John Stuart Mill and Women’s Movement Essay Example for Free

John Stuart Mill and Women’s Movement Essay John Stuart Mill was born in London in 1806. He became renowned as an economist, a writer, a philosopher and senior personnel in the East India Company (EIC). John Stuart Mill rendered much of his life time to a prominent activist working for women’s rights and movements. The Beginning The history which links Mill to the feminist movement dates back to the year 1851 when he married to a widow named Harriet Taylor and got settled in Blackheath Park. This place is said to be his spot from where a number of influential writings that advocated women’s right were written, which subsequently became popular worldwide. The Victorian Womens Movement in England is also said to reach to this very place of Mill in the hope of counseling, headship and financial assistance (Sunshine for Women, 2003). Mill started working for the women’s cause after getting married to Taylor. As a matter of fact, he had to be subtle in participating in reform movements while being a member of the EIC. This is the reason he had to use his pen to work for the purpose. Mill retired from the East India Company in 1858. The first popular writing that he have with his name was written in 1860 and 1861 entitled as The Subjection of Women, which he did not give to publish as yet (Sunshine for Women, 2003). The Breakthrough In the year 1865, Mill was asked to stand at one of the positions for the parliament, the offer which was readily accepted by him. The agreement was basically, on the basis of the platform’s top most agenda as to give women rights to vote along with other equality rights. Following Mill’s enthusiasm for the cause and seeing his participation, different other women’s rights organizations approached him for his support. In due course, a Ladies Discussion Group carried out a poll asking its members if they thought it right for the women to participate in the public affairs. To their surprise, all the women members consented with this. Such an overwhelming response made Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon, a leading early nineteenth century feminist and educationist, take a daring step. She suggested at par to build a suffrage society. Unfortunately, this step could not be carried out at that point in time because other contemporary activists were also afraid of extremists’ actions against the idea. However, Mill was courageous enough to support this idea once it was made certain that a Reform Bill would be put forward to the Parliament. He asked Bodichon to get more than hundred signatures in support of the petition. The stride proved to be quite successful and Bodichon was able to bring around 1,500 signatures following the formation of the first ever Women’s Suffrage Committee. Subsequently, when Mill put forth the petition after almost a eyear in 1866, the Bill was passed and the agenda of having women’s suffrage was incorporated in the parliament. Despite many hurdles, Mill’s one another daring step towards the cause was to make an amendment in the clause that dealt with property qualifications. He proposed to substitute the word ‘man’ with ‘person’ (Sunshine for Women, 2003). Nevertheless, at that point in time, the amendment was defeated with a larger number of votes against it. Unfortunately, this committee did not live very long and was dissolved with the dissolution and reformation of the bill as well. But, the women and Mill’s support did not end here and Mill’s wife along with other women members of the committee succeeded in creating a whole new organization which they named as London National Womens Suffrage Society (Sunshine for Women, 2003). Mill’s leadership led him to become the honorary president of this very organization. At this moment, this organization needed something in written to disseminate among their members and among the external public. Mill felt a dire need to make his writings public and thus his The Subjection of Women got published and it saw gaining popularity worldwide being translated into a number of languages. Most importantly, this piece of writing was only of its kinds to be present on such a topic until World War 1 (Sunshine for Women, 2003). This step certainly, proved to be a milestone in women’s movement in that era. Subjection Mill’s Subjection remained a limelight for decades whenever women’s movement and feministic approach was talked about. What he wrote in it was women’s persistent low-leveled position which was in a constant struggle to rise. His writings show his sensitivity towards the issue as he talked about the prevalent attitude of the society towards a patriarchal system while subjugating women’s very existence. Subjection also talks about how women’s existence could be kept on exploiting once the society does not follow the norms of equality and justices. The comprehensive book also gets the reputation of advocating how terrible domestic violence is and could prove to be. However, it voices that the right to vote granted to women is only the first step towards a series of obligations that should be followed to treat them as equal beings (Mill, 2003). Conclusion All in all, analyzing John Stuart Mill’s life we can conclude that he got depression and physical ailment at a much younger age, but his intellect was far above those of his contemporary men. He thought and spoke high of women and worked for the feminist movement as much as his health granted him to. References Mill, J. S. (2003). On Liberty and Other Writings. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. Sunshine for Women. (2003, February n. d. ). John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). August 2, 2010, from www. pinn. net

