ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
“Going for the Look, but Risking Discrimination” is an exposé in the New York Times written by Steven Greenhouse. Greenhouse, a journalist with the paper, asserts that people are treated differently based on their physical attributes. He also maintains that most retail stores such as Abercrombie, Fitch, and L’Oreal hire people based on good looks. This aims at boosting its product sales and attracting more customers. To validate his claims, the author cites instances of people he cross-examined who had similar views about the stores. He also conducts an interview with a sociology professor. He then goes on to outline the challenges that the companies and retail stores face as they try to promote their products by employing only “attractive” personnel. Reading through the article, it is not easy to establish the position of the writer on the issue of hiring based on looks. However, in paragraph eight he provides the image of a person who dislikes the idea but is still open to a logical explanation. He says that though hiring based on looks is legal (but immoral) any sort of discrimination is not allowed. Appearance plays an imperative part in deciding the value of a product. This is why companies go to great lengths to update the packaging of their products to suit changing market trends. The difference between the prices of a product in one store and the same product in a different store might all be based on the packaging and image. For example, the price of a suit in Walmart may be higher or lower than the price of the same suit in another store due to the image portrayed by these stores. Advertising agencies spend millions of dollars to portray products as sophisticated and classy. This kind of marketing is meant to boost sales and obtain an edge in the competition. It is the right of every company to formulate its own employment policies with the aim of improving sales. This is not to say that there will be no legal obstacles to overcome in the process. If such practices improve sales while at the same time creating jobs for these “attractive” young students, then it should not be scorned. Moreover, there are other jobs for those who do not meet the criteria set by the stores for sales people since retail stores do not consist exclusively of sales personnel. Though I agree that companies need to maintain certain images to increase profit, any sort of discrimination based on race, gender or religion should not be entertained. In modern day society, much value is attached on appearance. Establishments have figured out how to use this concept to improve sales and customer rating. Though they possess the discretion of employment decisions, discrimination contravenes the universal chatter on human rights. Every person has the right to fair treatment and sh
The article presents three arguments to the reader. First, it argues that organizational practices and changes in certain external factors affect attraction and retention of employees. The main challenges faced by organizations are due to changes in laws that govern industrial relations. Secondly, it argues that good organizational practices are important in attraction and retention of skilled employees. Thirdly, the article argues that it is necessary for organizations to diversify their workforce and address issues regarding balance between work and life for employees in order to attract and retain them. These arguments are built upon using a research study conducted in 2009. The study provides responses from employees concerning challenges they face at their workplaces, strategies that managers use to attract and retain employees, and challenges managers face in attracting and retaining employees. The research also investigated how employees in the resource sector in Australia perceive the influence of changes in legislation. The article uses evidence of examination of strategise that can help to attract employees to advance the arguments. Such strategies include good employment practices and employee involvement in the resource sector. Finally, the article uses evidence form literature on attraction and retention of employees and good employment practices to further the arguments. The arguments presented in this paper are convincing because the evidence they present to build on them are reliable and valid. The survey presents data obtained from employees’ responses to questions whose answers validated the arguments. For example, the literature reviewed by authors of the article included past studies conducted by government agencies and professional writers. The article cites information from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). There are also citations from various writers such as Crawford, Frith, Cooper, Bailey et. al, and Knox who are professional and reliable writers. Information obtained from Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) and The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) gives reason to believe that the information is accurate and applicable. The authors also cite literature from different professional authors who have studied the subject of employee attraction and retention for many years. They have also conducted several studies relating to the topic in past years. For example,
