Use of Alliteration, Assonance, and Cacophony

Candice Scheffing, a student a New Mexico Tech, not to long ago sent an email to the Clark112-list on the subject of gender. She had analyzed an essay by James Q. Wilson called â€Å"Gender† for his use of rhetorical strategies. Many rhetorical strategies can be seen in the email. The rhetorical strategies that can be found are alliteration, assonance, and cacophony. The major rhetorical strategy that Scheffing used was alliteration. The use of alliteration by Scheffing serves to be quite effective in email because it allows her to point out the use of rhetorical strategies by Wilson in his essay.An example of alliteration used by Scheffing is, â€Å"A number of examples are obvious through the first few paragraphs of the essay† (1). The alliteration can be seen in the words â€Å"first† and â€Å"few. † Another sample of alliteration in Scheffing’s work can be seen in this sentence, â€Å"This reference to nature as having human characteristics is a personification† (1). The use of alliteration in this sentence can be seen in the beginning sounds of â€Å"having† and â€Å"human† that are in a series.A final example of alliteration in Scheffing’s email is, â€Å"This statement seems most disturbing to anyone who would read it because it either doesn’t make sense, or is believed to be completely wrong† (1). The alliteration can be noticed in the series of words; â€Å"statement,† â€Å"seems,† â€Å"who,† and â€Å"would. † The use of alliteration by Scheffing serves as probably her most useful use of rhetorical strategies. Another rhetorical strategy used by Candice is assonance. Assonance does not serve as a major source of rhetorical strategies, but it still is present in her email.The use of assonance keeps the readers attention somewhat because the email begins to sound like a rhyme as it is read. The first example of assonance in Scheffing’s ema il is, â€Å"It becomes interesting that ‘nature’ can ‘play tricks’ on humankind† (1). The use of assonance can be seen in the same sounds of â€Å"nature,† â€Å"play,† â€Å"can,† and â€Å"humankind. † A second example of assonance in the email is, â€Å"Two contrasting words, ‘essential’ and ‘useless’ are in the same sentence referring to the same group of people: males† (Scheffing, 1).The assonance is evident in these sounds of â€Å"same† and â€Å"males. † The third example of assonance I have seen in Scheffing’s email is, â€Å"These three forms of rhetoric, personification, antithesis and logos are each very important keys to the effectiveness of Wilson’s essay† (1). The use of the words â€Å"these,† â€Å"three,† â€Å"rhetoric,† â€Å"forms,† and â€Å"important† serve as examples of assonance in the email. Th e final rhetorical strategy employed by Scheffing is cacophony. Candice Scheffing uses another rhetorical strategy, cacophony, to harshly get her point across in her email.According to the website created by Ross Scaife, â€Å"A Glossary of Rhetorical Terms with Examples,† the meaning of â€Å"Cacophony: [is] harsh joining of sounds† (1). An example of Scheffing’s use of cacophony is, â€Å"It strikes more interest in the reader because they want to discover what Wilson is talking about when he says that males are both ‘essential’ and ‘useless’† (1). Another illustration of cacophony can be seen in this sentence, â€Å"It let’s the reader know that he has done his homework on the subject and is prepared to defend his side of the argument† (1).As shown in the previous example, Scheffing uses harsh sounds such as â€Å"s,† â€Å"d,† â€Å"e,† and â€Å"t† as a way to keep the readers attent ion. Candice Scheffing uses the rhetorical strategies of alliteration, assonance, and cacophony to illustrate her point in her email. The point that Scheffing is trying to prove is that Wilson used rhetorical strategies such as personification, antithesis, and logos in his essay. The use of rhetorical strategies in Scheffing’s email allows her to keep the reader interested in the subject and realize through examples what the subject of her email is all about.

Effects of Teen Pregnancy Essay

A child is like the icing on top of a cake, a finishing touch to a married couple’s journey on earth together. If perfectly planned and periodically monitored, a woman’s pregnancy will be one of the most unforgettable experiences she will ever have. To be able to carry out a safe pregnancy, the ideal age to get impregnated is from the early twenties to the early thirties. This is the time the female reproductive system is fully developed and mature enough to handle multiple activities such as the fertilization of an egg, the carrying of a fertilized egg to fetal maturity, and the nurturing of the newborn by means of milk production (Bullock 1087). Also, if the woman is psychologically ready and wanting to have a child, she will not have a hard time going through the process because of acceptance of the situation, support of the family around her and if married, the spouse’s longing to have a child with her. Unfortunately this is not always the case. The adolescent stage is the period during which the person becomes physically and psychologically mature and acquires a personal identity, from twelve to eighteen years of age (Kozier 385). The establishment of an identity is the psychosocial task of an adolescent according to Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Developmental Theory. Failure to establish an identity will lead to role confusion (Kozier 387). Role confusion poses a threat to the teenager’s social wellbeing. The teenager maybe at a loss as to what her role in society might be or what career path she would take and if she will even go to college. Adolescents are almost always experiencing a roller coaster of emotions in their search for an identity. They tend to look for people with similar preferences and would not want to be seen with other people who do not share the same characteristics as they have, they begin to idolize a person and want to be just like him or her, they become rebellious, they demonstrate forbidden behaviors, they seek attention and admiration from the opposite sex and choose their career paths. Because of the physical changers that are happening to their bodies, they tend to be curious and experimental with these changes. â€Å"Adolescents are sexually active and may engage in masturbation as well as heterosexual and homosexual activity†(Kozier 387). Statistics show that more than 800,000 teens get pregnant each year which places the United States as one of the highest among industrialized countries (Teen Pregnancy: Reality Check). As to why this happens, people can only speculate and come up with studies, surveys and interview. There are however identified risk factors for teenage pregnancy. â€Å"These include: family situations with regular conflict between members, violence and sexual abuse in childhood, unstable housing arrangements, poor school performance, poor school attendance, low socioeconomic background, family history of teenage pregnancies, low maternal education, father’s absence, low self-esteem, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and living in rural and remote areas† (Teenage pregnancy some facts). Dealing with adolescent pregnancy does not only have serious physical effect, but psychological as well. The adolescent is at risk for PIH, iron deficiency anemia, preterm delivery, and cephalopelvic disproportion because her own physical growth maybe inadequate to support the growth and delivery of the fetus. PIH or pregnancy induced hypertension is the second leading cause of maternal death in the United States. This illness is a combination of hypertension, edema and proteinuria during pregnancy (Bullock 93). Iron deficiency anemia or IDA occurs when there is a considerable lower than normal amount of Iron in the blood. Iron is needed by the blood in order to effectively transport oxygen to various parts of the body. Fortunately this can be easily corrected by taking oral supplements of Iron as prescribed by the doctor (Bullock 356). Preterm delivery, which is 36 weeks of gestation or life inside the woman’s womb, is a serious threat for both the fetus and the mother. The normal term is 37 weeks to 40 weeks and less that that the fetus will not be mature enough to live outside the mother’s uterus. The pregnant adolescent’s nutrition may not also be adequate enough, resulting to malnutrition. Prenatal care may also be delayed because the teenager maybe in denial, hence the fetus might not be well taken care of resulting to deficiencies and fetal abnormalities. As for the infant, he or she is susceptible to having lower birth weights, increased infant mortality, increased risk of hospital admission in early childhood, less supportive environments, poorer cognitive development, and if female, a higher risk of becoming pregnant during the adolescent period, as compared to infants born of older women (Teenage pregnancy: trends). Psychologically, a teenager is prone to postnatal depression compared to older women. Reasons for this include societal attitudes, lack of support from family and isolation, and financial pressures (Teenage pregnancy implications). There is also a tendency for the teenage mother to be abandoned by their male partners, especially during birth. Being alone in a very hard process can sometimes be the hardest thing that teenage mothers go through. Not only are their partners abandoning them, but the stigma attached to teenage pregnancy also affects the family of the teenager. There seems to be feelings of alienation from the teenager’s family. All of these may add up resulting to more negative feelings towards oneself, more questioning of identity hence role confusion, wasted dreams and impossibility of going back to her education. All the emotional stress may even lead to a mental illness. Efforts are being made to lower the number of teen pregnancies. A number of organizations have been established and there are even pregnancy prevention programs for males. Education maybe the key, with these programs discussing the consequences of early sexual activities like unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Contraception is strongly advocated, even sex education has been really pushed through, and sexual abstinence until marriage has been a strong banner for these programs. The family physician’s or any health care personnel’s role is also significant. They will be able to explain and elaborate more on the nature of the consequences of sexually transmitted diseases and early pregnancy to teens. In fact, in a study entitled, â€Å"Explaining Recent Declines in Adolescent Pregnancy in the United States: The Contribution of Abstinence and Improved Contraceptive Use† it showed how much the pregnancy rates declined over the past 7 years. Improvements in contraceptive use included increases in the use of condoms, birth control pills, withdrawal, and multiple methods and a decline in nonuse. The overall pregnancy risk index declined 38%, with 86% of the decline attributable to improved contraceptive use. Among adolescents aged 15 to 17 years, 77% of the decline in pregnancy risk was attributable to improved contraceptive use† was the result of the study by John S. Santelli, MD, MPH, Laura Duberstein Lindberg, PhD, Lawrence B.  Finer, PhD and Susheela Singh, PhD. Sharing intimacy with another person is always a personal choice. But the responsibilities that come with it are not. The freedom of having a choice comes with a price, the burden of being unprepared to raise your own child. And everything else you pick up the broken pieces after that. It matters how much strength and courage you have, how much you can carry alone. But it is important to know that life does not end when hardships begin, it’s just begun.

