Investment Analysis and Lockheed Tri Star

Investment Analysis and Lockheed Tri Star Group effort Total points: 100 (Course grade 25%) This case comprises four serially numbered stand-alone problems and the fifth one appears with the title of Lockheed Tri-Star. You are required to offer your calculations of values as indicated below. In addition to the calculations, write a brief summary of your findings in about 100 words for each problem. 1) Rainbow Products20 points | Machine Purchase| Machine plus service contract| Enhanced Machine| Payback period| 7 Years| 7. 78 Years| 7. 65 Years| NPV| ($945. 8)| $2,500. 00| $15,000. 00| IRR| 11. 49%| 12. 86%| 15. 43%| Decision (Yes/No)| NO| YES| YES| We would advise Rainbow Products to not purchase the paint-mixing equipment unless they decided take on the additional $500 per year expenditure to service the machine, or decided to reinvest 20% of the yearly cost savings back into new machine parts. Either of the last two options would benefit the company, unlike the first option, as the y provide both a positive Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) greater than the Cost of Capital.Although the last two options have longer Payback Periods than the first option, using Payback Period to make a determination in this example is not suitable because of the shortcomings of the method. 2) Concession Stand20 points Criteria| Add a new window| Update Equipment| New Stand| Rent| Any other option? – Wildcard – Add a New Window AND Update Existing Equipment| NPV ($)| $25,461. 91| $2,514. 18| $34,825. 76| $28,469. 88| $27,976. 08| NPV Rank – No WildcardNPV Rank – Wildcard| 34| 45| 11| 22| 3| IRR (%)| 34. 2%| 18. 01%| 31. 21%| 1207. 61%| 28. 10%| IRR Rank – No WildcardIRR Rank – Wildcard| 22| 45| 33| 11| 4| MIRR (%)| 26 . 77%| 16. 90%| 24. 82%| 255. 21%| 23. 01%| MIRR Rank – No WildcardMIRR Rank – Wildcard| 22| 45| 33| 11| 4| It would be in the best interest of the Concession Stand to either Build a New Stand, or Rent a Larger Stand. Under the NPV method, Building a New Stand would be the most beneficial option, with the Rent choice being the second best option.Under the IRR and MIRR methods, the Rent choice would be a clear favorite while the Building a New Stand choice would be the third most beneficial option. Their choice in which action to take would depend upon which methodology best aligned with their operational goals, although NPV is a more commonly used and trusted approach than IRR because of several issues that can derail IRR calculations. 3) MBATech, Inc. 20 points Alternative| Cost to the city ($)| Increase IRR to 25%| $122,103|Give 2-year payback| $256,522| NPV of $75,000 (at 20% discount)| $112,666| ARR of 40%| $173,913| Although the cost to the city could vary depending upon the timing of the subsidy payments due to the time value of money, our calculated costs reflect immediate payment of the subsidy during the initial investment period. With that said, the city w ould be wise in pursuing the NPV of $75,000 method as the cost of this method would be the least expensive of the four alternatives.An upfront payment to MBA Tech, Inc. , from the city, for $112,666 would be sufficient in pushing the NPV of the project to the $75,000 limit. The city should avoid the 2-year payback method if at all possible as this would have the greatest cost by a substantial margin. 4) Valu-Added Industries, Inc. 10 points NPV of the project| $100,000| Number of shares to be issued| 1,000| Price per share| $110. 00| By issuing 1,000 shares to the public at $10. 0 per share, Valu-Added Industries will be financing the entire project through investors. This action will also indicate to current stockholders that the future market value of the shares of stock of the company should be higher in value. With no further information, it would appear that both Valu-Added Industries, and their stockholders, would benefit from the organization taking on this opportunity, and t hat the value of the company would only increase by doing so. ) Lockheed Tri Star30 points At planned production levels of 210 units, what was the true value of the Tri star program? | ($584,048,126)| At planned production levels of 300 units, what was the true value of the Tri star program? | ($274,381,683)| At planned production levels of 323 units, what was the true value of the Tri star program? | ($206,205,933)| At what sales volume would the program reach true break even? | About 388|

Louis XIV: his domestic and foreign policies Essay

Louis XIV strove vigorously for supremacy in foreign affairs. He was to use his foreign policy to establish a universal monarchy for himself or alternatively to use it to secure natural frontiers for France thus improving its defenses. He worked successfully to create an absolutist and centralized state. During his reign Louis was involved in four major wars, some of which Louis may be accountable as the provocateur; however, I believe that mainly his motives were purely defensive. The war of Devolution served as a pretext which nettled him part of Flanders, although the Dutch then moved against him with the Triple Alliance. Louis was determined to crush Holland and this began the third of the Dutch wars, which depleted his treasury. Louis proved an incredibly extravagant spender, dispensing huge sums of money to finance the royal court. The following ten years the king limited his policies to diplomacy. Louis continued the nobility’s exemption from taxes but forced its member into financial dependence to the crown and the provincial nobles also lost political power. Louis does have a genuine concern for his country and despite his dubious methods he does manage to secure the territories that he wishes to secure. He curtailed local authorities and created specialized ministries. Louis’s grandson retained the Spanish throne but the war of Spanish Succession left France in great debt and a weakened military. Louis used the bourgeoisie to build his centralized bureaucracy. He illustrated new administrative methods to make him more in control. Louis’s general Colbert worked to improve the French economy. Colbert worked to create a favorable balance of trade and increase France’s colonial holdings. He achieved a reputation for his work of improving the state of French manufacturing and bringing the economy back from the brink of bankruptcy. He reduced the national debt through more efficient taxation. His principal taxation devices included the aides, the douanes, the gabelle, and the taille. Louis spent so much money on luxury and wars; France actually became increasingly impoverished. The aggressive and opportunistic implementation of Louis’s policies understandably persuaded those threatened by it that the king’s intention was expansionist and his intentions unlimited. There had been acts of gratuitous violence as well which underlined the arrogance and ruthlessness of French conduct. In conclusion it seems that by the end of his reign the wars had placed him in a strong and secure position in Europe yet his intention was not entirely  for glory.

Europa Europa Film Assignment

At first in the orphanage, Solomon goes through indoctrination, and the ideas are presented to him. From there it seems that he begins to change, but gets reinforcement when the bombs begin to I fall after the candy incident. In the interaction with the German troops, he adapts by lying on who he is really is to survive, and make it through the events. The theme of adapting ties with Judaism, because as Jews were expelled from place to place, as they moved they changed to fit into environment, and lastly survive through time.This Idea becomes visible because s Solomon moves from place to place, he changes his Identity to adapt and survive. However this Is not only a literal change of his Identity. At a point he pulls his skin on his pens In attempt to make It look Like he Is not circumcised. This Is a physical change that he tries to perform, but Is not able to do so In the end. From here It Is clear that he wants to hide out, but every time it is a change that goes with hiding his r eligion and the ideas that create that religious ideology. In the movie, adaptability becomes a need to survive, and in sense has relation toJudaism. Within the roots of Judaism has the sense of movement to find out that the ideas have dispersed. In the movie, the sense that he is exiled from his identity, and at times it seems that he is far out, and cannot come back. But as the plot develops, he attempts to return back to his true identity, but then to be caught within the lines of the Germans yet again. But then in the end he ends up returning to his real identity. But as he comes back, he learns that his family Is dead except for his brother, and In sense the family is dispersed away from each other.In the movie Europe Europe, there are various themes that are apparent. But the idea of adaptability to survive comes up over and over through the movie. It establishes that in the end the true identity that comes from your cultural background, ends up, at times having oneself to cha nge for survival. Within the movie Solomon changes to survive, in hope that he may see the light in the end of tunnel. Through this ordeal, he confronts his religious beliefs and has doubts about them. But over and over through specific scenes he is reinserted that belief is still strong tit him.Through his perils he encounters various events, when these events take a turn for the worse; the belief is restored through some specific event, or him being saved from revealing his real identity. Solomon changes himself not to oppose his beliefs or even his religion, but more so to survive. From Judaism the idea of exile implies that you leave, and upon leaving you slightly alter yourself to fit In, and blend From here one can conclude that In various manners, Solomon performs an act that is identified within in his religion.Solomon survives Dye slung ten concept AT adapt TTY Tanat comes Walt n ten Idea AT exile, and is though he alters his belief, he is reinserted by his beliefs yet agai n that they are in reality in him. Even when he tries to pull his skin to cover his circumcision he fells the pains, and learns that the identity follows him regardless if he lives with them in the open, or if he attempts to hide them. Solomon holds the idea of adaptability to secure his life, and at the time it was one of his main concerns, and he successfully does so.

