Human Resource Management & Organisational analysis MSc Personal Statement

Human Resource Management & Organisational analysis MSc - Personal Statement Example My goal is to practice the best Human Resource in the organizations I will work for. I am a graduate from Hult International Business School in London where I studied Bachelor of International Business Administration and specialized in Management. I have worked in the bank of Respublika as an accounting specialist and I enjoyed my role as I got to interact with customers and making transactions for them. I have also worked for Look magazine in the UK and I was glad to share ideas on how to redo their Website and journal to make accessibility for customers easy as well as sharing ideas on how to increase profits. I trust that my decision to purse the course in King’s College is one of best decisions I have made in my life. This is because of professional lecturers, state of art equipments, the conducive learning environment, and the good reputation of the institution. I am confident that as I undertake the course in King’s College, I will accomplish my goals and I will be in a better position to face the Human Resource practices in any organization. I intend to work hard and in the end achieve the best results and be marketable

Compassion Fatigue Related to Oncology Nursing Research Paper

Compassion Fatigue Related to Oncology Nursing - Research Paper Example The state of the patients affects the nurses directly by making them have mood swings. This happens due to the fact that the nurses tend to empathize humanly with the patients and lose focus on mainstreaming and creating a barrier not to affect their emotions. This condition that arises due to care given to the patients is referred to as compassion fatigue. There are other conditions that arises due to provision of care like burnout, these can be successfully be distinguished from compassion fatigue. The entire nursing profession is faced with rapid exponential increase in case of compassion fatigue due to increased number of population that demands health care and the limited number of the nurses to provide the care. This paper analyzes compassion fatigue and other related concepts. Oncology is the study of the causes, development and the occurrence of cancers coupled with treatments and mitigation of the cancerous cells. Cancer is one of the most devastating medical conditions in the contemporary world and the prevalence and incidence of cancer has been on the rife for the last couple of years (Bissett 56). In 1995, another person Figley proposed another definition of what compassion fatigue implies, he advanced that the definition of compassion fatigue is ‘the cost of caring’ (FIgley 154). ... Benign cancers are those which are restricted to one part of the body and do not spread to other types of the body. These types of cancers are easy to treat and can be mitigated easily. On the other hand, the malignant cancers are the most lethal and have the tendency of spreading to other parts of the body. This is the lethal types of cancer which poses the greatest danger to the human life (Henke, Barrie, and Thomas 111). The aim of this paper then is to relate the fate of the nurses who are care providers of these patients and are at the risk of developing emotional breakdown which may impact negatively on their lives, otherwise known as compassion fatigue. The sense of compassion fatigue is then dissected in relation to the position of the nurses in light of their duties. Definition of compassionate fatigue The term compassionate fatigue first came into the public limelight in 1992 when Joinson in a nursing article that he published. In the article Joinson described compassion fa tigue as the condition in which nurses experience a change in their feeling and instead developed a sense of helplessness and emotional changes as a result of witnessing their patient going through a series of devastating conditions of illness and trauma (Bissett 194). In 1995, another person Figley proposed another definition of what compassion fatigue implies, he advanced that the definition of compassion fatigue is ‘the cost of caring’ (FIgley 154). It is therefore imperative that the concept of compassionate fatigue be conceived well in its context by the nurses so that they may not lose focus on their roles as professional nurses at a time that patients are in dire need of their services.

Economic effects of globalisation in singapore

Economic effects of globalisation in singapore Globalization is defined as the free movements of goods, services and capital across borders. It is a contentious process by which the western market economies have effectively spread across the globe. Although it does not constitute a new phenomenon, it is viewed as an inexorable integration of markets, nations and technologies to a degree never witnessed before in a way that is enabling individuals, and corporations to reach around the world further, faster, deeper and more economically than ever before (Heshmati, 2003). Today, globalisation is evident in every aspect of our life and society. Globalisation has impacted us in many ways, most evidently in communication and interaction between different people. Globalisation has brought about the Internet and advanced technology. This has allowed for ease in facilitation of which many aspects of the world are run and work. People are able to use the Internet to communicate with people from the other side of the world and interact and discuss about issues in the market etc. Through globalisation, people are able to communicate and interact easily, in doing so causing the ease of disseminating information and even in the way that facilitated trade. Especially with regards to trade, globalisation has enabled many countries around the world to take advantage of the aspect of globalisation which improves communication and interaction between people. Many countries used this aspect to help expand and advance their economies and trade markets. The year 2007 to 2008 witnessed a movement of goods and services worth $132 trillion from the Peoples Republic of China across the globe. This led to a 5.4% increase or rise in the Chinese economy as compared from the previous economic growth of a rate of 3.4% (Moore Lewis, 2009). Economic globalization is defined as the rise in economic