Othello Tragic Hero

According to Aristotle, a tragic hero is a character of noble status and greatness. He is a man who is not entirely good or entirely evil, rather, he is a man who on the whole is good, but also contributes to his own destruction by some moral weaknesses, known as the fatal flaw. Aristotle further explains that the protagonist must be dominated by a ‘hamartia’ or tragic flaw which leads to his downfall. All tragedies have a hero with a flaw, and in the play Othello, the hero becomes transformed by his tragic flaws of jealousy and gullibility. Othello is the general in the army of Venice and is in love with Desdemona. He is a Moor of African descent, who has risen through the ranks of the Venetian army through hard work and success in battle. Othello is a cultural and racial outsider, often described as a ‘black ram’ or ‘moor’, and his relationship with Desdemona was not accepted by the society at the time, thus resulting in their actions to elope and get married. Othello is an admirable figure and despite of the colour of his skin, was respected by many people in the society. In the play, Othello’s central flaw is jealousy, bringing about death and misunderstanding for many of the characters. His flaw of jealousy was exploited by Iago and manipulated through many incidental events. Othello is a very trusting and noble character and is regarded as Shakespeare’s most romantic character. Othello’s boundless love for Desdemona makes it unbearable for him to think of another man looking at her. Othello’s fatal flaw of jealousy is shown, as due to his suspicious and jealous nature, he believes everything Iago tells him about Cassio and Desdemona. Iago uses Othello’s great love through extreme manipulation to get Othello more and more jealous, this can be seen when Othello is slowly starting to believe Iago, â€Å"Damn her, lewd minx! O, damn her! Come, go with me apart; I will withdraw, To furnish me with some swift means of death For the fair devil. Now art thou my lieutenant. † Othello later accuses Desdemona of lying to him, â€Å"O, devil, devil! If that the Earth could teem with woman's tears, Each drop she falls would prove a crocodile. Out of my sight! † this proves as a surprise for Desdemona as although she is being faithful to her husband, he does not believe a word she is saying due to his flaw of jealousy. Othello’s flaw of jealousy takes him through a series of predicaments, led by Iago, where he makes the decisions to believe Iago’s accusations on Desdemona and Cassio. It is then his jealousy that causes him to suspect Desdemona, and piece together irrelevant information that gives him the wrong information about his wife’s infidelity. Iago cleverly brings up Othello’s flaw in Act 3 Scene 3, warning him to beware of jealousy, as he deceives him about Cassio and Desdemona’s affair, while attempting to play with his mind, â€Å"O beware, my lord, or jealousy: It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on. At the beginning of the play, when Shakespeare introduces Othello as a high-status, noble man, who is in love with his wife Desdemona, the villain is immediately brought out, uncovering the protagonists fatal flaw of naivety. Iago takes Othello’s flaw to his advantage, deceiving him into believing that his wife and his lie utenant are having an affair. To Iago’s luck, Othello regards Iago as an honest man who he trusts very much, showing dramatic irony in the lines, â€Å"Iago is most honest† and â€Å"A man he is of honesty and trust†. Shakespeare’s use of dramatic irony creates a connection between the characters in the play and the audience. Othello’s naive and trusting nature allows him to believe anything and everything Iago tells him, despite of his lack of physical evidence, which proved to be a deadly mistake. Othello’s gullibility also results in the change in his marriage. As Othello starts to believe Iago’s lies, the relationship between Othello and Desdemona changed from respectful and caring to bitter and condescending. Othello soon loses all respect for Desdemona and even refers to her as a whore, for having an affair with Cassio while she is married. Othello’s flaws of gullibility and jealousy combined resulted in his downfall. Another fatal flaw Othello possessed was trusting people easily. Othello trusted Iago very easily soon after they met. Although Iago cannot be blamed for Othello’s flaws, he was still responsible for planting the seeds in Othello’s mind. Othello also made a mistake of allowing Iago to mess with his mind, planting many accusations of his Desdemona and Cassio. Othello love Desdemona, and she always loved him. But because of his jealousy and gullibility his speech is juxtaposed and his love killed. After Othello murdered Desdemona for betraying his love, he realises his false accusations of Desdemona and Cassio and finally realises the true villain to be Iago and kills himself. In Othello’s last speech in the play, he speaks of the betrayal, remorse and of his lost love. Othello can be seen as a tragic hero, as his flaws are the cause of his death. His fatal flaws of gullibility, jealousy and easily trusting people can be seen as the cause of his death and others around him. He recognises his flaws in the end; however it is too late to bring back his wife, whom he had earlier killed. Iago takes Othello’s flaws to his advantage, playing with Othello’s mind, planting lies and accusations about Desdemona and Cassio. Iago can be seen as the villain as he does not care about the lives of anyone else he has ruined, instead only caring to achieve his own ends, by doing whatever necessary. Aristotles definition of a tragic hero can be compared with the life of Othello, thus making him a truly tragic hero.

Song of Roland Notes

Roland essay notes Citation: Prompt: In what ways did Ganelon’s character as a feudal warrior conflict with his role in Christian feudal society? What can those conflicts tell us about the writer’s ideal view of society? Thesis: Ganelon’s traitorous actions against Roland, Charlemagne, and ultimately God reveal the writer’s ideas of the perfect Christian feudal society. While Roland and Charlemagne serve as archetypes of perfect servants of God, Ganelon plays the part of the bad, which accentuates the good. Misc notes:Rear guard sacrifice necessary to bring Charles back into picture Roland sacrificed himself to edify Charles Ganelon was after his own selfish interests, while his loyalty should have lied with Charles, who represented the will of god. Ganelon = Judas, Roland = Jesus Quotations: //â€Å"No crusading intent can be detected in this enterprise, though there were attempts†¦ to give it such a //coloring, as though Charles had entered Spain t o protect the Christians from the cruel yoke of Saracen //oppression – an oppression that in face did not exist. † (SOR, 4) The poem†¦ has retained little of the historic event†¦ This non-event has been enlarged into a great epic of treachery and loyalty, and this humiliating defeat at the hands of unknown brigands transformed into a holy crusade, a glorious martyrdom, a great apocalyptic victory ordained by God. † (SOR, 4) â€Å"It was looked upon as the time when the great dream of Christendom had come true, when a worldwide Christian community was established under a pious and crusading Emperor, and all men were bound in ascending loyalty to each other and to the Lord of all.The Carolingian Empire was seen as the fulfillment of a divine intention. † (SOR, 5). â€Å"We see in the Charlemagne of the epic, not the historical king and emperor, but the true and accurate representation of an ideal ardently praised at the time the poem was cast into its present form†¦ all men were in their right places†¦ when all Christian powers oriented themselves in homage to this great man, wise with the wisdom of 200 years of God’s grace. † (SOR, 6) â€Å"The past [The Song of Roland] revealed to its earliest audiences was really a vision of the future.Those who shared that past were to give their support to the King’s great struggle, as struggle that aimed not to progress from that auspicious time when angles came down from heaven and the sun stood still to help the Emperor defend all Christendom, but to return to it, to regain what had been lost: a perfect state pleasing to God. † (SOR, 7) â€Å"The lord that Roland serves is depicted as the Emperor of Christendom; Charlemagne, in turn, is in the service of the supreme Lord of heaven†¦ the life of the feudal vassal can have no value unless it is sanctified by service to God. (SOR, 9) â€Å"The pagan vassals are exact doubles of Christian vassal s†¦ the one radical difference between the two sides in this poem is exactly what Roland says it is, the fact that Christians are right and pagans are wrong†¦ Roland’s famous utterance†¦ means exactly the opposite of what it is often taken to mean. It is the warrior’s expression of humility, his understanding that†¦ without the grace of God his great qualities would lead him to perdition. † (SOR, 9) Every formal conflict in the poem is defined as a judicial battle whose outcome is God’s verdict†¦ In each case the miraculous victory of the smaller side reveals the will of God, for only He could have caused the astonishing outcome. † (SOR, 10) â€Å"We know – and our knowledge precedes every event, every cause, every motive – that Roland will refuse to sound the Oliphant: therefore, his refusal is necessary, for it is accomplished†¦ We must regard his great spirit, his proud motives, and his famous act as pr aiseworthy, exemplary, pleasing to God, because they are necessary, foreseen, exactly as they occurred. † (SOR, 14) In the world that this poem celebrates, [Roland] cannot be right by accident: not only his decisions but his entire attitude is right – his militant response to the pagans, his whole sense of what a Christian knight must do is nearest to what pleases God, for it comes from God. † (SOR, 19) â€Å"The concerns that led [Roland] to refuse to summon help – honor, lineage, sweet France – are named and praised by Charles†¦ Only if there is a victory of the few against the many can the outcome of the battle reveal the will of God†¦ he is the agent of God’s will, the supreme vassal, and God has sanctified his calling, endowed it with a mission. (SOR, 21) â€Å"Each man in this feudal community finds his place in a hierarchical structure of loyalties that ends in Charlemagne, to whom all are bound, as he is bound to them in th e obligation to protect them. † (SOR, 22) â€Å"When Ganelon, at the height of his rage, shouts at Roland†¦ ‘I do not love you,’†¦ It means: the bonds of loyalty are cut, we are enemies. † (SOR, 22) â€Å"Here we see as well the true Ganelon, the essential Ganelon – the man who, in his whole-hearted obedience to the law, subverts its intention and works the destruction of his community.For the effect of his brave departure is to sow the seeds of discord and to endanger the life of Charles’s greatest vassal. † (SOR, 22) City of man vs city of god â€Å"A new state is brought into being by the treason of Ganelon, which appears as a shadow-act of the great treason that inaugurated the salvation of the human race, and by the trial in which he is condemned. † (SOR, 25) Appearance of the state within the frame of the poem’s action comes about for this reason: when something can be betrayed, that is proof that it exists †¦ it can be betrayed because it is real and has the right to demand loyalty. † (SOR, 25) â€Å"France takes on a native character and reveals exactly what it is that pleases God: it is a state in which all men are bound in loyalty through their ultimate obligation to the King, a state whose unity and well-being drive from the subordination of all privileges, rights, and interests to the King chosen by God. (SOR, 27) â€Å"Since God foresaw all things and, hence, that man would sin, our conception of the supernatural City of God must be based what God foreknew and forewilled, and not o human fancies that could never come true, because it was not in God’s plan that they should. Not even by his sin could man change the counsels of God, in the sense of compelling Him to alter what He had once decided.The truth is that, by His omniscience, God could foresee two future realities: how bad man whom God had created good was to become, and how much good God was to make ou t of this very evil. (CD, 14. 11)† â€Å"Whoever seeks to be more than he is becomes less, and while he aspires to be self-sufficing he retires from Him who is truly sufficient for him†¦ there is a wickedness by which a man who is self-satisfied as if he were the light turns himself away from that true Light which, had man loved it, would have made him a sharer in the light. CD, 14. 11 p. 311)† â€Å"Two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self, the heavenly by love of God, even to the contempt of self. The former, in a word, glories in itself, the latter in the Lord. For the one seeks glory from men; but the greatest glory of the other is God, the witness of conscience. The one lifts up its head in its own glory; the other says to its God, ‘Thou art my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. ’ (CD, 14. 20)†

