Sustaining Democracy in Latin America essays

Sustaining Democracy in Latin America essays In order to determine if democracy is sustainable in Latin America, it is important to understand or at least have an idea of what democracy is. There are several types of democracy and each is different. According to the English dictionary, democracy is " a government by the people; especially: rule of the majority by a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections and the absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges (Webster's Dictionary). It is a common view among American politicians that maintaining democracy in Latin America could be achieved through holding honest elections, installing civilian governments, and preventing military coups (Millett). Although Latin America participates in some type or form of free elections, that does not necessarily constitute a legitimate democracy that represents the people. The power is not necessarily vested in the people in Latin America but with the elected officials. Latin American democracy and United States democracy are uniquely different and therefore they are not comparable by the same definition of democracy. The difference results from many factors. In large part, Latin America is unique because of its Iberian heritage, history, and tradition (Millett). The conquest of Latin America by Spain and the methods of rule and traditions have largely influenced the development of Latin American democracy. The Spanish mercantile system and the methods and practices it produced have had a direct impact on all the factors that help sustain democracy. The two main factors in Latin American democracy are society and economics. Colonial ideas of fueros, caste systems, and church ideologies during the inquisition, have influenced Latin America socially. Economically Spanish mercantilism has made Latin America dependent on outsi...

How does industrialisation AND ITS consequences make a middle class Essay

How does industrialisation AND ITS consequences make a middle class visible in the first half of the 19th century - Essay Example started in Britain and depending on the speed of knowledge transfer in that age and time, it soon spread throughout the world in some shape or the other. Within a few decades, the socioeconomic system that was based on manual labour was to be replaced by a culture which was dominated by industry and manufactured goods (Hobsbawm, 1999). Hobsbawm (1999) suggests that the revolution started with the changes to the textile industries which were the first to start using machines. The creation of the machines themselves was based on the refinements in how iron was produced that allowed the creation of new tools and equipment. At the same time, other elements required for improved communications, delivery of goods and transport were more or less in place which helped to expand the trade between cities as well as countries. Waterways, improved conditions of roads and the presence of railways all helped in making sure that goods as well as people could move from one location to another without significant investments of time and money. Additionally, Mr. Watt had understood the genie contained in steam power and had unleashed it by 1760. Although earlier designs also existed he is credited with creating the first working steam engine which allowed machines to work much faster, better and at an untiring pace as compared to human effort. Steam power was also added to boats, ships and other means of transport but the effect it had on the workshops and industrial plants was the greatest in terms of how it would change the fabric of society (Wikipedia, 2007). The coming of The Enlightenment provided an established system which accepted the real business related applications of the growing body of scientific knowledge that had been accumulated by Britain. In fact, the development and perfection of the steam engine can be considered only a small part of it since the process of the Industrial Revolution was guided by scientific analysis and the development new political as well

Characteristics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Characteristics - Essay Example A number of nurses and doctors find patients’ culture as an obstacle to treatment. They believe that they, health practitioners, have been trained to know what is best for the patient and tradional beliefs amongst patients should not be encouraged. Science should be the basis on which medicine is supposed to be practiced. Practitioners also argue that the health of the patient should be given top priority, and not their cultural backgrounds or beliefs. (Toni Tripp-Reimer, Lisa Skemp Kelley) Another problem with cultural competency is that it degrades the cultural teachings to a mere technical subject, which the medical practitioners have to learn. Furthermore, the lack of diversity in the hospitals and the medical profession as a whole, leads to a lack of cultural competency care. Nurses or doctors might appear a little indifferent or unknowingly rude to a patient of a different ethnicity. The patients might notice this as a lack of sensitivity on the practitioner’s part and from there on, the communication bridge starts to break down. Also, the systems in the health care service are not up to the mark and do not meet the needs of people of different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities (Joseph R. Betancourt, Alexander R. Green and J. Emilio Carrillo. 2002). Consoling a family in grief and leading them through an adaptive process can be a challenging task for the medical practitioners, especially the nurses. This requires substantial knowledge of different cultural backgrounds, so that there is no breakdown of communication. A lack of respect for someone else’s cultural beliefs comes off as a great hindrance, and does not help the whole consoling process. If a nurse or doctor is familiar with the cultural beliefs or shows respect for people of different ethnicities, he/she can aid a family through the grieving process. But if there is a fine line drawn between two

