Technological Development And The Third World Essay Example For Students

Technological Development And The Third World Essay Technological Development and the Third WorldTECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE THIRD WORLD I wonder if people in Third World countries know that they are consideredthe Third World? Do they use that term in reference to themselves? Do theyhave any perception of the comparison, judgment and bias that goes into thatstatement? Id like to think that they dont. In the film about the Ladackpeople that we watched in class, it was mentioned that they didnt have a wordfor poverty. No such word even existed in their language. But that was before. It was before the invasion of other cultures, and it was before they hadanything to compare themselves to. And in comparison, they saw that, materially,they had less. And in that knowledge, they believed that they, as a people, wereless. In this essay, I will examine third world communities and therelationship between technological development and environmental degradation. Iwill look first at the way in which development occurred in the South, and thereason it happened the way that it did. From there, I will show how thesemethods of development proceeded to eventually cause widespread environmentaldamage and its effect on the local people. . We will write a custom essay on Technological Development And The Third World specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now DEVELOPMENT: WESTERN STYLEWhen I refer to the environment, I mean not only the habitat thathumans, plants and animals inhabit, but also the physical, emotional andpsychological attitudes that are encompassed by these in their daily existence. Development, by my definition, will consequently refer to the technologicaladvancement of a community as well as the improved status of humans and otherspecies. This is my definition, and one that others employ frequently now. However, the modelI will be examining first is the development theory based onthe economic political system. A typical western (read: economic) definitionof development would be an ambiguous term for a multidimensional processinvolving material, social and organizational change, accelerated economicgrowth, and the reduction of absolute poverty and inequality.' (1) The keyemphasis in this statement is the phrase economic growth. In Europe and NorthAmerica, development politics has revolved around the economic aspect ofproducing surplus, and gaining capital. Because of our relatively rich landresource base, our method of technological development has been quite successful. Statistics show us as high wage earners, wealthy in public services such ashealth care and education, low infant mortality rate, long lifespan, and highGNP per person. Because of the comfort that our economic development has broughtus, we have omitted the aspect of development in regard to human psychologicalwell-being and the preservation of our natural surroundings that should beconcurrent with technological development. With ours as the only current modelof successful development, newly industrializing countries such as South andCentral America, and Africa (and up until quite recently many Asian countries)attempted to achieve results in the same way. The problem that ensued for thesecountries was that instead of working slowly towards their goals, they soldthemselves to get ahead economically. Instead of recognizing the problems thatthis method was causing and stopping them, governments and the wealthy privatesector, took control of the industry and continued to exploit it. With t he richin control, the poorer classes had little choice but to follow, and the downwardspiral of poverty and instability began. HOW IT HAPPENEDAs the Third World nations struggled to become developed, the richcountries became involved in their affairs. Interest in the countries aroseprimarily because of the trade resourcesthat these lands provided. Thepotential for profit became evident because the new countries were strugglingwith their economy. They were experiencing internal unrest between their membersand they needed money and resources to get started. Before they had a stableinternal economy, they were bounding into the international market and sellingtheir resources for a quick profit. Cash-cropping became a way to enter theinternational arena of market and trade, but the damage to the land took only afew short years to be discovered, and by that time luxuries had becomenecessities. People wanted the cash flow to continue and instead of findingways to use their land sustainable, they continued poor resource managementregardless of the consequences. Deforestation became another common practicebecause of the demand forwood overseas. Export, although a seemingly beneficialdevelopment strategy, became detrimental to third world countries because itcatered to the demand for certain items. Coffee beans are a large export item inSouth and Central America. With the rising demand for coffee in North America,land that wa..s previously used for agriculture was taken over and used forgrowing coffee beans.The consequences of this were twofold; local people weresuffering from lack of land to use for food production, and the potential landwas useless because of the cash-crops. .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 , .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .postImageUrl , .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 , .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7:hover , .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7:visited , .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7:active { border:0!important; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7:active , .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Simon birtch EssayENVIRONMENTAL RESULTS OF TECHNOLOGY :TODAYA more current example of the technological development that isresulting in environmental degradation is the misuse of resources. In Africa,industrial water pollution has become a widespread problem. Third Worldcommunities dont often have the awareness that the South has about sustainabletechniques and the importance of employing them. Most people in North Americalive in cities and have their water purified to a certain health standard andbrought to them. People in the Third World use the river for washing, drinkingand bathing. Unclean water leads not only to damage of the ecosystems but alsoto the health of those who use it. Another problem is that countries from theSouth have based their industry in developing countries because they have lowerenvironmental standards. With the benefits of jobs and money that thesecompanies bring, the host country will rarely challenge the damaging techniquesthat they use. Pollution forms another major set of environmental problems inthe region. It used to be said that pollution is a problem of the rich countries,and that for the developing countries, development must come first and we canworry about the environment later. Pollution and the deteriorating quality oflife caused by environmental degradation in our region has shown how fallaciousthis argument is. (2) We no longer have a choice but to address the problemsthat man is creating in nature and the environment. The excuse of developmentwill no longer hold. (we, the) people.. in Latin America are using our best resources forthe benefit of the rich countries exporting to them our energy, our fish, ourraw materials and using our labor resources to extract and export thesematerials and all at low prices and poor terms of trade. (3) While ourtechnology is helping the third world countries in areas such as health andeducation, our own desire for goods and profit prevent us from allowing themtheir full potential. We create an economy where we will do whatever it takes toget what we want. As an example, we of the developed nations tell the thirdworld that they should stop environmental damage, while it is our companies thatare taking advantage of their low standards. We tell them to stop cash-cropping,but we buy their coffee beans at any price. With these hypocritical standards,we will never influence them to turn their economy around. As we oureconomically motivated in our own interest, they too need economic motivation tochange their destru ctive habits. Especially since with us, their products areprimarily extras, while for them, their trade of the product is negativelyinfluencing their economy and affecting their people. In Asia and the Pacific, urbanization, modernization, and technology arecreating different environmental problems. It is the problem of human need. Thousands of people have been displaced from farms because the government or theprivate sector expropriates them for industrial use. Rich foodlands are beingdestroyed and turned into highways, airports or dams.With no where to go and nojobs, the people are migrating to the city in search of homes and employment. Slums and squatter dwellings result with problems of rising crime and unhygenicliving conditions. This puts terrible strain on both the human and physicalenvironment, creating a situation with little hope for a successful future. SOLUTIONSTo combat these crisis, we must adopt some new behaviors. Our currentmodel of development is showing some obvious flaws and it is evident that it isthe impact of technology that has resulted in. environmental damage. Buttechnology is not the only factor at fault. It is the influence of technologycombined with human greed that has presented these complex human andenvironmental problems. Laws monitoring pollution of the environment must beenforced, and followed equally in all countries. With the knowledge that we nowpossess of the global chaos that is at hand, we have no excuse but to do so. .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 , .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .postImageUrl , .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 , .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019:hover , .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019:visited , .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019:active { border:0!important; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019:active , .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: In cold blood EssayThe hypocrisy that exists between the systems must also be stopped. Considering not only ourselves, but the endangered lives of others is essentialto the continuation of our species as a whole. Our fortunate position in adeveloped nation does not give us the right to create a hierarchy of ourexistence as more important than the life of another. Possibly, the only way that we are going to combat any of these problemsis by education. It will take more than a few dedicated people to change theworld, but with the influence of many, anything is possible.

