Leadership Skills Needed for 21st Century Coursework

Leadership Skills Needed for 21st Century - Coursework Example Therefore new leadership skills are required for leaders which help them to handle those challenges. This case study highlights the views of famous leaders of some reputed companies regarding the leadership skills required for 21st century. Leadership skills play a vital role globalizing and enhancing different activities and processes of business. Oh-Hyun Kwon the Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung has mentioned that leaders must upgrade their skills along with the changing business environment. According to Mr. Known, the modern world businesses are expanding globally at a very faster rate. Therefore, the business leaders must have broad mindset which will help them to act and think globally. The leaders need to have strong analytical skill. This will facilitate them to implement any decision in the complex business environment of 21st century. The firms of 21st century believe in innovations. Therefore, the leaders must have the skill to develop and establish unique products and services. This will contribute a lot in growth and development of the business (Bamberger and Meshoulam, 2000). In the present time the organizations have employees who belong from different cultural background. According to Oh-Hyun Kwon leaders should have the skills to embrace cultural diversity in the work place. They should extract good things fro m different cultures and motivate people to follow those things for reducing cultural gaps. The ability of strategic thinking is required for the leaders for enhancing the business processes. The leaders must develop different activities for helping the society and environment. For this reason they must have strong interpersonal skills which will help the leaders to establish connection with the people. The leaders need to have good communication power for enhancing the business process (Story and Barbuto, 2011). Strong communication will help them to provide knowledge to all organizational members. The

Ethnic Group Essay Example for Free

Ethnic Group Essay In this essay, I write about ethnic group and why we cannot define an ethnic group by their cultural elements such as language, religion, customs and so on. I write this essay because there is a question about why we cannot define an ethnic group by their culture, whereas culture are one elements of an ethnic. There is problem of seeing ethnic groups as cultural groups; â€Å"the mere fact that two groups of people are of different culture does not necessarily imply – as has nearly always been assumed – that they belong to two quite different social systems (Leach 1954: 17), â€Å"Someone is Lue by virtue of believing and calling himself Lue and of acting in ways that validate his Lueness† (Moerman, 1965:1219), First of all, I want to tell what is ethnic group. Before ethnic groups, anthropologies who study colonial subject and society called society they studied as ‘tribe’ and people they studied as â€Å"tribal people†. The word â€Å"tribe† was replaced by the word â€Å"ethnic groups† by the 1960s because; a tribal society is not as isolated as being assumed, tribal societies interact with one another, and the word tribe reflects Eurocentric views, a sharp qualitative distinction between ourselves and the people we study. There is a problem when we seeing ethnic groups as cultural groups because there will be a different in their practice. For an example, ethnic Java Banyumasan or Banyumas at Indonesia with Orang Jawa of Malaysia. Basically, they are an specific ethnic. But due to geographical differences for example, they have different practice, language, religion and others. In the field of demography, we can see Jawa Banyumasan usually live in the southwest of Central Java. Technically, Jawa Banyumasan is one of the subgroups of the Jawa people groups, but they have their own cultural variations which differ from other Jawa peoples. While The Orang Jawa, (Jawa of Malaysia) has migrated from Central Java, where the same place of Jawa Banyumasan, to Malaysia. This migrations due to Dutch colonization at Indonesia from 1880 to 1930. The Orang Jawa live in peninsular Malaysia in parts of Johor, Malacca, Perak, Selangor, and Kedah. Jawa Banyumasan have typical Javanese dialect. Usually, easy for Jawa Banyumasan to understand conversations with other Jawa dialects. Level of javanese are likely family tree. The higher you go the more similarity or standardization there is. But the lower you go the more variety. However, many other Jawa groups difficult to understand the Banyumasan dialect because of the widespread of Banyumasan vocabulary. While the younger Orang Jawa who use Jawa language being less among them. Most of them cannot remember how to speak it or never learned about it. In their daily live, Most of the Java’s Banyumasan live as a farmer. When we compare with other tribe in Indonesia, Banyumasan have an advance in the way they farm. Other than have a fertile soil, they cultivate the land well and they also have modern equipment to do their farming. Banyumasan also have their own small industries for example woven bamboo and brown sugar. To meet other needs, this commodity is sold to other regions. For Orang Jawa (Malaysia), their new generations who live in city have assimilated with the general Malay culture. Now they also work as a bankers, pilots, accountants, politicians, and also engineers. They well known as a efficient and industrious people. In Selangor, some of Orang Jawa work as a Islamic religious teacher. Orang Jawa who live in villages, they still maintains their identity and traditions. People who are not Jawa but come from other Malay group, when they married with Orang Jawa, they also claimed or called themselves as Orang Jawa, or Jawa Peranakan. Other than grown up their own vegetables, and livestock, they also involved in tourism activities by make their way of life as a tourist attraction. Orang jawa well known as a friendly people. They usually will invite visitors to share meal with their families even though they often have a large family with some having between 10 to 17 children. Marital affairs is a big thing to Orang Jawa. Sometimes, they celebrate marriages last up to three days. Giving gift to the newlyweds are also a common thing for Orang Jawa. They more to help each other rather than during weddings rather than receive a larges sum of money. In their belief, or religion, majority of Java’s Banyumas are Muslims. However, around 80% of them are â€Å"Muslim identity card† (abangan). While the other 20% were devout Muslim (students), who are pious Muslim and lead Islamic teaching seriously. Other than that, some of Java’s Banyumas still believe in animism. They also believe with spirits such as bujungan, jangkrong, and dhemit. Places like grave, mountains, caves and sea it is considered sacred. When they sick or being disturbed by spirits, they will using shaman to help them. They often hold ceremonies with mantras and offerings to their areas protected by disasters. While the Orang Jawa are usually Sunni Muslims. During wedding ceremonies and circumcision, they perform the jedur, a songs of praise to the Prophet of Muhammad which have been compiled in a book called Silawatan. They will also perform the kempling, a type of dance to giving praise to Allah during religious occasions. During the performance, they will use tools where made of lambs wool and wood. Before and after the dance, Quran is being read. It takes a group of ten to twenty people to perform it. The kempling performance is a time for people to get together to build ethnic solidarity and unity. They also will share problem to the other members during the performance. As a conclusion, due to differences in their cultural elements such as language, religion, customs, way of life and so on, we cannot define an ethnic group by their culture. The cultural boundaries do not always correspond with ethnic boundaries. Like Edmund Leach, Political systems of Highland Burma: A study of Kachin Social Structure (1954) said; â€Å"the mere fact that two groups of people are of different culture does not necessarily imply – as has nearly always been assumed – that they belong to two quite different social systems (Leach 1954: 17) Assuming that ethnic groups are cultural groups will fail to address various aspects of ethnic phenomena. † Other than that, Ethnic groups cannot be defined by culture. An ethnic group is a group of people who believe that they share the same ancestry, history, cultural traits such as language and religion which are distinct from other groups.

What Conditions To Keep Chips In Overnight :: essays research papers

Background Information. I think that this practical will be based on osmosis because ,Osmosis is the random movement of water molecules from a high concentration to a low concentration . This will then happen between the chips and the liquid in the McCarthy bottles . This already tells us that the chips will vary in size from the concentration of water . Plan of the Experiment. Method 1 Firstly we shall set up the experiments by getting the apparatus and the materials (potatoes) ready. We shall then get the 18 McCarthy bottles needed . Then put them on the desk ready for the potatoes to be added when ever. We should then get the weighing scales and the core remover, along with a ruler on the side. 2 Secondly we should core the potatoes and then accurately weigh, and measure them. To measure them we should use a scalpel and a ruler the scalpel should then be used to accurately cut the pieces of potato, the potatoes should all be cut with the same corer to ensure a fair test. To make the cutting even more accurate we should use a square so that the potato is accurately cut. We should also then weigh them accurately so that we will be able to find out the difference after. We should record these results. 3 Also, we should then start to add the liquids to the cylinders , We should then add all the potatoes at roughly the same time after they are all full. We shall then record these details and use them so that when we take them out it will be exactly the right time each. For the test to be as accurate as possible my nights will be until lunchtime the next day, so we can find out exactly which one is the best . 4 Finally when we take them out of the cylinders we should then put them straight onto the weighing scales to find out what the results are. We will then record them to find out the results. Preliminary Work I think that the preliminary work I have completed has helped tremendously with the practical experiment. The work on osmosis has helped with understanding and helping to put together this experiment . Factor In this experiment the factor we will vary will be the S.S.S , this will be the molar amount in the liquid . We are going to use ; 0 molar (distilled water) 0.1 Molar 0.2 Molar 0.4 Molar 0.6 Molar 0.8 Molar

Distinguishing People Around the World: Social Structures and Social Institutions Essay

