A Cop’s Life Essay Example for Free

A Cop’s Life Essay In â€Å"A Cop’s Life† Heather MacDonald describes the media’s blinding prejudices when it comes to policing and race and supported it with two different cop’s life stories. First is about a black man who was shot dead by a cop who was trying to restrain him because he was running naked through traffic pounding cars and received only two mentions in the press outside Seattle. MacDonald compared this story to an angry-cop case that has been videotaped slugging a cuffed black teen once in the head who received 370 stories in the event and flooded the nation’s airwaves and presses. The author describes how being accused of racism affects a cop to do his job. In today’s world, due to a continuous competition in news and media industry, it seems like most of the news that is coming out today are reconstructed to a way that it will attract more people. And due to the fact that for some reasons, bad news are more catchy than good news and that influential people like policemen are more interesting to talk about, a lot of people are being mislead by media’s bias information. I would take the example used by the author in this article as my example. It is an incident of a police officer who has been forced to use his power to stop a civilian who is doing an unlawful violent behavior. The whole story was not out in the news which includes the behavior of the civilian before and just after the latter was cuffed. The only video that they represented was when the civilian was thrown on the hood, but the earlier part that should supposedly concludes the reason why the police officer has to do it was never presented. It was this type of bias reporting that left the police officer guilty and no way to defend himself. Being a cop is not easy for it requires commitment, responsibilities and dedication. Civilians look at you as a perfect person who are not allowed to commit a single mistake and that all of the things that you will be doing should be at the right thing, that is why when a cop is linked to an incident wherein the cop’s image is being affected that would make a history and will be talked in news in different forms. Cops will be assaulted, cursed at, assaulted and even shot at but they can never strike back. Bias opinions by the media should stop and the heroic deeds of the cops should be recognized. Part 2 1. Harlem Renaissance started last 1920 in New York as part of the African American History and it gave birth to new talents like Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and Paul Robenson. 2. â€Å"Unconscious† made Sigmund Freud famous as he published books and an article explaining this type of human’s condition. According to him this is a part of an individual’s personality that they cannot control. He also conducted series of Psychoanalysis to people with different ages which supported his beliefs. 3. Watchers might perambulate around the place where the incident happened that is why peace officers protected the throughway. 4. Police officers practice professionalism despite of the large number of tasks being assigned to them. References Heather Mac Donald. â€Å"A Cop’s Life† July 23, 2002. The National Review. http://www. nationalreview. com/comment/comment-mac-donald072302. asp

Best War Ever America And World War Ii History Essay

Best War Ever America And World War Ii History Essay The objective of this book is to subject the chief features of the Good War myth to bright analysis in the hope of present an additional realistic picture, one that does not demean the achievement of the United States and of liberal democracy but that at the same time does not diminish the stress, suffering, problems, and failures inevitably faced by a society at war. The war was good for the economy. It was liberating for women. It was a war of tanks and airplanes a cleaner war than World War I. Americans were united. Soldiers were proud. It was a time of prosperity, sound morality, and power. But according to historian Michael Adams, our memory is distorted, and it has left us with a misleading even dangerous legacy. Challenging many of our common assumptions about the period, Adams argues that our experience of World War II was positive but also disturbing, creating problems that continue to plague us today. Michael C Adams has contributed to The Best War Ever: America and World War II as an author. Michael C. C. Adams, a professor of history at Northern Kentucky University, is the author of The Great Adventure: Male Desire and the Coming of World War I (1990).   Much of the events of WWII has been mythologized not only by Hollywood and government propaganda, and over the years this mythology has been perpetuated by those who lived through the war themselves. Michael C. C. Adams has sought to expose these stories for what they are, fabrication and oversimplifications, and provide the basic facts that facilitate a truer understanding of WWII and the world wide cultural changes surrounding it, both before and after the war itself. In chapter one, Mythmaking and the War, Adams sets out the myth itself, as defined by Hollywood dramatization, government propaganda, advertisement agencies, and the revised memories of those who stayed home, as well as those who fought in the war itself. The war became Americas golden age, a peak in the life of society when everything worked out and the good guys definitely got a happy ending. (Adams, 2) The WWII era came to serve a purpose; to be the bygone age which America once was, and if worked hard enough for, could be again. It was, in a sense, Americas Garden of Eden, the time and place where all things were right. Of course, this was a manufactured ideal, what Adams calls a usable past. In creating a usable past, we seek formulas to apply in solving todays problems. Americans believe that WWII proved one rule above all othersit is usually better to fight than to talk. (Adams, 4) To make WWII into the best war ever, we must leave out the area bombings and other questionable aspects while exaggerating the good things. The war myth is distorted not so much in what it says as in what it doesnt say. (Adams, 7) This applies not only to the war itself, but also to the home front. Chapter two, No Easy Answers, begins the process of deconstructing the myth, and demonstrating that the events leading up to WWII began long before the Treaty of Versailles, and the ramifications of WWII will last much longer than the generation that fought it. Adams lays out the frame of the complex political, cultural and economic histories of each of nations which would become involved in WWII, and shows that there was no obvious point at which one decision would have prevented the war from happening. Taken in context, the actions each nation took leading up to WWII make sense. Adams asks, what could have been done differently? Apparently, not much; appeasement didnt work in Europe, and determent didnt work in Asia. There really were no easy answers. Chapter three, The Patterns of War, 1939-1945 lays out the way in which each nation fought the war, with a new speed and brutality made possible by technology and the remoteness of the enemy. Chapter four, The American War Machine, demonstrates how the tools were created and sent into battle, and how the soldiers and organization of each army differed, for better or worse. Chapter five, Overseas, outlines the realities of life for the American soldier both in the European and Pacific theatres, while chapter six, Home front Changes, does the same for those who stayed home. These chapters have one unifying purpose; to define the reality of the WWII era, expose the complex history and actors, and above all, disabuse us of the reigning WWII mythos. Chapter seven, A New World, takes us one step further and debunks the myth that returning GIs readjusted quickly without lasting physical ailments and emotional traumas and into a society awaiting them with open arms, friendly smiles and lovin g families. Above all else, Adams has provided an interesting and easily accessible framework with which one can examine WWII and appreciate the complexities and realities of the era. While his history is intentionally brief and uncomplicated by example and detail, it does achieve its purpose. By identifying the mythos and realities of WWII, the Good War can be appreciated for what it actually was; an ugly, brutal and ultimately necessary war. Adams says that the existence of the WWII distortions is not entirely the fault of the American public. It is also the fault of the Federal Government and the media. The government censored controversial material during the war and only delivered to the public details that were uplifting and beneficial to the cause. The media also used the war to its advantage, promoting products using references to the war.   Adams also goes into detail the Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome the soldiers endured during the war.   The book does go into some historical accounts of WWII. Most of Adams references though were secondary sources. I would have liked to see him use more primary sources which would have provided more authenticity and credibility to the book. I do recommend the book if you are looking for a quick read about WWII, but if you are looking for a military history about WWII, this is not the book for you. 3-John F. Kasson, AMUSING THE MILLION: CONEY ISLAND AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY Amusing the Million examines the historical context in which Coney Island made its reputation as an amusement park and shows how Americas changing social and economic conditions formed the basis of a new mass culture. Exploring it afresh in this way, John Kasson shows Coney Island no longer as the object of nostalgia but as a harbinger of modernityand the many photographs, lithographs, engravings, and other reproductions with which he amplifies his text support this lively thesis. After studying the whole book my point of analysis on this book is that In these times, when entertainers bare body parts normally kept strictly covered, it is hard to believe the cover photo of this book was considered rather racy a century ago. It shows a line of girls on the beach at Coney Island where the skirts on their swimsuits have been raised to reveal the shorts underneath. Considering that they also appear to have full-length tights on underneath the shorts, to modern eyes, they look overdressed. There were many social commentators at the end of the nineteenth century that argued that the egalitarian social structure of Coney Island was debasing the social fabric of the nation. As Coney Island was the most conspicuous example of the dramatic social changes taking place in the United States. By the turn of the century, the people were generally no longer rural tillers of the soil, having been transformed into urban tillers of the machines. Furthermore, by this time, the social distinctions between the upper and other classes were being blurred. As the author points out, at Coney Island, many of the stiff social restrictions came down. People who otherwise would not speak to each other became friendly and shared rides, beach water and other amusements.   