Post Civil War Industrialization and Its Impacts Assignment

Post Civil War Industrialization and Its Impacts - Assignment Example Accordingly, the following analysis will discuss three of the major aspects of industrialization from 1865-1920 and how these aspects influenced issues pertaining to the economy, politics, and the society of the United States. It is the hope of this author that such a unit of analysis will be beneficial in seeking to understand how the United States developed during this period of time and how the nation itself shifted from a primarily rural society to one that was dominated by a handful of major industrial centers. One of the first ways that industrialization changed the United States has to do with the change in the economy (Bates, 2013). After the conclusion of the Civil War, the North had built an impressive system of factories that was capable of supplying were material to the many tens of thousands of soldiers that were in the field. However, after the work included, the need for these factories to continue to produce war goods was of course immediately suspended. However, the infrastructure, machinery, and expertise that was developed during the war years provided a substantial base through which additional production of non-war related materials could take place. Ultimately, this process fundamentally shifted the way in which the economy was based. Prior to this particular point in time, the United States was primarily an agrarian society that relied upon the sale of food supplies and/4 other types of raw material. However, with the introduction of steam power and the changes in producti on that industrialization promoted, the United States began to be a dynamic economic force that was able to produce many finished as society changes the goods. This particular economic shifts created a situation by which large demand for labor case you represented within a relatively small geographic area. Although it may seem as if the era after the Civil War and up until the 1920s is ages removed from the current time, this period of industrialization laid a framework for modern, developed, and society that we currently reside within. Furthermore, the political changes, shifts and immigration, and changes with regards the way in which the population was represented at continue to define the way in which the United States developed and is exhibited within the modern era. Â  

Change Management Essay Example for Free

Change Management Essay New consultants are hired to help Riordan Manufacturing in creating a processing for monitoring client’s information that would involve all workers to utilize the same client’s administration process. In part one of this project the consultants would require evaluation of the organization’s intranet site and verification of information. This process would help them in creating an improved administration plan which would consist of many components. For example, proposal of a plan to help execute changes during the upcoming year and clarification of the evaluation processes while ensuring the modification plan is completed. In the second part of this project, the consultants will make a reference to a communication tactic for the proposed change and the effect that would potentially have on the organization. The consultants are to come up with a change management plan and a communication plan for Riordan Manufacturing. Section I: Change Management Plan Riordan Manufacturing is an organization that operates on a bureaucratic system. Separate divisions have managers who are reporting to higher up management. However, even these upper managers, eventually, would have to report to the president and CEO of the organization, Dr.  Michael Riordan. The bureaucracy has a system in place that is similar to the matrix system. Riordan Manufacturing divisions consist of people who carry out specific jobs and every division has its own informal systems, which are created by building working relations jointly. Riordan Manufacturing inspires workers to report any problem or issue that they might have directly to their superior. This would encourage every worker to openly deal with the administration, work in a great environment where interactions could be apparent and attitudes can be positive. Worker behavior would improve greatly because of the open door policy and open interaction because they would be able to express their concerns. When workers feel encouraged to express themselves at liberty, it increases the commitment to the organization and job satisfaction. Even though Riordan Manufacturing needs to create new client administration process, it should continue to accept the matrix structure that is currently in place. By creating a new client administration method it would enable everyone to assess the information of all clients. Retaining the existing matrix system would allow them to ontinue on improving team efforts to progress in the completion of the work that is expected of every division of the Riordan Manufacturing organization. Riordan Manufacturing is a plastics manufacturer with over 500 employees and it is headquartered San Jose (California), and has locations in Albany (Georgia), Pontiac (Michigan), and Hangzhou (China). Riordan Manufacturing products comprise plastic products, such as drink cans, custom-made components, as well as fan mechanisms. Their major clientele are auto and plane component, bottle, and appliance manufacturers, as well as a Department of Defense. To ensure that Riordan Manufacturing delivers these products to their clients, they must implement outstanding and positive worker behavior. Worker’s behavior affects they work performance and their reaction to their work environment, their managers, and clients. Riordan’s tradition comprises of fairness, self-confidence, commitment, imaginative and team-work oriented atmosphere, job performance evaluations, incentives, academic assistance, benefits, vacations, day care assistance, as well as the employees compensation insurance. Riordan appears to be a manufacturing organization that is trying to become a first choice for their customer as a plastic component provider. However, as many other organizations, Riordan Manufacturing could experience issues that would need to be addressed and modified. These issues could hinder the organization’s progress and improvement especially in today’s economy. For example, some workers are unable to deal with the changes and they could become reluctant to perform their jobs. Some employees are avoiding changes because of insufficient