Response to the Movie Sicko In medical sociology terms Essay

Response to the Movie Sicko In medical sociology terms - Essay Example rom the 2006 National Health Interview Survey† highlighted that in 2006, â€Å"there were 43.6 million Americans of all ages who did not have health insurance (at the time of the interview), or 14.8% of the population† (cdc.gov). With this, some people could not help but complain to the somewhat awful situation that they are in. In the same way, SiCKO (directed by Michael Moore), a movie from The Weinstein Company and Dog Eat Dog Productions, documented the alarming health issues that the contemporary Americans are facing nowadays. The movie revealed how health services in the US are made nearly unavailable and mostly unaffordable to its citizenry by its increasing costs and profit maximization by giant insurance companies. Also, SiCKO compared US’ health care to other nations such as Canada, Great Britain, France, and even Cuba, with an astonishing revelation of their free and low-costs health care services to its people. Thus, the following sections of this pape r exemplified my response to the movie in medical sociology terms. As we all know, without even mentioning the exact figures, Americans are now living in the world where there is a significant increase in diseases like cardiovascular disorders and cancers. Of course, this can be attributed to people’s negative health behaviors and lifestyles, which include lack of exercise and dietary conditions that predispose them to these diseases. In an instance, Michael Moore narrated in the movie that in France, people get to enjoy their wine, cigarettes, and fatty foods. These behaviors and lifestyles do have a direct impact on health. But Moore augmented that despite these French indulgences, just like Canadians and Brits, they live much longer than the Americans do. â€Å"Something about that seemed grossly unfair†, said Moore. Moreover, Dr. Jacques Milliez, Head of Obstetrics, St. Antoine Hospital, said in his interview with Moore that in France, â€Å"you pay according to your means and you receive according

Facebook vs. Twitter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Facebook vs. Twitter - Essay Example As a matter of understanding these similarities and differentials, the following analysis will perform something of an in depth discussion with regards to how such a level of comparison can be made between these two sites. Rather than resorting to a pro and con listing of how one of these sites is necessarily better than the other, the following analysis will engage the reader with a realization for the way in which both Facebook and Twitter differentiate from one another and the means through which the user experience is affected accordingly. The first level of similarity that exists is with regards to the way in which both of these social networking sites allow the users to come in closer contact with hundreds or even thousands of other users. However, the level of intimacy that Facebook allows, as compared to Twitter, is greatly enhanced. For instance, Twitter only allows status updates fewer than 140 characters. By means of comparison, Facebook messages and post can exceed that limit by several hundred times and allow for a great more nuanced expression as compared to Twitter.... and advertisers integrating with their products and utilizing their service as a means of promoting themselves to potential clients, it is difficult to view a single advertisement on television without the encouragement of the advertiser to follow the given product or service on Facebook and Twitter. Another marked level of similarity that exists between these two social networking sites is with regards to the fact that both of them have come to rely heavily upon multimedia as a means of integrating with their client base. Whereas other sites were relatively slow to include multimedia and functions allowing individual users to upload, save, and post various forms of pictures, music, or data of another variety, Facebook and Twitter long ago realized that the user experience of social networking was one that can ultimately be maximized by allowing the user to engage with their own forms of multimedia; while at the same time sharing it with their close friends. As such, it comes as litt le surprise that Facebook and Twitter began to buy up the many different services that allowed for data sharing and multimedia uploads. The acquisition of Instagram for nearly $1 billion is evidence of the way in which this dramatic rush for such platforms exists between the two services. Whereas it may seem that the users of Facebook or Twitter are infinitely diverse and hail from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, research into the demographics of Twitter and Facebook users had noted the fact that well over half of these individuals have some form of college education and make between $25,000 $49,000 a year (Matt, 2011). In such a way, even though a broad level of stereotyping cannot be concluded to exist with regards to the typical Facebook or Twitter user, a level of analysis