interdependence of different nations economies of the world and it entails a dramatic rise in movement of goods, technology, capital and service across nations borders (Justin, 2001). Economic globalization has also provided opportunities for developing countries in that it expands the size of their markets for export and attracts foreign capital, which aids development. Foreign investment is conducive to a transfer of technologies and knowhow, which increases productivity (Bertucci and Alberti, 2010). In the same way, Singapore has also used the aspect of globalisation which increases communication in her own advantage to improve the economy and trade. One of the industries affected positively from globalisation in Singapore is the tourism industry. With globalisation, people are able to move from one place to another easily and quickly, through the use of aeroplanes etc. This allows people to travel regularly to Singapore, from places as far as Africa and United States of America. With easier traveling, more people can come to Singapore to tour and enjoy the attractions such as the Marina Bay Sands, Sentosa, etc. With more people in Singapore, the tourism industry is able to earn more money through the expenditure of these tourists, from food and beverages to entrance fees of attractions. Thus, through globalisation, Singapores tourist industry is able to expand and advance. This table of statistics shows the number of visitor arrivals by region/country of residence from the year 1999 and 2004 to 2009. Through this table, it can be seen that a large amount of people from the United States of America come to visit Singapore every year, in 2009 totalling to 370.7 thousand. This shows how globalisation has affected the tourism industry. People from countries like the United States of America which is in the other side of the world is able to come over to Singapore in such large numbers. This can also be seen in Europe, where 1,307.4 thousand people arrived to Singapore in 2009. It can be seen that globalisation has improved the tourism industry through the increase of tourist arrivals over the years. Take the Commonwealth of Independent States and Eastern Europe for example. The number of people who have visited Singapore have risen from 42.8 thousand in 1999 to 114.3 thousand in 2008. This shows the influence of globalisation has on the tourism industry in Singapore. With a greater influence, globalisation makes the tourist industry to have more and more tourists every year due to the easier transportation and movement from one country to another. With globalisation helping the countrys economy to become wealthier, this in turn would affect the people positively, allowing them to have a better standard of living. There are many benefits that citizens will have through a booming economy. One positive effect is that globalization causes rapid changes in trade relations, financial flows, and mobility of labour across the world. The development has brought the economies of developed countries closer together and more strongly interrelated. Trade is more common across countries and people are able to move from one place to another more conveniently and frequently than before. With globalization, companies have forayed into the developing countries and hence generated employment for them. But it is one of the positive and negative effects of globalization, depending on the point of view you wish to see it from. It has given an opportunity to invest in the emerging markets and tap up the talent which is available there. In developing countries, there is often a lack of capital which hinders the growth of domestic companies and hence, employment. In such cases, due to global nature of the businesses, people of developing countries too can obtain gainful employment opportunities. But the developed countries have lost jobs on account of this movement of jobs to the developing world and hence it is a pinch felt by people in the First World. One of the most visible positive effects of globalization in India is the flow of foreign capital. A lot of companies have directly invested in India, by starting production units in India, but what we also need to see is the amount of FII that flows into the developing countries. Indian companies which have been performing well, both in India and off the shores, will attract a lot of foreign investment, and thus pushes up the reserve of foreign exchange available in India. This is also one of the positive effects of globalization in US and other developed countries as developing countries give them a good investment proposition. The last effect is the impact of foreign trade on an economy. Comparative advantage has always been a factor even in the old times. While trade originated in the times of early kingdoms, it has been institutionalized due to globalization. Previously, people had to resort to unfair means and destruction of kingdoms and countries to get what they wanted. Today, it is done in a more humane way, with mutual cooperation. People who operate in uncivilized ways, now have to face the WTO and other world organizations that have been established with a view to control and regulate the trade activities of the countries. With all these benefits, the incomes of Singaporeans have increased over the last few years. In Singapore, the household income from work in 2010 increased due to strong economic growth. Median monthly household income from work in 2010 recovered to above the level before the economic downturn in 2009. Among resident households, median monthly income from work increased by 3.1 per cent from $4,850 in 2009 to $5,000 in 2010 (Table 1); in real terms, the increase was 0.3 per cent (Department of Statistics Singapore, 2010). Table 1 Monthly Household Income from Work Among Resident Households Year Median Household Income Average Household Income Dollar Nominal Change (%) Real Change (%) Dollar Nominal Change (%) 2000 3,638 3.9 2.6 4,988 5.7 2001 3,860 6.1 5.0 5,338 7.0 2002 3,628 -6.0 -5.6 5,069 -5.0 2003 3,601 -0.7 -1.2 5,075 0.1 2004 3,689 2.4 0.8 5,194 2.3 2005 3,860 4.6 4.1 5,447 4.9 2006 4,000 3.6 2.6 5,715 4.9 2007 4,375 9.4 7.1 6,295 10.1 2008 4,946 13.1 6.0 7,086 12.6 2009 4,850 -1.9 -2.5 6,826 -3.7 2010 5,000 3.1 0.3 7,214 5.7 Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2011) Key Household Income Trends, 2010 Among