Wednesday, January 29, 2020

African American Heritage Paper Essay Example for Free

African American Heritage Paper Essay This paper explores the African American heritage and also identifies the significance of nurses being culturally aware, sensitive and competent when caring for people of African American heritage. Although these terms mentioned above are used interchangeably, they have different meanings. Cultural awareness is appreciating the external or material part of the culture, such as the music, arts, and physical characteristics, and dress. Cultural sensitivity is the personal attitudes toward the culture, such as not saying things that is offensive to someone from a different ethnic or cultural background (Purnell,2013, p. 4). Cultural competence is putting it all together; by using your knowledge to provide culturally congruent care and to be able to work effectively with people in cross- cultural situations. African Americans are the second largest ethnocultural groups in the United States; however, it is one of the most misunderstood cultures. This culture is so unique because they have mixed their cultures from their different homes of origin in Africa, along with American culture. This paper overviews the history, communications, family roles, workforce issues, biocultural ecology, high-risk behaviors, pregnancy and childbearing practices, spirituality, health care practices, nutrition, and death rituals in the African American culture. It is important that nurses see themselves as becoming culturally competent when caring for African Americans, and this involves incorporating cultural desire, cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural skill, and cultural encounter with the people of African American heritage (Campinha-Bacote, 2009). 2 A NURSING METHOD TO AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE One of the largest minority groups in the United States, African Americans culture includes the various cultural traditions of different African ethnic groups. â€Å"Data from the U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census (2001) reveals that there are approximately 34,333,000 African Americans residing in the United States, representing 12. 1% of the total population† (Campinha-Bacote, 2009). They were forcibly imported into the United States as slaves from 1619 to 1860 (Purnell, 2013, p. 21). During slavery, they incorporated their culture from their homes of origin, and as a result, their culture included several cultural traditions of African ethnic groups. Many African Americans live in poverty due to discrimination and lack of proper education. Most families of African American heritage value education, but they still struggle to have equal representation in the workplace, and are more likely to work in a hazardous environment, resulting in job related diseases and illness. Due to the lower-level positions and the difficulty in achieving higher opportunities in the workplace, some African Americans continue to feel discouraged. Nurses need to address discrimination and also issues that create ethnic or racial tension in the workplace. English is the language spoken by African Americans, however, people of lower socio economical status communicate in an informal language known as African American English (AAE) (Purnell, 2013, p. 22). According to Campinha-Bacote (2009), the major problem that AAE speakers face is prejudice. Most people believe that AAE is inferior to Standard American English. As a result, African Americans who speak AAE are sometimes misinterpreted as being uneducated. Nurses should be aware not to stereotype African Americans as only speaking AAE, and also not to stereotype them as uneducated based on the way they communicate. African Americans are expressive when 3. A NURSING METHOD TO AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE communicating and often use body languages to convey their feelings. Their expressive language and body movement can be misconstrued as anger or provocation. Nurses need to be familiar with these characteristics and not misinterpret them. As a nurse, when interacting with African Americans for the first time, be sure to address them formally, until given permission to use other names, such as their first name. The African-American family has evolved over the last two decades and still continues to evolve. A person that is brought up in a traditional nuclear family is more likely to continue that tradition. Whereas, a person that is brought up in a single parent home is more likely to continue that same tradition. Although these situations are more likely, they are not always so. To provide the most competent care, the best thing for the nurse to do would be to ask the patient in a non-judgmental way about family dynamics and also ask them what they would feel the most comfortable with when it comes to decision making for their care. The nurse should then accept this decision. Being knowledgeable about this cultural group’s family values and beliefs are crucial for providing care for the African American patient (Revell McGhee, 2012). A high percentage of African American households are matriarchal and fall below poverty level. With that being said, it is wise for nurses to make a point of including women when discussing health care issues. Nurses also should take note when dealing with homosexual individuals in this ethnic group, not to break confidence by sharing their lifestyles with others. This information can jeopardize and cause conflicts within the family and ruin relationships. Romantic relationships of the same-sex are not totally acceptable within this culture. 