Whether underdevelopment is a consequence of colonial legacy Essay

Whether underdevelopment is a consequence of colonial legacy - Essay Example Whether underdevelopment is a consequence of colonial legacy? Superior technologies had enabled the colonial powers to seize control and many of the social processes of the western colonial powers were implanted into the colonies via missionary schools, army barracks, hospitals and local government structures which reported back to the colonial metropolis. It has been pointed out that in the later colonial phase, these colonial territories, despite efforts to make them into effective satellite states with government from a distance, suffered three main disadvantages: the administration had divided loyalties between the metropolis and the colony, it was alien and could not understand the needs of the colonised people, and because of its alien nature it lacked legitimacy and the ability fully to engage the local people in concerted and planned efforts. The governments of colonies tended to be conservative, and lacked the will to make progress. This affected both the higher echelons which had ties to the colonist country, and the subordinated loca l people. It is this enforced stagnation and apathy that is perhaps one of the most potent elements of the colonial legacy, and it provoked reactions ranging from violent struggle to exploitative imitation in middle years of the twentieth century as newly independent states set about connecting with their pre-colonial past and building a new post-colonial future. This paper examines the link between under-development and colonialism, looking at two countries in particular: Mauritania, which is a former French colony located in North West Africa, and India which is a former British colony located in Asia, and at some overarching effects which apply to both examples. Definitions of Underdevelopment Before turning to the examination of the two sample countries, it is important to be clear what is meant by the terms â€Å"development† and â€Å"underdevelopment†. For most people these words are related to economic and political factors like wealth, and a stable, well-gover ned society but some analysts, such as Sen (1994) include intangible qualities such as freedom of choice and the fostering of all kinds of human capabilities through education, travel and the flourishing of local and international cultures. A good definition of development is that it â€Å"seeks to enable people to lead full, productive, satisfying and worthwhile lives by raising their incomes and improving other components of their standard of living such as life expectancy, health, literacy, control over their own destiny, personal libertay and freedom , and as essential steps for fulfilling human rights† (Arimah, 2004, p. 400). The term underdevelopment, in the light of these wider definition, therefore means much more than widespread poverty and economic weakness, and embraces also social and cultural deficits which impact negatively on the quality of life of the population. Mauritania Fifteen of the 20 poorest countries in the world are on the African continent, (Arimah, 2004) and since this is also the continent which has most thoroughly suffered the ravages of colonial exploitation, there is a deep suspicion that the underdevelopment that we see today and the past colonial history may be causally connected. There is some debate in the literature about whether the so-called â€Å"scramble for Africa† was motivated by strategic/military considerations, or by economic

Management of Chronic Pain for Patients With Breast Cancer Essay

Management of Chronic Pain for Patients With Breast Cancer - Essay Example The International Association for the Study of Pain defines it as: "An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage." Subjectively it could denote any form of unpleasant sensation with varying degrees of intensity. Pain is distinguished based on two basic types identified as acute and chronic. Acute pain results from a disease process whereby there is inflammation or injury to tissues occurring rather suddenly after trauma or surgery and may be accompanied by anxiety or emotional distress. Usually certain medications serve to diminish the intensity of Acute Pain. Chronic Pain however, persists over a longer period than acute pain and is resistant to most medical treatments. Several factors may serve to heighten its perception and frequency thereby causing discomfort to patients in varying degrees. Pain follows a certain train of events before it is detected and proclaimed by a patient. Luckmann and Sorensen traced it to "the nerve receptors, named as nociceptors which differs from the complex receptors of vision and other senses". These nociceptors are simply free nerve endings in almost all types of tissues which react to change and require a high level of stimulation to elicit a response. However once their threshold is exceeded they communicate the presence of the painful stimulus. At times they become so over sensitized that long after the stimulus is removed, pain still persists. Once these nociceptors are stimulated, they discharge an impulse that travels in the form of an electrical activity to the spinal cord and on to the brain. The spinal cord is informed on the activity of the body through nerve fibers carrying somatosensory information. The spinothalamic tract then carries the painful information to the brain via the thalamus by passing through the somatosensory cortex which serves to localize and identify the quality of pain before it is diffused to the many areas of the brain including the reticular formation, medulla, hypothalamus and limbic structures. As a response, the brain sends to the receptors a complex response to the painful stimuli. It dictates the receptors to identify the degree, the character and intensity of the pain; its location and how to behave to reduce or avoid it in the future. "Pain can be inhibited if its pathways are blocked", as presented in the Gate-Control Theory of Melzack and Wall. The "gate" in their report is controlled by a dynamic function of cells that can facilitate or inhibit the transmission of pain signals. The fibers bringing pain information from the tissues are found in layers known as laminae. A certain Laminae II which is different from the rest of the layers and also called the Substantia Gelatinosa(SG) is proposed as the location of the "gate". This serves as the convergence point of all pain information, whether stimulus coming in from the tissues or identification from the brain. A spinal cord transmission cell also known as the t-cell either opens the gate thereby facilitating pain transmission or closing the gate. A variety of sources may close or open the gate but only the brain can manipulate the "gate" to inhibit or

Three negative impacts of Parental divorce on children in Contemporary Research Paper

Three negative impacts of Parental divorce on children in Contemporary China - Research Paper Example The number of separations and divorces is still less than the United States but the marked difference is becoming less day by day. And the impact it has on Chinese children is pretty bad. They feel inferior to everyone else all of a sudden and cannot help but think that they have a broken family even if their parents ended it at the best of terms1. The Government of China has certain rules that everyone has to follow and one of them is the famous one child policy. If the one child of the family loses the only family he has ever known, it crushes him completely. This is one of the greatest negative impacts that take place, which he has, no sibling to share the scenario with. Most parents fight but get back together because they have various children and find sense and compassion in one of them, enough to patch things up. This is not possibly here because all alone; the child faces the worst of the deals and often and understandably so thinks that no one can understand what he is going through. Even though divorce is not uncommon in China anymore, it is still somewhat not an acceptable thing in society. To escape from the prying eyes and the pinging gossiping sessions, more often than not the parent moves away to another country. Usually it is the parent with who the child remains, through a custody settlement. This also has a negative impact on the young one. Leaving behind everything they ever know, they become accustomed to the new world, often feeling incomplete and hopeless. The reverse effect can also take place. Sometimes no one moves anywhere and the child has to face a lot of discrimination amongst the peers and the society because it is still an unacceptable trait in a lot of areas of China. Chinese people are usually very family oriented and have a fixed set of ethics and values, even in these times where such things are rarely found. It is

Google and Yahoo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

Google and Yahoo - Essay Example Organizational structure, design and culture play an imperative role in organizational effectiveness and success. This is because they assist an organization to comprehend itself and enable the workers to work together to achieve all the tasks and achieve all the objectives of the company. These are aspects that an organization cannot neglect in its development. The concepts of organizational culture, structure and design have received considerable attention within organizational theory in the past decade. Researchers, consultants and mangers, have gravitated to the conception of culture, structure and design to encompass the special approach to life and creation of meanings which evolve within an organization. Different organizations have different organizational structures, designs and cultures. Yahoo incorporation is one of the renowned companies in the world for its internet services. It is an American company that offers search engine services, web portal, internet directory, ne ws, finance and advertising. Some of the services offered by Yahoo Company include â€Å"Yahoo Directory, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo News, and Yahoo Answers† (Media Relations, 2005). According to Media Relations (2005), approximately seven hundred million people use its internet services every month. ... Yahoo incorporation faces stiff competition from Google Company. Google is an American company that offers internet services and products. Such products and services include cloud computing, software, search, and advertising technologies. Google was established by Brin Sergey and Page while studying in Stanford University in 1996 (Google, 2013). These two founders own about 17 percent of the stake of the company. The company offers internet software including electronic mail, social networking and office suite. The company has ventured into mobile phone software where it leads innovator of Android mobile phone operating system. The company has ventured a lot into the communications hardware by partnering with primary electronic producers across the world (Google, 2013). Google Company operates an estimate of one million servers across the world, with more than one billion search requests every day. According to CNBC (2007), Goggle is the most visited search engine and website across the world. Just like Yahoo, Google offers its search services in different languages. It is one of the best performing corporations in the world. Google Company also owns You Tube and Blogger sites. This company started as a research project. It was initially referred as â€Å"BackRub† where it only analyzed other websites to determine their relevance. It was later named Google, and started working under Stanford University’s website (Google, 2013). The company is headed by a CEO. The multifaceted contacts between employees and workers in Google are seen as determinants of behavior in the place of work (Eliud, 2012). It is one of the companies with a unique organizational culture. Part I: Structure and Design Organizational structure implies an

Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Biology - Essay Example Each protein is formed in accordance with a set of instructions contained within the nucleic acid, which accounts for the cells genetic material. These set of instructions regulate which of the twenty amino acids are to be incorporated into the protein, and in what sequence. The final shape of the protein and its chemical properties is decided by the R groups of the amino acid subunits. There are four levels of protein structural organization: primary (1Â °), secondary (2Â °), tertiary (3Â °), and quaternary (4Â °). Primary structure is defined as the linear sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain. The secondary structure refers to certain spatial arrangement of the main peptide chain, examples of which are the alpha helix and the beta pleated sheet. Tertiary structure results from long-range contacts within the chain. The quaternary structure is the organization of protein subunits, or two or more independent polypeptide chains, as found in hemoglobin and certain enzymes. Proteins are broken down in the stomach into amino acids by enzymes known as proteases. These amino acids help build protein for the body organs, muscles, bones, blood, besides also acting as an important nutritional source of nitrogen. They also act as a storehouse of energy, containing around 4 kilocalories per gram. In addition to their function in growth and cell maintenance, proteins are also responsible for muscle contraction. Insulin, hormones and most digestive enzymes are all proteins. The antibodies in the immune system are well known proteins, and they are also the chief constituents of hemoglobin, which does the work of carrying oxygen to all parts of the body. The cell theory states that all organisms are made up of similar units of organization, called cells. This idea was conceived by Schleiden and Schwann in the year 1839 and has been one of the major milestones in the history of biology. The road

Business patents report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business patents report - Essay Example Following suit, other companies in the software segment are beginning to analyze their innovative intellectual properties for opportunities to exploit their unique technology developments and thus gain market share. Seeking patent protection on this business’ new software will restrict market entry from other software companies looking for B2B information technology solutions market potential. The main issue with attaining a patent is the litigation risk of not performing an adequate patent clearance search to identify software in our market already holding patent protections. The recent course case involving Apple and Samsung has set a business precedent for the high financial costs of accidentally duplicating various icons or display features in the development process. However, this business can offset these risks by assigning a patent clearance team to conduct appropriate external research to ensure development does not infringe on intellectual property protections. Patent protectionism will provide for licensing in the event that the business is unable to secure high volume of market interest post-launch. It is more likely that this business will be able to attain venture capitalist interest in financial investment, which will offset development and patent clearance costs, by minimizing litigation risks or competitor replication of the

