Disadvantages and Alternatives to Public Sector Strikes Essay

Strike replacement occurs when employers hire or use individual to perform the work of employees on strike. In the United States, it is not unfair labor practice for employers to replace the striking workers with others in effort to carry on the company’s business. Most other industrialized nations, however, do not allow permanent strike replacement. The United States is already unique among its trading partners in allowing permanent strike replacements and ban on permanent strike replacement would probably raise labor costs and harm international competiveness. For decades, employers have been permitted to hire permanent replacements for striking employees, Congressional action may change this situation, and however, any legislative changes on this issue will most likely become a political hot potatoes for most member of congress or face a probable presidential veto. (Budd, J.W) â€Å"But to maintain a balance of power between employees and employers, hiring permanent replacements is not allowed† and The United States Congress should outlaw the use of permanent replacement workers during strikes and I would argue the followings: workers investments, minimize strategic behavior, encouragement of collective bargaining, voice, Mackay doctrine, role of the law, employer has no real incentive to negotiate, Striker replacements, mandatory or permissive issue, What if negotiations fail and Italian model and Advantages, Disadvantages and Alternatives to Public Sector Strikes. I assert that the key distinction that should be made in the law of striker replacements is one based on the degree of firm ­ specific investments made by the workers involved in the strike. By focusing on that feature, the law  could prevent the use of a strike or the hiring of permanent replacements as an opportunistic behavior weapon designed to expropriate the other party’s rents. Although several proxies could potentially be available to the courts or the NLRB, there are no clear guidelines or definitions that facilitate such distinctions. Banning of replacement workers during strike would further the argument that if Congress make the decision of whether to hire striker replacements a mandatory issue of bargaining, unions and employers could make the distinction between firm-specific and general investments made by workers and thus enforce the contract so as to minimize strategic behavior. Outlawing strike replacement workers would support among the goals of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) which was the promotion and encouragement of collective bargaining. The sponsors of this Act viewed collective bargaining as the means to promote a new labor policy without having to directly regulate the terms of the employment relationship. In enacting the NLRA, Congress rejected a more interventionist approach and opted instead for a system that emphasized the distinct roles of labor and management in which outcomes were to be determined by the ability of the parties to impose economic pressure on each other through the negotiation process. Furthermore, it is somewhat ironic that among the several alternatives that have been progressive to deal with the striker replacements issue, in cases where replacement workers were used, there has been no attempt to use the collective bargaining process as a possible solution. But by incorporating the striker replacement decision into the bargaining process a non-zero-sum situation can be created which makes both parties better off, while at the same time advancing the NLRA’s objectives of industrial peace and collective bargaining by protecting the exercise by workers of full freedom of association, self-organization, and designation of representatives of their own choosing, for the purpose of negotiating the terms and conditions of their employment or other mutual aid or protection which is voice, and I contend that bargaining over the striker replacements issue creates a cooperative solution because in the cooperative game theory of bargaining, the parties can both benefi t by cooperating with each other. Banning Strike Replacement would further support Mackay doctrine to distinguish between â€Å"opportunistic behavior† by either the union or the employer, and behavior that is â€Å"no opportunistic.† Therefore, whatever modification proposal is introduced should be measured by its ability to redress this problem of strike replacement. The United States Congress need to ban strike replacement because I would argue here that the law if passed is based on the assumption that through the negotiation process the parties themselves will be best able to resolve disputes concerning the hiring of striker replacements by making the necessary trade-offs and establishing rules that commit them to mutually enforce the contract. In the law and economics parlance, if someone values an asset more than its owner, then there is scope for mutual gain by exchange. Though, under the Mackay approach to striker replacements, the decision to hire striker replacements is not amenable to resolu tion through the collective bargaining process because the rule makes bargaining over this decision too costly for a union and makes it easy for an employer to behave opportunistically. Strike Replacement Ban by United States Congress if enacted should then focus on providing the proper framework in which negotiations or mutual exchange should take place. In this sense, the role of the law is threefold. First, the legal framework should allocate the initial rights or entitlements in a way that increases the likelihood of successful bargaining. Second, the law should seek to minimize the transaction costs associated with bargaining. Finally, the legal framework should provide adequate enforcement mechanisms for cases in which bargaining fails. However, bargaining situations characterized by zero transaction costs are rare. If there are no obstacles to exchanging legal entitlements, they will be allocated efficiently by private agreement, so the initial allocation by the courts does not influence the efficiency of the final allocation; and the assignment of property rights does not matter when the transaction costs are zero. By negotiating to an impasse and then hiring permanent replacements. The employer has no real incentive to negotiate over the striker replacement issue because any negotiation will by definition make the employer worse  off. Even if the union places a high value on protecting at least those employees that are subject to opportunistic behavior, and even if the union is willing to compromise on the protection of other (less-skilled) employees or on any other issue, no bargaining is likely to ever take place under the Mackay rule. In this sense, and using the language of bargaining theory, the Mackay doctrine makes it less likely that bargaining will take place and in that sense it is inefficient. It is necessary, therefore, that any reform pro ­posal start by changing the initial allocation of rights, by granting union protection against the hiring of permanent striker replacements. On the other hand, giving unions protection against the hiring of permanent replacements, without an ything more, will also result, as developed above, in the likelihood of opportunistic behavior by the union. Thus, if unions are allowed to strike, knowing that their members cannot be permanently replaced, they will be free to engage in strikes and in that way negotiate more freely. Ban on Strike Replacement would more likely if making the striker replacement issue a mandatory subject of bargaining, therefore, providing this protection, will make it more costly for employers to force a strike in the hope of getting rid of the union. The employer will only be able to accomplish this by paying a fairly high price. Even though another means of union bursting is closing operations. By making it a mandatory subject of bargaining, will minimize transaction costs by giving the union, the party which probably values this right the most, the opportunity to exchange the protection against permanent replacements for other bargaining demands they might value more highly. In this sense, the proposal facilitates bargaining by making more explicit the types of exchanges the union has to make. Striker replacements: mandatory or permissive Issue? The NLRA imposes on the employer and the union a duty to bargain in good faith. This duty requires the parties to bargain to impasse over mandatory issues. Permissive issues can be brought to the bargaining table, but neither party is required to bargain over them. But a question that is likely be raised by the proposal of banning strike replacement workers would be, is whether the duty to bargain over the decision to hire permanent. The rationale for arguing that unions will, as opposed to the employer, be more likely to bargain over the  striker replacement issue if given the initial legal entitlement, is based on the realities of the industrial relations process. First, the protection against striker replacement does not make the strike a â€Å"risk free† venture for the union. The adversity of doing without a paycheck and health insurance puts enormous pressure on the strikers to settle a dispute as soon as possible. Most American workers have no cushion, no money socked away to make house payments and car payments, to buy food or to pay doctors’ bills. Second, unreasonable pressures or unwillingness to bargain over this issue could represent a matter of survival for the union. Workers have no incentive to make demands that will throw their employers into bankruptcy or otherwise cause permanent economic harm to their employers. The worker, after all, is dependent on the employer’s long-term economic health. Workers realize this, and this realization significantly moderates worker demands. What is the scope of this duty: For the purposes of my argument, to bargain collectively is the performance of the mutual obligation of the employer and the representative of the employees to meet at reasonable times and confer in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. The Supreme Court classified subjects of bargaining as mandatory, permissive, or il legal. Mandatory subjects are defined as those that regulate wages, hours, and other conditions of the relationship between employer and employees. Permissive issues are those dealing with subjects other than wages, hours, and working conditions. Replacements can be characterized as a mandatory issue of bargaining. I would contend that bargaining during contract negotiations over the utilization of striker replacements in the case of a strike should clearly be considered a mandatory topic. Although there do not appear to be any cases directly on point, the striker replacement issue could be considered a mandatory subject based on several grounds. First, like a no-strike provision, bargaining over the use of striker replacements involves a critical aspect of the relationship between the employer and the union, and should on these grounds be seen as a mandatory bargaining subject. Second, similar to work rules such as attendance and absenteeism policies, the striker replacements decision deals with the obligation of the employees to report to work under the employment contract. As such, they regulate an issue central to the day-to-day employer-employee relationship, and finally, making the striker  replacements provision a mandatory issue of bargaining could be sup ­ ported as a means of advancing the objectives of the NLRA in evading industrial conflict and what happens if all out negotiations fail. What if negotiations fail, it could be argued that if Congress by banning Strike Replacement will not, in practice, produce results any different than could be accomplished by merely overruling the Mackay doctrine. Thus my contention could arguably say that bargain to impasse over the striker replacement issue, call a strike, and then behave opportunistically, because employers will not be allowed to replace economic strikers. I argue from both a practical and theoretical perspective that a contrary dynamic will likely prevail. As discussed above, the bargaining process by distributing the initial allocation of rights in a way that is conducive to mutual gain exchange. Bargaining over the striker replacement issue is not likely to occur under current law because employers are given the right to permanently replace strikers and the general issue is not clearly defined as a mandatory topic of bargaining. Thus, under the current scheme of things, there is almost no incentive for employe rs to bargain with respect to this issue. By overruling Mackay, while at the same time making the striker replacement issue a mandatory topic of bargaining, it increases the likelihood that the two parties will reach an agreement. The collective bargaining agreement between the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Olin Corporation, for example, provides: The employees as well as the Union shall cross all picket lines for the performance of work which is essential to the maintenance of the Company’s plant and equipment for standby operations.†189 Similarly, the agreement between the Steelworkers and Harbison-Walker Refractories, provides that: No strike or lockout shall occur at the establishment covered by this Agreement during the life of this Agreement, and continuous kilns shall be maintained at all times at a temperature which will result in no loss of ware or damage to the kilns, and periodic kilns under fire shall be burned off. Pumping operations shall also be continued during any strike or work stoppage that may occur. These two labor contracts clearly indicate the ability of unions and employers to, through the collective negotiations process, devise rules governing behavior in the event of, and during, strikes. An instructive example can also be found in  recent labor legislation enacted in Italy which regulates strike activity involving essential public services. Act 146 of the Italian Labor Code, enacted in 1990 follows the recent trend in Italian labor law towards consensual regulation. It relies in part on collective bargaining as the means of regulating the impact of strikes on the provision of essential services. Indeed, collective bargaining agreements have proven to be the main source of strike regulation under the new Italian law. Agreements have been negotiated with respect to most of the so-called essential services covered under the Act. Bargaining has occurred at both the national and local levels, with local agreements being used as a means of tailoring the rules to the specific needs of the participants. For example, the national agreement covering urban and suburban transportation establishes the principle that during a strike, service must be guaranteed for six hours a day at â€Å"peak times.† The local agreements then specify the definition of peak times and indicate the number of employees required to guarantee the service, as well as the way of selecting those employees. The Italian experience demonstrates, albeit in a different setting, that bargaining is likely to occur on the issue of the regulation of strike activity when and if the proper legal framework and structure is provided to the parties. Although I am not advocating the adoption of the Italian model in the United States, I believe that it provides some hope that a negotiations approach to the striker replacement issue of the kind we have here could bring positive net results to unions, employees, employers, and the general public. In sum, the striker replacement issue and the outlawing or legislative over ­ ruling of the Mackay doctrine are highly controversial and command considerable attention. The issue is, as exemplified in the strike during the fall of 1993 at American Airlines, fraught with emotion, with one side decrying the â€Å"union-busting hiring of scabs† and the other pronouncing the right to hire permanent striker replacements as essential to the preservation of free enterprise and a free society. Though, economic  efficiency of the Mackay doctrine as it currently operates, I would however, dispute the debate that the Mackay doctrine promotes â€Å"economic efficiency.† In particular, I content that employees that have made firm-specific investments are â€Å"inefficiently† vulnerable to an employer’s opportunistic behavior given the ability of employers to permanently replace such workers during a strike. To reform this situation I advocate: (1) the repeal of the Mackay doctrine, thereby granting unions protection against the hiring of permanent replacements; and (2) requiring that the issue of striker replacements be explicitly made a †mandatory† bargaining subject under the NLRA, with any agreements regarding this issue clearly surviving contract expiration. With the 1990 Italian strike regulation statute serving as a general model, the idea is that the resolution of this controversial issue can be most efficiently accomplished through negotiations between the parties themselves. I highly recommend these proposed statutory reforms to Congress and others currently studying reforms of the NLRA. There are however, differences, advantages and disadvantages between private and public sector strikes. (Budd, 2013) â€Å"Prohibiting public sector strikes is rooted in several traditional beliefs: that striking against the government is an unacceptable threat to the supreme authority of the government, that public sector employee bargaining power is too high there are no markets-based checks on their demand, and that government services are too critical to be interrupted†. Advantages and Disadvantages to Public Sector Bargaining From the perspective of the public sector union and the workers they represent there can be seen a number of advantages and disadvantages to bargaining in an environment like the public sector. Advantages: A few of the advantages available to union bargaining representatives seem simplistic in nature, but there is a definite advantage present. First of all, public sector employers do not have the option of relocating. One very important bargaining advantage possessed by public sector unions concerns the mopolistic nature of public services. Public sector labor can exert more pressure than can their private sector counterparts because there are generally few good substitutes available for public services, and any withholding of these services will immediately be felt by those depending upon the service. This increases the incentive for public employers and managers to settle with the union and avoid any action by the union which might result in their having to face an angry public. In case of impasse and strikes occurs: Advantages available to public sector unions and employees as a bargaining tool is the potential that a strike can have as a bargaining weapon in some ways the strike has the potential for being more formidable tactic for the public worker than for private sector unions. For many government services there are few good substitutes available for the service. When the service is denied by a public worker job action, then the public has few available alternatives to turn to in place of the service. The greater the inconveniences to the public brought about by the strike, the greater is the pressure up on the public employer to make concessions and end the work stoppage. Unions can also strikes in the public sector so that they occur when they are the most politically effective. This also increase the incentive for an early settlement. In short, the effectiveness of the public sector strike depends upon public opinion and consequent political pressure that would coerce management in the public sector to concede to the demands of labor. Disadvantages: So far it may seem that labor has controlling advantages in terms of the public sector bargaining relationship, but some very definite disadvantages also face unions in the public sector. The political process and decision approval in the levels of benefits to public workers go through political process. Public managers have far less authority and flexibility in their decision making than do their private sector partners, and the decision making process may take place far away from the actual agency. Strikes in the public sector, labor relations, and the issue which is most controversial and elicits the most attention is the strike issue. In the  past, public sector workers have frequently resorted to the work stoppage in an attempt to exert pressure on public sector management. These workers actions have net with varying degrees of disfavor from public sector management, and have had mixed results as to being successful. There is an important economic implication of denying public employees the right to engage in a work stoppage. In order for the rights of public workers under collective bargaining to be upheld there must be some sort of cost or incentive for managers to bargain seriously. The public sector strike, however, has a few disadvantages which can keep it from being effective. While strikes in the private sector impose costs upon management by preventing the organization’s operation, strikes in the public sector exert no economic pressure. However, there are alternatives to the strike, the strike has significant potential as a bargaining tool in the public sector, but the problems involved with the strike make it a very risky and unpredictable tool to use. There are a number of alternatives to the strike that perform the same basic function as the strike weapon does, namely, that of protecting the right of public workers to bargain effectively. These alternatives also have the added advantage of protecting the rights of public sector employers as well as the general public. Such alternatives are not equal in effectiveness, however, and each possesses its own unique advantages and disadvantages over other types of dispute resolution. Fact Finding: finding is used, the two parties to a dispute select a neutral third party to act to investigate the dispute and to submit recommendations as to the proper course of action. It is not the job of the fact finder to reach an agreement on the dispute. It is important to note that the fact finder’s report is advisory and not binding in nature. One or both of the parties to the dispute may reject the recommendations of the fact finder. The fact finder’s report, however, will become a part of the public record, and if one party has taken an unreasonable stance in bargaining this will soon become apparent to all. In public service industries sensitive to public opinion, the threat of publication is particularly effective as an incentive to bargain in good faith. Another alternative is the mediator who acts as an advisor in bargaining to both parties, and uses his own persuasive influence and other techniques available to him to bring the  parties to an agreemen t

