Academic literature on the topic 'Women and Philosophy'

In this paper we connect diversity with being on the margins of philosophy. We do this by reflecting on the programme that we, as diverse philosophers, designed and taught in a small university. Recently, the programme was closed. We examine some of the circumstances for the closure, in particular the impact of league tables. We argue that an idea (or ideal?) of objectivity, as a method in both science and philosophy, plays a role in establishing and maintaining the outsider status of the philosopher at the margins of the discipline. As a counterpoint to objectivity, we offer concrete examples of our experiences to illustrate what it is like to be at the margins of philosophy. We end with an examination of topics that are common to academics, i.e. issues of time and resources, that are compounded at the margins. Our paper seeks to show what is lost by the closure of our programme, and what philosophy loses when marginalised philosophers are silenced and/or excluded from key academic discourse. We argue that the particular contribution of the philosopher at the margin offers an important and irreplaceable contribution to discourses on the identity of philosophy and on the value of diversity.

The sixth-century-BCE Pythagorean communities included both male and female members. This thesis focuses on the Pythagorean women and aims to explore what reasons lie behind the prominence of women in Pythagoreanism and what roles women played in early Pythagorean societies and thought. In the first chapter, I analyse the social conditions of women in Southern Italy, where the first Pythagorean communities were founded. In the second chapter, I compare Pythagorean societies with ancient Greek political clubs and religious sects. Compared to mainland Greece, South Italian women enjoyed higher legal and socio-political status. Similarly, religious groups included female initiates, assigning them authoritative roles. Consequently, the fact that the Pythagoreans founded their communities in Croton and further afield, and that in some respects these communities resembled ancient sects helps to explain why they opened their doors to the female gender to begin with. The third chapter discusses Pythagoras’ teachings to and about women. Pythagorean doctrines did not exclusively affect the followers’ way of thinking and public activities, but also their private way of living. Thus, they also regulated key aspects of the female everyday life, such as marriage and motherhood. I argue that the Pythagorean women entered the communities as wives, mothers and daughters. Nonetheless, some of them were able to gain authority over their fellow Pythagoreans and engage in intellectual activities, thus overcoming the female traditional domestic roles. The fourth chapter argues that another contributing factor to the status of the Pythagorean women is the doctrine of metempsychosis. This belief led the Pythagoreans to adopt similar behaviours towards other ensouled beings. Therefore, since men and women were believed to have the same souls, they were treated with the same respect and received the same education. Finally, the fifth chapter explores how the Pythagorean views on women are taken up and developed in Plato’s Republic. I argue that, although the Pythagoreans never went as far as to have philosopher-queens and abolish private families, they took the first step towards Plato’s ‘gender equality’ theory. Overall, that of women in Pythagoreanism is the first documented case of female engagement with ancient philosophy: Pythagorean men and women lived together according to the same lifestyle, were educated on the same doctrines and played equally integral roles in the intellectual community.

<p> If we take the hermeneutic challenge of Socratic irony seriously, what are we to make of Socrates&rsquo; proposal in the <i>Republic</i> that the women of the guardian class are to be educated and rule alongside the men (451c-457c)? Historically, the proposal has inspired controversy, whether as too great a departure from the customary, or as insufficiently just to woman-kind. But Socrates&rsquo; proposal is only the first of a trio of plans, known as the Three Waves, an image for the waves of laughter Socrates fears will greet them. His second proposal recommends that the guardians be bred together, with children raised by all in ignorance of their parents; the third proclaims the rule of philosophers as kings. Readers usually link the first two, insofar as both involve plans for women. But while the discussion of the Second Wave is spurred by Socrates&rsquo; interlocutors, Socrates introduces the First and Third Waves on his own initiative. The aim of this study is to argue that the First and Third Waves have the deeper connection: the political problems of women and of the philosopher share a pattern in common, as Socrates&rsquo; image of philosophy as a maiden in distress illustrates (495c). Both women and philosophy exist in tension with the city under its customary laws, and Socrates&rsquo; solution for both, namely rule of the city and education at its hands, is likewise the same. My interpretation of the First Wave seeks to take seriously its seriously funny aspects, such as naked exercise for both sexes, together (452a), and Glaucon&rsquo;s attachment to the principle that women be taken as weaker and men as stronger (452c); but these must be taken alongside the appeal of Socrates&rsquo; corresponding recommendation that women be clothed in &ldquo;robes of virtue&rdquo; (457a). By examining such aspects of the women&rsquo;s law, and suggesting how they shed light on the philosopher-king, this study aims to do justice to the irony of Socrates&rsquo; &ldquo;best city in speech,&rdquo; recognizing both the appeal of his proposals and the political problems they make manifest.</p>