Age of the Joker (2012) by Edguy

As seen with their newest album, Space Police, these are crazy people when it comes to power metal. Toby and the gang have made somwthing a bit more special with this release here. This is really where they pull out all the stops to be funny. For these guys, forget the term power metal, instead use the term Comedy Metal because thats what this band really is. Age of the Joker is an album that has many a good tracks in it to keep you on your toes. My personal favorite is the track 2 Out of 7 which is more like a love song gone wrong. The final stretch of the song also has the greatest line ever in power metal history. You know a songs good if it could catch you off guard in a good way like that. Believe me it did, I wasnt hardly listening to it until that line came up and slapped me in the face. This has also made an appearence on The Metal Voices top 10 albums of 2012 making Number 4 I believe. I love this album with a passion and would love to own it on a vinyl and/or CD. I recommend you check this out if you love power metal, you can say you like Iron Maiden and would may still enjoy it. A sfor the rating I give it a 10/10.

In a continuous esssay of not more than 1,000 words, analyse this Essay

In a continuous esssay of not more than 1,000 words, analyse this passage, discussing how narrative voice and dialogue are impor - Essay Example The aforementioned piece is a flawless demonstration of Direct Narrative. One can say so, as in this case, the viewpoint presented to the reader is that of a heterodiegetic narrator, who is not a part of the story, and has complete knowledge of all the happenings in the story. As a result, it gives the reader an opportunity to analyse the situation in the story using a wide pool of thoughts. Charlotte did not stay much longer, and Elizabeth was then left to reflect on what she had heard. It was a long time before she became at all reconciled to the idea of so unsuitable a match. The strangeness of Mr. Collins making two offers of marriage within three days was nothing in comparison of his being now accepted. She had always felt that Charlotte's opinion of matrimony was not exactly like her own, but she could not have supposed it possible that when called into action, she would have sacrificed every better feeling to worldly advantage. Charlotte the wife of Mr. Collins was a most humi liating picture! (Paragraph 4) This fragment very gracefully mingles both Direct and Focalised narrative. The first line has been laid out in pure Direct narrative, with the narrator informing the reader about the departure of Charlotte and the beginning of Elizabeth's train of thoughts. However, from the second line onwards, the narrative shifts to being Focalised, with Elizabeth being the focaliser. The text from here onwards, gives the reader a portrayal of the happening (Charlotte's acceptance of Mr. Collins marriage proposal), solely through Elizabeth's point of view. In a way, the reader 'sees' what Elizabeth sees, and is made to think at the same wavelength as Elizabeth. It ignores all the other aspects of the situation, thus narrowing the scope of understanding and reflection of the reader. However, it also gives the reader the liberty to gather a deep understanding of Elizabeth's character. Moreover, the passage also lays down a brilliant understanding of Free Indirect Spee ch and Dialogue. But Elizabeth had not recollected herself, and making a strong effort for it, was able to assure her with tolerable firmness that the prospect of their relationship was highly grateful to her, and that she wished her all imaginable happiness. (Paragraph 3) The underlined sentences in the above paragraph are a perfect literary example of Free Indirect Speech. It models indirect speech to a certain extent, the only difference being that in this form, there is no introductory clause. For example, in the above sentence, one does not see an expression like 'she said' or 'she exclaimed', which are characteristics of indirect speech. Apart from Free Indirect Speech, the passage also underlines the importance and definitive nature of Dialogue. The steady countenance which Miss Lucas had commanded in telling her story, gave way to a momentary confusion here on receiving so direct a reproach; though, as it was no more than she expected, she soon regained her composure, and ca lmly replied, ?Why should you be surprised, my dear Eliza? Do you think it incredible that Mr. Collins should be able to procure any woman's good opinion, because he was not so happy as to succeed with you?" (Paragraph 2) The sentences within double quotes are Dialogues, said by Charlotte to Elizabeth. Whereas Free Indirect Speech gives the reader an overview of the situation at hand,

Michael Jordan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Michael Jordan - Essay Example Michael "Air" Jordan is a fantastic jumper and slam dunker. He dominated the sport of basketball through the mid nineties. In 1992 the Bulls had a victory over the Portland Trailblazers; this made it their second NBA win. Michael Jordan was having a very rough time dealing with the loss of his father whom was shot in a robbery. He shocked the world when he retired from the NBA and went to play base ball for the Birmingham Barons. Michael Jordan was inducted into the hall of fame in September of 2009. His induction speech has been called anywhere between encouraging to deplorable. We all know Michael is a great basketball player. But, did you know he also has his own shoe line through Nike. He calls them Air Jordan's. Most of us love a good quote. I want to share one of Michael's favorite quotes with you before the essay comes to an end. "I never thought a role model should be negative." I hope this research paper has helped people learn some new things about Michael Jordan. The

The movie V for Vendetta Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 13

The movie V for Vendetta - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the movie is based on a story of the 1982 novel of the same name developed by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. The V is a political freedom fighter in an anarchist regime that tries to accomplish a number of terrorist attacks with a quest to ignite revolutionary actions against the regime. It bases on the history of the Guy Fawkes and the popular Gunpowder plot that involved a plot to have the palace of Westminster blown up during a proceeding of a parliament meeting between James I and the ministers. The meeting was aimed at developing oppression Roman Catholics. As a strong Catholic convert, Fawkes aimed at protecting the people and through this; he was enjoined in the plot with others as the military man that would provide the military experience needed to enrich their plot. Fawkes was the man for the job based on his history and relation to the Catholic development. The movie portrays an investigative ploy that ends up leading to a number of deaths with Stephen Rea the detective trying to stop V finding it difficult to handle his job well due to the tactical aspects of V that becomes difficult to handle. The movie released in 2006 was scheduled for release in 2005 due to some inevitable delays. The target was to release it on a day when the country marked the 400th Guy Fawkes Night. The night believed to be the night that he was executed opposite the buildings of parliament after the trial found him guilty of treason. The movie portrays the acts of the political class with a detailed picture of their thoughts and actions in relation to protecting their political strength. They portray the actions that the political class takes when passing a message to prevent uprisings and any revolutionary attempts on their reign. The movie displays this picture well and strengthens the political class while instilling fear in the ruled. Released on March 21, 2006, the soundtrack used in the movie was developed by Astralwerks Reco rds.

Fascist Regimes of Italy and Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Fascist Regimes of Italy and Germany - Essay Example Contradictions to the ideology are liberalism, democracy, conservatism, individualism and capitalism and criticism against the state is forbidden. Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini are two of the most infamous fascist leaders of the twentieth century, but did their leaderships also embrace totalitarianism Hitler and Mussolini were dictators; they governed without the consent of the people. A dictatorship is the foundation of the governing power and totalitarianism relates to the scope of the power of those who govern, most dictatorships tend to be totalitarian as if the power does not come directly from the people as it does in a democracy then the scope of power has no limits and therefore all aspects of life can be controlled. Fascism is juxtaposed with totalitarianism in this sense as the subordination of citizens advances the states interests of total control. Nazism and Fascism arose form right wing extremism and can be distinguished from left wing totalitarianism, namely communism in that right wing ideology seeks to enforce private ownership of wealth whilst left wing, namely communist totalitarianism seek to maintain collective ownership. Each strand is defined by social class. The ideology of fascism is mainly the working of the philosopher Giovanni Gentile. The emphasis was placed on the individuals need to become completely subordinate to the state. Under Hitler’s rule many characteristics of a totalitarian state can be shown, for example there was censorship of media, removing freedom of speech enabled the government to influence public opinion via propaganda which proved a highly effective methods of control. Nazis soon realized that mass media communication was of great importance and became aware of the Medias influence over the populous. The methods of communication available in the era were used as a means to convince the masses that Hitler had overwhelming support. This effectively constitutes a totalitarian leader. The manipulation of the masses brought about hysteria and a state of belief that through carefully planned and scripted radio, broadcasts rallies and publications persuaded the public that Hitler's idea of utopia was unavoidable. Secret police in the form of the Gestapo were in place to arrest so called enemies of the state and were removed from public life to concentration camps. Genocide was the most outrageous acts of his rule, Jews across Germany's territory were slaughtered on mass scales as they did not fit in to Hitler's Utopian ideal. White supremacy was at the forefront of his thinking and Nazism continues to exist in today's society. Nazism, Fascist ideology and policies espoused and practiced by Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist German Worker's Party from 1920-1945 were typical of totalitarian ideology. A Master Race to rule the world over other races was the ambition, and a violent hatred of Jews, whom Hitler blamed for all of the problems of Germany were on his agenda. Extreme nationalism was also demonstrative of totalitarian ideology. Hitler wanted to create a Master Race, uniting German speaking people into a great and singular

NURSING AND SOCIAL WORK SKILLS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

NURSING AND SOCIAL WORK SKILLS - Essay Example Through science, nurses obtain the skills and technology they rely on to achieve each patients optimal health (Dougherty, L & Lister, S. 2004). In this essay I will illustrate how I worked and established a working relationship with service user TJ during my 100-day statutory placement at a primary care community setting for people with learning disabilities and mental health problems. I will consider the interactions and interventions embarked upon with the patient, critically analyzing my work practice by linking theory to practice. My work with this patient involved helping and supporting him to develop new skills and more importantly to lower his aggression towards others in the day centre. The assignment will look at the rationale for utilizing a holistic philosophy of care and employing an anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice in nursing. I will also discuss how developed a close relationship. I will divide the essay into five sections. The first will discuss the des cription of the work. The second section will analyse how relationship was established. The third section will identify anticipated and actual barriers in the relationship. The fourth will talk in depth how the relationship was brought to a close. Reflecting upon my interactions with the patient I will analyze the influence of the reflective process. Following guidance from the NMC code of professional conduct and the GSCC Codes of Practice, the names of the patients have been changed to ensure confidentiality. The placement will remain unidentified and referred to as Edwardian Day Centre. The final section will provide an evaluation of my success (if any) in establishing the relationship with TJ. The essay will than be concluded.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Established with the aim to enable people with learning disability to live independently in the society, Edwardian Day Centre considers its members (aged 18-65) as students rather than service users as this prevents labelling (Cynthia, B.

