Leadership and Ethics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership and Ethics - Coursework Example The integrated model provides numerous benefits to major organizations. The transformational model applies in departments that have a high level of communication. In this model, the leaders encourage their employees to enhance their productivity as well as their efficiency in production through communication of tasks to be performed and thereafter providing rewards when they accomplish the set goals. The rewards take the form of bonuses, salary increments. Alternatively, when employees fail to meet their goals they are given lenient punishments (Starratt, 2004). The leadership style often requires full participation of all levels of management to ensure success. The top management is in charge of decision-making and policy formation. The middle and lower level management are in charge of providing necessary recommendations to top management to facilitate decision-making. Moreover, they are in charge of training employees, evaluating employee performance and correcting any production problems. In most cases, the low level management delegates authority to employees as well as group employees into production teams to evaluate their group performance (Walter, 2009). Ultimately, the leadership style focuses on organizational goals and delegation of small tasks employee group leaders to accomplish them. Successful organizations have therefore integrated sustainable excellence in their business strategies. Most successful leadership policies have implemented the V model in developing internal sytsems. In this regard, the organization focuses on p roduct/project life cycle where results are obtained during the product development. This involves integrating the project definition and project testing and implementation within limited time. Project definition involves conception of operations, identification of project requirements and

Physician Assisted Suicide Essay Example for Free

Physician Assisted Suicide Essay When a person voluntarily and intentionally helps another person to take away his life, by act or omission, this is referred to as assisted suicide. All parties, in clear cases, convey their intentions unambiguously and each individual who is involved make voluntary, informed and competent choice. The person assisting in suicide does not directly kill the person but rather he helps the person to kill himself or herself. The means of assistance adopts various forms which may include providing the means or removing the obstacles. Kopelman, 2007) Physician assisted suicide on the other hand is when a physician assists a patient in taking away his or her life. This kind of suicide has been marked with great controversies with various factions holding viewing it an immoral act while others view it as moral. This paper argues that under various restricted circumstances, physician assisted suicide should be permitted. The act of suicide is not contrary to societal norms as had been argued by many moralists. This can be historically supported. What is known about the ancient Greek society support the idea that suicide was largely acceptable. According to Plato, suicide becomes a justifiable and rational act if life became immoderate. In his view, intolerable constraints and painful disease were a justification enough for one to take away his or her life. Within a period of one hundred years after his death, his followers embraced suicide as a desirable way out. This attitude towards suicide extended to the Roman Empire. The Romans considered suicide with neither revulsion nor fear. To them, it was a deliberately chosen validation of the principles of life. (Weir, 1997) During the time of Justinian, a private citizens suicide was not punishable if the cause was sickness, weariness of life, impatience of pain or lunacy. Since this encompassed all rational causes, all that remained was irrational suicide which had no cause and hence punishable. However, suicide was frowned upon by the Pythagorean School of philosophy which was then a minority view. Nevertheless, there did not exist throughout classical antiquity the prohibition of suicide. Christians later adopted to prohibit suicide even though they found it increasingly difficult to support this view based on the scriptures. There are no verses in the scripture which directly condemn suicide. Christianitys change of attitude toward suicide was largely motivated by practicalities even though the concept of sanctity of life is theologically rooted. The cult of martyrdom could have rapidly led to actual suicide in the name of religion thereby leading to a decrease in the number of faithful who at that time was badly needed by the Church. As such, the Church viewed suicide as a threat to its survival since faithfuls were dying in worrying numbers. With regard to assisted suicide, it becomes very difficult to decide what is right especially when the permission to deliberately take away human life is involved. Under such extreme circumstances, normal moral rules are often stretched to the point of breaking down. There are various circumstances which test the moral wisdom of men such as the intentional suicide by a spy who is preventing torture for the disclosure of important military information. Many people would agree that under such circumstances, ending life would be legitimate. As such, it largely depends on the circumstances. This dependence on circumstances brings us to the issue of physician assisted suicide. My argument is that only under carefully limited circumstances should a physician be permitted to assist an individual to end unnecessary suffering. This may include directly administering drugs which will facilitate the end of the patients life or any means through which the patient can use to take away his or her life. Under certain circumstances, the patients choice may take priority above other considerations. For instance, when a person suffers from an incurable disease such that life to him has become series after series of pain and suffering, losing meaning and a sense of purpose, desiring nothing but death, then assisted suicide may be considered. After all considerations have been made, his choice to end his life should finally be honored. The physicians role is to act in the best interest of the patient, and under some extreme situations, this may include assisting the patient to end his life hastily upon his request. However, many doctors hold that their role is to enhance and preserve life and not to deliberately end it. Lhier, 2008) If the physician’s role is restricted to healing, this automatically disqualifies his role of assisting a patient to end his or her life. However, this