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Living on the Edge of the Moment

Living on the Edge of the Moment

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Living on the Edge of the Moment

We all have that one sport that we love and must always watch or participate in. Be it boxing, basketball, football, rugby, or tennis. We have all been drunk on the exhilarating moments of the game at one time or another. Some of these sports are famous globally, while others are only popular within a country or a region, among the most popular ones being football. Football, or rather soccer, is undoubtedly the best game that has ever been. In my opinion, at least. It has the highest fan base level globally. With the biggest teams locking heads in Europe to deliver some of the best nights you will ever have stuck to a television. There are highs and lows of cause to being a football fan; sometimes your team wins, and sometimes they lose. It is part of the game. Some teams have the most prominent players, while some are not big enough to get them. And, as such, it is these big teams, in the biggest of matches, who deliver some of the most exuberant matches in football history. One such match that many people will live to tell their grandkids about was the 2017 game between Barcelona and Paris St Germain.

This game, in my opinion, got a 10/10 rating. The stage was set for Barcelona to marvel its fans after a 4-0 first leg humiliating defeat. The game was on their home ground, and they had to prove to the world that that was the toughest ground to play in Europe, considering they had not lost for many years on that ground. Camp Nou is the biggest stadium in Europe, and the Catalonians are among the loudest. On that night, it was filled, and you could feel the silence as the Barcelona faithful had no idea what to expect. Once the game kicked off, the stadium became alive, and the fans were off their feet to give the necessary boost to their team. Camp Nou provided the best landscape to stage a coup for the qualification, and once the game was set, it was always going to have a significant effect on the outcome.

The other defining moment of this match was the quickness with which the first goal came. The deficit set the mood, but that goal set the tone. As the saying goes, “the early bird catches the worm” Barcelona went to the game all warmed to shine at this moment, and a quick goal in the first five minutes was their reward. They played with pace, clinically, and without hesitation as characterized with their type of game. It was still a huge hill to climb but with it came the belief that the tie was still in their hands, that they were the masters of their fate.

As said of football, “the game is not over until you hear the final whistle”. Well, the Barcelona team played to that whistle. They were never giving up, throbbing even when it seemed impossible, giving as hard as possible. And finally, a crescendo!. A last-minute goal. Paris St Germain was in, and then they were out. As it said, “the biggest players live for the biggest moments”. It was a goal that came with the loudest noises from happiest of fans created by the best players. That final goal remains immortalized in our hearts; even in the worst of games, we still remember the last goal of that fateful day.

Football does bring us some joy in spades and sadness alike. We fall in love with it as we would the person of our dreams, suddenly, inexplicably, uncritically, giving no thought to the pain or disruption it would bring with it. We lose and then win, but we stay steadfast to the teams we love.

Lobbying In Organizations

Lobbying In Organizations

Introduction

The act of attempting to influence decisions made by government officials’ mostly regulatory agencies members, or legislators is what can be termed as lobbying. Many different types of organized groups and people that include individuals in corporations, private sector, advocacy groups, legislators or government officials participate in lobbying. The morality and ethics of lobbying can be considered dual edged in that when the implication is that the law is being corrupted by people with inordinate socioeconomic power to serve their own agendas lobbying is often spoken of with contempt. But if lobbying is simply making sure that minority interests are fairly defended against majority tyranny or other corruptions it is fully embraced, which makes it different depending on which side its being viewed from.

As a lobbyist in the American based Procter & Gamble Company that deals with cleaning agents, pet foods and personal care products. I would mainly rally against the company strategy of using animals to test their products, this strategy is wrong in both the ethical and regulatory sense as already identified through the PETA investigations on P&G subsidiary products, on the Iams pet food. By pointing out that the use of animals in the tests does not prove conclusively that when the product or substance is used on or by a human, will either be dangerous or safe. It has also been proved by experts that an estimate ninety nine percent of the tests that proved safe on animals, when applied to humans ended up being dangerous (Festing & Wilkinson, 2007).

With this mindset I would like the federal government to enforce policies that would regulate and monitor the organizations acquiring the test animals and encourage them to find alternative means of testing their safety of products for consumption and human use without using the inhumane use of animals. It’s clear that the organization is avoiding the alternatives since it prevents them from maintain a higher margin of profit , but to justify animal testing for anyone possessing empathy simply as a means of maintaining corporate profits would be difficult leaving them with no choice but to embrace the change.

I regard the lobbying practice as providing a resolution platform to provide information, solve conflicts among competing and diverse points of view, opinions and analysis to government leaders and legislators to allow for balanced and informed decision making and keeping any one group from attaining a permanent position of power through creation of a check and balance of competition among different interest groups. The legislative work also benefit from the lobbyists since they are provided with accurate assessment and reliable data of a bills effect that helps their work be more efficient. With their evident contribution and influence on the policy makers point of views it would unwise to ban lobbying, however regulations need to be put in place and enforced to avoid the lobbyists from overstepping their boundaries or grounds (Berg, 2009).

For the lobbying industry to create an appropriate regulatory framework some of the changes that can be enforced include first taking serious the industries scope and size, to ensure that the economic power safe guards do not translate simply into political power, in addition it would be important to accept lobbying as an independent and fundamental part of decision making in the democracy.

Conclusion

It is common for many people’s thoughts to immediately go to political ethics presence or lack in the government whenever the word lobbying comes up. When lobbyists serve their clients ethically their main purpose is revealed. If currently enforced laws revolved around lobbyists misusing their position then perhaps, it would help to reestablish a more positive atmosphere and credibility to the lobbying industry. As with any issue or situation, when balance, integrity and ethics are applied and are present accordingly, the end results are fair generally.

Reference

Festing, S., & Wilkinson, R. (2007). The ethics of animal research. EMBO reports, 8(6), 526- 530.

Berg, K. T. (2009). Finding connections between lobbying, public relations and advocacy. Public Relations Journal, 3(3), 1-19.

Lobbying in procter & gamble IN ORGANIZATIONS

LOBBYING IN ORGANIZATIONS

Student’s Name:

Institutional Affiliation

LOBBYING IN ORGANIZATIONS

Introduction

The act of attempting to influence decisions made by government officials’ mostly regulatory agencies members, or legislators is what can be termed as lobbying. Many different types of organized groups and people that include individuals in corporations, private sector, advocacy groups, legislators or government officials participate in lobbying. The morality and ethics of lobbying can be considered dual edged in that when the implication is that the law is being corrupted by people with inordinate socioeconomic power to serve their own agendas lobbying is often spoken of with contempt. But if lobbying is simply making sure that minority interests are fairly defended against majority tyranny or other corruptions it is fully embraced, which makes it different depending on which side its being viewed from.

