Saturday, August 22, 2020

IRS No Longer Sending Paper Tax Forms

IRS No Longer Sending Paper Tax Forms They express the main things sure in life are demise and charges. That may be valid. Be that as it may, the manner in which you pay your assessments is unquestionably evolving. Key Takeaways The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) authoritatively quit mailing yearly government form structures to singular citizens toward the finish of 2010.The IRS assessed at the time that the change would, truth be told, spare citizens over $10 million every year in printing, postage, and handling costs.Paper tax documents and guidelines can at present be requested from the IRS or got up IRS help focuses or taking an interest post workplaces and open libraries.Electronic recording or â€Å"efiling† is currently the transcendent strategy for recording expense forms, with more than 56 million citizens having arranged and efiled their bureaucratic assessment forms since the IRS quit mailing paper tax documents in 2011 The Internal Revenue Service declared that it will no longer mail out paper tax documents to Americans, powerful 2011. The move is intended to spare everyones most loved government organization a little money - about $10 million per year. With the proceeded with development in electronic documenting and to help decrease costs, the IRS will no longer mail paper charge bundles that ordinarily show up in January of every year, the organization said in a postcard sent to citizens. The IRS will set aside cash by not printing and mail the thick, 44-page parcel of data, charge tables and Form 1040s. In the event that you dont need to record electronically, here are your alternatives for getting paper tax documents: Sign onto IRS.gov, where you can download and print the most recent assessment forms.Drop by your neighborhood IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center.Go to your nearby mail station or library on the off chance that they partake in the government charge items program.After Jan. 1, you can likewise dial the IRS cost free hotline and request that they mail you the desk work. The number is (800) 829-3676. The IRS has been urging citizens to record electronically for a considerable length of time. Around 96 million citizens recorded electronically in 2010, and another 20 million presented their structures to the IRS through expert assessment preparers, as per the office. By correlation, just about 11.5 million citizens who recorded paper tax documents had gotten them via the post office. Electronic Filing Now Dominates Figures discharged by the IRS in 2019 show that the agency’s 2011 choice to â€Å"go paperless† was an insightful and mainstream one. As per the IRS, the quantity of expense forms that are documented electronically-efiled-has developed each year since. Before the finish of May 2019, for instance, in excess of 127,939,000 million assessment forms for Tax Year 2018 had been efiled. Citizens who self-get ready and efile their own expense forms have kept on developing. In 2019 (for Tax Year 2018), more than 56,214,000 million citizens have arranged and efiled their government expense forms themselves as of May 2019. Furthermore, as of May 2019, more than 86,965,000 million citizens had gotten quicker government charge discounts by means of direct bank stores into financial balances through electronic bank moves (EBT). The normal duty discount got by direct store was $2,868. The choice to record assessment forms electronically has really been around for a long time. The act of efiling started in 1986 as a little test program in 1968, when just 5 expense IRS-chose charge preparers from Cincinnati, Raleigh Durham, and Phoenix consented to partake. From that point forward, efile has developed to get typical, serving a large number of citizens consistently. Refreshed by Robert Longley

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Which Payment Provider to Choose for Your Online Business

