Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Potential and Actual Effects of Political Events on Trade Essay

Potential and Actual Effects of Political Events on Trade - Essay Example The alignment is such that the economic activities of people are improved or that self-interest is created leading to lack of development. Political activities in various countries such as in France and Germany have had significant impacts both to the society and to the production process. In Afghanistan for instance, most of the distribution and trade events are interrupted due to substantial collisions between the politicians and their parties. However, this depends on the way such activities are conducted. In other regions, the events are so peaceful and no interference in the security is witnessed, leading to improvements in the economic sectors. Political activities in any given state are characterized my rallies, forums, banners, large audiences of people and sometimes fights, insecurity and other inhumane acts (Deutsch & Coleman, 2010). A country in the Middle East such as Afghanistan may face different potential and actual effects in the trading sector in the event of politic al upraising. These effects may be diverse and even spread to influence other neighboring countries with which it sources goods and services leading to low economic output. Potential and Actual Effects of Political Events on Trade Sector in Afghanistan The potential effects influence different issues within the trade sectors such as the distribution, production, exports and even the consumption of goods and services. The outcomes fall in different categories involving economy, environment, governance, administration and even corruption. Patronage- politics influences the stands and powers of an individual especially if such an individual has a high standing in the government. This is the favor given to supporters and involves changes in the administration official to those such a power wants. It normally taken as payment to the supporters and majorly a form of corruption where the people elected in the offices lack competence and skills. Political events cause patronage and influenc es trade through improper management and low output in the activities. Poor management of resources arises because most officials are selected for loyalty rather than ability and mainly from a particular group (Janis & Mann, 2007). Political results therefore determines in most cases the officials in the government, and this is evident in Romania a state in Europe where rapid changes of officials in the public sector took place once a new government was formed. Corruption- Political activities lead to introduction of officials sometimes with less skill or even lacking integrity. In the trading sector, corruption becomes a disease leading to economic distortions through direction of resources for public investments to capital projects for individuals. An increase in the bribes and kickbacks is observed, and the public officials increase the technical complexities of projects so as to obtain funds. As a result, investments are falsified and the prices of conducting business rise due t o risks of detection, costs of negotiating with officials, illicit payments and risks of breach. In such cases, competition is blocked, and inefficient firms take charge of the market distorting trade on the overall. Insecurity- political events are accompanied by riot from opposing groups or even disagreement by people on a particular candidate. Still, opposition of the elected power may arise leading to

Monday, October 28, 2019

The audience in Act 1 Scene 1 of A Taste of Honey Essay Example for Free

The audience in Act 1 Scene 1 of A Taste of Honey Essay How does Shelagh Delaney establish the relationship of the main characters for the audience in Act 1 Scene 1 of A Taste of Honey? The first scene is probably the most important scene of all, as it tells us about the nature of the characters and their attitudes. The first words of the play that are stage directions play a big part. The quote the stage represents a comfortless flat . . . . . the street outside. Jazz music this tell us about the time in which they lived which was post war Britain from the jazz music. Jazz music is associated with the blues that was music about being down on your luck which was popular at these times. Mentioning that they lived in Manchester also gave a feeling of their surroundings. In Manchester at this time of the play there would have been few people of other ethnic origins as opposed to 1 in 20 British citizens being African, Asian or Caribbean origin in the 1990s. Also in that day and age it was only a tiny minority of the population on which were single parents. This would be the most important scene because it gave us an idea of what Helen and Jo are like. It tells us what there attitudes are and what sort of relationship they have. Helen reacts differently to Helen at the first impressions of the flat. While Helen is making the flat sounding a lot better than it actually is to make her feel a little bit better so she doesnt feel like a failure, Deep down inside she knows she is. Helen about the flat when she says Whats wrong with this place? . . . . . Anyway it will do for us. Jo hates the flat and expresss her feelings when she expresss to her mother I dont like it which are also the first words Jo, says in the play. Also Jo keeps pointing out faults to the flat like the roofs leaking and I bet itll smell trying to persuade Helen that the flat she had taken was a dump. You could say that Jo is pessimist and Helen is an optimist when it comes to attitudes to the flat. The setting of the flat is very depressing and greatly affects the characters of the play and brings them down. From the descriptions of the characters there are all the things people dont want to live near such as the gasworks, the slaughterhouse, tenements and a cemetery. Also when they arrive in the flat its raining which I think reflects how the characters are feeling and how low they are at the time. In the time Jo and Helen moved into the flat it was post war Britain and everything was being spent on buildings that needed restoring from the bombing during the wars. This meant that very little money was being spent to improve the condition of housing. The state of the flat affects Jo and Helen causing tension and most arguments nearly always start from living conditions of their flat. The flat also represents the chain of their life. They move from one run old flat to another that we find out when Jo says, Every place we find is the same which shows they are in a cycle they cannot break. Jo and Helen are mother and daughter, but as a reader its more of a sister relationship. Helen isnt a supportive mother and puts Jo down when she can which we find out when she says The way she bangs about! I tell you, my heads coming off. In the play there is one part where Helen offers to pay for Jo to go to Art School. Even though she says Have you ever . . . youll soon learn I dont think she means it and follow through with promises. They talk to one and other like they have no respect for each other. Jo doesnt show respect to her mother because she sees no reason to, after all, what has Helen ever done for Jo? Helen also doesnt care for Jo, as she never shows any affection to Jo at all when Jo says, Youve certainly never been affectionate with me. If Jo and Helen werent mother and daughter I think they wouldnt want to know each other if they had the choice. Its almost as if they had been forced together. The most likely subject to cause arguments is the state of the flat and how they actually treat each other. Also Shelagh Delaney uses humour, as in the form of sarcasm which relieves the tension of the atmosphere of the play and gives a little bit of light relief which Helen expresses when she says Why, have we run out of cemetery space? . . . When were gone. There is also a lot of jealousy between Jo and Helen. Jo is jealous of Helens men because she always shows affection to them rather than her. Also Jo once said I used to like one of them fancy men which also shows jealousy because Helen was hanging round him and never noticed Jo. Helen is jealous of Jo because she is young. When they first enter the flat Jo is a lot more organised than Helen and takes over the mother role because straight away she looks for sufficient heating God! Its freezing! Isnt their ant sort of fire anywhere, Helen? Also she puts a scarf round the light as a lampshade to make the room feel better with a softer light. To these characters the audience would feel tension as soon as they had walked through the door. But Shelagh Delaney tries to relax the mood with added sarcasm. When Peter enters he is presented as a brash car salesman, cigar in mouth, and from his dialogue we find he is a very selfish self-centred man. He doesnt care about anyones feelings when he says, Why dont you go home to your father? . . . Too bad to Jo that is a very sensitive issue to her, because of the fact she doesnt even know who her father is. He also tries to drag her to the pub knowing full well she that wasnt feeling well. When Peter is present she always she always wants to be there to get her mothers attention as a way of being spiteful to her. Helen acts as if Peter is an unwanted presence and tries to push him away at every advance he makes on her. But in the end she quite likes him as we find out when she says, Well, you certainly liberate something in me. And I dont think its maternal instincts either. The relationships in the first scene are very clear between Jo and Helen as we find out from the first time there is introduced. They fight as soon as they walk through the door of the flat. They both hate each other but in the end they care for each other. The relationship between Helen and Peter isnt that clear as it mentions little history, but from what Helen says hes not very nice person. We do find out that Helen had tried to escape from Peter when she says, How did you find my address. Its also clear that Jo doesnt like Peter as she tries to ruin Helens relationship with Peter. Also we know that Peter isnt interested in Jo and we find this out as Peter doesnt show any consideration to Jos feelings.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

ACG 2021, Introduction to Financial Accounting, Summer 2001, Exam 3 Final :: UFL Florida Business Accounting

2021FNLSM01A 7/18/01 Page 1 ACG 2021 FINAL EXAM SUMMER 2001 NAME _____________________________________ SS# ____________________________ Instructions: NOW: Bubble in your section number on your Scan Sheet. Fill in your name and social security number on this examination and your scan sheet. 1. Listen carefully for any comments your proctor may have related to the exam. Read these instructions carefully. Failure to do so may result in your losing points. 2. This exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions, each worth two points for a total of 120 points. Select the BEST answer and mark the appropriate space on the scan sheet with a #2 pencil only. You MUST keep your scan sheet face down on the desk when you are not filling it in. 3. You may use ONLY a non-programmable calculator during the exam. Use of any other calculator will be considered a violation of the honor code. Your exam will be taken from you and you will receive a grade of 0. 4. At the end of 2Â ½ hours, you will be told to stop. Put your pencils down IMMEDIATELY. Failure to do so will result in your receiving a zero for the exam. 5. The exam consists of 20 pages, including this cover, present value tables and a blank page at the end. Make sure you have all pages and all questions. 6. Have your University of Florida Identification card ready to be checked when you turn in your exam. 7. Assume the accounting entities use a calendar year unless otherwise noted. 8. Assume a 360-day year. 9. When you are finished, turn in your scan sheet, as well as your exam. Answers will be posted on the web after the exams are handed back in class. 10. The University of Florida policy on academic honesty will be strictly enforced. When you are told to open your exam, turn to the first page and find your exam code. Immediately bubble this in on your scantron. 2021FNLSM01A 7/18/01 Page 2 EXAM CODE = A Use the following to answer questions 1-3: Bennett Industries purchased a large piece of equipment from Crumpet Company on January 1, 2001. Bennett signed a note, agreeing to pay Crumpet $400,000 for the equipment on December 31, 2003. The market rate of interest for similar notes was 8%. The present value of $400,000 discounted at 8% for three years is $317,520. On January 1, 2001, Bennett recorded the purchase with a debit to equipment for $317,520 and a credit to notes payable for $317,520. 1. On Bennett's 2001 year-end balance sheet, the book value of the liability for notes payable related to this purchase would equal A) $317,520. B) an amount less than $317,520.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Plastic Pink Flamingo