Christmas Carol Essay Example for Free

Christmas Carol Essay The light represents a sense of alertness to show that Scrooge has done great harm and hope. This quote also opens the sight to the audience of Scrooges past time and why he is the way he currently is. The Cratchits are an example of the impoverished people who, Dickens felt, were very honest. The poor people were never too worried about getting more than enough but just wanted something decent to live on. The clothes they whore were past down from parents or older siblings. The food was shared equally so that no one would be left too hungry, all these actions make the poor increase their love for each other. Dickens shows this when: There was nothing very cheerful in the climate( ) Yet there was an air of cheerfulness abroad This quote shows that even though the weather and atmosphere was very dull, the Cratchits still were happy for the sake of Christmas. This shows that Dickens is emphasizing that the poor had good characters, because they made the most of what they could and hardly complained whilst on the other hand the rich werent so graceful. Dickens clearly shows that the rich are greedy and do what will benefit them so they live in a crafty way to get more money. The rich do more and more to feel satisfied but they still want more which leaves them with corrupt lives. In this manner the rich never see the real wonder and beauty of life. This is shown by Dickens through the character of Scrooge when Scrooge has never been to Bob Cratchits house. Here he sees how the Cratchits, despite being very poor, can be happy at Christmas. Bob and Mrs. Cratchit struggle because their family is large: there are six children. Scrooge sees how frail Tiny Tim is and asks the Spirit if he will live. The ghost tells him that unless something changes in the future, the child will die. This makes Scrooge feel bad and some emotions in Scrooges feelings are shown. Later on in this stave the Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to Freds house. Fred is having a party and Scrooge is brought by the spirit to see and hear it to show him the benefit of a warm family life and that money could be used to share love and happiness. Scrooges nephew Fred says: his offences carry their own punishment. This quote shows that whoever does evil, then evil will come back to him, in this case Scrooge has no care for the poor and so he is punished by being lonely with no family or friends. It also shows how Fred does not have any ill feelings towards his uncle. This quote suggests that Dickens felt that the rich werent always happy and secure because of their possessions but needed respect for who they were, to be happy. Fred is a very generous rich man and Dickens shows that not every rich person was selfish and greedy but some were kind and caring. Dickens shows you could be rich of love and happiness with family and friends, even for the poor. Dickens explains this through the character of Fred when we are told: Scrooge is to be pitied, not despised. He is rich but his money does him no good This quote shows that the rich were not always seen as the mighty, glorious people in the Victorian times but some were seen as being very low. The second part of the quote clearly emphasizes that money couldnt buy everything. But in some circumstances money was a hindrance. Dickens also shows us that having all the money and wealth in the world cannot make you as joyous as being generous and kind. Dickens emphasizes this in his novel through the character Mr. Fezzywig, who is a very generous rich man, who had great love and joy. At this point in the novel, Scrooge is more emotional about how he has treated other people. He finds out that the Cratchits are happier than he had assumed but are suffering severely especially Tiny Tim. He finds out the truth of how his nephew really feels about him. However he knows that he has one more journey to go to and that is the future. The Ghost of Christmas future brings a sense of fear into the scenes, because of the way he only points but doesnt speak and his head is covered with a hood. The phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached This shows that Dickens was very serious about the issues of poverty and that he wanted everyone to know how horrific it was to be so greedy and not give anything to the poor. The quote shows us that something dreadful is to come. Similarly Dickens criticizes the rich who do not give to the poor by saying that they will have no one to care for them when they are feeble. Dickens shows this when the old woman says: I thought hed never die. This quote shows that Dickens is emphasizing how desperate people will be to get rid of such selfish, tight fisted people who have no care for others. The quote has a very strong message because it illustrates how worthless money can make a person. Dickens shows this worthlessness of money if not used properly can make a rich person worthless. This is shown when: Its likely to be a very cheap funeral This quote shows that people did not care about this person who has died. Dickens message here is that no matter how rich you are, you will not be worth a penny if you are careless and greedy. Scrooge gets scared and worried of what he sees. Scrooge shows lots of emotion, this is shown with: In his agony he caught the spectral hand. This quote shows that Scrooge has become very feeble of his feelings because he has finally realized how dreadful of a person he has been. Dickens uses agony to show the amount of pain and misery a greedy persons death would be. In conclusion, Scrooge learned that money isnt everything and that being generous and respectful to others is the most important thing. Scrooge also learns that family and friends come before money and business. In the following century society had many improvements such as benefits for the elderly and disabled. Most of these improvements were made into society after World War 2. This was mainly due to that in the world war, both the poor and rich fought together as one nation. Therefore the rich got to know the poor better and money was shared to provide for all the people so they could help in the war. Food rations were one of these schemes, so the world wars had a huge impact on how society was treated. In the modern society we live in there are many changes due to everybody contributing such as taxes. However in the Victorian times society was very closed and the message Dickens was trying to get over was that everyone should help each other whether poor or rich. There are many modern day Scrooges we can refer to even though its been over a century since Dickens era. However the Scrooges we can refer to in this century have been the more clever, sneaky ones. An example of this is when DNA was discovered. The men who were seen as discoverers were Watson and Crick. However the real people behind the scenes actually made this discovery but the credit and glory was all given to Watson and Crick. Unlike in Dickens times, the modern societys can get hold of money easily but nowadays it is more about pride and glory. Similarly of how poverty was present in Victorian England it still exists in the third world such as Africa but the Scrooges are known as the politicians however the poor are still the public.

