Goldman Sachs Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Goldman Sachs Group - Essay Example Goldman Sachs emerged in 1869 when founder Marcus Goldman founded the company; his son-in-law Samuel Sachs would join the organization in 1885, giving the company its modern moniker. In this early incarnation, the company primarily functioned as a commercial paper manufacturer for entrepreneurs. They were highly successful and joined the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 1896 (Lindskoog). In the early 20th century the company moved into the financial market, a path that would come to characterize the organization. Their first substantial contributions to this market were in terms of managing initial public offerings (IPOs). For instance, they managed the Sears, Roebuck and Company IPO in 1906 (Lindskoog). At the time this was the largest market IPO that had occurred on the NYSE. The next great shift in the company occurred in 1930 when Stanley Weinberg joined the organization. Weinberg’s major contribution was shifting the company emphasis from trading and more into the field of investment banking. While Goldman had suffered a hit in reputation during the 1929 stock market crash, Weinberg had worked to restore much of the company’s brand. One considers a similar parallel with the 2008 economic recession (Lindskoog). ... In 1990 future Treasury Secretary under the Clinton administration Robert Rubin joined the firm. In 1994 he would leave and Jon Corzine would assume leadership; Corzine was proceeded by Henry Paulson, another former Treasury Secretary (Lindskoog). In 1999 the company issued its own IPO, releasing 48% of its stock publicly. Still, the most notable elements of the company occurred in the 2007-2008 subprime mortgage crisis. During this period the company profited on the collapse in subprime mortgages by short-selling subprime mortgage backed securities; this garnered significant questions of ethics (McGee). Still, the company experienced significant financial hardship during the recession and received over $10 billion in government bailout (McGee). The company has a large variety of financial products and services. In its contemporary incarnation the company has three main divisions: investment banking, asset management and securities services, and trading and principal investments (Coh an). The investment banking division involves financial advising; such practices include mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, and avoiding hostile. They also participate in underwriting public offering and private placements of equity. Another division is asset management and securities service. The asset management division offers investment advice and financial planning (Cohan). The securities service includes clearing, financing, custody, and securities lending. The third division is the trading and principal investment division. This is understood as the most developed of the organization’s divisions and operates as the organization’s greatest source of profit (Cohan). This division is divided into the further subsections of fixed income, currency,

Histort Essay on Globalization Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Histort on Globalization - Essay Example The Internet has made products more accessible to people all around the world and corporations are willing to dip their hands in the pockets of other countries. Globalization is basically an effort for a business to provide a product on a multinational effort in search for profit from wherever they can possibly get it, even if that includes having products manufactured for little cost overseas. This then has resulted in a lack of jobs in the United States due to globalization and has ultimately led to an economic downward spiral. Corporations thrive on the globalization of their business, able to make millions and offer their goods to developing companies. Occupy Wall Street is an anti-globalization group that currently protests shipping jobs overseas and keep the work here in the United States. It ks a movement designed to completely protest globalization because they expect for economic movements to stay local within our own government here in the United States. The western worlds currently dominate the majority of the world's economy and the United Nations plays a huge role when it comes to globalization. The United States plays a huge part in the United Nations due to the country being a giant in the corporate and developing realms of business. Alternately, globalization is also impacted on by embargoes that are set up in other parts of the world that can otherwise effect the rest of the world that are unable to trade goods. The economy as a whole is deeply affected in a negative way, particularly in the United States while there is a huge economic crisis going on. The value of a dollar is going down and will also affect other areas in the world and exchange rates which then also effects People on the political left have the tendency to want change while the people on the right wing do not want change. Conflicting visions are typically the topic of most political issues. Globalization is just another means for conflict in politics. It also results in a stru ggle between states. Some states have different resources to offer than others so globalization can effect the local economy as well as the overall national economy. The current Obama administration has the same policy that was passed from the Bush administration. Obama's stimulus package also plays a huge role in globalization not just in the United States, but also in other parts of the world because many other countries rely on the United States. Though it appears that Obama has tried to impact the economy, when looking at the bigger picture, there are still major issues in the United States that lead to unemployment, the middle class is the suffering class, and therefore contributing to the issue of globalization. It may have been a gesture of collective action but it was not quite effective enough or at least Americans are still feeling the burn of globalization's effects. The lack of jobs seems to be the largest sour idea when it comes to globalization, from the perspective of an American. Corporations not only are making money off of high priced items, but are shipping their jobs overseas to be performed at extremely low costs. Additionally, globalization is changing the world. Change does not just make the United States uneasy, but people in other economies do not know what to expect either. As a giant powerhouse of a country, many of the moves of other countries are impacted by the decisions of the United States. 2. The United States is struggling from economic recession and though it is the

Good cancer pain management can help patients feel better Essay Example for Free

