Summary of The Man to Send Rain Clouds Essay Example For Students

Summary of The Man to Send Rain Clouds Essay The Man to Send Rain Clouds is a short story about the death of an old man on a Pueblo Indian reservation and the issues that arise from conflicting spiritual traditions and Christian traditions. As the story opens, the dead body of an old man has been found under a cottonwood tree on an Indian reservation. The sheep that had been under the old mans care are grazing in scattered locations up and down an arroyo (ravine). Two men, Leon and his brother-in-law Ken, have discovered the body, which has apparently been lying under the tree for at least a day. We will write a custom essay on Summary of The Man to Send Rain Clouds specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Leon and Ken herd the sheep back to the camp and return by truck to the body. Ken has brought a red blanket in which to wrap the body, but, before this is done, Leon ties a small grey feather in the old mans white hair. Ken gives Leon some paint and for the old mans face. Leon paints a streak of white across the mans forehead, blue across the cheekbones, yellow under the nose, and green across the chin. When he is finished painting, Leon steps back and smiles at the face of this dead man, who is his grandfather. Leon asks the old man to send some rain clouds. Leon and Ken wrap the body in the red blanket and place it in the pickup truck before heading back to the Pueblo village. As the truck approaches the village, Leon recognizes the approaching car of Father Paul, the local parish priest. The priest motions for Leon to stop and asks Leon if old Teofilo has been found. Leon replies that he and Ken have just come from the old sheep camp, and everything is fine now. The priest warns that at Teofilos age, the old man should not be allowed to wander by himself in the remote area anymore. Leon affirms that this will not happen again. The priest asks Leon and Ken if they will be attending mass on Sunday, encouraging them to bring Teofilo as he drives away. At Leons house, Louise, Leons wife, is waiting with a friend, Teresa. The women have prepared lunch, and they listen to Leons story of finding Teofilo. Apparently, Teofilo had sat down under the cottonwood tree to rest, though he died soon after. Leon realizes that Louise has laid out a new flannel shirt and pair of Levis in which Teofilos body will be dressed. Leon and Ken carry the red blanket-wrapped body into the house, and Teofilo is prepared for burial in the new clothes. Leon, Ken, Louise and Teresa eat their lunch of beans, hot bread and coffee. Ken prepares to leave to make arrangements with the gravediggers, who should be able to have the burial site prepared since only the top layer of soil is frozen even though it is very cold. Neighbors begin to arrive bearing food and sympathy as news of Teofilos death begins to spread in the village. Later that day, after the funeral, Louise mentions to Leon that perhaps they should ask Father Paul to sprinkle holy water on Teofilo so that he wont be thirsty. Leon stares at his grandfathers body and thinks about this for a few minutes. He then leaves to see if the priest is available. Ken drops Leon off at the priests house and continues on to the cemetery where others are waiting for the burial. Father Paul is happy to see Leon and offers him a chair, but Leon declines the seat, saying that he has come only to ask for holy water to be brought to the cemetery. .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3 , .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3 .postImageUrl , .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3 , .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3:hover , .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3:visited , .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3:active { border:0!important; } .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3:active , .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3 .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ued8654940a59b9da17211db45b6826c3:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Cheating and Plagiarism - The Path to Self-destruc EssayThe priest understands now that Teofilo is dead and asks why he had not been notified so that he could have performed the Last Rites. Leon protests that the ritual is not necessary, but the priest contends that for a Christian burial the Last Rites are indeed necessary. Leon tells Father Paul that everything is fine; the family just wants Teofilo to have ample water. The priest cannot provide the holy water without the Last Rites and a funeral mass. Leon has no response and begins to leave. Father Paul leaves the room and returns with his overcoat prepared to accompany Leon to Teofilos grave. As Leon and Father Paul descend the hill to the cemetery, the sun is almost set over the mesa, and the priest wonders how the gravediggers were able to break the frozen ground. Father Paul surveys the small group of people gathered at the gravesite standing among the tumbleweeds. Father Paul focuses on the red blanket and thinks the size is too small to be Teofilos body and wonders for a moment if the people are playing some sort of Indian prank on him. The priest cannot help but wonder if this is just a ritual to ensure a good harvest and that Teofilo is at the sheep camp herding the flock in for the night. Reality shakes the priest back to the situation at hand and he glances at the parishioners gathered in the waning light. The cold makes Father Pauls hands stiffen and removing the lid from the jar of holy water is difficult. Soon, though, the priest has access to the water and sprinkles the grave where the moisture disappears immediately into the sandy soil. Father Paul shakes the jar over the grave until the water is gone and the sight reminds the priest of something, although it is not quite clear what it is. The same wind that blows the priests robe now blows the pollen and corn meal which had also been spread over the grave. Teofilos body is lowered into the ground as the sun disappears. Father Paul notes the lights of the cars on the highway and walks back up the hill toward his house. Leon watches the priest leave and then turns to study the snow-covered mountains in the distance. Leon is pleased that the service is over and that the priest sprinkled the holy water which will allow the old man to send big rain clouds.

Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dali essays

Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dali essays Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dali was born on May 11th, 1904. The palace of birth was a small town about an hour drive from Barcelona called Figueres. His Father was a prosperous notary, who also supplied his family with a summer home Cadaques. This summer home was also the place for Dalis first studio which his parents arranged for him. He found an interrest in art very early and decide to attend the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid. His success came fast. When he was only 24 three of his paintings, including the well know basket of bread, was shown at the Carnegie International Exhibition in Pittsburgh in 1928. That following year Dali joined the Paris surrealist group led by Andre Breton. The same year he held his first one man show in Paris. During the time in Paris he met, the wife of poet Paul Eluard, Gala. She became his sourse of inspiration and lover, she also handled his business. They later married with a civil ceremony. Dali had now become the leader of the surrea list group, but as the war came closer he was kicked out beacause of his political thoughts. Around 1940 Dali moved into a new phase in his carrier, now known as his classical period. He was now demonstrating a preoccupation with science and religon. World War II came and Dali took his beloved Gala and escaped to the United States. Here Dali got his first real exhibit in 1941. It took place at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. This was fallowed bu his autobiography The Secret Life of Salvador Dali. As Dali moved away from Surrealism and into his classic period, he began his series of 18 large canvases, many involving scientific, historical or religious themes. Among the bestknown of these works are The Hallucinogenic Toreador and The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. When he returned from the States he picked up the Catholic faith of his youth and he and Gala were married in a second ...

Role of propaganda on DMZ Graphics Novels Research Paper

Role of propaganda on DMZ Graphics Novels - Research Paper Example However, DMZ is not about Iraq or Afghanistan, but the Manhattan Island (New York City) which is the continental United States while New Jersey and Inland is the Free States of America and the two sides are regarded as the frontlines of American second civil war. In reality, the novel is a comic since Matty Roth does not encounter any guerilla forces or any helicopter attacks. Matty accompanies a veteran journalist to the warfront in order to cover news of the war and soon their helicopter is shot down. Matty is the only survivor and starts writing news, but his reporting is not objective. Matty is not a qualified journalist and is not capable of reporting stories without bias and remaining objective since he advances partisan interests of the Continental American forces and portrays Iraq as evil. The reporting is not accurate, fair and credible since Matty does not provide the details of the sources of his news information and the other perspectives of the war according to the enemy (Kamalipour 20). The reporting is not governed by public interest or truthfulness since the entire information is inaccurate and not about the war in Iraq, but New York City (NYC) which is viewed as the battlefield of America’s second civil war. Matty is one of the best characters and is reporting is full of biasness and propaganda since Matty he does not personally witness any rooftops with phrases like ‘HELP’ or building towers engulfed in fire and smoke (Wood 19). Matty is not impartial since his reporting depicts the Free States as evil and providers undue coverage on the snipers. Matty does not attribute the news stories to their sources, but just provides certain titles of military commanders and fails to conduct private inquiries in order to determine the authenticity of the news (Chomsky 152). Concisely, Matty exaggerates the real struggles of American population such as the economic conditions, the

Diary Entry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diary Entry - Essay Example It was in the evening that Bader caught up with Rabab once again at the Coffee Bean. Bader obtained the copy of all the video clips so that he could edit them at home. Bader tried his best at editing the video clip of Jeff Jones but he found it a little difficult to curtail since the video clip was rather long and complicated to deal with. Bader found that he ended up being no where and his work came to a standstill. I feel that the whole editing work was tedious and it provided me a close look at the basic aspects of the documentary making exercise. No matter the documentary was not completed successfully, though I tried my best to incorporate the minor as well as major details which I had in the back of my mind from the beginning. But on the whole I feel satisfied with my undertakings since I have learned a lot during this while and tried to give my best shot in the face of adversity. The interviews that I carried out with the intended subjects of this documentary were wholesome since they provided me an opportunity to get up close and one to one with them and thus extract the best possible information and knowledge from them with respect to the subject at hand. Their incisive inputs really paved the way for my documentary undertaking initiatives as well as offered me a chance to examine the weaknesses that I have come to discern within my shooting and later on within the editing exercise. In the end, I would mention the fact that the need for having expatriates within Bahrain is indeed much needed and it would be correct if I suggest adequate arrangements been made for these individuals who will visit Bahrain and facilitate the nation in building its economy and the infrastructural developments would be apparent from the initiatives once undertaken. Since the group members took the interviews, it offered me a chance to shoot the different

Management Essay on Scenario Planning Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management on Scenario Planning - Essay Example Nevertheless with the passage of time Joe Papa handed the responsibility of running the business to his eldest son. Now the elder son Little Joe now wants to expand the operations of the company and like to open outlets on parts of the St. Louis County and in the suburbs of St. Louis. The next half of the report will be presenting a list of recommendations that can be applied by the company to formulate their strategies for the next 5-10 years. Recommendations In order to have a sound strategic plan for the future the company at first needs to define its core products, services as well as the target group of customers. Defining target is important as the company exists because of its customers. In this process the company must also develop a mission and vision statement. This will clearly portray the intentions of the company about where it wants to go and what it wants to achieve in the near future. Now since the company wants to operate in other parts of the country it needs to hav e a proper strategy. The selection of place where it will be opening the outlet has to be at busy place. This will ensure steady flow of customers. After a shorter expansion and based on the feedbacks of the local customers regarding products and services, the company can take up international expansion. This will not only help the company to earn more revenue, but will also facilitate them to cater to a large number of segments. Prior taking the international expansion the company needs to ensure it maintains the highest quality of products and services. Also other factors such as customer relationship management and customer query management needs to strong. Depending upon the country of operation and its external environment the company may take up either FDI or joint venture to expand. It is important that within next few years the company develops a core competency for itself. Therefore in order to develop it the company must focus on a number of aspects. Some of the possible a spects on which competency can be achieved are variety in dishes, authenticity of the ingredients, ambience of the outlets, free home deliveries, specialized or localized menu etc. The company should implement information technology into their system of operations. By implementing IT into their system the company will be able to introduce various other options. For example it can introduce online order processing system, inventory management system, customer relationship management and also automation of a number of store activities. The company should promote itself with the help of television advertisement, fliers in the form of discount coupons and also promotion through newspaper will help to serve the purpose. Nevertheless strategic planning can also be an effective tool, if properly utilized by the company. In this context the board of directors for the company must consider one among single, standing and contingency plans. After determining the best possible solution and base d on the evaluation, it should prioritize the plans in a systematic manner. The implementation of the plans should be the next step. The company should also consider controlling the implemented strategies. Assignment II Strategic planning is defined as the process by which organizations decides about the objectives of the company and also decides upon the appropriate courses of action required to achieve the objectives (Cambridge Dictionaries

