Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Ophelia can be viewed as an insignificant minor character Essay

Ophelia can be viewed as an insignificant minor character in the play through the way she is used as an unwitting pawn in schemes of those who have control over her, as revealed in Act 2 Scene 2 where Polonius says â€Å"I will loose my daughter to him† when he and Claudius plan how they will ‘test’ Hamlet’s madness. The word loose objectifies Ophelia, portraying her as an animal used as bait for Claudius’s own objectives; spying on Hamlet. Ophelia’s character does not have a say in the matter, and through her absence in this particular scene, Shakespeare is able to emphasise her insignificance in the play. Ophelia’s lack of appearance in the play also portrays her character as minor and insignificant, as Shakespeare only uses her character in 5 scenes. For the majority of these scenes, Ophelia has little contribution to the dialogue and her spoken lines are often responses to questions and commands by others who dominate the play, for example in Act 1 Scene 3 Ophelia’s responses are short in comparison to her father’s and brother’s dialogue, most of which contains instructions on how Ophelia is expected to act; â€Å"Do not believe his vows†¦ Look to’t I charge you. Come your ways†. The use of imperatives in this scene show how Ophelia is dominated by others and is therefore highlight her insignificance in the play. This is further portrayed in Ophelia’s responses, such as â€Å"I shall obey, my Lord†. The use of â€Å"my Lord† reveals her inferior status and through minimalistic speech we are able to gain a sense of her unimportance to the action of the play. Another way in which Ophelia may be viewed as insignificant is in her marriage prospects. Her brother Laertes, who suggests that she is not good enough for Hamlet, condemns her relationship with Hamlet, who tells her to regard Hamlet’s love as something unlikely to last and potentially dangerous: â€Å"Fear it my dear sister†. Hamlet is a prince and therefore Ophelia’s status makes her inferior in comparison and as a result, an unsuitable wife. Both her brother and father tell Ophelia how to behave, for example Polonius instructs Ophelia to spend less time with Hamlet; â€Å"Be something scanter of your maiden presence†. This dominance over Ophelia, as well as her subservience, again presents her of an insignificant status in the play. Ophelia does not say or do anything to indicate she is unhappy about the instructions given to her by her brother or father. However, another interpretation of Ophelia’s subservience is that obedience is a role she plays. She is expected to act as a loyal daughter and responses such as â€Å"But as you did command† suggest she is carrying out orders to keep her father content. Shakespeare reveals a weak Ophelia in Act 4 Scene 5 in which she is in a state of madness, through her songs about death, chaos and unrequited love. The poignancy of her songs (â€Å"He is dead and gone lady, he is dead and gone†) as well as the reactions of other characters (â€Å"Alas sweet lady†), induce a piteous reactions, allowing the audience to sympathise with a character who has become so weak it has led to madness. In contrast to her minimalistic speech, in Act 1 Scene 3, Ophelia has dominated the speech. This may suggest that Ophelia’s character is only of significance when she is in a state of madness. The taboo nature of her songs reveals a character stepping out of the bounds of her social status and this contrasts to how her father has ordered her to act. The death of Polonius may be a cause of Ophelia’s madness and this is evident when Claudius says â€Å"Oh this is the poison of deep grief; it springs all from her father’s death†. This may suggest that Ophelia becomes weak without the presence of the dominant male authority. Her father is dead, her brother is absent from the country and she has been rejected by Hamlet; without them Ophelia collapses. Shakespeare presents Ophelia as weak in Act 4 Scene 7 where she is unable to save herself: â€Å"As one incapable of her own distress†. The suggestion that Ophelia has committed suicide may have been used by Shakespeare to imply that Ophelia’s weak state did not allow her to go on living. Shakespeare uses Ophelia’s character to portray many aspects of Hamlet’s character, for example Shakespeare is able to reveal Hamlet’s capability of staggering cruelty through his treatment of Ophelia in the nunnery scene. Shakespeare presents this cruelty through the use of brutal commands and insults such as â€Å"Get thee to a nunnery†. In Act 2 Scene 1 Ophelia presents herself as a victim of Hamlet’s rough treatment; â€Å"He took me by the wrist, and held me hard†, revealing Hamlet’s capability of cruelty. There is also evidence of Hamlet’s cruelty when he embarrasses Ophelia in public, asking her â€Å"Do you think I meant country matters? † Hamlet’s wit enables him to belittle or mock other characters and the fact that there is little sign of Ophelia’s character reinforces the idea that she is a minor character. Another thing that is revealed about Hamlet through Ophelia is Hamlet’s judgment of women. In the nunnery scene, Hamlet accuses Ophelia; â€Å"You jig, you amble, and you lisp, you nickname God’s creatures, and your make your wantonness your ignorance†, revealing his disgust towards women. Shakespeare lists the deceptions to reinforce Hamlet’s repugnance towards the women in his life. Once again Shakespeare has revealed Hamlet’s feelings through his words to Ophelia. Ophelia’s character is also used to portray ideas about other characters, for example when handing out flowers to other characters, Shakespeare develops ideas about the nature of other characters through the type of flower that Ophelia gives to them. For example, one of the flowers she gives out is a daisy, which represents deception – an act that could be linked to Claudius’s character. By doing this, Shakespeare is using Ophelia in this scene to indirectly criticise the characters, and the connotations associated with the various flowers would be widely understood by the audience in Shakespeare’s day. It could be argued that Ophelia is chiefly interesting for reasons other than what she reveals about Hamlet, for example Ophelia is important in the manner in which she illuminates discussion of some of the play’s central themes, one of which is the oppression of women in society. Shakespeare presents Ophelia as oppressed through her lack of opinion and contribution in the play. The mere fact that she can be viewed as insignificant shows the audience that Ophelia is oppressed by male authority in the family. Polonius tells Ophelia that she â€Å"speaks like a green girl†, implying that she is nai ve, and this comes across to the audience as patronising. The alliteration of â€Å"green girl† emphasises Polonius’s condescending tone. By belittling Ophelia, he is able to gain control of the conversation. Ophelia is told to â€Å"think herself a baby†, suggesting that she is constrained from using her own mind and must follow the orders given to her. Ophelia’s character is presented as one with no point of view; as she says â€Å"I do not know my Lord what I should think†. Through statements such as this, Shakespeare reveals an oppressed Ophelia who is unable to think for herself due to the strict control by men in her life. The fact that Ophelia is being used as a pawn in men’s political affairs is also a sign that she is being oppressed. When Polonius offers to â€Å"loose† Ophelia, he is taking advantage of her by offering her as a service without her consent. This also portrays Ophelia as a possession that belongs to Polonius. On the other hand, it could be argued that Ophelia’s character is not oppressed, but in fact in need of male control. In Act 1 Scene 3 Ophelia says â€Å"I shall th’effect of this good lesson keep as watchman to my heart†. The use of â€Å"good† implies that the advice is necessary for Ophelia’s well being and is taken on by her with a positive attitude. When asked by Laertes to remember what she has been told, Ophelia responds by saying â€Å"‘Tis in my memory locked, and you yourself shall keep the key of it. † This statement also shows Ophelia is willing to take on her brother’s advice. This argument can be supported by the idea that Ophelia collapses without her father or brother, and that she in fact benefits by being in their command. Ophelia is also significant as her character is crucial for the plot and setting the scene in the play, for example, in part it is her death that motivates Laertes to take revenge on Hamlet. Another example of the importance of Ophelia in the plot is that her death is used by Shakespeare as a catalyst for confrontation between Hamlet and Laertes.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Female Acceptance into a Computer Based Society Essay

INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Advancement on technology had brought different changes into the society. These aims to provide additional comfort and making things work more efficiently. But there are changes that people cannot prevent to happen. These are biological changes such as getting old.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   People respond to the aging process as a negative thing. Misconceptions arises that lead to common negative behavior towards the aging process. Getting old is a natural process. Anti-aging solutions are invented to prevent physical changes that it may cause like gray hair and wrinkles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It’s no secret that our bodies change as we age. Physical as well as psychological changes as effect of aging can be experienced.   Some changes are obvious, while others are more subtle. Others, may experience the effects of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, which can gradually diminish their abilities to participate fully in activities. While there are still people age comfortably and remain active, alert and vibrant throughout their lives. Their physiologic age may be quite younger than their chronological age.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because of the negative connotation on the process of aging, women who are known to be more conscious than men generally find it an issue to accept aging as a natural process of life. OBJECTIVES This study aims to discuss the impact of aging to the female group given in a modern and more advance society. This will provide description on how female cope, adapt and react to the aging process. SCOPE AND DELIMITATION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The research covers the issue of aging on female point of view. . It also provide an overview on what is aging and the physical and mental changes it bring to a person. This also identify some misconceptions about aging. SIGNIFICANCE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study is significant to discuss the impact of aging to women. It identifies the reasons on how the female gender response to the stage of aging. It discusses the common misconceptions regarding aging that can be properly addressed. This study is also significant for future researches related to the topic. RELATED LITERATURE Misconceptions on Aging There are a lot of misconceptions about getting old. It is a negative connotation that aging means getting near to the end of growth. And that old age is a lonely stage of life. It is also a misconception that when one is old, he/she believes that there are only limited to certain activities especially in the physical aspect. One fears getting old because of the fear of loosing independence. Another misconception is that people think that the happy days of their lives were experienced when they are young. According to a recent study shown, these several misconceptions vary from the reality regarding the issue of aging.   The research was conducted by VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and University of Michigan researchers to 540 adults who were between the ages of 21 and 40, or over age 60 . They were asked to rate their level of happiness through answering questions. The results are published in the June issue of the Journal of Happiness Studies, a major research journal in the field of positive psychology. There is a stereotype existing between the old and young in the society. One thinks that the happy days of his/her life happens only when he/she is young.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In another research by Linda M. Woolf, Ph.D., the concept of ageism was examined between younger and older men and women in the present study. It was entitled â€Å"Effects of Age and Gender on Perceptions of Younger and Older Adults†. The study discusses the older adults are perceived more negatively than younger adults. Through gender interaction effect, a significant age by was found. Both younger and older men rated stimulus older adults significantly less positively than stimulus younger adults. However, older women rated stimulus older adults significantly more positively than they rated other stimulus-age groups. Older women were the only subject group that did not exhibit a consistent negative bias against older adults. Conversely, younger women rated stimulus older adults more negatively than any subject group. Biological   Effects   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The effects of aging are obvious on the body. Our body is made up of cells and tissues that keep on regenerating and replenishing to keep our body sustaining. As we grow old, this process decreases where replacement of old to new cells are slowing causing the signs of aging to appear.   Physical changes like poor hearing and declining vision takes place. The strength of muscles lessens due to soft tissues like skin and blood vessels that became less flexible are some general changes that occur in the human body as it ages. Skin starts to become dry and wrinkled. It looses its elasticity and the glands function less so sweating occurs lesser than the usual. Moreover, there is an overall decline in body tone that can be observed. The body’s performance becomes less efficient. Not all people experience decreased organ function to the same degree—some individuals are healthier due to good diet and exercise when they are younger. Aging also affects the immune system of a person. Human antibody lessens their act against free radicals. The immune system also changes with age. The antibodies, disease-fighting proteins, protect the body against bacteria, viruses, and other harmful agents in a healthy immune system. A healthy immune system also prevents the growth of abnormal cells, which can become cancerous. With advancing age, the ability of the immune system to carry out these protective functions is diminished—the rate of antibody production may drop by as much as 80 percent between age 20 and age 85. This less-effective immune system explains why a bout of influenza, which may make a young adult sick for a few days, can be fatal for an elderly person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For females, these changes on the body due to the advancement of age have a greater issue.   Aging causes changes on the physical aspect of a person and one of the major effects of aging occurs in the female reproductive system. With aging, a woman’s breasts lose tissue and subcutaneous fat, reducing breast size and fullness. There is also a decrease in the number of mammary ducts. The breasts lose support. Aging breasts commonly flatten and sag, and the nipple may turn in slightly. The areola (the area surrounding the nipple) becomes smaller and may nearly disappear. Loss of hair around the nipple is common. Breast cancer risk increases with age. Women should perform monthly breast self-examinations. However, because breast self-exams do not always pick up early stages of breast cancer, women should also talk to their health care providers about mammograms. It also affects the fertility cycle of a woman. Menopausal stage takes place on about age 45 to age 55 of a female where the ovaries does not longer produce egg cells. This means that she can no longer bear a child. This is also the end of the menstrual cycle since there is no longer the release of sexual hormones that motivates the cycle. Although the average onset of menopause occurs in the early part of the sixth decade there is an observable, real and significant decline in the 10 to 15 years before menstruation ceases. Scientific studies on natural populations (those with high marital rates and no birth control) and on â€Å"infertility populations† all confirm the presence of an age related decline in female fertility independent of all other factors. This effect becomes most prominent after age 35.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aging cause loss of female fertility. Although menstrual irregularities generally begin to show in the last half of the 5th decade (a time termed perimenopause) there is a marked decrease in fertility in the 10 years preceding this that appears to be independent of male or pelvic factors and despite the occurrence of regular menstrual cycles and ovulation. Similarly a decrease in success rates for IVF is seen in this population as well. The discussion then seems to focus on whether this decrease in fertility is due to ovarian factors, uterine factors or both. In other mammals there does appear to be a host of age related uterine changes that do limit fertility however, initial studies in humans failed to show consistent aging changes. Furthermore it now seems that the endometrium of an ovulatory older woman with appropriate levels of estradiol and progesterone should be able to be appropriately receptive to and supportive of implantation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The catch here is that as we age, even while still regularly menstruating, there are subtle shifts in hormonal patterns that may make the endometrium less receptive. As an example, luteal phase defect is far more common at the edges of reproductive life (very young, very old, newly delivered) but progesterone supplementation, which in theory should overcome the defect, does not appear to have made a significant difference in pregnancy rates for older women. More compelling support for the idea that the problem is primarily ovarian in nature comes from the fact that pregnancy rates for younger women and older women undergoing IVF with donor eggs are quite comparable. There are however, still some questions about uterine receptivity and study is ongoing in attempts to isolate out the effect of the â€Å"older uterus† from the effect of aging eggs of poor quality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The bottom line for now seems to be that although everyone agrees that egg quality and ovarian reserve definitely decline with age and are perhaps the primary factors causing an age related decrease in female fertility, there may be uterine factors in play as well. Further study to elucidate the mechanisms at work and, hopefully, to devise new treatment options are indicated. A number of other studies investigates the effects of aging. Scientists have found, for example, a possible explanation for why women have longer average life spans than men. The difference seems to be biologically determined, and male and female sex hormones are probably responsible. The blood levels of female sex hormones drop sharply during menopause. At that time, the incidence of heart disease and high blood pressure in women increases to match the incidence in men, suggesting that the presence of female sex hormones offers some protection against heart disease. Aging Population   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In developed nations, life expectancy has increased more in the 20th century than it has in all of recorded history. A person born in the United States in 1995 can expect to live more than 35 years longer than a person born in 1900. Today more than 34 million Americans are 65 or older, accounting for about 13 percent of the population. By the year 2030, their numbers will more than double: One in every five Americans will be over age 65. A person who lives 100 years or more—a centenarian—was once a rarity, but today about 60,000 Americans are 100 years or older. By the year 2060, there may be as many as 2.5 million centenarians in the United States. The number of supercentenarians—people 105 years of age and older—will probably be as commonplace in the next century as centenarians are fast becoming now. How to Counteract with Aging   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Knowing what to expect and taking steps to counterbalance the effects of aging can help you maintain a young spirit and an independent life. A healthy diet, regular exercise program and positive attitude can help delay the onset and slow the progression of many age-related changes. Many of the changes in our musculoskeletal system result more from disuse than from simple aging. Fewer than 10 percent of Americans participate in regular exercise, and the most sedentary group is over age 50.