CARL ROGERS PERSON-CENTRED APPROACH

CARL ROGERS PERSON-CENTRED APPROACH Introduction Carl Rogers (1902-1987) a psychologist developed the person-centred approach theory mainly in relation to the therapist and the client and initially named it the client-centred approach. Rogers later referred to this theory as person-centred rather than patient-centred in order not to reduce the individual’s autonomy and consequently lend the client to difficulties. The approach therefore is to turn individuals (clients) into subjects of their own therapy. In his theory it was noted that individuals are endowed with the power of self actualization and through their own perception of resources inherent in them, they can provide remedy for change in their difficult situations, provided a facilitating environment exists This view as expressed by Rogers implied that every person has a tendency to grow and attain a certain level of actualization. He observed that in order to allow the client (person) asses his/her own wisdom and self defeating behaviours and also enga ge in therapeutic movement with the therapist, there must be a conducive climate. Three conditions were identified for this relationship to thrive favourably: Genuineness (Congruence), Empathy and Unconditional Positive Regard. GENUINENESS (Congruence) In this relationship the therapist is expected to show a real sense of genuine attitude towards the client’s feelings and thoughts, be willing and ever present to assist them in whatever situation they may be. He should be transparent and discourage the attitude of being the superior in the situation. This attitude would in turn retain a high sense of confidence in the client towards realization of him/herself in therapy. Any deviation from this attitude renders the process unworkable. UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD (Total Acceptance) According to Rogers, the therapist in this situation must show non-judgemental and total acceptance to the client’s feelings and his perceptive world as a whole to enhance his process of rec overy. This total acceptance of the client’s attitude and perception should be devoid of whatsoever differences that might exist between them either culturally or socially. However in doing so the therapist should ensure the safety and security of the client. EMPATHETIC UNDERSTANDING In his theory, showing empathy refers to the ability of the therapist to show positive sensitivity to the client’s world, his perception towards recovery and also communicate his feelings to the client. This will convey a special meaning to the client of his relationship with the therapist and consequently solidify their mutual relationship towards the expected therapeutic movement. Rogers continue to state that any deviation from these attitudes on the part of the therapist makes it difficult for the process to continue. This empathetic attitude is more exhibited by therapists who are more confident about their own identity and can cope with other person’s world without any fear. P ERSON-CENTREDNESS AS A CONCEPT Person-centeredness a concept in health care delivery has poor and conflicting definitions over the years and is considered one of the best ways of health care delivery in which patients are valued as individuals (Winfield et al. 1996). It has further been observed by

Women in Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Women in Engineering - Essay Example The first six clippings are analyzed in detail whereas the rest of them are summed up into an aggregate account in the end. The analysis throws light on the overall perspective which is affecting the economy of the US nation as a whole. FIRST CLIPPING â€Å"Women who leave engineering jobs after obtaining the necessary degree are significantly more likely to leave the field because of an uncomfortable work climate than because of family reasons, according to a study being undertaken at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM).† (Science Daily, 2008) The above mentioned news clipping revolves around the most current problem that is being faced by women engineers nowadays. The overall ethical structure of the society and more importantly that of a workplace has deteriorated so very much that day by day it is becoming increasingly difficult for the fairer sex to take advantage of it. The above mentioned current problem is very moral negating. ... The above research was the outcome of a latest study conducted in Milwaukee using about half a million grant by the National Science Foundation. The study was based on an online survey. Around 3700 women who had done their engineering degree from over 230 countries participated in the survey. Among the four type of respondents women who never entered their practical engineering field constituted a considerable part. THIRD CLIPPING â€Å"As the need for engineering professionals grows, educators and industry leaders are increasingly concerned with how to attract women to a traditional male career. A new University of Missouri study found the impact of the engineering curriculum and obstacles, including self-efficacy and feelings of inclusion, can impede women’s success in the predominantly male discipline of engineering.† (Science Daily, 2008) Engineering is a predominantly male discipline. The structural difficulties and obstacles encountered by students pursuing this c areer needs to be taken into account when realizing the reasons behind its being predominantly male. Engineering is mainly a tough field. The excessive hours spent in it along with the harsh conditions involved in the practical environment of engineering are not apart from the difficulties that are faced by engineering students during their studies. Rigid mathematical calculations involving calculus are just a few of the obstacles that the engineering curriculum involves. This scenario is making it troublesome for industrialists because lesser and lesser women are entering the field of engineering day by day. The need of the day is that steps should be taken that would persuade women and would convince them

Price Waterhouse Coopers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Price Waterhouse Coopers - Essay Example It is also the perspective that individuals view their organization and its environment (Baligh 7-10). The objectives of the organization determine the different ways in which an organization can be structured (Fenez 4-6). PwC organization structure is structured in a way to determine the mode in which it operates and performs. Its organization structure lets this enormous company to express the allocation of the responsibilities for different functions and processes to different entities, which involve the branch,  department,  workgroup,  and individual (Fenez 4). The following structures show the organization structure of the company depending with country. ... erience Senior partner China & Hong Kong Senior partner Germany Senior partner United Kingdom Senior partner United States Director Technology Although success has prevailed failure in PWC, the company has in several occasions been on the lime light for its actions. For instance in 1990, Internal Revenue Service seized most of the assets of Willie Nelson who they claimed that he owned $32 million in back taxes. However, this was not the case since these were disallowable by IRS and on suing PWC Willie got a fat sum for damages. Nevertheless, PWC is one firm that provides services to like Academy of Motion Pictures arts and Sciences, which makes it the tabulator and certifier of votes for the Academy awards since 1934. An article Over Cutting Corporation Tax Rate by BBC, on 8 August 2011, quotes the PwC Company explaining the various implications of cutting Scotland’s rate of corporation tax being highly complex. The article features PwC Company giving the advisory role to the government and the entities involved. In this article, the company examines the various effects of cuts in Northern Ireland where a new rate of just 12.5% was proposed (BBC News). The comments by PwC followed similar comments echoed by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which argued that matching Northern Ireland's proposals could cost Scottish taxpayers about ?2.6bn a year a claim that was dismissed by the Scottish government. PwC mission statements and ideas were well communicated. The role communicated in this case was to give a sense of direction on where the country was headed to after it adjusted its corporation tax. The mission of the PwC Company is to provide intellectual expertise to the various agencies and individuals who need it (BBC News). In a second article by BBC News Company dated

COURSEWORK 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

COURSEWORK 2 - Assignment Example Owner-occupied housing includes property that is owned by private entities and have those private owners as the occupiers of the housing. Of the total number of households in the United Kingdom in the year 2010, about 17.8 million were households that were properties occupied by their owners, the biggest slice of the pie in comparison to privately rented households, households rented by the local authorities, and the households that are managed by the housing associations. The rise in owner-occupied housing is reflected in the fact that those figures for this categories represent about 65.5 percent of all households in the UK, up from about 70 percent in the initial part of the current century. This figure represents an elevation from the average percentage of owner-occupied housing for all of the European Union. These figures are reflected in the chart below (Economics Online 2013). Graph Source: Economics Online 2013 On the other hand we get a glimpse of the total picture of the ho using market in the UK at present from several proxy indicators of health, including for instance the affordability of housing relative to the income or earnings of UK workers. This latter figure is a representation of the potential demand for housing, where for instance higher ratios of house prices to worker earnings translate to lower affordability owing to the reduced capacity of workers to purchase homes, and therefore lowered demand, and lowered ratios conversely translating to higher demand owing to the increased capacity of workers to purchase houses, all other things being equal. Of course in reality there are other factors that impinge on the ability of workers to purchase houses, such as the availability and affordability of credit to finance the housing purchases. That said, and more into that later, the following is a chart of the house prices to worker earnings ratios in the United Kingdom from 2002 to 2012 (Riley 2012): Graph Source: Riley 2012 In the plot above, we s ee that the prices to earnings ratios for property in the UK spiked from 2005 to its peak towards the end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007, before sharply declining from that point to 2009, where prices to earnings have been in the doldrums. On the one hand we see that the ratios should indicate a higher uptick in ownership from the lowered ratios, but we also get from the literature that the financial crisis in 2007 and the continued weakness in the UK economy from that time all the way to the present has generally resulted in a subdued interest in housing purchases in the country. Those two factors together has kept access to credit difficult, for one, while a generally depressed economy has affected consumer sentiment negatively (Riley 2013; Thomson and Bryan-Low 2013; BBC 2013; Ranscombe 2013). Graph Source: BBC News Following up on the last line of though, in the plot above, we see that the economy has not been doing well as of the past several years, contracting for five stra ight quarters on the tail of the severe financial crisis in 2007 and 2008, and barely avoiding a triple-dip recession in the most recent quarter. This general state of affairs has a heavy bearing on the supply and demand dynamics for owner-occupied property in the United Kingdom, as this paper will demonstrate in greater detail. Taking a step back, we see

