Application of Ict in Library

Application of ICT in Libraries URL: http://unllib. unl. edu/LPP/anunobi-edoka. htm Use of ICT Facilities for Serials Functions in Southern Nigeria Federal University Libraries Chinwe V. Anunobi Ph. D Digital Librarian Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Nigeria Benson E. Edoka Professor Department of Library and Information Science University of Nigeria, Nsukka Nsukka, Nigeria Introduction User expectation from any information providing system is to make available directly or remotely and in real time the needed information, format not withstanding.In the university environment, the library a major information providing system supports teaching, learning and research with information materials of various types. Among these diverse information materials, serials are needed especially by faculty and research students. Before the development and use of ICT facilities for capturing/acquisition, processing dissemination and retrieval of information, serials operations were predominantly manu al.However with the development of ICT based library service which brought with it self service and simultaneous access to resources (Womboh & Abba 2008), peoples' interest switched from print to electronic information. Furthermore, serials operations in developing countries which was besieged with problems associated with cost (Millis 1992, de Marcas 2000; Aina 2003), inadequate acquisition and processing tools (Szilvassy 1996), competency and accessibility problems (Cohen 1989 and Mullis 1992), embrace the use of ICT facilities as an approach to overcome some of the mentioned problems.This is necessary since according to Ajayi (2003) any industry information or any other which ‘sidelines ICT has simply signed a death warrant' The ICT facilities applied in the library in general and serials unit in particular are based on the functions performed therein. The functions performed in the university serials unit as indicated by Tuttle (1983) are acquisition, processing, public se rvice and preservation. These functions are synonymous with the functions performed in the university library though with some peculiarities emanating from the nature of serials.Therefore ICT facilities used in the broad university library are also applicable to the serials unit but also with peculiarity occasioned by the nature of serials. These services and operations have been transformed using ICT. Aina (2004) informed that there is efficiency in resource organization as delivery and dissemination of information have become effective and easy. Repetitive and routine tasks in the library have been eliminated. Furthermore, the availability of bibliographic database, full text documents and digital library collection is now taken for granted as noted by Chesenga (2004).The IT (ICT) facilities use in the library is defined by the American Library Association (1993) as â€Å"the application of computers and other technology to the acquisition, organization, storage, retrieval and di ssemination of information. Ifidon (1985) enumerated the functions available for ICT use in the library to include ordering and acquisition with the following activities: ordering, receiving, settlement of invoice and administration of records and expenditure..Further to that, Oketunji (2001) and Chesenga (2004) listed library functions in which ICT could be applied to include acquisition, cataloguing, circulation, serials control, selective dissemination of information services and preparation of management information. Furthermore, the application of ICT facilities in the library could be in the stand alone or integrated form. Many countries and institutions are at varying level of ICT application in their library operation.Islam and Islam (2007) documented the use ICT in libraries in Bangladash and informed that though the use started between 1964 and 1995, progress was not made until 1996. In Nigeria many universities are at the advanced stage of ICT use in library operations. A nunobi and Benard (2007) informed that in their study of ICT availability for library operations in the Imo state of Nigeria only two of the four academic libraries; Federal University of Technology Owerri and Imo State University show evidence of using ICT for library operations.Emorjorho, &Nwalo (2009) found in their study that only very few libraries in the Niger-Delta of Nigeria use ICT in library operations where university libraries have more ICT facilities than the special libraries. Nok(2006) documented the use of ICT in Kashim Ibrahim library, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria while Ekpengong( 1997) presented the situation in special libraries in Nigeria. Ani, Esin and Edim(2005) also studied the use of ICT in Nigeria University libraries.For serials operation, Agbaje (2002:27) informed that â€Å"information technology can be an effective hand–maid to serials management at every stage of management process and irrespective of content, use, format and overall strategy a dopted for serials management by the organization in question† Akinyotu (1977), Alabi (1985), Oketunji (2001) Agbaje (2002) and Oni (2004) noted that using various approaches, ICT facilities in serials unit can be for the following functions and activities: subscription control, procurement process, order preparation, fund analysis and accounting.They can also be used for bibliographic file control, cataloguing of new serials, preparation of serials record entries and transaction control. Effecting serials additions, changes and deletions or collection control can be performed with ICT facilities. Services and preservation functions such as servicing request for serials publication, binding control file, missing issues, holdings accession of want list as well as union lists are amenable to ICT facilities use.In their findings on the use of computer for library services in Bangladesh, Islam and Islam (2007 ) discovered that all the libraries surveyed used ICT for serials contro l as well as other activities. The services provided according to them include CD-ROM searching, online searching, online networking, photocopying, online information services and database searching services. In Nigeria according to Ikem and Ajala (2000), preliminary use of ICT in the library started with its use to produce Union list of Serials sponsored by Committee of University Librarians of Nigeria.That notwithstanding, its continuous use for various serials function is yet to be known. Statement of the Problem There are copious studies and opinion on the use of ICT facilities for library functions in general. In Nigerian university libraries, ICT facilities were primarily used for serials functions and are still in use. However not much has been found in literature as regards the areas of serials functions they are used, and the facilities in use. Hence the survey tends to address this gap by identifying the extent of ICT use for serials operations.Objective of the Study †¢Identify the serials operations performed with ICT facilities in southern Nigerian federal university libraries; †¢Determine the serials public services performed with ICT; †¢Find out the ICT facilities used for these serials operations; †¢Ascertain if the use of ICT facilities in serials unit of the libraries is a determinant to their use for serials operations. Research Questions †¢What serials operations are performed with ICT facilities in southern Nigeria Federal university libraries? In which serials public services are the use of ICT employed in Nigerian federal university libraries? †¢What ICT facilities are used for these serials operations? †¢Does the use of ICT facility in serials units of the libraries under study determine its use for serials operations? Significance of the Study The result of this survey will help academic libraries which do not apply ICT facilities for serials functions recognize areas of serials operation in which ICT can be used, and the ICT they can use. With that they can strategize on their use.For libraries using ICT facilities for various operations, they will be acquainted with other areas ICT can be employed in serials operation and the institutions applying such. Donor agencies will also be aware of the state of ICT facilities application in Nigerian university serials operation and decide on the areas to assist such institutions. Data Collection The work covered all the federal university libraries in the three of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria namely South-East (SE), South-West (SW) and South –South (SS). The three zones comprise seventeen states with 13 federal universities.The various zones and their inclusive universities are: South East(SE): University of Nigeria, Nsukka,(UNN), Federal University of Technology Owerri(FUTO), Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka (NAU), Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike(MOUAU) ; South-South(SS): University of Calabar(UNICAL), Un iversity of Port Harcourt(UNIPORT), University of Uyo(UNIUYO); and South West(SW): University of Ibadan(UI), Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife(OAU), University of Lagos(UNILAG),University of Benin(UNIBEN), Federal University of Technology Akure(FUTA), and University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB).Questionnaire and observation checklist were employed to gather facts and opinion of serials staff from 11 of the 13 federal universities libraries. No samples were taken from FUTA and NAU as they had no well developed serials unit at the time of this study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 55 from the 107 serials staff in the universities under study consisting of five (5) serials staff each including the Serials Librarian and any other four (4) staff which are responsible for acquisition, processing, user services and preservation in the serials units.Self developed questionnaire instrument made up of 5 items were distributed to the 65 staff. Items 1 to 3 of the question naire were developed along dichotomous checklist while items 4 and 5 were weighted on four Point Likert-like scales. The observation checklist made up of three (3) observable items was developed to enable the researcher observe serials functions and ICT facilities used in the serials unit of the studied universities. Answers to the research questions were provided for using tables, percentages, means and graphs. A midpoint mean score of 2. that is the average of the individual scores was accepted for items developed on four Point Likert–like scales. A 50 percent positive response was accepted for items analyzed with frequency and percentages. Results The result of the analysis are presented to reflect the objectives of the research which include Identifying the serials operations and public services performed with ICT facilities in the universities, identifying the ICT facilities used in the serials units and ascertain if the use of ICT in serials units determines its use for serials operations.Serials Operations Performed with ICT The study ascertained through observation in the Serials units of the studied universities functions performed with ICT facilities. The result of the Observation checklist is presented in Table 1. It shows that all serials functions in OAU are performed with ICT facilities; UNAAB and UI have 75 percent of their serials functions performed with ICT. Half of the functions (50 percent) are performed with ICT in UNILAG, UNIBEN, UNICAL, MOUAU and FUTO.UNIUYO and UNN perform only processing and public services serials functions with ICT respectively while none of the functions is performed with ICT at UNIPORT. Considering the 50 percent bench mark for acceptability, only UNIUYO, UNIPORT and UNN do not perform serials functions with ICT. Other libraries do. Table 1: Observation Checklist on the Various Serials Functions Performed with ICT facilities S/NUniversitiesSerials FunctionsTotalpercent AcquisitionProcessingPublic servicesPre servation 1FUTO00xx250 2MOUAU00xx250 3UNN00x0125 4UNIUYO0x00125 5UNICALxx00250 6UNIPORT 000000 UNIBEN00xx250 8UNILAGx0x0250 9UIx0xx375 10OAUxxxx4100 11UNAAB0xxx375 12Total448621 13percent36. 3636. 3672. 7254. 55 NOTE: x=ICT used; 0= ICT not used The Table also shows that 54. 55 percent and 72. 72 percent of the libraries perform serials preservation and public services functions with ICT facilities respectively. A 36. 36 percent of the libraries perform acquisition and processing functions with ICT facilities. Hence serials public services and preservations are the major serials functions performed with ICT in the libraries studied considering the 50 percent bench mark.Serials Public Services Performed with ICT Again, an observation was made to identify serials public services performed with ICT facilities. The observation checklist is presented in Table 2. The Table shows that UNAAB and MOUAU provide 85. 71 percent of their serials public services with ICT facilities. UI had 71. 43 percent of the services provided with ICT. A 57. 14 percent of such services were provided with ICT at UNILAG, UNICAL and FUTO. Others including UNIUYO (14. 29 percent), UNIBEN (28. 57 percent) had low use of ICT for serials public services functions.None of the services listed was provided with ICT at UNIPORT. The percentage of university libraries using ICT facilities for the various serials public services is as shown in the Table reveals that 81. 82 percent and 73. 73 percent of the studied libraries used ICT facilities to access serials and article titles respectively. ICT facilities were used to access abstract; index and the retrieval of serials titles by 54. 55 percent and 45. 45 percent of the libraries respectively. None of the libraries used ICT to access physical serials while 36. 5 percent used ICT to retrieve full text of serials. Using a 50 percent benchmark the result implied that those ICT facilities are used for access to abstract, serials and article titles in th e universities studied. Table 2: Observation Checklist on the Various Serials Public services performed with ICT Facilities S/NUniversitiesSerials Public ServicesTotalpercent Access to abstractsAccess to IndexesAccess to Serials titleAccess to article titlesLocation of physical serialsRetrieval of Serials titlesRetrieval of full text Serials 1FUTOxxxx000457. 14 MOUAUxxxx0xx685. 75 3UNN000000000 4UNIUYO00x0000114. 29 5UNICAL00xx0xx457. 14 6UNIPORT 000000000 7UNIBEN00xx000228. 57 8UNILAGx0xx00x457. 14 9UIxxxx0x0571. 43 10OAUxxxx0x0571. 43 11UNAABxxxx0xx685. 75 12Total659805437 13percent54. 5545. 4581. 8273. 73045. 4536. 36 NOTE: x=ICT used; 0= ICT not used ICT Facilities Used for Serials Operation in Serials Unit Answer to the research question on the ICT used for serials operations was found by the Researcher's observation of the use made of ICT facilities in serials units of the various university libraries.The result of the observation is presented in Table 3. The Table shows that only 50 percent of the listed ICT facilities were used in the serials units of UNAAB and UI. UNIBEN, MOUAU and UNILAG used 42. 86 percent and 35. 71 percent of the facilities respectively. UNICAL and UNIUYO used 28. 57 percent and 14. 29 percent respectively while UNIPORT, UNN and OAU each used 7. 14 percent of the ICT facilities in their serials units. None of the facilities was used at the time of this study in FUTO Serials unit. Table 3: Observation Checklist on the Various ICT Facilities Use in Serial Unit.S /NUniversitiesICT FACILITIESTotalpercent PCCPSFaxCD-RCDWCDCDELANWIntOP 1FUTO0000000000000000 2MOUAUxxx00x00x00000535. 71 3UNN0x00000000000010 4UNIUYOxx000000000000214. 29 5UNICALxXx00000x00000428. 57 6UNIPORT 0x00000000000017. 14 7UNIBENxx000x0x00x00x642. 86 8UNILAGxx0xxx00000000535. 75 9UIxx000x00x0x0xx750. 00 10OAU0x00000000000017. 14 11UNAABx x00xx000x0xx750. 00 12Total7831151130302338 NOTE: PC= Personal Computers; C= Copier; P= Printer; S= Scanner; CD-R = CD-ROM; CDW= CD –Writer; D= Diskette; E= E- Mail; LAN=Local Area Network; Int= Internet; OP= OPAC.X= ICT Used; 0 = ICT Not Used. Considering the percentage of the universities using each of the ICT facilities, the result shows that majority of the university libraries (72. 73 percent) used photocopier for its serials functions. This was followed by 63. 64 percent and 45. 45 percent which used personal computers and CD-ROM respectively. Printers, diskettes, LAN and OPAC were each used by (27. 27 percent). The Internet (18. 18 percent); and scanner, fax machine, CD writer and CD changer (9. 09 percent) had very low use in the serials units studied.None of the libraries was using E-Mail and WAN facilities in the serials unit for serials functions. Considering the 50 percent Bench mark, only personal computers and photocopiers were the ICT facilities being used by the Serials units of the studied universities libraries? ICT Facilities Used in Serials Unit as a Determinant of Its Use for Serials Operations A cross-tabulation of the result was made to show the percentage serials functions, serials public services and ICT facilities used in various serials units of the individual universities.The result is presented in Table 4. It shows that although OAU had all its serials functions (100 percent) performed with ICT facilities and 71. 43 percent of its serials public services performed with ICT; it had very low use of ICT facilities (7. 14 percent) in its Serials unit. FUTO which also had 50 percent and 57. 14 percent of its serials functions and serials public services performed with ICT respectively had no single ICT facilities in its serials unit. There was also low indication of ICT facilities use in the Serials units of UNILAG (35. 71 percent); MOUAU (35. 