information on the changes that are being implemented, being taken out of their comfort zone, insecurity, personal views, job security, peer pressure, as well as a lack of confidence. Even though the employees could show resistance to the change managers would help them to deal with the situation and assist them during the transition to ensure that the implemented change becomes efficient. Managers could implement the change by relying information clearly, by being open, recognizing employees concerns, and respecting the employees. Managers should provide support by allowing them to have a face to face meeting in regards to the changes and explain the benefits of the changes by providing additional training. Also, managers must place the reluctant employees with others who are familiar with the changes that are being implemented. This would help the reluctant employees see that the changes would be worthwhile and beneficial to the organization and its advantages, as well as a possibility of their own jobs to become easier. With any change in management systems we will be expecting some resistance as discussed earlier in our presentation. Once the initiative to change is underway and in progress we will analyze the employees’ reaction to the interruption in their daily activates to identify areas that the employees may be having trouble integrating for the first 6 weeks. Allowing employees sufficient time to dissect and troubleshoot some of the unfamiliar process will give them the opportunity to challenge themselves for growth opportunities and additionally allowing them to develop noteworthy questions and concerns that will assist us to tailor the program to their individual needs. Most major changes in initiatives used to improve profitability normally fail due to incorrect guidance and project mismanagement expertise, which we intend to improve with our 12 month program that we call â€Å"Rehab†. Following the first six weeks of introduction the unveiling of our 40 hours of seminars will commence, which will be used to inform employees of how the system is more beneficial to them, and how the Data Management, Business intelligence, and Data Warehousing will be significantly more applicable to the end-user, which will increase their productivity that will additionally benefit the organization’s bottom-line. One key consideration that will be discussed with the employees is their drop in productivity during the first year of the Change Management implementation; we are fully aware that organizations don’t change people change. Using our world renowned process takes time to fully be incorporated in the daily operations; we will be fully engaged onsite with our four member management team, who will be localized and embedded in your organization to assist all employees in-depth with this drop in performance for the duration of our contract. With over 25 years successfully working with companies of various sizes across the business sector, you can trust in our process methods to keep your business moving in a positive direction a while minimizing people risk. Prior to idea of making an improvement to our data management system we would depend on the accuracy of the employees, with the Data management system we will be able to track and monitor everything from Recordkeeping, monitoring, situational monitoring, and performance monitor. The improvements will allow us to do safe guard against violations of right by allowing access to documents externally, use data received to create lessons learned that we can use to train incoming staffers, build a better reputation for our stakeholders by giving them access to necessary information, and last but not least the ability form documents to be tampered will be drastically reduced. We are only looking at a successful change; the idea of failure is not foreseeable. Section II: Communication Plan  The form used to communicate a change to employees is just as important as the change and message in itself. In this case, the appropriate channel of communicating the change to the employees is a meeting with a PowerPoint presentation. The face to face communication will provide an opportunity for the employees to bring up concerns about the change and ask questions. The employees should be encouraged to be comfortable voicing their concerns. The PowerPoint presentation can be presented in order for everyone to see the goals, plans, and details of the change. These channels of communication will provide the employees with the information about the change while the person presenting it can offer reassurance and answers to questions. The group will have a visual to receive the message and the person who is presenting will be able to give face to face discussions regarding concerns and assurances. Potential barriers to communicating this change include the possibility of misinterpretation of some of the information presented, different point of view and expectations among the employees, and assumptions made by employees and presenter. Strategies for overcoming these barriers include the presenter encouraging people to ask questions, clarifying information, anticipating possible questions and asking those questions. The group needs to be comfortable asking questions and should be encouraged to do so. Any misinterpretations need to be clarified. And the person presenting can come up with questions that people will likely ask and bring them up in the discussion to encourage others to be involved in communication.

CASE STUDY DAILY CARE OF A TERM INFANT

CASE STUDY DAILY CARE OF A TERM INFANT The purpose of this case study is to discuss an episode of Normal Midwifery, which in this instance, will relate to the Daily Care of a Term Infant. The case study will highlight the episode of care in detail, evaluate the management of the babys Physical care and the womans Educational, Psychosocial needs with relevant evidence based support. The anonymity of mother and baby will be maintained in accordance with NMC (2008) and ESC 1 (NMC, 2007) and will be referred to as the woman and the baby through out the Case Study. Consent was also requested from the woman for herself and baby to be included in the Case Study in line with ESC 1 (NMC, 2007). BACKGROUND The woman was a 28 year old who was parity 1+0, had a spontaneous vaginal delivery of a baby girl with only Entonox as pain relief and was now 2nd day postnatal. The baby girl weighed 3288 grams with no complications after delivery and had APGAR scores of 8 at 1 minutes and 9 at 5 minutes. The woman had 40 minutes uninterrupted