Good cancer pain management can help patients feel better Essay Most cancer patients suffer from pain in varying degrees during their illness. The management of this pain and its relationship in improving the wellbeing of the patient is the primary focus of this study. This paper approached the study by researching articles that dealt with pain management from different angles. After critical analysis of these articles this paper will arrive at a conclusion that addresses the research question.   The topics reviewed included: 1. The use of a clinical instruction module (CLIM) for hospice nurses to upgrade their skills (Plymale, M. et al, 2001) 2. The role of cognition in promoting the psychological well being of the patient (Chen, Mei-Ling. 2002) 3. The use of pain management autobiographies to discover how best to deal with pain management (Schumacher, K. et al. 2001) 4. Overcoming patient related barriers to pain management by educating them (Chang, Ming-Chuan. 2002) 5. Providing a description of advanced cancer pain in home hospice subjects to enable the caregivers to alleviate their suffering (Dobratz, M. 2001) The material for this study was searched from the University of Wollongong database of Medline. The key words in the search for journal articles were nursing, research and cancer pain.   Articles were chosen for their relevance to the research question and the findings they came up with. Information that was obtained from these studies enabled the writer to draw important conclusions as concerns pain management in cancer patients with pain. The research is of extreme importance to the writer. I lost my husband to cancer. The trauma we all went through watching him in pain gave me a new impetus to do all in my power to ensure that no other patient will need to go through the same suffering as he did. As I continue to practice, I would like to contribute to breaking new ground in pain management in cancer patients; especially as concerns alleviating their pain and improving their quality of life. Article 1 In an article entitled ‘Cancer Pain Education: A Structured Clinical Instruction Module For Hospice Nurses’, appearing in the journal ‘Cancer Nursing ‘,Plymale M. et al (2001) studied the effect of pain education on the quality of service by caregivers. The research aimed to determine whether educating nurses on pain management will improve their ability to assess and manage pain in cancer patients. A clinical instruction module (CLIM) based on cancer pain management and assessment skills was administered to 25 hospice nurses whose average field practice was 4.1 years (Plymale M. et al. 2001, p. 424).The course involved the nurses going round 8 stations focussing on   different aspects of cancer pain, assessing 5 cancer survivors and one actor. They carried out tests on various aspects of pain management. Prior to and after the exercise the nurses self assessed their skills in pain management using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1(not competent) to 5(v ery competent). They also evaluated the CLIM on a similar scale. (1= strongly disagree; 5= strongly agree) All participants agreed that the course helped improve their competence in the teaching items that were being addressed. The use of patients with cancer was considered more beneficial as opposed to having actors. Nurses that felt competent enough before the course did not perceive any noticeable improvement in their abilities in the post exercise self assessment. This finding is consistent with the view that hospice nurses are more competent in dealing with cancer pain management than those nurses working in hospitals. Those who assessed themselves as not competent indicated a higher assessment of themselves after the course. In a further study conducted among post instruction medical students, those trained using a CLIM on pain management did better than those schooled it traditional methods. (Sloan P.A. et al., 2001, 112)     Ã‚  There is an urgent need to introduce CLIM’s addressing pain assessment and management in the teaching courses for all nurses and caregivers in a bid to improve their skills and service delivery. The more competent the nurses the better will be the treatment of patients in prolonging their lives and alleviating the pain they go through. A significant observation of this study is the competence level of hospice nurses was higher than that of their counterparts. It is advisable to seek their input in developing manuals and modules of this nature as they have first hand knowledge that is invaluable to this area of study. Article 2 ‘Pain And Hope in Patients with Cancer’, an article written by Chen, Mei-Ling and appearing in the journal ‘Cancer Nursing’ (2003) examines the relationship between pain and hope in cancer patients. Hope is a therapeutic factor in the treatment of any disease including cancer. Patients with high levels of hope coped better with the disease than did those who dwelt on the hopelessness of their situation. The hopeful patients on average tended to live longer and had extended periods of remission. This study had three main purposes; i. Examine the effect of disease status on hope levels among patients with cancer who have pain ii. Compare the level of hope between patients with cancer that have pain and those who do not iii. Determine which dimensions of pain are associated with hope (Chen, Mei-Ling. 2002, p.62) The conceptual framework for the study was based on the ‘self- regulation model of coping with health threats’. (Chen, Mei-Ling. 2002, p.62) The main emphasis is on how people cope with their health problems in their own unique ways. Personal beliefs, religious orientation, cultural practises and previous experiences all work to determine a patient’s attitude towards his illness.(Donavan, H.S., Ward, S., 2001, pp. 211 – 216) Any one of the factors mentioned will have a bearing on the hope levels of the individual. The study employed the use of the Herth Hope Index (HHI) to assess the level of hope. It sampled 274 inpatients with cancer at two medical centres in Taiwan. 226 of them finalised the survey and the analysis was based on their responses. The study used Perceived Meaning of Cancer Pain Inventory (PMCPI) to measure the meanings that patients ascribed to their pain. Four subscales were used and these were challenge, threat, spiritual awareness and loss. The findings showed that in cancer patients with pain and those without pain, the hope levels did not differ. However, sensory dimensions of pain showed a link between the bearable pain intensity and level of hope (Chen, Mei-Ling. 2002, p. 65) The findings supported the view that the hope levels in patients were higher in those who were able to tolerate more pain. Perception of one’s pain played an important role in the way one held on to hope. Those who viewed the pain as a challenge were more hopeful than those who took it from a negative perspective. In assessing one’s reaction to treatment, it is notable that the findings showed no difference in hope levels for those patients who were unsure of the effect of treatment and those who affirmed that the treatment was working positively.

