Some Issues of Global Finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Some Issues of Global Finance - Assignment Example Normally, there are no risks of exchange rate crises and the system does not need government intervention in achieving the outcomes. They are normally variable since sometimes bandwagons and other speculative behavior drives and determines demand. It can also be so because exchange rates sometimes overshoot their long-run values.   The market corrects the rate automatically reflecting inflation and other market conditions influencing the economy.   Crawling peg: In this system, a currency links its value to another but gives it fluctuation limits and is immensely valuable if a currency linking itself has expectations of being volatile exceptionally, hence allowing itself to fluctuate to a level acceptable under the conditions. In this system, the authorities determine the value around which the currency can fluctuate.   Fixed exchange rate system. Here, the currency has direct convertibility towards another currency with the government trying to keep the value constant against the other currency. The government decrees the worth of its currency against the value of another, plus rules of the exchange. - Advantages and disadvantages of the Floating rate exchange system.   - Advantages. Flexibility, which enhances the capability of the country market economy to pick up and adjust quickly to the changing market conditions, is the main advantage of this system.   In case of a violation of the balance of payments deficit, this system of exchange allows for adjustment of outflow and/or inflow making either domestic or foreign goods more competitive depending on whether there was appreciation or depreciation in the currency market. Another advantage is the automatic determination of interest rates within the country, allowing efficient control of the economic balance. A country gets insulated from unemployment problems in other countries. This is because currency exchange rate adjustments normally serve as protection against the exportation of financial problems to other countries.   - Disadvantages. This system does not stimulate trade development and production, hence leading to market instability. Further, it destabilizes the financial situations and leads to economic crises. This causes uncertainty in trade; it may be uncertain to entrepreneurs the amount of money they get by selling their goods abroad or their prices in foreign countries. Likewise, importation will be uncertain since they may never know the cost of importing foreign goods. Another disadvantage is that the uncertainty it causes may discourage investment either internally or externally.   Additionally, it leads to speculation which is a serious economic destabilization since the speculative flows may contradict the trade flow patterns.

National football league Essay Example for Free

National football league Essay 1 Is my title and introduction enticing? My title and introduction are enticing because it tells how the game of football became one of the greatest sports. 2 Is my thesis effective? Yes my thesis is effective because it details the important timeline of the critical changes to the sport. 3 Have I included enough details so the reader can visualize my experience? Readers can visualize my experience through my details. 4 Are the events presented in a logical sequence? All of my events are in logical order. 5 Have I used transitions to help the sequence of events flow smoothly? My transitions help the sequence of my essay flow smoothly with dates. 6 Have I used dialogue (if appropriate)? No 7 Have I used a consistent point of view and verb tense? I have used a consistent point of view and verb tense. 8 Is the point of my narrative evident? The point of my narrative is very clear and concise. 9 Have I ended the story satisfactorily? I ended my essay satisfactorily. 10 Have I proofread thoroughly? My narrative was proofread thoroughly by me and my roommate. Kelvin Hall Professor Ross HALL 2 ENG 101 30 September 2012 The History of Football. Before the 19th century, football was just known as a ball game played on foot; now it is a very competitive sport evolved over time to become one of the greatest sports ever played. This game had many versions with different rules according to which team you played. For instance, if you played Yale University their rules would be different than if you played Princeton. The first ever soccer-football game was played using the London Football Association rules. These were the rules that most teams followed until a coach from Yale University would write the first rules for American football. Walter Camp became known as forefather of football. From 1880-1883, he single handily reconstructed the game of football by restructuring the size of the field, position and numbers of the players, and the handling of the ball. He would use rules from both soccer and rugby to format the written rules. The number of players from each team on the field decreased from fifteen to eleven. The positions included seven lineman, two halfbacks, one fullback, and one quarterback. Prior to this adjustment there was utter confusion on the field. The size of the field dwindled as well. The players started using formations to line up on the field. He adjusted the scoring system by increasing the value of a touchdown to six points from five points and reducing the field goal to four points from five which today is only three points. Until his death in 1925, he would edit every American football rule book. The first professional football game was played between the Dayton Triangles and the Columbus Panhandles in 1920 under the American Professional Football Conference. It was not HALL 3 until 1922 that it became the National Football League as we know it to be today. It only included eighteen teams then but now has thirty-two. A new football league was formed in 1959 titled the American Football League. In 1962, the AFL filed suit against the NFL accusing them of monopoly and conspiracy. This legal matter went on for over two years before resolution. The championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants on December 28, 1958 was considered to be the greatest game ever played according to the NFL. It was the first game to go to sudden death overtime in history with a one yard touchdown run by  Alan Ameche. In 1966, both leagues agreed to play an annual AFL-NFL championship game. The first super bowl which was known as the AFL-NFL championship game was played between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967. This game was won by the Green Bay Packers; making them the first team in NFL history to win a super bowl which would be won again by them the following year. In 1970, Congress approved the two leagues merged to form one league with two conferences (National Football Conference and American Football Conference). To date, there are four NFL teams that have never made it to the super bowl and nine teams who have made it but have never won. The NFL has transformed tremendously since 1869. It has produced some of the greatest athletes in the world. The Pro Football Hall of Fame (currently having 273 members) was dedicated in Canton, OH on September 7, 1963. The super bowl is still the most watched televised program in history. Without Walter Camp and his contributions to the American football game; this game might still be considered just a game played on foot. HALL 4 Works Cited Hoffer, Richard. The First Super Bowl. Sports Illustrated 116. 5 (2012): 46-53. SPORT Discus with Full Text. Web. 21 Sept. 2012. HALL 5 Guttmann, A. (2006). Civilized Mayhem: Origins and Early Development of American Football. Sport in Society, 9(4), 533-541. College Football: History, Spectacle, Controversy. Coach and Athletic Director 71. 1 (2001): 62-. Pro Quest Research Library. PROQUESTMS. 26 Sep. 2012 Peterson, Robert W. (Pigskin: The Early Years of Pro Football. ) Cary, NC, USA: Oxford University Press, 1997.

Essay --

Name: Salma Atef ID: 116741 Module Title: Comparative Politics Module Leader: Dr. Gamal Selim Research Paper Topic: The role of military in non-democratic/ authoritarian systems Due Date: 19th of December, 2013 The Role of military in Non-Democratic States The role of military extensively varies from one country to another in light of the country’s military institution. In addition, it is characterized by its various fundamental duties, which is: firstly, to enhance the means of protection of the country’s borders from both, external and internal (domestic) threats which can possibly put the country in an ominous situation, and secondly, to meddle in urgent political affairs. In other words, to intervene in politics and take a step in to help redeem the situation, to some extent this can be held for a period of time or for a lifetime. In light of the military’s intervention which occurred in Turkey for several years, it is in fact in the interest of Egypt to be ruled under a military rule for the sake of stability and achieving the state’s goals yet it cannot be guaranteed. This paper will examine the role of military in two countries. The two case studies used are Egypt and Turkey (being used as a role mod el). Chiefly, the paper will be divided into three sections: the first section will assiduously define the principle of military interventions in general as well as mention its importance and under what conditions is it necessary to intervene. Whereas the second section will comprehensibly discuss and inspect the approach (methods) that Turkey had taken to result in such a democratic development after the coup d’Ã ©tat (1980); this was the third coup on Turkey, and thus it had several negative effects on its economy. ... ...ary and the Egyptian Revolution. Retrieved from: http://www.academia.edu/3303395/The_Military_and_the_Egyptian_Revolution_Resistance_to_Reform Roberts, H. (2012). What Happened to Democracy in Turkey? A Beacon of hope in the Middle East is plunging into twilight. Retrieved from: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/what-happened-to-democracy-in-turkey-a-beacon-of-hope-in-the-middle-east-is-plunging-into-twilight-8399325.html Schwartz, D. (2013). Egypt’s ‘Dangerous precedent’ and Turkey’s history of Coups. Retrieved from: http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/canada/story/1.1356899 Surtees, J. (2011). ‘Turkey is not a free Country’. Retrieved from: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/may/01/turkey-free-democratic-reform-youth Tachau, F. & Heper, M. (1983). The state, politics, and the military in Turkey. Comparative Politics, Vol. 16 (No.1), pp., 17-33.

Common Misconceptions of Sports Suppluments

Common Misconceptions In today’s society, many people have started to develop misconceptions about sports supplements. Because people started this mentality, they have tried to make their own misconceptions about them and telling other people to avoid them. Sports Supplements, also known as ergogenic aids, are products to enhance athletic performance. These products contain minerals, herbs, vitamins, amino acids, and botanicals. (TeensHealth 1) One of the common misconceptions of sports supplements is that they don’t help the human body gain muscle, but instead fat. The 1) In reality, some people have and see results of the supplements within a week, like enhances the person’s workouts by going for longer reps, reduces the time of recovery, and gains muscle mass. (The 1) Another known common misconception of sports supplements is that will sports supplements cause me to get muscle cramps and or get injured. Most of the sports supplements well cause you to cramp u p during athletic events, but the leading sports supplement that well cause you to cramp up easily is creatine. Bodybuilding. com 1) If any athlete who uses creatine gets a cramp, they well get told it’s the side effect of creatine usage, but in reality it’s the lack of dehydration, improper electrolyte balance, or variety of other factors that can result in cramping. (Bodybuilding 1)Even though some athletes think that sports supplements well make them cramp, they also think that the supplements well make their injury risk increase. However, not any sports supplements increase the ability of injuries. Bodybuilding 1) â€Å"Quite to the contrary actually; a study conducted using 72 NCAA division 1 football players as subjects found that the athletes supplementing with creatine experienced less muscle cramps, muscle tightness, muscle strains, dehydration and total injuries. † (Bodybuilding 1) Will sports supplements make me a better athlete? That’s another common misconception of sports supplements. Many companies say that their supplement well make you a better athlete or stronger, but in reality it won’t give you the ability to make you a better athlete or the strengthness to lift more weights for more reps. TeensHealth 1) Ads for sports supplements often use persuasive before and after pictures that make it look easy to get a muscular, toned body. But the goal of supplement advertisers is to make money by selling more supplements, and many claims may be misleading. (TeensHealth 1) Instead, sports supplements helps the person who is taking it, it doesn’t give any potential ability to the person whom is taking it.They’re many different types of factors that go into a person’s athletic body like diet, how much sleep they get, genetics and heredity, and their training program. (TeensHealth 1) Another common misconception of sports supplements is that they are illegal, like consuming drugs, in reality theyâ €™re not; they are just banned in some organizations such as the Olympics and others more. (The 1) Other than steroids being illegal in the US, There’s a possibility of another type of sports supplement of getting banned or in others words, illegal.DMMA, also known as dimethylamylamine, a stimulant that Department of Health has categorized to be in the same category such as heroin, cocaine and crystal methamphetamine has been banned in many countries like Canada, New Zealand and several European countries due to two possible deaths in the US and is thought to cause high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems including shortness of breath and possible heart failures like heart attacks. (Sports 1) Sports supplements have lots of side effects that’s one other common misconception.But really, there only a couple of supplements that have a couple of side effects like ephedra, caffeine, carnitine, and creatine do to the human body. (Sport 2) Ephedra, named after contain ing ephedra alkaloids, a dietitary supplement. The use of ephedra is for weight loss and with the goal of enhancing their performance, increasing energy. Due to the extremely side effects of this supplement, FDA have banned it for a while now on the sale of high dose ephedrine, but the doses of 10 mg or less are legal.The side effects of this supplement are headaches, rapid heart rates, increased blood pressure, insomnia, strokes, heart attacks, and death. (Sport 2) Commonly found in sodas, coffee,and energy drinks, caffeine, which provides energy and burns fat. When taken caffeine, it attacks the in the centeral nervous system, increases the awareness, and the perception of less effort used. The side effects of caffeine are increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, and insomnia.In addition, a person who’s constantly consuming caffeine in their diet can lead into headaches. (Sport 2) Needed in the body for the transportation of fatty acids to mitochondria to be used for energy, carnitine. Thought that it decreases muscle pain, increases endurance, promotes weight loss, and improves cardiac function. (Sport 1) Bieng one of the most popular sport supplements, creatine, is used as a form of phosphocreatine by the body to gain muscle energy.Once used, creatine increase strength, endurance, and muscle gain. While creatine may help out on athletics, it can also help you gain weight, causing a huge impact for athletes. (Sport 2) Lastly, â€Å"If I take sports supplements, I well just gain weight and get fat†. Most of the people that say that are wrong in some way and right at the same time. Even though most of the sports supplements have enough proteins to complete a serving of meal a day, people need to know how to balance their meals while using sport supplements.Especially when using whey protein and creatine, the user can easily gain a couple pounds if not more than expected within a few weeks if not managed his or her diet carefully. Because many of professional athletes use sports supplements on a regular basis, they have managed to control their own diet, but some can eat more than a normal person is expected to due to the intense hardcore workouts that they do.But some just hire dietetics, (The 1) a person practical application of diet in relation to health and disease. (Dietetics 1) In today’s society, many people do not understand sports supplements and the benefits they can bring to the athlete who is serious about increasing their level of performance for his or her sport. Most supplements have little or no side effects, and can seriously help and improve the athletes ability at his or her own sport.

