Thursday, January 30, 2020

Information Use Essay Example for Free

Information Use Essay In today’s business environment information is the most important asset a business has, this information helps to support, maintain, develop and track its daily activities. The next logical step is implementing a system that is conducive and geared towards this goal. With the help of its information system, and its information technology department, managers, sales people, the operations department and others with access to this information have a handy tool to help them do their work on a daily basis. The structure of the information system is paramount on how accessible this information is to the people that depend upon it to complete their normal workday. The managers and IT department work closely together to agree upon and decide on an information system that will be feasible to the business itself, thus setting up a system that will be beneficial to the business itself. In my previous workplace, this was a real estate company that focused on short sales and loan modifications. Our information was provided by the homeowner, this information consisted of their mortgage statement, bank records, hardship letters describing why they needed the short sales or the loan modification, and a list of their debt-income ratio and any foreclosure information. The database we worked on was a system called Salesforce; this system enabled us to keep track of the calls we had to make and document all details of that call. It contained all of the information we needed to accomplish this task, it held clients pertinent data, the banks that we dealt with and a method to track the goals we had to accomplish each week. This system was also an ERM (electronic records management database) we had the ability to scan and upload pertinent client information such as three months of bank statements, paystubs, and hardship letters, foreclosure notices and current mortgage statements. It was very user friendly and had the ability to be modified towards the needs of the company using it. That being said management asked us to make suggestions on what additions we saw or felt that would help make our jobs easy and more efficient. The short sale team made several suggestions to add to Salesforce, thereby making it more specified for our daily tasks. The short sale team was not the only ones using Salesforce, our sales team that generated the leads or clients were the first line of defense; they had to enter the client’s information into Salesforce and scan all the documents related to a homeowner’s situation. The sales team was also responsible for contacting the homeowners to send updated and current documents pertinent to their short sales or loan modifications. In essence Salesforce was also used as a data management system, it had the ability to store all data, generate sales reports, processing, integrating, distributing, securing, and archiving data effectively for current and future use. Accessing Salesforce was readily available if we were out of the office as well, we had the capability to log in and view reports, or if a new client was added, and if we needed information to set up an appraisal that was requested by the bank before the short sale was approved. This ability was very handy for the real estate agent and the processor handling the account, the ability to access the main database with all pertinent information about the client away from the office was an excellent tool that Salesforce offered. Maintenance of Salesforce was managed by our small IT staff, any problems with the system was corrected or fixed very quickly, as the licenses held by Salesforce enabled the IT staff to manage the database as an in-house system, therefore they did not have to contact anyone with any issues. At the same time the permissions on Salesforce were very strict, a person’s user id and password only allowed access to certain parts, the short sales team could not modify or change anything, especially any client information or access the sales departments input and vice versa. This made sense, because there was very important information on the database, the client’s financial data and mortgage information, very sensitive information. In essence, the database that the company used in my opinion was user friendly and seemed to address the needs of the business, in this case a real estate office that held important and sensitive financial data, credit reports and mortgage information. The system enabled us to handle the flow of information and daily activities easy, made access to running reports quickly and efficiently. Further, management was able to view and track completion of daily tasks and weekly goals to generate reports quickly.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

