Sociology Unequal Education free essay sample

On the darker side, it teaches us how we are divided among our peers, how we separate and categorize each other sometimes for the worse. Even though those things aren’t in the curriculum, we may learn them more than the lessons that are in the curriculum. Looking at education in the US from a social-conflict point of view, education is distributed very unequally among the social classes. Yes, all children in the United States have access to free education from kindergarten through twelfth grade, but not all schools are created equal. The teachers that are employed at grade schools in inner-city Chicago or extremely rural Kentucky are probably not the best in the nation in terms of quality as compared to the ones teaching in the Harvard suburbs. Kids that live in inner-city areas are going to have a very different education than those who live in upper-level communities. This will afford them less access to the opportunities they could gain from a good education. We will write a custom essay sample on Sociology Unequal Education or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Kids from a lower social-economic status are more likely to have less access to a quality education. This is a very Marxist social-conflict theory. Racial Stratification and Education in the United States: Why Inequality Persists. By: John. B Ugbu) Looking at education from a structural-functional point of view it is very functional. If every child was truly given the best education possible, and sent to Ivy League schools, then there would be no one to work the lower level, lower education-requiring jobs. Even though that theory sounds cold, it’s still very true. For our society to function, we need people to work in fast food restaurants, janitorial services, cleaning services, etc. If every erson was college educated, much less ivy-league college educated, we would have no one to work these jobs. Also, not every person is capable, or has the mental capacity to get a higher level education. Terminal degrees are only awarded to a very small minority of our society for a reas on. Public school was originally creates to be the â€Å"great equalizer†. It was created to try to take the great inequalities (race, gender, and social-class) out of our society and make it more equal, especially when schools became integrated. For the first time in history education was offered to everyone, and free education at that. Instead of education only being available to wealthy men white men education becEducation Theory Education is defined in our textbook as the social institution through which society provides its members with important knowledge, including basic facts, job skills, and cultural norms and values. In my opinion, there couldn’t be a better way to describe education. (Macionis, John J. Sociology, 13ed, page 516) It teaches us the facts on history, math, English and other basic subjects while quietly teaching us the way we are supposed to act, what is considered right and wrong, and general values and norms the system wants us to incorporate. On the darker side, it teaches us how we are divided among our peers, how we separate and categorize each other sometimes for the worse. Even though those things aren’t in the curriculum, we may learn them more than the lessons that are in the curriculum. Looking at education in the US from a social-conflict point of view, education is distributed very unequally among the social classes. Yes, all children in the United States have access to free education from kindergarten through twelfth grade, but not all schools are created equal. The teachers that are employed at grade schools in inner-city Chicago or extremely rural Kentucky are probably not the best in the nation in terms of quality as compared to the ones teaching in the Harvard suburbs. Kids that live in inner-city areas are going to have a very different education than those who live in upper-level communities. This will afford them less access to the opportunities they could gain from a good education. Kids from a lower social-economic status are more likely to have less access to a quality education. This is a very Marxist social-conflict theory. Racial Stratification and Education in the United States: Why Inequality Persists. By: John. B Ugbu) Looking at education from a structural-functional point of view it is very functional. If every child was truly given the best education possible, and sent to Ivy League schools, then there would be no one to work the lower level, lower education-requiring jobs. Even though that theory sounds cold, it’s still very true. For our society to function, we need people to work in fast food restaurants, janitorial services, cleaning services, etc. If every person was college educated, much less ivy-league college educated, we would have no one to work these jobs. Also, not every person is capable, or has the mental capacity to get a higher level education. Terminal degrees are only awarded to a very small minority of our society for a reason. Public school was originally creates to be the â€Å"great equalizer†. It was created to try to take the great inequalities (race, gender, and social-class) out of our society and make it more equal, especially when schools became integrated. For the first time in history education was offered to everyone, and free education at that. Instead of education only being available to wealthy men white men education became available to men and women of all races and social-economic standings. This is true at least in theory. However, we know that that is not really the case and is not as simple as the theory sounds. Not all people get a quality education even if they really want one. This is especially true of the lower classes. Money buys opportunity. The great equalizer does not eliminate that fact. Schooling molds a diverse population into one society sharing norms and values. † (Macionis, John J. Sociology, 13ed, page 520) Like I said, our school system does not only teach us only what is in books. Our education system has a hidden curriculum that teaches us about our community and society without us really even being aware that we are