Friday, September 6, 2019

Tasks that can be performed by Self-Managed teams Essay Example for Free

Tasks that can be performed by Self-Managed teams Essay Many organizations are enabling self-managed teams so that the costs of hiring senior managers and supervisors to handle the team are removed. The organization should also be aware that only some and not all of the tasks could be performed using self-management means. All autonomous jobs and tasks can be performed on a self-management basis. As one member is able to acquire and develop skills, the other members would be learning through interactions. In this way the entire team would be competent with performing several tasks in the organizations. Some of the difficult tasks, which are highly unstable and need use of highly specialized skills, may be difficult to be performed by self-managed groups. It may also be difficult for temporary teams and committees to perform self-managed tasks. In the field of nursing and medicine, the management has to ensure that the self-managed teams are not temporary or transient teams that are working for some kind of temporary project. The skills that a self-managed team possesses should be permanent and involve the much routine work (Silverman, 1996). Roles and Responsibilities of Self-Managed teams A self-managed team would be having several roles and responsibilities in the organization. These roles and responsibilities have to be met at various stages of development of the team self-management development. The organization’s culture should be supported by the seven roles of the self-managed team. The seven roles of the self-managed team include: Ensure that the principles and values of the organization are constantly met – these include performance of several tasks such as demonstrating behavior, making decisions and communicating with the customers and suppliers keeping in mind the basic values and principles of the organization. The team member has to also demonstrate personal behavior and values that are in track with those of the organization when communicating with other team members. All conflicts and problems should be handled keeping in and the principles and the values of the organization. Ensure that the various team-related processes are handled in an effective manner – This is closely related to the organization’s culture. The team that is functional should ensure that the characteristics of teamwork and team spirit are incorporated in all work performed. The team should identity the functions and processes that are needed for the work to be performed. The roles, responsibilities, areas of helping one another, etc need to be performed. The team members should know the rules, regulations, decision-making approach, etc, so that any barriers cannot hamper the work. Between the members of the team a mutual trust and understanding should exist. Each member of the team should be available to take over the functions of his fellow team member in case the need is required. The team would also have to closely evaluate and monitor its performance so that any obstacles that may be existent with the workflow is identified and addressed appropriately. Ensure that the team environment is conducive to work Complete the team’s work – Each of the team members should be aware of the various responsibilities of the members and the various processes that are existent. A team member should identity his responsibility and should complete it. They should priorities the work based on the urgency and ensure that all tasks are completed on time. The team members should be able to gather in a group and discuss the tasks and responsibilities to be shared by each team member. They should also be aware of the resources necessary to complete the work, and the manner in which the resources have to be obtained. Each staff member has to schedule his/her work accordingly, and obtain all necessary information to complete the tasks efficiently. The staff members should be able to respond to the information presented to them. They should be able to understand the information and accordingly act. The staff should participate in the organization wide-system – This is a linkage-directed work to ensure that the staff members are able to participate in examining organization-wide processes. The staff members would have to perform certain standardization functions such as purchasing the logistics, paying the taxes, etc. They would also have to collect the data regarding the organization-wide data, analyses it and provide it to the appropriate authorities as and when required. The team members should also give the organization ideas of any changes required in the policies. The other activities in this purview include participation in training and workshops, assessments, appraisals, audits, etc. The staff should participate in the organization wide-strategies – This is a vision-directed work and ensures that the organization’s vision is kept in mind. A team member would have to gather data regarding the environment the organization is functioning in. An organization would be having several inherent strengths and weakens. This would relate to the external environment in the form of opportunities and strengths. The vision statement of the organization should consider the opportunities that are existent in the future, as it has to be realistic and able to function in the external environment. The self-managed team would be the first to interact with the patriot, and hence data regarding the external environment would be available on a first hand basis to the self-managed team. The team would be able to relate the data regrind the external environment to the internal capabilities. In the future, this data could be utilized by the organization whilst strategizing. The self-management teams should be involved in the management by attending meetings conducted for business plans. (Silverman, 1996 Moss, 1996).