Friedreich’s Ataxia

Friedreich's ataxia Friedreich's ataxia is an inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system resulting in things like gait disturbance, speech problems, heart disease and diabetes. Friedreich's ataxia is caused by a defect in a gene called Frataxin, which is located on chromosome 9. The changes in this gene cause the body to produce too much trinucleotide repeat (GAA).This mutation causes gene silencing through induction of a heterochromatin structure in a manner similar to position-effect variegation. Normally, the body contains about 8 to 30 copies of GAA, however the people with Friedreich's ataxia may have as many as 1,000 copies. The more copies of GAA a person has, the earlier the disease will start and the faster it will get worse. Symptoms typically begin sometime between the ages of 5 to 15, but in rare cases, Friedreich’s ataxia may occur around the ages of 20 to 30.Some of the symptoms are; abnormal speech, changes in vision (particularly col or vision), decrease in ability to feel vibrations in lower limbs, foot problems, hearing loss, jerky eye movements, loss of coordination and balance, frequent falls, muscle weakness, no reflexes in the legs, and uncoordinated movements. Friedreich's ataxia is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder. This means you must get a copy of the defective gene from both your mother and father. About 1 in every 22,000-29,000 people develop this disease but family history of the condition raises your chances of getting it.On average, after 10-15 years with the disease patients are usually wheelchair bound and require assistance with all activities. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for Friedreich's ataxia. There are, however, medicines, therapy treatments and surgeries available to those who are affected but it will not rid them of the disease. Titanium screws and rods are often inserted in the spine to help prevent or slow the progression of this disease. The goal of surgery is to keep t he patient alive as long as possible. As the ataxia progresses, things such as a cane, walker, or wheelchair are required for mobility.

40+ Amazing Gifts for Writers (That Your Friend Will Love)

40+ Amazing Gifts for Writers (That Your Friend Will Love) 40+ Amazing Gifts for Writers That Will Help You "Win" Christmas 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through Reedsy, the writers were stirring, to make gift-giving easy.That’s right, Christmas is around the corner! We know from personal experience just how hard it is to shop for authors, so we put in the hard work for you and created this guide of usual and unusual gifts for writers in your lives. It’s split into four sections (differentiated by price points) for easy access.We hope that it helps you during the annual holiday crunch. Simply browse below to find the perfect gift for your writer friends - or even for yourself. Merry Christmas shopping, everyone!Below $101. â€Å"Jane Austen† Socks ($9)(Image: Stata)Is there anything cooler in the world than Mrs. Weasley’s clock? (For the Muggles out there, it’s a clock that lets you know where the people in your life are at any given moment in time, which isn’t stalkerish at all.) Well, we have good news for you: it now exists! Built by Stata, it use s technology and GPS and relay your loved ones’ coordinates on a clock face that has such options as â€Å"Home,† â€Å"Friends,† â€Å"Out,† â€Å"Transit,† â€Å"Airport,† â€Å"Lost,† and â€Å"Hospital.† There’s no â€Å"Mortal Peril† option yet - at least not until Voldemort actually pays us a visit in our Muggle world.41. Writing workshops ($120-$500)A writing workshop is literally the gift that will keep on giving, as the knowledge that participants gain from it will benefit them in the long-run.   It’s a great way to encourage writers, both amateur and experienced. Check out these online writing courses below to see if one of them could make the perfect Christmas gift:Catapult24PearlStreetWriter’s Digest UniversityGotham Writers Community42. Subscription to Kindle Unlimited ($120)Two words: unlimited reading. Kindle Unlimited gives its members the freedom to explore over 1 million titles, thousands of audiobooks, and any magazine. This might be the only thing better than a Kindle - although this subscription paired with a Kindle wouldn’t be too shabby, either.These items have been chosen independently by the team at Reedsy, but if you buy something through our post, we may get a small share of the sale. If you have any suggestions for other great gifts for writers, please share them in the comments below!

West Side Story Essay Example

West Side Story Essay Example West Side Story Paper West Side Story Paper Where petty thugs and hoodlums are no comparison to modern day gangs. But nonetheless considered savages for their time. Yet, amongst themselves there is love and friendship. West Side Story Is a story about love, Intolerance, and friendship. It uses many of the 9 elements of a well-made film. The story revolves around 2 (two) rival gangs know as the Jets (Americans) and the Sharks (Puerco Ricans) who friendship Is UN-foreseeable due to the race difference between them. But as Irony would have It 1 (one) member from each side falls for each other during a high school dance. Causing even more fraction between the 2 (two) groups and the 2 (two) lovers who cannot be together when they want. Sound Is a key element for West Side Story, which Is a musical. The Music Itself Is excellent and follows the moon of the actors well. But the structure of the songs Is very hard to understand and it was hard to figure out what was going on in the mind of the characters. And since music dominated the entire film, it eliminated the sense f realism (I. . The lack of Natural and ambient sounds) But the songs were appeasing to the ears were catchy, the key to success while making a popular film. Costuming, makeup, and setting are one of the most effective tools in creating a sense of realism and they did their job in this movie. It was apparent from the start of the movie that this took place in the inner city. Due to the Lighting, use of shadows and the dull yet vivid backgrounds that depicted the inner city. The graffiti, jagged fences. And broken, crumbly walls also had an astounding effect. Speaking parts were seldom used in the movie. Almost all emotion was expressed through song and dance. But when used they were very simple. For example in the scene where the Jets meet with the Sharks at Docs place to discuss the rumble, they used 3 (three) word sentences like: Where should we fight? With what? When? Yeah, it was easy for the audience to follow the speech but lessened on realism. The plot of the movie was really good and refreshing. The two (2) main characters, Tony and Maria come from 2 different families and lifestyles, not to mention the skin lour. Maria is the sister of the Sharks leader Bernard. And Tony is a best friend with Ref the leader of the Jets. As the story progresses, Tony and Maria make more mistakes and their relationship causes more and more problems. This led to even more conflicts. Marias mistake was falling In love with Tony and disobeying her older brother. Tonys mistake was killing Bernard and leading Chick (a shark) In to a vengeful quest, which would catch up with him at the end. Everybody has enemies throughout their lives, fights could happen as well as the death of loved ones. One memorable scene In the West Side Story was that first love scene between Tony And Marl. Love at first sight could happen and happens everyday. This shadows Shakespearean writing qualities most notably found In Romeo And Juliet Great movies emerge when most of the said elements are met. West Side Story is a good movie. It malign De a good play out not Tanat good Otto movie Decease It doesnt meet all of the important elements of film. It wasnt a good movie, But a good story with memorable characters that ended up touching our hearts.

