Sexual Behavior And Sexual Identity Health And Social Care Essay

HIV is no longer entirely stigmatising the â€Å" cheery white male. † In recent old ages, the menace has spread to more diverse populations, including adult females who have sex with adult females ( WSWs ) practising multiple sexual behaviours, while presuming a assortment of sexual individualities. Yet, the information, intercessions and research available today continue providing to the original face of this deathly disease. Despite the turning organic structure of research, WSWs remain â€Å" unseeable † to authorities research workers, private wellness attention suppliers and community wellness organisations. Therefore where services for WSW are readily available, suppliers frequently fail to acknowledge the differentiation between sexual behaviour and sexual individuality, a misconception merely farther reinforced by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) as it continues to categorise adult females infected by female-to-female transmittal harmonizing to past sexual and drug behaviours. In add-on to a reasonably common belief that WSWs are immune to HIV, this community is frequently dismissed upon unwraping their sexual individuality for a figure of grounds. As noted by Diamond, there is an â€Å" premise among scientists and laypeople alike that reliable sexual orientation develops early and is consistent through one ‘s life. † This writer goes on to farther stress that, â€Å" what is reliable is what is stable. † The subjective manner in which many position sexual individuality has been a primary subscriber to the huge array of steps available to research workers for measuring hazardous behaviours with respect to sexual orientation. Ultimately, this dismissive, inattentive and even mocking respect for adult females who have sex with adult females has put an already vulnerable and turning part of the United State ‘s population at even greater hazard for HIV every bit good as STI ‘s ( sexually transmitted infections ) . From the supplier ‘s point of view, issues faced by members of this sexual wellness minority seeking information and resources are slightly associated with those issues faced by organisations fighting to function specific patronage. Within the metropolis of Chicago, those suppliers turn toing the sexual wellness demands of WSW are few and far between. For the few in being, publicity of services to the intended demographic can be disputing for several grounds: 1 ) presuming exchangeability of sexual orientation ( or ignoring the demand for categorical sexual wellness services ) can skew the best agencies for measuring plan efficaciousness ; at the same clip 2 ) if agencies for finding a participant ‘s sexual orientation are flatly specific, one misclassification can ensue in inefficiency or mis-direction of resources toward those with lesser demand off from those with greater demand. Findingss from recent surveies underline the danger in presuming excessively much about mark groups and their high/low-risk sexual patterns. Though research may uncover some groups to be more vulnerable for certain diseases than others, this statistical difference by no agency justifies the gross instability in focal point, funding and/or support.RESEARCH Question:What sexual wellness services are available for WSW ( adult females who have sex with adult females ) within the metropolis of Chicago and how are these service organisations aiming patronages in footings of turn toing the intersection of sexual behaviour and individuality?Hypothesis:With an highly limited figure of suppliers active in Chicago, few resources are available for WSW. If an organisation provides services for WSW, so they most likely do so on the footing of sexual individuality accordingly restricting their chance to turn to the single client ‘s potentially bad sexual behaviour.LITERATURE REVIEW:Numerous s urveies suggest that adult females who have sex with adult females are at low hazard for HIV and the subsequent famine of dedicated HIV/STI bar services for this community seems to reenforce these sentiments. Yet, rates of infection for HIV/STIs amongst WSW are on the rise and activist alliances comprised of adult females populating positively state broad are get downing to talk out. The battle to supply sexual wellness services for a population that has been mostly overlooked by the medical community now demands national attending. Reasons for the current deficiency of information and resources, every bit good as challenges faced by active service suppliers are debated and analyzed severally in the literature reviewed. There are a figure of issues that contribute to the wellness disparities faced by WSW. For illustration, the Women ‘s Health Initiative, a US sample of 96,000 older adult females, found that tribades and bisexual adult females were significantly more likely to be uninsured compared to heterosexual adult females ( 10, 12 and 7 % severally ) ( Valanis et al. , 2000 ) . The deficiency of insured WSW may be, harmonizing to Arend, due to homophobia on the portion of the physicians and nurses. Patient studies of homophobia in the medical universe are seting WSW at an even greater hazard: â€Å" since attention suppliers may non further swearing relationships with in which their patients could experience comfy unwraping their sexual individuality and behaviour. † It must be noted that a client can non seek wellness services that do non be, or she is less willing to make so if she has either experienced stigma or anticipates a stigmatizing environment ( Dean et al. , 2000 ; Meye r & A ; Northridge, 2007 ) . Although the CDC considers female-to-female HIV transmittal a â€Å" rare happening, † instance studies every bit good as some surveies and a smattering of publications point out that non merely are vaginal fluids and catamenial blood potentially infective, but rates of infection amongst adult females who have sex with adult females are presently on the rise ( survey by lady at conference, CDC, Arend ) * . In the article, â€Å" HIV Testing Among Lesbian Womans: Social Context and Subjective Meanings, † Dolan and Davis utilised studies, focal point groups and in-depth interviews to depict HIV proving experiences among a sample of 162 sapphic adult females populating in a big southeasterly US metropolis ( Dolan & A ; Davis 2008, JOHNSON ) . Eighty per centum of the sample had tested at least one time, with more than 25 % holding tested five or more times. Most of the adult females tested voluntarily and despite the widely promoted misconception that WSWs are at low hazar d for HIV, the respondent ‘s perceptual experience of hazard was noted as the â€Å" most common ground for proving. † However, the CDC continues to categorise adult females infected by female-to-female transmittal merely harmonizing to their old sexual and drug behaviours, thereby disregarding an full community and perpetuating the â€Å" sapphic unsusceptibility † stereotype. For old ages, Aids has been profiled as a â€Å" cheery white male ‘s † disease. Merely in the past decennary have wellness instruction and diverseness preparation plans sought to counter what has been referred to as ‘the de-gaying of AIDS † ( Flowers, 2001 ) and alternatively advanced the claim that AIDS is a ‘democratic ‘ or ‘equal chance ‘ virus. Unfortunately, this push to reprogram an inaccurate image has failed in two facets: First of all, developing manuals intended to battle the impression that ‘AIDS is a cheery disease ‘ overpoweringly turn readers ‘ attending off from work forces who have sex with work forces ( MSM ) to refocus it upon the heterosexual community. Mentioning statistics such as â€Å" The World Health Organization says 75 % of people with AIDS were infected through heterosexual sex † is helpful for battling the purely cheery male association, but at what point should the public consider hazards associated with adult females who have sex with adult females? Second, in add-on to overlooking a vulnerable demographic, the reprogramming of AIDS instruction has a inclination to entirely categorise gender, ensuing in the marginalisation of WSWs. Harmonizing to Bourne et al. , efforts at making more politically right intercession plans have pushed many plans back to educating through a biomedical lens: â€Å" minimising the hazard of bodily unstable exchange and set uping physical barriers between spouses. † One article highlights how â€Å" this point of view may be deficient when sing the emotionally charged sphere of sexual behaviour, which is, by its really nature, societal. † Intervention plans based on a biomedical position on safe sex tend to turn to intervention/education demands in a categorical, diagnostic mode. Bourne and Robson ‘s analysis of the biomedical attack to learning â€Å" safe sex † reveals how wellness publicity schemes which fail to take history of the complexnesss of lived experience are, as a consequence, mostly ignored by the mark population as being incompatible with their demands. Properly turn toing the demands of a peculiar sexual minority group ever draws attending to a cardinal, on-going argument in gender and wellness. The dissension over which issue to turn to first, behaviour or individuality, is seeable throughout the literature reviewed. Diamond notes, there is an â€Å" premise among scientists and laypeople alike that reliable sexual orientation develops early and is consistent through one ‘s life † ( 2009:52 ) . What is reliable is what is stable. â€Å" So the familiar battlefields are drawn: fixed=biological= deserving of credence and protection, whereas variable=chosen=fair game for stigma and favoritism † ( Diamond 2009:246 ) . * Some writers, nevertheless, argue that sexual orientation is non one thing. Rather, it has many constituents, including behaviour, individuality and desire. For some, behaviour may be a defining characteristic of their sexual orientation, while for others desire may be the most of import ( Tabatabai ) * . Sexual behaviour is less of import for adult females as they consider their sexual orientation ( Peplau and Garnets 2000 ) . Some experts conclude that prosecuting in sexual behaviour with a member of the same gender is non a requirement for placing in a peculiar manner and a recent Indiana University survey supports this theory. The 2010 study of Thirty showed that while X % of adult females surveyed identified as heterosexual, XXX had engaged in same sex sexual behaviours. Numerous articles highlighted hazards associated with sexual wellness service suppliers turn toing sexual individuality entirely, but the ways in which the faculty member and medical community approach sexual behaviour and designation remain subjective, thereby perpetuating wellness disparities amongst WSW. When revelation becomes a battle, so does efficaciously providing to the client ‘s yesteryear, present, or possible bad sexual behaviours. So, at the supplier degree, after an organisation decides whether to offer intercession scheduling directed at adult females who have sex with adult females, the best theoretical account for carry oning client outreach and best methods for finding proper individualized attention take centre phase. * While some adult females are really unfastened about both their diseases and sexual individuality, others are loath to discourse these issues due to frights of culturally-based stigmas against homosexualism and HIV, homophobia and maltreatment signifier medical professionals and disaffection from household members and larger communities. * Thus, a supplier motivated to make more for WSW wellness can make little with deficient support, inaccurate information or a limited outreach theoretical account. Harmonizing to a 2008 auxiliary issue within the Journal of Homosexuality, the usage of inclusive signifiers, linguistic communications and treatments that do non presume the person ‘s individuality, orientation, behaviour and relationship position are important for easing optimum bringing of attention and services. * Intake signifiers are, therefore, the first and sometimes last chance a supplier has to link with their client. Research is limited and what is available is overpoweringly theoretical. A quantitative appraisal of adult females ‘s sexual individuality and how it aligns with their behaviour is good for efficaciously patterning intercession plans. A qualitative analysis and cross-organizational appraisal of organisations presently supplying services in the Chicago country is good for finding outreach efficaciousness. Ratess of infection amongst WSW are quickly on the rise, yet the research community has been slow to react. This survey aims to pull attending to a sexual minority that is frequently overlooked by all three social sectors and foregrounding multiple barriers toward having equal attention is the first measure in bettering sexual wellness service efficaciousness for WSW.RESEARCH DESIGN:Both quantitative and qualitative methods will be utilized in this three-part multi-strategy research procedure: A quantitative analysis and rating of bing informations from a 2009 NYC Community Hea lth Survey ( CHS ) will turn to the intersection of sexual behaviours and individuality. From 2002 to 2008, 10,000 grownups aged 18 and supra participated in the cross-sectional study. The CHS, based on the National Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System ( BRFSS ) and conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides informations on a sample population comparable to Chicago. The quantitative part is important in that it will showcase a statistical form in the intersection of sexual behaviour with sexual individuality. This statistical form will reenforce the demand for qualitative appraisal of bing service organisations and explorative research on the mode in which an organisation determines client service. Three bing organisations functioning WSW ( adult females who have sex with adult females ) within the metropolis of Chicago ( Planned Parenthood of Illinois, Howard Brown Health Center ‘s Lesbian Community Care Project, and Chicago Women ‘s Health Center ) will be evaluated for a bipartite qualitative part. Interviews with decision makers heading each organisation and studies with staff responsible for personally interacting with plan attendants will supply qualitative informations in this exploratory and explanatory survey. The interview responses and study consequences will so be evaluated in concurrence with an analysis of each organisation ‘s intake signifier ( a standard paper signifier used for finding new client demands ) . Examination of said signifier will function to expose the mode in which each organisation categorizes and later â€Å" dainties † their clients. Textual analysis and qualitative in-depth observation of all three organisations will find whether WSW sexual wellness services are based upon the client ‘s sexual behaviour or the sexual individuality they declared upon consumption. Pairing the qualitative ratings with the quantitative research findings from a comparable population provides greater apprehension of the service demands within Chicago, the best methods for outreach and the issues that potentially arise from these current outreach methods.