Husbands Living with Women on Dialysis: Embracing Their Transformed LifeThe purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the adjustment process of husbands living with women on dialysis. Using Glaser's (1978) grounded theory methodology, data were collected from 18 husbands through semi-structured face-to-face or telephone tape-recorded interviews. In using the constant comparative method of data analysis, the most central issue for these husbands was dealing with multiple changes imposed by the demands and impact of kidney failure and its treatment regimens on various dimensions of their lives. The changes impacted roles and responsibilities at home and work, social and recreational activities, finances, relationships with their spouse and others, home environment, daily routines, and future plans, as well as health and/or sleep patterns. Although the impact of these changes created many hardships for husbands, witnessing their wives' suffering was more distressing. In response, these men involved themselves in supporting their wives and engaging in the basic social process of embracing their transformed life. The four stages of embracing a transformed life are becoming aware, involving themselves, centering life on their wives, and striving to achieve balance. The marital relationship, the women's health status, as well as the presence of informal support and formal support are conditions which significantly influenced the process. The theory of embracing a transformed life provides a framework for understanding and explaining the complex interplay of strategies undertaken by these husbands to respond to, adjust to, and integrate changes in their daily and future lives. Moreover, the focus on husbands living with women on dialysis contributes towards closing an existing gap in knowledge and the findings underscore the husbands' abilities to learn and carry out complex roles, responsibilities, and routines that require sophisticated observation, decision making, and technical and problem-solving skills. The discrete stages of the theory guide nurses to better understand the various changes dialysis-caregivers may experience during different phases of the patients' illness trajectory and to implement supportive care to enhance their adjustment and sustain their efforts.Keywords: dialysis, spousal caregiver, dialysis-caregiver, adjustment, change, chronic kidney disease, end-stage renal disease.<br>Les hommes habitant avec une femme dialysée: Accepter la transformation qui s'effectue dans sa vieLe but de cette étude qualitative était d'examiner le processus d'adaptation des hommes habitant avec une femme qui subit des traitements de dialyse. Les données ont été recueillies au cours d'entretiens semi-structurés enregistrés, réalisés en personne ou au téléphone, auprès de 18 hommes mariés, conformément à la méthode de la théorie ancrée décrite par Glaser en 1978. Selon la méthode comparative constante d'analyse de données, il s'est avéré que la préoccupation centrale de ces hommes était de composer avec les multiples changements, aux différents aspects de leur vie, qu'imposaient les demandes et les répercussions de l'insuffisance rénale et du schéma thérapeutique correspondant. Les changements ont en effet une incidence sur divers aspects de leur vie, notamment les rôles et les responsabilités à la maison et au travail, les activités sociales et récréatives, la situation financière, les relations de couple et les relations amicales, l'ambiance à la maison, les activités quotidiennes, les projets futurs, la santé et la structure du sommeil. Bien que ces changements aient occasionné maintes difficultés pour ces hommes, il leur était encore plus difficile de voir leur femme souffrir. Ils se sont donc appliqués à leur apporter du soutien et à entamer le processus social fondamental qui consiste à accepter volontiers la transformation qui s'effectue dans leur vie. Les quatre étapes à suivre pour accepter la transformation d'une vie sont la prise de conscience, la participation, la centralisation de la vie sur la conjointe, et la recherche d'équilibre. La relation de couple, la santé de la femme et la présence d'un soutien formel et informel sont tous des facteurs qui ont une grande incidence sur le processus. La théorie qui consiste à accepter la transformation d'une vie propose un cadre qui permet de comprendre et d'expliquer l'ensemble complexe de stratégies qu'emploient ces hommes pour répondre aux changements, s'y adapter et les intégrer à leurs activités quotidiennes et à leur avenir. En outre, le fait de diriger le regard sur les hommes habitant avec une femme dialysée contribue à combler une lacune existante sur le plan des connaissances, et les constatations soulignent la capacité de ces hommes à apprendre et à mettre en pratique des rôles, des responsabilités et des routines complexes qui demandent des compétences avancées en observation, en prise de décision et en résolution de problème de même que sur le plan technique. Les étapes subtiles de la théorie guident les infirmières vers une meilleure compréhension des différents changements que les fournisseurs de soins de dialyse peuvent observer durant les différentes phases de la maladie de la patiente et leur permettent d'adopter des méthodes de soins de soutien qui facilitent leur adaptation et les poussent à poursuivre leurs efforts.Mots clés: dialyse, époux/épouse aidant, aidant en dialyse, adaptation, changement, insuffisance rénale chronique, maladie rénale terminale.

