The Awakening by Kate Chopin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Awakening by Kate Chopin - Essay Example Rather she thinks that she is also a valuable part of the society who needs to fulfill her instinct desires instead of staying at home and taking care of children and husband. It does not mean that she does not love her sons rather the fact is that she loves them but do not want to spare her whole life just for them. Edna has same feelings for her husband. She respects him as a wife should do but the element of love does not seem to be there in her relationship. When this novel was published, people did not like the character of Edna and criticized Chopin for writing such an immoral novel in which a woman was shown as a sexual being. In the novel, Edna has been shown playing the role of a woman who does not want to remain static in the society. She wants to participate actively in the society for her own desires and for that, she has to sacrifice her responsibilities up to some extent, which includes her home, her children, and her husband. Edna is shown in the character of a woman w ho does not want to sacrifice her private or social life for her husband and children. In the novel, she seems to be taking care of her children and husband but she has the desire to do something more which should reveal her inner thoughts and feelings. She does not want to be a model wife and mother as her friend, Adele Ratignolle. Adele has been shown in the role of a woman who devotes herself for her family. ... Adele has been shown in a good character in the novel. When Edna falls in relationship with Lebrun, Adele becomes worried while thinking of the future of Edna’s sons. She thinks that Edna’s care towards her children will be affected because of her new relationship. In the novel, the author has shown that there is no match between the thoughts and feelings of Edna and Adele and this is the reason why Adele does not understand the viewpoint of her friend. The only similarity observed in the novel between the feelings of Edna and Adele was that both friends wanted to take extreme care of their children. The difference was that Edna did not want to sacrifice her personal life for her children. The author has portrayed Edna inn the role of a woman who wants to live her life properly by exhibiting her hidden desires of love and sex. In the novel, Adele does not seem to be agreeing with her friend’s viewpoint. She believes that a woman has nothing to do more if she dedi cates her life fully for here children. She tries to explain it to her friend too but she does not get any success in that. Adele’s belief that a woman cannot do justice with her children if she starts fulfilling her own desires come true when Edna lefts her children to her in-laws when she comes back to New Orleans. In this stage of the novel, Edna starts disregarding her responsibilities towards her children and husband. She often thinks of her affair with Labrun who is no more with her due to some business reasons. It is the time when Edna starts her new affair with Alcee Arobin. Edna has been shown as a woman full of sexual desires at this stage of the novel. She forgets her relationship with her husband and falls into an affair with a new partner. Edna also contacts

Epidemiology of Schizophrenia Essay Example for Free

Epidemiology of Schizophrenia Essay Medical experts view schizophrenia as the cancer of all mental illness. This is because it is possibly the most dangerous and devastating mental illness known to man. Today, about one in every 100 mature American suffers from schizophrenia. This translates to nearly 2.5 million people. At the present, the disease has no known cure and it can only be managed. Although schizophrenia can manifest itself in any age, majority of the schizophrenic people show signs in their early twenties. In most cases, males show the first signs of schizophrenia at an earlier stage compared to females but unlike most other mental illnesses, the disease is evenly distributed across gender (McGrath, et al. 2005). Although there has been much research touching on this disease, the exact cause of schizophrenia is still unknown. However, researchers have found out through brain scans of individuals suffering from the disease that there are notable differences from a brain scan done on a person who does not have the diseases. However, the biggest cause of schizophrenia is believed to be genetic factor since the disease runs in families. There is also a belief among researchers that people develop schizophrenia due to the absence of some fundamental genes. In order to best understand the epidemiology of schizophrenia in the U.S., this paper will first seek to define epidemiology in order to make it easier to understand this disease in a better way. The paper will then proceed to define and illustrate the epidemiology triangle and give an illustration of how this is related to schizophrenia (Jablensky, 2003). Epidemiology Epidemiology is the investigation of the occurrence, distribution, and causes of diseases among other health-affiliated situations in human beings. Additionally, epidemiology also deals with how the investigation of these factors can be utilized to promote better health and to prevent and manage health problems. In trying to address the issue of epidemiology, the focus is usually on the outcome of disease on a certain population rather than on individuals. Ideally, some certain diseases might prevalent in some areas while others are rare. Although the rare disease might be more deadly as compared to the prevalent one, epidemiology tends to give more emphasis on the prevalent disease since it affects many people (Hennekens, Buring, 1987). Ideally, the fact that epidemiology deals with the issue of frequency goes ahead to prove that it is a quantitative science. Epidemiology specifically deals with the rate of occurrence of diseases and supplementary health related conditions. The frequency of diseases is determined by morbidity and the rate of death. Ideally, epidemiology goes beyond the confines of the disease to cover other health related conditions because every human activity has a direct effect on health. Health related conditions are factors, which have a direct or indirect consequence or influence on human health (John, 2001). When discussing distribution in epidemiology, the issue that is considered is the geographical distribution of infections, the circulation in relation to time, and distribution in the manner of the individuals that are affected