being shaped and molded. Education may be our national church or our national reli gion in an odd sort of way. We are taught from a young age the difference in the way that boys and girls are supposed to act. Educational institutions provide gender socialization. We are taught to be polite and cordial and to act the way that other children act, as long as they were acting in a way that was pleasing to our educators. We are taught that actions have consequences and that just because you work hard, doesn’t mean that you will be the best. We are taught that the children who don’t have the same clothes or toys as you are different than you and perhaps lesser than you. In other cases we are taught that we are the lerrer ones. These lessons stick with us. School teaches a lot about life that we don’t even realize we are being taught. Education is an important institution in our society. It molds us into a functional, cohesive group – a functional society. It provides us the basic skills and knowledge we need to know in order to get jobs, as well as the knowledge we need to know in order to function socially in our society. Teachers in primary schools across the country are tremendously powerful. They shape not only our knowledge but our minds. Very few probably realize the power they hold. ame available to men and women of all races and social-economic standings. This is true at least in theory. However, we know that that is not really the case and is not as simple as the theory sounds. Not all people get a quality education even if they really want one. This is especially true of the lower classes. Money buys opportunity. The great equalizer does not eliminate that fact. â€Å"Schooling molds a diverse population into one society sharing norms and values. † (Macionis, John J. Sociology, 13ed, page 520) Like I said, our school system does not only teach us only what is in books. Our education system has a hidden curriculum that teaches us about our community and society without us really even being aware that we are being shaped and molded. Education may be our national church or our national religion in an odd sort of way. We are taught from a young age the difference in the way that boys and girls are supposed to act. Educational institutions provide gender socialization. We are taught to be polite and cordial and to act the way that other children act, as long as they were acting in a way that was pleasing to our educators. We are taught that actions have consequences and that just because you work hard, doesn’t mean that you will be the best. We are taught that the children who don’t have the same clothes or toys as you are different than you and perhaps lesser than you. In other cases we are taught that we are the lerrer ones. These lessons stick with us. School teaches a lot about life that we don’t even realize we are being taught. Education is an important institution in our society. It molds us into a functional, cohesive group – a functional society. It provides us the basic skills and knowledge we need to know in order to get jobs, as well as the knowledge we need to know in order to function socially in our society. Teachers in primary schools across the country are tremendously powerful. They shape not only our knowledge but our minds. Very few probably realize the power they hold.

How Systematic Random Sampling Work

How Systematic Random Sampling Work Systematic sampling is a technique for creating a random probability sample in which each piece of data is chosen at a fixed interval for inclusion in the sample. For example, if a researcher wanted to create a systematic sample of 1,000 students at a university with an enrolled population of 10,000, he or she would choose every tenth person from a list of all students. How to Create a Systematic Sample Creating a systematic sample is rather easy. The researcher must first decide how many people out of the total population to include in the sample, keeping in mind that the larger the sample size, the more accurate, valid, and applicable the results will be. Then, the researcher will decide what the interval for sampling is, which will be the standard distance between each sampled element. This should be decided by dividing the total population by the desired sample size. In the example given above, the sampling interval is 10 because it is the result of dividing 10,000 (the total population) by 1,000 (the desired sample size). Finally, the researcher chooses an element from the list that falls below the interval, which in this case would be one of the first 10 elements within the sample, and then proceeds to select every tenth element. Advantages of Systematic Sampling Researchers like systematic sampling because it is a simple and easy technique that produces a random sample that is free from bias. It can happen that, with simple random sampling, the sample population may have clusters of elements that create bias. Systematic sampling eliminates this possibility because it ensures that each sampled element is a fixed distance apart from those that surround it. Disadvantages of Systematic Sampling When creating a systematic sample, the researcher must take care to ensure that the interval of selection does not create bias by selecting elements that share a trait. For example, it could be possible that every tenth person in a racially diverse population could be Hispanic. In such a case, the systematic sample would be biased because it would be composed of mostly (or all) Hispanic people, rather than reflecting the racial diversity of the total population. Applying Systematic Sampling Say you want to create a systematic random sample of 1,000 people from a population of 10,000. Using a list of the total population, number each person from 1 to 10,000. Then, randomly choose a number, like 4, as the number to start with. This means that the person numbered 4 would be your first selection, and then every tenth person from then on would be included in your sample. Your sample, then, would be composed of persons numbered 14, 24, 34, 44, 54, and so on down the line until you reach the person numbered 9,994. Updated by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.

