The quality management in Applebee's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The quality management in Applebee's - Essay Example It was found that there was a significant problem concerning with the quality of food. Although, the evidence presented was a single case of an outlet somewhere in the outlets in 1050 Wayne Ave, Chambersburg, PA, there is still a tendency among customers to consider the negative feedbacks to be taken against the whole Applebee’s as a brand. Therefore, in order to eliminate the possibility of taking this point especially in some cases found in some other outlets concerning food quality, the work at hand presents some solutions and recommendations. Keywords: quality management, restaurant chain, Applebee’s Introduction The work at hand tries to present a significant quality management issue linked to the operation of Applebee’s. In particular, this paper discusses the problem that Applebee’s faced in their managing the quality and in matching customers’ satisfaction. Applebee’s is widely known as the American company with three essential goals, to develop, franchise, and operate the grill and bar restaurant chain. In 2011, it is reported that the said chain had over all 2,019 restaurants operating across the US and in 15 other countries. All of these restaurants focus on the concept of casual dining, which particularly includes American dishes like shrimp, chicken, pasta and Applebee’s signature dish. Applebee’s also serves alcoholic beverages as it is integrated with bar area. Applebee’s chain is therefore trying to offer a complete package for restaurant and relaxation program. This document covers the fundamental issue of how far the Applebee’s manages to maintain the level of its quality with particular inclusion of the problems it faces with respect to the prevailing concerns and reviews of the customers who were able to try both of their product and service offerings. A special consideration of a certain outlet in the US is the primary focus considered in the work at hand. Concerning this , this paper is subdivided into four essential sections after the introduction. The next section covers the description of the company as an extension of the brief discussed so far in this section. Next to this is the description of the problem, where there is an inclusion of the various negative feedbacks that Applebee’s receives from its customers particularly in the case of those franchises operating across the US. After the presentation of the description of the company and the problem, the solutions and recommendations are provided and followed by the conclusion. To start with, it is important to dig deeper more into the description of the company in in order to link the potential problems associated with how the chain eventually operates. Description of the company Applebee’s like all the other successful restaurants in the US had also its humble beginning. Its inception was remarkably stated to be initiated by Bill and T. J. Palmer on the 19th of November 1980 i n Decatur, Georgia (Fournier, Sosnik & Dowd, 2006). However, this company was sold to W. R. Grace and Company in 1983 changing the concept of Applebee’s as Neighborhood Grill & Bar (Fournier, Sosnik & Dowd, 2006). However, on the 16th of July 2007, the IHOP Corp or DineEquity Inc., bought Applebee’s for about $2.1 billion (Fournier, Sosnik

Four Theoretical Approaches to Metaphysics Essay Example for Free

Four Theoretical Approaches to Metaphysics Essay There are four theoretical approaches to the metaphysics and they include Dualism and the theory that what exists on can do so on two levels the physical or the mental. The next approach is Materialism which theorizes that everything exists on a physical level. Then there is the Idealism approach which states that everything that exists is mental or spiritual. Finally, there is Alternative Views which theorizes that what exists in neither mental nor spiritual but believed that what exists is both, which means that what exists is neutral. In the Materialism theory of metaphysics it is said that everything is made of some kind of structure that are now called atoms. These atoms are governed entirely by physical laws and are thought to make up everything that we know and see. There were and are still many men in the scientific community that feel this way, but the most pronounced one was named Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes implied â€Å"clearly that all things are made of material particles and that all change reduces to motion. † (cite) His theory states that everything is matter in motion to include an individual’s thought process. Hobbes goes into detail about how this process works and called it perception or sense. His way of describing it is the fact that things have different properties and that the properties do not really exist. The properties of an object are based on what we perceive them to be. We perceive a rose to be beautiful, smell nice, and have red pedals. Those properties according to Hobbes are all based on perception and the rose does not actually have any of these traits. â€Å"The things that really are in the world outside us are those motions by which these seemings are caused. (cite) Hobbes describes perception as motion from the outside effects the motion of the inside of a person. The motion on the outside affected the motion on the inside and leaves a lasting effect after the motion is complete or dispersed then the motion that remains behind on the inside is left as a memory. The motion that is still on the inside is a perception and in turn is the root cause for thinking, imagination, and memory. As humans we describe this reaction by assigning words to these perceptions and Hobbes labeled that as reasoning. The way that people reason is nothing sort of â€Å"adding and subtracting of the consequences of general names. † (cite) The easiest way that this can be explained would be to refer it to a computer. The hard drive is considered as the movement on the inside and the keyboard and mouse as the outside. The hard drive is made up of a disk and magnet and works by taking the disc and spinning is around at a rapid pace. Next the magnet is moved around to encode the data to the hard drive. This whole process is done through movement and if stationary there is nothing that can be done to retrieve or store information. First to store or retrieve information an external source of movement needs to happen. Movement from the outside was represented as a keyboard and mouse. The keyboard and mouse which is movement from the outside affects the hard drive which is the movement from the inside and vice versa. Now that movement has been represented the reasoning of information needs to be considered. Now we understand what movement effect movement means we can now address the fact of reasoning and perception. All of the information that the computer takes in needs to go somewhere and needs to be retrieved again. The computer makes sense of all the data by assigning numbers to all of the data so that it can be retrieved again. This aspect would be considered our perception which is reasoning which as Hobbes stated before is our thinking, memory, and imagination. Now some people would argue that Hobbes theory does not take into accounts decision making and other voluntary actions, but he does go into detail about how that process works. Hobbes addresses the finer points of the decision process by stating that every decision or movement starts of as an â€Å"endeavor† which was caused by perception. He then breaks it down even into two groups consisting of desire and aversion. When the endeavor is toward something then it is considered a desire and when it is away it is considered an aversion. We associate desire and aversion with words like love and hate or good and bad. So according to Hobbes the basic principle of our decision making is like a magnet. Let’s look at the magnet that is in the computer and affects the hard drive. Sometimes data can be corrupted and the information will not take to the hard drive. The process of corrupt data being entered from the outside can be considered as an aversion. Now any information that the system lets in can be considers as desire. If that did not make sense then lets look at a magnet in general. A magnet has a positive and a negative side. Anything that is attracted to the positive side can be considered a desire and anything that is repelled by the negative side can be considered an aversion. In the recent years there has been some advancements in technology that allows us to uncover the mysteries of the universe. Scientists have found matter that is smaller than atoms and they are calling them subatomic particles. It has been discovered that these particles make up every aspect of the universe and are comprised of some type of energy that is connected with everything else. After this discovery a lot of scientists are rattled about their theory and if Materialism is really the right type of metaphysical theory to go with. However, this does not completely rule this theory out it just seems like that needs to some changes or tweaks to the way that we think about Materialism.

Guilt in Crime and Punishment Essay -- Crime Punishment Essays

Guilt in Crime and Punishment  Ã‚   In Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky tells a story of a young man that has been forced out of his studies at a university, by poverty. In these circumstances, he develops his theory of an extraordinary man (Frank 62). This conjecture is composed of the ideas that all great men must climb over obstacles in their way to reach their highest potential and benefit human kind. In Raskolnikov's life, the great obstacle is his lack of money, and the way to get over this obstacle is to kill a pawnbroker that he knows. The victim is a rich, stingy, and heartless old crone, and by killing her, taking this evil from the world, Roskolnikov does many great deeds for mankind (Jackson 99),(Kjetsaa 182). "The little old crone is nonsense!' [Raskolnikov] thought, ardently and impetuously. 'The old woman was a mistake perhaps, but she's not the point! The old woman was merely a sickness†¦I was in a hurry to step over†¦it wasn't a human being I killed, it was a principle!" (C&P, Pevear 274). Consciously, Raskolnikov refuses to accept guilt for committing the crime because he believes that there is nothing to be sorry for. Subconsciously, he knows that he has taken a human life and must suffer the consequences. His guilt and suffering because of it can be seen in his delirium. Right after Raskolnikov kills the pawnbroker he falls ill. When he sleeps, he has nightmares; when he walks, he sees ghosts. These visions are his subconscious telling him that he is wrong for not taking fault and confessing his sin. In his delirium Raskolnikov believes that he sees ghosts. "And just now I imagined that perhaps I really am mad and was only seeing a ghost"(C&P, Pevear 295). He believes that he has seen a ... ...e Sonia (C&P, Pevear 547-549). This is where he begins to appreciate her goodness and purity and to learn to enjoy life and to abandon his egoistic theory. The chosen people are the ones that are like Sonia, kind, quiet and faithful, not the rationalists and superior ones (Mortimer 116). So in this dream, Raskolnikov sees that for his unrepentant thoughts, he would die in the pestilence. Through Raskolnikov's fears, the reader is able to see that he does feel guilt. When he is awake and sober in mind, he is an egoist and believes that he is extraordinary. It is through his visions of ghosts and phantoms, that one can feel the guilt haunting him. Through his dreams, he sees for himself that his beliefs are wrong. Works Cited: Dostoevsky, Fyodor M. Crime and Punishment. Trans. Jessie Coulson. Ed. George Gibian. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1989.

Should Public Schools Require Student Uniform?

