Politics of Health in America Essay

The healthcare system in America is one of the hot button issues in this and every election because things are only getting worse, while not coming close to getting better. Rising healthcare costs are bringing brought on by huge hospitals that can charge as much as they want for service. Compounding the problem is the fact that many Americans cannot afford healthcare insurance in order to foot the bill for their expensive care. As the Michael Moore film, Sicko, indicates, the healthcare crisis in America is far reaching and there does not seem to be a solution on the horizon. With more and more people missing out on insurance because of basic primal greed from hospitals and insurance companies, there exists a huge problem that is sure to hinder the development of American society. Facing the biggest problems in light of this healthcare crisis are women, who need a more advanced form of care than their male counterparts. Without access to healthcare insurance, millions of women are not able to acquire the medical care that is essential to their overall health.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The American healthcare system is one that is designed to rely primarily on health insurance. Without health insurance, a majority of both basic and advanced medical procedures would not be possible for any people. The primary problem with the system is that now, health insurance companies are not doing their job anymore. Instead of being an affordable option for common people who seek to protect themselves against medical emergency, these companies are now in the business of gouging patients and withholding insurance to those that are less fortunate. The American model is not the prevailing system that is used elsewhere in the world. In places like Canada and in most of Europe, nationalized healthcare is the order of the day. Those governments do not mess around with insurance companies and they make sure that healthcare is readily available to anyone that needs it. This is an expensive, but effective way to make sure that each person is cared for. Women are specifically targeted for care under European models. In England, the national healthcare system has seen some problems, but for the most part, the nationalized nature of the system makes sure that just about anyone that needs treatment can get that treatment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The issue at the heart of the healthcare debate is over the uninsured folks that have a hard time securing healthcare. In the United States, that number is steadily growing with each passing year. This is something that Michael Moore is quick to point out in his film and it is an essential part of the argument for a national healthcare system. According to a July article from the Associated Press, â€Å"Just this past week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated there are about 43.6 million uninsured people in the country† (AP). Though that number does not represent a majority of the population, it is a significant portion of a civilized country that would have absolutely no way of getting healthcare in case of a medical emergency. Should cancer strike any of that contingent of Americans, they would have no way of coming up with the thousands of dollars for treatment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another important healthcare consideration that is taken into account in Michael Moore’s film is the disparity between the rich and the poor. This is what is really at the heart of the matter. Those with money can afford to purchase the insurance that will protect them, while those without money cannot afford insurance. Making it even worse is the fact that the jobs that give the benefit of included healthcare insurance are the jobs that actually pay people enough to afford insurance. Presidential candidate Barack Obama has taken a stance on the issue and he has clearly defined the need for more healthcare for the poor in the United States. A January Washington Post article sheds light on Obama’s opinion on the matter. In that article, Nedra Pickler writes, â€Å"He (Obama) said it’s wrong that 46 million in this country are uninsured when the country spends more than any one else on health care. He said Americans pay $15 billion in taxes to help care for the uninsured† (Pickler). Obama has put a specific focus on the medical plight of poor women, who are often the biggest victims in the entire ordeal. Without a national healthcare system, the rising cost of women’s care in America makes it impossible for a large chunk of the country’s ladies to keep up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For those that do not have a huge amount of understanding on women’s care and how involved it is, the situation is a difficult one to understand. While men can get away with not going to the doctor for a period of months or years, women have to have check-ups in order to stay healthy enough to have children. This must be a huge focus for American society, especially as fertility rates keep falling for women in the country. Doctors are becoming much more specialized in this day and age, so their services are costing more. Gynecologists are no different, so insurance companies are being asked to pay more for that service. Even more important than the standard checkup is the entire situation of pregnancy. Women need to see a doctor every two to three weeks during pregnancy to make sure that everything is alright in their body and for their baby. This need comes in addition to the standard medical procedures that women must undertake to make sure that they stay in good condition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Women are among the most neglected when it comes to insurance in the United States. This correlation between gender and income is an important statistic to consider when forming opinions about the plight of the national healthcare system. Though the current system was certainly not written in a way that it would intentionally preclude women, the reality of the situation has almost made it look that way. Median income levels are lower for women in American than they are for men. It is much more difficult for women, be they white, black, Hispanic or any other race, to get a high paying job or one that offers full healthcare benefits. Though insurance companies might be precluding women from involvement, pregnancy has not been nearly as kind. There is no discrimination when it comes to that, as a poor woman is just as likely to get pregnant as a rich woman. Still, adequate care must be provided through the process of pregnancy and such care cannot be provided without the proper healthcare protection. The Christiane Northup book, Women’s Body, Women’s Wisdom, breaks down pregnancy in the following terms. â€Å"Pregnancy is a miraculous process and should be a time when a woman makes every effort to tune in to her body and baby with the support of her surroundings. For centuries, midwives helped mothers through the pregnancy and birthing processes, standing by them with medical and emotional aid† (Northup). This quotation clearly shows the need for assistance in a number of different areas for women during pregnancy. It is something that cannot be ignored for many women, as they seek to have the best pregnancy possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another thing to consider in all of this is the plight of single mothers in America. Recent sociological trends are indicating that more and more women are having children out of wedlock. Without a man present to help foot the bill for pregnancy costs, women without healthcare have an even more difficult time coming up with the money to pay for their own care. This is a trend that does not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, so it is imperative that the overriding problems get fixed before things get worse. Moore attacks this in Sicko, as he feels that single mothers are some of the biggest victims of the current healthcare system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Moore, single mothers are not the only victims in this situation. Though the politically correct notion is not to speak about race in regards to healthcare, the reality of the situation is that minority women are being left out at an alarming rate. An Amanda Gardner report in HealthDay speaks to the overall lackluster support that women have from the current healthcare system. Gardner writes, â€Å"No state met the goal for access to health insurance. Nationwide, 18 percent of women aged 18 to 64 were uninsured. In 2007, five states decreased Medicaid eligibility levels for working parents, making it more difficult for low-income people to get insurance† (Gardner). This trend has had a profound impact on minority mothers, who statistics show are working hard to provide for their children and also take care of themselves medically.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his movie Sicko, Michael Moore does not shy away from the topic of women and how they are affected by the current healthcare system. In fact, Moore makes it a point to break down how they are often the most mistreated of any of the demographic areas. A Kyle Smith article in the New York Post makes a large effort to disparage the work of Michael Moore, but it does lend light on one example from Moore’s film where the focus is clearly placed upon mistreated women. In the article, Kyle Smith writes, â€Å"Perhaps the most absurd example is that of the woman who says that after she received benefits, the check was stopped because she had previously suffered an undisclosed yeast infection† (Smith). If the story from the woman in the film is true, then the problems within the system are so apparent and so flawed that securing healthcare is almost a hopeless venture for many women within the United States. Moore has harsh criticism for the current system in its exploitation of women financially. Because the current system is one that rewards doctors and insurance companies on the amount of work they can do, it directly impacts women. As mentioned previously, women have a greater reason to head to the doctor for a plethora of events. Under the current system, women are even discouraged from heading to the doctor in order to get the care that they so desperately need. Instead of going to the doctor to get care for themselves and their unborn children, women are being asked to limit their visits in an effort to save money. This is unfair and unsafe, according to Moore. His proposed implementation of a national healthcare system would take care of this issue, as it would shift the burden to all of the taxpayers and would insure that distribution of healthcare is on a need basis. That means that women would not feel pressured and they could head to the doctor’s office freely and without worry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Michael Moore is not shy about offering up solutions for a better system. In his film, he specifically refers to the national healthcare systems used by much of Europe and Canada. He proposes that if America were to go to a taxpayer funded national healthcare system, like the one proposed by Obama, things would get much easier for women specifically. They would not only have unlimited care at their immediate disposal, but women would also have top notch care that is necessary. With fertility levels dropping and that causing problems to other national systems like Social Security, it is essential that the federal government takes action to help women protect themselves and their ability to have children. According to Moore, a federal system in which socialized medicine is offered will be the best scenario for women in the United States.   Works Cited Smith, Kyle. 19 June 2007. New York Post. Botched Operation: Crazy Moore Offers Wrong Prescription. http://www.nypost.com/seven/06192007/entertainment/movies/botched_operation_movies_kyle_smith.htm?page=0 Gardner, Amanda. 17 October 2007. HealthDay. U.S. Women’s Health Care Still Falls Short: Report. http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=609217 Associated Press. 2 July 2007. Little Defense for U.S. Health Care of ‘Sicko’. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19552132/ Nedra, Pickler. The Associated Press. 25 January 2007. Obama Calls for Universal Health Care. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2007/01/25/AR2007012500764.html