The members of the compressed urban society craved simple and inexpensive recreation and Coney Island provided it. Therefore, as Kasson points out so well, it was a phenomenon that grew out of a social need and in many ways served as a social release. People could, for a very small fee, leave their crowded dwellings and engage in a day of escape. Everyone was equal on the rides and the beaches, so at least at that location, social distinctions disappeared.   Until I read this book, I had never considered the amusement park as a barometer for social change. However, it is now clear that Coney Island was a metaphor for a dramatic change in the social fabric of the nation and from this book, you can learn many of the details. These were all much the same in nature, differing mainly in size and duration. Their reason for being and the reason or them becoming a thing of the past is all the same.   The book suggests that they started in the mid-1800s is stretching the point somewhat as Fairs of all types were around for many centuries and only differed in how big they were, how far people travelled to them ,how much new inventions became incorporated and how long they lasted.   It seems that throughout history people loved to gather for just about any reason, but generally some sort of amusement along with the hope of seeing something new. Thus there were Races, Exhibitions of animals, crafts, products for prizes or sale, Auctions, Magic shows, Plays, Sporting events; and on and on ad infantilism.   This happened at Stonehenge and before, at the Roman Collisium, and Religious Celebrations. It didnt take much to create an event; heck, even a Hanging was enough to get a huge crowd out.  The same sort of thing continues today. So instead of taking the Subway to Coney Island or some other Amusement park; we go to the great Theme Parks, National Parks, Sporting Events, Concerts, Casinos, Vegas, Nashville, Ski Hills, Cruises, or even events and locations around the world, such as World Fairs or the Olympics.   The old adage The more things change, the more they become the same applies to Amusement Parks, just as it does to everything else.   The greatest change is in the ease of travel, the amount of disposable income available, and the introduction of TV where everything can be brought right into the living room. That doesnt leave much but the Thrill Rides, the Smells and Sounds, the Crowds and the Outdoors; but thats coming too.  The Canadian National Exhibition continues to run for 3 weeks in August: however it gets poorer and tackier every year and who knows how much longer it will continue. Amusement parks that began to exist during the turn of the century served as venues for fun and excitement as well as helped to release the repressed from the gentility of the Victorian Age of the nineteenth century. John Kasson examines the social and cultural ramifications that occurred in American society in his book, AMUSING THE MILLIONS: CONEY ISLAND AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY. In his study, Kasson shows how the American landscape became playgrounds, especially in New York, which extended the use of recreational space, New Yorks Central Park, and expositions that commemorated and celebrated the American historical past, Chicagos Columbian Exposition of 1893. They magnified the cornerstones and building blocks of the city, and the behavior that was exhibited with the rising middle class, which attracted a mass audience. The city became cosmopolitan and modern where many engaged and frolicked, and helped to unlatch social, racial, and economic boundaries that were bestowed upon ma ny individuals; they also helped to rejuvenate cities through urban planning.   Indeed, Kasson explores the world of imagination. The amusements ran the gamut from a Barnum and Bailey atmosphere to reveling along the boardwalk amongst exotic and unusual exhibits that coveted Coney Islands Luna Park and Dreamland Park. And within the text Kasson highlights those who helped architect this unrestrained environment of excess, such as Frederick Law Olmstead, Daniel H. Burnham, George C. Tilyou, Frederic Thompson, James Gibbons Huneker, and Maxim Gorky. Undoubtedly these were elaborate and spacious constructed palatial playgrounds of pleasure full of materialism and consumption where many gathered for pure utopian enjoyment. According to Kasson, these amusements also served as an outlet for artists and painters whose works did not particularly belong in museums. However, they reflected the modernist and realist genres of the art world before they came into vogue, and they depicted technological, urban, populous, egalitarian, erotic, hedonist, dynamic, and culturally d iverse images that the public were not accustomed to (88).   Overall, this is an interesting trip down nostalgic memory lane. Through the revealing pictures and detailed narrative, Kasson shows readers how Coney Island at the turn became a form of liberation for an array of classes. In essence, this is a good source to refer to when studying or reading about the American Dream as it relates to amusement parks that transcended social and cultural change in American society.   4-John Kenneth Galbraith, THE GREAT CRASH, 1929 The Great Crash, 1929  is a book written by  John Kenneth Galbraith  and published in 1954; it is an economic history of the lead-up to the  Wall Street Crash of 1929. The book argues that the 1929 stock market crash was precipitated by rampant speculation in the stock market, that the common denominator of all speculative episodes is the belief of participants that they can become rich without work and that the tendency towards recurrent speculative orgy serves no useful purpose, but rather is deeply damaging to an economy.  It was Galbraiths belief that a good knowledge of what happened in 1929 was the best safeguard against its recurrence. Galbraith wrote the book during a break from working on the manuscript of what would become  The Affluent Society. Galbraith was asked by  Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.  if he would write the definitive work on the  Great Depression  that he would then use as a reference source for his own intended work on Roosevelt. Galbraith chose to concentrate on the days that ushered in the depression. I never enjoyed writing a book more; indeed, it is the only one I remember in no sense as a labor but as a joy.  Galbraith received much praise for his work, including his humorous observations of human behavior during the speculative stock market bubble and subsequent crash. The publication of the book, which was one of Galbraiths first bestsellers, coincided with the 25th anniversary of the crash, at a time when it and the  Great Depression  that followed were still raw memories and stock price levels were only then recovering to pre-crash levels. Galbraith considered it the useful task of the historian to keep fresh the memory of such crashes, the fading of which he correlates with their re-occurrence. For the purpose of the summary and analysis phase of this book I thought that the Republican Great Depression of 1929-1939 has been an unending source of mystery, fascination, and disinformation for the past four generations. As youre reading these words, theres a huge push on by conservative think-tanks and wealthy political activists to reinvent the history, suggesting that Roosevelt prolonged the Depression or that New Deal programs were ineffective. At the same time, folks like David Sirota are valiantly pushing back with actual facts and statistics, showing that Roosevelts New Deal was startlingly effective, particularly when compared with the Republican policies of 1920-1929 that formed the bubble that crashed in 1929, and the Republican failures to deal with its consequences during the last three years of the Herbert Hoover administration (1929-1933). To really understand what brought about the great crash, however, its most useful to read an historical narrative written by one of the worlds preeminent economists when that world-changing event was still fresh in his and his readers minds.  The Great Crash  is that book, first written by Galbraith in 1953-54 (and published in 1955) and updated for modern readers in 1997. From this book I like to discuss some points in its summary phase. From the Introduction The people who remained sane and quiet Extracts from  The Great Crash: 1929, John Kenneth Galbraith, First Published 1955, Page 27 Even in such a time of madness as the late twenties, a great many man in Wall Street remained quite sane. But they also remained very quiet. The sense of responsibility in the financial community for the community as a whole is not small. It is nearly nil. Perhaps this is inherent. In a community where the primary concern is making money, one of the necessary rules is to live and let live. To speak out against madness may be to ruin those who have succumbed to it. So the wise in Wall Street are nearly always silent. The foolish thus have the field to themselves. None rebukes them. From Chapter 1: A Year to Remember Opportunities for the social historian Extracts from  The Great Crash: 1929, John Kenneth Galbraith, First Published 1955, Page 26 In the autumn of 1929 the mightiest of Americans were, for a brief time, revealed as human beings. Like most humans, most of the time, they did some very foolish things. On the while, the greater the earlier reputation for omniscience, the more serene the previous idiocy, the greater the foolishness now exposed. Things that in other times were concealed in a heavy facade of dignity now stood exposed, for the panic suddenly, almost obscenely, snatched this facade away. We are seldom vouchsafed a glance behind this barrier; in our society the counterpart of the Kremlin walls is the thickly stuffed shirt. The social historian must always be alert to his opportunities, and there have been few like 1929. From Chapter 7: Things Become More Serious Things keep getting worse Extracts from  The Great