Source Discussion Forum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Source Discussion Forum - Essay Example The source from MEDLINE Plus written by Dr. Cindy Haines entitled A Few Too Many presented a brief indication that current statistics revealed that increasing number of Americans are into binge drinking. The CDC, likewise disclosed that â€Å"binge drinking is reported by one in six U.S. adults, and those who binge drink tend to do so frequently and with high intensity† (1). The sources are both authoritative on the subject and the applicability of the contents are high due to the currency of the publication dates (both in 2012). Both articles provided recommendations that include sticking to moderate drinking and contacting health providers, as needed. Evaluating sources of information are crucial in one’s research because the more credible and verifiable the resources, the higher the reliability and validity of the research. Using Wikipedia or About.com are sources that do not acknowledge veracity of the information since authors are authorities in the field of expertise and anyone can just present opinions without validating the

Transnational Negotiation Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Transnational Negotiation Experience - Essay Example There is a very tight competition in transnational banking markets. Due to the market competition, many people consider that one of the best ways for managers to be able to compete in the market is to increase their negotiation skills not only when dealing with clients but also with a large group of employees. Given the fact that I have been employed in a local bank for a little more than four years, I intend to describe two of my personal negotiating experiences with bank clients and a bank manager I dealt with several years ago. In the process of discussing my personal negotiating experiences, strategic ways I have applied when dealing with a client and a group of employees will be tackled. Eventually, the outcomes of each negotiating processes will be analyzed. For several years, I work in a local bank as a teller. As part of a teller’s main tasks, it is my job responsibility to provide the clients with competitive quality customer service at all times. One way to ensure that clients are given good quality customer service is to ensure that each client receives an efficient and accurate banking transaction processes. Aside from giving them quality service, part of our job is to sell the bank’s newly offered products and services to our customers each day. In many cases, I have come across dealing with clients who are planning to open new personal accounts. The most common queries I have received from clients is where to put their money to earn the biggest interest rate for their savings. Normally, I would discuss with them several bank products such as a normal savings account which they can easily open with a minimum deposit of US$200 which comes with a passbook and an atm card aside from the time deposit option of 30, 60, and 90 days which gives more interest rate than a normal personal bank account. Upon presenting the bank products they can choose from, I would intentionally inform them the advantages and disadvantages of

Free trade is beneficial and should be promoted Essay

Free trade is beneficial and should be promoted - Essay Example Like in capitalistic national economies, rules and regulation restrict operations in international businesses and this forms the basis of defining different types of international trade environments. Free trade is one of the types and defines an international trade in which no regulations exists. Buying and selling of commodities are only subject to laws of demand and supply and not domestic laws or international barriers. This is contrary to the current international trade environment in which laws restrict trade and treaties exist to facilitate trade with specific partners. This paper argues that free trade is a better option for the contemporary global economy. Diversified views exist against free trade. One of such arguments is the risk of structural unemployment that a domestic economy may experience when it opens up its borders to free trade. According to the perspective, free trade may make some industries more competitive than others may and therefore shifts investments and d emand for labor to the more competitive industries and ventures. The consequence is dissertation of some industries that may render experts in those industries jobless. Finding jobs with redundant skills, especially at old age may be a challenge and a threat to people’s welfare and economic growth. It is also argued that free trade exposes an economy to trends in other economies and to global economic trends. Inflation in one country may induce inflation in another country because traded goods from the affected country transfers the inflation effect into the recipient economy. Similarly, recession in one economy may reduce its potentials to import commodities and reduce demand for another country’s export. Cases of perishable commodities would result into economic loss in the exporting countries. Opponents of free trade also claim that the international market favors some economies than others. Countries that are more efficient are able to trade at competitive advantag es and this hinders development of emerging economies that lack such advantages. This basis limits benefits of free trade to developed countries that continues to expand their economies while economies of developing countries stagnate. Regulations are also necessary for environmental conservation and free trade is a threat to this because it eliminates or weakens environmental laws. Organizations that produce commodities in less regulated environments also have advantage over those that operate in strictly