Essay about Dancing Skeletons Life and Death in West Africa

Anita Grooms Anthro 110 T-TH: 9:30am-10:45am Dr. Anderson 3-7-13 The United States is known for the â€Å"American Dream†, the material items, our breakthroughs in medicine, our employment opportunities, etc. These are just some of the things the United States has to offer, but the United States also has a downfall to all of the â€Å"good† things in life: we think our way of life is better than everyone else’s, and we often judge other countries, especially Africa, for their way of living. We often ask the questions, â€Å"What if we go to help them?† or â€Å"How can we help them?† when the real question is: â€Å"What can we learn from them†? Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa is a non-fiction book written by Katherine Dettwyler, who†¦show more content†¦A huge part of the economics of the people of Mali is the Grande Marchà © in downtown Bamako. Basically, the Grande Marche is just a big market, where venders of all variety came to sell their goods. Another thing that plays a b ig part in the economics of Mali is the no-fixed rates on items. Unlike the United States where everything is not negotiable, in Mali, everything is and is encouraged, unless you’re a tourist without any background on the culture of Mali (Dettwyler 1994: 55). With Mali’s economics very different from ours in America, family size and gender ideas also are very different than ours. Family size in Mali is very important; it is not considered a burden like in the United States where a couple of children is common. In Mali, it is common for women to have six to eight children by the time they are considered â€Å"old†. In the United States, the more children you have, the more you have to provide for, but in Mali, the more children you have measures a man’s status and success, and that’s for each of his wives. The more children you have not only provide those two things, but increases the income of a family because children in Mali, at a young age, may start to work to provide for their mothers and younger siblings. Unlike in a western society, the wealth flows up in a third world country. In Mali, a man is prosperous when he has a house full of children, and grandchildren who honor him, work for him and support him in his oldShow MoreRelated Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa1701 Words   |  7 PagesAlthough the !Kung San of southern Africa differ greatly from the people in the west African nation of Mali, both areas share similar problems. Both suffer from diseases, illnesses, malnutrition, and having to adapt to the ever changing and advancing cultures around them. What I found to be the most significant problem that is shared between both areas is that the people suffered from a lack of education. In the book Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa by Katherine A. Dettwyler, thereRead MoreDancing Skeletons : Life And Death Throughout West Africa By Katherine Dettwyler, All You Can Think2334 Words   |   10 PagesMarbaugh Anthropology 105 S. Home Hogue October 13, 2014 â€Å"Dancing Skeleton† While reading Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa by Katherine Dettwyler, all you can think is â€Å"what if I had had to live in a culture like this?† Katherine Dettwyler is an ethnography that primarily study how children feeding and weaning customs, and continuing malnutrition directs to a higher likely hood of children being more likely to perish from life threatening childhood illnesses, for example: malariaRead MoreDancing Skeletons : Life And Death1239 Words   |  5 PagesIn the book Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death In West Africa (published in 1994), the core argument is best shown when the author, Katherine A. Dettwyler, says on page 142, â€Å" What is wrong with this picture?† Suddenly, it dawned on me. The children- dancing with abandon, smiles on their faces looked like dancing skeletons. They were the living embodiment of Camille Saint-Saen’s â€Å"Dance Macabre. â€Å"They were the warrior skeletons from Ray Harryhausenâ€℠¢s film Jason and the Argonauts-dancing, instead ofRead MoreDancing Skeletons : Life And Death1470 Words   |  6 PagesIn West Africa, Dettwyler s story of malnutrition takes place and is shown in her book, Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa. She addresses important issues such as ignorance in nutrition. She also addresses some of how Islam has become part of there culture as time has gone on and as the country becomes more civilized. Muslims in Mali did were not perfect Muslims and did not do everything they were supposed to but their deepest roots came from Islam. Dettwyler addressed some very difficultRead MoreDancing Skeletons Essay2599 Words   |  11 PagesMeagan Conrad ANT-103 Rough Draft March 16, 2012 Transfixed by Dancing Skeletons Katherine Dettwyler’s work in the field while she was in West Africa was exciting, filled with humor and even terrifying at times. She dealt with seeing various life-threatening diseases that affected the lives of children her daughter’s age, as well as adults. Dettwyler found that almost all of the people she came in contact with were completely oblivious and uninformed of the ways to prevent diseases such asRead MoreComparing The Endicotts And Dettwylers Ethnographies1773 Words   |  8 PagesWas a Woman (collaboratively written by both Kirk M. Endicott and Karen L. Endicott) and Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa (written by Katherine A. Dettwyler) both have anthropological focuses on the cultures and practices of various tribes from different countries, however, their accounts and approaches in their situations differ greatly from one another. The former studies the ways of life of a certain people, while the later targets the health issues of anoth er. In The HeadmanRead MoreCultural Diversty within Healthcare1031 Words   |  5 Pagesworld can open up anybody’s eyes to see that culture makes a huge impact on the understanding and practices of healthcare that seem to be so common to other areas of the world. When a person lives in one country their whole life, that person may not realize how different the life they live is from someone in a foreign country. If a person is going to receive treatment from someone with a different cultural background, they should be expected to get treatment to respects their own culture. MassachusettsRead MoreThe Black Death : The Bubonic Plague Of The Thirteen Thousands Swept Through Europe Essay1298 Words   |  6 PagesTaylor Hurst Dr. Reedy College English 13 October 2016 The Black Death The bubonic plague of the thirteen hundreds swept through Europe, claiming the lives of one-third of its population in merely three years. This was the most horrific epidemic the world has seen to date. Poor sanitation practices, improper burial of corpses, and insufficient systems for waste removal were important factors in allowing the plague to manifest (Byrne 31). Infected fleas and rats, brought by trade ships and theRead MoreMandinka Empire21578 Words   |  87 PagesBound to Africa: the Mandinka Legacy in the New World Schaffer, Matt. History in Africa, Volume 32, 2005, pp. 321-369 (Article) Published by African Studies Association DOI: 10.1353/hia.2005.0021 For additional information about this article http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/hia/summary/v032/32.1schaffer.html Access Provided by your local institution at 03/10/13 1:43PM GMT BOUND TO AFRICA: THE MANDINKA LEGACY IN THE NEW WORLD MATT SCHAFFER I I offer here a theory of â€Å"cultural convergenceRead More The Facade of Civilization Explored in Heart of Darkness and Heart of the Matter2703 Words   |  11 Pagesconcentrates on a few main characters. Also the setting, though somewhat similar, is still quite distinguishable, allowing for the development of different themes; Conrads is set in a wild outpost deep in the center of Africa and Greenes occurs in a well-colonized port somewhere in West Africa. The natural forces of depravity are rampant, in fact infective, in the steamy, dense jungles in which Kurtz dwells. Scobie, on the other hand, is allowed a more physically peaceful existence, struggling not with