Which Payment Provider to Choose for Your Online Business © Shutterstock.com | City of AngelsIn this article, you will discover 1) an introduction to payment providers, 2) the importance of selecting a payment provider for your online business, 3) a step-by-step process for selecting a payment provider for your business, and 4) payment providers comparison.INTRODUCTION TO PAYMENT PROVIDERSWhat is online payment?An online payment is processed electronically over a computer network, usually the internet.As a business owner who conducts business online, you would surely have felt the need to use a payment method that is secure and reassuring. Online payment is the perfect answer. Every day, more and more businesses are adding online payment as a viable option apart from traditional cash and check transactions.Components of online paymentsPayment Gateways: A payment gateway is an e-commerce service that accepts the various payment requests from your website and channels it to the payment processor for processing. Payment gateways bring in a lo t of security features for your customers, like data encryption, and ensures that data is securely exchanged both between the customer and the merchant and between the merchant and the payment processor.Payment Processors: As the name suggests, a payment processor validates customers bank accounts, credit or debit cards, checks to see if there is a sufficient balance, and authorizes the transactions. Once transactions are authorized, the funds are debited from the customers account and transferred back to the payment gateway.Payment Service or Payment System: A payment service or a payment system is a service offered by payment providers that allows the customer to choose from different types of payment gateways. Credit cards have historically been the most preferred form of payment. However, other types of payment methods, such as smartcards, are gaining popularity.Payment Provider: A payment provider (also known as a payment service provider) is a company that manages all the serv ices related to online payment, like payment gateways and payment processors. A typical payment provider is simultaneously connected to several banks, cards and payment networks. Payment providers can be classified into three types:Distributors: A distributor is a payment provider that supports multiple online payment methods via a single interface.Collectors: A collector is similar in function to a distributor. However, collectors additionally collect payouts on your behalf without setting commission rates or fees.Aggregators: An aggregator supports multiple online payment methods via a single interface, collects payouts and contracts with banks or financial institutions.Merchant Account: A merchant account is a specialized account used to receive funds from online transactions via credit card or debit card. A merchant account often utilizes the services of payment processors, independent sales organizations and member service providers to perform transactions.How online transactio ns workOnce you have decided to sell your goods online, you will first need to hook up with a merchant account, although services like PayPal negate their use. Next, you will need to set up an account with a payment service provider. The final step is to set up your web page and connect it to an online payment service by placing a button or a simple hyperlink that your customer can press/click on to initiate online payment. While some websites incorporate the payment form in their web pages, others redirect it to their service providers website.Trusted online payment providersThere is an unending list of payment providers available. However, when you consider the most trusted ones, this list narrows down quite a bit. Below are some of the most widely-used online payment providers.Authorize.Net: With a customer base of over 400,000 and growing, Authorize.Net is one of the worlds leading payment providers. This service allows you to receive payments in the form of electronic checks an d credit cards. The Setup fee is a very nominal USD $49, with an additional USD $29 gateway fee chargeable every month.PayPal: A venture of the famous Elon Musk, PayPal is a very popular payment provider. The service allows both credit card and debit card transactions. However, the best part is that PayPal is entirely free there is no set-up charge, no gateway fee and no other monthly charges.SecurePay.com: SecurePay.com accepts mobile payments, has an online shopping cart set up and offers electronic check services. Fees are charged per transaction.Alipay: Alipay is a third party online payment provider founded by Jack Ma of Alibaba.com. Alipay does not charge any transaction fees and has the added advantage of an escrow service, which allows you to verify if your customers are actually happy with the product, before they release the payment.BitPay: With an increasing global presence, BitPay is one of the largest Bitcoin-based payment providers. BitPay has, over the last couple of years, partnered with multinational giants like Microsoft, NewEgg, TigerDirect, and Warner Bros.THE IMPORTANCE OF SELECTING A PAYMENT PROVIDER FOR YOUR ONLINE BUSINESSWhy do you need a payment provider at all?An online business is virtually impossible to conduct without the assistance of a payment provider. There are a few key reasons why you will need to use the services of a proficient payment provider.To meet and exceed customer expectations: Your customers are only human they always favor buying things from a site that makes it easy for them to pay. An online payment option is vital in the sense that customers view it as one of the easiest and most comfortable modes of payment. A website with an online payment method is always seen as up-to-the-minute and customer-friendly.To increase processing speed: It is undeniable that an online payment system significantly enhances payment processing speed. Online payments are far quicker than manual payment methods you dont have to wai t for the check to turn up and then for it to clear at the bank. Adopting an online payment option will deliver the payment to your account in a matter of a few seconds, thus enhancing cash It also secures your transactions by sending immediate confirmation messages. In addition, having an online payment option lets you know immediately that the customer has a sufficient bank balance, unlike manual transactions where checks may bounce later on.To simplify payment transactions: Online payment systems greatly simplify the transaction process. It doesnt require you to go to your bank to deposit the check, nor does it require you to manually record all payment transactions. All online transactions are automatically processed and all transactions are recorded and available for perusal on demand. You are also not required to handle or store any information pertaining to your customers credit and debit cards.A STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS FOR SELECTING A PAYMENT PROVIDER FOR YOUR BUSINESSBelow, we describe in detail, the steps you need to take to select the payment provider that works best for your business.Step 1: Understand what restrictions you have depending on what platform you use (is the payment gateway supported on  your ecommerce platform?).Since there are so many options in payment providers available, it becomes necessary to peruse and understand which ones are supported on your ecommerce platform. But its not enough that the payment system is supported on your platform you will need to browse through various additional features, like plug-ins, to decide on what payment provider to finally settle.Step 2: Select between Shopping Carts vs. Merchant Accounts.There are a lot of things to consider and know about how your ecommerce platform is structured before you can really decide what credit card payment options you are able to offer your customers. However, it is safe to state here that a merchant account is absolutely necessary for you to accept online payments. E ven though your website host is most likely to provide you some in-built shopping cart options, these alone arent enough for you to accept payments without a compatible merchant account.Your best bet might be to consider an all-in-one payment system, e.g., PayPal. These systems allow you to have both a shopping cart and a merchant account as part of a comprehensive plan. This virtually eliminates the need to have separate accounts, and since you will be paying for all the options as a single package, it saves you money too.Step 3: Understand the difference between payment gateways and merchant accounts, and define for your business whether you want to have payment gateways, merchant accounts or an all-in-one system.As a start-up seller, ready to go online, you will need to understand the basics of ecommerce and use your knowledge to set up a shop. It is important to understand the differences between payment gateways, payment processors and merchant accounts. You can then use your a cquired knowledge to analyze what works best for your business payment gateways with merchant accounts, or an all-in-one system.There are several options available on the market for payment gateways and payment processors they offer different features and options and have varying monthly rates, transaction costs and other charges.Step 4: Determine how you want your checkout to work.At this stage, you will want to think of a checkout strategy that works with your type of business and especially, the kind of customer base you plan to target. It may be beneficial for you to have your customers enter their payment details directly on your website. In that case, you will have to follow the following steps:Provide a payment form on your site. This is possibly one of the simplest ways to accept payment. However, this is also one of the least secure payment methods. So, in order to safely use this system, you will need to put a lot of security measures in place, which will, of course, not be cost efficient over the long term.Use iFrame or redirect. A better and more secure way of using a checkout form on your website is to encase it in a secure iFrame within your payment webpage. Another secure way would be to redirect the customer to a securely hosted payment page.Use a secure payment gateway. A secure payment gateway allows you to still use your own payment form on your website, but it channels the payment details through a secure route to the payment gateways own server.There are several types of payment gateways:Type 1 Hosted Payment GatewaysType 2 Pro / Self-Hosted Payment GatewaysType 3 API / Non-Hosted Payment Gateways Payments at Merchant’s siteType 4 Local Bank IntegrationType 5 Direct Payment GatewayType 6 â€" Platform-Based Payment Gateway SolutionsStep 5: Select the payment provider that supports specific payment methods you want to have for your business.There are various criteria that can help you settle on a payment provider, but it is mostly for your customers, whose needs you have to consider before you make that decision. So, based on your customers preferences and more importantly, their geographical location, you would have to decide whether it would be better to go for niche payment methods or stick to conventional ones like Visa and MasterCard. It is important to understand your customers needs or you will end up losing valuable sales prospects. Some payment methods that you can incorporate into your ecommerce platform are:Cash on DeliveryChecksCredit CardsDebit CardsDirect DebitsE-WalletsGift / Loyalty CardsInvoicesMobile Carrier BillingPrepaid CardsSpecialsStep 6: Select a payment provider based on what countries and in what currency (transaction and settlement currencies) your online business will be active.When dealing with global customers, it is important to understand that people prefer to pay in the currency of their country, and do not usually like to go through the hassles of having to convert to dollars or Euros, etc. when making a payment. It is always a big advantage if you are able to offer to your customers the option to pay in their own currencies. Also, its always better to have more than one payment option to offer your customers, especially if you are catering to a global audience.There are two things to base your selection of a payment provider on, when dealing with global customers:Base it on countries an online payment provider supports (Geographical Region Compatibility)Base it on currencies an online payment provider supports (Currency Compatibility)transaction currency this is the ability of your payment provider to accept various currencies like USD, Euro, GBP, Yen, etc.settlement currency this refers to the setting up of bank accounts in all the countries where you intend to operate, so as to facilitate acceptance of multiple currencies. Making such efforts to set up various settlement currency options will allow you to receive payment from your payment provider and route it to the applicable bank accounts, so that there is no need for any currency conversion.Step 7: Select your payment provider based on the fee system (fixed vs. variable) and given your budget.Fee Structure: Fees can be of the following types:Monthly feeFixed fee (per transaction)Variable fee (as a percentage of each transaction)Extra fee for chargebacks and international credit card transactions.To understand in detail what fee structure works best for you, it would be best for you to do some research online.Volume of Purchases (Volume Support): It is important to analyze beforehand what kind of purchase volumes you can expect for your ecommerce platform. Sales volumes are an essential factor in deciding what payment system would be best suited for your business. It is important to state here that in the case of most payment providers, the percentage fee charged decreases with an increase in the number of transactions.Recurring Payment Support: While most payment provider s support recurring payments, a few such as PayPal and Google Wallet do not support it. Also, most third-party software installed on your ecommerce platform arent likely to support recurring payments either. If your platform provides options such as automatic membership fees renewal, it is best to opt for a payment provider that provides recurring payment support.Step 8: Research security, compliance and anti-fraud features.It is imperative to add sound security features to your ecommerce platform so that fraudulent transactions are negated. A good, albeit underrated, feature would be to add 3D Secure to your website. It prevents fraudulent transactions from occurring and is a boon, especially when you have customers from the UK and Scandinavian countries.Also, if you are in a high-risk business, it would be your best bet to research the market for payment providers that specialize in high-risk payment processing.Last but not the least, you need to make sure that your payment provid er is PCI compliant. A non-PCI compliant payment provider can be dangerous to your business.PAYMENT PROVIDERS COMPARISONPaypalHow much does it cost? PayPal starts at 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction.How does it work? One of the most popular payment processors, PayPal offers perks, such as a free card reader to enable mobile devices to accept card payments. Plus, with increasing monthly sales volumes, PayPal reduces the percentage of per-transaction fees. PayPal also offers Advanced and Pro plans with added features to woo your customers.Authorize.netHow much does it cost? net has a $99 setup fee and costs you $20 per month plus $0.10 per transaction and $0.25 per settled batch.How does it work? If yours is a high-volume business, then it would make sense to go for Authorize.net. The payment plan is standard for all customers. Authorize.net also offers a mobile app for receiving payments, but does not offer a card reader, unlike PayPal. The setup fee is one-time only and monthly fees areIntuit GoPaymentHow much does it cost? Intuit GoPayment starts at 2.75% per transaction. There is also a cheaper option of only $0.50 per transaction with zero monthly fees.How does it work? Intuit GoPayment allows integration with QuickBooks to simplify accounting and transaction management. It offers cheaper options for customers who make high dollar transactions.Comparison of Online Payment GatewaysPrice: While payment gateways like BeanStream, Dwolla, SagePay, Stripe, WePay and PayPal (regular) do not charge any monthly fees at all, certain gateways with enhanced features like PayPal Pro, Chargify and Authorize.net do charge monthly fees.Currency Support: PayPal supports up to 20 currency types, SagePay supports 19, while Stripe supports five.Top Ecommerce Platforms and Shopping Cart SoftwareSome of the top ecommerce platforms and shopping carts are Shopify, Volusion, Bigcommerce, LemonStand, SquareSpace and 3DCart. Of these, Shopify is the most popular. Shopify offers a free trial, starts from only $14.00, is SEO-friendly, has an app store and offline store, and provides round-the-clock support.

