Policy Analysis Paper: Mental Health Essay

Introduction: This paper will discuss the necessity for social policy change in regards to the mental health system (or lack thereof) within the United States as well as internationally. The need for reform is tantamount in order for marginalized groups with mental disabilities to function well-beyond their capacities. An analysis of policy is needed to better understand the challenges that face current social workers and mental health professionals at this time. Therefore, this paper will discuss eight articles that pertain to the social work school of thought, and will be utilized to a great degree in making an argument for social reform. The peer-reviewed, scholarly articles are presented and discussed to frame a basic foundation on what needs to be done, and if these changes are feasible in nature to our society. Since the topic is on Mental Health Policy, it is important to note any biases or hesitations that a social worker may have towards intellectual and mentally handicapped persons, and view this problem with an open mind free from negative beliefs. Looking at this in the broad sense, this is not just a financial problem, nor a personal problem, but rather, this is a societal problem. There are many different ways in which mental health disorders can be attributed to. Crime, drug addiction, and many other factors are linked to some mental health issues. Depression, which affects millions worldwide can be treated through cognitive behavioral therapy. The best way to treat this problem would be prevention, and that is something that the United States, and the world has been lacking for quite some time. It is important to discuss this issue and provide long-term answers now, lest we face more financial burden and social burdens due to our own ineptitude. See more: how to write an analysis paper on an article examples Literature Review: The first article that will be discussed for this analysis is titled Mental Health and Poverty in the Inner City. This piece of literature examines the correlation between the rise in urbanization and mental health problems (Anakwenze & Zuberi, 148, 2013). It is a fact that the number of people who live in urban populations steadily increased within the millennium and is projected to go up in the next decade (Anakwenze & Zuberi, 148, 2013). This article provides evidence linking the rise of the urban population to the growing number of mental health disorders within it. Living in a densely populated area can bring about many factors that can stimulate mental health problems. Noise, pollution, and lack of adequate green space are some of the problems that individuals face within cities (Anakwenze & Zuberi, 148, 2013). It is no wonder that mental health is of vital importance to the urban population, particularly the urban poor. Poverty is a strong characteristic of city life, and thus, it is necessary to see if there is causation between city-life and mental instabilities (Anakwenze & Zuberi, 148, 2013). The article argues that the relationship between an urban environment and mental health problems can be described as cyclical and non-linear (Anakwenze & Zuberi, 148, 2013). The cycle is reinforced through poverty and this can nurture mental illness if not properly taken care of. The authors challenge current mental health policy and advocate for a system that specializes in prevention and treatment across all populations (Anakwenze & Zuberi, 148, 2013). Crime, substance abuse, and other mechanisms that originate from urban environments can have a bi-directional relationship in regards to mental health and urbanization (Anakwenze & Zuberi, 148, 2013). They reinforce each other, causing a strong hold around the community. It is necessary for a new mental health policy to advocate for interventions within individuals and institutions in order to promote such an improvement in urban life. The many mechanisms that cause socio-economic disparities are outlined in great detail within the article; for example, dense and diverse populations, can  cause great stress to the individual (Anakwenze & Zuberi, 149, 2013). It requires a person to be homogenous in their frame for social networking and diversification (Anakwenze & Zuberi, 149, 2013). The advocacy for a better social policy for urban environments cannot be valued enough. The second article, titled: Grand Challenges: Integrating Mental Health Services into Priority Health Care Platfor ms highlights the necessity for integrating mental health care into global programs designed for health. This synthesizing of mental health policy into global health can have a significant impact in the lives of many individuals all across the globe (Patel et al.,1, 2013). The authors state that mental health problems are among the most frequent and disabling conditions within the planet. It is important to have everyone recognize the gravity of the situation and not take mental health lightly, because it is associated with chronic health problems that can worsen over time (Patel et al.,1, 2013). If left untreated, mental health disorders can have a significant impact on one’s self-care and can be linked to increase morbidity and mortality around the world (Patel et al.,1, 2013). Ineffective treatments can also increase the cost of healthcare and decrease productivity at work, requiring employers to cut costs and become ineffective themselves (Patel et al.,1, 2013). Knowing this, it is important to note that effective treatments for common mental health problems that plague the e ntire population can be utilized in order to help those in need (Patel et al.,1, 2013). However, current policies do not allow easy access to such treatments, therefore, reform is needed to make sure that people have access to the treatments they deserve. The authors argue for a more cohesive network for doctors and patients to communicate about mental health (Patel et al.,1, 2013). For example, there are less psychiatrists in the continent of Africa, than there are in the state of Massachusetts (Patel et al.,1, 2013). Even in developed countries such as the United States, primary care facilities are the governing parties involved in the mental health care system (Patel et al.,1, 2013). This does not allow for adequate treatment and can exacerbate problems even further (Patel et al.,1, 2013). The article states that there needs to be integration in regards to primary care facilities and mental health professionals. The next article, Service development for intellectual disability mental health: a human rights approach talks about the population  of people with intelle ctual disabilities (ID) in regards to mental health reform. The authors state that people with intellectual disabilities suffer from major mental disabilities more frequently than their peers (Evans et al., 1098, 2012). Thus, it is imperative to review the current mental health policy and if necessary, change it to better suit the growing need for people with intellectual disabilities (Evans et al., 1098, 2012). The article uses the mental health policies in Australia as an example, appraising the standards set up by the United Nations on the rights of persons with disabilities. The article demonstrates the need for an in-depth analysis on mental health care on a global scale and must understand the paradigm in which mental health policies are shaped (Evans et al., 1098, 2012). They use the human-rights framework as the perspective in which to base all mental health problems accordingly. Public mental health services must be aware of the ever growing number of patients with intellectual disabilities and plan accordingly to suit the needs of t his population (Evans et al., 1098, 2012). In order to adequately perform these services, great amounts of funding is required to create a stable environment in which to get help for mental disorders (Evans et al., 1109, 2012). This is the problem the authors face and recognize. However, they urge to apply more funding into the mental health system because mental health should be higher on the priority for the population than most would realize (Evans et al., 1109, 2012). They see it as an investment into the well-being of the community. Considering the human-rights approach, it is necessary to improve specialist services and apply better social practice foundations to help these marginalized groups (Evans et al., 1109, 2012). Mental Health Parity: Moving Closer to an Effective National Policy states that mental illness is one of the most leading causes of disabilities in North American’s between the ages of 15-44 (Hebert, 28, 2009). Even with this wide and diverse population, the problem of mental illness still goes u nrecognized in the eyes of the public (Hebert, 28, 2009). Thus, the cost of individuals and families, be it emotional, or financial, can skyrocket if left untreated (Hebert, 28, 2009). As with all the articles, the author advocates for a stronger mental health system for children and adults. They discuss the growing inequity of coverage between mental and physical health, as well as the proportion of insurance coverage in regards to mental health (Hebert,  28, 2009). Therefore, it is important to utilize every resource available to combat mental illness, and the burden should not have to be on the sufferer alone. More resources and a better capacity for understanding mental disorders must be initialized and maintained for proper care of individuals in need (Hebert, 28, 2009). Individuals with dual diagnoses of mental illness and substance abuse disorders are rampant and left untreated by the public, increasing crime and social problems nationwide. The article stresses that â€Å"mental illness is as frightening and debilitating as any major physical disorder† (Hebert, 28, 2009). Social workers and advocates for parity between the mental healthcare system and the physical healthcare system have made great strides within the last decade, however there is still much to be done (Hebert, 28, 2009). Research shows that mental health is directly related to physical health, and the equity between the two systems needs to be further enhanced in order to achieve considerable gains within the community (Hebert, 28, 2009). The article, Cultural Access and Mental Health: An Exploratory Study, talks about the rising rates of depression and other mental illnesses in regards to public concerns. The authors focus on twenty Italian regions and the relationship between health expenditures and hospital discharge rates (Crociata et al., 219, 2013). They cite that mental health disorders are growing in an exponential rate and that proper care must be maintained and development of new programs must be issued in the future (Crociata et al., 219, 2013). Well-being deprivation has been discussed in the article as one of the major causes of mental illnesses among the population (Crociata et al., 219, 2013). This increases the rates of depression and other psychological problems and can stem from factors such as poverty (Crociata et al., 219, 2013). In accordance with the title, the authors believe that culture-related programs can produce positive effects to combat these epidemics (Crociata et al., 219, 2013). Well-being deprivation, in particular, is a preventable problem that results from the lack of attention to oneself. It is important to recognize this as a growing problem and something that the public needs to be aware of in order to maximize prevention and minimize contracting other mental health problems (Crociata et al., 219, 