Saturday, August 31, 2019

Gender Stereotyping In The Media Essay

It has been strongly evident that the media has played a large role in gender stereotyping for decades. Since the very beginning of film, movies and television shows have depicted men and especially women as lower or lesser beings. This â€Å"tradition† of sexism has of course, decreased since the 50’s but still lingers on in many of today’s television programs. In the early 50’s, with television shows such as â€Å"I Dream of Jeanie† and â€Å"I Love Lucy, women were portrayed quite openly as being the server to their husbands, the men. They were considered to be lower than men or in other words of less importance. Many of the shows from this era showed a substantial amount of gender stereotyping. For example, the women were to do what they were told, they were the only ones who cooked and cleaned, and they were the primary caregiver for the children. Of course, things have changed since the 50’s. Women have proven to be powerful and just as competent as men, thus, making it harder for television shows to portray them as lesser individuals. However, although the gender stereotyping has decreased, it is certainly still evident in the media. There are several television shows being broadcasted today that do, in fact, show some form of gender stereotyping, particularly towards women. However, it is less out in the open and blunt than it use to be in the early 50’s and 60’s. One must read between the lines and pay attention to notice the stereotypic behavior being portrayed. While this behavior may be subtle, it does, in fact still exist. There is a very well known show on MTV known as â€Å"The Real World,† which comes on every Wednesday. It is a reality based show which places seven strangers into one house for several weeks where they are to live together for the duration of the program. As many of us know, reality shows are not what they appear to be. The directors and producers of such shows have the ability to crop and edit which specific clips of the film that they want to be premiered. Inevitably, they are able to portray the individuals on their show in any way that they want. For example, they may choose to only show clips of certain individuals where they are crying, fighting, or as â€Å"The Real World† often does, being promiscuous. This is a vital key in how this show can stereotype a specific gender. In episode three of the new and current season of â€Å"The Real World,† it can be concluded that women are overall depicted as foolish, whiney, selfish, rude, childish, and promiscuous. The men of the serious, however, are showed in a softer, lighter side. They are portrayed as caring individuals who would rather stay away from most of the women and stray from any drama or arguments going on inside of the house. In one segment of the show, two of the women of the house are running around the house screaming and yelling, playing a game which appears to be cowboys and Indians. The next scene shows the men of the house calmly sitting outside having adult conversations. This is clearly in effort to make the females look childish. In another segment of the show, the women are basically all fighting with one another while the men sit quietly in the background. One of the females sarcastically asks another cast member if it is fun living with a bunch of girls. The other cast member quickly responds with a no. It should be understood that not everything that the women in the house on this show have done have been childish or in anyway degrading. It is impossible to fit everything that has been recorded of these people when producing the show. So, everything that viewers are allowed to see has been carefully selected for various reasons such as higher ratings. The more dramatic events that happen, the more likely it will be for the show to attract audiences. However, why is it that there are no dramatic sequences shown where the men are degrading themselves? In conclusion, gender stereotyping in the media, although lessened since the 50’s, does still exist on television programs today. Whether women are portrayed as inferior to men or simply more ignorant or immature, the fact is that gender stereotyping is an all too sad reality in the world that we live in today. Perhaps one day we can come to an understanding that all men AND women and created equally. Works Cited www. mtv. com www. realworld. com www. people. unt. edu/jw0109/misc/stereotype. htm

Friday, August 30, 2019

Jarhead Movie Review

A man fires a rifle for many years, and he goes to war. And afterward he turns the rifle in at the armory, and he believes he's finished with the rifle. But no matter what else he might do with his hands; love a woman, build a house, change his son's diaper; his hands remember the rifle. † Jarred is not a war movie about a physical war between countries; it is about an internal war a soldier faces during, and following a physical war in which he is a witness.The main character, Tony Oxfords tells his story starting at boot camp, through the first Gulf war, and shortly after his discharge; in an attempt to give the audience a better understanding of what happens within a soldiers mind as a result of being in combat. It is incredibly hard to imagine the toll that being in the Marine Corps, and being involved in such a situation, could take on your mind and body but this movie makes a really good attempt.Unlike most war movies Jarred does not focus on the enemy or the war at hand, it gives us here at home a little inside look at what the soldiers experience and why their lives and minds are changed forever. Tony shows us how tot camp tore him down and rebuilt him as a killing machine, â€Å"l wanted the pink mist,† he says referring to the splatter of blood seen through the scope of the rifle of a Marine sniper. There are scenes of the soldiers watching the old war movie, Apocalypse Now, following along with the music, and thirsting for the first sight of bloodshed.The soldiers soon get their orders to go overseas and they think that their war is about to begin. When they fly Into the desert and get their orders to guard the oil fields they assume that this Is Just until the war actually begins. When â€Å"their war† anally does begin, Instead of using their carefully honed skills, they are faced with the reality that, unlike the movies they watched with such fascination, foot soldiers are all but useless In our age of technology. They face Inc redible frustration and aggravation playing the waiting game.For Tony's best friend and spotter, Troy, the frustration reaches a boiling point when their one and only opportunity Is quickly taken away by a commanding officer who rather bomb the tower they were scoping out. â€Å"It's our kill! Just let us do It one time, PLEASE,† Troy pleads with the officer as Tony tries to calm him down. The officer calls the Jets to complete the mission and Troy Is reduced to the fetal position, sobbing uncontrollably. It Is a very painful scene to take In. Just to Imagine how frustrated a grown man has to be to succumb to such a state of utter disappointment.In today's society we have all heard of post- traumatic stress disorder (PETS), watching this movie gives the viewer's Insight as to why/what kinds of events transpire that could cause a person to experience PETS. The scene where they come across a traffic Jam that was turned to ash Is very surreal, owe will those soldiers feel when t hey see or are In a traffic Jam once they return home? The final scene shows Tony looking out the window In his apartment back dying; will always be me. We are still In the desert. The director hammers home the basis that Marines are Marines forever, especially In their own minds. Once they witness war they are forever changed, their life Is never the same. Jarred Movie Review By Confederacy war is about to begin. When they fly into the desert and get their orders to guard the oil fields they assume that this is Just until the war actually begins. When â€Å"their war† anally does begin, instead of using their carefully honed skills, they are faced with are all but useless in our age of technology.They face incredible frustration and frustration reaches a boiling point when their one and only opportunity is quickly out. â€Å"It's our kill! Just let us do it one time, PLEASE,† Troy pleads with the officer as Troy is reduced to the fetal position, sobbing uncontrollably . It is a very painful scene to take in. Just to imagine how frustrated a grown man has to be to succumb to such traumatic stress disorder (PETS), watching this movie gives the viewer's insight as toThe scene where they come across a traffic Jam that was turned to ash is very surreal, how will those soldiers feel when they see or are in a traffic Jam once they return home? The final scene shows Tony looking out the window in his apartment back home, seeing nothing but desert, and he quotes, â€Å"And all the Soreheads; killing and dying; will always be me. We are still in the desert. † The director hammers home the basis that Marines are Marines forever, especially in their own minds. Once they witness war they are forever changed, their life is never the same.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Managing Diversity at Cityside Financial Services Essay - 2

Managing Diversity at Cityside Financial Services - Essay Example Challenges of diversity for hiring, management, development and retention practice as well as solution are discussed with respect to the case study. Ethical and legal issue of strategic talent management and development and Cityside Financial Services are discussed. Human Capital The importance of human capital is gaining increasing significance in the recent competitive environment. Corporations are identifying the magnitude of investing and allocating the resources in their human capital. This is due to the perception that in order to stay on a leading position in the global economy, they have to appreciate and develop their human capital (Alta Associates, 2006). Impact of Diversity on Organization There are several changes in the cultural aspects of an organization that complicates the management to understand the cultural diversity and its affect upon an organization. An organization can be affected through primary and secondary diversity of human resources. The primary diversity embraces ethnicity, age, race and abilities or qualities. The secondary diversity comprises of educational background, religious beliefs, work experience, marital status and person belonging to a region. All these factors of the primary and the secondary diversity have a great impact on organizations in terms of performance, conflicts, disputes and other related aspects of an organization.... The affect of diversity upon an individual’s career and an organizational effectiveness is illustrated through a diagram represented below in figure 1. Source: (Moon, 1997). The model represented in figure 1 demonstrates that an individual’s group associations such as gender, age and race can be analyzed on the basis of three levels namely organizational, intergroup and individual. These three factors will collectively assist in determining the diverse environmental impact upon the organization. This environment influences individuals’ and organizations’ outcomes that may be in the nature of achievement outcomes or it may be effective outcomes. These outcomes of an individual might have an impact on organizational productivity, quality as well as other factors (Moon, 1997). Impact of Diversity on Human Capital Management Diversity driven workforce of an organization has a great impact upon human capital management. The diverse workforce may not ensure prop er decision making, creativity, flexibility along with several other aspects. Therefore, unique and multicultural workforce needs to be refined and promoted so that the workforce gets a chance to express their viewpoints. Higher employee turnover and conflicts occur when there is poor diversity management. In this situation, ‘value in diversity’ approach is required in order to derive benefit from positive effects of diversity and in turn helps to avoid the effects that are negative in nature. There are organizations that value diversity and take its advantage by encouraging the workforce for participating in organizational decisions and develop their perspectives and skills (McMillan-Capehar & Aaron, 2009). Challenges of Diversity for Hiring, Management,