1 percent) and UNICAL (28, 57 percent) despite their average use for serials functions and serials public services. UNN and UNIPORT though do not perform serials functions or public services with ICT had indication of ICT facilities in its serials unit (7. 14 percent). UNIUYO had low ICT facilities use in the Serials unit as well as low use for functions and serials public services. The result implied that the serial functions and serials public services in the Serials units performed with ICT in some cases were not determined by the ICT facilities available in the Serials units of the respective university libraries.Table 4: Cross Tabulation of percent Serials Functions, Serials Public Services performed with ICT and ICT facilities Used in Serials Units of Southern Nigerian Federal University Libraries S/NUniversitiesPercent Serials Functions With ICTPercent Serials Public Services with ICTPercent ICT Facilities Used in Serials Unit 1FUTO5057. 140 2MOUAU5085. 7135. 71 3UNN000 4UNIUYO2514. 2914. 29 5UNICAL5057. 1428. 57 6UNIPORT 007. 14 7UNIBEN5028. 5742. 86 8UNILAG5057. 1435. 71 9UI7571. 4350. 00 10OAU10071. 437. 14 11UNAAB7585. 7150. 00 Discussion of FindingsFrom the findings, it is apparent th at there is a general low use of ICT facilities for serials functions except in the areas of serials public services and preservation (Table 1). This is related to the findings of Siddique (1997) in his work in Saudi Arabia, where only two of seven libraries studied applied ICT in serials control. The low use of ICT facilities for acquisition and processing may be attributed to the non-availability of serials software which will enable the use of ICT for the very complex acquisition and processing activities involved in serials functions.An explanation for this could be found in the works of Anunobi and Benard (2007) where many of the libraries studied do not have library software and those with such were yet to activate their serials module. However, that some libraries like OAU perform all its serials functions with ICT and others like UNN and UNIPORT are not performing any of its functions with ICT shows that there is a great disparity among these libraries with respect to the ap plication of ICT facilities for serials functions especially among the geopolitical zones.The disparity could be attributed to the disposition of these libraries to the major hindrances to ICT application in serials functions. This is also related to the findings of Islam and Islam (2007) that there is disparity in the use of computers and its accessories in library services in Bangladesh. Furthermore, the increased use of ICT facilities for serials public services reflected in many of these libraries (Table 2); for serials and articles titles access buttresses the fact that these university libraries are providing serials public services with ICT facilities.It also implies that many of them have their automated serials holdings being domicile in personal computers or that they possess the Union List of Serials on CD-ROM which users can access. This is of the same standing with the findings of Tseng et al (1990) who noted in his study that 55 percent of the libraries studied have th eir serials holdings automated. There is also the possibility that some major abstracts like Chemical, Biological, LISA, and AJOL abstracts may be available in these libraries on CD-Rom or Online.Where only the abstract is available, or there is absence of digital library, full text retrieval may not be possible; hence the low university representation on retrieval of full text serials. The responses on ICT facilities use in serials operations still confirms that the libraries studied use little or no ICT facilities in serials functions. This confirmation was derived from the below bench mark for all the facilities outside personal computers and photocopiers (Table 3). The close to 50 percent average score for CD-ROM implies that its use for serials function is becoming prominent.Such is expected since some libraries like MOUAU and UNAAB have the Essential Electronic Agricultural Library (TEEAL) therefore are providing access to serials and article titles using CD-ROM facilities. Ag ain, since the use of Internet and OPAC has low response, there is the tendency that the serials public services and preservation functions are provided with CD-ROM in these libraries. The use of scanner and fax machine by only one library suggests that the studied libraries were yet to digitize their serials. In addition to that they could be turning to new technology i. e. he Internet in place of fax. The information presented on the cross-tabulation of percentage serials functions, serials public services and ICT facilities used in serials functions (Table 4) has made series of suggestions. Though some of the University libraries performed serials functions and public services with ICT facilities, they had little or no ICT facilities in their serials units. This is similar to the finding of Anunobi and Nwakwuo (2008 ) where majority of the university libraries in Eastern Nigeria have not embraced the use of ICT for its operations serials inclusive.This could mean that such functi ons and services were performed in other units or a designated unit outside the serials units. Observation showed that in most of these libraries that provided serials functions and public services with ICT facilities but with little or no ICT facilities in their serials units have distinct ICT, IT, Systems or Computer centres from which all these functions were performed. The implication of these findings is that the use of ICT facilities for serials functions is gradually disintegrating the compartmentalisation of serials units and other units of the university library.Hence it is likely that in not too long a time, serials functions and public services with the application of ICT facilities could be performed from units outside the serials unit in most of the libraries in southern Nigeria. The low positive response on the application of the Internet shows that the studied libraries were not utilizing the free electronic serials available on the Internet to augment the limited ser ials subscription made by some of these libraries. These libraries also deny users the opportunity of using some fee-based serials that are offered freely to developing countries like Nigeria.Such serials include Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA); Health International Network Access to Research Initiative (HINARI); Online Access to Research in the Environment (OARE), EBSCOhost, Commonwealth University Documents Online (CUDOS), CAB Abstract etc. If the scenario is not changed, serials users will bypass the library for alternative information providers, thus confirming the conception of Morino (1998) that if libraries do not rise up to the challenges of the technological changes, they will never again be in control of information. Summary and ConclusionThe following deductions and conclusive evidences are made from the findings of this research: †¢Serials functions in the Southern Nigeria federal university libraries are still predominately manually performe d with ICT application being more prominent in the public services and preservation functions. †¢Public services activities involving the use of ICT facilities are mainly access to and retrieval of serials and articles titles. †¢Though a few of the libraries use Internet, LAN and OPAC, photocopiers, personal computer, and CD-ROM are the most commonly used ICT facilities in the serials unit. The low availability and use of ICT facilities in serials units of the university libraries is not a determinant of its use for serials operations. Hence many serials operations are performed with ICT facilities outside the serials units. It is recommended that university libraries should take a firm decision whether to equip serials unit with ICT facilities and affect all serials operations in the unit or have a systems unit where ICT related operations are carried out including serials. University libraries should also solicit aid from donor agencies in the area of ICT hardware and so ftware for serials functions ReferencesAgbaje, A. A. (2002). Great expectations: Serials management and information technology. In Madu E. C. , & Dirisu, M. B. (Eds. ). Information science and technology for library schools in Africa (pp. 25-36). Ibadan: EVI-Coleman. Aina, L. O. (2003). Strengthening information provision in Nigerian university libraries: The digital option. Paper presented at the 41st Annual National Conference & AGM of the Nigerian Library Association at Tarker Foundation, Markurdi, 7-12 September. Aina, L. O. (2004). Coping with the challenges of library and information delivery services: The need for institutionalized professional development.Nigerian Library Association Conference Proceedings, p. 4 Ajayi G. O. (2005). E-government in Nigeria's e-strategy. Paper presented at 5th Annual African Computing and Telecommunications Submit, Abuja, Nigeria. Akinyotu, A. (1977). Library automation: A state of the art review. Paper presented at the workshop on library aut omation in Nigeria held at the Conference centre, University of Ibadan 6-10 March. Ani, O. E. , Esin, J. E. , & Edem, N. (2005). Adoption of information and Communication Technology (ICT) in academic libraries: A strategy for library networking in Nigeria.The Electronic Library 23 (6): 701-708. Anunobi, C. , & Benard, I. (2007). Availability and use of ICT resources in Imo State academic library services. Coal City Libraries 5&6: 34-41. Anunobi, C. V. , & Nwakwuo, O. (2008). The state of ICT in southeastern Nigeria. Samaru Journal of Information studies 8 (1): 35-43 Alabi, G. A. (1993). Information technology: Whither Nigerian libraries and documentation centres. Leading Libraries & Information Centres 1 (2): 27-35. American Library Association (1983). The ALA glossary of library and information science. Chicago: ALA. Ballentyne P. (2003).Information management trends. INASP Newsletter 23: 5-6. Chesenga, J. (2004). ICT in libraries: An overview and general introduction to ICT in lib raries in Africa. INASP ICT Workshop, Kopanong Hotel & Conference centre, Johannesburg S. Africa 21st -23rd July. ( www. INASP. info/ISP/ICT-workshop2004 ) Islam, S. , & Islam, N. (2007). Use of ICT in libraries: An empirical study of selected libraries in Bangladesh. Library Philosophy and Practice. Available: http://unllib. unl. edu/LPP/shariful. htm Mullis, A. (1992). Serials. In. Michael, P. (Ed. ), Non-standard collection management (pp. 3-115). Aldershot, England: Ashgate. Oketunji, I. (2001). Computer application to libraries. Paper presented at the 39th Annual National Conference and AGM of the Nigerian Library Association at the Imo Concord Hotel Owerri, June 17-22. Oketunji, I. (2001). Libraries and the Internet connectivity: What benefits? In Lasis J. , Odunsanya,O. K. , Sonaike, S. E. A. , & Osinulu L. F. (Eds. ), Automation of cataloguing practices in Nigerian libraries (pp. 32-40), Ijebu-Ode: Nigerian Library Association, Cataloguing, Classification and Indexing Sectio n. Oni, F. A. (2004).Enhancing the performance of library operations through appropriate IT. In Madu E. C. (Ed. ), Technology for information management & services: Modern libraries & information centers in developing countries (pp. 95-109). Ibadan: Evi-Coleman. Siddiqui, M. A. (1997). The use of information technology in academic libraries in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science 29 (4): 195-203. Szilvassy, J. (Ed. ) (1996). Basic serials management handbook. IFLA Publications 77. Munchen: K. G. Saur. Tseng, S. C. , Arcand, J. C. , Brugger, J. M, Finn, M, Olson, A. J. , & Somers, S. (1990).Serials standards work: The next frontier. Library Resources & Technical Services 34 (2): 139-157. Womboh, B. S. H. , & Abba, T. (2008). The state of information and communication technology (ICT) in Nigerian university libraries: The experience of Ibrahim Babangida Library, Federal University of Technology, Yola. Library Philosophy and Practice. Available: http://unllib. unl. edu/LPP/womboh. htm ? Explanation and opinion From the article above, we know that there is a general low use of ICT facilities for serials functions except in the areas of serials public services and preservation (table 1) in libraries.Serials functions in the Southern Nigeria federal university libraries are still predominately manually performed with ICT application being more prominent in the public services and preservation functions. This is because in Nigeria, many of the libraries studied do not have library software due to the expensive price of the software. However, it is shown that 55% of the libraries have an automated system regarding the serials storage system. It also implies that many of them have their automated serials holdings being domicile in personal computers or that they possess the List of Serials on CD-ROM which users can access.Furthermore, the use of Internet has low response,so there is the tendency that the users are provided with CD-ROM in these libraries. This means that the use of CD-ROM is more dominant than internet in Nigeria. The low positive response on the application of the Internet in libraries shows that the studied libraries were not utilizing the free electronic serials available on the Internet to replace the limited serials subscription made by some of these libraries. This maybe because of the not skilled people in Nigeria. In my opinion, the libraries in Nigeria should optimize the use of ICT.This can be done by having seminars about how to use the internet (how to browse for information, download, save files, etc). Even though the libraries have been changing so much that it changed from paperwork-based into ICT-based system. Though a few of the libraries use Internet, photocopiers, personal computer, and CD-ROM are the most commonly used ICT facilities in the serials unit. This is because the Nigerian people don’t know the technology of internet yet and they are still a developing country. ? Impac t to society: It is clear that by using ICT in libraries, there will be some impact to the society.For example it will change the way of borrowing books, the way of storing data of customers, etc that will be discussed below. Advantages: 1. It will be faster to store information of customers. By using ICT, the process of storing customers’ data will be faster because it only needs us to type which is significanly faster rather than to write 2. The data that is stored will also be more secure by using ICT. When the data is stored using computer, the risk of lost data will be very low compared to when using written forms of customers’ data. This is explained because the risk of losing paperwork is a lot more compared to the risk in computer. . It will be easier to modify / change the data stored. When using computer, we can modify data very easily. This will help the librarians greatly so their job will be much easier too. They don’t need to re-write all the custo mers information again like if they are using paperwork. 4. The process of borrowing books will be much faster and in an efficient way. By using ICT, we can just scan the book barcode when a customer wanted to borrow a particular book. This will be faster since they only need to scan (not to write the description of the book). 5. We can know when a particular customer haven’t return the books that they borrowed.This will reduce the risk of losing books in the library and also will help customer to be discipline to return the books that they borrowed on time. When using the old type of storing data, the librarians will be lazy to check because there are so much data that they have to search. However, they can filter data using ICT and they will work with more tenacity. 6. The society will have more access to information that is available by using the internet. Customers can use the computers that are provided in the library and search for information that maybe not available i n the library’s books.This will improve the knowledge of society and this will lead to a better society with up-to-date information. 7. It will be easier for the society to print, send e-mail, do research etc by using the computers provided in the library. Thus enabling them to score high in their report and moreover giving them a future career prospect. Disadvantages: 1. There will be unemployment for some librarians since the library doesn’t need a lot of librarians anymore. The librarians whose old job were to check / write data in paper will be no longer needed since the ICT will only need fewer librarians to do the same amount of work. . In Nigeria, many people doesn’t seem to understand ICT well, so there will be problems when they are using the ICT system. For example, internet service and computers. They won’t be that interested in using the computer because they don’t know how to use it. So, if they force themself to use computer, there wi ll be probability that they will damage the computers’ hardwares, or the computers will be abandoned with no users using them. 3. The cost of implementing the ICT system is not cheap. It usually requires a lot of money that the university have to provide.This will have impact on other university facilities. Because of the implementation of ICT, other facilities will have only a low budget and this can be bad for the university students. From the list of advantages and disadvantages before, we all know that the ICT system in library have a significant impact to the society. For me, even though it has some disadvantages, there are a lot more advantages that ICT system offers. It will also modernize the local people by providing more and more information from abroad, not only from the books. Thus, ICT system is very important to the better qualified of individuals.