fails to address the scope and limit of the proper functions of the physician. The challenge for the physician is finding the best way of assisting the patient to come from a state of extreme pain to a state of wellness. If this cannot be achieved, then the physician may assist the patient in ending this miserable life that is causing so much suffering for the soul. This will be a magnification of the role of the physician and not a contradiction. At times, it becomes preferable to end suffering than extending life and hence suffering. The troubling factor in assisted death is that it involves a conflict in values. As we are bound to comprehend life, it is a wonderful adventure which promises love, pleasure, happiness and joy. However, circumstances alter it into a hopeless burden full of pain, despair and suffering. Every human individual desiring well being but finds himself locked within a body which brings nothing but pain has a right to decide and end his life. Under such circumstances, death may be preferred. If an individual arrives at the conclusion that life brings more pain and suffering and hence desires to take it away, our duty is to grant such individuals their wish. However, we are forbidden to kill by moral imperative. Morality and religion dictates that it is wrong to kill. On the other hand, they both encourage mercy. Every effort should be invested at guarding against abuse even though at a patients request, it would be helpful and merciful to end his unendurable suffering. Legalization of assisted death for the sake of the victims and their loved ones is demanded of by compassion and benevolence. The families of those individuals who have witnessed their loved ones under extreme pain provide a powerful argument in support of physician assisted death. When death has not yet brought relief for the afflicted and medical science has stretched its capability to the limit to no vain, a sense of powerlessness and despair is experienced by the members of his family as they watch in horror as a loved one is tormented by suffering. Thus, opting for death under such intolerable situations would be advantageous not only for the victim but also for the family members. Assisted suicide is just an extension of individual autonomy which individuals seek to enact throughout their lives. (Battin et al, 2002) Every individual, in response to the many convictions which purportedly makes life worth living, act in such a way as to shape these convictions which are also held for how death should be experienced. Medical establishments only penetrate bodily ills without regarding various personal views. Assisted suicide is thus a way of bringing back the sense of control to individuals who are approaching the end of their lives. It is an extension of the freedom to pursue life as one desires as long as it does not harm others. For the patient, assisted suicide becomes a way of customizing death. Assisted suicide apart from honoring peoples right of self determination is also a prudent policy. It is with this regard that physicians are needed as counselors to ensure that a patient makes a competent, unforced and rational choice. Holding high regard for the moral and legal heritage, I contend that physician assisted suicide should be looked upon with much reflection. There are times which call for a rethought of our principles, traditions and codes so as to bring to the fore real life experiences. Those ideals which were designed with good intentions sometimes tend to degrade life, being a source of unfathomable suffering. Prohibiting physician assisted suicide may be one such thing. Individuals with extreme and rare cases can be provided with an opportunity to manage their death without jeopardizing our reverence for life. As such, a way of being merciful to the dying without labeling those who assist them as criminals can be provided.

Assessing Of The Internally Displaced Persons Sociology Essay

Assessing Of The Internally Displaced Persons Sociology Essay Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are those who are forcibly uprooted within the boundaries of their own countries as a result of violent conflicts; tend to be among the most desperate populations (Egeland, 2004; OCHA, 1999). According to Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) 2010, the number of internally displaced persons uprooted from their homes by armed conflicts, generalized violence and human rights abuses across the world stood at 27.1 million people by 2009. The most affected region with 11.6 million internally displaced persons was Africa, where Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Somalia along with Iraq and Colombia stood among those countries which comprised over half of the worlds internally displaced persons. South and Southeast Asia was the region with largest relative increase in number of IDPs in 2009 where some 4.3 million people were estimated to be internally displaced mainly as a result of existing conflicts that escalated and majority of them were trapped in situations of protracted displacement. These figures are 23 per cent year-on-year increase from 3.5 million to 4.3 million. These estimations merely reflect the severity of the issue that in fact is much bigger in its extent. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) therefore pose an enormous challenge to the international community, national governments and humanitarian organizations as internal displacement has a devastating impact on not only the IDPs own families but also on the entire society (IDMC/NRC, 2009; Holmes, 2008; Women Refugee Commission, 1998). Displaced women and children constitute an overwhelming majority of the refugee population (Ni Aolain, 2009; Ganguly-Scrase Vogl, 2008; UN-ESCWA, 2006; UNHCR, 2008; Kaapanda Fenn, 2006), yet there is little recognition that forced displacement is a gendered phenomenon (Behera, 2006). Majority of these women flee within their State territories and thus do not receive the similar protection and assistance that is provided to the refugees who cross international borders (Al Gasseer et al., 2004). Displacement has a differential impact on both women and men, which can differ at various stages of crisis (El Jack, 2003). These differences prevail on account of women being at the subordinate position, socio-cultural norms, unequal power relations and womens role as the primary caretaker of the household and family (Ni Aolain, 2009). IDP women take care of their families and uphold cultural norms, even when they are abandoned by their husbands and thus excluded from the traditional protection, left homeless and without any valuable assets or economically productive work, and without any family or community support (Ganguly-Scrase Vogl, 2008). Internally displaced persons are not a homogeneous category of people (IDMC/NRC, 2009; Kaapanda Fenn, 2006). They have specific needs, vulnerabilities, and coping strategies based, among other things, on their age, sex, ethnicity and membership of a social group (IDMC, 2009). Even displacement does not affect all women the same way, for example women belonging to ethnic minorities in Sudan were marginalized due to their minority status, which constituted an overwhelming number of casualties among them due to war and its consequences (El Jack, 2002). Displacement affects women in multi-faceted ways, it results in serious security risks, losing close family members, psychological atrocities, sexual violence, deterioration of social safety net and reduction in the already limited economic opportunities (Women and Forced Migration, 2006; El Jack, 2002). In the course of displacement, the experience of leaving their homes and villages, loss of social capital and living in an unfamiliar and stressful environment, surrounded by complete strangers, causes extreme hardships to women (Women and Forced Migration, 2006). Displacement also results in food scarcity due to removal from sources of income and livelihood. Furthermore, inequalities in aid distribution place women and girls more susceptible to malnutrition (UN-ESCWA, 2006). The reduced access to resources and limited opportunities for employment makes it extremely difficult for women to cope with household responsibilities (El-Bushra, 2003; El Jack, 2002). It is also evident that w omen often take the back seat in terms of relief and rehabilitation. In the first instance, national policies on relief and resettlement do not acknowledge the specific needs and vulnerabilities of women (Women and Forced Migration, 2006). In the second instance, humanitarian organizations often disenfranchise women by relegating them to the status of victim: this is further reinforced by giving them little say in decision making with regard to aid distribution and rehabilitation (Banerjee in Ganguly-Scrase Vogl, 2008). Women also lack access to essential reproductive health services due to rigid socio-cultural norms, restrictions on their mobility, lack of health care infrastructure and insecurity (Women and Forced Migration, 2006). 1.2 Conflict Induced Internal Displacement in Balochistan Balochistan comprises almost 44 per cent of Pakistans geographical territory with 770 km long coastline alone with the Arabian Sea (Andley, 2006; ADB, 2005) and straddles Iran and Afghanistan (Grare, 2006). The enormity of its size, contrasts strikingly with its sparse population of 7.1 million people, constituting only 5.1 per cent of the total (ADB, 2004). Balochistan holds substantial portion of Pakistans energy and mineral resources; accounting for 36 per cent of its total gas production. It is also resourced with huge reserves of copper, gold, platinum, silver, aluminum, uranium, coal and is a potential transit zone for a pipeline transporting natural gas from Iran and Turkmenistan to India. Balochistan coast provides Pakistan with an exclusive economic zone potentially rich in oil, gas, and minerals spread over approximately 180,000 square kilometers giving Balochistan considerable strategic importance (Grare, 2006). Despite being the richest province in terms of energy and mineral resources, Balochistan remains underdeveloped and economically destitute among other provinces (AITPN, 2007). The incidence of poverty is pronounced in the province, characterized by inadequacy of income, low quality of life, denial of opportunities and choices. Among others, lack of access to basic services such as health, education, safe drinking water , sanitation and poor quality of roads and transportation also account for some of the critical issues. Similarly, literacy rates especially for rural women are very low. Additionally, widespread leakages in the governance system, lack of accountability of public institutions, inability of governments to deliver social and economic goods further marginalized the destitute sections of life (ADB, 2004).    Since the partition of India in 1947, Balochistan has been the centre of ethno-nationalist struggle resulting in violent revolts between separatists and the federal government due to its forcible annexation with the current Pakistan (IDMC/NRC, 2009; Zambelis, 2009). Baloch militants have staged several insurgencies against the State for greater political control over their administrative affairs and larger dividend from local development projects and the exploitation of natural resources (IDMC/NRC, 2009). These resentments persist even today because of the central governments suppression of nationalistic aspirations; the absence of economic and social development in Balochistan and the exclusion of the provincial authorities and local population from decisions on major regional projects (Grare, 2006). On the other hand, the federal government views the violence in Balochistan as the work of miscreants led by few militant tribal leaders who do not represent the Baloch majority and who se efforts are aimed at maintaining their hold over tribes and tribal system from where they garner support, power and wealth and undermining the development efforts led by the government (Dunne, 2006). Balochistan enmeshed in a rash of violence in continuum with the decades-old conflict that has flared up once again over the issue of the rape of a medical doctor associated with Pakistan Petroleum Limited apparently by an army officer in Sui tehsil of the Dera Bugti district in January 2005 (AITPN, 2007). The rape of a doctor in a secure hospital precinct provoked riots in Balochistan and a large scale tribal uprising. However, the Balochistan crisis intensified after Pakistani government launched full-scale military operation against the Baloch nationalists in the region following the firing of eight rockets at a paramilitary base on the outskirts of the town of Kohlu, during the visit of then President General Pervez Musharraf  (IDMC/NRC, 2009; AITPN, 2007). The current wave of violence is an offshoot of the decades of suppression of the Baloch people by the federal government (Dunne, 2006). Though the dispute in Balochistan is essentially political, the Pakistani military and t he Baloch tribal militants have always sought a military solution for their disagreements (Human Rights Watch, 2008). Hundreds of thousands of people fled to safer places as a result of military operation and aerial bombardment in Marri and Bugti tribal areas (AHRC, 2006). Over 200,000 people about 90 per cent of population of Dera Bugti and Kohlu districts (majority with women and children) were forcibly driven out of their homes following the outbreak of hostilities between the warring tribesmen and the law-enforcement agencies in the early summer of 2005 (IDMC, 2009). According to International Crisis Group (ICG), at least 84,000 people have been displaced by the conflict in Dera Bugti and Kohlu districts since December 2005 when military operations began. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has estimated that in all, 100,000 people were displaced in the Dera Bugti and Kohlu districts and among those nearly 40,000 have returned to their homes in 2009, while more than 40,000 are still displaced. According to government of Balochistan there were 1200 households who were displaced from Tehsil Dera Bugti, 800 from Tehsil Sui and 1300 from Tehsil Phalawagh. It makes total of 3300 households who were displaced from Dera Bugti district alone. However, these estimations vary and it is unclear how many Marri and Bugti have actually been displaced after the conflict has escalated in their areas. Despite adverse state of affairs, there is no single officially recognized IDP camp in the entire province of Balochistan. The displaced population is scattered on the outskirts of either Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Sibi, Bolan and Quetta districts of Balochistan or displaced to the Sindh and Punjab provinces (IDMC/NRC, 2009; AHRC, 2006). They have been living in deplorable conditions in temporary settlements and are deprived of adequate shelter, safe drinking water, sanitation, food, schooling, health care and other basic necessities (AITPN, 2009). The governments response to IDPs in Balochistan has remained halfhearted. Moreover, the absence of national policy or institutional arrangements to cater the needs of internally displaced persons in conflicted zones of Balochistan is the main obstacle in recovery and rehabilitation of the IDPs. International and national humanitarian agencies including UN have denied access by government to grapple with the IDP crisis in Balochistan due to se curity reasons (IDMC/NRC, 2009). In a speech to the parliament in December 2009, although the Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani acknowledged the difficult situation of displaced persons and announced $12 million for their return and rehabilitation as part of the Balochistan Support Package. However the package was rejected by the Baloch nationalists arguing that it is too little and too late. Indeed, no practical steps have been taken further to reconcile aggrieved groups and bring them in the mainstream political landscape (IDMC, 2010). 1.3 Problem Statement Conflict displacement exposes families and communities to intense suffering and traumatic experiences of enormous loss of life, loss of social fabric, gross impoverishment through the loss of livestock and land, erosion of cultural values, beliefs and practices, sexual violence and psycho-social distress (El-Bushra, 2003). On the other hand, it has a long term social impact whereby the prolonged suffering and appalling conditions force women to take steps and responsibilities in the public domain that traditionally did not form part of their role (Rivero, 2006). Simultaneously, it comes with an opportunity to renegotiate gendered power structures, patriarchal norms and notions of masculinity and femininity (El-Bushra, 2003; Moser Clark, 2001). Ni Aolain (2009) suggests that conflict may have hidden opportunity to empower women and trigger the structural and social transformations in face with the new set of social, economic and political realities of the post conflict arena. Women and men experience the uprooting, displacement and reconstruction of life in entirely different manners (Moser Clark, 2001). Although women are disproportionately disadvantaged and the initial impact of displacement is more severe for women than men; women tend to adapt more quickly to their new environment and search for new spaces through informal support mechanisms in order to meet their family needs. Men because of inaccessibility to economic resources, limited opportunities for employment and their huge dependence on formal institutional support networks, adapt the new situation at much slower pace (Moser Clark, 2001, El-Bushra, 2003). It often results in working women; bearing the main financial burden of providing for the family and dependent men taking up the responsibility for children and domestic chores. Conflict undoubtedly provides greater responsibilities to women and with that the possibility to exert greater leverage in the decision-making processes (El-Bushra , 2003). While Rivero (2006) argues that the public role of women places great pressure on women because it is socially unacceptable and women run the risk of being stigmatized and marginalized by their families and communities. Womens taking up greater financial responsibilities, entering occupations which were previously the preserve of men and involving in the decision making process at the household and community level may no bring long-term changes in gender ideologies rather reinforce gender value systems (El-Bushra, 2003). Research studies carried out by El-Bushra (2003) highlight that gender role reversal during conflict and displacement may not combine with an ideological shift, women status outside the household may remain subordinate in relation to men. As men have lost access to resources, assets and with that their conventional role of breadwinner or provider; men may feel more difficulty to adjust with the new roles and mens inability to meet gendered expectations may result into frustration, humiliation and sense of failure. Patriarchal norms which establish ideological basis are at the heart of the issue. This research is significantly relevant to explore whether conflict displacement has changed accepted notions of masculinity and femininity among internally displaced persons of the Bugti tribe of the Balochistan province? Whether changes in gender roles brought about by displacement provide opportunities for changes in ideological basis? If yes than how? if no than why? There is a knowledge gap in the current scholarship on gender dimension of displacement with regard to Bugti tribe of Balochistan. The current study attempts to fill this gap while raising following research questions: 1.4 Research Questions How this conflict forced people to move? What is the pattern of conflict induced internal displacement? What are the changes in survival strategies of both women and men after displacement? Whether changes in survival strategies account for changes in gender roles? If yes then how? 1.5 Objectives of the Study 1.5.1 General Objective The core objective of this research study is to explore the impact of conflict induced internal displacement on survival strategies and how changes in survival strategies account for changes in gender roles among displaced persons of the Bugti tribe in district Jaffarabad of the Balochistan province. 