Discrimination in Text and Discourse Free Essays

Discussing about discourse is a linguistic term that views language in its social context as well as psycholinguistic; its approach is descriptive rather than prescriptive; as Michael Stubbs (1993, p. 10) noted, â€Å"it refers to attempts to study the organization of language †¦ and†¦ larger linguistic units such as conversational exchanges or written texts. † Primarily, it aims to investigate the language used in social interaction of two or more people in some given situations. We will write a custom essay sample on Discrimination in Text and Discourse or any similar topic only for you Order Now Similarly, discourse studies have been defined by J.  Renkema (2004, p. 1) as â€Å"the discipline devoted to the investigation of the relationship between form and function in verbal communication† that are both context-based and situation-based. To explain further, the two discourse analyses, the descriptive and critical analysis differentiate types of discourses. Descriptive discourse analysis according to Patrick Doyle (2002, p. 625) â€Å"involves mention of characters and their actions;† this means, the action and the character of the person himself provide hint to the meaning of the message. Critical discourse on the other hand investigates the â€Å"effect of power and ideology in the production of meaning† (Wodak Meyer, 2001, p. 3). Here, the analysis focuses on the â€Å"dominance† factor of a given culture that exhibits inequality in a society. These two approaches in discourse analysis are relevant for the explanation and interpretation of a text or verbal discourse and in the study of linguistic as a whole. Understanding of the meaning of a message may come in through the action of character of a person (descriptive and psycholinguistic), or through dominating/discriminating one or two social groups (critical/social context). Understanding of social context of language leads to understanding many discourses at schools, community, societies, and governments, in order to achieve the purpose of effective communication through the use of language. In the same manner, discourse analysis in the study of language through the use of different theories and model is a powerful tool towards achieving language competency. Kay O’Halloran (2006, p. 1) puts it, â€Å"Language studies are thus undergoing a major shift to account fully for meaning-making practices†¦Ã¢â‚¬  How to cite Discrimination in Text and Discourse, Papers

Compare And contrast duboise and washington Essay Example For Students

Compare And contrast duboise and washington Essay W. E. B. Du Bois and Booker T Washington had very different views about their culture and country. Du Bois, being born in the North and studying in Europe, was fascinated with the idea of Socialism and Communism. Booker T Washington, on the other hand, was born in the South, and like so many others, had a Black mother and a White father. Thus being born half-white, his views and ideas were sometimes not in the best interest of his people. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born on February 23, 1868 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Du Bois had a poor but relatively happy New England childhood. While still in high school he began his long writing career by serving as a correspondent for newspapers in New York and in Springfield, Massachusetts. After his high school graduation he enrolled at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. There he discovered his Blackness and made a lifelong commitment to his people. He taught in rural Black schools in Tennessee during summer vacations, thus expanding his awareness of his Black culture. Du Bois graduated from Fisk in 1888, and entered Harvard as a junior. During college he preferred the company of Black students and Black Bostonians. He graduated from Harvard in 1890. Yet he felt that he needed further preparation and study in order to be able to apply philosophy to an historical interpretation of race relations. He decided to spend another two years at the University of Berlin on a Slater Fund Fellowship. W. E. B. Du Bois traveling widely in Europe, was delighted by the absence of color consciousness and impressed by their mellow civilization. Still, he knew that his lifes work was at home, and returned to America in 1894. His work as an editor of The Crisis, the organ of the NAACP, from 1910 to 1934 was perhaps the most sustained and uncompromising single effort in the history of racial protests in America. As early as 1909 he had projected an Encyclopedia Africana that would preserve and expand the store of knowledge about Black people. Encyclopedia of the Negro: Preparatory Volume appeared in 1945. Du Boiss twilight years in Ghana where devoted mainly to this task. Du Bois placed his stress on culture and liberty, urging higher education, and full political and civil rights for all. He had become interested in the problems of Africa as well as Afro-Americans. Du Bois wanted Black Africa independent from colonial rule and united within. In 1961 he accepted the invitation of President Kwame Nkrumah to take up residence in Ghana, the first ex-colonial Black African nation. Du Bois had lived to see his Pan-African dream becoming reality. During his student days in Germany, Du Bois took his first tentative steps toward the political left. He joined the Socialist Party in 1910, resigning, however, in 1912. In the 1920s he began reading Marx carefully, and during the 1930s he considered himself a Marxist Socialist, though he criticized the Communist Party for its ineptitude in dealing with Black problems. Du Bois was indicted by the department of Justice early in 1951 for failure to register as agent of a foreign principal concerning his work as chairman of the Peace Information Center. The charge was absurd and Du Bois was acquitted, but not before he had suffered deep humiliation from this example of Cold War political persecution. During 1958 and 1959 he spent most of his time in the Soviet Union and China, and in 1961, at the age of ninety-three, he joined the Communist Party of the United States. .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab , .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab .postImageUrl , .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab , .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab:hover , .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab:visited , .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab:active { border:0!important; } .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab { 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; } .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab:active , .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab .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; } .