The study documents a formal program evaluation and examination of the Refugee Women’s Network (RWN) program’s impact on acquired leadership skills by the participants who are currently involved in the program or have recently completed the entire curriculum. The elements of the Stufflebeam content-input-process-product (CIPP) evaluation model provided the structure for this study. The researcher used elements of the CIPP model to assess and report on the merit, worth, and significance of the leadership training component of the RWN agency. The researcher interviewed former students who had worked with the RWN during the program years of 2007 through 2009. Current program administrators, leadership, and instructors have also been interviewed, participated in a focus group, and completed a valid survey instrument. An examination of program documents and research literature also provides significant implications for future research, and program development for the RWN and hopefully other similar leadership training programs. Findings from interviews and surveys within the study added to the body of research that addresses leadership training achievement of refugee and immigrant women. Previous research revealed that refugee women who participate and complete community leadership training programs ultimately learn to exhibit a transformationa leadership style, which is the main hypothesis of this study. The research design is a cross-sectional survey and program evaluation. The following questions formed the foundation inquiry of the study. 1. What is the level of success of the implementation of the RWN leadership training component as indicated by stakeholders’ perceptions? 2. How did certain operational factors impact the input, process, and products within the leadership training component? 3. What areas of course content impacted the leadership training objectives as perceived by the stakeholder group? The self-assessment process revealed how participants became empowered by setting goals, becoming self-reliant, and able to influence others in their community.

Violence against women, which is accepted as a violation of human right in Turkey and in whole world for many years, causes physical and mental harms by practicing all kind of personal and collective behavior including force and pressure. Femicides have increased 1400% in the last seven years and one of every three women is subjected to violence.&#x0D; It is doubtful that in international law; Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and Council of Europe Convention and in additional to this in national law; The 1982 Constitution and The Law to Protect Family and Prevent Violence Against Women can provide effective guarantee to protect the place of woman in Turkish Society or not? Despite all of the legislative regulations, the violence against women in Turkey increasingly goes on. For this reason it is crucial to evaluate the articles no 5th, 10th, 17th, 41st and 90th of Constitution which compose the legal basis for preventing violence against women.&#x0D; Republic of Turkey’s founding philosophy bases on equality of women and men, which means equal rights for every single citizen. To end this violence against women; can be achieve only through provide this equality legally and defacto, and also, apply social state’s principles in real life. Because in social states, struggling against this violence should be accepted as government’s policy. The state should be in cooperation with all women's organizations and provide training for related trade bodies.

Cittàslow movement was established in Italy in 1999. The Slow City movement incorporates a philosophy and a commitment to maintain the cultural heritage and quality of life of their membership towns. A slow city aims to improve the quality of life of its citizens and its visitors. Member towns are obliged to pursue local projects protecting local cultures, contributing to a relaxed pace of life, creating conviviality and hospitality and promoting a unique sense of place and local distinctiveness. There are nine slow cities in Turkey in 2013. This study examines the women entrepreneurship in slow cities of Turkey from a sociological perspective. Slow cities offer many opportunities in the meaning of local development especially for women in Turkey. They can engage with small business, hand-crafts, and organic farming in slow cities. But training of women, certification of the quality of artisan products and awareness of the citizens of slow cities are the critical issues in the sustainable local development process. Therefore, it is possible to increase income level of women living in slow cities in Turkey and also to preserve local tastes.