Coffee Crave Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Coffee Crave - Essay Example Coffee is also related to exotic places in the minds of the Western consumers. The coffee-house at the end of the seventeenth century, but mostly from the eighteenth century up to this day, played a very prominent role in providing a public space for commerce and culture. Since its beginning it was a place for the middle class where business transactions were made and public discourse found its way of expression. We have the case of Lloyd's Coffee-House, that later gave birth to Lloyd's News, and in the present it has the well-known institution Lloyd's of London. It all started as a coffee-house. Commerce and news mixed together in this coffee-house and the journalistic business was the logical product. Missionaries and capitalists in the West loved coffee since its early history as this stimulating drink goes hand in hand with the protestant and capitalist spirit of discipline, self-control and sobriety. Coffee was thus contrasted to ale, which was considered to be a rude and corpulent drink. A very important factor that drives the apparently insatiable craving for coffee in European and North American s... The coffee break gives cohesion in the workplace. It is a time to recover the energies that coffee can provide, so in an industrious society like the capitalist's environment coffee brings new meaning of productivity into life. As such coffee is a valued commodity in the workplace. B.- The transformations of the physical landscape and the organization of production in coffee-supplier countries like Tanzania have being instituted along the years as a way of constructing values and meanings in an interaction between two roles as consumers and producers. In Haya, located in the region of Kagera, Tanzania, this dialectic relationship in its communities has its source of origin at the beginning of the twentieth century when the arabica variety of coffee was introduced by the missionaries. The arabica coffee is much more valued than the robusta coffee, which was being produced earlier in Haya. Since the beginning of the twentieth century the coffee exports from Haya have been on a steady rise. The major source of income is generated by the production of coffee. After the 1920s an extreme class division has been established in Haya. This has been a consequence of shifting from the colonial to the post-colonial times in Tanzania. African Socialism has a system of co-operatives and all the coffee producers are supposed to sell their harvests through this system, which is very slow and sometimes people don't get paid. So there is a black market going parallel to the state's co-operatives. Traders or marketers buy the crop in advance to needy farmers in an illegal transaction that is very common in the region. In the 1980s the traders or marketers in this black market were

Ethical Obligations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethical Obligations - Essay Example Rather, humans are able to determine courses of action which will benefit the sum whole of humanity and to perform those behaviors which, in their assessment, create the greatest general good regardless of the personal good created. The tendency of humans to perform these actions is called benevolence. Finally, there exists a third motivating factor, which must be taken into account to form a proper moral theory; this third factor will be called obligation. Obligation is the result of the social nature of humans. Suffice to say, for now, that obligations are the motivations to perform actions which result from explicit promises regarding what behavior one will engage in. Obligations have been a key aspect of many influential moral theories. Several great philosophers have heavily relied on the concept of obligations in their moral theories. Perhaps most notably are the ideas of contracts or covenants in Hobbes' Leviathan and Hume's discussion of promises in Of the Obligation of Promises. Both of these philosophers, as well as many others, have developed theories in such a way so as to incorporate obligations, though they often refer to them by another nomenclature, into them. Hobbes relies heavy on obligations, or covenants as he refers to them. According to Hobbes humans in the state of nature realize that it is in their best interest to each relinquish rights to others so as to establish some social order to escape from the aforementioned state of nature. These relinquishments of rights by an individual to another individual or to the group as a whole are covenants. Hobbes asserts that these covenants are brought about by two principles he claims to be laws of nature: "[t]hat every man, ought to endeavor Peace, as far as he has hope of obtaining it; and when he cannot obtain it, that he may seek, and use, all helps, and advantages of War," and, "[t]hat a man be willing, when others are so too, as far-forth, as for Peace, and defense of himself he shall think it necessary, to lay down this right to all things; and be contented with so much liberty against other men, as he would allow other men against himself." It follows, then, that in so far as one en tering a covenant will foster peace and the person with whom one is entering the covenant is equally willing to relinquish rights the covenant existence of covenants is dictated by the laws of nature. It is from these covenants that Hobbes seems to believe obligation arise. Hobbes has the following to say concerning the obligation created by entering a covenant: "he that is to perform in time to come, being trusted, his performance is called Keeping Of Promise, or Faith; and the failing of performance (if it be voluntary) Violation Of Faith." It is clear that Hobbes believes that entering into these covenants does in fact create an obligation and that one should endeavor to fulfill one's obligations. (Wilson, 2003) Hobbes puts such importance on the concept of obligation that he offers the creation and fulfillment of obligations as the only way to escape from the nearly unbearable state that is his conception of the state of nature. Despite his being on the right track in placing such importance on

The Importance of Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Importance of Critical Thinking - Essay Example University students should use critical thinking in their reading, research, and their writing. Critical reading forces the student to think about the author's intentions and the meaning hidden behind the words. University readings require more than simply repeating facts or plots. It requires the student to use critical thinking to "...not only understand what they have read or been shown but also to build upon that knowledge without incremental guidance" (Why Teach Critical Thinking n.d.). Critical thinking allows the reader to question the writer's thesis or examine their facts. The information gained will be built upon during a lifetime of learning. Critical thinking is mandatory when a university student is conducting research. Critical research demands that the student not only consider the source, but also the author's sources. Their own research must be viewed with a critical eye as to methodology and problematic areas. Glicken (2004, p. 43) argues that "One of the key elements of the scientific approach is a willingness to critically evaluate and test knowledge and theories". This will help eliminate errors and biases. Limitations and irregularities should be noted when reading research. Critical thinking will also help determine if the research is unbiased or if the author had an agenda.

Disability in the Workplace Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Disability in the Workplace - Research Paper Example People living with disabilities have been cited as the most disadvantaged in employment and this paper focuses on discrimination against people with disabilities in the workplace. The legislation against this form of discrimination, particularly the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA would be evaluated and compared to its revised version referred to as the ADA Amendments Act, ADAAA which sought to clarify contentious issues in its predecessor. Treatment of people unfairly in particular respects amounts to discrimination and would happen because of people’s prejudiced or stereotypical beliefs about other persons based on their attributes or personal characteristics. Chou and Choi further define workplace discrimination as the variation in treatment pegged on an individual’s characteristics â€Å"which impairs or nulliï ¬ es fairness of treatment or opportunity in the workplace† (1052). Repa (253) gives examples of illegal discrimination as discriminations based on race, skin color, religious beliefs and nationality. Robin (2) points out at sexual harassment as a rampant form of discrimination especially in workplaces. Other recent forms of discrimination considered to be illegal include discrimination based on one’s HIV/AIDS status, pregnancy, being divorced, lesbian or gay. Some other forms of workplace discrimination prohibited by the Americans with Disabilities Act include discrimination ba sed on mental or physical disability, job applicant’s present and past medical conditions and creation of worksites that pose physical barriers to movement of the physically handicapped (Goodman-Delahunty & Foote 27). Treating everyone equally also amounts to discrimination. However, there are exemptions for discrimination such that they do not amount to being illegal, but only if for a specific purpose. These exemptions allow for employers to recruit from a particular race, sex or age when these

Essay over the electoral college Essay Example for Free

Essay over the electoral college Essay In the United States today, we use the Electoral College to decide who is going to be the next president. The presidency is not necessarily won by popular vote. The founding fathers opted for the Electoral College, because they were afraid of the masses. They wanted the president to be chosen by those who are qualified, well informed, and have the ability to chose a president more efficiently then the so called mob. Although I believe the Electoral College needs many changes, it is necessary in order to have a successful government that is fair. Thee main argument against the Electoral College is that the presidency should be won by popular vote alone. It shouldnt be that one candidate could win the popular vote, but lose the election. At first I completely agreed with this, because we do live in a democracy, and I believe that a democracy is a government for the people by the people. This would mean that the mass population decides who is the president, not a hand picked group of men to vote on who they wish, because they do not always have to vote on the candidate in which the state has voted the majority on. Although the Electoral College may take away the presidency from the candidate that won the majority vote, it evens things out across the nation. The Electoral College is necessary to make every state important in the voting process. If you did not have the Electoral College, those who were running for office would only campaign in the major states, that way they could get the majority of the population. For example the candidate would advertise and campaign in New York, especially New York City, because there is such a vast amount of people who live there, so he would try to assure that he had the votes for this city, and majority of the state, and would not have to worry about Montana. They candidate would then not go to smaller less populated states like Montana, South or North Dakota. He would not worry about the states or cities that had little populations, because are all he needs to worry about is that the majority of the people in the United States vote for him. It would be much easier to win an election by getting more people in more populated cities to vote, and not worrying about the little populations. This in fact takes away from the idea of a democracy, because it conveys the message that the only thing a presidential candidate  needs to worry about is getting the majority of the votes, and this does not have to be all over the nation, because there are parts of the nation that the population well exceeds other parts. The founding fathers developed the electoral college because they were afraid of what the government would be like if the masses were allowed to determine who they wanted in office. They were aware that it would turn into a popularity thing, and that is not what was needed in order to run a government efficiently. Although the population must have a say in the government, there has to be some form of control, and that was the basis of the Electoral College. I think that in order for the Electoral College to be successful, and to function properly, there has to be some major changes to it. The biggest change needs to be the fact that the electors themselves need to be abolished. I think that it should be set up to where the popular vote in the state decides whom the electoral votes from the state go. The majority of the time this is what happens, but it does not have to. If an elector wanted to vote for someone other then that the state allotted popular vote to, they very well could. I do not think that it should be allowed, because by doing that it takes the democracy out of the government, because it is never a certain thing that the populace wish will be carried out. If you want to go even farther you could break it down into districts with in the state. Each district gets one Electoral College vote, and the vote goes to the candidate in which has the majority of that district. The Electoral College is definitely needed in this country in order for the election process to be fair to all states and thus to all constituents. Although winning by popular votes sounds like the way to go in a democracy, it is not. If that were the case then there would be no equality among states, and the fact that everybody matters in a democracy would not be. There would be very little concentration on other small or less populated states, because you could win the election without them.