Retention Policy on BS Tourism

INTRODUCTIONThe impact of the world tourism had made a significant spearhead in these recent years due to the rise in world economies and upsurge in global domestic consumption, which resulted to higher domestic capacity of individuals to consume and purchase. One of the prime beneficiaries of this high purchasing power and consumption is the world tourism sector, which relies from the chain of global interdependency of its diversified and complex actors from the international and national down to the domestic and local level.The Philippines is one of the more diversified and intercultural countries in the world apart from the beautiful sceneries and beaches it could offer. It is one of the reasons that in the recent years, there is a consistent influx of tourists, whether local or foreign, to the world-renowned tourist spots in the country. Thus, there is a renaissance in the tourism sector and industry. Furthermore, the tourism sector had contributed 5. 9% to the country’s G ross Domestic Product in 2011 as per the National Statistical Coordination Board.The tourism sector had in its manpower   3.8 million employees, or 10. 2 percent of national employment in 2011, according to data gathered by the National Statistical Coordination Board. As a result on this on-going growth, the Tourism sector requires the qualified manpower, which would cater the demands of this sunrise industry. The requirement of skilled and qualified manpower in the Tourism Industry in the Philippines necessitates the importance of proper and appropriate skills and training for the trainees and students in the Vocational, Technical and Tertiary academe, who vie to enter the tourism and hospitality sector.One of these institutions offering the much needed education and training suitable for the requirement of the tourism sector is the Lyceum of the Philippines University. The Lyceum of the Philippines University is one of the premiere universities in the country and one of the prim e movers on the academe of global competitiveness. The university had appropriately seen the result in the upsurge in world and domestic tourism sector and recognized the importance of introducing formal education in the tertiary level, which caters the manpower needs of this growing sector.One of these courses offered is the Degree Bachelor of Science in Tourism, among others in the related field. Nonetheless, one of the focal point in the academe is the quality of graduates with the highly specialized field of expertise they may offer to their potential employers. Furthermore, the Lyceum of the Philippines University, through the College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management, had introduced the Retention Policy in the B. S Tourism course, in order to ensure, the academic excellence of their students in this particular course.This retention policy is the requirement of at least a general point average of 2. 75, in order for a student to remain in the course program. I f the students failed to pass the 2. 75 average, he or she is required to follow the following rules: all students’ GPA should be 78 (2. 75) or higher 1st offense = the student will be given a verbal warning 2nd offense = student’s maximum load will be reduced by 3 units 3rd offense = student’s maximum load will be reduced by 6 units 4th offense = the student will be expelledHence, this research question arises from the foregoing: What are the impacts, advantages and disadvantages of the University’s Retention Policy over the tourism students of Lyceum of the Philippines University. Background of the Study Lyceum of the Philippines University is one of the prime universities located in the heart of the Metro. The Retention Policy is designed to maintain the high standard of hospitality education in LPU in order to meet the requirements of the profession. This research study will provide vital information, on how the retention policy can affect the standar ds of students and the faculty in the university.This research would focus on the freshmen and sophomore students B. S. Tourism since they would be greatly affected by the Retention Policy as compared to the Junior and Senior students in the program. Firstly, since the first and second years in the tertiary level deals mainly on the General Subjects in the curriculum as compared to the third and fourth years, whom the student focus their attention with their major subjects and on-the-job training.Secondly, the first and second year students are in a situation when either they are  forced to enter the program since it is the â€Å"in-demand† and â€Å"fad† courses; or convinced by their parents and peers; or spur of the moment, as compared to the third and fourth years, where they had decided that this would be their career for life. Lastly, the subjects were chosen, since they comprise the bulk of the students in the course. There would be a comparative study in term s on the advantages and disadvantages of the retention policy. The comparison would be the advantages and disadvantages on the perspective of the students involved as opposed to the standing of LPU in the academic community.Statement of the Problem This study aims to answer this question: What are the advantages and disadvantages of Retention Policy of the Lyceum of the Philippines University on 1st year Tourism students in terms of: a. study habbit b. students perspective towards the new rules that the school will implement pertaining to retention policy Objectives of the Study This study aims to attain the following:To know the advantages of Retention Policy to 1st year Tourism Students To know the disadvantages of Retention Policy to 1st year Tourism Students To know the effect in study habbit of students regarding Retention PolicyHypothesis of the Study Lyceum of the Philippines University Manila will be implementing new selective Retention Policy starting First Semester of next school year. All students GPA should be 78 (2. 50) higher or else they have to follow some regulations regarding of the new policy. The action proposed by the participants is to have a better understanding about the impacts, advantages, and disadvantages of retention policy to the tourism students of LPU as perceived by the students. Significance of the Study Administrators of LPU-Manila.This study will be of significance to the Administrators of the university, for their better implementations of the rules and regulations within the campus, specially those that concerns the image of the institution and the welfare of their students. LPU-Manila Tourism Students. Awareness of this study would help the tourism students to be aware of their education and standards of the school. This study will also help them hone their skills and expertise in the field of Tourism Management. This research, in a way, can also inspire them on how they can be more productive and better citizens for the betterment of their future.Future Researchers. This research is important for those future researchers, who will conduct a study similar, or in relation to the above topic, for this to serve as their reference or guide. They can also improve other areas that will not be cover during the duration of this study. Scope and Limitations This study will embodies on the advantages and disadvantages of retention policy to the 1st year tourism students. Due to the limited time frame for this research to be conducted, this study will no longer dwell on other factors aside from those who mention in this study.Aside from the time frame, the researchers will also limit their respondents to 100 LPU-Manila Tourism Students especially the freshmen and sophomore since they would be greatly affected by the Retention Policy as compared to the Junior and Seniors students in the program for in-depth study, and a probable up close interview that will be relevant to this research Definition of Terms In or der to understand definitely what the researcher wants to convey in this work, the following terms and phrases are defined: Complex – a group of culture traits relating to a single activity, process or culture unit.Whole made up complicated or interrelated parts. Consumption – Major concepts in economics and also studied by many other social studies. The act or process of consuming resources. Diversified – reducing risk by investing in a variety of assets. One of the two general techniques for reducing investment risk. Any risk averse investors will diversity to at least some extent with more risk averse investors diversifying more completely than less risk averse investors. To increase the variety of the product. To balance defensively by dividing funds among securities of different industries or different classes.Influx – arrival or entry of large number of people or thing. A coming in examples : an in influx of tourists. Inter- cultural – form o f communication that aims to share information across different cultures and social group. It used to describe the wide range of communication process and problems that naturally appear with in a organization made up of individuals from the different religions, social, ethnic and educational background. Competence is the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with people of other cultures.Inter- dependency – a relationship in which each member is mutually dependent on the others. This concept differs from dependence and some are not. Man power – the number of people working or available for work or service. Power available or supplied by the physical effort of human beings and the total supply of person available and fitted for a service. Renaissance – a cultural movement the spanned the period roughly from the 14th to 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Age and later spreading to the rest of Europe.Contributed the development of th e conventions of diplomacy and in science an increased reliance on observation. Retention – the act of retaining. The conduction of being retained, capacity or power of retaining. An ability to recall or recognize what has been learned or experience. Spearhead – someone who leads or initiates an activity. Influence in an undertaking or development. To serve as leating element. Upsurge – the strength or quantity of something. A rapid or sudden rise. World renowned – widely know an acclaimed.

Fundamental Factors Affecting Quality Essay

The nine fundamental factors (9 M’s), which are affecting the quality of products and services, are: markets, money, management, men, motivation, materials, machines and mechanization. Modern information methods and mounting product requirements. 1. Market: Because of technology advancement, we could see many new products to satisfy customer wants. At the same time, the customer wants are also changing dynamically. So, it is the role of companies to identify needs and then meet it with existing technologies or by developing new technologies. 2. Money: The increased global competition necessitates huge outlays for new equipments and process. This should be rewarded by improved productivity. This is possible by minimizing quality costs associated with the maintenance and improvements of quality level. 3. Management: Because of the increased complex structure of business organization, the quality related responsibilities lie with persons at different levels in the organization. 4. Men: The rapid growth in technical knowledge leads to development of human resource with different specialization. This necessitates some groups like, system engineering group to integrate the idea of full specialization. 5. Motivation: If we fix the responsibility of achieving quality with each individual in the organization with proper motivation techniques, there will not be any problem in producing the designed quality products. 6. Materials: Selection of proper materials to meet the desired tolerance limit is also an important consideration. Quality attributes like, surface finish, strength, diameter etc., can be obtained by proper selection of material. 7. Machines and mechanization: In order to have quality products which will lead to higher productivity of any organization, we need to use advanced machines and mechanize various operations. 8. Modern information methods: The modern information methods help in storing and retrieving needed data for manufacturing, marketing and servicing. 9. Mounting product requirements: Product diversification to meet customers taste leads to intricacy in design, manufacturing and quality standards. Hence, companies should plan adequate system to tackle all these requirements.