employed household, with at least one working person, median monthly income from work increased by 5.7 per cent in nominal terms (from $5,400 in 2009 to $5,700 in 2010) and 2.8 per cent in real terms (Table 2). Table 2 Monthly Household Income from Work Among Employed Households Year Median Household Income Average Household Income Dollar Nominal Change (%) Real Change (%) Dollar Nominal Change (%) 2000 4,000 5.3 3.9 5,456 7.0 2001 4,141 3.5 2.5 5,736 5.1 2002 4,038 -2.5 -2.1 5,572 -2.9 2003 4,050 0.3 -0.2 5,618 0.8 2004 4,106 1.4 -0.3 5,761 2.5 2005 4,345 5.8 5.3 6,052 5.1 2006 4,495 3.5 2.5 6,280 3.8 2007 4,883 8.6 6.4 6,889 9.7 2008 5,475 12.1 5.2 7,752 12.5 2009 5,398 -1.4 -2.0 7,549 -2.6 2010 5,704 5.7 2.8 8,058 6.7 Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2011) Key Household Income Trends, 2010 Even though the income levels have risen among employed Singaporeans, we have found through our research that not every Singaporean enjoys these perks of having higher income through globalisation. This is the one effect of globalisation in Singapore that we would like to discuss in this paper. The phenomenon of widening income gap in Singapore, between the period of 2000 2010. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Sources of Information In this research paper, we used mainly secondary sources of information. The sources of information that we used are: Newspaper Articles The newspaper articles we used were from The Straits Times. We decided to use articles from our local newspaper as it leans more towards our country and hence, the articles would be more apt especially since our research is about the effects of globalisation in Singapore. The Straits Times is also a acclaimed worldwide as one of the best newspapers, hence, it would be more reliable. Research papers The research papers that we used, such as the article Reducing Singapores Income Disparity: Looking Forward is by professors from Singapore. Hence, it is more reliable as they have lived in Singapore and studied the trends over the years. It would also be more appropriate for them to comment on the findings that they have collated Magazines We used The Economist because our topic focused mainly on the economy, hence, since The Economist looks at the global market, it would be a good judge of the economy in the various parts of the world. One issue that we looked at was Volume 398, Number 8717 of The Economist, which had a special report called The rich and the rest. This was relevant because it talks about the issue of widening income gap and the income discrepancies in the world today, which is one of our main focuses in our research paper. Statistics Our statistics were taken from research papers (results were collected by the author of the research paper) and studies conducted by the government. Since the statistics were taken from reliable sources, it would be more accurate in showing trends over the years. Rationale of using the sources of Information In our research paper, we only used secondary sources. This is because our topic is mainly on the effects of globalisation, hence it would be more appropriate to analyse the trends and research instead of conducting an interview. It was also quite hard to find an interviewee because globalisation is a wide topic and many people might have their different opinions on it. Through conducting extensive research using newspaper articles, research papers, et cetera, we could generally find the trends and information that we needed for our paper. Hence, we found that it was not necessary to conduct interviews or surveys as information that we needed could be found. Limitations of Research The limitation of using solely secondary sources is that we are unable to get first-hand opinions of the globalisation trends that we see in Singapore. Even though the opinions might be subjective, it would be a helpful source in knowing more about globalisation through the interviewees. Limitation of Newspaper Articles: The newspaper articles had only touched lightly on either the topic of widening income gap or globalisation, hence we had to conduct more research in order to find more information about the topic. Limitation of Research Papers: Research papers were useful in providing us with extensive information, however, each research paper was very focused on the particular topic that the professor was working on, and hence, we had to combine various research papers in order to find the trends and information that we required for our own research paper. Limitation of Magazines: The Economist was mainly on general statistics in the world, and hence, many of the information were not pertaining to Singapore and we could not use it for our information. The magazines were only a good guide in showing us the effects of globalisation to the world in general. Limitation of Statistics: The statistics given were mainly not interpreted; hence, even though we had the statistics by the government and research papers, we had to interpret and tweak the information in the way that it suits our topic and supports our points in our research paper. FINDINGS: HOW GLOBALIZATION LED TO THE WIDENING INCOME GAP IN SINGAPORE Globalisation has caused many changes in the world that we live in today. There are many effects of globalisation in our society, both good and bad. Globalisation is the continuous tendency towards the free flow of business and monetary infusions across nations which help in the formation of international financial system (mapsofindia, 2011). Higher living standards Through globalisation, the standard of living around the world has improved considerably. This is due to the want for financial independence and thus, people are triggered to become competitive, elevating the living standard of people in the nations that offer themselves to the world trade (mapsofindia, 2011). With increased economic stability, countries are able to have faster economic growth, which will also improve the standard of living in the country and reduce poverty. India has cut its poverty rate in half in the past two decades. China has reduced the number of rural poor from 250 million in 1978 to 34 million in 1999. Cheaper imports also make a wider range of products accessible to more people and, through competition, can help promote efficiency and productivity (global education, 2011). The rich are