Online Dating Becoming An Art - 1611 Words

Bars and clubs have long been the stomping ground of beautiful, socially outstanding individuals. For the remaining population, these places have long been intimidating, awkward, and stuffed full of unsuitable prospects. What would it mean to a lonely person to know that the next big love of their life could be just a few mouse-clicks away? Enter the online dating sites, with its anonymity, lists of potential dates, compatibility indicators, and virtually instant results. A guaranteed sellers market! As if this wasn t alluring enough, Online dating sites feature gushing testimony on their front pages along with lists of marriages for which they take full credit, thank you very much, and all of this good news is decorated with photos of happy, smiling couples. That s all very effective. There are now so many online dating sites that specialization among them has become an art form: you don t even have to be looking for a soul mate anymore - a casual fling to boost the ego is centra l to the services supplied by many dating sites. Anything you might want, you can find a dedicated online service that caters to it. Seriously. Anything. One hundred years ago, a person s entire social life was limited to a village, region, or area, a life long localization of activity defined by a lack of mobility, and perhaps in most cases, a lack of inclination - why move around when all you need is all around you? The stock of potential lovers was limited to the local singles. One fellShow MoreRelatedOnline Dating And Its Effects On The Internet Dating World1197 Words   |  5 Pagesup to the emergence of online, social dating. These online dating site have change the way relationships interact, gossip, flirt and communicate. However, numerous people do not understand the deception and manipulation aspect that comes with online dating. Forming a passionate relationship over the internet under false pretense can be emotionally destructive. Several studies have been performed in an attempt to explain and understand the non-traditional world of online dating. The sources exploreRead MorePersonal Narrative : Why New World Technology1491 Words   |  6 PagesThe art of casual conversation, a cup of java or tea in the morning has taken a new direction. We are left with little in common between coworkers, friends, and family for lack of talking with one another. As a result, there may be an increase in work productivity and a decrease in our ability to speak and write proper English. Not many of us will enjoy the job of administrative assistant to the president because the automated systems will do the work. For example, the access to free online templatesRead MoreI Am Not A Drama Queen1611 Words   |  7 PagesProfile # 26: I have a dream of one day becoming very famous no matter what it takes. About me: Artistic and ambitious, I’ve read Shakespeare and taken drama classes. I am not a drama queen, but I live my everyday life like a movie star. If you’re not afraid of the spotlight, you can come and stand right next to me. I guarantee sparkles and fun 24/7. Profile # 27: Partying has kept me away from having a decent long lasting relationship for too long, now, I would like to settle down. About me: OpenRead MoreHow Technology Can Be Dangerous For Youth887 Words   |  4 Pagesshould I say, that children don’t think about when they are networking on social media, is the adult predator. According to the article â€Å"Children Must Be Protected from the Content of Social Networking Web Sites,† found on the Online Social Networking website, while on dating sites or even profiling media, kids do not remember to think about the sneaky adults that are targeting them. These adolescents are very vulnerable. They can accidentally give out too much information to these older people. LittleRead MoreThe Threats of Technology in Sherry Turkle’s book Alone Together,†1091 Words   |  5 Pagesand appropriately use technological products. The way in which people frantically communicate online via Twitter, Facebook and instant messaging c an be seen as a form of â€Å"Along Together.† Turkle describes this moment as â€Å"robotic moment,† which means that it is the very moment for high-technology’s role positioning. Turkle writes that â€Å"What if a robot is not a ‘form of life’ but a kind of performance art? What if ‘relating’ to robots makes us feel ‘good’ or ‘better’ simply because we feel more inRead MoreThe Effects Of Social Media On Society892 Words   |  4 Pagesbecome bad for a person. Society had reached a point where it is not necessary to have human contact in order to have a relationship. Instead of calling and talking to someone, people just chat through the internet or text message. People lost the art of conversation with today’s technology. Facebook launched in 2004 and has become a mega company. Last year, the company had 845 million users, revenue was $3.7 billion, and the estimated value of the company is $100 billion. There are negative andRead MoreGraduation Speech : Elementary School1127 Words   |  5 Pagesher teaching style and her enthusiasm for English, which seemed rare to come by with teachers who taught a senior level class. It was then that I knew I wanted to become a teacher and possibly major in English. Fast forward a few years, I started dating my fiancà © and was introduced to his niece (age 6) and nephew (age 2). At that point I had a flood of memories of when I was student in elementary school and remembered how much I enjoyed going to school, learning basic knowledge like my ABC’s, andRead MoreCommunication is the one key element of life that sets human beings apart from the rest of the800 Words   |  4 Pagestouch of a button or the click of a mouse, with this effectiveness however comes the issue of the world, as we know it decreasing due to the rapid growth of technology. The traditional ways of socializing and expressing oneself in great detail are bec oming a thing of the past and are rapidly being replaced by the growing technologically advanced products available to the every day consumer. It is argued that communication through technological means has its advantages such as speed and convenienceRead MoreGerrymandering: Election and Politicians1235 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Gerrymandering The term gerrymandering refers to the practice of altering voting districts in order to achieve electoral results favorable to one person or party, usually the incumbent politician or party creating the new voting regions.1 This term, dating back to 1812, is an established method for incumbent politicians to improve their heresthetical â€Å"defense,† by manipulating the dimensions of the political landscape.2 This tactic is extremely common in the United States and a prime example of politiciansRead MoreEssay on Pros and Cons of Social Media875 Words   |  4 Pagesthe logic why people are unreasonably obsessed. Some people evolve into becoming isolated after using social media. Some might think that in addition, social media has an advantage that gives higher opportunities to have greater communications through social network, although in this case, it really isn’t. An interview with Sian Beilock; a professor in neuroscience at the University of Chicago, described people can end up online so often that they end up lacking face-to-face interaction. Having four

Effective Information Security & Risk Management Strategy - Samples

Question: Discuss about the Effective Information Security Risk Management Strategy For Small Medium Enterprises. Answer Introduction Companies of all kind of size are now most importantly dependent on IT and network for the functions of the business operations. Thus, all have a constant need to make sure that their system and information are protected in right manner against any kind of security breaches. But, there are so many evidences that suggests that security based practices are not upheld with strength within small as well as medium organization environments. The discussion also presents as a survey of security practices within such companies in countries like USA and Europe with specific attention on whether right attention is placed on issue associated with risk assessment (A. Harris and P. Patten, 2014). The study also reveals that small and medium enterprises are featured by lack of right attention on IT based security measures with associated accountability and it is constantly unassigned or allocated to someone without right qualifications. Security Threats At the time when company was facing new threats and vulnerabilities on a routine basis, the crucial step in setting the right security for the system is assessed properly that present risks to which it can be exposed. Without this, a company cannot ensure to have right kind of appreciation of the threats and vulnerabilities faced by its current assets and hence this will lead to the rise of the counter measures as well. A method to achieve is by conducting the proper kind of risk assessment which can be defined as a systematic as well as analytical procedure to focus on the likelihood that the present threat will further endanger an asset, people or operations and to recognize the work to decrease the overall risk as well as mitigate the results of the attack (Johnson, 2014). Assessment of the risk can be divided into two separate procedure and the first process of risk analysis can be discussed as the assessment based on threats to influence on issues and vulnerabilities associated with data and information processed from facilities and the chances of the occurrences. It also involves steps like recognizing the assets that require to be protected and recognition of threats as well as vulnerabilities associated with the assets. With this, there is a need to focus on the risk management process as well which are important for the SMEs as they lack all the necessary resources which are related to the human capital, database and the specific knowledge patterns as well. Here, the structured risk management are employed with the different positions where the focus is on the administrative function as well. The small and medium enterprise based study is conducted in places like Europe and US by different universities respectively, to make the right comparison between small and medium companies attitude towards security (Kimwele, 2014). The factor for considering geographical as well as distinct security and protection of data legislation applied on each place and the motive is to evaluate the extent and how they impact the approaches of the company to security. The study is presently ongoing and the solution in the paper are entirely based on study from different companies. The study has shown many facts that were unknown before and the absence of the risk assessment is not the only methods in which there is lack of awareness and can be properly manifested (Peltier, 2016). The findings also show that the small and medium enterprises usually lack a formal and documented security based policies. While considering the globally accepted standards like ISO 17799, the security standards are i mportant which leads to the handling of the risks management like the inadequate infrastructure, management and the technical expertise, lack of finance and the intellectual resources that are for the technological development and changes. Thus, what is acceptable in this case and what is not is also determined by the study. It is important to understand that without any specific and defined objectives, a company cannot be proceeding to comprehensive level of risk assessment (Soomro et al., 2016). It is also important to note that the companys security policy can be updated as per their findings. But the study also investigated the overall share of small and medium size organizations that have further documented the security policy. The discussion also indicates that in the survey, responses like dont know are effectively like no responses. But even if the company is concerned do have the right policy and this evidently does not promote it the staff and in an appropriate manner (Wan g, and He, 2014). Conclusion The discussion has shown many evidences of important security issues in SME level culture and it may further lead to experiencing many unavoidable security cases and this happened mainly due to not performing a risk based analysis and not executing the right corrective measures. Recent study has also shown that the cost of cybercrime recovery for small firm is huge since it covers clean-up as well as recovery from viruses based outbreaks that can put the company network out in action for many days and at the same time also produces an average cost of huge amount to clean the mess (Wu et al., 2014). But with identified constraints as per the expertise, awareness and budget, it is challenging to see how the current situation for SME will further improve without more basic changes to approaches present to them. One of the upcoming issues arising from the findings is the need for a new kind of risk analysis and management based methods which will focus on removing the disadvantages and help SMEs to evaluate the risk to which assets are exposed to (Wynarczyk et al., 2016). References Harris, M. and P. Patten, K., 2014. Mobile device security considerations for small-and medium-sized enterprise business mobility.Information Management Computer Security,22(1), pp.97-114. Johnson, P.F., 2014.Purchasing and supply management. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Kimwele, M.W., 2014. Information technology (IT) security in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). InInformation Systems for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises(pp. 47-64). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Peltier, T.R., 2016.Information Security Policies, Procedures, and Standards: guidelines for effective information security management. CRC Press. Soomro, Z.A., Shah, M.H. and Ahmed, J., 2016. Information security management needs more holistic approach: A literature review.International Journal of Information Management,36(2), pp.215-225. Wang, F.K. and He, W., 2014. Service strategies of small cloud service providers: A case study of a small cloud service provider and its clients in Taiwan.International Journal of Information Management,34(3), pp.406-415. Wu, D.D., Chen, S.H. and Olson, D.L., 2014. Business intelligence in risk management: Some recent progresses.Information Sciences,256, pp.1-7. Wynarczyk, P., Watson, R., Storey, D.J., Short, H. and Keasey, K., 2016.Managerial labour markets in small and medium-sized enterprises. Routledge.