in a certain region. In addition to distribution, epidemiology also examines the determinants issues, which are the determining factors on whether or not a person will contract an illness. Lastly, epidemiology seeks to investigate the issue of how the clinical investigations of the disease can be used to promote better health and to prevent and control related health problems (John, 2001). Disease Causation In order to carry out an epidemiology of a certain disease, it is critical to examine how diseases are caused. Ideally, the cause of a disease means the events, conditions, characteristics or an amalgamation of all these factors, which plays a significant role in bringing out the disease. In examining the cause of any disease, the first thing to examine is the primary causes. Generally, primary causes are the factors, which are critical for an illness to happen. In order to make the examination of disease causes to sound more scientific, the term etiologic agent is used in place of the primary cause. For example, in the epidemiology of pulmonary tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis is considered the etiologic agent or the main cause (Mausner, Bahn, 2010). In addition to the primary causes in the examination of disease causes, the risk factors are also considered. Although risk factors might not be necessary for a disease to occur, the truth is that they have a significant role in the formation of diseases. Ideally, any factor that is linked with heightened incidence of a disease is a risk factor for the exposed population. In most cases, risk factors have an association to the agent but in other cases, they might have a direct relation to the population and the surroundings (Mausner, Bahn, 2010). The Epidemiologic Triangle Fig 1.1 Diagrammatic Representation of the Epidemiologic Triangle Agent Host Environment The epidemiologic triangle shows the association among the agent, environment, and host in the incidence of disease. In this triangle, the agent is considered a factor whose existence or nonexistence, insufficiency or surplus is essential for a particular illness to happen. On the other hand, the environment incorporates all the outside factors, other than the agent that can affect health. These two factors are then classified according to whether they fit in the societal, bodily or genetic environments. Ideally, the societal environment covers a wide spectrum of factors including the education level, unemployment, and many other factors as pertains to political and the legal systems (Mausner, Bahn, 2010). Epidemiology of Schizophrenia According to statistics, an average of 1 percent of American adults suffers from schizophrenia at any given year thus bringing the figure to more than 2.5 million people. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), schizophrenia affects an average of 24 million people worldwide with the worldwide prevalence standing at 8 percent. Given that 2.5 million of these people live in the U.S., it is clear that the country has the highest cases of schizophrenic cases (Eaton, 1991). Ideally, it is important to note that schizophrenia is fundamentally different from incidence of the disease. When talking about an incidence of 8 percent – 1 percent, this does not indicate the number of people diagnosed with schizophrenic cases in any given year. On the contrary, the prevalence rate refers to the average number of people who are suffering from schizophrenia at any given time thus demonstrating on how widespread the disease is. On the other hand, the incidence rate depicts the number of people who are freshly diagnosed with schizophrenia at a specific time and it is used to gauge the possibility of contracting the disease. Since schizophrenia is considered a chronic disease meaning that sufferers stay with it for life, the prevalence rate is higher compared to incidence. According to statistics, the incidence rate of schizophrenia is about 3 in every ten thousand people and one of the three people is an American (Jablensky, 2000). Diagnosis of Schizophrenia Despite all the medical advances today, mental illness remains hard to diagnose. However, with schizophrenia being viewed as a serious condition, much research is being carried out to develop ways of diagnosing the disease before its manifestation. At the present time, the diagnosis is based on the presence of clinical indications. Unlike other diseases, a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist can only conduct schizophrenic diagnosis. Despite this, a person suspected to be suffering from schizophrenia is still subjected to laboratory tests in order to rule out the presence of other related medical disorders such as brain tumors (Eaton, 1991). In the U.S., a person suspected to be schizophrenic is interviewed and observed by a healthcare professional and by the people around the individual in order to obtain a clear clinical image. If after ruling out the presence of other mental conditions the person still demonstrates signs of the disease, then a diagnosis of schizophrenia is specified. The biggest challenge of diagnosing schizophrenia in both the U.S. and elsewhere in the world is that the individual might be paranoid and hence become opposed to examination. In most cases, the individual does not think that he has a problem and this means that he/she does not seek medical attention without any prompting (Eaton, 1991). Incidence Ideally, the incidence rate of schizophrenia in the U.S. differs significantly among various groups. Although the disease is believed to be present in nearly every group, this rate is believed to be higher among migrants. In addition to this, the disease is also believed to be higher among twins but this might be due to the genetic factor that the disease posits. By way of incidence estimates, the average estimate among migrant groups is close to 15.2 percent for every 100,000 migrants with the average among natives standing at about 10.2 percent for every100, 000 people. This goes ahead to show that the disease is evenly distributed among Americans despite of race. Despite this, the various studies conducted to determine the incidence rates between migrants and Native Americans have shown significant differences. In the past, the disease was believed to be prevalent in urban centers but this belief has been discounted with the passage of time. The distribution of the incidence estimate does not also show any difference according to economic status (Eaton, 1991). Prevalence The prevalence rate of schizophrenia in