ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction We live in an integrated society where various elements color our view and understanding of what goes on around us. Social sciences provide us with tools for better understanding and relating in contemporary society. A good understanding of the foundation from which the social issues spring leads to better perception as well as judgment when dealing with the contemporary issues in real life. One of the social issues that affects and influences almost every aspect of our lives is the media. The influence that the media wields in our lives is very significant. Gentz and Kramer articulate that the media provides the backdrop against which we make sense of any new conditions and information that we encounter in a world that is increasingly becoming globalized (32). Ideally, the media is expected to be fair, unbiased; and without prejudices and should deliver whatever news and stories that are of value both to the public and the ones concerned. However, these ideals are not always lived up to and there are numerous instances where the media has been accused of favoritism in reporting events. This paper shall argue that the media is indeed guilty of favoritism in its news reporting and coverage of events. To buttress this assertion, this paper shall review how the media covers disasters in different regions as well as media representation of political affairs. Favoritism in Media Reports Perhaps one of the incidents in which the media has shown outright bias is in the report of terror events. In post 9/11 America, terror and terrorist attacks have gained prominence on a previously unprecedented scale. Incidents of terror plots or terror acts have therefore become very newsworthy and a lot of report efforts have been dedicated to the same. However, Moeller notes that the terror events that occur within American soil are given immense coverage regardless of their scale while those that occur in other nations are given little coverage and indeed covered in a sporadic manner (174). Considering the fact that some of this terror attacks are of unimaginable proportions and affect thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people, this treatment by the media is unjustified. To counter this claim, it might be argued that terror incidents that do not directly affect American citizens are not of much importance to them. While this may be true, media houses which claim to be int
The period of colonialism forever changed the history of Latin America and the lifestyle of its inhabitants. People who had been living there, according to their principles, had to adapt to the new reality brought by the conquistadors and their followers. Even though many years have passed since the times of colonialism, such countries as Bolivia still hear the echoes of the past. The documentary The Devil’s Mine may serve as an example of the colonial period’s influence on modern Bolivia. This impact is seen through the country’s economic situation, worldview, and life conditions of people who live there. The film depicts the life of a fourteen-year-old Basilio Vargas, who works with his twelve-year-old brother Bernardino in the silver mines of Cerro Rico near the city Potosi. Being the family’s main earner, Basilio understands the necessity of doing this exhausting and dangerous work. However, even though he works double shifts, his earnings are low and non-stable. It is necessary to take a look at the history of the place to comprehend this unjust reality. In the sixteenth century, Potosi had the largest silver ore deposits in the Western world, which attracted Spanish colonialists and, consequently, made Potosi the richest and most populated city. However, after five centuries, the mineral reserves of Cerro Rico were depleted. People still have to do the mining in “the mountain that eats men” because it is the only available income, but once the wealthiest city cannot give them a comfortable life that they deserve. Facing such hardship and understanding there is no one to rely on, people tend to search for support in their faith. The miners of Cerro Rico are Christians because this religion has existed there since the arrival of the Spanish. However, when they enter the mines, they have to pray to another God called Tio. Basilio tells his brother the story of Tio, who was created by the Spaniards to make the Indians work harder. The fear of Tio punishing those who did not obey him was so strong that the miners started making him offerings. This fear has been passed through the generations, and even now, the miners continue to follow the custom. The film showing the everyday life of modern Bolivia creates an impression that the country is completely stuck in time. Social services are not provided for such families as the Vargas family. Therefore, the children have to work, although in the majority of countries, children’s labor is prohibited. The
Summary The case under consideration is the work written by Medlin (2011) as an example and is not a real situation. The action takes place in Bella’s, one of the leading chains of beauty salons in the south of the country. The key characters are Illa Fitzgerald, the owner and founder of the chain, her acquaintance Lynne Gibson who was the manager and became the leading consultant later, and Kris Jenkins, who replaced Gibson. The critical issues addressed in the case described by Medlin (2011) are job satisfaction, as well as employee engagement. The case begins with how Miss Fitzgerald founded Bella’s first spa, which was her long-time dream. However, the woman had no experience in this field, and her first companion who made a significant contribution to the development of the chain was Gibson. Two young women started the business and attracted acquaintances who were promised a gradual increase in wages as their profits increased. Ten years later, Bella’s expanded significantly, and success was achieved. A permanent customer base was formed, profits were stable, and the employees had sufficient qualifications. Nevertheless, as the chain’s activities were analyzed, Lynne Gibson who was the company’s leading consultant began to notice a decline in important indicators, in particular, i
