ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
I stand here ironing is a story that tackles numerous societal problems including mother daughter conflicts, gender roles, diligence, personal effects of national economic struggles and the challenges of single parenthood. These themes make the story relevant today as it was during the time of its writing Theme in “I stand here ironing” The prevailing theme in the book is challenges of single parenthood. Olsen is a single mother who is faced with the task of bringing up a sickly child Emily on her own. Things are further complicated by the fact that she is very young and quite poor – having come from an immigrant Russian family herself. Throughout the book, one cannot help but wonder what would have happened to Emily if her father had been around. Olsen lacked the strength to confront the social workers who recommended the placement of Emily in a sanatorium. Perhaps things would have been different is Emily’s father was around because two people would definitely feel strong enough to challenge the health workers; especially if their instincts went against them. Emily ended up being very happy in the health facility because of her mother’s decision and this may have changed if she was not a single mother. The story illustrates that single parenthood often puts parents in a position where they cannot cater to their children’s needs thus compromising on what they become in the future. Emily’s mother found herself in these difficult circumstances after her partner opted out of the marriage when Emily was less than a year old. Providing for her child on her own made it quite tricky to Olsen so she had to send Emily to relatives (Olsen, 6). These circumstances were somehow beyond Olsen’s control because she had tried all she could to make things work. Eventually, she had to accept that she could not be there for her child and subsequently sent her elsewhere. Olsen is filled with lots of self doubt in subsequent parts of her life over her choices concerning Emily and the manner in which she chose to raise this child. Mother daughter conflicts (or parent to child conflicts) are also an important theme in the book. As Olsen narrates the story of raising her first born daughter, one can see the guilt and loss of time that she feels concerning this matter. The relationship between mother and daughter in this narrative is quite complex thus leading to the negative feelings that Emily has towards Olsen. Emily feels that she missed out on some of the critical factors of growing up. She did not get much attention from her mother and this makes her act out against her and the rest of society. In fact, at the beginning of the narrative when Olsen receives a call from an external party about Emily needing help, she starts to wonder what the problem was and what she could have done to prevent those problems. In a certain way, Olsen contributed towards Emily’s resentment of her because she did not offer her child stability. Minor signs of affection such as smiles (6) were a virtually unknown to Emily. This relationship between mother and daughter is therefore characterized by cont
Profitability is one of the inherent components of any profit-making business. To achieve this, a business requires the use of promotion and advertising strategies to market its product. A study was carried out in the United States to determine the frequency and benefits of advertising and promotion strategies that were being used by restaurants in the urban center. The study concentrated on ten major advertising and promotion strategies that were believed to be used frequently. Out of the total number of restaurants in the urban areas, only 88 were surveyed (n=88). This was a very small sample size compared to the total number of restaurants in the area. Often a bigger sample size results in precise estimates as compared to the small size. However, as the sample size becomes very large, the variability of data becomes small (Jackson, et al 2010). The respondents were surveyed by use of phone because it was one of the resalable sources. Statistics show that more than 270 million people are mobile phone subscribers representing 87% of the total population in the United States. It was reviewed that more than one trillion people sent or received text messages every year. The choice to use mobile phones was well thought because it was deemed to reach a big population of the selected sample size. The respondents of the study were required to evaluate the strategies used based on their derived benefits and frequency. However, the study achieved only a 39.7% response rate (Jackson, et al 2010). This was not a good response rate considering the total population in the urban centers and that these restaurants were the main source of food for over 50% of the population. It was found that there was limited use of the promotion and advertising strategies and many people relied on the phone coupons. It was further noted that the use of radio, the internet, and food samples also seemed to be frequently used. As a marketing manager, it is good to note that sampling is used by statisticians to derive conclusions about a big population by studying a part of it. It is one of the techniques that enable a business to approximate the characteristics of a given population by studying a part of the total population. What we are usually interested in is not the sample itself, but what can be gained from the study and how the collected data can be applied to the total population. The sample size selected should be able to represent the entire population and be responsible for giving about a 95% response rate. High response rates are critical to the success of surveys because the potential for no response bias increases as the response rate decreases. The response rate is the ratio of the number of units with completed interviews (for example telephone numbers) to the number of units sampled and eligible to complete the interview (Bragg, 2009). The sample survey should be clear and well organized with the right questions asked to the right people. From my understanding, I think that, the above survey was not well organized and t
