A Study on Customer Satisfaction in Banking Industry in Sri Lanka

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION World class companies have taken more market share by providing notably better customer service. Executives know that to stand out in a crowded field of competitors, customer service is a very critical component in achieving and maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction. When pressures move the organization to meet only performance goals and measurements such as overhead absorption, shipping dollar targets, labour efficiency, purchase price variance and the like, however, customer service often takes a back seat to these other concerns. The result can be a plunge in customer satisfaction and ultimately, if allowed to continue, erosion in market shares. Because of globalization, internationalization, technical innovations, law deregulations, and market saturation, the current situation of the banking industry is changing. The intensity of competition increases due to new products and services as well as the entrance of competitors from other industries, such as the so-called non- and near-banks. Even more, the continuously growing educational standard as well as better opportunities to gather information induce enormous changes in customer behavior. Thus, competition for customers becomes more difficult and, considering the growing intensity of competition, the major banks’ need for sustained competitive advantage increases Organisations often think the way to measure customer satisfaction is to examine the number of customer complaints. The problems with this method is that it is reactive, it only responds (if at all) after the event and it does not really measure satisfaction only dissatisfaction. Monitoring complaint levels does not really tell if the customers are any more or less satisfied with the product or service. For example, consider how many times you have been dissatisfied with a product or service – say once a month. Now how many times have you written to complain – possibly once or twice or maybe never. Managers and Directors often say â€Å"if our customers are unhappy, they soon tell us†. Well do they? If on a personal level you rarely write to complain, what happens as a company level – is it different? Here is an example of an organisations basing its customer satisfaction strategy on levels of customer complaints and getting badly misled. In a Warehousing organisation, customers were unable to obtain product (spares, consumables, etc. from the newly relocated, reorganised and centralised warehouse. Deliveries were often late or wrong if they arrived at all. The customer complained verbally but being unable to obtain their spare or consumable, spent their time looking for an alternate supplier rather than wasting their time complaining. The customer could not afford the time to complain, they were too busy avoiding their processes from stopping by sourcing the required items from another supplier. The Warehouse turnover plummeted. â€Å"If our customers are unhappy we'll soon know about it† said management. Well, they didn’t at least not until it was too late and they had lost 90% of their customers. Yes 90%. There is obviously a strong link between customer satisfaction and customer retention. Customer's perception of Service and Quality of product will determine the success of the product or service in the market. With better understanding of customers' perceptions, companies can determine the actions required to meet the customers' needs. They can identify their own strengths and weaknesses, where they stand in comparison to their competitors, chart out path future progress and improvement. Customer satisfaction measurement helps to promote an increased focus on customer outcomes and stimulate improvements in the work practices and processes used within the company. In any type of business, whether companies are selling toy airplanes or offering massages, customer satisfaction plays a key role in the success of the business. Much like employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction is important to consider when running a business Companies that care about their success always care about customer satisfaction. The customer is the end user and if they aren't happy with the product or service then they might not return to purchase the product or service again. This usually results in the business losing money, due to poor customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction emerged from consumer studies that sought to quantify the basic assumption implicate in the marketing concept that satisfied customers are more likely to have a positive attitude towards the product and re buy it. The value of satisfaction is often underestimated. Loyal customers and employees affect an organization’s success, which can be difficult to quantify. Loyal customers grow business by increasing market share. Over a lifetime, a loyal customer purchases more, purchases at a premium (they are less sensitive to price), costs less to sell to, and refers the company business to others. Employees, especially those on the front line, directly impact customer satisfaction. An essential part of assessing satisfaction includes identifying dissatisfaction. Dissatisfied customers and employees often hold the information what the company need to succeed. Understanding when and why dissatisfaction occurs helps the organization to implement changes to gain and retain future customers and employees. Measuring customer satisfaction is an important element of providing better, more effective and efficient services. When clients are not satisfied with a service as provided, the service is neither effective nor efficient. This is especially important in relation to the provision of public services. Under conditions of perfect competition, where clients are able to choose between alternative service providers and have adequate information, client satisfaction is a key determinant of the level of demand and therefore, the operation and functioning of suppliers. However when a single agency, either government or private sector, is the sole provider of services, the level of client satisfaction is often overlooked when assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of services. Customer satisfaction is the extent to which the desires and the requirements of the clients are met. A service is considered satisfactory if it fulfils the needs and expectations of the customers. There are many factors taken into consideration by the customers in appraising the services provided, including: promptness, reliability, technical expertise, expectations, quality and price. . 1 RESEARCH PROBLEM ANALYSIS The staffs in the front office fail to deliver goods in the proper way to the customers due their inefficiencies where by the customer gets frustrated by the service rendered of the front office staffs and goes to the extent of closing their accounts and look for another bank who could better service for the customers. Due to this problem customers maintain sev eral bank accounts in many banks to consume better services. This problem was faced by the researcher and some informal discussions were done by the researcher with some other banking customers. They also experienced some similar problems with their banks’ services. This gave an idea to researcher to do a research in customer satisfaction level in the banking industry in Srilanka. 1. 2 IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ENSURING FUTURE REVENUES A renewed focus on customer service and satisfaction leads to improved customer loyalty and increased revenue. For example, reducing customer churn by 1 percent can translate into the same percentage increase in revenue. Particularly in industries characterized by low switching costs and products that are dif? ult to differentiate, customer service offers a way of providing distinct value to the customer. The company gives excellent services customer satisfaction other brands become less important and switching costs decline, the importance of customer service has increased and, in some industries, become the major differentiator. Companies that align themselves to better serve their customers enjoy lower customer churn, lowe r costs, and higher pro? ts, since satis? ed, loyal customers purchase additional products and services. At the same time, customers expect better service. They expect their requirements to be fulfilled promptly and their issues resolved quickly and to their satisfaction. Long periods spent on hold, multiple transfers, and interactions with inexperienced or poorly trained customer service representatives can damage the relationship. Accordingly, every customer interaction has the potential to either strengthen the relationship or drive the customer to a competitor. 1. 3 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND LOYALTY: FOCUSING ON THE LONG TERM Achieving high customer satisfaction levels, low churn rates, and effective cross-selling requires a strategy that balances the seemingly con? cting factors that affect organisation performance. Such a strategy can increase overall business performance by balancing ef? ciency-based measures with effectiveness measures that emphasize customer service and cross-selling. Whether an organisation is focused primarily on servicing customers or generating additional sales revenue, maximizing the value of customer inte ractions depends on a company’s ability to clearly understand the factors impacting performance and make decisions that leverage or resolve hose factors. Through this level of insight, organisation can achieve and maintain high satisfaction levels and higher revenues while keeping their costs as low as possible. 1. 4 NEED OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION RESEARCH Spending on customer satisfaction research by American industry has grown tremendously – in recent years, and a number of trends suggest that the need for this type of research will continue to rise in the years ahead, particularly among firms that sell to other organizations. The following reasons induce organizations to conduct research on customer satisfaction. Companies are buying more, but from fewer suppliers Business and government markets are growing, but getting tougher to sell to. Organizations bought more than $8. 3 trillion worth of goods and services in 1993, according to Penton Research Services' estimates. Spending has increased every year since 1982, even during the 1990-91 recessions. Companies forced to downsize in recent years are now buying many of the goods and services they used to produce internally. Goods-producing industries outsource the most, although government – which is privatizing a number of operations – and many service firms expect to do more outsourcing in the years ahead. Total business and government purchases are expected to double over the next decade, reaching $17. 5 trillion by the year 2005. However, it's also becoming more difficult for suppliers to get – and keep – customers. A Penton Research Services study found that 40 percent of large business and government units are buying from fewer suppliers than they were five years ago, even though the amount purchased is up. And nine out of ten purchasing executives at Fortune 1000 companies surveyed by the Center for Advanced Purchasing Studies (91 percent) expect to use fewer sources of supply in the year 2000. Business and government buyers want to establish partnerships with their suppliers. Properly-conducted customer satisfaction research can help a company build stronger relationships with both current clients and key prospects. Customer power is increasing The balance of power in business transactions is shifting to the customer. According to a study conducted by Arthur Andersen in conjunction with the Distribution Research and Education Foundation, the buyer's ability to dictate such terms and conditions as billing and pricing is expected to increase during the '90s, while the power of suppliers/ manufacturers and wholesaler-distributors decreases. As buyers gain power, they'll have increased leverage to set standards for product quality and specifications, delivery time, and service. More than half of the executives surveyed by the Gallup Organization (53 percent) report that demands from their company's customers are rising or changing a great deal. Research allows a supplier to truly hear the voice of the customer and tailor its product/service mix to changing buyer needs. Suppliers need to satisfy multiple buying influences Companies selling to industry, have to please a number of different individuals within customer organizations, each with their own needs and agendas. According to a Penton Research Services survey, the number of people involved in a buying decision ranges from about three, for services and items used in day-to- day operations, to almost five, for such high-ticket purchases as construction work and machinery. A Forsyth Group analysis of buying decisions at one large firm, Harnischfeger, showed that the number of individuals involved in the purchase of a single type of product could exceed 50. In addition, it's not going to get any easier for suppliers. A Center for Advanced Purchasing Studies survey found that 87 percent of the purchasing executives at Fortune 1000 companies expect teams of people from different departments and functions to be making buying decisions in the year 2000. A well-designed customer satisfaction measurement program that targets key buying influences can help keep current customers sold and identify ways to win over non-customers. Quality is still job one Customers want a good price, but refuse to sacrifice quality or service to get it. A Penton Research Services survey of business and government decision-makers found that quality is the single most important factor in choosing a supplier. Price received the second largest number of mentions, followed by reputation, delivery time, and technical assistance. In fact, nine out of 10 business buyers believe that paying a higher price for quality is more cost-effective in the long run, and according to a study conducted by Kane, Parsons & Associates, most executives (86 percent) prefer to do business with suppliers that have made a formal commitment to quality improvement and customer satisfaction. The buyer, not the seller, determines what attributes of a product or service constitute quality, and research can provide an objective measure of what customers think, correctly or incorrectly, about a company and its competition. The rate of change is fast and getting faster American industry is in a continual state of flux. There are more than 8,200 new business incorporations, failures, acquisitions, address changes, and name changes on the average business day. The buying influences that suppliers need to keep satisfied are also constantly changing. A Penton Research Services analysis of changes among managers, engineers, and purchasing agents found that more than 20 percent leave their company, change job titles, or transfer to another location over the course of a year. This means that more than half of the buying influences will probably change in some way within three years. Most of the executives surveyed by the Gallup Organization believe that the current rate of change at their company is rapid or extremely rapid, and 61 percent of them think that the pace of change will accelerate in the future. Companies selling to industry have to continually monitor the marketplace to be able to respond quickly to changes in buying procedures, factors influencing the purchase, and the people making the buying decision. Customer satisfaction research will be needed more than ever by firms that want to survive – and thrive – in the challenging years ahead. 1. 5 CORE BANKING FUNCTIONS Banking has always been a changing industry. Lord Denning, once observed; â€Å"Like many other beings, a banker is easier to recognise than to define†. (D G Hanson, Page 1). D G Hanson in his popular book on Service Banking writes, â€Å"We are tempted to say that banking is what one cares to make it†. Whatever way one defines a bank, a banker or the business of anking, it appears that, despite a large spectrum of financial services that banks have embarked on to offer, certain fundamental economic functions of Banking remain yet to be fully substituted. To understand this proposition it may be necessary to look at Banking from both a traditional functional view, i. e. a functional analysis and from a logical business and economic view, i. e. an economic analysis. A Functional Analysis A func tional analysis of banking business will look at the apparent activities that a bank performs. The activities are numerous and more keep adding to the list. The Banking Act No 30 of 1988 defines the business of banking as â€Å"â€Å"banking business† means the business of receiving funds from the public through the acceptance of money, deposits payable upon demand by cheque, draft, order or otherwise, and the use of such funds either in whole or in part for advances, investments or any other operation either authorized by law or by customary banking practices;† This definition mainly deals with the aspect of banking where the function invariably looks at the maintenance of demand deposits commonly known as current accounts. Current Accounts are maintained only by Licensed Commercial Banks. Does this mean that only Commercial Banks carry on the business of Banking? Probably not so. There are other institutions and instruments that perform most of the economic functions of Banking. It is important, therefore, for us to analyse the economic functions more than the activities of Banking. The concentration of this article will therefore be on Economic Functions. Nevertheless, it is useful to look at the activities that banks do carryout with a view to analysing the Economic Functions. The Banking Amendment Act No: 33 of 1995 by its section 31 that introduces section 76A to the Act, to provide for Specialised Banking, restricts the carrying on of the business of accepting deposits of money and investing and lending such money to be only by a company which has an equity capital in an amount not less than Rs 50 Million and under the authority of a licence issued by the Monetary Board.