Introduction Business administrators often rely on culture as a means of managing employees. This argument is particularly relevant to post-bureaucratic organizations which have the following characteristics:  1. vertical workplace hierarchy;  2. increased information-sharing;  3. ability of employees to take initiatives;  4. the adoption of rules and statutes that are supposed to safeguard a company against possible pitfalls (Josserand, Teo, & Clegg 2006). Overall, corporate culture has to emphasize the idea that decision-making in institutions is based on democratic or egalitarian principles. In other words, an employee should believe that he/she has an opportunity to influence the development of a company. Furthermore, culture is used to strengthen a person’s loyalty to the organization. This strategy can improve the functioning of an enterprise, yet, it can also lead to such problems as groupthink and lack of integrity. Four readings have been selected for this paper. They can be used to illustrate different parts of the thesis. For instance, the article by Michael Rosen (1988) can throw light the way in which culture increases people’s sense of belonging to companies. These are the main issues that should be discussed more closely. Main Body In order to understand the use of culture in modern organizations, one should first examine the peculiarities of power structures in the post-bureaucratic era. Currently companies have to make changes in their culture and structure in order to become more effective. The research article written by Emmanuel Josserand, Stephen Teo, and Stewart Clegg (2006) is helpful since it demonstrates the dilemmas faced by post-bureaucratic companies. In particular, the authors show that these organizations want to reconcile democratic or egalitarian principles with the need to monitor and control the performance (Josserand, Teo, & Clegg 2006, p. 56). This is the main dilemma that they attempt to resolve. Moreover, this article indicates that these institutions do not eliminate power inequalities. Yet, managers attempt to promote teamwork and independent initiatives since they are critical for sustainability of a company (Josserand, Teo, & Clegg 2006). To some degree, this policy is aimed at ensuring that workers meet the requirements set by business administrators. Nevertheless, according to the principles of this approach, employees should feel that they are valued by the management. The main problem associated with this policy is lack of integrity because in many cases corporate executives can only claim to empower employees, but remain autocratic leaders. This is the one of the problems that should be avoided. First of all, culture is essential for enhancing a person’s sense of belonging to a group (Rosen 1988). In this context, this concept can be viewed as a set of common values, attitudes, priorities, or expectations. In his article, Michael Rosen (1988) describes the way in which senior executives attempt to make employees more loyal or committed to a company. In particular, the author focuses on the Christmas party organized for the employees o
Introduction Emergency service is defined as public organizations, such as the police, fire brigades, and ambulance, that provide a quick and timely response and deal with emergencies. Countries across the globe vary greatly in the quality of emergency service, especially when it comes to health care. As Khorasani-Zavareh, Mohammadi, and Bohm (2018) state, pre-hospital management remains far from ideal in many parts of the world, particularly in the countries belonging to the low- and middle-income categories. As of now, there is enough data gathered on the quality of pre-hospital care around the globe, which allows for deep analysis and comparison. This paper deals with the state of emergency services in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and contrasts it to countries with better and worse indicators. Apart from that, the paper discusses the key factors affecting emergency service delivery time and applies them to Riyadh. Saudi Arabia’s and Riyadh’s Standing Compared to Other Countries Saudi Arabia, officially known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a country in Western Asia located in the center of the Arabian Peninsula. According to the WHO’s health profile, the current population of the kingdom is at 32,3 million. The life expectancy at birth is 74 and 76 years for men and women respectively. The total health expenditure amounts to 5.8% of the country’s GDP. As of 2017, Saudi Arabia had risen to the 39th position out of the total of 189 in the Human Development Index (HDI) rating. The rating assesses how efficient the country is in realizing its population’s human capital, and the most recent results put Saudi Arabia among the most developed countries. Main body The WHO’s most recent healthcare efficiency ranking put Saudi Arabia at the 26th position out of the total of 191 positions (Tandon, Murray, Lauer, & Evans, 2000). The countries with the closest health indicators are Cyprus, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel. Today, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia houses 18 ambulance stations with an average response time of 13 minutes. This indicator is relatively good; however, Saudi Arabia is well behind such countries as Japan (5 minutes), South Korea (5 minutes), and Australia (8 minutes). Besides, the global average is currently at eight minutes and the ideal response time is at four. Still, as compared to Bangladesh (175 minutes), Greece (28.9 minutes), and Malaysia (25.65 minutes), the kingdom is showing outstanding results. However, some studies show contradictory findings regarding the quality of medical services in Saudi Arabia. For instance, recent research by Villanueva, Almadani, Mahnashi, Alyhya, and Alshreef (2017) has revealed that more than 40% of patients in Riyadh had to wait for more than twenty minutes. Given that Riyadh is the country’s capital and the city with the