SWOT Analysis of the Product The SWOT analysis encompasses the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities. SWOT analysis is critical in evaluating the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of an organization from which informed decisions are made. The SWOT analysis for the proposed Smart Shopping Cart is discussed below. Strengths Being a new concept, the innovative nature of this product is a primary strength that may help it achieve massive success in the targeted market across the U.S. and beyond. The technological aspects of the Smart Shopping Cart will receive massive acceptance in the U.S. market because of its uniqueness and efficiency in shopping. This will help in improving its popularity in the market as more and more clients will quickly embrace the concept. The ability of the Smart Shopping Cart to meet the customer’s shopping demands by quickening the checkout time will help the company retailing this product to be successful in the U.S. market. Because the proposed Smart Shopping Cart integrates several technological applications, such as a scanner, smartphone charging port, and phone clip, it is predicted that customers will not only embrace the new idea but will internalize its usage as a new innovation to make their shopping experience easier and more convenient. In addition, the image of the Smart Shopping Cart, especially the strength of its brand as being a futuristic concept, will also help in promoting its acceptance. There is good scope for scalability of the product acceptance, which would enhance the brand image and market share. The product promises convenience and time management for shoppers. Weaknesses The main weakness that the product may face in the market is the inability to come up with applications or user manuals that are incorruptible by the competitors. In addition, since the Smart Shopping Cart will be a collection of several ideas that are already patented, the product might face legal battles with some of its fiercest competitors over breach of copyright. This is because most of the technology-based products have designs that can easily be copied by competitors. Moreover, some clients might face difficulty in using the Smart Shopping Cart, especially the barcode scanners. For instance, senior citizen shoppers might find the product too complex and intimidating. In addition, technological failures might render the product useless to a user. Opportunities Technology-based shopping support devices have been rapidly expanding over the years. Mobile phone usage in the supermarket has almost become a basic need both in the developed and developing economies. This means that the Smart Shopping C
Introduction Everyone dreams of living the American dream. In fact, America is one of the most envied nations in the world. Its constitution, way of life, and the opportunities it offers to its people are favorable. No wonder it is the world super power and has resources to marshal troops in various stations throughout the world. In addition, it protects the interest of its citizens and even citizens of other countries out of good will. Countries cannot manage such status without adequate resources. It is for this reason that everyone wants to set his or her foot in the United States. The country is sometimes described as a land of opportunity and freedom, where anyone willing to work hard can get ahead and make a comfortable life for them and their family. In other words, if someone becomes poor in the United States, then this is usually pegged on his/her own shortcomings. This, paper will review these claims with reference to Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed, On (Not) Getting By in America. It will also endeavor to relate Ehrenreich’s experiences with the same claims (Ehrenreich 42). Nickel and Dimed, On (Not) Getting By in America This is a story by Barbara Ehrenreich on how she tries to relate expenses to earnings for a minimum wage worker. Ehrenreich explores how Americans that earn the lowest wages survive in a country where they form the largest sector. To ensure that her writings are non-factious and provides the best case scenario, Ehrenreich decides to try this by herself. She does this in an effort to present the plight of most workers throughout United States. In fact, according to her, these conditions are unlivable and can be referred to as another form of servant class (although not official). Throughout her story, Ehrenreich poses a hypothetical question regarding survival concerns that face many Americans working on minimum wages. These include expenses that permanently exceed their income, and wants that cannot be met. Ultimately, the desire to live a better life knocks every day. In this regards she takes the unusual role of an undercover, trying to make ends meet through lower class struggles. In addition, she does it in three different states. Ehrenreich decided to do an inside report after her lunch with Le
From a psychological perspective, values can be presented as broad preferences of individuals about various actions and outcomes. At this point, they express individuals’ sense of morally justified action. Values also allow people to distinguish between right and wrong, as well as shape their attitudes and perceptions about other individuals. Shared beliefs have influenced the formation of social norms under which people should observe behavioral patterns accepted in society. As a result of social development, belief systems have been premised on different norms in terms of morale, ethics, and individual choices. These discrepancies are predetermined by the presence of cultural values that influence people’s perceptions of such issues as the good, evil, or justice. Due to the emerged differences, a number of value theories have been developed. In sociological studies, value theory is associated with individuals’ views that are shared by a community, as well as how those views change under certain