Marketing southwest airlines

Gone were the days when companies used to be product-focused, utilizing salespeople to sell their products to the market without any specific goals in mind. The advent of marketing changed all this and has since revolutionized the manner of marketing certain products and services. This paper shall look into the marketing strategies Southwest Airlines is currently utilizing to gain a good market share amidst a long list of airline companies today. Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines was initially incorporated to serve three cities in Texas as Air Southwest on March 15, 1967, by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher. Air Southwest changed its name to Southwest Airlines In early 1971 and the first flight was recorded on June 18, 1971.   Over the years, Southwest has added improved 737 variants but has stayed within the Boeing 737 family to reduce operating costs. Because this technique simplified training, maintenance, and ground operations, it revolutionized the industry's approach to building aircraft fleets. In January 2005 Southwest put to rest its remaining 737-200, the oldest type in its fleet. This event was highlighted with employees wearing pajamas for an early morning flight covering the original Dallas-San Antonio-Houston before returning to Dallas and called this â€Å"putting the -200s to bed†. Marketing Strategies Southwest is known for putting value to the most important people, the customers and the employees. The success of behind a company’s success is its people who understand the significant contribution of their company. Southwest believes that with unsatisfied employees may be translated to unsatisfied customers. The company is known for its distinct customer service philosophy.   Lovelock and Wirtz (2002, p. 58) made is clear that a good customer service spells a big difference in gaining a good number of customers. Southwest must see to it that despite the large number of airline companies that exist today, customers must continue to fly their airline. This is no easy task considering the challenge of trying to beat the other airlines who may offer lower fares or provide more valuable services. Flying on Southwest is quite different from that of most other U.S. airlines such as that tickets are only available and may be purchased from the airline itself. They are not available through travel agents or through common online venues. The tickets may be bought over the phone or via online transactions at the company’s website. Another thing that sets the company aparts from other airline companies is that reservations can be changed at will without corresponding penalties. To an ordinary customer, this service means so much. There’s another way Southwest is doing to gain more customers. It offers Rapid Rewards where customers receive one credit per each one-way ticket (http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/Southwest%20Airlines.htm). This program was eventually modified to provide a better offer to customers who frequently fly the airline company. In February 2006, Southwest instituted Capacity Controls to redeeming its free tickets. This means that the airline limits the seats offered to frequent travelers using free certificates on each flight, whereas previously if there was a seat available, you could use the award, provided you were not flying on one of the five blackout dates. Southwest has added fun in its advertisements such as â€Å"just Plane Smart,† The Somebody Else Up There Who Loves You† and â€Å"The Low Fare Airline†. This is its way of reaching to its targeted audience in the simplest and easiest way possible. Since the 1990s, Southwest has come up with television campaigns based on the phrase â€Å"Wanna get away?† Their TV commercilas are filled with funny scenes showing how people appear during situations they find themselves while ‘wanting to get away’. What really distinguishes Southwest from other airlines is its sound clip ‘ding which is now being associated with the company. Conclusion No amount of enticing marketing strategies will be able to entice the most number of customers if all they get are airline employees who give them the cold shoulder. This is something that Soutwest is being known for and its management is trying to build up among its employees. Southwest employees are generally regarded for their friendliness. The Economist   came up woth a Special report entitled â€Å"Low-cost airlines Turbulent Skies† in July 8, 2004 highlighting the present dilemma airline companies are facing. The 9/11 incident actually changed the way people are dealing with airline companies. No one can deny the fact that people have started developing a kind of fear against flying. Peterson (2004 p.124 ) illustrates the changes which companies like Southwest may undertake to compete with the times by using marketing principles attuned to the times. As Lovelock and Wirtz (2002), there are better ways to deal with certain situations that beset companies like Southwest. The problem left by the 9/11 incident among airline companies, the best way to sell or encourage more customers to fly Southwest is to offer them more than just low-cost fares. It is important to provide them the best customer service experience no other airline can give. Works Cited: http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/Southwest%20Airlines.htm (Retrieved September 12, 2006) Lovelock, C., & Wirtz, J. Services Marketing People Technology Strategy. McGraw-Hill/Irwin. July 2002 Low-cost airlines Turbulent Skies. The Economist Special Report. Jul 8th 2004 Peterson, B.   Blue Streak: Inside jetBlue, the Upstart that Rocked an Industry. Portfolio Hardcover. 2004      