A school uniform is a specific design for clothing designated to be worn while attending academic classes at a school. The school context comprises grades one through twelve of public and private schools in the United States. Different schools and different grades within schools may have different uniforms, as determined by parents and school administration. In today’s society all public schools should require student uniform. These generations of school kids are more worried about how your hair looks, what name brand clothes you have on, and also what kind of shoes are on your feet.These kids are worried about all the wrong things. Instead of worrying about their peer’s attire they should be into their books. Worrying about all the wrong things can be distracting. When ones focus is on something other than what’s important can cause sidetracking. â€Å"We are under no illusions that it's a silver bullet that is going to make kids smarter,† school board Pr esident Pedro A. Ramos said last week. â€Å"We do think it will improve school climate. It removes a lot of anxiety and stress from lives of our students and parents,† (Johnston).To understand why this is an issue, let us look at the problem, why the problem is significant, whom the problem affects, why others’ attempts have failed, and how I propose to solve the problem. This is an everlasting debate that whether school uniforms should be worn or casual clothing is as good. And like most of the popular debate in the world it has no concrete answer, it totally depends on a person’s beliefs actually. For some it is a benefit for others a disadvantage. I believe public schools should require students to wear uniforms.First wearing school uniforms promotes good discipline. Second it reduces distractions. Thirdly it is a far less expensive to buy school uniforms than many other clothes. The problem is that public schools should require student uniform. Having all s tudents wear uniform causes the students to focus more on school and not each other. In today’s generation, requiring uniforms would take a lot of the pettiness and bullying over fashions and brands out of the schools. Today in most schools kids spend most of their time judging others by their attire rather than personality.Worrying about other things such as what everyone else is wearing takes attention off of learning and turns it onto attire. Is students paid less attention on what others were wearing and focus on school they would do much better in school. Most times when kids look down on other kids about their clothing it is a sign of bullying. Bullying starts when one person messes with another because they think they’re superior to the other person. It can also start by cliques forming and one clique talking about another clique’s apparel. Gang-related issues are pretty prevalent as a reason for using dress codes,† which often prohibit caps, earrin gs for boys, beepers, baggy clothes, and other gang-linked paraphernalia, says Jay Butler of the NSBA. School districts generally have found the codes â€Å"effective,† though not a cure-all, he said (Tyson). Students are affected by the schools wanting them to wear uniform. They are affected because what students wear is a sign of their own identity and individuality. Allowing students to wear what they want allows them to express how they feel not only through their character but the way they dress.Many students feel as though taking away the ability for them to wear what they want will not stop violence, failed grades, and also bullying. Most teachers and parents believe that when students wear uniform they don’t have to worry about appropriate versus inappropriate clothing. Also, fighting in the morning about what they can and can’t wear to school. According to at Brunsma at â€Å"The Journal of Education Research† and Rockquemore of University of Not re Dame, such creative hindrance encourages a power dynamic among students and faculty: If students feel inferior to faculty, they may also feel unsupported.This dynamic can impede their ability to focus in school, which can lead to behavioral issues (Foster). But in most schools that don't require uniforms, it is common for a teen or preteen student to feel pressure to wear trendy clothing lest she/he be viewed as economically disadvantaged or different. This is a big controversy between students and adults also between adults and adults. Having school uniforms in public schools is very important. Many people may ignore the signs that school uniform is a big issue in today’s schools, but others understand the need for these uniforms.One big problem is that when you give kids the ability to wear what they want that gives them a chance for freedom of expression. School uniforms stifle self -expression, and the development of the self is as integral as the development of the mi nd. Experts believe that there is no stopping self -expression in the psychological development of children and teenagers, and that more inappropriate means of expression will arise if clothing is restricted (Directory of Schools). To eliminate the use of derogatory clothing between young public school kids uniform should be rewarded.Having uniform will lower the parents having to fight with the child every morning with what they can and cannot wear to school. People that have attempted to try to get public schools to enforce school uniforms have failed in many different ways. They have failed because many people believe that just giving children uniforms will not stop them from bullying. Children bully others on the way they look such as the way other’s hair look, what type of sneakers they have on, and their classification.If school codes are already hard to enforce why they should put another problem on the staff’s hands. Sharp decreases in school crime reported by some districts that switched to uniforms have encouraged others to â€Å"follow suit. † In one prominent example, after Long Beach, Calif. , became the nation's first district to require uniforms at elementary and middle schools in 1994, crime dropped 36 percent among the 60,000 students (Tyson). Many people have so many different beliefs when it comes to school uniform.I propose to solve this problem by obtaining a survey. I will have two different surveys. I will survey 100 public school children and 100 parents. I will ask everyone the same question. I will ask public school students do they believe uniforms are the best thing for the students. Why? Before I give the survey I will collect information online about why public schools should enforce the use of uniforms. I will then give them the information I found about or why public schools take on the effort to have student uniforms.After that I would tell them my position on the public school uniforms conflict and that I like the idea. Finally, when all the data is collected from the survey I will tally the votes up and give them to the School Board of Education. In conclusion, because of the bullying that goes on with non-school uniforms, public schools should have school uniforms. Public school uniforms are very important and critical because there will not be a differentiation between rich or poor. Like for girls whose shirts are cut lower, or if a boy wears those checkered shorts that they seem to love so much.But with uniforms all of that is taken away because everyone will be wearing the same thing. I know your first questions will be: â€Å"But where's the individuality? † But it can still be there. Kids who roll their sleeves up or fold their collars differently, or who tuck their shirts in or leave them out. There are a LOT of factors to keep in mind. So just to talk about a child individuality and to not protect the other kids that can get emotionally, mentally, and physically damag ed by just one word because of what regular clothes they have on is unacceptable.

Biochem Ppt 56

| BARRY UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES COURSE SYLLABUS SPRING 2013| COURSE NUMBER:BMS 528 SEC 01 COURSE NAME:BIOCHEMISTRY II TERM/YEAR:Spring 2013 (Jan. 9th, 2013 – May 3rd, 2013) LECTURE ROOM:Hollywood Rm 2 LECTURE SCHEDULE:Friday, 9:00 – 12:00 p. m. INSTRUCTOR NAME:Graham Shaw, Ph. D. Professor OFFICE ADDRESS: Wiegand 229 OFFICE TELEPHONE: 305-899-3264 EMAIL: [email  protected] barry. edu OFFICE HOURS:Tuesday, 12. 30 – 3 p. m. Thursday, 12. 30 – 3 p. m. All other times by appointment COURSE DESCRIPTION:Biochemistry at Barry University is taught over two semesters, Biochemistry I in the Fall and Biochemistry II in the Spring. These courses have been designed so that when integrated they provide the necessary biochemical knowledge for those in the medical and health related professions. The structure, function and metabolism of biologically important molecules were reviewed in biochemistry I. Biochemistry II serves to build on this material whilst considering the application of biochemistry to disease etiology, diagnosis and treatment.Biochemistry II starts with a review of two areas crucial to normal, healthy cellular functioning. The structure and function of biological membranes, in particular the variety of cell signal transduction paradigms and the biochemistry of hormones. The structure, function and replication of the cell’s genetic material. This information is reviewed in a series of lectures on DNA, the genetic code, protein synthesis and aspects of molecular biology. The digestion and absorption of biomolecules is reviewed and the consequences of malfunction considered.A number of disease states are used to illustrate selected principles including the relationship between nutrition and disease; atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, obesity and diabetes. The application of clinical biochemistry techniques to disease diagnosis is described and the biochemistry of exercise and aging visited. ARTICULATION TO MISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY: This course is offered by the College of Health Sciences, which is grounded in the liberal arts tradition and is a part of Barry University’s scholarly community, committed to the highest academic standards in graduate education.This Biochemistry course addresses both the university mission statement as well as the strategic plan adapted by the College of Health Sciences. This is accomplished by offering a high quality student-centered curriculum in an environment, that encourages Christian and ethical values and promotes intellectual growth and curiosity. Throughout the semester students will be encouraged to visit with faculty and demonstrate their critical thinking skills by offering opinions on current scientific theories and research reviews as they relate to Biochemistry.Case studies will be incorporated into lecture material and used to encourage student pursuit of knowledge and truth. Students in this course will develop an awareness of health issu es that impact those living within and outside of our community as they analyze nutrient deficiency diseases. The course will also stimulate awareness for the wellbeing of others as the prevalence and etiology of metabolic disorders is addressed. COURSE GOALS: At the end of this course, students should be able recall and apply biochemical principles to other courses throughout the curriculum, e. g. Pharmacology, Physiology. Students should be able to rationalize the significance of biochemistry in health and disease. COURSE OBJECTIVES: At the end of the course, the student will be able to: [1] Evaluate the structure and function of the plasma membrane. [2] Discriminate between the variety of signal transduction mechanisms. [3]Explain the principles of DNA transcription and translation and evaluate the mechanisms by which protein synthesis is regulated. [4]Discuss the digestion and absorption of biomolecules. [5]Summarize the principles of clinical biochemistry and organ function tes ts. 6]Appraise the importance of biochemistry to disease etiology and diagnosis. TEACHING METHODS: Each lecture will be presented using Powerpoint. Topical material not covered in the text may be addressed in class as appropriate, and is examinable. Where possible, time will be allowed for informal discussion of clinical scenarios and questions at the end of each class. Additional class materials, including case studies, and e-learning materials may also be posted to the Blackboard learning environment as the course progresses, and students are also responsible for this material.An atmosphere of mutual respect will be reflected in all teaching/learning experiences COURSE TEXTS: REQUIRED TEXT(S) Shaw, G. P. Biochemistry for Health Professionals. Third Edition, John Wiley. New York. 2011. EVALUATION CRITERIA: There will be three (3) quizzes and two (2) unit tests, a mid-term and a final. QUIZ I Jan 18th 10% QUIZ II: Feb 22nd 10% QUIZ III April 12th 10%MID-TERM TEST (Lecs 1 – 7)Mar 1st 35% FINAL EXAM (Lecs 8 – 14)May 3rd 35% TOTAL 100% DETERMINATION OF GRADE: Biochemistry II will be assessed by 3 quizzes, a mid-term examination and a final non-cumulative examination as indicated in the course schedule. Tests will be of one hour duration, and may contain material from class discussion, the Blackboard learning environment (including case studies) as well as the course text. Any questions you wish to challenge either from a quiz or a test, MUST BE IN WRITING and documented within 1 week of the key being posted.Tests and quizzes will not be returned and grades will not be rounded. GRADING SCALE: 100 – 90%A 89. 9 – 80%B 79. 9 – 70%C less than 70%F Grades will be posted on Blackboard. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY POLICY: Cheating or plagiarism will not be tolerated. A student who is caught either giving or receiving information or assistance during a testing session, quiz or examination will automatically receive the F grade and 0% on either the quiz or examination. The same consequence will apply to any proven case of plagiarism or communicating material on an examination to students in another section of the course.Furthermore, that individual[s] will be referred to the Dean for appropriate disciplinary action. DISABILITY STATEMENT: Students with documented special learning needs may want to inform the instructor so that accommodations may be made, or contact Barry Office of Services for students with Disabilities (305) 899-3489. STUDENT BEHAVIOR: All Barry students are expected to behave according to accepted norms that ensure a climate wherein all can exercise their right to learn. Disruptive behavior is not acceptable in the classroom.Students engaging in such behavior may be asked to leave or may be removed from the class by security personnel. Actions such as violence, shouting, use of cell phones and/or beepers, using profanity, interrupting, and any other behavior that the instructor believes creates an unplea sant environment in the classroom will be grounds for withdrawal from the course, judicial proceedings and/or failure in the course. FOOD/BEVERAGES: Barry University has a policy of prohibiting eating and drinking within classroom space. PUNCTUALITY: Students are expected to be on time for class. If you arrive later than 10 inutes after class has started, there is a possibility that the door will be locked. COURSE-SPECIFIC POLICIES: Attendance: Students are expected to attend all lectures and to take all tests and quizzes at the regularly scheduled time. Students should have completed the assigned reading in advance of class, and be prepared to discuss this at class time. Only by participating in class can the student gain a complete understanding of the concepts presented in the course objectives, course text and recommended readings. Attire for all lectures and examinations should be professional. Academic Assistance:After the first exam those students receiving a grade below a C must make an appointment with Dr. Shaw within one week of grade posting, for academic counseling. Excused absences from exams: If any student is unable to attend an exam due to illness (or other circumstances) he/she should notify Dr Shaw prior to the examination (or shortly after) if at all possible. The student is responsible for submitting a physician's excuse. An excuse may be refused for chronic absentees. Once the absence has been excused, the student is also responsible for contacting the Dr Shaw to arrange a date and time to take the make-up exam.NOTE: FAILURE TO OBTAIN AN EXCUSE WILL RESULT IN A GRADE OF 0% FOR THE EXAM. LACK OF PREPARATION IS NOT CONSIDERED A VALID EXCUSE FOR MISSING AN EXAM. CHALLENGE POLICY: Faculty will review all examinations in class with students, usually within 1 week of the grades being posted. This will not be a discussion session and any questions you wish to challenge either from a quiz or a test, MUST BE IN WRITING and documented within 1 week of the key being posted; verbal challenges will not be accepted at any time. In the case of a challenge the final authority for accuracy will be the course text.Tests and quizzes will not be returned though they may be viewed by students with faculty approval. Make-Up Exam Policy: Make-up exams can be of many types at the discretion of the instructor. Make-up exams will be given after (not before) the regularly scheduled exam. If more than one person misses an exam, the make- up exams will be given simultaneously. Videotape: Video and audiotape of Biochemistry classes is not permitted unless approved by faculty and the Office of Disability Services. Online lectures and e-learning materials will be available for review from the Blackboard website.COURSE SCHEDULE Lecture No. | Date Friday| TOPIC| READING(Shaw) Chapter| 1| 11th Jan| Membrane structure and functionCystic fibrosisG proteins, Signal transduction| 34 – 36| 2| 18thJan| Quiz I (Lecture 1 plus e-learning materials) (10 %)Deoxyribonucleic acidPreparation for DNA replicationDNA replication| 37 – 39| 3| 25th Jan| Mutations and DNA repairRNA and transcriptionThe genetic code| 40 – 42| 4| 1st Feb| Protein synthesisRegulation of protein synthesis in prokaryotesRegulation of protein synthesis in eukaryotes| 43 – 45| 5| 8th Feb| CancerInvestigating DNA| 46 – 47| | 15th Feb| Principles of nutritionCalcium and osteoporosis| 48| 7| 22nd Feb| Fed, fasting & starvingIntegration of metabolism Digestion of dietary fatQUIZ II Lecture 6 plus e-learning materials) (10%)| 49 – 51| 8| 1st Mar| MID-TERM EXAMINATION (35%) (Lectures 1 – 7)Obesity Lipoproteins| 52 – 53| SPRING BREAK MARCH 4th – 8th| 9| 15th Mar| Atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemiaDigestion of carbohydratesDiabetes mellitusDiabetic complications| 54 – 57| 10| 22nd Mar| Protein digestion and absorptionIron metabolismHeme metabolism & Jaundice| 58 – 60| | 29th Mar| Easter No Class| | 1| 5th Apr| Collagen Growth factors and wound healingBlood clotting & Clot dissolutionBlood tests and clinical scenario| 61 – 64| 12| 12th Apr| Plasma proteinsOrgan function testsQUIZ III (Lecture 11 plus e-learning materials) (10%)| 65 – 66| 13| 19thApr| Enzyme diagnosticsAlcohol metabolism| 67 – 68| 14| 26th Apr| Exercise metabolismAging| 69 – 70| | May 3rd| FINAL EXAMINATION(Lectures 8 – 15) 35 %3:00 pm| | ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Subject to change in extenuating circumstances

