The Significance of World Religions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 11

The Significance of World Religions - Essay Example Religion is one such issue that is much misunderstood and raises passions to unexpected limits. Given the two sides of a coin, religion can be used constructively for the betterment of society or to serve the vested interests of a few. It is intriguing that intolerance in the name of religion has grown in spite of increased literacy and education on the one hand, and a better standard of living on the other. The fanaticism of today has its parallels in man’s hoary past. It is this past that communities repeatedly invoke to settle scores with those with a different outlook. It is in this backdrop that religious leaders the world over are endeavoring to facilitate dialogue not only among religions but also among the adherents of various religions. One such leader is His Holiness The Dalai Lama of Tibet who is a vocal advocate of religious harmony besides being a role model for Buddhists everywhere. Fisher opines that there is an inexplicable reality experienced by all cultures. The material world fails to provide answers to all our questions. It is this void that religion tries to fill. The man has overcome nature and is in a commanding position vis a vis nature many a time. It is questions that defy logic or are beyond his comprehension for which he turns to religion (12-13). Fisher mentions a set of human needs that religion fulfills. One of these is the question of the afterlife. Rational thinking cannot explain the journey of the self after death. Similarly, the aspect of perfection beyond the five senses is alien to human experience. Man strives to find the answer to perfection beyond sensory perception (14-15). Likewise, religion can give the true reason behind personal problems and how man overcomes these when there is no hope left. Apart from the physical self, man can also discover his true self, the soul, which cannot be easily described in a material setting.

