Potato Starch

n the past, fields of wheat and rows of potatoes were seldom destined for anything more than a rumbling tummy. But bio-products have come a long way since people first branched out into weaving hemp into clothes and pulping papyrus into scrolls. Today the line between Mother Nature and man made has never been more blurred. Animals are re-engineered into living drug factories, crops fuel our cars and now plants are increasingly being repackaged as the epitome of the synthetic world – plastic. Wheat, maize, vegetable oils, sugar beet and even the trusty spud are finding new life as water bottles, car fuel lines and laptops. Wheat, maize, vegetable oils, sugar beet and even the trusty spud are finding new life as water bottles, car fuel lines and laptops. | Bio-plastics harness the natural structures found in crops or trees, such as slightly modified forms of the chains of sugars in starch or cellulose, that share the ability to be easily reshaped that has made conventional oil b ased plastics so useful. Bio-materials scientists are also constantly tweaking these natural structures to try and better replicate the durability and flexibility of conventional plastics.Global business is now turning to bio-plastics for an increasing number of applications, as consumers and governments demand cleaner alternatives to petroleum based technologies and their reckless production of the greenhouse gas CO2. Worldwide players, such as DuPont and Toyota Motor Corp, are making vast investments in new technologies and processing plants with the hope of cornering a multi-billion pound industry. The â€Å"BC† at Bangor University in North Wales has 18-years experience of working with large companies and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to find sustainable and viable bio-based alternatives to man-made materials.BC director Paul Fowler  points out that  Ã¢â‚¬Å"practically anything that you can find as polyethene you can find as a bio-plastic. You are talking abou t a whole range of everyday products – cups, combs and wrappers, everything you can think of is out there. There are inroads being made all the time   – on the one hand there is research into trying to get biological alternatives to replicate the properties of conventional plastics and on the other hand people are looking at the natural properties of these plants and trying to find an application for them. Most of the manufacture is happening in the US and continental Europe.The UK is a producer of wheat starch and biotimber but the only major bioplastic producer is Innovia Films in Cumbria, which produces cellulose films. † Innovia Films has an annual turnover of ? 400m, employing 1,200 people worldwide and producing more than 120,000 tonnes of film – used in packaging to protect food. Japan is also forging ahead, from the leading role in bioplastic production played by Toyota to its recent passing of a triumvirate of laws pushing forward environmental initiatives. In South Korea too there is a rapid drive to replace conventional plastic packaging with polylactic acid bio-plastics.Fowler says bio-plastics also offer an opportunity to get a double return for the energy used in their manufacture – first as a useful item and secondly as a fuel source. â€Å"My view is that we should burn them at the end of their life to recover energy, which could be then used to produce new materials,† he said. â€Å"In the first instance you have a valuable resource can use, be it as packaging or a shopping bag, and then you are also getting some energy back at the end of it. The biggest advantage of such bio-materials is the reduction of CO2 emissions in their production over petrochemical-based plastics. He also suggests  that burning bio-plastics would also avoid the problems caused by them breaking down and producing methane, which is 25-times more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2. The BC is currently looking at developing n aturally-derived alternatives to phthalates, which are plasticisers added to PVCs to make them more flexible in products such as electrical cable flex. It follows concerns that phthalates are metabolised in the body into substances that can mimic the body's own  hormones, including those concerned with fertility.The centre is also developing bio-resins, natural alternatives to synthetic resins such as phenol and formaldehyde. What types of bioplastic are there? The common types of bio-plastics are based on cellulose, starch, polylactic acid (PLA), poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), and polyamide 11 (PA11). Cellulose-based plastics are usually produced from wood pulp and used to make film-based  products such as wrappers and to seal in freshness in ready-made meals. Thermoplastic starch is the most important and widely used bioplastic, accounting for about 50pc of the bio-plastics market.Pure starch’s ability to absorb humidity has led to it being widely used for the production of drug capsules in the pharmaceutical sector. Plasticisers, such as sorbitol and glycerine are added to make it more flexible and produce a range of different characteristics. It is commmonly derived from crops such as potatoes or maize. | FOMA(TM) N701iECO phone made of PLA bioplastics reinforced with kenaf fibres developed by NEC, UNITIKA and NTTDoCoMo  © Paul Fowler| PLA is a transparent plastic whose characteristics resemble common petrochemical-based plastics such as polyethylene and polpropylene.It   can be processed on equipment that already exists for the production of conventional plastics. PLA is produced from the fermentation of starch from crops, most commonly corn starch or sugarcane in the US, into lactic acid that is then polymerised. Its blends are used in a wide range of applications including computer and mobile phone casings, foil, biodegradable medical implants, moulds, tins, cups, bottles and other packaging. PHB is very similar to poylpropylene, which is used in a wide variety of fields including packaging, ropes, bank notes and car parts.It is a transparent film, which is also biodegradable. Interest in PHB is currently very high with companies worldwide aiming to expand their current production capacity. There are estimates that this could lead to a price reduction below five euros per kilogram but this would still be four times the market price of polyethylene in February 2007. The South American sugar industry has commited to producing PHB on an industrial scale. PA 11 is derived from vegetable oil and is known under the tradename  Rislan.It is prized for its thermal reistance that makes it valued for use in car fuel lines, pneumatic air brake tubing, electrical anti-termite cable sheathing and oil and gas flexible pipes and control fluid umbilicals. These are often reinforced with fibres from the kenaf plant, a member of the hibiscus family traditionally used to make paper, to increase heat resistance and durability. At the c utting edge of bioplastic technology lie polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) materials. These are derived from the conversion of natural sugars and oils using microbes.They can be processed into a number of materials including moulded goods, fibre and film and are biodegradable and have even been used as water resistant coatings. What are the benefits of bio-plastics? – Reduced CO2 emissions. One metric ton of bio-plastics generates between 0. 8 and 3. 2 fewer metric tons of carbon dioxide than one metric ton of petroleum-based plastics. Electronic giant Sony uses PLA in several of its smaller components, including one of its new walkmans, but in future hopes to use PLA-based polymers to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 20pc and non-renewable resource input by 55pc compared to oil-based ABS. Rising oil prices Despite currently costing more to produce than conventional plastics bio-plastics are becoming more viable with increasing and instability in oil prices, which are in turn triggering spikes in conventional plastic costs, illustrated in a sharp upturn two years ago. Dwindling oil supplies means that man will eventually be forced to turn to a sustainable basis for plastics. – Waste Bio-plastics reduce the amount of toxic run-off generated by the oil-based alternatives but also are more commonly biodegradable.The US’s second largest biopolymer producer Metabolix, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, claims that its plastics are biodegradable in composting bins, wetlands and the oceans. On the flip side not all bio-plastics are biodegradable and there are a growing number of conventional plastics that can naturally break down. The downside of their biodegradability is the methane that can be released as the bio-plastics decompose is a powerful greenhouse gas. – Benefit to rural economyPrices of crops, such as maize, have risen sharply in the wake of global interest in the production of biofuels and bio-plastics, as countries across the world look for alternatives to oil to safeguard the environment and provide energy security. – Enhanced properties In some fields engineered bio-plastics are now beating oil-based alternatives at their own game. Multinational materials giant Arkema has produced a form of Rislan PA11 that is being used in Europe and Brazil in fuel lines to carry biofuels as it is better able to withstand the corrosive effects of biofuels than oil-based alternatives such as polyamide 12.Rislan is widely used in oilfield applications as well as automotive brake lines. Elsewhere innovations in PA11 production are helping increase car passenger safety and reduce the risk of accidents by inhibiting spark ignition in the fuel lines. US car giant General Motors has replaced its non-conductive fuel-pump modules for new North American car models as it felt it was the best material for the job.In the US chemical multinational DuPont says it has developed a bioplastic derived from corn sugar that has superior stiffness and strength to its naturally based competitors. Global electronics corporation NEC has produced a kenaf-reinforced laptop casing, made of 90pc PLA, which helps reduce overheating by conducting heat better than stainless steel coupled with high temperature resistance and increased strength. Who are the flagwavers? Bio-plastics are not being produced by a group of hippies brewing up in their garage.Some of the world’s largest companies including multi-billion dollar chemicals company DuPont, car manufacturer Toyota, UK-based Innovia, US food processing behemoth Cargill and electronics giants NEC and Fujitsu are pouring money into driving the technology and production forward. NEC and its partners Unitika and NTT DoCoMo produce mobile phone and laptop casings based on plant-derived bio-plastics, mostly PLA. NEC plans to expand its green credentials by substituting more than 10pc of the oil-based plastics in its electronic products with bio-plastics by 2010.Toyota Moto r Corp uses mainly PLA bio-plastics, derived from sweet potatoes corn and sugar beet, reinforced with kenaf to produce components for its cars such as the Prius and Lexus. It hopes to grow its bio-plastics division into a four billion yen business by 2020 and capture two thirds of the global market for petroleum free plastics. Fujitsu introduced its FMV BIBLO notebook PC series two years ago, which it has manufactured using a material called Ecodear, a combination of 50 pc PLA and an oil-based plastic.Fujitsu is now developing a castor oil derived PA 11 plastic with Arkema, which is more flexible and will help expand its use of bio-plastics in notebook computers. The material can withstand repeated bending thanks to scientists weakening the interaction of the chain molecule in PA 11 and relaxing the stereoregularity of their organisation. The improved durability means its prototypes of PC cover components consist of 60-80 percent of the new bioplastic, an unprecedented achievement t o date.Fujitsu is also using high density fillers to increase strength and extend its use into notebook covers and other applications requiring high impact resistance. The new material is expected to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 42pc compared to oil-based nylon 6/6. DuPont in particular is continuing to expand the market for bio-plastics and plans to continue to offer hybrid bio/conventional plastic materials until the market matures, which could eventually cost less than the oil-based alternatives.DuPont has teamed up with sugar giant Tate ; Lyle to build the world’s largest aerobic fermentation plant in Loudon in Tennessee in the US for the production of bio-PDO, with a capacity of 45,000 metric tonnes a year. The largest commercial producer of bioplastic in the US is NatureWorks, owned by Cargill. The company’s plant in Blair, Nebraska uses corn sugar to produce PLA plastics packaging material and its own Ingeo-brand fibres. What lies ahead?With US President Geor ge Bush’s recent pledge to produce 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuel by 2017 – driving the price of maize up 60pc in the past two months – the farmer’s field is fast turning into a high tech bio-battleground. Mr. Fowler warns that the still fledgling industry will have to fight for space and commercial viability as millions of hectares are given over to corn, rapeseed and sugarbeet for bio-fuel production. â€Å"There is a real tension between the use of agriculture for fodd versus plastics and other non-food uses and this whole move to produce new fuels,† he said.Whereas only two years ago plant materials were at the cheap end of the market and bio-products such as straw had little value, now it is really much more costly. There would have to be a step change in the extent of the production to match oil-based plastics. The amount of bioplastics produced worldwide is less than 200,000 tonnes a year; contrast that with the more th an 30 million tonnes of oil-based plastics. You can see we have a long way to go before they replace conventional plastics†. – July 2007

Jain Man Fasts to Death Essay

A 76 year old Indian man died of starvation that is called â€Å"santhara†. It is an old practice in Jainism where a person fasts for a number of days and is believed to help the person achieve salvation. Some people are still not amenable to this practice as they believe that this is a sort of suicide. On the other hand, Amar Chand, the man who died, believed that it would help him cleanse his soul as he has been ill for some time already. â€Å"Santhara† is a religious ritual described as intended death by fasting. During the process of fasting, the person is given time to reflect on his life, which is reason why this is considered to bring salvation. If someone feels like he has served his purpose in life and felt like he has imparted enough of himself to the world, one can decide to fast. There are a lot of religious practices in the world; some may even seem absurd and illogical. However, to the followers of the specific religions, their belief stands by the fact that they would be able to achieve something out of it; in this case, salvation. If you think about it, to decide that you have served your purpose is a sign of consciousness and knowledge of the belief that you are following. It shows that given enough will power and faith in something, anybody can do anything. To the Jains, though some may think that â€Å"santhara† is synonymous to suicide, they still hold on to the practice because as far as they know, being able to reflect upon one’s life can help them save themselves from spiritual death just as the Muslims believe that they need to travel to Mecca at least once in their life.

