America and The Grapes Of Wrath Essays

America and The Grapes Of Wrath Essays America and The Grapes Of Wrath Essay America and The Grapes Of Wrath Essay Essay Topic: The Grapes Of Wrath In The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, the time period is set during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression around the 1930s. Both of these devastations occurred relatively around the same time creating many problems across America. In the Great Plains region, the Dust Bowl hit forcing families into havoc. When families transitioned from their farming lands to industrial factories they were hit with the Great Depression. This affected about 15 million people throughout America. The Dust Bowl surrounded Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico. With almost no rainfall, loose soil, and high winds all of these factors combined to create dense dust clouds called â€Å"black blizzards†. From 1934 to 1937, the soil lacked the strong root system to resist the winds. The recurring storms strangled cows and pasture lands moving 60% of the population from the region. Most of these people moved to the west towards cities. The federal government mobilized several new agencies, principally the Soil Conservation Service formed in 1935, to promote farm rehabilitation. Farmers were instructed to plant trees and grass to anchor the soil, to plow and terrace in contour patterns to hold rainwater, and to allow portions of farmland to lie unplanted each year so the soil could restore. 11.3 million acres of land were purchased to keep out of production and by 1941 much of the land was rehabilitated. The region repeated its mistakes during World War II as farmer s again plowed up grassland to plant wheat when grain prices rose. Drought threatened another disaster in the 1950s, prompting Congress to subsidize farmers in restoring millions of acres of wheat back to grassland. The Great Depression was the longest lasting economic downturn in history. After the stock market crashed in October 1929, Wall Street wiped out millions of investors in a panic.Steep declines in industrial output and rising levels of unemployment as failing companies laid o

Romeo and Juliet Act3 Scene 1 Essay Example

Romeo and Juliet Act3 Scene 1 Essay Example Romeo and Juliet Act3 Scene 1 Essay Romeo and Juliet Act3 Scene 1 Essay What happens in Act 3 Scene 1? It is a crucial scene, a turning point and it determines the rest of the action. It is a tense and exciting scene for the audience and tragic at the same time. In this scene, soon after Romeo and Juliet secret marriage, Tybalt kills Mercutio and then Romeo kills Mercutio to take revenge. Then, Romeo is banished from Verona. Paragraph1: Why were tension and excitement created? Mercutio is not in a good mood but he is in argumentative mood, he seems angry. The audience is prepared for the fact that a fight is going to occur (tension and suspense are built). He tells Mercutio that if someone is in a bad mood, everything even an unimportant cause will end to a fight. Benvolio is warning Mercutio that because it is a hot day he is sure there will be a fight (and if we meet we shall not scape a brawl-Benvolio). He suggests Mercutio that they should go home. The strong use of vocabulary and personification here increases the tension. for now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring, Benvolio). We know that a fight is inevitable. The use of symbolism with awhiskers in beards, cracking nuts etc make the audience even more worried for what will happen after (thou, why, thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair less in his beard than thou hast, Mercutio). When Tybalt arrives, the atmosphere immediately changes, becoming much tenser, because of his dangerous reputation, yet he remains polite to Mercutio as Mercutio is not his real target. Mercutio uses provocative language towards Tybalt and Tybalt reacts in a similar way (make it a word and a blow, Mercutio) (you shall find me apt enough to that sir, an you give me a reason, Tybalt) Tybalt tells Mercutio with irony that he hangs out with Romeo, so Mercutio gets angry and threatens. It is evident that he will not withdraw calling him aa villaina (Romeoa ¦ thou art a villain, Tybalt). This is a great insult to Romeo who is of noble birth. He tries to start a fight with Romeo and he accuses Romeo to antagonize him in the hope of starting a fight. The audience adopts negative feelings towards Tybalt.

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Case study - Essay Example 5. The initial cause was the launching of the diversity program without a clear definition among managers as well as employees. The problem worsened when it was left to employees and facilitators, rather than management, to define what they thought diversity was. The effect was that the rules probably went beyond what management initially expected. Naylor (1999) mentioned that the underlying value in American culture is the freedom to one’s beliefs. These would include unpopular beliefs that work against diversity. A seminar and training at the workplace may not be enough to change these beliefs, leading to a hidden resentment in some workers. 6. Alliant operates in an industry that is high-tech, requiring constant innovation, creativity, and fresh ideas. An organization that can come up with technical advances first, operate more efficiently, and provide reliable service at the safest and cheapest way possible, will be differentiated from its competitors. But if the company puts priority on diversity before its need to find the best technical materials and people, efficiency and safety may suffer. 7. Diversity in the workforce provides a greater source of creative ideas and knowledge of customers; it therefore creates competitive advantages for the organization. Diversity among suppliers may lower costs and improve sources of materials as suppliers compete with each other. But Alliant wants people to accept diversity at a personal level. At this level, accepting any belief is a personal choice, so the company’s efforts may be interfering with personal freedoms beyond what the work demands. 8. The company must set a boundary so that diversity in the workplace is attained without interfering with personal prerogatives. Attitudinal change deals with deeply rooted ideas about race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and class, which people were raised with (Healey, 2005). The company

TEAM PROCESSES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

TEAM PROCESSES - Essay Example As a part of customer service, it was required to assist the customers to select the merchandize and offer them suitable products as per their needs. In terms of handling the complaints of the customers, the role had to comply with the company policies of no refund but only exchange. Thus the entire team was dynamic in its work functions with specific purpose of adhering to the company policies and in maintaining the overall profitability of the retail business. This was achieved through improved customer service that played the role of attracting the customers time and again to the retail store. A situation was encountered when the customer wanted a refund of money due to the non-receipt of a free product that was offered with the product. It was found that the stock of the free product was depleted in the retail store for which it could not be provided while selling the primary product to the customer. However, the customer had a non-negotiable approach on his demand. This created an undesired situation which occurred due to lack of effective communication and non-fulfillment of roles and responsibilities of the team. Analysis of team activity: overall effectiveness, limitations, challenges, interactions with other teams The analysis of the overall effectiveness of the team activity has been given below. The activities in the retail sales in the store demand healthy interaction of the different functions of the retail sales. The spontaneous interactions lead to strong co-ordination between the teams and its members. Due to exchange of information, the areas of concern within the team could be addressed. The experience encountered was solely due to lack of co-ordination among the team members and non-availability of updated information on the product sold to the customer. The non-availability of stock of the free offerings with the product was not communicated to the sales person by the store manager who did not inform the same to the customer. The customer af ter buying the product checked later on to find that the free offer was not packed with the sold item by the retail store. This created a sense within the customer of being cheated. For this reason, the customer wanted a refund from the store as the contract of buying and selling was breached by the retail store. This shows the limitations of overall effectiveness of the retail business in dealing with their customers. This is a challenge faced by the team as the there was no free exchange of information. The integral function of the retail store is an aggregation of the individual retail functions (Brannick,  Salas and  Prince, 1997). The communication with other teams is thus important for delivering effective customer service and in sustaining the profitability of their business. Key recommendations for improvement In order to deal with such situation in the future, the key recommendations for improvement of the retail operations are given below. There should be respect among the team members for each other and they should be aligned to overall retail sales activity. The alignment of the roles towards common interest of the overall work of retail sales triggers action from the individual roles that are aimed to make the system error free. In this experience in retail sales, the team members should have exchanged information on

