Is Outsourcing Good for America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Is Outsourcing Good for America - Essay Example As Konig & Koskela elaborates â€Å"Over the last years, as a result of the growing globalization, international outsourcing, which is defined as the acquisition of production parts from an independent foreign supplier, has become an important managerial tool in reorganizing a firm’s production process (22). Outsourcing as a managerial tool however is not a new or a radical business practice concept. Offshoring, a specific subset of outsourcing, involves the practice of moving noncore operations overseas, either by transferring jobs to a foreign subcontractor or building a facility where labor is cheap (Burkholder 2). It is only recent that outsourcing became pervasive as precipitated by the advances in information technology, integration of economy and the necessity for businesses to keep up with competition. As further elaborated by Burkholder, Private industry and the federal government have numerous reasons for outsourcing. Based on a survey by the General Services Admini stration in February 1998, â€Å"Outsourcing Information Technology,† the following are the primary reasons, in descending order of importance, for outsourcing information systems: Focus in-house resources on core functions. Allow personnel cost savings. Improve quality of information systems services. Increase flexibility (9). And this pervasiveness in resorting to outsourcing has changed the way business is done. Now, some early adopters are figuring out how to tap overseas workers for personal tasks. They're turning to a vast talent pool in India, China, Bangladesh and elsewhere for jobs ranging from landscape architecture to kitchen remodeling and math tutoring. They're also outsourcing some surprisingly small jobs, including getting a dress designed, creating address labels for wedding invitations or finding a good deal on a hotel room, for example (http://online.wsj.com). Given the scope and scale that outsourcing is being practiced today, it is no longer a surprise tha t this has caused anxiety among workers of host countries of a possible displacement from their jobs. Those workers' fears however have some grounding in fact. The prime motive of most corporate bean counters jumping on the offshoring bandwagon has been to take advantage of such "labor arbitrage" -- the huge wage gap between industrialized and developing nations. And without doubt, big layoffs often accompany big outsourcing deals (http://www.businessweek.com). Business as an entity is still profit driven and will always look for ways for it have a competitive edge against competitor to maintain profitability and increase the value for its shareholders. As always, it will always be motivated on cutting cost to maximize profitability. Such, outsourcing is just one of its strategy to keep up with competition and maintain its profitability in the market. For sure jobs will be in danger. With wages in developing countries like India and China which is only 10 to 20% compared to US salar y, the incentive for companies to outsource is just very hard to resist especially when there seems to be an endless supply of educated and underemployed workers (Hira 3) who can equally perform a US based job. The IT industry, which was once one of the highest paid jobs, is estimated by the experts of the University of California to be in danger of being outsourced. And nothing can

The Cold War Essay Example for Free

The Cold War Essay The foundations for the Cold War were laid in the closing days of World War II, as Western and Soviet armies met in the ruins of Germany. America’s wariness of the Soviet Union resulted in part from Stalin’s attempt to capture as much territory as possible with total disregard for the lives of his soldiers. Many Americans perceived Stalin’s actions to be land grabs rather than liberations. The Cold War in Europe was focused mainly on the frontline of Berlin. Here the superpowers stood face to face, and the Berlin Wall came to be the physical representation of the Iron Curtain that cut off Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe from the West. Throughout the Cold War, American leaders adopted the premise that a massive deterrent military force must remain in Europe to prevent the Soviet Union from invading and dominating Western Europe. This doctrine, first articulated by Truman with his adoption of NSC-68, was known as containment. In Asia, the Cold War centered on China after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) came to power in 1949. For decades, American leaders mistakenly assumed that the CCP was subservient to the Kremlin. The CCP, while technically allied with Moscow early on, had its own interests. The CCP was the dominant force in mainland Asia, and when American armies intervened in Korea and Vietnam, the CCP aimed to drive Americans from the border regions of China. In general the Cold War in Asia