Introduction Proponents of gun control have advocated for abolishment of gun possession in the public since 1934. For almost 8 decades now, they have enacted several federal laws to restrict the possession (Primm, Regoli, and Hewitt 65). Although the proponents’ argument is for the ‘common good’ of the US public, there exist thick partisan lines on this issue. The opponents argue that gun control would make the public vulnerable to the attack by the ‘high risk individuals’. Because of these differences, this paper aims to analyze to establish why the federal government should ban the possession of guns. Pro-Gun Control Gun possession poses threat to the security of the public. Proponents argue that the more uncontrollably the government continues to allow firearms’ possession to the public, the higher the chances of acquisition by the ‘high risks groups’ and hence threatening the public security. In effect, there will be increased crime in the US public. Reports at Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) “show that about 60% to 70% of the homicides in US are committed through guns” (Cook and Ludwig 45). This figure is alarming and the government, through proper legislation, should ban the public possession of guns. The reports further indicate that prior to 1980s; the numbers of killings were higher than 1990s. The proponents attribute the decrease to enactment of several firearms’ control laws. According to Cook and Ludwig between 1993 and 1999, “the FBI recorded a decrease of 11% in firearm-related homicides… In 1999, out of the 6.3m crimes committed, 1.6m crimes were gun-related…out of 12,943 homicides committed in 2000, guns committed 8,493, which accounts for 66%” (67). These statistics evidence the threats posed by the increased gun possession to the security. Crime investigators, such as FBI, have established that most of these criminals obtain these weapons from legitimate owners, majorly throu
Introduction Philosophy has always been a great issue for debates for many philosophers and thinkers. As such, the main leitmotifs of this paper will be philosophical realism and idealism. Significantly, these two contrary beliefs played an essential role in the development of the overall perception of reality. Idealism was the main Western philosophy shifted by realism in Britain and North America. Realism was associated with many prolific thinkers of those times. Among the famous realists-are G. E. Moore, Bertrand Russell, and Samuel Alexander, and George Berkeley. John Locke and his realistic views will be the main focus of this paper in contrast to the idealism of George Berkeley. Realism is the notion of philosophy that presents the idea of the world existing independently of observers. However, idealism claims that the entire world’s foundation is based on thoughts and other non-materialistic elements, because the thoughts and ideas are the central pieces and the human experience is what leads the world. John Locke and his reprehensive realism was a predecessor of George Berkeley, whose ideas about subjective realism astonish and stun, indeed. As such, this paper will elaborate on the two ideas in Philosophy: idealism and realism. Idealism seems not to be as persuasive as realism for it is not substantial enough to say that everything in this world is operated by the minds of people, whereas saying that the world exists and will exist independently (realism) is true and hard to argue. Main body So, according to Locke the mind at birth is a tabula rasa – the blank slate (Lawhead 553). Therefore, it can be said that being the utmost realist, Locke claimed that the world spins around disregarding the circumstances people create. Namely, all people on the planet will not have their thoughts independently from what the world, planet, local life experience can offer. While the newborn child is a tabula rasa the experience is what brings him/her to knowledge thanks to the already existing knowledge. However, idealism by Berkeley states that what guides the world is the mind of people. He used to think that God was the only cause of our experience. Another feature of realism by Locke that he used to say is that since we can learn and be guided by the reality we live in, innate thoughts are unnecessary. He applied Ockham’s Razor to innate ideas, namely, he said that we can explain everything without innate ideas just using our senses. Whereas Berkeley argued that everything we experience is mental, all we experience are ideas only. This way, it is possible to sa
Introduction College student athletes engage in sports for various personal reasons and interests. Participation in college sports is based on personal choices and leaves the athletes with stress issues involving competition in the sports, maintenance of good grades and social life as well as time management for all these activities (Kimball & Freysinger, 2003). The involvement of college athletes in sports exposes them to stress which applies to different generations over the years. The stress affecting not only affects their sporting, but also other disciplines such as health, psychology, leisure, social life and academics all of which form a crucial part of the athletes’ life. In addition, the athletes are faced with pressure and high expectations in the fields, confusion about their identity as well as the increased peer pressure (Donohue, Miller, Crammer, Cross & Covassin, 2007). As a result, there are many opportunities for counseling and other support programs for the college athletes due to the increase in health issues, involvement in crime, self esteem problems, drug abuse and related vices, and peer and parental pressure. It is worth noting that field-based research helps these students by giving them recommendations on handling the problems especially in the career and vocational concerns, fear of success, academic problems, conflicts in terms of identity, poor sporting performance and isolation problems (Sherburne & Ruth, 2010). Additionally, college athletes can either venture into professional sport or academics and other sport-related entrepreneurial activities and this creates the need for guidance in identifying themselves and in decision making especially regarding career development. The relevant journal articles regarding college athletes and stress issues will be reviewed in this paper. The review he