2013). Cultural access allows for empowerment of the self (Crociata et al., 219, 2013). These can include going to concerts, or reading books, and strengthens involvement within the community or within the self. It provides a sense of who we are in this world and how we relate to others in a given timeframe (Crociata et al., 219, 2013). Being involved in these activities can stimulate the ability to take care of one’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Thus, advocacy is important in order to allow a greater number of people to be able to take care of themselves through cultural activities (Crociata et al., 219, 2013). Outlining the Scope of Behavioral Health Practice in Integrated Primary Care: Dispelling the Myth of the One-Trick Mental Health Pony, is an article that addresses integrated primary care practices in conjunction with mental health treatments. The authors indicate that in order to adequately prepare for all aspects of health, primary care facilities must be equipped to handle mental health problems (Miller et al., 2013). They conducted a literature review of several research articles to determine the service of behavioral health practices in regards to primary health care facilities. Depression was the most dominant screening and the most likely to be treated (Miller et al., 2013). However, many other illnesses are lacking in proper treatment by primary care facilities because they do not have the full range of services of other mental health care facilities (Miller et al., 2013). This fragmentation care between the two facilities is apparent in society, as mental health problems are still rampant and left untreated. Therefore, the best option is to have primary care facilities incorporate many of the practices of mental health care and in turn, will help those that need medical treatment (Miller et al., 2013). Allowing a collaboration between healthcare practices is empirically supported to add to the continuity of the primary healthcare system. It will enhance and create opportunities for collaboration in order to improve the prognosis of many mental health patients. It is also seen to have a boosting effect on the economy of the primary healthcare system, as more patients  will utilize these facilities more (Miller et al., 2013). If left fragmented, it will lead to higher costs and poorer outcomes and will eventually exhaust those who are willing to help mental health patients and their families (Miller et al., 2013). The authors advocate for integration and de-fragmentation of services in order to help the public. The next article, International and national policy challenges in mental health, discusses mental health in regards to the global health agenda. The global health agenda is a list of health problems that are being focused on in order to better humanity (Jenkins et al., 101, 2011). These goals are backed by several financial institutions and thus, are more likely to have better research and development against these problems (Jenkins et al., 101, 2011). However, mental health is not specified in the agenda, and therefore, are not fully funded and less likely to have results. The authors talk about the World Health Organization (WHO), along with the World Bank, as key players in the financial and global resources that entail such research (Jenkins et al., 102, 2011). They insist that not much attention is given to mental health because physical ailments such as AIDS, or influenza, take a much more precedent over mental health concerns. It is not specified at all in the priorities of the WHO and the World Bank (Jenkins et al., 102, 2011). The WHO and World Bank created Millennium Development Goals in order to have a structured itinerary on research and development against public health problems (Jenkins et al., 102, 2011). However, there are no goals specifically for the quality of mental healthcare, leaving the mental healthcare system to be on the backend of financial funding and backing by these major organizations (Jenkins et al., 102, 2011). The lack of goals presented by the WHO presents many challenges to mental health, including invisibility and marginalization of people with mental disorders (Jenkins et al., 103, 2011). This is a travesty in its’ own right because many people suffer from these disorders with no help or no treatment  available to them. The final article that I will incorporate to support my argument for a better mental health policy is titled, What kind of evidence do we need for evidence-based mental health policy? The case of the Better Access initiative. This article discusses the Better Access scheme of Australia’s commonwealth on health and aging (Allen & Jackson, 696, 2011). While being very expensive, the authors state that the new mental health policy by Australia helps many of its’ citizens by becoming one of the most significant advances of mental health policy to date (Allen & Jackson, 696, 2011). While not perfect by any means, this new policy has helped those with mental disorders attain better prognoses and a higher quality of living as opposed to the previous regime (Allen & Jackson, 696, 2011). The Better Access initiative has raised many positive evaluations from several governmental sources and while expensive, is projected to help even more in the future (Allen & Jackson, 696, 2011). The authors, who are both psychiatrists themselves and do not get money from the Better Access Initiative assess the risks and rewards of this system and weighs in on the future outcome of the new policy (Allen & Jackson, 696, 2011). In summary, they believe that this initiative is a step closer to achieving a better quality of healthcare for those with mentally disabling disorders (Allen & Jackson, 696, 2011). It is important to note that this is a somewhat new system and that there are relatively many problems, however as with any new policy, it is a step in the right direction even with the humongous financial cost to the government. Discussion: I chose the topic of mental health because there are a lack of policies towards such a large problem that affects millions of Americans. I thought that there is no substitution for quality care in regards to mental disorders and disabilities and this is indeed a heavy burden that we place upon ourselves. I am diagnosed with severe major depressive disorder and it took a long time for me to realize what I was doing was out of the norm in  society. Therefore, I have taken great care to advocate for those with mental disorders in order to ensure that they get quality care, myself included, and that we get a chance for a quality of life equitable to those without mental disorders. While major depressive disorder is common among Americans, it is important to note that cognitive behavioral therapy is only available to those who have insurance, and they need a referral to see a specialist in the matter. I know this from experience, and I am deeply saddened to know that not many people are as lucky as me when it comes to medical expenses. I am a United States Veteran, and I am subject to free healthcare services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. However, if it were not for this, I would not be among those who will be receiving help due to lack of monetary and financial backing. I can only imagine those people who do not receive treatment for their disorders. It is truly sad that we live in a world where families can be torn apart due to lack of healthcare and prevention, and we need to focus on this problem now rather than later. I believe that the new Affordable Care Act within the United States is a step in the right direction, however, we must be sure to maintain a strong foothold in regards to mental health. I agree with many of the articles that call for an integration between primary care and mental health facilities in order to accommodate those with mental health needs. In order to do this, a policy would need to be enacted that would combine both healthcare systems into one, with the backing of the American Medical Association among other groups. Many groups may be opposed to this scenario, as this will place a great amount of financial burden among insurance companies. However, in order to do what is right, I believe that we must make great financial sacrifices to help those in need. We need to make the changes now, rather than later to see results. I may not know much about the entire healthcare system, however, I do know that it we are morally obligated as a society to take care of those who are in need of help. Perhaps the materialistic nature of capitalism has led us astray, but I have to believe that people are generally good. If we start to  implement some of these problems as goals worldwide, we can increase the financial backing and research into solving these mental health disorders. Doing this will increase functionality of humanity as a whole, and we will be better able to tackle problems of other natures. When we look at what is at stake, it is easy to gather than many of our problems in society can be attributed to some sort of mental health problem. Crime, drug addiction, and many other factors can be controlled easily with the right treatment plan. I am not saying that this will be the cure for everything, but I do believe that if we take better care of our citizens, then we will gain greater rewards as well. Financially this will come at a great cost, but I believe the cost can be negated by the potential rewards that a new policy will bring. It is up to us to make sure that this happens, because the problem of mental health disorders will not go away if we ignore it. In fact, it will become widespread and until we can find a way to prevent or contain it, then we are only digging ourselves deeper and we will have to involve more financial backing as opposed to taking care of it in the first place. I see it as an investment to the future, because in reality, people are the future, and whether we like it or not, the more functional a person can be, the greater amount of good that she or he can give to the world. References Allen, N., & Jackson, H. (n.d.). What kind of evidence do we need for evidence-based mental health policy? The case of the Better Access initiative. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 696-699. Anakwenze, U., & Zuberi, D. (2013). Mental Health and Poverty in the Inner City. Health & Social Work, 147-157. Crociata, A., Agovino, M., & Sacco, P. (2013). Cultural Access and Mental Health: An Exploratory Study. Soc Indic Res, (118), 219-233. Evans, E., Howlett, S., Kremser, T., Simpson, J., Kayess, R., & Trollor, J. (n.d.). Service development for intellectual disability mental health: A human rights approach. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 1098-1109. Hebert, A. (2009). Mental Health Parity: Moving Closer to an Effective National Policy. Journal of Financial Service Professionals, 63(2), 28-31. Jenkins, R., Baingana, F., Ahmad, R., McDaid, D., & Atun, R. (2011). International and national policy challenges in mental health. Mental Health in Family Medicine, 8(2), 101-114. Miller, B., Levey, S., Payne-Murphy, J., & Kwan, B. (2014). Outlining the Scope of Behavioral Health Practice in Integrated Primary Care: Dispelling the Myth of the One-Trick Mental Health Pony. Families, Systems, and Health, 32(3), 338-343. Patel, V., Belkin, G., Chockalingam, A., Cooper, J., Saxena, S., & Unà ¼tzer, J. (n.d.). Grand Challenges: Integrating Mental Health Services into Priority Health Care Platforms. PLoS Medicine, E1001448-E1001448.