was bloodier than the Cold War in Europe. Korea and Vietnam were two large scale Cold War conflicts in which over 100,000 Americans and millions of Asians died. There was no comparable bloodshed in Europe during this period. The Cold War’s effect on the world was far-reaching. After World War II and the Chinese Civil War, the lines were essentially drawn in Europe and mainland Asia. The rest of the world, however, was emerging from European and Japanese colonialism. These newly independent nations were where much of the Cold War would be played out, as both superpowers aimed to add new nations to their respective spheres of influence. Some scholars argue that the Cold War has not ended yet, since China, Indochina, North Korea, and Cuba are still nominally communist countries. The Cold War in Europe, however, ended with the demise of the Soviet Union from 1989 through 1991. When a new Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, made it clear that he would not use force to keep the Soviet empire together, it dissolved in a matter of months. The speed and peaceful nature of the collapse shocked many. The most common explanation for the collapse of the Soviet Union is the inefficiency of the communist system, which could neither provide for its people nor keep pace with Western military buildups. The Cold War had immeasurable effects on America both domestically and internationally. Domestically, the American republic was changed beyond recognition. The National Security Act of 1947 created the Pentagon, the National Security Council, and the CIA. America had never had a standing peacetime army before. It had never had a permanent intelligence service, which was necessarily very secretive. It had never had such a powerful executive, and it had never entered into foreign alliances, which it did with NATO in 1949. In terms of international relations, the Cold War put the United States on the world stage in a way it had never been before. During the Cold War, the United States was far more popular than it is today. Partly this is because during the Cold War many people felt that the American system was far preferable to the Soviet system, and they believed that the United States valued freedom. After the Cold War, the United States found itself the lone superpower. Without the Soviet enemy to contain, many former allies of America came to see it as a domineering and arrogant nation.

Perceptions Of Rape And Sexual Assault Sociology Essay

Perceptions Of Rape And Sexual Assault Sociology Essay Through the course of this essay Irina Anderson ¿Ã‚ ½s research into rape perception will be critically analysed. This essay will firstly summarise the research and then go through each hypothesis, the methodology employed and the ideas put forward within the discussion will be assessed due to their respective strengths and weaknesses. In addition to this there will be a section commenting on the place of this research within rape research at large. Some of the problems associated with results of this research and the conclusions drawn from it will be looked at also. Finally suggestions on ways to overcome these problems will also be investigated. As this analysis takes place within the context of Social Psychology Andersons research will thus be viewed through the lens of theories relating to attitudes. This was first put forward by Allport who defined attitudes as  ¿Ã‚ ½A mental and neural state of readiness, organised through experience, exerting a directive or dynamic influen ce upon the individual ¿Ã‚ ½s response to all objects and situations with which it is related ¿Ã‚ ½ (Allport,1935 p.810). due to the gendered nature of rape perception this research is much needed in building a frame work for how rape is seen by the public. The abstract is very clear and to the point and succinctly condenses the research. The three hypothesises under investigation are what is the current perception of female rape, whether this perception is applicable to male rape or are there elements of cultural lag in male rape. Despite previous research it was found that these hypothesises were proved wrong during the study During the introduction these foundation of the hypothesises under investigation are laid. It was found that past research had shown that female rape was most commonly seen  ¿Ã‚ ½stranger rape ¿Ã‚ ½. The Stranger rape stereotype (SRS) is a script which constructs rape as occurring between two people who do not know each other, the act usually happens at night with the  ¿Ã‚ ½struggling victim subdued ¿Ã‚ ½, etc. However studies have shown that contrary to this scenario the vast majority of female rapes 78-84% (Gavey 2005, Koss 1988) are committed by males known to the victim this disparity between official statistics and public perceptions is part of the basis of this study. It is argues that changes in rape perception, brought on by demystifying of rape myths by the media , the breakdown of gender roles and reports which suggest that