The Role Of Librarians In National Development Education Essay

The Role Of Librarians In National Development Education Essay Public libraries are inclusive institutions created for everyone to equally and freely access information for educational, social and cultural development; indeed that is the essence of inclusion. However, this is not true because defining and identifying user inclusion is a difficult task due to the wide range of factors that cause potential users exclusion from using public libraries. This is unfortunate, because the major function of a public library is to meet the information needs of all community members without discrimination. Previous research has shown that librarians usually draw two conclusions about exclusion factors: first, it is users personal preference when they do not use library services; and secondly, inadequate marketing of public library services to the citizenry. This is due to the fact that a public library as an inclusive institution is so ardently incorporated into the identity of public librarianship that questioning the social inclusiveness of libraries rar ely occurs. This paper examines the issue of exclusion, attempts to define the inclusive society, and subsequently makes recommendation on how the librarians can use their professional capacity in service provision to combat the exclusion in the society in turn enhance development. Keywords: Evolving Professional Roles Introduction The term public library first appeared in Latin (bibliotheca publica) as a technical term in the 17th Century to distinguish the general University libraries of Oxford and Cambridge by then from those of endowed libraries (Kinya, 2011). UNESCO (1994) showed its recognition of public libraries when it stated that the public library is the principal means where the records of mans thoughts and ideas and the expression of his imagination are made freely available to all. In its manifesto, UNESCO further directs that the public library shall in principle be free of charge and services should be provided on the basis of equality of access for all persons regardless of age, race, gender, religion, nationality, language or social status. The manifesto declares UNESCOs belief in the public library as a breathing force for education, culture and information and as an indispensable agent for the nurturing of peace and spiritual wellbeing of society. This is in line with Cullen(2003) who define d public library system as a combination of people, activities, events and object resources working together to convert inputs to outputs. Such libraries serve communities with multipurpose information free of charge or at nominal fee (Thompson, 1974). Initially, Tanzania Library Service (TLS), established 1975, succeeding the Tanganyika Library Services Board of 1963. TLS has authority over documentation services, training of librarians public libraries, literary campaigns and it promotes indigenous literature. Public library and Information Access Discussion of the concept of public libraries would bear less meaning if global emphasis on freedom of access to information and the right to information are not mentioned here. The right of access to information is considered as a crucial human right and useful tool for individual, societal prosperity, freedom and development. An informed society exercises it democratic rights and plays a vigorous role in the society. However, productive contribution and the development of democracy depend on acceptable education and unlimited access to thought, culture and information (Kinya, 2011). Freedom of access to information (to use, share and distribute) is a right praised by some as the very core of the information society, and accused by others of being a merely formal standard with little practical reality in a world where the majority of the population does not have access to information (Pateman, 2010). With access to information, people should freely express themselves, since freedom of expression is one of the basic conditions for societys progress and for the development of every man. The effective implementation of freedom of expression requires citizens access to express opinions and to seek information in the public sphere; hence one of the current biggest challenges is to ensure that the exclusive charter of the information society is replaced by inclusiveness. This is something that any popular government in the world should pursue as echoed by some researchers who pointed out that a popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both (Pateman, 2010; Lor, 2003). In support of what the governments should do to realize this dream of developing an informed society, the World Summit on the information society (WSIS) Declaration of 2003 created a vision for the information society. The WSIS defined information society as a people-centered, inclusive and development oriented information society, where everyone can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge to enable individuals, communities and peoples to achieve their full potential in promoting their sustainable development and improving their quality of life. Unequal access to information leads to unequal distribution of wealth and resources in the world and poverty and lack of infrastructure and development at all levels, for example, health and education. Public Libraries thus form a basic information delivery infrastructure and act as repositories of information and knowledge that provide access to information and ideas to people. This may have been the principle behind the Governing Board of IFLA, in its anniversary meeting in Glasglow, Scotland (2002) that declared that public libraries should: Ensure their services respect equity Provide access to information, ideas and works of imagination in various formats, supporting personal development of all age groups and active participation in society and decision-making process Contribute to the development and maintenance of intellectual freedom and help safeguard basic democratic values and universal civil rights Acquire, preserve and make available to all users without discrimination the widest variety of materials; and Tackle information inequality demonstrated in the growing information gap and the digital divide. Social Information Exclusion Information exclusion and inclusion debates have emerged as strong issues at both national and international levels in the recent past. Social information exclusion offends human dignity, denies information seekers their fundamental human rights which threatens the democracy of any nation. According to UK government, social exclusion is a shorthand term for what can happen when people or areas suffer from a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low income, poor housing, high crime, bad health and family breakdown. Social exclusion can happen to anyone either directly or indirectly. However, some people are significantly more at risk than others (Pateman, 2010). Social exclusion refers to needs of groups and individuals who do not have access to services and facilities or to a societys decision making and or power structures and this is sometimes seen as a key policy issue (Pateman, 2010). Rao (2005) suggested that social exclusion can never be contained in isolation but the effort has to be multidimensional and multi-pronged. These dimensions are both technological and economic and include connectivity, content, community, commerce, capacity, culture, cooperation and capital (Rao, 2000). The prevailing discourse concerning social exclusion reflects a set of views about those who are disadvantaged: suffering from poverty, poor housing and health, family breakdown, unemployment, criminal environments and limited life chances, and about the barriers that prevent their social integration. Social exclusion is the result of combination of linked problems and affects both individuals and communities. The causes are seen as multiple and complex, and therefore need to be tackled in a holistic way rather than each being seen as separate and unrelated. It requires joined-up solutions. This means that the Tanzania Library Services must work together in partnership with both public and private organization to tackle social information exclusion. Exclusion has been seen as the inevitable consequence of economic growth and development. Social and cultural regeneration are now needed to address the problems that have resulted. It