On the feature of American slangs Essay

Abstract: With the development of the society, slang is accepted by more and more Americans. This thesis analyses features and functions of American slang. The author draws a conclusion that American slang reflects the cultural characteristics of Americans’ humor, informality, self-confidence, anti-authority, innovation consciousness and pursuit for time efficiency. Slang is a sort of informal language, the original purpose is to express vulgarly or use it as a jargon or cant. With the development of the modern American culture, the modern American slang has become a common linguistic phenomenon which is different from jargon and argot, spreading all over any aspects of life. In American English, slang is also one of the major parts in people’s life and can reflect the social life about civilian requirements and characteristics of language expression. According to accurate statistics, the daily American vocabulary is about 10000-20000 words, of which 10% about 2000 words are slangs, these slangs are frequently used in people’s daily life, with strong expression and abundant culture feature, therefore, only by having some certain knowledge on American slangs can we speak American English properly and natively. Here is what I am going to discuss on the characteristics of modern American slang, and the translation of American slang as well, so as to improve people’s understanding and the use of American slangs. The basic characteristics of modern American slang (a) informality The most significant feature is informality, which is the origin of the slang and nature of it. Because of the informal expression of American slang, moreover, comparing the American English with British English, the former is actually more flexible and informal. Therefore, it also determines the informality of American slang and makes it even more apparently. For instance: A:Excuse me. I have to catch some Zs. (Excuse me. I have to take a nap.) B:I thought you just woke up. Sleepyhead.(I thought you just woke up. You are lazy and sleepy.) In this example, a typical slang â€Å"catch some Zs† by the speaker means taking a nap, and â€Å"sleepyhead† means a person who loves sleeping, both of which are limited to oral English expression frequently, generally not used for formal expressions. In addition, common American slang expressions such as â€Å"kiss ass (sycophancy)†, â€Å"hit the road (set out)†, and â€Å"take a dump (defecate)† are typically informal. It is because of its obvious informality that Americans like advocating freedom of expressions in some light-hearted situations that need humorous atmosphere to ease embarrassing scene. Both politicians or ordinary people prefer using slangs to light up the atmosphere. (b) creativity America is a country that desires for freedom. In pursuit of innovation, people are unremitting to new things and new ideas, which creates a large number of novel American slang words and provide a perfect condition. Furthermore, one of the characteristics of American slang is innovative. American slangs always use the original or new words to reflect new things, new development and new concept. Like the word â€Å"jazz† , it was first used to express a kind of music in New Orleans. Along with the development of jazz, Americans soon produced â€Å"bop† (pop), â€Å"far – out† (fashion), â€Å"beat† , â€Å"cool† (modern), etc. Because of the style of jazz, the word â€Å"jazz† generates some new meanings, such as â€Å"exertion†, â€Å"cordiality†, â€Å"frenzy† and so on. The old American drug addicts created the slang nose candy, black stuff, shooting gallery referring to drug. The blacks create and use slang a lot, such as dog juices (cheap wine), cakewalk (a kind of hip-hop dance), breakdancing (break), etc. Since the 1980s, some modern terms have been popular among the young, such as â€Å"bag your faith (left)†, â€Å"big time (serious)†, â€Å"golden (women)†, â€Å"worms (ugly people)†. They are the creative use of the phrases from the slangs. The generation of slang is inseparable from the creative use of the original English vocabulary, and the creation of new words plays a vital role as well. The United States is a multi-national country with immigrants, and constantly the moving in immigrants creates new words, making the American slangs increase rapidly. All of these prove that American slang is innovative. (c)universality In American English, the use of slangs are very common. It has something to do with the pursuit of flexibility, innovation, humor in American English, also with the history of United States. In the history of the United States, â€Å"westward movement in the contemporary† formed the largest population flow, so that the regional dialect and the jargon from all classes including cant have been widely spread. Because the official does not emphasize on â€Å"literary language†, and has made few â€Å"language purification†, thus jargon and sayings which were constantly used , have formed today’s omnifarious slangs that Americans generally use. In the 20th century, American slangs had a development which progressed by leaps and bounds. During the two world wars, the Vietnam war, the Korean war, and the cold war period, a large quantity of slangs generated. Moreover, American social problems, such as racial discrimination, civil rights movement, family disintegr ation, sexual liberation, gay so on and so forth, much more American slangs have mushroomed. English slangs can be defined to common colloquial language, and according to the definition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary (1985), slangs are frequently used as colloquial words and phrases. It cannot be taken as Standard-English, therefore this demonstrates that, slang is Nonstandard-English. Nevertheless, slangs are very popular among the English-speaking countries nowadays. Slangs are spoken by people in daily speech, and even magazine and literary works may find a large number of them. With the development of the society, slangs are widely used by more and more people, especially in America, slang can be found favorable in the Americans’ eyes. It is accepted by both upper-class and lower-class, and especially the college students who tend to use up-to-date words that form a kind of characteristic style of themselves. Slang plays an important part in American English. It is reported that slang accounts for one of the tenth of American average vocabulary. People’s attitude toward slang varies from person to person. Some think that slang cannot be used on the formal occasion, for it is spoken by the illiterate people only and the slang terms are so coarse. Some even think that slang is the filthy language, and advocate abandoning using it. However, others hold the opposite idea. They think that slang play an important role in English language, because of its fresh, lifelike, humor and adequate expressions. One must admit the undeniable fact that slang is spoken by more and more people. In modern times, if one is not familiar with American slang he or she could not capture the slang expressions in the movie and common fictions, and, what worse, one would 0make mistakes when they are talking with the Americans. An example will clarify the fact. A guide asks the tourist â€Å"anybody wants to take a leak?†(Does anybody want to go to the restroom?), and, of course, what the guide said would make the tourist surprise. It is the uneducated vulgarity of expression at all. Therefore, one should bear in mind that it is very important to study language in a sociocultural context; the language has existed in close contact with culture. Fro m the example one can know that misusing slang would result in misunderstanding in the communication. It can not tell others that one is good at English. It is not thus; moreover it shows that one just has half-back knowledge about slang. Americans speak colorful, idiomatic English that may have little resemblance to the language one studied in school. Even a native English speaker might be confused by the combination of slang that characterizes American conversation. So it is very important to capture the American slang expression in order to know others correctly. This thesis starts with the analysis of the cultural condition of American slang, and its purpose is to probe into the features of slang so as to bring the relationship between slang and society culture to light. â…  .American Slang is quite a controversial language, people have different attitude toward it. It is no wonder that the definition of slang is so variety. However, the slang terms have their own characters, and, of course, the definitions of it are more or less described in the same way. A. The Definition of Slang Slang is a rather special parole. It is neither the word that beyond the regular role of grammatical usage, nor rural dialect. Although it is quite different from acrolect which used on the formal occasion, people quite like to use it in daily speech. As a matter of fact, the meaning of most slang is similar to the words of colloquial style. Some consider one word is slang, while others might not think so. For example, the old may believe the word bike is slang, but the youth might not .Bicycle is trisyllabic, while bike is monosyllabic, it is so troublesome to pronounce the word with trisyllabic, and of course, the youth prefer to omit some other two syllables, and bike is spoken by the youth more often. To some certain slang, it is hard to tell the differences between slang and colloquial style. One of the definitions of it is, â€Å"the body of words and expression frequently used by or intelligible to a rather large portion of the general public, but not accepted as good; formal usage by the majority† (Flexner, 1975:3).