A Definition and Overview of Systemic Racism

A Definition and Overview of Systemic Racism Systemic racism is both a theoretical concept and a reality. As a theory, it is premised on the research-supported claim that the United States was founded as a racist society, that racism is thus embedded in all social institutions, structures, and social relations within our society.  Rooted in a racist foundation, systemic racism today is composed of intersecting, overlapping, and codependent racist institutions, policies, practices, ideas, and behaviors that give an unjust amount of resources, rights, and power to white people while denying them to people of color. Definition of  Systemic Racism Developed by sociologist Joe Feagin, systemic racism is a popular way of explaining, within the social sciences and humanities, the significance of race and racism  both historically and in todays world.  Feagin describes the concept and the realities attached to it in his well-researched and readable book,  Racist America: Roots, Current Realities, Future Reparations. In it, Feagin uses historical evidence and demographic statistics to create a theory that asserts that the United States was founded in racism since  the Constitution classified black people as the property of whites. Feagin illustrates that the legal recognition of racialized slavery is a cornerstone of a racist social system in which resources and rights were and are unjustly given to white people and unjustly denied to people of color. The theory of systemic racism accounts for individual, institutional, and structural forms of racism. The development of this theory was influenced by other scholars of race, including Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois, Oliver Cox, Anna Julia Cooper, Kwame Ture, Frantz Fanon, and Patricia Hill Collins, among others. Feagin defines systemic racism in the introduction to the book: Systemic racism includes the complex array of antiblack practices, the unjustly gained political-economic power of whites, the continuing economic and other resource inequalities along racial lines, and the white racist ideologies and attitudes created to maintain and rationalize white privilege and power. Systemic here means that the core racist realities are manifested in each of society’s major parts [...] each major part of U.S. societythe economy, politics, education, religion, the familyreflects the fundamental reality of systemic racism. While Feagin developed the theory based on the history and reality of anti-black racism in the U.S., it is usefully applied to understanding how racism functions generally, both within the U.S. and around the world. Elaborating on the definition quoted above, Feagin uses historical data in his book to illustrate that systemic racism is primarily composed of seven major elements, which we will review here. The Impoverishment of People of Color and Enrichment of White People Feagin explains that the undeserved impoverishment of people of color (POC), which is the basis of the undeserved enrichment of white people, is one of the core aspects of systemic racism. In the U.S. this includes the role that Black slavery played in creating an unjust wealth for white people, their businesses, and their families. It also includes the way white people exploited labor throughout the European colonies prior to the founding of the United States. These historical practices created a social system that had racist economic inequality built into its foundation and was followed through the years in numerous ways, like the practice of redlining that prevented POC from buying homes that would allow their family wealth to grow while protecting and stewarding the family wealth of white people. Undeserved impoverishment also results from POC being forced into  unfavorable mortgage rates,  being channeled by unequal opportunities for education into low-wage jobs, and being p aid less than white people for doing the same jobs. There is no more telling proof of the undeserved impoverishment of POC and the undeserved enrichment of white people than the massive difference in average wealth of white versus Black and Latino families. Vested Group Interests Among White People Within a racist society, white people enjoy many privileges denied to POC. Among these is the way that vested group interests among powerful whites and â€Å"ordinary whites† allow white people to benefit from a white racial identity  without even identifying it as such. This manifests in support among white people for political candidates who are white, and for laws and political and economic policies that work to reproduce a social system that is racist and has racist outcomes. For example, white people as a majority have historically opposed or eliminated diversity-increasing  programs within education and jobs, and ethnic studies courses that better represent the racial history and reality of the U.S. In cases like these, white people in power and ordinary white people have suggested that programs like these are hostile or examples of reverse racism. In fact, the way white people wield political power in the protection of their interests and at the expense of others, w ithout ever claiming to do so, maintains and reproduces a racist society. Alienating Racist Relations Between White People and POC In the U.S., white people hold most positions of power. A look at the membership of Congress, the leadership of colleges and universities, and the top management of corporations makes this clear. In this context, in which white people hold political, economic, cultural, and social power, the racist views and assumptions that course through U.S. society shape the way those in power interact with POC. This leads to a serious and wells include discrimination against POC and preferential treatment of white students among university professors, more frequent and severe punishment of Black students in K-12 schools, and  racist police practices, among many others. Ultimately,  alienating racist relations make it difficult for people of different races to recognize their commonalities, and to achieve solidarity in fighting broader patterns of inequality that affect the vast majority of people in society, regardless of their race. The Costs and Burdens of Racism are Borne by POC In his book, Feagin points out with historical documentation that the costs and burdens of racism are disproportionately borne by people of color and by black people especially. Having to bear these unjust costs and burdens is a core aspect of systemic racism. These include shorter life spans, limited income and wealth potential, impacted family structure as a result of mass incarceration of Blacks and Latinos, limited access to educational resources and political participation, state-sanctioned killing by police, and the psychological, emotional, and community tolls of living with less, and being seen as â€Å"less than.  POC are also expected by white people to bear the burden of explaining, proving, and fixing racism, though it is, in fact, white people who are primarily responsible for perpetrating and perpetuating it. The Racial Power of White Elites While all white people and even many POC play a part in perpetuating systemic racism, it is important to recognize the powerful role played by white elites in maintaining this system. White elites, often unconsciously, work to perpetuate systemic racism via politics, law, educational institutions, the economy, and via racist representations and underrepresentation of people of color in mass media. This is also known as white supremacy. For this reason, it is important that the public hold white elites accountable for combatting racism and fostering equality. It is equally important that those who hold positions of power within society reflect the racial diversity of the U.S. The Power of Racist Ideas, Assumptions, and World Views Racist ideology- the collection of ideas, assumptions, and worldviews- is a key component of systemic racism and plays a key role in its reproduction. Racist ideology often asserts that whites are superior to people of color for biological or cultural reasons, and manifests in stereotypes, prejudices, and popular myths and beliefs. These typically include positive images of whiteness in contrast to negative images associated with people of color, such as civility versus brutishness, chaste and pure versus hyper-sexualized, and intelligent and driven versus stupid and lazy. Sociologists recognize that ideology informs our actions and interactions with others, so it follows that racist ideology fosters racism throughout all aspects of society. This happens regardless of whether the person acting in racist ways is aware of doing so. Resistance to Racism Finally, Feagin recognizes that resistance to racism is an important feature of systemic racism. Racism has never been passively accepted by those who suffer it, and so systemic racism is always accompanied by acts of resistance that might manifest as protest, political campaigns, legal battles, resisting white authority figures, and speaking back against racist stereotypes, beliefs, and language. The white backlash that typically follows resistance, like countering Black Lives Matter with all lives matter or blue lives matter, does the work of limiting the effects of resistance and maintaining a racist system. Systemic Racism Is All Around Us and Within Us Feagins theory and all of the research he and many other social scientists have conducted over 100 years illustrates that racism is in fact built into the foundation of U.S. society and that it has over time come to infuse all aspects of it. It is present in our laws, our politics, our economy; in our social institutions; and in how we think and act, whether consciously or subconsciously. Its all around us and inside of us, and for this reason, resistance to racism must also be everywhere if we are to combat it.

CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAW IN HEALTH CARE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAW IN HEALTH CARE - Essay Example Consequently, healthcare contracts ensure that parties are informed of their rights and obligations, and provide remedies for breach by one or more parties to an agreement. It also clarifies parties’ intentions and can be used for future references to resolve misunderstandings among parties to it (Pozgar, 2012). It defines an agreement by parties to establish, and be bound by their specified terms. Express contracts can be oral or written and written contracts override oral contracts (Simmers, Nartker and Kobelak, 2008). This is a contract in which one of the parties can relinquish his or her obligations because of lack of some of the essentials of a contract. The type of contract however, remains valid until it is revoked (Pozgar, 2012). Other types of a contract are defined in terms of nature of involved subject matter such as contracts for reality defining contracts that involve â€Å"real estate and interest in real estate,† contracts for goods involving â€Å"movable objects with exception of money and securities,† and contract for services involving human efforts (Pozgar, 2012, p. 87). Essential elements of a valid a contract in healthcare are agreement, which defines offer and acceptance, and consideration. An offer refers to a promise by a party or parties to undertake acts, of commission or omission, on provision that the other party or parties will undertake specified acts of either omission or commission. An offer is only valid when the ‘offeror’ intends to be bound by the terms. Acceptance however defines a party’s consent, subject to legal provisions, to be bound by the terms of offer. It must involve â€Å"mutual consent,† be â€Å"definite and complete,† be made before the offer is revoked or within a reasonable period, and must be â€Å"complete and confirming† (Pozgar, 2012, p. 87). Another element of healthcare contract, consideration,

Defending the Budget Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Defending the Budget - Essay Example As at September 2011, the department had 88 firefighters, 42 officers, 6 engines and 2 ladders (Fire-Rescue 2012). Recently, there has been a study stating that the department is inactive and slow at responding to emergency calls. This claim has driven the city manager to propose a reduction of the department’s budget due to the cited inactivity in this fire department. As the fire chief in this institution, I would like to express that this assumption is not true. This is because my department has carried out all its responsibilities and emergency responses with required efficiency. The department has not only attended to many calls in the time of my service to the station but also successfully managed to put out major fires and rescue many people, property and pets from burning houses and buildings. However, contrary to the viewpoint of the city manager, the Medford fire department does not involve itself with fire emergencies only. There are several other activities that we are actively involved in every other day. They include, examining buildings for hazards, evaluating new constructions, setting up car seats for children, offering fire prevention services, heavy rescue, and providing fire station tours. For instance, in the month of March this year, there were regular inspections carried out by officials of the department on fire and life safety division (FLSD) where 92 hazards were noted and immediate action was taken to rectify the situation (Fire-Rescue, 2012). The current amount in the budget is sufficient to cater for the emergency responses and other off-emergency activities the department is responsible for. Currently, my department receives and attends an average of two incidents every week. We have always ensured that the emergencies are attended to in the shortest time possible as saving lives is our first priority. These responses also include fire scares where our department always solves the crisis restoring confidence in people. The f irefighters are very co operative and will attend to their duties at any time of day or night. Their motivation and enthusiasm in their work has helped save lives. This kind of vigilance has been met with proper remuneration extended to all employees and supervisors of the department. In certain occasions, budgeted monetary rewards are also extended to firefighters who have performed best in their obligations. Therefore, in order to uphold the same levels of salaries and rewards, it is important to maintain the budget. Otherwise, a cut may demotivate the employees leading to underperformance. This would put many individuals and buildings in the danger of being consumed by fire. To successfully fight fire, collaboration between the general public and the fire fighters is essential. This collaboration can only be enabled by an effective communication process. The communication devices used by Medford fire fighters are up to date and are effective in accomplishing the objective of pass ing on information to its users. This has helped avoid many deaths that might have occurred during fire incidents. The firefighting team is always ready to take the emergency calls and attend to the fire rescues at any time of day. The maintenance of this efficient communication lines requires funds. Therefore,

Logistic and Operation Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Logistic and Operation Management - Essay Example According to the paper in the last few years, the operations of logistics and transport sector have been modernized with the latest information and communication technologies, especially those which are associated with the Internet and e-business. Goods and materials have been transported through transportation means when people initially learnt about the logs float downstream. The ICT and next generation communication technologies have made it possible to construct communication links among corporations and for numerous organizations. In this scenario, the web based environment of businesses has highlighted the significance of ICT in global supply chain and logistics management areas. To sum up, the paper talks that information technology has changed the traditional practices of carrying out business activities. Now traditional business operations are replaced with modern ICT supported tools and processes. At the present, the majority of business organizations are adopting ICTs for automating their business operations. And the application of ICT for logistics management is one of the most attractive trends. This paper has presented a detailed overview of logistics management. This report has discussed the uses of ICT for the different components of logistic services. This report has also discussed the benefits and challenges of ICT logistic technology. This report has also outlined a real life case regarding ICT technology application for logistic management services. Technology Innovation in Logistics Sector In the last few years, the operations of logistics and transport sector have been modernized with the latest information and communication technologies, espe cially those which are associated with the Internet and e-business. Though, the idea of logistics and logistics management is not new. Additionally, there is nothing new in the areas of logistics. In fact, people have been maintaining and warehousing goods ever since the days of early Egyptian times. Goods and materials have been transported through transportation means when people initially learnt about the logs float downstream. Also, the storage has been in place since people initially revealed that, there was a way to live long and survive in cold winter (Consultrans, 2008; Somuyiwa & Adewoye, 2010; Nigel et al., 2010). In addition, currently the emergence of ICT and its application to logistics management is the similar token as the ancient transportation was done but slightly changed the associated b2b (business to business) transaction potential also changed the way in which business supply chain operates. In this scenario, the Internet has facilitated data and information ex change on an extraordinary level, frequently at a speed that is extremely quick for standard consumption. Therefore, businesses are at the present prepared to make efficient use of data, from warehouse management systems, which hold information on customer/supplier warehouse record levels and major client ordering outlines and transport management systems inside that data and information pertaining to the site of significant supply chain assets, for example as vehicles or products are

Ethics-----Assisted Suicide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethics-----Assisted Suicide - Essay Example Thus, the concept of assisted suicide when done with the purpose of hastening the inevitable where disease has already prepared the body for death should become a part of a the standard for care that is given to individuals who wish to avoid the pain of disease, the loss of mental facilities when dying, or to avoid the expense of an unnecessarily prolonged extension of a life that is already lost. The word suicide is defined as â€Å"the act of killing yourself† (Jeffers & Smith, 2007, p. 81). While this is a simple definition, it lacks the appropriate level of nuance in order to fully define the full reference to everything that it implies. Suicide is the act of taking one’s own life, but it is also an act that brings with it a series of cultural images that imply sin, socially adverse action, and culturally shameful action. In Western cultures, taking one’s own life is generally considered a sin and in the United States, it is an illegal act that has criminal consequences. This can be seen in the way that Cleave (2001) reflects her definition of suicide when she states that it is â€Å"the act of killing yourself, often while mentally unstable† (p, 146). This also becomes a part of the discussion in that it is assumed that in taking one’s life it is done under the influence of mental instability. Other terminology that can be used to describe the event of taking one’s life when placed in the position of having a disease that is going to take one’s life is to call the event voluntary euthanasia. This becomes a less volatile terminology that can be discussed on terms that do not suggest sin, mental instability, and can call into question policies of illegality. A definition of voluntary euthanasia is that it â€Å"takes place when a patient who is dying or who is in intolerable pain asks someone to help him or her to die to avoid any further suffering† (Cleave,