Yeats as Symbolist Poet Essay Example For Students

Yeats as Symbolist Poet Essay Tennessee Williams shows the social structure of the women ND the society during that period In his works. A Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie were written by Tennessee Williams. The Glass Menagerie, is Williams first successful work, and is set in SST. Louis in 1944, the play is about a mother trying to find a gentleman caller for her daughter. The play, A Streetcar Named Desire, set in New Orleans in 1947 and is about a womans slow descent into madness. In The Glass Menagerie Williams shows us the life passing through the barriers had led to the nostalgic past, and In A Streetcar Named Desire he shows hat the life exhibits the threatening present of class and sexual welfare. Balance Dubos in A streetcar Named Desire and Laura Winnfield in the play The Glass Menagerie, have many similarities. Balance and Laura are living in a world of illusion. Where Balance living in a world of fantasies, while Laura is living in the world of glass animals. Balance desires for fantasies only because she feels guilty for her husbands suicide. We will write a custom essay on Yeats as Symbolist Poet specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Laura lives In the world of illusion of glass animals because of her physical defect. Balance and Laura are mentally and physically disturbed and thus they use their world of Illusions to escape from reality. Balance says l dont want realism. I want magic! Yes, Yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I dont tell truth, I tell what ought to be truth. (Williams 1947:86). Laura does the same, where she cheats her mother by telling her that she attends Business College regularly. Laura is compared to blue roses which is in real does not exists by this we come to know that she doesnt fit In to reality. Blue roses signifies her affinity for the nature flower together with the transcendent blue flower which do not occur naturally and thus comes to symbolize her yearning for both ideal or hysterical beauty and spiritual or romantic love. (Durham, Frank 106). Likewise Balance is compared too moth show us that she is a pleasure seeker. In the play The Glass Menagerie the collection of glass animals especially the unicorn which is unique and separate from the other animals. Similarly Laura Is deferent from others due to her physical defect. She does not fit In with others Just as the unicorn stands community either. Williams comments in an interview about Blanches situation in the play he says Balance who was potentially a super person was broken by society and its norms. (Trekker, Studs 124). Balance is not able to tolerate the way Stanley treats Stella and is shocked when she sees Stella going back with Stanley after that terrible night. Stella tells Balance Mimi are making much too much fuss about this (Williams 1947:41). Balance will never understand their relationship because she is in the world of illusion. The character of Balance and Laura are very similar, wherein Balance was put in Laurels place she would stall unique as the unicorn because Balance is in a higher social class from the other people in the play. Balance and Laura resemble each other in most of their ways they lead their lives. Even Hough there are so many similarities between Blanch and Laura, they also have dissimilarities. Blanches past is miserable, after her husbands death, Balance uses sex to compensate the lose of her loved one. l dont think that Balance is sordid. I think she was rather noble Williams says in one of his interviews. Ross, Don 229). This idea is different from the play The Glass Menagerie Laurels life is also miserable, but she does not desires male companionship as Balance does. Balance Dubos and Amanda Winnfield also have many similarities. Both of their lives were miserable due to their marriages at a young age. Amanda loved Winnfield and married him but his love for traveling to distant place s take him away from his family and does not have any touch with his family. While Balance married a young man who was a homosexual. When she finds out that he is a homosexual, he commits suicide. .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db , .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db .postImageUrl , .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db , .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db:hover , .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db:visited , .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db:active { border:0!important; } .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db:active , .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub639f7197f7d6d2b274f201eba7c43db:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Escape EssayBoth the women were affected by the men in their lives. Amanda always complains about Toms habits, staying late in night, were she says that he behave like his father. Amanda psychosocial conquest of former by the latter when returns Toms will to the library, D. H. Lawrence Lady Chatterers lover. Her dismisses its heady, equal mixture of Freud and Darwin as the filthy output of a diseased mind , not the only aspect that trouble her, it also the mythic romance of the old south, the civil war, (Durham, Frank 107). Balance always complains to her sister Stella about Stanley who behaves brutishly. Balance and Amanda are concerned about cultural values. Balance is very soft and sensitive as paper lantern she cant withstand the harsh reality of Stanley brutish way of life. Amanda is like Balance when she yells at Tom every time he makes her realize the reality of the world. Both Balance and Amanda are considered as very sensitive in all matters of life. The difference between Amanda and Balance are, Amanda is lost in her memories of being young. She constantly talks about her past to her children, One Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain your mother received seventeen gentleman callers! Why, sometimes there werent chairs enough to accommodate them all. (Williams 1944:26). Balance always hopes for a better future. Balance is also shown as being dishonest, hypocritical, alcoholic, seductress, disrupting stability of Stalls life. She lies to Stella about an admirer of her named DRP. Sheep, because she does not want her sister to know about her real situation. She keeps on criticizing Stanley on his brutal attitude. She becomes a drunkard only because she wants to get rid of the reality of life but she tells Stella that she drinks only to soothe her nerves. Amanda is a middle aged southern belle who cant face failure. Yet Amanda realizes her fall in but they are different in many ways. Amanda returns to her imaginary world because she cant face the reality. Amanda refuses to face Laurels shyness and crippled leg, and also forces her to mingle with the others in the society. Her failure to get a gentleman caller for her daughter Laura leads her to face reality. Amanda realizes lately that Tom has left the house due to her frustration. Amanda refuses to face the two realities of her life. Firstly, Laura always escapes into the glass menagerie but Amanda does not believe it. Secondly, Amanda constantly yells at Tom because of the financial situation of the family. In an interview to Williams he shares his view on Shes confused, pathetic, even stupid, but everything has got to be all right. She fights to make it that way in the only way she knows how. (Evans, Jean 86). Like Amanda, Balance creates an illusive world to escape into it, rather than facing it. Balance realizes that she is not welcome anywhere and thus she creates a fake admirer in DRP. Sheep. We come to know about it when she does not have any phone number or address to contact him. Blanches dislike of bright light is because she wants to hide her signs of aging. And she is constantly reminded of the death of her husband. She says Just as the naked light bulb must be cloaked in illusion. (Williams 1947:53) . Balance feel secured from Stanley harsh realities of fife when she is in her imaginary world and her real world was very cruel and surrounded with immoral people. She had no one to support expect Stella. Balance says that she soothes herself by drinking for her nerves problem but she drinks really because she remains in the imaginary world. .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d , .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d .postImageUrl , .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d , .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d:hover , .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d:visited , .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d:active { border:0!important; } .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d:active , .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uea9301d91d76118d5912202b3e97f76d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Ted Hughes's poems Analysis EssayHer inability to accept the reality was the negative side of her to live. Thus Stella and Stanley send her to mental asylum. The relationship between Tom and Amanda are very similar to the relationship of Balance and Stanley. In both relationship, the male characters are realistic and the women are considered to be in a dream state (state of illusion). Tom feels smothered by Amanda as she constantly advises him on how he should live. He gets irritated by Mantas constant yelling, he tells angrily to his mother Im going to opium dens! Yes, opium dens, dens of vice and criminals hangouts, Mother. Eve joined the Hogan Gang, Im a hired assassin, I carry a Tommy gun in a violin cast! I run a string of cat house in the valley! They call me killer, killer Winnfield. (Williams 1944:42). Stanley is also very frank and lucid in his relationship with Balance. Both men are similar and are been constantly criticizes by the women who they support. Tom brings in a majority of the income to the family, but Amanda tells him to do more. Stanley supports Balance, but she shows no gratitude for his action, she criticized his character. There are different between these two relationships. In the play The Glass Menagerie Tom runs away by deserting his sister and mother. Stanley tries to get rid of Balance by sending her back but later he is sends her to a mental asylum. Tom leaves the house but he regrets leaving Amanda and Laura. But Stanley has no such guilty feeling for Balance, which we can see in many accepts of his attempts to dismiss her, ruin her life and finally rapes her. The two mens relationship also differs as Stanley uses Balance for his sexual pleasure, were Tom and Amanda are concerned about their relationship as mother and son. The struggle of Stanley and Balance is shown in the rape scene. The struggle of Tom and Amanda is shown when Amanda asks Tom to be more responsible towards their family. Stella characterization of Amanda, Laura or Balance, because they are very pragmatic and they both are ready to face the reality of the life. Stella goes back with Stanley after the polka night. Eunice also experiences the same kind of treatment from her husband. Finally, with Nieces advice, she takes a practical decision. She allows her sister to be taken to a mental asylum and clings back to her brutal husband. Throughout The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire of Williams have more similarities and differences in his characters of the plays. The style of Williams is shown in these plays. In both the plays we can see that Williams has great affinity with female psyche, their emotions and sufferings. In both the plays we see the southern theme of conflict between romanticism and hostility. The characters in both play were created by Williams, are driven by some emotions, but their manners and expressions vary. Tennessee Williams shows the social situation of the society and the struggle of women in that society. Due to the decline of the economic conditions of the country, Williams shows us how the woman of the period was different from the woman basically expected to be in the society before the Second World War. He also shows us that women were used for sexual pleasures and have not given any importance. Williams gives importance to women character because he feels that hey are strongly passionate and does not give up in any hard situation of the life but in the both plays he breaks the women character to fail in their life wherein he says that is due to the society.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Filing Your First Taxes