The Plastic Pink Flamingo America has existed for many centuries and it has always revolved around popularity and wealth. Jennifer Price wrote the essay â€Å"The Plastic Pink Flamingo: A Natural History† in order to reveal the truth about American people’s obsessions and passions for their cravings by two main factors: a flamingo and pink. â€Å"First, it was a flamingo. † When analyzing this essay and focusing on the topic of flamingo, the words Ironic, Hypocritical, Exaggerative, Popularity, and Attention come to ones mind. This was a little ironic, since Americans had hunted flamingos to extinction in Florida in the late 1800’s, for plumes and meat. † This quote plays a big role in the irony of the popular flamingo because these creatures were once viewed as prey and now they are the names of hotels and in people’s lawns. From the 1800’s to the present, the flamingo’s status has changed so much that they can be viewed as an i dol now. The exaggeration comes into play when describing the color. Not one real flamingo is that bright of a pink and yet every plastic lawn-ornament is florescent pink. â€Å"A flamingo stands out in a desert even more strikingly than on a lawn. † Price says that there is not purpose of the flamingo except appearance. When people see that bright pink animal in the grass of their neighbor’s front yard they automatically think different so those neighbors are always going to stand out to everyone else. They bring attention which is what everyone wants. â€Å"And the flamingo was pink. Karal Ann Marling once wrote â€Å"sassy pinks† were â€Å"the hottest color of the decade. † In 1956 when Elvis Presley had signed his first recording contract, he purchased a pink Cadillac. Once everyone knew â€Å"The King† had a pink car everyone wanted it. Pink at that time was a very trendy color and to be honest it still is. One of the most popular â€Å"In† trends is the Breast-Cancer epidemic. The icon is a little â₠¬Å"Pink† ribbon and everyone around the world is aware of this disease and pink is overflowing the Earth. The NFL recently spent more than a thousand dollars on pink cleats, head-bands, wrist-bands, and other products. The â€Å"in† color will always change over time but pink will always be that one exception, the one color that everyone can relate to in some way. This entire country is based on appearance, what does everyone else think of us? Price, by the end of the excerpt, has now fully explained to the audience that she believes the United States is just shallow and is obsessed with its manifestation.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Earle Spencer Eulogy Essay

I stand before you today, the representative of a family in grief, in a country in mourning before a world in shock. We are all united not only in our desire to pay our respects to Diana but rather in our need to do so. For such was her extraordinary appeal that the tens of millions of people taking part in this service all over the world via television and radio who never actually met her, feel that they, too, lost someone close to them in the early hours of Sunday morning. It is a more remarkable tribute to Diana than I can ever hope to offer her today. Diana was the very essence of compassion, of duty, of style, of beauty. All over the world she was a symbol of selfless humanity, a standard-bearer for the rights of the truly downtrodden, a very British girl who — who transcended nationality, someone with a natural nobility who was classless, and who proved in the last year that she needed no royal title to continue to generate her particular brand of magic. Today is our chance to say â€Å"thank you† for the way you brightened our lives, even though God granted you but half a life. We will all feel cheated, always, that you were taken from us so young and yet we must learn to be grateful that you came along at all. Only now you are gone do we truly appreciate what we are now without and we want you to know that life without you is very, very difficult. We have all despaired at our loss over the past week and only the strength of the message you gave us through your years of giving has afforded us the strength to move forward. There is a temptation to rush to canonize your memory. There is no need to do so. You stand tall enough as a human being of unique qualities not to need to be seen as a saint. Indeed to sanctify your memory would be to miss out on the very core of your being, your wonderfully mischievous sense of humor with a laugh that bent you double, your joy for life transmitted wherever you took your smile, and the spar kle in those unforgettable eyes, your boundless energy which you could barely contain. But your greatest gift was your intuition, and it was a gift you used wisely. This is what underpinned all your other wonderful attributes. And if we look to analyze what it was about you that had such a wide appeal, we find it in your instinctive feel for what was really important in all our lives. Without your God-given sensitivity, we would be immersed in greater ignorance at the anguish of AIDS and HIV sufferers, the plight of the homeless, the isolation of lepers, the random destruction of land mines. Diana explained to me once that it was her innermost feelings of  suffering that made it possible for her to connect with her constituency of the rejected. And here we come to another truth about her. For all the status, the glamour, the applause, Diana remained throughout a very insecure person at heart, almost childlike in her desire to do good for others so she could release herself from deep feelings of unworthiness of which her eating disorders were merely a symptom. The world sensed this part of her character and cherished her for her vulnerability, whilst admiring her for her honesty. The last time I saw Diana was on July the first, her birthday, in London, when typically she was not taking time to celebrate her special day with friends but was guest of honor at a fund-raising charity evening. She sparkled of course, but I would rather cherish the days I spent with her in March when she came to visit me and my children in our home in South Africa. I am proud of the fact that apart from when she was on public display meeting President Mandela, we managed to contrive to stop the ever-present paparazzi from getting a single picture of her. That meant a lot to her. These were days I will always treasure. It was as if we had been transported back to our childhood, when we spent such an enormous amount of time together, the two youngest in the family. Fundamentally she hadn’t changed at all from the big sister who mothered me as a baby, fought with me at school, and endured those long train journeys between our parents’ homes with me at weekends. It is a tribute to her level-headedness and strength that despite the most bizarre life imaginable after her childhood, she remained intact, true to herself. There is no doubt that she was looking for a new direction in her life at this time. She talked endlessly of getting away from England, mainly because of the treatment that she received at the hands of the newspapers. I don’t think she ever understood why her genuinely good intentions were sneered at by the media, why there appeared to be a permanent quest on their behalf to bring her down. It is baffling. My own, and only, explanation is that genuine goodness is threatening to those at the opposite end of the moral spectrum. It is a point to remember that of all the ironies about Diana, perhaps the greatest was this: a girl given the name of the ancient goddess of hunting was, in the end, the most hunted person of the modern age. She would want us today to pledge ourselves to protecting her beloved boys, William and Harr y, from a similar fate. And I do this here, Diana, on your behalf. We will not allow them to  suffer the anguish that used regularly to drive you to tearful despair. And beyond that, on behalf of your mother and sisters, I pledge that we, your blood family, will do all we can to continue the imaginative and loving way in which you were steering these two exceptional young men, so that their souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition but can sing openly as you planned. We fully respect the heritage into which they have both been born, and will always respect and encourage them in their royal role. But we, like you, recognize the need for them to experience as many different aspects of life as possible, to arm them spiritually and emotionally for the years ahead. I know you would have expected nothing less from us. William and Harry, we all care desperately for you today. We are all chewed up with sadness at the loss of a woman who wasn’t even our mother. How great your suffering is we cannot even imagine. I would like to end by thanking God for the small mercies He’s shown us at this dreadful time; for taking Diana at her most beautiful and radiant and when she had joy in her private life. Above all, we give thanks for the life of a woman I’m so proud to be able to call my sister: the unique, the complex, the extraordinary and irreplaceable Diana, whose beauty, both internal and external, will never be extinguished from our minds.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Political and Economic History of 1866-1940 Essays

Political and Economic History of 1866-1940 Essays Political and Economic History of 1866-1940 Essay Political and Economic History of 1866-1940 Essay There was a variety of economic events and crisis’ in the history of the United States of America between 1866-1940. During this time, the Gilded Age was well known for the rise of employment and rapid development within the U. S. economy. However, this was overshadowed by the Great Depression, one of the lowest points economically in the country. Regardless of economic uncertainty, one man, John D. Rockefeller, amassed a great wealth to be unmatched in U. S. history, greatly impacted industry and communities alike. During the time frame from 1865 through the 1900’s, the Gilded Age brought about the Industrial Revolution rapidly increasing the economy in the United States. New discoveries in industry helped employ thousands of rural people. Railroads were being extended and their tracks were being built stronger with more people employed. Bridges were able to hold heavier loads of merchandise and transport more people at a cheaper toll. In addition, coal and oil were found in Pennsylvania. Iron mines became popular which led to more industrial employment in steel mills (Wikipedia). According to the author, Ron Chernow, cement factories and oversized mines that contained lead, silver, and copper opened a lot of employment opportunities (Wikipedia). Industry and the U. S economy flourished and in November 1929, the stock market crashed causing a tremendous economic and industrial loss. This was the beginning of the Great Depression in the United States. Many families who relied on jobs involving heavy industry were hurt the most. In addition, construction discontinued in rural areas and farmers suffered as crop prices fell drastically in the great Dust Bowl. The Great Depression hurt society in the United States and created a world depression (Wikipedia). The person that I found most interesting was the man who founded the Standard Oil Company in Ohio in the year of 1870. John D. Rockefeller became the richest man in history because of gasoline importance and his creation of lubrication. He became rich by monopolizing the oil industry. Ron Chernow stated that Mr. Rockefeller’s refiner became the largest shippers of oil in the country. He became a billionaire and was very generous to give more than half of his income earnings to several charities such as, The General Education Board. In 1902, Rockefeller gave the board $180 million which was spent to support medical schools and higher education within the United States (Wikipedia). Overall, the economic history of the United States of America from 1866-1940 had seen many rises and falls. The dawn of the Gilded Age created thousands of jobs in the industrial labor. The era of the Great Depression created massive destruction for the U. S. economy. Fortunately, there were intelligent people like John D. Rockefeller who were positively motivated, honest, successful, and influential and therefore made a difference in the economy during that time period. These historical economical events are ones that we, as society, may want to learn from today. Work Cited Page Chernow, Ron. Modified 30, Ocotber, 2010. Retrieved 11. 2. 10 http:wikipedia. org/wiki/Economic history of the United States#The Gilded Age: 1865 E2 80. 931900 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/General_Education_Board. Retrieved 12. 7. 10. servinghistory. om/topics/Economic_history_of_the_United_States::sub::The_Gilde d_Age:_186 Esmeralda Adame Political History 1866-1940 The political history of the United States of America between 1866-1940 included several powerful politicians and major events which created huge impacts in our country. There were many Presidents, both great and disappointing, within this time frame. Certain alliances representing a degree of conflict, th roughout the political history of the U. S. , also left their mark while a variety of groups and individuals pushed and helped create political history during the Progressive Era. During this time period of American history it seems so apparent that President Franklin Roosevelt left the most interesting mark with his â€Å"New Deal† policy. After the Civil War, Andrew Johnson was made the 17th President of the United States after the assassination of President Lincoln in April, 1865. In contrast, Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s successor, was ranked as one of the most horrible presidents (Baliles). Gerald L. Baliles states, Johnson did more to extend the national strife than to heal the injured veterans that served in the war. On March 4, 1887, William McKinley became the 25th President of the United States (whitehouse). One of the most important events during his Administration was the conflict that arose between Spain and the U. S. As a result, the Spanish-American War developed in 1898. A positive result of the war was the victory of United States as it was recognized as a world power. Moreover, Cuba gained its independence as the Spanish-American War ended on December 10, 1898. Unfortunately, President McKinley was assassinated in 1901 leading Theodore Roosevelt to become the next President of the United States. In 1913, Woodrow Wilson became President of U. S. Shortly after, in 1916, World War I began which later ended in 1919. During this time period, Wilson’s plan was to increase economic profits. While men were out serving in the war, new employment opportunities opened for women and African Americans. Women began working in factories like never before. They were proud and excited to be working and being able to vote the first time in history. In 1929, Republican nominee Herbert Hoover was made the 29th President of the United States. He went down in history as one of the worst presidents as he did nothing to improve society or the economic system during the Great Depression. On the other hand, beginning in 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, ended a Republican ran political history, making him a significantly interesting figure in American Politics from the 1920’s through the 1930’s. With Roosevelt, came a fresh perspective, ushering in new policies that would change the landscape of politics as we know it today. Roosevelt wanted the economy to rise again for the sake of the people’s confidence (whitehouse). He created the â€Å"New Deal† Program, which consisted of social programs such as, Social Security and the Tennessee Valley Authority, a huge work relief program, higher taxes on the rich and new control over public utilities and banks (whitehouse). Overall, the political realm and events of the United States between 1866-1940 have had major impacts in political history. Politics and policies throughout the span of 74 years drove America into the Industrial Revolution, the Gilded Age, and World War I where our government made vital decisions along the way, such as Teddy Roosevelt controlling the unions or William McKinley going to war with Spain. Between the conclusion of the Civil War and the inspiring administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt and his â€Å"New Deal† policies, America stepped forward in time as a blessed nation. Work Cited whitehouse. gov/about/presidents http://topics. nytimes. com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/j/andrew_johnson/inde x. html whitehouse. gov/about/presidents/franklindroosevelt http://spider. georgetowncollege. edu/htallant/courses/his225/progmovt. htm whale. to/b/mullins46. html http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt#Presidency_1901. E2. 80. 931909