skin-to-skin with the baby after birth and decided to artificially feed rather than breast feed, although benefits of breast feeding were explained to the woman. The Student Midwife first met the woman during her Labour the previous day and was present at the birth. As the Student Midwife was working a day shift with her Mentor, it was requested that the Student Midwife carry out the Daily Examination of the baby in line with KCND (NHSQIS, 2009), while the Mentor observed. The initial examination and assessment of the baby was done at birth by the Mentor as suggested by Demott, Bick, Norman (2006) and included assessing the newborns physiological adaptation to extra-uterine life, colour, tone, breathing and heart rate according to Resuscitation Council (2006). The purpose of the Daily Examination there after is to monitor the progress of the baby and for early detection of deviation from the normal established at Initial Examination. These findings were documented in SWMR Baby Post Natal notes in line with NMC (2008) and KCND (NHSQIS, 2009). The Student Midwife before entering the womans room to commence examination familiarised herself with the womans Medical case / SWMR notes and babys SWMR notes, to review the medical history including: family history, maternal, antenatal and perinatal history, fetal and neonatal history so as to be prepared to assist with any concerns the woman may have regarding Physical, Educational or Social needs as recommended by KCND (NHSQIS, 2009). PHYSICAL The Student Midwife greeted the woman on entering the room and enquired how the woman was feeling. It was established that the woman was pain free and feeling fairly rested after labour the previous day. The Student Midwife then asked how the woman had found the baby overnight, regarding specifically feeding, sleeping pattern, passing urine meconium. The woman confirmed that the baby had been feeding approximately every 3 4 hours taking 30 mls each time, between feeds the baby was reported to have been settled and sleeping. It was also reported that the baby had been having wet nappies and one episode of a large amount of meconium being passed. It was important to establish that meconium had been passed within the first 24 hours as failure to do so may have indicated a gastrointestinal problem including Hirshsprungs disease. The woman was reassured that the passing of urine and meconium was important as this ensures that the renal and gastrointestinal systems are functioning normal ly. The information given was recorded in the babys SWMR notes following NMC (2008). It was then explained to the woman that the Student Midwife was going to examine the baby from head to toe, this would involve the baby being completely undressed at some point during the examination and that it would be carried out in front of her. Any findings would be discussed with her at the time and any concerns that she may have would be answered. Consent was then sought from the woman in line with NMC (2008) for the examination to be carried out, as the baby could not give consent, which was duly given. As it is important that the baby does not become cold due to the inefficiency of regulating temperature due to immaturity of the hypothalamus as suggested by Farrell and Sittlington in Fraser and Cooper (2009), the Student Midwife ensured that all windows and doors were closed to exclude any draught before commencing the Daily Examination of the baby. Also the Student Midwife washed her hands and applied latex free gloves to protect herself from any of the babys bodily fluids and to protect the baby who is at risk of infection as suggested by Johnson and Taylor (2006). Whilst undressing the baby the Student Midwife was mindful to show respect to the baby by gentle handling and lack of excessive noise as suggested by Carbjal and Coudered (2003). Safety of the baby was also considered and the Student Midwife ensured that the cot was stable and in view of the mother prior to commencing the examination. The babys identity was confirmed by checking details on both identity bands on the baby with the mother and the mothers identity was also confirmed by checking her identity band in line with the Newborn and Infant Physical Examination (NIPE) Standards and Competencies (NHS, 2008). A methodical examination was commenced by the Student Midwife which follows. All findings were discussed with the woman and documented in the babys SWMR notes as recommended by NMC (2007) who state that midwives must adhere to the guidelines for records and record keeping as a legal requirement. DAILY EXAMINATION Temperature Before removing the babys clothes, the Student Midwife took the babys temperature from the axilla site using an electronic thermometer whilst the baby lay in the cot. The reading was 36.8ËÅ ¡C which was within the normal range for an axilla reading (36.5 37.3ËÅ ¡C) as described by Bain in Fraser and Cooper (2009). Reassurance was given to the mother when she asked if the baby was warm enough that the reading was normal. The Student Midwife also offered the information of how the woman could check to see if the baby was too warm or cold by feeling under the babys clothes just below the neck and at the top of the babys back. Also a good indication was if the woman had two layers on, then generally the baby would require the same amount of layers. It was also advised that the baby would not require to wear a hat indoors if the room is at a comfortable temperature of between 18 21ËÅ ¡C but would require it outdoors due to cool air. General Appearance The Student Midwife removed the babys clothes, leaving only the nappy on which would be removed later in the examination, to observe the general appearance of the baby. The babys skin was noted to be pink all over showing no signs of central cyanosis, although hands and feet still showed slight signs of peripheral cyanosis which is normal during the first 24 48 hours according to Farrell and Sittlington in Fraser and Cooper (2009). This was explained to the mother so no undue worry was caused due to the blue tinge of the hands and feet. Also there was no sign of jaundice which is common after 48 hours from birth as all newborns have a transient rise in serum bilirubin which usually settles after 10 12 days post natal. The woman was advised to watch for any colour change of the babys skin from pink to yellow tinge or for the white of the eye (sclera) to be tinged with yellow. It was explained that this is a normal occurrence as suggested by Johnston, Flood, Spinks (2003) and as long as the baby had a good urine