Takaki History

1. What surprised you or what did you learn as you read Takaki's piece? The laborer has no name. When they get into the island, they have a small brass disks with their identification numbers on it. Worker was called by number, but never by name 2. What were the conditions like for Hawaii's laborers? The laborers were brought to Hawaii as cheap labors. Their labor enables the planters to transform sugar production into Hawaii's leading industry. Low wage, long working hour. 3. What was the ethnic makeup of Hawaii's immigrant workers? How was this exploited by plantation owners? 923: Hawaiians and part-Hawaiians: 16. 3 %Caucasians 7. 7%Chinese 9. 2%Japanese 42. 7% Portuguese: 10. 6%Puerto Ricans: 2. 2%Filipinos: 8. 2% 4. What were some of the ways the plantation owners used to keep the workers â€Å"under control? † Were these attempts always successful? How did the workers respond or even counter some of those methods? Paternalism: Designed to pacify labor's unrest and served to maintain a racial and class hierarchy. Coercion: Punish the workers. control workers with authority. (fines, arrestment, physical punishment: whip) Occupational structure stratifying employment according to race.Supervisory: white, 1900, contract labor system still worked, under contract were bound by law to serve 3~5 yrs. Organic Act of 1900 abolished the contract labor system 1904, Hawaiian Sugar Planters restricted skill position. â€Å"exclude Asians. Were not white hence ineligible to become citizens† Establish central labor bureau to set wage rates. Utilized a multitiered wage system to pay different wage rates to different nationalities. Divide-and-control system Provide incentive for bonus system. Paid once a year (similar to the year-end bonus) President Theodore Roosevelt prohibit the passage of Japanese from Hawaii to the mainland.Fight back violentlycounterfeit couponspretend illness/workingresorted to opium and alcohol desertion from service Striking mainly by Japanese : Most important event of â€Å"blood unionism†: Japanese Strike of 1909, Portugese 22. 5 per month, japanese 18 A transformation from sojourners to settlers, from Japanese to Japanese American. They succeed. 1920 strike: 1909: Japanese has 70% of working force, 1920 Japanese: 44% Filipino: 30% – first major interethnic working-class unity. Head of Filipino union start the strike but the planters offered him a bribe and he called off the strike. Divide and control) The strike was not succeed. During 1920: the planter enlisted Hawaiians, Portuguese and koreans as strikebreakers. Japanese and Filipino have formed Hawaii Laborers' Association (multiethnic class) Housing Pattern: Pyramid and sewage system, managers, spanish, japanese and Filipino Divide and control: organization of camps into different nationalities After 1909: planters improve the conditions of camps (abandon barrack system to provide cottage) 5. What were some of the specific ways the workers t ried to deal with their hard labor and lifestyle? Be specific.Small bit of extravagance and a reminder of homeland (Japanese plants bonsai, gardenn and flower around their cottage) traditional hot baths, furos (tubs) resorted to opium and alcohol Sport (baseball) gambling (Chinese Japanese) Taxi-dance (Filipino) Religious activities: Christian and Buddhism (not only a spiritual requirement but also a broad need for ethnicity) National identities (festivals): Chinese new yearJapanese traditional festival of SoulsRizal Day Filipino Also food: Chinese (bao) Japanese (sashimi or sushi or tofu) Filipino abodo (stewed garlic pork), Korean Kimchi . What were some of the ways the workers assimilated into Hawaiian American culture and on the flip side, how did the different ethnic heritages and cultures of the workers become assimilated into Hawaiian society? Hawaiian dish Chinese-Hawaiian Parents Workers of different nationalities began to acquire a common language: pidgin English (combinat ion of Hawaiian, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese and other languages) 7. We will discuss the concept of the â€Å"model minority. † In the articles, do you see examples of the possible origins behind this concept?Model minority, also  overachieving minority  or  overrepresented minority  refers to a minority  ethnic,  racial, or  religious  group  whose members achieve a higher degree of  success  than the population  average. It is most commonly applied to ethnic minorities. This success is typically measured in income,  education. In the  United States, the term is associated with  Asian Americans, primarily Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Japanese, Korean Americans. 8. Throughout the course of the semester, we will be discussing in greater detail the idea of â€Å"the American Dream. Does Takaki's narrative of the Hawaiian laborers fit into the idealistic image of the American Dream? Why or why not? life should be better and richer and fuller for ev eryone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement† regardless of  social class  or circumstances of birth. I don't think the Hawaiian laborers completely fit into the idealistic image of the American dream, there are still discrimination in the working class. Most sojourners original plan is to make enough money and go back to their own countries for better life.They didn't actually arise their standard of living in Hawaii. However, Hawaii becomes their home. Different from the continent, racial divisions is less. and they constituted a majority of population (different from the mainland. ) Also, their children were having higher education at Hawaii. Children of immigrant workers learned about freedom and equality and they are looking for better occupation to work (in the article, photographer, engineers, businessman†¦.. etc)

Should welfare recipients receive drug testing?