1.5.2 Specific Objectives In order to attain the general objective of this research study, several specific objectives have been developed. The specific objectives include: To analyze the migration pattern of conflict displacement; To study the changes in survival strategies of both women and men after displacement; To examine how changes in survival strategies account for changes in gender roles. 1.6 Rationale of the Study Women and children with their numerical dominance constitute 80 per cent of the worlds refugee population; their overwhelming dominance alone justifies a critical interrogation (Kaapanda Fenn, 2006). Despite that, where the term gender appears, its usage often implies that women and girls are predominantly victims, while men are depicted as perpetrators. The term should not be used in such a limited fashion; it should allow researchers to see women and men as actors who function in a variety of roles and examine how shifts into non-traditional roles affect power balances in the course of displacement (UNDP, 2002). Though, there is growing scholarship on the plight of the displaced; more attention needs to be paid to womens experiences. The recognition that forced displacement is a gendered phenomenon is fairly a recent understanding. Womens experiences as internally displaced persons are lesser known, particularly in the context of South Asia. There are only few scholars who have dealt at length on this problem and investigated the impact of conflict displacement on gender roles in the context of South-Asia and there is hardly any monograph available that has focused on this issue particularly in the context of Pakistan. The subject explicitly deserves in-depth investigation, which this research study would try to stimulate and attempt to traverse this gap in the literature. 1.7 Scope of the study This research study aims to describe the experiences of women and men in course of conflict displacement. It seeks to identify the possible link between changes in survival strategies and gender roles, given that the nature of the subject under investigation is highly sensitive, deeply personal and politically risky. The significance of this study is also highlighted by the fact that it incorporates gender analysis in social and cultural setting and employs gender as an analytical tool in order to comprehend the wider social relations. Gender as a unit of analysis would help to view the lives of women and men within the context of displacement. It illustrates that how women experience displacement (Kaapanda Fenn, 2006). 1.8 Limitations of the study The study was carried out only in one district, due to time, human resource, and financial constraints. The findings may be non-representative and only illustrative of the target segments of the study areas visited and therefore cannot be generalized for the entire district or province. It was often problematic to identify internally displaced persons because there were no officially recognized IDP camps in the study area, while the displaced persons were scattered into makeshift camps. When this study was conducted, it was harvesting season in most parts of the district and IDPs were mobile due to their engagement in agricultural labor. Their access was difficult due to their continuous mobility, sensitive nature of the issue, tribal system, socio-cultural norms, governments security restrictions and emerging hostilities towards alien others stemming from changes in the political climate in recent years. On the other hand, socially depressed IDPs were reluctant to talk to outsiders due to apprehension of the torture either from tribal head or governments security agencies. Furthermore, there were many surveys carried out but nothing has been changed in their life realities; gaining their trust was critical in such a situation. It was also challenging to have direct access to women and collect information from them due to rigid socio-cultural norms and customs. In order to tackle this problem the researcher got the help of his younger sister to have access to women. 1.9 Roadmap This research study is organized into six chapters. Chapter one presents an introduction to this study. Chapter two provides a synthesis of the relevant literature. Chapter three describes research design and methods. Chapter four sketches the historic roots of crisis in Balochistan. Chapter five unfolds results of this study and presents a debate over the findings. Chapter six summarizes the whole discussion and concludes with recommendations for further research.

The Internet and Rapidly Developing Technology :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Internet and Rapidly Developing Technology The recent revolution of internet and dot-com boom has brought more people familiar to computers and the Internet. It seems like that we can hardly find our way through everyday life with out using or having an internet connected computer next to us. The way we think, live, and communicate was changed once for all with the invention of networked communication of computers. Computers are no longer a piece of machine that sits on top of our desk for us to admire the marvelous technology brought by the geeks and freaks of 80's, but for us to constantly use and put in to work. And in a way, environment which we live in, the society, schools, jobs, forces us to make friends with that technology. Just like when you don't have a telephone you will have hard time communicate with meeting with your friends, absence of instant messaging programs, or ability to use one, will place you out of the circle of events happening with the friends, or don't let you do the work as fast or as good as the one who uses the technology. This is one of the reasons why increasing number of people choose to have computers and internet as a prime communication tool not only between friends and for socialization, but for everyday life. People are increasingly finding new ways of getting things done not by the waiting at the other end of the phone line, but clicking the way through a certain web pages, or typing their message on emails and messenger program. On-line part of the business of almost all industries, not only limited to the dot-com companies but other 'traditional' businesses as well, has been increasingly finding it self positioning more valuable and growing in potential. We are all too familiar with the online shopping sites and class websites that we use almost everyday in a very handy way of getting things done. But where did this all came from? Just