Thursday, October 31, 2019

Colombian Drug MulesDrug Trade and Trafficking Essay

Colombian Drug MulesDrug Trade and Trafficking - Essay Example 39). Jerry Speziale, an undercover narcotics agent who infiltrated one of the most powerful of the Colombian drug cartels, however, disagrees with this assessment. Insisting that government weakness, not complicity is at the source of the problem, Speziale contends that poverty and lack of economic options are the primary reasons for the survival and growth of the Colombian drug trade (p. 76). Indeed, this appears to be the suggestion forwarded in the film "Maria Full of Grace." In this film, a pregnant teenager becomes a drug mule, despite all that it involves in terms of danger to life, health and freedom, because she has no other option for supporting herself and her family. Poverty and economic necessity drive her to become a drug mule ("Maria Full of Grace"). This points to governmental weakness, not complicity because it evidences the failure of the government to provide the population with economic options outside of the drug trade. Quite simply stated, as long as the governme nt cannot furnish its populace with economic opportunities and the drug cartels can, the trade will flourish. Both the Colombian and the US governments have poured substantial financial, military and human resources into the war on drugs with very little effect because of the political and economic power enjoyed by the cartels versus the weakness of the government. Over tOver the past two decades, the Colombian government has sought to eliminate the production and transit of illicit narcotics in its national territory. Working closely with the U.S. and other members of the inter-American narcotics control regime, the Colombian government has implemented "supply-reduction" programs that eradicate drug plantings, destroy drug processing laboratories, intercept the transportation of narcotics and the chemicals used to make them, and apprehend suspected drug traffickers and confiscate their illicit profits (Linton, p. 89). The costs of these programs, in terms of budget allocations and human personnel, are significant. Since the early 1980s, the Colombian government has spent several billion US dollars to implement supply-reduction initiatives within its national territory. While the Colombian government has received considerable anti-narcotics assistance from the U.S. and other foreign governments over the years, it has also invested a substantia l portion of its own resources in the "war on drugs" (Linton, pp. 88-90). Moreover, in recent years, the Colombian government's anti-drug expenditures have increased significantly. In the 1980s, Colombia's anti-narcotics budget varied between US$20 and 25 million per year, with the U.S. providing half this amount. In 1995 the Colombian government devoted US$900 million of its own funds to anti-drug efforts, and in 1996 this amount increased to over US$ 1.3 billion. In 1997, the Colombian government allocated US$ 1.1 billion for counter-narcotics efforts, which represented 4.8% of the government's budget for that year (Lee, p. 202; CNN, 1998a, n.p.). The financial resources which are poured into the war on drugs is constantly spiralling and, it seems, with hardly any lasting effect on the trade. The human costs of the Colombian government's counter-narcotics efforts are even greater. Every year thousands of Colombian civilian and military officials participate in various phases of planning and/or implementing supply-reduction policies. The danger inherent in this

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Family Medicine Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Family Medicine - Personal Statement Example There may be numerous venerable paths in medicine; however, family medicine as a field may be considered to provide a transitional level of specialization which entails a thorough acquaintance of the field unlike the girth in other crucial healthcare areas of expertise. Following several experiences in family medicine, the specialty may be termed as a calling rather than a profession; in view of the fact that, it is the only area of medicine that gives a smooth progression into a broad, yet solid basis in the field of medicine. In brief, family medicine residency offers familiarity and exposure to a diverse range of patients, various conditions, treatments and cures, in ways that could not be matched through classroom lectures. I was allured to the field of family medicine for the reason that I wanted to master most medical conditions and have the ability to diagnose and treat them. During the beginning of my clinical career, as a student, I was unnerved into the demanding and multif aceted field of family medicine. I am a migrant from Africa, specifically; Ghana and I entered medical school with the apparition that, people who practice family medicine are individuals with a vast acquaintance in treating incalculable ailments. As a student, I had to get acquainted with particular patient situations and participated in numerous activities intended at expanding my familiarity and exposure to a diverse range of patients, various conditions, treatments and cures, in ways that could not be matched through classroom lectures.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Treatment of Homosexuality in Restoration and Enlightenment