Existentialism and Metamorphosis Essay

Existentialism is defined as a modern philosophical movement stressing the importance of one’s experience and accountability. Its focus is the make on the personal reflections that these make on the individual, who is seen as a free agent in a deterministic and seemingly meaningless universe. Its philosophy is meticulous that, in a nutshell, advocates a diverse arsenal of responses and solutions to the ‘existentialist attitude’; which, essentially, is what an individual feels when confronted by the absurdity of life. Throughout humanity, rumination and self-proclaimed ‘ultimate’ truths have assumed various forms: poetry, religion, and numerous other doctrines and textual works. In The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka narrates the ramifications of a metamorphosis in which the subject and protagonist, a man named Gregor Samsa, is transformed into a bug. Despite the novella’s literary methods and influences, the most prominent being the way Kafka so nonchalantly describes such irregularity in his life, The Metamorphosis is also hailed as a prime textual work of existentialism, the previously mentioned philosophical movement. Both prior and subsequent to the transformation, Kafka portrays Gregor as a man who seems lost within himself, and lacking identity. The reminiscences of his past are neither nostalgic nor poignant: his human life is seen to revolve solely around trivial matters. His social life pays the price from this, his failure to assert a concrete and consistent existence. The extent of his lack of individuality is further exemplified by his reaction to the metamorphosis: finding himself â€Å"transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect† (K afka, 296), he prioritizes work over all else, even in his newly equated insect form. Furthermore, he panics because â€Å"the next train went at seven o’clock; to catch that he would need to hurry like mad and his samples weren’t even packed up† (297). Gregor’s identity crisis is a device for conveying Kafka’s belief of an impersonal society where individualism is drastically mitigated as a result of excessive materialism. Gregor, in the context of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Notes from Underground analogy, would be the ‘ant’ in the anthill— thus rendering his metamorphosis ironically. Another dominant theme prevalent throughout the novella is the absurd situation Gregor is confronted by. These nonsensical happenings (296-327) reflect the world as seen from the existentialist perspective: a world absent of a rational and comprehensive objective. Jean-Paul Sartre postulated that ‘every existing thing is born without reason, prolongs itself out of weakness, and dies by chance’. This meaninglessness is precisely what Gregor is victim to in the microcosm of society that Kafka generates: Gregor flounders about, beleaguered by absurdity and helplessness, presumably because he is unaware of Nietzsche and Kierkegaard’s somewhat consoling conclusions that one must devise meaning for one’s own existence ex nihilo. Once again, Kafka utilizes a combination of plot and character to convey his angst concerning an apparently pointless existence. Freedom— or rather the lack thereof— is another existentialist tenet that Kafka addresses. Gregor is depicted as someone constrained by self-imposed burdens, the most demanding being the role as the financial pillar of the family. Despite having the freedom to repudiate this role, Gregor instead pursues it with feverish ardor to the extent that it becomes his ‘sole desire’ (310). Yet his harangue regarding his career (297-298) reveals that this is not due to personal desire, but rather the belief that he must replace his father financially, regardless of preference. Gregor’s delusion regarding an absence of choice contradicts what Kafka perceives as the truth: that freedom is ubiquitous in spite of any ethical obligations we may be expected to adhere to, and that the individual defines his or herself via one’s decisions. A quasi-motto of existentialism coined by Sartre, ‘existence precedes essence’. In conclusion, Kafka employs the fictional literary elements he constructs to address the very non-fictional, existentialist aspects of society and life. Akin to Dostoyevsky’s Notes from Underground, it can be interpreted as both a rumination and tirade against impersonal communities, restriction of freedom, and the absurdity of life.

Newspaper Op-Ed Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Newspaper Op-Ed - Article Example Legislations aim at safeguard the functionality of a given institution. The bill being proposed to allow the patients to choose whether to use experimental drugs, shall mean medical practitioners are have limited control in matters public health. Any action requires an individual to take responsibility. The medical code of ethics means that each doctor or nay other health officer is enshrined by a given set of roles thus must adhere to these rules. This implies that any effect of a given drug to a patient. My allowing the use of experimental drugs will mean that each patient would be liable if the drug negatively affects them. This will mean that the doctors and other medical officers will be reduced to inactive members in public health. This will culminate into malpractices by these officers with knowledge that the existing regulation protects them from any punishment. This will hence undermine the essence of ethical code of conduct. The patients will be subjected to commercialized health system that cares less on practitioners’ ethics. The bill fails to specify under which circumstances the experimental drugs will be used. The loophole in the bill will create room for the medical practitioners to use these drugs for their own benefits. This will entail using humans as ‘guinea pigs’ in an attempt to create a product that commercially benefit the doctors administering treatment. The use of human in test the raises the question on the ethical components of the experimental drugs. Companies will collaborate with health providers in a scheme to test their drugs on humans. The patients will subject to a series of drugs without their knowledge. The essence of any public health institution is to ensure the patient’s welfare is protected. The physicians in any facility should ensure any activity improves the wellbeing of their patients. In any terminal illness case there is the question of when should the ending

DeLillo's White Noise and Mao II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

DeLillo's White Noise and Mao II - Essay Example DeLillo has proved himself as an ace analyzer of crowd situations. Jack Gladney, an off-beat professor in the studies of Hitler at the College-on-the-Hill, is the main character of "White Noise." As much as he is grim and off-keyed, his wife and children are equally the odd combination of bizarre and blas. His wife, Babette, beset with a forgetful mind nurses an ever present premonition of death. Babette's addiction to a drug called Dylar finds her in dalliance with a certain shady Dr. Gray compromising with him her body for drugs, a situation which almost ends in murder. The sons, Heinrich, 14, glum and prone to doomsday anxieties, is a chip of the old block, while 3 years old Wilder is rather assuring and conspicuous by his presence. The daughters, Denise, 11, is a brat and will brook no nonsense from her parents, calling spade a spade, and Steffie, the younger sibling, is a sensitive child who cannot bear to see anyone suffer. It is a classical case of a family living inside a capsule inexorably hurtling towards sure doomsday. The family itself is a telling commentary of the society we live in today. The glum environment may well be the product of a blended marriage with the children having to bear the brunt of a forced step-relationship over which they have no control. The novel highlights the role of children in the scheme of things in the present world. They are more sober, more sensitive, and the target consumers for marauding marketers, reflectively symbolic of the novel's mock surprise towards anything natural and tendency towards more sensitivity and sobriety found among kids rather than the grown ups. Nonetheless, they are warned of the isolation and discomfiture that are sure to follow them soon, by professors at the college. DeLillo's novels have the uncanny effect of touching upon raw nerves. They delve into the not so distant past, hover over the present, and eerily strike at the future bang on target. Written in 1985 with an industrial disaster as background, the "White Noise" draws parallel with the Union Carbide tragedy in Bhopal in 1984, and attempts to rub some sensitivity into a nation benumbed with excessive materialism and prosperity. The United States' prominent world supremacy is akin to the arrogance of Hitler minus the despotic adventurism. Typically, responsibility and control can go to the computer programs. In the quest for comfort and an easy lifestyle, the increasing tendency to fulfill every wish at the press of a button is so pervasive that it is treated as an irritant if the situation turns out to be otherwise. With the Gladney family as the background, "White Noise" goes on to reach out and catch the big picture of the industrial accident and its consequent aftermath when the evacuation lasting nine days causes seemingly endless traffic snarls and panicky inhabitants taking whatever route and protection available to escape the doomed city. News of the impending disaster after the first tentative information about the leak instinctively thrust the population nonchalantly towards their favorite supermarkets. It is only after the death of a man during inspection, and a night of "airborne toxic event" that the magnitude of the disaster sinks in

Ventur and Competition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ventur and Competition - Essay Example States is the Federal Sherman Act 1890, with each state having reciprocal antitrust provisions effectively mirroring the Sherman Act (Hovenkamp, 2005). The essence of the Sherman Act is the prohibition of agreements that unreasonably restrain trade, monopolies, attempted monopolies and conspiracies to monopolize (Sherman Act 1890, section 1). The relevant enforcement body is the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, state attorneys and general or private parties affected by any proposed anti-competitive measure (Posner, 2001). If a joint venture or partnership agreement is found to fall within any of the Sherman Act 1890 prohibitions, the penalties for violation include the following: The main reason that healthcare joint ventures can fall foul of the antitrust provisions under the Sherman Act is that often the partners will be competitors within the same market with the overriding purpose being to pool resources to maximise economic benefits (Elhauge & Geradin, 2007). However, if additional to this, the venture partners continue to compete outside of the joint venture agreement, the antitrust legislation imposes restrictions on conduct between the partners (Hovenkamp, 2005). Secondly, one of the partners in the venture may have market power or the result of the venture will be to increase market power, which can be anti-competitive if the partners to the venture are then enabled to set prices above a competitive level. Furthermore, in considering the proposed joint venture the company should consider the following four issues in particular: In considering compliance with Sherman Act provisions, it is vital for the company to consider the relevant market (Posner, 20010. The relevant market comprises the relevant service market and relevant geographic market (Elhauge & Geradin, 2007). The service market is where the market of services is â€Å"reasonably interchangeable† and the relevant geographic market is â€Å"the area of effective