also able to splurge on their extravagant lifestyle, hence heightening the income discrepancies, as while people on the higher end of the income ladder are living a luxurious lifestyle, the lower-skilled workers are worried about keeping their jobs. This increased standard of living is thus clearly unbeneficial to some pockets of the population, especially the lower-skilled and lower-income people. Development of technology Over the years, technology has advanced in many ways that were thought impossible. The development of technology is rapid, persistent and ever-changing. With the introduction of technology to global markets, the demand for commodities has increased. Products and services are also increasing constantly. This has led to increase in usage around the world. Through the introduction of technology, technological gadgets are more easily available and affordable, allowing people to use technology to look into the investment and financial sector. With the help of computers, more and more people can be connected to the events happening in the financial sector. As per statistics, everyday more than $1.5 trillion is now swapped in the worlds currency markets and around one-fifth of products and services are generated per year are bought and sold. Technological advancement and productivity expansion are the other benefits of globalization because since 1970s growing international rivalry has trig gered the industries to improvise increasingly (mapsofindia, 2011). Increased inter-communication With globalisation, it is now easier for people all around the world to move from place to place. People have the ability to move from country to country in a short amount of time as compared to before when there was no globalisation. For the purpose of commerce and pleasure, more and more people are crossing national borders. Globally, on average nations in 1950 witnessed just one overseas visitor for every 100 citizens. By the mid-1980s it increased to six and ever since the number has doubled to 12. Commerce as a percentage of gross world product has increased in 1986 from 15% to nearly 27% in recent years. Worldwide telephone traffic has tripled since 1991. The number of mobile subscribers has elevated from almost zero to 1.8 billion indicating around 30% of the world population. Internet users will quickly touch 1 billion. With improved telecommunications, information and goods are available easily across countries. Costs are lowered and information is more reliable and accurate than ever. With such changes to the global market, workers are not just dependant on their own countrys economy anymore. Old jobs and skills are outsourced to meet the increasing demands of the global economy, thus many lower-skilled workers get lower income or get laid-off. Effects of Globalisation Influx of immigrants Globalization has made the world very close and small because of the ease of transport and lower cost of travel, and thus also increases the immigration in Singapore. Based on the study of Singapore Population Overview (Table 1), it can be seen that the number of immigrants and PRs in Singapore was 31.7% in 2007 whereas in 2008, the number has risen to 34.6%. This means that the number of immigrants and PRs is growing at a faster rate than the citizen population. The foreign workforce in Singapore is 30% (in 2010) not counting those who are newly converted citizens and PRs.( Diary of A Singaporean Mind, Monday, August 30, 2010) The government has offered scholarships, jobs and assistance for people in many other countries to settle in Singapore. Table 1. Singapore Population Overview (source: SingStat) Singapore Population Statistics Currently, there are 4.8 million people residing in Singapore, and about 478,000 are PRs. (On April 1, 2009, in Life in Singapore) Among them, the students, professionals entrepreneurs want to stay in Singapore after finishing their studies or own businesses , and establishing their careers. Table 2. Persons Granted PR (source: SingStat) Persons Granted PR post Singapore Immigration Table 3. Persons Granted Citizenship (source: SingStat)Persons Granted Citizenship post Singapore Immigration The tables show that each year, there are about 60,000 foreigners granted as PR. In contrast, only 15-17,000 citizenship status was approved yearly. Despise Singapores economic advantages; foreigners main motivators are citing tax incentives as well as health and education benefits which come from being a citizen or PR. Singapore is a very small island and has limited land and housing. Singaporeans have always welcomed immigrants in the past from Malaysia or Indonesia but nowadays the influx immigrants in the recent waves strains our infrastructure and leads to income inequality. Singapores economy now depends heavily on foreign labour which took up 58,300 new jobs, and over half of the 112,500 new jobs which are created in the year. Assuming one third or half of the locals are PRs, the proportion of new jobs which belong to foreigners is likely to be as high as two thirds or three quarters. (Tan Jee Say, Creating Jobs and Enterprisein a New Singapore Economy) These immigrants are taking jobs away from the locals and hence living some jobless. The Unemployment Rate (SA) in Singapore was 1.9% in Mar 2011. (Statistics Singapore)On top of that, they are driving down the income levels for the low-skilled jobs and hence even if locals were to work in it, they will be paid only a small amount. This would not be sufficient for the citizens especially since the standard of living in Singapore is high  ¼Ã‹â€ refer to the Higher Living Standard ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °and thus they might not be able to afford to pay for some needs. Ultimately, income gap will grow wider. In the past, the workers economic fate was only relevant to the national economic fate. However, globalization and improvements in communication, as well as influx immigrants changed the case. Now workers have to compete in a global market, and their wages are not so dependent on the individual economies success or failure of. The mind workers such as engineers, scientists, executives can compete successfully in the global market and receive high wages. However, the production and service works industrialized countries are not able to compete with those from third world countries. The workflow changes, thus poor countries get the low-value-added element of work which is formerly done in rich countries; however, higher-value work is maintained. (Economics focus: Cash machines. 