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Essay about Gay Marriage and the Government - 1712 Words

In recent years, the debate over same-sex marriage has grown into a nationwide controversy, reverberating into the halls of congress, at the white house, in dozens of state and legislature and courtrooms, and in the rhetoric of election campaigns at both the national and state levels. As the debate rages on, the American religious community remains deeply divided over the issue, and over the morality of homosexuality. The debate has grown from an issue that occasionally arose in a few states to a national and even worldwide controversy. Moreover, the battle over whether or not gay and lesbians should be allowed to wed shows no signs of abating. In the last year alone, three states have banned same-sex marriage and four states have†¦show more content†¦Beyond wanting to uphold the legal principles of nondiscrimination and equal treatment, supporters say that there are very practical reasons behind the fight for marriage equity. They point out that homosexual couples who have been together for years often find themselves without the basic rights enjoyed by many heterosexual couples who legally marry- from the sharing of health and pension benefits to hospital visitation rights. The same-sex debate is not only an American phenomenon. Many countries, especially Europe, have dealt with the issue as well. Since 2001, seven nations- the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Sweden, and Norway- have legalized gay marriage. On the other hand, opponents of legalizing same-sex marriage have consistently outnumbered supporters, although by varying margins at different points in time, for instance, in 2004, just after Massachusetts became the first state to allow gay marriage, a joint survey by the Pew Research Centers Forum on Religion Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People Press found that about twice as many Americans opposed legalization same-sex marriages (60%) as supported it (29%). More recently, an April 2009 survey found that same-sex stood at 54%, with 35% supporting the rights of gay and lesbians. Ask anyone, they will all tell you they are in favor of equal rights for homosexuals. Just name the situation. They will all say, yes, gaysShow MoreRelatedGay Marriage : A Negative Effect On Society And How The Government Deals With It957 Words   |  4 PagesCarlos Ulloa Political Science 3346 Professor Chounlamountry November 29 2015 Gay Marriage My topic is about gay marriage and how is really has a negative effect on society and how the government deals with it. As society and our government goes through changes people of certain groups don’t really let us move on and develop as a nation of diversity. These people have a name and they belong to the cultural lag group which doesn’t let us move forward because for there way of thinking By having theRead MoreMarriage is the most powerful way for couples to show their love. However, it will be unfair for1200 Words   |  5 Pages Marriage is the most powerful way for couples to show their love. However, it will be unfair for someone to try and negate the rights of married couples. Therefore, all types of marriages including gay marriages should be legalized since couples deserve equal rights and freedom. Opponents of gay marriage point out that it is against God’s laws, but they forget that the same Bible also promotes equality regardless of gender, ra ce and religion. Moreover, if marriage is all about love, then thoseRead MoreGay marriage persuasive essay1663 Words   |  7 PagesGay Marriage in the United States The debate between whether gay marriage should be legalized or not has been a controversial topic recently. In the past twelve years, equal marriage rights have been legalized in 6 states of the U.S.. Eighteen states do not allow gay marriage and do not recognize civil unions. 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We shouldn’t judge others, all of us are human beings just because we don’t like a man or women of our kind. Each one of us that are homosexuals or lesbians or gays. Doesn’t mean that we can’t have the same things as men and women some people believe that same sex marriage is against their morals and their religious won’t accept it. Gay marriage should be allowed because theRead MoreGay Marriage1574 Words   |  7 PagesGay Marriage In The News In the United States, there is social unrest regarding the governments denial of the right to marry for homosexuals. Plenty of conservatives are completely against gay marriage; and many of liberals are fighting for equal treatment. The neo-Christian politicians are using religious arguments to establish that homosexuality is an abomination. While this may be their belief system, this country was founded on religious freedom, where the people are allowed to worshipRead MoreGay Marriage Should Be Legalized1379 Words   |  6 PagesName: Tutor: Course: Date: Gay Marriages Marriage is considered as hypothetically speaking, a rite of passage whilst from the religious point of view, it is considered as holy matrimony before a supreme being. Attraction between individuals of the same sex has been a topic of debate since time immemorial. However, over the past few years gay individuals have opted to air grievances of oppression despite receiving tremendous critics from the public. Initially, gay marriages were unfathomable eventsRead MoreGay Marriage Should Be Legal in All States1632 Words   |  7 Pagesbeen Gay Marriage. Whether same-sex couples should be given the right to marry or even if same-sex couples should be given rights at all, this has been a contentious discussion which creates division and disunity throughout the country. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. Gay marriage has been legalized in 17 states. But only 19 of 194 countries allow for gay marriage. Statistics sho w more than half the country supports Gay MarriageRead MoreGay Marriage: Pros and Cons1152 Words   |  5 PagesMarriage Is Not Equal For All Gay Marriages Mikaela Acosta â€Æ' Gay marriage has been subject to taboo because our society has this conformed and learned version of marriage; marriage is only held between a man and a woman. Although this is more common today to hear of gay couples, in the first couple centuries in America this was almost unacceptable to general society. Beginning in 2001 was when gay marriage began to become much more widespread starting in Canada, Norway, Belgium, ArgentinaRead MoreSame Sex Marriage and Politics in the U.S. Essay800 Words   |  4 PagesSex Marriage has become a major issue in the United States. There are variations in opinions concerning the topic. The main concern is should same sex marriage be allowed or declared unconstitutional. Plenty of conservatives are completely against gay marriage and many of liberals are fighting for equal treatment. Many controversies and arguments have developed from this issue. There are many reasons why gay marriage should be legal or illegal. The people who oppose same sex marriage or also

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Comparing The Hebrew Or Israelite s ( Hoi ) And The...