regulated environments and this may facilitate the urge to eliminate all environmental regulations. Doing so, based on the opponents’ perspectives, is a key to global environmental concerns such as the contemporary global warming. There are also circumstances in which natural justice requires regulations. Examples are in cases of economic downturns such as the recent global recession that called for regulations to prevent unemployment rates (Edge 1). Moral and rational anal ysis of the opposing arguments identifies weaknesses in their validity. Threats of structural unemployment are for example not real, because people can operate in different industries and organizations’ compositions identify diversity. Transition that focuses interest from one industry to another will therefore only shift employment in that direction. Limiting free trade in order to protect domestic industries and domestic economies is also not rational because such industries failed to thrive in previous restricted market environment and all economies suffered from previous recessions under regulated trade. A moral perspective, rather that rule based approach can also help in resolving issues such as environmental protection and protection of employments during economic crisis (Edge 1). A review of arguments for free

Tesco: Internal and External Analysis

Tesco: Internal and External Analysis INTRODUCTION Tesco was founded by Jack Cohen in 1919 when he began to sell surplus groceries from a stall in the East End of London. The first Tesco store was opened in 1929 in Burnt Oak, Edgware, Middlesex. Today Tesco Plc is Britains largest retailer by both, global sales and domestic market share with profits exceeding  £2 billion. By 1939 Jack Cohen had opened a number of stores, and backed them up with his creative innovations in warehousing and stock control. At the beginning of World War II jack introduced food rationing before the government did to ensure that everyone received an equal and sufficient amount of food. This capitalism may go some way to explain the fondness that working class people have maintained for the company. It proved that business is most effective when ethics and efficiency are together. The history of Tesco since the second world war has been one of continuous expansion and success both in the UK and, more recently, in the new EU countries, including Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Hungary (Budapest). ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ Tesco is now Britains largest food retailer, employing over 240,000 people worldwide and has net yearly profits of over  £1 billion. the website of this groupis one of the most popular in the UK, with over one million registered users. In 2008 it became the world fourth largest retailer, which was the first movement among the top 5 since 2003. Originally specializing in food and drink, it has diversified into areas such as clothing, consumer electronics, consumer financial services, retailing and renting DVDs, CDs, music downloads, Internet service, consumer telecoms, consumer health insurance, consumer dental plans and software . Apart from Great Britain, Tesco has its international operations in United States, Turkey, Thailand, South Korea, Slovakia, Poland, Malaysia, Japan, Hungary, France, Czech Republic and recently entered the Chinese market in 2004. PROFILE Type Public(LSE:TSCO) Founded 1919 inEast LondonbyJack Cohen Headquarters Delamere Road,Cheshunt,Hertfordshire, England, UK Key people David Reid(Chairman), Sir Terry Leahy(Chief Executive) Jack Cohen(Founder) Industry Retail Products Groceries,Consumer goods, financial services, telecoms Revenue ââ€" ²Ã‚ £59.4 billion (Year ending 28 February 2009)) Operating income ââ€" ²Ã‚ £3.128 billion (Year ending 28 February 2009)) Employees approx 440,000 (2008)) number stores +3,729 (2008)) Subsidiaries Tesco Stores Limited Tesco Ireland Limited Tesco Bank(100%) Website www.tesco.com Tesco has been successful in opening up new growth markets in Central Europe and Asia. The proportion of total Group space outside of the UK grew to 38% at our half year. We now operate in Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan and the Republic of Ireland. In December we announced of our intention to develop hypermarkets in Malaysia where our first store will open in 2002 TESCO, PESTLE ANALYSIS APESTLE analysis of Tescoexamines the main external factors impacting on the company: There are many factors in the environment that effects the decisions of the managers of any organisation. Tax changes, new laws, trade obstacles , demographic change and government policy changes are all examples of macro change. To help analysis these factors managers can categorise them using the PESTEL model. This classification distinguishes between: POLITICAL FACTOR These refer to government policy such as the degree of intervention in the economy. What goods and services does a government want to provide? To what extent does it believe in subsidising firms? What are its priorities in terms of business support? Political decisions can impact on many vital areas for business such as the education of the workforce, the health of the nation and the quality of the infrastructure of the economy such as the road and rail system. Many governments can be involved. For instance, Tesco might have to deal with British and Columbian politics in regards to its coffee supply. ECONOMICAL These include taxation changes, interests, inflation and exchange rates, economic growth, interest rates. As the â€Å"Foundation of Economic† book economic change can have a major impact on a firm behavior . For example: Higher interest rate may deter investment it because it costs more to borrow . A strong currency may take exporting more difficult because it may raise the price in terms foreign