Purpose of Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

Purpose of Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT   Ã‚   The main aim of the MBIEs is the growth of the New Zealand for all. This growth is relates to the economy. For achieving a quality life and a good living standard an economy promoting sustainable growth is required. For all includes the people of New Zealand at present an also in future. MBIEs purpose is for New Zealand to benefit from: Maximum numbers of highly skilled people and innovative firms A greater dynamic and supportive business environment Sustainably higher value derived from natural environment more productive and prosperous sectors, regions and people A better environment that can better supports a well-functioning economy The work of MED is to regulating the NZs standards and conformance infrastructure. It works with the purpose of: Motivating the business person to do innovations in their products, encourages competition and productivity. Reduction in the compliance cost to the business Development in the technical infrastructure of business in order to meet the needs of consumers and local business. 5 specialist bodies works with the MED for the betterment of New Zealanders SNZ JAS-ANZ TSS IANZ MSL These organizations works with the collaboration with the MED in order to provide quality life to the residents of NZ through standards and conformance infrastructure liaison group: TSS : Trading standards service IANZ: International Accreditation NZ. MSL: Measurement standards laboratory of NZ. SNZ: Standard NZ JAS-ANZ: Joint Accreditation system of Australia and New Zealand There are fewer regulations related to trade of goods and services in New Zealand. The traders and manufacturers to ensure their product safety adopt self-regulations. All of this is backed by the consumer protection legislation. Consumer protection legislation The responsibility of standards and conformance infrastructure falls under this legislation Works to improve technical infrastructure to support the people of New Zealand, their businesses and trading activities of New Zealand. Promotes healthy competition and supports innovation and productivity constantly. Reduces the compliance cost in businesses. Looks after the five technical bodies of Standard and Conformance infrastructure and makes sure they are functioning properly and are being met by people. Five technical bodies of Standard and Conformance TSS : Trading standards service IANZ: International Accreditation NZ MSL: Measurement standards laboratory of NZ SNZ: Standard NZ JAS-ANZ: Joint Accreditation system of Australia and New Zealand Food Safety and HACCP Thus, food safety regulations are applicable on food sold in the domestic and local markets In Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) handlers of food have to analyze it, identify risks if any and put the systems to handle those risks. HACCP makes sure that food processors, wholesalers and retailers, restaurants and other food premises are involved in identifying and managing any areas or processes where food contamination or deterioration could occur. These regulations are applied by Ministry of Health on food which is sold by the seller in the local market. The aim of applying these regulations is to ensure that the food which is sold is free from any kind of contaminated material and fit for the human consumption. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry also keep a check on the exported products whether they are safe for consumption or not. In the domestic market, it is voluntary, but food processors and retailers with an independently audited HACCP system in place can apply to the Ministry of Health for exemption from regular food safety inspections. ELECTRICAL AND GAS SAFETY Electrical safety regulations protects the people from the electricity related harms and dangers The service also regulates the quality and measurement of gas and electricity and the quality of petrol and diesel This includes safely installation of electrical appliances and safety of electricity supply and generating systems This regulations deals with the safety requirements regarding the electrical and gas appliances This also includes the measurement of gas and electricity Electrical appliances are verified in order check whether they are safe to use or not MACHINERY, PRESSURE EQUIPMENT, CRANES AND PASSENGER ROPE-WAYS There is a organization that is Occupational Safety and Health(OSH) that helps to safe the human beings and workers from the machines and equipments Heavy machines like boilers, cutting machines should meet OHS standard before being used in NZ. OSH provides the standards that must used by the person before the appliance used in NZ. Before going to the market, the product must be tested and inspected. Thus, exporters need to check carefully whether there are any technical requirements their product must meet in each market and what is involved. MUTUAL RECOGNITION AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS (MRAs) Mutual Recognition Agreements is a mutual agreement between the two countries. It is an international agreement. This is the agreement where two or more countries agree to recognize one anothers conformity assessments. MRAs enable New Zealands test and inspection reports, and product and quality certificates, to be accepted by other economies. MRAs are based on shared purpose and belief in the technical competence of each others systems and procedures. It is the responsibility of MED to maintain govt. level MRAs. For maintaining govt. level MRAs the govt. includes some sort of agreements. These are: TTMRA (Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition agreement): Australia and NZ made the agreements which are done for the betterment of the both countries. It came into force on May 1 1998. According to this agreement the good which is sold in one country is legally able to sell in country without any difference. NZ/EU MRA (Agreement between NZ and European community for mutual recognition of conformity assessment): According to this agreement conformity regulations is done by the NZ/EU MRA (testing, inspection, and certification) of products traded between New Zealand and any of the fifteen members of the European Union to be undertaken in the exporting country, before the goods are shipped. Each country follows its own rules and regulations but they agree that one country can act on the behalf of other. CEP (Agreement between the NZ and Singapore on Closer Economic Partnership): According to this approach same international standards are followed at international and recognition of conformity assessment. To minimize the effect of technical barriers, to promote use the best practice internationally and support of NZ exporters and importers. For example, the parties have negotiated mutual recognition of conformity assessment in electrical and electronic equipment. APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation): MED officials represent the NZ on APEC which is Sub-Committee on standards and conformance which works out for the purpose of bringing harmonization in the mandatory technical requirement of trade between the economics in Asia Pacific region. Standards refer to the published documents that include specifications for processes, products and services that have been agreed upon. Standards cover areas of compatibility, quality, information, safety and performance. Standards are some sort of doings that are used as measure, norm or model in comparative analysis. It is a benchmark i.e. a product or a service should be of a particular quality or level. For example an electronic product is said to be meeting a standard when the minimum safety requirement is met. It makes our lives easy as it helps in keeping our house, building, electronics etc. safe. TYPES OF STANDARDS STANDARDS MANDATORY/VOLUNTARY MANDATORY: Mandatory standards are documented in laws or regulations that are stated through Acts or legislations, Mandatory standards are put in place by governments in order to order to protect the national interest. If any person does not abide these standards while performing any act, its punishable offence. These protect the consumer from being exploited because these act as safety standards; the demand for mandatory standards has been increased. It is illegal to sell products or services without meeting mandatory standards. VOLUNTARY: Voluntary standards are those standards that are not stated under law; these are formed by company according to their wish. For example ISO is a voluntary standard. Voluntary standards are set by customers or these are encouraged by industry groups. If someone wants more sales then they have to follow the voluntary standards because they ensure product is safe. The ministry has produced document called self regulation and codes of product to assist the industry in preparing appropriate codes to initiate their voluntary moves to achieve mutually agreed purpose in the eye of society, industry. The purpose of creating voluntary standards is to maintain image in the minds of consumers that the product is safe for consumption and doesnt provide any harm to human lives. STANDARDS NEW ZEALAND (SNZ) SNZ is that business unit that has a specialization in managing the development of standards and standards based solutions. Under the guidance of trading department of standard council, it was formed. The rules and regulations are mentioned in the standard act 1988 and governed by standard council. The Council has statutory responsibility for overseeing the development and adoption of standards and standards related products. SNZ does not receive direct government funding but receives revenue from contracts with industry and government for the adoption, development and support of standards and from the sales of standards publications. NEW ZEALAND ROLE New Zealand Standards, specified for New Zealand conditions. It is anoperating arm of standard council. It works on the behalf of consumers, industry and govt. It provides codes of practice or Industry Technical Agreements; these are quicker and less expensive to develop than a full standard. It conducts seminars to inform and train people on the content of specific standards and to publicize new standards. The main objective of the SNZ is to check whether the product, process and any other thing meet the quality standards or not. The product, process that meets the quality standards is only allowed for sale. NZ authorities check whether the product is safe, secure, and efficient for consumption purposes. NZ has 5 crown standards and conformance bodies among them one of the crown bodies is The Standards Council which has a SNZ as its operating arm. It is governed by the standard act 1988. SNZS INTERNATIONAL ROLE SNZ represents New Zealand in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electro-technical Commission (IEC) and facilitates New Zealand representation on relevant ISO and IEC technical bodies and standards committees. This enables New Zealand to have participation in the shaping of international standards and developments that help in reducing barriers to trade in New Zealands major export sectors and markets. SNZ is contracted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to act as New Zealands Enquiry Point for the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).   The Enquiry Point notifies the WTO of any New Zealand regulations that may impact on trade.   It also responds to enquiries from overseas on any regulations or requirements that must be met before specific products can be imported into New Zealand. SNZ is a founding member of the Pacific Area Standards Congress (PASC) and participates in PASC activities.   SNZ also works closely with government in standards and conformance activities within APEC and on standards issues in negotiations between Australia/New Zealand (CER) and trade groups in Southeast Asia and South America. SNZ also provides advice to the government on standards issues within international organizations such as the WTO and the OECD. SNZ assists in meeting the governments development assistance objectives by providing consultancy support, training and capacity building opportunities for standards bodies in developing countries All goods that are Exported/Imported shall pass through a barrier before they can be legally allowed to be sold in the market. MEASUREMENT The Measurement Act 1987 defines the regulations regarding the measurement and safety service. Measurement is the assignment of a number to a characteristic of an object or event, which can be compared with other objects or events. Measurement ensures that units of measurement are consistent with the international system of units. Units of measurement which are used by exporter, trader and supplier must comply with the international system of units. MSL(measurement standards laboratory) MEASUREMENT TSS(trading standards service MEASUREMENT STANDARDS LABORATORY (MSL) MSL is the National Metrology Institute of New Zealand that ensures consistency of NZ units of measurement with International unit system that is SI.MSL makes sure New Zealand is delivering measurements that are reliable and correct. It provides national measurement standards that are traceable to International System of Units.New Zealand is a signatory of Metric Treaty and also to the Mutual Recognition of National Measurement Standards and of Calibration and Measurement Certificates issued by National Metrology Institutes. MSL participates in all metrology activities conducted in the region of Asia- Pacific and is one of the active members. NEW ZEALAND ROLE MSL measurement capability underpins our whole technical infrastructure. Its key functions are: To support the standards of measurement relevant to New Zealand To ensure that users, both national and international, have confidence in New Zealands standards of measurement. To ensure that all measurements in New Zealand can be traceable to the International System of Units. MSL provides appropriate national measurement standards for the SI units of importance to New Zealand. New standards must be introduced and accessible standards extended in range and accuracy. Self-assurance in measurement is important for enforcement of local and central government regulations and codes, and for well-being in society. MSL is continually improving the measurement standards. In scientists it also monitored development in their professional areas so they can report on and respond to the changes. One of the main roles of MSL is to provide calibration also known as verification reports, which are traceable to SI and to National Standards of New Zealand. Calibration is provided in the areas like: Biological and chemical Length and dimensional Photometry and radiometry Mass and pressure Temperature and humidity Time and frequency It provides specialist measurement services Provides expert consultancy which advices on the measurements that are difficult. It includes expertise in technical areas such as- Laser safety Lighting Speed measurement Temperature required Ultra-Violent Hazards INTERNATIONAL ROLE SI or metric units of measurement are supported and developed under inter-governmental Metric Treaty of 1875 and NZ has adopted the same and became signatory to Metric treaty in the year 1991. MSL along with 37 other countries In October 1999 signed an agreement for Mutual Recognition of National Measurement Standards and of Calibration and Measurement Certificates issued by National Metrology Institutes. MRA states that national measurement institutes of signatory countries carry international measurement comparisons on regular basis. Regular comparison shows that measurements followed by different countries are same. The review is done regularly for purpose of ensuring that measurements from the different countries are same. TRADING STANDARD SERVICE (TSS) TSS helps by providing the security or sureness that the exchange of goods takes place on accurate measure, weight, and recognition basis. TSS provides constant advice to the government about measurements systems and legal operations. It provides advice to government on the NZ legal measurement system and its operation. The Weight and Measures Act 1987 is enforced by and under TSS. The system of standards and conformance applicable to trade is stated under the Weight and Measurement act. TSS is involved in testing of new weights and measuring instruments and approves them. NEW ZEALAND ROLE OPERATIONS: Provide advice to Government related to trade measurement issues Ensure compliance with the provisions of the Weights and Measures Act 1987 By using traceable standards of weight and measure TSS protects the integrity of the NZ trade measurement system Protect the integrity of the New Zealand trade measurement system Promote assurance on the accuracy of weighing and measuring equipment TSS prevents fraud by maintaining a type approval laboratory where new types of weighing and measuring instruments are checked against international measurement standards. INTERNATIONAL ROLE Asia Pacific Legal Metrology Forum: The purpose of Asia Pacific Legal Metrology Forum is to encourage honesty and harmony lawful metrology actions and services within the Asia-Pacific region and to build joint confidence in trade measurement. NZ is a active member of the APLMF. It is established under the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) as a special regional body. Trade Measurement Advisory Committee: The trade measurement authorities of NZ in joint collaboration authorities, states and territories of Australia developed this committee. These authorities comprises of this committee. This committee solves the disputes arising within Australia and between Australia and New Zealand and provides advices. The focuses on trade main issues within Australia and between Australia and New Zealand and provides guidelines opinion on trade depth issues to Australian State and Federal Governments and the New Zealand Government. AFTA and Australia/New Zealand CER: New Zealand and Australia also work alongside partner in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) on trade measurement issues. International Organization of legal Metrology: This organization was developed for the purpose of bringing international harmonization in the practical and theoretical aspects of measurement which is known as Metrology. It was established in 1955. NZ is one of the corresponding members of this organization as it consists of 57 countries and further 48 corresponding members. CONFORMANCE Conformance is undertaken by technical experts. Decisions are based on the results of measurements, tests, inspections or audits. Conformity assessment bodies then issue reports and certificates of compliance. This provides Accreditation or formal recognition that a body or person is competent to carry out specific tasks. There are three main types of conformity assessment: testing, inspecting and certifying. Conformance can be done through IANZ or JAS-ANZ. CONFORMANCE JAS AND ANZ INTERNATIONAL ACCREDATION NZ (IANZ) It is the national accreditation body which was established in 1972. It is a member of ILAC (international laboratory accreditation cooperation) and APLAC (Asia Pacific laboratory accreditation cooperation). It is involved in recognizing and assessing technical competencies It is a part of Accreditation councilandit is a crown entity. Govt. and others sectors voluntary use accreditation as a reliable method of competence. NEW ZEALAND ROLE It works with the government agencies to provide trade opportunities to NZ exporters to do trade at international level. It ensures that its government, consumers public have confidence in quality competence in NZs testing. IANZ is the operating arm of the Testing Laboratory Registration Council, a statutory body established by Act of Parliament in 1972. Over 200 technical experts who act as technical assessors for peer reviews of laboratories or inspection bodies in their specialist field gives proof to IANZ and IANZ relies on them. IANZ itself do evaluations by counterpart accreditation authorities from Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific region. This ensures that its competence and procedures remain consistent with international practice. IANZ participates in similar peer evaluations of its overseas counterparts. IANZ Operations Radiology service accreditation (ISO/IEC 17025 adapted) Pharmacy accreditation (ISO/IEC 17025 adapted) Testing and calibration laboratory accreditation (ISO/IEC 17025) Inspection body accreditation (ISO/IEC 17020) Proficiency testing programme accreditation (ISO/IEC Guide 43) Registration of OECD GLP Compliant Laboratories Designating Authority for approval of laboratories and inspection bodies for CE marking (see page 10)Assessment of Ministry of Health food safety system (HACCP) auditing bodies Assessment of MAF meat industry laboratories Development of accreditation programmes and technical criteria Technical information and advice Input to development of international standards relating to testing, inspection and accreditation Training courses in a range of technical areas, including laboratory quality management, measurement, testing and auditing skills.   Specific courses cover accreditation requirements for medical testing, radiology and inspection services Advisory service for developing country accreditation authorities INTERNATIONAL ROLE Accreditation authorities are signatories to the ILAC or APLAC Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA) in over 65 countries, which recognizes reports from IANZ, accredited laboratories and inspection bodies as they meet the required international standards. IANZ comes in voluntary sector i.e. it is not mandatory under law. It is involved in providing proper guidance to the government on technical barriers and on conformance related issues. JOINT ACCREDITATION SYTEM OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND (JAS-ANZ) Australia and New Zealand has Joint Accreditation System helps markets for making their work more efficient by providing internationally recognized accreditation services that create economic benefit. By using the criteria of conditional model on international standards and guidelines JAS-ANZ provides accreditation programmers for regulator and industry specific schemes. Increased trade and greater competition from imported products has brought into focus the need for quality in products, processes and services. It creates economic benefits. It helps in the establishment of confidence among the users of Australia and NZ that goods used by consumers are met with the certain standards. It provides advises to govt. regarding the conformance issues and also manages and administers efficient management schemes. NEW ZEALAND ROLE Joint accreditation system helps in the establishment of confidence among the users of Australia and NZ that goods used by consumers are met with the certain standards. It helps in supporting the trade by obtaining and maintaining oversea acceptance of product certificates and management systems certificates issued in New Zealand and Australia. It makes the links with relevant bodies in the areas of conformity assessment services and recognition of standards in relation to goods and services. It oobtains mutual recognition and acceptance of certificates of conformity with relevant bodies in other countries. JAS-ANZ also provides advice to the government on conformance issues and participates in standards and conformance aspects of trade negotiations. The following activities are presently under the accredited programmes. Accreditation of Certifiers of Management Systems Certification of Quality Management Systems (ISO 9000 and QS-9000 for the automotive industry) Certification of Environmental management systems (ISO 14001) Certification of Food Safety Systems based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Certification of HACCP Management systems Certification of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHS AS/NZS 4801) Certification of Information Security Management Systems (ISMS -   AS/NZS 4444) INTERNATIONAL ROLE The purpose of the JAS-ANZ is to develop mutual understandings with the international bodies so that accreditation certificates issued by will be international level and to be a forum for the exchange of information and ideas of common interest based on the relevant ISO/IEC accreditation and certification Guides. It is also a founding member of International Auditor and Training certification association which helps in developing mutual recognition scheme for ISO 9000 auditors and auditor training courses. TESTING Testing is the process that is being used to determine the characteristics of an item or material. The standard test methods are used to carry out tests in laboratories. For the scope of Accreditation all these tests are carried out.   The test reports may only carry the accreditation logo if the laboratory is accredited for specific tests. Testing is conducted to determine items or products characteristics. It is conducted in labs and reports provided are related to the sample testing. There are some Standard test method is used for doing tests that states environment, equipment and procedures to conduct a reliable test. Thus labs that are accredited for those tests can conduct tests and 500 of such labs are there in NZ. CALIBRATION Calibration is the process of ensuring that measuring instruments are giving accurate results. The Measuring instruments are calibrated to ensure that any measurements performed with the calibrated instruments will be traceable back to the national measurement standard. The wide range of measuring instruments such as speed cameras, analytical balances, measuring tapes, pressure gauges and electrical power meters are calibrated in calibration laboratories. Calibration reports may only carry the accreditation logo if the laboratory is accredited for those calibrations. INSPECTION Inspection is done in order to check that whether safety and technical requirements are being met. It is done for the purpose of ensuring that all safety aspects are checked. The specialist inspectors role is to examine technical aspects of things such as pipelines, crane designs, boilers, buildings, machinery, quarantine services or food premises. The international standard for professional inspection bodies (ISO/IEC 17020) covers designs, products, services, processes and plant. ISO/IEC 17020 (international standard for professional inspection bodies) covers all the products, designs, services and processes. Specialist inspectors examine the technical aspects of such things as pipelines, crane designs, boilers, buildings, machinery, quarantine services or food premises. International standard inspection methods are used in certain inspections for ensuring all safety aspects being checked. Inspection includes on-site observation in a detailed way and also thorough check of records, procedures and reports. CERTIFICATION According to the specific international standards, the certification bodies are accredited which is also related to the type of certification. The range of standards a certification body is accredited to audit against is specified in its Scope of Accreditation. Certification includes various categories. These bodies are accredited to specific international standards, depending on the type of certification they are competent to undertake. Personnel certification Product certification Certification of environmental management system (ISO 14001) Certification of quality management system REFERENCES          http://www.ianz.govt.nz/new-article-goes-here/ http://www.manufacturingnz.org.nz/re