Population The current community assessment document is created to address an acute issue in the life of the identified population with regard to the current research findings and the reflection of the members of the affected community. The population selected for the community assessment includes prison inmates serving a life sentence without parole or the ability to give consent in Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility. The facility is an all-male state prison incarcerating offenders having committed diverse types of crimes. The purpose this population was chosen is their inability to give consent and receive legal services once they were convicted of a crime. Under such circumstances, the inmates without parole are deprived of any rights to obtaining legal or therapeutic support on demand. Such a state of affairs makes the lifers and those serving long-term imprisonment a vulnerable population that needs protection and provision of treatment services. An ongoing debate in the literature of correctional work addresses the need for social work with individuals that will never re-integrate into society. On the one hand, since such people are not expected to join communities out of prison, there is no need to help them facilitate social skills and resolve their psychological issues (Stearns, Swanson, & Etie, 2017). On the other hand, however, this population is disadvantaged and continuously exposed to the challenges of social isolation and a hostile living environment, which only aggravates the psychological burden and leads to an array of mental problems. Moreover, the men imprisoned for life face challenges of aging, which exposes them to the continuous need for appropriate physical and mental health care in accordance with their age requirements. Needed Change There exists an urgent need to implement change in the current system of service provision within the correctional facilities in the USA, where the inmates serving life sentences without parole have limited opportunities to access mental health care. They suffer from social isolation, the lack of legal support, and the burden of prison life, and become continuously exposed to various mental disorders, aggressive behaviors, and an overall unhealthy living environment. Therefore, it is required to implement a change to the way correctional institutions treat inmates serving life from seeing them as invisible to acknowledging their mental health needs and addressing of thereof (Stearns et al., 2017). The change that is articulated in this assessment entails the endeavors to attract available community resources to facilitate social work services for lifers in a correctional facility to ensure their mental health and promote a favorable living environment in prison. Current Research The issue of the acknowledgment of prisoners serving lif
The importance of sociology in the fight against AIDS has been mentioned several times by prominent researchers. Macionis and Plummer wrote: “The social implications of AIDS are so many that it becomes almost a test case for the relevance of sociology to health” (2008). Macionis and Plummer are correct in the sense that AIDS is a disease which infection rate is strongly correlated to interpersonal relationships, such as sexual intercourse, blood transfusion and intravenous drug use. Furthermore, in the beginning of its evolution, the disease was associated with homosexuals. Therefore, there is a need to incorporate insights regarding interpersonal relationships when it comes to the design of prevention programs. AIDS is a perfect example of the close link between health and sociology. Impact on Mankind The importance of sociology in the study of AIDS is based on its unique attributes. There are many deadly forms of diseases that claim many lives. For instance, medical conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease claim hundreds of thousands of lives. But AIDS/HIV is the only highly communicable disease that has no known cure and, at the same time, can infect a person without developing any type of symptoms. This characteristic is the primary reason why AIDS has reached crisis proportions in many parts of the globe. Consider, for instance, social impact of the infected person engaging in sexual relations with wife and other people. The virus is passed on from one person to the next without their knowledge. A prostitute can unknowingly pass the disease to her clients before the virus ends her life. The infected wife continues to bear children infected with the virus without the family’s knowledge of impending doom. There is, therefore, the need to access sophisticated medical intervention processes in order to detect HIV/AIDS. But in poor countries the lack of technology is just half of the problem. People are even unaware of what AIDS means. The inability to combat AIDS at the early stage is a sociological problem because the lack of education and the lack of medical facilities enhance the power of the disease. Paul Farmer in his book Infections and Inequalities: the Modern Plagues lamented the fact that people die not because there is no means to fight the disease, but simply because they have no access to decent healthcare. However, mankind must not succumb to despair. It would be best to follow the suggested course of action of a man who saw the collision of sociology and medical science and he said: “One learn
