Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Reflection Of A Discourse Community - 1591 Words

Introduction Paul Ryan once said, â€Å"Every successful individual knows that his or her achievement depends on a community of persons working together.† We do not often realize how important it is for everybody to work together to achieve a goal. A community is a group of individual people gathered together to form a whole, like a school, local church, government entity, non-profit organization, sport team, etc. This whole can make reference to a discourse community. According to John Swales, discourse communities are unions where individuals have a common purpose, and communicate to achieve this. There are six characteristics that make up a discourse community. They are a set of common public goals, mechanisms of communication among its†¦show more content†¦Literature Review In the article, â€Å"The Concept of Discourse Community,† John Swales defines what a discourse community is, and yet, he strongly argues that a discourse community must meet six specific characteristics. A social group must have a set of common goals, methods of intercommunication between its members, feedback, the usage of genres, a determined lexis, and a rank that defines the level of expertise each member has. With that being said, Swales highlights the need of a clarification of what differs a discourse community from a speech community. In Erik’s Borg (2003) article, â€Å"Discourse community†, the concept of a speech community â€Å"refers to actual people who recognize their language use as different from other language users.† (p.398) Additionally, Swales states that discourse communities â€Å"recruits its members by persuasion, training, or relevant qualification† and speech communities’ recruits â€Å"its [members] by birth, accident or adoption†. Even though speech communities do share similar linguistic rules among its members, norms, and theories, they do not share common a common goal. They lack communication among its members, and lastly, they do not accomplish the utilization of genres like a discourse community does. Moreover, it is established that genres are â€Å"how things get done, when language is used to accomplish them† (Martin, 1985). Swales (1990) indicates that discourseShow MoreRelatedA Reflection On A Discourse Community999 Words   |  4 PagesA  discourse community  is a group of people who share a set of discourses, understood as basic values and assumptions, and ways of communicating about those goals. John Swales  defines a discourse community  as groups that have goals or purposes, and use communication to achieve these goals. The community I choose to identify with is special education. Special education teachers, or aids, really dedicate themselves and their time to others who need special assistance or treatment. The California DepartmentRead MoreReflection Of A Discourse Community1587 Words   |  7 Pagesjoin a discourse community. But we I was around the age of fifteen I joined the basketball team, and ever since then it became my discourse community. In this paper, I’m going to explain how the team was a discourse community to me. And what roles we did to become a discourse community. Many people say basketball is all about winning games. But its more than that, I’ve learned many concepts in the game of basketball I’m going demonstrate what made my basketball team a discourse community. DefinitionRead MoreReflection Of A Discourse Community2004 Words   |  9 Pagesdefines a discourse community as an exclusive group of people brought together by a common goal. According to John Swales (1990), every discourse community has six characteristics that makes them a discourse community. Overall the group must have a shared goal, in which they communicate with each other through different genres and lexis they have developed; genres are different types of communication that the group employ and lexis is the specialized language utilized by that particular discourse communityRead MoreReflection Of My Discourse Community1683 Words   |  7 Pagesusing sound foreign. That is what is so interesting about discourse communities. Everyone is a part of a discourse community whether it is your family, religion, or activities you partake in. The discourse community that I am apart of is my pledge class in the Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter here at Southeast. We all met at the beginning of the school year yet we are already so close we call each other brothers. I observed my discourse community on two different occasions. The first time I observed themRead MoreThe Reflection Of A Motorcycle Riders Group As An Discourse Community1688 Words   |  7 Pages we focused on discourse communities: which in fact are a group of people who share same values, beliefs, ideas, interest using same language and method of communication to achieve a certain goal. The people in discourse communities requires the certain level of knowledge and expertise in the field and becomes part of the discourse community by understanding and using logos, ethos, and pathos to discuss, explain and argue their own interest and knowledge within their own community using the own methodRead MoreThe Mysteries Of Molecular Medicine And Genetics916 Words   |  4 Pagesfor the Research Problem have helped me towards achieving course learning outcome number 3:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Use a flexible writing process and varied technologies to produce texts that address the expectations of the student’s disciplinary or professional discourse community in terms of claims, evidence, organization, format, style, rhetorical situation, strategies, and effects by drawing on an explicit understanding of the genre(s) being composed.