As a lobbyist in the American based Procter & Gamble Company that deals with cleaning agents, pet foods and personal care products. I would mainly rally against the company strategy of using animals to test their products, this strategy is wrong in both the ethical and regulatory sense as already identified through the PETA investigations on P&G subsidiary products, on the Iams pet food. By pointing out that the use of animals in the tests does not prove conclusively that when the product or substance is used on or by a human, will either be dangerous or safe. It has also been proved by experts that an estimate ninety nine percent of the tests that proved safe on animals, when applied to humans ended up being dangerous (Festing & Wilkinson, 2007).

With this mindset I would like the federal government to enforce policies that would regulate and monitor the organizations acquiring the test animals and encourage them to find alternative means of testing their safety of products for consumption and human use without using the inhumane use of animals. It’s clear that the organization is avoiding the alternatives since it prevents them from maintain a higher margin of profit , but to justify animal testing for anyone possessing empathy simply as a means of maintaining corporate profits would be difficult leaving them with no choice but to embrace the change.

I regard the lobbying practice as providing a resolution platform to provide information, solve conflicts among competing and diverse points of view, opinions and analysis to government leaders and legislators to allow for balanced and informed decision making and keeping any one group from attaining a permanent position of power through creation of a check and balance of competition among different interest groups. The legislative work also benefit from the lobbyists since they are provided with accurate assessment and reliable data of a bills effect that helps their work be more efficient. With their evident contribution and influence on the policy makers point of views it would unwise to ban lobbying, however regulations need to be put in place and enforced to avoid the lobbyists from overstepping their boundaries or grounds (Berg, 2009).For the lobbying industry to create an appropriate regulatory framework some of the changes that can be enforced include first taking serious the industries scope and size, to ensure that the economic power safe guards do not translate simply into political power, in addition it would be important to accept lobbying as an independent and fundamental part of decision making in the democracy.

Conclusion

It is common for many people’s thoughts to immediately go to political ethics presence or lack in the government whenever the word lobbying comes up. When lobbyists serve their clients ethically their main purpose is revealed. If currently enforced laws revolved around lobbyists misusing their position then perhaps, it would help to reestablish a more positive atmosphere and credibility to the lobbying industry. As with any issue or situation, when balance, integrity and ethics are applied and are present accordingly, the end results are fair generally.

Reference

Festing, S., & Wilkinson, R. (2007). The ethics of animal research. EMBO reports, 8(6), 526- 530.Berg, K. T. (2009). Finding connections between lobbying, public relations and advocacy. Public Relations Journal, 3(3), 1-19.

Local Competition (Supor and Asd) Analysis

Local Competition (Supor / Asd) Analysis

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Company profile – Supor Co. Ltd

Company Zhejiang Supor Co., Ltd

Established 1994

Registered Capital RMB 634.98 mil

Number of Employees 11,000

Listed Location and Year Shenzhen, 2004

Main Products Kitchen Appliances, Cookware

This information is from Bloomberg, (2014, para 1).

Supor is a company that was established in the year 1994 in a place called Hangzhou, in the province of Zhejiang. In 2004, it was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and from 2006; the French firm Groupe SEB owned 71.31% of Zhejiang Supor’s equity, while Supor Group held 11.76% (ReportLinker, 2013, para, 6-7).

The company begun as a manufacturing expert in pressure cookers and later grew to become the leading homeware dealer through provision of stove top cookwares and different kinds of kitchen utensils. To enrich its product portfolio, Supor expanded to produce small electrical appliances and kitchen appliances, as well as plastic products such as beverage ware.

At the end of 2011, the cookware products the company of were revealed by the media to contain huge levels Manganese, a harmful element to human health. This issue elicited many reactions from the general public, until at the beginning of 2012 when the company alongside other government officials rubbed of the claims saying that levels of manganese were within the recommended health standards. Nevertheless, the situation increased consumers’ concerns over the safety of the company’s products, which influenced Supor’s brand reputation and, in turn, negatively impacted sales because Chinese consumers are highly cautious about safety issues (Woke, 2012, para, 1-3).

Products

Supor runs its activities in five main areas, which comprise of Hangzhou, Vietnam, Wuhan, Yuhuan, and Shaoxing. In Wuhan, the company has a production potential of up to eight million pieces of cookware, while in Shaoxing, production processes have been hampered by inadequate finances. The manufacturing capacity in Shaoxing base is projected to hit 9.25 million units in future.

Supor focuses on the production of its own brands, without manufacturing for third party brands or private label products. As well as the production of homeware products, it also produces consumer appliance.

By end of 2012, electric appliances had become major business for Supor, accounting for 55.5% of total revenue. Kitchen products accounted for 44% of Supor’s overall revenue in 2012, while rubber and plastic products accounted for 0.5% according to the company’s annual report.

Supor positions its products as mid-range, providing high-quality products in acceptable price.

RETAIL PRICE Pressure Cooker 100 – 1300 RMB

Wok 70 – 1600 RMB

Frying Pan 60 – 500 RMB

Pot 60 – 500 RMB

Operation

From 2008 to 2011 Supor’s revenue and net income maintained rapid growth. In 2012 H1, the company’s revenue was RMB 3,338 bil, down 4.04% year on year; the net income reached RMB 241.8 mil, down 4.61% y-o-y (CorporateInformation, 2014, para 1). The main reason for the decline lies in the global economic downturn and unsatisfying overseas marketing.

39052550165

Revenue analysis of Supor By Region, 2008-2012 (RMB)

By Industry, Supor gained RMB 1.837 billion from electric appliances in H1 2012, up 3.31% y-o-y. The revenue of cookwares and rubber & plastic products however witnessed a decline of 10.23% and 26.29% respectively, owing to decreasing overseas orders.

Strategic Direction

Supor continues to look forward towards adding impetus to its will continue to focus on strengthening its place in the production of homeware and more specifically kitchenware. The key aim remains to be focused on launching better quality and in the homeware category, most specifically in kitchen and kitchenware, focusing on the launch of high quality and unique products. As far as establishing a distribution network is concerned, the company hopes to stick to its latest sales chains like Suning and Gome, while at the same time, it will start to establish new online channels which will serve the ever growing curiosity for online shopping. Besides the first- and second-tier cities, Zhejiang Supor will also focus on penetrating third- and fourth-tier cities to expand its consumer base (Hansegard, 2012, para 1.). However, rumors about the company’s product quality and safety may have a negative impact on sales growth, which will also be an area of focus for cook wares.

Company Profile – ASD Co. Ltd (ASD 2007).

Company Zhejiang Aishida Electric Co. Ltd

Established 2004

Registered Capital RMB 240 mil

Number of Employees 5,600

Listed Location and Year Shenzhen, 2010

Main Products Kitchen Appliances, Cookware

Headquarter Wenling(温岭市)，Zhejiang

Stock Code 002403

This company is a nationwide cookware and automotive components manufacturing business (EC21, 2014, para, 1). It has six manufacturing bases, three oversea subsidiary companies and over 5,600 employees. For the domestic market the ASD group has more than 40 branches and offices, with a sales service network of more than 10,000 locations throughout China; while the ASD group has established a market operational system for the international market (Made in China, 2013, para 3). The products of this company are sold to countries in different countries in excess of 50 including those in South-East Asia, the greater Middle-East, Australia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

Products

The company provides woks, non-stick woks, smoke-free woks, adjustable pressure cookers, cast iron woks, frying pans, pressure cookers, milk pots and soup pots, as well as kitchen electrical appliances, such as electric pressure cookers, electric rice cookers and electromagnetic cookers, among others. It provides its products under the brand name ASD.