a broader definition of rape is being used have combined to contribute to the complete rejection of the traditional SRS paradigm into that of ac quaintance rape. Though Gavey p 17-49 has examined the move away from traditional stranger rape paradigm, especially from the 1970 ¿Ã‚ ½s onward, a complete reversal of public thinking does not seem to be completely supported. However as participants within this study were asked to  ¿Ã‚ ½generate their own lists of information ¿Ã‚ ½ it was expected that an answer to this question would be found through the course of Andersons research. One of the most important points that can be drawn from the introduction is what seem to be a lack of research following on from Kahn ¿Ã‚ ½s work regarding a concrete separation of and definition of public attitudes to the differences between acquaintance rape and seduction (Kahn 2004). The overlap between these terms as outlined by Kahn may lead to general confusion and it may be argued that without a clear differentiation between these terms present research into the conceptualisation of female rape may be hampered. In order to address these questions, this current research is vital is analysing what a female rape will be conceptualised as. The results pertaining to the first hypothesis are analysed within the discussion section, which is the well structured and logical it begins by addressing the first findings regarding the first hypothesis was directly contradicted by the results of the experiment. It is well argued that a possible reason for this opposition was due in part to the problems  ¿Ã‚ ½blame attribution ¿Ã‚ ½ where by participants described scenarios in which the victim would be less likely to  ¿Ã‚ ½invite societal blame ¿Ã‚ ½. From this analysis the issue of societal blame appears to be highly salient in rape perception. Moreover in descriptions of a typical rape Anderson asserts that respondents appear to convey scenarios in which no level of blame may be attached to the victim and suggests that further research should concentrate on whether participants are describing what they see as the reality of typical rapes or if other factors, namely blame attribution play a part in the results. Research c learing up this ambiguity would do much to further the study of public rape perception. The second intention of Anderson ¿Ã‚ ½s research is to ascertain whether or not male rape is seen along the same parameters as date/acquaintance rape in females. It is stated that due to a lack of data concerning male rape cause by low report rates and the propagation of rape myths and misconceptions that the research into the public perception of male rape has in not been given the attention which it deserves . From the information gathered in previous in previous studies (Donnelly and Kenyon 1996) it has been hypothesised that if the current opinion of female rape is characterised within the parameters of acquaintance/date rape and that male rape is more commonly seen within the older SRS model. The second part of the discussion directly deals with the results relating to this hypothesis. From the analysis undertaken female rape may still be generally seen along the lines of a  ¿Ã‚ ½stranger- acquaintance rape continuum ¿Ã‚ ½. However the results show that male rape is viewed along completely dissimilar lines to female rape. From these findings Anderson argues that  ¿Ã‚ ½male rape perception may be characterised by (a) erroneous and mythical perception ¿Ã‚ ½. These other factors include descriptions of the act of rape, the relative strength of the perpetrator and victim, sexual orientation and the motivation of the rape being sexual urges [rather than power related]. The fact that some of the factors attributed to male rape include homosexuality and that homophobic belief The hypothesis of the  ¿Ã‚ ½cultural lag ¿Ã‚ ½ of male rape was however not supported during the course of the research. Finding show that male rape does not lag behind female rape, rather  ¿Ã‚ ½other ¿Ã‚ ½ factors not found the SRS/AR models were drawn upon when conceptualising male rape. These  ¿Ã‚ ½other ¿Ã‚ ½ factors make up a fourth hypothesis in the method section were not previously mentioned within the introduction or hypothesis summary. The failure to include this fourth hypothesis previously, which directly addresses the  ¿Ã‚ ½other ¿Ã‚ ½ factors associated with male rape appears to be an oversight. However though it is very useful in helping to make sense of the data as a whole, the late formulation, or at least labelling of this as a hypothesis, subverts the initial aims of the experiment and calls into question the validity of the data coded within this section. The inclusion of this section also further widens the scope of this limited study. Considering the limited data which may be collected from such a small (119 people) and highly privileged sample of the population. In light of the three main interconnected hypothesises the extension to a fourth hypothesis