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stretching is an excellent way to help maintain joint flexibility. Weight training can increase muscle mass and strength, enabling people to continue their daily routine activities without maximal exertion. Even moderate amounts of physical activity can reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease and some forms of cancer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Much recent research has been conducted on the effects of exercise on aging. In all of the studies described above, exercise had positive effects on aging. It has been found to increase reaction time, assist in predicting â€Å"good† aging, and improve psychological well-being. Factors such as health, social support, efficacy, and motivation are indicators of the maintenance of exercise. One should acknowledge the factors influencing exercise, recognize the numerous benefits of exercise, and take action at any age in order to live a more healthy and happy life now and in old age. Long-term regular exercises may slow the loss of muscle mass and prevent age-associated increases in body fat. Exercise also helps maintain the body’s response time, as well as its ability to deliver and use oxygen efficiently. Just 30 minutes of moderate activity, incorporated into your daily routine, can provide health benefits. An exercise program doesn’t have to be strenuous to be effective. Walking, square dancing, swimming and bicycling are all recommended activities for maintaining fitness into old age. The 30 minutes of moderate activity can be broken up into shorter periods; you might spend 15 minutes working in the garden in the morning and 15 minutes walking in the afternoon. It all adds up. But if you’ve never attempted an exercise program before, be sure to see your doctor before starting one now. Psychological Aging   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Behavioral medicine research over the past several years has identified a umber of psychosocial characteristics that affect the development and course of a wide range of life-threatening illnesses. Included among these psychosocial risk factors are hostility, depression, social isolation, high job strain, and low socioeconomic status. The specific mechanisms whereby these factors influence the patho ­genesis and prognosis of major causes of death such as coronary heart disease (CHD) and cancer have not been identified yet, but considerable research points to accompanying health behaviors (smoking, dietary habits, and alco ­hol consumption) and biological characteristics (altered functions of the sym ­pathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems [SNS, PNS], of the hypothal ­amic-pituitary-adrenal [HPA] axis, and of the immune system) as likely mediators. Finally, research evaluating interventions targeting psychosocial risk factors in groups of patients with CHD and cancer offer considerable promise that secondary prevention will be shown to have an important place in the treatment and rehabilitation of major chronic diseases . Anti-aging can be a difficult topic to address. A war is currently being fought over the meaning of â€Å"anti-aging† (as research, medicine, brand, or simply adjective) and thus even mentioning the term is likely to prejudice many readers. Defining Anti-Aging   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Like it or not, â€Å"anti-aging† now has a number of quite different common meanings and connotations. Each is championed by a particular group or loose coalition of interests, but advocates for these groups have a way of diving into the fray without defining their terms. This makes reading about anti-aging techniques, technologies, medicine, products, and debates very confusing for the newcomer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For the scientific community, anti-aging research refers exclusively to slowing, preventing, or reversing the aging process. There is, as of 2007, no medical technology that allows this to be done – although the jury is still out on calorie restriction in humans. Nor is there any currently available method (short of waiting for people to die) to accurately measure the effects of an alleged anti-aging therapy. In the medical and more reputable business community, anti-aging medicine means early detection, prevention, and reversal of age-related diseases. This is quite different from tackling the aging process itself, and a wide array of strategies and therapies are currently available. Calorie restriction, for example, is a demonstrated way to lower risk for a wide range of age-related degenerative conditions. The wider business community – including a great many fraudulent and frivolous ventures – views â€Å"anti-aging† as a valuable brand and a demonstrated way to increase sales. At the worse end of the scale, this leads to snake oil salesmen, â€Å"anti-aging† creams that may or may not make your skin look younger, and infomercials that tout the â€Å"anti-aging† benefits of exercise machines. Broadly, and very charitably, we can look at these varied definitions of anti-aging as meaning â€Å"to look and feel younger in some way† – which has no bearing on how long you live or how healthy you actually are.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The confusion of most interest is between the first two definitions. Many interventions lengthen life span for individuals by preventing or curing specific age-related diseases that would otherwise prove fatal. For example, ask yourself whether preventing heart disease or diabetes is anti-aging medicine. This would have no effect on the aging process, but it would help many people to live longer, healthier lives. Is this anti-aging research? Scientists say no, some medical and business groups say yes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aging is such a bad word in our society. We don’t want to see old people, much less sit next to them. Even old people don’t like to be around other old people.But maybe the reason that many seniors can’t embrace their golden years is that they have never had it modeled for them. People today just live longer. The fastest growing segment in today’s society is those 85 and older. It’s a whole new ballgame for seniors today. A lot are unsure what to do or what’s expected of them. In some ways, we’re pioneers showing younger folk what to do and what they can do when they are this age. Indeed, the work of a person growing old is that of becoming an elder, discovering spiritual treasures and passing them along to others. Despite physical limitations, there are many positives about aging, including more time to be spent in meditation and prayer, working on a closer connection to God and selves. That meditative work can encourage elders to review their lives, see how they made a difference as well as bringing up old wounds and pains. It’s here that seniors need to work on forgiving others, themselves and God as they let go of past hurts, grudges and pains. AGING ON FEMALE’S PERSPECTIVE Response to Physical Changes It is a much issue for women when they feel they get old considering females to be a more conscious gender when it comes to the physical aspect. After discussing the physical changes that it can bring, without proper caring, one’s body can be a total wreck. Another issue that aging brought is that it lessen one’s self esteem. Women are conscious of their age. Youth implies beauty. Something that one tries to preserve while she is still has the youthfulness. That is why anti aging creams, pills etc. are in demand to most women. For example, there is a preference of choosing a younger female.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As women age their concerns about health grow—and rightfully so given that women are at greater risks for some health conditions. For example, according to the Illinois Department on Aging, heart disease is the No. 1 leading cause of death among older women. Women are twice as likely as men to die within the first year of having a heart attack. The second leading cause of death for women is cancer—specifically lung and breast cancer—and the third leading cause of death is stroke. Women who have hypertension or diabetes are at greater risk for heart disease and strokes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Like all women, lesbians are at risk for health problems associated with aging. Some evidence suggests that they may even be at greater risk for some age-related health problems. For example, because lesbians as a group are less likely to have been pregnant, more likely to drink alcohol and smoke—and more likely to be overweight—their risk of breast cancer may be greater than the risk among women in the general population. However, we need much more research before we can say much of anything for sure about lesbians’ risks for breast cancer or the other leading causes of death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women (CHLEW) study we are collecting information about these and many other health concerns of lesbians. We are happy to report that, in general, the 450 lesbians in our study are overall very healthy—in fact, when we first interviewed them in 2000-2001, 74% of them rated their health as good or excellent; only 7% said that their health was poor. Very few women in the study reported being diagnosed with breast cancer , heart disease, or diabetes. However, 17% said that they have high blood pressure (hypertension). One of the reasons for these low rates of problems is that the women are relatively young—the average age of the women in the study is 39 years (only about a quarter of them are over 45 years old). As they get older, lesbians, like other women, face higher risk for these serious health problems. Because we have not yet discovered the cure for aging it is important that we take care of ourselves in order to reduce these risks and improve our overall quality of life. Among the most important ways that we can take care of ourselves include getting regular exercise, not smoking, and using sodium (salt) and alcohol in moderation. Some misconceptions of women and the truth   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The older I get, the worse my body will feel. The increasing stiffness and aches & pains that often come with age are not a result of age, but are due to lack of movement. Although there are some changes in the tissues in the process of aging, one can continue to remain remarkably flexible and free of pain through something as simple as regular stretching.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It’s too late to start taking care of myself †¦ it won’t do any good at this age. A healthy lifestyle has been found to be one of the most important factors in how people age. Improvements in lifestyle (with the 3 key areas being good food, exercise and regular relaxation and rest) will bring improvements at any age.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I’m getting too old to learn new things Research shows that older people can, and do, learn new things. Attitude plays an important role. People who believe they can learn new things do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sex is only for the young. People can, and do, continue to enjoy sex well into their senior years. People are sexual beings throughout the life cycle, but sexuality is experienced differently at different ages. Changes in hormones affects the experience of sex, and one may need to find different ways to be intimate. Relaxation is key here so that we don’t panic when things don’t happen the way they used to. Aging does not imply that they are too old for sex but simply they need to give themselves some breathing room to become familiar with our changing physiologies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The older I get, the less attractive I become. There is nothing more attractive than someone who has aged well. There is a special radiance in a elderly person who is at peace with themselves and life. Attractiveness has absolutely nothing to do with age. It’s never too late to change the two most important ingredients to graceful aging – attitude and lifestyle.   At the risk of sounding like a broken record to those of you who’ve read my previous articles – there are two very simple but essential lifestyle ingredients for successful aging -relaxation and stretching.       References: http://www.hope.edu/academic/psychology/335/webrep2/ageexercise.htm http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/lifestyle/2006-06/17/content_619419.htm http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/lifestyle/2006-06/17/content_619419.htm http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/ageismwoolf.html http://www.seniorwomen.com/articles/articlesElginOld.html http://www.riversidehealth.com/articles/aging.htm http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=224&topcategory=Wellness http://infertility.about.com/cs/femalefactors/a/femaleage.htm   

