Infant mortality Essay

Infant mortality simply refers to the number of death amongst the young ones per 1000 births. In this historical study, infant mortality rate between a range of time starting from 1750 to 1917 is studied. Its rate varies from one century to another with the 18th century recording the highest number of deaths among the young. Progressing towards the 20th century, there has been a drastic decline in the death rate of infants. Some medical professionals believe that this is because of the social health reform and medical improvement during the 19th and 20 centuries. On the other hand, some scholars, like Thomas McKeown, strongly suggest that this is mainly attributed to the improved nutrition and sanitation of the infant’s environment (McKeown, 121). Thomas McKeown is the scholar who spearheaded the well known McKeown Thesis. There has been an ongoing debate between the two ideas about which played the main significant role in checking the rampant death of the infants for several decades featured in countless student reading, so who actually saw the truth between the 19 and the 20th centuries? Infant mortality reduced over the centuries starting in the late 19th and early 20th century in the United States. The highest rate of death among the infants was observed in the first half of the 18th century (McKeown, 65) , this high rate of infant mortality was viewed as caused by societal break-down and poor policies rather that specific pathological organism. This was considered as a reflection of a poor frame work in the society. Between 1750 and 1800, the infant mortality rate was at the peak with many of the infants succumbing to their diseases. At the time, the technical aspects in undertaking comprehensive investigation to establish the actual cause of the diseases and finally finding the cure had not been successful. Many infants therefore died in large numbers. The community attributed all this to the broad and unfortunate societal problems. Many major countries had areas with indecent housing, flooded basements, contaminated water supplies and poverty, resulting in diseases such as typhoid, scarlet fever, tuberculosis and typhus to thrive (McVeigh). This in the end challenged them to actually think of ways to handle these problems. What they have come to conclude was that prenatal and postnatal diseases were ultimately influenced by external factors such as food deficiency, alcohol and tobacco use (Mudd, 117). While diseases and disabilities that are determined during conception or after birth are invariably different, both their origins can still be potentially controlled. In the second half of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the government of the United States came up with efforts to curb this menace. They recommended the removal of infants in the cities; this was considered a major success since most mothers who were residing in the city end up having their young ones dying at a tender age. Some prenatal diseases, for example was due to exposure to harmful toxins in the environment, thereby affecting the child’s development in the mother’s womb (Mudd, 117-118). This was viewed that the city exposed the young to unhealthy environment hence exposing them to diseases. The congestion in the city was also found to facilitate the spread of contagious diseases among the young. Various forms of pollutants were rampant in the city and therefore the infant could easily contract infections. Many women at the turn of the 18th century were working in gas lit factories and sweatshops, which may affect their pregnancy (McVeigh). The mothers were advised to settle in their rural homes where these hazards were considered to have minimal consequences on the infants. It was fortunate that legislations were finally passed during 1848 to promote genuine concern for public health (McKeown, 66). Similarly, international city in Great Britain during the era, as well as an important location throughout Europe and the rest of the world in terms of international trade and human transit. Because of so many international produce, goods and people arriving in London daily, it became clear to medical professionals that foreign bodies can often be the bearers of disease; from London, such illnesses were doomed to spread throughout the rest of the country. In helping London’s citizens stay healthy, infant mortality rates were automatically dropped simultaneously. By exploring London’s newspaper archives, as well as other contemporary newspaper articles and even the correspondence of health care workers during the era, the information concerning infant mortality rates can be gathered and compared. In contrast, some scholars, such as Thomas McKeown, strongly suggest that this is mainly attributed to the improved nutrition and sanitation (Colgrove). The milk supply was improved among the young one, because the milk handling and supply of edible products was improved by the government. This government strategy has been significant in preserving the life of infants at the time. Child hygiene was another factor considered in checking the high rate of infant mortality. A child hygiene program was established by the government to ensure the infants were provided with the highest quality of hygiene . With the advancement on the technological innovations, infant mortality reduced in significant proportions over the centuries. The discovery of the various medical equipments and apparatus including the microscope and the stethoscope in the late 19th century boosted the medical field’s capabilities to handle these challenges (McVeigh). Simultaneous to this, great strides in the improvement of education of interns started happening in Europe. The scientist who specialized in medical microbiology studied deeper and discovered very many minute microbes which were found to cause high rate of infant mortality. These microbes were found to thrive on unhygienic conditions therefore causing high rate of infant mortality. They were found to be rampant especially in poorly handled milk and other foodstuff. With these discoveries of stethoscope and the microscope in the 20th century, many diseases were kept under control. This was because scientists had become knowledgeable about health matters. Before this tremendous discovery, many minute microorganisms causing several diseases amongst the young ones were at large and scientists were puzzled with unchecked high rate of infant mortality. The electron microscope with high magnification enabled these scientists to recognize the various disease causing organisms including viruses and bacteria. They managed to know the specific diseases that these microorganisms caused and the appropriate control measures needed to keep them at bay. They came up with antibiotics to cure infection in the infants. Antibiotics such as penicillin were also discovered in the early 20th century. At this time, due to these discoveries and appropriate measures taken by the government, the infant mortality drastically reduced. Medical attention to the infants was considered a priority and hence reducing the rate of infant’s death. Another important factor in curbing infant mortality is the development of obstetrics and the rise of gynecology in that time (McVeigh). It encompassed all aspects of pregnancy, and allowed sanitary and safe conditions for the mother and child. Arguably, poor sanitary conditions during childbirth are also one of the main causes of infant mortality in earlier centuries. McKeown’s views on public health sparked controversy during the 1970’s and 1980’s with its focus on allocation of medical resources. While the foundation of his empirical views might be considered flawed today, it spearheaded studies of where should public health practitioners should focus their efforts and the most important determinants of a society’s mortality (Colgrove). The thesis he authored was about the explanation of the dramatic population growth from around 1770 to the present (Szreter). It stated that it was because of the domino effect of improved economic conditions: better standards of living and enhanced nutritional status that strengthened infant resistance to most diseases. His works have been about the synthesis of these advanced ideas and later on his works began getting much attention because of its profound content (Szreter). It was curious to note that it attracted more audiences during its later years, even though it didn’t substantially contain any new information. It was probably the stronger awareness in public health that caused this. However, McKeown will always be considered a figure of importance because of his role in shaping contemporary systems to prevent infant mortality. Other factors that can be attributed to a precipitous decline in infant mortality rate starting from the late 19th and early 20th century include the improvement in economic growth, improvement in nutrition, new sanitary measures by the government and advances in knowledge about infant care in the united states of America (Colgrove). Though little is known about how each of this factors contributed in the reduction in the infant mortality rate, a systematic review of the data from the specific period stressed that providing clean milk in market was the main contributor to this decline in the infant mortality . However, the writer of this journal was biased in the sense that handling milk supply and milk hygiene was not the only cause of infant mortality. It‘s important to note that the both technological advancement and improved nutrition played a very crucial role in checking the infant mortality rate starting from the late 18th to early 20th century. The perception that the high rate of infant mortality was due to societal problems and poor policies could not help in reversing the trend in the first half of the 18th century. Technological advancement saw the discovery of the various medical apparatus and equipments in the 20th century which helped in the reduction of high infant mortality rate. The scientists discovered the actual causes of these deaths being pathological organism which could be controlled. The economic growth and education enabled this scientist to conduct further research and hence control measures were devised which came up with cure for various diseases affecting the infants.