Forensics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Forensics - Essay Example From a humble beginning during the 19th Century without much data support to prove its credibility and usefulness, it has now evolved as an empirical and objective science on its own merits and rights. Over the years, it was discovered, perhaps by accident, way back in 1868, by a Swiss biologist called Friedrich Meischer when he was differentiating nucleus properties in pus cells. Since then, DNA profiling has come a long way and has been used to provide due judicial process of justice in many criminal and non criminal cases. Alec Jeffreys and colleagues researching DNA fingerprinting at the University of Leicester arrived at certain startling facts (at that period of history) regarding the fact that â€Å"individual differences in based on repeat sequences in DNA.† Do occur that could help in criminal investigation. (Johnson & Williams, 2006). Further it was also seen that â€Å"The possibility of deriving DNA from the ‘abandoned property’ of criminal suspects left at crime scene generated huge interest amongst police investigators.† and could even assist result in cracking major criminal cases, where the perpetrators could remain at large due to lack of incriminating evidence against them. (Johnson & Williams, 2006, para.18). Since then, there have been many improvements in determining the speed, efficacy and conclusiveness of DNA profiling and its impact upon society as a composite and complete science. Over time dedicated DNA Scientific Research Centers have also been operationalised to aid and abet solving of social and criminal issues through the deployment of DNA profiling. These efforts have also met with a reasonable degree of success such that DNA fingerprinting has now come to represent a major scientific and anti-criminal breakthrough in recent times. DNA tests have also proved conclusive evidence in absolving innocent suspects who were languishing in jail accused on

Information Technology Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Information Technology Security - Essay Example Associations ought to have a powerful process for recognizing new clients of SpiderWeb and recording, endorsing, and overseeing access rights (SAMPEMANE 62-65). New demands for SpiderWeb will be put together by client administration to the information or framework manager for endorsement and handling. In specific cases, the task of rights may be secured by the workers part or gathering participation, and oversaw by pre-established approvals for that gathering. Sellers or builders may be allowed access, focused around their association. The data owner of SpiderWeb will review and evaluate the request based on job functions. Once approved, access will be configured by the data custodians or system administrators (Tolone et al. 29-41). The provisioning methodology ought to incorporate an effective system for informing the allowing power when a clients status or part changes (Tolone et al. 29-41). Thus, when change, will provoke a survey and result in the upgrading of access rights. Upon the client’s end, access control benefits ought to be disavowed in an opportune way. In addition to normal operations, the assignment of authentication and authorization credentials should include business continuity planning responsibilities for SpiderWeb. Validation is the check of character by a framework or database focused around the presentation of remarkable qualifications to that framework implemented in SpiderWeb. Confirmation helps the privacy of information and the responsibility of activities performed on frameworks by checking the exceptional character of a client. Passwords are an essential strategy for SpiderWeb, used to control access to assets and are the most well-known verification component. Different components incorporate token instruments and biometrics. Confirmation that depends on more than one certification is called multifactor validation and is for the most part stronger than any single-component methods. To focus on the requirement of

Determinants of Students Academic Performance Essay Example for Free

Determinants of Students Academic Performance Essay It is a positive statement when one says that man of modern society is so advanced in education, both in the science and in technology, but won’t mind nor think about what steps he could make or trace what good he could do for his fellowmen. He does not live in terms of attitudes acceptable in the society where he lives. A man today is more conscious of his own personal upliftment, keeps innocent of knowing his worth which would be undeniably great if he is treading the right way. Everyone has a right in education. This is embodied in Article XIV Section I of the Philippine Constitution 1987: The state shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education to all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. Schools, colleges, and universities have no work without student. Students are most essential assets for any educational institute. The social and economic development of the country is directly linked with student academic performance. The students performance place an important role in producing the best quality graduates who will become great leader and manpower for the country thus responsible for the country’s economic and social development. So the parents or guardians must do their responsibilities and roles to give what they need in education. Intelligence is not the only determinant of the academic performance of the student. Academic performance of a student is always associated with the many components of learning environment. Learning and teaching environment ought to implement six functions: inform, communicate, collaborate, produce, scaffold, and manage. The key to success in learning-teaching environment lies on people who use it. Hence, in the instructional system, the teacher is the main factor who can spell the difference between success and failure of a student. Another important determinant, which shouldn’t be neglected, is the family. Family is the primary social system for students for all cultures across the region. Religiosity as an aspect of the family environment is another independent variable possibly influencing academic performance. Higher-achieving students are likely to have the following characteristics: positive feelings about their school experiences, attribute their success in high school to such things as hard work, self-discipline, organization, ability, and high motivation, these characteristics vary from person to person and country to country. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM This study determined the related factors to the academic performance of Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy, second year students at Cagayan State University. To attain the aforementioned objective, answer to the following research questions were sought. 1. What is the profile of the BSRT 1st year students in terms of: A. Personal Factors: a. 1. Sex a. 2. Parent’s occupation a. 3. Sibling number a. 4. Physical health a. 5. Student attitude a. 6. Religion or Ethnicity B. School Factors: b. 1. No vision b. 2. Lack of passion b. 3. Lack of personal/work/school/family balance b. 4. Lack of taking advantage of student resources b. 5. Attending the wrong college or university b. 6. Lack of maturity and discipline C. Community Factors: c. 1. School distance from home c. 2. Means of transportation D. Intrinsic Factors: d.1 . Interest d.2 . Ability E. Extrinsic Factors: e.1 Family Factor e.2 Peers F. Aspirations G. Needs A. What are the determinants of the academic performance of the BSRT 1st year students? B. Is there a relationship between the profile and the academic performance of the BSRT 1st year students? C. How do the teachers perceive the academic performance of the BSRT 1st year students? SCOPE AND DELIMINATION OF THE STUDY This research study is centered on the factors related to the academic performance and attitudes of the BSRT 1st year students at Cagayan State University, Andrew’s Campus. The profile of Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy 1st year students in the terms of personal, school and community factors were determined. Likewise, the teacher’s perceptions on the academic performance of the BSRT 1st year students were considered. Furthermore, the relationship between the BSRT 1st year profile and academic performance were also determined. Lastly, the variable that contributes to the variation of the Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy 1st year students’ academic performance was established. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY It is with optimism that the findings of this study would contribute the development of macro educational system particularly at Cagayan State University in terms of the determinants related to the academic performance of BSRT 1st year students. Furthermore, it is hoped that feedback of data gathered would be used as clues for recommending changes for improvement in fulfilling practices, performance that are relevant and responsive to the demand of our educational system. Moreover, result of this study, would guide the teachers in improving their classroom management, instructional methods and strategies to equip their students the needed preparation for their future careers. Likewise, the parents would be made knowledgeable on determinants of academic performance of their child; therefore, they can suit a proper program of activities for their child for a better performance. It is also hoped that this study shall help the school maintain a harmonious relationship with the community in playing its vital role for the progress and development through people empowerment. Summing up, the findings of this study would contribute to the attainment of educational excellence and the national development goal, the conversion of the Philippines into a newly industrialized country. DEFINITION OF TERMS 1. Ability- CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Student academic performances are affected due to social, psychological, economic, environmental, and personal factors. The learning environment refers to the whole range of components and activities within which learning happens (Bahr, Hawks, Wang 1993). A. PERSONAL FACTORS The socio-economic status of students is directly proportional to their scholastic performance. 1. Parents Occupation According to Ruben as cited by Ramiro, (1996) that the effect of low income reflects lack of education or training, physical or mental disability or poor motivation. Students with parents who were both college educated tended to achieve at the highest levels. Income and family size were modestly related to achievement (Ferguson, 1991). Middle class parents tend to be college graduate although some only graduated from high school, and many only reached elementary. Bremberk (1996) found out that an increase in the percentage of parents with college degree and white collar job have a better effect on school performance. Parents’ educational attainment is related to the school achievement of the youth. 2. Sibling Number Children from large families maybe handicapped because they get relatively source of the family’s intellectual resources than those children from smaller families (Draig 1998). 3. Attitudes of the Student Performance and attitudes characteristics are strong determinants of academic achievement as cited by Marcos, (1998). According to Santrock, (1998) when our attitude is based on personal experience our behavior is more likely reflect our attitudes. When we have thought about our attitude towards something and have ready access it, the attitude behavior connection is strengthen. In the words of John Locke, â€Å"The actions of men are the best interpreter of their thoughts†. Ramiro, (1996) mentioned that habits of students are very much related to education. The relationship would contribute something substantial in the academic performance of student in their respective school and homes greatly affect their standing in school. B. SCHOOL FACTORS Education is a continuous process in which every parent aims to give it as a gift to their children for their future. Abracia, (1984) stated that schools was considered as a second home of learners because it is a plays where to know everything; wherein a teacher serves as their parents. 1. No vision According to Wollitkiewics,(1980) Some students do not have a clearly articulated picture of the future they intend to create for themselves. Thus, they may take programs of study without a clear career goal or objective. In essence, they choose the wrong major. 2. Lack of passion In a study conducted by Salinas, (1989) she emphasized that successful students work out of passion, a love for what they want to do, and recognize the importance of the benefit it will bring others as well as themselves. Without passion, study becomes a chore and not a method for achieving clearly defined goals. 3. Lack of personal/work/school/family balance Whatever is going on in a students personal life, will inevitably affect whats going on in school. Whatever is happening in school will affect whats going on in their personal life. A student needs time to be in class, and appropriate time for study. However, there must be time for family, friends, social activities, and time to just be alone. The key is keeping proper balance (Kalko, Elisabeth, K.V., et al. 2006) 4. Lack of taking advantage of student resources There is really no reason for academic failure. According to San Luis, (2003) every college and university has an academic learning center where students can receive peer and faculty tutoring, without charge. Many students fail to seek help. 5. Attending the wrong college or university Tylan, (1998) found that students accept admission into schools they are not familiar with. Thus, they become depressed with their surroundings. Student must be content with their school, its environment, and resources. This, in turn has a negative effect on their studies. 6. Lack of maturity and discipline Some students are just not disciplined and lack good organizational skills. They often fall under the pressure of their peers. (Corpus, 1999) Rather than using good discretion, they feel compelled to follow others (socially), when they really should be attending to their studies. C. INTRINSIC AND EXTRINSIC FACTORS Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation that is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task itself. It occurs when people are internally motivated to do something because it either brings them pleasure, they think it is important, or they feel that what they are learning is significant. Students are likely to be intrinsically motivated if they attribute their educational results to factors under their own control, also known as autonomy (http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/Motivation#intrinsic_and_extrinsic_motivation). Intrinsic means internal or inside of yourself. When you are intrinsically motivated, you enjoy an activity, course or skill development solely for the satisfaction of learning and having fun, and you are determined to be inwardly in order to be competent (http://www.livestrong.com/article/174305-the-difference-between-intrinsic-motivation-extrinsic-motivation). According to Dr. James Gavin, intrinsic motivation is derived from a self-concept, core beliefs, internal need and development opposed to extrinsic motivators which can undermine these motivations. Motives needs to be additive in effect, which means the more reasons you find to motivate yourself to engage in a behavior, the more likely you will continue with and persist in these behaviors. External motivators are typically not additive. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, means external or outside of yourself, this type of motivation is everywhere and frequently used within the society throughout your lifetime. When you are motivated to behave, learn, or do based on highly regarded outcome, rather than for fun, development or learning provided within an experience, you are being extrinsically motivated (http://www.livestrong.com/article/174305-the-difference-between-intrinsic-motivation-extrinsic-motivation). 1. Family Probably the strongest influence in our lives is the family we grew up. Our birth order, the personality of our parents, the way we were treated by our siblings, the socio economic status of the family and the place we lived. Besides these tacit influences, our parents taught us all the basics of proper behavior (â€Å"Family influence†.3rd ed. New York. Ronald M. Doctor, Ada P. Kahn 2008). Rollins and Thomas found that high parental control were associated with high achievement. Parents have a crucial role to make sure that every child becomes high achiever. Parental influence has been identified as an important factor affecting student achievement. Philips (1998) also found that parental education and social economic status have an impact on student performance. 2. Influence of Peers Peers groups play a powerful role in shaping identity because the desire to be accepted by one’s peers and â€Å"fit in† with one’s peers often becomes paramount concern for most adolescents. Peer groups are likely to impose negative sanctions upon those who violate what are perceived as established norms of behavior and who attempt to construct identities that deviate significantly from prevailing conceptions of racial and gender identity (http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/er/pntroub1.html). Peers refer to people who are of the same age, educational level, or have the same job or profession. According to Christine Adamec, (2008), a peer group can cause anxieties for an individual because it can arouse feelings of self concept, low self esteem, and other negative attitudes and behavior. CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This chapter presents the research design, the locale of the study, the respondents and sampling procedure, the instrument and statistical tools used to treat the data collected. RESEARCH DESIGN Since this study will determine the academic performances of BSRT 2nd year students at Cagayan State University, the researchers will use the descriptive correlational method. Descriptive method often involves extensive observation and note-taking. It describes data and characteristics about the population or phenomenon being studied. The correlational method of research will also used to deal with their relationship between and among the input, transformation process and output variables. The researchers used this method since the condition and description of the subjects and variables at the time of the study will determine. LOCALE OF THE STUDY The College of Allied Health and Sciences was located at Cagayan State University, Tuguegarao. This was composed of two courses- Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology and Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy. The researchers will only focus to the 2nd year BSRT students. RESEARCH INSTRUMENT The principal instrument used in collecting data needed was questionnaire. It is composed of structured questions regarding personal factors, school factors, community factors, intrinsic factors, extrinsic factors and students’ academic performance, each item will be provided with possible answer for the choices of the respondents. The academic performance of the students will be derived through documentary analysis.