This company prides in an R&D team of more than 500 secondary and advanced tech staff, and has established long-term cooperation relationships with many famous universities and institutions. Each year, more than 1,000 new items are expected to be developed. Currently the ASD group owns more than 70 live patents, and it is one of the drafters of Chinese national quality standards for non-stick cookware and pressure cookers (EC21 2014, para, 2).

PRICE LEVEL Pressure cooker 100 – 800 RMB

Wok 60 – 1300 RMB

Frying Pan 90 – 500 RMB

Pot 50 – 500 RMB

Operation

In 2012 H1, revenue and net income of ASD was RMB 871.9 mil and RMB 18.7 mil, down 15.01% and 44.68% y-o-y respectively. The big decrease of the company’s performance in 2012 H1 was mainly because of oversea order decreases, Chinese domestic demand decline (Chu, Girdhar, & Sood, 2013 para, 9-10 ), and slow construction of plants of the company in Wenling because of restrictions on industry upgrading and automation updating.

26924088265

Graphical analysis of income as posted by ASD, between 2008-2012 (RMB)

ASD’s business is dominated by cookers and supported by small appliances, with the former holding 91% and the later 9%. Revenue of cookers and small appliances of the company in 2012 was RMB 783.5 mil and RMB 76.4 mil, down 17.33% and up 8.53% over 2011. Order decreases from oversea markets strongly influenced revenue of its cooker business.

28575051435

Graphical analysis of revenue of ASD by product, 2008 – 2012 (RMB)

The gross margin of cookers of ASD has shown a tendency of growth, being 35.4% in 2012 H1, a growth of 6.4%, due to rising proportion of domestic sales and dropping raw material prices. However, despite the increasing revenue of small appliances, the gross margin kept declining, being 18.7% in 2012 H1 (ResearchInChina 2011).

Channel

ASD has counters in large-scale chain supermarkets and household appliance stores in first- and second-tier cities, which account for 65% of the revenue, while sales agents account for the remaining 35%. As the channel building costs and maintenance costs in supermarkets or large stores are high, ASD is planning to save only RMB 0.1 bil sales scale in those places, and give the rest to agents step by step.

For six consecutive years, products from ASD having have been toping the sales lists in many foreign hypermarkets branches based in china, which include Metro, the Wal-mart branch and Carrefour.

In third- and fourth-tier markets, ASD is short of sales outlets, and faced with problem of small market share and low brand influence. Since it cooperated with Goodaymart Electrical Appliance Service Co in 2010 H2, ASD has introduced over 300 effective outlets at Goodaymart.

Conclusion

Supor and ASD have shown all the reasons why they have established themselves as the giants the manufacturing industry in china. There are a number of factors that have enhanced the expansion of the two companies; first, ASD has been able to save a lot on maintenance and building costs in places where expenses accrued are high. This has been transferred to agents in a consistent manner. The money which is saved in this manner has been channeled towards product development. This is the reason why the company is able to produce high standard goods which easily find acceptance in local and foreign markets. The decision to deal in cookers and other small appliances seems to be advantageous to the company. These are household products that do not miss in any home. This means that the large population in china makes is a cash cow for the company.

On the other hand, Supor has also been successful in making mid range products which are highly affordable by many people. Just like ASD, they have cut their niche in kitchen ware, an essential area in any house. The company has held to the point of establishing high quality products which people can rely on amidst the presence of rival companies. In the recent past, the company has created and stuck to its vibrant sales chains in Gome and Suning. In future, the prospects of establishing on an online sales chain stands to be another milestone in the history of the company. This is because; the advent of internet has been increasing the number of consumers who troop in to make online shopping. Being worldwide, the company will manage to reach distant markets and hence increase its returns.

Bibliography

“Made in China,” (2014). Zhejiang Aishida Electrical Equipment Co., Ltd. Available at, http://www.made-in-china.com/showroom/lilytrade88/companyinfo/Zhejiang-Aishida-Electrical-Equipment-Co-Ltd-.html (Accessed Feb 26, 2014).

ASD (2007). ASD Group. Available at, <http://www.chinaasd.com/english/index.asp> (Accessed Feb 26, 2014).

Bloomberg, (2014). Company Profile for Zhejiang Supor Cookware Co Ltd (002032). Available at, <http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/002032:CH/profile> (Accessed Feb 26, 2014).

Chu V, Girdhar A & Sood R, (2013). Business Today; Couching tiger tames the dragon. Available at, <http://www.oecd.org/daf/inv/investment-policy/oecdinvestmentpolicytools.htm> (Accessed Feb 26, 2014).

CorporateInformation, (2014). Zhejiang Supor Cookware Co Ltd. Available at, <http://www.corporateinformation.com/Company-Snapshot.aspx?cusip=C1565W500> (Accessed Feb 26, 2014).

EC 21, (2014). Zhejiang Taizhou AISHIDA Electrical Equipment Co.,LTD. Available at, < http://lilytrade88.en.ec21.com/company_info.jsp>

Hansegard J, (2012). The Wall Street Journal; Ikea Taking China by Storm. Available at, <http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304636404577293083481821536> (Accessed Feb 26, 2014).

ReportLinker (2013). Global and China Stainless Steel Tableware and Kitchenware Industry Report, 2013-2015. Available at, < http://www.reportlinker.com/p01022385-summary/Global-and-China-Stainless-Steel-Tableware-and-Kitchenware-Industry-Report.html> (Accessed Feb 26, 2014).

ResearchInChina, (2011). Global and Stainless Tableware and Kitchenware Industry Report 2012-2014. Available at <http://www.researchinchina.com/Htmls/Report/2012/6544.html> (accessed Feb 26, 2014)

Woke L, (2012). Supor suspends stock trading. Available at, < http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/hangzhou/e/2012-02/18/content_14727255.htm> (Accessed Feb 26, 2014).