2011-04-16.) This is a main effect on widening income gap. The population has increased to 5.5 million; a big part of it is made up of immigrants. Seventy-eight percent of Channel News Asia/Gallup polled felt that Singapore should limit the number of foreign workers when the population increases. (Journal of Alternative Perspectives in the Social Sciences ( 2009) Vol 1, No 3, 982-1002982)The management of the consequences of attracting more talented immigrants has become a challenge both in political and economic aspect. Globalization results in more acute income inequalities and meanwhile places a high premium on talent. Those people who stand at both ends of the skills spectrum are worried about their future.((Journal of Alternative Perspectives in the Social Sciences ( 2009) Vol 1, No 3, 982-1002982)) The cheaper labour from neighboring countries has forced the lower end to improve skills more efficiently. At the other end, Singapores industries has also storm skills deficit which has been pushed into higher value-added. Those Singaporean s who are better educated now have become being placed at a disadvantage in a more and more competitive job market. There is growing concern on the influence of fairly large immigration on the establishment of Singapores cultural and national identity, and on the states management of racial diversity as well. (Koh, 2003: 230-256). Effect of Globalization: Opening of New Economy and its effect on the unskilled, leading to widening income gap Globalization has become crucial for economic growth and prosperity in Singapore in recent decades, though the gains main spread unequally. Its magnitude and speed increase the free mobility of the products, services, as well as the factors of production across national borders. Globalization has made it possible for the transition form heavy industry or manufacturing-based economy to a new technology based one, thus leads to the opening of new economies. However, like most by-products of globalization, it has been a double-edged sword. The high growth, low inflation and high employment of this period led to overly optimistic predictions and many flawed business plans. (Newsweek article (January 2001) on the false claims of the new economy) Business in developed countries process outsourcing enables cheaper labour and services, however, meanwhile, displaces some of the service-sector jobs. One the one hand, accessing to the global market by attracting Direct Foreign Investment (FDI) and foreign investments has promoted Singapores economic development. On the other hand, the blue-collars jobs in the city-state were forced to run away to low-costs countries such as China and India. Thus it has a main effect on the widening income gap. Figure 1 QQà ¦Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ªÃƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¾Ãƒ ¦Ã…“ ªÃƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ½Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚  Figure 2. Wage inequality between Skilled Professionals and Unskilled ones. Source: Ministry of Manpower Singapore (2007). Report on Wages in Singapore 2006 Figure 1 indicates about 52.0% of Singaporeans are skilled workers in 2010. Figure2 shows the ratio of the skilled occupations wages to the unskilled ones wages. Regarding the income inequality between occupations, the collectively defined skilled workers continue to earn more than unskilled workers such as the cleaners, labourers and related workers. And the income gap has widened further since 1996.Therefore, the wage growths relative stagnation among the unskilled workers would unquestionably have influence on the widening income gap between the two ends of the occupational spectrum as indicated in Figure 2. Due to globalization, with the internet and airplanes, the distance between countries is getting shorter. The international communication on technologies and science has been more interactive and immediate. Therefore, companies nowadays set different parts of their plants in different countries and locations, saving the delivery time but not sacrificing the quality of the products and. The outsourcing of old jobs makes the companies greater profit due to low exchange rates of the countries and lower costs. However, meanwhile, the new technologies will make the old skills obsolete and increase the rate of unemployment in Singapore. The new economy is not only the high technology and the Internet, but also the work is now being supported by technology and evolving with technology. The new economy consists of new organizational models as well, emphasizing teamwork which means the decision making is no longer dominated by a single boss. The old economy just focused on local, state or national markets, but the new economy focused towards global market. The new economy showed a change in how the nation tried to draw business and industry. In the old economy, the industry was attracted to the nation because of low priced labor, cheap land, low tax, convenient transportation and other physical infrastructures. In the new economy, outsourcing is becoming more and more popular. Such phenomenon is due to a period of transition to the new economies which is knowledge or idea-based from the old ones. The key of the new economy is the utilized technology and high quality of production, as well as new ideas and innovation which can be embedded in all aspects of the economy. In 1950, 60% of the jobs needed unskilled workers; however, today only about 15% of jobs require them. The need for professionals has been around 20%. (Dr. Jacquelyn P. Robinson, A L A B A M A C O O P E R A T I V E E X T E N S I O N S Y S T EM, Volume 1, Issue 4 September 22, 2000)The requirement of skilled jobs which needs education and training has grown. Real wages for high school graduated without technical training decreased 18% over the last 18 years and those without high school diploma dropped 40%.