The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 15

Sing and Spell and Chant I get up at 4:30 a.m. and start lifting so I will be done with my workout by kickoff, and when I finally come up from the basement, the house smells like crabby snacks, three-meats pizza, and buffalo wings. â€Å"Smells good,† I say to my mom while I put on my trash bag, and then I'm out the door for a ten-mile run. I am shocked to see that Tiffany is jogging up and down the block, because she did not run behind me yesterday, and also, I am running in the a.m., which is not my regular time to run. I jog toward Knight's Park, and when I look over my shoulder, I see she's following me again. â€Å"How did you know that I would be running early?† I say, but she keeps her head down and only follows silently. We run our ten miles, and when I return to my house, Tiffany runs on without saying anything, as if we had never even eaten raisin bran together at the diner and nothing has changed. I see my brother's silver BMW parked in front of my parents' house, so I sneak in the back door, run up the stairs, and jump into the shower. When I finish showering, I put on my Hank Baskett jersey – which my mother has laundered, getting the makeup off the numbers – and then follow the sound of the pregame show to the family room, ready to root on the Birds. My best friend, Ronnie, is seated next to my brother, which surprises me. Both of them are wearing green away jerseys with the number 18 and the name Stallworth on the back – Ronnie's is a cheap replica jersey with iron-on numbers, but Jake's is authentic. Dad is in his chair, wearing his number 5 McNabb replica jersey. When I say, â€Å"Go Birds!† my brother stands, turns to face me, puts both hands in the air, and says â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!† until Ronnie and my dad also stand, face me, raise their hands in the air, and say â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!† When I raise my hands in the air and say â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!† all four of us do the chant, rapidly spelling the letters with our arms and bodies – â€Å"E!-A!-G!-L!-E!-S! EAGLES!† – shooting out two arms and a leg to make an E, touching our fingertips high above our heads to make an A, and so forth. When we finish, my brother makes his way around the couch, puts an arm around my shoulders, and starts to sing the fight song, which I remember and sing with him. â€Å"Fly, Eagles, fly! On the road to victory!† I'm so happy to be singing with my brother I do not even get mad at him for putting his arm around me. We walk around the couch as we sing, â€Å"Fight, Eagles, fight! Score a touchdown, one, two, three!† I look at my dad, and he does not look away, but only starts singing with more enthusiasm. Ronnie throws his arm around me, and then I am in between my brother and my best friend. â€Å"Hit 'em low. Hit 'em high. And watch our Eagles fly!† I see that my mom has come in to watch, and she has her hand over her mouth again like she does whenever she is about to laugh or cry – her eyes look happy, so I know she is laughing under her hands. â€Å"Fly, Eagles, fly! On the road to victory!† And then Ronnie and Jake remove their arms from my neck s o they can make the letters again with their bodies. â€Å"E!-A!-G!-L!-E!-S! EAGLES!† We're all red-faced, and my father is breathing heavy, but everyone is so happy, and for the first time I really feel like I am home. My mom sets up the food on TV trays, and the game begins. â€Å"I'm not supposed to drink,† I say when Mom distributes the bottles of Budweiser, but my father says, â€Å"You can drink beer during Eagles games.† Mom shrugs and smiles as she hands me a cold beer. I ask my brother and Ronnie why they aren't also wearing Baskett jerseys, since Baskett is the man, and they tell me the Eagles were able to trade for Donte Stallworth, and that Donte Stallworth is now the man. Because I am wearing my Baskett jersey, I insist that Baskett is the man, to which my father blows air through his teeth, and my cocky brother says, â€Å"We'll see soon,† which is a weird thing for him to say, considering he was the one who gave me the Baskett jersey in the first place and just two weeks ago assured me that Baskett was really the man. My mother watches the game nervously, like she always does, because she knows that if the Eagles lose, my father will be in a bad mood for an entire week and will yell at her a lot. Ronnie and Jake trade facts about different players and check the screens on their cell phones for updates on other games and players, because they both play fantasy football, which is a computer game that gives you points for picking players who score touchdowns and gain yardage. And I glance over at my father from time to time, making sure he sees me cheering, because I know he is only willing to sit in the same room with his mentally deranged son as long as I am rooting for the Birds with everything I got. I have to admit that it feels good to sit in the same room with my father, even though he hates me and I still have not forgiven him a hundred percent for kicking me in the attic and punching me in the face. The Houston Texans score first, and Dad starts cursing pretty loudly, so much that my mother leaves the room, saying she will bring us new beers, and Ronnie stares at the television, pretending he has not heard what my father has said, which is, â€Å"Play some fucking defense, you piece-of-shit overpaid secondary! This is the Texans, not the Dallas Cowgirls. The fucking Texans! Jesus fucking Christ!† â€Å"Relax, Dad,† Jake says. â€Å"We got this.† Mom distributes the beers, and Dad sips quietly for a while, but when McNabb throws an interception, my father starts pointing his finger at the television and cursing even louder, saying things about McNabb that would make my friend Danny go wild, because Danny says only black people can use the n-word. Luckily, Donte Stallworth is indeed the man, because when McNabb starts throwing to him, the Eagles build a lead and Dad stops cursing and starts to smile again. At halftime, Jake talks my dad into joining us outside for a catch, and then the four of us are throwing a football around on our street. One of our neighbors comes out with his son, and we let them join in. The kid is only maybe ten, and he cannot really reach us from his yard, but since he is wearing a green jersey, we throw it to him again and again. He drops every pass, but we cheer for him anyway; the kid smiles wildly, and his dad nods appreciatively at us whenever one of us catches his eye. Jake and I are the farthest apart, and we send each other long passes down the street and often have to run even farther to catch the throws. Neither of us drops a single pass, because we are excellent athletes. My dad mostly just stands around sipping his beer, but we throw him some easy balls, which he catches with one hand and then tosses the football underhand to Ronnie, who is standing closest to him. Ronnie has a weak arm, but neither Jake nor I point this out, because he is our friend and we are all wearing green and the sun is shining and the Eagles are winning and we are so full of good hot food and ice-cold beer it doesn't really matter that Ronnie's athletic ability is not equal to ours. When Mom announces that halftime is almost over, Jake runs over to the little kid; my brother puts his hands in the air and yells â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!† until the kid's dad does the same thing. The little guy catches on after only a second, puts his hands in the air, yells â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!† and then we all do the Eagles chant – spelling the letters out with our arms and legs – before running back into our respective family rooms. Donte Stallworth continues to be the man in the second half, gaining almost 150 yards and a TD, while Baskett does not even get a decent ball thrown to him and fails to record a single catch. I'm not all that upset about this, because a funny thing happens at the end of the game. When the Eagles win 24 – 10, we all stand to sing the Eagles fight song together like we always do whenever the Birds win a regular season game. My brother throws his arms around Ronnie and me and says, â€Å"Come on, Dad.† My dad is a little drunk from all the beer and so happy about the Eagles victory – and the fact that McNabb threw for more than 300 yards – that he lines up with us and throws his arm around my shoulders, which shocks me at first, not because I don't like being touched, but because my father has not put his arm around me in many years. The weight and warmth of his arm makes me feel good, and as we sing the fight song and do the chant afterward, I catch my mother looking at us from the kitchen, where she is washing dishes. She smiles at me even though she is crying again, and I wonder why as I sing and spell and chant. Jake asks Ronnie if he needs a ride home, and my best friend says, â€Å"No, thanks. Hank Baskett is walking me home.† â€Å"I am?† I say, because Hank Baskett is the name Ronnie and Jake called me all throughout the game – so I know he really means me. â€Å"Yep,† he says, and we grab the football on the way out. When we get to Knight's Park, we throw the football back and forth, standing only twenty feet away from each other because Ronnie has a weak arm, and after a few catches my best friend asks me what I think about Tiffany. â€Å"Nothing,† I say. â€Å"I don't think anything about her at all. Why?† â€Å"Veronica told me that Tiffany follows you when you run. True?† I catch a wobbly pass, say, â€Å"Yeah. It's sort of weird. She knows my schedule and everything,† and throw a perfect spiral just over Ronnie's right shoulder so he can catch it on the run. He doesn't turn. He doesn't run. The ball goes over his head. Ronnie retrieves the ball, jogs back into his range, and says, â€Å"Tiffany is a little odd. Do you understand what I mean by odd, Pat?† I catch his even more wobbly pass just before it reaches my right kneecap, and say, â€Å"I guess.† I understand that Tiffany is different from most girls, but I also understand what it is like to be separated from your spouse, which is something Ronnie does not understand. So I ask, â€Å"Odd how? Odd like me?† His face drops, and then he says, â€Å"No. I didn't mean †¦ It's just that Tiffany is seeing a therapist – â€Å" â€Å"So am I.† â€Å"I know, but – â€Å" â€Å"So seeing a therapist makes me odd?† â€Å"No. Just listen to me for a second. I'm trying to be your friend. Okay?† I look down at the grass as Ronnie walks over to me. I don't really want to hear Ronnie talk his way out of this one, because Ronnie is the only friend I have, now that I am out of the bad place, and we have had such a great day, and the Eagles have won, and my father put his arm around me, and – â€Å"I know Tiffany and you went out to dinner, which is great. You both could probably use a friend who understands loss.† I don't like the way he collectively uses the word â€Å"loss,† as if I have lost Nikki – as in forever – because I am still riding out apart time and I have not lost her yet. But I don't say anything, and let him continue. â€Å"Listen,† Ronnie says. â€Å"I want to tell you why Tiffany was fired from her job.† â€Å"That's none of my business.† â€Å"It is if you are going to have dinners with her. Listen, you need to know that †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ronnie tells me what he believes is the story of how Tiffany lost her job, but the way he tells it proves he is biased. He tells it just like Dr. Timbers would, stating what he would call â€Å"facts,† with no regard for what was going on in Tiffany's head. He tells me what coworkers wrote in their reports, he tells me what her boss told her parents and what the therapist has since said to Veronica – who is Tiffany's designated support buddy and therefore has weekly phone conversations with Tiffany's therapist – but he never once tells me what Tiffany thinks or what is going on in her heart: the awful feelings, the conflicting impulses, the needs, the desperation, everything that makes her different from Ronnie and Veronica, who have each other and their daughter, Emily, and a good income and a house and everything else that keeps people from calling them â€Å"odd.† What amazes me is that Ronnie is telling me all this in a friendly manner, as if he is try ing to save me from Tiffany's ways, as if he knows more about these sorts of things than I do, as if I had not spent the last few months in a mental institution. He does not understand Tiffany, and he sure as hell doesn't understand me, but I do not hold it against Ronnie, because I am practicing being kind rather than right, so Nikki will be able to love me again when apart time is over. â€Å"So I'm not telling you to be mean or to gossip about her – just protect yourself, okay?† Ronnie says, and I nod. â€Å"Well, I better be getting home to Veronica. Maybe I'll drop in this week for a lifting session? Cool?† I nod again and watch him jog away from me, the bouncy steps suggesting that he thinks his mission is accomplished. It is obvious he was only allowed to watch the game because Veronica wanted him to talk to me about Tiffany, probably because Veronica thought I might take advantage of her nymphomaniac sister, which makes me very mad, and before I know it, I'm ringing the Websters' doorbell. â€Å"Hello?† Tiffany's mom says to me when the door opens. She is older-looking, with gray hair and a heavy sweater-coat, even though it is only September and she is inside. â€Å"May I speak with Tiffany?† â€Å"You're Ronnie's friend, right? Pat Peoples?† I only nod, because I know Mrs. Webster knows who I am. â€Å"Do you mind if I ask what you want with our daughter?† â€Å"Who's there?† I hear Tiffany's father call from the other room. â€Å"It's just Ronnie's friend, Pat Peoples!† Mrs. Webster yells. To me she says, â€Å"So what do you want with our Tiffany?† I look down at the football in my hand and say, â€Å"I want to have a catch. It's a beautiful afternoon. Maybe she would like to get some fresh air in the park?† â€Å"Just a catch?† Mrs. Webster says. I hold up my wedding ring to prove I do not want to have sex with her daughter, and say, â€Å"Listen, I'm married. I just want to be Tiffany's friend, okay?† Mrs. Webster looks a little surprised by my answer, which is odd because I was sure that was the answer she wanted to hear. But after a moment she says, â€Å"Go around back and knock on the door.† So I knock on the back door, but no one answers. I knock three more times and then leave. I'm halfway through the park when I hear a swishy sound behind me. When I turn around, Tiffany is speed walking toward me, wearing a pink tracksuit made from a material that swishes when one pant leg rubs against the other. When she is about five feet away, I throw her a light, girly pass, but she steps aside and the football falls to the ground. â€Å"What do you want?† she says. â€Å"Want to have a catch?† â€Å"I hate football. I told you this, no?† Since she doesn't want to have a catch, I decide I'll just ask her my question: â€Å"Why do you follow me when I run?† â€Å"Honestly?† â€Å"Yeah,† I say. She squints her eyes and makes her face look mean. â€Å"I'm scouting you.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I said I'm scouting you.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"To see if you are fit enough.† â€Å"Fit enough for what?† But instead of answering my question, she says, â€Å"I'm also scouting your work ethic, your endurance, the way you deal with mental strain, your ability to persevere when you are unsure of what is happening around you, and – â€Å" â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I can't tell you yet,† she says. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because I haven't finished scouting you.† When she walks away, I follow her past the pond, over the footbridge, and out of the park. But neither of us speaks again. She leads me to Haddon Avenue, and we walk by the new stores and swanky restaurants, passing lots of other pedestrians, kids on skateboards, and men who raise their fists in the air and say, â€Å"Go Eagles!† when they see my Hank Baskett jersey. Tiffany turns off Haddon Avenue and weaves through residential blocks until we are in front of my parents' house, where she stops, looks at me, and – after almost an hour of silence – says, â€Å"Did your team win?† I nod. â€Å"Twenty-four to ten.† â€Å"Lucky you,† Tiffany says, and then walks away.