Ethics Term Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics Term Paper - Essay Example Dellatre points the culpability to poor recruitment methods why many men who are not suited to become public servants enters into public service. In plain language, it meant that some people are just bad to the core that when they get into public service such as law enforcement, they will most likely be involved in illegal activities because they are morally weak (2003). A typical example of this ethical challenge is the politicization of hiring process in a police force where recruitment accommodates the endorsement of political patrons of certain individuals even if the applicant is not qualified. The set standard of qualifications are not imposed nor did any background checks were done. Most likely, rotten apples would be able to get into the organization and when they do, will be engaged in illegal activities or the organization’s bad apple. Another common challenge to police ethics is the kind of value system which leadership will provide to the organization. Dellatareâ⠂¬â„¢s structural or affiliation hypothesis posits that value system of an organization begins from the top of the organization which will eventually trickle down to the organization as a whole. It is the leaders of that organization that set the standard of ethics among its subordinates. If the top brass of an organization is corrupt, it is said by the structural or affiliation hypothesis that their corrupt behavior will eventually cascade to the rank and file. This hypothesis also classified leaders as corrupt when they do not have control over its subordinates who are engaged in its corrupt behavior. It posits that such inefficacy promotes the culture of corruption. Dellatre defines structural or affiliation hypothesis of corruption among police officers as not the exclusive deviance of the men in uniform but rather to the organization they belong to. For example, if the organization is corrupt, it is inadvertent that the individual members will also become corrupt (2002). A typi cal example of this hypothesis is a police organization whose top brass are accepting protection money from syndicate to turn a blind eye to their illegal activities. This corrupt value will eventually trickle down to the whole organization that will eventually make the entire police force as corrupt. Another most common challenge to law enforcement ethics is the â€Å"slippery slope† or moral career hypothesis that â€Å"corruption [that] begins with apparently harmless and well intentioned practices and leads over time – either in individuals or in departments as a whole-to all crimes for profit (2002). Lode hypothesized that once an individual is on top of a slippery slope, it would be inevitable for the individual to slide to the bottom (1999). For Wilson, this practice usually starts with the small tokens and seemingly innocuous acts until it progresses to corruption (Dellatre, 2002). The future of the ethical practice of police force is determined largely by the public that it serves. If the society at large demands and practice a high ethical standard among its police force, it follows that the law enforcement agency will conform to the public that it intends to serve. But if society has a norm of corruption, it

Welfare Feminism in Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Welfare Feminism in Britain - Essay Example It is difficult for us to perceive woman's role as a 'job' because of the surroundings in which it takes place, particularly the family. The institution of the family in modern, post-war society has been subjected to much sociological and psychological examination. During the past seven years it has also been a focus of controversy on the political Left, amongst feminists, socialists, and radicals of all kinds. It has come under attack; it has been defended. Often this debate, originally political, has taken on a highly moralistic flavour, and while it is true that political passions are, ultimately, moral passions, morals about the family has all too often prevented a constructive analysis of this institution as it exists in our contemporary society. Yet it is not hard to understand why the subject should arouse passion; the same reason makes it hard to perceive woman's role within it. (Wilson, 1977, p. 8) A woman has always been subjected to physical care that is mediated by means of on-going emotional and physical relationships of the most intense kind; whether sexual or parental, a woman in particular are reared almost from birth, certainly from early childhood, to conceive of happiness and emotional fulfilment in terms of their future relationship with husband and children. To many it therefore seems alien or even blasphemous to discuss these relationships as jobs undertaken for the capitalist State. Nonetheless, such is the peculiar nature of the family. It plays what is in many ways a repressive role on behalf of the State, not only psychologically but also at the level of economic functioning, and yet at the same time offers the individual a unique opportunity for intimacy, comfort, and emotional support. According to Juliet Mitchell (1971) the individualistic competitiveness of the wider modern society is truly a 'prison of love' for woman. And the Welfare State has always been closely connected with the development of the family and has acted to reinforce and support it in significant ways. (Basch, 1974, p. 79) This it has done by offering various forms of service, both in money and in kind, and also by means of forms of social control and ideology. Thus the Welfare State is not just a set of services, it is also a set of ideas about women's role in society, in family, and not least important socially. In Victorian society women were, for the first time, valuable because they did not work. It was her status as a non-worker that gave woman as wife and mother a very special ideological role. The single woman was society's reject, for celibacy was not highly valued (so that the attempts within the Church of England to start religious orders for women could be seen as radical) while the fallen woman's lot was to be completely outcast (Basch, 1974, p. 81). Yet work had to be found for the army of surplus middle-class spinsters and to them fell the task of teaching their impoverished married sisters how to be better wives and mothers. So grew up a paradoxical situation that still marks social work today; whereby middle-class women with no direct experience of marriage and motherhood themselves took on the social task of teaching marriage and motherhood to working-class women who were widely believed to be ignorant and lacking when it came to their domestic tasks. (Wilson, 1977, p.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the performance appraisal system at Research Proposal - 1

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the performance appraisal system at the bank - Research Proposal Example 89). Because of this, measuring the input of the employees using informal judgment is not only difficult, but also susceptible to errors. In addition, the early system of appraisal exposed supervisors to corruptible practices such as making biased recommendations. The organization is incapable of tapping desirable talents using ineffective appraisal system. A good appraisal system should enable the organization to track the activities of the employees and allow them to account for their input in the organization. This research explores the performance appraisal system used in the bank, its authenticity, weakness, and strength. Effective human resource management is pivotal to organizational success. The tool used by the management to identify the quality or work input of every employee affects performance (Showkat 2013, p. 69). The need to create effective performance appraisal stems from the need to manage the affairs of the bank effectively. In the absence of effective tool for evaluating employees’ performance, the bank would not able to realise effective management. Thus, for effective organization management, the bank must adopt performance appraisal system that is capable of giving accurate measurement of employees’ input. Showkat (2013) defined performance appraisal as organized or formal method used in distinguishing between effective workers and the less effective ones as well as discriminate among the desirable and undesirable character traits of these workers. Measurement of the employees input give the organization a chance to build employees talent or seek another employee that is capable of meeting employer’s goals. In addition, the organization develops informed opinion about the employee by referring to performance appraisal. According to Harvard Business School (2013, p.127), the basic assumption that drives the need to

FedEx Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

FedEx - Essay Example For the first time, FedEx obtained governmental permission to carry documents, packages and freight to multiple Asian destinations on a regular schedule including: Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. As economies across Asia Pacific began to grow and prosper, FedEx's shipment volumes and its presence in the marketplace began to expand as well. Recognizing a need for the company to be closer to Asian customers, FedEx moved its Pacific headquarters from Hawaii to Hong Kong in 1992. At present, FedEx dominated in more than 30 countries and territories in the Asia Pacific market with more than 10,000 employees. Operating its own wide-bodied MD-11 and A310 aircraft, FedEx makes over 400 flights per week to Bangkok, Beijing, Cebu, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kaohsiung, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Osaka, Penang, Seoul, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, Subic Bay, Sydney, Taipei, and Tokyo, as well as destinations in the U.S. and Europe (FedEx History in APAC, 2007 ). With more than 20 employees under its wing, FedEx Hong Kong is undergoing major changes to further improve its services as more and more customers are availing of their services in Hong Kong. In 1 December 2006, FedEx decided to move the Sung Wong Toi Station to 6/F, Unit 2-3, Global Gateway, 168 Yeung Uk Road, Tsuen Wan. At the same time, they decided to change and extend their office hours to 08:30 - 17: 30, instead of 09:00 - 18:00. This is to prevent their employees of getting caught in Hong Kong's heavy traffic jam. 2. Managing Change Chartier's Model 2.1 Disturbance Fed Ex Hong Kong has to manage 3 World Service Centres, 8 FedEx stations and 9 drop boxes. With 26 employees working, FedEx Hong Kong has to consistently maintain its reliable express delivery guarantee. The horrendous traffic in their new location prompted its management to switch their regular operating hours

Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Exam - Essay Example The marketing process involves the following five steps: An evaluation of the marketplace to identify the consumers’ needs and wants. Consumers are rational; that is, they seek for products that will maximize their utility. Marketers need to conduct a market analysis to identify whether the consumer needs can be met through a new product or an advancement of the existing products. After sales services are also considered at this stage. Consumers would be influenced to purchase a product if the marketers offer significant after sales services. After identifying the consumers’ needs and wants, marketers should design a consumer driven strategy. The strategy formulated ought to be in line with the identified customer needs and wants. A comprehensive strategy is one which is formulated in line with the customer needs and wants. Marketers may also decide to segment the customers. This will ensure that similar consumer needs are grouped together for better attention. The third stage involves formulating a marketing mix, which matches the needs of the targeted market. The marketing mix involves; designing a perfect commodity, formulating favourable pricing decisions, distributing the products to the right places, and adopting the right promotional techniques: Products, place, price and promotions (4ps). These components of this stage will dictate the manner in which the company will penetrate the market; in terms of producing a product that matches the needs and wants of every consumer, charging a favourable price and adopting a suitable promotional strategy. A company should ensure that it builds and manages a profitable consumer relationship. Relationship management is an important component of contemporary marketing. This step focuses on gaining customer loyalty. This is only achievable through creating a positive and profitable customer relationship; referred to

Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Intelligence - Essay Example Others grow due to a particular issue like lack of social amenities in a specific town or area in this regard the best way to handle this is by solving first the complaints then the cracking of this group will be easier. The factors that make the non-state actors be handling within a particular border depend most on the cause of origin. If is a significant issue that is more deeper like race, religion or even gender then this can cut across borders but if is the provision of resources such as water and food then this is easily handled. The reason why it is good to tackle the main issue is that if the cause of grievance is not understood and the government handles the symptoms then it will only act as a catalyst (Huffman 2014). ii) The reason why the non-state actors have grown is also because the world has become interconnected where different regions or countries heavily depend on each other and through this trade will grow and people will interact and the moment they build relationships they will start sharing their ideologies. In the traditional manner countries independently solved their own actions and did not really depend on anything or anyone (Harris 2013). The example of a Non-state Actor is a group like ISIS where the terror group has infiltrated different countries and to understand their cause they are brought together by the belief. Religion is Key for them and this will not only affect one country but everyone who believes in the said religion. It is good to note that when the issue is more of a mental state then it cuts across borders. Another issue that has made it difficult to tame one non state actor is the technology. With the rise of electronic communication people between different continents can share their agenda and make it easy for them to progress their beliefs. They can always interact on day to day making it easier to plan their next issue of chaos and this

Pets Are Our Responsibilty Essay Example for Free

Pets Are Our Responsibilty Essay Many people think that pets are too much of a responsibility, as they require food, walked on a regular basis, trained properly and lots of love and care. Any pet that lives outside a cage has to be trained properly so that it does not soil the home. Without training dogs can be very destructive and even dangerous. Pets are also very expensive and their food, toys, and medical treatment cost a lot of money too. Some pets are not looked after properly by their owners and sometimes the owner even loses interest. There were 40,879 humane destruction’s of dogs last year, 32,769 of cats and 18,816 of others. These figures include 29,610 dogs and cats too sick to live. People are cruel to pets and hurt them in al sorts of ways. In 1985 the RSPCA had to destroy 137,632 dogs cats and other pets, many were healthy but just too much for the RSPCA to find homes for. Inspectors from the RSPCA were called out to investigate 64,678 complaints last year. These are just some of the bad points of having a pet.Others think of pets as trusted friends as they give us comfort and affection. Pets are tame animals kept for companionship or because they are attractive to look at. Pets are good fun and can teach children responsibilities in life. Pets in the UK are very popular below are the top ten pets in England and Wales. In 1980 there was 5.6million dogs in the UK, this number increased by 1.8million in 1989. There were 2million more cats in the UK in 1989 than in 1980. The number of Budgies also increased by 0.1million in 1989. The Royal Society for the prevention of cruelty to animals more commonly known as the RSPCA looks after animals that have been treated badly. Last year the RSPCA homed 105,079 animals including dogs, cats and many other animals. If you don’t have a pet I would seriously consider buying one. Pets are very good company and almost any animal could be a pet. Unusual pets require special care and some knowledge and how they behave in the wild. Many pets need very little attention or space – there is room in the smallest home for a fish tank or a birdcage.

