Welfare Essays (824 words) - Federal Assistance In The United States

Welfare Welfare is a government program that provides money, medical care, food, housing, and other things that people need in order to survive. People who can receive help from these welfare programs are children, elders, disabled, and others who cannot support their families on their current income. Another name for welfare is public assistance. There are many organizations that supply this public assistance. Such as Salvation Army and other groups. Public assistance benefits help many people who live below the poverty line, an income level is established for families. If your income is below this you would be eligible to receive this help. Welfare in the United States Federal and state governments in the Unites States serve the poor people through about 60 public assistance programs. Most people receive help through one of the four major programs. These programs are Medicaid, Aid to families with dependant Children, Social Security, or Supplemental Security, or the food stamps program. I will discuss the four programs individually. Medicaid provides free medical care to the poor people. Funds vary from state to state. In some situations, people who may be able to pay daily needs, but can't afford large medical bills may also be able to receive Medicaid. Some services paid for are bills such as doctor's visits and nursing home care. Most Medicaid funding comes from the federal government. The rest is supplied by the state. Each state runs their own Medicaid program. A.F.D.C. provides cash benefits to dependent children and the parents or the guardians taking care of them. Most families that qualify for A.F.D.C. have just one parent in the home. About 80 percent of these families are headed by a woman. A.F.D.C. also pays benefits to two-parent families if both parents are unemployed. Most A.F.D.C. funding comes from the federal government. The states provide the rest of the money and administer the program. The sizes of families' payment vary from state to state. Next is Social Security Income. This provides financial Aid to people in need who are at least 65 years old, blind, or disabled. The federal government finances and administers social security income programs in most states, though some states supply the federal payment and are able to run their own programs. Finally, the Food Stamp Program helps low-income households buy more and better food than they could otherwise afford. Each participating household receives a certain number of coupons called food stamps. The stamps are issued by the federal government. The number of stamps a household receives varies with the family's size, income, and expenses. Cooperating grocery stores accept the stamps like money for food purchases only. There are other programs such as energy assistance and public housing. Energy assistance, which is federally financed but administered by the states, helps people pay fuel bills. Public housing provides low cost rental apartments in government owned buildings. State and local governments fund and administer their own general assistance programs. These programs provide financial aid for needy people who do not qualify for other types of welfare. People waiting to receive assistance from other programs also may get temporary emergency aid from general assistance. Back in the early days, welfare resembled the English system. Social governments were responsible for helping the poor. But the colonies and later the states, sometimes helped the local government provide aid. The first federal welfare program, began after the Revolutionary War, they provided pensions to war veterans. During the Civil War these pensions were expanded to cover soldiers' widows and orphans. In the early 1900's, primary responsibility for providing welfare benefits shifted from local to state governments. During these years, states enacted programs to aid dependent children and the elderly. The criticisms of welfare ranges over a number of social and economic issues. Some people criticize welfare programs for not providing high enough benefits to eliminate poverty. Spending on welfare would have to increase greatly to eliminate poverty, and many people believe the cost is already too high. Many critics of the welfare system charge that providing a steady income to needy people encourages idleness. Actually, most welfare benefits go to elderly, blind, and disabled people and mothers with young children. But welfare does discourage some recipients from working harder by reducing benefits if their income increases. Many people also criticize the welfare system for being too complex and costly to administer. Each program has its own eligibility requirements and ways of calculating benefits, and these rules vary from state to state. Public officials collect detailed information about applicants to determine their eligibility for benefits. This process is time-consuming and costly. Some people cheat the system by not reporting all the income they earn. But