Black Poems Essay

In the past during apartheid being black meant you lost out in many privileges it also showed how black people where oppressed. In this poem we see that Mbongeni Khumalo uses the word black in connection to all the bad things. He highlights that there is this darkness associated with the colour black and that in the 1960’s when someone called you a black person it showed nothing good and that no one should be proud of being black. He also looks at all the words that start with â€Å"black† and if one looks deep into them then we see that there’s a deeper meaning to that particular word and that it has got something to do with wrong doing or bad happenings. The first line of the poem reads â€Å"you don’t need a BLACK-BELT to write blackpoems†, if one looks at this line and critique it then we see that he says that one doesn’t need a black belt to write black poem and the way it is written from the small letter at the beginning of the sentence to the to the black belt in a big font and black poems as one word this shows that as a black person no one really paid attention to the diction of the poem. â€Å"B/LACK† when one looks at this word and the way it has been written then you can interpret it as be lack, as if he’s trying to point out that when you are black you lack in something. He further one uses the word â€Å"prac-teasing† and instead of writing practising he uses the teasing showing that he was isolated for mocking black art but in his own right one can argue that he was not mocking it but just highlighting the points that were true and that there was a time when anything that was done by a black person was just done and not taken seriously, a black person could only go so far with their art. â€Å"Trampling my so(u)l/e/† the way he has chosen to break down the word soul in a way that one can say he is trampling the word himself and he also adds an â€Å"e† at the end which shows that he can do anything to this poem since it is a black poem. â€Å"Served sausages made from minced pork and call(ed) it BLACK PUDDING† one can say that it was called black pudding because in the black culture the only time that the families ever ate pudding which consisted of custard and fruit was during Christmas otherwise black people always feasted with meat he could also have been referring to himself as the black sheep because he did not eat meat and in that case being black and not eating meat meant that you were a different type of black person and therefore you were out casted and you were a black sheep. â€Å"I suffered a BLACK DEATH at the hands of a BLACK GUARD†, what the writer brings out in this line is how black people still killed each other regardless of the fact that they were all oppressed by the same people for the same reason. The guards were also said to be puppies for the oppressors so that the hit on them could be lighter and that they could spare them their lives. So it shows that black people were also turned against each other and killed each other just so that they can hold their own end. The language that he has chosen to use is simple but the was in which he has broken down his words and placed them in way that one could clearly see the point he is trying to make about black poems. As one carries on to read this poem you could say that this is not a black poem but a poem about black people. He uses a playful tone but at the same time the way he stresses some words to show his point and the double meanings behind them. He also used the words to show what was happening in that time to black people trying to pass on the torch of awareness so that people could stop being naive and actually know how things were done in that time. He attracts the reader by his title which is â€Å"BLAK POWEMS† which shows the way he wrote it as if he were a actually saying it in a Bantu accent, so he chose to write it the way he would say it because no one really paid close attention to the diction and the style of the way black poets wrote their poems because it always ended up being black people reading each others poems. The way this poem has been written it shows well that it is protest poem in such a sense as when one looks at the diction used in this poem and the style of writing that the poet has chosen to use. He plays with associations surrounding blackness to put his point across of how blackness is associated with bas things and in this case particularly back in the 1960’s during times of black oppression and apartheid. The tone of this poem is in a playful but honest manner, not harsh but it keeps one intrigued that there could be so many things associated with the colour black that represent a darker side of life and the poet does a good job of bringing them out and also highlighting them. This poem makes the reader see the problems that the past could add on to a simple phrase or word. The word black in this poem has been separated and put on a spectrum whereby we can all see the negatives that could and that are surrounding this one word in particular. The poet has also made us think of how history played out and he did this not by writing that in the 1960’s this is what happened but he used words that show or highlight the main events of the 60’s.

