Balance And Stability

A true athlete develops his entire body to compete with the very best in his sport. He trains both his mind and body to reach his goals. His mind should be able to handle the pressure and stress that are involved in his competitive sport. He must be emotionally fit to compete in his sport; otherwise, he’ll lose or fair far below his expectations. His body should also be able to act and react in the right manner. The mental, emotional and physical aspects of his game must all come together as one.Whether an athlete is a catcher in baseball, a center in basketball, or a quick-running lineman in American football, he must perfectly develop all his faculties to achieve an above average level of balance and stability in his sport. Athletes should pay more attention to balance and stability because these factors are extremely critical in the success of their goals. The terms balance and stability may seem to have the same meaning, but they don’t (Carr, 2007, p. 89). These ter ms however, are very much related to each other. Balance and stability don’t always go together.Depending on the sport, an athlete may have more balance and less stability or none at all and vice versa. Both of these factors are necessary in almost all physical sports though because athletes have to constantly move their bodies while staying on the ground. Balance is a person’s ability to get rid of forces that ruin the evenness or equilibrium of things. Almost all people have balance to some degree. Young and old people use balance to stay on their feet while they're walking, running or hopping. Balance is also used in other movements, such as when a person tiptoes or dances a complex routine.Maintaining one's balance gets harder as the person encounters obstacles in his path. For example, a running back maintains excellent balance while he pierces the defense of the opposing team. In basketball, a point guard also displays above average balancing skills as he dribble s the ball around players guarding the basket (Carr, 2007, p. 89). There are many levels of balance. Not all people have the same level of balance. Athletes typically have greater balance than normal people because they arduously train to improve it. The concept of balance has been used in various sports for a very long period of time.As Sprunt (2000) and others noted, the term off-balance is also widely used in different types of sports. Thus, a basketball player may be said to have been caught off-balance if he loses his footing as he scrambles for the ball. Generally, it is not good to lose your balance in any kind of sport (Sprunt, 2000, p. 63). Balance itself is related to another important factor in executing movement: stability. Stability is the ability to maintain a person’s balance while encountering things that ruin that balance. To put it another way, stability is how balanced a person is.Different athletes have different tactics that increase the level of their st ability as they encounter forces that may be going against them. According to Foran, athletes typically face gravity, air resistance and friction when performing in sports (Foran, 2001, p. 119). For this reason, some athletes train hard to raise their stability to the level of being as steady as a rock. Sports shows typically have play by play slow-motions that showcase moving stability by players of different sports. For instance, stability is clearly shown on highlights of football plays.A football player displays excellent balance when he reaches out for the ball whizzing through the air. He jumps high using a single leg and lands gracefully on the same leg. However, that excellent balance may be disrupted by a rampaging opponent that slams into him as he's floating above the ground or standing on one leg. After the dust clears, you'll usually see the other player down on the ground because he traded stability for balance. Compare the previous example of a 300 pound lineman with his body arched and his center of gravity positioned low.This athlete can receive the hammering force of a 400 pound lineman, pushing him to get out of the way. The athlete does not drop to his knees, spread-eagle on the ground because his stability is way off the charts. If the lineman is really stable, he may even have the ability to push back his opponent or ram his way through the defense, sending him crawling on the ground. In this case, his opponent is the one that lacks stability and so he pays dearly for it (Foran, 2001, p. 119). Also, stability may be harder to maintain if forces are coming from many different directions.A lineman may be able to defend against the opponent directly in front of him, but he may not fare as easily if the opponent comes from his left, right or back. It's still possible to hold a great level of stability however, if the athlete's position is correct and if he has the right body to counter massive objects that's coming at him from different direc tions. Almost all kinds of physical sports showcase balance and stability. Sports like baseball and basketball are no different because athletes continuously move their bodies in these sports.As Thompson and Baldwin (2007) observed, athletes in these sports and others must do various drills to improve their balance. They must train their core muscle groups to have the excellent level of balance and stability that their sports require (Thompson and Baldwin, 2007, p. 369). In baseball, balance and stability are shown in the role of the catcher who tries to catch baseballs sent flying by the pitcher. In basketball, balance and stability are exemplified by huge, tall centers or post players that play near the basket.It is important to note that these sports are played very differently but both of them require superb balance and stability nonetheless. First, the baseball catcher has to have great physical attributes such as fast feet and hands, mighty arms and excellent balance and stabi lity. He spends much of his time on the baseball field crouching and anticipating the ball that the pitcher will throw. His weight is distributed on his heels. He bends his knees so that his upper leg is parallel to the ground. You'll also notice that his backside is positioned close to his heels.His back must not curve and shoulder blades must be positioned a little bit backward to give him more stability. To further increase stability, he must hold his head up high and he must hold out his glove. This unique crouching position is supported by the baseball catcher's amazing balance and stability (Thompson and Baldwin, 2007, p. 369). The baseball player in the previous example shows linearity in his balance and stability. Remember that balance is a person's ability to get rid of forces that ruin the evenness or equilibrium of things.Compare this to stability which refers to the level at which a person can maintain his balance while encountering things that may ruin it. Simply put, l inear stability occurs when you are able to resist an object that tries to move you. In the previous example, the catcher's stability is put to the test when tries to stop a ball that's flying toward him at 80 or 90 mph (Thompson and Baldwin, 2007, p. 369). Stability that is based on linear movement is influenced by the mass of the moving object that carries force and the object that tries to stop that force.The moving object here is the ball that flies toward the pitcher and may end up in the catcher's resisting hands. For many catchers, reaching the optimal stability that is based on linear movement is very easy. Baseball is a tough sport because it requires players to have great balance and stability while maintaining focus on the ball that's flying toward them. The catcher in the previous example must train hard to be able to block bad pitches and throw out runners who attempt to steal bases. In some cases, the catcher may have to abandon his crouching position to block a bad pi tch.This move trades stability for balance to catch the ball. The crouching position shows the three most important principles of a stable body (Mull, 2005, p. 174). First, the catcher increases his stability by broadening his base. The resulting position is that the catcher's feet are wide apart and firmly on the ground. Second, the baseball catcher centralizes his line of gravity by straightening his back and holding his head up high. Third, he crouches with his knees bent to lower his center of gravity, further adding to the stability of his whole body.When all of these positions are combined, the catcher comes up with a stable crouching position that allows him to easily move his whole body when catching a flying ball even when it is outside the normal zone. Stability is also based on an athlete’s capability to move his line of gravity forward, anticipating a fast-approaching force. This type of movement may unbalance him for a short duration of time, but the force of the approaching object might restore him to his previous balance. This is not the case though for a baseball catcher who blocks bad pitches.Even though the ball flies fast toward the catcher, its mass is still little compared to other balls. The catcher then puts his line of gravity directly in front of the approaching ball but quickly restores his balance. He also usually drops to his knees to bring down his center of gravity and increase his stability. Balance and stability can also take each other’s place in baseball. For example, balance and stability are reversed when a runner steals a base and is challenged by a catcher. The catcher positions his line of gravity directly in front of the fast-approaching force to throw the runner out.Another skill of a baseball catcher is throwing the ball to the base, which consists of applying force rather than resisting it. The catcher tends to rise to keep his line of gravity in the center and avoid falling down before throwing the ball . His weight is transferred to the back of his foot as he moves his body backward to throw the ball. There are also cases where the player who throws the ball temporarily moves his center of gravity outside the area where support is strongest. As the ball is thrown, the center of gravity moves from the back of the support area to the center and then to the front.The dynamics of balance and stability can also be seen in the sport of basketball. There was a time when post players were players that are massive and tall. This allowed them to block offensive players that run to the basket. Today, however, post players are not that huge anymore and they have better footwork. They are faster and more agile, so they can keep up with quick short players that have many tricks to drive to the basket. While post players of the past and today are different, they both still use the principles of balance and stability when playing their game.A post player or a center receives huge forces when guar ding the basket. This is a prime example of static stability in the face of opposing forces (Moran and McGlynn, 1997, p. 56). Post players from the opposing team constantly push and pull him to get him out of the way. Mass is important in being a post player to have enough balance and stability to withstand those vicious offensive moves. The more massive a player is, the greater is his stability. For example, Shaquille O’Neal or Shaq was extremely successful because of his extraordinary mass. There was a time when basketball experts claimed he weighed around 380 lbs.90 percent of that weight consists of muscle tissue and other nonfat tissue. Because of O’Neal’s great mass, other players find it very difficult to break his defense. Offense under the basket is also easy because his defenders just seem to bounce off him. His level of stability is excellent, which makes him an almost perfect post player. The perfect post player though, is not the perfect basketball player. In fact, a player who has a great mass often finds it difficult to change his direction when moving. In this case, quickness and agility are sacrificed for stability and balance.This is similar to a rampaging sumo wrestler that gets easily thrown out of the ring when his quick opponent steps to one side. Post players though, typically play within a very short distance from the basket, so their weakness in terms of quickness and agility is hard to exploit. New centers or post players like Yao Ming have less mass but are quicker and more agile. They are less stable because of their small base, but they can change direction quickly, which is useful in guarding against fast players that drive to the basket. Tall players however, may have lesser balance than shorter players because their center of gravity is very high.You’ll notice that short players are very balanced even when they are dribbling around a number of defenders because their center of gravity is nearer to the ground. Having a wide base is extremely important in being a post player (Chandler and Brown, 2008, p. 87). For this reason, many post players spend long hours in the gym to build their body and widen their base. If a post player’s base is not wide enough, he’ll find it harder to stop offensive attacks coming directly at him from the opposing team. Blocking a player with a small base is easy if the post player’s base is large.Another important factor in being a good post player is the center of gravity. It’s always best to lower a player’s center of gravity to increase his balance and stability. The reason why post players play with knees bent is that they have to widen their base and lower their center of gravity. It’s not always best to widen the base and lower your center of gravity though, as the post player will be sacrificing his height. This makes him vulnerable to high-jumping players from the opposing team who can always drive to t he basket and jump high against the short post player.A post player may also move his base forward to face the opposing force. Moving the line of gravity forward stabilizes the post player, helping hem to successfully guard the basket. It’s not advisable to move the center of gravity too near the front of his base though, because this might result in the player losing his balance. In conclusion, applying balance and stability when playing different sports is important to athletes for them to achieve their goals. Both athletes and coaches should pay more attention to balance and stability to be more successful in their sports.Various sports skills should be honed and trained so the athlete becomes more effective. The physical, mental, and emotional aspects of his game must all come together and become one. While other attributes such as agility and speed are also important in executing different sports skills, balance and stability are very basic in almost all kinds of sports. Without balance and stability, an athlete has a higher chance of failing in his chosen sport. He must constantly weigh the pros and cons of developing balance and stability over other attributes.He may also review the tradeoffs between balance and stability because each one presents their own advantages in a sport. He’ll be more effective in his chosen sport once he perfects his balance and stability. References Carr, G. (2007). Mechanics of Sport: A Practitioner's Guide. Detroit, MI: Human Kinetics Foran, B. (2001). High-performance Sports Conditioning: Modern Training for Ultimate Athletic Development. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Sprunt, K. , Kerwin, D. , & Fowler, N. (2000). An Introduction to Sports Mechanics: A HomeStudy Pack Providing Sportspeople with an Introduction to the Basic Mechanics of Movement. Coachwise. Thompson, W. , & Baldwin, K. (2007). ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer: Techniques, Complications, and Management. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Moran, G. , & McGlynn, G. (1997). Cross-training for Sports: Programs for 26 Sports. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Chandler, T. J. , & Brown, L. (2008). Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Mull, R. , Bayless, K. , & Jamieson, L. M. (2005). Recreational Sport Management. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