The Hebrew or Israelite’s (HoI) book of Genesis (2.5-3) and the Pandora Myth in the Greek poet Hesiod’s Work and Days both include the creation of Men and Women. In each of these works, this creation plays a significant role in showing the relationship between human beings and gods (or God) in that culture. The order of creation (Man Vs Women) indicates the importance one sex has over the other. In the book of Genesis (2.5-3) and Work and Days, Men are created before women towards the beginning of creation. However, the basis on why women are created indicates the importance of women in HoI and Greek cultures. In the book of Genesis (2.5-3) woman is created to be a companion for the lonely man, but plays an important role helping humans become more human like. In contrast, the story of Work and Days tells us women are created to punish man and are the root of all evil. The process in how women are created also indicates their importance within these cultures. In Genesis , the woman is created from a man’s rib, while in Work and Days the woman is created out of clay and the â€Å"gifts† of many gods. Lastly, how the gods (or God) treats man, preceding creation, may also indicate some insight to their relationships. In Genesis, we see God worry for man’s well being, while in Works and Days man is being punished for something they didn’t do. Both Genesis and Work and Days have similar orders of creation for both men and women. Preceding the creation of heaven and earth, the

Tennyson Close Analysis Free Essays

Tennyson was published in 1830 and is the text I have chosen to do closely analyze. The subject matter of the poem was taken from one of Shakespearean plays titled â€Å"Measure for Measure†, and the line: â€Å"Marina in the mooted grange,† gave Tennyson the inspiration to write of a young woman waiting for her lover. The two texts share a common theme of abandonment, as in Shakespearean play the young woman is also diligently awaiting the return of her lover Angelo after his desertion upon discovering her loss of dowry. We will write a custom essay sample on Tennyson Close Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now Similarly to Shakespearean text, Marianne lacks action or any narrative movement, the entire poem serving as an extended depiction of the melancholy isolation a young woman experiences whilst pining for her vacant lover. The language, meter, format and tone of the poem contribute to the inherent themes of isolation, death and decay, which I will closely examine in this close reading exercise. Unlike some of Tennyson other works such as Ulysses, Marianne doesn’t have a dramatic monologue although it does feature a refrain. This method isolates Marina from us, and the poem being written in a third person lyrical narrative makes the title guru unable to linguistically control her own poem. The refrain is the only part within the poem in which Marina is able to speak out directly to the reader as well as the only form of dialogue: in the first stanza, line’s 9-12 â€Å"My life is dreary/He cometh not’ she said:/She said, ‘l am areaway, areaway, I would that I were dead! Her desperation is evident to the reader, and ‘she said’ being written in past tense is significant since we are left wondering of her fate as a result of her misery. The refrain undergoes minor changes throughout the poem, giving a small fragment of pope to both the reader and Marina who is stuck in a monotonous cycle of despair. In the second, third and fourth stanza she alternates between ‘day, night and light’, in the final 9-12 lines of the stanza, emphasizes that nothing really changes s ince her feelings of being ‘areaway continue regardless of the time of day. In the final stanza, in the 9-12th lines, the refrain changes dramatically from the continuous and unchanging refrain the reader had become accustomed to. Marina now Weeps’ instead of ‘says’ and asks ‘God’ to end her misery, thus the plea is no longer a wish but a prayer and an appeal, signifying the end to all hope. She is now sure that ‘he’ will never return and her recognition of this show that she accepts it. The use of the pronoun ‘he’ in the refrain is interesting. We never learn ‘his’ name or of his existence therefore his presence in the poem is very ambiguous. It could be that Marina is just waiting for a lover who has deserted her, or that ‘he’ could be symbolic of a male dominant society that doesn’t help her. The refrain shapes majority of the poem as it allows the reader to understand Marina’s feelings, whereas the language and the setting only serve as a metaphor for her internal anguish and isolation. Although the poem is static, meaning it involves no action, the pathetic fallacy and personification of the setting is a reflection of Marina’s psychological decay as well as the world that she inhibits. In the first stanza, from lines 1 to 7, Marina’s surroundings are described as ‘blackest’, ‘rusted’, ‘broken’, Weeded and worn’, and ‘lonely. Everything that is man-made is in a state of decay, symbolic for Marina’s personal deteriorating and dissatisfaction of men. The iambic tetrameter, which sets the rhythmic, repetitive tone of the poem, is constantly interrupted by the refrain at he end of each stanza, symbolic to how Marianne can never feel at ease and is always in a state of psychological unrest. The three four-line rhyme units pattern of ABA CDC BEEF entrap the reader, since the E and F essentially remain the same in each stanza, which parallels with Marina’s own entrapment. Words such as ‘shrieks and ‘cricked’ in the sixth stanza between on line 2 and 5, are Tennyson use of onomatopoeia to further involve the reader in how Marina is feeling by using harsh and penetrating sounds. Through close analysis there are signs of hope Marina instills in us for both her fate and the return of her lover. In the first stanza on line 6, it is described that ‘unlisted was the clinking latch’ emphasizing her hope for his return, and in the second stanza on line 8, when she ‘glanced athwart the gloaming flats,’ although the use of ‘gloaming’ is a morbid foreshadowing, Marina watches her surroundings as if she is waiting for a soldier to return from the battlefield and into her open arms. But as Marina deteriorates and hope fails her, so does the language in the poem. In the sixth stanza between lines 6 and 8, Marina descends into madness as her house becomes haunted by ‘old faces, glimmered thro’ the doors, [old toasters, trod the upper floors, [old voices called her from without. ‘ The use of past tense with ‘glimmered’ and ‘called’ signifies that Marianne is still living in the past, as her libido flows backwards. She remembers happier times because she is haunted, and the psychological reversions as well as physical deterioration move in parallel order, creating overwhelming sense of degeneration and loss. In the last stanza, the sparrow’s chirrup on the roof, [the slow clock ticking,’ this first and second line stood out. ‘The sparrow is symbolic because it is a sign of impending death, in Christian homeboys the sparrow was seen as offering made by person without any means. As for the ‘slow clock ticking, this can be interpreted for the lack of time and the poem’s constant circular motion before reaching its climax in the final stanza. However, because the clock is about to come to a halt it could also have the double meaning for Marina’s impending death. Another literary symbol that Tennyson uses to draw up on Marina’s yearning for her lover is the polar tree. The polar tree is a classic symbol of the renegade lover and his broken promise; it can be interpreted as a phallic symbol since it provides he only break in the otherwise barren and flat landscape. Within classic mythology the poplar tree is used in the text Metamorphoses, where Ovid describes how None, deserted by Paris, addresses the poplar on which Paris has carved his promise not to desert her. This interpretation is relevant to the reoccurring theme of abandonment and isolation within the poem. In the fourth stanza, the fifth line introduces the poplar tree as the ‘Hard by a poplar shook alleyway’s silver-green with gnarled bark also making it’s existence sound temperamental and deteriorating through the use of ‘gnarled bark and ‘silver-green’, these adjectives making it unappealing in the mind of the reader. Marina lusts for the company of her previous lover, so when she sees the gusty shadow sway,’ in the following fourth line of the fifth stanza, this is the remainder of the sexual dominance her lover had over her and his absence in her life which has been replaced by this desolate tree. The fact that she is still pining over his vacancy shows that he still holds power over her and is able to manipulate her, which could be said of women in society being under the control of men during Tennyson time. The poplar tree’s isolation haunts Marina even in sleep, because it eternally serves as a remainder of the one who will never come. Death is also a prominent motif throughout the poem, as ‘dead’ is repeated in the last line of every stanza in the refrain. In the climaxing, last stanza of the poem, Tennyson wrote on the sixth line ‘but she loathed the hour/When the thick-mooted sunbeam lay, this phrase is emphasized by the caesura directly prior to it, and the comparatively period lacking punctuation which follows. The words thick and ‘lay give the reader the impression that Marina’s world is coated in dust, suggesting that it is morality which weighs her down since her life is bleak and oppressive. This idea is further emphasized by the day drawing to a close when Tennyson wrote in the last stanza on the 8th line, ‘and the Dallas sloping toward his western bower. The imagery here is suggestive of the sun setting and her moving towards Angelo since the connotation of light has to do with living and mortality. The ending of the day, and the drawing of the poem can be interpreted as the ending of Marina’s own life. In conclusion, much of Tennyson formation of the character Marina can be seen as a projectio n of his own psychological issues. His powerful use of imagery and pathetic fallacy illustrates the struggle Marina faces between life and death as she diligently awaits her lovers return. How to cite Tennyson Close Analysis, Papers