Monday, July 29, 2019

Accounting Financial Report Analysis

In this given report, the financial data obtained from the annual report of Procter & Gamble and Unilever is to be discussed. Financial data of three years is to be used for obtaining key ratio, which shows the performance of a company. Based on the ratios determined comparison will be done for the three years. Also, inter firm comparison will be made based on the ratios determined and after that recommendation will be given so that the company can improve their financial position in future (Weil, Schipper and Francis 2013). The variances in different ratios that determine the profitability, liquidity and activity position of P&G and Unilever during the period of three years is analyzed and assessed, based on which the predicted outcome is determined. The investors and other users of financial statement can use the above ratios to understanding of the overall position of the company. This will help them to decide in which they want to invest (Hoskin, Fizzell and Cherry 2014). The creditors who have given supplies to the companies can have an overview of the fact that their debts are secured or not and whether the company has the ability to pay off their debts quickly. They can have an idea of the liquidity position of the company by analyzing the current ratio of both the company. EPS and return on equity will help the investors to understand the earning capacity of P&G and Unilever on their investment, which will help them to decide in which company to invest further (Vogel 2014). Return on asset will help funders of the company to understand whether the company id efficiently using its asset to generate income. In this section, the financial ratios determined from the financial data available from the financial statement of Procter & Gamble and Unilever will be analyzed and assessed. Based on that recommendation will be given on the performance of those two companies.   The income statement, balance sheet and ratio analysis of Procter & Gamble for three years is discussed below based on which analysis is done. Earning before interest and and taxes Net margin (Net profit/Turnover*100) Return on asset (Net profit/Total asset*100) Return on Equity (Net profit/Equity*100) Asset Turnover (Turnover/Total   Asset) Earning per share (EPS) (Net profit/Number of shares) Current Ratio (Current Asset/Current Liability) Debt Equity ratio (Long term debt/Equity) Receivable turnover (Turnover/Account Receivable) Net profit margin shows the profit earning capacity of a company with respect to its turnover. For P&G, it has increased by 0.48% in 2014 but it has again decreased by 2.36% in 2015, which must a worrying factor for the management of P & G. However, year 2015 was a tough fiscal as addressed by Mr. A.G. LAFLEY, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Procter & Gamble in the annual report. P&G is a very renowned company, which has a very high brand value so it is expected that will turn around in its near future. Return on asset (ROA) has also decreased by 0.11% and 1.20% in 2014 and 2015 respectively. ROA determines how the management of the company is utilizing its asset to generate profitability. As it is decreasing it implies that management is not able to utilize its asset properly which must be take proper care of. Return on equity (ROE) has increased in the year 2014 by 0.09% whereas it has again decreased in the year 2015 by 2.58%. ROE implies the earning of the shareholder with respect to their investment in the company (Healy and Palepu 2012). If it has a deceasing trend then it is not at all beneficial from the view point of the company as shareholders will be de-motivate to invest further in the company if their investment is not earning well in P&G. New shareholders will also not be willing to invest if they analyze this ratio from the financial statement available publicly (Feng et al. 2014). Asset turnover ratio is used to determine whether the company is properly using its asset to generate revenue for the company. The higher the ratio is, the better it is for the company. Though this ratio has decreased during the three years period, P&G has maintained at this ratio at a range of 0.58-0.60, which is a good sign. However, it should try to increase this ratio in the near future. EPS has a huge implication in the stock market. It shows how the company has been performing with respect profitability per share (Weygandt, Kimmel and Kieso 2015). It has increased in 2014 by 0.12 but it has again decreased year 2015 by 0.92, which may be due to the economic down turn faced by the company. Therefore, it is expected that it will turn around in near future. Current ratio determines the capability of the company to pay off its short-term liability by selling its current asset in case of urgent need (Tan, Zhang and Liu 2013). This ratio should be maintained as high as possible. If it falls below 1 then it is danger sign for the company. However, it was below 1 during the year 2013 and 2014 P&G has been able to take this ratio to 1 in the year 2015. Debt-Equity ratio shows the mix of debt and equity funding of a company. This ratio should be kept as minimum as possible (Connolly, Hyndman and McConville 2013). Outside funding should never be more than own funding otherwise the company may be at risk of getting leveraged buyout. In case of P&G, it has been able to maintain it at a low level of 0.28 to 0.29 during the year 2013 to 2015, which is a very good indicator for the company. Receivable turnover ratio indicates how a company manages the credit issued to their customers (Harper 2016). If the ratio is high then it implies the company is efficient in collecting its receivable or it has a good customer base that can pay off debts fast. In case of P&G, this ratio has decreased by -0.89 in the year 2014 but it has again increased by 2.69 in the year 2015, which is a good sign. It has been able to maintain this ratio well above 10 that means it’s customers are capable in paying off their overdue quickly.   Earning before interest and and taxes Net margin (Net profit/Turnover*100) Return on asset (Net profit/Total asset*100) Return on Equity (Net profit/Equity*100) Asset Turnover (Turnover/Total   Asset) Earning per share (EPS) (Net profit/Number of shares) Current Ratio (Current Asset/Current Liability) Debt Equity ratio (Long term debt/Equity) Receivable turnover (Turnover/Account Receivable) In case of Unilever, its net profit margin has increased during 2014 by 0.95% but it has again decreased in 2015 by 1.46% that means its operating and other expenses have increased during this year (Needles, Powers and Crosson 2013). Therefore, Unilever must take measures to control its operating and other expenses. ROA has increased by 0.13% in 2014 but it has again decreased by 1.46% in 2015 that means Unilever is not able to utilize its asset efficiently to generate profit. This may have a negative impact on the stakeholders of the company, which must be taken into account by the management of the company immediately (Collier 2016). ROE has increased during 2014 by 0.13% whereas it has again decreased during 2015 by 1.38% that means it has not been able to generate higher return for the shareholders on their investment. This may discourage their shareholders to invest further in Unilever. Therefore, management must make sure this ratio does not fall further otherwise it may hamper the reputation of the company (Zakaria and Islam 2014). EPS has increased in 2014 by 0.11 whereas it has again decreased in 2015 by 0.09, which is not a good indicator for the company. The management of Unilever must take initiatives to increase its EPS in future years. Asset turnover ratio, which has decreased in 2014 by 0.09, has again increased in 2015 by 0.01, which indicates that Unilever is efficiently using its asset to generate revenue, which is a good sign for the company. Current ratio, which has decreased by 0.07 in 2014, has again increased in 2015 very insignificantly and it is well below 1, which must be a worrying factor the management of Unilever (Needles, Powers and Crosson 2013). Debt-Equity ratio is currently ZERO for Unilever that means it has no outside funding, which is very good sign. Receivable turnover ratio, which has decreased by -0.74 in 2014, has again increased by 1.46 in 2015 that means it is managing its credit period efficiently.   In this part, detailed discussion will be done on any one coefficient of P&G and Unilever and comparison will be done between them. It is better to select current ratio for the analysis purpose as it is one of the most important or key ratio for determining the liquidity and financial position of a company. A company is said to be in a good position if its current ratio is at least 2 that means its current asset is two times its current liabilities. It implies that a company can easily use its current asset to pay its short-term debts and if required can also repay some of its long-term debts. It is also known as working capital ratio and should not fall below 1. If it falls below 1 then it is an indicator for the management of the company that its liquidity position is in danger and it will not be able to pay off its debts at this point of time (Elshahat, Freedman and Elshahat 2015). However, it does not necessarily mean that company will go bankrupt. In case of P&G (Table-1), it can be seen that its current ratio was 0.80 in 2013 then it increased to 0.94 in 2014 and finally it became 1 in 2015. Though it was below 1 in 2013 and 2014, it was not much below 1 and made up the gap in 2015. Currently, P&G is in a position where it has the ability to pay off its short-term debts in case of any emergency from its current asset. Therefore, it can be said that P&G is financially stable at this point of time but it should try to increase these ratio further in future as during the past three years it has shown a increasing trend. On the other hand, in case of Unilever (Table-2), it can be seen that its current ratio was 0.70 in the year 2013, which decreased to 0.63 in 2014 and stayed at that level in the year 2015, which is well below one.   By analyzing, the above data it can be said that its liquidity position of Unilever is not that good which means   it will not be able to pay of its short-term debts currently. This indicates that the financial position of the company is in danger and if it is not able to increase its liquidity ratio immediately then its creditors will lose faith in the management of the Unilever. However, this does not mean company will be liquated immediately. It is definitely possible for Unilever to turn around in near future, as it is big brand in the market and very well known for its reputation and high values. While comparing the current ratio of both the company, P&G and Unilever, it can be said that currently P&G is in a better position than Unilever since its current ratio is more by 0.37. In addition, the current ratio is P&G is equal to 1 which is the minimum level that a company should maintain (Sharma and Panigrahi 2013). Whereas for Unilever it is much below than 1. Therefore, it can be said that P&G has a better working capital position and it has managed its liquidity efficiently. However, for both the company it is well below 2 which is considered as an appropriate Current Ratio for a company so the management of both the company should take measures to increase its current ratio in future years. A higher current ratio does not always indicate a better financial position of a company as there are many current assets, which are very slow moving and are not easily salable in the market. From the above analysis, it can be seen that P&G is better in some aspects whereas Unilever is better in some other aspects. Both the company should improve in certain fields as if current ratio is better for P&G whereas debt equity ratio is better for Unilever. Both this ratio reflects the liquidity position of the company so P&G should try to improve its Debt-equity whereas Unilever should try to improve its current ratio. P&G should try to decrease its operation cost in future to increase its profit margin. If profit margin increases then it will automatically increase its return on asset, return on equity and earning per share of the company unless asset and equity base of the of the company changes. Current ratio of P&G is maintained at its minimum level of 1 which is required to be increased to 2 to ensure a better liquidity position. Debt equity ratio of P&G is currently much below 1 i.e. 0.29 which must be worrying factor for the management of P&G as its outside funding is much higher than internal funding. P&G must take initiatives to increase its Debt-equity ratio by introducing new source of equity or by increasing its transfer to general reserve so increase it to above 1 immediately. Otherwise, P&G is at high risk of being leveraged buyout i.e. takeover of the company by the debt funders. On the other hand, Unilever should also try to control its operating expenses so that its net profit margin increases which in turn will increase the return on equity and return on asset of the company. Unilever’s current ratio is very low i.e. it is well below 1 which indicates a danger position for the company. Management of Unilever must take immediate step to increase its current ratio otherwise; its creditors will lose faith in the company.   From the above analysis, it can be said that both the company’s performance has decreased during the fiscal year 2015, as it was a tough year for the whole industry. Both the companies have a very good background and high consumer value so it is expected that their performance will definitely increase in future and they will again turn around. Both the company must focus on controlling their operating cost or increase their revenue to increase their market share. This will help them to increase other ratios also, which have an impact on other aspects of financial position. Both the company must focus on their current ratio especially Unilever since its current ratio is well below one whereas P&G has just maintained the minimum level. Debt equity ratio of P&G indicates a red signal so immediate action must be taken by its management to improve it whereas for Unilever it is ZERO, which shows that it does not have any external funding. Therefore, Unilever must introduce some external funding to get a good mix of external and internal funding. Both the company has a good receivable turnover so they should try to maintain this ratio in future. This above recommendation and comparison is based on ratio analysis that may not always give best results, as there is many limitation and drawbacks of ratio analysis. Since ratio analysis is based on past data, it does not show the future prospects of a company. Therefore, this things must be kept in mind by the investors before deciding on the investment opportunities available to them.  Ã‚   Collier, P., 2016. Accounting For Managers Interpreting Accounting Information For Decision Making 0470845023. Connolly, C., Hyndman, N. and McConville, D., 2013. Conversion ratios, efficiency and obfuscation: a study of the impact of changed UK charity accounting requirements on external stakeholders.  Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations,  24(3), pp.785-804. Elshahat, I., Freedman, M. and Elshahat, A., 2015. Are index measures better than individual measures in assessing the association between environmental and financial performance? A multivariate analysis study.International Journal of Critical Accounting,  7(2), pp.191-212. Feng, M., Li, C., McVay, S.E. and Skaife, H., 2014. Does ineffective internal control over financial reporting affect a firm's operations? Evidence from firms' inventory management.  The Accounting Review,  90(2), pp.529-557. Harper, D., 2016. Accounting Financial Statements Analysis. Healy, P.M. and Palepu, K.G., 2012.  Business Analysis Valuation: Using Financial Statements. Cengage Learning. Hoskin, R.E., Fizzell, M.R. and Cherry, D.C., 2014.  Financial accounting: a user perspective. Wiley Global Education. Needles, B.E., Powers, M. and Crosson, S.V., 2013.  Financial and managerial accounting. Nelson Education. Needles, B.E., Powers, M. and Crosson, S.V., 2013.  Principles of accounting. Cengage Learning. Sharma, A. and Panigrahi, P.K., 2013. A review of financial accounting fraud detection based on data mining techniques.  arXiv preprint arXiv:1309.3944. Tan, L., Zhang, W. and Liu, B., 2013. Forecast Management Based on Enterprise Financial Accounting Report.  Management & Engineering, (13), p.60. Vogel, H.L., 2014.  Entertainment industry economics: A guide for financial analysis. Cambridge University Press. Weil, R.L., Schipper, K. and Francis, J., 2013.  Financial accounting: an introduction to concepts, methods and uses. Cengage Learning. Weygandt, J.J., Kimmel, P.D. and Kieso, D.E., 2015.  Financial & Managerial Accounting. John Wiley & Sons.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Health Impact Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health Impact - Essay Example Health refers to the ability of the person to function effectively, physically, socially, psychologically, spiritually, and intellectually. Effective physical functioning refers to the ability of the body structures to change and adapt to the changing environment. To different levels of physical stress, the body responds in all parameters of physiological functions, such as, heart rate, neural function, musculoskeletal function and others. The physical stressors may be of many categories. Of them, most important are muscular exercises, ambient temperature, and sound levels at work. The psychological stressors may be economic condition, housing condition, and family environment. The psychological stressors at work also influence individual's health status. Psychological stressors suppress cardiac parasympathetic nervous system activity leading to heart rate variability and eventually cardiovascular disease. Serious disease and treatment experiences affect the psychological, interpersonal, and spiritual wellbeing. It should be mentioned that this might yield both negative and positive outcomes.