Local Computer Shop WAN Set-Up

Local Computer Shop WAN Set-Up

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Executive Summary

The Local Computer Shop organization, which has two offices in the Central Business District (CBD) of Melbourne and has around thirty five employees, can choose from the wide network topologies, WAN-LAN Interconnection Equipment and various security and privacy services and mechanisms to construct their own WAN network connecting their two offices. The available topologies for the organization to choose from are; ring, bus, star, completely connected network and hybrid topologies. On the other hand, the following are the essential network equipment that they will require; repeaters, Multiplexors, Bridges, Routers and Gateways. On the issue of WAN network security and privacy, the organization has the following security and privacy measures to enable it implement its WAN network security and privacy policy; security services (system authentication, access control, data confidentiality, data integrity and non-repudiation) and security mechanisms (decipherment, digital signature, access control, data integrity, authentication exchange, traffic padding, routing control, notarization, trusted functionality security label, event detection, security audit trail and security recovery)

Introduction

The need for computer networking arises out of the desire for sharing various computing resources which are geographically scattered across several standalone workstations (and their connected peripherals) within a given organization. Apart from resource sharing, both hardware (like printers, modem, memory, file servers, processors among others) and software (like operating systems and other application software), computer networking can also achieve the following: remote login, distributed databases, file transfer, email sharing, instant messaging, news, remote processing, name services and network time (Boudec et al., N.d, p. 2). In essence, a computer network is the collection of computers (commonly known as nodes), printers and other peripherals which have been connected together with the sole aim of establishing communication among them (Bakardjieva N.d, p.2). Personal Area Network (PAN), Local Area Network (LAN), Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) with their associated topologies are the main types of computer network (Dadarlat 2008, p. 2). The network topologies, physical representations of any given network, are subdivided into two categories; vertical (consists of hierarchical and mesh topologies) topology and horizontal (ring, tree, star and bus topologies) topology (Dadarlat 2008, p. 6). According to the requirements of any given organization, it can choose from the various types of networking options and the topology to characterize it as outlines above.

Communication Services Required to Support a WAN Connection

For communication to be established within a WAN network several factors need to be taken into consideration; an understanding of the various network types and topologies, the signal transmission medium technologies, the TCP/IP model and the various hardware and software components involved in the networking.

Types of Computer Networks

A computer network is essentially an interconnection of two or more computers (interconnected with radio waves, cables, telephone lines, infrared rays and satellites), better known as nodes in a network, with an aim of sharing computing resources, exchange files and/or enable electronic communication among them (Kaur N.d, p. 2). There are four main types of computer networks: Personal Area Network (PAN), Local Area Network (LAN), Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN).

Personal Area Network (PAN)

This is a computer network with a reach of few meters that is used to interconnect devices such as tablets, smart phones, Personal Computers among other devices that re within the range of an individual’s body (Kaur N.d, p. 16).

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

These are computer networks covering a geographical area of a City, Municipality or town and they are generally larger than the Local Area Network (LAN) and may consist a number of Local Area Networks (LANs) resulting to a high speed of transmission like in the cable television (Singh N.d, p. 22 )

Local Area Network (LAN)

Local Area Network (LAN) is a technology that is used to connect a number of relatively close devices and in many cases within the same building (Technical tutorial 2002, p. 4). It connects personal computers, workstations, servers, printers and other peripherals within the same building or a small number of a group of buildings, office, home that are within a small geographical area (Singh N.d, p. 20).

Wide Area Network (WAN)

Wide Area Network (WAN) is a network having wide area coverage that spans countries, regions, continents and even the whole globe and it uses telephone lines, satellite communication and microwaves which are high speed communication linkage by nature (Singh N.d, p. 24). It can also be achieved through interconnecting a number of Local Area Networks (LANs) using gateways, routers, bridges to enable data sharing among them (Kaur N.d, p. 14). The internet is an example of the widely known and used type of this network (Kaur N.d, p. 14)..

Communication Network: OSI TCP/IP Model

This communication Network model was designed by the International Standards Organization and it is followed by all networks to send data (JDSU 2010, p. 2). It consists of the following layers: physical layer, data link layer, Network layer, Transport layer, Session layer, Presentation layer and Application Layer.

Physical layer

It is characterized by the commercialized bandwidth (signal rates and features) and physical media (copper, optic fiber or twisted pair coax) (JDSU 2010, p. 2)

Data Link Layer

It represents the basic data framing mechanisms where data begins (JDSU 2010, p. 2). It works in collaboration with the software in the device to enable sending and receiving of data through the network and offers mechanisms to detect errors in the network (Global Knowledge 2006, p. 6). It has the following physical layers: Bridges, Ethernet interface cards and switches for token rings (Global Knowledge 2006, p. 6).

Network layer

The network layer aids in routing data from one end to the other through the network layer protocols (Hekmat 2005. P. 16). It hides the details of the interfaces between the network and the hosts, and among hosts from the higher layer levels (Hekmat 2005. P. 17).

Transport layer

This layer offers host-to-host communication in the network which can either be reliable, best-effort, connectionless and connection-oriented communications (Global Knowledge 2006, p. 6).

Session layer

This layer provides virtual connection between nodes in the network, creates dialogue units, partitions tasks into functional groups, retransmission of undelivered data, enables synchronization of data flow, establishes acknowledgement for delivered data in any given session and it negotiates for connection parameters (Global Knowledge 2006, p. 6).

Presentation layer

This layer has the following functionalities in computer networks: it enables graphics formatting, message encryption and decryption to enable security, message compression and expansion to enable its efficient travel/transmission, content translation and translation for system-specific functionalities (Global Knowledge 2006, p. 8)

Application Layer

This layer has the following functionalities: file transfers support, network printing capability, supports electronic mail, browsing the internet through the World Wide Web and supports electronic messaging (Global Knowledge 2006, p. 10)

Types of Network Topologies

A network topology is the physical representation of how a given network type will look when implemented. The following are some of the factors to consider when choosing a given topology to represent a certain network type: the size of the network determined by the number of computers (nodes) expected to be included in the network and their Geographical distribution, the expected system performance, the total budget (estimated cost) of setting up the network, the system reliability and the nature of the communication links to be used (Singh N.d, p. 9). The following are some of the network topology types; vertical (consists of hierarchical and mesh topologies) topology and horizontal (ring, tree, star and bus topologies) topology

Star Topology

In this topology, there is a central node that performs a logical routing function that controls the communication of all the other nodes which must communicate only through the host node (Singh N.d, p. 9).

Ring Topology

In this topology, there is no host node and all the interconnected nodes have equal privileges. Each node has exactly two subordinate nodes, with which it communicates with, and once a node identifies that a message it has received was intended for it, it takes it; otherwise it passes it on to the next adjacent node (Singh N.d, p. 12).

Bus Topology

The nodes in the network are connected with a single interconnection link (transmission medium) (Singh N.d, p. 16). Once a certain node wants to communicate with another node within the network, it attaches a destination address of the receiving node and after confirming the interconnection line to be free it broadcasts the message in the line to be checked by all the nodes that it encounters in the way before delivering it to the intended addressee node which then sends an acknowledgement note to the sending node to free the communication link (Singh N.d, p. 16).

Completely connected Network Topology

Each node in the network has a direct physical link (point-to-point) to all the other nodes in the network, whereby each node sets its own communication priorities. (Singh N.d, p. 14).

Hybrid Topology

It is a type of topology that has incorporated all the properties of the above mentioned topologies; ring, star, bus and completely connected topologies

WAN-LAN Interconnection Equipment

The Wide Area Network (WAN) in most cases is achieved through interconnection of individual Local Area Networks. This is achieved through the following network components: Repeaters and Multiplexors, Bridges, Routers and Gateways.