†Ã‚  This learning outcome is focused towards writing, and my ORP bestRead MoreTransferring Knowledge907 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscursive practices, metacognition, critical reflection, and strategies to transfer knowledge that has been gained to other events in our lives. Learning about the structures of discourses and how writing is constructed specifically to the context by which the writing is produced in is a very valuable skill which can be transferred to many other situations I may face in my future. The process by which writing is begun, knowing how discourse communities function, and understanding the metacognitiveRead MoreAnalysis Of Anne Beaufort s Words, A Better, Product1599 Words   |  7 Pagesill-prepared writers, incompet ent and limited to one discourse community. i.e. bad â€Å"products.† However, English 3010 is a course for upper-level students, and the emphasis is on conducting research by drawing from the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and professions in preparation for Writing Intensive courses in the majors and beyond. In relation to the course learning outcomes, the works I have done have been majorly about Discourse, discourse communities, genres, writing expertise, research questionsRead MoreThe Examination Of Human History Displays The Connection Of Learning And Technology764 Words   |  4 Pagesthis learning paradigm: ï‚ § Learners’ use of previous intelligence to obtain new intelligence. ï‚ § Learners recognize the difference between their previous and new intelligence. ï‚ § Learners apply their new intelligence and obtain feedback. ï‚ § Learners’ reflection on information learned to ensure this intelligence is fully integrated into memory. ï‚ § The Constructivist theory’s implications for distance education learning are vast and can be met by many of today’s technologies. Ally (2008) suggests the following:Read MoreThe Discourse Of A Discourse Community1224 Words   |  5 PagesA discourse community is defined as a group of people involved in and communicating about a particular topic, issue, or in a particular field. We all belong to multiple discourse communities.To earn a position of a discourse community one must possess accurate knowledge, establish reliability of members to be accepted and learn to persuade other members of the community. The discourse community that I identify with personally and the profession I plan to pursue is the world of film production. However

Monday, December 16, 2019

Why Support the Kidney Care Quality and Improvement Act Free Essays

For the past years, health and health care have transformed to become the dominant economic and political issues in the United States and many other countries. Because most nations have experienced rapid rises in health care spending over the past 30 years, governments have assisted patients in their countries because the cost is simply becoming unaffordable for them. During the earlier times, provision of health care was a relatively simple matter. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Support the Kidney Care Quality and Improvement Act or any similar topic only for you Order Now Doctors carried most of the equipment they used in a black bag and the same doctor was likely to attend a patient for most, or all, of her or his life. During those days the range of medical and surgical interventions was quite modest. Today, sophisticated diagnostic technology complements an extensive array of medical and surgical options making medical care a very complex, highly specialized, and costly commodity. One of the most alarming diseases that had burdened American people is kidney failure. According to a U.S. Newswire report (16 March 2005),   approximately 400,000 Americans currently suffer from kidney failure and of those, around 300,000 require dialysis several times a week, for an average of 3.5 hours per session. At the current rate of new cases — many the results of diabetes, obesity and hypertension — the number of patients is expected to quadruple to more than 2.2 million by the year 2030. Many experts recommended that early detection and better disease management is regarded as the best means to delay the onset of kidney failure. Definitely, kidney function is essential for life. Once a person’s own kidneys fail, some form of treatment is necessary if they are to go on living. Currently, there are two forms of treatment – dialysis (in which the kidney function is taken over by artificial means) and transplantation (in which another person’s kidney is used instead). Successful treatment – by dialysis or a transplant – now gives people with kidney failure a new lease of life, sometimes for many years (Stein 2002, p. 122). However, death can be inevitable. Patients and families usually want to know how long a person can survive with untreated end-stage kidney failure. This too is variable, depending on the extent to which their old kidneys are working – and therefore the amount of urine that they pass. The kidneys may be able to get rid of some excess fluid, but unable to process waste products such as creatinine and urea, or salts such as potassium. It is the build-up of these substances in the blood (especially the potassium) that usually leads to death. This is why dialysis represents the success of our knowledge and skill in conquering a kidney illness. Dialysis is all about life. And, it could cost an insurmountable amount of money when someone goes to dialysis three times a week for the rest of his or her life Indeed, there is an immediate need to improve the government’s program that provides dialysis care for those with kidney failure. This is why the members