Fresh Direct Essay Example for Free

Fresh Direct Essay I. Statement and description of central issue (1 page; 2 minutes) II. Identification/description of alternatives (2 pages; 4 minutes) III. Rationale for selection of best alternative (3 pages; 6 minutes) IV. Description of implementation plan (1 page; 2 minutes) V. Conclusion (1/2 page; 1 minute) Statement/description of central issue †¢ Clearly states issue to be responded to with recommendations †¢ Explains underlying tension to justify why this is an issue †¢ Cites case facts as evidence to clarify why uncertainty requires attention Identification/description of alternatives †¢ Presents viable possible solutions to central issue †¢ Explains how each proposed alternative will address/resolve central issue Rationale for selection of best alternative †¢ Explains pros/cons of each alternative †¢ Explains why chosen alternative is preferred to others despite limitations Analysis †¢ Uses facts and data from case appropriately †¢ Uses appropriate techniques and frameworks December 10, 2012 Group 12H Kaizer Budhwani Chanwoo Lee â€Å"Our food is fresh, our customers are spoiled. Order on the web today and get next-day delivery of the best food at the best price, exactly the way you want it, with 100 percent satisfaction guaranteed.† Section. I – Statement and description of central issue FreshDirect was launched in July 2001 and it offers over 5,000 perishable products and 3,000 packaged goods through online shopping and delivery service to more than 300 zip codes in New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The central issue for FreshDirect which came as the online grocery retailing business continued to mature is environmental concerns. First, because of the conveyor packing system at the central processing facility in Long Island, FreshDirect is forced to use lots of cardboard boxes to deliver the groceries. Produce came in on box, dry goods in another, and a single tube of toothpaste in its separate cardboard delivery container. Although FreshDirect had transitioned to the use of 100 percent postconsumer recycled paper, the reusability of the cardboard boxes is limited. There is no system of returning them to FreshDirect to be recycled. Second, the additional exhaust fumes that FreshDirect trucks contribute to the urban atmosphere is an environmental issue. As the company relies on the central processing facility in order to avoid expensive rent for a retail space, the company uses its owned refrigerated trucks which can hold 500 orders to deliver the goods to their customer’s doorsteps and office parking lots. When the minimum order is $30 and the company’s revenue is $250 million, anyone can guess how many trucks have been operated and produced exhaust fumes. Third, FreshDirect trucks double parked in busy city streets had only made the traffic congestion problems worse. The trucks park in city streets in order to deliver goods to each customer’s doorsteps and it takes substantial amount of time. Section. II – Identification and description of alternatives In order to reduce the amount of cardboard boxes usage, FreshDirect can promote recycle system. Every time when customers finish orders, the company emphasizes on the after-order page that if the customer returns the cardboard boxes, FreshDirect will give credits to the customer for the next purchase discount. This promotion will increase customers’ awareness of recyclability of the cardboard boxes and encourage them to return the boxes to a delivery agent. Another alternative to the cardboard boxes usage is to use the current SAP manufacturing software system to reduce the cardboard boxes usage. Instead of putting almost everything separately, develop a software system that will figure out the minimum number of cardboard boxes used to pack an order. This will reduce the cardboard boxes usage in the first place. In order to reduce the additional exhaust fumes that FreshDirect trucks contribute to the urban atmosphere, FreshDirect will use electric trucks and hybrid trucks that will consume less or no gas at all. With the recent electric and hybrid car movement, FreshDirect could get fund from government which will help the company to buy trucks needed. Another alternative to the additional exhaust fumes is the company to build partnerships with local retail stores to hold onto FreshDirect customers’ packaged goods. FreshDirect will pay handsome money to local retailers and customers will pay less on delivery charges due to the customers themselves picking up the goods at the local retailers. FreshDirect will operate fewer routes and produce less exhaust fumes since the delivery agent will drop off packaged goods in one place. In order to solve the traffic congestion problems, FreshDirect will also apply the system of partnering with local retailers. Instead of the delivery truck parked on a city street and delivers the goods to each customer’s houses, if the delivery is made at one place, the truck will save some time on delivery and it will reduce traffic congestion. One alternative is instead of hiring just a delivery person at a minimum wage, hire experience delivery person and train them with high quality training program in order to achieve faster and efficient delivery process. The delivery time reduction will reduce traffic congestion. Another alternative is to build a partnership with existing delivery service companies such as FedEx or UPS. This partnership will reduce the number of FreshDirect trucks running. If the goods don’t required refrigerating, then another delivery service company can deliver them and reduce traffic congestions.