is argued that social exclusion denies people their f undamental human rights leading to social and economic instability, marginalization and deepening inequalities, which threatens the stability of democracy in Tanzania . Social Information Inclusion In the context of provision of information to all, social information inclusion refers to giving all people access to the information, services and facilities that they have a right to, and making sure that they are fully aware of and know how to take up their entitlement to these services (MLA, 2007, p.9). Social inclusion has various benefits that include: Democratic participation and understanding Provision of information to all members of a society is essential for public participation in all activities pertaining to the society. The public is truly able to participate in the democratic process only when they have information about the activities and policies of the government. When the public knows the reasons behind some of the government decisions, its support is guaranteed and misunderstandings and dissatisfaction are reduced. This was supported by New Zealand Official Information Act of 1982 which noted that freedom of information could not be expected to end all differences of opinion within the community or to resolve major political issues but when applied systematically can lead to narrow differences of opinion, increase the effectiveness of policies adopted and strengthen public confidence in the system (Pateman, 2010). Improved decision making process Past researches indicate that decisions that are made public due to right to information laws are more likely to be based on objective and justifiable reasons. For example, the Australian law reform commission and administration Review Council in 1997 found out that freedom of information Act has had a marked impact on the way people make decisions and record information. The Commission observed that since the enforcement of the right to information to all, decision makers focused on the need to base decisions on relevant information. Reduce danger of human rights violations Right to information to improve the enforcement of many economic and political rights is greatly enhanced. For example, In Thailand, a mother whose daughter was denied entry into an elite state school demanded the schools entrance exam results. When she was turned down, she appealed to the Information Commission Courts. In the end, she obtained information showing that children of influential people were accepted into the school even if they got low scores. This compelled the council of state to issue an order that all schools accept students solely on merit. In addition, access to individual records ensures such records are accurate and decisions are not based on out-of-date or irrelevant information. The right to information has other advantages that include exposing corruption, making government and the economy more efficient; uncover mismanagement of food supplies; making economic shortages less likely; and expose environmental hazards that threaten health and livelihoods. Aspects of Information Exclusion Literacy levels and language of publications Levels of literacy and the predominance of principal world languages such as English as the language of printed and online information are elements of exclusion. Many oral communities are not able to make meaning through interaction with printed resources, and hence are unable to participate in the envisaged information society. Those oral communities consider interaction with information resources as a one way communication system, quite discontinuous with indigenous forms of communication. To tackle this challenge of literacy, TLS, which is the major public library in Tanzania, through various reading campaigns, provides opportunities for communities to enhance their reading and information seeking habits, and therefore sustain literacy. It is clearly known that, an informed individual has more advantages on proper decision towards development issue compared to a illiterate. Physical Access to libraries According to Kiondo (1998) distance from the library is a crucial factor in its use. The nearer the library, the more people will use it; and the further it is away; the less people will use it. Their research on Camel libraries affirmed this when the findings indicated that more users were within a distance of 1km from where public library services were being offered. Many libraries in Tanzania are concentrated in cities and major towns in Tanzania. This leaves the remote parts of the country excluded from access to information that is crucial for the communities to make informed decisions (Jemo, 2008) as an example from Kenya. Over the years, the Government of Tanzania through the Tanzania Library Services (TLS) has tried to eliminate this kind of exclusion by opening community and mobile libraries. Currently, TLS has over 50 branches spread countrywide. However, much more needs to be done because there are still large populations in exclusion that need to be included. Thus, among the 26 regions in Tanzania, there are still many districts where such libraries have not yet been established. It should be noted that Tanzania economy is backed on agriculture, of which are found in rural areas (districts). Challenged Persons The available public libraries in Tanzania were not designed keeping in mind the needs of the physically and visually challenged information users. This disadvantaged group form party of the society that needs information to enable them participate in all areas of national development. They also need to be sensitized more on their rights; something that can happen only if they have access to relevant information. ICT skills Many public libraries today have developed to what we call hybrid type; providing both print and electronic resources, while putting more emphasis on electronic resources due to their ability to be accessed by multiple users concurrently. Inadequate ICT skills and support to use electronic resources is however a significant factor in preventing certain persons from accessing information in Tanzania. Potential information users in many of the disadvantaged groups are often prevented from making use of ICTs because of low levels of computing and technology skills. This challenge is made more complex by attitudinal barriers with some excluded citizens pointing out that computers are for brainy people, for males, for the young and are difficult to use (Muddiman et al, 2001). Others feel that computers are unsafe because of the amount of unsuitable material on the internet (Botha et al, 2002,p. 22). Further research has indicated some disparities between male and female use in ICTs with access to the internet by male counterparts being greater in developing countries than female (United Nations , 2000). This has had serious implications, especially for women in the participation of national and global economic growth. Connectivity Though internet facilities are fairly spread in Tanzania like any other country in East Africa, there is remarkable concentration in urban centres with institutions far remote from cities experiencing difficulties in getting connection (Mutula,2002), an evidence of low level of exclusion with regard to ICT network. Hence appropriate technology for rural and disadvantaged communities is lacking. Even in the areas where communities are connected and have the skill to access online information they face another challenge of low speed internet and limited bandwidth. For example, to open a document to read takes quite a while because of the snail speed of the internet. Funding The planning, executing and implementation of any programme requires considerable financial support. However, the extent of financial support whether at local government or provincial government level in developing countries and particularly in Tanzania, has not always been consistent (Raju, 1995, p.194). Survey findings of the public library sector in Tanzania revealed inadequate funding and the consequential negative impact on important aspects of public library provision (Leach, 1998). A memorandum drawn up by the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) and directed at various ministers noted that the public library services have been steadily declining and deteriorating as a result of legislative and funding issues resulting from restructuring of government at national