when did we start using the internet the way we use it today? Clearly, these sorts of questions can be answered in simple, concise way. The internet was born in 1969 as a segment of research project of Department of Defense. Back then, the internet was known as ARPANET, a forerunner of the internet. Since the birth of the internet up to 1980's, Internet was used mostly by Universities and experts who knew their way around its complex systems and workings. The Internet and Rapidly Developing Technology :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers The Internet and Rapidly Developing Technology The recent revolution of internet and dot-com boom has brought more people familiar to computers and the Internet. It seems like that we can hardly find our way through everyday life with out using or having an internet connected computer next to us. The way we think, live, and communicate was changed once for all with the invention of networked communication of computers. Computers are no longer a piece of machine that sits on top of our desk for us to admire the marvelous technology brought by the geeks and freaks of 80's, but for us to constantly use and put in to work. And in a way, environment which we live in, the society, schools, jobs, forces us to make friends with that technology. Just like when you don't have a telephone you will have hard time communicate with meeting with your friends, absence of instant messaging programs, or ability to use one, will place you out of the circle of events happening with the friends, or don't let you do the work as fast or as good as the one who uses the technology. This is one of the reasons why increasing number of people choose to have computers and internet as a prime communication tool not only between friends and for socialization, but for everyday life. People are increasingly finding new ways of getting things done not by the waiting at the other end of the phone line, but clicking the way through a certain web pages, or typing their message on emails and messenger program. On-line part of the business of almost all industries, not only limited to the dot-com companies but other 'traditional' businesses as well, has been increasingly finding it self positioning more valuable and growing in potential. We are all too familiar with the online shopping sites and class websites that we use almost everyday in a very handy way of getting things done. But where did this all came from? Just when did we start using the internet the way we use it today? Clearly, these sorts of questions can be answered in simple, concise way. The internet was born in 1969 as a segment of research project of Department of Defense. Back then, the internet was known as ARPANET, a forerunner of the internet. Since the birth of the internet up to 1980's, Internet was used mostly by Universities and experts who knew their way around its complex systems and workings.

Gender Roles in Sports Essay

Gender Roles in Sports Ever since the beginning of the Olympics Games in Greece in 776 B. C. , women have always been put on the back burner when it comes to sports. To this day there are very noticeable differences in women’s sports compared the nature of men’s sports. Women and men alike experience their inequalities in sports. For example, of you were to ask a group of people what they would rather watch: women’s basketball or men’s basketball; generally speaking the majority of the group would favor watching men’s basketball. On the contrary, most individuals would rather watch women’s synchronized swimming as opposed to men’s synchronized swimming. Sports and all things involved are a business. Men playing professional sports get paid drastically more than women playing professional sports. It would be highly unlikely for a woman to get paid a 60 million dollar contract over six years like a man in professional sports would. According to www. therichest. org, soccer player David Beckham is currently worth 219 million dollars. He made 40 million dollars last year. If you compare that to the highest paid women’s athlete, Maria Sharapova, who made over 25 million dollars, this fact proclaims that fans pay drastically more to see males to play professional sports. According to www. therichest. org, the ten highest paid professional women’s athlete made 113 million dollars over the past twelve months, up only one percent from the year 2010. The ten highest paid, professional male sports athletes collectively made 449 million dollars. The reason they set up the Olympics Games like they did in 776 B. C. , by not allowing to participate or even watch, is because the spectators wanted to only have the strongest, fastest, and most durable to play and even witness the games. The games were a tribute to the Greek God Zeus. The people of Greece wanted to show Zeus the best of the best in their society. People don’t want to watch women play sports just like they don’t want to watch dumb people play chess or jeopardy. It’s logic, not sexism. When you watch the WNBA the most exciting thing you see is a backwards layup or a no look pass. When you watch the NBA, you see a man doing three hundred sixty degree slam dunks and all kinds of other cool tricks that naturally appease the like of their fans. The dynamic presence of men doing what women can’t inevitably draw’s a bigger crowd. Contact sports especially have a really addictive and enticing nature about them that women’s sports simply don’t have. All these aspects of contact driven sports are masculine, testosterone driven traits that are unlike the nature of women. This is the main reason their participation is absent and men dominate the sports fan’s wants. Gender inequality in sports has always been a growing problem up until June 23, 1973 when President Nixon signed Title IX. This law was a huge victory for women in the fight for equality in sports. â€Å"The law prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity within any institution any type of Federal financial assistance,† according to Duffy. This was women’s first chance to gain legal equality in sports. Women didn’t just get equality from this law, but they also got opportunity for equality. This law addressed the historical discrimination women have faced ever since the beginning of the Olympics first came about in 776 B. C. There is no women’s professional football team or any kind of football league for women. Men are not interested in watching women play the types of sports that men are always going to be better at. The only exception is women’s football where they play wearing lingerie; it’s sick how society works like that. The NBA is in a lock out as this paper is being typed. You can see the progress on the news every day. If