Platos Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Platos Philosophy - Essay Example Plato’s philosophy of the world of becoming and the world of being are separate entities, but their explanation sometimes blurs the line between the two, since the philosopher made no effort to separate his ideas completely. The final form of the never-ending need to understand is a form of knowledge in the world of forms introduced by Plato. In the world of forms, the philosopher is known to have attained the highest form of knowledge available, and can therefore, be able to see the world of ideas in the world immediately. This is the ultimate and possibly, only final form of knowledge that a philosopher would seek. From Plato’s philosophy, we can be made to understand that for the faculty of reason described above, one that transcends real world boundaries, there must be a corresponding level of universal reality. These two different factors are divided into what Plato called the world of becoming and the world of being. In the world of becoming, the forms do not change eternally and have non-objective characteristics like beauty and justice. Conversely, the world of being depicts that the beautiful forms seen in everyday life are infinite copies of the forms described above. Plato considered that objects have the ability to acquire and/or lose beauty, but the essence of beauty is such that it has a distinct existence from the objects in the world. Plato insists that the physical objects seen the world are actually perfect copies of the world of forms or Triangle. ... In contrast, the physical world, the world known by the human senses, is a dynamic world, a world of becoming. Plato then states that the forms have an infinite and singular existence in the world of being, as contrasted to the world of becoming. Plato’s explanation of the forms indicates that our souls were indicated with the forms before the bodies, and the mind realizes the forms in different ways.4 The first way of recognizing the forms is through recollection, where it is understood the soul was acquainted with the forms before the body. In this case, an individual can recollect the knowledge of the soul prior to the existence of the body. In this case, the existence of physical objects is just but a reminder of the beautiful essences of the forms, and education is a way of remembering the forms that existed before the body. The second way of realizing the forms is through speech and dialect, where an individual learns to separate objects and discover how the various spli ts of knowledge are related. The third way of discovering the world of being or the forms, is through the power of love. In the symposium, Plato states that the power of love leads an individual from a beautiful object, to a beautiful thought and finally to the discovery of the essence of beauty itself. Plato’s two distinct ideas, the world of being and the world of becoming, can be explained using different parables or metaphors that he postulated.5 The first metaphor, the allegory of the cave, is an embracement of two allegories and describes both forms of becoming and being. The allegory asks us to imagine ourselves as prisoners in an underground prison, where we are chained without access to the outside. In the

Ethics paper Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethics paper - Case Study Example I would like to provide the reasoning for that decision and would also like to point out the ethical issues that have risen for the company. The company being one of the large automobile manufacturers of the world produces two different types of vehicles, one being the SUV’s and the other being the light trucks. Of late, the company has faced issues remaining profitable for its shareholders. There are about 1,000,000 of these types of vehicles on the road and all of them having a good reputation amongst its customers. The engineers in the company have found some balancing issue in the vehicles and due to that the company had to face five law suits lately. All those law suits had to be settled amounting to $500,000 in total. To fix the balancing issue in the vehicle, it would cost $180 per vehicle after all the vehicles would be recalled. The main ethical issue that is to be considered is the knowledge of the defect in the vehicles not been conveyed to the customers. Although the company has faced five different legal proceedings, it has dealt with them with any disclosure made to the public at large. This issue of not disclosing the information to the public may cause severe damages as all the customers using the vehicles face the risk of death in an accident. This may cause the drivers of the vehicles to face severe accident which may life threatening or may cause any other disability to the drivers of the vehicles. Recall the vehicles; this would cost the company around $18,000,000 but in such a drastic period where profits have been deteriorating, the shareholders would not agree to this. This $18,000,000 would be a major cost that the company would have to bear and because of this cost the other stakeholders that might get affected are the employees. The employees would have to be paid extra for the additional work to be done, this would further upset the shareholders as the profits would further diminish and have a negative

Platos Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Platos Philosophy - Essay Example Plato’s philosophy of the world of becoming and the world of being are separate entities, but their explanation sometimes blurs the line between the two, since the philosopher made no effort to separate his ideas completely. The final form of the never-ending need to understand is a form of knowledge in the world of forms introduced by Plato. In the world of forms, the philosopher is known to have attained the highest form of knowledge available, and can therefore, be able to see the world of ideas in the world immediately. This is the ultimate and possibly, only final form of knowledge that a philosopher would seek. From Plato’s philosophy, we can be made to understand that for the faculty of reason described above, one that transcends real world boundaries, there must be a corresponding level of universal reality. These two different factors are divided into what Plato called the world of becoming and the world of being. In the world of becoming, the forms do not change eternally and have non-objective characteristics like beauty and justice. Conversely, the world of being depicts that the beautiful forms seen in everyday life are infinite copies of the forms described above. Plato considered that objects have the ability to acquire and/or lose beauty, but the essence of beauty is such that it has a distinct existence from the objects in the world. Plato insists that the physical objects seen the world are actually perfect copies of the world of forms or Triangle. ... In contrast, the physical world, the world known by the human senses, is a dynamic world, a world of becoming. Plato then states that the forms have an infinite and singular existence in the world of being, as contrasted to the world of becoming. Plato’s explanation of the forms indicates that our souls were indicated with the forms before the bodies, and the mind realizes the forms in different ways.4 The first way of recognizing the forms is through recollection, where it is understood the soul was acquainted with the forms before the body. In this case, an individual can recollect the knowledge of the soul prior to the existence of the body. In this case, the existence of physical objects is just but a reminder of the beautiful essences of the forms, and education is a way of remembering the forms that existed before the body. The second way of realizing the forms is through speech and dialect, where an individual learns to separate objects and discover how the various spli ts of knowledge are related. The third way of discovering the world of being or the forms, is through the power of love. In the symposium, Plato states that the power of love leads an individual from a beautiful object, to a beautiful thought and finally to the discovery of the essence of beauty itself. Plato’s two distinct ideas, the world of being and the world of becoming, can be explained using different parables or metaphors that he postulated.5 The first metaphor, the allegory of the cave, is an embracement of two allegories and describes both forms of becoming and being. The allegory asks us to imagine ourselves as prisoners in an underground prison, where we are chained without access to the outside. In the

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Project Management - Essay Example All these factors are not driven on product and service quality but, also on how to achieve them, so it does not entails the latter two but also quality assurance and control of the process in addition to the end product for an overall even and good quality. Contrary to the other software development, which can be termed in many different ways good examples, are software application development, software design, platform development, and many others. However, all said it is the development of a software product, they may include research in development of new designs, photo typing, reuse modification, maintenance, and re-engineering of result oriented software products. By trying to define it, we can say it is a structure driven on development of a software product. Then in trying to understand the two first, let us look at the former software development projects. There are different approaches of software development. Nevertheless, all this approaches share a common understanding a nd towards the following laid down processes: analysis of the problem, a market research on the problem, coming up with requirements for the proposed business solution. There is also generating a planned design for the solution based on the software, implementation of the software, a test drive for the software, use of the software in the market and lastly maintenance and fixing of any abnormalities in its use (Brooks 2005). Software development project are projects just like any other and to relate them to quality management one has to simplify the and try to understand them that way as to have a clear understanding of the two of them .quality management can be a big element too a smooth running of a software development project. Through quality management, a software development project is derived. for one to come up with a workable and profitable project one has to use and implement the workability’s and elements of quality management for this reasons we have to look at th e ways and elements of quality management to understand the similarities, success and failures of software development projects as it is as any other project in quality management. There are certain elements that are adhered to in quality management that are essential and vital to project control these are; organization structure, responsibilities, data management, processes including purchasing’ resources natural and human resources, customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, product quality, maintenances, sustainability and transparency. All this factor has to be incorporated in system development project for it is to be viable (Brooks 2005). For a viable system, quality system adhere to certain elements that are co related and brings out a good relationship between the two that is quality management and system development success these are personnel training and qualification; control of product design, documentation, product design and its purchasing power, product id entification, traceability at all stages of production. Process of controlling and defining the production both the systems and the product at the same time in this scenario. The production software, inspection should be defined and controlled and ensuring the test equipments is measured to standard. There is need for process validation, acceptance of products, reduction, and control of