4 A NURSING METHOD TO AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE As in many culture, social status is important in African American community. African Americans are often met with negative atmosphere and prejudice attitudes based on their cultural background and skin color. Assumptions are made based on AAE spoken by some as an indication of unintelligence and the lack of education. These assumptions sometimes affect employment opportunities and job promotions. Nurses should be cautious not to fall into the stereotyping African Americans based on these characteristics. African American skin color ranges from light to very dark due to the combination of a gene pool of more than 100 racial strains (Purnell, 2013, p. 25). When assessing for cyanosis in dark-skinned African Americans, be sure to pay attention to the oral mucosa or conjunctiva. When assessing for pallor, note the absence of the underlying red tones that give the skin it’s glow. Lastly, when observing for jaundice, be sure to look at the sclera of the eyes, the soles of the feet, and the palms of the hands for any yellow discoloration (25). Health care is a luxury that low socioeconomic African Americans may not be able to afford. Meeting their daily needs takes priority over what they believe to be minor health issues. Consequently, diseases that could be treatable might end up being a life- threatening situation. African Americans are family orientated, because of this; some tend to initially seek medical attention from family members rather than going to a health care professional. Health care professionals need to be aware of this and work toward teaching and distributing health information via church and community centers. Most African American women are against abortion due to religious, cultural, and moral beliefs. As a result, there is a delay in making a decision until it becomes too late. 5 A NURSING METHOD TO AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE Family support is crucial for pregnant African American women. Gichia (2000) studied and found out that African American women look for role models such as older female relatives, or if they have none, they look for someone who seemed like a mother to them, such as a neighbor. These role models can provide the pregnant woman and new mother with needed support. According to Abbyad Robertson (2011), nurses caring for pregnant African American women need to be informed about the variety of ways in which childbirth preparation can occur, as in any other group of pregnant women. Moreover, nurses need to consider the ways in which their attitudes and behaviors send unwelcoming messages to African American women seeking prenatal care or childbirth classes. These attitudes can discourage the African American woman in seeking further care. â€Å"Culturally competent care for the childbearing African American woman includes addressing all components of care including the use of complementary and alternative medicine† (Revell, 2012). The childbirth nurse that is providing culturally competent care should be aware that the perceived norm is different for every family. African Americans are spiritual and are usually affiliated with some religious order. Historically, the church has played a major role in the life of African American culture. The church is a place where they can meet on common grounds. Faith and prayer is one of the most important attributes of Christian African Americans. They believe that God has the power to heal them, and he also has the power not to. They believe that whatever happens to them is according to God’s will. Food is very valuable in the African American culture. It symbolizes health and wealth. It is derived from African descent. When food is offered to someone, it means that the person is valued; and by offering food, they are given you something that is 6 A NURSING METHOD TO AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE valuable to them. When it comes to nutrition, some African American diets are high in cholesterol and fats. According to James (2004), â€Å"African Americans will need information on basic nutrition topics such as serving sizes and reading food labels†. Nurses that work in African American communities should be involved in programs that promote healthy food choices. These programs can specifically be developed for churches, neighborhood grocery stores, and local restaurants. â€Å"Health disparities among the African-American population include life expectancy, heart disease, hypertension, infant morality and morbidity rates, cancer, sickle cell diseases, HIV/AIDS, violence, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and asthma† (Campinha-Bacote, 2009). Unfortunately, they have the tendency to see a health care professional only when absolutely necessary. â€Å" Health is viewed as harmony with nature, whereas illness is seen as a disruption in this harmonic state due to demons† (Purnell,2013, p. 33). Recognize and support your patient cultural behaviors and believes to promote healthy interactions. In addition, always provide factual information about health practices that may not be understood due to their cultural believes and cultural differences. In conclusion, it is recommended that nurses familiarize themselves with cultural specific information in order to provide cultural competent care in African American community. Nurses should consider the following question: â€Å"In caring for African- American patients, have I asked myself the right questions. † It is important for nurses to be aware of their biases and prejudices toward African Americans. In addition, they should possess the needed skills to conduct a cultural assessment while possessing knowledge of this cultural group (Campinha-Bacote, 2009). Lastly, nurses should always 7 A NURSING METHOD TO AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE have the desire to become culturally competent not just with African American patients, but any patient that has been placed in their charge. 8 A NURSING METHOD TO AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE Resources Abbyad, C. , Robertson, T. (2011). African American Womens Preparation for Childbirth From the Perspective of African American Health-Care Providers. Journal Of Perinatal Education, 20(1), 45-53. doi:10. 1891/1058-1243. 20. 1. 45 Campinha-Bacote, J. (2009). Culture and diversity issues. A culturally competent model of care for African Americans. Urologic Nursing, 29(1), 49-54. Gichia, J. E, (2000), Mothers and others: African-American womens preparation for motherhood. The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 25(2), 86-91, James, D. (2004). Factors influencing food choices, dietary intake, and nutrition-related attitudes among African Americans: application of a culturally sensitive model. Ethnicity Health, 9(4), 349-367. Purnell, L. D. (2009). People of African American Heritage. Guide to culturally competent health care (2nd ed. , p. 21-35). Philadelphia: F. A. Davis Co. Revell, M. A. , McGhee, M. N. (2012). Evolution of the African American Family. International Journal Of Childbirth Education, 27(4), 44-48. Revell, M. A. (2012). Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the African American Culture. International Journal Of Childbirth Education, 27(3), 55-59.