The number of foreigners residing in Korea exceeded 2.5 million for the first time ever. As the ratio of foreigners to the total population approaches 5%, it is evaluated that Korea has actually entered a multicultural society. It is known that among the types of foreigners staying there are many young foreigners who visit Korea for the purpose of employment. The number of marriage immigrants was 16,025, an increase of 4.3% from the previous year. Of these, 82.6% were women. Entering a multicultural society in a situation where empathy for each other is insufficient can lead to social conflict. In particular, in the COVID-19 pandemic, hostility toward foreigners is more prevalent, and hatred for strangers is increasing. This study critically analyzes these social phenomena and seeks to raise the philosophical basis for multicultural education by establishing a concept with a new perspective on the other. This paper focuses on the philosophy of Buber and Levinas. By establishing 'I and You' as a meeting, Buber presented a new relationship with others. Meanwhile, Levinas emphasized human ethics and responsibility as the absolute and infinite being of the other. According to Buber, in the world there is a relationship between 'I-You' and 'I-It', and in order to live a true life, you must establish a relationship between 'I and you'. The relationship between 'I and it' is a temporary and mechanical relationship where objects can be replaced at any time by looking at the world from an instrumental point of view. However, the relationship between 'I and You' is a relationship that faces each other personally, and the only 'I' that cannot be changed with anything and the 'You' that cannot be replaced exist in deep trust. In phenomenology of otherness, Levinas intends to describe the encounter with the something outside the subject. The concepts of possession, distinctiveness and understanding are replaced by those of approaches, proximity, care and fecundity. In Korean society, a policy that seeks to use foreigners as human resources and, especially in the case of marriage immigrant women, as a solution to a society with low birthrates along with the labor force, shows how society treats others. Therefore, multicultural education must rethink the existence and dignity of human beings through the perspective of the other as asserted in the philosophy of Buber and Levinas.

Abstract Earlier results show that female computer scientists show a lower self-efficacy compared to male colleagues. Similarly, gender-typical attributions, in the sense of gender stereotypes, are considered a disorder. As a result, a coaching program that supports computer scientists after a re-entry into professional life also, in a new orientation or with regard to management ambitions has been developed at the University of &amp;lt;blinded&amp;gt;. The measure strengthens computer scientists in their motivational resources and enables them to take advantage of professional opportunities. A scientifically founded analysis of their potential helps the coachees to become aware of their abilities and competences. The coaching program based on the potential analysis, takes important life goals of the coachees into account. Individual career plans are developed in coaching sessions, including a clear definition of the objective and implementation strategy. An open and modern corporate culture offers new opportunities of career paths for female computer scientists. If the company philosophy is based on appreciation of good performance, women in computer science are more motivated strengthen their career ambitions. Keywords: Women in computer science; self-efficacy beliefs; potential analysis; individual coaching;career development

"This research enters into the field of philosophy of law. He investigated it about the positive differentiation of women in legal thought. After defining the assumptions of the concept, such as the necessity to distinguish between formal equality, and real equality, because positive differentiation is a privilege given to the disadvantaged as if it appears to create inequality, and it is formed until it compensates them with the forbidden, which was practiced before and is now practiced. And that positive differentiation is not only concerned with women but also with all other disadvantaged groups, such as minorities, children and the elderly, even if the female component is more visible. So it entered into the global legislative policy, whether in international law or in national law, so would hold international agreements, hold conferences and establish international organizations for that. Positive differentiation is considered a subsidiary legal principle and complementary to the principle of equality and fairness, and for this existence is related to the existence of that principle, and it is known that the principle are not often written in legislation, but the legislator must take them into account when setting legal rules. Positive the positive differentiation as a legal principle that is observed in global legislation, and the legislator in the Kurdistan region of Iraq tried to observe the principle at a time when the federal legislator did not pay much attention to the principle, and this legislative policy in the region is more in line with the global legislative policy, and this is why the Kurdistan legislator tried to repeal or amend federal law Or legislate new laws in implementation of the principle that fall within its powers, so the anti-family violence law is a perfect example of this, which has no parallel in Iraq so far."