the U.S. has been consistent across the various studies conducted over the years. Ideally, the lifetime prevalence rate stands at 5.0 per every 1,000 individuals. Overall, schizophrenia is believed to affect one in every a hundred Americans and this estimate is based on the data collected by government agencies on lifetime morbid risk data thus making it reliable (Jablensky, 2000). Mortality Rate Schizophrenia is believed to be one of the leading causes of death in America. Compared to the ordinary person, a schizophrenic person has a two-threefold increased possibility of dying. This risk in increased by the fact that schizophrenic people are most likely to commit suicide. However, schizophrenic people are still most likely to die due to the comorbid somatic conditions presented by the disease. In the last few years, the mortality rate of schizophrenia in the U.S. has been on the rise. This is because schizophrenic people do not share in the improved health enjoyed the rest of the society. The increased mortality rate could also have been increased by the increase of generic antipsychotic medicines that have flooded the American market (Jablensky, 2000). Outcomes after Diagnosis The statistics on the outcome of America citizens diagnosed with schizophrenia is not encouraging at all. According to researchers, 25 percent of people diagnosed with schizophrenia end up leading normal lives after ten years of living with the disease while 25 percent of those improve but still require personalized treatment. However, the remaining 50 percent end up hospitalized where 10 percent of those end up committing suicide (Brown, 2000). Although there have been significant strides in diagnosing and treating schizophrenia cases in the U.S., the fact remains that so much still needs to be done. The government has been supporting legislations that seek to fund studies on the function of brain chemistry, brain enhancement, and genetic configurations and how these can be used to find a cure for this mental cancer. Doctors have also become adept at diagnosing the disease at an early stage although the drugs to treat the disease are still not as effective and this has hampered the efforts to control the disease in America (Brown, 2000). Conclusion In the conclusion, it must be stated that medical experts consider schizophrenia as the cancer among all the mental illness. This is because it is possibly the most dangerous and devastating mental illness in existence. Despite the numerous breakthroughs in medical science, the cause and cure for schizophrenia has not yet been found. Today, America is believed to be the leading country in the world in schizophrenia cases. Unlike other conditions, the incidence and prevalence rates are equal across the gender and the ethnic divide. Despite this, the prevalence rate of schizophrenia is believed to be higher among migrants as compared to Native Americans. References Brown, S. (2000). Excess Mortality of Schizophrenia: A Meta-Analysis. Br J Psychiatry 171: 502-508. Eaton, W. (1991). Update on the Epidemiology of Schizophrenia. Epidemiol Review 2: 105-126 Hennekens, C. and Buring, J. (1987). Epidemiology in Medicine. Toronto: Little, Brown and Company. Jablensky, A. (2000). Epidemiology of Schizophrenia: The Global Burden of Disease and Disability. Psychiatry Today 2 (250): 274-285. Jablensky, A. (2003). Schizophrenia: The Epidemiological Horizon. Oxford: Blackwell Science. John, M. (2001). A Dictionary of Epidemiology. London: Oxford University Press. Mausner, G. and Bahn, K. (2010). Introductory Text of Epidemiology. Second Edition. W. B. Saunders. McGrath, J., Saha, S., et al. (2005). A Systematic Review of the Incidence of Schizophrenia; The Distribution of Rates and the Influence of Sex, Urbanicity, Migrant Status and Methodology. BMC Med 2, (13): 56-100.

Portrayal of Women in William Shakespeares Plays Essay -- Female Wome

William Shakespeare's characterization of women varies immensely from one comedy to another. In his works, Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, and Much Ado About Nothing, he portrays both dominant and submissive women. Ultimately, Shakespeare examines the complexity of women by displaying the vast array of attitudes, emotions, and their treatment and reaction to men as well as refuting the typical subservient wife role. In Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, the difficulties of marriage and submission take center stage. When the determined Petruchio marries the domineering Katherine it sets the scene for a battle of willpower. Eventually, Petruchio successfully 'tames' Kate at the expense of losing a potentially loving and affectionate wife. In fact, Kate behaves more like a fearful puppy dog longing to please her husband than a respectable wife. Though Kate contrasts other female characters in Shakespeare?s comedies by submitting to her husband, her obedience is merely the product of an authoritative husband?s demands and threats. Her submission is merely a faà §ade of obedience. Before marriage, Kate is notorious for her ill temper and resistance towards men. A character named Grumio calls Kate, ? ?Katherine the curst,? a title for a maid, of all the worst? (Shakespeare 57). Men fear Kate because of her violent nature and unstable emotions. But after Kate is subjected to Petruc hio?s torments, she relents to him and gives in to his ways for the benefit of sustenance and sanity. In the end, Petruchio beckons Kate to teach the other wives to be subservient to their husbands. Kate explains, ?Such duty as the subject owes the prince, even such a woman oweth to her husband; and when she is forward... ...Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea, 1988. Newman, Karen. ?The Taming of the Shrew: A Modern Perspective.? The Taming of the Shrew. William Shakespeare. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992. Novy, Marianne L. ?Patriarchy and Play.? William Shakespeare?s The Taming of the Shrew. Harold Bloom ed. New York: Chelsea, 1988. Paster, Gail. ?Much Ado About Nothing: A Modern Perspective.? Much Ado About Nothing. William Shakespeare. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992. Rossiter, A.P. ?Much Ado About Nothing.? Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea, 1986. 163-176. Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing. New York: Washington Square Press, 1995. ---. The Merchant of Venice. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992. ---. The Taming of the Shrew. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992.