College vs. High School Essay

High-quality education is a significant part of everyday life. To accomplish that education, most people went through a transition from high school to college, two major milestones in most people’s lives. There are many differences between these two institutions. Some students may adapt and transit from the life of high school to the life of college without much difficulty, while others may take years to grasp the differences and cope with it. High school and colleges are both made to educate, but with differences in terms of classes, responsibility, and social life. One of the main differences between college and high school is the classes in general. In high school students attend class for six hours every day for five days. Information is provided mostly through classroom discussion and reading that is assigned. Assignments in high school are usually broken down into a step-by-step task. Quizzes are usually given on a weekly basis, and tests come up at the end of every chapter. College, on the other hand, consists of twelve to eighteen hour school weeks and the classes are split in to semesters. There is more writing with longer papers and essays, a lot of out-of-class research that is usually done in the library on the students’ own time, and few to no assignments given in class. Compared to high school, there are few quizzes in college and only about one test a month that covers much more material. The level of responsibility is a big difference between high school and college. In high school teachers monitor the students’ progress and are likely to offer clarification when to them when it is needed. They also take attendance every day, check students’ work constantly, and briefly lecture while highlighting the main points. In college professors lecture and expect the students to acquire knowledge and facts from outside reading and library research. The students must also monitor their own progress and ask for clarification if needed. Out of the classroom responsibility is also very distinguishable. Some students come from a home where their parents do a lot of things for them such as laundry, cooking, and making sure they make it to school. In college it is all up to the students to do all of these tasks themselves. The social life between high school and college students has a noticeable difference. Parents can control or have a big say in what their kid is doing in and out of school. They can make their kids be involved in different activities such as sports, clubs, and plays. They can also have a big influence on who their children hang out with, and can restrict the hours in which they do hang out with those friends. This can be a good and bad thing. When parents don’t let their kids learn from their own mistakes they may repeat them later on in life when their parents aren’t there to help them back up. College is a completely different story. It all becomes the kids choice, what they want to be involved in, who they what to hang out with, and when they want to hangout. Making these choices can also be very stressful for students resulting in bad judgment. Although there are many differences between high school and college there are also some similarities. Grades are very important in both high school and college because they reflect the student’s future whether it’s for the career they are pursuing or the college they would like to get accepted to. In high school and college the main objective is to learn and become more knowledgeable to help prepare students for the big world ahead of them. The courses taken in college are very similar to those in high school, just more advanced. They have a similar structure in the way they teach. They both have teachers, textbooks, tests, some sort of homework, and of course the dreaded final exams. Throughout the entire course the teachers are preparing the students for the final exam so they can move on to a more advanced class. A lot of the basic rules in high school and college tend to be the same. Athletics plays a big role in both high school and college. Schools depend on sporting events to bring in additional money. Every step of education from kindergarten to college has the same goal in mind, to teach their students how to play a productive role in society. Learning how to read and write in elementary school, and improving it in middle and high school makes it possible for college student to write fluent essays, and read and understand chemistry and literature books. If the students are able to understand it all, pass the classes, and earn a degree, they can now get a job and become a productive member of society. Even though high school and college may have many differences, they are very closely connected and are major milestones in most people’s lives.

Writing activities Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing activities - Article Example as a role in influencing corporate activities and consumer spending is good for the economy, but, on the other hand, I disagree that shopping is good for the soul all the time if it becomes the predominant end of a materialistic life. I agree with Livingston that purchasing power is a tool by which consumers can influence firms to become more environmentally-conscious and responsive to consumer demands, and that consumer spending can improve the economy by driving demand that influences employment and investment. Consumers, by choosing what to buy and not to buy, can definitely impact corporate activities. An example is when consumers stop buying certain brands that the media exposes as coming from firms who conduct harmful environmental practices. By boycotting these products, the consumers directly affect corporate decisions, such as when companies stop these harmful practices and change them to regain consumer trust. Aside from forcing corporations to be environmentally-conscious, consumers are also compelling companies to care for what the former care about. Consumers are now using their purchasing power to change unethical corporate practices. For instance, when Americans knew about the sweatshops of Nike in Indonesia and China, consumers forced Nike to change their contractors’ workplace conditions and wages when they boycotted the company’s products (Nisen). These are only some of the many examples how consumer power is social and political power too. Furthermore, consumer spending is a significant component in affecting economic growth. Personal consumption is currently 70% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Mathews). Clearly, consumption has a large impact on economic performance because it increases demand that drives investment and jobs. Aside from these points, I no longer agree with Livingston that shopping is good for the soul all the time if it becomes the principal end of life, instead of a means to better ends. Livingston argues that

Internet as a Waste of Time Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internet as a Waste of Time - Essay Example Most people without internet are not able to receive news on time, and the much they receive compared to the amount accessed in the internet is very little. Most researchers, apart from their field or laboratory work, acquire statistics and facts via the internet. On the other hand, students, lecturers and persons get lots of information that they need easily from the internet instead of consuming much time in libraries searching for their preferred piece of work. Thus, from the internet, information access is easy hence saving time. Currently, businesses conduct their activities through the internet. This helps them save a lot of time. The major improvement in the business world is the online buying and selling of goods and services. For instance, boutiques display their products online using their blogs and interested customers shop online. This saves on time as in normal cases; customers are required to go to the boutiques to shop. Interviews in most businesses have gone online wh ereby the interviewees send their CVs and related documents hence the interviews take place. Therefore, much time consumption reduces. Internet use boosts Self-development. People are able to share their ideas and talents largely via internet. Talented individuals display their work in audio, video and written forms. They develop their talents and boost their esteem through the positive criticism they receive, for example like and comments. Civic awareness is important for all individuals and is widely gained through the internet. Civilization of individuals is automatic for internet users thus saving time on awareness campaigns. Internet sites enhance making friends, a major part of everyone, for example twitter. (Mark, 2006) in his article- â€Å"Scientists: Internet, Chat rooms Good for Teenagers.† published in the London Times quoted, â€Å"Regular users of teen chat rooms tend to be more engaged with their communities than the rest of their age group, and their online i dentities play an important role in the self-discovery of adolescence, researchers said† (Ward, 2008). The internet serves as a tool for communication. There are many internet sites for communication today such as facebook, twitter, my space and many more. Users reach each other both locally and internationally easily through the internet. This mode of communication saves money, as these sites are very cheap to access. Time is also highly saved, as the internet is fast and highly effective. For instance electronic mails.†The internet is not diminishing community activity, but simply transferring it to online communities.† (Justine, 2001), a professor of communication studies at Northwestern University said this. Internet is the utmost source of entertainment globally. Internet users access different forms of entertainment such as, music, movies, games and other exciting activities. People save time as people do not have to wait for the release of tangible forms of entertainment, that is compact discs, DVDs etc (Solove, 2007). The youth especially do not need to go out to dance clubs, cinema theatres, frequently to get entertained as internet offers them the source for their preferred choices. The use of internet has reduced manual labor force for many companies and industries. Hiring many employees is now an outdated practice thus saving time for interviews and money that used to pay the workers. Politically, online voting has reduced time wastage for both the government