From a sociological perspective, it is both an oversimplification and an inaccuracy to conclude that people around the world, or even within the same country, are fundamentally the same. There are similarities. The scientific methodologies used by sociologists to study different types of human interactions and social facts instead suggest that people are different in important ways and that these differences must be considered when assessing human behavior objectively and normatively. One of the main conceptual aids to understanding how and why people are not fundamentally the same involves a key sociological distinction between social structures and social institutions. Social structures refer to patterns existing within a social system and are analytically divided into simple and complex types of social structures. A simple type of social structures is limited to roles and status designations along a set continuum; illustrative of this type of simplistic pattern might be age structures, gender structures, or ethnic background structures in a pyramid or pie-chart form. These are fairly exclusive patterns whereas the complex social structures derive their complexity from the fact that multiple social sources or interrelationships are constructed from existing roles and status designations. These patterns, or social structures, may differ around the world because of a variety of different factors. Age patterns in America differ from other countries, for example, because of such factors as medical technology, education, and even historical experiences with wars. Not only can these patterns be explained by social factors, but they can also be used to predict human behavior and social consequences in the future. Declining birth rates in America may foretell less tax revenue and social security burdens for seniors whereas increasing birthrates in Kenya may foretell fiercer competition for scare jobs and potential social dislocations. Social structures vary significantly, the patterns have different sources and consequences, and this is evidence that people are not the same everywhere; indeed, people are quite different in origins, in the present, and in the direction in which social forces are shaping the future. In addition, an examination of the social institution concept further supports the notion that people are not the same everywhere. The social institution is employed to help to explain how certain patterns of social structures emerge in the first instance; for example, patterns describing such social structures as gender or racial inequality find their causative origins in institutions. The social institution concept is therefore an analytical method for examining how social structures arise, persist, or transform into a new type of social structure. The family and religion are common areas for analysis in the sociological field; for purposes of illustration, religious institutions have and continue to affect patterns related to gender inequality in terms of access to education and income inequality. Religious institutions in Afghanistan and America, to be sure, are not the same; these different religious institutions affect the social structures that arise in these respective countries. Women are not the same in Afghanistan and America. These differences are explained from a sociological perspective by examining patterns in the form of social structures and by seeking to understand causation by examining institutions. In the final analysis, the empirical evidence strongly suggests that people are hardly the same everywhere. People are diverse, patterns vary internationally and even domestically in certain respects, and institutional change is frequently unpredictable to the extant that it can be occasioned by such fundamentally transformative events such as the Industrial Revolution, the Internet boom, and the globalization characterized by information technology and excess financial liquidity. Social structures and social institutions can aid in attempting to understand why we are different and how these differences might be minimized in order to prevent excessive types of social conflicts.

Foundation Certification †My Short Notes Essay

A team or group of people and the tools they use to carry out one or more processes or activities. Functions provide units of organization responsible for specific outcomes. Functions are logically isolated from each other. Definition – Process A set of coordinated activities combining and implementing resources and capabilities in order to produce an outcome and provide value to customers or stakeholders. Process has following attributes. Trigger, Activity, Dependency & Sequence Process should be measurable Process should produce specific output Process should meet customer expectation Definition – Process Owner The person/role responsible for ensuring that the process is fit for the desired purpose and is accountable for the outputs of that process. Definition – Service Owner The person/role accountable for the delivery of a specific IT Service. They are responsible for continual improvement and management of change affecting services under their care. The service owner is a primary stakeholder in all of the underlying IT processes that enable or support the service they own. Definition – Service A means of delivering value to customers by facilitating outcomes customers want to achieve without the ownership of specific costs or risks. Definition – RACI Model R – Responsibility (at least 1R per activity who is doing the actual work) A – Accountability (1 A per activity) C – Consult I – Inform Service Strategy The purpose is to define the perspective, position, plans, and patterns that a service provider needs to be able to execute to meet an organization’s business outcomes * Perspective – Defines the organization’s view of itself, generally communicated through the organization’s vision and direction. * Positions – Defines the distinctiveness of the organization in comparison to its competitive market and as identified through the minds of its customers. * Plans – The predefined details for supporting and enhancing the organization’s perspective and positions, usually identifying a potential future state for the organization and a strategic response to the state and level of investment required. * Patterns – Defines the conditions and actions that must be consistently in place and repeatable to achieve the objectives of the organization; patterns allow the organization to predict the future. Service strategy defines the role of serv ices and service provider in achieving the business objectives of the organization through management of IT. Value to Customer To enable a service provider to create value for a customer, a systematic approach has to be adopted. For ITIL, this approach is determining service utility and service warranty. Service Warranty (Fit for use) + Service Utility (Fit for propose) = Service Value Service utility and service warranty are present for every service provided to a customer. One cannot exist without the other. By describing both Service Utility and Service Warranty, it enables the provider to clearly establish the value of the service, differentiate themselves from the competition, and, when necessary, attach a meaningful price tag that has relevance to the customer and associated market space. Service Package = Enabling Services + Core Services + Enhancing Services Definition – Service Asset A Service Asset is any resource or capability used in the provision of services Definition – Business Case The business case is a detailed analysis of the benefits and impact of the business action in meeting the business objective and disrupting the delivery of other IT services. Attributes Introduction, Methods & Assumptions, Business Impact, Risk Service Strategy Processes Demand Management & Strategy Management for IT Services are out of scope for ITIL Foundation exam. 1. Financial Management * Responsible for securing the necessary fund to provide the service to the customer. * Maintain balance between cost of service and quality of the service * Maintain balance between supply and demand * Activities * Budgeting * IT Accounting * Chargeback * Service Valuation * Outputs * Service Valuation * Service Investment Analysis * Compliance (Align with rules & regulations) * Cost optimization * Support for BIA 2. Service Portfolio Management * Track services throughout whole service lifecycle * Link services to their business objectives/value * Ensure all other management processes are working to get expected business outcomes * Includes Service Pipeline, Service Catalog & Retired Service Catalog * Content : Description, Requirements/Business Cases, Value, Options, Price, Risk, Priority Investment Categories and Budget Allocations Phases/Activities of service portfolio management 3. Business Relationship Management * Maintain relationship between customer and service provider and understand customer needs * Ensure high level of customer satisfaction * Understand service packages and service level packages Service Design Benefits of Service Design * Reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO) * Improved quality of service * Improved consistency of service * Easier implementation of new or changed services * Improved service alignment * Improved service performance * Improved IT governance * Improved effectiveness of service management and IT processes * Improved information and decision-making * Improved alignment with customer values and strategies The Four Perspectives (Attributes) of ITSM * Partners/Suppliers * People * Product/Technology * Processes Major Aspects of Service Design * Service solutions for new or changed services * The management information systems and tools, especially the service portfolio * The technology architectures and management architectures * The processes required * The measurement methods and metrics Service Design Package (SDP) The contents of the service design package comprise four major sections with several smaller, but equally important, sub-sections. The four major sections are: †¢ Requirements †¢ Service Design †¢ Organizational readiness assessment †¢ Service Lifecycle Plan Service Design Processes 1. Design Coordination * Single point of coordination and control for all activities & processes in Service Design stage * Individual organizations decide whether they need Design Coordination process or not. Only major changes will require this process * Activities 2. Service Level Management * Focus on Service Warranty (performance, availability, and security) * The establishment, monitoring, and improvements in service levels and their achievement * Communication to Customers & Business managers on Service Levels. Will not conflict with Business Relationship Management process since this will only focus on Service Warranty * Manage, Negotiate & Document SLR & SLA * Develop & Review OLA * Review UC for ensure they are align with SLA * Influence improvement within SIP * Monitor service performance against SLA * Three types of SLA structures. Service Based, Customer Based & Multi Level/Hierarchical (Corporate, Customer & Service based agreements) 3. Supplier Management * UC (Underpinning Contracts) SCMIS (Suppliers & Contracts Management Information System) * Activities * Definition of new supplier and contract requirements * Evaluation of new suppliers and contracts * Supplier and contract categorization and maintenance of the * SCMIS * Establishment of new suppliers and contracts * Supplier, contract, and performance management * Contract renewal or termination * Supplier Categorization * Supplier Management process activities are span across all states except Service Strategy 4. Service Catalog Management * Include live service are services available for deployment (Customer-facing service and supportive services) * Service Catalog is a large part of the Service Portfolio. However, while the portfolio is focused on tracking the business requirements and the investments on a service, the Service Catalog is focused on the service solution and its delivery to the business * Service Catalog includes Business Service Catalog & Technical Service Catalog * Top – Down approach is used when defining service catalog. (Business -> Technical) 5. Capacity Management * Maintain balance between Resources/Capabilities Vs Demand * Business Capacity Management & Service Capacity Management * Sub-Process of capacity management * Business * Service * Components * Activities * Performance Monitoring * Demand Management – Short term reactive activity * Application Sizing – New or Changed service * Modeling – Predict future behaviors * Tuning * Capacity Planning * Capacity Management Information System 6. Availability Management * Ensure that the level of availability delivered to all IT services matches the agreed need for availability or defined service level targets * Includes Reactive Activities (Monitoring, Incidents) & Proactive Activities (Planning, Design) * Measurements * Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) or Uptime * Mean Time to Restore Service (MTRS) or Downtime * Mean Time Between System Incidents (MTBSI) 7. IT Service Continuity Management * Known as disaster recover planning * Produce and maintain IT Service Continuity plan to support Business Continuity Plan * Business Impact Analysis (Quantify the loss) Risk Assessment (Identify possible failure points) are considered when implementing strategy * Ongoing activities to make people aware about the recovery plan. Trainings, Reviews 8. Information Security Management * Information security is a critical part of the warranty of a service * Ensuring that the agreed business needs regarding the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the organization’s assets information, data, and IT services are matched * Develop and maintain information security policy align with business security requirements * Security test schedules and plans. * Information Security Management Perspectives * Organizational * Procedural * Physical * Technical * Framework for Managing Information Security * Plan * Implement * Control * Evaluate * Maintain Service Transition Service Transition Processes 1. Transition Planning and Support * Ensure proper attention is given to the overall planning for service transitions and to coordinate the resources required to implement the new or changed service * Provide clear and comprehensive plans that enable customer and business change projects to align their activities with the service transition plans * The scope of transition planning and support concentrates on the resources, schedules, and budgets required to move the IT service * To standardize methods and procedures used for efficient and prompt handling of all changes * A transition strategy will be constructed to define how all transitions will be managed within the organization based on the type and size of transitions expected in the environment 2. Knowledge Management * Maintain a Service Knowledge Management System (SKMS) that provides controlled access to knowledge, information, and data that is appropriate for each audience * DIKW Data-Information-Knowledge-Wisdom structure * Database to capture Data, Information and Knowledge but not Wisdom * Components of SKMS 3. Service Asset and Configuration Management * Ensure that assets under the control of the IT organization are identified, controlled, and properly cared for throughout their lifecycle * Identify, control, record, report, audit, and verify services and other configuration items (CIs), including versions, baselines, constituent components, their attributes, and relationships * Manage complete life cycle of CI * Activities * Planning – Strategy, Policy, Objectives, CMDB Design * Identification – What CI to be recorded & their relationships * Control * Status Accounting * Verification & Audit 4. Change Management * Ensure that all changes to configuration items are recorded in the configuration management system * Optimize overall business risk. It is often correct to minimize business risk, but sometimes it is appropriate to knowingly accept a risk because of the potential benefit. * Types of changes * Normal Changes – Need to go through all steps of change management process * Standard Changes – Pre approved changes. Should be possible via service request. No need of RFC * Emergency Change * Steps * The RFC is logged. * An initial review is performed (to filter RFCs). * The RFCs are assessed and may require involvement of CAB or ECAB. * Authorization of change builds and test by the Change Manager * Coordination of the build and test, e.g., work orders are issued for the * Build of the change (carried out by other groups) * Change Management authorizes deployment. * Change Management coordinates the deployment (with multiple checkpoints). * The change is reviewed (Post Implementation Review). * The change is closed. 5. Release and Deployment Management * Planning, scheduling, and controlling practices applied to the build, test, and deployment of releases * Define and agree Release and Deployment Management plans with customers and stakeholders * Four phases of release deployment management * Release & Deployment Planning * Release Build & Test * Deployment * Review & Close Service Operation Responsible for the ongoing management of the technology that is used to deliver and support the services. Service Operation accepts the new, modified, retiring, or retired services from Service Transition, once the test and acceptance criteria have been met. Functions Unique to Service Operations is the introduction of functions. While a defined function does have responsibilities in all stages of the Service Lifecycle, the majority of activities they performed are completed within the scope of Service operations. 1. Service Desk * Single point of contact between the services being provided and the users. A typical Service Desk will manage incidents and service requests as well as communication with the users. Thus, the Service Desk staff will execute the Incident Management and Request Fulfillment processes with the intent to restore normal-state service operation to users as quickly as possible * Minimize service outage day to day basis * Make sure that agreed services only provide to those who authorized * Structures * Local * Central * Virtual * Follow the Sun * Activities * Logging all request, prioritization, categorization and first level of investigation * Keep user informed about incident & outage * Customer satisfaction survey 2. Technical Management * Custodian of technical knowledge and expertise related to managing the IT Infrastructure. It provides detailed technical skills and resources needed to support the ongoing operation of the IT Infrastructure. * Plays an important role in providing the actual resources to support the IT Service Management lifecycle. It ensures that resources are effectively trained and deployed to design, build, and transition, operate, and improve the technology to deliver and support IT Services. 3. IT Operations Management * Ongoing management and maintenance of an organization’s IT infrastructure. IT operations is the set of activities used in the day-to-day running of the IT infrastructure to deliver IT services at agreed levels to meet stated business objectives.IT Operation Control * IT Operation Control * Job Scheduling, Backup, Restore and Monitoring * Facilities Management * Data Centers, Recovery Sites, Computer Rooms 4. Application Management * Application Management covers the entire ongoing lifecycle of an application, including requirements, design, build, deploy, operate, and optimize. Service Operation Processes 1. Event Management * Detecting Event, Understanding Event, Determining Appropriate Control Action * Three Types of events * Informational * Warning * Exception * Populate SKMS with event information and history 2. Incident Management * An unplanned interruption to an IT service or reduction in the quality of an IT service, or a failure of a CI that has not yet impacted an IT service * The purpose of Incident Management is not to prevent an incident, but to reduce its impact by restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible * Ensure that standardized methods and procedures are used for efficient and prompt response, analysis, documentation, ongoing management, and reporting of incidents * Incident Models – Steps and procedures that should be used to manage previously seen and documented incidents * Steps * Order of Steps * Responsibilities – Who should do what * Time scale/Threshold * Escalation Procedures * Any necessary evidence/prevention actions * Activities * Identification * Logging – All incidents regardless of source of that incident * Categorization * Prioritization * Impact + Urgency = Priority * Initial Diagnosis * Escalation * Functional * Hierarchical * Investigation and Diagnosis * Resolution * Closure 3. Problem Management * Concentrate on diagnosing the root cause of incidents and on determining the resolution to those problems. * Defines a problem as the underlying cause of one or more incidents 4. Request Fulfillment * Form of changes that are small in nature, low risk, and low cost in its execution, and are frequently performed * Activities * Menu Selection * Financial Approval – Optional * Other Approval – Optional * Fulfillment * Closure 5. Access Management * Effectively execute the policies in Information Security Management, enabling the organization to manage the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of the organization’s data and intellectual property. Continual Service Improvements * CSI is always seeking ways to improve service effectiveness, process effectiveness, and cost effectiveness * Review, analyze, prioritize, and make recommendations on improvement opportunities in each lifecycle stage * Periodically conducting internal audits verifying employee and process compliance * Periodically conducting customer satisfaction surveys * Continual Service Improvement Approach * CSI Register * Part of SKMS. And keep track of all improvements opportunities. * Anyone should be able to access and submit improvement points to CSI Register * IT Governance has three main areas * Enterprise, Corporate, IT Governance * Types of Metrics * Technology – Performance, Availability * Process – KPI, * Service * Tension Metrics : Resources, Features, Time Schedule The Deming Cycle * Plan: Design or revise business process components to improve results * Do: Implement the plan and measure its performance * Check: Assess the measurements and report the results to decision makers * Act: Decide on changes needed to improve the process Seven Steps Improvement Process 1. Identify Strategy for Improvements 2. Define What You Will Measure 3. Gather Data 4. Process Data 5. Analyze the information & data 6. Present and use the information 7. Implement Improvement