Public health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Public health - Essay Example It is important for the public to continuously be sensitized on the impact that some of the common lifestyle choices such as physical activity, smoking, nutrition and diet can have on their health resulting in a higher risk of developing medical conditions such as cancer and obesity (Sattar and Lean, 2007). This paper will present a report analysis on the prevalence and impact Smoking, Obesity, Cancer and Physical activity across the United Kingdom. The immense benefits of a physically active lifestyle have been relatively well document and there currently exists a large amount of evidence that suggests that regular activity is closely related to significantly reduced risk of an individual developing a number of chronic conditions. Physical activity has repeatedly been shown to contribute to a wide range of health benefits and engaging in regular physical activity can have the effect of improving the health outcomes of an individual regardless of whether the individual is able to achieve weight loss (Dugdill, Crone and Murphy, 2009). According to statistics released by the UK Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC, 2014), a study conducted in the UK in 2012 found that an estimated 55% of women and 67% of men aged 16 years and over were able to meet the prescribed recommendations of aerobic activity while 26% of women and 19% of men were classified as being largely inactive. These figures are seen to be similar to those presented by in a 2013 press release by the UK Public Health Minister Anna Soubry. In the press release, pointed out that a quarter of the population are not doing even 30 min of physical activity a week and as such, these individuals are putting their health at risk (Department of Health, 2013). The survey by the HSCIC (2014) also showed that for both sexes the actual proportion of individuals that are able to meet the aerobic activity guidelines tends to generally decrease with age. The

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 9

Ethics - Essay Example This may be problematic for the healthcare personnel to diagnose the actual disease a patient will be suffering from, and it may be difficult to apply proper medication to the patient. This is dangerous since it can be harmful to the patient in the long run. However, there are certain instances where breach of confidentiality can be viewed in a positive light. If a patient, particularly an adolescent, is diagnosed with a disease that can be harmful to him or her, then there is a need for breach of confidentiality if it is necessary for the parents to know the case. If the disease is also a threat to the community at large, then it may be imperative for the healthcare practitioner to breach confidentiality. In this particular case, Hathaway believes that harm will come to Andrea who has been diagnosed with cervical cancer unless the parents are informed of the diagnosis of the disease. The problem is that the patient is minor, hence she may not follow proper channels of having the dis ease cured unless her parents are informed. It is also difficult in different healthcare systems in the US for a minor to be treated with such disease without parental consent. Therefore, for the benefit of the minor in this case, it will be ideal to breach confidentiality. 2. ... The case of cervical cancer can pose a threat to public health if it is not controlled. Therefore, measures should be taken in order to ensure that public health is not negatively affected, hence the reason to breach the principle of confidentiality. The virtue theory, on the other hand, talks about what a good person will do in certain circumstances in life (1). In this case, a good person will take measures that are meant to protect the patient as well as the community at large. Any action that is beneficial to the community and the patient is appropriate though it may entail that confidentiality will be breached. These two ethical theories give the healthcare practitioner a leeway to make positive decisions though they may be in breach of confidentiality. 3. In order to address the dilemma presented in this particular case study, there are different stages that can be taken. First and foremost, it is imperative to diagnose the situation and identify all the problems associated wit h the scenario. It is important to gather as much information as possible about this particular problem so as to be in a better position to gain an insight into it. Having identified the problem, it becomes important to try to come up with as many solutions as possible to the problem identified. Once the probable solutions have been identified, the healthcare professional involved can then take the opportunity to select the best possible solutions that are likely to yield the best results from taking that particular course of action. When the best solution has been found, then it can be implemented in order to address the situation. However, implementing the decision is not an end in itself but part of an ongoing process. For instance, it will be important to

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

Questions - Essay Example Once the research is done,researcher must ensure the safety of the information.In order to avoid ethical issues,researcher must comply with the ethical policies or guideline provided by the respective institution.For instance, Australian education departments provide their students with the ethical guidelines that are required to be strictly followed during any kind of research while working in schools.Researchers are also required to comply with university ethical acts when the research is part of degree completion(Kervin et al.,2006). Describe the steps in conducting a research inquiry, connect these to what they might look like for an educator conducting classroom based research. According to (Kervin et al.,2006),a research inquiry involves four major steps: topic selection;the literature review; literature critique; and research question or hypotheses formation. Topic Selection Selecting a topic for inquiry is a major task because all the proceeding steps depend on its validity a nd strength.Researcher must select a broad category of his or her own interest and then it must be narrowed down to as specific as it can.Researcher’s prior experiences, observations, and further research and inquiry leads to a strong and specific question in his or her area of study(Kervin et al.,2006) The Literature Review Literature review is the study of existing literature and research work done in the same area of study researcher has selected.In literature review ,researcher studies and analyses authentic primary and secondary sources,such as,books, journals, reports, and interviews.The main objective is to gather as much information and understanding as possible about the particular topic and move ahead with the research objective in mind.The new research has the potential to confirm the findings; disapprove with results or methodology;fill the gaps; and further diversify the existing research.Literature review provides the foundation of a strong research(Kervin et al .,2006) Critiquing the Literature Once the researcher studies and analyses the primary and secondary sources for the literature review,he must take points and write every idea in a precise paragraph with valid arguments.Researcher must focus on his or her area of study by documenting particular examples or observations in the class(Kervin et al.,2006). Research Question or Hypothesis Defining research question or hypothesis is the integral part of research study because research proceeds on it.The question must be clear either general or specific.It is because a clearly defined and specific question leads to a better research plan;helps in quality data collection; gain solid knowledge;and lesser change of errors(Kervin et al.,2006). What are two differences between qualitative and quantitative research designs? Provide examples where appropriate. The major difference in

American unemployment and how it effects the economy Essay

American unemployment and how it effects the economy - Essay Example t 2010) article discussing the same report indicated similar positive indicators and speculated on the nature of the connection between the economy and the unemployment figures. It attributed the lowered rates to both the general flux of the economy, and the most recent stimulus package. It states that, â€Å"All the well-known private economic research firms estimate that it’s had a huge impact. IHS Global Insight, for instance, says the economy has about 1.7 million more jobs today than it would have had without the stimulus.† While one would conceivably believe this to be indicative of a recovering economy a number of researchers argue that the percentage change is not as beneficial as observers might believe. Cook (2010) discusses that overall the unemployment rate remains awful, â€Å"men (10 percent), teenagers (26.4 percent), African-Americans (16.5 percent), and Hispanics (12.6 percent).† Other negative indicators are that the number of people who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or more has actually increased with this report, and that the amount of people who have stopped looking for work has increased to over 1 million, from the 500,000 figure of last year. It is also estimated that for the economy to keep pace with population growth, and the unemployment numbers to at least remain stable, the country would have to produce more than 140,000 new jobs per month (Leonhardt 2010). Other researchers state that the findings also indicate that the recession is worse than was originally assumed. The New York Times (Leonhardt 2010) stated that the reports indicate the economy had 1.4 million fewer jobs last year than was originally reported. An Economist (2010) article points out that even when the economy begins to recover certain job sectors may never see pre-recession employment figures. It argues that, â€Å"The past decade’s jobs in retail and in entertainment were largely supported by household borrowing. Not only is a new wave of borrowing unlikely to

Explain the Scientific Management Approach with reference to Henry Essay - 1

Explain the Scientific Management Approach with reference to Henry Fayol and Frederick Taylors principles of management - Essay Example tation of science was basically targeted at manufacturing industry and other regular responsibilities, in order to improve productivity and competence from top to lower echelon of leadership. On the one hand, Taylor suggests that the development of proven practices need to be anchored on comprehensive observation of business processes, and on thorough training and recruitment of the most qualified of workers, because by doing so, organizations will be guaranteed smoother processes and more profit (Maqbool, Zakariya, and Paracha, 2011). In light of this, Taylor summarised his approach in four principles namely: a) scientific creation of work processes; b) scientific selection and training of workers; c) enlightening workers on the benefits of scientific management; and d) specialization of employees (Taylor, 2013). All of these strategies are aimed at improving productivity and better gains in organizations. Taylor (2013) argues that developing a scientific system of work eases the measurement of employee output. With these analyses, positive adjustments could be affected to the equipment and workstation programs used by employees, which would eventually enhance efficiency and productivity of business. Scientific recruitment and preparation of workers to weather various workplace challenges helps to realign divergent employee aptitudes, and fit them to their respective job. In light of this, the role of management would translate in to selecting the most qualified of employees for a particular job, and training the candidates scientifically to enhance their productivity (Maqbool, Zakariya, and Paracha, 2011). For instance, a high school that is in need a graduate teacher specialised in specific subjects, would recruit such an individual from a pool of applicants, and train him or her on the best ways to relate well with students, fellow members of staff, parents, school clinicians and the immediate community to ensure they fit in the new workplace