conditions. While discussing the importance of value, many Western theorists, including Max Weber, Talcott Parsons and Emilie Durkheim inclined to believe that values are regarded as independent variables. However, the supporters of traditional sociologists withdrew the concept of value and focus on cultural dimension that builds the foundation for value creation. At this point, although values are often identified with common notions and concepts, their meaning is differently represented across cultures, leading to subjective and objective judgments. This is of particular concern to religious norms that often influence people’s attitude toward the political power and social norms. For instance, some countries consider the important role of religion in shaping social, cultural and political relations whereas other societies insist on the separation of religion and social system because the former is more associated with personal values. In fact, considering social values as products of individual behavior, the emphasis on behaviorism and observational philosophy should be placed. The introduced theoretical frameworks are influential for development of educational systems that encourage a learning process as a set of activities focused on understanding morale, ethics, and law. The learning process reflects individual’s engagement in gaining experience about acceptable norms of behavior, as well as deeper understanding of self-image. Finally, learning provides individuals with the accepted definitions of the right and wrong. In order to control value creation, social sciences refer to the political, social, and cultural institutions studying various dimensions of human organization based on empirical evidence. The proposed framework contributes to comprehending the common values that are accepted in societies, as well as those shaped in various cultures. As it has been mentioned before, social values can refer to cultural norms that are considered in a broader context. Hence, norms create rule
Introduction The decisions of policy-makers can be affected by the values that these people have. They are supposed to find solutions that best serve the interests of the community. However, very often, the efforts of legislators do not produce the expected results. This paper is aimed at discussing the role of values in adjusting for governmental failures. There are several aspects that should be considered. First of all, in many cases, governmental officials fail to reconcile conflicting values and examine a problem from various perspectives. Moreover, they can focus on short-term results, rather than long-term impact of a certain activity on various stakeholders. By avoiding these pitfalls, public administrators can design more efficient public policies. These are the main issues that should be examined in greater detail. Governmental failures and values The failure to look at the problem from various perspectives First, one can mention that policy-makers take decisions and provide justifications on the basis of their values. For example, one can mention such a controversial issue as oil drilling. A person, who focuses on the preservation of the environment, can emphasize the impacts of pollution on health and life of the community while presenting his/her arguments. In contrast, a politician, who attaches importance to economic development, will set stress on the benefits of this activity (Weimer & Vining, 2010). In turn, these people may not be able to look at this question from various perspectives and design the most effective policies. Similarly, such a situation can occur when public administrators cannot properly evaluate the costs and benefits a certain initiative. This is one of the first problems that should not be overlooked. Evaluation of long-term implications Apart from that, the values of policy-makers affect the analytical approach that adopt. This argument is particularly relevant if one speaks about market interventions such as protectionism in the United States (Segal, 2010, p. 10). For example, a supporter of protectionist policies can pay more attention to the number of jobs that such a policy can save. In contrast, an opponent of this approach can say that this policy will deprive the budget of the country of substantial income (Weimer & Vining, 2010). Moreover, customers may have to pay a higher price for identical products (Segal, 2010, p. 10). Such a view of the problem is not complete. In the long term, it can result only in the fail
The US has had a number of colorful events in its history as regards to liberty, equality and power. Many have lost their lives while fighting for the three social values. Actions aimed at restoring democracy and human freedoms can be traced back to the works of classical scholars. The social contract that is alleged to have been signed by men brought about the fundamental rights and freedoms. People agreed to live together and co-exist harmoniously. Liberty is the freedom to do anything desired by an individual. Such freedoms however should not interfere with the rights of others. It is true that as an individual claims to be free, he/she has a responsibility of behaving according to societal laws and regulations (Owens 97). The US has a long history of struggle towards liberty. The first major struggle was against colonialism in which the US managed to liberate itself from the colonial rule. During colonialism, Native Americans were not allowed to take up jobs in government with the reason that they were illiterate. The only thing they could offer was manual labor. The whites exploited Americans for long before they organized a revolution to liberate themselves. Democracy and respect of human rights are some of the important tenets of liberty. Democracy means that each individual should be allowed to participate in governmental decision-making. Usually, people participate in governance by electing their representatives. Americans have constantly engaged in conflicts, with an intention of being recognized and treated equally. Murrin and Johnson do not appreciate the