The Needle Treatment Essay examples -- Biology Essays Research Papers

The Needle Treatment Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method of "encouraging the body to promote natural healing and improve bodily function" (1) that dates back as far as 4,700 years ago. Now for the past 25 years it has appeared in the U.S. as a popular form of alternative medicine, and it is "a licensed and regulated HealthCare profession in about half the states in the U.S." (3). It is most often called upon for problems such as lower back pain, migraines, arthritis, and additional non-fatal aches and pains. Some people say it works, others are still skeptical. Since this method does not seem to be based on "actual science", is it merely a placebo effect? Can a medical practice dated nearly five millenniums ago still prove to be valid? When acupuncture was created, some of the medical concepts it employed were relatively new; there were not many falsified stories for it to build off from. In fact, "acupuncture is said to have been theorized... by Shen Nung, the father of Chinese medicine, who also documented his theories on the heart, circulation, and pulse over 400 years before Europeans had any concept about them" (1). Since then, Europeans and Asians alike have encountered centuries of medical dilemmas and successes. Over time, hypotheses emerge and are either disproved or continue to live on as part of scientific discourse and medical practice. For this reason, most old-fashioned treatments no longer hold true when compared to methods cultivated within the great wealth of knowledge attributed to medicine today – not because we are smarter now or are more civilized, but because the field of medicine has accumulated so much more experience and has improved methods to be "less wrong" countless times. So, wh y has acup... ...l position in the womb" (4). Altogether, acupuncture has withstood the test of time; not necessarily the test of criticism. The procedure seems to work sometimes, and so it has not been falsified. It seems very beautiful, ancient and creative, and so it is left alone as a non-conventional medical alternative. But there should be more studies done on the subject, especially to prevent people from depending on it because of a desire to be all-natural. This is not reason enough to abandon centuries of experience and of scientists getting it "less wrong". Acupuncture is a possible treatment – but not a perfect one. Internet Sources: 1) http://www.cdc-cdh.edu/hospital/cardio/art16.html 2) http://www.acupuncture.edu/laymans/index.htm 3) http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/991233942.html 4) http://www.tamu.edu/univrel/aggiedaily/news/stories/00/112900-3.html The Needle Treatment Essay examples -- Biology Essays Research Papers The Needle Treatment Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method of "encouraging the body to promote natural healing and improve bodily function" (1) that dates back as far as 4,700 years ago. Now for the past 25 years it has appeared in the U.S. as a popular form of alternative medicine, and it is "a licensed and regulated HealthCare profession in about half the states in the U.S." (3). It is most often called upon for problems such as lower back pain, migraines, arthritis, and additional non-fatal aches and pains. Some people say it works, others are still skeptical. Since this method does not seem to be based on "actual science", is it merely a placebo effect? Can a medical practice dated nearly five millenniums ago still prove to be valid? When acupuncture was created, some of the medical concepts it employed were relatively new; there were not many falsified stories for it to build off from. In fact, "acupuncture is said to have been theorized... by Shen Nung, the father of Chinese medicine, who also documented his theories on the heart, circulation, and pulse over 400 years before Europeans had any concept about them" (1). Since then, Europeans and Asians alike have encountered centuries of medical dilemmas and successes. Over time, hypotheses emerge and are either disproved or continue to live on as part of scientific discourse and medical practice. For this reason, most old-fashioned treatments no longer hold true when compared to methods cultivated within the great wealth of knowledge attributed to medicine today – not because we are smarter now or are more civilized, but because the field of medicine has accumulated so much more experience and has improved methods to be "less wrong" countless times. So, wh y has acup... ...l position in the womb" (4). Altogether, acupuncture has withstood the test of time; not necessarily the test of criticism. The procedure seems to work sometimes, and so it has not been falsified. It seems very beautiful, ancient and creative, and so it is left alone as a non-conventional medical alternative. But there should be more studies done on the subject, especially to prevent people from depending on it because of a desire to be all-natural. This is not reason enough to abandon centuries of experience and of scientists getting it "less wrong". Acupuncture is a possible treatment – but not a perfect one. Internet Sources: 1) http://www.cdc-cdh.edu/hospital/cardio/art16.html 2) http://www.acupuncture.edu/laymans/index.htm 3) http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/991233942.html 4) http://www.tamu.edu/univrel/aggiedaily/news/stories/00/112900-3.html