The Future Of Life In Organisations Business Essay

The Future Of Life In Organisations Business Essay When the future life and well being of a business organisation is pre-planned at the present time using proper projections, strategic planning comes into play. Hence, strategic planning entails some of the steps and procedures which can be put in place in an organisation so that it can experience face lifting in the near or distant future (Samson Daft, 2009). Each division within a company ought to craft its own strategic plan which will focus on growth and performance. This is necessary because the impressive growth of a business organisation is entirely dependent on laid out plans. Nevertheless, whether in a small or big company, a strategic plan should be in a simplified version which is easy to understand, interpret and implement. Complicated elements in a strategic plan document may not be helpful at all especially when the same is to be implemented. As already mentioned, strategic plan should be in form of a document which implies that it has to be written for the sake of futu re reference. The written plan should be clear as much as possible and equally based on the actual state of the business organisation at the present time. Although strategic planning is generally considered to be the way forward for organisations which desire growth, it has its own demerits and pitfalls. However, the inevitable pitfalls should not hinder an organisation from projecting into the future by planning in the present (Goodstein, Nolan Pfeiffer, 1993). To begin with, a strategic plan may not materialise as expected bearing in mind that the operational environment of the plan can be very dynamic while the set objectives are static. Such changes which can sometimes be unavoidable may negatively affect the attainability the original plan leading to significant failures. Challenges facing an organisation at the present time cannot be sorted out or addressed by a piece of strategic plan. Therefore, this plan is only useful at a later date and only if the strategies are achieved. If the process of planning has loopholes, the outcome of the plan itself may also go below par and then lead to further failures. When an organisation jumps from formulating a mission to developing the strategic plan within a very short and inadequate period of time, it can lead to a major pitfall of the plan. When developing the strategic plan, a business management is supposed to bear in mind all the critical details of the mission statement of the organisation so that no single development proposal is crafted void of the companyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s mission. In addition, sufficient time should be allocated in the creation, formulation and implementation of the strategic plan (Fogg, 1994). There are some instances when the top organisational leadership may fail to incorporate the subordinate employees in the creation of the strategic plan. Involving workers from all levels of the organisation in the process of strategic plan and decision making is necessary and cannot be ignored at all. It should be recalled that all the employees in an organisation are part and parcel in the implementation of the strategic plan (Samson Daft, 2009). Another likely pitfall to strategic planning arises when the top management resort to adopt intuitive decisions which are not in agreement with the formal planning of the organisation. This can also confuse employees within a company. They will not be in a position to point out which strategies to follow in the course of delivering their services (Mintzberg Waters, 1982). Unless the strategic plan is used as a basic unit for quantifying performance, the plan may not be worthy. Assessing the performance index of an organisation is necessary in the process of tracking down the initially proposed strategies. A planning consultant plays an important role in making sure that the laid down strategies are well formulated and also attainable within the given period of time. The consultant also counterchecks resource availability and allocation for each plan and then gives the necessary counsel. In spite of these invaluable roles played by the planning consultant, the management should still take control of the entire strategic framework. Delegating the planning duties fully to the consultant is a serious pitfall. The management must still possess the plan and oversee its implementation to the latter. A strategic plan usually passes through different phases before it can finally be articulated and its outcomes realised. For example, it begins by the process of preparing the plan itself. Key development issues are identified at this stage. Secondly, the strategies identified are developed, evaluated and re-evaluated to ensure that they fit within the mission and vision of the company. Finally, the plan is put on the implementation phase (Mintzberg Waters, 1982). These are complex procedures which requires the all the key employees to be partakers of the process. Failure to do so may as well as lead to the pitfall of the strategic plan. Furthermore, if