((Dr. Jacquelyn P. Robinson). Therefore, the well-off march towards the global market and make more profit while the poor and uneducated become obsolete and unemployment, leading to the widening income diversity. CONCLUSION In this paper, we have discussed more about globalization: its role and the effects it has on Singapore, more specifically, the widening income gap. As can be seen, globalization has affected the way things work and old skills and jobs are gradually being outsourced. Although we cannot do anything to prevent it, it is important than we are aware of the consequences and try to improve Singapores current situation. Hence, Singaporeans should jump at the chance to improve their skills, so as to have a better future in exchange. Indeed, the Singapore government faces a tough challenge in trying to achieve this trinity of social goals income equality, economic growth and fiscal discipline (Yeoh 2007/2008). Even though this is hard to put into practice, the Singapore government has to adopt specific actions and measures to address the spiraling income inequality. This will help to prevent social discontentment and continue the wealth and prosperity that Singapore has been achieving over the years. However, the Singapore government has the responsibility to pay close attention to the needs of the people, especially those falling through the cracks with the rising cost of living. It is important that the government continues to care for the needs of the people and ensure that effective measures are carried out to ease their burdens. Unhappiness among the people leading to widespread discontentment can cause policies to fail; hence, political leaders must be capable of directing these emotions towards productive uses that benefit the economy, rather than allowing these emotions to develop into civil strife. Besides the economic policies to reverse income disparity, most importantly, the government needs to demonstrate empathetic leadership and win the hearts of Singaporeans so that the future will continue with a better Singapore.

Simpsons Vs Wells :: essays research papers fc

The advent of new technology has been a source of trepidation throughout history. Just as with any change, fear is often the pervasive response to new technology and developments, especially amongst those who do not fully comprehend the changes. It seems, however, that people ignorant of the true meaning and extent of technology are the most likely to place unwarranted faith in its abilities. Technology becomes an authority—one that is difficult to question or rebel against. After advances become accepted, complacency sets in, reducing the general public's vigilance against dangers to society in any form. This lack of vigilance, due to an unwarranted faith in authority, is depicted and questioned in H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds. Published in 1898, the message of Wells's work remains relevant, even in the present day. Criticisms of an unwarranted faith in authority manifest themselves in modern culture in multiple media. The Simpsons, a half-hour animated television program, represents such a manifestation. The episode entitled 'Bart's Comet,'; first aired on February 5, 1995, criticizes a blind allegiance to authority in any form by humorously detailing Springfield's response to an approaching comet, which threatens to destroy everyone in the town. The episode parallels Wells's chronicle of the Martian invasion in its depiction of authority. Unwarranted faith finds an unfortunate place in government, religion, and science in both accounts of impending disaster. In themselves, these three fundamental elements of society do not receive criticism. The misguided trust people someti mes place in these institutions, relying on them as unquestioned and unquestionable authorities, receives the brunt of the censure in both works. The townspeople themselves receive their fair share of reproach as well. In both works, the people criticized include not only the general middle- to upper-class communities, but also those responsible for the criticizing. In The War of Worlds, the government plays a silent role that finds its reflection in the attitudes of the townspeople upon the first arrival of the Martian cylinder. Here, the ignorance of the public manifests itself in the cavalier attitudes of the people toward the potential threat. In the opening lines of the novel, the public's demeanor becomes evident: 'With infinite complacency men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs, serene in their assurance of their empire over matter'; (Wells 3). During the height of the British government's domination of the world, through the spread of its colonies and economic power, Wells's description of the people's security in their empire over matter, over reality itself, seems most fitting.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay

Throughout the entire novel of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, everyone is inquiring or investigating about something. The characters are either meddling in someone else’s business or they become curious about something scientific. Because of this curiosity, different people get in trouble in some way. In the first chapter, Mr. Utterson’s friend Mr. Enfield says, â€Å"You start a question, and it’s like starting a stone. You sit quietly on the top of a hill; and away the stone goes, starting others; and presently some bland old bird (the last you would have thought of) is knocked on the head in his own back garden and the family have to change their name. No sir, I make it a rule of mine: the more it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask.† (35). This is an important epigraph for the entire novella because when Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Utterson, and Mr. Lanyon become curious, someone gets in trouble. The most important example of someone being inquisitive is in the Case of Dr. Jekyll. He questions whether man can be split in two; one half would be the evil half and the other half would be strictly a good-intentioned gentleman. (79) Dr. Jekyll does this experiment on himself but something goes wrong and he becomes strictly his evil side. This transformation allows him to have a separate persona, a separate life. He thrives of off the power he feels when he becomes Mr. Hyde. (81) This leads to his ultimate downfall. He finds it so hard to keep his old self. This constant changing back and forth leads him to eventually kill himself because he has lost hope. His original curiosity of trying to make him self solely good is what leads to his demise in the end. (93) Mr. Utterson’s curiosity about his close friend, Dr. Jekyll, adds to Jekyll’s final, suicidal decision. His investigation of the mysteriousness around the door and Dr. Jekyll begins when he reads Dr. Jekyll’s will. As a lawyer, he should not question the motives behind Jekyll’s peculiar will but instead he tries to pry into his friend’s life to ensure that nothing ‘sketchy’ is going on. This is a question that should not be asked because it is not any of his business but he still tries to figure it out. (37) This leads to another curiosity for Utterson. He feels as though he needs to see Hyde’s face. He waits at the door simply to see his face, to be able to place his finger on why people are so disturbed by him. This is not a necessary question to be asked and it causes more skepticism about the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde. (40) The unclearness of the relationship puts pressure on Jekyll, leading to his breakdown. Finally, Lanyon’s curiosity-downfall spiral is the most obvious. Jekyll goes to Lanyon first, asking him to retrieve a drawer from his laboratory and give it to Hyde. When Hyde asks if he wants to see the transformation, Lanyon being nosy says yes. (55) His starting of a question ‘starts the stone’ and it leads to his death. He is so shocked about seeing his friend transform that he eventually dies. This never would have happened if did not agree to seeing Jekyll and Hyde. (57) Overall, the characters in this book show a lot of curiousity about Jekyll and Hyde. As the quote says, â€Å"You start a question, and it’s like starting a stone.† (35). The characters start a questions and â€Å"presently some bland old bird is knocked on the head in his own back garden and the family have to change their name.† These questions have been about Jekyll and Hyde and so ultimately someone ends up getting hurt of getting in trouble. This is a theme throughout the whole novel which is why this quote serves as a good epigraph for the novella.

Indigenous Health Essay

The poor health position of Indigenous Australians is a contemporary reflection of their historical treatment as Australia’s traditional owners. This treatment has led to Indigenous Australians experiencing social disadvantages, significantly low socio-economic status, dispossession, poverty and powerlessness as a direct result of the institutionalised racism inherent in contemporary Australian society. Indigenous populations have been the carers and custodians of Australia and the Torres Strait for a period in excess of 60,000 years before being invaded/colonialised by the British on January 26, 1788 (Hampton & Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). Before this time, it is suggested that Indigenous Australians lived relatively affluent lives and enjoyed generally better health than most people living in Europe (Hampton & Toombs, Indigenous Australian concepts of health and well-being, 2013). The arrival of introduced diseases, especially smallpox, caused considerable loss of life among Indigenous Australians. The impact of this is loss extended far beyond the immediate victims of disease, affecting the very fabric of Indigenous societies through depopulation and social disruption (MacRae, et al. , 2012). Whilst introduced diseases were the most substantial part of the Indigenous Australians mortality, death caused by direct conflict also contributed significantly (Elder, 2003). Traditionally, Indigenous Australians had complete autonomy over all parts of their lives such as, ceremonies, spiritual practices, medicine, social relationships, management of land and law and economic undertakings (Saggers & Gray, 1991). In addition to the impacts of introduced diseases and conflict, Indigenous Australians also experienced ill effects related to disconnection from Country due to the spread of colonists and their subsequent political policies. For an Indigenous Australian, Country is not just physical territory but the central aspect of their identity (Hampton & Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). Occupation and colonialism impacted far beyond the physical, as Indigenous Australians had their culture devalued, traditional food sources destroyed, and were separated from their families and in some cases entire communities were dispossessed. This led to disruption or loss of languages, beliefs and social structures which form the underlying basis of Indigenous cultures. These impacts, prompted British colonists to develop several different political policies of institutionalised racism to address the real and perceived issues regarding Indigenous Australians. The first of these policies was Protectionism (1788 – 1890’s). Prior to Protectionism British colonies practiced exclusion as they assumed ‘Terra Nullius’ and seized control of the land, evicting Indigenous Australians from their traditional Country. The negative impacts this had on Indigenous Australians eventually forced colonial authorities to establish â€Å"Aboriginal ‘protection’ boards† (Hampton & Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). The first was established in Victoria by the Aboriginal Protection Act of 1869, with the other colonies following with similar legislation, to ‘protect’ Indigenous populations within their boundaries (Parliament of Victoria, 1869). The ‘protection’ provided under the various Acts imposed enormous restrictions on the lives of many Indigenous Australians. These restrictions included dictating where Indigenous Australians could live and not live, and set out limitations on movement, marriage, employment, earnings and ownership of property. The child welfare provisions of the Acts underpinned the removal of Aboriginal children from their families and communities ‘by compulsion, duress or undue influence’ (State Library of Victoria, 2014). The National Inquiry into the separation of the children concluded that ‘between one-in-three and one-in-ten Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and communities in the period from approximately 1910 until 1970’ (Wilkie, 1997). It was the 1960s, at the earliest, when the various ‘protection’ Acts were either abolished or discontinued. In the early 1890’s, protectionism gave way to state and commonwealth government regimes of segregation. In the development of the constitution, politicians