Porters Five Forces analysis of Ford Motor Company Essay

Traditionally ‘maximizing’ profits has been considered to be the objective of any company. Not any more†¦.This criteria has now been discarded. Now companies are supposed to have multiple objectives, monetary as well as non-monetary. There are short-term objectives as well as long-term ones. Strategists are supposed to prioritize all such objectives, keep an eye on the competitors and government policies, so that there is clarity and ease of decision making in situations where there is an apparent clash of objectives. While planning for long term objectives, the company is supposed to remain competitive. It was in 1974 that Michael Porter, who had been working on a new sub-field of economics known as Industrial Organization (IO), prepared a ‘‘Note on the structural analysis of industries’’ which is considered to be the idea behind the five forces model of Porter in subsequent years (Karagiannopoulos et al, 2005). In 1980, he published his first book, Competitive Strategy, which owed much of its success to the ‘‘five forces’’ framework, that this paper focuses on (Porter, 1980). This framework has since been regarded as a strategic tool to figure out the relative strengths of a company, and decide about the possible strategic policies that a company can adopt to make way for a long term survival. The company can acquire competitive advantage on its rivals on account of marketing efforts, brand building, value creation, innovation, operational efficiencies etc. But more important is to sustain the advantage, for which the company will have to take care and devise adequate policies for its customers, suppliers, competitors and other stake holders. The five forces, defined by Porter include; Bargaining Power of Suppliers i.e. to what extent suppliers can have an influence on the policy making of the company. Suppliers play an important part in making quality propositions for the company. The process of value creation encompasses managing quality in the entire chain of processes leading to the production of final product or service. Bargaining Power of Customers i.e. to what extent the customers can affect the policy making and fortunes of the company. Customers are indeed the key ingredients for a company, but the company’s profitability depends upon to what extent customers are willing to pay for the product. Threat of New Entrants often limits the diversification policies of a company. Depending upon such a threat the company decides whether to go it all alone or take the route of merger and acquisition. Such a threat of new entrants often results in a sense of urgency for the company. Threat of Substitute products often leads to steps like enlargement of portfolio, enhancement of quality, reduction in prices etc. Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players makes an interesting copy for newspapers and mainline media, as they thrive on the competitive rivalry and the steps and counter-steps being adopted by the competing companies. The level of competition greatly affects the earning potential of the company. In case of Ford Motors Company the Five Competitive Forces can be typically described as follows: Bargaining Power of Suppliers: ‘Suppliers’ comprises all sources for inputs that are needed in order to provide goods or services. Ford is one of the Big Three manufacturing companies in the US with its range of automobiles selling in over 200 markets across six continents. Since the company has manufacturing facilities at more than one place, so the suppliers profile too varies from one place to another. The suppliers too can be categorized in different categories like; Metal/ Body part suppliers: Such suppliers are often not found to be too much of a threat for the company, as there is good amount of rivalry amongst such companies as well. IT/ITES suppliers: The modern cars require a range of technologically advanced features which determine the quality and other distinctive features of the car. Therefore, such companies are in need of regular research and development mode depending upon the requirements of the car manufacturer. For example Sony Corp.’s is one of the suppliers for Ford offering Sony-branded audio systems in Ford and Mercury vehicles. Engine and auto part suppliers: Such companies too hold a good amount of leverage over the car manufacturer. For example, Ford has signed an agreement with Neapco, an affiliate of China’s auto parts supplier Wanxiang Group, to sell its Automotive Components Holding unit’s propshaft operations. In a market where speed to market is extremely vital for beating the competition, Ford’s dependency for such key components on its associate companies with whom it has long term agreements will of course help in warding off any appreciable threat from the supplier side. Ford has been able to maintain good working relations with its suppliers is evident from the statement of Alan R. Mulally, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ford during the company’s 2006 annual report when he sought to highlight the outstanding supplier, dealer and union partners (Datamonitor, 2007). Bargaining Power of Customers: Customers of course have plenty of options in the market place. And the customer will weigh all his options before going in for the purchase. Therefore Ford needs to be innovative and rely more on product differentiation. Though Ford has been catering to different customer segments in different measure, but of late the customer seems to have becoming very demanding and asking to have quality product at cheapest possible prices. In fact that includes the desire of having the best mileage providing car. Other car manufactures like GM, Toyota, Rolls Royce threaten to take away its monopoly over the luxury cars with their own version of sleek cars. Threat of New Entrants: Though it is not easy for new entrant to enter the Car and automobile industry as it is a capital intensive business as the economies of scale (minimum size requirements for profitable operations) leaves little room for a new start up company challenging the existing market share, yet the threat emanates from the existing competitors. For example the recent acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover by an Indian car company presents some idea of the future threat emanating from the developing world. Till now, companies from West and the developed world used to dictate the policies and used to acquire companies from the developing part of the world, but the emergence of India and China on the horizon as strong contenders appears to have tilted the balance somewhat in their favor. Tata, an Indian car manufacturing company, is in the final stages of sealing the deal with Ford. Threat of Substitutes: A car’s substitute exists in the form of another car. For example a SUV can be a substitute for an MUV, a mid size car can be a substitute for a small size car etc. Therefore, the threat from substitutes exists if there are alternative products with lower prices and with better performance parameters for the same purpose. Ford faces aggressive competition in all areas of its business. The market design, manufacture, and sale of Cars and related peripheral products has become highly competitive. Moreover this market continues to be characterized by rapid technological advances in both hardware and software development, which results increasing the capabilities of existing products and software. This is resulting is the frequent introduction of new models with much reduced prices and better feature, and performance. Ford needs to keep its R&D activities in motion all the time. Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players: The car industry is indeed one of the most competitive industries in modern times. With the purchasing power of the consumer on the rise thanks to the globalization and liberalization era, which has tremendously boosted the earning potential of the professionals, particularly in the field so of IT and ITES. Car manufactures have been targeting this very segment with all the resources at its command. The profile of existing players keeps varying with the kind of market that is looked at. For example in US and most of the western part big manufactures alike GM, Rolls Royce, Toyota are the brands that Ford will have to contend with, while in Asia pacific region the local players have a key role. References: Karagiannopoulos, G.D.; Georgopoulos N. and Nikolopoulos K. (2005). ‘Fathoming Porter’s five forces model in the internet era’. VOL. 7 NO. 6 2005, pp. 66-76, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1463-6697. Porter, M.E. (1980), Competitive Strategy, Free Press, New York, NY. Datamonitor (2007). Ford Motor Company-Company Profile. Datamonitor Americas, NY