Rehabilitation in Prison Essay

Prison rehabilitation programs are the methods stated by criminal justice authorities to keep prisoners away from committing further crimes. Previously, the purpose of such programs was to improve the character of prisoners but now it has been directed towards complete avoidance of crimes. These programs assist criminals to start new life free from criminal activities. There are several methods or disciplines of prisoner rehabilitation (Cartmell, 2011). Some prisons are into the faith-based prisoner rehabilitation wherein religion is used to encourage inmates to adapt some moral values. There are also prisons, which practice the nonreligious and nonmedical approach to prisoner rehabilitation. Some of their programs last for about six to eight months. This program does not use alternative drugs for its drug rehabilitation module, and the costs are extremely low compared to the other prisoner rehabilitation programs that use drugs and acquire the services of third party counselors (Cartmell, 2011). Although prisoner rehabilitation does not guarantee that a prisoner is release on the due date, if he or she will then follow a life of crime any longer, at least it will give him or her new perspective on life. It will ensure that prisoners do not go out with the same attitude they had when they came in (Cartmell, 2011). It will change their lives and give his or her hope that there is life waiting for them outside the prison walls. Parole is the discharge of an inmate, previous to the expiration of the inmate’s court-imposed sentence with a period of supervision to be successfully completed by observance with the conditions and terms of the release agreement ordered by the Commission (Christensen, 2003-2011) . The decision of the commission to parole an inmate shall represent an act of grace of the state and should not be considered a right.  There are several differences between parole and probation. Most of the misunderstanding regarding the words is that probation officers may also be called parole officers. Probation is part of a sentence for committing a crime. The judge decides how much time a person must serve in jail guided by the laws of the state and how much time after incarceration is spent on probation. Sometimes a judge will only sentence a person convicted of a minor crime to one to several years of probation (Christensen, 2003-2011). Although on probation, a condition of the sentence may be to have weekly or monthly meetings with a probation officer. The other conditions may be applied to probation (Christensen, 2003-2011). A person may not be able to drive, or might have a curfew. He or she must also not commit further crimes whereas on probation, or the probation may be violated. This empowers the courts to send the person to jail to serve the length of the original sentence, and to serve any additional time for new crimes. Parole, on the other hand, is granted to the individual placed in jail. With many crimes sentencing has a maximum amount of years imposed. These years in jail however can be shortened if the person convicted of a crime behaves well in prison. After a time, a person in prison â€Å"comes up† for parole. The decision to grant a person parole is made by a parole board. If the person has done well in prison, and early release is not contested, the parole board can shorten prison time. There is superior motivation to parole nonviolent offenders because many jails are overcrowded. When a person receives parole, he or she is often bound by many conditions. The violation of parole means going back to prison to serve out the rest of one’s sentence. When someone is on parole is quite similar to experiencing probation. One expects a greater degree of supervision and is bound by the parole board or the court to behave in an exemplary fashion (Christensen, 2003-2011). Probation is given as part of judge’s sentence during a trial. Both impose conditions on the person’s continued behavior. Violation of these conditions can result in serving some or serving more jail time. The Community Corrections Division supervises offenders who either been confined in a county jail or prison for felonies, convictions of more than a year, or sentenced to direct supervision in the community (Mangino, 2006) . Most offenders have conditions of supervision.  These conditions guides by public-safety considerations and engage each offender in programs to reduce their likelihood of re-offense. Offenders report to Community Corrections Officers and depending upon the offender’s history or crime is prohibited from acquiring contact with minors or victims. They’re also required to submit to urinalysis testing and to participate in substance abuse treatment programs. A range of sanctions imposed for noncompliance, up to and including jail time. The purpose of community corrections has many good reasons, overcrowding in jails and prisons can be greatly reduced, a person can remain a productive member of society and still serve his or her sentence. The risks involves with anything, the court must take those into consideration before placing someone in a diversion program, minor drug offenses are being dealt with in this fashion and in a number of cases proving to be successful in doing so (Mangino, 2006) . In deciding on the release from prison of a life sentenced prisoner, the Minister will always consider the advice and recommendations of the Parole Board of Ireland (Mangino, 2006) .The Board, at present, initially reviews prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment after seven years served. Prisoners serving very long sentences, including life sentences, are normally reviewed on a number of occasions over a number of years before any substantial concessions recommended by the Board (Mangino, 2006) . The final decision as to about a life sentenced prisoner is release solely with the Minister. The length of time spent in custody by offenders serving life sentences can vary substantially. Of those prisoners serving life sentences released, the average sentence served in prison is approximately 12 years. However, this is only an average, and there are prisoners serving life sentences in Ireland who have spent in excess of 30 years in custody. In conclusion, criminal experts believe the need for prisoner rehabilitation programs so that cases of prisoners won’t continue. Although prisoner rehabilitation does not guarantee that a prisoner, or that he or she will not follow a life of crime any longer, at least it will give him or her new perspective on life. Prisoners serving very long sentences,  including life sentences, are normally reviewed on a number of occasions over a number of years before any substantial concessions recommended by the Board. The final decision as to about a life sentenced prisoner is rests solely with the Minister. Criminal experts believe the need for prisoner rehabilitation programs so that cases of prisoners re-offending will be pointed. The length of time spent in custody by offenders serving life sentences to a large extent. References Christensen, T. (2003-2011). Conjecture Corporation. : Mangino, Mathew ProQuest Newspaper Database. , p. (2006, December 6 Cartmell, P. (2011). Rehabilitation

Types of Unethical Behavior of Salesperson Assignment

Types of Unethical Behavior of Salesperson - Assignment Example First and foremost, the notion of PSIs is one that has been investigated for over fifty years and probes to pose a conflict in the arenas ob business and direct sales. PSIs are exactly what they sound like: they are incentives offered by manufacturers to salespeople. These incentives serve to encourage the salespeople to promote certain products often to the neglect of other competing products. One can clearly see the ethical dilemma posed by PSIs as they are sometimes equated to bribes in that their underlying purpose is to motivate the compensated salespeople to offer advice to a customer that might contradict their true feelings on the product as well as illicit a recommendation that might not have necessarily occurred in the absence of the incentive. If a salesperson is charged with the responsibility of selling a full array of products, how can he/she is good conscious sell products to a client who may be inferior or may not necessarily meet the requirements requested by the cus tomer Additionally, how are we to justify the bias that the presence of PSIs introduces into the selling process. This raises a very prudent concern in that the stakeholders may be given an inaccurate picture of the quality of the product through the use of deceptive sales practice (Radin & Oppenheimer, 2002). Another ethical issue raised within the field of sales is the notion that many salespersons are obligated to sell all of the products carried by a store. In some instances, the salesperson is aware of the fact that the product could possibly pose harm to the customer. In the course of a sale, the customer may reveal information to the salesperson which indicates that the product may not be good for the customer. For example, if a customer reveals that he/she suffers from a bad back and would like to purchase a sofa. The store may have only one sofa that fits the customer's need but it may be inappropriate for his/her bad back.  

Core Competence of Sharp Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Core Competence of Sharp Corporation - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that there were abundant literatures providing theoretical and empirical support justifying that competitive advantage is derived from imperfectly tradable, imperfectly substitutable and valuable assets. The idea of portfolio approach encouraging diversification into unrelated areas that flourished in 1960s and 1970s lost its fervor to RBV approach advocating diversification into related areas. RBV approach also was critical of multi divisonalisation of a large company that led to corporate fragmentation and short-termism undermining the development of core competencies and innovations. Core competency exploitation led to vertical integration in large companies to achieve competitive advantage. But of late vertical disintegration is being attempted in the globalization tendencies which offer wide opportunities to delegate to external suppliers with highly specialized expertise resulting in more pronounced core competency approach for the given company. As the paper highlights Hammel and Prahalad in their book â€Å"Competing for the future†assert that companies should look forward to the share of future opportunity share rather than current market share. They say that successful enterprises will reshape their industries rather than themselves by building upon their unique core competencies without building upon current product lines and that this will lead to creation of new competencies. They advocate new strategy which requires four approaches namelyunderstanding of the shape of future competition; process by which to gauge tomorrow’s opportunities; energizing the company from top-to-bottom to prepare for the future; and   overtaking the competitors and arrive at the future first without assuming undue risks.  

Privacy and Internet Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Privacy and Internet Policy - Essay Example Identity theft is not a new happening. It has been around for ages now and have transformed from using the names of deceased people for voting or turning to crime that is against the social welfare. The surge of pre-approved credit cards, pre-approved loans and unsolicited credit card checks along with the ease of accessibility and reach of the Internet has made identity theft a crime that can fool anyone and lead to overwhelming financial costs for the victims (Stanley, 2008). James Moor (2009) observes that a policy vacuum exists regarding the usage of computer technology. The increased range of opportunities that computers provide also necessitates the development of more comprehensive policies to guide actions. Advancement in technology has given rise to greater vulnerabilities in the security of systems; this has been the case for websites too. Due to the chances of access by unauthorized agents, websites often develop web privacy policies. Internet policies can be used by a num ber of bodies ranging from companies and schools to web based sellers and vendors. Regardless of how dedicated or vaguely controlled the web servers, the level of risk that these bodies are exposed to and their adherence to an Internet privacy policy is not the same. If companies do not observe a concrete security system for the protection of information, then the gap between the intended level of security and identity theft protection system is widened and manifests itself when a security breach occurs. It needs to be emphasized that the range of attacks and risks to the system from outside sources is very diverse and complicated. Web-based attacks such as identity theft, common gateway interface code etc lead to drastic consequences internal intrusion, receipt or dissemination of a malicious code, decrease in the security fortressed by network security procedures and misrepresentation and authentication problems. Moreover if a system is exposed to high levels of internet identity theft, people would not trust the system anymore (Vacca, 2003). There are various measures that are employed to protect the web sources from intrusions and identity theft. According to Vacca (2003) one of this is the development and effective enforcement of an Internet policy which is meant to cover and develop management, usage and processes associated with configuration in the context of identity theft protection. Internet service providers should take into account the privacy legislation policy and should be able to not only understand it but also comply with it. Vacca argues that one of the best practices for online identity theft protection is openness, for which companies need to make identity theft policies and practices mandating the management of personal information in an open yet responsible manner. The website of the company should encompass an accurate and comprehensive identity theft policy. In particular, the privacy policy should coherently divest the responsibilitie s of organization as well as the information practices. The government places great emphasis on the protection of financial businesses, workplaces etc against identity theft. A privacy policy serves three main purposes. It tells the user about the information and security policies of the company. It gives the consumer information about the range of options that he has