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Estimating and Production Decision Making Essay

Estimating and Production Decision Making - Essay Example To get that output, we multiply the mean output per operative week with the size of the gang and efficiency of that gang. For example: For Gang no 1; Mean output per operative week is 0.16, by multiplying this with the size of the gang say 6 and the efficiency of the gang (100%) we get the output per week as 0.16 X 6 X 100% = 0.96. We have calculated the size of the other gangs in the similar way, (assuming output per week of each gang nearer to 0.96, because we have found that cost efficiency is maximum for gang size of 6). The size of the gang thus found is given in red color. .. The size of the gang thus found is given in red color. Gang Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Mean output per operative week 0.16 0.21 0.16 0.16 0.12 0.12 0.26 0.16 0.11 0.16 Cost per operative week 320 320 335 300 320 320 335 320 315 315 Overheads per Gang week 210 210 215 200 210 210 215 210 205 205 Size of the gang 6 5 6 6 11 11 4 6 12 6 2. Starting of work of any particular gang We have ensured that the preceding gang has completed more than one unit in the week prior to the week we have started the new gang. 3. We have also ensured that after starting a gang, the preceding acitivity is completed at any stage. Working calculations are in excel

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The financial sector in Saudi Arabia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The financial sector in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example Theoretically, there are different types of financing system followed by different countries. These financing systems are aimed to help the borrower to generate the required funds. These systems also help the government of the country to perform their various economical activities, efficiently. The efficient management of various economic activities of a country such as construction of building, houses and other infrastructure, accomplishment of all the basic necessities of residents of that country like education, medical facilities, employment, etc, production, trading in international market, etc. is the indicators of the prosperity of the country.   In theoretical aspects, the conventional loan is a sort of a traditional mortgage loan which is provided by banks, credits unions, financial institutions and local money lenders. The interest rate for these types of loans is set by money lenders as per their own terms and conditions. This interest rate is relatively high for taking maximum benefits in this type of financing system. There is need of high down payments and mortgage or security for these types of loan. There are several differences in the conventional.  Where as Murahaba financing is also a kind of financing which is known as the 'cost-plus financing'. This financing system is one of the most important systems prevailing in various Islamic countries. There is no additional interest is charged in this type of dealing (International Monetary Fund 2006).

Monday, August 26, 2019

Listen Up Cabin Crew Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Listen Up Cabin Crew - Essay Example He breaks down the communication process in understandable segments: Overconfidence, Social norms in the cabin, and Repetition. Then, related to Behavior, he cites the attitudes, expected norms of behavior, and perceived behavioral control, repetition, and confusion between repetition and recall. For an article of less than 800 words that is a review of a 91 page manual of extensive research, Darby has done a very good job. He has given enough details to the categories and information, condensing the information so that it is quickly learned. He cited his sources, focusing mainly on Azjen's research. The way he cites the categories is organized and easily understandable. If one wanted to know the basics of the ATSB's manual, this is a quick readable resource. The attached questionnaires in the ATSB's manual were used in the research for the compilation of data. This is mentioned also in Darby's article. He selected main topics and used those, mentioning the research that was available and used. Completely left out of any research questionnaire were anything asked of the cabin crew. As mentioned previously, the research and experts used are excellent examples of the type of information to bring confidence to the reader. The information is logical and follows sequential thinking. There are no seen errors in the structure of the thought process. If there are any biases perceived in this article, it has to do with a prejudice against passengers. However, that is stated in the beginning because that is the focus of the article-attempting to understand why passengers do not pay enough attention to the instructions given by the cabin crew. This seems to enhance the writer's credibility because it is stated in the beginning and is cited from the manual. My personal reaction to this is positive because it enhances my belief that passengers need more awareness of safety procedures on all flights and we need to do our best to continually make them aware of the rules and procedures. Darby presents an excellent behavioral view of this problem, but he does not address the emotional content to any large extent. However, neither does the ATSB manual. It only discusses the behavioral. Whether it would be helpful to discuss the emotional or not would really depend on the reaction of the passenger to any type of emergency situation and how the cabin crew would handle it. The cabin crew could be trained to understand the emotional problems associated with passengers. That training would then reflect in how they work with the passengers once inside the cabin. There are many more cited documents in the original ATSB document than what Darby used or was able to use in his article. Also not explained was the perception passengers have of the flight attendants and the difference of perception between shorter flights and longer ones. The trust level is addressed in the ATSB report, but not mentioned in Darby's article. It is my view that the article is quite valid and dependable. Whether Darby had a word length limit probably had something to do with the amount of information he was able to compile in the amount of allocated space. Had he had more space he could have included more about the research of the passengers, the reactions they have to the brochures in the seat pockets, and how much attention they actually pay to the emergency procedures. The statistics in the original manual by

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Visual Arts Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Visual Arts Project - Essay Example She was portrayed with her face in profile as she studied her hands, which were covered by the folds of the skirt of her white Victorian styled gown. I wondered if she might have had a quarrel with her lover. Above her head, to the right, was a golden mellow rose that made me think this even more. It created in me a mood of sadness, making me recall my own experiences with lost love. As I became more affected by the painting, I wanted to know more about its creator! While studying the life of Hassam, I learned that the piece is considered one of his best works of art and that he had chosen as an alternate title to the piece, Beethoven's "Appassionato" sonata. (2) It appeared to me that, like Beethoven, he must have had feelings of great passion to be able to create the mood of The Sonata. For me, the subtleness of that passion was further emphasized by Hassam's use of a blend of colors to create a golden gilded hue. The painting is highlighted by this color blend in the colors of the rose, the woman's hair, and in other spots throughout the painting. In contrast to this is the pure whiteness of the Victorian styled gown that the woman wears. Hassam also called attention to the subtle meaning of the painting with the use of indirect line. Using and almost S-shape to emphasis the focal point of the painting-the woman, he draws the eyes of the beholder of the painting, from the rose into the woman's face and down to her hands. The artist was from New England and learned the techniques of the impressionists while studying in Paris. While he, later, became more involved in modernistic landscapes and patriotic scenes of America, the influence of the impressionists never escaped his work. The painting is considered one of Hassams's best works. Like the first artists of impressionism, Hassam has captured natural light and luminosity in the painting with the use of numberless short choppy strokes of paint. Unlike Claude Monet, the father of impressionism, and his early followers, Hassam's Sonata is too academic to be defined strictly as an impressionist work. Instead, the artist has defined his subject and the meaning of the painting as delicately as did the Flemish painters with their strict adherence to detail. The great exception to their rules would be the flatness of The Sonata as compared to the depth to be found in their paintings. A painting such as the Sonata draws one into an imaginary space, while a sculpture calls its viewer to experience it physically. The atmospheric perspective techniques used to create depth in a paintings or not available to sculptures. In paintings, something is added, with sculptures, something is subtracted. Sculptures are devoid of the softness that many paintings possess. While requiring the same talents and skills as that of painters to effect greatness in their creations, sculptures are limited in their abilities to tease our imagination. The use of colors and values is also less, because of this, paintings are more complex. The Sonata is a good example of this, like the Mona Lisa, she invites us, not only to wonder, but also to participate in her mystery. References Frederick Childe Hassam (1859-1935), 1893, oil on canvas, 32 x 32, Bequest of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph S. Atha, Collection of the Nelson-Atkins Museum. The Nelson Gallery Foundation, d.b.a. The Nelson-Atkins M