Monday, January 27, 2020

Post Fordism System

Post Fordism System Post Fordism is an industrial model that replace Fordism model in 1970. It is a production model which is closely associated with socioeconomic system used in most industrialized countries. Unlike Fordism which was used by Henry Fords plant where workers worked in a production line with each person performing specialized task in a repetitive manner, Post-Fordism is characterized by the use of new information technology with the coming of the globalize financial market. From this model, I have learned that production should be tailored to the needs of the customers and should be driven by market demand. This means that labor has to be managed according to the production process utilizing the current technology in the market. I have also learned that the production process should be more aimed at the consumers and their demands. Flexible organization is an approach which believes that production should not be aimed at the mass but it should be flexible enough in order to target a certain group of consumers. Firms no longer need to invest so much of their money in creating production lines for mass production but they sound rather embrace the modern technology which requires them to use intelligent labor and machine systems in order to respond to the market needs quickly. One example of such flexible organization or flexible specialization is just-in-time manufacturing. This concept of just in time production embraces producing what the consumers want and when it is needed taking into consideration the quantity that is needed. This ensures that there is not overproduction of goods and there is minimal wastage of resources. Just in time production has been described as a pull system of production in which the actual order signals the real product to be manufacturers. This is a demand pull which enables an orga nization to produce only what the market requires and in the correct quantity and at the needed time. This is a concept to minimize the cost of house ware since the levels of raw material, component the labor and end product are kept to the minimum. It means only the needed labor will be kept in the organization. The concept also requires that use of horizontal chains of authority. This means that unlike in the earlier model where authority came from the top, post-Fordism ensures that authority in the management of labor in an organization flows in a horizontal manner. It gives more authority to the line managers to make decision without relying on the decision from the top management. One of the concepts that support horizontal chains of authority is the concept of decentralized decision making. This means that there is more decision making power that is delegated to the junior and middle staff in an organization. It helps line supervisors and manager and even the individual employees to make their own decision and not wait for decision to come from above. Decentralize to decision making allows the labor force to have more space to make their own decision concerning their work. (Womack 2003, p. 45) Having a creative labor is advantageous to the organization. It helps the organization to create a competitive advantage in the market. To manage creative labor, the concept of post-Fordism applies in that the labor force must be given space and time to be innovative. This will help them to make the decision that they have to make in their work which increases their production. Basic critiques on post-Fordism argue on its structuralism, functionalism and evolutionism. Structuralism view change in terms of tensions, contradictions and dysfunction of structures not as a result of voluntary action of social agents. Functionalism continue despite opening of alternatives and faced with structures actors must make a choice. It has also been cricticised on the idea of selecting a single central factor as the impetus for change. From the topic I have learned that labor should be managed in order to be in line with the production needs of the organization which is dictated by the needs for the market. From what I have from the concept of post-Fordism it will help me in my future management practice since I have knowledge of labor management following the characteristics of post-Fordism. This will help me to manage labor specialization and feminism in the work place. It will help me manage labor to match the production needs of the customers. â€Å"Enron the smartest guys in the room† The above phrases come from a movie that was screened describing the collapse of the collapse of Enron Corporation. This resulted in criminal trails involving several top executive of the company. The film describes how the Enron trades were involved in the California Electricity crisis. This film gives an insight into the corporate cultures and the inherent problem that comes with its. It describes some mechanism which motivate a vast immoral and profit oriented corporate culture. It describes how the organization misused the employees in a bid to make higher profits. It also tried to describe how an individual can take an order before they question the reason why they are taking the order. It is a general review of how companies use immoral means to make high profits Form the case, we can relate the idea of organization complexity in how and organization is made of different people and of diverse characters. The film illustrated how Enron was made up of different people of different character and in the whole portrayed a picture of the complexity of the organization both in the making and in its operation. From the above I learned how the organization functions as a complex entry that needs a clear leadership in order to harmonize all the characteristics to function as one. The complexity in the operation of the organization comes out in the strategy that the company uses to hike price only to return electricity later in order to make more profit. However this movie has been crictsized on the ground that while it gave so much on what can happen on peoples lives which were ruined by Enron, it did not give them a real human face. It also illustrates the concept of how an organization functions as a system. In this film, the management creates an unhealthy competition that crates animosity on the workers. They start engaging in an unhealthy competition in a bid to outperform the other. This is because employees doing worst in an area were to be fired. The concept of organization as system means that the organization functions together as a system made of different interdependence parts. This means the management and the workers must work together to achieve the goals of the organization. But in this case the management uses the workers in order to