Monday, October 21, 2019

Identification Of Homologous Of Known Food Allergens Biology Essay Essay Example

Identification Of Homologous Of Known Food Allergens Biology Essay Essay Example Identification Of Homologous Of Known Food Allergens Biology Essay Essay Identification Of Homologous Of Known Food Allergens Biology Essay Essay The cause of immune response in worlds is protein which is a nutrient allergen. The aim of this study is to find the utility of bioinformatics in designation of homologues of known nutrient allergens, such as major peanut allergen Ara h1. The allergen informations was identified from published diaries and from Medline and Embase databases. Those databases were combined with text word and MeSH header scheme. The study focussed on assorted, nutrient allergen databases and bioinformatics tools which are utile in the designation of possible nutrient allergens. The usage of bioinformatics tools is to compare the protein structures which are going more of import because more structural information is available in each twenty-four hours. The bioinformatics are used to look into the structural and functional relation between known nutrient allergens and those relationships can be used to place fresh nutrient allergens. Bioinformatics does non 100 % accurate on happening fresh allergens. Howe ver, with the usage of bioinformatics, cross-reaction between proteins analyzed and immunotherapy could be developed. The allergens are proteins which are immune to heat during cookery, acid in tummy and digestive enzymes. The allergen proteins can come in the blood stream and causes an immune response. Food allergic reaction is a hypersensitivity province. Contact with a nutrient allergen activates the plasma cell ( lymph cells ) which produces the allergen specific immunoglobin E ( IgE ) antibody. IgE molecules so attach to the surface of the mast cells. Mast cells are specialised which contains histamine and heparine. The binding of IgE to mast cells causes an immunological memory and when individual is exposed to the same allergen 2nd clip, the IgE antibodies presented on the surface of mast cells become activated releasing histamine which is responsible for the symptoms related to the nutrient allergic reaction ( Kindt, T.J. et Al, 2007 ) . The symptoms of allergic reaction occurred due to exposure with nutrient allergens are: itchiness, swelling of lips, coughing, runny nose besides the allerg ens can do asthma and can ensue in anaphylaxis which is a sudden bead in the blood force per unit area ( Bupa, 2008 ) . Food allergic reaction is one of the major increasing wellness jobs both in kids and in grownup. Some of the nutrient allergens are derived from ; peanuts, wheat, milk, eggs and soy. These allergens affect 8 % of babies and immature kids ( Samson, H. , 2005 ) . Harmonizing to the surveies of Jenkins et Al. ( 2005 ) ; Ferreira et Al. ( 2004 ) and Mari, A. ( 2001 ) , common antigenic determinants of different beginnings may ensue in clinical nutrient allergic reactions. For illustration ; Ara h1 is a major peanut allergen protein where its IgE reactive antigenic determinants from its peptide sequence was identified by Burks et Al. in 1997. Subsequently, comparing the IgE antigenic determinants of Ara h1 helped to place similar allergen antigenic determinants in other nutrients like tree nuts and leguminous plants ( Lopez-Torrejen, 2003 ) . Designation of similar allergenic antigenic determinants by comparing the possible allegens with known nutrient allergens is really of import beca use the allergens have conserved sequences within the antigenic determinants. For this ground, after the designation of reactive antigenic determinants, bioinformatics tools can be used to place other related proteins associated with similar reactive allergic reaction and to specify more specific interventions. For illustration, in the survey Bolhaar ( 2004 ) the patients with allergic syndrome to apples are besides sensitive to birch pollen. This is due to the similarity between Bet v1 allergen and the Mal d1 protein from apple. The specific immunotherapy incorporating Bet v1 infusions is able to diminish the sensitiveness of apple protein Mal d1. The purpose of this study is to place the allergenic nutrient homologues of allergenic proteins and comparing the protein sequences, antigenic determinants and construction of known allergens by utilizing bioinformatics tools. Methods The relevant nutrient allergic reaction surveies and nutrient allergen databases identified from Medline and Embase databases. Medline and Embase are bibliographic databases which contains over 16 million and 20 million diary articles severally. The database was combined with text word and MeSH heading hunt scheme. ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez? db=mesh ) The text words were allergens , nutrient allergens and nutrient allergens databases . Besides, the hunt was supplemented by analyzing specific reappraisal articles and bibliographies. Further articles identified by utilizing retrieved articles. Table 1 shows the flow chart of the hunt scheme. Using this scheme, a entire figure of 34226 hits were obtained from allergens hunt standards. By seeking Food allergens 6085 hits were obtained when Allergen database was searched 196 hits were obtained. Food allergen database hunt standards produced 66 hits. The consequences were searched once more by excepting non-bioinformatics stuffs which was ended up with 14 relevant databases and 22 relevant articles. Table: 1 Flow chart of hunt scheme. Allergens: Entire hits 34226 Food allergens: Entire hits 6085 Allergens databases: Entire hits 196 Food allergens databases: Hits 66 Databases with relevant result: 14 Articles with relevant informations: 22 Consequences Allergen Databases There were14 databases identified which contains sequences and information about the allergenic proteins. Table 2 shows these databases. Table: 2 Website name Web-site nexus Information available All Allergy hypertext transfer protocol: //allallergy.net/ Genbank accession Numberss of allergens IUIS hypertext transfer protocol: //www.allergen.org Genbank accession Numberss of allergens Allergome hypertext transfer protocol: //www.allergome.org Name callings of allergens, and links to PubMed A ; sequence databases CSL hypertext transfer protocol: //www.csl.gov.uk/allergen/ index.htm Name callings of nutrient allergens with links to Genbank NCF hypertext transfer protocol: //www.iit.edu/~sgendel/fa.htm Name callings of nutrient allergens with links to Genbank S.t.p. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ifrn.bbsrc.ac.uk/protall/ Biochemical, structural, and clinical informations InformAll hypertext transfer protocol: //foodallergens.ifr.ac.uk/ Food allergens, antigenic determinants, sequences, links to literature FARRP hypertext transfer protocol: //allergenonline.com/asp/public/login.asp Allergens, sequence links to Genbank, and a FASTA hunt ADFS hypertext transfer protocol: //allergen.nihs.go.jp/ADFS/ Allergen sequences, WHO allergenicity regulations utilizing FASTA SDAP hypertext transfer protocol: //fermi.utmb.edu/SDAP Allergens sequences, protein type, IgE epitopes aggregation, tools for sequence and antigenic determinant comparing ALLERDB hypertext transfer protocol: //sdmc.i2r.a-star.edu.sg/Templar/ DB/Allergen Allergens, a BLAST hunt, and implements the WHO allergenicity regulations WebAllergen hypertext transfer protocol: //weballergen.bii.a-star.edu.sg/ Potential allergenicity of proteins utilizing motives found by a ripple algorithm AlgPred hypertext transfer protocol: //www.imtech.res.in/raghava/algpred Predicts allergenicity with MEME/MAST motives Allermatch www.allermatch.org/ WHO allergenicity regulations utilizing FASTA Table 2 shows the name and nexus of allergen databases besides, bioinformatics tools to find allergenicity. These databases give indicant of allergenic protein. For illustration International Union of Immunological Societies ( IUIS ) contains the names, genbank accession figure and information of allergens. Most of these databases do non hold cross database for cross indexing could be Allergome. It contains allergenic, clinical, biological and structural informations. The Allergome database has no bioinformatics tool but contains allergen MEME sequence motives which are strongly related with allergen. Swiss Prot, PIR, and Genbank contain protein sequences where CSL and Biotechnology Information for Food Safety databases use those sequences to supply list of allergens. Some databases provides direct comparing of allergen sequences by bioinformatics tools and permit the usage of WHO guidelines for foretelling allerginity ( WHO 2001 ) .On the other manus some databases such as FARRP and