Performance Measurement to Performance Management Essay

Performance Measurement to Performance Management - Essay Example When performance is at par or even better than standards previously set, then the business' financial condition also improves. Budgets are either increased or decreased in support of better organizational survival, Since there are usually many competitors around. When performance measured passes the standards set, salary and other benefits are given for satisfactory performance. Management must have a meeting with the line and staff organization and the organization's goals, strategy, mission, vision, values and strategy to accomplish the goals, purpose of goal and standard setting must be implemented. The employees and stockholders are encouraged thru regular trainings/meetings that they are part of the success and failure of the entire organization. The performance measures give the employees the daily challenges to be conquered. Integration places standards where needed in accomplishing strategic business ventures. Integration also helps hasten change. When actual work is compared with performance, the difference or similarity of the actual against the standards set is compared and management makes the needed decisions for the further improvement of over-all activity. 2.1 Performance Measurement - Measuring performance quantitatively tell us whether our goods, services done by employees have increased or decreased or even remained the same. They help management decide on ways and means to improve performance of some products which have not performed according to pre - set goals. Measurement performance can tell whether the following criteria are in order: a) We are doing as pre- expected b) If customers like our product/service and come back. c) If manufacturing processes are controlled. d) Adjustments can be made to improve present performance. Performance measurement provides us with the needed details to make intelligent decisions. Performance is usually done by taking done the number of units and unit price of goods sold or cost of goods bought. The products could be listed as 1,000.,000 units of product sold at $5.00 each. The actual units sold or produced by the manufacturing department are then compared with pre-determined standard or goals which was agreed upon. Usually the standards or goals are agreed upon between all departments involved. A too high standard may cause some discouragement with the employees. A too low standard may sometimes cause idleness. Units of measurement could be hours, meters, nanoseconds, dollars, reports, number of errors, length of time spend or to be spent These the usual basic of measurement Sometimes, other units of measurement are used. The unit of measurement could be miles per gallon ( for analyzing daily gasoline expenses ), fire accidents in a year ( oganization' s safety program) , number of units produced per day ( sales analysis). This sounds better than the unit of measurement in the prior paragraph. What is important is that the unit of measurement used should be the one to show variances between actual and standard performance Some categories of performance evaluation are enumerated below: 1) Effectiveness - Simply put, actual performance meets the goal set. ( Doingthe job the right way.) 2) Efficiency - Doing the job required at the least possible cost. ( Doing thingsthe right way.) 3) Quality - Products sold or services given meets

Explore your favorite object Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Explore your favorite object - Essay Example The image is of particular interest because it reinforced my chemical knowledge of glucose as a compound of three elements. Being able to visualize the distinct elements also increased my interest in learning composition of other chemical compounds because of the reinforced notion that chemical composition of elements and compounds are not just theoretical aspects. Identifying the distinct elements of glucose also helped me to visualize possible chemical reaction mechanism as compounds interact, because of the ability to of the distinct elements to move across structures of involved compounds. The chemistry knowledge that the object reinforces, especially with visualization from the high leveled zooming, makes it the interesting object to me. Even though other chemical objects are available on the screen, glucose is a common substance, a factor that makes it outstanding to capture my interest (Scale of the Universe

MENTAL HEALTH Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MENTAL HEALTH - Research Paper Example However, the elder patients are believed to view and imagine nursing staff as their own daughters. In developed nations relationships among children and parents have significantly deteriorated and therefore, elders are becoming lonely and depressed (Werner, 1993). Nevertheless, all patients from different age groups are famous for practically loving their medical staff. But, in case of children, the job of nurses gets tough and challenging because psychologically, one has to become a child in order to play with a junior and because of this reason, it is recommended in multiple studies that nurses with a special kind of personality should be assigned to the children ward. Most of the nurses are notorious for having rude and rough behaviors because they are living under such level of emotional and psychological stress that they become unstable to say the least. But, again when it comes to treating children nurses are supposed to transform healing into a game so that the childrenâ€℠¢s fear can be circumvented (Swanson & Wojnar, 2004). The hospitals are providing a colorful environment for children where there are paintings of famous cartoon characters on the walls and the patients have the facility to play and engage in positive activities such as playing music and listening and watching television. The children are fighters because their bodies have been known to perform at peak proficiencies and therefore, they are not mentally aware and neither they are willing to accept their illnesses (Altimier, 2004). Both of the previously mentioned factors have the power to expedite healing process. The challenge lies in providing a proper reinforcing environment where the belief of a child can become a reality (Pesek, Helton, & Nair, 2006). Still, the nurses must be informed that elders and children heal in two very different ways. The former ones heal with the help of a listener while the latter group wants a companion, a friend, and a player. The nurses then, must a llow the elders to share their experiences and should also provide a silent ear. The hospitals of the 21st century are transforming into community centers because they are taking up the roles of facilities that are helping in bridging the gaps between elders and children (Langsley & Barter, 1983). Quite a significant number of facilities are providing elders with an opportunity to share their life’s experiences with the next generation. The needs of both groups are fulfilled in this fashion because the elders have a profound need to share their knowledge whereas the children’s need to listen bedtime stories from their grandparents is satisfied as well (Doty, 1986). The nursing profession was developed and flourished as a means of assisting the physicians in the terms of devising an effective and efficient way of treating the illness (Bakken, Cashen, Mendonca, O'Brien, & Zieniewicz, 2000). But, according to the literature of modern healthcare, most of the physical disea ses are just manifestation of psychological problems and diseases and therefore, it is highly recommended to cure both dimensions of the illnesses simultaneously (Weatherhead, 1951). Furthermore, the children are by-default positive thinkers but transform into a hopeless individual due to the environment and because of this reason, the hospitals are repeatedly suggested to create and foster

Culturally competent nursing care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Culturally competent nursing care - Essay Example Though the nurse was a little tough by insisting on the medication which would improve him and indicating that there was no reason for him not to take it, the patient obliged. She reminded him that this was the protocol in the post operative ward and the patient’s comfort was foremost in her mind. Her frustrated attitude was because she could not gauge why patients refuse necessary medications which could only benefit them. Deep down in my heart, I could understand why the patient refused to take the medication. The nurse was right in carrying out her duty but she could have utilized her knowledge of cultural diversity and respected the patient’s wishes. The Chinese believe that medications must be a last resort. Many in my country only take them when the pain is unbearable. This idea may seem old-fashioned to the modern world but they work for us. Demographic changes have reflected an increasingly diverse population globally. The immigration of people of varying races, ethnicity and cultures into America has similarly changed the demography. This increasingly multicultural profile of the American population requires that nurses provide culturally competent care in nursing. Leininger (1999) defined transcultural nursing â€Å"as a formal area of study, research, and practice which focuses on care beliefs based on culture, values and practices to help cultures or subcultures, not just maintain or regain their health system but also help facing disabilities or death in culturally congruent and beneficial caring ways† (Leininger, 1999). Hospitalized patients and their families are subjected to numerous stresses. If nurses lack cultural awareness and fail to provide culturally competent care, patients are more likely to experience increased stress and inadequate care provided by nurses. The understanding and provision of culturally competent care by nurses will make a difference to the health outcomes of many cultural

Does Urban Crime Increase When or Where Racial Residential Segregation Research Paper

Does Urban Crime Increase When or Where Racial Residential Segregation Exist - Research Paper Example Racial residential segregation has been a cause of grave concern for policymakers and researchers alike, primarily because of its association with racial inequality and disparity. After undertaking a comparative analysis and assessment of data from 1980, 1990 and 2000, the research paper validates the findings of prior literature by stating that there exists a strong correlation between racial residential segregation and urban crime, additionally, the paper also assesses trends in racial residential segregation and crime for the period of 1980 to 2000. Types of crime such as homicide, assault, theft and robbery are also assessed with regards to their relation with racial segregation. In conclusion the literature cited in the paper is evaluated and the causes behind the positive correlation between racial segregation and urban crime such as poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, the role of dominant subcultures and unavailability of welfare services to black communities and neighborhoods are also discussed. 1. Introduction An assessment of the crime rates in America from the latter half of the 1980s to the early years of the 1990s is reflective of a decline in crime in the United States (Blumstein and Wallman 1) that is also observable from the statistics that have been collected in the past decade (Bjerk 2). Regardless of these considerations however, violence and crime in America has been a topic of extensive public debate and a highly significant issue because of the critical role that it plays in shaping the face of crime in America. According to the data provided in the Handbook of Crime the existence of factors related to race and racial determinants are eminent in the statistics that have been collected by official agencies across the United States, these statistics have been able to uncover two important observations with regards to crime and race which state that the crime rates for the African American population are reportedly higher in comparison with me mbers of the population that are white, while, victimization reports have also stated a greater percentage of African Americans victims of crime (Ellis, Beaver and Wright 224). Several scholars and researchers have presented a range of theoretical postulations and explanations behind the consistent observations which point towards a substantial divide in the experience of crime shared by members of various racial groups. The scope of this paper however, is directed towards examining the role of racial residential segregation on the topic of race and crime. According to Beaulieu and Continelli, the adverse impact of racial residential segregation on black communities has been widely documented in several researches and literature, however, a hypothesis that has not been tested thus far suggests whether the effects of racial residential segregation are reversed with regards to white communities (488). This paper aims to address the question of urban crime and racial residential segreg ation by undertaking necessary research and evaluations of empirical data to determine whether urban crime increases when or where racial segregation exists. For the purposes of attending to the topic under research in an objective, effective and extensive manner, the paper utilizes the literature presented by Ellis, Beaver and