Critique on Masculine or Feminine: You Be The Judge

Answer the following questions as thoroughly as possible: Write the thesis statement in the space provided. Is it a clear idea, or would it be better for the writer to express his thesis/claim in another way? â€Å"As an adult gay female, I have seen and can understand the narrator’s feelings of confusion with gender identity, as discussed in the story by Lewis Nordon, â€Å"The All-Girl Football Team† This would appear to be the thesis statement, yet there was not an even balance between the writer's experience, and the story she read. Explain how well the introductory paragraph introduces the text and its author, establishes a thesis statement based on the story and the writer’s personal definition of masculinity/femininity, and establishes an organizational pattern for the essay. What suggestions can you make to improve the intro paragraph? What further information does the writer need to provide about the topic of the essay in the intro paragraph? The writer introduces herself in a compelling way, since she is a gay female, and is speaking about gender identity issues. Her concluding statement,. â€Å"Ultimately, I feel the narrator learned that there are masculine and feminine traits in each individual and it’s ok to express the traits of each gender whether you are male or female.† –seems to be missing the antecedent, as the story she read was mentioned in the firs two paragraphs, and then not mentioned again until the end. I feel the thesis statement would have been more accurate had it been primarily about her experience with the two men who performed in drag, or if her essay had included an equal amount about the story she cited. Her descriptive text is engaging and does address the issues at hand, however the introductory paragraph hinted at content that did not appear. Where could the writer add more examples from the story and his/her personal experience to support the thesis statement? I would suggest including information about religious views, and weaving the story content in with her own experience; while including content from the story, in order to parallel some of her own experience with that of the story's author. Does the writer include the required number of quotes (3)? Where could the writer include more direct quotes from the story? The writer included the correct number of quotes, but could have added a few more in the personal account areas. Overall, the essay was organized well, aside from the hints on the thesis statement that were not addressed. I felt the writer could have made this essay better by writing her thesis statement after she wrote the essay itself. I think she had an idea of what her content would be, but in doing the writing, it veered into some other areas not covered in her thesis. How is the essay organized (clearly, logically, confusingly?). Suggest an alternative way to organize the essay. The essay was well-written, clear, and informative. I believe the essay writer's thesis was illustrated sufficiently. The only suggestion I would make is to incorporate the references to the Lewis Nordon story, â€Å"The All-Girl Football Team† in the middle portions of her essay, so that the thesis will remain clear. Read the last paragraph of the essay very carefully. Explain how well it draws a conclusion about the topic of the essay. Make at least one suggestion for how the writer could improve the conclusion. The last paragraph summarizes and reaches a logical conclusion very well. The only suggestion I would offer is to incorporate in the conclusion what the essay writer learned, since she spent some time including personal experience within the subject matter. Part 2: Following the directions below, write your comments on the essay itself: Identify the strongest paragraph in the essay, explaining why it is the strongest.  · Identify the weakest paragraph in the essay, explaining in why it is the weakest. The strongest paragraph in the essay was the last one, where she encapsulated the ideas of the entire essay; it's concise, thorough and on target. I wouldn't qualify any of her paragraphs as â€Å"weaker,† as they are all important to the essay's theme and development. Check all the quotes in the essay. Are they properly introduced/incorporated and cited according to the rules established on the â€Å"MLA Quoting Made Easy† handout? The essay writer did not include parenthetical page numbers after her quotes, as described in MLA conventions. In the space below, write at least a five-sentence paragraph that explains your overall reaction to the essay. What are the essay’s biggest strengths? Of what would you like to see more? What do you think are the writer’s biggest concerns? What questions remained unanswered? What does the writer need to work on the most? The essay flowed well and covered the important points of her thesis statement, while also accomplishing a feeling of accessibility by the essay writer's inclusion of her own experiences with those who experiment with gender roles. The strength, then, would be the essay writer's ability to personalize the information and also consider the meaning of her previous experience in relations to the subject matter, although I would have liked to see more quotes from the Nordon story. The writer's biggest concerns seemed to be a desire to portray gender issues in a fair context, without overly-romanticizing the conclusion. Other than that, I have no other suggestions for improvement, as this writer did a very good job.

Michigan state university Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Michigan state university - Personal Statement Example Having been very much interested in contributing to the financial improvement in a business organization, I will continue to major in accounting. My passion in this field can be attributed to my exposure in our family business. More than any functional area, I believe that finance should never be overlooked because one of the major goals of ever company is profit maximization and creation of shareholder wealth. Through acquiring knowledge and skills in accounting, I know that I will be adept not just in reporting financial transaction but also in analyzing financial information and prescribing strategies. Having two uncles who both excelled in Michigan University, I am also determined to finish my degree in this respectable institution. Noting how MSU molds well-rounded individuals who do not only stand-out academically but displays a strong sense of moral and social excellence, I seek to be a part of MSU with the belief that it will provide me with the best venue for growth and development. For me, there is nothing more important for a person but be the best that he can ever be because it is his utmost gift for himself and the society which nurtures him. I know that transferring to a new university in a foreign land will be a challenge for me.

Law of International Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Law of International Trade - Essay Example The two agreed that payment would be done through a letter of credit, through a bank that the two parties would agree on. However, on Feb 17, 2012, NASS suggested to MSC that they could transfer the goods through the M/S Speedy Delivery, which was already at the port of Mumbai. The two CEOs agreed on how this would be done. The challenge During loading the goods to the ship, it is indicated that the crane snapped causing loss of 1,000 units instantly. However, upon leaving the port, the Master M/S Speedy Delivery recorded that all the materials, which had been requested by NASS, had been loaded on the ship. This is despite the fact that 1,000 units had already accidentally dropped in water and therefore, remaining only 9,000 units. On March 20, 2012, Somalia pirates attacked the ship where 3,000 units of speakers were stolen. In the process of struggle, further 1,000 units were destroyed. This was a loss that had not been anticipated by any of the parties in the contract. In addition to this loss, it is indicated that as the ship left for Southampton, it faced challenges at the Mediterranean Sea. Due to dangerous and unexpected waves, about 1,000 more units were lost. The remaining units (4,000) arrived at the Southampton Port on 10th, April 2012. According to the NASS representatives at the port, only 9,000 units had been loaded in the ship before it left from Mumbai. This was against had been indicated in the bill of lading. Of the 4,000 units delivered, only 3,000 were functional. The inspectors indicated that the 1,000 units, which were malfunctioned, could trace their defect from the manufacturing company in Mumbai. For that reason, NASS has the right to make claims for damages both from the owners of the ship and the manufacturing company. Question 1 you are a trainee solicitor in a Golden Circle law firm in London. You have been asked by the Chair of the International Sale Contracts Department of the law firm to explain what rights, if any, NASS may have against MSC in respect of the breach, if any, of the international sale of goods contract entered into between the CEOs of both corporations. The Chair does not want you to consider the breach, if any, of any carriage of goods contract by the owner(s) of the M/S Speedy Delivery, nor the Rome 1 Regulation of the European Union. In the above statement of the case, it is clear that NASS is guaranteed compensation by both the owners of the ship and the exporting company. The losses suffered could be attributed to the mistakes by both the owners of the ship and the exporters. From the terms and conditions of sale, the contract will only remain valid if all goods delivered to NASS were quality goods. However, upon inspection by NASS, 1,000 units of goods delivered were found to be defective. This is a good ground for the company to sue for damages. In international trade laws, the importing companies would receive compensation through two main ways. Firstly, the 1,000 units which were ma lfunctioned could be replaced with quality others. For that reason, MSC would be required to compensate NASS by providing 1,000 units. This owes to the fact that the company was to blame for the malfunctioned goods. Secondly, NASS has a right to ask for a refund of amount equivalent to that of the malfunctioned goods. As indicated in the agreement, each of the unit was to cost 400 pounds. With 1000 units destroyed, NASS has a right

The Scientificamerican.com Website - Valuable Resource Guide for Essay

The Scientificamerican.com Website - Valuable Resource Guide for Students - Essay Example Why is scientificamerican.com that popular? Simply because it never fails to inform the readers about the latest developments in Science and Technology. Although anybody can easily understand the articles presented in the website, students benefit most from the issues because they constantly need a good supply of updates for their subjects. The website continues the tradition of providing ground-breaking news written by the experts on the subject itself. At first glance, the website seems very simple because the layout is minimal. There are only 2 advertisements present – on top of the main header and on a box on the rights side of the page. This type of design provides more space for readers to access more information. Also, this reveals that the website is well-funded since it does not need too many sponsors as compared to other websites. The white background makes it very easy to read the articles presented as well as see the other sections of the website. There are only si x tabs on the header which can already lead the user to various links that interest him. Also, it is a good way of categorizing issues such as Evolution, Health, Mind and Brain, Technology etc. The dropdown tabs further reveal subdivision of the main topic so the reader can get more specific articles. The middle section contains the Latest Headlines which is a collection of news from various news agencies like Nature, Reuters etc. Nevertheless, the daily articles are enough to catch the interests of the reading public who can also post comments on such topics. The main goal of the website is not just timely delivery of information, it wants to present to the audience emerging trends which is the tradition of the magazine. For example, its very recent article about diabetes blood vessel damage presents a study published only last January 28 in the reputable Journal of Biological Chemistry. If a reader traces the journal, he would be presented with an abstract of the study which is re ally very technical.

Strategic Direction of Tesco Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Strategic Direction of Tesco - Case Study Example We have a track record of providing value for customers, creating jobs and training, providing opportunities for suppliers and regenerating deprived areas. [The Tesco Group had turnover of 33,974 million ($59,454 million) with pre-tax profits of 2,029 million ($3,551 million) in the year to February 2005. We have 2,467 stores, employing over 370,000 people in the 13 countries in which we operate. In Europe, outside the UK, we operate in Ireland, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Turkey where we have 305 stores and over 61,000 employees.] For the first 50 years, Tesco worked hard to establish the brand and build up a strong UK business, by ensuring that everything we did was driven by a never-ending ambition to improve our customers' shopping trips.] http://www.tescocorporate.com/annualreview07/01_tescostory/tescostory5.html "No one tries harder for customers," and "Treat people how we like to be treated," are the core values of Tesco and its approach to Corporate Responsibility. Sir Terry Leahy says that they believe they can achieve most when they work together on practical things that make a difference. Tesco helps customers and fairly treat colleagues with trust and respect. Tesco delivers cheaper and better products, and provide more choice for the people and community. We continue to make long-term price reductions throughout our businesses. As life has become busier and more complex, and living costs more expensive, Tesco has helped make shopping simpler, more convenient and affordable to customers. During 2006/07 we have: (http://www.tescocorporate.com/page.aspxpointerid=22492B1EE56448CDB88FAD501D742BCB) [launched our Fruit and Veg Pledge - that we would offer at least