Service operations management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Service operations management - Essay Example The service sector poses tough competition to the conventional manufacturing industrial sector. The service operations management in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry nurtures millions of jobs throughout the world. Many companies from the developed nations have outsourced their operations to other locations with benefits of low cost labor, lower investment in infrastructure and technology and employees with good skills and competencies. The BPO industry that serves organizations at other locations has emerged as global competitor for other industries in the manufacturing, service and public sectors in terms of revenues generated, profits made and costs saved, and work dynamics. An evaluation of services operations management in the BPO sector has been undertaken in order to understand various dimensions attached services operations management in this sector. The immense success recorded by the BPO industry has attracted many researchers from all over the world to study and understand business management; these cases are also examples of many management studies. The success of service delivery by companies from different locations in the world occupies much of management literature and research conducted during the previous two decades. This report will be based on Haskett’s (1987) review that provides basic framework for construction of service operations on integrated functions, strategic service vision, inner-directed vision, quality, information and technology. Transferring business operations from one location to other is highly challenging and requires special skills and competencies in terms of the five main management functions, planning, organizing, leading, coordinating and controlling. These five core functions are achieved through strategic planning and management; effective leadership; technology and skills; and human resources management. In general, these functions seem quite similar to any other

Holocaust Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Holocaust - Dissertation Example (Langer, 1975) Being moved from one language to another, particularly from German into English, then into French, is bound to change some of the meanings as well as lose some of them. Language is such an ambiguous concept that denotations are simply never sufficient in translating the exact intended meaning of the author. Authors utilize connotations of words in the language as they know it, however, the implied meaning may be lost to the translator. It is a fact that in research, there is only an average of approximately 80 percent of success in the translation of the meaning the original written works. Though the exact percentage of accuracy of the â€Å"Night† is not provided, there were some things that the author did not intend in the English version of the book. Rodway's use of words were a little too strong and graphic, bordering on crude, with her description of certain sensitive scenes in the book. The original work written by Elie used a little bit of Hebrew and Germ an, wherein some of the definitions would have most probably been lost along the process of translation. There are implied meanings in a language that could be overlooked by a translator no matter how fluent or efficient they are. Records state that Elie have in fact used some Hebrew characters originating from ancient customs which necessitates even more expertise in translating his texts in order to perceive his true meaning. Throughout the book, particularly the English translation, there were some implications of objections to Christianity as a religion, as well as similar objections to Judaism. The main title of the book, â€Å"Night†, was made in reference to how Elie's family, and other Jews alike, used to pray to God to get the night over with a lot faster. The author wrote his frustrations and his inability to contemplate how a loving God can allow tragedies as such can happen. This version of the book has brought on outrage from the Jewish people as well as other gr oups. The first translation written by Stella Rodway received a both positive and negative reviews. However, the sales remained unaffected by the attention it did receive. In contrast to Anne Frank's diary, this book was received as a fiction rather than an actual chronological account of what has happened during the holocaust. The book was intensely personal, and some of the events did not quite tally with records of events that has occurred, which makes it an easy for critiques to question the validity of his stories. (Berenbaum, 1979) The book tackled life to death stories as it began with the foreboding doom by Moshe the Beadle, who was an escapee then to the stories of a prophet who was on the train to the camp and was only capable of having visions of fire. Certain analogies pertaining to how eyes filled with pain goes blank and all those eyes would be is two open wounds that are now just an abyss filled with expressions of terror. In one part of the book in particular, a stor y of a little boy who was hung to die with two grown men gripped a lot of readers in the past few decades that the book has been in publication. Again, condemning statements such as of how God, for all the flowery phrases used to describe him, can allow such cruelty and evil come upon his people was perceived as an insult by certain readers. Christianity, as

How to View Quality Theory from a Contingency Perspective Essay

How to View Quality Theory from a Contingency Perspective - Essay Example This does not mean that the work process should get routinized. Rather, enough flexibility has to be maintained, in order to meet all kinds of future changes and contingencies. In the modern dynamic business world this is far from being true. Hence there is the need is to develop a contingency approach to the quality management theories. The contingency perspective of quality management states that there can be no single management theory which can be used as a solution in all organizations under every circumstance. Hence all the elements of management, that is planning, organizing, staffing and directing needs to be suited to the requirements of the organization. The various factors upon which such decision making depends, include various environmental factors as well as several internal contingencies. (Stahl, 1999, p 78) The experts believe that the quality management is made up of two aspects namely, quality control and quality learning. Whereas control refers to the use of the quality improvement theories in an organization, learning refers to the use of the same in a contingency perspective. These two elements are also influenced by various moderators like the organizational structure and the environmental uncertainty, which in turn affects the overall performance. The managers need to have an effective balance between these two conflicting goals in the organization, so as to effectively deal with the situational uncertainties of the business. Thus it can be said that the successful working of an organization is dependent on the adaptability of its internal change processes to its external environment and to the contingencies occurring due to the nature of its business. (Giaever, 1998) A question can be asked in this regard, whether the Quality in itself is contingent or not. (Beckford, 2003, p. 151). There may be two dimensions of this question. The first one is the quality, which is determined by measuring the output of the organization.