output, was awake regularly and fed well then there would be no cause for concern. However if the baby develops jaundice which last longer than expected, has excessive sleeping patterns, continually passes pale stools and dark urine, then the woman should get immediate attention for the baby as this is abnormal for a formula fed baby. The babys breathing was observed whilst lying in the cot and was noted to be within the normal range of 40 60 breaths/minute with the chest and abdomen rising and falling, showing no signs of distress. Being awake, alert and active the baby was seen to be moving all limbs as expected with good tone. Head The babys head was gently examined by the Student Midwife. This was done by gently running the finger tips across the babys head to feel along the suture lines and fontanelles. The Student Midwife when doing this was determining if any moulding, caput succedaneum or cephal haematoma had occurred during passage down the birth canal or from pressure from the cervical os. Slight moulding was detected and this was explained to the woman that this was normal and was caused by the bones in the skull overlapping during delivery and will resolve itself within a couple of days. The anterior fontanelle was then gently felt and found to be level. This indicated that there was no intracranial pressure which would cause it to rise or dehydration which would cause it to be depressed. It was explained that it is common to notice pulsating at the anterior fontanelle which is no cause of concern and that this soft spot closes over by the time the baby was 18 months old as confirmed by Wylie (2005). Eyes Both eyes were checked and found to be clear of any discharge. The Student Midwife suggested to the woman that if the eyes were to become sticky, which is common due to blocked tear ducts and can be seen as a crust on the eyelid, the eyes should be cleaned. To do this the woman should use cooled boiled water and cotton wool balls. Each eye should be cleaned from the inner eye outwards only using the cotton wool ball once then discarding. Each eye should be cleaned separately to avoid cross infection. Mouth Mouth was inspected by opening the mouth by gently pressing a finger against the angle of the jaw at the chin. This enabled the Student Midwife to look inside to assess the tongue, gums and palate. The Student Midwife did not insert small finger into mouth to check for a cleft palate or suck reflex as this had been established at Initial Examination of the newborn and no abnormalities had been detected. The mouth was seen to be moist and clear of any white plaques which may have suggested oral thrush as stated by Bain in Fraser and Cooper (2009). Skin Closer inspection was then done by the Student Midwife of the babys skin, looking in particular for any rashes, spots, bruising or infection. The babys nappy was removed and buttocks examined to ensure skin was intact. All appeared normal with no excoriation identified. The Student Midwife advised the woman that information on minor disorders would be given to her at the end of the examination as the Student Midwife was conscious of the babys temperature being maintained. Umbilicus Cord The umbilicus cord and clamp were inspected for signs of infection and separation. Nothing unusual was detected. The baby was redressed as quickly as possible to maintain body temperature and given to the woman to settle. Information was given to the woman on daily cord care which included that the umbilicus should be cleaned with warm tap water and patted dry which has been shown to aid separation as stated by Trotter (2003). This should be done daily and at a nappy change if required. It was explained to the woman that hand washing is essential before and after cord care as suggested by Farrell and Sittlington in Fraser and Cooper (2009) as the cord is a potential site for infection and Straphylococcus aureus is commonly found here as confirmed by Newell, Miller, Mogan et al (1997). When the woman asked when the clamp would be removed, it was confirmed that this may be done on the third or fourth day when the cord has dried out as suggested by World Health Organisation (WHO) (1999). The Student Midwife confirmed that the Daily Examination of the baby was complete and that she would now give the woman further information on minor disorders, safe baby care practice in particular Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and address any other concerns that the woman may have. EDUCATIONAL NEEDS Through out the examination the Student Midwife gave the woman information on day-to-day care and signs of illness. As previously mentioned further discussion took place with the woman regarding Minor disorders and safety issues, which is in line with NHS QIS (2004) who suggest that ay assessment or examination at birth or later should be seen as an opportunity for parental education or health promotion. This included the following ailments and explanation given to the woman: Skin Rashes Erythema toxicum. A red blotchy rash with white pinhead papules which is common during the first 7 days post natal and will disappear on its own. Miliaria. A sweat rash which occurs in babies who become too warm. It appears as clear papules on face, scalp, chest and areas where clothes rub due to unopened sweat glands. The baby should have excess clothing removed and placed in a cooler environment. The papules will disappear on their own. Milia. White or yellow papules commonly seen on cheeks, nose and forehead. Will disappear on their own. Sore buttocks/Nappy rash. The skin beneath the nappy area becomes red and excoriated due to either infrequent nappy changing, frequent loose stools or hot weather. By exposing the cleaned skin to a warm dry atmosphere aids the excoriated skin to heal. Care in using commercial barrier creams must be noted as they can prevent the one-way design of disposable nappies, blocking the perforations in the linings resulting in the urine and stools being next to the babys skin longer. Breast Engorgement of the Baby This can occur in both female and male babies around the 3rd day post natal. The breasts appear to have a lump under the nipple which is caused by the drop in oestrogen levels in the baby after birth which stimulates the breast to produce milk. No treatment is required and will rectify itself. It is important that mothers do not squeeze the breast as this may result in infection. Pseudo-menstruation It is common to notice a clear discharge or blood-stained vaginal discharge from baby girls during the withdrawal of the mothers