Nonlinear Generalized Companding Transform

Nonlinear Generalized Companding Transform Nonlinear Generalized Companding Transform for  Peak-to-Average Power Ratio Reduction in OFDM Eashendra Singh Abstract  Ã¢â‚¬â€ One of the main drawback of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) system is its high Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR) of the OFDM signal. In this paper a novel non-linear generalized companding scheme called â€Å"Quadrilateral Companding Transform (QCT)† has been proposed to reduce the PAPR of OFDM signal. The proposed method provides additional degrees of freedom in comparison to existing trapezoidal companding, exponential companding and trapezium distribution based companding schemes. This allows more flexibility in designing the companding function, which is useful for the overall OFDM system to achieve low BER with good PAPR reduction capability. Keywords   Complementary cumulative distribution function  (CCDF), peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), bit error rate (BER). INTRODUCTION The modern day phenomenon of increased thirst for more information and the explosive growth of new multimedia wireless applications have resulted in an increased demand for technologies that support very high speed transmission rates, mobility and efficiently utilize the available spectrum and network resources. OFDM is one of the best solutions to achieve this goal and it offers a promising choice for future high speed data rate systems [1], [2]. OFDM has been standardized as part of the IEEE 802.11a and IEEE 802.11g for high bit rate data transmission over wireless LANs [3]. It is incorporated in other applications and standards such as digital audio broadcasting (DAB), digital video broadcasting (DVB), the European HIPERLAN/2 and the Japanese multimedia mobile access communications (MMAC) [4], [5]. However, a major drawback of FDM systems is the high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of the transmitted signals, resulting in the lower power efficiency, serious signal distortion an d out-of-band radiation when the high power amplifier (HPA) is utilized. Many companding schemes [17]-[23] have been proposed in the literature to reduce the PAPR of OFDM signal. The conventional ÃŽ ¼ law and A-law companding schemes can be used for PAPR reduction, by choosing the suitable value of the parameters ÃŽ ¼ or A, controlling the nonlinearity of the ÃŽ ¼ -law [17] or A -law companding function respectively. But the error performance of both the schemes degrades as both of them introduce high companding distortion in OFDM signal at higher values of ÃŽ ¼ or A. A nonlinear companding transform [18] has been proposed by Jiang et al. to effectively reduce the PAPR of the OFDM signal. In this scheme [18], the Gaussian distributed in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) components of discrete time complex OFDM signal are transformed into a quasi-uniform distribution. In this scheme, the companding function is separately applied to I and Q components of the OFDM signal. The large values of I or Q components of the OFDM signal are compressed, whereas thos e with small I and Q components are enlarged. The PAPR reduction capability and BER performance of this scheme [18], can be optimized by properly choosing the parameters of the companding function. Jiang et al. proposed â€Å"Exponential Companding (EC)† scheme [19] to transform Rayleigh distributed OFDM signal magnitude into uniform distribution. Exponential companding has the advantage of maintaining the constant average power level in the nonlinear companding operation. However, the distribution of large signals is increased by the uniform companding, which makes the PAPR reduction was very limited under the bit error rate (BER) performance degradation. In this paper proposed technique transform the Rayleigh distributed OFDM signal magnitude into Quadrilateral distribution function as shown in figure 2 to achieve an additional degree of freedom over TC [22]. The parameters of quadrilateral distribution are chosen in such a way that it produces least possible companding dis tortion to achieve low BER for a given PAPR. The remainder of this paper is organized as follows: In section II, the OFDM system model with quadrilateral companding. The proposed quadrilateral companding and decompanding functions are derived in section III. Mathematical analysis of the PAPR performance of proposed scheme is presented in section IV, simulation results for PAPR performances of the proposed scheme are presented and discussed in the same section and conclusion is summarized in section V. SYSTEM MODEL The block diagram of an OFDM system using companding scheme for PAPR reduction is shown in Fig. 1. Here, I have considered an OFDM system with N subcarriers, in which each of the subcarrier is each of the subcarrier is modulated by M-PSK or M-QAM. As shown in Figure 1.The input binary data sequence is first converted into N parallel data substreams and then these are mapped to the constellation points of M- PSK or M-QAM to achieve desired modulation on each of the subcarriers. After this, subcarrier modulation is performed using IFFT block to obtain the discrete time domain OFDM signal. Let be the N complex modulated data symbols to be transmitted over N subcarriers. The discrete time domain OFDM signal generated after taking IFFT of a block of N modulated data symbols. Discrete time domain OFDM signal is passed through the parallel to serial (S/P) converter and then applied to the compander for reducing the dynamic range or PAPR of the OFDM signal. The companded OFDM signal is appl ied to digital to analog (D/A) converter to get analog signal and then finally amplified using HPA. At the receiver, the received signal is first converted into digital signal using A/D converter. Data in Data out Figure 1. Block diagram of OFDM with companding The digital signal is then expanded by inverse companding function known as decomapnding function. After that subcarrier demodulation is performed by taking the FFT of OFDM signal obtained from expander. Finally, M-PSK or M-QAM decoder is used to decode the received data signal.      PROPOSED COMPANDING TECHNIQUE The quadrilateral companding function h(x) is a nonlinear companding function. It transforms the original probability distribution function of OFDM signal magnitude into a quadrilateral distribution as shown in Figure 2, and hence the name â€Å"Quadrilateral Companding Transform†.This may also be called nonlinear generalized companding transform. Figure 2. Quadrilateral distribution for proposed QCT The symbols notation used throughout this paper are listed in Table 1 for convenience. Table 1: List of symbols used in QCT kth modulated data symbol nth sample of discrete time domain OFDM Signal PDF of original OFDM signal (without companding) CDF of original OFDM signal (without companding) PDF of OFDM signal after companding CDF of OFDM signal after companding Upper-bound of the peak value of OFDM signal Quadrilateral Companding function Quadrilateral Decompanding function The pdf of quadrilateral trapezium distribution can be read from Figure 2 as where h1 , h2, l, a and b are the parameters of quadrilateral distribution as shown in the Figure 2.These parameters (h1 , h2, l, a and b) control the nonlinearity of the companding functions. The cumulative distribution function (CDF) of quadrilateral distribution function can be calculated using the following relationship (2) Using (1) and (2) we have Quadrilateral distribution function is bounded in the interval [0,l]. Like EC, TC and TDBC, in this scheme also average power of the OFDM signal before and after companding is kept same, therefore we have (3) As shown in Figure 2, the PDF of quadrilateral trapezium companded OFDM signal lies in the interval [0,l] , therefore, we have, (4) For given values of l, a and b, the parameters ( h1 , h2 ) of the companding function h(x) can be easily calculated using (3) and (4). Therefore, three parameters (l, a and b ) can be chosen independently to control the nonlinearity of companding function h(x) . Hence the proposed QCT has three degree of freedoms. The values of l, a and b should be chosen independently to provide low PAPR and BER. The expression of QCT function h(x) can be derived after equating the CDF of original and companded OFDM signal. Therefore, we have Where is the CDF of original OFDM signal given by following: (5) Therefore we have The output of the N-point Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) of are the OFDM signal sample over one symbol interval, or mathematically, Where E [.] denotes the expectation operator. PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS In [22], the PAPR and BER performance of TC has been evaluated for (a = 0.4,b = 0.1 and l = 1.633) , (a = 0.2,b = 0.7 and l = 2.164) , (a = 0,b = 0 and l = 1.732) , (a = 0.9, b = 0.1 and l = 1.488) and (a = 0,b = 1 and l = 2.449) , here we refer to them as ‘TC-1’, ‘TC-2’, ‘EC’, ‘TC-3’ and ‘TC-4’ respectively. In [22], it has been shown that TC-3 provides the best PAPR reduction capability among all the cases under consideration, but its BER performance is very poor, on the other extreme TC-4 provides very less PAPR reduction. Therefore, we ignore these two cases (TC-3 and TC-4) and the remaining three cases i.e. (TC-1, TC-2 and EC), which offer reasonable PAPR are considered in my simulations for comparison with the proposed scheme. To show the outperformance of the proposed scheme (QCT), the PAPR and BER performances are evaluated for two sets of companding function parameters i.e. (a = 0.2,b = 0.7,l = 2.174, h1 = 0.8596 and h2 = 0.8275) and (a = 0.4,b = 0.1,l = 1.643, h1 = 0.8276 and h2 = 0.7874) . Here, we call them as ‘QCT-1’ and ‘QCT-2’. Figure 3. PAPR performance comparision of original and companded signal Figure 4. BER performance comparison of various  companding schemes CONCLUSION The QCT provides extra degrees of freedom to design the companding function and hence by choosing the suitable values of design parameters of the proposed companding function, a good trade-off between the PAPR reduction and the BER can be achieved. The proposed QCT provides better PAPR reduction and BER performance in comparison to TC, EC and TDBC. QCT can achieve a minimum PAPR of 0dB, whereas TC and EC can achieve a minimum PAPR of 3dB and 4.771dB respectively. QCT-2 has superior PAPR performance in comparison to QCT-1 but its BER performance is inferior in comparison to QCT-1. References L. J. Cimini, â€Å"Analysis and simulation of a digital mobile channel using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing,† IEEE Trans. Comm., vol. 33, no. 7, pp. 665–675, July 1985. J. Bingham, â€Å"Multicarrier modulation for data transmission: an idea whose time has come,† IEEE Commun. Mag., vol. 28, no. 5, pp. 5–14, May 1990. M. Schwartz, Mobile Wireless Communications. Cambridge University Press, 2005. V. Nee, G. Awater, M. Morikura, H. Takanashi, M. Webster, and K. W. Halford, â€Å"New high-rate wireless LAN standards,† IEEE Commun. Mag., vol. 37, no. 12, pp. 82–88, December 1999. I. Koffman and V. Roman, â€Å"Broadband wireless access solution based on OFDM access in IEEE 802.16,† IEEE Commun. Mag., vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 96–103, April 2002. Van Nee R., Prasad R., OFDM for wireless Multimedia Communications, Artech House, 2003. Weinstein S. B., Ebert P. M., â€Å"Data Transmission for Frequency-Division Multiplexing Using the Discrete Fourier Transform,† IEEE Transactions on Commun. Tech., vol. 19,no. 5, pp. 628–34, Oct. 1971 Chang R. W., â€Å"Synthesis of band-limited orthogonal signals for multichannel datatransmission†, Bell Systems Technical Journal, vol. 46, pp. 1775-1796, Dec. 1966. Despain A. M., â€Å"Very Fast Fourier Transform Algorithms Hardware for Implementation†, IEEE Trans. Comp., Vol. C-28, no. 5, pp. 333-341, May 1979. Bidet E., Castelain D., Joanblanq C., Senn P., â€Å"A fast single-chip implementation of 8192 complex point FFT†, IEEE Journal of Solid State Circ., Vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 300-305,Mar. 1995. Chow P.S., Tu J.C. and Cioffi J.M., â€Å"Performance Evaluation of a Multichannel Transceiver System for ADSL and VHDSL services, IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Comm., vol. 9,no. 6, Aug. 1991. R. V. Nee and A. D. Wild, â€Å"Reducing the peak-to-average power ratio of OFDM,† in Proc. IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC), vol. 3, New York, NY, USA, 1998, pp. 2072–2076. Tao Jiang and Yiyan Wu, â€Å"An Overview: Peak-to-average power ratio reduction techniques for OFDM signals†, IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting, vol. 54, no. 2, pp. 257–268, June 2008. O’Neill R., Lopes L. B., â€Å"Envelope variations and spectral splatter in clipped multicarrier signals,† in Proc. IEEE PIMRC’95, Toronto, Canada, pp. 71–75, Sept. 1995. Li X., Cimini Jr. L.J., â€Å"Effect of Clipping and Filtering on Performance of OFDM†, IEEE Comm. Letters, vol. 2, no. 5, pp.131-133, July 1998. Armstrong J., â€Å"Peak-to-average power reduction for OFDM by repeated clipping and frequencydomain filtering†, Electronics Letters, vol. 38, no. 5, pp. 246–247, Feb. 2002. Chen H., Haimmovich A. M., â€Å"Iterative estimation and cancellation of clipping noise for OFDM signals,† IEEE Comm. Letters, vol. 7, no. 5, pp.246-247, July 2003. Jiang T., Xiang W., Richardson P. C., Qu D., Zhu G., â€Å"On the Nonlinear Companding Transform for Reduction in PAPR of MCM Signals†, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, vol. 6, no. 6, pp.2017-2021, June 2007. Jiang T., Yang Y., Song Y., â€Å"Exponential companding transform for PAPR reduction in OFDM systems†, IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting, vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 244–248, June 2005. Huang X., Lu J. H., Zheng J. L., Letaief K. B., Gu J., â€Å"Companding transform for reduction inpeak-to-average power ratio of OFDM signals†, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Comm., vol. 3, no. 6, pp. 2030–2039, Nov. 2004. Aburakhia S. A., Badran E. F., Mohamed D. A. E., â€Å"Linear Companding Transform for the Reduction of Peak-to-Average Power Ratio of OFDM Signals†, IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting, vol. 55, no. 1, pp. 195-200, March 2009. Hou J., Ge J. H., Li J., â€Å"Trapezoidal companding scheme for peak-to-average power ratio reduction of OFDM signals†, Electronics Letters, vol. 45, no. 25, pp. 1349-1351, Dec. 2009. Jeng S. S., Chen J. M., â€Å"Efficient PAPR reduction in OFDM system based on a companding techniques with trapezium distribution†, IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting, vol. 57, no. 2, pp. 291-298, June 2011. T. Hwang, C. Yang, G. Wu, S. Li, and G. Y. Lee, â€Å"OFDM and its wireless application: A survey,† IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., vol. 58, no. 4, pp. 1673–1694, May 2009. Y. Wang and B. Ai, â€Å"PAPR reduction in OFDM systems via nonlinear companding transform†, in 8th International Conference on Wireless Communications, Networking and Mobile Computing (WiCOM), pp. 172-175, Sept. 2012.