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Ronald McDonalds Goes to China Research Paper Example

Ronald McDonalds Goes to China Paper McDonalds entered Hong Kong in 1975 and Beijing only in 1992. After about seven years, there were already 235 McDonalds restaurants across China and in Hong Kong there were 158 franchises as of 1999 (Watson, 2000). Today, there are already about 200 outlets and more than 10,000 staff in Hong Kong (McDonalds HK, 2007) while in Beijing there are 90 outlets some of which are offer 24-hour service (CEN, 2006). The entry of McDonalds in China, although the country is known for its rich, deep-rooted culture, has become successful primarily because of the changing lifestyles of the people themselves along with the changing characteristics of the countrys demographics. This case study identifies the problems McDonalds in China is facing and recommends possible solutions to the problems identified. Problem Identification McDonalds is faced on the issues on how to stay competitive in the fast food industry and on how to take advantage of the many opportunities available for them. If McDonalds does not take advantage of these opportunities, its competitors are likely to grab such opportunities. According to Watson (2000), China is currently experiencing changes with its demographic characteristics such as changing family system, lifestyles, family values, aging population, and rising incomes. Due to these opportunities. China has become more attractive to other fast food companies that the number of fast food restaurants as well as the intensity of competition in the country is increasing. We will write a custom essay sample on Ronald McDonalds Goes to China specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Ronald McDonalds Goes to China specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Ronald McDonalds Goes to China specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer There is the KFC, Pizza Hut, Mos Burger, California Beef Noodle King, Starbucks, Yoshinoya, and recently, Burger King. All of them have their own market segments and have their own way of attracting customers. Burger King for instance had already entered the Chinese market in 2005 (AP, 2005) and can be expected to expand across China in the next few years. Burger King has many similarities with McDonalds from the quality of service to the quality of products as well as with the ability to attract customers. Additionally, Burger King also knows how to innovate and differentiate products from that of the competitors (e. g. patties are grilled thus the taste of its burgers is distinguishable from that of other brands). Another problem is that the taste of McDonalds beef patties does not appeal to the Chinese adults (Watson, 2000). This means that the adult segment of McDonalds market eat there not because they like the taste of the foods but because of the popularity associated with it and the comfort especially the children and teenage customers find at every McDonalds restaurants. Burger King, McDonalds number one competitor in the United States which has been proven to have better tasting burgers than McDonalds, may soon become a big threat to McDonalds if McDonalds will not give careful attention in improving the taste of its burgers to suit the taste preferences of the Chinese. Identification of Options or Alternatives McDonalds may implement one or a combination of the following alternatives: Intensify its communication and marketing efforts to ensure that McDonalds remains attractive to the younger consumers, making up with the loss made due to the unattractiveness of McDonalds burger to adults. McDonalds definitely has competitive advantage over its competitors due to its popularity and strong brand identity which was developed through its strong marketing and communication tools. This particular strength of McDonalds can be further utilized in order to sustain its competitive advantage. However, this alternative requires McDonalds to allot additional budget for its marketing strategies. Instead of allocating additional financial support for promotions and marketing, McDonalds may opt to allocate budget for research and development in order for the company to innovate and improve the taste of its burger patties; that is, integrate Chinese taste preferences with the American burger. McDonalds should conduct research to determine the specific taste of burgers that Chinese adults want and to alter the recipe of its traditional American burger patty. In other words, although Chinese customers are now embracing American foods, it will be better if they can still get to eat the Chinese way even at McDonalds. McDonalds must focus on product innovation. According to Nonaka (1991, p. 25) innovation means â€Å"to recreate the world according to a particular vision or ideal†. If McDonalds is really aiming to localize the company, it must then become serious in offering products with tastes that will be appreciated by the Chinese consumers.. McDonalds is a food company thus, its focus must primarily be on the taste of its products and not only on providing customers the experience of eating in a friendly restaurant. McDonalds may expand its operation by opening new outlets to be able to broaden its market reach and ensure that McDonalds has presence in all possible strategic locations. This alternative addresses the opportunities available for McDonalds; however, it does not really solve the second problem identified above.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Henry Tam and the MGI Team Essay Example

Henry Tam and the MGI Team Essay Example Henry Tam and the MGI Team Paper Henry Tam and the MGI Team Paper Sash was a MBA87 graduate from HOBS and had business experience but not in music industry. However, Igor and Roman were musicians with creative instinct. They came up with the idea of a CD-ROOM music game and believed that crisis-stricken music industry would be hungry for this innovative product and could finance them for further development of Megs music substitution technology. By the start of 2002, the founders felt the need of outside assistance to develop their vision into a viable business plan and sought to execute it wrought HOBS Business Plan Contest. Henry and Dana, both a second-year MBA participant from HOBS appreciated the idea and joined MGM team to prepare a business plan for the contest with this product. Henry, an American and business development and media experienced guy, was frustrated with the worst job market at that point of time but anxious and enthusiastic to test his abilities and participate in contest along with MGM. Dana had an experience in media and investment banking. Sashs unconventional background with no major accomplishment and lack of experience in the USIA industry made Henry and Dana pigeonhole him as a challenge in team. Two more members-Alex, with an idea of music industry and its operations assumed the role of a music industry consultant within the team and Dave, with Software Development experience and MIT graduate student- joined the team later on. The team was, no doubt, dynamic but conflicted as well due to differences within the team as rooted in national or ethnic origins, cultural differences and completely different backgrounds. Allegiances had cropped up mainly around HOBS versus the Russians and there was a clash between he creative impulse of the musicians and pragmatic approach of the HOBS students. Team members attributed the clash to the lack Of leadership, role conflicts and personality conflicts among the members. As a result, progress on the business plan had been very slow. The team could not agree on the target market of the product. Henry and Dana supported to gain a foothold in the education market. However, founders were more fascinated towards a bigger entertainment market With the business plan due in three weeks, challenge was to pull the team together and salvage the situation. 51 page PROBLEM STATEMENT How to make this group Of talented and motivated individuals work effectively as a team and use their potential to prepare the business plan? OPTIONS 1) Operating solely under the guidance of HOBS alumni with experience in similar industry 2) Hiring a team manager with good interpersonal and leadership skills 3) Creating functional structure within the team working under one nominated leader CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF OPTIONS 2) 3) 4) 5) Mission and Vision clarity Resolution to the interpersonal and role conflicts within the team Long-term strategy Feasibility to meet the deadline for B-plan contest Cost-effectiveness of the option EVALUATION OF OPTION S Options Hiring a Team Expertise Manager NO Yes No Maybe Criteria Mission Vision Clarity Interpersonal Role Conflict Resolution Long-term Strategy Meeting Deadline for B-Plan Contest Cost-Effectiveness of the Option Functional Units Asking Alumni operating under a Team Leader 61 page C] Operating solely under the guidance of HAS alumni with experience in similar industry An HOBS alumni may be willing to help Henry and Dana who were student at that time and suggest marketing strategy for the product to resolve Mis confusion related to target market. Hence, it is a cost-effective option and will ensure to meet deadlines as well if Alumni with relevant is willing to coordinate. C] However, this will not necessarily ensure resolution to the role conflicts as well as interpersonal conflicts within the team. They will continue to exist until all members share a common vision and are directed by a leader. Hence, it will neither be a longtime strategy nor lead to a common vision which are very crucial to sustain in longer. Hiring a team manager with good interpersonal and leadership skills A team manager with effective interpersonal and leadership skills will prove to be worth for solving the interpersonal conflicts within the team and make role clarifications as per the individual talent. Together under his supervision, team can reach a common vision and mission statement and stand united to implement a longtime strategy and prepare a business plan on time. However, hiring an external agency will lead to extra recruitment costs which wont be possible to MGM to arrange for in such a financially-doomed condition. C] Create functional units within the team working under one nominated deader C Resorting to the functional structure will effectively solve the team conflicts because as per the case facts, currently everyone was serving as facilitator, moderator, task manager, and strategy thinker. Hence, it will be effective to clarify on the roles and responsibilities of individuals so that they specialize in their area of expertise. Leader will ensure that all the functional departments share a common vision and mission and work in coordination with other departments and stay motivated and prove to be productive from long-term strategy perspective. This is also a cost-effective option but its scope depends on how well the team goes through formal stages of team development like forming, morning, storming and performing RECOMMENDATION As per the analysis and evaluation of available options against criteria parameters, it appears that creating a functional structure within the team and nominating a leader from within the team may prove to be effective to resolve current issues within the team as well as result-oriented. 71 page ACTION PLAN Form a stable team after having gone through formal stages of team development I. E. , forming, morning, storming and performing. It will help the team identify a leader and common goals and objectives and avoid conflicts within the team at performing stage. Leader will assume the responsibilities of establishing a shared vision and mission among the team members and motivating them and resolving conflicts arising out of the diverse team. A functional structure should be created assigning technical job to Dave, Research Development to Igor and Roman, Marketing role to Sash, Business plan preparation, Strategy formulation and implementation role to Henry and Dana. Leadership role can be assigned to Dana or Henry (judgment based on case facts.

