Corporate Social Responsibility ( Csr ) - 1726 Words

Throughout my research of what Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is, I noticed that many organizations have framed their own definition, considering a common ground between them. My own definition of CSR is the voluntary continuous commitment and responsibility on the effects that an organization has on both internal (employees) and external stakeholders (communities, environment) that go beyond legal or ethical standard required to operate, as well creating a synergistic relationship between the two parties promoting win-win relationship based on trust and the positive perception that reflects the organization to the community. (Mirvis, 2012, p. 110) Beside the challenges of operating in a globalize world of integrated markets, were†¦show more content†¦A Net Impact survey stated that 53% of workers want were they can have an impact because it was important to their happiness, another important fact that the survey mentioned is that 35% would like to work for a company committed to CSR, 45% for a job that makes a social or environmental impact, and that 58% would like to work with values like their own (as cited in Meister, 2012). Looking at the survey results stated above, should organization focus first in their internal CSR strategy and used CSR as â€Å"a tool† (Mirvis, 2012), to engage, retain, and attract skilled employees while creating â€Å"a dynamic, vital, living entity, fed by the interaction among its myriad stakeholders,† (Vallaster, Lindgreen Maon, 2012). Google background information Google is the most used search engine worldwide. Sergey Brin and Larry Page are its founders, both are idealists at heart and have maintained a management policy based on firm principles and clear rules. Do no evil it is one of the basic principles that Google teaches to its relatively few employees. Google does not use uniforms, each employee may informally dress every day and their hours are quite flexible (D Onfro Smith, 2015). But why would a company keep their employees in this way. Larry Page and Sergey Brin explains that it is very important to have happy employee at all times as this may unleash the

Reintroduce Children’s ASPIRIN Free Essays

Given the respective scenarios and the projections described in the exhibits for each option, evaluate and choose the alternative that best optimizes Bayer’s prevention and children’s business. Explain. Upon reading the two options that have come up, the best alternative would be choosing the second option: Reintroduce Children’s ASPIRIN worldwide as a prevention product and rename it under the brand ASPIRIN 100 ®. We will write a custom essay sample on Reintroduce Children’s ASPIRIN or any similar topic only for you Order Now Figure 2 (See below) summarized that this option appears to have more benefits than the first option given. Although venturing into this option would require repackaging, relabeling, and reindicating the brand and it might accelerate the cannibalization of Pharma’s sales, reintroducing the product could attract new users from competitive brands. As Joachim Zander analyzed the two scenarios under when they reintroduce their product: â€Å"Under the first scenario, we essentially create attention for ourselves and the market reacts. As a result, Pharma’s high-end product, CardioASPIRIN ® , loses 10% of its sales due to our cheaper alternative. However, we also appropriate incremental sales of 10% from the competition. Beyond that, by keeping the product on the market, though in a new form, we are able to keep 20% of the children’s ASPIRIN customers. Under the second scenario, I envision that the market does the opposite and reacts very little to our product change. Thus, Pharma doesn’t lose any volume, and Consumer Care is unable to gain any incremental volume from the competition. Either way, we still keep 20% of the children’s ASPIRIN customers. † Comparing Exhibit 6 with Exhibits 7A and 7B, the forecast losses in Option 1 will be substantially greater given the Middle and Worst Case Scenarios than what is featured in losses in Option 2. Although in the Best Case Scenario in Option 1 could appear to be advantageous, assuming that scenario to happen would be faulty. Also, as emphasized in Exhibit 5, although the sales of children’s aspirin is declining, its margin against the Prevention CardioASPIRIN ® is still significantly higher. Keeping their seasoned and most valued customers who give them more profits will be the optimal approach. Thus, the win-win solution would be Option 2 because either way 20 percent of the children’s aspirin customers will be maintained. This business decision will be less damaging to the company, either best or worse case happens. 2. ) Do you agree with quantitative assumptions used to develop the forecasts? Why or Why not? Yes, I agree. In order to come up with the best decision, managers must make a number of educated assumptions about future trends and events and modify those assumptions once new information becomes available. Quantitative forecasts are typically based on historical data or tests and which involve complex statistical computations, which the Bayer Aspirin Case presented to represent the financial outcomes of the two options. Although quantitative forecasting is not foolproof, it is a valuable tool that enable managers to fill in the unknown variables that inevitably crop up in the planning process. For instance, the case study obtained the trend from 1994 to 1998 to formulate the outcomes of the trends in 1999 to 2003. The results they obtained indicated that prevention customers had been rapidly replacing children customers over the five years from 1994 through 1998. Forecast indicated by 2003 that approximately 27% of Children’s ASPIRIN sales would be for children and 73% for prevention customers, effectively reversing the 80% / 20% split, respectively, from 1994. Upon seeing the trends, Zander and Merker had the ability to conclude that Children’s ASPIRIN was naturally evolving into a low-cost, low-dosage prevention product. And it looked as if the combination of the rapid growth in the prevention market and the decline of the children’s market would be the death of the Children’s ASPIRIN brand. Of course, these are just assumptions and these could be wrong but at least the present trends could spell a lot with what will happen in the future. How to cite Reintroduce Children’s ASPIRIN, Papers

ASIC Acknowledges Conflicts in Vertical Integration

Question: Explain how it ties into the strategic management concept discussed. Answer: The article, ASIC acknowledges conflicts in vertical integration is an interesting read. In this article, author explained that there has been an increase in the amount of vertical integration for organizations. Today, firms want to have an integrated supply chain so that they can have a better control over suppliers, vendors and customers. Author argued that it might not be easy for organizations to implement vertical integration due to high cost of operations. For example, Walmart is one of the best examples that have used effective compensation policies to implement vertical integration. Walmart has used vertical integration to take cost advantage, as the company wants to procure the goods and raw materials at minimum possible costs. The compensation policies and the HR strategies of the firm have a direct impact on the vertical integration of the companies. It has been observed that the firms overall compensation structure would face a hit if the vertical integration of the firm were not successful. Therefore, it is important that the management of the company should develop efficient strategies for vertical integration and this strategy should be based on the overall compensation policy of the organization. The vertical integration and the compensation policy or compensation structure are two important aspects of strategic management. The strategic management approach suggests that the organizations should develop the strategies and polices based on their internal capabilities and external environment. The compensation structure and policies are internal to the organization the vertical integration also includes focus on external environment as vertical integration includes the integration with other firms and organizations in the supply chain. Therefore, it can be said that the concept of vertical integration and compensation policies is an important aspect of strategic management. References Taylor M. (2014). ASIC acknowledges conflicts in vertical integration. Money Management. Retrieved from: https://www.moneymanagement.com.au/news/financial-planning/asic-acknowledges-conflicts-vertical-integration

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin-Response Paper free essay sample

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: The Path to the Auto-improvement 2 The main reason that Franklin had to write his autobiography was to show how to live the life In a better way, at least in Franklin s experience. Franklin added two letters that eventually convinced him to finish his project of writing his autobiography. The letters (one from Mr.. Able James and the other from Mr.. Benjamin ) said to Franklin about the importance that had others would know about his life. Actually this book was not destined to talk about his role during the American Revolution. In fact, this book is about a way to get a life of excellence. During his autobiography Franklin remarked the facts that he thought more relevant for the auto-betterment. The main factors that I like were: the importance of reading, the education that Franklins father gave him and the accepting mistakes. During four parts of the autobiography, Franklin talked about how the books make him better. We will write a custom essay sample on The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin-Response Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Franklin s love for the books during his childhood was very important for his success. It Is easier to acquire knowledge from books If you like reading than If It Is Just done as a task. HIS abilities for reading grew enough to develop his writing. At the time Franklin had developed reading (to gain knowledge) and writing (to transmit It) he Is converted In a respectable man. In the most part of his life, due his knowledge, Franklin was very helpful in the development of the town where he lived. Also, with reading, Franklin reshaped his life style.For example, just consuming vegetables (sometimes ate fish), or Just drinking water and nothing of beer although others laughed of it. Maybe getting a healthy life helped to the long life of Franklin. 3 Next, Franklins father was too important in his development as person. I think the most important fact was when Franklin stole some quarry stones for a wharf. But when his father took notice of this, he taught to Franklin that when something bad Is done to accomplish anything, then this does not worth It. Also, Franklin during his childhood and youth notice the Importance of knowledge.Franklin saw his father as a respected man due his Impartiality and capacity to solve problems. This example became a model to live in society for Franklin. Committed a very big mistake when he loses contact with Miss Read. At the time he returned from England, he married with Miss Read. Franklin believed that left her in the past was a big mistake because when they are married, they became happier. Also, accepting mistakes meant for Franklin the happiness. When he took notice that he could not be perfect, then Just does not live more under pressure to reach perfection. This did not mean leave his life style.In conclusion, I think this is a very helpful book. Actually I believed that it would be more engaged with American history, but eventually, the lessons were very interesting like the importance of reading, the thirteen virtues, or working for the community. On the other hand, I think that the book is very hard to read due the differences and useless of some words, it is necessary a dictionary. Also, the way to write an autobiography is not the better. I remembered had read The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and this had a better sequence. Although this book was not made as a history resource, it helps to know the way of life in this era.

Leveling and unleveling of the ego in Full Metal Jacket essays

Leveling and unleveling of the ego in Full Metal Jacket essays Leveling and unleveling of the ego in Full Metal Jacket This movie is different from all that I ¡ve considered till now to be good war movies, like The Patriot, Saving Private Ryan, The Platoon or Braveheart. The proper word that would describe my first impression at seeing the movie would be 'shock ¡, because I felt that it said in a loud and ironical voice all that we think about war. From the first scene in the barbershop, where the new recruits are having their heads shaved in military style and to the last scene, when the marines are marching into the night singing a song about Mickey Mouse, the movie impresses with its sense of real life. Also, Kubrick has no hero in his film, only one protagonist and that ¡s the collective mind of American marines. The movie has two parts. The shifting to the second part is done rather abruptly (just like the beginning), the viewers expecting to see an explanation or maybe the consequences of Pyle ¡s suicide, or even the end of the movie. But the two parts are linked together by the presence of one character, Private Joker and, although he is not the central character, he is an important one because he represents the duality of human nature. Also, he is the one we have to talk about when speaking of the leveling and the unleveling of the ego. The movie opens with an unusual scene. Me, as a viewer, I didn ¡t know how to react: to laugh at that stupid song that said  ¡Goodbye, my sweetheart, hello, Vietnam ¡ or to try to figure out what was on the minds of those men from looking at their serious faces. Well, not all of them were serious. Since the first scene, we can distinguish two men who have a sort a grin on their faces: is it a stupid one, an ironical one or is it just as expressionless as the other faces? We discover this out in the next scene where in comes sergeant Hartman, a Drill Instructor at the Marine boot camp from Paris Island, South Carolina, where all these men ...