Is Adolescence a time of 'storm and stress' (individual development Essay

Is Adolescence a time of 'storm and stress' (individual development module) psychosocial study degree - Essay Example The adolescent is confronted with many different changes and is able to adapt to these changes in a constructive fashion, and in a way that results in developmental advance. Considering the large variety of tasks and problems encountered, adolescence is characterized by impressively effective coping in the majority of young people, a fact that has been widely neglected. Coping is the effort to manage (i.e., master, reduce, minimize) environmental and internal demands and conflicts which tax or exceed a persons resources and this shows that coping is a hypothetical construct that is sufficiently complex to take into account both person-specific and situation-specific aspects. Stressors and social resources are also two important concepts. The significance of coping behavior is evident in resiliency research showing that it is coping that makes the difference in both the adaptational outcome and in research on symptomatology, illustrating that the most reliable predictor for mental health is not so much a lack of symptoms, but the competence with which age-specific developmental tasks are handled (Compas & Hammen 1993) More than any other developmental period, adolescence has been characterized in the psychological and sociological literatures as fraught with struggles that are both intrapersonal and interpersonal in nature. In the intrapersonal domain, adolescence has been described as a period in which identity formation is a central developmental task. Achieving a sense of personal autonomy and an identity that is separate from the family is of utmost importance. Significant interpersonal tasks during adolescence are thought to include increased involvement with the peer group balanced against continued attachment to the family. Adolescence is a period in which relationships outside of the family multiply, take on new meanings, and deepen in intensity. These new bonds broaden and enrich the

