Vulnerable Population; Poor

Vulnerable Population: The Poor â€Å"A vulnerable population is a group or groups that are more likely to develop health- related problems, have more difficulty accessing health care to address those health problems, and are more likely to experience a poor outcome or shorter life span because of those health conditions. † (Maurer & Smith,2009, pp. 533) Poverty is linked with marked deprivation of well-being of an individual due to inability to meet basic needs.It could be due to lack of income or resources to buy goods and services or inability to access them. Thus poor people in the population are considered vulnerable as socioeconomic status is closely linked to a person’s health status. People who are poor or belong to low income group have difficulty in providing basic necessities of life e. g. food, clothing, and shelter for themselves and their families. They lack resources and opportunities to improve their quality of life. Their behavior and choices are determ ined by their socioeconomic status.In United States poverty is determined by comparing annual income to threshold which is set of dollar value that vary by family size, number of children and age of householders. If a family’s income is below their threshold that family is considered to be in poverty including all members. (Bishaw, & Macartney, 2010) According to the United States Census Bureau in the year 2011 the poverty rate was 15% indicating 46. 2 million people in poverty range. People living in poverty tend to live in certain neighborhoods rather than evenly distributing in different neighborhoods.This increases burden on families beyond their circumstances because disadvantageous neighborhood brings more problems in their lives. Resources in these areas are scarce as the area becomes disadvantageous banks, stores; shopping places or new business doesn’t go in these areas because they don’t see any profit. There is lack of good public schools, housing and sanitation are inadequate, access to health is non-existent and employment opportunities are limited. These people don’t have access to healthy food as it is expensive compare to unhealthy food which cost less and feed more people.They have more fast food places and liquor stores in their areas. There is no place or a safe place for physical activity and recreation as a result people stay at home this limits there physical activity as well as social interaction. The crime rate in such areas is high therefore residents face constant threat to their lives. Youth and adults do not have any positive outlet or recreation available and they adapt behavior as smoking, drinking alcohol and use of drugs.It was also shown in PBS videos that across the country polluting industries are found in communities where population is poor or belong to minority causing pollution and other health problems. Population living below poverty line usually doesn’t have health insurance. Even if they are employed they either do not get insurance from employer owing to small business or if they get insurance they do not enroll to save cost of monthly premium. For them basic needs are priority while health is secondary. Because of the cost they have to choose between needs and health.They usually delay seeking care or avoid going to health care altogether making them sicker. As a result they end up using acute care services e. g. emergency department and have poor health outcomes. In PBS video it was highlighted lack of health care is not the cause of their illness but chronic constant stress in their daily lives exposes them to risk of chronic diseases. High level of stress hormones over time increases arterial plaque raises blood pressure and weakens immune system. This can result in heart disease, diabetes and other diseases.There are certain initiatives by government to address these issues the first example is providing food stamps to the families who doesn’t have any source of income. In PBS video it was shown the amount sometime is not adequate enough to fulfill need of the family where a woman has 200 dollars for the month to feed four people. Second example is providing reduce price meals or free meals to school children whose family fall under poverty level. Finally PPACA has increase access to health care by ensuring health insurance for all but does it solve the problem? The poor population will be oing back to same stressful environment after treatment so they might become frequent visitor of healthcare facility with ongoing health issues increasing frustration in HCP as they will not see any improvement. I would like to conclude by saying to improve health status and life expectancy of this vulnerable population social reforms are essential to provide opportunity to improve quality of life along with improve access to health care. References Bishaw, A. United States census Bureau, (2011). Areas with concentrated poverty: 2006 œ2010 American community survey briefs (ACSBR/10-17).Retrieved from website: http://www. census. gov/prod/2011pubs/acsbr10-17. pdf Bishaw, A. , & Macartney, S. United States census Bureau, (2010). Poverty: 2008 and 2009 American community survey briefs (ACSBR/09-1). Retrieved from website: http://www. census. gov/prod/2010pubs/acsbr09-1. pdf Documentary series: Unnatural causes [Web]. (2008). Retrieved from http://www. unnaturalcauses. org/video_clips. php Maurer, F. , & Smith, C. (2009). Community/ public health nursing practice: health for families and population. (Fourth ed. , Chapter 21). Saunders.

Soapbox on Chavs

Don’t even get me started on chavs! CHAV: Council House Anti-social and Violent. We’ve heard about them all before, and we see them on the streets all the time. We all hate them and I’m here to explain why they should all be banned †¦ and preferably incarcerated. They are well known for their advanced linguistics and decent attire. The first thing we notice when seeing a chav are their tracky bottoms – or should I say their underwear, because their trousers usually hung down in the ankle region. They are usually aged about 16-22, and their stereotypical dress code would probably be wearing the famous snapback facing in a 90 degree angle, of course, wearing baggy fake adidas tracksuits with tonnes of fake gold jewellery which they can barely carry. These people are in gangs acting as if they’re 8 foot tall and built up like a rugby player, in the corner of the McDonald’s car park. I once unfortunately came into contact with one of these ‘gangsters’ on my way walking back home from my friend’s house. I was half way there when I just looked to my left and saw some filthy unwashed scum in a hoodie. I was trying my best to avoid when he shouted at me ‘Yo fam, ya got a cig on ya mate’. ‘Fam’ is an urban abbreviation for family; I was thinking to myself that how could this pathetic, low-life imbecile even think that I am his family or related to him in any possible way, whilst I didn’t even bother turning his way. If you haven’t already seen one, they are easy to spot, just look for people with a gangster limp. Don’t get me wrong, I mean I’m not a judge a book by its cover kind of guy, I have reasons for why I despise these people. Anyway it’s their own faults for why they are in that situation because they’ve all dropped out of high-school, and ran away from home living off on government benefits. Why should we constantly pay our unnecessarily high taxes for a bunch of self-homeless townies? And I’m not being sexist about this either because there are also female chavs or better known as ‘chavettes’, which quite frankly aren’t any better. These anti-social group of ugly teenage girls, black and white, who usually hang around near shopping centres, waiting for someone to p*** them off. There are the stupid teenage girls who hang out in groups of threes on their phones, chewing gum obnoxiously loud, with 1 earphone in acting as if they are 10 men shouting at a little kid two or three years younger than them. Then there are the 14 year old pregnant girls who will ram their pushchair right into the back of your foot, and give you a menacing glare, like wat u gna complain. They try to make a name out of themselves by starting fights and causing riots to get in the news to frighten the innocent people at home. Most people are afraid of getting out of their houses after sunset due to these ‘bad men’ as they like to address themselves. Isn’t it funny how the majority is scared by the minority? I suppose it adds to their gangster factor though, and also assists in making them look hard. I mean, come on, if we saw their un-matured, baby face walking down an alley, we wouldn’t exactly be scared would we? Even though they might be carrying a knife in their pocket waiting to shank you, more than half of them I bet won’t even know how to use it. It is quite obvious where these people get the idea from, it is all these disgusting celebrities; the teenage girls obviously follow celebs like Nicki Minaj and the boys attempt to imitate 50 cent and lil’ wayne. With all this in mind, I hope you will come to an agreement that they are a waste of space and this contagious disease should be dealt with before more of the youth in today’s society catches it. So please, friends join me in my rebellion and together we can make chavs history.

Balancing Personal Life and Work

In today’s economic condition, work life equilibrium is considered one of the most imperative workplace issues. Work life balance refers to a satisfactory niche between many different roles in an individual’s life. But how to manage this balance to avoid conflict; this topic is discussed through many different aspects enlightened through personal experience. Work Life Balance Before taking any step towards knowing how to achieve work life balance, first we must gain an understanding about what work life balance actually refers to.It is about maintaining equilibrium between work and personal life, facing the multifarious demands in one’s life. The best equilibrium is different for each person because we all have different priorities in life. A young entrepreneur faces different challenges than a family man at the apex of his career. Work life balance involves two factors; Achievement and Enjoyment. Our life will be valuable and balanced when, in all the aspects of life, we are daily achieving success with all the joys of living! My Side of StoryBeing a young student struggling to manage good grades, working part time to support my education during this era of recession as well trying to give my family sufficient of my time as required, at many times I felt the misbalance in my life that is called work-life conflict. I felt unable to manage my time and was highly dissatisfied with my work and progress. Failing health and self esteem and disrupted routine was then a common state of affairs. I was new, hence obsessed with working hard to carve a niche for my career.In order to secure my grades I became overcommitted to my studies as well. I ended up drained every day, spending most of the time on the run†¦ from study to work, work to home and spending rest of the time sitting on computer. All I had once read and heard about work life complications was coming true in my life without my realizing it. It was not until when my parents had to h ave a ‘serious talk’ with me, that I realized where this chaos was leading me to. That instantly snapped me back; I set off to work on improving my standards. The informationIn order to balance one’s work life situation, you may need to look into four quadrants of your life- Friends, Family, Work and Self. Any disturbance in one of them because of the interference of another quadrant may cause work life conflict. Work life conflict must be removed in order to solve the problem and acquire balance. This information regarding the causes can be obtained by observation of daily life experiences and authentic researches conducted. According to the Business Week reports, Individuals who consider their work life balance better than others are likely to work 21% better than those who don’t.Moreover, a study shows people encounter work life conflict have 40% more chances of mood and anxiety disorders, (Kane, 2006); While employees having lower level of this conflic t experience increased job satisfaction. The Evaluation After gathering basic information, now I knew what I was missing and what I got to do. I loved my job, but without my natural energy boosters, I was unhappy and even feeling a bit guilty. My whole time revolved around my work and career, but I couldn’t make up for the very essential part of my life, that is my friends and family.From my newly gained knowledge, I deduced that a balanced approach at my level will be spending quality time with my friends and family that will have a positive physical and psychological impact on me. Moreover, I’ll be free of piled up responsibilities, procrastinated duties, and burden on my mental self, which will eventually also improve my progress in other quadrants of my life. I had to use it to devise such solutions that cancel out where I overdo, and give more space to those I neglected so a balance can be created. The SolutionAs I was already a student I opted for the greatest fa cility available today for work life balance concerned employees- Flexible timings, so that I can have more sense of control over my work. Dinner and meals would at no cost be skipped- they provide a quality time for whole family to be together. Also, sleeping schedules must be maintained, so there remain no health problems. Being present is the key word. No drifting away and being in two places at a time. On weekend there would be no computer, no emails, and no emergency calls from work!I could spend quality time with my family. I could contact my friends, go out and have some fun. Lastly, to spend some of my time on myself; a time to relax or do what pleases me. It’s a kind of meditation, hence keeps your mind calm and alert. Giving my study ample time and not burdening myself with more work than I could manage, was also essential. Conclusion The set of habits I formed as a solution for my work life problem, not only supports but emphasizes a sound balance between work and life activities.Back then I couldn’t see past my work; it still plays a principle part in my life, though it’s not my one and only concern anymore. This equilibrium I discovered open my eyes to worth of other things, that made not only my work, but my life much more gratifying. References Kane, S. (2006). Work Life Balance Strategies. Retrieved July 20, 2009 from http://legalcareers. about. com/od/careertrends/a/worklifebalance. htm Work-Life Balance. (2003). Work-Life Balance Defined- What it really means! Retrieved July 20, 2009 from http://www. worklifebalance. com/worklifebalancedefined. html