The Square Deal: Social Reform to Avoid Disaster Essay -- essays resea

The Square Deal: Social Reform to Avoid Disaster   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America at the turn of the century was a very different place than it is today. The industrial revolution had set into motion a series of events that empowered and enriched some and nearly enslaved others. Theodore Roosevelt’s â€Å"Square Deal† was a necessary response to growing social unrest. A severely unequal distribution of wealth along with poor living and working conditions were leading workers and capitalists to increasingly extreme means. By enacting a large body of legislation intended to set right the wrongs in society and using whatever force necessary, Roosevelt avoided what could have been a popular revolution of the working class.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of this essay is to develop a better understanding of Roosevelt’s â€Å"Square Deal†. An examination of historical events will provide a clear picture of the outlook in America during the time of Roosevelt’s presidency that led to the necessity of the legislation and presidential actions that characterized Progressive Party politics. Roosevelt’s response was nothing short of precisely what was necessary to remedy the social unrest that was overtaking the working people of America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As is the case with any major public policy, the â€Å"Square Deal† had its roots in beliefs set forth in the United States Constitution and the basic tenets of Democracy. Without support, large scale changes to the system go down in history as simply another idealistic effort. Roosevelt believed in his ideas and had a way of pushing policies through that resulted in sweeping changes that avoided catastrophe. Every conscious of the possibility of revolution, Roosevelt sought to avoid it by any means necessary.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beginning in the 1800’s, the face of America was changing. As the Industrial Revolution took a firm hold here and around the world, the everyday life of common Americans was affected in almost unimaginable ways. Between 1885 and 1945, a sweeping change was taking place throughout the world. Large scale mechanization as well as new modern modes of transportation and communication changed the way people looked at the world (Rowland, 1997, p. 14). As thousands of new jobs were created, a large scale urban migration began. People were leaving the far... ... 10, 2005 from SIRS Knowledge Source at http://www.sirs.com Pure Food and Drug Act. Retrieved on March 30, 2005 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/rcah/html/   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ah_072600_purefoodandd.htm Rowland, P. (1997). Designing the modern world: the messages of objects, and design,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  shape our perception of the modern world. Carnegie Magazine, 8, 14+. Sherman Antitrust Act. Retrieved on March 30, 2005 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.bartleby.com/65/sh/ShermanA.html Thayer, W.R. (1919). The Square Deal in action.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Retrieved March 15, 2005 from http://www.bartleby.com The Interstate Commerce Act. Retrieved on March 30, 2005 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h921.html Wattenberg, B and Mazzetti, M. (1998). Rough riding into the 20th century. American Legion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Magazine, 28, 32-36.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Monday, January 13, 2020