A Step-by-Step Guide to Filing Your First Taxes Tax time can be super overwhelming. How can you possibly figure out what you need to do and somehow manage to pull it off without melting into a pile of despair (or committing some kind of inadvertent fraud?). It’s actually fairly simple. Here, we’ll lay out the basic steps so you can file without fear you’re missing something important. 1. Get organized.This is really half the battle. The IRS is all about documents. Once you receive your W2 from your workplace, or your 1099-MISC if you’ve worked as an independent contractor, be sure to store it somewhere safe and easily accessible. If you get other statements, like savings account interest, student loan interest, or investment income summaries, put those in the same safe place. You might also have a proof of health insurance or records of contributions to an IRA to add to your pile.2. Determine if you need to file, and and how.If you’re a U.S. citizen and you meet the IRS’s filing requiremen ts for income, then yes, you do need to file. Then you’ll want to figure out what your â€Å"filing status† is. Will you be filing jointly with your spouse or separately? Can you count as â€Å"head of household?† Are you a dependent on someone else’s return? Can you claim dependents of your own?3. Ask for help early.If you’re at all confused with these early stages, get someone to help- a parent, or a mentor, or a professional. They can help you figure out based on your particulars which form you need to file or whether you are eligible to file electronically.4. Pick a medium.Decide whether you will carry through on your own- either on paper or electronically, alone or with the aid of a software program or professional. If you made less than $52k last year, you qualify to receive free tax help with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program. Check out TaxACT, TurboTax, eSmart Tax, etc. to get a sense of what they can do for you.5. Deduct e xpenses.You’ll have to figure out whether it’s best for you to itemize your deductions or claim the standard deductible. But either way, make sure you don’t leave any stone unturned in this department. Write off state and local sales taxes, student loan interest payments, child care credits, job search expenses, charitable contributions, and things like the Earned Income credit.6. Get it done.Don’t procrastinate. It’s best not to rush, so make sure you’ve left yourself plenty of time before April 15  to get this done right.7. Check your math.If you did it all on your own, make sure to have someone you trust to look over your tax returns before filing. It may even be possible to have a tax attorney do this for you for free.Good luck, and we hope for many happy returns in your future!

What Drives Organizational Change Essay Example

What Drives Organizational Change Essay Example What Drives Organizational Change Essay What Drives Organizational Change Essay What Drives Organizational Change? Gregory Fenwick MGT380 July 25, 2011 Garren Hamby What Drives Organizational Change? Organizations change for many different reasons and situations. Some organizations need change to better themselves, others need change organizational change just to survive and stay in business. Some organizations need to change because of growth, and some change because of downsizing. This paper will look at many different reasons for change and how that change is brought about, including if the change is good or bad for an organization. In business management is faced with competitive environments that sometimes dictate change to keep up with or to surpass competition. The organizations that are able to make effective organizational changes are the ones that survive and prosper while the organizations that do not make the changes necessary to compete often are put out of business by the organizations that can. Even if an organization is able to change their organization, 84% of those organizations will not be successful after the change. This staggering fact raises questions of why management would participate in a major organizational change with such a high failure rate. One idea based upon the economic perspective of organizational change is based upon the â€Å"Management as Control† assumption. This assumption is that â€Å"In competitive economies, firm survival depends on satisfying shareholders. Failure to do this will lead them to either move their capital to other companies or to use their influence to replace senior management with those better aligned with their interests. Therefore, managers conduct change in order to produce better organizational performance in the form of better quarterly results with correspondingly better company share prices. (Managing Organizational Change, Palmer, Dunford, Akin; 2009) Another perspective which is aligned with change management images is the â€Å"Management as Shaping† assumption, which is part of the organizational learning perspective. This perspective assumes that â€Å"Organizations and human systems of all sorts are complex and evolving and therefore cannot be reduced to a singl e, linear objective of maximizing shareholder value. † (Managing Organizational Change, Palmer, Dunford, Akin; 2009) This perspective is based upon the theory that the objectives of this type of change are based upon the need to increase an organization’s adaptive capacity. This includes how an organization might achieve shareholder value. The knowledge needed for achieving these goals is likely to change over time, so it is imperative to build the capacity to both respond to, and shape external changes. This is another reason why management conducts change. One focus for creating change is Environmental Pressure. Environmental Pressure occurs when an organization’s resources decrease because of a reduced demand for products and sales decrease in market share. This includes bad investment decisions. In extreme cases organizational change because of Environmental Pressure is designed to turn around negative cash flow to avoid bankruptcy or â€Å"Organizational Death†. Environmental Pressures include Fashion Pressures or mimetic isomorphism which is when a company imitates another company because of the successful changes that they have made. An example is Boeing Co. imitating General Electric. Mandated Pressure is another environmental pressure that causes organizational change because of a lawsuit or settlement that mandates organizational change. An example of Mandated Pressure is ChevronTexaco after settling a racial discrimination lawsuit changing its organizational structure to include establishment of an external diversity task force charged with monitoring the company’s practices and ensuring fair treatment for minority staff. Sometimes change is forced upon an organization through formally mandated requirements or coercive isomorphism, where organizations are forced to take on activities similar to those of other organizations because of outside demands placed upon them. These mandated pressures can be formal (government mandates), or informal (to get the support of other organizations). Geopolitical Pressures are environmental pressures that have impacts on a range of businesses because they are related to global crises. An example of this is the attacks on September 11, 2001. Many businesses were affected by the crises and because of lack of demand or drops in sales many organizations had to make major changes to survive the downturn caused by the global crises. Market Decline Pressures are environmental pressures that are based on declining markets or products and services. With the decline in the market for certain products and services organizational changes would have to be made to combat the decline. This includes layoffs, and downsizing operations. An example of this is AOL Time Warner when broadband was introduced in the U. S. market AOL Time Warner had to make major organizational changes to keep competitive with the broadband carriers, and eventually became an internet web site only, hosting email and other internet services to remain competitive. Hypercompetition Pressures are environmental pressures that are caused by aggressive companies trying to overtake a market segment, causing organizations to make major changes to stay competitive in the market. An example of this is Dell Computer overtaking Gateway in 1998 for computer sales and causing Gateway to make major organizational changes to keep competitive with Dell. Reputation and Credibility Pressures are another reason for organizational change. When a company’s reputation or credibility come into question, that is usually a time for an organizational change to rebuild the reputation or credibility of the organization. An example of this is Walt Disney Company had a bad reputation of having one of the worst corporate boards in the United States. The Disney Company had all sorts of problems with credibility because of their lax corporate structure until the corporate crises that confronted Enron, Tyco and Worldcom. Because of the scandals that rocked those companies and their shareholders, the Disney Company made major changes to rectify their corporate structure problems to avoid the perception of being tied to one of those companies. At the Company this writer work for, Ameriforge Group, Inc. they have just undertaken an organizational change because of the overwhelming increase in business. This increase has caused major problems in meeting due dates for product to be delivered to the customer. The organizational change consisted of hiring a production coordinator and an assistant production coordinator to work with each department to help move the production of products faster and more efficient ly. The company also restructured some personnel to accommodate the increase in production and hired new personnel with more experience in large production to build a plan to tackle the production problems. So far these changes have helped to increase production an increase delivery times. Organizational change is an important part of the business world. Organizations that can change and adapt to ever-changing situations and markets are the ones that will survive and flourish. Organizations that cannot change and adapt in a short period of time will fall behind their competition and will have a hard time surviving. Change is not easy. It takes time and dedication from everyone in the organization. Communicating change is also very important to the success of the change. There are many reasons for organizational change. Some reasons will work and some will fail, but the companies that are willing to adapt and change for the better will be the ones that will be here for a long time. References Akin, G. , Dunford, R. , Palmer, I. (2006). Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach (2nd ed. ). New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies. Kotter, J. P. (1986). Leading Change (). Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Feminism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Feminism - Essay Example The three theories are symbolic interaction, conflict theorist and functionalism. Of the three theories, symbolic interaction comes closest to supporting feminism.Functionalism is primarily concerned with the role that gender plays in social order. Conflict theorists are focused on the influence of gender in society. Functionalism and conflict theories are far too narrow in their interpretation to encompass all of the issues associated with feminism. Symbolic interaction, on the other hand is broader and far more relevant in its application to feminism. Symbolic interaction focuses on 'gender as socially constructed and how people do gender in everyday life.' (Lindsey. p.18) A combination of both biological differences and cultural beliefs have combined to contribute to the social construction of gender and the treatment of women in general.(Lindsey p.48). As Lindsey pointed out, 'socialization is the lifelong process by which, through social interaction we learn our culture, develop our sense of self, and become functioning members of society.'(p.51) In this vein, gender socialization is a method by which patterned gender roles are delegated as a result of a history of social interaction. Interaction operates to indoctrinate us by dictating our attitudes toward all social classes and groups and the persons comprising respective groups. Interaction is a learned behavior. The oppression of women in the feminist's view, is also a learned behavior. 'Gender roles are learned directly, through reprimands and rewards, and indirectly, through observation and imitation.' (Lindsey p.55) From an early age, children are segregated in play groups where boys take on stronger, more aggressive roles and girls take on the more nurturing roles.