Strategic public governance at government level Essay

Strategic public governance at government level - Essay Example It also include the processes to determine the investment direction, the public services sector needs to be addressed, extension of the operations of the state, limitations faced by the Government in order to undertake the state activities. Strategy formulation also helps the Government in deciding about the matters to be addressed on priority basis. There is not any state in the world which has unlimited resources. Therefore the states need to evaluate which projects are important and need investment. The future of a state is very much effected by the strategic decision of the Government of the state. Strategy implementation is the process of preparing the culture, stake holders motivation and resource allocation in order to eke the Government in acquiring the on going benefits for the state. The process is constituted on the implementation of supportive policies, redirecting the Governing bodies and the efforts of related stakeholders, planning the financial issues, alignment of the information system with the information needs of the departments and last but not least provisions of high level of facilities to the population. The strategy implementation stage required several actions to be taken by the Government in order to get the most of it. The successful implementation of a strategy is directly related to the ability of a Government to motivate all the stakeholders in the strategic direction and to develop a state culture to adopt the change and take it into practise. It also demands some crucial steps by the related departments. The responsible bodies should depict different qualities such as discipline, high level of commitment and motivation, leadership and enthusiasm of making things possible. Successful implementation of strategy is very important. This is the most crucial step in the whole process since it involves many factors besides the ability of governing bodies. This includes the adoption of change by all the stakeholders, their commitment levels, and the enthusiasm towards their jobs. Most often the states fail to achieve their desired targets since they fail to implement their strategie s in a successful manner or fail to get support from their employees. The final stage is the strategy evaluation. After the implementation it is important for the managers to test the effectiveness of the strategy. The strategy of a state requires constant updating. With the changing conditions at national and international level it is important for a state to keep its strategy in tact with the changing environment. An out dated strategy cannot fulfil the needs of today's global environment. In order to go through the updating process the states should carry on an audit to analyse which aspect requires improvement. It also specifies what strategy is necessary to support the state operations, the information people use currently and the gaps in these functions and the goals. Most managers fail to analyse the current situation of their business and lack a sense of intuition and forecasting. Often it is also a draw back that the strategy of some states neglects the change in the

East Asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

East Asia - Essay Example North Korea has a history of poor relations with its neighbors. Even though fighting stopped after the ceasefire of the Korean War in 1953, both South and North Korea are still at war with each other. Korea was spilt into North and South Korea after the WWII and ever since they have never had cordial relations. As early as 1950, North Korea tried to capture the southern region but was defeated. In 1972 they agreed to work towards peaceful reunification but it was short-lived (Historyofnations, 2005). Recently its nuclear weapon program has prompted the express concerns of its neighbors including Japan, China, South Korea and Russia. While each of these countries have been condemning the missile tests, they have taken a different stand on how to deal with the affairs concerning North Korea. In 1998, North Korea had launched a midrange missile over Japan, which provoked Japan to take stern action. This prompted Japan to strengthen its military ties with US and transform its own Self-Defense Forces into a full-fledged military. In 2006, Japan took a very firm stand and threatened to impose economic sanctions against North Korea (Onishi & Kahn, 2006). It would cut off money transfers from Japan which means cutting off a significant source of cash for North Korea. It had also banned the North Korean Mangyongbong-92 ferry from entering its ports for six months in 2006. This was a vital link for transferring cash and supplies to North Korea. Japan had tried to normalize relations with North Korea even though the latter had abducted Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s to teach Japanese language and culture to the North Korean army (Duk-Min, 2005). Japan has strained relations with South Korea and China and it needs the support to be tough with North Korea in imposing eco nomic sanctions. China and South Korea have in the recent years increased their economic activities with North partly to save the

Civil Rights After Civil Rights Essay Example for Free

Civil Rights After Civil Rights Essay Brown versus Board of Education, and the 1964 civil rights act, was major milestones in the civil rights movement, but they did not end segregation, and did not eliminate the need to talk about race in today’s culture. The civil rights act itself was a law that allowed loopholes to be exploited, and was not an act that ended the need to continue to fight civil rights. Brown versus Board of Education outlawed segregation in public schools, but the fight to desegregate proved difficult. Today segregation exists in schools, but it exists from different methods. A prime example of how the Jim Crow South was lied in St Louis, a border city. Today, segregation of housing still exists in Cities and it resembles the Jim Crow south more than one might think. Maybe the biggest accomplishment of the Civil rights movement was the drifting away from the deep seeded racism common throughout the country, not just in the south. But the past must be understood to understand the current problems faced in this country regarding race. The race problem has not gone away, and not acknowledging is not going to solve it. The Civil rights movement and the acts seen as its milestones changed the way race is viewed in this country, but it did not eliminate it as an important feature of the way this country exists today. The 1964 Civil rights act was passed, but not before its language had to change so congressmen from southern states in particular would vote for it. It changed voting requirements, but kept the Literacy test, which was a major factor preventing blacks from voting. It outlawed discrimination in public places, but left out private places, without defining what private meant. It outlawed employment discrimination, but enforcement of this law was considerably weak. Its two biggest features were the provisions outlining desegregation, and the employment cause. The biggest thing, however, that the law did was to do something to protect the rights of African Americans. When looking at this law, it seems that it was almost more symbolic in nature, and it was a major stepping-stone for African Americans in getting Washington to back the rights they were fighting for. In the Jim Crow South, schools were segregated, and they were not separate but equal. The schools denied black students a future in which they could choose. They were taught a different curriculum; the buildings were much more run down, and teachers were given less of a reason to work hard at their jobs African Americans did not live in luxury either. Students often had to leave school to help the demand for sharecropping, and to help their families survive in poverty. As a result, students only went to school around 70 days a year with a limited curriculum. It was a vicious cycle, as a lack of education forced students to stay poor, and their children would continue as they did with little opportunity to grow from it. Brown versus Board of Education outlawed segregation in public schools, but it was only a step, and very little was done early on to enforce it. Barack Obama talked about in one of his presidential campaigns of the education gap between today’s students. He mentions how over hundreds of years of drastically different access to education as well as poverty problems today, todays students have slightly different levels of achievement in the classroom. Ways of addressing this solution have come up to â€Å"solve† this. A process called â€Å"Tracking†, which sort’s students into different levels based off perceived academic skill, has been developed. The argument for this is that it allows students with less â€Å"ability† to not compare himself or herself to better students, and allow more freedom to learn at their own pace. The problem with this is that academic achievement is often associated with upbringing and poverty. So, in turn, an argument against this is that it educates based off the persons social class. Most scholars agree that it in fact negatively affects disadvantaged students to go to separate schools based off of Tracking. It affects teacher’s expectations, lowers the curriculum, gives fewer resources, and denies many students the opportunity to progress past a certain level of learning. Many of the same problems of the Jim Crow South are repeated here, but this time it is not technically based off of race. Despite not being based off of race, African Americans have a much higher poverty rate, resulting in less access, which results in African Americans being put in schools often separated from white students. It is not completely the same as Jim Crow, but it puts African Americans at a disadvantage they cannot escape from unless there is equal opportunity to learn as the richer white kids do. St Louis is a city that lies on the border between north and south. When it came to after reconstruction, Jim Crow had its effect on the city due to this, and it is a good representative of what Jim Crow did to African Americans. During the great migration, there was a massive movement of blacks into cities like St Louis. A nice feature of St Louis was the prevalence of white hostility. Whites did not want blacks moving into their neighborhoods. So through politicians, neighborhood organizations, real estate groups, and fear, Blacks moved into a separate part of town, forming overcrowded black communities in small neighborhoods. Around the same time as migration, Jim Crow laws, creating separate public facilities for blacks and whites came into effect. To keep them separate, people used lynching’s, economic depravity, political oppression to keep them in their part of town. Black men were often used for labor-intensive jobs, or as servants, while black women often did not work at all. Due to overcrowding, there was little access for a lot of people, so people suffered in poverty that they could not escape. St Louis had unevenly applied segregation; meaning parts of the town were more representative of the North than the South. St Louis was a good representative for inequality in both North and South for African Americans. Barack Obama addressed poverty for black as well as schools. He talked about â€Å"concentrated pockets of poverty†, meaning that African Americans live in separated, overcrowded, and poor communities. He talked about the inability to amass wealth due to discrimination from property, exclusion from unions, from past generations affecting future generations. His point is that over many years African Americans have been subjected to slavery and segregation, and that has led to a huge wealth gap between blacks and whites. African Americans continue to face problems rooted in slavery and social barriers Segregation exists today, and blacks continue to resist desegregation due to familiarity and control over themselves. Whites resist integration into their neighborhoods, because they fear it would upset their social assets. There has also been a greater increase in the spread of jobs to cities. While blacks tend to stay close to home, they also move around more than they once did, allowing for greater integration into the workplace. With residential segregation staying the same, and workplace integration increasing, the jobs a white and a black man take are often still separated due to the unfamiliarity of private lives. A black man is still inferior, and often there are reports of men feeling like they do not belong. Over time, however, intermingling in the work place can only lead to a greater familiarity, and thus more opportunity to prove ones self. In South Central Los Angeles, blacks do disperse to jobs far away, but many have to stay close. There is less opportunity closer to home for blacks, and many are forced to stay close. Martin Luther King talked about rapid changes in the experience of segregation, which meant that a life for blacks in a segregated community was inconsistent and often unfair. While these communities see a greater increase in better jobs for blacks, there still remains many unsolved problems from the civil rights era. So what is the meaning of the legislation of Brown, and 1964, when today there still exists inequality in schools and in work? Did those acts do nothing for the good of the country? Following the civil rights movement, the south became the stronghold for republican presidential candidates. Ironically, Republicans, especially in the south, felt civil rights violated southern peoples freedom to choose. They felt that the southern way of life was compromised. So upon the passing of legislation, southern politicians fought tooth and nail to keep their way of life. It must be stated again that it was not the legislatures intent to solve civil rights, but only to strengthen African American protection of law. It did increase rights of African Americans, in the voting booth in 1965, and it empowered them when fighting for further civil rights. For the first time since reconstruction, African Americans had won rights they thought were given once the 14th amendment was passed. While not under the public eye, civil rights continued until 1973, as people drew strength from the law. If one thing can be gained from the civil rights movement, it is that it was no longer common to think of Blacks as less than human. John L Jackson came up with the idea of â€Å"Racial Americana† which means that ace returns to our everyday lives whether we want it to or not. Looking at the past problems, and current problems, are necessary for advancements to be made. Looking at the language of Jim Crow signs is helpful to understanding the past. In a book like â€Å"Getting Mothers body†, by Suzan Bri Parks, you can understand exactly what they say. In books like this, one can take away that the signs can be read, and understood today, but it must not define. What this means is that the problems of today can only be understood by the problems of yesterday, but the problems of yesterday cannot become the problems of today. Jim Crow no longer invades the south, but their still exists discrimination all over the place, and the greater problems of that time must be understood so the current problems can advance. It is like if a person has not eaten for several days, then he or she must understand that they must eat to survive, and understand that not eating for a few days is the primary factor of the hunger pains. Apart of learning from the past is to understand that race differences are not a problem that has disappeared in American society. Audre Lorde styles herself as a black, lesbian, feminist, socialist mother of two in â€Å"I am your sister† written in 1984. She talks about how white â€Å"woman† define woman as what they see, hear, and touch. They use all of their experiences and use that to define what they think is a woman. They completely ignore black woman, and the differences that contribute to their sense of what a woman is. They do not see a black woman as being woman and being black, they only see a woman. She argues that there must be a distinction stating† refusing to recognize differences makes it impossible to recognize different problems and pitfalls as women. Refusing to acknowledge a difference means there can be no understanding of who a black woman is, and how that is important in understanding women as a whole. She also uses that same context in talking about being a Lesbian, and that how being a lesbian is also an important identifier for her and the understanding of her attitudes and practices. It is these identifiers and acknowledgment of differences that help people understand one another. She states â€Å" The future of our Earth may depend on the ability of all women to identify new definitions of power and new patterns of relating across difference. Along similar lines to Audrey Lorde, Assata Shakur talks about the need for black women to be strong. 95% of the women in this prison are black or Puerto Rican, imprisoned for shoplifting, robbery, pick pocketing and Prostitution. Most of these crimes were committed by desperate women trying to survive and feed their children. This prison was actually a place under command of guards who did not punish, and where conditions were much better than in normal, more drastic prisons for black men. The guards tell the ladies to be â€Å"Ladylike† and to â€Å"always ask the officer. † The guards are also Black women and they generally feel like they should try to be like good white men and women. But Shakur argues that they need to know who they are, and stay strong as black women. There must be a separation of their identity to be citizens of this country. The words of Audrey Lorde and Assata Shakur apply to the race problem in general. Refusing to acknowledge the existence of a difference between races is the same as being fearful of the unknown. When someone fears the unknown, the unknown controls them, and actions toward the unknown are out of fear and generally harm what it is they fear. Separated schools, separated communities, a black man and a white man who have to work together, are all going to be hostile when confronted if they do not acknowledge differences. Not acknowledging means there will be a surprise when confronted with the differences, and that will lead to fear and hostility. Pretending everybody is the same does not solve anything, as people do not live in an ideal world. A black man or woman trying to conform, as in Shakur’s case, will lead to a loss of identity. By acknowledging differences, and keeping strong separate identities, people can understand each other better, and only then can the lives of African Americans in the United States of America improve. After the end of the civil rights movement, the issue of race came to its forefront, but did not end segregation, and the issue of race continues to be something that all Americans must not ignore. The civil rights act outlawed segregation, but it did not end segregation and the problems that come with it completely. The school systems improved from desolate to marginally better for blacks with integration, but recently there has been a trend, which seems to lead back to more segregation in schools. St Louis was a place of Jim Crow and Northern problems. Today, segregation exists in cities still, and it brings to mind many of the same problems under Jim Crow. The civil rights movement was significant in that it brought race to the forefront of our minds, decreased the inherent hatred with racism, and gave African Americans a chance to speak out against the wrongs the had plagued them for centuries. Today, America has a black president, and wealthy black T. V personality with a huge influence, and many other black men and woman who have been allowed to influence the masses. But it is vital also to understand that the movement brought forth the fact that race is a problem that can never be ignored in this country. It did not solve a problem that may never be totally solved, so therefore the issue cannot be ignored. Ignoring the issue will bring people to where it started, where there is a fear of the unknown and no good way of solving it unless it is understood.