the management does not create an operating environment which is conducive for cooperation and also resistant to market dynamics, the strategic plan may not record significant success. Small businesses too need to formulate strategic planning in their operations much more than the big firms which are well established and running. In fact, in order for a business organisation to grow, a business plan alone is not sufficient, it is just a replica of ideas which the management has in mind but not strategically devised to improve performance. It is imperative to underscore that small firms have a higher demand for growth than big businesses which have already taken root. Besides, small businesses often faces a myriad of market risks compared to elaborate organisations and in case of any eventuality, they are bound to lose greatly. It is against this backdrop that small companies need o prepare, develop and formulate very strong strategic plans for the sake of sustainability in the dynamic and hostile business environment. As mentioned earlier, the success story of strategic planning in a business is largely dependent on quite a number of factors. Regardless of the size of the business, the outcome of a strategic plan will be influenced by the procedures and modalities used in the preparation and implementation of the plan. Therefore, strategic planning can lead to improved performance in small companies if the following cardinal principles are adhered to by both the management and employees of a company. Although most small companies rarely transit into elaborate corporations, the concept of strategic planning is one way out of transforming small firms into large companies. There are several case studies which have noted down that small companies can only experience growth if they are merged or acquired by market leaders. This may not be universally true because if small firms purse and implement strategic planning to the latter, they can always grow by leaps and bound into giant companies (Steiner, 1979). This begins with grass root planning on the development of the young company. Strategic planning will provide the right path for the company to take. In addition, it will lay the foundation for contingency planning which is much needed in the heart of the small organisations. Small scale enterprises may sometimes fail to enforce the process of implementation of the strategic plan developed. If the devised models are put into action, improved performance of these small scale enterprises will definitely be achieved (Goodstein, Nolan Pfeiffer, 1993). This is also the clear cut difference between small and big enterprises. The latter will rarely ignore to implement a strategic plan toolkit mainly because it has been heavily invested on. If small enterprises communicate to workers on the formulation and implementation process of the strategic plan, positive growth will be on the way due to support received from employees. Workers in any business organisation form the backbone for growth. A company cannot succeed when it ignores or does not uplift the performance of employees. A small company which is unanimously run by a director and collaborating employees will often achieve the contents of a well crafted strategic plan. This process also entails involving e mployees in the day-to-day decision making and goal setting procedures. Commitment is an essential ingredient in strategic planning of a small firm. If both the executive arm of the organisation and the subordinate staff are committed in ensuring that the plan works, then the size of the firm does not matter at all; the objectives will still be achieved. It is also worth noting that commitment stems from goal setting theory. Employees will be committed if the goals which are set in the strategic plan are well understood. Moreover, the plan is bound to succeed if the management instils commitment to the employees in two ways. Firstly, workers should be made to understand the importance of the entire strategic plan and the goals set in it (Steiner, 1979). Without a sense of importance in the written document, there will be lack of commitment and irrespective of the size of the organisation; the strategic plan will not be functional. Another way of enhancing commitment is by ensuring t hat employees can actualise the benefit of the strategic plan on their part and not just on the general well being of the organisation. For instance, they can be promised additional fringe benefits in addition to such motivating factors like higher salaries and promotions. Small firms which adhere to such measures will often succeed in their quest for growth into market leaders (Fogg, 1994). Similar to any other aspect of planning, strategic planning also requires significant inputs. This includes elaborate intrinsic and extrinsic research to ascertain the ability of the small company against the trends in the current and future market. In this regard, the competitive analysis of the firm should be brought into consideration in addition to the ability of the organisation to undertake certain planning measures based on resource availability (Steiner, 1979). Strategic planning developed by small firms can often sail through if the two mentioned elements are critically analysed. Hence, whether a business enterprise is small or expanse in size, conscientious strategic planning followed by meticulous implementation can improve performance.