and provincial levels. Public library funding challenges were further emphasized by Ford (2004) who pointed out that funding is one of the major challenges for public libraries around the world. Without adequate funds, public libraries are not able to acquire enough information resources to meet the needs of an inclusive society. Bridging the Information Gap and the Way Forward Librarians as Information providers can make available a variety of information collections which can be used from various physical public library location. A range of publications and access formats can be accommodated, from remote login catalogues and indexes to provision of electronic copies of entire collection or works, in print or other formats (Muddiman etal, 2001). Librarians have knowledge and experiences to build a well-balanced collection to meet social, political and economic interests of the society. This can be enhanced by giving special consideration in provision of information to predominantly oral rural communities in Tanzania. Librarians need to shift focus on documents and focus on information seekers. Traditional librarianship has been based on selecting materials to fill public library shelves and then wait for information seekers to visit the facility in search of information. On the contrary, in order for the library personnel to effectively meet information seekers diverse life needs, the information services have to be informed by the communities in which the libraries operate, and information needs to be based on regular assessment processes. Repackaging the product of orality is essential considering that communities are rich with information that is in oral form that needs to be captured and repackaged (manuscripts and print) in the appropriate media such as video, digital photos, and tapes in a collaborative and ethical manner. This should be based on the understanding of the communities to which the information service is being provided. Librarians should become researchers to enable them to frequently interact with library users and prompt them to define their information needs. It is the responsibility of the librarian to then prioritize highly relevant information from a pool of interesting information according to user preferences (Kenny, 2002). In addition, the librarian should identify through community profiles and other methodologies such as needs analysis, all groups and individuals that are socially excluded or are at risk of information exclusion for inclusion. Librarians should effectively play the role of a reference and referral information manager. This will involve directing members of the knowledge community to outside information when appropriate and maintain high level information about sources outside the community (ibid). A reference librarian needs to be widely knowledgeable in terms of resources and where they can be found for use and appropriately directing information seekers to relevant information resources. Librarians through their professional Associations such as Tanzania Library Association (TLA) should establish a Council Committee on social information exclusion. This Council would be charged with the responsibility of highlighting the plight of those socially excluded, draw up strategies on narrowing the exclusion gap and come up with progress reports. The Council should actively engage the socially excluded people through involving them in the planning, implementation and monitoring of services through performance indicators and targets to measure success achieved in tackling social exclusion. The image and identity of a public library is also an important factor when discussing social inclusion matters. The connotation of some of the public library names is unwelcoming. The librarian can positively influence this by considering local measures such as renaming the libraries, (for example Community resource centres, Idea stores and many more). This is in line with Ward (1996) idea of changing names of libraries when he pointed out that the term mobile information delivery systems is more appropriate than the mobile libraries.The rebranding of a traditional public library name gives it a new image that is proactive, friendly, relevant and easily accessible environment. Other library practices and procedures should be reviewed to ensure they are not barriers to information access. For instance, procedures of becoming public library members should not be over-bureaucratic. Librarians should also establish more self-help public access terminal to overcome barriers to use experi enced by some excluded potential information users. Librarians need to be careful when planning for new public libraries. Priority should be given to those libraries serving communities in greatest need. Relocation and collocation with community centres, schools, leisure centres and other centres used by socially excluded people should be considered in order to improve the impact of public libraries in tackling social exclusion (Pateman, 2010). Working with neighbouring authorities to effectively deliver services to socially excluded communities may be an appropriate action for librarians to take. Collection development needs to be critically examined to ensure that it is comprehensive enough and relevant to the community which the library serves. The policy should be based on the needs and interests of local potential information users, reflecting diversity of society as well as define purpose, scope and content of the collection (Kinya, 2011). Librarians also need to liaise with material suppliers (writers, publishers, booksellers etc.) to identify the range of materials available for socially excluded people and gaps in that provision. To remain relevant, Librarians should draw up ICT plans outlining how the needs of those excluded communities and individuals are to be prioritized (Jemo, 2008).Take a case in Kenya Mutula (2002, p.3) puts it that wider Internet connectivity can enhance Kenyas economic growth meaning more people spending more time on the Internet and many organizations using the Internet to do business and creation of many technical related jobs. It is therefore the responsibility of librarians to improve connectivity, increase access, through use of multiple competing technologies, public and community access points, and sharing of best practices. Public library human resources should also be developed through ICT trainings, enhanced awareness of decision makers, and expansion of ICT learning opportunities to the rural, poor, and disenfranchised (Wolff , 2005). The Future In the context of a government that wishes to give a higher profile to information access, we need to raise critical questions about policies and the role of information access in reducing social exclusion. The emphasis on joined-up thinking at least recognizes the complexities of social and cultural life, and moves citizens away from over simplistic notions about the causes of poverty, unemployment, racism and other forms of discrimination. Librarians need to be aware of making simplistic assumptions, especially when there is prior experience upon which to draw their information decisions for the benefit of the citizenry. Despite their different epistemological bases, it is possible to be argued that there can be no social inclusion unless there is social exclusion. The elimination of social exclusion as a practical activity is unachievable. Moreover, seeking to promote social inclusion heighten awareness of difference and social exclusion. In this sense, we need to understand that non-exclusion is not the same as inclusion, and that we must avoid taking away the freedom of those who choose not to be included. Conclusion The social information exclusion in public libraries in Tanzania is real. Therefore along term effort to meet the needs of the excluded and vulnerable society with a commitment to improved information structures will contribute to meeting the information needs of the excluded information seekers in public libraries. This will only be achieved if there is improved and well coordinated information infrastructure. Regular information user surveys reviews will go a long way in minimizing information provision exclusion and subsequently increase inclusion of information services and programs. Librarians in Tanzania therefore have a greater opportunity to make meaningful contribution to the realization of comprehensive information inclusion.