International Human Rights law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

International Human Rights law - Essay Example The researcher states that international human rights law is actually the body of international law made to preserve and promote human rights and this law can be enforced at domestic, regional, and international level. This law was formed to protect human rights on many levels, so that if rights are abused, unnoticed or violated on domestic level, then the suffering parties would be able to seek justice or plead for enforcement of rights on regional and international level. International human rights law differs from other legislations in that it basically aims to regulate the relation between state authorities and common people for enforcing human rights in terms of daily life matters. Proponents of international human rights law claim that according to this legislation, it is the duty of the international community to respond to any such situation in which human rights get violated due to any reason and take a quick and effective action against such human rights abuse cases. It is commonly seen in the present age in many different parts of the world that no matter how many rights are abused by the oppressive parties, the international community fails again and again to take any proper action. This shows that though human rights are declared to be universal, yet state responsibility for their violations is limited by territoriality as well as by citizenship. A state only takes notice of human rights abuses if the violations occur inside its own territory and if the affected individual or party resides in that state. 3 Little or almost zero notice is taken of human rights abuses if the affected individual happens to be a citizen of another state. However, those in favor of this law suggest that there is an ever-growing impact of international human rights law on domestic legal systems all over the world which shows how effective this law is thought to be by domestic judges, prosecutors, and lawyers.4 The evolving legal situation suggests that even the daily wor k of those related to domestic legal systems in any way is seen to be heavily influenced by the international human rights law which would definitely not have been possible had this law actually lacked effectiveness.5 It is also claimed that this law has helped the states immensely in implementing and securing human rights obligations. This law also requires the relevant legal professions to carefully scrutinize the broad range of ways by which human rights can be enforced and protected from abuses. This law also fulfils the purpose of enforcing human rights globally to a great extent through international cooperation irrespective of sex, race, religion, or language.6 In short, this paper strives to present both sides of the picture and discuss that though international human rights law was developed to protect and promote different human rights and though it succeeds in doing so on certain levels, the approach taken for the protection of human rights lacks effectiveness on many lev els too. In order to validate discussion, the relevant research is presented with special reference to the rights of the child and the women’s rights. MAJOR HUMAN RIGHTS CONVENTIONS FOR GRANTING RIGHTS TO CHILDREN AND WOMEN This remains a resolute reality that children need very special kind of care, love, guidance, and attention as they happen to be very raw, vulnerable, sensitive, and immature. But another deplorable reality is that many children around the globe are subjected to violence on extreme levels. Rights of children are severely abused by forcibly making them participate in camel races in Arab countries where every year, cruel and influential people seek entertainment at the cost of myriad innocent lives. Children are also unlawfully forced to engage in prostitution, pornography, and labor. Since children happen to be particularly and naturally vulnerable and innocent, so they also feel insecure and hesitate to seek refuge and help. Children need to depend on othe rs so it is understandable that majority hesitates to exercise rights

Organizational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organizational Change - Essay Example The power and strength of the Army is not only the number but also lies in the contribution from individual soldier. This is because it is not important for them as to what job they have or which rank they hold. The Army has more than 675,000 soldiers which are divided into 488,000 soldiers on Active Duty who are ready to react and fight immediately in any mission and 189,000 soldiers in Army Reserve, who can be mobilized rapidly when their combat and military skills are required in situations of national emergency or in global conflicts (ABOUT THE ARMY). As the US Army consists of a large number of soldiers, it has to be organized into separate units, each with a respective leader and a reporting structure. The Army is separated into two major components as the Active Duty and the Army Reserve. Those who operate in any of the component are known as the Enlisted Soldiers, the Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs), the Warrant Officers or the Commissioned Officers. The following diagram shows how the Army operational unit is organized (ABOUT THE ARMY). The US military life is tough regime where the soldiers are trained to live and survive in tough conditions. No form of social contact is allowed for them. The result is that when these soldiers return back to their social lives they face difficulty in accommodating themselves with the social culture. They get repulsed by the poor physical fitness of the civilians, by the uncivilized uncouth behavior according to their standards, and by what these army persons considered as pervasive selfishness and aimless consumerism. Many also found themselves avoiding their old friends, and some even experienced problems in communicating with their own families. These soldiers develop this feeling that the civilians are only interested in being losers and underachievers. They find the general civilian life nothing but nasty (The

Toward a Moral Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Toward a Moral Economy - Essay Example Just for the sake of their rights, some of the people who were in favor of the justice and equality for all raised their voices and thus the concept of moral economy were developed. There are different characteristics or the attributes, which can make any economy a moral and justified economy. The researchers are of the opinion that any economy can be perfect and moral just because of the implications and the practices in that particular duration. There are three main types of economies based on the practices and the implications, i.e. Socialism, capitalism and the communism. Usually if we look over all the concepts and the attitudes of a socialist economy then we can say that socialism is the best moral economy. If we look at the historical perspectives of the establishment of a moral economy, the different sociologists have worked a lot on this discussion. The one common point of all the researchers is the basic foundation of a moral economy. According to their point of view, the economic activities influenced by the sentiments, values, norms, and other just thought patterns might contribute to make a moral economy. The contributions of different authors are discussed here in detail; Adam Smith: Adam Smith wrote two books containing great and inspirational concepts about the establishment of a moral economy. One book ‘Wealth of the Nations’ is directly related to the ethical standards of an economy whereas the other book ‘The Moral System’ gives a general frame work for the foundation of an economic system. In both of his writings, Smith has tried to formulate general rules of justice and laws that should be implemented in an economic system. Adam Smith has even tried to pin point the process that can motivate the people to adopt ethical and moral laws so that they can work their best for the establishment of a moral economy at least on individual basis. Another high point of Smith writings is the formulation of two