Rational Choice Theory Essay

â€Å"Man is a rational animal who always loses his temper when he is called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of reason. † As seen from Oscar Wilde’s famous quote, rationality is one of the most crucial and controversial subjects in studying human behavior. To study and examine this rationality, numerous scholars have tried to establish their own theories and generalize their explanation with empirical evidences from real world, which ultimately produces so called, the theory of rational choice. Rational Choice Theory is an approach to understand human behavior. The approach has long been the dominant paradigm in economics, but in recent several decades it has become more widely used in other fileds such as Sociology, Political Science, and Anthropology. The main purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of rational choice theory and briefly discuss its basic assumptions, critiques, political implication, and alternative explanations of individual choice mechanism. First of all, historical backgrounds of rational choice theory and its transition from the field of Economics to that of Political Science will be elaborated. Next, various definitions and meanings of the rational choice will be discussed. The basic assumptions of the rational choice approach with political implication will be followed. Several issues raised by rational choice theory will be followed after this discussion. This paper will suggest some of the main criticisms that have been levied against the rational choice approach. Limited empirical validity of rational choice theory and methodological individualism, which reveals innate problematic nature of the theory, will be discussed. Finally, alternative explanations of individual choice mechanism will sum up this discussion. Before elaborating its theoretical discussion, it is necessary to discuss historical backgrounds of rational choice theory. In the article, â€Å"A Genealogy of Rational Choice: Rationalism, Elitism, and Democracy†, Maloy introduces Skinner’s analysis of behaviorism as fundamental background for the discussion of rational choice theory. He argues that, â€Å"Skinner’s analysis deserves the attention of the recent debates around rational choice ecause it calls attention to the ineluctable ideological features of methodological debate† (Maloy 751). According to Maloy, Skinner could â€Å"clarify the sorts of normative force which attach to empirical theories in social sciences by a close textual analysis of some leading contributions to the behaviorist debate†, which ultimately enables the discussion of rational choice to be furthered applied into different fields of study (Maloy 751). Milton Freidman is another crucial figure that provides profound theoretical base for discussing rational choice theory. In â€Å"The Methodology of Positive Economics†, Friedman argues that people and firms make decisions that can maximize their profit under perfect information. He defended rational choice model by arguing that, â€Å"a theory should be judged by its predictive accuracy, not the realism of its assumptions† (Friedman 10). His argument provides theoretical foundations of rational choice theory in Economics, even though it is often criticized by later scholars because of its weak empirical validity and ceteris paribus nature. While rational choice theory has been dominant paradigm in Economics, it has become â€Å"adapted and adjusted in a number of ways to fit† different fields of study such as Political Science; Maloy explains that â€Å"the distinctiveness of the rational choice approach among political scientists consists, in general terms, in the use of economic models to explain and predict political behavior (Maloy 753). Maloy points out three prominent figures, Arrow, Downs, and Olson as rational choice founders especially in the field of political science. According to Maloy, Arrow’s work focuses on so called, â€Å"collective rationality whose underlying purpose is to measure collective choices using standards normally applied to individual choices (Maloy 753). Down uses Arrow’s collective rationality as the starting point of his study and â€Å"aims to articulate a behavior rule for democratic governments so that they could be included in economic theories of general equilibrium, alongside non-state agents like private firms and consumers (Maloy 754). Finally, Olson’s analysis has taken â€Å"the key elements of Arrow’s and Down’s constructs and applied them to a narrower field†; He argues that â€Å"as long as the service provided by a voluntary association is a public good on which an individual can ride-free, there is no incentive actually to take on the costs associated with joining, membership and participation, unless the marginal contribution of that individual appreciably advances the organizational cause† (Maloy 754). All three choice founders’ works have enabled rational choice theory to be in the central place of political discussion in â€Å"the creative and cross-disciplinary ways† (Maloy 755). By arguing that voting results have no specific social meaning, voting has no individual efficacy, and participation in interest group activity has no special individual efficacy, these rational choice founders could criticize unrealistic and irrational assumptions and norms of traditional democratic system and bring rational choice model to the place of political discussion from the field of Economics (Maloy 755). Rational Choice Theory generally starts with consideration of the choice behavior of individual decision-making units, which in economics are often consumers and firms. The theory suggests that the individual decision-making unit is certain larger group such as buyers or sellers in a particular market. Once individual behavior is set up, the analysis generally moves on to examine how individual choices interact to produce outcomes. Then, what does it mean by arguing that a choice is rational? In rational choice theory it means that an agent’s choices reflect the most preferred possible alternative among given opportunities. In other words, choices must reflect utility maximization. Elinor Ostrom defines rational choice theory as a guide to â€Å"understand humans as self-interested, short-term maximizers† in his work, â€Å"A Behavioral Approach to the Rational Choice Theory of Collective Action† (Ostrom 2). In the article, â€Å"The Political Psychology of Rational Choice Theory†, William H.  Riker also suggests that â€Å"the rational choice model begins with the assumption that actors know what they want and can order their wants transitively† (Riker 25). â€Å"Transitively† here means that an agent of rational choice model can do so called, â€Å"a transitive ordering†; â€Å"To know what one wants requires one to choose the best from among several goals and, failing to attain it, to choose the second best, etc† (Riker 24). This formulation of ordering enables an agent to pursue the best option with given constraints that limit choices he or she can have. In their work, â€Å"Rational Choice Theory†, Coleman and Fararo define rational choice sociologically as they use the term, â€Å"models of purposive action†, rather than rational choice; â€Å"These models rest on the assumption that actors are purposive which means they act in ways that tend to produce beneficial results† (Coleman and Fararo 21). These several definitions point out that choices pursuing utility maximization and outcomes made by these choices are key elements in rational choice theory. Then how is different when rational choice theory is applied into the field of Political Science instead of other fields of study such as Economics and Sociology? According to Riker, Economists’ main concern for rational choice is â€Å"the process and outcomes produced by voluntary exchange, where of course, all participants benefit. On the other hand, â€Å"Politics mainly concerns processes and outcomes produced by group decisions which are practically binding on those who cannot resign from the group. Thus, there can be losers and winners in politics according to Riker’s argument (Riker 24). Although Rational choice theory has long been the dominant paradigm in Economics and other fields of study, it has been subject to vigorous criticism. In â€Å"Pathologies of Rational Choice Theory†, Don Green and Ian Shapiro raises several empirical problems that rational choice theory possess; they â€Å"conclude that a number of methodological deficiencies plague empirical applications of rational choice models. They argue that, â€Å"fundamental and recurrent methodological failings rooted in the universalist aspirations that motivate so much rational choice theorizing† (Freidman 59). According to Green and Shapiro, â€Å"these mistakes stem from a method-driven rather than a problem-driven approach to research, in which practitioners are more eager to vindicate one or another universalist model than to understand and explain actual political outcomes† (Friedman 59). Green and Shapiro’s argument can be summarized into three propositions; â€Å"there is a list of methodological characteristics that are undesirable in an empirical science and are thus to be avoided. † â€Å"Empirical applications of rational choice theory are more likely to commit these mistakes than other types of empirical analysis