Why did Peace Fail in 1914 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Why did Peace Fail in 1914 - Essay Example The main European countries that had developed considerable power in the continent included Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and Russia (Keegan, 1999, p38-39). This paper explores various factors that made it virtually impossible for peace to prevail during the First World War. First World War broke out shortly after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir apparent to the Hapsburg throne by Serbian terrorists in 1914. However, the incident was not the cause, but a catalyst for large scale conflict that had been looming in Europe for a long time. Various factors had contributed significantly to the gradual build up of the war in Europe. Joll and Martel (2006) indentified economic rivalries, increased nationalism, imperialism, and militarism in addition to formation of alliance systems as the major causes of First World War. Economic rivalry among European powers had become intense in the late 19th century and at beginning of the 20th century. According to Kennedy (1988, p72), economic competition for overseas markets, especially between Great Britain and Germany had reached epic levels. According to David (2005), Great Britain was the undisputed economic power in much of the 19th century and its strong military forces had galvanized the country’s position as the leading superpower in Europe and in the world. However, unification of Germany into a nation state accompanied by ambitious economic policies stimulated unprecedented development, which challenged Great Britain’s influence in the continent. One of the major causes of economic rivalry was trade disputes, arising from tariffs imposed on goods of competing countries in the overseas markets. According to Fussel (2000), tariff disputes emerged not only between Germany and Britain, but other growing economies in the region, such as Italy and France, Serbia and Austria, in addition to Germany and Russia among other trading partners. The subsequent economic competition resulted into tense and suspicious relations between concerned countries, making war inevitable. Large-scale militarisation was one of the major consequences of increasing competition between rival countries in Europe. According to Keegan (1999), each country attempted to build and strengthen its military power leading to arms race in European continent. Between 1870 and 1914, David (2005, p107) noted that military expenditure among the competing countries in Europe increased by 300 percent. Most countries introduced mandatory conscription of all citizens above eighteen years into the armed forces. Development of Germany’s military was particularly phenomenal. According to Kennedy (1988, p69), the country had over 8 million soldiers compared to Britain’s 750,000 in 1913. Although Britain had one of the best trained and equipped military, the growth of Germany’s defence forces was a major cause of tension in Europe. According to Fussel (2000), Germany’s military p ower was vastly superior to France, one of Great Britain’s allies. In addition, Germany naval expansion presented a real threat to Great Britain’s security. Germany’s rapid economic growth and superior military presence aggravated its quest for more power and influence in Europe. Germany’s military build up and consistent aggressive rhetoric indicated that the country was prepared for large-scale war, with an intention of challenging other powers in the continent. The period before eruption of First World War was characterized by stiff competition for colonies in other continents especially in Africa and Asia. Industrial revolution in Europe necessitated the need for more natural resources, and

Becoming an Effective Leader Essay Example for Free

Becoming an Effective Leader Essay My job title is Training Co-ordinator for an organisation called Lifeskills Centres, I assess in the following areas; business administration, customer service, management, delivering level 2 and 3 and also any supporting key skills needed. I am responsible for my caseload of learners; their progress, learning and achievement of the qualification. I must cater each programme to suit the needs of the individual learner, I do this by setting each new starter off on initial assessments so that I can see what level they are currently at which will help me decide which course is the most suitable and which approach will be the most beneficial for the learner. I am also responsible for creating strong professional relationships with the learners new employers and maintaining relationships with existing employers this is for two reasons so they would recommend us to other employers so we gain a good reputation and so that they will want to use Lifeskills as a training provider for all of their staff and will not use a different organisation as it is a competitive market. I also advertise vacancies for our employers who have had good experiences in the past with apprentices and would like to recruit a new one. I agree with the employer all of the details to go on to the advert and interview all of the candidates and trial period the suitable ones for a week before sending them to the employer themselves to interview and then make the final decision. Within my role I use a number of different leadership styles in different situations and with different people in order to progress and achieve what needs to be achieved for example; I use the leadership style autocratic when I come to the end of the programme and I tell my learners what I want and what needs to be done and how it needs to be done, this is when the learners are short of time if they are leaving the organisation and don’t have much time to complete and it works the best when they want to achieve and are highly motivated. I have used the leadership style democratic when I had a group of learners in one particular placement where I was finding it hard to make them progress as they wouldn’t complete any work unless I was there  with them and they had no motivation towards the qualification. I discussed with the learners my concerns and asked how they thought we could move forward and they suggested one to one meetings, I informed the learners that this would be too time consuming and that I could afford to have a morning or afternoon out of the month for me to come in to the organisation and support them and motivate them to complete the knowledge questions, technical certificate and key skills side of the qualification. The learners confirmed that this was an effective method and I informed them that I will observe them twice a month but they do not have to complete any written tasks for me between observation as it will be done on the one morning / afternoon per month. I used this leadership style so that they felt they were included and to help me gain more respect from them and I do not think that it came across as a weakness from myself I think it showed that I was honest and realised that there was something not right and then discussed and implemented a solution. Lastly the leadership style I use not very often but I do still use is delegative which is where I let the learners make their own decisions on how they can progress through their qualification. I usually use this style when a learner has progressed from a level 2 qualification with myself on to a level 3 so they know the way the programme works and we have a comfortable relationship I also allow some level 3 learners to reference their own work in to their files. Application of emotional intelligence in shaping performance I employ the two aspects of emotional intelligence when dealing with learners and colleagues at all times as I must first understand myself and my goals, intentions, responses and behaviour and understand others and their feelings to be able to manage my learners and their progress. I empathise with learners and use the understanding of their emotions to motivate them and inspire them to complete their work. I am aware of my own feelings and emotions and control these to make sure that I do not behave in a way that is unacceptable towards learners or colleagues, I may not have to say anything to communicate how I am feeling as it can be portrayed in my body language and facial expressions which is also something that I have to control. Based on Goleman’s theory to be an effective leader I must be aware  of my own feelings and emotions and manage these to make sure that my emotions do not show in my behaviour if they are unacceptable. I must motivate myself which I do by meeting appraisal and review targets and setting myself my own goals to achieve. I must also manage other peoples emotions I do this by building a relationship with my learners and getting to know what they like and what annoys them so I can recognise this and stop it from becoming an issue where possible, it also makes the learners feel valued and that I care about the way they feel. It is also stated in Maslows Hieracy of needs that to work to your full ability and progress in your job and grow as a person you must have the following; Be in a healthy state, feel safe, feel like you belong somewhere and have some form of social life (friends, family, relationships) and have self esteem before you are able to grow personally. I must make sure that I show all learners that I care about each of them as an individual and that there progress and growth means a lot to me. I think an area that I personally have to work on is when I worry and panic about things for example we were mock inspected and I felt very anxious about it, I must make sure that this feeling does not come across to learners or employers and that the rest of my work doesn’t suffer from it. I also try to understand and manage the employers I deal with emotional intelligence as I want to build a relationship with them and trust so I make sure that I empathise with them and try not to do anything possible which may annoy them for example if I can see that an employer is very busy instead of updating them after the appointment with their learner I will ask if they would like an update via email as I can see they are really busy and then they can decide how they would like the feedback. Setting direction and gaining commitment I communicate and set direction for my learners by visiting them fortnightly, observing them work, showing them what each observation will cover or link in with, giving them feedback on their performance and setting them targets for the next appointment. I provide ongoing support via email and over the telephone to learners when I am at work but not at an appointment with them and review their progress and set targets formally at their ten week reviews which gives them clear direction and motivation to meet the targets they  agree by the next review. I provide support and tutorials to learners for the whole of the technical certificate and functional skills they complete and also offer training on the telephone, prioritising techniques and assertiveness skills as I have noticed that this is an area for development that employers ask for and the learners too. I also motivate and gain commitment from learners and try and persuade new employers to take on new learners by using myself as a role model example, as I began my career by completing an administration level 2 apprenticeship and have completed enough qualifications and worked my way up to becoming a Training Co-ordinator. I communicate and set direction and motivate employers by keeping them up to date with the learner’s progress and exactly what I have been doing with the learner after each visit where possible and including them in the qualification by asking for witness statements and also asking them to participate in the learner’s reviews. With my colleagues I communicate direction in standardisation meetings where we share best practise on how to cover and assess certain units that we may find difficult or what we have found that works very well. I try to motivate my colleagues by being hardworking and genuinely enthusiastic about my learners achieving and my job .