Critical ethnography Research Strategy

Critical ethnography Research Strategy Introduction The research methodology that I will be using for the Data Collection and Analysis assignment is critical ethnography. This methodology fits with my research goal to bring awareness to the unequal power structures and oppression existing within the collaborative child welfare and violence against women (VAW) advocates relationship. Madison (2005) states that critical ethnographers have an ethical responsibility to address unfairness and injustice within a particular lived domain and moves beneath surface appearances, disrupts the status quo, and unsettles both neutrality and taken-for-granted assumptions by bringing to light underlying and obscure operations of power and control (p. 5). Therefore, using the critical paradigm embedded in this methodology, I set out to uncover how issues of power, oppression and inequality affect the collaborative relationship between child welfare and violence against women (VAW) advocates that ultimately affect the services they provide to women and children. Through examining the strengths and weaknesses of their relationship, I intend to shed light onto how women and children who have experienced domestic violence and abuse are impacted by the power exerted by both service providers and their existing policies and ideologies. Theoretical and Conceptual Lens Conceptual Lens: Critical ethnography is defined as the doing or performance of critical theory. It is critical theory in action. (Madison, 2005, p. 5). Thus, critical ethnography is innately connected Exploring Methodology To the critical paradigm, which will be the conceptual lens utilized to investigate my research question. Critical theory is concerned with the mediation of power and dominance in society. Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2005) state critical theory seeks to uncover the interests at work in particular situations and to interrogate the legitimacy of those interests Its intention is transformative to transform society and individuals to social democracy (p. 28). The critical theory component of critical ethnography differentiates it from mainstream ethnography, which is concerned with the observation and description of culture or phenomenon. Critical theory modifies conventional ethnography by incorporating a political agenda which seeks to emancipate society. Theoretical Lens: Anti-oppressive theory provides a strong theoretical lens to use with critical theory and critical ethnography as both the former and the latter seek to uncover oppression and marginalization in society. It recognizes the intersectionalities of both clients and workers and can be used to highlight how legislation is entrenched in hetero-patriarchy. Similarly, at an organizational level, anti-oppressive theory can help to reveal the hegemonic practices in child welfare which influences the relationship between VAW workers and child protection workers and impacts the delivery of services to women and children. Epistemology of Critical Ethnography The epistemological underpinnings of critical ethnography are concerned with how the knowledge of oppression and power emerged historically and politically and its impact on Exploring Methodology shaping relations in society. The potential of knowledge production to reproduce and perpetuate notions of power, oppression and inequality in society is recognized. In addition, critical epistemology includes an understanding of the relationship between power and thought and power and truth claims (Carspecken, 1996, p. 10) This approach is value-laden because it has a determinedly political agenda. It seeks transformation by exposing oppressive structures in society, with the goal to emancipate society. Critical ethnographers are interested in hearing the narratives of their clients with the explicit agenda to bring forth political change. It is also value mediated because the researcher and the researched are interconnected, with the values of the investigator and the other influencing the inquiry. However, it is important to note that while research is value-driven, the validity claims of the researcher must meet rigorous standards to avoid bias. (Carspecken, 1996, p. 8) Moreover, a critical ethnographic approach goes further than other approaches. Firstly, critical researchers acknowledge researcher bias and subjectivity, as the researchers personal feelings and views are a part of the research process. The researcher is reflexive, and is engaged in a constant process of critiquing both objectivity and subjectivity. Second, researchers engage in an examination of their positionality in relation to the other (who is being studied). The researcher is engaged in a dialogical relationship with the other and remains grounded in their experience, as it is the concern for their condition which is driving the research. According to Madison (2005) dialogue moves from ethnographic presence to the present by opening up passageways for readers and audiences to experience and grasp the partial presence of a temporal conversation constituted by the others voice, body, history and yearnings (p. 10). Exploring Methodology Ontology of Critical Ethnography Critical ethnography begins from the premise that the structure and content of culture make life unnecessarily more nasty, brutish, and short for some people (Thomas, 1993, p. 33). When conducting research, critical ethnographers start with a view of what there is to know, an ontology, that furnishes a set of images and metaphors, in which various forms of social oppression constitute what is to be known (Thomas, 1993, p. 34). Thus, ontological underpinnings of critical ethnography are concerned with how societal structures and systems oppress certain groups, while reinforcing power, domination and capitalism. It sets out to expose the deeper social, historical and political meanings in society which reinforce the marginalization of some groups and how power and interests mediate these relations going below the surface level meaning to expose how bodies of ideas, norms and ideologies create meanings for constructing social subjects and concepts like gender, race and student (Thomas, 1993, p. 34). Critical ethnography also acknowledges that there are multiple realities, which can be uncovered through incorporating a narrative ontology. The narratives of participants are used to provide a rich description of their experience, as interpreted by the researcher to illustrate how issues of oppression, power and inequality are operating in his or her life (Thomas, 1993, p. 34). Unit of Analysis For this research study, dialogical data will be collected through a semi-structured interview with the intent to shed light into organizational practices existing within child protection and VAW services that influences their collaborative relationship. A key informant Exploring Methodology who has worked both in child welfare and VAW services will be interviewed for twenty to thirty minutes. Data Collection Tools For this research study, I will be interviewing a single individual. A semi-structured interview will be used because it allows the interview to be sufficiently open-ended. The interview questions can be re-ordered, modified and the researcher can probe the participant with additional questions, if needed. The interview will be recorded using an audio recorder. Field notes and observational notes of non verbal communication will also be taken. After the interview, additional notes will be made to capture anything that may have been missed. Strengths and Weaknesses of this Methodology One of the major strengths of critical ethnography is that it goes further than a traditional descriptive study, as it seeks to make emancipatory changes in society. Its political agenda attempts to transform society and share narratives and experiences of oppressed groups. This methodology also attempts to include the participants in the research process, using methods such as member checking (Carspecken, 1996, p. 166) which helps provide individuals who are often ignored from dominant discourses a voice. However, one glaring criticism of critical ethnography has been that we cannot separate it from the historical and political context from which it emerged. This context is problematic as it effects the researchers epistemological position because the ethnographers institutional or Exploring Methodology material standpoint within the everyday world is rarely connected or made problematic in relation to his or her subjects lived actualities. (Jordan Yeoman, 1995, p. 393). While critical ethnography is supposed to take a bottom-up view, the majority of its researchers come from an academic background, which is often in contrast of the material location of their participants. (Jordan Yeoman, 1995, p. 399-400). This influences the production of knowledge and data, as the relationship may be characterized by a power imbalance and differing worldviews as a product of varying material locations. Moreover, exposing inequality and oppression in academic literature does not ensure that change is created in the field. Thus, critical ethnographers become caught in a double bind. On one hand, the researcher seeks emancipation and liberation for their subjects, but they are constrained by their own positionality and the institutions for which they work. Thomas (1976, p. 25) states: We must never become wholly dependent upon established institutions; publishing houses, commercial media, universities, foundations. Social intellectuals must occupy some territory which is their own; their own journal, their own theoretical and practice centres: places where no one works for grades or fore tenure but for the transformation of society (Jordan Yeomans, 1995, p. 399-400). However, despite the researchers positionality, critical ethnography brings an opportunity to challenge traditional research and incorporate participant voices. It is also exciting as it attempts to liberate society from oppression and therefore, provides an alternative and welcomed choice to mainstream research. Exploring Methodology Analysis of Three Peer Reviewed Articles The appendix will discuss three peer reviewed articles in a chart, which is on the following page. The chart is divided into multiple categories, which will discuss the unit of analysis, the sample group, data collection and data analysis. I will conclude the chart by examining the strengths and the weaknesses of the methodology in the articles and then relate it back to my research study. Conclusion This paper set out to explore critical ethnography as my chosen methodology to conduct my research. Through writing this paper and reviewing the three articles, I know that critical ethnography will be useful in achieving my research goal of highlighting the oppression and power in the collaborative relationship between child welfare and VAW workers. This is important, as the relationship between these two sectors ultimately impacts the level of service provided to women and children.