“Good Fences Make Good Neighbours.” Discuss This Statement with Reference to Politics. Essays

â€Å"Good Fences Make Good Neighbours.† Discuss This Statement with Reference to Politics. Essays â€Å"Good Fences Make Good Neighbours.† Discuss This Statement with Reference to Politics. Essay â€Å"Good Fences Make Good Neighbours.† Discuss This Statement with Reference to Politics. Essay Essay Topic: Fences Definition Fences (literal): freestanding structural markers that serve to enclose areas Fences (metaphorical): barriers to keep nations from infringing on each other’s space or meddling into each other’s affairs, so that an appropriate level of freedom is maintained Good fences: a meaningful barriers, be it physical or metaphorical, that are for the greater good Good neighbours: pleasant and agreeable â€Å"Good fences make good neighbours†: Countries that erect meaningful barriers maintain favourable relationships with their neighbours. Stand Disagree. Good fences do not make good neighbours. Counter-Arguments (Good fences make good neighbours) 1. Good fences prevent neighbouring countries from excessive meddling into each other’s affairs, which might otherwise lead to soured relationships. E. g. In 2004 when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong went to Taiwan for a 3 day visit, China was unhappy, but did not interfere excessively, and thus now, Singapore still maintains warm relations with China. E. g. Although China is against North Korea’s nuclear ambition, it has not used its considerable leverage to pressure North Korean into abolishing its nuclear programmes, unlike Japan and the USA. Hence, it remains an ally of North Korea. 2. Good fences make good neighbours as there are still gaps in a fence for communication, as opposed to a wall in which there is total isolation. E. g. The Berlin Wall separated West Berlin and East Germany for 28 years to stop the drainage of labour and economic output associated with the daily migration of huge numbers of professionals and skilled workers between East and West Berlin. The Wall blocked out communication between both sides, thus hindering both sides from settling their differences earlier to benefit the people of Berlin. Arguments (Good fences do not make good neighbours) 1. Good fences may be beneficial and meaningful for one country, but not advantageous for the other party. E. g. Great Wall of China it originated as a military fortification against intrusion by tribes on the borders during the earlier Zhou Dynasty and was extended during the Qin dynasty. This wall was favourable to the people of China but not to the tribesmen and many had lost their lives while attempting to cross the wall. E. g. In 2004, because of Palestinian terrorism, an overwhelming majority of Israelis were in favour of a security fence. However, the Palestinians charged that the fence violates international law, infringes their human rights, and imposes on them grave social and economic hardship. 2. Good fences would probably not make good neighbours if neighbours remain uncooperative. E. g. A decade ago, the US federal government built a 14-mile-long fence in San Diego, California, that borders Tijuana, Mexico. The barriers effectively reduced the number of illegal crossings and crime rates. On a larger scale, though, the fences have merely moved illegal trafficking to more remote areas on the 1,952-mile border. Smugglers have even constructed elaborate tunnels under the wall to smuggle drugs and possibly migrants. 3. Good fences do not make good neighbours because fences offset the feeling of exclusion and hostility towards the other party. E. g. The construction of a 500km electric fence along the northeastern oarder of Botswana in 2003 was meant to prevent interaction between Botswana’s and Zimbabwe’s cattle herds so as to halt the spread of the highly contagious foot and mouth livestock diseases. However, to ordinary Zimbabweans, the fence was seen as a symbol of their growing stigmatisation. They believed the fence was really meant to prevent them from going to Botswana so they voiced their frustration and protested the measures. Botswanan immigration officers reported in creasing acts of sabotage from the Zimbabwean side, including the removal of parts of the fence.