This Issue Of Cosmetic Surgery

This Issue Of Cosmetic Surgery In recent years, the popularity of cosmetic surgery has escalated significantly. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in 2008, some 12 million cosmetic procedures, most of which were minimally invasive, were performed in the United States alone. As Dutta (2008) cited in Swami et al (2012, p. 55) claims, this situation is not only found in North America, but also for instance in Europe which has currently become the second-largest market for cosmetic surgery. Concerned with the maintenance or enhancement of physical appearance (Swami et al, 2012, p. 55), cosmetic surgery is an invasive physical practice, offering people an opportunity to modify their body (Lirola and Chovanec, 2002). Through discourse of cosmetic surgery, mainly influenced by the media, which as Lirola and Chovanec, (2002, p. 488) claim both constructs the need for such a practice as well as legitimizes it, more people are becoming increasingly willing to undergo such practice. Among these people and according to ASPS statistics (2009a, as cited in Swami et al, 2012, p.55) the vast majority of cosmetic surgery patients are young women. Boseley (2012) reports that 6 in 10 (63%) 16 to 24 year olds were ready to undergo cosmetic surgery to ensure feeling better about their appearance. It has become a habit that cosmetic surgery interventions are also being given from parents to their teenage daughters as birthday or graduation presents with breast implants being the most favourite (Gilman, 1999). This is because media and vicarious experiences are promoting unrealistic beauty ideals which are in turn influencing young peoples attitudes towards their own looks. Because of this, cosmetic surgery needs to be seen as an important social practice because it merges the attention given to the body by an individual person with the values and priorities of the consumer society (Lirola and Chovanec, 2002). 1.2 Personal Perspective This issue of cosmetic surgery has always fascinated me. Seeing middle aged and even older people paying good money to rejuvenate their looks, has become a common scenario. However, cosmetic surgery done by young people who are still in their prime, always fascinated me to a much larger extent. I was always curious to find out why these young people decide to opt for surgery. While growing up as a teenager and even to this day that I am now a teacher, youth worker and a mother, even I were and still am aware of things which I do not like in my appearance. However, it never occurred to me that I should go for cosmetic surgery or when it did, it was just a thought which quickly passed. This curiosity is what led me to conduct this study. When does one cross the line and decide to opt for the surgical fix? Both as a student of Youth and Community Studies and in my line of work, I meet a lot of young people who in my eyes are all beautiful in their own way. This is not however always in unison with their perception about their own self. Through this study I would like to find out what it is that really that makes young females to undergo cosmetic surgery. This study however will be more interested in the sociological motivations since it has a sociological approach. That is why this study is interested in the interaction between social actors. Is society influencing their way of thinking or are their perceptions and the decisions they take unaffected by the cultural hegemony? 1.3 Organization of the Study Apart from the introduction, this study comprises of four other chapters. The literature review (Chapter 2) presents a review of the literature related to the study of the body and cosmetic surgery. Starting from Descartes mind-body dualism and the difficulties it posited to sociology in studying issues related to the body, the literature then shifts to a more embodied sociology giving more importance to a lived body. Other issues tackled are how the body has come to be seen as our identity and also gender. Since this study focuses on young people, it then takes a look at what forms the body image of adolescents and how consumer culture influences the body. Finally it gives a very brief history of cosmetic surgery and how are young females being affected by it. Chapter 3 gives a detailed explanation of the methodology of the study. It explains how the participants were chosen and how the interviews were done. It also deals with how the data was analysed, ethical considerations taken and the limitations of the study. Chapter 4 presents the findings of the study and their interpretation in the light of the literature found in Chapter 2. Chapter 5 concludes the study by answering the research questions which the study was set to answer and also presents recommendations for future research. This chapter has given some brief background information of what will be presented in this study, while the chapter that follows will explore the literature that will help the interpretation of the data analysis. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introducing the body. It was only recently that the body has become one of the main concerns within sociological theory. Before this time, the discipline of sociology looked at human beings as the social actors or the social agents whose character and behaviour depended on their social location, beliefs and values (Turner, 1984). The founding fathers of sociology viewed the body from different perspectives. Marx and Engels shared the belief that in order for society to exist, the continual reproduction of bodies was salient. They looked at bodies as both the means and the object of human labour. Durkheim believed in the dual nature of human beings which he referred to as homo duplex. He believed that the basic divisions of body and mind led to a true antagonism between our individuality and our spirituality, which according to him made it almost impossible to ever be at peace with ourselves as one cannot follow both natures, since one is rooted in morality and the other in the desires of the body. Weber w rote about the rationalization of bodies through time and space and the controlling of emotions. He believed that the more capitalism enters in the bureaucratic structures, the more dehumanising and disenchanted the modern individual feels, confined in its iron cage. Simmel wrote about the senses and human emotionality. He believed that the eye, out of all the senses, had a distinctively sociological function since the interaction of individuals is based upon eye contact between them (Williams and Bendelow, 1998). As Turner (1984) claims, it is evident that human beings both have bodies and are bodies, which fact makes human beings embodied, just as they are enselved (Turner, 1984, p.1). Recently a lot of studies have tried to address the corporeal existence of human beings. However, in spite of intriguing findings and better understanding of the subject, according to Crossley (2001) some persistent dilemmas remain. Drawing from previous philosophical theories about the body, it was not easy along the years for sociology to arrive to a decent solution to the philosophical ambiguity of the mind-body dualism. It was Rene Descartes (1596-1650) who living in the Enlightenment era was greatly influenced by scientists like Galileo and their contemporary scientific discoveries. It was a time when the physical sciences, as we know them today, were emerging and there was a strong belief that everything could be explained by the laws of mechanical causation. With this belief in mind, and always in search for the knowledgeable truth, Descartes started to doubt everything that he could not be sure of. He even doubted his very own senses, reminding himself that he had sometimes had vivid dreams (Crossley, 2001, p.9). However he came to the conclusion that the only thing that he could be sure of was that he was thinking and therefore that was proof enough of his existence. Cogito ergo sum meaning I think therefore I am is Descartes most famous statement which was the very beginning of the Cartesian dichotomy, i.e. the mind-body dualism. For Descartes, the person is the mind. He believed that the mind is clearly elevated over the body and that the body is a non-essential aspect of his true nature (Crossley, 2001).It is a common belief that in a time when everything was reduced to scientific explanations, Descartes, being the religious man he was, aimed to keep an element of the spiritual, giving importance to creativity and the soul through the prominence he put on the mind. Many were the scholars (Ryle, 1949; Merleau-Ponty, 1965) who critiqued the Cartesian dualism and exposed the dilemmas it posited to sociology. As Crossley (2001) clearly explains in his book The Social Body: Habit, identity and desire, the mind-brain identity theorists believed that there is no interaction between the body and the mind and the fact that both of them act together at the same time in a plethora of human beings everyday activities, led to the conviction that the mind and body are in fact one. Crossley (2001) argued that sociology could critique this theory for being too reductionist and for sticking to the Cartesian framework it sets out to critique. In The Concept of Mind, Gilbert Ryle (1949) depicts the Cartesian dichotomy as the myth of the ghost in the machine, the ghost referring to the ghostly nature of the mind which is not physical in nature, while the machine refers to the body that does not contain any human characteristics, also described as corpse or meat by Leder (1998). Ryle (1949) believed that Descartes committed a category error when he took the mind as distinct from the body. For Ryle, who was a firm believer that dualism was wrong, both body and mind must be reconceptualised if we really are to overcome dualism He sets the way to a non-dualistic sociology when he manages to exorcise Descartes ghost strongly and convincingly. He wanted to challenge the notion that the mind is superior to the body. For Ryle, the mind is not a separate thing. He believed that mental life is embodied. Crossley (2001) gives a detailed explanation of how language, emotions, consciousness and understanding are not as many think simply introspective. Ryles (1949, as cited in Crossley 2001, p.41) main concern was to show that such mental concepts are used by embodied agents in specific contexts of action. Merleau-Ponty (1992, as cited in Crossley, 2001), who like Ryle challenged the mind-body dualism, managed to take his work a step further. He believed that looking at behaviour was salient in dissolving this dichotomy. For him all behaviour always had a purpose and meaning in the social world. Through this he also brought up the issue of social agency. He delved into the nature of perception and posited that desire, emotion, cognition and perception are not, strictly speaking, separate parts of our behavioural life but rather integrated and mutually affecting aspects of a single and coherent structure (Crossley, 2001, p.89). Merleau-Ponty sees the body as more than an object yet less than a subject since it both looks for and reacts to meanings in diverse everyday situations. This is Merleau-Pontys sentient and sensible body, presented to us as a body which can touch yet can be touched, can see yet can be seen, can perceive yet can be perceived. As Crossley (1995) explains the key is to understand that the perceiver and the perceived are relational beings (ibid, p.46) like two sides of a coin, not separate from each other but changeable facets of one and the same being. Therefore to the question What am I? Am I a body or am I a mind? one can quote McGuire (1990, as cited in Williams Bendelow, 1998) when he posits that human beings are embodied agents who experience the material and social world in and through their mindful bodies (p.4). My body is not something additional to me, it is not something which I, as a disembodied spirit, reflect upon. It is who I am. (Crossley as cited in Martin, 2012). 2.2 Shifting from sociology of the body to embodied sociology. Williams Bendelow (2002) claim that sociology has shifted from seeing the body as disembodied to giving more importance to a lived body referring to ones own experiences of his/her own body, as him/herself. This gave rise to what is today called embodied sociology, a kind of approach which lets us reflect upon the interconnectedness of bodily, mental and social interaction. Crossley (2001) posits that the human body does not simply exist in itself, but also for itself. This is the main reason why social agents continuously inspect themselves in the mirror and worry about how they are portraying themselves to others. Through a reflexive process, individuals, being embodied beings, turn back onto themselves and work to effect the change they want to see. They turn to excessive exercise, dieting and sometimes go as far as having their bodies surgically transformed. This duality of being and having also applies to habit making us habitually self-reflexive. As embodied beings, it is not just us who have our bodies and habits. Our bodies and habits are also perceptible to others which mean that we are never in complete possession of ourselves (p. 141) because our selves depend on something beyond our control the collectively valued forms of representation. Crossley claims we only manage to have ourselves by learning to see ourselves from the outside through social interaction as other. Our embodied self depends on the way the body that I am and I have is positioned in the intersubjective order that results from the social significance of our corporeal appearance. This echoes Cooley (1902, as cited in Crossley, 2001) when he argues that individuals develop their sense of self from the image of our self which others reflect back to us in interaction (p. 143). Meads (1967, as cited in Crossley, 2001) concept of I and me where the I takes the role of the other as a means of turning back upon myself, to reflect upon myself as me (p. 147) is at the root of this concept. It is in this way that individuals develop their concept of self by acting out the role of the other. The I and the me are not in competition with each other for predominance but rather enjoy a temporal and reflexive self-relationship of an agent who chases her own shadow (p. 147). The split between I and me is between a sensuous and socialised bodily agent and the image which that agent is able to form of itself (p. 147). Meads main emphasis is about reflexivity and how the self (as I) becomes conscious of itself (as me). By adopting the role of the other, social agents are able to scrutinize themselves and this helps them to free themselves from self-blindness, which is caused when embodied agents look out upon the world from their very own place. In this way the views, values and perspectives of the generalised other directly influences what Bourdieu (1996) calls the individuals habitus, and the sedimented dispositions that result have a direct impact of her sense of self which unsurprisingly influences her behaviour. This reflexivity highlights why the human body, although specific, gendered and once regarded as fixed, cannot nowadays be as easily defined (Evans, 2002). As Foucault claims there is no natural body (McNay, 1992). Evans (2002) believes that the notion of the body is always accompanied with an already deeply socialized set of expectations. Bordo (2003) confirms this by stating that cultures grip on the body is a constant, intimate fact of everyday life (p.17) showing that our bodies, like anything else that is human, are heavily influenced by culture. Feminism, especially in the work of Judith Butler (1990, 1993) and Susan Bordo (1993) has also questioned the belief that bodies are biologically given and fixed, and argued that the human body is both culturally and historically specific. 