ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Most books concentrate on heroes and villains as opposed to other characters. In fact, minor characters are usually ignored in most novels. This has also been paramount in movies as well as documentaries. It is important to note that victims are sometimes ignored in novels if they are minor characters. However, it should be noted that victims are important in development of stories. Moreover, they play vital roles in stories. It is therefore necessary that they be actively scrutinized in books. This paper will explore the role and representation of victim (s) in three books namely “The big sleep,” “The pledge,” and “A coffin for Dimitrios” Victims in “The big sleep” The novel contains numerous instances of victimization. In fact, it begins with victimization of General Sternwood by Arthur, who threatens to blackmail him with scandalous pictures involving his daughter. In this regard, the general is a victim of circumstance. The second victim seen in this novel is Carmen Sternwood. She is found drugged and naked in Geiger’s house. The novel is full of victims because characters are killed for unclear reasons. For instance, Brody is victimized for Geiger’s death. Lundgren kills him for a crime he has not committed. Another victim mentioned in this book is Regan who is killed by Carmen. Similarly, Canino, a professional killer, kills Harry Jones. In essence, the novel is full of victims of circumstances utilized to construct the author’s story. Use of victims exemplifies the theme of revenge throughout the novel. Moreover, it is utilized to solve different puzzles for the protagonist, Marlowe. Therefore, victims play an important role in constructing this story. In addition, they qualify different themes utilized in the novel. For instance, even though Carmen is considered psychic, she kills Regan. This is ironic as well as surprising. Moreover, she attempts to kill Marlowe. In essence, victims play an important role throughout the novel. Victims in “The pledge” The pledge is a story about the murder of a girl. The young girl’s mother is terrified about the incident. In this regard, it can be seen that the girl is the victim in this case. A criminal who has no sympathy for children kills her. In addition, someone else is mistakenly held for the crime. Besides, the girl’s mother is forced to bear the pain of child loss. In essence, to this extent, three characters are victimized here. However, this happens at different stages. The mother is a victim of circumstance. This is similar to the person held for a crime he has not committed. In both cases, they are caught unawares. In fact, they pass through gruesome situations for unknown reasons. On the other hand, the detective also fall victim to his pledge. He faces numerous obsta
Given the moral nature of medical practice, the over-emphasis on business processes raises ethical questions (Mains, Coustasse & Lykens, 2004). The goals of Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) focus on meeting business objectives. Some of the objectives hinge on interfering with the ordinary doctor-patient relationship that has been dominant in clinical practice. It is necessary that despite the need to achieve the goals of MCOs, the moral nature of clinical practice does not get lost. The MCOs need to strike a balance between business objectives, as well as ethical issues of clinical practice. The authors seek to outline the ethical questions that arise as a result of incentives that MCOs provide to the physicians in their network. Given the need to obtain the promised incentives, physicians engage in cost cutting measures. As such, this grants the MCOs a sizeable control of clinical practice (Mains et al., 2004). The MCOs do not disclose the incentives provided to the involved parties. The physicians, for whom MCOs target the incentives, do not seem to understand the incentives since there are variations in each clinical case. According to the authors, the intention of physician incentives is good but due to implementation issues there are ethical considerations that arise. The application of incentives has a significant bearing on the process of clinical decision-making. Brody (2012) argues that MCOs have increased the number of factors that a physician has to consider when making clinical decisions. The physician has to factor in new competing demands, such as resource availability, when making clinical care decisions. Traditionally, some of the new requirements did not have a role in the determination of the care provided. Other ethical issues relate to the fact that it is necessary under both economic and legal terms to disclose the incentives offered. MCOs regard the incentives as proprietary and as such decline to agree to the disclosure of the incentive schemes applied (Rosenbaum & Lamas, 2012). MCOs create a clinical environment that makes the physician perform a dual function by adding financial advocacy on top of the traditional role of taking care of patients. Principles of clinical practice require that the doctor represent the needs of the patient. On the other hand, MCOs create an environment where cost effectiveness in managing patients plays the central role (Rosenbaum & Lamas, 2012). The physician is thus expected to do what is best for the patient while at the same time ensuring attainment of the institutional goal of minimizing the resources. Physicians have to continue viewing patients as individuals as well as think of the patients as a pool of persons as directed by MCO objectives. According to Mains et al. (2004), the physician’s role in such circumstance then follows the utilitarian model of doing good for the majority patients rather than for an individual patient. The environment of managed care has a significant effect on the physician-patient relationship that for a long time has defined clinical practice. The emphasis on cost effectiveness as well as