Since welfare programs started in the 60s, a reoccurring pattern has been seen in more cases than one. Fraudulent activity and taking advantage of the system has been happening for way too long in our society. A simple drug test should be administered to welfare recipients if they expect to receive the benefits that are offered to them. If other citizens such as the ones in the working class are held accountable to be administered a drug screening, those who would like to receive government assistance should be held to the same standard.The abolition of the entitlement culture found in American society will ultimately benefit the Countries economy and character. While the concept of this practice is not to stereotype against the lower class, it should be seen as a mandatory evaluation to those who would like to continue benefitting from the government’s aid. The goal of drug testing welfare recipients is not to revoke their privileges, it is simply to reform the system of welf are and make sure that those who truly need assistance are having their needs met.I.) The controversy of how many welfare recipients tested for substance abuse has been proven to be skewed.A.) The American Civil Liberties Union (ALCU) finds that only 2.6 percent of welfare recipients in Florida study tested negative for substance abuse. The state of Florida drug tested 4,086 applicants. Only 108 individuals tested positive, however, it is obvious that many recipients delay application due to the fact that they know they will have their benefits stripped because of the positive results. (Bragdon) 1.) As a result of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) act, recipients would be required to pay out of pocket to be administered a urinalysis, and would be reimbursed if passed, further backing up the idea of skewed evidence as recipients would be much more likely to not spend their own money on a test that they would be sure to fail.With almost $58,000 spent reimbursing drug test fees and total savings from drug-related denials at $1.8 million, the drug test requirement is saving Florida taxpayers $30.64 for every $1 spent. 2.) The U.S  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services appointed a national survey in 2009, concluding that 8.7 percent of the population over the age of 12 proves to use illicit drugs. With such a prominent amount of the population being related to the abuse of various substances, it can be very well concluded that the reason for such a miniscule amount of recipients failing the administered tests is due to the fact that many of the users did not in fact, take the test at all.3.) The results of the ACLU study fail to investigate how many of the tested welfare recipients that passed the drug testing would have tested positive on other controlled substances such as prescription pills that many defend to be a â€Å"false positive†. According to a study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 48.5% of Ameri cans take at least one form of prescription drug, and a similar study, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health concluded that at least an estimated 2.4 million Americans abuse prescription pills daily. Also, of public assistance recipients treated for substance abuse in 2008, the most common primary substance of abuse was alcohol (37 percent of those treated). (Bragdon) II.) Drug testing welfare recipients is classified as â€Å"Unconstitutional†A.) The Supreme Court’s â€Å"Special Needs Doctrine† can be used to classify the act of requiring welfare recipients to pass a scheduled or random drug testing as constitutional (NCSL) 1.) The doctrine of unconstitutional conditions requires a different analysis under which conditioning welfare on consent to testing may very well be a constitutional condition, the eleventh circuit panel has done much research to prove this theory. (Wurman) 2.) The â€Å"Germaneness† of a bill of legislature is simply the perti nence of the issue. This can be directly correlated to the issue of whether or not a recipient is compliant when asked to be administered a drug test.(NCSL)3.) In 1981, Lyng v. International Union, took place in court due to the Food Stamp Act that stated, â€Å"No household shall become eligible to participate in the food stamp program during the time that any member of the household is on strike or shall increase the allotment of food stamps that it was receiving already because the income of the striking member has decreased.† Despite the going on strike being a right in the first amendment, the Court  held that the law did not have a â€Å"substantial impact on any fundamental interest† and that citizens participating in striking were directly affecting their ability to make an income, much like drug abuse does.Therefore, leaving loop holes in the defense that drug testing welfare recipients would be infringing upon their fourth amendment. 4.) When this issue was appointed to a panel of judges, they summarized a quote from case of Dolan v. City of Tigard, basically stating that when the benefit does have a relationship to the right, the government may, perhaps, withhold the benefit. Meaning that assistance is not a humane right, rather a benefit that is offered by the government, allowing them to deny access to the benefit, if need be. If recipients cannot pass the administered drug test, their rights are not being infringed upon, due to the fact that welfare benefits are not a constitutional right themselves. B.) Most positions in the working class require a drug test to be administered.1.) Both working class jobs, private sector jobs and welfare recipients are receiving money from the government, the only difference is that two are working for that money, while the other is getting assistance provided to them from the tax payers. The most recognizable claim against requiring welfare recipients to pass a drug test is discrimination against the poor. However, in many (not all) jobs, in order to apply for certain positions, a drug test is administered, although that is hardly ever looked at as unconstitutional when corporate leaders are held accountable for their actions when accepting public funds. It is only fair that citizens relying on assistance from the government and society should be held to the same standard of others when receiving help that they couldn’t acquire on their own. (Wurman)C.) War on Drugs1.) While the war on drugs is to be seen as constitutional by many uneducated people, despite millions of tax payer dollars going to waste to fund wars, a simple drug test to prevent the never ending circle of taking advantage of tax paying citizens is seen as unconstitutional due to the fact that the profit of the war on drugs is much greater than the monitoring of welfare spending.2.) In 1980 50,000 people were in custody for drug related offences, many of them minor charges. While arresting masses of pe ople, at  the expense of yet again, tax payers, is constitutional, the monitoring of welfare is such a minor issue in comparison, when these citizens are being assisted, with only the request to comply to a simple test to prove that government money isn’t funding a drug addiction. (cdc gov)3.) While for obvious reasons, recreational drug use is illegal, and remains to be one of the biggest, money and time consuming issues in our society. It is an extreme contradiction to agree that drugs should be illegal, but to think that welfare recipients should not have to be tested to receive government benefits. This issue directly relates to the issue of Germaneness stated earlier. There is obviously a prominent reason to administer recipient’s drug tests when they are receiving aid from society, correlating drug users productivity toIII.) Tax payer money saved due to the abolition of improper use of government fundsA.) Welfare should be seen as a temporary aid used to help u sers get back on their feet in times of struggle, not a life style choice.1.) It is undoubtedly certain that not only with this issue, but anything, corruption and abuse occur. Often times welfare is looked at as more of a tool to purchase unnecessary items such as cigarettes, and recreational drugs. While that is not the case with all recipients, it is often abused. Compared to the benefits welfare provides, a simple drug test seems detrimental to make into a burden, especially when many states supply reimbursement to recipients who pass the drug test. It is often questioned why someone who is getting assistance would be so concerned with taking a drug test, if they weren’t in fact doing drugs.2.) In 35 states welfare recipients receive more than minimum wage, in 13 states recipients receive more than $15 an hour. Annually there is around 1.3 trillion federal tax dollars invested into welfare. In Mississippi a non-working recipient can receive as much as $16,984 in benefits, even more shockingly, in the District of Columbia one can receive as much as $43,099. One would be naà ¯ve to say that when faced with the choice of working hard for that kind of money, or receiving a handout, that the average citizen would choose to work. The only way to decrease the level of dependence often found in the welfare system is to  make work requirements stricter and to require random drug screenings to monitor fraudulent activity within the industry.3.) To prevent receiving benefits from becoming not only a mindset, but a lifestyle, welfare recipients should be required to do a number of community service hours if they are not currently working while being assisted. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is a very self-explanatory foundation, they offer grants to families that need temporary help and advocate employment while receiving benefits. The Government must do all that they can to prevent welfare from becoming a mindset, but more of what its intention was to be, a tool used for citizens to get back on their feet when they have failed to reach their potential.B.) Money from denied drug tests will be reimbursed back into the state1.) Around 1.8 million dollars will be saved from unlawful uses of welfare benefits. This not only forces failed recipients to provide and work for themselves, which will eventually lead them to stop relying on welfare until they truly need it, but it allows truthful recipients to be granted all the benefits that welfare has to offer them, without the criticism from tax payers due to the reputation that welfare has received due to the fraudulent behavior that has been failed to be recognized by necessary drug screenings. (Bragdon)2.) On average, a welfare recipient costs the state $134 in monthly benefits, which the rejected applicants won't get, saving the state around $2,680-$3,350 per month, which will in turn be put into important factors in the economic cycle. (Bragdon) C.) Drug tests as an incentive to end drug abuse1.) Having to pass a random drug test could prove to be served as an incentive to welfare recipients to terminate masses of drug abuse issues.2.) Government assistance is something that should only be used when needed, if a recipient truly needs the benefits of welfare, they will recognize that a drug test should be administered in order for them to acquire the help that is being offered. Many may look at this prospect as being a guideline to keep them away from drugs, and use the money they are being given for necessities until they no longer need it, and become successful members of the working class, which will give new applicants the chance to receive benefits that they truly deserve.3.) Recipients who fail drug tests and have their benefits suspended for a certain amount of time will be more than  likely to endure and learn from their struggle, making them much more likely to stay away from drug abuse.4.) With the saved money from denied welfare benefits, tax payer’s earnings can be used to uphold much better state run rehabilitation facilities, which in turn can aid the relation between drug abuse and welfare benefits.IV.) The war on poverty and its effect on AmericaA.) The war on poverty was a legislature enacted by President Lyndon B. Johnson, in response to the poverty rate being around 19 percent. Johnson voiced the war on poverty in his first State of the Union Address. 1.) The goal of the war on poverty was to completely abolish poverty by funding programs that aided the poor during the 60s. This eventually created Medicaid and Medicare. What this program did was create the roots of today’s welfare system, and realistically stagger the work ethic of America.The reason that the War on Poverty faces such criticisms is because it was enacted during a time period when the poverty line had just risen, rather than fallen, leading critics to believe that it was only delivered to pass welfare programs. The start of these pr ograms triggered the growth of our government and the people’s dependency on it, allowing the government to be even more controlling. B.) What the war on poverty ultimately did1.) Due to the surplus of attention paid to black Americans during this time, it is said to have been the cause of the popular idea of the white Americans footing the bill for African Americans. Whites during this time thought of the Great society programs as handouts for minorities that didn’t deserve their hard earned money. This attitude is reflected into today’s society as well.2.) Since the war on poverty, welfare has grown a whopping 19% in the past decade which is more than it has in history. Since the start of the War on Poverty, the government has spent around $19.8 trillion dollars in welfare programs, which is more than all three wars combined. Since 1969 around 2 million people collected food stamps, whereas around 47 million people do today. Since the start of welfare programs , fraudulent activity has played a large role in the system.There always has been welfare recipients that take advantage of the benefits given to them, however, if  they were drug tested and what they were spending tax payers money on was monitored, the effects of the War on Poverty could eventually be reversed and the spirit and worth ethic that was established in America will be in place again one day. A simple drug test is a small request in turn for the generous benefits that are received by millions of recipients daily. In order for our economy to thrive like it once did, there needs to be a strict monitoring on welfare program spending to not only better our economy, but the citizens in it. With less people taking advantage of the welfare system due to positive drug tests, the only people that would be benefiting from the system are the ones that truly need it.V.) The Entitlement culture in America A.) Entitlement vs. Entrepreneurship1.) The most notable quality in the chara cter of America is the Countries ability to breed innovative minds that benefit the economy. For as long as America has been around, the core of society has been centered around entrepreneurship. With all of the advancements made from entrepreneurs, the misspending of government funds is only taking back a step in society that entrepreneurship took. There are many factors that could effect this, but the main component that strips America of its sense of work ethic is the welfare system. By saying this, it does not mean that there aren’t thousands of families truly in need of government assistance, it is stating that the society of many welfare recipients have made themselves comfortable with not trying to better their economic well being.

Marketing Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Analysis - Essay Example The high portaging prices, and bureaucracies imposed by sale of bionic products is based on the high production costs and minimized vendor efficiency. The economic policies promote competition through influencing positive performance of sales in artificial limbs. The bionic limb products have extensive sales in the country based on the expected turns of lower annual performance and differences in economic aspects. Primarily, the connection bases its application on global financial crisis that affects most countries’ financial statuses. The governments of such countries predict slow economic growth of their GDP leading to reduced levels of incomes. The implosion on customers’ buying behavior is reduced purchases and solicitation of alternative forms of therapy (Baines & Fill, 2014, p 74). The component is a significant implication of the consideration of bionic components used in making life easier for the users’ lives (Baines & Fill, 2014, p 47). The growth in global population includes various elements of influences within the bionic limb industry. There is an increasing ratio of bionic devices in use through higher levels of patients. The competition increment allows for developments in technology and growth in influence of financial positions for each element of the market. The application of technology offers a viable approach to embracing diversity based on manufacturing’s maturity and capacity (Baines & Fill, 2014, p 23). This concept impacts differently on various levels of innovation in the company. Diversification of technologies allows for increased innovation, interaction, integration, and development potential. The increase in healthcare expenditure coupled with the emergence of extra healthcare facilities the emerging economies to provide more growth opportunities among markets for medical bionic implants. The customers

Race Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Race - Essay Example Though inequalities still exists, it doesn’t mean that there shouldn’t be any racial categorization. In the present world scenario utmost importance is given to human rights. Under United Nations resolution human rights to every citizen of every country should be considered as an important factor. It’s every country’s responsibility to protect its citizen’s basic human rights. Human rights violation should be considered as a serious offence, legal and appropriate action should be taken against those who violate these rights Assessing student’s abilities and disabilities is the major factor and teachers should strive to identify these issues. By identifying their strengths and weaknesses one can easily work on these issues. Self-confidence plays an important role in everyone’s lives. It is the deciding factor that decides a winner and a loser. In US the Blacks are the largest immigrants. They migrated from the far lands of the black continent Africa. In the past, since these countries were not as developed as US and their socio-economic structure was on decline, many of the citizens were forced to work as slaves and have to migrate to US. In US, Black immigrants have less education and less skill set, even among Black women also. Apart from other groups these Blacks have less human capital, so they have very less employers in their group and it is indirectly affecting their economic status and social environment also. Gender inequality was always prevailed among the Blacks. Since they were not the major community and further more they were immigrants, they had to face the brunt of racial abuse. One of the reasons of racial abuse was, fear among the US citizens was losing the jobs to these immigrants. Since the Blacks were ready to work for fewer wages there always lies the danger of losing jobs. Most of the Blacks were more or less unskilled or semi-skilled. This makes them of

Ginevra de Benci by Leonardo da Vinci Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ginevra de Benci by Leonardo da Vinci - Essay Example The medium used for painting the piece is oil on wood measuring 42.7 by 37 cm (National Gallery of Art, 2015). The female portrait is Ginevra de’ Benci, a 17 years old who during her era is an intellectual. The background of the painting depicts the ‘leonardesque’ style of trees, mountains, and hazy sky with a dreamlike atmosphere. The artist did the effect of hazy sky through an overlay of oil glazes, hence creating a thin curtain of mist. On the portrait’s reverse side, is a design of a chaplet palm and laurel, which encircles a juniper spring with an inscription of Beauty Adorns Virtue in English but it is in Latin, Virtutem Forma Decorat (National Gallery of Art (2015). The juniper could have meant chastity while the palm represented moral virtue of Ginevra. The portrait depicts a female figure with a marble-like skin while the hair is styled in ringlets putting a face that portrays a sulky and proud facial expression. This could be illustrating that Gi nevra might not have been happy with the upcoming marriage. The portrait has been argued by historians to have been commissioned as an engagement portrait for celebrating her marriage. According to National Gallery of Art, it was commissioned by Bembo, a friend of Ginevra, for celebrating the occasion of her marriage as well as a substitute for the object of his admiration and esteem (2015). Human values are depicted in the painting in the approaching marriage of Ginevra to Niccolini. Human values are standards, principles.

