ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Living in the world of the newest information and communication technologies has changed the lives of ordinary people. Today, they do not have to leave their homes to communicate with their friends and make new acquaintances, buy goods or promote their own business, obtain education or gain assistance in educational issues. What if I told you that Facebook can cope with all these tasks at once, and does it effectively? The purpose of this study was to choose a specific social media platform and define what powerful benefits it has on the people in my local area. First of all, I would like to highlight that the people of my local area are those who are the closest to me, whom I can see and communicate with on a daily basis. These are my peers. This decision was obvious because, with their help, I could define what are the benefits that they receive from using Facebook. Moreover, I wanted the insight to be fresh and modern that is why I have asked people my age to help me. What I want to stress on is that they use the social network daily and are close to being called social network addicts. Together with that, they managed to turn Facebook into an instrument for achieving their set goals. As the basis for my research, I decided that I needed to make some investigation on the subject with the aim of defining the reasons for Facebook’s popularity with young people. Second, I believed that I should first define the theoretical benefits of the social network and then seek for approving them from my friends’ words. Let me begin with one simple fact from the statistics: average American spends about 40 minutes a day checking his Facebook account (“7 Powerful Facebook Facts for Business Owners“ par. 4). It means that it is a popular social network, and what I believe is that it owes its popularity with young people to the fact that it was launched by the students, who knew how to make something attractive to people like them. I learned that Facebook grants its constant users three powerful benefits: communication, education, and business. The initial goal of Facebook was to create a platform for communicating and making new acquaintances. It is the first powerful benefit the social network gives to its users – it enhances their social lives (Gafni and Deri 46). One of my friends, let us call him John for the sake of anonymousness, said that Facebook builds up his social capital through the amount of friends he has there. He believed that he owes his popularity to the number of people who follow him and read his wall. Bearing in mind that social capital is based on the outcomes of various relationships with other people and their structure (Johnston et al.
Shirley Jackson’s novel, The Hunting of the Hill House , tells a story of an investigation of a house thought to be haunted by ghosts. The leader of the experimentation is Dr. Montague, who hopes to salvage his career by providing evidence of the existence of a supernatural world. To achieve his objectives, Dr. Montague selects a few guests to help with the research. The plan is for the participants to reside in the house. One of the chosen people, who will be of central interest in this essay, is Eleanor Vance. This protagonist is convinced that she will eventually have a sense of belonging by simply staying in that house, but she ultimately commits suicide. She is the most psychic and also the one who has experienced hate, isolation, rejection, trauma, and other challenges while growing up. Although not all of Eleanor’s unstable psyche can be attributed to her past interactions, her relatives’ dysfunctional relationships had a significant contribution to her psychic personality. First, the mental challenges that Eleanor has are a direct result of her childhood and youthful experiences. Notably, “she had spent so long alone, with no one to love, that it was difficult for her to talk, even casually, to another person without feeling self-consciousness” (Jackson 2). People are naturally social such that they need to belong to a family or any other group. However, Eleanor did not have the chance to develop any attachment since she eleven years of her life taking care of an ailing mother. When female power is bottled up for a long time, as was the case of Eleanor, it turns lethal. It is evident in her failure to develop effective communication and self-expression skills. Her lifestyle not only made her depressed and isolated but also incapable of developing healthy relationships. There was some hostility between Eleanor and most of her family members, which made her develop mistrust and remain isolated, even in a social group. Eleanor “disliked her brother-in-law and her five-year-old niece, and she had no friends ” (Jackson 2). From this statement, it is clear that Eleanor never got to form any stable relationship with anyone. Consequently, it was difficult for her to trust