Treatment of Homosexuality in Restoration and Enlightenment Homosexuality and the Problem of Identification in Restoration and Enlightenment England Restoration and Enlightenment England undeniably inherited, and to a large extent carried on the social, religious, and legal prejudices, or restrictions towards homosexual men that already existed for many centuries. The pronounced and extensive feelings against homosexuality in England which could be regarded as homophobic, as else where were strongly related to Christian theology and its strong influence upon prevailing social attitudes. There are several outright and clear condemnations of homosexuality in both the Old and New Testaments that influenced Christian theology to refute homosexuality as a deeply sinful and immoral act.[1] Outside of Judeo- Christian theology and ideology, homosexuality had not always been condemned or morally and socially vilified. Indeed in classical Greece and Rome being openly homosexual seemingly left men without detrimental social, religious, or legal consequences, which meant that few men had bothered to cover up their homosexual identities, fee lings, activities, and lifestyles. All that had changed once Christianity had become the dominant religion throughout Europe and taught that homosexuality was abnormal and sinful behaviour, and led to actions which were morally indefensible.[2] The Renaissance had rekindled interest in classical Greek and Roman art, literature, and sculpture, which in parts mentioned homosexuality as a normal and un-sinful part of everyday life. An unintended by product of the Renaissance had been the realisation that male homosexuality had not always been socially, or religiously taboo, and that it had not therefore been illegal in classical Greece or Rome. These earlier societies had not held homosexual men in disdain or made them social outcasts’ yet they were supposed to be immoral and degenerate compared to Christian societies. The realisation that only Judeo-Christian societies were so predominantly homophobic provided an impetus for homosexual men to alter their societies by arguing th at they were free to chose how they lived their lives and were not actually morally depraved. The initial moves to allow homosexual men to live openly started in Southern Europe before having an impact in Renaissance and Enlightenment England.[3] Arguably the Reformation disrupted the liberalising effects of the Renaissance, yet would eventually lead to increased levels of secularisation, and to the more liberal academic, social, and scientific attitudes of the Enlightenment. The more immediate consequences of the Reformation was increased attempts to rid Western European societies of false theology and cleanse it of immorality such as homosexuality, although the resulting conflicts between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism received the most attention amongst contemporaries and historians alike.[4] In England the onset of the Reformation had not altered the difficult situations that homosexual men faced if they wished to live their lives openly. That was due to the Protestants whether within the Church of England or the non-conformists outside of it being as opposed to male homosexuality as the Roman Catholic Church had always been. For the churches, homosexual thoughts or desires were just as sinful as actually performing homosexual acts. However if homosexual men refrained from acting upon their desires they would at least escape earthly punishment for their sins, which would be judged by God on their Judgement Day. Homosexual men either had to hide their sexual preferences or deny them completely. For they had virtually no alternative to concealing their orientation or gender identifications, and leading clandestine private lives. Hiding sexual orientation could make all the difference between been socially and economically successful or been disgraced, and possibly executed. Rumours of being homosexual could prove to be ruinous whether such allegations were proven or not. If actual homosexual acts could be proved to have taken place beyond doubt in an English Crown Court it would be fatal to those convicted. The high risks involved in leading a homosexual life even in secret helps to explain the lack of evidence that homosexual men left behind about themselves, as leaving information in writing or talking to the wrong people could leave to being convicted and then executed.[5] The concealment of homosexual identification was almost universally considered to be essential in England prior to the Restoration and Enlightenment eras, and remained highly important throughout those times. For men that held powerful social, economic, political, and religious positions being publicly identified or just rumoured to be a homosexual could prove to be disastrous for the maintenance of their position. Such rumours could reach the top of the political, social, and religious orders. During the 1590s until his death, even the Archbishop of Canterbury, John Whitgift came under suspicion of being sexually involved with another man. Whitgift was lucky enough to maintain the confidence of Elizabeth I as well as James I and therefore was not disgraced or removed from his post. Clergy had to be above suspicion of immoral sexual conduct whether homosexual or heterosexual in nature. The fact that England as a Protestant country allowed clerical marriage meant that the clergy could gratify heterosexual needs through marriage, whilst homosexual clergy if they existed had to preach the teachings of a religion that despised their sexuality.[6] The higher position a man held the greater the effort he would have put into hiding his homosexual orientation and identification. For instance, in the 14th century Edward II’s known homosexuality, when combined with his political ineptness contributed to his removal from the throne, and his subsequent murder. Kings were expected to be more masculine than any other men within society are, as they were expected to lead their countries during wartime, for kings to be suspected or known to be homosexual was detrimental for their chances of reigning over their countries successfully. Nearer to the Restoration and Enlightenment eras, the Duke of Buckingham was widely believed to have become the most influential and powerful royal favourite, not to mention the chief minister via his rumoured homosexual relationship with James I. Buckingham managed to form a similarly close relationship with Charles I, who seemed oblivious to the Duke’s unpopularity and incompetence. Rumours o f homosexuality did not damage Buckingham as much as his ineptness, yet they did not help improve his popularity either.[7] For homosexual men in Restoration and Enlightenment England, their social, political, and religious exclusion if their sexual orientation became public knowledge was attributable to the way in which homosexuality was regarded as being tantamount to sodomy by a majority of the heterosexual population. Sodomy was deemed to be as serious a sin as heresy and witchcraft, as the definition of sodomy incorporated all sexually deviant acts.[8] In earlier periods, males caught committing homosexual acts were usually trialed and punished by Church courts. The law was changed in 1534 in order for people accused of buggery to be trialed by Crown courts. The legislation of 1534 made it even more dangerous for male homosexuals to be known as being sexually active, or even to have their orientation known. The maximum punishment for any man caught and convicted for this crime was execution. Thus making buggery a crime punishable by death, in line with the sentences for heresy and witchcraft. The onl y difference was that the practice of executing heretics and alleged witches had gone by the end of the Enlightenment era, whereas the carrying out of homosexual activities was still a capital offence until 1861 and a crime until the 1960s[9]. Immediately prior to the Restoration period had been the Commonwealth, which had attempted to rigorously enforce all moral and religious values to meet with its fundamentalist Protestant ideology, including all heterosexual and homosexual sex outside of marriage. Whilst the Puritanical regime inspired by Oliver Cromwell had intended to cleanse the whole of Britain of its sins, it failed. During the Commonwealth period heterosexual adulterers as well as respectable Anglicans had to lead clandestine existences just like homosexuals and Roman Catholics had done for many decades.[10] Charles II’s return from exile ushered in the era of the Restoration, which brought a relaxation of the draconian moral codes of the Commonwealth, especially in the Royal Court. Despite his own immoral behaviour, Charles II only went as far as wanting religious toleration rather than officially supporting a relaxation of moral and sexual standards of behaviour. Even had Charles wished to improve the l egal position of homosexual men he would have not been prepared to face public and Parliamentary opposition to such plans.[11] Whilst the Restoration may have meant a more relaxed moral attitude at the Royal Court, there was no change in the legal position of men caught performing homosexual acts.[12] Concealment of homosexual identification or the protection of men in high social and religious positions was the best way to stay clear of prosecution and ultimately execution.[13] Living in towns and cities in general and in London in particular improved the chances of homosexual men not being caught, and leading a more fulfilling existence.[14] Homosexual men to an overwhelming extent publicly appeared to fit in with the gender role models during the Restoration and Enlightenment eras in England. As not conforming to conventional gender role models would have revealed their identity as homosexual men, many therefore decided to cover up their true identity to avoid persecution and their own personal disgrace. Homosexual men therefore, had to perform the gender roles expected of heterosexual men, such as being husbands, fathers and acting as heads of their households. Getting married and having children was the best means of concealing homosexual identification and removing suspicions of any sexual wrongdoing or immorality. Men of all social, economic and religious status were homosexuals, yet the higher their status the more they had to lose by revealing their sexual orientation. Self-preservation was presumably a greater motivation than self-expression or self-fulfilment. Although it must have made countless numbers of homo sexual men in Restoration and Enlightenment England the Reformation had weakened the hold of Christianity over society unknown to anybody at that time. The main long-term consequence of Protestantism was to increase the level of secularisation in England, although other social values reinforced prejudices towards homosexual men.[15] The Enlightenment continued the process of secularisation started by the Renaissance and only delayed by the Reformation, which slowly made English social and genders values more liberal and less repressive.[16] In many respects social prejudices against homosexual men outlasted the religious reasons for homosexuality being illegal in England in the first place. The fear of sodomy as an unnatural form of sexual behaviour persisted even as English society became increasingly secularised.[17] The treatment of homosexual men in Restoration and Enlightenment England was not the same throughout the country. London was a city in which homosexual men could attempt to be more open about their sexual orientation and worry less about fulfilling expected gender roles. As one of the biggest cities in the world, London was place in which homosexual men had an increased level of opportunities to be true to themselves, rather than outwardly conform to social and religious norms with regard to sexual conduct. Homosexual men that remained publicly unknown had to carry on living up to widespread masculine stereotypes.[18] These comments have to be qualified, as although London was a cosmopolitan centre where it was possible to lead different lifestyles that differed from the Christian and heterosexual norm. London was also the part of England in which the letter of the law could be enforced most vigorously, as it was the seat of government and Courts and magistrates would not want to be seen as unable to tackle criminal and immoral activities. As individuals homosexuals may have been able to lead homosexual lives with the protection of people in high places. However, at the end of the day it still remained sensible for homosexual men to hide their orientation as the legislation that could result in their conviction and execution remained upon the statute books.[19] For the majority of homosexual men in Restoration and Enlightenment England the opportunities to be readily identifiable as homosexuals were strictly limited and even when those chances were available it remained dangerous to take them. Some careers such as acting or singing gave a few homosexual men the chance to appear less masculine in public without raising undue suspicions of their sexual orientation. The majority of homosexual men were in the situation where they had to perform the social, economic, religious, or political functions that their position at birth had put them into. The majority of so cial, political, religious, and economic positions in Restoration and Enlightenment meant that all men had to perform their tasks in masculine ways. [20] Therefore, it could be concluded that the circumstances of the times made it very difficult for homosexual men to clearly allow themselves to be identified as such by their contemporaries in Restoration and Enlightenment England. It has also made it harder for modern historians to qualify and quantify the number and the experiences of homosexual men during that period. As was explored and evaluated above there were various reasons for homosexual men to conceal their sexual orientation from becoming general public knowledge, and to carry out any homosexual activities in secret, if at all. The overwhelmingly Christian nature of England before, during, and after the Restoration and Enlightenment eras had a very strong upon how homosexual men had to hide their sexual preferences from English society as a whole. Before the Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church had wide acceptance of its theology and opinions with regard to male homosexuality. The Roman Catholic Church had taught that all male homosexual activities should be regarded as deadly sins, which stemmed from all homosexual men having morally deviant thoughts that inevitably led to behaviour which needed to be severely punished, even to the point of executing homosexual men. Basically, Christian ideology was opposed to homosexuality on the grounds that it was an intolerable sin, just like heresy and witchcraft, which needed to be eradicated. The Reformation did not change the Christian perspective that male homosexuals should be punished as and when they were caught performing homosexual acts. Indeed the legislation that allowed the English Crown Courts to prosecute and execute people convicted of buggery was passed by the Reformation Parliament that enacted the break away of the English Church from the Papacy. The knowledge that being caught performing homosexual acts would result in execution meant that all men that performed such acts by and large did so in complete secrecy to avoid capital punishment. T he need for self preservation meant that the vast majority of homosexual men concealed their identities to stay alive and free, with the options to carry out homosexual activities in secret, or abstain from meeting other men altogether. To remain successfully hidden from people that might have them prosecuted the majority of homosexual men would chose not to leave written documentary evidence of their sexual activities or their feelings towards other men, as such material could easily have led to their conviction and subsequent execution. Homosexual men could have been from any social and economic background, as homosexuality seems to occur naturally within some men. After all it would hardly have been nurtured within Restoration and Enlightenment societies in England that overwhelmingly regarded homosexuality as being wrong and unnatural. Only limited numbers of homosexual men felt save enough not to hide their orientation, living in London, or having rich and powerful protectors w ere the factors that might allow some degree of openness. Bibliography Ashley M, (2002) A brief history of British Kings Queens, Robinson, London Betteridge T, (2002) Sodomy in Early Modern Europe, Manchester University Press, Manchester Fernandez-Arnesto, F Wilson, D (1996) Reformation Christianity and the World 1500-2000, Bantam Press, London Gardiner Wenborn (1995) The History Today Companion to British History, Collins and Brown Ltd, London Lenman, (2004) Chamber’s Dictionary of World History, Chambers, Edinburgh MacCulloch D, Reformation – Europe’s House Divided (2004) Penguin Books, London Schama, S (2001) A History of Britain The British Wars 1603-1776, BBC Worldwide, London 1 Footnotes [1] MacCulloch, 2004 p. 620 [2] MacCulloch, 2004 p. 620 [3] Betteridge, 2002 pp. 71 – 74 [4] Roberts, 1996 p. 235 [5] MacCulloch, 2004 p. 209 [6] MacCulloch, 2004 p. 209 [7] Betteridge, 2002 p. 46 [8] MacCulloch, 2004, p.622 [9] Gardiner Wenborn, 1995, p.388 [10] Schama, 2001, p.235 [11] Ashley, 2002, p.320 [12] Gardiner Wenborn, 1995, p.646 [13] Betteridge, 2002, pp.71-74 [14] MacCulloch, 2004, p.620 [15] Fernandez-Armesto Wilson, 1996, p.290 [16] Lenman, 2004, p.264 [17] Gardiner Wenborn, 1995, p.388 [18] Betteridge, 2002, pp. 71-74 [19] MacCulloch, 2004, p.622 [20] Betteridge, 2002 pp. 71-74

Friday, October 25, 2019

The History of Rock Essay -- Music Musical Historical Essays

The History of Rock As one of the most popular music genres, rock music has grown and expanded to incorporate many styles throughout the years. A rock band usually consists of a vocalist, an acoustic drum kit played with a strong beat, usually a back beat, and features electric and acoustic guitars. From its beginnings in the late 1950s and early 1960s until the present day, rock has changed styles seemingly every decade as new bands become popular because of their unique style of music. Throughout the years rock has influenced our culture and helped shape the world we live in today. Rock and roll was born in the late 1950s. Primary influenced from southern artists like Elvis Presley and Bill Haley, this new genre of music though admonished by many became popular among the younger listeners. During this time period, rock was primarily played in jukeboxes and clubs, but when introduced to the radio, became popular amongst the listeners and became an enormous success. The success continued throughout the 1960s when the main genres of rock were established. Bands like The Rolling Stones,The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin changed the music scene in Britain. Their influences worked their way to the United States. Bob Dylan led the way playing the same style but was met with disappointment from his fans. Then the hits from Byrds and Simon and Garfunkel gave folk-rock a foothold in the US. On the West Coast the cities of San Francisco and Las Angeles felt the affects of the boom in rock music. San Francisco became a center for hippies and â€Å"acid-rock†. Las Angeles produced misfits like Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart who had a lasting influence on rock. The beginning of the 1970s saw a decline in interest for rock music... ... by the rock of the 1980s and 1990s. Today bands like Chevelle, Breaking Benjamin, and others combine many aspects of the rock played during the past two decades. This is a trend that will continue into the future as more and more bands express their style of rock to the future generations. Today many radio stations throughout the United States play every type of rock. From its beginnings in the 1950s until the present day rock has become a popular genre with many styles that appeal to every person young and old. People can still enjoy listening to the music of their time whether from the 1960s or the 1990s. Rock is a composition of many genres. There is always room for more styles and new trends. Rock’s success is due to its ability to change but remain the same. Sources: http://www.silver-dragon-records.com/rnr1.htm http://www.scaruffi.com/history/