Abortion Laws in America

Abortion Laws in America Free Online Research Papers The debate over the choice to have an abortion and the timeline used to say when in a pregnancy abortion should be allowed is one that has caused much societal divide. There are varying views that state from the moment of conception this being possesses a soul and thus should be considered human. There are also those who suggest that these beings are not actually human until they are completely formed or â€Å"whole†. A third group and the one that I choose to side with is that a woman has the right to their body and that they should have the ability to have an abortion in cases where they see fit or when it is deemed medically necessary. I believe that abortion should be up to each individual woman to decide if it best suits their individual needs. The problem with abortion is there are many that hold the opinion that abortion is never justified and in my opinion that is absurd. I believe that every woman should have the ability or at the least the possibility of her choice in aborting an unwanted child as she will be the one responsible for this creation not the law or even those in society that feel abortion is wrong. Therefore, she herself should dictate her choices and not others. This responsibility is not something that should be taken lightly as there are many needs of not only the mother but the fetus itself once it is born. The parent must be able to care nurture and provide for this individual for a very long time and the mother should be able to determine is she has the capabilities of doing do. When we look at life and the ability to be â€Å"human† we must view the mother as paramount and allow this life which is â€Å"whole† to be kept in its healthiest sense which is often not viewed by outside parties. If any of these circumstances were to present themselves by the pregnancy and birth of a child then in my opinion abortion should not only be justifiable but in some cases mandatory. The woman should have the utmost control over her body especially when negative consequences are at stake. Another area of inconsistency that would have to be considered here is that we all have certain constitutional rights and the freedom of choice gives each of us the power over our choices. These rights are not restricted to certain individuals nor should they be. In this way a woman should be given choices in her healthcare and personal well being and undergoing abortion would definitely qualify here. There are certain aspects of our constitutional freedoms that would be lost such as the right of choice if abortions were not able to be performed. There are also other times when a female would choose to have an abortion and I feel that should be her choice. This often occurs in young teenage girls and although I feel there are much safer methods of birth control than abortion young girls often do not have their own lives on track and thus should not be raising children of their own. Another instance where an abortion would be a critical decision is in the case of a rape or violent crime which ends up in a pregnancy as there are issues that can come from this that could dramatically impact the life of the pregnant woman. In this instance even the president of the United States agrees which was addressed in as saying that funding should not be used for abortions except in the case of a rape or violent crime or when the woman’s life is in danger (Annas, 2010). Finally and maybe most importantly would be when there is health issues of the unborn fetus as some of these issues could be extremely debilitating. There are va riations of issues to discuss when we look at a topic such as abortion that should these should be considered before anyone takes away a woman’s ability to choose abortion Anti-Thesis The opposition to the issue of abortion has a myriad of opinions as well starting from the basic notion that women do not use contraceptive devices because of the wide availability of abortions. This is one of those areas where the pro-lifers stick to firm ground because they believe that woman use abortion as a means to an end instead of careful planning and use of alternative methods of birth control or even abstinence in general. They also conclude that these other devices are safer and much more effective then the expectation of abortion as a preventative device. Another argument used by those strictly against abortion is that there should be a national referendum on the topic of abortion so that the people as a whole can decide. This comes from the way of the Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortions which states â€Å"since the majority rule is a democracy there should be a national referendum on abortion so that the people can decide† (3). This referendum would allow for the majority to decide on this sensitive issue and could possibly give more power to those who are of the anti-abortion stance. A national referendum could be used by anti-abortionists as a way to take control and give the power to the majority thus giving benefit to those who are against abortion. Those against adoption also take the stance that instead of abortion woman should choose to have their baby and offer it for adoption instead. This indeed is a viable alternative and the opposition does present many reasons for why abortion is the best suited plan of action when a child is not wanted at a particular time. Adoption they believe is the best alternative because it not only allows the baby to thrive and grow, but it allows the woman to continue on with her life as well. Unfortunately in recent times woman are now choosing abortion more frequently over adoption which is is verified by the following from The National Council for Adoption (2000) which argues that the reason the number of infants relinquished for adoption has been decreasing for the last 30 years is the †¦Ã¢â‚¬ almost exclusive focus on abortion as the preferred option when an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy occurs† (p.557). Adoption can often be the best case scenario for those who are pregna nt but are not prepared to raise a child. The opposition for abortion also states that even legal abortions are not a very safe practice and can cause further implications in the future. They further that abortion is by no means a â€Å"quick fix† and complications in the future such as ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, subsequent infertility and miscarriage, future premature births and placenta previa which is 7-15 times more common among women who have had an abortion than among those who have not (Barrett, 1991). It is also important to note that an abortion is an invasive procedure and with any procedure of this type there are risks that Aare associated that could be extremely harmful for the woman. It is often said that the practice of abortion is not a very safe one; however, as time goes by pro-lifers are giving more profound means of justifying not only the safeness or risks associated with the procedure, but the complications that could arise during and after the procedure has occurred. Among the most important is that these individuals feel that the unborn baby even at a very early age is a human being and in this way stopping its existence is a crime. The pro- lifers feel that since the heart begins beating at about 25 days that these beings are as human as you and I. In addition the fact that all of the major organs are fully formed and working give those against abortion even more power in their fight to limit or terminate the rights of abortion. Lastly and maybe most prominent is that these little beings at the young age of about 8 weeks can perform such activities as sucking their thumbs, having the ability to be awake as well as have periods of sleep in the womb, and in a general sense begin to act like a regular baby. They further give proof of such evidence through the introduction and use of senate bill 158 â€Å"the human life† which states† physicians, biologists, and other scientists agree that conception marks the beginning of the life of a human being- a being that is alive and a member of the human species. There is overwhelming agreement on this point in countless, medical, biological, and scientific writings (US Senate Committee, 1981). The pro-life movement offers many reasons why a baby is as much a baby in the womb as it is when it reaches the outside world. Synthesis As we have seen above there are many that oppose this critical issue, but I would have to say there are equally as many arguments for a woman’s ability to choose abortion. I would first like to consider the oppositions stance that a national referendum is needed to allow for a better vote on a woman’s choice to have an abortion. Right from the start I have issue with this because through such a policy we are giving a group of people that know nothing about us as an individual the right to choose what is best for us. This policy would take away the individuals rights and allow others to determine what is in someone’s best interests. This would undermine women and make them feel they have no control in their health and well being which and can promote a feeling of helplessness. A national referendum is a policy that would be detrimental to women as it would take away the ability for each individual to determine what is best for that person. One important thing I mentioned above is a woman’s rights and that is where I would like to go next with my argument for abortion. When we look at rights or freedoms one of the things we frequently observe is the United States Constitution and under this Constitution we all have the freedom of choice. This is a wonderful freedom to have, but what happens when you are given a freedom and then told you can use it with certain exceptions. That is definitely the case here. Although we all have freedom of choice when abortion comes into play that freedom seems to be diminished or taken away. So why then are we said to have choice, but then when we try to act on our choices others views seem to triumph our choice. Furthermore, the Supreme Court itself based a woman’s rights to an abortion on the right of privacy, or the right of people to make choices about their personal and reproductive life without interference from outside parties (McDonagh, 1996). I personally thin k in a critical issue like this there are sensitive feelings that are evoked and people forget that the ability to choose abortion is something granted to us and although each should have their own opinion so should each have their own choice. The freedom of choice is one of those tricky things that others often overlook, but is imperative to consider when we view a topic such as abortion When speaking of abortion many often forget that there is another side to consider that is of the baby itself. We often here about what age or time after conception an embryo becomes viable, but what is not as frequently mentioned is the status and the underlying health concerns of the fetus. The opposition is quick to say that abortion can hurt the baby but I do not often hear them say what the feelings of the baby may be if they have lifelong handicaps or deformities. These deformities could be slight in nature or could carry serious detrimental effects on the fetus ending in an unacceptable quality of life. This is why there is currently variety of pregnancy related tests allowing for the parents to know any negative health conditions. If such a condition is to be found the woman should have the ability to speak for her child since the child cannot speak for itself. One very important aspect to consider when choosing abortion is whether or not the baby itself will have any h andicaps or disabilities. When speaking of abortion we must also take into consideration those who are young and immature such as the teenage girl. Now by no means am I saying that abortion should be a cop out for safe sex and sex education, but unfortunately girls are having sexual relations very early in today’s society which means a greater probability that some of them may become pregnant. There are also those teenagers that do the right thing but still end up pregnant. In a recent article by Katha Pollit (2006) she states: â€Å"The fact is there will never be zero abortions. Half of the women who abort are using birth control already- there are no perfect methods or perfect people† (9). This is an interesting stance because we do not often see an individual offering an opinion that would alleviate some of the guilt and bad representation that abortion often brings about. There are also other circumstances to have an abortion that could have serious consequences not only on the mother but on the child as well. This in mainly because at this early of an age many if not most are not mature enough to care for a baby which is why we see so many hiding their pregnancies or getting rid of the baby after birth. In addition there are not many teenage girls who have steady employment which means that unless getting help from their parents they will not be able to support a baby. There is however a glimmer of hope as statistics have shown the there are actually a drop to around forty percent of teenagers choosing abortion (Douglas Walbert. 1992). There are many reasons why woman especially teenage girls should at the least be given the option of abortion. Adoption can also be seen as an alternative for many women; however there are those that would prefer not to have to go through a nine month pregnancy and then have to give their child away. The opposition says that this is a best case scenario, but I would have to disagree on this point. First and foremost, a pregnancy is for some not an easy thing to go through. There is often varying levels of sickness and other complications that could arise. They say that abortion is risky but anyone that has a high risk pregnancy could possibly say that the risks of being pregnant are often just as unsafe as the risks of having an abortion. In addition, when choosing adoption the woman must carry this baby for nine months and then have to give it away. Even for those who may not have wanted the child in the beginning now being forced to have the baby and then give it away is very difficult. There are many aspects of the adoption process that must be considered before this option is chose n. References Annas, G. D. (2010). The Real Pro-Life Stance- Health Care Reform and Abortion Funding. The New England Journal of Medicine. 362(16), e56. Barrett, J. M. (1991). Induced Abortion: A Risk factor for Placenta Previa. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 113(6), 769. Douglas, B. J, Walbert, D. F. (1992). Abortion, Medicine, and the Law. 4th rev. ed. New York: Alpine Press. McDonagh, E. L. (1996). Breaking the Abortion Deadlock: From Choice to Consent. Oxford: National Council for Adoption (2000). Adoption Fact Book. National Adoption Fact Book, Washington, DC. Oxford UP. Pollit, K. (2006). ProChoice Puritans. The Nation. 282(6),9. Subcommittee on Separation to Senate Judiciary Committee S-158, 97th Congress, 1st Session, 1981. The Westchester Coalition for Abortion (2010). The Conservative Case for Abortion. choicematters.org/articles/legal-abortion. Research Papers on Abortion Laws in AmericaPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyHip-Hop is ArtInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesCapital PunishmentMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andMind Travel19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenGenetic Engineering

A Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift Essay Satire, Jonathan Swift, A M

Throughout the essay the narrator ironically focuses on the deep rooted political, moral and social problems of the society. The writer at one instance does not even feels pity on the poor and malnourished infants and points out ironically that these infants are no only way to get rid of the problems. His proposal that carries some of the most inappropriate and horrible social implication is vehemently defended by his arguments. Though he is presenting a proposal to end the woes and problems of the country but the manner and the condition that he has been mentioning throughout the essay seems to be very cruel and inhuman. He is very effectively defending the idea of his proposal and also asks the audience through his essay for a better and more effective idea. It simply states the narrators ironic character, who wants to change the situation and problems present in the country but his approach or the proposal that he has presented are not in any ways seems to be appropriate in a so ciety. At the end I would like to conclude mentioning that Swift’s approach to solve the miserable situation of Ireland was very cruel and inhuman

EH 1010-08H ENGLISH COMPOSITION I (EH1010-08H) Essay

EH 1010-08H ENGLISH COMPOSITION I (EH1010-08H) - Essay Example It should be noted that not only the patient or the victim of smoke is at a loss from his body deprivation point of view but also his chances of suffering an injury instantaneously are quite viable. As debated before, many kinds of ailments might creep up with the passage of time circumscribing diseases such as cancer, lung-related problems and throat malignancies to name a few. [Jacobson, 1997] Peer smoking has been found out as one of the mainstays in keeping up to the smoking habit. People who are discouraged to smoke find solace when they see their near and dear ones doing the same, thus allowing themselves just about any rationale to follow upon and continue with the smoking loom. Certain discussions have also been concluded on the fact that parents generally do not have any idea on how to combat smoking so that their wards can keep off this habit from themselves. [Chase, 1995] They (parents) find certain ways in which their young ones do not readily catch up on the already present bandwagon of adopting a cigarette to relieve their tensions and thus allowing just about every harmful drug into their body with

American Imperialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

American Imperialism - Essay Example In 1866, the foreign policy of America dealt with expansion of America and also mentioned that no European power will become a hindrance in the path of development of a country according to the doctrine given by Monroe in 1823 (Dulles 1955). The expansion started in 1866 when the first American troops were sent to Mexico (Dulles 1955). American Imperialism was rationalized by referring to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823. There were many other reasons due to which, American imperialism was justified. Due to the Spanish-American War, there was acquirement of the colonies related to foreign land (Dulles 1955). The agricultural and industrial growth of America increased to a great extent and got beyond the consumption needs of the country (Dulles 1955). There was a need of foreign markets for further economic growth and stability. Racial superiority was also a consideration of the time due to which, expansion took place (Dulles 1955). The major events that took place in nineteenth century in relation to American Imperialism were purchase of Alaska, the increase in economic stability of America, Spanish-American War, the victory of America, Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico and Philippines came under the control of America, America appeared as a Manifest Destiny, California and the Oregon territory were taken under control by America and various islands in the Caribbean and Pacific ocean were annexed with America (Dulles 1955). Boxer rebellion Chinese Nationalists revolted against the foreign entrants and Christians but they were pushed back by American troops (Dulles 1955). Panama canal was also constructed by Americans during the imperialistic era. The countries that got involved in the imperialist policy of America were either taken over by America or were those who fought with America or backed the country. Cuba, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, Alaska, Hawaii, Spain, Denmark, Russia and many others (Dulles 1955). The policy of

Dance - Girl Essay Example for Free

Dance Girl Essay Dance, Girl, Dance is a film from the Classical Hollywood period that presents a complicated reading when viewed through a feminist lens. The 1940 film was directed by Dorothy Arzner, one of the most notable female directors and the only prominent woman in Hollywood at that time. Arzner presents her audience with an array of female characters, the main characters being Judy O’brien and Bubbles/Tiger Lily White. Judy is a dedicated dancer, honing her talents as a ballerina. Bubbles, on the other hand, uses her looks and sexuality to land jobs as a burlesque dancer. Dance, Girl, Dance reveals these characters’ experience in a dance troupe with several other girls. When the troupe disbands, Bubbles comes to offer Judy a humiliating job as her stooge. As tensions rise, the two eventually come to blows, quite literally, when both fall for the same man, Jimmy Harris. Through their relationship with each other and with men, a dynamic is defined that gives insight into the power of the male gaze and sexual politics, not only in the film but also in society at large in the context of 1930s America. This can be seen in the analysis of a particular scene near the beginning of the film. Judy and one of her roommates, Sally, are preparing for bed after their performance at the nightclub in the opening scene. Bubbles, their third roommate, arrives at home after a disappointing outing with Jimmy. This scene specifically highlights the contrast between the personalities of Judy and Bubbles, and speaks to the many ways female characters are coded based on their sexuality and appearance. The analysis of the scene begins at the moment Bubbles enters the room. She comes into the frame through the doorway in a medium shot. It is important to note her costume, as it speaks to her character. She is wearing makeup, jewelry, a fox fur stole around her shoulders and a feathered hat. One may get the impression that she is trying to look as glamorous or ostentatious as possible on her limited budget. At this point, Bubbles has already been partly established as a brash woman who does not shy away from her ability to attract men. This can be contrasted with Judy’s costume during this scene, modest button-up pajamas. The scene continues as Bubbles enters the tiny apartment. She turns on the light, when Judy whispers that Sally is asleep from off camera. Bubbles leaves the light on, looks down at Sally in the bed, and proceeds to loudly close the door while muttering â€Å"So, what? † As she delivers her dialogue, the camera follows her as she walks to her bed, panning over to include Judy in a two shot. One key element in this simple interaction is the difference of attitude toward female solidarity between Bubbles and Judy. Judy obviously cares to not disturb Sally, while Bubbles seems disappointed and only concerned with her own problems at this point. Then, the camera cuts to a close shot of Sally lying in bed, smiling and clearly awake. She then closes her eyes and continues to try and sleep, rendering her unimportant to the rest of the scene. The next cut brings us back to a long, two shot of Bubbles and Judy as they discuss what happened to Bubbles that evening. Bubbles is explaining how she had gone out with Jimmy, but he suddenly left her at the bar after giving her a little stuffed bull. In this shot, Bubbles is in the foreground, a little closer to the camera than Judy, making her appear slightly larger. This could be interpreted as signifying her social dominance over Judy, and the fact that she â€Å"stole† Jimmy from Judy earlier that evening. Bubbles dismissively tosses the bull onto a chair in front of Judy. Judy picks it up, stating â€Å"It’s cute. † Bubbles tells her that she can have it. The audience is clearly meant to get the impression that the token of the night has no significance to Bubbles, and she is merely disappointed that she could not add Jimmy to her list of men to dote on her occasionally. The camera stays stationary as Bubble walks to the background of the shot and sits on her bed. Judy gently places the bull back on the chair, already showing signs of her eventual fetishization of the bull and Jimmy. Then, she continues to bend and stretch her legs, as Bubbles pouts behind her. It is interesting to point out that as Judy resumes her exercises, she has gained the â€Å"high ground† of the shot. The reminder of her status as a dancer, a more artful and talented dancer than Bubbles, means she is the larger, more significant character in the frame now. The focus has moved from Bubbles proficiency as a female spectacle, completely at home under the male gaze, to Judy’s proficiency as a ballerina, with no real concern for superficial male attention. Then, this is reinforced when there is a cut to a medium shot of Bubbles, looking at Judy. The camera follows Bubbles line of sight and there is a quick cut to a medium shot of Judy, then it reverses back to the shot of Bubbles on her bed, shaking her head. She says, â€Å"I’ll say one thing for you, Pavlova. You’ve certainly got ambition, even if it’s dumb. † As she says this, Judy’s foot briefly enters from the side of the frame as she kicks her leg. Once again, Bubbles is coded as having no passion for her craft as a dancer, seeing it as a means to an end of attracting men and/or making money, while Judy genuinely loves to dance. One way of reading the film is through the suggestion that Judy’s ballet is high art, while Bubbles’ burlesque is low art. In the world of the Dance, Girl, Dance, women utilizing their sexuality for physical and financial gratification given by men is deemed less valuable than artistic expression. What follows is a short series of counter shots between the two, as Bubbles ponders how she will get back to New York, going through her list of male suitors to find a solution to her dilemma. On a surface level, this shows that Bubbles needs men to get where she is going, whether it is for a trip to New York or a trip to stardom as they buy tickets to her shows later in the film. The scene comes to a close as Bubbles decides on Sam, the traveling salesman that is â€Å"sweet on her. † As this line is delivered, there is a quick cut to Judy whipping her head around to look back at Bubbles. Judy has an expression on her face that is hard to describe, but it gets across the fact that her reality is very different from that of Bubbles’. Judy goes on to ask if there will be room for Sally, as the camera tracks Bubbles while she walks to the bathroom. As the camera stops tracking, it stops in a medium shot of Bubbles as she eventually replies, â€Å"†¦ All right, she can go, but don’t blame me. That guy’s got more arms than an octopus. † There is a cut to a close shot of Sally in bed with a wide-eyed, nervous expression as she quickly lifts up her head and plops back down. Like Judy, her reality is very different from the reality of the dynamic Bubbles, and the possibility of encountering a man from that reality seems to frighten her. After the last cut of the scene, it ends on a medium shot of Judy picking up the stuffed bull once again and smiling at it fondly. This emphasizes the fact Judy is not asexual and clearly is developing feelings for Jimmy. Although, Judy seems to have a more deep, emotional connection to Jimmy than Bubbles has for her various men. Judy only became interested in Jimmy after he helped the girls at the nightclub and talked with her earlier in the film. Her interest is not based solely on what he can provide to her. The differences in costume, behavior and motivation between Bubbles and Judy are relevant to a larger scope of the film involving sex and gender politics. For all of the above reasons found in the formal elements of the film’s visual and narrative composition, Bubbles is coded as superficial, purely physical and vapid. On the other hand, Judy is given much more value and depth. While Bubbles goes on to find success by exploiting her good looks, Judy is the winner in the end, when she lands her position in the ballet company and achieves her dreams. In this way, the film is sending a message that female self-worth is not derived from male approval or reaffirming of beauty, but from accomplishment of what are considered to be more substantial goals.