Definition of Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Definition of Happiness - Essay Example Religious situations can describe happiness as the emotion felt when respective beliefs and Gods have answered prayers from different individuals. For example, believers of a certain religion can be referred to as happy after their prayers have been answered through the expected ways. Biologically, happiness can be described through the release of various hormones in the body that trigger various emotions. Biologists study happiness as a feeling that originates from various body organs. External forces such as personal and group accomplishments can also cause happiness. Additionally, individual health may contribute to levels of happiness. Research shows that individuals from healthy areas are bound to be happier than in unhealthy locations. The biological structure of various individual affects happiness rates in both the individual and surrounding beings. Economically, happiness can be described as a success in various financial sectors. For example, increase in the gross national product of different countries may instill feelings of happiness to the citizens of respective countries. The economic status of a country has effects on the happiness levels of individuals. People from poor nations may not have high levels of happiness compared to those born in developed and rich countries. The sense of belonging affects the natural levels of happiness. Individuals from rich countries are bound to have most of their responsibilities catered for; hence avoiding stress and increases the chances of happiness. It is also noticeable that employees from well-paying firms are happier and more productive than those from poorly paying and maintained organizations. It can be further mean a feeling that an individual goes through when his/her wishes or expectations are met.  Ã‚  

Reading Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 21

Reading Response - Essay Example Germany hoped these points would be the basis for the treaty. However this hope was belied and the terms of the treaty were so harsh on Germany that it finally resulted in a more destructive and horrific war. America had come out of the war virtually unscathed. However the people of Britain and France were devastated by the destruction caused by the war and in no mood to forgive Germany for it. So it came about that Germany was held solely responsible for the misery and death caused to millions, and the terms of the treaty were particularly humiliating to Germans. Besides, Britain and France had rich colonies that added to their coffers, and therefore clauses that held that determination of their status must have â€Å"the interests of the populations†; were contrary to their interests. Every nation naturally looked at the treaty with its own interests foremost. France wanted the territories of Alsace and Lorraine with a view to safeguarding its borders from future German attacks. In this way Germany lost land to France, Belgium, Denmark, Czechoslovakia and Poland. The victors of the war were the ones who drafted the treaty of Versailles and the defeated nations were not asked to contribute to the drafting of the treaty. The treaty therefore looked after the interests of the victors and since Germany was blamed for the havoc caused by the war and held solely responsible for it; she had to bear the burden of war reparation and cutting down of her armed forces as well as losing territories to other nations. The most important of the fourteen points was the last - that of setting up an international body to maintain peace among the nations of the world. This was set up in the form of the League of Nations. However, Wilson was unable to convince the Americans to join the league and it proved to be an ineffective and toothless body. It led to more friction among nations

Poverty and Debt in Third World Countries that directly or indirectly Essay

Poverty and Debt in Third World Countries that directly or indirectly work to the benefit of developed countries and how the principles of Catholic Social Doctr - Essay Example In year 2000, the Church celebrated the Jubilee Year in the context of an escalating global debt crisis, mindful of the terrible price that the world's poor were paying for debts contracted by their governments without their knowledge, much less their consent. They are still paying, with blood, sweat and tears, seven years after Jubilee, despite the global movement against this debt burden. Jubilee USA3 has already stated, "don't owe, won't pay!" But despite the defiance, in real life, the poor are still paying for debts of the rich, and will continue to do so as long as their leaders and governments bow down before dictates of powerful multinationals and multilateral agencies including the IMF, WB and WTO. This is one almost overwhelming obstacle that the global poor have to overcome to free themselves from immoral and illegal debts. The Church's social teachings consider us all as members of the human community that have the right to human dignity and common good. But at the same time the Church "takes sides" by proclaiming its preferential option for the poor, especially vulnerable sectors such as women, children, and the elderly. This is especially true regarding the issue of debt. The overwhelming majority of people in poor countries suffer when so much of their resources are automatically channeled to debt servicing, instead of being used to fight poverty, ensure the delivery of basic services and generate more jobs, to mention only a few much needed programs. International Debt 3 For the poorest of the poor, debt was and still is literally a matter of life and death. Of all continents, Africa is probably the worst hit by the combined blows of poverty and debt, two problems that feed off each other. Africa managed to score a few victories in improving the people's health and lives, only to slide back due to structural adjustment programs imposed by the IMF-WB as a condition to approval of more loans for poor countries. "While many African countries succeeded in improving their health care systems in the first decades after independence, the intervention of the World Bank and IMF reversed this progress. In Kenya, for example, child mortality was reduced by almost 50% in the first two decades after independence in 1963. Across sub-Saharan Africa, the first decades after independence saw significant increases in life expectancy, from an average of 44 years to more than 50 years. In the 1980s and 1990s, however, African governments had to cede control over their economic decision-making in order to qualify for World Bank and IMF loans. The conditions attached to these loans undid much of the progress achieved in public health. The policies dictated by the World Bank and IMF exacerbated poverty, providing fertile ground for the spread of HIV/AIDS and other infectious International Debt 4 diseasesConsequently, during the past two decades, the life expectancy of Africans has dropped by 15 years." 4 No Relief from Debt Relief Many people pinned their hopes on debt relief, specifically on the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, which was set up for countries whose debts were quadruple their yearly export earnings that were usually channeled to

Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Philosophy - Assignment Example She responded with, â€Å"Being gay isn’t like trying on a pair of jeans, deciding you don’t like them, and then putting them back on the shelf. If you’re gay, you’re gay. There’s no changing that.† When I asked her if she was discriminated against for her sexual orientation, she answered with a simple yes, not going into further detail. Finally, I asked her if she would be accepting if her child started dating someone of the same sex. She said of course, and jokingly said she wouldn’t be accepting if they dated someone of the opposite sex. She went on to say that she would be supportive of whoever who child decided to date. Ashley seemed to be one of many gay people that did not seem even the slightest bit abashed to openly discuss her sexual orientation. She answered the questions with pride and dignity; she was very open in her responses and did not seem the least bit uncomfortable. She clearly feels strongly for the equality of gay people. Her response to my final question had been amusing. Even though it was said with humor, it showed a side that is seldom revealed about gay people: while heterosexual couples feel that homosexuality is odd and abnormal, the gay community often feels the same way about heterosexual couples. It was an interesting experience for me to see the two different sides of the story. Lauren is a 17 year old black female. When I asked her if gay people should be allowed to marry, she answered with, â€Å"What difference does it make if they are the same sex? Marriage is love, not gender.† I then asked if gay couples should be given full civil rights. She answered with a yes, explaining that America stands on equality and should extend the same rights to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation. I asked her if being gay was something that could be changed. Similar to Ashley, she said that she believed that people did not really have a choice, and that many people try to date the opposite sex