Entrepreneurship&Change Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Entrepreneurship&Change Assignment - Essay Example There is need for entrepreneurship therefore to accept this change management considering that it has been a field that is significantly growing over the years. Flexibility therefore is fundamental to put up with this change. Entrepreneurs are individuals who are involved in innovation and creation of new ideas and therefore need to be in line with the current states in order to attain success in their innovation. The only way that they can be in line with the current state is by accepting to adopt change management. Flexibility will allow them to be able to leave behind the ideas that are not successful and adopt new ones that are more consistent with the present conditions and operations (Charantimath 2006). Accepting change management is an important step in achieving success in entrepreneurship. One of the reasons why change management should be accepted in entrepreneurship is because it increases the need for entrepreneurs to explore new opportunities. Entrepreneurship is a field that involves creation of new ideas and considering the changes that occur in the global world, there is need for entrepreneurs to accept change in order to be able to put up with the changing business environment. According to Charantimath (2006), change management will require the entrepreneurs to be flexible enough therefore for them to be able to analyze new opportunities that the global changes expose them to. Change management is crucial to helping the entrepreneurs to discover the opportunities that the global changes expose to them. The ability to explore new opportunities is therefore an indication of successful entrepreneurship. Another reason why accepting change leads to successful entrepreneursh ip is that change management results to success in dealing with harsh competition at the local as well as global levels. This competition can be attributed to globalisation, which results to change in the business environment exposing the business organisations harsh conditions

Morals and Ethics in Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Morals and Ethics in Organisations - Essay Example So, the system actually discourages proper ethics in business. Further complications are found in the hierarchical structure of businesses, the availability of corporate deniability and the tendency for corporation members to conform to established behaviour. Even if we could establish a flawless definition for ethical behaviour, and create a useful method for measurement, some way to harmonize business needs and ethical needs would have to be developed, and the rules would have to be agreed upon by all those in power. Perhaps the most practical method for encouraging ethical behaviour by organizations would be to make everything transparent. It was posed that the ,†The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits†, in Contemporary Moral Problems, (White 2000 233-238) but this attitude is becoming less and less popular as corporations are being held accountable for their actions. In times past the damage done by business was more localized and much less wi dely known. In today’s world mass media spreads the knowledge of wrongdoing like a brushfire. More than this, the damage, as in the housing crisis in the US, can impact business and government globally. Not only were the companies involved behaving unethically, but their bonus systems promoted such behaviour, since sales increased bonuses without regard to whether or not the buyer was able to pay. When too many were unable to pay, the US government guarantor organizations, Fanny May and Freddie Mac, were unable to cope with the volume. They had to be rescued by a government emergency program, and the effects were not localized at all, but were felt around the world (Gjerstad and Smith 2013, 437). The resulting US recession had echoes in all the major markets, including China, the UK, and the EU (Holt and Greenwood 2012, 363). The resulting foreclosures in the US damaged local neighbourhoods, depressed prices and increased crime (RW.ERROR - Unable to find reference:10926). Une mployment rose, causing more people to be unable to pay their mortgages and able buyers decreased further. Growth in housing markets around the world ended abruptly following the US crisis and global markets were profoundly negatively impacted (Scanlon, Lunde, and Whitehead 2011, 23). Because people around the world are so interconnected now and global markets and political and economic ties between nations are massive and deep, and all of these react almost instantly to each other, it has become critically important that organizations should behave ethically, both for their own good and that of the people of the world. Historically, business has not been very moral and management was based solely upon profit and rewarded by that standard, making it actually counterproductive individually for managers to behave ethically (Scott 2002, 33). Even if organizations continue to view ethics as being based upon what is good for the corporation, it is shown now that the corporate good is muc h more closely tied to the good of the whole range of stakeholders (Donaldson & Freeman 1994; Calton & Lad 1995). More transparency might be the way to develop ethical businesses without resorting to laws or prohibitions. If it affects the bottom line businesses will make change. All stakeholders should be involved, as each group has a different agenda and the bottom line is not

Supporting Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Supporting Activity - Essay Example th the influx of computer hackers in the market, that information is no longer as safe as earlier thought of and hence it is important to protect it from hackers who sell it to competitor organizations. Confidentiality is also another reason for increasing the security of the information especially from clients (whether high ranking, celebrities or just the local citizen). Unauthorized access to information especially concerning records of medical health or financial records can damage the credibility of the organization and even tarnish the name of the owner and especially if the information is accessed by the wrong people. One of the basic elements is passwords to protect the information. The key to making this effective is in the strength of that password and ensuring that it cannot be easily cracked or hacked into. There is also encryption of most important or sensitive information in the organization. The information is kept in codes whose decryption key lies with the top management or clients of the organization who are the owners of the information (Wilshusen, 2011). There are also asset tracking software and devices that keep track of all the information and where it goes and if it falls to the wrong hands, alarm is raised and hence shut down is necessitated. There are also authentication systems which ensure that only authorized personnel access information and the information is protected from malware like viruses and scam

Most important change issues facing health care organizations Essay

Most important change issues facing health care organizations - Essay Example These health care issues must be strategically managed through helping employees establish relationships and systems that can address their social, technical, and financial dimensions. Changing client characteristics affect healthcare provision because these differences have implications on their perceptions of health care, as well as their beliefs, values, practices, and access to health care, that affect their different uses of health care services. Demographics are significant drivers of the size and characteristics of the future health workforce, while demographic trends have deep implications for the future of the health care industry. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, together with other health care institutions, presented their 2003 report, Changing Demographics: Implications for Physicians, Nurses, and Other Health Workers. The report provided the following main findings: 1) the aging is increasing in number, which affect their demand for health care services that are specific to their needs and concerns; 2) a high population of aging citizens increases the burden on the health care system because they will be dependent on Medicare and Medi caid programs; 3) increase in population among minorities signifies increase in health care services demand, while their racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious differences can shape their use of health care services; 4) though more and more people are living in urban areas, many citizens still live in rural areas where nurses and physicians are in shortage; and 5) a great number of minority groups are living in poor or low-income communities where there are also shortage of health care staff and services (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services i-iii). In essence, the demographic trends mean that the clients have changing characteristics because of the racially and ethnically diverse patient population, as well as the growth of aging citizens.