Esping Andersen Three Welfare Regime Theory Economics Essay

Esping Andersen Three Welfare Regime Theory Economics Essay SUMMARY: This essay argues the extent to which Esping Andersens three welfare-regime theory is outdated in practice and problematic in theory. I restrict myself to decomodification index (labour market policies) to explain the extent at which the theory has become outdated in practice using examples from Germany and Sweden although the classification also looked at the principles of stratification and the extent of private and public mix. Decommodification according to Esping (1990, pp.22) is the extent to which individuals can maintain a livelihood without reliance on the labour market and when a service is rendered as a matter of right. To examine the extent the theory is problematic I looked at Italy with reference to the misclassification and Denmark with reference to gender. INTRODUCTION The welfare regime theory of Gà ¸sta Esping Andersen has greatly influenced literatures, research, policies and comparison of welfare state since the 90s when the book three worlds of welfare capitalism was published. Esping(1990,pp.19,29) was of the option that there should be a re-specification of the conceptualisation of welfare state from social expenditure to decommodification, sratification and private-public mix. The social expenditure theory posited that the amount of social expenditure reveals the nations commitment to welfare. He said that although expenditure is important in welfare states simply focusing on the amount of spending could be misleading as the spending could be directed to a particular group and not based solidarity. The earlier work of Thus the work of (Boje.1996; 19 cited in Arts and Gelissen 2002;138) stated that the work Marchall(1950) on welfare state being about citizenship and Titmuss(1958) on residual and institutional welfare state laid the foundati ons for Esping-Andersens analysis. The analysis was done using 18 (OECD) welfare nations using three principles or variables. These are: de-commodification that implies the extent to which individuals a society can survive outside the labour market in terms of sickness, unemployment and pension benefits, stratification means the extent to which the state increase stratification or reduce it and private-public mix which he defined as the extent to which responsibilities of welfare is shared among the market, individual and state in the provision of welfare Esping(1990, pp.26). Looking at de-commodification he suggests that to measure the extent to which welfare states de-commodify citizens the eligibility rules and restrictions on entitlement to benefits in this case it is pension, sickness and unemployment benefits. If entitlement is not based on previous employment, financial contribution, means tested, easy to get, not for a limited duration then the welfare programme is highly de-commodifying and vice versa. In add ition, if the benefits are below the standard of leaving acceptable in the society that results in the beneficiary going back to the labour market, then the programme is not de-commodifying Esping(1990,pp.47-48). After the analysis, he states that the differences among the welfare states are not linearly distributed but cluster into regimes-types. DECOMMODIFICATION TABLE LIBERAL REGIME CONSERVATIVE REGIME AUSTRALIA UNITED STATES NEW ZEALAND CANADA IRELAND UNITED KINGDOM ITALY JAPAN FRANCE GERMANY FINLAND SWITZERLAND Adopted from: Esping Andersen, 1990: 52. From the table above we can see the three different welfare regimes and the welfare states that are under these regimes. The de-commodification table is used because my essay focus on this. In Espings(1990, p.29-33) opinion these difference going back to history are as a result of the nature of class mobilization(especially of the working class), class-political action strucutures, and their historical legacy of regime institutionalization. The difference in the interaction of these three factors in the different welfare states has also shaped their future in terms of the nature of welfare services provided. According to Esping Andersen(1990, p.26-27,48) de-commodification is low in the liberal regime and the breeding ground for inequality. The liberal regime found common among the Anglo-Saxon nations, believes strongly in the markets ability to provide for the citizen as those who want to work will be employed and that social protection only does more harm than good to the citizens. Liberal regime model uplifts the opinion that every citizen should be active in the labour market. Thus, the means-tested assistance benefit system modified from the poor law is used for entitlement to benefits. This model does not provide benefits on the grounds of citizens right and the government provision is restricted to those that cannot participate in the market. It is highly restricted. Examples are the American supplemental security income (SSI) and the British scheme of supplementary benefit. Benefits are foused on the low-income groups and state dependants. The entitlements are more restricted and associated with stigma. The conservative corporatist regime found in countries like Germany, France. In this regime Esping noted that provision of welfare was high and granting of social right was not a problem however entitlement was based on class and status. Being shaped by the church there, exist the norm to maintain the old order of the social status (feudal welfare arrangement). Entitlement through the social insurance system is conditional on the work performance (labour market participation) and financial contributions made (esping 1990, pp.26). For example the entitlement to unemployment benefit differ according to contribution in previous employment (Fleckenstein 2008, pp.178). The third regime which Esping uphold high as the highly de-commodifing welfare state is the social democratic, in which the principle of equality and universality (Beveridge principle of universal rights of citizens) is imbedded in the provision of welfare programmes rather than creating a disparity between the different cl ass in the state. Eligibility to benefits is given if one is a citizen or had stayed for a long time (flat rate benefits) and not on prior work performance, however employment is encouraged to have the recourses to provide welfare. (Esping 1990, p.27-48). OUTDATED IN PRACTICE. The presence of globalization, rising unemployment, permanent austerity as Pierson(1998, p. 411-456) noted as a result of slow economic growth, has led a shift to a more productive than a protective welfare state and as Gooby (2004, p.1) identifies that changes in population, family structure, labour markets and the coming to maturity of expensive welfare states has challenged the welfare states. Therefore, questions arise about the relevance of the three-regime theory in this present time. Bearing in mind that the theory is dated back as far as 1990 and several events like those mentioned above has changed the welfare system of countries in the regime clusters. In Germany, I will look at the shift in the conservative path of two separate public assistance scheme for the long-term unemployed to one integrated social assistance scheme with strong emphasis on activation. The German welfare state of Esping Andersen welfare regime was one of preservation of social status in which entitlement to benefits were based on prior employment and level of income. However presently there is a shift towards the Anglo- American model of largely means tested, flat rate jobless benefits  [1]  (Hassel and Williamson, 2004 pp.13). The Hartz IV law brought about this change. The German state previously had three different benefit systems for the unemployed namely the unemployment benefit, unemployment assistance and social assistance benefits. In other to maintain social status, the unemployment benefit was given based on last earned income and the duration varied according to amount of time spent in prior employment and age, they are not enforced to take up the job provided as thus one cold get benefits for a duration of 32 months. The unemployment assistance has unlimited duration and was usually taken those whose employment benefit had run out (Fleckenstein 2008 , pp.178). On the other hand, those that lacked entitlement from the insurance contribution had to use the strict means tested social assistance benefits and take up of any jobs was compulsory. The Hartz law however regrouped the benefit schemes into two groups, the unemployment benefit 1 and unemployment benefit II. The unemployment benefit II is the unemployment benefit and social assistance benefit integrated together for the long term unemployed and the unemployment benefit I is the unemployment benefit. Entitlement for the unemployment benefit II are based on the social assistance eligibility rules. The long term unemployed now rely on the unemployment benefit 1 as the duration of the unemployment benefit was cut to 12 