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Managed Health Care

Within the past thirty to forty years, the scope and cost of health care coverage and services has drastically changed, altering the manner in which health care was previously managed. There are several factors that have affected the cost of health care coverage over the course of the past two to three decades. One of these factors is the introduction and rapidly increasing enrollment in managed health care insurance plans. Managed care health insurance plans can, in most cases, help to alleviate the rising costs of effective medical coverage. Another important factor that has affected health care costs is the invention and implementation of new medical technologies. As prominent researchers and economic analysts have discovered, there is a distinct and direct correlation between advancing medical technologies and rising health care costs. Medical innovation has been proven time and again to be an important determinant of health care cost growth. It would appear that managed care health insurance plans, which attempt to lower health care costs, and highly expensive new medical innovations and procedures are at cross purposes, pulling against one another in very different directions. Market-level comparisons have found the cost growth of health care in markets with greater managed care penetration to be generally slower than that of non-managed care health insurance markets. However, managed care is unlikely to prevent the share of gross domestic product spent on health care from rising unless the cost-increasing nature of new medical technologies changes. Managed care health insurance plans differ greatly from indemnity fee-for-service, or FFS, insurance plans. Since the early 1970's, rapidly growing enrollment in managed care health insurance plans has transformed the health insurance market in the United States. Virtually nonexistent in most markets three decades ago, managed care health plans covered 63 percent of the nation's employees by 1994. Managed care incorporates a range of features that allow the insurer greater influence in the process of care delivery. Managed care plans aggressively contract for lower prices from physicians and hospitals and attempt to constrain the use of health care services by monitoring providers and changing provider incentives. Health insurance providers that operate under the fee-for-service concept grant the consumer much more freedom of choice concerning doctors and treatment programs, thus freeing the consumer of any feelings of discontent with â€Å"interfering† insurance companies. Consumers of indemnity plans, however, pay a price for that freedom by way of drastically higher rates and little knowledgeable input on doctors, specialists and nearby hospitals that will fit their particular needs. Many of today's health insurance consumers choose to place their trust in a managed care insurance company, relying on the expertise of the provider to support and facilitate their various medical treatments and needs. Health maintenance organizations, commonly known as HMOs, have emerged as the clear leader of managed care providers. Other types of managed care plans include preferred provider organizations, point of service plans and managed indemnity plans. Most studies focus on HMOs and so do not describe variation in the type of HMO or in the extent of the level of management in non-HMO plans. HMOs have effectively reduced health care expenditures (Scheid, 2003) A natural assumption would be that the quality of care would be lowered as insurance rates go down and remain reasonable and affordable. However, these cost savings have been achieved, according to most evidence, without significant reductions in the quality of care (Bransford, 2006). This suggests that managed care health insurance plans -HMOs in particular- tend to reduce inefficiencies in the health care system. In fact, a study that examined changes in hospital expenses in California found as much as a forty-four percent slower rate of hospital care cost growth in markets with high HMO penetration relative to markets with low HMO penetration (Cooper, & Gottlieb, 2000) There are two main types of services that managed care health insurance companies use to categorize and label their treatments and procedures. These categories are known as complementary services and substitutive services. These two terms apply to new innovations in medical technology and the amount of money spent to provide the technology to the consumer. Complementary services are those whose use increases with the use of the new technology. Complementary services are attractive to the consumer, who, understandably, desires the latest, most effective medical technology to treat themselves and their loved ones. For example, suppose an improvement were to be made in the field of diagnostic imaging. This improvement could provide clearer, higher quality images, thus leading to more favorable surgery outcomes. The likelihood of a better surgical outcome may result in more individuals electing to receive surgical treatment. The development of this new technology in diagnostic imaging would, no doubt, have been highly expensive. Also, the costs associated with an illness in which there is an increased need for surgery are usually quite high. If an innovation leads to greater use of complementary services, expenditures raise more than would be predicted by simply examining the direct expenditures on the innovation. In this case, imaging and surgery are complementary technologies. This example suggests that the use of complementary services may increase the costs associated with use of new innovations by as much as fifty percent. Substitutive services, on the other hand, differ in that they are not provided because of the use of new technologies. The savings associated with the avoidance of these services offset the costs of the technological innovations and complementary services. If the innovation results in improved health outcomes, substitution away from services that would have been consumed later may also occur. It is also hoped that this type of substitution would accompany most preventive services and many other innovations that yield a reduction in morbidity in the long-run. Evidence suggests that medical innovation has led to higher expenditures on health care services. It appears that if the rising cost of health care that results from technological advances remain unchecked by managed care, the effect of technological progress will tend to offset any cost savings achieved by managed care through lower prices or lower use of established services. Factors such as population increases, extended life expectancies and overall inflation have contributed to rising health care costs. However, studies have proven that important advances in specific areas of medical technology have had the most intense effect on health care costs. This finding still applies when it is considered in terms of managed care health insurance plans to a certain undeniable extent (Scheid, 2003). Studies have been conducted during many periods over the course of the past several decades, focusing on substantial increases in health care costs in direct correlation to particular medical procedures and fields. Among these procedures and fields are child birth, radiation therapy, coronary bypass surgery, and nuclear medicine and cancer treatments. For example, the innovation of cesarean sections used during problematic child deliveries has increased health care costs. The various medical personnel must all be compensated for their time and labor: the anesthesiologists, the surgeon, the nurses, etc. Also raising health care costs are fetal monitoring and ultrasound techniques. In the case of breast and other cancers, radiation therapy, as well as combination therapies that include chemotherapy has contributed to rising health care costs. One field of medical practice which has become notorious for being costs-increasing is the study and treatment of heart attacks. In the treatment of heart attacks, the prime cost-increasing technologies were the introduction of intra-coronary streptokinase infusion and coronary bypass surgery. A study performed by Glenn P. Mays, Gary Claxton, and Justin White; (2004), using Medicare claims from 1994 to 2001, report a four percent annual increase in the average reimbursement for treating elderly heart attack patients. They attribute the majority of this increase to the diffusion of new technologies for performing invasive revascularization procedures. Over the period of the study, cardiac catheterization rates rose from eleven percent to forty-one percent of heart attack patients. Bypass rates rose from five percent to thirteen percent, and angioplasty rates rose from one percent to twelve percent. The population studied by Glenn P. Mays, Gary Claxton, and Justin White; (2004) was overwhelmingly enrolled in traditional FFS Medicare; therefore, any finding must represent a spillover. Furthermore, they do not address the likelihood of receiving a related service, coronary bypass surgery, so we have an incomplete picture of how practice patterns change over the period of time studied. Different approaches are used to determine the impact of new technologies and innovations on health care costs. One approach, called the affirmative approach, focuses on individual technologies or diseases. This approach suffers from an inability to access the aggregate impact of technology on cost growth. The body of evidence suggests that the impact of technology varies by disease. One study notes that in certain areas, technology clearly lowers costs, particularly when that technology facilitates complete cure or prevention of a disease (Scheid, 2003). One example of this type of innovation is the Salk-Sabin polio vaccine, which is inexpensive to develop and manufacture and almost completely eliminates the high costs of polio treatment. Another approach that is used to examine the effect of technology on health care costs is known as the residual approach. This approach views technological advances as being the sole reason for rising health care costs simply because the innovations are so expensive that there must be a method of which to pay for the invention and further development of the technology. The differences between health care givers and the companies that provide the health care insurance have blurred substantially. A decade ago managed health care organizations was referred to as an alternative delivery systems. However, today in the United States, managed health care organizations are now the leading form of health insurance coverage. Every individuals currently living in the United States of America has a need for affordable and accessible health care coverage. Over the last thirty to forty years, the extent and cost of health care coverage have significantly changed; therefore, altering the method in which health care is managed. The demand for health care has expanded because of changes in the age population, increasing incomes, and improvement in medical technology. Elderly people demand more health care and health care systems must supply the expected quality if health care. The improvement of medical technology has largely increased treatments to enable people to have a good quality of life. The resource factors such as land, labor, income, capital, goods and services cause shifts in the managed care. The increase in the health care price reduces people's income and this means that the health care price is more expensive in comparing to other goods and services. An increase in income leads to an increase in demand and vice versa. However, a decrease in income will reduce the amount of health care treatments. The relationship between price and quality of health care demanded indicates the quantity of health care services that can be obtained at conceivable price. A change in price leads to a movement along the demand curve. For example if the price of eye surgery rose significantly, then people would seek another alternative of treatment. This would lead to a fall in the demand, but when income or prices of health care services change, the demand curve will shift. If the level of cost changes then the supply curve will shift. For example if the doctors or nurses income increases, this process will increase health care cost. Managed care plans substituted the traditional fee for service system. The plans provide a number of economic incentives for health care providers, patients, and payers to cut health care cost. The increased enrollment will reduce the health care expenditures through reduction of price and quantity. Currently, the new plans are popular among public sector of health care programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. Medicaid and Medicare is a joint federal and state-run program that provides health coverage to selected low-income individuals who cannot provide their own health insurance and senior citizens over 65 years of age. Government intervention contributes to an increase of health care cost and creates inefficiencies, while big employers are cutting benefits, demanding higher contributions from their employees and saying there is more of the same to come, smaller and medium-sized employers offering health care plans dropped in 2002. People might demand a better Medicare of Medicaid program, but they will be affected by escalating health care costs. The private insurers will be under even more pressure, as they will have to provide policies tailored to the needs and budgets of their clients. They will increasingly have to keep costs down by using their bargaining power. People in this country demand health care because they want to be healthy. This trend has been fueling managed health care systems for the last forty years. Changes in health care structure are influenced in this country by macroeconomic conditions and the standard of living. Government agencies have a tremendous impact on regulating and controlling of health care spending. Changes in age structure, increasing real incomes, and improvements in medical technology have all fueled this desire for better health care. References Bransford, C.L. (2006). The Exercise of Authority by Social Workers in a Managed Mental Health Care Organization: A Critical Ethnography. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 17 (2), 63-85. Cooper, C. C., & Gottlieb, M. C. (2000) Ethical issues with managed care: Challenges facing counseling psychology. The Counseling Psychologist, 28, 179-236. Glenn P. Mays, Gary Claxton, and Justin White; 2004; Managed Care Rebound?   Recent Changes in Health Plans' Cost Containment Strategies: (Health Affairs, August 11, 2004) Scheid, T.L. (2003). Managed care and the rationalization of mental health services: Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 44 (2), 146-161.   

