Saturday, August 31, 2019

Effect of Presidential Elections on Businesses and Business Leaders

As the saying goes, â€Å"the only thing that is constant in life is change†. If we are not sure of anything, we should be sure of the fact that the outcome of the upcoming presidential election will bring about a change to the American economy. This impact will definitely spread across all sectors of the economy including U. S. businesses and business leaders. The question, however, is what the impacts foreseeable are? I would like to say that the impacts would be dependent on the presidential candidate that wins the election. If we are to go by what they have already highlighted as their plan if elected, Barack Obama winning the election might not be good news for U. S businesses and business leaders alike. In his campaign, he made it clear that his administration would offer tax cut to middleclass families and would definitely increase the tax of CEOs and corporations. If we are to judge from this, we might as well say that while this would be good news to the average American, it is the CEOs and the U. S. businesses who would bare the weight of the tax plan. Apart from this, Obama says he would hold corporations responsible for pensions and work conditions. This might be a back breaker for U. S businesses and business leaders on the whole. On the other hand, if it the election ends with Senator John McCain emerging victorious, then corporations and Business leader should be ready for a favourable tenure. Apart from the fact that Senator McCain promises to cut corporate tax, he claims that his administration would be on the side of U. S businesses and not in their way. He promised to cut corporate tax in order to maintain employment of workers in these corporations and he seems not to be concerned about U. S businesses using their resources to expand in other regions like Senator Obama. If we are judge from this, I think that U. S businesses and business leaders would flourish and expand if He assumes office. Summarily, the crux of the whole thing is that Senator Obama economic plan would favor the middleclass workers while it could be at the detriment of U. S businesses and business leaders. On the other hand, Senator John McCain’s economic plan seems favourable to U. S businesses and business leaders as he sees them as pivotal to keeping the jobs of Americans.

Friday, August 30, 2019

The Influence of the Renaissance on English Literature

Introduction: It is difficult to date or define the Renaissance. Etymologically the term, which was first used in England only as late as the nineteenth century, means' â€Å"re-birth†. Broadly speaking, the Renaissance implies that re-awakening of learning which came to Europe in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The Renaissance was not only an English but a European phenomenon; and basically considered, it signalised a thorough substitution of the medieval habits of thought by new attitudes. The dawn of the Renaissance came first to Italy and a little later to France. To England it came much later, roughly about the beginning of the sixteenth century. As we have said at the outset, it is difficult to date the Renaissance; however, it may be mentioned that in Italy the impact of Greek learning was first felt when after the Turkish conquest of Constantinople the Greek scholars fled and took refuge in Italy carrying with them a vast treasure of ancient Greek literature in manuscript. The study of this literature fired the soul and imagination of the Italy of that time and created a new kind of intellectual and aesthetic culture quite different from that of the Middle Ages. The light of the Renaissance came very slowly to the isolated island of England, so that when it did come in all its brilliance in the sixteenth century, the Renaissance in Italy had already become a spent force. It is difficult to define the Renaissance, but its broad implications in England do not defy discussion. Michelet exaggeratedly calls the Renaissance â€Å"discovery by mankind of himself and of the world. This is, indeed, too sweeping. More correctly we can say that the following are the implications of the Renaissance in England : (a) First, the Renaissance meant the death of mediaeval scholasticism which had for long been keeping human thought in bondage. The schoolmen got themselves entangled in useless controversies and tried to apply the principles of Aristotelean . philosophy t o the doctrines of Christianity, thus giving birth to a vast literature characterised by polemics, casuistry, and sophistry which did not advance man in any way. b) Secondly, it signalised a revolt against spiritual authority-the authority of the Pope. The Reformation, though not part of the revival of learning, was yet a companion movement in England. This defiance of spiritual authority went hand in hand with that of intellectual authority. Renaissance intellectuals distinguished themselves by their flagrant anti-authoritarianism. (c) Thirdly, the Renaissance implied a greater perception of beauty and polish in the Greek and Latin scholars. This beauty and this polish were sought by Renaissance men of letters to be incorporated in their native literature. Further, it meant the birth of a kind of imitative tendency implied in the term â€Å"classicism. † (d) Lastly, the Renaissance marked a change from the theocentric to the homocentric conception of the universe. Human life, pursuits, and even body came to be glorified. â€Å"Human life†, as G. H. Mair observes, â€Å"which the mediaeval Church had taught them [the people] to regard but as a threshold and stepping-stone to eternity, acquired suddenly a new momentousness and value. . The â€Å"otherworldliness† gave place to â€Å"this-worldliness†. Human values came to be recognised as permanent values, and they were sought to be enriched and illumined by the heritage of antiquity. This bred a new kind of paganism and marked the rise of humanism as also, by implication, materialism. Let us now consider the impact of the Renaissance on the va rious departments of English literature. Non-creative Literature: Naturally enough, the first impact of the Renaissance in England was registered by the universities, being the repositories of all learning. Some English scholars, becoming aware of the revival of learning in Italy, went to that country to benefit by it and to examine personally the manuscripts brought there by the fleeing Greek scholars of Constantinople. Prominent among these scholars were William Grocyn (14467-1519), Thomas Linacre (1460-1524), and John Colet (14677-1519). After returning from Italy they organised the teaching of Greek in Oxford. They were such learned and reputed scholars of Greek that Erasmus came all the way from Holland to learn Greek from them. Apart from scholars, the impact of the Renaissance is also; in a measure, to be seen on the work of the educationists of the age. Sir Thomas Elyot (14907-1546) wrote the Governour (1531) which is a treatise on moral philosophy modelled on Italian works and full of the spirit of Roman antiquity. Other educationists were Sir John Cheke (1514-57), Sir Thomas Wilson (1525-81), and Sir Roger Ascham (1515-68). Out of all the educationists the last named is the most important, on account of his Scholemaster published two years after his death. Therein he puts forward his views on the teaching of the classics. His own style is too obviously based upon the ancient Roman writers. â€Å"By turns†, remarks Legouis, â€Å"he imitates Cicero's periods and Seneca's nervous conciseness†. In addition to these well-known educationists must be mentioned the sizable number of now obscure ones—†those many unacknowledged, unknown guides who, in school and University, were teaching men to admire and imitate the masterpieces of antiquity† (Legouis). Prose: The most important prose writers who exhibit well the influence of the Renaissance on English prose are Erasmus, Sir Thomas More, Lyly, and Sidney. The first named was a Dutchman who, as we have already said, came to Oxford to learn Greek. His chief work was The Praise of Folly which is the English translation of his most important work-written in England. It is, according to Tucker Brook, â€Å"the best expression in literature of the attack that the Oxford reformers were making upon the medieval system. † Erasmus wrote this work in 1510 at the house of his friend Sir Thomas More who was executed at the bidding of Henry VIII for his refusal to give up his allegiance to the ‘ Pope. More's famous prose romance Utopia was, in the words of Legouis, â€Å"true prologue to the Renaissance. † It was the first book written by an Englishman which achieved European fame; but it was written in Latin (1516) and only later (1555) was translated into English. Curiously enough, the next work by an English man again to acquire European fame-Bacon's Novum Organwn-was also written originally in Latin. The word â€Å"Utopiaâ €  is from Greek â€Å"ou topos† meaning â€Å"no place†. More's Utopia is an imaginary island which is the habitat of an ideal republic. By the picture of the ideal state is implied a kind of social criticism of contemporary England. More's indebtedness to Plato's Republic is quite obvious. However, More seems also to be indebted to the then recent discoveries of the explorers and navigators-like Columbus and Vasco da Gama who were mostly of Spanish and Portuguese nationalities. In Utopia, More discredits mediaevalism in all its implications and exalts the ancient Greek culture. Legouis observes about this work : â€Å"The Utopians are in revolt against the spirit of chivalry : they hate warfare and despise soldiers. Communism is the law of the land; all are workers for only a limited number of hours. Life should be pleasant for all; asceticism is condemned. More relies on the goodness of human nature, and intones a hymn to the glory of the senses which reveal nature's wonders. In Utopia all religions are authorized, and tolerance is the law. Scholasticism is scoffed at, and Greek philosophy preferred to that of Rome. From one end to the other of the book More reverses medieval beliefs. † More's Utopia created a new genre in which can be classed such works as Bacon's The New Atlantis (1626), Samuel Butler's Erewhon (1872), W. H. Mallock's The New Republic (1877), Richard Jefferies' After London (1885), W. H. Hudson's The Crystal Age (1887), William Morris† News from Nowhere, and H. G. Well's A Modern Utopia (1905). Passing on to the prose writers of the Elizabethan age-the age of the flowering of the Renaissance-we find them markedly influenced both in their style and thought-content by the revival of the antique classical learning. Sidney in Arcadia, Lyly in Euphues, and Hooker in The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity write an English which is away from the language of common speech, and is either too heavily laden—as in the case of Sidney and Lyly-with bits of classical finery, or modelled on Latin syntax, as in the case of Hooker. Cicero ? eemed to these writers a verv obvious and respectable model. Bacon, however, in his sententiousness and cogency comes near Tacitus and turns away from the prolixity, diffuseness, and ornamentation associated with Ciceronian prose. Further, in his own career and his Essays, Bacon stands as a representative of the materialistic, Machiavellian facet of the Renaissance, particularly of Renaissance Italy. He combines in himself the dispassionate pursuit of truth and the keen desire for material advance. Poetry: Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-42) and the Earl of Surrey (15177-47) were pioneers of the new poetry in England. After Chaucer the spirit of English poetry had slumbered for upward of a century. The change in pronunciation in the fifteenth century had created a lot of confusion in prosody which in the practice of such important poets as Lydgate and Skelton had been reduced to a mockery. â€Å"The revival†, as Legoius says, â€Å"was an uphill task; verse had to be drawn from the languor to which it had sunk in Stephen Hawes, and from the disorder in which a Skelton had plunged it; all had to e done anew†. It was Wyatt and Surrey who came forward to do it. As Mair puts it, it is with â€Å"these two courtiers that the modern English poetry begins. † Though they wrote much earlier, it was only in 1557, a year before Elizabeth's coronation, that their work was published in Tottel's Miscellany which is, according to G. H. Mair, â€Å"one of the landmarks of English literatu re. † Of the two, Wyatt had travelled extensively in Italy and France and had come under the spell of Italian Renaissance. It must be remembered that the work of Wyatt and Surrey does not reflect the impact of the Rome of antiquity alone,. but also that of modern Italy. So far as versification is concerned, Wyatt and Surrey imported into England various new Italian metrical patterns. Moreover, they gave English poetry a new sense of grace, dignity, delicacy, and harmony which was found by them lacking iil the works of Chaucer and the Chaucerians alike. Further, they Were highly influenced by the love poetry of Petrarch and they did their best to imitate it. Petrarch's love poetry is of the courtly kind, in which the pining lover is shown as a â€Å"servant† of his mistress with his heart tempest-tossed by her neglect and his mood varying according to her absence or presence. There is much of idealism, if not downright artificiality, in this kind of love poetry. It goes to the credit of Wyatt to have introduced the sonnet into English literature, and of Surrey to have first written blank verse. Both the sonnet and blank verse were later to be practised by a vast number of the best English poets. According to David Daiches. Wyatt's sonnets represent one of the most interesting movements toward metrical discipline to be found in English literary history. † Though in his sonnets he did not employ regular iambic pentameters yet he created a sense of discipline among the poets of his times who had forgotten the lesson and example of Chaucer and, like Skelton, were writing â€Å"ragged† and â€Å"jagged† lines which jarred so unpleasantly upon the ear. As Tillyard puts it, Wyatt â€Å"let the Renaissance into English verse† by importing Italian and French patterns of sentiment as well as versification. He wrote in all thirty-two sonnets out of which seventeen are adaptations of Petrarch. Most of them (twenty-eight) have the rhyme-scheme of Petarch's sonnets; that is, each has the octave a bbaabba and twenty-six out of these twenty-eight have the c d d c e e sestet. Only in the last three he comes near what is called the Shakespearean formula, that is, three quatrains and a couplet. In the thirtieth sonnet he exactly produced it; this sonnet rhymes a b a b, a b a b, a b a b, c c. Surrey wrote about fifteen or sixteen sonnets out of which ten use the Shakespearean formula which was. to enjoy the greatest popularity among the sonneteers of the sixteenth century. Surrey's work is characterised by . exquisite grace and tenderness which we find missing from that of Wyatt. Moreover, he is a better craftsman and gives greater harmony to his poetry. Surrey employed blank verse in his translation of the fourth book of The Aeneid, the work which was first translated into English verse by Gavin Douglas a generation earlier, but in heroic couplets. Drama: The revival of ancient classical learning scored its first clear impact on English drama in the middle of the sixteenth century. Previous to this impact there had been a pretty vigorous native tradition of drama, particularly comedy. This tradition had its origin in the liturgical drama and had progressed through the miracle and the mystery, and later the morality, to the interlude. John Heywood had written quite a few vigorous interludes, but they were altogether different in tone, spirit, and purpose from the Greek and Roman drama of antiquity. The first English regular tragedy Gorboduc (written by Sackville and Norton, and first acted in 1562) and comedy Ralph Roister Doister (written about 1550 by Nicholas Udall) were very much imitations of classical tragedy and comedy. It is interesting to note that English dramatists came not under the spell of the ancient Greek dramatists â€Å"(Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, the tragedy writers, and Aristophanes, the comedy writer) but the Roman dramatists (Seneca, the tragedy writer, and Plautus and. Terence! the comedv writers). It was indeed unfortunate, as Greek drama is vastly superior to Roman drama. Gpfboduc is a s'avish imitation of Senecan tragedy and has all its features without much of its life. Like Senecan tragedy it has revenge as the tragic —otive, has most of its important incidents (mostly murders) narrated on the -stage by messengers, has much of rhetoric and verbose declamation, has a ghost among its dramatis personae, and so forth. ‘. â€Å". is indeed a good instance of the â€Å"blood and thunder† kind' of tragedy. Ralph Roister Doister is modelled upon Plautus and Terence. It is based on the stupid endeavours of the hero for winning the love of a married woman. There is the cunning, merry slave-Matthew Merrygreek-a descendant of the Plautine slave who serves as the motive power which keeps the play going. Later on, the â€Å"University Wits† struck a note of independence in their dramatic work. They refused to copy Roman drama as slavishly as the writers of Gorboduc and Roister Doister. Even so, their plays are not free from the impact of the Renaissance; rather they show it as amply, though not in the same way. In their imagination they were all fired by the new literature which showed them new dimensions of human capability. They were humanists through and through. All of them—Lyly, Greene, Peele, Nashe, Lodge, Marlowe, and Kyd-show in their dramatic work not, of course, a slavish tendency to ape the ancients but a chemical action of Renaissance learning on the native genius fired by the enthusiasm of discovery and aspiration so typical of the Elizabethan age. In this respect Marlowe stands in the fore-front of the University Wits. Rightly has he been called â€Å"the true child of the Renaissance†.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Human Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Human Sexuality - Essay Example Men do not seem to have as many body images as women do. Men and women do think about their bodies differently. Men seem to be more confident that women. I believe this is a society stereotype. Men are never portrayed as too old. An example would be Hugh Hefner. Despite looking like an old man, Hefner is always surrounded by young women. Not just one young devotee, but Hefner is dating three or four women at a time. I believe in this instance it is Hefner’s confidence, not his looks that make him appealing to women. His money does not hurt either. On the other hand, when an older woman dates or marries a younger man, like Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, the woman is a cougar. Even Demi has tried to keep up a youthful image with cosmetic surgeries. Women are more pressured to look young. Another way that men and women differ about their body image is weight. An overweight man can still attract women. In restaurants or in public I have observed fat men show up with a date more than fat women. This is reflected in the media as well. For example Kevin James, James Gandolfini, and other actors are shown with skinny partners on and off the screen. They also get more press than heavy female stars. I also feel that race has to do with body image. African American women are more comfortable with their bodies than white women. No matter the size, African American women wear makeup, dress up, and portray a sense of pride. Heavier white women tend to wear baggy clothes, no makeup, and try to hide themselves from society. Black men seem to accept heavier women and find that more attractive. White men want skinny women with big breasts. Another body image point that Americans perpetrate is the tanned blonde that stands about 5’10 and weighs about 100 lbs. Ethnic models are sometimes accepted if blue eyed, but dark black models are discouraged. Ethnic hair is also discouraged. African American women wear wigs and straighten their hair. I