2.3 The body as a form of identity Giddens (1991) argues that gone are the days when traditional stable identities were derived from ones position in the social structure. In this era of late modernity attempts to base identity on the body has become popular, and hence society is witnessing a reflexive concern with identity and the body. Shilling (1993) argued that with the individualisation of the body, the body has become an agent of symbolic value, in Bourdieus (1996) term a source of symbolic capital. Despite this, the work of Bourdieu makes us realise the importance class has for understanding embodiment. Bodies, for Bourdieu, mark class in three main ways through the individuals social location, the formation of their habitus and the development of their tastes (Gill et. al, 2005 p.5). This shows that the management of the body is pivotal to status acquirement and hence salient to identity. Skeggss (1997) work on young, British working class women clearly shows this by emphasizing the ways in which they used th e shape, styling and design of their bodies to challenge or even break away from class assumptions that declared them as inferior (ibid.). Featherstone (1991) argues that the body has become to be seen as a vehicle of self-expression, a view supported by consumerism. Efforts to create and retain a coherent and viable sense of self-identity are often called body projects. These are manifested through attention to the body, particularly the bodys surface (Featherstone 1991). This is because in contemporary times the surface of the body has become the main location where object relations are handled, not only in the individuals identity formation years but also throughout our whole life (Blum, 2003). 2.4 Gender Literature shows that females are more obsessed by these body projects, possibly because as Evans (2002) argues the female body, unlike the male, has always been regarded as unstable and malleable. Feminists claim that female bodies have significantly been more vulnerable to cultural manipulation of the body (Bordo, 2003).Women are generally seen as passive while men as active. In his analogy of men and women with animals and plants respectively, Hegel (1967, as cited in Bordo, 2003) ably represented the duality of male activity and female passivity. So powerful and deterministic was this that as Bordo (2003) writes, when Guttmacher analysed sperm under the microscope for the first time he refused to describe sperm as waiting for the ova and instead portrays them as cruising, as if they were looking to pick up girls. Despite this however, classical images in the Holy Bible depict the woman as a temptress (Eve, Salome, Delilah) as do the more contemporary secular versions in movies su ch as Fatal Attraction. In an era where sex sells, literature shows that the womens body has become sexualised, sometimes objectified and at others depicted as a manipulator. A homogenous, indefinable ideal of femininity constantly requires women to attend to the very finest detail in fashion. As Bordo (2003) continues to claim, female bodies have become docile bodies, bodies whose forces and energies are habituated to external regulation, subjection, transformation, improvement (p.166). Although male concern over appearance increased significantly during the late 1970s and 1980s, studies confirm that a huge gender gap still exists. Women seem to be much less appreciative of their bodies and show extreme negative assessments on their distorted bodily perception (Goleman, 1985). They also seem to judge themselves more severely when they realise that they are not conforming to the cultural ideals of beauty. This is becoming worse as time goes, since many females continue to be dissati sfied with their body image perception. It is interesting to note that in a study held in 1985, teenage girls were the group most dissatisfied with their appearance (Bordo, 2003). 2.5 Body Image in Adolescent Girls At the macro level, the sociocultural perspective highlights the importance of an appearance culture that honours and shapes cultural ideals of beauty (Vilhjalmsson et al., 2012). It is during adolescence that this culture, represented by the media, family and peers, manages to make adolescents internalise these normative beauty ideals (Jones, Vigfusdottir, Lee, 2004; Thelen Cormier 1995). As Blum (2003) explains, adolescents obtain their body image totally from the outside. The adolescent girl enters the world uncertain whether her face and body would be consented by those around her. There are many definitions of body image, a term coined by Paul Schilder in 1935 (Blum 2003). However it is generally understood as a mental image of ones body as it appears to others (Featherstone, 2010, p.194). He claims that body image also changes with time and space. Ferguson (1997a, 1997b) argues that there has been a shift from a closed body image in the nineteenth century to a more open and ambiguous sense of body image today (Featherstone, 2010). This ambiguity relates to another concept- the body schema, which is more related to the felt body. While body image is in simpler words the look one has for others, in which the visual appearance is essential, body schema goes deeper than this and involves the non-visual sense of the body. This draws attention to how our senses work together not just to help us perceive the world around us but also how we sense and interact with other bodies in everyday life situations. It goes beyond the mirror image, focusing mainly on body rheto ric which is central of charisma, a characteristic which most attracts peoples attention (ibid.). Despite this however, young females are increasingly becoming more concerned about their bodies and about how to achieve the ideal standards of beauty and bodily perfection. Armet (2008) states that this is leading to a body-image crisis in American adolescents, with increased numbers of young girls suffering from low self-esteem, obsessive exercising and disordered eating. Through the cultural emphasis put on judging women solely on how they look and how much they conform to standards of beauty and fashion, girls are becoming more self-critical of their own body. They try to dedicate all their energy to perfect their outside appearance. This is because for the young female her body is the primary expression of her individual identity (Armet, 2008, p.2) which she aims to improve by buying clothes and other things to further enhance her exterior surfaces. These issues form a discourse that stresses the importance of the body. The young female has learned to give priority to her bodys physical appearance since she has come to regard her body as her identity. This leads to implications in her adolescent behaviour where a quest for identity becomes a struggle with her body-image (ibid.). 2.6 Consumer Culture and Body Image As Featherstone (2010) posits, it is naturally understood that consumer culture is obsessed with the body. We are constantly being bombarded by media images of models, celebrities and other stars showing off their beautiful, perfect bodies. They are generally portrayed as happy and youthful, and enjoying luxurious surroundings. Critics have argued against this kind of narcissistic life, pointing out its superficiality and an abandonment of human values. This is because according to them the concern with body image is often dangerous as it creates a diversion from the importance of social justice and equality. Most of the images used in advertising, are technologically abused, to the extent that their level of beauty is often unattainable. These images do not simply represent what there is behind them but what one should aspire to be. These are the images that are making us compare who we are not and who we would like to be (Featherstone, (2010, p.197). These comparisons lead us to tr ansformation -presenting the before and after picture- which is today pivotal not just in consumer culture but is also one of the key tenets of Western modernity. Celebrities, media industries and sportspeople are replacing scientists, explorers and intellectuals proving the shift from the virtues of consistency and steadfastness to a charming and engaging appearance (Featherstone, 1982, 2007). The constant fascination with celebrity lifestyles made available through cable, satellite and the internet keep showing us how they maintain their good looks and bodily fitness while coping with their challenging lives. Even when they fall and have to deal with drugs, alcoholism or weight problems, they are seen as triumphant since fitness regimes, diets or gurus put them back on the road to self- improvement (Featherstone, 2010). This puts pressure on individuals especially females who thanks to the media imagery fall victims to feeling unhappy with their bodies, to start routines sometimes drastic, of self-improvement (Bordo, 2003). A new body image gives one a new improved self-image and a more exciting quality of life. Since even status and social acceptability has come to depend on looks it is indeed of no wonder that today taking extreme care for ones appearance becomes an obligation to self and portrays those who ignore this obligation as being flawed. As Featherstone (2010) remarks, clothing, cosmetics and adornment used to enhance ones look become not just a constructed appearance of what one wants others to see, but also reflexively they provide an outward image which seeks information in the returned glances of others, for the inner narrative of what one feels one should be (p. 198). This is mainly found in contemporary Western societies, where being a woman has often been referred to as a form of theatre (Sontag, 1978, as cited in Featherstone 2010)) where women are constantly watching themselves being looked at (Berger, 1973, as cited in Featherstone 2010). Nevertheless beauty has also become associated with moral goodness. The body, especially the face is seen as a reflection of the self, through which a persons inner character is manifested (Rivers, 1994; Twine, 2002, as cited in Featherstone, 2010). Kuhn (1990, as cited in Featherstone, 2010) explains however how cosmetics do not only make up the woman but also the image, capturing both the elegant appearance, but also the look which summons up the inner narrative (p. 198). This puts together a narrative, evidence of an embodied person. Charisma and stardom draws attention to presence, which is an additional aspect to body image. It is something which needs to be felt and works in a different way to beauty. It is an experience communicated between bodies which create affective resonances, and hence is trusted more than just an image. This is the affective body, which contrary to the body image, is a body without a specified image. Here we think about the feel good impression sensed via affect. The moving body presented on television, cinemas and video captures a body in process. Affect is communicated by non-verbals such as gestures, and facial and body movements. Here, the image has become a process where in contrast to the conventional sense of body image, is presented as an affective body which provides additional embodied information. Consumer culture is still, however, constantly asking consumers to scrutinize themselves for imperfections, and to measure up to ideal bodies presented in the media (Featherstone, 1982). This points towards the work of Giddens (1991) who wrote about a high degree of reflexivity in late modernity, since these actors are investing in body projects as a means to enhance their self-identity. This view was criticized for keeping with the mind-body dualism and for its overemphasis upon the rational choice of those who seek to control their bodies (Budgeon, 2003; Shilling and Mellor, 1996, as cited in Featherstone, 2010). But really and truly, is the choice rational, when we are constantly being bombarded by all these pressures to look good, almost convinced that this will lead us to a better life? The body has become to be seen as salient for a good life, the look good: feel good transformation which, thanks to consumer culture, is portrayed as available for purchase to one and all. It is common belief that body works will not just upgrade the body to reach societal constructs of beauty but are also pictured to open a full range of lifestyle opportunities. Body modifications have nowadays become the means to create a beautiful appearance and hence a beautiful self (Featherstone, 2010). 2.7 Cosmetic Surgery -a brief history According to Albin (2006) body modifications are defined as changes made to the body, either self-induced or by the hand of another, that result in permanent alterations visible to the unaided eye. These modifications, which include tattooing, piercing, and cosmetic surgery to name a few, all share a common motive that in the end the individuals find pleasure in bodily expression, decoration, and attractiveness that can ultimately be admired by others. Cosmetic surgery is certainly one of the most impressive techniques for body reconstruction. It is the kind of surgery where the surgeon cures the cosmetic defects and emotional pain resulting from lack of liking and acceptance of ones appearance (Blum, 2003). Cosmetic surgery falls under the umbrella of plastic surgery, however cosmetic surgery only deals with surgery that has to do with the aesthetic, referring to surgery done on a healthy body simply for the improvement of looks. Haiken (1997) reports two separate developments that account for the emergence of cosmetic surgery. The first development was when early cosmetic surgeons were considered charlatans or beauty doctors and were not taken seriously albeit certain techniques they developed are still in use today. The second development came with the First World War, when surgeons gained expertise while trying to treat disfiguring scars of soldiers for cosmetic purpose. From the late nineteenth century, cosmetic surgery was associated with actresses since their careers always depended on the longevity of their good looks and by 1923 it was set in the public imagination as a celebrity practice (Blum, 2003). Gradually, a technology that was primarily aimed at replacing malfunctioning parts has caused an ideology promoted by desires of transforming and correcting, challenging the very materiality of the body (Bordo, 2003). Sarwer et al.(2004, as cited in Swami et al, 2007) believe that a rise in media fascination, higher incomes and loss of stigma are but a few reasons why even the common people in postmodern times are opting for the surgical fix especially in countries like the Netherlands, where cosmetic surgery is offered free through publicly funded healthcare (Gimlin, 2007, as cited in Swami et al, 2007)). Studies show that rates of cosmetic surgery have risen significantly both in Western and non-Western countries during the past twenty years (AS APS Statistics, 2008; BAAPS Statistics, 2008; Jones, 2008, as cited in Gimlin, 2010). Recent studies show that young people between the ages of 16 and 35 are turning to cosmetic surgery more than ever. 2.8 Young females and cosmetic surgery Body-image scholars claim that it is much easier to succeed in the world if one is good-looking (Blum, 2003). Appearance culture imposes the thin hourglass shape as a female body ideal (Vilhjalmsson et al.,2012). Although many were the researchers who have indicated that this contemporary feminine ideal of thin attractiveness is unattainable for most women (Irving, 1990; Levine Smolak, 1998; Silverstein, Perdue, Peterson, Kelly, 1986; Wilcox Laird, 2000), it still triumphs despite its opposition. As Ferron (1997) claims body image lies at the heart of adolescence and hence young females enter the world longing for their looks to be approved by those a