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Healthcare Affordability in the US

Healthcare Affordability in the US Advanced Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice Issues Marina Bukhrashvili New York State needed an additional 1,200 physicians to address the shortage by 2012, according to a 2012 Haney’s survey by the Healthcare Association of New York State (Verdon, Ritchie, Marbury Mazzolini, 2014). The scope of Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP) practice is currently debated in some states. In New York State, the Nurse Practitioners Modernization Act will allow those nurses who have more than 3,600 hours of experience to treat patients without the supervising physician’s signed practice agreement (Farmer, 2014).This act will become law on January 1, 2015. This act may fill that void; however, various New York physician advocate groups continue to argue that patient safety will be compromised because of the gap in training of CNPs (Verdon et al., 2014). The United States (U.S.) health care system faces many challenges due to demographical, economic and political shifts. There are existing gaps in quality and accessibility of care and patient safety. U.S. population is aging rapidly and it is estimated that about 18 percent of the U.S. population will be 65 years old or older by 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). With growing number of Medicare beneficiaries, there will be more demand for primary care providers. It is estimated that by 2020, the U.S. nation will require 40 percent more primary care providers (Hauer et al., 2008). U.S people 65 and older will have more than one chronic disease and physicians’ shortages will not meet the demands that are expected (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). The National Governors Association (NGA) reviewed of the literature and summarized that CNPs can reduce disparities in access to care, promote cost effectiveness through policy advancement, patient advocacy and the development of innovative models of care to improve patient care (NGA, 2013). The push for giving CNPs more autonomy continues with the shortage of primary care physicians on the rise. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) is not supporting the idea of allowing CNPs the full scope of practice without working under the physician’s supervision. One of the reasons cited is that family physicians have extensive training and education, which would ensure patients’ safety and provide the best quality of care (American Academy of Family Physicians, 2012). The scope of CNPs’ practice is currently debated in some states. Researchers studied care provided by both nurse practitioners and physicians and showed that while quality of care was similar for both providers, patients’ results were same or better for NPs as compared to physicians (Bauer, J. 2010). In addition, it was found that nurse practitioners provide care at a lower cost as well as more disease prevention counseling, health education, and health promotion activities than physicians (Mehrota et al., 2009). Another study which used data from the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Consumer Survey showed that consumers are open to the idea of obtaining medical care from NPs (Dill, Pankow, Erikson Shippman, 2013). Compared to physicians, CNPs traditionally are reimbursed at a lower Medicare rate for delivery of the same services. Yet, while our healthcare desperately needs to reduce cost, it is estimated that a cost savings would remain, even if CNPs were to receive equivalent reimbursement, because they utilize fewer resources than physicians (Health Policy Brief, 2012). In 2009, on average, it cost 20% less to visit a nurse practitioner than to visit a physician (Eibner, Hussey, Ridgely Glynn, 2009). In Massachusetts, after the insurance reform was implemented, it was shown that the state could save from $4.2 to $8.4 billion over a 10-year period when nurse practitioners use was increased (Eibner et al., 2009). Accountable care organizations (ACA), community and nurse-managed health centers, patient-centered medical homes success will require that CNPs have full scope of practice to have the ability to practice independently without restrictions (Fairman, Rowe, Hassmiller, Shalala, 2011). Organizational barriers exist for reimbursements of care provided by CNPs. Notwithstanding that the quality and standards of preventing care established in the ACA are met by these providers, their current rate of reimbursement for Medicare services to residents in long term care (LTC) facilities is only 85 percent of the rate that physicians charge for the same services (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2013). The unlimited contribution of CPNs will be even more important considering that with the implementation of the ACA, millions of newly insured Americans will seek the access to healthcare. Expanding the scope of practice of advanced practice nurses can possibly translate to an increased access to healthcare for many current and future patients, especially in underserved areas (National Governors Association, 2012). There is a need for the uniform standards for practice and to eliminate the difference in the level of practice among CNPs from one state to another (NGA, 2012). The scope of practice will establish which activities are reimbursed by third party payers and will have direct impact on the independent practice of CNPs (NGA, 2012). When CNPs are required to collaborate or to be supervised by the physician, they are less likely to be selected by insurers and are unable to directly bill for the services they render (NGA, 2012). Instead, the bill for their services is coded under the physician’s provider number. If the requirement for physician involvement is dropped, CNPs would be allowed to be credentialed as providers and directly reimbursed for their services. This is also important if a physician moves or does not want to collaborate with a CNP. Another issue related to scope of practice is the lack of universal, federal recommendations for mobility across states for practitioners involved in telemedicine. The significant discrepancy in CNP scopes of practice across states limits the ability of expert CNPs to work as consultants in a different state, which may limit the access of individuals to specialty consultations that may not be available locally. In their study of nurse migration, it was reported that nurses, including CNPs, move to states with less restrictive scopes of practice. Migration of CNPs may contribute to the shortage of primary care providers, especially in disadvantaged areas (Kalist, Spurr, Wada, 2010). Nurses are restricted to certify in some state to do health care visits or stay in skilled nursing facilities, admit patients to hospitals or prescribe medications without physician’s supervision and because of that nurses move to less restrictive states, and from primary to specialist care, a resu lting loss of access to care a lot of patients (Eibner et al., 2009). With millions of people signing up for health care under the Affordable Care Act, the aging population and number of chronic illnesses growing, the demand for primary care services is projected to grow. NPs will play a significant part in expansion and shaping of health care delivery. The looming shortage of primary care practitioners can be alleviating by integrating into health care delivery primary care nurse practitioners and physicians assistants. Medical profession should have an active interest in advancing the role of NPs and making sure that the high standards of the profession are intact. While NPs should not be a replacement for doctors they should be allowed to practice to the full extent of their training. Relaxing the scope of practice laws that prevent nurse practitioners from playing the important role in providing basic primary health care services is the first step that should be undertaken. References American Association of Nurse Practitioners (2013). Issues at-a-glance: Full practice authority.  