principally concerned with factors initially outside the experiments design leads to a true weakening of this study. Though this data is well coded and analysed, there can be no doubt that this section places strain upon the method section of this study as a whole. The third intention of this current research is to analyse the differences of response between male and female respondents. All previous studies which consider male and female attitudes to rape have shown a strong divergence between attitudes along the gender divide. This it is argued is unsurprising due firstly the fact that men generally have less knowledge about or contact with rape, and secondly due to the fact that  ¿Ã‚ ½historically been the victims of violence while men have been the perpetrators ¿Ã‚ ½. In agreement with this it is demonstrated that men more often agree than disagree with rape myths, empathise less and  ¿Ã‚ ½hold less tolerant attitudes towards victims (Jiminez Abreu,2003) In addition to this Andersons previous research has found that men possess more homophobic attitudes that women in regards to male rape. This is backed up solidly by previous research, which in summery states that as men experience rape less and that as the issue of rape is less promi nent within the male consciousness. Men will extrapolate their knowledge of female rape, to a male scenario along the SRS paradigm. In drawing out the reasons for the predominance of factors such as homosexuality and homophobia associated with male but not female rape Anderson puts forward several reasons as to why this may be the case, the first is that participants may simply be  ¿Ã‚ ½expressing their disgust at this act ¿Ã‚ ½ (Davies, 2002). Secondly use homophobic language as a means of distancing the participants from the victim so at to keep their  ¿Ã‚ ½masculinity intact ¿Ã‚ ½ and to also remove the possibility that they (the male participants ) could themselves be raped. This is a very interesting point which is well argued and is a convincing analysis of the data presented. The recommendation given for further research investigating the connection between sexuality and homophobia in relation to conceptualizations of male rape and the blame attributed to victims is well founded and may go some way in explaining why these factors have gained such prominence in this research. Through course of critically analysing the current research many issues of importance have become apparent. Firstly any research which furthers the field of rape perception is of huge importance. It is also of paramount importance to educating the public at large about the predominant trends of rape within society. With regard the article under review some very important questions have been raised by this study. The fact that all but one of hypothesis has been proved false may be seen in part as a cause for alarm. This is particularly evident in the case that female rape perception has seemed to have lost its cultural lead over supposed paradigms of male rape. This calls for a reassessment of assumptions that female rape is typically seen within the AR framework. Secondly the fact that male rape is not seen either as SRS or AR and is viewed in often homophobic terms may be interpreted differently than to Andersons theory that homophobia is a form of distancing on the part of male par ticipants, it may be interpreted as evidence that homophobia is much more prominent in society than previously assumed. The difference between male and female respondents has not been clearly addressed either, it seems from previous research that more than ever there is now a pressing need to educate males within society about the various aspects of rape. From analysing this research it seems that very little was confirmed or disproved about rape attitudes and perceptions, this research has in turn raised more questions than it answers. In conducting future research it would be advisable to approach one hypothesis at a time, using a much larger sample of the population. In addition to this a more careful use of wording of research questions may also benefit future studies, for example the question what are the predominant circumstances of a male/female rape may address the hypothesis more clearly than the use of the phrase  ¿Ã‚ ½typical ¿Ã‚ ½. This leads us to ask further questi ons about the problematic nature of this type of research. Anderson ¿Ã‚ ½s current research acknowledges some of the shortcomings of the present study including the fact that the research participants used for the study were from a student population, despite this acknowledgement it would be naive to generalise these findings due to the particularities associated with a student sample to the population at large. Some of the main problems associated with using a student population for this type of are that as supported by the research that rape may be an issue generally held in the student consciousness. Secondly the predominantly young age participants, mean age 