Labor Union History in California essays

Labor Union History in California essays The various labor movements in California have been among the most important in our nation. As a state with a tremendously diversified economy, California's workers are employed in every industry imaginable; from our huge agriculture base, to our docks, to aerospace, to construction, to the entertainment industry-the list is endless. And in each industry, workers struggled to organize themselves into collectives to shape the labor landscape of California. Some of California's labor movements have represented significant political events on a national if not a global scale-as in the historic struggle of labor activists Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. The gains made be the United Farm Workers inspired workers every where to fight for living wages and reasonable working conditions, and it proved that poor people can claim their rights when they organize and speak in one voice. In a word, labor unions equal POWER. But it didn't start with Chavez. In 1894, California held its first strike organized by San Francisco and Sacramento Carpenters who pushed for a whole sixteen dollars a day. Well, they settled for fourteen. However, a year later the first official union was organized in California, the San Francisco Typography Society. Formed by printers at the Alta California newspaper, the San Francisco Typography opposed a wage cut and in no time the power of collective bargaining overwhelmed its first obstacle. The first of many. Unions thrived for several decades after, sending a sonic boom of labor reform across the nation. Working conditions improved and wages increased. Life in America as we knew it over took a change of titanic proportions, for the better, of course. Despite all this success, in October 1929, the New York stock market crashed, and the value of stocks declined. People lost their jobs, their farms and their businesses. By 1932, 13 million men and women were unemployed. In the past, depressions had usually...

Free Essays on Anti-semitism

European anti-Semitism was the building blocks for Nazi propaganda. European anti-Semitism is an outgrowth of Christianity. Since the time of the Roman Empire, Christian leaders preached boundlessly against Jews. It escalated from generation to generation, and as long as the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah, they were going against the whole belief system of Christianity. The idea that the Jews killed their savior also arose from that time period, bringing forward the notion that all Jews of forever were responsible for Jesus’ death. As the Medieval period came, the Christians’ hatred for Jews further articulated and was brought to a new level. The Christians in the medieval world saw Jews in twofold opposition to Christianity: they rejected his revelation and were his killers. Church members had much detested the Jews on the basis that they should have accepted Jesus as their Messiah. Consequently, persecution and killing of the Jews became a part of everyd ay life, leaving many regions of Western Europe without any Jews by the end of the sixteenth century. Entering the nineteenth century, German anti-Semitism went through an acute transformation. It was then that it made its change from a religious issue, to a very racial one. Germans naturally detested Jews with a passion. Nineteenth century Germans now saw Jews as the symbol for everything wrong in their declining economy, even though they made up but a mere one percent of the population. Soon the cultural taboos that had formerly shaped the moral fabric of Germany at the time lost all influence. It was then that German anti-Semitism reached a high point: false, cruel, yet indisputable accusations. By the time the Nazi party instituted totalitarian control, all that remained was to build on the framework provided by the nineteenth century. A framework which included anti-Semitism being common knowledge, Germans’ obsessive hatred toward Jews, the common beli... Free Essays on Anti-semitism Free Essays on Anti-semitism European anti-Semitism was the building blocks for Nazi propaganda. European anti-Semitism is an outgrowth of Christianity. Since the time of the Roman Empire, Christian leaders preached boundlessly against Jews. It escalated from generation to generation, and as long as the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah, they were going against the whole belief system of Christianity. The idea that the Jews killed their savior also arose from that time period, bringing forward the notion that all Jews of forever were responsible for Jesus’ death. As the Medieval period came, the Christians’ hatred for Jews further articulated and was brought to a new level. The Christians in the medieval world saw Jews in twofold opposition to Christianity: they rejected his revelation and were his killers. Church members had much detested the Jews on the basis that they should have accepted Jesus as their Messiah. Consequently, persecution and killing of the Jews became a part of everyd ay life, leaving many regions of Western Europe without any Jews by the end of the sixteenth century. Entering the nineteenth century, German anti-Semitism went through an acute transformation. It was then that it made its change from a religious issue, to a very racial one. Germans naturally detested Jews with a passion. Nineteenth century Germans now saw Jews as the symbol for everything wrong in their declining economy, even though they made up but a mere one percent of the population. Soon the cultural taboos that had formerly shaped the moral fabric of Germany at the time lost all influence. It was then that German anti-Semitism reached a high point: false, cruel, yet indisputable accusations. By the time the Nazi party instituted totalitarian control, all that remained was to build on the framework provided by the nineteenth century. A framework which included anti-Semitism being common knowledge, Germans’ obsessive hatred toward Jews, the common beli... Free Essays on Anti-semitism After learning about the Holocaust, I’ve asked myself many times how this could have happened. Why would anyone believe it’s acceptable to massacre an entire people? This is my reasoning for writing my paper on how Christian theology influenced anti-Semitism. Much of the Holocaust appears to have it’s beginning with Christian theology. I will begin my paper with the early writings of Christians and continue chronologically until after World War II. The Apostle Paul was one the first people to criticize the Jewish people. At first, he tried to explain to the Christians not to adopt a superior attitude towards the Jews. IF THE PART OF THE DOUGH OFFERED AS FIRST FRUITS IS HOLY, THEN THE WHOLE BRANCH IS HOLY; AND IF THE ROOT IS HOLY, THEN THE BRANCHES ARE ALSO HOLY†¦DO NOT BOAST OVER THE BRANCHES. IF YOU DO BOAST, REMEMBER THAT IT IS NOT YOU THAT SUPPORT THE ROOT, BUT THE ROOT SUPPORTS YOU. [ROMANS 11] At one point this appeared to be Paul’s feeling towar ds the Jews and the Christians. His sentiment appeared to change, according to Christian suppressionists. In the text Romans, many of Paul’s statements were misinterpreted by those Christians to make themselves appear more superior to the Jewish people. †¦INCLUDING US WHOM HE HAS CALLED, NOT FROM THE JEWS ONLY BUT ALSO FROM THE GENTILES? AS INDEED HE SAYS IN HOSEA, "THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE I WILL CALL ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED I WILL CALL ‘BELOVED.’" "AND IN THE VERY PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, ‘YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,’ THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED CHILDREN OF THE LIVING GOD," †¦GENTILES, WHO DID NOT STRIVE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, HAVE ATTAINED IT, THAT IS, RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH FAITH; BUT ISRAEL, WHO DID STRIVE FOR THE RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT IS BASED ON THE LAW, DID NOT SUCCEED IN FULFILLING THAT LAW†¦ [ROMANS 9] "In proclaiming his Christian message Paul stressed that the Jewish nation had been rejected by G od, and the new Covenant had superseded the...