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u97267c2d44b6529bd784a6a697feecab:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Who Killed Jfk? EssayW. E. B. Du Bois, a Ghanian citizen, died on the evening of August 27, 1963. The legacy of Du Bois as a writer, thinker, and racial leader may well prove to be more durable than that of any other Afro-American of the twentieth century. Booker Taliaferro Washington was born a slave on April 5, 1956, in Franklin County, Virginia. His mother, Jane Burroughs, was a plantation cook, and his father was an unknown white man. A former slave who had become a successful farmer, and a white politician in search of the Negro vote in Macon County, obtained financial support for a training school for blacks in Tuskegee, Ala. When the board of commissioners asked the head of Hampton to send a principal for their new school, they had expected the principal to be white. Instead Washington arrived in June 1881. He began classes in July with thirty students in a shanty donated by a black church. Later he borrowed money to buy an abandoned plantation nearby and moved the school there. By the time of his death in Tuskegee in 1915, the institute (now a university) had some 1,500 students, more than 100 well-equipped buildings, and a large faculty. Washington believed that blacks could promote their constitutional rights by impressing Southern whites with their economic and moral progress. He wanted them to forget about political power and concentrate on their farming skills and learning industrial trades. Brick making, mattress making, and wagon building were among the courses Tuskegee offered. Its all-black faculty included the famous agricultural scientist George Washington Carver. Washington was preeminently a man of his times, a man not only having a rare sense of historical timing but one who, in the words of Du Bois, enjoyed a thorough oneness with his age. Living in a period of unprecedented economic and industrial expansion, Washington sought by every device, covert and overt, to involve the recently freed Black man in Americas economic expansion. In attempting to achieve this objective, he became very much the pragmatic realist. Apparently Washington received the white worlds acclaim because what he attempted to do did not disturb the status quo; he provided minimal Black achievement within traditional political and economical structures. By 1910 it was evident Washington had been granted more power than any Black man has ever enjoyed before or since. No president or governmental appointments involving Black people during the Roosevelt and Taft administration were made without his approval. Another example of his influence is that he was the first African American whose face appeared on a United States postage stamp, thus honored a quarter century after his death. Again in 1946 he became the first black with his image on a coin, a 50-cent piece. His ten-cent stamp went on sale in 1940 at Tuskegee Institute, which Washington had founded when he was only twenty-five years old. The educators monument on its campus shows him lifting a symbolic veil from the head of a freed slave. His endless preaching about Black self-help and self-discipline was also good advice, provided, of coarse, that the white power structure would help in the psychological rehabilitation of the Black man. Throughout all of his days Booker T Washington scorned the value of Black office holding and never openly fought for a restoration of the ballot. There is now some evidence to indicate that he did give substantial but surreptitious financial support to the Black mans fight for the franchise in Louis iana, Georgia, and Alabama. Nevertheless, Washington chose to be politic rather than political. Washington was not agonized by what Du Bois called the Black mans sense of double consciousness, the sense of being both a Black man and an American. Booker T Washington was singularly free of inner conflicts about his dedication to America with its worship of property and material substance. .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5 , .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5 .postImageUrl , .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5 , .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5:hover , .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5:visited , .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5:active { border:0!important; } .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5 { 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; } .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5:active , .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5 .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; } .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5 .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9aedba1516a0e2394cc5d545fe4f04e5:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Love Song Of Prufrock EssayHowever controversial his methods and objectives, few can doubt that Washington worked hard to achieve them. Certainly the high point in his career was his famous speech at the Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition in 1895, in which he accepted social and legal segregation but promised racial friendship and cooperation. Although W. E. B. Du Bois and Booker T Washington were very different, they undoubtedly influenced the Black population of the United States. Du Bois, although supported communism, excellent in a utopian society yet devastating in reality, had his peoples interest at heart. Booker T Washington, founder of Tuskegee Institute, did help some Black populations problems, yet he was more interested with the White culture and its ideals. Bibliography:

My Dream free essay sample

Beep. Beep. Beep. It is seven in the morning, December 14th 2020. I walk into the hospital in New York, reviewing my appointments for the day. I smile when I reach my office and see a plaque that says Emily Cookson Pediatric Neurosurgeon. My office is a warm yellow and decorated with crayon drawings, all by my clients: little children. I feel as if I am in a dream when my first appointment is with a tall, lanky fifteen-year-old girl, Maria, and her mother. After reviewing her MRI, I look for what the possible problems might be related to her weak leg and peripheral numbness. Looking at her lower spinal cord I quickly find a traffic jam of nerves. I walk her and her mother to the MRI to show them the problem. I speak to them in excitement about a possible solution. Surgery could fix the traffic jam. Both are enthused at even the idea of a solution. We will write a custom essay sample on My Dream or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page After the surgery and a re-evaluation of Marias problem, I see an unusual quick improvement. I walk onto the plane with a group of doctors. We are part of an organization like Doctors without Borders. As I get seated I talk to a cardiologist about why we are both here on our way to Africa. I open my journal and begin to write. I cannot believe the accomplishments, the knowledge I have in my hands to help the people around me live better lives! Here I am on a plane to Africa! I have the opportunity to help children who cannot walk, who have tumors, but who have survived their circumstances! I have the education to help them feel better than they ever have before. After watching Marias improvement, I am amazed at the toolbox I have to help somebody who is like I once was. Those long nights of studying, memorizing, working through my bachelors, medical school, residency, all feel worth it. I am amazed at the human body and its capabilities to heal. Thank goodness for my own disability that inspired me to work harder and be better. I sit back in awe. I think of what my life would be like if my dad had never told me to shoot for the sun. This is my dream come true.