Democratic assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Democratic assessment - Essay Example However, in this particular article, we are going to lay emphasis on the democratic organization and structure of Canada and at the same time compare it to the various democracies globally. First and foremost Canada is a country situated in the North American continent. It is a vast nation which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the pacific and further to the Arctic Ocean. 1Apparently, it is a federal parliamentary nation and at the same times a constitutional monarchy with the royal family as the head of the nation. On that note, the nation is founded on the following values: freedom, democracy, democratic leadership, human rights and finally the rule of law. 2However, the democracy in Canada has faced harsh criticism on the fact that it is termed as being less participatory on the part of representation following the politicians advocating for policies which serve their own interest as opposed the interest of the majority of the people. Despite all that, the government has tirel essly worked to restore the participation of the public through election. In addition to that, elections have provided a forum in which the people of a nation have control over the governing authorities and their policies.3 Apparently, elections have served as a vetting forum for the leaders. In addition to that, through elections people have been able to elect credible leaders for the various public administrative positions for instance the Member of Parliament in the case of Canada and therefore accountability in office has been boosted greatly since failure to deliver on office means one would not be reelected during the next election. 4Furthermore, elections give the people the authority to select the leader they feel will represent them fully in the government; address their grievance to the governing body. On the contrary, through referendum exercises the people have been able to approve the policies they regard in their best interest and at the same time disapprove some of th e policies formulated by the government that they view are unsuitable for the nation’s growth. In other words, elections have given the people power to select which policies to approve to law. 5For instance, in case the government of a nation needs to amend the constitution; which is the law of the country, they may require a majority vote of the citizens in a bid to approve and ensure the participation of the people in democracy of the nation. On a similar theme, people are also given the power to control the policy through the fact that they get to elect new officials during every election. On that note, the newly elected individuals come in with new ideas and policies which are aimed at improving the living standards of people. Consequently, the people are able to keep in check the activities of the government. Apparently, in Canada elections are held on several fronts in the government. 6On that note, there are the national, provincial, municipal and finally the territori al elections. Notably, the parliament of Canada consists of two major divisions; the House of Commons which contain three hundred and eight members and the senate which has one hundred and five appointees of the governor general with the aid of the prime minister. During

Starbucks's finacial analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Starbucks's finacial analysis - Essay Example The cost of equity is calculated by the formula: Ce = Rf + (Em-Rf)*b, where The cost of debt of Starbucks is very low as the company has the vision to attain minimum debt. The amount of debt raised by Starbucks is very low. Due to the tax shield, the cost of debt of Starbucks is very low. The tax rate of Starbucks is 32.8%. The cost of equity and the cost of debt of Starbucks are multiplied respectively to the respective proportions of the debt and equity. The weighted cost of debt and weighted cost of equity are added to find the weighted average cost of capital (Yahoo finance, 2013). The weighted average cost of capital of Starbucks is 11.14%. The earnings before interest and taxes of Starbucks are about 15.7% of the total revenue in 2012. The earnings before interest and tax are the net earnings after operation before interest and taxes are paid (Baker and  Powell, 2009). The increase in EBIT over the last three years is depicted in the table given below. The FCF for Starbucks has been calculated below with the help of formula: Net Earnings before paying interest and tax * (1- tax rate) + Amortization and Depreciation – Net change in working capital – Capital Expenditure. The depreciation and amortization expense of the company consists of the expenses written off by the loss of valuation of its assets due to usage and part of the expenses due to repayment of the loans consisting of principal and interest payments. The depreciation and amortization of the company has increased by 5.56% from 2011 to 2012. The working capital of Starbucks is determined as the net of the current assets after meeting the current liabilities of the company to run its daily operations. The working capital of Starbucks has changed over the years which could be indicated by the trend of change in working capital over the years (Khan, 2004). The compounded annual growth rate

Film Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Film Review - Assignment Example Based on a true story, Missing weave the incident that took place in Chile in 1973. An American freelance journalist Charles Horman (John Shea) with his wife Beth (Sissy Spacek) is in Chile as the opportunity presents them with the condition of military coup to report on, during and after the regime of Salvador Allande. As the time nears for the couple to leave Chile to return to America, Charles is been abducted by the military, which hints the involvement of the American army – a place where they should not be present. The following events depict the father of Charles, a conservative business man trying to locate his son and get out of the jungle of lies and deception portrayed by the US embassy with his daughter in law. Like every film produced to date, Missing contains a theme, targets a specific audience and has few editing shortcomings. The theme of the movie can be describes as addressing the controversy that had resulted as a result of Charles Horman execution back in 1973 and to clearly portray the involvement of US government in the scenario. For instance, in the start of the movie Gavras educate the people that the proceeding scenes are accounted for and are documented too; this implies that whatever will be shown in the movie cannot be questioned and the scenes are shot after authorizing the incident. So, we can harmlessly assume that the Gavras hinting that the US government was involved and the embassy played a part in approving or commanding the execution of Chalres Horman is correct. But then, this particular controversy clearing scenes opened new questioning from the public as well as the government. People tends to get more involved in a movie if the movie is based on a real incident, as this flick by Gavras falls in the same category the audience targeted by the director was the American citizen, because of the fact that the main victim of the movie was an American and this topic had been controversial for a long period of

Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Economic - Essay Example In the next segment of the paper, the cause and benefits of Trans Pacific Partnership related to international trade agreements that has become the headline of The New York Times will also be examined. As per the reports of The Washington Post, the gasoline tax has been static at 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993, as no Federal government has taken initiatives to increase the tax rate in last 20 years. However, as the oil price dropped by 40% in June 2014, many states considered reviewing the rate of the long-static federal gasoline tax. However, such increment in gasoline tax rate involves certain pros and cons as well as economic consequences (Ferguson 153). As per the newspaper report, the most important benefit that the US economy will experience from increasing gasoline tax can be attributed as the potential environmental benefits which may arise from decline in use of crude oil and gasoline. The rationale is based on the connotation that, in case of a higher tax on gasoline and its sub products, the citizen would opt for alternatives such as public transportation instead of personal car that will definitely bring social benefits in real sense. Moreover, as the total revenue obtained from gasoline tax is utilized in the Federal Highway Trust Fund, the Congress is planning to contribute the additional money accumulated from the incremented tax rate for the purpose of reducing budget deficit. The US government is also of the opinion that as increment in the US gasoline tax will encourage the citizen for using alternative sources of energy; such initiative will reduce dependence of US government on the largest foreign suppliers of crude oil, OPEC which in turn will bring higher stability in the entire American economy. According to the notion of Ex President, Mr. George W. Bush, high level of dependency in turn jeopardizes the economic growth to a

Environmental Impacts from over Population Essay Example for Free

Environmental Impacts from over Population Essay Introduction The population of human beings on this planet has been gaining exponentially, since the dawn of Man. A basic feature of an exponential increase is that the numbers increase faster and faster as the population doubles and redoubles, with each doubling occurring in the same amount of time (Wright, 2008), As the population continues to multiply, so do the impacts upon our environment and surrounding ecosystems. As human populations increase, the demands for food, supplies, and housing also increase. With these increased demands, there is now a greater strain upon our resources more than ever before. The question then becomes, what are the impacts upon our environment by our population situation, and is there anything that can be done to deal with the problems from this dilemma? Population Impacts As civilization has continued to grow and develop, so has the impact upon our environment by our exploding population. As mankind began to â€Å"modernize†, the Earth began to feel impacts by the choices made from its inhabitants. Beginning with the agricultural revolution, humankind became able to manipulate his environment (Sharp, 2000). During the agricultural revolution, man was able to plant and grow food. As societies were still nomadic in their nature, mankind would use the resources of the Earth to their fullest extent, and then move on to the next area. This started with slash and burn techniques, and for the first time, CO2 levels were modified (Sharp, 2000) As the population of the planet continued to surge, the next great impact upon the environment would be the industrial revolution of the 1800’s. With the boom of the industrial revolution across the world, the demand for natural resources and the impacts upon the environment would soar. More people and natural resources were needed to sustain the new industrial system and the needs of growing societies (Sharp, 2000). The impacts of the industrial revolution were great and vast. For the first time in our world’s history, we could see the potential impacts of using our natural resources and dealing with an ever-growing worldwide population. The effects of population growth upon the environment are becoming revealed at an alarming rate. Between 1960 and 1999, Earths population doubled from three billion to six billion people (Rand, 2000). The world has changed dramatically over the last several years. The landscapes and ecosystems that were present hundreds of years of ago are no longer in existence. We are consuming our natural resources at an alarming rate. In fact, many environmental experts believe that human beings have reached their carrying capacity of sustainable life. How do we meet the challenges of population growth and managing our natural resources without exploiting the environment? First, we must begin to invest in technology that does not degrade the environment (Sharp, 2000). This is very critical to the retention of a sustainable environment for our future. In the past, countries developed around their economic strength. This factor often meant that most nations did not consider long-term environmental impacts by their decisions. These â€Å"slash and burn† techniques by many nations have resulted in devastating consequences to our ecosystems. There are entire species that have become extinct, all in the name of economic progress. This short-term economic gain for many of these nations has resulted in effects that will be felt from generations to come. The eye of man can see the effects of population growth. It also can now project the effects of population demand in the future. One of the growing problems facing mankind today is global climate change. From glaciers melting, to rising oceanic temperatures, and even climactic weather events, the effects of population upon the earth, have impacted our future for many years. Research suggests that temperatures have been influenced by growing concentrations of greenhouse gases, which absorb solar radiation and warm the atmosphere (Rand, 2000). There is still a great deal that we can do to preserve the environment and place a halt to the devastating environment impacts of our population growth. Our sustainability not only depends on us meeting this challenge, but also presents an opportunity to provide for the future of our civilization. An encouraging note is the simple fact that many companies are now becoming â€Å"green† companies, meaning that they are attempting to be environmentally conscious and pursue policies that offer to protect and not neglect our environment. The answers to this problem are two fold. First, we must address the growing populations in the developing world. The populations in these areas are growing at an alarming rate. Many of these areas are already facing critical famines and food shortages of historic proportions. Unfortunately, efforts to implement policies that stress birth control have not been effective. We must address the growing populations in these areas, if we are to tackle the problems that population growth has created upon the Earth. The next problem we must address, if we are to maintain adequate sustainability upon the Earth, is our own consumption issues. As a nation, we are consuming natural resources at an alarming rate. We consume more energy per capita than any nation on this planet. Moreover, we must develop better land-use policies in the developed world. The â€Å"slash and burn† tactics of the past must be stopped and we must acknowledge the fact that we cannot destroy entire ecosystems that have taken hundreds of years to develop, and believe we can replace them by simply planting hundreds of trees that will take years to grow. The impacts of our decisions are great. The choice is clearly impacted by economic factors. As a nation, our demand for consumer goods is at a high level. While our population is growing at a slow rate, our consumption levels have never been higher. Many Americans do not focus on the environmental impacts of their decisions today. We must implement sound environmental policies that embrace this factor. The choices are clear for society. As the population of the world continues to soar, so will the stresses upon our environment. There will be a greater need for usable water, natural resources, and even greater energy demands. While these demands pose a potential calamity for the environment, they also create opportunity for new industries. As mankind begins to recognize the negative effects upon the environment by poor decisions and usage in the past, we as a society can create and environment that fosters the development of â€Å"green† industries and elect government officials that encourage policies that promote the well being of our environment. Conclusion The effects on our environment from our population are visible everyday. One need only look to the smog filled sky, or read the newspapers decrying the shortages of drinking water, and the battles that are ensuing to lay claim to that drinking water to realize the impact of the decisions that face us as a society today. We can change the way we live and stop the poor use of the environment, and we can control the growth of the population in third world countries, or continue the status quo. If we choose poorly, we will face an environmental impact that will test the sustainability, not only of our civilization, but also of our planet.