The Sociology of gender is a major subfield of sociology. In a layman’s language, the term ‘gender role’ is used in sociology to denote all those things that an individual says or does to reveal himself or herself as having the male or female status. Many sociologists have supported the notion that gender roles are, at best, cultural and personal. The gender roles determine how individuals should think, speak, dress, behave, and interact with each other within the context of society. According to Kimmel, the socialization process plays a major role in determining our gender roles as males and females (3). The fact that males and females are socialized into different roles from a very early age in many societies is undeniable. It is the purpose of this issue to discuss the concept of gender roles using the sociological perspective of symbolic interaction. According to Anderson & Taylor, “…symbolic interaction considers immediate social interaction to be the place where society exists” (22). Changing Minds.org argues
Sweden is a country with a long history which is now regarded as one of the world’s “most advanced nations in terms of politics, social welfare, gender equality, standard of living, technology, the arts, and participation in regional and global developments” (Nordstrom 1). This country was also characterized by homogenous population throughout centuries, but increasing immigration which took place in the twentieth century has changed the demographic situation in the country. Nevertheless, Swedish culture and Swedish values are still being promulgated in the country. However, according to Witoszek and Trägårdh cultural hegemony in Sweden has led to many issues concerning minorities living in the country (196). In the contemporary globalized world many argue that homogeneity can be the clue to cultural sustainability, but sometimes hegemony of culture can lead to various unexpected outcomes. In this paper I argue that cultural hegemony in Sweden led to such negative outcomes as development of extreme forms of nationalism which threatened democracy in the country and led to numerous acts of violence. Therefore, in the first place, I will touch upon peculiarities of cultural hegemony in Sweden and its origins and then I will consider examples of negative outcomes of cultural hegemony in Sweden. As has been mentioned above Sweden was homogenous for a long time. Swedish homogeneity is the major background for the hegemony of Swedish culture. Admittedly, there were the necessary premises to develop such notion as “Swedishness” (Gröndahl 22). Sweden culture is based on such “typical Swedish values like equality, self-criticism, worship of nature” (Gustavsson 503). It is necessary to add that Swedish homogeneity was also possible due to the impact of religion, since the majority of adult population of the country pertain to Lutheran Church and, thus, share the same values (Berggren 573). More so, Sweden is one of those few countries which were not threatened by external attacks (Hjerm). When considering Swedish cultural homogeneity it is important to mention that the country enjoyed political, social and economical stability throughout centuries since after the rapid development in the times of the industrial revolution the country did not have periods of serious economical crisis. However, this favorable tendency was interrupted in the 1990s when Sweden faced serious economic recession (Hjerm). It goes without saying that economic constraints influence cultural development of the country. Admittedly, in combination with immigration these economical issues can result in the development of extreme nationalism which is one of possible negative outcomes of cultural hegemony. As far as immigration in Sweden is concerned it is necessary to point out that after World War II “an influx of refugees and labor immigrants took place” (Gröndahl 22). There were two other major influxes which took place in 1960s and 1980s. Immigrants who came to Sweden were of Finnish and Kurdish origins (Gröndahl 22). It is necessary to
The Plan B given by Lester Brown reaches its climax in chapter six of the text entitled “Designing Cities for People’. In this chapter, Brown talks about the different alternatives that cities have adopted to make the environment safe and conducive for human existence. Most city designs done earlier on had adopted plans, which aimed at ensuring mobility by designing them to accommodate as many cars as possible. These designs however come to fail considering the doubling fact of the ownership of cars each passing day as the population increases and the designs remaining as they are. The presence of the cars therefore contributes towards immobility rather than enhancing the expected mobility. The chapter “Designing Cities for People” explores the different alternatives employed by major city administrators to ensure that the decongestion of cities as well as the curbing of pollution and ultimately giving the health of the city residents a priority. The most innovative alternative as far as I am concerned is the use of bicycles as a means of enhancing mobility. Bicycles have helped decongest several cities considering that a number of bicycles can use a path or the space that only one vehicle can use. Another outstanding benefit of considering the bicycle as the most viable option in the quest for decongesting cities and making them conducive for human existence is that bicycles do not emit gases that can cause respiratory problems to people. To curb the obesity pandemic and the early onset of diabetes in countries such as the US, the people need to consider the biking option with seriousness since it provides a good way of exercising. The problem of settlements is another challenge that cities are facing more so those in developing countries. Considering that most people are leaving the rural areas in search of opportunities of good life in urban centers, the problem of rural-urban migration has greatly caught most city designers off guard. Most of the people who come to the cities do so based