Leonardos Laptop :: essays research papers

Ben Shneiderman, in Leonardo’s Laptop, introduces the idea of new education, which uses technology for active learning and collaborative teaching methods. In this new education, a part of the new computing, Shneiderman envisions an educational online web tool, which he calls LEON. This method of e-learning would provide a student oriented view of what is on the web. Students could gather information and acquire resources. It would allow students to recognize truth and useful information. LEON would allow for students to work in collaborative teams. Students and teachers will be able to work together and post the outcomes of the collaborations. It would allow for student participation, whether one on one or groups. E-learning would produce results that are meaningful to someone outside the classroom. An archive would be provided for students and teachers everywhere. These explain the idea’s for Shneiderman’s LEON in the new education, a part of the new computing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I agree with all parts of LEON. It would be an interest catching educational tool; Shneiderman proposes graphics and sound to captivate the student. As a creative outlet it would be ideal for students to explore everything technology has to offer while learning. A tool to gather information and acquire resources, I believe I agree that it would be useful for students to learn how to use the web to gather useful information. At the same time they would learn to avoid dangers and false information. I think that it would be great as a tool to work in collaborative groups. Here students would be able to share ideas and allow large amounts of people to work together. I agree that LEON would help to develop ambitious projects by students. By using LEON students know that others will be seeing their work, and this makes them polish them to perfection. Other students would be able to put their input in as well.