Crash: 1929, John Kenneth Galbraith, First Published 1955, Page 130 In the autumn of 1929 the New York Stock Exchange, under roughly its present constitution, was 112 years old. During this lifetime it had seen some difficult days. On 18 September 1873, the firm of Jay Cooke and Company failed, and, as a more or less direct result, so did fifty-seven other Stock Exchange firms in the next few weeks. On 23 October 1907, call money rates reached one hundred and twenty-five per cent in the panic of that year. On 16 September 1922 the autumn months are the off-season in Wall Street a bomb exploded in front of Morgans next door, killing thirty people and injuring a hundred more. A common feature of all these earlier troubles was that, having happened, they were over. The worst was reasonably recognizable as such. The singular feature of the great crash of 1929 was that the worst continued to worsen. What looked one day like the end proved on the next day to have been only the beginning. Nothing could have been more ingeniously designed to maximize the suffering, and also to ensure that as few as possible escaped the common misfortune. The fortunate speculator who had funds to answer the first margin call presently got another and equally urgent one, and if he met that there would still be another. In the end all the money he had was extracted from him and lost. The man with the smart money, who was safely out of the market when the first crash came, naturally went back in to pick up bargains. The bargains then suffered a ruins fall. Even the man who waited out all of October and all of November, who saw the volume of trading return to normal and saw Wall Str eet become as placid as a produce market, and who then bought common stocks would see their value drop to a third or a fourth of the purchase price in the next twenty-four months. The Coolidge bull market was a remarkable phenomenon. The ruthlessness of its liquidation was, in its own way, equally remarkable. 5-Ronald G. Walters, AMERICAN REFORMERS, 1815-1860 With American Reformers, Walters has composed a fine synthesis of secondary literature on the varied antebellum reform movements. In doing so, he argues that the reform impulse emerges out of evangelical Protestantism but by the Civil War takes a more secular turn more involved in legislating social controls than converting the hearts of individuals. As he develops this argument he addresses the different forms that this reform impulse took and organizes the book thematically. He discusses in successive chapters utopian movements and secular communitarians, abolition, the womens movement and the peace movement, temperance, health reform and spiritualism, working mans reform, and institutional reform, into which he groups mental hospitals, prisons and schools. Walters demonstrates the secularization of reform in the realm of communitarian societies. Thus, the early nineteenth century utopian settlements that often emerged out of pietistic impulses gave way to more secular experiments in social engineering such as Owenism, or as in the case of Oneida, how a once religious community endured only as a commercial venture. Similarly he shows institutions such as asylums wove their religious inspiration with the science of the times but like prisons and almshouses became holding pens for outcasts rather than places for healing and reform. Walters also situates the emergence of reform in the particular circumstances of antebellum America. He argues that the emergence of the middle class created made it possible for people to devote time to reform, and those technological advances in printing made it possible for people to actually make a living as an agitator. He also argues that reform helped shape the identity of the emerging middle class. This point comes through particularly clearly in his chapter on working mans reform. Walters synthesis suffers from its grand scope and short length. In it he sacrifices a certain amount of detail and analysis for space and clarity. The section on utopian movements, for example, traces the personalities of the major reformers and a brief outline of the community that followed without in-depth analysis. Throughout the book quotations from primary sources would have been helpful in giving a feel for the particular movement under discussion. The lack of primary source material allows Walters to sacrifice documentation, and the reader sometimes wishes for some assistance in discerning the origin or fuller development of a particular point. To his credit, Walters provides a good bibliographical essay at the end, but the lack of documentation sometimes proves frustrating and thus interrupts the otherwise smooth flow in the text. Nonetheless, American Reformers is a very readable and useful synthesis of the secondary sources on antebellum reform. As such, it is a helpful an d welcome addition to the field. In my mind, this is an introductory text, albeit a fine one. Walters is very accessable, he tries to include necessary historical perspective and whatever cultural information he deems to be valuable to the story hes telling in each chapter. And while each chapter is a story of a different movement or people, he also demonstrates those things these groups have in common. I wont spoil it for you, but at the least of it, they were all idealists who thought to affect the world around them. Material and political changes transformed America at a dizzying pace in the 1820s and 1830s. The expansion of industrialization, the creation of roads and canals to connect manufacturers to new markets, westward migration, a prolonged period of economic depression following the panic of 1837, and the broadening of voting rights triggered vast social upheavals. Reform movements were often attempts to cope with the consequences of these changes. Some movements wanted reform of institutions like prisons, schools, and asylums. Others looked to individual regeneration to transform the whole society. Some reformers drew attention to a particular groups suffering: Richard Henry Danas  Two Years before the Mast  (1840), for example, pressed for expanded legal rights for sailors. Others, like the founders of Brook Farm, sought radical and universal reform. A powerful source of reform emerged from the Second Great Awakening, the religious revivals sweeping the nation from the 1790s through the 1820s. Like the Great Awakening of the 1730s and 1740s, this series of revivals emphasized individual, often emotional religious experiences. Yet unlike the first period of revival, the Second Great Awakening had an even broader impact. The disestablishment of religion in the early national period and the deism associated with Americas founding fathers (that is, their belief in the power of reason and the existence of a Supreme Creator and their skepticism about supernatural religious explanations) seemed to threaten the nations Protestant moral foundation. Moreover, many Christians attributed certain social ills (drinking, dueling, disregard for the Sabbath, and the like) to Chris-tianitys decline. Ministers such as Lyman Beecher (1775-1863) and Charles Grandison Finney (1792-1875) responded with messages about wickedness, conversion, and the imm inent return of Christ. Moving away from the Calvinist doctrines (such as predestination) associated with the initial Great Awakening, they preached individual moral agency and personal salvation, moral improvement and perfection, and a responsibility to hasten the coming of Gods Kingdom. These religious ideas contributed to the desire for reform and creation of voluntary benevolent societies such as the American Education Society (1815), American Bible Society (1816), and American Tract Society (1825). These organizations distributed religious literatures, but their members also led efforts to stem Sabbath-breaking, drinking, and other forms of vice. Various female moral reform societies focused on ending prostitution, sexual exploitation, and the sexual double standard. The ostensibly moral concern with sexual vice also helped justify the not-so-pious demand for reform literature featuring fallen and wronged women in texts like Maria Monks  Awful Disclosures  (1836) and George Fosters  New York by Gas-Light  (1850). Evangelical reformers also played important roles in other reform movements. Theodore Dwight Weld (1803-1895), a disciple of Finney, began his career distributing tracts and preaching against strong drink. In 1829 Weld shifted his efforts to the campaign against slavery and authored two antislavery classics,  The Bible against Slavery  (1837), which dismantled biblical pro-slavery arguments, and  American Slavery As It Is  (1839), the text that inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) to write  Uncle Toms Cabin  (1851-1852). Evangelical reform spread popular literature as tracts, sermons, Sunday school books, and temperance testimonies. The revivals also had an important influence on developments in literary style. Religious writings became more emotional and imaginative, formally less rigid, and theologically less rigorous. Antebellum religious texts began to rely on vivid narratives to illustrate, edify, and entertain. This new religious style, as David S. Reynolds calls it in his study  Beneath the American Renaissance  (p. 15), reshaped not only evangelical writing but also the style of liberal reformers, popular writers, and transcendentalists. 6-James M McPherson, ABRAHAM LINCOLN In honor of the bicentennial of Lincolns birth, renowned Civil War scholar James M. McPherson has written a wonderful brief biography of our 16th President. This book will be a wonderful source for beginners to study Lincoln and will serve as a good framework for larger works, like David Herbert Donalds  Lincoln. This book covered the important aspects of Lincolns life from his birth and childhood in Kentucky and Indiana to his coming to Illinois, to his administration and death. McPherson discussed Lincolns tarnished relationship with his father and his wonderful relationship with his step-mother, which presented a more personal side of the man. Though short, this book does a great job of discussing Lincolns life in the larger context of American history. McPherson summarized the important moments and events during his life and provided a wonderful look at the war and its effect on him. True to his scholarly reputation, McPherson used great sources for this little biography, including the  Collected Works of Lincoln  and  Lincoln at Cooper Union  to name a couple. In addition to using great primary and secondary sources, McPherson provided a bibliographic essay that provided a great synthesis of the historiography of Lincoln and where it may be heading in the coming year. There are many things to like about this book. It is a well-researched, but brief biography that will reach a wide audience. The reputation of James McPherson as a scholar lends great weight to the legitimacy of this biography.  