Culture Acceptance of Homosexuality in the African-American Culture Essay

Different factions of sociologists depict men. Functionalists suggest that a division of labor originally arose between man and women because of the woman’s role in reproduction. By virtue of their larger size and greater muscular strength, men were assigned hunting and defense tasks. Conflict theorists reject functionalist arguments as simply offering a rationale for male dominance. They contend that a sexual division of labor is a social vehicle devised by men to assure themselves of privilege, prestige, and power in their relationships with women. By relegating women to the home, men have been able to deny women those resources they need to succeed in the larger world. Others say that the fundamental motive is men’s desire to have women readily available for sexual gratification. And still others emphasize that the appropriation of women is not for copulation but for procreation, especially to produce male heirs and daughters who can be used as exchanges in cementing political economic alliances with other families (Hinkle, 1994). Indeed, this gender stratification promotes the survival of the species and fulfilling their label to be strong, men even use violence to assert their so-called masculinity, which in any case is portrayed by the sociologists as the more superior specie. But when one takes a closer look into Kinsey’s reports, he or she won’t help but notice an honest existence of a â€Å"third kind† or the second-class citizens as the popular belief says in the persons of the homosexuals (Betancourt & Lopez, 1993). For the best information on sexual characteristics, we are indebted to the Kinsey reports. Kinsey’s greatest contribution was the discovery that individual differences in sexual behavior are truly amazing. The reports were designed to give a scientific gloss to the normalization of promiscuity and deviancy. Kinsey’s initial report, released in 1948 stunned the nation by saying that American men were so sexually wild that â€Å"95% of them could be accused of some kind of sexual offense under 1940s laws† (Kinsey et al. , 1948). The report included reports of sexual activity by boys, even babies, and said, â€Å"37% of adult males had had at least one homosexual experience† (Kinsey et al. , 1948). Homosexuality is a preference for an individual of the same sex as a sexual partner. The Alfred C. Kinsey Institute for Sex Research estimates that five to six percent of the adult population is predominantly homosexual. However, since there are so many gradations in sexual behavior and preferences, many sociologists and psychologists take the view that there heterosexual or homosexual practices but not homosexual individuals (Halgin, 2006). In brief, homosexuality and heterosexuality are terms that describe behavior, not the identity of a person. But gender identity confusion can lead to fear of homosexuality. But behavior is not grossly disorganized, nor is functioning impaired if the delusions are not acted out. A gay man or a lesbian may or may not elect to engage in homosexual behavior (Bell and Weinberg, 1998). Father’s Presence A boy prefers the company of boys; his favorite toys are cars and trucks and wants to be a fireman or policeman. The parents treated both the children differently, even though they are technically the same. This shows how parents do seek to socialize children into their gender roles, even if they are doing it unconsciously. Parents provide distinctive environments for boys and girls. They give them different toys and clothes and decorate their rooms differently (Fagot, 1995). They respond negatively to more obvious forms of cross-sex behavior. A very young boy who tries on his mother high-heeled shoes or puts on a dress or lipstick may be regarded with amused tolerance, but such behavior in older children is regarded as outrageous rather than funny. Father reacts especially strongly to any such signs of feminine tendencies in their sons (Nicolosi, 1991). The men may interpret certain kinds of feminine interests or actions as signs of developing homosexual tendencies in their sons and react to their tendencies in the strongest terms (Nicolosi, 1991). Psychologists described the uniformity of reports from literature that gay males had poorer relations with their fathers and concludes, â€Å"Every study reported findings that their relationships with their fathers were unsatisfying with the father variously described as cold, rejecting, indifferent, hostile, or simply distant† (Moberly, 1983). Likewise it was concluded that the homosexuals hurtful relationship with the father results in defensive detachment, which is carried over to relationships with other men. Homosexuality becomes a form of a reparative drive (Nicolosi, 1991) in which the boy seeks a nurturing male relationship to undo the repression and regain the lost father. Significant environmental issues such as the impact of the father-son relationship are indicated as important in the development of adult male homosexual orientation. As scholars suggested, the father-child relationship is one of many crucial elements in the development of any child. Deficits in this area may result in adverse effects to the child’s (and later adult child’s) identification with self as an adult, and this identification is generally considered to be crucial in determining the way in which children and adults form relationships with others (Blankenhorn, 1995). Conversely, boys seemed to conform to the sex-role standards of their culture when their relationships with their fathers were warm, regardless of how masculine the fathers were, even though warmth and intimacy have traditionally been seen as feminine characteristics (Blankenhorn, 1995). Son’s pubertal development was a significant predictor of both information sharing and, to a lesser extent, values sharing, with fathers more likely to talk with sons who had attained more physical development. The father’s recognition of his son’s physical development appears to be an important factor in talking about sexuality. When fathers see their sons maturing physically, they may become aware of the increased possibility of sexual initiation, and this possibility spurs them to discussion of sexual topics (Moberly, 1983). In the movie Billy Elliot, the simple rights of gay people are also advanced. In terms of personality traits, boys are generally aggressive, independent, dominant, competitive, logical, direct, adventurous, self-confident, and ambitious. Boys are described as closemouthed, rough, and sloppy in their habits. Boys do not usually enjoy art and literature, and cannot easily express and find it easy to express their feelings. This is what it means to be masculine in the eyes of biased society. But Billy, more than the fondness for boxing his father wants for him, his natural flair falls for dancing, an art predominantly associated with girls. Most families, like that of Billy, urge boys to be little men even before they have any idea what it means to be a man. As a matter of fact, there is even more pressure on boys to be masculine than on girls to be feminine. They are constantly warned not to act like girls, not cry, not to be sissies. Most people have always considered it worse for a boy to be a sissy than for a girl to be a tomboy. Boys may have to prove themselves by being athletic or by being tough, men by making a lot of money or by being a man’s man in whatever way this is defined by their associates. But the burden of proof is always present. And the burden is heavier than most people think. When cooing to a baby in a crib, they use one tone of voice toward a girl, a different one toward a boy. Mothers look at baby girl more often and talk to her more frequently. By and large, children have been brought up to believe that women should be pretty and preferably slim, while men should be tall and strong (Sheinberg, 2004). This familial stereotyping is even carried on to the bigger world of the boys known as school. In the world that children enter at 6 there is a new adult, the teacher, whose discipline boys must conform to and whose acceptance they must court. Ordinarily the teacher is a woman, like the mother, and children’s behavior toward their mother can be generalized toward her. But boys who are identifying with their father and rebelling against their mother often have trouble in the early grades. They may be less fearful of rejection by the teacher and therefore more reluctant to accept her influence (Sheinberg, 2004). It was also found that father’s age at first intercourse would predict father-son sex-based communication. The rationale was that fathers who were sexually active at an earlier age would remember their experiences and would see their sons as needing information (Moberly, 1983). On the other hand, fathers who had sexual intercourse at a later age may believe it is best to wait, and they may talk with sons to instill this same value, while fathers who had sex at an early age might believe it best to inform their sons about sex in order to prepare them for it (Moberly, 1983). Without a doubt, among African Americans, a father is the most important thing a boy can have in his life. They relate to one another on a level that cannot be achieved through a mother-son relationship. It is important to have communication in the relationship because talking brings the two closer. A father, though, needs to know when to play an active role in his son’s life, and when to be more of an observer. If he mixes the two up, serious repercussions may occur. A father can be the best thing in his son’s life, but he needs to care for the right (Sheinberg, 2004). Masculinity Another expert to have studied sexuality is Margaret Mead. Margaret Mead (1949) edified a good number of Americans about the significance of examining sensitively and plainly at other cultures to better comprehend the intricacies of humanness. She contends that it seems quite probable that nature creates some inborn tendencies. But there is ample proof that heredity alone does not necessarily push men toward being independent and aggressive, nor women toward being passive and submissive (Mead, 1949). In one tribe that Mead studied, both men and women were what we would call highly feminine. Both sexes shunned aggression. Both took care of and nurtured the children. In modern times, girls and women are considered feminine unless they display overwhelming evidence to the contrary, but boys and men have to win the right to be called masculine. They have to prove their masculinity; they have to face and succeed in all kinds of financial, intellectual, sexual, and