Testing Analog and Mixed Signal Circuits With Built In Hardware Research Paper

Testing Analog and Mixed Signal Circuits With Built In Hardware - Research Paper Example Before beginning definite manufacturing of high-volume products, the testing, designing, assessment of the prototypes are important. Furthermore, the comprehensive inspection of the manufactured products must be done in order to ensure the availability of high quality and defect free product. Eventually the cost of the product can be minimized by providing the required information during the manufacturing process. The fabrication procedure of the integrated-circuit (IC) comprises doping steps, etching, printing and photolithography. The reason for the collapse of an individual integrated-circuit (IC) is the imperfect steps related to the fabrication process. Above all, the mixed-signal ICs are more responsive towards steps imperfections thus, resulting in low performance of circuits. However, these imperfections are insignificant in the digital - circuit domain but as compared to the mixed-signal circuits, imperfections among the traces in structure of small capacitance can cause a significant change in the circuit performance. For this reason, the sensitivity behavior of the circuit also improved due to the reduction of the circuit geometry. Hence, before shipping it to the customers every single IC is being thoroughly checked. This priority testing of ICs enhances the final quality of the product without affecting its brilliance. In addition, this quality check also ensures the excellence of the product and its design, during the key phase of the product development once put into practice. The detailed and long tests are being performed during the process of implementation of the ICs due to the small imperfection of the high sensitivity of mixed-signal circuits resulting in the high testing cost. Now researchers are looking forward to merge the testing process of both analog and the digital-circuit via analog signals to divert digital circuits or by utilizing digital signals for example, serial bit stream in order to divert the analog signals. The analog-test methods are not fully developed, therefore restricted access is suffered by mixed-signal specially; the shrinking dimensions with the high integration densities in the development of semi-conductor technology. On the other hand, the test systems related to the digital devices are well maintained and developed. However, the benefits are taken from the advancement and knowledge of digital-test by the analog and mixe d-signal test, because they are far away from the latest development regarding testing procedures. Another reason for the failure of the analog testing system is the deficiency of the implementation of a testing procedure for example, Standard Fault Model, however, approximately all the digital test methods rely on stuck-fault model thus, with the help of their fault reporting, the test generation algorithms are estimated. This model is simply accepted for the functional test as compared to the performance test, it is not accepted. The sources of complexity during the testing procedures of analog

Importance of Strng Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Importance of Strng Communication - Essay Example This is because it may help to boast the confidence of the audience (Gillis & International Association of Business Communicators, 2011). The points presented should be clear to avoid creating confusion among the audience. Additionally, eyes contacts are vital because they help the audience to feel that they are part of communication process (Gillis & International Association of Business Communicators, 2011). Connectively, Simple language should be used so that audience can understand the message (Gillis & International Association of Business Communicators, 2011). Many scientist tend to miss a point at this juncture because they use scientific jargon that ordinary audience can not comprehend (Motluk, 2011).This makes audience not comprehend the message being communicated, making communication process to be ineffective (Motluk, 2011).Therefore, the article tries to show whether strong communication skills are necessary in every type of organization. I believe that strong communication skills are vital in every type of organization and even in non academic world (Motluk, 2011). This is because failures to have effective communication in place it become difficult to deal with vendors, customer’s employees, employers and other stakeholders in an organization. For instance failure to listen keenly to customer’s needs may make an organization to incur substantial losses by producing goods and services that customers are unwilling to buy. Additionally, strong communication skills are vital in conducting marketing research. This is because for a research to be effective and efficient, researchers should posses’ strong communication skills that can convince the respondents to give out the required information (Guffey & Loewy, 2010). Additionally, effective communication helps the researchers to analyze and interpret the research findings in a manner that the intended audience can understand (Motluk, 2011). Research

Digging Deeper Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Digging Deeper - Research Paper Example During his teenage, Mendelssohn was already a high-ranking musical composer although most of his works never reached the public domain. He received various invites to attend different concerts in Berlin and Zurich from where he got a chance to practice his work. At the age of fifteen, Mendelssohn was a full-grown musician and he had already written his first symphony. His musical genius was later exhibited when he wrote his first string octet using E-flat. Like other romantic era musicians, his music sought to tell the deep feelings and secrets of humanity. However, Mendelssohn maintained the conservative tone of classical music throughout his work. The conservative nature of his work is what separated his from the adventurous artists of romantic era such as Hector Berlioz, Franz Liszt and Richard Wanger. His work included symphonies, piano music, chamber music and oratorios. His most celebrated symphony is A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Felix composed the symphony following Shakespeare’s request. The song featured in the Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Hebrides is his second most celebrated work of art. Felix first performed this song to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1829 at their palace. Felix Mendelssohn lived and talked music up to his death in 1847. Your post on Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov is significant to the discussion and timely. The post is also unique since it deals with Russian romantic era music. This is significant to the discussion since most post have focused on European music. The post has also analyzed the song by considering its rhythm and some other important features of style. Although your post has contributed significantly to the discussion, there are few areas that you need to consider. Firstly, the post has overemphasized on your emotional attachment the song. The post has also left out essential information

Great Gatsby Essay Example for Free

Great Gatsby Essay In the beginning of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Nick doesn’t care too much for Gatsby, but later Nick begins to like Gatsby, and by the end, Nick and Gatsby become best friends. It is sort of weird how their relationship develops, and the reason it develops. Nick and Gatsby seem to be two totally different people, but I guess opposites attract. In the beginning of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Nick doesn’t care too much for Gatsby. Nick thinks that Gatsby is kind of odd, and mysterious. For example, on page 20, Nick says â€Å"he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone†. That is kind of weird because if he wanted to be alone, why does he throw huge parties. Also Gatsby was just standing there with his arm extended looking at a light, if that isn’t weird than what is. This one encounter does not drive Nick away from getting to know Gatsby. Later in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Nick begins to like Gatsby. Later on when Nick meets Gatsby at a party he describes his smile. The way Nick described it was not normal he said â€Å"It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. †(48) You don’t describe a smile that way unless you like that person, he could have just said he had a nice smile. After that Gatsby and Nick talked a lot more and hung out a lot more after that party, I guess you could say this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. By the end of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Nick and Gatsby became best friends. Towards the end Nick and Gatsby were always together. They went to lunch together, rode in Gatsby’s hydroplane together, and went to the city together. Nick liked Gatsby so much he said â€Å"They’re a rotten crowd,† I shouted across the lawn. â€Å"You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together. †(154) Nick also tells Gatsby’s father that â€Å"We were close friends. † (168) after Gatsby had died. At Gatsby’s funeral no one was their but Nick this showed that Gatsby had no other friends except for Nick. Even though Nick doesn’t seem to like Gatsby at the beginning the two of them end up as best friends. Even after Gatsby lies to Nick and then confesses the truth Nick was still friends with Gatsby.

Mission and vision statements Essay Example for Free

Mission and vision statements Essay Mission of Toyota is to provide safe sound journey. Toyota is developing various new technologies from the perspective of energy saving and diversifying energy sources. Environment has been first and most important issue in priorities of Toyota and working toward creating a prosperous society and clean world. 3. Dell vision and mission Vision: It’s the way we do business. Its the way we interact with the community. Its the way we interpret the world around us our customers need, the future of technology, and the global business climate. Whatever changes the future may bring our vision Dell Vision will be our guiding force. Mission: To be the most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve. 4. Pepsi Vision and Mission Vision: PepsiCos responsibility is to continually improve all aspects of the world in which we operate environment, social, economic creating a better tomorrow than today. Mission: Our mission is to be the worlds premier consumer products company focused on convenient foods and beverages. We seek to produce financial rewards to investors as we provide opportunities for growth and enrichment to our employees, our business partners and the communities in which we operate. And in everything we do, we strive for honesty, fairness and integrity 5. Vision Mission of Titan Vision: To be a world-class, innovative and progressive organization and to build worlds’s most desirable brands. Mission: To create wealth for all our stakeholders by building highly successful businesses based on a customer-centric approach, and to contribute to the community.