A Lesson Plan on Rational Number Lines

A Lesson Plan on Rational Number Lines Students will use a large number line to understand rational numbers and to position positive and negative numbers correctly. Class: Sixth Grade Duration: 1 class period, ~45-50 minutes Materials: Long strips of paper (adding machine tape works well)Display model of a number lineRulers Key Vocabulary: positive, negative, number line, rational numbers Objectives: Students will construct and use a large number line to develop an understanding of rational numbers. Standards Met: 6.NS.6a. Understand a rational number as a point on the number line. Extend number line diagrams and coordinate axes familiar from previous grades to represent points on the line and in the plane with negative number coordinates. Recognize opposite signs of numbers as indicating locations on opposite sides of 0 on the number line. Lesson Introduction Discuss the lesson target with students. Today, they will be learning about rational numbers. Rational numbers are numbers that can be used as fractions or ratios. Ask students to list any examples of those numbers that they can think of. Step-by-Step Procedure Lay out the long strips of paper on tables, with small groups; have your own strip at the board to model what students should be doing.Have students measure two-inch markings all the way to both ends of the paper strip.Somewhere in the middle, model for students that this is zero. If this is their first experience with rational numbers below zero, they’ll be confused that the zero isn’t located on the far left end.Have them mark the positive numbers to the right of zero. Every marking should be one whole number - 1, 2, 3, etc.Paste your number strip on the board, or have a number line started on the overhead machine.If this is your students’ first attempt at understanding negative numbers, you’ll want to begin slowly by explaining the concept in general. One good way, especially with this age group, is by discussing money owed. For example, you owe me $1. You don’t have any money, so your money status can’t be anywhere along the right (positi ve) side of zero. You need to get a dollar in order to pay me back and be right at zero again. So you could be said to have -$1. Depending on your location, the temperature is also a frequently discussed negative number. If it needs to warm up considerably in order to be 0 degrees, we are in the negative temperatures. Once students have the beginning understanding of this, have them begin marking their number lines. Again, it will be hard for them to understand that they are writing their negative numbers -1, -2, -3, -4 from right to left, as opposed to left to right. Model this carefully for them, and if necessary, use examples such as the ones described in Step 6 to increase their understanding.Once students have their number lines created, see if some of them can create their own stories to go along with their rational numbers. For example, Sandy owes Joe 5 dollars. She only has 2 dollars. If she gives him her $2, she could be said to have how much money? (-$3.00) Most students may not be ready for problems like this, but for those that are, they can keep a record of them and they could become a classroom learning center. Homework/Assessment Let students take their number lines home and have them practice some simple addition problems with the number strip. This isn’t an assignment to be graded, but one that will give you an idea of your students understanding of negative numbers. You can also use these number lines to assist you as students learn about negative fractions and decimals. -3 8-1 5-4 4 Evaluation Take notes during the class discussion and the individual and group work on the number lines. Don’t assign any grades during this lesson, but keep track of who is seriously struggling, and who is ready to move on.

Instruction and Assessmrnt plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Instruction and Assessmrnt plan - Essay Example This paper puts forth some writing and reading learning activities to enhance the same in 5th graders. (Hurley, 2001) Day/Dates Lesson Objective Instructional methods Material Needed Reading Activity 1 Monday Start Reading the story â€Å"Because of Winn Dixie† It will be a read-aloud method in class for the first day followed by some home-reading To get the students geared up for what is to follow ; develop their reading habit and ability to appreciate good literature A brief introduction on the story to be given by the teacher followed by READ-ALOUD sessions of the story and prospect discussions. Get the students to introspect on the characters that they might encounter in the story and what do they expect the plot to be like. White board Marker Flash cards Reading Activity 2 Tuesday Follow-up session on the reading home-assignment given on Monday. To develop the thinking skills of the students and their ability to comprehend the context and predict plots. Preview. Predict G et the students to discuss: 1. What part did Winn Dixie had to play in what happened at the library? 2. Is it possible for a girl to be on friendly terms with an elderly librarian White board Marker Flash cards Reading Activity 3 Wednesday Reader Groups will be made Centered activity and reading would be of : 1. Something to Do Help Students sequence the story, to summarize, and develop story board. 1. Students will be put in leveled groups. 2. During the class, the teacher will put forth story board activities related to sequencing and vocabulary. 3. Students will be expected to take part in the story board activities on rotational basis. White board Marker Posters for story board activities Reading Activity 4 Thursday Reader groups will again be made. Reading would be of: Child of the silent Night Help students In sequencing and vocabulary comprehension. 1. Participation during the entire group discussion. 2. Get students to infer meaning of vocabulary words like grand, memorial, pitfalls etc. 3. Students will be expected to attend to questions put forth by the instructor : What experiences bring forth people from diverse culture together. ; How did Laura recover (Describe the sequence) 4. Words will be read from the context and pictures will be provided to give cue to their meanings from the context. 5. Students will be expected to solve practice work sheet page 4 White board Marker Posters for story board activities Reading Standards: To inculcate an understanding of figurative language in students. Students at grade 5 level are not pro at their understanding of figurative language. They find it difficult to draw inferences and meanings given the context at this level. They still tend to delve on the literal meaning of words. So the idea would be to develop their understanding of figurative language. Secondly, it would also aim at inculcate student understanding and ability to connect different ideas and arguments, in a given context. In general the abilit y to understand and comprehend information will be developed at this level. Day/Date Lesson Objective Instructional Method Materials Needed Writing Activity 1 Monday Narrative Prompt The objective of this activity is to help students put in words what they feel about a certain aspect of their life/life in general. It is simply

ERP Story-Part A Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

ERP Story-Part A - Case Study Example The business should consider the cost of implementing the new software installation and profitability of the undertaking. Merging the business has risks accompanied to it. Therefore, proper evaluation of returns and efficient running of activities is so important. The research found out that the problem associated with such step is the increase in the size of the organization, which means difficulty in tracking records and meeting operational costs. Business organizations vary in the operations they engage in order to satisfy human wants. The two main categories are service based, or commodity possessing and production. The finished product or service in these activities provides a platform for either satisfaction or dissatisfaction from customers. If customers are not happy, the organization engages in an evaluation process to determine where the problem sprouts from. This can be through assessing current equipment in production or performance evaluation as a whole. The corrective measure is then undertaken to retain the loyal customers. If the customers are satisfied, the management initiates ways to maintain the standards. As such, this paper will discuss ABC Company and how it seeks to obtain a market placement through merging of activities and improving technology. The size of a growing business organization instigates the type of technological equipment an organization should adapt in order to increase efficiency. Complex company structures will need large data storage facilities to enable the business store properly its information. In the case study, the current technological position of ABC cannot ensure good flow of information and communication. The new idea of creating merged type of business can be a solution to problems. Problems such as funds required for the project can be managed through pooling of resources from these different entities.