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Compiler

ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD (Department of Computer Science) WARNING 1. PLAGIARISM OR HIRING OF GHOST WRITER(S) FOR SOLVING THE ASSIGNMENT(S) WILL DEBAR THE STUDENT FROM AWARD OF DEGREE/CERTIFICATE, IF FOUND AT ANY STAGE. 2. SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENT(S) BORROWED OR STOLEN FROM OTHER(S) AS ONE’S OWN WILL BE PENALIZED AS DEFINED IN â€Å"AIOU PLAGIARISM POLICY†. Course: Compiler Construction (3468)Semester: Autumn, 2012 Level: BS (CS)Total Marks: 100 ASSIGNMENT No. 1 Note: All questions carry equal marks. Q. 1(a)Define Compiler, using a diagram describes the three phases of analysis of source program. (b)Explain all the phases of Compiler. c)Consider the following grammar. S ? > XaYb X ? > bXc | b Y ? > dYa | d Find the first sets for each non-terminal of the given grammar. Q. 2(a)Explain the error detection and reporting mechanisms. (b)Write the intermediate representation code of the following position: = initial + rate * 60 Q. 3(a)Convert the following NFA into equivalent DFA using subset construction Algorithm. [pic] Note:Show all necessary steps that are involved in subset construction algorithm. (b) Convert the Following regular expression into NFA using Thompson’s construction. a ((b|b*c)d)* |d*a Q. 4(a)Given the following grammar. G > EE > T + E | T T > F * T | F F > a i) Is this grammar ambiguous? Explain! ii) Draw all parse trees for sentence â€Å"a+a*a+a†. (b) Consider the following grammar. S> A A> A+A | B++ B > y Draw parse tree for the input â€Å"y+++y++† Q. 5(a)Explain the role of the Lexical Analyzer and Parser in detail. (b)Differentiate between Top-down parsing and Bottom-up parsing. ASSIGNMENT No. 2 Total Marks: 100 Note: All questions carry equal marks. Q. 1(a)Rewrite the following SDT: A A {a} B | A B {b} | 0 B -> B {c} A | B A {d} | 1 so that the underlying grammar becomes non-left-recursive. Here, a, 6, c, and d are actions, and 0 and 1 are terminals. b)This grammar generates binary numbers with a â€Å"decimal† point: S-* L . L | L L-+LBB B -> 0 | 1 Design an L-attributed SDD to compute S. val, the decimal-number value of an input string. For example, the translation of string 101. 101 should be the decimal number 5. 625. Q. 2(a)Translate the following expressions using the goto-avoiding translation scheme. i)if (a==b kk c==d |I e==f) x == 1; ii)if (a==b II c==d || e==f) x == 1; iii)if (a==b && c==d kk e==f) x == 1; (b)Construct the DAG and identify the value numbers for the sub expressions of the following expressions, assuming + associates from the left. ) a + b+ (a + b). ii) a + b + a + b. iii) a + a + ((fl + a + a + (a + a + a + a )). Q. 3(a)Explain the following i)Back Patching ii)Procedure Calls (b)Generate code for the following three-address statements, assuming all variables are stored in memory locations. i) x = 1 ii) x = a iii) x = a + 1 iv) x = a + b v) The two statements x = b * c y = a + x Q. 4(a)The programming language C does not have a Boolean type. Show how a C compiler might translate if-statement into three-address code. (b)Construct the DAG for the basic block d = b * c e = a + b b = b * c a = e – d Q. (a)Generate code for the following three-address statements assuming a and b are arrays whose elements are 4-byte values. i)The four-statement sequence x = a [ i] y = b [ j] a [ i ] = y b [ j ] = x ii) The three-statement sequence x = a [ i] y = b [ i] z = x * y iii) The three-statement sequence x = a [ i] y = b[x] a [ i ] = y (b)Suppose a basic block is formed from the C assignment statements x = a + b + c + d + e + f; y = a + c + e; i) Give the three-address statements (only one addition per statement) for this block. ii) Use the associative and commutative laws to modify the block to use the fewest possible number of 468 Compiler ConstructionCredit Hours: 3(3, 0) Recommended Book: Compliers; Principles, Techniques, and Tools by Alfred V. Aho, Ravi Sethi, Jerrey D. Ullman Course Outlines: Unit No. 1 Introduction to Compiling Compliers, analysis of the source program, the phases of a complier, cousins of the compiler, the grouping of phases, complier-construction tools Unit No. 2 A Simple One-pass Compiler Overview, syntax definition, syntax-directed translation, parsing, a translator for simple expressions, lexical analysis, incorporating a symbol table, abstract stack machines, putting the techniques together Unit No. Lexical and Syntax Analysis Lexical analysis (the role of the lexical analyzer, input buffering, specification of tokens, recognition of tokens, a language for specifying lexical analyzers, finite automata, from a regular expression to an NFA, design of a lexical analyzer generator, optimization of DFA-based pattern matchers), syntax analysis (the role of the parser, context-free grammars, writing a grammar, top-down parsing, bottom-up parsing, operator-precedence parsing, LR parsers, using ambiguous grammars, parser generators) Unit No. 4 Syntax-Directed TranslationSyntax-direc ted definitions, construction of syntax trees, bottom-up evaluation of s-attributed definitions, l-attributed definitions, top-down translation, bottom-up evaluation of inherited attributes, recursive evaluators, space for attribute values at compile time, assigning space at complier-construction time, analysis of syntax-directed definitions Unit No. 5 Type Checking Type systems, Specification of a simple type checker, Equivalence of type expressions, Type conversions, Overloading of functions and operators, Polymorphic functions, an algorithm for unification Unit No. Intermediate Code Generation Intermediate Languages, Declarations, Assignment statements, Boolean expressions, Case statements, Back Patching, Procedure calls Unit No. 7 Code Generations Issues in the design of a code generator, The target machine, Run-time storage management, Basic blocks and flow graphs, Next-use information, A simple code generator, Register allocation and assignment, The dag representation of basic blocks, Peephole optimization, Generating code from dags, Dynamic programming code-generation algorithm, Code-generator generators Unit No. Code Optimization Introduction, The principal sources of optimization, Optimization of basic blocks, Loops in flow graphs, Introduction to global data-flow analysis, Iterative solution of data-flow equations, Code-improving transformations, Dealing with aliases, Data-flow analysis of structured flow graphs, Efficient data-flow algorithms, A tool for data-flow analysis, Estimation of types, Symbolic debugging of optimized code Unit No. Writing a Complier Planning a compiler, Approaches to compiler development, The compiler-development environment, Testing and maintenance, A Look at Some Compilers, EQN, a preprocessor for typesetting mathematics, Compilers for Pascal, The C compilers, The Fortran H compilers, The Bliss/11 compiler, Modula-2 optimizing compiler

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Water Water everwhere but not a drop to drink Essays - Free Essays

Water Water everwhere but not a drop to drink Essays - Free Essays Water Water everwhere but not a drop to drink Living on the Mississippi it's hard to imaging not having enough water to drink, but yet there are many places that have water major water shortages and changes in availiability that disrupt there activities of living. There is plenty of water but not in the quantity or places it's needed. The oceans full of water but also with salt the artic is solid water but a bit to inhospitable. The problems we want water where it's in great demand and short supply. Since I doubt we will be able to move the populations,it's going to be necessary to change the way the populations acquire and use the water the they need, People will have to recycling water multiple times, use less water and use water more responsibility. There are eccinomic cost, infrastructural changes, changes in usage patterns , psycholological changes to belief and values and changes to laws and regulations that will be necessary. There are seveal places