The purpose of Punishment within the criminal justice system

The purpose of Punishment within the criminal justice system What role does punishment serve within the criminal justice system? Consider the part played by reductivism, incapacitation, retribution, deterrence and rehabilitation as by-products of the perceived need for the criminal justice system to punish offenders. How have political policies and other ideologies affected the state emphasis on the need to punish offenders? In the following paragraphs it is going to be explained the role of punishment within the criminal justice system. Furthermore, we are going to get involved with theories and objectives related to punishment such as: reductivism, deterrence, rehabilitation, incapacitation and finally retribution. Beginning our case study we have to argue that there is considerable controversy over the effectiveness of punishment in reducing crime, but whether or not its actual effectiveness, still is the only method being used conforming someone who made a misdeed, back to society and freedom. Punishment can be simply defined as a legally approved method designed to facilitate the task of crime control (Carrabine, 2004), and its main purpose is to rehabilitate the offender, expiate the victim and dissuade others from becoming wrongdoers. In order to successfully create a holistic view on the matter, we have to focus on many punishment perspectives and theories as it is the only way for a critical evaluation. punishment as a social institution is an inherently complex business that needs to be approached from a range of theoretical perspectives as no single interpretation will grasp the diverse meanings generated by punishment (Carrabine, 2004). The reductive theory of punishment justifies that punishment occurs because it helps to prevent and reduce future consequences of crime, acting as a forward-looking theory for the general good. Moreover, claims that if punishment takes place, future crime will be less than if no penalty were inflicted. For punishment to reduce future crimes, the pain and unhappiness caused to the offender must be outweighed by the avoidance of unpleasantness to other people in the future (Cavadino, 2002). Therefore, it is a moral action against criminals (famously advanced by Jeremy Bentham 1748-1832) since it produces the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people. Nevertheless, there are many mechanisms of reduction which will be shown below. Deterrence based on utilitarian theories, is a method of reduction and its main perspective is that if you cause someones fear, then he will be afraid to offend and break the law (tough on crime). Moreover, separates deterrence into general and individual justifying that general is when punishment dissuades others from following the offenders example, in spite of individual deterrence which aims to teach delinquent not to repeat the behaviour. Deterrence lacks to produce strong and validate evident of its effectiveness as no certain penalty prevented someone from committing a given crime. What is more, referring to the individual deterrence, my opinion is that we cannot say whether or not an offender stopped his criminal behaviour, simply because not all crimes are being convicted. Also, according to official crime statistics, I believe, there is not such effectiveness as Michael Howards supported about prison/punishment and toughness on crime. Prison works. It ensures that we are protected from murderers, muggers and rapists- and it makes many who are tempted to commit crime think twice (Michael Howard, Home Secretary 1993). Rehabilitation is another mechanism of crime reduction which is going to be produced and evaluated on the following paragraphs. According to rehabilitation the idea of punishment is to apply treatment to the offender so that he is made capable afterwards to return back to the society as a law-abiding member. Rehabilitation is viewed as a humane alternative comparing to the harshness of retribution and deterrence giving more a programme function to the punishment, without that meaning that an offender would receive a more lenient penalty for his offence. An important feature of rehabilitation is that the offender could stay on probation whether that means outside prison or inside until he is thought to be ready. Critics though assume that if the prison administrator is the responsible one who decides if offender made a progress and he is ready to go, then corruption may occur which will falsify the true situation. Finally, another issue is that an offender guilty for minor crime proba bly could not tolerate lengthy detentions simple because of inability or refusal to adopt a subservient attitude toward prison officers and authority in general. Continuing our study we will refer to retributive theory which is in total antithesis of reductivism and justifies that punishment came as result of criminality. An attractive feature is that retributivism is a natural connection between the retributive approach and the idea that both offenders and victims have rights. Reductivist theory always founds it difficult to encompass the notion of rights, even when it comes to providing entirely innocent people with a right not to be punished. Retributivism has no such problem, since it follows automatically from the retributive principle that it must be wrong to punish non-offenders. Criminals, according to retributivist principle deserve the punishment because in some way, evil for evil somehow make a right. Additionally, according to retributivism, severity of a punishment should be proportionate to the gravity of the offence (tariff). What is more, retributive punishment, argues that applies fairly and equally to all of us as long as we all live in the same equilibrium followed by the same norms and values. The main issue with such a theory is that it would be objective only if we were all genuinely equal sharing the same advantages. Detected offenders typically start from a position of social disadvantage (Cavadino, 2002). From the moment retributive punishment tries to inflict equality restoring the balance, then increases inequality rather than do the opposite. The last theory refers to the act of making the offender not capable of committing a crime and is known as the incapacitation theory. According to that, offenders who have committed repeated crimes or thought to be dangerous are being punished by execution or lengthy incarceration (life imprisonment). Such a punishment though unfortunately makes it difficult to identify that kind of offenders. Thus, it is extremely controversial the principle of incapacitation especially to those who assist that punishment should advocate equal retribution followed by dignity. An important controversial example evaluating incapacitation is the chemical-castration of sex offenders (against children) with hormonal drugs which was first adopted in the U.S of California in 1996 and proved that drugs alone did not make the offender incapable of committing sex crimes. To conclude, I would like to say that I have not come to a conclusion yet on whether or not punishment actually helps and rehabilitates the delinquents. But I am sure that punishment so far is the function which separates those who live legally and those who do not. I also believe that the fear of punishment changes people behaviour a lot, as we all are afraid of punishment is that not true? Ultimately, I would like to finish with Sir Thomas Mores opinion which finds me totally agreed. Society first creates thieves, and then punishes them for stealing. There has always existed a curiously symbolic relationship between the criminal and society. It is not so much that society tolerates crime, rather the structure of modern society inevitably creates situations and circumstances in which crime occurs(Weisser, 1979).

Mummification Essay -- Ancient Egypt

It started thousands of years ago when the first Egyptian was mummified by the natural sand found in the Sahara desert. Mummification is a method of preservation of a dead body. By performing this procedure, it assists the deceased to reach the Afterworld. There are three main methods of mummification, each depending of the wealth of the deceased. In this essay you will discover how pharaohs and high officials were mummified. Once the person has died, he or she is taken to the ibu, also known as the tent of purification. Usually, mummification is performed during nighttime due to the odoured caused by the dead body. When the embalmer is ready to begin the procedure, he first washes the body with water from the Nile. After, he uses an iron hook like device to remove the brain. The embalmer does this by inserting it to the nostril breaking up the cartilage until the hook can reach the brain. Once this procedure is achieved, he removes the brain by crushing it until it becomes watery enough to be drained by laying the person flat on its stomach. The remains of the brain are than ke...

Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale :: Margaret Atwood The Handmaids Tale

I Tell, Therefore I Am In Margaret Atwood’s, The Handmaid’s Tale, women are subjected to unthinkable oppression. Practically every aspect of their life is controlled, and they are taught to believe that their only purpose is to bear children for their commander. These â€Å"handmaids† are not allowed to read, write or speak freely. Any type of expression would be dangerous to the order of the Gilead’s strict society. They are conditioned to believe that they are safer in this new society. Women are supposedly no longer exploited or disrespected (pornography, rape, etc.) as they once were. Romantic relationships are strongly prohibited because involving emotion would defeat the handmaid’s sole purpose of reproducing. Of course not all women who were taken into Gilead believed right what was happening to their way of life. Through the process of storytelling, remembering, and rebellion, Offred and other handmaids cease to completely submit to Gilead’s repressive cult ure. â€Å"We learned to whisper almost without sound. In the semidarkness we would stretch out our arms, when the Aunts weren’t looking, and touch each other’s hands across space. We learned to lip-read, our heads flat on the beds, turned sideways, watching each other’s mouths.† (Atwood, p4) The handmaids whisper to each other to exchange information. They engage in this conversation to keep alive the nature of relationships between people. It is very lonely for these women, for they cannot say what is on their mind, they are only allowed pre-approved phrases from Gilead’s authorities Without this contact it would be impossible for the women to reminisce and be comforted. Another way of keeping the past real to Offred is to remember old stories from before the revolution. She spends a lot of her time thinking about her husband Luke and how the city used to look before, â€Å"Lilies used to be a movie theater here, before. Students went there a lot; eve ry spring they had a Humphrey Bogart festival with Lauren Bacall or Katherine Hepburn, women on their own, making up their own minds† (Atwood, 25). These small rebellions that Offred and other handmaids participate in are very significant. The simple fact that they choose to engage in these insurgences shows that they still cling on to their more just and free past. They still have a notion of truth and are keeping it alive. Having these passions and feelings causes the structure of Gilead to truly not work, and will probably (The Handmaid’s Tale was left open ended) lead to its demise.

Russell, Strawson, and William of Ockham :: Philosophy of Language

Realism and conventionalism generally establish the parameters of debate over universals. Do abstract terms in language refer to abstract things in the world? The realist answers yes, leaving us with an inflated ontology; the conventionalist answers no, leaving us with subjective categories. I want to defend nominalism — in its original medieval sense, as one possibility that aims to preserve objectivity while positing nothing more than concrete individuals in the world. First, I will present paradigmatic statements of realism and conventionalism as developed by Russell and Strawson. Then, I will present the nominalist alternative as developed by William of Ockham. Realism and conventionalism are commonly taken to be the primary contenders in the debate over universals. Does abstract language refer to abstract things in the world? The realist answers yes, leaving us with an inflated ontology, the conventionalist answers no, leaving us with subjective categories. In this paper I would like to defend a third possibility which aims to preserve objectivity without multiplying objects. It is nominalism, in the original, medieval sense of the word — or more specifically, in the Ockham sense of the word. Willard Quine once remarked that "the nominalists of old . . . object to admitting abstract entities at all, even in the restrained sense of mind-made entities."(1) This is certainly true of Roscelin, the eleventh-century anti-realist who famously asserted that a universal is nothing but a flapping of the vocal chords. And Quine’s remark is true of Ockham as well, in so far as he asserted that a universal is nothing but a particular thought in the mind. Yet thoughts, even if particular, are not exactly concrete, and they do abstract, according to Ockham, in a way that Roscelin’s flapping vocal cords do not. I won’t be able to defend Ockham’s nominalism by refuting all of the many versions of the competition one by one. What I propose to do instead is set it up in relation to the celebrated exchange between Bertrand Russell and P. F. Strawson. In this exchange, Russell and Strawson were trying to figure out how a sentence can be meaningful even when the thing the subject of the sentence refers to does not exist. Russell makes what I take to be the classic realist mistake; Strawson, the conventionalist. In what follows I will first explain Ockham’s alternative and then show why I think it compares favorably against these twentieth-century counterparts.