International political economy (IPE) deals with structures of political and economic transactions that move beyond state borders. IPE describes the global power dynamics that control international trade and finance, fuel globalization, and wealth distribution across the globe. It is mostly concerned with cooperation, political influence on the market, economic development, globalization, and international trade. Globalization has fostered international trade where different states interact through financial transactions involving imports, exports, and tariffs. Although globalization is supposed to promote equality in wealth distribution, most multinational corporations profit at the expense of individuals in less developed nations. Krugman (1993) acknowledges misconceptions in international trade and globalization, claiming that Americans should leverage resources and production processes to support economic nationalism. IPE has continued to support economic nationalism, capitalism, and liberalism, which has increased inequality in the market. Sachs (2011) argues that globalization and the emergence of political economics have led to the increased depletion of natural resources. This phenomenon continues to exert strain on limited resources, mainly due to greed advanced by the rich to accumulate more wealth. Democratization is a critical process that contributes to increased freedom when a democratic regime replaces an authoritarian one. This is followed by democratic consolidation, where respected and legitimate democratic institutions are integrated into the state’s political culture. Democracy allows nations to enhance economic and political development by serving individual, state, and global needs. It promotes equality and citizenship that fosters a conducive international environment to interact with other states. O’Donnell and Schmitter (1986) claim that ‘order’ created by authoritarian regimes becomes ‘disorder’ when important actors abandon the movement. Huntington (1993) describes the various waves of democratization with a significant emphasis on the third wave, which began in the 1970s to date. The emergence of democracy ensures a continuous renewal of the system through elections forming new policies and coalitions. Global terrorism concerns are widespread in the 21 st century, starting with 9/11 to small-scale common terror attacks. Terrorism affects both the institution of democracy and the advancement of IPE strategies. Terrorists justify their actions by retaliation, collective responsibility, and method of last resort. Homer-Dixon (2009) claims that terrorists exploit the security system’s weaknesses aided by technological advances that produce weapons of mass disruption. Terrorism can cause significant divisions in a country leading to national disintegration and loss of democracy. Global communications and information flow promote terror networks that assist terrorists in lodge attacks in different regions. Therefore, interconnected networks develop complex measures that support their destructive agenda. IPE, democratization, and terrorism borrow from similar theoretical f
Purpose Kogi (2006) sought to determine the type of approach taken when using the participatory methods in the attempt to realize the ergonomic needs present in different work settings. The author also wanted to determine how far improvements resulting from the application of the participatory methods differed with respect to varying work settings. Finally, the study sought to identify the support measures that are best in aiding participatory action in local settings. Method(s) The author reviewed five programs in different Asian countries. These programs were meant for small-scale and medium businesses that represented an underserved group of workers. The first program was a WISE methodology that was formulated by the International Labour Organization. This was applied in Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines. The second program was a program that was action-oriented and meant to lower the level of risk in construction sites. This program was applicable in Mongolia and Japan, among other countries. The third program was the WIND program that was meant to help farmers to improve their workplaces. It covered Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The fourth program was the WISH program that was meant for home workers. Finally, the fifth program involved the POSITIVE method meant for empowering trade union members. The program was meant for Japan, Nepal, and Vietnam, among other Asian countries. The programs were offered as a series of short courses. The author then compared the programs in terms of their approaches. Kogi (2006) also examined the achievements made by using these methods before finally looking into how the programs could be networked. Description The author identified that the participatory methods, especially the WISE method, emphasized good local practices. Moreover, the five programs were implemented as short-term courses with a focus on localized and basic ergonomic tenets. There was also an emphasis on occupational hygiene. The participatory methods also aimed at improving workplace design, thereby increasing productivity through reduced work stress. The author described the successful use of the WISE project in the Philippines between 1994 and 1997, the success story of the WIND activities in Vietnam from the late 1990s, and the successful POSITIVE activities in Nepal since 2000. Kogi (2006) approved these programs on the basis of their low-cost nature, yet they achieved tangible improvements. The improvements were most notable in technical areas like welfare facilities. Implementation rates were higher in such areas. The author concl