Assignment 3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

3 - Assignment Example ossessed, populated, containing multiunit accommodations like flats or apartments, having elevated mobility rate of residents and containing families with family issues such as separations or divorces or having single parents. Such communities are not only disorganized, but also play a role in increased causation of crime. Parents in such communities are usually poor and are unable to socialize their children against crime. They wait for the time when they get a chance to change their community. The people of such communities do not work towards welfare of community as they are over burdened with their own family issues (McNeeley, 2014). The inner city areas are largely inhabited by minorities that are usually discriminated and poor form socially disorganized communities. The increase in such communities is because of reduced employment opportunities, reduced wages, migration of people and governmental policies with lacking social services to the poor. The social disorganization theories cannot only explain the occurrence of street violence in todays inner-city communities, but also offer ways to organize such communities. The delinquent activities such as street violence can be deterred by attending to the root causes of crime by analyzing the theories and reading the behavior of criminals in the light of their placement in socially disorganized setups (McNeeley, 2014). The behavior of Silvio and Armando is explainable in the light of social disorganization theory. Ariella, their mother, a single parent got homeless with her children after which, she got into a community of homeless people. As described by the social disorganization theory, these communities contain homeless, poor, economically deprived and people with family issues, so Ariella’s family was one among them. She tried to take care of her children by taking them to museums, concerts and restaurants, but their residing places were usually more crime affected. People in the communities where they

Analysis on the medieval play Noah's Flood Research Paper

Analysis on the medieval play Noah's Flood - Research Paper Example Her character is belittled in the play as a woman who lacks wisdom, foresight and who is not submissive to her husband. Her reaction suggests that she likes gossiping with her friends and actually seems to prefer to stay on with them as opposed to going into the ark with Noah. According to her, her friends are the people who truly love her and care for her and she believes she is the only one that can ensure those friends are saved (Page 314: 200-8). In the case of Noah’s wife, the hierarchical trends in society are bucked to the extent that Noah appears to be a henpecked man who submits to the will of his wife; hence it is his wife who appears to have authority in their household. For example, despite her resistance to going into the ark, Noah is concerned about her and asks his sons to bring her on (www.lib.rochester.edu). He says: â€Å"Welcome wife, into the boat† (Page 315:245) but Noah’s wife’s reaction is to give him a sharp slap, with the response, â€Å"Have thou that for thy note!† (Page 315:246). Noah does not retaliate as another man would have done, to put his wife in her place with sharp, belittling words or physical violence. He winces at the slap he receives and says, â€Å"Aha Mary, this is hot!† (Page 315:247), but merely continues â€Å"It is good to be still.† (Page 315:248). The play about Noah’s Flood is very important in the religious context, because it sets out various themes that are later also replicated in the Bible. The inclusion and depiction of the character of Noah’s wife is significant, especially when compared to Adam and Eve. Noah appears to be like Adam – a godly man with a rebellious wife. Noah’s wife’s resistance to going into the ark appears to symbolize the sin of mankind (www.geocities.com). In a similar manner to Noah’s wife refusing to go into the ark, man also refuses to turn

Source Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Source Evaluation - Essay Example Darren et al (806-807) observes that â€Å"physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and a widening variety of other chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus, cancer (colon and breast), obesity, hypertension, bone and joint diseases (osteoporosis and osteoarthritis), and depression.† According to his research, all the people that made the tendency to engage in physical activity reduced their chances of getting cardiovascular diseases by 20%. Recently, there have been far greater reductions in the death risks as a result of cardiovascular attacks. In general increase in levels of participation in physical activities reduces the chances of premature deaths other causes kept constant. According to this journal, there are many biological mechanisms have been able function effectively and decrease the number of unending diseases and untimely deaths that have their route causes on physical activity. For example, routine physical activity has been known to enhance body composition. Through physical exercise is able to balance its fat content. Excess fats are usually burnt during physical exercise to release energy. In this exercise the body is able to check against excess accumulation of such fast that could lead to diseases like heart attack and high blood pressure. Among the recommended ways to reduce cholesterol levels in the body, exercise is the only one which is cost free and easily done. These biological mechanisms and others clearly account for the reduced number of chronic illnesses as a result of little or no sports activities. Another significant reason for involvement in sports is that it enables proper psychological well being of an individual. Darren emphasizes that regular physical activity is linked with improved mental well-being i.e. through reduced stress, nervousness and depression.† (806). A person’s psychological well-being is very important because of one main reason; for proper avoidance and

The Healthcare Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Healthcare Dilemma - Essay Example Later on, the Supreme Court stated that the Obama care had forced the state to register illegally for a Medicaid expansion together with the federal money that is set aside for it, in addition to threats of cutting off of Medicaid funds if they do not adhere to that. Many people who had embraced this act have been affected tremendously. For instance, some have been forced to deploy some of their workers in their companies, hence counting losses. This was a result of the cuts made to Medicaid reimbursement, and even some people are now left with dilemmas on what to do. It is usually painful and disturbing for an individual to incur losses on something that he/she did not expect, but coming into terms with it and accepting the situation the way it is is usually the surest way to find peace. Finally, I would like to advice all people affected by this act that they should try to view everything positively. This is because I am also affected and I have lost a lot, but I usually keep the fire burning bearing in mind that I still have a long life to

Social Groups in American History Essay Example for Free

Social Groups in American History Essay After WWII women, African-Americans, Hispanics, and Whites all set out to establish a set of desires and wants we call the American Dream. Not just to have money and be successful but to ensure that all men are equal, to have the freedom to do what we want and practice our beliefs, and to fight for policies in government that benefit the good of our people. Throughout the American history, we have been through many challenging times in which these freedoms and desires have been tested. Nevertheless, through it all, these situations have made us stronger as a united nation and taught us what it really means to be American. During the war women were encouraged to take jobs that men would do for the first time in history. To some it was a surprise but to many it was a sign of the times. â€Å"By 1942 a poll showed that only 13% of Americans disagreed with women in the workforce† (Brinkly, pg.751) Many of them also joined and became war nurses in which they helped many of the men recuperate. Many women were extremely well at making war time products and took the place of men. During the war women foresaw many diverse opportunities and advancements in their lives. â€Å"Even though there were many laws restricting women from working they still managed to come through for our country.† (Gorn, pg.140) For once women were not just considered as a reproducer but as a producer itself. After the war the men had returned home and measures to push women back to how it used to be began. â€Å"In 1945, 3/4 of the women surveyed by the Womens Bureau of the Department of Labor wished that they could continue working which showed their interests in the skills they obtained.† (Brinkley, pg.752) Women were determined to push forward a claim their spot in society. This pushed for a new movement of better educated and stronger women. When African American soldiers returned they found a nation that still did not give them full rights, this caused a movement for the expansion of civil rights which had been born. Most black soldiers who had left their farm jobs in the South decided not to come back home at all. Instead, they moved to cities, looking for employment that was related to what they had learned in the army. The civil rights movement was a time when blacks that were oppressed for several years, rose up against the odds to achieve their freedom. This movement stimulated a growth in the black migration to cities. â€Å"On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks changed America forever when she was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a city bus.† (Brinkley, pg.881) When Rosa Parks was asked to give up her seat to a white woman, she refused because she was annoyed with the treatment that African Americans received. She was later thrown in jail for disregarding the law. This led to an uprising and many protest against the judge’s action. Through unity, education and courage the African Americans claimed their independence. After WWII America it self became less influenced in religion. â€Å"In the 1960s, many social critics had predicted the virtual extinction o religious influences in American life.† (Brinkley, pg. 892) Religion during this time took a change rather then it being extinct more and more people began to turn to Christianity. From the 70s till the early 90s religious effort grew rapidly. When families that were in poverty began to rise up this led them into the growing middle class. America stated to see more time devoted to religious practices. This marked a new beginning in American history. As apart of the growing middle class more families stated having extra income to support a growing family. America itself during this time became known as the baby boomer generation. â€Å"At the peak of the baby boom, during the 1950s, the nation population grew by 20 percent.† (Brinkley, pg.790) The baby boom generation was the result in the rapidly growing economy in which a family’s income was rapidly increasing. Also housing prices and the new GI bill made it easier for citizens to progress. All over the U.S. white Americans were living the American Dream. During the early 1960s and 70s many citizens did not agree to why the U.S. was at war with Vietnam. Many men had no desire to be apart of the war. â€Å"The Selective Service System, which was used to carry out the draft, had aspirations of directing soldiers into areas where they were most needed during wartime.† (Brinkley, pg.870) The draft made it possible for government to supply the war with enough troops to protect our country. Many people took advantage of the draft system’s postponement policies to avoid going away to war. Others refused to go or basically did not register. There were also people who left the country to escape the draft. Draft cards were burned publicly, schools walked out in protest of the war, and even special music events were used to stop the war. With all this negative actions against the war, it was very hard for the soldiers to fight a war when their country did not support them for putting their lifes on the line. During the 60s Hippies were mostly defiant young people who sought for change in U.S. life style. Hippies experimented with many innovative ideas for the 60s. The Hippie movement began in San Francisco in the 1960’s. It was a different way to live life. â€Å"Closely related to the New Left was a new youth culture openly scornful of the values and conventions of middle class society.† (Brinkley, pg.856) The Hippie movement was a rebellious uprising which displayed efforts against war. Many Americans did not agree with the Hippy way of life because of there beliefs of free sex, drugs, their image and their music. Migrant workers went through a lot of struggles. During the 60s for one person this struggle was enough to fight for. Cesar E. Chavez founded and led the first successful farm worker’s union in U.S. history. â€Å"Caesar Chavez began with grape pickers in the town of Delano In 1965 and quickly gained converts in California’s enormous factory fields† (Gorn pg.297) In September 1965, Cesar’s NFWA, with more than 1200 members, joined in AFL-CIO sponsored union in a strike towards the major Delano area table and wine grape producers. Cesar led a successful five-year strike-boycott to the millions of supporters to the UFW, United Farm Workers.† He put together a nationwide support association of unions, church groups, students, minorities and consumers.† (Brinkley, pg.861). The two organizations merged in 1966 to form the UFW, and it became affiliated with the AFL-CIO. By 1970, the boycott influenced most grape growers to sign contract with UFW. Through out history we have seen many great examples and great role models that have changed America’s society greatly. African American, Hispanic, or even gender issues have all took a new approach and gained it independence buy fighting for freedom and prosperity. The American Dream has always been a set goal for Americans and as long as we are democratic society we will fight for our rights and aim towards a better way of living. Works Cited Brinkley, Alan. American History, a Survey, Volume Two, Twelfth Edition. Gorn, Elliot J. Constructing the American Past: A Source Book of a People’s History, Volume Two, Sixth Edition.