ADFS enable to seek lists of allergens, protein sequences and a FASTA hunt for related sequences. ALLERDB database contains allergen sequences and BLAST hunt can place the sequence similarities. SDAP Database SDAP ( Structural Database of Allergenic Proteins ) ( hypertext transfer protocol: //fermi.utmb.edu/SDAP ) is one of the biggest nutrient allergen databases. The difference of SDAP database from other databases is, it uses bioinformatics tools to compare allergenic proteins. Some bioinformatics tools enable to compare protein sequences to place allergens due to similar IgE antigenic determinants of the known allergen and proteins ( Schein, 2005 ) . By utilizing SDAP hunt in allergenic proteins, fresh allergenic proteins could be identified. The hunt is rapid and it depends on the sequence similarities, 3D construction and known allergenic antigenic determinants. SDAP database compare the allergen sequences in different methods. The in-house bioinformatics method provides designation of the sequence similarities and links to other big databases ( Swiss Prot and Gen bank ) . By utilizing BLAST and FASTA protein hunt tools, resemblances of the amino acerb sequences of the allergens could was determined. Besides, Pfam grouping is available for the allergens in SDAP which identifies the protein similarities. Bioinformatics tools identify the related IgE antigenic determinants, in this manner the user map the IgE incorporating peptides onto 3D theoretical accounts of allergens. SDAP besides contains IgE adhering antigenic determinants of the allergenic proteins. The antigenic determinant sequences identified by in vivo binding experiments which is adhering of the short peptide sequences to solid stage. The edge peptides assumed to be antigenic determinants ( Li,2003 ) . SDAP database includes information about IgE antigenic determinants of some allergens such as ; peanut ( Ara h1, Ara h 2, Ara h 3 ) , hen egg ( Gal d 1 ) , Polygonum fagopyrum ( Fag e 1 ) , English walnut ( Jug r 1 ) , soya bean ( Glym glycinin G1 and G2 ) , shrimp ( write a 1, pen i 1 ) etc. Comparing Allergenic Protein Sequences Using FASTA Tool The similarity between protein sequences and other allergen sequences might do cross-reacting. This similarity can be identified by the usage of the bioinformatics tool FASTA ( Pearson, 1990 ) . A FASTA tally for sequences consequence in an end product which shows the similar allergens in SDAP including their E-value . Table 3 shows the FASTA hunt in SDAP database Jun a 3 allergenic protein sequence was used. E-value is the statistical significance of the lucifer hit and it shows how many lucifers expected to happen indiscriminately utilizing the same sequence in a database of a given size. Lower the E-value, higher the lucifer. Harmonizing to the tabular array 3, Cup a 3 is the most similar allergen to Jun a 3. Cup a 3 is cypress tree allergen. The tabular array 3 besides shows several vegetable and fruit allergens. Based on the FASTA alliance, individual with a cedar pollen allergic reaction may develop allergenic symptoms due to ingestion of apples or cherries ( Breiteneder and Millis, 2005 ) . Table:3 FASTA hunt utilizing the Jun a 3 protein Number Allergen Sequence Beginning Sequence Length spot mark Tocopherol mark 1 Jun a 3 P81295 cedar pollen 225 311.0 1.0e-86 2 Cup a 3 CAC05258 cypress 199 272.9 2.7e-75 3 Cap a 1w CAC34055 bell Piper nigrum 246 167.5 1.7e-43 4 Lyc vitamin E NP24 P12670 tomato 247 161.2 1.4e-41 5 Cap a 1 AAG34078 bll Piper nigrum 180 136.2 3.4e-34 6 Mal d 2 CAC10270 apple 246 77.0 3.0e-16 7 Pru av 2 P50694 cherry 245 75.1 1.2e-15 8 Act c 2 P81370 Chinese gooseberry 29 36.0 7.9e-05 Table 3 shows FASTA end product in SDAP. Jun a 3 used as an allergen. The consequences show Jun a 3 proteins. They are aligned harmonizing to low E-scores . Pfam Families Pfam is a protein database ( hypertext transfer protocol: //pfam.sanger.ac.uk ) . Protein households are represented harmonizing to multiple sequence alliances and Hidden Markov Models ( HMMs ) . The protein map is identified by active spheres and the interaction of spheres. Active spheres are in the protein that means by placing the active domains the maps of the protein can be understood. The Pfam database is held at: Wellcome Trust Sanger in UK, Howard Hughes Janelia Farm Research Campus in USA and Stockholm Bioinformatics Centre in Sweden. Two entries of Pfam are ; Pfam-A and Pfam-B. Pfam-A contains protein households and Pfam-B contains extra database which can be used in the designation of conserved parts when no lucifer observed from Pfam-A. Consorting different types of allergens into Pfam group is of import because in this manner the individuality of similar proteins with different names can be determined. Besides, Pfam information specifies the functional similarities of the proteins ( Schein et al. , 2006 ) . Entries into SDAP database are assorted into suited Pfam group and the similar allergens to other proteins identified in the Pfam mixture. Table 4 shows 18 common allergenic Pfam households. The widest allergen household is PF00234 which is protease inhibitor/ seed storage/ LTP household incorporating 34 allergens. Novel allergens might be introduced to an bing Pfam household or they might be introduced into a new Pfam household harmonizing to their multiple sequence alliance and HMM profile. Family name Pfam codification Number of Allergens LTP family/Protease inhibitor/seed storage PF00234 34 Profilin PF00235 27 EF manus PF00036 23 Pollen allergen PF01357 20 SCP-like extracellular protein PF00188 19 Bet V I household ( Pathogenesis-related protein ) PF00407 16 Cupin PF00190 15 Tropomyosin PF00261 15 Lipocalin /cytosolic fatty-acid binding protein household PF00061 12 Rare lipoprotein A ( RlpA ) -like double-psi beta-barrel PF03330 12 Globin PF00042 9 Pectate lyase PF00544 9 Papain household cysteine peptidase PF00112 8 60s Acidic ribosomal protein PF00428 8 Subtilase household PF00082 7 Thaumatin household PF00314 7 Pollen proteins Ole vitamin E I household PF01190 7 Ribonuclease ( pollen allergen ) PF01620 7 Table 4 shows Pfam-A allergen households from SDAP. Discussion The cross-reactive proteins have similar sequence and construction but they differ in their beginning. Pfam group has a restriction because it contains both allergenic and non-allergenic proteins together therefore it is hard to choose allergenic proteins from the others. The cross-reactive allergens in the WHO counsel shows deficient sequence individuality ( 35 % ) ( WHO guidelines ) . On the other manus, the IgE binding belongingss reduced due to protein mutants ( de Leon et al. , 2003 ) . For illustration Bet v 1 protein which has 98 % sequence individuality do non cross-react ( Hartl et al. , 1999 ) . Some bioinformatics tools recognise whether the protein is allergenic or non due to allergenic motives. For illustration Web Allergen determines the poteintial allergenic motives ( Riaz et al. , 2005 ) . The IgE binding sites of the possible allergenic motive must be proved to verify the allergen. AlgPred ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.imtech.res.in/raghava/algpred/ ) gets aid of BLAST hunt and support vector machines ( SVM ) to place the allergenic antigenic determinant motives. Besides, it permits MEME/MAST allergenic motives hunt. The MAST has ability to turn up the IgE binding sites on the protein. AlgPred gives chance to find allergens utilizing combination of SVM, BLAST, MAST and IgE antigenic determinant. Harmonizing to the Schein et Al. ( 2006 ) there are some jobs in separating whether the tropomyosins are allergenic or non-allergenic because of their similar sequences. Some studies have evidenced the protein allergenicity by utilizing bioinformatics and experimental processs. Motifs are sequences where the sequences are conserved in related proteins. IgE binding is characterized by conserved sequence motive in allergenic proteins ( Brusic and Petrovsky, 2003 ) . Decision The nutrient allergens cause an immune response in worlds. Some isoforms of the nutrient allergens where point mutant occurred does non demo allergenic belongingss. The usage of bioinformatics tools is to compare the protein structures which are going more of import because more structural information is available in each twenty-four hours. The study focused on some of the hunt tools used in bioinformatics which can be used to look into the structural and functional relationship between known allergens. Those relationships can be used to place possible novel allergens. Bioinformatics does non 100 % accurate on happening fresh allergens. However, with the usage of bioinformatics, cross-reaction between proteins analyzed and immunotherapy could be developed ( Shein et al. , 2006 ) .