currency. Inflation may provoke higher wage demands from employees and raise cost. Higher national income growth may boosts demand for a firms products. Economic factor have large impacts. Fluctuation in the stock market, or tax increase .can seriously affect the bottom line of a company like Tesco. SOCIAL FACTORS If there is Changes in social trends can affect on the demand for a firms goods and the availability and compliance of individuals to work. In the UK, for example, the population has been ageing. This has increased the costs for firms who are committed to pension payments for their employees because their staff are living longer. It also means some firms such as Asda have started to recruit older employees to tap into this growing labour pool. The ageing population also has impact on demand: for example, demand for sheltered accommodation and medicines has increased whereas demand for toys is falling.These factors can vary from the impact of immigration, to changes in fashion. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS New technologies construct a new products and new processes. MP3 players ,high definition TVs, computer games, online gambling and computer games are all new markets created by technological advances. Online shopping, computer aided design, bar coding are all improvements to the way we do business as a result of better technology. Technology can reduce costs, improve quality and lead to modernism. These developments can benefit consumers as well as the organisations providing the products. Newtechnologieshave had a great impact. For instance, online shopping has become a major factor in Tescos recent success. LEGAL FACTORS The legal environment in which firms operate. In recent years in the UK there have been many significant legal changes that have impact on firms behavior. The introduction of legislation, age discrimination and disability discrimination and greater requirements an increase in the minimum wage for firms to recycle are examples of relatively recent laws that affect an organizations actions. Legal changes may affect a firms costs (e.g. if new systems and procedures have to be developed) and demand (e.g. if the law affects the likelihood of customers buying the good or using the service). Different categories of law include: consumer laws; these are designed to protect customers against unfair practices such as misleading descriptions of the product competition laws; these are aimed at protecting small firms against bullying by larger firms and ensuring customers are not exploited by firms with monopoly power employment laws; these cover areas such as redundancy, dismissal, working hours and minimum wages. They aim to protect employees against the abuse of power by managers health and safety legislation; these laws are aimed at ensuring the workplace is as safe as is reasonably practical. They cover issues such as training, reporting accidents and the appropriate provision of safety equipment. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: Environmental factors include the weather and climate change. Changes in temperature can impact on many industries including farming, tourism and insurance. With major climate changes occurring due to global warming and with greater environmental awareness this external factor is becoming a important issue for firms to consider. The growing voracity to care for the environment is having an impact on many industries such as the travel and transportation industries (for example, more taxes being placed on air travel and the success of hybrid cars) and the general move towards more environmentally friendly products and processes is affecting demand patterns and creating business opportunities. Large organization has anenvironmentalimpact. For instance, Tesco uses fossil fuel in its transport network. Reducing this demand is a major challenge. Goals of Tesco Tha strategy of Tesco includes for a into the low risk areas, less sophisticated retail market where they can easily cop up with the challenges. The goal of the Tesco achieve by opening small retail market and then switching to the hyper market and thus, increasing the number of customer and ultimately scale up the sale. MICHAEL PORTERS FIVE FORCES:- These five forces are very important in doing businesses worldwide. Due to these forces one can analyze the companys current position and the forecasted position of the company after few years. Bargaining power of supplier: Bargaining power of Tesco is low as Tesco buys in huge amounts. High number of suppliers all over the UK. Reasonable costs are offered by the supplier to gain profits over the bulk of products. Bargaining power of buyer: As the popularity of Tesco is increasing the number of buyers is also increasing. Variety of products with good quality and in reasonable rate is demanded by the buyer. Price is seen as an important part by the buyer. Plenty of competitors are in the market offering same products but the prices are having slight differences. Bargaining power of buyer is high. Competitive rivalry: Main competitors are ASDA, Sainsbury, Marks and Spencer, Waitrose, etc Some local competitors as well outside UK. Threats from substitutes: Competing with other super markets on the basis of price of the product threats are often low as it drive both the company down. Internet shopping is one threat of substitutes. Corner shops. Threats from new entrants: Increasing number of supermarkets. Very tuff competition from local competitors makes very hard for new entrant. Every new entrant in supermarkets alters the variety of products as diversified products. Big deals offered by the new entrant. INFORMATION SYSTEMS Supply chain systems create effective stock control and product availability for all our customers. Every customer experiences the checkout process, meaning