The benefits and weaknesses of approaches

The benefits and weaknesses of approaches This report is to assess the benefits and weaknesses of prescriptive and emergent approaches for devising strategy in modern organisations. While these two approaches are seen to be mutually exclusive ways of achieving strategic management, it is argued that strategic management, as a discipline, is often replete with fads and fashions, which create difficulties for managers in knowing how to proceed in the affairs of their organisation. To begin with, Johnson and Scholes (1999) defined strategy as the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term which achieves advantage for the organisation through its configuration of resources within a changing environment to meet the needs of markets and to fulfil stakeholder expectations. Rollinson (2008) further stated that strategies are strongly influenced by the environment of an organisation. It is suggested that the strategies also include considerations about things internal to the organisation and involve choices about structure, technology and a host of other factors. It is recommended (Johnson and Scholes, 1999; Lynch, 2009) that the two named approaches must be examined under the increasingly dynamic, highly competitive and global business environment. External forces are driving organisations to reduce costs, enhance processes and identify new opportunities for growth. Many businesses are compelled to make dramatic improvements not only to compete and prosper but also merely to survive. This brings to the fore the importance of determining how effectively the prescriptive and emergent approaches can meet the needs of current businesses when formulating strategy. Moreover, it is always debating that whether competitive advantage stems primarily from the competitive position of the business in its industry or from business-specific core competencies (Evans et al, 2003). By these contexts, further evaluations of the two named approaches are developed in the following report. Prescriptive approach According to Lynch (2009), a prescriptive strategy is one where the objective has been defined in advance and the main elements have been developed before the strategy commences. Evans et al. (2007) considered that the prescriptive approach views the formulation and implementation of strategic management as a logical, rational and systematic process. That is to say, systematic planning makes it possible to organise complex activities and information, unite business objectives, set targets against which performance can be evaluated and generally increases the degree of control which can be exercised over the operation of the business (Evans et al., 2003). The prescriptive approach is similar to the military strategy. For instance, the early Chinese military historical writings of Sun Tzu The Art of War, which is widely studied by many organisations, parties and groups in different fields around the world. It is known (Beirne and Maynard, 2005) that The Art of War has had an influence on Eastern and even Western military thinking, business tactics, and beyond, such as Napoleon, Henry Kissinger, Lee Iacocca, basketball coach Pat Riley, and lawyer Gerry Spence, some leading persons in their knowledge fields, along with other hundreds of American businessmen, litigators, marketers, and PR professionals. Two millennium ago, Sun Tzu (G riffith, 1971) suggested that the importance of positioning in strategy and that position is affected both by objective conditions in the physical environment and the subjective opinions of competitive actors in that environment. He considered that strategy was not planning in the sense of working through an established list, but rather that it requires quick and appropriate responses to changing conditions. Planning works in a controlled environment, but in a changing environment, competing plans collide, creating unexpected situations. Sun Tzu (Griffith, 1971) stated: Know the other and know yourself: Triumph without peril. Know Nature and the Situation: Triumph completely. The key strategic principles suggested by Lynch (2009) in modern days are: Prescriptive strategy begins with an analysis of the competitive environment and the competitive resources of the organisation. The purpose or objective of the strategy is then identified. The objective may be adjusted if the environment or other circumstances change. To test for prescriptive strategy, it is useful to examine whether a clearly defined, main objective has been identified. The advantages of the prescriptive process include the overview it provides; the comparison with objectives; the summary of the demands made on resources; the picture of the choices to be made; and the ability to monitor what has been agreed. The tools and techniques that apply to prescriptive approach are the Porters Five Forces and Value Chain Analysis. Porters Five Forces are for analysing industry and Value Chain Analysis highlights the existing capabilities as a solid basis for competitive advantage (Johnson and Scholes, 1999). Porters Five Forces Model is based upon his theory that the intensity of competition among firms varies widely across industries (David, 2006). As shown in Figure 1, the Five Forces Model Figure 1, Porters Five Forces Model illustrates the nature of competitiveness in a given industry as a composite of the rivalry among competing firms, the potential entry of new competitors, the potential development of substitute products, the bargaining power of suppliers and the bargaining power of customers. The Five Forces Model of competitive analysis is widely used approach for developing strategies in many industries, however, the model has been criticised for its assumption of a perfect competitive market (Aaker, 1992; Winfield, et al., 2004; Lynch, 2009). Winfield and other writers (2004) further pointed out that the analysis has ignored the human resource aspect of strategy such as the management skills and the culture aspect of corporate strategy. Besides Five Forces Model, the other prescriptive approach tool Value Chain analysis provides an Figure 2. Value Chain Analysis in-depth understanding of the way in which resources are developed to achieve competitive advantage for identifying ways to create more customer value (Winfiled et al., 2004; Saunders et al., 2008). Figure 2 illustrates the basic idea of Value Chain Analysis and it suggests that activities must be examined separately in order to identify sources of competitive advantage (Winfield, et al., 2004). By adapting this analysis, Nestlà © (2010), one of the leading nutrition and foods companies in the world, recognised each step in the value chain could have harmful consequences if not managed properly. For example, without sustainable agricultural practices the natural resources of farms worldwide might be damaged. By embedding corporate responsibility in its business practices in this way, like launching Nestlà © Corporate Business Principles, which the company claimed that they will continue to evolve and adapt to a changing world and reflects the basic ideas of fairness, honesty, and a general concern for people (Nestlà ©, 2010), Nestlà © is able to contribute positively to societies across the globe. Saunders and other writers (2008) emphasised Value Chain Analysis for its role in understanding competitive advantage and stated out that it cannot be understood by looking at an organisation as a whole, which leads to the major problem towards this analysis. Lynch (2009) argued that Value Chain seems works only to explore existing linkages and value-added areas within the existing structure of the business. Hamel and Prahalad (1996) supported the argument and suggested that revolution in management sector is required rather than to create the future. Ansoff is one of theorists that frequently referred to by strategists, especially in the context of prescriptive approach. Ansoff (Baker, 2001) believes that it is essential to systematically anticipate future environmental challenges to an organisation in developing strategy and draw up appropriate strategic plans for responding to these challenges. The thought is the logical analytical approach allows those well-planning companies to devise predictive and pre-emptive strategies from which they can meet new opportunities head on. For instance, in 1995 EasyJet introduced low cost flights to take advantage of a more cost-conscious European Market (easyJet, 2010). What is more, prescriptive approach enables companies to organise complex activities and exercise in control over different business units in a greater degree. For example, Tesco has seceded in achieving consistent growth and profit in its UK core business, retail service, non-food and international sectors over recent years (Accountancy Age, 2006). It was reported that its breathtaking performance is as a result of its well defined long-term goals and clear boundaries for all their business activities. Ansoff (Baker, 2001) suggests that a firm needs direction and focus in its search for and creation of opportunities and the fact that it is to the advantage of the firm to seek entries with strong synergistic potential. In other words, strategy is emphasised on existing capability strengths to define itself and optimise its position, especially at a time of economic turbulence. For example, Motorola has successfully met the needs of emerging markets by using its fundamental technological strengths in electronic components to progress from supplying TVs and car radios to offering telecommunications services (Rich, 2006). However, the prescriptive approach is often criticised to be highly discrepant between planned and real strategies within the business environment which there are increasing turbulence and chaos (Evans et al., 2003). As some writers believe that rigid plans prevent the flexibility which is required in an environment volatile change (Karami, 2007). Although Tesco is running outstanding, it won the sponsorship to England football team during the World Cup 2010 as the official food supplier (The Guardian, 2010), yet the finance and strategy director of Tesco Higginson (Accountancy Age, 2006) claimed that rules-based approaches the one-size-fits-all mentality is not always appropriate. Mintzberg (2000) criticised the prescriptive approach by highlighting that the actual strategy tends to be only 10 to 30 percent of the planned strategy. He pointed out that the theories of Ansoff are mostly based upon events can be predicted, such as the introduction of new legal regulations or technologi es, and this would somehow force the original strategy off its course. Emergent