Movement, Environment and Community Memory Reflection

Movement, Environment and Community Memory Reflection In this paper, I will be sharing two different memories which are significant to me where I remembered learning about movement, environment and community in an integrated way. Then, I will be analysing these two memories which stimulate and making connections in the areas of movement environment and community. The two memories which are significant to me where I remembered learning about movement, environment and communicate has to travel back when I was about six years old and when I was twenty two years old. Both experiences occurred outside of school. The first experience took place at the playground, which is located on the ground floor of my block. My siblings, my brother and my sister and our childhood neighbour will always get together on weekdays for playtime after school. Our most favourite game of all time will be playing hid and seek followed by catch. We were always on the move, running to hide at the places which we shall not be seen. Speed was really crucial for us as we would run away from the catcher and at the same time we had bend our body low so that the catcher will not see us. Sometimes, we had to run very quietly to make sure that no one would spot us. Once we found a safe place, usually we would be hiding behind bushes, we would stay still until the catcher came nearer, we would begin running until we were ‘caught’. The environment was part of the experience as it provided the space for us to move about and hide. As we ran across rows of shops along the corridor, the community forms part of the experience in the game of hide and seek and catch. The neighbours were friendly and accommodating to let us play and running along the corridor and playground. This forms the big issue every time we wanted to play hide and seek as we were concerned how we shall not disturb our neighbours and shops while we enjoyed our game. The second experience which was significant to me happened when I was in sun moon lake, Taiwan. My friend and I took decided to rent scooter to ride around sun moon lake. The movement we had in this experience was the going on a scooter ride. It was specially challenging for us as it was my very first time riding on a scooter. While practising riding on the scooter, I had difficulty balancing the vehicle. Moreover, the direction was different from Singapore thus it took us quite some time to familiarise with the direction. When we were more familiar with the scooter, we began our adventure. At the beginning, we rode extremely slowly as the direction of the road is different in Singapore, and gradually picked up the speed along the journey. The ride added to its difficulty level when it only allows a single lane on each road direction and there were frequent tourists buses and cars on the opposite direction. During the journey, we stopped by at each attraction, which forms part of the environment. The lake was breath taking and it was the reason why we wanted to ride around the lake. We spent some time with the lake and its scenery. On our way back to the rental shop, we had to recharge our scooter. The people, which were part of the community, were helpful in replacing a scooter for us. They also provided the directions when we were not sure about the way to return to the shop. The big issue in this experience was to be able to ride on a scooter so that we were able to visit the lake. Without the help of the residents staying at sun moon lake, we would not be able to appreciate the beauty of the nature. In my first memory, I feel that my family have influenced me greatly. We spent most of the time together, thus we would play together. The community also influenced me and it provided us the space for our activity. In Singapore, due to the safety, some parents may not allow their children to play out of their sight. Families have expressed concern of safety even though they have preferred these places for play (Derr Lance, 2012). However, I am grateful that my parents allowed us to play at the playground with my siblings and neighbours while they are in the house. As we build on relationship with the neighbours in our neighbourhood, we looked out for each other and we get to enjoy this experience. My peers had encouraged and influenced me in my second memory. They had given me the moral support that I need and I picked up my courage to ride on the scooter. The people were also very friendly and patient to give me the time to practice on the scooter. Even though I had encouragement and support from my peers, I would not have accomplished if I were given the knowledge on how the scooter functioned. As an educator, we should focus more on the knowledge rich experiences so that environmental education can be translated into meaningful learning experiences than relying on the concept of teaching which relies on nurturance and empathy with young children (Fleer, 2007). The two chosen memories were both experiential and placed-based learning. The first memory would contain more of experiential learning as we are constantly looking for a new location every time we hide and we learn a new hiding place by doing it. We would often hide behind the bushes and pretended that the bushes are the wall that nobody would see us. Children use these places as â€Å"remarkably responsive with a fantastical mixing of the material and the imaginary† (Derr Lance, 2012, p. 118). On the other memory, sun moon lake is a place-based learning environment as my peers and I explored the place together through moving around the lake on a scooter together with the help of the people at sun moon lake. The nature was there for us as we appreciate it. This made me reflect on how I can understand better how children perceived between nature and environment. Further research on how notions of nature and environment are socially constructed would define the home context with the available resources including play sites and family involvement such as gardening or visits to the gardens (Payne, 1998). The growth of an individual profile will encompass significant life experiences and this would be an important contribution into the research issues of how time and place impact the conceptions and values of nature (Payne, 1998). Relating it back to my experience at the sun moon lake, it did influence me on how I perceive nature and it develops me as a person. In my first memory, the gross motor skill was featured. It was prominent that as we have to run, and hide against the time was we did not want to be ‘caught’ apart from that, we also did squatting and tip-toeing in our hide and seek activity. As for the second memory, my body and eye-hand coordination have to work concurrently as I rode on the scooter. Reflecting on my physical movement made me feel that I had the freedom to move around in the environment. As a teacher, I feel that I have to be conscious on how children have the ability to create space and social affordances. Initial findings suggest that all children have the ability of discovering affordances and forming their classroom environment (McLaren, Ruddick, Edwards, Zabjek, McKeever, 2012). When we are engaged in play, it improves motor and cognitive skill and as well as attention capacities (Derr Lance, 2012). Safety procedures were considered when I was engaged my scooter ride in at the sun moon lake. The rental shop owner briefed us through the safety precautions that we need to know in case of emergency. Helmet was provided during our ride so ensure our safety and we were given emergency contact numbers just in case our scooter broke down. As for my first memory, even though we had the freedom to run around the playground and along the shops, we were aware that we should not be tampering the environment and disturbing the people around us. We also had to be considerate not to run into shops to hide as that would disrupt their business. As I looked back on my past experiences, I see that movement, environment and community are closely inter-related to each other and how each area complement and influenced each other. I feel that there is a need to advocate parents and children to be engaged in movement, environment and community through spending quality time and interactions together. They could be spending time at the picnic, or taking a walk in the park. As an educator, we play a vital role as a facilitator and support when children are engaged in the processes of discovery and exploration (Young Elliot, 2010) and we have to act on it display positive attitudes and learning towards movement, environment and community. References Derr, V., Lance, K. (2012). Biophilic Boulder: Childrens Environments That Foster Connections to Nature. Children Youth and Environments, 22(2), 112-143. Fleer, M. (Ed.). (2007). Young children: Thinking about the scientific world. Watson: Early Childhood Australia. McLaren, C., Ruddick, S., Edwards, G., Zabjek, K., McKeever, P. (2012). Children’s Movement in an Integrated Kindergarten Classroom: Design, Methods and Preliminary Findings. Children, Youth and Environments, 22(1), 145-177. Payne, P. (1998). Childrens conceptions of nature. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 14, 19-26. Young, S. Elliott, S. (2010). Just Discover! connecting young children with the natural world. Croydon, Victoria: Tertiary Press. Name: Loo Si Hui