Monday, October 21, 2019

Seaborgium Facts - Sg or Element 106

Seaborgium Facts - Sg or Element 106 Seaborgium (Sg) is element 106 on the periodic table of elements. Its one of the man-made radioactive transition metals. Only small quantities of seaborgium have ever been synthesized, so theres not a lot known about this element based on experimental data, but some properties may be predicted based on periodic table trends. Heres a collection of facts about Sg, as well as a look at its interesting history. Interesting Seaborgium Facts Seaborgium was the first element named for a living person. It was named to honor contributions made by nuclear chemist Glenn. T. Seaborg. Seaborg and his team discovered several of the actinide elements.None of the isotopes of seaborgium have been found to occur naturally. Arguably, the element was first produced by a team of scientists led by Albert Ghiorso and E. Kenneth Hulet at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in September, 1974. The team synthesized element 106 by bombarding a californium-249 target with oxygen-18 ions to produce seaborgium-263.Earlier that same year (June), researchers at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia had reported discovering element 106. The Soviet team produced element 106 by bombarding a lead target with chromium ions.The Berkeley/Livermore team proposed the name seaborgium for element 106, but the IUPAC had a rule that no element could be named for a living person and proposed the element be named rutherfordium instead. The American Chemical Society disputed this ruling, citing the precedent in which the element name einsteinium was proposed during Albert Einsteins lifetime. During the disagreement, the IUPAC assigned the placeholder name unnilhexium (Uuh) to element 106. In 1997, a compromise allowed that element 106 be named seaborgium, while element 104 was assigned the name rutherfordium. As you might imagine, element 104 had also been the subject of a naming controversy, as both the Russian and American teams had valid discovery claims. Experiments with seaborgium have shown it exhibits chemical properties similar to  tungsten, its lighter homologue on the periodic table (i.e., located directly above it). Its also chemically similar to molybdenum.Several seaborgium compounds and complex ions have been produced and studied, including  SgO3,  SgO2Cl2,  SgO2F2,  SgO2(OH)2,  Sg(CO)6,  [Sg(OH)5(H2O)], and [SgO2F3]−.Seaborgium has been the subject of cold fusion and hot fusion research projects.In 2000, a French team isolated a relatively large sample of seaborgium: 10 grams of seaborgium-261. Seaborgium Atomic Data Element Name and Symbol: Seaborgium (Sg) Atomic Number: 106 Atomic Weight: [269] Group: d-block element, group 6 (Transition Metal) Period: period 7 Electron Configuration:  [Rn] 5f14  6d4  7s2 Phase: Its expected the seaborgium would be a solid metal around room temperature. Density: 35.0 g/cm3 (predicted) Oxidation States: The 6 oxidation state has been observed and is predicted to be the most stable state. Based on the chemistry of homologous element, expected oxidation states would be 6, 5, 4, 3, 0 Crystal Structure: face-centered cubic (predicted) Ionization Energies: Ionization energies are estimated. 1st:  757.4  kJ/mol2nd:  1732.9  kJ/mol3rd:  2483.5  kJ/mol Atomic Radius: 132 pm (predicted) Discovery: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, USA (1974) Isotopes: At least 14 isotopes of seaborgium are known. The longest-lived isotope is Sg-269, which has a half life of about 2.1 minutes. The shortest-lived isotope is Sg-258, which has a half-life of 2.9 ms. Sources of Seaborgium: Seaborgium may be made by fusing together nuclei of two atoms or as a decay product of heavier elements. It has been observed from the decay of Lv-291, Fl-287, Cn-283, Fl-285, Hs-271, Hs-270, Cn-277, Ds-273, Hs-269, Ds-271, Hs-267, Ds-270, Ds-269, Hs-265, and Hs-264. As still heavier elements are produced, it is likely the number of parent isotopes will increase. Uses of Seaborgium: At this time, the only use of seaborgium is for research, primarily toward the synthesis of heavier elements and to learn about its chemical and physical properties. It is of particular interest to fusion research. Toxicity: Seaborgium has no known biological function. The element presents a health hazard because of its inherent radioactivity. Some compounds of seaborgium may be toxic chemically, depending on the elements oxidation state. References A. Ghiorso, J. M. Nitschke, J. R. Alonso, C. T. Alonso, M. Nurmia, G. T. Seaborg, E. K. Hulet and R. W. Lougheed, Physical Review Letters 33, 1490 (1974).Fricke, Burkhard (1975). Superheavy elements: a prediction of their chemical and physical properties. Recent Impact of Physics on Inorganic Chemistry. 21: 89–144.  Hoffman, Darleane C.; Lee, Diana M.; Pershina, Valeria (2006). Transactinides and the future elements. In Morss; Edelstein, Norman M.; Fuger, Jean. The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements (3rd ed.). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer ScienceBusiness Media.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Whats the Difference Between the SAT and the SAT Subject Test?

For many students, the SAT test is the focus of an enormous amount of effort. There are prep classes, study books, online tutorials and much more to juggle. Some students, though, don’t realize that there is more than one type of SAT test. SAT Subject Tests (formerly known as SAT IIs) are also the subject of much effort and sometimes equally as much confusion. While both kinds of SAT are administered by the College Board, they each have a unique purpose and their format and content are significantly different. In this post, we will outline the primary differences between the SAT and SAT Subject Tests, along with how each is used by admissions committees and how students should plan for each. To learn more about SAT Subject Tests and how they stack up to the SAT, keep reading. Before we get into the nitty gritty details, let’s take a look at each test and what it aims to do. The SAT is a general assessment of your college readiness. It contains sections that test your skills in math, both with and without a calculator, along with reading, writing and language, and an optional essay section. The skills assessed by the SAT are broad ones—essentially, it intends to gauge your readiness for college level work by assessing your critical and analytical thinking skills and your ability to apply knowledge across multiple disciplines. The SAT does not assess specific content knowledge, but will sometimes ask you to apply your knowledge in new or different ways. To learn more about the format and content of the SAT, check out these posts: SAT Subject Tests fill in where the regular SAT does not. It, in essence, sheds light onto your specific content area knowledge and measures your achievement in a particular subject area. For a comprehensive list of tests, see our post Complete List of SAT Subject Tests . Unlike the SAT, each of the SAT Subject Tests assesses only your knowledge within that content area. To learn more about SAT Subject Tests, see our post What Are SAT Subject Tests? SATs (along with the ACT) are one of the standardized tests accepted to meet standardized testing requirements at many colleges across the country. If you plan to attend a college with a standardized testing requirement, you’ll need to either submit an SAT or an ACT score. SAT Subject Tests are not required by nearly as many schools and those that do require them often allow you to choose which you take. For example, some schools will request that you submit two SAT Subject Test scores of your own choosing. Others will request that you submit one SAT Subject Test score in a foreign language or other specific discipline. In these cases, you will have at least some leeway over which tests you choose to take. Still other colleges don’t require any SAT Subject Test scores to be submitted, but most will still review your scores should you choose to submit them anyway. The SAT measures broad skills and general college readiness. It assesses your critical and analytical thinking skills along with your ability to apply what you know. SAT Subject Tests measure your skills and content specific knowledge within specific subject areas. You can think of them as standardized tests to assess how much you have learned in particular high school classes. Our students see an average increase of 250 points on their SAT scores. The SAT takes about half a day to complete. If you are taking the optional essay section, your testing time will be just under four hours. If you choose not to compete the essay, your testing time will be closer to three hours. SAT Subject Tests, in contrast, take much less time to complete. They generally last only a little more than an hour. SAT Subject Tests are offered on the same days and at the same testing centers as the regular SAT, with a few exceptions. While the SAT is offered seven times per year, SAT Subject Tests are only available on six of those dates. In addition, it’s important to know that not all SAT Subject Tests are available on every date. For a comprehensive calendar of when each SAT Subject Test is offered, see the CollegeBoard’s SAT Subject Test Dates . The SAT is scored on a scale from 400-1600 with a separate score given for the optional essay. It is not scored on a curve, and points are not deducted for wrong answers. SAT Subject Tests are scored on a scale from 200-800. Like the SAT, they are not scored on a curve, but unlike the SAT, a fraction of a point is deducted for each wrong answer on multiple choice questions. Without a doubt, the SAT is more heavily weighted in admissions decisions than are SAT Subject Tests. SATs are accepted by every four-year college across the country and are in fact one of two tests required by many. They are often regarded as a major component of your application. In contrast, the weight given to SAT Subject Tests varies widely. Often, SAT Subject Test scores are weighted similarly to other application components like AP classes and scores, and honors level work. Sometimes, though, if you apply to a specific program or specialty, your SAT Subject Test might take on more weight. For example, if you are hoping to enter a BS/MD program, your Chemistry SAT Subject Test will be given more consideration. Further, your SAT Subject Test scores can sometimes be used to test out of certain introductory requirements or prerequisites at your college. For example, if you score well on the French SAT Subject Test, you might not be required to meet your school’s foreign language requirement. Because the SAT is a very unique test that evaluates skills you may have never been tested in before, you need to prepare specifically for it. That often means joining SAT study groups, taking online tutorials, completing multiple practice tests, and sometimes even using an SAT tutor to help brush up on your strategy. SAT Subject Tests are still unique tests, so your preparations might be fairly similar to the SAT, but you will also need to brush up on your content level knowledge, too. Overall, while you’ll still take practice tests and work on test strategy, you’ll also need to spend a lot of time studying the subject-specific knowledge that you’re likely to find on the test.