11 Things You Must Avoid During SAT Practice Tests

Things You Must Avoid During SAT Practice Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you preparing for the SAT by taking practice tests? Awesome! You’re on the right track! How can you ensure that you’re getting the most out of each practice test you take? You need to make sure you’re taking each practice test underrealistic testing conditions. What’re you doing (maybe subconsciously) that’s ruining your realistic testing conditions? #1: Not Timing Yourself You need to stick to the exact timing of the SAT.If you’re not following the timing, you’re not going to be prepared the day of the test.You need to time yourself on your SAT practice tests so that you get used to the pacing of the test. It’s like training for a marathon. Don’t show up to a marathon without timing your practice and expect to place!The SAT is amarathon. Time yourself. Get used to the pace, so you don’t have issues on test day! Not sure the exact time you’re allowed for the SAT?On the SAT, the time allowed for each section is listed on the first page of that section of the practice test. See below: If you want more guidance, thencheck out our guide to SAT timing. #2: Using Your Phone But, Dora, you just said to time myself, and if I can’t use my phone, how do I time myself?I recommend that you use a watch instead of a phone.If you get used to timing yourself with your phone, you may feel lost the day of the test when you’re not allowed to use your phone. (NOTE: you’re not allowed to have your phone out at all during the test even during breaks). Instead, buy a cheap watch such as this one which you would be able to use the day of the test.Start using it during your practice so that you get used to pacing yourself with the watch. What if I use my phone in airplane mode?Don’t do it!Yes, it’s better than using your phone not in airplane mode, but you’ll still have the same issue: you’ll be so used to relying on your phone to pace yourself that you may feel confused using a normal watch/clock the day of the test. What if I’m using my phone as my calculator?No!!!Your phone will not be permitted the day of the test, so make sure you buy yourself an approved calculator and use it during your SAT math calculator section practice, so you get used to it. #3: Using Your Calculator On All Sections Speaking of calculators, remember that you’re only allowed to have your calculator out for one part of the test: the SAT math calculator section.You can’t have your calculator out for the Reading, Writing, or non-calculator Math test.During your practice, you should only use your calculator on the one math section that allows you to use a calculator. Do not use your calculator on the non-calculator math section.You need to practice your mental math so that you’re prepared to do mental math the day of the test.If during your practice, you use your calculator instead of your brain, you’ll be tempted to do so the day of the test. #4: Watching TV, Listening to Music, and/or Wearing Ear Plugs For some students, watching tv and/or listening to music while you take your practice test will serve as a distraction, making them score worse because they can’t concentrate.For other students, watching tv and/or listening to music can serve as an aid, helping them maintain their focus, artificially increasing their score.Either way, you cannot have the TV on nor music playing during your practice tests.You need to get used to taking the test in a quiet environment. That being said, do not wear ear plugs during your practice.Some students like ear plugs because it cuts out all background noise.However, the College Board does not allow the use of ear plugs during their tests.You need to get used to hearing background noise while you take the test because on your test day, you’ll have background sounds of paper rustling, pencils scratching, erasers rubbing, and more. Not during practice tests! #5: Eating and/or Drinking You will not be allowed to eat or drink during the test.You’ll be allowed to eat and drink outside of your testing roomduring the scheduled breaks. Don’t eat or drink while taking practice tests (exception: you can eat and drink during the break).This may sound silly, but it is important.If you're trying to eat and test at the same time, that can be a problematic distraction. Also, your body gets an energy boost when you have a snack or drink water.If you eat and drink non-stop during your practice, you’ll likely get an energy boost, and the test may seem â€Å"easier.†Then, the day of the test you might be surprised when the test seems â€Å"longer† and â€Å"harder† because you don’t have the added energy from the food and drink. As I’ve said, the SAT is amarathon.Train for the SAT as such.During your practice, only grab food or drinkduring the scheduled breaks. #6: Taking Unscheduled Bathroom Breaks Just as you won’t be allowed to eat or drink during the test, you also won’t be allowed to leave the room to go to the bathroom during the SAT.You’ll have to wait to go to the bathroom until the schedule breaks.Practice this during your practice tests. You need to get used to only using the restroom during the scheduled breaks.The last thing you want on your test day is to be thinking about how badly you need to pee while trying to take the test. I highly recommend using the restroom immediately before the test begins (or you start your practice test). #7: Not Sitting at a Desk Where you take the test is important, don’t sit on your couch or your bed!You need to get used to sitting upright.If you lounge on the couch or bed while taking your practice tests, you might feel thrown the day of the test when you’re put in a new, uncomfortable desk. Set up your practice test environment like the actual SAT test environment.Sit at an empty desk or table with nothing on it other than your practice test booklet, pencils, erasers, and calculator (when allowed). NOOOOOO! #8: Splitting the Test Over a Few Days Remember how I said the SAT is amarathon?Well, runners aren’t allowed to split up a marathon across several days.You need to practice sitting for full-length SAT tests.While you might not have 4 hours every day to sit for a full-length practice test, you need to make sure you sit for at least two full-length practice tests before you take the real SAT. On the days where you cannot sit for a full-length practice test, you should, at least, complete a full section of the test.For example, sit for the full 25-minute non-calculator math section without taking any breaks.The same rules mentioned in this article apply when you sit for just one section of the test: no food/drink, no music/tv/ear plugs, etc. #9: Not Bubbling In It’s easy to forget about the scantron and just to circle the answers in your practice test.However, using a scantron can be confusing, so you don’t want your first time using one to be on the day you take the SAT/ACT. During your practice tests, practice bubbling in answers as you work through your practice test.You want to get practice bubbling in so that you don’t accidentally bubble in wrong answers the day of the test.If you have time, I recommend double checking your scantron answers with your booklet answers at the end of the section, so you make sure you didn’t accidentally bubble any incorrectly. #10: Using Pen Since you need to practice bubbling in, you also need to practice using a pencil and eraser!You’re required to use a pencil on the SAT. NOTE: You cannot use a mechanical pencil. You can only use a regular #2 pencil. I recommend bringing at least 3 sharpened #2 pencils with you to your test center. Also, you should have a basic pencil sharpener and a big eraser. Take your SAT practice tests using these supplies.The day of the SAT you want to walk into your test center feeling confident and comfortable.To do that, you need your practice to mimic the real testing environment as much as possible!Get used to having these supplies on your desk. Get used to sharpening a broken pencil with your hand sharpener! If you’re anything like me, any little issue can spike your nerves during a big test.Practice with pencils, erasers, and a pencil sharpener, so you don’t get nervous using them the day of the test. Get your pencils ready! #: Using Any Support Material Do not use any extra materials during your practice tests.As I’ve mentioned, the day of the test, you won’t be allowed to have anything on your desk except for your test booklet, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpener, and your calculator (only during the calculator math section).Only use those materials during your practice! Do not use a formula cheat sheet (other than what’s provided in the SAT math section if you’re taking the SAT), and do not use a dictionary to look up words!During the test, you will not be able to use any outside resources, so do not incorporate them into your practice. If there are words you don’t know during your SAT practice test, try to figure out what they mean by using context clues(use the words around that word to figure out what the word means).Try your best to answer the questions without looking the word up.Circle the words you don’t know so that after you finish your practice test, you can easily find those words and look them up in a dictionary. Summary: How to Get Realistic Practice All of the above can be summarized simply: obey the rules of the test during your practice!Realistic practice will prepare you the best to ace the test and make you feel confident and comfortable the day of the test. Still unsure of how to get realistic practice? Check out our guide to making your practice test just like the real thing. What’s Next? Not sure whether the SAT or ACT is right for you? Let’s help you pick the right test for you! Not sure where you’d like to go to college? Figure out how to find your target school. Interested in attending Harvard or another Ivy League school? Check out our guide to getting in! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today:

Where's My Hand and The Weak Leg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Where's My Hand and The Weak Leg - Essay Example The doctors settled on gluco-corticoids to ease inflammation and edema. Robert never got an administration of tPA because the treatment worsens hemorrhage. This revealed that Robert’s CVA stemmed from his hypertension disorder, whereby it weakened blood arteries that later ruptured and culminated to a hemorrhage (Monks, 2003). The first CVA encounter interfered with Robert’s left-brain, evidenced by an inability to speak. In addition, the hemorrhage also impaired adjacent motor neurons present in the right side, thereby causing left flaccidity. Flaccidity meant that his left side lacked turgidity, thereby appearing saggy or demonstrating a deficit in muscle tone. However, this flaccidity usually never stays for long but rather vanishes within sometime despite having mobility problems. The immediate efforts accompanying Robert’s medication would be engaging him in rehabilitation. The team in the rehabilitation would entail the motive of evading inactivity that triggers muscle contractures and fixation inabilities or paralysis in acute conditions (A.D.A.M., 2011). A physical therapist would aid in regaining motion abilities that constitute of balancing and coordination among others. The physical therapist will aid prevent contractures in Robert via such activities like stretching alongside splinting. Secondly, he will help him regain alignment by engaging him in using such appliances as braces meant for support in the arms together with tennis shoes to evade foot drops. Thirdly, he may also engage Robert in sitting exercises to strengthen muscles in the trunk. An occupational therapist serves obligatory in ascertaining that Robert gains independence. For instance, he would assist in things like hygiene together with easy motion practices. A speech pathologis t ascertains that he regains his talking achieved through tongue strengthening (A.D.A.M., 2011). He would also aid Robert in restoring any cognitive disorders experienced, which include