The Cause and Effects of the Great Depression Essay Example for Free

The Cause and Effects of the Great Depression Essay Many people speculate that the stock market crash of 1929 was the main cause of The Great Depression. In fact, The Great Depression was caused by a series of factors, and the effects of the depression were felt for many years after the stock market crash of 1929. By looking at the stock market crash of 1929, bank failures, reduction of purchasing, American economic policy with Europe, and drought conditions, it becomes apparent that The Great Depression was caused by more than just the stock market crash. The effects were detrimental beyond the financial crisis experienced during this time period. The first and most obvious known factor in the development of The Great Depression is the stock market crash of 1929. The Money Alert website states that, â€Å"When the stock market crashed in 1929, it didn’t happen on a single day. Instead, the stock market continued to plummet over the course of a few days setting in motion one of the most devastating periods in the history of the United States† (The Money Alert). Many investors would buy stocks on a margin where they would purchase the stocks with borrowed money. This was a great option for buyers when the stock market was on the rise. However, when the stocks plummeted, the financial institutions that had loaned the money for the stock purchase went to collect the capital that had been loaned out and were unable to do so. This, in effect, caused banks to lose money as a result of being unable to collect on the debt, and the investors were unable to collect their losses. In addition to private investors, banks and businesses were investing in margin loans as well. So, these poor investment strategies led the banking industry to lose the majority of their assets, including money from bank customers that had no knowledge that their money was being used for this purpose. Since no government regulations were in place to protect investors and banks in this circumstance, this ultimately led to the effect of the stock market crash, which paved the way for America to go into The Great Depression. The banking industry’s reaction to the stock market crash, would be the next major cause of the Great Depression. The banking industry as a whole after the stock market crashed was going bankrupt due to not being able to carry the â€Å"bad debt† that was created from using customer money to buy stock. Because the banks were out of money, they were unable to cover customer withdrawals from their bank, causing many bank customers to lose all of their savings. With the uncertainty of the future of the banking industry, many people withdrew all of their savings, which caused more than 9,000 banks to close their doors and go out of business (Kelly). Due to the effects of the Great Depression, and the collapse of the banking industry, the government created regulations to prevent similar failure in the future. For Example, the SEC, (or Securities Exchange Commission), which regulates the sell and trade of stocks, bonds and other investments was created as a result of The Great Depression. The FDIC (or Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation), was created to insure bank accounts so that that the consumer would be protected if the bank were to go out of business (Kelly). The Great Depressions effect on the banking industry led to many useful changes to the banking industry and helped restore confidence in banks in the American people. The next major factor that contributed to the Great Depression was the reduction of goods being purchased during the time period. After the stock market crashed, consumers from all economic classes in America were uncertain of the stability of the economy, and stopped purchasing consumer goods. The effect of not purchasing goods caused many companies to begin to produce a surplus, or an excess of goods, which caused companies to reduce their unneeded workforce (Kelly). Since so many people were out of work, they too were unable to purchase goods, and soon a domino effect was created and many companies went out of business. During this time period, many people purchased goods on payment plans, similar to the modern credit system we use today, and their inability to pay caused many companies to repossess the purchased goods. This caused companies to have additional inventory of products that contributed to the lack of need to manufacture additional products (Kelly). By this time, more than 25% of the workforce was now out of work, and due to the overproduction of goods and overstock of inventory, there weren’t enough consumers to purchase these goods (Kelly). Another major contributing factor to The Great Depression was America’s economic policy with Europe. During the midst of the depression, the government decided to create the Smoot-Hawley Tariff to help protect American companies by taxing import goods from Europe. The government initially created the Smoot-Hawley Tariff to protect America by making foreign agricultural goods more expensive than domestic products so that foreign goods would cost more than local grown goods(Kelly). Due to many revisions during the initial stages of the tariff, many other American businesses were included in its protection. The effect of the tariff on trade with Europe caused unstable relations with European countries. Also, many of the European nations began to boycott goods sold by American companies in an act of retaliation for the tariff (Kelly). Having this tariff in effect during the Great Depression caused a prolonged recovery in the American economy due to the decline in Europe purchasing consumer goods from America, in addition to the decline of domestic goods purchases. The final major contributing factor in the great depression was the massive drought that took place during the 1930s. Though the drought wasn’t a direct cause to the depression, it did, however, add to the turmoil that was taking place during this time period. The drought of the 1930s had a very drastic effect on many reigns of the United States which caused both economic and ecologic problems to the country. The economic problems caused by the Great Depression were mostly concentrated in the Mississippi valley, where farmers were unable to pay the tax on the land and most were left no choice but to sell their farms for no profit. This caused a decline in agriculture goods available in America, due to the lack of farming during this time period (Kelly). The ecological effects of the drought, combined with the effects of over-farming the land, caused the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl was caused by over-farming the land and not correctly rotating the crops. By not rotating the crops correctly, the top soil became damaged. Because of the damages to the top soil, the land became infertile, and many people were forced to abandon their land or sell off their property. The timing of the drought, along with the effects that it had on the economy, forced the Great Depression further into turmoil and made recovery even more out of reach for the country (Bonnifield). The stock market crash did, however, act as the match that lit the fire that was The Great Depression. Along with the stock market, the cause of the depression was also contributed to the banking industry’s inability to cover losses sustained during the stock market crash. Also, the reduction of manufacturing and purchasing goods caused a toxic cycle of workers not being able to work, in turn not being able to consume goods, which further sank the country into financial hardship. With the tariffs in effect with Europe, the consumption of America’s goods by foreign nations greatly decreased, which caused the country to fall further behind in recovery of the economic turn-down. In addition to these circumstances, the timing of the drought that occurred in this time period caused many of the farmers supporting our agriculture to fold, and created one of the largest man-made natural disasters in history. Careful of these factors shows that it took more than a crisis in the stock market to cause America to go into the greatest economic slump ever experienced in the history of our country.

Critically assess the main arguments in Outsiders

Critically assess the main arguments in Outsiders Arguing that social deviance is a more common phenomenon than perceived and that conventional wisdom that social deviants are pathological is incorrect Howard S. Becker, born April 18th 1928, is a well known renowned American Sociologist. Of all his many writings, Outsiders, which was written in 1963, is one of his most imperative and prominent works, regarded as critical classical study within the discipline of sociology and deviance. It can be said that it is one of Beckers most famous pieces of work which offered one of the first and clearest explanations for the labelling theory. Outsiders continues to be a seminal text on the Interactionists approach to deviance in society today. He states that the outsider the deviant from group rules has been the subject of much speculation, theorizing, and scientific study (Becker 1997: 3). Howard Becker elaborates the study of deviance specifically from a social perspective, and considers the processes by which people or different types of acts come to be labelled as deviant. His ideas and arguments are based upon his notion that deviance is not a quality of a bad person but it is the res ult of someone characterizing and labelling someones activity as bad. This essay asks one to critically assess the main arguments Becker puts forward in Outsiders. Becker sets the foundations for his ideas on labelling theory in his book and furthers the notions of other Sociologists such as Edwin Lemert. Lemert has been commonly credited with being the founder and one of the firsts to discuss what has been called the Societal Reaction theory. In Lemerts book Social Pathology written in 1951, Lemert summarized an approach which has been regarded and considered to be an original version of the labelling theory. In his book he focuses on the social construction of deviance and explained deviance to be the product of societys reaction to an act and the affixing of a deviant label to the actor. The book explains the concepts of primary and secondary deviance and according to Lemert; primary deviance is the initial incidence of an act causing someone of authority to label the actor as deviant. This initial labelling of an act deemed deviant would stay prima ry for as long as the actor can rationalize the process as a function of a socially acceptable role (Lemert 1951). As well as discussing the theory of labelling, Becker appraises the process in where users of marihuana become labelled as deviants and talks about jazz music. The main objective is to attempt to critically evaluate and analyse the ideas and themes contained within the book and assess his arguments. The book was written in the 60s and as a consequence it is quite outdated, and although some of his ideas and theories are relevant in todays society, some of them can not in context. In addition he uses the term `Negros rather than African American to describe black people and he puts homosexuality into the same deviant group such as alcoholics, gamblers and people who are on drugs. In Beckers book he coins and furthers the term labelling theory. It explains that if individuals or groups are defined as deviant, there will be important and often unanticipated consequences at the level of behaviour (Abercrombie et al. 1988: 132). Chapter one explains what deviance is and Becker argues the limitations of existing attempts to define deviance. He explained for deviance to exist, the behaviour has to be first observed and then judged to be deviant. Becker stated that social groups create deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitutes deviance; and by applying those rules to particular people and labelling them outsiders (Becker 1997: 9). When a rule is enforced, the person who is supposed to have broken it may be seen as a special kind of person, one cannot be trusted to live by the tiles agreed on by the group. He is regarded as an outsider (Becker 1997: 3). Furthermore, Becker points out that what one may define as a deviant; another perhaps in a different society would not. In addition the person who is thus labelled an outsider may have a different view of the matter and may believe that those that have judged them not to be legitimately entitled to do so so then the rule breakers may see those tha t judged as outsiders. Becker stated that different social groups created deviance by making the rules whose infraction constituted deviance and by applying those rules to particular people and labelling them as outsiders. Becker stated that after one has been ascribed as a deviant, they then progress down the path of a deviant career as that is what they have been labelled as. This then becomes hard to get rid of. Becker claimed though that when we are studying people who are deviant we should not take their deviance for granted due to the fact we cannot assume that these people have actually committed a deviant act or broken some rule, because the process of labelling theory may not be infallible. Furthermore, an individual who has been labelled as a deviant may not have committed the act intentionally believing that it was in fact deviant. In addition, this does not necessarily mean that the individual was even a deviant in the past which is a critical examination of the book. Wh en a person is labelled as such by society, they then accept this label so because they now seem themselves as criminals they then are likely to continue on their deviant behaviour (Becker 1997).  Deviant becomes a master status, it becomes the key definition in the eyes of the wider society of who and what you are. In chapter two Becker points outs and states that he is not here to argue that only acts which are regarded as deviant by others are really deviant (Becker 1997: 19). If we look at this in relation to homosexuality, in the 60s it was deemed as a criminal offence but too those who were homosexual it was who they were. Becker explains two different models of deviance; the simultaneous and sequential models. The simultaneous claims that particular behaviours occur as a result of a number of variables arising at the same time and the sequential model contends that particular behaviours are caused by sequence of occurrences. Becker criticises the implicit theoretical assumption in standard which attempts to explain deviancy; that all factor operate simultaneously and seek to predict behaviour. Becker used juvenile delinquency as an example and explained and argued that coming from a broken home or in an environment with negative influences will not necessarily lead to juvenile delinquency but rather would be one of a series of sequential events or circumstances.  The sequential model in addition is too apparent in the following two chapters which detail and explain how one learns the techniques of how to use marihuana and this in the process assists the formation of an individual identity. this may include joining a social group in which the drug is available and learning their techniques on how to smoke. For instance, most users agree that it cannot be smoked like tobacco if one is to get high (Becker 1997: 46). In addition without the use of some such technique the drug will produce no effects and the user will be unable to get high. In relation to a musician career, which is one of the topics Becker discusses, he stated that Members of the musicians demographic go from being `normal family men to dance musicians, adapting to the needs of that sub-culture as they do so. For example, a musician may feel pressurized and forced into playing commercial music to meet perceived demand, even if that is not the type of music they wanted to play or produce. Musicians in general continuously adapt their music to the needs of their sub-culture, even if this means compromising the quality of their music. As a result they may have been seen to be selling out, loosing their integrity and in addition they would have lost the respect from their musical counterparts.  In todays society this may be apparent in hip hop, with many people complaining that the integrity of the genre has gone with record labels interested on what sells more, rather than good music. In relation to deviance, Becker linked it and explained the processes through which dance musicians find work as deviant. Even though their culture may be different to that of an ordinary job, what they do is no different to what occurs in the music industry today. A popular quote used in show business is its not what you know, its who you know and it is just as imperative and important today as it was back in the 1960s. Nevertheless there is a contradiction when Becker talks about losing the respect of other dance musicians. It leads to the question though that how can respect be lost if all dance musicians act in the same way and manner. Thus can it be seemed deviant. The final chapter looks at problems and sympathies within the study of deviance, where Becker describes a lack of substance in the theories that exist, believing them to be faulty or inadequate. He believes that not enough is known about deviant groups such as homosexuals, and gaps exist not just with homosexuals but with other deviant groups. He also describes how access to information and to the groups that are the focus for study is restricted, because those classed as outsiders in turn reciprocate that label to the rest of society; this forms part of an element of protection on the deviants part. Questions are posed, such as `how do researchers find doctors who are drug-addicts themselves, or even homosexuals of certain kinds? Becker even asks what stand-point the researcher will take, due to the many levels of individual characteristics in any social group; essentially, how will a researcher remove any other factors that may influence his study beyond that which he intends to ma nipulate.   The work analysing how deviance is socially constructed is revelatory. This has pure presence. Becker shows how deviance is created through the appliance of rules by people who define deviance and then search for the miscreants. It is form of institutional violence enacted on the powerless outer groups to create an inner sense of camaraderie; the socially included.   Becker examines some of the criticisms and feels that labelling theory was created as a way of looking at a general area of human activity (1963). Moreover he suggests that it was created as a way of looking at a general area of human activity (1963).   However, it is not a theory, with all the achievements and obligations that go with the title, nor is it focussed exclusively on the act of labelling as some have thought. Moreover, Becker does mention some of the criticisms given to labelling theory. For example, he states how interactionist theories have been accused of giving aid and comfort to the enemy, be the enemy those who would upset the stability of the existing order of the Establishment. In essence, we have already mentioned the suggestion of Erikson that deviance is a necessary part of society, showing the difference between right and wrong, and encouraging the majority of society to toe the line at the expense of the deviant minority. A further criticism mentioned by Becker is that given by many conservative critics (although other non-conservative critics have also noted this) that is, that interactionist theories of deviance openly or covertly attack conventional morality. Becker acknowledges this, suggesting that int entionally or otherwise, they are corrosive of conventional modes of thought and established institutions. Becker (1967) goes as far as to say that the labelling theorist must side with the deviator, as it is up to the sociologists to remedy unfair situations. However, not all theorists would see the work of Becker and the other labelling theorists as quite so radical. As a matter of fact, many sociologists view labelling theory as an untestable and untrue theory. Furthermore, Becker (1963) acknowledges that his labelling theory is a theoretical approach, not a true theory. As well, Becker suggests that sociologists should attempt establishing empirical tests for his approach. As well, further criticism is given due to the fact that, following behaviour patterns is the mere result of the behaviour patterns being ascribed to it. Secondly, he suggests that while considering the more usual, everyday types of deviance, such as homosexuality, prostitution, and juvenile delinquency, the l abelling theorists have totally ignored a more dangerous and malevolent type of deviance, what Liazos himself terms covert institutional violence. He suggests that this type of violence leads to such things as poverty and exploitation, the war in Vietnam, unjust tax laws, racism, sexism, and so on (1972). However, it is questionable whether labelling theorists should even attempt to discuss forms of deviance such as this in the same way as more commonplace individual crimes, or whether the two should be kept totally separate, being so different in subject matter. Liazos also criticises the labelling theorists as they do not consider the extent of the importance of power in their substantive analysis, although all stress its importance. He says that the really powerful, the upper classes and the power elite, those that could be referred to as the top dogs, are not considered in any great detail by the labelling theorists. A further criticism of the labelling theory is that of Jack Gi bb (1966). He questions the success of the labelling theorists in terms of how they interpret the defining of behaviour as deviant, as well as, how much study is actually done in this area. In addition, Becker (1963) goes out of his way to explain the underlying problems of labelling theory. First of all, he suggests that there are not enough studies of deviant behaviour. He further implies that there are not enough studies of enough kinds of deviant behaviour. Finally, he insists that another deficiency of the labelling theory is that they dont have enough studies in which the persons doing the research achieve close contact with those that they study, in order for them to become aware of the complex and manifold character of the deviant activity. Becker (1963) also speaks of the difficulty with secrecy. As a matter of fact, in many cases the deviant individual performs deviant acts in secrecy and does not wish this behaviour to be known universally. For example, in the results fou nd by Humphreys in his study of the `Tearoom Trade`, many of the individuals partaking in homosexual behaviour were married with children. When asked later in questionnaires about their views on homosexuality, very few admitted to visiting the tearooms. In its entirety, the labelling theory has been imperative within the discipline of Sociology. What is more, after extensive critical analysis it appears to be evident that the theory has proven to be very significant in establishing a relative body of empirical research evidence on the study of crime and deviance. After an individual has been labelled a deviant they then lead a life of crime and become deviants which is the main focus Becker stressed. Nevertheless, Becker also pointed out that when studying deviant people one should not take their deviance for granted, as one cannot presuppose they had actually committed a deviant or criminal act for the reason that the process of labelling theory may not be foolproof and reliable. In other words, to be labelled deviant does not necessarily mean that the individual is, or has been deviant in the past.   Some sociologists dispute the labelling theory and insist it is not really a theory. Becker stressed the need for more empirical research on his study of it as he concluded Outsiders and many sociologists today have furthered his ideas and explanations. Nevertheless, the labelling theory will forever remain useful as long as deviant behaviour exists in society. Critically, Becker focuses on the way society reacts to people with criminal labels. He proposes that this label becomes a persons master status, meaning that this is a constant label, affecting and over-riding how others will view them. The status people use to identify and classify a person will always be that of a criminal and no matter what other social status the individual has, they will always be deemed deviant. He declared that one may be someone high in class, perhaps a sibling, parent or spouse nevertheless the first and major status that everyone would focus on was the criminal and deviant label (Becker 1963).  