Disadvantages of Censorship Essay Example for Free

Disadvantages of Censorship Essay The censorship debate is a long one, and the numbers seem to be equally divided between both sides. Censorship exists in all forms of media, and far beyond it. Those against are not campaigning for a completely censorship free country, but just to minimise it to an extent where it is not such a predominant part of what we watch, hear and think. It would be impossible and unrealistic to believe that the country would be able to function properly without some control of the information leaked to the general public, but it is also a worrying prospect that we may not know as much as we think we do about the country we live in and the problems facing it. One example of the advantages of censorship is during World War II. It played a major part along with propaganda to maintain a positive atmosphere throughout England, as if all the gruesome details concerning the ever-increasing death rate, the awful state of the soldiers and the destruction of homes and buildings were openly shared, not only would the people of England lose the faith they once had in winning the war, but it would make the country much easier to beat. The army wouldnt have anything to prove, and the German spies closely monitoring the media would be able to pin-point the perfect places to destroy in order to bring morale to such a low that the English would have no choice but to surrender. But was this really justified? Didnt the people have a right to know the real condition other parts of the country were in? What gives the government the right to release incorrect statistics? This is the type of thing being debated about today. To what extent should free speech be limited? Would that even still count as free? What would have happened if an English soldier had been allowed to write home about the true glory of the war? His family would have obviously been horrified, and consequently told their friends and co-workers, warning them against sending their son to war. If this was wide-spread enough, there would have been a dramatic increase in the men avoiding conscription and a decrease in enthusiasm in joining, making it weaker and even more out-numbered by the opposing forces leading to almost definite defeat. But is this a reason enough to make this soldier lie? To subject thousands more men to a gruesome and possibly fatal ordeal? Does the ends really justify the means?