Sunday, October 20, 2019

liberal arts - definition and examples

liberal arts - definition and examples Definitions (1) In medieval education, the liberal arts were the standard way of depicting the realms of higher learning. The liberal arts were divided into the trivium (the three roads of grammar, rhetoric, and logic) and the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy). (2) More broadly, the liberal arts are academic studies intended to develop general intellectual abilities as opposed to occupational skills. In times past, said Dr. Alan Simpson, the liberal education set off a free man from a slave, or a gentleman from laborers or artisans. It now distinguishes whatever nourishes the mind and spirit from the training which is merely practical or professional or from the trivialities which are no training at all (The Marks of an Educated Man, May 31, 1964).   See the observations below. Also see: The Art of Persuasion, by John Quincy AdamsBelles-LettresA Definition of a Gentleman, by John Henry NewmanHumanitiesLady RhetoricMedieval RhetoricSister Miriam Josephs Brief Guide to Composition A Successful Failure, by Glenn Frank EtymologyFrom the Latin (artes liberales) for the education proper to a free man   Observations The Liberal Arts TodaySurprisingly, it is the trivium that is the core curriculum managers must learn to do their jobs. What management programs teach, without realizing it and with no sense of their historical mission as moral tools, is the old liberal arts practice of rhetoric, grammar, and logic that along with the quadrivium made up liberal arts and sciences education.(James Maroosis, The Practice of the Liberal Arts. Leadership and the Liberal Arts: Achieving the Promise of a Liberal Education, ed. by J. Thomas Wren et al. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009)In its most recent employer surveys (2007, 2008, and 2010), the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) found that the vast majority of employers say they are less interested in specialized job proficiencies. Instead, they favor analytical thinking, teamwork, and communication skillsthe broad intellectual and social competencies available through a liberal arts education. . . .It is time to liberate the liberal arts f rom being portrayed as disconnected from the real world. This historical perception is largely inaccurate today, as more and more institutions of higher learning are seeking ways to bring relevance and application to the liberal arts.(Elsa Nà ºÃƒ ±ez, Liberate Liberal Arts From the Myth of Irrelevance. The Christian Science Monitor, July 25, 2011) Cardinal Newman on the Purpose of a Liberal Arts Education[The purpose of a liberal arts education is to] open the mind, to correct it, to refine it, to enable it to know, and to digest, master, rule, and use its knowledge, to give it power over its own faculties, application, flexibility, method, critical exactness, sagacity, resource, address, [and] eloquent expression.(John Henry Newman, The Idea of a University, 1854) Qualities of an Educated PersonMore than anything else, being an educated person means being able to see connections that allow one to make sense of the world and act within it in creative ways. Every one of the qualities I have described herelistening, reading, talking, writing, puzzle solving, truth seeking, seeing through other peoples eyes, leading, working in a communityis finally about connecting. A liberal education is about gaining the power and the wisdom, the generosity and the freedom to connect.(William Cronon, Only Connect: The Goals of a Liberal Educa tion. The American Scholar, Autumn 1998) An Endangered Species[L]iberal education at the undergraduate level is an endangered species and likely to face extinction in another generation or so, at all but the wealthiest and most protective institutions. If recent trends continue, the liberal arts will be replaced by some form of vocationalism, in disguise perhaps, or migrate into other environments.(W. R. Connor, Liberal Arts Education in the 21st Century, meeting of the American Academy for Liberal Education, May 1998) The Classical Tradition of the Liberal ArtsThe medieval program of seven liberal arts can be traced back to the enkyklios paideia, or comprehensive education of classical Greece, that was included in the broad cultural studies of some Romans like Cicero. In antiquity, however, the seven arts were an ideal in the minds of philosophers or a program of reading and study for leisured (liberi) adults, not a series of graded levels of study in school, as they became in the later Middle Ages. Grammar and rhetoric w ere the two stages of an ancient education, both supported during the Roman Empire from public funds in towns of any size; but dialectic, the third art of the trivium (as the verbal studies came to be called), was an introduction to philosophy, which was undertaken by only a few. To learn the quantitative arts that became the medieval quadriviumarithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music theorywould have required independent study.(George Kennedy, Classical Rhetoric and Its Christian and Secular Tradition From Ancient to Modern Times, 2nd ed. Univ. of North Carolina Press, 1999)

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Giardiasis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Giardiasis - Research Paper Example Its existence in beavers informed the alternative name. Van Leeuwenhoek discovered Giardia in the year 1681, in the parasite’s trophozoite stage, though Giardia also exists in as cyst but Lambl developed more information on the parasite in the year 1959. The parasite was however believed to a non-toxic parasite until towards the year 1980 when it was known to cause diarrhea. The cyst stage of the parasite is a domant stage that allows Giardia to survive even in hostile environments. At this stage, the parasite can survive under cold temperatures, as cold as 80C. Giardia is common in water bodies such as streams and lakes (Chandlee, Clarke, Wisti, and Zucker, n.d.). Its primary habitant is the intestines of human beings and those of other animals and it is normally discharged in feces, and due to its ability to survive in its cyst form, can survive on or under the earth’s surface, and in water (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). In the United States, the infection is more prevalent among children between zero and 10 years old and adults between 35 and 49 years. Incidence rate also increased from the year 2009 to the year 2010, suggesting an increasing trend. Change in incidence rate by gender reflected this and incidence rate increased among Asians and Blacks but decreased among Native Americans and Whites. A total 19403 cases were reported in the year 2009 while 19888 cases were reported in the year 2010. The infection is also more prevalent in the northern region of the nation than in other regions and state incidence rates ranged from 2.6 cases per 100000 population to 29.6 cases per 100000 population (Yoder, Gargano, Wallace, and Beach, 2012). Globally, the infection is more prevalent in developing countries than it is in developed countries. While infection rates in developed countries such as in

Friday, October 18, 2019

Review the book named middlemarch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Review the book named middlemarch - Essay Example It constantly ran through Dorothea’s mind what the reaction of her husband would be if she did not accept his request (Eliot 678). According to Dorothea, a wife should be there to fulfill the wishes of her husband. Even though, her husband seemed to be selfish, Dorothea considered that the requirements of her husband were much more important than hers. Part 2 Being caught in such a situation is extremely tough to imagine. Speaking from a neutral point of view, every human is selfish to their well being first, and, for this reason, I think only a few people would consider carrying on with a dead person’s work. Therefore, if I was in Dorothea’s shoe, I would decline carrying one with Mr. Casaubon’s work because it certainly does not interest me. Before I make any decision, I only consider how it will affect me and the parties involved. Considering that Mr. Casaubon likes his work a lot, and Dorothea, in contrast, was not so much interested in the work, it wo uld simply be better to let it go. If I force myself into carrying on with the work, then I might end up messing it up since it is not what I am proud of doing. Step 2 The procedure that Dorothea would follow if she were to use Kant’s First Formulation theory would be to first find her husband’s motive or what is behind his motivation (Kant 437). For instance, she should ask herself why the husband wants her to carry on with his work yet he knows that she is not fully interested with the job. Secondly, Dorothea should picture an environment, which everybody is in such a situation. This would be much easier since not a majority of people would consider doing something they do not like. Thirdly, Dorothea should examine whether there would be any irrationality or contradictions in the environment she pictured the situation. It would be much easier to come up with the right decision when she knows whether or not her decision would affect others positively or negatively (Ka nt 437). Fourthly, if an irrationality of contradiction comes up, then performing towards the husband’s wishes is not permitted in the real world. Finally, if there is no irrationality of contradiction, then performing towards the husband’s wishes is allowed and needed. Probably, Dorothea would decline her husband’s wishes if she were to use the above described theory since it considers the individual self first then others. Step 3 The second formulation or, at times referred to as the Formula of the End in Itself, asserts that a rational human being should serve in every maxim as the state confining all simply relative and random ends. This is due to the nature of the state and also the end itself (Kant 450). The principle dictates that a person acts with reference to each and every rational human being so that it is an end in itself in the actor’s maxim. This means that the rational being is the grounds of all maxims of action. Therefore, they should ne ver be treated as only means, but as the supreme restricting circumstance in use in each and every situation (Kant 452). This means that human beings should be regarded as the ends at all times. With this in mind, it would be vital for Mr. Casaubon also to consider the consequences of his wishes before pleading with her to fulfill his wishes. If Mr. Casaubon truly thought of what his wife liked, then he could have known that his wife was not so much interested in his readings and especially carrying on with his work once he died. Step 4 Dorothea’s steps led her to agreeing to her husband’

Interviewing a relative or friend about managerial accounting Essay - 1

Interviewing a relative or friend about managerial accounting techniques used in their work and writing a summary of the interview - Essay Example I took the opportunity to go to Kim’s company since I did not want to interview him at home. I met his secretary who allowed me to go and see him. I wanted our conversation to be as formal as possible since I had interacted with him on other platforms. After some orientation on the operations of the company, I engaged Kim with questions. Firstly, I focused on understanding the costing systems in the company. Kim was aware that there was a cost accounting system that the company used though he did not know precisely what is was called. However, he was quite clear that the overall cost of production required to be considered in the resource management. Since the company does not have many operations, Kim said that they have simplified financial control system to ensure that operations are run efficiently. At Km’s company, the review of the costing systems is usually done after every one year citing issues of inflation and changing economic patterns. Being a senior manager, Kim has a role in financial decision making in the organization. The senior management usually meets weekly to deliberate on the company operations, trends, acquisitions among other issues. The company uses the break-even analysis in making its financial decisions. This ensures that the company is capable of getting to know its position relative to its profitability. Kim plays a major role in decision-making. As a senior manager, he has a vote in facilitating a consensus on the way the resources in the company are to be spent. In addition, he has the role of ensuring that his department ‘is allocated the resources that are required. In the management, he has the role to defend his projected expenditures as well as giving financial reports on the operations within the department. Kim tells me that the organization is very keen on its budgets. The budgets are

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Business Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Management - Term Paper Example But how is this done? Research reveals that employees may be motivated in a number of ways. One such is through recognition and reward as noted in the article Leadership Coaching: Employee Motivation Rewards In The Workplace. The article was written on August 15, 2012 by Mike Krutza and Jodi Wiff. It attempts to bring out the importance of employee motivation and what managers need to do in order to ensure that employees under them are motivated. One of the strategies identified by Krutza and Wiff is that managers must learn to praise and reward the deserving. They note that giving credit to teammates is very important. In this regard, they argue that a manager who gives spotlight on a coworker who is doing a fabulous job will most likely be recognized by the management. As such, they advice that a manager should ensure that an informal employee recognition award is established, which he would be comfortable creating, and overseeing, as well. The article also suggests that taking an initiative to develop an employee award system, is good since it also help the manager keep his job. The reason being, it shows that the manager cares about his teammates and the value put on team. In addition, they point out that for the manager to appear self-confident before his seniors, he should also praise his teammates for a job well done. Several management approaches have been developed that can be used to explain why this is so. The approaches include classical, behavioral, quantitative and contemporary. The objective of this paper is to relate the article â€Å"Leadership Coaching: Employee Motivation Rewards in the Workplace† to these approaches classical, behavioral, quantitative and contemporary. It will also relate the article to the organization structure of a company or business. Classical Principle The classical school of thought is based on managing the organization and workers more effectively, and falls under different groups: scientific, administrative a nd bureaucratic management. Scientific management is based on a number of principles such as the application of scientific methods to work in order to come up with the best way of accomplishing a given task in an organization. This implies that failure to establish the best way of accomplishing the organizations task is may lead to managers using actions which are inconsistent with the overall organizational goals (Griffin 16). Scientific management under classical school of thought suggests that employees should be carefully hired based on their qualifications and trained to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently (Griffin 14). Hiring of qualified and competent workers minimizes labor turnover within an organization and contributes to better work and ethics. Despite the fact that employees may be qualified, some may not be up to the task. Therefore, to ensure that employees are motivated, a manager would still have to organize for an award scheme for those to does their work better according to Krutza and Wiff (par. 1). This will increase the overall performance of the organization, thereby making the manager be recognized by top management as an important person in the organization which they cannot afford to loose. Scientific management principle also proposes that there should be genuine cooperation between management and workers based on mutual self-interest (Griffin 16). This aspect relates quite well with the article as the authors point out that the reward