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Definition and Examples of Constructed Languages

Definition and Examples of Constructed Languages Definition A constructed language is a  languagesuch as Esperanto,  Klingon, and Dothrakithat has been consciously created by an individual or group. A person who creates a language is known as a conlanger. The term constructed language was coined by linguist Otto Jespersen in An International Language, 1928. Also known as a  conlang, planned language, glossopoeia, artificial language, auxiliary language, and ideal language. The grammar, phonology, and vocabulary of a constructed (or planned) language may be derived from one or more natural languages or created from scratch. In terms of the number of speakers of a constructed language, the most successful is Esperanto, created in the late-19th century by Polish ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof. According to the Guinness Book of World Records (2006), the worlds largest fictional language is Klingon (the  constructed language  spoken by the Klingons  in the  Star Trek  movies, books, and television programs). See Examples and Observations below. Also see: Anti-LanguageBasic EnglishLingua FrancaWhat Is Language?Where Does Language Come From? Examples and Observations A standard international language should not only be simple, regular, and logical, but also rich and creative. Richness is a difficult and subjective concept. . . . The supposed inferiority of a constructed language to a national one on the score of richness of connotation is, of course, no criticism of the idea of a constructed language. All that the criticism means is that the constructed language has not been in long-continued use.(Edward Sapir, The Function of an International Auxiliary Language. Psyche, 1931)The traditional hypothesis has been that because a constructed language is the language of no nation or ethnic group, it would be free of the political problems that all natural languages bring with them. Esperanto materials frequently claim (incorrectly) that this is true of Esperanto. A distinction is usually made between auxiliary languages (auxlangs), designed with international communication as a deliberate goal, and conlangs, usually constructed for other purposes. (Th e Elvish languages showcased by Tolkein in his epic Lord of the Rings and the Klingon language constructed by linguist Mark Okrand for the Star Trek television series are conlangs rather than auxlangs.)(Suzette Haden Elgin, The Language Imperative. Basic Books, 2000) Attitudes Toward Esperanto- As of 2004, the number of speakers of Esperanto is unknown, but variously estimated as between one or two hundred thousand and several million. . . .It   must be emphasized that Esperanto is a real language, both spoken and written, successfully used as a means of communication between people who have no other common language. . . .The traditional aim of the Esperanto movement is the adoption of Esperanto as the L2 [second language] for all mankind.(J.C. Wells, Esperanto.  Concise Encyclopedia of Languages of the World, ed. by Keith Brown and Sarah Ogilvie. Elsevier, 2009)- There is little doubt that, foremost among constructed languages though it is, Esperanto has notparticularly in recent timescaptured a sufficient amount of general attention to become the functioning worldwide auxiliary its proponents wish. One rough distinction seems to be between those who, while not necessarily wholly unsympathetic to the idea of constructed languages, neverthel ess perceive fatal flaws, and those who see Esperantists (and other constructed-language apologists) more or less as cranks and faddists.(John Edwards and Lynn MacPherson, View of Constructed Languages, With Special Reference to Esperanto: An Experimental Study. Esperanto, Interlinguistics, and Planned Language, ed. by Humphrey Tonkin. University Press of America, 1997) The Klingon Language- Klingon  is a  constructed language  tied to a fictional context,  rather than a constructed language like Esperanto . . . or a reconstructed one like Modern Hebrew . . . intended for use among speakers in everyday circumstances. . . .Klingon is a language devised for the Klingons, a fictional race of humanoids sometimes allied with but more often in conflict with members of the United Federation of Planets in Star Trek movies, television programmes, video games, and novels.(Michael Adams,  From Elvish to Klingon: Exploring Invented Languages. Oxford University Press, 2011)- [T]he first thing to say about the Klingon language is that it is a language. It has nouns and verbs, the nouns distributed syntactically as subjects and objects. Its particular distribution of constituents is extremely rare but not unheard of on Earth.(David Samuels, Alien Tongues.  E.T. Culture: Anthropology in Outerspaces, ed. by  Debbora Battaglia. Duke University Press, 2 005) The Dothraki Language Created for HBO’s Game Of ThronesMy goal, from the very beginning, was to create a language that looked and felt like the small number of snippets present in the books. There wasn’t much to work with (about 30 words, most of them namesand male names, at that), but there was enough to suggest the beginnings of a grammar (for example, there is strong evidence of noun-adjective order, as opposed to the adjective-noun order found in English). . . .After I settled on a sound system, I extrapolated a morphological system. Some elements had to be maintained (for example, in the books, we see dothraki for the people [plural], Vaes Dothrak for the Dothraki city, and dothrae meaning rides. This suggests that /-k/, /-i/ and /-e/ are somehow involved in the paradigm for the stem dothra-), but for the most part, I was free to run wild. After I had a fairly stable morphology (verbal paradigm, case paradigm, and derivational morphology, in particular), I se t to work on the best part: creating vocabulary.(David J. Peterson, interviewed by Dave Banks in Creating Language for HBO’s Game Of Thrones. GeekDad blog at Wired.com, Aug. 25, 2010) The Lighter Side of Constructed LanguagesI speak Esperanto like a native.(Spike Milligan)