months and older workers from 55 and above had theirs extended to 18months (Deutscher Bundestag, 2003 cited in Flectkentein 2008, pp.179). The long-term unemployed are then subjected to re-commodification through activation measures for reintegration into the labour market. The unemployed person is provided with training or social services to help improve the employability status of the individual and is expected to take up any job offered and show signs of actively looking for a job to prevent reduction suspension or loss of benefit. In Esping Andresens theory this was the underlying characteristic of the liberal regime but today there is a shift in the German conservative, preservation of the social order welfare state to a more liberal welfare state. Consequently, concerning Swedens social insurance based pension systems reforms have occurred that has questioned the traditional universality of the Swedish welfare state. According to Esping Andersen(1990, p.83-84) using estimate of occupational pension expenditure as a percentage of the GDP between 1950 and 1980 the Swedish pensions is one in which the private sector played a marginal role since government legislation did not support it. In addition, his analysis public-private pension mix, the Swedish private pension sector provision and social security provision of 85.5% of the GDP for 1980 and Australia that is regarded as liberal welfare state had a large private pension sector provision and a low social security pension of 59.4%. He thus posits(1990, p.80-86) that the Swedish system ensures of the eradication of status and market scheme of pension provision and the extent to which the public and private sectors provide social protection determines provides a structural contex t of de-commodification of welfare regimes . However, Esping-Andersen made his conclusions using 1980 data before the recession Sweden in the 1990s and there had to be reforms in the traditional pension system. According to Schludi (2005, pp.89,90) the traditional pension system provides basic pension for all residents in Sweden over 16 years of including foreigners and three schemes made up the national pension system these were the basic (universal flat rate pension), earning related supplementary (ATP) and partial pension schemes. The age for entitlement for the basic pension is sixty-five. With the recession Schludi (2005, p.97) also noted that the pension system sifted from the defined-benefit to the defined-contribution type and the private pension scheme exist on a mandatory basis. This is based on lifetime income unlike the previous system that was based on best fifteen years and a full pension was gotten after thirty years of contribution. The entitlement age increased from sixty-five to sixty-six, there were also strict eligibility rules of forty years of residence and thirty contribution years into the earning related supplementary pension scheme. Prior to this time, every one that has resided in the country for five years was entitled to the benefits. A data from Jackson and Howe (2003,pp.24) showed that private pension benefit as a percentage of the GDP for the year 2002, was 2.2% and is projected to increase to 5.3% in 2040. This shows increasing participation in the private sector in the provision of pension benefit. Also concerning unemployment insurance be nefit the Swedish reform programme for the growth of Jobs 2008 to 2010 report  [2]  shows that the unemployment insurance waiting day was increased from five to seven days and the duration of unemployment insurance benefit for the part-time unemployed is limited to seventy-five days. In addition (OECD.2004, p.11) report revealed that the eligibility for a renewal of the unemployment insurance benefits is no longer given on the bases of participation in the active labour market programmes, and the unemployment benefit can only be extended only once making a total of 600 days(300 days the first time and only one additional 300days), unlike before when it could be extended over and over again  [3]  . This shows tightening of the eligibility criteria and the pushing of people back to the labour force. Problematic in the theory The theory of Esping Andersen has faced several criticisms from commentators. Arts and Gelissen(2002,p.) notes that these criticisms range from the misclassification of Italy under the corporatist model and Antipodeans countries(Australia and New Zealand) into the liberal regime, the neglect of the Mediterranean countries(Spain, Greece and Portugal) from the theory, to the neglect of gender(women) in the provision of welfare and the focus of welfare state analysis on social transfers neglecting the fact welfare state is also about the delivery of services like health care, education and social services. in this lights, several people have come up with more typologies. Concerning the misclassification of Italy the article by Ferrera(1996, p.17-37) will be used. Esping Andersen (1990, p.52) grouped Italy alongside Germany, France results in the neglect of certain peculiar characteristics of the particular groups of countries like Greece, Spain and, Portugal, which he neglects in his analyses. He noted that although in Italy like the conservatives cash benefits especially pension is based on occupational status, contributions and is fragmented in that there are different schemes for the private employees civil servants and the self employed. However, they are different from the pure conservative countries, in the sense that there is a tremendous gap between the core sectors workers (white collar workers) of the labour market that receive very high benefits (sickness or temporary unemployment benefits) and the workers in weak sectors receive weak support. There is also lack of minimum national income scheme for low-income families. The young unemploye d receives no basic benefit from the state, there is thus high dependence on the family. Due of lack of safety net for the citizens the state is characterised by strong political corruption and public institutions are ruled and manipulated by strong political force for their selfish interest. To the extent, that citizens sell their votes to get social assistance benefit at times. This shows that although Italy and conservative welfare states share catholic history and the occupational and contribution based benefit. The social political trajectory differs in the sense that the conservative States have welfare systems that covers the population. As such Esping Andersens theory, missed out a very important welfare sate path (southern welfare state) that is necessary for effective comparison of welfare sates and social policies. Apart from the miscalculation of Italy as part of the conservative regime, Esping Andersens regime theory failed to incorporate gender in his analysis of welfare states. Several commentators as Lewis 1992, Bussemaker and Kersbergen 1994 have stressed incorporating gender will help gain a better understanding of welfare state policies and a more valid regime theory. Esping Andersen noted by, Bussemaker and Kersbergen(1994, pp.12,13), neglects the fact that apart from the state and market the family also provides welfare. Lewis (1992, p.160) referred to this as unpaid work. Esping Andersens analysis focus on how the relationship between the sate and market affect the arrangement of social policy, and Bussemaker and Kersbergen (1994, pp.20) noted that it is not enough to consider the relationship between the state, market and the society without looking into assumptions of gender that shape the infrastructure of social policy. For example in Denmark, gender relations have shaped social policy and help to understand the Dutch social policy. Bussemaker and Kersbergen (1994, pp.23) asserted that the Dutch welfare system can be effectively understood when the historical distinction between the breadwinner and caretakers are taken considered. The foundation of the Dutch welfare was on the distinction between the paid labour (men) endowed with generous social rights and unpaid labour (women) derive benefit based on married and domestic status and, means- tested arrangement is used to obtain benefits. This leads to high level of stratification between men and women. The moral ideology behind this distinction is that equal social citizenship rights will be a threat to solidarity. This implies That although Denmark welfare State is characterized with high degree of de- commodification, universality and low inequality as Esping Andersen theory suggests, it is because the de-commodification index used focused on wage labour (mainly to men),who receive generous benefits. Thus, the theoretical framework of Esping Andersen (1990) failed to provide in-depth analysis of the Dutch welfare state policies. CONCLUSION In the face austerity, causing Welfare States to restructure welfare polices the fate of Espign- Andersens three regime theory on de-commodification will continue to face the threat of been outdated.