Concepts of Mega Marketing

Concepts of Mega Marketing Is it possible to gain power over producers by reducing competition and utilising the techniques of what Kotler calls Mega Marketing? Is it possible to gain power over producers by reducing competition and utilising the techniques of what Kotler calls Mega Marketing? What forms of power might a supplier employ, and are there any risks in following this type of strategy? Suggest specific ways in which a supplier might achieve a competitive advantage through the general strategy of offering higher perceived value. The globalisation of trade and increasing competitiveness are issues of critical concern to businesses. The internationalisation of competition has created the reality that the competitive advantage of a wide variety of enterprises is declining. Changes in the marketing landscape have led to a concomitant re-examination and expansion of the underlying principles of marketing strategy. This essay explores some of these factors including the evolution of the marketing concept, domestic and global marketing challenges together with a discussion on generic strategies as a mechanism to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage through differentiation from a supplier perspective. Entry into one or many of the worlds 200 country markets is a function of the marketing strategy followed by a firm, and local country conditions. Marketing aimed at a national market (ie domestic marketing) faces a single set of competitive, economic and market issues across market segments including the tailoring of products to address export markets. International marketing is the next level of complexity whereby the firm becomes more directly involved in multiple marketing environments with adjusted market strategies as to how they sell, advertise and distribute to meet local conditions. Truly global marketing is achieved when a single strategy is followed for a product, service, or company in the global market that encompasses many markets or countries simultaneously. (Jeanette and Hennessy, 1998 and Kotler, 2000) The effects of globalisation and growth in competition may be beneficial to consumers and suppliers of goods and services given the potential for decreases in price and improvements in quality. The downside of global competition is its impact on domestic producers whose livelihood is threatened. Governments, and the local firms and constituencies that influence governments, can create barriers and uncompetitive conditions to limit foreign entrants to local markets. (Jeanette and Hennessy, 1998) The marketing oriented view of the marketing concept is that a firm bases its activities on the needs and wants of customers in an exchange relationship in selected target markets. Constraints in terms of the environmental milieu, such as laws, industry agreements and norms, influence marketing strategy. (Gronroos, 1994) This implies a balancing act to optimise production relationships to meet the ultimate customers needs and wants which become more complex in a multi-national or global marketing environment. McCarthys (1964) seminal marketing mix concept of product, price, place and promotion (4Ps) has equally evolved as different marketing mixes have been put forward for different marketing contexts including product versus service marketing and domestic versus global marketing. Work by Kotler (2000) suggests an adaptation to the marketing mix termed mega marketing as a strategy to enter blocked markets where discriminatory legal requirements, political favouritism, and cartel agre ements, social or cultural bias and unfriendly distribution channels exist. The model suggests an adversarial win-lose relationship rather than lean supply collaborative relationships in the value chain that recognise longer term interdependence. Cox (2004) argues that that win-lose relationships occur because buyers and suppliers misread circumstances and pursue inappropriate power and leverage strategies that reinforce an adversarial style. This may be especially true in a foreign marketing environment. Mega marketing is defined as the strategic co-ordination of economic, psychological, political and public relations skills to gain the co-operation of a number of parties in order to enter or operate in a given market. (Kotler, 1986, p117) By implication therefore, power and public relations are two extra Ps added to McCarthys 4P marketing mix concept. Kotler argues that the traditional marketers use of accepted theory is in itself an impediment to successful penetration of a blocked market and that it is not only penetration, but the retention