Children’s Play and Their Physical Health Essay Example for Free

Children’s Play and Their Physical Health Essay Play among children is a vital essentiality as it leads to social, cognitive and physical development among them during their childhood development. Therefore play among children is a normal routine that emerges during this period of growth. They get to involve themselves in humorous activities i. e. various games like hide and seek hide, foot ball, computer games, and several others which seem to be of interest to them. Through this they are able to enhance their physical health appropriately in the below ways. Through physical play like football and athletics children are able to reduce the prevalence of obesity thus they are able to grow being physically fit and healthly. Also it is through play that Children develop creativity that is derived from imagination, physical cognation and dexterity. Physical exposure of children to play is an essential element of growth and development as it reduces risks of a child to heart diseases later in life. Physical fitness of children is built up as they tend to develop strong muscles through the activities of playing such as playing on the ground play equipment, climbing trees, tugs of wars e. t. c thus making them stable. Play also impacts on Bone strengthening and development especially through ground playing activities such as running, basketball, tennis, rope jumping and hopscotch. Cardio respiratory fitness among children is increased though aerobic activities e. . running, hopping, , dancing, skipping, swimming, bicycling e. t. c Play requires a lot of energy thus children participating need to acquire strength for the activities, therefore a balanced diet is important to enhance their capability to get involved and develop physical health growth. Therefore children play should be emphasized and greatly encouraged through their whole process of development by their parents, teachers, relatives, leaders e. t. c

Taboo Words And Their Treatment In Dictionaries

Taboo Words And Their Treatment In Dictionaries Taboo words are a part of language that is supposed to be avoided at all times, but are nevertheless used in practice. Most taboo words originate from taboo acts. Dictionaries have special labels for taboo words which warn the users that taboo words are not acceptable. Taboo words in dictionaries are defined in patterns which make them seem less offensive, and provide an alternative for them. Only taboo words which are considered to be the least offensive have example sentences in their entries in dictionaries. The most offensive group of taboo words are taboo words related to sexuality. Inconsistencies in labelling between dictionaries prove that the negative connotations of taboo words are not inherent in language, but culturally determined. Taboo words are those words that are considered in bad taste by some people or should be avoided because they mention realities that are stark or vulgar. Taboo words usually refer to sex, religion and necessities such as the act of emptying the bladder or the bowels. The general aim of this paper is to observe and report on the treatment of taboo words in standard language dictionaries, among words without taboo connotations. The paper will offer a short introduction into the problematics of taboo language, but will for the most part examine the treatment of taboo words in dictionaries- the way they are defined, the labels that designate them and the examples that accompany them. By comparing the entries for taboo words in five dictionaries, it will be shown which labels for taboo words exist and whether they are the same in all dictionaries; whether all dictionaries follow the same pattern when defining taboo words and with what purpose, and whether the treatment od taboo words in dictionaries can cause any problems for dictionary users. Through examining the entries for taboo words which contain examples, it will be determined which taboo words are the least insulting, and by comparing labels it will be determined which taboo words are the most insulting. Noting the inconsistencies between the dictionaries in defining and labelling taboo words will show that taboo words are not inherently offensive, but determined as taboo by the speakers of the language and the culture they belong to. Theoretical background Taboo words, also referred to as curse words, profanity, swearwords and offensive speech, are words that are not supposed to be uttered at all, or at least not in polite conversation, because they are regarded as inappropriate or immoral, or believed to be forbidden supernaturally. Typical examples of taboo words would be expressions like Damn! or Shit! (Akmajian et al. 306). Taboo words are used in order to make the language we speak more graphic or more concrete, just as metaphors do (Jay 137). They add emotional shading to language and can communicate strong thoughts, ideas, attitudes and opinions in a way non- taboo words cannot (Jay 137). They are used to express anger and annoyance, for insulting and often as intensifiers in phrases, such as in the sentence Whereà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s that damn book! (Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary Online). The word taboo comes from the Polynesian language and means forbidden (Allan and Burridge 2). Taboo words are, as their name suggests, connected to taboo acts. The act of incest is taboo, and so is the word motherfucker- but there are other words that are taboo, while the action they denote is not. Talking about sex is often considered taboo, but the act of sex itself is not at all forbidden, or improper, if it is done at the suitable time and place, and with the appropriate person. Still, words linked to a taboo act are likely to become taboo words (Allan and Burridge 2). It is important to note that à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦what counts as taboo language is something defined by culture, and not by anything inherent in the language. (Akmajian et al. 307). This means that taboo words and expressions reflect the customs and views of people belonging to a particular society or culture. (Trudgill 18) Taboo language in the English language can be divided into three broader categories. The first category consists of taboo words related to religion. Typical examples from this category are expressions such as God!, Damn!, Jesus! and Hell!. Since words from this category refer to the supernatural, they evoke the emotions of awe and fear. This category represents the historical basis of swearing in the English language (Pinker). The second category consists of taboo words which denote certain body functions and effluvia. The taboo words from this category provoke emotions of disgust due to the fact that certain infectious diseases can be carried from one person to another through bodily effluvia (Pinker). Typical examples from this category are taboo words such as shit, asshole and fart. The third category consists of taboo words related to sexuality- sexual organs, different names for the act of sex and insults related to ones sexual orientation or sexual habits. Examples from this ca tegory are the words fuck, pussy and dyke. Another category can be added to the ones already mentioned- a category that consists of insulting names for disfavoured (mostly because of their race or nationality) persons or groups. The words from this category provoke emotions of hatred and contempt, and the typical example is the word nigger. Methods and material The data for this research was obtained by searching through online dictionaries for taboo words and observing their respective entries. Five online dictionaries were chosen: Oxford Advanced Learners English Dictionary Online, Merriam- Webster Online Dictionary, Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary Online, Macmillan Online Dictionary and Longman English Dictionary Online. The reason for choosing online dictionaries was that the printed versions of these dictionaries which were available were not all from the same year and were not the current versions. Online dictionaries are constantly upgraded, which makes them suitable for a comparative study. These five dictionaries were chosen because they all come from respectable publishing companies and are edited by professional lexicographers. Only standard language dictionaries, and not specialised dictionaries (such as slang dictionaries), were used because the aim of the research was to see how taboo words were treated among all other normal words. After choosing which dictionaries to use, the words that would be examined were chosen based on the literature consulted for this research paper, with the addition of words similar in meaning. The words were the following: (ass, asshole, fart, piss, shit, bastard, bitch, cock, cunt, dick, dyke, fag, fuck, motherfucker, pussy, screw, slut, whore, bloody, damn, darn, hell, Dago, Gook, nigger, Paddy, Paki and Spic 28 in total. They were then divided into four groups: Body parts and effluvia (ass, asshole, fart, piss, and shit,); Sex and insults related to sexuality (bastard, bitch, cock, cunt, dick, dyke, fag, fuck, motherfucker, pussy, screw, slut and whore); Religion (bloody, damn, darn and hell) and Racial insults (Dago, Gook, nigger, Paddy, Paki and Spic). The research included checking and noting the labels and the definitions used in separate dictionaries, as well as the examples (or the lack of examples), and comparing them. Analysis and results This comparative study answered the following questions: Which labels and warnings are used in dictionaries to warn the users about taboo words? How are taboo words defined in dictionaries? Are there any differences between dictionaries in the way the words used in the study are labelled and defined? Are there any example sentences in entries for taboo words? Which group of taboo words/ which individual taboo word is the most strongly marked? Labels. Every dictionary has labels assigned to words which inform the user of the status of the word and the register it is supposed to be used in. This research has shown that there are many ways of warning dictionary users about taboo words. The labels that are used to warn users about taboo words in Oxford Advanced Learners English Dictionary Online are: taboo, slang, informal, disapproving and offensive. The labels appear before the definition of the word; they are written in italics and bracketed. Alongside these labels, additional warnings can be found in the definition of the word. The additional labels are: very offensive, not polite, offensive, a swear word, and offensive to some people. The labels that refer to taboo words in Merriam- Webster Online Dictionary are: sometimes vulgar, often vulgar, usually vulgar, obscene, usually obscene, usually disparaging, often disparaging and usually offensive. The labels appear before the definition of the word, in italics. Only one additional label was found in the definition of the word- a generalized term of abuse. The labels for taboo words found in the Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary Online are: informal, very informal, slang, offensive and disapproving. The labels appear before the definition of the word and are written in capitals. Only one additional label was found in the definition of the word and that one is slightly rude. The labels that are used to warn users about taboo words in the Macmillan Online Dictionary are: impolite, offensive and informal. As in the case of the Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary Online, the labels appear before the definition of the word and are written in capitals. The additional labels found in the definition were extremely offensive and insulting. In the Longman English Dictionary Online, the labels for taboo words are: taboo, informal, not polite and slightly rude. The labels appear before the definition of the word in italics and in a different colour than the definition. The additional labels are: offensive, very offensive in combination with Do not use this word and insulting. What this overview shows is that every dictionary has its own system of labelling taboo words, with different words used as warning for the users. This is not surprising because every dictionary has its own labelling policy which is applied to all the words, not just taboo words. Some of the labels do appear in more than one dictionary, like offensive, informal and taboo. Generally speaking, it can be concluded that users are warned in an adequate way that taboo words are not appropriate, not only because of the labels themselves, but also because of the graphical layout of the labels (written in capitals, italics, or in another colour). However, one potential problem for dictionary users can be detected just by looking at the labels- words like often, sometimes, slightly and usually often modify labels for taboo words. This can create confusion, especially since definitions of most taboo words are not followed by examples. The user himself, especially if he is not a native speaker, cannot know in which cases he is allowed to use this word and in which it could have severe consequences. The only dictionary which explicitly states that some words should not be used at all is the Longman English Dictionary Online, with the label Do not use this word found in the definitions of the taboo words. Definitions. When it comes to the way taboo words are defined, there are two types of definitions used in the dictionaries examined in this research. The first type of definition is the synonym definition, in which just the synonym of the taboo word is given, usually a scientific or a more polite term, without any additional explanation, as in the case of the word cock in the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary Online : COCK- (taboo, slang) a penis. The second type of definition gives a scientifical explanation of the phenomenon which the taboo word denotes, as in the case of the word fart in the Merriam- Webster Online Dictionary: FART- often vulgar: to expel intestinal gas from the anus. Both types of definitions appear in all of the five dictionaries examined and they represent the standard way taboo or offensive words are usually defined in dictionaries. The goal they share is making taboo words and concepts seem less offensive. (joint 128). Examples. Another aspect of the treatment of taboo words in dictionaries that is worth looking at are examples of sentences or phrases that contain taboo words and words that collocate with them. There are many kinds of dictionaries, and not all of them provide examples for all the words they list, but by checking which taboo words have examples in most dictionaries, and which do not, it can be concluded which taboo words are the least offensive. If a dictionary offers an example, it actually shows the user how a word is supposed to be used and in a way gives permission for its usage. The word hell had an example in all of the five dictionaries examined, the words bastard, bloody, damn and darn in four, and the words shit and bitch in three. The rest of the words had an example in one or none of the dictionaries examined. This indicates that the words belonging to the group of taboo words related to religion are no longer considered very insulting, which can be confirmed by looking a t the labels used for these words- informal and impolite prevail, and three dictionaries do not even give any warning for some of the taboo words from this group. The fact that the words belonging to the group of taboo words related to religion aro no longer perceived as very offensive is in contrast with the fact that the historical root of swearing in English is religion (Pinker). Linguist interpret this phenomenon as a result of the secularization of Western culture. (Pinker) The words shit and bitch belong to two different groups of taboo words: shit belongs to the group that refers to body parts and effluvia, and bitch belongs to the group that refers to sex and insults related to sexuality. Both of the words belong to everyday speech, and are mostly labelled as impolite or informal, but also offensive in some dictionaries. Most offensive words. Determining the most offensive taboo word and taboo word group was the next step in this research. By simply comparing the labels, it was concluded that the most strongly marked group was the group consisting of words related to sexuality- words referring to sex (fuck, screw), sexual organs (cock, cunt, dick, pussy) and insults related to sexuality (bitch, dyke, fag, motherfucker, whore). These words were mostly labelled as very offensive, vulgar and obscene. Cunt is the most offensive word in this group. It was labelled as taboo/ slang/ very offensive (Oxford), usually disparaging obscene (Merriam- Webster), offensive (Cambridge), offensive/ extremely offensive (Macmillan), and taboo/ Do not use this word (Longman). Cunt has been the most seriously taboo word in English for centuries, remaining so for the vast majority of users, especially women, since it conveys strong misogynist connotations (Allan and Burridge 52). The most offensive individual taboo word o f the ones that were examined was the word nigger. All of the dictionaries strongly warn against this word, and Merriam- Webster calls it the most offensive and inflammatory racial slur in English. In other dictionaries it is labelled as very or extremely offensive, and Longman states that the words should not be used at all. Other words from the group consisting of insults on a racial or national basis (Gook, Dago, Spic, Paddy) are also strongly warned against, and usually labelled as offensive or very offensive. This implies that the world is moving towards tolerance when it comes to questions of race and nationality (but also sexual orientation and religion), and these kinds of insults are now completely unacceptable. Inconsistencies. There are certain inconsistencies between dictionaries in the way some taboo words are defined and labelled. This can be seen in the way the word slut is labelled in the dictionaries examined, as shown in Table 1. WORD: Slut Oxford ALD Online: disapproving, offensive Merriam- Webster Online: very informal Cambridge ALD Online: offensive, insulting Macmillan Online Dictionary: taboo informal, Longman English Dictionary Online: very offensive- Do not use this word Oxford, Macmillan and Longman consider slut more offensive than Cambridge does, while Merriam- Webster gives no warning whatsoever about this word being a taboo word. Since for every dictionary this word has a different degree of offensiveness, it can be concluded that the treatment of taboo words in dictionaries proves one of the initial claims made about taboo words- there is nothing inherently offensive or insulting in them. What makes them taboo is culturally, or even individually, determined, which is why even dictionaries cannot be uniform in the way they label taboo words. Conclusion This research paper has examined the entries for taboo words in five standard language dictionaries. The purpose was to see how taboo words were treated among other words that are acceptable in polite or formal conversation. Users are warned by the labels in dictionaries that taboo words should be avoided. The graphical layout of the labels is also used for this purpose. The labels are mostly different in all the dictionaries due to different labelling policies, but some are found in all of the dictionaries. A potential problem for dictionary users, especially second language learners, is the fact that labels are often accompanied by words such as sometimes, usually, slightly etc. In this case, the user cannot deduct from the labels when it is acceptable to use a certain taboo word and when it can have severe consequences. When defining taboo words, all of the dictionaries that were examined use two patterns: defining the taboo word with a more polite or scientific synonym, or by a s cientific explanation. The common goal of these two patterns is to make taboo words and what they designate seem less offensive. Through examining the entries for taboo words which contain examples, it was determined that only taboo words which are considered the least offensive have example sentences. The least offensive taboo words are the ones related to religion. By comparing labels it was concluded that the most offensive taboo words belong to the group related to sexuality, and that the most offensive individual taboo word is the word nigger. Inconsistencies found between the dictionaries in the way they label the same taboo words prove the assumption that there is nothing inherently insulting or offensive in taboo words- they are taboo because of the speakers of the language and the culture they belong to. A suggestion for further research is to historically track labels used for taboo words to see if the way they are perceived has changed and how and monitor if they will cha nge in the near future.