Friday, February 14, 2020

Reference tool paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reference tool paper - Essay Example However, there have been a lot of assessment tools that have been developed to correctly evaluate whether a person shows signs of schizophrenic behavior and/or tell the severity of each case. Some of the most commonly used are Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Introduction Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder that is mainly caused by unsound function of the brain. A lot of psychologists point to past experiences, frustration, or a tragic loss of a loved one as factors that impact one’s mental health that leads to this debilitating disorder. However, as each case of schizophrenia is always unique, where each patient’s history should be clearly studied before coming to a conclusion of someone’s diagnosis to this disorder, it is important to understand effective assessment tools used to reach to a comprehensible judgment. Common Symptoms of Schizophrenia There ar e common symptoms of schizophrenia that somewhat signals the need to talk to a psychologist or to get help. Some of which would be hearing voices that no one could hear, assumptions of people talking about them or laughing at them, extensive control over their thoughts and imaginations, and the inability to control emotions (The Role of the Diagnostic Statistic Manual IV (DSM-IV) in Diagnosing Mental Disorders, n.d.). Diagnosing Schizophrenia There are several factors to consider in diagnosing schizophrenia. Aside from looking at mental behavior, how they react to their environment for which a candidate for schizophrenia surrounds themselves with is a factor to consider. This would include the change in their work, school, interpersonal relations, and or ability for self-care is important. This is because of the fact that an abrupt change to their routine without anything triggering a behavior is a strong sign of which. Another important basis for diagnosis would be the duration for which these abnormalities have been felt without the influence of substance use and/or an underlying medical condition. Persistence of which for at least six months is a clear supposition of the disorder and not just a result of perhaps a mid-life crisis or coping with a major happening in one’s life (Schizophrenia Society of Canada, n.d.). Assessment Tool in the Diagnosis of Schizophrenia Unfortunately, all these symptoms are not a guaranteed basis for a correct diagnosis of schizophrenia. Also, since there is no single course of treatment yet for this, assessment tools, one of which is the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) is one that will help provide a more customized and effective diagnosis and treatment. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) is a standard rating scale used to weigh the positive symptoms of a patient that manifests schizophrenic tendencies as opposed to the symptoms that point to the absence of these traits. It is a 30-item scale, assessed on a seven-point scale that points one from poor to extreme case of the disorder. This assessment technique was developed solely for diagnosing the syndromes of schizophrenia in all unique cases that

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Two Methods for teaching Third Grade students to appreciate Art Essay

Two Methods for teaching Third Grade students to appreciate Art - Essay Example This will enable kinesthetic learning which is so essential for this age-group. A hands-on approach to art in which the students not only look at different forms of art but also take part in creating them will enable the imagination of the children to be captured. The use of water to thin paint can introduce various elements of the basic science curriculum to the children. How water flows, what happens to it when other materials are put in it and what happens to it and other materials when it dries can be made an integral part of this learning experience. This will not only enable the students to understand how paint works but also that "science" is in fact fun and relevant to their actual lives. In the context of third-graders, this can be presented to them as how they can use the water in so many different ways. A second technique for the teaching of art is to introduce the children to the art of many different cultures, and have them try to create their own versions of it. Thus children may be encouraged to bring in pictures from their own culture if the classroom is diverse enough to enable this exercise. The third-graders will learn about other cultures (an essential element of the wider curriculum) and also be self-empowered through discovering that they can produce their own versions of that culture's art. As Gelineau (2003) suggests, the arts can provide opportunities for creative expression and self-fulfillment. The arts can and should be taught for their own sake as legitimate areas of study, but their link within the wider curriculum can also be stressed. Thus, as has been shown in this brief discussion, areas of the curriculum as diverse as science and cultural studies can be brought into the study of art. Most of all, the children should be taught that the appreciation of art is enjoyable, hopefully a lesson that will bring them a lifetime of pleasure in discovering the arts. _______________________________________ Works Cited Gelineau, Phyllis. Integrating the Arts Across the Elementary School Curriculum. Wadsworth, New York: 2003.

Friday, January 24, 2020

Freud Museum :: Psychiatry, Museum, Informative

It contains Freud's remarkable collection of antiquities: Egyptian; Greek; Roman and Oriental. Almost two thousand items fill cabinets and are ranged on every surface. There are rows of ancient figures on the desk where Freud wrote until the early hours of the morning. The walls are lined with shelves containing Freud's large library of reference books. The house is also filled with memories of his daughter, Anna, who lived there for 44 years and continued to develop her pioneering psychoanalytic work, especially with children. It was her wish that the house become a museum to honour her illustrious father. The museum is now being developed as a cultural and research center of outstanding value to the professional community. The Freud's were fortunate to be able to bring all their furniture and household effects to London: there were splendid Biedermeier chests, tables and cupboards, and a fine collection of 18th and 19th-century Austrian painted country furniture. Undoubtedly the most famous piece of furniture in all the collection is Freud's psychoanalytic couch, on which all of Freud's patients reclined. The couch is remarkably comfortable and is covered with a richly coloured Iranian rug with chenille cushions piled on top. Other fine Oriental rugs, Heriz and Tabriz, cover the floor and tables. The Freud Museum's central function is to celebrate the life and work of Sigmund and Anna Freud. The museum organises active programmes of research and publication. It has an education service which organizes seminars, conferences and special visits to the museum. There is a shop well-stocked with books on the life and work of Sigmund Freud and books on contemporary psychoanalysis.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