Punishment Research Paper

In this paper I will be discussing the effects of four justifications which include retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation, and social protection. I will be showing you the relation to these types of justifications to today’s American society. I will be discussing which type of punishment deters crime most effectively. I will be discussing if the consequences of punishment provide many benefits for crime and society. When it comes to the perception of punishment it involves the state to inflict damage on criminal offenders.However that main question is whether or not punishment should be destructive but whether the presumption of punishment makes sense (Golash 2005). Retributive punishment states that offenders who commit a crime deserve some type of punishment. Validation is resulting from the wrongfully of the crime devoted by the offenders. The punishment that is the deliberate and necessary cause of harm works to terminate the crime (Golash 2005). Punishment is only measu red for the wrongfully of the act, not to prevent future unlawful activity.It is believed by Golash that punishment is used to justify victims (Golash 2005). Punishment is a symbolic termination giving attention to the public that a specific crime was immoral rather than a particular termination of the criminal act. Punishment is believed to be an illustration of vindicated anger by the victim’s because of the breach of trust commanded by society (Golash 2005). Those who profit from the law have approval to punishment according to the law it is a social dissimilarity among society and its members.As of this social dissimilarity, it would be unjust to allow specific citizens to profit from society without restrictive their own bad desires (Golash 2005). Retributive punishment does not invalidate the crime except the will of offenders that are offenders will be free lacking self-control and consequently punishment direct the will of offenders toward unlawful activity (Golash 20 05). In other words, the victims are never fully return to the position they were prior to the criminal act. The conclusion is that a victim has no right apart from their own right to vindicate the offender’s illegal behavior to them (Golash 2005).Criminal wrongs cannot be undone, and doing additional harm to an offender only compounds certain social ills that may be highly correlated with the offender’s need for criminal fulfillment. Punishment is not the only alternative to handle criminals (Golash 2005). Retribution demands a consequence, but that consequence does not necessarily implicate punishment (Golash 2005). In the end if the system demands punishment for those who deserve then why those who are are deserve good not receiving good.Retribution is also known as the moral vengeance to satisfy a society to make the offender suffer as much as the suffering caused (Golash 2005). This type of justification for punishment is the oldest of the four different types of punishment (Golash 2005). This type of punishment was designed to satisfy the people’s need for a type of closure that satisfied the moral of society (Golash 2005). In principal punishment should be equal in severity to the deviance itself. It all comes down to equal justice and eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.The second of the four justifications for punishment is deterrence. Deterrence is the attempt to discourage crime by punishment (Britannica 2012). This idea came about during the eighteenth century. Deterrence is a type of punishment that relies upon examples of punishment made known to everyone ahead of the times before they choose to do an unlawful activity (Britannica 2012). This concept is based on idea that citizens will not break the law if they think that the pain of the punishment will outweigh the pleasure of the crime.Deterrence theory has established difficult to validate however largely because the presence of many intervening factors makes it difficu lt to prove unequivocally that a certain penalty has prevented someone from committing a given crime(Britannica 2012) There have been a few examples where some sentences can have a strong deterrent effect. For example laws that are designed to prevent driving under the influence of alcohol and setting a maximum legal limit of blood alcohol levels can have a temporary deterrent effect on a wide population especially when coupled with mandatory penalties and a high probability of conviction (Britannica 2012).There is another form of deterrent that is called denunciation which utilizes public condemnation as a form of community moral education (Britannica 2012). In this approach a person found guilty of a crime is denounced that is subjected to shame and public criticism (Britannica 2012). Its objective is to reinforce their rejection of law-breaking behavior. General deterrence through fear is aimed at those who avoid law-breaking behaviors not on moral grounds but on the basis of a c alculation of the potential rewards and penalties involved (Britannica 2012).This type of punishment is much informal and rationale. Theoretically the effectiveness of individual deterrence can be measured by examining the subsequent conduct of the offender (Britannica 2012). Theories of deterrence and retribution share the same idea that punishment should be proportionate to the gravity of the crime, a principal of practical importance (Britannica 2012). If all punishment were the same there would be no incentive to commit lesser rather than the greater offense. Rehabilitation is a more permanent fix in deterring crime (Larrabee 2006).Rehabilitation through community supervision can have a more lasting effect on individuals and deter them from committing future crime if they learn how to adapt in society by gaining academic or trade skills (Larrabee 2006). These programs can help offenders find employment and secure an important role in the community and give them them a sense of b eing. Therapy is another form of rehabilitation needed to help deter individuals from committing future crime (Larrabee 2006). Rehabilitation is based on creating a change in criminal’s attitudes or resources so that crime is neither a desired nor necessary activity (Larrabee 2006).Some punishment includes work to reform and rehabilitate the wrongdoer so that they will not commit the offence again. This is distinguished from deterrence, in that the goal here is to change the offender's attitude to what they have done, and make them come to see that their behavior was wrong (Larrabee 2006). Form of rehabilitation through community supervision may also benefit a victim or their families such programs and have high hopes of deterring individuals from committing such acts (Larrabee 2006).By allowing criminals to be rehabilitated instead of incarceration it helps to eliminate problems that inmates experience once released from prison. Allowing someone to probation instead of jail time allows families to stay together. When people are incarcerated