Midterm Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Midterm - Assignment Example Researchers may find legal briefs important because they will not only cite important case and statutory law, but can be used to help the researcher analyse a similar research issue. Question 3: The US Code is a chronological organization of all permanent/current laws of the US Congress. The US Code is published every 6 years with each edition reflecting all amendments and supplements to the law currently in effect. Thus each subsequent edition of the US Code will be expected to reflect only the current law or laws currently in effect. For instance, if an Act or provision of an Act was repealed, the next edition of the US Code will reflect the repeal. However, if an Act or provision was amended or supplemented by an additional provision, the new provision or supplementary provision will be reflected in subsequent editions of the US Code. Question 4: Legal professionals and legal scholars might share an interest in the original intentions of the US Constitution as a means of understan ding what the framers’ initially intended the Constitution to mean. By taking this approach, the possibility of conflicting and confusing interpretations is reduced and the US Constitution is understood and applied with greater consistency and predictability. In looking for the original intentions of the framers of the US Constitution, legal professionals and legal scholars will look at the debates between the Federalists and the anti-Federalists at the time before and during ratification. The debates will be found in the Federal Papers. Another important source is the Declaration of Independence. Question 5: Court opinions, statutes, and documents containing arguments of the framers of legislation and constitutions are regarded as primary sources because they are authoritative in nature. In other words, primary sources of law reflect actual statements of the law or the original intention of what the state law will or are intended to be and how it should be interpreted and ap plied. Question 6: Cite-checkers as secondary sources of law are features providing information relative to a specific area of the law. The information typically includes headings and primary sources to which the heading relates. For example a cite-checker for the US Code will identify whether or not the statute is revised. Editorial notes relating to the primary source will also be included and relevant information not included in the primary source. Legal digests differ only in that they will provide indices of legal issues and the case and statutory laws supporting the specific position. Cite-checkers and legal digests are therefore valuable secondary sources of information for researchers because they direct the researcher to primary sources of information. Question 7: Encyclopedias and legal periodicals both provide statements of the law as it is, as it was and as it should be. However, what distinguishes encyclopedias from legal periodicals is content. Encyclopedias are genera l and concise statements of the law. However, legal periodicals are far more comprehensive and provide both theoretical and practical discussions over a period of time. While neither source is authoritative, both can be valuable guides to where a researcher might look for primary and authoritative sources of law. Legal periodicals however, usually reflect opinions and analyses that can have persuasive value even to judges determining a legal dispute. Thus researchers should only use legal