Comparing Jesse Popes Whos for the game and Wilfred Owens Disabled and Anthem for doomed youth Essays

Comparing Jesse Popes Whos for the game and Wilfred Owens Disabled and Anthem for doomed youth Essays Comparing Jesse Popes Whos for the game and Wilfred Owens Disabled and Anthem for doomed youth Paper Comparing Jesse Popes Whos for the game and Wilfred Owens Disabled and Anthem for doomed youth Paper Essay Topic: Anthem Literature The Red Badge Of Courage Jesse Pope was a female poet during the war. Being a woman, she never went to the front line. Pope would write jingoistic poems for propaganda that would encourage men to join the army and go to war. She would use wrong reasons for going to war. One of her most well known poems was Whos for the game. She referred to the army and war as a game, the biggest thats played. Jesse would say that war was a once in a life time opportunity. She also made references to sport, wholl grip and tackle, (rugby). Whod rather come back with a crutch. When she says this, she means that after fighting you may break a leg or even loose a leg, but this will be your badge of courage, it will make you a hero. She says wholl give his country a hand? This is a patriotic, jingoistic reference, participating in war makes you a patriot. Jesse even says that war is fun be out of the fun, However a risk as well, it wont be a picnic, not much. Pope says or hints that if you dont go to war, you are a coward, who thinks hed rather sit tight who wants a seat in the stand. Wilfred Owen was very much against Jesse Popes poetry. He wasnt anti war but he believed in joining war for the right reasons. Owen was at the front line, he served in the war. He would right poems about war and also poems to encourage men to sign up, but for the right reasons, the first of his poems I am going to write about is Disabled. This poem is about a man who went to war and was crippled in action. He sat in his wheelchair, waiting for dark. Dark is referring to death, he has no meaning for his life, he cant move or live properly, so he just waits to die. He could also already be dying and suffering as he gets closer to death. And shivered in his ghastly suit of grey. This suit could be his old uniform which holds bad memories of when he was hurt. It also might be a reflection of his mood, dull, sad. Leg less and sewn short at the elbow. He is referring to the suit again, he has lost his legs so the are no trouser legs, he has lost one, maybe both his arms so the sleeves are shortened. Pleasure after day, Sleep had mothered them from him. This could mean that when he sleeps, it takes away his pain, he couldnt feel his wounds anymore. Owen talks about the soldiers old life, Town used to swing so gay. He than talks about how he is now unattractive, Now he will never feel how slim girls waists are or how warm their subtle hands. Touch him like some queer disease. Owen is saying that this man is the disease. There was an artist silly for his face Owen is saying that before he was crippled, he was handsome for it was younger than his youth. Owen may be saying that war has aged the soldier. Owen begins to talk about when the man used to play football one time he used to like a blood smear down his leg. People would compliment him, say he got stuck in, the cut would be his badge of courage. When hed drunk a peg, He thought hed better join. This is saying that he signed up when he was drunk. Someone said hed look good in kilts, to please his Meg, Owen is saying he joined up because the girls would like him in uniform, Meg was probably his girlfriend. Smiling they wrote his lie; nineteen years. The man was underage. Some cheered him home but not as they cheered a goal. This could be saying that a goal was more important than his return, or that he was more of a hero when he scored. This poem is encouraging men not to join war for the wrong reasons, the man in the poem joined for the wrong reasons and came out crippled. The second poem I am going to write about is also by Wilfred Owen and is called Anthem of doomed youth, a poem that Siegfried Sassoon inspired Owen to write. The first line of the poem is what passing bells for those who die as cattle. The bells may be funeral bells, a sign that they will die, and they die as cattle, this means that they are all slaughtered, maybe by machine gun fire. Owen then goes on to say that the only thing that can patter out their prayers are the guns noises. No mockeries now for them, no prayers nor bells this is talking about their deaths. The soldiers will not have funerals, they will die and stay where they died nor any voice of mourning save the choirs. This saying the same thin, there will be no choir, they will die and not be moved. The shrill, demented choir of wailing shells, this is also talking about their deaths and funerals, they will die to the sound of bombs, that will be their choir. In this poem, Owen uses a lot of onomatopoeia like dust and drawing-downs glimmers of goodbyes rifles rapid rattle

Antigone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Antigone - Essay Example While one brother was buried with all honors, the other was left to rot in the sun under punishment of King Creon if any should attempt burial procedures. Antigone, outraged at the dishonor shown her family regardless of the outside circumstances, also expresses her deep-seated belief that it is against the wishes of the gods to leave any of their subjects unburied. Meanwhile, King Creon issued the order regarding the brothers’ remains as a means of showing his extreme loyalty to the state and demonstrating his suitability to be king. This conflict between King Creon showing loyalty to the state and Antigone showing loyalty to family and to the gods highlights two of the most important issues facing the Greeks but ultimately Sophicles supports the concept that it is family and adherence to the rules of the gods that are most important in life in Antigone’s marginal victory over Creon in death. Antigone enters the first scene of the play already in a rage after learning that the new king, Creon, has forbidden to allow one of her brothers to be buried, introducing the central conflict of the play immediately. She decides to go against the king’s orders, arguing that burying the dead is the right thing to do. â€Å"Antigone, driven by family duty and love, cannot but fight against Creon’s decision.† (Lathan, 2002). Her pride in family makes it impossible for her to drop the issue and her stubborn determination to abide by what she feels is right makes it impossible for her to approach the issue in any way other than head-on. It is clear she’s outraged that the king would tell her what to do when she is talking to her sister at the very beginning of the play: â€Å"What’s this they’re saying now, / something our general has had proclaimed / throughout the city? Do you know of it? / †¦ / Dishonours which better fit our enemies / are now being piled up on the ones we love† (Johnston,

