Aging in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Aging in America - Essay Example Guided by the welfare initiative under the Supreme Court's Olmstead Decision in 1999, and a New Freedom Initiative (NFI) in 2001, all American States are expected are modify their respective long term care (LTC) policies to provide comprehensive health care services dedicated to the needs of older Americans. This framework is expected to reform the following areas to increase well being of older Americans:Using the Systems Change Framework as a guide, this paper examines reform in the State of Oregon and how reform efforts have affected them. In Oregon, LTC services are administered on a local level, so as to increase the number of options available to seniors citizens.About 7% of Oregon's population are less than 5 years old, 25% under 18, and 13% are 65 or older. Women constitute 51% of the population. Of these, most settlers originally came from Europe. Others like Mexican Americans, Hispanics, Asians form a large part. The Asian community forms slightly less than 5% of the popula tion.Program information was obtained through interviews with people over 65 years of age, health care professionals and health service providers about each of the four component areas of the LTC Systems and Change Framework. Interviewees provided details regarding the impact of services across available services, satisfaction with services, and future plans for reforms.Unrelated to governmental policy changes though, a technical experts meeting held during April 2000 had underscored the fact that the issue of older population is currently under-addressed, is poorly understood and widely unrecognized. It said that not many organizations are taking into account the comprehensive health issues, medical systems and reimbursement, environmental issues, and education that are necessary to help older Americans live better. To utilize available funds effectively, resources must be tailored to the needs of the aged. The 25% of the population who are over age 50 today control 70% of the total net worth of U.S. households and are seasoned consumers (Dychtwald 1990). Baby Boomers, already in there 60s, are already pushing the market to produce goods and services that are relevant to their needs. They do not like to be thought of as old. Many of these goods and services will increasingly be health-related such as gyms, ski slopes, and dating services for older adults. Since they have resources to spend, the market will respond to meet their demands. To meet the needs of the elders, the government has framed Older Americans Act (OAA). The OAA aids state agencies to cover their social service needs. All people over age 60 are eligible, regardless of need or income. Further the State Units on Aging establish local Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) to develop and administer service plans within local areas. These provide referral services, case management, transportation, home services, day care, nutritional information, community meals, legal services, senior centers, employment programs, and protective services. Access is the most important concept to remember when planning services for the aged. They will try to avoid services that they perceive are inappropriate, too expensive, or

Theories of Mass Media and Its Social Impacts Essay Example for Free

Theories of Mass Media and Its Social Impacts Essay Since the invention of technologies such as the telegraph, radio and eventually television, which enabled communications â€Å"produced at a single source [to be] transmitted to an infinitely large audience† (Fearing, F. 1954), the social impacts of communications via mass media have been a subject of intense research by political and social scientists. This literature review intends to examine the major theories and perspectives on mass media with regard to its impact on society, which existed throughout the 1950’s and 70’s. Special attention will be given to the subjects of human social development, distribution of power, and human knowledge. Human social development has, without doubt, transformed since the introduction of mass media technologies. Before mass transmission capabilities were available, humans were very rarely exposed to anything other than the culture of their immediate surroundings. A widely supported view held, as to how communities learn a culture, is through a process of symbolic interaction (Blumer, H. 1969) where humans learn via the sharing of symbols. Fearing (1954) refers to this process as the sharing of â€Å"daydreams†, which are the literary or dramatic manifestations of a community’s symbols and culture. Every ‘daydream’ contains the symbols of the culture that produced it, whether it be a play or story. By passing on and sharing these ‘daydreams’, a community are able to share in the same culture, as they create familiar frameworks with which to reference their social lives. As Gerbner (1967) points out, before mass media, human interaction was almost entirely interpersonal, in relative isolation, meaning human experience and knowledge was limited to their immediate community environment, with information being passed down from person to person. The influence of the mass media begins to become apparent as Fearing (1952) points out the fact that humans, thanks to mass media, were for the first time able to broaden their sources of symbolic interaction, learning the values and symbols of a culture outside of their own localised  sphere of experience. Gerbner later echoed this sentiment when stating that since the industrial