Science and Scientific Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Science and Scientific Change - Essay Example I regard Kuhn’s contribution to the field as one of the most important, not because I think he’s correct, but because it radically changed the way people think about the nature and purpose of science. Before Kuhn, philosophers generally regarded science as a rational and logical enterprise, with strict standards that guaranteed objectivity. What Kuhn shows, in his The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1970), is that science, as well as scientific change, is not as rational as we think. Scientists themselves are guided not by a set of objective principles, but by their personal interests and values as much as anything else. Many philosophers and scientists have criticized Kuhn for portraying scientific change as an irrational process, one of them being Imre Lakatos. In this paper, I shall focus on the debate between Kuhn and Popper, as emphasized by Lakatos in his Falsification and The Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes. I shall divide this paper into four main parts: the first part will discuss Popper’s views on science and scientific change. Part two will be devoted to Thomas Kuhn’s analysis of the irrationality of science and paradigm shifts. The third part will synthesize the Popperian and Kuhnian debate. Here I will introduce Lakatos’ critique against Kuhn. Finally, I shall end my paper with my conclusion regarding the said issue at hand. Karl Popper What is the main difference between scientific theories and non-scientific theories? This is often referred to as the demarcation problem, which asks, what criterion can we use to distinguish scientific claims from non-scientific claims? What demarcates science from non-science? This is Karl Popper’s most renowned contribution. Yet what solution did Popper offer to his said problem? Popper’s solution to the demarcation problem is really quite simple. He says that what distinguishes scientific claims from non-scientific ones is its falsifiability. Thus, a hypothesis is scientific if and only if there is some way in which it can be falsified by means of some experiment. If we cannot construct an experiment, which can potentially falsify a hypothesis, then the hypothesis, even if meaningful, is really not scientific. In line with these two theories that are foundational to Popper’s philosophy, it is clear that Popper views science as a rational enterpri se, where theory-change is characterized by scientific progress. According to Popper, science changes through a two-step cycle. Stage one is conjecture, and the second stage is attempted refutation. Under the stage of conjecture, a theory is proposed as an attempt to solve the problem at hand. The theory is then put to test by attempted refutations. Attempted refutation occurs when â€Å"the hypothesis is subjected to critical testing, in an attempts to show that it is false† (Godfrey-Smith 61). Moreover, Popper notes that after the hypothesis is refuted, the process repeats again starting from a new conjecture, and so on and so forth. If the theory is corroborated, then it is temporarily accepted as un-refuted, but not justified. What is important to take note of here is that as the process

Short story Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Short story Critique - Essay Example The point of view in this story is that of a third person. This is because the narrator is an unnamed entity, who conveys the story without being an actual character (Rasley 21). It is the best point of view, since this is a fictitious narrative. There is dialogue from the story, such as that between young princess Mali and her mother Viutiv, this conversation, and others contained therein help in guiding the reader through the series of events that led to the Mali Kingdom’s downfall. The dialogues also suit the characters properly, for instance when the foreign prince states â€Å"Tell them how you pillaged and raided defenseless Oaungbre towns, laying waste to man, woman, and beast alike†, it is a clear indicator that he is speaking from a place of anguish and anger. The writer is articulate, making it easy to identify characters speaking at all times. The ending, just like the beginning is equally captivating and undoubtedly makes one want to read about other vengean ce plans the prince had for the royal family and Mali as a whole. It is difficult to discern weaknesses in this story, owing to the clear expression of ideas by the writer, and in a smooth flowing manner. Nevertheless, making the narrative more dramatic would intrigue readers even further; it would also be advisable for the writer to show how the royal family interacted with common civilians prior to the downfall. This would help the audience to identify and sympathize with the main character. A Thin Line The title of this story easily capture’s a reader’s attention. The beginning also introduces an aspect of curiosity among the characters, which translates to curiosity among readers as well. The presence of police and ambulances, as indicated by the flashing lights and... The title of this story easily capture’s a reader’s attention. The beginning also introduces an aspect of curiosity among the characters, which translates to curiosity among readers as well. The presence of police and ambulances, as indicated by the flashing lights and hovering onlookers gives the impression that an injurious crime must have taken place, and it is only natural to ponder over these events. However, the story lacks a smooth transition into the narration of events that occurred months earlier culminating in the beginning scene. The point of view is that of a third party since the narrator is uninvolved and unnamed. This story has numerous dialogues such as that between a character named Alexis and her mum. It is also difficult to tell the person speaking, an excellent illustration of this obscurity being the statement â€Å"Hey, just ignore her. Please Kevin everyone is having a good time and it has been more than two months since you guys broke up. You n eed to just move on and leave Jamie alone.†

Letter for parntes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Letter for parntes - Essay Example This compares to a national average of 5/9 in these categories overall. 3) In the ‘Total Reading’ area your child scored the highest on the subtest of ‘Reading Vocabulary’ with a raw score of 27/30, and in ‘Reading Comprehension’ scored a total of 46/50. The student’s lowest score was ‘Sounds and Prints’ where they had a raw score of 26/30. 4) In the ‘Total Mathematics’ subtest, the student did the best in ‘Concepts & Problem-Solving’ with a raw score of 34/40, and the lowest result was found in ‘Computation’ with a raw score of 24/30. 5) This Management Aptitude Test (MAT) evaluates the performance of the student, the class, and the school in comparison with national averages. This testing is conducted in accord with the Ohio State Department of Education standards. 6) As teacher of the student, my personal assessment of these scores in relation to her performance in class is that †Å"Mary† is one of our best students and consistently ranks in the upper percentile of the class in most subjects. She is very strong in math and reading, but could benefit with more time improving her computer skills. I am available during the Parent-Teacher Conferences and also after school hours to discuss any questions you may have about these test results.

Shopping Mode Choice Essay Example for Free

Shopping Mode Choice Essay This study aims to explore how consumers evaluate these time attributes; i. e. the value of time, when they are facing a shopping mode choice between physical store shopping and e-shopping. For this purpose, it conducts an experiment to acquire data on respondents’ stated preference choices between physical bookstore shopping and online bookstore shopping. It is finally found that the value of delivery time for a purchased book from an online bookstore to a consumer is approximately $0. 53 per day, which means an online bookstore will have to lower a book’s price by price by $0.. 53 to attract a physical bookstore shopper if the delivery is delayed for one day. It is also found that in terms of monetary values, avoiding a shopping trip produces far more benefits than bearing waiting for the delivery of books for an online purchase. Keywords * E-shopping; * Shopping mode choice; * Stated preference experiment; * Value of travel time; * Value of product delivery time 1. Introduction In the past decade, the way people shop has dramatically changed. Besides shopping at physical stores, with the aid of information and communication technologies (ICT), consumers are able to shop via the Internet. This new type of shopping mode, coming in different names like e-shopping, online shopping, network shopping, Internet shopping, or Web-based shopping, featuring in freeing consumers from having to personally visit physical stores, is anticipated to greatly change people’s everyday lives. Such a high anticipation towards e-shopping has provoked multitudinous studies on this topic. Most of the existing literature, however, has focused on the advantages and disadvantages of Internet marketing. Such a psychological perspective has been widely adopted in the marketing and information management areas in particular. Comparatively, very little of the existing literature has concerned about how consumers make the choice between e-shopping versus store shopping ( [Lee and Tan, 2003]  and  [Farag et al. 2007]). One of the reasons for this may be attributed to the intricate nature of the shopping activity. It has been widely recognized that shopping activity is conducted not only for the goal of goods acquisition. The appeal of traditional store shopping is multifarious, including social interaction, entertainment, movement, and trip chaining (Mokhtarian, 2004). Much of the appeal cannot be easily displaced by e-shopping, making traditional store shopping still quite competitive over e-shopping. In a conceptual analysis of the transportation impacts of B2C e-commerce, Mokhtarian (2004) reviewed the comparative advantages of store shopping and e-shopping, and conclude that neither type uniformly dominated the other. Because of such an intricate nature of shopping behavior and the relative dominances of e-shopping versus store shopping, modeling the relationships between these two shopping modes has been not an easy task. The referable literature on this issue, from Koppelman et al. 1991) who modeled consumers’ choices between store shopping, catalog shopping and teleshopping, Lee and Tan (2003) who developed an economic model of consumer choice between on-line and in-store shopping, to Farag et al. (2007), who applied the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique to model the relationships between e-shopping and store shopping, is appreciably limited. This motivates this study to address the choice behavior between e-shopping versus store shopping rather than e-shopping alone. Another noticeable point at issue is how ICT leads to changes in the allocation of individuals’ time and money resources. It is generally believed that the ongoing advancement of ICT is leading to a reorganization of activities in time and space (Lenz and Nobis, 2007). The ‘fragmentation’ concept introduced by Helen Couclelis means the interruption of one activity by another and the subsequent continuation of the former enabled by the use of ICT (Lenz and Nobis, 2007). This then leads to increased transport demand, as activities are no longer imperatively bound to particular times and/or particular places (Lenz and Nobis, 2007). For instance, e-shopping could lift the time and space constraints of the shopping process, leading ultimately to a fragmentation of the shopping activity in time and space ( [Couclelis, 2004]  and  [Farag et al. , 2007]). Such a ‘fragmentation’ of activities should end up leading individuals to reallocate their time and money resources, and eventually change the way they value time. This motivates this study to address the role time and cost attributes play in consumers’ shopping mode choice behavior. For shopping activities, two fragments of time may be worth exploring further. First, e-shopping frees consumers from having to go in person to the shopping place, and as a result saves them travel time. Second, e-shopping requires consumers to wait for the product delivery after online purchases, and as a result generates waiting time for delivery (or product delivery time).