Cystic Fibrosis Essay examples -- essays research papers

Cystic Fibrosis Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that causes the body’s lungs to generate a different type of mucus than a non-infected body would. The contaminated lungs will produce mucus that is thick and adhesive which clogs the lungs and leads to an unpleasant and abhorrent lung infection. CF also interferes with the pancreas, disallowing the digestive enzymes from breaking down and absorbing food in the intestine. This can result in low nutrition, feeble growth, excessive sweat production, difficulties in breathing, and sometimes lung disease. When producing extra sweat and mucus, the body loses salt. If too much salt is lost, it can cause abnormal heart rhythms, disturbance of minerals in the blood, and perhaps, shock. Children, as well as Adults can also be affected by this disease. Some afflicted infants usually show symptoms of the disease in its early life stages. Yet, others may experience the horrid and hazardous conditions later in life. The types of infections range differe ntly between each person. There are more than a thousand mutations of the CF gene.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Considering that Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disorder, it can only be inherited by an individuals DNA. The only possible way to transmit the mutation to the offspring is if both parents are either carriers or already infected by the disease. Once two carriers produce an offspring, there is a twenty-five percent chance that their child will have Cystic Fibrosis; a fifty perce...

Different Sociological Approaches To Health Essay

There are many sociological approaches that explain health and ill health. In this assignment I will be focusing on Marxism, feminism, interactionaist and functionalism perspectives. The Marxist perspective believe that the bourgeoisie (middle class) exploit the proletariat (working class) as we live in a capitalist system and that if we lived in an communist society that would be our ideal society because there would be equality between everyone. In health and social care setting doctors and surgeons are the bourgeoisie who exploit the proletariat who are patients. In England patients are exploited by having to pay for prescriptions whereas Scotland and Ireland do not have to pay for their prescriptions. The prices for medication is also another way the bourgeoisie exploit the proletariat as they set high prices for their products which enables them to make a large profit because there will always be a demand for medication and people need them to restore their health so they will b uy the product no matter how much it costs as it is such a necessity. Furthermore private health care only benefits the bourgeoisie as they are the only ones who can afford it, this gives them better access to health care for example if they need to seek emergency medical help they wouldn’t have to wait for a long time whereas the proletariat would have to normally wait a few hours before being seen by anyone at a normal emergency medical centre. Additionally each hospital spends a different amount of money on food for the patients at the hospital. Some hospitals spend very little money and others spend a large amount of money on the food for the patients for example one hospital could spend  £3.50 whereas on hospital could spend  £30. Food is a major factor to getting rid of an illness, as the nutrients in the food they consume help them to build up their full strength so in order to get better they need good nutrients which can only be provided by good quality food but not all hospitals spend a lot of money on food so they don’t buy good quality food. This is also another way in which the bourgeoisie exploit the proletariat because mostly only the private hospitals which accommodate to the bourgeoisie provide good quality food. Feminists analyse the status in society between men and women with the purpose to better women’s lives. Feminists state that it is more likely  for women to become ill more often due to the triple shift (emotional, paid employment and domestic work) which can cause them to suffer from stress, anxiety and depression. One problem that might occur from this is that they could suffer from a skin disorder due to the stress; this can cause them to have a low esteem. The stress from the triple shift may lead to women taking large amounts of alcohol to cope with it. Some women may drink a few glasses of wine every night; this can lead to many problems such as addiction, liver damage and poisoning. Others could deal with the stress by over eating as a way of escaping their problems which then leads to multiple health problems like; obesity, heart conditions, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and breathing problems. Liberal feminists focus on the inequalities between men and women in the health care professions. They point out the lack of power women have in their health care professions. Marxists feminists say that healthcare ensures that capitalist societies have a healthy work force which therefore works to prolong capitalism. They also believe that healthcare helps with the reproduction of the next generation of workers through maternal care they provide with the workforce. Functionalists believe that there is a value consensus within society which is when everyone has an agreement of norms and values. Functionalists argue that a free healthcare system would eliminate the pressure of funding healthcare for the family, leaving it to focus on its key functions of primary socialisation and stabilisation of adult personality. They also believe each institution has a positive impact for society and its individual members then their healthcare system must be positive. Parsons argue that all social actions can be understood if they have helped society to function effectively or not. The sick ro le disturbs society in the same way as crime does therefore illness can be seen as deviant. Biomedical model for health and illness states five features. Firstly they sate the disease is physical it concentrates on physical symptoms and not social and environmental factors however biomedical do not believe in mental illness ,depression and stress as they only look at physical signs of illness. Only medical professionals can treat the patient, this would be a problem to the mind causing the physical illness and the sufferer only being treated for the physical symptoms. Furthermore the body can be repaired with drugs and surgery but not all medicine is needed to cure the body, also other factors  that can help to recover from an illness e.g. eating disorders which is not cured by medicine but is a mental recovery and accepting and talking about the problem. Also illness is temporary and illness can be cured by the elite however illness like cancer may not be temporary and the drugs used may not help which means the cancer patient will have to leave their job depending on how long they have cancer. Lastly biomedical state that treatment is special and when treatments takes place it is different from the environment where the patient got ill however sometimes people get ill in the hospital when visiting because of the environment however weakness of biomedical model are reductionist because disease is reduced to biological causes without look at social and psychological factors, moreover it underestimates the link between social structure and diseases. However the social model states that it is someone choice whether they see themselves as ill or not. But it doesn’t look at how society would look if someone took the day off for a sore throat because they could still function at work so people do not have a choice to be off. This also links to health and disease is a social construction which is where people are segregated on different factors such as race, ethnicity and gender. Also the social model states that a whole group of people will get ill and not the individual because they are more at risk as there are patterns of social class and ethnic inequalities in health. However the social model has been stated that it ignores the material factors that may affect a person’s mental health such as poverty.

Custom Coffee Essay

I believe Custom Coffee & Chocolate mission is to establish a small cafà © where they and their customers could indulge their love of good coffee and fine chocolates. Bonnie and Stacy, recent college roommates, wanted a location that got a lot of foot traffic from shoppers and businesses. Their desire was to target a place near the university because they knew and understood those customers well. The purpose of the cafe’ is to serve unique coffee blends and specialty chocolates, and the business plan included purchasing only fair trade coffee and chocolates made by a few local suppliers. SWOT ANALYSIS: Strengths – Having a good location where public transportation is not a issue. The owners will be selling products that are considered to be good quality, near top of the line. Customers have the options of eating in or taking out their purchases. Weakness – The shop is pretty small, and can only hold a certain amount of customers, and they will need more funding to expand. Opportunity – The opportunities are unlimited, expanding the menu to include baked chocolates, desserts, tea and other beverages. If the businesses continue to grow, Bonnie & Stacy may be able to start a small franchise. Threats – I don’t detect any threats, unless a similar business moves in the same location. Bonnie & Stacy are doing all the right things to make their cafe’ affordable, and customer friendly. It is a nice place for friends and family to meet and chat while having a cup of coffee or reading the newspaper. Comfort is always important to me, so I like the idea of them having comfortable seating. Putting up a website and blog page might be helpful to customers and potential customers, for information and feedback. I don’t believe that delivery would be a good thing right now, maybe in another six months. Great job Bonnie & Stacy, you knew what you wanted and went for it. I wish you much success.

Free Essays on Career Opportunities

In today’s job market many companies offer room for advancement. Depending on your past job experience and education you may have a choice in career opportunities. In some instances, you may be required to further your education or attain more experience in a certain field, but it remains that the opportunity is there you have to pursue it. I am currently employed with the YWCA El Paso Del Norte Region. The YWCA has a contract with the Upper Rio Grande at Work Child Care Services, which provides help with childcare to needy families. Under certain income guidelines, parents may pay child care services at a reduced rate. The difference is paid to the provider by the Upper Rio Grande – CCS. The program is divided into four departments which consist of the eligibility department, support department, provider services department, and finance department. The eligibility department employs caseworker positions, which determine a parent’s eligibility under the guidelines. A parent can qualify if they are working, seeking work, or attending school full time and meet the income guideline. They would provide their pay stubs, school records, etc†¦ to the caseworkers and make any changes with them. The parents have a choice on who they want to care for their child. They can choose to have a family member car e for them and will pay that family member or they can choose for their child to attend a day care facility. In the support department, any provider contracted with us to provide care under the program will provide their licensing information to them. They will also provide any other documents needed to verify they are in compliance with the state licensing center. The support department will draft the contract and renew them when needed. Additional duties they have are the outgoing/incoming mail, membership information, and main switchboard. The provider services department. The provider services department consists of workers who ... Free Essays on Career Opportunities Free Essays on Career Opportunities In today’s job market many companies offer room for advancement. Depending on your past job experience and education you may have a choice in career opportunities. In some instances, you may be required to further your education or attain more experience in a certain field, but it remains that the opportunity is there you have to pursue it. I am currently employed with the YWCA El Paso Del Norte Region. The YWCA has a contract with the Upper Rio Grande at Work Child Care Services, which provides help with childcare to needy families. Under certain income guidelines, parents may pay child care services at a reduced rate. The difference is paid to the provider by the Upper Rio Grande – CCS. The program is divided into four departments which consist of the eligibility department, support department, provider services department, and finance department. The eligibility department employs caseworker positions, which determine a parent’s eligibility under the guidelines. A parent can qualify if they are working, seeking work, or attending school full time and meet the income guideline. They would provide their pay stubs, school records, etc†¦ to the caseworkers and make any changes with them. The parents have a choice on who they want to care for their child. They can choose to have a family member car e for them and will pay that family member or they can choose for their child to attend a day care facility. In the support department, any provider contracted with us to provide care under the program will provide their licensing information to them. They will also provide any other documents needed to verify they are in compliance with the state licensing center. The support department will draft the contract and renew them when needed. Additional duties they have are the outgoing/incoming mail, membership information, and main switchboard. The provider services department. The provider services department consists of workers who ...

The 5 Sectors of the Economy

The 5 Sectors of the Economy A nation’s economy can be divided into various sectors to define the proportion of the population engaged in different activities. This categorization represents a continuum of distance from the natural environment. The continuum starts with primary economic activity, which concerns itself with the utilization of raw materials from the earth, such as agriculture and mining. From there, the distance from natural resources increases. Primary Sector The primary sector of the economy extracts or harvests products from the earth, such as raw materials and basic foods. Activities associated with primary economic activity include agriculture (both subsistence and commercial), mining, forestry, grazing, hunting and gathering, fishing, and quarrying. The packaging and processing of raw materials are also considered to be part of this sector. In developed and developing countries, a decreasing proportion of workers is involved in the primary sector. Only about 2 percent of the U.S. labor force is engaged in primary sector activity today, a dramatic decrease from the mid-19th century when more than two-thirds of the labor force consisted of primary-sector workers. Secondary Sector The secondary sector of the economy produces finished goods from the raw materials extracted by the primary economy. All  manufacturing, processing, and construction jobs lie within this sector. Activities associated with the secondary sector include metalworking and smelting, automobile production, textile production, the chemical and engineering industries, aerospace manufacturing, energy utilities, breweries and bottlers, construction, and shipbuilding. In the United States, a little less than 15 percent of the working population is engaged in secondary sector activity. Tertiary Sector The tertiary sector of the economy is also known as the service industry. This sector sells the goods produced by the secondary sector and provides commercial services to both the general population and to businesses in all five economic sectors. Activities associated with this sector include retail and wholesale sales, transportation and distribution, restaurants, clerical services, media, tourism, insurance, banking, health care, and law. In most developed and developing countries, a growing proportion of workers is devoted to the tertiary sector. In the United States about 80 percent of the labor force is tertiary workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts non-agriculture self-employed into its own category, and that accounts for another 5 percent of workers, though the sector for these people would be determined by their job. Quaternary Sector Although many economic models divide the economy into only three sectors, others divide it into four or even five sectors. These final two sectors are closely linked with the services of the tertiary sector. In these models, the quaternary sector of the economy consists of intellectual activities often associated with technological innovation. It is sometimes called the knowledge economy.   Activities associated with this sector include government, culture, libraries, scientific research, education, and information technology. These intellectual services and activities are what drives technological advancement, which can have a huge impact on short- and long-term economic growth. Quinary Sector Some economists further subdivide the quaternary sector into the quinary sector, which includes the highest levels of decision making in a society or economy. This sector includes top executives or officials in such fields as government, science, universities, nonprofits, health care, culture, and the media. It may also include police and fire departments, which are public services as opposed to for-profit enterprises. Economists sometimes also include domestic activities (duties performed in the home by a family member or dependent) in the quinary sector. These activities, such as child care or housekeeping, are typically not measured by monetary amounts but contribute to the economy by providing services for free that would otherwise be paid for.