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Premature Rupture of Membrane during Labor Essay

Premature Rupture of Membrane during Labor - Essay Example However, her pulse is at 80bpm, 37.7oC temperature, and blood pressure at 111/58, and normal respiration at 16. Fetal heart rate is at 140. The patient is under the monitor of IUPC for frequency, intensity, and duration of contractions. The fetus is monitored by the external electronic fetal. Cervical dilation is 4cm, station 3, and 70% effaced. Fetus is in cephalic presentation. At 1000 assessment, cervical dilation is still 4cm, station -3, and 80% effaced, and the patient is in pain and distress, with a pain of eight in a 1 to 10 scale. Pain medication administered and support person taught lower back massage to alleviate back pain. Fetal heart rates are at 138, with 3 to 5 minutes contractions ranging between 30 seconds to one minute long. At 1200, epidural block administered after patients complain of pain, and advised not to lie on her back. Nursing Diagnosis and Pathophysiology Managing labor at term with spontaneously ruptured membranes can be confusing. Concerns arise about the appropriate management for pre-labor rupture of membranes and the spontaneous rapture of membranes after the labor begins. The nursing diagnosis priority is the examination of the premature rapture of membrane through a thorough physical, history examination, as well as selected laboratory studies. The primary caregiver should carry out a speculum examination to determine the presence of any cervical dilation or effacement. On suspicion of membranes premature rapture, it is integral to halt digital cervical examinations, as they tend to increase mortality and morbidity. Moreover, the digital cervical examinations result to a decrease of about nine days in the latent period (Medina and Hill, 2006). Evidence of pooling fluid in the vagina, or leakage from the cervical on application of fundal pressure or when the patient coughs, assist the care provider in determining membranes raptures. Diagnostic methods such as the use of nitrazine paper and ferning determination have sensitivi ties of about 90%. Nitrazine paper turns blue in the presence of amniotic fluid with a pH above 6.0. However, other contaminations such as presence of semen, blood, and bacterial vaginosis may give similar outcomes. The care providers should reserve a swab for determining the presence of ferning, which if positive indicates premature membranes rapture (Medina and Hill, 2006). Management of Pre-labor Membranes Ruptures at Term Previous studies on the management of pre-labor membranes ruptures focus essentially on the comparison of the incidence of infection in immediate induction patients versus the expected management on risk of infection after different durations of rupture. In their examinations, researchers compared outcomes from an induction and expected management with premature rupture of membrane at term. According to their reports, there were no differences in infection rate between the two examination groups, as well as a higher rate of caesarian section cases in the induce d groups. A more recent research by Hannah and colleagues called TERMPROM study, a large, randomized multicentre trial, which compared immediate induction to expectant management running up to four days after the diagnosis of premature rupture of membrane at term. Results of the study show that maternal infection occurred at higher rates in women managed expectantly (Marowitz and Hunter, 2004). The rates of caesarian sections and neonatal infections were the same. Care Plan The following is the care plan for

Information Technology- Information Retrieval Annotated Bibliography

Information Technology- Information Retrieval - Annotated Bibliography Example In this article, Chowdhury, Gibb and Landoni assess the ease at which a group of users is able to access information from a given source. This article is supported by a quantitative analysis conducted on users to support the necessity of considering uncertainties in the design of an information system. This article is useful in my case since it justifies the need for conducting studies on information retrieval and the possible risks involved. This article is a documentation of the development in the computing industry and the strategies implemented in adapting to changes in the field. Liu, McMahon and Culley describe the processes that led to the development of SDR technology. In the article, the authors explain the reasons behind development of the information retrieval (IR) technologies, such as incompatibility of files between the traditional and modern systems. This paper justifies the existence of the SDR in the engineering filed and its purpose in information retrieval. This article provides information on the challenges that led to the development of a better-structured information retrieval system. According to Tu and Seng, works involving IT technologies in the education sector is one of the fastest growing ventures. The article in question represents a collection of ideas from comprehensive studies in the information technology filed. The article by Tu and Seng is an attempt to congregate information on the information retrieval subject with considerations to current operational systems. The intelligence gathered exposes the need for continued studies in the information retrieval field. This article is useful in my study for it shows that perfection in the information retrieval subject has not yet been attained, there exists challenges. The article presents an exhaustive tutorial on the basics of applying information retrieval techniques to acquire useful information on a

Friday, August 23, 2019

Comparison or contrast of East-West philsophical thought Essay

Comparison or contrast of East-West philsophical thought - Essay Example The wider areas surrounding India, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Arabic countries are taken as representing Eastern thought. Western thought is taken as mainly stemming from Europe, and North America, with some concession for Christianity, as it originated in the Middle East, rather than in Europe or North America. Additionally, while Christianity is considered the major Western religion, some consideration is also given to Greek and Roman philosophical thought, modern scientific though and rationalism. In terms of the philosophical thought considered in this essay as eastern, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, forms of Yoga, and Islam were considered. For many years, within the fields of academia and scholarship, Syed Farid Atlas (2002) argues that Eurocentrism â€Å"†¦values, attitudes, ideas and ideological orientations that are informed by European uniqueness and superiority.† (as cited in Yoshitaka, 2010) dominated much discourse. This has perhaps been to the detriment of philosophical thought as a whole. There are certainly positive aspects to the philosophical thinking of the east and the west with value. Neither should be dominant. In the west, it is accepted and encouraged that the individual will succeed on his/her own. Personal achievement is valued, and to achieve the individual should be independent of others, even independent of the environment. In contrast, eastern societies are structured around the collective. The family and the community or society are considered important, sometimes more so than the individual. The interdependence of people, and their environment, and even the universe at large is always acknowledged and accepted. This means that philosophical thinking, presented in explanation of human existence and purpose, differs widely in the east and west. While in the east, Truth is accepted as universal, independent of the individual, it is a proven, scientifically tested

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Discuss Research Into the Nature of Relationships in Different Cultures Essay Example for Free

Discuss Research Into the Nature of Relationships in Different Cultures Essay Relationships Discuss research into the nature of relationships in different cultures. (9 marks + 16 marks) In Western Cultures, it has been found that relationships are voluntary, temporary and focus on the needs of the individual as due to the predominantly urban settings in which we live in, we are able to (on a daily basis) interact with a large number of people. Western cultures therefore appear to be characterised by a high degree of choice in personal relationships and a greater ‘pool’ of potential relationships. Non-western cultures however, have less choice about whom they interact with on a daily basis, meaning that interaction with strangers are rare and relationships are frequently tied to other factors, such as family or economic resources. In societies with reduced mobility, (predominantly non-western cultures) arranged marriages are common as love is expected to grow due to the fact that it is not seen as necessary for marriage. Arranged marriages seem to work well and make good sense as divorce rates are low and Epstein (2002) found that perhaps about half of them report that they have fallen in love with each other. Myers et al. , (2005) studied individuals in India living in arranged marriages and found no differences in marital satisfaction in comparison to individuals in non-arranged marriages in the US. This is also supported by Gupta and Singh (1982) who studied 100 degree-educated couples living in India, 50 of who had chosen their partners and 50 of who had their marriages arranged for them. The couples were asked to indicate how much they liked/loved their partners and it was found that love and liking was high in love marriages but decreased whereas love increased in arranged marriages and after 10 years exceeded love marriages. However, this study is difficult to generalise as it studies only a small sample and so cannot be generalised to the wider population. It therefore lacks validity. However, in some adapting cultures such as China, there has been a noticeable increase in ‘love matches’ as the Chinese are currently attempting to move away from traditional ‘arranged’ marriages. Instances in which parents dominate the process of partner choice in china have declined from 70% prior to 1949, to less than 10% in the 1990s. Xioahe and Whyte (1990) studied women in love marriages and found that they were more satisfied than those in arranged marriages. Western cultures are also seen as individualistic due to their focuses on individuals rather than groups, with individual happiness and pleasure seen as fundamentally important. On the other hand, non-western cultures are seen as collectivist cultures as people are encouraged to be interdependent rather than independent. Moghaddam et al. (1993) claim that the cultural attitudes of individualist cultures, are consistent with the formation of relationships that are based on freedom of choice, whereas collectivism leads to relationships that may have more to do with the concerns of family or group. Norms and rules act as guidelines for behaviour and influence how we act out any given relationship. One such norm that plays a key part in personal relationships is the norm of reciprocity. Ting-Toomey (1986) found that in individualist cultures, reciprocity in personal relationships tend to be voluntary. In collectivist cultures however, it is more obligatory. In such cultures, failure to return a favour is seen as a failure of one’s moral duty. In Japanese culture, for example, there are specific rules about gift-giving and reciprocating, whereas n such formal norms exist in Western cultures. Argyle et al. ’s cross-cultural comparison of relationship rules in different cultures did find support for some predictions but failed to support others. However, a problem with this research is that the list of rules was formulated in the UK and may have failed to include rules that are specific to a particular culture such as Japan. Research on cross-cultural differences in norms and rules is important to be able to conduct cross-cultural relationships successfully. Knowledge of the norms and rules underlying cross-cultural relationships is an important aspect of any attempt to understand and improve relations between different cultural groups within a host country. Finally, relationships are difficult to study scientifically. Laboratory experiments, through the manipulation of isolated variables, are seen as the most rigorous way of establishing cause and effect, and he best way of furthering our understanding of the processes involved in human relationships. However, as Hogg and Vaughan (2008) point out, people do bring their cultural ‘baggage’ into the laboratory. Although cultural background may be seen as a problematic extraneous variable to some researchers, it is clear that culture itself is an important variable that influences the relationship processes being studied.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Moduation Techniques | An Overview