in political science. â€Å"These pathologies are not due to and historical coincidence, but are rooted in fundamental characteristics of rational choice theory, especially its universalist aspirations and the lack of specificity in the rational actor assumption† (Freidman 60). These propositions suggest that rational choice theory has its empirical limit for testing and predicting actual political outcomes. In detail, Green and Shapiro point out several problems of rational choice theory that possibly undermines the empirical validity of the theory itself. Post hoc theory development† known to statisticians as â€Å"curve fitting† is one of these problems that rational choice theory contains. Green and Shapiro â€Å"contend that rather than formulating bold predictions that are falsifiable by empirical evidence, rational choice theorist tend first to look at the empirical evidence, then design a rational choice model that fits it† (Friedman 5). Another problem raised by Green and Shapiro is rational choice theorists’ engagement in â€Å"arbitrary domain restriction† (Friedman 5). As discussed earlier, certain restrictions or constraints enable â€Å"a transitive ordering† in rational choice theory. Green and Shapiro argue that these constraints and restrictions are defined in ambiguous ways in rational choice model, which ultimately makes the empirical validity of the theory weakened. Green and Shapiro’s examination of the phenomenon of voting behavior is another major example that shows these problems rational choice theory innately possesses. â€Å"In a real-world election with a large electorate, it is instrumentally irrational for anyone to case a ballot, since no single vote has more than an infinitesimal chance of deciding the outcome. Whether one favors selfish or selfless ends, virtually any activity in pursuit of those ends would be more effective than the time spent on voting and on educating oneself about candidates and issues. Yet hundreds of millions of people do vote. For rational choice theory, this would appear to be a gigantic anomaly† (Friedman 6); As noted earlier, rational choice theory presumes that an agent of the model seeks best possible outcomes to maximize his or her utility in given constraints. However, according to Green and Shapiro, in a real-world voting behavior does not confirm this assumption of rational choice theory where voters cast a ballot without having enough time to assess or predict its possible outcome and realizing whether his or her action of voting maximize benefit or not. Another issue raised by Green and Shapiro is free riding problem; While voters can easily pursue a free riding action on the efforts of others to help the cause succeed, there is no need for people to devote resources of time and money to cause desired results. In other words, â€Å"rational choice theory would seem to be refuted not only by people who vote, but by those who contribute small amounts of money to political campaigns, attend rallies, and engage in other forms of collective action designed to secure goals whose achievement is independent of the efforts of any single participant† (Friedman 7). As seen from Green and Shapiro’s founding, most criticisms of rational choice theory seem to be that the assumptions of the theory are not literally and completely true. No model can pass such a test, as all theories abstract from reality in certain way. Determining the empirical validity of a model would therefore seem to involve an examination of both feasibility of assumptions and conformity with real-world data. The most basic assumption of rational choice theory is that the primary unit of analysis is the individual decision-maker. Those who believe that groups are fundamental have criticized this assumption. This issue of so called, â€Å"methodological individualism† are dealt in many contexts in the social sciences. In the book, â€Å"Rational Choice Theory: Advocacy and Critique†, Coleman and Fararo argues that models of purposive action or rational choice model can be useful in explaining and predicting human behavior. They further their argument by saying that â€Å"because the values and beliefs of individuals are shaped primarily by the socializing influences of society, especially as mediated through social relationships with significant other, an understanding of the culture and structure of societies and of the positions of individuals within them is necessary† (Coleman and Fararo 22). According to Coleman and Fararo, major problem for applying rational choice model particularly into Economics and Political Science, in which the primary interest has been in aggregate level outcomes, â€Å"is that the postulate of purposive action has been linked to arbitrary and narrow assumptions about what individuals value and believe† (Coleman Fararo 33). Also the assumption that human behavior is narrowly self-interested and the use of the term rationality to refer to the efficient pursuit of economic benefits has often produced incorrect assumption that rational choice model are innately egoistic; â€Å"that they regard individuals as calculating the expected benefit to themselves of alternative lines of action and acting accordingly (Coleman and Fararo 34). Recent empirical evidences suggest that human beings are capable of acting in ways for the interests of others or the social group above their self-interest, which implies that the assumption of individual’s pursuit of self-interest does not match with reality. Coleman and Fararo further their discussion of this â€Å"methodological individualism† by arguing that a social norm can be one primary example, which refutes the basic assumption of rational choice model. According to Coleman and Fararo, â€Å"When a social norm is know to have been violated, some type of formal or informal sanction will result† (Coleman Fararo 35). Formal sanction like a legal code or a set of rules and informal sanction like a disapproval or social ostracism would affect individual’s choice making process. Therefore, unlike the basic assumption of rational choice model suggests that human behavior is oriented from self-interest, by the effect of social norms and values, individuals can consequently act in altruistic or selfless way for pursuing the interests of groups they are involved in. Because of its limit and problematic nature of rational choice theory, the need for alternative explanation has become necessary for many scholars who criticize the theory. Dennis Chong provides some insights for the possible alternative of rational choice theory in his article, â€Å"Rational Choice Theory’s Mysterious Rivals†. According to Chong, even though Green and Shapiro’s critique against rational choice theory has failed to provide complete form of alternative explanation, there are some theoretical debates and discussions that suggest possible theoretical replacement or revision. Chong argues that, â€Å"Green and Shapiro occasionally allude to the influence of social-psychological and moral factors† such as group loyalties, emotions, political identities, ideology, obligation, and altruism (Friedman 47). As found in Coleman and Fararo’s arguments that institutional or social factors can affect individual’s choice making process, many scholars further their discussion of this social motivation as the alternative of rational choice theory. In his article, â€Å"When Rationality Fails†, Michael Taylor argues that social identification and intrinsic motivation can explain some of significant social phenomenon and collective action that has been ignored by rational choice theory; â€Å"If a person defines herself as a member of a group, or if her membership in a group is made cognitively salient, then she is more likely to observe the group’s norms and cooperate with group members in social dilemmas† (Friedman 230). For intrinsic motivation, Taylor explains that there are some activities that are intrinsically motivating people to be participated such as interesting work, volunteering, and political activities. In this case the activity itself or enjoyment of that activity is the reward for people. When extrinsic rewards like money are introduced, intrinsic motivation would diminish (Friedman 231). By suggesting the concept of social identification and intrinsic motivation, problems of rational choice model for explaining some collective action can be resolved. In this paper, a sense of how rational choice theory works and of its methodological foundations has been introduced. It has also been noticed that rational choice theory is not an ultimate answer. The theory is subject to a number of criticisms, but there is no doubt that its influence in various fields of study have brought tremendous amounts of theoretical debates, and increased the depth of economic, sociological, and political discussions. It is impossible to attain complete knowledge about anything, especially social phenomena. However, it is certain that rational choice approach is one of most crucial theoretical resources for human beings to explore and examine to gain this ultimate answer. It can be useful or misleading, depending on how it is treated. It is responsibility of remaining and future scholars and people to correctly apply and use this theory with open-minded attitude.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