Ethical Issues In The Human Genome Project

Ethical Issues In The Human Genome Project The Human Genome Project was the largest international scientific research conducted in the field of Biology. This research project began in 1990 with a mission of discovering all the genes in human DNA and determining the sequences of chemical base pairs which make up the DNA of human. The Human Genome Project was coordinated by the Department of Energy and National Institute of Health, in the USA. The research involved thousands of scientists, biologists, chemists, engineers, computer scientists, mathematicians and human participants from around the world. The researchers plotted several types of biological maps that enabled many other researchers to improve their knowledge and to use them in proceeding with their researches. According to web definitions, a genome is The set of genes that are carried by an individual. A chromosome is a genetic structure that contains cells that contain thousands of genes. The human genome is stored in 23 chromosome pairs. Gene sequencing is a process that determines the sequence of DNA of an organisms genome. The genome that was sequenced for the first time was a virus and was done in 1977. Scientists have discovered that there are over 3 billion DNA base pairs in a haploid human genome. One of the aims of the human genome project was to plot maps that are capable of providing a way for the researchers to locate specific genes in a chromosome. The primary aim of the Human Genome Project was to identify and map all the DNA pairs. There are many applications of Genome research, namely, Bio Technology, Bio Medical Research, Molecular Medicine, DNA Forensics, Agriculture, Livestock Breeding and bio-processing. The outcome of the Human Genome Project enables improved diagnosis of disease, Rational Drug design, creation of customized drugs and Gene therapy. These are several benefits of the HGP in the context of Molecular Medicine and Bio Medical Research. The maps created by the HGP have enabled researchers to unveil many genetic conditions such as inherited colon cancer, Breast cancer and Alzheimers disease. The HGP ( in the filed of DNA forensic) will enable to identify suspects by identifying DNA found in crime scenes, identify parents, and other relationships, and to identify DNA precisely in any context. Furthermore, it enables creation of nutritious products and Biopesticides as benefits to the field of Agriculture and Bi oprocessing. Plants and animals that are more immune to diseases could be created by understanding plant and animal genomes. Moreover, it will enable to reduce cost of agriculture and to provide customers with more nutritious and quality products. The benefits for Bioarchaelogy, Human Evolution and Anthropology are the ability to study the evolution of humans by understanding the genomics, ability to study migration of different populations and to discover the relationships between the archaebacteria, eukaryotes and prokaryotes. On the contrary to the above mentioned benefits, the Human Genome project and its applications have encountered significant social, ethical and legal issues. The main issue is allowing access to gathered genetic information. If the information is accessible by anyone, it could be misused. For example an employer can access this information, and use it in making decisions when they hire people. There may be people who are having genetic disorders, yet physically fit and capable of working. Nevertheless, the employers can decide not to hire them considering the possibility of developing a medical disorder. Decisions are made based on the employees personal genetic information. This could be unfair to a certain group of people with genetic disorders. Making decision based on the genetic information of the employees is unlawful under section 202 of the Genetic Information Non Discrimination Act of 2008. According to Section 202, Employer Practices, it is unlawful for an employer not to h ire or to discharge or to discriminate any employee based on their genetic information. If the data is accessed by Insurance companies, they could use it to earn profits. The person who is willing to insure himself will have to pay a premium depending on the severity of the disease he has. For example, a cancer patients premium will be higher that the premium of a normal person. The ethical issue is discrimination based on the genetic information. It is a known fact that discrimination is used to discourage people in many places such as schools, workplaces, universities, and even in public. There are many instances in which people had to leave workplaces, and children faced many problems in schools due to embarrassment which was a consequence of discrimination. Race and ethnicity discrimination was the most prominent form of discrimination. It has deviated into genetic discrimination since the genetic information is now available. This may cause embarrassment to people with certain genetic disorders, discourage them and even lose their confidence which could let them do wn. To regulate this situation, many governments have set laws and legislations that describe the penalties of discrimination. One such legislation is the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Section 702 of the act States (A) In General For purposes of this section, a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer offering group health insurance coverage in connection with a group health plan, may not adjust premium of contribution amounts for the group covered under such plan on the basis of genetic discrimination. It further discusses the penalties for the insurers and employers who use discrimination as a form of gaining profit. Another way of misusing the gathered information is using it do discriminate minority ethnic groups or communities. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Human genome states, No one shall be subjected to discrimination based on genetic characteristics that is intended to infringe or has the effect of infringing human rights, fundamental freedom and human dignity. Therefore even though a persons genetic information is revealed, he has the right to live without being a victim of discrimination. Nevertheless, the existence of the genetic information may lead to several social issues such as racial discrimination. Currently, most people in European countries are victims of racial criticism. The human genome project requires quite a large number of genes to be gathered and stored and then to be tested. The genetic differences between groups of people can be emphasized. This may have a psychological impact due to the differences between genetics. One of the greatest achievements of the Human Genome Project was the genetic map which is capable of facilitating researchers to pin point specific genes in a chromosome. This enables to discover a significant amount of disorders in the human body and doctors to quickly identify the disorders within their patients. Several decades ago, people were not allowed to be aware of the diseases and only the scientists were allowed to discover them and find treatments. The society has revolutionized, and people live more sophisticated lives, therefore, awareness of such diseases is at a higher level. Many people