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Final Assignment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final Assignment - Term Paper Example There will be injustice in screening the applicants for various jobs. This issue has brought tension among the employees around the mentioned states. Employees have also feared in asking for money lending since its mandatory that they may be unfairly charged during the payment of debts. A great concern is for provisions pertained in these laws because it subjects these employers too much criminal and civil punishments. The exposure of these penalties to the workers is dangerous and it may cause a drop in hiring of employees in private sector. It is also worth noting the requirements in this legislation since it is harsh to the private sector than the government sector and this therefore will cause a problem to the people of Ontario. All the applicants who have reached the final stage of being given a chance go through a thorough inspection for criminal record and this may eliminate a person at this step. Even though the solutions being worked on by the City Council of Ontario are supported, the unintended punishments of allowing this bill would likely deter the business environment in this city of Ontario and regulate job growth as new firms or current employers planning to expand may choose to do so In a neighboring state without this restrictive hiring method. Molding job opportunities in the private field for ex-offenders is an issue of great concern by the city lawmakers, but it would be highly productive to give incentives to businesses to achieve this goal than for authority to command and scare them. The policymakers think that this project will decrease crime in Ontario City but it will be more of negative to the workers than benefit them. Nonetheless, the idea seems to brush away the whole city. Under these laws, job request cannot include a â€Å"box† asking about criminal history although employers can do background checks later in the progression. This policy has many things to correct it. Many of the criminals undergo ordinary

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Selling the Revolutionary Surf Ski in International Markets Assignment

Selling the Revolutionary Surf Ski in International Markets - Assignment Example 7 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 Executive Summary ABC Surfer has recently developed a new surf ski that can outperform all the existing skis and can be produced at a much lower cost. The surf ski's unique design and shell material is protected by a number of patents. Surf skiing is an international adventure sport with surf skier all over the world. Hence, it is in ABC Surfer's interest to expand into international markets to reach as many potential customers as possible. Surf skiing is comparatively a new sport but is gaining in popularity all over the world. Besides Australasia, the US is one of the major countries that hosts surf skiing events and has the biggest population of surf skiers. As such the US is not only one of the biggest market for surf skiing products, but also the fastest growing one. The countr y also has low barriers to entry, similar culture as Australia and a stable political and economic environment. As ABC Surfer looks to expand in international markets, the US comes across as an obvious choice. ABC Surfer must also carefully analyze and plan its mode of entry into the US market. Although the company has several options available, the need to protect its patented design means that it must discard licensing and joint ventures as possible options. Opening a wholly owned subsidiary or going for an acquisition is also not an available option at this time due to cost considerations. Keeping these factors in mind, the direct export mode of entry is best suited for ABC Surfer's international plans. It is recommended that the company should open a branch in the US to take care of day to day issues and importing, promoting and sales of the surf ski. Selling the Revolutionary Surf Ski in International Markets 1. Introduction The ABC Surfers is a premium Australian manufacturing company involved in the production of surfing equipment. The company has recently developed a surf ski, a revolutionary product that outperforms all existing surf skis in the market. The surf ski is designed for professional surfers and with its high level of performance can help professional surfers outperform their competitors. As the benefits of the sew surf ski become widely known, its demand in the surfing community is likely to rise steadily. Since the surf ski has huge international potential, it is important to ensure that the surf ski is easily available to surfing enthusiasts all over the world. Given the international nature of surfing as a sport, expansion into international markets is necessary to ensure that surfers all over the world have access to our surf skis. However, all international expansions must be carefully planned because a poorly designed international strategy can misfire and lead to huge costs. This report shall look at the most suitable market for ABC Surfer's international ventures and suggest the most suitable entry strategy. Surfing is a popular sport in many countries across Europe and Asia, but no country embraces the sport like the US. Hence, the US should be the obvious choice for ABC Surfers to make their international foray. As far as entry strategy is concerned, direct export is the best strategy at this time given the sensitivity of the technology related to the new surf ski as well as the cost considerations. 2. The American Market According to Westhead et al (2001), a number of factors must be qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed before deciding which market to

Monday, August 26, 2019

Research to introduce telemedicine (eICU) to the hospital Annotated Bibliography

Research to introduce telemedicine (eICU) to the hospital - Annotated Bibliography Example The software also involve immediate access to all progress about patient plans of care, x-ray as well as notes that are useful to the patient. This helps hospitals in management because they minimize on costs since one intensivist is used in more that one hospital to offer the same service. The authors brings out the positive effects that telemedicine has in the intensive care unit. This is because this system has an audio-video patient monitoring and management system that has a design best suitable for intensive care unit and hence only few experts manage many hospitals. This source has a goal of ensuring that hospitals minimize costs for intensive care unit to increase financial gain of the hospital. This source is helpful because it brings out the financial benefits, which a hospital is likely to gain by adopting a system since experts can monitor it from a centralized location while dealing with patients who are in the ICU. This research paper is about a proposal of introducing telemedicine to hospitals. It contains annotated bibliography of nine references that relate to this proposal. Breslow, M., et al (2004): Effect of a multiple-site intensive care unit telemedicine program on clinical and economic outcomes: an alternative paradigm for intensivist staffing. Crit Care Med , 32:31–38 [1]. In this journal, the authors examine telemedicine in hospitals by looking at whether a corresponding remote intensive care unit, for care programs adopted by an integrated care delivery network though a commercial telemedicine and ICT (information communication technology), would enhance clinical and economical performance in ICUs. The authors have been able to carry out an important study, and have presented vital results to the study of telemedicine implementation in ICUs. In deed, this journal greatly helps in understanding this