Learn to Spell by Phonograms, not Letters

Learn to Spell by Phonograms, not Letters Learn to Spell by Phonograms, not Letters Learn to Spell by Phonograms, not Letters By Maeve Maddox In the 1970s, educational research indicated that less than one per cent of the population suffered what has come to be called dyslexia (a disturbance of the ability to read). Now the estimate is from 5 to 15 per cent. As early as 1955 Rudolf Flesch pointed out the disconnect between modern teaching methods and the ability to read (or spell) in Why Johnny Cant Read and What You Can Do About It. After half a century, Fleschs book remains a thorn in the side of the advocates of the sight method of teaching children to read. Parents of young children would do well to read it. I once tutored a child who looked at the word April and read it as May. He knew that the word represented the name of a month because hed been taught the names of the months in context. He apparently did not know how to decipher it by its spelling. Adult readers recognize words by sight. Experienced readers can recognize words if only some of the letters are showing. They can recognize them if the words are upside down. This ability comes from having seen the words hundreds or thousands of times. Beginning readers, however, need systematic instruction in approaching words from left to right, phonogram by phonogram. To develop confidence and fluency in readingand the ability to spellthey need to begin with words like hat, cot, and bin before encountering words like know, they, or eight. (The latter three words are on the Dolch List taught to beginning readers with the use of flashcards.) NOTE: The use of flashcards to develop instant word recognition is a useful techniquebut only after the beginning reader has been taught the phonetic elements of the word being drilled. Its counterproductive to expose a beginner who knows only the 26 letters of the alphabet to words spelled with sounds represented by letter combinations like th, kn, ay, igh, and eigh. Relatively few of the common words on the Dolch List defy the effort to sound them out by their phonograms. Those few, like once and warm, are easily taught as exceptions. The most efficient way to learn to spell a word is to approach it phonogram by phonogram, and not letter by letter. A phonogram is a written symbol that stands for a sound. The word pal, for example, contains three letters, each of which is also a phonogram: /p-a-l/. The word church , on the other hand, contains six letters, but only three phonograms: /ch-ur-ch/. Here are some phonograms to look for when analyzing a words spelling: Consonant phonograms: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z, sh, th, ch, ng, ck, wh, kn, gn, wr, ph, dge, gh, ti, si, ci, pn, rh, and qu. Vowel (and semi-vowel) phonograms: a, e, i, o, u, y, ee, ay, ai, ow, ou, oy, oi, aw, au, ew, ui, oo, ea, ar, er, ir, ur, or, ed, or, oa, ey, ei, ie, igh, eigh, oe, ough, and eu. 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 Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Meaning of "To a T"Time Words: Era, Epoch, and EonAppropriate vs. Apropos vs. Apt

Metereology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Metereology - Essay Example When a body of air rises, it moves from higher pressure to lower pressure. In so doing it must expand, and as it does so, its temperature is reduced. One can calculate the amount of cooling to be expected when the air is lifted by a fixed amount. If the air is dry and no heat is added or taken away as the air ascends, it cools at the rate of 1.0C per 100 meters. This is known as the dry adiabatic lapse rate. Once a cloud has begun to form, the cooling effects caused by the expansion of the rising air are partially offset by the heat released during the condensation process. Evaporation causes cooling. When condensation occurs, the reverse is true; heat is added. If the rate of ascent of air, which may be called the updraft speed (Sloane and Tesche 1991), is quite high, the air may cool so fast that condensation cannot proceed fast enough to keep the air at saturation. In this case the air may become supersaturated. The equations show that once this happens the smaller droplets grow m ore rapidly than the large ones. The final condition is one with clouds having a narrow range of droplet sizes. The main processes which influences cloud formation are condensation or deposition (Brasseur et al 1999). The difference in temperature always causes a difference in atmospheric pressure, which in turn causes the wind. When the resulting winds are confined to small areas, not more than a few miles in extent, they blow directly from high pressure to low pressure, as one would expect. Weather front can be identified as a boundary between air masses of hot and cold air (Brasseur et al 1991). The main types of fronts are cold front and warm front, stationary front and occluded front. The typical wind circulation about a well-developed low or a well-developed stationary high is often useful in predicting lower-level winds. Several hundred feet above the ground, these circulatory winds blow nearly parallel to the isobars. Fronts are always described as zones of transition, the types of the front depends upon the direction and air masses (Sloane and Tesche 1991). The cold front, extending southward and southwestward from the low center, is also a wedge of cold air underlying warm air -but an a ctive, undercutting wedge, a steeper wedge than the warm front, a wedge that is steadily advancing eastward and southeastward in such a way as to crowd out the warm air more or less violently and to thrust it aloft. The warm front extends east and southeast from the low center, with the warm sector advancing behind it from the southwest and the colder air retreating slowly ahead of it towards the north (Sloane and Tesche 1991). Occlusion is the combination of warm and cold fronts where the latter has overtaken the former. The occlusion itself usually extends gradually southward as more and more of the warm sector is forced above the surface by the closing wedges of colder air. Stationary front is defined as a front which does not move (Sloane and Tesche 1991). Weather Systems: hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms The term hurricane is usually used to describe tropical storms and cyclones. Also, hurricane can be defined as the strongest level of wind according to the Beaufort scale. Unstable air above these steaming areas of warm and azure sea is continually building up

Javascript Sanboxing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Javascript Sanboxing - Essay Example Recent statistics has proven that the sandboxing application is essential in offering security and prevention of malwares to the computers. Sandboxing keeps the privileges of any attack or threat low. Any malware cannot execute on a system without authorized permissions. During installation or uninstallation of any new software in the computer, there are no traces left likely to harm the computer. In addition, it allows restoration of the computer to the original state after some changes have been made. It is also safe to browse on the internet, as the application does not remember the malicious sites visited (Resig 2013, pg. 28). Contrary to the immense benefits the system offers, the application is also at risk of attacks by malwares since it is not secure in all angles. In essence, the advanced threats do bypass the security controls; hence, it is not very efficient in its functions. One cannot have total trust on its operations. Therefore, all an attacker needs to do is to escalate the privilege of a vulnerability, then exploit the system (Saxena et al. 2010, pg.

None Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

None - Essay Example In order to understand the poem properly, one needs to pay attention to its key words. According to Elizabeth Bishop, every word in poetry matters. The need for close poetry reading reading is conditioned by the value of each meaning for the general picture (Bishop). Since there are not many words in each poem, one needs to have a clear understanding of every word used by poets in their woks. Aftermath by Longfellow consists of only two stanzas; the word choices are very accurate and clear. The title is crucial in this case so it is necessary to define what aftermath means and research the etymology of this word. In the Online Etymology Dictionary, it is stated that the origin of the word aftermath dates back to 1520-s. It meant â€Å"a second crop of grass grown after the first had been harvested † and consisted of two parts after + an Old English word mà ¦Ãƒ ° that was defines as cutting grass (â€Å"Aftermath†). The figurative meaning of this word appeared later in 1650-s. Contrary to this original meaning, now aftermath is defines as â€Å"the consequences of significant unpleasant event† in the Oxford Dictionary. Obviously, Longfellow uses both meanings to intensify the overall impression after reading the poem and give readers a hint about its content. The first line of the poem underpins the etymology of the word aftermath, â€Å"When the su mmer fields are mown† (Longfellow). In the next line Longfellow moves to a short description of the next season, â€Å"When the birds are fledged and flown† (Longfellow). The word fledged means that birds have already grown up and their wings are ready to fly long distances. With the next line â€Å"And the dry leaves strew the path† readers understand that the poet talks about autumn when nature fades out and birds fly away to warmer places (Longfellow). The transformation of nature is continued further in the next lines where the fields covered with snow continue the cycle of lead to new grass and its

International Students Choice Of Brand Products Literature review

International Students Choice Of Brand Products - Literature review Example Advertising can be considered as a significant consequence of technological advancement and globalization. Advertising and promotions have become the effective marketing tool for the marketers in order to present the information about products or services to the target customers (Mattelart, 2005 and Keegan, 2009). However, both Mattelart and Keegan have provided the effective foundation for this research as their writings are very broader. But, both these writers used to carry some drawbacks, such as the concepts of Mattelart are slightly outdated and UK centric. On the other hand, the views of Keegan are slightly concentrated towards the US. It is true that several brand managers of leading brands generally use brand personality in order to ensure unique brand positioning (Miller, 2005). In addition to this, according to Iyer (2005), and Sun (2009), several leading brands across the globe use targeting approach in order to ensure customer differentiation in global market place. Seve ral marketing communication tools, such as price promotion and advertising elements are being used by organizations in order to attract the target customers. The views of Mattelart and Keegan provided a valuable direction to the topic. In addition to this, brand managers used to enhance knowledge sharing regarding own brands that is central to the brand equity (Keller, 2008 and Sun, 2009). When the organizations go for international advertising, it is highly important for them to maintain a balance between adaptation and standardization.

International Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

International Marketing - Assignment Example A number of scholars states that this system can be traced back to 6000 years back (Kapil, 2011). International marketing generally involves recognizing the fact that people across the globe have different needs and requirements. In simple terms, it is defined as marketing across the national borders (Campbell, 2009). In this paper, such difficulties will be uncovered and along with that solutions to those problems will be also highlighted. Apart from that, the significance of important tools such as multinational marketing information system (MMIS), IMC etc. will be also highlighted. The firm chosen for this purpose from the UK market in Vodafone and the BEM (Big Emerging Market) selected for the company to enter is Brazil. Investigation on Vodafone’s international presence have shown that the company is yet to make its presence in the Brazilian market and Brazil being one of the largest country with emerging economy is a justified choice. Question 1 Trade is becoming increas ingly global and is increasing in size at a robust rate. A number of reasons for this are responsible. One of the most evident one is the progress of technology. The improvement of transportation and communication system has provided companies with heap of opportunities and that made business and trade more practical (Nelson, 1999). The rapid expansion of business houses across the national borders has also tendered opportunities for the customers to avail the best products of different countries. The level of competition has also increased due to globalization as firms compete to produce the best product and offer the highest quality services (Onkvisit and Shaw, 2004). However, an organization operating in the overseas market has to face certain difficulties in getting accustomed with the situation of the target country. The issues arise in the form of cultural differences, language differences and differences in the market characteristics. Although, the problems mentioned above ap pears after the beginning of operation, but prior to that a number of issues also take place during the phase of market research. An international company might also face difficulties when attempting to research the market for a product or service (Holmquist, 2012). Vodafone is a telecommunication company and therefore the telecommunication sector of Brazil needs to be evaluated. Large companies across the globe have identified that international markets offer huge potentiality for the success of a business. In terms of the market size, countries such as India, Brazil, Russia and China are huge. Furthermore, the purchasing power of the consumers belonging to these countries is significant. Despite that, a company has to deal with a number of difficulties and complexities when attempting to research the market for a product or service in the chosen country. Nowadays, companies and other establishments use marketing research techniques so as to manage and minimize the risks associated with the market (Linder, 2006). Several studies have shown that companies do not spend much amount in developing products that market research indicates will be unsuccessful in the market. However, it is also true that marketing research at times did not shows proper results. The marketing research process is costly and at times produces results that are questionable. Now for Vodafone to enter the Brazilian market with its telecommunication products, it needs

Organization Theory & Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organization Theory & Design - Essay Example The company has been able to sell its product on a worldwide basis, because the products are easy to use, and do the job that they are touted for, but the company's culture also spells professionalism. No company in the world that has accomplished as much as Dell has could do so in a 'fly by night' manner. This success speaks volumes for the company's leadership. The leadership, from top to bottom, is composed primarily of individuals much like Mike (and in this case not the one who can dunk a basketball). Observing these individuals through the company's website is a lot like looking at men, and a couple of women, who dress and portray the image of professionalism. Each, with few exceptions, is wearing a suit and tie, or similar fashions for the women, and conservative white shirts. Whether this perception is reality, or whether the leaders of the organization are truly as professional as they seem and if that professionalism carries over to the rest of the employees is a question that can, and cannot be answered by observing the company's website. The question can be answered if the professionalism of the website itself is an example of how the company is conducted and managed. This particular website is easy to navigate, has very few grammatical or spelling errors that would seem to imply an "I don't care' attitude, and with the website's professional look the impression that is created is one that Dell cares enough about how it is perceived that even such items as the website shows care and diligence. On the other hand, the website is only a picture of a certain segment of the organization itself, and even though it is a relatively clear and unambiguous picture, it could portray only what the company wishes to portray. That seems to be the less than likely scenario, although one that needs to at least be considered. Another telling factor in being able to discern a professional environment at Dell, is the massive amount of growth mentioned earlier in the paper. There is very little likelihood of one man creating a small company in 1983 and within less than 25 years watching that company grow to $50 billion in sales every year.There is very little likelihood of that happening unless, of course, there was a fair amount of professionalism found within the company. That type of environment feeds upon itself, with most individuals emulating those cohorts that they come in constant contact with. As new employees enter the scene, they tend to emulate what they see, adhere to the standards already set, and follow the guidelines (written or unwritten) that they perceive. Therefore; professionalism begats more professionalism, which begats more professionalism, and so on and so on. The environment then becomes a self-fulfilling proponent of success (at least in Dell's case). Much of this professional attitude must start from the top and filter down, which says a lot concerning Michael Dell and his executive staff. The executive staff and the leaders at Dell have control of the company and seem to realize what a responsibility that control is. By participating with other standards organizations as

International Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

International Marketing - Assignment Example A number of scholars states that this system can be traced back to 6000 years back (Kapil, 2011). International marketing generally involves recognizing the fact that people across the globe have different needs and requirements. In simple terms, it is defined as marketing across the national borders (Campbell, 2009). In this paper, such difficulties will be uncovered and along with that solutions to those problems will be also highlighted. Apart from that, the significance of important tools such as multinational marketing information system (MMIS), IMC etc. will be also highlighted. The firm chosen for this purpose from the UK market in Vodafone and the BEM (Big Emerging Market) selected for the company to enter is Brazil. Investigation on Vodafone’s international presence have shown that the company is yet to make its presence in the Brazilian market and Brazil being one of the largest country with emerging economy is a justified choice. Question 1 Trade is becoming increas ingly global and is increasing in size at a robust rate. A number of reasons for this are responsible. One of the most evident one is the progress of technology. The improvement of transportation and communication system has provided companies with heap of opportunities and that made business and trade more practical (Nelson, 1999). The rapid expansion of business houses across the national borders has also tendered opportunities for the customers to avail the best products of different countries. The level of competition has also increased due to globalization as firms compete to produce the best product and offer the highest quality services (Onkvisit and Shaw, 2004). However, an organization operating in the overseas market has to face certain difficulties in getting accustomed with the situation of the target country. The issues arise in the form of cultural differences, language differences and differences in the market characteristics. Although, the problems mentioned above ap pears after the beginning of operation, but prior to that a number of issues also take place during the phase of market research. An international company might also face difficulties when attempting to research the market for a product or service (Holmquist, 2012). Vodafone is a telecommunication company and therefore the telecommunication sector of Brazil needs to be evaluated. Large companies across the globe have identified that international markets offer huge potentiality for the success of a business. In terms of the market size, countries such as India, Brazil, Russia and China are huge. Furthermore, the purchasing power of the consumers belonging to these countries is significant. Despite that, a company has to deal with a number of difficulties and complexities when attempting to research the market for a product or service in the chosen country. Nowadays, companies and other establishments use marketing research techniques so as to manage and minimize the risks associated with the market (Linder, 2006). Several studies have shown that companies do not spend much amount in developing products that market research indicates will be unsuccessful in the market. However, it is also true that marketing research at times did not shows proper results. The marketing research process is costly and at times produces results that are questionable. Now for Vodafone to enter the Brazilian market with its telecommunication products, it needs

Bartleby the Scrivener Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bartleby the Scrivener - Essay Example The symbolism of the food had important meaning in the story. Bartleby was not attracted to food, which could symbolize greed. This was subtly shown in the story by the author when he named the two other scrivener after food ( Ginger Nut and Turkey ). I was struck by the details of the scenes and puzzled at first about Bartleby. Later on, I realized that the lawyer who seemed like a decent person also used food to bargain with Bartleby. The lawyer was thinking that for a few morsels of food, he could have a peaceful conscience, thereby revealing the materialistic attitude of the lawyer. As for Bartleby’s attitude to refuse doing his job by politely saying â€Å" I prefer not to† , the issue is not all about laziness or being obstinate. It was Bartleby’s philosophy towards life that forebodes something in his past that could have made him a beaten down man .Maybe the drudgery has gotten to him and broken his spirit causing him to have passive resistance to almost everything in his life. This is what makes the story enigmatic. In the second half of the story, the lawyer is trying to remove Bartleby because he feels that Bartleby is negatively affecting his business. He is just sulking in one corner of the office the whole day. Later, the lawyer moved his office and the new tenant at the old place kicks Bartleby out. Bartleby just hangs around the hallways of the building like a specter – after all, where would he go? After some time, the lawyer finds out that Bartleby was arrested and jailed for this behavior .Later the lawyer visits him in jail but Bartleby is not interested in his concern. The second time the lawyer visited him, he has died in the yard. He died in jail because he â€Å"would prefer not to† eat. I felt the story had come to a sad conclusion until the lawyer informs us that Bartleby once worked at the Dead letter office. Bartleby found his existence meaningless after coming from there, burning letters sent to