Moduation Techniques | An Overview The evolution of wireless cellular technology from 1G to 4G has a similar aim that is capable to deliver high data rate signal so that it can transmit high bit rate multimedia content in cellular mobile communication. Thus, it has driven many researches into the application of higher order modulations. One of the focuses of this project is to study and compare the different types of Digital Modulation technique that widely being used in the LTE systems. Hence, before being able to design and evaluate this in computer simulation. A study is carried out on digital modulation and drilled down further on QPSK modulation schemes, and followed by the QAM modulation schemes. What is modulation? There are several definitions on modulation taken from several references as follows: Modulation is defined as the process by which a carrier wave is able to carry the message or digital signal (series of ones and zeroes). Modulation is the process of facilitating the transfer of information over a medium. Voice cannot be sent very far by screaming. To extend the range of sound, we need to transmit it through a medium other than air, such as a phone line or radio. The process of converting information (voice in this case) so that it can be successfully sent through a medium (wire or radio waves) is called modulation. Modulation is the process of varying a carrier signal, typically a sinusoidal signal, in order to use that signal to convey information. One of the three key characteristics of a signal is usually modulated: its phase, frequency or amplitude. There are 2 types of modulations: Analog modulation and digital modulation. In analog modulation, an information-bearing analog waveform is impressed on the carrier signal for transmission whereas in digital modulation, an information-bearing discrete-time symbol sequence (digital signal) is converted or impressed onto a continuous-time carrier waveform for transmission. 2G wireless systems are realized using digital modulation schemes. Why Digital Modulation? The move to digital modulation provides more information capacity, compatibility with digital data services, higher data security, better quality communications, and quicker system availability. Developers of communications systems face these constraints: available bandwidth permissible power inherent noise level of the system The RF spectrum must be shared, yet every day there are more users for that spectrum as demand for communications services increases. Digital modulation schemes have greater capacity to convey large amounts of information than analog modulation schemes. Different types of Digital Modulation As mentioned in the previous chapter, there are three major classes of digital modulation techniques used for transmission of digitally represented data: Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK) Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) Phase Shift Keying (PSK) All convey data by changing some aspect of a base signal, the carrier wave (usually a sinusoid) in response to a data signal. For ASK, FSK, and PSK the amplitude, frequency and phase are changed respectively. Bit rate and symbol rate To understand and compare different PSK and QAM modulation format efficiencies, it is important to first understand the difference between bit rate and symbol rate. The signal bandwidth for the communications channel needed depends on the symbol rate, not on the bit rate. Bit rate is the frequency of a system bit stream. Take, for example, a radio with an 8 bit sampler, sampling at 10 kHz for voice. The bit rate, the basic bit stream rate in the radio, would be eight bits multiplied by 10K samples per second or 80 Kbits per second. (For the moment we will ignore the extra bits required for synchronization, error correction, etc.). A Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) signal. The states can be mapped to zeros and ones. This is a common mapping, but it is not the only one. Any mapping can be used. The symbol rate is the bit rate divided by the number of bits that can be transmitted with each symbol. If one bit is transmitted per symbol, as with BPSK, then the symbol rate would be the same as the bit rate of 80 Kbits per second. If two bits are transmitted per symbol, as in QPSK, then the symbol rate would be half of the bit rate or 40 Kbits per second. Symbol rate is sometimes called baud rate. Note that baud rate is not the same as bit rate. These terms are often confused. If more bits can be sent with each symbol, then the same amount of data can be sent in a narrower spectrum. This is why modulation formats that are more complex and use a higher number of states can send the same information over a narrower piece of the RF spectrum. Phase Shift Keying (PSK) PSK is a modulation scheme that conveys data by changing, or modulating, the phase of a reference signal (i.e. the phase of the carrier wave is changed to represent the data signal). A finite number of phases are used to represent digital data. Each of these phases is assigned a unique pattern of binary bits; usually each phase encodes an equal number of bits. Each pattern of bits forms the symbol that is represented by the particular phase. There are two fundamental ways of utilizing the phase of a signal in this way: By viewing the phase itself as conveying the information, in which case the demodulator must have a reference signal to compare the received signals phase against; (PSK) or By viewing the change in the phase as conveying information differential schemes, some of which do not need a reference carrier (to a certain extent) (DPSK). A convenient way to represent PSK schemes is on a constellation diagram. This shows the points in the Argand plane where, in this context, the real and imaginary axes are termed the in-phase and quadrature axes respectively due to their 90 ° separation. Such a representation on perpendicular axes lends itself to straightforward implementation. The amplitude of each point along the in-phase axis is used to modulate a cosine (or sine) wave and the amplitude along the quadrature axis to modulate a sine (or cosine) wave. In PSK, the constellation points chosen are usually positioned with uniform angular spacing around a circle. This gives maximum phase-separation between adjacent points and thus the best immunity to corruption. They are positioned on a circle so that they can all be transmitted with the same energy. In this way, the moduli of the complex numbers they represent will be the same and thus so will the amplitudes needed for the cosine and sine waves. Two common examples are binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) which uses two phases, and quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) which uses four phases, although any number of phases may be used. Since the data to be conveyed are usually binary, the PSK scheme is usually designed with the number of constellation points being a power of 2. Applications of PSK and QAM Owing to PSKs simplicity, particularly when compared with its competitor quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), it is widely used in existing technologies. The most popular wireless LAN standard, IEEE 802.11b, uses a variety of different PSKs depending on the data-rate required. At the basic-rate of 1 Mbit/s, it uses DBPSK. To provide the extended-rate of 2 Mbit/s, DQPSK is used. In reaching 5.5 Mbit/s and the full-rate of 11 Mbit/s, QPSK is employed, but has to be coupled with complementary code keying. The higher-speed wireless LAN standard, IEEE 802.11g has eight data rates: 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48 and 54 Mbit/s. The 6 and 9 Mbit/s modes use BPSK. The 12 and 18 Mbit/s modes use QPSK. The fastest four modes use forms of quadrature amplitude modulation. The recently-standardised Bluetooth will use p / 4-DQPSK at its lower rate (2 Mbit/s) and 8-DPSK at its higher rate (3 Mbit/s) when the link between the two devices is sufficiently robust. Bluetooth 1 modulates with Gaussian minimum shift keying, a binary scheme, so either modulation choice in version 2 will yield a higher data-rate. A similar technology, ZigBee (also known as IEEE 802.15.4) also relies on PSK. ZigBee operates in two frequency bands: 868-915MHz where it employs BPSK and at 2.4GHz where it uses OQPSK. Notably absent from these various schemes is 8-PSK. This is because its error-rate performance is close to that of 16-QAM it is only about 0.5dB better but its data rate is only three-quarters that of 16-QAM. Thus 8-PSK is often omitted from standards and, as seen above, schemes tend to jump from QPSK to 16-QAM (8-QAM is possible but difficult to implement). QPSK QPSK is a multilevel modulation techniques, it uses 2 bits per symbol to represent each phase. Compared to BPSK, it is more spectrally efficient but requires more complex receiver. Constellation Diagram for QPSK The constellation diagram for QPSK with Gray coding. Each adjacent symbol only differs by one bit. Sometimes known as quaternary or quadriphase PSK or 4-PSK, QPSK uses four points on the constellation diagram, equispaced around a circle. With four phases, QPSK can encode two bits per symbol, shown in the diagram with Gray coding to minimize the BER twice the rate of BPSK. Figure 2.5 depicts the 4 symbols used to represent the four phases in QPSK. Analysis shows that this may be used either to double the data rate compared to a BPSK system while maintaining the bandwidth of the signal or to maintain the data-rate of BPSK but halve the bandwidth needed. Four symbols that represents the four phases in QPSK Although QPSK can be viewed as a quaternary modulation, it is easier to see it as two independently modulated quadrature carriers. With this interpretation, the even (or odd) bits are used to modulate the in-phase component of the carrier, while the odd (or even) bits are used to modulate the