of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate introduced bipartisan legislation to update the End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) program, which 75 percent of the nation’s dialysis patients rely on to live. This is called The Kidney Care Quality and Improvement Act of 2005, sponsored by Senators Rick Santorum and Kent Conrad, and Representatives William Jefferson and Dave Camp. This legislation would update Medicare’s composite rate for ESRD — which does not automatically adjust for inflationary increases — as well as provide for important education and preventative programs to help stem the rising tide of kidney failure in the United States (U.S. Newswire, 16 March 2005). The primary reason for health care is to prevent or cure diseases or attend to people with chronic or terminal illnesses. It may be possible, however, for health care costs to undermine the soundness of what our pockets can afford, and such an eventuality would be undesirable. Hence, a pressing issue entails how to achieve a situation in which expensive medical care can continue to be available while, at the same time, the total cost of health care is scaled back so as to keep this cost in line with the overall rate of skyrocketing prices. For instance, Talladega in Alabama has only two dialysis units and there are almost 100 patients that cramp the two units. With The Kidney Care Quality and Improvement Act of 2005 patients will be assured for better care among patients stricken with kidney disease through improvements in Medicare and enhanced education programs, which would prevent numbers in Talladega County from growing any more. Although the act currently sits in a Senate committee awaiting approval, that’s not stopping local doctors from offering warnings to at-risk patients. Ghayas Habash, a nephrologist, said that the main thing people need is to get the message across to people at risk for kidney failure, those with diabetes, hypertension, black people and those with a family history. If only we address these people aggressively, we can prevent a lot of kidney failure (Casciaro, 18 August 2005). True enough, medical costs have more than doubled over the last decade, and health insurance premiums have risen nearly five times faster than wages. Americans are spending far more on health care than residents of any other industrialized country while receiving lower-quality care overall. Meanwhile, big U.S. businesses that provide health coverage to workers complain that the high costs are crippling their ability to compete with companies abroad whose workers get government-subsidized care. The Bush administration is encouraging consumers to switch to consumer-directed health plans, whose high co-payments would force them to shop for more cost-effective care. But critics argue that individuals can do little to control costs. Instead, they argue, the plans would primarily benefit the wealthy and that society must make hard choices about which care should be paid for by public and private dollars (Clemmit, 7 April 2006). The overwhelming amount of health care purchased in the United States is paid for by the government through Medicare and Medicaid or by privately owned health-insurance companies. Both Medicare-Medicaid and health insurance firms employ personnel, process claims, and issue payments. Their procedures and personnel are expensive and add to the cost of health care without actual medical benefit to anyone. Proposals have been made to dismantle the so-called third party infrastructure and change to a single-payer system in which government would provide and pay for health care. Taxes would be adjusted to cover the costs and administrative bureaucracy would be kept to a minimum so as to maximize efficiency. While a single-payer system has obvious merits, a national consensus in favor of such a system has not emerged. Thus, the problem of health care dollars paying for administrative infrastructure remains, and there is no clear indication as to how to resolve it. For kidney patients, The Kidney Care Quality and Improvement Act of 2005 is long overdue because dialysis is not an option but a necessity for them to continue living. This legislation modernizes the Medicare ESRD program by:  ·    creating public and patient education initiatives to increase awareness about Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and to help patients learn self-management skills;  ·      ensuring patient quality through improvements in the ESRD payment system, including establishing an annual update framework and evaluating the effect of the new Physician Fee Schedule G-code visit requirements;  ·      providing Medicare coverage for CKD education services for Medicare-eligible patients;  ·    establishing an outcomes-based ESRD reimbursement demonstration project;  ·    aligning incentives for physician surgical reimbursement for dialysis access to promote quality and lower costs;  ·      establishing a uniform training for patient care dialysis technicians; and  ·    improving ESRD coverage by removing barriers to home dialysis and creating an ESRD Advisory Committee (RPA Website, 2006). Some critics have argue about the use of CKD education. In deeper analysis, CKD education is very crucial because people need to know the things about it prior to developing kidney failure but there is no funding for education that could have helped prolong your kidney function. This Act will be beneficial not only for CKD patients, but also for people who may be at risk. This act will definitely enable people that you (or your loved one) can get more treatments. With the current policy, most people cannot avail the dialysis they need because Medicare doesn’t pay for more than 3 treatments a week As quality of