Influencing Buyers Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Influencing Buyers Behavior - Essay Example Just like in many other countries, businesses prefer their adverts run during the prime hours such as before the news, during and after news because it reaches out to a significant percentage of the targeted audience. Experts suggest that is crucial for companies to consider consumer preferences before embarking on the production process (Marr, 2013). This is the reason why Coca-Cola, a leading multinational beverage company, produces beverages targeting consumers in specific parts of the world depending on their preferences. As a matter of fact, many business analysts suggest that accurate identification of the consumer preferences is among the major factors that have given Coca-Cola a competitive edge in the beverage industry. Liu, Denizci Guillet, Xiao and Law (2014), suggest that consumer preferences are influenced by numerous factors numerous factors such as the geographical location, climate, culture and religion. For example, some religion denominations such as the Seventh Day Adventist discourage consumption of beverages that have caffeine such as Coke, one of the leading brands of Coca-Cola (Marr, 2013). Customer preferences based on the geographical location and culture of the people explains why Coke is popular in the USA where most people take caffeine, while Fresca, a caffeine-free soft drink is popular in most of the African and south American countries where a significant percentage of the population avoid caffeine. Jones, R. B., Soler-Lopez, M., Zahra, D., Shankleman, J., & Trenchard-Mabere, E. (2013). Using online adverts to increase the uptake of cervical screening amongst â€Å"real Eastenders†: an opportunistic controlled trial. BMC research notes, 6(1),

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Marketing project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Marketing project - Essay Example Netherlands has a population of 16,652,800 people and about 15,500,000 bicycles (Shahan, 2014). This translates to about 1.11 bicycles per Dutch. Research also shows that about 27% of all trips are made by bicycle. On average, each Dutch covers about 2.5 km per day on a bicycle. However, since safety is paramount, we intend to introduce state-of-the-art bright bicycle lights, which would be placed on the front of the bicycle to enhance vision and red lights at the back. At the backdrop of the continued growth of bicycle use in the Netherlands, we have decided to take advantage of the high demand for bicycle lights in the country by entering into the market. Although there are a variety of entry methods that ‘A company can use to enter the Dutch market, we have opted to use joint venture as the best entry method, considering the Dutch legal requirements and the advantages of joint venture. The company has already identified a company with which to form a joint venture in Netherlands. The company is called Royal Dutch Gazelle, which is the leading bicycle manufacturer in Netherlands today. We chose to form a joint venture with Royal Dutch Gazelle because of a variety of reasons. Firstly, Royal Dutch Gazelle is a well-established brand in Netherlands and , therefore, forming a joint venture with it will enable our bicycle lights receive a warm reception among the Dutch. Secondly, a joint venture with the Dutch company will help the company share the risk of entry (Brady, 2010). Company A will also benefit from the joint venture with Royal Dutch Gazelle because it will result in sharing of knowledge and expertise, thereby helping in the development of the company in Netherlands. Additionally, because of the strict Dutch laws regarding the entry of foreign companies, it became appropriate that we form a joint venture with a Dutch company to enable the company A

Friday, July 26, 2019

Listening activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Listening activity - Essay Example Specifically, I noted that the ability to engage and provide active participation and listening within calculus class was the most difficult of all that had been measured. This does not come as much of a surprise due to the fact that calculus itself is one of the least engaging subjects that I currently engages within this semester. However, when it came to developing a key theme or rational for what topics were distracting or in what way the participant was ultimately led astray of the main topic, the fact was that there was no solitary reason. Instead, the fact that was analyzed centered upon the fact that merely because the subject matter was dry, it was ultimately easier to simply zone out and choose not to engage with the given topic or discussion that may have otherwise been taking place within the classroom. Once a clear determination has been made with regards to what subjects and/or topics provide the greatest level of â€Å"zone outs†, the reasonable question for the author to consider must then become – in what ways would it be possible to effect a positive change on these negative habits. Naturally, the first answer to such a question is simplistic and states merely – â€Å"pay attention†. However, the fact of the matter is that paying attention and not zoning out is merely a byproduct of a series of mental choices (Hamouda 5). Therefore, instead of merely stating that the byproduct itself should be avoided, the better point of attack would be to seek to understand and minimize the thought processes that ultimately lead to zoning out or lack of attention. As the analysis that has been performed illustrated, the main determinants to this byproduct were the inherent personal understanding that the subject matter is boring, rather useless in the grand scheme of things, and overly laborious. As a means of combating such a point of view, the better

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Response paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Response paper - Essay Example As far as gender roles are concerned, this movie has been specific about how women are subjected to abysmal behaviors at the hands of the people all around India and how the men in their lives play a very dominant role which basically destroys their lives more than anything else. Deepa Mehta has emphasized how widows have been at the forefront of being subjected to some of the harshest possible behaviors on the part of the society. Deepa has been vocal about this philosophy emanating out of India with this topic under consideration. The movie has highlighted how the society bears the brunt of such attitudes by its own people and what could be done in order to bring a level of sanity within the relevant quarters. Since these widows are already undergoing an ordeal at the hands of the society that they are a part of, it is the pertinent role of the society to give them happiness rather than inflict one pain after the other one, which has been the case as has been portrayed within this movie. This is one of the most pressing issues that women face within an underdeveloped society in this day and age. The gender roles therefore take the precedence within this movie since women are shown to be in a much shabby state, which does not speak well about their well-being. The manner in which the society has to come out clean is something which will play a positive role all along as far as future domains are concerned. Basically the traditional role of women in India is debated upon by different stakeholders of the society on most of the occasions and Water is one such movie that highlights the related subject (Thomas 2006). The credit for this must rest on the shoulders of Deepa Mehta for bringing a subject which has hurt the cause of the Indian society on more than one instance. In essence, this movie is an eye-opener because it highlights quite a few significant pointers and gives all and sundry food for thought to change the norms which are prevalent within India

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Greeces Inadequate Response to the International Credit Crisis Term Paper

Greeces Inadequate Response to the International Credit Crisis - Term Paper Example In several areas housing markets suffered heavily, something that led to foreclosures, evictions and prolonged cases of unemployment among several industries. During that time, the crisis is said to have been responsible for the failure and closure of several key businesses (Laskos, & Tsakalotos, 2013), massive drops in consumer wealth, which had been estimated to range in trillions of American dollars. Similarly, the situation caused a huge downturn in economic activities, leading to the global recession of 2008-2012, thus resulting in another crisis, the European sovereign-debt (Shannon, 2014). It is believed that the most active part of the particular crisis that manifested itself in the form of liquidity crisis can actually be traced from 9th of August 2007 (Shannon, 2014). During this time, BNP Paribas is believed to have ended completely all withdrawals from the three main hedge funds because of a total evaporation of the much needed liquidity. This paper examines the concept of the international credit crisis as it happened, focusing on the strategies that Greece use in response towards the crisis including the United States and other European nations. The real cause of the crisis has been a subject of discussion, with different experts giving different opinions and perspectives as to the real causes. The Levin-Coburn’s report from the U.S senate explained that the crisis was brought about by those complex and high risk financial products, failure from the side of regulators, diverse conflicts of interest, agencies in charge of credit rating as well as the market itself, which wanted to rein beyond the Wall Street excesses (Laskos, & Tsakalotos, 2013). On the other hand, the conclusions by the commission of inquiry into the crisis argued that the crisis would have been avoided, had the financial regulators taken effective steps in good time. In this case, they explained that the crisis was to be blamed on financial supervision and regulation

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Employee Engagement and Organizational Performance Research Paper

Employee Engagement and Organizational Performance - Research Paper Example Employee Engagement and Organizational Performance Employee engagement is one of the most important issues in HR. It plays a significant role in enhancing the overall performance of the employee and thus the productivity of the organization. It gives an individual a sense of importance and belongingness to the organization. Any absence of employee engagement could lead to stress on the part of employee. In this paper, we will discuss the importance of employee engagement and its impact on organizational performance as it has become one of the most important concerns for the HR of an organization. When employees are fully engaged and dedicated towards their work and organization, we say that employees are engaged. Employee’s engagement is usually a measurable form of concept, which assesses the positive and negative attachment of employee with job and organization. Engagement is a step forward than simple employee’s motivation and satisfaction as it also specifies the amount of involvement in organization tasks and decision making Schmidt in 1993 described employee engagement as a modernized version of job satisfaction and commitment with work. Various studies found employee engagement as a very important tool that could trigger positive outcomes for an organization.Employee retention is the most important benefit of employee engagement as it significantly reduces the cost of the organization and improves the productivity. ... In turn, it brings good results for organization and enhances the job performance of employees too. For example, such employees tries to give their extra input, spend extra time at work, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and improved services. This concept was initiated during the World War II, when the impact of unity between the army men was assessed. Studies were conducted in the world war to find the importance of motivation and engagement as scores were given to different attributes. In today’s world it has now become a major HR issue as the cost of replacing an old employee is very high (Arndt, 2000, pp. 44–48). According to the study conducted by Society of Human Resource Management, replacing an employee could cost $3500 at least, making it difficult for the organization to hire a new employee. As a result, organizations are trying to pay attention on this important issue so they could enhance organizational performance (Potosky, Bobko, 2004, pp. 1003 –34). Towers Perrin conducted a study in 2007-08 on 90,000 employees working in 18 different countries to gauge the importance of employee engagement. The study found that engaged employee had a 19% probability of increasing the operating income of the company. On the other hand, employee with lowest engagement had a 32% probability of reducing the operating income of the company. Tony Schwartz stated that more than 100 studies have proved strong relationship between employee engagement and organizational performance. Studies also show that out of the total workforce, only 20% of them are fully (Caruth, 2007, pp. 150-167). These studies show the importance of generating employee engagement that could result in