quadrature-phase component of the carrier. BPSK is used on both carriers and they can be independently demodulated. As a result, the probability of bit-error for QPSK is the same as for BPSK: However, with two bits per symbol, the symbol error rate is increased: If the signal-to-noise ratio is high (as is necessary for practical QPSK systems) the probability of symbol error may be approximated: As with BPSK, there are phase ambiguity problems at the receiver and differentially encoded QPSK is more normally used in practice. As written above, QPSK, are often used in preference to BPSK when improved spectral efficiency is required. QPSK utilizes four constellation points, each representing two bits of data. Again as with BPSK the use of trajectory shaping (raised cosine, root raised cosine etc) will yield an improved spectral efficiency, although one of the principle disadvantages of QPSK, as with BPSK, is the potential to cross the origin, that will generate 100% AM. QPSK is also known as a method for transmitting digital information across an analog channel. Data bits are grouped into pairs, and each pair is represented by a particular waveform, called a symbol, to be sent across the channel after modulating the carrier. QPSK is also the most commonly used modulation scheme for wireless and cellular systems. Its because it does not suffer from BER degradation while the bandwidth efficiency is increased. The QPSK signals are mathematically defined as: Implementation of QPSK QPSK signal can be implemented by using the equation stated below. The symbols in the constellation diagram in terms of the sine and cosine waves used to transmit them is being written below: This yields the four phases p/4, 3p/4, 5p/4 and 7p/4 as needed. As a result, a two-dimensional signal space with unit basis functions The first basis function is used as the in-phase component of the signal and the second as the quadrature component of the signal. Therefore, the signal constellation consists of the signal-space 4 points The factors of 1/2 show that the total power is divide evenly among the two carriers. QPSK systems can be implemented in a few ways. First, the dual data stream is divided into the in-phase and quadrature-phase components. These are then independently modulated onto two orthogonal basis functions. In this implementation, two sinusoids are used. Next, the two signals are superimposed, and the resulting signal is the QPSK signal. Polar non-return-to-zero encoding is also being used. These encoders can be located before for binary data source, but have been located after to illustrate the theoretical dissimilarity between digital and analog signals concerned with digital modulation. The matched filters can be substituted with correlators. Each detection device uses a reference threshold value to conclude whether a 1 or 0 is detected. Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) Quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) is both an analog and a digital modulation scheme. It is a modulation scheme in which two sinusoidal carriers, one exactly 90degrees out of phase with respect to the other, which are used to transmit data over a given physical channel. Because the orthogonal carriers occupy the same frequency band and differ by a 90degree phase shift, each can be modulated independently, transmitted over the same frequency band, and separated by demodulation at the receiver. For a given available bandwidth, QAM enables data transmission at twice the rate of standard pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) without any degradation in the bit error rate (BER). QAM and its derivatives are used in both mobile radio and satellite communication systems. The modulated waves are summed, and the resulting waveform is a combination of both phase-shift keying (PSK) and amplitude-shift keying, or in the analog case of phase modulation (PM) and amplitude modulation. In the digital QAM case, a finite number of at least two phases and at least two amplitudes are used. PSK modulators are often designed using the QAM principle, but are not considered as QAM since the amplitude of the modulated carrier signal is constant. In 16 QAM 4 different phases and 4 different amplitudes are used for a total of 16 different symbols. This means such a coding is able to transmit 4bit per second. 64-QAM yields 64 possible signal combinations, with each symbol representing six bits (2^6 = 64). The yield of this complex modulation scheme is that the transmission rate is six times the signaling rate. This modulation format produces a more spectrally efficient transmission. It is more efficient than BPSK, QPSK or 8PSK while QPSK is the same as 4QAM. Another variation is 32QAM. In this case there are six I values and six Q values resulting in a total of 36 possible states (66=36). This is too many states for a power of two (the closest power of two is 32). So the four corner symbol states, which take the most power to transmit, are omitted. This reduces the amount of peak power the transmitter has to generate. Since 25 = 32, there are five bits per symbol and the symbol rate is one fifth of the bit rate. The current practical limits are approximately 256QAM, though work is underway to extend the limits to 512 or 1024 QAM. A 256QAM system uses 16 I-values and 16 Q-values giving 256 possible states. Since 2^8 = 256, each symbol can represent eight bits. A 256QAM signal that can send eight bits per symbol is very spectrally efficient. However, there is some drawbacks, the symbols are very close together and are thus more subject to errors due to noise and distortion. Such a signal may have to be transmitted with extra power (to effectively spread the symbols out more) and this reduces power efficiency as compared to simpler schemes. BPSK uses 80 K symbols-per-second sending 1 bit per symbol. A system using 256QAM sends eight bits per symbol so the symbol rate would be 10 K symbols per second. A 256QAM system enables the same amount of information to be sent as BPSK using only one eighth of the bandwidth. It is eight times more bandwidth efficient. However, there is a drawback too. The radio becomes more complex and is more susceptible to errors caused by noise and distortion. Error rates of higher-order QAM systems such as this degrade more rapidly than QPSK as noise or interference is introduced. A measure of this degradation would be a higher Bit Error Rate (BER). In any digital modulation system, if the input signal is distorted or severely attenuated the receiver will eventually lose symbol clock completely. If the receiver can no longer recover the symbol clock, it cannot demodulate the signal or recover any information. With less degradation, the symbol clock can be recovered, but it is noisy, and the symbol locations themselves are noisy. In some cases, a symbol will fall far enough away from its intended position that it will cross over to an adjacent position. The I and Q level detectors used in the demodulator would misinterpret such a symbol as being in the wrong location, causing bit errors. In the case of QPSK, it is not as efficient, but the states are much farther apart and the system can tolerate a lot more noise before suffering symbol errors. QPSK has no intermediate states between the four corner-symbol locations so there is less opportunity for the demodulator to misinterpret symbols. As a result, QPSK requires less transmitt er power than QAM to achieve the same bit error rate. Implementation of QAM First, the incoming bits are encoded into complex valued symbols. Then, the sequence of symbols is mapped into a complex baseband waveform. For implementation purposes, each complex multiplication above corresponds to 4 real multiplications. Besides, and will be the real and imaginary parts of = + iand assume that the symbols are generated as real and imaginary parts (as opposed to magnitude and phase, for example). After being derived, we will get and. From (1), x (t) becomes. This can be understand as two parallel PAM systems, followed by double-sideband modulation by quadrature carriers and. This realization of QAM is called double-sideband quadrature-carrier (DSB-QC) modulation. A QAM receiver must first demodulate the received waveform y(t). Assuming the scaling and receiver time reference discussed before, this received waveform is assumed to be simply y(t) = x(t) + n(t). Here, it is being understood that there is no noise, so that y(t) is simply the transmitted waveform x(t). The first task of the receiver is to demodulate x(t) back to baseband. This is done by multiplying the received waveform by both and. The two resulting waveforms are each filtered by a filter with impulse response q(t) and then sampled at T spaced intervals. The multiplication by at the receiver moves the positive frequency part of x(t) both up and down in frequency by, and does the same with the negative frequency part. It is assumed throughout that both the transmit pulse p(t) and the receive pulse q(t) are in fact baseband waveforms relative to the carrier frequency (specifically, that and for). Thus the result of multiplying the modulated waveform x(t) by yields a response at baseband and also yields responses around and. The receive filter q(t) then eliminates the double frequency terms. The effect of the multiplication can be seen by both at transmitter and receiver from the following trigonometric identity: Thus the receive filter q(t) in the upper (cosine) part of the demodulator filters the real part of the original baseband waveform, resulting in the output Assuming that the cascade g(t) of the filters p(t) and q(t) is ideal Nyquist, the sampled output retrieves the real part of the original symbols without intersymbol interference. The filter q(t) also rejects the double frequency terms. The multiplication by similarly moves the received waveform to a baseband component plus double carrier