Pros And Cons Of Living In The City essays

Pros And Cons Of Living In The City essays I stress the word "city" rather than small town, farm, or cabin in the woods because, in most cases your life can be far simpler in a city. A city's density leads to efficiencies in meeting your needs. Cities serve as a site for the exchange of labor, money, entertainment, culture, and are transit hubs. You can live in a city with less stuff than in the country, and your life can be richer through easy access to other people and culture. The city offers a safe, affordable metropolitan environment with a cosmopolitan atmosphere supporting a range of cultural events, services, educational institutions, and business opportunities. The transit systems give us access to an excellent public bus system with good transit connections, you could place yourself right in the middle of what you want, also almost all city have an airport, and long-distance passenger rail service so that you don't have to own a car. Most big cities offer a plethora of museums, musical events, festivals and educational opportunities to bolster your knowledge and experiences. Take classes or attend plays with your friends. Also when you grow older, your health will have to take more precedence in your decision-making. Cities have better access to hospitals and more home care opportunities If you've lived in the city your whole life, you might be ready for something different. The tribulations of city life could incite anyone to move to the country. Maybe you would like to have more space in your retirement. You'll have more difficulty finding a house with a yard in the city. Also, noise levels are pretty high. If you're looking for relaxation, it might be hard to find. You might have problems, as an older person, getting around in a city. Parking and traffic are both issues. Many buildings aren't fully accessible to the handicapped. Other fact is the small town may have cleaner air and water. Also the cities have higher crime rates than rural communitie ...

Make Carbonated Fizzy Fruit With Dry Ice

Make Carbonated Fizzy Fruit With Dry Ice Use dry ice to carbonate fruit. The fruit will be filled with tingly carbon dioxide bubbles, like a soda. The fizzy fruit is great to eat on its own or it can be used in recipes. Fizzy Fruit Materials Dry iceFruitPlastic bowl You only need two ingredients for this project: dry ice and fruit. Make sure to use  food grade dry ice. There is another kind of commercial dry ice, not intended for use around food or consumption, which may contain icky-tasting and potentially unhealthy impurities. Food grade dry ice is solid carbon dioxide, minus the nastiness. Technically, you can use any fruit for this recipe, but there are some that work better than others. Apples, grapes, oranges and other citrus fruit, and bananas work great. Some people dislike the effect carbonation has on the flavor of strawberries. You may wish to experiment to suit your taste. A plastic bowl is recommended because it isnt likely to get cold enough to handle. There is a small risk of getting frostbite handling the base of a glass or metal bowl filled with dry ice with bare hands. Of course, if you wear gloves or use care, its not a big concern. Carbonate the Fruit You want the dry ice to be in relatively small chunks. If your dry ice came as pellets or chips, youre in good shape. Otherwise, you will need to smash your dry ice. Do this by placing the dry ice in a paper bag or by covering it with a dishcloth and whacking it (gently) with a hammer. You want to break it into pieces, not pulverize it.Dry ice vigorously sublimes into carbon dioxide gas. As this happens, the gas is pushed into the fruit. Thinner slices or pieces of fruit will become more saturated with carbon dioxide bubbles than larger pieces of fruit. You can use whole grapes or strawberries, but be sure to slice or chunk larger fruits, such as apples or bananas. Slicing grapes or strawberries in half opens them up and helps them get fizzier.Place some dry ice pellets in a bowl. Set the fruit on the dry ice. You can add more dry ice if you wish. If you like to play with my food, you can stir the mixture, but its not really necessary. If you want the fruit to get fizzy, but not free ze, place a small cutting board over the dry ice and set the fruit on top of the cutting board. The board should offer enough thermal insulation to protect the fruit. Allow time for the dry ice to sublime (at least 10 minutes). The fruit will freeze and become carbonated.Eat the fizzy fruit, using it in recipes or add it to drinks (makes interesting ice cubes). The fruit will remain fizzy as it thaws, but it should be used (frozen or thawed) within an hour or so because it will lose its bubbles. Fizzy Fruit Safety Tips There are videos that show people carbonating fruit by sealing dry ice and fruit in a plastic bottle. This is not a particularly safe plan since overpressuring the bottle will cause it to explode. If you decide to try this method, make sure your bottle is plastic (less shrapnel in the event of an explosion) and use a minimal amount of dry ice. I do not recommend this procedure. You can get fizzy fruit without risking a trip to the emergency room.This goes along with the first point: dont seal dry ice into a closed container.Dry ice is very cold, so dont handle it or eat it.Freshly frozen fizzy fruit is the same temperature as dry ice (around -109 °F) so allow it to warm a bit before consuming it. Fizzy Fruit Fun Facts Carbon dioxide bubbles, whether they be in soda, beer, or fizzy fruit, trigger a minor pain response in the nerves of the mouth and tongue. This actually enhances flavor and is one reason why carbonated food and drink is (ironically) pleasurable.Carbonation also affects the flavor of food directly by changing its pH. It makes food more acidic. Whether or not this improves flavor depends on the composition of the product.The pH change can also change the color of the fruit. Deeply-colored fruits are often natural pH indicators. Carbonated Fruit Recipe Ideas Slice strawberries, sugar them, and add a bit of water to make a syrup. Stir dry ice into the mixture to carbonate the berries and syrup. Use the carbonated strawberries as a topping for strawberry shortcake or ice cream.Slice apples and strawberries. Carbonate them with dry ice. Add them to champagne.Slice a banana. Make it fizzy then coat it with chocolate. Allow the banana to warm slightly before eating it.If you have leftover dry ice, another fun fizzy recipe to try is dry ice ice cream.

Evaluate Key Developments of the Cold War Essay

Evaluate Key Developments of the Cold War - Essay Example The race for nuclear arms capability dominated the 1950s and 1960s and it led to tension between these two countries, tension which translated to what is now known as the Cold War. This paper shall evaluate key developments of the Cold War from the Truman Administration through the Kennedy Administration. It will discuss whether or not the Cold War was actually inevitable. In addition, this paper will consider the domestic concerns in the United States during the 1950s, including McCarthyism, domesticity, and civil rights. The first part of this paper will present an overview of the Cold War. Secondly, major developments from Truman’s to Kennedy’s administration shall be presented. Thirdly, the inevitability of the Cold War will also be discussed. Lastly, an overall analysis and conclusion shall be established. Body Overview The post war era brought about a time where the US was starting to emerge as a superpower. It also presented a time where democratic principles wer e tested with various civil rights violations. At this point, the need to uphold these civil rights became an important part of American lives (Chafe, et.al., 2011). When the Second World War ended in 1945, journalist George Orwell used the term cold war in his essay â€Å"You and the Atomic bomb.† In his article, he believed that the world was now amidst a threat of a nuclear war, one which had the capability of obliterating human life on the planet (Orwell, 1945). He discussed how world politics seems to be founded on a view or belief prevailing in a state which was powerful and in a constant state of cold war with other countries (Orwell, 1945). Such ‘cold war’ was soon observed with Russia’s attitude towards Britain, including its empire. American economist Bernard Baruch was one of the first to refer to such cold war in relation to the US and the USSR (Gaddis, 2005). Soon enough, the term had a wider usage, especially with the release of Walter Lippma n’s book â€Å"The Cold War.† The USSR has not always been on ideal relations with its neighbors and with the US, mostly because of its socialist political platform (Gaddis, 2005). Although they were allies during the Second World War, it was only a temporary alliance, mostly borne out of the need for self-preservation. As soon as WWII ended however, the Soviet Union returned to its tense political relationship with Europe and the US (Gaddis, 2005). The possibility of gaining military might over other countries also became an added source of tension during the Cold War. Truman to Kennedy In 1947, President Harry Truman was advised to consider major policy changes in response to Russia’s efforts to gain political and military dominance (Chafe, 2003). America’s response was to adopt a containment policy with the primary goal of preventing the spread of communism (Friedman, 2007). Truman’s policy and decisions were all embodied under the Truman doctri ne, a doctrine which also condemned socialist and totalitarian power. Most of Europe was very supportive of Truman’s doctrine, however, some European and American communists being supported by the KGB adhered to the principles which the Soviet Union laid out (Friedman, 2007). In 1947, the US, Britain and France sought to establish an accord with the USSR on how best to handle a post-war Germany. The Marshall Plan was able to establish a working agreement among the countries, eventually dividing Germany and Berlin into four territories to be controlled by each ally (Gaddis, 2005).