Japanese Business Culture Essay Example for Free

Japanese Business Culture Essay What do you do to prepare for this meeting? In order to prepare for this meeting, apart from the usual prepaparation with regards to presentations, brochures and other information material, information about the product as well as the company, etc, I need to gather extensive information about the Japanese business culture as the peculiar characteristics of this particular trading company with whom we are meeting. It is extremely important in international business that one should pay attention to prevailing business culture, customs and peculiarities of the companies from other countries in order to conclude a successful business deal. Therefore, I need to peep into material describing the Japanese way of doing businesses, their negotiation styles, things which one should avoid during the meetings, etc. What do you want to know about the trading company? The first thing which I would like to know about the trading company is its similarity to the traditional Japanese companies which possess certain typical characteristics. For example, one of the important things to know about this trading firm will be whether it is part of Japanese Keiretsu or not. The knowledge of this information in advance will help me to identify key features of Japanese trading firms who are still part of the large groups or Keiretsu. Knowledge about few characteristics of the firm will help us to present ourselves in a more comfortable manner at deal stage. I am presenting below few important characteristics of Japanese firms: 1) Connections are very helpful in this country, but choose your intermediaries carefully: the Japanese will feel obliged to be loyal to them. Select someone of the same rank as the person with whom he or she will have dealings. Moreover, an intermediary should not be part of either company involved with the deal. 2) If you know a highly respected, important person in Japan, use his or her endorsement and connection. Before you enter into negotiations, request a consultation, and then ask if you can use the endorsement and connection to further your business efforts. This method of using connections is standard practice among Japanese businesspeople. 3)Generally, the Japanese are not receptive to outside information. They will consider new ideas and concepts only within the confines of their own groups. 4)The Japanese tend to think subjectively, relying on feelings rather than empirical evidence. 5)Getting acquainted is the purpose of the initial meetings. You may, however, introduce your proposal during these preliminary discussions. During presentations, and especially during negotiations, it is essential that one maintain a quiet, low-key, and polite manner at all times. The highest-ranking individual may appear to be the most quiet of everyone present. For a persuasive presentation, you must describe how your product can enhance the prosperity and reputation of the Japanese side. Making these claims effectively requires a thorough knowledge of Japanese economy, business, and product lines. The Japanese will commit themselves to an oral agreement, which may be acknowledged by a nod or slight bow, rather than by shaking hands. Contracts can be renegotiated; in Japanese business protocol, they are not final agreements. After gathering knowledge about these typical characteristics of Japanese firms, we will try to compare this particular firm with these characteristics by analyzing the available information. Â  source: http://www.executiveplanet.com/business-etiquette/Japan.html Comment to student: click on the link above. You will find many links on this page with respect to business culture in Japan. The Japanese have been raised to think of themselves as part of a group, and their group is always dealing with other groups. This is viewed on many angles internationally it is We Japanese vs. everyone else (more on that later), but in schools, companies, sections of companies etc. there are many groups and sub-groups and not always in perfect harmony and cooperation as it may look on the surface. Dealing with Japanese on a one-to-one basis usually comes very easy to non-Japanese, but dealing with Japanese as a group can be a different matter altogether. source: http://www.thejapanfaq.com/FAQ-Primer.html about the V.P. and his/her delegation? There are certain things which we need to know about the VP and his delegation. The strong hierarchical structure in Japanese business is reflected in the negotiation process. They begin at the executive level and continue at the middle level. However, decisions will often be made within the group. Generally speaking, in business meetings the Japanese will line up in order of seniority, with the most senior person at the front and the least senior person closest to the door. In addition to this rule however, you may find that the most senior person chooses where to sit. It is important to bear in mind that in contemporary Japan, even a low ranking individual can become a manager if his or her performance is good. (source: http://www.communicaid.com/japan-business-culture.asp ) Further, it is important to know few personal information about the visiting team. For example, their level of proficiency with English, whether or not a translator will be required, the age as it is directly related to seniority in Japanese culture, whether they have travelled abroad to US or other Western Countries before because it may have serious implications with respect to few culturally sensitive issues such as some Japanese men who have not been abroad are not used to dealing with women as equals in a business setting. ..about their inquiry? The foremost thing about their inquiry which I will like to know is the nature of relationship they are looking to establish with our company with respect to selling our products in Japan. For example, are they looking for some kind of manufacturing joint venture in Japan, or are they looking to take distributorship or license for our products. Such information will help us to present ourselves in a better and precise manner and will help us in coming to common ground with them. One of the sources for finding such information will be the local Santa Clara office of the company. Further, internet can prove to be a useful source for finding more information about the company such as its web portal, its partners and vendor relationships as displayed over the website, press releases and third party comments available on the web, etc. When starting business in Japan and entering into initial distributor contract negotiation, many foreign executives are probably unaware of the potential value of their products in Japan, but you can guarantee that the Japanese distributors on the other side of the negotiation will have a very good idea of the value. source: http://www.venturejapan.com/japanese-distributors.htm If you are doing business in Japan with a Japanese distributor, then you absolutely must negotiate a strong agreement before starting in the Japanese market. Â  Another issue to be aware of, and which if uncontrolled will have a significant impact on the final percentage of revenue you receive, is that the Japanese market is awash with multi-layered distribution channels. Your Japanese distributor may in fact be a master distributor who will pass your products through one or more layers of sub-distributors prior to it reaching its intended consumer or corporate buyer destination. In some situations its unavoidable for example, if your distributor sells to a large Japanese company you can expect that the customer will mandate a trading company (usually one of its subsidiaries) to handle the purchase and take a 5% 15% fee for its efforts. source: www.venturejapan.com/japanese-contract-negotiation.htm What do you want to highlight in the meeting with the V.P.? As discussed in the above paragraphs, it is very important in Japanese business negotiations with a distributor to explain to them the potential value of our products in Japan. It is important to present them with some revenue forecasts with respect to sales in Japan. First, you must know the Japanese value, not the US, UK, German, French or Italian value but the Japanese value of your product or service before you can negotiate a win-win relationship with a Japanese distributor. If you spent your first month doing business in Japan aggressively networking and information gathering you should have a pretty good idea of your products value. By comparing with your home market statistics you should also be able to extrapolate some reasonable revenue forecasts: idealized of course but an invaluable benchmark for contract negotiation with a Japanese distributor. Armed with the results of your first months Japanese business analysis, you stand a good chance of convincing a reputable distributor that they should put your product into their lead portfolio and invest in aggressively promoting it. Your ability to assert the potential Japanese value of your product and your ability to defend that value will support your justifiable contract negotiation claims to require transfer fees calculated on net revenues, not on your home market price list. The result is that you have a chance to get the best possible distribution deal for your company and a deal that could only ever be bettered by a direct entry into the Japanese market using a Japanese subsidiary company or office. source: www.venturejapan.com/japanese-contract-negotiation.htm If things look positive in that meeting, what would you expect to happen at the next stages of the discussions? Â  Even if the things look positive in that meeting, Japanese generally take time time finalize their decision as the decision making process can be very slow for Japanese firms. I expect the Japanese trading firm to extensively discuss the issue within their group in order to arrive at the final decision. From the pre-meetings, to the informal parties, the Japanese style of doing business will take the shape of an intricate spiders web, where few outsiders can fully understand the implications of what exactly is occurring. Japanese culture effects every aspect of daily life. The cultural tradition of Japan reflects a strong desire to be harmonious, efficient, and most important, to promote group solidarity, and this is best achieved by making decisions based on consensus. Robert Marshall elaborates by saying that, group decision making in Japan promotes unanimity in result through consensus {Marshall},[p. 7]. source: http://www.earlham.edu/~consense/scott2.shtml Comment to student: The above mentioned link is an excellent article on group decision making in Japan. Please read through it to gather more information on decision making in Japanese culture. How are your actions in this situation different from the situation in which you make the first move in order to find a licensee? The actions in this situation is different from my first move because I have a more informed and better view along with a clear understanding of the Japanese business culture and negotiation process now. My first move was a sort of unorganized effort to explore the Japanese markets. This situation is different in the sense that I am now preparing myself for specific company which has already shown little interest in our products and are ready to explore more about our company. It is very important to have clear understanding of Japanese culture, prevailign market conditions, information about the industry and knowledge of other peculiar characteristics before one can enter into a successful negotiation with a Japanese company. My initial failures have made me realize that in order to successfully conclude a deal with a Japanese company, one needs to present him in a manner that proves the value of our product with respect to Japanese market.

cold war :: essays research papers

1991 Gorbachev resigns as president of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev announces that he is resigning as president of the Soviet Union. In truth, there was not much of a Soviet Union from which to resign--just four days earlier, 11 of the former Soviet republics had established the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), effectively dismembering the USSR. The Soviet Union, for all intents and purposes, had already ceased to exist. In his farewell speech to the nation, Gorbachev indicated that the recent establishment of the CIS was the primary motive for his resignation, claiming he was "concerned about the fact that the people in this country are ceasing to become citizens of a great power and the consequences may be very difficult for all of us to deal with." In words that were sometimes prideful, sometimes resentful, Gorbachev stated that he stood on his record of achievement. He had, he claimed, overseen the Soviet Union's trip down the "road of democracy." His reforms "steered" the communist economy "toward the market economy." He declared that the Russian people were "living in a new world" in which an "end has been put to the Cold War and to the arms race." Admitting "there were mistakes made," Gorbachev remained adamant that he "never had any regrets" about the policies he pursued. In reality, Gorbachev had lost much of his power and prestige in the Soviet Union even before the establishment of the CIS. The economy was unstable. No one seemed pleased by Gorbachev-some opponents demanded even more political freedom while hard-liners in his government opposed any movement toward reform. In August 1991, he survived a coup attempt only through the assistance of Russian Federation

Cultural competency Essay

Cultural competency is an important strategy of eliminating racial disparities and improving quality in health, human and social services. The goal of cultural competency in these services is to create a health, human and social service system and practitioners who are capable of delivering the highest-quality care to all clients regardless of their cultural background, ethnicity, and race and language proficiency. If the professionals are not culturally competent they will not be in a position to handle social problems (Lecca, et. al. 1998, p. 71). Professionals offering these services do require an interpreter in certain situations such as; when the provider is not thoroughly effective and fluent in the target language should always use an interpreter. In situations when a client is not mentally fit a provider may need an interpreter. In cases in which language and literacy rate of the patient and practitioner vary due to different cultural groups, an interpreter will be required. Incase the client is a child who is under five years or more or an elderly person an interpreter is required. If the client is unconscious the provider can request for an interpreter (Lecca, et. al. 1998, p. 89). To minimize these problems, a professional should use an interpreter of the same sex as the client to avoid client from feeling insecure. Family members should be avoided as interpreters. Professional should learn basic words and sentences to minimize use to interpreter since they don’t deliver effective works due to biasness. They should address patients directly without any direct commentary to or through interpreter. Incase the professional suspects any problems and gets a negative response, then s/he should know that the interpreter knows what he wants. Interpreter should not be confused through backing up rephrasing or hesitating. Finally providers should attain training to be culturally competent to avoid cases of having an interpreter so as to offer effective service to clients (Lecca, et. al. 1998, p. 210). Using of an interpreter is not a good idea because the service given to the client will not be sufficient since an interpreter may be bias. Incase the interpreter is of different sex, s/he no knowledge on the service provided to clients of other sex leading to poor or wrong service being given to the client. There is no guarantee that practitioner’s conversion will be correctly interpreted to the patients and patient’s comments may not be conveyed accurately (Lecca, et. al. 1998, p. 211). List of References Lecca, P. J. , et. al. (1998), Cultural Competency in Health, Social and Human Services: Directions for the Twenty-first Century. NY: Garland Publisher