Cardiovascular Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cardiovascular Disease - Essay Example According to Kantrowitz and Wingert (2006), a few years back, heart diseases were considered to be the concern of men alone, and women, especially those below 50years did not have to worry about cardiovascular diseases. However, recent studies have demonstrated that both men and women, especially women after menopause and men after 55years of age are a greater risk of cardiovascular accidents (Kantrowitz and Wingert, 2006). It is estimated that 50-70 million Americans have cardiovascular problems and according to Noonan (2005), cardiovascular events was responsible for the deaths of 260,000 American men in year 2000 alone. It is therefore regarded as the nation's no 1 killer (Underwood, 2005). Many risk factors are associated with cardiovascular disease; most can be managed, but some cannot. The aging process and hereditary predisposition are risk factors that cannot be altered. Until age 50 men are at greater risk than women of developing heart disease, though once a woman enters menopause, her risk triples (Kannel, 1997). According to the American Heart Association (AHA), increasing age is a major risk of cardiovascular diseases; they report that over 83% of people who die of heart problems are 65 or older. Mae gender and genetic predisposition are two other risk factors that cannot be altered. ... disease includes specific therapy for any underlying causes and may include Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (e.g., captopril, enalapril, lisinopril), beta-blockers (e.g., propranolol), blood thinners (e.g., aspirin, warfarin), the combination of hydralazine and isosorbide dinitrate, digitalis, nitroglycerin, and diuretics. Also, surgical procedures such as angioplasty, bypass surgery, valve replacement, pacemaker installation, and heart transplantation, are common treatment options (Gluckman et al, 2004). According to Underwood (2005), Mounting evidences point to the fact that chronic emotional states such as stress, anxiety, hostility, depression or childhood trauma and loneliness play very important roles in the cause of cardiovascular diseases. These factors are appearing to be as potent or even stronger than the conventionally established cardiovascular risks, such as smoking, diabetes etc. It is believed that emotional states affect behavior. For instance, depressed, angry people are less likely to stick with diet and exercise regimens and are more likely to smoke. In one study, the most hostile subjects consumed 600 more daily calories than the least hostile. Also, such negative emotions can have direct effects, too, by provoking the stress response of the classic fight-or-flight mechanism. The body releases stress hormones, such as cortisol and epinephrine (adrenaline). In response, blood pressure and blood-glucose levels increase, while chemical changes in the blood enhance th e clotting reaction to help heal wounds. In the short term, these are survival mechanisms. But over the long haul, chronic high blood pressure and elevated glucose damage blood vessels (Underwood, 2005). High blood cholesterol is also one of the major predisposing factors

Community Service Component Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Community Service Component - Research Paper Example It will enable students understand South African culture in a more affluent way. They will also see the difference between American contemporary art and South African art through a lecture presentation at the end of each show focusing on the history of South Africa. Feedback cards will be availed at the end of each show to verify if this project is productive. If successful, other institutions might want to prepare for the same project in various parts of America and Africa. Context The audience will include faculty, staff and students of Indiana State University while the University Gallery will host the show. This art show will enable Students to learn beyond their own culture. The show will enable students of Indiana State University to learn the differences and similarities of South African culture and their own culture. From this project, faculty, students and staff can learn about the background of South African culture before attempting to study in that country, go for a holid ay in, initiate a project in that country or even taking an employment opportunity in South Africa. This is a knowledge based art show and it will offer an opportunity for students to interact with the various artists invited to perform in the show. The lectures given during the show will focus on the background of the country, the various tribes of the country, and the cultures of the dominant tribes. The University gallery has an amazing room for art shows and will be perfect for this project. Community Connections In order to hold the art show, there will be need for manpower to keep an eye to every action taken during the hours of operation. This will ensure there is no logistical, operational and administrative problem. They will introduce artists to the audience before every performance, they will direct the audience on where to sit and on what to expect at the beginning of performances and lectures as well as keep an eye on every art work presented at the show. This will ensu re the pieces of art are not vandalized or stolen. I will need help in arranging the gallery and setting it up for the show. This help will come from my colleagues in class. After the show, cleaners will be required to clean the gallery in preparation for the next event. Budget African art pieces are expensive; therefore funds will be needed to buy these pieces of art. This works of art can be found in various auditoriums in the United States of America or in African States. Shipping these pieces of art is a challenge and requires lots of money and therefore, the best way to get these artifacts is buying them in America. A fund raiser will be needed in order to get the required amount of money. Fundraiser cards will be printed and distributed to all students of Indiana State University to help in raising the required funds. The department of History will be the major sponsor of the event. Outreach and Promotion Flyers will be given to all students of Indiana State University adverti sing the event. Posters will be printed and displayed all over the University premises advertising the venue of the art show. The official website for the department of History of Indiana State University will be used to advertise the event. The website will have an article describing the event, its objectives, the time and place of the event. Examples of various South African artworks will be displayed in posters and the department of History library. Radio will also be used to advertise the event. It will insist that the event is only for students of

Little house in the war zone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Little house in the war zone - Essay Example Even after the fall of Saddam, the house did not regain its status as it was in a dilapidated condition. In fact, Salbi indicates that the once warm and happy house that carried the hopes and dreams of a family became an execution center, a brothel, and even the Iraqi army used the house for its operations. It seems that the once warm house filled with happiness started having problems after the family welcomed and entertained politicians, no less than the late dictator Saddam Hussein. In my opinion, the family had it coming from the onset after they opened the door for Saddam. Indeed, the welcoming of Saddam and the consequent appointment of Salbi’s father to a position in the government led to the family’s subjection to a public life full of scrutiny from security agents. In effect, this denied the family a private life that they had been accustomed to before welcoming Saddam. Nonetheless, I think the family did not deserve this treatment since they were non-politico. However, a quiet and simple life full of happiness was wrecked with the hopes and dreams of the family wrecked. It is unfortunate to see a house filled with warmth and happiness, which the family extended to their visiting friends change and used in ways that the family could not comprehend. In this case, I think the family stood for all that is virtuous although their house was later used for reasons that were different from the family’s beliefs and principles. Salbi indicates that she could not come to terms with the fact that the house that housed her family’s dreams and hopes once became a brothel. Indeed, the family believed that respect for all human beings was paramount. In addition, I think the family could never imagine that their house would at any one time be a place where men took advantage of women forced into prostitution by

Identify Savas Four strategies of privatization Research Paper

Identify Savas Four strategies of privatization - Research Paper Example There is no unanimous agreement on the set of words to define privatization. However, the word, in most cases, is associated with the ideological approach that involves the private sector, either partially or totally, to achieve public goals. E.S. Savas compares it to the exchange of roles between the government and the private segment (Hodge, 2006). Savas outlines various approaches through which government can implement privatization. Load shedding is one of the strategies. In this case, the government loses part or the whole of its ownership to private operators (Lawther, 2000). When left in the hands of the government, most of the enterprises become exploitive. Application of user charges is another strategy. To improve the economic society, goods and services that are provided directly by the government can be subjected to such charges. This aims at disclosing the real costs of the goods and services preventing any inclusion of unwanted expenses (Kemp, 2007). The third strategy is the introduction of competition. Most public sectors and cartels do not embrace competition which is, however, essential in improving public services. When there are various institutions interested in the same market, competition automatically arises (Otenyo & Lind, 2006). This gives customers a wide range of choice leading to appreciation of high quality products only. Finally, another way to privatize enterprises is by limiting government involvement in business procedures such as by making grants through the private sector (Hodge, 2006). This simplifies the public’s effort to assess the growth and development projects. Privatization is an essential practice in all aspects of life. In Florida, there has been continuous urge to privatize the prison system. Earlier this year, the state governor, showed deeper in implementing the same. Legislators who pioneered this idea typically consulted the Savas’ privatization strategies. According to the department of corrections,

Discussion Questions and Participation Questions Essay

Discussion Questions and Participation Questions - Essay Example Opportunities to expand your services 7. Better flexibility 8. Increased risk assessment 9. Improve quality 10. Increases in quantity (Brighthub, 2011). In the past I have used project management as a guide to help me complete projects. I have used project management to develop schedules, in order to optimize time, and to become more efficient at tasks. Project management skills can be improved by participation in continued education seminars on the subject, by reading peer review journal articles, and through practice among other methods. Brighthub.com (2011). The Top Ten Benefits of Project Management. Retrieved February 3, 2011 from http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles/2350.aspx Chase, R. B., Jacobs, F.R., & Aquilano, N.J. (2006) Operations management for competitive advantage (11th ed). New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin. 2. Safety stock is additional inventory that is held in order to mitigate the risk of a stockout. The safety stock is a considered a buffer mana gement uses to create a comfort level in which to operate. The safety stock should only be used after regular inventory runs out and if the company is unable to replenish its inventory. The safety stock should be used as a last resort in order to keep the operations going. A few years ago I worked a part-time in a warehouse for a company that manufactured paper. There were different rolls of paper that would be used as raw material for the different paper products sold by the company. The buffer or safety stock was managed by the warehouse crew. We would deliver the safety stock to the manufacturing line whenever the company ran out of its regular inventory of paper. 3. Out of the factors you mentioned about project management which I believe people can work on in order to improve their utilization of the factor is time. Time is a crucial element in project management. Projects involve the use of different deadlines for the delivery of project deliverables. In a project when one per son is late with their part of the project it creates a chain reaction which affects the work of the other members. The project manager has to provide follow up on the work of team members in order to ensure everyone is on the same page. 4. One of the first project management teams I was involved in occurred a few years back. I was a freshman in college back them and I had been assigned to my first team project as a college student. It was an intimidating experience for me because I did not know what to expect. I was very lucky to have worked with a great team of players. One of the guys was a senior business student; he served the role of project leader. He was a very outgoing person that knew how to lead others. I learn from this first experience that interpersonal relationships are a critical success factor for project management teams. 5. Engineers are very talented professionals that can add a lot of value to a project. Due to their ability to apply innovation engineers are oft en involved in project management. It would be a wise career move for an engineer to purse an MBA degree. The knowledge gained through a master’s degree program in business can be extremely beneficial for an engineer among other professionals. Professionals with a background in business are better suited to handle the pressures associated with the work of a project manager. 6. Sometimes people utilized project management skills without even knowing they are using them. No project is too small for