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Destination Marketing and Branding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Destination Marketing and Branding - Essay Example According to the research findings, destination marketing is a phenomenon used by most authority or players in the hotel and hospitality industry to lure tourists and other clients into demanding services from respective firm within the locality. Heavy capitalization of the resources available within the area of destination plays a key role in destination marketing. Clients are expected to visualize the tranquility of the destination being marketed and desire to travel. Tourists are at liberty to visit other coastal resort not only in England but other parts of the world. Destination marketing and consumer marketing or the other forms of marketing are very distinct. Key aspect in the designing of the destination marketing is the tourists; tourist will travel several miles and expect to enjoy the tranquility being promoted. Since the tourist is not captives, they will move around different hotels, restaurant and anything that fall short their expectations will result to dissatisfactio n. Bournemouth coastal resort identifies the demand from their tourists over the years, with that it has differentiated its product and services to meet the diversity in tourism. Tourism cannot be defined by the traditional thought, because of the dynamics that the industry has undergone. In Bournemouth strategy, tourists should not receive anything less than what they anticipated through the destination marketing. To meet the diversity of tourists growing demand, Bournemouth has the following services for their clients to do while they are within the coastal resort; walking, attraction, cycling, garden, and shopping. Destination marker has the responsibility to spot tourists need and match with the resources available within the marketed destination.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Gun Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Gun Control - Essay Example They argue that it would assist them in fighting for their security. Opponents present with arguments that increased availability of guns would result in the falling of the weapons in the wrong hands and would therefore bring harm rather than benefit to the nation. The subject of gun control remains controversial in the United States and different rulings and researches have been conducted with regard to the matter of gun control. According to the National Vital statistics many people succumb to injuries resulting from guns and the data from the year 2001 alone highlighted the fact that 11,001 people lost their lives owing to firearm shots from criminals. In the same year, 16,455 people resorted to suicide by using guns. The great number of fatalities that result due to firearms has led to the marking of guns as the second death causing reason in the United States. Furthermore, it has been seen in the history of the country that many great figures have lost their lives due to firearm injuries. The killing of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy who were killed in the year 1968 uphold this fact. Despite of these findings, an interesting finding that has been presented is that the number of people who die to due firearm injuries has reduced after the year 1993 owing to the relaxation in gun control laws following this year (Gold 2004; Valdez 2003). The first and the most important ruling with regard to gun control got passed in the United States in the year 1939 by the Supreme Court of the country. According to the ruling the possession of firearms was restricted and personal firearms were not to be issued. The ruling has been subjected to many arguments since that time and it has undergone many changes since that period. Opponents of this ruling use the Second Amendment in their favor as according to this Amendment, "A well regulated militia, being necessary

Research Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Research Assignment - Essay Example In this scenario the priority for both of the boards were to converging IFRS and US GAAP. According to the Norwalk Agreement (September, 2002) in association with the regional bodies the IASB and the FASB started to work together for removing the differences of the accounting standards. The objectives of the project are to updating the existing concepts like setting up the standards, improve consistency and achieve completeness which would reflect the business practice changes, changes in market over the year. The boards are conducting the project in 8 phases, among these the phase A of the project was completed already and the B, C, D phases are active currently (IFRS Foundation, 2011). Status of the Project The phase A of the project was completed on September 28, 2010 and the boards have issued the concept statement no 8 which is a replacement of the concept statement no 1 and 2. ... Like in the definition of asset there is a difference between the two standards, for including future economic benefits in assets the term â€Å"expected† is in the IASB definition and there is â€Å"probable† in the FASB definition, which creates confusion among the users that which assets should actually they include; the most likely future benefits or all the future benefits they are expecting from the business. So the boards have developed the phase B of the Conceptual Framework project which provides the recognition process of elements (e.g. assets, liability and revenue recognition) of financial statements along with the requirements of laws and regulations. The objective of the phase C of the project is providing the guide for selecting the bases of measurement which is needed for satisfying the objectives of financial statements. The aim is to select a particular measurement approach for all the financial statements. This phase also establishes the framework for the measurement of fair value objective in US GAAP. The phase B and C are yet to be completed and the decisions that are already taken by the boards may change in the future board meetings. Major Changes in GAAP Proposed by the Project The Conceptual Framework project which is jointly developing by the IASB and the FASB would result in some major changes in the US GAAP accounting method. According to the US GAAP accounting method the requirements for revenue recognition are broad, for which the similar transactions can result in different accounting in contrast the IFRS has fewer requirements in case of revenue recognition. Both the accounting method would have gone for some changes but the changes required for US GAAP in revenue recognition are more than the IFRS. A

Friday, August 23, 2019

Researchweek2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Researchweek2 - Essay Example The highest level also leads to legal accountability on the part of doctors and nurses. This means that this level provides a plan which is stipulated step by step and which the patient agrees to after going through it with the health worker. In case of any legal questions, the health worker is able to extrapolate with evidence the plan and hence becoming legally accountable. Lawsuits will therefore be an issue of the past. There are several ways of determining the highest level of evidence the first being examining the credibility of the evidence in terms of the background and authority of the researchers and validity of the data. The other is examining whether the research results are transferrable or generalizable to others beyond the study subjects, if so, then it qualifies. Since the research on the intervention in question is not the first, a comparison with other research is advisable and a determination of the stage of development is also important. The one with the highest or is most advanced in the stage of development qualifies to be considered the highest level of intervention research (Majid 233). Majid, Shaheen, et al. â€Å"Adopting evidence-based practice in clinical decision making: nurses perceptions, knowledge, and barriers.† Journal of Medical Library Association, 99(3): 229-236, July

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The Iron Lady Essay Example for Free

The Iron Lady Essay The Iron Lady BY sptke25 The Iron Lady If you lead a country like Britain, a strong country, a country which has taken a lead in world affairs in good times and in bad, a country that is always reliable, then you have to have a touch of iron about you. Margaret Thatcher, the first woman to lead a major Western democracy, spoke these words. She served as Great Britains Prime Minister for more than eleven years (1979-1990), and led with an iron fist bringing down inflation in England, reviving the British economy, reclaiming the Falkland Islands, and never wavering against the Soviets in the Cold War. Born as Margaret Hilda Roberts on October 13, 1925, in Grantham, Lincolnshire, England, she was the youngest daughter of Alfred and Beatrice Roberts. Her father was a local businessman who operated a grocery store where the Roberts family lived in an apartment above. Thatcher was introduced to politics by her father. He was active in the town council and later became mayor. She was accepted at Oxford University where she studied chemistry, although it took second place to her love of politics. Thus, she became politically active on campus. She was elected president of the student Conservative Association at Oxford which ave way to many political connections for her future. She ran as the Conservative candidate for the Labour seat of Dartford at the General Elections of 1950 and 1951. Although she lost both times, she did win fame for being the youngest woman candidate in the country, since during the elections; she was only in her mid- Losing never deterred Thatcher. She continued her involvement with twenties. the Conservative Party in Kent where she met her future husband, Denis Thatcher. They were married in 1951. He, being a wealthy businessman, funded her studies for the bar, and she became a barrister in 1953. It was that same year she and her husband excitedly welcomed their twins, Mark and Carol into their family. Even though a new mother, Margaret Thatcher did not slow down her political rampage. She kept focus and finally in 1959 she smoothly took the election and claimed her seat in the House of Commons. She was everything from Secretary at the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance to Secretary of State for Education and Science. She gained many supporters, as well as fueling many protesters; especially when she felt forced to make cuts in the Educational budget and tossed out free milk in the schools. This action gained her the nickname, Maggie Thatcher, milk snatcher. Her popularity and fortitude as a leader rebounded quite nicely, and she became the Conservative Leader. On January 19th, 1976 Thatcher made a speech in Kensington Town Hall. During this speech, she boldly attacked the Soviet Union. Her most famous lines were: The Russians are bent on world dominance, and they are rapidly acquiring the means to become the most powerful imperial nation the world has seen. The men in the Soviet Politburo do not have to worry about the ebb and flow of public opinion. They put guns before butter, while we put Just about verything before guns. Ministry newspaper, Red Star. Although others may have been offended by this, Thatcher took great pride in gaining that reputation from a government she held little to no admiration for. During the winter of 78/79 an epidemic of strikes broke out across Britain. The trade union was demanding pay increases. The government in place at the time, the Labours, seemed to be losing the confidence of the public, so at the General Election of May 1979, the Conservative party won. Margaret Thatcher was now the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The first term of Thatchers Ministry was filled with economic pitfalls. She and her government put many long term goals into effect, which slowly proved to be successful. The economy was finally on the rise. Much political support was bestowed upon her because of this success, and re-election looked viable, yet that fate would be sealed by another event: The Falkland Islands. Argentina and Great Britain had been for years at odds with each other over the islands. The English had seized the Islands and remained in control of them since 1833. Yet on April 2, 1982 the Argentine troops invaded the island. They quickly were able to overcome the British marines stationed there. Margaret Thatcher working with the U. S. dministration hoped that a more diplomatic means would be possible while attempting to regain the islands, yet when this approach failed, she quickly and assuredly ordered military action. In doing so, Britain regained the Falkland Islands by June of 1982. The electorate was quite impressed and she swiftly won the 1983 election. Mrs. Thatcher was a staunch anti-communist and a supporter of NATOs decision to deploy U. S. Pershing and cruise mis siles in Western Europe during the Cold War. She also took a stand against anti-nuclear demonstrators at Greenam Common. The demonstrators were set on topping the delivery of the 160 missiles to be placed there. She also set the foundation for and delivered a modernized British Fleet consisting of Trident II nuclear submarines. She made her position quite clear as she stood with Ronald Reagan declaring that the Soviet Union was an evil enemy who deserved no No compromise, however, did not mean no discussion; Thatcher compromise. was not afraid to discuss the massive nuclear problem or the woes of communism with the newly elected Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. She found him to be extremely open-minded. He was willing to debate, argue his point, yet listen to the ther side. In an interview with CBS newsman Tom Fenton, she stated that he was the first person to have said: Look, all our hopes of communism are not being realized. It is not producing the standard of living, it is not producing the standard of technology, it is not producing the standard of social services. This total central control will not do, it will not do it, we have got to have more individual personal involvement. She felt that Gorbachev knew an increase of freedom was inevitable for improving his country. Thatcher found that she liked the man and was quoted as saying that she felt they could do business together.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Importance of Choice in the Strategy Formulation