The Human Experience and Communication in Movie Assignment - 1

The Human Experience and Communication in Movie - Assignment Example b) Relational needs; the younger brother expresses dissatisfaction about his relationship with the father and reveals that they have not talked for the last ten years. They later meet in an intensely emotional scene at the end of the film after the older brother arranges for a meeting with the father. c) Identity; to find a personal identity, the brothers try to relate with the less fortunate like the lost children in Peru and the lepers in Ghana. They try to find their purpose in life by helping the less fortunate stigmatized groups of people 2 a) Self-awareness; the journey makes the brothers more aware of themselves when they find out the privileges they have in life. They also find their main purpose in life is to be of use to others by helping them for example by helping the AIDS victims in Ghana and hospitalizing the abandoned disabled children in Peru. b)Adaptability; the brothers learn to adapt to different situations, places and to different people they come across. They have to adapt to the situation in New Yorks cold streets by asking for food and building a cardboard shelter. They adapt to the situation of the lepers in Ghana and the homeless in Peru c) Empathy; throughout the film the brothers show empathy to people in different kinds of situations, they empathize with the homeless in the streets of New York by putting themselves in their shoes, then with the abandoned disabled children in Peru who they take to clinic for treatment and with the AIDS victims and lepers in Ghana. d) A person’s cognitive complexity is their ability to analyze a situation from different angles. The brothers analyze life from different perspectives from the problems in the first world in New York and Peru and the third world problems in Africa. They also explore interpersonal relationship  problems between father and son and try to solve all these problems e) Ethics; the brothers are improving their social ethics by practicing their social responsibility towards the society. They have decided to abandon an attitude of apathy and chosen to be concerned with what is going on in the society around them.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Business Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Management - Term Paper Example But how is this done? Research reveals that employees may be motivated in a number of ways. One such is through recognition and reward as noted in the article Leadership Coaching: Employee Motivation Rewards In The Workplace. The article was written on August 15, 2012 by Mike Krutza and Jodi Wiff. It attempts to bring out the importance of employee motivation and what managers need to do in order to ensure that employees under them are motivated. One of the strategies identified by Krutza and Wiff is that managers must learn to praise and reward the deserving. They note that giving credit to teammates is very important. In this regard, they argue that a manager who gives spotlight on a coworker who is doing a fabulous job will most likely be recognized by the management. As such, they advice that a manager should ensure that an informal employee recognition award is established, which he would be comfortable creating, and overseeing, as well. The article also suggests that taking an initiative to develop an employee award system, is good since it also help the manager keep his job. The reason being, it shows that the manager cares about his teammates and the value put on team. In addition, they point out that for the manager to appear self-confident before his seniors, he should also praise his teammates for a job well done. Several management approaches have been developed that can be used to explain why this is so. The approaches include classical, behavioral, quantitative and contemporary. The objective of this paper is to relate the article â€Å"Leadership Coaching: Employee Motivation Rewards in the Workplace† to these approaches classical, behavioral, quantitative and contemporary. It will also relate the article to the organization structure of a company or business. Classical Principle The classical school of thought is based on managing the organization and workers more effectively, and falls under different groups: scientific, administrative a nd bureaucratic management. Scientific management is based on a number of principles such as the application of scientific methods to work in order to come up with the best way of accomplishing a given task in an organization. This implies that failure to establish the best way of accomplishing the organizations task is may lead to managers using actions which are inconsistent with the overall organizational goals (Griffin 16). Scientific management under classical school of thought suggests that employees should be carefully hired based on their qualifications and trained to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently (Griffin 14). Hiring of qualified and competent workers minimizes labor turnover within an organization and contributes to better work and ethics. Despite the fact that employees may be qualified, some may not be up to the task. Therefore, to ensure that employees are motivated, a manager would still have to organize for an award scheme for those to does their work better according to Krutza and Wiff (par. 1). This will increase the overall performance of the organization, thereby making the manager be recognized by top management as an important person in the organization which they cannot afford to loose. Scientific management principle also proposes that there should be genuine cooperation between management and workers based on mutual self-interest (Griffin 16). This aspect relates quite well with the article as the authors point out that the reward

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Revenue Management in Hospitality Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Revenue Management in Hospitality - Assignment Example YM majorly focuses on revenue generation and management by emphasizing the concept of ‘4 C’s’, comprising Calendar, Clock, Capacity and Cost associated with forecasting of demand. From the provided case study, it has been identified that Aldermar Resorts & Spas is a premium and luxurious family run company that specializes in the hotel industry and is located in Greece. The business is recognised to be facing a number of problems associated with fluctuations in demand patterns. Hence, the operation management consultant is to concentrate on the development of an YM strategy that would replace the existing strategy used by the company in order to ensure effectiveness and success of the YM performance in the business operations. The report would outline the importance and applicability of YM in enhancement of performance and would assess the impact of CRM integration in YM. Furthermore, the report would concentrate on discussion of the various job roles that must be adhered by the staff members concerned with the implementation of YM. Moreover, the report would examine the strategies that can be used by Aldermar Resorts & Spas to enhance performance and mitigat e the problems. Finally, the report would disclose a number of YM metrics that the firm needs to consider for performance assessment and generation of higher revenues. YM is considered as one of the prominent tools to determine the risks associated with decisions taken by the firm to ensure generation of higher performance and revenues in the present as well as future markets. Aldermar Resorts & Spas comprises eight properties that have a distinct client mix including conference guests, individual clients and tour operators. Each of the eight properties is concerned with application of a unique product mix, which assures successful application of the YM strategy with due consideration to the available resources. The problem of high fluctuations