make more profit. From this I have learned that the management should create a cordial working condition with the employees rather than creating competition between them. From this example we can see how the organization uses a fraud means in order to make more profit. Enron shifts power in order to create power shortage and raise price and later bring back power in order to reap the high profits. This happens in the full view of the managers. I have learnt that as a manager I am given the sole responsibility of deciding for the organization and I should use my power to prevent an organization from committing such fraud. I have learned that it is fraudulent to use the employees in ode rot make higher profit rather than protecting them. Once the Manager in the Enron knew that it was collapsing they started selling their shares and encourages the employees to retain theirs. In the movie there is the milligram experiment that is performed in order to understand how a worker can take order from a person without questioning such an order. A person is given an order to raise the voltage and push the button until he stops pushing the button on a moral ground. This showed a factor of leadership. This experiment was meant to show that there is a high probability that the one who is given an order to carry out questions it. From this I have learned that as a manager I should provide real leadership to those under me and not just issue order. Every one has the right to question why they have been told to carry out that order. In the future I will be able to provide real leaderships to the workers and explain to them the orders that I issue and at the same time allow them to enquire about the orders. Production chains and coff ee industry: â€Å"Black Gold† â€Å"Black Gold† was a documentary that was made as a film depicting the struggle African farmers in Ethiopians undergoes despite producing one of the most important primary commodity in the world. This film was made to illustrate how the western consumers fails to get in reality with the plight of those African farmers who toil day in day out to produce coffee for them. It also features the World Trade Organization which was just an illustration of how production chains exploit the farmers in Ethiopia who are faced with famine. This documentary showed how the complexity of the production chain continues to hamper the prosperity of business. It gives an idea of how reducing the production chain can benefit the primary producer like the farmer in Ethiopian Highland. However the documentary has been crictsized on the ground that while it highlighted the plight of the Ethiopian Coffee farmers, it did not give any solution on what can be done to improve the distribution chain. One of the most important highlight of this documentary is the need to reduce production chains. It shows how the chain from producer, middlemen exporter, importer, roaster, retailers and consumers pushes the price of the end product and at the same time reduces the price of the primary producer. Although we can accept the idea of chain production, a lengthy chain leads to exploitation. From this documentary I have learned that the longer the production chain, the higher the operation cost and the higher the price of the end product. Hence in my future management, I will be striving to shorten the production chain in order to make effectful use of the labor and reduce the production cost. This documentary also brings an important aspect of business ethics. Business ethics is an integral part of any business operation. It is the moral values that form the backbone of operation of any business. Business code of ethics is an important tool that should guide any strategy that is taken by management. In this documentary, it was clearly evident how the middlemen continue to exploit the Ethiopian farmer and how the western consumer rushes to give food aid to the Ethiopian farmer who is faced with hunger without taking into consideration how much they take from that farmer. I have learnt that as a manager we should conduct our business following a code of ethics. This is important since it helps us to operate with a clean conscious. It is also important since it avoids the exploitation of the consumer. In my future management work, I will strive to ensure that I keep to the business code of ethics. I will try to position the operation of the company with the need of other peo ple in regard to the needs of the consumers and the need of the employees. I will strive towards implementing strategies for the company which reduces chances of exploitation. The paradox that comes from the movie is that while the farmers are exploited, they are not aware of what they produce. They toil in their fields but they are not aware of the value to their products. They are not aware of the price their products fetch in the market. At the same time the western consumers are not aware of what the Ethiopian farmers goes through in the field as they struggle to produce sweet for them. I have learnt that informing the consumers of what we are producing is very important since they become aware of the source of that product. It is important to inform the consumers about the product right from the starting of the production chain up to when it reached them. In this regard as a manager I will ensure that all products from the company bears clear information on the label and carry out advertisement to inform the consumers on the product. It is important for them to realize that what they are consuming and where it has come from. References CKD, 2008, Director FAQ, Black Gold, Retrieved from http://www.blackgoldmovie.com/faq.phpon 12th march 2008 Dempsey, J Campbell, R 1999, A Value Chain Approach to Coffer Production, Available at, http://www.acdivoca.org/852571DC00681414/Lookup/WRSpring06-Page5-7-ValueChainCoffee/$file/WRSpring06-Page5-7-ValueChainCoffee.pdf. George, B 2004, Fordism, Social Analysis, Vol. 48, Issue 3, P. 2-5 Gloria, C 1999, Managing Fraud and Integrity Risk, Arthur Anderson Howard, R 2004, Business Ethics: Company with a conscious, Myers Templeton, Denver Independent Lens, 2008, Enron: The Smartest Guy in the Room, Retrieved from, http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/enron/ on 12th March 2008 Jacobsen, I 2000, Creating a Flexible Organization, The Innovator Leader, Vol. 9, Issue, 1, p. 6-9 Kiechel, W 1995, Managing Innovators, Kiechel Research Tutor 2U, 2008, Just in time Production, Retrieved from http://tutor2u.net/business/production/just-in-time.html on 12th March 2008 Varghees, J 2000, Centre for leadership and management, Griffith University, p. 1 Womack, J 2003, Lean Thinking, Harper Business Yolles, M 2004, Organization Complexity and management, MCB Publishers

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Comparing Choice and Responsibility in Death of a Salesman, Young Goodm

Choice and Responsibility in Death of a Salesman, Young Goodman Brown, and   No Exit  Ã‚   Sartre and his existentialist philosophy have been subjects of curiosity for me for years. Only recently, after taking a philosophy class, have I begun to grasp some of the major principals of existentialism. Though I'm unsure about some of the peripheral arguments and implications of existentialism, the core of the system appeals strongly to me: Human beings are themselves the basis of values and meaning, and in this sense values are real--evolving, developing, and real. Existentialism places the individual at the center of things, gives him a sense of empowerment and responsibility, and erects a bridge on which Man can find his way out of many of the traps and snares he constructs for himself. Sartre's character in the play "No Exit," Orestes, finds such freedom and, in a humanist sense, is one of the most enviable characters I encountered in this course. How can this be? Orestes commits two murders and is exiled from his rightful kingdom, barely escaping with his life. What is enviabl... Comparing Choice and Responsibility in Death of a Salesman, Young Goodm Choice and Responsibility in Death of a Salesman, Young Goodman Brown, and   No Exit  Ã‚   Sartre and his existentialist philosophy have been subjects of curiosity for me for years. Only recently, after taking a philosophy class, have I begun to grasp some of the major principals of existentialism. Though I'm unsure about some of the peripheral arguments and implications of existentialism, the core of the system appeals strongly to me: Human beings are themselves the basis of values and meaning, and in this sense values are real--evolving, developing, and real. Existentialism places the individual at the center of things, gives him a sense of empowerment and responsibility, and erects a bridge on which Man can find his way out of many of the traps and snares he constructs for himself. Sartre's character in the play "No Exit," Orestes, finds such freedom and, in a humanist sense, is one of the most enviable characters I encountered in this course. How can this be? Orestes commits two murders and is exiled from his rightful kingdom, barely escaping with his life. What is enviabl...