it causes families to go from two parents to a one parent family, causing hardship, stress, and problems in the family structure. This program was designed to reform the offender to prevent later offenses (Larrabee 2006).This idea rose among social sciences in the nineteenth century that proved to be an effective solution. If you can control the environment that criminal or lawbreaker of some sort lives in, you can deviate from their normal society (Larrabee 2006). Reformatories or houses of correction provided setting where people could learn the proper behavior. One example of rehabilitation is when someone is caught and arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol they are sentence to attend Alcoholic Anonymous meetings rather than jail time (Larrabee 2006).Once they have completed the rehabilitation through the proper reformatory chosen for them they can choose to stay on the same path of freedom contribu ting to society or go back to their old habits (Larrabee 2006). Rehabilitation is the most forgiving and positive punishment of the four justifications discussed because it promises the offender a second chance at life (Larrabee 2006). Unlike retribution, which demands that the punishment fit the crime, rehabilitation tailors treatment to each offender. The final option for a justification for punishment is the term societal protection.This favors the society by rendering the offender incapable of further offenses temporarily through imprisonment or permanently by execution (Stephens 1990). This option of punishment differs from rehabilitation in that no special treatment is given to the offender in hopes to change him. His surrounding is a set area in a cell or execution chamber that many have used before him which protects society (Stephens 1990). This method can help be helpful to the offender giving the offender a chance to reform and a promised second chance.The United States c urrently incarcerates close to 2. 2 million offenders in jail. As â€Å"in the Times explains, the crime rate has gone down in recent years, but the number of offenders locked up across the country has gone up, tripling since 1980 (Stephens 1990). This type of punishment does what is necessary to protect society as a whole from the criminal. This could mean death, or complete removal from society (Stephens 1990). So the question is which one of these deters crime the most efficiently in today’s society.With the different views available as well as my personal views, it is difficult to choose just one type of punishment as the most effective method of determent. I can say however, that I would like to see Rehabilitation efforts made more widely available for Juvenile Offenders as I feel that this will enable them to have a much better grasp on what life is as well as allowing them to change their lives positively. While for adult offenders (serious crimes), I would not mind s eeing harsher penalties in many cases.Certain punishments are more effective on certain crimes. And certain punishments are more effective on certain people (Black 1998). Some criminals should be punished to remove their incentive for committing crimes. But there are some criminals who just need to be removed from society to prevent them from preying upon society (Black 1998). Obviously for lesser crimes, lesser punishments should be delivered. Punishments (if at all possible) should reflect the crime committed — such as scrubbing walls for â€Å"graffiti artists†, picking up trash for litterers, etc.Not enough of this is done. Punishments should not punish society if alternatives are available (Black 1998). Jailing everyone (as is now practiced extensively in the U. S. A. ) also punishes society — tax money is used. Whippings and public service are excellent punishments and (at least whippings) are not practiced in the U. S. A (Black 1998). But where they are p racticed, crime is lower. These forms of punishment also do not cost the taxpayers a lot of money. For most criminals, the threat of â€Å"adequate† punishment will deter them. Adequate† does not include sitting on one's bum all day with free meals and a warm place to sleep — not to mention watching television and playing video games (or whatever else jails provide these days) . But then, on the other side of this argument is the fact that far too many people are made criminals for things which should not be a crime. I once heard of a woman being jailed for overdue library books — beyond absurd (Black 1998). And, at least in one municipality, they wanted to make jay walking a jail able offence — again way beyond absurd.Real criminals belong in the jail not jaywalkers, people who get into fights, marijuana smokers, etc. Do punishments for murderers and rapists and the like provide any benefits for the criminals and society? Absolutely it does. It kee ps violent criminals off the streets. Does it provide benefits for those convicted of drug crimes? While they're in prison, they've got a roof over their heads, food, and other things. Don't get me wrong: people are treated like animals in prisons. But if you come from violent, hard knock surroundings anyhow, I dunno†¦ maybe in some cases.Does sticking people in prisons who are convicted of drug crimes provide benefits to society? It gets drug users and small time dealers off the streets, but we have to pay for their food, clothing, and housing for 15+ years. My personal opinion: When even hard drugs like coke and heroin are cheaper than most medicines, then maybe our definition of â€Å"criminal† needs a harder look. In conclusion the four types of justification for punishment including retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation, and societal protection are all effective ways our society deals with lawbreakers.Each of these justifications is an attempt to protect society b y ensuring proper punishment is carried out. Since crime has statistically dropped in the past 20 years we can conclude that our justice system has a positive effect on crime REFERENCES Stephens (1990) High-tech crime fighting Futurist, Jul/Aug90, Vol. 24 Issue 4, p20-20, 6p, 3 Black and White Photographs, 2 Illustrations received on October 28, 2012 Black (1998) Do Right-to-Carry Laws Deter Violent Crime? Journal of Legal Studies, January 1998, v. 27, iss. 1, pp. 209-19 received on October 28, 2012 Larrabee (2006) Punishment vs.Rehabilitation in the criminal justice system received on October 27, 2012 from http://voices. yahoo. com/punishment-vs-rehabilitation-criminal-justice-119962. html? cat=17 Britannica(2012) General Deterrence received on October 27, 2012 from http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/483544/punishment/272339/General-deterrence# Golash (2005) The case against punishment: Retribution, crime prevention and the Law New York: New York University Press, 2005. 24 0pp. Vol. 15 No. 3 (March 2005), pp. 234-237 received on October 26, 2012 from http://www. bsos. umd. edu/gvpt/lpbr/subpages/reviews/golash305. htm

A Case Study on “Managing Like a Man at Silkqueen?”