Final Paper on Social Theory -- idelologies, communist, democratic

I guess you quite remember the thoughts you strongly developed when you were in college? I still believe that smart brains of yours even though they are old. I hear you recently gave a public speech at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Centre and Kobby Graham, your Social Theory Lecturer at Ashesi was your guest speaker. How is he then? Guess what? Kobby is a strong advocate of anarchism. He believes in a stateless society. I do not know what you`ve grown to believe but I’ve always known you to be a strong fan of Socialism when you were young. I remember you constantly told us we were living in a situation you termed slavery in freedom for you think capitalism was unfair to the middle class. I guess his talk hasn`t influence your thoughts on socialism. Never mind! I know you are not that pliant. Well, I would like to emphasize on the ideology I think can provide the needed equality you always wanted for I think I also relates to the principles of socialism social democrac y for I believe in cooperation and relative equality unlike conservatives, social and common ownership unlike liberals (Heywood, 2012). I hope you are aware socialism isn’t only an ideology? If you care to know, remember when you were in college, your mum constantly told you to move to your village for your own share of the village land. Aside, the government of Ghana implemented a policy four years ago called the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) which seeks to bring equity in the mode of payment of government workers. This is basically the idea of socialism especially the social democrats. Apart from being an ideology, it`s also seen as an economic system which seeks to allocate resources through a centralized system of government where mos... ...im I will be more than happy to see his anarchism work on planet earth. I hope you will say hi to the children, Wunnam, Maltiti and tell Radia I wish her a happy birthday in advance. See you! Your friend, Husein Shahadu. Works Cited Heywood, A. (2012). Polticial Ideologies: An Introduction (5th Edition). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Ken, M. (2006). Formation of Modern Social Thought. California: Sage Publication Inc. Nyerere, J. (1968). Freedom and Socialism. Dar es Salaam and New York: Oxford University Press. Schumpeter, J. (1947). Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy. Toronto: Rougledge.

Modernization of Health Practices in East Central :: essays research papers

The colonization of the western world brought on many changes for the indigenous people of Africa in every way of life. The Christian missionaries accomplished much more than just introducing their religion. They also exposed and converted Africans to western values and social beliefs. Health care practices were one of the things greatly influenced by the colonization. In my paper, I am focusing on the practices of the east central region of Africa, including the regions of Nigeria and (???). This region has common Bantu-speaking ancestors and commonalties among medicines and practices. The impact of the western world is easily recognizable because of the radical differences in thought between the Europeans and the Africans. At the time of colonization, European health care centered around science and reason. Most Africans, on the other hand, believed in more abstract, spiritual explanations for disease and illness. Religious practitioners had a big part in the healing process. The infiltration of western ideas sparked obvious changes and many times produced a combination of traditional healing along with western ideas. There were changes in health care practices even before the time of colonization and I will also give a brief history of this change to emphasize the fact that religion and practices are never stagnant. Brief history of people in East Central region African healing practices traditionally have strong ties with religion. They place an emphasis on holistic healing and believe in a mind-body connection. Divination is one technique that is often used to find the cause of a particular illness. "Since all human problems such as infertility, illness, and trouble in hunting, are ascribed to moral conflicts within the human community, the diviner's task is to disclose acts of immorality which have provoked the vengeance of the ancestors, and to reveal the destructive hand of witches and sorcerers." (Ray, 104). A diviner searches a person's past to find something that may be ascribed to the works of an outside source. They want to find the source of the problem before simply treating the symptoms. They also believe that once the source is found, a ceremony can be performed that may lead to the reversal of its effect. There is a strong belief that the cause of illness is in the mind, so when the treatment is foscused there, improvement in physical ailments may be seen. "Because illness and death are seen to be rooted in immoral acts, the diviner's role

Young Marriage

When I was a child, I used to play Barbie dolls with my sister. We spent hours playing and goofing around without having to think about life's difficulties and how things can be complicated by the time we were adults. At the early age of 17, I got married and it is a fact that â€Å"early marriage is not characterized only by happiness† (Lamanna & Riedmann, 2005, p. 225). I somehow overcame the obstacles and hardships in my life and I consider this as a significant accomplishment. The story of my life started when I left my parent's house when I was only 17. I lived with my boyfriend without the permission of my parents. Naturally, they disapproved of it and arranged for us to get married. It was a difficult decision to make, as I was only a high school sophomore at that time. In the beginning, everything was going as planned and I thought that being married was easy but this changed only after a couple of days. After time, we lost our jobs and had no money enough to pay our bills or even eat. We were not able to ask for support from our parents because when we first got married, they indicated that they would not give financial support. When my husband found a job, he spent his time going to bars after work and came home in the morning drunk. This became something that we argued about. I then decided to drop out of school because of the many problems at home. After six months, I got pregnant but I had a miscarriage during the third month. I believed that this happened probably because of all the problems I was encountering with my husband. By that time we moved in to a new home and our lives were starting to get better, I got pregnant again. My daughter was born premature and weighed only one pound. She had to stay in the hospital for three weeks before we were able to take her home. Overtime, she developed and grew into a very healthy and beautiful child. I decided to finish high school at home last year. At this time, I am interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. My husband and I have been married for eight years now and everything is going well, as he is also working for one of the largest construction companies in Chicago. We are planning to buy a new house this year. I am also pleased to report that our parents became very proud of us and the things that we have achieved. In summary, early marriage is not an easy thing especially when parents decide to let you be on your own. Couples have to work hard in order to make the marriage last. After all the obstacles that my husband and I went through, I believe that they are all worth it especially when our daughter says that we are the best parents in the whole world.