High Tech Cheating :: Academic Dishonesty Ethics

Academic misconduct is notion that encompasses multiple forms of academic deviance from cheating on a test and plagiarism to inappropriate collaboration. In today’s society, education is the key to every door; everyone needs it and will go by any means to obtain it. Furthermore, with advancements in technology and the internet, cheating for today’s aspiring student has become more accessible, portable and it has completely desensitized the concept of academic integrity. With this ever growing problem, educators are struggling to combat this academic deviance. In an effort to combat the use of technology to cheat in academia, teachers have pursued multiple avenues of prevention. One such method involves the direct banning of electronics in the classroom. A student caught even possessing such a device is accordingly punished. This method prevents the immediate use of cell phones, PDAs, music players, and other portable devices, but does not necessarily address such issues as plagiarism. Another method is to limit the accessibility to external networks such as the internet. If a student can’t access the World Wide [spelling error -- the preceding two words should be spelled as one word] Web from within the classroom, he or she is less capable of obtaining information posted online. The major problem with this approach is that some communication devices, such as cell phones, don’t require wireless access. Access to cell phone towers can sometimes be just as accommodating as the internet to a student during an exam. Yet another method utilized ["utilize" is an over-used word and has become hackneyed and a clichà ©. Use it only to mean "make good use of," as in "Many teachers utilize computers for instruction." For all other cases, prefer "use." ] by some educators to combat cheating using technology is to embrace technology in helping to monitor the activity of students during testing. One such professor went so far as to have the students use their PDA’s for quizzes. The catch was that the students had to use the same PDA’s they used throughout the semester and were required to log onto the course web site using an authentication code allowing them to take the test from the proper classroom at the proper time (Read, 2004, p. 3). In any method, the end result [Word use: these two words are redundant (one is either the same as the other or contained in it); eliminate the first with no change in meaning.

The Afro-American Newspaper Goes to War :: United States History African American Essays

The Afro-American Newspaper Goes to War The Baltimore-based newspaper The Afro-American has been in existence since 1892 under the proprietorship of the Murphy family, and by the 1940’s had forged a place at the forefront of African-American journalism. The newspaper is still in business today and is online at www.afro.com. Founded by John Murphy, a former slave, the Afro-American has grown from a church weekly to one of the nations leading black newspapers. The newspaper has used it’s column inches to campaign for the civil rights of African-Americans throughout the 20th century, from opposing the persistence of racist â€Å"Jim Crow† laws in the South to defending eminent figures such as W.E. DuBois and Paul Robeson during the McCarthy-era anti-communism of the 1950’s.[1] During World War 2, when the U.S. military was still segregated along racial lines The Afro-American sent correspondents to cover the fighting alongside the various black American units that served in both the European and P acific theatres. These men and one woman were relaying to an audience of Maryland and Washington D.C. African Americans the roles fulfilled by black American troops, fighting in a segregated military abroad. The primary impact of black and white Americans serving together was to be felt socially in the post-war years. The Civil Rights movement that gained momentum in the 1950’s owed much to the fact that many people engaged in war work during the 1940’s, who in peacetime would never interact with one another on grounds of race, were challenged by their shared wartime experiences. â€Å"The common danger, the common foe and hardships of battle are bringing American troops closer together†¦Soldier after soldier has told me he can never be narrow-minded again after seeing such widespread human suffering.†[2] Ollie Stewart, correspondent for The Afro American, 1944 Compared with the quality of contemporary reports filed by â€Å"embedded† reporters in the 21st century US military, filtered by both the Pentagon and major media networks, some of the copy from the Afro correspondents is surprising given the circumstances under which it was filed. Despite the circumstances of war the reports filed by Afro correspondents used a number of means to convey the reality of service in a segregated military without alarming the wartime censors, and did so with deep insight, humour and graphic accounts of the full spectrum of roles fulfilled by black service personnel. The Correspondents. Correspondents for the Afro American.

Dracula Extension Speech

From the ability to change physical form to a blood-thirsty nature society has always been morbidly fascinated with the concept of Dracula. It has not only seduced literature such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula but also infected mainstream music and film industries. Many composers have expanded and appropriated much of the vampire genre such as Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula and Slayer’s Bloodline. The ideas surrounding vampires has been of good versus evil, the nature of religion and immortality.It is due to these notions which allow us to assess the visual and literary techniques, and context of these texts where vampires have long grasped the general population’s interest. Bram Stoker’s Dracula deals with the concept of vampirism in a ‘black and white’ view. The main antagonist is seen as a demonic monster that defied the status quo and attacked the innocent. Stoker purposely uses the technique of writing the novel in first person of every character except for Dracula creating a sense of mystery and foreboding, as the characters and readers themself is uncertain about Dracula’s true nature.However, the reader is hinted that Dracula is characterised as a sinister monster by small occurrences such as his feeding of a young child to the three vampires where Jonathan recounts, ‘there was a gasp and a low wail, as a half-smothered child†¦ I was aghast’. This scene in the early chapters of the book highlights the inhumanity of Dracula where Stoker demonstrates that this character is not only evil but also void of any morals. However in later appropriations, the monster is no longer seen as pure evil, but in fact has the ability to be more humane.In Coppola’s Dracula the opening scenes showcase the creation of Dracula, demonstrating the transition from human to monster. Not only does this allow the audience to understand the existence of this monster but also empathise with this creature, blu rring the lines between good and evil. However the audience is still reminded that Dracula is still an evil monster despite him being given the human capacity of love as he feeds the three vampires a baby and says ‘Yes, I too can love. And I shall love again.    Despite this, Slayer’s Dracula sticks with the original characterisation of Stoker’s Dracula. The imagery that is used throughout Bloodline heavily coincides with the gothic motifs of vampirism such as ‘Blo11od fests’ and supernatural nocturnal manifestations such as ‘Night hides’ and ‘hunting packs. ’ Both Draculas are also void of human emotions and only seek to infect and destroy human lives. This is outlined when Stoker’s Dracula goes to England and attacks the innocent, where he forces Mina to become a vampire ‘flesh of my flesh’ by drinking his own blood as revenge to the slayers.This inhumane nature of Dracula attacking the innocent is al so portrayed throughout the chorus of Bloodline, ‘I'll kill you and your dreams tonight†¦Bleed your death upon me, Let your bloodline feed my youth. ’ Symbolism is a significant link between Stoker’s, Coppola’s and Slayer’s Dracula. Stoker and Slayer’s Dracula represents the anti-Christ, a forbidden entity which engaged readers from the repressed Victorian Era. It is through this symbolism that Dracula is portrayed as a supernatural evil where Stoker’s Dracula is repelled by any holy relics such as the crucifix.The believed ulterior motives of Dracula is made apparent by Slayer’s Dracula as he feels â€Å"Betrayed eternally’ by God and seeks to inflict his pain onto others as he chants ‘‘I’ll rip inside your soul, contaminating the world, defying God and son. ’ This strong inclination demonstrates the extent of how evil Dracula is and that his chosen actions are done to be the twisted paral lel of God’s. In addition, Dracula’s blood consumption in all three texts acts as a perverse parallel of the Holy Communion as it is gruesomely similar to Christian believers who re-enact the ‘drinking’ of Christ’s blood.However Dracula’s strength comes from consuming people’s blood rather than giving it freely, as Renfield suggests, ‘The blood is the life! ’ in an epiphany whilst undertaking his sadistic experiments. This is evident as Stoker’s and Coppola’s Dracula grows stronger as Lucy’s health continues to deteriorate after his feeding on her. However society’s fascination is not based purely on the occult of the vampire but rather the more alluring attribute of being immortal. Stoker’s Dracula represents a creature that does not age nor fall ill, aspects which society today continues to strive to obtain.Thus a time limit is of no great significance to Dracula as he continues his att acks on turning many innocent people into vampires and in turn, inflict the same curse onto them as he states ‘My revenge has just begun! I spread it over centuries and time is on my side. † Similarly, Slayer’s Dracula also deals with the concept of immortality where he also feels the desire to attack innocent people as he states ‘I will live forever†¦ in my veins your eternity. ’ Both these characters are obsessed with turning masses of people into their own kind with the knowledge that immortality comes at a grave rice- a trade up for the soul. This price however is acknowledged by Coppola’s Dracula as he cannot bring himself to completely turn Mina due to his feelings for her. This decision allows the audience to empathise with Dracula as he is given a human emotion of compassion where he cannot bear to let Mina be cursed to live a life of being hated, feared and soulless. This is shown during the scenes when Dracula has cut open his ve in for her to drink but stops her as he exclaims ‘You’ll be cursed as I am†¦I love you too much to condemn you. Thus the concept of immortality is an object of desire by Mina as she yearns to live eternally with Dracula but this resistance by him allows the audience to witness the little ‘good’ that he has and in turn, demonstrates that society’s fascination of immortality should be viewed as a curse rather than blessing. Throughout the analysis of these texts, it is apparent that the key elements of Dracula are good versus evil, the role of religion and immortality.It is due to these elements which capture our interest in the concept of vampirism where we are continually enticed to delve into the darker realms of an occult and explore the concept of immortality. Stoker’s Dracula as well as its appropriations effectively portrays the possessive nature of this character where there is a dependency on people’s blood for life as well as the ease of manipulating victims into giving their life force which accounts for the obsessive fascination of Dracula.