The Musical Culture of the Country of Burundi Essay Example for Free

The Musical Culture of the Country of Burundi Essay Every nation has its own culture and traditions which has been practiced by the people for many decades or centuries. Most of the cultural practices of a nation are usually passed down to the next generation. Although they are altered to fit the current generation, some parts of the culture remain intact and do not change; they are the same practices done in the past. The same is true with the cultural practices of Burundi. Amidst the various wars and conflict taking place in the country of Burundi, its culture is still upheld by those living in the rural areas. Their traditions are still largely celebrated and practiced by the people. Through the years, the world has seen Burundi as a place filled with violence and conflict. There are times when the news coming from Burundi only involves violence and improper actions of the rebels against the government and vice versa. In addition, mass killings are known to have affected many regions of the country, therefore lessening the chances for recreational activities, education, and other cultural practices to be upheld. Various refuge camps and displaced people have also been distressed by such conflicts. External Influences to the Burundian Culture Historical accounts of Burundi reveal that the country was colonized by various European nations. King Mwezi IV, the ruling leader during the 19th century, feared that his kingdom will be captured by one of the conflicting tribes in Burundi, the Tutsis. Due the King’s fear, he secured the support of Germany to protect his kingdom, instantly turning Burundi into a German colony. After a few years, the German colonizers passed the responsibility to a new European state: Belgium (Institute for Security Studies [ISS], 2005). Hence, these countries were able to influence and engrave their own norms, traditions, and beliefs on Burundians which were incorporated into the cultural practices of Burundi. Music as a Large Part of the Burundian Culture Burundians are people who enjoy arts and music. Music has been a huge part of their lives which could be observed in various types of traditional gatherings and the songs sung in these gatherings. One of these is family gatherings where â€Å"imvyino† songs are performed. Imviyino songs were known to have short refrain which has a strong beat. Such songs often incorporate spontaneous verses which are sung together with the strong beats of the music. On the other hand, â€Å"imdirimbo† song is a more downcast and serious type of music which is sung by a small group of individuals or a solo singer. â€Å"Kwishongora† is another type of song from the traditional music of Burundi that is sung only by men. It is a rhythmic song which is integrated with trills and shouts. For the females, there is also a certain type of song made for them, and it is called the â€Å"bilito† in which is a sentimental form of music (Stanford, 2007), One of the strongest characteristics of Burundi music is the â€Å"whispered singing. † This is expressed by the performer in a low or soft pitch, for it requires the musical accompaniment to be heard clearly (Stanford, 2007). Burundian Musical Instruments Most of the traditional songs of Burundi are played with specific instruments such as â€Å"inanga,† â€Å"idono,† â€Å"ikihusehama,† and â€Å"ikimbe. † The inanga is an instrument composed of six (6) to eight (8) strings which are stretched out in a wooden concave bowl. The idono is known to be the fiddle which is composed only of a single string. The ikihusehama is a musical instrument which is similar to a clarinet woodwind. Lastly, the ikimbe is the linguaphone version of the Burundians. However, the most important musical instrument used by the Burundians is the drums which is considered as a symbol of status and power (Stanford, 2007). Drums are known to be the most significant instruments in the country of Burundi. In the ancient times, drums were not only seen as a plain instrument but a sacred object which was only used for ceremonial events. The beat is one of the most essential elements of the Burundian drums. Certain drum beats are applied depending on the type of event being held, from funerals to enthronement. The beat of the drums is also the main signal that proclaims the start of the agricultural season as well as the propagation of the Soughum seeds which is an important agricultural amenity for the country (Heavenly Planet, 2008). The drums are not only significant to the events, but they are also deeply connected to nature. This strong relationship of drums and nature is evident in parts of the drum, as their names are related to fertility: â€Å"Icahi: the skin (the skin in which the mother rocks her baby); Amabere: the pegs (the breasts); Urugori: the thong stretching the skin (crown of motherhood); inda: the cylinder (the stomach); umukondo: the foot of the drum (the umbilical cord)† (Heavenly Planet, 2008, n. p. ) Royal Drummers of Burundi The Royal Drummers of Burundi is the most acknowledged performers in Burundi. The group is composed of twenty (20) individuals who perform in the most important Burundian ceremonies. Accordingly, due to the significance of the group, they also perform in various celebrations such as funerals, births, coronations, and christenings within the country. This prestigious drum group is known to also perform in various parts of the world. In addition, the Royal Drummers of Burundi is recognized as one of the most acclaimed percussion groups in the world (Smith, 2009). The group is known to be a multigenerational band; therefore, sons are taught by their fathers the art and the significance of performance and playing drums. Most of the time, different drummers switch places in order for them to have a short rest and create a constant flow of music that only stops during the end of the whole program. In addition to drumming, most of the band members are also dancers. The group performs the dances during the opening of the programs (Smith, 2009). Africatravelling. net (2000) commends the performances of the Royal Drummers of Burundi: â€Å"The Drummers of Burundi had the most captivating presence of all the acts at the festival Every moment, every wail from the players fit into the trance impact of the drummers† (n. p. ). The Royal Drummers of Burundi are known to have specific drums that they use to create a specific sound of the drums. One of the types of drums that they use is the â€Å"Ngoma† drums which are â€Å"hollowed out from the trunk of a particular tree called D’umuvugangoma (Corda Africana)† (Heavenly Planet, 2008, n. p. ). Reflection on the Music of Burundi As I have researched in various internet resources, I found out that the Burundi musical culture is not widely known to the world. There are only few resources available for those who are interested in their traditional music. Most books and articles are about the topics of human rights violations, genocides, and war in Burundi. Thus, this suggests the richness of the Burundian culture is often ignored. With the research that I have done, I realized that a single instrument could be a source of power and status. In addition, such instruments could also be a signifier of various events and elements of nature. Due to the conflicts and hostility in the state of Burundi, the international community does not pay significant attention to the rich cultural aspect of this country. However, with the ensemble of Royal Drummers of Burundi, one can say that the rich culture of this African nation lives despite all atrocities. References Africatravelling. net (2000). Bujumbura-Culture. Retrieved February 11, 2009 from http://www. africatravelling. net/burundi/bujumbura/bujumbura_culture. htm. Heavenly Planet. (2008). â€Å"Music That Inspires. † Retrieved February 11, 2009 from http://www. heavenlyplanet. com/featured/dob. html. Institute for Security Studies. (2005). Political System and History. Retrieved February 11 2009 from http://www. iss. co. za/af/profiles/burundi/politics. html. Smith, S. E. (2009). Who are the Royal Drummers of Burundi?. Wise Geek. Retrieved February 11, 2009 from http://www. wisegeek. com/who-are-the-royal-drummers-of-burundi. htm. Stanford, E. (2007). Culture of Burundi. Countries and Their Cultures. Retrieved February 11, 2009 from http://www. everyculture. com/Bo-Co/Burundi. html.

The National Curriculum In Primary Schools

The National Curriculum In Primary Schools The aim of this assignment is to discuss the trends policy that took place in primary education from 1988 and 1997. The assignment will start with examining the rationale behind the changes introduced in those years. Then it will look at the changes themselves. The last section will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of those changes. It should be mentioned from the outset that I will not be mentioning reforms related to secondary and higher education, even though they came at the same time as the Primary schools. The term educational provision refers to the use of the equipment or tools with the intention of providing knowledge and skills, and includes things such as such as, classroom, textbook, chairs, pens/pencils and many more for students. Education is about the process of learning where knowledge, skills and information is transmitted. Yero (2002) believes that education is a procedure of improving the students or pupils knowledge, skills and character. So education can help to reduce inequality in society. In the United Kingdom, this concept of eliminating inequality was at the base of changes in education policy. Prior to 1988, education in the United Kingdom was completely different. The decision of the curriculum contents was in the hands of schools, with religious education being the only subject which was compulsory. This means that pupils had different attainment levels due to following different programmes. Education was ruled by the 1944 Education Act which handed the administration of schools and the formulation of school policies to local authorities; the only exception being Section 1 where control and direction of education were given to the Secretary of State. In fact, in the 1944 Education Act, the role of the Department of Education and Science was simply promotional and not one of giving direction, which means they could not supervise local authorities policies. This Act also fixed the age of leaving school at 15 and instituted free secondary education for all pupils. However it was noticed that the standard attained in basic skills by the UK population was low and poor compared to other European countries, and this could not satisfy the country national economic needs (Department of Education, 2011). To solve the problem raised by the falling standard, the Conservative Government came with the 1988 Education Act, sometimes referred to as the Kennet Baker reform which instituted a standardisation of all school programmes, and brought four main changes with a view to bringing back the level (Young, 2008). The first change was the introduction of the National Curriculum, which defines four Key Stages, moving from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 4. In primary schools, two Key Stages, 1 and 2 were identified: Key Stage 1 for Year 1 and 2 up to age 7; Key Stage 2 for Years 3 to 6, meaning age 7 to age 11. Later on, a Foundation Stage which concerns children aged 3 up to reception year was introduced. The National Curriculum came with a new terminology related to two types of school subjects, core subjects and Foundation subjects. In Primary schools, that is Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, the curriculum consists of the following subjects: English, Maths, science, information and communication technology (ICT), history, geography, art and design, music, design and technology (DT) and Physical Education. This was supplemented by the literacy and numeracy reforms in the 1990s taught everyday to improve children standard in those skills. Another change in the curriculum was the introduction foreign languages for children aged 7. This curriculum was later reconsidered for improvement. One advantage of National Curriculum is that all children in England and Wales have the same education programmes, and this makes comparison of levels easier and the transfer of children from one school to another is made easy. Actually the national Curriculum contains all the topics to be taught, in terms of knowledge, skills and expectations at the end of each key stage; it also determines how assessment has to proceed. The second change had to do with assessment of pupils. Here national standard tests such as SATs at age 11 (Standard Assessment tasks, and later Standard Attainment Tasks) were put in place, not only to assess whether they are up to the national standard expected, but also to put strategies in place to ensure improvement in those children learning. This led to the National Curriculum Council (NCC) as an advisory service to the secretary of State in matters related to the curriculum, and the School Examinations and Assessment Council (SEAC) in charge of assessments. The third change affected the administration of schools. As mentioned above, prior to 1988, Education administration was handled by local authorities. In London, for example it was in the hands of the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA), which was created in 1965, while outer London schools were directed by county councils and borough councils. The Education Reform Act of 1988 gave power to schools to opt out of local authority control and be funded by central government, so that schools could manage their own finances. The Local management of Schools meant that the role of head teachers included budget management as well (Powell and Edwards, 2003). This was the beginning of Grant maintained schools, which were later replaced by foundation schools. This led to the abolition of the Local Education Authority. The forth change concerned the creation of a league table where people could go and compare the performance of different schools. It was hoped that such a table would push schools to compete, and therefore provide better education to children. In 1993, another education act came into place. It aimed at increasing the number of Grant Maintained Schools; it replaced the NCC and SEAC with School Curriculum and Assessment Authority so that the curriculum content could be controlled by the government; more power was given to headteacher in their exclusion decisions of unruly pupils; changes were introduced for pupils with special educational needs; and the establishment of referral units. An inspection body called Ofsted came into existence to inspect schools in LEAS. Finally the SCAA and NCVQ formed the QCA. In 1997, the Labour Government introduced another reform. The Government introduced specialist schools such as Business, Sport schools so as to diversify education and the types of schools. So doing parents could have a variety of choices to make for their children. Failing schools were reopened under academies administered by churches or businesses. In deprived areas, the Government created Education Action zone in order to help improve education standard in those areas. Parents were given power and a voice to decide on the choice of schools for their children; they were given power to be represented in the school governing body. Further, a system of exam league table was introduced where parents could easily spot schools that are doing well, and those falling behind. Be it as it may, parents had the duty to ensure that their children attend schools. School funding was linked to the number of pupils a school had in its roll. The implication was that schools had to compete to improve their performance so as to attract parents and their children, and thus good funding as well. This is termed the market reform introduced by Conservative governments in the 1980s and 1990s, where schools were seen as a service and the parents and children as the clients. As a matter fact, education should provide valued forms of knowledge and equip children for life (James and Pollard, 2012) In the 1997 White Paper, Excellence in Schools, the rights of parents to information were extended including sending them the child progress annual report, their part in the inspection process, annual meeting, allowing them to have access to the childs school record. Schools were further obliged to publish an annual report about their management and a prospectus. Teachers were also given power to restrain pupils By so, doing the government, say the Department of Education gained new power, because they are in charge of the school curriculum, not the local authorities any more, the types of tests to administer to pupils, the types of qualifications to be awarded, the funding to give to schools, the nomination of members of the National Curriculum Council to plan the curriculum. The approval of schools that want to opt out, the change of school status is given by the State Secretary, even though the involvement of parents should be sought for. He has the administration of grants. The role of head teachers also changed as they became budget managers as well. The question one might ask at this point is to know whether those reforms were successful. Two views can be expressed here. On the one hand, the introduction of the national Curriculum should be appreciated, because it helps to have children expected to have the same knowledge and skills. The tests would help schools to work hard to improve their results, and research has revealed that more people are now going to university. The league table gives a better view to parents as to which school is doing better, so make an informed choice of schools for their children. On the other hand, it would appear that testing is not good enough to assess the performance of schools, and learning should not be limited to passing tests. With the league table, teaching has turned into preparing pupils to pass exams, and not a preparation for life. The league table has also been criticised as it ignores some areas such as Art and sport. Further, the league tables make some schools more popular than oth ers, and this raises difficulties for some parents to get a school of their choice for their children. Ball (2006) examined the concepts of markets in the context of education only to find that more needs to be discussed, and that such concepts as competition, supply and demand, producer and consumer behaviour, privatisation and commodification, values and ethics and distributional outcomes should be addresses as there is a paucity of research in this field. In Primary schools, teachers complained of the increased workload imposed by the National Curriculum, especially at the end of Key Stage 2 with the preparation of SATs, and this lead to Dearing Report which brought the load down by 20% (Alexander, 2012). The system of inspection also came into fire by various teachers unions who find the Ofsted as a problem, not a solution. Another problem concerned the introduction of foreign language teaching at age 7. This raised problems in a country such as the United kingdom where secondary schools teach various languages, French, German, Spanish. So a child could learn one language in primary school and have a different language in secondary schools. This means there will be no continuity as noted by the Guardian (2012). The structure of Key Stage 2 has also been criticized as it takes four years which the Framework for the National Curriculum found too long (DE, 2011). To conclude, it can be said that there have been one main Education reform Act, the 1988, and many education acts from 1988 to 1997. The changes in educational policies in those reforms can be regrouped in three categories: changes to do with centralisation, as education moved from local authorities to the government with the introduction of the National Curriculum; assessment by outcomes with the use of national assessment and the establishment of league-tables to compare the performance of different schools, and the quasi-market reform where schools are the manufacturers and children and their parents as consumers who have choices to make between different schools. In primary schools, the reforms could be noticed with the introduction of Key Stages 1 and 2, the national Curriculum with Maths, English and science as core subjects, while others were considered as foundations and religious study as statutory, the introduction of SATs and the literacy and numeracy strategies.