Junk Food: Can What We Eat Change How We Behave? Essays -- Health Nut

Junk Food: Can What We Eat Change How We Behave? Ice cream, chocolate, McDonald’s hamburgers, potato chips, and hot dogs, all symbolize a taboo in our society. Honey, wheat germ, fruit juices, and sprouts, take on a certain manna in our society. For years, our society has been involved with a health food movement. We are carrying this movement with us to every new day, every new year, and now into a new century. As we go into the new century, "our emphasis, is on "wellness" and prevention rather than on illness and curing" (Dubisch, 1999, p.325). Nutrition plays a big role in our plan for preventing illness, and just not physical illness but psychological illness as well. As a mother, I know that nutrition plays a big role in my children’s lives. Did you ever look at a child who has just eaten two chocolate bars, a bag of chips, and drank a big glass of soda, to wash it all down with? They are terrible! If my children eat a well balanced diet throughout the day, they are mostly calm and rational children. They are eas y to talk to, and they listen to almost everything I say. On the other hand, give them a little extra sugar and they run around the house yelling and screaming, throwing things, fighting amongst themselves and in general are very anxious and agitated. It is because of this type of behavior that it is important to explore the possibility that junk food does have an adverse effect on our behavior. Bad eating habits not only affect our bodies physiologically but also can trigger psychological problems. One of the ways this has been evidenced is in an article entitled sugar neurosis. In this article it states "Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is a medical reality that can trigger wife beating, divorce, even suicide... ... no hard facts yet. Hopefully more research on this issue will be carried into the new century with us as well. References Burch, M.R. (1992). Behavioral treatment of drug exposed infants: analyzing and treating aggression. Child Today, 21(1), pp. 1-5. Dubisch, J. (1999). You are what you eat. In D.J. Hickey (Ed.), Figures of thought for college writers (pp.323-336). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield. Salzer, M.S. and Berenbaum, H. (1994). Somatic sensations, anxiety, and control in panic disorder. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 25(1), pp. 75-80. Schoenthaler, S.J. (1983). The Alabama diet-behavior program: An empirical evaluation at the Coosa Valley Regional Detention Center. International Journal of Biosocial Research, 5(2), pp79-87. Whaley and Wong, D.L.(1999). Nursing care of infants and children. St, Louis: Mosby, p.871.

Essay on Literacy in Song of Solomon -- Song Solomon essays

Literacy in Song of Solomon    Through literacy will come emancipation. But emancipation comes in many forms, as does literacy. The various aspects of academic literacy are rather obvious in relation to emancipation, especially when one is confronted with exclusion from membership in the dominant culture. Most, but not all, of Toni Morrison's characters in Song of Solomon appear to have attained at least a modicum of literacy. But what part does literacy play in the advancement of the individual, and to what lengths will one go to achieve it?    "But if the future did not arrive, the present did extend itself, and the uncomfortable little boy in the Packard went to school and at twelve met the boy who [...] could liberate him [...]" (Song of Solomon 35-36). So says Toni Morrison of Milkman Dead, the boy in the Packard, in Song of Solomon. The other boy of whom she speaks is Guitar Bains, Milkman's mentor-of-the-street. Morrison tells us little more of Milkman's formal education, but we can assume that he goes on to high school because Guitar is in high school when she introduces him. We do learn that Milkman's sisters attend and graduate from college, but their education isolates them from the rest of the community. In fact, at age forty-four, Corinthians eventually goes to work as a maid and enters into a relationship with Porter, one of her father's tenants, much to her father's dismay. Within the class structure of "haves" and "have-nots," Corinthians finds the "haves" side abhorrent, the "have-nots" side attractive, but she can not cross the socioeconomic line that her father has drawn. She must remain within the paradigm that separates her from the lower, uneducated portion of their society.    Milkman's mor... ...ith the earth and at the conclusion of the novel when he finds he is able to fly. Is the state of super-metacognition he enters during these episodes a metaphor for an inherent attachment to the past? something akin to a shared history? something ingrained and transferred with roots deeply embedded in African traditions? Morrison leaves the answers to these questions (and many others) up to her readers, but it is obvious that Milkman finds more in historical literacy than he ever received from his formal education.    Milkman sees hope for the future through a connection with the past. In a certain sense, he finds emancipation through his relationships with literacy.    Works Cited Middleton, David. Toni Morrison's Fiction: Contemporary Criticism. New York: Garland, 1997. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc., 1987.