Sepedi Language Module And Classroom Literacy Education Essay

Sepedi Language Module And Classroom Literacy Education Essay Try make an intro that introduces what you are being asked to write about. (set the scene) South Africa is an extremely diverse country consisting of many different races, religions and cultures. Language works hand-in-hand with these three elements and is something that sets our country apart from the rest of the world. (find a quote from eg Jacob Zuma about SAs languages) My mother tongue is English and my second language is Afrikaans and this year I was given the opportunity to choose one of the 11 official African languages as a language module. The University believes that this will give us more understanding of classroom literacies and and linguistic diversity in our country. I chose Sepedi as it The purpose of having classroom literacy is to empower students to become literate in a specific language and thereafter to be able to express themselves in a professional manner in terms of that language and the subject they choose to teach using that language. It serves no purpose to have students learn a specific subject in a language, say Afrikaans that they are not familiar with and perhaps even have no desire to learn, and then have to teach it in English or Sepedi. The reason therefore that Learning Institutions, such as accredited Universities like TUKS, offer Mother Tongue courses is precisely to counter this problem. One of the main purposes would be Empowerment which would seem to be the catalyst in the drive to educate students in their preferred language. Another main purpose would be to break down the barrier that was created, albeit (too old fashioned) invisibly, between the Western and the African culture. Once this is achieved there could be harmony in the cultural d iversities that exist. There is a huge linguistic diversity within all Educational Institutions in South Africa. South Africa is one of the exceptionally few countries in the world that has eleven official languages recorded in its Constitution. There are a handful of educational facilities that have been privatized and as part of their specific curriculum, that only offer one standard language being English, as the preferred language. This type of institution would commonly offer one or two African languages as an optional language but in addition have three or four European languages such as German, Spanish, Italian and French as second and third languages. Public schools, by virtue of the volume of students with an African mother tongue and or the financial capability, or lack thereof, of the parents or guardians mainly offer English as the preferred language, and one to three of the ten remaining official languages as second and third language options. Students opting for an African language as their p referred language of learning and subsequent teaching would however need to clearly understand that they would, by virtue of their choice, be limited in terms of expanding their horizons outside the boundaries of South Africa. To clarify my point here are some examples; Namibia which has Owambo, Damara, Herero, German, English and Afrikaans; Botswana that has Setswana, English, Kalanga, Kgalagadi, Afrikaans and English; Zimbabwe has Shona, Ndebele, English, Kalanga, Tonga and Mozambique which has Portuguese, Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, Shona. ******* ******* ******* Educators play a vital and essential role in the issue of sensitizing students to the diverse cultural differences in the language modules available. Whilst there may be those that share a different opinion on this issue, I believe it is essential that all basic education is done in English as this is the preferred International language on which virtually all education is based. Educators should never force students to learn a specific language because they personally either cannot speak it, like it or perhaps even are not able to teach that specific language. Having a second or third language can only be beneficial to those that can and will make use of this ability. I would see the benefit of having one or more additional language modules in African languages only for those students that have the desire to further their education in their desired field, or become teachers where they would be able to utilize what they have learnt pertaining specifically to the language they have chosen. Having said that, it is always beneficial to learn or have learnt any additional language. An implication of this would be that the student, who will ultimately be the teacher, will have to learn, and master, that specific language before they would be able to teach any learners or prospective students correctly. It serves no purpose to learn a language in a mediocre fashion and then attempt to teach learners in that mediocre fashion. The result would be catastrophic. So dramatic? In my personal opinion I feel that there are too many African language options available and then, by contrast, not enough foreign ones available as choices or options for students. This would be particularly applicable to students that have a desire to expand their education in a foreign country where the language barrier could be the deciding factor when it comes to an application for a position. It is always a prerequisite that any prospective candidate for a position in a foreign country is literate in that specific language or at least can show that they are learning or have an interest in the language. I also understand that there is a huge financial burden on Educational Institutions to have the infrastructure to be able to provide all these languages to their students. Software development is very expensive and takes a lot of time to develop and perfect. In addition to all the infrastructure and resources needed to offer all these languages, the Educational Institution would also have to employ additional mother tongue speaking and educated staff to teach these languages at a cost. The cost would have to be weighed up against the time spent by each educator and compared to the number of students per class to see if this would be a viable option. The chance that such classes would be, could be or could even become viable, is highly unlikely and therefore would become a financial burden for the Institution. I am also of the opinion that no Educational Institution should or should have to offer language modules in all eleven languages. The reason for this is twofold; one, that many of the African languages are very similar and could effectively be integrated into other languages and therefore do not warrant the vast expense of development and two, that the minority languages have so few students that it also does not make financial sense to do this. Sadly the financial implication plays a critical role in all decision making, not only in business but also in Education, in South Africa as in the rest of the world. ******** ******* ****** What you learnt in the module include 4 examples of vocab or phrases What you did in the module How others felt about the module Talk about indebele assignment and what you gained from that Overall do you feel that it was worth the time and effort? ******** *********** ****** In conclusion†¦ Sum up classroom literacies Sum up foreign languages Sum up financial implications Close off with forming your opinion

The First Day :: Personal Narrative Essays

The First Day      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was a bright sunny day, the sky was a soft shade of blue and there was a slight breeze in the air. I stepped out of my moms red shiny CRX as she said ‘Good Luck' to me. I forced up a weak smile as I shoved the door, and it made a woosh noise as it closed. I took a deep breathe and started walking towards the man entrance. I thought to myself, ‘Why does the school have all the buildings seperated?'      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I slowly walked forward as I started looking at all the other kids, most were in groups and all talking laughing and smiling. I felt very small, like I was an alien who had just landed on planet Earth. I thought to myself, ‘I should be at home, with my friends talking and laughing'. But I wasn't,   I was in Rocklin, California. Id moved here at the begging of August. And I'd hated it ever since. But I was willing to give Rocklin a shot, even though ever kid I'd met in town so far had said ‘Rocklin is the worst school'. As I walked forward with the white scrunched up piece of paper that told me my classes, I tried to look like I fit in. As I looked around for my class, I noticed I was on the wrong side of the building. ‘At least I know where the main building is,' I said to myself.   The main building looked bright and cheery, like the sun.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I trudged over to the main building trying not to look at anyone,   the pavement looked really white. When I got to the main building I walked up to a Miss Kerby, sitting behind a desk and asked her if she could tell me where this building was. Instead I felt like I had just been arrested for murder. I was bombarded with about 5 questions all at once. I answered them all, and with a negative tone she told me ‘I cant help you, you need your mom to go sign these'. I felt shocked and a huge amount of anger mounting up inside me. I walked straight out of the building. I didn't need to get crap from some lady when I was trying to get used to a state that I had never been too. I walked home and slammed the front door shut, and screamed at the top of my lungs ‘I hate it here, I am moving back to Illinois with my dad!' And ran upstairs to my room, slammed The First Day :: Personal Narrative Essays The First Day      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was a bright sunny day, the sky was a soft shade of blue and there was a slight breeze in the air. I stepped out of my moms red shiny CRX as she said ‘Good Luck' to me. I forced up a weak smile as I shoved the door, and it made a woosh noise as it closed. I took a deep breathe and started walking towards the man entrance. I thought to myself, ‘Why does the school have all the buildings seperated?'      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I slowly walked forward as I started looking at all the other kids, most were in groups and all talking laughing and smiling. I felt very small, like I was an alien who had just landed on planet Earth. I thought to myself, ‘I should be at home, with my friends talking and laughing'. But I wasn't,   I was in Rocklin, California. Id moved here at the begging of August. And I'd hated it ever since. But I was willing to give Rocklin a shot, even though ever kid I'd met in town so far had said ‘Rocklin is the worst school'. As I walked forward with the white scrunched up piece of paper that told me my classes, I tried to look like I fit in. As I looked around for my class, I noticed I was on the wrong side of the building. ‘At least I know where the main building is,' I said to myself.   The main building looked bright and cheery, like the sun.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I trudged over to the main building trying not to look at anyone,   the pavement looked really white. When I got to the main building I walked up to a Miss Kerby, sitting behind a desk and asked her if she could tell me where this building was. Instead I felt like I had just been arrested for murder. I was bombarded with about 5 questions all at once. I answered them all, and with a negative tone she told me ‘I cant help you, you need your mom to go sign these'. I felt shocked and a huge amount of anger mounting up inside me. I walked straight out of the building. I didn't need to get crap from some lady when I was trying to get used to a state that I had never been too. I walked home and slammed the front door shut, and screamed at the top of my lungs ‘I hate it here, I am moving back to Illinois with my dad!' And ran upstairs to my room, slammed

Retail Inventory :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Retail Inventory-Level Planning consists of retail inventory method (RIM) which is an accounting procedure whose objectives are to maintain a perpetual. It also can book inventory in retail dollars amounts and to maintain records that make it possible to determine the cost value of the inventory at any time without taking a physical inventory. Also known as book inventory system or perpetual book inventory. Retailers also have another important choice to make the stock to sales ratio. The stock to sales ratio is derived directly from the planned inventory to determine monthly additions to stock in the merchandise budget plan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Retailers generally think of their inventory at retail price levels rather than at cost. Retailers use their initial markups, additional markups, and markdowns, and so forth as percentages of retail. When retailers compare their prices to competitors’, they use retail prices. The problem is that when retailers to design their financial plans, evaluate performance, and prepare financial statements, they need to know the cost value of their inventory. Retailers use physical inventories. This process is time consuming and costly. Retailers take physical inventories once or twice a year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many retailers use point of sale terminals that keep track of every item sold its original cost, and its final selling price. The rest of the retailers face a problem of not knowing the cost value of their inventory at one time. These retailers with either computerized or manual systems can use retail inventory method. Their are five advantages for using RIM over a system of inventory at cost. The does not have to â€Å"cost† each time. When retailers have many SKUs, keeping track of each item becomes difficult and expensive. It is easier to determine the value of inventory with the retail prices marked on the merchandise than unmarked or at coded cost prices. The second advantage for using RIM is that it follows the accepted accounting principal of valuing assets at cost or market value, which is lower. This system lowers the value of inventory when markdowns are taken but does not allow inventory’s value increase with additional markups.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When using RIM, the amounts and percentages of initial markups, markdowns, and shrinkage can be identified. This information can then be compared with historical records or industry norms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  RIM is useful for determining shrinkage. The difference between the book inventory and the physical inventory can be attributed to shrinkage.