Race in america Essay Example for Free

Race in america Essay At the turn of the last century, WEB Dubois wrote, â€Å"The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line, the relation of the darker to the lighter races of men in Asia and Africa, in America and the islands of the sea. Every study has come to the same conclusion that biologically, there are no races, yet the social construction of race as a category is alive and well today. The classification system, which radicalized different groups typifying them according to their skin color and/or other defining features has a long history. With the advent of colonialism, racism underpinned the different and negative valuations attached to skin color. The racism of today is much more subtle and is no longer the blatant discrimination based on the color or your skin. It exists within the institutions of our society. It is the combination of government, corporate and media institutional racism that is largely responsible for the inequities of today. Unfortunately, these divisions impact the way in which we live our life and how we advance socially. Race has always been a complicated subject and is inevitable. Although we have made tremendous strides to dismantle the foundations of racism, it is clear and evident that racism still persists within the institutions of our society. I believe that America is one of greatest countries on the earth and it is a land of opportunity for everyone. The American dream is alive and well and many people of all races have had tremendous success. With these positives in place, it is no wonder why there have been so many incredible achievements by African Americans in the 21st century to include the obvious the first black president. Over the years there has been much success in trying to dismantle discrimination against different races. By the time the modern civil rights movement arose during the mid-20th century, subjugation had prospered for nearly three hundred years. It was precisely this legalized subjugation that was the major target of the modern civil rights movement. Brown v. Board of Education was decided in 1954; Rosa Parks sat down in a Montgomery bus in 1955; the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place in 1963; and in an exhilarating five year period, three federal laws were passed-the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968-that taken together established a legal framework for racial justice. Over intense, opposition, the civil rights movement had succeeded, by 1968, in dismantling the legal structure of Jim Crow laws and replacing it with a legal structure designed to ensure equality and dismiss discrimination on all levels. Although these laws were very successful, you will still find racism within the institutions of our society. This â€Å"institutional racism† impacts every aspect of life in the 21st century from schooling to employment. It forms an invisible barrier that is hard to comprehend among all ethnic groups. Racism in our institutions can enter in every part of a persons life and make it extremely difficult to advance socially, financially or politically. What is even worse is that racism does not just affect individuals; it affects entire communities and has an affect African American progress in the 21st century. These divisions in society create a whole cycle. If you don’t get the same job opportunities, you cannot afford the same education as some others, which lead to poor decisions because you don’t know any better. It is not because they are inferior; it is because they do not have the same opportunities because of racial prejudice. Racism is present in government bodies, private business corporations, and universities. Redlining is a clear example of how institutional racism is present in our society. The ability of Banks, mega-corporations, and major financial institutions top pick winners and losers has setup a system of vast inequality between poor black communities and the middle class. Many of these private businesses use redlining to systematically shut minorities out of business opportunities, healthy food choices and banking options. Another example of how we see race in our society today is through college admissions. One of the first things we are asked to fill out in our applications is what race we are. Affirmative action has been created that takes factors such as race, gender, religion, into consideration in order to benefit an unrepresented group in education. This policy has been taken place in order to counter the effects of past discrimination. Although this seems like a good policy to equalize educational opportunity, it can also presents controversies on how different races are treated. For example, Abigail Fisher a white Texan was denied admissions into the University of Texas while less qualified Latinos and African Americans were accepted. University of Michigans college applications you automatically receive 20 points out of 100 if your black. The policies presented in the institutions of our society clearly present how race discrimination is still evident in our society. Because we have been so ingrained with racial differences it is hard to escape, we need to be willing to hold equal values for everyone in order to truly see change. As another major institution in society, the media plays a critical role in racial discrimination. They provide us with definitions about who we are as a nation; they reinforce our values and norms; they give us concrete examples of what happens to those who transgress these norms; and most importantly, they perpetuate certain ways of seeing the world and peoples within that world. Racism has been evident in media for quite some time and has influenced many people. Birth of the Nation by D. W. Griffith was one of the many ways that displayed African Americans as inferior. The film featured two themes in which suggested that the KKK had been responsible for quelling the unrest in the South after the civil war, and that African Americans were the cause of all the problems in the United States. â€Å"Griffith seared images of degraded images into the minds of millions. A whole new generation of consumers of American mass media was fed the same old stereotypes of shape images of African Americans† (Lee Baker). Even as it did back then, the media still plays an important role in reinforcing our thoughts about racial inferiority. Today the Media have divided the working class and stereotyped young African-American males as gangsters or drug dealers. As a result of such treatment, the media have crushed youths prospects for future employment and advancement. The media have focused on the negative aspects of the black community (e. g.engaging in drug use, criminal activity, welfare abuse) while maintaining the cycle of poverty that the elite wants. Because we have been brainwashed by racism in media for so long, it has affected the way we view people today and has created divisions in our society in the 21st century. The 21st Century has brought about many attempted changes in society. There is legislation against discrimination in its many forms. Affirmative action has been used as an attempt to ensure individuals are given equal opportunity for employment, housing, and other types of advancement. Television shows have changed format and characters to seek political correctness. Nevertheless, society cleverly and subtly maintains its separate views of the races. With this the racism in the institutions in our society such as the in the media or education, makes it extremely difficult for certain people to advance in life. There will always be those who will fight for change while others resist, seeking to maintain the status quo. But overall there can still be no improvement unless many individuals work together for equality.