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Personal Strengths Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Personal Strengths and Weaknesses While many people tend to listen to family, friends, or co-workers about their own strengths and weaknesses, it will often come down to the individual’s own personal assessment of themselves as to what improvements or adjustments one must make. As with any subject, there are pro’s and con’s, or in this case strengths and weaknesses, in each and every one of us. Unfortunately, only a few care to relish on the weaknesses, and instead focus only on their strengths. When I think of strengths or weaknesses, I often try to think of weaknesses first. I am not a negative person nor am I always thinking of the worst possible scenario, but rather focus on faults first. Due to that thinking style or habit, let me start this paper with what I perceive to be my weaknesses. This essay may not include all of my strengths or weaknesses, but I feel it is a major portion of them. First I wish to mention a weakness. While at work or at home I tend to get sidetracked, or become one-track minded, when working on a problem. For instance, while at work if I am in the middle of a report or gathering information for an aircraft issue we are having, I tend to get so focused that I completely lose track of any other issues that may arise or inadvertently ignore anyone or anything that may come up to discuss another issue with me. Maybe it would be called becoming â€Å"overfocused† to give a definition to the s... Personal Strengths Essay -- essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Personal Strengths and Weaknesses While many people tend to listen to family, friends, or co-workers about their own strengths and weaknesses, it will often come down to the individual’s own personal assessment of themselves as to what improvements or adjustments one must make. As with any subject, there are pro’s and con’s, or in this case strengths and weaknesses, in each and every one of us. Unfortunately, only a few care to relish on the weaknesses, and instead focus only on their strengths. When I think of strengths or weaknesses, I often try to think of weaknesses first. I am not a negative person nor am I always thinking of the worst possible scenario, but rather focus on faults first. Due to that thinking style or habit, let me start this paper with what I perceive to be my weaknesses. This essay may not include all of my strengths or weaknesses, but I feel it is a major portion of them. First I wish to mention a weakness. While at work or at home I tend to get sidetracked, or become one-track minded, when working on a problem. For instance, while at work if I am in the middle of a report or gathering information for an aircraft issue we are having, I tend to get so focused that I completely lose track of any other issues that may arise or inadvertently ignore anyone or anything that may come up to discuss another issue with me. Maybe it would be called becoming â€Å"overfocused† to give a definition to the s...