Panopticism Essay -- Essay on Panopticism

In his essay â€Å"Panopticism,† Michel Foucault introduces the Panopticon structure as proof of modern society tending toward efficient disciplinary mechanisms. Starting with his example of the strict, intensely organized measures that are taken in a typical 17th-century plague-stricken town, Foucault describes how the town employed constant surveillance techniques, centralized a hierarchy of authorities to survey households, partitioned individual structures to impose certain behavior, and record current information about each individual. As society has progressed, Foucault explains, these practices have expanded into other institutions such as hospitals, schools, prisons and asylums. Bentham’s Panopticon embodies such disciplinary techniques. Inside a tall, central tower amidst the many cells, a surveyor can see all the inhabitants â€Å"without ever being seen† (Foucault 376). The individuals are aware they that may be observed at the moment, but cannot ever be sure. This implementation of power is thus greatly effective because it reduces the amount of people needed to operate the system, while maximizing the number of people it can watch over. Power becomes more economic to maintain. Intervention, and even better, prevention, can be exercised. Panopticism is not the link between power and function, says Foucault, but rather â€Å"it is a way of making power relations function in a function† (381); that is, power and function do not operate discretely, but within each other... Panopticism Essay -- Essay on Panopticism In his essay â€Å"Panopticism,† Michel Foucault introduces the Panopticon structure as proof of modern society tending toward efficient disciplinary mechanisms. Starting with his example of the strict, intensely organized measures that are taken in a typical 17th-century plague-stricken town, Foucault describes how the town employed constant surveillance techniques, centralized a hierarchy of authorities to survey households, partitioned individual structures to impose certain behavior, and record current information about each individual. As society has progressed, Foucault explains, these practices have expanded into other institutions such as hospitals, schools, prisons and asylums. Bentham’s Panopticon embodies such disciplinary techniques. Inside a tall, central tower amidst the many cells, a surveyor can see all the inhabitants â€Å"without ever being seen† (Foucault 376). The individuals are aware they that may be observed at the moment, but cannot ever be sure. This implementation of power is thus greatly effective because it reduces the amount of people needed to operate the system, while maximizing the number of people it can watch over. Power becomes more economic to maintain. Intervention, and even better, prevention, can be exercised. Panopticism is not the link between power and function, says Foucault, but rather â€Å"it is a way of making power relations function in a function† (381); that is, power and function do not operate discretely, but within each other...