Monday, October 14, 2019

Race and Ethnicity Essay Example for Free

Race and Ethnicity Essay He was not joining some far-flung military effort of his country of birth: The 25-yearold from Brooklyn was joining the U. S. Marine Corps. A legal permanent resident, Alexandr can join the U. S. military even though he is not a citizen. His decision is not that unusual. Thousands of immigrants join each year; indeed, recently in cities such as New York, Miami, and Los Angeles immigrant enlistees have been joining in higher proportions than their peers in the general population. Some do it for the training or employment possibilities, but others are motivated by allegiance to their new country. As Alexandr said, â€Å"It doesn’t matter that America is not my country; New York is my city, and what happened shook my life. I feel patriotic, and I have this itch now to go sooner† (Chen and Sengupta 2001:A1). So the United States, with its diverse racial and ethnic heritage and new immigrants, is a country that respects its multiculturalism. Or does it? In July 2004, Jefferson County in Texas tried to bring to a close a century of debate. Over the objections of many residents, the County Board decided to rename a stretch of road known as â€Å"Jap Road. † Named for the Japanese rice farmers who had settled there in the 19TH century, the name had stuck despite generations of objections by Asian Americans and others. Finally change came (T. Marshall 2004). Lewiston, Maine, is also adjusting. In this old New England town, hundreds of Somalis have arrived seeking work and affordable housing thousands of miles from their African hometowns, which were torn apart by civil strife and famine. Residents expressed alarm over this influx, prompting the mayor to send a letter to all the Somalis already in Lewiston to discourage friends and relatives from relocating there. The pace of Somalis resettling to the Lewistown, many of them American citizens, slowed significantly amidst the furor (C. Jones 2003). Relations between racial and ethnic groups are not like relations between family members. The history of the United States is one of racial oppression. It goes well beyond a mayor in Maine or people living on a road in Texas not liking people of a certain color or national origin. Episodes of a new social identity developing, as in the case of Alexandr Manin, are not unusual, but that does not mean that the society is not structured to keep some groups of people down and extend privileges automatically to other groups based on race, ethnicity, or gender. People in the United States and elsewhere are beginning to consider that the same principles that guarantee equality based on race or gender can apply to other groups who are discriminated against. There have been growing efforts to ensure that the same rights and privileges are available to all people, regardless of age, disability, or sexual orientation. These concerns are emerging even as the old divisions over race, ethnicity, and religion continue to fester and occasionally explode into violence that envelops entire nations. The United States is a very diverse nation, as shown in Table 1. 1. According to the 2000 census, about 17 percent of the population are members of racial minorities, and about another 13 percent are Hispanic. These percentages represent almost one of three people in the United States, without counting White ethnic groups. As shown in Figure 1. 1, between 2000 and 2100 the population in the United States is expected to rise from 30 percent Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American to 60 percent. ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 5 TABLE 1. 1 Racial and Ethnic Groups in the United States, 2000 Classification RACIAL GROUPS Whites (includes 16.9 million White Hispanic). Blacks/African Americans Native Americans, Alaskan Native Asian Americans Chinese Filipinos Asian Indians Vietnamese Koreans Japanese Other ETHNIC GROUPS White ancestry (single or mixed) Germans Irish English Italians Poles French Jews Hispanics (or Latinos) Mexican Americans Central and South Americans Puerto Ricans Cubans Other TOTAL (ALL GROUPS) Number in Thousands 211,461 34,658 2,476 10,243 2,433 1,850 1,679 1,123 1,077 797 1,285 Percentage of Total Population 75. 1 12. 3 0. 9 3. 6 0. 9 0. 7 0. 6 0. 4 0. 4 0. 2 0. 5 42,842 30,525 24,509 15,638 8,977 8,310 5,200 35,306 23,337 5,119 3,178 1,412 2,260 281,422. 15. 2 10. 8 8. 7 5. 6 3. 2 3. 0 1. 8 12. 5 8. 3 1. 8 1. 1 0. 5 0. 8 Note: Percentages do not total 100 percent, and subheads do not add up to figures in major heads because of overlap between groups (e. g. , Polish American Jews or people of mixed ancestry, such as Irish and Italian). Source: Brittingham and de la Cruz 2004; Bureau of the Census 2003a; Grieco and Cassidy 2001; Therrien and Ramirez 2001; United Jewish Communities 2001. Although the composition of the population is changing, the problems of prejudice, discrimination, and mistrust remain. What Is a Subordinate Group? Identifying a subordinate group or a minority in a society seems to be a simple enough task. In the United States, the groups readily identified as minorities— Blacks and Native Americans, for example—are outnumbered by non-Blacks and non-Native Americans. However, minority status is not necessarily the result of being outnumbered. A social minority need not be a mathematical one. A minority group is a subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their own lives than do the members of a dominant or majority group. In sociology, minority means the same as subordinate, and dominant is used interchangeably with majority. minority group A subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their own lives than do the members of a dominant or majority group. ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. 6 Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 2000 African Americans 12% Hispanic 13% White non-Hispanic 70% American Indian 1% 2100 (projected) Asian and other 4% White non-Hispanic 40%. Hispanic 33% African Asian Americans and other 13% 14% FIGURE 1. 1 Population of the United States by Race and Ethnicity, 2000 and 2100 (Projected) According to projections by the Census Bureau, the proportion of residents of the United States who are White and non-Hispanic will decrease significantly by the year 2050. By contrast, there will be a striking rise in the proportion of both Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans. Source: Bureau of the Census 2004b. Confronted with evidence that a particular minority in the United States is subordinate to the majority, some people respond, â€Å"Why not? After all, this is a democracy, so the majority rules. † However, the subordination of a minority involves more than its inability to rule over society. A member of a subordinate or minority group experiences a narrowing of life’s opportunities—for success, education, wealth, the pursuit of happiness—that goes beyond any personal shortcoming he or she may have. A minority group does not share in proportion to its numbers what a given society, such as the United States, defines as valuable. Being superior in numbers does not guarantee a group control over its destiny and ensure majority status. In 1920, the majority of people in Mississippi and South Carolina were African Americans. Yet African Americans did not have as much control over their lives as Whites, let alone control of the states of Mississippi and South Carolina. Throughout the United States today are counties or neighborhoods in which the majority of people are African American, Native American, or Hispanic, but White Americans are the dominant force. Nationally, 50. 8 percent of the population is female, but males still dominate positions of authority and wealth well beyond their numbers. A minority or subordinate group has five characteristics: unequal treatment, distinguishing physical or cultural traits, involuntary membership, awareness of subordination, and in-group marriage (Wagley and Harris 1958): 1. Members of a minority experience unequal treatment and have less power over their lives than members of a dominant group have over theirs. Prejudice, discrimination, segregation, and even extermination create this social inequality. 2. Members of a minority group share physical or cultural characteristics that distinguish them from the dominant group, such as skin color or language. Each society has its own arbitrary standard for determining which characteristics are most important in defining dominant and minority groups. 3. Membership in a dominant or minority group is not voluntary: People are born into the group. A person does not choose to be African American or White. 4. Minority-group members have a strong sense of group solidarity. William Graham Sumner, writing in 1906, noted that people make distinctions between members ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1. Understanding Race and Ethnicity 7 of their own group (the in-group) and everyone else (the out-group). When a group is the object of long-term prejudice and discrimination, the feeling of â€Å"us versus them† often becomes intense. 5. Members of a minority generally marry others from the same group. A member of a dominant group often is unwilling to join a supposedly inferior minority by marrying one of its members. In addition, the minority group’s sense of solidarity encourages marriage within the group and discourages marriage to outsiders. racial group A group that is socially set apart because of obvious physical differences. ethnic group A group set apart from others because of its national origin or distinctive cultural patterns. Types of Subordinate Groups There are four types of minority or subordinate groups. All four, except where noted, have the five properties previously outlined. The four criteria for classifying minority groups are race, ethnicity, religion, and gender. Racial Groups The term racial group is reserved for minorities and the corresponding majorities that are socially set apart because of obvious physical differences. Notice the two crucial words in the definition: obvious and physical. What is obvious? Hair color? Shape of an earlobe? Presence of body hair? To whom are these differences obvious, and why? Each society defines what it finds obvious. In the United States, skin color is one obvious difference. On a cold winter day when one has clothing covering all but one’s head, however, skin color may be less obvious than hair color. Yet people in the United States have learned informally that skin color is important, and hair color is unimportant. We need to say more than that. In the United States, people have traditionally classified and classify themselves as either Black or White. There is no in-between state except for people readily identified as Native Americans or Asian Americans. Later in this chapter we will explore this issue more deeply and see how such assumptions have very complex implications. Other societies use skin color as a standard but may have a more elaborate system of classification. In Brazil, where hostility between races is less than in the United States, numerous categories identify people on the basis of skin color. In the United States, a person is Black or White. In Brazil, a variety of terms, such as cafuso, mazombo, preto, and escuro, are applied to describe various combinations of skin color, facial features, and hair texture. What makes differences obvious is subject to a society’s definition. The designation of a racial group emphasizes physical differences as opposed to cultural distinctions. In the United States, minority races include Blacks, Native Americans (or American Indians), Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, Arab Americans, Filipinos, Hawaiians, and other Asian peoples. The issue of race and racial differences has been an important one, not only in the United States but throughout the entire sphere of European influence. Later in this chapter we will examine race and its significance more closely. We should not forget that Whites are a race, too. As we will consider in Chapter 5, who is White has been subject to change over time as certain European groups were felt historically not to deserve being considered White, but over time, partly to compete against a growing Black population, the whiting of some European Americans has occurred. Ethnic Groups ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Ethnic minority groups are differentiated from the dominant group on the basis of cultural differences, such as language, attitudes toward marriage and parenting, and food habits. Ethnic groups are groups set apart from others because of their national origin or distinctive cultural patterns. Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. 8 Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity Ethnic groups in the United States include a grouping that we call Hispanics or Latinos, which includes Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and other Latin Americans in the United States. Hispanics can be either Black or White, as in the case of a dark-skinned Puerto Rican who may be taken as Black in central Texas but be viewed as a Puerto Rican in New York City. The ethnic group category also includes White ethnics, such as Irish Americans, Polish Americans, and Norwegian Americans. The cultural traits that make groups distinctive usually originate from their homeland or, for Jews, from a long history of being segregated and prohibited from becoming a part of the host society. Once in the United States, an immigrant group may maintain distinctive cultural practices through associations, clubs, and worship. Ethnic enclaves such as a Little Haiti or a Greektown in urban areas also perpetuate cultural distinctiveness. Some racial groups may also have unique cultural traditions, as we can readily see in the many Chinatowns throughout the United States. For racial groups, however, the physical distinctiveness and not the cultural differences generally prove to be the barrier to acceptance by the host society. For example, Chinese Americans who are faithful Protestants and know the names of all the members of the Baseball Hall of Fame may be bearers of American culture. Yet these Chinese Americans are still part of a minority because they are seen as physically different. Ethnicity continues to be important, as recent events in Bosnia and other parts of Eastern Europe have demonstrated. Almost a century ago, African American sociologist W. E. B. Du Bois, addressing an audience in London, called attention to the overwhelming importance of the color line throughout the world. In â€Å"Listen to Our Voices,† we read the remarks of Du Bois, the first Black person to receive a doctorate from Harvard, who later helped to organize the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Du Bois’s observances give us a historic perspective on the struggle for equality. We can look ahead, knowing how far we have come and speculating on how much further we have to go. Religious Groups Association with a religion other than the dominant faith is the third basis for minoritygroup status. In the United States, Protestants, as a group, outnumber members of all other religions. Roman Catholics form the largest minority religion. Chapter 5 focuses on the increasing Judeo-Christian-Islamic diversity of the United States. For people who are not a part of the Christian tradition, such as followers of Islam, allegiance to the faith often is misunderstood and stigmatizes people. This stigmatization became especially widespread and legitimated by government action in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Religious minorities include such groups as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), Jehovah’s Witnesses, Amish, Muslims, and Buddhists. Cults or sects associated with such practices as animal sacrifice, doomsday prophecy, demon worship, or the use of snakes in a ritualistic fashion would also constitute minorities. Jews are excluded from this category and placed among ethnic groups. Culture is a more important defining trait for Jewish people worldwide than is religious dogma. Jewish Americans share a cultural tradition that goes beyond theology. In this sense, it is appropriate to view them as an ethnic group rather than as members of a religious faith. Gender Groups Gender is another attribute that creates dominant and subordinate groups. Males are the social majority; females, although more numerous, are relegated to the position of the social minority—a subordinate status to be explored in detail in Chapter 15. Women are considered a minority even though they do not exhibit all the characteristics outlined earlier (e. g. , there is little in-group marriage). Women encounter prejuISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 9 ur oices Voices Listen to Our Voices Listen to. PROBLEM OF THE COLOR LINE sively refused to let the spirit of n the metropolis of the class, of caste, of privilege, or of modern world, in this the birth, debar from life, liberty closing year of the nineand the pursuit of happiness a teenth century, there has been striving human soul. assembled a congress of men Let not color or race be a and women of African blood, to feature of distinction between deliberate solemnly upon the white and black men, regardless present situation and outlook of of worth or ability. . . . the darker races of mankind. Thus we appeal with boldness The problem of the twentieth W. E. B. Du Bois and confidence to the Great century is the problem of the Powers of the civilized world, trusting in the color line, the question as to how far differwide spirit of humanity, and the deep sense ences of race—which show themselves chiefly of justice of our age, for a generous recogniin the color of the skin and the texture of the tion of the righteousness of our cause.  ¦ hair—will hereafter be made the basis of denying to over half the world the right of sharing to their utmost ability the opportunities and privileges of modern civilization. . . . Let the world take no backward step in Source: Du Bois [1969a]. From pp. 20–21, 23, in An ABC of Color, that slow but sure progress which has succesby W. E. B. Du Bois. Copyright 1969 by International Publishers. I dice and discrimination and are physically distinguishable. Group membership is involuntary, and many women have developed a sense of sisterhood. Women who are members of racial and ethnic minorities face a special challenge to achieving equality. They suffer from double jeopardy because they belong to two separate minority groups: a racial or ethnic group plus a subordinate gender group. Other Subordinate Groups This book focuses on groups that meet a set of criteria for subordinate status. People encounter prejudice or are excluded from full participation in society for many reasons. Racial, ethnic, religious, and gender barriers are the main ones, but there are others. Age, disabilities, and sexual orientation are among the factors that are used to subordinate groups of people. As a result, in Chapter 17 we will go beyond the title of the book and consider other groups of people who have been excluded from all that society offers and witness their fight against prejudice and discrimination. Does Race Matter? ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 We see people around us—some of whom may look quite different from us. Do these differences matter? The simple answer is no, but because so many people have for so long acted as if difference in physical characteristics as well geographic origin and shared culture do matter, distinct groups have been created in people’s minds. Race Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. 10 Chapter 1. Understanding Race and Ethnicity NOT AVAILABLE FOR ELECTRONIC VIEWING has many meanings for many people. Often these meanings are inaccurate and based on theories discarded by scientists generations ago. As we will see, race is a socially constructed concept (J. Young 2003). Biological Meaning The way the term race has been used by some people to apply to human beings lacks any scientific meaning. We cannot identify distinctive physical characteristics for groups of human beings the way scientists do to distinguish one animal species from another. The idea of biological race is based on the mistaken notion of a genetically isolated human group. Even among past proponents that sharp, scientific divisions exist among humans, there were endless debates over what the races of the world were. Given people’s frequent migration, exploration, and invasions, pure genetic types have not existed for some time, if they ever did. There are no mutually exclusive races. Skin color among African Americans varies tremendously, as it does among White Americans. There is even an overlapping of dark-skinned Whites and light-skinned African Americans. If we grouped people by genetic resistance to malaria and by fingerprint patterns, Norwegians and many African groups would be of the same race. If we grouped people by some digestive capacities, some Africans, Asians, and southern Europeans would be of one group and West Africans and northern Europeans of another (Leehotz 1995; Shanklin 1994). Biologically there are no pure, distinct races. For example, blood type cannot distinguish racial groups with any accuracy. Furthermore, applying pure racial types to humans is problematic because of interbreeding. Despite continuing prejudice about Black-White marriages, a large number of Whites have African American ancestry. Scientists, using various techniques, maintain that the proportion of African Americans with White ancestry is between 20 and 75 percent. Despite the wide range of these estimates, the mixed ancestry of today’s Blacks and Whites is part of the biological reality of race (Herskovits 1930:15; Roberts 1955). biological race The mistaken notion of a genetically isolated human group. ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 11 Even the latest research as a part of the Human Genome Project mapping human DNA has only served to confirm genetic diversity with differences within traditionally regarded racial groups (e. g. , Black Africans) much greater than that between groups (e. g. , between Black Africans and Europeans). Research has also been conducted to determine whether personality characteristics such as temperament and nervous habits are inherited among minority groups. Not surprisingly, the question of whether races have different innate levels of intelligence has led to the most explosive controversy (Bamshad and Olson 2003). Typically, intelligence is measured as an intelligence quotient (IQ), the ratio of a person’s mental age to his or her chronological age, multiplied by 100, where 100 represents average intelligence and higher scores represent greater intelligence. It should be noted that there is little consensus over just what intelligence is, other than as defined by such IQ tests. Intelligence tests are adjusted for a person’s age, so that 10-year-olds take a very different test from someone aged 20. Although research shows that certain learning strategies can improve a person’s IQ, generally IQ remains stable as one ages. A great deal of debate continues over the accuracy of these tests. Are they biased toward people who come to the tests with knowledge similar to that of the test writers? Consider the following two questions used on standard tests. 1. Runner: marathon (A) envoy: embassy, (B) oarsman: regatta, (C) martyr: massacre, (D) referee: tournament. 2. Your mother sends you to a store to get a loaf of bread. The store is closed. What should you do? (A) return home, (B) go to the next store, (C) wait until it opens, (D) ask a stranger for advice. Both correct answers are B. But is a lower-class youth likely to know, in the first question, what a regatta is? Skeptics argue that such test questions do not truly measure intellectual potential. Inner-city youths often have been shown to respond with A to the second question because that may be the only store with which the family has credit. Youths in rural areas, where the next store may be miles away, are also unlikely to respond with the designated correct answer. The issue of culture bias in tests remains an unresolved concern. The most recent research shows that differences in intelligence scores between Blacks and Whites are almost eliminated when adjustments are made for social and economic characteristics (Brooks-Gunn et al. 1996; Herrnstein and Murray 1994:30; Kagan 1971; J. Young 2003). The second issue, trying to associate these results with certain subpopulations such as races, also has a long history. In the past, a few have contended that Whites have more intelligence on average than Blacks. All researchers agree that within-group differences are greater than any speculated differences between groups. The range of intelligence among, for example, Korean Americans is much greater than any average difference between them as a group and Japanese Americans. The third issue relates to the subpopulations themselves. If Blacks or Whites are not mutually exclusive biologically, how can there be measurable differences? Many Whites and most Blacks have mixed ancestry that complicates any supposed inheritance of intelligence issue. Both groups reflect a rich heritage of very dissimilar populations, from Swedes to Slovaks and Zulus to Tutus. In 1994, an 845-page book unleashed a new national debate on the issue of IQ. The latest research effort of psychologist Richard J. Herrnstein and social scientist Charles Murray (1994), published in The Bell Curve, concluded that 60 percent of IQ is inheritable and that racial groups offer a convenient means to generalize about any differences in intelligence. Unlike most other proponents of the race-IQ link, the authors offered policy suggestions that include ending welfare to discourage births among low-IQ poor women and changing immigration laws so that the IQ pool in the United States is not diminished. Herrnstein and Murray even made generalizations intelligence quotient The ratio of a person’s mental age (as computed by an IQ test) to his or her chronological age, multiplied by 100. ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. 12 Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity about IQ levels among Asians and Hispanics in the United States, groups subject to even more intermarriage. It is not possible to generalize about absolute differences between groups, such as Latinos versus Whites, when almost half of Latinos in the United States marry non-Hispanics. Years later, the mere mention of â€Å"the bell curve† signals to many the belief in a racial hierarchy with Whites toward the top and Blacks near the bottom. The research present then and repeated today points to the difficulty in definitions: What is intelligence, and what constitutes a racial group, given generations, if not centuries, of intermarriage? How can we speak of definitive inherited racial differences if there has been intermarriage between people of every color? Furthermore, as people on both sides of the debate have noted, regardless of the findings, we would still want to strive to maximize the talents of each individual. All research shows that the differences within a group are much greater than any alleged differences between group averages. All these issues and controversial research have led to the basic question of what difference it would make if there were significant differences. No researcher believes that race can be used to predict one’s intelligence. Also, there is a general agreement that certain intervention strategies can improve scholastic achievement and even intelligence as defined by standard tests. Should we mount efforts to upgrade the abilities of those alleged to be below average? These debates tend to contribute to a sense of hopelessness among some policy makers who think that biology is destiny, rather than causing them to rethink the issue or expand positive intervention efforts. Why does such IQ research re-emerge if the data are subject to different interpretations? The argument that â€Å"we† are superior to â€Å"them† is very appealing to the dominant group. It justifies receiving opportunities that are denied to others. For example, the authors of The Bell Curve argue that intelligence significantly determines the poverty problem in the United States. We can anticipate that the debate over IQ and the allegations of significant group differences will continue. Policy makers need to acknowledge the difficulty in treating race as a biologically significant characteristic. Social Construction of Race If race does not distinguish humans from one another biologically, why does it seem to be so important? It is important because of the social meaning people have attached to it. The 1950 (UNESCO) Statement on Race maintains that â€Å"for all practical social purposes ‘race’ is not so much a biological phenomenon as a social myth† (Montagu 1972:118). Adolf Hitler expressed concern over the â€Å"Jewish race† and translated this concern into Nazi death camps. Winston Churchill spoke proudly of the â€Å"British race† and used that pride to spur a nation to fight. Evidently, race was a useful political tool for two very different leaders in the 1930s and 1940s. Race is a social construction, and this process benefits the oppressor, who defines who is privileged and who is not. The acceptance of race in a society as a legitimate category allows racial hierarchies to emerge to the benefit of the dominant â€Å"races. † For example, inner-city drive-by shootings have come to be seen as a race-specific problem worthy of local officials cleaning up troubled neighborhoods. Yet schoolyard shoot-outs are viewed as a societal concern and placed on the national agenda. People could speculate that if human groups have obvious physical differences, then they could have corresponding mental or personality differences. No one disagrees that people differ in temperament, potential to learn, and sense of humor. In its social sense, race implies that groups that differ physically also bear distinctive emotional and mental abilities or disabilities. These beliefs are based on the notion that humankind can be divided into distinct groups. We have already seen the difficulties associated with pigeonholing people into racial categories. Despite these difficulties, belief in the inheritance of behavior patterns and in an association between physical and cultural traits is widespread. It is called racism when this belief is coupled with the feeling that certain ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 racism A doctrine that one race is superior. Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 13 groups or races are inherently superior to others. Racism is a doctrine of racial supremacy, stating that one race is superior to another (Bash 2001; Bonilla-Silva 1996). We questioned the biological significance of race in the previous section. In modern complex industrial societies, we find little adaptive utility in the presence or absence of prominent chins, epicanthic folds of the eyelids, or the comparative amount of melanin in the skin. What is important is not that people are genetically different but that they approach one another with dissimilar perspectives. It is in the social setting that race is decisive. Race is significant because people have given it significance. Race definitions are crystallized through what Michael Omi and Howard Winant (1994) cal.