“Anti-hierarchy” environment in an organization Essay

Do you think it’s possible for an organization to deliberately create an â€Å"anti-hierarchy† to encourage employees to engage in acts of creative deviance? What steps might a company take to encourage creative deviance? I think is it very hard to deliberately create an â€Å"anti-hierarchy† environment in an organization, but it is not impossible. The first step is to ensure that the organization’s culture supports and encourages creative deviance. This, in and of itself, is a challenge. Every organization leadership understands that unity of command and chain of command is highly important to achieve set performance goals. This dilemma creates a fine line between the phenomenon of â€Å"creative deviance† and simple disregard to â€Å"acceptance theory of authority†. The lines get blurred and confusion sets in different organizational units without proper management and direction of any creative thinking. Another way to encourage creative deviance is create a contemporary organizational design that inspires it. Team structure, boundaryless structure, matrix-project structure, and learning structure can promote the idea of â€Å"thinking outside the box† and innovate where innovation is not really expected. Such environments are highly flexible and responsive and strive best in less mechanistic and more organic organizations. It is that sharing of the knowledge throughout the organization that creates sustainable source of competitive advantage. What are the drawbacks of an approach that encourages creative deviance? Creative deviance is great when it â€Å"strikes gold† and brings the company much needed competitive advantage and high revenues. 3M is the great example of that with all of its innovative products. But what if those â€Å"stars† and â€Å"question marks† from BCG Matrix never become more than just that Then the employees have wasted valuable company resources deviating into something completely not profitable. Creative deviance is also very hard to manage or police. Once one employee starts going is own way doing something he/she believes is beneficial for the company, who is to say that another employee is not allowed to do the same? Lack of control and communication difficulties will quickly bring down the hierarchy and order in any organization. Why do you think a company like Apple is able to be creative with a strongly hierarchical structure, while other companies find hierarchy limiting? I believe Apple with its creativity in a strong hierarchical structure is more of an exception than the rule. Steve Jobs did an outstanding job leading the  company into creating the most ground breaking technologies of the time while holding Apple in iron-grip control. He had an amazing ability to balance creativity and innovation with complete control. Very few organizations can boast the same. Once again, the proof is in the management’s vision of the degree in which â€Å"self-governing† works or does not. The secret sauce is in the ability of the leader of the company being able to set the vision and the direction of the organization in such a way that hierarchy is stimulating innovation. Apple definitel y represents the omnipotent view of a manager. Apple understands that innovation sustains its competitive edge. They dedicate resources within a highly structured environment that focus just on groundbreaking technologies. These engineers are not being pulled different directions because management understands the stake of these creative minds being focused on tasks at hand. Other companies find hierarchy limiting because they are trying more organic approach that they believe will foster creativity when, in fact, it just blurs the lines and creates more complexity in assigning people to projects. Additionally, democracy is important to an extent, even in a highly structured environment. Creative people should have a say so in the direction of the projects even if it affects timelines. But when it comes to managing and synchronizing work of many employees across different time zones while keeping up with ever changing landscape in competitive outside market environment, most companies sink low faced with such challenge. â€Å"Democratic† innovation is messy, time consuming, and difficul t to manage. For this reason, many companies like Apple have created controlled environments in which innovation can occur (2). Sources: 1. Robbins, Stephen P., and Mary K. Coulter. Management. 12th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2014. Print. 2. Sam Ladner. When Can Innovation and Hierarchy Co-Exist? January 6, 2010. Michael Lopp, senior engineering manager at Apple, described design process in place. He admits that all initial mockups of â€Å"crazy† creative ideas take a huge amount of time upfront to develop. But management understand that it is worth it because it removed all ambiguity in the beginning without costing enormous amount of resources to correct mistakes at the end of the process. Apple also religiously used â€Å"10 to 3 to 1† rule. 10 completely different mockups are designed independently for any new feature of the product, not 7 â€Å"fluffy† ones to make the other 3 â€Å"real† ones look better as it is done in some other companies. 10 strong ideas get narrowed down to 3 following with months of additional work to finally arrive at 1 best design. All design meetings are done in two pairs. Every week, the teams get together for the first meeting to â€Å"brainstorm† with no boundaries and to design â€Å"freely†. Then, they hold a production meeting with entirely different purpose of bringing designers and engineers together to nail down all the â€Å"crazy† ideas to how it might actually work in production. From the few above examples, we clearly see that Apple’s has â€Å"logic† in all of its â€Å"madness†. This is what separates it from some many other IT companies that are a long gone history. The above hierarchical process-driven examples show that Apple reserves the option for creative thought even at the very la test stage of the game which proves that creativity can strive in highly structured environment. It is up to the genius of the management to apply the same concept to their organization.