approach Evans et al. (2003) believed that the emergent view of strategy adopts the position that strategy must be evolved incrementally over time, which is based in rapidly changing environments. It is demonstrated that under such circumstances, strategy will tend to evolve as a result of the interaction between stakeholder groups and between the business and its environment. Emergent approach has the advantage of increased organisational flexibility. It can form a basis in organisational learning and can provide an internal culture for managers to think and act creatively rather than have to act within the rigid framework of deliberate strategy. Goldschmidt and other writers (2003) characterised emergent approach as a learning by do process. Mintzberg (2000) defined strategy as a pattern and believes that strategies can be unplanned instead of meeting a premeditated plan in a changing reality. In some points of view (Lynch, 2009), change sometimes mean the whole process of developing the st rategy as it involves experimentation, learning and consultation for those involved during the change. Hence, the thought of formulation of strategy is running parallel to implementation and managers at multiple organisational levels have a key input into the actual strategies pursued by the organisation. An emergent approach is thought to be more creative and responsive strategy making that well suited to the hyper-competitive and unpredictable environments of today (Mintzberg, 2000; Burnes, 2004; David, 2006). Rollinson (2008) and Burnes (2004) view the continuous and dynamic change as an emergent process of experimentation and adaptation which is searching for ways that is able to cope with the exigencies of the uncertain environment. It can be said that the idea of emergent approach is there is not such routines for organisations to plan for the future. Hamel and Prahalad (1996) found that the most successful firms in the world such as Microsoft and Apple Macintosh do not always stick to their stated mission, goals and objectives or the predetermined plan. In contrast with the prescriptive approach which focuses on creating a framework between established strengths and emerging opportunities, the emergent approach focuses on five organisational features during the change process, which is organisational structure, organisational culture, management behaviour, patterns of power and politics, and organisational learning (Burnes, 2004). Hence, it is more suited to instigating positive, transformational organisational change such as diversification or restructuring. It also has the added benefit of helping to reduce resistance to change as it allows time to build employee support while the strategy is taking shape. Lynch (2009) pointed out that there is no one single approach within emergent approach. Some emphasise the need for responsiveness in an increasingly turbulent world. Others concentrate on the longer-term need to change an organisational skill, style and operating culture fundamentally and over long time periods. It can be said that emergent approach to organisational change is more concerned with change readiness and change facilitation with specific pre-planned steps for particular change projects and initiatives (Pasmore, 2009). Campbell et al. (2002) argued that the danger of the emergent approach is the possible result in a lack of purpose in strategy and it can make it difficult to evaluate performance. On another negative note, when formulation and implementation of strategy occurs simultaneously there is a risk that strategy development becomes too slow and jumbled a process. Burnes (2004) considered that emergent approach sometimes can be an afterthought. This means that valuable opportunities may be missed along the way. Moreover, conflicting objectives from different departments can hinder strategy development, particularly when there are power shifts taking place during a major strategic change such as a merger (Pasmore, 2009). Without strict analysis and identifiable targets, objectives can be lack of clarity and there may be no real basis for evaluating performance. Therefore, it was pointed out by Brews and Hunt (1999) that an over-reliance on emergent strategy formation could result in underperf ormance. Conclusion Performing in the increasingly unpredictable and complex business environment, many organisations are forced to be more flexible and adaptive to change. In practice, the strategies of most companies are probably a combination of the prescriptive and the emergent (Hill and Jones, 2009). Campbell et al. (2002) stated that the prescriptive and emergent approaches are often presented as being diametrically opposed, which is by the reason of that the approaches are in many ways complementary as they present different perspectives of the same situation. Therefore, Campbell et al. (2002) suggested that strategy must be both inward- and outward-looking, planned and emergent. This supports the adoption of an emergent approach to strategy development which invokes a more intelligent capacity to respond to new opportunities. In conclusion, Quinn (1998) stated that these two approaches can reinforce each other, that is to say, a greater use of strategic planning tools for internal and external analysis would in some ways improve organisational learning and enhances strategic thinking even while following an emergent approach.

Culture of Trinidad Essay -- Anthropology Cultural

Culture of Trinidad According to the encyclopedia, culture is defined as â€Å"The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought [www.wikipedia.com].† In Trinidad these particular aspects are very distinct to the people's daily lives on the island. The diversity of actual cultures and ethnicities on the island has melted together over the centuries to create a Trinidadian culture of its own. There are influences from almost every part of the world including, India, China, the United States, Lebanon, Spain, Britian, Africa, and cultures native the Caribbean. Religion is one the most important aspects defining culture. There is no one dominant faith on the island of Trinidad. According to a statistic in 1990, approximately 31 percent are Catholic (including 11 percent Anglican, 7 percent Pentecostal, 4 percent Seventh-Day Adventist, 3 percent Presbyterian/Congregational, and 3 percent Baptist), 29 percent of the population are practicing or technically Roman Catholic, 24 percent are Hindu, and 6 percent are Muslim [www.state.gov.htm]. Also a small number of people practice traditional native religions and or African religions as well. Often these last two are practiced along with any of the other faiths. Although it may be a small number of individuals who practice native and or African religions, certain aspects or celebrations from these religions are integral to the overall culture of Trinidad. Voodoo is one example of a West African religion that has been carried over to the island on the slave ships of the eighteenth and nineteenth c enturies. Orisha is a specific spirit or belief in Voodoo that is one of the more commonly practiced on Trinidad... ... all filled with brilliant colors and scenes. It last for five days beginning with the King and Queen contest and ending with the Parade of the Bands [www.carnaval.com] While there are many other components to culture on the island of Trinidad, these can be named as the most defining aspects. Carnival is a celebration and display of all aspects and diversities of culture on the island. Trinidad's culture is defined by a merging of many. The fact that this sort of integration in able to strive and be celebrated in such brilliance, is an example of how diversity can be celebrated and accepted. Work Cited A History of Modern Trinidad 1783-1962., Bridget Brereton., Heinemann Educational Books Inc.: New Hampshire. 1981. [www.carnaval.com] [www.iadb.org] [www.nationmaster.com] [www.pilotguide.com] [www.state.gov.htm] [www.trininiew.com]

Comparing Low-fat, Low-calorie, and Low-carbohydrate Diets Essays

Comparing Low-fat, Low-calorie, and Low-carbohydrate Diets Low-fat, low-calorie, and low-carbohydrate diets are of unequal effectiveness and merit. Low-carbohydrate diets are simply better. All three diets attempt to induce weight loss by managing the body’s energy intake. The body gets the energy it needs to stay alive from food. Food can be broken down into three major categories: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Even though fat contains the most calories per gram, because of the way digestion works, the body gets all of its energy from carbohydrates and none from fat found in food. When the body takes in excess energy, it is stored in body fat. If it ever needs to, the body can dip into these energy reserves by breaking down the fat in which the energy is stored. Low-carbohydrate diets work by cutting back on the body’s main fuel source, carbohydrates, and replacing it with fat and protein. While protein and fat have other vital uses in the body, they do not provide any energy. So, the body is forced to burn fat for fuel. Lo w-calorie diets simply proscribe a lower overall caloric intake thereby providing the body with insufficient fuel, again forcing the body to dip into its reserves. Low-fat diets reduce fat intake because proponents of low-fat diets claim that fat is the type of food with the biggest caloric bang for its nutritional buck Low-fat diets are based on the fallacious connection between body fat and fat in food. There is no such connection, and this is a mistake that can have dire consequences. The body does not use fat as an energy source. People actually gain weight on low-fat diets because snacks toted as low-fat are frequently high in carbohydrates to compensate for the loss of flavor from lack of fat. Becau... ...st in calories. However, that connection is nonexistent and people can gain weight on low-fat diets if they are not careful. They also do not get enough of the vitamins that are only found in fat. Low-calorie diets stipulate a cutback in overall food intake. Such diets are effective but also cut back on essential vitamins. By reducing the amount of carbohydrates in a persons diet and replacing them with fat and protein low-carbohydrate diets safely and efficiently induce weight loss. Works Cited 1. Astrup, Anne, Thomas Meinert Larsen, and Angela Harper. Atkins and other low carbohydrate diets: hoax or an effective tool for weight loss. www.thelancet.com Vol. 364. September 4, 2004. 2. Nelson, David L. and Michael M. Cox. Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry. 3rd ed. Worth Publishers. 2000 3. http://www.weightlossforgood.co.uk/fat_information.htm