The Main Drivers Stimulating Globalisation Essay Example for Free

The Main Drivers Stimulating Globalisation Essay The following essay looks at the main drivers stimulating globalisation and how they impact on global strategies. Globalisation is about the increased interaction and linking of world societies and there economies. The world economy is now more closely linked than ever through global markets and the global organisation of the production of goods and services. â€Å"Globalisation is a process in which the world appears to be converging economically, politically and culturally. Globalisation is seen by many as a fundamental change where national borders become irrelevant, a process accelerated by development in information and communications technology. † (Needle, 2004) The first and probably the most important driver stimulating globalisation is the triumph of economic neo-liberalism with regards to changes in government policies. Neo liberalism is a set of economic policies that have become widespread over the past 25 years or so. These economic policies have on the whole been looking at reducing barriers to the movement of goods, services and capital across national borders. Many people believe the most important being the reduction of government created barriers to trade such as tariffs and quotas(GATT/WTO) which in the past would have minimised and stifled international trade. These changes in government policy interventions saw an increase in the moving from government controlled systems/business’s to privately run business’s that are run for profit which really kick started competition within the market. Due to these reductions in barriers to trade and tariffs business’s can look at the world as one big global market, they can export and import goods for a minimum cost, they can base production at a location to optimise production and therefore lowering costs(greater economies of scale) and they also have a greater access to cheaper raw materials in order to become more cost efficient. Another driver is the vast and growing spread of international governance and regulations, this being vaster regulations across many countries . This move from shallow to deep integration has seen regulations become more standardised across a variety of countries, has lowered barriers and resulted in more cross border activity. A linked world economy has been made much easier by the agreement on global standards , there are many global and regional organisations such as the UN,WTO and the EU that have contributed to this process of standardisation. If we take the EU this is a political economic community of 27 member states located in Europe. The EU has created a single market through the standardisation of systems and laws which apply in all member states, this guarantees the freedom of movement of people, goods services and capital. These type of policies and regulations have really drove globalisation as it is now easier to trade in different countries, source materials, get funding and recruit people from these countries as workers. This can lead to companies maximising production as they have a greater amount of skilled labour to choose from. They can also cut costs as they can recruit and pay foreign workers at minimum levels. The regulation of laws on things such as product quality has also had a great effect. Organisations can now buy materials from certain countries cheaply knowing they have to be of a certain quality dictated by EU law, this makes the market more accessible and global. The emergence of worldwide financial markets and better access to external financing has had an impact on globalisation. The additional trade and investment generated by globalisation required a greater financial mobility which was helped by the removal of restrictions on the movement of capital through banking, stock markets and the WTO. This made it easier for companies to source financial backing anywhere in the world making the idea of trading internationally far more appealing to many organisations. In addition to consumer goods financial goods such as foreign exchange, shares and insurance are now also traded globally. New stock exchanges have been created and emerged around the world in order to meet this expansion of global trade in the financial sector. It has been thought that much of the cross border activity that occurs now is flows of financial capital. Although this is good for investors and means companies can get funding and investment from throughout the world so much easier now it also has its drawbacks and can lead to a crisis within economies. This was highlighted in the financial crisis that hit Asia in 1997, Asia as an economy was growing which attracted many investors to invest money within various area of the Asian economy at that time. When the economy slowed and there was rumour of a crisis many investors withdrew leaving the economy and many business’s in financial ruin. Technological advancements and innovations have effected globalisation as the world now has become a smaller place, things are now readily available and accessible throughout the world wherever you are. The world economy is now networked electronically through innovations in transport particularly in air travel and communications. People and businesses can now contact each other quickly and efficiently throughout the world through the internet, e-mail, telephones etc so wherever the company is situated they can contact each other at minimum costs. Advancements in transportation have had a major influence on companies going global. They can now transport goods and bring in raw material from all over the world quickly, efficiently and at a minimum cost. This is down to transportation speed and the ability to get access to quicker methods of transport now than in the past. Aeroplanes can now transport goods anywhere in the world quickly and cost effectively. In the past companies could only source and get goods locally as these methods of transport weren’t available or feasible. We can see that such developments in transport and communications have made the movement of people, goods, money and services much easier and have really been a major influence in globalisation and its attractiveness. The final driver of globalisation is social and cultural convergence there is now an increased circulation of people of all nations around the world due to there being fewer restrictions on travel etc. People want and will search for global products as everything is now more accessible. There has been a change in individual tastes and preferences which are in the direction of favouring greater choice in the range and origin of goods and services. This is attractive for firms as they no there are potentially profitable international markets that want there products. There has also been a change in cultures there has been a growth in cross-cultures. People have the desire to enjoy foreign products and ideas, adopt new technology and have a real desire to participate in a world culture. This has lead to a change in peoples values, collectivism is being replaced by individualism in many countries, they are changing more from traditional societies to more modern ones which increases demand for international products from other countries. There are various types of strategies that an organisation can implement that are also influenced by the main drivers stimulating globalisation. The first and most simple would be a home replication strategy this is when a firm takes the strengths of the business and looks to replicate that in the international markets that they want to move into. This strategy is usually more popular with smaller business that target a niche market, they look to expand into other markets and target niche markets within that market. The multi domestic strategy which is the strategy most firms take assumes that consumers needs and wants differ from country to country. To become competitive in these markets they tailor there product and operations to suit that country. The power within the organisation is de-centralized to strategic business units in each country and power is given within these business units to managers to make decisions in that particular country. The main driver behind this strategy is the varying cultures between countries in the world. It would not make sense to sell certain products in countries that have strong feelings against the product and will not purchase it. The best way to become competitive in these markets is to differentiate your product within that country. E. g. McDonalds not selling beef in India as they do not eat beef and selling chicken instead is a prime example of a multi-domestic strategy. The Global strategy is based upon the idea that consumers want the same things wherever they are in the world. Within this strategy the organisations products and services are the same across all markets throughout the world. This design is based upon the worldwide centralisation of decision making and control at the headquarters of the organisation. It is the head office of these companies that make all the key decisions regarding production, marketing etc and tell the head of the strategic business unit in each country what to do, the only decisions they make are with regards to the legal side of the country the company are doing business in to make sure they are working within the law. If done well this strategy can allow the organisation to achieve economies of scale. The main drawback within the strategy is it is not flexible to local markets and is very difficult to respond to changes within the local market because of how centralised it is. The transnational strategy is when the organisation tries to achieve both a global efficiency and an ability to respond to local market needs . This can be difficult to achieve because there is a real emphasis on the strong central control of the organisation as well as coordinating the activities to achieve efficiency and being responsive to the local market. An example of this local responsiveness with global efficiencies would be a car manufacturer manufacturing cars for the left hand side and right hand side drivers. They create a uniform product e. g. body of car created then tailored to specific market depending on what side of the road you drive on. As we can see there are many drivers that stimulate globalisation and also many strategies that can be taken but when going global there are also many things that need to be taken into consideration when deciding on a strategy. Trade blocs need to be considered as they influence the ease of access to particular markets and influence costs of trading in different regions of the world e. g. EU, NAFTA. This may be a hindrance due to added cost of setting up and blocs on trading but if you were to locate within a trading bloc this could help reduce long term trading costs and be a beneficial strategy e. g. Japanese companies building plants in the UK to help overcome exposure to the common external tariffs. Economic factors need to be considered such as tax systems, financial markets- can capital be raised and easily moved within that area. Prices of things such as oil and petrol will influence decisions as transportation costs will be effected by this. Interest rates and exchange rates might also play a factor in influencing strategy as they effect costs making it less or more feasible to move into that market. Social factors may also be relevant such as religious considerations and the appropriateness of selling your product in there country e. g. selling alcohol in a Muslim country may not be a good strategy. Also ethical and cultural issues should be taken into account when thinking of setting up in various countries as many cultures will not except certain products. Other factors such as capability of the workforce in certain countries will need to be considered as if the appropriate skilled labour isn’t available in that country it may not be a worthwhile option. The access to technology can have a major influence on global business strategy such as access to the internet, pc ownership, sales technology, processing payments and sales is this technology available and easy to use, compatibility of technologies used e. . accounting systems and language differences may also have an impact on strategy. From this essay we can see there are many drivers that have stimulated globalisation over past decades. These drivers have had a major impact on strategies that are taken by organisations. It is important for an organisation when going global to look at all the factors involved and imp lement the correct strategy in order for them to be successful.