Identify Savas Four strategies of privatization Research Paper

Identify Savas Four strategies of privatization - Research Paper Example There is no unanimous agreement on the set of words to define privatization. However, the word, in most cases, is associated with the ideological approach that involves the private sector, either partially or totally, to achieve public goals. E.S. Savas compares it to the exchange of roles between the government and the private segment (Hodge, 2006). Savas outlines various approaches through which government can implement privatization. Load shedding is one of the strategies. In this case, the government loses part or the whole of its ownership to private operators (Lawther, 2000). When left in the hands of the government, most of the enterprises become exploitive. Application of user charges is another strategy. To improve the economic society, goods and services that are provided directly by the government can be subjected to such charges. This aims at disclosing the real costs of the goods and services preventing any inclusion of unwanted expenses (Kemp, 2007). The third strategy is the introduction of competition. Most public sectors and cartels do not embrace competition which is, however, essential in improving public services. When there are various institutions interested in the same market, competition automatically arises (Otenyo & Lind, 2006). This gives customers a wide range of choice leading to appreciation of high quality products only. Finally, another way to privatize enterprises is by limiting government involvement in business procedures such as by making grants through the private sector (Hodge, 2006). This simplifies the public’s effort to assess the growth and development projects. Privatization is an essential practice in all aspects of life. In Florida, there has been continuous urge to privatize the prison system. Earlier this year, the state governor, showed deeper in implementing the same. Legislators who pioneered this idea typically consulted the Savas’ privatization strategies. According to the department of corrections,

Ben Jonson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ben Jonson - Essay Example Volpone used gowns, furs, night-caps to fool the men into thinking he was bedridden. Volpone ordered Mosca to: This disguise was perpetrated for Volpone’s sheer amusement. He never intended to give anyone his wealth. When he did turn over his wealth to Mosca, Volpone never really meant for his wealth to truly belong to another. Voltore, Corbaccio, and Corvino jumping through hoops seemed to amuse Volpone. Still they came bearing gifts as they are encouraged by Mosca. The disguises these three men use are that of concerning men. They are so concerned with Volpone’s wellbeing. All three men try to make Volpone’s last days more bearable. Corvino is even willing to let a sick man be in the company of his wife. Voltore, Corbaccio, and Corvino would do anything to be Volpone’s heir. These disguises show these men are greedy corrupt men. Most noble gentlemen, and my worthy patrons! It may seem strange, that I, your Scoto Mantuano, who was ever wont to fix my bank in face of the public Piazza, near the shelter of the Portico to the Procuratia, should now, after eight months’ absence from this illustrious city of Venice, humbly retire myself into an obscure nook of the Piazza. The last disguise is as a guard in Venice. Volpone fakes his death and allegedly leaves Mosca his money. In turn Mosca dons the disguise of a rich man. The guard disguise is so Volpone can flaunt his ingenious plan to Voltore, Corbaccio, and Corvino without their recognition. Voltore upon being taunted goes to court and tells the whole story of Volpone’s treachery. Volpone reveals himself after Mosca refuses to relinquish any of Volpone’s original wealth. Volpone and Voltore are arrested. Mosca is sent to a slave gallery. The other two were punished as well. In the end, Volpone was shown to be as much as a fraud as Voltore, Corbaccio, and Corvino. All of

Learning Team Reflection Essay Example for Free

Learning Team Reflection Essay Introduction In business, quality refers measures of excellence and remaining free of defects, deficiencies, and significant variations. Quality products or services are brought about by the commitment to abide by certain standards. These standards are put in place to maintain customer or user satisfaction, (Business Dictionary.com, 2014). In this paper, Learning Team A will discuss total quality management, ISO standards, how these standards are used to improve an organization, benefits and challenges of these standards, and the role of the quality control department within an organization in relation to TQM and ISO standards. Total Quality Management and ISO Total quality management may be defined as managing the entire organization so that it excels on all dimensions of products and services that are important to the customer, (Jacobs, H., Chase, R., 2011).† The two primary goals of total quality management (TQM) are to ensure that the product or service is carefully designed, and secondly, to ensure systems within the organization can consistently produce and design the product or service. TQM resembles Six Sigma to a great degree, but it is a different process. TQM focuses on ensuring standards and guidelines are actually reducing errors while Sigma looks to reduce defects, (Jacobs, H., Chase, R., 2011).† ISO are a series of standards used to measure quality. These guidelines are international guidelines established by the Internal Organization for Standardization. To gain certification for these standards, the process takes greater than a year. ISO 9000 represents standards for the criteria that need to be met during manufacturing processes. ISO 14000 refers to rules or guidelines set for environmental management of industrial production. This standard simply promotes useful tools for businesses to help manage environmental impact, (Investopedia, 2014). Advantages of TQM and ISO in organizations Customer satisfaction is the main goal for every organization. Customers are satisfied if they get a product or service that meets their expectation and if it is of fair price. Total Quality management helps to provide this quality assurance for the customers. It helps the organization to make the needed corrections and improve production. Apart from satisfied customers, organizations also need to improve their efficiency and effectiveness of doing business. TQM places a focus on internal process that includes process alignment, consistent delivery and process productivity (CEBOS, 2012). With TQM, organizations will have a longer term competitive edge. TQM is a philosophy that empowers all the employees and it promotes continuous and sustained improvement. Its basic principle is that the cost of prevention is less than the cost of correction (Gharakhani, Rahmati, Farrokhi, Farahmandian, 2013). Like TQM, ISO also provides benefits for a business. According to (ISO, 2014), when a company improves its operations, it saves cost. Having internationalized standards will improve operations and reduces operational expenses. Standards will help to enhance customer satisfaction and access new markets. It also helps companies to increase their productivity and stay in the competitive edge. ISO 9000, certification increases marketability and reduces product liability risks, because the quality of the product is enhanced. With the ISO 14000, organizations reduce their footprint in global environment. ISO14000 helps companies to save in energy consumption, reduce the cost of waste management, and improve corporate image among regulators, customers and the public (ISO, 2014). References Business Dictionary.com (2014). Quality. Retrieved from, Business Dictionary.com Web site: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/quality.html Investopedia (2014). ISO 9000. Retrieved from, Investopedia Web site: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/iso-9000.asp Investopedia (2014). ISO 14000. Retrieved from, Investopedia Web site: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/iso-14000.asp Jacobs, F., Chase, R. (2011). Product and Service Design. In (Ed.), Operations and Supply Chain Management (13th ed., pp. 38-67). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin. CEBOS (2012). How Can TQM Make Your Business More Successful?. Retrieved from, CEBOS Web site: http://www.cebos.com/how-can-tqm-make-your-business-more-successful/ Gharakhani, D., Rahmati, H., Farrokhi, M. R., Farahmandian, A. (2013). Total Quality Management and Organizational Performance. American Journal of Industrial Engineering, 1(3), pp. 45-50. ISO. (2014). Benefits of International Standards. Retrieved from http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards/benefitsofstandards.htm ISO. (2014). ISO 14000 – Environmental management. Retrieved from http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards/benefitsofstandards.htm