Free Essays on Global System for Mobile Communications

GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communications and is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. GSM phones are used by over a billion people across more than 200 countries. The ubiquity of the GSM standard makes international roaming very common with "roaming agreements" between operators. GSM differs from its predecessors most significantly in that both signaling and speech channels are digital, which means that it is seen as a second generation (2G) mobile phone system. This fact has also meant that data communication was built into the system very early. GSM is an open standard which is developed by the 3GPP. The key advantage of GSM systems from the point of view of the consumer has been early delivery of new services at low costs, for example text messaging was developed first for GSM, whilst the advantage for network operators has been the low infrastructure cost which is caused by open competition. The primary disadvantage has been that GSM's radio network is based on TDMA technology, which is considered less "technologically advanced" than competing CDMA based systems, though practical performance figures are rather similar. GSM has remained backward compatible with the original GSM phones, at the same time, the GSM standard continues to develop and packet data capabilities were added in the Release '97 version of the standard with GPRS. Higher speed data transmission has been introduced by providing a new modulation scheme with EDGE. History The GSM groups ("Groupe Spà ©cial Mobile" (French)) , 2, 3 and 4) were founded during the year 1985. Originally these groups were hosted by CEPT. The technical fundamentals of the GSM-system were defined 1987. In 1989 ETSI took over control and in 1990 the first GSM specification was born (over 6000 pages of text). Commercial operation starts in 1991 with Radiolinja in Finland. In 1998 the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) ) was formed. Originally it... Free Essays on Global System for Mobile Communications Free Essays on Global System for Mobile Communications GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communications and is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. GSM phones are used by over a billion people across more than 200 countries. The ubiquity of the GSM standard makes international roaming very common with "roaming agreements" between operators. GSM differs from its predecessors most significantly in that both signaling and speech channels are digital, which means that it is seen as a second generation (2G) mobile phone system. This fact has also meant that data communication was built into the system very early. GSM is an open standard which is developed by the 3GPP. The key advantage of GSM systems from the point of view of the consumer has been early delivery of new services at low costs, for example text messaging was developed first for GSM, whilst the advantage for network operators has been the low infrastructure cost which is caused by open competition. The primary disadvantage has been that GSM's radio network is based on TDMA technology, which is considered less "technologically advanced" than competing CDMA based systems, though practical performance figures are rather similar. GSM has remained backward compatible with the original GSM phones, at the same time, the GSM standard continues to develop and packet data capabilities were added in the Release '97 version of the standard with GPRS. Higher speed data transmission has been introduced by providing a new modulation scheme with EDGE. History The GSM groups ("Groupe Spà ©cial Mobile" (French)) , 2, 3 and 4) were founded during the year 1985. Originally these groups were hosted by CEPT. The technical fundamentals of the GSM-system were defined 1987. In 1989 ETSI took over control and in 1990 the first GSM specification was born (over 6000 pages of text). Commercial operation starts in 1991 with Radiolinja in Finland. In 1998 the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) ) was formed. Originally it...

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Social Change Impact - Assignment Example These individuals protested in order to attain their rights and to gain acceptability within the society. For example: the civil rights movement started as the society viewed black Americans as inferior and was not accepting them as equal part of the society and similar events were witnessed in LGBT rights and women rights movement. The women’s right movement ended up in gaining success because they broke their ultimate goal of attaining their rights into manageable goals and they did not try to bring out a change immediately (Loeb, 2010, p.64). Secondly no one was quite aware about the various advantages that will take place as a result of this change and in order to experience the unforeseen advantages, this change was accepted. The main contributing factor for the sustainability of women right movement was that those involved in this movement did not back down and continued to fight for their rights even when there were huge

Marketing Plan Report - Introducing Five Guys Burger to Kuwait Assignment

Marketing Plan Report - Introducing Five Guys Burger to Kuwait - Assignment Example Using promotion aligned with psychographic traits related to the consumer behaviour, Five Guys can gain brand recognition and, ultimately, brand preference with its focus on integrated marketing communications and positioning on quality. Five Guys Burger Restaurants is a casual, fast food restaurant headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia in the United States. The company maintains a menu that is focused on hamburgers, kosher hot dogs and a variety of different sandwiches. Between 2010 and 2011, the company experienced revenue growth of over 32 percent (York 2012). In the United States, Five Guys Burger is positioned as being a better burger, with a high level of emphasis on quality ingredients to differentiate the business from domestic American competition. However, the U.S. marketplace, in terms of fast food restaurants, is highly saturated and it is difficult to achieve growth in a rapidly maturing market. As a result, Five Guys Burger Restaurants is seeking new market opportunities in foreign markets where there is less competitive saturation and where consumer characteristics are favourable for achieving market growth and building a positive brand reputation. This report identifies potential market opportunities in Kuwait, a developing nation, for Five Guys Burger to establish a potent competitive identity. The report provides justification for market entry in this country, an analysis of competitors in the region, the cultural profile for viable consumer segments in Kuwait, and an appropriate targeting strategy and positioning strategy to achieve the objectives of growth for the company. Additionally, the report provides appropriate recommendations, based on market conditions, for ensuring success in this new foreign investment. Five Guys differs from its other American competitors, offering only fresh beef and promoting that the company does not maintain any freezers in its