Management and Leadership of Walmart

Management and Leadership of Walmart Management can be defined as the process of working with people and resources to accomplish organizational goals (Bateman, 2009). Leadership is the setting up of a new vision for a particular group to follow. When there is leadership without management there will always be a need for a direction to be set. There will also always have to be someone to correct the mistakes that are made within the organization. When there is management without leadership, there will always be a need to have a referee because there is no new leadership or change. The job of a leader is not to just sit behind a desk all day, but to get out and motivate employees to do their best. Therefore, the importance of management and leadership knows that when the two are combined, they set a direction that allows for success within an organization and lifts morale. In an organization such as Wal-Mart, the roles of management and leadership have always gone hand-in-hand. Managers and leaders work close daily to ensure that the store operations and the warehouse operations run smoothly. Although there are named positions within the company, all are known as associates, from senior management to the door greeter. Management versus Leadership According to (McCrimmon, 2007), management is the organization function that gets things done efficiently to gain the best return on all resources. Management is not always about managing a group of people. Management is all about getting the best results on a project for a successful outcome. Wal-Marts management teams strive to ensure that the needs of the customers and associates are met. A strong value that has always held within the company is the Sundown Rule. This rule is the observance that the company will do their best to answer a question or concern before the close of business the day of reception. This is where the teamwork of the entire company comes into play, and efforts are combined to resolve any issues. It has long been debated that there is no difference between management and leadership. However, it is obvious that the two are very different. Even though they work together at times, they still serve different purposes. The job management cannot be seen as the same task every day. Managers jobs change from day to day. Although daily operations must be monitored, at times it takes delegating these jobs to others so that management can dwell on other tasks of greater importance. Leaders, on the other hand, do the majority of the persuasion within the company. They can be seen as the ones to get others to change their direction. According to (McCrimmon, 2007, p. 7), the best way to stimulate innovation is to encourage all employees to show leadership by promoting new products or services. Roles of Managers and Leaders It is the belief of Wal-Marts management that in order to meet the needs of customers and associates, open communication is critical (Wal-Mart Corporation, 2010). This is done through the Open Door policy, which allows associates to voice suggestions and concerns with management without feeling threatened or that they will be retaliated against. This policy has solved many problems, and made way for great ideas within the company. Wal-Marts founder, Sam Walton, believed that effective leaders do not lead from behind their desks (Wal-Mart Corporation, 2010). He believed in the importance of leaders taking the initiative to stand out and motivate and listen to the associates to help create morale. This is why in many stores managers are seen out on the sales floor interacting with customers. Another role that managers and leaders take within the organization is that of the power of teamwork. The ability to work together in such a diverse setting with so many different voices and opinions can sometimes cause conflict. However, Wal-Mart associates, managers, and leaders always seem to pull together as a team to serve the customer and each other. Four Functions of Management Management is the process of working with people and resources to accomplish organizational goals (Bateman, 2009). In order for managers to be effective, they must achieve organizational goals. These goals are traditionally known as the four functions of management. The four functions of management include planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Wal-Mart uses the four functions of management as well as its own three basic beliefs: (1) strive for excellence, (2) respect for the individual, and (3) service to the customer (Mars, 2004). Planning is defined as the act of making decisions about goals and activities for an organization. Organizations need a plan to set the stage for actions and other achievements. According to (Lewis, Goodman, Fandht, 1998), plans provide a foundation for coordinating and directing the activities of the organization so that goals can be achieved. At Wal-Mart, managers and leaders work on a daily basis to plan for the organizational functions of the business. Organizing means to assemble and coordinate the people, money, physical attributes, and information needed for companies to achieve goals. When companies do not organize properly, plans fall through and success fails. Wal-Mart has attracted associates to its organization and customers to its stores because of its desire to succeed. When referring to the function of leading, it is mainly the act of stimulation. A good leader has to have the ability to motivate and communicate with employees. This ability can be seen within Wal-Marts human resources associates, who are also classified as leaders in the organization. The last function of management is controlling. The purpose of controlling is to monitor the performance and make changes necessary for organizational success. Management of Wal-Mart can be thought of as the controlling function, because their job is to plan, organize, lead, and control the activities of the organization so that goal can be achieved (Lewis, Goodman, Fandht, 1998). Recommended Management and Leadership Strategies It is important for management and leadership to participate in planning at all levels within the company. The levels of planning that Wal-Mart continues to participate in are strategic, tactical, operational, and contingency. Two strategies that organizational managers and leaders can use to create and maintain a healthy organizational culture within the company are to continue with the same three basic beliefs and values that Sam Walton started the company with in 1962 and also to continue to believe in open communication. The three basic beliefs and values- respect for the individual, service to our customers and striving for excellence is what the Wal-Mart culture is based upon. These beliefs and values are what make the company the worlds most admired. This is evident in the tremendous worldwide growth over the past 49 years. The belief in open communication can fall under a few different areas. The first area that will be analyzed is the Open Door Policy. This policy states associates are free to share suggestion, ideas and voice concerns, whether its help with a problem, guidance or a direction, or simply getting an answer to a question (Wal-Mart Corporation, 2010). At no time will managers treat associates with bias during open door and confidentiality will be maintained. Another area that management and leadership can possibly build upon is that of the recent legal issues that have affected the company. By continuing to listen to all associates concerns and voicing those concerns to higher leadership, this can alleviate a lot of the discriminatory issues that many employees experience. It is important for leadership to step up and be the voice in each establishment of the company. By letting the associates know that sexual discrimination will not be tolerated and that all associates will have a fair chance at qualified jobs. Wal-Mart is a dominating factor in the retail industry, which makes determining strategies that will create and maintain a healthy organizational culture difficult. However, it does appear that the company shows room for improvement. Even though the company is at the top place in sustainability, and they have over 7800 Sams club and store locations with over 2 million associates, it is still important to ensure that the organizational culture of the company is maintained. It takes management, leadership, and associates working together in a retail giant such as Wal-Mart for the company to be successful, that is the teamwork and servant leadership that Sam Walton believed in.