physical tests. The testing process starts early and continues throughout life (Mead, 1949). In the other tribe, the members of one sex spent all their time applying cosmetics, gossiping, putting, engaging in emotional outbursts, and taking care of the children. Members of the other sex had clean-shaven heads, scorned any makeup or ornamentation, were active and domineering, and provided most of the tribe’s food and other necessities. But the last sentence describes how the women behaved. The preceding sentence, about a fondness for cosmetics and emotional outbursts, describes the men (Mead, 1949). The motives for affiliation and dependency are universal. So are the emotions that accompany them. Society’s demand to suppress them is in effect a demand to transcend humanity. And efforts to do so can never completely succeed. Since it is impossible to program out all emotions, even the most extreme he-man can only approximate the masculine ideal. Thus every man, aware of the stirrings of the softer and weaker emotion he tries so dutifully to hide, is bound to worry about his own masculinity. Otherwise, he is prejudged as gay, a sissy, or a homosexual (Duberman, et al. , 1989). The Religion’s Take The church usually operates with a bureaucratic structure and claims to include most of the members of a society. The difficulties the society has experienced in recent years are reflective of that of the ancient times and have contributed to the resurgence of conservative Christianity (Fisher, et al. , 1994). We have seen in Christie Davies’ Sexual Taboos and Social Boundaries that religion may be a conservative force, impeding modernization and reaffirming traditional authority (Davies, 1982). The bold article tackles Christianity’s bias against such so-called sexual taboos as homosexuality, bestiality, and transvestism in North America and Europe. That is, Christianity is associable with such concepts as hypocrisy, racism, narrow-mindedness and conservativism (Fisher, et al. , 1994). Davies is referring to the passages in the Bible, which state that homosexuality is wrong. These occur most prominently in Deuteronomy. Is it not entirely possible for instance to believe that the Bible is entirely true except those passages which condemn homosexuality which were inserted later by corrupt scribes (Fisher, et al. , 1994). Second, because homosexuals are considered deviants, the religious, military, and political principals find a way to give them a reprehensible image by consolidating their boundaries. The symbolic interactionist perspective has been a useful tool for examining the complexities of this heterosexual-homosexual relationship. Thus, should the roles of certain members of the society depart from the normal conventions bordering on the taboo, as homosexuals have been automatically deemed doing, invariably there are spiteful consequences for their behavior and actions (Fisher, et al. , 1994). And third, Davies argues that the society’s mainstream institutions dictate and shape the homosexuals’ experiences. In large part, they unconsciously build up their sense of reality by the way the society orders its social agendas and structures social alternatives. To the extent that they are locked within the social environment provided by the heterosexual culture, the homosexual segment inhabits a somewhat restricted world outside and is thus considered an external threat to any open social frontier (Fisher, et al. , 1994). Homosexual acts were punishable by death among the ancient Hebrews, but accepted and even admired by the Greeks. Later, the early Christians held that abstinence was the noblest form of sexual behavior, but at about the same time, the Romans were indulging in their famous orgies in the Colosseum (Fisher, et al. , 1994). In England, at the time of Queen Elizabeth, sex was treated with a frankness and frequently with a ribaldry that has no parallel in Western history. A little later, under Queen Victoria, it was regarded with such great circumspection that among some groups of these very same Englishmen, one would hardly have known that coitus ever took place and any falls from propriety were the cause of great scandal and disgrace (Lenski and Lenski, 1999). Moreover, Davies also touches on dehumanization or slavery by way of Christian association. In the Western society, significant segments of the population reject coexistence with minorities in equal terms. Women and homosexuals are subsumed in the list of minorities in the large group of African Americans (Davies, 1982). The current debate suggests that Christianity or any religion for that matter, remains a powerful moving force in Western life. People are not close to resolving how to relate people’s religious lives to their religious lives. Each generation must tackle its own church-state question as Christie Davies does with homosexuality in her article (Davies, 1982). Furthermore, broadly considered, long-term relationship, heterosexual or homosexual, should be considered as families. The social definition of the family as a group of people related by blood, marriage, or adoption has come to its revolutionary point of reshaping into such as a group of people who love and care or each other regardless of spiritual background or sexual preference (Fisher, et al. , 1994). Some gays and lesbians are married, have children, and lead lives that in most respects are indistinguishable from those of the larger population. However, homosexual adults who have come to terms with their homosexuality, who do not regret their sexual orientation, and who can function effectively sexually and socially, are no more distressed psychologically than are heterosexual men and women (Klonoff & Landrine, 2000). Homophobia Few people in the history of Western society have been more scorned, feared, and stigmatized than homosexuals. To put in a more appropriate context, these people who fear, hate, and persecute the homosexuals are homophobic (Kagay, 1999). Gays and lesbians often hold values and beliefs that are different from those of the dominant culture. Because of the controversial nature of being gay or lesbian, and the heavy social proscriptions against it, many individuals are reluctant to â€Å"come out of the closet† or to reveal their membership in this co-culture. As more gays and lesbians identify themselves publicly, they find that their attitudes and communication patterns often clash with people who do not understand the gay and lesbian co-cultures (Vander Zanden, 1995). When the collision involves the arbitrary denial of privilege, prestige, and power to members of the homosexual co-culture whose qualifications are equal to those of members of the dominant group as the heterosexuals, then generally, sociologists can easily label this as discrimination. And when the attitudes of aversion and hostility toward the homosexual co-culture abound because they simply belong to it and hence are presumed to have the objectionable qualities ascribed to it, then the label becomes prejudice (Vander Zanden, 1993). Whereas prejudice is an attitude or a state of mind, discrimination is action. Therefore, phobia as an irrational part of a person’s mentality makes homophobia basically a prejudice that may lead to discrimination but cannot grow to be a form of racism (Klonoff & Landrine, 2000). Racism or racialism is a belief in the superiority of some races over others. It also involves prejudice against or hatred of other races. Discriminating behavior is also defining element in racism. Be that as it may, racism is based on none other than racial membership and in this paper’s case, on sexual preference or orientation too. Stereotypically, it is based on the color of the skin, the texture of the hair, the facial features, the stature, and the shape of the heads. Biologists typically view races as populations that differ in the incidence of various hereditary traits. More narrowly, they conceive of a race or subspecies as an inbreeding, geographically isolated population that differs in hereditary traits from other members of the species (Bullough & Bullough 1996). Hereditary is the key term. Although there are some floating nature-nurture debate on the tendency to be homosexual, being gay or lesbian is more broadly accepted as a behavior than a heritable peculiarity (Klonoff & Landrine, 2000). Homosexuality knows no color or physical feature. Although gays whiten the color of their skin, stretch their hair length, effeminize their facial features, glamorize their stature, or cosmetically alter the shape of their heads, they cannot be classified a race but a co-culture instead (Bell and Weinberg, 1998). Although racial stratification is similar to other systems of stratification in which African Americans are a part of, including gender stratification, in its essential features, there tends to be one major difference. Racial and ethnic groups often have the potential for carving their own independent nation from the existing state (Klonoff & Landrine, 2000). Political separatism may offer racial groups a solution that is not available to gender groups. Gender groups typically lack the potential for becoming self-sufficient political states because they do not function as self-sufficient social or economic groups (Vander Zanden, 1995). Homosexuals are a varied group. They are found in all occupational fields, political persuasions, religious faiths, and racial and ethnic groups. Some are married, have children, and lead lives that in most respects are indistinguishable from those of the larger population. Others enter homosexual unions that are relatively durable (Kagay, 1999). In fact, if homosexuality could be considered a part of the gender stratification, then homophobia could even be more appropriately subsumed by the realms of sexism than racism. But the homosexual population cannot be undervalued that a gay joke can testify to their numbers: â€Å"I wonder why gay people multiply. They don’t have any vagina but they seem born twice a straight baby girl’s chance. † In many modern nations, the members of some groups participate in the main culture of the society while simultaneously sharing with one another a number of unique values, norms, traditions, and lifestyles. These cultural patterns are termed a co-culture (Vander Zanden, 1993). African American co-cultures that have become prominent in the United States partly because of their numbers and partly because of their lack of subscription to many of the mainstream beliefs, attitudes, and values. Although there are many co-cultures in the United States, the homosexual culture has become increasingly prominent because of their demands for equality.