An Analysis of Two Scenes in F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby Es

An Analysis of Two Scenes in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Juxtaposing two scenes in a narrative allows them to be easily compared and contrasted.   In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, two such scenes require specific attention.   The impromptu party that is thrown by Tom Buchanan and his mistress, Myrtle Wilson, followed immediately by Jay Gatsby's party at his house, call for the attention of the reader because of the implications of these contiguous scenes.   The result of analyzing the two scenes is that one can infer certain qualities of each man's character.   By paying specific detail to the dà ©cor of the parties, the respect that each character commands from people at their parties, the guests who arrive at the parties, and the overall purpose of hosting the party, one can deduce that Tom and Gatsby are polar opposites. The first element of the parties that should be examined is the dà ©cor of Myrtle Wilson's apartment compared to that of Gatsby's house.   In the first line describing the apartment, the narrator, Nick Carraway, informs the reader of the lack of comfort in the apartment and the ensuing awkwardness of the setting: "The apartment was on the top floor - a small living room, a small dining room, a small bedroom and a bath" (33).   Nick's description makes it amazingly clear to the reader how unhappy and unpleasant the situation was, not only for himself, but for Tom and Myrtle, as well as the other guests in attendance, Catherine, Myrtle's sister, and the McKees, neighbors who live in the same building.   One can imagine the walls virtually closing in because of the overcrowding furniture, the overpowering size and strength of Tom and his ego, and the oversized picture of Myrtle's ... ...orks Cited and Consulted    Allen, Joan. "The Great Gatsby" and Modern Times. Urbana: U of Illinois P, 1994.    deKoster, Katie, ed. Readings on "The Great Gatsby." San Diego: Greenhaven, 1998.    Higgins, John A. F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Study of the Stories. New York: St. John's UP, 1971.    Hindus, Milton. F. Scott Fitzgerald: An Introduction and Interpretation. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1968.    Matterson, Stephen.   "The Great Gatsby."   London: Macmillan, 1990.    Pelzer, Linda Claycomb. Student Companion to F. Scott Fitzgerald. Westport, CT: Greenwood P, 2000.    Piper, Henry Dan. F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Critical Portrait. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1965.    Zhang, Aiping. Enchanted Places: The Use of Setting in F. Scott Fitzgerald's Fiction. Westport, CT: Greenwood P, 1997.    An Analysis of Two Scenes in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby Es An Analysis of Two Scenes in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Juxtaposing two scenes in a narrative allows them to be easily compared and contrasted.   In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, two such scenes require specific attention.   The impromptu party that is thrown by Tom Buchanan and his mistress, Myrtle Wilson, followed immediately by Jay Gatsby's party at his house, call for the attention of the reader because of the implications of these contiguous scenes.   The result of analyzing the two scenes is that one can infer certain qualities of each man's character.   By paying specific detail to the dà ©cor of the parties, the respect that each character commands from people at their parties, the guests who arrive at the parties, and the overall purpose of hosting the party, one can deduce that Tom and Gatsby are polar opposites. The first element of the parties that should be examined is the dà ©cor of Myrtle Wilson's apartment compared to that of Gatsby's house.   In the first line describing the apartment, the narrator, Nick Carraway, informs the reader of the lack of comfort in the apartment and the ensuing awkwardness of the setting: "The apartment was on the top floor - a small living room, a small dining room, a small bedroom and a bath" (33).   Nick's description makes it amazingly clear to the reader how unhappy and unpleasant the situation was, not only for himself, but for Tom and Myrtle, as well as the other guests in attendance, Catherine, Myrtle's sister, and the McKees, neighbors who live in the same building.   One can imagine the walls virtually closing in because of the overcrowding furniture, the overpowering size and strength of Tom and his ego, and the oversized picture of Myrtle's ... ...orks Cited and Consulted    Allen, Joan. "The Great Gatsby" and Modern Times. Urbana: U of Illinois P, 1994.    deKoster, Katie, ed. Readings on "The Great Gatsby." San Diego: Greenhaven, 1998.    Higgins, John A. F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Study of the Stories. New York: St. John's UP, 1971.    Hindus, Milton. F. Scott Fitzgerald: An Introduction and Interpretation. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1968.    Matterson, Stephen.   "The Great Gatsby."   London: Macmillan, 1990.    Pelzer, Linda Claycomb. Student Companion to F. Scott Fitzgerald. Westport, CT: Greenwood P, 2000.    Piper, Henry Dan. F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Critical Portrait. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1965.    Zhang, Aiping. Enchanted Places: The Use of Setting in F. Scott Fitzgerald's Fiction. Westport, CT: Greenwood P, 1997.   

Pauls Understanding of Holy Spirit Essay -- Religion, Bible, Romans 8

Coming to class today did you guys see anything beautiful? Maybe it was a car. Perhaps a work of art made of glass. Maybe it was jewelry or it is was a flower. If it is really beautiful, you tend to look at it from every direction to appreciate each aspect of it. It just feels good to take in all of the beauty, and satisfying to your senses. Well, I feel that way about the Holy Spirit, how the Holy Spirit leads in our life with an emphasis on His physical direction, how the Holy Spirit leads us spiritually is simply beautiful. Wouldn’t you say? Are you being led by the Spirit? Are you in the Spirit? Does the Spirit dwell in you? It is certainly important for you to be able to answer yes to these questions, but just saying so is not sufficient enough. There is, quite simply, many unscriptural ideas about what these phrases mean. Many people wrongly believe that the Holy Spirit's influence on a person is a "mystical revelation" which overpowers human intentions and that we discern right decisions from wrong ones based on feelings which the Holy Spirit puts directly into our heads apart from Biblical revelation. Many say that the way they feel carries much more weight than the written word. If one can honestly answer "yes" to the questions above, it is only because he has chosen to yield to the teachings and urgings of the Spirit that have been provided to us Christians by God's providence in His Holy Scriptures. You are not really led by the Holy Spirit if you are not living according to His teachings in the gospel. The Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul, shares a great deal of information to us about this subject in Romans 8:1-17. Romans 8 may be described as falling into three distinct but closely related categories. Vers... ...ristian has a choice. He can either live in the realm of the flesh or of the Holy Spirit. The Christian must choose between these two worlds, the way of the flesh, or of the way of the Spirit. Those who walk according to the flesh are condemned to death. On the other hand, those who walk according to the Spirit are led to eternal life. To walk in the Spirit is to have confidence that God is your Father, and that all guidance and strength comes through the Holy Spirit. "I put my mind on Christ and try to listen and obey the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:5), the Holy Spirit will give me life and peace (Romans 8:6). If a man is a Christian, he has the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9). His spirit has been made alive (Romans 8:10) The Holy Spirit is giving life back to his body, bringing it back from the deadness of sin (Romans 8:11) and bring abundant new life in Christ."(Graham)

Free Scarlet Letter Essays: Puritanistic Elements -- Scarlet Letter es

Puritanistic Elements in The Scarlet Letter  Ã‚   Puritanism was the religion practiced by the people of colonial Boston, the setting for Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.   It is because of the beliefs of the Puritan religion that Hester Prynne, the main character in The Scarlet Letter, is ostracized from the community.   Puritan ideals are often brought up in the book.   Although Hawthorne never outrightly states his position on Puritanism, it seems clear that he does approve of the religion. The story begins with Hester in jail for adultery.   She is presented as a strong woman—she holds her head high and does not try to cover up the letter.   She stands up to her punishment, and neither the spectators nor her seem to suggest that she is being treated unfairly.   It seems strange that everyone would agree upon Hester’s sentence, since everybody rarely agrees on anything.   Because Hawthorne never speaks directly to the reader about his own opinions, it must be inferred from the characters what he thinks.   Thus, since Hester’s punishment is condoned by everyone, it must be assumed t...