Foundations of Human Services Worksheet Essay

1. Identify the four themes of human services. The four major themes of human services according to the chapter are one problem in living human beings not being able to meet their own needs all the time. Second the growth number of problems in modern world helps with people not able to get help from family or the community. Third self-sufficiency giving people the tools needed to provide for themselves. And last, social care is assisting clients in meeting their social needs, with the focus on those who cannot care for themselves, social control in who receives services and under what conditions they receive them and rehabilitation is the task of returning an individual to a prior level of functioning. 2. Identify professional disciplines that influence human services. Sociology examines ways in which human societies influence the people who live in them. Sociology helps the human service field by trying to understand the differences within human culture. Also to understand the surroundings of life affect their living, like family structure, roles within the family, gender, race, and poverty. Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. It embraces the affects of human functions of the brain from childhood to old age. And for Anthropology is the study of culture, physical, and society. 3. How have societal viewpoints concerning mental illness or health influenced human services over the past three centuries? The societal view point in the beginning was people who were mentally ill were treated as if they were physically ill. In hospitals and they lived in atrocious conditions and were treated with brutality and cruelty; customary treatment methods was bleeding, restraint, and cold showers. Then occupational therapy, amusements, and exercise were introduced. Over the years the bad treatment in hospitals was closed and some stopped and centers was open in patient out patient, and groups homes now help with the treatment of mental illness. It is not treated as one illness for everyone but as an illness for just that person. 4. How have societal viewpoints concerning child welfare influenced human services over the past three centuries? Societal viewpoints went institutions multiplying, as the public demanded the removal of children from almshouses. Unfortunately, juvenile institutions were not always an improvement, and overcrowded conditions and poor care prompted the establishment of a system that placed children in private homes. To having foster parents and rules of child care in place that must be followed. There are now services in place for children that max out of the system to get help with food, education, and housing. Families can now get child care, the Earned Income Tax Credit, food stamps, and Medicaid to help take care of their children. 5. How have societal viewpoints concerning incarceration and probation influenced human services over the past three centuries? According to the chapter the probation system we have today started back in 1813. Things have been added to it along the way, like meeting with the prisoners before they are set free into the world to see if they have somewhere to go and if they need help with housing, food and employment. Today probation is given by a judge and can be also given after serving time in prison. There are probation officers in place to make sure that they are following the laws, getting help to get off of probation and live in the real world. 6. Explain how political and legislative changes have affected client care. Over the time political and legislation have changed laws. To make things work for the people and the government. Rules and guidelines put in place for human service workers to follow to help clients with their needs. Also with guidelines and rules for clients to have to follow so they can receive government assistance. The rules are still changing today due to the amount of need and the limited funds available. Guidelines are changing who can qualify for help and who don’t. Also the amount of children you can claim. Changes will always change for good and bad as time go on until legislation finds what works for all equally.