Analysis of Graph Theory

Analysis of Graph Theory In mathematics and computer science, graph theory is the study of graphs: mathematical structures used to model pair wise relations between objects from a certain collection. A graph is a very simple structure consisting of a set of vertices and a family of lines (possibly oriented), called edges (undirected) or arcs (directed), each of them linking some pair of vertices. An undirected graph may for example model conflicts between objects or persons. A directed graph (or digraph) may typically represent a communication network, or some domination relation between individuals, etc. The famous problem of the bridges of Kà ¶nigsberg, solved by Euler, is viewed as the first formal result in graph theory. This theory has developed during the second half of the 19th century (with Hamilton, Heawood, Kempe, Kirchhoff, Petersen, Tait), and has boomed since the 1930s (with Kà ¶nig, Hall, Kuratowski, Whitney, Erdà ¶s, Tutte, Edmonds, Berge, Lovà ¡sz, Seymour, and many other people). It is clearly related to Algebra, Topology, and other topics from Combinatorics. It applies to and gets motivating new problems from Computer Science, Operations Research, Game Theory, Decision Theory. â€Å"Because of its inherent simplicity, graph theory has a very wide range of applications in engineering, in physical, social, and biological sciences, in linguistics, and in numerous other areas. A graph can be used to represent almost any physical situation involving discrete objects and relationship among them† (Narsingh Deo). The term â€Å"graph† in mathematics has different meanings. There is a graph for the function and relation. Graphs, especially tree graphs and directed graphs appear in the computer and information sciences. Flowcharts for example are directed graphs. A flowchart is a visual representation of an algorithm. It is frequently used in the planning, development and structuring of an algorithm for solving a complex problem. The flowchart is regarded as an essential part of the documentation of any computer translation of the original algorithm (Seymour Lipschutz). There are two commonly used tools to help to document program logic (the algorithm). These are flowcharts and Pseudocode. Generally, flowcharts work well for small problems but Pseudocode is used for larger problems. Flowcharts are used in the design phase of software creation. It specifies the logical flow of a program. The semantics of a flowchart are totally concerned just with control flow-what happens first, and then what happens next, and so on. A flowchart is drawn using a small set of symbols with well-defined meanings. An elongated oval denotes the beginning of the program, where the execution commences. Passage of flow from the beginning, and at later stages, is denoted by edges with directional arrows. A box in the shape of a parallelogram denotes either an input (such as a READ), or an output (such as a PRINT). A rectangle denotes a computational step, such as addition, and a diamond-shaped box denotes a decision step. A diamond usually has one arrow leading in, and two or more leading out, denoting different ways the control can proceed from that point. A diamond is used in cases of decision statements like, If A is more than 7, proceed to multiply B and C; else, divide C and D. Example of flowchart which reads 2 numbers A and B, and prints them in decreasing order after assigning the larger number to BIG and smaller number to SMALL. â€Å"Essential computer mathematics† Seymour Lipschutz, 1987, page 101 A flowchart is a visual representation of sequence of operations performed to get the solution of the problem. They are usually drawn in early stages of programming project. They help with better communication between the programmers and their business customers. The flowcharts are very helpful with understanding complicated problems and programming logic, especially for people who do not work with (or understand) programming and coding. We can say that flowcharts are necessary for better documentation of complex programs. They also work as a guide during the system analysis and program development phase. If we have good flowchart for the programme the maintenance becomes easier, as the programmer can be more efficient in debugging process, as he can clearly see which parts he has to focus on. Flowcharts are also used in industrial and process engineering and management. The Unified Modelling Language (UML) created by the Three Amigos of software engineering borrows some of its basic ideas from the flowchart paradigm, although it is much more sophisticated. Visual Paradigm for UML is a professional tool that supports complete software lifecycle object-oriented analysis, object-oriented design, construction, testing and deployment. The UML modelling software helps to build quality applications faster and better. You can draw all types of class diagrams, reverse or generate code. It allows turning models into Java codes and Java codes into models. Graph theory is also helpful when building databases. Directed graphs (or digraphs) are a special case of graphs that constitute a powerful and convenient way of representing relationships between entities. In a digraph, entities are represented as nodes and relationships as directed lines or arrows that connect the nodes. The orientation of the arrows follows the flow of information in the digraph  ­. Digraphs offer a number of advantages to information visualization, with the most important of them being: comprehensibility the information that a digraph contains can be easily and accurately understood by humans and expressiveness- digraph topology bears non-trivial information. Case of graphical representation of logic rules, digraphs seem to be extremely appropriate. They can offer explanation of derived conclusions, since the series of inference steps in the graph can be easily detected and retraced. Also, by going backwards from the conclusion to the triggering conditions, on e can validate the truth of the inference result, gaining a means of proof visualization and validation. One of the examples can be found in the book â€Å"Automated Data Processing and Computations by David I. Donatoy. It is an example of geographic names database. An algorithm specifies how to quickly identify names that approximately match any specific name when searching the mentioned database. The algorithm identifies matching names by applying an artificial measure of name simplicity. A digraph index enables computer name searches that are carried out within this technique to be fast enough for Web application. The use of digraph index enables name search application to restrict comparisons to a small subset of the database name, speeding up processing. A digraph index lists in digraph sequence all digraphs found in the database of geo ­graphic names. The entry for a particular digraph consists of a set of pointers to all names in the geographic-names database that includes at least one occurrence of that digraph. Once the search-for name has itself been broken down into a list of its unique constituent digraphs, the digraph index can then be used to produce a candidate list containing only those names from the database that include at least one of the digraphs found in the search-for name. In most cases, several names in the candidate list will be referenced more than once (by different digraphs). After sorting the list of can ­didate names (thus, bringing together all occurrences of each particular candidate name), the number of occurrences of each candidate name can be counted. The number of occurrences of a candidate name will be the same as the number of unique digraphs a candidate name has in common with the search-for nam e. This number can be regarded as a first-approximation measure of a names similarity to the search-for name, with larger numbers corresponding to stronger similarity. Computer scientists have developed a great deal of theory about graphs and operations on them. One reason for this is because graphs can be used to represent many problems in computer science that are otherwise abstract. Finding a way to represent the solution to a problem as a graph can present new approaches to solving the problem or even lead directly to a solution derived from graph theory. This sort of technique is often used when discussing algorithmic efficiency and when trying to prove that a certain algorithm is NP-Complete; because many problems involving graphs, such as finding the shortest path to traverse all nodes (the Travelling Salesman Problem), are NP-Complete, if you can find a way to represent a problem as a graph and show that it is analogous to one of the other NP-Complete problems, then you can show the problem you are trying to solve is also NP-Complete, which gives you a hint that the solution will take a great deal of time. Another reason for using graphs is that many problems computers are used to solve involve representing relationships between objects, places, or concepts. Because graphs can be either directed or undirected, they are a flexible method of showing connections. For instance, you can describe who knows who in a room as a collection of nodes, each representing a person, and directed edges, each representing that one person knows another. Because graphs are so often used and because they allow the representation of many problems in computer science, they are a convenient means of expressing problems with which many people are comfortable. This familiarity simplifies the process of creating mental models of problems, which ultimately leads to better problem solving. Because computer science is a young discipline, it played essential role in development of graph theory. Mathematics plays essential role in computer science, as its language defines the generic structures and proves properties of those structures. Computer systems can be very complex and it is very difficult to have a clear picture of all details and keep the overview of the whole system. Computer science has put lots of effort to develop mathematically based frameworks to model computer systems. References: Gibbons, Alan (1985), Algorithmic graph theory, Cambridge University Press http://www-leibniz.imag.fr/GRAPH/english/overview.html http://www.bookrags.com/research/flowchart-wcs/ Brent Daviduck† Introduction to Programming in C++: Algorithms,  Flowcharts and Pseudocode† Narsingh Deo â€Å"Graph theory with applications to engineering and computer science†2004 An augmented directed graph base for application development Dan C. Clarke , 1982 Knoxville, Tennessee David I. Donato â€Å"Fast, Inclusive Searches for Geographic Names Using Digraphs† Chapter 1 of Book 7, Automated Data Processing and Computations, Section A, Algorithms, page 2-3 Quentin Charatan Aaron Kans â€Å"Java in two semesters†, The McGraw Hill, 2006, page 4-7 Seymour Lipschutz â€Å"Essential computer mathematics†, McGraw Hill 1987, page 95-107

Elusive American Dream in Millers Death of a Salesman and Steinbecks

The Elusive American Dream in Miller's Death of a Salesman and Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath The American dream of success through hard work and of unlimited opportunity in a vast country actually started before America was officially America, before the colonists broke away from England and established an independent country. That dream has endured and flourished for hundreds of years; as a result, American writers naturally turn to it for subject matter, theme, and structure. In examining its lure and promise, they often find, not surprisingly, that for those who fall short, failure can be devastating because material success is a part of our cultural expectations. Americans are judged and judge themselves on individual success or failure as indicators of their personal worth. Indeed, two works of fiction, Death of a Salesman and The Grapes of Wrath, are good examples of these ideas, for they illustrate the repercussions of the belief in the American Dream and what happens when the dream proves elusive. In Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman’s illusions are based on his belief in individual success, but his ideas about how to attain that success are impractical and unrealistic. Willy’s comment in Act I that â€Å"some people accomplish something† (15) is ironic because he yearns for this to be true for himself and Biff, but it is not true for either of them. Willy thinks he’s â€Å"vital in New England† (14) and would be â€Å"in charge of New York now† (14) if his original boss was still alive. However, although Willy is entranced by these illusions, the reality is that he is not a successful salesman and is fired. He also thinks Biff should be making good money and blames his son’s failure on his laziness. But it is Willy who has se... ...d a the country† (129), and that is the capitalist system, which is supposed to make life better for everyone. Steinbeck creates a connection between the rotten grapes and the moral decay among the businessmen because of their greed, a vice that is poisoning the American promise by bringing great hardship with little hope for a better future. In conclusion, both of these works use the deep personal loss of their characters to represent the greater dilemma posed by an American Dream that is elusive and, at least for them, never fulfilled. Hopelessness, despair and disillusionment are the result of what both authors portray as a ruthless, often dehumanizing capitalist system that seeks profit at any cost. WORKS CITED Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin Books, 1976. Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin Books, 1999.