Dukwane’s deliverance Essay

Being different is not always bad. It can as well mean to be capable of doing something others wouldn’t have done, to have a dream of becoming something that extends beyond your social environment. But it can be a complicated road to achieving this dream and you can meet different obstacles that need to be overcome. Sometimes deliverance is the answer. This is the situation presented in the short story â€Å"Dukwane’s deliverance†, written by Neil Ramsorrum, where the boy, Dukwane, looses the ability to walk while having a plan on attending Cambridge University. He has to deal with the fact that he is a black teenage, who lives in a society where most people are white and despite that he is a cripple as well. The main theme is reflected in this confrontation with difficulties, and tells never to give up on your dreams. The protagonist Dukwane is a black teenager, who lives with his father and mother in Camden. His family are not particularly wealthy, which is indicated by the fact that he works six shifts a week in a non-fancy fast-food restaurant. Another indication of this is the father’s choice of occupation, â€Å"As he looked at his father sat there, his bottom shirt button open and exposing his belly overhanging his trousers, he felt a sense of sadness, but also a determination to be more†. Dukwane wants to be more than his father, who is overweight and sits in front of the television all day. This ambition is a characteristic thing about him. Dukwane is not like other people in his social environment. He is an intelligent teenager, who is going to attend Cambridge University, which you can argue is an uncommon decision among his friends and family. Dukwane’s friend, Jermaine, questions Dukwane’s decision. â€Å"Well, they are all loaded, and white, I heard you get the cane from your teachers if you don’t do your work. And the older guys are gay and make the younger ones do weird shit†. He presents some negative prejudices about the university. He doesn’t think it is a place for him and wonders why he wants to attend. However Dukwane is determined to attend Cambridge University and later on becoming a politician just like Barak Obama, his big idol. Dukwane is furthermore a very courageous teenager who wants to do the right thing. â€Å"Dukwane gets up first, his hand raised to try and calm the gang of four, instinctively he places his body between the kid and his pursers†. He chooses to protect the child from getting caught and  ends up being stabbed himself. â€Å"You always do the right thing†, is what Jermaine said afterwards and even after the suggestion of revenge Dukwane does the right thing and refuses. But despite being different he is as well a part of the social environment. â€Å"†Melones hugos! Nice,† said Dukwane in what he imagined was a Spanish accent. â€Å"That’s all you think about.†Ã¢â‚¬  His use of colloquial language indicates that he can act as the others when the situation comes. The story is told with a third person narrator, who has a limited omniscient point of view. This means that the reader sees the events and other characters from Dukwane’s point of view. This way of telling a story involves the reader more than an â€Å"all knowing† third person narrator by giving the narrator an identity and makes it more interesting for the reader because everything becomes possible when the narrator isn’t â€Å"all knowing†. You can other than that say that the reader is involved due the knowledge of Dukwane’s thoughts and feelings. â€Å"He hears the sound after he feels it. Almost like the release of air, his body no longer in his control, falling to the pavement again. He feels the blood but cannot lift his head to see it. All he can see is the blur of neon fading†. The narrator has a limited point of view, and therefore the reader has a limited insight, which creates intensity and therefore becomes interesting. Another thing that creates this intensity is the change in tense. The scene where the quotation is chosen from is in the present tense, whereas the rest of the story is in the present tense. The author’s choice of using this tense combined with short sentences separated by commas and mimicking sudden motion creates a vivid setting, where the reader is involved. This leads to the setting of the short story. Dukwane lives as said in a less wealthy environment just outside London and there are different indications that tell about this environment. The social setting is mostly conveyed through the use of social- and class markers and the colloquial language, which Dukwane and his friends use. First of all there is the non-fancy restaurant, where the customers aren’t taken that serious. â€Å"†Pretty much. Except when I’m thinking about ass. You should try it.  £2.99, boss†Ã¢â‚¬ , here Jermaine is addressing Dukwane, but in the last  sentence he addresses a costumer. Usually the focus is at the costumer when you are at work in order to show your manners. His action and language indicates that they are a part of the lower social class, where manners aren’t very important. Another class marker is the hospital Dukwane is in. â€Å"Dukwane turned on the TV console above his bed.  £3.50 per day to watch the BBC† You don’t usually pay money for watching TV at a hospital, and it is totally absurd in comparison to the Danish hospitals, so the hospital isn’t fancy. Furthermore you can say that the environment is multicultural. â€Å"You know the Bengalis my cousin Frank hangs out with?† The fact that the protagonist himself is black, and that there are people from Bangladesh indicates that the area is multicultural. An interesting thing about the setting is that it also reflects Dukwane’s mood and the atmosphere. â€Å"As he stepped out onto Yorks Way, the sun was setting over Kings Cross in the distance, a crimson candyfloss sky broken by a dozen cranes all busy building his city.† He is happy that he got into Cambridge and the beautiful sunset and candyfloss sky create an atmosphere and reflect his mood. Moreover there is a contrast between he metallic machines and the fluffy candyfloss sky, which distinguish between the magical unrealistic sky and the rough capability and power of the cranes. The setting shows the distinction between what Dukwane already has and what he searches for, from the less wealthy environment to the large city of London. The theme of the short story is that you shouldn’t give up your dream despite the obstacles that can occur on your way to achieving it. â€Å"You are going to do what you always wanted to do. Do you hear†, â€Å"By your wits and sheer persistence. This is what makes us rise above other men, it is how we face adversity; how we challenge those who hold us back, how we make real our dream†. This is what the imaginary Barack Obama said to Dukwane, when he was given morphine to ease his pain. This quotation reflects the main theme of the story with precision. The short story â€Å"Dukwane’s deliverance† is about a bright black teenage boy, who is admitted to Cambridge University but unfortunately becomes paralyzed in his legs. He wants to be more than his father; he wants to break the social heritage in a multicultural area where people aren’t particularly wealthy, which is reflected in the social setting and the colloquial language. The setting shows as well this distinction between the two environments and what Dukwane has and wants to achieve. Nothing will stop him from achieving his dream neither as a poor black man nor a cripple.