Strategies for Performance Improvement

Strategies for Performance Improvement In a simple way performance means doing something successfully mainly by using the available resources. Performance can be elusive concept. It deals with the outcomes, results, and accomplishments achieved by a person, group or Organisation. (William J. Rothwel, Carolyn K.Hohne Stephen B. King: 2007). In many cases people do define performance based on financial aspects of the business. Focusing only on financial matters does not tell us what should we do and how to do in order to be successful. Performance is the definition and progressive achievement of tangible, specific, measurable, worthwhile and personally meaningful goals. (Darryl D. Enos 2007). We get a clear point in this definition that organisation should have well defined, specific and measurable goals. This serves as the first requisite in assessing the organisations performance. Having vague and general goals without proper measurement, pose a problem in evaluating corporate performance and proposing techniques for imp roving the performance. Michael Milgate 2004 said that, by monitoring performance for each measure and taking appropriate remedial action, improve revenues, business growth, reduced expenses and compliance with sector regulations have resulted. 2.1 PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT There is a clear relationship between performance improvement and change management (discussed in Section 2.5 of this chapter). Many studies concluded that most organisations either fail or achieve very limited success in their efforts to improve performance. Success or failure in performance improvement efforts begins with the reasons why organisational decision makers decide to get involved in the first place. Darryl D.Enos 2007). Personally, I feel that there should be a motivation factor to stir up the process of improving performance. In addition to this Darryl Enos 2007 added that commitment and involvement of leadership is the most critical element for the performance efforts to be successful. Rephrasing Enos unless a leader is motivated by authentic interest and be committed in the process then efforts of performance improvement have little chance to work. Every organisation has problems. A good start is to admit the problem and find what is to be accomplished to solve the problem. Sometimes performance improvement starts with a targeted program for dealing with a problem that is limiting achievement of a worthwhile goal.'(Darryl Enos 2007). As a suggestion, before approaching any technique to boost performance or implementing the efforts, management should identify areas which need improvements. The problem of poor performance or constant/stagnant performance may be caused by the top management itself.( Refer Enrons Scandal 2001).Thus, the areas for performance improvement must be clearly identified and evaluated to avoid investing efforts in areas which are not critical to performance improvement. In trying to adopt efforts and strategies to achieve corporate performance, Organisations face challenges and end up failing. In one of their research Kaplan and Norton found that 9 out of 10 companies fail to implement their strategies. (Bob Paladino 2007). Paladino explains four barriers that contribute to Organisations failure to achieve expected results from their efforts and strategies put in process. There barriers are: Vision barrier (where research shows that only 5 % of companys employees fully understand their companys strategy); Management barrier (where 85 % of executive teams spend far less time discussing strategies and strategic issues than traditional operating results); Resource barrier (where most companies do not link their budgets to strategy): and the fourth barrier being People barrier (where research shows that only 25 % of managers have incentives linked to strategy). 2.2 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (PMS1) Performance management system (PMS1) is not an end by itself, but its improvement enables an Organisation to perform better. Improving its efficiency ensures the data generated will tell where the Organisation is, how it is performing and where it is going. Effective management depends on the effective measurement of performance and results (Gobal. K. Kanji, 2002). Mohan Nair (2004) argued that Corporations sometimes measure too much of something and too little of others. Contributing to this it is even possible that Organisations unknowingly does not measure some of the business aspects. Moreover many organisations fail to link what they measure with corporate strategy. Nair added that many of these measurements are un-integrated and serve the wrong goals. Many corporations lack an overarching model for monitoring, measuring and managing the business. Balanced Scorecard offers a broad and overarching skin to the structural architecture of the business. (Nair 2004) Gobal K. Kanji (2002) explains the role of PMS1 and how an organisation may achieve business excellence by identifying areas to improve and how it can use its limited resources to reflect the improvement of the system. The design and implementation of a new PMS1 may in one way or another bring questions and tensions to employees. Kanji (2002) stated that, It is important to build a measurement system where measures are used as a management and motivational tool. I personally back this idea as will help in gaining management and employees support during designing and implementing the new system. In this regard, the PMS1 should be clear to employees explaining how each will contribute to the overall strategy. The efficient PMS1 also serves as the communication and rewarding tool. Furthermore, Kanji (2002) explains the past and present performance measurements and their implication on todays business era. Traditionally, performance measurement focuses on financial measures .. that do not match entirely with competencies skills companies require to face todays business environment. In insisting that financial measures of performance are under criticism in todays world, Paul Niven (2003) said that they lack predictive power, reinforce functional silos, may sacrifices long term thinking and are not relevant to many levels of the Organisation.. Kanji then supports the significant contribution by Kaplan Norton (1992) to overcome the shortcomings of traditional PMS1 that employs only financial measures. 2.3 THE BALANCED SCORECARD (BSC) Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton (2005) invented BSC in 1992 due to the fact that traditional accounting measures like Return on Investment and Earning per Share give misleading picture while in todays business environment continuous improvement and innovation is very important. The authors realised that many managers do not depend on single set of measures in isolation of the other. This implied the need of balanced presentation of both financial and non financial measure. Kaplan Norton complemented financial measures by operational measures calling it Balanced Scorecard (BSC). Kaplan and Norton define BSC as, a set of measures that gives top management a fast but comprehensive view of the business. The BSC includes financial measures that tell the results of actions already taken. And it complements the financial measures on customer satisfaction, internal processes, and Organisation innovation and improvement. These (including financial measures) are the four perspectives of BSC as mentioned by the authors. They suggested that for each of the perspective, managers should translate their visions and missions to strategic goals and objectives and these goals should be translated into specific measures. The word Balance in the Balanced Scorecard represents the balance between financial and non financial performance indicators; internal and external elements stakeholders of the Organisation; and lag lead indicators (Paul Niven 2003). Michael Milgate (2004) defines scorecard as a balanced management system in which shared vision and strategy are reference points for the management process; achieving this balance enables synergy and a practical fit with other frameworks. BSC serves as a powerful tool as it focuses on achieving breakthrough performance considering all measures without isolating non financial performance measures (Kanji 2002).Since its creation in 1992 by Drs. Norton Kaplan of Harvard Business School the Balanced Scorecard has been implemented by different business units in the Public as well as in the Private sectors-worldwide.( Michael E. Nagel- Vice President, BSC Collaborative) Henri .JF (2006) applied the BSC framework in his survey on how top management in a manufacturing company could use PMS to improve the strategic management and Organisational performance. Given its depth as a strategic management system, the BSC principle will continue to be widely adopted and further refined in user Organisation as experiences in its implementation emerge ( Michael A.Milgate 2004). This shows how widely BSC is used to improve the PMS if the Organisation chooses to adopt and implement it. Henri .JF (2006) poses a question that top managers should ask themselves; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"How can we improve our system? .However, the author suggested that the improvement of the PMS is a continuous process that involves changing measures to reflect the new ideas and insights brought to the Organisation through creativity and other development activities. BSC can be successfully implemented in any organisation where the management is committed and devote time to formulate strategy and ready to accept changes. BSC has been implemented many organisations including services business , military units, schools, government institutions and also for profit organisations ( Wikipedia). An important point to note here is that an organisation should design its own BSC as management is knowledgeable of its responsibilities organisations operations rather than adapting another Organisations BSC. David P. Tarantino (2003) complements the work of Kaplan and Norton. He defined BSC, as a performance management tool that is used to provide an integrate perspective of an organisation.He also pointed out the four perspectives of the BSc as, external (how customers views the Organisation; Internal (Look at where the organisation must succeed and improve); Growth learning (examine how organisation grows and learns) and Financial (study financial performance of the organisation).These perspectives depend and influence one another. Tarantino (2003) said, To concentrate on only one, such as financial performance fails to recognise the contribution and balance of the other three perspectives. Of interest from the author is the explanation on how to develop the BSC. The first step he suggested is for the organisation to decide which goals are to be measured that should be included in the four perspectives. Then the organisation should figure out the measures for each of the four BSC pers pectives and determine the weight of each for ultimate evaluation of overall performance. Harvard Management-Update (2000), No need to wait for a companywide initiative-the key principles of this strategic-management system can be put to work in your unit right away.The author of the article tries to convince management to apply BSC reporting system. He is of the views that even if companies take years and spend millions to implement the scorecard across their operations the effects can be dramatic when the system takes root. He said that managers today dont have to wait for a scorecard- inspired corporate transformation before learning- and implementing some of the methods centred ideas. He explained the four lessons from BSC that can be applied right away in virtually any business unit or department. Watch a variety of metrics Connect your metrics to strategy Develop a strategic budget Get everyone involved in tracking metrics The author still insists that BSC is a method that helps managers to develop a well -rounded strategy and then get everyone in the company involved in implementing it. Mohan Nair 2004, arguing in favour of BSC, the changes in the character of business assets has exaggerated the challenges faced by business. In the past company assets would be reflected in the balance Sheet but now 85% of the assets are intangibles.Having the same arguments as previous authors about the inefficiencies of the financial measures, Nair also added that those financial measures are applied only to tangibles, when the intangibles are what fuels the future. According to an online source, www.balancescorecard.org/BSCresources the benefits of BSC are: improve organisation alignment, improve communication, more emphasis on strategy and organisational results, linked strategy and operations, and integrated strategic planning and management. 2.3.1 BSC development Kaplan and Norton explained four steps which many organisations have used to develop their balanced scorecard. The process includes: Define the measurement architecture To a beginner, it is recommended to start with a business unit applying the metrics as designed in the BSC rather than to the corporate level. Specify strategic objectives This step includes deriving strategic objectives for each of the four perspective from corporate goals. Choose strategic measures The third step is to choose related measures for the strategic goals to evaluate the performance so as to achieve the strategic objectives. Develop the implementation plan After selecting measures for each of the perspective, remains implementation process.Target values are assigned to the measures. A link is then established from various metrics from the top to bottom of the BSC. The established scorecard is then incorporated in the organisations management system.. The online source www.balancescorecard.org/BSCresources also recommended nine steps to success develop and deploy BSC framework- In a sequential order these are; Organisation assessment, strategy development, strategic objectives, strategic mapping, performance measures and targets, strategic initiatives, automation, cascading the BSC throughout the organisation and last evaluation. Overall the BSC involves the following steps: Clarify the vision Communicate to middle manager and develop business unit scorecards Eliminate Non-strategic investments and launch corporate change programs Review business unit scorecard Refine the vision Communicate the BSC to the entire company and establish individual performance objectives Update long-range plan and budget Conduct monthly and quarterly reviews Conduct annual strategy review Link everyones performance to the BSC 2.3.2 BSC criticisms The use of the balanced scorecard system may not result to what managers expect. Some professionals spoke some problems that make the BSC under criticisms. It has been noted by professionals that the BSC concept does not guide how the approach can be deployed within an organisation. It is just been viewed as an approach that attracts managers to install and implement without a real sense on how it works, and what should be expected. (Stephen Smith 2006).From his article à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"problem with a balanced scorecard, Smith pointed out some of the key issues that can cause BSC initiatives to fail. These are: Poorly defined metrics These should be relevant ,clear and easily understood Lack of efficient data collection and reporting Smith is concerned with the investments made in collecting metrics data, whether consuming too much time and energy. He then suggests the importance of prioritising key performance indicators to get most relevant information. Lack of formal review structure This is necessary to accommodate any change in metric value. Reviewing is a cross functional activity. No press