Mountain West Health Plan Case Analysis Essay

PROBLEM STATEMENT a. FACTS OF THE CASE: Mountain West Health Plans, Inc. – Denver-based health insurance company Martin Quinn – Senior Vice-President for Service and Operations Evelyn Gustafson – Former and retired Director of Mountain West Customer Service Department. Her motto â€Å"always put yourself in the subscriber’s shoes†. In her time, there were only 10% turnover rates in the department compared to the typical 25% to 45% rate for customer service representative. She firmly resisted all attempts to increase efficiency and lower cost in the department where salaries accounted for close to 70% of the budget. Erik Rasmussen – newly hired Director of Customer Service, the replacement of Ms. Evelyn. He is a young man in his late twenties with a shiny new bachelor’s degree in business administration. The management tasked him to bring down the cost on the department. Under Mr. Erick, the company, for the first time measured the representatives’ performance and used software that generated automated work schedules based on historical information and projected need. Also, the company cut back on training. The department cost was finally heading downward, though department morale was downward, with the current turnover rate climbing at 30%. Also receiving more complaints from subscribers of inaccurate information from inexperienced or representative who sounded rushed. b. KEY PROBLEMS How Mr. Quinn will address the issue of low morale among the employees in the customer service department and its high turnover rate, while keeping and meeting the goal of the company to increase efficiency and lower the cost incurred in the department? KEY OBJECTIVES To meet the company goal to increase the efficiency of the customer service department and lower its cost. To uphold the morale of the employees and to reduce turnover rate from 30% to 10%. ANALYSIS OF CAUSES A. Analyzing the leadership and management style of Ms. Evelyn and Mr. Erik, including their strengths and weakness, and their source of influence: MS. EVELYN GUSTAFSON MR. ERIK RASMUSSEN Behavioral Approach People Oriented – attention to people Task Oriented – attention to task Leadership Grid Country Club Management – Thoughtful attention to the needs of people for satisfying relationships leads to a comfortable, friendly organization atmosphere and work tempo Authority-Compliance Management – Efficiency in operations results from arranging conditions of work in such a way that human elements interfere to a minimum degree. Strength Consideration and motivation of the needs of her subordinates, a happy work environment as a result of her good interpersonal relationship. Valued the interest and personal development of her subordinates. Focus on productivity and efficiency in the accomplishment of organizational goals. Weakness Uncontrolled cost in her department result of excessive flexibility and too much focus on employees’ personal concern. Inability to analyze the internal culture, less concern of his subordinates’ personal development, interest and needs. Source of influence Legitimate power – authority granted from a formal management position in the organization. Reward power – stems from the authority to bestow reward on other people. Referent power – comes from an individual’s personal characteristics that command others’ identification, respect and admiration. Legitimate power and Coercive power – refers to authority to punish or recommend, and the opposite of reward power. Leadership of Ms. Evelyn – She is focus on people, highly concerned on the needs and interest of her people. She believes that when people are happy, contented and comfortable they will work hard to accomplish the organization goals. She sees that it is easy to gain the support of people, when its leaders fosters respect and  fair treatment, considers their needs and interest, and shows trust in them. Source of influence – From the authority of being a manager, she has access on giving rewards e.g., flexible scheduling, fr equent breaks, offering plenty of trainings opportunities. She used this to gain influence on her people. Leadership of Mr. Erik – He is more concerned on the accomplishment of goals rather than people. He believes that employee’s needs plays secondary to the need of effective and efficient work places. His type of leadership views that â€Å"employees are only tools in accomplishing task†. Source of influence – from the legitimate power given to him by management, he ensure to get things done, and with the achievement he got support from the top management. B. It is also important to note the Style of Followership of the subordinates of these bosses, to further analyze the existing concern of the department. The employees in the customer service department could be describe as: a. Dependent uncritical thinker – does not consider possibilities beyond what he or she is told, does not contribute to the cultivation of the organization, and accepts the supervisor’s ideas without thinking. DEVELOPMENT AND SELECTION OF ALTERNATIVES (ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES) ALTERNATIVES ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES To recommend Mr. Erik to a particular leadership training that would develop his leadership skills. He will be more effective leader as he develops an interactive leadership style. Measurement is reduction of turnover rate in his department. It would somehow take time, as leadership style cannot be acquired overnight. To give Mr. Erik another task to accomplish: to promote strategies that would increase efficiency and effectiveness of his people and at the same time minimize turnover rate. Being a task oriented leader, Mr. Erik will ensure  that he will accomplish this task, which will make him realize that he would attain it by being concern on the interest and needs of his people. If Mr. Erik will take it another way around, he might insist on his authority to accomplish the new task. Job Enrichment – giving employees control on the resources in performing their tasks, give them elbow room on how they will accomplish their task, give them opportunity to grow, and give them a set period to accomplish it. Employees would have greater sense of responsibility with their involvement and commitment on the task. Increase motivation Contributes high morale Low turnover High performance Management may lose control on employees RECOMMENDATIONS/CONCLUSION: Recommending combination of alternative 1 and alternative number 3 – Job Enrichment, this alternative would be more effective, than the existing statistical standards that emphasized speed, recording the customer service calls, using of software to generate automated work schedules. This will promote high morale, as you will be considering people big part and contributor in the accomplishment of task and not as a â€Å"tool† only. While at the same time, Mr. Erik undergoing a leadership training to enhance his people skills, being young, he is more focus on promoting himself as achiever. It is but typical to young professional, but as he goes along, he will start to develop his leadership style with balanced skills on both people and task. WORKPLACE APPLICATION In my company, I observed different styles of leadership. The most prominent in my heart, is the leadership style of my immediate boss. She is woman, her immediate subordinates are both male, I agree on the women rated higher almost in all aspect in leadership ability as shown in Gender differences in  leadership behaviors. I also described her as follows with the following situations that she exhibits as a leader: Servant Leader – she fosters selflessness to serve both people and organization. Her personal vision â€Å"to have one million employees†, she even gave away to her people some precious personal things e.g., cellphone, bags, shoes, clothes. Authentic Leader – she demonstrate high level of passion and commitment, leads with her heart, have compassion for others, have the courage to make difficult decision, she loves to be surrounded by good people and contribute to their growth. She is never after on any merit or credit, she preferred it be given to her people. She always treats trainings and development of her people as investment. She sends me here as full scholar.