Cultural determinants of Japan and United States

Cultural determinants of Japan and United States The purpose of this report is to explore the cultural determinants of both Japan and United States. The report elucidates the differences between the two countries in terms of leadership styles as influenced by their respective different cultures. The reason in selecting Japan as one of the research countries is because of its deep rooted strong cultural beliefs and group centered style in a business perspective. It is well known to the world that Japan is a closed economy but at the same time, extremely competitive. On the other hand, United States make a good contrast in terms of its open culture and individualistic style of doing business. Despite the differences, both are amongst the most competitive and successful nations in the world. The compromising Japanese and confrontational Americans do make this research journey an exciting and interesting one. Different cultures exist in the world and their impact on leadership styles in their respective countries is significant. As defined by Luthans and Doh (2009, p96), Culture is the acquired knowledge that people use to interpret experience and generate social behaviour. And culture is gained through transmissions between individuals in forms of symbols, rituals, languages, stories told and etc. It will be interesting to find out that the countries cultures do in fact influence their leadership styles to quite a great extent. In this report, two entirely different cultures; Japan and United States will be explored in depth to provide a better understanding of their background. The seven determinants of culture in these two countries will be individually discussed as well. Leadership styles in these two countries will also be examined to establish a relationship with their respective cultures. In the later part of the report, an analysis on the cultural and leadership differences between Japan and United States will give the readers a clear outline of the contrasts which exist currently. 2. Overview of Theories 2.1 Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Geert Hofstede developed five dimensions of national culture. He had specifically examined the role of national culture in work related values and information system design (Hofstede, 1980). National culture can be defined as a collection of relatively uniform and enduring values, beliefs, customs, practices and traditions that are shared by a countrys members, learned by new members and transmitted from one to the next (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2001). According to Hofstede (1984), culture is a kind of mental programming that lies between human nature on one side and personality on the other. Through the completion of his study in 1980, it was found that the differences between cultures can be understood by the following four distinctive dimensions: Power Distance Individualism Vs Collectivism Uncertainty Avoidance Masculinity Vs Femininity Power Distance It is the extent to which people expect and accept unequal power distribution. These people are usually the ones with less power and control. Countries can be referred to as either having High power distance or Low power distance. The former has a tall and centralised structure, instructions and orders (from superiors) are obeyed without queries or rather, heedlessly. The latter, on the other hand, has a flat and decentralised structure. Superiors give lots of respect and trust to subordinates. Individualism vs. Collectivism In an individualistic culture, people look after themselves and are more self-centred. The ties between people are not strong as each person is focused on their own goals. This type of culture is mostly found in western countries. In a collectivist culture, great emphasis is placed on groups. It is more of a We culture instead of I. This type of culture can be described as harmonious and there is almost zero confrontation in times of conflict. As opposed to the individualistic culture, collectivist is more common in Asian countries. Uncertainty Avoidance It is the preference of a society for unambiguous and risk free situations. In a high uncertainty avoidance country, there are more regulations and policies to adhere to and they tend to reduce risk to the minimum. Whereas in a low uncertainty avoidance country, people are tend to push boundaries and are more daring to take risks. Masculinity vs. Femininity In simple terms, when a societys most important social values are associated with money and success, it is said to be highly masculine. It is highly stressful to be working in such environments. Feminine societies, in contrast, believe in quality of life and helping others over anything else. 2.2 Leadership in the International Context Leadership is the process of influencing people to direct their efforts toward achievement of organization goals. A good leader takes ownership over projects, while simultaneously empowering everyone in his or her team to contribute according to their key strengths. They are accountable for any mistakes made, but ensure each is a learning experience for everyone, and capable of drawing their own intuitive conclusions on the progress or outcome of a project, or foresee any roadblocks which may arise. Initiative is another key leadership trait. Successful leaders jump to their feet and run the extra mile to exceed expectations. They are two comparative areas provide a foundation for understanding leadership in the international: 1) the philosophical grounding of how leaders view their subordinates and 2) leadership approaches as reflected through use of autocratic-participative characteristics and behaviours of leaders. Douglas McGregor, an American social psychologist, proposed his famous X-Y theory in his 1960 book The Human Side Of Enterprise. The specific philosophical assumptions of Theory X leaders are humans inherently dislike working and will try to avoid it if they can. Because people dislike work they have to be coerced or controlled by management and threatened so they work hard enough. Average employees want to be directed and dont like responsibility. Average humans are clear and unambiguous and need security at work. Theory X leaders conducive to large scale efficient operations and apply to mass manufacturing Production Workers. This classify as Authoritarian, a hard management style. The specific philosophical assumptions of Theory Y leaders described people view work as being as natural as play and rest. Humans expend the same amount of physical and mental effort in their work as in their private lives. Provided people are motivated, they will be self-directing to the aims of the organization. Control and punishment are not the only mechanisms to make people work. Job satisfaction is the key to engaging employees and ensuring their commitment. People learn to accept and seek responsibility. Average humans, under the proper conditions, will not only accept but even naturally seek responsibility. People are imaginative and creative. Their ingenuity should be used to solve problems at work. This apply to professional services workers for participative complex problem solving. This classify as Participative, a soft management style. McGregor sees Theory Y as the preferable model and management method, however he felt Theory Y was difficult to use in large-scale operations. In 1981, William Ouchi came up with a variant that combined American and Japanese management practices together to form Theory Z, Theory Z essentially advocates a combination of all thats best about theory Y and modern Japanese management, which places a large amount of freedom and trust with workers, and assumes that workers have a strong loyalty and interest in team-working and the organisation. Authoritarian Leadership (Autocratic) leaders provide clear expectations for what are need to be done, when it should be done, and how it should be done. There is also a clear division between the leaders and the followers. Some of the appropriate conditions are to be use when you have all the information to solve the problem, you are short on time, and your employees are well motivated. Participative Leadership (Democratic) leaders offer guidance to group members, but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members. Participative leaders encourage group members to participate, but retain the final say over the decision-making process. Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative. Delegative (Laissez-Faire) leaders offer little or no guidance to group members and leave decision-making up to group members. While this style can be effective in situations where group members are highly qualified in an area of expertise, it often leads to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation. 3. Overview of Japan Japan is an industrialised, and one of the most efficient countries in Asia, in terms of its economy and trades. Due to the limitation of natural resources, Japan has turned to international trades for its constant supplies. The people of Japan are well educated and worldly known as extremely well mannered. Japan has strived to achieve and maintain very high health standards surpassing many other countries in the world, with its life expectancy rate exceeding that of the United States. (US Department of State, 2010) 3.1 Determinants of Japanese Culture The ancient Japanese culture has cast a massive impression on many people over centuries for being one of the most homogeneous countries in the world. Traditional, indirect, seniority based, collectivist, are some of the various terms associated with the Japanese. Their national culture is so strongly rooted that till this day, it is one of the very few countries in the world which operates in a total different and unique way with traditional customs and feudal values, and still clinging firm to them. It surely has left many people wondering and pondering, having in mind that globalisation and internationalisation is so common these days. The below are some determinants of the Japanese culture which is worth to understand. Existing Feudal Values Founded in 600 B.C and having its roots in Buddhism and Confucianism, the Japanese believes in tall hierarchical structures with strong importance placed on seniority, respect, loyalty and family. One of the feudal values is the unequal treatment of women. Women are regarded as low status in the highly masculine society of Japan. However, there are researches which shows that there has been some change to that, women are slowly paving their way up and even successful in their careers. (Bucknall, 2005) Interesting to know from Bucknalls (2005, p16) study is that the Japanese culture has a strong central core which sees things as being either right or totally wrong, nothing in between. To the Japanese, losing is unacceptable and disgraceful because losing is just totally wrong. Hence, since the ancient Japan, they have regarded themselves as being a highly superior cast of people who just cannot lose to anyone, to Conquer is what they aim to achieve. (Recall World War II) Another ancient value of the Japanese is that the seniors (in terms of age), are treated with reverence. The young people could only patiently wait for their turns for promotions. No way could they rise fast in an organisation even though they are out-performing or outstanding. Religion According to Lee and Trim (2008), the Japanese adopted Buddhism and then merged it with Shintoism. It led to the ability of the rulers of Japan to develop government ceremonies in accordance with Shinto rituals. (Osumi, 1992) Buddhism teachings emphasise on doing the right actions and making right decisions. It also involves three elements; mental culture, wisdom and morality. (Lee and Trim, 1999) Besides the above, the Japanese have also been deeply influenced by Confucian thought. (Mei, 1967) Confucianism focuses on 4 main elements; benevolence, wisdom, righteousness and decorum. It is important for foreigners to note that religion in Japan has played a crucial part in shaping their national identity. Buddhism and Shintoism intertwined, evolving their central government system. Hence, understanding religions of Japan would be highly recommended and should not be regarded lightly. Social Structure A study by Levy, (1992) showed that there are six social classes which can be distinguished in modern Japan. They are namely; The Imperial Family Consists of the Emperor and his relatives (Sacred objects mentioned by Levy, 1992, p3), unlike the King and royal family in England, the Japanese Emperor holds a symbolic position in Japans social system and extremely significant. Nobility Consists of descendents of the Kuge, Samurais, Dukes and counts. (Nobilities in ancient Japan). Highly respected group in Japan. Upper Middle Class Consists of people who are not necessarily descendents of any nobility, but have high status in modern Japan. i.e Directors of large corporations, high ranking civil servants, etc. Lower Middle Class They are the normal working class people in modern Japan. Most of the people fall under this category. Industrial Proletariat They are the blue collared workers. Peasants The rest of the population with lower than average income. Political Philosophy There are seven political parties in Japan, namely Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Peoples New Party (PNP), the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the New Clean Government Party (Komeito), the Japan Communist Party (JCP), and Your Party (YP). Japan is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government (US Department of State, 2010). Economy Japan is the second largest free-market economy in the world following United States. (US Department of State, 2010) It has a highly competitive and efficient economy with few natural resources. The wages in Japan are the highest in the world (EconomyWatch, 2010), but fact that the living conditions/standards are extremely high has to be considered as well. Language Almost all Japanese people converse and use Japanese as a business language. Even though they know English, they would be too shy to speak in that. Silence would be the answers in the case of dealing with foreigners. It may seem strange to many foreigners, but this is the typical behaviour of many Japanese people. Very restricted use of English (despite being an international language) would be seen in most business meetings, limited to simply Good mornings and Good Byes. They do not show willingness to converse to foreigners in another language other than Japanese, perhaps due to their extreme shyness. Education As mentioned earlier, Japanese are a group of homogeneous people. As such, their education system is highly uniformed. Hence, it can be perceived that almost all Japanese share the same ideas and beliefs. In Japan, all children are taught the same things in school, freedom to customise the curriculum is near impossible as the Ministry of Education in Japan closely supervises the education system. The Japanese government places significant importance in the education system. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan introduced five policies in January 2002 to improve the quality of education system. One of which is to increase the number of teaching personnel so as to achieve smaller teaching groups for more focus on each student. 