The Shield of Achilles Essay Example for Free

The Shield of Achilles Essay The Shield of Achilles is a poem of nine stanzas where the author W.H.Auden has used an episode from the famous Homeric epic ‘Iliad’, as the name suggests. Achilles as we know was the greatest hero of the Trojan War and his shield as mentioned here has its reference in the book eighteen of the Iliad. There Thetis, the sea goddess and Achilles’ mother requests Hephaestus the divine blacksmith to make a shield for Achilles whose armor has been taken away by the Trojan hero Hector when he killed Patroclus to whom Achilles had lent it. Auden here has narrated the episode of the Iliad where this shield is in the making. Interestingly unlike the epical shield which was decorated by Hephaestus with stars and constellation, two beautiful towns full of people, scene of cultivation, a vineyard laden with grapes, herd of cattle, dancing girls and boys, the shield in question presents a scene of lifelessness, destruction and decadence of a moribund society of people. The poem starts with an unnamed woman and a man whom we later identify as Thetis and Hephaestus. She is looking over his shoulder to watch the shield which is being made there. Contrary to her expectations she finds the shield being decorated with barbed wire enclosures and bored officials, weary sentries, detached and dispassionate men folk, a weed-choked-field and a frustrated young boy who knows nothing about love being always exposed to murder and rape. In the poem whenever Thetis peers over the blacksmith’s shoulder hoping to see some beautiful decoration of natural beauty being embossed on the shield, some morbid spectacle is sure to greet her eyes. Finally when Hephaestus leaves after finishing the shield, Thetis is distraught to find a horrific picture which makes Achilles’ doom all the more evident. The poet has used a method of flashback to emphasize the deplorable condition of the modern human society. Whenever Thetis looks over ‘his shoulder’ Auden gives us a glimpse of the beauty of the past by mentioning what she expects to see and what gruesome sights unfold before her. The poem shows a contrast between the ancient world of real heroes and the modern world of debasement. The poet W. H. Auden thus uses the shield of Achilles as a subject but all the beautiful descriptions of Homer have been replaced to show the poet’s disgust with blankness and  shallowness of the modern society.

The Importance of Family Meals

The Importance of Family Meals The Importance of Family Meals Introduction Whether it is dinner, breakfast, or lunch, family meals offer an opportunity for all family members to pass time enjoying each other’s company and good food. In many occasions, mealtimes might be the only occasion many families have a chance to congregate as a unit. Eating meals as a family provides a huge opportunity to form and strengthen domestic bonds as members engage each other in conversations. Also, research shows that family meals benefit members of the household in terms of nutrition, academic performance, spending and manners. This expressive article highlights the nine major benefits of family meals. The Benefits of Eating as a Family The advantages of eating meals as a family are as follows: Communication and Well-Being Dialogue during mealtimes provides an opportunity for the family to plan, learn, and bond with one another. It is a chance to chat about events of the day as parents give additional attention to their children. Family meals foster love, warmth, security and feeling of belonging. Eating together as a household is not merely about food, but knowing about the wellbeing of one another. Sharing meals with loved ones is like a special event that almost assumes the form of a ceremony, which has always been practiced since time immemorial. Besides the appreciation of the food and the effort that went into making it, there are numerous social elements, such as learning how to conduct conversations, listen, serve others, compromise and solve conflicts which come into play when a household shares meals (TheHJGroup, 2013). Role Modeling Family mealtime is the best time to display and teach one another appropriate meal etiquette, table manners, and social skills by keeping the mood relaxed, light, and loving. Family members try lead by example and not to criticize or instruct. Eating together offers an opportunity to exercise gratitude through prayer or sharing the thing members are thankful for prior to eating. Family meals grant the opportunity to convey the attitudes and values of a household from one generation to another: Children can be taught by their parents or grandparents about the values that are significant to the family. Family meals are also an ideal approach to link up household members with their ethnic or cultural heritage, because differing foods might reflect the distinctive ethnic tastes or cultural traditions of their family’s background (TheHJGroup, 2013). Exploration Family meals enable family members to expand and explore the world round them one diet at a time. Members of the family can encourage each other to try out new foods, without bribing or coercing. They can introduce new foods accompanied by some of their favorites. Parents and children can select new recipes from cookbooks, web sites, magazines or newspapers. Trying out new foods, particularly from different parts of the world is like exploration or beginning a new hobby. It magnifies the experience, knowledge, and skills of the household members (TheHJGroup, 2013). Nourishment and Relaxation Meals that have been prepared and consumed at home are generally more nutritious. They comprise more vegetables, fruits, and dairy products as well as extra nutrients such as vitamins A and C, fiber, and calcium. Moreover, home cooked foods are not usually deep-fried or highly salted like take-away meals. Plus, consumption of sweetened beverage is frequently low at the table as family members ought to take natural blended juices. Recent researches show that family meals are connected to a low risk of obesity in both children and adults because when people eat at home they typically consume a balanced diet. Also, eating together helps family members relax. Before or after having a long day away from home, parents and children can benefit from the pleasure of cooking and enjoying their meal. Not only does this give you them a chance to calm down, it prepares them for the day or for a peaceful, rejuvenating sleep. Self-Sufficiency Family meals provide self-sufficiency to household members because it allows them to know how to plan and make meals. Both basic and complex cooking preparations are requirements for being self-sufficient. Parents can involve their family members in grocery shopping, menu planning, and food preparation. Young children can cut bananas, tear lettuce, and set the table while older children can do tasks, such as peeling vegetables. Teenagers can grill, dice, chop, and bake. Working together puts meals faster on the table and makes everybody more responsible. Prevention of Destructive Behaviors Research indicates that frequent family meals (five or more per week) are linked to low rates of drinking, smoking, and illegal drug abuse in teenagers and pre-teens compared to households that do not eat together. Even as the schedules of older children get more complex, it is vital for parents to make efforts to have meals together. Studies by Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse show that children who do not have meals with their family members at least twice every week were 40% more likely to indulge in alcohol and drugs, not to eat healthily, and report being distant from their parents than youngsters who eat with their parents often. Better Academic Performances It has been proven that children perform better academically when they have more meals with their family members. Mealtime discussions translate into success in class. As children listen to their parents and other members talk, they learn essential language abilities, such as new reading and vocabulary skills. These skills are necessary for expressing oneself verbally and comprehending what is read, thus they help children perform better on tests in school. According to research by University of Illinois, children who eat more than five times per week with their family members tend to have high academic performance than their peers who habitually eat away from home or eat alone. Cost Reduction Home cooked meals are much cheaper than fast foods. Families do not need to spend a lot of money to prepare tasty meals because they can look up for cheap and simple recipes from cheap vegetarian foods to healthy snacks on a low budget of under $3 per serving. Meals bought outside the home are generally two to four times costly than meals made at home. Fun Family meals are fun. Through sharing meals and taking time to converse about what the family members are experiencing in term of flavors, they are more likely to have fun and be mindful of the food. This results in improved digestion and enjoyment of the food. Family meals are also fun because they are taken and enjoyed in a cool and relaxed setting. Conclusion In conclusion, the benefits of family meals go beyond nutrition. Eating as a family has multiple advantages in many other aspects as well. Family meals are healthier and they provide an occasion for household members to sit around the table, enjoy, relax, discuss and applaud themselves for preparing a meal that is more likely to be nutritious than one that they would have purchased outside the house. Moreover, recent evidence demonstrates that children who have more meals with other family members are the less likely to engage in illegal behavior, such as smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol. These children also perform well in school, have high self-esteem, and do not develop eating disorders. Family meals are a tradition and the cornerstone of the home because they offer self-sufficiency, reduce costs, and provide fun. Bibliography Kolker, C. (2011). The Immigrant Advantage: What We Can Learn from Newcomers to America about Health, Happiness and Hope. New York: Simon and Schuster. TheHJGroup. (2013, October 23). Successful Entrepreneur on The Importance of Family Meals. Retrieved April 12, 2015, from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdzaZL6AdYg Note to student: Include the secondary source from your school’s library databases in the bibliography above.

U.S. Neutrality in World War I :: essays research papers

When World War I broke out in Europe, Woodrow Wilson announced that the United States would stay out of European affairs and remain neutral. Wilson was aware that the United States had no interest in the matters that did not directly affect the interests of America citizens. He hoped that the United States would remain neutral and continue to trade with warring nations. The American view of neutrality meant we were entitled to safely and freely trade with either side at war as long as it was out in the open seas. The United States hoped to stay out of the way because war was viewed as wasteful, irrational, and immoral. There was no reason for the U.S. to intervene with European affairs. In addition, Wilson was aware of the huge immigrant populations whom have come to the United States just recently from those nations currently at war. Many immigrants, such as the Irish, would not support the war because of their previous hatred toward Great Britain. Great Britain controlled a big portion of the sea during this time and was the first to set up a blockade between the United States and Germany. The United States protested but Britain continued to force American ships to be searched for food, medical supplies, and steel before reaching Germany. Although the United States was against the blockade, it had very little impact on the U.S. economy. With Great Britain going to war, the United States produced enough war-related exports to pull them out of its prewar recession. Although Wilson claimed neutrality, he held sympathetic feelings toward Great Britain. After all, the Americans shared language and culture to the English in contrast to Germany who ruled their nation in a more militaristic manner. Because Wilson did nothing in response to Great Britain’s violation of American neutrality, Germany saw this as an indication of siding with the English. Germany getting desperate with no trade with the U.S., their economy was frantically crumbling. In retaliation, Germany violated the international warfare law by attacking with submarines without warning. Wilson’s response: Germany must stop the blockade or face the consequences. Wilson agrees to reach a deal with Germany after they publish a statement to negotiate even though both France and Great Britain have proclaimed that this war would end with total victory over Germany. Wilson is trapped by his own ultimatum.