Case Study on Environmental Health Food Safety Division Program

Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM Environmental Management Department of Sacramento County: Environmental Health Division Food Safety and Protection Program Table of Contents Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 History and Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Goals and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Description of Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Levels of Intervention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Goal and Objective Relevance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Target Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Program Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Program Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Personnel Qualifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Current Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Future Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Changes to the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Appendix A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Appendix B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Appendix C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Appendix D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Abstract Food is a vital ingredient to the survival of life on earth. Food gives people the energy to carry out everyday tasks. With food being so important to life, should it not be of highest quality? Food is prepared, cooked and consumed every minute of every day. How do consumers know that the food is safe? The group members of We 8 A Lot went on a mission to find out exactly how food consumers are protected and by whom. Through research and interviews with the Environmental Management Department of Sacramento County, it was found that there are a group of individuals who work diligently to protect food consumers by inspecting the 6,000 food facilities in Sacramento County. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION FOOD SAFETY AND PROTECTION PROGRAM Introduction For the case study, our group chose to investigate the Food Protection Program that resides within the Environmental Health Division which operates under the umbrella of the Environmental Management Department (EMD) of Sacramento County. The functions of this department not only protect residents and consumers of this county in the matter of retail food safety but, also by the regulation and enforcement of water protection and hazardous materials. On October 1, 2004, an interview was conducted at the Environmental Health Division office located at 8475 Jackson Road, in Sacramento, with June Livingston, Communications and Media Officer and Richard Sanchez, Environmental Program Manager. In the interview, Mr. Sanchez revealed that there are â€Å"close to 6000, food facilities in this [Sacramento] county† (personal communication, October 1, 2004) With this many retail food facilities in Sacramento County and the consumer culture of Americans, the potential for food-borne illness is staggering. Just one instance of improper handling, storage, or cooking of foods in retail food facilities can cause serious outbreaks of infections or in severe cases, death. On average, each day in the United States alone, â€Å"over 200,000 people fall ill with a food-borne illness and of those, fourteen will die† (Sizer & Whitney, 2003, p. 511) Keeping this in mind and the fact that food is one humanity's most basic needs for survival, this agency most definitely warrants study. Since our team was quite large, 8 members, and relative to food, we decided to name it, â€Å"We 8 a lot†. Similarly, due to our team size we decided to split it into halves. One-half of the team devoted their efforts to online and print research while the other half focused on interview and personal communication research. Project tasks were divided between the team members and each member was deemed responsible for his or her content area. Moreover, leadership positions of paper editor, Power Point manager, and team recorder were established on a volunteer basis to avoid any confusion during the project. The members of this team, listed alphabetically are: Simranjot Bains, David Chan, Lynn Gervacio, Safiya Nuur, Joy Pastones, Shantell Payne, Valerie Quitoriano, and Yvonne Rains. History and Development Prior to becoming a department, EMD program elements were housed in the County Health Department. But in 1988, the Sacramento County Environmental Management Department (EMD) became a consolidated, freestanding department consistent with separate City and County advisory body recommendations to merge and augment environmental regulatory activities. Initial program elements included Air Quality, Environmental Health (includes Food Protection Program), and Hazardous Materials Divisions. The Sacramento Air Quality Management District separated from EMD and County Government in 1995. The Environmental Management Department currently has three operating divisions, with Water Protection which was added in 2003. The organizational chart in Appendix A shows the various divisions of the Sacramento County. The Environmental Management Department is one of ten county service agencies. The organizational chart in Appendix B shows how the EMD is further divided. Within the Sacramento EMD, there are three subdivisions that have been listed above. Under the Water Protection, Environmental Health and Hazardous Materials Divisions, there are also a number of subdivisions. Goals and Objectives The Food Protection Program, which is part of the Environmental Health Division (EHD), is responsible for regulation and enforcement of state and local health codes at all retail food facilities in Sacramento County and all incorporated cities. The mission of the agency is to protect the health of the public from unsafe food, water and hazardous materials. The Food Protection Program's goal is to ensure food safety practices at all retail food facilities in Sacramento County and to become a world leader in terms of clean and uncontaminated food (http://www. hs. ca. gov/ps/fdb/HTML/Food/indexfoo. htm). Achieved Goals The Food Protection Program of Sacramento County has achieved many goals. First, the agency has increased the number of inspections from once a year to twice a year for facilities that prepare food. Second, it has developed an enhanced â€Å"Prioritized Inspection Frequency Compliance† on their website to assist businesses in the county (http:/ /www. emd. saccounty. net/Documents/Info/Bulletin0503-prioritized_inspection_frequency. pdf. ). This site answers many questions and has information about the laws and requirements. Third, as of July, 1 2003, the Food Protection Program has mandated all businesses to post their most recent inspection report in a visible place for customers to read. Fourth, the agency has â€Å"initiated an ‘Award of Excellence' in Food Safety to recognize operators of food facilities in Sacramento County and all incorporated cities who exhibit excellent food safety and sanitation standards† (http://www. emd. saccounty. net/EH/EMDFoodSafetyAwards. htm. ). Long Term Goals The Food Protection Program also has many long-term goals. First, the program seeks to increase the surveillance on food markets such as Raley’s, Bel-Air, Albertsons, Safeway, and smaller, family owned markets. The program wants to inspect these businesses twice a year instead of the current one-year inspection. The second long-term goal of the program is to change from hand written inspection reports to computer-based inspections. In order to do this, the program needs to purchase additional equipment such as laptops or some other computer devices that would allow employees to type their inspection. In order to achieve these goals, the program needs to save money and implement additional training for their employees. (personal communication, September 18, 2004). The third, long-term goal of the Food Protection Program is to generate more interest in this field. Ms. Livingston, who is the Communications and Media Officer of the Environmental Management Department, commented that â€Å"the people [public] are not quite sure who does th[is] work†, referring to the functions of EMD. Ms. Livingston also commented that they will do more â€Å"outreach and awareness programs to let people know that food protection is profession (personal communication, September 18, 2004). Description of Services Some of the services the Food Protection Program provides are permitting, inspecting and re-inspecting of retail food facilities. The agency also provides food safety education to train employees of food facilities to improve compliance in terms of food safety regulations and reduction of the incidence of food borne-illness. It also issues permits for new businesses and provides outreach programs for the public. The Food Protection Program investigates complaints and suspected cases of food borne-illnesses when they do occur. Finally, as a last resort, the agency can enforce closure of food facilities with consistent non-compliance (http://www. emd. saccounty. net/pdf/CURFFL. pdf. ). Levels of Intervention The levels of intervention of the Food Protection Program function on primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Primary prevention of the agency is enacted through education, outreach, regulation, and inspection. The agency inspects food facilities to prevent contamination of food and food borne-illnesses from the public. Secondary prevention of the Food Protection Program is accomplished through the re-inspection process. When businesses have major violations, they are given a two week period to correct the problem. Once the problems have been corrected, the re-inspection process ensures compliance. Finally, the tertiary level of prevention of the Food Protection Program closes food facilities that have consistent major violations and or violations that are not corrected in a timely fashion. Major violations are those that pose public health hazards such as contaminated equipment (personal communication, September 18, 2004). Goal and Objective Relevance The goals and objectives of the agency address the human ecology and heath studied. The agency provides educational programs through scientific principals to protect the heath of the public and the environment. The Food Protection Program Agency completes these tasks through teamwork and a cooperative approach (http://www. emd. saccounty. net/pdf/CURFFL. pdf). As Richard Sanchez, emphasized, â€Å"the point [of the program] is not to try and fine people, but the first thing we want to do is to educate people and help them understand what it is that they are supposed to do (2004). † Mr. Sanchez also mentioned that â€Å"when people know what food borne-illness is, they are less likely to violate the laws. One of the big ones is hand washing. Something so simple can prevent so much† (personal communication, September 18, 2004). Target Population The Environmental Health Division goals are to deliver outstanding service to all Sacramento County residents including the incorporated cities of Isleton, Folsom, Elk Grove, Galt, Rancho Cordova and Citrus Heights. They also aim to service the visitors in the area as well. The population of this county is over 1. 2 million residents, which is about 1200 persons per square mile. There are food venues developing everywhere to meet the demand of the consumers. The venues where food is served, either cooked or prepackaged, will be subject to an inspection and will be given a permit once it has passed. The typical venues consist of: restaurants (fast food, ice cream shops, delicatessens, coffee shops, sandwich shops), mobile food units, bars, taverns, commissaries, bed and breakfasts, school cafeterias, day/child care facilities, senior non-profit nutrition programs, convenience stores, dairies, and farmers markets as well as special or temporary events such as the fair, and craft or street fairs. During the inspection, even the smallest attributes of food preparation and serving styles are observed. EHD is now striving to complete two inspections per year to better the service of the community and lessen the risk for any food-borne illnesses in the future. Program Evaluation The Environmental Health Division of the Food Safety Protection Program does not have a formal evaluation process; however, they do participate in voluntary evaluations. The purpose of an evaluation is to determine whether the objectives of the program are being met and to provide feedback to improve the program. If we were to evaluate this program, we would use summative evaluations, which are used to determine how well the program has met their predetermined short term and long-term goals and objectives. Summative evaluations use two types of procedures, impact and outcome. Impact procedures are used mainly for immediate, short-term effects while outcome procedures are used for long-term effects. For the EHD Food Safety Protection Program, we would assess a set number of food-borne illnesses and a set number of food safety violations and then evaluate how well the program worked to make sure they did not exceed those limits. Even though the food protection program does not have a formal evaluation process, ironically, they won a 2004 Challenge Award from the California State Association of Counties. Out of 163 Challenge Award entries from 38 counties, the Sacramento County Food Safety Education for Restaurants Program was one of the 10 recipients of the Award. The award was based on demonstrated leadership, innovation, creativity, resourcefulness and effectiveness, as well as the potential for successful elements of the program to be used as a model for other counties. One of the reasons hypothesized why they might have gotten the award was because of their affiliations. The Food Safety Program is a member of the California Restaurant Association (CRA), where the annual membership fee is based on the gross revenue of the program. CRA has been representing approximately 20,000 foodservice establishments in California since 1906. Some of the benefits of membership in the CRA are discounts and savings on essential products, programs and services. Moreover, members are also kept informed on the latest industry issues through newsletters, publications, and resources. Program Funding The Environmental Health Division's financing sources come from four different areas: reimbursements, charges for services, reserve release, and other revenues. The department receives no tax money from the government; however, the department does receive some government grants, but not of any significant amount under the food program. Most of the Environmental Management Department’s large grants are given to the Hazardous materials division, rather than the Environmental Health division, under which the food program is directed. The U. S. Federal Drug Administration did give the food program a small grant in the amount of $5,000 to get their staff training sessions. These grants are listed under the reimbursement area. The charges for services category consists of re-inspection fees, which are billed when food facilities use more time than what the permit pays for. These fees are allocated at the hourly rate of up to $149. 