Diversity in the Workplace Essay Example for Free

Diversity in the Workplace Essay Discrimination are more common in workplaces, because some people only think of discrimination as making a distinction and judgment of a person based on color of skin. Discrimination goes far beyond color of skin. A person can be disseminated agonist for their age, disability, gender, religion, or even for being pregnant. In a workplace there are standards and policies in place to decrease the chances of a person being discriminated against. When the staff is diverse in a workplace, discrimination less likely to happen. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission indicates that it is â€Å"illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability† (). I experienced discrimination in the workplace, and after making an EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) complaint on a supervisor, she became more discriminatory towards me. The supervisor would make racist statements, once she found out I put an EEO complaint in on her, she would deliberately change my schedule, and put me on shifts that I could not work, to get me to quit. Most places do not give â€Å"set schedules† which means a person works the same shift and works the same hours on the same days. However, the position I worked, was a set schedule position. After going through weeks of the hostile environment, and continued derogatory statements, I quit as it was stressing me out, which caused me to lose severe weight. There are federal and state legislation that supports fair and impartial practices in the workplace. Federal legislations that supports fair practices include: †¢Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; †¢The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA), which protects men and women who perform substantially equal work in the same establishment from sex-based wage discrimination (Scott, 2014). †¢the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older; †¢Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended (ADA), which prohibit employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in the private sector, and in state and local governments; †¢Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities who  work in the federal government; †¢Title II of the Genetic Information Nondisc rimination Act of 2008 (GINA), which prohibits employment discrimination based on genetic information about an applicant, employee, or former employee; and †¢The Civil Rights Act of 1991, which, among other things, provides monetary damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination (Scott, 2014). There are responsibilities that human resource managers should uphold to protect the employees from discrimination in the workplace. It is important for human service mangers to strive to have a diverse workplace, while maintaining awareness of equal employment legislation and affirmative action (Lewis, Packard, Lewis, 2012). Human service mangers objectives should include, but are not limited to promoting awareness of workplace diversity, develop and maintain a highly skilled, diverse and effective workforce, where all employees and members are valued, encouraged and provided with opportunities to develop their potential (Workplace Diversity, 2014). It I s also import to develop a supportive workplace culture which allows employees and members to balance their work and personal life, and provide a discrimination and harassment free workplace; and embrace workplace diversity principles in recruitment and selection processes (Workplace Diversity Plan, 2014). It is important for human service mangers and others who make decision to be aware of the effects of their practices (book). Their practices could either make the organization more effective and receptive, or continue discrimination against, women, elderly people, color people, and others (Lewis, Packard, Lewis, 2012). There are many strategies involved in risk management. One strategy is human resources being accountable and responsible for providing information and recommendations about local, state and federal laws pertaining to equity and human rights, including an affirmative action place (Lewis, Packard, Lewis, 2012). When human resource management are aware of their practices, human service organizations less likely to have cases of discrimination in the workplace. Another strategy is providing training in diversity and equity to increase knowledge and understanding of critical issues, improve job-related skills, develop leadership, and ensure responsive, sensitive support for individuals (Workplace Diversity Plan, 2014). Diversity within the workplace are paramount for human service workers and for management of human service organizations, because human  service organizations can offer services to a more diverse community with staff, who are culturally competent. This makes them able to give services to all group of people leaving no error for discrimination. When a human service organization is committed to helping children who are sexually abused, these is no room for discrimination. Diversity is important in the dream organization called ChildFocus Sexual Abuse Organization (CFSAO), as many children will be from different ethnic backgrounds, with different beliefs, and different social-economics statues. The experience explained above consists of a supervisor making racist statements. In the CFSAO, diversity would have a huge influence on the clients as well as the human service workers. Racism would have a negative impact on the sexual abused children, which would further traumatize and victimize a child. It is necessary for the staff to be culturally competent, and sensitive to the experiences of all sexually abused children and their families. Culturally competency would apply to the development and management aspects of human services, because it provides human service workers with effective services that are equally accessible to each of the diverse groups that the organization serves. In conclusion, there are federal and local laws that protect people from being discriminated in the workplace. The human resource managers should be aware of their practices during the interview and hiring process, by hiring a more diverse group of people for a human service organization. This would decrease the chances of human service workers or clients from being discriminated against. There are strategies that can help human service agencies decrease discrimination in a workplace which can include promote awareness in the workplace diversity, and develop a supportive workplace culture which allows employees and members to balance their work and personal life (Work Diversity Plan, 2014). It also important for human service workers to be culturally competent, so they are capable of serving all groups of people from different backgrounds.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Creative Thinking Essay Example for Free

Creative Thinking Essay Thinking The following transcript is based on material in Skills for Success: The Personal Development Handbook, by Stella Cottrell. Creative thinking can benefit any aspect of life, including academic study or our working day. All too often, we act as if creativity were the preserve of a special breed of people – great artists, musicians, designers and inventors. However, you don’t need to be good at drawing or painting or music in order to be creative. Because of this misperception, we can tend to underestimate our own capacity for creativity and the wide range of situations to which we could apply creative thought. In this audio, we’ll talk about practical ways that you can develop and enhance your creative capacity. What do we mean by creative thinking? Creativity is about applying the imagination to finding a solution. This could be a solution to an artistic problem, but it could just as easily refer to finding an answer to a routine work issue, resolving problems in your life, friendships or relationships, or completing study assignments. The creative aspect is in finding the solution, rather than in simply applying a pre-given formula. If you devise your own solutions, find your answers, you are thinking creatively. Sometimes, a great idea can seem to drop from nowhere. When this happens, it is easy to feel that we are very imaginative and clever, especially if the wonderful idea came to us quickly. More typically, a creative outcome is the result of a series of processes, the application of strategies, and bringing the right attitude to the task – and these may not always feel very creative at the time. Creative thought thrives in certain conditions, so to foster creative thinking, it is worth taking steps to put those conditions into place. Certain types of creative thinking take place when we are very relaxed, with time to spare, when we are only half focused on the issue, perhaps when we are day-dreaming or doodling. We may even be deep in thought about a different activity altogether. When released from having to find a solution to a particular problem, the brain often feels freed up to look for an answer in its own way. You may have noticed this yourself- that when you stop trying too hard, the answer seems to pop out of nowhere when you are least expecting it. Many great discoveries and ideas have been made in this way, or even in dreams. This kind of creative solution does require certain kinds of conditions. In particular, the apparently magic solution often comes after a period of very ordered thinking, working through many possible solutions, followed by change of pace or situation, accompanied by some ‘down-time’ in which the brain can work on the solution. Creative thinking tends to be characterised by a drive to find the very best solution, continually looking for an even better, or quicker, or more effective, or more elegant solution. If you are happy with the first idea that comes along, then there is no real spur to creative thought. An element of moderate dissatisfaction, or an edge of perfectionism, encourages the creative process. You can also help the creative process by putting the right conditions into place and applying some basic strategies. First of all: don’t be satisfied with one solution. Once you have one good idea, look for another, and then another. Give yourself the opportunity to choose the best from several options. Secondly, put yourself under different levels of pressure. Sometimes, we find we respond to pressure; other times we don’t. Thirdly, feed your brain with different experiences. Go on a journey you wouldn’t usually make; read an article from a different subject discipline or a magazine you wouldn’t usually read; undertake an activity that you feel isn’t ‘you’. When the brain is working hard on a problem, it is can be very good at drawing parallels in an apparently unconnected experience. Fourthly, be willing to experiment with ideas that seem unlikely to lead straight to the answer, even if this seems like it may be a waste of time. Combine solutions from other problems that you have answered successfully; play with possible ideas even if these don’t seem very sensible. Many a great idea has started out as something, which seemed wild or unrealistic, modified and adapted and developed into something that really worked. Don’t eliminate ideas too early- look for a way of making them work. Although a particular idea may lead nowhere, the process of working through solutions can help develop a much deeper understanding of the task before you. It is this thorough and complex understanding of the issue, which helps the brain come up with a creative solution. Fifthly, when you have worked in an organised way on developing ideas, give the brain some down-time so it can work on these in an unforced way. This does mean planning your study or work so that there is time to move between structured approaches to the issue, followed by more relaxed, unforced, even unconscious, thought. Finally, once you know the idea you want to work on, be prepared to work at it, and to work at it some more, to fine-tune it. Inspiration is a very small part of creative thinking. Process, strategy, attitude, and application are also essential ingredients. In short, it doesn’t take a special kind of person to engage in creative thinking. There are approaches you can take and strategies you can apply that can assist you in arriving at innovative ways of seeing and thinking. Best of all, as creative thinking benefits from new experiences, doing things a little differently, musing with ideas and being open to playful and unusual approaches, it can make your study very enjoyable. We hope this basic introduction to creative thinking has been useful. If you want to develop your creative thinking further, ask your bookseller for a copy of Skills for Success, written by Stella Cottrell and published by Palgrave Macmillan.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Similarities And Differences Between Sport And Fitness Physical Education Essay