Brain Function Essay Example for Free

Brain Function Essay A Neuron is a specialized nerve cell that receives, processes, and transmits information to other cells in the body. Basically, it is the messenger cell responsible for receiving and transmitting information. Neurons are the information processing components of the brain, each part of the neuron is responsible for receiving and transmitting information. Each neuron please do use role in the communication of the flow of information throughout the body. Neurotransmitters neurotransmitter Chemical substance through which one neuron sends a message to another. A neurotransmitter is a chemical substance that helps communicate information throughout our brain and body by relaying signals between neurons. neurons to occur. Numerous neurotransmitters affect the way a person behaves, learns, emotions, and sleep. Some also affecti mental illnesses. Some examples of neurotransmitters which affect our learning and development are; Acetylcholine affects a persons voluntary movement, learning, memory, and sleep. Dopamine affects a persons movement, attention, and learning. Axon An Axon is a long, slender projection of a nerve cell, or neuron, that typically conducts electrical impulses away from the neurons cell body  transmiting neuroal signals. The axon is the tail-like part of the neuron where sinformation exits the cell. It helps in the transmit information. The function of the axon is to transmit information to different neurons, muscles and glands. Myelin sheath Myelin sheath is an insulating envelope of myelin that surrounds the core of a nerve fiber or axon and that facilitates the transmission of nerve impulses, formed from the cell membrane of the Schwann cell in the peripheral nervous system and from oligodendroglia cells. Myelin sheaths three main functions include are protecting the nerve fiber, insulating the nerve fiber and increasing the rate and efficiency of the transmission of conduction of the nerve impulse. Dendrites Dendrites are a short branched extension of a nerve cell, along which impulses received from other cells at synapses are transmitted to the cell body. Dendrites are treelike extensions at the beginning of a neuron that help increase the surface area of the cell body. These tiny protrusions receive information from other neurons and transmit electrical stimulation to the soma. Dendrites bring information to the cell body and axons take information away from the cell body. Synapses The area where two neuron connect allow transmission of information to occur from one to the other. The messages flow across one neuron to the next through this small gap which separate the pair. . 1. In order for neurons to properly communicate, an electric pulse must occur. It happens as it travels down an axon to the synaptic terminal where the impulses trigger the vesicles to move which contain the neurotransmitter. It is said that most learning is though to involve the change between neurons and synapse. Learning consists of strengething synapses that are already there or by the creation of new ones. Sometimes, eliminating some helps. By learning new things we must realize that our old thoughts aren’t accurate and replace them with new ones in order to change the thoughts and behaviors we once exhibited. (Bruer Greenough, 2001;Lichtman, 2001; Merzenich, 2001). â€Å"Historically, theorists and researchers have believed that the physiological basis formost learning and memory lies in changes in the interconnections among neurons— in particular, in forming new synapses, strengthening existing ones, or eliminating counterproductive ones.†(e.g., Merzenich, 2001; M. I. Posner Rothbart, 2007; Trachtenberg et al., 2002) progress . Cortex cortex Upper part of the brain; site of where complex, conscious thinking processes takes place. It is the large lumpy area that covers the sides of our brains. â€Å"The  area of the brain immediately behind the forehead—the prefrontal cortex—seems to be the primary headquarters for working memory and its central executive, although all of the cortex may be active to a greater or lesser extent in interpreting new input in light of previously acquired knowledge† (Byrnes, 2001; Gonsalves Cohen, 2010; Huey, Krueger, Grafman, 2006; Nee, Berman, Moore, Jonides, 2008). This is the main area that the learning process occurs. Synaptogenesis Universal process that occurs in early brain development in Which cause the formation of numerous synapses. Being able to think more complex and eddicent thoughts, development change in this brain must be the first thing to happen, which is done by synaptegeneis. â€Å"neurons begin to form synapses long before a child is born.  But shortly afterbirth the rate of synapse formation increases dramatically. Neurons sprout new dendrites in many directions, †¦life. Much of this early synaptogenesis appears to be driven primarily bygenetic programming rather than by learning experiences. â€Å" (Bruer, 1999; C. A. Nelson, Thomas, de Haan, 2006). Synaptic pruning Synaptic pruning is the process when old formed synapses wear away due to universal process in the brain development. A developmental process that eliminates â€Å"nuisance† synapses that are inconsistent with typical environmentalevents and appropriate responses. Synaptic pruning, then, may be Mother Nature’s way of making the brain more efficient (Bruer Greenough, 2001; Huttenlocher Dabholkar, 1997; Spear, 2007). Adults and children happen to form new thoughts and synaose based on expierence and new discovery. They replace one thought with the other they learning through these developments. Myelination Myelination is the formation of fatty substance around the axons of the neurons. This is what helps speed up the electrical pulses therefore speeding up the transmission of the messages and information shared between the pair of neurons. As myelin is created over neuron transmissions more quickly, greatly enhancing the brain’s overall efficiency. Myelination continues throughout childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood, especially in the cortex (Lenroot Giedd, 2007; Merzenich, 2001; Paus et al., 1999).

Burlesque :: essays research papers

Mayor LaGuardia’s Campaign during the 1930s against burlesque performances in New York City   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is obscenity? According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, obscenity is the state or quality of being obscene which means that is offensive to modesty and or decency. During the 1930s and 1940s, New York City was infected with burlesque shows. During these times this shows were considered indecent and immoral by Mayor LaGuardia, his license commissioner Paul Moss, and John Sumner. Women were used as objects of entertainment. In 1934 Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia took office. Fiorello LaGuardia was a decisive and objective man. Mayor LaGuardia saw a very problematic situation for New York City when it came to this kind of performances. The targets of LaGuardia ‘s wrath were burlesque houses, where strippers had alternated turns with stand-up comics and the other acts since at least the turn of the century (Newyorkmetro.com). Clearly, LaGuardia was focused on stopping these displays of female degradation. It is important to mention that were two kind s of entertainments displays during this time. One group was the burlesque shows, which degraded females by displaying them as sexual objects. These shows were targeted towards the low income and illiterated people. The other group was called Ziegfeld Follies, which was aimed for the high elite people. This form of entertainment was a very refine and elaborated, but also did contain degrading displays. Regardless, Fiorello LaGuardia’s campaign unfairly opposed Burlesque performances instead of the Ziegfeld Follies, since it was politically easier to take action against shows that were supported by the lower class.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What actually was Burlesque? It was a popular and inexpensive form of entertainment whose basic ingredients were girls, gags, and music (Minsky’s Burlesque,26). These shows where aimed for mostly low income and illiterate people. One of the most controversial facts that Burlesque performances confronted was when one of their actresses had an accident on stage. She had a detachable collar that as soon the audience saw her pulled off they started applauding for an encore. As Mae (the actresses) came back to bowed they clapped like crazy. For a moment Mae lost her head and decided to came back to the stage and unbuttoned her bodice as she left the stage again (Minsky’s Burlesque,34). The audience couldn’t believe what just happened that night. It is possible that the Mae’s came back fact was one of the first nudity displays at that time.