Taoism is an ancient philosophy which describes Chinese relation to the universe, to people, to nature and to the whole life in general. Those who understand the main idea of Taoism can easily consider the place of objectivity and subjectivity within the philosophy. According to the main principles of Taoism, Tao is central notion for the philosophy which is often related to as “the Way”. Tao is something that has no shape, no form, no name, no subject and no object. It is everything and at the same way it is nothing. It may be considered as a paradox, but Tao is a “formless form” and an “imageless image (Tzu 14). Only those who manage to understand this can fuse the universe and remain ever-living, like water which is “ever flowing, ever changing” (Tzu par 2). The main idea of the essay is to define the Taoism relation to objectivity and subjectivity, to apply the philosophy to how individuals should live, to relate it to nature. The problem of the difference in Taoism and western view of the world will be also considered via the parable “three in the morning”. Objectivity and Subjectivity The main idea of objectivity is to be unlimited by any restrictions and objects. In other words, to become objective is to become free from restrictions and objects, to be free from everything. And to be free is the main concept for Taoism. People got used to be subjective. It is a human nature to treat everything on the basis of the personal considerations. The main idea of Taoism is to avoid subjecting treatment of different things and events. Those who want to live according to the rules and principles of Taoism should remain action-less. Only having reached the harmony with the self and the universe one may become absolutely objective and free. Tzu states that “the Tao appears empty, but its fullness cannot be exhausted; like a bottomless bowl, it is the grandfather of everything that is. The Tao blunts all sharpness, loosens all knots” (4). Only people who can frustrate from world subjects can understand the main idea of this expression, and only human mind free from subjectivity can see something which abstract and at the same time so material. This is the idea, the Tao is invisible but people look at it, knowing that the Tao is speechless, people listen for it, being ware of the fact that the Tao is intangible, people still grope for it (Tzu 14) and this is the main idea of Taoism and its objectivity. Everything in the world is objective and the sooner a person will be able to reach it, the faster he/she will appear in the unity with Tao. Individual Life and Relation to Nature Taoism philosophy states that “all things depend on the Tao for their life, and it refuses them not” (Tzu 34). This is one of the main explanations of the philosophy to human individual life. Thus, the main philosophy of Taoism is to become free and
The decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Roe v. Wade can be called a fundamental decision in the US legal system that gave women the right to have an abortion. According to the Court’s ruling on January 22, 1972, the rule to privacy protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution covered women’s right to have an abortion, only in cases when their health and the potentiality of human life was not undermined ( Roe v. Wade , n.d., para. 1). The decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey reaffirmed the previous decision in Roe v. Wade as to women’s right to have an abortion. However, there was a turn from the initial decision pertaining to the legality of abortion in the third trimester ( Planned Parenthood of Southeastern PA. v. Casey, n.d., para. 1). Therefore, such a ruling encouraged women to be more thoughtful about their decision and not to undermine the viability of the fetus. The immediate political and social effect of the Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey decisions related to the conflict between governmental bodies and political parties that oppose the right to abortion. Most notably, the decision of the Supreme Court has contributed to the creation of the split in the political opinions of the Democratic and Republican parties, having either a pro-choice or anti-choice position. The controversial decision of the Supreme Court influenced the powers of some governmental branches, especially the court system, challenged by the nationwide debate (Lagasse, 2016). The US healthcare system is a governmental branch that experienced the most shifts and changes over the years. For example, in the 1960’s, abortion was such a dangerous procedure that seventeen percent of pregnancy-related deaths were caused by illegal abortion (Planned Parenthood, 2014, p. 2). However, after the Roe v. Wade ruling, the government had invested in facilitating safe abortion procedures that did not undermine women’s health. As to women’s decisions to have an abortion at the same time with preserving health remains a primary concern for the majority of governmental branches. Roe v. Wade decision remains a subject of many political, legal, and social disputes on whether it should be overruled. Because the language of the Supreme Court decision did not include any strict guidelines on the time in which the pregnancy can be terminated, some portion of the public supports its overruling. Also, the Supreme Court decision is surrounded by major fallacy and misconception, for example, it is thought that Roe v. Wade overruling would give the states the power to decide on their regulations on ab