Building and Managing Systems Essay

JetBlue and WestJet: A Tale of Two IS Projects The time had come for both JetBlue and WestJet to upgrade their reservation systems. Each carrier had started out using a system designed for smaller start-up airlines, and both needed more processing power to deal with a far greater volume of customers. They also needed features like the ability to link prices and seat inventories to other airlines with whom they cooperated. Both JetBlue and WestJet contracted with Sabre Holdings, one of the most widely used airline IT providers, to upgrade their airline reservation systems, The difference between WestJet and JetBlue’s implementation of Sabre’s SabreSonic CSS reservation system illustrates the dangers inherent in any large-scale IT overhaul. It also serves as yet another reminder of how successfully planning for and implementing new technology is just as valuable as the technology itself. Sabre’s newest system, SabreSonic CSS, performs a broad array of services for any airline. It sells seats, collects payments, allows customers to shop for flights on the airline’s Web site, and provides an interface for communication with reservation agents. Customers can  use it to access airport kiosks, select specific seats, check their bags, board, rebook, and receive refunds for flight cancellations. All of the data generated by these transactions are stored centrally within the system. JetBlue selected SabreSonic CSS over its legacy system developed by Sabre rival Navitaire, and WestJet was upgrading from an older Sabre reservation sy stem of its own. The first of the two airlines to implement SabreSonic CSS was WestJet. When WestJet went live with the new system in October 2009, customers struggled to place reservations, and the WestJet Web site crashed repeatedly. WestJet’s call centers were also overwhelmed, and customers experienced slowdowns at airports. For a company that built its business on the strength of good customer service, this was a nightmare. How did WestJet allow this to happen? The critical issue was the transfer of WestJet’s 840,000 files containing data on transactions for past WestJet customers who had already purchased flights, from WestJet’s old reservation system servers in Calgary to Sabre servers in Oklahoma. The migration required WestJet agents to go through complex steps to process the data. WestJet had not anticipated the transfer time  required to move the files and failed to reduce its passenger loads on flights operating immediately after the changeover. Hundreds of thousands of bookings for future flights that were made before the changeover were Essentials of Management Information Systems, Tenth Edition, by Kenneth C. Laudon and Jane P. Laudon. Published by Prentice Hall. Copyright  © 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN 1-269-41688-X In recent years, the airline industry has seen several low-cost, high-efficiency carriers rise to prominence using a recipe of extremely competitive fares and outstanding customer service. Two examples of this business model in action are JetBlue and WestJet. Both companies were founded within the past two decades and have quickly grown into industry powerhouses. But when these companies need to make sweeping IT upgrades, their relationships with customers and their brands can be tarnished if things go awry. In 2009, both airlines upgraded their airline reservation systems, and one of the two learned this lesson the hard way. JetBlue was incorporated in 1998 and founded in 1999 by David Neeleman. The company is headquartered in Queens, New York and flies to 63 destinations in 21  states and eleven countries in the Caribbean, South America and Latin America. JetBlue’s goal has been to provide low-cost travel along with unique amenities like TV in every seat, and its heavy reliance on information technology throughout the business was a critical factor in achieving that goal. JetBlue met with early success and continued to grow at a rapid pace, consistently rank ing at the top of customer satisfaction surveys for U. S. airlines. Headquartered in Calgary, Canada, WestJet was founded by a group of airline industry veterans in 1996, including Neeleman, who left to start JetBlue shortly thereafter. The company began with approximately 40 employees and three aircraft. Today, the company has 7,800 employees and operates 420 flights per day to 71 destinations in Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Earlier in this decade, WestJet underwent rapid expansion spurred by its early success and began adding more Canadian destinations and then U. S. cities for its flights. By 2010, WestJet held nearly 40 percent of the Canadian airline market, with Air Canada dropping to 55 percent. JetBlue is slightly bigger, with 167 aircraft in use compared to WestJet’s 88, but both have used the same  low-cost, good-service formula that brought profitability in the notoriously treacherous airline marketplace. The rapid growth of each airline rendered their existing information systems obsolete, including their airline reservation systems. Upgrading reservations systems carries special risks. From a customer perspective, only one of two things can happen: Either th e airline successfully completes its overhaul and the customer notices no difference in the ability to book flights, or the implementation is botched, angering customers and damaging the airline’s brand. Chapter 11: Building Information Systems and Managing Projects handle these problems. JetBlue ended up using its backup site several times. JetBlue had the advantage of seeing WestJet begin its implementation months before, so it was able to avoid many of the pitfalls that WestJet endured. But JetBlue had also experienced similar customer service debacles in the past. In February 2007, JetBlue tried to operate flights during a blizzard when all other major airlines had already canceled their flights. This turned out to be a poor decision, as the weather conditions prevented the  flights from taking off and passengers were stranded for as long as ten hours. JetBlue had to continue canceling flights for days afterwards, reaching a total of 1,100 flights canceled and a loss of $30 million. JetBlue management realized in the wake of the crisis that the airline’s IT infrastructure, although sufficient to deal with normal day-to-day conditions, was not robust enough to handle a cr isis of this magnitude. This experience, coupled with the observation of WestJet’s struggles when implementing its new system, motivated JetBlue’s cautious approach to its own IT implementation. Sabre had to adjust the flights using the new system. This delay provoked a deluge of customer dissatisfaction, a rarity for WestJet. In addition to the increase in customer complaint calls, customers also took to the Internet to express their displeasure. Angry flyers expressed outrage on Facebook and flooded WestJet’s site, causing the repeated crashes. WestJet quickly offered an apology to customers on its site once it came back up, explaining why the errors had occurred. WestJet employees had trained with the new system for acombined 150,000 hours prior to the upgrade, but WestJet spokesman Robert Palmer explained that the company â€Å"encounter(ed) some problems in the live environment that simply did not appear in the test environment,† foremost among them the issues surrounding the massive file transfer. WestJet’s latest earnings reports show that the company weathered the storm successfully, remained profitable, and ranks just below JetBlue and Southwest in airline customer satisfaction. Neverthless, the incident forced the airline to slow down its rollout of a frequent flyer program, as well as code-sharing planswith other airlines, such as American Airlines and Cathay Pacific. These plans allow one airline to sell flights under its own name on aircraft operated by other airlines. In contrast, JetBlue learned from WestJet’s mistakes, and built a backup Web site to prepare for the worst case scenario. The company also hired 500 temporary call center workers to manage potential spikes in customer service calls. WestJet also ended up hiring temporary offshore call center workers, but only after the problem had gotten out of hand. JetBlue made sure to switch its files over to Sabre’s servers on a Friday night, because Saturday flight traffic is typically very low. JetBlue also sold smaller numbers of seats on the flights that did take off that day. JetBlue experienced a few glitches—call wait times increased and not all airport kiosks and ticket printers came online right away. In addition, JetBlue needs to add some booking functions. But compared to what WestJet endured, the company was extremely well prepared to 403 Essentials of Management Information Systems, Tenth Edition, by Kenneth C. Laudon and Jane P. Laudon. Published by Prentice Hall. Copyright  © 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc.