The Importance of Censorship :: Television Media TV Censorship

The Importance of Censorship As new technologies evolve and become a part of our daily lives, so do television shows and what people are allowed to view on a regular basis. Censorship, a word that seems to be causing quite some controversy over certain people may not be such a bad idea. As America has seen, a countless amount of people have been known to complain about censorship on television. Although this seems to be a problem to some, maybe the real question to be asked is, is there enough censorship of television? Many families agree that certain rated R movies should not be shown to young children and only certain shows should be censored to an extent, yet they do not see the significant effect that regular television shows really have on their children.As a child grows, more and more statistics are proving that they are being exposed to too many shows that should be censored. Many studies have concluded that young children are most affected by what they see on television (Dritz, Russel 1996). For example, a child that watches a cartoon with a lot of violence or tunes into their parents favorite soap opera might find an increasingly amount of exposure to violent acts and sexual content. Children are very vulnerable to such influences and often do not know the difference between right and wrong and the difference between reality and fantasy (Dritz, Russel 1996). As the years go on and television seems to be too censored to most, studies have continued to prove the increasing numbers of children associated with violence and sexual behavior. Although a seemingly older statistic, the Neilson Index averaged American children to watch 18,000 television murders before he or she graduated from high school (Tucker, Larry A. 1988). Could this be a reason for an increasing amount of murders and violent acts among children today?

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson opens on a warm June day in a town of about three hundred people, and describes an annual event in the town, a tradition that is apparently widespread among surrounding villages as well. While the townspeople, more than 300, await the arrival of Mr. Summers, and the black wooden box from which everyone is to draw a folded slip of paper, adults chat while children play a game in which they gather stones. The event for which they gather is a lottery conducted by Mr. Summers, a neatly dressed, jovial business man with a wife, but no children. Although many traditional customs associated with the lottery seemed to have been lost over time, Mr. Summers still has †a great deal of fussing to be done† before he declares the lottery open. He has created lists of households, including the heads of households in each family, and members of each household in each family. Just as Mr. Summers turned to the assembled villagers, Mrs. Tessie Hutchinson, a house wife, arrives late just then, telling Mrs. Delacroix that she â€Å"Clean forgot what day it was† until she noticed that her children had left her house, and remembered it was the day of the lottery. Mrs. Tessie Hutchinson than makes her way through the crowd to her husband, while the villagers comment on her arrival. Mr. Summers begins the necessity of confirming everyone’s attendance, and clarifying whom will represent the family. When everything is finalized , each representative is called up one after another, and nervously draws a folded slip of paper from the black box. While people are called up, one of the villagers presents the idea of other towns giving up the lottery. Old Man Warner snorts in reply, â€Å"Pack of crazy fools, Listening to young folks, nothing's good enough for them. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work anymore, live that way for awhile. Used to be a saying about ‘Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.' First thing you know, we'd all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There's always been a lottery.† This statement sets the importance of this annual event, and the strong beliefs of the town. When the big moment arrives, everyone is silent until the name of Bill Hutchinson rapidly spreads throughout the crowd. Tessie Hutchinson, Bill’s wife, shouts out to Mr. Summers that he didn’t give Bill enough time, and that its not fair. Tessie is silenced, and Mr. summers recons for the family of Bill Hutchinson to come forward. Bill, Tessie, and their three children than proceed as every family of the lottery ever has, and draws a new folded piece of paper from the black box. One by one the family unfolds their piece of paper to determine the sacrificed. Tessie Hutchinson , the declared winner, was led to the center of a cleared space, and with her hands desperately held out in front of her she was hit with the first stone. Everyone then closed in on her, picked up the rocks, the â€Å"proceeds† of the lottery, and stones her to death. â€Å"Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual, and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones.à ¢â‚¬  The Lottery by Shirley Jackson There are many characters that are named in Shirley Jackson’s short story, â€Å"The Lottery†. Mr. Summers, a kindly man who runs a coal business, Mr. Martin and his sons, Baxter and Bobby. There is Mr. Graves, the man who helped Mr. Summers prepare the lottery, and Old Man Warner. There is Mr. Hutchinson, Mrs. Hutchinson, and their daughter Eva and son-in-law, Don—just to name a few. And although Jackson’s story has many characters, she is most interested in the social phenomenon of the lottery than she is in the characters, themselves. Instead, the characters serve as a means to depict â€Å"a graphic demonstration of the pointless violence and general inhumanity in people’s lives† (213). From the start of the story, throughout, and in the end, Jackson defines her view of society’s insouciant attitude toward violence with the villagers’ apathetic way of life. Every year on June 27th, the families of the village (and of other towns, too) gather in the center of town and participate in a lottery which culminates with the stoning death of a member of one of the families. This heinous tale takes place amid a pleasant setting, â€Å"The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green† (213). She writes of the children playing and little boys gathering stones that are stockpiled and guarded and ready for the kill. Jackson stupefies the reader as she describes how the lottery is meticulously prepared by Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves, with such pomp and circumstance: â€Å"There was a great deal of fussing to be done before Mr. Summers declared the lottery open† (214). Then there’s poor Mrs. Hutchinson, who, in her ominous late arrival, is greeted by Mr. Summers, â€Å"Thought we were going to have to get on without you, Tessie†, and she jokingly replies, â€Å"Wouldn’t have me leave m’dishes in the sink, now would you, Joe? † (215). It is this kind of small-talk among the villagers that makes this incredulous social phenomenon more significant than the characters. As fate would have it, Mr. Hutchinson draws the slip of paper with the black dot on it. â€Å"You didn’t give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair! † (217). Fair? Because her husband draws the paper with the black dot on it, it is inevitable that someone from her family or even herself, will be stoned to death. â€Å"Be a good sport, Tessie. All of us took the same chance† (217). Even the innocent children are included in the lottery. Do these people have any sense of right or wrong? Tessie Hutchinson draws the paper with the black dot on it. Her neighbors, her friends, â€Å"and someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles† (218), with which to hurl upon his mother. This sick ritual spares no one. The mere thought of this annual lottery is mind-boggling. The matter-of-fact way in which the villagers carried themselves throughout the event as though they are conducting an election of some sort is unconscionable. Jackson’s writing is brimming with obdurate expressions. As the stoning begins, â€Å"All right, folks, let’s finish quickly†, (218). They want to â€Å"be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner† (213). Unbelievable. Hello Lisa, I really enjoyed the insight you offered in your journal. You make very good use of the book by including a great number of citations in your essay and your vocabulary definitely adds to the reader’s understanding of your journal and the passage overall. While you have ample evidence to support your claims throughout your entry, I found a few grammatical and technical errors that I would like to point out: 1. ) â€Å"And although Jackson’s story has many characters, she is most interested in the social phenomenon of the lottery than she is in the characters, themselves. – You do not need a comma before â€Å"themselves†, as a comma separates the thoughts and almost prepares the reader for a new thought. 2. ) â€Å"She writes of the children playing and little boys gathering stones that are stockpiled and guarded and ready for the kill. † – A better way of writing this could be: â€Å"She writes of children playing and gathering stones to be stockpiled, guarded, and readied for the kill. † 3. ) â€Å"Jackson stupefies the reader as she describes how the lottery is meticulously prepared by Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves, with such pomp and circumstance†¦Ã¢â‚¬  – Again, you do not need a comma before â€Å"with such pomp and circumstance†, as you are not introducing a new thought. 4. ) Putting â€Å"unbelievable† at the end of your journal weakens it a little bit as you do not further the claim and give it some evidence. Overall, I think you did a really great job answering the question and giving solid evidence to your claims. From your journal essay, I was able to see that the social phenomenon that the writer is talking about is the desensitizing of our culture as a whole! Good work and good luck for the rest of the semester!