Essay Paper

Canadian Identity: A Rhetorical Analysis Essay In this essay, the articles ‘Listen to the north’ by John Ralston Saul and ‘Which ‘Native’ History? By Whom? For Whom? ’ by J. R. Miller will be analyzed, specifically looking at each authors argument and his appeal to ethos, logos and pathos. In the first article, ‘Listen to the North’, author John Ralston Saul argues that current Canadian policy when it comes to our north, and the people that reside there, is out of date and based on southern ideals that hold little bearing on the realities that face northern populations.He suggests instead that the policies and regulations should be shaped by people who know the territory and it’s needs, namely people who live there. In the second article, ‘Which ‘Native’ History? By Whom? For Whom? , Author Jim Miller discuses conventions in recording native history, focusing on an area he refers to as native-newcomer histo ry. He discusses topics such as who should be recording said history, and for whom it should be intended, as evidence in the title.Both of these articles provide arguments that appeal to ethos, logos and pathos, but it is my opinion that John Ralston Saul makes a more convincing argument to his audience in ‘Listen to the north’ than Jim Miller makes in ‘Which ‘Native’ History? By Whom? For Whom? ’. The First appeal that John Ralston Saul makes is to ethos, and while credentials such as being the president of PEN International, various awards and being a well respected professional in his field all give credit to his name, he also shows that he has first hand knowledge in the specific topic he is covering.He does this through the use of a personal anecdote about his experience in the north, as well as mentioning the several times he has travelled to the north in his later career. Considering Saul’s audience, namely readers interested in r eform of policies and practices in the north, I believe that this makes a stronger argument than Jim Miller does in his article.This would be due to the fact that Miller does not provide any indication as to his experience in the field on which he is writing, and though he dose have impressive credentials himself, including a doctorate, being a professor at the University of Saskatchewan, and having a Canadian research chair position, the lack of said mention would provide a weaker argument to his audience, consisting of people interested in or researching about methods of recording native history.The next convincing argument that John Ralston Saul makes is his appeal to logos, it makes logical sense that a person who lives and works in the north would know best what is needed for northern people. This means his argument that northern people should be instrumental in creating northern policy makes a strong logical point, and a strong argument to his audience, who will most likely be able to see the logic in this. One example he uses is the current state of military presence in the north, the rangers.He talks about the uniform given to these men and women, which consists of a hooded sweatshirt and a baseball cap. John Ralston Saul states that â€Å"You can't wear this outfit outside ten months of the year† (4), and it would make logical sense that a person who lives in the north would not choose such an outfit, as it would be too ineffective in day to day use. Miller also uses logos in his argument when he discuses the fact that native-newcomer history should be reported by both native and non-native historians.Again, this appeals to the logical side of his readers, who would be able to follow the train of thought stating that if a history involves two separate groups of people, then both sides of said history should be examined, and doing such will give you a much more complete picture of events. Where is argument falls short in contrast to ‘Liste n to the North’ is the fact that though Miller makes the logical point of the recording of said history should be shared, he does not go on to provide as strong examples to his point, where Saul does.The last appeal that was made in ‘Listen to the north’ was the appeal to pathos. The author shares a sense of how ridiculous it is that northern peoples have less of an influential role in planning policy and regulation in the north. Using the example of the snowmobiles that rangers have to urinate on to get started in the cold north, Saul portrays a sense of the almost comical nature of having persons who live far away from the real life issues and hardships form policies. The reader then feels the same way the author does, which defiantly advances his argument.Miller also makes his appeal to pathos in ‘Which ‘Native’ History? By Whom? For Whom? ’, but again, I believe that it is a less effective argument, and appeals less to the emotions o f his audience. Millers argument is more based off a feeling of ownership he tries to create in his audience, the native-newcomer history belongs to both parties, not one exclusively, this creates a feeling of entitlement, as well as a feeling of being included. At the end of the article, Miller states â€Å"Which ‘Native' history? Native-newcomer history. By whom?Any and all students who are qualified and willing to carry out its methods. For whom? All Canadians† (35). I think that this is less effective then the feeling portrayed by Saul, one of ridiculousness of the current state of affairs, since persons would more likely agree with him if they also believe the current policy is foolish, as to not look foolish themselves. While both articles make strong points using the argumentative techniques of ethos, logos and pathos, it is still my opinion that John Ralston Saul makes a stronger argument in ‘listen to the north’ than Jim Miller does in ‘Which ‘Native’ History?By Whom? For Whom? ’. Saul’s use of personal connection to the topic, a stronger logical standpoint, and a more effective use of his readers emotions means that he by far has a stronger argument than his counterpart J. R. Miller. Works Cited: Miller, Jim. â€Å"Which ‘Native' History? By Whom? For Whom. †Ã‚  Canadian Issues. Fall 2008 33-35. Saul, John Ralston. â€Å"Listen to the North. †Ã‚  Literary Review of Canada. 17. 8 (2009): 3-5. Essay Paper Canadian Identity: A Rhetorical Analysis Essay In this essay, the articles ‘Listen to the north’ by John Ralston Saul and ‘Which ‘Native’ History? By Whom? For Whom? ’ by J. R. Miller will be analyzed, specifically looking at each authors argument and his appeal to ethos, logos and pathos. In the first article, ‘Listen to the North’, author John Ralston Saul argues that current Canadian policy when it comes to our north, and the people that reside there, is out of date and based on southern ideals that hold little bearing on the realities that face northern populations.He suggests instead that the policies and regulations should be shaped by people who know the territory and it’s needs, namely people who live there. In the second article, ‘Which ‘Native’ History? By Whom? For Whom? , Author Jim Miller discuses conventions in recording native history, focusing on an area he refers to as native-newcomer histo ry. He discusses topics such as who should be recording said history, and for whom it should be intended, as evidence in the title.Both of these articles provide arguments that appeal to ethos, logos and pathos, but it is my opinion that John Ralston Saul makes a more convincing argument to his audience in ‘Listen to the north’ than Jim Miller makes in ‘Which ‘Native’ History? By Whom? For Whom? ’. The First appeal that John Ralston Saul makes is to ethos, and while credentials such as being the president of PEN International, various awards and being a well respected professional in his field all give credit to his name, he also shows that he has first hand knowledge in the specific topic he is covering.He does this through the use of a personal anecdote about his experience in the north, as well as mentioning the several times he has travelled to the north in his later career. Considering Saul’s audience, namely readers interested in r eform of policies and practices in the north, I believe that this makes a stronger argument than Jim Miller does in his article.This would be due to the fact that Miller does not provide any indication as to his experience in the field on which he is writing, and though he dose have impressive credentials himself, including a doctorate, being a professor at the University of Saskatchewan, and having a Canadian research chair position, the lack of said mention would provide a weaker argument to his audience, consisting of people interested in or researching about methods of recording native history.The next convincing argument that John Ralston Saul makes is his appeal to logos, it makes logical sense that a person who lives and works in the north would know best what is needed for northern people. This means his argument that northern people should be instrumental in creating northern policy makes a strong logical point, and a strong argument to his audience, who will most likely be able to see the logic in this. One example he uses is the current state of military presence in the north, the rangers.He talks about the uniform given to these men and women, which consists of a hooded sweatshirt and a baseball cap. John Ralston Saul states that â€Å"You can't wear this outfit outside ten months of the year† (4), and it would make logical sense that a person who lives in the north would not choose such an outfit, as it would be too ineffective in day to day use. Miller also uses logos in his argument when he discuses the fact that native-newcomer history should be reported by both native and non-native historians.Again, this appeals to the logical side of his readers, who would be able to follow the train of thought stating that if a history involves two separate groups of people, then both sides of said history should be examined, and doing such will give you a much more complete picture of events. Where is argument falls short in contrast to ‘Liste n to the North’ is the fact that though Miller makes the logical point of the recording of said history should be shared, he does not go on to provide as strong examples to his point, where Saul does.The last appeal that was made in ‘Listen to the north’ was the appeal to pathos. The author shares a sense of how ridiculous it is that northern peoples have less of an influential role in planning policy and regulation in the north. Using the example of the snowmobiles that rangers have to urinate on to get started in the cold north, Saul portrays a sense of the almost comical nature of having persons who live far away from the real life issues and hardships form policies. The reader then feels the same way the author does, which defiantly advances his argument.Miller also makes his appeal to pathos in ‘Which ‘Native’ History? By Whom? For Whom? ’, but again, I believe that it is a less effective argument, and appeals less to the emotions o f his audience. Millers argument is more based off a feeling of ownership he tries to create in his audience, the native-newcomer history belongs to both parties, not one exclusively, this creates a feeling of entitlement, as well as a feeling of being included. At the end of the article, Miller states â€Å"Which ‘Native' history? Native-newcomer history. By whom?Any and all students who are qualified and willing to carry out its methods. For whom? All Canadians† (35). I think that this is less effective then the feeling portrayed by Saul, one of ridiculousness of the current state of affairs, since persons would more likely agree with him if they also believe the current policy is foolish, as to not look foolish themselves. While both articles make strong points using the argumentative techniques of ethos, logos and pathos, it is still my opinion that John Ralston Saul makes a stronger argument in ‘listen to the north’ than Jim Miller does in ‘Which ‘Native’ History?By Whom? For Whom? ’. Saul’s use of personal connection to the topic, a stronger logical standpoint, and a more effective use of his readers emotions means that he by far has a stronger argument than his counterpart J. R. Miller. Works Cited: Miller, Jim. â€Å"Which ‘Native' History? By Whom? For Whom. †Ã‚  Canadian Issues. Fall 2008 33-35. Saul, John Ralston. â€Å"Listen to the North. †Ã‚  Literary Review of Canada. 17. 8 (2009): 3-5.