Friday, October 18, 2019

The History of Lacrosse Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The History of Lacrosse - Research Paper Example The sport of Lacrosse has diplomatic, spiritual, entertaining, physical and cultural meaning/ significance. Thesis statement: The meaning/significance given by Indian tribes to Lacrosse game is beyond its value as a sports item (special reference to historical background of Lacrosse). The history of Lacrosse as an ancient game is interconnected with the Indian tribes in North America. The Native Americans considered Lacrosse as a gift from the god, their creator. As pointed out, the Native Americans played the crude form of Lacrosse and its modern form is indebted to the European settlers. For instance, the European settlers who reached in the southern parts of the American continent got interested in this game. Montreal, an important settlement of the Europeans is considered as the birthplace of modern Lacrosse. Eventually, the warm relation between European settlers and the Native American tribal people resulted in the popularity of Lacrosse to other parts of the world. The crude form of Lacrosse game cannot be termed as a single game because it was a set of ball games played by a number of Indian tribes. For instance, the Northeast tribal people used one stick and the Southeast tribal people used two sticks to play Lacrosse. The tribal people used different na mes to denote the same game. For instance, the Ojibwa Indians used the word â€Å"beggataway† to denote the game. The name of the game â€Å"Lacrosse† originated from its similarity with crosier, which was used for religious purposes. Donald Lee Fixico makes clear that the French settlers in North America used the word ‘Lacrosse’ to denote the game (Fixico 103). The European settlers who settled in North America gradually converted the aboriginal population to Christian faith. Some of the converts moved to the border regions of Canada. This resulted in the spread of Lacrosse in Canada. Eventually, the European settlers who

Discuss the rapid progress of Urbanisation in 19th Century Britain and Essay

Discuss the rapid progress of Urbanisation in 19th Century Britain and the associated massive population growth and social problems which developed - Essay Example These steps include passage of various reforms such as the Poor Laws and laws related housing and sanitary and policing. In this writing we will focus upon the various changes that took place due to the urbanization within Britain during the era of 19th century, we will even pay emphasis to the issues that Britain experienced due to urbanization and how government tried to relax these issues through changes is legislature. The 19th century industrial revolt has altered Britain completely. Previously in 1801, only 20% of the inhabitants resided in cities but by 1851 about 50% and by 1881 about 2/3 of inhabitants have departed themselves to cities (Thackeray 107). In 1801 most of the people work as farmers and used handmade products but by late 19th century industrial units were widespread and most of the products were manufactured by electrical machines (Thackeray 107). During the initial period of the 19th century, Britain experienced ample amount of prejudiced and mutual chaos. Certain individuals of Clapham Sect had much interference in the political affairs (Stobaugh 2012). They were against slavery and cruel sports. Stobaugh states â€Å"on May 11, 1812, John Bellingham murdered the Tory leader Spencer Perceval† (Stobaugh 2012). Uptil then he was the single British Leader yet to be offended. In the year 1820 a plan was made to gun down entire cabinet. Gatrell states â€Å"the leader of Cato Street Plot was Arthur Thistlewood† (Gatrell 299). In this plan the leader’s associates were caught on 23 February 1820 (Gatrell 299). Later the leader was murdered with his 4 attendants later. In the meantime in the year 1811-1816 cloth factory employees in the Midlands and North of England destroyed all newly invented machines in fear of joblessness (Kingfisher 327). In March 1817, various cloth factory employees from Manchester walked to London. They were named as blanketeers as all of them

Business and Society Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business and Society - Case Study Example Clean water supply is however a significant problem, in India and globally, and has been the center of focus for such organizations as the United Nations with such goals as reducing the percentage of people who cannot access sustainable clean water supply to 50 percent by the year 2015. Threat to this sustainability is significant as initiated water projects stall amid locals’ inability to assume responsibility over the projects but clean water supply remains a health and economic necessity. Commercial players have moved in to supply clean water in India while other socially responsible companies seek non-commercial solutions. Social responsibility that incorporate profit oriented and non-profit oriented objective promises a solution and tops Byrraju’s current considerations. The foundation’s SWEET water project begun in 2004 and charges consumers little fee that is used for operations and maintenance. Many of the target customers are however not willing to pay t he price despite affordability and their concerns include taste of the project water and preference for other needs. Establishing the water project requires collaboration between the community, contributing 75 percent of construction cost after application, and Byrraju foundation contributing through loaning. The community then runs the project put pays a percentage of revenues to the foundation for the advanced loan and maintenance. The current situation however challenges feasibility of the project prompting alternative measures that Hari is considering such as raising prices, selling the project, market expansion, grant application, and

Thursday, October 17, 2019

History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History - Research Paper Example Nonetheless, the civil rights movement comprised various African-Americans, who led in the struggle for racial equality, since the blacks in America were entitled to less privileges compared to the whites. This essay focuses on the civil rights movement from WWII until 1968, this therefore, is the period between 1938-1968, with special attention on major events, which indicate struggle for racial equality by African-Americans, and whether they won or lost in their different struggles for equality. Although the Civil Rights Movement is associated with the African Americans only, this was important for both African Americans and the whites. After the civil war, which was detrimental to America, the country was left with many national issues to address in order to ensure stability of the nation and its people. It was during this period, after the civil war, which is also called the reconstruction period that major civil rights movement were experienced. During this era, America had a co nsiderable number of its population comprising African Americans. These were former slaves, who upon being freed, needed to find land, build homes, settle down, and live a free life, like any other white person. Therefore, the American governments had a responsibility of addressing the needs of the former slaves in order to ensure there entry back into the society, as free people. However, when the government failed to address the issues of the African Americans in a fair way, these would rise up and demand for fair treatment and fair legislation, which did not deny them of the privileges the whites were entitled to. Therefore, this continued struggle for racial equality is what gave birth to the modern civil rights movement. Before the WWII, the American government, starting the late 19th Century, had used the legislation to enable the integration of African Americans back in the society as free people. Although the government based its decisions and legislation on the doctrine of â€Å"separate but equal,† there were vast elements of racial discrimination, as the African Americans were not free to share public space or enjoy the privileges of same legislation with the whites. Public places and amenities such as restaurants, schools, bus and railroad stages, among others, were separated between the whites and African Americans. Facilities belonging to African Americans were of poor quality, and inferior, compared to those of whites. This was one of the situations, which would result in the civil rights movement. In 1938, one major incidence that showed struggle for equal rights was experienced in one of the Southern states. In these states, there was a high level of inequality of the African Americans, compared to other states. Southern states did not allow for the admission of African Americans in institutions of higher learning, but referred them to institutions of higher learning in the northern states. However, in 1938, one African American student , who was denied admission to the University of Missouri Law School, filed a case in court, since he wanted Law in this particular university, as others did not offer law. Nonetheless, the courts ruled that the student be admitted in the university. This is one of the incidences, which portray the struggle of African Americans to gain equal opportunities with the whites in America. During the WWII, African Americans

Medicare corruption in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medicare corruption in the United States - Essay Example receiving red lights from various media like the New York Times and the Federal agents searching for illegal documents that might have translated to fraud. Eventually, Columbia/HCA confessed to committing criminal and civil fraud that amounted to fines of $1.7 billion. The company was forced to change its name to HCA Incorporation in 1999. In 2009, 94 people were charged with cases of fraudulent Medicare claims by the Medicare Fraud Strike Task force. It was the largest number ever charged by the Agency and a total of $251 million was involved in the fraud (WEISER, 2013). In 2011, the same agency charged 91 defendants for taking part in Medicare fraud schemes which involved $259million in false billing. In 2012, the same agency convicted two people for participating in Medicare fraud schemes which involved $1.9 million. Last year, the same agency charged 89 people which included the doctor’s nurses and other medical professions for involving themselves in Medicare Fraud scheme s which totaled to $223 million. Apart from this single cases other drug agencies like GlaxoSmithKline. In June 2nd 2012, the company was on the spotlight again and was forced to pay a fine of $3 billion after it emerged that the company was selling unfit drugs. This is also the largest drug scandal in the world. Just recently, four GSK staff in China was detained after it emerged that the four were engaged in fraud. According to the BBC News, the four had been channeling the money to a traveling agency to influence and bribe doctors to prescribe their company’s drugs. It is imperative to hear this and although you cannot control how doctors prescribe these drugs it became a big scandal when it was discovered (Tom Holland, 2013). It is argued that increased government participation into the Medicare services is leading to massive corruption. This paper therefore recommends that the government of US privatize Medicare services to avoid cases of corruption. Various changes to the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

The managerment of breathlessness in patients with COPD Essay

The managerment of breathlessness in patients with COPD - Essay Example The crux of treatment of COPD is management of breathlessness which will be elaborated in this assignment. COPD is defined as "a disease state characterized by the presence of airflow obstruction due to chronic bronchitis or emphysema" (Sharma, 2006). Clinically, chronic bronchitis is defined as the presence of chronic cough with no other etiology and which is productive for at least 3 months during each of the two consecutive years. Emphysema is damage of the air spaces distal to the terminal bronchioles, the damage being irreversible, abnormal and associated with destruction of the air space walls with no obvious fibrosis (Fromer and Cooper, 2008). The global prevalence of COPD is about 7.5% of which 6.4% is due to chronic bronchitis and only 1.8% due to emphysema (Sharma, 2006). In adults above 40 years of age, the prevalence is estimated to be about 9-10% (Sharma, 2006). Men are most commonly affected by this disease. However, the incidence in women is increasing due to increased smoking (Sharma, 2006). COPD is associated with certain mortality and morbidity. The mortality rates in the world vary quite a lot and can be anywhere between 100- 400 deaths per 100,000 males (Sharma, 2006). The most common cause of COPD is cigarette smoking (Silvermann and Speizer, 1996). This condition affects about 15% of cigarette smokers (NICE, 2004). Other risk factors for the development of COPD are air pollution especially due to solid cooking fuels, presence of airway hyperresponsiveness (Sharma, 2006). The characteristic pathophysiological changes in COPD are seen in the central airways, the peripheral airways and also the lung parenchyma. Diverse mechanisms are implicated in the pathophysiology of COPD (Thurlbeck, 1990). Primary offenders like oxidative stress due to free radicals from cigarette smoke and oxidants from phagocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes trigger the release of