Abraham Lincoln  is a wonderful beginning to the scholarly celebration of the Lincoln bicentennial. - James McPherson has emerged as one of Americas finest historians.  Battle Cry of Freedom  , his Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the Civil War, was a national bestseller that Hugh Brogan, in  The New York Times Book Review  , called history writing of the highest order. In that volume, McPherson gathered in the broad sweep of events, the political, social, and cultural forces at work during the Civil War era. Now, in  Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution  , he offers a series of thoughtful and engaging essays on aspects of Lincoln and the war that have rarely been discussed in depth. McPherson again displays his keen insight and sterling prose as he examines several critical themes in American history. He looks closely at the Presidents role as Commander-in-Chief of the Union forces, showing how Lincoln forged a national military strategy for victory. He explores the importance of Lincolns great rhetorical skills, uncovering howthrough parables and figurative languagehe was uniquely able to communicate both the purpose of the war and a new meaning of liberty to the people of the North. In another section, McPherson examines the Civil War as a Second American Revolution, describing how the Republican Congress elected in 1860 passed an astonishing blitz of new laws (rivaling the first hundred days of the New Deal), and how the war not only destroyed the social structure of the old South, but radically altered the balance of power in America, ending 70 years of Southern power in the national government. The Civil War was the single most transforming and defining experience in American history, and Abraham Lincoln remains the most important figure in the pantheon of our mythology. These graceful essays, written by one of America are leading historians, offer fresh and unusual perspectives on both. From my analysis point of view the book itself in hardcover is a joy to hold with its compact size, readable typeface and bound-in ribbon bookmark. Whoever worked on this project obviously did it as a labor of love. They worked the details on this one.  You cant honestly compare this work to others like Carl Sandbergs Lincoln or With Malice towards None or even my nice coffee table book of photographs taken of Lincoln. This work COMPLEMENTS those more comprehensive volumes. That said, it is not incomplete. It does an excellent job of hitting the hundreds of high and low points in Lincolns too brief life. The pace moves quickly and precisely along so that you never have the feeling that youre being written down to if thats the phrase Im looking for. This one has NOT been dumbed down for the reader.   Personally I see this smaller volume as an annual read to remind me of just how special Lincoln was as a man and as our nations leader. He was willing, even at great personal cost, to do the right thing on the toughest, most entrenched issues in our nations hist

Fashion Magazines Define Females Beauty Standard Media Essay

Fashion Magazines Define Females Beauty Standard Media Essay Advertisements in women magazines has became active when marketer realised the purchase power of women, Marchland, 1985 suggested that in 1920s female purchasing power took over 80 percent of the whole consumer purchases. That was because the gender role of female at that time was home orientated, they were responsible for familial expenditure. As time changes, when the market of home orientated product got saturated, marketing then stereotypes women interconnected with sexuality. Courtney and Lockeretz suggested four general stereotypes of women were presented in print advertisement: A womans place is in the home; women do not make important decisions or do important things; women are dependent and need mens protection; and men regard women primarily as sexual objects (Courtney Whipple, 1983 pp.7). The beginning of media influence on beauty standard The advertising agencies referred women as General Purchasing Agent, as purchasing agents, women could command respect for exhibiting qualities previously honoured primarily in men-capacities for planning, efficiency, and expert decision making (Marchand 1958 pp.168). The G.P.A has became a corner stone of advertising in the field of female market, during this period advertising often adopt the theme of successful woman gain social acceptance and social approval through employing or consuming a particular product. McEwen suggested in 1976 that, from the field of social psychology, advertising agencies have employed the belief of the social self as a principle technique in advertisements by defining what was socially approved and what was not. During the phrase of social acceptance, the media portrayed the role of women as being responsible for broadening their social and intellectual interests as well as maintain youthful in order to be a modern companion for their husbands. They needed to preserve their youth so that they could beautify their husbands lives and keep pace with them during evenings of dancing and the theatre (Marchand 1985 pp.175).The importance of being self conscious of body image and appearance has been introduced through media, especially with the reinforcement of advertising in the late 1920s. In the middle of her mechanically engineered kitchen, the modern housewife was expected to be overcome with issue of whether her self, her body, her personality were viable in the so cio sexual market that define her job. Advertisements used pictures of veiled nudes and women in auto-erotic stances to encourage self comparison and to remind women of the primacy of their sexuality (McEwen 1976 pp.179). The idealised female images in which portrayed in media has always been changing, so is the standard of beauty perceived within the society. The media provides idealised body images of women by providing role models or examples of attractive women, for example, catwalk models and actresses. In which, audiences could compare themselves with the idealised body shape or appearance. The idealised body shaped has changed from being voluptuous and curvaceous in the 1940s and 1950s to being busty and narrow-hipped from the late 1960s through the 1980s (Straight 2005 pp.2) The reason of which the idealised beauty standard has always been changing was because companies need to create an unsustainable beauty standard to ensure targeted consumer will keep purchasing different goods to maintain satisfied with their appearance. Freedman, 1986 mentioned the beauty ideal was impossible to achieve and this could lead to feelings of inadequacy. The feelings of inadequacy were often fed by cosmetic and diet product manufactures, in which the primary objective of their advertisement campaigns were to persuade women they could improve their imperfections only by consuming their products. However the effects of media have on audience can vary due to individual differences. Audience with different personalities, pass experiences and social context interpret the messages of the media differently, in addition, different medium also provides different influence for audience, and for example, the influence of advertisement shall be strongest among the mediums, because the principle of advertising is to influence audiences behaviour and value. Ethical issues with advertising influence The internalization of an attractiveness ideal and a perception of body dissatisfaction may serve to mediate the relationship between media exposure and disordered eating (Stice et al, 1994). Media Awareness Network journal reported over three quarters of the covers of womens magazines include at least one message on how to alter and improve womans bodily appearance by cosmetic surgery or diet. The ratio of diet ads in mens and women magazine is 1: 10, in which the ratio of eating disorders in men and women is identical. This indicates a relationship between exposure to diet ads and eating disorders, however gender differences may also affect behaviour. Theories of media influence on beauty standard Social comparison theory A theoretical model using social comparison processes can be offered to explain how exposure to the socio-cultural thin and attractive ideal leads to increased body dissatisfaction (Heinberg and Thompson, 1992; Smolak et al, 1993; Thompson et al, 1991). This theory suggests that individuals make upward comparison with others who offers specific, valued attributes. It also takes individual differences into account, for example, the differences in regard of self-esteem. Mintz and Betz, 1988, conducted a research that shown female college students who felt dissatisfied with their bodies image were more likely to conform to the stereotyped body presented in the media as attractive. This theory suggested that social comparison does not only occurs through comparison with images in the media but also with social group, e.g. friends and families member. The studies of social comparison often reported positive correlation between social comparison and body dissatisfaction. Schema theory Self-schema theory envisages body images as a mental construction rather than an objective evaluation (Markus, 1977). A self schema is an individuals mental perception of the way they are. This mental presentation has established over time mainly through pass experience of what others labelled or referred them in a particular way. For example, I am attractive or I am skinny. These kinds of attributes are taken into account in self concept and self esteem. Schema have been defined as cognitive generalizations about the self, derived from pass experiences, that organize and guide the processing of self-related information contained in the individuals social experience (Markus, 1977 pp.64). According to Markus, 1997, schematics constantly evaluate stimuli that are relevant for their body weight. Media images are one of the stimuli that trigger new schemas. The buyer decision processes According to Nicosia, F. 1966, a consumer decision making process involves five stages traditionally, which are problem recognition, information search, evaluate of alternatives, product choice and outcome. Problem recognition occurs when consumer