Cultural Policy in the UK

Cultural Policy in the UK CULTURAL POLICY IN THE UK: Mid-1960s to late 1980s Cultural Policy in the UK: Critical overview of the last 30 years MARCH 2010 In the last three decades (approximately 1980 to 2010), cultural policy in the UK has taken a generally questionable direction. Overall, cultural policy and practices of the past 30 years have been overwhelmed by new neo-liberal discourses and ideologies, namely: economic rationalism, monetarism, neo-conservatism, commodification of culture, managerialism and performativity. Examining each of these in turn, it becomes apparent that a market-driven, neo-liberal approach to UK cultural policy has largely failed in each of its stated aims: economic growth, artistic excellence, increased access to the arts, and social justice. The mid-1970s were a real turning point in terms of cultural policy, with broad policy changes occurring from this time on both within and without the cultural sector. In many ways, the earlier 1970s epitomised cultural and political concerns with the general welfare of the public, and some support of the arts for their own sake rather than as an instrument of broader political and social change. The early 1970s saw, in many ways, a political climate of idealism. Cultural policy of the time reflected this atmosphere. However, there were drastic political, cultural, and ideological changes made later in the 1970s which have, to a degree, continued to shape the cultural policy discourse of the next thirty years and up to the present day (Gray, 2007). In the cultural sector as a whole, Gray describes the development of what he calls instrumental policies (Gray, 2007, p.5) since the mid-1970s. By this term Gray describes the shift in cultural policy from an arms-length, distanced governm ental approach to the arts and culture; to a political interest in using the cultural sector as an instrument, or instruments, of social, economic, and political change. In the first decades of state patronage of the arts, the Arts Council saw itself not as a source of direction, not as a source of artistic policy, but as a kind of enabling body (Stevens, 1998: 10, quoted in Caust, 2003, p.52). By the late 1970s, however, this attitude on the part of the state had changed dramatically. Instead of standing back and simply allowing the arts to develop and flourish via generous state subsidy and support, many Western governments including that of the United Kingdom developed the ideology that they could and should instead expect outcomes for their investments (Caust, 2003, p. 52). The overwhelming shift to a market-based, market-driven ideology in terms of cultural policy has had many negative effects upon the arts themselves, and several tangentially-related areas of the social and political landscape. In the last thirty years, it is economic change which appears to have been the states prime concern in terms of cultural policy, despite public assertions to the contrary. Gray states that the ideological and organisational changes toward instrumental policy-making have had an effect upon what the state does, how it does it, and the justifications and reasons that have been put forward to explain them (Gray, 2007, p.5). The reforms that have taken place in the realm of cultural policy in the United Kingdom have been summarised by scholars as variously representing a mode of privatisation (Alexander and Rueschemeyer, 2005, pp. 71-4), or one of commodification (Gray, 2000). Privatisation concerns, variously, a heightened level of interventionism in the management and administration of public assets (Gray, 2007, p.5) by private entities or actors; or the sale of previously-nationalised state industries and assets to the private sphere. Commodification is a term used to describe wider ch anges in political actions and ideology, concerning the replacement of cultural value derived from its usefulness, to value derived from its exchangeability (Gray, 2007, p.5). Commodification results from an ideological shift within the state, and this can be seen as a driving force in cultural policy developments within the last thirty years. Despite government assertions that artistic excellence and broadened public access to the arts are prime concerns of the state, economic concerns are also often of perhaps overriding concern to the Thatcher, Major, Blair and Brown administrations which governed Britain between 1980 and 2010. Tony Blairs opening statement in the government publication Culture and Creativity: The Next Ten Years (____) makes the economic preoccupation of the government in relation to cultural policy quite explicit. Blair acknowledges a connection between creativity and production and then makes an economic justification for his governments investment in supporting creativity in its broadest sense (Caust, 2007, p. 55). With reference to both culture and creativity, Blair states: [t]hey also matter because creative talent will be crucial to our individual and national economic success in the economy of the future (Smith, 2001: 3; quoted in Caust, 2007, p.55). Economic Rationalism Economic rationalism is a term first coined in Australia with regards to economic policies and ideologies which favour privatisation of state industries, a free-market economy, economic deregulation, reduction of the welfare state, increased indirect taxation and lower direct taxation (Pusey, 1991). Such policies were particularly widespread in a global context during the 1980s and 1990s. The policies of Thatcherism provide an example of economic rationalism in action. The origins of the term economic rationalism were actually favourable, in describing market-oriented policies of various administrations in Australia, the UK and the US in the 1970s and 1980s (Pusey, 1991). In the 1990s, the term started to be used with an unfavourable tone, toward the Third Way policies of both the Australian Labour Party and the UK New Labour party of the 1990s. Both these parties initiated market-driven reforms within their political ideologies, which placed them closer to Thatcherite economic rationalism via increased emphasis upon the private sector in economic, political, and cultural arenas (Pusey, 1991). These were parties which had not traditionally placed a relatively great emphasis upon the free-market economy, and therefore the term economic rationalism has been used somewhat disparagingly to indicate that these parties have, to a degree, abandoned their historically leftist roots, when social justice and expansion of the welfare state took precedence over sheer capitalism. In terms of cultural policy, economic rationalism is evident throughout the 1980s and 1990s in the United Kingdom. Thatcherist policies in the 1980s placed unprecedented ideological and practical emphasis upon the free market, and in terms of cultural policy this translated to cuts in arts and education budgets, and the development of private-public partnership in cultural funding. The logical effect of such policies was that the arts, in particular, became increasingly monetised and reliant upon market and mass appeal in order to survive economically. The UK governments of the 1980s and 1990s placed great ideological and political emphasis upon the economic potential of the countrys cultural sector. Bennett (1995) views such economic potential as being used as a prime justification for state action and interventions within the cultural sector (p. 205-7). However, as Gray (2007) points out, this is not necessarily the same as seeing culture as a mechanism for economic regeneration (p. 16). The governments of the 1980s and 1990s appear to have sought to use various pretexts, including economic arguments, in order to justify their interventions in the sphere of cultural policy, however their true intentions most of the time were to stimulate broader economic growth through such cultural policies. As we shall see later, attempts at stimulating economic growth through cultural policy have, by and large, failed overall. Caust (2007) asserts that more recent government policy debates have been dominated by an economic paradigm (p.52). Arguments which focus upon the economic value of the arts have developed, and thus a political atmosphere is created in which the intrinsic value or worth that society may place upon the arts is trumped by the arts purely economic value. Economic rationalism, through its emphasis on the free market and upon the private sector, speeds the development of such an atmosphere, which permeated the UK cultural policy sector throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Although Causts discussion (2007) focuses on cultural policy in the Australian context, there are many parallels with UK cultural policy during the same time period. Caust describes a changing climate in which less emphasis came to be placed on the definition of art itself and upon value judgments of a particular art piece or art form by acknowledged experts.   Instead, market theory is emphasised, and increased importance is placed upon those art forms which can achieve the greatest commercial success. In the realm of cultural policy, such a change in the mode of arts valuation by the state leads to the desire to support arts activity which was commercial, exportable and cost-efficient (Caust, 2007, p.52). In the realm of cultural production, the natural result of such cultural policies is the emergence of mass cultural products which satisfy the market. Simon Cowell, and the massive, global Pop Idol and X Factor talent-show franchises he created, epitomises the result of two decades of economic rationalism. These programs, in which amateur singers compete in a televised, viewer-voted series, are vastly commercially successful and have been licensed in the US and many European and Latin American countries. Cowell has made a fortune, and it is typically a given that the winner of Pop Idol or The X Factor will have the Christmas number-one single in the UK (2009/2010 was an exception to this rule, when a social-media campaign deliberately pushed a reissued single by agit-rock group Rage Against The Machine to the top of the UK charts in a display of protest against the blandness and ubiquity of Cowells cover-song artists). While a huge success in economical terms Cowells franchises combine all the government-desired traits of exportability and mass-market appeal, while stimulating sales of music media in addition to generating signifi cant revenue via paid telephone voting and merchandise it could hardly be argued that the format of these shows stimulates artistic originality, experimentation, or musical development in any significant way.   The example above demonstrates that to give the market what it wants often leads to a lowest-common-denominator approach to cultural production and a bland stifling of the development of new and exciting art forms. Such effects of economic rationalism on cultural policy and therefore upon culture itself reflect Causts discussion of economic concerns and their effects on culture. As Caust states, such market-oriented cultural policy creates a compromising role for artists since serving the state as an economic generator is very different from taking risks artistically, or being innovative and creative generally. It could be argued this objective is little different from the expectations of a totalitarian state, in which its artists serve the states political aims. (Caust, 2007, p.54) Managerialism Prior to the late 1970s and early 1980s, governments had on the whole aimed to effect an arms-length approach in terms of arts management. One of the founding principles of the Arts Council itself was that it should be relatively independent of the government itself, and not directly under government control. Gray (2007) noted the general tendency of governments to adopt relatively indirect forms of involvement (p.11). Gray states that this role can be advantageous for governments, as they are not especially held accountable for the results of such policies implemented at arms-length: they can have some effect on the sector by producing general policies but, at the same time, they can avoid being held directly responsible or accountable for the specific policy choices that are then made on their behalf. (Gray, 2007, p.11) However, with the political, ideological, social and economic changes which took place when Thatcher was elected, the governments of the 1980s onwards adopted an increasingly managerialistic approach to the arts and cultural policy. Increasingly, the arts management implemented by successive administrations over the last three decades has been moved towards a new style of management that has been influenced by private sector models (in the form of mission statements and marketing, for example) (Gray, 2000, p. 112). It certainly follows logically that governments which prioritise capitalism and the free market would be attracted to the idea of imposing private-sector management models upon spheres they were hoping would become economically productive. Hence, successive governments have attempted to run the arts and cultural spheres, to some degree, as if they were private commercial enterprises. In many cases, this is a misunderstanding or misrepresentation of the inherent nature of m any areas of the arts. Generally, the start of managerialism in UK cultural policy can be seen during the reforms taking place under the label the New Public Management (NPM) (Gray, 2007, p.6). NPM emphasised several core concepts, which were put into action via UK state intervention in the cultural sphere. Under NPM, managers in the arts realm were empowered to make more decisions relating to their sphere of management; results were prioritised, and valued, over processes; managerial control was more generally decentralised; competition in terms of public service provision was actively encouraged; new emphasis was placed upon performance measurement; and management appointments now tended to be made through contracts rather than through seniority or hierarchy within the sector (Osborne and McLaughlin, 2002, p. 9; Pollitt, 2003a, pp. 27-8; Gray, 2007, p.6). Following the 1988 Ibbs Report, new managerial bodies were created by the government for example, the Executive Agencies (or, more formally, Non-Departmental Public Bodies) (Gray, 2007, p. 8). This led to a general decentralisation of government arts management, but also to issues regarding accountability, managerial responsibility and the relationship of elected politicians and appointed managers with the prime example being that of the clash between the then Home Secretary Michael Howard and the then head of the Prison Service, Derek Lewis. (Gray, 2007, p. 8) Local Strategic Partnerships and Regional Development Agencies were newly-instigated modes of arts management, which further emphasised both the decentralisation of government cultural policy during this period. Additionally, these agencies show evidence of overall managerialism towards the arts in that they demonstrate a devolution of power to local and regional arts managers. (Gray, 2007, p. 9) In later years, a somewhat different (modernizing) model of public management (Gray, 2007, p.6) was implemented, although the more general emphasis upon the concept of managerialism with respect to cultural policy did endure. Commodification of Culture In keeping with governmental emphasis upon the economy and the free market within the last three decades, there has followed an increasing commodification of culture. An obvious example of such commodification is enclosed within the phrases cultural industries and creative