Change, Follow, or Get Out of the Way Essay

Change in an organization can be and usually is difficult for various reasons. Much of the difficulty is in the approach used to initiate change and the willingness to stay engaged and stamina to sustain change through to the end. Organizations can choose to lead by recognizing and implementing change, follow in the shadow of organizations leading the market, or get out of the way by standing still and eventually going under. With this said; if change was easily done and successful for every organization there would be no need for change management specialists and years and years of study to establish approaches and models for implementing change. Change would be a natural evolutionary process such as a caterpillar evolves into a butterfly, but it is not that simple. Seemingly simple changes to processes or procedures can cause an unbalance with leaders and employees alike. First the need for change needs to be identified; followed by the proper model or approach used to implement this change. During this paper, I will discuss implementing the Advanced Skills Management (ASM) software change in an organization by using Kotter’s Eight-Step Approach. First it is important to give some background on how organizations are structured specifically aviation squadrons with respect to the Marine Corps. The military branches are large separate decentralized organizations that are controlled ultimately by the President of the United States. Since it is impossible for the President to efficiently manage all branches and all the separate divisions within them, each branch has a leader or CEO. Aviation squadrons are made up of different Military Occupational Specialties that pertain to the type model series aircraft assigned. Each specialty has different responsibilities in the care and maintenance of the aircraft; therefore, requires separate and different training and is broken down into separate departments. It has all the typical levels of management expected; executive managers, middle managers, and frontline managers as well as managerial types such as staff managers and line managers. The Commanding Officer would be considered the CEO with the Executive Officer, Sergeant Major, Maintenance Officer, and Maintenance Training Chief falling into the general manager level. The Officer in Charge of each division would fall into the mid-level and the Senior Marine in each department being the front-line managers. Each has similar reporting criteria, responsibilities, and decision making power as would a civilian organization structured this way. As one might imagine with a military unit it has a mechanistic structure with a high use of rules and procedures, with formal relationships between workers. In regards to the degree of delegation of decision making authority and power the organization is primarily centralized; however, some decentralization does exist to allow latitude in day to day business. The organization I have chosen is an organization I was previously attached. Diagnosing this change falls under the Action Research Model, primary because an outside agency comes in to perform audits looking at our processes and procedures to ensure proper adherence to applicable rules and regulations are being followed and to train or advice on changes required. Through their process they discovered our organization’s documentation was incomplete or not correctly annotated. This probably does not seem like a very difficult change to make considering it is just documentation; however, it does go deeper than simply changing how maintenance training is documented. The Chief of Naval Operations has established goals of seventy three percent MC (mission capable and fifty six percent FMC (full mission capable) as the overall material readiness goal (Aircraft Material Condition Readiness, 2012). When qualifications and training are not properly documented the ability and efficiency of the squadron is impaired causing the organization to struggle to me larger goals such as those of the Chief of Naval Operations, not to mention not being able to execute our Marine Corps mission. This change is difficult to determine if it should be referred to as first or second order changes, because it will and has affected the organization as a whole and for most members this will be a radical change. Within aviation squadrons each member is required to complete training syllabi for each of their different Military Occupational Specialty, ground support equipment, and advanced qualifications. Other training requirements such as safety training, NAVOSH (Navy equivalent to OSHA), Military Occupational Specialty classroom training, and on records of on-the-job training are maintained. All of this information is recorded on paper and kept in each members training jackets requiring large amounts of time to keep current. The first of Kotter’s Eight-Step Approach is establish a sense of urgency to have a pressing importance of action towards addressing issues and without this sense of urgency employees will not be motivated to examine markets and competitive realities needed to identify and discuss crises, potential crises, or opportunities the organization may be faced with (Weiss, 2012). In this instance the sense of urgency or the pressing importance of this change intervention on saving time on administrative actions, providing an efficient process for accurately recording training information for auditing purposes, and using that time on aircraft maintenance to enable the organization to better meet the Chief of Naval Operations goals for aircraft readiness. Also, confronting the brutal facts that training, because of the time consuming process now is not being documented accurately or in a timely manner, sometimes not at all. The goal here would be to help others recognize the need for change and generate a need to act immediately at all levels. To help all levels of leadership see the urgency, showing them the advantages to implementing the software would be my immediate action. First demonstrating the reduction of man hours spent maintaining and updating records. The work performed in military aviation is not measured in by a monetary bottom line as is the case in most civilian organizations. Success is measured by maintenance hours versus flight hours and mission readiness of the aircraft we maintain, so the more man hours saved the more can be spent towards the mission. Second advantage is the ability to standardize training and syllabi not only as an aviation community, but for each platform or type aircraft. This will allow easier transfer of personnel and qualifications from one squadron to another again easing the administrative burdens as well as better audit results. Third advantage is the software will link with the maintenance management system used to record all maintenance on the aircraft. This link will transfer on-the-job training for each member from the maintenance document to the on-the-job training section in ASM again saving administrative time of having to physically write each job performed in the training jacket. Second step of Kotter’s Eight-Step Approach is forming a powerful guiding coalition; done by assembling a team of top-level officers or other key influential members from the various levels with enough power and credibility to lead the changes and encourage these members to work as a team (Weiss, 2012). In the military, changes are often implemented simply through adherence to orders given by superiors. Members roger up and get the job done whether they agree or not, but the reason for change should be deeper than this. Sustaining the change under this type of implementation is very difficult and often does not hold. To be able to form a powerful coalition and convince leaders this proactive change is good and get buy-in both the implementation and the sustaining will be easier. In the case of ASM, it seems being able to demonstrate and show leaders at all levels of the management the advantages to implementing the software would be the first step in getting buy-in from them and to begin the coalition. These leaders will not entirely be those with legitimate power, but include those members whose expertise will also lend credibility to the need for this change. An example of this