Retrieved from: http://www.aanp.org Association of Advanced Nursing Practice Educators. (2009).Universities and advanced practice  programmes. Retrieved from  http://www.aanpe.org/AANPEHEIsMembers/AANPEMemberUniversitiesCoursesProgrammes/tabid/469/language/en-US/Default.aspx Bauer, J. (2010). Nurse practitioners as an underutilized resource for health reform: Evidence-based demonstrations of cost-effectiveness. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse  Practitioners 22 (2010), 228-231. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012). Chronic diseases and health promotion.  Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/index.htm Dill, M., Pankow, S., Erikson, C., Shipman, S. (2013). Health Affairs. Retrieved from  http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/32/6/1135.abstract The Role of Nurse Practitioners in Meeting Increasing Demand for Primary Care. (2012)  Retrieved from  http://www.nga.org/cms/home/nga-center-for-best-practices/center-publications/page-health-publications/col2-content/main-content-list/the-role-of-nurse-practitioners.html The, O. C., Pr, N. (2012). Education and Training: Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners.  Retrieved from  http://www.aafp.org/dam/AAFP/documents/news/NP-Kit-FP-NP-UPDATED.pdf Eibner, C.E., Hussey, P.S., Ridgely, M,S., McGlynn, E,A. (2009). Controlling health care  spending in Massachusetts: an analysis of options. Retrieved from  http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/2009/RAND_TR733.pdf Fairman, J., Rowe, J., Hassmiller, S., Shalala, D. (2011). Broadening the scope of nursing  practice. New England Journal of Medicine 364(3), 193-196.  doi:10.1056/NEJMp1012121 Farmer, R., (2014) Milestone New York legislation eases practice restrictions on NPs.  Retrieved from  http://news.nurse.com/article/20140505/NY02/305050020#.VGAJdMnsoh0 Hauer, K.E., Durning, S.J., Kernan, W.N., Fagan, M.J., Mintz, M., O’Sullivan, P.S†¦.Schwartz,  M.D. (2008). Factors associated with medical students career choices regarding internal  medicine. JAMA, 300(10), 1154-1164. Kalist, D., Spurr, S., Wada, T. (2010). Immigration of Nurses. Industrial Relations: A Journal  of Economy and Society, 49(3), 406-428. Mehrota, A. et al. (2009). Comparing Costs and Quality of Care at Retail Clinics with that of  Other Medical Settings for 3 Common Illnesses. Annals of Internal Medicine, 151, 321-323. Nurse Practitioners and Primary Care. (2013). Retrieved from  http://www.healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief.php?brief_id=79 Sealey, G. (2014). U.S. Elderly to Double in 25 Years. Retrieved from  http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=91943page=1 U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012 (131st Edition) Washington,  DC, 2011. Retrieved from: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/. Verdon, D., Ritchie, A., Marbury, D., Mazzolini, C. (2014). (Slideshow) Scope of practice  debate in primary care spreads to 8 states. Retrieved from  http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/content/tags/midlevel-providers/slideshow-scope-practice-debate-primary-care-sprea?page=full

Race And Class Structure Of South Africa Sociology Essay

Race And Class Structure Of South Africa Sociology Essay The issue of race which sometimes could be looked on as ethnicity has habitually been a very debatable issue among scholars, researchers and some scientists. Closely linked with this is the controversy surrounding the issue of identity which has been the cause of war and some other similar problems in the past; the result of which is evident in todays multicultural and multi-ethnic societies. In some parts of the world, it is usually difficult to classify a particular group of people or tie them down under a specific identity. In many cases, identities are usually sometimes related to position or hierarchy which can be linked to classification in terms of high, middle, low; in some other cases however, this classification which may be seen in different perspective, could be broad such as rich and poor categories. Racial and ethnic classifications have led to the concept of `ethclass ´ with the help of which alternatives in group identification can be understood across all classes a nd ethnic groups which is illustrated in the classification rendered above. The discussion on race and class which has been up for many years and is still going on among researchers and students can be seen as the descriptions of history of different people in a particular area and misconception about race are no less prevalent now than they were many years ago. Stephen stated that from an evolutionary standpoint it was evident that the race relation cycle was a universal phenomenon (Steinberg, 2001:2). The issue of race and class is an issue that has brought forward conflict, discrimination and many more that has happened in so many countries. In Burundi, it is the discrimination or classification between the Hutus and the Tutsis; in America, the classification of black Americans and the white Americans and some other classification included in America due to multiculturalism. In Germany, it is the classification between the Jews, Turks and the typical Germans; and in South Africa, it is the classification and discrimination between the blacks and the white South Africans. If we take the case of the Americans, it is seen that many people who are born in the USA and automatically are US citizens are still segregated from those who believe they are the main citizen of the country due to history, progeny and lineage. Race creates a  ´group` only when it is subjectively perceived as a common trait (Weber, 1922:52). These implies that in the US, it is glaring that race is nothing new to majority of the Americans it is normal to them and should be practiced and showed through an attitude or behaviour towards who they do not like by way of segregation. Weber make a claim that, the fact that several million mulattoes (a person with one black parent and one