BADM100 - DVHA2 - Introduction to Business Essay

BADM100 - DVHA2 - Introduction to Business - Essay Example Running a business could be expensive if customers, employees, and contractors had grounds for litigation. The next basis for business decisions should be the company’s mission statement. For example, if I had a business that sold Xs and Os, my mission statement would be: I will sell the most efficient Xs and Os in a pleasant and customer friendly atmosphere. Since my business is making efficient Xs and Os in a pleasant and customer friendly atmosphere, every decision made would be toward that goal. An example would be if I had to make the decision to cut my profit in half for Xs to increase efficiency, I would make the decision to make the Xs more efficient. More complicated issues come when discussing profit, layoffs, and efficiency. If I had to lay off twenty employees to make Xs increase in efficiency, I would have to make decisions to keep my business financially sound instead of raising efficiency. However I would not make inefficient Xs and Os just to turn a profit even if it meant keeping many people employed. Customers are important to any service business. Word of mouth is a powerful tool. Companies can ensure the needs of the customers are met on a consistent basis by having survey cards, mystery shoppers, refunds, and complaint processes for dissatisfied customers. All employees need to be trained toward making a customer happy by treating them with

The Importance of Feminism within Criminology Essay

The Importance of Feminism within Criminology - Essay Example Similarly, feminist criminologists denounce unitary categorization of women oblivious of the influence of race, class, and sexual inequality (Britton 2000, p.63). Advocacy has been instrumental in the betterment of lives of women inmates such as expansion of medical services, job training, and educational prospects. The underrepresentation of women as criminal offenders is apparent. In most cases, the sex ratios of criminal offenders as released by social control authorities are biased. Consequently, women are underrepresented as victims of crime. Most of research undertaken on this topic disproportionately indicates that men are mostly victimized than women in all categories of violent crimes, not including rape and sexual assault. This is where feminist criminology has made much of its mark. Its literature on this arena has mainly highlighted offences of which women are most likely to be victims. Feminism has borne fruits as mainstream criminology literature now features feminist e mpirical work and theories, with some sections discussing rape and intimate violence. Britton (2000, p.70) argues that the field of criminology is masculinised where scholars mainly concentrate on activities of men owing to statistics that show men’s predisposition to criminal activities compared to women. Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives in Feminist Criminology Over the last thirty years, feminist criminologists have challenged theories, concepts, methodologies, and assumptions advanced by criminologists in the study of crime and justice system. Research on this topic indicates immense disparities in crime ratios between sex and race. However, a concise theory explaining this phenomenon is yet in place. Some of the pioneering work is Carol Gilligan’s theory of moral development that considers women’s ethic of care to reduce their probability of offending. Other theoretical arguments advanced include emancipation theory, which holds that, womenâ€℠¢s lower rates of involvement in criminal activities stems from their confinement to domestic roles. The theory explains that this is occasioned by discrimination that caps their aspirations and opportunities. With social and political emancipation, women’s increased involvement in criminal activities will be inevitable (Makarios 2007, p. 107). Empirically, these theories have received minimal support because even though the rate of women’s involvement in violent crimes has increased; they remain relatively low compared to those of men. The increase can be attributed to increased economic marginalization of women as well as a change in how social control authorities view women (Makarios 2007, p.108). Many quantitative studies have been undertaken in this area most of which adopt equity approach. This is popular among liberal feminists where gender is conceptualized as an independent variable. Liberal feminists hold that women are denied access to equal political, finan cial, and career access purely on the basis of sex. The theorists claim that sociological factors, rather than physiological, best explain women’s criminality. Radical feminists have taken issue with these approaches by arguing that the victimization of women has been normalized and should not be equated to that of men. Radical feminists criticize the claims made by liberal feminists as naive. Radical feminists relate social relations, inequality, and crime to male power and privilege (Proctor 2006, p.28). In addition, they argue

IT Strategy to open a new office store in Rio de Janeiro Essay

IT Strategy to open a new office store in Rio de Janeiro - Essay Example It aims to continue expanding its market from its regional Headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This information is the start off point in development of an Information Technology strategy that will enable the company to establish and operate at the regional office in Brazil. The technology strategy is a framework that helps in managing technology oriented businesses like Apple Inc. The Brazilian economy is reputed for better performances than that of other economies in the South American Countries. The economic stability of the country is improving in all aspects, having grown at the rate of 7.5% in 2010 (Baer 76). There is more investor confidence in the country and the sector of technology which fall under communication is also developing. The choice of Rio de Janeiro is attributed to the growth in the country economy and thus a growing market for Apples products. Rio is the second largest city in Brazil and it’s the capital of Brazil. With its population and its economi c viability, it is a perfect location for the new regional headquarters. The company’s customers will include the students, professionals and companies who are many in the country of Brazil. The country is also said to receive many visitors which will also ensure the company’s product has a larger market (Baer 78). ... It will conduct consumer education on its product on behalf of Apple in Brazil. It will also give the company, the feedback on its products and the market trends. The office will conduct research on the market in Brazil and provide a feedback to the main office. It will monitor the trends and respond accordingly when necessary. The regional office will work together with the management of the headquarters to discuss on how to improve the products with the results of the research conducted in the specific country. The regional office will also be charged with the responsibility of finding employees of the company The company’s mission, vision statement will also be in line with the company’s interest. It will also find ways to deal with the competitors in this specific market. The mission will be in line with the headquarters mission so as to ensure the retention of brand uniformity and identity. The mission statement will be to take innovation to a level that will incre ase the performance of human resource to improve on the system and structure stability. This particular mission statement is derived from the main mission statement mentioned in the company’s main office. The mission statement should be followed and executed to ensure the success of the company being developed. The regional office should also be reflected in the regional office in full. The vision statement refers to the aims of a company. It summarizes the goals of a company and it forms the basis of the establishment of the company and its continuity (Lynch 372). It is an illustration of the company’s commitment to provision of better products and services. The vision and mission statement shows the direction the company wants to take. By

Ethical Dilemmas Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethical Dilemmas - Assignment Example Due to her experience and her reputation on evaluation, Fiona is the best person to deal with the case as she will combine her prowess with the interests of her department and come up with a sound decision. Ethical behavior is not so much a matter of following principles as of balancing competing principles (Stake & Mabry, 1998). I would ensure that ethical values are observed and that they are balanced with the commissioner’s goals. I would critically assess the Human services program, how funds are used, whether there are areas where funds were wasted and if some projects are not benefitting the program. I would then moderate the usage of funds in the projects, ensure that all the resources are used effectively, and get rid of projects that are not important to the program. As a result, I would have cut back on the meaningless projects, retained useful projects, and ensured that there was effective use of resources. Fiona’s benefits after the evaluation process include job security during the commissioner’s period in office. There may also be other advantages such as salary increments and more jobs from the commissioner’s office. She will also able to make decisions based on her principles and the needs of the branch even if she is expected to cut back on the budget eventually. The implications include judgment from her team who may think that she is being influenced when making decisions. They may not trust her decisions in future. She will also start questioning her principles and wondering if she made the right decision. The agency shall benefit because its most urgent needs shall be met during the budget cuts. However, program cuts may lead to the loss of jobs because it may get rid of some projects that would have been important to the program in the long

Police officers with TBIs & PTSD, cause and effect Research Paper

Police officers with TBIs & PTSD, cause and effect - Research Paper Example Similarly, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is another mental disorder that is occasioned by constant violent events in the life of an officer. Members of the police service are likely to come across such incidents during the course of their practice. For instance, constant exposure bloodshed, deaths and inhuman treatment of some members of a community are likely to trigger PTSD in police officers. Symptoms of PTSD may encompass flashbacks, hallucinations and severe nervousness as well as irrepressible imaginations about the occurrence. Many police officers who experience traumatic occurrences such as bloodshed often have difficulty coping after such incidents, but they do not have PTSD. However, over time and with good self-care, such officers usually recover. But in the event that the symptoms degenerate into worse episodes running for many months or even years, to an extent that they impede the normal functioning of the brain, the agents in question may develop PTSD (French, & Parkinson, 2008). As such, providing the officers with appropriate care immediately they show symptoms of TBI and or PTSD can be an important to control of the symptoms and the subsequent improvement of the normal functioning of the brain. A police agent may develop PTSD after an episode of TBI or after experiencing a violent incident happen to a third party or after being subjected to long periods of distress that he or she could not withstand (Miller, 2006). Unlike TBI which is caused by physical shock to the head and brain during police training or in actual law enforcement processes, PTSD is caused by two primary factors: first, the public perceptions about a violent mission in which police officers had a hand, especially since the media criticism of police actions became commonplace in the 21st century. The negative perceptions the public have on the police can be one