industries, which were hailed by New Labour in the 1990s and 2000s as a means of economic regeneration in the United Kingdom. Caust (2007) argues that the development of a view of cultural activity and production as an industry grew not only from the government, but also from the cultural producers themselves: When it became increasingly difficult in the early eighties to successfully argue the arts to government purely on the basis of the community welfare model, bureaucrats, practitioners and academics began the shift towards using a language that described the arts as an industry and developed the economic/cultural industry model. This led to the use of the terms cultural industries in Australia or in the United Kingdom, creative industries to describe all activities connected with the arts, as well as sectors far removed (Caust, 2007, p. 54) These cultural industries had been growing throughout the latter part of the twentieth century, aided by technological advances and global economic factors. In the northern hemisphere, populations were enjoying increased economic prosperity; leisure time was on the increase generally; television allowed mass cultural consumption in unprecedented fashion; and consumer electronics including audio and video equipment were becoming widely available and affordable (Hesmondhalgh Pratt, 2005, p. 3). By the early 1980s, the state was increasingly aware of these growing cultural industries both within the UKs own economy, and on a more global level. A path of increasing commodification of public policies was followed since the mid-1970s, with resultant changes in a broad range of cultural spaces. Ideologies prior to this mass commodification of culture had identified society as a whole as the primary intended beneficiary of government cultural policy. Increased commodification led to a shift, as the intended beneficiary of cultural activity and policy was now the individual consumer (Gray, 2007, p.14). Whereas cultural policy had previously been judged upon a broad range of criteria including social justice, access, and excellence; increasing commodification led to a narrowing of the criteria for judging cultural policy (ibid). Increased emphasis on the market value of cultural products and industries leads to an assessment of cultural policy in primarily, if not exclusively, economic terms. Again, this demonstrates a political preoccupation with the outcomes and outputs of cultural policy rather than the processes and inputs re lated to such policies, and a clear link between managerialism in cultural policy and the concomitant overall commodification of the culture produced under such a system. Performativity Just as the language and aims of commercial private industry were adopted for the cultural policy sphere via managerialism, economic realism, and the commodification of culture, so too the cultural sphere adopted measures and concerns regarding performance during the last three decades. Again, policies were judged on their results, their output and their products, and the economic success of cultural endeavour. In the realm of education, standardised performance tests have been increasingly introduced into the state schools, with the frequency, scope and range of educational tests increasingly greatly throughout the past thirty years. Likewise, in the sphere of cultural policy, tests of performance have also been increasingly implemented. These include Comprehensive Performance Assessments, and the Comprehensive Area Assessments replacing them in 2009, Best Value Indicators, Key Lines of Enquiry for Service Inspection, Local Area, Funding and Public Service Agreements, all of which p rovide explicit criteria against which service provision can be assessed (Gray, 2007, p. 8-9). The driving ideology behind such a raft of new tests to measure cultural and educational performance would appear to be a notion of accountability. The government wants to prove to an often sceptical public that its policies, whether in education or in culture, are working. Decentralisation of managerial power, and increased managerialism in cultural policy, provide a layer of accountability, or at the very least a scapegoat for failed or disappointing policies. Again, this move towards evidence-based policy-making and assessment reflects the belief of successive governments that the models that work for business can be applied to the cultural sphere. It is uncertain whether this is in fact correct. Culture does not function in the same way as manufacturing or other private business enterprises, and the outputs or achievements of the cultural industries and creative industries may be relatively intangible and ultimately difficult to measure with performance tests. Here, again, the inappropriateness of applying capitalist, market-driven ideals to the sphere of cultural policy is exposed. Also, the possibility is raised that such performativity in the cultural sphere serves two, largely unstated functions for the government: firstly, regular testing encourages increased cultural production, which within the confines of cultural industry could be expected to increase economic production; secondly, such emphasis on performance provides a form of justification for government policy in the cultural sphere. There has always been dissent regarding state arts spending in the United Kingdom how much public money is spent, what it is spent on, and what return the British taxpayers can exp ect on their investment in the arts. Performance tests in the cultural sector allow the state to point to demonstrable success, progress, or productivity in the cultural sector, which can be interpreted as proof of successful cultural policy implementation. Instrumentalism Instrumentalism the use of cultural institutions and cultural policy to achieve specific political aims is in many ways as old as cultural policy itself. For as long as there has been state arts patronage in the United Kingdom, the state has attempted to utilise the institutions, activities and sectors it sponsored to make political, social and economic changes to society. In the most recent three decades, the emphasis has been upon the latter, whereas earlier in the twentieth century, more importance was perhaps placed upon concepts of social change and nation-building. The roots of the Arts Council the organisation CEMA which was instituted during the Second World War were in morale-building, increased public access, softening of Britains class divisions, and fostering patriotism and a sense of the unified nation. As such, state intervention in the cultural sphere has more often than not been with at least some intention of using said intervention as a political or other tool. Gray states that the museums sector, in particular, is effectively being used as a tool for the attainment of the policy objectives of actors and concerns that have traditionally been seen to lie outside of the museums sector itself (Gray, 2007, p. 3). Museums are particularly susceptible to political manipulation, as they occupy a unique cultural space in terms of creating a nations sense of history and heritage, and fostering ideas of nationhood and the future of a country. What is included or excluded in a museum, and the manner in which it is displayed and framed, has a huge effect upon its reception and the ideas it can inspire. Vestheim (1994), talking of cultural policy, defines instrumental policy as being to use cultural ventures and cultural investments as a means or instrument to attain goals in other than cultural areas (p. 65). In broad terms, all cultural policy, and by extension all public policy, can be viewed as instrumental policy. All policy is intended to achieve something (Gray, 2007, p. 205). So, while instrumentalitsm has always been a feature of cultural policy in the United Kingdom, it is in recent decades that it has come to the forefront of the cultural discourse. Thatcher, Major and New Labour under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have all emphasised cultural policy as an instrument of economic regeneration, and achievement within the market. As such, they have acknowledged that their cultural policies are more baldly instrumental in nature than those of preceding administrations which at least paid lip service to ideals of social justice, welfare, and development of the arts for their own sake. Neo-Conservatism After the industrial and economic woes of the 1970s in the United Kingdom, the tide was ready to turn to neo-conservatism, and this was a change mirrored in many of the Western societies. Reagan, for example, was president of the United States during the Thatcher regime in the UK, and both pursued Conservative policies within a capitalist framework. In cultural policy and artistic thinking, neo-conservatism was perhaps the ideological opposite to the Romanticism of the preceding century. In the nineteenth century, cultural discourse was dominated by the ideal of the lone, genius artist who would be successful only posthumously (a striking example of this would be many of the great Romantic musical composers). Romantic ideology lauded the isolated artist-genius who was inspired to work purely because of artistic passion, rather than economic concerns. In fact, to be a poor and starving artist conveyed perhaps relatively more artistic credibility. It was believed that the true value of art is transcendent and can be determined by experts, commonly accompanied by the idea that the monetary value of art is false and the market cannot decide (Hesmondhalgh Pratt, 2005, p. 5). Concomitant with this was the Romantic belief that art was for all, and that culture has the power to act as a civilising force upon society as a whole. Neo-conservatism tuned these ideas on their head. The lauded artist of the 1980s through 2000s is economically successful, creating a cultural product or commodity that appeals to, and responds to, the demands of the mass capitalist market. Ideals of the civilising powers of high culture upon society as a whole have been largely abandoned in practical terms, in favour of economic concerns (despite state assertions to the contrary, the prime goal in recent years appears to be financial rather than social). Limited positive effects of neo-conservative cultural policies and ideologies can be appreciated in some spheres. Caust argues that, in a society which is dominated by capitalist values (Caust, 2007, p.54), an economically successful artist will likely receive greater respect for their work, as well as more money. Furthermore, the market-driven, neo-conservative emphasis on the exportability of cultural product can have the positive effects of creating national pride and highlighting the value of cultural production to the wider world (ibid, p. 54). Monetarism Conclusions In recent times arts funding agencies have been restructured to reflect a market-driven agenda rather than an arts-driven agenda. (Caust, 2003, p. 51) Overall in the last thirty years, cultural policy in the UK has looked increasingly to capitalism, the free-market economy, and the so-called cultural and creative industries in terms of cultural policy direction. Models from the world of business and commerce have been applied over several decades to the cultural sector: managerialism; instrumentalism; monetarism; economic realism; performativity; and the overwhelming commodification of all kinds of culture. In implementing these policies, many of the more socially-just aims of prior generations of cultural policy-makers have been neglected or abandoned. In an era of increasing globalisation, successive UK governments of the past thirty years have pushed for cultural production, economic viability and profitability, and the creation of exportable cultural commodities for mass cultural consumption. Applying such concepts and organisational structures from private industry to the cultural sector has its drawbacks. Caust states that, when it comes down to dollars, the arts cannot in any way compete with many other components of the broad cultural industry spectrum such as the communications or IT areas. (Caust, 2007, p.55). Overall, the forces of neo-conservatism have not succeeded in making the UK cultural sector an economically productive and independently viable industry. In attempting to fit the arts and culture into a capitalist mould, UK cultural policy of the past thirty years has failed in many arenas cultural, social, economical, and political. Bibliography ACGB, records: 1928-1997. http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/wid/ead/acgb/acgbb.html (London: Victoria Albert Museum) Alexander and Rueschemeyer, 2005 _________________________________ Alexander, David (1978), A Policy for the Arts: Just Cut Taxes, (London: Selsdon Group, 1978) Amis, Kingsley (1979). An Arts Policy? ( London: Centre for Policy Studies, 1979). Barnes, T. (2001) Retheorizing economic geography: from the quantitative revolution to the cultural turn. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 91, 546-65. Pusey, Michael (1991).   Economic Rationalism in Canberra: A Nation Building State Changes its Mind. Cambridge University Press. Bennett, O (1995), Cultural Policy in the United Kingdom: Collapsing Rationales and the End of a Tradition, European Journal of Cultural Policy, Vol. 1, pp. 199-216 Bilton, Chris (____).   Cultures of Management: Cultural Policy, Cultural Management and Creative Organisations _______ Caust, Jo (2003).   Putting the Art back into Arts Policy Making: How Arts Policy has been Captured by the Economists and the Marketers, The International Journal of Cultural Policy, 2003 Vol. 9 (1), pp. 51-63 Cormack, Patrick ed., Right Turn ( London: Leo Cooper, 1978) Croft, Andy (1995) Betrayed Spring: The Labour Government and British Literary Culture, in Labours Promised Land? Culture and Society in Labour Britain, 1945-51, ed. Jim Fyrth (London: Lawrence Wishart, 1995) Elsom, John (1971), Theatre Outside London ( London: Macmillan, 1971) Fisher, Rod (2010) United Kingdom/ 1. Historical perspective: cultural policies and instruments, Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe, 11th edition, 2010. Council of Europe/ERICarts. Retrieved from http://www.culturalpolicies.net/web/unitedkingdom.php Fyrth, Jim (1995). Labours Promised Land? Culture and Society in Labour Britain, 1945-51, London: Lawrence Wishart Gray, C. (1995), The Commodification of Cultural Policy in Britain, pp. 307-15 in J. Lovenduski and J. Stanyer (eds), Contemporary Political Studies 1995 (Belfast, Political Studies Association) Gray, Clive (2007).   Instrumental Cultural Policies: Causes, Consequences and Museums, Paper to the Arts and Humanities Research Council Instrumental Museum and Gallery Policy Workshop, University of Glasgow, October 2007 Gray, Clive. (2000). The Politics of the Arts in Britain.   Palgrave Macmillan, UK. Haines, Joe (2003) Glimmers of Twilight. London, Politicos Publishers. Haney (2010). Britpop, Retrieved March 17, 2010 from http://uweb.cas.usf.edu/~dslone/pathfinders/haney.htm Harris, John S. (1969), Decision-Makers in Government Programs of Arts Patronage: The Arts Council of Great Britain, The Western Political Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 2 (Jun., 1969), pp. 253-264. Western Political Science Association, University of Utah Hennessy, P. and Seldon, A. (eds.) (1987) Ruling Performance: British Government from Attlee to Thatcher. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. Hewison, R. (1998), New Cultural Models for Old, International Journal of Cultural Policy, vol. 5(1), 99-107. Hull, Robin (1958). Subsidised Music: 1. Th