hormone oestrogen after the birth. The mother was reassured that this is a normal physiological process which does not require treatment, although can be alarming if not aware of it. Safe Baby Care Practices The importance of reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is done by ensuring the baby sleeps in a cot in the parents room for the first 6 months. The baby should always be put on their back to sleep, with their feet to the foot of the cot. They should be lightly covered with the room at a normal temperature, not too hot. Bed sharing is not recommended especially after consuming alcohol, drugs or after smoking. The baby should be in a smoke-free atmosphere. These recommendations are formed by the Department of Health (1996). Following the birth of the baby the role of the Midwife is to observe and monitor the health of the mother and he newborn, offering information and support in breastfeeding, which is not applicable in this instance, parenting skills and signs of morbidity according to Merchant (2006). This involved effective communication with the woman through out the examination to ensure that the woman conveyed her concerns, maintained control over her decision making with regards to the baby, assisted her in making informed choices and reduced her anxiety levels and emotional distress as suggested by Raynor (2006). In order that the womans physical and emotional status was commensurate with effective communication, the Student Midwife had to assess the womans emotional state when receiving information, which was done by asking how the woman was feeling before commencing the babys Daily Examination. The womans state could have been effected by pain, tiredness, hormonal changes or if the baby was c rying/distressed due to being hungry or requiring changing. Therefore the timing of conducting the Examination was essential to ensure that the woman retained the majority of the information given to her without being distracted due to other factors. In this instance the woman was receptive to the information given, which would assist her in the daily care of her baby, as according to McCourt in Page and McCandlish (2006) the transition to parenthood is a time when adults are responsive to information and will look for it actively. As the Midwife becomes familiar with the appearance and behaviour of a normal term newborn, the recognition of signs and signals caused by morbidity are easily communicated to the mother to assist her in recognising when there are any deviations from the normal with her baby. The importance of this is in preparing the mother for discharge home as the length of time spent in hospital is decreasing according to Bain in Fraser and Cooper (2009). As well as educating the woman with clinical skills (e.g. daily care of the baby, recognising signs of illness) the Midwifes role also encapsulates being able to provide relevant information / advice on general health promotion, social support and mental health. PSYCHOSOCIAL NEEDS As the woman was a first time mother it was important to establish that the woman had adequate support in caring for herself and the baby. This was established by the Student Midwife by familiarising herself with the woman and babys SWMR and Case notes which would highlight any social issues that may have needed addressing as the social circumstances in which a woman lives and a newborn brought into play a major part in their health and well being according to Raynor (2006). In this instance the woman was in a stable relationship with no reported Domestic Abuse, was not in temporary housing, had no social work involvement, no mental health issues and had good family support as routinely asked during Booking appointment and recorded in SWMR notes. It was important for the Student Midwife to spend time with the woman and baby in quiet surroundings, free from interruption which offered privacy and allowed the communication of sensitive and confidential information to be shared between the woman and the Student Midwife following NIPE Standards and Competencies (NHS, 2008). This gave the Student Midwife the opportunity to assess the womans psychosocial well-being by asking how she was coping (defined as coming to terms with a situation according to Lazarus (1966)) so far with the baby / becoming a mother and also to ascertain the womans expectations of becoming a mother. It is known that in adjusting to motherhood, the woman can feel insecure and loses confidence in her own abilities in the early postnatal period, especially on the lead up to and after discharge as confirmed by Ward and Mitchell (2004). Factors which can influence this are the womans personality, previous learning, quality/quantity of support available and past ex periences of coping. The woman, in this instance stated that although she knew it would take some time to adjust to lack of sleep and was slightly anxious about going home, she had good support from her partner, mother and friends; she had no immediate concerns about caring for the baby. CONCLUSION In conclusion it is the Student Midwifes opinion that the Daily Examination of the Term Infant was carried out following KCND (NHS, 2009) guidelines and that the NIPE Standards and Competencies (NHS, 2008) were adhered to. The baby was examined in a safe and comfortable environment, was shown respect and care from the Student Midwife whilst performing Daily Examination and full explanation was given to the woman as to what was being checked and looked for. The Student Midwife ensured that the woman had the opportunity to ask questions or offer sensitive information through out this encounter by providing privacy and confidentiality in line with NMC (2008) and ESC (NHS, 2009). All findings and discussion were documented in mother and baby SWMR notes accordingly in line with NMC (2007) The role of the Midwife in Educational and Psychosocial needs is to give the woman, relevant health advice for the baby and themselves, reassurance and permission to say how they feel. This follows a health orientated and woman centred model of care, which recommends that the role of the Midwife is to encourage the womans self confidence, ability to take control and self esteem as suggested by Bates in Stewart (2004). In a recent study it was concluded that healthy, low risk women wanted attentive, proactive, professional support from the Midwife during the transition to motherhood according to Seefat-van Teeffelen, Nieuwenhuijze, Korstjens (2009) which the Student Midwife believes was given during this Daily Examination of a Term Infant.