Accounting Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Accounting - Speech or Presentation Example bove financial statements, prepaid rates were deducted from the rate expense in the profit and loss account since the rates paid in advanced does not adhere to the year 20X1 and the expense is of the next year rather than of the current year. Hence it is not included in calculating the net profit. A business is considered to be going concern if there is no intention to terminate the business in the near future. However, if the business is short of working capital and the owner is unable to pay of its creditors, the business may be forced to close. The prudence concept is intended to prevent profit from being overstated. Overstating the profit can have serious drawbacks for a business. If the profit is overstated, the owner may believe that his income is higher than it really is, and may withdraw too much money from the business. This may lead to shortage of cash and eventually to the failure of the business (Randall 48). Hence it is extremely important for a business to show a realistic a profit figure on its financial statements and it is better for profit to be understated rather overstated. This principle of preventing the profit to overstate is also known as principle of conservatism. So the prudence concept is aimed at ensuring that the profits are realistic and not overstated. The business should record its transactions in the same way in the same accounting period and in all the future periods. The accounting methods used by the business should remain consistent. The concept of consistency is important to ensure that the profits or losses of different periods, and the balance sheets can be compared to achieve better results. In the above financial statements, business uses a straight line depreciation method for fixtures and fittings. According to the consistency concept, the business should consistently use this method for fixtures and fittings in the future as well and should not switch to other depreciation methods. John Higgins may issue preference

The psychological contract does not exist in the minds of employers in Essay

The psychological contract does not exist in the minds of employers in mature states and mature organisations. What is key is the legal contract. The psycholog - Essay Example ent the employer may promise to offer something to the employee or at the time of appraising an employee’s performance the employer could declare a reward for his satisfactory performance. Mutual obligations sometimes act as promises and sometimes as expectations. However, the employee is required to have trust in such promises or expectations as part of the relationship with the employer (The psychological contract, 2007). There is a vast difference between a legal contract and a psychological contract with regard to employment. Legal contracts offer a limited set of expectations and imperfect identification of the relationship involved in the employment. With the exception of refusing to accept such terms and conditions, the employee can do anything about the relationship mentioned in legal contracts. The courts and employment tribunals examine the nature and content of the legal contract of employment. These enforcing bodies interpret the nature of employment on the basis of the legal contract (The psychological contract, 2007). A psychological contract examines the practicality and reality of the work place environment as perceived by the employer and the employees. It has greater effect than a legal contract in determining the activities of the employees and the management. Under a psychological contract, the employees have a clear idea of their duties and the necessity to discuss them by adopting the process of collective bargaining. It also explains to them their expectations from the employer (The psychological contract, 2007). A psychological contract does not require to be enforced strictly. The courts examine the underlying relationship between employer and employee while interpreting the common law principles with regard to mutual trust and confidence. Researchers claim that there would be a negative effect on job satisfaction and a deterioration of employee commitment towards their job, if the management fails to fulfill its promises to its

Drawing from the course materials, discuss one challenge and one Essay

Drawing from the course materials, discuss one challenge and one opportunity presented to a person who takes on the role of frontline manager in a health or social care service - Essay Example The essay also sheds light on two important aspects of a manager’s role: one challenge and one opportunity that he is presented with and the ways in which he can handle them. The role of a manager is easier said than done. That’s because he has to shoulder many responsibilities. His actions are under constant vigilance by his peers, subordinates and superiors. Anything good that a manager may try to implement can have possible negative as well as positive effects on the entire organization. Thus well analyzed action plan is a must. Becoming a manager requires constant efforts and determination. It also requires leadership qualities such as patience, ability to lead and guide, perseverance, ability to interact well with everyone, etc. A person achieves this through hard work. Along with the respect that it brings, the managerial responsibilities seep the manager of all his energy and demand careful work at every stage. At a health care service unit, a manager comes to deal with a variety of people such as the care takers or the doctors, the accounting department, the staff, the patients or the consumers or the victims of health problems, managers from other branches of the health care unit and so on. While discussing the manager’s role let us analyze for him, Managerial activity is a process of continuous change (Activity 3.2, p.33). One has to understand the current situation and implement new policies accordingly. No matter whatever are your previous experiences, being a manager is every time a new lesson. The first thing that comes to our mind about a manager is the amount of power that he is entrusted with! Indeed this power can work wonders if handled with opportune execution. He needs to be flexible enough to shape circumstances and adapt to demands of employed people and consumers. With all his powers he has the authority to regularize and implement changes such as discipline, better dress codes,

Effects of diet and cancer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effects of diet and cancer - Research Paper Example Secondly, fat consumption facilitates the production of bile that helps in the digestion of fat. Stagnation of bile in the large intestine in a large quantity for a long time results in its conversion to the apcholic acid that is known to be a carcinogen. The effect of diet on cancer is so profound that change of diet can even help one prevent cancer or provide the body with the tendency to fight the disease off in case one is a patient of cancer already. According to the results of numerous studies cited in the press release of the American Association for Cancer Research in the year 2006, girls who are regular consumers of soy not only have reduced risk of developing the breast cancer but also have increased tendency to overcome it (Perry, 2012). Likewise, the risk of colorectal cancer is reduced in men who consume fish at least five times in a week, and those who are already the patients of cancer can fight it off easily by making fish a regular part of their diet. Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants that are known by various names including phytochemicals and isoflavenes. Consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is beneficial for people in general and the patients of cancer in particular because the antioxidants function to prevent the development of cancer cells in the body, hinder the spread of carcinogens and other cancer-causing agents to the organs and tissues, and also retard the growth of cancer cells. â€Å"Researcher Carolyn Clifford and her colleagues at the National Cancer Institute report that people who consume few plant foods and a lot of dietary fat have twice the risk of developing cancer as people who eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains but limited amounts of high-fat foods† (Perry, 2012). Food high in fiber is recommendable for the patients of cancer as well as others in general. High fiber diet reduces the risk of colorectal cancer because the fiber

Drawing from the course materials, discuss one challenge and one Essay

Drawing from the course materials, discuss one challenge and one opportunity presented to a person who takes on the role of frontline manager in a health or social care service - Essay Example The essay also sheds light on two important aspects of a manager’s role: one challenge and one opportunity that he is presented with and the ways in which he can handle them. The role of a manager is easier said than done. That’s because he has to shoulder many responsibilities. His actions are under constant vigilance by his peers, subordinates and superiors. Anything good that a manager may try to implement can have possible negative as well as positive effects on the entire organization. Thus well analyzed action plan is a must. Becoming a manager requires constant efforts and determination. It also requires leadership qualities such as patience, ability to lead and guide, perseverance, ability to interact well with everyone, etc. A person achieves this through hard work. Along with the respect that it brings, the managerial responsibilities seep the manager of all his energy and demand careful work at every stage. At a health care service unit, a manager comes to deal with a variety of people such as the care takers or the doctors, the accounting department, the staff, the patients or the consumers or the victims of health problems, managers from other branches of the health care unit and so on. While discussing the manager’s role let us analyze for him, Managerial activity is a process of continuous change (Activity 3.2, p.33). One has to understand the current situation and implement new policies accordingly. No matter whatever are your previous experiences, being a manager is every time a new lesson. The first thing that comes to our mind about a manager is the amount of power that he is entrusted with! Indeed this power can work wonders if handled with opportune execution. He needs to be flexible enough to shape circumstances and adapt to demands of employed people and consumers. With all his powers he has the authority to regularize and implement changes such as discipline, better dress codes,

Group Long Term Insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Group Long Term Insurance - Essay Example Employer-based group long term insurance is an essential comprehensive benefits package that offers long term insurance to the employees (Wiener and Illston 66). Reasons for use There are numerous advantages for enrolling in a group long term insurance since the patient does not need to meet any medical requirements before obtaining the group long term policy cover. The relatives and immediate family members of the individual may also be covered, since many group long term care policies allow the retirees and spouses to apply for the long term care coverage. If the group long term insurance consists of a high proportion of relatively younger employees, the insurance provider will be able to charge lower premiums compared with the individual long term plans (Beam and McFadden 357). Group long term insurance helps protect the employee retirement plans. Well informed employees understand that without a Group long term care, medical expenses after retirement can adversely deplete the emp loyee portfolio of assets (Beam and McFadden 369). Some Group Long term insurance policies enable employees to receive benefits and care from any place in the world. The Group long term insurance eases the emotional and physical burden of the family members since they are involved in the care-giving process but are not the primary providers. Group long term insurance covers the costs of care received at home, in the community and also in the nursing homes (Beam and McFadden 378). There are various benefits that accrue to employers who provide Group long term care to their employees. The employer is able to retain the most qualified and skilled employees in the company therefore reducing production losses associated with work stoppages (Beam and McFadden 357). Group long term insurance acts as an incentive of attracting and hiring new employees in the Company. The insurance cover offers the employer a competitive edge since it is an alternative to increasing salaries (Long Term Care Insurance 2). The employees will also receive additional benefits from the Group long term insurance since other programs like training of caregivers and care providers are included in the insurance plan. The employees also receive assistance on claim filling and can enjoy other wellness programs that may be incorporated in the Group long term insurance (Long Term Care Insurance 3). Administration and process All the insurance products for group long term insurance are consistent with Long term Insurance Model Act. HIPAA has imposed several standards that have led to increase in the coverage. The Act has reduced the revenue losses associated with coverage due to changes in the income tax codes. For eligibility to favorable tax treatment, the insurance contract should be qualified therefore contract is guaranteed renewable and all the refunds of premiums and dividends are applied as future reductions in premiums or to increase the future benefits (Beam and McFadden 360). The cost of the group long term insurance is covered by the employee. The initial premiums are calculated on five year age period brackets and increase significantly with the increase in the age of the employee (Wiener and Illston 65). Most of the States require the insurance companies to protect the benefits of employee from

Pathological rationalism Essay Example for Free

Pathological rationalism Essay Perhaps being rational is relating a reason for a certain action. It is the act of trying to put meaning on an occurrence by which the details, the actions and the responses are being noted to make a sound conclusion. On the other hand, the term pathological implies that something is unreasonable or uncontrollable. When both terms are combined, it would simply mean extreme reasoning or uncontrollable act of putting reasons for a certain act. A situation wherein pathological reasoning is observed is when celebrities like Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan are being followed by the media men only to cite their day to day activities that had caused them to be sued, imprisoned or accused of certain crimes that I think are not significant to the society of America or even the showbiz world. Like when Britney Spears shoved off her hair and when Paris Hilton was imprisoned because of disobeying traffic rules, I was thinking, what was with it that is worth the time and effort of the media men and its audience? Is it just for the laughter or do these media people recognize that there is more need in making the youth aware of their responsibilities to the state. All throughout the world, the media had been reiterating the situations of the three only to let the others know how tragic these young stars had evolved. For all we know, these three have been in the industry for so long, that their teenage and child lives had been opened to the public, and now, the media portrays that these â€Å"innocent-before† faces can go astray. The media only gives the youth the idea of becoming wild, law breakers and for some overly liberated women. If I am to be ask on what to so with these, it can be a good solution that the media features people that are with good background in order to enlighten the youth’s mind that they will be able to know the right things to do growing up and being given greater responsibilities as their age are being increased. Instead of featuring blunt and bad personalities, I think it will be better if there will be more issues on personalities that do charity works and other noble works.