our systems and processes at the tills need to be simple, smart and at the same time sophisticated. Then there are new ideas like the Self Scan Checkout (which, incidentally, our customers love).Or what about the things you dont see like technology which neatly predicts when we need to open more tills, before the queues have even started to form. Technology is integral to all our business operations from our numerous internal systems, electronic links with our suppliers and over 5,000 office based users to support IT is truly a business partner. EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT The Organization that is dealing with external environment should have a purpose and should be made up of people who are grouped in different fashion. All Organization develop a taxonomic structure that defines and limit the behavior of its member . Stable Environmental Organizations are mechanistic as they are composed of regulations and procedures framed by authority. Unstable Environmental organizations are organic, as they can be altered and are volatile to the changing scenario. PROFESSIONALISM this is necessary because any growing company needs workforce to work in, for this it has to provide training to the amateurs. For this, there are two types of training, low level training for the crew members and high level training for the executives. SIZE OF THE ORGANIZATION the size of an organization depends upon the size of staff, number of stores, and the number of the customers visiting the store. Taking all these issues in the consideration Tesco is the large size organization. ORGANISATIONAL MINDSET These may be of two types of organizational mindset, mechanical and biological. In mechanical a organization cant take decision instantly for the change while in organic it can be changed in flow of the external as well as internal environment. SERVICE SECTOR MANAGEMENT The management can be related to any type of organization. Service sector is one of the area in which management is compulsion. The management should be taught at the school level. http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_12.htm Triaging in a Major Disaster: Haiti Earthquake Case Study Triaging in a Major Disaster: Haiti Earthquake Case Study Haiti Earthquake On January 12, 2012, the country of Haiti was hit by a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake that changed the lives of people living across the nation. The earthquake struck inland before 5pm and was approximately 25 kilometres west of Haitis capital Port-au-Prince1. It was estimated that as many as 3 million people had been affected by the earthquake2. The estimated death toll was over 220,000 and many more significantly injured at the time2. The widespread destruction and damage throughout Port-au-Prince and elsewhere severely damaged or destroyed vital infrastructure including hospitals, communication systems and air, sea, and land transportation facilities3. Many countries responded to this massive disaster by dispatching rescue and medical personnel, and supplies. In the aftermath of the devastating Haitian earthquake, medical teams had stumbled upon difficult ethical decisions due to the medical needs far exceeding the accessible resources. The medical providers in this situati on speculated when and how they should limit treatment for existing patients currently under their care, or reserve resources for new casualties who were additionally in need of medical care4. Thus triage systems needs to be readily available and prepared for all types of major disasters and incidents. Overview Haiti is the third largest Caribbean nation with 27,750 square kilometres of land5. Haiti’s population during 2010 was 9,896, 000 with just under a million of whom live in the capital city, Port-au-Prince5. Prior to the earthquake Haiti World Health Organization estimated that only 43% of the target population acquired the recommended immunisations and disease was very common, along with extreme poverty, political unrest, violence and weak infrastructure5. Additionally, it is the poorest country in the Western world. When it comes to poverty and health in the country, the earthquake has Haiti left in a poorer and desperate economic condition than before. World Health Organisation defines disaster as a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society causing widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.6 In Haiti, the strong and destructive 7.0 magnitude earthquake shocked the region and its people. The U.S Geology Survey reported with as many as 59 aftershocks with a magnitude of 4.5 or greater from the period of 12th January 2010 to 23rd February 20101. The Haiti earthquake occurred at a fault that runs right through the boundary region separating the Caribbean plate and the North America plate1. These plates are enormous rocky chunks that cover the planet and fit one another like a gigantic jigsaw puzzle. The movement (the slipping along the two plates) is vigorous and there is friction between the North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate. Pressure then is built up amongst the two plates until it is set loose as an earthquake. The earthquake occurred at shallow depth thus meaning the seismic waves have to travel a minor distance through the earth crust to reach the surface so maintain more of their energy1. The overall annihilation of infrastructures caused numerous people in Haiti to sleep outdoors on mattresses, in their cars, because their homes had been demolished, or they feared standing structures would not endure aftershocks3. Although buildings and homes were ruined, the numbers of injuries and deaths were rising. Acute medical emergencies The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent predictable as many as 3 million people had been affected by the earthquake and thus the appeal for humanitarian aid7. Rescue efforts began in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, Haitians took recover efforts into their own hands with able-bodied survivors extracting the living and the dead from the debris of the countless structures that had collapsed8. Most of the people who survived the earthquake had injuries ranging from â€Å"open fractures, established compartment syndromes, spinal fractures with paraplegia, multiple dirty, open wounds, and many closed fractures.