Leading Supply Chain Turn Around

Five years ago, salespeople at Whirlpool said the company's supply chain staff were â€Å"sales disablers† Now, Whirlpool excels at getting the right product to the right place at the right time-while keeping inventory low. What made the difference? by Reuben C Slone a Supply Chain Turnaround ^ ^ eading T hings would be very different today-for me, my colleagues, and my company – if the votes of Whirlpool's North American leadership team had swung in a different direction on May 3,2001.It was a move I hadn't expected; Mike Todman, our executive vice president at the time, decided to go around the table and ask each member of his staff for a thumbs-up or thumbs-down on the investment that Paul Dittmann and I had just formally proposed. Did I look worried? I can't imagine I didn't, even though we'd spent hours in individual meetings with each of them, getting their ideas and buy-in. We thought we had everyone's support. But the facts remained: Our proposal had a bigger pr ice tag than any supply chain investment in the company's history. We were asking for tens of millions during a period of general belt-tightening.Some of it was slated for new hires, even as cutbacks were taking place elsewhere in the company. And Paul and I, the people doing the asking, were coming from the supply chain organization. Let me be clear: The supply chain organization was the part of the business that Whirlpool's salespeople were in the habit of calling the â€Å"sales disablers† in 2000. We were perpetually behind the eight ball, tying up too much capital in finished goods inventory – yet failing to provide the product availability our customers needed. Our availability hovered around 87%. Our colleagues grimly joked that in surveys on the delivery performance f the four biggest appliance manufacturers in the U. S. , we came in fifth. 114 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW OCTOBER 200 U HBR The 2Xst-Century Supply Chain. spotlight And here, with all the credibility that track record conferred on us, we were proposing an ambitious new suite of IT solutions – something, too, for which the company had little appetite. It had been just 20 months since Whirlpool North America had flipped the switch on a massive new ERP system, with less than desired effect. Normally, Whirlpool ships close to 70,000 appliances a day to North American customers.The day after we went live with SAP, we were able to ship about 2,000. A barrage of bad press followed. Even though the situation was soon righted (SAP remains a valued partner), the experience of being treated as a sort of poster child for ERP folly had left scars. So imagine our relief when we heard the first voice say â€Å"yes. † It was the executive who headed up sales to Sears. Paul and I looked anxiously to the next face, and the next. The heads of our KitchenAid, Whirlpool, and value brands followed suit-a watershed, given that the funding would have to come from their budgets.I could see that J. C. Anderson, my boss and senior vice president of operations, was happy, too. He had tried to voice his support at the beginning of the meeting, but Mike Todman had asked him to wait. Now that it was his turn to vote, he did it with a fiourish:†I am fully committed,†he said,†to moving our supply chain from a liability to a recognized competitive advantage. † Only after Todman had heard from everyone in the room – brands, sales, finance, human resources, and operations-did he cast his vote. costs. Sales had risen to record levels in 2000 as our launch of some nnovative products coincided with an uptick in housing starts. With the rest of the company chugging on all cylinders, there was only one thing holding us back: our supply chain. Jeff called me into his office and gave me a two-word order: â€Å"Fix it. † If that constitutes a mandate, we had one. But it was up to us to figure out what fixing the supply chain would entail. At the to p level, of course, it's a simple formulation: getting the right product to the right place at the right time – all the time. That gets complicated very quickly, however, when you consider the scale of the challenge.Whirlpool makes a diverse line of washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, and ovens, with manufacturing facilities in 13 countries. We sell those appliances in lOO countries, through retailers big and small and to the construction companies and developers that build new homes. In the United States alone, our logistics network consists of eight factory distribution centers, ten regional distribution centers, 60 local distribution centers, and nearly 20,000 retail and contract customers. M We needed to formulate a battle plan that would include new information technology, processes, roles, and talents.But before we could begin to imagine those, we needed to define our strategy. Looking to the future, what would it mean to be world-class in supply chain performa nce? The decision we made at this very early point in the process was, 1 think, a pivotal one. We decided that we could answer that question only by focusing on customer With that last yes, the tension broke, and everyone was requirements first. Our approach to developing our supsmiling and nodding. Paul and I had a sense of triumphply chain strategy would be to start with the last link-the but also trepidation.Because now, we knew, there could consumer-and proceed backward. be no excuses. We were on the hook to deliver some serious value. It's an obvious thought, isn't it? Fxcept that it wasn't. The overwhelming tendency in a manufacturing organization is to think about the supply chain as something Devising the Strategy that originates with the supply base and moves forward. It's understandable; This is the part of the chain over y responsibility at Whirlpool today is for the which the company has control. But the unfortunate performance of the global supply chain.But effect is th at supply chain initiatives typically run out of in 2001,1 was focused only on North America, steam before they get to their end point-and real point. and I was utterly new to the supply chain organization. Whether or not they make customers' lives easier be(I had come into the company a few years earlier to lead comes an afterthought. its e-business efforts. ) By contrast, Paul Dittmann, the vice president of supply chain strategy, was a Whirlpool vetUnderstanding Customers' Needs. If you start with the eran with a tenure spanning a quarter century. ustomer, the customer can't be an afterthought. The way I expressed this to my colleagues was to say,†Strategic relOur lots were cast together in October 2000 by Jeff Fetevance is all from the consumer back. † And conveniently, tig. Jeff is now Whirlpool's chairman and CEO, but at the we had new research to consult on the subject of contime he was president and COO – and he was good and sumer needs. Whirlpool and Sear s had recently engaged tired of hearing about spotty service and high logistics Boston Consulting Group to study consumers' desires Reuben E.Slone [email  protected] com) is the with regard to appliance delivery. The top-line finding vice president of Global Supply Chain at Whirlpool Corpo- was that people value what I call â€Å"delivery with integrity. † That is, your ability to get it there fast is important, but ration in Benton Harbor, Michigan. 116 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Leading a Supply Chain Tux*naround not as important as your ability to get it there when you said you would. â€Å"Give a date, hit a date† is what they're asking for. This sounded familiar to me, coming from the automotive industry.In my previous position at General Motors, I'd been involved in several studies that emphasized the psychology of delivery date commitments. Identifying Trade Partners' Priorities. Moving upstream, we needed to understand the desires of our direct customers better. We conducted our own interviews to define requirements by segment. As well as looking at smaller retailers versus larger ones, we focused individually on Sears, Lowes, and Best Buy, our three biggest customers. And within the contract-builder market, we studied many subdivisions, from contract distributors and apartment developers to ingle-family-home builders. We asked about their overall availability requirements, their preferences in communicating with us, and what they would like to see along the lines of e-business. We asked about inventory management and how they might want Whirlpool to assist in it. In all, we discovered 27 different dimensions along which our performance was being judged, each varying in importance according to the customer. Benchmarking the Competition. Naturally, our customers' expectations and perceptions were shaped in large part by what others in our industry were doing.So we benchmarked our competitors-primarily GE, which was our biggest rival. We obt ained cross-industry information and competitive intelligence from AMR, Gartner, and Forrester Research to make sure we had a broad and objective assessment of supply chain capabilities. Then we mapped out what would be considered world-class (versus sufficient or transitional) performance for each of the 27 capabilities and how much it would cost us to reach that top level. It turned out that to prevail on every front would require a total investment of more than $85 million, which we knew wasn't feasible.It was time to get serious about priorities. Now that we had established the cost of world-beating performance, we asked ourselves: For each capability, what improvement could we accomplish at a low investOCTOBER 2004 ment level, and at a medium level? We quickly staked out the areas where a relatively small investment would yield supremacy, usually due to an existing strength. A few areas we simply decided to cede. Our plan was to meet or beat the competition in most areas, at mi nimum cost. Building for the Future. Strategy, of course, does not simply address the needs of the moment.It anticipates the challenges of the future. A final component of our supply chain strategy was identifying the probable range of future operating scenarios based on industry, economic, and technological trends. The point was to assure ourselves that our proposal was robust enough to withstand these various scenarios. To date, the planning has worked. Having set a course, we've been able to deal with situations we hadn't conceived of and to continue evolving in the same basic direction. Selling the Revolution I t's always a difficult decision-when to involve your internal customers in the planning of a major capital investment.Their time is scarce, and they typically 117 HBR T h e Spotlight Chain. don't want to be embroiled in the details of what you, after all, are getting paid to do. You must have your act together and have a solid plan to which they can respond. On the other hand, you can't be so far along in the process that you've become inflexible. You need to maintain a careful balance between seeking their guidance and selling your vision. Paul and 1 liked to think we had that mandate from Jeff Fettig to get the supply chain fixed. But it wasn't the kind of mandate that comes with a blank check.Like most well-managed companies, Whirlpool will not undertake a capital investment without a compelling business case. As a cost center in the company, we had to justify our project wholly on expense reductions and working capital improvements. Even if we believed that better product availability would boost sales, we couldn't count those chickens in the business case. We spent an enormous amount of time talking with the brand general managers and others who would be needed. They said they had nothing more to add. But we persisted. I remember telling Paul, â€Å"If they won't let us in the door, we'll go through the window.And if they lock the window, ther e's always the air vent†¦. † Along the way, we'd been particularly concerned about cherry-picking. We knew that, in a company of smart businesspeople, the first reaction to a multimillion-dollar price tag would be, â€Å"OK, what can I get for 80% of that total? † And indeed, from a project management standpoint, we knew it was important to break out each component of the plan into a stand-alone initiative, justified by its own business case. Yet we knew the whole thing came together as a sort of basket weave, with each part supporting and relying on multiple other parts.What helped here was our competitive analysis, in which we had plotted our capability levels against others'. We charted our current position against our number one competitor on each dimension valued by customers, then extrapolated to show how, depending on the level We staked out the areas where a relatively small investment would yield supremacy, usually due to an existing strength. affected by the changes we were proposing. The Japanese call this kind of consensus-building nemawashi (literally, it means â€Å"root binding†), and it is impossible to overstate its importance.Yet it is often neglected in the midst of a complex project. Note that, at the same time we needed to be meeting with key decision makers, we were also in the thick of the analysis and design of the solution. In those early months, the project needed leadership in two directions – the kind of work people typically refer to as needing a â€Å"Mr. Inside† and â€Å"Mr. Outside. † I made sure we had sufficient consulting resources for the inside work while Paul and I devoted 50% of our time to the outside work – interfacing with the trade, outside experts, and internal stakeholders.In our initial meetings with these key people, we'd essentially say, â€Å"Here's what we're doing. What do you think? â€Å"Typically,the executive would half pay attention, half blow us off . But we'd get some input. In a second meeting, we'd show how our work had evolved to incorporate their ideas and others'. Usually, we'd see more engagement at this point. By the time we were asking for a third meeting, reactions were mixed. People were more or less on board, but some felt another meeting wasn't 118 of investment, we could overtake that company or allow the gap to widen.Sure enough, the competitive instincts of our colleagues kicked in. No one wanted to fall behind. Getting Focused O ne of the earliest successes in the turnaround of Whirlpool's supply chain was the rollout of a new sales and operations planning (S&OP) process. Our previous planning environment had been inadequate. What passed for planning tools didn't go far beyond Excel spreadsheets. Now, we had the ability to pull together the long-term and