3.2 Leadership style and relationship to Culture in Japan Japanese leadership style is unique and differs from the convention X-Y theory proposed by Douglas McGregor. In 1981, William Ouchi came up with a variant theory Z which is essentially a combination of Theory Y and Japanese management. Buddhism has been around since Japan feudal era, practices by samurais and bushi (warrior) as Zen Buddhism. When the samurai class unified the country under the leadership of shogun Tokugawa Leyasu in the Edo period (1600-1868), the sects encouraged values of hard work and patience according to their Buddhism teachings. Today, Buddhism is the most popular religion in Japan with some 85% of the population professing the faith.This forms the hardworking culture of Japanese and shapes the foundations of their leadership behaviour. Most Japanese managers believe that their employees are hard-working and are self-motivated by teamwork, that they want to share responsibility for attaining group goals and therefore seek participation in management process. Due to the participative approach of employees, Japanese managers use a blend of both task-centered and people-centered approach to lead subordinates. Both leaders and subordinates are motivated by a powerful sense of commitment to be a part of a greater whole. This is contributed by the social structure and educational system of Japan. The social structure hierarchy of Japan which consist of the Royal family down to the peasants and their strong sense of loyalty due to their Shinto teachings resulted in the Japanese believe that they are part of a greater whole, in country context Japan as a whole. Japan has one of the most successful and renowned education system. In recent years, there is a rise in higher education of Japanese in both private and government sector. Thorough its education system, it has reach attain a 99% literacy population. It has the highest literacy rates in Asia. Most Under theory Z leaders, Japanese employees seek out responsibility and strive for opportunities to advance in organisations. They work towards the goal to be in the upper middle class of their social structure. Japanese leaders believe that the employees are self-satisfied when they contribute to organisational success through teamwork. In return for their organisations long-term commitment to providing job security (often for life), workers develop strong bonds of loyalty towards their employer. Communication Flows As theory Z Seniority Leadership Due to the Japanese Feudal value, Japanese leaders are mostly base on their seniority. Evaluation of work and promotion is very slow and promotions are not base on individual performance. Seniority and age are much more important factors in Japan. Because of their emphasis on seniority, some of the major organisations in Japan are still family owned. They are managed and passed down to the Head of the family, usually the Male eldest of the descendants instead of the most capable of the family. The concept of family owned business may not work out on many other countries with different culture but miraculously organisations that are family owned showed great performance results. It is recognized in Japan to decide the heir of the business base on seniority and it is right that all others of the family must obey all instruction that the head has pass down to them. Any subjugation towards the family head will be deemed as wrong and will not be accepted by the Japanese society. This is also due to the Japanese National Religion of Shinto. They are loyal to their familiar way of life and places, therefore able to maintain their practice. Guideline: Leadership style should relate to culture determinants in 3.1. To show how the culture had influenced the kind of leadership style in Japan 3.3 Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions in the Japanese context Power Distance Japan has a score of 54 on power-distance index (PDI) and a ranking of 44 out of 69 countries (Refer to Appendix 1). Japan is considered as a high power distance although the score is slightly below the world average of 55. Having a high power distance index, this will influence the leadership style of Japan. According to Hofstede, G. et al (2010), in high power distance circumstances; subordinate acknowledges the existence of inequity. Thus, hierarchical system was the result of it. With a centralized and tall structure, the power is not evenly distributed and mainly control by the people from the top management (mostly seniors). Hofstede, G. et al (2010) suggested that it is essential for management to identify the strength of local culture and make use of it to complete certain tasks. Japanese leader would delegate tasks which require subordinates discipline in order to get the work done in an orderly manner. Tasks would be completed with less conflict and disputes as subordinates would normally do what they are instructed to do. However, this would result in no or minimal initiative by the Japanese subordinates at work. Individualism Vs Collectivism Japan has a score of 46 on Individualism Index (IDV) and a ranking of 31-33 out of 69 countries (Refer to Appendix 1). The Individualism score for Japan is slightly above the world average of 43. However, Japan belongs to the group of collectivism. This is because Japan has the tendency to handle stuffs based on the relationship and believe that they have responsibility to one another. Hofstede, G. et al (2010, p120) stated that Poor performance of an employee in this relationship is no reason for dismissal: one does not dismiss ones child. Therefore, Japanese leaders would first establish a relationship and some form of trust instead of demanding work to be done. Hofstede, G. et al (2010) stated that collectivist individual has a one of the culture norm with strong concept of face where one should not embarrass another. Thus, Japanese leaders would need to opt for a correct method to disseminate the negative news instead of criticise and give negative feedback openly. Furthermore, under collectivist society, collectivist individual tends to perform the best in group and badly on individual basis. Therefore, Japanese leaders would tend to allocate more group works to their subordinates. However, when a group of employees completed their work, rewards should be given to the group as a whole and not individual. Uncertainty Avoidance Japan has a score of 92 on Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) and a ranking of 10-11 out of 69 countries (Refer to Appendix 1). Japan has a considerably high Uncertainty Avoidance Index. According to Hofstede, G. et al (2010, p213), Britain has produced more noble Prize winners than Japan, but Japan has put more new products on the world market. Japanese prefer to develop ideas which are established rather than to move ahead to supply new ideas. Furthermore, they have a systematic way to get things done which is good as this lead to actual products being produced. According to Luthan and Doh (2009), high uncertainty avoidance also implies that subordinates are less ambitious. They have low risk appetite and because of this there is an emotional need to create rules. However, not all the rules work. Therefore, leader would have to find ways to lead and motivate their subordinates to achieve excellent result. Masculinity Vs Femininity Japan has a score of 95 on Masculinity Index (MAS) and a ranking of 2 out of 69 countries (Refer to Appendix 1). Japan has the second highest Masculinity Index. Therefore, Japan emphasises the importance of having the main values which are associated with money and success. According to Hofstede, G. et al (2010), work goals such as earnings, recognition, advancement and challenge are deemed to play an important role. After identifying Japanese having a high masculine culture and background of what they want to achieve, leaders can based on the criteria and lead the team effectively. The main items that Japanese are seeking for is money and success. Therefore, leaders should provide opportunities and encourage high performance from their Japanese subordinates in order for them to achieve their goals. Leaders should also note that incentives and rewards are based on equity and not equality. 4. Overview of USA The United States of America, one of the worlds largest developed countries located between the North Atlantic Ocean and North Pacific Ocean. USA is highly abundant with natural resources, providing the world with its largest coal reserves. Apart from the lands and resources, USA is also considered having the worlds strongest and leading technological economy. Being one of the developed countries, USA is currently facing environmental issues like air, land and sea pollution cause by factories, mines and other industrial developments (The World Factbook, 2010). 4.1 Determinants of US Culture USA, the largest economy, deals massive trades among the rest of the world. Studying the culture norms and values of would be important to businessman and entrepreneur that are boarding the shore of the US economy. American possess a strong believe in the concept of equality. Each individual should have equal rights, equal employment opportunity and equal social obligation no matter which ethnic or gender the individual belongs to. Individualism, direct, high uncertainties are some values that are tagged to American by numerous studies. Somehow these values have its roots related to the culture of the country. Religion Although USA has a wide diversity of ethnics namely the North American, South American, Alaska native, Hawaiian native, Asian and others races; Christianity still remains as their largest form of religious belief. Among the Christian, Protestant (including Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian) outnumber the Roman Catholic with 51.3% of the total population and the later 23.9%. Followed by Jewish, Islamic, Muslim and others reported by World Factbook (2010). Social Structure In USA, most American would believe that there is equal opportunity and economic mobility and social classes does not exist. Moreover, Dennis Gilbert (1998) did defined USA social structure into 6 different classes; Capitalist Class American upper class These are the minute top notch individual that has high influence in the economy of USA, example Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. Upper Middle Class These are highly educated professional that has a high annual household income, example Lawyers, professor, and dentist. Middle Class These are college graduates that are employed for white collar position in an organization, examples managerial position. Lower Middle Class These usually consist of blue collar workers or those performing clerical position. Lower Class These refer to the working individual that draws minimal annual household income, example farmers. Under Class These refer to individual that are unemployed. Political Philosophy A national government with 50 states government, USA is considered as a federal republic country. Democrats and Republicans are 2 major parties dominating the political systems of USA. The government can be divided into three different branches. The government is headed by the Executive branch which comprises of the president and its appointed cabinet. Each state has a different government constitution, the Legislative branch consist of Senate from each state and its House of Representatives. Each state have two Senates elect by the citizen of the state. Senates will need to be re-elect after six years of service Lastly the Judiciary branch is headed by the US Supreme Court. This is the highest court that reviews and maintains the interpretative of the whole nations constitution (USA Country Brief, 2006). Economy USA has the largest and most important market in the world (EconomyWatch (2010). Even though it is the largest economy, government have much regulation protecting certain home-grown sectors. Two thirds of US economy is highly driven by its own consumer and therefore US economy can also be regard as Consumer Economy. According to World FactBook (2010), USA GDP rose to about 14 trillion in end of 2009. It is about 3 times as higher than the next largest economy, which is Japan. Despite of that, USA have also top the chart for its private and public debts owned. This could be possibly due to the economic depression in 2008 where there is an acute rose of oil prices putting the country in a state of inflation with high unemployment rate. In 2009, USA government borrowed billions to purchases equity from banks and Industrial Corporation, in order to perform additional injection to the economy for jobs creation and stabilizing the global economic downturn. Language There is actually no official language stated by Law in USA, English and Spanish are 2 most common languages. In addition, English is the language use in legislation and a main form of business communication. Hawaiian is the official state language for Hawaii (Grimes, 2000). Communication style of an American can sometimes be regarded as straight forward and aggressive. Going around the bush in meetings or discussion is considered time wasting. American has its own style of name format which is different from Asian, they would address First Name (given name) followed by Last Name (family name) as in Julia Roberts where Roberts is the family name and Julia is the given name. Whereas for Asian, we would address Last Name (family name) followed by First Name (given name). Politeness is highly valued in USA. When meeting someone for the first time, it is always polite to address them with a salutation of Mr, Miss, Madam or Dr. Please and Thank You are two most common words heard in a conversation with American. Education Slight differences can be spotted in the education system in different states but generally they are still common. For most children in USA, education starts at an earlier age of 5 and graduated from high school at the age of 17. Parents can choose to send their kids to public schools which are funded by public tax; these would be the common choice for most US citizen. In another hand, if the parents thinks that the public education systems does not suit their kids, they can still send them to private schools owned by churches, individuals and private groups (WorldWidelearn, 2010) 4.2 Leadership style and relationship to Culture in United States Guideline: Leadership style should relate to culture determinants in 4.1. To show how the culture had influenced the kind of leadership style in United States The U.S. is one of the most religious of all the large nations of the world. Gallup International reports that 57 percent of American citizens regularly attend religious services. Politicians frequently discuss their religion when campaigning, and many churches and religious figures are highly politically active. Most American religious take concrete form as congregational voluntary associations. They provide their members with multiple and continuous opportunities to observe, learn and practice the skills of community life and leadership. By doing so, religious members are exposed to have chance to acquire and practice a series of useful capacities and skills. These include group decision making, raising and budgeting funds, leading discussion, mobilization consens