argue that patients have a right to be aware of their illnesses; on the other hand, this has a negative impact on the patients mentality. Even if a genetic disorder is discovered, it takes some time to discover the treatments. For instance, cancer was discovered, several decades ago, however proper treatments with no side effects have not been found yet. Similarly, when a genetic diso rder is diagnosed, it can create frustration and anxiety. This frustration and anxiety will remain within the patients mind until the treatments are discovered and the patient is treated. This may take a short time period or may take a couple of years. It is a well known fact that a person can live longer and happier as long as he is not aware of his illnesses. Another drawback is that people might be discouraged and refuse to live their normal lives due to frustration. Awareness of the genetic disorders can ultimately result in a group of people who are mentally ill which would become a severe social issue. Applying new genetics to unborn children is another area which may cause ethical and social implications. The discoveries of the Human Genome Project have enabled the scientists and doctors to replace cells in unborn children. This implies that parents can have custom-made babies, with the desired features. A possible dilemma is issues related to In-Vitro-Fertilization. In Vitro Fertilization is the process of fertilizing egg cells by male cells (spermatocyte) outside the womb. Since genetic information is available, genes with all good features could be selected and high grade embryos could be created. The concept of Designer Baby is introduced with this technology. Theses embryos could be sold at different prices which may cause in every human having a price and it will depend on the race, intelligence level, eye, or hair color and immunity to diseases. Prices of these designer babies will depend on the quality of the baby. Social issues may arise among people who are able to affor d for a high quality designer baby and people who are not capable of owning one. Another possible social issue is the competition among the designer babies when they grow older. Every parent would want their baby to be a high quality designer baby. The rate of child kidnaps and murders could rise as a result of the designer baby concept. As stated in the previous paragraphs, one of the main objectives of the Human Genome project was to map the DNA sequence. This enables the doctors to modify the embryos and create humans who can live longer, more intelligent and more immune to various diseases. In addition to the issues raised by having designer babies, creation of super human with fewer defects have raised religious issues. It contradicts with the religious beliefs on God of many people. Creation of super human has raised controversial issues among the scientists who are involved in research based on creating humans and spiritual and religious leaders. This is because many religions believe that the creator of humans is God. They believe that the superiority of human is decided by god. The argument brought by them is that only god has the power to create a living creature and humans are not creators, but only creations. They also believe that humans shall never become powerful than God. Moreover, they strongly belie ve that these scientific researches and developments have disappointed God, and the harsh punishments should be given to scientists who are engaged in such research. This religious issue could grow into a serious social issue where people might start attacking the scientists. Previous researches have shown that most people are against modifying embryos to create better quality humans. Furthermore, it is evident that people who are against the creation of super human are mostly religious and spiritual leaders and people who strongly believe in God. Forensic Investigation is another area which is benefitted by the Human Genome Project. Nevertheless, it can be the origin of many social and ethical issues. The DNA gathered by the HGP is stored in a database known as the National DNA databank: CODIS. The goal of storing this information is to use it for forensic investigation, in criminology. Investigations involving DNA is considered to be more accurate. The Combined DNA Index System has become a powerful tool to reduce violent crime as it combines DNA technologies with computers. Two indexes are used in CODIS, namely, The Convicted Offender Index and The Forensic Index. These indexes are generated using the biological evidences gathered from the crime scene. DNA profiles are then created using Short Tandem Repeat analysis. Different software is utilized in CODIS to search for the indexes for matching DNA profiles. According to the sources, the databank contains more than five million DNA profiles. DNA is tested to identify crimin als, but when the tests are done, used DNA records should be destroyed. Proper Disposal of the DNA information is vital or else the persons entire genetic information would be available. This again could be used to discriminate people or to accuse innocent people for crimes which they have not committed. Another distressing issue is the violation of privacy of the owners of the genetic information. Genetic information is considered as private and confidential information of a person and privacy implies that a person has the right to decide the extent of disclosing his or her genetic information. Privacy is violated due to not having proper means of disposing the used samples. Accusing innocent people or arresting them is another negative aspect of storing DNA in a databank. This technology matches DNA profiles of crimes with victims and therefore, it can match a person who has been in the crime scene earlier. This way, innocent people could be accused and arrested, hence discriminat ed and cornered by the society. Another alarming issue is populating criminal databases with DNA samples of people belonging to ethnic minorities. This is mainly done with an intention of discrimination and discouraging people. This is due to not gathering and storing genetic information in an unbiased manner such that it would not be unfair for a group of people. For example, a controversial problem occurred in a European country, for storing DNA samples in a biased manner such that the criminal databases were mostly populated with innocent people belonging to ethnic minorities. Consequently, innocent people were arrested and questioned. Gene Testing is yet another area which may cause social issues. In gene testing, DNA sample are taken and stored in databases, and sometimes used to compare with other peoples DNA samples. Once a DNA test is done, the company issues a copy to the owner of the DNA and results are kept in hard copy files as well as databases. These hard copy files could be accessed by any one and refer to the genetic information and test results of some one. The database can also be hacked and the genetic information can be revealed. It is a known fact that no database is hundred percent secure even if it is an offline database. Therefore security is a main issue in genetic testing. Some of this DNA samples are compared with other samples during tests, and mostly done without the consent of the owner of the DNA