The Modernist Attributes of C.L.R. James’s Minty Alley Essay -- Gender

The Modernist Attributes of C.L.R. James’s Minty Alley Born in Trinidad and later expatriating himself first to London and then the United States, C.L.R. James was a key figure of the West Indian literary scene during the 1930s. Today he is primarily associated with his nonliterary writings in sociology and politics, and his fiction seems to have dropped from critical attention. Part of this shortsightedness stems from the fact that little of his fiction is readily available to a reading public in this country. Although a selection of his shorter work is now available in The C.L.R. James Reader (1992), the only extant edition of James' novel Minty Alley (1936) is published by the small London press New Beacon Books. Because of its relative inaccessibility, this significant piece of Caribbean literature remains absent from the immediate consciousness of American readers and critics. In part, this article is intended as a platform to stage a recovery of this book, opening up a critical dialogue about the novel in order to develop a mo re comprehensive perspective about the genealogy of Caribbean fiction. The literary history of this region is too often thought to begin in the 1960s with the(post)modernist work of such celebrated authors as Wilson Harrisand George Lamming, and Minty Alley provides us with a formidable example of narratival experimentation antedating these more critically acclaimed works. But there is more at stake than extending canon lists and the historical boundaries of post-realist Caribbean fiction. James' formal innovations in Minty Alleyalso allow us to begin to rethink that retrospective categorization of literature which is now loosely termed "modernism." In the process of recovery, then, I would lik... ...e, Joseph Allen. Libidinal Currents: Sexuality and theShaping of Modernism. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1998. Henry, Paget and Paul Buhle, eds. C.L.R. JamesCaribbean. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 1992. James, C.L.R. Minty Alley (1936). London: New Beacon,1971. Lamming, George. The Pleasure of Exile (1954). AnnArbor: U of Michigan P, 1992. Levenson, Michael H. A Genealogy of Modernism: A Study ofEnglish Literary Doctrine 1908-1922. New York: Cambridge UP,1984. Lukacs, George. The Meaning of Contemporary Realism.London: Merlin, 1963. Nielsen, Aldon Lynn. C.L.R. James: A CriticalIntroduction. Jackson: U of Mississippi P, 1997. Ortega y Gasset, Jose. The Dehumanization of Art and OtherWritings onArt and Culture (1925). Garden City, NY: Doubleday &Company, 1956. Williams, Raymond. The Politics of Modernism: Against theNew Conformists. New York: Verso, 1989.

Fair Election Process in India Essay

India has an asymmetric federal government, with elected officials at the federal, state and local levels. At the national level, the head of government, Prime Minister, is elected by the members of Lok Sabha, lower house of the parliament of India.[1] All members of Lok Sabha except two, who can be nominated by president of India, are directly elected through general elections which takes place every five years, in normal circumstances, by universal adult suffrage.[2] Members of Rajya Sabha, upper house of Indian parliament, are elected by elected members of the legislative assemblies of states and electoral college for Union Territories of India.[3] In 2009, the elections involved an electorate of 714 million[4] (larger than both EU and US elections combined[5]). Declared expenditure has trebled since 1989 to almost $300 million, using more than one million electronic voting machines.[6] The size of the huge electorate mandates that elections be conducted in a number of phases (there were four phases in 2004 General Elections and five phases in 2009 General Elections). It involves a number of step-by-step processes from announcement of election dates by the Election Commission of India, which brings into force the ‘model code of conduct’ for the political parties, to the announcement of results and submission of the list of successful candidates to the executive head of the state or the centre. The submission of results marks the end of the election process, thereby paving way for the formation of the new government.