Free Essays - Writing Style of A Farewell to Arms :: Farewell Arms Essays

The Writing Style of A Farewell to Arms Hemingway became a newspaper writer in Kansas City as a young man and, in 1918, he joined the Red Cross to become an ambulance driver just like the character, Frederick Henry. This partially autobiographical novel is a combination of Hemingway's personal experiences in war and writing. Hemingway's life gave him the refinement that he needed for the inspirational language of the novel. He inspires us with his journalistic directness, sensory detail and his different writing styles that reflect the moods of the characters. Critics usually describe Hemingway's style as simple, spare, and journalistic. These are all good words; they all apply. Perhaps because of his training as a newspaperman, Hemingway is a master of the declarative, subject-verb-object sentence. His writing has been likened to a boxer's punches--combinations of lefts and rights coming at us without pause. Take the following passage: "We were all cooked. The thing was not to recognize it. The last country to realize they were cooked would win the war. We had another drink. Was I on somebody's staff? No. He was. It was all balls" (Hemingway PAGE #). The style gains power because it is so full of sensory detail. There was an inn in the trees at the Bains de l'Allaiz where the woodcutters stopped to drink, and we sat inside warmed by the stove and drank hot red wine with spices and lemon in it. They called it gluhwein and it was a good thing to warm you and to celebrate with. The inn was dark and smoky inside and afterward when you went out the cold air came sharply into your lungs and numbed the edge of your nose as you inhaled (Hemingway PAGE #). The simplicity and the sensory richness flow directly from Hemingway's and his characters'--beliefs. The punchy, vivid language has the immediacy of a news bulletin: these are facts, Hemingway is telling us, and they can't be ignored. And just as Frederic Henry comes to distrust abstractions like "patriotism," so does Hemingway distrust them. Instead he seeks the concrete, the tangible: "hot red wine with spices, cold air that numbs your nose." A simple "good" becomes higher praise than another writer's string of decorative adjectives. Though Hemingway is best known for the tough simplicity of style as seen in the first passage cited above, if we take a close look at A

Sports Drink and Gatorade

In the summer of 1965, a university football coach began to question why his players were suffering from heat related illnesses. They were drinking plenty of water. University researchers soon discovered that players were losing electrolytes and fluids through their sweat, and water couldn’t replace what they were losing. The researchers took their findings into their lab and began to create a drink that would help the Florida Gators feel rehydrated, replenished, and refueled during their most intense athletic events. That’s exactly what the product now guarantees to achieve-rehydration, replenishment, and refueling. They called this new drink ‘Gatorade’. By 1969, Gatorade was named the official drink of the NFL (History of Gatorade, Retrieved December 2, 2006). Today, Gatorade has reached beyond the narrow market of elite athletes. They have many product lines designed to appease the most particular of sports drinkers. No matter what your gender, your occupation, or your age, they make a drink that you can enjoy. Gatorade has many different product lines within their Thirst Quencher Series. They distribute Gatorade Rain, Frost, Lemonade, Original, X-Factor, Xtremo, and Fierce. Within each of these different sub-categories come many different fruity flavors. Each flavor also ranges from a 12oz bottle-6 pack to a gallon jug. Gatorade also has a line of fitness water called Propel. Any consumer can purchase Propel Fitness Water or Propel Fitness Water with Calcium. Both come in a wide range of flavors similar to those found within the Gatorade Thirst Quencher Series, but with a few more. All purchases range from a 12oz-8 pack to a 1 liter bottle. Now we jump into the Gatorade Performance Series products. This series of products has specially designed formulated nutrition and hydration in order to aid the most intense athletes in their performance. Each product is packed with nutrition in order to replace the electrolytes lost by each athlete through exertion. Gatorade has an energy bar that comes in 2 different flavors, chocolate chip and peanut butter. This 2. 3oz bar is the perfect snack for athletes on the go, or anyone getting ready to do some physical activity for that matter. Then there’s the nutrition shake. This product comes in the obvious flavors, chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. These 11oz shakes are a perfect way to fill an athlete’s stomach without slowing them down. And last, but not least, there are the Gatorade Performance Series Energy Drinks. These drinks are very similar to those of the Gatorade Thirst Quenchers. However, the Performance Series drinks contain a whopping 200mg of sodium. This is so that electrolytes and body fluids will be replaced within each athlete every time they take a drink. These drinks, however, come in limited flavors and are only available in 12oz bottles (Gatorade Products, Retrieved December 2, 2006). Gatorade has become the most popular sports beverage. It is widely known and is easily distinguishable among its competitors. First of all, its packaging hasn’t changed in years. Gatorade looks the same today as it did a decade ago. Because of this, Gatorade has remained popular and not forgotten. It’s easy for a consumer to remember something that is always there and never changes. Gatorade also remains recognized due to the number of contracts they have with several major sports leagues. As of now, they have contracts with the National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, Women’s National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, United States of America Basketball, Major League Soccer, United States Soccer, Bowl Championship Series, and the Association of Volleyball Professionals (http://www. gatorade. com/athletes/leagues_and_teams/, Retrieved December 2, 2006). The NFL is also known for performing the ‘Gatorade Dunk’. This ritual is performed after a game by the winning team. Players pick up the Gatorade Barrel and dump what’s left over their coach’s head. This gives free publicity because it’s done by the teams without any prompting by Gatorade. Gatorade works on new products all the time. They’ve even created a special lab where their scientists can continually test new products to ensure the safety and abilities of all athletes. The most recent achievement Gatorade has produced is called G. I. D. S. (Gatorade In-car Drinking System). This system was specifically designed for NASCAR drivers. A special pouch, that guarantees to keep any liquid cold for hours, is filled with the driver’s favorite flavor and is then placed in a secure compartment within the vehicle. There is a tube with a special coming from within the pouch and into the driver’s helmet. At the end of the tube is a mouthpiece that is securely fastened to the driver’s mouth. When the driver is ready to take a drink, they bite down on their mouth piece, to open the tube, and push a button, to pump the cold liquid through the tube and into the driver’s mouth. When the driver’s lets go of the mouthpiece the tube closes and the pump automatically reverse pumps the Gatorade back into the pouch in order to stay cold for next time. NASCAR race cars can reach up to 130 degrees and their driver’s can lose up to ten pounds within a single race just by sweating. Gatorade keeps their body temperature down and helps replace the electrolytes and body fluids lost (http://www. gatorade. com/science%5Fand%5Finnovation/product%5Finnovations/gids/ Retrieved December 2, 2006). Product Life Cycle  Gatorade falls within the maturity stage of the Product Life Cycle. I do believe that Gatorade is still growing however its growth has slowed. According to the text, the maturity stage is reached when â€Å"the sales of a generic product category continue to increase (but at a decreasing rate), profits decline largely because of price competition, and some firms leave the market† (Etzel, 674). Table 9. 1 in the text gives another description to help define a products life cycle stage. In order to be in the maturity stage, the product must have a mass market of consumers, which Gatorade does. They have millions of consumers. The competition is somewhat intense and their growth has slowed down. Their profits, however, are still pretty strong. They aren’t as strong as they were in the growth stage, but are still significantly strong. They defend their product against competitors, water being most mentioned when addressing the health of athletes. Gatorade costs have remained stable and their prices are reasonable. If it’s too expensive to buy each drink individually, you can always buy in bulk from a grocery store or a wholesaler like Costco. There is extreme loyalty to Gatorade as well. Because they were the only specialty sport drink when it was created in 1965, they didn’t have to worry about winning their consumers away from a similar product. All the athletes and athletic trainers wanted this drink and became hooked on it after seeing the effect it had. By the time other brands came out everyone knew Gatorade and trusted its products. Most consumers would rather purchase a product they know works than try a new product that claims to do what everyone already knows Gatorade does. So it’s obvious that Gatorade has brand loyalty, another way we know Gatorade has reached the maturity stage. Although they have made to the maturity stage, they still have more growth to obtain. As long as Gatorade continues to produce new products, they will continue to grow. It may not be a quickly as it was when they first introduced themselves in 1965, but they will grow (Etzel, 674). Pricing Gatorade has a very simple pricing strategy. Even though Gatorade is the leader in the sport drink market, they still use the going-rate for their pricing level. The overall market does not have a large difference between competitors so Gatorade prices its products relative to the market pricing structure. An increase in price could lead to a loss in sales because the consumer could start to buy a competitor’s product and have the same relative advantage that Gatorade can provide. This is evident by visiting a local supermarket store. A 20 oz. Gatorade is priced at $1. 59; its main competitor, PowerAde, is priced at the same. It could be said that the market is demonstrating non-price competition (Etzel, 349). Gatorade has chosen market penetration as its pricing strategy (Etzel, 351). Some characteristics of market penetration distinctly describe the market for sport drink. The market has an elastic demand curve and low initial price for new produces (Gatorade has come out with Propel and Fierce, both coming into the market with identical or lower prices than competitors). For consumers that buy Gatorade on a regular basis, it can become an expensive habit compared to some alternatives (I. e. water). One way that a consumer can cut down on prices is by buying in bulk. Consumers will get more Gatorade for their buck when buying in bulk. Other than that, Gatorade does not have any promotions or coupons to induce sales. Distribution â€Å"A distribution channel consists of the set of people and firms involved in the transfer of title to a product as the product moves from producer to ultimate consumer or business user† (Etzel, 380). In short, a distribution channel will show the journey that a product or service takes from the producer to the consumer. It seems that everywhere someone goes, there is Gatorade for sale. How did it get there? PepsiCo. handles all the distribution for Gatorade. They have chosen to go with direct-store-distribution (DSD) (Annual Report of PepsiCo, Retrieved December 1, 2006). One advantage of DSD that PepsiCo. uses is having their delivery teams merchandise their product. This allows them to display Gatorade in a way that will induce high sales. A way they attempt to increase sales is by placing Gatorade in places that will influence impulse purchases (placing Gatorade by checkout stands at a supermarket is an example). Their retail stores are the middlemen for Gatorade’s journey to its consumers (Etzel, 379). This is what is called indirect distribution (Etzel, 384). Supermarkets are not the only place where Gatorade can be found; Gatorade is available for sales in liquor stores, department stores, supermarkets, and any place where drinks are sold. Since Gatorade is available in such a wide variety of places, Gatorade can be categorized as being intensively distributed (which means a â€Å"producer sells its product through every available outlet in a market where a consumer might reasonable look for it†) (Etzel, 393). Gatorade has been the staple in the sport drink market. Their overwhelming consistent market share can point to a strong assumption that their distribution channel is at peak efficiency. Promotional Mix Within Gatorades promotional mix, advertising probably uses the most funds on an annual basis. PepsiCo spent 183 million dollars for Gatorade’s advertising campaigns in 2005 which is a large increase compared to the 135 million dollars spent only two years before (Hein & Beirne, 6). The most common form of advertising for Gatorade is TV commercials (MacArthur, 51). There are four main types of advertising campaigns on television. The first type highlights the history and origins of the company as well as the scientific research that goes into the product. The second type highlights individual players that endorse Gatorade or groups of competing individuals. The third type highlights teams or leagues that Gatorade sponsors such as the NFL or the Men’s National Soccer Team (MacArthur, 22). Professional endorsements are also important to Gatorade’s advertising campaign. They endorse twenty-two professional American athletes and over twenty international athletes (MacArthur, 22). Equally important to Gatorade’s promotional mix is their public relations. They sponsor ten professional leagues. Among the list are some of the most popular sports in America such as the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS. They also affiliate themselves with 60 division one universities and 11 division one conferences. In addition to this they are affiliated to eleven professional organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine (MacArthur, 22). Their Outstanding Player of the Year program is another way that they can reach out and recognize many outstanding high school athletes of the year around the country. This is a large program that has a state and national selection process. There is one winner for each sport. For example, Peyton Manning was the national winner for football in 93-94 (Gatorade in the Community, Retrieved December 3, 2006). Gatorade makes a large international public relations effort. They are affiliated with many international professional soccer clubs such as Juventus and Manchester United but they extend their efforts to other sports besides soccer such as basketball, water polo, rugby, volleyball, and swimming (Hein, 5). The Gatorade Sports Science Institute is another effect tool for their public relations campaign. Through this organization they put out study results from a wide range of sport related topics and on the dynamics of specific sports. This part of Gatorade is most easily accessed through their own GSSI website (www. gatorade. com). The Gatorade website is another address that is very well done and depicts a very good image of the company. They also have 12 other country specific websites that are in the domestic language of the country. Sales promotions are also important to Gatorade’s promotional mix and it is substantially occupied by event sponsorships. Most of these events are marathons throughout the world including the famous Boston Marathon and the Gatorade Triathlon Series (Hein, 5). At these events they provide free Gatorade to the competitors throughout the race and for some events they offer the Gatorade Recovery Area where all competitors can be weighed before and after the race to monitor the level of fluids lost during exercise. The area later supplies food/refreshment bags, Gatorade drinks, massage and qualified dietitians (Hein, 5). To supplement this, they also print newsletters about upcoming events. The Annual Gatorade Junior Training Camp is another example of sponsoring athletic events. This is a summer camp that combines football instruction and teaching of life skills that focus on self-improvement and motivation and is hosted by the Seattle Seahawks (Gatorade in the Community, Retrieved December 3, 2006). Limited to the Canadian website, there is a direct link to request Gatorade to sponsor an event. This all leads to the conclusion that event sponsorship is a highly used tool for Gatorade to get its product out and into the hands of many athletes. Gatorade doesn’t use many discount sales promotions in the United States but does use promotions in a number of other countries. Last summer there was a big Indian promotion in which customers who bought the six pack received an instructional soccer CD with Rinaldinho (Buy 6 Gatorades, Win Ronaldinho CD). A number of European countries are having soccer promotions as well (Gatorade e lo Sport, Retrieved December 3, 2006). Canada is having a hockey promotion in which consumers have a chance to win professional hockey gear. I suspect that Gatorade also uses a number of sales promotions directed at their retailers; otherwise we wouldn’t see the large discounts that cut the price of Gatorade by almost in half in some of the large supermarkets.