Examples of Good Globalization

Examples of Good Globalization When attempting to come up with a good example of globalisation, the first things that come to mind are McDonalds and children from third world countries wearing USA t-shirts. Anthony Giddens mentions in his book Runaway World how a friend of his was doing field studies in a village in central Africa. She was invited to a local home to enjoy an evening she thought would be culturally informing; however, the families entertainment turned out to be a viewing of the American movie Basic Instinct, and the movie hadnt even been released in London yet (Giddens 2002). This is merely one of many examples that go to show how the world we live in is undergoing a drastic transformation that is impossible for anyone to ignore. Whether it is noticeable or not, globalisation is affecting every person on earth, in every aspect of our lives and in everything we do. Most skeptics and radicals look at the economic side of globalisation and toss the other aspects of globalisation to the side. Globalisation is technological, political, and cultural, just as much as it is economic. It is modifying and influencing, but not destroying, cultural identities across the globe. No matter what country comes to mind, almost all have a word in their own native language for globalisation. This global trend is impossible to miss, from curry and chips-recently voted the favourite dish in Britain-to Thai saunas, Zen Catholicism or Judaism, Nigerian Kung Fu, or Bollywood films, made in Bombay-Mumbai and mixing Indian traditions of song and dance with the conventions of Hollywood (Burke 2009). This is not to say that we are undergoing global hybridisation or falling to transnationalisation, but rather, that the cultural blending happening all around the globe is helping us gain knowledge of the world through the many means of communication out there. Also, globalisation is not diminishing cultural identities, but rather, it is heightening an individual cultures sense of self. Many believe a World Order is indeed falling upon us, some being for it and some against, but if we were to undergo the transition to a single World/Government Order, we would lose all sense of culture identities and individualism. If we had a global state, what would prevent the leaders of this new order from dictating a world of secularization? Who would want to be forced to be in a World Order where everything is dictated and all are forced to more or less become a puppet to one world government? Whether it is seen as a World Order, a global society, or a world system, its presence is unnecessary in todays world. Emile Durkheim, a sociologist not opposed to World Order and solidarity, states that, any society is motivated by its need to normatize the event of its togetherness by constructing and adhering to common symbols, beliefs, and practices. Those common symbols, beliefs, and practices do not exist, therefore, simply for the sake of their intrinsic value, truth, or logic. In other words, they have no intrinsic essence (Bamyeh 2000). In saying that the societies and cultures in todays world lack intrinsic essence in their beliefs, traditions, and practices, Durkheim is underlying that these societies have no innate feelings for their own cultural identities, and that these identities have been formed out of the necessity to bring people together to form a society. If Durkheim were to simply take into account all the religious and cultural turmoil going on, she would see that a cultures beliefs, symbols, and practices do hold intrinsic essence to the people within. A largely discussed topic pertaining to globalisation revolves around Benjamin Barbers thesis, distinguishing the differences between the forces of McWorld and Jihad. These are two general attitudes in regards to globalisation. McWorld represents global mass culture and the unification by consumerism and transnationalism. Jihad, on the other hand, represents the deterioration of local traditions and histories due to globalisation (Cowen 2002). My idea of how globalisation is shaping the world and cultural identities is a mix of the two. Yes, mass cultural communication is unifying the world is every aspect of our lives, but it is not deteriorating local traditions and histories, nor are the worlds cultures subject to transnationalisation. Globalisation is, if anything, allowing individual cultures to expand their knowledge of other cultures and allowing them to use and share products, ideas, and customs of other cultures in unison with their own cultures. The blending of nations and cultures is going on as we speak. It is at our fingertips every day with global communications and the Internet. These forms of communication due to globalisation are how we can be enriched by other cultures and share what we have to offer, but the main difference is our choice to choose what we want to study, admire and aspire to be more like or what cultures we want to melt into our own. Without falling to the grips of a single World Order or system, and without cultures falling to transnationalism, it is possible for globalisation to continue throughout the world, as we know it. As Bamyeh (2000) proposes, the process of globalisation is beginning to create a common knowledge system, which is being communicated across the entire globe. This common knowledge system is being communicated by means of: international media, through films and music; mass travel, through students studying abroad and backpackers trekking across nations; and the Internet, through Facebook, blogs and chats, and international News websites. All of these forms of communication have aided in the widespread knowledge of the worlds cultures, making way for the adoption of international influences on a freedom-of-choice level (McQuail 2002). Communication is what enhances feelings of togetherness in societies and cultures. It is what essentially started the formation of societies and individual cultural profiles. With the improvement of technological communication over the past few decades, communities that have been isolated from each other have been able to exchange cultural elements of interest between one another (for example, the Basic Instinct movie in the central African village mentioned in the introduction) (Bamyeh 2000). When looking at the overall effects the mass media has had on globalisation, the Western nations control most of the symbolic and cultural aspects of cross-cultural communications through their media products. Though foreign troops may not be deployed, and a foreign government established, the presence of the empire is felt in the everyday presence of Western media products (Macgregor Wise 2008). In this sense, Macgregor Wise is almost saying that the globalisation of Americas media is giving all other countries defensive feelings towards America, and that it poses as a major cultural threat. However, when looking at world music, literature, and visual arts, it is clearly apparent that cultures have benefited from these communal aspects of globalisation, and that America is clearly not a global threat to cultures. These means of mass media have provided a diverse menu of choice for cultures in developing their own cultural identities (Cowen 2002). In developing or maintaining cultura l identities during the processes of globalisation, countries have developed their own unique ways in staying true to their individual identities. This goes to show that the beliefs and practices a culture maintains do indeed have intrinsic essence, as stated earlier, and that a culture can maintain its identity while also absorbing what it freely chooses from other cultures. The worlds wide variety of media products and how countries incorporate them into their own culture is a perfect example of cultures absorbing other cultures while maintaining their own. Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, name the country, and they probably import Western media. Many believe that all the importation from the Wests media markets is leading to Americanisation, but when taking a closer look, it is apparent that these importing cultures put just as much if not more emphasis on their own markets than they do the Western markets. Canada, for instance, subsidizes their own domestic cinema and mandates domestic musical content for a percentage of radio time. Likewise, the French spend billions of dollars a year on cultural matters, aiding in the nourishing and successes of their French culture (Cowen 2002). The fear of Hollywood devouring the markets of other countries is being countered innately by the individual countries themselves. Granted, many of the movies played in international cinemas, in France and Italy for instance, are Hollywood films. The main cultural aspect behind this is that the movies are translated into the countries own native language. This is proof that countries can uphold their own cultural aspects while absorbing those of others. When discussing movies with an Italian and a French friend, we found ourselves talking about the movie titles. The movie Home Alone (1990) to Italians is called Mamma Ho Perso Laereo (which translates to Mom I Missed My Flight). The movie A Man For All Seasons (1967) in France is called Un Homme Pour Là ©ternità ©, which translates to a man for eternity. These small changes to Western media products are only a few examples as to how countries can still maintain a cultural identity. Just because the Western culture is widely disperse d throughout the world does not mean countries are falling to Americanisation, let alone Globalisation. There are always steps being taken by countries and cultures in maintaining their own identity. Many critics of the globalisation ideology refute with the fact that many cultures in the world today have already fallen to the processes of globalisation, namely homogenisation. American Indian communities, for example, have been overshadowed by the entirety of the United States, and these contemporary critics believe these communities are on the verge of homogenization (Lewellen 2002). However, as Cowen stated it best, once these individuals [e.g. the American Indian communities] have been brought into a common pool with well-developed means of communication, however, they sort themselves into more finely grained and more diverse groups (Cowen 2002). With an outlook like this, one can see that, even with the effects of globalisation, communities still find ways to diversify themselves from other closely sectored communities. If a culture is amongst the grips of globalisation, the effects are counter-acted by popular press, interest groups, and social movements who devout great dea ls of attention to these cultural dilemmas. It is the threat of the loss of traditional identities that trigger cultures to look inwards at their own identities. This healthy narcissism that results from the fear of globalisation is what keeps cultural identities alive in the world we live in today (Burke 2009). When cultures begin to look inwards is when they begin to value greatly the differences between their own cultural identities and those of others. A culture thought to be on the brink of distinction isnt on the brink at all. The attention drawn to a troubled culture allows that culture to prevail, and in the process the knowledge and traditions of that troubled culture become known to the public. The world would know very little about, for example, American Indians, or dying languages such as Welsh, Basque, and Yiddish, if it wasnt for the troubles these heritages faced (Cowen 2000). Globalisation isnt simply Black and White, McWorld and Jihad, homogenization or heterogenisation. There is and always will be an in-between area, which is where the world is at now and where I feel it best belongs. With the process of globalisation, there will always be the countering effect. By resting in the middle, through mass communication, people have been able to gain knowledge of other cultures they would have never dreamed of knowing about. The diverse cuisine menus, musical genres, film categories, and traveling opportunities have all made way for the world to gain knowledge of different cultural traditions. The world, as we know it, thrives off of the cultures that cherish and preserve their cultural identities. A world culture which is simply a uniform culture would be no culture at all. We should have a humanity de-humanised. It would be a nightmare (Murali 2010). Why would the world fall completely to globalisation or a World Order when what it thrives on would simply b e destroyed in the process? The absorption of cultural knowledge and traditions through the wide variety of mass communication available to us today truly heightens a cultures sense of self, innately countering globalisation and allowing cultures to continually prevail.