frequency terms. The effect of multiplying by at both transmitter and receiver is given by Again, (assuming that p(t) * q(t) is ideal Nyquist) the filter q(t) in the lower (sine) part of the receiver retrieves the imaginary components of the original symbols without intersymbol interference. Finally, from the identity, there is no crosstalk at baseband between the real and imaginary parts of the original symbols. It is important to go through the above argument to realize that the earlier approach of multiplying u(t) by for modulation and then by for demodulation is just a notationally more convenient way of doing the same thing. Working with sines and cosines is much more concrete, but is messier and makes it harder to see the whole picture. Modulation and transmission of QAM In general, the modulated signal can be represented by Where the carrier cos(wct) is said to be amplitude modulated if its amplitude is adjusted in accordance with the modulating signal, and is said to be phase modulated if (t) is varied in accordance with the modulating signal. In QAM the amplitude of the baseband modulating signal is determined by a(t) and the phase by (t). The in phase component I is then given by This signal is then corrupted by the channel. In this case is the AWGN channel. The received signal is then given by Where n(t) represents the AWGN, which has both the in phase and the quadrature component. It is this received signal which will be attempted to demodulate. Reference Fundamentals of Communication SystemsDescription: http://i.cmpnet.com/dspdesignline/2008/07/image046.gif, by John G. Proakis, Masoud Salehi Description: http://i.cmpnet.com/dspdesignline/2008/07/image046.gif Cross-layer resource allocation in wireless communications: techniques and Models from PHY and MAC Layer Interactionby Ana I. Pà ©rez-Niera, Marc Realp Campalans Digital Communication: Third Edition, by John R. Barry, Edward A. Lee, David G. Messerschmit OFDM for wireless multimedia communications by Richard Van Nee, Ramjee Prasad Modern Quadrature Amplitude Modulation by W.T Webb and L.Hanzo Digital Signal Processing in Communication Systems by Marvin E.Frerking COPD: a Clinical Case Study COPD: a Clinical Case Study Jerry Corners Introduction Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the fifth leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the UK and fourth in the world (Hurd 2000; Soriano 2000). Though other causes exist, like genetics and environmental pollution, tobacco smoke is by far the leading etiology of this disease (Pride 2002). It may seem axiomatic that if cigarette smoking is the cause of COPD, cessation (or avoidance) of smoking is the prevention. However, despite extensive public education, smoking is still common among men and women in the UK and even when people do quit, relapse within the first year is common (Lancaster et al. 2006). Therefore our attention as caregivers needs to be focused upon methods of cessation that produce lasting results. To illustrate the diagnosis, management, both short- and long-term, and what Mike can expect from treatment as reflected in the medical literature, we present the following case. Pathophysiology of COPD COPD is a chronic disease in which decreased airflow is related to airway smooth muscle hypereactivity due to an abnormal inflammatory reaction. Inhalation of tobacco products causes airway remodeling, resulting ultimately in emphysema and chronic bronchitis (Srivastava, Dastidar, Ray 2007). COPD is a complex inflammatory disease that affects both lung airways and lung parenchyma. The modern focus of the pathophysiology of COPD is centered around this inflammation and it is now recognized that systemic inflammation is responsible for many of the extrapulmonary effects of cigarette smoke inhalation (Heaney, Lindsay, McGarvey 2007). The Clinical Case Study Diagnosis Mike is a 54 year old, self-employed grandfather who smokes 40 cigarettes daily. He was recently diagnosed with COPD based on an FEV1 of 66% of predicted (Halpin 2004). According to Halpin (2004), â€Å"There are still no validated severity assessment tools that encompass the multidimensional nature of the disease, and we therefore continue to recommend using FEV1 as a percentage of the predicted as a marker of the severity of airflow obstruction, but acknowledge that this may not reflect the impact of the disease in that individual. We have changed the FEV1 cut off points and these now match those in the updated GOLD and new ATS/ERS guidelines, although the terminology is slightly different: an FEV1 of 50–80% predicted constitutes mild airflow obstruction, 30–49% moderate airflow obstruction, and According to these criteria, Mike has mild airflow obstruction and will be treated accordingly. But no matter what stage he is at or what pharmacologic interventions are prescribed, we are nevertheless obliged to offer this patient access to an effective nicotine cessation program while in hospital. Treatment Acutely, the mainstays of treatment for Mike’s level of disease are inhalation and possibly oral therapy along with pulmonary rehabilitation (Cote Celli 2005;Paz-Diaz et al. 2007). Of course underlying bronchpulmonary infection is treated with appropriate anitmicrobial therapy. Inhalation and Oral Therapy Bronchodilators Of the three classes of bronchodilator therapy, ÃŽ ²-agonists, anticholinergic drugs and methylxanthines, all appear to work by relaxation of the airway smooth muscles, which allows emptying of the lung and increased tidal volume, with an increase in FEV1 with increase in the total lung volume and dyspnea, subjective air-hunger, significantly improved, especially during exercise (Celli Macnee 2004c). Combining short- and long-acting bronchodilators appears to improve lung function better than either alone, and so Mike will be treated with a combination of salbutamol and (albuterol)/ipratropium. There are many other agents that could be used that have shown to be effective in mild disease, such as Mike’s (Celli Macnee 2004b). Corticosteroids Inflammation is often part of the acute phase of COPD exacerbations and therefore part of Mike’s therapy will be inhaled corticosteroids. Many studies have shown that inhaled corticosteroids produce at least some improvement in FEV1 and ventilatory capacity. It is often necessary for a trial of medication to confirm that a given patient will respond to inhaled corticosteroid treatment (Celli Macnee 2004a). Ries ( 2007) claims that inhaled corticosteroids have become the standard of care for patients with COPD, in all phases of severity (Salman et al. 2003). Mike will be offered inhaled corticosteroids. Pulmonary Rehabilitation According to a statement of the American Thoracic Society, â€Å"[Pulmonary rehabilitation is] a multidisciplinary programme of care for patients with chronic respiratory impairment that is individually tailored and designed to optimise physical and social performance and autonomy†. The Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program Exercise Garrod ( 2007) has shown convincing evidence that exercise significantly modifies systemic inflammation, as measured by CRP and IL-6 levels, that plays such an important role in the pathogenesis of COPD. But rather than target just the pulmonary musculature, Sin et al. ( 2007) have suggested that the skeletal muscle dysfunction and reduced exercise tolerance, which are important extrapulmonary manifestations of COPD, could in fact be due to the systemic inflammation that is important in COPD. Therefore, Mike will be placed on a regimen of weight training designed to improve his over all muscle strength. In addition he will be offered aerobic exercise treadmill sessions to improve his exercise tolerance, similar to cardiac rehabilitation (Leon et al. 2005). Nutritional Support General nutritional status is related to COPD severity (Budweiser et al. 2007;Ischaki et al. 2007) and mortality (Felbinger Suchner 2003). The cachexia of COPD is a common sign of end-stage pulmonary disease. Mike has mild disease and would not be expected to be suffering from malnutrition. However, an evaluation by a nutritionist and possible early correction of any deficits are part of his pulmonary rehabilitation. Psychological Support Depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms are valid indicators of psychological distress in COPD (Hynninen et al. 2005) and quality of life (Arnold et al. 2006), two very important nursing issues. Much of the psychological distress is related to a sense of personal control because the illness, especially in its late stages, is so often accompanied by a feeling of loss of control in one’s life. Mike is still self-employed and with his mild impairment, he is not likely to be feeling these issues, yet. However caregivers need to be acutely aware that his quality of life may depend upon recognition and early intervention in the future (Gudmundsson et al. 2006;Oga et al. 2007). To that end he will have a psychological evaluation while in hospital to screen for depression or anxiety symptoms. Educational Support There are many areas that are very important to Mike as he goes through his pulmonary rehabilitation. In an initial interview, he needs to know what he can and cannot expect from treatment. He needs a person to explain that the damage done so far is not reversible but that there are many treatments available that will allow him to live a good life, if he stops further cigarette use. Issues of promoting a healthy lifestyle, muscle wasting and psychological adjustment are all treatable with information, when it is presented in a sympathetic, firm, supportive atmosphere. Mike needs to know what to expect in the future, if he is able to quit smoking, and if he does not quit smoking. He may not like to hear the truth, but his quality of life will benefit in the years to come from a clear, honest educational program. In addition Mike needs to understand that he may have exacerbations from time to time and that early intervention by his generalist or pulmonologist are mandatory to avoid more serious consequences. Education that stresses the value of a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise according to the regimen established in hospital, is very important. Also, education can help considerably in preventing the wasting that, though probably not present now, may become important in the future. Smoking Cessation No subject in the COPD literature is more clear than the need for immediate cessation of exposure to all cigarette smoke; and, no subject is more frustrating to caregiver and patient alike, at least in those instances where there is poor compliance with the cigarette smoke proscription. We will explore with Mike some of the recommended strategies to accomplish this sometimes elusive, if vitally necessary goal. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) A recent article by West, et al. ( 2007) reported a prospective study of NRT that was large (2009 smokers), multicultural, involving smokers from the US, UK, Canada, France, and Spain, and of sufficient duration to render generalizable (â€Å"real world†) results. They concluded that NRT helps smokers’ cessation attempts and long-term abstinence rates. However, the 6% improvement rate was not large and this form of cessation therapy should be reserved for those who have tried and failed other methods or programmes. There are many forms of NRT, including nasal and oral nicotine sprays, gum, and patches of varying dosages, currently on the market, but whether they have significant one-year success rates over counselling is an arguable point in the literature. Since Mike now smokes 40 cigarettes daily, he will be offered the 15mg nicotine patch to help for the initial 20 weeks of cessation. Bupropion Therapy Buproprion is a dopamine agonist that has antidepressant effects but is also marketed as a smoking cessation agent. In a study comparing the nicotine patch with buproprion and controls (counselling only) by Uyar, et al. (Uyar et al. 2007), reported success of 26 % for the nicotine patch, 26% for buproprion, and 16% for counselling-only at the end of 24 weeks. As an interesting aside, they reported that those who had a Beck depression inventory above 13, i.e. were depressed at the onset of the study, were unsuccessful regardless of treatment or control group. However, because of the small numbers of smokers involved, there was no statistically significant difference between these groups. The authors conclude that counselling is as effective for cessation attempts as these pharmacologic treatments, and there are no known side effects of being in a control group. However, other studies (Tonnesen et al. 2003) have shown a significant effect of bupropion over placebo. Internet-Based Assistance Various groups have tried using an interactive website to help smokers stop smoking. Unfortunately they have yet to show significant positive findings. All that can be said about them is that the more often the smoker logs on to the site, the better his chances are that he will be successful (Japuntich et al. 2006;Mermelstein Turner 2006;Pike et al. 2007). Nurse-Conducted Behavioral Intervention In the UK Tonnesen et al. (Tonnesen, Mikkelsen, Bremann 2006) found that a combination of nurse-based counselling in conjunction with NRT in patients with COPD was more effective than placebo at 6 and 12 months. As one can readily imagine, there are a plethora of cessation strategies available to assist people in smoking cessation. However, there is no â€Å"silver bullet†, i.e. one method that fits everybody. It comes down to proper motivation, which we believe is related to education and perhaps other factors. All we can really be sure of is of that those who try, many will be successful, and try, try, again seems to be the best advice we can offer. But the most important lesson we can learn is to prevent use of this harmful and addictive substance in the first place. Teenage smoking prevalence is around 15% in developing countries and around 26% in the UK and US. Studies have shown that those who make it past 20 years of age are much less likely to succumb to this addiction (Grimshaw Stanton 2006). Conclusion Assuming Mike ceases to smoke cigarettes, and given a regimen of exercise appropriate to his physical functioning, and with a detailed and robust COPD rehabilitation programme, his prognosis is excellent. By far the most challenging days are yet to come as Mike begins to feel better and the educational materiel fades from his mind. Many smokers return to their fatal habit within a year. Many, though perhaps not all, could benefit from periodic follow-up sessions with a motivational nurse-counselor. 1902 words not counting references References Arnold, R., Ranchor, A. V., Koeter, G. H., de Jongste, M. J., Wempe, J. 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M., Aine, T., Hallin, R., Bakke, P. 2006, Depression, anxiety and health status after hospitalisation for COPD: a multicentre study in the Nordic countries, Respir.Med., vol. 100, no. 1, pp. 87-93. Halpin, D. 2004, NICE guidance for COPD, Thorax, vol. 59, no. 3, pp. 181-182. Heaney, L. G., Lindsay, J. T., McGarvey, L. P. 2007, Inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: implications for new treatment strategies, Curr.Med.Chem., vol. 14, no. 7, pp. 787-796. Hynninen, K. M., Breitve, M. H., Wiborg, A. B., Pallesen, S., Nordhus, I. H. 2005, Psychological characteristics of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a review, J.Psychosom.Res., vol. 59, no. 6, pp. 429-443. Ischaki, E., Papatheodorou, G., Gaki, E., Papa, I., Koulouris, N., Loukides, S. 2007, Body mass and fat free mass indices in COPD: Relation with variables expressing disease severity, Chest. Japuntich, S. J., Zehner, M. E., Smith, S. S., Jorenby, D. E., Valdez, J. A., Fiore, M. C., Baker, T. B., Gustafson, D. H. 2006, Smoking cessation via the internet: a randomized clinical trial of an internet intervention as adjuvant treatment in a smoking cessation intervention, Nicotine.Tob.Res., vol. 8 Suppl 1, p. S59-S67. Lancaster, T., Hajek, P., Stead, L. F., West, R., Jarvis, M. J. 2006, Prevention of relapse after quitting smoking: a systematic review of trials, Arch.Intern.Med., vol. 166, no. 8, pp. 828-835. Leon, A. S., Franklin, B. A., Costa, F., Balady, G. J., Berra, K. A., Stewart, K. J., Thompson, P. D., Williams, M. A., Lauer, M. S. 2005, Cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease: an American Heart Association scientific statement from the Council on Clinical Cardiology (Subcommittee on Exercise, Cardiac Rehabilitation, and Prevention) and the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism (Subcommittee on Physical Activity), in collaboration with the American association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Circulation, vol. 111, no. 3, pp. 369-376. Mermelstein, R. Turner, L. 2006, Web-based support as an adjunct to group-based smoking cessation for adolescents, Nicotine.Tob.Res., vol. 8 Suppl 1, p. S69-S76. Oga, T., Nishimura, K., Tsukino, M., Sato, S., Hajiro, T., Mishima, M. 2007, Longitudinal deteriorations in patient reported outcomes in patients with COPD, Respir.Med., vol. 101, no. 1, pp. 146-153. Paz-Diaz, H., Montes de, O. M., Lopez, J. M., Celli, B. R. 2007, Pulmonary rehabilitation improves depression, anxiety, dyspnea and health status in patients with COPD, Am.J.Phys.Med.Rehabil., vol. 86, no. 1, pp. 30-36. Pike, K. J., Rabius, V., McAlister, A., Geiger, A. 2007, American Cancer Societys QuitLink: randomized trial of Internet assistance, Nicotine.Tob.Res., vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 415-420. Ries, A. L., Bauldoff, G. S., Carlin, B. W., Casaburi, R., Emery, C. F., Mahler, D. A., Make, B., Rochester, C. L., Zuwallack, R., Herrerias, C. 2007, Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Joint ACCP/AACVPR Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines, Chest, vol. 131, no. 5 Suppl, pp. 4S-42S. Salman, G. F., Mosier, M. C., Beasley, B. W., Calkins, D. R. 2003, Rehabilitation for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, J.Gen.Intern.Med., vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 213-221. Sin, D. D. Man, S. F. 2007, Systemic inflammation and mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Can.J.Physiol Pharmacol., vol. 85, no. 1, pp. 141-147. Srivastava, P. K., Dastidar, S. G., Ray, A. 2007, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: role of matrix metalloproteases and future challenges of drug therapy, Expert.Opin.Investig.Drugs, vol. 16, no. 7, pp. 1069-1078. Tonnesen, P., Mikkelsen, K., Bremann, L. 2006, Nurse-conducted smoking cessation in patients with COPD using nicotine sublingual tablets and behavioral support, Chest, vol. 130, no. 2, pp. 334-342. Tonnesen, P., Tonstad, S., Hjalmarson, A., Lebargy, F., Van Spiegel, P. I., Hider, A., Sweet, R., Townsend, J. 2003, A multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 1-year study of bupropion SR for smoking cessation, J.Intern.Med., vol. 254, no. 2, pp. 184-192. Uyar, M., Filiz, A., Bayram, N., Elbek, O., Herken, H., Topcu, A., Dikensoy, O., Ekinci, E. 2007, A randomized trial of smoking cessation. Medication versus motivation, Saudi.Med.J., vol. 28, no. 6, pp. 922-926. West, R. Zhou, X. 2007, Is nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation effective in the real world? Findings from a prospective multinational cohort study, Thorax. Page 1 of 11 Is Power the Same as Violence? Is Power the Same as Violence? Huang Li Introduction For a long time in history, the coercive side that power involves and the destructive results that power rivalry brings have all along depicted power as horrible and deterrent. It has been viewed as closely related to force and violence, or to a large extent very