Lorna Dee Cervantes: Beneath the Shadow of the Freeway Essay

The form of the poem is not easy to determine. It consists of six stanzas of uneven length, which are, except for the first and fifth, again divided into sub-stanzas. The meter is irregular as well as the length of the verses and there is also no rhyme scheme. Cervantes plays very freely with the structure of poems. She does not use an established type of poem and ignores rhyme and meter, but she presents her words graphically in the form of stanzas, in separate but related sections. The six main parts are numbered. It can be assumed that the arrangement of the verses was done consciously and that it aims at a certain reception on the side of the reader. Each time a stanza or sub-stanza starts, a kind of pause emerges. This also allows the poem to have spatial and temporal leaps without transitions, but it also increases the difficulties concerning the understanding of the text. In addition to that, many things are only vaguely hinted or ambiguously presented. The inherent continuity of the poem is achieved by its themes and by its imagery. The first section deals with â€Å"the shadow of the freeway†, the image that is also in the title of the poem. It becomes obvious that the speaker lives next to a freeway; she can watch it right across the street from her porch. Every day she notices that the shadow of the freeway lengthens. This is interesting, because freeways usually do not cast shadows, they are flat. This seems to suggest that the freeway is actually a metaphor, so the speaker lives next to either a real or a metaphorical freeway. The family is introduced in the second part. It is an all-female family, consisting of three generations: grandmother, mother, and daughter. Grandmother is a â€Å"Queen†, mother is â€Å"Swift Knight, Fearless Warrior†, who wants to be a â€Å"Princess† instead. The speaker herself is conflicted by her role in the family. Because she cannot decide, she becomes a â€Å"Scribe†: a translator, someone who does â€Å"light man work†. These fairytale images contrast sharply with that of the freeway. They are a magic, mystic family that live next to a cold, plain freeway. In the third stanza the tense of the poem changes from past tense to present tense. Nature imagery is shown; it tells about seagulls and birds. Nature is again a contrast to the freeway. The last two lines of this part: Grandma â€Å"trusts only what she builds / with her own hands†, can be read as a hint that the freeway, not being built by oneself, is not to be trusted. This passage also contains accusations against men. The male mockingbirds are, in contrast to men, singing for their wives and â€Å"They don’t leave their families / borrachando†. This is said by grandma and it is very likely that she is speaking out of her own experience. In the poem the woman-family, left by their men, shows the difference between the imperfect human world and the idealized idea of nature: the mockingbirds’ family-structure is still intact. Men are to be made responsible for the destruction of the human family unit. This is made explicit in the next stanza. Grandma’s husband is described as â€Å"a man who tried to kill her†. Now if he indeed attempted to murder his wife or if he tried to kill her physically, would not make too much of a difference. It is shown that men are violent and the destroyers of the family. The tense is again past tense. The men of these women belong to the past; they are history. Grandma became a strong and self-reliant woman after being together with her husband. The family is shown as being happy by not having men, who could endanger their content lives. But the harmony of the female family is threatened. In the following stanza the speaker describes a man, entering the house during night, violent, drunk and spreading fear. It is not clear who he is; probable the man of the mother, but it could also be the grandmother’s husband. Most of this part is written in dialogic form, but it is uncertain who is speaking or who is addressed. It is also ambiguous what time this section refers to. Past tense is used, but conjunctive in the first line â€Å"in the night I would hear it† indicates that something similar happened (or happens?) more than once. The last section is finally harmonious and presents a positive outlook, also concerning men. Written in the present tense it tells about the present and the season is summer. It starts with a dialogue between one of the women and  her daughter. It is probable the mother talking to the speaker. She gives her pieces of advise, which are mainly warnings of men. She has had her experiences and does not have any illusions, but the daughter is more idealistic and trusts in a sort of natural law: â€Å"If you are good to them / they will be good to you back†. And it seems as if the speaker got confirmed in her opinion, because she is sleeping â€Å"with a gentle man / to the hymn of the mockingbirds†. This final stanza then also tells about the future. The things the daughter plans to do refer back to the grandmother. The three generations are thus linked together in cyclic harmony. A relationship with man can be achieved, if independence is preserved and confidence is only placed in oneself. The bond of the family, the unity between mother and daughter will always be stronger than any relationship between man and women. The mockingbird, which lives the ideal of a natural family including the male, is definitely a positive image and also a contrast to the freeway. The bird accompanies the grandmother’s patchwork and the speaker’s sleeping with her gentle man. The freeway is mentioned again in the last stanza, but this time without any negative connotations. It is just said that it is â€Å"across the street†. This is just a neutral statement, the freeway does not cast any shadows anymore. The natural, the mockingbird, and the unnatural, the freeway, have come to terms with each other. One could also argue that the mockingbird stands for the loving and caring female concept, involving instinct and nature, whereas the freeway expresses the male notion, being unnatural and without feeling and thinking, a â€Å"blind worm†. Just as nature and environment have to struggle with human progress, women have to struggle with men. A lot in this poems stays ambiguous and vague. Very often the voices of the three women are not to be identified; their identities merge and this increases the notion of continuity and connection among three generations of women, in which men will always be outsiders, even if they are â€Å"gentle†.