the WNBA were to be in a lockout, the chances of it being on the news every day is highly unlikely. There are in fact sports that women are becoming more popular in like golf, gymnastics, figure skating, volleyball, and tennis. These sports complement the shape of a woman’s body. Also, figure skating, volleyball, and gymnastics are sports the women are especially better at due to their elegant figures and different bone structure. The stars of these sports are portrayed as sexy, curvy, graceful, and radiant. Men who are famous with sports like basketball, football, baseball, and soccer are known to be strong, dominant, and masculine. â€Å"The thought was that if women participated in strenuous activity that they would damage their reproductive organs, which would ultimately not fulfill an absurd belief that the primary role of women in society was to have children and care for the men,† heard from the thoughts of Murphy. Women in society in general are the face of modeling and sexy images. Commercials, advertisements, and every day television programs have sexy women posing with whatever it is they are trying to sell. This works the same way with them in sports. Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition has a whole lot of sexy women posing in skimpy swimwear. That goes the same for the sports they’re involved in that are popular. For these reasons, women dominate those sports which lead to their popularity when it came to people watching them. There’s always the stereotype that women are lesbians or dikes for playing sports that require adequate physical strength and endurance. For instance, bodybuilding has always been a man’s sport. Women are always thought to be feminine and when you see a woman who is at least twice your size; judgments go through the roof not only with the judges, but with the audience as well. In Jennifer Banas topic of Women Athletes in Male Dominated Sports, she speaks her mind when saying, â€Å"Now, the contestants should be judged on muscle tone of the body right. Wrong. In order to define which women has the best and most well defined body, the judges feel compelled to define â€Å"body† in relation to â€Å"women. Recalling a time there was a girl at my old high school that graduated and went on to join a volleyball team at a college. After her first visit home, she was utterly disappointed to find her peers had started a rumor about her that she was a lesbian and that’s why she joined the team in the first place. It broke her heart to get that type of support, or lack thereof, from the people she grew up with who fully knew she was never a lesbian. Football is another example of this. If a woman decides she wants to become a football player, she should not have to worry about what her peers are going to say or think about her. She shouldn’t have to worry about being called those names like lesbian and dike if she wants to be a football player. When it comes to being in these competitions with lady football players, the judgments are a bit skewed and distorted due to the fact that men are typically associated with strong and large muscles. So when spectators have to look at a female figure, that has the typical aspects of a male’s figure, it can be a little confusing. The assumptions and discrimination still goes on to this day even if there is a law prohibiting it. It has been an issue since sports were first celebrated on a large scale in Greece 776 B. C. Although society is slowly but surely progressing towards a more open-minded view when it comes to sports, there is always going to be a gap when it comes to overall crowd appeal. Men’s sports are more interesting to watch simply due to the fact that they are better, faster, stronger, and intense. It all boils down to the money, and men’s sports generate more money. For these reasons gender inequality will always be a persisting problem in sports. Work Citied Page Duffy, Felice M. (2000). Twenty-seven years post title ix. http://heinonline. org/ http://serendip. brynmawr. edu/local/scisoc/sports02/papers/emurphy. html http://www. therichest. org/sports/forbes-highest-paid-female-athletes/   http://serendip. brynmawr. edu/local/scisoc/sports02/papers/jbanas. html

Cultural Diversity in Nursing Essay

Introduction Cultural diversity in nursing is concept that is derived from nursing and other cross-cultural health-related disciplines such as psychology, sociology and anthropology. Culture is simply used to refer to the belief systems held by groups of people in the society. Therefore, cultural diversity is defined as, â€Å"the differences between people based on a shared ideology and valued set of beliefs, norms, customs, and meanings evidenced in a way of life† (Lowe & Archibald, 2009). Culture influences individual’s behavior, perceptions and also interpretations. Therefore, integrating culture in healthcare is critical. This is in efforts to create a healthcare system that is sensitive to the needs of patients. For that reason, this essay focuses on cultural diversity in nursing by looking at the background of the issue, current trends, significance to nursing profession, controversies and strategies for dealing with cultural diversity. Background and Historical Development of Cultural Diversity in Nursing As defined earlier, cultural diversity refers to, â€Å"the differences between people based on a shared ideology and valued set of beliefs, norms, customs, and meanings evidenced in a way of life† (Lowe & Archibald, 2009). In the healthcare system, there are people from different cultural groups. For instance, we have people from different racial groups, ethnicity, tribe, religion and so forth. This includes both the providers and the patients. To a great extent, our culture defines our practice. The concept of cultural diversity in nursing was first established in 1955 by Madeleine Leininger, one of the pioneers of transcultural nursing. As an area of knowledge, cultural diversity in nursing, also known as transcultural nursing, was aimed at equipping nurses with knowledge that  will help them in delivering culturally appropriate nursing care (Lowe & Archibald, 2009). Madeleine Leininger believed in the diversity and universality of cultural care. For that reason, he established transcultural nursing from the year 1955 to 1975. Madeleine refined the concept of transcultural nursing through the â€Å"sunrise model†. The expansion of the concept continued even after 1975 to present. In 1966, the University of Colorado started transcultural nursing courses. The concept was later established internationally in 1983 (Lowe & Archibald, 2009). Current Trends in Cultural Diversity Currently, there are several issues trending in regard to cultural diversity. Among them is the