00. The third area, the reserve release, makes improvements possible and makes additional money available if needed. This financial source comes from saving extra money left over from the previous month’s finances. Once there is a need for money that isn’t being met by the three other financial resources, then money is taken out of the reserve. Also if improvements need to be made, such as a new computer system, then the reserve covers this cost. The Environmental Health Division earns the majority of their revenues from the services they provide, which is listed under the other revenue area. Every food facility requires a permit from the Environmental Health Division and is charged a fee for their inspection. Some facilities are inspected once a year, but recently the requirements changed for higher-risk facilities (food preparation sites) to be inspected twice a year. The total budget for the food program is $2,840,243, while the entire budget for the whole program is close to $13 million. Another service the Environmental Health Division provides and earns revenues from is the Food Safety Education program (FSE). The program encompasses two classes about food safety, in which they charge $20 per person for attending. They also offer to perform the classes at the actual food facility site for $400. Despite the fact that the Environmental Health Division receives no tax money from the government, Richard Sanchez believes it is a good thing. He states that when there is a tax cut in government funding, then agencies start having to cut people. He proudly claims that they have never had to cut people, but rather they are adding positions (personal communication, September 18, 2004). In fact, most of their expenditures are from staffing fees. The other two financial uses the department covers are reserve provisions and services and supplies. As mentioned earlier, the reserve provisions consist of extra money that is saved until further needed for improvements or in case financial sources are running low. The money spent on services and supplies is directed towards rent and office provisions. Some of the services the Food Program uses are classified into special interfund/intrafund charges and reimbursements. This would include lab analysis services from a Sacramento County agency. If the inspectors want to have a closer look at a particular facility’s food quality, then an analysis of that food would be performed. The services used by the Food Program would not be paid in cash, rather it would be seen as a trade out to the other Sacramento agency in return for services from the Food Program such as a permit or inspection of that agency’s food facility. Personnel Qualifications Currently, in the County of Sacramento Environmental Management Department there are 110 employees. Of those 110 individuals, 27 are employed within the Food Protection Program. Employment opportunity of the Environmental Health Division varies from what is referred to as a Level I to a Level IV position of Environmental Health Specialist. The minimum qualifications of the Level I position require one year of experience performing technical support or a completion of twelve semester units from a college or university in physical science, life science, or engineering. The salary offered to the Environmental Health Specialist I is $2509. 00 to $3398. 00 per month. The variation in salary is due to experience. If the employee has just started, the salary begins at $2509. 00, but as the person gains experience within the field, the salary increases up to a certain point; which is $3398. 0 per month. In order to grow within the field at all levels, the employee needs to complete the supplemental questionnaire, which encompasses: the employee’s level of education, experience in technical support and public health contact work, possession of current California driver’s license, knowledge of different cultures, and English fluency. Once the questionnaire is submitted, the panel group sets a date for the employee to take a test. The test is divided into ranks, and usually the first three ranks are chosen for the job. Once, the employee has qualified, then the new title given. The position of Environmental Health Specialist II, ranges in salary from $3659. 00 to $4447. 00 per month. This employee should be able to research, interpret, and apply environmental laws and regulations. This position requires the candidate to have: (1) graduation degree in health science, public health, natural science or physical science, (2) one year of experience in environmental research or regulation, or (3) Registered Environmental Health Specialist certification. The third level of employment known as the Environmental Health Specialist III covers field inspections and research. Some of the duties performed are: organization and analysis of environmental data collected, development and preparation of studies related to regulatory compliance, meeting with business owners to develop solutions to achieve compliance, training and guiding other staff members, and preparation of written analyses and recommendations. This position’s salary starts at $4367. 00 and ends at $5308. 00 per month. In order to qualify for this position, the candidate must have a Master’s degree in health science, public health, physical science, or environmental health and a one-year experience in environmental inspection, enforcement, regulation, analysis, or a previous title of Registered Environmental Health Specialist II certification. Environmental Health Specialist IV is the last level of employment and in this position, the candidate is considered a supervisor and is responsible for a team of scientific, professional, and technical staff. At this level, the candidate is paid from $5392. 00 to $5945. 00 per month. He or she plans, organizes, and reviews the work of the team. The candidate also participates in developing and implanting new policies, procedures, programs, regulations, and guidelines related to inspections, enforcement, compliance, and scientific studies. Besides these positions there are also student intern positions which require the student to perform basic duties such as answering the phone, filing, distributing the mail, and helping in research. The students are allowed to work a maximum of 24 hours per week and the only students who qualify for this position are those who are in their last year of completing their degree. Current Status Currently, the services provided by the food safety program are mandated by the State of California in accordance with local provisions and the California Uniform Retail Food Facilities Law (CURFFL), which finds and declares that the public health interest requires that there be uniform statewide health and sanitation standards for retail food facilities to assure the people of this state that food will be pure, safe, and unadulterated. It is the intention of this Legislature to occupy the whole field of health and sanitation standards for these food facilities . . and regulations adopted pursuant to its provisions shall be exclusive of all local health and sanitation standards relating to these facilities. (http://www. Emd. saccounty. net/pdf/CURFFL2004. pdf, p. 4) Since this program is mandated by the state, the food safety program of the Environmental Health Division is at no risk for disruption or dismantling. Twenty-seven, Registered Environmental Health Specialis ts will continue to inspect retail food facilities twice annually (effective July 1, 2003). Although the state mandates inspection twice yearly, Mr. Sanchez, conceded in the interview that markets such as Raley's are only getting inspected once annually. As of the end of September, 2004, the Environmental Health Division has completed â€Å"6,132† inspections of retail food facilities and â€Å"742† inspections of area dairies (http://www. saccounty. net/pdf/EMD-2004-10_Update. pdf. , p. 4). Aside from routine inspections and re-inspections of retail food facilities, Environmental Health continues to offer food safety education and certification classes as well as community outreach events designed to inform consumers and retailers about food safety and compliance with state and local health codes. This group attended an outreach event held at Carmichael Park, on September 18, 2004, where the Environmental Health Division booth activities included a hamburger cooking demonstration to demonstrate proper cooking temperatures as well as safe food handling techniques. Other activities performed by the Environmental Health Division include responding to consumer complaints, investigation of cases of food-borne illness, there have been â€Å"180† cases in Sacramento County as of the end September of this year, evaluation of plans for new food facilities, as well as the granting of permits for these new food facilities (http://www. accounty. net/pdf/EMD-2004-10_Update. pdf, p. 4). Moreover, the Environmental Health Division continues to collect fees for their services and proudly distinguishes qualifying retail food facilities with their â€Å"Award of Excellence† for food safety. Last year, ninety-three area establishments were the recipients of this award. Future Needs The Food Safety and Protection Program is a growing program. As the number of food facilities in the Sacramento area increase, so do the needs of the program. Some of the future needs of the program include an increase in the number of employees for the program, improved outreach programs, software program to improve inspections and inspection reports, and an implementation of a restaurant grading system. The first need of the program is an increase in the number of employees. With only 27 employees who actually do work under the Food Safety and Protection Program, the job of inspecting 6,000 food facilities plus other required tasks is certainly overwhelming. One might think, â€Å"Why don’t they just go ahead and hire more people? Working for the EHD not only requires a college degree but employees must also obtain certification deeming themselves Registered Environmental Health Specialists. Now one might think â€Å"What is a Registered Environmental Health Specialist? † To answer the above question, the program needs to create an awareness of the position. This leads us to the second need of the program. The Food Safety and Protection program is in need of an improved outreach program. Up until finding out what personnel qualifications were needed, we did not know what a Registered Environmental Health Specialist was. More concentrated efforts in outreach programs that introduce and educate people about the validity of their profession may generate more interest in the academic setting thus creating more potential professionals. Another need of the program involves a software program to improve inspections and inspection reports. This program needs to make the change from hand-written reports to typed reports. Going from hand-written to automation would make it much easier for people to read and understand the reports. The final future need of the Food Safety and Protection Program is to implement a restaurant grading system. The restaurant grading system would provide to customers knowledge of where the restaurant stands in terms of food safety compliance. According to June Livingston, â€Å"The restaurants would be given a grade ranging from A-F. â€Å"A† of course being the highest grade to be received and â€Å"F† the lowest. A grade of â€Å"C†, would mean that the restaurant meets minimum compliance requirements† (personal communication, October 27, 2004). The program is still working on the grading system in terms of how it will work and getting legislation to approve the system. Changes to the Program The Food Safety and Protection Program is an extremely successful program under the Environmental Management Department. For 27 employees to be able to inspect 6,000 food facilities is an incredible feat. However, with their measured success, there is some room for improvement. If we were administrators of the program there are a few things that we would do differently. One of the changes that we would make is to the outreach programs. Despite the fact that one of the goals of the program is to have more outreach programs, there is something that we would like to add. In addition to having more outreach programs, we would have the programs target people as early as high school. The outreach should also be targeted at people in colleges and universities. By doing this, a larger audience of people would become knowledgeable of the profession and quite possibly decide to take the path to becoming a Registered Environmental Health Specialist. Another change would be to hire on more employees. With more employees, more work can be done and the current practice of multi-tasking would cease to exist. More employees will allow for more inspections of food facilities thus reducing risk to the public. Increasing inspections of food facilities from annually/biannually to quarterly is another change that we would make as administrators. Food facilities currently undergo one, maybe two inspections a year. Every day new discoveries are made in terms of proper food handling, food-borne illnesses and much more. With these new discoveries, it would be particularly helpful and beneficial that inspections be made on a quarterly basis. Also, more frequent inspections would encourage food facilities to really meet compliance and go above and beyond what is needed for food safety. The final change that we would make to the program is to improve inspection report legibility and visibility. If one were to take a look at an actual inspection report and read the comments written, it usually is difficult to read. We would make the inspection reports typed so that everyone would be able to read exactly what was found at the inspection. We would also improve the visibility of the report. Truth be told, not every food facility has their inspection report visible to the public. We would change this by requiring that establishments post the reports either by the cash register, the doors, in the waiting area if applicable or even by the bathrooms. We would further enforce this requirement by charging the facility a certain fee if the inspection report is not fully visible to the public. The addition of a fee for not having the report visible would not only create added revenue for the program, but it would also get the food facilities to comply more strongly in order to avoid getting fined. With these reports visible, the public would have the ability to find out whether or not they are eating at a food safe establishment. References County of Sacramento Environmental Department Website. (2004). Award of Excellence in Food Safety. Retrieved November 12, 2004 from http://www. emd. saccounty. net/EH/EMDFoodSafetyAwards. htm County of Sacramento Environmental Department Website. (2004). California Uniform Retail Food Facilities Law (CURFFL). Retrieved November 3, 2004 from http://www. Emd. saccounty. net/pdf/CURFFL2004. pdf. County of Sacramento California Website. (2004). County Organization Chart. Retrieved October 16, 2004 from http://www. saccounty. net/portal/about/docs/county-org-chart. pdf. County of Sacramento California Website. (2004). Food Safety Program, Retrieved November 12, 2004 from http://www. dhs. ca. gov/ps/fdb/HTML/Food/indexfoo. htm. County of Sacramento Environmental Department Website. (2004). Prioritized Inspection Frequency, Retrieved November 12, 2004 from http://www. emd. saccounty. net/Documents/Info/Bulletin0503 prioritized_inspection_frequency. pdf County of Sacramento Environmental Department Website. (2004). Update. Retrieved October, 16, 2004 from http://www. saccounty. net/pdf/EMD-2004-10_Update. pdf. Sizer, F. , & Whitney, E. (2003). Food safety and food technology. In E. Howe, & J. Boyd (Eds. ), Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (pp. 509-556). Belmont,USA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. APPENDIX A: THE ORGANIZATION CHART [pic] Note. From â€Å"County of Sacramento California Website† http://www. saccounty. net/portal/about/docs/county-org-chart. pdf Copyright 2004 by County Executive. Reprinted with permission. APPENDIX B: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION CHART Figure 1. The subdivisions within Environmental Management. APPEDNDIX C: PROPOSAL Proposal This case study seeks to explore the Environmental Health Division within the Environmental Management Department of Sacramento County. Investigation in this agency will reveal how the County of Sacramento protects its residents and consumers from potential health hazards and illnesses originating from retail food facilities. Today, the average consumer rarely worries about the risk of dining out or â€Å"grabbing a bite†; however, factors such as improper storage, cooking and handling of foods or poor sanitation practices have the potential to create serious illness and even death. This agency warrants investigation since food is one of man's most basic and vital needs for survival. ———————– Management Plans Private School Inspections Land Use Evaluation Toxic Site Clean Up Well Monitoring Septic Tanks Recycled Water Industrial Storm water Program Risk Evaluation Accidental Release HazMat Land Use Incident Response Storage Tanks Business Plans Mold Information Lead Illness Investigation Tobacco Retailer Program Medical Waste Recreational Health Food Protection & Safety Education Water Protection Hazardous Materials Environmental Health Environmental Management