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This is the case study on â€Å"Managing like a man at SilkQueen? † by Kate Hutchings of Queensland University of Technology. Here we are given a character named Sally Dawson who works for SilkQueen, which is an Australian company. She is a well skilled manager who has a huge experience for working successfully in Asia. However, working in this company as a manager, she facing some problems, which lead her to take a decision whether she leaves the company or try to make some smart changes. For this case study, we are using four questions. We answer all the four questions one by one respectively. In those, we try to figure out the problems faced by the employees and Sally, attitudes of the organization towards Sally, ways open for Sally. We also discuss about cross-cultural problems here. We also include a bibliography at the end. Company Profile SilkQueen is an Australian Company. Its’ main product is fabrics. It produces high quality fabrics and sell those throughout the world. SilkQueens’ manufacturing plants are situated in Sydney as well as in several locations throughout Asia. This company started its’ business as a family-owned company in 1910 and it started its’ international operations in 1979. The workforce of SilkQueen always female-dominated but maximum times management has been male-dominated. Sally Dawson has been working for SilkQueen for many years and most of the time she was expending her times working in Asia. It should be noted that she is quite successful in her career. Recently she has been posted to Australia and she is facing some problems with her employees. Although, the productivity is increased but the management is not quite satisfied with her work because the workers are neglected there. In this case study, we have to find out the problems faced by the employees and Sally and the probable solutions for those problems. For this purpose, we are using four questions. They are as follows: 1)From the perspective of the employees, what problems they are facing? 2)What are the problems faced by Sally and what could the organization have done to address her problems? 3)What could Sally do to improve her leadership style? )Why Sally’s leadership style is questioned in Australia and accepted in Asia? Now we are discussing the above questions with a view to analyzing the case study. Because of globalization and workforce diversity, the nature of management in an organization has considerably changed over the years. Nowadays, management is not only about exercising reasonable power using directive leadership but also about building relat ionships with employees, adapting leadership styles depending on situations, and working together with people from various cultural backgrounds. To understand the management terrain in the various areas of organizational behavior mentioned above, the objective of this paper is to analyses the case study, ‘Managing like a man at SilkQueen? ’ and provide insights on the problems encountered by Sally Dawson, the employees and the organization at SilkQueen. The paper will first focus on perception stereotyping and dominance effect to explain how the employees perceive the situation and Sally’s leadership. The problems faced by Sally will be next looked into to understand how the organization could have helped in various areas. Theories on improving leadership styles will be used to explain why Sally’s leadership approach is accepted in Asia but not in Australia. Question One: From the perspective of the employees, what problems they are facing? To recognize the problems met by the employees of SilkQueen, an analysis of their perception of the former line manager Mr. Wong will be compulsory. This is because the assessment of Sally by employees is partly based on comparison with Wong. According to the employees’ perception, Wong is an effective leader who is consultative, caring and concerned about their well-being. He is seen as valuing employees’ opinion as he always asked what the employees think before he does anything. Unlike Wong, Sally does not walk around the factory floor or show concerns for her employees. She does not ask what the employees think before she implements anything. The employees therefore perceive Sally to be a poor manager who does not care about employees’ work condition and who buries herself ‘behind a high desk with her back to the door in an office two levels above’. These perceptions however may not be true. According to organizational behavior scholars, ‘women are evaluated negatively when they adopt a stereotypically male leadership style and occupy traditionally male-dominated positions’. The employees in the case assume that Sally being a woman should be ‘nurturing and †¦ care about their workers’ suggesting preconceived notions of how women should behave. This notion of stereotyping can result in misinterpretation of information because not all people are the same, and many in the same social category may demonstrate inconsistencies with the stereotype. Question Two: What are the problems faced by Sally and what could the organization have done to address her problems? The first action by Sally in making a decision to change the work hours without consultation with the employees formed a lasting impression of her leadership, known as the primary effect the primary effect relates to a perceptual distortion which states that ‘first impressions are lasting impressions’ and once an inaccurate first impression is established, it is difficult for the perception to change even when new information contradicts the first impression. The consequence of Sally’s non-consultative management style spells the beginning of a problematic relationship with her workers. Within three months after she took over line management, Sally is faced with considerable indifference and hostility from her subordinates. In addition to his pressure, Sally also has to ‘change the focus of her work’ when she took up the role of line management in the manufacturing operations-an area which she is unfamiliar with. Because of this, she has to work long hours with very little time for social life, resulting in increased stress. Sally’s problems and stress could have been substantially reduced if the organization has played a supportive role. A good organization should first assess its manager’s strengths and weaknesses before assigning new roles. This may be done through a structured interview process or through research and information gathering with the objective to understand two areas of managerial competencies- past behavior to predict future behavior, and recent behavior to predict distant past behavior. By understanding Sally’s former experiences and roles, the organization can then decide whether to assign her to another area of to send her to a leadership development program such as the leadership grid to train her in evaluating task-oriented and people oriented leadership to work out a style best suited for her new role. Question Three: What could Sally do to improve her leadership style? Notwithstanding this fact, however, Sally should cultivate her emotional intelligence to monitor her own and others’ feeling and emotions to guide her thinking and action. According to behavioral theories by Ohio state studies and University of Michigan studies, there are primarily two categories of leadership: people oriented, and task-oriented. The behavioral studies propose a managerial grid based on