Repeaters

They extend the physical features of the network by regenerating the network signals to cover optical distances with the same signal strength as from the start, and they operate at the physical level (International Technical Support Organization 1994, p. 50). In certain circumstances it enables conversion of media from fiber optic to copper and vice versa (International Technical Support Organization 1994, p. 50).

Multiplexors

They interleave data onto one physical link after taking its data bits from a number of nodes, and it operates at the physical layer (International Technical Support Organization 1994, p. 50). They are also bandwidth managers since they can administer available bandwidth on the serial link (International Technical Support Organization 1994, p. 52).

Bridges

Bridges are used to interconnect two Local area Networks (LANs) together, better achieved through forwarding one LAN frames forwarded from one LAN segment to another within the established network (International Technical Support Organization 1994, p. 52). Bridges are subdivided into two; local and remote bridges. A local bridge is the one that exists between adjacent LANs, and the remote one is that which exists between LANs which are not adjacent to each other as they have been separated by a WAN (International Technical Support Organization 1994, p. 52)

Routers

Routers make it possible for different sub network types to carry out their routing function by enabling their interconnection (International Technical Support Organization 1994, p. 52). Routers also make it possible to determine the optimal traversal path of a given data packet (International Technical Support Organization 1994, p. 52).

Gateways

Gateways can exist between networks, applications and Other LANs, resulting to derivation of their various names; application gateways, network gateways and LAN gateways (International Technical Support Organization 1994, p. 55). Network gateways can be network devices appended to communication network or existing between and within network (International Technical Support Organization 1994, p. 55). Application gateways can change all the application layers as needed but is itself specific to a given application (International Technical Support Organization 1994, p. 55)

WAN Network Security and Privacy Policy

Establishing an organizational Wide Area Network (WAN) security and privacy policy has the following advantages: protects the organization’s assets, it enables a given organization to comply with fiduciary responsibilities and regulatory requirements, enables an organization to gain a competitive advantage in the competitive market and finally it enables one to secure his/her job (Canavan 2001, p. 6).

In order to develop an effective Wide Area Network (WAN) security and privacy policy, the following three important factors should be taken into account; prevention (prevents are organizational data and information vulnerabilities from being exploited), detection (WAN intrusion problems should be detected in real time)and response to the WAN intrusion threat in real time (Canavan 2001, p. 10). The following are the vulnerabilities which an intruder can exploit to access the organizational resources within the WAN network; poor design, poor implementation and poor management (Canavan 2001, p. 14).

Security Services

It is the security service provided by the protocol layer that ascertains sufficient security for the communicating nodes and the data they are exchanging via the WAN network (Stallings 2011, p. 19). It is achieved through; system authentication, access control, data confidentiality, data integrity and non-repudiation.

System Authentication

It is the mechanism of ascertaining that the entity wanting to access the network resource is what it claims to be (Stallings 2011, p. 20). There are two types of authentication methods; Peer Entity Authentication ( used to provide confidence in the process of entity identification) and Data-Origin Authentication (provides assurance in a connectionless transfer that the source of received data is as claimed) (Stallings 2011, p. 20)

System Access Control

Prevention of use of a given resource by unauthorized entities; resource access control is established and only authorized individual can access it, and it determines the conditions under which access can occur, and what those allowed are privileged to a to carry out (Stallings 2011, p. 20).

Data Confidentiality

This is the process of protecting data from disclosure by unauthorized entities and it is achieved through the following ways; connection confidentiality (all user data protection on the network), connectionless confidentiality (all user data protection in a single data block), selective-field confidentiality, Traffic-Flow Confidentiality (Protection of Information likely to be have been derived from traffic flows observation) (Stallings 2011, p. 20).

Data Integrity

It is the certainty of establishing that data received through the network is exactly as sent by the authorized sender and has not been modified by means of insertion, modification, replay or deletion) achieved by; connection integrity with recovery, connection integrity without recovery, selective-field connection integrity, connectionless integrity and selective-field connectionless integrity (Stallings 2011, p. 20).

Non-Repudiation

It is the process of providing proof that a given entity had sent or received a given message in the network and in the process counteracts denial of doing so by the entity and it is achieved through Non-Repudiation of origin ( proof that a certain entity sent a given message) and Non-Repudiation of destination (proof that a given entity in the network received a certain message) (Stallings 2011, p. 20).

Security Mechanisms

Security mechanisms are those measures that have been put in place to ensure security and privacy of data is achieved in the network. It is divided into two; specific security mechanisms and pervasive security mechanisms.

Specific Security Mechanisms

These are those security measures appended into the protocol layers to provide security to specific OSI layer in the network and are achieved through; decipherment, digital signature, access control, data integrity, authentication exchange, traffic padding, routing control and notarization (Stallings 2011, p. 20).

Pervasive Security Mechanisms

These are network security and privacy measures achieved through; trusted functionality (perceived to be correct by evaluating security policies in operation), security label, event detection, security audit trail and security recovery (Stallings 2011, p. 20).

Recommendations

Firstly, it is recommended that two separate LAN networks be designed and constructed in the two buildings where the offices are located. After that, the two LANs can be connected to form a WAN. This will save the costs of employing expensive telephone lines, satellite communication and microwaves communication linkages. The most suitable topology to be emulated for this network is the bus topology. This topology can easily enable the interconnection of the two LANs by the repeaters, multiplexors, bridges, routers and gateways through their transmission medium.

Conclusion

The various network types (Personal Area Network (PAN), Local Area Network (LAN), Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN)) are distinctively different from the types of network topologies (ring, bus, star, and hybrid). To minimize the costs of establishing a WAN network, it is recommendable to establish two separate LAN networks and then you interconnect the two LANs to form a WAN.

Appendix

Bridge

Router

Repeater

Gateway

Software

Hardware

Software

Hardware

Software

Hardware

Software

Hardware

Transmission Medium

Transmission Medium

Hardware

Software

Hardware

Software

Hardware

Software

Hardware

Software

Router

Bridge

Gateway

Repeater

References

Stallings, W 2001. Cryptography And Network Security Principles And Practice Fifth Edition, Prentice Hall

International Technical Support Organization 1994. Introduction to Networking Technologies, Document Number GG24-4338-00, Raleigh Center

Boudec, JYL, Duda, A, Toutain, L & Thiran, P N.d. Introduction to Computer

Networking, ICA, EPFL

Bakardjieva, T N.d Introduction to Computer Networking, Varna Free University “Chernorizec Hrabar”Institute of Technology

Dadarlat, V 2008. Types of Computer Networks and their Topologies, Cisco based computer Networks

Kaur, M N.d. Types of Computer Networks

Singh, P N.d. Computer Networks

Technical tutorial 2002. Introduction to Ethernet

JDSU 2010. Fundamentals of Ethernet: 10 Megabit Ethernet to 10 Gigabit Ethernet, White Paper