improvement methodology Many organisation lack basic and standard toolkits and approaches for tracking problems. It therefore consumes a lot of time an efforts to address a problem that is caused by the performance gap. Too much internal focus Smith ranks this as one of the major criticism of BSC. He suggests that Organisation should always start with an external focus through analysing organisations markets, shareholders, competitors, employees and other stakeholders. However Smith assured that all is well with the introduction and the concept of balanced scorecard. This means that the BSC approach is a useful tool and can bring desired results if management knows how to structure it and take the above points in considerations to avoid its initiatives from failing. It has also been learnt that BSC is being criticised by academic society on its practical nature, applicability and functionality. (Wikipedia).They also noted that some of the criticisms focus on technical flaws in the method and design of the original BSC proposed by Kaplan Norton. Supporting the main problem as seen by Smith 2006 other academicians have focused on the lack of citation support. Another criticism is that the BSC does not provide a bottom line score or a unified view with clear recommendations; it is simply a list of metrics. (Wikipedia). Regardless of these criticisms the studies done so far indicated that BSC is a useful tool in strategic performance management in an Organisation. An online source www.netmba.com added to the BSC pitfalls that during implementation managers should avoid the use of generic measures, which are being adopted by successful firms. Management should not take BSC as a guarantee of success in companys operations. It should think clearly the companys strategy and implement the scorecard for improving performance in operational level that derives improved financial performance. Kaplan and Norton said, Even an excellent set of BSC measures does not guarantee a winning strategy. The BSC can only translate a company strategy into specific measurable objectives. They also advised that by combining the four perspectives, the BSC helps managers understand implicitly many interrelationships. The four perspectives relate to each other and the effect on either of the perspective will impact the other. A well designed BSC should describe your strategy through objectives and measures you have chosen. These measures should link together in a chain of cause and effect relationships (Paul Niven 2003). Thus, it is suggested that all have equal importance and neither should be taken in isolation of others. 2.4 COMPARISON BSC AND OTHER PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT TECHNIQUES When we talk of performance improvement in an organisation apart from BSC, Six sigma and Total Quality Management (TQM) come under discussion. Both tools when applied properly work to achieve what management really expects. These tools are contrasted with BSC in the subsequent sections. 2.4.1 Balanced Scorecard (BSC) Vs Six Sigma It has been learnt that BSC and Six Sigma work independently from each other. BSC translates corporate strategy into actions that help to achieve the strategy. Six Sigma aims to solve the problem of poor performance by closely looking at the root cause of performance problem. In this case Six Sigma tries to minimise the errors and reduce other causes of defects in business processes. However, these frameworks are complementary and if used together they offer huge potential value. (Michael E. Nagel). BSC and Six Sigma when used together can deliver great and unexpected business performance (Alastair Horn 2006) . Nagel justifies his idea by clarifying that BSC and Six Sigma are complementary because the former provides the strategic context for targeted improvement initiatives and the latter is a business improvement approach that solve a myriad of performance issues. To make the difference more clearly, Nagel stated that, unlike Six Sigma, BSC is not a solution for closing specific st rategic performance shortfalls. He then concluded that BSC describes the strategy for creating value and aligns resources to ensure the strategy is successfully executed. Six Sigma executes the strategy by using data and process improvement tools. It has been learnt that both BSC and Six Sigma strive for good performance through fixing up the performance gaps. In a clear manner a corporation may choose to implement any of the frameworks but the use of both the approaches would result to high performance according to the way each of them works. Rephrasing Horn, Six Sigma focuses on the best processes that organisation may adopt to improve its performance of products and processes on a continuous basis. while BSC focuses on performance management that translates strategy into executions. In explaining how both BSC and Six Sigma can work together, Henry Killackey (2008) speaks his idea that it is a very common practice to label organisation performance matrix in the BSC with red ( poor performance), yellow ( mixed results),and green ( excellent). If the organisation implements Six Sigma approach then the red ratings alert Six Sigma practitioners the areas which need immediate attention so that they can figure out ways of reversing the poor situation. In simple words, we may say that BSC serves as a communication tool for Six Sigma professionals. It has been learnt that BSC prompts weak and bad performing areas for Six Sigma professionals to act upon. As previously explained, the ultimate aim of both BSC and Six Sigma is to improve the performance of the organisation. In this regard the organisation can simultaneously implement both the approaches. They both rely on accurate data from customers and external stakeholders. Moreover the output indicators in Six Sigma may be used as measures in the BSC framework where by both the BSC and Six Sigma professionals will concentrate on the same goals. (Henry Killackey 2008) However Paul Grizzell (2004) in his article admitted that many authors see Six Sigma as the most effective performance management control system ever. But he cautioned readers that it is important to first consider the assumptions that were used to generate the opinions. Grizzell put forward his opinion that all performance management tools (in his case, Six Sigma, lean, BSC, Baldrige) when used as an integrated approach to maximise performance will lead to breakthrough and not just incremental improvement. 2.4.2 Balanced Scorecard (BSC) Vs. Total Quality Management (TQM) It is argued that the best approach for an organisation between BSC and TQM depends on the organisation itself. When developing a business strategy an organisation must consider multiple factors including leadership, customers ,business processes, financial goals and the structure, culture and the size of the corporation.( Schwartz Jay 2005). Jay continues that TQM and BSC share a common theme of improving communication in an organisation. He also added another shared goal of the BSC and TQM as the reduction of costs and improvement of services of an organisation. Moreover both TQM and BSC need management support to ensure that all employees support the new initiatives. However BSC and TQM differ in other aspects. The difference between TQM and BSC is in the number of people involved in the process; TQM requires full participation, compared with limited involvement for the BSC'(Schwartz Jay 2005).With my little knowledge on the BSC, I think it also requires full participation. This is very important to prevent any possible resistance. Another difference named it major difference by Schwartz is that BSC places more emphasis on finance i.e. using traditional financial objects; TQM while not diminishing the importance of financial solvency, it focuses more on the systems of the organisation, the concept of empowering people and employees involvement. I also raise my concern to Schwartzs views on where the focus is in BSC .i.e. finance!!.Looking at the four perspectives of the BSC ( financial, customer, internal process and learning growth) it is clear that BSC involves both financial and non financial aspects. BSC was established to compliment the fin ancial measures, so it does not put much emphasis on financial matters only but includes also non financial measures. The BNET business dictionary defines BSC as a system that measures and manages an organisations progress towards strategic objectives. Introduced by Kaplan Norton (1992) ,the BSC incorporates not only financial indicators but also other perspectives . To conclude this Schwartz (2005) suggests that before managers decide whether TQM or BSC which fits the organisation they must ask themselves the following questions: What is the organisation structure?, What is the corporate structure? What is the size of the organisation?. He then recommends that for a large and bureaucratic organisation BSC fits best and TQM fits best with small service related organisation. However Schwartz didnt make it clear how to define a large organisation either in terms of capital, employees ,etc. I would rather say that whether using BSC or TQM the most important aspect to consider is whether the organisation is real committed and has a leader to initiate the change including involving all the employees. I would personally recommends the use of BSC as its structure is clear and helps the organisation to put the strategy into measurable goals. 2.5 MANAGEMENT CHANGE Management change involves the process of reducing the chances for resistance done by top management personnel and executives. In many organisations the tendency of management to resist changes, especially in adopting a new system keeps on growing day by day. Thus for the organisation to manage the changes there should be a systematic process, planned properly and which involves the shareholders and other key stakeholders. In this respect a change may be defined as any addition to an existing or modification to an old system or any deletion of an aspect of an old system. Some of the reasons for making changes could be solving problems, growth motives/purposes, improving performance, accommodating technology change, etc. In any organisation for a change to be successful, management should commit itself to make the change operational within a reasonable time. In many organisations this has not been the case as it has been relative difficult to implement changes especially adding a new thing to an existing system. It may be said that the systematic approach to implement changes reduces the negative impact of changes and the possible failure. The researcher will evaluate the performance of the Local Authorities Pensions Fund ( LAPF) using the metrics as structured in the proposed Balances Scorecard (Table 1) which is relevant to the Funds operations. Some metrics may be in use while others may not. In this case LAPF may wish to fully adopt the performance metrics as shown in the proposed BSC. Thus all issues relating to change management should be considered before trying to implement BSC approach to measure and improve the overall performance. This is the essence of analysing how change process may be done, possible challenges and change failure together with suggesting how to maximise chances for successful change process. Improving the performance is a continuous process, that necessitates new measures and approaches to be adopted. This also justifies why changes cannot be avoided by an organisation if it wants to occupy large market share, beat competition and improve the overall performance.( Henry J.F, 2006). Change management means to plan, initiate, realise, control and finally stabilise change process on both corporate and personnel level. In some situation change brings problems for instance disturbing system , staff programs and other development programs that are in progress. ( Oliver Recklies 2001).The author shows much concerns on those management and staff who have negative thoughts and perception on what is change and why change.. Management always fears to be questionable for failure while employees have fears of losing their jobs. Majority of employees tend to put forward resistance to change without considering that change facilitates improvements (Oliver Recklies 2001). The effects of change may be unclear to employees and thus fear something bad may happen that affects their tasks, responsibilities and worse enough even their lives. Management should consider possible aspects that may have negative impact on the change initiative so as to achieve the desired results. The su ccess of change projects depends on the Organisations ability to make all their employees participate in the change process in one way or the other. ( Oliver Recklies 2001). Lawler (1986), viewed from Rob Paton James Mc Calman (2008),said that overall change is not impossible but it is often difficult. The difficult is that most organisations view the concept of change as a highly programmed process which takes as its starting point the problem that needs to be rectified, breaks it down to constituent parts, analyses possible alternatives, select the preferred solution and applies this relentlessly- problem recognition, diagnosis and resolution Recklies (2001) made a significant contribution on how to minimise the negative effects of change to arrive at successful change process. He therefore divided the change process into seven stages it is relative better for management to understand in which stage they should expect what kind of problems. The stages are : shock and surprise, denial and refusal, rational understanding, emotional acceptance, exercising and learning, realisation and last being integration.( diagrammatically presented in figure 2.1) Shock surprise- This involves confrontation with unexpected situations Denial refusal-No need for change, i.e. Change is not necessary Rational understanding- people realised the need for change but unwilling to change own pattern of behaviour Emotional acceptance This is the most important stage characterised by slow pace. Management should succeed in creating willingness for change for the organisation to exploit its real potentials that lie in different aspects. Exercising learning This is the learning stage that will be influenced by peoples willingness. It is a trial for a new system and process. The stage is characterised by failure and success. This leads to the increased perceiveness of people own competence. Realisation This stage highly depends on stage 5 above, as people get more information through learning and allows mind to receive new challenges and experiences, The stage is characterised by flexibility and thus perceived competency increased. Integration At this stage people have acquired new skills and patterns of thinking The introduced change becomes familiar and a routing process. Figure 2.1 .Change process ( adapted from Oliver Recklies 2001) The seven stages simplify the implementation of the new process or change. Those who are responsible to accommodate the changes into the business should understand these stages so as to apply them systematically. John P. Kotter (1996) in his book Leading change explained clearly the most common mistakes done by organisations when adopting change and also he came up with their solutions. As Recklies 2001 (above) Kotter 1996 also explained eight stages for change process. Lets now examine the change mistakes done by management ( by Kotter ) and later we will explain the change stages and contrast them with Recklies change stages. Allowing too much complacency This is one of the biggest mistake as ranked by Kotter. The over confidence attitude of an executive wishing to process change may cause change failure. Having been successful in the past drives the executive to proceed with change plan without establishing and understanding the urgency of