M2 Compare the Effectiveness of Different Teams

Amy Waldock Amy Waldock M2 compare the effectiveness of different teams Clarifying objects in my team we clarified objectives by listening to the team leader and the man in charge of the activities at Blacklands farm and asking him questions about the activities to make sure that everyone fully understood everything.Compared to my team in the bridge building challenge we listened to the team leader and asked questions a lot more so therefore the work done at Blacklands farm was a lot more successful. Agreeing tasks at Blacklands farm we agreed on the tasks by communicating with each team member to get everyone’s point of view to make sure that everyone got a say in to what they thought, by doing this it meant that everyone in the team agreed on the approach to the task.Sometimes someone would disagree with an idea which could cause conflict in the group, we dealt with this by taking a vote and going with what was voted the most. When doing the bridge building challenge becaus e my group only consisted of three people there was less conflict in the group because it was easier for us to agree on the task, it was also easier because we had a team leader so we just went along with what he said.Valuing people valuing people was very important at Blacklands farm because the tasks set were very full on and physically hard so it was essential that every team member was valued as an individual and involved because with tasks such as the spider’s web every bit of help was needed. Even though the bridge building challenge wasn’t as physical it was still very important that each team member was valued equally because the task involved a lot of concentration and tactical skills.Being receptive to feedback at Blacklands farm we did a task that we failed on a number of times so our team leader stopped us and gave us feedback on what we was doing right and what we was doing wrong and what we could do to complete the task more quickly and easily. Me and my team listened to our team leader and were receptive to his feedback and did as he said and to our advantage completed the task.When doing the bridge building challenge we were given feedback on ways of how to complete the challenge more quickly and successfully, unfortunately me and my group did not pay attention to the feedback and therefore our bridge was not completed in time. Maintaining focus maintaining focus at Blacklands farm was important for a lot of the tasks because if focus was lost it could affect the whole team and make a certain task fail, at times it was hard to maintain a focus because of cold weather and muddy conditions.To maintain a focus we pulled together as a group and were motivated by our team leader and team members. It was hard to maintain a focus when doing the bridge building challenge for my group because at times each team member would get frustrated when things weren’t going as planned, we maintained a focus by thinking of the prize that coul d be won to whoevers bridge could hold the most amount of glue sticks.Encouraging other team members to recommend improvements this was important at Blacklands farm because if there was something in the task that wasn’t going to plan it could be changed and improved for the better of the group. When doing the bridge building challenge it wasn’t as important to encourage a team member to recommend improvements because there was only three people in our group and we voted on who should be team leader so we was confident that who we had chosen knew what was right so we went with what they said.Dealing with conflict at Blacklands farm because my team worked very well together so there was hardly any conflict, but if there was conflict we dealt with this by discussing the problem together as a group and then discussing what would be the best approach to the problem and if necessarily to take a vote. If there was any conflict whilst doing the bridge building challenge we de alt with this by letting the matter fall into the team leaders hand and letting them decide the best option for the group, by doing this it avoided more conflict.Communication methods at Blacklands farm we communicated by asking questions to make sure that everything was covered and so that everyone had a good understanding of the task, we also listened to each team member when they spoke to maintain a good communication within the whole team. At times we used body language to communicate with team members by using expressions as thumbs up and thumbs down to indicate yes or no.We also had to use body language in one task where we were asked to get in a line according to birth date but without talking so in this task we used our hands to indicate numbers. Unlike at Blacklands farm when doing the bridge building challenge we weren’t asked to do anything without talking so body language wasn’t as necessary, we still had to constantly ask questions and listen to team memb ers to maintain a good relationship in the team and to make sure that communication was maintained. M2 Compare the Effectiveness of Different Teams Amy Waldock Amy Waldock M2 compare the effectiveness of different teams Clarifying objects in my team we clarified objectives by listening to the team leader and the man in charge of the activities at Blacklands farm and asking him questions about the activities to make sure that everyone fully understood everything.Compared to my team in the bridge building challenge we listened to the team leader and asked questions a lot more so therefore the work done at Blacklands farm was a lot more successful. Agreeing tasks at Blacklands farm we agreed on the tasks by communicating with each team member to get everyone’s point of view to make sure that everyone got a say in to what they thought, by doing this it meant that everyone in the team agreed on the approach to the task.Sometimes someone would disagree with an idea which could cause conflict in the group, we dealt with this by taking a vote and going with what was voted the most. When doing the bridge building challenge becaus e my group only consisted of three people there was less conflict in the group because it was easier for us to agree on the task, it was also easier because we had a team leader so we just went along with what he said.Valuing people valuing people was very important at Blacklands farm because the tasks set were very full on and physically hard so it was essential that every team member was valued as an individual and involved because with tasks such as the spider’s web every bit of help was needed. Even though the bridge building challenge wasn’t as physical it was still very important that each team member was valued equally because the task involved a lot of concentration and tactical skills.Being receptive to feedback at Blacklands farm we did a task that we failed on a number of times so our team leader stopped us and gave us feedback on what we was doing right and what we was doing wrong and what we could do to complete the task more quickly and easily. Me and my team listened to our team leader and were receptive to his feedback and did as he said and to our advantage completed the task.When doing the bridge building challenge we were given feedback on ways of how to complete the challenge more quickly and successfully, unfortunately me and my group did not pay attention to the feedback and therefore our bridge was not completed in time. Maintaining focus maintaining focus at Blacklands farm was important for a lot of the tasks because if focus was lost it could affect the whole team and make a certain task fail, at times it was hard to maintain a focus because of cold weather and muddy conditions.To maintain a focus we pulled together as a group and were motivated by our team leader and team members. It was hard to maintain a focus when doing the bridge building challenge for my group because at times each team member would get frustrated when things weren’t going as planned, we maintained a focus by thinking of the prize that coul d be won to whoevers bridge could hold the most amount of glue sticks.Encouraging other team members to recommend improvements this was important at Blacklands farm because if there was something in the task that wasn’t going to plan it could be changed and improved for the better of the group. When doing the bridge building challenge it wasn’t as important to encourage a team member to recommend improvements because there was only three people in our group and we voted on who should be team leader so we was confident that who we had chosen knew what was right so we went with what they said.Dealing with conflict at Blacklands farm because my team worked very well together so there was hardly any conflict, but if there was conflict we dealt with this by discussing the problem together as a group and then discussing what would be the best approach to the problem and if necessarily to take a vote. If there was any conflict whilst doing the bridge building challenge we de alt with this by letting the matter fall into the team leaders hand and letting them decide the best option for the group, by doing this it avoided more conflict.Communication methods at Blacklands farm we communicated by asking questions to make sure that everything was covered and so that everyone had a good understanding of the task, we also listened to each team member when they spoke to maintain a good communication within the whole team. At times we used body language to communicate with team members by using expressions as thumbs up and thumbs down to indicate yes or no.We also had to use body language in one task where we were asked to get in a line according to birth date but without talking so in this task we used our hands to indicate numbers. Unlike at Blacklands farm when doing the bridge building challenge we weren’t asked to do anything without talking so body language wasn’t as necessary, we still had to constantly ask questions and listen to team memb ers to maintain a good relationship in the team and to make sure that communication was maintained.