Impact of Recent Changes in Capitalism on Social and Economic Status of Women

Introduction The history of women and their oppression has been well documented in literature. Several authors have explored the origin of women oppression. Women’s oppression has its roots in capitalism which has existed for many centuries (Stuart & Martin 1989). Their oppression is of course not unique to capitalism as it has been there since the colonial times and through the 19th century and 20th. However, over the past few decades, we have observed significant changes in capitalism which has impacted on the status of women. Many changes have been observed some of which are positive and others which take a more gloomy view. In this respect, this paper explores how the recent changes in capitalism have affected the social and economic status of women. In particular, the paper considers how post-Fordism and neoliberalism have altered women’s socio-economic position. Changes such as industrialization, urbanization, internationalization, globalization and modernization will be discu ssed in detail. The paper will examine how the concurrent cultural shifts have interacted with these socio-economic transformations and determine what the overall impact of these different factors has been. An exploration of this topic will be incomplete without examining the origin of capitalism and the rise of post fordism and neoliberalism. History of capitalism and crisis of fordism The origin of capitalism remains shrouded in the mists of history. Its exact birth date is speculated to be anywhere between the 14th century and the 17th century (Stuart & Martin 1989). Capitalism emerged from a feudal society and is linked to Europe’s economic system of the late 1700s (Price 2005). It is argued to have begun with the enclosure of common land used by peasants, and development of merchant capital and slave trade in western Europe (Price 2005). Rich landowners appropriated public land and made it their own private land, thereby creating a landless working class which provided the needed labour to develop industries (Harvey 1989). Fordism, a regime characterized by mass production, emerged in the early 20th century. It became dominant in the advanced capitalism during the postwar reconstruction. It was characterized by the mass production of homogenous consumer products, use of rigid technology, increased productivity, rising income which is dependent on product ivity, increased profitability and investments, and homogenization and intensification of labour (Clarke 1990). Fordism gave birth to the current phenomenon of ‘mass worker’. The fordist regime adopted a set of cultural norms and values which continued to oppress women. The regime supported the male breadwinner model where women were seen as mothers and house wives while men worked in paid labour (Castell 1996). Gender relations under this regime required women to work without pay while the male subject was remunerated. However, fordist regime had its limits which were technical, social and economic in nature. Technical limits were mainly the exhaustion and the intensification of labour (Clarke 1990). The economic limits included decrease in profitability which was a result of the rising wages and declining productivity. Social limits were related to the growing demands of mass worker. Post-fordism and neoliberalism Given the crisis of fordism, a new form of ‘post-fordist regime’ emerged which was characterized by the growing differentiation of products, new technologies, more flexible production methods, and greater skill and flexibility, and increased involvement of women in paid labour (Burrow & Loader 2003). Post-fordism emerged primarily due to three main driving forces: internationalization, technology revolution, and as a result of the paradigm shift from fordism to post-fordism (Broomhill 2001). Introduction of the welfare system and the rise of women movement in the post-fordist regime led to the abandonment of the male breadwinner model and women’s financial independence (Broomhill 2001). Several historical events have transformed the social landscape including technological revolution, demise of international communist movement and the collapse of Soviet statism (Castell 1996). Proliferation of technologies centred on information systems have reshaped the social la ndscape and accelerated the pace of development of the society. Moreover, the rise of globalization has led to a new form of relationship between states and economies (Castell 1996). All these changes have been driven and shaped by the neo-liberal thought. Neoliberalism has led to the increasing globalization, decentralization, de-regulation of the market, organizational restructuring, growth and consolidation of transnational corporations, and ‘free marketization’ which has reduced the old state and contractual controls (Acker 2004). Furthermore, new forms of flexibility in employment relations including part-time and online forms of working have emerged, changing the working environment. Post-fordism and neoliberal policies have resulted in the feminization of labour and made men and women both similar in the public sphere (Broomhill 2001). Impact on women’s economic and social status These changes in capitalism have had profound yet contradictory impact on the economic and social status of women. While it has to a large extent improved women’s socio-economic status by undermining older forms of male dominance, it has to some extent worsened their life conditions (Beck et al. 2001). On the positive side, post-Fordism and neoliberalism have altered women’s socio-economic position and disrupted the settled economies that supported patriarchy structures. Post-fordist relations of production have resulted in the inclusion of women in paid labour force. Neoliberal policies have increased flexibility in employment. These changes have changed the way women view themselves and challenged the patriarchic view of domination of women by the men (McRobbie 2008). And since domination essentially occurs through construction of reality, if the women subjects do not internalize patriarchalism, then its demise is just a matter of time. While some religion in some cou ntries, especially Islam, continue to re-state the sanctity of the patriarchal family, its disintegrations is evident in many countries. Women in many countries have joined the paid workforce and even conquered legal parity at work. However, their inclusion in the paid labour force does not necessarily imply that they were relieved of the burden of Partriachalism. It might be that despite working for pay, women still continue with their role of providing domestic and caring labour at home. Nonetheless, their liberation from oppression is clearly evident across the globe. The number of women in paid workforce has been increasing gradually over the years. Estimates indicate that women currently account for about 42% of the global workforce with majority of them employed in the health sector (75%) (WHO 2008). Not only has their economic status improved, their social status has improved as well. Women are increasingly being seen as equals to men including in politics where they were ess entially absent. The political system in many countries has opened up to female leadership. The participation of women in leadership positions and politics is clearly evident in the recent presidential elections in the US where Hillary Clinton contested against President Barack Obama. Many more women leaders have emerged all over the world with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia being the most popularly known in Africa, having won as the first ever female president in Africa. Others include the German chancellor Angela Merkel, President Cristina Fernandez of Argentina, Prime minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh, President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil and many more (Aguirre et al. 2012). The list is certainly endless. In addition, the education system has become more open to the girl child including in fundamentalist countries such as Iran which have seen a growing number of women graduates (Castell 1996). The affirmation and recognition of women’s values, the growing wome n movements and critique of patriarchalism are some of the most important transformations that have contributed to the new status of women. Feminism As women movements continue to fight for their autonomy and recognition of women’s values, the more has feminism diversified. A new frontier has emerged based on the notion of ‘degendering’ of the society which implies a society free from gender associations or rather one that moves beyond gender (Murphy 2011). This new frontier in feminism has superseded the old battles that existed between equality feminism and difference feminism. By mobilizing women to oppose patriarchalism and to defend their rights, feminism has transformed to the point of canceling the distinction between men and women (Sulivan 2007). Men and women are now largely viewed as individuals with meaningful existence, liberating them from the patriarchic burden of responsibilities. This has certainly been very helpful in achieving a more equal society. Women’s role in the development of the economy is increasingly being recognized. Available evidence indicates women to be powerful drivers of economic growth. A study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research found the high rate of women employment to be the driving force of the US economy. The study found that, if women had not entered the workforce over the last 30 years, the economy would have been 11% less. Today, we see several institutions including the World Bank and the Department for International Development (DFID) campaigning for more involvement of women in economic development (Aguirre et al. 2012). According to the World Bank, encouraging the growth of women entrepreneurs is as sure way of fighting poverty. Women are poised to drive the global economy in the next coming decades. Estimates indicate that nearly 1 billion of women across the world might join paid labour over the coming decade (Aguirre et al. 2012). Criticism While there seems to be a progress in women’s socio-economic status driven by post-fordist relations and the neoliberal policies pursued by the several states, some countries continue to follow partriarchalism. Despite its inevitable demise, some countries tend to still follow partriarchal lines which subordinate women under men’s dominance. A good example can be seen with Saudi Arabia. A woman’s place in Saudi Arabia is still in the home. Saudi women continue to walk in the shadow of their men. For example, despite their obvious presence, they are not allowed to participate in the public sphere (Hamdan 2005). They are viewed as non-existing in the public sphere and are silenced in public life. They continue to be subordinated to male individuals in both private and public sectors despite their qualifications. While a progress seems to have been made with respect to their education, at the core of women’s education is sex segregation. Education in Saudi co ntinues to support the prevailing gender structures, implying lower social status of Saudi women (Hamdan 2005). Perhaps more shocking news is the fact that Saudi Women are not allowed to drive. While religious reasons are generally given for denying women the right to drive, it is clear that their place is still in the home. Also, even though many women have progressed economically due to their inclusion in workforce, only a few of them work in the management positions. In spite of the increasing number of women in workplace, many of them are concentrated in the lower-status occupations. For example, while the health sector comprise of 75% of the women workforce, they are concentrated n the lower status working either as nurses and midwifery personnel or as ‘caring’ cadres (WHO 2008). They are largely underrepresented at the managerial level and specialist categories such as dentists, pharmacists, and physicians. Feminist critique of sexism seems to have given justifica tion to new forms of exploitation and oppression. With more women joining the paid workforce, the ‘family wage’ model central to state-organized capitalism which viewed men as the ‘breadwinners’ and women as ‘home makers’ has now been replaced by the newer, more modern norm of ‘two-earner’ family (Fraser 2013). While this may sound like good news, the reality is that post-fordism and neoliberal ideas have resulted in depressed wage levels, increased job insecurity, exacerbation of double shifts and the increase in the number of working hours (Fraser 2013). What was once the ‘family wage’ in capitalism has now been replaced by a low-waged work. Majority of their work has not really brought liberation rather a ‘tedious reality’ far from the perceived image of a working woman (Frank 1999). They remain relegated to lower positions at work. Even with many women being employed either in full or part-time positio ns, they are not getting to the ‘top’. Also, where their role is clearly evident, women continue to suffer from some level of hostility and public disapproval. For example, when it comes to journalism, women have proved flexible and able to forge new approaches. Their adaptability to new approaches is clearly evident with their news coverage of the September 11 events, the overthrow of Taliban forces and the bombing of Afghanistan (Chambers 2004). Women journalists developed different angles in their approach to war journalism, thereby attracting more news audiences. Yet despite the critical role that they played, a heated public debate emerged about the risks of reporting in war zones. It is clear that despite their liberation from oppression, women are still defined in terms of men. As wives and mothers, women clearly continue to suffer from some level of hostility and public disapproval that men with families do not ( Chambers 2004 p.13) In addition, some recent even ts have pointed to the renewed crisis of capitalism. There is currently a crisis of profitability which is facing capitalism. The profit rates are falling and many firms have been laying off workers. British capitalism is particularly in a crisis given its relatively weak position compared to other imperialist nations (FRFI 2013). The current focus on the growth of the private sector implies that priority has been placed on industrial development over social objectives. Workers wages have been cut to a massive extent and unemployment seems to be growing. Given this crisis, capitalism is now insisting on women returning to their traditional roles as domestic workers (FRFI 2013). Neoliberal ideas contributing to sexism While the recent changes experienced by capitalism seem to have contributed to the recognition of women as gender equals, recent developments continue to enact sexism. For example, many advertisements of today show nude pictures of women. What this means is that the male gaze is invited and encouraged as women continue to become objects of the gaze. Moreover, many clubs continue to feature young women stripping, lap-dancing and flashing out their breasts in public (McRobbie 2009). A hyper-culture of commercial sexuality seem to be growing, an aspect that is clearly a repudiation of feminism. Even the young women journalists who through their education are ‘gender aware’ refuse to condemn such acts of commercial sexuality. It seems like the new female Subject is called upon by the society to withhold critique and to remain silent despite her freedom. Consumer and popular culture seem to be introducing invidious forms of gender re-stabilization by pretending to support fem ale success yet tying the female subject to new post-feminist neurotic dependencies (McRobbie 2009). In order to be considered a modern sophisticated girl, the female subjects choose to withhold their critique despite their obvious image as sexual objects of men’s gaze. With the progress seen with women’s socio-economic status, one might think that the feminists are happy to see the things they fought so hard to have come true. However, what has emerged is different from what was desired (Cornwall et al 2008). Neoliberal values seem to have created space under which women can be further oppressed and their core values undermined. The culture of neoliberalism has led to the idea of self-sufficiency and free choice. All that one has to do is to compete in the market place. Some women have even gone to great lengths to make themselves acceptable to the world of work by performing cosmetic surgery under the illusion of having freedom choice to make their own decisions (Gup ta 2012). Yet some of their work goes against their core values. Many women have ventured into the sex industry under the illusion of having control over their lives. They have chosen this kind of work in the spirit of freedom of expression of their sexuality and believe that the work is liberation from the drudgery of cleaning jobs (Gupta 2012). However, the so called freedom of expression is actually reducing them to the status of ‘commodity’ and as objects of ‘men gaze’. Feminism which once fought for the liberation of women from oppression has become entangled in a dangerous liaison with neoliberal efforts to build a free market society (Fraser 2013). It has led to the notion of ‘freedom of choice’ which ultimately has given rise to prostitution. Feminists’ perspective on prostitution, however, is an interesting one. Feminists argue that prostitutes are social workers and have in fact used their social concepts to contend for decrimi nalization of prostitution (Sullivan 2007). Feminists have formed strong links with prostitutes resulting in advances in the area of prostitution law reform. The feminist position of the sex industry is one that empowers women as long as they choose to participate. But what is progressive about women’s participation in prostitutionCan women really progress by becoming sexual objects and objects of male gazeWhat is revolutionary about legalizing prostitutionIn fact, legalizing prostitution just makes women to become sexual commodities. The fight against sexism that has long been fought for by feminists seems to have ended up again to encouraging it. The progress in women that we have seen so far will not continue if women continue to follow neoliberal ideology that values individual ‘choice’ and ‘freedom’ over emancipation. Selling their bodies will not provide them with independence and empowerment that they seek but rather it will just reinforce mal e power and privilege. Trafficking of women and children Further, neoliberal ideology has led to the growing trafficking of women and children. This is particularly evident in Asia and the pacific region where human trafficking has grown to become a booming business. Millions of children in the pacific region are traded to work in brothels or sweatshops. Human trafficking has not grown by accident but as a result of free trade and structural adjustments brought about by neo-liberalism. Sex trafficking is currently a growing market in some parts of Eastern Europe, most notably Romania and Albania (FRFI 2013) Conclusion There is no doubt that the socio-economic status of women has improved following the recent changes in capitalism. This is evident in their inclusion in the paid workforce, their enrollment in eductation and increased participation in the public sphere including in politics. However, to some extent, these changes have painted a gloomy picture with regard to the status of women. A vast majority of them continue to occupy positions at the low levels of the organization. Also they continue to suffer from some level of hostility and public disapproval. Neoliberal ideology has led to their increasing commodification and increased trafficking of women and children. A hyper-culture of commercial sexuality seem to be growing, an aspect that is clearly a repudiation of feminism. Nonetheless, a huge progress has been made. Today, there are many successful women in the capitalist society. In fact, many women seem to have embraced the capitalism and showed support of it due to their improved soc ial and economic status. If their status is to be further improved in post-fordist employment, policy initiatives must address the issues of women’s employment, skills and training (Burrows & Loader 2003). Furthermore, there is need for public policy to challenge the polarized labour market that has emerged from post-fordism. Neo-liberal policies which support the development of a polarized market are socially divisive. Also, feminist scholars need to caution Women against prostitution. Selling their bodies will not provide them with independence and empowerment that they seek but rather it will just reinforce male power and privilege Reference Acker, J., 2004. ‘Gender, capitalism and globalization’. Critical Sociology, vol. 30 (1), pp.17-41 Aguirre, D., Hoteit, L., Rupp, C. and Sabbagh, K., 2012. Empowering the third billion women and the world of work in 2012. Booz & Company McRobbie, A., 2008. The Aftermath of Feminism: Gender, culture and social change, pp. 1-95. Zygmunt, B., 2001. The Individualized Society. Polity press. Beck, Ulrich & Elizabeth Beck-Gernsheim, 2001. Individualization: institutionalized individualism and its social and political consequences. Sage publishers. Broomhill, R., 2001. ‘Neoliberal globalism and the local state: a regulation approach’. Journal of Australian Political Economy , No.48 Burrow, R. and Loader, B.D., 2003. Towards a post-fordist welfare stateLondon: Routledge Castells, M., 1996. The Power of Identity. Blackwell Castells, M., 1996. The Rise of the Network Society. Blackwell Chambers, D., Steiner, L and Fleming, C., 2004. Women and journalism. Routledge Clarke, S., 1990. The crisis of Fordism and the crisis of capitalism. University of Warwick. Cornwall, A., Gideon, J. and Wilson, K., 2008. ‘Introduction: reclaiming feminism: gender and neoliberalism’. IDS Bulletin, vol. 39 (6) Franks, S., 1999. Having None of It: Men, Women and the Future of Work, Granta. FRFI, 2013. Women’s oppression under capitalism. Revolutionary Communist Group [viewed on 3rd May 2014] available from http://www.revolutionarycommunist.org/index.php/women-s-oppression/2850-women-s-oppression-under-capitalism Gupta, R., 2012. Has neoliberalism knocked feminism sideways[viewed on 3rd May 2014] available from http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/rahila-gupta/has-neoliberalism-knocked-feminism-sideways Hamdan, A., 2005. ‘Women and education in Saudi Arabia: challenges and achievements’. International Education Journal, vol.6 (1), pp.42-64 Harvey, Da., 1989. The Condition of Postmodernity. Blackwell. Jessop, B., 2008. Post-fordism and the state, UK, Lancaster Murphy, M., 2011. A progressive dialogue: building a progressive feminist movement in neo-liberal times. [viewed on 3rd May 2014] available from http://rabble.ca/news/2011/10/progressive-dialogue-building-progressive-feminist-movement-neo-liberal-times Price, R.G., 2005. Understanding capitalism part IV: Capitalism, culture and society. [Viewed on 2nd May 2014] available from http://www.rationalrevolution.net/articles/capitalism_culture.htm Stuart, H and Martin J, 1989. New Times: The Changing Face of Politics in the 1990s. Lawrence & Wishart Whelan, Imelda, 2000. Overloaded: Popular Culture and the Future of Feminism, The Women’s Press. Sullivan, B., 2007. Feminist approaches to the sex industry. Australia: University of Queensland World Health Organization (WHO), 2008. Gender and health workforce statistics. World Health Organization.