sample. Privacy is the main issue of having a massive databank with DNA information of millions of people. DNA can provide information about people including their probability of having certain diseases, sexual orientation or certain behaviors. Gaining access to this information would violate the privacy of another. Police, forensic science service and researchers can access this information without the consent of the people. This violates the privacy of the people. One can use this information unethically, against another to discriminate or to harm someone emotionally. Celebrities would be the first to lose their privacy as many people are keen on gathering information about them. This information could be published and could be the origin of many other issues in their personal lives. The probability for genetic discrimination by the government, schools, employers and insurance companies may increase. Invading someone elses privacy is illegal according to many privacy laws and legislations set by many governments. According to the Privacy Law of the United States of America, privacy is the expectation that confidential personal information disclosed in a private place wil l not be disclosed to third parties, when that disclosure would cause embarrassments or emotional distress to a person of reasonable sensitivities. Furthermore, it discusses the penalties of invading other peoples privacy. Article four of universal Declaration of the Human Genome and Human Rights states that The human genome in its natural state shall not give rise to financial gains. In most countries it is believed that DNA, when removed from a person, is not considered to be in its natural form, hence it is used to gain financial benefits. For instance, in the US, innovations are encouraged by allowing gene patenting. Though using genomes to gain profits is against the Universal declaration of Human Rights many companies tend to use this to gain profits. But many people are against gene patenting for various reasons including their strong beliefs which says that human gene sequences should never be patented. It is also believed that human genome is an inherent part of every person. Gene patenting is prohibited in some parts of the world and there has been evidence of situations in which legal bodies have denied to grant patents. Another area of the Human Genome Project which will cause several ethical, legal and social issues is genetic Testing, Screening and Counseling. As a result of identifying new genes, tests that can determine the level of risk for a particular genetic disease are developed. This will enable people to know whether there is a potential of developing a disease or a genetic disorder which could be passed on to their children. This will have a negative impact on the society. Also it could change the whole life of a person. For example, a person could be mentally letdown if he gets to know that he has a high possibility of developing a rare disease which could not be cured. If this information is revealed, and accessed by an employer this person might not be granted a job. Similarly, if the person wants to get an insurance coverage for himself, he might be required to pay a higher premium to the insurers depending on his disease. Genetic engineering involves manipulation of genes. The map created as a result of the Human Genome Project provides information that will enable to diagnose and treat many diseases. The map can also help in determining the genetic foundation of physical and psychological behavior. As a result, it is possible to alter the behaviors with the involvement of genetics. Two areas of genetic engineering is somatic cell manipulation which alters body cells and germline manipulation which alters reproductive cells. The use of Somatic cell manipulation is ethically accepted as it limits the changes that can be done to an individual. Since it alters only the body cells, the risks are not inherited by the descendants. In contrast, the germline cell manipulation raises ethical issues since the manipulations of reproductive cells can extend the risks across the generations. Genetic engineering done on humans may cause health issues. For example, genes of one person could be enhanced to increase a persons height further than his natural height. But this may cause stress to other parts of the body such as the heart. As a result, the person might be left physically ill. Another key ethical issue of the Human Genome Project is the use of genetic screening. According to web definitions genetic screening is The process of testing individuals in a population for certain hereditary defects. Mandatory genetic screening for adults raises many ethical issues related to privacy and personal liberty. Furthermore, Genetic screening of infants, young infants and other vulnerable groups who cannot grant their consent is unethical. For example, in most cases, infants are screened without the consent of parents. Screening is done based on an assumption that parents are willing to know about the probable diseases that might develop in their children. There is evidence of situations where genetic screening has been used as a form of discrimination. For example, in insuring patients who are willing to obtain a health insurance, there are required to pay extra amounts. In addition to the applications discussed earlier, Agriculture and livestock breeding are two other applications of the genome research. As opposed to the above applications, these areas do not use humans for testing. Yet it may give rise to many health issues which might convert into social issues with time. These applications entails of developing bio engineered food and animals, also known as genetic engineering. This process is similar to genetic engineering done on humans. Though many researchers explain the positive aspect of bio engineered food, many health issues and other side effects night arise by consuming modified food. Many companies tend to create genetically modified food regardless of the consumers health. Regular consumption of genetically modified food may severely damage the health of people; as a consequence, people of a country may not be able to involve in the development process of the country. Furthermore, companies would refuse to hire people and as a result , the country can be populated with unhealthy and unemployed people. Though the mission of The Human Genome Project was accomplished, it is evident that the potential and current applications of the Human Genome Research have caused many issues. Ethical and social issues included issues concerning the privacy of the people, discrimination, unauthorized access to the gathered information and security issues and many other related issues. Issues related to the informed consent and legal issues were also caused by the applications of the genome research. The concepts of super human and designer baby were two controversial concepts that caused religious and social issues. Furthermore, other applications in the field of agriculture and genetic engineered food could cause health issues in the society. In my opinion, the Human Genome project and its current and potential applications have a significant amount of social, ethical, religious and legal issues which would directly affect many peoples lives.