Men in the female dominated nursing profession

Men in the female dominated nursing profession The existing literature in nursing reviewed, and is mostly based on the reason for the shortage of men in nursing, and their experiences in a female dominated profession. Most of the articles obtained in this literature review were from the databases of Pub-Med, MEDLINE, Elsevier, Bio Med Central, SAGE pub, and Google Scholar. The key search words were caring, gender, men, nurses, nursing, stereotypes, non-traditional jobs, and advantages. The data obtained for this literature review span from 1964 to 2010. Little is it known about the experiences of men in nursing in Malta. However, Mr. Joseph Camilleri (1964) wrote about History of nursing in Malta stating that the knights themselves performed the nursing care exclusively, to the same gender. The literature review presented is aimed to explore the advantages and disadvantages that male nurses experience while performing their caring roles in nursing. 2.2 Difficulties male nurses encounter in a traditionally female profession 2.2.1 Introduction Nursing became predominately a female profession in the late 19th century. Though Florence Nightingale made major contributions in the nursing profession, she was greatly involved in excluding men from this profession by affirming that nursing was a discipline for female. She did work hard in establishing nursing as a laudable profession for respectable women, ignoring the past indispensable contributions made by men (Black and Germaine-Warner, 1995). Nightingale saw the males task restricted to physical jobs like moving or lifting patients and never appreciated their caring task. Besides, the Industrial Revolution largely influenced the way out of men from caring professions, such as nursing. During this period, the widely acknowledged professions for men were business, technology and science. Men pursued medicine and women pursued nursing (Black and Germaine-Warner, 1995). Men entering the nursing profession cross the conventional lines of gender. As a result, their masculinity becomes an issue. Over time, masculinity has been defined by the roles men perform (Connell, 1995). The concept, notion or idea of masculinity deters men from entering women-dominated professions, such as nursing, but men are silent on the entry of women in the mens traditional professions, such as medicine and technology. Williams (1995), Table 2.1 conducted in-depth interviews with 76 men and 23 female who work in predominantly female professions as social workers, elementary school teachers, nurses, and librarians. Through deft interpretation of her interviewees words, it was found that male nurses and those in other female-conquered fields frequently emphasize their masculinity and try as much as possible to avoid socializing with their women colleagues. This is argued by Williams as the only way of legitimising their working in the womens conventional professions. An exploratory study, conducted by Heikes (1991),Table 2.1 based on in-depth interviews with fifteen male nurses, showed that male nurses saw themselves in the abnormal position of belonging to two very dissimilar groups. For instance, in the nursing profession, men are taken as a minority group tagged as male nurse, whilst in a broader society, men fit in the dominant social group where they are expected to be successful and excelling in their profession. Male nurses are therefore a unique type of minority group in the sense that they are either a minority of the principal social faction or minority of majority. This disparity in grouping (minority-majority) stresses and discriminates men in nursing more than other tokens. Furthermore, the study indicates that many of the disadvantages male nurses experience (e.g., homosexual stigma, gender stereotypes) originate from outside of the nursing profession (Heikes, 1991, p.398). According to theoretical research of the literature, carried out by Evans (2004), Table 2.1, a man associated with the nursing profession compromises his reputation plus social status in patriarchal culture. Also, male nurses experience the stigma of working in a female-dominated profession, and they are seen by society as challenging the conventional roles of men (Lammi and Kauppinen-Toropainen, 1993). Evans argues (1997,p.228), citing Mangan (1994), that stigmatising labels imply that men who do nursing are different from other men, isolating them as deviants who are odd or homosexual. Furthermore, while analysing the data from semi-structured interviews with eight men nurses on their experiences in nursing, Evans (2002) noted that the male nurses are exposed to rejection and suspicion as nurturers and caregivers due to the perception that men and women caring styles were not the same. Touch was one expression of caring that all participants identified as central, to their practice as nurses, and potentially dangerous because it can be misinterpret, which makes them vulnerable caregivers. Similarly, men in nursing are likely to be labelled gay. Pringle (1993) asserted that any feminised profession is believed to attract homosexual men, be it fashion, hairdressing, or even nursing. A study link appears to be drawn between sexual preferences and gender. Savage (1987) suggested that a male nurse is always tagged with a predominant image of being homosexual. He further supported this suggestion by asserting that men entering the nursing profession have purportedly failed in other manhood professions and that the only opening for them remains in the womens world. Harding, (2007), Table, 2.1 in the social constructionist study conducted among 18 New Zealand men employed in general nursing found that majority of men in nursing are heterosexual. However, public perception is still that most male nurses are gay. This stereotype persists only in general nursing because it was constructed as feminine and abnormal for men, whereas psychiatric nursing was constructed as normal for men (Harding, 2007, p.641) Male nurses are believed to be further weakened, emasculated or ineffectual by resorting on womens traditional jobs in which they are anticipated to exhibit feminine qualities, such as being gentle, caring and subordinate to women. Thus, labelling of men in the nursing profession as homosexuals makes them feel remorseful, outcast and discouraged. Pringle (2002) asserted that in most cultures, male homosexuality is seen as an infringement of masculinity and a denigration of mens mythical power. He further asserted that as homosexuality nibbles at masculinity, it deteriorates the gender order. As earlier mentioned, up to this very moment nursing is extremely dominated by women and this translates to a number of personal and professional challenges to men entering the field. For example, several male nurses have reported about physicians and head nurses placing less trust in them. Besides, male nursing students encounter discrimination from physicians, practicing nurses and the general public (Kelly et al., 1996). Female nurses frequently request male colleagues for assistance in turning and lifting patients, thereby emphasising physical strength and not professional expertise. It is all very frequent for male nurses or students to find themselves unwanted in delivery rooms, prenatal clinics and other related settings that male physicians have liberated access (Black and Germaine-Warner, 1995). Another difficult issue male nurses or students encounter is a mistrust emanating from their patients. Literature has it that a considerable number of patients become so violent or hostile in the presence of a male nurse and will be uncomfortable submitting to intimate medical procedures. This is a difficult position to encounter, and several male nurses usually become frustrated when patients are not willing to confide in them because of fear or underserved disrespect (Fisher, 1999). Also, mounting study indicates that men in female-dominated careers, such as catering, nursing and fashion, encounter gender bias, elevated rates of job linked to stress as well as job discrimination (Amour, 2003). Table 2.1 The distribution of studies regarding the difficulties male nurses encounter in traditionally female profession Author/s and setting Sample and sampling method Research design/Instrument Significant findings Evans, J. (2004), Canada à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Theoretical research of literature review on men nurses in Canada, Britain U.S.A. between 1900 and 2003. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Statistics, CINHAL, Pub Med, and Sociological Abstract databases à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Failure to recognize mens participation in nursing leaves male nurses without historical background, almost invisible; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Gender boundaries are negotiable during wars and acute nursing shortage, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Men in nursing tend to choose areas of specialization that are more masculine, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Mens career path takes on traditional masculine role that seeks power and influence Evans,J .(2002), Canada à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢8 male nurses from community health nursing, medical-surgical, and general duty nursing, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢6 married, 1 with partner, and 1 gay; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Age from late 20s to mid 50s à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Two rounds of semi-structured interviews à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The stereotype of men as sexual aggressors is compounded by the stereotype that men nurses are gay, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢These stereotypes sexualise men nurses touch, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Men nurses are subject of accusation of inappropriate behaviour Harding,T. (2007), Norway à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Discourse analysis of data from existing texts, and 2 films on men, nursing and masculinity, and interviews conducted in 2003-2004, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢18 participants, 11 self-identified as gay, 6 heterosexual, and 1 no information on sexuality, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The workplace included clinical nursing, education, administration, midwifery, mental health and armed forces à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Purposive and snow ball sampling à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Loosely structured interviews with broad, open-ended questions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Three themes emerged which characterized the participants experiences: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Persistence of the stereotype of the gay male nurse, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Meeting homophobia in the work place, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Strategies to protect ones homosexuality like working as psychiatric nurses. Heikes, J. (1991), U.S.A. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 15 male RNs from nine different hospitals in Austin, Texas; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Age range 26-43 years; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Working experience ranged from 1-14 years à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢In-dept interviews based on interview questions about the concrete work experiences, and non-work interactions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Four role stereotypes emerged from the data: Ladder-climber, Troublemaker, and He-man, traditionally masculine traits, and homosexual, which is imposed on male nurses from the outside; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Male tokens are expected to excel in the occupational or public sphere; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Respondents reported social isolation in order to maintain higher status and to reduce the possibility of them being labelled un masculine or homosexual. Williams,C. (1995), U.S.A. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢76 men and 23 women in four occupations: nursing, librarian, elementary school teacher, and social worker; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢From 1985-1991 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Snowball sampling à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Age range from 20-66 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢In-dept interview, with the interview questionnaire consisted of several open ended four broad questions on motivation to enter the profession, experience in training, career progression, and general about mens status. (p.229) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Face to face interview à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Cultural and social stereotypes about masculinity pressure men to raise in a glass escalator to the highest paid and most prestigious nursing specialities; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Men encouraged to advance by an invisible pressure; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Men develop strategies to present themselves as masculine, and superior to female colleagues 2.3 Advantages and disadvantages perceived in males nursing career 2.2.1 Introduction Male nurses belong to a minority group. Approximately 3.1 percent of nurses in Canada and the United States are male, about 8.77 percent in the United Kingdom, (Rott, et.al (2008), and in Malta 28 percent (Council for nurses and midwifes, 2010). According to Evans (1997), Table 2.2, women working in mens traditional professions normally encounter hostile working environment. However, men working in female-dominated professions may never encounter such disadvantages. That said, the focal rationale for drawing men to nursing is to enhance the status and the prestige of the profession as a whole. It remains debatable whether this will really work or not. Several researchers and scholars have argued that the rationale puts a noteworthy pressure on men to salvage the nursing profession, whereas others believe that allowing men in the profession merely raises the position of masculine gender in the society (Evans, 1997). Male as well encompass an advantage in the nursing profession due to traditional stereotype that men are always the breadwinners of the families. In most societies, women usually take primary tasks for childcare and housework, giving men a distinct benefit. For instance, there is a devastating perception in the United States and most Anglo-Saxon world that women are less devoted to their work than men. This is largely due to the unfair division of labour inside the household. As such, even in female professions, men remain with this unequal advantage over women (Williams, 1995). In addition to, Abrahamsen (2004), Table 2.2, argues when men obtain leading positions more often than women, this can be result of favourism of men (p.35). A quantitative, non-experimental descriptive study ,conducted over twenty years, in order to identify constructions of masculinity, and career development, showed that twenty years after graduation, ,70% of male nurses were in the leadership position, and away from somatic wards. They moved to a sector which offered better income , which suggests that salary is important when male nurses move within different parts of the healthcare sector ( Abrahamsen, 2004). Additionally, the major functions in nursing accentuate technical knowledge, leadership and devotion to work, all these are perceived as being masculine traits. Consideration to detail and showing of emotions that are usually characteristics of females are not credited as good skills of leadership. What is more, male nurses are more social with doctors than their female counterparts. Since men feel they lack much in common with their female counterparts, they prefer talking about vehicles and sports with other men, especially male doctors. This in itself provides advantages for career projections, as doctors begin to appreciate male nurses as being competent just like their women colleagues (Bush, 1976). The transversal study of Dassen, T., Nijhuis,J.N. Philipsen, H. (1990), Table 2.2 which was based on a National Survey among intensive-care (IC) nurses in The Netherlands, showed that male IC-unit nurses consider IC-nursing to be a medical rather than a nursing activity in order to upgrade their own profession into a kind of medical profession. Due to an over-representation of men in technical wards, distribution of labour among male and female nurses is taking place according to traditional sex -specific patterns where male nurses stand a better chance of being promoted to higher positions. In addition, the study revealed that 50% of male nurses wish to become head of a nursing ward which proves that male nurses are more oriented towards profesionalization than female nurses. On the other hand, Kanters (1977) notion of tokenism supposed that the numerical underrepresentation of individuals in an occupation, particularly those classified by gender, ethnicity or race, will lead to discriminatory treatment. Therefore, for all minority