revolution, an â€Å"almost simultaneous introduction of information, ideas, images and products† on a global level has taken place. He goes on to claim that this point signalled the turning point with regard to how people became â€Å"humanised†. No longer was acculturation limited geographically. Quite quickly, due to the wide transmission of symbols, beliefs and attitudes, it became possible for regional and even national populations to share the same mental frameworks for perceiving the world around them. A feat that would have been impossible without the means of mass, simultaneous comm unication, made feasible by the mass media. Another contested subject with regards to the potential power of mass media was that that its capabilities place â€Å"a powerful instrument in the hands of a small number of persons† (Fearing, 1954). The ability now existed for a small influential group to communicate their message to a vast number of receivers. With this came the ability to set public agenda, influence social policy and affect the thoughts and behaviours of receivers (Gerbner 1967). There are many incidences for example where radio broadcasts have had a huge influence on the behaviour of its listeners, as documented extensively by Fearing (1954), who incidentally goes on to play down these successes as isolated events in which many variables came together with unintentional effectiveness. Unsurprisingly, governments developed great interest in the potential of the mass media and political scientists were responsible for many advances in the field. The propaganda campaigns propagated during the First, and especially Second World War, are undeniable examples of mass media’s potential for control over a population. However, the idea that media had a one way ‘hypodermic needle’ effect on receivers was beginning to fall from popular view, with a two way communication process being adopted instead. This two way process took into account that an audience doesn’t necessarily simply absorb the information around them, but perceive and interpret it, ultimately selecting whether it’s information they want to absorb. In contrast to the increased power of government, insights provided by Gerbner (1967) document the increased power of ordinary citizens to effectively take part in democracy, by offering and promoting alternatives to policies. The ability to publish and distribute private knowledge he says  transforms the private perspectives of few into broad public perspectives – thus creating a public, which in itself is a form of potential power if communication is maintained. We can conclude from this that mass media has enabled those who would not normally be able to do so, to voice their opinions and perspectives with a broader audience. Those who wield these mass communication capabilities certainly have far more potential power than before. With increased broadcasting of information, the manner and rate at which humans learn has also been irreversibly influenced. The relatively vast amounts of knowledge available via print and broadcast media during this time meant people were exposed to a greater amount of information. People were no longer restricted to the information and experiences of their own communities, but had access to foreign experiences and knowledge on a national and international level. In a general sense this has arguably meant that people, as a result, have become relatively more intelligent. As with most opportunities however, some people are able to take more advantage of them than others, whether it be because they are better equipped or more motivated to do so. P. J. Tichenor, G.A. Donohue and C.N. Olien’s (1970) research documented what they referred to as a â€Å"widening knowledge gap†, especially with regards to more â€Å"general appeal† knowledge areas such as public affai rs and science. Those of a higher socioeconomic status acquire information faster than lower class segments, leading to ever increasing gaps between progressive and â€Å"stagnant† groups (Tichenor, P.J, et al. 1970). Robinson (as cited in Tichenor, P.J. et al 1970) contends that those less informed will â€Å"remain so unless acted upon by an outside force, while those already informed stay in motion†. This leads to the conclusion that while the proliferation of information increases, the knowledge gap can and will only increase, unless measures are taken to effectively inform those of lower socioeconomic classes. A solution to this knowledge gap is offered by Tichenor et al. (1970) when they profess that a â€Å"knowledge gap implies a communication gap.† With the introduction of more easily accessible outlets of information this knowledge gap could potentially be decreased, despite the ever-increasing amounts of information available. Their article ends on an optimistic note as to the role television could play in the future, a  medium much easily accessible to lower socioeconomic classes. Reference List Blumer, Herbert (1969). Symbolic Interactionism: Perspective and Method. Berkeley: University of California Press. Fearing F. (1954). Social impact of the mass media of communications, in, N.B. Henry (Ed.) Mass media and education: The fifty-third yearbook of the national society for the study of education part II, Chicago, University of Chicago. Gerbner, G. (1967). Mass media and human communication theory, in, F.E. X. Dance (Ed.) Human communication theory: Original essays, (pp.40-60.) New York, Holt, Rinehart, Winston. Tichenor, P.J., Donohue, G.A. Olien, C.N. (1970). Mass media flow and differential growth in knowledge, Public Opinion Quarterly, 34, 159-170.