Introduction The author’s purpose for writing the book was to demonstrate how developing nations’ political, social and economic institutions contribute to their state of underdevelopment. His method was to establish a theory concerning underdevelopment and then use case study comparisons between strategies in various developing nations (Latin America, Pakistan etc) and the established standards for development in successful nations. The author’s theories are derived from an analytical framework of risk, uncertainty, trust and social progress. He then forms a link between these frameworks by illustrating that leaders in developing nations have incentives to sustain national failure as they benefit from it. The author argues that in developing nations, trust is imperative in the development cycle. However, because there is a divide between uncertainty and risk, then few incentives for innovation and entrepreneurship exist among these nations. Book summary The first part of the book gives an outline of the author’s basic arguments. Root (2005) starts with definitions of uncertainty and risk. He explains that risk is quantifiable while uncertainty is not. He further adds that the problem in developing nations is not the lack of capital as most economists would argue. Instead, it is the divide between uncertainty and risk that leads to these challenges. Developing countries lack the tools needed to asses risk and therefore protect themselves against risk. Such a state of affairs stifles innovations and minimizes entrepreneurship ventures as most people are willing to forego risks when they are not known. The author believes that most individuals in the developing world are economically conservative. They lack the basic structures need to insure their social and private needs. Households in this area must use most of their resources to get basic services; they have minimal finances left to enlarge their frame of reference. Uncertainty in this part of the world keeps developing nations trapped in their cycle of poverty. Nonetheless, not all citizens in these nations object to uncertainty. Political agents profit from it because an uncertain climate facilitates minimal accountability. A leader can do what he wants, and no one would question him about it. Most international institutions like the IMF argue against political interventions, yet these are the root of the problem in developing countries. Leaders in all developing countries have the unique opportunity of changing uncertainty into risk, and this would foster growth. However, those leaders benefit from the status quo. Consequently, it is unlikely that they would make positive economic reforms. If these leaders facilitate broad access to resources, then they will loose their leverage and become unnecessary. Developing countries also lack the kind of political and social institutions needed to quantify uncertainty. Therefore, market participants find it difficult to agree on any trade terms. As a consequence, most of these parties end up engaging in short terms exchanges so as to reduce their exposure to risk. This preference for minimal and short-term
Introduction Mary Rowlandson’s narrative reveals a great deal about women’s roles at the time of her writing, as well as within her particular culture. Her story discusses how she lived in nature and with Indians, and this resultantly provided her with a life experience that was very unique, influential, and continues to be famous. Rowlandson’s ordeals within the wild permitted her to evolve in ways that the majority of women in her time could not evolve. The sort of power developed by Rowlandson was such that it set her apart from the traditional roles of the Puritan women in her time and within her culture. The majority of women in Rowlandson’s culture were not independent, while Rowlandson would become independent. While many women could not fend for themselves and were given the tasks of cooking, cleaning, raising a family, and being subservient to their husbands, Rowlandson’s experience completely separated her from that environment while teaching her to function on her own. Through this experience, Rowlandson’s account provides a model of strength commonly considered in women’s studies while capable of being considered as an example of heroism while being an icon for femininity. Rowlandson ultimately reveals that the cultural differences between Indians and Christians are not as separate as the traditional Puritan Christian would have thought at the time, as she reveals the details of culture about women’s roles in both communities. Rowlandson’s experience and development Rowlandson’s experience began in Lancaster, Massachusetts. During her time there, King Phillip’s War was taking place between 1675 and 1677 (Baym). Rowlandson would be kidnapped by the Indians during this war and ultimately be held for nearly three months. It was in her captivity that she wrote about her overall experience with the Indians, and wrote on topics that would change perspectives while adding a fantastic account to women’s studies. Rowlandson would choose to later function in life while refusing to acknowledge her evolved independence. This was revealed when she was out of captivity and visited her son, while she would claim that though she went, she rapidly lost herself in the journey and found her way out (Baym). She trivialized an ordeal which would seem to be a complete crisis to another woman, and perhaps the subject of a book in itself. Thus, this also revealed how Rowlands