of any market share by innovative methods that will ensure a sustainable competitive advantage for the firm. (Kotler, 1986 and Kotler, 2000) The use of power in this context is seen as a push strategy whereas public relations, is a pull strategy. Influencing public opinion has a longer lead time but its effectiveness in influencing the mindset of the constituency of the creator of the barriers to entry ensures a longer term success in the market. For example, firms may identify areas that will be positively affected by corporate social responsibility initiatives thus cultivating goodwill as part of a public relations initiative. (Zadek, 2001) The application of mega marketing principles differs further from traditional marketing in terms of higher investment costs, a mix of specialists to support the marketer and the use of power to achieve the firms objectives. The notion of inducement or reward as a means to achieve an end is common practice in a marketing environment. The use of coercive, legitimate, expert or referent power in order to influence on behalf of rather than over individual or grouping in order to achieve an end is less common. The use of coercion in an adversarial arms length hostile fashion to cause harm raises ethical issues, especially important in a world where good corporate governance is a critical success factor. The use of legitimate power through political intervention in favour of a foreign entrant is more likely to succeed as is the use of expert power where an exchange of funding for political campaigns, knowledge, or technical assistance in return for co-operation is used. Referent power and association with prestige in terms of the exchange can be equally effective. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002 and Schmitter, and Streeck, 1991) It is therefore the understanding and choice of appropriate power application in a given environment that determines an effective strategy in entering the market. The power structure of a target environment can be analysed by understanding of both the visible and invisible power actors. Power actors are agency or government and community stakeholders who have the capacity to take and effect decisions. The power actors may exercise power through pyramidal, factional, or coalitional structures. In a multilevel hierarchal or pyramidal structure, power is concentrated within a single, cohesive leadership group. In a factional structure, power is concentrated in two or more robust factions that are competing for power. In a coalitional structure, power is concentrated less strongly whereby actors and associations work together in fluid coalitions. An amorphous structure exists where power is diffuse, with little or no pattern of coalition building or centralised leadership. The inappropriate use of power or alignment with unsuitable power actors can damage the firms strategic outcome. (Keegan, 1999, Kotler, 1986 and Schmitter and Streeck, 1991) Und erstanding the power landscape in the context of the greater business and economic environment allows the marketer to plan a strategic intervention with the objective (for example) to gain power over producers and hence reduce competition. Kotler (1986) suggests that three broad power strategies can be followed: neutralise opponents by offering to compensate them for any losses, organise allies into a close coalition and hence reducing opposing collective power or turn neutral groups unaffected by the firms strategy, into allies. Licensing, joint ventures, and joint ownership represent alternative expansion strategies that depend on how the firm configures its value chain. Tactical implementation plans may be linear or multilinear depending on market requirements. The decision around the mechanism of entry into a market is an imperative that can minimise the risks associated with that entry and influence strategic advantage. (Kotler, 1986 and Kotler, 2000) Keegan (1999) argues that strategy is integrated action in pursuit of a competitive advantage. Understanding a firms unique value from a consumer perspective is the basis for ensuring that the competitive advantage is sustainable. The successful application of mega marketing principles to blocked markets to enable access will allow the firm to follow one of the two generic options developed by Porter that he identified as either leading in cost, or leading in differentiation. The first option encourages continuously growing competitiveness, while the second entails continuous quality improvement. Porter highlights the role of innovation as the capacity to generate knowledge and the key to building competitive advantage. The competitive scenario comprises inter firm rivalry impacted by the influence of suppliers and buyers threatened by substitutes or by new entrants to the industry. When describing the companys competition in relation to the competitiveness of nations, he identifies the companys strategy, structure, and rivalry as the source of competitive advantage. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002 and Keegan, 1999) The generic options translate into a matrix model with quadrants of cost leadership, product differentiation, focussed differentiation, and cost focus strategies. This allows strategic decision making with respect to the market scope and product mix within which a firms competitive advantage will be realised. For example, a policy of broad or narrow target market differentiation is appropriate if a firms product delivers actual or perceived uniqueness and quality in the eyes of the consumer. This may include better performance, superior design, or better fit with customer needs. Differentiation can be an effective strategy to defend market position and obtain above average returns through premium pricing. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002 and Keegan, 1999) Firms that succeed in a product differentiation strategy typically have internal strengths that include access to superior research and development capability, a reputation for quality and innovation, a skilled and creative product development team and a talented sales and distribution capability supported by a strategic marketing process that communicates and reinforces brand loyalty and the strengths of the product. Risks associated with this strategy are imitation by competitors and changes in customer tastes. Firms that succeed in a focussed differentiation strategy build on core competencies and concentrate on a narrow market segment in order to develop a high degree of customer loyalty as a barrier to entry to competitors. Although lower volumes increase the bargaining power of suppliers, cost increases can be more easily passed onto customers because product substitutes are not readily available. Few generic competitive advantages are long lasting and Hamel and Prahalad warn t hat the defence of existing of advantages is as important as the creation of future advantage. (Hamel and Prahalad, 1994 and Jeannet and Hennessey, 1998) In summary, the global marketing imperative to take advantage of opportunities for growth in an environment where protectionist policies inhibit expansion has led to an evolution of the traditional model of the marketing concept to include mega marketing as a mechanism to gain access to blocked markets. The successful entry into the market requires an understanding of the local environment and the application of power and public relations in order to gain competitive advantage throughout the value chain. Power over producers can be attained by reducing competition by means of a number of techniques by engaging the power actors through a researched power structure. At an industry level, the choice of entry mode could facilitate reduced competition based on alliances or collaborative business forms. An analysis and understanding of all risks associated with the selected strategy is essential, if a sustainable competitive advantage is to be achieved. As part of this approach, an applica tion of a differentiated generic strategy to the market may limit risk through premium pricing and reduce dependence on supplier costs. References Cox, A. (2004) The Art of the Possible: Relationship Management in Power Regimes and Supply Chains. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal. Volume 9, 5. Gronroos, C. (1994) Defining Marketing: A Market Oriented Approach. European Journal of Marketing, Volume 28, 10. Hamel, G. and Prahalad, C. K. (1994) Competing for the Future. Boston, Harvard Business Press. Jeannet, J. P. and Hennessey, H. D. (1998) Global Marketing Strategies Fourth Edition. Boston, Houghton Mifflin. Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (2002) Exploring Corporate Strategy Sixth Edition. Harlow, Pearson Education. Keegan, W. J. (1999) Global Marketing Management. New Jersey, Simon and Schuster. Kotler P. (2000) Marketing Management, Millennium Edition. New Jersey, Prentice Hall. Kotler P. (1986) Megamarketing. Harvard Business Review Volume 81, 3. McCarthy, E. J. (1964) Basic Marketing. Homewood, Richard D Irwin. Schmitter, P. C. and Streeck, W. (1991) From National Corporatism to Transnational Pluralism. Politics and Society. Volume 19, 2. Zadek, S. (2001) The Civil Corporation. Sterling, Earthscan Publications.