Revolution of 1912 in China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Revolution of 1912 in China - Research Paper Example Much of the pandemonium and chaos resulted due to ineffective and failed attempted of the Qing Dynasty to modernize China in terms of female participation in politics and fulfilling the requirements of the Railway Protection Movement which concerned those Chinese people who were against the decision of the Qing government to nationalize railway development projects and transfer their control to foreign banks. Also, the decision made by the Qing government to mobilize imperial troops in an effort to oppress the people who were behind the Railway Protection Movement and the Movement for females political participation finally culminated in overthrowing the imperial rule, backfired on the Qing Dynasty itself because this action stimulated many other revolutionaries too who went ahead with their aim and never looked back (Reynolds 164). This much is clear from the historical accounts that the 1912 Chinese Revolution began as a consequence of a large number of internal systematic disorders which rapidly got out of hand due to which a great number of revolutionaries got murdered by the imperial troops but still a great many other revolutionaries went on to ensure the death of the imperial ruling system. Actually, the revolutionaries were of this mental approach that the imperial government was doing nothing potent or significant to modernize China in accordance with the international standards rather it was keeping China from progressing rapidly into a powerful economy giant on the world map. It was with this intention of modernizing China that the revolutionaries became fearless to openly oppose the Qing government and stand up against various atrocities committed by the imperial troops with the result that 1912 became the birth year of the Republican era. The Qing government headed by the last imperial ruler Puyi m obilized imperial troops against revolutionaries because people in large number in different states began disregarding Puyi and