Happiness 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Happiness 2 - Essay Example Scitovosky said that life is essentially a struggle for economic status and as such it is the goal of any given person to claim a steady income for at least a perception of happiness. The terms means something unique to every individual, and despite this flexible existence we all believe our struggles through life are merely to seek out some kind of natural balance that results in being happy; the elements of this state of mind are so varied that there is no way to physically quantify the measurement yet people continue to ask themselves what would or would not make them happy. Material possessions, family life, social status and free time all rank highly among people who are either looking for or say that they are truly happy; how much does money really have to do with it? â€Å"Why is that despite having achieved previously undreamed miracles of progress we seem more helpless in facing life than our less than privileged ancestors? The answer seems clear: while humankind collectively has increased its material powers a thousand fold, it has not advanced very far in terms of improving the content† (Csikszentmihalyi, 1992). Stace consents that this idea is rather elusive and even points out that other theologians categorise happiness as a purely negative experience in that it doesn’t seem to really exits; whereas physical realities can count as positive and basically influential on a person’s daily life, happiness is a vague and therefore inconceivable term (1937). Trolfand has tried to explain happiness as a certain biological quality of humans who find themselves experiencing an â€Å"inevitable consequence of congenital forces† (1928); it’s an unconventional take on what originally had more spiritual connotations however in the search to define the terms scientists have more to base their conclusions on that the rest of us. Instead of struggling to pin a true meaning to the word happiness,

Employee Wellness Programs Health And Social Care Essay

Employee Wellness Programs Health And Social Care Essay Worksites are where most adults spend more than half of their waking hours .   In light of this, they offer a unique opportunity to affect change in an individuals health status.   Billions of dollars are spent each year addressing health in the workforce only after illness and/or injury has already occurred (2). This translates to profit losses in the form of lost wages and compensation, productivity, and high employee turnover.   Employees also pay a high physical and emotional price for poor health. Rising healthcare costs are also passed along to the consumers who share the burden of higher premiums, deductibles, and copayments (3). Prevention is the key in addressing issues in a proactive manner. For most organizations, this phenomenon is reflected in a high utilization of personal time off and requested sick leaves (2) (4) (5). A related issue is the abuse of the sick leave benefit where employees feel a stress-day off is a benefit and at their discretion. This is often related to stress in the work place or a work place environment that is uncomfortable for the employee (6). Past efforts to control this issue have included requiring physician certification of a valid health problem, implementing company policies that limit utilization of ad hoc time off, and encouraging managers to say no when asked for excessive days off. Some companies have even eliminated the concept of a sick day and increased the employees personal time off by a day or two to compensate (6). Regardless of the labeling for time off or of the managements effort to control increased health related issues, many organizations report that employees taking unplanned days off has increased (4). The recommendat ion is to move away from the confrontational approach of imposing corporate rules to limit the abuse and focus on the core of the problem, health problems and stress management in the workplace (2) (5). A human resources (HR) industry survey found that reported personal illness accounts for 35 percent of all unscheduled absences in the workplace (4). Some HR experts estimate that absenteeism can cost a company around $600 per employee per year, and thats just in use of benefits and healthcare costs. The estimates are higher if the calculation includes other related costs such as overtime pay, costs of temps, missed deadlines, and lower productivity (7). Some of these unaccounted for sick days can be avoided if the companys management is proactive when making organizational changes and in providing means for helping employees deal with health issues (1-5). This increased utilization is driving up the cost of coverage and company officials are considering some desperate options to save money such as a drastic reduction of coverage or the elimination of benefits altogether.   Prior to the implementation of such measures, company executives need to consider a different approach upon which they feel may not only raise awareness of health and safety issues, but provide the tools necessary for employees to increase their quality of life. The Healthy People 2010 initiative is a government effort to promote employers to get involved in the health of their workers with the intended goal being to Increase quality and years of healthy life (3).   