Malunggay Bark Extract As A Source Of Electricity

Malunggay Bark Extract As A Source Of Electricity The 21st century trend is an era in which technologies become part of human lives. In this age, efforts and time are exhausted by many individuals or groups in order to create technologies that can be utilized in any human endeavour. Conversely, for most of these innovations and inventions to function, electricity is required. In the Philippines, a country that is abreast with technologies, majority of the electricity requirement is derived from electric power plants that are run by fossil fuels such as petroleum and coal. Moreover, batteries which are portable source of the said energy are also in use. However, due to rapid increase in technologies that require electricity, some problems arise. At present, since there is a huge demand for electricity, fuel required to generate such energy becomes scarce. People have realized that most of processes and materials for electricity generation have negative effect on the environment and on health of human. Hence, researches are conducted to discover green (clean, natural, derive from biological source), low cost, and readily available alternative source of electricity. In line with this view, Filipinos actively participate to achieve this purpose by introducing malunggay (Moringa oleifera) as an important source of not only nutrition and medicine but of electricity as well. Malunggay is a tree that preferably grows in countries with tropical climate such as the Philippines. This tree can be easily propagated since malunggay can be grown from seeds or mature stem cuttings. In the country, this tree is commonly found in household backyard, aligned with perimeter fences, since the edible and nutritious flowers, fruits, and leaves of malunggay are part of the diet of Filipinos. Aside from the nutritional value of some parts of malunggay, all parts of this tree are used in herbal medicine to cure some diseases. Given that this tree can serve several purposes, malunggay becomes in demand. In light of the discussion of the environmental problems and characteristics of malunggay, a group of researchers conducted a study entitled MOB Electricity: Malunggay Bark Extract as Alternative Source of Electricity, to show that malunggay (Moringa oleifera) bark extract is a viable alternative source of electricity; consequently, providing an environment friendly, inexpensive and accessible source of electricity. At this point in time, since there is a strong desire to improve way of living, great attention is given to technologies. Due to this interest, innovations and inventions which require electricity are continuously developed. Thus, electricity must be continuously generated. On the contrary, most of the processes and materials for electricity generation pose hazards to the environment and human health. Therefore, a clean, low cost, and readily available source of electricity is needed, a reason that motivated the researchers to engage in this investigatory project. B. Statement of the Problem This study entitled MOB Electricity: Malunggay Bark Extract as Alternative Source of Electricity intends to investigate the feasibility of Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) bark extract as an alternative source of electricity. Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions: 1. Is there a significant difference on the amount of voltage measured from liquid form of malunggay bark extract obtained through crude and ethanol extraction? 2. Is there a significant difference on the amount of voltage measured from jelly form of malunggay bark extract obtained through crude and ethanol extraction? 3. Is there a significant difference on the amount of voltage measured from liquid and jelly form of malunggay bark extract obtained through crude and ethanol extraction? 4. Is there a significant difference on the amount of voltage measured from varying amounts of malunggay bark extract? C. Hypotheses 1. Ho: There is no significant difference on the amount of voltage measured from liquid form of malunggay bark extract obtained through crude and ethanol extraction. Ha: There is a significant difference on the amount of voltage measured from liquid form of malunggay bark extract obtained through crude and ethanol extraction. 2. Ho: There is no significant difference on the amount of voltage measured from jelly form of malunggay bark extract obtained through crude and ethanol extraction. Ha: There is a significant difference on the amount of voltage measured from jelly form of malunggay bark extract obtained through crude and ethanol extraction. 3. Ho: There is no significant difference on the amount of voltage measured from liquid and jelly form of malunggay bark extract obtained through crude and ethanol extraction. Ha: There is a significant difference on the amount of voltage measured from liquid and jelly form of malunggay bark extract obtained through crude and ethanol extraction. 4. Ho: There is no significant difference on the amount of voltage measured from varying amounts of malunggay bark extract. Ha: There is a significant difference on the amount of voltage measured from varying amounts of malunggay bark extract. D. Significance of the Study This study will provide the energy sector in the country a green alternative source of electricity which will reduce the use of materials that have hazardous effects to human and environment. Hence, minimizing occurrences of diseases and slowing the rate of environment degradation. Furthermore, the positive result of this study could also assure people with inexpensive and accessible source of electricity. Moreover, this study introduces a new application of malunggay, thus, further increasing the demand for this tree. In this effect, farmers in the country could have extra income by providing the needed supply of malunggay. E. Scopes and Limitations The focal point of this study is the feasibility of malunggay (Moringa oleifera) as an alternative source of electricity. In order to assess the said feasibility, malunggay bark extract obtained through crude and ethanol extraction was utilized. Subsequently, voltage was measured for different set-ups and treatments. However, the researchers were unable to determine the component of the extract responsible for electricity generation since the material was not subjected to chemical analysis. This restriction might be an additional recommendation for future researches. The researchers conducted this study from January 9, 2012 to August 23, 2012. All experiments and observations were done at JICA laboratory of Sapang Palay National High School. F. Operational Definition of Terms Gelatin Powder used to create a firm form of extract. Carbon Rod -served as the positive electrode (anode) of the external circuit connected to malunggay bark exract. Zinc Plate served as the negative electrode (cathode) of the external circuit connected to malunggay bark extract. Multi-tester used to measure the amount of voltage from malunggay bark extract. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE I. Introduction In the onset of the 21st century, negative effects of environmental issues such as pollution, ozone depletion, and global warming become notable. Thus, these problems gained the attention of people around the world. Among these negative effects are development and widespread of diseases, development of skin cancer, increase in temperature, heavy rains, heavy floods, strong typhoons, and climate change. In response, organizations are created, and conventions and researches are conducted to deal with these issues. Today, as data are continuously gathered;various human activities that involve emission of gases, chemicals, and radiations are considered as one of the large contributor to environmental degradation. Such human activities include generation of electricity. However, since electricity is vital in operating technologies which advances human lives, search for clean alternative source of electricity should be conducted to prevent further degradation of the environment. II. Electricity Generation Electricity is the form of energy that has the highest demand at this point in time. This energy form is required to operate technologies that people created for life advancement. Thus, energy industries are in continuous search to supply the needed demand of electricity. Today, there are different sources from which this energy is derived. These sources include fossil fuels (petroleum and coal), nuclear energy, hydropower, solar energy, and wind energy. These sources are used to drive turbines in electric power plants which will generate electricity. Electricity generated from these sources is the one supplied in wall sockets of houses and buildings. Another source of electricity is battery, a source that is in portable form. (Bose, 2010) In the Philippines, a country that is abreast with technologies, majority of the required electricity is derived from electric power plants that are run by fossil fuels such as petroleum and coal. Moreover, batteries which are portable source of the said energy are also in use. However, emissions from such electric power plants are composed of gases which cause air pollution and contribute to global warming. Likewise, batteries have chemical components that can leak and pollute land, water and air. In addition to these negative effects to the environment, human can also acquire diseases due to said contamination. (Petrina, 2007) III. Green Electricity People are now aware of the harmful effects of conventional electricity generation to human health and environment. Consequently, efforts and time are spent in order to discover alternative green clean, natural, biological sources of electricity, an action that would minimize presence of harmful chemicals and gases in the environment. In connection to this notion, researchers have considered different plants, different parts of plants, and organisms as potential source of green electricity. (U.S Environmental Protection Agency, 2012) Basic example of green energy is electricity from fruits and vegetables. Many people, during childhood, have done classroom experiments to derive electricity from lemon and potato. Results of these experiments proved that these materials can generate electricity because juices of fruits and vegetables act as electrolytes which initiate reaction to free and move electrons. (Renico, 2012) On the other hand, another related research was conducted by scientists of Stanford University which harness electricity from algae. The concept behind this project is the process of photosynthesis