groups, a given profession will always experience negative job impacts. According to Kanter, members of minority group are likely to achieve less in the working environment than members of the majority group. However, Williams (1995) contravened that when men are seen as minority group in the nursing profession, they normally use their dominant gender privilege to rapidly rise to the topmost hierarchy (Saville-Smith and James, 1994). Conversely, nursing is seen by several people as a feminine profession and is therefore devalued in male-conquered patriarchal society. This profession is always stereotyped as having the characteristics of caring, nurturing, submission and dependence. These traits accredited to nursing contrast with the alleged male characteristics of dominance, aggression and strength and thus male nurses usually isolate themselves from their female nurses as a way of expressing the notion of masculinity (Heikes, 1991). Moreover, when an individual forms an identity which is incompatible with the expectations of the society, people usually become uncomfortable and uncertain on how to behave. In most societies all over the world, nurses are perceived as women, and thus it is quite difficult for individuals to know how to interrelate with male nurses. They find it too unusual why a man would decide on a career dominated by a recessive sex. This is a major disadvantage to men in nursing and most of th em are indeed deterred from the profession by assuming that other individuals will see them as unmanly (Bagilhole and Cross, 2002). Table 2.2 The distribution of studies regarding the advantages and disadvantages perceived in males nursing career Author/s and setting Sample and sampling method Research design/ Instrument Significant findings Abrahamsen, D. (2004) Norway à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢1450 male and female nurses who completed training in 1977 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Norwegian survey of nurses undertaken at the end of 1998 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢After a year from graduating, 10% of male and female, both were in leadership position, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢After twenty years later, 70% of men were in leading position away from somatic wards and bed-ridden patients, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Better income was moved male nurses within different parts of the healthcare system. Dassen,T.W.N.et.al., (1990) The Netherlands à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢1960 male and female nurses, data borrowed from the Intensive Care Association, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 960 returned the forms by post, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢R.R.49% à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Survey, questionnaire sent by post; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢There is an over-presentation of men in technical wards, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢10% of the male nurses reported having chosen to work in an IC-unit, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢50% of the male nurses wish to become head of a nursing ward compared to only 15% of female nurses. Evans,J. (1997) Canada à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Theoretical literature review à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Not stated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Even in the female dominated profession , patriarchal society enables men to obtain dominant position, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Marital status for men has significant career advantage, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Men nurses have more university degrees compared to women nurses, 2.4 Why men choose nursing as a career 2.4.1 Introduction Most men choose nursing for the similar reasons women choose nursing. They are goaded by the desire to care for patients (Boughn, 2001). Besides, men have numerous practical reasons that include career opportunity, job security, job flexibility and stable income. Conventionally, men tend to prefer active and challenging fields of nursing, such as cardiac care units, trauma units, emergency departments, cardiac care units, intensive care units, anaesthesiology or flight nursing, among others. Men are often attracted to the technical aspects of acute care specialties and always motivated by the challenges created by the medical instruments utilised in those units. However, a pilot study investigating the motivations and experiences of 42 males in the nursing profession conducted by Whittock M. Leonard L. (2003), Table 2.3 showed that a major factor that attracted men in nursing was influence of parents, specially mothers, employed in nursing or other healthcare professions. On the other hand, this finding was not true for all interviewees. A similar, qualitative, study exploring what motivates Israeli men to choose nursing as their profession was conducted by Romem, P. Anson, O. ( 2005), Table 2.3. Self- administered questionnaires which included 52-items were drawn up, in order to determine the social characteristics of male nurses, and their motives in choosing the profession. These questionnaires were distributed to all registered nurses, 137 female and 123 male, in three general and three psychiatric hospitals. The results of the study show that an early exposure to the profession, as well as the ethnic background are prominent factors that motivate men to choose nursing. Job security, career opportunities and salary, also play an important role (Romem, Anson,2005). On the other hand, men in nursing are not taking leading positions in the health care system due to their social origins. Nevertheless, there has been worry that several men may just look at the nursing profession as a facilitator to other masculine professions such as medicine and that they may not take nursing as their long lasting career. This is because of low pay and perceived low status of nursing as it is always associated with a lesser sex in the society (Williams, 1989). This anxiety was borne out in 2002 by a study conducted in the University of Pennsylvania. The study was based on the Analysis of the 1992-2000 the National Survey of Registered Nurses, the nations most extensive and comprehensive statistics on registered nurses with current licenses to practice in US. In this study it was found that about 7.5% of new-fangled male nurses left this female-dominated profession within four years after graduating from nursing school. This was a higher percent compared to the 4.1% of female nurses who deserted the nursing profession in the same period (Solchalski, 2002). While Sochalski (2002), Table 2.3, in her research underscored the need to determine the reasons for the exodus of nurses, a study of Rajapaksa Rothstein (2009), Table 2.3, showed that men and women nurses who left nursing had some similar and some different reasons for their actions. The sample consisted of 1,589 registered nurses who were employed in other occupations at the time of the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses 2000. Gender was the primary independent variable, although the vast majority of respondents in this study were female ( 93,5%). At the time of the survey , 63.2% of the respondents were working full time at their new jobs, and 36.8% were working part time. The survey consisted of a self-administered forced-choice questionnaire that included gender, participants age, working age, income, marital status, educational level and race. The results revealed that both men and women left nursing for better working hours and more rewarding positions elsewhere, and whilemen nurses do not leave nursing for other occupations because of dissatisfaction with their roles as nurses, but rather because of their perceptions of the low financial rewards associated with nursing (Rajapaksa, et al 2009, p.206). A number of issues face majority of men who do decide to remain in nursing. These men frequently feel an emotional reaction, a role strain that might be felt by any individual in a profession which has a social formation conquered by members of the opposite sex. For those men raised in the culture of American andocentricism, not used to anti-male gender inequity, this may create discontent and anxiety. Increasingly, though, men today fill majority of leadership tasks in the nursing profession. 2.3 Table The distribution of the studies exploring why men choose nursing as a career Author/s and setting Sample and sampling method Research design/Instrument Significant findings Rajapaksa,S. Rothstein,W. (2009) U.S.A à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Secondary Analysis of the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses 2000, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Sample 1.589 RNS who were employed in other occupations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢90% white, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Age of the respondents 48.49 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Average number of years worked as an RN was 8.73 years à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The data used were the General Public Use Files, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Self-administered forced choice questionnaire à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Three main reasons for leaving nursing: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢46% respondents stated that the working hours where more convenient in the new job, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 47,2% found current job more rewarding, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢35% stated that they left for better salaries Romem,P.Anson,O. (2005) Israel à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢260 participants, 123 male and 137 registered nurses in 3 general and 3 psychiatric hospitals during 1997-1998. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢RR 74% à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Mean age was 37 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Majority of the respondents were married à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 52-item questionnaire based on in-dept interviews with 5 male and 5 female RN à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Nursing appeals to groups out-of the stream (immigrants and ethnic minorities); à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Israeli men in nursing do not occupy leading positions in health care; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Men are absent from the nursing Administration. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢78% of the male in this study belong to immigrants or ethnic minority. Sochalski,J. (2002) U.S.A. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Data Analysis of 1992-2000 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The number of respondents in 2000 questionnaire was 35,579. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢R.R.71.7% à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Data from National Survey of Registered Nurses; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Questionnaire à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ New nurses at the beginning of their career show job satisfaction, 75% of women among new nurses were satisfied with their job, and only 67% men, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢7.5% of new male nurses left their job within four years, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Male nurses are leaving profession twice the rate of women à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢136,000 nurses are working in other professions. Whittock,M. Leonard,L. (2003) U.K. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢1.Literature review on males in nursing from historical and present day perspective, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢2. Pilot study on what prevents from considering a nursing career à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢30 pre registration male nurses, 30 post registration male nurses, 10 ex-nurses males. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The sample to date 42 male nurse of different ethnicities Mean age 33,64 years à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢In dept semi-structured interview limited to 1 hour duration; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Face to face interview à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Interviewees have expressed the view that males can be caring as females, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢They have experienced some form of caring situation, usually in family, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Schools services are doing nothing or little to portray nursing as a possible career for young men, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Only 14% of male are enrolling into nursing 2.5 Views of male nurses in the nursing profession 2.5.1 Introduction Several male nurses have over time expressed their views concerning the nursing profession and in most instances they have reported undergoing a role strain. This has greatly implicated their career ambition and put a question as to whether caring is destined for them (Simpson, 2005). A qualitative study conducted by Simpson (2005), Table 2.4,in order to explore the experience of men in non-traditional occupations ,underscored from 40 in- depth interviews, that majority of men feel discomfort, embarrassment and shame. Many have reported masculinity challenges, including low pay and loss of status. Moreover, in the nursing profession, a good nurse is usually acknowledged by having attributes such as caring, subservience, compassion and kindness (Hicks, 1999). All these attributes are similar to those naturally depicted in females and thus the profession requires an individual with feminine traits. Loughrey,M.(2007), Table 2.4 performed a quantitative, non-experimental descriptive design in order to find out the gender role perception of male nurses, for the first time, in Ireland. Following the analysis of this research, out of 104 male nurses, 78 respondents identified themselves as affectionate, sympathetic and understanding, which corresponds more to female gender roles, and that adoption of the characteristics of the female gender role may not be unusual to male nurses. Hart, K. (2005), Table 2.4, reports on Men in Nursing Survey, that the reality that nursing is traditionally female profession is the main reason why more men arent attracted to the profession, according to 38% of respondents. Other key reasons cited were the stereotype that all men in nursing are gay (29 %), poor pay (15 %), and lack of role models (15%). One respondent said that many people think a man who chooses to spend his career as a staff nurse is a failure or lacks direction. Many others said that male nurses are perceived as men who flunked out of medical school. (Hart, p.48). With these hard-hitting facts, men in nursing view themselves as unsuited for caring task (Wingfield, 2009). Even more, male nurses have reported not once of being victims of homophobic abuse, some of them state that they have been called dreadful names, such as you faggot this while providing nursing care to patients. There are even views of male nurses who feel disadvantaged in life because they decided on a female-dominated profession, which confers a lesser status upon them (McDougall, 1997). The effect of nurse gender on nurse and patient perceptions of nurse caring were explored by Ekstrom, (1999),Table 2.4, using two matched, Likert-like, and 61 items questionnaires. The results collected from the two groups of 145 nurse-patient gender combination, indicated that caring is not particularly female quality, and that nurse caring can be performed by both genders male and female, from the nurse or the patient perspective. However, men find it difficult to demonstrate caring behaviours suggesting avoidance of self-identification with a feminine stereotype. According to these views, it is as if humans are perpetually susceptible, incapable of handling their affairs. Undoubtedly, the preoccupation with the harms and hurts of being a male nurse appears at odds with the evidence of mens masculinity and brisk technological advancement (Furedi, 2003). 2.4 Table The distribution of the studies regarding the views of the male nurses in the nursing profession Author/s and setting Sample and sampling method Research design/Instrument Significant findings Ekstrom,D.N. (1990) U.S.A. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Sample of two 145 nurse-patients combinations, from 5 adult acute care medical centers; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Random sampling of the patients, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mean age of female nurses 35.5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mean age of male nurse 36.3, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Patients had a mean age of 46.4 with a range of 19-82 years. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Two 61 items-matched Likert like questionnaires: 1. The nurse caring questionnaire, 2.The patient caring questionnaire