slow and episodic movement towards cultural diversity in nursing. According to Lowe and Archibald (2009) in the article entitled, â€Å"cultural diversity: The intention of nursing,† the nursing profession was since the introduction of cultural diversity in 1986 focused on provision of cultural-sensitive care. The authors express their concern that despite the continued cultural growth witnessed in the country, the same does not reciprocate inn nursing. The progress in nursing towards creating cultural diversity in nursing has been slow and episodic. Hence, there is need to put efforts in order to expand cultural-sensitive practices in nursing. Another trending issue in respect to creation of a cultural diversified healthcare system is promotion of diversity. According to Pilkington, Singh, Prescod and Buettgen (2013) youth mentorship provides an important avenue for promoting cultural diversity. Through mentoring the youth, they will be equipped with relevant knowledge regarding diversity which will result in creation of a society which embraces diversity. Significance of Cultural Diversity Cultural diversity is a crucial concept in healthcare. Our current society is made of people from different ethnic, racial, religious and tribal groups. All these groups have their own culture. It is worth to mention that our culture affects how we interpret information, our perceptions and even  behavior. These aspects of culture make it important in nursing practice. The patient is always the center focus of care. Hence, the nurse is required to be sensitive to the needs of the patient. It is only through consideration of patient needs that the nurse is capable of establishing a strong therapeutic relationship with the patient. Establishing a strong relationship of trust with patients is important in involving the patients fully in their care (Pilkington, Singh, Prescod & Buettgen, 2013). Among the needs of patients are the spiritual needs. Nurses in some cases will handle patients from different faiths. Under such cases, the nurse might not be aware of some of the spiritual needs of these patients. For instance, let us take a Christian nurse and a Muslim patient. Muslims are supposed to pray five times in a day, and cleanse themselves with water every time they visit a washroom. The failure of the nurse to identify such things may hinder creation of trust between the nurse and the patient. In other words, the nurse will fail to deliver culturally-competent care (Lowe & Archibald, 2009). Therefore, providing culturally competent care is important in efforts to increase patient satisfaction, which translates to improved patient outcomes which signify improvement in quality of nursing care. Impact of Cultural Diversity in Nursing Profession The issue of cultural diversity greatly influences nursing profession and professional nursing practice. Nursing as a profession has for many years struggled to be seen as a field which is aimed at providing optimal care to the public. The profession is determined to be viewed in the light of universality, meaning it embraces people from all cultures. Therefore, by integrating cultural diversity, nursing profession will be recognized and respected in all parts of the world (Lowe & Archibald, 2009). In the nursing practice, cultural diversity is paramount. Every healthcare facility and provider is determined to provide patient-centered care. This is due to the fact that among the six goals of healthcare is provision of  patient-centered care. In order to provide patient-centered care, it is important to understand all the needs of the patient. This includes the culture. The nurse should understand what food the patient takes or does not take his or her beliefs and dressing style, among others. By doing so, the nurse will gain the trust from the patient which is important in the care. Eventually, the patient is satisfied with the quality of care which results in improved patient outcomes (Pilkington, Singh, Prescod & Buettgen, 2013). Controversies Related to Nursing Despite the benefits associated with integration of cultural diversity in healthcare, there are some areas of this concept that have brought about some controversies. Some cultural beliefs or practice are in contrary with the goals of healthcare. For instance, there are some people based on their faith who refuse to take any medication or seek conventional treatment. Hence, under such cases there is a controversy on which way to handle the situation (Pilkington, Singh, Prescod & Buettgen, 2013). The other area of controversy is extreme faiths held by some people. In some cultures, some behaviors such as undressing before someone of opposite sex are considered immoral. Hence, when a nurse from an opposite gender s handling such a patient, there is always some controversy. Enhancing Cultural Diversity in Nursing As noted, cultural diversity is critical in nursing practice. Therefore, there is need to embrace this concept. In order to improve the progress towards establishing cultural competence in nursing, it is important to introduce courses on cultural diversity in nurse training curriculum (Pilkington, Singh, Prescod & Buettgen, 2013). Another way of promoting cultural diversity in nursing is through training nurses on the importance having diversity at workplace. In addition, recruitment of nurses from different cultures will help in enhancing diversity in nursing. My Position Personally, I support the establishment of cultural diversity in nursing. My  position is based on the benefits associated with establishment of this concept. Hence, enhancing cultural diversity is crucial in improving the quality of care (Pilkington, Singh, Prescod & Buettgen, 2013). Conclusion In conclusion, cultural diversity refers to â€Å"the differences between people based on a shared ideology and valued set of beliefs, norms, customs, and meanings evidenced in a way of life (Lowe & Archibald, 2009).† Cultural diversity in nursing is important in improving the quality of care. The concept of transcultural nursing was established in 1955 by Madeleine Leininger (Lowe & Archibald, 2009). American Nurses Association adopted the concept of cultural diversity in 1986. Currently, the progress of nursing profession towards establishment of culturally competent care is trending. Establishing a culturally competent nursing care is an important milestone in improving quality of care. References Lowe, J. & Archibald C. (2009).Cultural diversity: The intention of nursing. Nursing Forum Volume 44, No. 1. Pilkington, F., Singh, D., Prescod C. & Buettgen, A. (2013). Inclusive Mosaic: Promoting Diversity in Nursing through Youth Mentorship. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship Vol. 10(1): 1–10