From the Bigs to NU: Performance Enhancement :: Journalism Essays

From the Bigs to NU: Performance Enhancement From the very first time he touched the newest and hottest in a long line of drug fads, Justin Hedrick, then high school running back, now star pitcher for the Northeastern baseball team, was swept up in the craze of ephedra. Looking back, he realizes what a fortunate decision he made to stop using the common muscle supplement linked to as many as 155 deaths around the country since its introduction in the mid-1990s. â€Å"Before (football) season, we used to cut down a little bit of weight in order to see how fast we could run or get our 40 times up a bit,† he said. â€Å"A couple of us running backs took it to see what it was like, and took it for about a month. â€Å"We just got ripped, it was ridiculous. It was perfect,† he added. â€Å"Our 40s went up, everything that we were doing, the amount of time we were working †¦ everything increased and we were like, ‘Ok, this stuff is awesome.’ After we played the season and were going to get on it next season, all the reports came out saying it was going to cause heart attacks. After researching it †¦ I was just a stupid, young, high school kid and I didn’t look into it before. But, once you do, you realize it’s basically speed. You kind of frown upon that after awhile. I mean, it’s great for the time being, but once you research it you find out what it does – and that’s just scary.† How does it work? Ephedra (also known as the Chinese herbal treatment ma huang), has been used in China for thousands of years. But, what makes it kick? â€Å"In simple terms, the human body reacts to ephedra as it does to a surge of adrenaline,† explains diet-pills-information.org. â€Å"Adrenaline is the ‘fight-or-flight’ hormone which is released by the body during the periods of stress and exercise. It speeds up heart rate and sends extra blood to muscles. The difference is that whereas an adrenaline rush typically lasts only a few minutes, the effects of ephedra can last for hours. Ephedra also stimulates the release of large quantities of adrenaline. Such a surge of adrenaline can make the heart beat even faster and deplete oxygen that keeps the heart working – resulting in heart strain or even heart attack.† This process, according to numerous researchers, is an even greater danger when combined with caffeine, which is found in most ephedra-containing supplements.