Introduction Professionally, Johnson is a construction worker who is relatively skilled at what he does. He has also served his country as a soldier and had to go for overseas missions outside his country. His recent mission was to Afghanistan where along with some of his mates he did a successful and deserved service for the United States of America. Nevertheless, this came at a grueling cost. He has come back home with an injured arm and he is not very sure whether the war torn country of Afghanistan has rendered his injury a permanent one. Since his November 21 return, he has had to struggle through his construction profession and also through his romantic relationship. He has confessed that the changes that have occurred from his long term overseas mission have changed him, most of which is not for the good. He admits that he is not the same person he was when he left for the mission (Verburg, 2010, para.2). The 21 year old Johnson already has a story to tell, as young as he is. The thing that is interesting is that similar situations await three thousand soldiers who have been deployed from overseas theatres of explosion and exposure of live bullet fires over the last one year, with many of them having had served in Iraq for the last eight months. The question that openly stands to be answered is this one: What awaits our soldiers when they return home from combat or war? It is clear that most of them struggle in their efforts in trying to come to terms with the constantly changing time. Soldiers like Johnson have had to adjust their living styles and this not only affects them but also affects the people that surround them. What are some of the efforts that have been put in place by the government to make sure that these soldiers are as comfortable as possible after they have returned home? After all, they deserve a reward that is of worth considering their service they have done to the nation. This paper tries to look into this issue. Veterans: Their Mental and Physical Health The Brigade Combat Team of the 32 nd Infantry has been the 2 nd largest group of soldiers to be deployed since the Second World War. Despite the preparation that the federal state and the other agencies involved have had in order to make sure that the soldiers have had a safe landing home, some of the problems that they have been experiencing on their return home have been rampant post traumatic stress disorders ( Freshour, 2006, para.10). The numbers of divorces that have occurred between 2000 and 2004 in the military have increased by 53% and this has a lot to do with the stresses that a family may go through in these times of deployment. In addition, extension of missions is having a toll on families in a strenuous way. To curb this effect, the military is developing some programs that will help the families that are going through such rough times as these. These programs enable families left behind to first of all understand why the deployment and extension is
Introduction The film, ‘Into the Wild’ revolves around the life of an excellent student and successful athlete, Christopher McCandless, the hero of the film, who decides to leave behind his career, family and relationships to embark upon a journey into nature. The actor has, as a child witnessed a troubled childhood, the memories of which he wants to escape, and which have left him de-motivated and disillusioned in life. He wishes escape from the material world and travel to Alaska, where he would be able to unite with nature and forget all the memories of his miserable childhood. Main text After his graduation, he begins his travel with minimum belongings and money, after donating his entire savings of $25,000, to Oxfam and misinforming his parents that he was returning to Atlanta, when in actuality he sets out for Alaska, a journey which lasts twenty months. Upon reaching Alaska, Chris who is now Alex, faces many hardships, and is not prepared for them physically, mentally or financially. In the course of his journey, he encounters several people, from whom he learns the true value of relationships and sharing. All the people he encounters are agents of socialization; Wyne Westerberg employs Alex at the grain elevator, while Jan Burres and her boyfriend befriend him like surrogate parents. Tracy is the young teenage girl who is heartbroken when Chris deserts her abruptly. The most influential character who puts in the maximum effort and plays a vital role in re-uniting Chris with society is Ron Franz. Chris learns the true meaning of relationships and family and most importantly the value of sharing in life, the realization of which falls on him and he immediately decides to return home to society. However, by the time this realization dawns upon him, it is too late, for when he decides to return home, the circumstances do not favor his return and he has neither the means nor the route to get back home. He then dies a sad death in isolation due to hunger and loneliness, ironically when he so eagerly wishes to get back home. The film depicted a very important sociological theme by way of its plot, with a subtle but visible emphasis on the effect of parents and family on the lives of children and the decisions they make. Chris is a young and dynamic young man, who succeeds at everything he undertakes. But life takes a sad turn when he is unable to cope with the psychological pressures of his family life. his father has been discovered to have a second wife and a child from this marriage. This angers Chris deeply and he is deeply hurt. The film is representative o the current situation in society and the dire consequences of broken and unhappy families. The society is changing at a rapid pace and so are familial values. Parents fail to understand that their children are in the delicate stages of growth and hold their parents and families in high esteem. But when parents fight and fail to adjust with each other, the harm caused to the minds of children minds is much greater than one can imagine. As agents