short-term perspectives of marketing, sales, finance, and manufacturing and produce forecasts that all the participants could base their game plans on.We soon pushed our forecasting capability further by launching a CPFR pilot. The acronym stands for collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment, with the collaboration happening across different companies within a supply chain. The idea is straightforward. Traditionally, we forecast how many appliances we will sell through a trade partner (Sears, for example) to a given HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Leading a Supply Chain TumarouiuL market And at the same time, that trade partner develops its own forecast.Each of us has some information that the other lacks. With CPFR, we use a Web-based tool to share our forecasts (without sharing the sensitive data behind them), and we collaborate on the exceptions. As simple as it sounds, it isn't easy to pull off. But we have, and it's been a real home run. Within 30 days of launch, our forecast accuracy error was cut in half. Where we had close to 100% error (which isn't hard, given the small quantities involved in forecasting individual SKUs for specific warehouse locations), today we're at about 44% or 45%.To put this in perspective, a one-point improvement in forecast accuracy across the board reduces our total finished goods position by several million dollars. These were just two of many initiatives we launched in rapid succession after May 2001. A couple things were absolutely critical to keeping them all on track: a highly disciplined project management office and stringent performance metrics. The key was to think big but focus relentlessly on near-term deadlines. We organized the change effort into 30-day chunks, with three new capabilities, or business releases, rolling out monthly-some on the supply side, some on the demand side.The job of the project management office was to ensure the completion of projects on time, on budget, and on benefit. Paul oversaw this for me. Also keeping us honest were new metrics – and the man 1 brought in to enforce them. My colleague John Kerr, now general manager of quality for the North America division, was then in charge of Whirlpool's Six Sigma program. He's a real black belt when it comes to performance management. It took some persuading, aimed at both John and the North American leadership team, before he was freed up and allowed to dedicate himself to the supply chain turnaround.But we absolutely needed his data-driven perspective. When one of my team would say, â€Å"We need to take this action tofixthis issue,† John would always counter with,†Please show me the data that allowed you to draw that conclusion. † Were these demands sometimes a source of irritation? I'd be lying if 1 said they weren't. But they forced all of us to rebuild the metric â€Å"fact base† and hone our problem-solving skills. By the third quarter of 2001, we had already done a lot to stabilize product availability and reduce overall supply chain costs.And, after a challenging fourth quarter, we took a huge step forward by implementing a suite of software products from i2, which specializes in supply chain integration tools. That was in January 2002. Six months later. Whirlpool had historic low inventories and a sustained high service level. Before the year was out, we were delivering very near our target of 93% availability across ail brands and products. (Momentum has since carried us OCTOBER 2004 well into the mid-nineties. ) We delivered slightly more than promised by reducing finished goods working capital by 10% and improving total cost productivity by 5. 1%.Our customers were voicing their approval. By May 2002, a blind Internet survey given to our trade partners showed us to be â€Å"most improved,†Ã¢â‚¬ easiest to do business with,† and â€Å"most progressive. † I remember that after these results came out, our VP of sales said, â€Å"You're good nowbut more important, you're consistently good. † It was a turning point in the trade's perception of Whirlpool. Engaging Talent I ‘ve t ouched on the state-of-the-art technologies we've employed in our turnaround-the Web-based collaboration tools, the planning software, i2's rocket-science optimization-but let me correct any impression that this is a tory about technology. More than anything. Whirlpool's supply chain turnaround is a talent renaissance. It's sometimes hard for us to remember how demoralized this 3,000-person organization had become. In 2000, many people in supply chain roles had been with the company for years and had watched in frustration as competitors outspent and outperformed us. Part of the problem was the massive effort required by the ERP implementation. As an early adopter of enterprise systems in our industry (SAP and other vendors got their start with process-manufacturing concerns like industrial chemicals).Whirlpool had bitten off a lot. With limited attention and resources to spare, it put other projects on hold. We took our eye off the ball in supply chain innovation and fell behind. A s a newcomer, I tried to inject some fresh energy into the organization and give people a reason to be confident Paul Dittmann told me this project gave him a â€Å"second career wind. † He's a brilliant guy, with a PhD in operations research and industrial engineering, and suddenly, he had the opportunity to innovate in ways he had only dreamed of in his first 20 years at the company.Other people benefited from changes to how we develop, assess, and reward talent. With help from Michigan State University and the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS), we developed a supply chain â€Å"competency model. † This is essentially an outline of the skills required in a top-tier organization, the roles in which they should reside, and how they need to be developed over time. And we created a new banding system, which expanded the compensation levels in the organization. Now people can be rewarded for increasing their expertise even if they are not being pro moted into supervisory roles. 19 The 21st-century Supply Chain^ We also put a heavy emphasis on developing people's project management skills. Here, we relied on a model developed by the Project Management Institute (PMI), a sort of standard for assessing and enhancing an organization's project management capabilities. I wanted as many supply chain professionals as possible to become PMI-certified, and not just because of the glut of projects we were facing at the moment. My view is that project management's disciplined planning and execution is just as vital to ongoing operations management.After all, the only real difference between running an operation and running a project is the due date of the deliverable. Over time, my operating staff stopped dismissing project management as a lot of â€Å"overhead† from a former management consultant and car guy. Now they're the ones insisting on things like project charters and weekly project reviews. Meanwhile, we hired at least 13 new people on the business side and at least as many more on the information systems side, and I made sure that every one of them was top-notch.To fill out our project management ranks, we recruited young people from companies with strong supply chains and from premier operations-oriented MBA programs like Michigan State and the University of Tennessee. Perhaps we were lucky that our talent drive coincided with a downturn in the consulting industry. On the other hand, it might have been the excitement of a turnaround situation that drew the best and brightest to Whirlpool. Finally, I wasn't so arrogant as to believe that my senior team and 1 didn't need development ourselves. We assembled a supply chain advisory board and chartered its members to keep challenging us.The group includes academics Don Bowersox of Michigan State and Tom Mentzer of the University of Tennessee, and practitioners Ralph Drayer (the Procter & Gamble executive who pioneered Efficient Consumer Response) and La rry Sur (who mastered transportation and warehouse management in a long career at Schneider National and GENCO). Get a group like this together, and you can count on creative sparks flying. These experts keep us on our toes in a way no consulting firm could. Sustaining Momentum refrigerators, washing machines, and other products that appeal to a broad range of consumers.They are the equivalent of a supermarket's milk and eggs; running out of them has a disproportionately negative impact on customers' perceptions. We're now formulating a supply chain strategy that allows us to identify these SKUs across all of our trade partners in all of our channels and to ensure that the replenishment system for our regional warehouses keeps them in stock. That constitutes the â€Å"plan to sell† part of the program. At the same time, for our smallest-volume SKUs, we are taking out all the inventory and operating on a pure pull basis, with a new, more flexible build-toorder process. The inv entory avings on the small-volume SKUs helps offset the costs of stocking up on the highvolume SKUs. We're also working on the capability to set service levels by SKU. That is, instead of having one availability target for all our products, we are recognizing that some products are of greater strategic importance than others. Some of them, for instance, are more profitable. Some hold a unique place in our brand strategy. Again, it's easy to grasp the value of being able to vary service levels accordingly. But in a sprawling business like ours, shipping thousands of different SKUs daily, it's a very difficult thing to accomplish.We continue to develop new Web-based tools. Recently, we've been focused on system-to-system transactions, in which our system talks directly to a customer's system for purposes of transmitting orders, exchanging sales data, and even submitting and paying invoices. We've rolled out this capability with a number of trade partners over the past i8 months. At th e same time, we keep enhancing our Partner Store, which allows customers to check availability and place orders via the Internet. The site allows them to find near equivalents of models, for those times when a SKU is out of stock or retired. They can even find deals on obsolete inventory.By the time this article appears in print, we'll also have implemented event-management technology, which will allow us to be more on top of the movement of goods through the supply chain. An event manager provides an alert whenever an action in the process has taken place-for example, when a washer is loaded into a container in Schomdorf, when that container full of washers is loaded onto a ship in Rotterdam, when the ship departs, when the ship arrives, when the container is unloaded from the ship in Norfolk, when the container leaves the port via truck, and, finally, when the washer is unloaded at the Findlay, Ohio, warehouse.The result is that people's attention is directed to what needs to be d one. We'll also be further along in our application of HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW T 120 hree years into the project now, we continue to assign ourselves and deliver three new capabilities per month. This doesn't get simpler over time, either. As I write this, for example, we're focused on something we call â€Å"Plan to Sell/Build to Order. † Here, the notion is that certain high-volume SKUs should never be out of stock. These are the heart-ofthe-line dishwashers. .l^ading a Supply Chain Turnaround ean techniques (usually associated with manufacturing operations) to our total supply chain. This involves using pull concepts and kanbanlike triggers to speed up processes, reduce inventory, and enhance customer service. On the Hoz4zon W hirlpool has much to show for its supply chain efforts. By the end of 2003, our product availability had reached over 93%, up from 88. 3% in 2001. (Today it's more than 95%. ) That allowed us to attain an order fill rate for key trade partners of ove r 96%. The number of days' worth of finished goods we were holding in inventory had dropped from 32. 8 to just 26.We drove freight and warehousing total cost productivity from 4% to 7. 2%. From 2002 to 2003, we lowered working capital by almost $100 million and supply chain costs by almost $20 million. Does all this add up to value in excess of the expense our leadership team approved? Absolutely. In fact, total payback on that original investment occurred within the first two years. Still, our work is far from finished. In October 2001, just months after we kicked off our turnaround, we were fortunate in that the new executive vice president brought in to run Whirlpool's North America region had deep supply chain knowledge.Dave Swift, who came to us from Kodak, believes strongly in the strategic importance of the supply chain both for building brands and for creating sustainable competitive advantage. Immediately after joining us, he elevated our sales and operations planning proce ss by personally chairing monthly executive S&OP meetings. These meetings have become the model for the company and the basis for much of our just-started global supply chain efforts. In the future, we'll face greater demands for end-toend accountability. We're already responsible for the resale of any returns. Soon we'll be accountable for the disassembly of products in Europe.It's only a matter of time before similar laws are enacted in the United States. And we'll be taking an even closer look at the design of the products themselves. If we can redesign a productOCTOBER 2004 make it in a smaller plant, make it with smaller parts, ship it in smaller pieces – we can dramatically affect supply chain economics. It's great to improve forecasts, optimize transportation, and speed up our processes with existing SKUs. But what if we could push the end stages of production closer to the consumer and get higher leverage from those SKUs? That's the kind of thing that can change the r ules of the game.It's a wonderful thing about our business: We have fierce competition all over the world, and on top of that we have very smart trade partners who deal with numerous other suppliers. We may be a white goods, big box supplier, but because our customers also buy electronics and apparel and so on, we're constantly being challenged by the benchmarks of other, more nimble industries. Technologies continue to evolve, channel power continues to shift, and the bar is constantly being raised. But I'm confident that the talent in Whirlpool's supply chain organization will be equal to it all. ^ Reprint RO4IOG To order, see page 159. 121