Bellinger and Transsexuals

Bellinger V Bellinger case might lawfully be epitomized as clear and unbiased reference to putative gender-sex differentiating and even opposition. Social role of an individual is what apparently regarded as a reflection of his/her inner, biological role. Male and female interact and represent themselves in their respective gender roles as they are accostomed to and as it is their only way to fully reveal their personality, gender role being an essential part to it.So far, within the academic notion of ‘sex’ or, if related to psychology, ‘sex identity’ two distinct and rather discrete categories, first denoting biological [inborn] components, second denoting acquired through socialization pattern of behaviour, were embraced to secure separate and considerate approaches. That gender role is a concept relating to second or ‘acquired’ group of elements is a fact which thus far scarcely entail any poisonous implication.If there be a game participant s to which are free to chose their gender role and are warranted, by the rules of the game, to be fully accepted at their new status, this status will for the purpose of the game mean a ‘carte blanche’ for any constructive self formation and assuming myriad of new social roles which spurrs the creativity of the participants. That game is very much alike a masquerade, where costumes and dresses are commonly known and recognizable and the owners of those costumes, impersonal as they are wearing their dominos, are treated as if being a true heroes.The rules of the game which sanctionize impersonation, in fact, inaugurate the spirit of mockery and futher creativity of individuals which, perdued by the cloak of assumed gender, depart further from the province prescribed by their sex role assigned as birth. In fact, this abstract situation or game is hardly ruled by any societal regulation or government statutues; it is inherently present in human communities which tend to di ssociate into a number of nuclear communiteis which develope their internal regulations and are characterized by certain margin of deviation.What really empowers the participants of that kind of abstract situation and actualize their further expansion is technical devices or ‘masks’ needed to successfully impersonate gender roles and special warrant that their will be accepted in their new acquired role. First creates the discourse of community, the accesability of technical devices draws the idea of the situation nearer to the partcipants; second creates continuum for their activity empowering scheme to expand and difining the extremities and limits of that expansion.Far from stating the internal driving forces which rule the participants when they ‘jump in the game’ I would like to underscore the dialectics between transsexuals and doctors which is accountable for re-asserting transexuals’ subjectivity, providing them with technical means which gre atly contribute to that subjectivity’s formation, and dialectics between transexuals and law. In Re Bellinger, several facts point out to the current state of limitations law and society encounter as regards patterns of cross-sexual behaviour and their possible legal implications.It is clear enough that Mrs. Bellinger since her unsuccessful marrige to a woman which resulted in devorce as early as 1975 led a sexually deviant subjective life which found its expression in wearing womans dress and acting as a woman. That pattern of behaviour is characterictic of transvestites or cross-gender individuals which find sexual and/or cerebral gratification in assuming a gender role of woman by partial of complete cross-dressing and often (which is conditioned by a degree of boldness of a cross-dresser) venturing out into public .As we also might know Mrs. Bellinger was rather radical in her endeavour and has completely assumed new gender role and, in fact, had disguised her male side u ntil eventually gone through gender re-assingment procedure. Although, for the purpose of present consideration the fact of her going through sex re-assignment treatment is immaterial as far as it may only indicate her being extremely persistent in assuming characteristics of wanted gender.The fact that she underwent operational treatment has no practical implications on the province of law concerned: it only designated that she been through treatment results of which are partially recognized by state and law in general and to that extent that she is entitled to correction of documents (passport, etc. ) That government corrects documents for the person which changed so profoundly that otherwise doing may impede his/her interaction with government and state services is absolutely reasonable practice.When individual wishes to change a name he/she is also entiltled to the correction of personal data in the passport lest there be any confusions of the personality of passport holder. Now the question is are there any material differences in the eyes of the law between situation when individual chose to ungergo operational treatment and having done so needs to have the personal data typed in passport (together with photograph) corrected and that when individual chose to change, say, her marriage status and needs to have her personal data (last name) corrected?I think, despite apparent difference of two cases, both of them involve substantial changes in person’s status which (changes) has to find their adequate reflection in official personal information. Initially, law is not concerned with changes or transformation person undergoes – it is only concerned with legal implications of those transformations or how they will affect legal status of individual should he participate in his new status within legal sphere.To participate within legal sphere, to put it accurately, mostly means to partake in complex of relations subject to regulation of specific la w or specific legal norms. Thus, though two cases are entirely different with respect to the nature of changes individual undergoes, legal implications of sex re-assignment procedure are somewhat limited by the current state of law which is reluctant to acknowledge validity of marriage between persons at least one of which participated to it not in his/her original sex, but has chosen to change that original sex and actually did so prior to the marriage .It follows that as regards [spicific] law of family, individual that enjoyed legal recognition in general (recognition through correcting personal data, including name which indicate gender), is incapable of fulfilment his/her rights springing from that recognition in particular case and with respect particular province of law.Thus, as far as nature of changes concerned apparently matters in the eyes of law, since it delegates rights upon person who changed the name as a result of personal wish and withholds the legal capabilities o f those rights fulfilment in the case with men who changed the name as a result of personal wish to change sex and thus appropriate more coming feminine name, it proceeds that the fact of general aprobation of the sex-reassignment procedure and its results, which finds its expression in registering individual as a woman and entails legal rights and prefenrences capable of fulfilment in specific provinces of law (pension age and, what is more important, the right to marriage), does not mean that general aprobation’s universal validity – it instead means some kind of contingent validity of general recognition of status.It practically means that general recognition is void as long as it does not entail recognition of persons rights in specific provinces of law (like labor law and family law). Particulary, the fact of gender re-assignment is immaterial to the case because neither it benefited the person any more than would do when testifying his/her expressed and extremal desire to posses the characteristics of opposite gender, nor it entailed some practical outcomes of government’s general recognition of the sex re-assignment fact when person was allowed to change a name in the passport. Thus far, I insist that Mrs. Bellinger was a transvestite which gone through gender re-assignment but the latter procedure did not qualitatively affect her legal status. As it is known from the case, the registrator did not ask Mrs.Bellinger about her gender status and Mr. Bellinger himself was not willing to inform him. So, it will be reasonable to presume that if at the moment marriage took place Mrs. Bellinger did not actually do gender re-assignment but instead prefered cross-dressing as transvestites do the registrator would hardly have more doubts about the gender of fiancee than he actually had. The difference between pre-operational and post-operational positions of Mrs. Bellinger was rather internal of character and laid deep in her self perception w hich apparently was tending towards further unification with all that constitutued ‘feminine’. Even at the time when Mrs.Bellinger still possesed secondary sexual atributes of male (penis) she also possesed a great deal of feminine traits and was very skilled at dressing woman clothes and make up. This allows for induction that it was not only after the operational treatment that Mrs. Bellinger did actually transformed in terms of gender as seen through public eyes. If transvestite looks skillful enough to pass the street and impart the idea of her ‘girlishness’ to every one looking at her, she, to certain degree, is a girl to herself at this moment and is, to absolute degree, a girl to society aroound her. When much of the things to visually transform boy into a girl was done and done with a good taste then nobody will distrust his/her feelings and venture to check her anatomical sex by pulling her skirts up.Thus, it is apparent that transvestite radiates feminine gender when in public eye which certainly does not go without further affirmation of [her]self in that believe. It follows that category of gender which comprise number of biological and non-biological or acquired elements is construed through and within societal perception of what that gender (male/female) should look like . If the society is misled and perplexed that only means that ‘gender identity’ of some of its members went awray. The latter conceive the idea of gender in the context of ‘self construction’, ‘self transformation’ and doctor actually aid them in perpetuating that belief in contigency of gender .That transvestite resort to special devices to assume the gender role and misled the society means that even without surgical treatment they may successfully socialize into society in the desired role and that actual sex reassignment does not have any implications other than on transvestite’s subjectivity and self per ception, that is, no practical bearing on societal perception. At this point, if law is only concerned with empowering adequate socialization (securing the equality of rights and principle of genral equity and equlity) of individual in his/her gender role, then it precribes equality of scope of right which pertain to inborn woman and that which pertain to person gone through sex re-assignment.On societal level, that equality is already established since everyone perceive trasvestite as a woman and naturally does treat her as a woman . Methodological problem here is that marginal transvestites which cross dress completely, live like women and express a strong desire to transform their bodies so that to alter their secondary sexual attributes into that which pertain to woman and, in whole, strive to unify with another gender totally abandoming their own original one, present a distinct group which needs both taxonomization and separate legal approach . As we said earlier, there will b e no virtual difference for the registrator whether Mrs. Bellinger would have been through surgical treatment at the moment of marriage or not.In the same manner, she will look equally feminine to people on the street before and after operation. The problem lays in her self perception. Acute desire to get rid of the abhorrant organs which (desire) borders with risc of self-mutilation or suicide was invoked by Harry Benjamine as reasons for surgical treatment of a patient. ‘Benjamine patient’ thus requires separate taxonomical niche and might also require medical and in extremal cases surgical treatment which , thus, looks akin to emergency surgical measures applicable to unstable patient. Surgical vocabulary has penetrated the terrain once inhabited by psychopathological terminology.Treatment of such hard cases involving Marginal drive towards unification with other sex by arsenal of intense psychoterapy was rendered futile and changed for more radical, surgical and hor monal technologies. Although, it is within approach of psychoterapy that demand of sex change, which was crucial in disclosure of syndrome itself, was recognized to â€Å"cover over another form of subjectivity that are fundamentally destabilizing. † It follows that emergency approach within which syndrome of expressed gender dysphoria taken at its extremity is only capable of rectification through surgical treatment intended at partial or full removal of secondary sexual attributes posseses not its past persuasiveness.Rather, its thesis about demand for sex change which serves as signifier of the syndrome invites critics on the ground of its Although, â€Å"Benjaminian patient† as a product of doctors and patients dialectical development of â€Å"cohesiveness for a subjectivity [which] constantly [is] under threat of destruction† is very appealing to the law. The law may find its subject in the â€Å"Benjamine patient†. Thus created taxonomical niche ent ail various legal situations. Earlier, we considered the possibility of Mrs. Bellinger’s actual marriage (in terms of social recognition of their civil union) in case if she would not undergo sex re-assignment procedure and concluded that marriage will be not less socially valid under that conditions.What if in her place was another person who only occasionally cross dress and does not wish to play that social role of woman forever? It is very possible that she would pass the social test and misled the public with its look but the degree to which she really needs that social and legal recognition is, presumably, incommensurable to that of Mrs. Bellinger. In this case, the fact that individual has undergone surgical procedure may testify her commitment to the purpose of ultimate unification with opposite gender (along the lines of ‘Benjamine patient’ approach) as well as underscore the intricasy of her psychosomatic neurosis ( psychopathology approach).In any case , surgical treatment dialigns the group of Marginal transvestites from other, Nuclear ones . And similary to medicine which aids that marginal patients by delivering them from their detestable organs , law is called to facilitate their further socialization into society by resolving the internal pressure they feel as regards inability to lawfully participate in civil unions. That law is called upon to faciliate in internal self development and self apprehension is no new: it has incorporated norms securing the right of disabled and retarded which contribute to their self esteem and facilitate their internal development or prevents them from [the threat] of destruction of personality.But is not it that law pre-maturely intervene into the relations which are to be at first clearified and agreed upon by the medical specialists and only then passed into the sight of law? Whether it us true or not that if there are presently two groups each of which has its explanation on what marginal t ransvestism is and how it should be treated then law is bound to side with one of those schools since no mutual agreement was developed? ‘Benjamine patient’ is very appealing taxonomical category which directly and logically connect Marginal transvestism (springing from expressedly antipathic reaction to individual original sex) and gender re-assignment treatment (which is deemed to be the only plausible resolution to thus posed problem).But in the eyes of law transvestite which undergone sex re-assignment posseses no single distinct advantage as compared to that (transvestite) which did not been through that treatment. It is gender identity of individual that matters when considering the issue of legislative changes to Matrimonial Causes Act. In this respect, gender re-assignment procedure is not a conclusive step which defines those who are eligible for the right to marriage; it is only one of those steps which are directed by human identity and, through acquiring fur ther visual and material semblance, incrementally lead to unification with desired sex. This road may prove to be infinite.The position of gender re-assignment surgical procedure within the continuum of surgical procedures transexuals resort to allows for observation that transexuals, in fact, are continuously disturbed by abyss between them and ideal feminity (in case of men transexuals) and may never acquire bodily semblance enough to put their mind or gender identity at ease, that is to say that they are insecure in their feminity and their self apprehension is constantly impaired. Thus, it is impossible to render a transsexual somehow belonging to feminine gender solely on the ground of him/her being surgicaly treated. Rather, it is the expressed self apprehension as belonging to feminine gender that could make them what they want to be. This conclusion entails further ones.The most prominent of them is that pronounced desire to be a femine is what transsexual has and ever would have and the aim of the law is to state whether it is sufficient for granting them all rights pertaining to female sex. In context of right to marriage this pronounced desire has to somehow fit into the definition of marriage (marriage is void unless the parties are ‘respectively male and female' (Bellinger para 1) or that definition has to be changed because of certain cases which hardly fall within that definition but nevertheless seem to have direct bearing on the marriage. Clearly, transsexual which articulate her gender to be feminine in the marriage tends to have a wife role which will organically consort with other characteristic of feminity she tends to.In Re Kevin (validity of marriage of transsexual) [2001] Fam CA 1074 it was stated that there is no ‘formulaic solution' to determining the sex of an individual for the purpose of the law of marriage and â€Å"difference is essentially that we can readily observe or identify the genitals, chromosomes and gonads, but at present we are unable to detect or precisely identify the equally â€Å"biological† characteristics of the brain that are present in transsexuals† But to put right to marriage in direct dependance upon [determining] sex of person seems to be a dead end. The array of cases strating from Corbett v Corbett [1971] P 83 and ending with present case testifies that this approach is hardly efficient.The desicion in Goodwin v UK (2002) 35 EHRR 18 laid ground for re-apprisal of that approach. It reads that the Court found found ‘no justification for barring the transsexual from enjoying the right to marry under any circumstances'. Obviously, there are no such impedements springing from the law itself which would prospectively prevent Marginal transvestites from acquiring right to marriage provided that there be a legislative will of Parlament. That the perplexities of that problem partially and briefly stated earlier do prevent House of Commons from passing the bill also seems clear. At the same time, incentives coming out of European court are expressedly painted in colors of progressive and liberative legislative approach.Presently, I belive that formula which will satisfy ‘Europeans’ will involve legislation tending to antecede the resolution of academic debates as regards specific domains of meidine and, in fact, contribute to the progressive and enlighted resolution of those debates. In our case, present state of the law includes some deceptive provisions. It clearly states that parties to marriage are ‘respectively male and female' which seems to be consonant with the desire of Marginal transvestites as they tend to artificially acquire ‘maleness’ or ‘femaleness’. At the same time, law and the court do not seem to bother about priciseness of their rendering of that provision.So far, as it occures from the great majority of the cases, the court only have approached notions of ‘malenessâ⠂¬â„¢ and ‘femaleness’, construed them to signify biological sex and made efforts to elaborate measures of ascertaining that [original] sex. It is now clear that societal perception of gender does not co-incide with legal one. The court insures the degree of preciseness of that legal perception but apparently, the split between society which eyes Marginal trasvestite and sees a girl, Marginal transvestite which lives and strives to be a girl actually ever-approaching to it, and the Court which eyes Marginal transvestite through microscope and employes all kind of hromosomal tests and technical appliances to disclose that individual’s original and abhorrent side is enormous.Doctors almost at once sided with their patient and developed certain categories (at the beggining ‘Benjamine patient’ and then ‘gender identity disorder’) actually saling transvestites to state as transexuals – taxon compulsory and contigent in itself – which would underscore their unstability at the original gender and destabilizing subjectivity. Another school of medicine tries to buy that category back from the state pointing at the internal incommensurability and incohesiveness of it. It (school) actually speak out that state and society bought the thing which is not what it seems. And it is the time when gender and sex opposition is to reveal fully. As it might be construed from Bellinger case despite her successful effort to approach ‘feminity’ Mrs.Bellinger did not managed to approach ‘femaleness’ which under the present provisions of the law warrant her a right to marriage. Doctors appealed to progressiveness and humanity of legislator so that the latter might confer ‘femaleness’ upon transexuals even if only to save their subjectivity. Unattainable status of, say, ‘femaleness’ is mainly in charge of legal deadend with marriage rights of marginal transvestites. If sex-rela ted approach was changed for gender-related one (first signifies biological sex, second – gender role) within the provisions of the law it will greatly reduce that paintfull dialectics between transsexuals and doctors and transsexuals and law.Though, that changes ought to go with recognition of homosexual marriage. Transsexuals will never agree to register as homosexual family but this will reduce the degree to which marriage right depend on gender re-assignment procedure, which is immaterial to marginal trabnssexuals right to marriage. Number of words: 3558. References: Books: Changing Sex: Transsexualism, Technology, and the Idea of Gender by Bernice L. Hausman; Duke University Press, 1995 The Psychology of Sexual Orientation, Behavior, and Identity: A Handbook by Louis Diamant, Richard D. McAnulty; Greenwood Press, 1995 DNA and Destiny: Nature and Nurture in Human Behavior by R. Grant Steen; Plenum Press, 1996 Journal articles:Transvestism: A Survey of 1032 Cross-Dressers. by Richard F. Docter, Virginia Prince. Journal Title: Archives of Sexual Behavior. Volume: 26. Issue: 6. Publication Year: 1997. Page Number: 589+. Moving gaily forward? Lesbian, gay and transgender human rights in Europe. by Kristen Walker. Melbourne Journal of International Law, June 2001 v2 i1 p122 Paper articles: Law reports. (News) Daily Telegraph (London, England); April 17, 2003 Cases cited: Corbett v Corbett [1971] P 83 Re Kevin (validity of marriage of transsexual) [2001] Fam CA 1074 Goodwin v United Kingdom (2002) 35 EHRR 18 Bellinger v Bellinger [2003]2 FLR 1 Bellinger v Bellinger [2003] UKHL 21