Intramuscular Injection Essay

The clinical skill I have chosen to reflect on is the administration of Intramuscular (IM) injections. I will use a reflective model to guide me in my reflection. The Gibbs reflection cycle features, description, feelings, evaluation, description, conclusion and an action plan (Gibbs 1988). The first stage of Gibbs (1988) is description of events. On my clinical placement I had the opportunity to administer a drug to a patient via IM injection under the supervision of my mentor. I had already observed this skill on various occasions and previously had the opportunity to administer IM injections in previous placements. My mentor was talking me through the process as this was the first time I have performed the skill with her supervision. When the mentor got to the step of using an alcohol wipe to cleanse the area of the injection site the patient said he did not usually get that done. He continued to say that an alcohol wipe had been used once before and had caused him an unpleasant stinging sensation and he would rather it was not used. The previous times I had administered IM injections, I had cleansed the site with alcohol wipe, and therefore I asked my mentor for some guidance in this situation. My mentor confirmed that it was acceptable to administer the injection without using the alcohol wipe and I continued with the injection. Feelings are the next stage of Gibbs (1988) cycle. My thoughts and feelings about this situation was that I felt a little nervous as I was under the supervision of my mentor for the first time doing this skill. However as I had already had the opportunity to administer IM injections before, I felt I was competent to carry out that skill. When the patient had said he did not usually have the alcohol wipe used, I began to doubt my practice. I knew I had previously used this in my practice, but began to question myself if it was correct. As the patient continued to say he had previously had an unpleasant stinging sensation when the alcohol wipe had been used I began to think that the person who had administered that injection did not allow skin to dry properly before administering the injection. If the skin is not dry the cleaning is ineffective and the antiseptic may cause the irritation by being injected into the tissue (Downie et al. 2000). The patient requested that the alcohol wipe not be used on this occasion and this left me feeling confused. I knew he has the right to patient autonomy and without his consent I could not carry out this procedure. As a nurse you are accountable for gaining consent and maintaining the patients right to be autonomous . Hawley (2007) states that autonomy means a persons right to make their own decisions in life, as long as they do not harm anyone else. I was unsure of the risks of not using the alcohol wipe and had to seek guidance from my mentor. Evaluating this situation made me realise that questioning your own practice is a good way of keeping up to date with evidenced based practice. The Royal Marsden manual of clinical nursing procedures (Dougherty & Lister 2004) advocate the use of skin cleansing wipes, it is however stated within their guidelines that they adopt this for patients who are immunosuppressed, and also give evidence of previous studies which indicate that skin cleansing is not normally necessary. Research by Workman (1999) suggests that the use of skin cleansing wipes is inconsistent and not necessary in IM injections if the patient appears to be physically clean and the nurse has adopted an aseptic technique as well as stringent hand hygiene. The fourth stage of Gibbs cycle (1988) has made me become more aware of different practices concerning the use of alcohol wipes in skin cleansing. I understand that both practices have been researched, and as I develop professionally I will not cleanse the skin in future unless the local policy states to do so or the patient requests me to. The evidence in this area is not clear therefore I will use any literature which is available to allow me to justify my actions, and deliver safe evidence based care. In conclusion, I have learned that not all nurses use evidence in the same way and may use different methods. I understand that as long as my practice is safe and evidence based then I can practice safely. My action plan would be to continue to keep updated with any new research and evidence of using alcohol wipes in the administration of IM injections. This will help me to keep my practice safe and up to date.

Nature and Needs

Nature and Needs Introduction Students who bear the tag of ‘gifted children’ possess a prominent ability of high levels of achievement, performance and creativity. Special needs often arise either from the interactions of these students with the environment such as in school, family and the society or due to their internal characteristics as gifted students.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Nature and Needs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Their characteristics as gifted students are their strengths and can cause problems if taken to the extremes and therefore early identification of these characteristics and development of a plan would help the students utilize their strengths and associated problems as motivational tools for further achievement. However, the strengths of gifted students and their linked problems can act as positives to encourage the students to realize their potentials fully despite presence of limitati ons such as family poverty, social degradation, and substance abuse often faced by the gifted students in their day to day lives. Strengths and associated problems A major characteristic of all the gifted students is their inherent ability to acquire, gain and retain information concerning a certain task or topic quickly. The rationale here is that, their intellectual ability is relatively higher than that of others and therefore they tend to be impatient with other students who have a lower ability of gaining information (Barbara, 2002, p.6). The ability to acquire and sustain information is the basis for good performance in not only academic fields, but also in social and economics fields. In a common class of both gifted students and regular students, problems of fast learners and slow learners often arises as the levels of understanding and concept conceptualization differs from one student to another depending on whether a student is gifted or not. The inherent strength creates a personality, which resists common routines and procedures of doing things because gifted students have the ability of developing accurate shortcuts of solving complex problems within shortest time possible. This ability encourages creativity and innovations and poses a challenge to the other students to improve. Encouragement of the gifted students to develop new methods of doing things and using these methods as a positive motivational tool would propagate innovation of new skills.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, gifted students own an intrinsic belief and motivation that achievement and success in any task given is possible. For instance, in subjects or academic concepts that ordinary students tackle with difficulties, gifted students believe otherwise. The gifted students usually see the exact opposite of what others see although in the same class, environmen t and under the same learning conditions (Webb, 1994, p.23). Their focus on the possibilities of success and achievement in complex activities helps them to be outstanding achievers even with the limitations of resources and facilities especially in less developed learning institutions. A problem of resistance to direction frequently arises simply because these students remain focused and determined to succeed in the activity they are involved in regardless of how difficult it may be. Although taken as a problem, strong focus on the course of success remains a positive attribute to achievement and accomplishment of a task with lasting results depends on the creation of an unshaken believe of succeeding despite any possible limitations. Regular students who develop this intrinsic motivational believe of succeeding and achieving are more likely to be achievers the same way as the talented students as achievement lies in the mindset and hardworking. In addition, high self-expectation u sually underlying many gifted students facilitates their desire to continue their quest of high performance and achieve higher goals. The personal attitude and expectation of high academic performance and achievement may pose a problem of perfectionism and depression especially when one fails to achieve a set goal (Kerr, 1992, p. 45). Personal expectations to achieve a goal motivate a student to put extra efforts and dedicate extra time in a specific task. For instance, gifted students with problems in certain topics or subjects allocate extra time and efforts to such topics and expect an improvement in performance while on the other hand; regular students may neglect such topics and opt to concentrate on the easy subjects. The characteristic personality of perfectionism often found in gifted students pushes them paragon in all the topics in any course and this leads to increased good performance by the gifted students. The desire to be perfect in all academic aspects can positively help the underperforming students to improve while at the same time help the gifted students to continue performing better and better.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Nature and Needs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More High alertness, increased levels of concentration and eagerness to learn new skills are further strengths of the gifted students over the other students. For instance, normal students have a concentration time of maximally two hours after which the level of concentration drops and conceptualization of facts diminishes. With talented students, their concentration period goes far beyond two hours and conception of information remains undisturbed (Webb, 1994, p. 25). All through, the students remain alert, focused and eager to absorb more information. Inactivity and idleness frustrates gifted students as they prefer doing something than idling. Preoccupation of the students with academic work offers adequ ate time to the students to perfect on areas they feel lacking or incompetent. To avoid such frustrations, allocation of extra reading materials to the students would allow the gifted students to remain preoccupied for longer times and thus utilize their alertness to help them explore their potentials positively. Gifted students portray a sense of organization. These students organize themselves and their items in an orderly manner and as a result, people view them as complicated and bossy (Kerr, 1992, p.46). Fortunately, this attribute affects their academic performance positively and helps to shape their future careers. A problem linked to the inherent desire of organization arises mainly because these students formulate complicated rules to guide them in their pursuit to remain organized. For instance, gifted students follow strict timetables with time limits in their revision time. This organization helps the students to allocate adequate time for all the subjects and thus reduc es chances of overemphasis on one subject at the expense of the others. Strict follow up of the timetable allows balanced study period yielding to balanced performance. Conclusion The strengths of the gifted students underscore their characteristics and acts as the driving force for continued creativity, high academic performance, and future career achievements of these gifted students.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Overemphasis of the possible problems linked to the strengths of these students could lead to poor exploration of the students’ full potential while positive application of the strengths would result to full exploration and realization of their inherent abilities and potentials. Integrating gifted students with normal students poses healthy challenges to the normal students who may opt to assimilate the strengths of the gifted students and therefore this justifies the need to use the strengths as positive aspect to propagate high achievements and success. Reference list Barbara, C. (2002). Growing up gifted. New York: Merrill. Kerr, A. (1992). Smart girls, gifted women. New York: Ohio Psychology Press. Webb, J. (1994). some of my best friends are books: Guiding gifted readers. New York: Ohio Psychology Press.

12 Angry Men Essay Example For Students

12 Angry Men Essay A persons surroundings can influence him. In 12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose a young mans life is held by twelve men with contrasing views. Eight a caring man, who wishes to talk about why the other jurors think that the boy is guilty, clashes with Three, a sadistic man who would pull the swith himselfto end the boys life. Accroding to Rose, several elements can infulence a jurys verdict, such as the emotional make-up of individual jurors. Many elements can change a jurors decision. Juror Three, who is convincd that the boy is guilty, is allied with Four who is eventually convicedEights showing of how the two testimonies given by the old woman and old man are lies, votes guilty. Three outraged by this exclames A guilty mans gonna be walking the streets hes got to die! Stay with me. (23) But Four sees the truth that Eight has brought into th light and still votes guilty. Eight tries to convince Three how the boy is not guilty beyond reasonable doubt but Three does not listen adn would rather see the boy die. For this kid, you bet Id pull the switch.(17) This shows how emotionally unstable Three is. He is a grown man living in a civilized community and would like to see a boy who he does not even know die by his own hands Eight does not think highly of Three for what he says about killing the boy and shouts your a sadist.(17) which is the absolute truth about Three. The emotional make-up of a juror can change his desicision on wther or not to let a man live or die. When someone is asked judge someone else, shoud not you look at al the facts to be sure beyond a shoadow of a doubt that the man who cimmitted the crime is guilty? Yes, a juror should look at all the facts but some do not, they just judge the person on how that person feels. Category: English .