a manager’s ‘concern for people’ and ‘concern for production’, which ideal grid position rates the manager as performing best when the style of leadership is high on people and task dimensions. In the case of SilkQueen, Sally could improve her leadership style by adapting a more people-oriented behavioral approach. To influence her subordinates, she could consider using contingency leadership ‘based on the idea that the most appropriate leadership style depends on the situation’. Theories of contingency leadership that Sally could use include Hersey-Blanchard situational theory, house’s path-goal theory, and Vroom-Jago leadership participation theory. The Hersey-Blanchard situational theory proposes that effective leadership is dependent on the followers. This means that regardless of what the leader does, it is the actions or acceptation of the followers that decide the effectiveness of the leader. This theory suggests that the leader should change his or her leadership style according to the maturity of the followers and the situation. Situational theory combines task and relationship behaviors and identifies four specific leadership styles: telling, selling, participating and delegating. Based on the maturity of the followers, each of the relevant four styles is used by the leader to respond to the employees by gradually declining control over activities and relationship behavior. For example, when an employee is new to the organization, the leader should use the style of telling the follower what to do, giving clear and specific directions. Depending on the maturity stage of the follower, alternative styles such as selling the leader’s ideas, participating in decision-making, or delegating responsibilities to the follower may next be used. In the case of SilkQueen, using the situational theory approach would have helped Sally understand that leadership is dependent on the followers and the way to lead followers is dependent on situations and levels of maturity. Instead of telling the employees, Sally could use the method of selling and participating in implementing the change of work hours. The path-goal theory developed by Robert House is another contingency theory model that Sally could employ in improving her leadership style. The theory suggests that an effective leader is one who can influence employee satisfaction and performance by making their need satisfaction contingent with the overall objectives of the group or organization. Four styles of effective leadership are indentified in this model: directive, supportive, participative, and achievement-oriented. A directive leader lets subordinates know what is expected, giving directions on what to do and how, while a supportive leadership shows concern for the needs of subordinates. A participative leader consults with subordinates and involves them in decision making, while an achievement-oriented leader sets the goals and expects subordinates to perform at their highest level. Using the path-goal theory, Sally could effectively change the perception of her subordinates by building a people oriented behavioral approach through the use of a more supportive and participative leadership style instead of an achievement-oriented leadership. The third model of contingency theory that could be used by Sally is the Vroom-Jago leader participation theory. This theory developed by Victor Vroom and Alfred Jago takes a contingency approach to determine the optimal level of employee involvement depending on the situation. It proposes choosing the best decision making method for any problem situation through alternatives such as individual or authority decision, consultative decision, group or consensus decision. The model considers five levels of employee participation based on a decision tree ranging from autocratic at the top to team consensus at the bottom. Following the leader-participation theory model, Sally could evaluate the level of participation required by her in choosing the optimal level of employee involvement. Instead of using the top two levels of the decision tree, that proposes autocratic decision-making. Sally could use the bottom three levels of consultative and group decision in her approach. Question Four: Why Sally’s leadership style is questioned in Australia and accepted in Asia? As can be seen in the theories discussed above, one of the traits required of an effective leader is adaptability of leadership styles in varied situations. Adapting styles to situations however is not an easy task especially in organizations today where employees are made up of people from different cultures across national and regional boundaries. In the case of SilkQueen, it is apparent that Sally’s leadership is seen as questionable in Australia, but appropriate in Asia because of cross-cultural perspectives. This underlying cultural value may be translated as power distance, uncertainty, avoidance, individualism versus collectivism, achievement versus nurturing orientation, and long-term versus short-term orientation according to Hofstede’s dimensions of national culture. Using Hofstede’s framework as the guideline to cross-cultural comparison in SilkQueen’s case study, employees in Australia may be seen as high in individualism, high on social obligations and traditions, but moderately low in power distance. This rating vastly differs from countries in Asia such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and China. In Indonesia, individual goals are seen as less important than collective goals. In Malaysia, power distance ranks high while in China the future is emphasized more than tradition or social obligations. Based on the ranking described above, it is easy to understand why Sally’s task oriented leadership style is questioned in Australia but accepted in Asia. According to Hofstede’s framework, Australia is more inclined to meeting individual goals than group goals and expects relatively equal power sharing. In Asia, power distance is generally high, which means that receiving commands from superiors are commonly accepted. Conclusion Throughout the discussion in this paper, the studies of organizational behavior have been primarily focused in four areas: perception, leadership styles, leadership assessment, and cross-cultural behaviors. The perception of leadership based on stereotype and primacy effect can present inaccuracies and incorrect information of a situation or a person. A manager who wants to be effective must cultivate emotional intelligence and be flexible to adapt different leadership styles depending on the situation. A good organization must first assess its leaders to understand past behavior to predict future behaviors and bridge the gap of its leaders through leadership grid training. To manage a global organization, the leader must understand the differences in cross-cultural values across different parts of the world. Bibliography: Robbins, P. Stephen, Judge, A. Timothy. Organizational Behavior Luthans, Fred. Organizational Behavior

Free Essays on Affirative Action