Importance of Choice in the Strategy Formulation In recent years, international hospitality industry, like any other industry, has been affected by the effects of globalization, the information technology revolution, and the consumer demand. Hence, the targets in tourism have suffered considerable alterations and forced hospitality managers to re- examine their decision-making plans. Hospitality is difficult to manage and assess as long as it deals with a new awareness and addresses to new demands. Its level can be given through the customer feedback. For tourism to be considered an industry it must have a production process and a generic product mutually and inseparably related. The purpose of this chapter is to focus attention upon the theoretic aspects regarding the strategic choices in this field, the way they are elaborated, implemented, used, and put into practice. To be more precise, the chapter looks at the strategic choices used be Romania and Bulgaria on the sea side tourism. 2.2. STRATEGIC CHOICE 2.2.1. IMPORTANCE OF CHOICE IN THE STRATEGY FORMULATION PROCESS Ranking the elements in a strategy formulation process, strategic choice comes third. When there are no choices, there can be little value in considering strategy at all. To be better understood, a definition of strategy is necessary to mention. According to Michael Baker, Marketing strategy is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its resources on the optimal opportunities with the goals of increasing sales and achieving a sustainable competitive advantage.(See Baker, MICHAEL, The Strategic Marketing Plan Audit, 2008, ISBN,p.3 ). According to the above definition, any strategy must have a pre established plan which establishes goals, identifies alternatives, and makes use of intuition and experience. In other words, it includes basic activities on a long term, as well as objectives. In general, small companies are limited by their resources, whereas large ones find it difficult to change quickly. Even when managers seem free to make strategic choices, the results may depend in the same measure on chance and opportunity, as on the managers deliberate choices. It is proven fact that events, and especially unexpected events, can play a major part in determining results. Any process of choice could be divided into four steps: Identifying options Evaluating the options against preference criteria Selecting the best option Taking action In practice, it may be difficult to identify all possible actions at the same time. Sometimes, unexpected events create new opportunities, destroy the foreseen ones, or alter the balance of advantage between opportunities. For these reasons, good strategic choices have to be challenging enough and achievable. And here comes analysis, judgment and skills, elements which make the difference in defining strategies. 2.2.2 STRUCTURE OF STRATEGIC CHOICE The Figure 1.1 shows how the three logical elements of strategy formulation process interact. The shaded background is a reminder of the importance of context in determining the aspects to be solved by strategic choice. Figure 1.2 expands the detail so that to illustrate the significance of the overlaps. The common ground between any two circles is of some interest, but it is only where all three circles overlap that viable options exist. Thus, the chosen strategy is a viable option because it is here where intent and assessment fully meet. Of interest are also the areas where any two circles overlap. So, the criteria for choice derive from intent and assessment. In practice, the process for choosing a strategy may be structured like in Figure 1.3. It starts by identifying available options. Any chosen strategy will have to answer the questions what , how , why , who , and when in order to provide answers to each of these questions. There are likely to be different kinds of options. Figure 1.3 shows three types: products/ services / markets, resources/ capabilities, and methods of progress. They are typical but not necessarily exhaustive. 2.2.3 OPTIONS FOR MARKETS AND PRODUCTS / SERVICES The tourism industry is a constellation of businesses, agencies, and non-profit organizations which work together to create products. Thus, the type of option relates to which products or services to offer in which markets. The diagram in Figure 1.4 structures a certain decision, as it was suggested for the first time by Igor Ansoff .The axes of the diagram represent the product, market needs, and market geography. The last is defined by four cells. The possible choices about products and markets can be represented as movements within or away from these cells. One set of choices is possible within the existing product / market set. Do nothing choice means continuing the present strategy. This strategy compares any proposed change with the do nothing option as a baseline. This option, however, is not often viable for the long term as competitors will be likely to gradually take the market by improving their product, processes, relationships. Withdraw choice is leaving the market by closing down or selling out .This may seem a negative option but necessary to focus available resources into areas of greater strength. It mainly occurs in declining markets. Consolidate choice refers to attempting to hold market share in existing markets. This is a defensive option which involves cutting costs and prices. It mostly occurs in mature markets or ones beginning to decline. Market Penetration choice means increasing market share within the same market. This is a more aggressive option and involves investing in product improvement, advertising, or channel development. Other possible options are Product Development that is developing and acquiring new products and Market Development, an option which addresses to new market needs. Diversification is another type of option having to do with new products. It may be of two kinds: related and unrelated. Related diversification, in its turn, divides into: backward, forward, and horizontal integration. Any management choice has to focus on the relative attractiveness of available options. Whether the present position is bad enough, even risky alternatives are preferable to doing nothing. 2.2.4 OPTIONS IN METHODS OF IMPLEMENTATION Options are likely to occur in methods of implementation as well. There are four main methods to make companies grow their capabilities: internal development, acquisition, contractual arrangements, and strategic alliances. Internal development is the most obvious approach to growth. It involves developing the necessary skills among the existing staff and acquiring the necessary production capacity. This method has one disadvantage: it takes time for the competitors to move faster, otherwise opportunities may be lost. Acquisition is a very common implementation option, used by such countries as the UK and USA. Take overs and mergers are dominant for this method of implementation. The disadvantage for mergers is that they can cause operational and psychological disorder which distracts the people. Competitors can use this turmoil in their benefit as they are free to concentrate on customers rather than on internal changes. Many acquisitions may be beneficial at the right price, but may also destroy shareholder value at a too high price. Contract arrangements, regardless of their type, have in common the need for a written contract which binds two or more parties into a clear agreement as to who will do what and pay what. When disputes happen they can be handled in courts by agreed arbitration procedures, or by not renewing the present contract at the expiry. The contract arrangements come in different forms: Consortia are groups of companies that form a joint entity for a specific purpose. When this purpose is achieved, the consortium breaks up and the separate partners may find themselves competing in different consortia for a new project. Franchising is common in retailing. The franchisee pays the franchiser a fee for services and royalties. The franchisee is halfway between an employee and an independent entrepreneur. His risk is limited by the previous success of the brand name and the support and advice given by the franchiser. Licensing allows a small inventive company to license its product to be manufactured and marketed by others. This can determine quick growth by avoiding the need to build manufacturing or distribution capability. Agents imply doing business in foreign countries or specialized markets where the volume of business is too low to justify a permanent presence. The agent must be familiar with local requirements and calls for additional support from the principal when opportunities arise. There are conflicts among agents which include conflicts of interest. Strategic alliances and partnerships have come into fashion over the last decade .When there are contracts between the parties, there is a wider intention to cooperate at a strategic level in order to share information and to work together in a way that goes beyond a clear contractual arrangement. It is considered that for a rapidly changing world, strategic alliances are the only way to achieve speed of response and global spread. 2.2.5. GROUPING OPTIONS INTO STRATEGIC OPTIONS Possible options about product / markets, resources / capabilities, and the method of implementation must be combined into a smaller number of strategic options. This may be an up or down process. The bottom -up approach implies linking what might be done in detail into strategies. The top- down approach means testing general ideas of future direction against detailed options. 2.2.6. GENERAL TESTS OF STRATEGIC OPTIONS The tests, important otherwise, cannot be totally objective. Each strategic option has to pass two tests as shown in Figures 1.2 and 1.3 .These tests must be: Aligned in that it conforms to the strategic intent. This test answers the question: Does this option take us where we want to? Feasible in that the capabilities and resources needed to get success can be made available. The test answers the following question: Will it work? Acceptance is a third test, related to the two mentioned above, asking the question: Will this option be acceptable? Acceptable means to win the approval of two groups: those who will have to approve it and those who will have to implement it. Any strategic option has to pass all these three tests. In the case when more than one strategic option passes these tests, they have to be compared with each other to find the best solution, at that particular moment. It is also important to take into account such situations as risks. 2.2.7. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS FOR ASSISTING STRATEGIC CHOICE There have been several attempts to provide theoretical frameworks for making strategic choices .One highly influential, was the concept of Generic Strategies, devised in 1985 by Porter. He mentioned that the most important choices dealing with any business are the scope of the markets. It is about how to serve and how to compete in the chosen markets. The scope can be broad- tackling the whole market , or narrow tackling one particular part of the market. Companies achieve competitive advantage either by having the lowest product cost or by having products which are different in ways valued by customers. The axes of Figure 1.5 are the scope of the chosen market and chosen basis of competition. The four quadrants in the same figure suggest four possible strategies. When the scope is narrow, the distinction between cost and differentiation becomes unimportant so Porter mentions only three generic strategies : coast leadership, differentiation, focus. While differentiation implies a difference in the perception of the product by clients, focus implies a difference in target market. According to Porter, the weakest strategy is b being stuck in the middle . Managers were enthusiastic about generic strategies when first published. Gradually, the reality showed a distinction between differentiation and cost. Few companies afford to ignore cost however different their product may be. On the other side, there are very few companies to admit that their product is the same as all the others. Porters Generic Strategy Model has been extended into the Strategy Clock (Figure 1.6) The important addition is the hybrid strategy, an optional balance between price and the added value perceived by the customer. The offerings may often fall into three categories. There are cheap offerings for those customers to whom the price is the most important aspect. At the other end are the luxury offerings with high quality and appeal to those customers who want the best and most differentiated. In the middle, are the good valued offerings which compromise between the other two and offer a good trade off between price and value. 2.3 STRATEGIC CHOICES USED BY ROMANIA AND BULGARIA When discussing this issue, it is important to focus upon the targets in tourism, targets that have changed in accordance with the new demands. Among these targets, here are some: Increasing visitor satisfaction Increasing the amount visitor spend for services Delivering the best prices Reducing seasonality Involving the local authorities to create community In terms of hotel industry, Romania has inherited a great tourist accommodation capacity from the communist period. Since the 1960s Romania had developed many accommodation facilities, mainly on the sea- side coast of the Black Sea. The low ranked hotels from this area are convenient for a mass tourism demand. After the 1990s the main tourism indicators have pointed out two distinctive periods on the Romanian market. These are characterized by severe government instability and lack of policies and strategies regarding the tourism industry. During 1990 2000 there was a slow intensity of the privatization process, only 55, 3 % of the accommodation facilities were private owned. After 2001 , Romanian tourism industry has followed and increasing trend due to an accelerated privatization , 92 % of the accommodation facilities have been transformed from state owned to private owned .Lots of investments have occurred in modernizing the accommodation structures and increasing the volume of the green field investments. Elaborating and applying strategies in Romanian tourism companies is a complex process, alive, and in continuing expansion. Meanwhile, Bulgaria has come in with a dynamic and harsh competition .This has determined the need to change this industry by elaborating new strategies which focus on perspective , positioning , plan , and pattern. The differentiation strategy, suggested by Porter, is the strategy that the Romanian hotels are following. The Romanian hotel market considers that differentiation can be the result of a strong marketing campaign meant to strengthen the unique characteristics of the product / services within the mentality of the customers. The hotels in Romanian market are pursuing a focus differentiation strategy. They are producing products and services for the high price market segments. Another strategy used by Romania is the training strategy. Within the service sector, it is of great importance to exist an interaction client employee. The customers satisfaction is given by the behavior of the employees. The hybrid strategy is pursued by those hotels which envision a decrease f the distribution costs and those that renounce to the unprofitable clients. These hotels attempt to sustain their strategy by the use of the Internet and E- commerce. The tourism industry in Bulgaria plays an important part in the countrys economy. Accession to the UE has had a great impact on its market, as the seaside summer resorts on the Black Sea Coast are the main attraction. One of the strategies used by Bulgarian hoteliers is to base their prices on the products perceived value .Value based pricing means that the marketer cannot design a product and a marketing program and then fix the price. Price is a worth value to consider .The company uses the non- prices variables to build in the buyers minds a perceived value by setting prices to match the perceived value. ( Kotler , 2003 ).To simplify, hoteliers are aware that consumers must feel as if they get a good deal for their money. Perceived value is the key of any good pricing strategy. Bulgarians also use the differentiating strategy. Their purpose is to offer unique products and services so as to obtain a price premium. In other words, by implementing differentiated services or personalized services , a company can build its customer loyalty when substitute products or services are not available in the market. In this way, they charge their customers a higher price than their rivals based on the cost of the delivery system and service quality. The coast- leadership strategy has made the Bulgarian hospitality a name. Researchers in the fields of marketing and strategic management have suggested numerous approaches to help firms achieve cost leadership. Some of these are using mass production techniques, achieving economies of scale, adopting a new technology, achieving mass -distribution, reducing input costs , achieving resource, and improving access to raw materials. 2.4 SUMMARY Strategic choice is the third logical element of the strategy process, playing a central role. The process of choice is deciding between different options. There are likely to be possible options about a product and services and about market segments defined by both customer need and geography. Indicators between what is possible and what is required may follow from the results of a strategic assessment. The various options may inter-relate so it is necessary to identify a small number of strategic options made up of appropriately related options. Strategic options have to be aligned, acceptable, and feasible. If here is more than one strategic option, that meets these tests, they need to be compared both logically and politically in order to take a final decision.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Health Promotion Strategies: Sexual Health and Chlamydia