U01A1 Zara Rapid Fire Fullfilment

U01a1 Zara Rapid-Fire Fulfillment Steven A. Shapiro Capella University European clothing retailer Zara has been highlighted in several publications as a model for its supply chain management. This retail chain exists as a subsidiary of â€Å"Spain’s largest apparel manufacturer and retailer† (Chopra & Meindl, 2012, p. 14). The most telling account of Zara’s success is detailed in an article for Harvard Business Review entitled, ‘Rapid-Fire Fulfillment’. Here, authors Ferdows, Lewis and Machuca (2004) describe three key principles that Zara relies on to maintain its success†¦ * Close the communication loop Stick to a rhythm across the entire chain * Leverage your capital assets to increase supply chain flexibility (Ferdows, et al. , 2004) The first of these principles, ‘Close the communication loop’, outlines the processes by which information is transferred quickly between its valuable customer base and the designers. This open and nimble communication allows Zara to have a better understanding of the pulse of its customers; which in turn, allows the company to stock its stores with clothing the customer wants when they want it.The next principle, ‘Stick to a rhythm across the entire chain’ is outlined by Ferdows, et al. (2007) when they wrote, â€Å"at Zara, rapid timing and synchronicity are paramount† (p. 107). The authors go on to highlight the rigidness by which Zara holds its retail stores to time-bound deadlines for things like product ordering. Missing a deadline is highly frowned upon and can result in a retail store losing that opportunity to obtain additional products.The third principle, ‘Leverage your capital assets to increase supply chain flexibility’ is fairly self-explanatory. The concept is that Zara funds the supply chain not only to run at an efficient manner with their in-house processes, but it outsources the easier parts of the processes as well. The auth ors of the article write, â€Å"[Zara] produces complicated products in-house and outsources simple ones† (Ferdows, et al. , 2004, p. 107). These guiding principles allow Zara’s supply chain to drive the company’s growth and success versus its less agile competitors.One example of this is given in the text, Supply Chain Management, by Chopra and Meindl (2012), these authors demonstrate this, saying, â€Å"Whereas design-to-sales cycle times in the apparel industry have traditionally averaged more than six months, Zara has achieved cycle times of four to six weeks† (p. 14). That difference is significant and is what allows Zara to take action based on the communication they receive above and rapidly react to customer demand in a way their competitors cannot.The most unique aspect of Zara’s supply chain model is its level of control over all aspects of its business; far more than its competitors. The authors of the HBR piece build on this point, stat ing, â€Å"Instead of relying on outside partners, the company manages all design, warehousing, distribution, and logistics functions itself. Even many of its day-to-day operational procedures differ from the norm† (Ferdows, et al. , 2004, p. 106). Another component of Zara’s success, beyond just its maniacal control, is its belief in ensuring its processes and departments are funded for success.This is especially true for the information technology department. A fact which Chopra and Meindl (2012) conveyed when they wrote, â€Å"Zara has also invested heavily in information technology to ensure that the latest sales data are available to drive replenishment and production decisions† (p. 14) In conclusion, though Zara has been highly praised for its innovative supply chain management techniques, this praise is well deserved. It is clear from reading these two disparate accounts of Zara’s practices that they have truly developed a successful and unique sup ply chain to enhance their business.The three principles that are at the core of the Zara philosophy serve to enhance their customer’s experience and continue to deliver value for their customer where competitors cannot. References Chopra, S. , & Meindl, P. (2012). Supply chain management (5th ed. ) [Electronic]. Indianapolis, IN: Prentice Hall. Ferdows, K. , Lewis, M. A. , & Machuca, J. D. (2004). Rapid-Fire Fulfillment. Harvard Business Review, 82(11), 104-110.