Obesity and chemistry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Obesity and chemistry - Essay Example The government spends more than $7000 in medical treatment and lost productivity of a single obese person. Obesity is blamed for more than 160,000 deaths a year. Understanding the factors that lead to obesity Shedding extra weight is very difficult despite the seemingly simple formula of consuming fewer calories than being expended. Dieting is not effective for two thirds of dieters who end up heavier two years after dieting. The National Institutes of Health is spending $800 million annually to understand the underlying causes of obesity with focus on metabolism, genetics and neurology. Highlights of the researches are protein function, signaling pathways in the brain and other organs, obesity genes, and effects of environment on metabolism and weight gain. The large body work has led to understanding of protein interactions that result in energy extraction and distribution; fat production and storage; hunger signals emanating from the brain, and genetic inclination towards obesity. In the brain, the hypothalamus, brain stem, limbic system, and the pre-frontal cortex are involved in controlling hunger and fullness. Metabolic studies show that brown fat is associated with lower weight or leanness in some persons; while the prevalence of white fat is for storage of excess energy, and hence increased weight. Genetic studies identified more or less twenty genes that correlate with predisposition to weight gain, although the effects were later quantified to be modest. Genetic regulators for obesity were identified in mice, but human homologues are not yet known. Possibly, the environment has a large effect on the switching on of genes that predispose an individual to obesity. However, since the results of biological studies have not been translated to a solution for the problem on obesity, the article proposes that the best approach is behavioral psychology methods that have been used for over than 50 years and proven to work in treating autism, alcoholism and stut tering. Behavioral psychology as a solution to obesity In the hope of finding a quick means to losing weight, the public is easy to follow recommendations from researches that are played up by the media. However, the results of the different studies are sometimes in conflict. It is clear that the obesity problem cannot be fixed by a single simple action because of the contribution of many factors. The combination of social, biological, economics and marketing factors make simple solutions to obesity fail. Diets and exercise regimens are also bound to fail because they become more punishing as weight is lost, since more effort is exerted to retain that loss. Furthermore, as the diet and exercise become more severe, the reward (reduced weight) recedes. A less punishing regimen will make more people stick with it. Changing behavior has had the most success in losing modest amounts of weight and keeping off that weight with diet and exercise. This approach involves making small sustaina ble modifications in the eating and exercises habits with the encouragement of people and environment surrounding the individual. The basis for the behavioral approach goes back to more than fifty years when BF Skinner, Harvard university psychologist, developed the science of behavioral analysis. The foundation for the approach is the belief that the workings of the brain are unknown despite advanced science, but physical behavior is measurable and so is the

Fashion marketing 3750 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Fashion marketing 3750 - Essay Example Introduction There are many theories and concepts that have been developed and applied to the field of marketing over time. This paper mainly focuses on the marketing mix although, at some point, it gives a reflection on other aspects of marketing. The main focus is with put on fashion marketing. People like fashion. Every human being wants to feel part of the present dispensation in terms of fashion. It is when the appropriate marketing strategies with the good mix is put in place that people get to understand what is new and fashionable thereby pushing them to go for the products. In the UK, clothing is the second largest retail sector. This is the sector that can be said to be the stronghold of fashion. It is where fashion begins. One can even say that this is where fashion ends. Therefore, when discussing fashion, clothing comes into mind. As such, these products have to be marketed adequately in order to inform the customers about them, how they can get them, where they can obta in them and at what price they are able to obtain them. The Marketing Concept Marketing is the analysis, planning, implementing and control of carefully devised programs designed to create voluntary exchanges of value with objective markets for the intent of achieving organizational goals. It is a managerial process which aims at achieving the objectives of any organization which wants to relate to its client in the most effective manner (Allen, McQuarrie, & Barr, 1998). This may be achieved by creating a high level of satisfaction in customers through improved budgets, buying better equipment, improving or renovating the building and by charging lower prices on products and services. Therefore, marketing in the field of fashion should be seen to be a deliberate attempt to bring about the said exchanges of value with clients in the field of fashion. Marketing is above advertising what services are offered. However, it is also a progression by which research is assembled to inform in stitutional objectives and the tactical actions required to attain those objectives. At one point, marketing was a concept that was completely unknown to the public sector, possibly because the term was directly related with thoughts of selling. New changes in the communal sector have sited a great deal of prominence on arms-length associations and trading or quasi-trading associations. The modifications have also permitted managers more freedom to choose where they should get the services they need, or if they should be service providers themselves. Hence marketing has developed into a more important issue (MacDaniel, 1998). It has become vital for bosses in the public sector to expand marketing skills so as to vend services and thoughts to their stakeholders, consumers, executives and staff. Managers have had to reason critically about how best to inform potential clients about the services that they can offer and how to make sure these services meet customer requirements. In the fashion sector, this has destined increased importance on service to the public, on ascertaining the needs and ensuring that those desires are met. These are all issues close to the hearts of marketing professionals. A lot of managers are finding themselves occupied with facets of marketing. Whereas, some will find it as a new experience that will be pleasant, depending on one’s personality and earlier experience. Marketing relies a lot on planning the

Mercantilism & economic school Essay Example for Free

Mercantilism economic school Essay Mercantilism was a dominant economic school on Europe in XVI-XVIII century. The theory suggests that the global turnover of international trade is constant and the prosperity of a nation depends on the government ability to support a positive balance of trade with other nations. Mercantilism considers economic assets as a set of stock including gold, silver and trade value (bullion). The way for the government to increase the capital is to intervene into economy through the system of tariffs and restrictions aimed on increase of export and decrease of import. There are several basic flaws in mercantilism. The first one is that is assumes that the turnover of international trade is stable. Thus, in case one state constantly benefits and another one constantly misses from trade the trade would very soon stop because the missing state would either become bankrupt or stop trading, leaving the advantageous state without income so both nations would loose. The second gap of mercantilism is that it does not consider costs of trade race. In case nations start to compete in increasing their export and reducing import this will cause them produce even the goods which are cheaper to buy in other countries. So, in case one nation would specialize in producing one commodity and other nation would produce another commodity, they would both benefit from exchanging those commodities. The third disadvantage of mercantilism is that it does not take into account the influence of gold on the financial system. Endless accumulation of gold and silver ruined the financial system of Spain in the XVII century, as the nation suffered from enormous inflation. The entire branches of home economy were ruined resulting in dramatic reduce of export and collapse of mercantilist economy. Absolute Advantage Theory Originally proposed by Adam Smith, this theory relies on the ability of one nation to produce commodities with fewer costs and exchange those commodities to the ones other countries produce at lower costs. The need for less resources to produce a particular good results in its lower and attractive price on the international market and allows nations to specialize in production of some exact commodities both for home market and export thusly reviving global economy. The first flaw of the absolute advantage theory is that it reviews isolated commodities. It says â€Å"in case we produce A better than another nation and another nation produces B better than we, so we would exchange†, but it does not consider relative expenses of such production. In his famous example with wine and wool produced by Portugal and Scotland Ricardo proved that although Portugal produced both with fever relative costs, it would be more advantageous for Portugal to produce only wine and let England produce wool to exchange for wine with Portugal as the relative expenses of production of wool in England are lower than of wine. The second gap of the theory is that it excludes countries which have no absolute advantage in any commodity out of global economy thus reducing the global turnover and excluding workers and financial resources of that nation out of global economy. In case this theory is applied, economy would turn into a club of nations which have certain absolute advantage in comparison to all other nations. Comparative Advantages Theory Originally proposed by David Ricardo, this theory suggests that every nation would benefit from production and export of only those goods and commodities which are produced with lower marginal costs than in other countries. Given that all the goods can be produced inside one country with an absolute advantage, this country would still benefit from import of goods which are produced with lower marginal costs in the other countries. The first remarkable disadvantage of the theory is that in case every nation would hypothetically specialize in only one commodity this would result in elimination of competition in production of this commodity and let the producing nation speculate. The lack of both home and international competition would make nation strive to reduce costs in production of this commodity reducing its quality. Other countries which are economically dependent on the import of this commodity would not be able to combat such a development. The second disadvantage which is especially obvious in the modern economy is that the relative advantages theory does considers only the flow of goods, but not capitals, investments and debts. For example, producing debts costs nothing, so it would be absolutely economically advantageous to produce debts. Yet this gives an advantage only for a very short term, while soon the nation would face a huge demand for currency to pay for the assets, and as a result the export would be ruined while the import would boost devastating the economic grounds for prosperity. The third gap is that short-term advantages can turn into long-term disadvantages. Sometimes it can be necessary for a nation to launch new industries which would become effective in a long term, so it has to give up on the comparative advantage theory to make profits in future. The Theory of Factor Endowment This is a mathematical theory of international trade proposed by Heckscher-Ohlin. Further developing Ricardo’s comparative advantage theory Heckscher-Ohlin offered to predict patterns of commerce based on endowments of a trading region. Comparative advantages are determined by the country’s funds like land, labor and natural resources. Assuming that both countries have equal technological development, each of them would benefit from trading goods requiring inputs of endowments that are locally abundant. For example, in case a nation has much land but little labor it would benefit from agricultural production. The flaws of the theory are as follows. First is that the states do not initiate trade as themselves, which is usually done by firms and corporations, and those firms strive to increase their benefit but not to make use of the factor endowment Secondly, the theory would work well in the conditions of a perfect competition that no nation ever has. The trading partners are never fully informed of the endowment factor of their vis-a-vis making it hard for them to determine the benefits of application of their own endowments. Thirdly, as the theory considers only funds, it does not look at the technological development which is never completely equal between various countries, as well as the theory does not consider the influence of organizational and management factors that can make a nation effective in production of a particular commodity even if the nation comparatively lacks endowment. Bibliography 1. Ball, Donald; McCulloh, Wendel, Geringer, Michael; Frantz, Paul; Minor, Michael. (2003). International Business: The Challenge of Global Competition. McGraw-Hill/Irwin; 9 edition. 2. Mankiw, Gregory N. (2006). Principles of Economics. South-Western College Pub; 4 edition 3. Buchholz, Todd G. (2007) New Ideas from Dead Economists: An Introduction to Modern Economic Thought Plume; Rev Upd edition