Health Promotion Strategies: Sexual Health and Chlamydia Sexual Health Chlamydia This essay seeks to discuss a topical health promotion issue in the United Kingdom and to explore the topic in terms of current research findings, support mechanisms currently on offer and the role of the nurse in promoting health and well being. Relevant health promotion models, terms relating to health and health promotion will also be analysed. Primarily the focus will be on sexual health promotion of sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia, its effect on young people including barriers that are inhibiting sexual health promotion. Rationale for choosing sexual health and targeting young people has been the increased concern by the government to promote sexual health in young people necessitated by the rise in figures of sexually transmitted infections. The Department of Health (DoH, 2008c) acknowledges that due to new evidence from research, sexual transmitted infections (STIs) and Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are causing a wide range of illnesses and are a significant cause of long term and serious disability in the United Kingdom. It goes on to mention about the arrival of HIV epidemic in the 1980’s, high infection rates and risky sexual behaviours as the reasons for increased concern among health professionals, the government and the public (DoH, 2008c). Chlamydia is the most common STI diagnosed in genitourinary medicine clinics in England with high prevalence among young men and women under 25 years old. The highest rates are among the 20-24 year age group in men and 16-19 years in women (DoH, 2008c). Because of these reasons the government has targeted chlamydia for sexual health promotion through published reports and implementing educational programmes with the help of different public bodies and organisations. Prior to that, ‘pilot studies of opportunistic screening for genital chlamydia’ were carried out in Portsmouth and Wiral between 1999 and 2001, and they revealed high figures of chlamydia infection (DoH, 2008b). DoH (2003) reiterated that another reason why chlamydia had been targeted was because of serious health problems associated with it since it is asymptomatic and at least three quarters of women and half of men with the infection have not been treated. Furthermore, one in ten young people are unaware of the infection. Chlamydia is known to cause pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women and in men it can cause arthritis, epididymitis and Reiters Syndrome (DoH, 2008c). The anticipated change in the National Health Service (NHS) in dealing with sexual health matters was facilitated by the government through programmes such as the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV which was implemented in 2001 in conjunction with the DoH and the NHS. It outlined among other issues the need for a National Chlamydia Screening Programme which was subsequently established in 2003 with the aim of controlling chlamydia in young adults, detecting and treating the infections thereby preventing further infections and complications associated with it (DoH, 2008b). In 2005 there was a re-launch of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme in collaboration with the Health Protection Agency to raise awareness of Chlamydia amongst young people by offering free confidential screening, a website with factual information on chlamydia which also addresses some commonly asked questions (DoH, 2008c). This in itself indicates some failings in the programme between the time it was first established in 2001 until the re-launch in 2005. Nevertheless, this also shows the commitment of the government in promoting sexual health by aiming to improve the services and continuing to try different ways of reaching out to the public. It is interesting to note that the idea of health promotion was initiated as early as 1977 with targets and legislative policy and guidance being put in place but little seems to have been done practically. Kart (2000 p.6) mentioned that ‘In 1977 Health for All by the year 2000 was launched at the 30th World Health Assembly. This policy initiative formulated a range of performance indicators by which progress towards better health might be judged, such as reduction in rates of disease, increased levels of nutrition and improved primary healthcare.’ One can certainly conclude that the battle is still ongoing and much more practical interventions to facilitate sexual health promotion calls for serious consideration. However, Johnson et al, (2001) agrees that HIV and STI transmission is a major public health challenge. Davey et al (2001) sought to obtain views from the public on the definition of health. Their definitions included health as the absence of disease, as physical fitness, as energy, as a social relationship, as function and as psycho-social well-being. Davey et al (2001) concluded that the differences in definitions were influenced by sex differences and age groups. The World Health Organisation (1986) emphasised health as a two-way process of critical consciousness raising, clarifying values, exploring attitudes, educating policy makers and taking control over one’s own health. This definition seeks to empower the individual who is in need of assistance by giving them the opportunity to identify and learn from their experience alongside professional support. Evidence has proved the ambiguity of the term health promotion. Many authors have defined health promotion in various ways. Terms such as health education and public health have been used in place of health promotion but conflicts still arise in terms of what is to be included in the definition and what has to be excluded. Tones (1994 p. 14) defined health promotion as ‘health promotion = health education x health public.’ While French (1990) questioned the exclusion of disease management as a way of promoting health. Most authors agree that health promotion cannot be discussed without mentioning health education in the process. Perhaps, it should be acknowledged that the two work effectively when used concurrently. Health education also emphasizes the large part of health promotion offered by nurses, as their intervention seeks to empower the patient with knowledge. Kartz et al (2000) described health education as a form of communication that offers knowledge and skills essential in making healthier choices through behavioural changes that will benefit the wider community. The Department of Health asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE, 2007) to produce public health guidance on interventions to reduce the transmission of chlamydia, including screening and other STI’s including HIV reduce the rate of under 18 conceptions, especially among vulnerable and at risk groups. This guidance focuses on one to one interventions to prevent STIs and under 18 conceptions. In 2004 the DoH on behalf of the government published a report by Tony Blair titled ‘Choosing Health: Making healthy choices easier.’ This white paper explained how the government intended to support the public in making informed healthy choices and tackling the causes of ill health without discrimination. It also aimed to set realistic goals and offer ongoing health support into the 21st century. The government also initiated the accessible services provided by adults who feel confident working with young people through youth services such as Young People’s Development Programme and outreach services with a particular focus on those who are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing, poor outcomes because of mental health problems or substance misuse (DoH, 2004). Furthermore, the government provided  £300 million in support of the White Paper: Choosing Health as a constructive measure to sexual health promotion and introduced a reduction in value added tax for condoms if one has to buy them (DoH, 2004). Due to inadequate access of specialist sexual health, the DoH (2008a) introduced the Evaluation of One-Stop Shop (OSS) model of sexual health provision for different specialist care under one roof for easy accessibility and effectiveness of services. However, there was much debate on the issue with some professionals welcoming the idea while others did not think that this would make much difference after considering costs and opening times of different clinics. Measor et al (2000) points out the discrepenses in policies or lack of consideration when it comes to making policies that involve young adults such as the lack of a clear national policy. This has had a number of negative effects on sexual health promotion. The result has been a confused mix of messages for adolescents about sexuality. A research done by Blenkinsop et al (2004) on adolescents highlighted that young people were not in agreement with the government’s view of the rights of parents over children. They challenged this view of the balance of power between the generations. However, the children acknowledged the need for adults to be involved in sexual health promotion but the vast majority preferred to discuss sexual concerns with teachers, nurses and other health professionals. On the other hand, the children expressed their right to withdraw if they suspected that information was going to be shared with their parents, which is a breach of confidentiality. Confidentiality and trust should be guaranteed and where possible maintained at all times and this is in accordance with the NMC code of professional conduct (2008). Some cultures need to depart from traditional health communications and beliefs that do not permit sexual health issues to be discussed with a parent as the DoH (2003) highlighted cultural differences, stigma, discrimination, inequalities and poverty as barriers to sexual health promotion. An important aspect that parents have to keep in mind is to refrain from the blame culture, being judgemental or dominating conversations when their children seek advice on sexual matters. The government through the document ‘Choosing Health’ intend to develop new ways of supporting the parents of teenagers so that they feel equipped to help their children make informed choices, particularly on sensitive issues such as sex and relationships (DoH, 2004). Some Primary Care Trusts have begun to implement the government’s plan by involving young people in projects that offer communication on sexual health through magazines. In Manchester Your Life magazine which covered sexual health issues has published and distributed over 7,000 copies of the magazine through Manchester Secondary schools, attracting a positive response from both pupils and education professionals. The response of young people towards the magazine was exceptionally overwhelming (DoH, 2004). There seem to be more need to change behaviour now than ever before. Dines et al (995) points out that there is research evidence of increased risky sexual behaviour mostly amongst young people and also across the population. NICE (2007) elaborates on behaviours that increase the risk of STIs as including drug and alcohol abuse, early onset of sexual activity, engaging in unprotected sex and frequently changing sexual partners. Therefore NICE (2007) recommends health professionals working in general practice, genito-urinary medicine (GUM), community health services (including community contraceptive services), voluntary and community organisations, school clinics to actively facilitate health promotion programmes . Benzeval et al (1995) also highlighted the interconnections of lifestyle and environmental factors, suggesting that action was required to combat inequalities at various levels. Assumptions, different beliefs and values also play an important role in how people react to health promotion as well as prioritising it. However, evidence from research has to be embraced to avoid conflicting ideas and approaches in analysing and implementing the health models individually and in the society. Ewles et al (1999) defined five approaches to health promotion as medical which promotes health by providing medical intervention, behaviour change which encourages attitude and behaviour change by adopting healthier lifestyles, educational which empowers individuals with knowledge and understanding to make informed decisions, client centred which facilitates choice of health actions as identified by the client, last but not the least is the societal approach which seeks to change the physical and social environment to enable choice of healthier lifestyle. One can conclude that these theories are direct input to health promotion which is provided by facilitators of health promotion such as nurses, other health care professionals and teachers. Young people need to learn about behaviour change. Changing behaviour can be challenging, stressful and bring uncertainty in one’s life but support from friends, families and professionals is of paramount importance in convincing the individual that they are doing the right thing. Ewles (1999) further suggests that the individual should implement and adopt behaviour that promotes health. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as cited by Wagner (2008) identified basic needs such as self actualisation, esteem, social, safety and physiological needs. Young people should be encouraged to realise these needs, have a sense of belonging and fulfil love needs through working with families and groups. Self actualisation assists in having a deeper understanding of self through realising personal potential, growth, peak and self fulfilment. Nurses play an important role in facilitating awareness of sexually transmitted infections in young people at an early stage through school nursing. The nurses work closely with children, teenagers, their parents, carers and teachers providing advice and support about health issues such as puberty and sexual health. As Murphy (2004) suggests that nursing intervention aims to control genital chlamydia infections through early detection and treatment. This reduces the chance of onward transmission and prevents the development of complications. NICE (2007) recommend action from health professional to identify individuals at high risk of STIs using their sexual history. Opportunities for risk assessment may arise during consultations on contraception, pregnancy or abortion, and when carrying out a cervical smear test, offering an STI test or providing travel immunisation. Risk assessment could also be carried out during routine care or during registration of new patients. One to one structured discussions with individuals at high risk of contracting STIs offer more privacy, is assuring to the individual and encourages good rapport. The discussions should be structured on the basis of behavioural change theories. They should address factors that can help reduce risk-taking and improve self-efficacy and motivation. Ideally, each session should last at least 15–20 minutes. The number of sessions one can receive depends on individual need. As difficult and embarrassing as it may be for young people, the acceptance of behavioural change should prepare them to take action and ensure their sexual partners also seek help. NICE (2007) remind facilitators of health promotion to ensure that sexual health services, including contraceptive and abortion services, are in place to meet local needs. Services should include arrangements for the notification, testing, treatment and follow-up of partners of people who have an STI. The government also highlighted the need to combat health inequalities by targeting young people from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds who are socially excluded such as those who are in care, disabled, from black and minority groups, with low educational attainment or those who are or have experienced homelessness (DoH, 2004 NICE, 2007). GPs, nurses and other clinicians working in healthcare settings such as primary care, community contraceptive services, antenatal and postnatal care, abortion and GUM services, drug/alcohol misuse and youth clinics, and pharmacies other clinicians working in non-healthcare settings such as schools and other education and outreach centres should take responsibility of health promotion (DoH, 2006). Nurses also have a responsibility whenever possible, to provide one to one sexual health advice on, preventing and getting tested for STIs and preventing unwanted pregnancies by introducing methods of reversible contraception, including long-acting reversible contraception, how to get and use emergency contraception and other reproductive issues and concerns. Another group that seem to be forgotten is the vulnerable young women aged under 18 who are pregnant or are already mothers (NICE, 2007). The unique function of the nurse is to assist the individual who has ill health to perform activities that contribute to health or its recovery that he would perform unaided if he had the necessary strength, will or knowledge (McBean, 1992). Nurses must not be judgemental or make assumptions of situations. Young people would benefit from being given time to explore their feelings uninterrupted and the nurse must seek to consider health promotion activities that best suit the individual and offer flexible alternatives as well. Watterson (2003) suggested that affected young people should have influence over the outcome of their health as young people often feel powerless because of the way issues are addressed as nurses at times unconsciously exclude them in decision making. He goes on to say that it is more effective to empower young people by involving them in decision making processes, giving them a voice and valuing what they know and believe about matters that affect their health. This encourages behavioural change by using the patient centred approach model of health promotion. The role of the nurse is to encourage the youths to discuss issues of sexual health with their parents, approach teachers and to provide them with information about services available such as Young People’s Development Programme and National Chlamydia Screening Programme. Nevertheless, parents need to realise the need for open dialogue and creating relationships built on trust. The DoH in 2006 launched a campaign through the website known as the ‘Condom Essential Wear’ to raise awareness of sexual health by encouraging the use of condoms. It encourages safe sex and communication about condoms as means of minimising the risk of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy among young people. However, an independent advisory group (IAG) as cited by the DoH (2008c) found out that of the original  £50 million budget for sexual health awareness campaign only  £4 million had been released. IAG raised concern as to whether enough free condoms were being distributed to recommended places such as GUM clinics, GP surgeries, schools, community contraceptive clinics and youth centres. Consequently, it is arguable that the issue of funding jeopardizes sexual health promotion services to prosper. Nurses need to educate young people on the correct use of condoms. Posters can also be placed in private and public toilets for young people to read and condoms can also be distributed via this channel. In view of GUM clinics, the government mentioned about the prioritisation of the 48 hour GUM access target as one of the NHS top six targets and the access to specialist sexual health services. However, these clinics are not as wide spread as they should be to accommodate and provide services to youth. The recommended quality service is not consistent at both national and local level as stipulated in the 2005/2006 annual report (DoH, 2008c). Opening hours are about an hour and a half for two times a week which is not sufficient or beneficial at all to young adults. This does not encourage young people to come forward because they would have to wait long in the queue and being seen by other people is quite embarrassing for them. This further complicates the problem and better services need to be put in place to encourage increased uptake of sexual health services. To conclude this essay, it can be said that nurses must provide supporting information in an appropriate format to encourage young people to take responsibility for their own actions as far as sexual health promotion is concerned. Cultural differences, age and gender differences can be barriers for health promotion. Nurses should therefore acknowledge these facts and seek to deal with situations accordingly. In this case, the failure or success of this aspect of health promotion is largely influenced by the interpersonal skills of the nurse. Health promotion is also everyone’s responsibility and the government has incorporated community needs in health promotion programmes to try and meet individual needs. REFERENCES Benzeval, M., Judge, K Whitehead, M. (1995) Tackling inequalities in health: An agenda for action. London: Kings Fund. Davey, B. Gray L., Seale C. (2001) Health and Disease: A Reader. Third Edition. Biddles Ltd: Great Britain. Department of Health (2004) Choosing Health: Making health choices easier [Online] Available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk (Accessed 10 May 2008). Department of Health (2006) Condom Essential Wear [Online] Available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk (Accessed 19 April 2008). Department of Health (2008a) Evaluation of One- Stop Shop (OSS) Model of Sexual Health Provision [Online] Available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk (Accessed 1 May 2008). Department of Health (2008b) Members of the Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health HIV. London: ++++ Department of Health (2008c) The National Chlamydia Screening Programme [Online] Available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk (Accessed 5 May 2008). Dines, A. Cribb, A. (1993) Health Promotion. Concepts and Practice. London: Blackwell. Elwes L. Simnett l. (1999) Promoting Health. 4th Edition. London: Bailliere Tindall. French, J. (1990) ‘Boundaries and horizons. The role of health education within health promotion,’ Health Education Journal, 49 (1): pp. 7-10. Johnson, A. M. et al (2001). ‘Sexual Behaviour in Britain: Partnerships, practices and HIV risk behaviours. vol 358: pp.1835-42. Katz J., Peberdy A., Douglas J. (2000) Promoting Health. Knowledge and Practice. The Open University. Oxford: Palgrave. McBean, S. (1992) Definition of Health and health promotion. Britain: The Open College. Measor, L. Coralie, T., Katrina M. (2000) Young Peoples views on sex education. Education, Attitudes and Behaviour. London: Routledge Falmer. National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (2007) NICE. Clinical Guidelines [Online] Available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk (Accessed 5 May 2008). Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) Code of Professional Conduct. London: NMC. Tones, B.K., Tilford, S. (1994) Health Education: Effectiveness, Efficiency and Equity. London: Chapman Hall. Wagner, K. V. (2008) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. [Online ] Available at:http//www.psychology.about.com (Accessed 15 May 2008). Watterson, A. (2003) Public Health in practice. Great Britain: Palgrave. World Health Organisation (WHO) 1986. Ottawa. Charter for Health Promotion. Geneva: WHO.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Wartime Propaganda: World War I :: World War I History