Controversy Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Controversy Analysis - Essay Example There are presently very violent military scenario games with some depicting ancient battles, a development that has led to the following thesis question: Are video games responsible for youth Violence in America? This essay will look at the two arguments on this topic; one is support and the other against, with reference to studies and relevant literature on the thesis question. Video games as we know them today, traces their origin from the start of 1950s when computer engineers and academicians began the design of simple games and artificial intelligence programs in their respective computer science studies. The popularity of video games however, hit the mainstream in the 1970s and 80s when home computers became available. From the 80s to present times, several generations of video games have been developed with Xbox One and PlayStation 4 from Sonny being the latest 8 generation games. As video games evolved, so did the technology and story lines behind them. Presently, there are games in all aspects of life from business to military combats with the latter being most popular among enthusiasts. Violence among youths on the other hand, has been around even before the invention of video games but the information age has seen new style of aggression among the youth (Levesque and Roger, 51). This has prompted analysts to establish if there could be a correlat ion between video games and contemporary youth violence given the many hours young people spend playing these games. So could there be a relationship between these two phenomena and is so, how? If not, what is the evidence of the lack of relationship? Roanna Cooper and Marc Zimmerman in their article, highlight youth violence as a significant public health issue with youth homicide among African-Americans aged between 14 and 24 years, being very high. Other than the Columbine tragedy that made headlines in 1999 when 12 people died

Corrections Corporation of America Company Essay

Corrections Corporation of America Company - Essay Example Ethical Factors The ethical factors surrounding the current changes in the justice and correction departments in the US regard the moral consequences and the general good of the nation. The early release of incarcerated individuals may have an impact on the recidivism and security of the country at large. Rehabilitation and correctional efficiency of criminals reduces even with an increase of cost in public prison facilities. The effect of the current state policies affects all individuals, from individual citizens to the individuals incarcerated. Company’s Current Strategy The CCA is planning to expand its market to Europe and other countries. In Europe, the market for private prison services in increasing, a change attributed to the changing justice policies in those nations. In the US, the company has remained behind its competitors in expansion, preferring to wait for clarity on the current situation and its expected-persistent duration (Tella and Winig, 2010). The current adoption of cost control policies by states will result in leniency in law and justice, which will further result in increase in crime nationwide. Additionally, CCA suffers economically if its correction facilities do not maintain an acceptable level of incarcerated criminals. ANALYSIS EXTERNAL ANALYSIS The history of private prison industry dates back to 1984, with CCA taking over the management of a prison facility in Tennessee. The company has since grown to become the leader in the industry, commanding nearly 50% of the prison beds under private correctional services (Tella and Winig, 2010). Industry Structure & Trends The private prison services industry offer correctional services to the nation, the main customers being federal and state... The paper tells that the history of private prison industry dates back to 1984, with CCA taking over the management of a prison facility in Tennessee. The company has since grown to become the leader in the industry, commanding nearly 50% of the prison beds under private correctional services. The private prison services industry offer correctional services to the nation, the main customers being federal and state governments in the US. These companies work on a contractual basis, typically three to five years, but most of the contracts incorporate clauses that allow the government to terminate their agreement. The growth of the industry depends on a number of uncontrollable factors, which include sentencing patterns in different jurisdictions, crime rates, and acceptability of prison services privatization. Specialists in the industry argue that business is headed downwards for new comers as more states try to reduce prison overcrowding and expenses. According to the article, almost half of the new inmates were sent to private prison facilities in 2009. The article cites one analyst suggesting that established firms in the industry who have focused on their competencies will continue to grow despite the budget crisis. The policies regulating private prison use varies from state to state, with some states banning the private prison altogether, like New York, Louisiana, and Illinois. Outside the US, privatization of prison services has not been embraced fully. Nonetheless, countries, especially in the European region, are adopting the system, with Australia having a record 17%.

The Process of Change in Relationships and the Balance in Power Essay

The Process of Change in Relationships and the Balance in Power - Essay Example The period between 1890 to 1991 represents landmark events responsible for a change in relationship across different countries. Certainly, these changes affected the balance in power from different perspectives as discussed in the paper which follows. Pearl Harbour, ‘the worst naval disaster in American history’1, was a key turning point in American and world history, which produced a profound shift from ‘isolationism to internationalism’2 in US foreign policy. Pearl Harbour was attacked by the Japanese navy in December 1941. It was important because it caused the American public to make a major shift and to change their minds about U.S. intervention in World War II, and this shift in public opinion accounted for much in determining the course of America foreign relations. Opinion polls in 1939 showed a staggering 99% of American people opposed American involvement in a foreign war.3 In 1940 the polls showed that 80% of them continued to oppose any involvement in military conflicts.4 After Pearl Habour this opposition changed. Senator Nye5 showed the aggression of the nation in his speech: As Senator Vandenberg7, noted in his memories: ‘That day ended isolationism for any realist.’ Arguably, America had been willingly entangled in world economic affairs, but had stayed clear of military interventions.. The United States were involved in economic expansion, German reparations, naval and land disarmaments, the creation of a new treaty system for ‘the Far East’. Many historians argue that Roosevelt was an internationalist because of his early ‘Good Neigbour Policy’ and he had doubts about intervention even before Pearl Harbor, but his policies and actions were limited by oppposing public opinion. The evidence of that is that he kept some of his actions hidden from scrutiny for example, the secret talks between British and American planners.