Monday, January 13, 2020

Chile’s economy Essay

According to the CIA world fact book, Chile is located in the southern part of South America and it borders the South Pacific Ocean. It is endowed with natural resources like copper, iron ore, timber as well as precious metals. A brief history of Chile’s people in terms of their literacy levels and demographics is vital in as far as understanding any economy is concerned. Chile’s population as at July 2008 stood at 16 454 143 with the highest proportion in terms of age structure being from the 15-64 years category, the dependent age group 0-14 account for 23. 6% and those aged 65 and above account for 8. 8%. This is a plus to her economic growth as a large proportion is comprised of energetic or productive people. The population growth rate according to CIA estimates was 0. 905% while the death rate and birth rate were 14. 82 birth/1000 and 5. 77 deaths/1000 population respectively. (CIA, 2008). Chile records a very high literacy level at 95. 7% for the total population with makes recording a slightly higher rate by 0. 2% CIA further noted that Chile’s government spent approximately 3. 2% of the country’s GDP on education in 2006. This paper focuses on Chile’s economy; of much importance will be the economic reforms that took place, as well as trade and its effects on her economic progress. In his distinguished book ‘Economic reforms in Chile’, Ricardo noted that since her independence Chile remained stable politically as well as economically thus being the envied state in the Latin America. Chile survived the constant extent shocks or forces beyond her control and modernized her institutions while ensuring increased economic progress. Inequalities in incomes were visible as early as 1970’s as the emerging middle class that lived in the urban areas grew. (Ffrench-Davis R, 2002). The inequalities in income distribution precipitated the increased political developments to rectify the situation to an extent that the political development did not match the economic progress. Effros in ‘Current Legal Issues Affecting Central Banks’ noted that Chile’s economic reforms started as early as the 1970s and before this period the state owned companies had a significant role in the countries economic growth. (Effros R, 1995). Before the World War 1 erupted Chile was recording a positive and diversified economic growth and the economic elite influenced the consumption trends. The growth was blamed on trade where exports were quite significant and so were the spill over effects on the economy. Before the direct depression hit Chile’s economy was among the most developed within the Latin America region in terms of per capita income and social transformation. Some people argue that Chile was among the most adversely hit countries by the great depression as when the thriving trade declined her terms of trade remained low up to the 1960’s. (Ffrench-Davis R, 2002). An industrial expansion in the early 50’s revived the country’s economic growth. The adverse effects of the Great depression especially on the trade sector were minimized by the economic policies put in place by the government. During the era of President Alessandri Palma a conservatist, fiscal measures as well as trade controls were put in place to counter the effects of a recession. There was need to develop new industries especially on the critical sectors like electric power and fuel as well as the human capital. During this period there was a general consensus that the state would effectively ensure that the situation was rectified. Problems experienced during this time included the stagnation of the agricultural sector and the unbalanced emphasis on imports substitution was to blame for the prevailing balance of payment. In the 1950’s there was a significant inflation rate precipitating the need for economic reforms. The Carlos Ibanez, government lost its popularity due to the prevailing economic conditions that people protested in the streets. (Ffrench-Davis R, 2002).

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Manila and Jose Rizal Essay

Jose Rizal is our national hero but seriously i don’t know a lot about him. But when I watched the film about Dr. Jose Rizal I was shocked and amazed because of his sacrifice for our country. I though the he was a brilliant individual. He served as an inspiration to all Filipino. During his lifetime, he spent many years outside the Philippines, enriching himself through education, especially in Madrid, Spain. The distance did not diminish nor reduce his love for his country. Far from his motherland, he looked across the seas to find its strength, as well as its weaknesses, in order to uplift it from the abuses of foreign rule. One of the problems and this I feel strongly, with our current approach to Rizal is that it removes him from our ability to relate. But to continue to hold that up as a reason why he should be admired is kind of ridiculous. Because of how we approach Rizal, with all these misguided attempts at humanizing him, we fail to approach him as he would have wanted: Through his ideas, his dreams, his hopes, his understanding in the Philippines, his words that inspire many Filipinos. His real words, not those carefully edited. Not the number of women he supposedly slept with. And most definitely not in the number of languages he spoke. Rizal and I shared the same belief that students must be urged by patriotic ideals and by their passionate love for their country, the Philippines, love for truth and proper values of education. Dr. Jose P. Rizal had given proof of desiring liberty for his country, and he set down as a premise, the education of the people. His teachings greatly influence in me. Like him, I believe in people power and consider myself a modern Rizal youth of today, as the hope of my motherland’s tomorrow. He is very nationalistic and I want to reserve my nationalism as well. Like Rizal, I’m proud to be a Filipino.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Socioeconomic Socio Based Health Disparities - 2180 Words