“Ethan Frome” by Edith Wharton Essay

Naturalism is commonly understood as an extension or intensification of realism. The intensification involves the introduction of characters of a kind (Baym, 1999) A perfect example of Naturalist work is Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. Ethan, one of the main characters in the book, is a old, deformed man who is in love with his wifes cousin. Zeena is Ethans wife who occasionally has psychological illnesses. Mattie is Zeenas cousin and is in love with Ethan. There are many examples of naturalism in Ethan Frome: the characters, their deformities, and their lowly place in society, their bad luck, and distasteful environment they lived in. Ethan Frome, a significant character in the book, is very troubled. Life hasnt been pleasant for Ethan. Through his life experiences, Naturalism has been portrayed. At the beginning of the story, the reader, from the following quote, finds out that Ethan is crippled from a smash-up:The smash-up it was—I gathered from the same informant—which, besides drawing the red gash across Ethans Fromes forehead, had so shortened and warped his right side that it cost him a visible effort to take the few steps from his buggy to the post-office window. (Wharton 4)This is a characteristic of Naturalism because the smash-up was caused by Ethans emotions. If Ethan did not have any feelings for Mattie, the smash-up would have never taken place and Ethan and Mattie would not be injured and forced to spend the rest of their lives being taken care of by Zeena. Then, the novel goes into a flashback and the whole story of Ethan Frome is told to the reader. The reader then finds out that Zeena, Ethans wife, is actually his cousin who came to Starkfield to take care of Ethans mother, and she never left after his mother passed away. Ethan and Zeena get married and they have a loveless marriage that took place because of loneliness. In the novel, it says that the marriage might not have taken place if it had not been wintertime. This is also another example of Naturalism because it was decision that was controlled by their instincts that if they did not get married, then they would have a lonely winter. Zeena becomes sick, and her cousin Mattie has to come to Starkfield and take care of the house. Ethan falls in love with Mattie, but is not able to express his feelings at first because of Zeena. Later on in the story, Ethan and Mattie discover that they love each other and that they cannot be together so they decided to commit suicide. Unfortunately, the suicide attempt was futile and Mattie and Ethan both survive. In this part of the story, Ethan and Mattie are acting on their emotions because they know that they cannot runaway together, and they also know that if they commit suicide they will never have to be apart together. Ethan and Mattie would have run away together if not for their economic conditions. Because the farm was so poor, Zeena wouldnt have sold the farm for very much and she would have to suffer if Ethan and Mattie had runaway together. Although, Ethan Frome plays a very big role in this novel, Zeena also portrays examples of naturalism. Zeenas character was portrayed to the reader as being selfish and needy. Because Zeena was not required to take care of anyone, she began to show the symptoms of sickness that Ethans mother was described to have had. And within a year of their marriage she developed the sickliness which had since made her notable even in a community rich I pathological instances. When she came to take care of his mother she had seemed to Ethan like the very genius of health, but he soon saw that he skill as a nurse had been acquired by the absorbed observation of her own symptoms.(Wharton 53)This is an example of Naturalism because Zeenas need to be required by others led her to become psychologically sick and this affected her marriage with Ethan. In the middle of the novel, Ethan and Mattie walk home together after the dance and Zeena hasnt put out the key. To the reader, this seems like it was Zeenas instinct to not put out a key because she was suspicious of the relationship between Mattie and Ethan. Soon after, Zeena goes to see a new doctor in town because of her sickness. This event gives the impression that Zeena is sick only because she wants to be recognized in society, and being sick is allowing her to be noticed by others. At the very end of the novel, Zeena recognizes that Mattie and Ethan have feelings for each other, and tries to split them apart by hiring another girl to take care of the house. However, the smash-up allowed Zeena to be needed by the handicapped Mattie and Ethan, and Zeena instant got better. These are examples of naturalism, because Zeena is acting on her instincts that that Ethan and Mattie are having an affair, and the outcome is that they try to commit suicide and fail and have to live the rest of their lives together with Zeena almost in  poverty. The decisions that the characters in Ethan Frome impact the rest of their lives. These decisions are all examples of Naturalism. Ethan decisions are based on his instinct and also his emotions of love for Mattie, and his emotion of loathe for Zeena. Zeenas, on the other hand, are based on by her instinct that Ethan and Mattie are in love with each other, her lowly status in society, and also their meager economic conditions. This book shows the reader that life should not always be controlled by instinct and emotion, but rather that it should be controlled by thoughts and adapting to the environment around you. Wharton, Edith. Simon & Schuster, 2004.

Judy Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Judy Case Study - Essay Example In this case, the nurse failed to promote due diligence and this resulted in the full cardiac and respiratory arrest of the patient. Here, Judy is a patient with acute depression and suicidal ideation and hence, she needed high quality patient care. However, the nurse did not meet the standards of quality care. To illustrate, the nurse did not notice the psychiatrist leaving the room and she was not cautious about the possibility of danger with the bathroom that had kept unlocked. Similarly, the psychiatrist neglected to inform the nurse that Judy was alone in the room. Evidently, the negligence of the nurse and the psychiatrist (ethically) compromised patient safety in this regard. The nurse was negligent for unlocking the bathroom door and allowing Judy to shower herself. The case study clearly indicates that Judy had high suicidal tendency and hence, she was admitted in a 24-hour emergency mental health unit. She made a suicide attempt there and was subsequently moved to a 15 minu te observation protocol. It clearly reflects that Judy was extremely prone to suicidal thoughts so she might make another suicide attempt at any time. The psychiatrist might not notice that the bathroom door had been unlocked as it was not her responsibility.

Inflation Control by Government of UK Economy Essay

Inflation Control by Government of UK Economy - Essay Example The rate of overall fixed capital formation in the UK is depressed by the very low level of public investment. During the 1970s and much of the 1980s the UK endured persistently high inflation. Despite high levels of unemployment, wage increases in the 1980s exceeded productivity growth, provoking strong upward pressure on prices. The boom of the late 1980s created a new inflationary surge, painfully controlled only by high interest rates and the early 1990s recession. Since then, however, the UK's inflation performance has improved markedly. The government has preferred measure of inflation, the RPIX (which excludes mortgage interest payments), has fluctuated within a narrow range in recent years and even came in below the official central target of 2.5% in 1999-2001. Meanwhile, inflation as measured by the EU's harmonised index averaged just 1.2% over 2001, the lowest rate in the EU. Two aspects of the UK's recent inflation performance are worth recording, however. The first is that there has been a significant divergence since mid-1998 between goods and service sector inflation, with the latter accounting for most of the increase in the consumer price index. In fact, in many parts of the goods sector (notably clothing, footwear and audio-visual equipment); prices actually fell in 2000 and 2001. A second aspect worth noting is the sharp (and probably unsustainable) appreciation of sterling's trade-weighted exchange rate since 1996, which has exerted considerable downward pressure on import prices. This paper discusses the inflation control methodologies in United Kingdom from 1994 to 2004. It shall also discuss how UK has managed its inflation in the last few decades. The paper shall also provide recommendations for inflation control by effective governance. Historical Monetary and Fiscal policies of UK Monetary policy The UK has experimented with numerous frameworks for monetary policy over the past 15 years. In the 1980s, the Conservative government tried in vain to target various measures of the money supply, before deciding to target the exchange rate. After "tracking" the D-mark in the late 1980s, the UK joined the EU's exchange-rate mechanism (ERM) in October 1990, only to be ejected two years later, in September 1992, when speculative pressures forced sterling out of the ERM. Following its exit, the UK was one of the first OECD countries to adopt inflation control. An inflation target range of 1-4% was initially set, but responsibility for setting interest rates remained with the government. When the Labour government came to power in 1997, its first significant decision was to grant operational independence for setting interest rates to a newly constituted Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) within the Bank of England. The responsibility fo

Analysis on Home Burial by robert frost Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis on Home Burial by robert frost - Essay Example The very first line suggests the strange and dubious aspects of her action as it is perceived by the man. It is absolutely incomprehensible and irksome to him. Making up his mind to confront her openly, he demands to know what it is that attracts her attention at the top of the stairs. He makes this demand when he sees her at the top of the stairs in the house, about to start down, but looking over her shoulders â€Å"at some fear†. She takes a doubtful step and withdraws to have one more glance. He sees her before she sees him, thus getting the full benefit of witnessing her action. He asks her to describe what she sees there â€Å"always†. When she reacts to his query by turning and sinking upon her skirts, her facial expression changing â€Å"from terrified to dull†, he asks the question again to â€Å"gain time† and starts mounting the stairs. His approach towards her is very calculated as if he is dealing with someone who has unpredictable behavioral patterns. She cowers under him as he reaches the top and refuses to offer any help: â€Å"With the least stiffening of her neck and silence she let him look†. She is firm in her belief that he will not see what she sees as he is a â€Å"blind creature† in her opinion. The woman seems to have preconceived notions with regard to his possible responses. It is also possible that she has formed her opinions based on her real experiences of living with him as his wife. But quite contrary to her notions, though he takes a while, he finally spots out the object in question without any help of even confirmation from her. When he mourns â€Å"Oh,oh† as if he is at last convinced innate justifiability of her action, she is still doubtful, rather quite convinced that he has mistaken something else for it. She demands a clarification and eventually gets it in fairly good detail. But instead of feeling surprised at his â€Å"lack of blindness† and regretting