High Performing Teams

Introduction This paper will cover several topics related to high-performing teams and work groups. It will discuss how these two kinds of workplace people sets and how they differ in their pursuit of organizational strategy and compare these differences to virtual teams. It will identify the characteristics of successful leaders of high-performing teams and finally discuss why high-performing teams are important to organizations. High-Performing Teams and Work Groups Before we can define high-performing teams or work groups, we will need to define the term team first. A team can be defined as a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. â€Å"That definition lays down the discipline that teams must share to be effective (Katzenbach, 2005). Organizations utilize teams to perform operational and project based tasks. People working in teams have the capacity to solve complex problems that cannot be solved by individuals working alone. People working in teams bring more resources to a task, including a variety of perspectives, knowledge, skills, and experience (Capella University, 2008). This diversity of perspectives, knowledge, skills, and experience allows a team to outperform the sum of its parts and is a critical component of a team being labeled as a high-performing team. Teams come in many forms, they can be permanent or temporary, they can be leader-led or self-managed, and they can be co-located or virtual. Regardless of their purpose and form, all teams are made up of individuals interacting interdependently to achieve common organizational goal. Furthermore, all teams share the following: clear boundaries, common tasks, differentiated member roles, autonomy, dependence on others, and collective responsibility (Capella University, 2008). Teams definitely are forms of work groups, but not all work groups are teams (Brounstein, 2011). A work group is also a collection of individuals however; they may not have complementary skills, a common purpose or a set of shared goals. In a work group, each member is responsible for only their own individual contributions. He or she achieves outcomes or makes their contribution to the organization in (relative) isolation. Individuals need not have any concern about what other members of the group achieve. Within a work group, there is not the interconnectedness and shared responsibility you see between team members. Each member of a group can say ‘I did my best; it is not my fault that others did not pull their weight (www. leadership-development-coaching. com, 2011). ’ To add more context to the difference between work groups and teams refer to Table 1 (Brounstein, 2011). Work Groups| Teams| Individual accountability| Individual and mutual accountability| Come together to share information and perspectives| Frequently come together for discussion, decision-making, problem solving and planning. | Focus on individual goals| Focus on team goals| Produce individual work products| Produce collective work products| Define individual roles, responsibilities, and tasks| Define individual roles, responsibilities, and tasks to help team do its work; often share and rotate them| Concern with one's own outcome and challenges| Concern with outcomes of everyone and challenges the team faces| Purpose, goals, approach to work shaped by manager| Purpose, goals, approach to work shaped by team leader with team members| Table 1: Difference between Work Groups and Teams High-Performing teams have deeper characteristics that separate them from any team with the ‘team’ characteristics mentioned previously. Members of high-performing teams tend to develop a collective purpose that goes beyond that which the organization has established for them (Capella University, 2008). According to Harvard researcher Richard Hickman, high-performing teams must meet three effectiveness criteria (Capella University, 2008): * The team must consistently produce high-quality output. * The team must promote the personal growth needs and well-being of team members. The team must grow and learn as a unit. The Pursuit of Organizational Strategy It is not too much of a stretch to see which scenario is preferable when it comes to pursuing alignment with your organization’s strategy. Those in a workgroup, although maybe tied in roles and responsibilities to the organization’s strategic imperatives, is not concerned about others in his group or departm ent, and therefore has no vested interest in another succeeding. High performing teams, on the other hand, consider their team as equally or more important than themselves. A recent study of Fortune 1000 companies conducted by the Center for Effective Organizations at the University of Southern California concluded that 68 percent of the organizations in the study use self –managed or high-performing teams†¦but the study also shows only 10 percent of workers were in such teams (Capella University, 2008). Therefore, as much as we can agree there is a benefit from moving those in work groups into high-performing team environments, these environments are difficult to create, lead and maintain. A failed attempt to create a high-performing team could be more detrimental than keeping a group of individuals in the work group mode, and thus making each individual accountable for driving alignment with the organization’s strategy. Virtual teams can play an interesting twist on this strategic alignment anomaly. This author suggests that virtual teams are no different in driving alignment with organizational strategy than co-located teams, with one exception. In the role of operational support, where, for example a help-desk or call-center can take advantage of the â€Å"follow-the-sun† support methodology, you can find significant benefit by tying a virtual team’s performance as a team to an SLA, where individuals are working together to answer phones within a certain amount of rings, meet a certain first call resolution statistic etc. This type of virtual team, if lead properly can be a very high-performing team, as their bonuses and overall performance can be tied to these SLA results of the team. Successful Leadership Characteristics of High-Performing Teams Leadership of high-performing teams have been mentioned twice in this paper; once to summarize how difficult it is to maintain high-performing teams, the second to note how to lead a high-performing virtual team. Managing any team is not an easy task. Managing and maintaining high-performing teams is increasingly difficult. Creating and managing high-performing teams is as much an art as it is a science. There is no magic formula that will uarantee team success, nor is there one best way to lead a team (Capella University, 2008). We can define four team leadership skills that will help drive work groups and teams into high-performing teams: 1. Invest in ongoing personal development 2. Provide team direction, structure and resources 3. Help the team manage boundaries 4. Manage the type and timing of interventions The Importance of High-Performing Teams We have shown the significant benefit of creating and maintaining high- performing teams concerning an organization’s strategy and team accomplishment. High-performing teams tend to require less management since the team assumes a purpose as a whole and not individuals. These teams tend to be self-managed, or slightly managed by a leader, more so in a facilitation role than what we know as a daily manager. The most important task of the team leader is to create a work context that inspires and enables the team to do its work rather than directly intervening in the team’s day-to-day work (Capella University, 2008). This is increasingly important to organizations as the economic outlook continues to force reductions in departmental personnel. References Brounstein, M. (2011). Differences between Work Groups and Teams. Retrieved December 5, 2011, from Dummies. com; Making Everything Easier: http://www. dummies. com/how-to/content/differences-between-work-groups-and-teams. html Capella University. (2008). TS5160: Business Foundations (2nd Custom ed. ). Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing. Katzenbach, J. (2005, July 1). The Discipline of Teams. Retrieved December 5, 2011, from Capella University: http://web. ebscohost. com. library. capella. edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? vid=3;hid=119;sid=0579d6ae-2d3d-4908-9971-cea2472130f6%40sessionmgr112 www. leadership-development-coaching. com. (2011). Team vs Group: implications for leaders. Retrieved December 5, 2011, from Leadership Development Coaching: http://www. leadership-development-coaching. com/team-vs-group. html

Line Manager Play Crucial Role in the Link Between HRM and Organisational Performance

According to CIDP definition, line managers are a manager who are responsible for an employee or work to a higher level of management. Generally, their management responsibilities would include people management, monitoring work process and etc (CIPD, 2010). Clearly, it generally be said that line managers are closest to employees and customers and occupy a key role in the general management job of managing people. Guest and Conway’s study (2004) showed that supervisory leadership was the strongest factor associated to organisation commitment. In other words the relationship between employees and FLMs is important in influencing the employee’s perspectives of the support received. Purcell et al (2007) suggest that the employee’s judgement of their FLM leadership behaviour was directed related, where positive, to higher levels of commitment and to better aspects of job experience. Indeed, Winkler said (ND) that if an employee feels supported by their line manager, they will feel engaged with and committed to their organisation. Consequently, this will improve attendance, reduce staff turnover and ensure that employees are willing to ‘go that extra mil’. Furthermore, in the UK WERS (1998) notes that in the handling of employee relations issues, line managers outnumber employee relations specialists at British workplace. MacNeil (2003) reveals that line managers may play a role in capturing employee’s tacit knowledge, which may be able to be transferred in to specific organisational competencies. For example, Lazenby’s research found that line manager behaviour has a significant impact on employee commitment, which has an impact on customer commitment, which has an impact on business performance (cited Purcell, 2003). In addition, some workers mention line incapability in HR as a significant and specific fact contributing to explaining why they left their old jobs (Taylor, 2002). From these perspectives, it is clear to say that line manager play a vital role in HR practices. However, in practice, there is a question arises as to which tasks they see as their priority and what effects the choices they make have in terms of HRM in general, and an employee well-being in particular. For example, they also get pressure on the productivity. Most importantly, they are normally in the lower layer of the management hierarchy and front managers are unlikely to have formal management education (CIDP, 2010). In other words, they seem to lack the capability to implement HR practices well. As they are given the responsibility for performance review, Latham et al (2007) claim that line manager’s training is seen as more important than choice of rating system. It is clear to say that line manager generally lack the knowledge of assessment method for employees, which may have strong impact on fair performance review. However, although there are some questions about the role of line mangers in the HRM, some studies are quite positive on such questions, and note the role of line in making HR strategies ‘come to life’ (Hutchinson and Purcell 2003, Purcell et al, 2003). Furthermore, in terms of HR line managers play as an important role on the implication of not only performance appraisal but also the process of learning and development. Purcell and Hutchinson (2007) believe that line manager’s leader behaviour is critical because their involvement in L&D leads to a wide range of benefits. For example, line manager in the best place to evaluate outcome of learning, both to the individual and the organisation (Wolff, 2007). Moreover, Line manager also be the part of induction training to support newcomer’s settlement. Liden et al (2004) argue that line managers also play a very important for role in socialising employees, not simply by ensuring that they understand the content of the job, but also in bringing them into organisation’s culture and social network in the organisation.