One area recommended is to implement an employee wellness program that addresses staying healthy, increasing exercise opportunities, and reducing worksite injuries through increase safety practices (1) (2) (5). Employee wellness programs are predicated on the basis that most illness is directly preventable and that the workplace has the ability to transform lives (1).   Companies that implement programs will see a decrease in healthcare costs by lowering utilization rates of sick days and improving the workplace environment (2) (5).   These programs are meant to improve the overall quality of life for each of their employees (3).   Statement of the Problem The purpose of this study was to determine if an organization takes proactive efforts to implement healthy programs that can positively influence a reduction of sick days used by employees. Researchers have found significant cost savings for the organization by taking the action of becoming involved in the wellness of employees (2) (5). The use of sick days, whether due to illness or a need for a personal day away from stress, result in higher costs due to issues such as overtime pay, costs of temps, missed deadlines, and lower productivity (7). Healthy Workforce 2010 (3), a program within the Healthy People 2010 initiative, recommends employer groups take an active role in implementing programs, such as an employee wellness program, in order to improve the overall health of their employees and subsequently creating a healthier work environment. Hypothesis Hypothesis 1. The introduction and management of a worksite wellness program at a manufacturing organization will improve the overall health and wellness of their employees. Hypothesis 2. There will be a significant decrease in the number of personal days off and sick time, as reported to Human Resources, based on improved employee health and satisfaction at their workplace as a result of implementing a workforce wellness program. Hypothesis 3. There will be an increase in employee knowledge and skills for healthier living as measured by a pre and post-test measuring the amount of information gained from interventions such as onsite workplace classes. If these of hypothesis do not prove true, the researcher expects that the organization will still experience costs equal to or exceeding that of previous years in health related time off, which will be reflected in personal time off (PTO) or sick days (STO) utilization rates. Employees may show an increase in knowledge of healthier lifestyle changes but this may not change their behaviors surrounding time off and implied expectations of utilizing a company benefit. Delimitations This studys focus is on reducing the overall costs to an organization as impacted by the over-use of PTO and STO by employees. The actual cost savings are estimated to include reduction in other areas such as overtime, hiring of temps, and production losses. But to keep this studys outcomes in a reasonable space, the only measurements for success will be the reduction of overall usage of time off or PTO and STO per 100 employees. The base measurement for this analysis will be statistics from previous years. In order to keep the number of employees and impact at a manageable level, the study will only review the effects of a wellness program on one organization, a large manufacturing organization in a suburb outside of Los Angeles, California. The organization has over 600 employees at the target location, consisting administrators, engineers, line supervisors, and skilled factory workers. Managers have reported an average expected utilization of time off related to health and stress issues. Limitations Since the study will focus on a specific population in a specific industry, the results may reflect the impact of a program that is only successful under certain environmental influences. Also, a CCH survey (6) discusses the abuse of PTO or STO days, highlighting that use of these days are influenced by various reasons in addition to sickness or stress. Some areas indicated in surveys (4) include family illnesses or problems, which may not be impacted by a wellness program, and seasonal influences such as summer or holidays, which often results in 4 day weekends. The study is relying upon the information collected by the HR representatives of the organization, which limits the analysis to days reported to HR and avoiding comp time or personal days which are taken as agreements between supervisors and employees. Since the baseline will be the reported days from previous years, this limitation should have little impact on the outcome of the study. Assumptions In defining this study, the following assumptions were made: All time off is reported and tracked by the HR department. Since illnesses and stress leave are human-based factors and not necessarily bound to a specific industry, the results of this study will be applicable to other industries and workers. Implementing a program that focuses on reported time off will not unduly influence an increase or decrease in reported days due to the study itself. Since the study is qualitative, the results will be only be the starting point for other studies that should include other factors that may influence increased use of personal days off. Operational Definitions PTO Personal Time Off, a company benefit for employees of most organizations. STO Sick Time Off, a company benefits only offered at some organizations; some companies have rolled sick time into the personal time benefit. MATCH Multilevel Approach to Community Health. A five-phase program planning model developed in the late 1980s. Normative Need The needs of a population based on expert opinion. Expressed Need The needs of a population based on factual data. Healthy People 2010 U.S government publication that brought together much of what was known about the relationship of personal health behavior and health status. Primary Data Original data collected by the planners. Lifestyle Disease A disease that is associated with how a person lives. Such as their smoking habits, alcohol, drug