William Golding s Lord Of The Flies - 1613 Words

William Golding: Lord of the Flies Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin Group. 1954. Print. William Golding’s acclaimed novel, Lord of the Flies, follows the adventure of a clan of British adolescents stranded on a coral reef island. With no adults left alive, the diverse personality’s between the main characters Ralph, Piggy, Jack, and Simon struggle with the freedom from authority. This tale begins when Ralph, a fair haired twelve year old, awakes after the fatal plane crash and discovers the jungle and sandy beach where the abundance of boys will now strive. There he meets Piggy, an overweight boy with glasses as thick as bottle caps. Upon their first meeting, it is learned that the boys were being evacuated from the†¦show more content†¦Soon it is learned that Jack is weary of killing the pig as he lets it escape but now has the taste for blood. In hopes for being rescued the boys build a fire to try and attract a ship or plane. The plan does not work although, because a ship passes while the fire is out. Leaving the boys with a sense of hopelessness. Ralph focused on building shelters and trying to build a signal fire again, reflects opposite on Jack’s behavior of needing to hunt not for food, but to kill. After the ship passes Ralph calls a meeting where it is learned the younger of the kids are scared of a so called ‘beastie’ w hich scares the others. Convinced and denying Ralph’s reasoning of that there’s no beast, one child suggests that it hides in the water during the day, causing a breeze of anxiety to flow through the clan. One night, while all of the boys are sleeping military fighting planes have a battle over the island and leaves a dead soldier in a parachute to land on the island. Sam and Eric, being on fire duty to keep it lit, heard the parachute â€Å"fifteen yards away from them came the plopping noise of fabric blown open† (98). Thinking it is the beast the twins run back to the camp in terror and insist the beast has attacked them. Jack and Ralph trek up the mountain to see and hunt the beast and discover the parachute. By then another meeting is held The most understandable theme Golding displays is the contrasting

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Los Zetas Mexicos Second Most Powerful Drug Cartel Essay...