Aboriginal History and Culture Essay examples -- Essays papers

Aboriginal History and Culture Aborigines are believed to have lived in Australia for between 60,000 and 40,000 years, their early ancestors coming from South-East Asia. Precise population details for the period before European colonisation are unavailable, but it is estimated that there were between 300,000 and 1,000,000 Aborigines in Australia when European settlers first arrived in 1788. These natives formed approximately 500 tribes, each associated with its own language and stretch of territory. Although the sizes of the tribes varied, they had much in common. The Aborigines were not natural cultivators of the land - fertile land was obviously scarce - and Australia (before the European colonisation) had no animals suitable for herding, so the Aborigines lived by hunting and gathering food. The size of the tribe and the extent to which they could hunt and gather were limited by the proximity and quantity of fresh water, necessitating a semi-nomadic lifestyle. As the numbers of the tribe swelled and/or supplies of water dwindled, subgroups set out to discover new waters and set up new territories. Each tribe was led by religious leaders, with no political chief or formal government, and was broken down into bands (hunting groups) and also local descent groups (family units). These family units were vitally important, as all members of a tribe were related. The territory of the tribe was centred on the place where its ancestors had originally settled, and it was b...

Digging Essay -- Literary Analysis, Seamus Heaney

"Digging" â€Å"Digging† by Seamus Heaney is the first poem in the first full volume of Heaney’s poems, â€Å"Death of a Naturalist†. â€Å"Death of a Naturalist† is about the transition into adulthood and the loss of innocence. The poem shows how Heaney looked up to his father and grandfather, especially their hard work. Even though Heaney did not follow in their footsteps and become a farm laborer, he respects the work they do, especially their skill at digging. The poem is a free verse poem. It has eight stanzas with two couplets. It rhymes occasionally, but it does not have a patterned rhyme. The first two lines rhyme with â€Å"thumb† and â€Å"gun†, the second stanza also has some rhyming words. The poem is a first person narrative; this is evident from the first line that uses the word â€Å"my† and other lines throughout that use words such as â€Å"I† and â€Å"we†. The title relates to the poem because all three generations mentioned are digging. His father dug potato drills and flowerbeds, his grandpa used to dig peat, and he is digging up the past. Because of this, the title is very fitting. Throughout the poem Seamus Heaney uses shifts in the tense to convey his memories as well as his determination for the future. It starts off in present tense as he sees his father struggling with the flowerbed. The poem then shifts to past in order to recall his grandfather’s work digging peat and his father’s stronger days digging potato drills. The poem returns to present tense during the last two stanzas. The final line is future tense in order to show that Seamus understands that his work is writing. The first stanza of the poem says the pen in his hand fits â€Å"snug as a gun† (line 2. The second stanza is Heaney looking down from is window to s... ...† as they fill the bucket. Another shift occurs in the second stanza when the speaker says they â€Å"hoarded the fresh berries in the byre† (line 17). â€Å"Byre† means a shed, but it can also be a support for a casket or corpse. This foreshadows what is to come. The berries begin to spoil because more were picked than could be eaten in time. The â€Å"rat-grey fungus, glutting on our cache† (line 19) got to them. The berries would have lasted longer if they had been left on the bush, but desire and greed overwhelmed the speaker when picking the luscious berries. Because he lost the berries due to rotting, the speaker says, â€Å"I always felt like crying. It wasn’t fair / That all the lovely canfuls smelt of rot. / Each year I hoped they’d keep, knew they would not† (lines 22-24). The speaker collects berries every year, more berries than needed, and he always sees them go bad.

What Are the Benefits for Foreign Firms to Cross List in the Us Markets?

What are the benefits for foreign firms to cross list in the US markets? Do the benefits remain after the SOX? Do you think the benefits would remain unchanged after the worldwide adoption of IFRS? Foreign companies are always looking for a new country to plant a flag and expand their global market place. One of the ways that they do this in the business world is through a process called cross listing. This practice allows a company owned and operated in Country A to list their company in Country B’ s financial trading exchange.Some have argued that introduction of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) and the ongoing plans of convergence between US GAAP and IFRS have decreased the need for cross listing. While there is a difference of opinion as to whether or not the practice is still beneficial is this day an age; I tend to believe that even if the benefits are not as robust as they once were they are worth the investment Cross listing is when a corporation â€Å"lists its equity shares on one or more foreign stock exchange in addition to its domestic exchange. (Wikipedia, 2013) The practice became very popular in the in 80’s and hit its peak in the 1990’s. Research has uncovered a number of benefits and reasons for cross listing. Three models were established to show the benefits of cross listing. They are the market segmentation / investor recognition model, the liquidity model, and the shareholder protection / legal bonding model. (Weisbach, Reese, 2002) When it comes to discussing the benefits of cross listing in the United States. Some of the benefits are as follows: The first is that it will increase the visibility of company in a global scale. Zhu, Small, 2007) Changing the visibility of a company from national to global offers a company a larger audience who may not have been familiar with a company in the past. Second, companies can gain access to liquid markets. (Zhu, Small, 2007) A foreign company in a developing country may not have enough li quidity in its surrounding area for the purposes of