Implications of Naval Power in the American Civil War Essay

Implications of Naval Power in the American Civil War - Essay Example It was one of the most dramatically one sided battles in Naval history on that day in March, 1862 – when the CSS Virginia defeated two federal warships, the Congress and Cumberland. The battle yielded the destruction of both ships and the deaths of at least 240 of their crew, making headway towards breaking the Union blockade of the lower Chesapeake bay. This victory over the blockade would yield any number of consequences for the war, upon which the fortunes of the slaveholding Confederacy Would rise or fall. An evacuation took place on April 20, 1861 of the Naval yards at Gosport, Virginia. The Merrimac and the Pennsylvania launched a barrage against the port with heavy batteries in addition to Marines units. The United States Navy was attempting to abandon port, within hostile Virginia even as the Confederates attempted to obstruct the channel to blockade them. The Merrimac this time being a mere wooden hulled ship as navies have used since time immemorial. The Confederates succeeded in destroying or damaging the Pennsylvania, the Delaware, the Columbus, the Columbia, the Raritan, three sloops of war, while the steam frigate Merrimac was scuttled and burned. Yet almost immediately steps were taken to raise the Merrimac and convert it into an ironclad vessel as the Confederate secretary of the Navy recommended in a letter in which he described the creation of such a vessel as "a matter of the first necessity."2 The ship was raised, and what had once been her berth deck became a gun deck, with a wooden encasement of oak and pine 2 feet thick was built first. A 20 foot wide ruled was covered with iron gratings to create four hatch ways. This wooden encasement was used as the foundation for two sheathes of iron plating 2 inches thick each. The resulting ship floated very low in the water with the 800 tons of pig iron used in total to get the ship the weight needed to allow a vessel to rest at the desired depth. The metal behemoth lay mostl y under the water line and looked perhaps not unlike the roof of a house-boat. 10 guns, including four rifles as well as 6 inchers. The engines, being essentially the same design as the steam frigate have used prior tended to be dangerous and unreliable with the new configuration but initially performed quite well before several failures. 2 SCOPE OF THE WAR On 9 March, the situation was destined to become far more complicated, as the Confederate crew observed a vessel remarkably heavy, floating low within the waters. It had to be the USS Monitor, the North's answer to the challenge of an ironclad ship, soon to render every other Naval force on the planet obsolete. The first battle began with the objective of the defense of the grounded steam frigate the Minnesota, but the implications were far greater than the fate of a single steamship. It would spark a naval arms/armor race that would reach well into the 20th century. There were more Naval actions between the years of 1861 and 186 5 on the North American Continent than the rest of the world combined throughout the 19th century. Actions ranged from the Bering Sea to the Indian Ocean, including skirmishes in the English channel, and numerous actions up and down the American coastlines and rivers, 3 including a violent naval raid in Oklahoma, as will be described below. It was the definitive, technical innovations that might be labeled 'secret weapons' that spurred the armaments that would later define the first world war. Various other aquatic contrivances besides ironclad ships had their first expression during this conflict, including submarines and torpedoes. 4, 5 The monitor itself was the New York brainchild of Swedish engineer John Ericsson. The first of many in her ship class. However it should be noted that Congress ordered an investigation on the possibility of ironclad warships in July of 1861 when it became clear that a massive struggle had begun, not simply the 'peace in 60 days' naive optimism some officials had promulgated. It was believed in most circles of military intelligence that the

Entrepreneurship----Economists views on the innovation and Essay

Entrepreneurship----Economists views on the innovation and entrepreneurship - Essay Example market, of determining opportunities, optimizing potential ventures or partnership, strategizing decision-making capabilities, improving communication skills, developing good interpersonal relation with customers, and in attaining business intelligence (Carter & Jones-Evans, 2006, pp, 1-10; 129-151). Expert entrepreneurs are observed to have adopted some business patterns and have gain expertise in organizational planning, executing, selecting human resources, performance management, evaluation, and in doing excellent market analysis (Carter & Jones-Evans, 2006, pp. 152-175). They constantly update themselves on trends and readily adapt to changes to leverage itself from every opportunities. Entrepreneurs also study business laws and policies made by legislatures to ascertain that they are able to adhere to or recommend measures to enhance business chances. They too are incisive about the kind of analysis and scheme they’d packaged depending on situational context from a rapid ly evolving market (Carter & Jones-Evans, 2006, pp. 152-175). They are expert on researching and studying economic forecasts as well. It’s this need to sustain the learning process that entrepreneurs often take metacognitive decision-making about his/her interrelationship with clients and customer while recognizing too the limiting factors by reflecting and understanding the varied controls in customer and client relations (Mitchell, Smith, Gustafsson, & Mitchell, 2006, pp. 5-12). Innovations set in. As observed globally, entrepreneurs increased their efficacy by adapting the use of technology as tool to hasten distinction in production and in marketing goods (Deakin & Freel, 2003, pp. 1-35). Unlike before when market is limited in established public facilities for vendors, entrepreneurs now reach out clients and customers in the households using internet or web-based connections. Modes of payments are also transacted via automated machines or electronic transfers (Deakin & Freel,

The Effects of Rap Music on Violent Behavior among African American Research Proposal

The Effects of Rap Music on Violent Behavior among African American Teenagers - Research Proposal Example Rap music is gaining popularity and momentum day by day, leaving parents, government officials and health authorities worried about the consequences of watching this form of music genre. This is because; this form of music has some components of aggressiveness and sexual activities in the lyrics and video which can instigate teenagers to perform immoral acts because of fantasizing and role modeling. The beat, rhythm and lyrics of the songs make the listeners listen to the rap songs again and again and make them feel that the content of the songs is the realistic form of the outside world. Many studies have reported various effects of rap music on the adolescents and youth who watch and listen to them. Some of the effects include aggressive behaviors, poor academic performance, health-risk behaviors and suicidal ideation. Of these, aggressive and violent behaviors are very important because, they can have a devastating impact on the society. Rap music has its origins from the African- American community and it is interesting to know what effects this genre of music has on the population from where it has come. Thus this research aims to explore the effects of rap music on the violent behaviour of the African –American teenagers. The study will be a prospective study over 12 months period. The enrolled participants will be asked to record the number of hours they listen to rap music or watch music video and the type of songs they view or listen. After 12 months, the outcomes will be measured. The main outcome that will be measured is violent or aggressive behavior. Other measures which will be measured include academic performance, sexual practices and behavioural problems. The data will be analysed using univariate and covariate analyses.

Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's dream Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's dream - Essay Example They are totally and constantly clear which of the two men they love even though the men referred, may change due to the magic drop. In the beginning of the play Hermia is told that she has a few days left for deciding if she would obey her father and marry Demetrius rather than Lysander. Paternal consent was an absolute necessity for the marriage of a daughter in Elizabethan days and the Duke in the play stresses upon this point of patriarchal importance: Mother's role in the birth of a daughter seems to be rather obscured here. It is spoken as though the child is the property of the father alone, one of his possessions with which he could decide to do whatever he chooses. Rgeus accuses Lysander with the obvious show of this right over the daughter: Again the gender plays an important role here. Being a daughter is a decidedly much lesser role than being a son. The daughters are protected, shielded, but were dominated and decisions about their lives were informed to them and they were expected to abide by those paternal decisions. Hermia was given the choice of "either to die the Death or to abjure forever the Society of Men" or 'she can endure the Livery of Nun.' Those were the days when chastity was valued the most. ... Those were the days when chastity was valued the most. The Queen, who had given up her pleasures and male company, for ruling the country as an absolute monarch, was ruling the social and cultural scenes of England too. We see in the play Hermia being definitely possessive about her virginity. Female virginity was a necessity for a good match and a subsequent married life. Male virginity was not a forced factor, but definitely was valued. Conversation between Helena and Hermia in the I scene, shows that Hermia is rather simultaneously smug and unhappy with two men loving her and Helena is longing to be Demetrius' lover. (The more I love, the more he hateth me). Helena could not stomach the fact that Dimetrius has gone with Egeus to the court of the Duke to win Hermia's hand. In her desperation to win his attention, she does not hesitate to beg her friend for advice: I teach me how you look, and with what Art You sway the Motion of Demetrius' Heart (I-I-192-193) Rivalry and a kind of mild hatred begin from this point between the two. Hermia and Helena have a kind of 'homosocial world of peer-group friendship'. Their innocent relationship continues very comfortably, till the heterosexual relationships disturb it, mainly when Hermia's longing for Lysander brings distance to her relationship with Helena. Most of the time, they had friendship with men without much of intimacy and this is not disturbing their chastity in any way. It is like a celebration of companionship. But, the friends refrain from discussing their choices of men or discuss the men themselves. Prior to the influence of the drug, the two friends do not seem to be having any desire to relinquish their respective partners. During the wars of love, there had been jealousy and