Wartime Propaganda: World War I The Drift Towards War "Lead this people into war, and they'll forget there was ever such a thing as tolerance. To fight, you must be brutal and ruthless, and the spirit of ruthless brutality will enter into the very fiber of national life, infecting the Congress, the courts, the policeman on the beat, the man in the street." It is one of history's great ironies that Woodrow Wilson, who was re- elected as a peace candidate in 1916, led America into the first world war. With the help of a propaganda apparatus that was unparalleled in world history, Wilson forged a nation of immigrants into a fighting whole. An examination of public opinion before the war, propaganda efforts during the war, and the endurance of propaganda in peacetime raises significant questions about the viability of democracy as a governing principle. Like an undertow, America's drift toward war was subtle and forceful. According to the outspoken pacifist Randolph Bourne, war sentiment spread gradually among various intellectual groups. "With the aid of Roosevelt," wrote Bourne, "the murmurs became a monotonous chant, and finally a chorus so mighty that to be out of it was at first to be disreputable, and finally almost obscene." Once the war was underway, dissent was practically impossible. "If you believed our going into this war was a mistake," wrote The Nation in a post-war editorial, "if you held, as President Wilson did early in 1917, that the ideal outcome would be 'peace without victory,' you were a traitor." Forced to stand quietly on the sidelines while their neighbors stampeded towards war, many pacifists would have agreed with Bertrand Russell that "the greatest difficulty was the purely psychological one of resisting mass suggestion, of which the force becomes terrific when the whole nation is in a state of violent co llective excitement." This frenzied support for the war was particularly remarkable in light of the fact that Wilson's re-election had been widely interpreted as a vote for peace. After all, in January of 1916, Wilson stated that "so far as I can remember, this is a government of the people, and this people is not going to choose war." In retrospect, it is apparent that the vote for Wilson cloaked profound cleavages in public opinion. At the time of his inauguration, immigrants constituted one third of the population. Allied and German propaganda revived old-world loyalties among "hyphenated" European- Americans, and opinions about US intervention were sharply polarized.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Anatomy Of A Psychopath :: essays papers

Anatomy Of A Psychopath "In every man’s heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty." Almost every person has a preconception of the darkest form of humanity: evil. One German film exemplifies this classic struggle of right and wrong, while addressing deeper emotional messages. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was made in 1919 and directed by Robert Weine. The film features a character named Francis, the protagonist, who seeks revenge against Dr. Caligari and his somnambulist, Cesarà ©, whom he believes murdered his friend. In one specific scene, Cesarà © attempts to kill a beautiful woman named Jane, Francis’s fiancà ©e coincidentally, at Caligari’s request. Judging by Cesarà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s previously witnessed brutal and robotic nature, it is assumed that as he creeps up to her gentle sleeping body that her time has expired. Magically, he cannot commit the deed. Overcome with affection, he instead lovingly reaches to cradle her head. She awakens, screams, and struggles. Cesarà © snaps out of his funk and overtakes her, eventually escaping with her on his back. This intense scene conveys the message that even the darkest forms of evil are not completely devoid of humanity, giving the audience the faintest glimmer of hope that good can always shine through malevolence. Cesarà © has no mind of his own; rather he is the puppet of the sinister Dr. Caligari. This is strikingly obvious just before the attack on Jane. As Cesarà © slinks down the corridor to the bedchamber his movements are awkward and unnatural, similar to puppet’s movements. At one point he even pauses, as if to mentally rethink the plan for murder Caligari has laid down. This attention to said murder agenda points that normal people can be highly susceptible to perform evil deeds. In essence, Cesarà © is not an evil person, but one who has been mentally dominated by the evil Caligari. One could play a contemporary television therapist and venture to state that Cesarà © "is the victim in all of this." In fact, "Cesarà © the sleepwalking killer" never existed before Caligari came into place. One can therefore also determine that evil spawns more evil. Kindness and humanity always find a way to shine through the depths of rage and hate. Poised in a striking position, primed to kill, something inside Cesarà © snaps. He is rendered momentarily immobile, unable to perform the deed he has been commanded.