All over the world, disparities between the rich and poor, even in the wealthiest of nations is rising sharply. Fewer people are becoming increasingly â€Å"successful† and wealthy while a disproportionately larger population is also becoming even poorer. There are many issues involved when looking at poverty. It is not simply enough (or correct) to say that the poor are poor due to their own (or their government’s) bad governance and management. In fact, you could quite easily conclude that the poor are poor because the rich are rich and have the power to enforce trade agreements, which favor their interests more than the proper nations. This is a very serious problem in our society today. Poverty is everywhere and it needs to reduced so that our economy will be more stabilized and balanced that it has been. What does it mean to be poor? What does it mean to describe a nation as â€Å"developing†? A lack of material wealth does not define one as deprived. A strong economy in a developed nation does not mean much when a significant percentage or a majority of the population is struggling to survive. Development usually implies an improvement in living standards such that a person has enough food, water, and clothing, a stable social environment, freedom, and basic rights to have a fair chance for a decent life. Is this actually progress? On the other hand, are we fooled into believing that it is? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services placed the poverty level for a family of four at $16,450 in 1998, and the poverty rate in 1996, according to the HHS, was 13.7 percent, or 36.5 million Americans. (Egendorf: 1999, 12). Is there really a way to measure poverty, and to decide exactly what poverty is? Hunger, income level, housing and the economy’s condition of the working poor are just a few example of what needs to be considered when measuring the poverty levels in our nation. Poverty expands and contracts and its defini... Free Essays on Affirative Action Free Essays on Affirative Action All over the world, disparities between the rich and poor, even in the wealthiest of nations is rising sharply. Fewer people are becoming increasingly â€Å"successful† and wealthy while a disproportionately larger population is also becoming even poorer. There are many issues involved when looking at poverty. It is not simply enough (or correct) to say that the poor are poor due to their own (or their government’s) bad governance and management. In fact, you could quite easily conclude that the poor are poor because the rich are rich and have the power to enforce trade agreements, which favor their interests more than the proper nations. This is a very serious problem in our society today. Poverty is everywhere and it needs to reduced so that our economy will be more stabilized and balanced that it has been. What does it mean to be poor? What does it mean to describe a nation as â€Å"developing†? A lack of material wealth does not define one as deprived. A strong economy in a developed nation does not mean much when a significant percentage or a majority of the population is struggling to survive. Development usually implies an improvement in living standards such that a person has enough food, water, and clothing, a stable social environment, freedom, and basic rights to have a fair chance for a decent life. Is this actually progress? On the other hand, are we fooled into believing that it is? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services placed the poverty level for a family of four at $16,450 in 1998, and the poverty rate in 1996, according to the HHS, was 13.7 percent, or 36.5 million Americans. (Egendorf: 1999, 12). Is there really a way to measure poverty, and to decide exactly what poverty is? Hunger, income level, housing and the economy’s condition of the working poor are just a few example of what needs to be considered when measuring the poverty levels in our nation. Poverty expands and contracts and its defini...

Free Essays on Owens Sacrifice

Owen’s Sacrifice I believe Wilfred Owen went from heaven to his own purgatory in minutes. From a lady’s man and athlete, to a sad statistic of the blood shed in war. He wrote the poem â€Å"Owens Disabled† to show how quickly a man in those circumstances of isolation and disfigurement could go from being in his prime to the worse stages of his life. Owen tells you all you need to know to realize he was in his prime. For example in â€Å"Disabled† he states â€Å" After the match, carried shoulder high† and â€Å"some cheered him home, but not as crowds cheered Goal† telling me that he was a good athlete (23,37). He must have been good looking as well because he said, â€Å"girls glanced lovelier as the air grew dim†(9). When he signed up for the military he was nineteen telling me he was a healthy young man. All of these statements he says about himself before he went of to war about his age, athletics, and good looks suggest he was defiantly in his prime. Not only was he in his prime he seemed to be better of than your average Joe. Than a time of war came and Owens stated, â€Å"he thought he’d better join- He wonders why†(24). After all â€Å"someone had said he’d look a god in kilts,† telling me he did it for the glamour (25). In a book called Wounds Of War people see soldiers in war as heroes they don’t see or thing about the psychology effects of killing some one else or seeing your best friend killed beside you (Nendin and Haas 6). I think that is how Owens thought war would be; you go get the enemy, and your hero. I do not think he ever imagined getting wounded or possibly dieing. I picture it like today’s army commercials: you could be an army of one and do all these great things; it would be like one big adventure. I’m sure he did not see it the same as we see it today, however either way you look at it, it is still can be very misleading. . The military is not going to say you could die, possibly loose... Free Essays on Owen's Sacrifice Free Essays on Owen's Sacrifice Owen’s Sacrifice I believe Wilfred Owen went from heaven to his own purgatory in minutes. From a lady’s man and athlete, to a sad statistic of the blood shed in war. He wrote the poem â€Å"Owens Disabled† to show how quickly a man in those circumstances of isolation and disfigurement could go from being in his prime to the worse stages of his life. Owen tells you all you need to know to realize he was in his prime. For example in â€Å"Disabled† he states â€Å" After the match, carried shoulder high† and â€Å"some cheered him home, but not as crowds cheered Goal† telling me that he was a good athlete (23,37). He must have been good looking as well because he said, â€Å"girls glanced lovelier as the air grew dim†(9). When he signed up for the military he was nineteen telling me he was a healthy young man. All of these statements he says about himself before he went of to war about his age, athletics, and good looks suggest he was defiantly in his prime. Not only was he in his prime he seemed to be better of than your average Joe. Than a time of war came and Owens stated, â€Å"he thought he’d better join- He wonders why†(24). After all â€Å"someone had said he’d look a god in kilts,† telling me he did it for the glamour (25). In a book called Wounds Of War people see soldiers in war as heroes they don’t see or thing about the psychology effects of killing some one else or seeing your best friend killed beside you (Nendin and Haas 6). I think that is how Owens thought war would be; you go get the enemy, and your hero. I do not think he ever imagined getting wounded or possibly dieing. I picture it like today’s army commercials: you could be an army of one and do all these great things; it would be like one big adventure. I’m sure he did not see it the same as we see it today, however either way you look at it, it is still can be very misleading. . The military is not going to say you could die, possibly loose...