Global Knowledge 2006. The OSI Model: Understanding the Seven Layers of Computer Networks

Hekmat, S 2005. Communication Networks, PragSoft Corporation

Canavan, JE 2001. Fundamentals of Network Security, Artech House, Boston, London

GFI Software 2011. Web-based security threats: how attacks have shifted and what to do about it, White Paper

Local Disaster Risk Reduction

Local Disaster Risk Reduction

Important factors to support Local Disaster Risk Reduction

Disasters occur due to other causes rather than the natural causes such social, economic, political, and cultural factors. The factors people inhabit areas and regions that are prone to natural hazards due to the different aspects of social, economic, and cultural environments. For instance, people are forced by difficult situations such as poverty to settle in hazardous areas such as flood plains and mountain slopes here floods, landslides and earthquakes are common. Other factors especially affecting the political environment are the distribution of resources such as education, health services, income, and important information. There is a lot of discrimination in many communities in the developing countries especially on the issues of welfare and social protection. Disasters occur due to both natural and human action and contribute to the major problems related to the famine, diseases such as HIV-AIDS, wars, drought and many others. The potential of various groups of people to exposure to some of the natural disasters and hazards constitutes the disaster risk that depends on the social and political systems of the community. The vulnerability of different groups to hazards exposure helps to understand disasters by looking at both the political, economic, social, and cultural systems. The important factors to support local disaster reduction in the community and places with risks of natural hazards are political, economic, social, and cultural practices.

There is a big link between poverty, vulnerability, and disasters such the poorest people are always the victim as their poverty leads to their vulnerability. Preparing those people will make them cope with disasters in case they occur. Due to climatic change it is important for countries to adopt Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR )due to the adverse effects of the occurrence. Organizations such as the Practical Action works with various communities to help them cope with the future hazards by taking measures such as disaster risk managements, and food security. The organization uses the research approach and its experience in disaster management for many years to help people cope with disasters especially in the developing countries such as South Asia, Peru, and Africa. The body also secures and sustains livelihoods in communities with high poverty levels by reducing their susceptibility to disaster. Practical Action works with the humanitarian agencies to help families, communities, and local markets to come out of the crises and cope with future disaster threats. The organization works by involving the survivors off various disasters in the decision-making and management of the resources. The world’s poorest and marginalized communities suffer from climate change compared to the well up communities. These people depend on natural resources for agriculture and other means of production.

Climate change affects the living conditions of vulnerable people especially in developing countries as a result of global warming contributed by human activities such as cultivation methods. Some cultural beliefs such as disasters are a punishment from God, or other supreme being prevents people from taking action to avoid more disasters. Organizations like the UNDP should always offer education to the vulnerable communities and change their evolutionary behaviours especially the ones touching on religious beliefs. Other factors that increase the vulnerability of communities to disasters are personality, upbringing, and level of education, peer pressure and many more. For countries to support DRR, the government should work closely with charitable organizations such as the Red Cross to reduce the influence of culture on disaster occurrences. The beliefs that it is the God’s ill for some disasters such as earthquakes and floods to happen are not healthy for DRR and DRM as people cannot engage in activities that reduce the risks of disaster occurrences.

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) aims at identifying and reducing the risks of disaster by dealing with socio-economic vulnerabilities to the disasters. Governance is an important factor in addressing the occurrence of disasters through DRR and DRM especially in the third-world countries. The government is very important in the DRR approach to disaster management as it is one of the main actors. The government should always ensure that its citizens are safe, and there is equality in resource allocation to all communities. The government also is the main coordinator of DRR projects through the formulation of policies and programmes through legislation. The government is also mandated to ensure protection of the rights of its citizens through disaster prevention and early warnings of any impending disasters such as floods. Disaster management organisations such as UNDP and BRAC prefer working in environments where the rights of the citizens are respected and protected.

Social factors also contribute to occurrence and reoccurrence of disasters depending on the organisation of communities and the social classes. For countries to achieve Disaster Risk reduction, it must do away with social classes and bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. Some people fail to protect themselves believing that someone like the government or charitable organizations will come to their help. For example the in Kenya, people are warned to vacate the lowlands and avoid living in mountainous areas but fail to take action only to call the government when their homes floods or whenever there are landslides. The international community should always emphasize on the necessity of local ownership of the disaster risk reduction (DRR) through the local governments. Policy makers need to support the local actors to manage natural disasters by spreading awareness of the environmental risks facing the communities. The leaders and the NGOs should work with mayors and community leaders to enable active participation of the local community groups in reducing the risks due to natural disaster. Consequences and social outcomes of projects for poverty alleviation, community development, and reduction of disaster vulnerability depend on the social impact assessment.

Social factors are human populations or private actions that can affect the way of living, working, and the relation of humans to each other as the members of the society. The way a society live determines the possibility of occurrence of disasters and their management. There is a big relationship between vulnerability, disasters and hazards especially on the deep-rooted factors in different societies, which can alleviate or increase the seriousness of a disaster. Some societies or groups of people lack basic services at the household level, and others face exposure to unsafe conditions. For instance people who construct shanty houses on sloppy and hilly lands especially in urban centres increasing the risk of disasters such as floods and landslides. Disaster management through DRR should always aim at involving communities at risk in risk management and reduction of vulnerability through their projects. The civil society and the public authorities will also play an important especially in coordination and mobilization of the local communities.

Political factors may also influence the effectiveness of DRR especially in the developing countries here politicians engage in corrupt activities such as land grabbing. When leaders, politicians, and the wealthy class take all the good land, the marginalized communities end up settling in disaster-prone areas such as in the slopes and dry areas. The countries should fight corruption by the political class and allocate land and resources equality to the communities. Politics can also limit the local ownership of DRR if politics takes the centre stage during the implementation of DRR projects. There are some officials who hold positions for their interests and embezzle fund meant for disaster management and may use the resources to win votes from a few individuals. Countries need to monitor the DRR projects closely to prevent political interferences especially if they disagree with the local leaders on implementation of the DRR projects. Some political leaders will also avoid dealing with some disaster threats waiting for the next campaign period to use it a campaign tool. To avoid delays, NGOs and other international charitable organizations should monitor DRR projects and avoid political involvement of any nature. DRR is mostly part of the political debate in many countries, and its effectiveness depends on who wins the motion. Some politician’s ill use it for their political interest and limits the participation of the locals in managing disasters. Consequently, the communities do not understand their role in alleviating some disasters such as drought and famines brought about by climate changes. Some local leaders might fail to implement policies from their competitors or continue with previous projects after new elections. For DRR projects to work, politics should never play any part in the implementation of the projects dealing with disaster management and risk reduction.