Colonialism and Imperialism in Heart of Darkness and A Passage to India

It is best to analyze the works, Heart of Darkness and A Passage to India, applying the historical and cultural conditions of the society in which they were produced. The relations between groups and classes of people that imperialism sets up, and that these two works explore, starkly reveals the contradictions within capitalism in a way that a similar piece of fiction set within one culture and dealing with characters from that culture alone cannot. Prior to the analysis however, I would like to give a brief, pertinent explanation of the Marxist approach to the analysis of literature and of the terms I will be using. After years of study and research, Karl Marx published the first volume of his monumental Das Kapital in 1867. In it Marx presents his theory of the materialist conception of history in which the economic base of a society gives rise to and interacts in a dialectical way with the societal superstructure of culture, law, religion and art. Among other things, Das Kapital traces the historical development of industrial capitalism as arising out of feudalism, predicts capitalism's further evolution, and sets forth theories of class structure and class struggle. It also critiques the methods by which industrial capitalism organizes the means of production so that capital and labor are separated and held by distinct and antagonistic groups within the society. This separation overwhelmingly benefits the holders of capital, politically and economically, to the corresponding detriment of those who sell their labor. Though this is by no means an adequate summary of Marx' ideas and contribution s, my aim is to provide this simple theoretical framework within which to focus on more particular elements of Marxist theory. Fo... ...ieve that imperial rule, if inevitable in the short run, was an inglorious enterprise that deformed both those who ruled and those who submitted" (153). I believe that Joseph Conrad and E. M. Forster were two such artists and that the two works in question reflected their growing awareness of imperialism as an "inglorious enterprise" whether this was consciously expressed by the author(s) or not. This study will also attempt to tease out the ways in which each work both supports and subverts the imperial mission and its ideology and I will also speculate to a certain extent as to how these contradictions in the works reflected contradictions in the society in which they were written. Works Cited: Conrad, James. Heart of Darkness and Other Tales. Great Britain, BPC paperbacks ltd. 1990. Forster, E.M. A Passage to India. Neew York: Harcourt Brace, 1984.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Globalization in the 21st Century Essay

Globalization has become one of the principal symbols of economic, cultural and political life in the 21st century. Although there is no precise definition of globalization, due to the complexity of the term and the varying attitudes towards it, put simply it is the process by which nationality is becoming all the time more irrelevant. International organizations such as Coca Cola, Disney, McDonald’s, Sony, Shell Oil and IBM, symbolize such a process. In layman’s terms, globalization is basically the means by which people around the globe are now more connected to each other than ever before. Information and money flow more swiftly and goods and services produced in one part of the globe are progressively more obtainable worldwide. International travel is also more frequent and international communication is routine. However globalization as we know it today is vastly different from its humble beginnings. The following essay will look at the effect global institutions h ave on a national level and whether they challenge or defend the interests of the nation. Richard Peet’s reading deals with the beginning of globalization, brought on by a struggle for dominance and control of the world’s resources, through the use of coercion. Globalization was heralded by Columbus’s discovery of America in 1492. European capitalists then required labour to develop their new found continent. This came in the form of slavery, â€Å"black slavery had an economic rather than merely a racial basis – it was used because it was cheaper.†(Peet, R. pg.120) This lead to the demise of Africa’s potential for development as millions of slaves were taken from their homeland. This left a void of labour in Africa, therefore inhibiting their ability to develop their own nation. This is still prevalent in today’s society as sweatshops in underdeveloped countries with deplorable conditions are used as labour for many of the world’s global institutions such as Nike and Polo Ralph Lauren (see attached table 9.3, Klein, N. pg.528) Wallerstein reading addresses the rise of socialism and communism as an antidote to the capitalist value of progress at any cost. He ponders whether or not â€Å"historical capitalism represents progress or regression.† (Wallerstein, I. pg.100) He believes â€Å"historical capitalism has developed an ideological framework of oppressive humiliation†¦which today we call sexism  and racism.† (Wallerstein, I. pg.102) Globalization has led to a very small group having a monopoly over world trade. In Australia the richest 10 percent of its population â€Å"own 85% of all shares, 72% of rental investment properties and 60% of business assets.† (Kelly. S, 2001) However, contrasting views do exist in relation to globalization, so it’s important to assess both the positive and negative impact. Globalization has allowed for the creation of a new world politics, in which countries are not isolated units anymore. Globally the world has become united in dealing with issues such as pollution and environmental standards. Recent developments in information and communication technology allow individuals from different regions to communicate speedily across huge distances and access information rapidly. Democracy is spreading rapidly which is leading to the development of a common culture. Between 1975 and 1995 the number of democracies in the world increased from 36 to 75 states, which coincided with the globalization boom, and has lead to much closer links between nations. For less developed countries, globalization offers access to foreign capital, global export markets, and advanced technology, allowing faster growth which in turn promotes poverty reduction, democratization, and higher labour and environmental standards. (www.freetrade.org/issues/globalization.html) In contrast opponents to globalization believe it increases inequality between nations. Such inequality is caused due to the rapid expansion of trade and economic developments without reference to human rights and labour standards. Globalization inhibits governments from subjecting worldwide economic forces to regulation and control. The uneven distribution of wealth associated with rapid globalization may be widening the gap between certain countries and regions. In order for a nation to prosper in today’s economy, they must possess the core foundation of competitiveness. Such competitiveness leads to the exploitation of poorer nations, further contributing to the uneven distribution of wealth. Global organizations increase their profit margins at the expense of the sweatshop worker whose human and civil rights are being violated. Illegal activities such as  terrorism and drug trafficking have been allowed to flourish due to the free movement of goods and persons, the hallm ark of globalization. In conclusion globalization bodes both good and ill for mankind however nevertheless appears to be here to stay, whether we like or not. The challenge that lies ahead is not to try and reverse it, but to harness the positive potential whilst minimising the adverse effects. Unless this opportunity is seized, nations and global institutions will continue to struggle for domination and power. Those nations and institutions unable to compete and adapt in their current global economic climate will continue to be used by those that can. It is now up to mankind to decide wether or not the power will be cleverly used or not. Bibliography Kelly, S. (2001) Australians’ wealth and retirement, http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/10635/20011112/www.onlineopinion.com.au/2001/Jul01/Kelly.htm, accessed 05/05/03 Klein, N. (2000) No Logo, Table 9.3. Sweatshop Profiles, London: Flamingo Peet, R. (1991) Global Capitalism: Theories of societal development, London: Routledge, pp. 114-124 Wallerstein, I. (1983) Historical Capitalism, London: Verso, pp. 97-110) http://www.freetrade.org/issues/globalization.html, The Benefits of Globalization, accessed 04/05/03