Similarities And Differences Between Sport And Fitness Physical Education Essay Throughout this essay I will identify the definition for both sport and physical education, implementing my own interpretation. I will also explain the differences and similarities between them. My research will be based largely on the affect physical activity has on school children. I aim to concentrate my research on the method of teaching PE and sports, introducing both linear and non-linear pedagogy. Finally, I will conclude with my own understanding of my findings and where I feel research should be continued in order to ensure both PE and sports is an active part of every childs life, especially after leaving school. Sport v PE Classifying the definition of sport is not as simple as it seems. Research states, an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport). This is true, however, there is a lot more to it that just skill and competition. Although rules are a major part of sport, making it sound more serious, it can also be fun and entertaining. Physical skill is a key advantage in playing sport, however lets not forget that most sports also require mental skill for strategic planning. The most important aspect of sport is having fun with the added bonus of maintaining a good fitness level. The term sport comes from the old French desport which means leisure. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport. Physical Education is Training in the development of and care for the human body; stresses athletics; includes hygiene. http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/PHYSICALEDUCATION. It is a taught course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_education. In the UK, Physical Education classes are compulsory in school until approximately age 16. As well as learning basic sporting skills, the curriculum also pays attention to health and fitness. My first recollection of PE at School was playing pirates in the school gym which involved running around on sporting apparatus being chased. PE is not always being taught the obvious sporting game such as football, hockey, etc. Its aim is to enhance an individuals progress through a variety of activities, which will boost their confidence level; hence my pirate game vastly improved my agility skills. As the student progresses, leaders hip skills are incorporated into the programme as well as being encouraged to be player independent in their decision-making. The most obvious similarity between sport and PE is that they both involve physical activity. Physical health benefits are gained by taking part in regular physical activity, whether that is during school hours (PE lessons), an extra-curriculum activity, or playing for a local club. Research shows that children who participate frequently in physical activity will reduce their chances of acquiring certain ailments such as diabetes and obesity, therefore improving their quality of life. However, other benefits such as affective and social are also gained. Research suggests that affective development is now evident with children. One of the main signs of this is a childs self-esteem that grows stronger when partaking in physical activity. Research show that stress, anxiety and depression, can also be significantly reduced with regular exercise. Probably the most important aspect of both sport and PE is social benefit. Whether you are playing football with a few friends or in a controlle d PE lesson, it is evident that this is a major part of a childs social learning skills. Anti-social behaviour is frowned upon and, to fit in, children tend to conform to the norm. Also, for an introvert child, communication though activity can help dramatically improve their interaction with other children outside of sports and PE and this has a knock-on affect with their affective skills also (Bailey, 2006). However, there may be implications. For example, we are assuming that pupils are enjoying the physical activity and are good at it. What if a child suffers with ability and/or may be teased by other school children for their lack of coordination? This may cause the child to become introvert and depression and anxiety could occur. Although PE has a positive effect for most, this concern needs to be considered carefully when planning PE lessons at school. However, sport is more about being competitive and winning medals and trophies. Although PE can be competitive, teachers introduce fair play; ensuring teams are equally balanced, whether that is by age, sex, and/or ability. However, in sports, the best players are selected for the clubs first team and those with less skill will be placed in a lower performing side. Sport is voluntary and the number of participants can vary from club to club, but the size of group/team can be adapted to suit the requirements of a match. However, PE is compulsory in schools and classes can be vast, this can cause problems for the teacher when applying rules and instructions, especially given that a proportion of children do not want to partake and may be unruly. Within sports there are leagues and competitions, involving officials and a fixture secretary and each club concentrates on one particular sport. However, the chosen activity for a particular PE lesson is usually decided by the teacher and can vary from lesson to lesson. This decision can also depend on the environmental conditions and equipment available to that school. For example, it is difficult for a school in the centre of London to partake in an outdoor adventure activity, as there are no local amenities to support this and some inner city schools dont have the funds to purchase expensive equipment. Linear and non-linear pedagogy The basic skills of PE are learned during a childs school years. This is normally taught using linear pedagogy, a more traditional method. Once the basics are learnt, a pupil may wish to expand on this skill and join a particular sport they excel in. This is where further, more advanced coaching, takes place and in my experience, a more non-linear pedagogy approach is implemented. Linear pedagogy is teacher centred, instructional, technique-based and practiced method. This style is more advantageous in schools than clubs, where, due to enormous class sizes, it is easier for the teacher to maintain control of the class. However, there are problems with this approach. For example, in my school-day experience, in order for skills to be learned, the teacher would use drills to demonstrate a technique and it was a luxury to play a game. This was a disappointment to my peers and me. Tactics were rarely mentioned therefore my decision-making was poor. Non-linear pedagogy leans more towards the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) way of teaching where it is player centred, involving engaging an individual in being encouraged to think for themselves in both tactical and technical aspects (Thorpe and Bunker 1989). Its major advantage it that it is designed to guide players to become independent in their decision-making. For example, a typical training session may involve a short modified game to identify the teams failings. Drill sessions would then take place to strengthen these weaknesses. After the drills, another game would be played to implement the new skill, using their own thoughts. The coach encourages player independence by applying strategies to match an individual players game, therefore improving their decision-making throughout a game (Light, 2006). The main problem with linear pedagogy is that it can be strict and disciplined, almost military style, therefore enjoyment, which should be a major factor, is low on the list of achievements and participating in both PE and sport should definitely achieve this. Lessons become predictable and children tend to pay less attention due to boredom, therefore not much learning will take place. Also, too much structure wont allow those with less ability to achieve the aimed outcome and, instead, may become stressed at their inability to master the skill. This could also damage their confidence. By not allowing children to think for themselves, it reduces their scope of learning and their tactical skills will be limited. Non-linear pedagogy is not without its faults. At school level, it may lack adequate theoretical teaching from a motors learning perspective. Receiving little instruction from the teacher can result in the child not being able to make the correct decision. It is very difficult to measure whether or not the children are learning anything and it can look a lot like chaos (Mack, et al, 2000). Conclusion Taking into consideration the research and my own interpretation, it is encouraging to see that both PE and sports has a positive affect on majority of children. However, my findings highlight the need for schools to reconsider their method of teaching PE. Other less traditional styles should be implemented to enhance the enjoyment of the lesson, which may encourage children to continue their interest in extra-curriculum sporting activities and perhaps join sporting clubs upon leaving school. This will then increase the number of potential elite athletes. Further research needs to be undertaken to investigate the effects of social behaviour in children. For example, how does participating in PE and sports help reduce crime rate? What can the government do to ensure people from deprived areas are given more opportunities to partake in sport? Overall, any type of physical activity should be a part of everyones lifestyle. Although playing sport is more of an individual choice, it is vital that PE remains a compulsory part of the curriculum at schools as this is the grass roots encouragement they require to continue in their enjoyment and progress to playing sport after leaving school. Reference list: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Physical+education Ones I have not used yet: http://www.tgfu.org/taskforce/index.htm http://www.citejournal.org/vol1/iss1/currentissues/english/article1.htm http://www.suite101.com/content/teaching-breathing-exercises-for-singing-a146136 http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5002249790 http://www.bmj.com/content/327/7415/592.full

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Influences on Emotional Expression Essay -- Psychology, Emotions

Emotions play a significant part in our daily lives, especially to our overall wellbeing whenever we share these experiences with other people. The ability to express and interpret emotions is an important skill that everyone can improve on that would greatly benefit their interpersonal communication. Our expressions accompany our emotions; they serve as windows that allow other people to know what we are feeling inside. There are several factors that influence how we communicate our feelings. The primary explanation for the differences in how people express their emotions rests on biology. First of all, our biological sex is the best predictor of the ability to detect and interpret emotional expressions (Swenson & Casmir, 1998). Our gender can shape how receptive we are of other people’s feelings, whether that person is of the same or different sex as us. Usually, people are generally better at recognizing the emotions of the member of the same sex (Adler, Rosenfeld, Proctor, 2007). The definition of being a man or a woman is also influenced by the culture one grows up in. Typically, most boys are taught to be tough even at a young age and are even encouraged by most fathers to play roughly with other boys their age. Crying is one emotion that is greatly discouraged because it is seen as a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it is acceptable for girls since society teaches them to be gentle and nurturing. This probably explains why males are usually more aggressive and competitive than females. These also go hand in hand with the social roles of men and women in society. Our occupations can also get in the way of expressing our emotions, as we are expected to act pleasant even though we don’t really feel that way. For example, ... ...t functions in our everyday life and relationships. Our culture is a good determinant of how we may act and show our feelings around people. The social conventions in our culture also serves as a guide as to what is supposed to be proper behavior when we are playing our social roles in the society we live in. There are times when people would choose to present artificial emotions because of the anxious situations that they are dealing with, hence refusing to disclose their feelings to others. A person’s personality also has huge influence on how they understand and convey expressions; just as our personality shapes our emotions, in turn our emotions also affect our personality. The people that we often socialize with can influence our feelings as we do the same with them. As has been noted, these are all the factors that influence the expression of our emotions.