Norwegian Health System Analysis

Norwegian Health System Analysis Organization and governance: The Norwegian health care system can best be described as a semi decentralized system. Municipalities are in charge of primary care and have the full responsibility of organizing health services on a local level. Since 2002, the four regional health authorities (RHAs) have been under state supervision and have been held responsible for specialist care. Counties’ role is confined to statutory dental care. The Ministry of Health is responsible for regulation and supervision of this framework, however many missions and assignments are mandated to different subordinate organisms. The ministry regulates the activities of its subordinate organisms through direct controlling in the case of national agencies, ownership arrangements such as budgets and letters of instructions (RHAs), and legislation and money-related instruments (counties and municipalities). It guarantees that health and social services are granted in line with national acts and regulations. Recently, inter-sectorial coordination has become an important tool in order to hinder social imbalances in health. In addition, more consideration has been dedicated to improve resource allocation (by emphasizing on the importance of health technology assessment and through priority settings), quality outcomes and patient safety. Since the beginning of 21st century, reinforcing patients’ role has become a top priority, for instan ce, through an overarching patient rights legislation handling issues such as patient choice and complaint procedures. Overview of the health system: The hierarchical structure of the Norwegian welfare system is based on the moral principal of equal access to healthcare services for all inhabitants irrespective of their social, economic or geographical residency. Norway has a three-tier healthcare system: national/state, regional health authorities (RHA) and municipalities (fig1.2). Counties play a small role in the health-care organization. The system is managed through an expansive number of acts and secondary legislation. Legislation mirrors the decentralized structure of the welfare system: specialist care is controlled by the Specialist Care Act of 1999 and the Health Authorities and Health trust Act of 2001, dental care is managed by the Dental Health Services Act of 1983 and primary care is regulated by the Municipal Health and Care Act of 2011. Other areas of care that encompass several hierarchical levels are managed by distinct acts: for instance, the Mental Care Act of 1999 and the Public Health Act of 2011. The government determines national priorities and the national budget is negotiated within the parliament. Almost all proposals presented to the parliament are studied in depth by an expert committee. The Standing Committee on Health and Care Services is in charge of matters related to health services, drug and alcohol policy, public health and pharmaceuticals. The overall responsibility for the health-care sector however, rests at the national level with the Ministry of Health and Care Services. The ministry determines the national health policy, prepares and oversees legislation, decides on the allocation of funds within the health sector (allocation of resources to health and other sectors is the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance), and implements national health policy with the help of several subordinate institutions (Directorate of Health, 2012c). The Ministry of Labor plays an indirect role in the welfare system, essentially through the Labor and Welfare Administration (NAV) that regulates various benefits regimens within the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), such as sick leave and disability compensation. The Ministry of Health and the Directorate of Health have been in charge of the healthcare budget in the overall NIS budget plan. This part of the budget is directed by the Norwegian Health Economics Administration HELFO. Historical Background: The directorate of Health was founded in 1945 and its work and the general health policy were inspired by the United Kingdom Beveridge Report (Kuhnle, 2006). The foundation of the NIS in 1967 (which was integrated into the NAV in 2006) was an imperative step towards attaining universal coverage of welfare services. The Regular General Practitioner (RGP) scheme was implemented, giving people the right to choose a general practitioner (GP) of their choice (to be subscribed on the GPs list). Since 2012, the Coordination Reform gave the municipalities a bigger financial responsibility regarding patients who are about to be discharged from hospitals. This reform also aims to amend coordination between the municipal level and the RHAs. Organization Central governance of the health system The ministry of Health puts national health regulations, elaborates major reforms and enforces their applications. The ministry via the RHAs has a direct obligation regarding the procurement of specialist care to patients. In addition, it has administrative control over a number of subordinate agencies (table 2.1, pages 21 and 47) Regional health authorities and hospital trust specialized health care There are four RHAs in Norway: Northern Norway RHA (Helse Nord), Central Norway RHA (Helse Midt Norge), Western Norway RHA (Helse Vest) and, the biggest, South-Eastern Norway RHA (Helse Sà ¸r Øst), covering nearly 55% of the population. The RHAs are in charge of the provision of specialized care and other specialized services including radiology, laboratory and ambulatory services. Presently, there are 27 health trusts managed by the RHAs. Counties dental care and public health In general, the Counties’ part in healthcare is restricted. They are primarily in charge of the procurement of statutory dental care. Municipalities primary care Municipalities are accountable for the procurement and financing of primary care. Moreover, they are accountable for a large scope of public health and preventive measures. Municipalities are not under the direct commands of the central authorities and have a lot of flexibility in arranging primary care services. Private health care sector The engagement of private actors in primary care is considerable. The majority of the general practitioner is self-employed. However, most GPs are integrated in the public system by contracting with municipalities. On the contrary, private pecuniary providers play a small role in the procurement of secondary care: less than 2% of hospital beds are in private profit-making hospitals. Radiology centers and laboratory services remain the major profit-making institutions (80% and 60% of GP referrals for respectively radiology and laboratory services were made to for-profit facilities in 2010) (Directorate of Health, 2012b). Associations of health care professionals The major associations are the Norwegian Medical