Introduction The objectives of the study include an overview of the GASCO company, the analysis of the effects that the kaizen philosophy and the use of 5S have had on it, and recommendations for its further progress. To be more specific, an analysis of the industry in which the company operates, i.e., the oil and gas domain, will be conducted. The place that Abu Dhabi takes in the identified realm will also have to be determined so that the significance of the issue could be defined. Finally, the effects that the change will have on the improvement of the DELTA workshop and its contribution to GACO’s current global performance will be analyzed. The report includes the following parts: Background, Findings, and Conclusion. The Background section will shed light on the subject matter, particularly, on the oil and gas industry in the context of Abu Dhabi, as well as the kaizen philosophy and its 5S principles as the foundation for promoting corporate sustainability. The Findings, in turn, will describe the effects that the application of the philosophy will ostensibly have on the efficacy of the DELTA workshop. In the Conclusion section, the essential results of the study will be reiterated, and the recommendations for the further progress of the DELTA workshop will be provided. Background The oil and gas industry is the focus of the research. According to a report published recently to shed some light on the changes in the identified domain, the gas and oil industry remains an essential growth factor for the UAE, with the growth rates reaching the inspiring 2.8% in 2016 (“Annual economic report 2016,” 2016, p. 18). Therefore, the industry can be deemed as the leading area of the state economy that sets the pace for the rest of the industries and defines the position of Abu Dhabi in the global market. At present, Abu Dhabi is at the helm of the area, contributing to the staggering 94% of the total amount of crude oil (“United Arab Emirates: Business opportunities. Supply oil & gas industry,” 2012). Therefore, the industry needs a more detailed analysis so that the tools for identifying possible impediments and addressing them in a manner as efficient as possible could be created successfully. The fact that the identified domain is currently one of the primary areas to which the UAE owes its economic success is the reason for choosing the target area. As a philosophy that leads to corporate sustainability, kaizen has been known for quite a while (Bichai, 2014). A framework created in Japan, the identified notion implies that the principles of sustainability should be included in a company’s supply chain and incorporates the following concepts known as 5S: “seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, shitsuke” (Bichai, 2014), which were roughly translated into English as sorting the essential items and processes, setting them in order, carrying out sanitation, standardizing corporate processes, and sustaining the order in the company. GASCO, Ltd. has been known as a firm operating in the context of the Abu Dhabi oil & gas industry
Introduction Death by Landscape is a story authored by Margaret Atwood; the story is about Lois. She is an old woman when the story begins whose two sons have already grown up, and the husband is long dead. Lois loses her close friend, which makes her distance herself from her loved ones. This story seeks to analyze the extent to which Lois is responsible for her loneliness. This paper will look into the protagonist’s actions, which end up destroying her life and making her lose peace. Lois is to blame for her loneliness. Main body “The Death by landscape story” begins with Lois reminiscing about her past life in Camp Manitou. The protagonist recalls how she found the camp distasteful when she initially visited it (Atwood,1990). Lois remembers how she disliked the songs the girls were singing to prove that they enjoyed the camp (Atwood,1990). However, soon she settled in and made few friends here and there, and since then, her life changed, and she enjoyed the camps. This becomes evident when we see that she visits the camps several years afterwards until the incident happened. The main reason why Lois goes to the camps for several years is her new best friend Lucy, who hails from a wealthy family. The two girls become crazy friends who even burn a used Pad to commemorate Lucy’s first periods (Atwood,1990). This portrays that the two of them became attached. Nonetheless, this strong attachment to Lucy makes Lois lonely up to the point of isolating herself from her family after Lucy goes missing mysteriously. Lois claims she couldn’t remember her husband’s face which proves that she chose not to move on after losing her friend, it’s like all her marriage was just an imagination. Moreover, Lois fails to handle the tragic loss of her friend Lucy positively, and it becomes a thing that destroys her life and isolates herself. In the book, we see Lois claim that she was living in a “Condominium apartment where the only plant life was in the pots located in the sonatarium” (Atwood,1990). This proves that her friend’s death affected her and made her detach herself from