Understanding The Theory Of Translation Cultural Studies Essay

Understanding The Theory Of Translation Cultural Studies Essay Theory of translation is a concept that exists in every section of mankind because of diversity and differences that results from variance in cultural values, religious beliefs language, practices and other fundamentals that defines a specific community or a group of people in relationship with the other. Translation is communication of meaning from one source language to another equivalent target language with the basis of retaining its original meaning and context (Nida, Taber, 2003). Theory of translation is a very critical discourse in any society since time immemorial. The process of translation is crucial for a various purposes, including literature studies, traveling and law enforcements, quality translation services are also important o the business industry. With the advancing technology that makes it easy to communicate and work with people from all over the globe and a growing worldwide consciousness, more and more business organizations are going global. According to Venuti (2004), translation is derived from the Latin trans-and fero which means to carry across and it reaches back to the ancient Greeks after the appearance of written literature (Venuti, 2004). In the west the hallmark of translation began in the 3rd and 1st century when Septuagint, which is a collection of Jewish scriptures were translated into koine Greek in Alexandria and it arose because of the dispersed Jews who had forgotten the tenets of their ancestral language and they preferred the Greek version (translation) of their scripture. This scenario greatly concretes the significance and contribution of translation and the framework of theory of translation. In Asia translation has been a very paramount activity in the spreading of Buddhism which have had a great impact on communities in terms of religious beliefs and cultural practices. Arabs is also another section of mankind that has reinforced the concept of theory of translation which they undertook when they conquered the Greek world and made Arabic versions of their philosophical and scientific work. The advent of industrial revolution that began in the mid 18th century necessitated the essence of business documentation and it resulted in the development of specialties and formalized schools and professional associations for translation. Engineers in the 1940s sought to automate translation by mechanically coming up with human translator (Venuti, 2004). Theory of translation is comprised of various dimensions for instance literary, religious historic among others; literary translation is the translation of common literary works like short stories, plays, poems and others. In the r eligious perspective, the bible was translated to Latin by Saint Jerome who is regarded as the greatest translator in history and this initiative is highly of Christianity. The protestant reformation saw translation of the bible into European local languages, which resulted in a greatest impact on the western Christianity and beliefs because it culminated to the split of into Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. From the historical arguments above its premise the inference that theory of translation exists and it plays a key role in the frameworks of relationships between communities, countries, races, creed and this will enable them to understand and appreciate each other for the development of mankind. It is a basic reality and common sense to everyone that we were born and accustomed into radically different social systems and cultures comprising of different and distinct languages. This diversity calls for a bridge that can connect us into one setup that understands and embraces each other. This phenomenon has triggered scholars and other Linguistic researchers to argue that theory of translation is a paramount element in the Earth whereby the inhabitants emanates from radically diverse backgrounds. The relevance of translation is multifaceted and multidimensional and its significance in the international perspective of being a socio-cultural bridge between countries and communities have grown exponentially especially in the contemporary world whereby the world has become a global village and things are fast moving ahead globally not only societies are supposed to interact with each other more closely but individuals also need to contact with members from other societies in different parts of the world. Theory of translation and its significance caters to the needs and therefore, it has become a facility that satisfies individual, societal, and national needs. In theory and practice of translation, there are considerable variations in the types of translations produced by translators. Some translators deal with only two languages and are competent in both. Others work from their first language to their second language targeted language, and still others from their second language to their first language called back- translation. Depending on these matters of language proficiency, the procedures used will vary from one project to the other. Many scholars and literary giants have argued that the theory plays an important role in enriching the target language that a translator wish to translate from source language. This is because in some instances, the target language lacks terms that are found in source language hence resulting in borrowing of terms (Nida, Taber, 2003). This phenom enon has enriched many languages in the world which is a very positive discourse in the lingual aspects. Another point that depicts and justifies the existence of theory of translation is the dynamism in the global business environment. This is because, in order to share information with your potential clients and prospects, it is good to inform them using anecdotes