Avian Influenza and Its Expected Ramifications Essay -- Disease/Disord

Over the past fifteen years H5N1 influenza (also known as Avian Flu or Bird Flu) has become a common topic of speculation and debate worldwide, causing quite a bit of confusion about its possible impacts on our society. At this point in time it is generally recognized by the international medical community that Avian Flu is bound to become a pandemic, most likely within the next ten years. Research on Avian Flu and its effects have led many scholars to make grave predictions of major global turmoil while a small portion of medical scientists remain skeptical, believing we will have enough time to thoroughly prepare for the outbreak. The one thing that nearly all health professionals seem to agree upon is that the avian flu will surely have a large impact on the development of humankind. To truly understand the threat of this disease and what we must do to prepare for it, we need to look at the issue from multiple angles and consider what the spread of a disease so lethal and so pron e to mutation would mean for our daily lives, health professionals, laws and government procedures, and of course the continuation of the human race. It is necessary in order to understand Avian Flu's impacts on society to first understand what H5N1 influenza is. Like any virus, influenza viruses cannot reproduce on their own the way bacteria can. Technically, viruses aren’t even alive because in order for them to reproduce, they must take over the living cell of another organism. This makes all viral diseases notoriously hard to cure because modern research has yet to reveal a medication or procedure that can kill a virus without killing its host. The best medications that we currently have available to treat viruses can only prevent the virus fro... ...pe.com/viewarticle/757540>. Swain, James C., Linda L. Chezem, Caroline S. Cooper, Kim B. Norris, Carolyn T. Ortwein, Ronald J. Taylor, Fred Wilson, Francis Schmitz, Daniel O'Brien, Clifford Reeves, Elaine Snyder, 13) Thomas, James C., and Siobhan Young. "Wake Me Up When There's a Crisis: Progress on State Pandemic Influenza Ethics Preparedness." American Journal of Public Health 101.11 (2011): 2080-082. ProQuest. ProQuest, 24 Jan. 2012. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. . 14) Thomas Rhatigan, Joseph A. Trotter, Christopher Billeter, and Lenzing Lahdon. "Guidelines for Pandemic Emergency Preparedness Planning: A Road Map for Courts." CDC.gov. Center for Disease Control, Apr. 2007. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. .

Friday, July 19, 2019

Virginia Woolfs Jacobs Room - Jacob Flanders, Many Things to Many Rea

Virginia Woolf's Jacob's Room - Jacob Flanders, Many Things to Many Readers Listless is the air in an empty room, just swelling the curtain; the flowers in the jar shift. One fibre in the wicker arm- chair creaks, though no one sits there. - Jacob's Room The year 1922 marks the beginning of High Modernism with the publications of T. S. Eliot's The Wasteland, James Joyce's Ulysses, and Virginia Woolf's Jacob's Room. Woolf's novel, only her third, is not generally afforded the iconic worship and critical praise so often attached to those works of her most famous male contemporaries. Jacob's Room is seldom suggested as one of Woolf's best fiction; the novel has not generated the same encomia as her recognized masterpieces Mrs. Dalloway, Between the Acts, and The Waves. But Jacob's Room is indeed a revolutionary work in its original technical mastery, its mournful historicity, and its evocative tone. The novel is Woolf's manifesto in fiction of her unique enterprise to create character beyond the one-to-one mimetic method of conventional Victorian and Edwardian realism. Uniquely self-conscious and conscious of self, Woolf was attracted to exploring new modes of characterization, fictional consciousness, and epistemology. She is especiall y interested in exploring the nature, communication, and limits of fictional knowledge. Woolf's idiosyncratic mode of characterization in Jacob's Room is the epistemological complement in fiction to Eliot's formula for emotional expression in poetry, the objective correlative. While Eliot's description of the ideal artistic technique tries to be concise and formulaic, a direct mimetic correspondence, Woolf's technique is symbolic and metaphoric, collective, indefinite, and infinitely more ... ...Merry. "Virginia Woolf's Between the Acts: Fascism in the Heart of England." Virginia Woolf Miscellanies: Proceedings of the First Annual Conference on Virginia Woolf. Ed. by Mark Hussey and Vara Neverow-Turk. Lanham, MD: Pace University Press, 1992. pp. 188-191. Ruddick, Sara. "Private Brother, Public World." New Feminist Essays on Virginia Woolf. Ed. by Jane Marcus. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1981. pp. 185-215. Schug, Charles. The Romantic Genesis of the Modern Novel. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1979. Woolf, Virginia. The Essays of Virginia Woolf. Volume III. 1919-1924. Ed. by Andrew McNeillie. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988. -----. Jacob's Room. New York: The Penguin Group, 1998. -----. The Letters of Virginia Woolf. Volume II. 1912-1922. Ed. by Nigel Nicholson. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1976.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Political And Economic Globalization Essay

Globalization in whichever form has received different view from different people all over the world. It has always portrayed two faces in any field in which it was applied. Generally, globalization has its roots in economic and political concerns. These two areas are key factors which touches the lives of people in any country, hence, globalization in either economic or politics will most if not always affect the ways of life in any given country. The consequences of economic and political globalizations are thus paramount in the induction of particular changes in the cultural ways of these communities. The economic and political globalization has an impact on culture while at the same time the cultures have enormous impacts on the globalization of both. This is because there is an intimate interrelationships and integration of the three human activities which builds the human life. Thus, from the historical view of the three things, they have gone hand in hand for complete human life existence. Globalization of politics and economic are two key factors which are affecting the culture of modern world bringing about cultural homogeneity rather than cultural diversity. In reality, this has made crowds of people to remain perplex on which ways is these economic and political globalizations is driving the culture. (Mudimbe-boyi, 2002) Meanwhile, globalization has also allowed the cultural diversity tpo surface as countries started to accept the globalized views and ways of life. The more global influences get in the culture, the more chance that the community acknowledges the uniqueness of its culture. First and foremost are that many people having experiences obstacles of understanding what is culture and the compositions of culture. Michael Amaladoss gave any efforts of defining culture. He said â€Å"culture is the way of a life of a people through which they humanize and socialize nature. † In his further elaboration, he mentioned that it implies the world-view, a value system and a network of social relationships. There are key areas in which during economics and political globalization, they are obviously affected. The effects are felt when many people changes their values system and the original products which were once used by their forefathers. This phenomenon is not rare in most parts of the world where many people have gone under the transition of economic and political globalization. There are numerous alarming cultural practices which the world’s leaders are now struggling to ban as result of this two globalizes factors. (Cowen, 2002) In some instances however, globalization becomes a driving force for people to realize how cultural affinities are being ignored. As people in different communities strive to adopt into the globalized world, they start to be more keen on its effects in the culture, thus the rise of groups concerned with protecting and/or preserving the cultural heritage. It has also served as the venue for countries to showcase the unique culture to the entire world. Globalization of economy and politics are not bring along with cultural diversity. Generally, each globalization processes are working ways out to have homogeneity of cultures. For instance, in terms of economic globalization in the sectors of agriculture sectors, the world’s organizations which deal with the problems of foods shortages do not address the problem from root cause of the shortages. Their models hardly emphasizes on the available establishment of these local food stuff in the particular countries. Instead, they widely and vast get involved in the use of imports to solve the problems of hungers. Through such means the cultural foods products of the native communities in these states are set into extinction as the local are encouraged to embark on sowing new types of crops. This portrays that there is expansion of the culture from one point of country to another through these aids creating a homogenous cultures. (Adam, 2002) But because of the uniqueness of the cultures of each country, cultural differences will most likely affect how a country reacts to a globalized world, or how a country respond to globalization. Globalization can sometimes tend to be too Westernized that countries from Asia or from other part of the world will find it hard to adopt, thus resulting to further cultural diversity rather than homogeneity. Their global information infrastructures which as come on the ways of technology and industrialization has made trade increases. In addition, to trade many countries have been subjects to comply with unnecessary economic condition. This has especially affected those developing countries where resources and job opportunities are limited. The unfavorable economic environments in those states have created a loophole for the exploitation of the people. The people are being forced by worse survival means to adapts the foreign culture so that they can attain their goals in life. As the adage goes â€Å"power and wealthy and there to conquers and dominates the weak†. (Cowen, 2002) Meanwhile, globalization has also helped developing countries. An example is for developing countries in Asia such as Philippines and India who have become an ideal venue for the support needs of the economies of the US and other countries in Europe. This has paved the way for the booming business processing outsourcing (BPO) industries in these countries due to globalization. The political globalizations are largely affecting the culture of these different communities of the world in the pretence of fighting for human rights. The politics from the westerns and Americans have spreads in all corners of the worlds in which the Americans are fighting to have democratic political area. Political globalists has intervened in issues of marriages and other matters which touches family affairs. Argument such as homosexuals and other related family matters have been widely politicized debates which have been accelerated by political globalization. The consequences of this embarked in the developments countries which are majority pro- globalisms. The final result is that, the continued interaction of the people in the economic dispersions in the trades industries wits such peoples has enables the spreading of the vices to thousands of countries in other continents. Gayism and lesbians are two vices which did not exist in African continents in date of the previous two centuries back. The perpetual globalization on economic and politics has spread this scourge disease to the continent in the last four to five decades. This vividly demonstrates, that the cultures which had rooted values in the continent has been absorbed creating some support of homogeneous culture rather than cultural diversity. (Mudimbe-boyi, 2002) In the same way, the share of culture had also positive effect on other communities. People become more informed of how things are done in the other parts of the world, and thus they are able to establish benchmarks. These will then become a basis of the right way of doing things by using these as models on how to successfully deal with political and economic concerns. Reference: Adam, D. (2002): Community, Culture and Globalization: Rockefeller Foundation Cowen, T. (2002): How Globalization is changing the World’s Culture: Princeton University Press. Greenaway, D. (2005): Adjusting to globalization: University of Nottingham Mudimbe-boyi, E. (2002): Histories, Identities, Cultures, and the Challenge of Globalization: University of New York Press