Did William Pitt Bring About a National Revival?

Did William Pitt Bring About A National Revival? On one hand, it is easy to believe that Pitt did bring about national revival but on the other hand there are many factors that may lead one to believe otherwise. For example, the end of the American war and the Industrial Revolution both would have happened whether Pitt was in power or not. But many factors, such as Pitt’s natural skill and his reform ideas, helped him to contribute to the national revival. Pitt introduced the Eden Treaty and formed it with France.This helped to increased trade in Britain as, as a country, exports were vastly increased. Pitt also tightened the laws around smuggling items both into and out of Britain which also increased trade. He did this by introducing bonded warehouses, where goods could be stores free of tax until they were taken out of Britain for sale. The Sinking Fund was also introduced by Pitt and helped, again, to increase the amount of money in Britain. He did this by using Britainâ⠂¬â„¢s profits to pay off debts instead of spending money on other goods, but this was interrupted by the war against France.Pitt also made sure that all of the government’s money was collected and spent correctly in the right places. The streamlining of the Treasury’s financial management with the Consolidation Fund Act, where all 103 exchequer accounts were replaced by one, allowed proper national accounting. However, there were many factors that contributed to a national revival that Pitt was not responsible for. Pitt inherited the national deficit which was a huge advantage to him because it meant that the state of Britain and the government could only improve.The end of the war in America meant that overseas trade would increase and this helped Britain’s imports and exports to boom. This was also helped along by the Industrial Revolution, beginning in the North East, which increased trade in and out of Britain. To conclude, in many ways Pitt did contribute greatly to the national revival but he was helped by other factors that were out of his reach. The Sinking Fund helped Pitt along greatly but he was also assisted by the Industrial Revolution and booming trade from other nations.