The English Major - Essential to Western Culture Essay -- College Admi

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study of linguistics and literature is commonly joined under the head of â€Å"English,† a simplification and development of the 19th century term philology, or, â€Å"the love of words.†Ã‚   While literature is the very essence of recorded history, and the nature of language itself even older, the formal critical study of such is necessarily newer.   The field of study is referred to as â€Å"English† because that is our language, from the American custom of combining the study of literature and grammar; also, much of the world’s written literature was written in our language.   The Western tradition of recording one’s thoughts—fiction and nonfiction—has led to an examination of those thoughts critically; the comparison of the English language to other languages, and the development of it and others leads directly to the study of language as a whole.   And, of course, one of the main ways to find how a language has developed in the past is to study the evidence:   the literature of the time, so both fields come into harmony quite easily.   The study of English is not a popular major, but it is a necessary one; the complex â€Å"intellectual, aesthetic, psychological, political, social, historical, moral, and religious† ideas and the variety of subjects studied may confuse and deter many, but it is important, as these ideas shape us as humans, and these values hold true regardless of background or circumstance (â€Å"English† 1).   And most usable, perhaps, to the broad spectrum of students is the emphasis on writing in the study of English.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ideas above are common to mankind, and, as they exist, need to be studied and better understood, and English â€Å"introduces students to new modes of thinking and constructive disruptions of commonpl... ...or those pursuing law-related jobs, for example, and the principles of good writing set forth benefit almost any liberal arts-minded person.   The ability to sound professional in a report is key in any â€Å"white collar† job.   Factor in the major’s requirement of classes in a foreign language, and the English major presents itself as attractive on a rà ©sumà ©.   In all, the English major is valuable in many ways, to many people, and is in fact essential in Western culture, in maintaining our written cultural history and heritage, and interpreting them for all. Sources Cited â€Å"English.†Ã‚   Student Central.   2001.   22 Jan 2003 â€Å"English The Pre-Professional Major.†Ã‚   22 Jan 2003 â€Å"Undergraduate Studies.†Ã‚   22 Jan 2003

9/11:The Swedish Debate :: Politics Political Persuasive Essays

9/11: The Swedish Debate The attack on September 11 has affected countries all over the world. This was the case in Sweden where the events of 9/11 definitely had an impact. Naturally, the immediate reaction was shock at how someone could plan something so terrible and kill so many innocent people. However, a small group of authors and journalists made some statements saying that the United States "deserved" what happened. Obviously, these statements made a lot of people, including myself, very upset. These controversial statements led to a very intense debate in Sweden regarding Western countries, especially the United States, policies in the Middle East. The terrorist attack on September 11 opened the eyes of many people to what is going on in different parts of the world. People wanted to know how someone could hate a nation and a people that stands for freedom and democracy so much that they were willing to take their own lives in order to kill innocent people. To begin with, the discussion in Sweden was focused on these questions. However, the discussion took a different turn when some people, led by the Swedish author and politician Jan Guillo, begun to say that the United States had this coming because of the way they conduct their Middle East politics. Jan Guillo appeared in all major Swedish newspapers and TV stations saying that what happen was a terrible tragedy but the United States should have expected that something could happen. The United States should not have expected to go unpunished for the way they treat the Middle East and the Muslim states (Dagens Nyheter). Jan Guillo has a Socialist and anti-Capitalist bac kground and he believes that the Western countries, including Sweden, back the United States only because they want to please the greatest Capitalist country in the world. He argues that the Western countries would not have reacted in the same way if five thousand people in Baghdad were to be killed in a similar attack. People in the Western world would not have cared if five thousand Iraqis were killed, simply because they feel dependent on the United States and have less concern for poor countries where the religion is considered fundamentalist and extremist. Everyone wants to be on the United State’s good side, according to Guillo (Dagens Nyheter).

Disability Discrimination Essay