realises a significant difference between the consumers current state and the ideal state he/she desired. The consumer sees this as a problem and requires a solution to solve, when the problem has been recognised, consumer will need adequate information to resolve the problem, in which the consumer will enter the information stage. There are briefly two kind of information search, the internal search and the external search. Internal search begins when consumer search alternative product from prior experience and his/her existing knowledge on a particular product and its alternatives, external search is when consumer gathers informative from external cues, for example, friends and advertisements. Finally, the consumer will enter the stage o f evaluation of alternatives. The buyer decision model are often used in advertisements, taking the Rimmel Mascara commercial 2007 as an example, the commercial started with Kate Moss ( the famous model) putting on mascara while a male narrator saying the more you put on, the sexier you are. The commercial intend to show differences between the audience current and ideal state of desire by showing the image of Kate Moss with the Rimmel Mascara on. By using a model that majority regard her as attractive, this create an upward comparison with others who offers specific, valued attributes. This could refer to the social comparison theory. The Rimmel Mascara also offered a solution for the problem, the commercial emphasis the more Rimmel mascara the audience put on the sexier they will be. The positive reinforcement shows the cause and effect of the Rimmel mascara and this increase the likelihood of conformity. Industry background Advertising industry The United Kingdom advertising industry was worth over  £16.5 billion in 2001. There are estimated 600 agencies in London and 20 agencies among the 600 agencies are full service agencies. Agencies can be categorized as 5 distinct types of agencies Creative agencies Media agencies Direct marketing agencies Digital/online agencies Full service agencies Role of the agencies Creative agencies work on behalf of clients, develop creative ideas for an advertising campaign. Media agencies consults clients on where, when and how to spending advertising budgets. Direct marketing agencies provide clients direct and strategic communication with the target audience, for example, direct mail. Digital/online agencies profession at digital communication. For example, search engine marketing. Full service agencies combine all the services of creative, media, direct marketing, digital/online agencies. Research questions and objectives Aim To explore the methods and strategies that advertising agencies use to influence womens perception of beauty standard. Research question Which methods and strategies used my advertising agencies are more efficient to stimulate womens conformity to the presented beauty ideal? Objectives To discuss the methods and strategies used by advertising agencies to influence female beauty standard. To compare the difference, between female in the age groups of 12-18 and 21 27, their perception of beauty standard influenced by printed advertisement. To investigate the ethical issue of advertising the idealised beauty. Research methodology Research approaches Deductive approach Deductive approach is employ when a researcher develops a hypothesis that can be tested by a research strategy. Inductive approach Inductive approach is employ when researchers collects information and develops theory as a result of information analysis. Research strategies There are mainly seven research strategies that are being used in business researches. Experiment. Questionnaire. Interview. Case study. Action research. Grounded theory. Ethnography. Archival research. Sampling Statisticians have proved the larger the sample size, the nearer its distribution will be to the normal distribution, statisticians also suggested that a sample size of 30 or more will be more likely to result in a sampling distribution for the mean that is close to normal distribution. Stutely, 2003 suggested a minimum number of 30 for statistical analysis provide valuable rule of thumb for the smallest number in each group of the overall sample. Therefore the sampling size of my primary research will be 30. Strategies for my primary research Experiment Experiment is a classical form of research that owes much to the natural science, although it features strongly in much social science research, particularly psychology. The purpose of an experiment is to study casual links; whether a change in one independent variable produces a change in another dependent variable (Hakim, 2000). The experiment strategy concerns the relationship between two variables, it is often used in explanatory or exploratory research to find out why and how questions. The experiment usually takes place in a strictly controlled situation, for example, laboratory to eliminate threats to internal validity. However, whilst the strictly controlled situation enhances the internal validity, the external validity is often hard to establish, as the controlled situation is often not a real life situation. Strategies for my secondary research Multiple source secondary data Multiple source secondary data will be an amalgam of both documentary and survey secondary data. It will take account of books, journals, articles, newspaper and previous research. The secondary research will be used to cover objectives below. It will be a mixture of qualitative (theoretical) and quantitative (numerical) data. To discuss the methods and strategies used by advertising agencies to influence female beauty standard. To investigate the ethical issue of advertising the idealised beauty. The reason of using a mixture of qualitative and quantitative date is to produce that can be statistically analyse to identify relationship between variables and to have theoretical data to support my research. How the experiment will be conducted The experiment will be carrying out in order to fulfil objective two. (Compare the difference, between female in the age groups of 12-18 and 21 27, their perception of beauty standard influenced by advertisement.) The reasons of choosing the age groups of 12-18 and 21-27 are because of the significant differences in cognitive maturity. Adolescents are also more likely to conform due to the high need of social acceptance. Hypothesis Adolescents are more likely to conform to the ideal beauty presented in the media. The sampling 30 participants in each age group. Participants selected by random sampling in central London. The experiment will be conducted under a controlled situation, for example, a conference room in London. Method The method below will be repeated in both 12-18 and 21-27 age group. Divide each age group participants into experimental group and control group. Both groups will be given a survey questioning how satisfy the participant feel about their appearance. Experimental group will be given 10 printed advertisements with attractive female before they answer the survey. The control group will not be given printed advertisements before they answer the survey. Compare the results of both experimental group and control group. Statistically analysis the result of both age groups. Resources Internet access for secondary data. Library access for secondary data. Experiment will be host in the conference room of my uncles office, in which permission has been gained and cost free. Excel software to analysis primary research. Printer. Financial resources Transport fees for participants involves in primary research. Additional cost for employing participants in primary research if volunteer participants could not be found. Budget 5 pounds transportation fee for each participant. Cost of employing participant will be estimated at 10 pounds each. Total cost = 90pounds.

Historic Model Of Science :: essays research papers

The ‘heroic model’ of science is one of the most influential phenomena in history. This surge of value-free knowledge, filled with realism, bold justification, absolute truth and complete objectivity, changed the way in which the world was perceived and how the future would be viewed. The ‘heroic model’ changed the rules and ushered western civilization into a new era, filled with wonderfully shocking scientific surprises. The backlash from the ‘heroic model’ was so powerful that it heavily influenced other subjects, such as history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ‘heroic model’ of science was a phenomenon of the western world, during the Enlightenment. This wonder aided in transforming scientists, philosophers and others among them into cultural heroes. Science became a part of home life, when in previous times science was seen as a threat to religion and thus proclaimed as wrong. Once science became a part of life and began to prove and bluntly say things that the bible and religion could not come near to explaining, it became the basis for fact. The ‘heroic model’ could easily be blamed for the breakdown of the religious-infested societies that plagued the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This became very important to everyone involved, which proved to be more people than expected. The ‘heroic model’ was an opening for scientist and others to express their opinions without the fear of being ostracized and labeled as a blasphemer. These people were no longer look down upon as sinners, against God and religion, yet they were praised for bring truth and secularity to the world. “Facts'; no longer were infested or influenced by religion, the truth was the real truth. “It replaced the fear and anxiety that nature once evoked with hope inspired by an ordered, harmonious, knowable world.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ‘heroic model’ boosted science to a level that nothing else had ever reached or attempted to attain. Science, during the Enlightenment and consequently afterwards, was used to measure the status of a country and their position of power. If a country was not as advance as another country was in the sciences then that country was obviously not civilized and was beneath the other country. Such as, the economy might be used to determine the status or worldly position of a country today that is how science was used during the Age of Enlightenment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The progression of science and the overwhelming success of the ‘heroic model’ not only yanked science to the forefront, but it also influenced and changed the way history was being perceived and studied.