involved in food production of plants. According to the scientists, in this process, electrons from water are given with high energy by sunlight. These electrons are the one the scientists captured using electrodes. (Stanford University, 2010) Lastly, researchers of Arizona State University study the possibility for bacteria to generate electricity through the use of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) which contains waste water and bacteria dwelling on the material. In this research, the persons involve relate electricity generation to metabolic activity of bacteria. (Arizona State University, 2008) IV. Malunggay Tree Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) tree, which commonly grows in tropical countries such as Philippines, is characterized by long, straight, white trunks; small, green, compound leaves; and seasonal white flowers that yields long pods. This tree propagates easily and does not require much attention. In fact, malunggay seeds or matured stem cuttings can be planted in any kind of soil and does not require regular maintenance. (Asia Green Group, 2012) In the Philippines, malunggay can be found in most household backyards because edible parts of this tree (flowers, pods, and leaves) are part of Filipino cooking. Moreover, these parts of malunggay tree provide people with vitamins and minerals needed by the body. Aside from providing nourishment, this tree also has medicinal value. Based on numerous studies, malunggay contains chemicals that have antibacterial, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. (Fahey, 2005) CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY Gathering of Materials/Equipments Among the materials gathered by the researchers were malunggay (Moringa olifera) bark, gelatin powder, ethyl alcohol, filter paper, gloves, face mask, and old batteries. Equipment as well was borrowed from the school laboratory. These equipments include beakers, reagent bottles, funnel, stirring rod, thermometer, mortar and pestle, alcohol lamp, triple beam balance, strainer, tripod, and wire gauze. Collection of Zinc Plate and Carbon Rod Researchers collected old batteries. Subsequently, these batteries were uncovered and electrolyte inside was removed. Since electrolyte component of battery is composed of slightly toxic chemicals, researcher wore gloves and face mask. In this manner, zinc plates and carbon rods were obtained. Preparation of Malunggay Bark Extract A. Crude Extraction Malunggay barks were collected and cut into small pieces by the researchers. Afterwards, the barks were placed in a blender. Finally, in order to obtain pure extract, minced barks were placed in soft cloth and squeezed. B. Ethanol Extraction Malunggay barks were collected and cut into small pieces. Then, barks were placed in a blender to mince the material. Next, minced barks were oven-dried for 5 minutes and were pulverized with mortar and pestle. After this process, 100 grams of pulverized bark was placed in a reagent bottle in which 250 ml of ethyl alcohol was poured afterwards. Lastly, extract which was rested for 10 hours for purification purpose was filtered through a funnel with filter paper. Varying the Amount of Bark Extract Amount of bark extract obtained through crude and ethanol extraction was varied for each treatment. 5 ml of extract was allotted to Treatment I, 10 ml for Treatment II, and 15 ml for Treatment III. Preparation of Jelly Form of Malunggay Bark Extract In a beaker, constant volume (5 ml) of water was poured and heated to 70oC. When water reaches the specified temperature, constant amount (10 g) of gelatin powder was added into the water. Then, the solution was continuously stirred. Before the solution solidifies, the assigned amount of extract per treatment was poured without stopping the stirring process. Material was immediately removed from heat. Measuring Voltage Zinc plate and carbon rod were installed to each treatment. From these electrodes, multitester was connected to measure voltage. Measurement was done for five times. Subsequently, voltage measured from each treatment was recorded. METHODOLOGICAL FLOWCHART Gathering of Materials/Equipments Collection of Zinc Plate and Carbon Rod Preparation of Malunggay Bark Extract Set-up 1 Liquid Form of Extract Set-up 2 Jelly Form of Extract Crude Extraction Ethanol Extraction Crude Extraction Ethanol Extraction Treatment I: 5 ml Extract Treatment II: 10 ml Extract Treatment III: 15 ml Extract Treatment I: 5 ml Extract 5 ml Water 10 g Gelatin Powder Treatment II: 10 ml Extract 5 ml Water 10 g Gelatin Powder Treatment III: 15 ml Extract 5 ml Water 10 g Gelatin Powder Measuring Voltage per Treatment Data Gathering Tabulation and Statistical Analysis of Results CHAPTER IV RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS The researchers conducted several experiments. Subsequently, data and results obtained from these experiments were recorded in tabulated from in this chapter. After each table of data, interpretations of these results were discussed. In the aid of these interpretations, the researchers could have initial assessment of the hypotheses presented in this paper. Table 1.0 Set-up 1 Crude vs. Ethanol Method of Extraction (Liquid Form of Extract) Treatment Amount of Extract Trial Crude Extraction Ethanol Extraction Voltage (V) Voltage (V) Liquid Form of Extract I 5 ml 1 1.0 1.2 2 1.6 1.8 3 1.6 1.8 4 1.6 1.2 5 1.6 1.2 II 10 ml 1 2.6 1.2 2 2.7 1.1 3 2.7 1.0 4 2.6 1.0 5 2.7 1.0 III 15 ml 1 2.7 1.0 2 2.7 1.0 3 2.7 1.0 4 2.7 1.0 5 2.7 1.0 Table 1.0 shows that liquid form of crude bark extract generated higher and more uniform amount of voltage than liquid form of ethanol bark extract. In addition, for crude bark extract, amount of voltage increases as amount of extract increases. Table 2.0 Set-up 2 Crude vs. Ethanol Method of Extraction (Jelly Form of Extract) Treatment Amount of Gelatin Powder (g) Volume of Water (ml) Volume of Extract (ml) Trial Crude Extraction Ethanol Extraction Voltage (V) Voltage (V) Jelly Form of Extract I 10 5 5 1 2.0 1.0 2 2.0 1.0 3 2.0 1.2 4 2.0 1.2 5 2.0 1.2 II 10 5 10 1 1.8 1.4 2 1.8 1.2 3 1.8 1.4 4 1.5 1.2 5 1.2 1.2 III 10 5 15 1 2.5 1.8 2 2.5 1.8 3 2.4 1.8 4 2.4 1.8 5 2.5 1.8 Table 2.0 shows that jelly form of extract from crude extraction yielded higher amount of voltage than jelly form of extract from ethanol extraction. However, more uniform voltage reading is obtained from jelly ethanol bark extract than jelly crude bark extract; as the amount of extract increases, amount of voltage reading increases. Table 3.0 Liquid vs. Jelly Form of Extract (Crude Method of Extraction) Treatment Amount of Extract Trial Liquid form of Extract Jelly Form of Extract Voltage (V) Voltage (V) Crude Method of Extraction I 5 ml 1 1.0 2.0 2 1.6 2.0 3 1.6 2.0 4 1.6 2.0 5 1.6 2.0 II 10 ml 1 2.6 1.8 2 2.7 1.8 3 2.7 1.8 4 2.6 1.5 5 2.7 1.2 III 15 ml 1 2.7 2.5 2 2.7 2.5 3 2.7 2.4 4 2.7 2.4 5 2.7 2.5 Table 3.0 shows that both form of crude bark extract generated relatively high amount of voltage. Even so, jelly crude bark extract yielded fluctuating amount of voltage as the amount of extract increases. Table 3.1 Liquid vs. Jelly Form of Extract (Ethanol Method of Extraction) Treatment Amount of Extract Trial Liquid form of Extract Jelly Form of Extract Voltage (V) Voltage (V) Ethanol Method of Extraction I 5 ml 1 1.2 1.0 2 1.8 1.0 3 1.8 1.2 4 1.2 1.2 5 1.2 1.2 II 10 ml 1 1.2 1.4 2 1.1 1.2 3 1.0 1.4 4 1.0 1.2 5 1.0 1.2 III 15 ml 1 1.0 1.8 2 1.0 1.8 3 1.0 1.8 4 1.0 1.8 5 1.0 1.8 Table 3.1 shows that as amount of liquid ethanol bark extract increases, amount of measured voltage decreases. For jelly form of bark extract from ethanol extraction, voltage reading increases, as the amount of said extract increases. CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary: This study entitled MOB Electricity: Malunggay Bark Extract as Alternative Source of Electricity aspires to prove if malunggay bark extract could be a possible source of electricity and to ascertain if there would be a significant difference when the method of extraction, form of extract, and amount of extract are varied. In order to test the feasibility of malunggay bark extract as alternative source of electricity, the researchers prepared two different set-ups and under each set-up there are three treatments. For the second set-up, amount of gelatin powder and amount of water used in each treatment were controlled. Then, voltage was measured in each treatment per set-up for five times using a multi-tester. The results obtained from different set-ups were analyzed using Two-Factor ANOVA with Replication. The results are summarized as follows: On the first set-up, statistical analysis showed that there is significant difference in the amount of voltage measured from liquid form of malunggay bark extract when method of extraction and amount of extract were varied. On the second set-up, statistical analysis showed that there is significant difference on the amount of voltage measured from jelly form of malunggay bark extract when obtained through different extraction method. Furthermore, statistically significant difference also exists on the amount of voltage reading when the amount of said form of extract was varied. Statistical analysis of Tables 3.0 and 3.1 indicate that there is significant difference on the amount of voltage measured when the form of extract and amount of extract were varied. Conclusion: Based on the results of statistical analysis and observations, the researchers conclude that malungggay bark extract could be a viable alternative source of electricity. Moreover, the people behind this study were able to discover that the 15 ml liquid form of extract obtained through crude extraction yielded the highest and most stable amount of voltage among all the treatments done. Recommendations: In this study the researchers encountered some hindrances which limited the scope of the investigation. Hence, only test for the feasibility of malunggay bark extract as an alternative source of electricity was conducted. Nonetheless, the study does not end with this objective. There are other factors related to electricity generation in malunggay bark extract that should be considered. Researchers would like to propose the following to other people who consider pursuing this project: Further increase volume of extract in order to obtain higher voltage reading. Convert the extract in a form that will facilitate easier and more stable voltage measurement. Subject the extract to chemical analysis to determine the component responsible for electricity generation. Develop a way to harness electricity from the extract.