Political Representation Essay

Today, in countries which choose representative democracy as a form of state, ordinary citizens have the right to one man-one vote and thus they, in regular elections, vote for a political candidate or a political party which they want to be their own representative. This form of state is called ‘representative democracy’ or ‘modern constitutional representative government’ or political representation in general. Nowadays, the legitimacy and authority of the representative government is regarded as resulting from its being an expression of the will of the people. However, this expression as the source of the legitimate authorization for public acts is indirect: citizens transfer it to their representatives as intermediaries. The representatives as intermediaries are those who make the people’s will present on its behalf. Thus, political representation has its theoretical scheme two political actors: the citizens or the people and the representative. This scheme of political representation which looks simple actually has many political implications for political actors and processes. My final paper is concerned with exploring what the modern terminology of political representation means and what implications it involves. As Hanna F. Pitkin, Allen P. Griffiths show, the conceptual analysis of the idea of representation, or the distinction between the several senses of representation, is very helpful for avoiding equivocations in the word ‘representation’. Griffiths posits four senses of representation. The first is descriptive representation, in which one person represents another by being sufficiently like him or her. The second is symbolic representation, in which persons can represent or embody traditions and spirits of things without having any particular personal qualities: so the flag represents the state, even though the flag itself does not connote the character of the state. Third, ascriptive representation, like the relation between the member of parliament and his or her constituents, means to represent in the sense that what the representative does or decides commits those he or she represents. Fourth, members of parliament may always concern themselves with the interests of their own electors against any other interests. This is representation of interests (Griffiths, pp. 188-190). The distinctions between these four senses of representation provide us with a starting point for understanding what representation means. There is a certain idea common to the various senses of the term representation: a reflection of something in the place of that thing. The common idea of representation applies within the political sphere in the sense that the basic scheme of political representation is the notion of one person standing in place of another for the performance of public acts. The eighteenth and the nineteenth century European thinkers, Edmund Burke and Jeremy Bentham, contributed to the establishment of the theorization of political representation as a dominant political practice. They, albeit with different emphases and arguments, were interested in how it is appropriate or possible for the people to pursue their interests in a society, and how representative government must work to be a government for the well-being of all people. To address these issues, they investigated who was to be the representative, who was to be the represented and how their relationship was to be established and maintained. I will start with Burke’s view of politics or government, a starting point from which to approach his conception of political representation. According to Burke, politics or government is basically a matter of trust. The essence of this trust lies in the exercise of power being for the ultimate benefit of those over whom it is exercise, and hence in being in the end accountable to them. When the exercise of political power is contrary to this initial purpose, it loses its legitimacy: That all political power which is set over men, and that all privilege claimed or exercised in exclusion of them, being wholly artificial, and for so much a derogation from the natural equality of mankind at large, ought to be some way or other exercised ultimately for their benefit†¦. If it is true with regard to every species of political dominion†¦. then such rights, or privileges, or whatever you choose to call them, are all in the strictest sense a trust; and it is of the very essence of every trust to be rendered accountable; even totally to cease, when it substantially varies from the purposes for which it alone could have a lawful existence. (Burke, 1783) As viewed in this passage, for Burke all political power is exercised by someone to the exclusion of someone else. However, the exclusive exercise of power is not for the specific group which has the power but for the benefit of those who entrust that power to it. This act of trust is a result of the voluntary will of the people. According to Burke politics, and in particular the constitution of the state and the due distribution of its power, requires a deep knowledge of human nature, human necessities and various elements necessary for the operation of the mechanism of civil institutions. Politics is a matter of the most delicate and complicated skill, not to be taught a priori (Burke, p. 124). Due to this inherently professional character of politics, Burke thought that only people with reason and judgment had the capacity to engage in politics to control the state for the benefit for all people. He believed that this was the way to guarantee the true interests of people. To this end, in Burke’s view the representative must be created to act on their behalf. Burke’s representatives, who are distinguished from men in general above all by being equipped to participate in public functions, have two main tasks to perform for their constituents: one is to act on behalf of men in general because of the latter’s incapability, the other is to act on behalf of the public in order to defend the interests of both. Together with Burke’s acceptance of the contrasting social roles of men and the public and their essentially conventional basis, this definition of the representatives’ task lays him open to the criticism that those definitions of the roles and the tasks in practice simply strengthen the predominant class in society (Bart, 1972: p. 360). From Burke’s own point of view, however, the individual may all too often be foolish but the species is wise and acts rightly. Therefore, for Burke the species itself to which men and the public each belong both deserves and needs to be protected by the creation of the representatives. This is why he insists that a representative or parliament is necessary to act as a guardian of a privilege. To defend individual interests within a civil society, a representative must not only be committed to their defense, but also he must be able to judge accurately what their interests really are. For Burke, a member of parliament is not a simple delegate for the electors, but a representative authorized by his or her constituents to exercise his independent judgment to their behalf. Thus, for Burke the judgment of interests of the individual and society is made not by the electors, but by the representative who has knowledge, reason, moral insight and commitment which is not reducible to anyone’s particular interests. In analyzing political representation, even if Burke insists on the need for the creation of the representative by the reason of the ordinary man’s lack of knowledge and practical ability for politics, he does not deny that the whole people is supreme author of political power. In making representatives the members of a state must aim to secure their interests according to their portions in a society, which is, in Burke’s view, simply a requirement of justice. At this point, Burke is concerned with the modern understanding of political representation: the scheme of political representation aims to strive for the public good. But Burke, unlike most other more recent major interpreters of political representation, is far from accepting the full equality of the represented when he sets out what is involved in the selection of the representative. Burke’s conception of political representation is developed in different ways by various thinkers after him. I will now explore how J. Bentham addresses these issues. Bentham’s idea of political representation emanated directly from his general philosophical position. That is, just as Bentham’s philosophy, politics and sociology are based on the greatest happiness principle, so we can trace his idea of political representation to be same fundamental source (Bentham, 1983: p. 2). For Bentham a society is the total assemblage of self-interested individuals, and the public interest in a society is nothing other than the sum of the interests of the individuals. Bentham’s distinctive view of society is, unlike Burke’s, is founded on the assumption that an individual is the best judge concerning what his or her interest is (Bentham, p. 12). Therefore, when they pursue their interest respectively without relying on exterior criteria such as the judgments of the more capable men, society’s general interest can and will be obtained. Bentham’s view, which interprets individuals as the best judge of their own interests, extends to the standing of the individual in the sphere of politics. According to Bentham, sovereignty in a state is exercised by the constitutive authority (Ibid, p. 25). The constitutive authority, to which all other authorities of the state are subordinate, resides in the whole body of electors. Thus, Bentham sees that when public decisions are the expression of the thoughts and feelings of the public, the general interest in a state is not separated from the particular interest of its individual citizens. The general interest cannot be established without direct reference to individual interest. In the process, Bentham notices the occasional conflicts between the general interest and the individual interest. With his belief in the people, Bentham maintains that the success or failure of representative government depends not on the people but on the representative, because while the people have the moral and political capability to sustain their polity, the representatives tend to have ‘sinister interests’ which are harmful to representative democracy (Bentham, p. 70). To the end of the successful working of the representative system, Bentham emphasizes the power and importance of public opinion as follows: Public opinion may be considered as a system of law, emanating from the body of the people†¦. To the pernicious exercise of the power of government it is the only check; to the beneficial, an indispensable supplement. Able rulers lead it; prudent rulers lead or follow it; foolish rulers disregard it (Bentham, p. 36). For Bentham, public opinions are formed by aggregate of the opinions of the members of society, and are not a mere echo of government or professional politicians. Public opinion made in this way is not corruptible. Bentham’s trust in public opinion as the determinant factor in bringing matters to a conclusion is specifically shown in the proposal of the public opinion tribunal. Believing that the people’s voice, not the capability of the representative, is the social force behind the successful operation of representative government, Bentham argues that the settlement of conflicts and disputes in a society can be done through continuous attention to what the people think and what they want. Bentham thinks that the problems and tensions in making the representative government work lie more with the rulers whose interests could not be always assumed to be identical with the interests of the people. Hence, he established many institutional devices to enable the representative to perform their roles properly in the interest of the whole people. For example, Bentham’s conception of secret suffrage as a method of voting aims to make it a safeguard against the abuse of power (Bentham, p. 186). In addition, such devices include the ‘temporary non-relocability system’ of the legislature, the ‘p.o. t. ’ and the ‘legislation penal judicatory’ (Bentham, pp. 72-91). Through these devices, Bentham tried to make the representatives accountable to the represented. By doing so, he sought to ensure that the represented the people remained as the political actor qualified to decide the matters in a state even after setting up representatives. For him, the importance of the representative system does not only lie in it being a great security for good government, but also in its placing sovereign power in the hands of the people continuously. This is the central point of his case for political representation as machinery for good government for the greatest numbers of individuals in a state. Conclusion Believing that representative government would enable the people to pursue their public interests effectively and representative democracy would thus be a desirable form of state, Burke and Bentham tried to address the theoretical justifications or representative government and its practical problems in eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Burke’s conception of political representation was essentially based on a conception of a trusteeship. Although Burke mentions the prevalence of the people in the ultimate resolutions in major conflicts, his conception of a healthy viable practice of political representation commits him to a politics of trust on which the people is compelled to depend. Bentham’s validation of the idea of political representation is developed very differently from Burke’s. By presuming every person’s entitlement to power in a state, Bentham maintains that the people have the knowledge and ability to judge public affairs for themselves. Nevertheless, the people employ a representative to act on its behalf as a matter of convenience. Bentham does not believe that the representative can run the government better than the people, because the representative does not process moral and political capabilities superior to the people. Accordingly, for Bentham, the representative is a delegate to express the public opinion, wishes and feeling, which is a way to promote the general interest in a state. I suggest that political representation must be understood not so much in the terms of a particular relationship based on the theoretical justification for viewing the people and the representative as the main political actors, but through a broader and more comprehensive conception of the political process. Today discussion of more fundamental elements in political representation seen as a scheme for public action is almost non-existent. The problem is not only that we have not posed the questions seriously, but also that we are quite unable to answer them convincingly. The theory of political representation is at present in a very feeble condition. Despite intense interest in practical issues of political representation, the term political representation itself has been poorly and inadequately understood. Without a fuller understanding of political representation than we at present have, the main emphasis of political representation narrows to technical issues of the rational pursuit and advancing of particular interests and of elections as a means of allotting of power. I do not deny that in contemporary politics we need to analyze how interests are distributed among groups if we are to grasp what is actually happening. But in order to assess how and how far representative government can reasonably be expected to produce good government, we must recognize that there is more to political representation than the instrumental and fundamental pursuit of material interests. Otherwise, as is demonstrated by the way in which our contemporary discussions about political representation have in practice been carried on, representative democracy works less as a substitute for popular self-rule than as a mechanism through which a given population of a society can in practice pursue their interests effectively. This means that we must learn to understand political representation not in narrow terms of the responsiveness of the particular relationship between two political actors, but more through a comprehensive conception of the political process as a whole. Bibliography Bentham, J. ‘Constitutional Code’ in The Collected Works of Jeremy Bentham, ed. F. Rosen and J. H. Burns (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1983) Burke, E. Writings and Speeches, ed. L. G. Mitchell, Vol. 8 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997) Burke, E. The Works of the Right Honorable Edmund Burke, ed. W. King and F. Laurence (London: Rivington, 1826-7) Griffiths, A. P. (1960) â€Å"How Can One Person Represent Another? † Aristotelian Society, Supplementary.

Indentured servants in Colonial America Coursework

Indentured servants in Colonial America - Coursework Example They led a life of hardship with stringent punishment. Their daily routine was centered to the work and they had to work from the dawn till late at night and provided small portion of food. Most of the indentured servants had hard taskmasters with long working hours. They had little spare time for their own work. The plantation workers, after coming back from the plantation had to feed the cattle, cut the wood, prepare the supper and dinner for the next day etc. (Morgan, 2001). After their time was up, they would either go back to their own country or stay back and toil the land that was given to them. As the indentured servants were not paid any wages except for the food and the lodging, they had no saving and the land was the only means of livelihood for them. Some indentured servants like Anthony Johnson became successful farmers and traders after their contract expired. Johnson was granted land and he became a wealthy as tobacco farmer as well as one f the first black slave-traders (Foner,

Nursing art and science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Nursing art and science - Essay Example ernational and national health care systems and facilities is bound to facilitate a better and improved cooperation and communication amongst the varied human elements of health care, impressively bettering the standards of patient care, a systematic accumulation of data on the part of the nursing professionals to assure a better evaluation of the end results of nursing care, a greater adherence on the part of the nursing professionals to the agreed upon standards of nursing care and a realistic and satisfactory assessment of nursing care, thereby pragmatically and positively impacting the overall visibility of nursing at a national and global level (who 2006). A formal recognition of the contribution of the achievements and contributions of the nurses in the running and management of health care facilities and institutions will not only boost the morale of the nursing professionals, but could also be positively be expected to address the problem of a severe shortage of qualified and skilled nurses across the developed world. Recognition of the difference made by the nursing professionals in the cause of health care will accord a salubrious visibility to the nursing profession, thereby encouraging and stimulating the potential candidates to affiliate to the cause of health care and service. A formal recognition of the contribution of the nursing professionals in the health care systems is a subject that is not merely confined to verbal declarations and speeches, but is rather something that solicits a practical implementation and actions in the varied aspects of health care. It calls for a commitment on the part of national and international health care bodies and institutions towards the training and retention of nursing professionals, helping them develop the appropriate skill mix and abilities, applicable at all levels, be it at the level of primary health care or at state of the art, high speciality institutions (WHO 2011). This calls for the extension of

Structure and meaning in literary discourse Essay

Structure and meaning in literary discourse - Essay Example (Taboada, 159) Linguistic and Literary Issue 2: Anachrony, in the form of 'flashback' or analepsis and 'flash-forward' or prolepsis, is a modern narrative technique making use of the discrepancy between the chronological order of events and the order of their presentation and "the way the revelatory analepsis is used ensures not only the structural but also the thematic unity of the narrative" in A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. (Maglavera, 131) Linguistic and Literary Issue 3: The grammatical system presents the grammatical cohesion which is divided into "the reference [incorporating anaphora and cataphora], substitution, ellipsis and conjunction types," whereas lexical cohesion is broken down into "relations of repetition, synonymity, collocation, and other semantic relationships." (Taboada, 160) Linguistic and Literary Issue 4: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens presents a compelling illustration of the use of repeated coordinating structure through the narrative techniques such as anachrony, collocation, cataphora, repetition and substitution which ultimately bring about coherence and cohesion in the literary discourse. As stated above, the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens presents one of the most effective illu... f all, the temporal relationships between narrative and story or the relations of temporal ordering, through the use of revelatory analepsis, ensure structural as well as thematic unity of the narrative. It is most revealing to realise that "in A Tale of Two Cities most analepses refer to the thick mystery surrounding Dr. Manette's past life, the years of his imprisonment in France and the reasons for this." (Maglavera, 121) To comprehend the expert use of the other linguistic techniques of narration such as collocation, cataphora, repetition and substitution in the novel A Tale of Two Cities, it is important to consider the use of repeated coordinating structure of the novel. The introductory passage of the novel, at its best, reveals this repeated coordinating structure. Significantly, the various categories of coordinating structure in the introductory sentences of the novel "restate previously stated ideas in a new way." (Donnelly and Donnelly, 82) Here, the subordinating sentenc es expand or analyse the various ideas which were already stated at a lower level. Thus, the introductory sentences of the novel are meaningfully connected and the concepts in the subordinating sentences are reanalysed in more detailed, more specific and less abstract language. "Such sentences," Donnelly and Donnelly observe, "explain, define, or give examples of the ideas already mentioned at a higher level and treated in a more general manner."(Donnelly and Donnelly, 82) In short, the stylistic techniques such as anachrony, collocation, cataphora, repetition and substitution offer great coherence and cohesion in the narrative strategy of the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Works Cited Donnelly, Colleen and Colleen Elaine Donnelly. Linguistics for Writers. SUNY Press.

Juvenile Gangs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Juvenile Gangs - Research Paper Example Being raised in an economically depressed neighborhood can understandably lead youth persons to think that their lives are unimportant and thus want for a sense of identity. The social construction gangs offer provides juveniles with a sense of belonging, a particularly significant need for developing youths. In many neighborhoods, adolescents are actively recruited or are intimidated into becoming gang members and seemingly have little choice. â€Å"A few [teens] are virtually born into gangs as a result of neighborhood traditions and their parents’ earlier and perhaps continuing gang participation or involvement in criminal activity† (Moore, 1978). The gangs offer disenfranchised kids, who are undergoing feelings of isolation, a connection to a family-like atmosphere. Some of these youths are wavering between what they consider as their adopted and native cultures but feel a connection to neither. There are many reasons that youths join and remain loyal to gangs, all of which are complex and possibly incomprehensible to the general public. This discussion will briefly explain why juveniles join gangs then discuss gangs themselves, their motivations, general make-up, characteristics, and trends concerning street gang activity. There are numerous early factors that can lead juveniles to become gang members in addition to what might be the most obvious, living in abusive households. Poverty is another of the more significant factors. According to research conducted by the Children’s Defense Fund, nearly one fifth of all youths live below the poverty line in American cities. â€Å"Poor neighborhoods, especially ‘inner-city war zones’, generally have relatively high crime rates, unsatisfactory schools and unhealthy living conditions. They provide a child with few resources, negatively affect development and increase the chances a child will become violent† (â€Å"Rosado†, 2000, p. 15). Children who are subjected to t wo or more risk factors such as poverty and abuse, have a significantly higher risk factor of participating in criminal behavior and juvenile violence. Inner city ‘battle zones’, which have grown significantly in many of the country’s small to medium-sized towns in addition to the larger urban sections of major cities, are described as those areas in which most youths over 14 years old has attended the funeral of more than one friend, a very distinct definition, one that is difficult for most Americans to fully comprehend. (Garbarino, 1999, p. 40). Because youths living in disadvantaged neighborhoods are often ostracized from mainstream society due to their inability to afford similar material goods or the education that would afford them with the means to leave, many of these juveniles grow up under an umbrella of bitterness, anger and open contempt of the societal rules and government laws of the same society that rejected them. This circumstance makes it easie r for them to rationalize their own deviant behaviors because they are merely doing what they believe necessary so as to give themselves a chance at something beyond their present life condition, a chances they not offered elsewhere. Their perception of rejection by the society at large also instills an attitude of despair and hopelessness among youths who are already suffering from other unfavorable conditions, reinforcing the idea that life will likely always be this painful, empty

The differences between macroeconomics and microeconomics Essay

The differences between macroeconomics and microeconomics - Essay Example For example, the objective of study microeconomic theory is to understand the factors related to the optimal allocation of resources whereas, the objective of macroeconomics is to study the factors related to employment and development of scare resources in the economy. Although microeconomics objective is to focus on individual units in the economy and macroeconomics objective to focus on entire economy, both of these fields are contributing to the study of economy and individual behaviours in the economy. The difference between microeconomic theory and macroeconomic theory is that microeconomics focuses on the economic behaviours of individuals including business firms, consumers and resources owners whereas, macroeconomics focuses on economy as a whole and deals with aggregate levels of output, economy, national income and prices (Salvatore, 2006, pp.8). According to Professor G. Thimmaya (cited in Jain & Khanna, 2010) the core difference between the two fields is that price is th e major determinant of problems in microeconomics whereas, income is the major determinant of problems in macroeconomics. In other words, the decisions taken in microeconomics are primarily based on price such as factors of production whereas, the decisions made in macroeconomics are based on income such as total consumption and total investments. Wessels (2006, pp.101) argues that in macroeconomics, the economy is studied as a whole whereas in microeconomics, the economic actions of people including individual firms and the individual households are studied. Wessels explains the difference between the two branches of economics. He argues that if in microeconomics the function of... This essay presents a modern theoretic analysis of the differences and similarities between microeconomics and macroeconomics. Various differences between macroeconomics and microeconomics are identified in the essay however; the primary difference is related to aggregation and objective of the two fields. Both these fields are strong interrelated and concepts and theories of microeconomics are necessary to study concepts in macroeconomics. Economics is the examination of mankind in the normal business of life; it analyses the actions of individuals and society which are closely associated with the achievement and utilisation of needs of well-being. The two branches of economics are microeconomics and macroeconomics. These two fields differ in their scope and objective. The core difference between the two fields is that price is the major determinant of problems in microeconomics whereas, income is the major determinant of problems in macroeconomics. Both subjects have different objectives. The objective of study microeconomic theory is to understand the factors related to the optimal allocation of resources whereas, the objective of macroeconomics is to study the factors related to employment and development of scare resources in the economy. Microeconomics and macroeconomics are substantially related with each other. Major chunk of modern macroeconomics theory involves the applications of microeconomics because the aggregate outcomes in macroeconomics are usually rooted from the decision making theories of consumers and firms

Employment law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Employment law - Essay Example The main legal pointers to analyse include whether Tina qualified for protection as an employee and whether the dismissal was fair or not as well as the question of whether she experienced discrimination or not. Principles According to Section 1 (2) of the Employment Rights Act (ERA) (1996), a person categorised as an employee has rights and the termination of his appointment must come with some degree of sensitivity. Dismissals can only be carried out in cases where the employee is at fault in relation to some key legal indicators (Kelly, 1997). In a case where the employee's appointment is to be terminated because his or her contribution is not required, that situation must be categorised as a 'redundancy' (ERA 1996). Terminations require at least 1 week notice (Section 134 ERA, 1996). The basis for the termination must be reasonable (86, ERA, 1996). In the case of a redundancy, there must be some redundancy payments made to the affected employee (Section 135, ERA, 1996). The payme nt is required for people who have worked for at least 1 years for the same employer (Section 155, ERA, 1996). The formula for calculating redundancy payment varies for different people. For persons under the age of 21, redundancy payments should be half-a-week's wages for each year spent as an employee. For persons between 21 and 40 years it is a week's wage for each year spent as an employee with the company and for persons above age 40, it is one and a half week's wages for each year. The ceiling for this calculation is the minimum wage, which currently stands at ?430. The Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment Act (PLFT) of 2000 maintains the need for fair treatment for part time workers. Application In Ready Mixed Concrete V MSS it was identified that there is a distinction between 'contract of service' and 'contract for service'. The former suggests an individual is an employee whilst the latter implies the individuals is rendering his service as a self-employed individual or independent contractor. In doing this, the court ascertains whether an individual was in business on his own accord or not (Market Investigations V MSS 1969). Other pointers include the contractual provisions (BSM 1257 V Secretary of State), the degree of control exercised by the employer, the obligation of the employer to provide work, the obligation of the 'employee' to work and the opportunity for 'employee' to work for other employers. Also, the mutuality of the obligation between the two parties is vital. Tina has been a worker for Silkweave for the past 3 years. Although there is no formal employment contract between her and Silkweave, the company seem to have some degree of control over her activities (Global Plant Ltd V Secretary of State for Health & Social Security). The company seem to provide work for her and when she is unable to do it, she arranges for her sister to take over. This means that in practice, Silkweave has a contract of employment with her since she has b een solely responsible for the cleaning of Silkweave's premises. It is not likely that Tina provides the cleaning equipment and materials for the cleaning by herself. According to Carmichael V National Power PLC where the employee provides her own materials for the work, she is likely to be self-employed or an independent contractor. However in the case, of Tina, it seems she gets inputs from Silkweave and that makes her more of an employee than an independent co

21st century medication treatments. and 1960's medication treatments Research Paper

21st century medication treatments. and 1960's medication treatments - Research Paper Example has remained the same throughout the years, the ways of providing such treatment have changed, with the development of more efficient ways and medication to do so. Some diseases, which were previously thought to be untreatable, can now  be  more easily treated  than  before, and these include some mental disorders. In this paper, there shall be a comparison of the way treatments were done in the 1960s and how they are handled in the contemporary period. Among the areas to be discussed, include the medication that is given to patients, therapies, the various types of surgeries, and several minor treatments. In the twenty first century, there are medications for almost every medical condition, which is known to medical practitioners. These medications are based on a long period of research, and most have been proven to work extremely efficiently. Many of these medications have been designed to treat ailments and are continuously being improved to achieve the best result. However, most of the medications that are used in the twenty first century are dedicated to medical conditions, which are currently prevalent, and rarely are medications developed to deal with diseases that are thought to have been eradicated. This is highly risky because it enables such diseases as smallpox, which was thought to have been eradicated, to form new strains, which would be virtually untreatable using modern medicine. Despite this, it can still be said that contemporary medications have exceedingly improved the lives of people, and it has enabled people to lead normal lives despite some severe conditions wh ich they might have (Hitron 243). Medications in the 1960s were not advanced, as those used in the twenty first century, because  the technology used for their development was not advanced. However, it is during this period that research on various medical conditions began to be conducted so that cures could be found. It can be said that the medications used in the 1960s were still in

Technology, Globalization & Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Technology, Globalization & Change - Assignment Example In response to technological revolution, new approaches and tools are developed to counter the emerging challenges. For instance, new concepts of manufacturing are being implored to enable multi production in industries which in turn translates to high productivity.Additional, computer technology and microprocessor integrated into several products enables software differentiation. Computer systems and networks also greatly alter management approach to issues. Business is increasingly getting globalized courtesy of latest communication technologies which overhaul equipment and logistical technology.Morover, technological factors and trends have contributed to a number of factors. Notable among these factors are aspects such as, rapid increase in rates of technology diffusion and change, age of information, intensity in terms of knowledge increase and lastly the sprouting of positive feed back in industries. In summary, development of new mindsets, tools, organizations and concepts hav e now become a prerequisite for every manager. In order to navigate through the new competitive landscape, further research is required to enable managers be at a better position to handle and respond to the new emerging trends. For a company to withstand the various challenges that emanate from the new competitive landscape, the management can put in place a variety of measures to be at par in terms of responding to these challenges. As a manager, I would recommend to the board of directors to adopt the following measures. Firstly and as recommended by Bettis and Michael, the staff should be able to develop a new mindset on how to approach business. This can be made possible when the company initiate extensive programs and also through invitation of resource persons. Extensive programs enable staff members to learn more about the emerging challenges and the likely remedies that can be adopted to counter the various challenges. On the other hand, Invitation of resource persons that are professionals in respective fields of technology such as software and e-marketing may also enlighten staff members about contemporary trends. New tools should also be developed to enable the company counter the challenges brought about by technology. This can be done through introduction and embracing technological systems such as within a company’s communication department and logistical departments. New concepts should also be embraced to replace the old ones. For example, slower methods of communication can be replaced with more effective and efficient ones. New technological aspects such as tele- conferencing should be adopted by a company if possible. This is because such a concept is not only convenient but also saves time too. As suggested by Grubler, Bettis and Michael, I would recommend to the Board of Directors to embrace research as an essential component of the companies objectives. For example, how technology can be used to meet customers satisfaction and inc rease efficiency in terms of timely and effective service delivery. Research would also enable the company to establish what is still relevant and what has been by passed by season in terms of technology brought about by the new competitive landscape. For instance, a telecommunication company should inject more funds on mobile phone research other than land line because it is contemporary and convenient to

Activities of the Ku Klux Klan Essay Example for Free

Activities of the Ku Klux Klan Essay With the Civil War over and tensions still high between the south and the north; the country saw a rise in violence against African Americans. Those in the south still didn’t believe blacks rated the same as them. In this paper I will discuss the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, the activities the Klan participated in, and the eventual fall of the Klan. After the Civil war ended many southerners still had the belief that the Blacks were not equal and should not be put in the same class or jobs as white men and women. With tensions rising violence began to break out and Blacks were the main target as well as anyone that was assisting the Black community. On December 24th, 1865 six confederate veterans got together and formed the first Klan. To historians the Klan was formed as a post Civil war insurgent rise that was fighting against the dramatically changing social situation our country was facing. The Klan used public violence against blacks as intimidation; attempting to keep them out of jobs and off the land that whites believed they did not and should not own. To the Klan Blacks were a inferior race and should stay that way; working for whites as a labor force. As the years went by the Klan attempted to create a hierarchy with the various chapters in the south, however the plan failed and the various chapters went on to terrorize their areas and settle feuds that were boiling. During the time of the Klan, the members acted in many differing activities. The Klan choose to ride at night and use the darkness as their ally as they terrorized the black community. When they would ride at night they often dawned white masks to mask their identity from the community, mainly for the simply reason that the members of the Klan were often high ranking officials of the military or of the community. When the Klan would ride they often targeted black political leaders as well as heads of the families, along with the leaders of the churches, and community groups because these men and women were a icon in the community. The Klan was also against blacks voting, in a matter of weeks that Klan had killed or wounded over two-thousand black voters in Louisiana before the Presidential election of 1868. By 1868, just 2 years after the creation of the Klan its activities began to fade and die down. In 1870 the government stated that the Klan was an organized terrorist group and began to indict members of the Klan. A reporter in Georgia wrote in January 1870, A true statement of the case is not that the Ku Klux are an organized band of licensed criminals, but that men who commit crimes call themselves Ku Klux.† (1) As the Klan decreased its unpopularity also shot down, in 1870 the Klan was destroyed in South Carolina and discriminated against in the rest of the south. In 1872 the Klan was completely disbanded and didn’t come back till 1915. In conclusion, the Klan was a group of men and some women that still held the beliefs that the black community was underneath the whites. They did not see them as equals and did not agree with what the north was trying to do after the Civil war. In the beginning the Klan was strong and had nearly 550,000 members that terrorized the south, but the lack of leadership and differing views ultimately led to their demise and eventual destruction of the Klan.

What Is Workers Participation Management Management Essay

What Is Workers Participation Management Management Essay The term participation is derived from Latin word Participare that mean taking part or sharing shaving is a bilateral process involving motivational functional manifestations, the term worker participation involves sharing in an appropriate manner. The decision- making power with the lower ranks of the organization. Workers participation in management is an essential ingredient of Industrial democracy and is based on Human Relations approach to Management which brought about a new set of values to labour and management. Traditionally the concept of Workers Participation in Management (WPM) refers to participation of non-managerial employees in the decision-making process of the organization. Workers participation is also known as labour participation or employee participation in management. Concept:- The technique of the workers participation in management has been regarded as a powerful behavioral tool for managing the industrial relation system. The concept of the WPM crystallizes the concept of industrial democracy and indicates an attempt on the employer to build his employee into a team, which works towards the realization of common objectives. It is a mental and emotional involvement of a person in a group situation which encourages him to constitute to goals and share responsibilities with them. Objectives of WPM: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To establish Industrial Democracy. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To build the most dynamic Human Resources. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To satisfy the workers social and esteem needs. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To strengthen labour-management co-operation and thus maintain Industrial peace and harmony. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To promote increased productivity for the advantage of the organization, workers and the society at large. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Its psychological objective is to secure full recognition of the workers. Strategies / Schemes of WPM: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Suggestion Schemes:  Participation of workers can take place through suggestion scheme. Under this method workers are invited and encouraged to offer suggestions for improving the working of the enterprise.   A suggestion box is installed and any worker can write his suggestions and drop them in the box. Periodically all the suggestions are scrutinized by the suggestion committee or suggestion screening committee. The committee is constituted by equal representation from the management and the workers. The committee screens various suggestions received from the workers. Good suggestions are accepted for implementation and suitable awards are given to the concerned workers. Suggestion schemes encourage workers interest in the functioning of an enterprise. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Works committee:  Under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, every establishment employing 100 or more workers is required to constitute a works committee. Such a committee consists of equal number of representatives from the employer and the employees. The main purpose of this committee is to provide measures for securing and preserving amity and good relations between the employer and the employees. Functions:  Works committee deals with matters of day-to-day functioning at the shop floor level. Works committees are concerned with: Æ’Â °Ã‚  Ã‚  Conditions of work such as ventilation, lighting and sanitation. Æ’Â °Ã‚  Ã‚  Amenities such as drinking water, canteens, dining rooms, medical and health services. Æ’Â °Ã‚  Ã‚  Educational and recreational activities. Æ’Â °Ã‚  Ã‚  Safety measures, accident prevention mechanisms etc. Works committees function actively in some organizations like Tata Steel, HLL, etc but the progress of Works Committees in many organizations has not been very satisfactory due to the following reasons: Æ’Â ¼Ã‚  Ã‚  Lack of competence and interest on the part of workers representatives. Æ’Â ¼Ã‚  Ã‚  Employees consider it below their dignity and status to sit alongside blue-collar workers. Æ’Â ¼Ã‚  Ã‚  Lack of feedback on performance of Works Committee. Æ’Â ¼Ã‚  Ã‚  Undue delay and problems in implementation due to advisory nature of recommendations. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joint Management Councils:  Under this system Joint Management Councils are constituted at the plant level. These councils were setup as early as 1958. These councils consist of equal number of representatives of the employers and employees, not exceeding 12 at the plant level. The plant should employ  at least500 workers. The council discusses various matters relating to the working of the industry. This council is entrusted with the responsibility of administering welfare measures, supervision of safety and health schemes, scheduling of working hours, rewards for suggestions etc. Wages, bonus, personal problems of the workers are outside the scope of Joint management councils. The council is to take up issues related to accident prevention, management of canteens, water, meals, revision of work rules, absenteeism, indiscipline etc. the performance of Joint Management Councils have not been satisfactory due to the following reasons:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Workers representatives feel dissatisfied as the councils functions are concerned with only the welfare activities.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trade unions fear that these councils will weaken their strength as workers come under the direct influence of these councils. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Work Directors:  Under this method, one or two representatives of workers are nominated or elected to the Board of Directors. This is the full-fledged and highest form of workers participation in management. The basic idea behind this method is that the representation of workers at the top-level would usher Industrial Democracy, congenial employee-employer relations and safeguard the workers interests. The Government of India introduced this scheme in several public sector enterprises such as Hindustan Antibiotics, Hindustan Organic Chemicals Ltd etc. However the scheme of appointment of such a director from among the employees failed miserably and the scheme was subsequently dropped. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Co-partnership:  Co-partnership involves employees participation in the share capital of a company in which they are employed. By virtue of their being shareholders, they have the right to participate in the management of the company. Shares of the company can be acquired by workers making cash payment or by way of stock options scheme. The basic objective of stock options is not to pass on control in the hands of employees but providing better financial incentives for industrial productivity. But in developed countries, WPM through co-partnership is limited. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joint Councils:  The joint councils are constituted for the whole unit, in every Industrial Unit employing 500 or more workers, there should be a Joint Council for the whole unit. Only such persons who are actually engaged in the unit shall be the members of Joint Council. A joint council shall meet at least once in a quarter. The chief executive of the unit shall be the chairperson of the joint council. The vice-chairman of the joint council will be nominated by the worker members of the council. The decisions of the Joint Council shall be based on the consensus and not on the basis of voting.  Ã‚   In 1977 the above scheme was extended to the PSUs like commercial and service sector organizations employing 100 or more persons. The organizations include hotels, hospitals, railway and road transport, post and telegraph offices, state electricity boards. Levels of Management Participation There can be 5 levels of Management Participation or WPM: a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Information participation:  It ensures that employees are able to receive information and express their views pertaining to the matter of general economic importance. b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Consultative importance:  Here workers are consulted on the matters of employee welfare such as work, safety and health. However, final decision always rests with the top-level management, as employees views are only advisory in nature. c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Associative participation:  It is an extension of consultative participation as management here is under the moral obligation to accept and implement the unanimous decisions of the employees. Under this method the managers and workers jointly take decisions. d.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Administrative participation:  It ensures greater share of workers participation in discharge of managerial functions. Here, decisions already taken by the management come to employees, preferably with alternatives for administration and employees have to select the best from those for implementation. e.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Decisive participation:  Highest level of participation where decisions are jointly taken on the matters relating to production, welfare etc. Reasons for failure of Workers participation Movement in India: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Employers resist the participation of workers in decision-making. This is because they feel that workers are not competent enough to take decisions. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Workers representatives who participate in management have to perform the dual roles of workers spokesman and a co-manager. Very few representatives are competent enough to assume the two incompatible roles. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Generally Trade Unions leaders who represent workers are also active members of various political parties. While participating in management they tend to give priority to political interests rather than the workers cause. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Schemes of workers participation have been initiated and sponsored by the Government. However, there has been a lack of interest and initiative on the part of both the trade unions and employers. Measures for making Participation effective: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Employer should adopt a progressive outlook. They should consider the industry as a joint endeavour  in which workers have an equal say. Workers should be provided and enlightened about the benefits of their participation in the management. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Employers and workers should agree on the objectives of the industry. They should recognize and respect the rights of each other. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Workers and their representatives should be provided education and training in the philosophy and process of participative management. Workers should be made aware of the benefits of participative management. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There should be effective communication between workers and management and effective consultation of workers by the management in decisions that have an impact on them. Viper Report

HRM For Hospitality And Tourism Industries

HRM For Hospitality And Tourism Industries Introduction  · Human resource management (HRM) is the tactical and logical approach to the management of an organizations most esteemed property the people working there who independently and together contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business.  · All methods and functions concerning the recruitment and development of personnel as human resources, with the aim of efficiency and greater output in a company, government administration, or other organization  · Human resource management (HRM) is the perceptive and application of the policy and procedures that directly involve the people working within the task team and working group. These policies include recruitment, maintenance, repayment, personal development, training and career development.  · is the effective use of human resources in order to improve managerial performance.  · The management of the workforce of a business to ensure satisfactory staff levels with the right skills, properly satisfied and motivated.  · Staffing function of the business. It includes the activities of human resources planning, recruitment, orientation, selection, , training, performance, payment, appraisal and safety. What is HRM? Human Resource Management (HRM) is a way of management that links people-related behavior to the tactic of a business or organization. HRM is often referred to as strategic HRM. It has numerous goals: To meet the needs of the business and management (rather than serve the interests of employees); To bond human resource strategies / policies to the company goals and objectives; To find ways for human resources to add value to an industry; To help a business gain the obligation of employees to its values, goals and objectives Human Resource Management for the Hospitality and Tourism Industries This takes an incorporated look at HRM policies and practices in the tourism and hospitality industries. Utilizing existing human resource management (HRM) theory and carry out, it contextualizes it to the tourism and hospitality industries by looking at the specific employment practices of these industries, such as how to manage tour reps or working in the airline industry. It initially sets the picture with a open review of the facts of HRM practice within the tourism and hospitality industries. Having identified the broader picture, the text then begin to focus much more plainly on a variety of HR policies and practices such as: Recruitment and selection: the effects of ICT, skills required specific for the industry and the nature of advertising Legislation and identical opportunities: illegal intolerance and managing assortment Staff health and welfare: aggression in the workplace, working time orders, smoking and alcohol and drug misuse wage strategies in the industry Human Resource Management for the Hospitality and Tourism Industries will be illustrated throughout with both examples of best practice for dictatorial training and discussion, and international case studies to put into effect problem solving techniques and contextualize learning. It incorporates a user friendly design and includes educational features such as: chapter outlines and objectives, HRM in practice The nature of HRM in hospitality and tourism; executive culture and the search for service quality; Labor markets; staffing and selection; equivalent Opportunities; Training and improvement; Staff health and welfare; Employee relations, involvement and participation; Performance management; compensation strategies in hospitality and tourism; Disciplinary and complaint procedures. Development in HRM in hospitality and tourism It is common knowledge that the performance of human resource management ( HRM ) is established in most organizations ranging from small- to medium- to large-scale corporations. The current-day human resource ( HR ) manager has direct control on the strategic direction and judgment of both private and public sector organizations. Tourism is the broad umbrella that drives related indicators within local and national economies. Hospitality organizations are motivated by public and private sector tourism policies and practices. The increase of telecommunication technologies along with the development of multinational hospitality organizations has generated an understanding of tourism policies on a global level. Sustainable tourism is a long-term mutual systems approach to establishing and maintaining pleasant-sounding relationships among hospitality/travel-related organizations and the social, cultural and environmental aspects associated with tourist destinations. While the process of sustainable tourism involves the establishment and maintenance of harmonious relationships, the goal is the creation of continued possibility and development of tourism-related entities. Proponents of sustainable tourism slot in in a process of creating a mutually favorable balance between the microenvironment (social, cultural and environmental aspects) and the microenvironment (internal workings of a specific organization). The objective of this process is the institutionalization of the tourism industry as a contributor to the sociocultural welfare and development of each and every destination. In essence, this aim seeks what might be called a triple win outcome. Successful sustainable tourism initiatives result in positive outcomes for consumers (guests, travelers and customers), organizations (commercial enterprises) as well as the society (indigenous people and cultures). But how does the practice of hospitality human resource management fit into this picture? CAREER PATHS As part of the commitment to the social environment of the community, human resource practitioners in sustainable tourism-based organizations must agree on the career goals and desires of host country citizens. While certain individuals will exist who do not possess progressive career aspirations, there will be others who will view the organization as a means to pursue professional development activities. For this reason, job design processes should provide a clear snapshot of knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes for every position within the organization through job descriptions and job specifications. The job descriptions and job specifications provide foundational information to track logical paths of career progression among the many disciplines found within the operations and administrative areas of a medium-to-large hospitality enterprise. Once these paths are discovered, human resource practitioners may engage in career counseling activities aimed at communicating activities to attain the necessary job requirements for internal promotions. Human resource practitioners may choose to take this one step further through formal succession planning programs coupled with training development activities. Many cases of global expansion within hospitality organizations include the placement of expatriate managers from home nations into positions at host country locations. STO strategies might be aimed at the temporary placement of such individuals until citizens of the host nation are adequately prepared to assume senior management positions. An advantage to this strategy would be the assimilation into the mainstream culture of the host nation by establishing a representation of senior management positions that are held by qualified host nationals. PROPORTION OF LOCAL STAFF MEMBERS It makes good business sense for human resource practitioners to scan the external environment of the host nation to determine the statistical representation of various groups of individuals by ethnicity, age, sex, race, national origin and in some cases religion. Once the demographics for the locale are discovered, the human resource manager would enact strategies aimed at a statistical representation within the organization that is somewhat similar to those evident within the region. Some reactive hospitality organizations might claim to have sufficient numbers of represented groups within their companies. Upon further inspection, however, it could be determined that the representation exists exclusively for lower-level position holders.   OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO HR MANAGERS TO IMPROVE THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR STAFF Career options: Human Resource Management human Resource Management professionals are employed in medium large enterprises across all sectors of the workplace. The Australian Human Resources Institute defines the diverse roles of human resource practitioners as follows: They provide a support service and serve as technical advisers to line managers on issues such as recruitment, training and safety. They play an important role in defining the personnel policies that guarantee fair treatment of all employees, recognition of staff needs and democratic organization. They serve an audit role ensuring that managerial decisions agree with the personnel policies and are consistent across the organization. They explore ways of improving employee productivity and satisfaction, and keep managers informed about changes in employment legislation. They manage changing business processes brought about by a dynamic business environment, for example business restructures. They provide an ethical and legal understanding of the frameworks required for managing people in various types of business. Senior HR managers provide strategic input into the decision-making processes within their organizations. They build the corporate wisdom of their organizations through staff development and managing human resource information systems. They assist the organization to be customer focused by aligning the needs and requirements of the employees with those of the customers. In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you have also developed a range of other skills (e.g. teamwork, analytical, communication) through academic study, employment, voluntary work, sporting activities and life experience. These are often referred to as transferable skills because they can be utilized in different environments. Recognizing the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. Positions and employers Many graduate employers recruit from a wide range of disciplines. The major directory of graduate recruitment in Australia, Graduate Opportunities, lists employers by the disciplines from which they are recruiting. You might be surprised by the range of employers recruiting from your degree and the sectors of the workplace where you might establish a career. Synopsis Human Resource Management is very important in business management. Management is an organizational function, like sales, marketing or finance. It doesnt necessarily mean managing people. We can manage ourselves or the material assigned to us at work. If you managed a project very well on your own, it would mean that you did the job in a well-organized, efficient manner, making good use of all resources at your disposal. Human resource management is fundamentally about ensuring that the right person with the right personality, knowledge base and skill set is best matched for a particular role within the company. Human resources professionals may also be responsible for organizing training needs, advertising vacancies, interviewing, selection, aptitude testing and disciplinary procedures in the event that an employee is not meeting expectations. When the company expands, production and cost management is very important to the existence of organization when considering about more profit, the executive level has to manage variety of resources of the organization. To have a efficient use of the physical resources of the organization, there should be a proper control of staff management. Thats what we call Human Resources Management.

I Love Those Lips, But Those Lips Belong to Another :: Personal Narrative, essay about myself

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Recently I came across two arches. They were alive and in constant motion. First they told me life might get interesting. Then they showed me that life was going to get really good. Then after leaving me with an odd sense of power, they said bye, now life is sad. Its movements resembled that of a shape-shifter: causing the creation of circles, ellipses, and a mixture of feelings. These were the actions of a pair of lips belonging to a vision of beauty.    When I first saw them they were in their top form. They gave me a smile. The execution of the smile forced the bottom arch to push from the top corners upwards on to the upper arch. Consequentially, they caused my lips to do the same. The intensity was light but was still able to cause the words "nice to meet you" to float into my mind and back into hers. The smile, though light, wasn't like the ones that are often in response to a frivolous or corny joke, accompanied by a lack of energy. It was a creation of a divine entity: maybe God, maybe a god, or maybe a master painter. They were almost frozen together, the lower mimicking the slow rise of the upper one, gaining strength from the power of my stare. The smile became larger. Was I the only one who noticed?    It was musical and soothing. The smile was her rhythmic way of singing "Smile, darn ya smile"i. There could be nothing more uplifting than Sammy Davis Jr. telling you the "...world is a great world after all..." with his foot tapping action in the background. I guess she did not mean this world because her smile was causing my temporary lapse into another. This was how she planned to make my "...life worth while." She, like Sammy, knew that there was a great attachment between the smile and joy. That smile was going to tell the world that nothing could hold you back, the world would halt just to admire the stride of confidence. That smile knew a lot. It was able to impart a wonderful concept without any words or any movements. Now rich with new knowledge I realized that she could have given me no greater gift.    I was amazed by the dynamic evolution of the arches in what seemed to be hours.

Men and Women, Perspectives on Communication Essay -- Gender Difference

Men and Women, Perspectives on Communication Throughout time it has been documented that men and women see things in the world from different perspectives. A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he wants but a woman will pay $1 for a $2 item she doesn't want. Men and women’s minds are truly wired up differently, and I’m not just talking about sex. Making love, for most women is the greatest expression of intimacy a couple can achieve. To most men, you can call it whatever you want just as long as they end up in bed. (Actually, I hope that is my last sexual reference.) A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears, and hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house. These are just a few crude stereotypical examples of how men and women see the world differently. Heartfelt, meaningful and truthful communication or the lack there of, is a primary culprit in accentuating the differences between men and wom en. Women long desperately for it and men don’t know how to or are unwilling to provide it. These differences, although sometimes very subtle, are also apparent in many of today’s literary classics. In the short story by John Steinbeck, â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†, the husband and wife do not communicate effectively and both see their particular status in life differently. Stanley Kauffmann’s â€Å"The More the Merrier† is a funny look at four people’s perspective on what marriage would mean for them and how the secrets they kept will come ‘round to bite them. But, perhaps, not all men and women are as ineffectual at communicating as those I have highlighted in the first two examples. Judith Viorst’s â€Å"True Love† is an expression of how she knows what she shares with her husband is true love. Most men would probably agree with her. There is obviously great two way communication in her relationship with her husband.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heartfelt, meaningful and truthful communication or the lack thereof, plays a large part in John Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† and Judith Viorst’s â€Å"True Love† and to a smaller extent in Stanley Kauffmann’s â€Å"The More the Merrier†. The stereotypical model tells us that the man is usually the one that can not or will not communicate. In chrysanthemums, there is a bit of a twist, Elisa is the one that has a hard time com... ...unspoken message. â€Å"It is true love because†¦ When I said that playing the stock market was juvenile and irresponsible and then when the stock I wouldn’t let him buy went up twenty-six points, I understood why he hated me.† (19, 23-24) Strangely, I think that most men would agree with Ms. Viorst’s expression of their true love. Genuine, heartfelt, meaningful and truthful communication between men and women is the key that can solve any problem. Men may be from Mars and women from Venus, but every once in a while, a couple to manage to split the difference and meet her on earth. Work Cited Poem Viorst, Judith. â€Å"True Love.† Literature, An Introduction to Reading and Writing. 2nd Compact ed. Eds. Edgar Roberts and Henry Jacobs. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003. 471. Short Story John Steinbeck, â€Å"The Chrysanthemums.† Literature, An Introduction to Reading and Writing. 2nd Compact ed. Eds. Edgar Roberts and Henry Jacobs. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003. 359-66. Play Kauffmann, Stanley, â€Å"The More the Merrier.† Literature, An Introduction to Reading and Writing. 2nd Compact ed. Eds. Edgar Roberts and Henry Jacobs. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003. 821-30.

Healthcare Utilization

Health care reform is a not only an ongoing topic of debate statewide, but nationwide as well. Health care reform is a popular topic right now all over the United States. This paper will discuss the various ways that health care reform measures have expanded or inhibited access to care as well as how these changes effect the utilization of healthcare. Also covered will be universal health care, a discussion of what this consists of and how current care identifies or contrasts with it (University of Phoenix, 2013). The cost for a patient receiving care has been on a steady incline, nearing â€Å"$2. 6 trillion in 2010, over ten times the $256 billion spent in 1980,† (Kaiser Foundation, 2013, para. 1). Contributing to these rising costs is advanced medical technology. Not only does the updated technology affect the cost of health care, but it offers patients a more updated, safer solution compared to equipment and procedures of the past. The rising cost of health care seriously impacts people who may already be suffering financially, denying them the ability to receive proper medical care. There are a limited amount of Americans that can afford routine care with a primary care doctor. Many patients are forced to resort to using the emergency room on an as needed basis. In order to ensure more Americans receive the health care they need, a change in the system must occur. Health care reform is built upon the current health insurance system as a way of providing access to system to provide more people with the ability to gain medical insurance coverage. Health reform also establishes an easy way for consumers to compare and purchase health insurance as well as protect consumers legally. The current plan for health care reform will make it possible for low income families to qualify for medical coverage through federal programs. The health reform will also encourage additional employers to provide health insurance policies that cover preventative measures for employees. This reform would also protect patients from unreasonable rate increases to their policies. Although health care reform is intended to increase the accessibility of healthcare, it also comes with the potential to be a financial disaster for he government and patients alike. Becoming effective in 2014, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will require states to cover individuals with incomes not exceeding 133 percent of the federal poverty level, under the age of 65 and not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid. â€Å" The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will ensure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care and will create the transformation within the health care system necessary to contain costs,† (Responsible Reform, 2012, para. ). One issue that will still be present will be the limited access to preventative and primary care because Medicaid will only ensure non-routine visits. Forcing patients to visit emergency departments or urgent care offices will increase costs and pose a threat to not only the patients but the physicians, hospitals, and government agencies behind the funding (Douglas Holtz-Eakin, 2010). Health care reform will not only affect patient coverage but will force changes within the utilization of health care as well. The changes made from health care reform have a major impact on health care by influencing the level of spending within the health care industry. These rates of health care utilization are direct indicators of the type of care patients are seeking. The rates also define how services may vary from one region to the next. As noted above, health care reform will expand patient utilization of the emergency department and urgent care offices nationwide. Universal healthcare would be an example everyone being covered for basic healthcare services, and no individual would be denied care as long as they are legal residents in the geographical area covered. The ideal concept would assure that all citizens should have access to affordable, quality health care which differs from the current system. Universal health care programs are government directed through various regulations, mandates, and laws that determine the type of care provided and who is eligible for coverage. Universal health care is a publicly funded health care delivery system. There are certain instances where the patient will be responsible for partial costs, the portion the single payer insurance did not cover. The opposing argument against universal health care is that doctors accepting the insurance offered through the universal program would make less money, therefore influencing the level of care provided to patients. Some also believe it is each individual’s responsibility to take care of their medical coverage, not the responsibility of the government. Some feel it is yet another burden to the current fiscal crisis. They fail to realize the majority of the uninsured are employed citizens that simply cannot afford the rising costs of care. One similarity of the current care in the United States with universal health care is Medicaid and Medicare. Patients covered by these programs must meet government guidelines and receive specific care that is covered by these. The difference between Medicaid/Medicare and universal healthcare is that there is no equality to health care accessibility; the government is determining who is eligible and what is covered. The government determines what services can receive and eligibility. Medical coverage in the United States appears to be a luxury in today’s economy and universal health care would change that view. As am insured dependent, I am covered by blue cross blue shield health insurance. I am able to see my primary care physician with a co-pay and very little out of pocket expenses upfront for minor illness, and accidents. If for some reason I wouldn’t have healthcare anymore. I would be eligible for Medicaid but compared to the coverage I currently have, it would not be much assistance but in an emergency. Not only would it limit my medical coverage, I would all but lose preventative care as well as dental coverage. If universal health care were put into effect through a health care reform, preventative care should be a necessity. Not only does it ensure good health of Americans, it cuts costs in the long run by preventing medical emergencies and undiagnosed conditions. While the health care reform is an ongoing debate, utilization of health care accessibility needs to expand. Coverage for all Americans needs to expand, not just providing access to an emergency room but preventive care as well. The concept of universal health care would ensure that all Americans receive access to quality health care.References Douglas Holtz-Eakin 2010, Healthcare reform and Medicaid: Patient Access, Emergency Department Use, and Financial Implications for States and Hospitals retrieved July 10, 2013 from: http://www.americanactionforum.org/files/HCR_Medicaid Kaiser Foundation (2013). U.S. health care costs. Retrieved July 10, 2013 from http://www.kaiseredu.org/Issue-Modules/US-Health-Care-Costs/Background-Brief. aspx Responsible Reform (2013). The patient protection and affordable care act. Retrieved July 10, 2013 from http://dpc.senate.gov/healthreformbill/healthbill04.pdf