white parent) in the United States speaks clearly opposed to the assumption of happenings between people of different races antipathy, even among quite different races (ibid, 1922: 53). The explanation of the problems caused by race and class above will lead me to my point of departure and the focus of my paper on the issue of race and class structure in South Africa Race and Class Structure in South Africa The subject of the place and role of race, class and ethnicity has been at the focus of discussion and deliberation about the character of the South African problem and the strategies necessary to solve it (Nengwekhulu, p.29). South Africa being an African country is known to be a black country, which the majority of its population should also be black and so it should be for the majority of the workers, non workers and probably the farmers because Africa is generally known to be an agrarian continent. Therefore we can find several people being farmers at the subsistence level. In the aftermath of South Africas 1948 elections, as the Afrikaners who are the white minority in SA, National Party (NP) began enforcing its apartheid policies on the majority who are the blacks in SA. Inspired by religious mythology and legitimized by the Dutch Reformed Churches, Afrikaner nationalism controlled the State or the country of South Africa. These minority non-black rulers made and enforce series of rules that dichotomized the bi-racial South African ethnic landscape. These rules involving political, legal, and economic discrimination against non-whites are collective called apartheid. During the regime of apartheid, there were a lot of discrimination, using race and class structure as tools of oppression and segregation. Part of the discrimination is racial classification, racial domination and profiling between the white and black and not leaving out the rich and poor. The white are classified as the rich and the higher class people while blacks are seen as the lower class people and segregated from the whites. During the apartheid regime, the blacks were segregated from the white in terms of where they live and where they can live, the kind of work they can do. The ethnic blacks and the white rulers cannot intermarry; they can only associate in well defined and highly limited scenarios or circumstances. The whites are eligible to do only the high paying and mostly offici al and profitable duties while the blacks are limited to those works that are naturally difficult and with unprofitable and low incomes such as mining and subsistence farming. In a clear statement, the blacks became aliens in their own country as a result of the apartheid revolution. With respect to racial equality, contrary to initial assumptions, inter-race income disparity remains a greater determinant of inequality than intra-race differences. In other words, the aggregate difference between White and non-White, incomes is the dominant reason for South Africas extraordinarily high Gini coefficient (Zain et al, 2009:7). Couple with the quote above, it is noted that the white (Afrikaners) ruled with apartheid revolution from 1961 to 1989 with the National Party (NP) before the African National Congress took over. In a nutshell, it is worthy to note that before the advent of the apartheid regime in 1948, people of South Africa including the white settlers lived in harmony. There were the normal happenings between members of the same group, country or organization and tribal warfare which is similar to those that happens in many other countries of the world but 1948 proved to be a pivotal point in the history of South Africa whereby the white minorities, mainly the descendants of the anglo-dutch people that have been ruling since the 18th century decided to introduce laws that favours ethnic segregation, discrimination, racial classification, racial domination and profiling and the general introduction of class structure. The foregoing led Nengwekhulu to observe that the white racism and the articulation of racial consciousness by blacks cannot therefore just be ignored on the basis that they are expression of false consciousness and epiphenomena of the economic base (Nengwekhulu, p.29). The sc heme of grand apartheid, which begun at that time and lead to the delineated separate schooling, jobs, pay and places to live, and deprived most black Africans of citizenship in South Africa. Forgetting the fact that Africans has the massive and growing majority in South Africa, while whites are the minority; national liberation there would mean a profound change in who ruled. Nengwekhulu, in his article, explain further in the problems faced by the South African people with the illustration that South African situation and in formulating strategies for the elimination of black domination and exploitation whilst according to both race and ethnicity a place and role in this analysis and formulation of a strategy for black liberation and for social change (ibid, p.30). In other words, we can say the matter of race, class and ethnicity is not only of crucial theoretical but it is also a matter of powerful political significance for it is on the basis of the resolution of this question that the proper ground work can be laid not only for political strategies for the struggle against black exploitation but also for the construction of a future South Africa. Race discrimination, prejudice and ideology in South Africa are therefore not what happens or what people do without trying to change anything or oppose them in fundamentals of whose existence is determined automatically. They are however social matter which is not fully understood with a relative autonomy. For this reason, race discrimination and prejudice has always existed between the blacks and white and the colours in South Africa now they interact with each other while maintaining their identities. The incidence of apartheid in South Africa from 1948 to 1994 could be linked in retrospect to a form of social misnomer that is opposed to the classical form of Marxism. Marxism is based upon a materialist interpretation of history. Taking the idea that social change occurs because of the struggle between differ ent classes and races within society who are under contradiction of one against the other. The Marxist analysis leads to the conclusion that capitalism, the currently dominant form of economic management, leads to the oppression of the proletariat as in the case of the South African apartheid era, who not only make up the majority of the worlds populace but who also spend their lives working for the benefit of the bourgeoisie, or the wealthy ruling class in society. From the foregoing, I will attempt to explore the Marxist ideals and how it could be extended to explain the socio-economic dis-enfranchisation of the black majority as it happened in the apartheid in South Africa. Marxism The Marxist vision of society and history was presented in the 1848 Communist Manifesto in dramatic narrative form, sketching out the rise of capitalism and bourgeois society and its