The History of Affirmative Action

The history of affirmative action has its roots in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act provided the initial legal basis for affirmative action for women in the workplace. Affirmative action is a policy to encourage equal opportunity and to level the playing field for groups of people who have been and are discriminated against. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, affirmative action, â€Å"Is considered essential to assuring that jobs are genuinely and equally accessible to qualified persons, without regard to their sex, racial, or ethnic characteristics. Over the past few decades† roles for women in the workplace have increased. Many of the predominately male occupations have increasingly become more diverse. Affirmative action helps to promote diversity in employment and equality between genders. The effectiveness of affirmative action and Equal Employment Opportunity legislation has been vigorously debated for years, with advocates citing gains made by women and people of color in pay, organizational representation, and organizational status. Women, in general, have been the main beneficiaries of affirmative action and will be the biggest losers if it is overturned. The number of women entering the professions, including medicine, law and accounting, has increased substantially in 30 years. Women of all races have increased their share of professional positions in corporations. However, women have yet to achieve equality in the workplace as the gap in wages continues. Nationally, women earn 74 cents for every dollar earned by men. A National Academy of Science Report found that a significant proportion of these wage gaps could not be explained by factors such as education or work experience. Affirmative Action promotes the hiring of qualified people. It does not mean people should be hired just because they are minorities. It helps to broaden the range of people to be considered for employment in hopes of creating a more diverse applicant pool from which to choose. Groups of people are often stereotyped. In the case of sex stereotypes, these are attributes that are imparted to individual men and women simply by virtue of their sex. The impact of affirmative action on women may cause them to suffer the stigma of second-class citizenship as a result of preferential treatment, because they will be subjected to the presumption that they were hired not because of their qualifications but because of their gender. Affirmative action may therefore lead to the conclusion that the women hired under affirmative action are incompetent. If someone is thought to be hired or placed as a result of affirmative action efforts, then that supplies onlookers with a plausible and compelling explanation for the selection decision ndependent of the job incumbent†s qualifications for the position. Then the individual may be assumed to have been hired only because of her sex, with qualifications irrelevant to the selection process. Sex bias also has been demonstrated in decisions about pay raises, promotions, and employee utilization and training opportunities. Although sex may only be taken into consideration after hiring a person for their qualifications, it may only be assumed that they received their position because of affirmative action. Sometimes, affirmative action may create rather than alleviate problems for women by causing people to perceive them as possessing fewer of the characteristics deemed necessary for success in a traditionally male work context. If affirmative action promotes these negative conceptions, then there is a distinct possibility that rather than being a remedy for sex discrimination, it can be yet another contributor to the problem. Often, sex discrimination can be viewed through the â€Å"Glass Ceiling†. The Glass Ceiling refers to invisible, artificial barriers that prevent qualified individuals from advancing within their organization and reaching full potential. The term describes the point beyond which women managers and executives are not promoted. Although the barriers exist, it is hard to imagine how anyone can believe that treating people differently, or not promoting someone based on their sex is morally acceptable or financially responsible. Affirmative action policies are instrumental in providing women and minorities with the tools to help break through the glass ceiling, and create a more diverse workforce. Affirmative action policies provide equal opportunity to those groups who have been systematically denied it. Affirmative action is not the source of discrimination, but the vehicle for removing the effects of discrimination. Affirmative Action plans do not discriminate against anyone competing for any position. They actually increase the pool of qualified applicants by using aggressive recruitment and outreach techniques. The policies developed from the Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action legislation do make a difference and are still necessary to assure a more equitable workforce. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Title VII is presumed to promote the hiring it is designed to protect. The logic underlying this presumption is simple: by making employers liable for failures to hire based on gender, the law raises the price of such discriminatory activity and produces less of it than would occur if employers were left completely free to hire whomever they wished. Women are more likely to be promoted in organizations with human resource programs that have affirmative action policies that consider the demographics of employees. Affirmative action in employment encompasses a broad range of actions and programs intended to ensure a fair chance at job opportunities for all Americans. Although it is suppose to eliminate discrimination, affirmative action is sometimes thought to be a source of reverse discrimination. When affirmative action was first implemented it was designed to be temporary, and now more than 30 years later it is still being used. The definition of it has grown and become far more intrusive than its designers could have imagined. Opponents of affirmative action believe no government law, program, or policy that makes distinctions based on race or gender can be beneficial. Government mandated reverse discrimination, under the politically correct guise of â€Å"affirmative action,† has failed to help minorities in a positive manner and has succeeded in continuing the trend of racially divisive policy. The majority group in an organization may sometimes feel threatened by diversity, because it means sharing their space with people who are different from them. Many people, both men and women, are opposed to affirmative action standards. Often, men do not like it because they think it will take away from their opportunities for employment or advancement within the organization. Some men also feel that they are being discriminated against just because they are men. Although affirmative action has been successful in helping women, they may still be opposed to the stigma attached to it if they are thought to be promoted due to the affirmative action standards, regardless of their qualifications. Some critics believe that affirmative action overcrowds the workforce with minorities or women with substantially lower qualifications. In the last several years cynical forces have tried to use race and ethnicity to divide America by claiming that affirmative action is detrimental and unfair to the majority because the programs contain â€Å"quotas† and â€Å"preferences† for people of color and women. After all, it is often assumed that if women were as qualified, as men were, they would not need help from affirmative action. This is a very negative connotation describing the women†s work ethic and the reason women have the need for affirmative action policies in the first place. Affirmative action is only in place to allow the opportunity for a more diverse applicant pool; the qualifications needed to perform the jobs remain the same. Both men and women can be equally qualified for a job, but the one that receives the offer should have an edge over the other candidate. Although some people view affirmative action as a form of reverse discrimination, it was originally conceived with good intentions. It has helped society to create a more diverse workforce. Affirmative action strengthens the nation by helping to provide equal opportunities to those who have been excluded unfairly. Affirmative action programs were never intended to last forever, however they are expected to remain in place so long as discrimination continues to deny equal opportunity to women and people of color. Affirmative action in employment encompasses a broad range of actions and programs intended to ensure a fair chance at job opportunities for all Americans. Affirmative action programs seek to remedy past discrimination against women, minorities, and others by increasing the recruitment, promotion, retention, and on-the-job training opportunities in employment and by removing barriers to admission to educational institutions. Because of the long history of discrimination based on sex and race, most affirmative action programs have been directed towards improving employment and education opportunities for women and minorities. Race, ethnicity, or gender may be but one factor considered among many others in evaluating qualified candidates. Discrimination continues to permeate American society and results in too many lost opportunities for everyone. The simple reality is that we have not reached the day where an individual†s gender, race or ethnicity is no more important than the color of their eyes or hair. As General Colin Powell noted when speaking about the current state of discrimination, â€Å"We†re not where we want to be- We are where we gotta be. † Reducing the nation†s commitment to equal opportunity by eliminating affirmative action programs for women and other minorities does not move us in the right direction. Until everyone is truly considered equal, affirmative action policies are needed to help ensure equality among genders. Affirmative action has been successful in promoting the advancements of minorities in the workplace. When affirmative action is used correctly, it is helpful by promoting equality for all. When it is abused, it has bad effects on society. Affirmative action may stigmatize or call into question the credentials of the qualified minorities. I believe that affirmative action was necessary to get where we are today in terms of equality. We have come a long way since the 1960†³s. Although, I think that if we were to do away with affirmative action, we would still continue to become a more diverse society. With women and minorities in the management positions of companies it is more likely that this diversification would continue even if we didn†t have affirmative action policies in place. This would probably eliminate some of the doubt people have when it comes to women being hired or promoted just because of affirmative action. It would totally be based on her qualifications. As of now, we cannot dismantle affirmative action and other organizational initiatives aimed at promoting equality in the workplace, and assume that sex discrimination will not occur. Sex discrimination has a long history and has proved highly resistant to efforts to eliminate it. But it is equally clear that Affirmative action as it is currently constructed, creates its own set of problems for those it intends to help. I believe that affirmative action policies will soon not exist, and everyone will be considered equal regardless of race, origin, or gender. Perhaps more than any other sentence in our rich written political heritage, these words from the Declaration of Independence embody the highest ideals of American democracy. We should remember these words and realize they are meant for every person in society. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

The Effects Of Poverty On The United States - 1541 Words

Dustin Nguyen English 1B 12/07/2015 Professor Sirkin The Effects of Poverty on Education For those who live in the United States, some do not see the correlation between poverty and its effects on people’s behavior to their academics. Poverty affects many students at a young age depending on the location they are in as it prevents underprivileged kids to seek higher education. However, with new opportunities [in effect], kids in poverty can have the same education as privileged kids. Poverty stricken students are disadvantaged when trying to obtain a higher education. Children in poverty lose their motivation in school when they do not have the support of their parents. Some other issues students face includes parents not being able to assist their child in school. Another is that the child is not able to go to school because they have to work instead and support their families. Although public education is available to all children, those that live in poverty are deprived of its full potential due to the factors of low family incomes as well as the lack of self- motivation and the importance of having an education. Poverty remains a serious issue in society. As the rate for children in poverty increases, many researchers argue that promoting parent job employment would be necessary to reduce the number of children who lives in poverty to receive a better education. Increasing the amount of employment and the parent’s income would allow the children to perform well inShow MoreRelatedEffects Of Poverty On The United States Essay1436 Words   |  6 PagesWorld poverty is a complex global issue that varies depending on where you live. Many Americans in recent years acquiring the needs for shelter, food, and clothing is becoming more difficult to obtain the necessities of survival. 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The first articles I summarized Haiyun Zhao, ZhilanRead MoreThe United States Poverty Epidemic884 Words   |  4 Pages Compared to the rest of the world the United States is economically prosperous however, many citizens are plagued with poverty and destitution. Poverty has become such a problem that one in six Americans are living below the poverty line (Yen). Despite the significant number of Americans living in poverty, most Americans are unaware of its vast scope and scale. The public’s apathy towards poverty has caused it to become an invisible epidemic. The middle -class’s flight from the cities has createdRead MorePoverty Is The Most Far Reaching Social Problem847 Words   |  4 PagesPoverty is the most far reaching social problem that the population of the world faces today. Poverty does not discriminate against race or age. History has show that even social classes living above the poverty line are not safe from the treat of poverty(Meissnerd). 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