Ethics of Human Gene Therapy :: Science Genetics Papers

Ethics of Human Gene Therapy Gene therapy is a technique which has developed in the wake of recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology. It is a process which results in the correction of a genetic disorder by the addition of a piece or fragment of DNA into the genetic material of a living, functioning cell. A mere thirty years ago this concept belonged to the realm of the human imagination made manifest in the works of science fiction. Today it belongs to the realm of the human imagination made manifest in the works of science, period. It is mind boggling to try to comprehend the far reaching effects of gene therapy. How is it affecting society? Who will benefit from its use? Should it be used at all? Should research continue? How do we answer all of these questions? The answers are not readily available, nor are they black and white, but an attempt at finding some solutions must be made. Before exploring this line of thought further, a basic understanding of the technical aspects of gene therapy is essential. Technical Aspects Although the highly technical aspects of human gene therapy are somewhat complex, the basic concept is very straight forward. The goal of gene therapy is to correct mistakes that have occurred within the genetic material, or DNA, of the living cell. In very simple terms, DNA is often thought of as the "language" of the biological functioning of organisms. This language is organized by letters (nucleotide pairs), words (codons), sentences (genes), and books (genomes). Before being able to repair the damaged or defective genetic material, the location of the gene or genes causing the dysfunction in the individual must be determined. Over the last fifty years or so, scientists have made a great amount of progress in this area, including the development of techniques which allow for the controlled manipulation and replication of specific segments of the human genome. These types of techniques have come to be known as recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology and have allowed scientists to analyze functions of genes which are not necessarily directly expressed at the phenotypic level. This is done by "cutting out" or excising a particular segment of DNA of interest from the genetic material of an individual and inserting it into a bacterial plasmid (a tiny ring of DNA in addition to the normal chromosomal material found within the cells of bacteria).

Large Pizza, Extra Cheese, Extra Norovirus

You can’t stand it. You open the door and generously greet the beauty you’ve been waiting a whole hour for. Your taste buds are teasing you. Craving the molten melted cheese topped with every one of your favorite meats and vegetables. It shines like it’s just been on a treadmill for 3 hours before landing right in your hands, in a perfectly folded box. The ten dollar and fifty cent beauty is all yours, and it’s calling your name. Nothing can go wrong, until it hits you.The mixture of vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and a fever, all because you thought you could trust what was hand delivered to your doorstep. Instead of getting what was paid for, you’ve gotten a big pizza pie full of Noroviruses. On March 3rd, 2008, A locally owned pizza place in Overland Park, Kansas named â€Å"Pizza Shoppe† was in the middle of a huge controversy. While business hours on this day, 10 cases of a foodborne illness was reported. In response, an outbreak investigat ion was initiated by the Johnson County Health Department and the Kansas Department of Health.One of those 10 cases was one of their own employees. 10 customers reported symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting about 2 to 3 hours after eating lunch at the restaurant. The employees of the day were sent to answer a thorough questionnaire about the information on individual illness history, food consumption history and hours worked during the 7-day time period. The results came back positive. All of the specimens that were taken from the sick people came back positive with a food borne illness called Norovirus Gastroenteritis.So where did it come from? What caused it to be such a violent outbreak? An inspection was carried out by the Kansas Department of Health on March 4th, 2008. After an initial walkthrough of the business, the biggest culprits were two dented cans of pizza sauce that are used to make the pizzas every day, no â€Å"use by† dates on any food items, and employ ee bare hand contact with ready to eat foods and toppings. The biggest culprit of all would have had to be bare hand contact with the foods and the employees.Since one of the employees reported symptoms of Norovirus Gastroenteritis as well, this might of single handedly caused the ten others to get sick as well. A sure sign of a physical contamination, at its finest. A norovirus is a type of virus that can be caused by tainted water, or human fecal matter. The symptoms to this virus include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pains. Although, this virus cannot multiply in food, it can be carried into the food by bad food handling habits.It can be easily prevented through sanitary food safety precautions that can be used when training employees, to reduce an outbreak from happening. There is no specific medicine to treat people with a norovirus illness. Norovirus infection cannot be treated with antibiotics because it is a viral infection instead of a bacterial one. If you hav e norovirus illness, you should drink plenty of liquids to replace fluid lost from throwing up and diarrhea symptoms. This will help prevent dehydration.Consequentially, the restaurant obtained 3 health violations and was forced to change their vendor. This also caused the media to report on the restaurant negatively, and in turn, caused the restaurant business for many months following the outbreak. Thankfully nobody died but necessary sanitation precautions for employees were put into effect to ease the possibility of a future outbreak. So next time your order a pizza, take a good look into the cheese glimmering back at you. Every deliciously cheesy piece could be your last.

Muslim and Hindu Hatred: Gandhi’s and Muhammads Views

Question 2 For hundreds of years there was religious fanaticism in the Hindu and Muslim religions leading up to extreme enmity between both. In India Hindus were the majority while Muslims were the minority therefore Muslims feared that a rule by Hindus would destroy what was more precious to them. This anger towards each other created two separate political groups, the Indian National Congress whose leader was Mohandas Gandhi, and the Muslim League whose leader was Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Although they were from opposing sides they both agreed that cooperation between both religions was necessary for India’s independence.In the section The â€Å"Condition of India† from his pamphlet Indian Home Rule Gandhi expresses his feeling and beliefs towards Muslims, he felt that Hindus and Muslims were the same that both have the same blood running through their veins, and together could form one nation. On the other hand in his Speech to the Muslim League Muhammad makes it clear t hat although he wished for there to be cooperation among both religions he knew that Muslims had to separate from Hindus and become their own nation before things would end in their destruction. Both leaders had similar but also differing views in regards to the anger between Muslims and Hindus.Gandhi was an outstanding figure in India who advocated non-violence when India was seeking its independence from British rule. As India’s independence was approaching Gandhi was struggling to maintain the cooperation between Hindu’s and Muslims. He believed that there could be a fusion of Hindu, Muslim, and Christian in India. In 1908 he wrote a pamphlet known as Indian Home Rule that contains many of his ideas and principles that guided him throughout his career. In the section The condition of India he refers to the concerns of a reader regarding the conflicts between the Hindus and Muslims.In the section the reader is concerned that the introduction of Islam has unmade the n ation. Gandhi responds by stating that â€Å"India cannot cease to be one nation because people belonging to different nations live in it† (Gandhi 214). He believed that the different religions can all merge into one nation. Hindu’s must be dreaming if they believe that only Hindu’s should live in India. According the Gandhi all of the different religions in India must live in unity for their own interest. Another concern that the reader has is in regards to the inborn enmity between the Hindus and Muslims.Gandhi replies by stating that the inborn enmity was a phrase created by their mutual enemy, the British. He also reminds the reader that long before the British occupation Hindu’s and Muslims both recognized that their mutual fighting was a suicidal act and realized that neither was going to abandon its religion with violence, and therefore decided to live in peace. This at least only lasted until the British colonized. Gandhi was not a man of hatred, and although Muslims have different religious beliefs he believed that they both come from the same ancestors and the same blood runs through their veins (Gandhi 215).Muhammad Ali believed that the differences between Hindus and Muslims such as religion and law and culture were not mere superstitions. According to him two divergent nationalities can’t be expected to become one nation by means of the British parliamentary statute. If the unitary government of India failed to accomplish this task then the central federal government would fail as well. In his Speech to the Muslim League Muhammad Ali expresses his support for the establishment of separate homelands. He wanted the division of India into â€Å"autonomous national states† (Jinnah 217).He had little hope for the evolvement of a common nationality between both religions. This was because he believed that Hindus failed to understand the true nature of both religions, and that both were â€Å"distinct social ord ers†. According to Muhammad, â€Å"The Hindus and Muslims belong to two different religious philosophies, social customs, and literatures†, therefore the impression that India could become one nation had to end for it could lead to its destruction (Jinnah 217). Their destruction would also be in part to an increasing dissatisfaction since Muslims were the minority and Hindus the majority.Muslims feared that if both religions were to be brought together under a democratic system they would become ruled by Hindus. Rule by the majority would mean â€Å"the complete destruction of what is most precious in Islam† (Jinnah 217). This fear is the reason Muslims wanted to become their own nation to have their own territory, and their own state. This was exactly what Muhammad was advocating in his speech. India had been a British colony since the 1760’s that provided cotton, labor, and was also a market for British goods.There had always been afflicting poverty in I ndia however in the late 19th century there was growth of Indian intellectuals, education, nationalism, its economy, and communications. This growth lead to the formation of the Indian middles class as well as the growth of political organizations (Lecture). There was the Indian National Congress where its members proposed economic reforms and self-rule. Although the congress represented Muslims as well it was predominantly Hindu and because Muslims feared Hindu majority they began to withdraw from the Congress.This resulted in the Muslim League where self-rule and democratic reforms were advocated. The hatred between Hindus and Muslims was one of India’s biggest problems. Each side had religious fanaticism that if populations were to mix there was violence between both sides. This feud created the two separate parties where the Congress party was led by Gandhi and the Muslim League was led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Lecture). Muhammad Ali joined the National Congress in 1906 an d then the Muslim League in 1913.Because he was a member of both organizations he served as an intermediary between both, however he abandoned the Congress because he opposed Gandhi’s campaign of civil disobedience and because they refused to support equal voting rights for the Muslim minority. Spite of that Muhammad continued to work for cooperation between both religions for one cause, India’s independence. Although he worked hard to mitigate the disagreements between Hindus and Muslims the violence between both groups convinced him that it was impossible to fix such a feud, and Muslims would have no future in an independent India.Gandhi on the other hand was a Hindu and so therefore was part of the majority and was leader of the Congress. His main goal was to gain independence for India. But although he was Hindu he was a good person who had no hatred towards Muslims and truly believed in the possibility that both Hindus and Muslims could come together and merge int o one nation. Being that both of these leaders are from opposing sides, and although there might have similar beliefs they each had different views in regards to the violence and hatred between Muslims and Hindus. These differing views can be seen in both Gandhi’s pamphlet and Muhammad’s speech.At first both agreed with cooperation for the forward movement of independence, however both knew that it would be a difficult task. Gandhi’s pamphlet demonstrates that even with all the demonstrations of violence he never lost hope and always believed that both religions would someday come together as one. Muhammad’s speech on the other hand shows that unlike Gandhi he lost hope and realized it was impossible; Hindus and Muslims would never merge into one. Neither of them had hatred towards each other’s religion, both truly wanted for the cooperation and the end of the communal feuds but neither could break such a strong animosity.The enmity between Muslims and Hindus was so strong that neither Muhammad nor Gandhi was able to get both sides to cooperate and get along with one another. Their pamphlet and speech both demonstrate their views and reactions towards the failed attempt for harmony between both sides. Both demonstrate their differing views, Gandhi thought it was possible to reach a consensus and merge into one nation, while Muhammad seemed more realistic and realized it was a lost cause for the Hindus and Muslims.