Health Insurance and Medicare Essay Example for Free

Health Insurance and Medicare Essay I. Introduction The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law on March 23, 2010 by President Barack Obama. Along with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (HCERA), it represents the momentous transformation of the U.S. health care system. Its main goal is to decrease the amount of uninsured citizens as well as to reduce the overall costs of health care. It is a vastly complex reform that will affect many people in aspects of their health care, costs, and the country. There are many opinions about how this reform will affect the nation, some saying it will make us better off, others saying we will be worse off, and those who do not think it will make a difference. But regardless of these opinions, what the majority does agree on is that these laws may be difficult to understand and that many are not even aware of these changes. There are many problems that the health care industry is facing. The cost of health care may arguably be the most important factor that people are concerned about. Many think that health care policies and premiums are too expensive. Coupled with the fact that our population is aging, meaning that there will be more elder people with more health problems, health care costs are rapidly growing and take up a huge chunk of the federal budget. There are also many loopholes within the current health care system. Individuals who are looking to buy insurance can be denied based on their pre-existing conditions. Some insurance policies even have a lifetime limit on benefits. What all these examples basically sum up is that the people who are in need of health care the most are those who are also the most unlikely to be insured, or are under insured. In an attempt to address these issues, the PPACA and Reconciliation Act were established. The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act was enacted to amend the PPACA. It is divided into two titles, one addressing the health reform and the other addressing student loan reform. It makes changes to some parts of the PPACA. That is why many people commonly refer to the overall health reform as just the PPACA. The most noted change this brings  is that it requires almost all citizens to have health care insurance, or to pay a penalty. Some examples and cases regarding this issue will be discussed later on. The PPACA also considerably expands public insurance as well as funds private insurance coverage. It will close loopholes such as setting life time limits as well as making it illegal to reject coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. In terms of affordability, the PPACA will expand Medicaid to cover low-income families and individuals across the nation. It also aims to cut down and reconstruct Medicare spending, which will be the main focus of this paper. II. The Impacts of the PPACA and HCERA on Medicare and Health Physicians The PPACA is made up of 10 titles. I will be discussing selected provisions in Titles II, III, IV, and V regarding Medicare. These include program modifications and payment to Medicare’s fee-for-service program, the Medicare Advantage, prescription drug programs, Medicare’s payment process, changes to address, waste, fraud, and abuse, and other miscellaneous Medicare changes. As for the HCERA, the first title has provisions detailing health care and revenues. Subtitle B of Title I involves provisions that change provisions PPACA relevant to those listed above (Medicare Advantage, fee-for-service, and prescription drug programs). Subtitle D has provisions regarding decreasing fraud, abuse, and waste in Medicare. Subtitle E discuses revenue related provisions such as a provision that changes Medicare tax provision in PPACA. A. Impacts on Medicare According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the provisions in PPACA as amended by the HCERA will reduce direct spending by an estimated $390 billion (CRS, 2010). The provisions that are predicted to produce the largest savings include the following: (1) developing an Independent Payment Advisory Board to create changes in Medicare payment rates is presumed to save about $16 billion (2) decreasing Medicare payments to hospitals that aid a vast number of low-income patients, is expected to reduce expenditures by an estimated $22 billion (3) permanent deductions to Medicare’s fee-for-service payment rates (4) changing the high-income adjustment for Part B premiums, and (5) making maximum payment rates in Medicare Advantage closer to spending in fee-for-service Medicare. However, it is critical to  note that these are just estimates. Medicare is made up of four parts that are each accountable for paying for various benefits, dependent on different eligibility criteria. Under traditional Medicare, Part A and Part B services are usually paid by a fee-for-service basis (services supplied to a patient is reimbursed through a separate payment). Part A supplies coverage for skilled nursing facility (SNF) services, inpatient hospital services, hospice care, and home health care, which are subject to some limitations. Provisions that reduce Part A spending make up a large part of the savings related to this legislation through either payment changes or constraining payment updates. PPACA will alter Medicare’s payment updates to Part A hospitals to account for cost savings, which will significantly reduce Medicare spending in the next 10 years. Under PPACA (Title III Subtitle A Section 3001), beginning for discharges on October 1, 2012 hospitals will acquire value-based incentive payments from Medicare. The first year of the value based purchasing (VBP) program will aim at collecting data and assessing performance. Starting in 2013, adjustments to hospital payments will be made based on performance by the VBP program. There will also be VBP standards established (i.e. levels of improvement and accomplishments), as well as a method for assessing how hospitals perform. Hospitals with the highest score will obtain the biggest VBP payments. Those that meet or go beyond the standards are able to receive an increased DRG payment for each discharge within the year. However, to provide for these VBP incentive payments the DRG payments will be reduced by a certain percentage: 1.0% in 2013; 1.25% in 2014; 1.5% in 2015; 1.75% in 2016; and 2.0% in 2017. An alternate choice to receive covered benefits would be Medicare Advantage (MA). Private health plans are paid a per person amount to supply all Medicare-covered benefits to those who enroll in the plan under MA. The payments made to MA plans are decided by comparing the maximum amount Medicare will pay for benefits with a plan’s cost of providing those required benefits. If the plan’s cost is below the maximum, then it is paid  the cost plus a rebate equal to 75% of the difference to the maximum. But if the plan’s cost is above the maximum, then it is paid and must also charge the enrollee the difference between the cost and the maximum. PPACA modifies how the maximum payment is decided. Beginning in 2012, it will implement benchmarks (maximum amount Medicare will pay for benefits) calculated as a percentage of per capita FFS Medicare spending. It will also increase benchmarks depending on the quality of the plan. Those with a high quality rating will get an increase in their benchmark while new plans or those with lesser enrollments may also qualify to get an increase. PPACA will also vary the plan rebates based on quality with new rebates set from 50% to 70%. In regards to changes affecting Medicare’s prescription drug benefits, the health reform makes a few changes to the Medicare Part D program. PPACA increases the premiums held by higher income enrollees. The income standards are set to be at the same manner and level as that in Part B. Beginning in 2011, those enrolled in Part D will have a 50% discount for drugs during the coverage gap. In extension, HCERA will supply a rebate of $250 to those who enter the gap in 2010. Hopefully this phases out the â€Å"donut hole† (coverage gap) by slowly lessening the cost-sharing and coverage gap for generic and brand name drugs. Medicare’s finances are operated through two trust funds, the Hospital Insurance (HI) and the Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) trust fund. The main provider of income to the HI fund, which pays for Medicare Part A, is the payroll taxes paid by employers and employees. Medicare Part B and D are funded by general revenues and monthly premiums. In addition to all the previous provisions addressing Medicare’s financial issues, there is another precautionary step being taken. The PPACA has a provision to establish an Independent Payment Advisory Board with the goal of decreasing Medicare spending. B. Impacts on Physicians The PPACA and HCERA make various changes to the Medicare program, which in turn affects physicians and how they practice. Some of these provisions have clear consequences, such as immediately changing physician reimbursement, while others have indirect influences on how physicians may practice in the  future by modifying the incentives to improve the delivery and quality of care. PPACA broadens the Medicare Physician Quality and Reporting Initiative (PQRI) incentive payments though 2014 and administers a penalty for those who fail to report quality measures starting in 2015. It also supplies for a further bonus to physicians who meet the requirements of an assessment program, such as the Maintenance of Certification Program, while penalizes the physicians who fail to meet those standards in the future. Under Section 3002 of Title III, Medicare claims data will be used to provide reports to physicians that measure resources used to provide care for Medicare beneficiaries. Under Section 3007 of Title III, the Secretary of HHS is obliged to create and administer a separate payment modifier to the Medicare physician fee schedule. This payment should be based on the relative cost and quality of the care provided by physicians. The quality of care should be assessed based on risk-adjusted measure of quality determined by the Secretary. Costs are also assessed based on measures determined by the Secretary. Risk factors such as ethnicity, demographic, socioeconomic characteristics, and health status should be taken into account. By January 1, 2012 these explicit measures of cost and quality, along with implementation dates of the adjusted payments should be published. III. Regulations Implementation With such significant changes and provisions being made, there should be a way to keep track of how each is being regulated and implemented. I will discuss the regulations, time limits, and effective dates on how each are being done so by year. The first changes of 2010 start with Medicare provider rates. This includes reductions in the annual market basket updates for hospital services. Currently, there have been productivity adjustments added to market basket update in 2012. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have issued these updates for varying provider types starting in August 2010. The  implementation of the Medicare Beneficiary drug rebate, which supplies a $250 rebate to those in the Part D coverage gap, started January 1, 2010. In May 2010, the CMS published a brochure containing information about the coverage gap in Medicare Part D. As of March 22, 2011, about 3.8 million people have received the $250 rebate (HHS, 2011). As for closing the Medicare drug coverage gap, on December 17, 2010 CMS sent a letter to pharmaceutical companies addressing guidelines to the Medicare Coverage Gap Discount Program. This program became effective on January 1, 2011. Moving onto provisions implemented in 2011, Medicare payments for primary care will provide a 10% bonus payment for services. It will also provide the same bonus to general surgeons working in areas with a shortage of health professionals. This is being implemented starting in January 1, 2011 through December 2015. As for the MA payment changes, they will restructure payment to private plans and prohibit higher cost-sharing requirements. This has been in effect since January 1, 2011. The CMS issued a notice to MA plans in April 2010 addressing the freeze in 2011 payment rates at 2010 levels. A Medicare Independent Payment Advisory Board made up of 15 individuals to arrange proposals and recommendations to decrease the per capita rate of growth in spending if it exceeds targeted rates was planned to be established. On October 1, 2011, funding was made available and the first proposals are due January 15, 2014. In 2012, the second part of the MA plan payments, which reduce rebates paid and provide bonuses to high quality plans, went into effect on January 1, 2012. On February 28, 2012 the CMS sent out a letter to MA plans addressing the payment rates for 2012. Fraud and abuse prevention was also implemented on January 1, 2012. It establishes procedures for screening and reporting those who participate in Medicare. On March 23, 2011 CMS issued a notice addressing the fee that providers would have to pay to fund the screenings. Later on in the year, on October 1, 2012 Medicare value based purchasing was put into effect. This creates a program to pay hospitals based on their quality of performance. This coming year in 2013, there will be a few provisions to come into effect  starting off the new year. On January 1, 2013 the Medicare tax increase (increases the Medicare Part A tax rate on wages by 0.9% on incomes of $200,000), Medicare bundle payment pilot program (program to create and assess payments for certain services), and the latter part of the prescription drug coverage gap (reducing coinsurance) will be put into effect. As for 2014, the last of the Medicare provisions will be implemented. The Medicare Advantage plan loss ratios are mandated to be no less than 85%; this will begin at the start of the year on January 1, 2014. The second implementation for that year will be Medicare payments for hospital-acquired infections; it will decrease payments to those hospitals for their hospital-aquired conditions by 1% and this process will continue onto 2015. IV. Cases Challenging PPACA When the PPACA and HCERA were signed into law, many people opposed and sued claiming that the reform was unconstitutional for a number of reasons. The most controversial was the mandate that require most citizens to obtain health insurance coverage, and if failing to do so would have to pay a penalty in the form of an individual tax. Another debated provision was the expansion of the Medicaid program to cover even more individuals, such as those with low income. All of these separate cases were then merged into a single case, The National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, 567 U.S. (2012). When ruled, it was a momentous Supreme Court decision in which the Court maintained Congress’s authority to enact the provisions of the Affordable Care Act and the Reconciliation Act. In December 2011, it was announced that there would be a 6 hour oral argumentation heard by the Court over a time span of three days beginning on March 26, 2012 and ending on March 28, 2012 discussing varying debatable topics of these provisions. By a vote of 5 to 4, the Court maintained the Individual Mandate aspect of the PPACA as a binding exercise of Congress’s authority to lay and collect taxes. The critical characterization of this financial penalty as a tax is what passed the mandate as constitutional. Preceding this landmark case there were many previous hearings held, all  having similar conflicting opinions. The Eleventh Circuit was also dealing with arguments in relative cases challenging PPACA. While it was assumed that the Fourth Circuit, which had heard oral arguments before the Eleventh Circuit, would issue a decision on PPACA first, the Eleventh Circuit was actually the second to issue its opinion, on August 12, 2011. In Florida ex rel. Bondi v. U.S. Department of Health Human Services (2011) the plaintiffs of the case were two private individuals, the National Federation of Independent Business, and 26 individual states. The Eleventh Circuit then published a 300-plus page opinion finding by a 2:1 majority that the Individual Mandate (requiring health insurance coverage) is unconstitutional, and thus created a split of authority between the two Circuits. The Eleventh Circuit heard this appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, which saw the Individual Mandate to be an unconstitutional exercise of Congress’s authority. The district court also found that the Individual Mandate was not applicable to the rest of the PPACA, meaning that the whole act was invalid. The plaintiffs in the district court case also debated that the PPACA’s expansion of Medicaid was unconstitutional, but the district court granted the government judgment on that issue and the Eleventh Circuit agreed to that court’s decision. These two cases show how divided opinions can be and how difficult it was and is to pass a health reform law. Opinions are still divided, concerning many aspects such as the Medicaid expansion, the Commerce Clause, and the Necessary and Proper Clause. On the issue of Medicaid expansion, no one, single opinion had the support of the majority of the Justices. Also, on the issue of if the Individual Mandate was within the authority of Congress under the Commerce Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause, again there was no single opinion that was supported by the majority of the Court. Despite all these controversies, and even though the act has passed, there are still those who are continuing to pursue litigation in order to repeal and defeat the PPACA. V. Conclusion Medicare spending has been increasing much more rapidly compared to the general economy, and this definitely raises concerns about Medicare’s  long-term sustainability. The provisions in the Affordable Care Act and the Reconciliation Act were established to decrease Medicare program costs by about $390 billion over the following 10 years through modifications in payments to various providers, by leveling payment rates between fee-for-service Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and by boosting efficiencies of how health services are delivered and paid for. Overall, the PPACA and HCERA are momentous pieces of legislation that will restructure the future of the U.S. health care system. It is still unclear of how well these provisions have been implemented, with some still having yet to be so. The main concern is probably how well costs will be contained or reduced. With all of these new taxes, hopefully the reform will actually reduce the federal deficit over the next ten years that these provisions are being implemented. There is still much work to be done within the next few years, to see how this reform works out. Many people are glad that it has passed and support this reform as well as encourage it to be expanded, while others oppose the reform arguing that it creates too much government involvement in the issue. But since it has passed and is enacted in the present, people should make use of what is being provided. Some are not even aware of the changes in the health care industry and are oblivious to how they are being affected. That is why it is important to stay informed and make decisions, after all this is what directly affects your future. References CRS Analysis of CBO (March 20, 2010). Estimates of the effects of PPACA and the Reconciliation Act combined. Congressional Budget Office. Retrieved October 31, 2012 from: http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/113xx/doc11379/AmendReconProp.pdf Barrett, Paul M. (June 28, 2012). Supreme Court Supports Obamacare, Bolsters Obama. Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved November 3, 2012 from: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-28/supreme-court-supports-obamacare-and-bolsters-obama Congressional Budget Office (March 2009). An Analysis of Health Insurance Premiums Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Letter to the Honorable Evan Bayh. Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC. Retrieved November 3, 2012 from: http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=10781. Kaizer, J. (2010). Implementation Timeline. Health Reform Source. Retrieved November 5, 2012 from: http://healthreform.kff.org/timeline.aspx Hilgers, David W. (February 2012) Physicians post-PPACA: not going bust at the healthcare buffet. The Health Lawyer, Vol. 24. Retrieved November 4, 2012 from: http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publishing/health_lawyer/health_mo_premium_hl_healthlawyer_v24_2403 Pozgar, George D. (2009). Legal essentials of health care administration. Missisauga, Ontario: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Michael Brown. National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, Secretary of Health Human Services 567 U.S. (2012) No. 11-393 Argued March 26-28, 2012 – Decided June 28, 2012 Florida ex rel. Bondi v. U.S. Department of Health a Human Services, 780 F.Supp. 2d. 1256 (N.D. Fla. 2011), order clarified by 780 F.Supp. 2d. 1307. (N.D. Fla. 2011).