Parental Advisory :: Music Lyrics Essays

Parental Advisory On sale now in a music store near you! The following are excerpts of songs from well known American artists that can be purchased. While each of these albums all have a parental advisory label, they in fact can be purchased by any consumer of any age. Let’s hear what they have to say†¦ One of you tries to grab a knife /And during the struggle he accidentally gets his Adam's apple sliced /(No!) /And while this is goin' on /His son just woke up and he just walks in /She panics and he gets his throat cut /(Oh my God!) /So now they both dead and you slash your own throat /So now it's double homicide and suicide with no note†¦ Now shut the fuck up and get what's comin to you/NOW BLEED! BITCH BLEED†¦ (Eminem) You're such an inspiration for the ways/That I'll never ever choose to be/Oh so many ways for me to show you/How the savior has abandoned you/Fuck your God/Your Lord and your Christ†¦( A Perfect Circle) Hart 2 The idea of putting a rating system on a form of entertainment has been around for years. Rating systems were mainly developed to help parents make informed choices about the movies, TV programs, video games, and music their children are being exposed to. Usually based on the amount of violence, sex, nudity, strong language or drug use a viewer will see or hear. The Motion Picture Association of America has set up a clear rating system for movie goers, â€Å"G- for general audience, all ages are admitted; PG- parental guidance is suggested and some material may not be suitable for children; PG-13-parents are strongly cautioned and some material may be inappropriate for children under 13; R-Restricted, under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian; and NC-17- no one 17 and under admitted† (Movie Ratings). Movies are no longer the only form of entertainment that has volunteered a structured rating system. In recent years the TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board, has created a rating system to help with the increasing number of TV channels and programs coming into homes each day.† TV-Y, is appropriate for all children; TV-Y7, is designed for children 7 and above who can distinguish between make-believe and reality; TV-Y7-FV, is Hart 3 for older children and contains more fantasy violence that may be more intense; TV-G, is for a general audience

SWOT Analysis of Ryanair Holdings PLC Essay example -- business, case

This report is based on Ryanair Holdings PLC which was established in 1985. â€Å"Ryanair obtains permission from the regulatory authorities to challenge the British Airways and Aer Lingus' high fare duopoly on the Dublin-London route. Services are launched with two (46-seater) turbo prop BAE748 aircraft† (Ryanair, ND). Ryanair Holdings PLC is an Ireland based airline which is the largest low fare airline with 32 bases & over 800 low fare routes across 26 countries, connecting 146 destinations. Ryanair fleets are made up of 196 Boeing 737-800 crafts with a seating capacity of 189 seats. Its aims are to deliver a further 102 aircrafts over the next 3 years. Ryanair currently employs more than 6,000 people and expects to carry over 67 million passengers this year. This report is giving me the chance to highlight Ryanair’s strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats which they face now and in the near future. Introduction Strengths Ryanair is known as Europe’s first low-cost, no-frills airline company. This alone is one of the company’s strongest selling points. It carries around 34 million passengers a year across 107 locations round Europe, totalling some 266 routes. The company has a leading market share on most UK and Ireland routes and around 43 percent of all Dublin-London and 45 percent of all other Dublin passenger loads. The ‘no-frills’ strategy resulted in the increase of customers and expansion of their operations, wherein the staff increased from an initial 57 to an amazing 3,400 staff and almost 37 million passengers. Ryanair has a strong business strategy, which capitalizes on a number of key advantages: fare-conscious leisure and business travelers, sales of one-way seats based on changing demand, the use of ... ...le to compete with this. Substitute transportation such as cars and high speed trains are also a threat as customers are getting luxury treatment also at a lower price. Conclusion Ryanair has established leading position within the European low-cost airline business due to a effective business strategy and expansion plan. Nevertheless, its reliance on the UK and Irish market and lack of hedging pose considerable future risks. In order for Ryanair to survive in this current climate, they should increase prices to keep up with rising oil prices. Bibliography Ryanair (ND). ‘History of Ryanair’, Available at http://www.ryanair.com/en/about. Accessed 11 November 2009. Guardian(2009). ‘Lunatic bloggers can keep the blogosphere’. Available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/feb/25/ryanair-socialnetworking. Accessed 11 November 2009.

Parataxis Of Homer :: essays research papers

Throughout the epic poem The Odyssey, Homer employs a technique called parataxis. This technique is used frequently to identify characters in the book or explaining an event. The poem not only covers the story of Odyssey. The poem not only covers the story of Odysseus, but also touches upon other characters as well. By using parataxis, Homer can briefly tell and describe characters and events. Often, characters are identified by their relationships to others, a great deed they have accomplished, to hardships they have come across.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In describing Odysseus in Book V, lines 97 to 115 of which lines 105 to 110 are paratactical, Hermes says â€Å"you have with you the man who is wretched beyond all the other men of all those who fought around the city of Priam for nine years, and in the tenth they sacked the city and set sail for home, but on the voyage home they offended Athene, who let loose an evil tempest and tall waves against them. Then all the rest of his excellent companions perished, but the wind and the current carried him here and here they drove him.† The original conversation between Hermes and Kalypso had little to do with Odysseus’s journey. Hermes in lines 97 to 115 tells Kalypso that Odysseus’s fate lie not on the island, but back home in Ithaka. The parataxis interrupts the line of conversation to inform the reason why Odysseus arrives here. It gives a glimpse the span of Odysseus’s journey and the fate of his companions before the story is told. In this instance, Hermes identifies Odysseus with the obstacles he has overcome.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At times, a parataxis of a certain character in one part of the poem help explain matters later on. In book XI, lines 281 to 297, Odysseus tells of Chloris, a beautiful maiden. Of those lines, lines 287 to 290 are paratactical, â€Å"Also she bore that marvel among mortals, majestic Pero, whom all the heroes round about courted, but Neleus would not give her to any, unless he could drive away the broad-faced horn-curved cattles of strong Iphikles out of Phylake.† It talks of Chloris’s daughter, Pero and the task that all suitors must accomplish before he can have her hand. Later on in book XV, another character is introduced. He is the son of the man who won Pero. Without mentioning Pero or the task of the suitors in the earlier book, much more explanation would be needed to identify other characters. This parataxis links various character and their stories.