abuse, physical activity and eating habits. Lifestyle diseases include, heart disease, stroke, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Risk Factors is a variable that is associated with increased risk of disease or infection. Risk factors can include, lack of physical activity, diet, etc. Wellness Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices towards, a more successful existence (8). Absenteeism is defined as a chronic absence and in this context it is in relation to work. Non-communicative diseases diseases that are not infectious. These disease include those that are from genetic or lifestyle factors. Segmentation process of identifying groups of consumers that share similar characteristics and will respond in a like way to a marketing strategy. Chapter Two Literature Review Over 100 years ago, the biggest health care threat we faced had to do with the spread of communicable diseases. Today, communicable diseases take a back seat to a much bigger problem that plagues American citizens which is that of lifestyle origin. A lifestyle disease is defined as one that is affected by factors such as poor dietary habits, alcohol and/or drug usage including tobacco smoking, and lack of physical activity (9). These factors individually as well as in combination make a person much more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, obesity, and certain types of cancers. In order to reduce the risk of these diseases, individuals must address changes to their lifestyles that include participating in workplace healthy wellness programs. This chapter will review the influencing factors in the effort, the scope of the problem of lifestyle diseases, and discuss some of the benefits of targeting specific areas in a wellness program. Addressing Lifestyle Changes Researchers have shown found a direct relationship between providing intervention to improve a persons health and the cost saving realized by that persons employer (1) (2) (5).Taking proactive measure to improve the persons health and to implement preventative measures keeping the person out of a high-risk category for lifestyle diseases extends the persons life and benefits everyone they are involved with, from their employer to their families (1). Some researchers found the reverse to be true also. Ignoring the factors identifying people by their risk for lifestyle diseases will result in an increase of health problems and in costs to the employer through use of sick time and increased workplace injuries (2) (5). Modifying an individuals risk factors for lifestyle diseases can be difficult. People usually express a lack of time outside of the workplace for healthy behaviors such as meal planning and exercise; since, half of our waking hours are spent at work (9). In addition to time constraints, beginning any new healthy lifestyle behavior is no easy task, but it can make a profound effect on both physical as well as mental health. These benefits hold true regardless of the workers age. One large cohort study of 15,708 examined the impact of adoption of new lifestyle behaviors (9). All individuals were of typical working age 45-64. It was found that people who newly adopt a healthy lifestyle in middle-age experience a prompt benefit of lower rates of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Further conclusions recommend that we begin to adopt strategies to encourage healthy lifestyles. This is especially true among those with pre-existing medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or obe sity (9). Lifestyle changes not only take commitment on the part of the participant but a great deal of support from others as well. Support from co-workers can be a strong motivator but in order for healthy changes to be fully adopted by the workforce, it must be a priority among the decision makers within the company (2) (5). The cost impact of a disease such as obesity is well documented. Obesity contributes to monetary losses for the employee as well as employer. In response, employers continue to look for ways to offset those costs through the offering of company-sponsored wellness and weight management programs. Health care organizations in particular hospitals, as well as public employers can be important role models in this process. A change in policy could make a dramatic difference for smaller employers which represent the majority of U.S. employers as they are far less likely to offer health promotion programs unless a government incentive was offered (10). Worksites are where most adults spend more than half of their waking hours. In light of this, they offer a unique opportunity to affect change in an individuals health status. Health in the workplace should focus on one main role central to prevention. Prevention tactics can be geared towards prevention of illness and spread of disease as well as prevention of accidents, injury, and disability. Billions of dollars are spent each year addressing health in the workplace only after illness and/or injury has already occurred (11). This translates to profit losses in the form of lost wages and compensation, productivity, and high employee turnover. Prevention is the key in addressing issues in a proactive manner. Wellness programs are an important component of employer benefits packages because they offer workers and their families choices for pursuing healthier lifestyles with less illness, ultimately leading to less costly benefits packages (9). Wellness programs and employee assistance programs are important benefits for workers and their employers; data from the National Compensation Survey (NCS) show that workers in the public and private sectors had greater access to these kinds of benefits in 2008 than they did a decade earlier. In an age of ever-increasing health care costs, services that promote health and wellness have become an important element of U.S. society. Wellness programs often include health education and an awareness component. According to some analysts, these programs address issues that increase worker satisfaction and productivity. Implementing a Wellness Program Using MATCH Researchers have found the