Would you deem Karina disabled under the ADAAA? If so, what reasonable accommodations would you offer to her? Karina has a medical condition requiring her to take steroids and other medications. This condition led to Karina gaining weight and not able to wear two uniform items, the stockings and heels. These conditions affect her back, circulatory system, and endurance level. Additionally, according to her doctor, Karina must stop wearing the stockings and heels because of her condition. Based on this information, Karina does qualify as â€Å"disabled† even if she does not display symptoms that interfere with her ability to perform her duties. By taking medication, Karina is mitigating (reducing) the effects of her illness. However, her employer cannot consider this information in determining if she has a protected disability under the ADAAA. The ADA was passed nearly 20 years ago to provide legal protections for, and to end discrimination against, workers with disabilities. The ADA is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin, and other characteristics illegal. Under the ADA, an individual is considered to have a â€Å"disability† if that individual either (1) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of that person’s major life activities, (2) has a record of such an impairment, or (3) is regarded by the covered entity as having such an impairment. The determination of whether any particular condition is considered a disability is made on a case by case basis. When the ADA was first passed into law in 1990, federal courts were very strict in determining which employees met the ADA’s definition of a â€Å"disability,† resulting in the dismissal of many cases. A series of such court decisions made it increasingly difficult to qualify for the law’s protections. To remedy this problem, Congress recently passed the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), which went into effect on January 1, 2009. The ADAAA made five changes to the ADA that are significant. 1.It provides that the definition of the ADA â€Å"disability† must both be more â€Å"flexible† and â€Å"broadly construed.† 2.It expands the list of â€Å"major life activities.† 3.It provides that courts can no longer consider whether â€Å"mitigating measures,† such as medication or assistive technology, reduce the impact of impairment on an individual. 4.It states that diseases that are â€Å"episodic† or in remission may still be â€Å"disabilities.† 5.It provides that employees who claims they are â€Å"regarded as† disabled can now make an ADA claim, even if the â€Å"perceived† disability does not impact a major life activity. It is important that employers be up to speed on these changes. This is especially important because the ADAAA created a shift of emphasis in applying the law. In enacting the ADAAA, Congress instructed that it should be interpreted to favor â€Å"broad coverage of individuals under the ADA,† and that courts must focus not on whether an employee is â€Å"disabled,† but on whether the â€Å"employer is complying with its obligations under the law.†

Hughes and Blues: Double Consciousness

A small yet significant example in The Big Sea takes place after Hughes becomes a seaman on a merchant ship at the age of twenty-one and takes his trip to Africa. As the ship arrives along the coast, Hughes writes that the regular ere acquires a ‘supplemental' crew of Africans, as the current crew he was with â€Å"weren't supposed to be able to stand the sun† (Hughes 320). Hughes states this simplistically, as though that's the only angle to the regular crews' reasoning.The sentence immediately following this oversimplified statement reads, â€Å"Then I had an African boy to do my washing, my cleaning, and almost all my work-as did everybody on board† (Hughes 320). Considering Hughes Just used the entire previous paragraph to describe his duties as seaman, it becomes obvious to the reader that Hughes is sing the African boy much In the way a white American would employ a minority to tend their house, do their yard- or fieldwork, cook and clean, taking advantage o f the boys need for money.Hughes then Justifies using the African child as a sort of housekeeper by saying everyone else is doing it, and, â€Å"The Africans stood both work an sun without difficulty, it seems† (Hughes 320), and with those two lines, Hughes pretty much restates two of the original arguments for slavery. In Rampart's The Life of Longs Hughes, Hughes is occasionally depicted as dealing with the internal struggle of double consciousness, such as after the publication of his book of poems, Fine Clothes to the Jew.A collection of poems that, as Hughes describes first- handedly as, â€Å"a better book than my first, because it was more impersonal, more about other people than myself† (Hughes 394). He considered the collection to be an honest glimpse into the world of African-American issues, and white America applauded the book. However, his black critics denounced it as garbage, and proclaimed Hughes to be (Ramped 140) and the ;poet Loretta of Harlem† (Hughes 396).Hughes' relationship with Charlotte Mason, or Godmother as she liked to be called, Is spotted with a few examples of double consciousness. Meeting Mason through Lain Locke, Hughes was immediately taken under her wing in her effort to â€Å"elevate African culture to its rightful place of honor† (Ramped 147), and enlisted to create literary works of art. Seduced by the opportunity to work on his poetry and various writings without the uncertainty of poverty, Hughes went to work for Godmother in exchange for financial security, automaton an entire KICK Dates on Mason's demands.Longs Hughes' Tie was filled with examples of the tumultuous battle of double consciousness, from early life to old age, whether in Harlem or traveling around the world. His literature manages to explore both the assimilation of African-American into the Euro-American culture as well as the recognition and retention of the cultural aspects unique to the African- American community. Bibliogra phy Ramped, Arnold. The Life of Longs Hughes. New York: Oxford UP, 1986. Print. Hughes, Longs. The Longs Hughes Reader. New York: G. Brazier, 1958. Print