The Game (Football Personal Experience Paper) :: essays research papers

The Game   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The game had been a strenuous battle from the very second that the whistle blew. In every play each one of us had put forth all of the effort and energy that we contained. Now, with only seconds left remaining in the forth quarter we trailed 14 to 17. Yet, hope still remained.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After a fumble recovery, my team was awarded the ball at the 50 yard line. The time left on the clock allowed us for one more play to win the game. Looking around at the players in the huddle not only did I see the fatigue that resulted from the game but I also saw that each one of them had determination to win. I called out the play and sent my fellow warriors to give it one last shot. As we approached the line of scrimmage the crowd grew deafening. They had cheered us on throughout the frigid temperatures of the night and now that the game was nearing an end they revealed to us that they too still had faith. Staring down our opponents, we lined up in our stances. Like dragons smoke, each breath taken would be revealed in the numbing cold. The clock had already restarted and began counting down to zero. As I prepared myself to receive the ball from the center the crowd became dead silent. Knowing that time ran short I began my cadence. â€Å"EVEN†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦READY-SET†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.HUT.† As the ball snapped into my hands, the crowd exploded with all the players as if they were connected by some unnatural force. I flew back into my pass drop and looked to my receivers. The opponent covering the receiver to my left prevented any hope of him getting open. Then, as I looked to my right, I saw that my other receiver broke free of the defensive man and was heading down the field. I directed the ball towards the end zone knowing that the pass must be perfect for a completion. As the ball sailed off my fingertips a 270 pound lineman pummeled me to the ground.

Sexism in the Media

What comprises sexism and feminism? Do sexist images in the media have an impact on women and girls? And, what are the broader political issues here? I am hoping that we can reframe the debate around sexism and nudity in the media in a way that makes sense for socialists. We’re all probably aware of sexist representations in the media from newspapers and magazines to the movies, TV and radio. For example, Rolling Stone magazine didn’t used to be a soft porn magazine, but it is so common now for female musicians to be in soft-porn poses on its cover.Howard Stern, the radio DJ, is always asking his female guests and callers what they are wearing. Stern focuses heavily on women’s physical attributes for the titillation of his male listeners. We also see many movies each year where the female characters are there solely to support and gratify the male characters. Magazines often show only pieces of a woman, such as her legs, or torso so that women are seen as pieces of a human being, reduced to only body parts, which are usually hyper sexualized for male stimulation.The currently popular TV show Desperate Housewives has a predominantly female audience, but tends to appeal to male viewers with story lines involving the women in their underwear or locked out of their houses nude. Soft-core pornography is the staple of many mainstream men’s magazines such as Maxim. In the past decade the decline of the mass movement, and the capitalist’s promotion of escapism, has been at the cost of increased degradation of women in the media. Women’s MovementWebster’s Dictionary defines sexism as â€Å"attitudes or behavior based on traditional stereotypes of sexual roles† or â€Å"discrimination or devaluation based on a person’s sex. † According to Webster’s, this word came into usage in the period of 1965-1970 and was modeled after the word racism, which itself came into use in the 1865-1870 period, duri ng the revolutionary days of Reconstruction in the South. The timeline of the creation of the word sexism gives us an idea of the dramatic change in the consciousness of women in the 1960s and 70’s, which was directly influenced by the civil rights movement.However for a word with such a short history, a mere 40 years later, capitalism is trying to make women believe that sexism no longer exists. In my research for this introduction, I came across discussion of something termed â€Å"post-feminism† which argues that the old ideas about what is sexism and who is a feminist no longer apply. That it is not sexist, but merely ironic, that naked women are used in advertising such as the TV ad where Nicolette Sheridan from Desperate Housewives dropped her towel in front of a football player to get more men to watch the NFL.The idea is that women are now in control of their bodies and that to object to the use of a nude woman in an advertisement is actually an attempt to repr ess that individual woman’s sexuality, or an expression of prudishness, and not a comment on the exploitation of women for financial gain. The Repackaging of Sexism & Feminism Feminism is being repackaged and portrayed as a repressive police force telling women what not to wear, how to have sex and not allowing women â€Å"to live their personal lives without the constraints of a rigid ideology,† as one post-feminist writer put it.On the positive side women, and especially young women, are more confident about their sexuality, but for some women this liberation is expressed through the assumption of some of the roles, attitudes and sexual behavior previously more common among men. This is what one so-called feminist writer described as a shift from the old ‘victim feminism’ to the new ‘power feminism. ’ In fact the shift is away from challenging the old male-dominated status quo and toward finding a place within it.Christine Thomas in her arti cle The New Sexism writes about this shift in feminist thinking. She writes about the recent trend of the increased acceptance of strip clubs and lap dancing club; â€Å"Lap dancing, it is argued, is empowering not exploitative because, when ‘dancers’ can earn as much as $800 a night, they’re often earn better money than the men they’re stripping for. As one student told the BBC’s Inside Out program: â€Å"I work when I want to. I make the amount of money I want to, and if I don’t feel like it I can quit.No-one is pushing me to do it. † â€Å"But contrast this with the comment of a regular frequenter of lap dancing clubs: â€Å"It makes me feel like a king to be sitting there with all these women surrounding me, giving me loads of attention. Nothing beats the thrill of calling a woman over, sitting her down and talking to her, knowing that if you give her money she is going to take all her clothes off. It’s great to have that kind of control, that power, and it’s an ego boost to have all girls competing with each other to dance for you. â€Å"However empowered individual dancers might feel (and of course not all dancers are well paid) lap dancing itself promotes the idea that women are not thinking ‘whole’ beings but body parts – objects available for men to control and enjoy. † 1 This new ‘feminism’ also represents a shift from a collective to an individualistic approach to women’s equality. If a given woman feels oppressed, feels exploited, or feels demeaned, it is because something is wrong with her. Perhaps she is not aggressive enough or not motivated enough.She has not figured out how to advance within the current system. When women buy into the basic concepts of capitalist culture, the new â€Å"feminists† imply, as many doors will open for women as for men and they will no longer be victims. The new ‘post-feminism’ also ar gues that the male dominated empire is crumbling and that more women than ever are now in positions of power. However, we know who these powerful women are: Margaret Thatcher, Hilary Clinton, and Condoleeza Rice. They actually represent a step backwards for women’s equality.Condoleeza’s promotion to Secretary of State reinforces the illusion that racial and gender discrimination no longer exists and that failure to succeed is only the failure of individuals to take advantage of their opportunities. Her work for the Bush administration is helping to increase the attacks on all workers, women and men, which in turn especially increases the burden economically on women. Her promotion represents no change whatsoever for the status quo and for the reality of working class women across the United States. How Equal are We? Women today still consistently make less than men for fulltime work in the same jobs.In statistics from 2002, nationally women average 78% of men’s pay for all jobs. Among the highest paid professionals (doctors and lawyers) women only make from 58-76% of men’s average pay and they make up about a third of the workers in these jobs. On the other hand, those jobs that are predominantly occupied by women such as cashiers or child care workers; women make about 95% of men’s wages. But the average weekly wage for men and women is very low at $250-$300 per week. Also, traditionally unionized jobs like nursing and construction have higher average weekly wages and women make about 91% of men’s pay. 2However, the startling fact is that in the Bureau of Labor Statistics information from 2002, out of hundreds of job categories, there is not a single job where women make more money than men do. There are also a radically higher proportion of women than men living in poverty in the U. S. For many American women, violence is also a nasty reminder of the inequality in this society. Estimates of non-fatal domestic violenc e against women range from 1 million to 4 million a year with nearly 1 in 3 women experiencing a physical assault from a partner in adulthood. Women have a 10 times greater likelihood of being victimized by an intimate than men.Also, 33% of all women murdered are murdered by an intimate partner. In fact the leading cause of death among pregnant women is not complications from pregnancy, but murder. 4 The sexist representations of women in the media are a direct reflection of this economic and social inequality. But these images also serve to reinforce the lower status of women not only through showing us as a commodity to be packaged for men’s enjoyment, something to be controlled, but also by directly undermining women’s self-esteem and emphasizing the unattainable ideal of a ‘perfect’ woman. Up to 80% of American women are issatisfied with their appearance. Much of the marketing of the ideal woman is targeted at women directly. Women’s magazines, both in articles and advertisements (and it is often difficult to distinguish the two) carry a lot of ideas about the ideal woman. In addition 1 out of every 3. 8 television commercials carries some sort of â€Å"attractiveness message. †5 Media Images and Girls The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that 82% of all cosmetic surgical procedures are performed on women. The most common procedures are liposuction, breast augmentation, nose reshaping and eyelid surgery.In the years from 1992 to 2003 total cosmetic surgical procedures increased by 192% with breast augmentation increasing by 657% and liposuction by 412%. 6 Not only are women reshaping their bodies in record numbers to try and fit some type of female ideal, but girls are influenced by this pressure as well. Some 81% of ten year-old girls are afraid of being fat and 51% of 9 and 10 year-olds feel better about themselves if they are on a diet. Of normal dieters, about 5-6% will progress to partial or full sy ndrome eating disorders. 7Eating disorders often start for women in their teen and pre-teen years, and represent an extreme attempt to control one’s body. It may not seem such a distorted priority to young girls to achieve the perfect body through self-punishing starvation or vomiting when record numbers of adult women are voluntarily subjecting themselves to invasive surgeries. Now this process is being accelerated and normalized through TV shows such as Extreme Makeovers and The Swan. Here, mostly women are shown going through a series of major cosmetic surgeries.In The Swan a prize goes to the best makeover. Capitalism sends mixed messages to women that only create anxiety. Their perfect woman is young, thin, and never has acne. However, the unhealthy food big business pushes at us makes this perfect woman even more unattainable. Not only do they profit from selling us this bad food, but the food itself almost guarantees that we will need to spend more money on cosmetics, dieting, surgery, or antidepressants if we buy into this ideal woman concept. We can’t talk about sexism’s effect on women without also iscussing its effect on men who are also damaged by it. From boyhood, men are sent the message that women are here for their pleasure and that they are primarily commodities for their consumption. If this idea is completely internalized, it makes men unable to connect with women in any but the most superficial way, and cuts them off from a deeper understanding of both themselves and women. Just as the oppression of women has forced women in general to develop a more skillful understanding of human relations, so too male privilege tends to stunt men’s relationship skills.Also, for men that have themselves experienced abusive upbringings, it makes them more likely to be trapped into attempting to control women through physical or emotional abuse. Sexism and Capitalism’s new Moral Divide In the 1984 movie, This is Spinal Tap – the fake documentary about an English heavy metal band, a female record company executive lets the band members know that they have concerns with the band’s album cover. They feel that the image of a naked woman wearing a leash and dog’s collar is sexist. â€Å"Sexy,† one of the band members says, â€Å"what’s wrong with being sexy? †There is enormous confusion today surrounding this difference between what is deemed sexy and what it sexist in the media. The recent media hype around the Janet Jackson breast exposure incident and the uproar over the NFL commercial I previously cited are examples of how this discussion is being spun in the media: as the relentless sex-oriented focus of popular culture verses the purity of family values. In an era where some women are losing access to services that help them control their bodies reproductively, we are now seeing the control of images of women’s bodies as an issue in the media.The new ‘feminists’ would have us believe that the ultimate control of an individual woman’s body belongs to the woman herself and so the images are not discussed in the context of sexism. The liberals argue that a woman’s naked body is no big deal and can’t we be mature and realize that it’s just a woman’s body; failing, like the guy from Spinal Tap, to distinguish between sexy and sexism. The family values coalition argues that it is damaging to children to be exposed to nudity and the subject of sex; making it appear that any outrage is due to prudishness.The argument goes that these are the opposing interests in the discussion – leaving little voice for most people. Is it possible that this divisive construct is promoted by the media itself to obscure the real issue? The real issue is the exploitation of a woman’s body and sexuality for the purpose of selling products: magazines, TV shows, movies, football games. If we unders tand it this way, then we have a way to object to the objectification of women without falling into the trap of prudishness.We can condemn CBS and the NFL not for showing us Janet Jackson’s breast, but for exploiting her desire to further her career and the captive audience of viewers to boost ratings, which in the end makes more advertisement money for them. Capitalism typically creates and exploits divisions for the purpose of undermining working class solidarity. Sexism undermines the solidarity between men and women. By failing to point out capitalism’s role in this issue, we can allow a new threat to class solidarity to take root. This non-class based division, created by the media, the so-called â€Å"moral divide. A New Mass Movement The current trends in the media represent a step backwards for women in the struggle against sexism and exploitation. This is another facet of the global phenomenon, regardless of gender, of working class people being attacked more fiercely by the capitalist class. The current onslaught of sexism, besides undermining class solidarity, also serves capitalism by expanding markets for diet and beauty products and for surgery. It also represents a huge drain on the resources of an individual woman.With her self-image and self worth constantly under attack, it is no surprise that some women have fallen into an individualistic, superficial, self-absorption, spending less time fighting to change the workplace and the community. Especially with the failure of working class and women’s organizations to fight on concrete issues that are important to women. However, just as in the 1960s, a mass movement gave birth to the women’s movement and sexism even started to be talked about, so too a new mass movement of workers that confronts capitalism will also confront sexism. Working class women will be at the fore of such a movement.In fact, women play a key role in many community struggles. LMV has been involv ed in the Campaign for Renters Rights a direct action group in which women took the leading role in fighting off Section 8 housing cuts. 8 In the 70’s we saw how differently women could be treated in the media with real stories about real women. There was a trend toward increased realism in TV and film including the portrayal of women. In the movie Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore a working class woman who is a single parent stands up against everyday sexism. The central character is a woman who is strong, funny and insightful.The scarcity of movies like this since the 70’s with strong female characters confirms the degeneracy of not only the popular media but of capitalism itself. Socialism, on the contrary, will not only achieve material equality between men and women, but also allow both men and women to better explore their own individuality, and break free of the base superficiality that market capitalism promotes. January 2005References 1 Christine Thomas , The New Sexism, Socialism Today Issue 77 Sept 2003 2 The Bureau of Labor Statistics, Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by detailed occupation and sex, 2002 annual averages. Domestic Violence Statistics, District of Columbia Coalition Against Domestic Violence at www. dccadv. org More stats from National Domestic Violence Hotline at www. ndvh. org. 4 Kim Curtis, Murder: The leading cause of death for pregnant women. Associated Press April 23, 2003 5 National Eating Disorders Association at www. nationaleatingdisorders. org 6 American Society of Plastic Surgeons at www. plasticsurgery . org 7 National Eating Disorders Association 8 For more on this struggle see www. laborsmilitantvoice. com