Economic Analysis of Australia

Economic Analysis of Australia Table of Contents (Jump to) Introduction Analyzing Performance of Production Output Performance Trends Measures taken by Government to achieve Economic Performance Labor Market Analysis Unemployment Measure taken by Government to achieve full employment Price Level Analysis Inflation Trend Causes of Inflation Government measures for achievement of Stability in Price Conclusion References Introduction Australian economy has been encountering growth which generally emphasizes on low level from claiming unemployment, holding inflation, and low debt obligation for open and a stable solid monetary framework. For quite a while that is around 2012, Australia has been encountering nonstop monetary development for quite some time calculated as 2 decades which is reportedly increasing with 3.5 percent per year. Various assets and energy demand needs has been increasing with a rapid pace from the developing from Asia and China by working on a practical idea of creating a channel that easily carries on with the purpose of investing interest in the resources and at the same time growing them within the commodity. In this essay, monetary execution also known as economic performance of Australia will analysed and various studies will be carried out to get a deeper knowledge of it. Analyzing Performance of Production Output It has been quite a while during 2013, when the Gross Domestic Product of Australia was reported to be a whooping US $ 1560.60 billion. The quality from claiming Gross Domestic Product over Australia has been known to represent 2.52 % share within the worldwide economy. A normal expansion of about US $ 348 billion was reported in the year i.e. 2004 but it reached an astounding level of $ 1560. 60 in earlier years. Concerned illustrations marked a low reach of US $ 18. 60 billion (Zambrano, 2008). Regardless of the monetary tightness and strictness inside the economy, there is degree to the Gross Domestic Product with raise in additional concerns dealing with an idea of raise in economy with the raise in mineral reserves and its exports. (Fig 1: GDP of Australia 2004- 2013) (Source: Office for National Statistics, 2014) Performance Trends Those economy about Australia need been recognized similarly as a standout amongst the greatest capital economy crosswise over the globe. It need been computed that the Gross Domestic Product for Australia for quite a while in 2013 arrived dependently upon US $ 1. 5 trillion. Those downright riches of Australia need been computed toward US$ 6. 4 trillion. In the quite a while i.e. around 2012, its been distinguished concerning twelfth greatest national economy crosswise over those globe Toward the count about nominal amount of Gross Domestic Product. It may be additionally positioned at seventh rank toward the proper estimation for Gross Domestic Product following settling on alterations clinched alongside PPP. This need been computed similarly as 1. 7 % of the worldwide economy Australia is coming under the mark of rank nineteenth constantly the biggest exporter furthermore shipping over the globe (BBC News, 2014). Those administration segment from claiming Australia dominates the w hole economy of Australia that comprises of 68 percentage of the whole Gross Domestic Product. Those stock trade about Australia that is in Sydney need been positioned toward nine rank crosswise over the globe for admiration to promotion for market. (Fig 2: Australian Exports in the year 2006 across the globe) (Source: Office for National Statistics, 2014) Measures taken by Government to achieve Economic Performance In place to guarantee that economy of Australia sits tight great crosswise over those worldwide economy, legislature need to be been a number for activities to incitement about financial development same time providing for sufficient level for help of the worth of effort surroundings too (Zambrano, 2008). Those administration need presently been keeping tabs upon authorities should work greatly for making previous ventures work furthermore divisions about science and various engineering organization should exist on the check list to furthermore enhance the region in order to make smoother moving towards advancement by performing various tasks and doing certain researches. Labor Market Analysis The background about Australia has been known to remain developing during an unfaltering position for quite a while around the year 2003. The rate from claiming unemployment has been known to setting off by the rate of 6 percent and is continuing to slow down till the present time. (BBC News, 2014). The patterns clinched alongside unemployment from claiming specific states alternately locales might not influence the experience of Labour market crosswise over the whole range about Australia. Sydney should bring more level rate for unemployment in examination for different zones or locales. However, despite the fact that those rate for unemployment need been low Since the time that the end about money related crisis, those unemployment rate for different created nations need aid still easier. This states that there is at present extent for Australia to enhance this rate. Unemployment Unemployment will be a state during which people who need aid eager to worth of effort come up short to search for proper occupations. This may greatly prove to be an unfriendly condition that not only have enormous effect on the lifestyle for people yet it proves to be a hazard on the whole economy also. Clinched alongside attention with those sorts from claiming unemployment, it has been seen that the most of the Australian population dives through issues claiming cyclical unemployment (Rogers, 2013). This hazardous process usually takes place when the whole economy may be at a level of decrement. It may also be caused when there is a decline in the demand of nominal goods that prove to be bringing an increment in the economy. Australia is known to be suffering from confronting issues as big as structural unemployment. Measure taken by Government to achieve full employment For admiration to the issue from claiming unemployment, the legislature of Australia need o produce a frictional arrangement working towards good of the citizens (Bremner, 2007). This specific approach should focus with reducing activities that basically causes diminishment of societies. It can be done by claiming strict qualities for connection with points of interest instead of complaining about unemployment. A centralised data of skilled people and various companies should be made to enhance the job and employment process. This particular idea usage has been proving fruitful to labourers and workers that need aid while searching for occupations to an animated. Price Level Analysis Inflation Trend Those rate of inflation for the year2014 in the second quarter has been computed toward 3 percentage (BBC News, 2014). In the case of Australia, those rate of inflation contributes in the assessment of a fact that the climb in the price of a commodity that has to be beard and paid by a normal purchaser. Products like tobacco and alcohol have seen a price rise in some of the considerable years that have passed. (Fig 3: Inflation Trends in Australia) (Source: Office for National Statistics, 2014) Causes of Inflation The principle foundation behind sudden rise in inflation is because of sudden cost increment in raw petroleum that in the end prompts a value rise in vitality charges and foreign merchandise (Bremner, 2007). Other reasons that had been recognized are basically concerned with expanded costs for import, expansion in the rate of backhanded taxes, and increasing rate of labour toward government Government measures for achievement of Stability in Price There comes a point when there is an event of negative pattern inside inflation, there would possibilities that there will a chance to be a decrease in the trade rates. This is on account of the brokers will start those deal of cash that will prompt a diminishing scenario in the exchange rates. This is the reason why legislature of Australia initiates drifting trade rates that serves for reversing once again the real level from claiming interest. Conclusion The economy of Australia has been experiencing regular growth and featuring low level of unemployment, containing inflation, very low debt of public and a stable and strong financial system. The economy of Australia has been identified as one of the biggest capital economy across the globe. It has been calculated that the GDP of Australia for the year 2013 has reached up to US $ 1.5 trillion. In consideration with the types of unemployment, it has been seen that the Australian population mostly goes through issues of cyclical unemployment. With respect to the issue of unemployment, the government of Australia has generated a frictional policy. References BBC News. (2014). Korean economy growing at fastest rate since 2007. BBC South Korea. Bremner, C. (2007). Top 150 city destinations: South Korea leads the way. Euromonitor International. Office for National Statistics. (2014). Gross Domestic Product: Preliminary Estimate, Q1 2014. Rogers, S. (2013). Deficit, national debt and government borrowing how has it changed since 1946?. The Guardian. Zambrano, J. (2008). World's Most Economically Powerful Cities. Forbes.      Economic Analysis of Australia Economic Analysis of Australia Australia has had a good track record of prudent fiscal policy, strong macroeconomic management and performance, and good financial regulation over the years but most importantly all through the global economic crisis. In fact compared to other OECD countries it’s weathered the current crisis extraordinarily well. In 2012 the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Australia accounted for 2.45% of the world economy at 1520.60 billion US dollars. Since 2008 its economy has grown by 14.3%. If we take a look at Australia’s GDP per capita, the biggest rally is in 2009 if you measure it in US dollars. Where growth since 2007 is 42% compared to 24% using nominal Australian dollars. If we take inflation into account and look at Real GDP, which is a more realistic view as it’s used to define the standard of living; Australia has increased by 5% since 2007. Relative to the UKs decline by 6% during the same period, this is an outstanding result. Growth of Australia GDP per capita (2007=100)    2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Real (A$) 97.4 100.0 100.5 110.1 101.3 102.2 104.1 105.4 Nominal (A$) 93.3 100.0 107.1 107.0 114.0 119.6 121.1 124.4 Nominal (US$) 83.3 100.0 108.8 101.0 125.0 147.2 149.6 142.6 Data source: IMF Australia’s economy is dominated by its services sector, yet its economic success is based on its abundance of agricultural and mineral resources. Mining, including oil and gas, accounts for 60% of Australia’s exports and over 10% of its Gross Domestic Product. Source: Australian Government, Dept. of foreign affairs Australia’s close proximity to China and its strong demand for commodities has also helped with the mining sectors rapid growth in the last 10 years. The expansion in the mining sector has had a knock on effect to other related sectors which have grown rapidly on the back of it mining equipment, technology and services (METS), education exports, construction and financial services. Australia’s terms of trade rose to an historic high in to 2011 mainly due to high global prices for its exports such as Iron ore and coal. Australia acknowledges and it’s been well documented that the mining boom is over its peak and mining related investment is expected to fall dramatically. Therefore, Australia is building a sophisticated services export, converting its natural advantages in mining and agriculture into a wider knowledge-based, diversified and service-oriented economy. Although some sectors unrelated to mining have struggled with Australia’s strong exchange rate, unemployment, albeit edging higher , remains at a low level, inflation is within targets and public debt is low relative to other OECD countries. Over the medium term the biggest external risk to the Australian economy is a slowdown in growth in China and a related fall in commodity prices. As outlined in the table below over 50% of its exports were shipped to China, Japan and Korea in 2012-2013, if demand from these markets were to fall dramatically it could be detrimental to the Australian economy. Australias main export destinations 2012-13 (e) (f) 1 China 31.60% 2 Japan 18.80% 3 Republic of Korea 7.70% 4 India 4.60% 5 United States 3.60% Source: Australian Government, Dept. of foreign affairs Between 2008 and 2013 the Australian government took a number of steps to boost trade and investment, among these they reduced taxes on imports and simplified the screening process for foreign direct investment. Because of these alterations to policy Australia is 4th in OECD for ease of trade and investment flows, behind only the Netherlands, Poland and Belgium. As pointed out by Brian Aitken, IMF Mission Chief to Australia- â€Å"Australia’s flexible exchange rate provides a buffer against shocks and the authorities have both monetary and fiscal policy space to react if the outlook deteriorates â€Å" (Australia on Path to Broader-based Growth, IMF Survey, February 12, 2014). The government aims to reach a fiscal surplus over the medium term and have put strategies in place to do so. Which will put them in a position to take the necessary steps; they believe, to counter act damage to their economy. As noted above, Australia has a flexible exchange rate which means that the Reserve Bank (RBA) is able to react to shocks in the market by altering its independent monetary policy. As outlined in the graph below its exchange rate main trend has been growth since 2008/2009 with a slight decline in value recently. This strong exchange rate has boosted household income because of cheaper imports however it has had an adverse effect on the international competitiveness of manufacturing firms – particularly the car sector, education and tourism sectors. All that said, as outlined in the OECD Economic Survey 2012; â€Å"The Stronger exchange rates together with capital-goods investment have increased imports and thus widened the current account deficit.† In the IMFs Article IV the economists are noted to believe that â€Å"despite some recent depreciation , Australia’s exchange rate is still moderately overvalued and is weighing down non-mining activity. â€Å" Unlike most OECD countries the Australian Banking Sector has continued to perform well, has kept pre crisis profits through 2008 to date, and continued to be rated favourably by international rating agencies, current rating AAA. Their exposure to the stressed banking sector in Euro zone is low and the Australian governments’ priority is to help preserve the banking sector as this will aid them in accessing international capital markets with relative ease. In February 2012 the government implemented a deposit guarantee scheme for all bank deposits up to 250,000 AUS dollars which will fully protect 99% of deposits in any Australian bank. Over the last 12 months Australia has seen an upsurge in the housing markets, mainly concentrated in the major cities where house prices rose by 10%,the highest yearly growth in four years. This in turn has led to an upsurge in the construction sector, which had previously been weak. However, it is not envisaged that construction of new homes will meet demand which could attribute further to house price acceleration. Household credit has remained moderate; however, Australian government and banks need to learn from its peer’s mistakes in OECD and guard against the effect a sudden drop in house price which could mean a reduction in consumer confidence and an impact on economic activity. Some point to Australia’s tax system as a major contributor to the house price surge, record low interest rates are being paid on savings and very attractive tax concessions being offered to property investors such as negative gearing and capital gains discount. However high taxes and charges on new homes, a difficult planning process and the urban consolidation policies are driving costs higher, which in turn is helping to further inflate house prices. That said, despite growth in the housing market being largest since 2009, there had been a decline in housing prices in 2011 2012 totaling 4.2% similar to the decline in 2008, so an increase was expected by most .The labour market is also effecting house prices with unempolyemnt rising and people moving mainly to the cities to get empolyment, a factor which is attributing to both house price and rental market increases. Another contributing factor is Australias population growth and immgration. In 2009 the popluation grew by 2%, over half of this was net migration alone. On the back of demand for new homes economists expect an increase in the construction sector in 2014 to help boost economic growth. Already Australia has seen an increase in the approval of residential homes, January alone seen an increase of almost 7%, which puts the annual growth rate at 34.6%. Australia’s unemployment rate climbed to a 10 year high in January 2014 6%, a 2% increase since 2008 that said it is low compared to other OECD countries which are still feeling the effects of the Global Financial Crisis. In the recent IMF Article IV report WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief economist John Nicolau said of these figures that the states economy remains buoyant despite the jump in unemployment. Weve got employment growth of around 16,500 new full-time jobs in this last month alone, coupled with 9,000 the month prior, he said. â€Å"That’s the strongest two-month period of employment growth in this state for six years (abc.net.au, 13th March 2014). Unemployment Rate 2008 – 2014 Unemployment Rate versus other Economies This year already new jobs have been generated and filled, approx. 50,000 in February, but the unemployment rate of 6% remains static as there was a 0.2% rise in the proportion of people in work or looking for it the participation rate now stands at 64.8%. February 2014 marked the 15th consecutive month where unemployment grew less than the size of the labour force. The inflation rate in Australia has remained relatively low in recent years (table below), down from 4.4% in 2008. This is consistent with the central bank’s objective of an average inflation rate of between 2% and 3% a year. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) expects that inflation will stay at or below this until at least mid-2015, with wage growth forecast to remain contained. Historical Inflation Rates (2008 – 2014) Year mar Jun sep dec Ann 2013 2.5% 2.4% 2.2% 2.7% 2.5% 2012 1.6% 1.2% 2% 2.2% 1.7% 2011 3.3% 3.5% 3.4% 3% 3.3% 2010 2.9% 3.1% 2.9% 2.8% 2.9% 2009 2.4% 1.4% 1.2% 2.1% 1.7% 2008 4.3% 4.4% 5% 3.7% 4.4% Source:rateinflation.com Last year, 2013, Australias inflation rate moderate to around 2.2% 2.5%, and has been broadly stable since, reflecting ongoing strength in the Australian dollar, broad-based competitive pressures within the domestic economy and subdued growth in costs. The absence of high inflationary pressures is another aid so the government can alter monetary policy as and when it needs to in order to help guard the economy against risks. The Australian cash rate fell from 7% in 2008 in response to the Global Economic Crisis; the Reserve Bank of Australia cut interest rates by 4% between September 2008 and February 2009 in response to the slowdown of their economy – an effect of the Global Financial Crisis. RBA cut interest rates again in 2012 in response a worsening outlook to the global economy and signs of their own weakening labour market. The cash rate now stands at 2.50%, the lowest on record. However, this is expected to edge higher this year as growth is expected to strengthen helped by the low interest rates and inflation is expected to stay within target of 2%-3%. In the long run an increase in interest rates could help the spiraling house prices in the major cities come back to more realistic valuations. A new government was voted into Australia in September 2013 and they are preparing for their first budget in May. The budget deficit for 2012 – 2013 was 2.6% of GDP an increase from 1.3% in 2008- 2009. Top of the new government’s agenda is to tackle public debt, and they are being very vocal in pointing the finger of blame at their predecessors. Of the 17 top surveyed IMF countries, Labour left us with the fastest growth in spending of anyone in the world and they left us with the third highest growth in debt of anyone in the top 17,( Mr Hockey, Treasurer, abc.net.au,13th March 2014) Their aim is to return their budget to surplus and maintain a budget surplus going forward; to do this a huge cut in spending will be needed. As highlighted in the IMFs article IV; â€Å"If tax revenue is held at its average level over the last decade, the resulting budget deficit in 2023/24 would reach 2 percent of GDP. Reaching the government’s budget surplus target would thus require cutting spending by around 3 percent of GDP, either by reducing net non-social spending or by putting in place policy measures to contain increases in social spending†( IMF Article IV, 2014) Consumer confidence has been low, Consumer spending was held back in 2013 because of uncertainty around the government election in that September, high household debt, and uncertainty in the economy. In the year to June 2013 retail sales growth rates were at their lowest rate in 51 years, rising just 2.5% from the previous year. Because of this consumers have increased their saving rates since 2007 and reduced their demand for loans. Although household debt is high, Australian households seem to be able to meet this debt with only 1% non-preforming house loans and 50% of owner occupiers repaying ahead of their mortgage schedule. Compared to other OECD countries tax to GDP in Australia is low. Since 1965 Australia has ranked in the bottom third of OECD countries and in 2010 it ranked fifth lowest over all. Tax-to-GDP ratio for OECD countries, 2010 Source: OECD Revenue Statistics, 2012. Of the OECD countries Australia also has the third lowest level of taxation on personal income which includes social security taxes and taxes on payroll. Tax revenue (% of GDP) in Australia Source: tradingecomomics.com In 2008 tax revenues were steady at approx. 24% however as a result of the Global Economic crisis tax to GDP fell to approx. 20% in 2010 – 2011 since then total taxes have recovered one third of the lose but are still not back at 2008 level. Australia’s tax components are very similar to other OECD countries but with one major difference, Australia is one of two countries in OECD which do not levy social security taxes. Conclusion: Over all the Australian economy has performed very well since 2008, mainly because of its mining sector and related industries. The big challenge ahead is whether and how quickly it can adapt to mining construction falling. Home building and mining exports could help boost the economy and drive economic growth in the medium term. Now that the election is over and there is renewed demand for housing could be indicators of a boost consumer confidence and help the consumer start to spend again. If interest rates remain low this will help stimulate discretionary consumer spending and dwelling construction. Unemployment is still low at 6% compared to Australia’s OECD peers and new jobs are being generated, aided by a rise in demand for new housing. The main internal risk to the Australian economy is that the new government may be too aggressive in reducing government spending in their aim for budget surplus however this effect could be lessened by a further cut in interest rates. The main external risk to the economy as outlined already is Australia’s reliance on the Chinese market and commodity prices. Chinas growth rate is currently at approx. 7%, their government are implanting fiscal stimulus which should boost economic growth which will have a positive effect on the Australian economy as there will be continued demand for commodities to be exported to China. This may also affect the demand for housing in Australia as Chinese investors buy to rent, thus boosting the employment sector. The Australian banking sector is strong and both domestic and international markets have fate in it, it is one of only eight sovereigns globally to be rated AAA with a stable outlook by all the major credit rating agencies. This is a huge endorsement on the Australian Economy. If any shocks were to apply to the Australian Economy, its government are one of few globally that have the fiscal and monetary policy that will enable them to adapt very quickly. Australia’s economic performance to date has been the result of good structural reforms, demand for commodities and sound macroeconomic policies, hence the IMF forecasting â€Å"annual average GDP growth for Australia of 3.1% between 2013 and 2018 – the highest growth forecast among major advanced economies† (IMF, World Economic Outlook, April 2013). Bibliography IMF, Article IV Australia, 2013 OECD, Ecomonic Outlook Australia, 2012 Macrobusiness.com Tradingeconomics.com GFmag.com Reserve Bank Australia Business.nsu.gov.au Abc.net.au