An Analysis of Shakespeares Othello Essay -- Othello Essays

â€Å"Think on thy sins† (5.2.43) he says, â€Å"They are loves I bear to you† (5.2.44) I respond. â€Å"Ay, and for that thou diest† (5.2.45). There is no pleading with my lord, his once amorous filled eyes are now brimming with anger, and anguish. This whole conversation has turned my mind into mush. How can he think that I would ever love Cassio? Is it not plain that he, Othello, is my lord and the only object of my affection? Does it not matter? I think it doesn’t. Othello’s whole body is shaking (5.2.50) and his eyes are rolling (5.2.41), these signs do not bode well for my life. Worse yet, he has already had Cassio killed. â€Å"Oh, banish me, my lord, kill me not!† (5.2.88) I beg, â€Å"Down, Strumpet,† he is undeterred (5.2.89). â€Å"It is too late† (5.2.95). I am not sure if I thought that, or if Othello said it. Either way, it is too late. His strong, calloused fingers are clutching my throat, violently squeezing unt il all of the air leaves my lungs. Spots- I see spots. Brightly colored yellow, red and blue spots. The spots grow and take shape. Images and scenes from my life are passing before my eyes, and then it hits me. â€Å"O, falsely, falsely murdered!† I cry (5.2.126). Emilia is here, â€Å"†¦ Sweet Desdemona, O sweet mistress, speak!† she begs (5.2.131). I must tell her, â€Å"A guiltless death I die† (5.2.132). â€Å"O, who hath done this deed?† Emilia inquires (5.2.133). She has to know the truth, â€Å"Nobody, I myself. Farewell. Commend me to my kind lord. O, farewell† (5.2.134-135). As the saying goes, hindsight is always twenty-twenty. For Desdemona, this is especially true. Desdemona was innocent and naà ¯ve to a fault. Her determination to mend the relationship between Cassio and Othello, only served to nourish the seed of doubt that was planted in Othello’... ... the light of heaven I know not how I lost him† (4.2.152-153). Once Iago planted the seed, created the story and showed Othello that Cassio had the Handkerchief, Desdemona was rendered guilty. It did not matter how much Desdemona protested, or denied the story, Iago’s reputation as an honest man superseded Desdemona’s reputation as a woman who, according to Iago, â€Å"†¦so young could give out such seeming, to seel her father’s eyes up close as oak, he thought ‘twas witchcraft† (3.3.213-215). Desdemona’s final line in the play shows that she believes she was responsible for her own death. In truth, however, the only sin Desdemona ever committed was bearing loves to the moor of Venice. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Othello, Moor of Venice. The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Julia Reidhead. New York: .W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2008. 2119-2191. Print.

History of Trinidad Essay -- Essays Papers

History of Trinidad The history of Trinidad began far before Columbus landed on the island. Before any Spanish lived on the island, it was inhabited by two indigenous tribes. The Arawaks lived in the southern region of the island. The Caribs, who were regarded as a much more violent and vicious than the Arawaks, lived in the north. The Caribs are described as â€Å"warlike† people and for this reason they were able to withstand more of chance fighting the Spanish conquerors, though not enough. The recorded history of the island begins with Columbus' landing in July 31, 1498. The island was appropriately named Trinidad after the Holy Trinity. Spain showed little interest in the new territory until about 1530 when Antonio Sedeno was named Captain-General of the island for life. This mission did not last as many suspected, Sedeno returned back to Spain within four years after not being able to tame and civilize the natives. Donimgo de Vera in St. Joseph established the first permanent settlement in 1592 in St. Joseph. Over the next two centuries more attempts at colonization were made but with little success. This all culminated in 1699 with the Arena Massacre, in which the natives killed the Spanish governor and all but one of his men and all of the priests. This kept people weary of the island and it's people until the end of the 18th century. True colonization was not until the Cedula of Population was established in 1783. This document was designed to draw people of ot...

Digital Fortress Chapter 18

Standing before the huge plate-glass window in his Tokyo skyrise, Numataka took a long pull on his cigar and smiled to himself. He could scarcely believe his good fortune. He had spoken to the American again, and if all was going according to the timetable, Ensei Tankado had been eliminated by now, and his copy of the pass-key had been confiscated. It was ironic, Numataka thought, that he himself would end up with Ensei Tankado's pass-key. Tokugen Numataka had met Tankado once many years ago. The young programmer had come to Numatech Corp. fresh out of college, searching for a job. Numataka had denied him. There was no question that Tankado was brilliant, but at the time there were other considerations. Although Japan was changing, Numataka had been trained in the old school; he lived by the code of menboko-honor and face. Imperfection was not to be tolerated. If he hired a cripple, he would bring shame on his company. He had disposed of Tankado's resume without a glance. Numataka checked his watch again. The American, North Dakota, should have called by now. Numataka felt a tinge of nervousness. He hoped nothing was wrong. If the pass-keys were as good as promised, they would unlock the most sought-after product of the computer age-a totally invulnerable digital encryption algorithm. Numataka could embed the algorithm in tamper-proof, spray-sealed VSLI chips and mass market them to world computer manufacturers, governments, industries, and perhaps, even the darker markets†¦ the black market of world terrorists. Numataka smiled. It appeared, as usual, that he had found favor with the shichigosan-the seven deities of good luck. Numatech Corp. was about to control the only copy of Digital Fortress that would ever exist. Twenty million dollars was a lot of money-but considering the product, it was the steal of the century.