Television Violence :: essays research papers

Television Violence In today's society television plays a big role. People watch T.V. for many different reasons. People watch T.V. mainly for entertainment, they also watch T.V. to learn, and to find out news. Some people watch T.V. and get the wrong idea about what they're watching, they feel that what they are watching is okay to do. Violence is a major factor, it affects people of ages. The worst outcome of T.V. is that it sends out the wrong messages. Some people get bad ideas from the violence on T.V. Although violence on television is not the greatest thing, it should be not be banned or restricted in any way. Most people watch T.V. to get away from reality. Watching shows that depict a fantasy world are a lot more interesting to watch. People don't want to see things that happen to them on a regular bases. Although sometimes seeing something that has happened to you before may be funny. Watching T.V. relieves stress and can be good for your health. Doctors say that laughing is good for your health. Violence on T.V. is a very debatable issue. Some people say that it is totally wrong and that it should be banned. Most people like the violence and find it to be very entertaining. Parents find it very hard to restrict their kids from watching violent television programs. The child would want to watch that program twice as much just because their parents said not to watch it. The child would be curious to find out what is so wrong about the program. Some people get the wrong messages or get bad ideas from watching some shows. If parents were to educate their children before watching shows like "Mighty Morphan Power Rangers", " X-Men" and "Cops" , then they wouldn't have to worry about their child getting wrong messages. Television shows also send out wrong Television Violence :: essays research papers Television Violence In today's society television plays a big role. People watch T.V. for many different reasons. People watch T.V. mainly for entertainment, they also watch T.V. to learn, and to find out news. Some people watch T.V. and get the wrong idea about what they're watching, they feel that what they are watching is okay to do. Violence is a major factor, it affects people of ages. The worst outcome of T.V. is that it sends out the wrong messages. Some people get bad ideas from the violence on T.V. Although violence on television is not the greatest thing, it should be not be banned or restricted in any way. Most people watch T.V. to get away from reality. Watching shows that depict a fantasy world are a lot more interesting to watch. People don't want to see things that happen to them on a regular bases. Although sometimes seeing something that has happened to you before may be funny. Watching T.V. relieves stress and can be good for your health. Doctors say that laughing is good for your health. Violence on T.V. is a very debatable issue. Some people say that it is totally wrong and that it should be banned. Most people like the violence and find it to be very entertaining. Parents find it very hard to restrict their kids from watching violent television programs. The child would want to watch that program twice as much just because their parents said not to watch it. The child would be curious to find out what is so wrong about the program. Some people get the wrong messages or get bad ideas from watching some shows. If parents were to educate their children before watching shows like "Mighty Morphan Power Rangers", " X-Men" and "Cops" , then they wouldn't have to worry about their child getting wrong messages. Television shows also send out wrong

Postpartum Hemorrhage Essay

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a significantly life-threatening complication that can occur after both vaginal and caesarean births (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). Simpson and Creehan (2008) define PPH as the amount of blood loss after vaginal birth, usually more than 500mL, or after a caesarean birth, normally more than 1000mL. However, the definition is arbitrary, attributed to the fact that loss of blood during birth is intuitive and widely inaccurate (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). In line with this, studies have suggested that health care providers consistently underestimate actual blood loss, thus, an objective definition of PPH would be any amount of bleeding that exposes a mother in hemodynamic jeopardy (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). Currently, PPH is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide, and it is estimated that, over 150, 000 women, die of the complication annually (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). Causes of Postpartum Hemorrhage Excessive bleeding can occur at any time between the separation of the placenta and its expulsion or removal, and in tandem to this, there are different facets that cause PPH (Simpson & Creehan, 2008). PPH can amount from uterine atony, failure of the uterus to contract and retract after birth (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). Uterine atony is the most common cause of PPH, accounting for 70% of cases (Sheiner, 2011), and it is usually delineated by a marked hypotonia of the uterus (Simpson & Creehan, 2008). In addition, uterine atony is likely to occur when the uterus is over distended, depicted through polyhydramnios, multiple gestations, and macrosomia (Simpson & Creehan, 2008). Other factors that induce uterine atony encompass; traumatic birth, halogenated anaesthesia, lengthened labour, induction or augmentation of labour, intraamniotic infection, tocolytics, and multiparity (Simpson & Creehan, 2008). Sheiner (2011) also affirms that trauma is a significant cause of PPH, and it is typically associated with vaginal or birth canal lacerations and uterine rupture. Vaginal delivery can amount to varying asperity of vaginal, perineum-region between the genital organs and anus-, and cervix lacerations (Sheiner, 2011). Similarly, lacerations secondary to birth trauma may occur more frequently with operative vaginal birth, through the aid of forceps or vacuum (Simpson & Creehan, 2008). The lesions can lead to a concealed retroperitoneal or suprafascial hematomas, which inevitably leads to significant but unnoticed blood loss (Sheiner, 2011). On the other hand, uterine rapture is also a form of birth trauma that can effectively amount to life-threatening PPH, as well, it is a rare obstetrical complication, with incidence of approximately 0. 6 -0. 7 % in cases of a trial of vaginal birth after caesarean section (Sheiner, 2011). Uterine rupture can become symptomatic during the postpartum period manifesting as abdominal tenderness and maternal hemodynamic collapse (Sheiner, 2011). Another cause of PPH is retained placenta, which is primarily associated with a mean duration of the third stage of labour (8-9 minutes), and Sheiner (2011) attests that longer intervals of the third stage of labour, poses as a great risk of PPH, with double the rate after ten minutes. Further, retained placental parts interpose and interfere with uterine contractions and may either cause early or late PPH (Sheiner, 2011). In conjunction to this, coagulation disorder is also a cause of PPH. It is a rare disorder that accounts only for one percent of cases (Sheiner, 2011). Other causes of PPH include; episiotomy, uterine inversion and hematomas of the vulva, which are also associated with muscle tones, tissues, stress and thrombosis (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). Clinical Presentation and Risk Factors PPH may be divided into two presentations; early PPH, which normally occurs before 24 hours, and late PPH, which usually takes place between 24 hours and six weeks (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). Moreover, symptoms of PPH vary according to the quantity and the rate of blood loss, as well as the general condition of the mother (Simpson & Creehan, 2008). The sign and symptoms of PPH include; the apparent excessive bleeding, hematocrit-reduction of the number of red blood cells, reduced blood pressure, development of symptoms of shock and anaemia, and severe pain and swelling of tissues and muscles of the vagina, vulva, pelvic and perineum (Simpson & Creehan, 2008). Besides, Ricci & Kyle (2009) avow that there are different factors that place a mother at risk for PPH, and they comprise; prolonged first, second or third stage of labour, previous history of PPH, foetal macrosomia, uterine infection, arrest of descent and multiple gestation. Other risk factors may include; mediolateral episiotomy, coagulation abnormalities, maternal hypertension, maternal exhaustion, malnutrition or anaemia, preeclampsia, precipitous birth, polyhydramnios and previous placenta previa (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). Diagnosis and Assessment The principal mode of diagnosis is a differential diagnosis, and it includes a plethora of facets; bleeding from implantation site, which may be due to uterine atony, with predisposing factors such as infections, and retained placenta or abnormal placentation (Sheiner, 2011). Coagulation disorders and trauma are also essential facets considered during diagnosis (Sheiner, 2011). Conventionally, there are different methods used for the estimation of blood loss during diagnosis, and they are majorly classified as clinical and quantitative methods (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). Clinical method remains the primary means to diagnose the magnitude of bleeding and to direct interventional therapy in obstetric practice (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). On the other hand, quantitative diagnosis entails visual assessment, which is relatively, cheap, straightforward and a standard method of observation used for measurement of blood loss (Simpson & Creehan, 2008). However, the method has a lot of inaccuracy and variation from one care-giver to another, and this is usually corrected through correlations of results obtained with clinical signs (Simpson & Creehan, 2008). In light with this, assessment is also remarkably essential, and medical history available in the prenatal record can be assessed for previous bleeding disorders in order to assist the nurse in identification of risk factors for obstetrical precursors to hemorrhage (Simpson & Creehan, 2008). Further, assessment of the woman who is bleeding begins with careful