Association (27000 members), the Dental Association (6300) and the Nurses Union (90000).These associations play a double role as trade union and professional associations. As professional associations, they are responsible for a large scope of activities, for example, trainings, education, health policies and ethics. As trade union, they aspire to protect and enhance the financial and professional interests of their members. Decentralization and centralization (3.3 pooling of funding) Scandinavian health care systems are often characterized as being run according to decentralized national health service (NHS) model: funding is raised by taxation and the main actors are public (Rice Smith, 2002). The twentieth century saw a considerable delegation of power from central authority to the municipal level, however both tendencies currently co-exist. â€Å"The funding system for municipalities was changed in 1986 when about 50 different earmarked grants were replaced by block grants† (Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, 2005). This reform granted municipalities a more prominent level of independence regarding resources allocation across services. Municipalities are also entitled to raise taxes in the interest of financing their activities. In addition, some further decentralization actions were implemented since the beginning of the 21st century. For instance, the 2000 reform changed the paradigm of hospitals’ management (day-to day running of the hospital is the responsibility of the general manager and executive board) (Johnsen 2006). On the other hand, centralization tendencies can be observed at the same time. The 2002 reforms transferred responsibility for second care from counties to the national level (state). The country was segregated into 5 RHAs (then reduced to 4 in 2007) and hospitals were organized as hospital trusts, which were founded at the same time (Hagen Kaarboe, 2007). (Sections 3.3.3 and 2.8.4) Planning The National Health Plans is the groundwork planning tool in the welfare area for the coming four years. The plans describe the existing status of the healthcare system, as well as the major challenges, and propose policy goals and actions aimed at meeting them (Nylenna 2007). Intersectoraility The coordination of the different measures aimed to improve the overall organization of the healthcare system relies on the interaction of various ministries other than the ministry of Health. The Ministry of Education is concerned with the forecasting of the health workforce, the Ministry of finance is involved through the taxation system and the Ministry of Labor is implicated in the NIS. Information systems: National registers gather an extensive scope of healthcare data and cover the entire population (table 2.2). Collecting data is compulsory for healthcare professionals and it doesn’t entail patients’ consent. At this date, there are 15 central registries in Norway. Hence, the quality of data in these registers is in general considered to be high (NIPH, 2009). Statistics Norway is the central institution in charge of gathering, examining, and publishing official statistics. Moreover, there are several medical databases (kvalitetsregistere) which gather data about health outcomes and other information concerning specific treatments or diagnoses. These databases give important information to evaluate the impact of different treatment strategies and provide valuable data for research and quality control. Health technology assessment (HTA) HTA is under the responsibility of the Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services (NOKC). This appraisal evaluates both the clinical and cost-effectiveness benefits of a medicine or procedure. The new system launched in early 2013 is backed by â€Å"mini-HTA â€Å"reports†(assessed at the level of local hospitals), as well as â€Å"full-HTA† reports carried out by the Norwegian Medicines Agency (NoMA) and the NOKC. The purpose of the â€Å"mini HTA† is to guarantee that patients have fast access to innovative and safe hospital treatments. Priority setting or resource allocation Regulation: Regulation and governance of third-party payers The NIS is the main third party payer in Norwegian welfare system. Its budget is under the control of the Directorate of Health (HELFO). Voluntary health insurance (VHI) is the only other third –party payer in the Norwegian system. Governance and regulation of specialist care We should to a previous section? The ministry of health is in charge of secondary care through RHAs. However RHAs are independent legal entities, governed by independent boards. The RHAs are responsible of health trusts but health trusts are also separate legal institutions with their own management an executive board. Regulation and governance of pharmaceuticals Regulation of pharmaceutical products The Norwegian Medicines Agency (NoMA) is responsible for granting/withdrawing marketing authorizations and is in charge of post-marketing pharmacovigilance. The regulation of pharmaceuticals comes into agreement with applicable EU regulations since Norway is a member of the EEA. Therefore, there are four relevant procedures that industries should use when requesting marketing authorization: the national procedure, centralized procedure, mutual recognition and decentralized procedures. Regulation of pharmacies and wholesalers The 2000 Pharmacy Act shapes the activities of pharmacies in Norway. This act remolded the pharmaceutical environment. First, pharmacist monopole was cancelled (only certified pharmacists can manage pharmacies, however any individual can possess the pharmacy). Second, the restrictions on opening new pharmacies were removed (until 2001 the NoMA adjusted the number of pharmacies). Hence, every drugstore must have two different licenses: one license to possess the pharmacy (the owner’s license) and the second to manage the pharmacy (the operating license). Third, drugstore chains are permitted. Pharmacists have been granted the right for generic substitution since 2001, though only drugs available on the â€Å"substitution list† published by NoMA can be substituted. Only a couple of internet pharmacies are available in Norway and are only permitted to sell OTC medicines. Policies to improve cost effective use of pharmaceuticals â€Å"First–choice scheme† is an initiative taken by the government to encourage the usage of generics. Doctors are now compelled to prescribe generic drugs unless there is a life-threating medical reason that justifies the use prescription of the name brand drug. Pharmacists are bound to advise patients if there is a less expensive generic drug when their doctor prescribes the original name brand medicine. Patients are obliged to pay the price difference if they insist on buying the originator drug rather than the generic. Higher profits on generic drugs are a key driver for pharmacist to encourage the switch.