Reality Television and Audience Interaction

Reality Television and Audience Interaction RESEARCH PROPOSAL How viewers interact and engage with reality shows through voting Research aim and significance This study examines voting – a feature of interaction and engagement of audience with reality television. The study aims to investigate which factors influencing on television viewers’ decision to vote and also provide an exploration on their psychological side which may be vital for understanding their interactive behaviors. In the context of greater interaction between the programs and its audiences has been stimulating by television producers, it is significant to research this interactive form of reality television that encourages deeper audience participation. The findings of this study offer view on multiple sides involving opportunies and challenges for broadcast media companies and digital platform partners to exploit audience participation for the purposes of profit and the strategic expansion to multi-platform formats. Literature Review and Theory Since the very first reality show launching in 1990, the reality genre has rapidly developed to become the most popular experience of television nowadays. A plethora of research has been undertaking in recent years to identify the origin of reality shows’ appeal which concentrated mainly on the psychological side such as the theory of human motivations called ‘16 basic desires’ which linking the most fundamental purposes of human life to aspirations with their attention to media conducted by Reiss and Wiltz (2004) or the element of mastery sense named ‘schadenfreude’ introduced by Hall (2006). More recent studies in the last decade have focused on the power relation between the media and their publics as a key factor contributing to the growth of the reality television around the world, based on the concept of ‘audience activity’ which illustrates the level of selection when people use media and the level of involvement with the content (Rubin, 1993). Unlike many traditional television programs that only focus on the content without paying attention on audience interaction, reality program really provide the audience a participatory mode in which they are invited to influence the program’s story (Godlewski Perse, 2010; Enli Ihlebà ¦k, 2011). In its most famous form (in such series as Big Brother, The X Factor, Idol and The Voice), reality television has been transformed into interactive cross-platform media experience, soliciting direct audience participation, by telephone and the use of interactive functions of digital technology (Charles, 2012). Gr iffen-Foley (2004) argued that all of these media outlets have sought to attend their consumers as ‘textual actors’ which boosted the perception of engagement and generate a ‘loyal community’ of audience. Among them, voting is assigned as a prominent and lucrative option of viewer feedback, particularly in talent-based reality shows (Enli Ihlebà ¦k, 2011). Godlewski and Perse (2010) developed the theory of audience activity to scrutinize the relationship between viewing motivations, recognition of the participants, ‘cognitive and emotional involvement’ before, during and after exposure to media content. The scholars discovered that, instead of according with the levels of cognitive and emotional involvement during exposure, reality television provides to the audiences new kinds of post-exposure activity and also opportunities for finding previously unavailable ‘additional gratifications’ through voting to affect the program’s result. Such interactivity creates involving experiences via the active control of the media. In addition, there is a higher level of psychological engagement relating to thinking about and spending attentiveness of viewers who vote to whom they chose to vote for. Interestingly, Nightingale and Dwyer (2006) took the form on a larger scope that examined wider cultural significance and the translation into national format. This means that in multicultural nations, the audience is more likely to compose members of various dispersive communities with different degrees of loyalty. As a result, while votes are asked for supporters, the result always represents on a national scale. Audiences pay money to protect and attract the focus on their local contestants and even on their hometowns and regions. This study does not merely to understand why audience lodging vote in reality television but also explore what portrays them in regards to motivations and interactive behaviors such as the differences between age, gender, culture, socio-economic background and psychological aspect for example the level of activeness. Through this program producers could understand the desires of audience for interacting with the content via voting. Methodology Based on similar case studies involving audience activity (Godlewski Perse 2010), I will conduct one-hour interviews with five people of various age, gender and socio-economic backgrounds who are reality shows’ audience and regularly vote for their favorite shows or contestants. These interviews allow participants to elaborate on given open-ended qualitative questions and to explore from their personal experience of interaction and engagement. Before the interview, a copy of the plain language statement will be given to the participants for reading and keeping. They will be also asked to sign and return the consent form to the researchers. The interview will be recorded and transcribed for the purposes of the research paper. In the first part of the interview, participants will be asked to mention the kind of reality genre they are more likely to watch and their voting frequency. In the remaining part, participants will be invited to show how they interact with their most-liked reality shows through voting, for example explaining why they vote and determining which factors affect their decision. The information gathered will be compared and contrasted, using arguments discussed above in order to provide an insight into television producers targeted at the capitalization of audience fancy to maximize the shows’ outcome in terms of both revenue and viewer loyalty. The plain language statement, consent form and interview questions are provided below in the appendix. [918 words] Bibliography Charles, A 2012, Interactivity: New Media, Politics and Society, Peter Lang Oxford, Oxford. Enli, GS Ihlebà ¦k, KA 2011, ‘Dancing with the audience: Administrating vote-ins in public and commercial broadcasting’, Media, Culture Society, 33(6), pp. 953-962. Godlewski, LR Perse, EM 2010, ‘Audience activity and reality television: Identification, Online Activity, and Satisfaction’, Communication Quarterly, May, pp. 148-169. Griffen-Foley, B 2004, ‘From Tit-Bits to Big Brother: A Century of Audience Participation in the Media’, Media Culture Society, vol. 26, no. 4, July, pp. 533-548. Hall, A 2006, ‘Viewers Perceptions of Reality Programs’, Communication Quarterly, vol. 54, issue 2, May, pp. 191-211. Hill, A 2007 , Reslyting Factual TV: Audiences and News, Documentary and Reality Genres, Taylor Francis, New York. Holmes, S 2004, ‘Reality Goes Pop!: Reality TV, Popular Music, and Narratives of Stardom in Pop Idol’, Television New Media, vol. 5, no.2, May, pp. 147-172. Holmes, S 2004, ‘‘But this time you choose!’: Approaching the ‘interactive’ audience in reality TV’, International Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 213-231. Kajus, Y 2009, ‘Idolizing and Monetizing the Public: The Production of Celebrities and Fans, Representatives and Citizens in Reality TV’, International Journal of Communication, pp. 277-300. Nightingale, V Dwyer, T 2006 ‘The audience politics of ‘enhanced’ television formats’, International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, vol. 2, no.1, pp. 25-42 Papacharissi, Z Mendelson, AL 2007, ‘An exploratory study of reality appeal: Uses and Gratifications of reality TV shows’, Journal of Broadcasting Electronic Media, vol. 51, issue 2, June, pp. 355-370. Reiss, S Wiltz, J 2004, ‘Why people watch Reality TV’, Media Psychology, vol. 6, issue 4, November, pp.363-378. Roscoe, J 2010, ‘Multi-Platform Event Television: Reconceptualizing our Relationship with Television’, The Communication Review, vol. 7, issue. 4, pp. 363-369. Ytreberg, Y 2009, ‘Extended liveness and eventfulness in multi-platform reality formats’, New Media Society, vol. 11, issue 4, pp. 1-19. Interview questions 1. What kinds of reality television do you often interact with through voting? + How many times do you vote for your favorite reality programs on average? 2. Are you member of a fanclub of any reality show’ or reality show’ contestant? + Do you mobilize your family/ relatives/ friends/ community to vote for your favorite contestants? 3. Which factors do you think will affect your decision for vote? + Are the contestants’ performance and the estimations of the judges important to you? + If your favorite contestant is facing elimination, do you try your best to keep he/she staying in the competion? 4. Do you think that voting is a symbol of audience democracy? + To what extent do you believe that audience can control the result of a reality show by voting? + Do you think the results reflect properly the audience desire? 5. How do you feel if the contestant that you voted for lose? + Do you often compare between your local contestants and contestants from other regions? 6. Do you think voting is the best way to interact and engage with your favorite reality shows? + Which other kinds of interction and engagement do you like? GRADUATE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES CONSENT FORM FOR PARTICIPANTS Project Title: Reality television and audience interaction – How viewers interact and engage with reality shows through voting Name of participant: Name of researcher: Truc Tuong Thi Lam 1.I consent to participate in this project, the details of which have been explained to me, and I have been provided with a written plain language statement to keep. 2. I understand that after I sign and return this consent form it will be retained by the researcher. 3.I understand that my participation will involve an interview and observation and I agree that the researcher may use the results as described in the plain language statement. 4.I acknowledge that: (a) the possible effects of participating in the interview and observation have been explained to my satisfaction; (b) I have been informed that I am free to withdraw from the project at any time without explanation or prejudice and to withdraw any unprocessed data I have provided; (c) the project is for the purpose of research; (d) I have been informed that the confidentiality of the information I provide will be safeguarded subject to any legal requirements; (e) I have been informed that with my consent the interview will be audio-taped and I understand that audio-tapes will be stored at University of Melbourne and will be destroyed after five years; (f) my name will be referred to by a pseudonym in any publications arising from the research; (g) I have been informed that a copy of the research findings will be forwarded to me, should I agree to this. I consent to this interview being audio-taped à ¢- ¡ yes à ¢- ¡ no (please tick) I wish to receive a copy of the summary project report on research finding à ¢- ¡ yes à ¢- ¡ no (please tick) Participant signature:Date: GRADUATE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES PLAIN LANGUAGE STATEMENT Project Title: Reality television and audience interaction – How viewers interact and engage with reality shows through voting Name of student: Truc Tuong Thi Lam Telephone: 0426 998 078 Email: [emailprotected] Name of lecturer: Dr. Esther Chin Telephone: (03) 8344 3411 Email: [emailprotected] Dear participant, I am a Master of Global Media Communication student at the University of Melbourne currently enrolled in the subject MECM40003 Researching Audiences and Reception. A major component of the subject assessment requires students to carry our research on media audiences such as yourself to understand reception and consumption patterns and to determine how audiences interpret and interact with media types. I will be carrying out open-ended interviews with participants approximately 45 minutes in length. Your honest responses are extremely important in giving validity to this study. With your permission, I will audiotape your responses for transcription and inclusion in my study. Interview responses will be analysed and included in a research report for submission at the end of the current semester. Date will be destroyed after being kept securely at the University of Melbourne for five years. Your responses and identity will be given a pseudonym in the research report and every effort will be made to ensure your confidentiality. As soon as the research report is returned after examination a copy will be made available to you upon request. This research project is being carried out with approval from the University of Melbourne’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). If you have any concerns or further questions you may contact my lecturer (as above) and/or the Human Research Ethics Office: Executive Officer, Human Research Ethics, University of Melbourne VIC 3010 Telephone: (03) 8344 2073. If you would like to participate in this research please read and sign the accompanying consent form. Thank you. Yours sincerely, Truc Tuong Thi Lam