The Types Of Murder

The Types Of Murder Murder is defined as 1. The action or an act of killing. a. The deliberate and unlawful killing of a human being, esp. in a premeditated manner; (Law) criminal homicide with malice aforethought (occas. more fully wilful murder); an instance of this. What makes the murder is the wilful killing of a human being by another human being. There are many people killed each year and in different ways which has developed different type of murderers with similar punishments for each one. The different types are A one off murder A one off murder that happens to a person that doesnt necessarily have the psychological profile of the average murderer but under difficult circumstances or situations becomes one. An example being Ronnie sulivans dad  [2]   Murder by defence In defending himself or her, the murderer protects himself from his victims attacks. In response he attacks back and results in killing him by accident while trying to escape. Majority of cases such as these, the murder is found innocent as it matter of defending your own safety. Mass murder A mass murderer would be a murderer whereby he has killed five and more people at one spot at any certain period of time from anywhere between a few minutes to a few days. Spree killers are the type of murderers where after killing a few victims they pass to another location where they keep killing more victims without any cooling-off period. Usually the killing constitutes a single event, although it can last for a short bit of time. Colombia case Serial killer Usually kill victims on separate occasions. Unlike mass murderers and spree types, serial killers tend to select a certain type of victim who fulfils a role in the killers fantasies. For this type of murder they usually have cooling-off periods between their murders, which instance gives them time to think of a more cunning murder. An example would be Harold Shipman Recorded crime statistics for overall murders in the twenty century counted at: 2002 2003 = 1,047 including the 172 attributed to Harold Shipman 2003 2004 = 904 2004 2005 = 868 2005 2006 = 764 including the 54 victims of the July bombings in London 2006 2007 = 758 2007 2008 774 2008 2009 657 being the lowest for 20 years 2009 2010 = 615  [3]   Focusing on the serial killer, i.e. Harold shipman. Harold was a convicted English serial killer. A doctor by profession, he is one of the most dangerous serial killers ever with a staggering 250+ murders and still counting to his name. He was arrested in September 1998 being charged with the murder of Mrs Kathleen Grundy aged 81. Shipman was born in Nottingham. Shipman was said to be relatively close to his mum, to who passed away when he was a child. In the manner that she died, it soon later began to be Harolds own method of operating. His mother had cancer and relating to the final stage of her death, she was given morphine by a home doctor. At that point Harold viewed his mothers pain disappeared while she passed away in June 1963. There are however four types of serial killers: The visionary type has visions ordering him to commit certain acts, to kill certain victims. It can even be he or she hears voices in their head to kill certain people. The mission-oriented type sees a certain crowd as people unworthy to live and seeks to murder them. Murdering them resulting in a better world. This type is un-recognisable and is described usually as a normal individual. The hedonistic type simply enjoys killing victim and has a taste for the buzz. The power-oriented type is the type whom enjoys power over the people he is going to kill. They seem to cant help themselves when kidnapping and controlling their victims so they do as they say. Harold shipman would most likely be the hedonistic. Harold seemed to get a thrill of watching his victim die; in his eyes it seem to give him control over life and death. Also mission-oriented type as people who knew him did not suspect a thing even police officers. However a close friend of Harold shipman disagreed with this and stated that Shipman had anxiety issues, perhaps one that Shipman did not know about. The Characteristics of a murderer of this this type usually is due to the Childhood. Childhood violence being, it is highly unlikely a serial killer suddenly at 40 changes from a normal person and turns into a disruptive murderous behaviour. The behavior that is used when the murder is committing the act would have been with him or her for a very long time, since childhood. In some instances it is not always the serial killer is brought up in an unstable home, it can be that the serial killer started life as a big happy family where everything was steady and satisfactory and instead later come across serious emotional abuse during their childhoods. Developing into a dysfunctional adult where not being able to sustain relationships with others. Serious emotional abuse for Harold shipman seeing his mother dying. And by pills From birth to teenage years, the mother is seen as the more vital adult in a childs life and to where there is a period the child learns what love is. Where there have been situations that the mother was distant and neglectful to the child, the child has been deprived of his mothers love. Harold shipman losing his mum no love. The emotional abuse targeted at the children was mental and physical. The child would be in an environment where his actions were ignored and limitations on behaviour were not set. Harold shipman having no limitations on childhood, gave him the chance to kill, kill Another characteristic is the murderers Fantasies Usually murderers believe in effect that they could control the world. In their childhood sustain all the repetitive abuse compensates for them carrying out their action to fulfil their fantasy. Their Fantasy being a happenstance which usually cannot happen in normal life. A normal individual learns to place limits on their behaviour whereas the person who has lacked limitations on his behaviour from his childhood thinks he is able to act out his fantasy and nobody is able to stop him. Harold shipmans childhood, would consisted of no one laying down limitations on his behaviour causing him to believe he can act his fantasy where he can kill people as he pleases. After many murderous acts, Harold then seems to believe he is somewhat invincible and never be caught. Contrasting the serial killer to a One off murder spur of the moment, the characteristics are much different. Senior Sullivan set upon Mr Bryan and his brother Kelvin, allegedly hurling racist abuse at the pair, who is black. Pulling out a six-inch hunting knife, OSullivan stabbed Bruce Bryan to death. His son Ronnie O Sullivan, snooker star stated He was in the wrong place at the wrong time and it certainly wasnt a murder, it certainly wasnt premeditated murder. Looking at this type of murder, characteristics such as Childhood would not be relevant to Senior O Sullivan. It seems Mr O Sullivan came from a normal, average childhood and simply lost control the night he murdered Bryan. Mindless murder such as these are harder to explain, it may be the result of O Sullivan binge drinking under the influence of Alcohol it made more prone to act fantasies out such as brutal stabbing. Even so, beforehand there were rarely any acts of violence where Senior O Sullivan lacked in behaviour control. During the years, people have testing out different theories in order to predict criminality by looking at factors of an individuals personality Lombrosso, (1836 1909) a criminal scientist, regarded that some people are born with an innate predisposition to criminality and anti-social behaviour (Savitz 1972). This leading to the Biological theory, such as brain pathology and hormone and chromosome theories. Biochemical Explanations show that Intelligence and Crime are linked. Criminals were 70 per cent in theory of being feeble mind out of a 100. Goddard 1914. However applying this theory towards a serial killer such as Harold, it is quite the opposite. Harold had quite the knowledge being a doctor, so clearly he was cable of understanding the consequences of murdering someone. This shows biological theory is not really accurate in predicting the criminal. For The theory of the functionalist the development of anomie theory involved the work of two scholars, Émile Durkheim and Robert K. Merton. According to Durkheim, crime has functional or positive consequences. It is impossible for all people to be alike and to hold the same moral consciousness. Some individuals differ from others and usually include criminal behaviour. It was later developed by Robert k Merton whom prior to his approach on explaining the effect of anomie presented five types of adaptations to this criminal behaviour, Conformity, Innovation, Ritualism, Retreatism and Rebellion. Using ritualism in relating to serial killer Harold Shipman, it seems to fit that he lose sight of the reasons for doing his crime, such as Killing people day to day continue his approved method making a lifestyle out of the method. But even so this theory may be critique when considering this theory on the one off murders, it does not explain mindless murders such as senior o Sullivan and in what adaption he may have been in. Ronnie senior For the Society structure theory, it has been outlined that so some sociologists are able to show that specific approach to why a person commits a crime. For example binge drinking. Using drugs, aggression have been found when under the right amount can constitute problem behaviour. Scholars have found that problem behaviour is related to environmental and personality factors. For instance when considering Senior O Sullivan particular at the time, he was using specific approach such as binge drinking running up to the amount he was using problematic behaviour. The environment being a club where fights are likely to happen making it related. Relating to the topic of the victims of a murder, when determining the relationship between suspect and victim it is said to be that the female victim was more likely to be killed by someone she knew. Whereas for the male victim, they were more likely to be killed by a stranger. The figure for female victim was at 54 per cent whom knew their suspect and of that 54 per cent, 61 per cent was their partner, ex-partner or lover. Whereas for a male victim, 38 per cent knew their main suspect and as a result only 12 per cent were killed from the partner, ex-partner or lover. As for being killed by a stranger, the 2005 2006 stated it was 44 per cent. For victims under the age of sixteen, it is said that 44 per cent were killed by their own parents during the period of 2005-2006, which is shocking. .it was said that during the last couple of years, the method of killing most commonly used was the sharp instrument to kill the victim. The percentage was 28, splitting it up to gender, the male were 31 per cent more likely to die from a sharp instrument and a female being 23 per cent. For the second common method of killing a victim, it is different between the two genders. For a male victim the second common method was involved hitting or kicking where as for the female they were more likely to be strangled. Also to add, just alone the effect of the London bombings alone amounted to 7 per cent. Comparing it to the Harolds staggering murder rampage, from the previous thirty years the method of killing them with pills seem to have decreased to the present years. The majority of what the murder or homicide was based on was quarrelling and loss of temper. So 33 per cent of victims died as a result of an argument or someone losing their temper in the period between 2005 and 2006. On the topic murder it was stated that the age group under 1 the infancy was most likely to be reported as homicide, male being the most likely victim. For suspects, on being convicted for murder it is said to be in the period of 2005-2006 it is half of how many suspects were convicted in 2003-2004. The figure being 199 suspects comparison to 606 suspects for the period of 2003-2004.