investment and growth. Leaning on developed countries with large financial exchanges is a way to tap into those economic resources that issuers are trying to find. Third, is to show that the company is strong. Zhu, Small, 2007) In a competitive industry such as the earning management and the stock market, investors are looking for strong companies to give their money to. It is up to the foreign firms to establish themselves. In some cases an audience with financial analyst that can tout the benefits of investing in your company is a way of building international credibility with the investment world. Finally, cross listing is done in order to follow tougher requirements. This can show that a company is â€Å"for real† and worth a look because they are willing to cross list in a country with tough exchange requirements. Zhu, Small, 2007) The overall benefits of cross listing can be summed up in a few words: global exposure th at leads to international investments from multiple countries that will fuel growth opportunities. There are critics that say that SOX has affected cross listing negatively due to its strict and stringent rules. In some cases, these are so different from a foreign companies â€Å"home† accounting policies that it makes it almost impossible or the firm to comply. Congress has made it clear that â€Å"U. S. nvestors are entitled to †¦protection regardless of†¦issuer† (Zhu, Small, 2012) SOX was established to protect investors from fraud by companies when they are reporting their performance to the SEC and regardless of cost the U. S. should stand behind those principles and try to keep companies â€Å"honest†. In my opinion the same benefits that cross listings had before SOX still exist; the willingness of companies to comply with SOX and reap the benefits of cross listing. Once the convergence between US GAAP and IFRS is complete I still see a benefit to cross listing.However, by sheer transition to IFRS a company would lose the benefit of stricter exchange requirements. The move would require changes to legal and financial interpretations of accounting standards. However, the true consequences of this move to a global standard could not be determined until the framework of these standards was complete and implementation has taken place with U. S. and foreign firms. In closing, I consider cross listing a beneficial practice for foreign firms. I agree that we are living in an Internet world where I can invest in German company with a few clicks of a mouse.I also agree that we are heading towards a global accounting standard that will level the playing for all companies of all sizes in all countries. However, the benefit of cross listing that I see never going away is the visibility. Having a tangible presence in developed countries is key to growth. Having a presence in developing countries is a stepping-stone to bigger growth opp ortunities in the future. Bibliography â€Å"Cross Listing. † Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Jan. 2013. Web. 20 Jan. 2013. Dobbs, Richard, and Marc Goedhart. Why Cross-listing Shares Doesn't Create Value. † McKinsey Quarterly Autumn 2008 29 (2008): n. pag. Print. Reese, William, Jr. , and Michael Weisbach. â€Å"Protection of Minority Shareholder Interests, Cross-listings in the United States, and Subsequent Equity Offerings. † NBER. Journal of Financial Economics, 2002. Web. 20 Jan. 2013. Zhu, Hong, and Ken Small. â€Å"Has Sarbanes-Oxley Led to a Chilling in the U. S. Cross-Listing Market. † Has Sarbanes-Oxley Led to a Chilling in the U. S. Cross-Listing Market. The CPA Journal, Mar. 2007. Web. 20 Jan. 2013.

Compare and Contrast Plato and Decsartes Essay

Descartes and Plato are two of the most influential thinkers within philosophy. The allegory of the cave and systematic doubt are also two of the most famous concepts within philosophy. Plato at the time of writing the cave allegory was trying to resist the growing influence of the Sophist philosophers who prioritised semantics and rhetoric over truth.1 Descartes by introducing radical scepticism to philosophy was challenging traditional scholastic philosophy which had dominated the philosophy for many centuries. While both pieces of writing are separated by different ages of time and space, they share many similarities as well as fundamental differences. This essay will attempt to compare and contrast these two bodies of work by firstly explaining what is Descartes’ systematic doubt and Plato’s Allegory of the cave before finally examining the similarities and differences between them in the final paragraph of analysis. Descartes in his first meditation introduces the concept of Radical doubt which similarly places suspicion on the senses and the appearance of things. This involves stripping away all one’s beliefs and preconceived notions in order to find the foundational bedrock of knowledge in which all sciences could then grow. Descartes begins his first meditation by casting doubt on all his beliefs, if a belief can be even slightly doubted it must be discarded. He wants to ‘reject as absolutely false anything in which I could imagine the least amount of doubt3’ this is called radical scepticism where all beliefs must be challenged. Through this experiment Descartes conceded that the physical senses are not to be trusted as they have deceived him before, this is known as sensory deception and this revelation forces him to doubt any beliefs about the external world and knowledge that is gathered by the five senses. His examination also reveals that dreams states can be difficult to  distinguish between waking life, this has happened before where he thought he was in bed but wasn’t. Henceforth one cannot truly know if they are awake observing reality or asleep enjoying a dream, this is known as the dream hypothesis. Descartes also uncovers the evil demon hypothesis whereby all external reality observed may be just an illusion that is perpetrated by an evil demon seeking to deceive him, also there is the problem that all previous memories about oneself could simply just be imagination and not grounded in any reality. The system of radical doubt leads Descartes into murky territory where he cannot believe in the existence of anything at all. This thankfully is changed when he discovers the cogito’ I think therefore I am’, his starting point which saves him from