 1992) Men in the Public Eye; The Construction and Deconstruction of Public Men and Public Patriarchies. London: Routledge Luhaorg, L. and Zivian, M. T. (1995) Gender role conflict: the interaction of gender, gender role, and occupation . Sex Roles, 33,9/10, 607-20 Segal, L. (1999) Why Feminism? Cambridge: Polity Press Williams, C. L. (1992) The glass escalator: hidden advantages for men in the ‘female’ professions. Social Problems 39,3, 253-67 Page 4 of 4 BMME1 1142A Transformation of Work (BAFW4), Individual Assignment, 27th June 2012 Kam Yong Kuat (UB: 10038891)

Determining Databases and Data Communications Essays (1013 words)

Determining Databases and Data Communications Essays (1013 words) Determining Databases and Data Communications BIS/320 Determining Databases and Data Communications Scenario 1 You need to track data about booth components, equipment, shippers, and shipment. List typical fields for each type of data. Provide an example of two relationships that you need to track. In order to describe fields for each type of data it is first important to understand just what a field is in this context. According to Techopedia (2015), when describing databases a field is a set of data values within a table which define data. An example of fields relating to the booth components data may include a list of the components included in the booth as well as information relating to whether the components were shipped out in use or in stock at the office. Additionally fields relating to the date of shipment may also be included. Like the booth components, fields describing each piece of equipment may be used. Fields relating to the location of the equipment as well as the date shipped are also important. Fields relating to the shippers data may include the name of the person as well as the date shipped. There could also be a field containing information as to whether the items shipped were damaged when in the shippers care. Similarly the shipment data could include fie lds describing what is included in the shipment as well as the name of the person performing the shipping. Additionally, the date and quality of shipment could also be included. One example of a relationship that may need to be tracked is that between shipper and shipment. Each shipper could possess a designated number that could then be used in the shipment table to identify who is performing the shipment. This allows for easy identification of who is shipping the equipment. Additionally, each piece of equipment could be labeled with a unique identification number that could be used relationally in the shipment table. When looking at the shipment table both the equipment and shipper are easily identifiable. This allows easy tracking of all necessary information pertaining to the shipment. Do you need a database system? If not, can Excel handle the data and the output? What are the advantages and disadvantages? While Excel could be used for storing data pertaining to scenario 1, a database system would provide a more in-depth description of what is happening. A database system is also advantageous because it provides the ability to sync information from multiple tables and sources. Ultimately, Excel could handle the input of data but would not produce the output of data and information. Kroenke (2014) states, lists of data involving a single theme can be stored in a spreadsheet; lists that involve data with multiple themes require a database (pg. 108). Excel possesses many advantages including the ability to more easily and quickly enter and manipulate data. However, the output of information received from Excel is very limited. This information is more black and white than the information retrieved from databases. Utilization of databases is advantageous due to the wealth of knowledge received from the manipulation of data. However, databases are often more complicated and require more time and ability for utilization. Would you use a personal database or an enterprise database? Explain your answer. While an enterprise database would allow multiple users and provide numerous additional features, a personal database is sufficient for scenario 1. This is because the marketing assistant is in charge of all aspects of managing the trade shows. For this reason, a personal database should provide the capabilities needed to organize and manage the task of tracking and managing equipment. However, limited details are provided, if the marketing assistant were constantly collaborating with and sharing this information with multiple coworkers an enterprise database system would become more appropriate. Would a decision support system (DSS) be helpful? Explain your answer. A well-designed DSS aids decision makers in compiling a variety of data from many sources: raw data, documents, personal knowledge from employees, management, executives and business models ("Decision Support System," 2015). Regardless of whether utilizing a personal database or enterprise database a decision support system could provide help. One example of how this system could provide help in scenario 1 is through identifying shippers who repeatedly