on economic constraints that force them to squat in risky areas such as riverbanks and steep slopes, a thing that makes it impossible for city planners to provide them with basic social amenities. The most viable solution to this problem that authorities in developing countries should adopt is a system whereby they encourage people to live in the rural areas by making their lives comfortable while there. Through making social amenities cheap and easy to access for the people as well as employment opportunities, the rates that people will move with to urban centers will definitely be low making it easy to deal with the problem of emerging shanties and slums. By adopting control measures such as those adopted by Enrique Peñalosa, the mayor of the city of Bogota, many problems that threaten the lives of innocent people in cities through pollution as well as the inconveniences caused by traffic jams can be completely dealt with. One important thing that this mayor stands out for is his insistence on the importance of parks in citi
Employee Engagement as a Tool for High-Level Business Purposes and a Thing in Itself Engagement: Definitions and Comparison (Involvement, Commitment, and Participation) Determining the essence of employee engagement (EE) as a phenomenon is a rather tricky task. Because of the elusive nature of the subject matter, as well as the array of factors that affect it, it is comparatively hard to detect the components of EE. Therefore, providing a definition for the concept is also a rather intricate process. CIPD (2015) asserts that the Utrecht University Group has captured the essence of EE and provided an impeccable definition for the concept. According to the findings of the study conducted by the Utrecht experts, EE can be summarised as “a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind” (Bailey et al., 2015, p. 52). However, CIPD members also stress that the current definition could use refinement when applied to the workplace environment. For instance, the focus on maintaining a consistent performance quality could have been included in the description provided above. CIPD suggests that the following should be viewed as the model explanation of what EE is: “being positively present during the performance of work by willingly contributing intellectual effort, experiencing positive emotions and meaningful connections to others” (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development 2016a, para. 5). One should distinguish between the concepts of EE, involvement, commitment, and participation. According to CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development 2016a), while EE implies positivity and connection, involvement concerns primarily being informed about the company’s progress. Commitment is traditionally rendered as loyalty, whereas participation does not incorporate enthusiasm as opposed to EE. Therefore, involvement, commitment, and participation can be viewed as the components of EE (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development 2016a). Behaviors and Signs of Engagement in My Organisation: Analysis Organizational Citizenship. According to the existing definition, the phenomenon of the corporate citizenship can be rendered as the employee’s loyalty to the company and acceptance of its values and ethical stance (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development n. d.).Employee loyalty is valued highly in the company in which I work. As a result, the staff members develop a commitment to the company. Their satisfaction and engagement can be traced by considering their performance indicators, which are very high, and the decisions that they make when addressing company-related issues. Furthermore, the et
Dave Barry was born in 1947 and being the author of more than twenty humor books, he has composed a fantastic Complete Guide to Guys (1995), which is going to be discussed. Barry’s personal observations and assumptions about the male half of the population are provided in the following abstract. This paper’s main purpose is to respond to the article considering whether it is appropriate to talk about men in this way. Gender roles, masculinity, and relationship expectations are eternal topics to argue due to the flexibility of people’s attitudes. Barry’s text is not an exception and the ironic style of the article obliges to appeal to stereotypes to create a comical situation. For instance, the statement “I’m not saying guys are scum” is refuted in the very next paragraph, “Okay, so maybe I am saying guys are scum”, which proves the idea of building the whole article on the contradistinctive (Bullock et al., 2016, p. 945). Thus, the writer’s goal is to draw readers’ attention to men’s oddities, make fun of them, and show that they are normal and not seen as absurd anymore. In this piece, women are also portrayed as irrational human beings, who can start rearranging furniture in the middle of the night. Preventing the resentment and flurry of discontent, Barry confesses that he is making “gender-based generalizations” and humorously ruins the religious stereotype of God being a man by defining this concept as “she” (Bullock et al., 2016, p. 943). As to my concern, there is no word for defining an immature adult female, unlike the guy describing such a male person. It displays that little attention has been paid to this aspect so far. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that neither men nor women should take his assumptions seriously. I adore Dave Barry’s humor because it is built on the expectation destruction method to show how ridiculous it is to be offended by such mundane things, which make both men and women so special. Therefore, every writer has their own way of expressing thoughts on various social themes and Dave Barry’s viewpoint has the same right to exist. Reference Bullock R., Goggin M. D., & Weinberg F. (2016). The Norton Field Guide to writing with readings (4 th ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.