Self-assessment process Essay Example

Self Self-assessment process Paper Self-assessment process Paper In the modern context, women are obviously gaining the world’s tolerance to their desire for leadership. This is evident in the areas of business and politics, in arts and sports and even in the Defense Ministry where women pilots and women soldiers and policemen are now recruited and being allowed to serve. However we cannot deny the fact that there are areas where men’s skills and capacities are dominant while women are up in other areas. This is due to the biological facts that men are physically stronger than men and that there are specific areas of interest common to men only and vice versa. Gender bias is therefore normal in some situations. In the study conducted by Kent and Mass on Leadership and the Role of Gender (Kent, Russell L. and Sherry E. Mass), they found that gender or sex still matter when it comes to leadership issues. Their research found that there are three implication of having men and women the same chances of leadership emergence: (1) masculinity is still an important predictor of leadership emergence, (2) emergence of female leaders suggests that feminine characteristics does not decrease women’s chance of emerging as leaders, (3) women have better chances of leadership emergence in certain contexts if they if they exhibit androgynous characteristics rather that masculine (Russell and Kent, p. 97). The results are obvious in specific fields like for example in the military where men are more likely to have better physical endurance than women and therefore it has to be led by men. In other fields like in the field of education where there are more women teachers than men, it can be rationalized that women can lead better than men since handling children are at stake here. With all other factors such as the population of women and men in certain context or situation, the researchers concluded that self-perception and group perception of gender roles are important factors of leadership emergence (Russell and Mass p. 98). The author also stressed that it is gender role that matters and not the sex. This means that perception of leadership does not rely on being women and men but the role they are to play as leaders. The difference in leadership styles also plays a big role in assessing leadership emergence. Eagly and Johnson assert that there are several reasons to expect the difference in leadership styles of men and women (Eagly, Alice H. and Blair T. Johnson, pg. 101). Eagly and Blair specifically mentioned biological personality traits that somehow affect the leadership styles of men and women including childhood experience of group plays (p. 102). From here we can extract the role of self-perception in the self-assessment process. Based on Kent and Mass’ research, self-perception of leadership is congruent with group perception (p. 98). This gave us the idea that the perceived leaders by the group also think of themselves as leaders. The desire to lead must therefore be backed with an assessment of the leader’s ability to take the role they are required to play. The question is therefore whether the leader can play the role well, regardless of his being a male or female. Therefore, before deciding in what field one has to engage into, men and women need to assess their own skills and capacities including their knowledge and interest in the area in order to be effective. To emerge as leaders, it is important that leaders also consider the group perception because it is in the group perception that compliance and commitment to the objective of the group initially rely. Women as commanders in the military may seem weird in the perception of the whole group and therefore commitment to the new rules and regulations and the projects implemented may not be taken as seriously as when men are leaders. This however does not mean that such perceptions will remain the same for all times. Remember that women are previously perceived as non-leaders in history but as time passed by and these women were gives the opportunity to lead, they have proven their worth. Therefore group perceptions of leadership changes overtime and maybe affected by the factors of development and technology including education. In conclusion this writer prefers to borrow Baril and others’ conclusion that â€Å"effectiveness of managers depends on the way masculinity and femininity are integrated and displayed, the social climate and other factors† (Baril, Galen L. et. al, pp. 117-118). Essay# 2: Self-Monitoring Self-monitoring refers to the ability and the willingness to read verbal and non-verbal social cues and alter one’s behavior accordingly (Snyder, 1979 cited in Dobbins, Gregory et. al. ). Dobbins and others described High Self-Monitors (HSMs) as â€Å"adept both at reading social cues and at regulating their self-presentation to fit a particular situation† (Dobbins, Gregory et. al. , p. 134). On the other hand, Low Self-Monitors (LSMs) â€Å"lacks the ability and the motivation to regulated self-presentation. † Based on these descriptions we can say that HSMs are more likely to become better leaders that the LSMs since HSMs has the ability and motivation to read social cues which is important in group leadership. Because HSMs also can regulate self-presentation they are more likely to perceived as leaders and therefore has the better change of leadership emergence. Although leadership perceptions by subordinates do not have a guarantee of accuracy, such perceptions are importance in compliance and commitment in tasks being asked to them. Because HSMs can regulated their display of emotions in different situations, their behaviors as leaders are dependent of situations wherein in the leader acts according to the demand of the situation and not according to how he genuinely feels. At some point, this type of behavior maybe beneficial for both the leader and the organizations especially in situations where displaying annoyance and anger cannot help solve a problem. For example when a customer in restaurant expressed his dissatisfaction on the service of one crew, handling customer complaint may help HSMs solve the problem. Even if the customer is wrong, holding back anger and annoyance by the manager towards the customer may help ease the situation, let the customer calm which may just be worsen when the manager displays his true feelings. On the other hand, being HSMs especially within the organizational set up may not help the organization to bring the desired results especially in conflict resolution. For example hiding the true feelings of annoyance towards an employees repeated mistakes in his job may be make the leader appear lax and tolerant of errors. In contrast, LSMs who do not have the capacity and the ability to regulate self-presentation maybe ineffective in handling customer complaint and in handling black sheep in the organization. Because they lack the sensitivity in reading social cues, LSMs may not become emergent leaders as they lack the ability to act properly according to the need of the situation. Relative to self-perception and self-assessment, it is important that a leader be able to develop way of making traits inventory, by making an assessment which traits are proper in certain situations and what are not. Failure to accurately assess such abilities may do harm to the organization as with assuming to take the responsibility of handling stressful situations when in fact his traits does not match the need of the situation and his inability to control self-presentation makes the situation worse. Leaders who are HSMs and LSMs need both improvements as they may both harm the organization where they belong. It is however recognized that is still the need of more studies and researchers relative to the leadership effects of self-monitoring in order to fully understand how such personalities can affect the organization and leadership of individuals possessing them. Essay #3: Influence Tactics Influence tactics are being used by managers and even other members of the organization in order to acquire the desired compliance to a certain task requests. For managers, success in influencing people and developing their commitment to task objectives are determinant of their effectiveness (Yukl, Gary 1989 cited in Yukl, Gary and J. Bruce Tracey, p. 153). But in order to exercise influence an individual must first attain leadership of which emergence as leader of the group depends on the perception of the subordinates. Such leadership emergence is determined by the group members’ perception that the leader is competent enough to lead and primarily that he is a member of the group (Hollander, E. P. p. 126). It is however important to note that influence tactics do not only involve downward direction of influence but also upward and lateral direction of influence. Studies show that influence tactic’s effectiveness can be measured on through the results of performance appraisals as being done by Kipnis and Schmidt (1988 cited in Yukl, Gary and J. Bruce Tracey). In Yukl and Tracey’s model of Influence Tactics, there appears to be nine currently used tactics wherein rational persuasion was assumed to be the most socially desirable tactic while pressure tactic at the bottom of the list (Table 1, p. 154). These influence tactics are regarded as separate and distinct which means that there can only be one in the list that are generally used by one manager (Yukl and Tracey, p. 158). The authors’ own research found the following: (1) consultation, inspirational appeal and rational persuasion were moderately effective regardless of direction, (2) pressure, coalition and legitimating tactics are ineffective, (3) ingratiation and exchange were moderately effective for the downward and lateral direction of influence but are ineffective in the upward direction and (4) personal appeals are moderately effective for downward and lateral direction of influence but results are hard for the authors to interpret (Yukl and Tracey, p. 159). The research concluded that rational persuasion, regardless of direction was the best predictor of effectiveness ratings (pp. 159-160). Using the table of Influence Tactics, we can say that rational perception, although proven effective, require a logical persuasive skills that are developed by experience, backed up with knowledge and maybe such innate factor of making things persuasive. If request for compliance to a certain task is well backed up with the clear and factual objectives, target possibly can possibly see no reason to comply. For example, using downward direction (Manager to subordinates), a manager can effectively persuade his subordinates that the idea of having extended weekday working hours will save them from other expenses compared to the regular eight-hour weekdays with four hours during Saturdays. Logical presentation of the details of such argument may effectively persuade the subordinates to accept the idea and comply with commitment. In comparison, if the manager uses the pressure tactic wherein demands and threats are employed, it cannot possible encourage subordinates to comply and commit. Relative to self-assessment, it is important that a manager, in this context reflect on the tactic that he employs to influence his subordinates. It is important that a manager objectively look into the effects of such tactic on the personality and performance of his subordinates. For example, despite the pressure that a manager inflicts with his subordinates, the volume of finished goods rejection is still high based on the company’s quality control standards. Managers should critically look into how pressure affects the performance of the employees and ask him if pressure positively or negatively affect them. Using upward direction of influence, subordinates may also employ pressure tactics by persistent reminders that instead of positively influencing the decision of the manager towards the request it will most likely irritate the manager and feel that he is not given enough time that he requires to decide. Performance appraisal results are therefore tools in self-reflection and in the self-assessment process. Regardless of direction, performance appraisals give a general idea if an influence tactic has to be changed or to be retained. What is important is to gain commitment from both managers and their subordinates in order to make the goals easier to achieve. Finally, Hollander found that â€Å"the task-competent follower who conforms to the common expectancies of the group may emerge as a leader while the leader who fails to fulfill the expectancies will lose credit and will be replaced† (Hollander, E. P. p. 128). Essay #4: Personal Power Profile Power in the context of leadership should not be misunderstood as the common interpretation of power as â€Å"dirty† and â€Å"bias† as with political power of leader being used to degrade others. Power is simply the â€Å"ability to get things done the way one wants them to be done† (Salincik, Gerald A. and Jeffrey Pfeffer, p. 129). Salincik and Pfeffer also assert that power does not come from the individual possessing it but from the activities brought about by situations and opportunities (p. 130). The exercise of power in the in the society is dependent on the culture and the scarcity of resources, according to the authors. For example, during times of calamities, where there is food shortage including the difficulty of transportation, store owners or traders may exercise power the general public. They have this power exercised by dictating higher prices, as much as they want, for their goods since the public does not have other choice but to but from him. Flooded areas may provide opportunity for the creative people who can make rafts to transport residents to other areas and of course can dictate price. There are several bases of power according to French and Raven: reward, coercive, legitimate, referent and expert power (French, John R. P. Jr. and Bertram Raven, p. 146). Reward power is the ability of the leader to make rewards and that his power emanates from the magnitude of rewards. Coercive power is the leader’s power to influence compliance to the subordinate in the fear of punishment. Legitimate power emanates from culture, acceptance of social structure and designation of legitimizing agent. Referent power is based on identification which means that influence is being enforced to someone who feels or sees that he has something in the group or the person that he likes and he is attracted to. Lastly, expert power is based on knowledge and perception of the leader or the group attributed by the subordinate or follower (French and Raven, pp. 147-151). Using power to influence others in the context of formal or business organizations, scarcity may not be the factor of power sharing but instead the need of the organization (Salancik and Pfeffer, p. 129). For example, the accounting department exercises their power (authority or control in organizational set up) over product pricing as they have the access to information relative to costs aside from their expertise in analyzing such information. They cannot however get control over the purchasing of manufacturing machines as they do not have the expertise of determining which brand or type works better over the others. In this regard, the engineering department has the control over such need. Therefore power distribution in an organization depends on the â€Å"whats† and â€Å"whens† of the organizational needs. This will give us the idea that control of the organization is not absolute or long-term. Relative to self-perception and self-assessment, leaders and subordinates must be able to stick to their roles in their exercise of power. To make it clear, the legal department should stick making decisions over the situations or things that they are given control over, an example of which is on deciding what measure is best taken when labor laws require companies to increase wages when they cannot afford to do so. On the other hand, the accounting department should stick to decisions whether the company can still survive with the implementation of new wage increase or it is better to retrench. The engineering department can still exercise their share of power in the situation by recommending ways and means by which machine use can save overhead costs for the company. The main point here is that everyone should know where they stand and by doing so, conflict maybe significantly avoided while maintaining respect for others. Personal power profile therefore must be objectively assessed in order for an individual to know the scope and limitations of their powers. As Salincik and Pfeffer argued, the exercise of power on decision-making is affected by the factors of scarcity, criticality and uncertainty (Salincik and Pfeffer p. 131). The ability of leaders to gage or judge which resources are critical, scarce and uncertain affects how decisions are supposed to be made. It is important to note that consultation of matters to be decided upon will not weaken the power of the leader over the situation, rather it will give him a better idea of how his power can be worthily exercised regardless of the situation. REFERENCES Baril, Galen E. et. al. Are Androgynous Managers Really are More Effective? Reading 13. pp. 115-118 Dobbins, Gregory H. et. al. The Role of Self-Monitoring and Gender on Leader Emergence: A Laboratory and Field Study. Reading 16. pp. 134-136 Eagly, Alice H. and Blair T. Johnson. Gender and Leadership Style: A Meta-Analysis. Reading 12. pp. 100-110. Hollander, E. P. Emergent Leadership and Social Influence. Reading 14. pp. 125-128 Kent, Russell L. and Sherry E. Mass. Effect of Sex and Gender Role on Leader Emergence. Reading 11. pp. 95-98 Salancik, Gerald R. and Jeffrey Pfeffer. Who Gets Power- And How they Get Hold to It: A Strategic Contingency Model of Power. Reading 15. pp. 129-133 Yukl, Gary and L. Bruce Tracey. Consequences of Influence Tactics Used with Subordinates, Peers and Boss. Reading 18. pp. 153-160