revolutionary overthrow by the industrial proletariat (Harrington, 2005:154). According to Karl Marx, Marxism is as a philosophy of history couple with an economic doctrine. He further explains Marxism also as a theory of revolution and the basic explanation for how societies go through the process of change (Marx, p: 2). He explains his idea by using two basics of ideas that is in demonstrating and explaining his idea of Marxism which they are MATERIALISM and CLASS STRUGGLE. By Materialism of Marxism, Marx aimed that the engine that drives society is the economy. Economic forces are more complex and pervasive than we thinkà Ã‚ ¾ According to Marx, they even determine how we think: Consciousness is from the very beginning a social product (Mazlish, 1984, p. 94). That is, the way at which people incorpo rate there things in when we talk about human material life shapes every part of humans life including the most important aspects that could include general character of the societal, community, public, political, and spiritual or religious practice of life. This could also be that it does not have to be that the well being of human that can prove the fact of their state of being but having in mind that the social life of human can also be a determinant in their consciousness. By Class Struggle which is the idea that is applicable to the problem of class structure in South Africa. Marxist analysis takes historical materialism a step further. All of human history can be explained and predicted by the competition between antagonistic economic classes, or as Marx put it, The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. In political terms, this means that the social classes are competing in essence for control of the state-or, as Marxists would put it: the class that controls the Mode of Production also controls the State (Marx, 1818-1883,p: 4). The existence of class struggle that brought about the Marxist idea is applicable to the situation of South Africa because South Africa in the time of the apartheid government or ruler was one of the most hideously racist administrations during the time of twentieth century, a very obvious case of the bourgeois ruling class oppressing the majority proletariats (Zain, 2009:8). This struggle lead to the idea that social change occur due to class and race problem of discrimination between white and black South Africans. The existence of class struggle which is one of the basic tenets of Marxism as clearly evident in the case of South Africa sought to overcome the dogma and reductionism of Stalinism and Trotskyism, to engage with history as a living process rather than a mechanical formula, to found a historical consciousness linking local struggles to global processes, and implant itself in a working-class movement which sought to control its own destiny, openly and democratically, rather than submitting to the authority of nationalism or pseudo-science (Nash, 1999:66). In other words, it can also be noted that the regime of the apartheid in South Africa in the 1970s can be seen as Western Marxism as portrayed in Douglas Kellner article. In terms of the Western Marxism, South Africa started with the recognition in the midst of white students that are not among the social force that could bring about innovative change into the country South Africa. In a global context, this generation of South Africa n Marxists played a vital role in interpreting for the Western left, in the terms of their own thought, a struggle which had come to be crucial to the whole history of our time (ibid: 1999:66, quoted in Sweezy and Magdoff, 1986). In the analysis of Marx and Engels who are the author of Marxism, cultural ideas of a period serve is always to the comfort of the ruling class, providing ideologies that justifiable the domination of class. They make analysis of Ideology clarifying it as a critical term for Marxian that describes how dominant ideas of a ruling class promote the interests of that class and help mask oppression, injustices, and negative aspects of the specific culture, society or country. The introduction of the apartheid in South Africa includes the above mentioned in the case whereby most of the blacks were separated from the white. The blacks South Africans were leaving in a place where they can be classified as the lower class group and the white due to the kind of job a nd the place they live are seen as the high class and that is what the system of the apartheid illustrate segregation. At every situation in South Africa, white students or the white ethnic group were in a lot of ways allowed to their opinions and decisions on their own different individualities, with limitation that could do as ethical individuals that has no living history of struggle to be identified with, which includes the relationship to their history. Marxism as the political and economic theories of Karl Marx during the 1818 1883 that should give details of the changes, alterations, modifications and developments in a particular society or country that is implanted by implementing socialism. The implementation of socialism was supposed to be based on the belief that everyone has the same equal right in a countrys at which the government would have to own and control the main industries and not by private settings. But in the case of South Africa, the ruling system by the apartheid regime was not for equal right or for the development of the changes that were altered, but it brought differences between the black and the white which could be seen as racial dominant in South Africa. In other words, instead of the implementation of socialism, the case of South Africa led to capitalism. That is, instead of equal right as socialism represent; it was a system at which South Africa countrys businesses and industry are controlled and run for profit by private owners (the Afrikaners (whites)) which means I am not free to be open to the other as a person. I have to manipulate the other in such a way as to obtain things. And to manipulate the other I have to manipulate myself (Wolpe, 1980:21). In other words, capitalism did not basically take advantage of human beings whose underlying identity or personality was left otherwise indifferent by their experience of class mismanagement. The regime of apartheid which is that practices of Capitalism in South African can be viewed as the focused and attention to the relationship between the countrys economy and its polity, specifically on the relationship between class and race to build differences, racial capitalism and segregation between the working class people and the lower class people and South Africa being an Africa and a black country at large which was ruled by the white government who came up with the system of apartheid which was viewed as racial domination. Thus, the Marxism ideology is used to analyze the situation that occurred in the 1970s to 1980s till the end of apartheid in 1994 in South Africa. This is because when the white (the Germans, French, Irish and the British) who are known at the long run as the