Thesis Edith Wharton and New York Essay

Thesis Edith Wharton and New York Essay Thesis: Edith Wharton and New York Essay Edith Wharton Edith Wharton, born on January 24, 1862, in New York City, NY, wrote about the corrupt society of New York’s elite, which she had been a part of throughout her life. Her parents were very prominent on the social scene. George Jones of â€Å"keeping up with the Joneses† and Lucretia Stevens Rhinelander introduced Wharton and her two brothers to the harsh, judgmental society of the New York elite. From her birth, gossip was spread about who Wharton’s real father was. It was believed that her mother cheated on her father with the family’s English tutor, who was Wharton’s real dad. The truth has not been proven, but Wharton believed the rumors. After the Civil War, her parents moved the family to Europe because it was safer there than it was in the states at the time. Throughout her childhood, Wharton’s family travelled between Europe and various places in the American Northeast. By age 18, Wharton had begun to publish poems in magazines and had become very prominent in society, like her parents. She fell in love with a man, Walter Berry; however, she became engaged to an older, wealthier Bostonian, Edward Wharton. In 1885, they were married. Wharton began by writing design books, like The Decoration of Houses, published in 1897. In 1902, her estate, The Mount, was finished in Lenox, MA, where The House of Mirth was written. Edith and her husband travelled back and forth between their estate in Lenox, MA, and Europe. Edward Wharton’s mental state was diminishing around 1908, the same time when Wharton began to have an affair with Morton Fullerton, whom she found to be an intellectual partner in contrast with her husband. They were divorced in 1913, two years after Wharton moved to Europe permanently. In 1920, The Age of Innocence was published, which is thought of as her best book and earned Wharton the Pulitzer prize in 1921; the first time it had ever been awarded to a woman. Throughout her years, she socialized w ith the most elite of the time, including Theodore Roosevelt and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Her long-time love, Walter Berry, never fully left her life until he died in 1927. When Wharton died of a stroke on August 11, 1937, she was buried next to Berry in the American Cemetery in Versailles, France. Springer, Marlene. â€Å"Edith Newbold Jones Wharton.† American Women Writers. Vol. 4. New York: Frederick Ungar, 1982. Print. â€Å"Wharton, Edith (Newbold Jones) (1862-1937). â€Å"Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia of American Literature. George B. Perkins, and Philip Leininger. Vol. 1. New York: Harper Collins, 1991. 1119. Literature Resource Center. 29 Jan. 2013. Outline I. Introduction A. Thesis: In The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth, Wharton illustrates society’s harsh influence on individuals through the characters Newland and Lily as they face a decision to stick to what society wants or to follow their hearts to ultimate happiness. Through these characters’ decisions, Wharton reveals the negative consequences of conforming to society rather than following one’s heart and passion. B. Newland’s choice between innocence and passion C. Lily’s struggle to live the life society wants for her II. Newland Archer A. His life and attitude before he meets Ellen; the life he thinks he wants with May B. The shift in thought he has after meeting Ellen; the choice arises between society’s influence and his passion C. Newland’s decision and the aftermath of his decision D. How the title relates to the innocence of May versus the passion of Ellen III. Lily Bart A. Her desire to fit in to society’s mold and lack of personal decision making while still wanting independence B. The decision she faces to conform to money or marry Selden C. Aftermath of her decision and Selden moving on after her D. Her demise and inability to live her dreams after she chooses to E. How the title relates to Lily’s foolishness while trying to fit in to