The video presents an interview with Allen Hornblum, who witnessed human experiments in Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia, and Yusef Anthony, who was a subject of these unethical experiments. African-American prisoners were the affected party since their participation in testing was not voluntary. Hornblum notes that such medical experiments were widespread in many prisons of the US during the Cold War period (Wpsu, 2009). Inmates were a cheap resource for clinical trials of pharmaceutical, chemical, and cosmetics companies, and the fact that the prison system allowed it violated ethical principles of non-maleficence and autonomy. The subjects did not give informed consents to participate in experiments, while they were regarded as “secondary” persons, who have no unconditional worth. Scientists used bandages and forced subjects to take drugs against their will, while money was a motivating factor for those who were desperate to survive, which violated the prisoners’ right to make moral decisions. In addition, a lack of appropriate treatment of inmates indicated the failure to follow a justice principle. To resolve the identified ethical issues and prevent them in the future, it is critical to ensure that the subjects are not placed in coercive environments and a vulnerable position as it significantly impacts their decisions. Another solution refers to making universities and other organizations conducting research responsible for the subjects by providing the necessary aftercare, if required. In the video, Anthony states that they were given papers clarifying that the University of Pennsylvania is not responsible, but researchers convinced inmates that all materials are safe. Human experimentation in prisons remains a topic of debates, while ethical issues undermine the trust of people in a medical community. In hospital settings, scientific investigations should follow the principles of beneficence to patients, respect for their autonomy, and distributive justice. Reference Wpsu. (2009). Prison experiments [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Management and unions play a great role in today’s society because they provide their members with an opportunity to improve their lives. Basically, the task of management in this framework is to meet those purposes and objectives that were previously set. It deals with the representatives of the general public directly because the focus hiring and firing processes are in focus. In addition to that, it deals with the review of employee performance, scheduling, promotions, and issue resolution. As a result, workers become more efficient, and their working environment is positive and safe. Management concentrates on employees who are gathered in unions, and this connection links them. It defines and directs the way a company and its personnel work for them to reach mutual objectives and accomplish all tasks. Thus, it also ensures that workers operate effectively and efficiently. As a result, it is critical for management to maintain constant improvements so that companies can overcome those barriers that prevent them from streamlined development. Focusing on organizational operations, management can define a company’s main issues and offer solutions. Unions, in their turn, ensure that employees are not negatively affected by such activities. They protect people’s rights, assist them in the case of violations, control the organizational environment, provide benefits, and take part in conflict resolutions (Bakke, 2010). Previously unions helped to deal with the racism and sexism that were commonly observed in the workplace, which appealed to society. But today these issues are not that critical already, and people start noticing that unions do not trigger significant changes anymore. They can prevent a strike and can also lead to the bureaucratization of work and corruption. With the help of their unions, employees can negotiate with employers. In this way, they maintain the process of collective bargaining. In its framework, they can identify employment terms, such as wages, health insurance, and pensions. Employees gather and define their priorities for bargaining collectively. This type of interaction between management and unions is rather frequent, and it allows to ensure the advantageousness of the contract. The history of unions affects current negotiations greatly. For example, a voting procedure for the certification of a bargaining agent was established in 1935, and in three years child labor was banned and minimum wage defined. Even though some elements altered with the course of time, unions protect the workers on the basis of the major labor legislation of the 20th century even now ( Labor unions and collective bargaining , n.d.). Five years ago, unions had to deal with the fiscal crisis and the Republican attacks. In addition to that, they are focused on the promotion of female workers for them to obtain more white-collar and leading positions. Today, the private sector becomes less active in the framework of the union membership; still, it contains a great part of it. The negoti