would be those who are responsible for ensuring training is properly conducted and recorded. Furthermore, to demonstrate how the software will save them administrative time, how it will enable better record keeping, show them the data warehousing to enable easier and more accurate reporting of core competencies, and eventually allow them to focus more man hour time on the mission. Third step in Kotter’s approach is developing a vision; meaning to create a vision as a guide to direct the changes along with the strategies that will be needed for achieving the vision (Weiss, 2012). Vision, or common goal, is something for the organization to strive for. This is not likely to be immediately achievable, but gives employees something to believe in and a direction for the company to focus their efforts (Weiss, 2011). The Marine Corps vision states â€Å"The Marine Corps of 2025 will fight and win our Nation’s battles with multicapable MAGTFs, either from the sea or in sustained operations ashore. Our unique role as the Nation’s force in readiness, along with our values, enduring ethos, and core competencies, will ensure we remain highly responsive to the needs of combatant commanders in an uncertain environment and against irregular threats. Our future Corps will be increasingly reliant on naval deployment, preventative in approach, leaner in equipment, versatile in capabilities, and innovative in mindset. In an evolving and complex world, we will excel as the Nation’s expeditionary â€Å"force of choice† (Marine Corps Vision & Strategy 2025, n. . , pg. 6). The Marine Corps vision mentioned, among other things, being â€Å"innovative in mindset†. Part of being innovative is finding ways to be more engaged in the mission and making sure assets are ready whenever and for whatever called upon. Innovation and change normally bring about efficiency and hopefully savings in either money or in this case man hours. The vision for implementing ASM is to create efficiency through innovation; simplifying indirect mission essential tasks allowing more focus on the direct mission goals. Strategy for implementation would be fairly simple and would require to first receive classroom training to learn basic functions of the system. Next phase would include implementing the system at the organization, which would include loading and entering all required qualifications and training from the paper versions of the training jacket. This would include further over the shoulder training from the company who developed the software to help speed the implementation process. This would serve two purposes; first it would allow members to get further training and confidence in the system by learning where information is stored and second they would have experts available to answer questions and issues during the implementation process to help further personal mastery. Fourth step is for the coalition or team formed in step two must communicate the vision by any means possible ensuring employees understand the vision requiring these team members to model the behaviors needed for the vision and strategies to be successful (Weiss, 2012). The vision will be communicated at every opportunity through emails, meetings, flyers, screen savers, texting, and memorandums throughout the squadron to ensure people are aware. Part of communicating the vision would include leaders receiving the training first to help during the implementation process and to show or be visible to the other members by setting the example using the new software with the intent that they will begin to communicate further to members below them. â€Å"A vision is not a vision if people don’t know about it. Repeat the vision, keep it simple, use metaphors and analogies, spread it in many forums and forms. Above all, lead by example. If integrating EH&S into every decision and business process is the vision, make sure you do it, no matter how trivial the decision. This sends a powerful message to everyone you encounter† (Lawrence & Ruth, 1998, para. 7). Step five involves empowering others to act on the vision. At this stage it is important that members become involved in the change and begin to take ownership in determining the success. Members will have received their training and will be operating the system on a day to day basis. This is where those members that have not bought into the change will begin to manifest themselves. They will begin to create barriers and want to revert back to the status quo, because they are comfortable with the old way of conducting business and where short-term wins will be important in showing them how the system is or will benefit them. â€Å"With the urgency established, the vision created, the guiding coalition and communication vehicles established, give employees the chance to take ownership. Eliminate obstacles that impede progress, such as lack of skills, or people who poison the water against change. Facilitate the use of cross-functional teams and allow employees to push the envelope with fresh ideas and renewed energy† (Lawrence & Ruth, 1998, para. 8). Step six is generating short-term wins to solidify the benefits of the change. Short-term wins with the ASM system would include saved time for the administrators maintaining the system and training records. By now there should be noticeable or measurable results available showing the amount of saved man hours or more than likely a measurable increase in man hours spent on the aircraft maintenance mission. As a result, the aircraft readiness should also be increasing allowing the squadron to reach or exceed the CNO goals. Another short-term win will include improved results on audits related to training management with more timely input of information and better accuracy. This in turn should increase the urgency and begin to create or solidify the new culture of using this system. â€Å"To ensure success, short term wins must be both visible and unambiguous. The wins must also be clearly related to the change effort. Such wins provide evidence that the sacrifices that people are making are paying off. This increases the sense of urgency and the optimism of those who are making the effort to change. These wins also serve to reward the change agents by providing positive feedback that boosts morale and motivation. The wines also serve the practical purpose of helping to fine tune the vision and the strategies† (Kotter International, 2012, step 6, para. 3). Step seven requires consolidation of gains and the production of more change. This is done by using increased credibility to change systems, structures and policies and hiring, promoting, and developing members to further implement and reinvigorate the change (Weiss, 2012). Policies such as time limits on completion of syllabi, testing procedures, and access permissions for example would be generated to better control and further enhance the efficiency of the system. Also those members who were causing the barriers for progress of the system would need to be dealt with in order for the change initiative to continue. Unlike many civilian organizations, hiring and firing employees to better position the organization is not an option. Leaders in the upper levels can be relieved, but at lower levels positions are filled by external agencies and you have what you get and make the magic happen with the talent that exists. This often times is very difficult to juggle putting the right people in the right positions to conduct day to day business, much less initiate change and sustain it; so much time is spent trying to develop Marines. During this paper, I discussed implementing the Advanced Skills Management (ASM) software change in an organization by using Kotter’s Eight-Step Approach. It can be a difficult task to implement change, especially when dealing with the various different personalities involved. Having a plan to be able to create urgency for the change, creating coalitions with leaders, and empowering employees with knowledge can make the change process easier by ensuring employees are a part of and take responsibility for the success. In civilian organizations removing those who do not want to be part of the change is an option; however, in the military setting this is not a likely solution making the idea of getting buy-in from members even more important.