Autism :: Papers Disorders Childhood Autistic Essays

Autism Autism is not a disease, but a developmental disorder of brain function. People with classical autism show three types of symptoms: impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication and imagination, and unusual or severely limited activities and interests. Symptoms of autism usually appear during the first three years of childhood and continue throughout life. Although there is no cure, appropriate management may foster relatively normal development and reduce undesirable behaviors. People with autism have a normal life expectancy. Autism affects an estimated two to 10 of every 10,000 people, depending on the diagnostic criteria used. Most estimates that include people with similar disorders are two to three times greater. Autism strikes males about four times as often as females, and has been found throughout the world in people of all racial and social backgrounds. Autism varies a great deal in severity. The most severe cases are marked by extremely repetitive, unusual, self-injurious, and aggressive behavior. This behavior may persist over time and prove very difficult to change, posing a tremendous challenge to those who must live with, treat, and teach these individuals. The mildest forms of autism resemble a personality disorder associated with a perceived learning disability. The most distinct feature of autism is impaired social interaction. Children with autism may fail to respond to their names and often avoid looking at other people. Such children often have difficulty interpreting tone of voice or facial expressions and do not respond to others' emotions or watch other people?s faces for cues about appropriate behavior. They appear unaware of others' feelings toward them and of the negative impact of their behavior on other people. Many children with autism engage in repetitive movements such as rocking and hair twirling, or in self-injurious behavior such as biting or head-banging. They also tend to start speaking later than other children and may refer to themselves by name instead of "I," or "me." Some speak in a sing-song voice about a narrow range of favorite topics, with little regard for the interests of the person to whom they are speaking. People with autism often have abnormal responses to sounds, touch, or other sensory stimulation. Many show reduced sensitivity to pain. They also may be extraordinarily sensitive to other sensations. These unusual sensitivities may contribute to behavioral symptoms such as resistance to being cuddled.

Essay --

Myocardial infarction is defined as pathological myocardial cell death due to a prolonged interruption of the blood supply to the heart, leading to a permanent loss of cardiomyocytes (Kristian Thygesen et al., 2012). The impact of myocardial infarction brought about a cascade of events followed by scar formation conferring protection to the insulted heart from being ruptured due to high pressure. Although it offers cardiac protection, scar tissues are instead acellular and lack the normal biochemical properties of cardiac cell, thus enhancing the possibilities of disrupting the contractile function of the heart. These then may eventually leads to the depressed left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function of the injured heart (Joggerst & Hatzopoulos, 2009). Heart, has been considered as a terminally differentiated organ with an almost absent self-regenerative capacity back in the early days. The dogma was then broken by the findings documented on the presence of a small cluster of a clonogenic endogenous cardiac stem cell pooling within the heart. These cluster of endogenous cardiac stem cell demonstrates self-renewal capacity and multi-lineage differentiation potential suggesting that heart possess own intrinsic repair mechanism (Antonio P. Beltrami et al., 2003; Bearzi et al., 2007; Ellison, Nadal-Ginard, & Torella, 2012; Koudstaal et al., 2013). However the number of the endogenous cardiac stem cell is too low, rendering the self-repair mechanism to fail (Beltrami et al., 2001). Stem cell based therapy holds promise in participating in the myocardial regeneration replacing the lost functional cardiomyocyte in the damaged myocardium. The roles of bone marrow stem cell transplantation in myocardial therapy too, have long... ... outcome of cardiac therapy. The main idea behind this novel therapeutic approach is the possibility to constrain the limitations of the administration of stem cells in stem cell-based therapy. Taking the advantage of the conditioned medium and the benefit of paracrine signaling factors in promoting endogenous cardiac repair mechanism, we are trying to look at the best culture conditioned in terms of cell seeding density, glucose concentration, serum replacement and incubation time in order to generate conditioned medium that employs a potent paracrine signaling action that might enhance the ex vivo expansion of cardiac stem cell and potentially to be marketed as an ‘off-the-shelf’ cardiac stem cell culture medium in the near future. Yet, more effort should be considered carefully before this novel noninvasive idea is implemented in a more complex clinical setting.

Criticism of Capitalism in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald Essay

Criticism of Capitalism in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald      Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald creates an artificial world where money is the object of everyone's desire.   The characters, the setting, and the plot are very deeply submerged in a Capitalism that ends up destroying many of them.   Fitzgerald's criticism of Capitalism can be seen as a move to subtly promote Socialism, an ideology in which value is placed on the inherent value of an object rather than its market value.   In a late collection of notes, Fitzgerald himself proclaims that he is "essentially Marxist." [i]  Ã‚   Marxism is a specific branch of Socialist theory.   Fitzgerald makes Gatsby a novel that is not inherently Marxist or even Socialist, but one that is imbued with Marxist theory.   He does this by denouncing nonhumanitarianism, reification, and market value.   Fitzgerald implies that the Capitalist system does not work because at the end of the novel, all of the characters that represent typical American Capitalism end up eit her dead or completely unhappy.   Fitzgerald's criticisms work to warn 1920's Americans of their behavior and how destructive it can be.       Marxists believe very firmly in humanitarianism; they believe that as humans, we should look out for each other and care for each other, because we are all essentially on the same level.   All of the characters in Gatsby nullify this idea, because they all use each other.   For instance, Gatsby uses Nick to set up a meeting between he and Daisy.   The characters also place very little value on individual human beings or on humanity as a whole.   Each character is too wrapped up in him/herself that he/she does not take the time to care for others.   Class levels are pr... ... Fitzgerald, F. Scott.   The Great Gatsby.   New York: Simon and Schuster, 1996. Lewis, Roger.   "Money, Love, and Aspiration in The Great Gatsby."   New  Ã‚   Essays on The Great Gatsby.   Ed. Matthew J. Bruccoli.   New York: Cambridge University Press, 1985.   41-57. Posnock, Ross.   " 'A New World, Without Being Real': Fitzgerald's Critique of Capitalism in The Great Gatsby."   Critical Essays on Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.   Ed. Scott Donaldson.   Boston:   GK   Hall and Co., 1984.   201-213.          Notes [i] Fitzgerald, F. Scott.   The Crack Up.   [ii] Lewis, Roger.   "Money, Love, and Aspiration in The Great Gatsby."   P. 51 [iii] Posnack, Ross.   "'A New World, Material without Being Real': Fitzgerald's Critique of Capitalism in The Great Gatsby." P. 202. [iv] Ibid., p. 203. [v]  Ã‚   Ibid., p. 206. [vi]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ibid., p. 208.   