evaluation of the quantity and colour of blood loss (Simpson & Creehan, 2008). Bright red vaginal bleeding suggests active bleeding, and dark brown blood may indicate past blood loss (Simpson & Creehan, 2008). Moreover, character of the uterine activity, presence of abdominal pain, stability of maternal signs, and foetal status, also constitute the critical processes of evaluation (Simpson & Creehan, 2008). Treatment and Management Simpson and Creehan (2008) attest that the key goals of treatment and management of PPH embraces the need for stopping hemorrhage, correction of hypovolemia and homeostasis, identification of risk factors, and eventually treatment of hemorrhage and the underlying causes. Recognition of PPH requires immediate action that combines diagnostic measures with established maternal resuscitation efforts (Sheiner, 2011). Effective and successful treatment also necessitates an interdisciplinary team approach that is indispensible for life saving (Sheiner, 2011). Therapeutic management is one of the central treatment methods used in offering remedy to PPH (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). It involves and focuses on the underlying causes of the hemorrhage (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). In cases where uterine atony is the causative factor, the first step of treatment of PPH involves the evaluation of the uterus to determine if it is firmly contracted (Simpson & Creehan, 2008), thereafter, there is the incorporate uterine massage, and the use of uterotonic drugs such as oxytocin, ergot alkaloids and prostaglandins (Sheiner, 2011; Simpson & Creehan, 2008). When retained placental fragments are the cause, the fragments are separated and removed manually, and then a uterine stimulant is given to promote the uterus to expel fragments (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). Similarly, antibiotics are always administered to prevent infections and lacerations are sutured or repaired to prevent excessive bleeding (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). In addition, there is the use of desmopressin drug, a synthetic form of vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone) in reducing PPH (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). The drug stimulates the release of the stored factor VIII and von Willebrand factor from the lining of the blood vessels, which in turn increases platelet adhesiveness and shortens bleeding time (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). Other forms of medical management involve uterine packing, ligation of blood vessels-uterine, ovarian, and hypogastric arteries-, arterial embolization and bimanual compression (Simpson & Creehan, 2008). Conclusion Concisely, postpartum hemorrhage describes a mother or a woman who is experiencing or is on the verge of experiencing acute blood loss. As stated, the condition is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide attributed to its detrimental complication. Nevertheless, with the introduction of the various diagnoses, assessment, treatment and management methods, the condition can be corrected and loss of lives prevented. It is also advisable that individuals should be conversant with this condition, and visits to the clinics should be more frequent for pregnant women, so as to arrest and prevent such complications. ?

Google: Human Resource Strategy Essay

Developing an effective human resource strategy to manage an organization’s human assets requires considering employees as investments. Such an approach helps ensure that HR practices and principles are clearly coordinated with the organization’s overall business strategy. It also forces the organization to invest in its best opportunities and ensures that performance standards are met. Google is one company that has reinvented their approach to human resource strategies. Google has renamed their human resources to people operations. Several human resource strategies have made Google what it is in today’s market. The top HR strategies that have made Google a success include strategies in management, hiring, and recruitment, training and development, compensation and their 70/20/10 rule. The rationale behind each of these strategies is easily revealed through their overall business strategy. Keywords: human resource strategies, people operations Google: Human Resource Strategy Google has renamed human resources to people operations. This encourages employees to participate in running the company and building effective teams. One philosophy that Google focuses on is what they consider people management when it comes to human resource strategies. Sullivan (2013a) reveals a top priority for Google. They believe that innovations come from people and you cannot maximize innovations unless you are capable of recruiting and retaining innovators. Google uses a human resource strategy called databased decision-making strategy. This human resource strategy has been highly successful in attracting innovators and managing them within the company. â€Å"Almost everyone has heard about Google’s free food, 20% time, and wide range of fun activities but realize that each of these was implemented and are maintained based on data† (Sullivan, 2013a). The following will be a  brief description of some human resource strategies that Google uses for their people management practices as it relates to a data-driven approach. Management HR Strategy Human resource managers at Google have determined that great managers are essential for top performance and retention. One practice they use to keep manager’s performance high is to have their employees rate managers twice a year. The researched data proved that Google could maintain its success not by superior technical knowledge but by one-on-one coaching with management, which included expressing interest in employees and providing personalized feedback to those employees. Google also uses the PiLab. The PiLab conducts applied experiments within Google to determine the most effective approaches for managing people and maintaining a productive environment (Sullivan, 2013b). This data driven strategy has provided results to human resources on the approaches of how to be successful in their HR strategy. Hiring and Recruitment HR Strategy Google is also unique in its strategic approach to hiring because its hiring decisions are made by a group in order to prevent individual hiring managers from hiring people for their own short-term needs. They are explicitly seeking to attract the kinds of people to the company who will be successful in their open, collaborative culture (Zhong, 2011). Hiring the right people is a key HR strategy at Google. Their retention rate and turnover data proves that the organization has been successfully able to attract, retain, and motivate a younger generation of workers who would otherwise be more apt to leave an organization. Training and Development HR Strategy Another important HR strategy for Google is in its training and development program. Google employees are offered tremendous opportunities to learn and grow. Some of the professional development opportunities include classes on individual and team presentation skills, content development, business writing, executive speaking, delivering feedback, and management and leadership (Lawler, 2014). Google pays special attention to training for engineers due to their level of importance to the success of the company. They want to ensure the engineers as well as other employees have received  the mandatory training and development sessions for a minimum of 120 hours per year. This is about three times the industry average in North America of 43 hours per year. Despite the cost to Google, this is an essential part of their HR strategy and contributes to their overall business strategy. Compensation HR Strategy Google has an unusual HR strategy when it comes to its compensation structure. Google is often known as one of the most sought after and yet one of the most underpaying employers in the industry. Despite this, employees are still attracted to working their dream job at Google. More frequently than not employees are attracted to the support system, that can help them create anything rather than monetary returns. Therefore, the work hives at Google have day care and elder care centers, have spa and hair salons, car wash and oil check facilities, and virtually everything that a technology obsessed geek would like to worry least about, in the form of an all-inclusive liberal benefits package, but the actual take†out cash component is negligible (Sullivan, 2013b). Google offers all employees unlimited sick leave as well as 27 days of paid time off after one year of employment. This is highly unusual for most organizations but Google believes in an even work live balance and keeping their valued employees returning to work happy. 70/20/10 Rule HR Strategy Another important HR strategy for Google is the 70/20/10 rule. This HR strategy ensures creativity remains a top priority at Google. Employees are required to divide their time into the following three parts: 70 percent is spent on search and advertising 20 percent (1 day of the work week) on a project of their own choice 10 percent to far-out ideas  HR believes that with this strategy, employees will remain motivated and committed to innovation and novelty and therefore production will increase. Because of this rule, some very successful ideas have emerged such as Gmail, and Google Talk. HR Strategy Rationale Google is continuing to grow every year, and some of these HR strategies are  becoming more challenging. Behind every strategy comes rationale for using it and how it provides continued success within the company. It is important to note that HR strategies, activities, and policies are actually driving Google’s corporate business success. Google’s HR strategies reveal that the company’s approach helped in increasing employee productivity. The average Google employee generates more than $1 million in revenue each year (Lawler, 2014). The following will give rationale for each strategy previously discussed. People Operations Rationale People operations focus on the idea that HR is not just administrative functions but ideally focuses on the meat of the company. The meat of the company is people or human capital. Human capital is the stock of knowledge, skills, and abilities among employees that provide economic value to the organization (McShane, 