Cultural Identity in the Film American Gangster Essay

Films constitute as the perfect example in communicating cultural identity, the elements such as character, plot, and script pose as effective tools for communicating the film’s message. Much of this can be attributed to the basic premises of culture and communication as two terms co-related in such a way that cultures will simply cease to exist or continue without communication. Likewise, communication of a certain group of people is only limited to the traits distinct to their cultural pattern. In recent years, it has doubtlessly been established that the broad context of cultures is a way of identifying a group of people; this is because consciously or unconsciously everyone belongs to a particular sub-culture or microculture which uniquely signifies him or her from the main culture. For instance, the American culture is divided in to different microcultures considering that the United States is comprised of a diversity of people. James W. Neuliep (1999) defines microculture as a set of common values, beliefs, and behaviour that defines a group of people. The aforementioned values, beliefs, and behaviour also integrate shared histories as well as verbal and non-verbal language systems that are similar to, but methodically differing from the dominant cultural norms. The motion picture American Gangster (Directed by Ridley Scott, starring Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe) concurs with the previous statement of how the cinematic tradition communicates cultural identity. This is, in large part, brought about by the fact that the film contains themes and elements which present traits and values reflected by several microcultures such as race, gender, and socio-economic status. Primarily, American Gangster follows the rise of Frank Lucas as a prominent figure in Harlem’s organized crime and drug trafficking industries. The motion picture is a fictionalized re-telling of how Frank Lucas, following the death of his boss, Bumpy Johnson, gradually monopolized the New York drug trade with marvellous capitalist principles and devised a flawless importation scheme thereby allowing him to sell his good quality merchandise at a more affordable price (Scott, 2007). However, law graduate/street cop Richie Roberts, who is struggling to fight corruption within the force as well as the entire city while struggling to keep his marital life intact, felt the sudden shift of power in the underground crime domain (Scott, 2007). Combining both street smarts and experience, Roberts conforms to the belief that an unlikely individual is climbing the ladder of success overtaking on the prominent Italian-American crime families in the organized crime scene. As such Roberts decides to probe the situation closely giving him promising results which co-incidentally became huge turning point of his crime busting career (Scott, 2007). In a first look, the motion picture, American Gangster, appears to be another boring mobster film, however, the film highlights a character that effectively communicates the notable traits of people from a particular or diverse microculture. Not to be mistaken as a form of stereotyping or prejudice, the character simply mirrors the conventional patterns distinct of the African-American race’s traits and behaviour. Likewise, the character also reflects the conventional lifestyle of wealthy business executives who keep a low profile while running their respective businesses. Blood is thicker than water, so as the saying goes, this is how American Gangster’s Frank Lucas (George Washington) lives his life, both in personal and professional perspectives. Being an old-fashioned person, Frank Lucas’ actions reflect the traditional norms of African Americans, most particularly of the belief in close family ties. Primarily, most members of Lucas organization are immediate blood relatives. Frank Lucas seems to trust his family in running his business above everyone else. In addition, despite the moral controversy surrounding his source of living, Lucas also constantly pays eternal gratitude as a son by prioritizing his mother and escorting her to church every Sunday and never missing a family affair At the same time, Lucas also belonged to the upper class social category considering the depicted extravagant lifestyle he lives and his unique ability to manipulate the underground crime and drug scene as well as some officers of the New York Police Department to his advantage, even influencing established crime organizations and overpowering stable crime factions such as the Lucchese Crime Family and the Mafia respectively (Scott, 2007). Conversely, being the filthy rich drug lord that he is, Lucas is a very passive person in such a way that he refrained from wearing any expensive jewellery and other accessories as much as possible, this is perhaps to keep a low profile and to command attention away from him and his daily operations. . Both Lucas’ race and socio-economic status identify him the most because of how Richie Roberts immediately felt that the sudden change of control over the underground crime scene was brought about by an African-American individual. His socio-economic status provided Roberts with the evidence that he is a major player in New York’s underground crime scene as the ingenious street cop instantly determined Lucas as an elite crime boss even though his identity was not yet confirmed. Moreover, as Lucas frequently reiterated and practiced throughout the film, he upholds the importance of honesty, integrity, and family in his business and his life (Scott, 2007). As previously iterated, Lucas rose to prominence as the kingpin of heroin trafficking and marketing in the Harlem area, thus, he experienced a high power distance level for two reasons. First, Lucas’ became so powerful that he had the capacity to bypass notorious crime families such as the Luchesse and the Mafia. Second is that Lucas stayed kingpin for seven years until he gets finally caught in 1975 (Scoot, 1975). However, like all empires in history, Lucas’ drug empire crumbled in due time. As such, his power distance had a total paradigm shift as he chose to be a police asset in exchange for his freedom (Scott, 2008). Instead of paying his social debt by imprisonment, Lucas embarked on the path of self-redemption by becoming a police informant and helping solve the evasive nature of underground crime and corruption within the force. Frank Lucas being the premiere heroin supplier during the late 60s and the first half of the 70s, lived in a high context microculture, largely due to the fact that most of his leisurely activities reflected the glitz and glamour of high society. Initially, despite the previous statement that he does not wear expensive accessories, Lucas dresses up in a well fashioned manner. Moreover, Lucas has enough funds to witness headlining events and be seated among the wealthy crime lords during main sports events such as the first bout between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier 1971. However, since he kept a low profile, Frank Lucas also chose to live in low context microcultures. One is that he avoided any form of attention and suspicion from authorities during his 7-year tenure as a drug lord. Second is that although he dresses himself well enough to be distinguished as an individual with above average socio-economic status, he does not manifest any means of revealing his financial stability. As a person, Frank Lucas is both an individualistic and collectivistic. This is, in large part, brought about by the identities he maintains both as a family man and a drug lord. Lucas is individualistic in such a way that he took the bold choice of going to the main source in order to purchase the merchandise himself (Washington, 2007). Lucas also appears to have little tolerance for failure despite the fact that his own family is part of the business. On the other hand, Frank Lucas also manifests a collectivist attitude by being over generous to his own family members and business associates. As previously mentioned, Lucas prioritizes family even if his business is at stake. First notable thing is that Lucas uses some of the proceeds from his business to purchase a larger and more suitable home for his mother. Another thing is that Lucas never fails to give provide the main dish for Thanks Giving dinner and although he has temper problems when it comes to failure and excuses, Lucas generally upholds the principles of honesty, integrity, and family. The motion picture American Gangster effectively communicates the cultural patterns of the group where Frank Lucas is categorized during a particular era through the elements and themes integrated within it. Likewise, despite the account that the film is only a fictionalized re-telling of a particular culture, the reality of what truly happened has been extensively established. Furthermore, although the central character, Frank Lucas, belongs to a multitude of microcultures or sub-cultures, strong evidence within the film has once again re-established the principles of co-existence between communication and culture. References Grazer, B. , Whitaker, J. , Zaillian, S. , Pillegi, N (Producers) and Scott, R. (Director). (2007). American Gangster [Motion Picture]. Los Angeles, CA: Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment. Neuliep, J. W. (1999). Intercultural Communication. B, MA : Houghton Mifflin Company