Medicare corruption in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medicare corruption in the United States - Essay Example receiving red lights from various media like the New York Times and the Federal agents searching for illegal documents that might have translated to fraud. Eventually, Columbia/HCA confessed to committing criminal and civil fraud that amounted to fines of $1.7 billion. The company was forced to change its name to HCA Incorporation in 1999. In 2009, 94 people were charged with cases of fraudulent Medicare claims by the Medicare Fraud Strike Task force. It was the largest number ever charged by the Agency and a total of $251 million was involved in the fraud (WEISER, 2013). In 2011, the same agency charged 91 defendants for taking part in Medicare fraud schemes which involved $259million in false billing. In 2012, the same agency convicted two people for participating in Medicare fraud schemes which involved $1.9 million. Last year, the same agency charged 89 people which included the doctor’s nurses and other medical professions for involving themselves in Medicare Fraud scheme s which totaled to $223 million. Apart from this single cases other drug agencies like GlaxoSmithKline. In June 2nd 2012, the company was on the spotlight again and was forced to pay a fine of $3 billion after it emerged that the company was selling unfit drugs. This is also the largest drug scandal in the world. Just recently, four GSK staff in China was detained after it emerged that the four were engaged in fraud. According to the BBC News, the four had been channeling the money to a traveling agency to influence and bribe doctors to prescribe their company’s drugs. It is imperative to hear this and although you cannot control how doctors prescribe these drugs it became a big scandal when it was discovered (Tom Holland, 2013). It is argued that increased government participation into the Medicare services is leading to massive corruption. This paper therefore recommends that the government of US privatize Medicare services to avoid cases of corruption. Various changes to the

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Vietnam War Essay Example for Free

Vietnam War Essay The film shows the importance of having an army that is well equipped and knows what their enemy has for troops and artillery. This battle at the La Drang Valley is important to the rest of the Vietnam War because this is where helicopter-based. The air mobile operations helped the U. S army because it was able to bring soldiers and supplies into the combat zone. Without these helicopters and supplies the soldiers that were at the combat zone would not have stood a chance against the Viet Cong army. Film stayed as close to the historical truth as possible. The names and events that are in the movie match with the true events that occurred during the war. Some minor details in the film slanted from the reality, requirement of the commercial movies. Major part of the movie is critical in depicting the war time events to as close as possible. It gives profound knowledge of the historic war, thus contributing to the nation as a source of knowledge. The film We Were Soldiers is not an invention of historical truth but actually a history movie that enables new generations to view the war visually that happened in Vietnam. The visual graphics of the movie are outstanding and it is simply remarkable how they are able to make things look so real. The plot of the movie is wisely done. There were numerous short scenes in this section of the movie that were both fascinating and gave life to it. It is based on fact and shows the facts very well. Although there is some fiction in this film it is not a faction, or combination of truth and fiction. The film is true but with certain Hollywood aspects which you will get in most movies. Although the Vietnam War was a very controversial war this was not portrayed as much as it should have been in the movie. The film shows very little insight into the publics attitude regarding war with northern Vietnam. Even though this was the first battle in Vietnam they were no opinions expressed by the public in this film. The only hint of what the public thought about the war was with the soldiers wives that were home, and they shared biased thoughts because their husbands were fighting in the war so obviously they thought that it was an unnecessary war. This film gave us insight into the beliefs of the united states government as they were at war because of their beliefs that communism was bad, and all communists nations had to be dealt with and punished for they wrong doings and be made into democratic nations. It showed that the military would send troops into battle being outnumbered just to make a country do what the United States wanted it to do. This film was inspired by the book We Were Soldiers Once†¦And Young, written by Harold G. Moore. Moore was the Lt. General at the battle of The La Drang Valley. He wrote this book about the battle that took place there and has interviews with soldiers from both sides about the battle. He also talks about the importance of the helicopters role in bringing men into battle and how this would play a huge part in the rest of the war in Vietnam. The book was the basis for the historical relevance of the movie. The film got most of its information about what really happened at the battle zone through the book as it was written from the commanding officer at the battle and interviews were taken from soldiers that were there and fought and witnessed what was going on first hand. The battle at the La Drang Valley shows us insight into what further battles in Vietnam would look like and what the American military would have to do to be victorious in Vietnam. The film We Were Soldiers shows us this in a first hand experience. It takes us to the actual battlefield and shows us the hardship and defeat that the American soldiers had to go through to stay alive and defeat the Vietnam army. This film is very important to this generation and the next generations to come as is shows close detail of the first battle of the Vietnam War. Bibliography 1. http://bluray. highdefdigest. com/weweresoldiers. html 2. http://search. reviews. ebay. co. uk/We-Were-Soldiers_EAN_7321900934787_W0QQfvcsZ1172QQsoprZ3951947