21.2, could perhaps play a large part in how rape is conceptualised. This is especially important considering that the age group of these students suggest that they have been brought up within the AR framework. A larger study would show how the population at large conceptualise rape. It can be argued that perhaps even previously un-theorised concepts of rape may be found as a resul t of such a study. It would also be of great interest to investigate what the current perceptions of marital/partner rape is. Another important factor which  ¿Ã‚ ½may have affected findings ¿Ã‚ ½ is that up to 34% of the participant were from ethnic minorities. Anderson argues that this factor may have altered the outcome of the study. It may however be argued that the inclusion of ethnic minorities may in fact give the present study a higher degree of validity and allow this research to be generalised. Regardless of the supposed  ¿Ã‚ ½less tolerant perceptions of rape ¿Ã‚ ½ within minority communities (Nagel, 2005), the hypothesised informed attitudes of the student population appear to be unfounded. This finding adds to the overall confusion of the results presented. At present it is impossible to say whether the inclusion of these minorities have lead to a substantial change in the findings of the survey. Further studies along the lines of Nagel ¿Ã‚ ½s research are to be suggested. This work should concentrate on the questions of race, ethnicity and class should be dealt with as a means of aidi ng the understanding of rape perceptions in the public at large. In conclusion the current body of research into rape perception is clearly lacking. The findings of some previous research which are not supported by this study are a serious problem which must in due course be addressed. Furthermore Andersons unsupported hypothesises clearly show the need for further and more directed research into the area of public rape perceptions. Some interesting points were brought up which also require further research, most importantly the fact that female rape perception is still categorised along the lines of SRS rather than AR. In addition to this the evidence produced regarding the  ¿Ã‚ ½other ¿Ã‚ ½ factors associated with male rape also warrant investigation. Anderson ¿Ã‚ ½s suggestion that further studies concentrating on blame attribution is a logical and well reasoned course of action and is highly advisable. In summery past and present research has shown gaps in the understanding of how the public view rape scripts. This research has done much to highlight this problem. It can only be hoped that further research and public education can lead to an increased awareness and understanding on the topic of rape.

The Cuban Change :: English Literature Essays

The Cuban Change One day during winter recess my family and I traveled to Cuba. During my stay I would roam and explore Havana’s streets with my cousin Adrian, who unfortunately lives there. As we walked through the improperly constructed streets, I would notice that we were the only ones properly insulated with thick jackets. The news reported temperatures as low as 55 degrees, which is extremely cold compared to the usual Cuban days. Outside the sun was hiding behind the gray clouds, making the streets unusually mysterious. In also, I saw kids walking around wearing nothing but ripped cotton shorts and mud-covered tank tops. It gave off a very depressing feeling. I asked my cousin various questions to calm my confusion because I had never seen such poverty in my short nine years. He would reply to most of my questions with the simple phrase, "That’s life!". Not even Miami’s poor class could compare to the poverty I saw in Cuba. I shifted all my questions to answers and began to imagine several solutions for the economical problems in Cuba. As I walked down the narrow shady street, the only responses, I could come up with seemed either political or aimed toward the stars. The thoughts about influencing the Cuban government into a new and improved system or organizing a fund raiser in order to provide all the Cubans with money didn’t seem possible and got old. Being the realistic person I am, I quit aiming toward the stars and decided to land on the moon. Exiting my mental spaceship, I realized that instead of changing everyone's life in that small island, I would start by helping out one person. After finding my night's purpose, another question arose; who's life, should I change!? . I turned my cheek to the left and viewed three small kids with blank faces sitting on a bench made out of sturdy tree branches and dark bulky stones. Shifting my vision to my right I noticed a fragile old woman. She had glazes of suffering and depression engraved in her eyes while covering her food deprived body with a thin linen dress. At that moment I instantly felt that she was the one. I had figured out one of the reasons that God placed me on this planet that is full of wonders and beauty. I had to help her, but how?