Friday, August 16, 2019

Magnesium Oxide Chemistry Report Essay

In chemistry, compounds can be distinguished by using the empirical formula. The formula provides the simplest positive integer ratio of elements in a compound. The empirical formula is largely useful in determining the ratio of elements within ionic compounds where the structure is of a non-directional nature of bonding where any ion at any time could be surrounded by 4, 6, or 8 oppositely charged ions. This creates a pattern of endlessly repeating lattice of ions they do not exist as a free unit of atoms but in crystal lattices with repeating ions in specific ratios which is why empirical formula is used as a form of identification for defining an ionic-bonded substance. Calculating the empirical formula: To calculate the empirical formula for when two reactants undergoes a chemical reaction, the following 5 steps should be taken: 1. Record the masses of all the elements present in a given compound. 2. Convert the masses into moles (dividing by atomic weight in grams). 3. Then divide through by the smallest number of moles to get a ratio. 4. It the numbers are not whole numbers, multiply by a suitable small factor to get a whole number. 5. Finally, round off the numbers in the previous step if applicable to get the prime numbers which indicates the empirical formula. To demonstrate with a simple example; The molecular formula of butane is C4H10, however as the ratio of carbon atoms to hydrogen atoms is 4:10; it can be reduced to the ratio of 2:5. We can see that it is the simplest ratio while remaining as an integer. Butane can now be represented in empirical formula as C2H5. Regarding the Mole and its formula: The mole is the quantity of a substance which contains as many elementary units (atoms, ions, molecules) as there are atoms in exactly 12 grams of carbon-12 isotope. A mole of an element is the mass in grams that is numerically equal to the atomic weight. Also, a mole of a compound is the mass in grams that is numerically equal to the molecular weight. In simpler words; A mole of a substance is simply the atomic / molecular weight in grams. eg; A  mole of copper (atomic weight 63.6) is 63.6grams. Therefore in a diagram; The number of atoms or molecules in a mole of any substance is the Avogadro Constant which is 6.02 x . The molar mass is taken to be the relative atomic mass of an element which is the average mass of atoms present in any naturally occurring element relative to the mass of one atom of carbon-12 isotope taken as exactly 12 which gives formula weight (sum of the atomic weights of the atomic species as given in the stated formula for the compound.) The quantitative stoichiometric relationships governing mass and amount is used in the following experiment regarding the combustion reaction of magnesium metal. Magnesium is reacted with oxygen from air in a contained crucible, and the masses before and after the oxidation is measured. The resulting masses are used to calculate the experimental empirical formula of magnesium oxide, which is then compared to the theoretical empirical formula. A crucible and Bunsen burner will be used to heat magnesium metal for burning. Equipment: AIM: The purpose of this experiment is to perform an experiment of the combustion of Magnesium and gather precise and accurate data of masses and thus find the number of moles of the substance through the stoichiometry mole equation in order to evaluate the empirical formula of Magnesium Oxide. METHOD: 1 The Bunsen burner was set up with the tripod. The pipe clay triangle was placed over the tripod, ensuring that it is secure. 2. The crucible containing the magnesium was positioned in the pipe clay triangle securely with the lid on. 3. The gas was turned on and the Bunsen burner ignited to a blue flame. 4. The crucible was fired strongly for 5minutes until the bottom of the crucible glowed red over the blue flame to rid of contaminants. 5. The flame was removed and to cool the crucible with lid.  6. A piece of magnesium about 5 cm long was cut.  7. The surface of the magnesium ribbon was thoroughly cleaned with steel wool and its appearance was recorded 8. The cooled crucible and lid was weighed  (1st mass to 2dp) 9. The cleaned magnesium was coiled to fit inside the same crucible and covered with the same lid. 10. The crucible containing the magnesium with the lid on was weighed. (2nd mass to 2dp) 11. The crucible containing the magnesium was positioned without the lid onto the pipe triangle setup, ensuring its security. 12. The gas was turned on again and the Bunsen burner was ignited to a red flame (air hole fully open). 13. As the magnesium began to glow, the crucible was covered with its lid carefully with tongs. 14. Heat strongly for about 10 minutes lifting the lid a little VERY carefully occasionally to admit oxygen. 15. Keep heating and lifting the lid until ALL the magnesium turns into gray-white powder or until no further reaction can be witnessed to ensure complete reaction (for around 5 minutes) 16. Turn off the gas and allow the apparatus to cool.  17. Weigh the completely cooled crucible containing magnesium oxide with the lid carefully. (3rd mass to 2dp) RISK ASSESSMENT: Wear safety glasses. It is important to have eye protection during the combustion of Magnesium as the burning Magnesium in the crucible produces a very bright light which emits a harmful intensity of UV light which can cause eye discomfort or damage. Do not inhale the smoke produced when Magnesium is burned. Magnesium Oxide smoke can cause irritation in the nose, eyes and lungs and in large amounts, may cause metal fume fever. Use tongs at all times when handling hot objects. Careful handling of hot equipment such as the crucible and its lid during the heating is important as the very high temperature can burn skin due to improper or insecure handling. Do not cool the crucible or lid under cold water immediately after heating. This can cause the equipment to crack and the shards may easily pierce the skin. If the crucible crack during the experiment, it is vital that the person discontinue any progress with the experiment and proceed to clean the broken equipment away immediately and place into the broken glass bin. RESULTS: MASSES BEFORE HEATING AFTER HEATING Mass of Magnesium 0.08g n/a Mass of oxygen n/a 0.05g Mass of Magnesium Oxide n/a 0.13g Mass of crucible + lid 24.36g 24.31g Total mas of Mg oxide in crucible + lid: n/a 24.44g Total mass of crucible + lid + magnesium: 24.39g n/a Percent composition of Magnesium in compound: Mass of Mg in 1 mole/ Mass of MgO in 1 mole  % composition of Oxygen in compound: Upon observation, the 5cm Magnesium ribbon had a slightly greasy texture and a brittle and coarse surface. It had a hazy, dark metallic sheen to its appearance. After polishing its surface front and back thoroughly with steel wool, there was a change in its appearance. It had a shiny and glossy silver lustre with a smooth clean surface, no longer feeling waxy. The steel wool’s purpose was to remove the oxide layer of carbonate and sulphate which has coated the Magnesium ribbon’s surface due to its slow oxidation in air with CO2 and SO2 and other possible contaminants (which may have caused the strip to feel greasy). The oxide coating on the Magnesium would have made the ribbon more resilient to ignite immediately and thus hinder the combustion  of the metal and prolong the time it takes for the metal to fully combust. The procedure of rubbing Magnesium’s surface with steel wool was beneficial in order to expose fresh Magnesium to facilitate the contact of the r ibbon with the flame quicker and thus a faster complete combustion. The crucible and lid used had minimal surface stains on the outside however it was heavily contaminated with residual substances towards the inside base. By firing the equipment under a blue Bunsen flame thoroughly, it became apparent that any moisture or volatile materials present are burnt off by 5minutes to reveal a clean crucible free of stains or moisture. The purpose of firing the crucible at a high temperature was to quickly eradicate any stubborn chemicals which may have resisted cleaning by water, as well as any moisture the crucible may hold to provide a clean and dry equipment which can ensure accuracy and validity of calculations of masses. In order to activate the reaction of Magnesium, a source of energy was needed. The flame provided a source of heat which prompted a chemical reaction to proceed. When the magnesium was supplied with energy in the crucible, it reacted with a limited quantity of oxygen by using the lid to prevent high exothermic energy (Magnesium would react vigorously if heated in the presence of unobstructed air flow) and the escape of any magnesium oxide during the combustion. It became oxidized to become an ionic compound Magnesium Oxide. After the experiment of combusting Magnesium, the residue in the crucible is observed to be in a fine white powder form of Magnesium Oxide, an ionic compound. The exothermic reaction of combusting Magnesium produced a very bright light within the crucible due to the rapid heating of the Magnesium, where it quickly absorbs energy through ionisation. Magnesium ionises to become a cation while Oxygen ionises to an anion, forming an ionic bond due to electrostatic forces. DATA ANALYSIS: In this experiment, through the combustion reaction of Magnesium, a word equation forms between Magnesium, Oxygen and the ionic compound Magnesium  Oxide. Magnesium + Oxygen ïÆ'   Magnesium Oxide When ignited, magnesium has reacted with oxygen to form the products Magnesium Oxide. By taking the mass of equipments’ used and its mass during and after the reaction, the mass of Magnesium, Oxygen and Magnesium Oxide can be calculated. The mass of the reactants should very closely or mirror the mass of products by Law of Conservation of Mass. COLLECTING MASSES: (mass 1) Crucible + lid = 24.31g (weight after ridding of visible contaminants on crucible) (mass 2) Crucible + lid + magnesium = 24.39g (weight after polished magnesium is placed in fired crucible + lid) (mass 3) Crucible + lid + product = 24.44g (weight of reacted substance MgO in the crucible with lid) To calculate the mass of Magnesium metal = Mass 2 – Mass1 = 24.39g – 24.31g Mass of Magnesium = 0.08g To calculate the Mass of Oxygen incorporated = Mass 3 – Mass 2 (the increase in mass corresponds to the mass of oxygen) = 24.44g – 24.39g Mass of Oxygen = 0.05g To calculate the mass of oxide product formed = Mass 3 – Mass 1 (to validate through law of conservation of mass) = 24.44g – 24.31 Mass of Magnesium Oxide = 0.13g Now that the mass of each substance which took part in the reaction is found, the number of moles can be found through the relationship below. Number of Moles = Mass / Molar Mass Or N = The number of Moles can be calculated by knowing the mass of individual substances in the experiment divided by the molar mass (given on the periodic table as atomic mass number) to experimentally determine empirical formula for the ionic oxide. CONVERTING TO MOLES: Number of Moles of Magnesium: N = 0.08g / 24.31g/mol = 0.00329082692 moles Number of Moles of Oxygen: N = 0.05g/16x2g/mol (oxygen is doubled as it exists as a diatomic molecule) = 0.0015625 moles DIVIDE BY SMALLEST MOLE VALUE The number of moles of Magnesium is larger than the number of moles of Oxygen: 0. 00329(to5dp) moles > 0.00156 (to5dp) moles By dividing each by the smallest mole value of 0.00156 of Oxygen, Magnesium and Oxygen mole ratio is calculated respectively. Magnesium Mole ratio Oxygen Mole ratio = 2.11(to2dp) = 1 Multiply UNTIL WHOLE: The next step is to multiply any decimal numbers by a small whole number and do the same for the other whole number ratio until the decimal number reaches a near whole number (which can then be rounded up). Magnesium Mole ratio is in a decimal number of 2.11, and as it is very close to 2(with 0.11 extra of being a whole number), the number 2.11 is round down to 2 so the process of multiplying until whole is omitted. We obtain the mole ratio as follows: Magnesium : Oxygen 2 : 1 With 2 moles of Magnesium reacting with 1 mole of Oxygen, this should suggest 2 moles of MgO after balancing the equation. 2Mg(s) + O2(g) → 2MgO(s) To confirm, the law of conservation of mass is applied which states that in a balanced equation, matter is conserved: Total mass of reactants = Total mass of products Thus, by adding the mass on the left hand side (reactants), it should equal the right hand side (product). Magnesium + Oxygen = 0.08g + 0.05g  Magnesium Oxide = 0.13g It is found that there is no difference in mass between the left side of 0.13g of Magnesium + Oxygen to the right side of 0.13g of Magnesium Oxide in the equation considering the possibility of experimental errors, which represents a positive outcome as an theoretical equation is established and proved to be true. The empirical formula for Magnesium oxide is MgO, which is the correct formula and thus the aim of this experiment has been met. DISCUSSION: The experiment demonstrated the ability for a substance to exist in the empirical formula composition as the simplest ratio of elements present in the compound. It also demonstrated quantitative stoichiometric relationships between the number of moles, mass and molar mass in a chemical reaction. The theoretical result for the combustion product of Magnesium and Oxide is MgO, which in comparison to the experiment result of MgO was proven to be the same. This experiment had demonstrated the basic chemical reaction and the change in states between elements in order to form a stable ionic compound. Through the ionic bond between a metal and a non-metal, Magnesium Oxide was the product of two reactive elements Magnesium and Oxygen. Theoretical laws of conservation of mass and constant composition, lead to the formation of a relationship between the reactants (Magnesium and Oxygen) and product (Magnesium Oxide). The total mass of the products of a reaction must equal the total mass of the reactants. (0.8+0.5 = 0.13) The coefficient of a substance indicated the amount of portions each substance existed in, based on the law of conservation of mass. (2 moles of Magnesium, 1 mole of Oxygen, and 2 moles of Magnesium Oxide). And lastly, the empirical formula of a compound gave the lowest whole-number ratio of the atoms that is the identical with the mass ratios measured by experiment. (MgO) Any portion of a compound will have the same ratio of masses as the elements in the compound. Metal and a non-metal > reaction of 2 substances taking place> Ionic bond of elements>changes in states and formation of a stable compound >the construction of an unbalanced chemical equation -> evaluation of masses of the reactants to products> the law of conservation of mass/and constant composition ->the masses of left side  equals right side provide moles to balance the overall equation >establish empirical formula for end product. 3 experimental errors that may have effect on result Magnesium Oxide forms fumes which may escape the crucible when allowing a passage for oxygen to pass when the lid is lifted. Incomplete combustion of Magnesium (as no stirring rods was used to check/sift through the oxide to prevent calculation errors) Unthorough firing of crucible and lid (due to contact between tongs and crucible, certain areas may be missed) 3 improvements to method to improve results: Monitor the reaction of Magnesium with oxygen carefully, and keep the lid in place on the crucible containing the magnesium instead of off in step 11. Heat the magnesium for five minutes longer, lightly rotating the crucible at its base to ensure complete combustion. Fire the crucible and the lid twice to ensure that its’ completely dry and clean. CONCLUSION: An experiment was performed to calculate the empirical formula of magnesium oxide by comparing the masses of solid magnesium metal to the magnesium oxide solid product in a crucible. The concept of stoichiometry mole equation leads to finding the empirical formula of magnesium oxide. One major finding during the experiment was that burning magnesium caused its mass to increase as it reacted to oxygen. The amount of mass increase is proportional and able to be calculated through weighing the mass of product Magnesium Oxide and subtracting the original Magnesium mass to calculate the mass of Oxygen which partook in the combustion. The Empirical formula had indicated the proportion of Magnesium to oxygen (1:1) and identifies the compound to be Magnesium Oxide. The balance was very accurate in taking precise measurements of masses and the supervision of the experiment during the burning had been careful to prevent any loss of Magnesium Oxide mass to escape which in turn caused my mass results to apply to the law of conservation of mass without any experimental errors.