fact that justice can be achieved through violence (40). Americans fought for their rights, they never acquired them through soft means. Again, the writers are ignorant as regards to the rights of the minority in US. The black race and other people of color have not enjoyed the rewards of sovereignty. Ever since, Africans have supplied their labor free or at very lost cost. Their struggle to liberation resulted to a deadly Civil War which cost the lives of many, including senior government officials. The inconsistencies between the Southerners and Northerners will remain as one of the most important historical events in the US. Through the Civil War, Southerners were lastly freed but their social interaction in society has not been pleasant. The American society still feels that African culture is inferior to other cultures. During the World Wars, agitation for liberty and equality reached at a surpassed level whereby other members of society previously neglected started demanding for their rights. Women in particular capitalized on the President’s speech, which posited that the war intended to restore democracy and equality. This implied that despots such as Benito Mussolini of Italy, Adolf Hitler of Germany and monarchic
How the article aid DEM professionals in providing competent and ethical assistance to the citizens affected by disasters Digital Elevation Models are essential tools used by the geological departments in a nation to help reveal various aspects of earth’s structure. Generally, a combination of various factors is known to cause disasters; these include political factors, cultural/social factors, economic factors, and physical/geographical factors in a given area (Rovins, p.3). The above-mentioned article examines possible consequences that can be seen if proper response to a disaster is not followed by a recovery from the disaster. It reminds different professionals about their collective responsibility in managing disasters should they occur. In fact, it emphasizes the fact that there is need to predict and prepare for such incidences. DEM professionals can thus use the model to help in predicting disasters, for instance, the possible occurrence of a volcanic eruption of faulting along some lien of weakness on the surface of the earth. The concept of physical vulnerability is described in the paper. The way the infrastructure of a country is designed in relation to the geographical location has been portrayed as one of the factors leading to disasters. It is also observed that even though attempts have been made to plan for hazards that results into disasters, implementation of such plans often fails. The DEM professionals should consider it a responsibility on their side, to be involved in the planning process. Perhaps, it is lack of enough information that could lead to poor implementation of the plans, thus these DEM professionals should be involved during the planning of infrastructure. In addition, surface terrain should be considered when designing infrastructure such as roads and railways, while houses that happen to have been erected on lines of weaknesses should be brought down following recommendations from the professionals. How the information can be used to create democratic public policies and programs that assist the community in mitigating, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the disasters In managing disasters, much focus has been given to mitigation planning. This paper reveals that the implementation of plans has been thwarted especially by the fact that the causative agents may not follow a predictable or regular pattern. Policies that allow for flexibility in the operations of the government could thus be enacted based on such a principle. Moreover, a special program department in a government could be created that deals with such issues. Besides, it has been stressed that planning for disasters should not be isolated from all the other planning in a community or country. Thus, a democratic system of government would be one that advocates for the incorporation of such plans in the national budget and obtaining views from the public concerning such steps. This has been supported by the paper as reducing losses that are
The analysis of recommendations for curriculum organization and improvement, as well as their effectiveness and role, should be based on the theoretical and practical value of developed strategies. The process of curriculum programs development presupposes the introduction of innovative and effective accommodations impacting results and education quality within the system of study. There is a strong necessity to underline the effectiveness of teaching training courses as a part of curriculum planning improvement. According to the statistics based on education strategic organization, training courses should become the method of professionalism increase, allowing sharing qualification experience between the teaching staff absorbing new methods of educating. The sphere of the school education system requires a separate approach to teaching and presenting educational material. There were offered the following methods: establishment of a new game plan based on a willing concept; security must be at the top of the list; classroom management development; and the increase of parental role in education. The recommendations provided are considered to be of practical value for the system of education. The involvement of students in the study process using special approaches development plays a crucial role in the improvement of the education system. (Roeser, and Downs, 2004). The analysis of the second position of community improvement through educational approaches proved to be effective in understanding the following points: communication role should be increased; parents should actively participate in the education process; close cooperation between teachers and parents should be established. All the recommendations analyzed above appeared to be of great value to the modern education system. There is a need to make some clarifications and provide pos