Leopard Seal Facts

Leopard Seal Facts If you get the opportunity to take an Antarctic cruise, you may be lucky enough to see a leopard seal in its natural habitat. The leopard seal  (Hydrurga leptonyx) is an earless seal with  leopard-spotted fur. Like its feline namesake, the seal is a powerful predator high on the food chain. The only animal that hunts leopard seals is the killer whale. Fast Facts: Leopard Seal Scientific Name: Hydrurga leptonyxCommon Names: Leopard seal, sea leopardBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 10-12 feetWeight: 800-1000 poundsLifespan: 12-15 yearsDiet: CarnivoreHabitat: Sea around AntarcticaPopulation: 200,000Conservation Status: Least Concern Description You might think the obvious identifying feature of the leopard seal is its black-spotted coat. However, many seals have spots. What sets the leopard seal apart is its elongated head and sinuous body, somewhat resembling a furry eel. The leopard seal is earless, about 10 to 12 feet long (females slightly larger than males), weighs between 800 and 1000 pounds, and always seems to be smiling because the edges of its mouth curl upward. The leopard seal is large, but smaller than the elephant seal and walrus. The mouth of the leopard seal turns upward at the edges, resembling a smile. Peter Johnson/Corbis/VCG / Getty Images Habitat and Distribution Leopard seals live in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters of the Ross Sea, Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea, South Georgia, and Falkland Islands. Sometimes they are found along the southern coasts of Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.  The leopard seals habitat overlaps that of other seals. Diet Leopard seals eat penguins.  © Tim Davis/Corbis/VCG / Getty Images The leopard seal will eat just about any other animals. Like other carnivorous mammals, the seal has sharp front teeth and fearsome-looking inch-long canines. However, the seals molars lock together to make a sieve that allows it to filter krill from the water. Seal pups primarily eat krill, but once they learn to hunt, they eat penguins, squid, shellfish, fish, and smaller seals. They are the only seals that regularly hunt warm-blooded prey.  Leopard seals often wait underwater and propel themselves out of the water to snatch their victim. Scientists can analyze a seals diet by examining its whiskers. Behavior Leopard seals are known to play cat and mouse with prey, typically with young seals or penguins. They will chase their prey until it either escapes or dies, but wont necessarily eat their kill. Scientists are uncertain of the reason for this behavior, but believe it may help hone hunting skills or might simply be for sport. Leopard seal males hang under the ice when they sing. Michael Nolan / Getty Images During the austral summer, male leopard seals sing (loudly) underwater for hours each day. A singing seal hangs upside down, with a bent neck and pulsating inflated chests, rocking from side to side. Each male has a distinct call, although the calls change depending on the seals age. Singing coincides with the breeding season. Captive females have been known to sing when reproductive hormone levels are elevated. Reproduction and Offspring While some kinds of seals live in groups, the leopard seal is solitary. Exceptions include mother and pup pairs and temporary mating pairs. Seals mate in summer and give birth after 11 months gestation to a single pup. At birth, the pup weighs around 66 pounds. The pup is weaned on the ice for about a month. Females become mature between ages three and seven. Males mature a bit later, typically between ages six and seven. Leopard seals live a long time for a seal, partly because they have few predators. While the average lifespan is 12 to 15 years, its  not uncommon for a wild leopard seal to live 26 years. Conservation Status According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), scientists once believed there may be over 200,000 leopard seals. Environmental changes have dramatically affected species the seals eat, so this number is likely inaccurate. The leopard seal is not endangered. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists it as a species of least concern. Leopard Seals and Humans Leopard seals are highly dangerous predators. While attacks of humans are rare, cases of aggression, stalking, and fatalities have been documented. Leopard seals are known to attack the black pontoons of inflatable boats, posing an indirect risk to people. However, not all encounters with humans are predatory. When National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen dove into Antarctic waters to observe a leopard seal, the female seal he photographed brought him injured and dead penguins. Whether the seal was trying to feed the photographer, teach him to hunt, or had other motives is unknown. Sources Rogers, T. L.; Cato, D. H.; Bryden, M. M. Behavioral significance of underwater vocalizations of captive leopard seals, Hydrurga leptonyx.  Marine Mammal Science.  12  (3): 414–42, 1996.Rogers, T.L. Source levels of the underwater calls of a male leopard seal.  The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.  136  (4): 1495–1498, 2014.Wilson, Don E. and DeeAnn M. Reeder, eds. Species: Hydrurga leptonyx. Mammal species of the world : a taxonomic and geographic reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005.