For Free and Other Pleonastic Expressions

For Free and Other Pleonastic Expressions For Free and Other Pleonastic Expressions For Free and Other Pleonastic Expressions By Maeve Maddox pleonasm: The use of more words in a sentence or clause than are necessary to express the meaning Pleonastic expressions are common in conversation. We all use turns of phrase in which we repeat ourselves: â€Å"the books were few in number,† â€Å"We made advance dinner reservations,† â€Å"I know with positive certainty.† few: adjective. amounting to a small number. reservation: noun. an act of engaging a seat, room, place, ticket, vehicle, etc., in advance; positive: adjective. expressed without qualification; certain. In casual conversation, speakers may be forgiven these verbal tics, but advertisers and journalists can be expected to aim to minimize redundancy in their copy. Here are some examples from the web: Twenty-One Cool Products And Services You Can Get For Free â€Å"An unexpected surprise† (very popular headline for hotel reviews) The Borden twist is that Borden and Fallon are a pair of identical twins who take turns as each persona. Las Vegas has its share of annoying pests. Future prospects remain bright for agricultural graduates Do you want to give your child everything he needs to succeed as a baseball player? Good! Teach them the basic fundamentals when they are small. What is the current consensus of opinion concerning the relationship of REM sleep to emotional stability? Poorer soils are usually paler brown in color the green color shows a few raindrops, but the red color indicates very intense rain. County Schools Report Card Scores Show Good Improvement for free: If something is â€Å"free,† it is â€Å"given out of generosity and not in return for something else.† The formation â€Å"for free† has probably developed by analogy with â€Å"for nothing,† One can get â€Å"something for nothing,† A â€Å"free gift† is also pleonastic; the most common meaning of gift is â€Å"something given without charge,† i.e., â€Å"free.† It is enough for advertisers to announce that something is available free: â€Å"Buy a computer and get a printer free.† unexpected surprise: a surprise is an unexpected occurrence or event. pair of identical twins: Two children or young brought forth at one birth are twins. A pair is â€Å"a couple; a set of two.† It’s enough to say that the men are â€Å"identical twins.† annoying pests: In the figurative sense, a pest is â€Å"an annoying person or thing.† future prospects: The word prospects in this context refers to future occasions or events. basic fundamental: Fundamental means â€Å"serving as the foundation or base on which something is built.† The adjective basic means â€Å"Of, pertaining to, or forming a base; fundamental.† consensus of opinion: The word consensus is enough. It means â€Å"Agreement in opinion.† brown in color, green color, red color: A color is a hue or tint. Brown, green, and red are colors. It is rarely necessary to say so when describing a weather map or other depiction in color. It’s enough to say, â€Å"The red indicates intense rain.† good improvement: The word improvement includes the idea of â€Å"good.† There’s no such thing as â€Å"bad improvement.† The word can be modified in terms of degree. For example, â€Å"slight improvement,† and â€Å"minor improvement.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire YouUsing the Active Voice to Strengthen Your WritingMood vs. Tense

Passage to Modernity Dupre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Passage to Modernity Dupre - Essay Example At the early stages of modernity, artists still viewed themselves as creating in unison with nature; â€Å"mind and nature relate harmoniously to one another† (p. 49). Moreover, nature’s perception began to change. Galileo expressed the idea of natural form in mathematical terms, â€Å"loosening the union between physical essence and artistic ideal† (p.51). He found a systematic study of nature, rather than depending on direct observation. This notion of rational knowledge of the world become central to the transformation from medieval age to modernity. In the emergence of modernity, chemistry played an important role towards the scientific revolution. Alchemy is frequently forgotten when we talk about the breakthroughs of science that changed our perception of the world. Alchemists believed in the harmony between the individual and the cosmos. â€Å"at the basis of the alchemical enterprise is the concept of a microcosmos perfectly tuned to the macrocosmos of nature†. The notion that we are should interfere with natural processes in order to achieve harmony transforms the perception of nature. â€Å"rather than serving as nature’s assistant, the person now becomes its controller.† (p.54). There was a thorough rejection to the idea that the stars controlled man, that we were passively submitting to matter. Nevertheless, the interest in astrology was not completely eliminated; but as it happened with alchemy, they became less appealing at the face of new physical theories that rationally explained the universe.

Frederick Taylors Scientific Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Frederick Taylors Scientific Management - Essay Example Because of this work, Taylor gains the reputation of being the father of scientific management. Scientific management methods, as put forward by Taylor, "called for optimizing the way tasks were performed and simplifying the jobs enough so that workers could be trained to perform their specialized sequenced of motions in one best way" (Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management 1). The formulation of scientific management is Taylor's response to the working conditions during his time. It should be noted that prior to scientific management, the various works in the factory are solely performed by skilled craftsmen who have acquired their knowledge and skills through long and tedious apprenticeships. Having no particular specifications from the management on how jobs should be performed, workers during the period are given much autonomy, giving them the sole discretion on how their jobs should be performed. Thinking that their apprenticeship has been adequate in shaping and preparing for the jobs required, management are often left with other decision making tasks. However, scientific management changed this situation in the workplace by "taking away much of this autonomy and converting skilled crafts into a series of simplified jobs that could be performed by unskilled workers who easily could be trained for the tasks" (Frederick Taylor and Scientific Managemen t 2). Taylor, through his time and motion studies formulated the most scientifically efficient in doing performing a single task which do not only lessen the workload for each employee but also shorten the time that the task is performed. The main contribution of Taylor in the field of management can be delineated within the bounds of management service practice and organisational management. The main premise of Taylor in the concepts which he put forward is the utilisation of scientific principles in every situation including the solution of problems in business organisations (Frederick Winslow Taylor 2). Through his exposure on steel workers, Taylor has observed what he calls soldiering which he explains as "underworking, that is, deliberately working slowly so as to avoid a full day's work" (Taylor 6). He observes that the current situation facilitates this inefficiency of workers. According to him, there are three primary reasons which causes soldiering: first, the universal belief that if workers become productive, less workers will be needed causing elimination or termination; second, the non-incentive wage system which encourage workers to work at a slow pace considering that they will be paid the same wage regardless of the amount of work that they finish; and third, the reliance on rule of the thumb measures and the absence of optimal work methods in order to enhance efficiency (Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management 4). With this, Taylor lays down the four principles which become the foundations of scientific management. Scientific management calls for the replacement of the rule of the thumb work methods with systems derived from scientific studies (Frederick Taylor