INTRODUCTION. Recognized as one of the most fearless and violent cartels in all of Mexico, Los Zetas was brought forth by a need for personal security in the Gulf Cartel. This former hit man/security style operation, active since 1997, has since grown into its own ruthless and violent organization becoming the second most powerful cartel and easily the most feared in all of Mexico. Heavily trained and armed, members of Los Zetas are set apart from other cartels because of the level of brutality they are willing to administer to those who cross them, though they had initially hoped that by being more intimidating they would have to fight less. It is their command of the drug market, their lack of fear in using violent tactics, and the†¦show more content†¦Logan 2012). Los Zetas, as stated by the Mexican Defense Ministry in 2003, established a name for themselves as, â€Å"the most formidable death squad to have worked for organized crime in Mexican history† (S. Logan 2009). By this time Los Zetas had grown from its original thirty-one members to over three-hundred members strong. It wasn’t until 2003, when Orsiel Cardenas Guillen was arrested and extradited to Houston, Texas, that Los Zetas began to contemplate the separation from their then partners the Gulf Cartel. Finally exhausted with taking orders from others, many of Los Zetas, especially the new blood, supported the idea of separating into their own entity. In 2007, Los Zetas officially parted ways with the Gulf Cartel, and transformed into their own singular organization. Today, Los Zetas organization is still recognized for its thirst for bloodshed in the form of murder, torture, dismemberment, and decapitations. One federal agent commented that Los Zetas are more dangerous than any other criminal organization in Mexico because they are heavily armed and eager to engage in gun battles (S. Logan 2009). MISSION. The original mission of Los Zetas focused on protecting the leader of Gulf Cartel, Orsiel Cardenas Guillen, and on killing all of Gulf Cartel’s enemies that may have disrupted normal operations. In an effort to grow Gulf Cartel’s power, top Los Zetas members would carry out covert assassination missions in rivalShow MoreRelatedMexican-American Drug War1105 Words   |  5 PagesThe Mexican drug-trafficking cartels are said to have been established in the 1980s by a man named Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, also known as â€Å"The Godfather†. With the help of Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo and Rafael Caro Quintero, Miguel started the Guadalajara Cartel, which is one of the first to have thrived from association with the Colombian cocaine trade. The two men who helped Miguel Gallardo establish the cartel were arrested, so Gallardo, the single leader of the cartel â€Å"was smart enough to privatizeRead MoreAmerica s Freedom Of Freedom1495 Words   |  6 PagesIntroductio n Since 2011, the Freedom House has classified Mexico as a purple, or a â€Å"not free† country in its annual Freedom of the Press report. The upraise of violence in the country, stemmed from its war against drugs, has threatened Mexico’s freedom of expression and practice of journalism, undermining the foundations of the country’s democracy. During the last 12 years, 82 journalists have been murdered, 18 have disappeared and there have been 33 attacks on media outlets according to the NationalRead MoreEvolving Structure of Mexican Drug Cartels1494 Words   |  6 Pagespayment for the protection of the womans local business against the Juarez Cartel. (Lacey, M. 2010). Many critics are now making comparisons between the Mexican drug cartels, like the one mentioned above, and legitimate corporations like Netflix, or Google. There are currently seven major Mexican drug cartels. Although, the cartels may all come from different backgrounds and have different approaches towards trafficking drugs, they all share a similar business style structure to their organizationsRead MoreMovements Rising from Drug Cartels in Mexico1277 Words   |  5 PagesFelipe Calderon decided to send 45,000 soldiers and 5,000 federal police to the state of Michoacà ¡n to eradicate the drug trafficking. He also fired hundreds of dishonest police officers. The drug trafficking movement is not a new movement. It has been existed for many decades, but now it is expanding further due to the born of new drug trafficking organizations or cartels. The cartels fight against each other to win control or to open new trafficking routes into the United States, on their fightsRead M oreMexican Cartels1869 Words   |  8 PagesWhat is the impact of Mexican drug cartels in the United States? Andres F Urueta Dr. Maugh LIB-495-GS001 December 5, 2014 Abstract This research paper examines the impact of Mexican drug cartels in the United States. Most Americans are not aware of how far reaching these cartels are in the United States. Their power has an influence in our government and communities. This project examines who the Mexican Drug cartels are, what their purpose is, where they have influences, and when did theyRead MoreDrug War in Mexico Essay3047 Words   |  13 PagesMexico’s Drug War Drug trafficking has become an increasingly growing problem in the world today. Illegal drug trade is a worldwide black market consisting of production, distribution, packaging, and sale of illegal substances. Although today’s War on Drugs is a modern phenomenon, drug problems have been a common problem throughout history. The market for illegal drugs is massive, when we consider the estimated global drug trade value is worth $321 billion (Vulliamy). The most drug traffickingRead MoreMexico s Powerful Drug Trafficking1827 Words   |  8 PagesThrough bloody feuding, Mexico’s main criminal insurgencies, including: The Knight Templar, Los Zetas, Sinaloa Cartel, and The Gulf Cartel, divide the country into gang territories. Since 2006, Mexico s powerful drug-trafficking organizations have committed more than 60,000 drug-related homicides, including the mass murder of innocent civilians. Due to civilian massacre increase, kidnappings and extortion have become a mundane e vent. In February 2014, the Mexican government confirmed that 26,000Read MoreThe Cartel : A Powerful Drug Trafficking Organization1783 Words   |  8 Pagesborders which is drug smuggling. In the region of North America lies a state that faces struggles everyday with a organization called Sinaloa Cartel. They face battles against this organization for control of the drug market within the state. This cartel plays a huge role within the state by having a huge influence in power compared to other the organizations in the state. The Sinaloa cartel was founded in 1989 which have their base location in the city of Culiacà ¡n, Sinaloa. The cartel is considered