It is well documented that lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with worse health among adults(Adler, Boyce, Chesney, Folkman, Syme, n.d.) and adolescents.(Finkelstein, Kubzansky, Goodman, 2006; Goodman, 1999; Starfield B, Riley AW, Witt WP, Robertson, 2002) Objective measures of SES such as level of education, income, and occupation are the most common methodology used in health literature to describe socioeconomic-based health disparities.(Shavers VL, 2007) However, subjective social status (SSS) is also a relevant predictor of health, independent of SES. (Adler NE, Epel ES, Castellazzo G, Ickovics, 2000; Aneshensel CS, Sucoff, 1996) Indeed, there is a small but growing body of literature about people’s perceptions of†¦show more content†¦populations.(Franzini Fernandez-Esquer, 2006) This issue has particular relevance for the Latino community because many Latinos have health outcomes that are comparable to or better than their U.S. white counterparts even though they have lower average SES.(Palloni A, Morenoff, 2001) Given this paradox, there is a need to more deeply explore how SES and SSS play out for Latinos in an effort to truly understand and capture disparities in health and health behaviors in this population. The purpose of this study was to compare the relationship between SSS and health behaviors and objective SES and health behaviors in a pilot study sample of Latina adolescents. We hypothesize that SSS is more likely to predict health behaviors among Latina adolescents than traditional measures of SES and that Latina teens with higher SSS will be more likely to report healthy behaviors. Methods A pilot longitudinal study was conducted to implement a newly developed Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) data

Friday, January 3, 2020

Are Cigarette Butts Biodegradable

The rate of cigarette smoking has decreased precipitously in the United States. In 1965, a whopping 42% of adult Americans smoked. In 2007 that proportion dipped below 20 percent, and the latest data available (2013) estimates the percentage of adults who smoke at 17.8 percent. That is good news for people’s health, but also for the environment. Yet, almost all of us continue to witness smokers carelessly toss cigarette butts on the ground. Let’s take a closer look at the environmental effects generated by that littering behavior. A Colossal Litter Problem A 2002 estimate put the number of filtered cigarettes sold in a year, globally, at 5.6 trillion. From that, about 845,000 tons of used filters end up being discarded as litter, winding their way through the landscape pushed by wind and carried by water. In the United States, cigarette butts are the single most common item picked up during beach clean-up days. During the US portion of the International Coastal Cleanup program over 1 million cigarette butts are removed from beaches every year. Street and road cleanups report that butts make up 25 to 50 percent of the items hauled. No, Cigarette Butts Are Not Biodegradable The butt of a cigarette is primarily the filter, made of a type of plasticized cellulose acetate. It does not readily biodegrade. That does not mean it will persist whole in the environment forever though, as sunlight will degrade it and break it into very small particles. These small pieces do not disappear, but wind up in the soil or swept in water, contributing to water pollution. Cigarette Butts Are Hazardous Waste Many toxic compounds have been found in measurable concentrations in cigarette butts including nicotine, arsenic, lead, copper, chromium, cadmium, and a variety of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Several of these toxins will leach into water and affect aquatic ecosystems, where experiments have shown that they kill a variety of freshwater invertebrates. More recently, when testing the effects of soaked used cigarette butts on two fish species (saltwater topsmelt and freshwater fathead minnow), researchers found that one cigarette butt per liter of water was enough to kill half of the exposed fish. It is not clear which toxin was responsible for the death of the fish; the study’s authors suspect either the nicotine, PAHs, pesticide residues from the tobacco, cigarette additives, or the cellulose acetate filters.​ Solutions A creative solution may be to educate smokers through messages on the cigarette pack, but these admonitions would compete for real estate on the packaging (and for the smokers’ attention) with the existing health warnings. Enforcing litter laws would also certainly help, as for some reason littering with butts is perceived as more acceptable than, say, throwing fast food packaging out of a car window. Perhaps most intriguing is a suggestion to require cigarette manufacturers to replace existing filters with biodegradable and non-toxic ones. Some starch-based filters have been developed, but they continue to accumulate toxins and thus remain a hazardous waste. Despite some regional successes in curbing smoking rates, finding a solution to the cigarette butt litter problem is critical. In developing countries, about 40 percent of adult males smoke, for a total of 900 million smokers – and that number is still increasing every year. Sources Novotny et al. 2009. Cigarette Butts and the Case for an Environmental Policy on Hazardous Cigarette Waste. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 6:1691-1705. Slaughter et al. 2006. Toxicity of Cigarette Butts, and their Chemical Components, to Marine and Freshwater Fish. Tobacco Control 20:25-29. World Health Organization. Tobacco.