Nowadays “eco-design” is becoming a philosophy to guide next generation of materials and products as global environmental issue produced by fossil fuels and resource overusing. With an industrial increasing interest in sustainable, eco-efficient and green material’s application, natural fiber in polymer composite is guided to develop rapidly. As well know that, natural fibers possess advantages over synthetic or manmade fibers due to its abundance, biodegradability, CO2 neutrality, excellent price/performance ratio and comparable specific strength properties. However, outdoor applications of natural fiber composite are still constrained and raising concerns in terms of their durability, including UV resistance, moisture resistance and extreme temperature withstand and dimensional stability. Continuing with previous research on kenaf non-woven reinforced unsaturated polyester composites three months degradation performance, in order to get a good knowledge of its degradation process/cycle in complicated outdoor environments, longer degradation periods up to 6 months and 12 months in this paper were added for further investigation and comparison. Initially, three sets of kenaf fiber mat composite samples were located in extreme cold temperature (Harbin), mild sea climate Kyoto (Japan), subtropical marine monsoon climate Shanghai (China) and tropical monsoon climate Zaria (Nigeria) respectively from the same starting time until predetermined ageing periods, afterwards weight change and mechanical behavior in terms of tensile, flexural, impact and fracture toughness were measured instrumentally for ageing effect discussion and comparison. As expected, the aged specimens in those different positions all showed the dropped mechanical properties with increasing ageing periods. Furthermore, the trend of degradation in various mechanical parameters was established, which demonstrated weight loss made more serious effect on aged sample’s mechanical properties’ reduction than water absorption behavior. In a word, dropped mechanical properties of the degraded composites accompanied with weight change behavior were clarified, in which degradation phenomenon of embrittled the matrix polymer, deteriorated reinforced fiber and interfacial properties were detected.

Attention to safety and health are of ever-increasing priority to industrial organizations. Good Safety is demanded by stockholders, employees, and the community while increasing injury costs provide additional motivation for safety and health excellence. Safety has always been a strong corporate value of DuPont and a vital part of its culture. As a result, DuPont has become a benchmark in safety and health performance. Since 1990, DuPont has re-engineered itself to meet global competition and address future vision. In the new re-engineered organizational structures, DuPont has also had to re-engineer its safety management systems. A special Discovery Team was chartered by DuPont senior management to determine the “best practices’ for safety and health being used in DuPont best-performing sites. A summary of the findings is presented, and five of the practices are discussed. Excellence in safety and health management is more important today than ever. Public awareness, federal and state regulations, and enlightened management have resulted in a widespread conviction that all employees have the right to work in an environment that will not adversely affect their safety and health. In DuPont, we believe that excellence in safety and health is necessary to achieve global competitiveness, maintain employee loyalty, and be an accepted member of the communities in which we make, handle, use, and transport products. Safety can also be the “catalyst” to achieving excellence in other important business parameters. The organizational and communication skills developed by management, individuals, and teams in safety can be directly applied to other company initiatives. As we look into the 21st Century, we must also recognize that new organizational structures (flatter with empowered teams) will require new safety management techniques and systems in order to maintain continuous improvement in safety performance. Injury costs, which have risen dramatically in the past twenty years, provide another incentive for safety and health excellence. Shown in the Figure 1, injury costs have increased even after correcting for inflation. Many companies have found these costs to be an “invisible drain” on earnings and profitability. In some organizations, significant initiatives have been launched to better manage the workers’ compensation systems. We have found that the ultimate solution is to prevent injuries and incidents before they occur. A globally-respected company, DuPont is regarded as a well-managed, extremely ethical firm that is the benchmark in industrial safety performance. Like many other companies, DuPont has re-engineered itself and downsized its operations since 1985. Through these changes, we have maintained dedication to our principles and developed new techniques to manage in these organizational environments. As a diversified company, our operations involve chemical process facilities, production line operations, field activities, and sales and distribution of materials. Our customer base is almost entirely industrial and yet we still maintain a high level of consumer awareness and positive perception. The DuPont concern for safety dates back to the early 1800s and the first days of the company. In 1802 E.I. DuPont, a Frenchman, began manufacturing quality grade explosives to fill America’s growing need to build roads, clear fields, increase mining output, and protect its recently won independence. Because explosives production is such a hazardous industry, DuPont recognized and accepted the need for an effective safety effort. The building walls of the first powder mill near Wilmington, Delaware, were built three stones thick on three sides. The back remained open to the Brandywine River to direct any explosive forces away from other buildings and employees. To set the safety example, DuPont also built his home and the homes of his managers next to the