Economic factors contribute to the occurrence of natural disasters and the vulnerability of some communities in depending on the distribution of the resources and agricultural activities of the country. Countries with a large wealth disparity expose the poor to deadly disasters such as landslides, as they live in areas prone to disasters. The people’s economic activities such as farming, mining, and grazing may accelerate the occurrence of natural disasters such as floods due to soil erosion. Due to the disparity in resource distribution, these people have no other option and have to cope with the frequency of the disasters as they await government intervention. DRR approach aims at bridging the gap by involving the local community in self-protection during disasters and offering permanent and long-lasting solutions to the occurrence of disasters. Understanding the economic factors in any country will assist NGOs and other organizations to manage disasters and alleviate poverty in many countries.

Conclusion

Disasters occur due to other causes rather than the natural causes such social, economic, political, and cultural factors. Disasters occur due to both natural and human action and contribute to the major problems related to the famine, diseases such as HIV-AIDS, wars, drought and many others. The world’s poorest and marginalized communities suffer from climate change compared to the well up communities. These people depend on natural resources for agriculture and other means of production. Social factors also contribute to occurrence and reoccurrence of disasters depending on the organisation of communities and the social classes. Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) aims at identifying and reducing the risks of disaster by dealing with socio-economic vulnerabilities to the disasters. The people’s economic activities such as farming, mining, and grazing may accelerate the occurrence of natural disasters such as floods due to soil erosion.

Local Government Policy Analysis

Local Government Policy Analysis

(Due by Sunday, September 18, 11:59 pm)

For your first written assignment, you will apply concepts we have discussed during the first three lectures by *analyzing a policy that is currently or has been deliberated by a local government governing body (county board of supervisors, city council, special district board of directors or school district board of trustees) within the past year. To satisfy the requirements of this assignment, prepare a maximum two (2) page single-spaced analysis, **following the instructions and format exactly (see writing sample) of a policy covering the issues featured below.

Overview:

In this section, you will identify the governing body and the date the policy was or will be deliberated. Then, provide a brief description of the policy including:

What is the problem to be addressed; and

What is the event or series of events that was a catalyst for action (if known); [this is generally described in the “Background” or “Overview” section of the staff report.

Official Actors:

Identification of the official actors (i.e., local government representatives) involved in the policy.

Unofficial Actors:

Identification of the unofficial actors AKA stakeholders (other individuals/groups who are attempting to influence the outcome), their positions on the policy proposal and venues provided for these groups to influence the policy making process. Note that this does not include anyone who may potentially be impacted by the policy.

Fiscal Impact:

Budgetary impact of the proposed policy to the government agency (not to the public or specific groups)

Recommendation:

Conclude with a recommendation(s) for the actions the governing body should take (or if you agree with the decision the council/board made if it was already decided) and how you came to this conclusion.

*Note: To do well on the local government policy analysis, you will need to review policy documents that the governing body used when deliberating the item, specifically, the staff reports that are available online (not simply news articles about the item or meeting minutes). You can find these, as well as recorded videos of the public meetings, on each public agency’s website.

**Remember, this isn’t an essay, but a policy analysis (the type of document you’d write in the workplace, so the presentation of info should be succinct without extra words, transitional statements or your opinion).

Local Hospitals Bioethics Committee

Local Hospital’s Bioethics Committee

Student’s Name

Institution

Local Hospital’s Bioethics Committee

The bioethics committee of the hospital is charged with the duty of supporting patients’ rights and helps them, their families and the entire health care team makes informed and sound decisions concerning health care in general. The entire members of the committee are well-trained in patient-care and medical issues and can give the management and the health-care team relevant professional advices from various points of view that can enable them articulate and arrive at the appropriate health decisions. However, the committee is not charged with the role of making decisions, but rather being a vital resource for the establishment and the clients in general.

The bioethics committee consists of doctors, social workers, nurses, patient representatives, community-and hospital-based physicians, residents and neighboring community, parents, biomedical ethicists, hospital administration, and clergy. The key roles of the committee include review and recommend guidelines of the hospital for issues regarding ethics that may arise and are related to Children care. Secondly, the committee is charged the responsibility of familiarizing the hospital staff and the entire community with issues related to ethics that are faced by families, parents and healthcare providers who are concerned with ongoing care for children who are desperately ill. Lastly, the committees have special sessions where they meet to issue necessary guidelines and serve in the capacity of sounding board for families, parents, and healthcare professionals to converse on specific ethical concerns.

When a child is admitted in the hospital, timely decisions must be in order to give appropriate medical attention. The decisions are not dependent on an individual’s discretion. Rather, the decision is arrived at by a group of people, such as the patient, her or his family, healthcare providers and physicians. Since different individuals hold different values, viewpoints, and religious beliefs that may be conflicting, arriving at a common decision regarding the best course of action for the child may be quite daunting. To ensure the committee functions as a team, a number of guidelines have been established that the members are supposed to follow strictly. These guidelines include:

The number of members in the committee must be consistent with the requirements of the hospital and not so large to an extent that it gets unwieldy. Members of the committee should be carefully selected based on their concern for the wellbeing of the infirm and the sick, their reputation among their peers and the community in general for mature judgment and integrity, and their overall interest in matters pertaining to ethics. Previous experience working as a member the establishment concerned or of a medical society committee that deals with quality assurance or ethical conduct should be taken into serious cognizance when selecting members of the committee. In addition, the members who are tasked with the duty of serving in the committee should not have other duties that not line with their responsibility as members of the medical committee.

The responsibilities of the ethical committee should be restricted to ethical matters. In the US, it is recommended that the committee adheres to the Code of Medical Ethics as a guide in making informed and professional decisions. The issues that the committee should consider deliberating on must consist of majorly ethical subjects that a bigger percentage of its members may find reasonable to discuss, or that are recommended by the hospital’s administration. The committee can also take up an issue if it is convinced beyond reasonable doubt that it meets the requirements of being discussed after an appropriate request is made by families, parents, or health care providers.

The deliberations and consequent communication of recommendations together with every step followed by the committee must agree with the ethical and institutional policies set to preserve confidentiality of information pertaining patients.

All members of the committee must be prepared to meet even on a short notice and submit their recommendations in a prompt and timely fashion in harmony with the requirements of the issues involved and situation at hand.

Since the institution is affiliated to a religious denomination, all recommendations that are made by the bioethical committee must conform to the published religious principles and tenets. When a religious belief is being taken into account in any recommendation made by the committee, the fact must be well publicized to patients, physicians, and all the other stakeholders who are concerned with the recommendations of the committee.

Whenever a patient and family seek expert recommendations from the committee, it is worth noting that the committee does neither make the ultimate decisions for them nor tell the medical practitioners how to proceed. It only serves to offer support and guidance. Apart for discussing ethical matters, the committee has also other crucial roles such as staying up-to-date on any advances in medical technology, changes in the law and relevant developments in medical bioethics. The entire team assists the rest in understanding the basic information concerning making decision in healthcare through playing a pivotal role in reviewing and then commenting on new proposed guidelines, identifying situations or issues that may require future address and ensuring existing policies are kept current.