Toyota V.S Ford

MGMT 341 Toyota Motor Corporation Vs. Ford Motor Corporation (Past to Present) THE GBAS MODEL Prepared for: Dr. Reed Nelson Prepared by: Jeremie J. Martin SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CARBONDALE SPRING 2011 Introduction This paper will be structured to focus on two of the leading automobile manufacturers in the industry to date. Toyota is the number one automobile manufacturer in terms of production and sales. Toyota is a foreign vehicle manufacturer located out of Japan founded in 1937. Ford is the second largest vehicle manufacturer in the United States and fifth largest worldwide.Ford was the eighth ranked overall vehicle manufacturer on the 2010 Fortune 500 list. Ford is known for producing the â€Å"Model T† in 1908 which will forever be known as the first affordable automobile in the United States. Each company will be introduced and described separately. After providing substantial information about each organization, a comparison will follow to highlight the difference s between the two. This comparison is imperative for the GBAS model. I will also make an assessment of the four facts or organization life, fit, trade-offs, opposites and if the elements come in packages.Toyota Motor Corporation Toyota Motor Corporation is a foreign vehicle manufacturer based in Aichi, Japan. Toyota Motor Corporation came to the forefront in 1937; (TMC) is a variation of what originally used to be Toyota industries. Kiichiro Toyoda always envisioned creating a multinational automobile manufacturer and his dreams came to fruition three years earlier, when still with Toyota Industries, they created their first product which was the â€Å"Type A† engine and in 1936 came their first vehicle the â€Å"Toyota AA†.Today Toyota Motor Corporation group companies include Scion, Lexus,  Daihatsu  and  Hino Motors Toyota stepped into the national spotlight in the 1980’s when people started to realize that there was something different about their vehi cle. What stood out most was the exceptional quality and efficiency of Toyota vehicles. Japanese cars were lasting longer than American cars and also required less maintenance. At the time, there were several Japanese manufacturers competing in the market, but Toyota stood out the most.Toyota did not provide the most exciting designs, but what they did was design automobiles that were very consistent and more reliable than most vehicles at an affordable price. Also, Toyota had a canny ability to troubleshoot all of their problems and come back even stronger when one of their weaknesses was exposed. While stock prices of the Big 3 were falling in 2003, Toyota shares increased 24% over 2002. Toyota’s capitalization was higher than the combined capitalization of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. (The Toyota Way, Pg 4) Toyota has the fastest product development process in the world.New cars and trucks take 12 months or less to design, while competitors typically take two years. Toyota is benchmarked as the best in its class by all of its peers and competitors throughout the world for high quality, high productivity, manufacturing speed and flexibility. (The Toyota Way, Pg 5) Toyota had a unique way of manufacturing their vehicles which is what helped them create differentiation from themselves and the market. The Toyota Production System and Lean production has dominated the industry for the last 10 years along with Six Sigma.During and before WWII, Toyota knew that mass production was not their strength. They were too small and disjointed to support high production values. Toyota decided to produce roughly 900 vehicles a month while on the other hand; Ford was about 10 times more productive. Toyota managers knew that if they were to survive, they would have to adapt to the mass production for the Japanese market. The problem was that they didn’t know how. The Toyota production system used many conceptions from those of Henry Ford, but the Japanese were determined to stick to the principles that Ford didn’t abide by.One very important principle was the concept of the â€Å"pull system†, which originated from American supermarkets. This system meant that Toyota would not replenish its parts until the next step in the process used up all of the original parts from the previous step. This directly relates to eliminating waste. At every step of the manufacturing process, Toyota uses â€Å"Kanbans† to signal the previous step when more parts need to be made. This creates the â€Å"pull† which continues back to the beginning of the cycle. Toyota also implements the philosophy of JIT into their manufacturing process.JIT is a set of principles that allows a company to produce and deliver products in small batches. This directly cuts down the lead time and allows them to meet specific customer needs. JIT allows Toyota to be responsive to customer demands; it also allows them to deliver the right items at the right time. â€Å"Kaizen† is also another principle Toyota stands on. The philosophy reaches for perfection and sustains TPS on a daily basis. Toyota refined their manufacturing process using these principles to make their organization more productive and less wasteful.What they didn’t know is that they also created a new paradigm in manufacturing that all types of businesses would eventually adopt. A common phrase around Toyota is â€Å"Before we build cars, we build people. † Toyota seeks to develop people so that they are strong contributors to the company culture and organizational development. The focus is to build a learning organization that seeks continuous improvement. That’s how they will ensure a guaranteed long term success hundreds of years from now. TMC management techniques’ goal is to develop their individuals, but at the same time promote effective teamwork.This technique is necessary for TPS to work. Creating a great culture comb ined with teamwork is the focal point of solving problems. The concept of bottom-up management is something that Toyota takes very seriously. Team leaders typically have about four to eight workers that they support and group leaders have about three or four groups. Toyota strongly believes in motivation theories when it comes to managing their employees. Their managers implement both internal and external management techniques.For example internally, Toyota applies Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs to them by providing their employees with job security, good pay, safe working conditions and a culture of continuous improvement. Externally, behavior modification has group leaders constantly on the production floor supervising employees and providing reinforcement. Toyota invests in their employees and in return they get committed individuals are willing to grow the company. Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is a multinational automobile manufacturer based out of Detroit, Michiga n. It is the second largest automobile manufacture in the United States.Henry Ford founded and incorporated the organization in 1903. Under the Ford umbrella is the Lincoln brand and internationally Ford has some stake in Mazda and Aston Martin. There used to be several more brands associated with the company but due to harsh economic times in the United States, they were either discontinued or sold. Henry Ford is known for making the most affordable automobile (the â€Å"Model T†) and transcending the American auto industry. Most people think that he actually invented the automobile as well as the assembly line. Those are not the facts.Henry Ford did however use the assembly line to produce his â€Å"Model T†. From 1909-1927, he sold 15 million Model T vehicles at a cost of $829 dollars each. During World War One Ford in 1925 also manufactured aircrafts, but after the war ended they returned to only manufacturing autos. Ford’s mission is to be the worldwide lea der in the automotive industry and in other industries such as financial services. Ford values its people, products and profits. Some of their principles include commitment to the quality of the business they conduct, customer focus, continuous improvement, employment involvement and teamwork.Ford strategy is predicated by its vision of being a low-cost, high quality manufacturer in all of their products while simultaneously providing the best customer service possible. In the United States, Fordism was the system of  mass production and consumption characteristics of highly developed economies during the 1940’s-1960s. It was a philosophy that  aimed  to  achieve  higher productivity  by standardizing the  output, using conveyor assembly lines and breaking the  work  into small de-skilled tasks. It is a contrast from Taylorism, which is based off Fordism, which seeks to improve efficiency of machines and workers.Fordism combines them as one unit and looks ac hieve minimal cost and maximum profit. (Source: businessdisctionary. com/Fordism) An assembly line  is a  manufacturing  process in which parts are added to a product in a sequential manner in order to create a finished product. The immediate benefit of an assembly line is that it allows you to produce more products faster than if you were to handcraft them. Henry Ford made the assembly line famous in 1908 when he began the mass production of Model T’s. With the implementation of the assembly line, Ford was able to improve other aspects f the company such as reducing the labor hours it takes to produce a single vehicle as well as increased production numbers and parts (Wikipedia. com/assembly_line). The use of assembly lines and mass production processes forced Ford to start using large factories for manufacturing. They were the first automobile manufacturer to use large factories. During the late-2000’s recession when auto sales dropped 37%, Ford requested bailo ut money. They requested $9 billion dollars from the government and an additional $5 million for the department of energy.With this money, Ford vowed to make smaller, more gas efficient, vehicles as well as close down dealerships and sell Volvo. Ford didn’t need the money nor did they receive any money, but simply requested for funds because they did not want their competition to have a financial advantage over them. During the auto bailout, Ford was in a better financial position than Chrysler and GM which is the reason they didn’t receive any government funding. Ford’s approach to management organization was the mirror image of their assembly line: specialized, hierarchical and tightly controlled.Ford has always operated on a pressure system with middle management. The old Ford hierarchy was mechanistic in the sense that it was made to be modified, to be able to be adjusted over time. The structure was designed to be reactive to a slow changing environment. Fo rd’s management was very authoritarian, regimented and driven by fear. In light of Japanese competition, Ford shifted gears from the mechanistic theme of management to focus on participative management and product development. Narrative ComparisonToday, most companies try to implement some type of lean production or six sigma quality functions into their manufacturing processes. Initially, that was not the focus when it came to manufacturing vehicles. Toyota was the first organization to implement that strategy due to Japan being desecrated by two atomic bombs and not having the money or supplies to mass produce. Post WW II, Ford’s mass production system was designed to make large quantities and a limited number of models; they had no flexibility with their system. This is why all Model T’s were all black.The Japanese market was very small and fragmented for high production. Toyota needed to manufacture low volumes of several different models using the same asse mbly line to survive in the market. The demand for vehicles was not high enough to use individual assembly lines for each vehicle type. Ford had ton of cash after the war and they invested it all in large equipment and large factories to house the equipment. This was to support the strategy of mass production. However, there was an issue with all the large volumes being produced, which caused Toyota to take a similar, but opposing manufacturing strategy to Ford.Ford’s processes were detached from each other due to the large volumes. This cause delays in the process and allowed large amounts of material to sit and become work in progress inventory. Also, workplaces were disorganized and out of control, some Ford factories looked like warehouses. Toyota had the idea of â€Å"one-piece flow† where one piece of a product moves from one stage to the next stage, one piece at a time. This was opposite to what was happening over at Ford where several pieces of a product were b eing made simultaneously at one stage, then moved on to the next stage.Toyota used Ford’s ideology of a continuous process of materials throughout the manufacturing cycle while at the same time eliminating waste. Toyota didn’t have a lot of money or factories after the war so that had to be very precise in their manufacturing. They didn’t produce large volumes of just one type of vehicle. One-piece flow allowed Toyota the flexibility to change their process according to the demand of the market. Toyota adopted Ford’s manufacturing process, but made it more efficient and flexible. Toyota’s management philosophy was to develop their employees to become leaders within the company.This was their method of growing the company. Toyota knew that making all of their employees and integral part of the organization was the best way to build commitment within the company and a sure way to achieve all of its objectives. Ford on the other hand implemented a mor e authoritarian management philosophy where all of the pressure was put on middle management and not as much attention was given to the employees who were the key to their day to day operations. Ford primary focus was on production and the bottom line numbers.Mass production to make as many vehicles as possible is what drove them to implement such management techniques. The Discussion of goals, boundaries and activity systems. (GBAS Model) After the comparisons and noting the differences between Ford Motor Company and Toyota Motor Company, the GPAS model can be applied to see how effective both companies are at managing fit, trade-offs, packages and opposites. BOUNDARIES: In terms of customers, the Japanese market was very small, so Toyota knew that they would have produce small numbers of vehicles in various different models.Mass production wouldn’t work for them in the market because the customer demand was not high enough for that type of production system. Ford had a larg e U. S. market as well as an international market at the time so they were producing vehicles for everyone. When Henry Ford invented