Friday, December 20, 2019

Mentoring For Senior Professional Field - 1096 Words

Mentoring is an interregnal part of every professional field. Organizations that pursue future improvement and development focus on mentoring by means of inviting internal and external professionals to mentor junior members. Mentoring is a rather complex subject and often takes serious preparation on the part of a mentor. Just being an experienced professional is not enough for becoming a good mentor for juniors. Mentoring is a responsible activity, which requires high levels of patience, professionalism, ethics, enthusiasm, tolerance and skills. Even though most of organizations mention highly developed training programs, in practice mentoring is still a new territory for most of them and often the professionals cannot properly explain what actually makes a good mentor and what efficient mentoring should include. The field of engineering is one of the professional spheres where young specialists are in high demand since there is a growing skills shortage in this field. To be able to function effectively in the future, engineering companies must take the issue of skills and professional scarcity seriously and improve mentoring methods in order to prepare highly qualified workers for the future. The word â€Å"mentor† comes from ancient Greek mythology, Mentor was the name of the teacher of Odysseus’s son (Miller 3). Today this word is used to refer to wise and reliable supervisors. First of all, mentoring is based on a relationship between a mentor and a protà ©gà ©. The successShow MoreRelatedMentoring : A Integrated Mentoring Program1324 Words   |  6 PagesINTRODUCTION The goal of mentoring in military organizations is to help junior personnel reach their full potential by having senior personnel help develop them, and pass on their practical expertise and professional knowledge to personnel who are committed to advancement and success (United States, 1995). 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The first generation student family typically is unaware of the college process because the student’s parents have not attended an institutionRead MoreEvolution Of The Leadership Problem890 Words   |  4 Pagesin the relationship that exists between the professional staff and clinical managers; the second involves a lack of leadership structure and poor enforcement of existing policies. The final point of discussion involves the insufficient development in place for future leaders. We must first analyze each issue in detail, and then discuss methods for assessing causes which will allow us to apply solutions to the problems. The Bridge between Professional and Manager A major problem that health care