The lesson learned By reading “The Making of a Quagmire” by David Halberstam, there stands a possibility that the truth was after all not told during the Vietnamese war, as both the government and the press reported differently on the then happenings taking place in the same country. The U.S. press seemingly stood in support of the cold war ideology, opposed to the government, thereby making the believers of the idea that ‘the media lost the Vietnamese war’ never to relent in the accusations. The actions of Ngo Dihn Diem People consider Ngo Dihn Diem, the Vietnamese Catholic leader who stood against the expansion of communism and as a result benefited from the support he garnered from the United States Government, the cause of the happenings that triggered the highly controversial war. As the son of Vietnamese elite, Diem seemed familiar to Catholicism at a tender age despite the high domination of Buddhism in Vietnam. Upon receiving his western education, Diem scooped an appointment as the prime minister of Vietnam with the presentation of his government happening in 1954 after garnering the support of the US to put pressure on the French government to do so. He then turned against Bao Dai, the then the appointed head of the Vietnamese government by organizing a plebiscite where the people had to choose between him and the then leader Bao Dai by force. This then ushered the authoritarian government that he headed after proclaiming himself the First president of the Republic of Vietnam (RVN). His campaign aimed at dealing with suspected communists and his authoritarian rule system made his support to dwindle as time went by. This rule even alienated the non-Buddhists who in turn chose to rebel against his rule. His opponents, with the help of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV), formed the national Liberation Front of South Vietnam (NLF), which aimed at overthrowing his government. As Halberstam reported, the alleged killing of 130,000 Catholics by the Buddhists in 1840 stands out as a thing taken to as an excuse by Diem to treat the Buddhists badly considering that one of his ancestors was a victim in the massacre (56). As pressure intensified in Vietnam, the United States then allowed the staging of the coup against Ngo Dihn Diem in 1963, followed by his assassination the next day together with one of his brothers. Halberstam gives a description of the happenings on the parade day “On our way to the parade, we noticed a curious phenomenon: the police were turning away thousands of people…After the parade . Jim Robinson of NBC…pointed out that the public had been barred but [Ambassador] Nolting refused to believe him” (145). This controversy illustrates the manner in which the government officials and the press viewed the events in Vietnam differently. The Press or the Government Considering that the media and the government gave very conflic
Key Issues The HR department at Becton Dickinson (BD) needs some major changes if it hopes to become strategically focused. As of now, BD has a number of issues that need to be tackled before any new policy can be successfully implemented. One of the biggest issues is the competency level of employees. At present, managers just fill the vacancies without looking at the long-term potential of a candidate. As a result of this state of affairs, the organization is overcrowded with employees having no managerial skills or even traits. There are also limited avenues for employees’ career growth. Moreover, HR does not have in place a system to educate the employees in skills that will help them grow. Another issue is the lack of teamwork and cooperation both at the business unit level and at the corporate management level. There is also no employee feedback system and no formal mechanism for employees to have their voices heard. This lack of communication between employees and managers makes it difficult for the HRD to become aware of potential problems. In general, the HR department is not involved in strategic planning and its stance is mostly reactive rather than proactive. For the most part, the HR department only seems to exist to handle administrative works such as preparing salaries. Recommendations In order to improve the strategic orientation of the HR department, some serious changes need to be made in its functioning. Currently, the HR department does not have much say in the recruitment process. Thi
Maintaining Entrepreneurial Culture Today, more than ever before, there has been a budding curiosity in creating entrepreneurial cultures within organizations and institutions. Industry analysts believe that the objective of crafting these cultures is to boost the innovative and creative capabilities of employees, not to mention the fact that they are also used to increase the success and performance of organizations through the generation and development of new corporate ventures (Entrepreneur, 1999). The role of entrepreneurial culture towards Google’s monumental growth and success in the recent past can never be wished away. According to the case, the raw spirit of entrepreneurship and drive for success ingrained in two graduate students – Larry Page and Sergey Brin – gave rise to what is today viewed as one of the most successful companies of the 21 st century in the name of Google. The success of the company notwithstanding, it is important to underline the fact that competition in the internet market has reached a fever pitch, with advances in technology enabling the blue-chip companies to initiate mesmerizing innovations to gain a foothold on the ever-shrinking market (Entrepreneur, 1999). Many of these companies have undertaken expansionist strategies to a point where maintaining the entrepreneurial culture is no longer tenable. Google, however, has continued to retain its entrepreneurial culture even after growing from a Startup Company into a multi-billion dollar global outfit. Certainly, all indications are clear that the corporation will maintain its entrepreneurial culture into the future, mostly due to the type of business it engages in (Zwaniecki, 2008). The internet business demands an environment where autonomy, drive, and initiative are left at the hands of entrepreneurial-minded employees, no matter their rank in the company (Entrepreneur, 1999). Creativity, independence, and motivat