Sarah’s Night

Sarah wanted to impress them. Maybe Sara did not have many friends, and she wanted to make sure to make a good Impression on these new friends. New friends can be exciting, and the thought of going to a party excited her more because she had never been to a party. Sarah was trying to impress these friends by doing things she had never done. The ways Sarah displayed cognitive dissonance was her excitement of having new friends, and doing something different, but at the same mime she was uneasy about going to the party because she knew she should be home and was worried that she may get caught, and get Into trouble with her parents.She still had fun at the party and was glad that she went, but she still knew she should have been at home, and should have obeyed her parent's rules. Sara conformed to her peer†s beliefs by going to the party with them. They told her how much fun she would have, and she would be missing out if she did not go. Sara gave into peer pressure. Even though she knew this would cause problems with her parents, she anted her new friends to like her. That is why she gave into the peer pressure.Sara also had the excitement of going to the party. She had never been to a party before and was excited as well as curious. Some of the reasons Jack was Interested In Sara was because he found her attractive, they both lived In the same neighborhood, and when they started talking they found out they had the same taste in music, and had some of the same hobbies. These are related to the factors of attraction. Physical attraction because Jack said Sara was beautiful. Proximity because Jack and Sara lives n the same neighborhood.Similarity because they found out they have the same taste In music, and had some of the same hobbles. Aggression was the type of social Interaction displayed through the fight at the party. The aggression started as yelling, and quickly turned into a physical fight. We are not sure what started the fight. It could have starte d as a simple misunderstanding, or maybe of the guys was talking to the other's girlfriend, and that started a fight. It could have been a case of bullying, alcohol may have been involved as well. There were also teens from different spinsterhood at the party.This could be an issue If one is from a better part of town, so he thinks he may be better than the teen that does not have as much. Social even Sara and her friends. Up to the point of the fight, everyone was having a nice time at the party, but that stopped almost everyone's good time. Sarah's behavior was mostly influenced by her friends almost all night long. Starting off when they wanted her to go to the party. I'm sure she felt pressure, and wanted to fit in with her new friends. I believe that is why she said yes to them, and went to the party.Obviously Sara knows right from wrong, but at 15 years old, she succumbed to peer pressure. Teenagers are easily more influenced at this age because they want to fit in with their friends. Sara was worried about get caught, and getting into trouble with her parents, but she knew she always had listened her parents, and never got into trouble. This made her think it would be all right, and she would not get into much trouble if she went to the party because she had never been in trouble. Sara and her friends were influenced to leave the party because of the fight that broke out.If not for the fight, I am sure they would have stayed much longer. Looking back on the night, I am sure Sara may have had mixed emotions. Some positive, and some negative. On the positive she got to experience her first party with her new friends, and she met a boy at the party. On the negative she probably let her parents down by breaking curfew, and had them worried about her. Sara had to wonder if it were worth lying to her parents to have fun, or is her new friends, and the party more important. This is something Sara will need to have a look at in her life.