employers who implement proactive, work-based wellness programs can realize significant savings in utilization of STO, decreased productivity and costs for production lags (2) (5). In one study, researchers implemented a worksite health promotion program to reduce the utilization of short-term disability days at a large company. The researchers estimated the potential cost savings over a 2-year period would be in excess of $1,300,000 (2). A similar study that implemented a health-promotion program over five years found estimated cost savings from reduced sick days at over $600,000 a year (5). The target populations in both of these studies focused on employees who were high users of sick days. Expanding that approach to the entire population should contribute even more to the cost savings. Affecting change in a population with varying influential levels is strength in the program design called the Match Model. Match is an acronym for Multilevel Approach to Community Health (12). The concept behind the Match Model is based on attempts to reach various levels within a target population through working with individuals of influence at various levels. Once appropriate goals are selected in the Match Model, intervention planning begins with the selection of objectives and approaches. The program development then commences with the creation of the actual delivery pieces such as information materials and class curricula. The preparation for implementation is the next step whereby key individuals who will deliver the intervention are trained, roll out dates established, and the program actually begins. The final step in the Match Model involves the program evaluation process. This critical step provides the program development team with outcomes measures to evaluate the program effectiveness and provide necessary feedback that will drive future programs. Worker Health in the United States Worker health in the United States is a broad issue. Multiple political initiatives have been recently developed in an effort to address the problems that have arisen as a result of national attention to multiple health concerns that currently plague the country which includes rising obesity rates, type II diabetes, tobacco usage, as well as a host of other issues. An example of a set of national health initiatives is the Healthy People 2010 (3) objectives, aimed at making a difference in 10 years. Many of the initiatives contained within are aimed at increasing quality of life through the prevention of disease. The program has a total of 467 objectives organized into 28 focus areas. There are special provisions for physical activity, tobacco usage, and obesity (3). The program also addresses issues for employers such as high utilization of benefits, increased absenteeism, and productivity issues, all resulting in high-cost employees especially those who experience multiple risk fact ors for diseases including high blood pressure, smoking, and sedentary lifestyles (3). Top reasons for taking what might be called non-sick days are family issues (21 percent), personal needs (18 percent), entitlement mentality (14 percent), and stress (12 percent). Lisa Franke, a workplace analyst at CCH, says that absences for stress and entitlement taking days employees believe they have earned are up slightly from last year because leaner staffing levels have intensified workloads (13). Based on these findings, recommendations to employers in the United States are focused around two main factors. The first recommendation from the Healthy People 2010 program is that employers, at least 75% of those in the United States regardless of size, should offer a comprehensive employee health promotion program. The second recommendation is that employer groups should strive for a 75% participation rate among all employees. The objectives of Healthy People 2010 sparked a subsidiary report known as Healthy Workforce 2010 (3). The report outlines eight primary objectives that promote health and quality of life among workers in the United States. Among the objectives presented in the report, the researchers highlighted the impact of unhealthy habits of the U.S. population on the economy and future of the country. In 1998, the report estimates that a quarter of the adult population smoked; this statistic is even higher at 35% for American teenagers. Other vices such as alcohol and drug abuse have cost the U.S. economy over $276 billion dollars as a result of healthcare, auto accidents, lost productivity, and other issues (3). In addition to problems created by substance abuse, the Healthy Workforce 2010 report estimates that over half of the U.S. population is overweight or classified as obese. This problem can be addressed by encouraging employees to participate in regular daily exercise. Similar to substance abuse among workers, this growing problem results in related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and osteoarthritis which costs both employers and the U.S. economy in healthcare costs (3). Other areas resulting in higher healthcare costs and impacting the work area include addressing work-related injuries and providing a safe working environment for employees. Even beyond the deaths caused by work accidents, the U.S. Bureau of Labor estimates that employees experience approximately 5.7 million non-fatal accidents annually, resulting in over 2.7 million lost work days. The Healthy Workforce 2010 recommends employers not only focus on preventing accidents but also increase healthcare coverage, since the U.S. Census Bureau reports that over 42 million American workers are not covered by health insurance, a trend predominant in smaller companies (3). Worker Health in California Studies from the State of California Department of Health (14) reported similar findings at the national level. The larger issues that appear to be problematic in the State of California involve lost wages and productivity caused by diseases that are aggravated by unhealthy lifestyles. These include obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular complications among others. The literature revealed that worksite wellness