Emperor Qins Tomb -- Not Just Terracotta Soldiers

Emperor Qin's Tomb Not Just Terracotta Soldiers The exquisite terracotta army of the first Qin Dynasty ruler Shihuangdi represents the emperor’s ability to control the resources of the newly unified China, and his attempt to recreate and maintain that empire in the afterlife. The soldiers are part of Shihuangdis tomb, located near the modern town of Xian, Shaanxi province in China. That, scholars believe, is why he built the army, or rather had them built, and the story of the Qin and his army is a great tale. The Emperor Qin The first emperor of all China was a fellow named Ying Zheng, born in 259 BC during the Warring States Period, a chaotic, fierce, and dangerous time in Chinese history. He was a member of the Qin dynasty, and ascended to the throne in 247 BC at the age of twelve and a half. In 221 BC King Zheng united all of what is now China and renamed himself Qin Shihuangdi (First Heavenly Emperor of Qin), although ‘united’ is rather a tranquil word to be using for the bloody conquest of the region’s small polities. According to the Shi Ji records of the Han dynasty court historian Sima Qian, Qin Shihuangdi was a phenomenal leader, who began connecting existing walls to create the first version of the Great Wall of China; constructed an extensive network of roads and canals throughout his empire; standardized philosophy, law, written language and money; and abolished feudalism, establishing in its place provinces run by civilian governors. Qin Shihuangdi died in 210 BC, and the Qin dynasty was quickly extinguished within a few years by the early rulers of the subsequent Han dynasty. But, during the brief period of Shihuangdi’s rule, a remarkable testament to his control of the countryside and its resources was constructed: a semi-subterranean mausoleum complex, which included an estimated army of 8,000 life-size sculpted clay terracotta soldiers, chariots, and horses. Shihuangdis Necropolis: Not Just Soldiers The terracotta soldiers are only a part of the vast mausoleum project, covering an area of some 30 square kilometers (11.5 square miles). In the middle of the precinct is the still-unexcavated tomb of the king, 500x500 meters (1640x1640 feet) square and covered by an earthen mound some 70 m (230 ft) high. The tomb lies within a walled precinct, measuring 2,100x975 m (6,900x3,200 ft), which protected administrative buildings, horse stables and cemeteries. Within the central precinct were found 79 pits with burial goods, including ceramic and bronze sculptures of cranes, horses, chariots; stone-carved armor for humans and horses; and human sculptures that archaeologists have interpreted as representing officials and acrobats. The three pits containing the now-famous terracotta army are located 600 m (2,000 ft) east of the mausoleum precinct, in a farm field where they were re-discovered by a well-digger in the 1920s. Those pits are three out of at least 100 others within an area measuring 5x6 kilometers (3x3.7 miles). Other pits identified to date include the tombs of craftspeople, and a subterranean river with bronze birds and terracotta musicians. Despite nearly constant excavation since 1974, there are still large areas as yet unexcavated. According to Sima Qian, construction on the mausoleum precinct began shortly after Zheng became king, in 246 BC, and it continued until about a year after he died. Sima Qian also describes the demolition of the central tomb in 206 BC by Xiang Yus rebel army, who burned it and looted the pits. Pit Construction Four pits were excavated to hold the terracotta army, although only three were filled by the time construction ceased. The construction of the pits included excavation, placement of a brick floor, and construction of a sequence of rammed earth partitions and tunnels. The floors of the tunnels were covered with mats, the life-sized statuary was placed erect on the mats and the tunnels were covered with logs. Finally each pit was buried. In Pit 1, the largest pit (14,000 square meters or 3.5 acres), the infantry was placed in rows four deep. Pit 2 includes a U-shaped layout of chariots, cavalry and infantry; and Pit 3 contains a command headquarters. About 2,000 soldiers have been excavated so far; archaeologists estimate that there are over 8,000 soldiers (infantry to generals), 130 chariots with horses, and 110 cavalry horses. Continuing Excavations Chinese excavations have been conducted at Shihuangdi’s mausoleum complex since 1974, and have included excavations in and around the mausoleum complex; they continue to reveal astonishing findings. As archaeologist Xiaoneng Yang describes Shihuangdi’s mausoleum complex, â€Å"Ample evidence demonstrates the First Emperor’s ambition: not only to control all aspects of the empire during his lifetime but to recreate the entire empire in microcosm for his after- life.† Please see the slide show on the terracotta soldiers for more information on the soldiers and artifacts found within the Qins mausoleum. Sources Bevan A, Li X, Martinà ³n-Torres M, Green S, Xia Y, Zhao K, Zhao Z, Ma S, Cao W, and Rehren T. 2014. Computer vision, archaeological classification and Chinas terracotta warriors. Journal of Archaeological Science 49:249-254. Bonaduce I, Blaensdorf C, Dietemann P, and Colombini MP. 2008. The binding media of the polychromy of Qin Shihuangs Terracotta Army. Journal of Cultural Heritage 9(1):103-108. Hu W, Zhang K, Zhang H, Zhang B, and Rong B. 2015. Analysis of polychromy binder on Qin Shihuangs Terracotta Warriors by immunofluorescence microscopy. Journal of Cultural Heritage 16(2):244-248. Hu Y-Q, Zhang Z-L, Bera S, Ferguson DK, Li C-S, Shao W-B, and Wang Y-F. 2007. What can pollen grains from the Terracotta Army tell us? Journal of Archaeological Science 34:1153-1157. Kesner L. 1995. Likeness of No One: (Re)presenting the First Emperors Army. The Art Bulletin 77(1):115-132. Li R, and Li G. 2015. Provenance study of the terracotta army of Qin Shihuangs mausoleum by fuzzy cluster analysis. Advances in Fuzzy Systems 2015:2-2. Li XJ, Bevan A, Martinà ³n-Torres M, Rehren TH, Cao W, Xia Y, and Zhao K. 2014. Crossbows and imperial craft organisation: the bronze triggers of Chinas Terracotta Army. Antiquity 88(339):126-140. Li XJ, Martinà ³n-Torres M, Meeks ND, Xia Y, and Zhao K. 2011. Inscriptions, filing, grinding and polishing marks on the bronze weapons from the Qin Terracotta Army in China. Journal of Archaeological Science 38(3):492-501. Liu Z, Mehta A, Tamura N, Pickard D, Rong B, Zhou T, and Pianetta P. 2007. Influence of Taoism on the invention of the purple pigment used on the Qin terracotta warriors. Journal of Archaeological Science 34(11):1878-1883. Martinon-Torres M. 2011. Making Weapons for the Terracotta Army. Archaeology International 13:67-75. Wei S, Ma Q, and Schreiner M. 2012. Scientific investigation of the paint and adhesive materials used in the Western Han dynasty polychromy terracotta army, Qingzhou, China. Journal of Archaeological Science 39(5):1628-1633.