African Women under Slavery

This paper discusses the experiences of African American Women under slavery during the Slave Trade, their exploitation, the secrecy, the variety of tasks and positions of slave women, slave and ex-slave narratives. Also, this paper presents the hardships African American women faced and the challenges they overcame to become equal with men in today’s society. Slavery was a destructive experience for African Americans especially women. Black women suffered doubly during the slave era. Slave Trade The West African Slave Trade was a global event that focused on West Africa. It was the sale and ownership of another human being that was put into slavery. It was a type of â€Å"forced Migration† that lasted 300 years. From around 1551 thru 1850 about 15 million people were brought into the slave trade it is said that roughly 5 million people did not survive, and may have immediately died before making through the shock of enslavement. About 10 million people in the western hemisphere survived and were sold on the auction block. Generations continued into slavery, the offspring was also brought into slavery. The owners liked the idea of their slaves reproducing. This meant their work force would grow without having to spend much money on slaves. About 250 million lived in slavery throughout the 300 years. Slavery was also a traditional part of African society, various states and kingdoms in Africa operated one or more of the following: chattel slavery, debt bondage, forced labor, and serfdom. Ghana, Mali, Songhai were kingdoms that had large economies and supported large populations, they had knowledge of agriculture, and grew many different crops that sustained many people. Because of the West African Slave Trade, These kingdoms were affected by greed and would often go to war and capture prisoners to sell into slavery. The Middle Passage was the journey of slave trading ships from the west coast of Africa, where the slaves were obtained, across the Atlantic, where they were sold or, in some cases, traded for goods such as molasses, which was used in the making of rum. However, this voyage has come to be remembered for much more than simply the transport and sale of slaves. The Middle Passage was the longest, hardest, most dangerous, and also most horrific part of the journey of the slave ships. With extremely tightly packed loads of human cargo that stank and carried both infectious disease and death, the ships would travel east to west across the Atlantic on a miserable voyage lasting at least five weeks, and sometimes as long as three months. Although incredibly profitable for both its participants and their investing backers, the terrible Middle Passage has come to represent the ultimate in human misery and suffering. The abominable and inhuman conditions which the Africans were faced with on their voyage clearly display the great evil of the slave trade. While there was slavery throughout World History, never has it reached such an epic proportion as during the Middle Passage/ transatlantic slave trade. At this time, no one knows exactly how many Africans died at sea during the Middle Passage experience. Estimates for the total number of Africans lost to the slave trade range from 25 to 50 million. The Middle Passage was a term used to describe the triangular route of trade that brought Africans to the Americas and rum and sugar cane to Europe. It was synonymous with pain and suffering. The journey from Africa to the Americas would take as many as 30 to 90 days. Many of the ships were called â€Å"loose packers† which meant that the slaves were not overlapping each other or â€Å"tight packers†, describing the capacity of the slave ship. The smell of rotten bodies thrown overboard lured sharks to the ships route; European countries participating in the slave trade accumulated tremendous wealth and global power from the capturing and selling of Africans into slavery. Originally, slaves were sold to the Portuguese and Spanish colonies in South and Central Americas to work on sugar cane plantations. The middle passage was the worst thing that could happen to African American slaves. For most women who endured it, the experience of the Slave Trade was one of being outnumbered by men. Roughly one African woman was carried across the Atlantic for every two men. The captains of slave ships were usually instructed to buy as high a proportion of men as they could, because men could be sold for more in the Americas. Women thus arrived in the American colonies as a minority. For some reason, women did not stay a minority. Slave records found that most plantations, even during the period of the slave trade, there were relatively equal numbers of men and women. Slaveholders showed little interest in women as mothers. Their willingness to pay more for men than women, despite the fact than children born to enslaved women would also be the slave-owners’ property and would thus increase their wealth. Women who did have children, always struggled with the impossible conflict between, their own physical needs and their children’s need for care, not to mention the requirements forced on them by plantation work regimes. Women’s inability to maintain the pace of work required by plantation owners during pregnancy, their need for recovery time after childbirth, and the needs of their young children to be fed, cleaned, loved, and integrated spiritually and socially into the human community, all brought them into conflict with the demands of the owners and managers of the plantations on which they worked1. Exploitation The slave owner’s exploitation of the African woman’s sexuality was one of the most significant factors differentiating the experience of slavery for males and females. The white man’s claim to the slave body, male as well as female, was inherent in the concept of the Slave Trade and was tangibly realized perhaps nowhere more than the auction block. Captive Africans were stripped of their clothing, oiled down, and poked and prodded by potential buyers. The erotic undertones of such scenes were particularly pronounced in the case of black women. Throughout the period of slavery in America, white society believed black women to be innately lustful beings. The perception of the African woman as hyper-sexual made her both the object of white man’s disgust and his fantasy. Within the bounds of slavery, masters often felt it was their right to engage in sexual activity with black women. Sometimes, female slaves made advances hoping that such relationships would increase the chances that they or their children would be liberated by the master; most of the time, slave owners took slaves by force. For the most part, masters made young, single slaves the objects of their sexual pursuits. They did on occasion rape married women. The inability of the slave husband to protect his wife from such violation points to another fundamental aspect of the relationship between enslaved men and women. The restrictions of slave law and circumstances of slave life created a sense of parity between black wives and husbands. A master’s control over both spouses reduced the black male’s potential for dominance over his wife. Whenever possible, black slave women manipulated their unique circumstances in the struggle for their personal dignity and that of their families. Black women rebelled against the inhumanities of slave owners. Like their ancestors and counterparts in Africa, most slave women took their motherhood seriously. They put their responsibilities before their own safety and freedom, provided for children not their own, and gave love even to those babies born from violence2. Secrecy Due to the sexual escapades of the white slave owners, both white and African American women had to keep births on the plantation a secret. A female slave was never able to say who the father of her child was. In some of the books on slave records, the father of the slave child would not be recorded because the child would have the status of the mother, regardless. If the female slave ever tried to tell who the father of her child was, she could be sent to jail, beaten, sold to another owner, or killed as a result. If a mistress knew that her husband was cheating on her, there was not very much that she could do. In some cases, the white women would make the slave woman work harder, be very rude to her, or even ask her husband to beat her3. Traditions With many diverse women coming from various places in Africa the daily living, clothing, religion and vast personal mile stones like circumcision, birth, and even marriage are handled differently. Beginning from a child where you grow determines the traditions you inherit. Children in rural Africa communities were all seen as sons and daughters of the entire community. After being sold as slaves many families were torn apart, which mean people had to carry this tradition along because there actually family were gone. On plantations every adult was respected as one’s mother or father. Older women and men stood cherished for the fact they were the wisest to the way to survive. One day a week the slave families would be allowed to gather for a type of religious gathering where they were only allowed to praise whomever they worshiped for an hour of the day. Polygamy was also practiced by many of the slaves, either men had many wives or vice versa. This was brought over to the plantations, as it was also practiced in the homeland. Variety of Tasks and Positions of Slave Women African American women were responsible for a lot of tasks that had to be done inside of the slave owners household or fields. Enslaved women were charged with a different variety of tasks such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, running errands, going to the market, plantation work, looking after children, etc. 4. Slavery taught women to be self-reliant, whereas white women were dependent socially and economically on men. On plantations, men and women did equally difficult work as stated before but often they did the same jobs. Not all labor by women was traditionally women’s work, though men did not usually perform tasks traditionally done by women. Women worked in the fields alongside the men, but most of the hard labor was performed by the men or women past childbearing age. Pregnant women and nursing mothers were often given lighter work. Several positions were open to female slaves that were considered skill labor and so quite respected by the slave community. One of these was the cook, who prepared food for the master’s household and for the slaves themselves when they came back from the fields. The other one is sewing. Some women, who knew how, were responsible for sewing the clothes for the entire community and if they were quite excellent, for the master’s family, too. The skill of midwifery was strictly for female slaves, and like cooking and sewing was considered a highly skilled labor. Learned from the mother or another relative (aunt), a midwife catered to blacks and whites alike, and continues to be a prominent job among African American women. Many times, slave women were looked up to for leadership because of their occupation, their age, or their number of children, and the fact that the work done by the majority of the women was done in groups. The existence of skills was respected labor strictly for women, and the control of child and medical care by women points to the idea that black females were able to order their own community among women5. Female Slave and Ex-Slave Narratives There were quite a few female slave and ex-slave narratives written during the slave era. As historical documents, slave narratives chronicle the evolution of white supremacy in the South from eighteenth-century slavery through early twentieth-century segregation. Most of these autobiographies as narratives give voice to generations of black people who, despite written off by white southern literature, still found a way to donate a literary legacy of enormous collective significance to the South and the United States. The narratives portrays slavery as a condition of extreme physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual deprivation, a kind of hell on earth which precipitated the slave’s decision to escape is some sort of personal crisis, such as the sale of a loved one or a dark night of the soul in which hope contends with despair for the spirit of the slave. Impelled by faith in God and a commitment to liberty and human dignity comparable (the slave narratives often stresses) to that of America’s Founding Fathers, the slave undertakes a difficult quest for freedom that climaxes in his or her arrival in the North. The attainment of freedom is signaled not simply by reaching the Free states, but by renaming oneself and dedicating one’s future to antislavery activism6. Additionally, slave and ex-slave narratives stressed how African Americans survived slavery, making a way out of no way, often times resisting exploitation, occasionally fighting back and escaping in search of a better prospects elsewhere in the North. The most memorable of these narratives evoke the national myth of the American individual’s quest for freedom and for a society based on â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. † Slave and ex-slave narratives are important not only for what they tell us about African American history and literature, but also because they reveal the complexities of the dialogue between whites and blacks in America, particularly African Americans. Several women come to mind when slave and ex-slave narratives is talked about. The first being, Phyllis Wheatley, she became the first African-American woman author to publish a book of Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. Another one being Lucy Terry, although her poems was not published until after her death, â€Å"Bar Fights† was the first poem composed by another African American woman. Her poems recalls the popular captivity narrative of the colonial period, in which she recounts her experience in captivity among the Indians, and establishes early on the central role of African American women in American literary history. Also, Harriet Jacobs cannot be forgotten. She published â€Å"Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl†, which is an account of her brutal life and thrilling escape. She describes spending seven years of her life hiding in a crawl space – nine feet long, seven feet wide, and three feet long in her narrative. Two of the most iconic women during the slavery period was Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman. Sojourner Truth is now like a nearly mythical figure who was a strong proponent of equal rights for both African Americans and women, never compromising her struggle for one to gain the other. She was the first to attend the First National Women’s Rights Convention in 1850, where she was the only black woman to be a speaker. Not only was Sojourner Truth a highly visible symbol of abolition on the speaking platform, so was Harriet Tubman. Harriet was a powerful underground force of liberation. She became the most active conductor on the Underground Railroad, returning 19 times and helping 300 slaves escape through the North to Canada7. There are so many more great women such as Frances Harper, Ida Wells-Barnett, Mary Church Terrell, and Anna Cooper that made significant contributions to African American women history. These women paved the way for other great women like Zora Hurston, Gwendolyn Brooks, Jo Ann Robinson, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, and Toni Morrison to make their mark in history. Significant Contributions Based on the research and reading, we can agree that women during the slave era made significant contributions that led to monumental changes in equal rights for women. Women have always played second behind the man which makes it hard to feel equal. Women slaves were the central nucleus that kept families together. The information presented shows that a lot of the families were solely raised by the woman. Black women learned to cope with the problems of raising children without men. Also, because of the experiences of women under slavery, they opened doors for women to have better pay, jobs, and the most important one, being able to vote. Women have made tremendous strides during the abolition era, the feminist era that reemerged in the sixties as a result of the male chauvinism within the Civil Rights, Black Power, and student movements that traces directly back to women under slavery. This courageous history should inspire every woman today, reflecting back on what our ancestors had to fight for, for us to enjoy the liberties we take for granted. In conclusion, this paper discussed the experiences of African American Women under slavery during the Slave Trade, their exploitation, the secrecy, the variety of tasks and positions of slave women, slave and ex-slave narratives; also, this paper discussed the hardships African American women faced and the challenges they overcame to become equal with men in today’s society. What must not be forgotten, is that African American women never stopped fighting against racial prejudices and sexual abuses. We will never know the exact number of slave women who were raped, but their testimonies make us think that almost all of them had been raped. Most importantly, the most efficient method women developed was to speak out about their experiences in order to make people discover this hidden part of American history, and they surely did.