Afrikaners because of their way of life, and due to believes and culture and also that the Afrikaners view themselves as Africans and not as white people. They brought churches and believe into South Africa and because of the culture and believe they brought, these made the main South Africa people to believe in them and be rest assured of their words and whatever they promised of doing. Even though they are seen as the minority, they still have principal contributions to what is happening in the country and to the dos and donts in South Africa. With these minds of the Afrikaners, they created a political party that promised the people and the ethnic South Africans as a result of their trusts and basic cultural beliefs and ideol ogies allowed the white Afrikaans to have their ways. Part of the campaign during the election was the introduction of Apartheid which was introduced in 1948 to be practiced. Thereafter they implemented series of laws that promises a lot as the ideology portrays which is supposed to be for socialism but instead lead to segregation of the white and the blacks in South Africa. The idea of Marxism is to create equal right for everyone in the country while the government alone rule the country at which the Marxist theory is implemented. On the contrary in an unfortunate manner, most of the countries at which the Marxist theory was implemented did not survive with the Marxist theory due to the wrong implementation of the theory. The question of the place, role and relationship of race, class and ethnicity is not only of crucial theoretical significance but it is also a matter of powerful political significance (Nengwekhulu, p: 30). The white South Africas used the apartheid and the imple mentation of Marxism which they promised during the campaigns to acquire economic advantages and these economic advantages they never want to lose for any reason because it is of a great impact to their racist regime. A similar occurrence in some other countries has led to serious outcomes. If we take the case in France during the 18th century, the practices of oppression lead to war between the bourgeois and the proletariats. In their case, the bourgeois are the upper class people, the ruling class, and wealthy people while the proletariats are the working class people. Therefore because the bourgeois are the ruling class, they believe in power and used their power in differentiation and segregation between the working and the ruling class which later lead to war. As a result of these in South Africa, equal right as the theory portrays, the white goes to different schools, live in a separate environment, work in separate place and they have no say in what is going on within the cou ntry. The apartheid government isolate and keep apart the education, health care, and other community services, thereby make available black people with lower services compare to those of white people. Apartheid and the non-implementation of the true tenets of Marxism, led to deep class division between races and classes in South Africa failed because theirs was an oppressive form of government that put class wedges between different races and classes in the country. The race, class and separation of the white from the black in South Africa eventually lead to the struggle of class and race structure. In the manner, the black South Africans struggle for their race and class. The black South Africans during the racist regime in the 1970s to the 1980s which was the apartheid regime, after being promised a lot but instead was initiated with differences, maltreatment and segregation lost trust in the National Party (NP) people and had to struggle for their right which is equal right for everyone. In other words, non implementation of the true ideals of Marxism led to deep divide between the races and classes of people in South Africa. Nowadays, since 1994 onwards, we have a succession of governments that tries to practice equality among the disparate genders and classes of South Africa. The issue of racial discrimination and ethno-centric profiling has been reduced to the barest minimum. People are no longer hounded or massacred when they demand for their rights under the ethics citizenship as opposed to what happened in the Sharpeville massacre of the 1950s. Although we still have to a quite subliminal level the issue of class relating to the economic situa tions of the different classes of South Africans but the same is what is happening in many other countries that practices loose form of Marxism laced with high doses of Socialism such as the case of South Africa. It still remains a highly agrarian country but in the general case, it is no longer at the subsistence level. The proletariats that are majorly involved in the mining business now have a satisfying sense of belonging. Racial desegregation of South Africa has brought about mutual economic emancipation to the hitherto different classes of people as people that use to initially feel disenfranchised in their homeland now seems to have enhanced sense of belonging. The country still have its normal problem of crime, intrinsic economic instabilities, manipulation of governmental policies and general increased in awareness among the populace of the lassitude of their economic drive, but the same trend is being witnessed in several other developing countries that are middle ranked in the committee of nations such as South Africa. No longer do we have issues that relate to economic listlessness provoked by racial disparities and ethnic discrimination. South Africa in subsequent years as a country is still trying to dissociate from the lethargy and scariness harbingered by the Apartheid era but we now have in the country peace occasioned by sense of belonging. The general feelings in South Africa now are revealed through one of the speeches of Nelson Mandela after voting in the first South African democratic election and took the office in 1994, which initiates a new regime. Now we moved from a regime of doubt, separation, limited opportunities, disorder and conflict. In other word, a new era is starting to give hope, resolution and to build the nation. Thus a genuinely cast of voter results will give prospect to all the South Africans and make them realize the country is theirs and they are one nation. The speech thus goes that the fundamental requirements of majority of the citizens will be talked, such as the provision for employment, accommodation, and the initiation of power supply. Including the constructions of schools and hospitals, providing free, compulsory quality education, running water, paved roads (Natal, 1994) stating that these are their main concern which includes the minorities the white (Afrikaners). He made clear citizens should have confidence also that there would be security to those who are bothered that by these transformations and revolutions, which might not be of benefit or improvement to them. I again repeat that I have throughout my life as I pointed out in the Rivonia Trial: I have fought very firmly against white