2013). This rationale was developed as part of the overall business strategy at Google. Google takes pride in their human capital by ensuring they are part of the team and actively involved in the decision making process (Bock, 2011). Human capital can also consist of employee capability, employee satisfaction, and employee sustainability. These three components of human capital are considered an essential part of organizational growth. Employee capability is the creativity and knowledge that an employee contributes to the organization. Employee satisfaction refers primarily to an employee’s emotional or affective state. An employee’s overall satisfaction relates positively to job satisfaction, reflecting the difference between what the employees want from their job and what they perceive it as offering to their overall success within the organization. If employee satisfaction is high, then an employee’s commitment to the organization is high which will result in a greater retention of that employee. Management Style Rationale The main philosophy at Google that backs up their management style is open door policy. Top management leaves their office door open in order for workers to feel free to come and talk directly versus phone or email communication. The official policy states in part  Google desires to maintain a friendly, cooperative atmosphere between  employees and all levels of management. Consequently, the company provides opportunities for you to express yourself without recrimination. If you have a problem with your manager that, despite your mutual efforts, cannot be resolved, you may discuss this with the next higher level of management or with human resources. While Google prides itself on being an open organization where you can approach any member of management directly, we recommend you first attempt to resolve the issue through your manager or human resources (Gupta, 2009). This open style of management allows better communication between staff and management, and can help ensure staff is more productive at solving problems that may arise. Hiring and Recruitment Rationale The rationale for using small teams to do all the hiring for Google is quite simple. These teams seek to recruit and hire the most qualified individuals out of thousands of applicants. The hiring decisions are made by a team in order to prevent individual hiring managers from hiring people for their own short-term needs. Human resources also approach recruiting scientifically. They have developed a way to predict which candidates have the highest probability of succeeding after they are hired. This rationale saves time and money, and provides a greater success rate for new applicants turning into long-term employees. Training and Development Rationale A properly trained employee is an essential part of maintaining a successful organization. Research has shown that a majority of people learn by on the job training, including a hands-on approach. Google has adopted this rationale for their training programs by not focusing only on classroom training but by placing emphasis on hands-on training. Google has increased discovery and learning through project rotations, and learning from failures (Sullivan, 2013a). They believe a well-trained employee will increase production as well as increase the company’s reputation. As productivity and reputation rises the profits will also rise. Compensation Rationale Rationale behind the lower compensation packages offered at Google has to do with the importance of work/life balance philosophy. As previously discussed Google places a significant amount of importance on the benefits offered  instead of the actual monetary salaries. Money is important to survive but Google also wants to make everyday life easier for employees by offering in house daycares, and free meals along with many other benefits. If they can keep the employees from spending their work time performing life chores, then they will increase productivity by improving the employee’s job satisfaction. 70/20/10 Rule Rationale This concept allows the employee to grow in their abilities as an employee and as a person. By allowing this concept, Google is reinforcing its relationship with its staff and developing brand strength externally. Good news spreads quickly. As a happy employee who enjoys spending time creating their own projects, shares with outside friends and family, this increases customer satisfaction for the brand name of Google. This rule is part of Google’s HR strategy as well as their business model strategy. Analysis of HR Strategy Google has developed an effective HR strategy that does align with their overall organizational strategy. One of the biggest parts of their organizational business strategy is to focus on people. Google executives have learned that continuous innovation cannot occur until a firm makes a strategic shift toward a focus on great people management (Sullivan, 2013b). By shifting to this idea of hiring great people versus hiring mediocre people, the business decisions will reflect their knowledge, skills, and ability. Executives at Google have a clear understanding of strategies in the human resource department, and have a clear understanding of how they effectively tie into the overall business strategy of the company. One thing they have done successfully is to focus all business decisions on data and analytics. This is evident in the HR department with how they make their decisions. A mission goal that they highlight is to bring the same level of rigor to people-decisions than they do to engineering decisions (Sullivan, 2013b). Reinventing the HR strategy at Google has been a success. Top executives coached effective ways to measure human resources so they can improve in  this area. One deficient area Google was able to recognize was the areas of predictive analytics, statistics, and mathematics that would be needed to transition into the databased model of a HR strategy. Change can be difficult, and some HR managers are not open to this idea of a data based approach when they consider HR to be a people based function. The transition to the data based approach of HR could have been introduced in a more effective manner among current HR managers at Google. When this concept was first introduced, it was done ineffectively. Management decided to change the strategy and without warning made it effective. Open communication is key to effective strategies within an organization. A change of this magnitude needs to be tested, and employees should be coached and eased into before it can be an effective change. HR’s Effectiveness and Metrics HR metrics is important because it allows organizations to make the connection between the value of what HR is doing and the outcomes of the business. One of the key metrics within Google that make their HR strategies effective is the revenue factor. It indicates the effectiveness of company operation with the use of the employees as their human capital. Without this key metric, human resources would be the same as any other organization. Changes and Alternatives After researching Google, it is hard to think of many needed changes to their already effective HR strategies. I would recommend to HR and management that they continue to stress the importance of training and development with all current employees as well as any new employees. I would also recommend that HR take full advantage of continuing to implement the job rotation strategy. This will provide employees insight to each department, and the job duties of other employees as well as the different jobs available at Google. Call to Action In order to implement these recommended changes it will be necessary to call to action all management and the human resources department. One way for training and development to remain a top priority to all employees is to develop a reward system for completing the required number of hours of training, and additional rewards for extra training in the employees’ area of expertise. These rewards should be monetary. Human resources should develop a rotation schedule with the help of the employee’s on-site manager. Once the employee is properly trained in their area of expertise they should then be rotated through each department that works directly with their department. This will not only help employees learn about the other departments but they will also gain an understanding of the duties of other employees. This will make requests from other departments less stressful to all employees, as they will know what it takes to generate and submit that information. Conclusion Google has placed great emphasis on the people within their organization and made these valued people part of their HR strategies. This strategy has been highly successful to this organization. Many organizations could benefit from the simple HR strategies that Google has focused on in their company. Sometimes it is not what you know but whom you hire. This is a common philosophy at Google as they strive to continue to hire great people to do a great job. References Bock, L. (2011). Yale Insights. What’s the Google approach to human capital?. Retrieved August 11, 2014, from http://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/whats-google-approach-human-capital. Gupta, A. (2009). Strategic HR Planning at Google Inc. Scribd. Retrieved August 17, 2014, from http://www.scribd.com/doc/13286610/Strategic-HR-Planning-at-Google-In. Lawler, E. (2014). What Should HR Leaders Focus On In 2014?. Forbes. Retrieved August 17, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardlawler/2014/01/15/what-should-hr-leaders-focus-on-in-2014/. McShane, S. L., & Von Glinow, M. A. (2013). Organizational Behavior Emerging Knowledge Global Reality. (6th ed). New York: McGraw-hill Irwin. Sullivan, J. (2013a). How Google Became the #3 Most Valuable Firm by Using People Analytics to Reinvent HR. Retrieved from http://www.ere.net/2013/02/25/how-google-became-the-3-most-valuable-firm-by-using-people-analytics-to-reinvent-hr/. Sullivan, J. (2013b). How Google Is Using People Analytics to Completely Reinvent HR. TLNT. Retrieved August 19, 2014, from http://www.tlnt.com/2013/02/26/how-google-is-using-people-analytics-to-completely-reinvent-hr/. Zhong, R. (2011). Human Resource Management Issues at Google. Human Resource Management Issues at Google. Retrieved August 15, 2014, from http://www.slideshare.net/rachelzhong814/human-resource-management-issues-at-google.