Communication in nursing Essay

Introduction. Communication is a necessary skill to have in the nursing profession. We use communication to exchange information between patients, co-workers and all the people around us (Kozier et Erb 2004). No matter the form of communication we are constantly presenting and interpreting people’s ideas and thoughts. Communication is a method we utilize to connect the gap between knowledge and comprehension (Kozier et Erb 2004).This paper will discuss an observation of the personal care home environment, modes of communication such as; verbal and non-verbal, effective communication methods and barriers to communications. Observation Of Personal Care Home Environment. I visited an urban personal care home in the inner city. I will be identifying this personal care home as PCH â€Å"X†. I walked into the facility and it was very clean and spacious. I conducted my observation during lunch time in the dining room. This area was poorly lit and the temperature was very humid. There was also music playing in the background during mealtime. This personal care facility was very respectful, kind and caring to the residents in their care. The communication I observed in general was very clear and concise. Verbal and non-verbal communication. Verbal communication is a mode of communication that uses both written and spoken words (Kozier et Erb 2004). Here is an example of verbal communication: At PCH â€Å"X†, a nurse was giving medication to a resident and he introduced himself. The resident did not respond to the nurse so the nurse approached him in a different manner. He crouched down to the resident’s level and spoke to him again in a calm voice and lightly touched his shoulder. The resident later complied with his directions to take his medication. The nurse took a different approach with his verbal communication by speaking softly. Verbal communication is largely used due to the fact that people usually chose the words they use (Kozier et Erb  2004). Another mode of communication is non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication involves other forms of communication such as gestures, facial expressions, and touch (Kozier et Erb 2004, page 423). Most people who use verbal communication use various forms of non-verbal communication simultaneously. The nurse in the example above used non-verbal communication, when he crouched down to the resident’s level and lightly touched his shoulder. This second example involves non-verbal communication: A Health Care Aide was about to assist a resident with lunch. The resident was not aware of his environment and had difficulty feeding himself. The Health Care Aide asked the resident to open his mouth but he did not respond. As a result, the Health Care Aide opened his own mouth and the resident mimicked him and they were able to continue feeding. Effective communication methods. Effective communication is a very important aspect in a nursing career. Here is a summary of some effective communication strategies that I have observed at PCH â€Å"X†: *Health care workers appeared to be neat and tidy wearing uniforms. This will convey a non-verbal communication method of professionalism. Clothing and apparel can be a source of information about a person (Kozier et Erb 2004). *A staff member asked a resident how their lunch tasted. The staff member paraphrased what the client was saying and reinstated the resident’s feelings. This showed the resident that the staff member was actively listening (Kozier et Erb 2004). *Health care workers seemed interested in what clients had to say and differentiated the real from unreal (Kozier et Erb 2004). Health care workers talked to residents about daily activities. One client stated â€Å"I have to go to work; my daughter will be picking me up soon†. The nurse responded â€Å"your daughter will be here to visit but you are retired and you  do not have to work anymore.† These are a few effective communication strategies I have witnessed at PCH â€Å"X†. Communication promotes understanding and can build a constructive relationship with clients and co-workers. As nurses we must be aware of what we say and how we act towards others. Barriers to communication. It is critical to be aware of the good communication methods as well as the bad communications methods. This particular personal care home was very respectful to clients. However, here are some barriers to communication I observed when I was at PCH â€Å"X†: *One resident had a language deficit and had difficulty speaking. The resident was calling out and it seemed as though she wanted something. It was difficult for the staff member to understand what she was saying. He overcame this barrier by asking her yes and no questions until he finally solved what she was trying to say. *Residents were being talked to like children. The clients were often referred to as â€Å"dear, sweetheart, or darling†. During lunch, I also overhead someone saying â€Å"we have to change you diaper you made a pooh-pooh†. This may demean a client however; this communication barrier can be resolved by calling residents by their name and by respecting their dignity as a person. *Residents can also be hard of hearing. A nurse was talking to a resident with his back turned asking him questions and he did not reply back. She continued to speak louder and the resident later asked why she was yelling. The nurse should have faced the client while speaking to him so he could realize that he was being spoken to. Nurses need to recognize the barriers to effective communication. Barriers make communication become non-therapeutic. Non-therapeutic strategies to communication can be detrimental to a healing relationship. Conclusion. In conclusion, communication is extremely important especially to a nurse. To properly assess clients’ needs we must be able to communicate with them verbally and non-verbally. If we can identify the barriers to communication we can find effective strategies to resolve them. We have to be clear when we communicate to our patients. A misinterpretation of instructions, plans, and vital information can be harmful to a client’s health and well being. Caring and comforting is an important aspect of nursing and that can only be demonstrated through effective communication techniques. References Kozier & Erb, Barbara, et al. Fundamentals of Nursing. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004.