Monday, October 14, 2019

Consequences Of Commercial Sex Work

Consequences Of Commercial Sex Work Prostitution or commercial sex work, the practice of providing sexual services in return for payment, is one of the oldest professions of the world. Every civilisation mentions the presence of prostitution in some form in their respective literature. Moreover, with the change of time, the face of prostitution has changed a lot with varied consequences. The commercial sex workers have moved out of a confined wall of brothels to streets so as to attract customers. Sex work as a profession is not a natural choice for the most sex workers but they are put into the profession either by force, human trafficking, or are victim of economical or social injustice. However, research advances in this field, though not new, has been very scant. The present study attempted to study the consequences of sex work in terms of perceived stress, loneliness and wellbeing. A total of 115 active female commercial sex workers from different cities of India were requested to participate in the present study. Measures of Perceived stress, loneliness and PGI wellbeing was used to get the responses from the respondents. Using a 2 (level of age) x 3 (levels of number of clients per day) factorial design results were achieved. The ANOVA results indicated a significant effect of number of clients on the measure wellbeing. However, only interaction of age and number of clients was found to be significant on the measure of perceived stress among the commercial sex workers. Furthermore, main effects were not found to be statistically on the measure of loneliness. In addition, correlation results indicated a negative relationship between number of clients per day and well being. Interestingly, a negative correlation between perceived stress and age of the respondents suggesting aging relives from stress arising out of the profession was observed. The measure of loneliness revealed no relationship between any of the measure under study. The results have been interpreted and implications have been discussed the light of available literature and contemporary theoretical approaches. Introduction Prostitution is widely described as the worlds oldest profession. Prostitution, the practice of selling sex for cash or other immediate compensation, has existed across cultures and times from the ancient Greeks, through religious servitude, to todays sex scandals that have rocked several countries. Prostitution also crosses class lines, from the poor streetwalkers with their stereotyped drug habits and abusive pimps to the high-class brothel and escort service workers with their designer clothes and stylish apartments. While the prostitute technically sells a service, namely sexual intimacy, the ways in which prostitution is discussed suggest that, at least to modern sensibilities, she is selling far more than that. Common euphemisms for prostitution in English include selling her body and selling herself, conflating the body and the self with sexual intimacy indicates that sexual intimacy both defines and controls the body and the self. Buyers of sex are not restricted to any one class or clan; however, throughout the world mobile populations of men form a large proportion of sex consumers. Transport workers, seafarers, businessmen and men who are separated from their families and communities either by migration or by joining the armed forces are regular clients. Nevertheless, sex work remains criminalized in many countries and sex workers are subject to human rights violations in many more. Most analyses of prostitution suggest that both men and women enter prostitution, either professionally or temporarily, as relative amateurs, for economic and monetary reasons or are forced to indulge in sex work profession. Certainly, through most of history there were few professions open for women, especially if they had little or no family support or they lacked the education or class status to aspire to the few professions that respectable women could participate in. Conversely, many people who advocate a departure from the shame culture surrounding sex in a variety of arenas, including sex work, argue that some prostitutes work in order to challenge repressive gender roles which restrict womens sexuality to a romantic ideology and oppressive patriarchal marriages. As these activists are also working to change womens opportunities and thus eliminate prostitution as a forced, last-ditch option for staying alive, they are not simply romanticizing prostitution but complicating it b y forcing the world to consider the positive choices of sex workers. More so, females in their early teens are more vulnerable and get lured into the profession not by choice but more due to immaturity. However, adult women may also be vulnerable to economic, social and psychological pressures leading to the choice of sex work profession. There is nothing magical about a girls eighteenth birthday that guarantees that she can make free and unpressured choices. What seems more important in the context of prostitution and the controversy over choice is the individuals ability to manage power hierarchies and to retain an element of control within them (WHO, 2001). Nevertheless, very little is known about the demand for sex worker services. Sexuality is not a subject that is much discussed in India. Contrary to cultural ideals that stress chastity before marriage and fidelity within it, men commonly stray from this norm. While this behaviour is generally not as pronounced as in societies in East and Southeast Asia there is consistent, although largely anecdotal evidence to indicate that a large minority of men are clients of sex workers. Mobile groups of men: male migrants in the cities; truck drivers; those in the armed forces; and travelling businessmen are frequently cited as important client groups. Many young men are initiated into their sexual lives by prostitutes (UNFPA, 2001). Rapidly escalating prevalence rates for HIV indicate that monogamy is not necessarily practised (Lousie, 2000). This applies to men from all social classes. Threats to physical and psychological wellbeing come from working conditions, as well as from clients, the public, and the police encountered in the working environment. Both the public and the police use harassment and violence to monitor sex workers behavior. Besides, street-based sex workers are subject to constant attention, scrutiny, and harassment. In contrast to street-based workers, sex workers who operate in other venues are relatively invisible but are still likely to be the subject of harassment and assault leading to depleted state of well being. Regarding sexual and physical health, the sex workers are at a high risk of sexually transmitted disease (STD). Undeniably, the importance of the link between sexual abuse injuries and STIs has been recognized. Specially, in the context of the trafficked, they are often victims of repeated sexual abuse and coercion into involuntary sex acts, which may include vaginal rape, forced anal and oral sex, forced unprotected sex, gang rape, sex during menstruation, and sex accompanied by violent or degrading ritual, which not only have physical consequences but also affects the psychological state of the victims. Moreover, the dimensions of coercion and violence within the given situation also increase womens risk of infection by limiting womens ability to negotiate how sex takes place and whether condoms are used. Gynecological complications are the most common health problem faced by trafficked women as a result of the abuse context, which may be in terms of tearing of the vaginal tract an d genitals, sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancy, risks to reproductive and sexual health and above all HIV/AIDS. Above all social stigma the sex workers face is more enduring and affects them more psychologically and is devastating for them. However, they still continue to indulge in the profession for various reasons. Stress and loneliness is one of the consequences accompanied with shattered wellbeing which may be observed among the sex workers. In view of these beliefs, numerous authors have been interested in exploring sex workers sexual health. However, the psychological exploration in the lives of sex workers in Indian context could not be seen. Within this backdrop, present study attempted to explore the consequences of sex work in terms of perceived stress, loneliness and wellbeing. METHOD Sample: A total of 115 active female commercial sex workers from different Red light areas and prostitution belt, located in cities of India, were requested to participate in the present study. Looking at the extent of study and the difficulty in finding participants for the study, purposive sampling method was used to select the sample. Respondents were female sex worker in the age range of 14-45 years. Tools: Apart from including demographic items in the interview schedule measures pertaining to perceived stress, loneliness and wellbeing was used to get appropriate responses, suitable to the objectives, from the respondents. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS): Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Kamarck, Mermelstein, 1983) was used to understand the stress pattern of the respondents.PSS included 14 items to be rated on a 5-point Likert type scale ranging from never (0) to very often (4). UCLA Loneliness Scale: The UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russel, 1996) was included to assess subjective feelings of loneliness of the respondents (commercial sex workers). The items in the scale were to be rated on a four point scale ranging from never to often. PGI Wellbeing Scale: PGI Wellbeing scale developed by Verma, Verma, (1989) included 20 items intended to measure the subjective wellbeing of the respondents. Forced type yes/no response was to be put against the items and a high score on the scale indicated high degree of wellbeing. The interview schedule was supplemented by actual observation of the situation. Procedure: Initially, all the respondents were contacted at their workplace and objectives of the study were explained. With great difficulty the respondents agreed to participate in the study. Data was collected from different Red light areas and prostitution belt, located in various cities of India. All the respondents were assured of confidentiality of their location and responses and were thanked for their participation in the study. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Using a 2 (level of age) x 3 (levels of number of clients per day) factorial design results were achieved (Table 1). The ANOVA results pertaining to perceived stress have been shown in table 2. No statistically significant effect of the main effects of age (F (1, 109)= 0.246; p>.05) and number of clients (F (2, 109)= 2.785; p>.05) on the perceived stress is observed. The mean results, however, revealed that the respondents of younger age (M= 29.61) perceived more stress than their upper age (M= 27.12) counterparts. With regard to number of clients per day, it was revealed that the respondents dealing with 5 or more clients (M= 28.41) were more stressed than their other counterparts dealing with 3 or less clients (M= 28) and with 4 clients (M= 27.29) per day. Conversely, interaction of age and number of clients (F (2, 109) = 7.732; p When 23 ANOVA was applied to the measure of Loneliness, neither did age (F (1, 109)= .329; p>.05) nor did the number of clients per day (F (2, 109)= .327; p>.05) reveal any significant effect. Similarly, the interaction effect (F (2, 109)= 2.784; p>.05) also was not significant. However, it was the younger respondents (M= 29.67) who perceived loneliness more than their counterparts (M= 28.77). Conversely, respondents dealing with 4 clients daily (M=29.18) experiences loneliness more than their counterparts dealing 5 or more (M= 28.80) and 3 or less (28.20) clients on daily basis. Ordinarily, loneliness exists because of the isolation people feel in them. The isolation can come as a result of loss of someone or something people are dearly attached with and when it is taken away experience of loneliness creeps in. Its usually because of this separation that creates the feeling of loneliness. However the result seems to indicate that loneliness is experiences similarly across age group of the sex workers and that number of client is also not important. A 23 ANOVA was applied to see the effect of age and number of client on wellbeing. The results indicated a significant effect of number of clients on the measure wellbeing (F (2, 109) = 3.55; p The correlation results (table 2) indicated a negative relationship between number of clients per day and well being. It suggests that number of client is a potent source of good or depleted wellbeing among the commercial sex workers. Interestingly, a negative correlation between perceived stress and age of the respondents. This result seems to suggest that with aging these sex workers are more adjusted to the daily demands of the work they do and consequently are more relieved and hence less stress. Furthermore, the measure of loneliness revealed no statistically significant relationship between any of the measure under study once again suggesting that the feeling of loneliness is not affected by either age or number of clients and also it is not statistically related to stress or wellbeing for the commercial sex workers. Conclusion Socio-economic factors such as financial handicap, trafficking, unemployment and peer influence are the major factors encouraging the growth of the sex industry in India. Stress as a function of age and number of client is an important factor was used in the present study but revealed no significant effects. However, clients number was significant with wellbeing. Age and number of client was also not significant with the measure loneliness. Some of the other studies have documented an association between sex trading and multiple traumas and other characteristics associated with psychological distress (El-Bassel et al., 1997; Fullilove, Lown, Fullilove, 1992; Kelly, et al., 1992). This finding should be viewed in the light of two limitations. First, because of difficulty in finding the respondents random or systematic sampling procedure could not be used, thus, the conclusions may not be representative of all women in this trade. Second, the present study did not consider stressful life events, such as trafficking, socio-economic conditions prior to entering flesh trade, childhood abuse, and domestic violence, etc., that could confound the relationship between sex trading and perceived stress among this population. These associations notwithstanding, the question as to what extent psychological distress and loneliness is a consequence of commercial sex work and its possible relationship with various other psychological variables remains unanswered by this study. Future studies are needed to examine culturally relevant appraisals, coping style, psychological symptoms and their consequences on the commercial sex workers. Knowledge of psychological factors can be used to develop interventions for this population. Despite these limitations, this study has implications for assessing and possibly providing possible intervention for mental health problems of sex workers. The level of perceived psychological stress among sex workers highlights the need to assess their need for psychological interventions. The feeling they have of being stigmatized because of the nature and status of their work likely contributes to their stress (Fullilove, Lown, Fullilove, 1992) and shattered wellbeing because the wellbeing results were slightly at the lower side. More so, for the majority of commercial sex workers, commercial sex constitutes their major source of income and it was revealed that given a chance they would like to leave the profession. In this line, women who are ready to leave this profession should have some policy from the government addressing their rehabilitation and alternate source of income generation. Gaining access to public assistance may enable some women to reduce their dependency on sex trading. Those who are not willing or able to leave sex trading need training to develop strategies to reduce the dangers of their work. By and large, high number of partners and inconsistent risky sex conditions among these sex worker, as reported, indicate that these women will continue to become infected with STDs, if not yet affected, and get into drug abuse as well. Thus, government and providers of public health must intensify their efforts to bring them into the mainstream of the country.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Symbolic Role of Birds in Kate Chopins The Awakening Essay

The Symbolic Role of Birds in Kate Chopin's The Awakening The Awakening by Kate Chopin is a truly enlightening novel about a young woman who begins to really live her life for herself, breaking out of the various barriers of society and family. Chopin uses symbolism as an excellent tool to slip her ideas to readers, causing them to think, giving readers a glimpse into the life of this young woman at a time when women were harnessed by many restraints. The birds that appear throughout the novel are the most intriguing symbols; they are used many different ways, to mean many different things, and to portray various emotions and situations. As the novel begins, Chopin likens Edna to a bird in a gilded cage. Edna is not free, but that is okay because she has not yet begun to see what life has to offer; she has not yet begun to awaken. Through Edna's desire for Robert, she begins to realize that she is like the bird in the cage, not wanting for anything materially but still trapped. Edna cannot fly away to freedom; she is tied by social constraints and especially by he...

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Art, Surrealism, and the Grotesque Essay -- Exploratory Essays Researc

The term "grotesque" in art and literature, commonly refers to the juxtaposition of extreme contrasts such as horror and humor, or beauty and monstrosity, or desire and revulsion. One function of this juxtaposition of the rational and the irrational is to subdue or normalize the unknown, and thereby control it. The simultaneity of mutually exclusive emotional states, and the discomfort it might cause, inspires a Freudian analytic critical approach because of its focus on controlling repressed desires through therapeutic rationality. There are volumes of Freudian art criticism, which typically begin by calling attention to manifestations, in some work of art, of the darkest desires of the id. Perhaps in no field of art criticism does Freud's name appear more frequently than in surrealism, and for various reasons, the grotesque figures very strongly in that art movement. From the association of surrealist art and Freud, we can derive a cursory understanding of the grotesque in this breed of Modernist art: the grotesque appears as an image, the content of which might traditionally be repressed, but instead, it is expressed within the controlled confines of a work of art. The psychoanalytic critic will focus on the simultaneous attraction to and repulsion from the dream- like imagery on the surrealist canvas. Yet, this does not consider the surrealist notion of art as a liberation of the subconscious, nor does such analysis adequately incorporate the surrealist goal of political revolution. Instead, it reduces surrealist art criticism to the interpretation of dreams. This Freudian view becomes too limiting of our understanding of surrealism, the grotesque, and perhaps even of ourselves... ...d Practice of Dream Interpretation." in Freud: Therapy and Technique. ed. Philip Rieff. New York: Collier Press, 1963. pp. 205-235. Heidegger, Martin. "What is Metaphysics?" in Basic Writings, ed. David Farrell Krell. New York: Harper & Row, 1977. Plank, William. Sartre and Surrealism. Ann Arbor: Univeristy of Michigan Research Press, 1972. Sartre, Jean-Paul. Nausea. trans. Lloyd Alexander. New York: New Directions, 1964. ------- The Psychology of Imagination. trans. Bernard Frechtman. New York: Washington Square Press, 1966. ------- The Writings of Jean-Paul Sartre: A Bibliographic Life Chicago: Northwestern University Press. Interview with Claudine Chonez in Marianne, Dec. 7, 1938. ------- "What is Literature?" and Other Essays. Trans. Steven Ungar. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1988.