Concept :: essays research papers

Concept Manic depressive disorder is a chemical imbalance within the brain. This disorder disrupts you mood and causes your emotions to fluctuate. Mood swings. The disorder causes one to experience extreme depression and mania. The intensity of the mood swings vary going from mild, moderate, and severe. Without treatment the severity and frequency of the illness builds up over the years. Non-professionals normally call this disease â€Å"manic-depressive illness†. Those in the psychiatric field refer to it as â€Å"bipolar disorder†. Bipolar is a name given to this disorder because it refers to the two poles that range from depression on one end and mania on the other. One who has bipolar will experience severe depression. They lose interest in activities and hobbies. The loss of interest in things and people cause them to see things as meaningless. Hopelessness, worthlessness, sadness, and guilt are only a few of the feelings one is overwhelmed with. Most find it extremely difficult to concentrate, make decisions, and think. They are preoccupied with failures, loss of self-esteem, and can’t stop certain thoughts from intruding. Hallucinating, hearing voices, and delusions plague the person. 15% of untreated patients commit suicide. They experience changes in their weight. Most will lose weight but about 40% gain. Many experience insomnia. They will feel really tired, irritable, and restless. Change of behaviors includes the following: withdrawal from people and social events. The symptoms of mania start with feelings of happiness and joy and progress to the person feeling â€Å"on top of the world†. They feel like Lyles 2 they can do anything. They are creative, work more, and barely sleep.

Cultural Supression: Abusive Behavior Towards Women and Its Effect on the Spread of Hiv/Aids