Poetry Analysis- in the Station of the Metro

When we read poems, we don’t exactly interpret the meaning of it automatically. It takes us a shot, or two, or three to fully understand the meaning of it or at least have your own interpretation. In the poem In a Station of the Metro, written by Ezra Pound, one of the themes that are presented is modernization. Nowadays, the metro isn’t the place where people want to be because of its lousy appearance, the people seem a little odd for others, and in other words people don’t like taking it because we all have the mentality that something bad will happen.In the next few paragraphs, it will explain detail by detail how certain literary elements are used and relate to the theme. Everything we read has a mood to put us in while we read whether it’d be comical, depressing, or even mysterious. The poem’s mood is profound. Why is this poem so profound? Well for one, with only 2 sentences there are only so much that we can uncover about a poem. A perfect ex ample to back up the fact that this poem is profound is the title.We all think that the title isn’t as important as the rest of the poem but in this one it is because without it, nobody would be able to figure out the real meaning since no one will know what the writer wrote about. For example, without the title, it can be a performer looking at the audience waiting, looking like petals on a branch just sitting there waiting for seasons to change, meaning for the performer to go up. Profound moods and modernization come together because when you think about something in general, sometimes you try discovering a new meaning to it.In the poem, we see a clear indication that with the only two sentences there are, we are supposed to come up with our own meaning. What the author did was probably for us readers to decode our own meaning of the poem by just writing 2 sentences. Because the mood is so profound, it’s very relevant to modernization because in the modern world, we find that metros are filled with angry people pushing, dirty floors and walls. The author is basically telling us that we are still the same people just on a dirty metro, as well reminding us to be calm and think of ourselves as flowers on a branch.What we see and what we actually interpret are two different things. Not everything is what it seems to be. Another element used is comparisons. To compare something means to take something and make it seem like something else. In the poem, the poet describes â€Å"faces in the crowd† as â€Å"petals on a wet, black bough† because in a crowd, it’s easy to pick out different faces because everyone is different. Everyone has a unique look and since the poet is picking out faces in a crowd, it could be a comparison to picking out petals, off a stem or a bough, one by one as if each petal was an individual face.Imagery can also be linked with the topic of comparisons because every sentence has a different meaning that ca n be linked to each other in a way that we can imagine it. Usually a metro is hectic, nobody really wants to be in it especially at rush hour, but what the poet is trying to do is remind us that within our environment around us are serenity and peace in ourselves that we have to think of. Petals from flowers are very delicate and the poet tells us that if it’s hectic on the metro or anywhere else, there is always peace to think of, like the flowers.These elements are relevant to the theme because nowadays, people tend to judge before they think twice. In the poem for example, if the people weren’t reminded that there is peace and serenity within themselves, then they’d think their society is a bad place. Is there such thing as nonsense? Is a pile of nonsense put together supposed to make sense? In the poem, the last two elements presented are effective line breaks and ambiguity.To be ambiguous means to be vague, and the poem really shows the vagueness in the eff ective line breaks. Every line in the poem is a different sentence, irrelevant to the others. The first sentence would have to be the title, â€Å"In a Station of the Metro†. This is an incomplete sentence and with the others that come, it still makes no sense. The second sentence is â€Å"The apparition of these faces in a crowd;†, still an incomplete sentence because there’s a verb that needs to come into play for it to be complete and make sense.And the last sentence of the poem is â€Å"Petals on a wet, black bough†; this as well is an incomplete sentence simply just a description. But if everything is put together, this is where ambiguity and as well imagery comes in. The fact that everything is so vague and that after every sentence there’s a break, it could subliminally mean that everything is meant to be put together like a puzzle. When the sentences are put together, it tells us that within a crowd of people on a metro, everyone is unique like petals on a bough.Even if something is ambiguous, there is always a way to figure out some meaning for it. This is related to modernization because like imagery, we don’t perceive things for what they are right away so it’s very vague, then after figuring out what it could mean or be; everything would make sense. To conclude, modernization has changed the way we think as the years go by, we all have different points of view now and we judge before we think things through.In the poem, using all the elements like mood, imagery, comparisons, ambiguity and use of effective line breaks, they all had some relevance towards the theme which was modernization. Things have changed since the earlier years. Back then, no one judged right away, everyone was just living. Now that we have new technology and such, it makes us closed minded because technology told made us believe that the real world sucks. The poem made me realize that there is more to the world than what we can a ctually physically see. Sometimes what we see isn’t exactly what we think it is.

Differences between the Compensation and Benefits Programs used in U. S. and Germany

Compensation refers to the salary and/or wage structures and programs such as job descriptions salary, bonus-based benefits programs, merit based programs and commission-based programs (Patricia & David 125). Compensation and benefits are provided either as variable pay and/or base pay. Stock option plans In Germany, stock option plans are only available for leading employees and German board members. These are usually in the form of phantom stocks, stock appreciation rights or convertible bonds (Ohle 1). At the moment of their exercise, these stock options are taxable.In German stock options are granted in two forms whose difference is primarily based on the tax treatment on them. Stock options in U. S encompass Non-Qualified Stock Options, Put Options and Incentive Stock Options. However, a great percentage of these stock options are not exercisable immediately and are non-transferable thus making it impossible to readily determine their fair market value. This implies that stock o ptions are not taxable when granted in the context of U. S (Patricia & David 127). Operational retirement provisionsUnlike U. S, Germany has operational provisions for its retirement pension plans through which employers make it possible for their workers to change some of their wages into retirement operation plans. This revolves around various models such as the assistance funds, direct insurance, pension funds and direct benefits. U. S lacks such provisions which are not bound to taxation. In German’s case, the most common retirement operational provisions encompass plans such as the 401 (k) and the cash balance plans (Ohle, 1).On a different note, the pension program of US was not made such as to offer old age insurance by itself while that of Germany is considered to be primarily a grant for a basic insurance. Thus private and operational retirement plans are very vital to American retirees unlike for Germans. Private retirement provisions In Germany, there are a social security programs to which employees’ payroll taxes account for half of the contributions while the employers contribute the other half.These include long-range nursing care, unemployment benefits, pensions and health insurance and are the four major German social security parts (Ohle 1). Other social security programs cover social indemnity catered for by the government and the accident insurance handled by the employer. The U. S system on the hand comprises of: the state program for children’s health insurance, supplementary security income, temporary assistance for needy families, health insurance for the disabled and aged, unemployment benefits, state grants for medical assistance programs (DOL 1).The U. S social system is majorly funded through payroll taxes and the overall program is divided into three main parts: survivors, retirement and disability insurance. Unemployment benefits The unemployment program in U. S is funded by the federal and state unemployment taxes paid by employers. Unemployment benefits in Germany are divided into two categories: the unemployment insurance (UI) applicable to previously employed workers who were insured during their tenure; and the unemployment assistance (UA) which comes after UI and has no time limit. The U.S unemployment benefit system differs from the one in Germany in that it covers a wide range of areas not covered by the German program (DOL 1). This is because the U. S program includes a self employment assistance package for the re-employment period, trade readjustment allowance, extended benefits, and assistance for the unemployment due to disasters. Heath care insurance The compensation and benefits program in Germany encompasses a mandatory contribution towards social security in terms of payments to the legal state health care insurance program.However, big salaried employees can opt to join a private health care system rather than the state health care system which is also considered a bene fit to some extent. On the other hand, U. S. has a different health care program known as the Federal Employees’ Health Benefits (FEHB) that enables eligible employees to be part of a group plan for health insurance (Patricia & David 131). U. S also has two other options contributing to health insurance unlike Germany. These include: life insurance under the standard additional and family options and the long-term care insurance paid for fully by the employees. Leave and public holidaysThe terms of employment in German usually include a minimum of twenty-four paid leave days annually for those employees working six days a week on full time basis and 20 days to those working 5 days a week (Ohle, 1). Public holidays however vary form state to state. This includes other paid and protected leave days such as sick leave and maternity leave. U. S on the other hand has different terms when it comes to leave and public holidays. For instance, the U. S Family and Medical Leave Act doe s not entitled employees to any leave provides for a job-protected 12 weeks unpaid leave per any twelve month period incase of care emergencies.