†9 The most common injury was primarily major musculoskeletal injuries as well as a large amount of disparagingly wounded patients impending or established sepsis due to neglected wounds. 9 In regards to other injuries it was proven fatal if any patient with head, chest, or abdominal injuries9. Due to the limited resources and poor facilities that remained, medical personnel had to develop and utilised a triage system to prioritise treatment and management as well as to maximize the use of scarce medical supplies. A problem that that clinicians faced was patients with open wounds and infection10. Several patients had critical infections with obvious dead tissue often requiring amputation, the highest priority for surgical debridement, as well as hours of operation, united with anticoagulation and close continuations check-ups to retain the muscle flap from thrombosis10. Whilst the treatment is essential and lifesaving, the number of patients required amputation led to major problems as disability is poorly accepted in Haiti therefore a number of patients of patients refused the surgery as they were afraid of amputation or departed the hospital despite knowing that the alternative was probably death9, 10. The difficulty in this case was determining how to allocate limited treatment, time and other resources between existing patients and potential patients not yet under care. Incident triage system In the result of the overwhelming Haitian earthquake, nations from all over the world sent personnel, medicines, equipment, and other aid to Haiti. In particular, one medical team of 16 members was dispatched to Hospital St. Nicholas, in St. Marc roughly 128 kilometres from Port-Au-Prince. The medical team with the help of local volunteers developed a structured Triage scheme:9 A Surgery today to save life B Surgery today to save limb C Surgery as soon as possible for wounds D Surgery when possible for closed fracture E Evacuate when able F Observe The triage scheme implemented by these medical professionals fairly simple as triage category’s A, B, C and D is self-explanatory with initial urgency being specified to septic patients9. Patients who were category ‘E’ were clinically stable, as well as being adequately perfused and hydrated were hoped to be evacuated when possible9. However, the medical team stated that its first helicopter flight did not happen till 11 days after the earthquake. The patients who were Category â€Å"F† would have remained the utmost priority for care in diverse situations but, in this circumstance, these patients had major complications that were outside the teams capability to treat or whose treatment would be too resource needy9, 11. These individual’s clinical conditions were an ethical dilemma for the medical team as perhaps the most difficult decision in clinical medicine. Although the care of these patients would be considered as being the highest priority in a standard medical setting however, in the disaster scale event, it is too time consuming and will also prevent the team from treating other patients. In order to provide life-saving aid the team established a principle, to maintain hydration, use antibiotics, and provide pain relief, and offer cherishing to those who were triaged not to receive surgical treatment9. This method allows each and every patient to deserve the compassionate and sympathetic care without agg ravating the wellbeing of those with a likely to live. In Haiti, clinical judgment and the restricted obtainable resources determined how triage and treatment may occur and eventually impacted every patient’s chance of survival. At the time improvisation and innovation were crucial when providing care. One study of the triage system adopted during the Haiti earthquake, by emergency response team from Stanford Hospital in a third-world disaster is â€Å"done by everyone and anyone able to recognise victims in need of help.†11 It is essential, in disaster triage, providing life-saving aid is the ideal main emphasis as well as focusing exclusively on the individual’s injury and the implementing the method of care. The Stanford team prioritised patients to their own instincts and beliefs in this case patients who needed the most attention at the time. One nurse from the Stanford emergency response team states that it was problematic and different to use and practice the disaster triage principles as they would rarely use it in the United States11. Another factor that arose for medical professions was the lack of documentation and history taking when dealing with vast amounts of patients11. Due to circumstances these patients being faced in a third-world country, knowing that numerous of those who died would have survived or would have an increased chance of survival if they had been accessible. Current international major incident triagesystems The definition of triage is ‘to sort or sieve’12. In medicine, it is the process of organising patients in the categories of priority for treatment and evacuation. Although there are different forms that triage may operate at, overall the main purpose is to provide the right patient with the right care at the right time and place. The triage tool which originated in the UK, Major Incident Medical Management and Support System (MIMMS), utilises the ‘sieve and sort’ of several