Answers to Questions About Usage #3

Answers to Questions About Usage #3 Answers to Questions About Usage #3 Answers to Questions About Usage #3 By Mark Nichol Here are several questions from DailyWritingTips.com readers about the wording of various phrases, followed by my responses. 1. In a book I just read, the author twice uses the expression â€Å"least worse.† I understand what he means, but this strikes me as a lousy neologism, and I sense that it is unjustifiable under â€Å"the rules† yet I am unable to devise an alternative that isn’t wordy or top-heavy. Can you suggest something? I came up with several more specific analogues: â€Å"least onerous,† â€Å"least egregious,† and â€Å"least unfortunate.† I suppose the reason these are acceptable and â€Å"least worse† isn’t is that worse, unlike the others, is a comparative adjective (â€Å"least bad† is better but still awkward) linked with a word denoting the most minimal amount. I’d use an appropriate noncomparative adjective such as the three I listed in the first sentence of this paragraph in place of worse. 2. What does very really mean? In â€Å"John held up a very full bucket,† if a bucket is full, then how is a very full bucket any more full? Even worse is â€Å"very, very†: A very, very full bucket must be even â€Å"fuller† than the very full one. In formal, straightforward usage, very is almost invariably superfluous, but it has its place in more colloquial language. For example, it’s appropriate in a remark about a bucket containing an overflowing liquid or a heaped solid substance: â€Å"That’s a very full bucket!† 3. I have a question about the phrase â€Å"graduating high school† (or college). I have always thought that high schools and colleges were already graduated- with, for example, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades. Should the construction be â€Å"graduated from† rather than simply graduated? Yes. â€Å"Graduated high school† and similar phrases are holdovers from a twentieth-century effort to truncate the earlier usage â€Å"was graduated from,† but the effort was taken too far. â€Å"Graduated high school† occurs at times, but â€Å"graduated from high school† is standard. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 Idioms with HeartTaser or Tazer? Tazing or Tasering?25 Idioms with Clean

Strategic management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategic management - Research Paper Example a continuous process that controls and evaluates the business organization and the industries, which it involves, makes competition assessment and sets strategies and goals to enable it meet all potential and existing competitors. The business organization, then reassesses each employed strategy quarterly and annually (regularly) to evaluate its implementation to determine whether it is successful or they are need of replacement with a new strategy, which will meet charged circumstances, new economic environment, new technology, new competitors, and new financial, social, or political environment (Adair 50). Attaining a competitive advantage and enhancing business performance relative to its competitors are the core objectives of a business organization. This paper purports to discuss how strategic management can affect business organization. Strategic management depends on the size of the business organization and its environment’s proclivity to change. This means that a global transnational business organization needs to employ more structured strategic management approach, due to the large size, operations’ scope, and encompass views and requirements of its stakeholders. Most of major management theories emphasize that private business organizations can exercise choice of strategy (Adair 52). The manner and way in which they face strategic issues may affect the overall development and growth of the business. Additionally, strategic management must address fundamental aspects such infrastructure constraints, resource base, appropriate technology level, and input of raw materials. In terms of strategic planning functions, one can define it as an action employed by a business organization to achieve a superior performance in order to maximize its profits. Strategic planning is a part of strategic management, which assists a business organization to be able to determine the actions and decisions that are extremely important than others (Bryson 70). This

The effects of human cloning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The effects of human cloning - Essay Example Human cloning is also faces the risk of being misused, and is shows a lack of respect for the individuals involved as well as respect for the mystery of procreation of human beings. Moreover, it lead to serious psychological problems for both the parent and the child. Other problems have to do with that its long-term effects are unidentified, it poses concerns regarding lack of originality, individuality, identity formation, gender identity, identification, as well as problems to do with cognitive development and social emotional development. Introduction Cloning is a reproduction method that refers to the asexual production of genetically identical organisms either through nuclear transfer, which has to do with the substitution of a nucleus in the egg by another nucleus, or through the division of an embryo. Cloning involves copying or duplicating an individual or a cell from its DNA, and the result is a clone. Cloning in animals is attained through embryonic cloning where a fertili zed egg is split into two or more parts at a very early embryonic stage, yielding two or more identical beings. It is also attained through somatic cloning where identical beings are produced from adult animals’ cells – under specified conditions, an anucleated ovum fertilizes a somatic cell’s nucleus leading to cell division, and it becomes a fetus. For decades, people have done cloning in dozens plants (vegetables and fruits) by deliberately reproducing genetic replicas of parents with desirable qualities as well as quantities. However, the first successful attempt of cloning in mammals is exemplified by formation of a Scottish sheep called Dolly through a process known as somatic cell nuclear transfer. This grabs the attention of scientists – they thought that if plants and animals could be cloned, there was a possibility that humans too could be cloned (Yadav & Sharma, 2011 and Islam, et al. 2012). Yadav and Sharma (2011) explain that a geneticist kno wn as Joshua Lederberg, is credited coming up with the prospects and promise of human cloning. Today, â€Å"human cloning has become a real possibility† with the rise of reproductive cloning technology – through it, parents are given the ability â€Å"to choose a desirable genotype for one’s offspring† (Shapshay, 2012) or the ability to exercise their control/desires on the identity of the children they want to have. Yadav and Sharma (2011) identify three types of cloning. The first one is reproductive cloning, which produces an individual that has identical nuclear DNA as the parent. Reproductive cloning uses somatic cell transfer process as discussed in previously. The second type of cloning is DNA Cloning or Recombinant DNA Technology, which is done by cell- based technique, a process that involves cutting off DNA fragment from the chromosomal DNA and attaching it to a plasmid. The gene of interests is attached to its vector forming a recombination DNA molecule. DNA Cloning or Recombinant DNA Technology, is also done using polymerase chain reaction technique whereby when all cells divide, enzymes known as polymerases create a copy of the whole DNA in every chromosome. The two DNA chains of the double helix are separated making a copy, each strand acting as a template. This technique is faster and uses a very small portion of target DNA. The third type of cloning is therapeutic cloning, referred also to as embryo cloning, somatic cell nuclear transfer, research cloning, cloning for biomedical research or cell