Selling Crack In El Barrio Sociology Essay

Selling Crack In El Barrio Sociology Essay Society sets standards for us to strive toward, and offers a limited set of accepted means through which we can reach these standards. Unfortunately, the means accepted by society are not available to everyone. The lack of equal opportunity in our society compels certain groups to resort to deviant behavior in order to achieve their goals, or even just to survive. Deviance or deviant behavior is behavior that goes against accepted formal and informal social norms. Crime falls into the category of deviance that goes against formal social norms, or written laws and regulations. Groups that engage in deviant behavior are generally stigmatized by society, and in turn, are subject to marginalization. One such group is the immense subculture of drug dealers. A subculture is a group that has cultural values and behavioral patterns distinctive of a particular group in a society. In his account titled In Search of Respect, ethnographic researcher Philippe Bourgois goes into the depths of this subculture and examines why drug dealers live the way they do and how their occupation is a not just a personal choice, but a product of society. In addition to illustrating the social production of blocked opportunities for residents in Bourgoiss ground breaking book, he also provides an interesting new insight into the street culture found in New York City by examining the effects of illegal drugs on a minority group. Specifically, the book focuses on the experiences and lives of Puerto Rican crack cocaine dealers and users as well as their friends, families and girlfriends, each of whom Bourgois depicts as victims of circumstance. In doing so, the author vividly details and analyzes the effects of structural inequality and social marginalization in the United States. Bourgois, with his wife and child, moved into a tenement apartment in a small neighborhood in New York City named East Harlem in 1985. To residents, this neighborhood was simply known as El Barrio. To conduct his study, Bourgois and his family spent the next five years living among the harsh realities of the ghetto streets. The purpose of this was to infiltrate, assimilate, and participate in the daily workings of the community as much as possible to gain a better understanding of the circumstances these poor and suffering Puerto Rican residents faced. As such, the ultimate goal was to gain entrance to a network of Puerto Rican crack dealers as well as their network of relatives and acquaintances. During his five year stint in El Barrio, Bourgois engaged in intensive participant observation among the informants who allowed him to penetrate the secretive culture of the underground economy. He provides the reader with verbatim narratives taken from his conversations with drug dealers, police officers (who occasionally mistook him for a drug addict), and drug users Bourgois uses the account of his subject and friend named Primo to illustrate the circumstances of drug dealers and the reasons they resort to illegal jobs. The norms of drug dealers include street sales, drug houses, violent crime, and respect associated with the status of a drug dealer. Having the identity of a drug dealer attributes a sense of power and pride to a man, even if it is just in his neighborhood. It prevents him from having to bear the humiliation of being degraded or belittled by a superior while working at a legal job. Bourgois book focuses on a relatively unexamined section of the drug industry, the local dealers, some of whom are, or have been drug users. He notes that most of them started out in legitimate work, often prematurely by truanting from school, not a difficult thing to do in the inner city. However their entrepreneurial skills have not enabled them to escape from the most vulnerable wage sector. The poorest jobs fail to satisfy them while their backgrounds make it impossible for them to sustain contact with more promising possibilities. Still they are unwilling to lie down to the system. They have made the most of their limited opportunities by finding a niche in the illegal drug market. Although nobody is more aware than they are of the ultimate hopelessness of this, nevertheless in the meantime it gives them the buzz, the status and the income their yuppie contemporaries find a few blocks away in Wall St. very well-written, as the author uses a plain, easy-to-read and understand style. He is arguing that answers to societys most pressing issues are a lot more than mere blame-the-system or blame-the-victim approaches. It is far too common for liberals and conservatives, respectively, to blame society or to blame pathological, flawed individuals for social problems. As Bourgois shows in this book, the truth is often a combination of the two. Even his informants admit that they blame no one else but themselves for the situations they are in. The book starts off with Bourgoiss own experience of how there is an apartheid present in New York working against his subjects The amount of poverty in this portion of our country is much higher than that in most other areas. Bourgois argues that this neighborhood, which is well known for high rates of violence, does not have widespread violence occurring amongst all of its members. The higher crime rate, argues Bourgois, occurs for the most part within the factions of the underground economy. Some insight into this economy would explain the reasons for higher rates of violence. This book is a summary of the events that occurred during Bourgois stay in El Barrio. The original purpose of the book was to write a first-hand account of poverty and ethnic segregation in the heart of one of the worlds largest cities. Bourgois was swept into the area drug economy because of the abundance of information from the dealers and their families who all lived within the immediate area. The problem was so prevalent that the focus of th The amount of drug dealers or crack houses is an indirect result of the lost jobs in Harlem. Bourgois states that many of the unemployed in the inner-city are not successful in finding work because they lack the skills of working efficiently with people that they dont already have an every day relationship with, something that factory jobs provided. Factory jobs that moved out of the inner-cities left the large minority groups without a collective workplace where everybody knew their task and how to complete it. The current availability of jobs within the inner-city is mostly within the service sector. These jobs are individualized jobs where independence is required rather than a group effort. The jobs pay little and arent generally respected. This tends to lead many people within this community to become involved in the drug economy. Bourgois argues that, to reduce the violence within the drug community, we should consider the decriminalization of drugs. This would force small time dealers out of business, eliminating the need for them to commit violence amongst themselves, while making the s Bourgois states that there is a strong feeling of community among the people living in El Barrio. Those people not involved in the drug market rarely encounter violence themselves because the dealers have nothing to fear from them. Bourgois states that, during the day, children are safely left to play in the streets unattended by their parents. At night, when the legitimate working force of the community is eating dinner or asleep, is when the brunt of violence takes place Bourgois portrayal of the dealers and their families makes it difficult for the reader not to feel sympathy and compassion towards them. His argument is well defined and persuasive due to the fact that he moved his family to the area in which he was studying and had the courage to get in and really interact with the people of this community. The way in which he writes also compliments his argument by drawing the reader in and making him feel like he himself were there. Many may not agree with the solution that Bourgois suggests, but everyone who reads the book will re-think their own views before discussing t This is an incredibly well written ethnography, its very accessible and could be read by anyone. Really illustrates the problems of people in ghettoised areas, with restricted access to the job market and a stigma attached to them. Stigma is a mark of infamy or reproach. Drug dealing is stigmatized because norms of drug dealing completely clash with the norms of society, most obviously by going against written laws. Consuming or possessing illegal drugs is a crime, but the The only jobs that provided enough money for the Harlemites to survive on, with out having to engage in some other illegal activity, are high risk construction jobs, which were ran by racist mafia backed unions (ch. 4 pg. 162), or entry level jobs in the F.I.R.E. (finance, insurance, or real estate) sector (ch. 4 pg.142), where the impoverished Puerto Ricans did not have enough cultural capital or the proper ethnic background to survive in the positions being offered. Although the world of the underground economy is very chaotic, it all seems to revolve around one thing, crack. Everyones daily life, that is anyone who is not a member of the poor legal working class, is organized around crack, whether one is fighting rival crews for a spot to sell, or just hanging out at the local crackhouse waiting for a handout. It is prevalent on both the violent and non-violent spectrums of the culture. Obviously, the dealers had the most respect of everyone, and were looked up at by youngsters. To survive financially outside of mainstream society, one must manipulate all of ones available resources to make a livable income. So, in the underground economy this can mean any thing, from taking advantage of the welfare office, to selling drugs, or robbing people, all of which were employed by most of the subjects in this book. The only act that stood out to me, as being a ritual was the act of getting high. While getting high served two fold, it served as a method to deal with the reality of not being able to be in control of any part of ones life, and it severed as a way of opening up the lines for communication, as most of all the testimonials occurred over liquor and some sort of drug. What caught the eye of the youngsters were their nice shoes and the respect everyone had for the dealer. So at the earliest time possible, the young kids would try and emulate what they have seen as an acceptable, and viable way to get money and respect. Selling drugs, being violent, and robbing people, all were skills that they learned at school (ch.4pg.194). Bourgois eventually found his way to a storefront called the Game Room where video games provided a cover for the sale of crack cocaine. It was the manager of this establishment, Primo, who became Bourgoiss friend and primary informant about life in El Barrio. Through this intimacy, Bourgois seeks to tell us some things about the symbols and symptoms of urban ghetto life, the Achilles heel of the richest industrialized nation in the world by documenting how it imposes racial segregation and economic marginalization on so many of its Latino/a and African-American citizens. (Bourgois: 1995a; 14) Bourgois painstakingly records and analyzes the exploits of these elements of Puerto Rican diaspora. The culmination of such fieldwork is collected in ethnography about the urban underground economy and social marginalization Speaking fluently the minority language, he lived for five years in El Barrio and also travelled to Puerto Rico to trace the connections between there and Amerikay. His analysis starts in Puerto Rico, a Caribbean island at the end of the Cuban ±Dominican chain and therefore of strategic importance to the United States. Colonization by the US has The concentration of Puerto Rican immigrants in East Harlem has access mainly to the poorest service jobs in New York City. East Harlem is a classic ghetto which no self respecting New Yorker would think of even driving through. Yet, as Bourgois notes, the majority of East Harlem inhabitants have nothing to do with crime, far less drugs. It is the removal of all local industry, e.g. garment making, which has exposed a social infrastructure that is too weak to support the present massive levels of unemployment and casual labor.

Chemistry of Psilocybin and Synaptic Transmitters Involved :: Chemical Drugs Drug papers

Chemistry of Psilocybin and Synaptic Transmitters Involved Psilocybin is a type of hallucinogenic mushroom that is ingested by eating the raw fungi. The mushroom can also be made into a tea and drunk. In some of the later studies done on psilocybin, the drug was synthetically produced and then either inhaled or injected by an IV. The drug enters the blood stream and can cross the blood brain barrier because of it relative metabolic similarity to serotonin (Fuller 1985). This means that since psilocybin is chemical resemblance to the neurotransmitter serotonin, psilocybin can trick the protein channels embedded in the membrane of the blood vessel and pass through as if it were serotonin and not a drug. Psilocybin (4phosphodimethyltryptamine or N, N dimethyltryptamine (DMT)) is a naturally occurring indoleamine hallucinogen and is metabolized to psilocin after ingestion (Umbricht, Koller, Vollenweider, Schmid, 2001). Psilocin is the active chemical in the plant and it is what causes hallucinations and other behavioral changes in the individual taking the substance. It is stated that psilocybin is used in research because it is short-acting, naturally occurring and draws less attention then other well-know hallucinogens (Strassman 1996). There are not many studies done with human subjects so the majority of data has been collected with animals (rats in particular). In many articles the effects, both neurological and behavioral are likened to the effects of the hallucinogen LSD. The hallucinogen psilocybin is considered to be a monoamine related substance that is mediated by the effects of activity by serotonergic systems in the central nervous system (Grilly 1998). When talking about the serotonergic systems that are affected by the drug Psilocybin the research is focusing on the central systems and not the periphery nerve networks. The drug is considered to be part of the indolealkylamine group and is classified in the chemical class of tryptamines. A number of indolealkylamines that are hallucinogenic can be divided into three basic groups, tryptamine derivatives, beta-carbolines, and lysergic acid derivatives (Glennon 1985, Nichols and Glennon 1984). Psilocybin is tryptamine derived. The indole nucleus of serotonin is commonly found in the chemical class of tryptamines (Abraham, Aldridge, Gogia 1996). Psilocybin in one of the best studied tryptamine derivatives and is related to other indolealkylamines that are derived from various plants (Nichols and Glennon 1996).

Interview with a Social Service Manager Essay -- Interview Essays

It is Friday afternoon and I am walking from the bus station towards Dunkin Donuts to meet Regina Borden, the program coordinator of healthy family services of the Catholic Charity. I see white Toyota pulling up in front of me. Behind the steering wheel I see women in her fifties waiving her hand on me very warmly. I new it is her, Regina Borden, the person I am waiting for. Quite short, thin lady with a blond curly hair got out of the car. She walks towards me and shakes my hand. " I could have invited you to my office, but actually I manage three organizations, so I have three offices, and I exactly didn't know in which one I would be this afternoon, so I thought it would be the best just to meet you here. Is that ok?" said Borden. We walked into Dunkin Donuts and ordered two cups of tea. Borden seemed very indecisive in picking up the table where to sit. She seemed to look for the right one, the one with the right energy, the most comfortable one for both of us. As soon as we set down she apologizes for wearing such a casual dress with an explanation that she mostly works on the road, so she tries to stay comfortable at all the time. After her first, elegant sip of tea Borden told me about two other organizations she manages. Except working as a program coordinator of healthy family services, she is also a coordinator for a home based parenting literacy program as well as a yoga instructor in a healthy club. Borden, who has a master in psychology says. "I have always known what I want to do already at the university, where I was involved in many activities like assisting professors with a psychology researches, or assisting private psychologists in the hospitals" She characterizes herself a... ... After she says more seriously that she would like to see more money for the program and have better resources. She is also planning to have her own program with her own alternative ways. At the end I was curious how she reveals all the stress that she has to deal with many times. Borden looked at me with her deep eyes and says with her calming quiet voice. "I practice yoga and I also reveal my stress throughout the art therapy, which I also practice at home with my children as well." It is 9 pm and Borden is ready to go for another meeting. She gently throws away her empty cup from tea and holds the door for me to get outside. We shake our hands and Borden is slowly walking back towards her car. Before she opens the car door she turns and with an honest smile on her face says: " If you want to I would give you a ride back to the bus station."