included sections specifically excluding Indigenous Australians, such as the white Australia policy, ensuring that racism became entrenched in the new nation’s future. Reserves and missions were set up far from white settlements, to exclude and control Indigenous Australians, especially those of mixed descent (Hampton & Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). By the 1950’s all state governments invoked a new policy called assimilation (1950’s – 1960’s), which aimed to eliminate Indigenous cultures, religion and languages. Assimilation was based on the belief that if living conditions were improved, Indigenous Australians were to be absorbed into White Australian society (Hampton & Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). After the failure of the assimilation policy, governments aimed their sights towards Integration (1960’s – 1980’s). Integration was a step towards multiculturalism by allowing Indigenous Australians and non-Anglo European immigrants to keep certain aspects of their culture whilst conforming to mainstream white Australian society. During 1970’s Indigenous Australians were beginning to become acknowledged as Australian citizens, this led to the development of the self-determination and self-management (1970’s-1990’s) programs (Hampton & Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). These policies were based on the slow acceptance of multiculturalism and the beginnings of Indigenous Australians involvement in Australian politics, although the actual amount of self-determination available to them was limited. When these polices were found to be ineffective the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR) was established in 1992 to overcome differences and inequities between Indigenous Australians and the wider Australian community (Hampton & Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). The Reconciliation movement (1990’s-present) seeks to advocate for Indigenous Australians rights, their place in our shared history and to establish economic independence among Indigenous Australians in order to promote equality for all Australians (Hampton & Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). Whilst government policy appears to be moving in the right direction, we are still a long way away from Indigenous autonomy and self-determination. All of these policies had a very detrimental effect on the health of Indigenous Australians both in terms of physical and mental health issues, many of which have continued through to contemporary times. Perhaps the most poignant of these impacts are those that have resulted from the Stolen Generations. There is much dispute surrounding when colonial authorities began removing Indigenous children from their families and communities, although many experts believe that it was very soon after the establishment of the British colony in Australia (Duffy, 2000). Children with Indigenous mothers were seen to be legally ‘neglected’ at birth, and removed from their families, communities and in most cases their culture, to be ‘raised right’ up until the latter part of the 20th Century (Hampton & Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). Because of these practises, many Indigenous Australians have deep psychological and mental health issues that continue to plague them today. Modern literature tells of many instances of suicide and ongoing identity issues, emerging from the torment of being disconnected from family, culture and country. The status of Indigenous Health has been impacted severely by the Stolen Generations and other past Government practises. For many Indigenous Australians, the ongoing effects of ‘protection’ and the forced separation of children from their families compound other social, emotional and physical disadvantages (Wilkinson & Marmot, 2003). These disadvantages are embodied by the Social determinants of health, including; economic opportunity, physical infrastructure, and social conditions that influence the health of individuals, communities, and societies as a whole. Inequalities in these are especially evident in education, employment, income, housing, access to services, social networks, connection with land, racism, and incarceration rates (McDonald, 2010). In all of these factors, Indigenous Australians experience substantially lower rates than non-Indigenous Australians, with the most worrying being that Indigenous Australians have a significantly lower life expectancy rate and overall health status, than their non-Indigenous counter-parts. These inequalities, combined with the social attitudes towards Indigenous Australians and their health in contemporary Australian society, contribute to the difficulties Indigenous Australians have accessing adequate healthcare. It is also difficult to provide adequate healthcare for Indigenous Australians as many service providers do not understand how Indigenous Australians conceptualise health. Until recently, there was no separate term in Indigenous languages for health as it is understood in western society (Eckermann, 2010). The traditional Indigenous perspective of health is holistic. It encompasses everything important in a person’s life, including land, environment, physical body, community, relationships, and law. Health is the social, emotional, and cultural wellbeing of the whole community and the concept is therefore linked to the sense of being an Indigenous Australian. This conceptualisation of health has much in common with the social determinants model and has crucial implications for the simple application of a medical model as a means of improving Indigenous health. Whilst the purely medical approach is undoubtedly useful in identifying and reducing disease in individuals, but its limitations in addressing population-wide health disadvantages, such as those experienced by Indigenous people, must be recognised. It is important to remember that policies and practises of the past have had major adverse impacts on the health of contemporary Indigenous Australians, and these impacts have contributed significantly to the inequalities present in Indigenous and non-Indigenous health status. However, whilst health disadvantages experienced by Indigenous Australians are considered to be historical in origin, the perpetuation of the disadvantages relies heavily on contemporary structural and social factors.