„the Yellow Wallpaper“: Autobiography or Fiction

Assignment: „The Yellow Wallpaperâ€Å": Autobiography or fiction? Regarding the first supporting evidence where this short story is regarded as an important work of feminist literature that illustrates the attitudes of the 19th century towards women, more specifically their mental and physical health which the author tried to show according to her personal experience.The short story is actually a first personal journal entry that was written by a woman whose husband was a physician that had confined her to a bedroom that he had rented for the summer. The women is forbidden to work and therefore she has to hide when she is writing in her journal because the husband believes that in this way she could recover from what he calls a â€Å"temporary nervous depression—a slight hysterical tendency;† which was also a common diagnosis to women in the 19th century.Furthermore, this story depicts the effect of confinement on the storyteller’s mental health, which is the woman and her fall into obsession because she has nothing to stimulate her so she becomes obsessed by the pattern and the color of the wallpaper. In the end, the woman imagines that there are other women creeping around behind the patters of the wallpaper, and comes to believe that she is one of them. The woman locks herself in the room with the torn yellow wallpaper and feels that now that it is the only place where she feels safe and refuses to leave.There are supporting elements within the story that makes the story an autobiography and not a fictional story. In my opinion, the way that the author writes in such detail and in such craze about the wallpaper only gives me proof that the author herself experienced this craze of obsession over petty things for the simple reason of being confined and not having anything better to do since she was on â€Å"rest cure† and was not allowed to be with her child, work or even write.Basically, the details that the author writes a bout how something simple, like wallpaper can cause an obsession can only be written by a person that actually experienced such a feeling in such a situation as written in the story. Considering the second supporting evidence that Gilman herself gives a statement on why she wrote â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†. The author explained that the idea for the story originated from her own personal experience as a patient and also stating that â€Å"the real purpose of the story was to reachDr. S. Weir Mitchell (who was mentioned in the story itself) in order to convince him of the error in of his ways. † Gilman had suffered from years of being depressed, and talked to a physician specializing in the â€Å"rest cure. † He put her on a  rest cure, advising her to live as domestic as possible and was forbidden to touch and doing anything that would stimulate her brain. After three months and almost completely giving up, Gilman decided to go against her diagnosis and conti nue to work and stimulate her mind again.And after she had realized how close she had come to the worst mental illness, she wrote â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† with additions and exaggerations to illustrate her point of misdiagnosis. In conclusion, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is an exaggerated account of  Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s personal experiences where after being diagnosed and put on the â€Å"rest cure† she eventually felt herself beginning to go slowly insane from the inactivity.However, unlike the protagonist in her story, Gilman did not reach the point of total madness, but she knew that her deteriorating mental condition was due to the oppressive medical regime that was meant to â€Å"cure† her. In addition, Dr. Mitchell and his treatment play a key role in the story in the third section of the text where the protagonist’s husband even threatens to send her to Weir Mitchell in the fall if she does not recover soon.According to th e above arguments and the supporting facts, it can only be stated that it can be nothing more than an autobiography consisting of exaggerated accounts of what the author was going through personally and thus giving the short story fictional elements. However, the short story is an autobiography for the simple reason of it being based on actual events and perceptions of the author, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, even if it consists of exaggerated and thus fictional elements.

What Legitimizes Authority essays

What Legitimizes Authority essays What is authority? In the most basic sense it is the power to command or order. Power is associated with authority. For many, power is the ability to get something done even when there is an opposing force. When asking the question what legitimizes authority it is believed that the consent of the people legitimizes it. When one thinks of authority the government comes into mind. The government holds the authority to execute laws. Jean Jacques Rousseau believes that the government should be based on equality for everyone. Authority can be created through force. Rousseau has established an idea of the General Will. This concept proposes a sort of guideline for communities. Every member of a community has to work to uphold the General Will, so then sovereignty lies within the people of the community and the government. There must be a mutual agreement between authorities and the governed. This means that the governed have agreed to be ruled only so their rulers protect their happiness, property, and rights. Everything must be mutual in society from law to legislator. Rousseau believes that everyone is born free, but all around us are chains. Freedom is a natural condition for human beings. Rousseau explains that our appetites and desires drive us all but at the same time we are also driven to become self- governing and self disciplined people. Authority could be seen as the root of this thought. The philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli believes that it is the seizure of an opportunity that is presented that leads to the position of authority. One must always create a careful and solid plan against his enemy in order to be in authority. In a basic sense one should not hesitate. Authority is created by the powerful. ...