Pro-Life Essay -- essays research papers fc

Pro-Life English I 1 Abortion, when the topic comes up, it is usually something people do not like to discuss. People may tend to avoid this issue for fear of offending or angering others but it is extremely important that the horrors of this brutal practice be addressed. During the years 1965-1996 over 515 million babies have been murdered, this is if you add the number of chemical and surgical abortions (www.rockforlife.org). This is what we need to understand: abortion kills and we need to know where it came from. The legalization of abortion started in Mississippi in the year 1966; it was used in the cases of rape. Then other states began to expand the use of abortion. For instance, if it was the case of rape, incest, or the fetus had abnormalities or if it could seriously affect the mother’s health. In the year 1973 the Supreme Court decided on two cases, Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. These decisions now effectively legalized abortions for any number of reasons. 1976, things have barely changed at all, but some laws have been passed to somewhat protect the babies. In Missouri permission for an abortion now had to be granted from the mother’s parents if the mother is under eighteen or if she is married permission from her husband. May 12 1994, Bill Clinton virtually eliminated our first amendment rights of peaceful pro-life protestors by signing the law the freedom of Access Clinics Entrance Act (FACE). This act halted the right to demonstrate out...

Psychology Learning Essay

A desirable behavior that I would like strengthen a lot would be my studying and homework habits. I would like to study or do homework for a designated hour every night. When I come home from work, I want to grab my books and go straight to the library for at least an hour. I selected this behavior because I believe that I need to dedicate more time to my school work. I have always waited until the last minute to study and do homework; therefore, having a set time of day every day to do my work will help me keep track of everything going on. The learning principle I am going to implement to make myself study every day at the same hour is the Premack Principle. A daily routine I have with my suitemate is before we go to bed we watch a movie. So I used this as my reinforcement. I will not watch that movie until I have dedicated at least an hour to school work and studying. I trained myself to study first then as a reward I was able to watch the movie with my suitemate. I did this ritual every night for the past week. It is not yet set it stone but I still continue to do this ritual daily. I hope that soon it will be habit and I will not have to continue to reward myself with a movie. The first couple of days it was extremely hard to remember to study after work. Other times it was hard for me to have the energy to continue to study for the whole hour. After a while everything became easier. In my personal opinion I think that the Premack Principle worked well for me. It has helped me discipline myself in a very helpful way. Because I have decided to partake in this principle, I have seen a result of better grades and more relaxation as test time approaches. The Premack Principle is a wonderful approach to anyone seeking success while embarking on their college experience. This reinforcement principle is a great form of a â€Å"healthy† form of punishment, and it proves to be very rewarding in the end.

Kosovo Movement

Kosovo served as a centre of Serbian kingdom with old Serbian monasteries and Serbian Eastern Orthodox Churches. These survived the harsh ottoman rule until 1912, when there was liberation. Large number of Serbs hard firm attachment to Christian faith thus, opposed the conversion to Islam. This made them to leave Kosovo region because of fear of persecution by the Turkish. The Albanians settled in their places and their number increased. Kosovo Problem. The problem faced by Kosovo is the highly increasing Albanians population. The population increasing rate outweighed the industrial growth, despite heavy investments on the region. Many efforts have been made to develop the regions especially the Yugoslav Federation to no success. The region continues to become poor, and remains the poorest region in Yugoslavia. An extensive autonomy was given to the Albanians with the aim of enhancing development, only to understand that the autonomy was abused by the Albanians since they used the autonomy to clear the Kosovo habitants who were non-Albanians. The Albanians aim of when clearing the Kosovo region of the non-Albanians was to start up a succession process as they needed to be greater Albania. The Albanians in Kosovo are self satisfied, small political classes of Western Europe. The Albanians claim that they are solving the problem selling drugs illegally, and carrying out other illegal activities in the west, and the income got from the trade, are used to cause more disaster in the region, since they purchase illegal weapons, which they used in the conflict and continued spreading terror throughout the region.( Booth, 2001). The conflict had inter-ethnic tensions in Balkans and despite how much the Serbian tried to find ways of implementing peaceful solution, the Albanians never cared.  The west have tried to use many method to solve problem, but most of the methods they used, and especially the ancient methods are aimed at getting chances to access the great mineral resources which the region owns. This explains why the Americans supported the Albanian terrorists. Important Actors and their interests The Milosevic acted in the Kosovo tragedy. He had power over the Kosovo region, and his interest was to control and clear the Kosovo autonomy. The Albanians in Kosovo lost their jobs, their access to school, and health care was limited, and they lost administrative control. He also had interest in creating Greater Serbia, and to clearing the minority from the region. The Kosovo Albanians responded against the Milosevic power, where they created a parallel civil administration, and other social facilities such as schools and health care facilities. Under the leadership of Ibrahim Rugova, the Kosovo Albanians resisted the Milosevic regime in a non violent way, where they applied Gandhian tactics. The Kosovo Albanians’ interest was to have their rights considered, because despite the frequent periodic reports made by human right investigators, and International diplomats who investigated the gross and systemic human rights violations, Milosevic continued to violate their rights. After the failure of non violent demonstration, the Kosovo Albanians decided to use violent demonstration. The Kosovo Liberation Army joined the fight against Milosevic, and the army publicly asked for help from the entire community. The crowd provided overwhelming support, but the Serb had a disproportionate retaliation responds. The conflict between the Serb and the KLA continued, and revenge was persistent. The human rights continued to be violated, with no intervention, instead the Milosevic increased the military to clear KLA. The Contact Group intervened, with the interest of enhancing negotiations between the two groups and subsequent signing of peace plan. The Contact group required the KLA to disarm, Milosevic to reduce his military, and to restore autonomy, and to have NATO peace keeping force to be implemented. This brought more conflict because the Kosovo needed full independence guarantees, while the Milosevic wanted total control over the Province and the people, so they could not allow a new military force in the Province. The NATO joined the fight with the aim of enhancing the signing of the peace plan, and threatened to bomb Serb if they failed to sign. Kosovo signed after a delay, but Milosevic refused to sign, and continued to destroy Kosovo. NATO launched air campaign targeting the Serb military. Milosevic fought the NATO, and the Kosovo population in respond. (Ruga, 2007). Why does this conflict exist? The Kosovo conflict exists because of the existing form of revisionism which has prevailed for many years among the critics of Kosovo population desire for independence. This has been caused by failure of scrutiny, ignorance, racism, culture and religion. The various sides are guilty of varying degree, and mall the actors have failed in one way or the other. No actor wants to be held responsible of the conflict, despite the fact that each of the actors has played a role in the conflict. Serbia blames the Serb security force of the 1998 and 1999 massacre. The Kosovo Albanians explains their innocence by convincing people that they flew from their land to be refugees because of the fear of NATO bombing (Loyd, 2007). This has led to continued conflict in Kosovo. References: Booth, K (2001) Kosovo Tragedy. New York: Routledge. Loyd, A (2007) Kosovo deserves its independence, Retrieved April, 2008, from http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article3037002.ece Ruga, G. (2007)   History of Kosovo war, Retrieved April, 2008, from http://www.friendsofbosnia.org/edu_kos.html.      