Rulers And Reaction Times Essays - Cognition, Mental Chronometry

Rulers And Reaction Times Essays - Cognition, Mental Chronometry Rulers And Reaction Times Rulers and Reaction Times Abstract The reaction time of ten subjects was measured. The subjects were asked to catch a ruler ten times under five different conditions. The first condition measured the subject's simple reaction time. Each further condition added an additional stimulus and the reaction times were measured. There was a clear increase in reaction time with the addition of further stimulus, however the expected result of a steady increase in response time with the addition of each condition did not occur. The third condition displayed the highest response time where as the final condition displayed the second lowest (after condition 1). Assuming that no design problems in the experiment affected the results, it cannot be concluded that cognitive processes occur in separate order and do not overlap. Given the average reaction time of condition five was lower than condition three, some cognitive adaption may have occurred to lower the response time of the subjects or another reason may exist. One aspect not c overed by the experiment, but important to the results was the error factor. Pre-guessing the experimenter caused a high rate of error, however it lowered the overall results. Why measure response times? As the world moves forward with technology, increasing pressure is placed upon humans to be quicker, be smarter and to operate more efficiently. As the population increases systems are being put in place to reduce incidences and accidents occurring. An example of this is a study conducted by Cameron, 1995 examining the influence of specific light colors, motor vehicle braking and the reaction time of the drivers to these specific clouds and conditions to avoid rear end collisions. Donders subtractive method holds that reaction times can be obtained by subtracting the simple reaction time; or subtracting type A from type B etc. (Cameron, 1995). Given this, it stands that the more stimulus provided (or thought processes required), the longer the response time of the subjects. This theory is tested in the measurement of ten responses to five test conditions. The trial provides preliminary information to participants and it is expected that reaction times will be shorter than if no infor mation was supplied. (Rosenbaum, 1980.) Method Participants Ten participants were selected, four female and six male. Ages ranged from twenty-two to fifty three. All were fully able bodied and from English speaking backgrounds. Materials A plastic yard rule was used. The yard rule was six centimeters in width. Procedure Condition One The experimenter sat one subject on a chair and instructed them to place their arm out in front of them at a comfortable height. The yard rule was then placed between the subject's fingers at a height of 10 centimeters. The subject was then told the condition 1 (Appendix A) and given three trials. The subject then completed the ten tries at the condition and the results were recorded. All ten subjects were tested in the same manner. No abnormal results were obtained. Condition Two The experimenter sat one subject on a chair and instructed them to place their arm out in front of them at a comfortable height. The yard rule was then placed between the subject's fingers at a height of 10 centimeters. The subject was then told the condition 2 (Appendix A) and given three trials. The subject then completed the ten tries at the condition and the results were recorded. All ten subjects were tested in the same manner. An error rate and abnormal results occurred. Condition Three The experimenter sat one subject on a chair and instructed them to place their arm out in front of them at a comfortable height. The yard rule was then placed between the subject's fingers at a height of 10 centimeters. The subject was then told the condition 2 (Appendix A) and given three trials. The subject then completed the ten tries at the condition and the results were recorded. All ten subjects were tested in the same manner. An error rate and abnormal results occurred. Condition Four The experimenter sat one subject on a chair and instructed them to place both their arms out in front of them at a comfortable height. The yard rule was then placed between the subject's hands at a height of 10 centimeters. The subject was then told the condition 4 (Appendix

Have women achieved equality with men Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Have women achieved equality with men - Essay Example This is because it has always been one of the root causes behind the segregation between men and women. They both can work together to achieve their individual as well as collective goals yet the inequality arises all of a sudden and mars the whole phenomenon essentially. Plants and offices have of late been filled by women who were reckoned by the authorities as of less efficiency as compared to their male counterparts some years back. This has changed for the better and more and more companies in the world of today are recruiting female candidates for suitable positions within their staff. Apart from this positive change in mindset of the companies and businesses, there have been some pretty negative points attached to the same notion moreover. The top one of these aspects is the indiscriminate attitude of the staff towards the women working in the offices which has given birth to gender issues like the sexual harassment and racial vilification ones. In the present day workplace situation, white men have encouraged the selection of white women as well as minority group members but there is a totally different posture when the selection of black community staffing within these companies starts making waves. (Author Unknown, 2001) Gender is a word, which describes the characteristics and attributes that are culturally accredited with women and men. It is pretty different and distinct from sex, which in its own entirety means the physical characteristics that make up one biologically either a male or a female. Structuralists have been in agreement with seeing the gender as a product of universal cultural laws and customs of the languages that shape up a cultural utterance and assertion. Consequently, structuralism accounts for the gender that focuses on the traditional contour of the male hero as somewhat of an â€Å"active subject† and the heroine (from the female sex) as rather

Economic Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economic Globalization - Essay Example In general terms, economic globalization can be considered as an objective trend that features allotment of factors of production as well as transnational flow which have emerged as social productive forces have gained more strengthen. The need of the mature market to have constant expansion in both the international and the domestic markets lays basis for the economic globalization as a phenomenon. Economic globalization has caused a co-existence of challenges and opportunities and has resulted into many losses along with gains as will be shortly looked into in the following sections. Economic globalization is fairly much like the first industrial revolution. The first industrial revolution came as a precursor of the material prosperity. The first and foremost similarity between economic globalization and the first industrial revolution is that both have resulted into an immense and abrupt new era of social productive forces along with the opportunity to re-establish the global economy. Today, the world economy is becoming integrated as more and more state boundaries are losing their significance as a result of the expansion of trade and material exchange. Economic globalization will have profound impacts on the international environment. The promotion of international trade directly signifies the spread of economic globalization. One gets an instant sense of connectedness with the globe when one living in US sees Chinese tag on the T-shirt, Pakistani tag on the football, and South Korean sticker on the car standing in the porch. But on the other side, there are many negative impacts of economic globalization on the international environment. From a general perspective of microeconomics, the world is not at an acceptable level of equilibrium, but rather is experiencing sharp fluctuation, aggressive speculation, and controlled monopoly or polygopoly. Statistics and quantitative analysis are geared for the short term and often yield wrong and unpredictable