Padre Pio :: essays research papers

Padre Pio, whose real name was Francesco Forgione was born on May 25, 1887 in Pietralcina, a small town in southern Italy. Every since he was a child he has always showed love towards the religious life. It is said that at the age of 5 Padre Pio had already dedicated his life to God. He had an extreme love for prayer. At the age of sixteen he entered the ‘Capuchin Friars’ which are a religious order in memory of St. Francis of Assisi. From the first time Padre Pio had entered into the Friary he was already recognized by his teachers as someone special. â€Å"There was something which distinguished him from the other students, whenever I saw him he was always humble and silent†, one of his peers had said. What struck them most was Padre Pio’s love for prayer. In the year 1910 at the age of 23 Padre Pio had been ordained a priest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Besides the Mystery of God taught by Padre Pio, he had his own mysteries. After celebrating a Mass on September 20, 1918, he had received the â€Å"Stigmata†. His hands, side and feet were scarred with the same wounds of Christ; he was the first priest ever to have received the gift of Stigmata along with other gifts which later declared him a Saint. The news of this spread all over the world and people flocked to witness this miracle. Scientists had examined the wounds over and over but could never come up with an explanation. He had performed many miracles which included curing a blind little girl without pupils in her eyes to see again, and she is still alive today to tell her story. Padre Pio was also rewarded by God with other magnificent gifts such as bilocation which was Padre Pio’s ability to visit and needy in far places from where he was without ever leaving, also the gift of perfume which was the beautiful odor of roses that marked Padre Pio’s presence , and the gift of conversion which was his ability to make remarkable conversions of peoples choices or views.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the life of Padre Pio, God was no mystery to him because it seemed as if he already knew the mystery of God. He once said â€Å"the pivot of perfection is love, he who lives in love lives in God, because God is love, as taught by the apostles†, which simply those who do not love cannot be completely connected to God.

From the second reich to the wiemar republic :: essays research papers

From the Second Reich to the Weimar Republic The Second Reich The constitution of the second Reich: The Kaiser was hereditary for life and he was the Supreme Commander of the army The Chancellor was chosen by the Kaiser and was also usually the chairman of the Bundesrat. The Bundesrat was the upper house of parliament. Members were chosen by the State Government. The 17 Prussian representatives could veto any law. The Reichstag was less important than the Bundesrat in making laws. They could only approve the laws proposed by the Chancellor and the Bundesrat. The Reichstag was the lower house of parliament, with members elected by all men over the age of 25, fewer could vote in Prussia This was very undemocratic as people had little say over the passing of laws. The Reichstag, the house of parliament that the people voted for, had very little power over the creation of laws. The Kaiser was almost a dictator. Ludendorff realised that Germany was going to be defeated in 1918. He told the Kaiser that the war must end. In October, the Germans asked President Woodrow Wilson to organise an end to the fighting. He agreed but demanded that the Kaiser must go. Starvation and riots spread though Germany and on 30th October, the German Navy refused to launch a desperate attack on the British Navy. The Kaiser finally agreed to abdicate and on the 11th November an armistice was signed. This was the end of the Second Reich. The Weimar Republic The new government wanted to introduce a parliamentary democracy. This was because President Wilson refused to offer peace to the Germans until it had a government which wanted democracy. However, this meant that some Germans felt that democracy was being forced upon them by their enemies. The constitution of the Weimar Republic: The President was in power for 7 years and was elected by all adults over the age of 21. He was the Supreme Commander of the army and he chose the Chancellor. The Chancellor had the support of a majority of the Reichstag. The Reichstag was the lower house of parliament, elected by all adults over the age of 21. It was more important than the Reichsrat and could make laws. The Reichsrat was the upper house of parliament and could only approve laws proposed by the Chancellor and the Reichstag. Weaknesses of the new constitution: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Proportional Representation – this meant that if a party received 5% of the votes, they would also receive 5% of the seats in the Reichstag.

Are Americans Allergic to Traveling Abroad? :: essays research papers

â€Å"Are Americans allergic to traveling abroad?† I asked Poonam, an immigrant from Nepal, who states that such a notion is â€Å"ridiculous†. Nepal has suffered lately due to a despotic ruler. The newspapers have recently reported that the king has cut off Nepal from the rest of the world by closing airports and shutting down communication. Poonam’s father owns a resort in Nepal, and his family has struggled to keep business open through these tough times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"How do you explain that only 15% of Americans have passports to travel abroad? Is it because we are lazy?† Poonam furthers that Americans are not lazy or allergic to traveling. He points out that Americans do not have the time to travel abroad. The strength of our economy is based on the working class. He points out that most employees only receive one to two weeks of vacation. In Nepal if he were to take a vacation, his employer would give him one to two months off so that he can travel and enjoy himself. He explains that to travel to Nepal, it takes two days to get there and two takes to get back home (Baltimore). The weary traveler usually needs a day or two after each way to recover from any jet lag or from the pure exhaustion of balancing airplane and other time schedules. Poonam also points out, the vast land in United States allows Americans the opportunity to take mini-trips that can be very enriching. This is one of his favorite aspects of ou r country. Poonam who works 72 hour work weeks without overtime, will spend his only day off taking his son and wife to Washington D.C. or Philadelphia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We both agree that this point is overlooked. Traveling abroad is reserved for those who do not have to work – the independently wealthy. Poonam does not believe that apathy prevents us from travel, but rather our drive to succeed in our careers. I posed the question as to whether or not we work too much? He reminds me of the French government who require mandatory vacations and 35 hours work weeks. I counter with a recent news article that reported a decline in the French economy. The French government is thinking of reversing the 35 hour work week law.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am definitely very interested in traveling. I have started taking French lessons so that I can travel abroad.