Thursday, December 12, 2019

What Impact Does Socioeconomics and Geographic free essay sample

Reana Brethen What impact does socioeconomics and geographic exposure have on musical preference? Music is derived from person’s roots and their history of said parties. Music evolves at the same fast paced rate as society and is typically influenced from previous genres. Music in specific geographical locations and socioeconomic environments are mostly created based on surrounding issues and hardships that face the parties involved. Many factors effect what musical preferences people enjoy such as ethnicity, background, the areas they reside within and basic income. There is a wide variety in types of music in different geographical locations. For instance, African music has had a long journey. The beat of the music that tribes created travelled with the Africans when sailing over to America. Eventually, reggae evolved in the Caribbean. In later years, African Americans started singing revolutionized versions of their previous music (Bebey 83). Using the beats of their ancestors, they eventually created gospel, blues, jazz, and etcetera. Even these genres would later branch off and evolve into more contemporary genres such as hip hop and rock n’ roll. Bebey) Other cultures also have their own music which have also evolved through time. The change seen in music can be attributed to the surrounding influences based on the creator’s musical preferences mixed with the influences of their socioeconomics environment as well as their geographical location. An individual growing up in a home with no support of a guardian and they must learn to be independent and they use music as an outlet due to the lack of no one to confide in. On the other hand, an individual who grows up in a stable home where they receive attention and may learn to be independent over time may use music to express themselves rather than the individual who uses music as an outlet. These two examples are composed of completely different surroundings of how music preference can be formed. From these two types of examples, one may develop an idea of which social class those persons may reside in. In the United States, people have created stereotypes for the social classes which exist within the country. In the United States, there are three major social classes: lower, middle and upper. The lower class has little education and the individuals live in poverty. Many associate this class to listen to rap, heavy metal and country. Whether it is a viable part in what musical genres people are involved with, they listen to music and the lyrics which express what their feelings are towards life. A stereo-type for people who work in the lower class are listening to various genres that express the anger that can be created through poor living conditions and unrewarding hard work. Rap and metal are two genres that are known to portray anger well. Some African American neighborhoods, that are considered the government’s property, have more rap music than any other area. Another example resides within the prominent whites who live in trailer parks. For these low income workers, they are considered to listen to heavy metal or country (Emmison 217). The music can be used as an escape from life and can radically change the mood of an individual. Music is also easily accessible and can be created with no basic formula. Music can be shaped and changed at ones will. Compositions of music can also be used to temporarily escape negative situations and channel energy and emotions. Whether that just be a part of their culture or whether it be something to do with their low income and their moods. This is one reason it is believed that some of the most talented musicians have troubled backgrounds. (Emmison) The middle class is considered to be eclectic. They listen to all types of music which includes rap, punk, country, electronic, pop, gospel, hip hop, blues, jazz, indie-rock, dubstep etcetera (Borthwick 156). This may be due primarily to the fact that the middle class encompasses the largest percentage of the American population. Middle class people generally are happy since they receive some rewarding attributes in their lives while the lower class usually receives none. The middle class is more likely to reside in the urban and suburban areas of North America. Another reason this is that the middle class may spend their money in different ways than the other social classes. They may spend more towards items such as expensive cars and other items instead of living conditions. For this reason, some in the middle class may still live in lower class conditions and thus they will primarily listen to music associated with that of the lower class. This can be seen in a very specific study created by Adrian North and David Hargreaves. Part of the study was to include the way people spent their money. It indicates that within the middle class, those that spent their money more responsibly listened to similar music to that of the upper class. This group of people is distinguished from the â€Å"less responsible† group primarily based on how they regularly paid off credit card bills each month. They were generally interested in opera, musicals and classical music. The group that did not pay bills and credit cards off on time as frequently associated more with the music of the lower class. Their preferred genres were DJ based music as well as hip hop and rap (North 481-483). These findings state that although money may affect musical preferences, the lifestyle led by the people within each group has one immense effect upon their preferences as well. (Borthwick) (North) As for the upper class, they are considered to listen to sophisticated music such as classical, musicals and operettas. During the eighteenth century, the aristocrats or the upper class, would attend the well known Mozart and Beethoven symphonies (Emmison 219). Unlike the lower class or middle class that live with less money, the upper class have either had their money handed to them from family members or have earned their money through a high college degree. (Emmison) In the U. S. A. , many people set stereotypes of musical preference with their social class. For example, lower income listen to rap, heavy metal or country, middle class people are eclectic and enjoy many types of music and the upper class enjoys musicals, operas, and classical music. These assumptions can be based off race. However, a study was conducted and stated that income is rarely associated with music preference. The study slims the stereotypes wrong. Yet it does not mean that most people in these classes do not listen to the types of music people associate them with such as blue grass, country, and hymns/gospel, parade, and rap/hip hop are all genres associated with the lower and middle class. (Mizell) Many people believed in the set and stone stereotypes of musical preferences and how they relate to social classes. However, in the study above, those stereotypes were slimmed down. Emmison stated that education was more influential than just the original stereotypes that individuals have created. â€Å"Manual workers and professionals may not like the same types of music†¦more highbrow in the case of professionals, more lowbrow in the case of workers† (Emmison 214). In North’s study, the relationship between employment status and music preferences was also studied. Here, the relationship between music preference and age can be indirectly linked and explained. People that enjoy rock, jazz, and pop were found to likely be employed. People that prefer the genres of opera, country, and classical music were mostly likely retired. Social status and age seem to be the largest determinates of how to associate a certain individual with a specific genre or group of genres. This is based mostly on how easily accessible certain types of music may be. Those in the upper class are more likely to be exposed to genres such as opera and classical genres due to their ability to be able to spend money on attending its performance. The lower classes listen to the types of music that are prevalent on radio stations and may thrive within their area. The middle classes are the most difficult to associate with any brand of music because they are mostly eclectic and enjoy such a broad array of musical genres and artists. People of all ages have grown up listening to different types of music. In the contemporary era, most teens listen to rap, hip hop and other popular music while the people from the seventies will most likely listen to bands such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Grand Funk Railroad. Music is derived from different backgrounds of several cultures around the world. Music preferences are based off one’s social class and geographic location.