domination. I have fought very firmly against black domination. I cherish the idea of a new South Africa where all South Africans are equal and work together to bring about security, peace and democracy in our country. I sincerely hope that the mass media will use its powerful position to ensure that democracy is installed in this country (ibid: 1994). Since this historic speech at Inanda, Kwazulu Natal in April 1994, South Africa has continued to grow in leaps and bounds albeit with the normal problems that a budding and truly developing country might experience. From the foregoing, it could be inferred that any country that intermarry the basic tenets of the proletariat Marxism with democratic ideals may very well reap the benefits. However, the practices of these ideals must be in sync with true respect for the basic and fundamental rights of the citizenry. No nation may be able to move forwards if these ideals are violated. In many other countries of the world such as Iran in 1979, Russia in 1917 and France in 1789-1799, ruler ships by potentates and maximum rulers were done away with due to their well documented lack of care for the needs of the proletariats and the masses in their charge. In these countries, the initial deep chasm between the rulers and the proletariats were very well abridged due to introduction of class and ethnic declassification. So also in South Africa, the gain of racial declassification since 1994 and the introduction of almost a classless society is still unfolding and times will be able to show if truly the new trend could be maintained well into the future and if it will truly continue to benefit the entire people of South Africa.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Robert Frosts Poetry Essay -- Robert Frost Nature Poems Poets Essays

Robert Frost's Poetry Robert Frost said that a poem should begin in delight and end in wisdom Do you think that is true of the poems of Frost and the other nature poets you have studied? Frost's statement in the title is certainly true in some of his later poems and most nature poems, but in some cases, the wisdom comes first and delight is found at the end or, there is no delight only wisdom or, just delight or just wisdom. Not all poems abide by Frost's rule! 'The Pasture', being one of Frost's earlier poems, possibly was written before he made the statement in the title, as I am unable to find any wisdom hidden amid the lines, only a great deal of delight. The poem is written using iambic metre, with a clear rhythm. In the eight lines he uses, he creates clear delightful images for the reader. The poem gravitates around the theme of a country farmer's duties, except reading between the lines; this farmer enjoys carrying out these duties. He says that he will 'only stop to rake the leaves away' which gives the impression of him really wanting to 'stop' for longer and perhaps do some other jobs. After cleaning the 'pasture spring' he considers waiting 'to watch the water clear', this can be interpreted in different ways. Perhaps he wanted to make sure he had done the job properly, or it could be that he takes delight in watching the waters clear and wants to wait watch 'it clear' or perhaps it could be simply that he wants the moment to last, as he enjoys it so. In life I generally find that things I do not enjoy drag on and on, seemingly taking longer that they actually are, yet things that I enjoy seem to go faster. 'I shan't be long' indicates that he knows that he is going to enjoy his tasks an... ...poem, in fact that it surrounds the poem, with the delight vocabulary in amongst it. I consider the wisdom of this poem to be that we should all earn our life. Frost has demonstrated how the bird earns his, but it has raised the question what do we do to earn ours. This is an interesting angle to look at life from and must not be over looked; we should all give something back to the Earth, and earn our living space. After studying all these poems, I am now far more aware of plenty of points of view, thoughts and feelings. Each poem showed a different aspect on life, even though the message in some was similar. In conclusion, I deem the poets I have come across, highly calculated, intelligent individuals, wishing to share their ideas on the world with others. Their use of poetry as their line of communication to express themselves, is incredibly good!

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

The Japanese Attempt to Erase Korean Culture, History and Identity :: Japanese History Korea Japan Essays

Even though none of my relatives were killed or tortured by the Japanese, I am still afraid. I am afraid that my vicarious wounds still linger inside me, affecting everything I do. I know that they destroyed our cultural and spiritual circle that we maintained for five thousand years. They just had to leave a natural trace that actually became part of us. I don't know if I should hate them. It is ignorantly and unwittingly buried deeply in our unconsciousness. Natural hatred and attraction, like two inseparable sides of a coin, had confused me for so long. Because the scar still remains unhealed and too painful to ignore, and because I hesitate to hate what's part of me. Broken wings were all over the country. They were forced to tear their skin and delicate white feathers off, replacing them with acute and heavy pebbles that filled their lives with sharp pain and humiliation. It all came too naturally. My childhood desk was decorated with cute dolls in red kimonos, a gift from my father, and pictures that I took with Jini. Affectionately-spoken Japanese often filled my house, enabling me to learn some of the foreign words gradually. Kawai, kawai, Jae san wa kawai. I blinked my eyes and laughed a ticklish and bright child's laughter at what my grandma said to me. What does it mean, grandma? A calm, peach colored smile blossomed on grandmother's face. It means very, very, adorable. Another warm smile and a soft pat on my head. Kawai. I recited the word carefully while grandma and mom were having a short conversation in Japanese. In downtown Kyoto, Japan, there lies a small stone monument at the spot where the ears of Koreans taken to Japan during one of its invasions in 1592 were buried. Japan has invaded Korea numerous times in known history, but when it invaded in 1592, Japanese soldiers were known to have cut off the ears of Koreans they either killed or wished to humiliate. One Japanese scholar suggests that later Japanese regimes came to value noses over ears because, somehow, cutting off noses sounds more cruel" (Lee). Koreans love everything from Japan. On cafà © tables in Ap-Guh-Juhn-Dong, the Beverly Hills of Korea, Japanese fashion magazines lay arrogantly. Sony and PlayStation products are sold fiercely in electronics markets. Some Koreans even say that we should admire Japan for their economic success, technology, and lifestyle. Only when it comes to history do they go hysterical and anti-Japan, remembering repeated attempts at invasion until the Japanese finally succeeded in 1910.