powder yard. An effective safety program was a necessity. It represented the first defense against instant corporate liquidation. Safety needs more than a well-designed plant, however. In 1811, work rules were posted in the mill to guide employee work habits. Though not nearly as sophisticated as the safety standards of today, they did introduce an important basic concept — that safety must be a line management responsibility. Later, DuPont introduced an employee health program and hired a company doctor. An early step taken in 1912 was the keeping of safety statistics, approximately 60 years before the federal requirement to do so. We had a visible measure of our safety performance and were determined that we were going to improve it. When the nation entered World War I, the DuPont Company supplied 40 percent of the explosives used by the Allied Forces, more than 1.5 billion pounds. To accomplish this task, over 30,000 new employees were hired and trained to build and operate many plants. Among these facilities was the largest smokeless powder plant the world had ever seen. The new plant was producing granulated powder in a record 116 days after ground breaking. The trends on the safety performance chart reflect the problems that a large new work force can pose until the employees fully accept the company’s safety philosophy. The first arrow reflects the World War I scale-up, and the second arrow represents rapid diversification into new businesses during the 1920s. These instances of significant deterioration in safety performance reinforced DuPont’s commitment to reduce the unsafe acts that were causing 96 percent of our injuries. Only 4 percent of injuries result from unsafe conditions or equipment — the remainder result from the unsafe acts of people. This is an important concept if we are to focus our attention on reducing injuries and incidents within the work environment. World War II brought on a similar set of demands. The story was similar to World War I but the numbers were even more astonishing: one billion dollars in capital expenditures, 54 new plants, 75,000 additional employees, and 4.5 billion pounds of explosives produced — 20 percent of the volume used by the Allied Forces. Yet, the performance during the war years showed no significant deviation from the pre-war years. In 1941, the DuPont Company was 10 times safer than all industry and 9 times safer than the Chemical Industry. Management and the line organization were finally working as they should to control the real causes of injuries. Today, DuPont is about 50 times safer than US industrial safety performance averages. Comparing performance to other industries, it is interesting to note that seemingly “hazard-free” industries seem to have extraordinarily high injury rates. This is because, as DuPont has found out, performance is a function of injury prevention and safety management systems, not hazard exposure. Our success in safety results from a sound safety management philosophy. Each of the 125 DuPont facilities is responsible for its own safety program, progress, and performance. However, management at each of these facilities approaches safety from the same fundamental and sound philosophy. This philosophy can be expressed in eleven straightforward principles. The first principle is that all injuries can be prevented. That statement may seem a bit optimistic. In fact, we believe that this is a realistic goal and not just a theoretical objective. Our safety performance proves that the objective is achievable. We have plants with over 2,000 employees that have operated for over 10 years without a lost time injury. As injuries and incidents are investigated, we can always identify actions that could have prevented that incident. If we manage safety in a proactive — rather than reactive — manner, we will eliminate injuries by reducing the acts and conditions that cause them. The second principle is that management, which includes all levels through first-line supervisors, is responsible and accountable for preventing injuries. Only when senior management exerts sustained and consistent leadership in establishing safety goals, demanding accountability for safety performance and providing the necessary resources, can a safety program be effective in an industrial environment. The third principle states that, while recognizing management responsibility, it takes the combined energy of the entire organization to reach sustained, continuous improvement in safety and health performance. Creating an environment in which employees feel ownership for the safety effort and make significant contributions is an essential task for management, and one that needs deliberate and ongoing attention. The fourth principle is a corollary to the first principle that all injuries are preventable. It holds that all operating exposures that may result in injuries or illnesses can be controlled. No matter what the exposure, an effective safeguard can be provided. It is preferable, of course, to eliminate sources of danger, but when this is not reasonable or practical, supervision must specify measures such as special training, safety devices, and protective clothing. Our fifth safety principle states that safety is a condition of employment. Conscientious assumption of safety responsibility is required from all employees from their first day on the job. Each employee must be convinced that he or she has a responsibility for working safely. The sixth safety principle: Employees must be trained to work safely. We have found that an awareness for safety does not come naturally and that people have to be trained to work safely. With effective training programs to teach, motivate, and sustain safety knowledge, all injuries and illnesses can be eliminated. Our seventh principle holds that management must audit performance on the workplace to assess safety program success. Comprehensive inspections of both facilities and programs not only confirm their effectiveness in achieving the desired performance, but also detect specific problems and help to identify weaknesses in the safety effort. The Company’s eighth principle states that all deficiencies must be