The negative effects that poli essays

The negative effects that poli essays The negative effects that political correctness has brought upon the equal rights movement. In this day and age it has become increasingly difficult to escape the clutch of political correctness. One can find this silent antagonist in the media, the classroom, and even our own backyards. People who at one point were in a position of power now find it quickly slipping away at the mercy of this double-edged sword. Take for example: the middle aged white male, who at one point viewed his age/sex/race as an asset, now finds himself getting attacked on account of these very aspects; or women who have successfully furthered equal rights, yet they still expect to be treated exceptionally. When do we draw the line, and stand up for ourselves even at the risk at stepping on someones toes? Eventually our society will loose all respect for anything less then a full time career, at the high price, and possible destruction of the family unit. The purpose of political correctness essentially helps diminish all types of discrimination and cuts down on the tensions that keep people divided; however, out of this forced tolerance has emerged a backlash. The media, business world, and society at large in its futile attempts to promote equality often fuels the battle between the sexes. Perhaps this occurs due more out of fear of offending someone then anything else. In some cases this may even turn into reverse discrimination; for example, take the bus advertisement that one can see displayed on many if not all Toronto transit vehicles. This safety notice outlines one of the TTCs programs where women, after 9:00 pm can request that the driver stop between bus stops so she can be let out. Now I am not disagreeing that this vital service helps increase the feeling of security for those women who are traveling late at night. However upon seeing this ad, am I supposed to understand that men, cannot be in danger; men never find ...

Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns in Spanish

Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns in Spanish I hit myself. Bill hurt himself. They saw themselves. Did you find yourself? What do the above sentences have in common? Obviously, they all have pronouns that end in -self or -selves. Less obviously, but as a corollary, they all use pronouns that stand for the subject of the sentence. In other words, the subjects and objects of the verbs in the above sentences refer to the same person. Another way of putting this might be that the subject of each sentence is engaging in some action that affects the same person or persons. If you can comprehend that, you understand the basic concept behind the grammar of reflexive pronouns and verbs in Spanish. Reflexive pronouns in Spanish are closely related to direct and indirect-object pronouns, following the same rules of word order and using most of the same pronouns. The Reflexive Pronouns of Spanish Here are the reflexive pronouns in Spanish with a simple example of each and a translation: First-person singular: me - myself - Me oà ­. I heard myself.Second-person singular familiar: te - yourself - Te oiste. You heard yourself.Second-person singular formal, third-person singular: se - yourself, himself, herself, itself, oneself - Ella se oyà ³. She heard herself. Èl se oyà ³. He heard himself.  ¿Se oye usted? Do you hear yourself?First-person plural: nos - ourselves - Nos oà ­mos. We heard ourselves.Second-person plural familiar: os - yourselves - Os oà ­steis. You heard yourselves.Second-person plural formal, third-person plural: se - yourselves, themselves - Se oyeron. They heard themselves. Verbs Used Primarily or Only in the Reflexive One major difference between Spanish and English in this matter is that in Spanish many verbs exist only or primarily in the reflexive form. There is only one common English verb that shares this characteristic: to perjure oneself. Examples of verbs that exist primarily or frequently in the reflexive form are acostarse (to go to bed), divertirse (to have a good time), ducharse (to take a shower), enamorarse (to fall in love), enojarse (to get angry), levantarse (to get up), sentarse (to sit down), sentirse (to feel), and vestirse (to get dressed). It is also common to use the reflexive form when performing some action on a part of the body. Examples include secarse el cabello (to dry ones hair) and lavarse las manos (to wash ones hands). Note that the infinitive form of reflexive verbs is usually stated by placing -se at the end of the infinitive. Translating Reflexive Verbs Note that for many of these verbs it is not necessary to translate the reflexive pronoun into English. Se acostà ³ a las nueve, she went to bed at 9. Me siento triste, I feel sad. But with many verbs, especially those that are less frequently used in the reflexive, the pronoun must be translated.  ¿Te ves en el espejo? Do you see yourself in the mirror? And in still other cases, you can translate with or without translating the pronoun. Se vistià ³ en su coche, he got dressed in his car, or he dressed himself in his car. Sometimes, the reflexive can be translated using each other when in the plural form. Nos miramos, we looked at each other. Se escucharon, they listened to each other (or to themselves, depending on the context). Romeo y Julieta se amaron, Romeo and Juliet loved each other. As usual, context should be a key guide when translating to English. In some cases, putting a verb in the reflexive form can make it more intense, as we do sometimes in English by adding a particle. For example, ir means to go, but irse is usually translated to go away. Similarly, comer means to eat, but comerse might be translated as to eat up, as in se comià ³ cinco tacos, he ate up five tacos. Often in Spanish the reflexive form is used where in English we would use a passive form of a verb. Se cerrà ³ la puerta. The door was closed (a literal translation would be the door closed itself). Se perdieron los boletos, the tickets got lost. Translating "-self" to Spanish Sometimes in English we use the reflexive pronouns as a means of emphasizing the subject rather than as a true reflexive, as in the sentence, I myself performed the task or I performed the task myself. In such cases, the reflexive form should not be used in the Spanish translation. The first sentence would typically be translated using mismo: Yo mismo hice la tarea. The second sentence also could be translated by paraphrasing its meaning: Hice la tarea sin ayuda (literally, I did the task without help). Key Takeaways In reflexive sentences, the direct object pronoun of a verb represents the same person or thing as the subject.Spanish reflexive pronouns are used much like English -self words such as myself or ourselves when those words are used reflexively.Many Spanish verbs are used only or mostly in the reflexive form.

Why is bureaucracy's relationship to democracy so conflicted Essay - 1

Why is bureaucracy's relationship to democracy so conflicted - Essay Example There are several laws that are infringed upon by bureaucratic procedures that may be considered high-handed. Both democracy and bureaucracy present unethical properties in the political arrangement. Bureaucracy’s relationship to democracy is so conflicted because of the paradoxical relationship that involves satisfying both the emotional and societal interests. Structural modification has a considerable impact on human interaction and individuality. This is emphasized by George Ritzer, a renowned sociologist who explores the concept of McDonaldization in terms of the cultural context and rational thinking. In his book â€Å"The McDonaldization of society† Ritzer explores how the philosophies of fast-food restaurants define the American culture. In his opinion, McDonalds has a particular pattern of entry into any region that often results in an integrated consumer pattern and the westernization of the culture that is invaded (Ritzer, 1993, 9). The society does not change in a bureaucratic manner as previously suggested by another renowned social theorist, Max Webber. Instead, his theory mostly emphasizes on the repetitive nature of actions by both consumers and McDonald’s workforce. For instance, in terms of service, one is likely to receive the same service in any branch, and the employees are likely to use the same recipe an d perform the same tasks in the preparation of food. In essence, this means that rational systems may create an awkward environment based on bureaucracy. This means that democracy is significantly undermined because of the repetitiveness in actions. There are no alternatives presented to guarantee a bureaucratic environment. According to Ritzer, traditional means of thinking are undermined by the societal concerns promoted by bureaucracy based on social control and productivity. The bureaucracy associated with most decision-making processes mean that there will always be interests that are not satisfied and changes in ideology