this inexpensive vehicle, there was a high demand for it and he sold millions of vehicles. Mass production worked well for high customer demand and the system made Ford a lot of money in a short amount of time. While Toyota remained in the automotive industry producing vehicles and engines, Ford tried its hand providing other services.Ford Motor Credit Company is the financial partner of Ford Motor Company. The purpose of the company was to handle automobile loans of Ford and also to offer loans and leases to other consumers. When it came to products, Toyota had an advantage. They designed they’re production system to be flexible due to the low customer demand in the Japanese market; therefore they were able to produce different types of vehicles at a faster pace than Ford. Although Ford produced more vehicles than Toyota they did not have the a bility to change the different models or colors of their vehicles within their assembly system.The mass production system was beneficial because it satisfied high customer demand, but it was limited in the way that it could only make huge quantities of one model. Originally Model T’s were only all black because Ford lacked the flexibility to change colors. Ford used its mass production system to make millions of Model T’s and later Model A’s. Ford also took its hand briefly in the aviation industry during the First World War building engines. Ford’s most successful airplane was the Ford 4AT Trimotor, but after the war was over Ford went back primarily to the utomotive industry. In terms of accessibility, Toyota was limited to the Japanese Market, they did not have the ability to manufacture vehicles elsewhere nor did they have the demand. After the atomic bomb Toyota had very little cash and lacked the infrastructure to compete outside of Japan. On the ot her hand, Ford had huge amounts of cash from the success of the Model T and they had a huge U. S and international market to sell too. Also, Ford had a huge supply system to support all of their manufacturing efforts. ACTIVITY SYSTEMS:Toyota’s activity systems were based around the central theme of their production system which was eliminating waste. When it came to manufacturing the company focused on continuous improvement, lean production and the Toyota Production system. Continuous Improvement also known as Kaizen, is a process that has lead Toyota to be a very lean and productive company. Kaizen strives for perfection and helps sustain the TPS system. The purpose of continuous improvement is to always become better, regardless whether the gains are large or small.Toyota felt that if they continually improved their processes, they would be able to eliminate as much waste as possible while remaining overly productive. Toyota formed small work groups within the workplace to ensure effective teamwork and to develop the skills of their employees. This also encouraged discussion amongst employees and it helped them make some of the decisions in the manufacturing process opposed to putting all the pressure on middle management. The Toyota Production System is a system that is composed of all of Toyota’s processes and principles in order to achieve a high level of quality production standards.JIT, Kaizen, One piece flow and continuous improvement theories combine to create a system that changed the way production standards were measured. Using many of the lessons preached by Henry Ford, Toyota evolved a system that helped them overcome challenges in a deplorable economy. At the same time they created a system that has been adapted in many other industries outside the automotive world. Ford, the American powerhouse, also believed in a continuous production flow, but they were not as cautious as the Japanese due to being in a better financial situatio n post WWII.They produced millions of model T’s with the help of assembly lines, large factories and a system of mass production to keep up with the high customer demand for the world’s most inexpensive automobile. Ford’s production system was an adaptation of their market and they took full advantage. They had access to complete systems supplies in combination with a lot of cash which tremendously increased their profit margins in 15 years. GOALS: Toyota’s goal was to create a system similar to Ford’s mass productions system, but at the same time adapt it to the Japanese market.The Japanese were producing automobiles for a market of customers who were not buying vehicles half as much as customers were buying autos in the United States. Even though there was a low demand for automobiles, the Japanese did demand different models, so their system had to be flexible enough to shift with the customers demand. In terms of creating the production system, Toyota aimed for a very lean system. A system that would be very cautious in using raw materials and cash in order to prevent being wasteful. Also, Toyota wanted a very clean and organized workplace in order to utilize all of the warehouse space that they did have.Toyota aimed to produce small quantities of quality products to meet specific customer needs. Ford was all about big business, money and power. Ford’s goal was to take over the automobile industry with the invention of the Model T. It was clear what their objective was by looking at the way they manufactured automobiles. Ford believed in standardization, but they never manufactured more than one type of motor car in the same facility. They were so focused on making the Model T a commodity that they did not focus on their other brand Lincoln. Ford’s customer base was broad.The Model T was marketed on a national level as a very inexpensive vehicle. Ford had the luxury of dealing with a high demand in the U. S and International market. Ford however, did not offer a variety of models to choose from. They only produced one vehicle in one color. Several years later they began producing the Model A. Due to the high demands at the time, customers did not pay attention to how inflexible Ford’s production system was. Although Ford may not have been as good as Toyota, they were also advocates of lean production and continuous improvement.Ford felt that their materials were more important than their employees, an opposing view of Toyota. Ford learned that wasted materials eventually became wasted money and frantically began to search for solutions to be more productive with their raw materials. Eventually Ford had the notion that they owed it to society to be more conservative of their materials. Summary of GPAS: ToyotaFord Boundaries: Narrow, Stable Broad, Stable Activity Systems: Simple, Flexible Complex, Inflexible Goals: Impermeable Permeable THE FOUR FACTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL LIFEDiscuss ion of fit: There is organizational fit between the boundaries, activity systems and goals of both Ford Motor Company and Toyota Motor Company. There are differences between the two companies, but both companies were competing in different markets therefore they had to adjust to the wants and needs of their customers. Ford has very permeable boundaries. Their complex and inflexible system which consisted of mass production, large factories, large machinery and assembly lines was imperative in order to satisfy the demand of their customers in the U. S and international market.Ford was able to establish a very credible and trustworthy relationship with its customers by satisfying their needs in a timely fashion. The permeable boundaries and complex activity system fit very tightly with customers who were in the market for a vehicle manufactured by Ford. Toyota Motor Company has significantly less permeable boundaries than does Ford, therefore their activity system is simple and more f lexible. The fact that Toyota had a significantly smaller market to manufacture vehicles for did not stop them working at a faster pace and creating higher quality vehicles.Their activity system was designed for customers who wanted different types of automobiles in different colors. They also wanted quality vehicles that would last for a long time to avoid high vehicle turnover. This flexible system was perfect for the struggling Japanese market post World War II. Things come in packages: Ford Motor Company was in a great position post WWII. They had tons of cash, access to a complete supply system, and a high demand for their products in the market and huge factories and equipment to make thousands of automobiles. Those resources helped reinforce their needs to make their automobiles a commodity worldwide.When comparing the two organizations, it is clear that Ford has more permeable boundaries than Toyota. On the contrary, less permeable boundaries made it more difficult for custo mers outside of the Japanese market to get a Toyota vehicle. They had not made their vehicles a commodity yet, but that was not their focus. After being desecrated by two atomic bombs, the Japanese manufacturing focused on making small amounts of quality vehicles. Making more quality vehicles using the one-piece flow process increased the skills and intelligence of the employees which directly helped grow the company.Having a lower customer demand allowed Toyota the time to perfect their craft and create a system that would change the manufacturing world. There are opposites: In terms of activity systems and boundaries, comparing Toyota to Ford is like comparing the tortoise to the hare. Ford was the automobile powerhouse with all its large equipment and mass production processes, producing vehicles at a very affordable price. On the other hand, Toyota was very conservative and waste less with their TPS system when it came to putting automobiles on the market.This was a classic exam ple of the â€Å"Quality vs. Quantity† argument. Ford had created a commodity; they became a pioneer in the automobile industry providing the masses with thousands of vehicles at a time. They had a huge customer base and the infrastructure to provide their products and services worldwide. Toyota had a flexible system that created quality vehicles in a timely manner as well, just not as in much bulk as did Ford. They had an advantage over Ford in the fact that could offer a variety of vehicles with shorter lead times.Ford had a very inflexible system and very long lead times, credited to their mass production system. Toyota’s system was more productive with their raw materials. They wanted to avoid work in progress inventories in their factories which lead to them incorporating a â€Å"pull system† into their manufacturing process. There are trade-offs: In comparing the two companies to each other, the trade-offs between the two become very obvious. Toyota offers a quality of vehicles that Ford can’t produce and Ford offers a price that Toyota can’t compete with.Ford offered lower prices because supplies were not scarce and they had complete access. Also, after the war Ford had a ton of cash so they could provide their automobiles at a cheap price in hopes of making it a commodity. Their activity system allowed them to only make standardized products without any customization. With the luxury of having a high customer demand, Ford remained efficient. Toyota’s system which used JIT principles which allowed them to manufacture products in smaller quantities, with shorter lead times to meet specific customer’s needs.This was a very flexible system which helped them offer an option of customization for their automobiles while still providing a high level of quality. CONCLUSION Ford paved the way for the automobile industry when they began the mass production of their Model T’s in 1908. The use of the assembly lines helped them sell thousands of vehicles and make millions of dollars in a short period of time. Toyota came along and used the same principles that Ford used, but refined their process to be more productive by using the ideology of continuous improvement.Toyota wanted to become less wasteful, produce smaller batches of automobiles and create higher quality products within a flexible system that would allow them to react to customer demands without long lead times. By creating this flexible system, Toyota put their company in a better position than Ford. In order to be a leader in the automobile industry you must be able to react quickly to the market demands and provide the customers with a quality product in a reasonable amount of time. The TPS system allows Toyota to do that, while Ford would be in a world of trouble with inventory concerns because of their mass production system.Even though both companies had very different beginnings, each has been successful in the automob ile industry. They will continue to use each other as benchmarks when trying to create the best automobile possible for their customers. Comparison of Differences ToyotaFord One-Piece Flow Mass Production Low market demand High Market Demand Flexible manufacturing Inflexible Manufacturing No cash Cash and Assets High Quality Standard quality Shorter lead times Extremely long lead timesHigher costs Very inexpensive automobiles Employees manufactured Assembly Lines No warehouses Huge Factories and Warehouses Multiple types of vehicles Two models (Model A & T) TPSManufacturing ideas set grounds for TPS Lean Manufacturing Very wasteful BIBLIOGRAPHY Liker, Jeffrey K. The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004. Print. Liker, Jeffrey K. , and David Meier. Toyota Talent: Developing Your People the Toyota Way. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.Print Meyer, Stephen. The Five Dollar Day: Labor Management and Social Control in the Ford Motor Company, 1908-1921. Albany: State University of New York, 1981. Print. Ford, Henry, and Samuel Crowther. Today and Tomorrow,. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page ;, 1926. Print. Starkey, Ken, and Alan McKinlay. Strategy and the Human Resource: Ford and the Search for Competitive Advantage. Oxford: Blackwell Business, 1993. Print. â€Å"Toyota. †Ã‚  Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. ;http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Toyota;. â€Å"What Is Fordism?Definition and Meaning, Business Dictionary. †Ã‚  BusinessDictionary. com – Online Business Dictionary. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. ;http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/Fordism. html;. â€Å"Assembly Line. †Ã‚  Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. ;http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Assembly_line;. Amadeo, Kimberly. â€Å"Auto Bailout – The Big 3 Bailout – Government Bailout of Auto Industry. †Ã‚  US Economy and Business – US Economic Indicators â€⠀œ US Economic News. 31 Dec. 2009. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. ;http://useconomy. about. com/od/criticalssues/a/auto_bailout. htm;.