Africa is facing a devastating crisis with respect to the AIDS epidemic, currently accounting for over 70% of the world's HIV-positive population. There are, of course, many factors that drive the explosive transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, but in the tangled web that is the epidemic in Africa, many of these issues share a common thread. The oppression of women in Africa can be considered the virus' cultural vector. Females are rendered powerless in African societies, and existing gender inequalities are largely responsible for the spread of the disease.Females' disadvantaged position in society is intrinsically linked to the subordination of women in their relationships with men. In order for progress to be made, an examination of gender relations and empowerment for women must take place. To be successful, AIDS campaigns must be built on the existing organizational skills of women, but must incorporate men as well. The blatantly skewed distribution of power in Afric an patriarchal societies makes women extremely vulnerable but has dangerous implications for all.To examine the forces that steer the epidemic down its course, the epidemiology of HIV and AIDS in Africa must first be considered. More than 80% of all HIV infections in Africa are acquired through heterosexual contact. This statistic is grossly out of balance with the 13% rate of infection through heterosexual contact in the United States. Vertical transmission from mother to child is the second most common route for the virus to take in Africa (Essex et al. , 158). These rates are generally much higher than in the United States and Europe, where the use of a drug called nevirapine has drastically reduced mother-to-child transmission.This disparity is a direct result of differences in the nations' wealth. African nations simply cannot afford to provide the drug to infected pregnant women. The continued transmission of HIV through contaminated blood during processes such as blood transf usions is another dismal consequence of poverty and inferior health services in many African countries. This method accounts for the third most important mode of transmission, one that has been virtually eradicated in many countries because the technology is available to prevent it (Essex et al. 159). Part of what makes the situation in Africa so devastating is that the primary roads the virus travels in Africa were shut down long ago in other countries. Much of the world's population already takes many of the roadblocks for granted. The transmission route of heterosexual contact is so heavily traveled in Africa that it demands an examination of sexual behavior. Before we delve into the workings of intimate relationships, however, the fine points of gender inequality in the public sphere must be examined.These social conditions spill over into every aspect of life, tainting women's casual and sexual relationships with men. Women are systematically disadvantaged in African society. M ale bias in the structures of society is reflected in day-to-day behavior, embedded in legislation, policy, political and religious ideologies, and cultural conventions (Baylies et al. , 6). Examples of this trend abound. The Civil Code of the Empire of Ethiopia designates the husband as the head of the family and gives him the authority to administer household property.The husband is given the right to control and manage common property and to make all decisions regarding it. While the Code requires that the husband act judiciously and not alienate property without the consent of his wife, strong traditional and cultural beliefs discourage women from enforcing this requirement (African Region Findings). In Kenya, the Constitution permits the application of customary law to personal matters. The Constitution contains no provisions for gender as a basis for non-discrimination and consequently, even gender-biased practices are held as valid and constitutional.Women's access to economi c resources in Kenya is largely defined by customary laws (African Region Findings). Inheritance is usually along the male lineage; women do not inherit family property. Not only do women have less access to income and possess much less wealth than their male counterparts, but they also contribute more hours of labor than men do (Baylies, et. al. , 7). In a village meeting held in rural Lushoto, Tanzania, in 1996, coordinated in response to AIDS, even two of the men present agreed that women take the heavier burden. A man, if you need him, is always out,† an elderly man spoke out, â€Å"whereas the woman is the one at home, taking care of cooking and all other household affairs. . . . We get up in the mornings and go about our business and don't concern ourselves with whether [the children] eat or not,† he continued. â€Å"We leave it all to mama. We give orders, we are ‘dictators' in the home† (Baylies et al. , 191). Most of the men, however, did not share his capacity to see the situation in this way. One male maintains, â€Å"as a man you have so many things to attend to, and you rely on her to think of things like soap for washing† (Baylies et al. 190). Women's limited opportunities also translate into reduced access to education.Their lower levels of literacy contribute to their more limited access to information about sexually transmitted diseases and HIV (Baylies et al. , 6). Cultural conventions prevent them from asserting themselves in public, squelching any hope of improving their situation in this way. Since their work is confined to the domestic field, women's labor does not command market value, leaving them dependent on those members of the household who operate in the cash economy (Baylies et al. 7). Economic need often drives women to enter into prostitution. The selling of sex, many argue, is often the only choice African women have â€Å"between starvation and survival† (Essex et al. , 538). It is the l ink between women's position in wider society and position in sexual relations that is crucial to understanding their vulnerability to the virus. UNAIDS reported in 1999 that in sub-Saharan Africa 12 or 13 women are infected with the HIV virus for every 10 men (Russell 101). Women have characteristically been viewed as responsible for transmitting the virus.Prostitutes are blamed for spreading HIV to clients, and mothers are blamed for passing it to their children (Essex et al. , 3). Females are thought to have a polluting influence and are treated as â€Å"vaginas or uteruses,† â€Å"whores or mothers,† and â€Å"vectors or vessels† as opposed to people (Essex et al. , 3). Instead of regarding women as blameworthy for the severity of the AIDS epidemic in Africa, they should be more accurately perceived as occupying a cultural niche in which they are highly vulnerable to contracting the virus.Since women are forced to relinquish the driver's seat to males in the public sphere, they certainly have no say in the nature and timing of their sexual activity in the private sphere, leaving the roads HIV travels open to traffic. Intimate relations revolve around the same â€Å"notions of personhood† that operate in the larger society (Baylies, et. al. , 7). The outcomes of these gender ideologies take form as sexual practices. The foundation of these sexual understandings seems to be that women are expected to give but not receive pleasure.Sexual norms prescribe relative passivity for females, while according sexual decision making to men (Baylies et al. , 7). Tolerance is expected for the greater sexual mobility of men. Female fidelity is usually viewed as necessary while male infidelity is consistent with the extension of the familial line (Essex et al. , 534). The double standard expectation is that women will enter into a marriage as virgins but men will not. In patriarchal, sub-Saharan African cultures, marriage can be defined as a leg ally and socially sanctioned relationship between a man and a woman within which procreation takes place (Essex et al. 534). Women are not viewed as people capable of sexual pleasure but as the means by which to achieve an end. That end is the perpetuation of the family line. This prime value on marriage and motherhood presses young girls into risky, multiple-partner relationships long before they are psychologically or physically mature. Young women cannot refuse the sexual demands of older men nor bear the social stigma of being without a husband or children (Essex et al. , 536). Women are powerless within their relationships and have too little power outside of them to abandon partners that put them at risk.How, then, do these social and sexual patterns account for the severity of the AIDS epidemic in Africa? Many claim that male privilege is what drives the AIDS epidemic, even going so far as to call AIDS a form of mass femicide (Russell 100). Diane Russell bluntly states, †Å"Those women who contract HIV/AIDS from their male partners because of their sexist attitudes and behavior, and/or because of their superior power and dominant status, are? when they die? victims of femicide† (102). There are many examples of manifestations of male domination that can be fatal for female partners.Male refusal to use condoms is perhaps the most critical of these behaviors. Utilization of condoms is the one factor that would undoubtedly reduce transmission rates drastically. Women are not even allowed to ask, â€Å"Can we have sex? ,† so it is even more difficult to bring up condom use (Russell 103). However, if a woman does find the courage to ask her male partner to use a condom, not only will he almost certainly refuse, he is likely to beat her. â€Å"Talk to him about donning a rubber sheath and be prepared for accusations, abuse or abandonment,† relates Johanna McGeary in TIME magazine.Her article also related the story of a nurse in Durban, who, coming home from an AIDS training class, suggested that her husband put on a condom. He proceeded to grab a pot and bang on it loudly, attracting all the neighbors. He pointed a knife at her and demanded: â€Å"Where was she between 4 p. m. and now? Why is she suddenly suggesting that? What has changed after 20 years that she wants a condom? † One man, who had already infected his wife with HIV and was developing open herpes sores on his penis, objected to his wife's suggestion of using condoms, accusing her of having a boyfriend (Russell 103).Even educated men, aware of the AIDS risk, balk at the suggestion. McGeary heard the same answer come up again and again: â€Å"That question is nonnegotiable. † Several myths account for the lack of condom use, even when they are distributed for no cost: your erection can't grow, free condoms must be too cheap to be safe, condoms fill up with germs, condoms from overseas bring the disease with them, condoms donated by forei gn governments have holes in them so that Africans will die (McGeary).Some men simply decide they do not like the way condoms feel, and that is enough to decide the issue. When interviewed, one couple in Kanyama, Zambia, reported using condoms for contraception, but the husband started to complain that they were â€Å"burning† him and was not going to continue using them (Baylies et al. , 98). The established trend is that women must risk infection to please men. Women compromise their sexual safety to men's pleasure by even more drastic physical means. Throughout Southern Africa, many women practice â€Å"dry sex† to please their husbands.This involved drying out the vagina with soil mixed with baboon urine; some use detergents, salts, cotton, or shredded newspaper (Russell 102). Not only is dry sex reportedly very painful for women, it causes vaginal lacerations and suppresses the vagina's natural bacteria, both of which increase the likelihood of contracting the HIV virus when engaging in sex with an infected partner (Russell 103). Since women are already twice as likely to contract HIV from a single encounter than are men, this is extremely dangerous (McGeary).The decision to engage in dry sex can be made for economical reasons as well. The prostitute who dries out her vagina can charge more, 50 or 60 rands ($6. 46 to $7. 75), enough to pay a child's school fees or to eat for a week (McGeary). This is in contrast to the 20 rands ($2. 84) she might receive otherwise. Since male economic privilege plays a major role in forcing women into prostitution, any AIDS deaths resulting from it can be considered femicide. Economic disadvantage for females drives them to participate in other â€Å"dirty† deals.Teenage girls especially are easy prey for older, wealthier â€Å"sugar daddies,† men who provide money and goods in exchange for sex (Essex et al. , 536). Sex has been referred to as the â€Å"currency by which women and girls are ex pected to pay for life's opportunities, from a passing grade in school to a trading license† (Baylies et al. , 7). Girls as young as ten and eleven in Tanzania have been reported as having sexual relations with men for chips, Coke, money for videos or transport to school (Baylies et al. , 11).Sexual networking has dangerous implications for the spread of HIV, leaving many young women with much more than they bargained for. Yet another expression of male dominance on which the virus thrives is the practice of female genital mutilation. This practice, which has roots in the patriarchal society, is defined by the World Health Organization as the removal of part or all of the external female genitalia and/or injury to the female genital organs for cultural or other nontherapeutic reasons (Russell 104).It is designed to cater to men's sexual preferences and reinforce their control over women. The tendency of mutilated genitals to bleed, especially during intercourse, puts women at high risk for contracting the virus, as does the repeated use of the crude instruments used to perform these operations. The tools are often used on a number of girls on the same occasion (Russell 105). This practice is imposed on millions of girls in Africa. It is an attack not only on their bodies but also on their womanhood, on their personhood, and on their ability to protect themselves from a deadly disease.Tolerance of male promiscuity is a further social construction that strips away females' autonomy with fatal consequences. Men are accepted as sexually voracious by nature. â€Å"They are like that, and you can't do anything,† says one girl in Lushoto (Baylies et al. , 128). Many families' economic situations require that husbands are gone for months at a time in order to work, and they are certainly not expected to abstain from sexual activity during this time. Another Lushoto girl, married to a trader often away in Dar es Salaam, reports that she is afraid of her hu sband, worrying â€Å"he may infect me† (Baylies et al. 128). Her concern is absolutely justified. When a wife suspects that her husband has many partners outside the marriage, she is not entitled to refuse to engage in sex. â€Å"You are a wife, what can you do? † is the sad reality for most (Baylies et al. , 128). Marriage is an institution of vulnerability for women in Africa with respect to HIV. In general, it is men who bring HIV into a marriage (Baylies et al. , 11). Women can be infected, not through promiscuous activity on their own part, but as a consequence of being faithful to their husbands.The prevalence of AIDS in Africa also transforms sexual assaulters into murderers. The problem of rape is especially highlighted in South Africa, where a woman is estimated to be five times more likely to be raped than a woman in the United States (Russell 106). It is an extremely rare event that a rape is reported at all; 75% are believed to remain unreported (Russell 1 07). The existence of rape gangs is also a serious problem in South Africa. The term for recreational gang rape is jackrolling, and it is considered a game, not a crime.An analysis of gender relations in Africa provides insight into how and why HIV spreads so efficiently. The question now becomes what should be done with this knowledge to generate prevention strategies. It is obvious that women must become more empowered for the epidemic to be slowed with any significance. Russell claims that the first order of business requires educating people about the role played by male domination in the spread of HIV and AIDS, and that policies must then be developed to eliminate manifestations of patriarchy (109).It is clear that education should focus more on gender issues than the need to avoid risky sexual behavior. However, as has been demonstrated over and over, increased knowledge does not always translate into changed behavior. Baylies and Bujra investigate the potential of women's gro ups in campaigns of protection against HIV in Africa. They also point out that if economic dependence on men is a factor underlying women's vulnerability, greater economic security should serve to empower women. For this to occur, women would require higher levels of education.How men should be involved is another debatable issue. Male behaviors not only put their partners in danger, but themselves as well. Therefore, not only do men bear responsibility in this area, but it would be in their interest to assist in the process. One thing is clear: if the AIDS epidemic is to become any less of a problem in Africa, women will have to be empowered. Though AIDS is certainly a virtually impossible fire to extinguish in any context, the patriarchal society and exploitation of women not only fuels the flames but turns a fire into an inferno.For millions of African women, this hell is the reality. Their inferior position in larger society renders them powerless in sexual relations. The manife station of these social constructions emerges in sexual practices and behavior that not only allow HIV to transmit at alarming rates, but also are blatant violations of basic human rights. When African women are no longer denied these fundamental rights, a decrease in the severity of the epidemic will undoubtedly follow.Works Cited African Region Findings. The World Bank Group, No. 126, January 1999. ttp://www. worldbank. org/afr/findings/english/find126. htm April 29, 2002. Baylies, Carolyn and Janet Burja. AIDS, Sexuality and Gender in Africa. NY: Routledge Taylor and Francis Group, 2000. Essex, Max, Souleymane Mboup, Phyllis J. Kanki, and Mbowa R. Kalengayi, eds. AIDS in Africa. NY: Raven Press, 1994. McGeary, Johanna. Death Stalks A Continent. Time Magazine, 2001. http://www. time. com/time/2001/aidsinafrica/cover. html April 29, 2002. Russell, Diane E. H. and Roberta A. Harmes, eds. Femicide in Global Perspective. NY: Teachers College Press, 2001.