and terminologies that they understand and accustomed to because they will feel secure and familiar which, in the long run will results in good business relationships (Nida, Taber, 2003). It is an initiative that most multinational companies have embraced when venturing into foreign markets. Through the auspices of translation, that global interaction has been enhanced and it has offered opportunities for people to undergo socio-cultural survey of various languages and literature. it has also given opportunity for the establishment of some kind of relevance in the literary criticism which is a very critical intellectual venture. In schools and colleges there has been an embracement of dramas and music festivals that are act ivities that portrays and expose other communities cultures, traditions and languages, which involves translation and other devices that carry across information. These arts and activities create peeping into diversified lingual, cultural and literary contents of the source culture or language exuding the nature and niceties of that translated language culture. According to Robinson (2003), information on the new development in communication and technology involves the structures of translation in keeping the science community and population abreast on the latest discoveries in various fields of knowledge (Robinson, 2003). Under theory of translation, the translator plays a pivotal role in executing and structuring of the theory. Theorists have posited that there are some fundamental attributes that a translator should posses so that the theory of translation remains relevant in the contemporary world. The translator must be having adequate knowledge of the source culture or language that he or she intends to translate; he or she must be having a profound understanding of the etymological and idiomatic correlation between the two languages or cultures that he or she is dealing with (Robinson, 2003). In the framework of this theory, the systems and individuals of translating must be able to read, understand and retain the authors ideas and d eliver accurately, fully and without exclusion, an ideal translation is accurate as terms of meaning and natural as to the receptor language forms are used. An intended audience who is unfamiliar with the source text will readily understand it. The success of a translation is measured by certain parameters in determining how closely it measures up to these ideals. The ideal translation should be: Accurate: reproducing as exactly as possible the meaning of the source text. Natural: natural forms of the receptor language must be used in a way that is appropriate to the kind of text being translated. Communicative: all aspects of the meaning must be expressed in a way that is readily understandable to the targeted audience. Though the theory of translation in a very critical aspect in current human spheres there are some shortcomings that results from it in that during the process of translation there are some details that might get distorted and limit the transference of facts

The Assassination of John F. Kennedy Essay -- Lee Harvey Oswald, JFK

In Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, America’s beloved President, John F. Kennedy, was shot and killed in Dealey Plaza. This event was the September 11 terrorist attacks of the time. The nation was in absolute mourning. Soon after the calamity, many began to speculate whether there was only a lone assassin involved. Now, five decades late, the debate over who pulled the trigger or influenced the murder, is still a controversy. On the day of the assassination, President Kennedy was riding in his motorcade around Dallas. By this point, Kennedy and his colleagues were preparing for the next presidential election in 1964. Sitting in the back of the presidential limousine with his wife Jacqueline, the President casually smiled and waved to citizens crowding to see him. Then, suddenly a metallic bang rang through the air and screams reverberated through the plaza. Bullets hit the President in the neck and head, and his body collapsed towards his horrified wife. The governor of Texas, who was also in the vehicle, was hit in the chest. The President was rushed to Parkland Hospital quickly after the initial shots at 12:30 P.M. on that November afternoon. Tragically, only half an hour later, President John F. Kennedy’s heart activity halted, and he was pronounced dead. Now, the question was: who killed the President? Who could have been so horrible to assassinate the President? This man was Lee Harvey Oswald, an ex-Marine who had defected to the Soviet Union. Many speculate that Oswald was not the only shooter located in Dealey Plaza during the shooting. Oswald was found and arrested from the murder of Officer J.D. Tippit of the Dallas police force, and his earlier assassination of the President. The multiple sho... ...n explored at Duquesne University.† Pittsburgh Tribune Review (PA). 18 Oct 2013: Newspaper Source. Web. 13 Nov 2014. Goldman, Russel. â€Å"The Top 5 John F. Kennedy Assassination Conspiracy Theories.† ABC News. ABC News Network, 11 Nov. 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2014. Kiger, Patrick J. â€Å"Was Kennedy Tied to the Mob?† National Geographic Channel. National Geographic Society, n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014. McAuliffe, Carolyn. The Assassination of John F Kennedy. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. â€Å"November 22, 1963: Death of the President.† John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. Web. 03 Dec. 2014. Patterson, Thom, Ed Lavandera, and Jason Morris. â€Å"One JFK Conspiracy Theory That Could Be True.† CNN. Cable News Network, 18 Nov. 2013. Web. 07 Dec. 2014. Rubinstein, William. â€Å"Oswald Shoots JFK.† History Today 49.10 (1999): 15. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 13 Nov 2014.