Carl Friedrich Gauss Essay -- Carl Friedrich Gauss

Carl Friedrich Gauss Carl Friedrich Gauss was born in Brunswick, Germany in 1777. His father was a laborer and had very unappreciative ideas of education. Gauss’ mother on the other hand was quite the contrary. She encouraged young Carl’s in his studies possibly because she had never been educated herself. (Eves 476) Gauss is regarded as the greatest mathematician of the nineteenth century and, along with Archimedes and Isaac Newton, one of the three greatest mathematicians of all time. (Eves 476) At a very early age Gauss showed signs of great mathematical things to come. At the age of only three years old he noticed arithmetic mistakes his father had made in bookkeeping. (Eves 476) At the age of seven he started elementary school and it was not long after that his teacher, BÃ ¼ttner, and his assistant, Martin Bartels, realized Gauss’ ability when he summed the numbers from 1 through 100 in his head. It had become obvious to Gauss that the numbers 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ... + 97 + 98 + 99 + 100 could also be thought of as 1 + 100 + 2 + 9... Carl Friedrich Gauss Essay -- Carl Friedrich Gauss Carl Friedrich Gauss Carl Friedrich Gauss was born in Brunswick, Germany in 1777. His father was a laborer and had very unappreciative ideas of education. Gauss’ mother on the other hand was quite the contrary. She encouraged young Carl’s in his studies possibly because she had never been educated herself. (Eves 476) Gauss is regarded as the greatest mathematician of the nineteenth century and, along with Archimedes and Isaac Newton, one of the three greatest mathematicians of all time. (Eves 476) At a very early age Gauss showed signs of great mathematical things to come. At the age of only three years old he noticed arithmetic mistakes his father had made in bookkeeping. (Eves 476) At the age of seven he started elementary school and it was not long after that his teacher, BÃ ¼ttner, and his assistant, Martin Bartels, realized Gauss’ ability when he summed the numbers from 1 through 100 in his head. It had become obvious to Gauss that the numbers 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ... + 97 + 98 + 99 + 100 could also be thought of as 1 + 100 + 2 + 9...

The Debate Over Euthanasia Essay -- Euthanasia Death Argumentative Ess

The Debate Over Euthanasia The controversy over euthanasia has recently become highly publicized. However, this issue is not a new debate. Society has voiced its opinions on the subject for hundreds of years. Euthanasia, which is Greek for "good death", refers to the act of ending another person’s life in order to end their suffering and pain.1 Two forms, passive and active euthanasia, categorize the actions taken to end the person’s life. Passive euthanasia involves removing a patient’s life support, withholding food and water, and discontinuing medical treatments. Active euthanasia includes any direct action taken to cause the death of the person, such as administrating a lethal drug.2 The debate over this issue stems from moral, ethical, and religious beliefs. All of these standpoints either side with the patient dying a natural death or from an accelerated death by euthanasia. History Throughout history, euthanasia has been used as a way to relieve a patient from an incurable illness or from living a life of unbearable pain. Many cultures, such as the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations, did not oppose one’s decision to end his life rather than living with agonizing pain.3 During this time period, this choice was commonplace. A few ancient philosophers, who believed that the ending of a human life belonged to the gods only, met it with objection. When the Christian era began, the subject was rarely discussed or practiced because of the strong trust and faith held in God and his divine command. It was not until the eighteenth century Enlightenment period that new ideas favoring euthanasia were put forth by philosophers and other prominent figures such as Samuel Williams and David Hume.4 By the close of the 1800’s... .... - "Euthanasia: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions," International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force, 2 March 1999, http://iaetf.org/index.htm (8 March 1999). - Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide: All Sides of the Issues, 3 March 1999, http://www.religioustolerance.org/euthanas.htm(4 March 1999). - Green, James T. The Effects of Chemotherapy, 22 January 1999, http://www.databaun.com/jamez/writing/chemo.html(2 March 1999). - "Interview With Timothy Quill M.D.," Frontline/WGBH Educational Foundation, 1998, http://www2.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kevorkian/medicine/quill2.html(4 March 1999). - Larue, Gerald, Th.D. Playing God: Fifty Religions Views on Your Right to Die Wakefield, NJ: Moyer Bell, 1996. - Manning, Michael M.D. Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1998.

The Canterbury Tales: Applying Chaucers Criticism to Modern Society :: Sociology

The Canterbury Tales: Applying Chaucer's Criticism to Modern Society It is not hard to apply Chaucer's description of the greedy doctor to today's medical system, nor is it difficult to find modern-day people with equivalent personalities to those of many of Chaucer's other characters. However, it is the institutions of his time as well as their flaws and hypocrisies that Chaucer is most critical of; he uses the personalities of his characters primarily to highlight those flaws. The two institutions that he is most critical of have lost much, if not all, of their influence; in many instances, the Church has only slight hold on the lives and attitudes of the people as a whole, and the strict feudal system has entirely disappeared. Few institutions today are as clearly visible and universally influential as those two forces were in the Middle Ages, so, if Chaucer were writing his tales today, he would most likely turn to the hypocritical attitudes of the general populace and the idiosyncracies of our daily lives. He gives some emphasis to these in the Tales (for example, he mentions the prioress's ladylike compassion for even the smallest creature in the Prologue, but has her tell an anti-Semitic tale later), but, in today's American culture, he would be most likely to criticize businessmen, middle-class parents, and the demand formust instantaneous gratification. One of the things Chaucer would be most likely to point out about many big- businessmen would be the hypocrisy of their supposed love of sports. To truly love sports implies a similar love of sportsmanship, fairness, and equality competition. In a marketplace where one technology company takes another's product, reverse-engineers it (to avoid infringing on copyrights and patents), then sells it as its own, where is the sportsmanship? When that second company is already larger and has wider market contacts and greater marketing budgets, there is also no fairness. As for equality in the workplace and job-market, with age, gender and racial discrimination, that is difficult to find, too. The reason Chaucer would criticize the businessmen on the top as well as the institution itself would be because, since they are in positions of power, they can change things. Some try to; others more often don't. Another case is that of the middle-class parent who protests the deterioration of school standards, decries the loss of national morals, and ironically neglects his or her own child.

Belonging in The Simple Gift and Arthur Essay

Every person needs a sense of belonging. Belonging is defined as acceptance as a natural member or part. Scientific research has found that man’s need to belong is a pre-coded instinct found in the primitive brain or amygdale. Without a sense of belonging a person’s well being can be seriously affected. In the book The Simple Gift by Steven Herrick, the main theme is belonging as it follows a boy’s journey to find a place where he feels he belongs. In the book Arthur by Amanda Graham, the author shows the feelings displayed by someone when they don’t belong and then their feelings when they do belong. E.T. is a movie directed by Steven Spielberg which also has the main theme of belonging. The two main protagonists, Elliot and E.T., don’t feel a sense of belonging with anyone until they meet each other. The Simple Gift shows how much people need to belong. Billy is only 15 when he runs away from home. He finds a place to stay temporarily in Bendarat, but it isn’t long until he realises that Bendarat is a town where he feels he belongs. Billy uses descriptive language to show that he feels he belongs in Bendarat. He says â€Å"Bendarat is the perfect town. A friendly librarian, a warm McDonald’s, luxury train accommodation, and the town is surrounded by apple and pear orchids. The real strength of the feeling of belonging is shown through the character Caitlin. Caitlin has got everything from her wealthy parents that she has ever asked for. It is only until she meets Billy that she realises that there has been something missing from her life, something that money can’t buy. Caitlin describes this feeling after she reads a note Billy had left her, and she says, â€Å"I read this and felt something in my stomach, a slight ache, a twinge, and I knew it was hunger but not a hunger for food. And I blushed with the knowledge.† She finds her own sense of belonging with Billy, which makes her happier than she has ever been. Billy and Caitlin are brought together by their wishes to belong. Although they are opposites in society, this difference means nothing to them. Arthur is a picture book written by Amanda Graham. In this book Arthur is a dog in a pet store. Arthur desperately wants to belong to a family and not to be stuck in the pet store. He sees many other animals be sold to families, but he just doesn’t get sold. He impersonates the other animals that are being sold as he thinks that this could give him more of a chance of belonging. Arthur is finally bought by a family and he finds himself happier than he has ever been before. Arthur shows how much everyone needs to belong, and how much you would try to belong if you were lonely. He also shows the benefits of belonging through his new found happiness. Arthur is similar to Billy in The Simple Gift as they are both willing to do almost anything to belong and when they do belong they both find themselves happier than they have ever been. E.T. shows how many differences can be overcome in order to belong. E.T. is an alien that is left behind after travelling to Earth with his friends. He is lonely and scared, and has no idea how he will get home. E.T. meets Elliot and both E.T. and Elliot immediately form a friendship greater than either had felt before. E.T. feels that he doesn’t belong on Earth, but Elliot does everything he can to make E.T. feel like he does belong. E.T is very similar to Billy in the Simple Gift as he is in a place where he knows nobody, has no home and wishes to belong. Both Billy and E.T. are lonely until they meet someone they both form a strong connection with. Billy finds Caitlin and with Caitlin he feels he belongs. E.T. finds Elliot and he feels he belongs. In all of these texts, the main characters have been found someone they belong with and a place where they belong. In every case the feeling of belonging has made them happier and made their lives feel more purposeful.