corrected promptly. Without prompt action, risk of injuries will increase and, even more important, the credibility of management’s safety efforts will suffer. Our ninth principle is a statement that off-the-job safety is an important part of the overall safety effort. We do not expect nor want employees to “turn safety on” as they come to work and “turn it off” when they go home. The company safety culture truly becomes of the individual employee’s way of thinking. The tenth principle recognizes that it’s good business to prevent injuries. Injuries cost money. However, hidden or indirect costs usually exceed the direct cost. Our last principle is the most important. Safety must be integrated as core business and personal value. There are two reasons for this. First, we’ve learned from almost 200 years of experience that 96 percent of safety incidents are directly caused by the action of people, not by faulty equipment or inadequate safety standards. But conversely, it is our people who provide the solutions to our safety problems. They are the one essential ingredient in the recipe for a safe workplace. Intelligent, trained, and motivated employees are any company’s greatest resource. Our success in safety depends upon the men and women in our plants following procedures, participating actively in training, and identifying and alerting each other and management to potential hazards. By demonstrating a real concern for each employee, management helps establish a mutual respect, and the foundation is laid for a solid safety program. This, of course, is also the foundation for good employee relations. An important lesson learned in DuPont is that the majority of injuries are caused by unsafe acts and at-risk behaviors rather than unsafe equipment or conditions. In fact, in several DuPont studies it was estimated that 96 percent of injuries are caused by unsafe acts. This was particularly revealing when considering safety audits — if audits were only focused on conditions, at best we could only prevent four percent of our injuries. By establishing management systems for safety auditing that focus on people, including audit training, techniques, and plans, all incidents are preventable. Of course, employee contribution and involvement in auditing leads to sustainability through stakeholdership in the system. Management safety audits help to make manage the “behavioral balance.” Every job and task performed at a site can do be done at-risk or safely. The essence of a good safety system ensures that safe behavior is the accepted norm amongst employees, and that it is the expected and respected way of doing things. Shifting employees norms contributes mightily to changing culture. The management safety audit provides a way to quantify these norms. DuPont safety performance has continued to improve since we began keeping records in 1911 until about 1990. In the 1990–1994 time frame, performance deteriorated as shown in the chart that follows: This increase in injuries caused great concern to senior DuPont management as well as employees. It occurred while the corporation was undergoing changes in organization. In order to sustain our technological, competitive, and business leadership positions, DuPont began re-engineering itself beginning in about 1990. New streamlined organizational structures and collaborative work processes eliminated many positions and levels of management and supervision. The total employment of the company was reduced about 25 percent during these four years. In our traditional hierarchical organization structures, every level of supervision and management knew exactly what they were expected to do with safety, and all had important roles. As many of these levels were eliminated, new systems needed to be identified for these new organizations. In early 1995, Edgar S. Woolard, DuPont Chairman, chartered a Corporate Discovery Team to look for processes that will put DuPont on a consistent path toward a goal of zero injuries and occupational illnesses. The cross-functional team used a mode of “discovery through learning” from as many DuPont employees and sites around the world. The Discovery Team fostered the rapid sharing and leveraging of “best practices” and innovative approaches being pursued at DuPont’s plants, field sites, laboratories, and office locations. In short, the team examined the company’s current state, described the future state, identified barriers between the two, and recommended key ways to overcome these barriers. After reporting back to executive management in April, 1995, the Discovery Team was realigned to help organizations implement their recommendations. The Discovery Team reconfirmed key values in DuPont — in short, that all injuries, incidents, and occupational illnesses are preventable and that safety is a source of competitive advantage. As such, the steps taken to improve safety performance also improve overall competitiveness. Senior management made this belief clear: “We will strengthen our business by making safety excellence an integral part of all business activities.” One of the key findings of the Discovery Team was the identification of the best practices used within the company, which are listed below: ▪ Felt Leadership – Management Commitment ▪ Business Integration ▪ Responsibility and Accountability ▪ Individual/Team Involvement and Influence ▪ Contractor Safety ▪ Metrics and Measurements ▪ Communications ▪ Rewards and Recognition ▪ Caring Interdependent Culture; Team-Based Work Process and Systems ▪ Performance Standards and Operating Discipline ▪ Training/Capability ▪ Technology ▪ Safety and Health Resources ▪ Management and Team Audits ▪ Deviation Investigation ▪ Risk Management and Emergency Response ▪ Process Safety ▪ Off-the-Job Safety and Health Education Attention to each of these best practices is essential to achieve sustained improvements in safety and health. The Discovery Implementation in conjunction with DuPont Safety and Environmental Management Services has developed a Safety Self-Assessment around these systems. In this presentation, we will discuss a few of these practices and learn what they mean. Paper published with permission.