Importance of Induction and Orientation Essay

1. Design safer systems of work: The most direct approach to ensuring a safe and healthy workplace is to design systems of work that are safe and without risk to health. This can often only be done satisfactorily at the design, planning or purchasing stage. It may be far more difficult to modify existing machinery or systems of work to eliminate or reduce hazards, than at the investment stage. Thus, management must take cognizance of long-term organizational changes to control hazards. Simply trying to persuade employees, for instance by poster campaigns, to adapt their behavior to unsafe systems of work is unacceptable. ‘Most accidents involve an element of failure in control – in other words failure in management skill. A guiding principle when drawing up arrangements for securing health and safety should be so far as possible work would be adapted to people and not vice versa’. As managers identify processes, machines and substances that are hazardous to the health and well-being of employees, they must modify the process to eliminate or reduce the hazard and risk ‘at source’. The provision of protective equipment is the typical means used by organizations to reduce physical hazards, and it is also an employer responsibility. 2. Exhibit commitment: No matter how much activity on health and safety is initiated by HR professionals, health and safety should be an integral part of every manager’s responsibility, from the chief executive officer down to the lowest level supervisor. Anything less than total support from top management raises questions about sincerity of the organization’s commitment in the eyes of employees, government agencies and the public at large. To exhibit commitment, managers’ salaries and promotion might be tied to a satisfactory safety record and compliance. Larger organizations have also appointed specialists in the area, including health and safety officers, safety engineer and medical technicians. If the safety officer is to be effective she or he must be given adequate authority in the management hierarchy to implement changes. 3. Inspect the workplace: Another proactive approach to the management of health and safety is regular formal inspections of the workplace, regular monitoring of the work environment and regular physical examination of employees. For example, construction sites and manufacturing plants require regular inspections to check the application of safety standards and relevant laws. Organizations may monitor a wide range of matters relating to employees’ health, from routine eye tests and chest X-rays to screening for breast and cervical cancer and incidents of infertility and abnormal childbirths. A ‘health’ survey of employees can also help identify hazardous and unhealthy processes. We can identify three main types of formal inspection, accident, special and general. Accident inspections will follow an accident or dangerous incident in the workplace. Special inspections might concentrate on a particular work station, system of work or hazard. The safety committee might decide that it is necessary to examine the training of fork-lift truck operators or dust problems; this would be the first step in a plan of action. A comprehensive survey of the entire workplace is the purpose of general inspection. 4. Establish procedures and controls: A healthy and safety policy is likely to fail unless there are effective procedures and controls established. The procedures for handling and safety problems need to meet some basic requirements: 1.Allow employees and union representatives to talk directly to the managers who can make decisions. 2.Operate without undue delay.  3.Be able to handle emergency problems and 4.Permit discussion about long-term decisions affecting health and safety. Clearly, these recommendations have important implications for HRM policy and action. Problems might occur if line managers are expected by senior management to be responsible for safe working practices, but at the same time are denied the authority to make decisions and implement changes. In principle, organizational procedures should ensure that the responsibility of each level of management to make decisions. The appointment of a safety officer may be a necessary prerequisite to establishing effective procedures and controls, but it is not sufficient. The position must be placed into the management hierarchy with clear lines of reporting and accountability, which will enable procedures for raising problems to operate without undue delay and avoid other managers absolving themselves from responsibilities. 