An Overview of Delta Dental Insurance Essay Example for Free

An Overview of Delta Dental Insurance Essay This paper provides an overview of Delta Dental – one of the most successful health care companies in the United States. As good oral health becomes more essential of Americans’ healthy lifestyle, Delta Dental insurance plans help more than 59.5 million people to be covered on their plans. By describing the outline of Delta Dental’s history and current structure, this article focuses on how Delta Dental insurance has grown and improved access and overall health status. Also, this paper explores strengths and weaknesses (especially with healthcare delivery point of view) as well as makes comparison with other dental insurances companies to reveal that why Delta Dental is better and more successful than others. Finally, the future plans of Delta Dental about how to improve oral care delivery of services to clients and enrollees, as well as how it fared compare to its peer insurance companies are initialed at the end of the paper. Keywords: dental benefits programs, strengths and weaknesses, multiple types, expanding, effective benefits Many people in the world may have best access to oral health care, yet millions are unable to get basic dental care. Poor oral hygiene has significant impact on overall personal health. Researches show that poor oral hygiene increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and poor birth outcome. That’s why nobody can deny the importance of oral health care. According to many statistics insurance companies that play a pivotal role in improving oral health care of the communities, we will focus on the Delta Dental insurance and how growth of the company improved access and overall health status. Delta Dental insurance was established in 1966. Over the years it faces many challenges to expand and increase access of dental care in community. The efforts paid the Delta Dental as widely accepted by community. This paper focuses on challenges Delta Dental had to face to build its pillar in the market. After evolution, Delta Dental insurance exponentially expanded due to its benefits and low primer. Over the years it has made strategies so that many people prefer Delta Dental over other insurances for maximum benefits, which helped improve oral health care. This paper will also highlight some of those strategies. Compare to other dental insurance company, Delta Dental insurance provide wide coverage and offer maximum benefits. This is a unique characteristic of the Delta Dental. We will talk about current structure of the Delta Dental and its future about how to improve oral care delivery of services to clients and enrollees, as well as how it fared compare to its peer insurance companies. Finally, the paper will mention about the future plan of the Delta Dental. In order to increase access to oral health care, in 1954, a group of dentists formed a dental service corporation in California, Oregon and Washington. It was lead by Washington Dental Service (WDS), and initiated by providing service to organized labor unions. Later, it expanded its services to all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Delta dental is now a fifteen billion dollar a year nationwide group providing dental insurance to 59 million Americans, making it one of the largest non-profits in the country (â€Å"Our Mission & History†, n.d.). Washington Dental Service was joined by more local organizations, which then created Delta Dental Plans Association (DDPA) in 1966. Shortly a year after, WDS partnered with the International Association of Machinists, which was the first step into creating a multi-state dental benefits program. There was a growing number of out of state subscribers, and therefore in order to meet their needs WDS worked with other Delta Dental member companies and Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association members, to continue serving its clients. It provided coverage until 1980’s this way (â€Å"Our Mission & History†, n.d.). The program continued as such until a bid was won by Delta Dental of California being chosen as the dental benefits carrier for the Office of the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (OCHAMPUS) program. In order for the administration of this very large account to be centralized, other member companies agreed to share its provider data with Delta Dental of California sharing the administrative income and risk. As a result of this change, the National Provider File (NPF), and the establishment in 1990 of Delta USA — was created, the company responsible for overseeing dentist data and enabling the administration of national business (â€Å"Our Mission & History†, n.d.). Currently, there are 39 independent Delta Dental member companies operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. As one of the largest dental benefits provider DDPA provides coverage to more than 59.5 million people enrolled in more than 97,000 groups. The company was named Dental Care until 1970’s and then it officially changed its name to Delta Dental (â€Å"About Us Home†, n.d.). All Delta Dental companies are members, or affiliate of members, of the Delta Dental Plans Association – a network of 39 Delta Dental companies throughout the country. Delta Dental companies range from multi-state to single state (â€Å"About Us Home†, n.d.). The multi-state programs consist of the following: Started in 1969, it provides coverage to over 1.5 million residents of New Jersey and Connecticut (â€Å"Delta Dental of New Jersey†, n.d.). * Delta Dental Plan of Michigan Michigan Dental Service (MDS) was established in 1957, and in 1963 it received its non-profit status. In 1980 MDS expanded to Ohio and Indiana. In early 2006, Delta Dental of Michigan, with its affiliates in Ohio and Indiana, and Tennessee, signed an affiliation agreement under a new nonprofit holding company to strengthen their market positions and increase the number of Americans with dental benefits. In 2009, Delta Dental of Kentucky and Delta Dental of New Mexico affiliated with the family of companies. The newest affiliate, Delta Dental of North Carolina, joined the enterprise in 2010. Currently they cover 8.8 million individuals (â€Å"Delta Dental of Michigan†, n.d.). It was founded in 1969, and later expanded to North Dakota. It is the largest program in the upper Midwest, serving 7500 Minnesota based on purchasing groups and 3.8 million members nationwide (â€Å"Delta Dental of Minnesota†, n.d.). Delta Dental of Missouri started 50 years ago and has offered dental and vision benefits in the states of Missouri and South Carolina. More than 1,800 companies in Missouri and South Carolina have selected Delta Dental as their dental benefits carrier. The Delta-Vision plan started in 2011 (â€Å"Delta Dental of Missouri†, n.d.). Dentegra is not affiliated with Delta Dental Plans Association. However, this insurance company is authorized by Delta Dental Plans Association to market and underwrites certain national Delta Dental programs. This plan covers 23 million Americans. It serves the states of: Alabama, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Texas, Utah, Virgin Islands, West Virginia (â€Å"Why do more than†, n.d.). Hawaii Dental Service (HDS) is the first and largest nonprofit dental service corporation in Hawaii providing dental benefit plans to more than a half million members. This plan was incorporated on February 15, 1962, and soon 221 licensed dentists became charter members. HDS serves Guam, Hawaii and Northern Mariana Islands (â€Å"Caring, Visionary Dentists From HDS†, n.d.). NDD offers the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, providing quality dental care to millions of residents (â€Å"Northeast Delta Dental†, n.d.). This plan covers Alaska and Oregon. A research to find affordable dental health by Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union, led them to find Oregon Dental Service in 1955(â€Å"A trailblazer in health†, n.d.). * The single state companies include: Delta Dental of Arizona that started in 1972. Delta Dental of Arkansas, Delta Dental of Colorado began in 1958. Delta Dental of Idaho, Delta Dental of Illinois, Delta Dental of Iowa, Delta Dental of Kansas, Delta Dental of Massachusetts, Delta Dental of Nebraska, Delta Dental of Oklahoma, Delta Dental of Rhode Island, Delta Dental of South Dakota, Washington Dental Service, Delta Dental of Wisconsin, Delta Dental of Wyoming (â€Å"Delta Dental: Members†, n.d.). Delta Dental offers various plans for individuals, families and enrollees. There are 39 member companies of Delta Dental and each of them provides a variety of dental benefits programs. It also forms contacts with small and large business companies to provide dental insurance coverage for their employees (â€Å"Products and Plans†, n.d.). The various plans offered are the following: 1. Delta Dental Premier ®: This is their traditional fee-for-service plan with largest dentist network with more than four out of five nation’s dentist participating (â€Å"Delta Dental Premier ®Ã¢â‚¬ , n.d., p. 2). It allows patients to get treated by any licensed dentist and also can change dentists at any time without notifying Delta Dental. The main attraction for this plan is that you do not have to pay more than the co-insurance percentage specified by your coverage (â€Å"Delta Dental’s plans†, n.d.). The participating dentists agree to accept pre-negotiated fees and are prohibited from billing more. 2. Delta Dental PPOâ„  : This is a mid-priced fee-for-service plan with the secondary largest dentist network. It has an option to get treated by any dentists and still have lower out-of-pocket costs because the dentists in this network have agreed to do so (â€Å"Delta Dental’s plans†, n.d.). It also has a Delta Dental PPO plus Premier plan which includes all the benefits of Delta Dental PPO and also allows for a patient to see a Delta Dental Premier dentist with benefits of that dentist’s contracted fee (â€Å" Delta Dental PPOâ„   †, n.d.). 3. DeltaCare ® USA: It is a HMO-type prepaid plan with a large network of participating dentists. You must select a dentist from their network for this plan. The main features are there is no annual deductibles, no maximums for covered benefits and set copayments (â€Å"Delta Dental’s plans†, n.d .). 4. Delta Dental Individual and Family: Individual and its family can get the same quality dental benefits as provided by the employers under this plan. Delta Dental offers different plans in different states (â€Å"Delta Dental Individual and Family†, n.d.). 5. Delta Dental Legion ®: It is also known as TRICARE Retiree Dental Program. â€Å"The first and only dental benefits plan created by Congress especially for Uniformed Services retirees and their family members and administered by Delta Dental of California.†(â€Å"TRICARE Retiree Dental Program†, n.d.). 6. Delta Dental Patient Direct ®: It is a dental discount plan for individual, families and groups that do not have dental benefits. The patients choose dentists from the network and pay them directly with the discount price at the time of their treatment. No paper work is required and it is available in the selected markets only (â€Å"Delta Dental Patient Direct ®Ã¢â‚¬ , n.d.). 7. DeltaVision ®: This is vision benefit plan, which is offered in the selected markets only. It includes various pre-negotiated pricing eye-care services, such as professional eye exams, eyewear, contact lenses and laser vision correction (â€Å"DeltaVision ®Ã¢â‚¬ , n.d.). 8. Delta Dental Member Companies: â€Å"They serve nearly one-third of the estimated 173 million Americans with Dental insurance, providing dental insurance coverage to more than 54 million people in more than 93,000 groups across the nation.†(â€Å"Delta Dental Member Companies†, n.d.). There are other plans which are available in few selected populations and states like the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Dental Insurance Plan which is exclusively for AARP members and the Costco Group Dental Plan for the Individuals and Families, which is available only in California (â€Å"Delta Dental’s plans, n.d.). Strengths and weaknesses (especially with healthcare delivery point of view): Delta Dental is the largest dental care carrier in the United States, and they provide coverage to more than 59.5 million people enrolled in more than 97,000 groups. The strengths are obviously regarding to the high level access of the dental care. Many years ago, most of people lost their teeth by middle age, but now many Americans have very good oral health because of the various Delta Dental Plans. They may keep their teeth throughout the lifetime. There are some strengths of Delta Dental according to a recent study (â€Å"Delta Dental by the Numbers†, n.d.): * Delta Dental’s nationwide dentist networks offer unprecedented access: * Delta Dental Premier ® offers the largest network of dentists in the country — encompassing more than 142,000 dentists and more than 251,000 office locations. * Delta Dental PPOSM has a national network of more than 83,900 dentists practicing in more than 168,000 locations. * DeltaCare ® USA provides more than 39,800 dentist office locations. * Delta Dental’s PPO Plan delivers the industry’s best effective discount — averaging 19 percent nationally — resulting in nearly $3 billion in annual savings compared to dentists’ average charges. * Delta Dental posted approximately $17 billion in premium revenue during fiscal year 2011, our 32nd consecutive year of financial gains. * Delta Dental’s unique cost-control measures and contractual agreements with dentists help to ensure quality care at moderate fees, collectively saving subscribers with group dental coverage more than $9.0 billion in 2011. * In 2011, Delta Dental member companies processed more than 90 million dental claims or approximately 1.7 million every week, with an accuracy rate of 99.7 percent. Delta Dental focuses on the practice shari ng, best services, performance guarantees, brand name recognition and reputation, whereas, it still have weaknesses such as geographic limitations, innovative practices. Through the numbers above, people might think that we have more and more dentists in large networks so that we would get easy access to dental care, but how do these dentists located? Low-income patients still feel hard to get access to meet one dentist regularly due to the inconvenient transportation, difficulties on appointments, and so on. The president and CEO of Delta Dental, Radine (2011) wrote on â€Å"Annual Report 2011†, â€Å"Delta Dental takes pride in being a single-line carrier with unparalleled expertise in dental benefits, our specialty.† Indeed, they against larger, multi-line insurance companies, and they use competitive strategies to survive during the worst of the economic downturn. However, this kind of single-line model can also be a weakness of dental health care, because coordination of dentists needed to reinforce to increase the quality of companies health care performance. Single-line service may hinder such coordination in between the large dentist network, although they meet the needs for restraining the continuous increased costs. As each program have dissimilar strengths and weaknesses and according to Access to Dental Care/Oral Health Care (American Dental Association, 2012), there are still barriers to getting oral health care: * The dental sections in Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP), which are supposed to provide health care to disadvantaged Americans, rarely have enough money budgeted to do so. Federal law requires that Medicaid cover basic dental services. But many state programs fail to deliver care to even half of their eligible children. * Adult dental coverage through public health programs is even worse; many states simply don’t provide it. It’s not just about the money. Patients covered under public programs still face hurdles, such as transportation to dental appointments and the difficulty of missing work to keep the appointments. Taking care of ourselves is the key to good oral health, and too many Americans lack a basic understanding of how to brush, floss, eat a healthy diet and drink water with fluoride in it. * About one-third of public water systems are not fluoridated, even though that is the single most effective public health measure to protect against tooth decay. And also, people need to treat what form of coverage they require most and make sure the selected plan provides a low price for the needed processes. Comparison of Delta Dental with all other dental insurances: There are many essential things to keep in mind when deciding on a dental insurance plan, such as prices and co-payment options, local dentist availability, actual coverage, whether it meets your needs and more (â€Å"Dental Insurance Review†, n.d.). Delta Dental Insurance ranking at number three after United Concordia and Ameritas Group Dental is one of the top ten insurance plans in the United States (â€Å"2013 Dental Insurance Comparison†, n.d.). As one of the largest dental coverage plans, founded by dentists, it creates dental coverage plans based on current research and designed to keep people their healthiest and most productive (â€Å"Choosing the Right Dental Plan†, n.d.). Delta Dental Insurance pursues their mission by increasing access to benefits, offering the largest national network of dentists, adding innovative new plan features, aggressively working to keep costs down, and supporting p hilanthropic programs that encourage better overall oral health. Delta Dental Insurance plans offer top of the line features and programs to make insurance services more accessible and convenient for its members. Some of the features that Delta Dental Insurance consists are secure and accessible sites for online enrollment, finding dentists and getting information about available plans. It offers Group/Employer plans, which is important as it gives companies information on the cost of getting dental insurance for their employees. This is important as well for families who wish to enroll other members of the family into the insurance plan. Also Delta Dental Insurance offers individual plans, provides up-front cost information for customers and has Better Business Bureau (BBB) accreditation (â€Å"Dental Insurance Review†, n.d.). Better Business Bureau accreditation is definitely a plus, because they provide ratings based on customer service and satisfaction of members. In addition, Delta Dental Insurance offers multiple types of different plans for its consumers. There is Delta Dental Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), DeltaCare ® USA (Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) option), Fee-for-Service (FFS) Plan, and they also used to offer Discount Plans. But the Discounted Plans are no longer offered by Delta Dental since majority of the members prefer PPO, HMO and FFS plans. The Delta Dental PPO plan is offered worldwide, and for that reason it is more accessible even if the customer relocates (â€Å"Choosing between a PPO and HMO†, n.d.). When choosing a PPO dentist, the out of-pocket costs of customers are often lower because PPO dentists have agreed to charge Delta Dental PPO patients reduced fees. The plan also pays enhanced benefits when patients visit a PPO dentist, so they pay only 20 percent of the PPO dentist’s contracted fee after their deductible for such services as fillings, oral surgery, root canals and treatment of gum disease in addition to other benefit enhancements (â€Å"Types of Dental Plans†, n.d.). Delta Dental PPO does not cover teeth bleaching and other cosmetic procedures (â€Å"University of California†, 2009). The good thing about a PPO plan is that customers have the freedom to choose any licensed dentist, anywhere in the world, each time the member or a family member requires treatment. And there is no referral required for specialty care. On the other hand, DeltaCare ® USA (HMO option) customers must be residents of California to enroll. It provides individuals and their families with inclusive plans and easy referrals to specialists and even has a benefit for teeth bleaching. The plan emphasizes preventive care; so many services are provided at no cost. There is no annual plan maximum for DeltaCare ® USA (â€Å"Types of Dental Plans†, n.d.). As an HMO member, customers are assigned to network dentist that accept the plans and they must be referred specialist by their assigned dentists. Fee-for-service plans, also known as indemnity or traditional plans, typically offer the greatest choice of dentists. It is up to the customer what dentist to choose or procedure they would like to purchase. Like PPO plans, when you visit a network dentist, you typically pay a certain percentage for each service (called coinsurance) and the plan pays the rest. The percentage usually varies by the type of coverage, such as diagnostic and preventive, major services, etc. (â€Å"Types of Dental Plans†, n.d.). However with FFS plan the member might pay a little extra than the PPO plan. And finally, the Discounted Plans are insurance plans that are offered at reduced rates. There is generally no paperwork, annual limits or deductibles, but you must visit a participating dentist to receive the discount. Also, you may be responsible for a greater portion of the treatment cost compare to PPO or HMO plan. The downside of this plan was the fact that there was a possibility of the dentists being changed annually, and new dentists would be assigned to the customers. But on the plus side, the rates that the customers would receive would be unbeatable. Figure 1 shows the continued growth in enrolment throughout the recession. This also proves that Delta Dental is the largest dental carrier in the United States and it has more than 26 million enrollees at present (â€Å"Delta Dental: Annual Report2011†, n.d., p. 10). Figure 1: Shows the increase in the enrollment of Delta Dental plans by the population. The Y-axis shows the number of enrollees in increasing order and the X-axis shows the years starting from 2008-2012. Adapted from: â€Å"Delta Dental: Annual Report 2011.† (n.d., p. 10). Why is Delta Dental better and more successful than other insurances? Delta Dental offers some of the best dental insurance plans in the United States and around the world since 1954 and as the first company exclusively specializing in dental benefits, Delta Dental has been working hard to improve oral health around the world by providing access to the largest network of dentists, great service, top of the line care plans and developing relationships that emphasize prevention and positive oral health care results over the long term (Delta Dental, 2010). Over 56 million enrollees trust Delta Dental Insurance plans with their oral health and the numbers of satisfied members keep growing (â€Å"Why do more than†, n.d.). â€Å"In 2011, the vast majority of surveyed enrollees from our open network plans said they would recommend Delta Dental to a family or friend. That loyalty is also evident in our exceptionally high enrollee retention rate.† (â€Å"Delta Dental 2011 Annual Report†, n.d., p. 11). Figure 2 which is adapted from the â€Å"Delta Dental: Annual Report 2011† (n.d., p. 11) shows the percentage of enrollee satisfaction and enrollee retention in 2011. Figure 2: The percentage of Enrollee satisfaction and Enrollee Retention. 95% of the Enrollees were satisfied with their Delta Dental Plan and 99% of the Enrollees retained their Delta Dental plan. Adapted from: â€Å"Delta Dental: Annual Report 2011† (n.d., p. 11) Delta dental has proven itself as one of the good companies in the market but still they are working diligently to make it better. Delta Dental supports projects in conjunction with major universities and other leading research organizations that are designed to advance scientific knowledge and improve health. Among the projects, recently supports are: a study on the potential for dentists to play a greater role in the detection of health conditions such as diabetes; the cost impact of oral cancer; the application of salivary diagnostics to dentistry; and the development of biotechnology to advance health (Carruth, 2012). All these are the major projects of Delta Dental. Delta Dental is trying to identify ways to improve offerings in ways that will reduce costs while still covering the treatment our subscribers need to stay healthy. Delta Dental will focus on expanding their network in remote places and provide oral care. They are planning continue creating dynamic product lines that provide effective benefits to improve oral health–and overall health – while reducing costs. Delta Dental would concentrate on providing good customer service staff as well as an automated phone line for inquiries. Delta Dental has received many awards in improving oral health care. Their current plans are focused on expanding their network and providing good care for the patients. Delta Dental’s strategies are such that not only patients but also dentist and employees are benefitted. They also focus on many researches to improve quality of care. Moreover, their future plans are focus on reducing cost and providing quality of care for patients. They are providing funds for incurable diseases like cancer and other malignancy. References: A trailblazer in health. n.d.). and your family. r local member companies. Retrieved form: http://www.deltadental.com/Public/PlanInfo/planAddressStart.jsp Delta Dental (n.d.). DeltaVision ®.