Monday, September 2, 2019

Behaviour of Fish in an Egyptian Tea Garden Commentary Essay

In the poem â€Å"Behaviour of Fish in an Egyptian Tea Garden† by Keith Douglas, a beautiful woman uses the power of seduction to attract many men. Douglas uses simile to describe the woman as a â€Å"white stone† while calling men different types of fish like â€Å"magnate, an important fish† and â€Å"flat-eyed fish†. Throughout the whole poem, Douglas seems to use the word â€Å"fish† many times. It seems he is describing the environment as an aquatic environment. Since it is third person limited, the reader does not know what the males are thinking, but using imagery the reader can know how they look at her and it is clear that the males are attracted to her. The poem contains seven stanzas with four lines in each stanza. It is a narrative poem because it has a plot about a beautiful woman trying to use her ways of seduction, but the men are too threatened of it and they soon run off. There is no rhyming scheme although there are some rhymes like â€Å"afternoon† and â€Å"spoon†. Each stanza does not have rhyming endings, only four out of seven stanzas have a rhyming scheme. An interested thing that the readers might notice is that each line has about nine or ten syllables. In stanza one, Douglas introduces the woman as a â€Å"white stone† and she â€Å"draws down the fish† (L.1). The first line describes the woman’s beauty and how it attracts the attention of all of the men in the room. The woman is most likely sitting and trying to look beautiful so all the men would want her. The woman â€Å"Draws down men’s glances and their cruel wish for love.† (Line 3) The woman is not doing anything and yet she has already done so much. Not only did she make the men look at her, but it seems they are also thinking about her and how they want to be with her. In stanza two, the reader learns about the woman’s way of seduction. â€Å"Slyly her red lip on the spoon/ slips in a morsel of the ice cream† (L.4, 5). Most men have a dirty mind, so when she put that spoon full of ice cream in her mouth, she got the men’s full attention. She is also wearing many different cosmetic accessories. She is wearing red lips stick and red nail polish while looking white or a â€Å"milky stone† (L.6). There is this one man in stanza three that seems to have a little bit more interest in the woman.†A cotton magnate, an important fish† seems to like her since he is looking from across. The man was going to walk out, but after seeing her one more time he decided to stay to watch her some more. The next man in stanza four is an old man described as a â€Å"crustacean old man† who is sitting near her. As he is there staring at her just like every other man, he tries not to stare anywhere else but her face. He â€Å"might see her charms through the fissures where the eyes should be or else his teeth will parted in a stare† (L.14-16). What the author is saying is that if the man looks below the neck region, his jaw will drop because of his perverted thoughts. A third man known as the â€Å"lean dark mackerel† tries to look as if he does not care too much about the woman. â€Å"The flat-eyed fish sucks on a straw, staring from its repose, laxly.†(L.19, 20) He is still attracted to her since he turned around to look at her, but he seemed calm and cool because he was resting and looking at her in a peaceful manner. In stanza six, they talk about a man who is stepping up and attempts to do what every man wants to do with her. Every man wants to be with her, but everyone is threatened. The man is â€Å"circling and passing near the white attraction.† (L.22) The man is trying to have to get the confidence to ask her out, but he never does. He was to afraid of what would happen so he never had the opportunity. Since the ice cream is now gone, the men don’t seem to be attracted to her anymore. â€Å"The fish swim off on business/ and she sits home alone at the table† (L.26, 27). Douglas is saying that the woman lost her power of seduction and she is no longer the attraction and every man has left since she is not as beautiful anymore. She is a â€Å"white stone/ useless except to a collector, a rich man.† (L. 27, 28) The quote means she is no longer the thing that the men are interested in and the only way she will get someone to be with her is if she becomes a trophy wif e. In the end of the poem, it comes to a sad end. The woman is lonely as the men go on with their busy lives. Throughout the whole poem, she was trying to use the power of seduction, but ended up teasing everyone away. As a reader, it comes to no surprise that she did not get anyone because being a tease is no way to get a man or a woman. Therefore, justice has been served as she ends up alone.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Bridgetone

The competitive environment for Bridgetown as well as the accounting system currently in use Prior to 1980, when the US market was dominated by US automotive manufacturers, competition in the manufacturing of automotive components was limited to IIS local suppliers. As foreign automotive manufacturers settled in the US market, competition in manufacturing automotive components became more intense.The scarcity and the expensive gasoline following the oil crisis of the end of seventies combined to the loss of the market share to foreign manufacturer intensified the competition. Mike Lewis realize that despite having reached 65% vs. 80% (the world class uptime) through the productivity program accomplished (tracking Of causes Of downtime, timing the lines , using uptime reports progress, etc. ) , ACE still need to outsource further lines : its accounting system seem to be based on manual, partial and biased measurements of inputs.It lacks effective cost accounting control supervision. I ndeed, more cost (overhead) is dedicated to lower the cost (time of processes). The accounting system seems to be incomplete because it doesn't take into account the level of overheads. 2/Explain why manifold moved from class II to lass Ill after oil pans and muffler exhaust systems had been outsourced from the CAP While the processes and uptime were reduced, overheads were not rationalized, causing manifolds costs to become 15% higher than competition.In such a competitive environment, where other manufacturer tend to lower all elements of the costs, ACE focused on only one parameter (process and time of production), ignoring the cost of overheads. These were certainly raised because of the productivity program that involved redundant skilled employees being hired into following the process, timing them, and filing reports.