Ghost Sightings in Monroe, New Jersey :: Ghost Stories Urban Legends

Ghost Sightings in Monroe, New Jersey The following story was told to me by a nineteen year old man in his dorm room at College on a Saturday afternoon in March. He is from Monroe, New Jersey, and lives with his two parents, his younger brother, his dog Cougar, and his cat affectionately known as Hellspawn. His father works as a contractor, a security guard, and a fire extinguisher inspector, and his mother works at a local garden center. The story was told to him by the main subject, his gym teacher. His teacher told the story to his health class one day as a firsthand account, although he never specified when it occurred. This is the version told to me: Alright. So I was telling you about that gym teacher I had who was a substitute teacher, and he always claimed that he†¦ would get in the â€Å"zone† and be able to, like, see ghosts and stuff and communicate with them. He was at a Wawa one time, and he stepped outside and there was an old man out there, and he was like, â€Å"Excuse me, sir. . . I just need your help for a second.† He was like, â€Å"Yea, sure†¦ whatta ya need?† And the old man was like, â€Å"Could you go into this store†¦ and ya see that lady over there?† She’s like an elderly lady. â€Å"So could you like go over there and tell her that I love her?† And then he told him his name, ya know, whatever it was, and my gym teacher was like, â€Å"Yea, sure.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ So he went in there, and†¦ he went up to the lady and he was like, â€Å"Hey, I had a message from John,† whatever the hell his name was, â€Å"And he wanted me to tell you t hat he loves you.† And she told him that John had been dead for a couple of years†¦ He described what he looked like to her, and she was like, â€Å"Yea, that’s definitely John, and he’d definitely do something like that.† Umm, yea. So, I mean, I don’t know if it’s true or not, but, he told stories like that all the time. When asked, the storyteller elaborated that the old man was no longer outside the Wawa when his gym teacher went back outside. The teller had slight pauses in several places in his story, most notably before explaining that his gym teacher could see ghosts and after the elderly woman confirming it was her late husband.