Relations between Venezuela and the United States Essay

To create a speech/presentation about Venezuela-United States relations, with a focus on the regime of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Topic: Relations between Venezuela and the United States, with a focus on the Chavez administration. Purpose: To be able to analyze the roots of the current state of Venezuela-United States relations as well as its future, given the existence of the Chavez government. To say that relations between Venezuela and the United States are very shaky is already an understatement. This is because the foreign policy of the US in Latin America is a â€Å"rhetorically concealed fusion between popular elections and imperial appointments† (Landau 29). The US has a long history of overthrowing Latin American governments that show even the slightest hint of favoring the poor. As soon as they get word about a pro-poor Latin American leader, the US government would flex its political, economic and military muscles in order to replace him or her with a pro-US head of state. The end of the Cold War did not change this scenario. Since 1999, seven Latin American leaders were overthrown due to their pro-US stance. Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada resigned from the Bolivian presidency in 2005 due to massive popular revolts over his pro-US economic strategies. Paraguay’s Raul Cubas stepped down in 1999 due to charges of corruption and involvement in the assassination of Vice President Luis Maria Argana. Ecuadorian President Jamil Mahuad was toppled from power in 2000 because of his adherence to free trade (Landau 29). The regime of Peru’s Alberto Fujimori ended prematurely in 2000 mainly due to his bloody suppression of anti-US political dissent. The collapse of the Argentine economy in December 2001 because of neo-liberal policies resulted in popular revolts that forced President Fernando de la Rua to resign (Landau 29). But Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez is a Latin American leader that can be hardly described as a Washington lapdog. His pro-poor policies earned him immense respect and support from the Venezuelan masses, three consecutive presidential terms and harassment from the White House. The relationship between the US and Latin America has traditionally been that of a master and a slave. Since its first arrival on Latin America in the 19th century, the US clearly wanted nothing more from the continent but unlimited access to its natural resources (O’Brien 180). But changing political realities in the 20th century prompted the US to attain this objective in a more subtle fashion. For most of the 20th century, therefore, the US projected itself to Latin America as the â€Å"good neighbor† (Gilderhus 71) – an indispensable ally in the continent’s struggle against the Great Depression, the Axis Powers and Communism. But it was not until the postwar era that this â€Å"good neighbor† facade of the US became even more pronounced. Intensifying Latin American nationalism in the 1950s threatened US political and economic interests in the continent. The US, needing all the resources and allies it could get in order to challenge the Soviet Union in the global contest known as the Cold War, looked for an excuse to intervene in Latin America. Thus, American policymakers associated nationalism and Communism (O’Brien 181). This association between nationalism and Communism on the part of American lawmakers is valid to a certain extent. Prevailing economic conditions during and immediately after World War II led to the emergence of leftist politics and labor militancy throughout Latin America. In Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, for instance, postwar economic recovery and programs promoting industrialization resulted in the growth of manufacturing workers from about 50 to 60 percent. Increasing urban workforces, in turn, translated to larger and more militant labor movements that called for better working conditions and greater economic benefits. Furthermore, Communist parties in Cuba, Chile and Brazil obtained considerable gains in terms of membership and voter support (O’Brien 182). The aforementioned developments did not sit well with Latin America’s elite, who were fearful that leftist politics and labor militancy would make them lose their firm hold over the continent’s politics and economy. They therefore took advantage of the reemerging anti-Communist militancy of the US, using it as an excuse to roll back political reforms, outlaw Communist parties and crack down on independent unions (O’Brien 182). The American government, meanwhile, rewarded them by bestowing on them the political and economic leadership of their respective countries. A bloody, CIA-engineered coup in 1973 toppled the socialist regime of Chile’s Salvador Allende and ushered into power the pro-US Augusto Pinochet (Menjivar and Rodriguez 35). The US-backed Somoza dynasty ruled Nicaragua from 1937 to 1979, robbing the country blind and brutally suppressing all forms of legitimate political opposition (Leonard 1134). Francois and Jean-Claude Duvalier became the dictators of Haiti from 1957 to 1986, living off generous amounts of political and military aid from the US (Leonard 243). The dictatorship of the Dominican Republic’s Rafael Trujillo lasted from 1930 to 1961, primarily due to his exploitation of US fears of Nazism during the 1930s and Communism during the Cold War (Leonard 244). Although socialism in Latin America declined in the 1990s, certain economic developments in Venezuela led to its resurgence in the country. Venezuela had abundant oil resources, but its oil industry was developed at the expense of equally important non-oil industries. As a result, the value of the Bolivar fuerte was dependent on fluctuating oil prices. Dropping oil prices forced the Venezuelan government to take out foreign loans and to debauch the currency. Inflation ensued, plunging the Venezuelan economy into poverty (Reid 161). Since Chavez was first elected President in 1998, Venezuela’s oil policy had represented â€Å"a dramatic break from the past† (Ellner and Salas 54). This was mainly because he used the country’s oil profits to come up with numerous social programs that were intended to help the most marginalized sectors of Venezuelan society (Ellner and Salas 54). One of Chavez’s first programs was â€Å"Plan Bolivar 2000,† a civilian-military program that included road building, house construction, mass vaccinations, land reform, the lowering of infant mortality rates, the implementation of a free state-subsidized healthcare system and a system of free education up to the tertiary level (Peet and Hartwick 192). By the end of 2001, the aforementioned program led to an increase in primary school enrollment by 1 million students (Peet and Hartwick 193). Chavez preserved his administration by using oil as a means of forging alliances with like-minded leaders. In 1999, he announced that the Venezuelan state-owned petroleum company PDVSA and the Brazilian state-run oil and gas giant Petroleo Brasileiro were reviewing plans of forming a larger joint oil company. The result of these plans would be Petrosur, an enterprise that was situated on the southern cone of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Petrosur was intended to supply oil to countries under preferential financial terms, encourage large-scale infrastructure such as pipelines and refineries and coordinate oil distribution, exploration and processing. The profits of Petrosur would be used to subsidize social programs for education, healthcare and employment (Kozloff 105). Chavez’s populist reforms earned him a second term in 2000 and a third in 2006. But his manner of using Venezuela’s oil reserves did not sit well with Washington and the Venezuelan elite. Prior to Chavez’s regime, Venezuela was the second largest supplier of oil to the United States (Noreng 74). In addition, PDVSA was controlled by the Venezuelan elites (Ellner and Salas 122). Thus, it was no longer surprising if these two parties joined forces in order to expel Chavez from power. On April 9, 2002, the CTV (Venezuela’s largest trade union organization), Fedecamaras (Venezuela’s largest business federation) and board members of the PDVSA carried out a general strike against Chavez’s oil policies. Three days later, CIA-backed elements of the Venezuelan armed forces staged a coup against him. The coup succeeded in temporarily ousting Chavez and replacing him with Fedecamaras president Pedro Carmona Estanga. Widespread popular protests, however, forced Estanga to resign from the presidency to make way for Chavez (Trinkunas 206). But the CTV, Fedecamaras and the PDVSA would not allow themselves to be defeated. On December 2, 2002, they called for the resignation of Chavez by staging another general strike. The strike lasted for 63 days – the aforementioned parties were forced to finally call it off due to subsequent detrimental effects on the Venezuelan economy. The strike was said to have devastated the Venezuelan economy by costing the latter about 7. 6% of its GDP (Kohnstamm, Bao, Porup and Schechter 28). Venezuelan politics remained turbulent until Chavez consolidated his power by winning a 2004 referendum. Having obtained tremendous political support and immense oil-generated wealth, he then proceeded to strengthen pan-American socialism. He openly established strong political and economic ties with other Leftist leaders in Bolivia, Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil. Despite being ridiculed by Bush’s officials as â€Å"Castro’s little buddy† (Landau 30), Chavez won about 63% of the vote in Venezuela’s 2006 national elections (Kohnstamm, Bao, Porup and Schechter 28). At present, it is very obvious that majority of the Venezuelan people continue to support Chavez. In February 2009, 54% of Venezuelans (O’Neill n. pag. ) supported an amendment that would scrap presidential term limits in their country (Llana n. pag. ). Simply put, he would finally be allowed to run for the presidency in 2012. This development is ironic, considering that they rejected in 2007 a constitutional referendum which included the said issue. Moreover, Chavez’s regime was recently criticized for its failure to address acute urban problems such as transport, crime and waste disposal (O’Neill n. pag. ). But the very existence of Chavez’s administration showed Latin Americans that it is possible for them to freely elect their own representatives, as well as choose the form of government which they deem appropriate (O’Neill n. pag. ). His open defiance of Washington’s dictates proved that a Third World nation, with sheer political will and unity of the part of its citizenry, can actually assert itself to the powerful nation on earth. Through Chavez, Venezuela showed that democracy is not measured in terms of how long a leader stays in power. Rather, it is whether or not this head was in fact chosen by the people and would truly serve their interests.