History of Pinkerton Detectives Essay

Allan Pinkerton was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on August 25, 1819. He was born into poverty to a police man who could no longer work due to injuries he had sustained from the job. To support his family Allan worked as a cooper or barrel maker in his native land. Allan ran afoul of local authorities over the membership in a chartist movement. This was a political movement that was dedicated to universal suffrage and better working conditions for the poor. A price was laid on his head and Allan and his young bride Joan fled for their lives. This landed them in the United States and settled near Chicago in 1842. He was a very hard working man who had realized working for himself would be the best thing for him and his family. After some time he move to Dundee a town he realized it was in need of cooper. There he quickly gained control of the market due to his good quality of barrels and low prices. The desire he had to expand his business is what led him to the path of being a detective. Allan Pinkerton realized that good quality raw materials for his barrel were easily obtained on Small Island close to town. Through a business mind he decided instead of paying others to provide him with the materials he should instead travel to the place to get the materials. Pinkerton was an abolitionist and soon his shop acted as a station for escaping slaves to freedom to the north through the Underground Railroad (John, 2005). When Pinkerton got to the island, there were signs of habitation. Having in mind that there were some counterfeiters in the area, he concluded that could be their hiding place. He teamed up with the local sheriff to venture out the camp and this led to the arrest of the band. His superiority began in detective and the local townspeople turned to him to help them in arresting the ringleader of the band. The natural abilities in Allan Pinkerton eventually allowed him to track and bring down the counterfeiters to justice. One day while Pinkerton was gathering wood he discovered a gang that was making coins in the area. Allan assisted in arresting these men. This discovery and arrest of the counterfeiters led to his appointment as a country sheriff in 1846. In 1850 Allan was appointed as the first city detective in Chicago police force and in the same year he established a private detective agency. In 1850 by Pinkerton Allan along with Chicago attorney general Edward Rucker founded the north western police agency. In 1843, Allan’s brother Robert had formed his own business called Pinkerton & company which was originally established as railroad contractors, but along the line he began to work as a railroad detective. This business was growing very rapidly that he hired several men as detectives and guards. When Allan and Rucker’s business dissolved a year after its formation; Allan joined his brother in the already established company and the name changed to Pinkerton National Detective Agency (John, 2005). The Pinkerton detective agency It is believed to be founded by Allan Pinkerton in the 1850s. He selected a logo of an open eye with the tagline â€Å"we never sleep†. This is what led the Pinkerton men and later to private eyes. Pinkerton provided a wide range of private detective services and specialized in the capture of train robbers and counterfeiters. Their clients included banks, railroads, and government and they provided stable business for the firm. They were hired by railroad companies to investigate crimes against them and the activities of labor movements. Pinkerton was a solution to the growing labor unrest. Many businesses wanted muscular enforcers available at the factories and mines to watch their employees closely (Geringer, 2008). In 1861, when he was investigating a railway case he discovered an assassination plot against Abraham Lincoln. The conspirators were intended to kill Lincoln during a stop at Baltimore on the way to his inauguration. Pinkerton warned Lincoln of the threat and he passed through that city at night secretly. Lincoln soon hired Pinkerton to organize a secret service to gather military information during the civil war in the southern states. During this time he hired escaped slaves as spies to the confederates. During the time of the civil war Pinkerton headed a group that was aiding the government with information about their rivals. He also at times acted as Lincoln’s body guard. During the years between 1867 and 1875 he was the head of American secret service during the civil war and he led to the pursuit for frank and Jessie James American outlaws in the state of Missouri (John, 2005). After the civil war Pinkerton went back to the management of his detective agency. When Robert Pinkerton died in 1868 Allan Pinkerton took over the whole management of the detective agency. However a year later he suffered a paralyzing stroke which nearly killed him. He recovered later and went on with the management of the Pinkerton detective agency. Between the year 1873 and 1876, one of his agents managed to obtain the secured evidences that had led to the breaking up of the coal miners’ organization in Pennsylvania who were thought to engage in terrorism. This led to the execution of twenty people members by the court. In 1877 they went on strikes that led to much criticism of the Pinkerton detective agency harsh policies towards the labor unions. The criticism was done in circles though Pinkerton was assertive that he was helping workers by opposing the labor unions. Allan Pinkerton died in 1884, and the agency was taken over by his sons William and Robert who continued the agency’s movement from detective work to security and protection. Improved police departments and other private agencies at this time had begun to impinge on Pinkerton’s business. Allan’s sons continued with the company’s expansion, investigations of mafia activities, unions, robberies and insurance claims. They also provided protection to various public events. During the labor unrests he hired guards to keep strikers and their unionists away from the factories. Most noted was the 1892 homestead strike where the Pinkerton agents ended up killing several people. The Pinkerton Detective agency often supplied men to break strikes. During this year 1892, the amalgamated iron and steel workers union invited its members at a homestead plant owned by Andrew and Henry. The strikers were waiting for them and they had a battle all the day long which resulted to the death of seven Pinkerton’s agents and nine workers. This gave the agency a bad publicity (Gale, 2000). Allan Pinkerton II gained control of the company in 1923. He continued with the expansion of the business due to increasing bank robberies which was facilitated by automobile. In 1930 he also died and Robert Pinkerton II took control of the agency. In 1937 when the Wagner Act by the congress was passed it made the investigation of the labor activities illegal. To make up for this loss of the business the Pinkerton Agency focused more on investigation of gambling, especially the horse racing circuit. The 1940s through to 1960s was a time for change for the Pinkerton National detective agency. Their primary service changed to guarding of property. This can be linked partly to the services they offered during the World War II; guarding the war supply plants. In 1965 it was renamed Pinkerton’s incorporated to reflect this shift away from investigation services. In 1967 Edward J. Bednarz became the first non- family member to be a president of the agency. In 1983 Americans Brands purchased the Pinkerton for $162 million. The chairman who took over Robert McGuire had the objective to improve the agency service and increases revenue. His efforts resulted to $11 million loss in sales by 1987. This loss could be partly blamed on the competition by other over 1000 security agencies that had sprung up over the years (Gale, 2000). Thomas Wathen purchased the company from the American Brands in 1988 for $95 million. His goal was to revitalize this firm having revitalized the California Plant Protection to gain its former position of a multi purpose investigation firm. He actively sought the company’s growth through acquisitions. After duration of two years, Pinkerton’s inc. had combined revenue of $605 million. Wathen also expanded the agency reach to other countries including Mexico, Canada and Portugal. In 1991, Pinkerton acquired Business Risk International, a respected investigation, a respected investigation, consulting and business agency. This move brought Pinkerton back into business as a full service security provider. The firm continued to expand throughout the late 1990s, and solidified its position as the world’s biggest security solutions firm (Gale, 2000). In conclusion the Pinkerton detective agency may not have been founded to run this far but the ambitions of the people who ran the company contributed to this sustainability of the company. The good work offered by the company was also needed by many and the target groups who received the services were also well chosen. The natural abilities of Pinkerton were also a great and important aspect of his mission. The choosy way of recruiting the agents contributed a great deal to the success of the company. All these reasons combined with the excellent services they offered made them more successful. Pinkerton was a great man in searching for up coming opportunity which helped him in expanding his businesses and also gain superiority. References Gale Group, (2000): Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Retrieved on 16th Jan, 2009 from: http://www. accessmylibrary. com/coms2/summary_0193-13350_ITM Geringer J. , (2008): Allan Pinkerton and His Detective Agency: We Never Sleep. Retrieved on 16th Jan, 2009 from: http://www. trutv. com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/cops_others/pinkerton/1. html John L. Hoh, Jr. (2005): Allan Pinkerton and his Secret Role in the Underground Railroad. Retrieved on 16th Jan, 2009 from: http://www. suite101. com/article. cfm/the_underground_railroad/114256

Thomson (Easysource) : Development of an E-Procurement System

What business is the organization in? Thomson is a French company, created in 1883, whose headquarters are in Issy les Moulineaux, near Paris. It is specialized in the conception and the manufacturing of digital images and videos systems. The company developed itself in the world to be present in different countries, such as Italy, India, China, Spain, USA, Belgium and UK. It has about 73 000 employees dispatched over 230 sites, including more than 60 factories. Its sites are distributed around 10 countries but the company sells its goods and services to 100 countries.We can also notice that Thomson is a real leader in the innovation system, as it owns 35 000 patents worldwide representing around 6 000 inventions. The group sells its products and services through 4 major brands which are Thomson, RCA, Grass Valley and Technicolor. The 2 last brands allowed the company to take advantage of the digital technology’s global transition In the late 80s and the early 90s, Thomson was dedicated to Electronic oriented activities for both everyone and activities oriented to professional.After different plans of restructuration and reorganization, in 1997, Thomson decided to focus on the production of key components and electronic products (representing about 98% of its turnover). Since 2000, the company opens to the Medias and entertainment industry focusing on creation, management and content distribution. Thomson’s aim is about becoming a leading worldwide group of integrated solutions for media and entertainment industries. In order to gather this goal, Thomson decided to turn to e-procurement in 2001. What products are bought via e-procurement?In order to well understand the company we are going to develop the main purchases operated by the group. We have the production purchases (such as the electronic components, material and so one), that represents 70% of the total purchases. Then, we have the non-production purchases (maintenance, transportation an d so one). Thomson developed its e-procurement system, with EasySource, around this second kind of purchases. Indeed, non- production purchases are divided as follow: oNon-production purchases outside EasySource: Licenses, Guarantees, Customer Marketing, Other. Non-production purchases inside EasySource: oTransport, oEnergy, oSoftware, oIT and Telecoms, oProperty and tenant services, oExternal services, oMarketing, communication and advertising, oManufacturing supply, oInvestment, oTravel oOther So, those non-production purchases are items that are difficult to manage for companies as they are really diversified and need to be well analyzed. As a consequence they are very costly as they need competent people to deal with them and quite a lot of people due to their diversification. That is why Thomson has recourse to e-procurement with EasySource for such purchasesWhat savings were realized? The following shows that the solution at its completion should bring 150 million of euros: Ea sySource allows Thomson to save around 80 million per year. First, we can look at the following table showing us a few results from before and after the use of EasySource by Thomson: â€Å" Before EasySourceAfter EasySource Active suppliers per buyer10050 Percentage of active suppliers approved by the State10,0%100,0% Percentage of purchases generated with small suppliers40,0%10,0% Percentage of transactions via e-commerce3,0%60,0% Percentage of purchases under agreements50,0%95,0%Number of suppliers for indirect purchases360007000 % of indirect suppliers which represent 90% of the total amount of purchases30,0%10,0% † Such data easily show us the great impact that Easysource had on the company. For example the number of active supplier per buyer was divided by 2. Moreover, Transactions via e-commerce went up from 3% to 60%. E-commerce is much more profitable to company as it cost much less than traditional commerce. How were those savings realized? By implementing EasySource , Thomson developed a unique centralized tool for every user that brings important savings for the company.There are 3 main points that explain how those saving were realized. The first one is the control of the purchase condition. Indeed, it is easier to explain et order exactly what you want, avoiding mistakes. You can also negotiate ask to different suppliers and see which one offer you the best program. Then, you have a global improvement of the running. As everything is taking place on a unique platform, it is easier to make sure for example that you can have what needed or to compare the products through different suppliers.Finally, last but not least, the system allows the improvement of the productivity such as the reduction of the number of suppliers. And it make it easier to change of suppliers when findings others more profitable. EasySource was first develop in 2001 and followed 3 steps. The â€Å"Pilot phase† was quick as it wanted to show that the concept was re alistic and would bring many advantages to the company. It was also to see and learn how he system worked. So, Thomson developed the process on 3 key areas (Asia, Europe and America) and enrolled the 10 major suppliers of each of those areas.The second phase was the â€Å"large-scale deployment phase† aiming to develop the solution worldwide. It lead 3 stages at the same time : implementing he concept on 110 sites, massive enrollment of the suppliers while rationalizing and focusing on ad hoc purchasing rather than catalogue purchasing. Finally, the last step was â€Å"the capitalization and user adoption phase† that allow EasySource to become today the common and unique solution for non-production purchases. For this final stage the main point was to convince everyone to use EasySource for their transactions and to improve the use rate per family of product.To conclude all those points allow a better understanding and following of the purchases. In other words, it mea ns a gain about money through the reduction of management costs and the negotiation and validation processes What problems occurred during the implementation process? The major problem faced by the company, while implementing the process, was to catalogue all the suppliers. Indeed, the suppliers for non-production purchases are numerous and complex due to the large panel of family products.Then another problem that occurred was the access to the networks and to Internet. It might was already present on some areas, but it was also needed all over the world where the company is present. So, Thomson had to modernize its network infrastructures, as it was the first trial of some intranet database for the group. Thomson also add to inform both its workforce, suppliers and buyer to its new system. This problem was easily compensated thanks to a strong communication strategy and a real effort to get the portal o be easily used and understood by its users.