5. Develop training programs: One way to obtain compliance with health and safety regulations is through enhancing employees’ knowledge, understanding and commitment, which can be achieved through healthy and safety programs. The purpose of safety training is generally the same as that of any other training program: to improve job knowledge and skills and to ensure optimum employee performance at the specified level. In health and safety training, specified performance standards include attention to safety rules and regulations regarding safe work behavior. Like any other training, health and safety training should be developed systematically. First, problems or training needs are identified by inspection, by accident reports, and through discussion at the health and safety committee. Next, planning, execution and evaluation of the training take place. Top management support is a key ingredient in the availability and success of health and safety training. 6. Set up health and safety committees: When health committees are not initiated by the union, organization often have safety committees which have employee members and are chaired by the safety or HRM specialist. Making the committee effective is mainly in the realm of senior management. A safety committee may develop into a ‘talking shop’ with no effective decision-making authority. To avoid this, a senior member of management team, with executive authority, should be a member of the committee. The functions of the committees, their terms of reference, depends on individual company policy, relevant safety legislation and the employee-union relations situation. Employers or their representatives are primarily responsible for compliance with health and safety laws. The existence of this committee does not diminish the employer’s duty to ensure a healthy and safe workplace. The work of the safety committee should supplement management’s arrangements for regular and effective monitoring for health and safety precautions; it cannot be a substitute for management action. All forms of safety matters reduce the incidence of accidents. 7. Monitor policy Safety specialists argue that the safety policy should reflect the employer’s commitment to develop safe systems of work, and to pursue a healthy work environment. Apart from giving details of the specialist safety services provided by the organization, the safety policy also outlines the safety responsibilities of all levels of management within the hierarchy. This part of the safety policy is particularly important for identifying which member of the management hierarchy should be involved when a health and safety problem arises in the workplace. A proactive approach would involve HRM professionals regularly checking to ensure that safety policy; management procedures and arrangements work, and are changed to suit new developments or work structures in the workplace. 8. Draw up action plan Thorough preparation, including designing a comprehensive set of checklists covering all aspects of the workplace, is essential if managers are to discover physical hazards. HRM professionals can be more proactive in the area of health and safety be developing an action plan and checklist.

Civil Disobedience and Antigone Essay

Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech focuses on the importance of freedom and brotherhood in a nation and is intended to rally Americans to demonstrate their anger at the injustices of segregation and racism through â€Å"creative protest.† While King’s passion and anger at the status quo is obvious in the text, he specifically states that they â€Å"must not allow [their] [protest] to degenerate into physical violence.† He is pushing for defiance against the government. Antigone exhibits the same kind of defiance when she goes against Creon’s law and completes her brother’s burial rites. Antigone, like Martin Luther King Jr., was faced with conflicting obligations; the obligation of a citizen to follow the law, and personal obligation to fight what one feels is wrong. A theme appears in both texts that one’s morals are more important than the law of the land. Antigone sacrificed her life to complete what she felt needed to be completed based on her religious beliefs. King dedicated his life to obtaining freedom for black people in America and was eventually killed for what he believed in, linking the two. If Sophocles and Martin Luther King Jr. were to have a conversation, the two would most certainly agree on some things. Both would agree that one must follow their heart and fight things they feel must be changed. They would agree that one must not stand idly by as injustice takes place, such as segregation or the body of one’s brother left to rot above the ground. While Antigone is not a central figure in a civil rights movement, she does exhibit civil disobedience, bridging the â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech and Antigone.