Nike Position Paper

Nike Position Paper In our prevalent society today, there is an intricate debate between boycotting and supporting many different transnational corporations such as Nike, Inc. It has been inferred that Nike breaches multiple human rights acts and workplace violations. Dissidently, Nike’s total net income is 273. 4 billion dollars and their annual revenue adds up to approximately 19 billion dollars. This concludes that global citizens are more than voluntary to purchase their merchandise and endorse their business. Nike is involved in several environmental projects such as building athletic courts out of recycled shoes and their â€Å"air pockets† in numerous models of sport sneakers use nitrogen instead of SF6, which is a greenhouse gas. Nike also has â€Å"green† events associated with The Green Project of Long Island in New York State. Nike manufactures in over 30 countries and sells in over 160, with about 36,000 employees’ total. They also have rights to Hurley International and Nike invests in professional athletes to promote their goods. Nike has dynamic and monumental marketing skills that influence our generation conspicuously. In correlation, multinational business’ pay acceptable wages to workers because they have an innumerable amount of expenses unseen by most people. Corporations have significant distribution and tariff expenses bringing their products to market. Furthermore, transnationals’ pay acceptable wages given that profit margins are not as great as people may assume. Competition between producers is so fierce that profits for 214 companies in 1999 were limited to an average of 8. 3%. A wage premium is also applied where wages are 40% to 100% greater than the average rate in many developing countries. It has been fathomed that Nike violates labor laws. But, anti-globalization people often distort the truth on this topic, as in the case of the fake German documentary film against Ikea. It has also been acquiesced that corporations exploit their workers. It is valid that employees’ work long hours, but a New York Times article indicated that the workers do this willingly because this allows them to make more money than they might be able to earn otherwise. Mass business’ such as Nike, constitute investment and the increased export income improves a country’s equilibrium of payment, introduces otherwise unavailable goods and services that are essential for diversifying production, and stimulates local entrepreneurship by subcontracting to local industries and enhancing competition. â€Å"You don’t win silver, you lose gold,† is a famous Nike quote that has much controversy behind it, as do many business affairs pertaining to this iconic corporation. While workers in Indonesia are being paid around 21,000 dollars a year for a myriad amount of hours of hard labor in one day, one of Nike’s promotional athletes, NBA player Kobe Bryant, is being paid over 500,000 dollars a week to bounce a ball around. Workers are told to sign a contract which removes all their rights, they are typically fired by the age of 35, and Safety & Health Administration has found more than 1000 plus violations. Irrevocably, there are two definitive positions of transnational corporations. They have an agglomeration of flaws, but none that can be condemned irremediable. You hear a different opinion from each worker, each newspaper and each monopoly spokesperson. To ostracize such a beneficial asset to our economy would be asinine. People are kept off the streets, with paying jobs, and are making a contribution to society one shoe at a time.

Diagnosis and Treatment

For many Americans it is difficult to come to terms with any type of medical diagnosis. Some may know the warning signs and simply ignore them. Unfortunately mental disorders have plagued many people for years. Going without diagnosis and treatment can have devastating effects to themselves and their families. According to the National Institute of Mental Health â€Å"Approximately 20.9 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year, have a mood disorder† (NIMH, 2009). These disorders come in several forms and can have many different warning signs. For some these signs or symptoms can be mild and for others the signs are immediately noticed. â€Å"Mood disorders are characterized by disturbances in mood or prolonged emotional state sometimes referred to as affect.† (Psychological Disorders, 2010) Because everyone has their own mental capacity it can be difficult for a professional to diagnose. Some people can’t cry unless it is a highly emotional situation, others can cry at the first sign of emotional distress. While others may show anger in a stressful situation and some may feel the tendency to laugh. These are all nature human behaviors; each of these emotions can also be signs or symptoms of mood disorders. Because these signs and symptoms are so broad and are also specific to several different mood disorders they can be misdiagnosed for years. The range of mood disorders can vary but there are significant signs and symptoms to look for. For some with mood disorders they have extreme highs and lows, meaning that they are extremely happy one minute and can be extremely sad the next. In patients with depression you may see that the â€Å"person feels overwhelmed with sadness; they may have loss of interest in activities and display other symptoms such as guilt or feelings of worthlessness.† (Psychological disorders, 2010) According to the National Institute for Mental Health â€Å"Major Depressive Disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15-44† (NIMH, 2009) These patients usually have experienced the loss of happiness in everyday life. They may be your co-worker, family or friend who has issues with concentration, sleep, or has become reclusive. Even though depression is a mood disorder in itself, there are several forms of depression. Generalized depression is the person who has become withdrawn from life; they may sleep too much or not enough. Another form of depression is clinical depression; this form is much more severe and can be deadly. Unfortunately â€Å"depressed people may be plagues by suicidal thoughts or may even attempt suicide.† (Psychological disorders, 2010) Apart of the signs and symptoms of clinical depression is that the down feel does not go away after time. Those with clinical depression stay depressed; they are unhappy and have moments of extreme depression. â€Å"Some depressions can be so intense that people become psychotic-that is, they lose touch with reality.† (Psychological disorders, 2010). This form can make people believe in a false reality. They often feel as though everyone is out to get them or that they are being subjected to inhuman activities. Depression can be treated in many ways depending on the severity of the disease. There are many drugs out on the market today to help with the symptoms of depression. Generalized depression has become a popular trend in commercial marketing. The signs and symptoms are often discussed and the public is educated on talking to their physician if they may have any of the signs of symptoms that are listed in the commercials. Because of the frequency of these commercials more and more people have followed the trend and are speaking to their physicians about the possibility of depression. According to the CDC â€Å"approximately 15.7% more people were diagnosis with depression or related diagnosis in 2006 compared to 2005.† (CDC, 2006) Some studies may suggest that the increase in diagnosis is directly related to the public awareness brought forth by the commercial campaigns to promote new medication to treat depression. The treatment for many forms of depression is through various forms of medication. These forms of medication are often referred to as antidepressants. The compounding for these drugs are typically neurotransmitters or inhibiters. Some help to produce or block particular chemicals in the brain that are possible causes for particular forms of depression. Counseling can also help those that are suffering the effects of depression. For some counseling may be prescribed with or without the assistance of medication. Speaking to a medical professional about the diagnosis of depression can help each patient to be individually treated for the symptoms of the depressive disorder. Even though the public has a higher level of awareness when it comes to depressive disorders it is still important to seek advice from a medical profession. Reference http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml Diagnosis and Treatment For many Americans it is difficult to come to terms with any type of medical diagnosis. Some may know the warning signs and simply ignore them. Unfortunately mental disorders have plagued many people for years. Going without diagnosis and treatment can have devastating effects to themselves and their families. According to the National Institute of Mental Health â€Å"Approximately 20.9 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year, have a mood disorder† (NIMH, 2009). These disorders come in several forms and can have many different warning signs. For some these signs or symptoms can be mild and for others the signs are immediately noticed. â€Å"Mood disorders are characterized by disturbances in mood or prolonged emotional state sometimes referred to as affect.† (Psychological Disorders, 2010) Because everyone has their own mental capacity it can be difficult for a professional to diagnose. Some people can’t cry unless it is a highly emotional situation, others can cry at the first sign of emotional distress. While others may show anger in a stressful situation and some may feel the tendency to laugh. These are all nature human behaviors; each of these emotions can also be signs or symptoms of mood disorders. Because these signs and symptoms are so broad and are also specific to several different mood disorders they can be misdiagnosed for years. The range of mood disorders can vary but there are significant signs and symptoms to look for. For some with mood disorders they have extreme highs and lows, meaning that they are extremely happy one minute and can be extremely sad the next. In patients with depression you may see that the â€Å"person feels overwhelmed with sadness; they may have loss of interest in activities and display other symptoms such as guilt or feelings of worthlessness.† (Psychological disorders, 2010) According to the National Institute for Mental Health â€Å"Major Depressive Disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15-44† (NIMH, 2009) These patients usually have experienced the loss of happiness in everyday life. They may be your co-worker, family or friend who has issues with concentration, sleep, or has become reclusive. Even though depression is a mood disorder in itself, there are several forms of depression. Generalized depression is the person who has become withdrawn from life; they may sleep too much or not enough. Another form of depression is clinical depression; this form is much more severe and can be deadly. Unfortunately â€Å"depressed people may be plagues by suicidal thoughts or may even attempt suicide.† (Psychological disorders, 2010) Apart of the signs and symptoms of clinical depression is that the down feel does not go away after time. Those with clinical depression stay depressed; they are unhappy and have moments of extreme depression. â€Å"Some depressions can be so intense that people become psychotic-that is, they lose touch with reality.† (Psychological disorders, 2010). This form can make people believe in a false reality. They often feel as though everyone is out to get them or that they are being subjected to inhuman activities. Depression can be treated in many ways depending on the severity of the disease. There are many drugs out on the market today to help with the symptoms of depression. Generalized depression has become a popular trend in commercial marketing. The signs and symptoms are often discussed and the public is educated on talking to their physician if they may have any of the signs of symptoms that are listed in the commercials. Because of the frequency of these commercials more and more people have followed the trend and are speaking to their physicians about the possibility of depression. According to the CDC â€Å"approximately 15.7% more people were diagnosis with depression or related diagnosis in 2006 compared to 2005.† (CDC, 2006) Some studies may suggest that the increase in diagnosis is directly related to the public awareness brought forth by the commercial campaigns to promote new medication to treat depression. The treatment for many forms of depression is through various forms of medication. These forms of medication are often referred to as antidepressants. The compounding for these drugs are typically neurotransmitters or inhibiters. Some help to produce or block particular chemicals in the brain that are possible causes for particular forms of depression. Counseling can also help those that are suffering the effects of depression. For some counseling may be prescribed with or without the assistance of medication. Speaking to a medical professional about the diagnosis of depression can help each patient to be individually treated for the symptoms of the depressive disorder. Even though the public has a higher level of awareness when it comes to depressive disorders it is still important to seek advice from a medical profession. Reference http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml