Human Resource Management Issues

Questions: The purpose of this assignment is for you to develop and demonstrate an understanding of relevant theory and best practice related to HRM and workplace relations practices, and to critically review a fundamental HRM practice in light of such theory and practice. Accordingly, the assignment draws on your understanding of relevant HRM practices covered in Section Two of the course, as well as your understanding of HRM, workplace relations and organisational behaviour theories and concepts. Task 1. Conduct an evaluation of a fundamental human resource management (HRM) or workplace relations practice (or set of practices) in an organisation that you are familiar with or have access to. 2. Identify the key aspects of the organisations environment relevant to the practice(s). Drawing on relevant theory, scholarly literature, and professional literature, critically discuss the key issues facing the organisation and why these are important, and make recommendations for the organisation. 3. In your evaluation you should discuss effectiveness and efficiency of the practice(s) and the implications of this practice on other aspects of HRM and workplace relations as applicable. 4. Depending on the organisations strategic goals and/or current challenges, you may choose to focus on a specific practice (e.g. recruitment), or it may be more appropriate to review a set of interrelated practices. You may wish to use a pseudonym to protect the anonymity of the organisation. Answers: Introduction Context, strategy and challenges One of the major objectives of this research paper is to examine the human resource management issues in Wal-Mart, one of the leading retailers in the world. It has been observed that the company faces some issues in employee selection, training and the overall development of the corporation and thus this part is required to look at carefully. It can be seen that employee selection is a significant factor in Wal-Mart at the time they hire their staffs and diversity in this case plays a significant role. This multi-million dollar company has always been committed to maintain strong diversity as a part of their continuing efforts to become the pioneer in the existing industry (Alfes et al., 2013). However, it can be stated that the most recent complaints in this regards can be seen that Wal-Mart has mistreated and underpaid their staffs for quite a long time. Besides this issue, it can be seen that Wal-Mart has been accused for not treating the rights of the employees as well as not be ing as much up to date with technology as they must be. Therefore, it has been seen that training and hiring has become one of the major faults of this leading retail company and the human resource management activities have been accused for this (Bratton Gold, 2012). Practice to be examined In spite of being generally applauded for the organizational culture, Wal-Mart has been severely criticized for some certain aspects of the culture. In spite of a strict policy on the overtime, it is observed that the employees of this organization worked between 5 to 15 hours overtime each week, whether the company had a 40 hours work week. It has been observed in this regards that since overtime in the organization is prohibited, the store managers of many stores often ask the employees to clock out after their shift was over and after that continue working. It has been noticed that many workers had worked for more than 3 hours in a store before clocking in officially in the organization. Another major human resource fault noticed that the store management used to lock the doors of the store at the end of a shift to prevent employees from leaving at the scheduled time. Therefore, it can be stated that this incident often enraged the employees as well as their relatives and the fami lies and at the same time created a poor image of Wal-Mart (Buller McEvoy, 2012). Aims of the report The primary objectives of this report have been mentioned here. Focusing on the working practices, recruitment and selection in Wal-Mart Discussing associated barriers and challenges related to the present working situation Provide analytical research work to design the transformative strategies and solutions to deal with the present working issues in Wal-Mart Approach to be taken in the analysis In order to gain in-depth knowledge of recruitment, selection and healthy working conditions, a literature review has been conducted. Relevant limitations and assumptions During conduction of the research work, time constraints are one of the strong barriers for making a detailed and critical analysis. Moreover, it can be stated that being an outsider, getting access of all data and real incidents in the organization are another obstacles at the time of preparing the research work (Hendry, 2012). Discussion Concise review of the current practices It can be stated that the human resource team of any of the organizations are responsible to look after maintaining the rights of the employees, creating a positive workplace where the employees would enjoy working and look at the point where the employees would not be exploited. It can be stated that the HR departments of the company generally do not talk with the managers and the employees on a regular basis. But, when the emergency situation arises, the need to communicate with both of them for analyzing the actual situation and incorporate some effective policies to deal with the situation carefully. Moreover, it can be stated that many incidents regarding the improper working culture were not entertained by the HR of the company and thus, based on the situation; no such policies were taken into account (Jiang et al., 2012). Apart from that, Jiang et al. (2012) have stated in his research work that the HR managers of the company do not like to confront the employees when they do something wrong and this has been largely noticed in Wal-Mart. Besides, creating proper workplace for the employees and maintaining the rules and the regulations of the workplace falls in the main to-do list of the employees. Therefore, it can be stated that creating such an environment free from the unnecessary hazards is one of the strategic roles of all the human resource managers of the organization. Kehoe and Wright (2013) have stated that the strategic roles of the human resource managers with respect to the employee training and overall development procedure makes the workplace for the future positions within the existing organization. Klassen and Vereecke (2012) have stated that the workers spend a major part of their life, almost eight to ten years at their workplace and thus it is essential for them to get a positive workplace where they would enjoy their work. If the employees do not get a safe and friendly working environment, they might not become committed to their job and thus their contribution to the society would be little. In Wal-Mart, it has been seen that the employees are exploited with overtime, gender discrimination, poor quality of health care services, low wages and unavailability of maternity leaves. These all have affected the entire reputation of the company in the existing retail market and the human resource managers have been accused for these nuisances (Purce, 2014). Relevant organization environment characteristics The human resource management team of the company must focus on maintaining favorable workplace culture that would enable the employees to work properly and provide significant contribution to the overall growth of the company. Renwick, Redman and Maguire (2013) have stated while the employees require belonging, be liked as well as be respected, at the same time they are required to be creatively and efficiently contribute to the overall organizational goals. Moreover, it can be stated that management must tap into worker potentialities and avoiding wasting untapped resources. The employees are required to be allocated based on their area of specification and this would help the company to gain maximum business growth (Scherer, Palazzo, Seidl, 2013). Apart from that, it can be stated that human resource managers must help in discovering the hidden talents of the employees and make sure that all the workers are able to entirely use their range of talents to assist accomplishment the organizational goal. However, it can be stated that the management must encourage teamwork and continually look for the greater areas where the teams can easily exercise more control. The working environment must not be such, where the rights of the employees would be hampered (Storey, 2014). Relevant literature and theory Resource based theory has been one of the leading steps in the human resource management procedure, as this explains a new point of view of the success of the organization. All the organizations are heterogeneous and based on the nature of the work, the resources are required to allocate. Therefore, resource based theory is one of the most discussed theories in this regards and the human resource management ream is required to look at this part to maintain proper sustainability in the workplace (Storey, 2014). Besides this resource based theory, it can be stated that Theory X and Theory Y is another major theory in the human resource management. Employees in this sector dislike working and tend to avoid responsibility and need to be directed. However, it can be stated that X-Type organizations tend to be top heavy, with the managers and the supervisors required at each step to control them. On the other hand, Theory Y states that employees like to take responsibilities and are motivated automatically to fulfill the objectives. Apart from that, they seek and accept responsibilities and thus need not much direction. Therefore, it can be stated that the human resource management team of every organization need to motivate the employees to reach the Theory Y point (Scherer, Palazzo, Seidl, 2013). Conclusions After focusing on the human resource management issues, it has been seen that the employees of Wal-Mart are not satisfied with the working atmosphere of the organization. Therefore, based on the identified human resource issues, some effective recommendations are required to provide in this part, so that management incorporate these policies into practice to enhance the present market situation. Recommendations (SMART) It can be recommended that the human resource functions of Wal-Mart demand improvements in the following areas and they are recruiting and selection, training and development, performance management, focusing on employees rights, compensation and benefits as well as the labor relations. Considering the procedure of recruitment and selection, it can be state that this is highly critical and thus the process needs to revise. A conventional human resource management procedure is required to adopt keeping balance with the increasing competition. The employees are required to recruit based on the human resource requirement in the organization. Moreover, the company is advised to focus on incorporating flexible training programs in order to motivate the employees. Apart from that, the load of overtime is required to revise immediately to maintain fair workplace in the company. The human resource management policies of the company are required to revise immediately, as the policies are not favorable for the employees. The maternity leaves policies and overtime compensation policy are two major parts that are required to revise. Specific Revising the existing human resource policies is specific enough, as this would help the company to revise the existing company situation. Measurable After revising the human resource management policies, the result can be seen through employee feedback. Therefore, this is measurable enough and can be relied on this. Attainable The measurement is attainable enough, because the human resource managers can revise the policies and look at maintaining the interest of the employees. Realistic Wal-Mart is one of the leading international companies that have branches in different parts of the world. Therefore, to hold on the market position, the human resource policies are required to revise immediately. Time Specific After incorporating necessary changes in the existing human resource policy, the result must be assessed within the time period of 2 months. The obtained result would be assessed and thus it can be started that this is enough time-specific. References Alfes, K., Shantz, A. D., Truss, C., Soane, E. C. (2013). The link between perceived human resource management practices, engagement and employee behaviour: a moderated mediation model.The international journal of human resource management,24(2), 330-351. Bratton, J., Gold, J. (2012).Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave Macmillan. Buller, P. F., McEvoy, G. M. (2012). Strategy, human resource management and performance: Sharpening line of sight.Human resource management review,22(1), 43-56. Ceniceros, R. (2014). Bias suit against Wal-Mart gets class action status. Business Insurance, Vol. 38, Issue 26. Featherstone, L. (2005). Is Wal-Mart Really Going Green? The Website of AlterNet. Hendry, C. (2012).Human resource management. Routledge. Jiang, K., Lepak, D. P., Han, K., Hong, Y., Kim, A., Winkler, A. L. (2012). Clarifying the construct of human resource systems: Relating human resource management to employee performance.Human Resource Management Review,22(2), 73-85. Jiang, K., Lepak, D. P., Hu, J., Baer, J. C. (2012). How does human resource management influence organizational outcomes? A meta-analytic investigation of mediating mechanisms.Academy of management Journal,55(6), 1264-1294. Kehoe, R. R., Wright, P. M. (2013). The impact of high-performance human resource practices on employees attitudes and behaviors.Journal of Management,39(2), 366-391. Klassen, R. D., Vereecke, A. (2012). Social issues in supply chains: Capabilities link responsibility, risk (opportunity), and performance.International Journal of Production Economics,140(1), 103-115. Purce, J. (2014). The impact of corporate strategy on human resource management.New Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Routledge Revivals),67. Renwick, D. W., Redman, T., Maguire, S. (2013). Green human resource management: a review and research agenda*.International Journal of Management Reviews,15(1), 1-14. Scherer, A. G., Palazzo, G., Seidl, D. (2013). Managing legitimacy in complex and heterogeneous environments: Sustainable development in a globalized world.Journal of Management Studies,50(2), 259-284. Storey, J. (2014).New Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Routledge Revivals). Routledge.

Administrative Law Sample Essay for an Interview

Administrative Law Sample Essay for an InterviewUsing an administrative law sample essay for a job application or interview can be a highly effective way to express your ideas and offer yourself as an applicant. The choice of writing an essay for an interview or application can be a little challenging, but if you take the time to find an essay writing service you will find that you have a professional writer to help you and express yourself using the right words and structure.Writing an essay for an interview can be tricky because it's so often the first time that people are going to see that you have done any research on the company or industry you want to get into. You may need to write this part of your essay very carefully, so you want to make sure that you understand what information you need to include, what it is you're trying to convey, and what you think people will respond to most. You may also want to consider including background information about your work experiences in the essay.You may want to discuss your past work experience in the essay, but it's important to remember that they may be hiring an attorney, a manager, or someone who knows the facts of the business you are applying for. You also don't want to include details about your personal life, especially if you haven't had time to prepare for it. If you are willing to discuss personal issues, consider asking that this section be modified or removed from the essay before you submit it to the writing service.The first part of an administrative law sample or essay can be the introduction to the main parts of the essay. This part of the essay usually consists of your contact information, and the introduction to the company. This is a great place to talk about why you would like to work for the company and why you would want to apply there.Since this is a very important part of the essay, it's a good idea to include all of the possible employer information and provide them with all of the reaso ns why you would be the best person for the job. This may include a brief paragraph about how your abilities in a specific area match the job description or the employer's needs.Your last paragraph should have all of the information that you feel would be important to add to the discussion. As with all of your essay writing, you want to have everything in place so that you know that you have all of the information in order to go into the interview prepared. You will also need to review your information and formatting to make sure that the content is clear and simple.You may also want to include a section at the end of your essay that contains some information about why you chose this particular company. While the administrative law sample essay is generally used to help you express yourself in a more creative and interesting way, it can also be used as a way to persuade the potential employer that you would be a good employee.

How does Reginald Rose establish and maintain a sense of tension in Twelve Angry Men Essay Example

How does Reginald Rose establish and maintain a sense of tension in Twelve Angry Men Paper Throughout the play Twelve Angry Men, the author Reginald Rose uses multiple dramatic techniques to establish and maintain a sense of tension. In this essay, I will analyze these techniques and suggest how they make the storyline so effective. Reginald Rose bases all of the tension and suspense around the social and historical context of the era. At the time, Americans are concerned with the huge influx of immigrants and there is a great deal of racial tension between Juror 11 and the other jurors. Each separate juror has their own background, personality and morals and inside the jury room we see how they react to each other and the dynamics of the group. On the face of it, the case put forward to them seems clear cut, but the arguments which evolve from the individual differences between each juror completely change the final outcome. Although a plot which is set in one singly location throughout its duration seems dull, Rose has used a small but particular set of techniques to mould Twelve Angry Men into the play it is and eventually produce one of the most thrilling pieces of literature of the past century. We will write a custom essay sample on How does Reginald Rose establish and maintain a sense of tension in Twelve Angry Men specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on How does Reginald Rose establish and maintain a sense of tension in Twelve Angry Men specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on How does Reginald Rose establish and maintain a sense of tension in Twelve Angry Men specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer These techniques include: the set, the weather outside, stage directions, contrasts of changes in mood and tone, gesture, conflicts and alliances between jurors and the backgrounds of each juror. All of these are used at least once to demonstrate the atmosphere and growing tension inside the jury room. The play opens to an empty stage with the judge issuing his final orders to the jury. They must deliberate honestly and thoughtfully but also with a good conscience. The ruthlessness of the situation is immediately made clear when the judge reveals that the death sentence is mandatory in this case and that the bench will not entertain a recommendation for mercy. Rose has implemented tension almost immediately and this proves to have a great effect on the audience. The brief pause which follows indicates the jurors have suddenly realised the severity of the situation which they now find themselves in. The words I dont envy your job are another indication of this. Rose has very deliberately done this as if to emphasise the words of the judge. With nothing else happening on stage, the audience will take in and understand his words as if they were the jurors themselves. Then tension has already been transferred from the stage to the audience a technique that brings a sense of realism to the play. The audience are suddenly feeling the tension and grave responsibility resting on the shoulders of the jurors. Juror 7 who seems to be the least concerned about the case in hand and more worried about a baseball match he is meant to be attending begins to diffuse this tension by offering a fellow juror a stick of gum. This signifies the contrasting attitudes towards the case inside the room and as far as an opening line goes, it suggests that the rest of the play may take a more laid back attitude. So within two pages, we have already experienced two twists that Rose has intentionally used to generate a sense of tension and uncertainty. Throughout Act One, Juror 8 emerges as the stand out character in the play. His arguments and disagreements with Juror 3 become a focus of not just the Act but the play as well. And as Juror 8 begins to persuade more of the other jurors that the boy on trial may be innocent, Juror 3 struggles to hide his frustration until tensions boil over at the end of the Act. Juror 3 has unintentionally divulged that he has a son similar to the boy on trial. He says: Ive got one (a son). Hes twenty. We did everything for that boy and what happened? When he was nine he ran away from a fight. Well, I made a man outa him all right. When he was sixteen we had a battle. He hit me in the face. Hes big, yknow. You work your heart out. This is a vital moment in the play. Suddenly, the whole background of one of the jurors is clouding the discussions which are taking place. Juror 3 envies his son and seems determined to take revenge on the boy on trial who he views as a similar boy to his son. The tension built up by this is intense and reflects on the other jurors. A spat between Jurors 10 and 5 breaks out as a result of the growing tension inside the room. And as Act One draws to a close, Rose demonstrates that tension is rising to the point of brinkmanship. Juror 3 rants: Shut up, you son of a bitch! Let go of me, God damn it! Ill kill him! Ill kill him. Juror 8 pounces and says: You dont really mean youll kill me, do you? The tension here is considerably higher than the rest of the play. A clear rivalry had broken out between two of the jurors and their fierce arguments take centre stage. Rose is using conflicts between jurors as a key technique in creating tension in the play. Act Two begins almost oppositely to how the proceeding Act ended. The other Jurors are trying to diffuse the tension in the air, and Juror 12 sheepishly kicks-off discussions again. Jurors 3 and 8 seem to disappear into the background after the climax in tension moments earlier. Despite watching from a distance for most of the play, the fierce discussions between Jurors 3 and 8 have rubbed off on the other jurors. They are snappier and seem on edge. Juror 7 sarcastically criticises Juror 6: Great idea. Maybe we can follow this one up with dancing and refreshments. This unpleasant atmosphere is reflected in the stormy weather outside another technique which creates tension that Rose has used to great effect. Even when proceedings return to some degree of normality, the regular ballots which are held maintain some level of tension. These also constantly remind the reader of where the jury stand on the case and this is a ploy by Rose to deliberately create this effect. Whereas at the beginning of the play, all the jurors were reasonably polite in their discussions with each other, small arguments start to crop up. The depressing atmosphere of the case has made an impact on the jurors themselves and the very civil deliberations have broken out into disorderly ramblings. Another technique used to create tension is when certain characters talk to each other about the case away from the rest of the characters. Like Juror 3 and Juror 8 made enemies of one another, soon the alliances which have been formed become clear in the deliberations. A good example of this in Act Two when the Forman and Juror 8 begin to talk about the incessant rain which is pouring down outside. Juror 3 meanwhile is gaining support from Juror 4 who still insists that the boy is guilty. These alliances are a focal point of the play and they contribute huge amounts to the tension. As each ballot is called, the numbers on each side change and so do the rivalries within the group. Juror 7, for instance, seemed convinced that the boy was guilty until he is eventually persuaded otherwise. The tension of the play reaches a non-stop crescendo as the storyline draws to a close. Just one Juror, Juror 3, is still in favour of a guilty verdict and he says: I dont care whether Im alone or not. Its my right. Do you think Im an idiot or something? You lousy bunch of bleeding hearts. Youre not going to intimidate me. Im entitled to my opinion. I can sit in this goddamn room for a year. From that moment on, it looks as if the Jury will not be able to reach a unanimous verdict. The story looks like having a disappointing ending, until a dramatic, sudden twist that not even the most learned audience members would have been expecting. Rose performs the most audacious of U-turns with suspense as much as tension and suddenly Juror 3s resistance is broken. And his backtrack comes as even more of a surprise after this bold statement: It was his father. That goddamn rotten kid. I know him. What theyre like. What they do to you. How they kill you every day. My God, dont you see? How come Im the only one who sees? Jeez, I can feel that knife goin in. You can almost reach out and touch the tension here. The entire Jury have practically begged Juror 3 to change his vote and spare the boy his life but he seems unwilling to oblige at this critical moment. The atmosphere in the room is anger as much as disappointment. Yet, Rose has not described this at all. The mere build up of tension in the pages before have provided the reader with enough information to gather the circumstances and feelings inside the room at this very moment. Juror 8, knowing that this would be his last plea, says: Its not your boy. Hes somebody elses before Juror 4, who had been on Juror 3s side for practically the entire case, delivers the most potent line of the entire play: Let him live. As the stage directions describe, theres a long pause before Juror 3 finally reveals that he has changed his mind. Out of choice or because of the mounting opposition he faced inside the room we will never know, but Juror 3 says weeping: All right. Not guilty. The huge ball of tensions almost swirling above the jurors suddenly diffuses. The case is over. The audience as well as the jurors breathe a sigh of relief. The rollercoaster ride which Reginald Rose has taken 12 men and one boy on slams to a dramatic halt. So as you can see, Reginald Rose uses multiple dramatic techniques to establish and maintain a sense of tension which makes 12 Angry Men the fantastic thriller that it is.

A Vampire’s Kiss Essays

A Vampire’s Kiss Essays A Vampire’s Kiss Paper A Vampire’s Kiss Paper â€Å"If you could live forever, what do you live for? † This is the tagline of the latest and box-office vampire movie, Twilight. Revolving around the life of an awkward 17-yr old girl, Twilight is a film about the new life and the inconceivable love Bella Swan found. Pressed to live with her father in Forks, Washington after her mother remarried, Bella came to know a secret kept away from humansthe true existence of vampires. In her first day at Forks High School she became an instant celebrity, what with her damsel-in-distress nature and pale yet stunning beauty. Not only had she been the center of attention but Bella had also got contact with the beautiful god-like Cullens. And as she gets to know the Cullens more, especially the irresistible mind-reading Edward Cullen, her life was put more into danger. It seemed it’s not only humans that found her very appealing, but her scent was mouth-watering to vampires too; thus she became the object fought for by the Cullens and the nomads James, Victoria, and Laurent. A classic battle between good and evil, this time portrayed as a clash involving the vampires that vowed to drink only animals’ blood and those who yearn for humans’ blood, Twilight presents heart-pounding scenes as the fight between James and Edward for Bella’s life ensues. In the end, Edward’s love for Bella conquered all and they went to intimately dance at the school ball. A movie that would make you wish you were a teenage girl, Kenneth Turan of the New York Times believes Twilight succeeds in capturing the essence of the book from where it was adapted. Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight saga, is not exactly a great literary stylist but she has come up with one heck of a romantic concept. (http://movies. nytimes. com/2008/11/21/movies/21twil. html) And that is exactly what is shown in the motion picture; the scheme of how love could cross the boundaries of life and death just to be with the one you love most. There are several things that made this film a big hit. One, it got a good plot and a problem that matches that of the Oscar-winning â€Å"Ghost. † While there had been more than handful vampire movies from then until now, Twilight had still made its marked, the newest Dracula now known by the name Edward Cullen. Two, it’s brought to life by a playwright, Melissa Rosenberg, and a director, Catherine Hardwicke, with astounding reverence. Hardwicke particularly, as Turan says, â€Å".. whose entire career has been built on the veneration of young adults, Hardwicke has connected so intensely to the Meyer novel that its hard to imagine anyone else making a better version. † (http://movies. nytimes. com/2008/11/21/movies/21twil. html) And lastly it was acted out by actors, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson as Bella and Edward, who put their heart out to their roles. Turan even compared it to Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor when they did Camille for George Cukor. On the whole, the movie had been a watchful. Not only were the scenes gorgeously produced but the casting, as well as how the roles and the lines were delivered was outstanding. The movie review, made by Kenneth Turan, only made me realize more how wonderful Twilight has been made, despite the fact that it was a low-budget film. It’s a great movie, indeed a motion picture to be talked for years to come. I like it not just because Robert Pattinson was a handsome Edward or I wish that I was Kristen Stewart but also because it touched my inner feminine persona. Every woman and every girl wishes for a knight-in-shining-armor to come and sweep them off their feet. Even when a girl or a woman shows a very strong character, deep inside she is wishing for a prince that would show her the true meaning of love, and how it really feels to love and be loved. Twilight is a movie that captures that essence and for that truth, Twilight, for me, gains two thumbs up. Turan, Kenneth. â€Å"Twilight. † The New York Times. 6 April 2009. http://movies. nytimes. com/2008/11/21/movies/21twil. html [Turan, Kenneth. â€Å"The Love That Dare Not Bare Its Fangs. † New York Times. 21 November 2008. ]

A year in the South, 1865 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A year in the South, 1865 - Essay Example CORNELIA MCDONALD: Cornelia McDonald was the widow of a confederate officer and the mother of seven. In the story she is fighting poverty and despair and takes apart a mattress thread by thread to make a suit for one of his sons. For Cornelia the year only presented heartaches and hardships for she was forced to leave her genteel home in Winchester, Virginia for rundown accommodations in Lexington, where Cornelia was compelled to tutor young ladies to make the ends meet, after her hometown was taken over by Union Soldiers. A small patch of vegetable plot and a cow made a huge financial gap between the life with which Cornelia and her children were used to and the life she had to spend. Â  Her friends in town of Lexington, including the wife of General William Pendleton, helped Cornelia survive the difficult winter and spring of 1865. Though she survived the financial hardship borne of war and the loss of her husband, Cornelia's spirits reduced considerably with the termination of th e Confederacy as she sided with Union until the war broke out. But once the war began in earnest she adopted the Confederate cause with zeal. In the spring of 1865, Lexington became an impoverished town hosting a stream of black and white refugees. Cornelia was depressed after watching the rise of the slaves and the downfall of her own children, who now have to do laborious work to survive. In many ways, Cornelia protested against this change but always with much care to avoid any rebuke mainly protesting by her gestures and stares. Her own family’s survival kept her busy to take part in any rebellious activities against Yankee soldiers. In summer Cornelia only wished to end her life after an accident of dropping boiling hot water on her foot burning her so badly that she was confined to bed for weeks. Stephen traces the lives of these ordinary southerners during the year of 1865 and his characters come from different racial, religion and class backgrounds and thus the events had a unique impact on all of them. But for some reason Stephen refused to make any connection between these stories, He only portrayed the life of four people in short biographies to depict a picture of change in South throughout the year. LOUIS HUGH: Louis Hugh was 32 years old in the year 1865, a mullato slave born of black mother and a white father, born in Virginia near Charlottesville, in year 1832. At the age of eleven he was sold by his mother to man who further sold him in Richmond from where his life took him to Mississippi, where he was given as a Christmas present to the wife of one of his buyers. Being motherless and friendless he grieved for a long time for his hardships but after a while adapted to the new life. For Louis after facing so many hardships in Mississippi plantation, the year of 1865 was a ray of hope. Hired by his master as a butler, he sold tobacco in his spare time and became talented in many ways. Louise risen himself from a status of slave to a stati on of relative security. Throughout much of the Civil war Lou spend his life as a slave at salt works near Alabama’s Tombigbee River, where his wife Matilda was hired as a cook in works. He was a butler, carriage driver, trusted servant, his wife was the family cook, and Hughes made a position for himself but still tried to escape from the war numerous times before the end of the

Technical Definition and Description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technical Definition and Description - Essay Example This informs the person about the processes that occur as a result of binding, leading to the drug effect. A renowned scientist, Paul Ehrlich concluded that drugs cannot work unless they are bound (Berges-Gimeno & Stevenson, 2004). This paper outlines how aspirin works starting with a history of the drug, its administration, benefits and the way it works. This is beneficial to patients. An overview of Aspirin’s history Aspirin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), and it is also known as a salicylate (Berges-Gimeno & Stevenson, 2004). This drug owes its origin to Luke Hoffman who discovered a powder from the bark of willow plant around the fifth century. Hippocrates commonly referred to as the father of medicine appraised the use of the powder in relieving pain. In the 1700s, Reverend Edmund Stone talked about its success in alleviating pain and fevers. Scientists later discovered that the bitter powder from willow bark contained a chemical called salicin. This che mical is converted into salicylic acid once ingested by a person and is widely used to manufacture aspirin. The drug was registered as the most popular painkiller in the world, in the 1950 Guinness Book of Records. It is widely known as a â€Å"wonder drug† because it cures several diseases in the contemporary world (Jeffreys, 2005). Administration of aspirin It is usually administered orally through tablets, but it can also be administered through caplets, capsules, liquid elixir and suppositories. Benefits of Aspirin The following are the benefits of aspirin. It; Relieves mild pain such as muscle cramps, toothaches and headaches Controls fever Manages pain in gout and arthritis Reduces swellings Regulates blood pressure in expectant women Treats cataracts in diabetic patients Prevents some cancers such as breast and bowel cancers Treats gum disease (Vane, 1971) How it works Researchers and medical practitioners have found it difficult explain how aspirin works due to its nu merous effects (Weissmann, 1991). However, in the 1970s, biologists came to a conclusion regarding how aspirin works. The drug inhibits synthesizing of some hormones responsible for causing pain and inflammation in the body. Aspirin has an active ingredient called acetylsalicylic acid. This ingredient inhibits chemical processes such as physiological processes in the body. It inhibits production of body chemicals referred to as prostaglandin and thromboxane, which are potential mediators in inflammation. Aspirin undergoes esterification whereby salicylic acid is mixed with acetic anhydride. This results in a chemical reaction which turns the hydroxyl group in salicylic acid into an ester (R-OH R-OCOCH3). This is followed by action on COX. The figure below shows this process. Prostaglandins are important because; they Aid in regulation of acid production, in the stomach Ensure the stomach lining does not digest itself Transmit pain into the brain Are responsible for inflammation The mediators are produced from arachidonic acid through bis-oxygenation of arachidonate into prostaglandin PGG2. Thereafter, PGG2 is reduced to PGH2 following a peroxidase reaction which is enhanced by cyclooxygenase, also called PTGS synthase. This is a catalyst and enzyme which is crucial in the synthesis of prostaglandin as well as thromboxane. The cyclooxygenase (COX) comprise of two types; COX-1 and COX-2. Aspirin acts as an irreversible inhibitor unlike other NSAIDs like ibuprofen and diclofenac. It plays the

Human Population Size And Climate Change Environmental Sciences Essay

Human Population Size And Climate Change Environmental Sciences Essay Over the years, human society has changed the local ecological system and caused the change of regional climate. Today, mankind has begun to affect the entire planets climate. The worlds population in the next 12 to 13 years will increase more than 1 billion. It is predicted that by 2020, the population will increase to 76 billion from the current 6.5 billion, in 2030 to 8.2 billion, in 2050 to staggering 9.0 billion. There is a huge gap between population growth and food supply growth. When the population growth exceeds the capacity of the food supply, famine is inevitable. The more people mean needing more air, water, and more housing, education and employment opportunities. To meet these, people will ignore the prevention and treatment of the serious consequences of climate change. But climate change has caused global warming and rising sea levels, which could lead to the destruction of the Earths civilization without any measures. Humanity in the process of production and consump tion make destruction, pollution and impact on the environment, but changed environment also affects the survival of mankind. The relationship between population and the environment has been objective relationship since the origins of mankind. The population development is a special kind of social process, which is mainly determined by economic and social conditions. During a social process, population and environment have the opposite and unity relation of interrelatedness, interaction, and mutual restraint. This essay will first discuss the development of population size and the problem. Following this, it will describe the impact of population on the climate. Finally it will describe impact of climate on the population. Development of population size and the problem Overall, the worlds population growth is relatively fast. The second half of the 20th century, the world had an unprecedented rapid population growth. Not only the population growth rate reached a historic peak level and increment of the population exceeded the total accumulation population in more than 200 million years of human history. U.S. Census Bureau data showed that the worlds population in 1930 reached 20 billion, in 1974 to 40 million, in 1987 to 50 million, in 1999 to reach 6.0 billion. The population growth rate has been accelerating in the 20th century. The worlds population had doubled in 1850-1950 years, while in 1950-1990 a short period of four decades had doubled. At present, in the world about 365,000 people born every day, of which 57% born in Asia, 26% in Africa, 9% in Latin America, 5% in Europe, but was born in North America and only 3%. In addition, less than 1% of the population is born in Oceania and the oceanic islands. After subtracting the number of deaths , the global average daily increase is nearly 21 million people. The Earth increases by nearly 80 million people each year, almost equivalent to a large population country. India is one of the worlds youngest population countries, more than half of the national smaller than 25 years of age, 1/3 of the population smaller than 15 years(Ehrlich, 1997).. World Population Prospects published by United Nations predicts that by 2050, Indias population will increase to 1.593 billion In this century many scientific observations indicate that concentrations of greenhouse gases in atmospheric are increasing. Prior to 1750, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels remained at 280ppm. After the industrial revolution, as human activities, especially the growing consumption of fossil fuels (coal, oil, etc.), massive destruction of forest vegetation and the growing man-made emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, atmospheric carbon dioxide level gradually increases, per year increasing 1.8ppm (about 0.4%), and it has risen to nearly 360ppm so far. In the past century, global average surface temperature has risen by 0.3 à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Ãƒâ€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ to 0.6 à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Ãƒâ€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, the global sea level rise of 10-25 cm (EPA, 2006). Recent years, countries around the world have emerged the hottest weather over centuries, and the frequent occurrence of El NiÃÆ' ±o phenomenon, which have caused tremendous economic losses. With the reduction in per cap ita grain area, more and more countries bear the risk of loss of food self-sufficiency. The extension of water scarcity is perhaps the most undervalued resource problems in the contemporary world. However, in any areas where the population is still growing, per capita fresh water supply is decreasing. Impact of population on the climate In the human production and life, over-grazing, deforestation makes the soil erosion, land degradation; super-exploitation of resources has led to depletion of a lot of natural resources; a variety of waste emissions cause serious environmental pollution and damage, which cause a series of global environmental issues. Population size, distribution, migration have also a huge impact on regional ecological environment. At present, the environmental changes caused by the rapid population growth and rapid development of urbanization have begun to affect the global biogeochemical cycles and long-term climate change, and become an important eco-driving force for large-scale changes in the environment and population. 1). According to UN information, per capita cultivated land was 0.31 hectares in 1975, and in 2000 it drop to 0.1 hectares due to population growth. In the condition of huge population and the relative decrease in the arable land, raising yield per unit area is a positive way to increase the grain. It relies mainly on chemical fertilizers and pesticides to reach the aim. However, large-scale use of fertilizers and pesticides has brought serious environmental problems such as soil compaction, poor physical and chemical properties, organic matter reduction and the fertility decline. 2). Forest is an important factor to maintain the quality of the environment for human survival. However, population growth is bound to destroy forest for cultivated land, or to build a house. As a result, an increasing number of forest resources are destroyed. Forest area on the planet had reached 76 million hectares, in 1962 reducing to 55 million hectares, in 1975 reducing to 26 million hectares. Accordi ng to the calculation of American scholar, with the population growth, depletion of forests will be extended to the year 2020. Then forest area will stabilize at 1.8 billion hectares, of which about 1.45 billion hectares are in developed countries, only 370 million hectares in developing countries. Because the forests are heavily exploited, topsoil on the earth being that are washed away are 24 billion tons every year, loss of several million tons of fertilizer, having a great bad impact on farmers and livestock production. 3). Rapid growth and high concentration of population have brought tremendous pressure on the environment. Environmental pollution is one of the most serious mankind facing problems, such as: air pollution, water pollution, traffic congestion, noise nuisance, accumulation of garbage and so on. Population growth will increase carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides in the atmosphere due to respiration, combustion and industrial development, which may cau se acid rain and photochemical smog events. More serious is to cause the earths average temperature increase to affect climate due to the greenhouse effect caused by the increase in carbon dioxide, resulting in serious damage to the planets ecosystems (Smith, 2008). Impact of climate on the population Population distribution, migration and the quantity and quality depend on certain region environmental conditions to a considerable extent. Therefore, the relationship between population and the environment have obvious regional characteristics because of the different regional conditions. Integrated resource supply capacity of environment plays an important role in population distribution and migration. Quantity and quality of the population are affected by natural and social environment, the dual constraints. Population is the unity of its quantity characteristics and quality characteristics. Population quantity and population characteristics and physical appearance are all severely constrained by the environment. The demographic impacts of climate change on population are mainly in the following aspects. 1) Population growth makes a pressure on water supply and demand pressure, even without considering the impact of climate change, by 2050 there will also be 5 billion people facing water shortage situation, more than half of the worlds population. Impact of climate change makes the water problem even worse. Rivers dried up and falling water table are regarded as evidence of shortage of water resources, such as the Nile, the Yellow River and the Colorado River, which almost have waterless flowing to sea. At present, the world water tables of major grain-producing areas are falling on every continent. The U.S. southern Great Plains, the North China Plain and in most parts of India, groundwater aquifers are becoming increasingly dried up. International Water Management Institute predicts that in 2050 year in some countries a total of about 1 billion people live will face absolute water scarcity situation. These countries will reduce agricultural water to meet the needs of residents and industrial water demand. China and India are considered the worlds two major agricultural irrigation countries, and will have a significant reduction in irrigation water supply (Leigh, 2007). 2) Extreme weather and sea level rise have the most serious effect on the coastal and low-elevation areas, and coastal areas accounting for 2% of the total land live on 10% of the population around the world. Take Bangladesh and China for example, in 1990 to-2000 years, population growth rate living in coastal areas is twice the national rate of population growth. In the negative effects of sea-level rise and extreme weather, number of living people is growing. Others such as landslides, flash floods and glacial lake overflow and other issues also have impact on the human. It is expected 40% of the worlds population will be affected by the Asian mountain glaciers and snow melting. 3) The agricultural productivity reduces. Tropical and subtropical agriculture are most affected, because the regio ns crop is already under the extreme climate varieties. As the population growth, reduced crop output and increasingly higher food prices, to 2080, will cause 90000000-125000000 population in developing countries facing the problem of hunger. 4) The global climate change often leads to severe changes of regional climate and weather, which have wide-ranging implications on human health. Global climate warming causes more heat in summer and temperate in winter, which is accompanied by an increase in frequency and intensity of heat waves. Humidity increase aggravates the effect of extreme heat in summer on human health. In temperate regions, high temperature increases the number of deaths during the day to day. For example, the United States during the heat wave in Chicago in 1995, the death was over 500, of which the highest mortality is at older ages. The future, as increase in frequency and intensity of heat waves, deaths number and serious illnesses caused by extreme high temperatu re events will increase. Also, because of air pollution, during the heat wave in 1995, the United States, it was estimated that more than half the number of deaths was caused by increased air pollution (Jonathan A. Patz, 2005). Flood causes casualties and infectious diseases to increase (P. Martens, 1999). Drought affects food production, and exacerbates the existing situation of malnutrition, inducing famine to affect human health. During the drought and water shortages, the water only is used for cooking but not for health, so that it increases the risk of disease and epidemic disease outbreaks. Conclusion Sir Nicholas Stern in 2006, in Stern Report pointed out that climate change could trigger the worst ever and the most extensive market failure. He warned that the world must invest one per cent of gross domestic product to slow the effects of climate change, the cost of failure to do so is the economic downturn of up to 20 percent of being the worlds gross domestic product. Climate change is a serious challenge to the whole world, and has an extensive impact on human well-being and safety. According to IPCC estimation, by 2050, due to coastal flooding, shoreline erosion and agricultural pollution and other reasons, there will be 150 million refugees. Investment in family planning and reproductive health, girl education, women empowerment and economic opportunities and youth development can accelerate demographic transition in the least developed countries and developing countries, so that they can seize the demographic dividend, to achieve economic growth, while to enhance the abilit y to address climate change. In strategies of adaptation to climate change, demographic factors should not continue to be ignored. It is necessary to take effective measures to meet the worlds most vulnerable populations, including womens needs. Universal population policy of voluntary contraception, comprehensive consideration of population dynamics and development of poverty reduction will ultimately achieve sustainable population development adapting to climate change.