Radical Feminism Versus Liberal Feminism

Feminist theories are an extension of feminism into theoretical and philosophical discourse. They aim at understanding of the nature of gender inequality . They in turn examine women’s social roles and life experiences . While in general some provide a critique of social relationships . Most feminist theories also focus on analysing gender inequality and the promotion of women’s rights, interests and issues . Among such theories are the Liberal feminism and the Radical feminism theories. While Liberal and Radical feminism both seek to ensure that women have access to resources and human rights in a gender equal environment they however do not necessarily employ similar methods in achieving these results. Each has its own distinct reason behind whatever methods they engage to achieve their goals. Wikipedia the free internet dictionary defines feminism as â€Å"the belief that women have equal political, social, and sexual, interlectual and economic rights as men do. It a discourse that involves various movements, theories and philosophies which are concerned with the issues of gender differences . The adaptation of the equality for women and the campaign for women’s rights and interests†. Ritzer (1992) indentifies feminism as that board of theories which analyse the social world of the point of views of women and other minority groups and the major objective is to investigate the situations and experience of women in diverse societies. Britannica encyclopaedia indentifies the term feminism as used to describe a political or economic, cultural, or economic movement aimed at establishing equal rights and legal protection for women. It involves political, cultural sociological theories . As well as philosophises concerned with issues of gender differences. It also is a movement that advocates for women’s rights and interests. Patriarchy according to Robert (1991) is â€Å"derived from a Greek word Patria means father and arche means to rule, beginning, and origins. A male head of the family excising autocratic authority or by extension a member of the ruling class, government of a society controlled by senior men. † Scafer (2000) describes a radical group as a group that is set apart from others because of obvious physical differences. According to Bryson in Haralambos and Holborn (2000), â€Å"radical feminism is a theory that views women as an oppressed group which has to struggle for its liberation against its oppressors. † According to Harton and Hunt , â€Å"a liberal is one who accepts the social system as basically sound but feels that extensive reforms maybe needed. † Liberal feminism is the first form of feminism recorded; it asserts the equality of men and women, through political and legal reform. It’s mostly individualistic thus it focuses mainly on women’s ability to show and maintain their equality through their own action and choices . It looks closely at the interactions that occur between men and women in the public sphere . Liberal feminism cites such interactions as the starting ground from where to transform society into a more gender equitable place . However other issues important to liberal feminists also include reproductive rights , abortion access, sexual harassment voting , education , fair compensation for work , affordable health care , and bringing to light the frequency of sexual and domestic abuse against women. This philosophy tends to have a neutral vision towards different gender. It requires women to mould themselves to fit a citizenship that already exists. On the other hand Radical feminism is a movement that got its inspiration largely from the Marxist theory. It addresses issues Liberal feminism overlooked. It is a â€Å"current† within feminism that pays a great deal of attention to the theory of patriarchy. According to Haralambos, Horlborn and Heald (2000), â€Å"Radical feminism blames the exploitation of women on men. † The term Radical is derived from the Latin word Radix, radic, meaning the root. Radical feminist strongly believe that the root cause of the oppression of women emanates from the patriarchal society that they exist in. The main perpetrators being male. They identify patriarch as a system of power that organises society into a complex of relationships based on an assumption of males being the more superior of the sexes. The end result in such societies is the oppression of women by men . Radical feminists identify only one solution, to challenge and completely overthrow patriarchy by whatever means possible . Including opposing standard gender roles. Whatever they see as male oppression of women calls for a reordering of society†, Wikipedia the internet free dictionary. Liberal feminists generally work for the eradication of institutional bias and the implication of better laws. They legally challenge ideas and practices that result in women being seen as second class citizens. They do not challenge capitalism, patriarchy or any other fundamental structures of society. They a dvocate for transformational changes. Liberal feminists wish to achieve gender equality by working with the system rather than over throwing it , or example liberals do not call for the abolishment of the marriage institution instead they want the institution to be structured in such a way that it is not oppressive and imbalanced . In contrast Radicals are extremists and they strongly believe in a revolutionary change. Radicals on the left wing according to Henslin (1995) believe that subjugation of women is the most basic and fundamental cause of oppression. Radicals therefore believe that the only way to deal with that oppression is to have a complete radical change . They unlike the liberals, they call for the eradication of the existing structures that result in women being oppressed. Campbell and Warsaw (1970) postulate that radical feminism aims to challenge and over throw patriarchy, opposing gender roles and what they identify as male oppression of women. Liberal feminist movement is preferred by government than other forms of feminism movement’s. The liberals see value in working with the system therefore usually the liberal feminists work hand in hand with the governments. For example in the United States of America Liberal Feminism have historically worked for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment which ensures that men and women are treated as equals under democratic laws that also influence important spheres of women’s lives including reproduction, work and equal pay. In Britain they supported such measures as the Sex discrimination Act (1975) and the Equal Pay Act (1970) in the hope that these would help end discrimination. Were as radical feminists don’t work closely with the government and neither does the government desire to work with them. To them the government also represents within it patriarch. At the same time the government views the radicals more often than not undesirable as they advocate certain changes that do not necessarily work hand in hand with what the government desires. Most times conflict occurs between the two. Radical feminism places emphasis on the oppression of women by men . This idea distinguishes the Radical theory from the Liberal theory as the later concentrates on the oppression of both men and women. Unlike the radical feminists, liberal feminist take into consideration less dominant men who are oppressed by other men. Thus liberals view gender inequality as power that men have as a group over women and also the power that some men have over women. According to Valerie Bryson (1999) radical feminists see women as an oppressed group who had to struggle for their own liberation. Radical feminists view society and especially the society and especially the family as the key institution oppresses women in modern society. Similarly, liberal feminist also believe that the social system catalyses gender inequality. They believe that society should not impose separate roles for women and those they should be allowed to compete freely with men and they should enjoy the same privileges and opportunities. Radical feminists challenge and thrive to completely over throw patriarchy, by opposing the normal gender roles. They believe that male domination over women is as a result of gendered roles. Such roles have a diminishing effect on the importance of women is society. They argue that men exploit women because of the free domestic labour that they provide. Women are excluded from other important issues such as politics and positions of power and influence. On the same note liberal feminists identify gender roles as one of the main reasons responsible for gender inequality. They believe that childhood conditioning prepares the children for the inflexible and rigid gender roles that they take up in the future. Valarie Bryson (1999) identifies Radical feminism, â€Å"it tends to ignore variations in experience of oppression of women of different classes and ethnic background. Radical feminism originated from the west. Most radicals are white hence radical feminism tends to concentrate on those problems that affected the white women. Very little attention is paid to those that affected the black women. Similarly, liberal feminism originates from the western hemisphere hence most who subscribe to this school of thought are white women . According to Giddens (2004), â€Å"liberal feminists aim for gradual change in the political, economic and social systems of western societies. † Therefore liberal feminism too tends to ignore the experiences of women in other societies. The liberal feminists have played a huge rule in ensuring that women in Zimbabwe have access to resources and opportunities . They set up organisations that see to the welfare of women. For example the Musasa Project. This project aids mostly women who would have been subjected to violence and the aid is for free. It has assisted women to come to terms with issues such as physical abuse by spo uses and boyfriends as well as to help them realise that it is not right them to be abused in such ways. Likewise radical feminists have fought for women to have equal access as men to resources. Through doing so several groups have been formed by the Radical feminists in Zimbabwe organisations such as WOZA and Girl Child. WOZA, Women of Zimbabwe Arise is an organisation that was started in 2003 by women who felt compelled to empower female voices in Zimbabwe. Their main objective was to achieve social justice for women as well as to provide them with a forum on which they could speak about the things they want for their country. In conclusion both liberal and radical feminism provide women all over the world with a platform to share their experiences. They both involve the formation of organisations that provide a voice for women to be heard. While Liberal feminists challenge only ideas and practises that treat women as second class citizens. They concentrate mostly on the public sphere issues, for example representation off women in politics and women being paid equal salaries with men when performing similar jobs. While on the other hand the radical feminists challenge the private interaction that exists between men and women. They concentrate on the private sphere issues, for example non-rights to sexuality, rape and violence. The end of the day both theories work towards enabling women to achieve their full potential REFERANCES_ _ Charvet . J. (1982) Morden Ideologies Feminism En. wikipedia. org/wiki/Feminism Haralambos, M and Holborn. M, (2000) Sociology ;Themes and perspectives. Harper Collins, London _Henslin, J, M, (1995). Sociology :Alyn and Bacon London_ Rizter, G. (1992) Sociological Theory. McGraw-Hill, Ino, New York. _ _Schaefer R. T (2004) Sociology ; A Brief Introduction 5th Edition , McGraw , New York_ Giddens A Sociology 4_th Edition (2004) Blackwell Publishing _ Warsley , P. (1970). Introducing Sociology. Prengin Books, New York WOMEN’S UNIVERSITY IN AFRICA NAME ; Ndafadzwa Chuchu PROGRAM; Bsc (Hons) Management and Entrepreneurial Dev_ _ ID NUMBER ; WMG0308090028 LEVEL _ ; _1. 2 MODULE ; Gender in Enterprise *LECTURER *; Mrs Kashora QUESTION ; Compare and contrast Radical and Liberal Feminism

Sewing for Millionaires

Sewing for Millionaires A two-hour drive from the capital of San Jose, Costa Rica, sits the small community of Turrialba where mostly young workers sit and sew baseballs destined for Major League Baseball teams. Rawlings Sporting Goods Company moved its baseball manufacturing operations from Haiti in 1986 when the political landscape of the country began to change. Rawlings selected the town of Turrialba due to the incentives offered to the company by the Costa Rican government. Rawlings was awarded a free-trade zone in which the company would be allowed to operate duty-free in the country.Rawlings pays no import tariffs on the goods it imports to manufacture its baseballs, and the finished product can be shipped duty-free into the United States under the Caribbean Basin Initiative. The Turrialba region was hard hit economically in the 1980s when a major highway from the capital bypassed the town. Because travelers no longer stopped in Turrialba, the Costa Rican government wanted to develop the local area through foreign investment. Rawlings found the potential workforce better educated, and more disciplined than its workers in Haiti. The country was also well known for being very politically stable.With few employment opportunities in the area, Rawlings had no difficulty in securing dedicated and motivated employees. Although Costa Rica is the wealthiest country in Central America, per capita income is still only about $4,200 a year. Costa Rica has a national unemployment rate of 6. 7 percent. However, the rate can vary from region to region. With the completion of the new highway and declining employment opportunities in the coffee and sugarcane industries, many local residents of Turrialba were eager to find stable employment. Most Rawlings employees in Costa Rica are engaged in sewing operations.In the plant, 300 employees sit in rows of high back chairs and sew baseballs. Many employees break the boredom of the work by listening to music on their headphone s. The plant employs a total of 575 workers. At one time Rawlings employed approximately 1,900 workers at the Costa Rican plant, however, employment fell when the company shifted production of its lower quality baseballs to China. The Rawlings plant takes a baseball core and wraps it in yarn. The product is then covered with cowhide and sewn by hand. Baseballs must be sewn by hand in order to achieve the quality level demanded by the Major Leagues.Each worker sews 108 perfect stitches using a long needle and thread. The balls are then inspected, cleaned, and stamped with the MLB logo and the signature of the commissioner of baseball. The balls are then packed and shipped to the port city of Limon where they are loaded onto a ship bound for Port Everglades, Florida. The baseballs are then trucked to Rawlings’ Springfield, Missouri facility, and then to Major League teams or retail stores. Rawlings has been the exclusive supplier of baseballs to the Major Leagues since 1977. Th e Costa Rican facility produces approximately 2. million baseballs a year, with 1. 8 million of those going to Major League Baseball. The remaining balls are sold to minor league and college baseball teams, or sold to the public through retail stores or the Websites of MLB and Rawlings. Although Rawlings refuses to disclose the price of the baseballs paid by MLB, the baseballs retail on the company’s Website for $12. 99 per unit. Employees are paid $1. 21 per hour and receive the value of 67 cents an hour in benefits, or about 30 cents per ball produced. Workers can go home early in the week if they complete their production quotas.Rawlings workers earn about 14 percent above the Costa Rican minimum wage. In addition to their wages, Rawlings employees in Costa Rica must be paid for eleven holidays, receive two weeks of paid vacation a year, and receive a Christmas bonus equal to one month’s pay. The Company must also pay into a retirement and medical plan and provide f our months of maternity leave when needed. A 2004 New York Times article questioned the pay and working conditions of the Rawlings plant in Costa Rica. The article accused Rawlings and MLB of running a sweatshop in Costa Rica where workers were underpaid and worked in an unhealthy environment.Consumer advocate Ralph Nader joined in the criticism by writing a letter to Bud Selig, MLB Commissioner and the Executive Director of the MLB Player Association. In the letter Nader condemned the two men for allowing baseballs to be manufactured in what he considered to be poor conditions. Portions of the letter follow: â€Å"Your respective organizations must not ignore their roles in this exploitation and abuse of worker rights committed under Major League Baseball and Player Association product sourcing and licensing agreements. † â€Å"American consumers and baseball fans currently have no guarantee that any icensed Major League Baseball products are not being made under sweatshop conditions that violate basic human and worker rights standards. † Major League Baseball consumer products vice president, Howard Smith, responded to the rising complaints by stating: â€Å"I can assure you that there is no company we do business with that knowingly goes into a factory with sub-par working conditions. † Not everyone agrees with Mr. Smith. Maribel Alezondo Brenes worked at the Rawlings plant for seven years before her doctor told her to stop working there for health reasons.Carpal tunnel syndrome has been noticed in the Rawlings employees due to the repetitive nature of the work. Dr. Carlos Guerrero who worked at the Rawlings plant as company physician says that up to 90 percent of Rawlings employees may have experienced pain from the work, from minor cuts to disabling injuries. Others feel that the plant has been a good addition to the region, including Warny Gomez, who worked at the Rawlings facility for four years and made enough money to attend colle ge and to become a teacher.With average pay for Major League Baseball players close to $2. 3 million a year, some Rawlings employees feel that their compensation is unjust. Many, however, feel like Alan Cascante, an eight-year employee of the baseball factory: â€Å"We can live on that (Rawlings wages). We never made that working in the fields. † Plant manager, Ken West agrees with Cascante, by saying â€Å"The best thing’s the pay. We’re a good place to work. † The debate over pay and working conditions of employees who supply MLB with its products appears to be growing in some quarters.People like Kenneth Miller; a self-appointed champion of sweatshop workers takes his message to the fans by camping outside ballparks. He tells potential consumers of MLB products that the baseball player bobble head doll they are about to purchase was made by a Chinese worker who works 20 hour shifts for very little pay. Miller states that he often finds indifference amo ng consumers. Some tell him: â€Å"Why are you trying to interrupt our nice day at the ballpark? Miller and a handful of others are pressuring MLB to take greater control over the working conditions of its suppliers, such as Rawlings. As the debate continues in the United States over the working conditions and pay of the Costa Rican employees and others, baseballs are sewn in Turrialba with pictures of Alex Rodriquez, Mike Piazza, and other baseball players hanging on the walls of the factory. Rawlings’ employees, however, are too busy sewing baseballs for the millionaire players to even notice the pictures hanging above them.

Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory

In the twentieth century, Sigmund Freud, had been labeled as the father of psychoanalysis. Working with many great theorists in his lifetime, they helped him expand his thinking too create many theories of his own, one in particular, the psychoanalytic theory. Even though many theorists did not agree with his theory, because of his addiction to cocaine, many believe he was one of the greatest. Sigmund Freud was born in Moravia in May 6, 1856 into Jewish parents. In 1860 his family migrated to Vienna, where he resided for about eighty years.He then left Vienna moving to London after the Nazis overran Austria. Since when he was young, Freud wanted to be a scientist. In 1873, Freud enters the medical school of University of Vienna, graduating eight years later. (Hall, 1970) In 1886 He married to Martha Bernays and opened his own practice. (Wollheim, 1971) After studying and working with Jean Charcot a French psychiatrist and Joseph Breuer a Viennese physician, Freud realized that Charco t’s hypnosis treatment was not impressive and Breuer’s conservative view on sexual conflict where the cause of hysteria left Freud working alone.Working alone helped Freud form the foundation of psychoanalytic theory. (Hall, 1970) Psychoanalytic theory is the belief that a dynamic struggle takes place within the human psych between unconscious forces. That’s where the structure of personality takes place. The structure of personality is made up of three main mental entities, Id, Ego, and Superego. Id operates only in the unconscious mind containing basic animal drives as instinctual impulses, hunger, thirst, sex, and aggression.Id follows the pressure principle and demand for instant gratification. Ego represents reason and good sense. Id organizes the ways to handle the delay of gratification by coping with frustration by operating in the reality of principles, seeking to satisfy instinctual demands in way that are practical and socially acceptable. Ego attends to avoid social disapproval. Superego is the interval moral guardian or conscience. Develops by internalizing the moral teachings of parents or other significant others.The ego has to make the compromise between the id and superego. (Quigley, 1998) In the end, balance and interactions of these three parts is determined by our behavior and our ability to meet the life challenges we face. To understand it better in a criminology way an example of the theory would be John is at the mall and sees the diamond on a ring shine right on him and his id thinks, â€Å"I’d like to go and snatch it right off the show case. The ego then says, â€Å"Wait there’s not enough people, you’re in a plain site, let’s wait for the room to get busy. † The superego then says, â€Å"Wait, you can’t do that, you can pay for it. † In 1880s Sigmund Freud started experimenting with cocaine. He believed that cocaine lifted his spirit when he was at a low period i n his life. Freud stated that with brilliant success he was able to observe the effects cocaine took on him when he used small doses, regularly for depression and against indigestion. Cocaine) Because of this experimenting stage many has challenge Freud psychoanalytic theory. In practically, Darwin, who critisized Freud theory because it was generated by confusions arising Freud long standing use of cocaine. (Freud, 2010) Also, Breuer, a mentor and friend, disagree with Freud when it came to talking treatment for hysteria because sexual desires lay at the bottom of all these hysterical neuroses and like stated before Breuer was conservative towards the subject. (Boeree, 1997)In 1939, Sigmund Freud died of cancer to the mouth and jaw, after battling it for almost 20 years. Some of Freud's ideas are tied to his culture and era; other ideas are not easily testable. Some may even of Freud's own personality and experiences. But Freud was a great observer of the human condition, and enoug h of what he said has meaning today that he will be a part of personality textbooks for years to come. Even when theorists come up with dramatically different ideas about how we work, they compare their ideas with Freud's.

Native American Indian Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Native American Indian - Essay Example The American policy towards the Native American Indians were continually evolving and changing. After the United States-British war, the United States treated the Native American Indians who allied with the British as a conquered people who had lost their land. However, the Americans find the policy very difficult to impose. In a short period, the United States abandoned the policy (Native Americans). In the decades following the American Revolution, the desire for more land by the rapidly increasing population of the United States resulted in numerous treaties in which lands were purchased from Native Americans (Indian Removal). Eventually, the U.S. government began encouraging Indian tribes to sell their land by offering them land in the West, outside the boundaries of the then-existing U.S. states, where the tribes could resettle (Indian Removal). This new policy was commonly known as the Indian Removal policy. The main goal of the Indian Removal policy was to relocate Native American Indian tribes living east of the Mississippi River to lands west of the river (Indian Removal). This process involve in the Indian Removal policy was accelerated with the passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 (The U.S. ... Consequently, conflicts generally known as "Indian Wars" broke out between U.S. forces and many different Native American Indian tribes (Native Americans). The United States and the Native American Indians made plenty of treaties during this period, but later abandoned them for several reasons. Well-known military engagements include the typical Native American Indian victory at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876, and the massacre of Native American Indians at Wounded Knee in 1890 (Native Americans). Contrary to some modern misconceptions, the Removal Act did not order the forced removal of any Native Americans, nor did President Jackson ever publicly advocate forced removal. The Indian Removal policy was supposed to be voluntary, and many Native American Indians did indeed remain in the East. In practice, however, the Jackson administration put great pressure on tribal leaders to sign removal treaties (Indian Removal). This pressure created bitter divisions within the Native American Indian nations, as different tribal leaders advocated different responses to the question of removal. Sometimes, U.S. government officials ignored tribal leaders who resisted signing removal treaties and dealt with those who favored removal (Indian Removal).However, the American policy toward Native American Indians has been an evolving process. In the late nineteenth century, reformers in efforts to "civilize" Indians adapted the practice of educating native children in Indian Boarding Schools run by Christians (qtd. from Native Americans). However, most Native American Indian children were traumatized by the methods of teaching. Children were forbidden from

Virtue Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Virtue Ethics - Essay Example s of character make one a good man?† According to Christianity, morality is divine command; the fact of applying reason in identifying what’s moral and what isn’t. Jesus was on different occasions asked if there was a particular right way of doing things, like the proper method of worship, or what to do to gain eternal life. In His responses to all such questions, Jesus said there were no specific ways of doing things right; that there were not set of rules or laws. Renaissance came up with moral law, which is what determined the right or wrong thing to do. Many later day philosophers, such as Anscombe (1958), have disagreed with the renaissance view, insisting there shouldn’t be any law because, in any case, there can’t be a law without a lawgiver. Virtues are defined by Aristotle as character traits manifested in habitual action. He says no virtue exists in the extremes. Rather, virtue comes in between the two extremes. For instance, courage comes in between cowardice and foolhardiness. In both Christianity and philosophy, virtue ethics is not dictated by any set of laws. In both cases, virtue ethics is not in what one does or their action, but rather lies in their

Situational Price Sensitivity in Marketing Essay

Situational Price Sensitivity in Marketing - Essay Example Each customer will have a certain price acceptability window and different customers have different limits in their perceptions of what price is within their range. Pricing is an extremely important part of the marketing mix that has been neglected for a long time. It is the only marketing strategy variable that generates a positive cash flow. The remaining variables (Advertising and promotion, product development, selling effort, distribution, packaging) all create costs. To optimize pricing and all related marketing mix instruments, price sensitivity is an essential contract. Sensitivity is defined as "the response of an organ or organism to external stimuli" (Webster's Third New International Dictionary 1993). Price Sensitivity is used by organizations that are working with unknown pricing situations, new products, products that offer thin margins or products that offer improved benefits to established products. Put together, the term price sensitivity clearly refers to the response of an individual to the amount of money asked or paid for a good or service. This commonsense definition is generally agreed upon (e.g., Hoch et al. 1995; Tellis 1988). It indicates what effect a price change will have on the buyer's intention to purchase a given product or class of products. If buyers are considered price sensitive, changes in price will cause (definite) changes in their buyer behavior. If they are not price sensitive at all, price changes will not result in a change in their purchasing behaviour. In this study, price is assumed to have a negative effect on the purchase probability. A higher price will normally lead to lower demand.(1) Price is hence a negative attribute of an electronic entertainment product. Price sensitivity is defined as the degree to which consumers use price as a decision-making criterion (Lichtenstein, Bloch, and Black 1988). However, its analysis has been mostly focused on traditional consumer goods like groceries or apparel, which have different characteristics in production and consumption than electronic entertainment or media products. In order to assesses what actions have to be taken by media companies to react to price sensitive consumers, the price sensitivity construct and its determinants and consequences have to be scrutinized. There have been many prior studies of how advertising affects two equilibrium quantities: the price elasticity of demand and/or the price level. Our work is differentiated from previous work primarily by our focus on how advertising shifts demand curves as a whole. As Becker and Murphy pointed out, a focus on equilibrium prices or elasticities alone can be quite misleading. Indeed, in many instances, the observation that advertising causes prices to fall and/or demand elasticities to increase, has misled authors into concluding that consumer "price sensitivity" must have increased, meaning the number of consumers' willing to pay any particular price for a