physiological parameters to identify the priorities for treatment12. This triage system uses colour coding scheme to easily determine the different expectant category. The triage priorities and levels are separated into four different colours: Red (Immediate – Life threatening), Yellow (Not Immediate – Required medical intervention within 2-4 hours), Green (Minor Injuries – Not life threatening) and Blue (Deceased or limited resources to save patient)12. When it comes to sorting the priority of a patient, further information must be obtained by recording Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), Respiratory Rate and Systolic blood pressure12. This information provides an accurate and assists with documentation of patients records. When implanted into a disaster situation, this triage would be reliable as well as fast, str uctured and easy to use. Recommendations for the country’s incident triage system Haiti being one of the worlds the poorest country in the Western world may not have the readily available resources in disaster conditions. Although, method of allocating scarce resources was not reasonable, the country should have implemented the MIMMS triage tool throughout their disaster plan. The triage tool is fast, easy and reliable which provides maximal treatment to prioritised patients. As strategic disaster response become more regular, it is likely the study of disaster response would increase thus providing perceptions into disaster epidemiology that may guide response patterns in these circumstances. Conclusion Due to minimal resources triaging patients in Haiti was no simple task. The earthquakes devastated the lives of many and prompt that triaging in a major disaster needs to be improved to a standard. As triage remains at large the most vital tool for medical team’s disposal when dealing with major incidents and/or disasters. References 1.USGS USGS. Magnitude 7.0 HAITI REGION. 2013 [cited 2014 2 October]; Available from: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2010/us2010rja6/#details. 2.OConnor MR. Two Years Later, Haitian Earthquake Death Toll in Dispute. Columbia Journalism Review. 2012. 3.ROMERO S, LACEY M. Fierce Quake Devastates Haitian Capital The New York Times. 2010. 4.Hoppes E. In the Wake of Tragedy: Medical Ethics and the Haiti Earthquake. Wake Forest University Center for Bioethics, Health Society, Documentary Film Program, 2011. 5.Division LoC-FR. COUNTRY PROFILE: HAITI. 2006. 6.WHO WHO. Definitions: emergencies. 2008. 7.Inc. CI. Red Cross: 3M Haitians Affected by Quake. 2010 [cited 2014 4 October]; Available from: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/red-cross-3m-haitians-affected-by-quake/. 8.Cooper A, CNN. Haitians dig themselves out as quake damage slows outside aid. 2010 [cited 2014 4 October]; Available from: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/14/haiti.earthquake/index.html. 9.Smith RM, Dyer GSM, Antonangeli K, Arredondo N, Bedlion H, Dalal A, et al. Disaster triage after the Haitian earthquake. Injury. 2012;43(11):1811-5. 10.Eyal N, Firth P. Repeat triage in disaster relief: questions from haiti. PLoS currents. 2012;4:e4fbbdec6279ec. Epub 2012/11/13. 11.Camacho-McAdoo G. Triage following a Natural Disaster: A Haitian Experience. Journal of Emergency Nursing.36(4):385-7. 12.Smith W. Triage in mass casualty situations. Western Cape Department of Health and Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University, 2012.

Free Admissions Essays: This Beautiful Life :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

This Beautiful Life    " We go AIDS unit now." These words were spoken in fragmented English by a tiny Thai woman dressed in a crisp white nurse's uniform, complete with a stiff little hat perched on top of her overly styled black hair, teased and sprayed to perfection. I looked down at the nurse, somewhat startled. I certainly had not expected to be permitted to see into the gruesome reality of taboo Thai culture.    I had come to Lampang, Northern Thailand with nine other American students on my first of several community service programs to the country. By the time we reached the Kanyalyani hospital, we had already experienced our fair share of encounters with the peculiarities of the Thai people and their constant struggle "to keep face" for their country in the eyes of these young farangs (foreigners). Perhaps the reason the Lampang Kanyalyani hospital proved different was because they recognized the hospital lacking in superficial beauty to show off, I reflected, as I glanced at the peeling white walls of the hall, mold formations prospering in the damp corners, and then over to the disarray of rickety wooden chairs cluttered in the center of the cramped room full of sickly people, many of whom would not be treated for hours. "This OK?" confirmed the little nurse. I looked over to my friend, Alex, who was furiously nibbling on his fingernails, a sure sign that he too was nervous. We both nod ded with false enthusiasm, plastering huge fabricated grins across our faces, a habit that we had acquired since arriving; a method for concealing emotion. I took Alex's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as we turned to follow our guide across a courtyard overrun with weeds and cluttered with piles of rocks, into a separate building. The sagging roof and high windows, splattered with mud, ( a far cry from the Four Seasons) was not a place I would want to wait to die. I took a deep breath, trembling with both fear and anticipation, and walked through the door that Alex held for me.      When I first scanned the room, it was as if with selective vision. I saw things, but not the people to which they were attached. The high metal beds, the IV drops, the rasping respirator impacted me. I moved in closer, hoping to overcome my reservations.