According to the chairman, the bioethical committee has made a significant impact in solving ethical issues within the hospital. It has majorly played a vital role in educating and advising the hospital staff, patients and management. As a matter of fact, it has tremendously solved complicated and unusual ethical problems that involve the issues which affect treatment and care of outpatients and admitted patients in the hospital. The recommendations that are made by the committee impose no obligation that the institution, medical staff, the governing board, attending physicians or other concerned person must accept. Nonetheless, sound recommendations made by committed and dedicated committee are always taken into serious cognizance by the people charged with the duty of making decisions. The chairman however felt that there are also a number of issues that the committee should be charged with the obligation of handling. Such issues include: interpreting advance directives, end of life options as last option, patients who refuse beneficial treatment, negotiating alternative and complementary medicine, disclosure of mistakes, noncompliant and difficult patients, disability and ‘quality of life, and deciding whether or when to call state agencies. These are fundamental issues that affect the hospital on a daily basis and are never fully resolved since the bioethical committee does not have the mandate to deliberate on them.

On attending one of the meetings held by the committee, I confirmed the earlier words by the chairperson. Indeed, the committee is an integral component of the institution. The issues it deliberates on are very imperative for the hospital. Furthermore, the committee is made of professionals from different profession and they are well-informed on different issues and are able to arrive at the best decisions within a very short time. I further noted that there are different ways in which one can approach matters with the committee. An ethical issue can be best described sometimes when only an individual appears to speak with the committee. However, come cases may require a more informed people may come along with the concerned to appear before the committee. These can be family members, authorized representative, health care agent and a doctor. In some cases, one member of the committee can meet with a family or patient in order to discuss a concern.

References

March, C., Cano, V., Moranta, D., Llobet, E., Pérez-Gutiérrez, C., Tomás, J. M., … & Bengoechea, J. A. (2013). Role of bacterial surface structures on the interaction of Klebsiella pneumoniae with phagocytes. PloS one, 8(2), e56847.

Riesco, M. F., & Robles, V. (2013). Cryopreservation Causes Genetic and Epigenetic Changes in Zebrafish Genital Ridges. PloS one, 8(6), e67614.

Locke 46 & 47 Analysis

Locke 46 & 47 Analysis

Thesis:

The author argues that man attached great value to goods due to their necessity for subsistence hence the emergence of barter trade system. The world later adopted the money system which is still in use today.

Reasons:

People understood that if perishables were not consumed, they would perish or decay

Non-perishables like silver, diamond and gold are more valued, yet they are not a necessity in terms of supporting a human life

Everyone had a right to possess as many goods as possible depending on how hard he or she was willing to work for them

Bushels of apples or acorns were equivalent to a significant value as long as they were consumed before going bad.

It was, therefore, not ethical to for one to take more than his or her share. This was equivalent to robbing others in the community. The same applies in the event that the individual hoarded more goods than what was sufficient for him or her

It would have been better if the individual shared the goods with somebody else instead of decaying

These events led to barter trade in the sense that it was better to exchange commodities instead of letting them go bad.

Perishable goods were exchanged for non-perishable ones ensuring that necessity goods benefited an individual who needed them most.

Analysis:

Locke describes how systems of trade emerged on the basis of not wasting commodities thus attaching some significant value to them. It made a lot of sense to exchange goods for other goods instead of letting them spoil. The author’s argument is correct in the sense that goods were exchanged to enhance survival. People sort to acquire what they needed by giving up what they did not need or what they had in excess. The reasons to support the thesis are right since they clearly explain the necessity of subsistence in the life of a human being. Locke has to believe in the theory of survival for the fittest especially when he mentioned that man was allowed to own as much as he could work for. Locke also has to believe in change which is brought about through evolution. This is evident by how barter trade was replaced by the money system. Finally, he has to believe in the ultimate value of goods provided by nature thus the need for proper use or utilization.

Reference

Locke, J. (1976). The Correspondence of John Locke. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Print.

Long Term Care And Support System

Long Term Care And Support System

Question1

The culture of caring is highly embraced by both the African-American and the Japanese cultures considering their deep concern for the elderly people. Though the African-American culture has provisions of care for the elderly, there, however, exists a cultural lag between the culture of caring, and the material necessities required to provide the needed care. The Japanese culture, on the other hand, has long-term care and support system, enabled by their cultural values, together with the prevailing health care system. This has helped maintain the tradition of providing long-term care at home.

Culture has always played an incredible and enormous in the provision of long-term care for the elderly members of the family in various ways. As such, culture facilitates the inclusion of family members  and loved ones in caring for the older adults (Andrews & Boyle, 2008). This is in enabled by the fact that family members are participants in the informal social support networks, which are designed to nurture, and maintain the older adults, in community residences that are favorable to them. Moreover, all families are believed to posses culturally influenced patterns of responsibility aimed at taking care of the older members of the family, which varies across cultures (Andrews & Boyle, 2008). As such, in the Japanese culture, for instance, caregivers believe that caring for the older family members is a calling, hence demonstrating the influence culture has in taking care of these old family members.

Gender plays a crucial role in a given culture’s provision of care to older family members. In the African American culture, for instance, women in the family may be involved in taking care of the older family members, for example, their spouses older than them. The typical caregiver in this culture is mostly females who do not need to use formal health care services (Andrews & Boyle, 2008).

Question 2

Vignette 1

David Peterson enjoys some amount of informal support system from his caregivers, and especially from his daughter. The support includes the much-needed emotional support that Peterson requires, with regard to his current incapacitated state of affairs. In light of his his incapacitation, he further needs assistance in moving from his bed to the wheelchair and to the toilet. Other informal support system that Peterson requires includes having someone to run errands for him and accompanying him to a physician’s appointment whenever necessary (Olson & Massie, 2008). He also needs assistance in performing other activities of the day, for instance, household chores.

Peterson also requires formal services to aid his current condition, which includes the care provided while at home and away from the home. At home, he may require services, such as, a visiting nurse services to keep checking his health condition in his old age. He also needs a homemaker services, and health aid services. Away from home, Peterson requires the services provided in a physician’s office, and day care provision from a nursing facility. He may also require the services of a social worker who works as a liaison between him and those who provide him with both the informal and formal services necessary (Olson & Massie, 2008). The social worker thus acts as a formal service provider to Peterson.

With regard to this vignette, I believe that the older adult is not receiving the most optimal care for various reasons. Considering that Peterson needs assistance for any movement, even to the toilet, it, therefore, becomes mandatory that he has an ever present person to take care of his needs. This, however, is not the case considering that he lives alone and receives personal care for just a few hours in a day. His daughter, though providing him with regular informal care, is not always available, not to mention the fact that she does not have the capacity to provide the much-needed hands-on care to her father. With view of the above, I believe that Peterson requires somebody staying by his side always in order to provide him with optimal care.

References

Andrews, M. M., & Boyle, J. S. (2008). Transcultural concepts in nursing care. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

 Olson, L., & Massie C. M. (2008). Handbook of Long-Term Care Administration and Policy.CRC Press.