Behavioural implications of organisational structure Essay

Behavioural implications of organisational structure - Essay Example An organisational structure can affects various factors such as employees behaviour, communication, information flow, delegation of riles and responsibilities, economic performance and culture of the organisation. Therefore, the challenges faced by the companies, related to organisational structure, insist them to learn behavioural implications of organisational structure. In the recent years, to enhance the flexibility and to meet the future challenges, the organisations are shifting from hierarchical and more bureaucratic organisational structure to flatter, organic and matrix structures. These structures enhance the empowerment, coordination and performance of the employees. It means that firms understand the importance of organisational structure to achieve their goals. Before discussing in detail, the behavioural implications of organisational structure, touching over the work of early researchers is very important. Although most of the researchers agree upon the statement that organisational structure does have a very significant role in influencing the organisational behaviour, however, most of them conflict when it comes to discuss in terms of kind of organisational structure. The organisational structure and design plays a more significant role in organisational fairness than we consider it (Schminke 2000).4In 1960, Katz and Kahn argued that hierarchical structures do improve the coordination.5 James argues that formal organisational structure solves the ethical problems within the firms, by affecting the behaviour of the employees.6Worrall and Kakabadse, in their comparative study of nine social service departments, found that the determinants of organisational structure are centralisation and formalisation, and they are negatively related to the job satisfaction of the employees.7 As there is a very significant relationship between organisational structure and

Cross Cultural Management Issues of UK, China, Spain, and Finland Essay

Cross Cultural Management Issues of UK, China, Spain, and Finland - Essay Example This paper will assess the management issues which could arise in an international team consisting of English, Chinese, Spanish and Finnish members. It will then seek to propose methods for addressing these issues and dealing with them effectively. Cross-Cultural Concepts and Issues Which Could Arise There exist many differing theories as to the way in which cultures differ considerably on several levels. One pertinent theory put forth by Maletzke (1996) categorises cultural differences into 9 groups. Although these will be briefly stated, they are relevant in assessing which problems could arise for a manager of an international group. Maletzke states that cultural differences can consist in many different categories (1996). The national character of a culture consists in the shared basic behavioural patterns and personality traits of the people in the culture. In the business arena this can be an issue if one culture, being inherently different to another, finds it difficult to und erstand, or co-operate with the other. For example, the Spanish culture is open, loud and friendly whereas the Finnish culture is formal, softly spoken and favours courteousness. This may cause the Finnish person to be offended or overwhelmed by the playful, less formal characteristics of the Spanish person. The Spanish may also overwhelm the Chinese person as Chinese tend to be more softly spoken and less verbal. Another important element of culture is time concept, which has the potential to differ greatly between cultures and cause problems when co-ordinating meetings and planning schedules. Here there exists the potential for the Chinese and the English person to conflict in that the former is less prompt for meetings, and often has no fixed start or end time whereas the English person desires a more specified form of time management. This also applies to the Spanish who may stand alone in his lack of planning, relaxed perception of time and lack of willingness to restrict his d ay to particularly planned schedules and meeting times. The space concept of culture can cause problems in that the Finnish, English and Chinese may conflict with the Spanish concept of space. The Mediterranean culture of the Spanish places little importance on private space, and may even adopt constant forms of physical contact in order to communicate and express himself. This may cause discomfort, particularly for the Finnish culture which is likely to see physical contact between mere business associates as inappropriate and even offensive. For example, the Finnish method of greeting is a simple handshake with a smile, as is the English method. The Spanish is more likely to shake hands, yet place a hand on the back of the person he greets, or even kiss the cheek of the person he greets. The two methods are rather different and have the potential to cause issues in the business arena. Perception as a facet of culture also has the potential to be an issue, in that it could represen ts which each culture defines as important and non-important. Perhaps the largest potential of raising issues is the language and non-verbal communication of each culture. Of course, different languages are a major problem, though more importantly, even if

Evaluation of a Website www.pbskids.org Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Evaluation of a Website www.pbskids.org - Essay Example I am particularly attracted by the website www.pbskids.org. This website combines entertainment with education, and is very attractively designed. The main draw of the website is the great technical skill of its design, which facilitates its use by children. It is a great example of how learning can be made fun. By incorporating characters, such as Barney & Friends, Curious George, Sesame Street, and Thomas and Friends, into spelling, number and letter games, the website educates and entertains. The bright colors, and easily understandable links, are very child-friendly. With websites ranging from the institutional to the personal, it is essential to develop the skill of objectively evaluating a website. Obviously, a commercial website cannot serve as a source for academic purposes, and a website with links to a pharmaceutical firm cannot be cited for medical research. Several criteria, such as accuracy, authority, objectivity and currency, come into play in evaluating a website (Cor nell University Library, 1998). Evaluation of the website www.pbskids.org, based on the criteria of reliability of the source, the credentials of the author, and the information available, gives an accurate picture of the website. The reliability of the source is of paramount importance in evaluating a website. ... Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa. PBS reaches nearly 123 million television viewers and more than 21 million online visitors in a month. It is America’s largest public media enterprise. The organization’s mission statement clearly reflects its focus on education. It is a measure of the strength of its credentials that the website has a link to the home page of the PBS, where a detailed account of the organization, its mission statement, and terms of use are all clearly laid down. As the domain name is clearly preferred, the producer of the website is unequivocally stated, and the credentials of the organization are reliable, it may be accepted that www.pbskids.org is the product of a reliable source. The credentials of the author is the other strong criteria in the evaluation of a website. www.pbskids.org does not list any author. In this case, the absence of a single author is not relevant, as the domain name of the website indicates that the source is an organi zation. As the website is sponsored by an organization, and the credentials of this organization, PBS, are genuine, the authority of the website may be accepted. In the absence of an author, the credentials of the organization may be taken in its stead. PBS KIDS is the winner of several Daytime Emmy Awards and features on many reliable surveys, including Nielsen and Google Analytics. It is clear that PBS is a leading player in curriculum based media, and has the authority to deal with this content. The page gives a direct link to the home page of the organization, where detailed contact information, including e-mail id’s and telephone numbers, are provided. Again, it is evident that the organization is very transparent in stating the purpose and

Historical reference to U.S. counter-terrorism practices, and how Essay

Historical reference to U.S. counter-terrorism practices, and how these practices have been developed - Essay Example Two sections, besides the introductory one, deal with key issues in crafting the US counterterrorism strategies, while the third section lays a particular emphasis on the current approach to countering acts of terror and terrorist networks. Thus, the final section discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the present-day US counterterrorism policy and draws a conclusion about its effectiveness. Introduction As a general rule, terrorism is unsusceptible to exact definition insofar as certain interpretations could justify violence, especially actions conducted under the banner of politics, which is otherwise unacceptable (White, 2012). Thus, as White (2012) states, terrorism denotes different things to different people, being called either revolutionary war or crime in one or another period of history. On the other hand, according to White (2012), terrorism itself, along with the counter-terrorist responses, are practices that have always been in transition; while Ambassador Michael Sh eehan (retd) points out that terrorism is both provoked and sustained by technological progress, development and, perhaps most notably, globalization (Alexander & Kraft, 2008). In that regard, the smaller the world has become, the more capable terrorists would appear – whether in terms of communication, travel, funding, or weaponry (Alexander & Kraft, 2008). The advent of global-oriented terrorism in the 1990s, being represented first and foremost by Islamic Jihad- and al-Qaeda-led activities worldwide, appears a powerful argument in favor of that statement (Anderson and Sloan, 2009). In his foreword to Evolution of US Counterterrorism Policy, Ambassador Sheehan (retd) concluded that the US counterterrorism policies generally present a perspective on the evolution of terrorism itself (Alexander & Kraft, 2008). Being largely preoccupied with traditional interstate conflict and counterinsurgency, the US national security establishment first recognized the terrorist threat in th e early 1970s; while the increasing frequency, considerably extended reach and magnified lethality of terrorist attacks in the 1980s and 1990s up to the post 9/11 era, firmly shifted the focus of attention on terrorism in order to become US national security policy’s top priority (Sheehan in Alexander & Kraft, 2008). Correspondingly, the US counter-terrorist responses and tactics reflected the growing complexity of terrorist threat worldwide, including weapons of mass destruction, cyber-terrorism, etc. (Lia, 2003). The Times of Blissful Ignorance There have been numerous acts of terrorism across the world in modern times, but the United States became a prime terrorist target as late as the 1980s; until then, the term terrorism had been applied to various groups, including revolutionaries, anarchists, nationalists and violent left-wing activists, who mainly targeted European citizens and governments (White, 2012). As the meaning of terrorism fluctuated over time, the forms of terrorist activity also fluctuated between group violence, rioting and guerilla warfare (White, 2012). In turn, the tactics employed by terrorist organizations varied from kidnapping to assassinations and bombings, including suicide ones. The attack on the