Men of Power in “The Jungle”

A Summary and Review of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle Upton's Sinclair's book portrayed a wide variety of characters to convey his messages. Only one character can be considered a major character, Jurgis Rudkus. The book revolves around Jurgis' life in Packingtown. The supporting characters, transitioned in and out of the story with great frequency. When Jurgis initially arrives in Packingtown from his native Lithuania he can best be described as being large and powerful. He believes in the work ethic to a point of naivete. His sole answer to any setback: â€Å"I will work harder. † Eventually Jurgis learns that no laborer can make enough to be the sole provider for his family. His only recourse is to send his wife and children out to work. Soon Jurgis begins to discover certain injustices that the meat packers employ to exploit their workers. Workers are worn out by a â€Å"speed-up† system, they are not compensated for illnesses or injury incurred from their work, and they are literally paid by the hour, anything less than a hour does not get compensated. Jurgis, frustrated with the current conditions in the meat packing industry, that uses the men the same way they use swine (every part), joins a Union, as does Marjia, and various other members of his family. Investing money into a home and life into his job gets a Jurgis no where. Positions of power tend to go only to the corrupted characters. Bribes and kickbacks come as commonly as unemployment and job insecurity. He finally realizes that even a physically strong man, willing to work hard, can be beaten by the system; indeed, the system must defeat and discard him as part of its â€Å"progress† through exploitation of people for profits. Eventually his luck runs out and Jurgis is injured upon his the killing beds at the meat packing plant. His foot swells and he has no other recourse but to lay in bed and wait until his foot heals. Ironically, he is free to enjoy the company of his son only when he is laid off from work. In just a few years after immigrating to the country, he is brutalized by circumstances to the point of ruin. His once mighty stature has been reduced to rubble, and looks seedy and wretched. He acts dull and beats young Stanislovas into going to work. After two months of waiting, with bills pilling up, Jurgis goes back to work to find his job filled by another man. Due to his large house payment and the need to eat, Jurgis takes the worst possible job in Packing town, the Glue factory. By this time he has taken to the bottle and has started to move father and farther away from his family. The children have all been put to work, as well as his wife, Ona and his Grandfather-in-law Deda Antonias. To make matters even worse, Jurgis finds out that Ona has been forced have sex with her Boss. This totally enrages Jurgis, he runs to the Packing house to find the boss, Connor, and then beats him savagely. After his arrest he must serve on month in jail. During his stay in jail he meets Jack Duane, and becomes somewhat good friends with him. Within the month his family is in shambles. The children now, for the most part, live on their own, various family member are dead, Ona is about to deliver a child, everyone has lost their jobs, and the house that they struggled so hard for has vanished away. By the time he finds Ona she is in mid child birth and in need of medical assistance. Due to his current lack of funds, Jurgis finds a Dutch lady to deliver his child for $1. 25. Even with the help of the Dutch lady Ona and the child dies. After Ona's death in premature childbirth, their son's dies in an accidental drowning while his father is at work. Jurgis then takes to the country as a tramp. Through his journey in the country he gets somewhat rejuvenated, and returns to his old stature. He works when he needs to, and travels and sleeps when he wants. By winter it becomes obvious to him that he can not survive out in the country for the duration of the winter, and is forced to seek work in the city he left behind. He becomes a bum, and drinks extremely heavily. While begging and wandering through the streets he, falls into a bit of luck and meets a young man named Frederick (â€Å"Freddie†) Jones. Freddie, being the son of rich Old Man Jones, takes Jurgis back to his home, giving Jurgis $100 and the privilege of dining and drinking with him. Eventually when the young man falls asleep, the butler throws Jurgis out. With the hundred dollars firmly in his possession Jurgis decides that the only place he could probably get change for the bill would be at a bar. Jurgis goes into the bar when no one is looking, and asks the bartender to give him change for the bill. The bartender makes him buy a drink, and then hands him a handful of change. Jurgis becomes enraged, and pounces on the man. Jurgis gets arrested again for battery and lands in jail. With the assistance of Jack Duane he drifts into crime and the corrupt world of politics. Jurgis make himself available now as an assistant to a robber or to a political boss rigging elections. Ironically, under these evil conditions, he discovers a new confidence and a talent for management. With a bit of luck and some help from newly acquired acquaintances Jurgis gets a cushy job in the meat packing factory. To keep this job, all Jurgis had to do was get the Democratic ticket elected, making the common man think that it was the best choice. During the 1904 meat packer's strike, he gets a golden opportunity to become a scab and then a typical boss, driving his workers and taking bribes. A chance encounter with Connor proves to be Jurgis' moral salvation. Jurgis gets arrested again for furiously beating his wife's seducer and realizes that he must jump bail. He has proven himself capable once more of moral fury, and he realizes bitterly which side he is really on. Cold and looking for a place to sleep, Jurgis stumbles into a Socialist meeting. He is profoundly moved by an orator who describes the life of the working class and how workers can take active measures to improve society. It dawns on Jurgis that he is entitled to join this movement. â€Å"A new man had been born. † He is no longer an isolated victim of circumstances; â€Å"he would have friends and allies. † Finally Jurgis reunites with Marjia, a doped up prostitute supporting the remains of his family. They have definitely become two different types of people. Her the victim, and him the fighter, still struggling for justice. With the idea, that he might be able to once again support his family Jurgis goes out in search of a job. Apparently by luck, he finds a job in a hotel, run by socialists. By the end of the book Upton Sinclair, through Jurgis and various other characters, makes various speeches, and arguments for the use of Socialism with opposition to capitalism. Personal conflict was not the key theme of this book, but rather social conflict within the corporate structures. There is, however, some conflict among various characters. The most notable instance occurs when Jurgis batters his wife's Boss Connor, upon two occasions. This is his way to release his rage and anger at the man who abused, seduced, and molested his wife. Jurgis also has a conflicting view on how he looked at the people in the factories. He saw them as weak and lazy people, complaining because they could not handle their jobs. After the death of his wife and child, Jurgis goes on as self-destructive rampage through the city and the country. Not only does Jurgis conflict with others he finds himself in conflict with the legal system, and the factory system. This causes him to make a mental shift to socialism. This also brings up the conflicting types of government, Socialism vs. Capitalism, in a obviously biased portrayal. The most important message of conflict that Upton Sinclair wanted to deliver was his idea that the individual is constantly conflicting with the trusts and work machines that enslave him. The Jungle contains numerous themes which create the perfect atmosphere for Upton Sinclair's tragic book. In 1900 – 1904, industrialized America is a jungle. The only real law is the law of the jungle: might makes right. The main problem is that the economic system fosters greed and ruthless competition as a way of life. Greed prompts people to sell spoiled meat, engage in false advertising, pollute, bribe and be bribed. In such a system, the hired worker lives at a distinct disadvantage. He is trapped, exploited, and cheated by employers who, in competition with other employers, must consider profits more important than people. The worker in early twentieth-century America is brutalized and stultified. Only that part of his personality needed to perform a monotonous task is kept alive; the rest is crushed. Under these conditions, love is reduced to mere bestiality; the tender aspects of marriage and the raising of children are harshly overshadowed by the agonies of the economic struggle; and indeed, marriage itself becomes an economic trap. Big Business has complete control of, but no responsibility for, the well-being of the masses. Big Business ultimately, deviously, controls government and the courts for its own benefit. In order to foster its corruption of politics, Big Business needs and thrives on crime and ultimately works in alliance with the criminal world. Capitalist democracy is therefore a fraud, a contradiction in terms. There can be no true democracy in a society controlled by one class with hereditary economic power. Turn-of-the-century immigrants to America were lured into a trap. They were attracted by promises of economic well-being and political equality; instead, they were sacrificed on the altar of â€Å"progress,† the generation that built industrial society for its native owners. â€Å"Here, precisely as in Russia [1904] . . . rich men owned everything. † American greatness is due to exploitation. If we are the greatest nation the sun has ever shone upon, it would seem to be mainly because we have been able to goad wage earners to [a] pitch of frenzy. † By using the characters in the meat-packing industry, Upton Sinclair is able to portray his Socialistic messages. In the end, Jurgis' life is turned around because the character finds true â€Å"freedom† and happiness in Socialism. The entire book is a large piece of propaganda supporting Socialism. To say that it was only meant to be a piece of propaganda would be ignorant, and foolish upon any readers part. Through his characters, Mr. Sinclair exposes a corrupt and brutal system in which on the law of the jungle reigns true. This belief is maintained by every single character in the piece. The author obvious had strong beliefs and motives for writing this book. Mr. Sinclair used his beliefs on socialism to provided an answer to how America trusts could be broken up. This book, (from American History Class) aided the common man to understand the horrid conditions of the meat packing industry, as did books like Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beacher Stowe, ironically a white woman fighting for the freedom of slaves in the 19th century.