care is everyone’s privilege, Medicare reimbursement should be updated annually for dialysis clinics just like it is for other providers. Medicare’s low reimbursement could result to employer health plans paying more than their share and private companies have to pay higher. This would be a heavy burden for people with CKF because they need to pay higher premiums or their health coverage is reduced, or sometimes employees with CKF or employees that have dependents with CKF have the risk to lose their jobs because of the high costs on their part. Kidney patients need life-saving treatments that need to be improved because their lives are on the line and it is sapping them out of their funds because of the costs. Enacting Kidney Care Quality and Improvement Act of 2005 should therefore be prioritized and Congress should not think twice. Everything should be done to help CKF patients combat this lethal disease, and support them with all our efforts to get better treatments before it is too late References Clemmitt, M. (2006, April 7). Rising health costs. CQ Researcher, 16, 289-312. Retrieved September 12, 2006, from CQ Researcher Online, http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2006040700. Renal Physicians Association (RPA). (2006). The Kidney Care Quality and Improvement Act of 2005 Bill #S.635. Retrieved September 12, 2006, from RPA Website at http://capwiz.com/renalmd/issues/bills/?bill=7319331size=full Stein, A. (2002). Kidney Failure Explained. London: Class Publishing. U.S. Newswire. (2005, March 16). Members of Congress Announce Bipartisan Legislation to Update, Improve Kidney Care Quality and Ensure Access to Dialysis. Retrieved September 12, 2006 at http://www.prnewswire.com/products-services/reach-us-media-bloggers.htmlpublic-interest-newslines-2.htmlGetRelease.asp?id=44507 How to cite Why Support the Kidney Care Quality and Improvement Act, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Baking Soda Case free essay sample

Analyze the effectiveness of past RBS trade and consumer promotional events. How have the promotions impacted sales volumes, ROI? 3. compare relative merits of push vs. pull strategy for a low-involvement item in a mature market 4. what are recommendations for Regnante to achive 2008 profit target? what changes do you propose to trade and consumer promotions to make them more effective? Develop a pro forma income statement (see template in Case Exhibit 10) and be prepared to discuss and ahre your recommendations and analysis to the class. Decision to be made Anna Regnante, has been promoted to Domestic Brand Director’s position for Reliance Baking Soda. Reganante has to develop a 2008 budget Pamp;L that would result in a 105 increase in profit over 2007 estimates. Stewart Corporation Stewart Corporation had four divisions i. e. Household, Beauty, Foods and International. In 2006 the company generated $150 million in net income and $558 million in profit. Household division was responsible for $400 sales and included baking soda, laundry detergents, window cleaners and disinfectant, wipes. We will write a custom essay sample on Baking Soda Case or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The income statement of RBS clearly shows that a lot of income was spent on promoting the product in2006 as a result of which the product sales did not fall much in the second quarter, as compared to the first one in 2007. Marketing Mix Considerations Distribution †¢High distribution penetration Maximum distribution by one lb box and varies by channel †¢150 person sales team to manage retail and wholesale accounts †¢Sales-force incentivized by a quota system with quarterly volume quotas †¢Most compensation to salesperson came from bonuses pricing †¢Selling Prices of RBS increased 3 times in previous 5 years †¢Price increase on all product sizes in 2006-2007 †¢Price increases were due to increase in raw material cost by 11 % Advertising †¢Focused on new uses of product †¢Move to put RBS in realm of pet care, baby care, pool care outdoor care †¢ Focused on non-toxic benefits of product In 2006 too much RBS product moved in the market, so need to deplete Inventory and increase sales Consumer Promotion More aggressive in promotion in last 3 years, since 2005 2006 consumer promotion had 4 parts †¢The first event was launched in January $2 cash refund for purchase of RBS and 4 additional household brands. Advertisements were made in women’s magazine, Sunday newspaper and company website. †¢ In April set of coupons for 5 household brands was included in 6 million boxes of Brilliance Laundry detergent. In June shrink-wrapped twin pack of 1 lb boxes and a $1 cash refund inside the pack with proof of purchase of 2 1 lb boxes. †¢2 page advertising supplement launched in September in top 4 women’s magazine. Trade promotions †¢ Discount on invoices for cases ordered in promotion period. †¢ Free cases with a purchase of a minimum order. Performance discount incentives for providing verifiable merchandising and advertising support. †¢Temporary discount used to promote sales †¢ Trade promotions lasted 3 to 6 weeks. Past data about trade promotions show that lot of discount given †¢ Promotions may increase hoarding and disrupt normal buy cycle †¢ Advertising trade support much lower than that of competitors Additional Research †¢ Shows that Trade promotions have been fairly successful barring 2 occasions. †¢Trade promotions produced attractive results. †¢ Re-allocation of Trade budget not suitable Regnante’s Decision 1) Effectiveness of prior trade promotion strategies 2) Bottom line effects of price increase. 3) Changes made to marketing expenditures, advertising, consumer promotion, trade promotion, i. e. budget that would increase profit by 10%