Immanuel Kant’s Philosophy Essay

If a billionaire were to leave behind all his fortune but makes a dying request to donate $1 million to his favourite football team when the same can be used for a better cause, what would one do? Donating it to charity would seem like the right thing to do, but the answer to it, according to Kant would be quite the opposite. Here, it’s not the consequences that determine the rightness of an action. Rightness is in accordance with morality. According to Immanuel Kant’s views, a supreme moral principle must entail an absolute necessity and should be done out of duty. He believes that, only actions that emanate out of a sense of duty are moral actions and any act performed keeping one’s own self-interest in mind are, regarded as actions that are not born out of morality. For an example, consider a shopkeeper who is at the liberty of pricing his goods. He could over charge the customers and attain increased profits but that would be an act contrary to one’s morals. He could also choose to price his goods inexpensively, in order to increase the sales. However, in this case, he is acting is a way to ultimately benefit himself and not out of morality. Morality ultimately rests not on sense, experience or feelings, but on reason. If the same shopkeeper, sets fair prices merely because it’s the right thing and not for the fear of getting caught, then he is fulfilling his duty to morality. Furthermore, Kant feels morality is something one ought to adhere to, unconditionally, that is, without doing so to gain any reward or merit. For example, if one senses the possibility of a robbery occurring, one must report it to the police out of a sense of duty as he is in a position to do so. Then his action is a moral one. However, if he were to do so, with hopes of making the headlines and getting rewarded, then in this case, he acts out of self-interest and such an action is not considered a moral one. According to the Kantian philosophy, the one thing that’s good in itself, without qualification, is good will. He believes in the existence of an element of certain common sense in the foundation of moral law, which arises out of good will. Morality is valuable in its own right and not based on the fact that it has instrumental value. All other intrinsic goods, moral or intellectual, can serve the vicious will and accord to evil deeds. They are only morally valuable, if accompanied by a good will. Honor can lead to pride. Not even success and happiness is good in themselves. Thus, a good will is good not in virtue of wanting to bring about happiness, but in virtue of wanting to obey the moral law. For Immanuel Kant, motive is the antecedent of all moral worth and not consequences. He argues that one must perform moral duty solely for its own sake i. e. , duty for duty’s sake. Some conform to the moral duty they presume it in their own enlightened self-interest to be moral. Rightness of actions is determined by their accordance with morality. In order to decide order to decide whether an action was moral or not it is not enough for one to simply help the person in need, but their intention behind providing the aid has to be known. Even if one were to provide aid to someone in need out of a sense of compassion, it would not be considered a moral action according to Kant as it was motivated by emotion. For example, a father playing baseball with his son, should do so out of a sense of duty and not because he loves him. For Kant, the only acceptable motive for a moral action was a sense of duty. The reason is that the consequences of an act are often beyond our control and hence cannot be used to gauge the morality of an action . For Kant, an unsuccessful attempted murder is as bad as a successful one because they had identical motives. It didn’t matter to Kant, if an act was act performed improperly or left unfinished. For example, if a fire-fighter in an attempt to save a man from reducing into ashes, accidently gets him killed having performed the act erroneously, such an act would still be considered a moral one by Kant as the fire-fighter was carrying out his duty. Consider another illustration, Two soldiers volunteer to cross enemy lines to contact their allies on the other side. Both start off and do their best to get through the enemy area. One succeeds; the other doesn’t and is captured. But, aren’t they both morally praiseworthy? The success of one in no way detracts from the goodness of the other. Kant considered the duties that instigate moral actions as absolute. For him, moral duties are said to have imperative nature and they were to be followed irrespective of the consequences. And this is termed as ‘Categorical imperatives or duty’ and this can be categorized into two: where in the examples of ‘Hypothetical’ duties included, â€Å"If you want a good job, get good education. † Whereas, ‘Categorical Imperatives’ suggests the intrinsically right thing to do like, â€Å"Tell the truth. † But Kant believed that, for an action to be moral, the motive behind the action and the principle underlying the action (maxim) must be universally applicable. For example, one is expected not to honk near hospitals, one must be kind to old and disabled etc. Categorical or unqualified as they recognize the imperial status of moral obligations, unlike Hypothetical. Any actions done in violation of Kantian theory would be considered immoral. Kant also persuades people not to view others as a means to an end and degrade the value of human life. But to respect them for the person they are. For example, one should be polite to people they meet without anticipating any favour, in return. On the other hand, he feels all that choices should be autonomous as every single person is capable of reason. Our natural inclinations and influences shouldn’t limit our choices. This very briefly summarizes Immanuel Kant’s view on Morality. Kant’s views outline a clear structure of moral judgments but firstly, he fails to provide us with guidelines as to how go about taking rightful moral decisions when faced with tough situations. For example, if one has to lie about a friend’s presence in order to save his life, to choose between speaking the truth and protecting the friend leaves one in a fix as the universal maxims seem to conflict each other. Further, Kant disregards the emotional aspect that is involved in everyday decision making process, by expecting people to alienate feelings like compassion, pity etc. He also seems to completely ignore the consequences of one’s actions, which is quite impractical when looked at, from a practical point of view. Finally, there is no mention of how certain acts are clearly immoral while he strongly advocates the following of universally applicable maxims. As much as his views bear an influence, his principles find very little effectiveness and practical applicability in one’s daily life. Bibliography – BOOKS AND WEBSITES AND MORE – 1) Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy – plato. stanford. edu 2) Encyclopedia on Philosophy published by Macmillan. 3) Kant’s search for the Supreme Principle of Morality by Samuel J. Kirstein 4) Ethical theory of Immanuel Kant – bellevuecollege. edu.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 97

Assignment - Essay Example It also leads to an increase in annual crop yields by approximately 30 to 135 million metric tons as well as reduction in projected global mean warming by 0.5Â °C by year 2050 as a result of reductions in ozone in 2030 and beyond. On the other hand BC measures are able to provide significant global climate benefits; however, uncertainties are much larger. In addition, it leads to a reduction in disruptions in regional hydrological cycle, improved agriculture yields and large regional human health benefits. The fact that these policies helps in the protection of food supplies and public health as well as mitigation of climate change may aid in motivating policies to be implemented on the same. Methane and BC measures are complimentary to and distinct from CO2 measures. Early adoption of CH4 and BC measures has little impact on long term temperatures but provides much larger short-term benefits. Mechanisms such as the Prototype Methane Financing Facility and the Clean Development Mechanism under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change reduces CH4 emissions. Because such measures can provide agricultural benefit, improve health, slow the rate of climate change and enhanced warming mitigation necessitates their early and widespread implementation in order to realize such

Media article critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media article critique - Essay Example The sodium in the American diet does not significantly come from the saltshakers but in the abundance of processed food consumption. It should be noted sodium is usually used to enhance the flavor, stabilize, and preserve processed food. Accordingly, sodium intake can be reduced by opting fresh, whole food closest to their natural state. Another option is to look for canned food which are sodium-free or with reduced-sodium content. The DASH (Dietary Approach to Solving Hypertension) eating plan, which prescribes a diet comprised of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy food, and food with limited saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, is clinically proven to dramatically reduce blood pressure by infusing enough levels of potassium in the body to counter the effects of sodium. It has been verified by the Tulane University Health Science Center that adequate potassium intake may lower systolic blood pressure by 3 points and diastolic by 2 points. The level of sodium in the body as well as its effect is tied to an individual's physiological sensitivity to salt. It has been found out that 10-25 percent of the entire population is salt sensitive meaning that their bodies will respond faster with the reduction or increase in salt intake. Salt sensitivity is determined by heredity as it is passed on through genes and age as elders naturally experience higher blood pressure necessitating the reduction of sodium intake. With the current rise in the number of people who suffers from heart disease, I believe that this article is very helpful and timely. I completely agree with the information presented. Having a family history of hypertension, I'm seeking ways on how to reduce the risk of acquiring the disease. Reducing sodium intake is probably one of the easiest and most enjoyable way to avoid heart diseases as it requires me to take in a variety of fresh foods and challenge my creativity in coming up with recipes containing less salt. Works Cited Miers, Megan. Shake the salt habit: Limiting sodium intake can have many benefits. Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, May 18, 2006, Pg.1; Washington ARTICLE May 18--Whether already added or sprinkled on in the form of salt, sodium is one additive that keeps us clamoring for our favorite foods over and over again. But the same seasoning that brings out the flavor of salad dressing and gives potato chips their savory crunch also can wreak havoc with our health. Many Americans far exceed the recommended daily limit of sodium in their diets, and that's not good news for a country in which cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer. Excess sodium in the diet can lead to fluid retention and hypertension (high blood pressure), which in turn can lead to stroke and other potentially deadly conditions. But with a few simple steps, anyone can slash dietary sodium and drastically reduce health risks. "The maximum recommended limit is less than 3,000 milligrams of sodium per day," said Rachel Vincent, a registered and licensed dietitian at St. John Medical Center. "The average American gets about 8,000 milligrams a day." To function properly, our bodies need about 200 milligrams of s

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 19

Case Study Example The separation of the Lakeberg twins put forward a number of ethical issues related to saving lives at the slimmest chance of survival. When Reitha was observed to be carrying Siamese twins, doctors recommended an abortion due to the limited chances of survival for the babies. This recommendation poses an ethical issue relative to the doctors’ choice that seemed to highly influence the parents. This situation was worsened by the underlying financial challenges that the couple was going through at the time the doctors made the recommendation. The doctors failed to assess the couple’s family situation, given that their consent to abortion may have been forced by their financial situation. On the abortion issue, a critical dilemma emerges. Both Ken and Reitha had a difficult decision to make. This decision would consequently measure their ethics and respect for human life. Although Reitha never undertook the abortion, her ordeal was not set to end at that point. Seven weeks after she delivered, the couple took its chance to have the Siamese twins separated. With slim chances of one baby surviving, if not both, the move to separate the twins puts medical ethics on the spot. A combination of high medical costs and slimmest survival chances in cases of medical practice might present doctors as money-oriented and patients as medically irrational (Snyder, 2005). However, doctors have a duty to save lives, attend to patient needs, and satisfy patients’ will. The dilemma in this case lies in deciding the point at which such provisions fail to hold. Given that the Siamese twins had a fused liver and a shared heart, it was medically obvious that one of the babies would be sacrificed to save the other. In this case, Amy would be saved subject to the doctors’ medical decision. The parents were provided with an already made decision, an aspect that questions whether it was ethical to make that decision on behalf of the couple. Notably,