Europe being controlled

With the rest of Europe being controlled in a complex string of alliances and treaties during the later half of the 19th century, Britain remained uninvolved. Their policy of Splendid Isolation was to keep themselves out of the quarrels and disputes of continental Europe, and allow them to focus on their overseas empire. With the crowing of a new Kaiser in Germany, and the interest of other nations to hold overseas colonies, Britains colonial empire was under attack. Their interest to focus on their vast empire would eventually lead them into disputes with other European nations. It would ultimately be their reason of going into isolation that would end it. In 1888 Kaiser William II ascended unto the German throne. William II was filled with a sense of Germanys destiny as the leading power in Europe.(Kagan, Ozment, Turner, The Western Heritage 2nd Ed.) William longed to achieve recognition from the rest of the world that Germany was as great, if not greater the Great Britain. He believed the only way to achieve a place under the sun (Kagan, Ozment, Turner, The Western Heritage 2nd Ed.) was to build a navy and establish colonies like Britain. Thus began William IIs commitment to colonial and commercial expansion. The German commercial rivalry with Great Britain not only brought direct trouble, but nourished German desire for sea power and a large navy. The Baghdad Railway was a venture from German businessmen to create a railway from Turkey to Baghdad. The British, who feared German influence too close to the Suez Canal and India, opposed greatly to the idea. The Suez Canal was an important waterway to India. If the oncoming Germans disrupted the usage of the canal, then Britains ability to transport to and from India would be disrupted by having to go around the tip of Africa. Even worse, if the Suez Canal were to fall under German hands, then Britain might have...