uncertainty, allowing him to prove that he exists. In Plato’s allegory of the cave, there are prisoners who are locked up within the depths of a cave. All day long, they are situated in front of a wall and behind them is a fire which reflects shadows on the wall. Unbeknownst to the prisoners, there are puppeteers who use the firelight to reflect shadows of their puppets upon the wall while making noises ‘the truth would be literally nothing but the shadows’. The prisoners are unaware of this illusion and mistakenly believe these shadows are real images. One day, a prisoner is released from his chains and allowed to walk freely about the cave. Although it is confusing for him to see the puppets and fire, he is forced to accept this clearer version of reality and eventually ascents through the cave, spending a day and night under the sun and the stars. As he becomes familiar with the world above, he realises the sun is the giver of light, how it casts shadows and how his prior life in the cave was an entire illusion. This newfound enlightenment Plato remarks will prevent him from ever returning to the life in cave, nor will his old inmates believe him if he tried to free him, instead ‘they would put him to death5’ This intellectual awakening will cause the inmate to grasp the idea of good, the eternal form which will urge him to act ‘rationally in public or private life6’. Ultimately Plato suggests the inmate should return to his old friends and seek to help them. The cave analogy is concerned with the human condition and its’ lack of enlightenment, for Plato the prisoners represent ordinary citizens who hold false beliefs (shadows), reality is dictated to them by their senses (appearance of things) allowing them to be easily manipulated. Ignorance is then symbolised by darkness and the  intellect and reason is symbolised by the light. The journey of the inmate from darkness to light is a metaphor for education which allows one to progress from the ignorance in the depths of the cave to the intellectual plains of the enlightened one in the outside world. The outer world symbolises true knowledge, the realisation of eternal forms while the cave again illustrates the world of appearance and false beliefs, Woozley writes ‘most men without knowing it live in this shadow world’9 The cave analogy and Descartes systematic doubt have much in common. Both are concerned with the illusory nature of the senses and external reality, for Plato people place too much emphasis on the senses, on the appearance of things as illustrated in by the shadows on the wall, this leads them to hold false beliefs and to be easily misled, only by entering the realm of thought can people free themselves by gaining knowledge and becoming enlightened. Descartes through the systematic doubt also maintains that external reality cannot be truly known; the sensory deception and evil demon hypothesis cast doubt on the authenticity of the outside world. Indeed the evil demon hypothesis is an almost identical scenario to that of the prisoners whose sensory per ception is distorted by the shadow wielding puppeteers. Only through the mind or intellect can an individual overcome the illusory nature of the senses, it allows the prisoner to access the outside world to gain enlightenment and help his fellow inmates while for Descartes the mind by way of the cogito is the one thing that cannot be doubted which through it allows him prove the existence of the outside world in his later meditations. The cave is an analogy which illustrates how people can possess false consciousness and how through reason and knowledge one can overcome this while systematic doubt is an instruction on how to discard false beliefs, the ascent through the cave into the intellectual world is the finishing point for Plato while the cogito for Descartes is a starting point for further investigation. The two authors also differ on the type of philosophy employed in their argument. Plato insists that after the ascent , the prisoner will experience the idea of the good ‘ the lord of light in the visible world, and the immediate source of reason and truth in the intellectual’10 the good then is the highest point of knowledge and represents Plato’s philosophy of perfect types or forms known as idealism, Descartes through highlighting the sensory, dream and demon hypothesis  illustrates how the external world cannot be relied upon as a basis for true knowledge, but the cogito is a start ing point, the attempt to find secure beliefs that allow a foundation for further knowledge to be rested upon is known as Foundationalism which is credited to Descartes. In conclusion, both Descartes and Plato in their attempts to challenge the prevailing doctrine of their respective times introduced two of the most influential concepts in the world of Philosophy. Descartes through his examination of systematic doubt uncovers the limitations of the physical senses in acquiring knowledge and introduces further challenges to understanding external reality with the dream, memory and evil demon hypothesis. Only through the mind alone can one grasp the nature of reality starting with the cogito. Likewise Plato is concerned with the appearance of things, how the senses can deceive us and humanity like the inmates in the cave can live in a state of ignorance or darkness if they don’t use the power of the mind to acquire knowledge and reason. Only through using the intellect can humanity gather true knowledge and escape the darkness in the cave. For both the intellect is the only means for gathering true knowledge, the senses are illusory. Descartes s ystematic doubt and cogito provide the foundational starting point for the sciences while the cave allegory offers advocates a way of life for humanity to feign the world of ignorance and seek true knowledge so that those who acquire it will return to the cave and help their fellow man. Works Cited: Annas, Julias. An Introduction to Plato’s’ Republic. New York: Oxford University Press Cottingham, John. Descartes: Meditations on First Philosophy. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013 Cottingham, John. Ed. Ray Monk. Descartes’ Philosophy of Mind. London: Phoenix Publishers, 1997 Plato. The Allegory of the cave. Week 5 Handout Woozley, Anthony. Plato’s Republic: A philosophical commentary. London: MacMillan Publishers, 1989