programs help to reduce overall operating costs from increased healthcare utilization, accidents and poor productivity. Employers also benefit from these programs through enhanced recruitment, retention of healthy employees, and reduced absenteeism (15). The easiest way to address health related issues is to take actions that prevent the problems in the first place. Primary healthcare measures are the key to ensuring a healthy population. Worker Health in Los Angeles County Similar reports in Los Angeles County provided population-wide data on health related quality of life in Los Angeles County and used measures developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to track health trends at the national and state levels. The average numbers of unhealthy days and activity limitation days were higher in Los Angeles County (6.4 and 2.4, respectively) than in California (5.9 and 2.1) and the United States (5.5 and 1.9, respectively) in 1999. These differences may reflect disparities in health status across the three populations but as well as demographic differences (e.g., socioeconomic or racial/ ethnic differences) between the populations. In addition the number of unhealthy days and activity limitation days were significantly higher in persons previously diagnosed with depression, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, or asthma than in persons not diagnosed with these conditions (16). Health Consequences for Workers Employees also pay a high physical and emotional price for poor health. Rising healthcare costs are passed along to the consumers who share the burden of higher premiums, deductibles, and copayments. Financial responsibilities can lead to increased stress levels among workers. Employee wellness programs are predicated on the basis that most illness is directly preventable and that the workplace has the ability to transform lives. These programs also decrease healthcare costs through lowering utilization rates. These programs are meant to improve the overall quality of life for each of the participants (3). The Importance of Physical Activity Regular physical activity provides a multitude of benefits to an employee. According to the American Council on Exercise (11) low-back pain is a leading cause of job-related disability and missed work in the United States. This problem results in over $50 billion every year in healthcare costs. Work-related back pain experienced by most people can be prevented with just a little forethought. In high-risk back pain jobs requiring frequent bending, lifting, and twisting, employees and employers can be taught a variety of methods in order to reduce stress on the back and help prevent injuries. This risk of injury increases in those who are overweight, smoke or are inactive (11). Benefits of Smoking Cessation According a report conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (17) over 8.6 million people in the U.S. experience a health-related problem due to smoking. In the subsequent CDC report the next year (17), the agency reported that smoking was responsible for over 90% of lung cancer mortalities and over 80% of the COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis) deaths. This is largely because cigarettes and other tobacco products contain over 4,800 chemical, 69 of those which have been identified as carcinogenic. Smoking has also been linked to other serious illnesses and medical problems such as slow wound healing, peptic ulcers, and other diseases contributing to loss of employee productivity (18). Employers have responded by creating smoke-free workplaces nationwide, where employees can be protected from the life-threatening effects of secondhand smoke. In 1999, a study found that approximately 70% of the U.S. workforce was impacted by a smoke-free employer policy (19). But l aws and employer responsibility varies by state, so this statistic can vary above 80% in states like Utah and Maryland or drop below 50% in states like Nevada (19). Healthy Diet Advantages According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) (20), diabetes is one of the fastest growing and one of the most costly health issues facing the U.S. worker. The disease has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, affecting a growing number and percentage of people every year. The cost of diabetes to the American healthcare system is staggering, resulting in missed work days and higher benefit requirements for employers. In the ADA report, one-fifth of the healthcare dollars spent is used to provide care for someone with diabetes, while one-tenth of the healthcare dollars spent is associated with diabetes. For employers, the costs of diabetes increased 32% from 2002 to 2007, with the increase in medical expenditures and lost productivity estimated at $174 billion. Per capita, the annual cost of diabetes is approximately $11,744 a year. Many people do not recognize that they are at risk for diabetes (or diabetes-related complications if they already have diabetes). How ever, type II diabetes can be prevented or delayed for many of those at high risk for diabetes and diabetes-related complications can be also be prevented or delayed with lifestyle practices including maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, and a balanced diet (20). Summary The prevalence of lifestyle diseases among Californians and within the U.S. is growing. Everything from fast foods to sedentary activities plays a role in contributing to this national problem. Addressing the issues requires more than just adding a few cardio sessions every week or walking a little more, the effort requires attacking the problem at the root, changing how people define and move through their lives. Lifestyles changes are exactly that, changes that affects across a persons life and hopefully for the rest of their lives. Many factors contribute to lifestyle diseases include home culture, resting activities, and work environments. Implementing a wellness program at a worksite will provide the support and information needed to make effective changes to the employees health while benefiting both the employee and employer (2).