Historical Criticism of Mans Fate :: essays papers

Historical Criticism of Mans Fate Man’s Fate is a fictional story based on the 1927 Chinese revolution in Shanghai. The main characters, Ch’en, Kyo, May, Katov, and Old Gisors represent different facets of Malraux’s belief system and personality. The story opens where Ch’en is in the room of a sleeping man who he’s about to assassinate. The assassination of the businessman can be seen as the destruction of the capitalism Malraux saw as the cause of the â€Å"oppressed and exploited Chinese† (Greenlee 59). Malraux came from a broken home and had great empathy for the working class. As Ch’en is holding the dagger, he focuses on his victim’s foot because he is about to destroy a living thing. Ch’en is conflicted â€Å"†¦torn by anguish: he was sure of himself, yet at the moment he could feel nothing but bewilderment † (3). We can see Malraux’s own conflict here. In 1923, Malraux made a trip to Cambodia where he and his wife, Clara, â€Å"...were arrested by the Surete and charged with archaeological theft a moral failure that Malraux now at last recognized in himself† (Lebovics) Assassination and violence were a common occurrence in China during the revolutionary years. The peasants were abused by the wealthy citizens and landowners,...it was from among their relatives and protà ©gà ©s that those who oppressed and lived off the peasantry were recruited: the bailiffs and stewards who not only collected the rents and debts due to their masters, but also took a substantial cut for their own benefit; the tax-gatherers in whose registers the landlords’ holdings were on an authorized ‘special list’, allowing them to pay taxes in inverse proportion to their wealth, or not at all. (Chesneaux 81-82). Malraux wants his readers to understand the reasons behind the revolt. Time and again, Malraux draws vivid scenes of violence and deprivation. The meeting place to which Ch’en flees after the assassination is that of a poor European shopkeeper, Hemmelrich. â€Å"At last a squalid shop † (11). Kyo is the main character in the story; he is determined to do everything in his power to lead the Shanghai revolt. â€Å"Kyo was one of the organizers of the insurrection, the Central Committee had confidence in him.† (14). Kyo wanted to see fairness for the proletariats. Likewise, Malraux was involved in leftist politics.

Carl Jung’s the Shadow Essay

The following assessment explores my understanding of how I apply the person-centred approach/core conditions to myself when considering my shadow. To help explore and deepen our understanding of Carl Jung’s term ‘the shadow’ the class this week carried out an exercise whereby we each chose a card depicting a negative/challenging personality trait. The card I chose was ‘The Miser’. We then individually explored how we considered this aspect to play a part in our shadow and how the shadow impacts on us personally and professionally. I will go on to describe what I discovered about my shadow during this exercise. The shadow represents the unconscious parts of our personality – the parts our conscious-self disowns due to inner conflicts often originating from foundations such as culture and upbringing. Refusing to acknowledge its existence and place within our psyche threatens to distort our relationships with ourselves and others. Embracing the shadow allows us to move deeper within our unconscious layers and develop a better understanding of self. According to Carl Jung, recognising our shadow material is part of the journey to embracing the totality of ourselves. However, this can prove to be a difficult task. As Jung notes, it takes considerable moral effort, insight, and good will to embrace the dark aspects of our personality. Some parts of the shadow can be recognised more easily than others but because the shadow is ‘a moral problem’, there is usually some resistance to confronting it. 3a) Apply the person-centred approach to self When thinking about the definition of The Miser, I initially was not sure about its true meaning. After questioning this I discovered it describes a miserable, penny pinching character. On expanding on this and relating it to my shadow, I expressed my own connection of this to selfishness leading on to false guilt. So how do I apply the core conditions to myself when experiencing these elements of my shadow? And how can I get to a deeper and more compassionate understanding of these behaviours? A miserly character conjures up, from my personal vantage point, an image of Scrooge – someone who takes no pleasure in spending money on other people or making gestures of generosity. It is not a trait I would claim to have as I genuinely enjoy being as generous as I realistically within my network of family and friends. But, looking at this from a societal perspective, I can link feelings of selfishness to admitting that I could give more money to charity. In the economy we live in, speaking in broad terms, we all need to be careful about how and where we choose to spend our money. I would class myself as an honest, hard-working, tax paying citizen making up part of the working class structure of society. I am however aware of times when I am frugal with my finances and the sense of guilt that can surface. When thinking of my shadow in the context of the core conditions, I can empathically understand that money is an integral part of my survival system – to having the lifestyle, health, necessities and luxuries I choose to strive for. I can feel very sad for people and countries in desperate need of charitable help which is accompanied by a sense of selfishness over the advantages and privileges I fortunately have and whilst I feel passionate that nobody should ever have to live a life of poverty in such a wealthy world, I remain realistic and congruent with myself about the extent of which I am able to help financially. I take the time to acknowledge such issues but manage and internalise them to a degree that does not defeat my sense of contribution to the world. This flows in to unconditional positive regard. I recognise that the feelings of selfishness and false guilt that arise in me are hard to process and if I am honest that I am capable of feeling selfish, I can start to understand with more clarity the reasons to how I arrived at that place and ultimately feel respect and compassion for myself through a clearer understanding and appreciation. 3b) Critically examine how this application impacts on your own counselling So how does thinking about my shadow relate to me professionally? Not owning my shadow as a counsellor could exert an unseen influence on my relationship with the client. To deny such parts of myself is to supress them and inevitably and unconsciously permit them seep in to the dynamics of the relationship. If I strive to use the core conditions with myself, and accept myself sensitively and compassionately, I will be capable of providing the same conditions for the client. Rogers (1961) describes further the relevance of being congruent; â€Å"The psychotherapist is what he is, when in the relationship with his client he is genuine and without front or facade, openly being the feelings and attitudes which at that moment are flowing in him†¦the feelings the therapist is experiencing are available to him, available to his awareness, and he is able to live these feelings, be them, and able to communicate them if appropriate. † As a counsellor I need to have the ability to own my flaws and admit that I am human and fallible but strive to internally construct them in a sensitive way so as not to allow them to sabotage the delicate conditions in which a therapeutic relationship can develop. Disavowing the conflicts and flaws within me could result in projecting my own value systems, beliefs and insecurities on to the client. If I were to deny the ability within me to feel selfish then my visceral reaction to a client bringing up such issues in a session would be stuck inside my own frame of reference and the core conditions I aim to provide myself and the client would be blinkered. References Rogers C, . (1961) On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy. London. Constable.

Today’s Unions

Over the years unions have been forced to change with the times. Looking at some of these changes and discussing how the unions have evolved over time will be discussed in this paper. Also the philosophy and how the unions accommodate its members have changes so this to will be discussed. After looking at all of this a couple of proposals will be discussed to help unions broaden their appeal. Unions all over the world are considered to be failing because of their low numbers. The influence and power unions had over management in companies when it came to policies has faded due to the huge decline in total number of members. (Troy, 2001). Troy stated in his research that the unionism which is experiencing a huge membership demand and the market share in past is now lagging far behind from the expected objective in this regard (Troy, 2001). According to facts from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), countries that are impacted by unions are facing challenges in terms of the diminishing ratio of the workers associated with the union. Kumar & Murray, 2002). Looking at the evaluations from the past years concerning union history, one can analyze that the real challenge that the companies have is to change the organization so that the threat of losing competent union members will be null. Unions should evaluate their history so that they can use the data to formulate a strategy to keep control over the influence of management. Befo re unions were born the people were born into poor families and had to work in organizations from the age of six, where the average day consisted of 18 hours. During this time such things as a day off, overtime compensation, and minimum daily wages were only a thing of dreams. â€Å"There exist no rules and regulations related to the job security, social security, job insurance, security against layoffs and several other serious issues† (Slupik, 2005, pg 22). Introducing unions into organizations help change the conditions for the employees. These drastic changes made the difference and started a movement in favor of the employees. Individuals could express their individual interest which was previously hampered by the company. Human resource departments and unions help influence power over the management and obtained authority to stand against the policies of company. If it did not seem to be in the best interest of the worker’s the union would flex its authority to make changes. The unions establish policies and rules that are pro employee and push for fair wages, a fair work schedule, overtime compensation, and job security to name a few. This helped give the employees a piece of mind and helped not only the welfare of the employee but the employer. Unions over time changed their focus from individual concerns to the organization and the collective concerns of all industries. Unions are now looking at the bigger picture and instead of focusing on the employees of a particular company they are looking at the welfare of all that work in similar industries. This means that the unions are working for and on the behalf of the employee’s and their rights. The unions focus is safeguarding the security of the employees and these interests seem to align with the human resource department. In the late 20s unions started losing its influence in the industries and due to aggressive attacks from rich and efficient organizations which eventually wiped out unions and created a system of non-union semi-slave labor areas in some other countries. This enabled them to continue to sell their product and services at same or higher prices in the market. By these measure organizations succeeded in reducing the union represented jobs, which was 36% in 1954 to a now lower 16 %. Slupik, 2005) The unions have to implement new philosophies that consider the largest population and broaden its scope of operation to other workplace environments. First union’s must concentrate on diversity and look past their initial focus of manufacturing and broaden its scope to all businesses. With today’s changing economy the manufacturing side of business has diminished so the unions must change in hopes to keep their members. Secondly unions must focus on changing policies within organiz ations and focus their efforts on those that go against the interest of the people. This can prove to be a stressful process since policy is constantly changing these days to keep up with government laws. Unions must form partnerships with the companies to keep up with all of these changes. Constant change seems to be the only norm within companies and this causes difficulties for the unions. Looking at some of these changes unions have made and how their philosophies have changed two proposals were briefly discussed to help in this transition. The bottom line is the only way for the unions to keep up with the every changing company is to become fluid and stay one step ahead of them.

Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

December 11, 2012 Section 1: Who is the one to delineate fault for a miscommunication and misunderstanding between two cultures? In Anne Fadiman’s novel, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, she begins the novel as an attempt to allocate responsibility for the mistreatment and exacerbation of Lia Lee’s epilepsy. The tension between the Hmong and United States medical culture exemplified the strain in America between a foreign culture dependent on rituals and society’s norm. As the novel progress, Fadiman realizes that neither culture is truly at fault.Lia’s situation stemmed from a clash of cultural beliefs and practices that could have been solved by a respect and empathy of the significance of cross-cultural communication. Throughout the narrative, there were characters that were able to be culturally empathetic while some were unable to appreciate the cultural differences between the two entities and realize the necessity for cooperation and unders tanding. The Hmong have a saying that they repeat at the beginning of every story, â€Å"Hais cuaj txub kaum txub,† which means, â€Å"speak of all kinds of things† (Fadiman 13).These words depict the belief in the Hmong culture that the world is full of things that might not appear related but actually are. This concept relates to the Hmong’s history. Their development as a culture is tainted with inconsiderate counter cultures that restricted their freedom to practice their cultural rituals. This greatly influenced their ability to trust cultures that are not their own. Their general distrust in any culture different from their own can be mainly traced back to the Chinese and Indochinese portion of their saga.Basically, the Hmong have been chased out of any home they have ever had due to their unwillingness to take orders, their affliction to losing and the imperative detail that they would rather flee, fight, or die than surrender. This all boils down to the fact that they are not easily swayed by other culture’s customs. This ethnocentric attitude has greatly attributed to the Hmong culture’s general distrust and distaste for any culture but their own. Lia’s parents, Nao Kao and Foua Lee, and much of the Hmong community were skeptical of trusting the â€Å"white people† in the medical profession and in the community.In fact, Lia’s case became the litmus test for Hmong community and turned out to be a deciding factor as to whether the Hmong community in Merced, California would trust the medical professionals when they found themselves at MCMC in a similar state as Lia. Despite this inherent distrust of any culture dissimilar to their own, the Lee’s were able to trust one CPA worker, Jeanine Hilt, who took the Lee’s case very personally. Jeanine made it her mission to fight the medical industry tyranny on behalf of the Hmong culture and became the only person to ask the Lees their opinion .Because of the language barrier, many medical professionals saw talking to the Lee’s as a lost cause to communicate with, which led the Lees to believe they were being taken advantage of. Jeanine was the only one who thought to ask how the Lees felt about how the doctors were treating Lia and their culture. Because of this openness to communication and genuine interest in their answers, she explained to the hospital how the Lees, and the Hmong culture, felt about Lia’s epilepsy and why they were running into to so many conflicts with the Hmong culture.Jeanine’s open approach allowed her to see what the barrier was between the Lees ad the medical profession. The Lee’s and the Hmong culture considered Lia an anointed one and her â€Å"illness† as a blessing rather than a weakness. In the Hmong culture, people born with epilepsy are believed to be the anointed ones and are destined to a life as a shaman. They call it â€Å"qaug dab peg,† or â €Å"the spirit catches you and you fall down. † People in the medical profession did not understand the concept of spirits and the importance of epilepsy for the Hmong. Jeanine was the only white person who adamantly fought for the rights of the Hmong.She was able to do this by the ability to effectively and cross culturally communicate. A similar problem occurred when the Lees refused to give their daughter her daily medicine regimen. Lia was taken away from her family and put into foster care. Jeanine fought to get Lia back to her family as her epileptic episodes became more frequent and dangerous. After she succeeded, it was Jeanine’s mission to educate the Lees, especially Foua, on the drug regimen and explain to her the importance of the drugs and to understand Nao Kao and Foua’s aversion to medicine.Hilt was the only person that took the time to listen to Foua and her concerns regarding the unnatural substances. And after Lia’s large grand mal seizu re, she was the only one who tackled the problem of how the Hmong family was treating Lia’s developmental delays. Jeanine’s key to success was always keeping the lines of communication open between herself and the Lees and therefore between the Lees and the MCMC. In order to cross culturally communicate, Jeanine focused on a caring approach that was â€Å"culturally empathetic† and used the Lees daughter, May, as her translator.She did this because having another unfamiliar person in the room, especially a translater, would make the Lees uncomfortable and less open to effective communication. Hilt also took the time to get to know the Lees. She knew the names of all their seven surviving children and most importantly never abandoned Lia or her family even in Nao Kao’s darkest moments. As part of the Hmong culture, they are naturally very violent and are not deterred by being outnumbered. Nao Kao threatened a translator that came and told the Child Protect ive Services were taking Lia away.Jeanine understood the aversion to having someone’s child taken away and made sure the threats Nao Kao made didn’t affect the courts decision to let Lia return. Jeanine’s empathy was deepened by two factors. She understood the burden of a chronic illness because she had asthma. She also admired the connection and closeness of the Hmong families. She was deeply connected to this family and to this child so she harassed the government and the hospital until the Lees got what they deserved. This included a pediatric hospital bed for Lia’s last days at home.This led the Lees to hold Jeanine in high esteem and allowed for a trust that was incredibly hard to earn from the Hmong culture. While Jeanine took the time to understand the Hmong culture, Nao Kao, Lia’s father, did little to reciprocate. He greatly appreciated her attempt at being understanding, however he never believed it was his responsibility to do the same. Even then, Foua was usually the most receptive to Jeanine’s triumphs. Historically Hmongs have become the pariahs of society.With this in mind, Nao Kao never really made the effort to be part of a society that he knew went against his beliefs and therefore was rejecting him. It is also prominent in Hmong culture, that the man is the strongest part of the family and the most emotionally disconnected. While the Hmong were fighting the Chinese, they even killed their wives and children so they wouldn’t be emotionally distracted. Nao Kao hyper masculine attitude led him and his wife to be passively obedient. In the book, Fadiman writes â€Å"It was typical or Hmong patients to appear passively obedient – thus protecting their own dignity by concealing their ignorance and their doctor’s dignity by acting deferential – and then, as soon as they left the hospital, to ignore everything to which they had supposedly assented† (Fadiman 68). This is no way to effectively communicate between two cultures. By Nao Kao affirming that he would give the medicine and not at least trying to explain that it is against his belief and/or he does not understand how to give the medicine, he falsely gives the impression to the doctors that Lia will be cared for at home.Not only does not communicate that he will not give the medicine, but he also doesn’t communicate that he has not given the medicine to Lia when the Lees continue to take her to the hospital seizure after seizure. While the Hmongs believed being epileptic was a sort of blessing, they also understood the repercussions and knew the disease was at least semi-dangerous. That is the reason the Lees continued to take Lia to MCMC over and over again, despite their hatred for the medical culture and the inability to effectively communicate. However Nao Kao Lee was most definitely stuck in his ways.Fadiman explains a observation by Francois Marie Savina as to his first impressions to the Hmong in 1924. Savina, a missionary, stated â€Å"ethnic durability can be attributed to six factors: religion; love of liberty; traditional costumes; refusal to marry outside their race; life in the cold, dry mountainous areas; and the toughening effects of war† (Fadiman 208). The Lee family did little the acculturate themselves into the United States culture and came here to merely escape prosecution. When the Lees came to America, their relatives had to show them how the country worked. They relied greatly on their children.After Seventeen years of living here they still speak only Hmong and practice only Hmong traditions. The Hmong culture is famously stuck in its ways and it was no different for Nao Kao. The mixture between his role in his culture as well as the culture itself lends itself to the inability to communicate between the Lee family and the MCMC medical staff. The first thing that would allow two cultures, such as the Hmong and the United States medical culture, to effectively communicate is knowing what their core values, core distinction, and some key elements to their culture in regards to value dimensions.The Hmong’s value dimensions tend to fall on one extreme, while America falls on the other side of the spectrum. For example, in the Identity value dimension, the Hmong are highly collectivist, which means their core value is group harmony and their core distinction is whether you’re in group/out group. However, the United States population is based on individualist side of the identity spectrum. This means they believe in individual freedom and the core distinction is whether its me/others (Hofstede Pederson Hofstede 94-97).This has a large impact in how two cultures interact with each other because while the United States will believe that the Hmong should do whatever it takes to protect themselves while the Hmong believe they should maintain the peace with the gods or else they will be punished which focusâ⠂¬â„¢ on group harmony. The virtue value dimension also has a strong effect on the differences between these cultures. The Hmong are considered extreme long-term orientation, which values the long-term benefits. The US medical culture is more oriented on today’s effects, otherwise known as extreme short-term orientation (Hofstede Pederson Hofstede 109-112).This shows why the Hmong are so superstitious because they are worried about the futures of their children and even their grandchildren. The medical industry is not superstitious and therefore believes in saving the life that needs saving now and not later. They do not discriminate on between now and later. A lot of lessons can be learned from how Jeanine was able to effectively communicate between the Hmong and US medical cultures. First of all, it is important to be open to new ways of communication between cultures and to not only find similarities, but also understand the differences between cultures.The Hmong culture a nd the Medical culture in the United States seem on opposite ends of the cultural spectrum. In that brief period of Lia’s seizures being decreased and her seemingly getting better, the Lees understood that they had to give Lia her medicine regularly and the hospital understood why the Lees were hesitant about giving their child too many unnatural substances. When the two entities understood each other’s culture and cultural differences, Lia’s health improved and they were able to understand each other beyond the most basic level.This is called being culturally empathetic. Lia’s illness was a test for the two cultures. It was a situation that forced a broken system to recognize its faults and demonstrate how it needs to be fixed. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who worsened Lia’s illness because placing blame won’t help either culture understand each other. By the end of the text, as Fadiman is reflecting on the case, she writ es â€Å"I do not know if Lia would be able to walk and talk today had she been treated by Arthur Kleinman instead of by Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp.However, I have come to believe that her life was ruined not by septic shock or noncompliant parents but by cross-cultural misunderstanding† (Fadiman 262). The MCMC has learned multiple lessons from Lia’s epilepsy. They learned to be culturally conscious, they removed the organ donor box from the hospital waiver and posted details about Lia’s case so her illness won’t be mistreated ever again. The key to communicating effectively is to realize that a culture is different from yours and value their judgments just as much as you value your own.Jeanine was able to do it, hopefully Nao Kao will one day do it as well as every doctor in the medical profession, and especially the doctors that are in heavily populated minority areas. Bibliography 1. Fadiman, Anne. The spirit catches you and you fall down: a Hmong chil d, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1997. 2. Hofstede, Gert Jan, Paul Pedersen, and Geert H. Hofstede. Exploring culture. Yarmouth, Me. : Intercultural Press, 2002 Section II: Throughout my life, I have always been a person who loved traveling.I will always love traveling and someday, I hope to have a job where traveling is a requirement. When I travel, I hoped to come as close to emersion as possible in the time span I’m there. I believe interacting with other cultures can seriously give you a whole new outlook on life and learning perspectives of different cultures and humans always fascinates me which is why, next year, I am planning to take a year off to work at a bed and breakfast in France. People from all over the globe come to bed and breakfasts, which will give e a lot of face time with a lot of different cultures and learn a little bit about everything. My housing and dining will be paid for while I meet people, make lifelong connections and put all the things I learned about in cross cultural communication to work. Cross Cultural Communication opened up my eyes to some pretty basic things that you just never really put names to. The best lesson I learned was on cultural empathy. The idea that you don’t only tolerate another culture, but you understand it at its most basic level is incredibly important in how you connect with other people.A lot of my best friends are actually international and live in other countries. One of my best friends ever lives in Greece and looking back on our friendship, I realize how I subconsciously underwent the process of cultural empathy by asking her about the different practices she went through and the different ways she understood American culture and society. Unfortunately, I did not do the same with my German ex-boyfriend who lived in Germany which probably could have saved a lot of grief on my end.Another lesson I found interesting in cro ss-cultural communication was reflexivity. Reflexivity is the ability and willingness of a researcher to acknowledge their bias. When I went to H Street, I realized my bias growing up in small town liberal suburbia. I realize my bias everyday when I meet people who grow up in different countries, parts of the country or even socio economic class. While interviewing Josh Parrish for my interview project, I saw how different our lives were and yet how similar we were.Reflexivity is not only important to acknowledge for reliable research, but for dependable relationships as well. Talking about white privilege really interested me throughout the course. Growing up as white, I kind of always resented the doors that automatically opened for me in some sense of the word. I can’t pinpoint why, but I like the challenge of overcoming adversity. In the School of Public Affairs Leadership Program, we talked about the idea of Privilege and Power and we watched an interesting TED talks tha t introduced the idea of â€Å"The Power of a Single Story. Acknowledging the different presets in society is important to society and to be able to communicate with each other. If I could change one thing about this class, it would definitely be about the reading. The readings were incredibly numerous and sometimes, I couldn’t finish everything, which led to a serious cycle of me falling incredibly behind. I would’ve loved for a way to cut down the readings, perhaps only read important excerpts or something because the workload was either really hard or very laid back.The lessons I learned in cross cultural communication feel less immense than other classes, but I already notice how I look around and see how these lessons are applicable in real life. I constantly look back at my history and realize how helpful these skills would have been months and even years ago. Being culturally empathetic is the most important lesson I could have learned and I feel was the overar ching theme to the whole course. I found it helpful to learn how to properly acculturate into a foreign culture and while I may not become a foreign diplomat because of this class, I definitely learned some important imformation. Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down December 11, 2012 Section 1: Who is the one to delineate fault for a miscommunication and misunderstanding between two cultures? In Anne Fadiman’s novel, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, she begins the novel as an attempt to allocate responsibility for the mistreatment and exacerbation of Lia Lee’s epilepsy. The tension between the Hmong and United States medical culture exemplified the strain in America between a foreign culture dependent on rituals and society’s norm. As the novel progress, Fadiman realizes that neither culture is truly at fault.Lia’s situation stemmed from a clash of cultural beliefs and practices that could have been solved by a respect and empathy of the significance of cross-cultural communication. Throughout the narrative, there were characters that were able to be culturally empathetic while some were unable to appreciate the cultural differences between the two entities and realize the necessity for cooperation and unders tanding. The Hmong have a saying that they repeat at the beginning of every story, â€Å"Hais cuaj txub kaum txub,† which means, â€Å"speak of all kinds of things† (Fadiman 13).These words depict the belief in the Hmong culture that the world is full of things that might not appear related but actually are. This concept relates to the Hmong’s history. Their development as a culture is tainted with inconsiderate counter cultures that restricted their freedom to practice their cultural rituals. This greatly influenced their ability to trust cultures that are not their own. Their general distrust in any culture different from their own can be mainly traced back to the Chinese and Indochinese portion of their saga.Basically, the Hmong have been chased out of any home they have ever had due to their unwillingness to take orders, their affliction to losing and the imperative detail that they would rather flee, fight, or die than surrender. This all boils down to the fact that they are not easily swayed by other culture’s customs. This ethnocentric attitude has greatly attributed to the Hmong culture’s general distrust and distaste for any culture but their own. Lia’s parents, Nao Kao and Foua Lee, and much of the Hmong community were skeptical of trusting the â€Å"white people† in the medical profession and in the community.In fact, Lia’s case became the litmus test for Hmong community and turned out to be a deciding factor as to whether the Hmong community in Merced, California would trust the medical professionals when they found themselves at MCMC in a similar state as Lia. Despite this inherent distrust of any culture dissimilar to their own, the Lee’s were able to trust one CPA worker, Jeanine Hilt, who took the Lee’s case very personally. Jeanine made it her mission to fight the medical industry tyranny on behalf of the Hmong culture and became the only person to ask the Lees their opinion .Because of the language barrier, many medical professionals saw talking to the Lee’s as a lost cause to communicate with, which led the Lees to believe they were being taken advantage of. Jeanine was the only one who thought to ask how the Lees felt about how the doctors were treating Lia and their culture. Because of this openness to communication and genuine interest in their answers, she explained to the hospital how the Lees, and the Hmong culture, felt about Lia’s epilepsy and why they were running into to so many conflicts with the Hmong culture.Jeanine’s open approach allowed her to see what the barrier was between the Lees ad the medical profession. The Lee’s and the Hmong culture considered Lia an anointed one and her â€Å"illness† as a blessing rather than a weakness. In the Hmong culture, people born with epilepsy are believed to be the anointed ones and are destined to a life as a shaman. They call it â€Å"qaug dab peg,† or â €Å"the spirit catches you and you fall down. † People in the medical profession did not understand the concept of spirits and the importance of epilepsy for the Hmong. Jeanine was the only white person who adamantly fought for the rights of the Hmong.She was able to do this by the ability to effectively and cross culturally communicate. A similar problem occurred when the Lees refused to give their daughter her daily medicine regimen. Lia was taken away from her family and put into foster care. Jeanine fought to get Lia back to her family as her epileptic episodes became more frequent and dangerous. After she succeeded, it was Jeanine’s mission to educate the Lees, especially Foua, on the drug regimen and explain to her the importance of the drugs and to understand Nao Kao and Foua’s aversion to medicine.Hilt was the only person that took the time to listen to Foua and her concerns regarding the unnatural substances. And after Lia’s large grand mal seizu re, she was the only one who tackled the problem of how the Hmong family was treating Lia’s developmental delays. Jeanine’s key to success was always keeping the lines of communication open between herself and the Lees and therefore between the Lees and the MCMC. In order to cross culturally communicate, Jeanine focused on a caring approach that was â€Å"culturally empathetic† and used the Lees daughter, May, as her translator.She did this because having another unfamiliar person in the room, especially a translater, would make the Lees uncomfortable and less open to effective communication. Hilt also took the time to get to know the Lees. She knew the names of all their seven surviving children and most importantly never abandoned Lia or her family even in Nao Kao’s darkest moments. As part of the Hmong culture, they are naturally very violent and are not deterred by being outnumbered. Nao Kao threatened a translator that came and told the Child Protect ive Services were taking Lia away.Jeanine understood the aversion to having someone’s child taken away and made sure the threats Nao Kao made didn’t affect the courts decision to let Lia return. Jeanine’s empathy was deepened by two factors. She understood the burden of a chronic illness because she had asthma. She also admired the connection and closeness of the Hmong families. She was deeply connected to this family and to this child so she harassed the government and the hospital until the Lees got what they deserved. This included a pediatric hospital bed for Lia’s last days at home.This led the Lees to hold Jeanine in high esteem and allowed for a trust that was incredibly hard to earn from the Hmong culture. While Jeanine took the time to understand the Hmong culture, Nao Kao, Lia’s father, did little to reciprocate. He greatly appreciated her attempt at being understanding, however he never believed it was his responsibility to do the same. Even then, Foua was usually the most receptive to Jeanine’s triumphs. Historically Hmongs have become the pariahs of society.With this in mind, Nao Kao never really made the effort to be part of a society that he knew went against his beliefs and therefore was rejecting him. It is also prominent in Hmong culture, that the man is the strongest part of the family and the most emotionally disconnected. While the Hmong were fighting the Chinese, they even killed their wives and children so they wouldn’t be emotionally distracted. Nao Kao hyper masculine attitude led him and his wife to be passively obedient. In the book, Fadiman writes â€Å"It was typical or Hmong patients to appear passively obedient – thus protecting their own dignity by concealing their ignorance and their doctor’s dignity by acting deferential – and then, as soon as they left the hospital, to ignore everything to which they had supposedly assented† (Fadiman 68). This is no way to effectively communicate between two cultures. By Nao Kao affirming that he would give the medicine and not at least trying to explain that it is against his belief and/or he does not understand how to give the medicine, he falsely gives the impression to the doctors that Lia will be cared for at home.Not only does not communicate that he will not give the medicine, but he also doesn’t communicate that he has not given the medicine to Lia when the Lees continue to take her to the hospital seizure after seizure. While the Hmongs believed being epileptic was a sort of blessing, they also understood the repercussions and knew the disease was at least semi-dangerous. That is the reason the Lees continued to take Lia to MCMC over and over again, despite their hatred for the medical culture and the inability to effectively communicate. However Nao Kao Lee was most definitely stuck in his ways.Fadiman explains a observation by Francois Marie Savina as to his first impressions to the Hmong in 1924. Savina, a missionary, stated â€Å"ethnic durability can be attributed to six factors: religion; love of liberty; traditional costumes; refusal to marry outside their race; life in the cold, dry mountainous areas; and the toughening effects of war† (Fadiman 208). The Lee family did little the acculturate themselves into the United States culture and came here to merely escape prosecution. When the Lees came to America, their relatives had to show them how the country worked. They relied greatly on their children.After Seventeen years of living here they still speak only Hmong and practice only Hmong traditions. The Hmong culture is famously stuck in its ways and it was no different for Nao Kao. The mixture between his role in his culture as well as the culture itself lends itself to the inability to communicate between the Lee family and the MCMC medical staff. The first thing that would allow two cultures, such as the Hmong and the United States medical culture, to effectively communicate is knowing what their core values, core distinction, and some key elements to their culture in regards to value dimensions.The Hmong’s value dimensions tend to fall on one extreme, while America falls on the other side of the spectrum. For example, in the Identity value dimension, the Hmong are highly collectivist, which means their core value is group harmony and their core distinction is whether you’re in group/out group. However, the United States population is based on individualist side of the identity spectrum. This means they believe in individual freedom and the core distinction is whether its me/others (Hofstede Pederson Hofstede 94-97).This has a large impact in how two cultures interact with each other because while the United States will believe that the Hmong should do whatever it takes to protect themselves while the Hmong believe they should maintain the peace with the gods or else they will be punished which focusâ⠂¬â„¢ on group harmony. The virtue value dimension also has a strong effect on the differences between these cultures. The Hmong are considered extreme long-term orientation, which values the long-term benefits. The US medical culture is more oriented on today’s effects, otherwise known as extreme short-term orientation (Hofstede Pederson Hofstede 109-112).This shows why the Hmong are so superstitious because they are worried about the futures of their children and even their grandchildren. The medical industry is not superstitious and therefore believes in saving the life that needs saving now and not later. They do not discriminate on between now and later. A lot of lessons can be learned from how Jeanine was able to effectively communicate between the Hmong and US medical cultures. First of all, it is important to be open to new ways of communication between cultures and to not only find similarities, but also understand the differences between cultures.The Hmong culture a nd the Medical culture in the United States seem on opposite ends of the cultural spectrum. In that brief period of Lia’s seizures being decreased and her seemingly getting better, the Lees understood that they had to give Lia her medicine regularly and the hospital understood why the Lees were hesitant about giving their child too many unnatural substances. When the two entities understood each other’s culture and cultural differences, Lia’s health improved and they were able to understand each other beyond the most basic level.This is called being culturally empathetic. Lia’s illness was a test for the two cultures. It was a situation that forced a broken system to recognize its faults and demonstrate how it needs to be fixed. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who worsened Lia’s illness because placing blame won’t help either culture understand each other. By the end of the text, as Fadiman is reflecting on the case, she writ es â€Å"I do not know if Lia would be able to walk and talk today had she been treated by Arthur Kleinman instead of by Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp.However, I have come to believe that her life was ruined not by septic shock or noncompliant parents but by cross-cultural misunderstanding† (Fadiman 262). The MCMC has learned multiple lessons from Lia’s epilepsy. They learned to be culturally conscious, they removed the organ donor box from the hospital waiver and posted details about Lia’s case so her illness won’t be mistreated ever again. The key to communicating effectively is to realize that a culture is different from yours and value their judgments just as much as you value your own.Jeanine was able to do it, hopefully Nao Kao will one day do it as well as every doctor in the medical profession, and especially the doctors that are in heavily populated minority areas. Bibliography 1. Fadiman, Anne. The spirit catches you and you fall down: a Hmong chil d, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1997. 2. Hofstede, Gert Jan, Paul Pedersen, and Geert H. Hofstede. Exploring culture. Yarmouth, Me. : Intercultural Press, 2002 Section II: Throughout my life, I have always been a person who loved traveling.I will always love traveling and someday, I hope to have a job where traveling is a requirement. When I travel, I hoped to come as close to emersion as possible in the time span I’m there. I believe interacting with other cultures can seriously give you a whole new outlook on life and learning perspectives of different cultures and humans always fascinates me which is why, next year, I am planning to take a year off to work at a bed and breakfast in France. People from all over the globe come to bed and breakfasts, which will give e a lot of face time with a lot of different cultures and learn a little bit about everything. My housing and dining will be paid for while I meet people, make lifelong connections and put all the things I learned about in cross cultural communication to work. Cross Cultural Communication opened up my eyes to some pretty basic things that you just never really put names to. The best lesson I learned was on cultural empathy. The idea that you don’t only tolerate another culture, but you understand it at its most basic level is incredibly important in how you connect with other people.A lot of my best friends are actually international and live in other countries. One of my best friends ever lives in Greece and looking back on our friendship, I realize how I subconsciously underwent the process of cultural empathy by asking her about the different practices she went through and the different ways she understood American culture and society. Unfortunately, I did not do the same with my German ex-boyfriend who lived in Germany which probably could have saved a lot of grief on my end.Another lesson I found interesting in cro ss-cultural communication was reflexivity. Reflexivity is the ability and willingness of a researcher to acknowledge their bias. When I went to H Street, I realized my bias growing up in small town liberal suburbia. I realize my bias everyday when I meet people who grow up in different countries, parts of the country or even socio economic class. While interviewing Josh Parrish for my interview project, I saw how different our lives were and yet how similar we were.Reflexivity is not only important to acknowledge for reliable research, but for dependable relationships as well. Talking about white privilege really interested me throughout the course. Growing up as white, I kind of always resented the doors that automatically opened for me in some sense of the word. I can’t pinpoint why, but I like the challenge of overcoming adversity. In the School of Public Affairs Leadership Program, we talked about the idea of Privilege and Power and we watched an interesting TED talks tha t introduced the idea of â€Å"The Power of a Single Story. Acknowledging the different presets in society is important to society and to be able to communicate with each other. If I could change one thing about this class, it would definitely be about the reading. The readings were incredibly numerous and sometimes, I couldn’t finish everything, which led to a serious cycle of me falling incredibly behind. I would’ve loved for a way to cut down the readings, perhaps only read important excerpts or something because the workload was either really hard or very laid back.The lessons I learned in cross cultural communication feel less immense than other classes, but I already notice how I look around and see how these lessons are applicable in real life. I constantly look back at my history and realize how helpful these skills would have been months and even years ago. Being culturally empathetic is the most important lesson I could have learned and I feel was the overar ching theme to the whole course. I found it helpful to learn how to properly acculturate into a foreign culture and while I may not become a foreign diplomat because of this class, I definitely learned some important imformation.