Margaret Sanger

Margaret Higgins Sanger ( 1879- 1966), was an American Pioneer in the birth control movement, was born in corning, New York., on September 14, 1879, the sixth of eleven children. Educated at Claverack College and Hudson River Institute, she hoped to become a physician but was obliged to compromise on nursing. She married William Sanger in 1990, and although they were divorced in 1913, she retained his name for professional purposes even after her marriage to J. N. H. slee the following year.As a nurse in New York City, Mrs. Sanger became aware of the poverty and death resulting from over- large families and abortions.   Prevented by the Comstock Law of 1873 from providing a formation on contraception, 1912 she wrote two series of articles â€Å"What Every Mother should know† and â€Å"What Every Girl should know†. In 1914 she founded the National Birth Control League and established a monthly magazine, The Woman Rebel. The next year she circulated through the mail a p amphlet, Family Limitations, for which she was indicated; but the case was dropped.In 1916 Mrs. Sanger opened the first birth-control clinic in America, in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. She was again indicted and served 30 days in prison. In the same year she established the Birth Control Review, which she continued to publish until 1928.Seeking to persuade both the medical profession and the public of the importance of her cause, Mrs. Sanger traveled throughout the country and the world on lecture. She organized the first national and international birth control conferences. In 1923, she established the Clinical Research Bureau, staffed with physicians, social workers and technicians. In a police raid on the clinic in 1926, doctors’ records were seized.As a result of this violation of the principle of medical privacy, the profession rallied to defend its right to dispense the information where it was considered advisable, and the clinic resumed its work. In 1932, with the sponsorship of many Protestant Churches organizations, Mrs. Sanger initiated the national Committee on Federal Legislation for Birth Control. Four years later, a U.S District Court upheld the right of physicians to became obsolete. In 1937 the American Medical Association publicly endorsed birth control.The National Birth Control League and the clinics were combined in 1942 in the Planned Parenthood Association of America, with Mrs. Sanger as honorary chairman. For the purpose of checking the world population explosion, this was later expanded into the International Planned Parenthood Federation. Among her works are The Case for Birth Control in1917; The Pivot of Civilization in 1922; My Fight for Birth Control in 1931; and Margaret Sanger, an Autobiography in 1938.Margaret Sanger is considered as one of the Nursing Leader along with her are Florence Nightingale, Clara Barton, Lillian Wald, Lavinia Dock and Mary Breckinridge. Sanger made a notable contribution both to nursing h istory and also in the women’s history. She was a politically astute pioneer. Her skills at influencing others and bringing about change remain models for political nurse activists today.As a public health nurse in New York, she was much exposed to the country’s social problems such as abortion. She made a lasting impact on women’s health care. Her imprisonment in the opening of her first birth control information in America did not stop her from doing service with her fellow men. She is considered founder of Planned Parenthood. Her experience with the large number of unwanted pregnancies among the working poor was instrumental in addressing this problem.Margaret Sanger died in Tuscon, Arizona on September 6, 1966 due to Tuberculosis and Cervical Cancer. What she had undergone during her pregnancies where in she had some miscarriages also led her to the idea of Life and Health protection. She is considered as one of the most important person in this century due to her great contributions and mind opening ideas about contraception and life preservation. She really defended the rights of women and the protection of their health by making the Planned Parenthood and the establishment of birth control practice.Poverty did not stop Margaret Sanger from being a successful nurse. She wanted to be a doctor but just settled in nursing. As she opened her first clinic, her purposed persons were the poor and rich individuals in America. The Victorians and other physicians refuted and rebutted Sanger’s ideas. Due to this event, she left the league and started to have teachings in the different social class in America about planning and the importance of the health of the women in bearing children. Through this, Sanger had educated a great number of individuals whom she has helped with her client teachings.It is because of Margaret Sanger that birth control are widely distributed and are of easy reach to those individuals who needed it the most. W hat she established did great impacts on the U.S society that until is being followed and widely used also worldwide. If it is not for Sanger, we would not be made educate on the proper planning of having kids and to avoid abortion because life is precious and is a gift. Her established plans and projects helped in starting or developing Planned Parenthood and National Organizations for Women which the only aim is to protect the women from any forms of health illness.Also, through Sanger; many denominations perceive birth control in a different perspective. Although there are still some Religion that is really against it, the good things is that it is only a minority. Many of the different denominations worldwide are following her ideas about planning to have children. Sanger fought for the rights of the women being easily exploited by the men because of uneducation about their health and what are the things they are ought to do. She was very much sensitive to the needs of the women , maybe due to what she experienced and what she saw from her beloved mother.She viewed Sexuality as a form frailty. She also perceived firmly that Masturbation was perilous because for her this habit is one thing that once you started will never be out from your system, you will always find time to do it and seek its happening. Sanger also believed that if you masturbate a lot, there is a tendency that you have a poor possibility to do sexual intercourse in a natural way. She also perceives that Masturbation is not just doing it physically but by also letting the mind work. A teenager, a young man or woman imagines sexually explicit things in her mind and when this is always being done this comes out naturally.She also is an advocate of Eugenics, the process of selective breeding to improve heredity. She believed that all should be respected and heard regarding ones views and perception. She was imprisoned several times due to her ideas about parenthood planning but still she conti nued until she became successful in her field of expertise. She now is symbolic person who contributed much to the world’s awareness and especially in the awareness of the American Society.Although instigated by organizations that are for or pro for life, she continued to do her part to help the women. Many leaders admired her and one of them was Martin Luther. Indeed Sanger left a legacy that all of the people when they will come to know and understand, will really admire her for her strength and her courage to fight for the rights of the women amidst the persecutors around her. She was such a woman sympathizer, a woman who was toughen by time and experiences would also want to help other women to be healthy , be protected from diseases, and have the right to promote and plan a family.Until her death, she believed that abortion is really a wrong choice. Abortion is the expulsion of a fetus inside a womb and not considering the period abortion is performed, it is still a sin because a there is already a life existing inside the womb of the woman; may it be just 1 week or 2 weeks. For Sanger, Contraception is the best way to plan and establish a family of ones own. Contraception is not that dangerous as with abortion, Contraception is very much secured from any forms of danger and most of all, it does not cost you to sin just to be freed from the situation you are in. it gives you a clear conscience and guilt about the preservation and protection of human life especially in planning a family.References:Halsey, William. Margaret Sanger. 1988. Johnston, Bernard. Margaret Higgins Sanger. 1986. Kozier, et al. Fundamentals of Nursing. Pages 7- 8. Prentice Hall, 2004. â€Å"Margaret Sanger†. Collier’s Encyclopedia. Volume 18. U.S.A 1962. â€Å"Sanger, Margaret†. Compton’s Encyclopedia. Volume 20. Tribune Publishing Company, 1995.

Advanced Practice Nurse and United Kingdom Essay

Introduction The roles of the APRN are continuously evolving. From the early 1960s to present day, advanced practice nurses continue to rise to meet the needs of our communities and abroad. As the number of nurse practitioner-advanced practice nurses (NP-APNs) on a steady incline, the various barriers in defining their roles in the US as well as internationally has limited their ability to function at their full potential. As discussed in An International Survey on Advanced Practice Nursing Education, Practice, and Regulation (Pulcini, Jelic, Gul & Loke, 2009), NP-APN nomenclature, scope of practice and education are factors in the development of the roles of APRNs internationally. NP-APN Nomenclature The United States and United Kingdom both utilize the title of nurse practitioner; however, other countries, such as South Korea, Singapore, and Switzerland continue to use the title advanced practice nurse (Pulcini, Jelic, Gul & Loke, 2009). This can lead to confusion on the part of the patient and family member who may not be familiar with the role of the advanced practice nurse in the clinical setting. Also, the authors’ state that the United Kingdom uses the terms specialist and NP interchangeably. According to Pulcini et al (2009), â€Å"This interchange of terms most often occurs when the nurse who has specialized knowledge in a certain area has a advanced practice title (p. 32).† Scope of Practice As mentioned by Joel (2009), â€Å"The degree of autonomy afforded to APNs varies from country to country, and even within the country (p.76)†. The NP-APN scope of practice includes advanced health assessment, diagnosis, disease management, health education and promotion, referral ability, prescribing diagnostic procedures, medications and treatment plans, admitting and discharging privileges, patient caseload management, collaborative practice, evaluation of healthcare services, and research (Pulcini, Jelic, Gul & Loke, 2009). The United Kingdom and United States have similarities in their origins. Both were established to help meet the needs of the rural and underserved areas as well as the overall population. In the United Kingdom, NPs were utilized as the first level of care for patient triage and in primary care (Pulcini, Jelic, Gul & Loke, 2009). Another similarity is their prescriptive rights in both the US and the UK. According to Joel, â€Å"The move, originating in England, to enable nurses to undergo a specified nonmedical prescribing program has resulted in over 10,000 nurses who are now classed as independent prescribers, and as a consequence, can prescribe almost everything from the British National Formulary (p.90)†. Educational Requirements As in many professions, education is the key element to being successful and productive. The standard educational requirement for NPs in the United States in a master’s level degree; however in the United Kingdom is still trying to adopt a master’s level program. According to Pulcini et al (2009), â€Å"While the Royal College of nursing in the United Kingdom has developed a master’s curriculum for NP education, universities are not obliged to adopt it (p.33).† Furthermore, NP courses are both offered at the baccalaureate and master’s level in the UK. Conclusion The United States and United Kingdom have numerous similarities and differences in the roles of the APRNs. In the future, these roles will continue to evolve to meet the needs of the community.