Senior Citizen Population by State Per 2010 Census

Senior Citizen Population by State Per 2010 Census This article lists the United States senior citizen population (i.e. sixty-five years old and over) by state, as recorded in the 2010 Census. This data is relevant to national and state elections because historically, more senior citizens vote Republican than vote Democratic. In the 2008 presidential election, senior citizens nationwide heavily favored Republican John McCain over Democrat Barack Obama by a margin of 53% to 45%. Reported campaign strategists Democracy Corps about the 2008 election in comparison to 2004, According to the exit polls, while Obama made gains with nearly all groups compared to John Kerry, this did not happen with seniors. They, along with gay and lesbian voters, were the big underperformers for Obama. However, in the 2012 elections, voters sixty-five years old and over could be upset enough over Republican proposals to cut and/or change Social Security and Medicare benefits to opt to vote for Democratic candidates. States with high concentrations of senior citizens include 2012 battlegrounds Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and potential battleground states Missouri, Arizona, Montana and Iowa. State Resident Population65 Years Old and OverAccording to the 2010 Census Very High Level of Senior Citizen Population 1. Florida - 17.3% 2. West Virginia - 16.0% 3. Maine - 15.9% 4. Pennsylvania - 15.4% 5. Iowa - 14.9% 6. Montana - 14.8% 7. Vermont - 14.6% 8. North Dakota - 14.5% 9. Arkansas - 14.4% 9. Rhode Island - 14.4% 9. Delaware - 14.4% 12. South Dakota - 14.3% 12. Hawaii - 14.3% High Level of Senior Citizen Population 14. Connecticut - 14.2% 15. Ohio - 14.1 % 16. Missouri - 14.0% 17. Oregon - 13.9% 18. Michigan - 13.8% 18. Arizona - 13.8% 18. Massachusetts - 13.8% 18. Alabama - 13.8% 22. Wisconsin - 13.7% 22. South Carolina - 13.7% 24. Nebraska - 13.5% 24. New York - 13.5% 24. Oklahoma - 13.5% 24. New Jersey - 13.5% Median Level of Senior Citizen Population 28. New Hampshire - 13.5% 29. Tennessee - 13.4% 30. Kentucky - 13.3% 31. New Mexico - 13.2% 31. Kansas - 13.2% 33. Indiana - 13.0% 34. North Carolina - 12.9% 34. Minnesota - 12.9% 36. Mississippi - 12.8% 37. Illinois - 12.5% 38. Wyoming - 12.4% 38. Idaho - 12.4% 40. Louisiana - 12.3% 40. Maryland - 12.3% 40. Washington - 12.3% 43. Virginia - 12.2% 44. Nevada - 12.0% Low Level of Senior Citizen Population 45. California - 11.4% 46. Colorado - 10.9% 47. Georgia - 10.7% 48. Texas - 10.3% 49. Utah - 9.0% 50. Alaska - 7.7% Unemployment Rates by State Foreclosure Rates by State Top 20 Labor Union States Hispanic Population by State African-American Population by State U.S. Census Bureau , Table 16, State Resident Population by Age and State: 2010