similar. It is only until the time of modern democratic societies that the meaning of power is gradually enriched with the increasing role of rational recognition in power relations. This essay intends to show that power is not the same as violence; it is more than that because of the most fundamental difference: rational recognition. Power is not only composed of coercive force that resembles violence, more importantly it involves the force of social recognition which violence is short of. Power is a mutually regulated communicative process rather than simply exercised by the powerful over the powerless. After identifying some basic differences between power and violence, this essay will focus on the discussion of power and power relations, to explore the major difference between power and violence rational recognition and why it is so. On one hand, it will show that power can create violence and it consists of coercive elements by demonstrating why power is not a one-way event; on the other hand, this essay will proof why power is more of mutual constraint that rational recognition and willingness of acceptance from others can identify power from violence. Scholars like Weber views power as means than ends, backed by violence, threat or inducement; Mann illustrates power as resources that can be occupied; Parsons and Foucault both intend to reconstruct power but still proceed in the realm of violence theory. This essay mostly follows the ideas of Honneth, Arendt, and Habermas, but attempts to avoid another extreme of equalizing power to purely power of rationality or power of consensus through communicative process. It sees power as a combination shaped by both coercive and rational forces, avoiding placing power in the opposite of violence since in history power has been devastating too and violence could be â€Å"an attempt to achieve justice† (Gilligan, 2000, 11). Basic Differences: Power Dependent on Numbers and Violence on Implements Arendt defines power in the context of groups of individuals, as â€Å"the human ability not just to act but to act in concert† (1972, 143). One individual alone does not generate power; power is the aggregate strength of all the individuals in a group. So the exercise of power is preconditioned with numbers. Unlike power, violence does not require numbers or groups in order to be violence. Rather, it depends on implements to â€Å"multiply strength, to a point at which they can replace it† (Arendt, 1972, 145), instead of becoming power. Violence is designed and applied for expanding one’s physical strength that it is totally instrumental and always a means for certain purpose; but power in itself can serve as an end. There is categorical distinction in this sense. Is Power a One-way Event? If violence is not the end, it is a â€Å"blinding rage that speaks through the body† (Gilligan, 2000, 55) and the hope of those who do not possess power. So violence could start from the powerless against the powerful, such as slaves against slave owners, or the ruled against the ruling. Such power relations see those in power as subjects and those under the power objects, to be controlled and manipulated. Power in such a one-way model is pillared by certain condition which is understood as its source. Mann identifies four sources of power: ideology, economy, military and politics (1970, 35) that people who occupy these resources will own power. A society is thus divided into two kinds of people in a one-way power structure. If the will of those in power is not executed, the ruled will be punished, possibly by violence, and they stand up to resist, with violence, for power. It is not difficult to reach the conclusion that in a binary opposition, power and violence can be cause and effect of each other and they are actually two sides of one coin. Derived from the Hobbesian proposition, it should be admitted that power do contain certain aspects of violence, historically or theoretically, when it is understood as something can be possessed like resources. However, what can be relied upon by the ruled class for their struggle if they don’t have any resources at all? In the case of ideology, any interpretation by the powerless will be meaningless and invalid, why would those in power necessitate oppressing and controlling them? Will there be any struggle inside the powerful and the powerless? Power is Mutually Agreed: Rational Recognition of Imbalance Clearly such violence-illustrated power is not the whole picture. Power is more than something can be owned and preserved; it only exists when is â€Å"exercised by some on others† (Foucault, 2003, 126) and will be â€Å"dispersed once the group ceases to exist† (Arendt, 1972, 143). Power is the â€Å"structural feature of human relations† (Elias, 1998, 188). Slaves have power over the slave owner too as long as they are valuable to him; their power depends on the degree to which their owner relies on them; so is the case between parents and children, and teachers and students. In reality, if an individual or group acquires the power to implement self will, such power is not fully discovered if the ruled do not acknowledge it; they do not just accept power, they make certain responses to it based on their own will. So power is not necessarily a unilateral process where one is dominated and controlled by the other; it exists in interdependence and mutual constraint among people with differentiated level of resources; it is both â€Å"pervasive and negotiated† (Gosling, 2007, 3). Not only will power be regulated and negotiated between the ruling and the ruled, but also within themselves. The former power relations are coercive because the power is legitimized by laws, regimes or organizations. The latter may be absent from these elements but power relations and interactions still takes place because some individuals will still tend to persuade and influence others in exchange for recognition of authoritative positions, through knowledge, money and pers onal network, in order to implement one’s own will and better response to such power relations at the â€Å" most micro levels† (michel-foucault.com). In fact, power relations at the micro level are where those power relations between hierarchies originate. At the very micro level, it is to a larger extent the power of rational recognition rather than the power of force that leads to certain power relations. Since interdependence always exists among people regardless of their power positions, power relation is a dynamicequilibrium and mutual power regulation is always there, even in the extreme case of slaves and slave owner. However if the power relations regulated by rational recognition are neglected, those based on them at the macro levels will be shaken. Although power relations are mutually regulated and communicative rational, the degrees of interdependence are different, which lead to unbalanced relationships among the players. In fact, power to some extend is just demonstrated by such imbalance; violence too is demonstrated in kind of imbalance; but power goes further if it is identified different as it means others’ recognition of such imbalance. When the imbalance is maintained in the form of pure coercive force, it is violence; when rational force is included, it starts to turn into power. Under any circumstance, power is the combination of both. Bifacial Nature of Power When examined under Habermas’s context, in the terms of â€Å"facts and norms†, power includes two dimensions as well, described as â€Å"facticity and validity†. The facticity dimension reveals the coercive nature of power that power, in any kind of form, potentially contains coercive forces in realizing goals and excluding all impediments. Such aspect of power is underpinned by violence or the threat of violence which exist as real and concrete facts. The other dimension is validity that refers to power’s tendency of gaining rational recognition from the others. Though the two dimensions coexist in power and so does the tensions between them, they are not always equally demonstrated. In a tyrannic society, power shows more coercive side of its nature whereas the power of rational recognition is more compelling in a democratic society. Violence Does Not Create Power but Destroys It As discussed so far, power involves elements of coercion and it can generate violence. But is it the case the other way around that violence can also produce power? In many scholars’ understanding, violence is viewed as a resource that â€Å"can be mobilized to enforce the compliance of others† (Ray, 2011, 13). Usually exercised by those in power, it creates the ability of an individual or group to achieve their own goals or aims even if others are trying to prevent them from realizing them. Thus violence is naturally seen as a source of power. However, is what one has gained by using violence, or what violence has created, truly power? When a government turns into violence against its own people or a foreign country, or an individual uses violence to acquire what is wanted, it is generally because power in their hand is running out and violence is the last resort. While such a government or individual does not lack means of violence, they are in fact in short of power; to be more accurate, they are lack of recognition of their wills by others. When violence as a resource is utilized against another, it not only consumes the resource itself but also diminishes what little power is left over. Violence is always the choice of the impotent, not the powerful. Viewed in this sense, violence only equals to coercive means regardless of other’s recognitions. It emerges when â€Å"social ensembles are incoherent, fragmented and decadent† (Wieviorka, 2009, 165). Therefore, as violence â€Å"inevitably destroys power, it can never generate power† (Arendt 1972, 152). There is no â€Å"continuity between obedience to command (the enactment of power) and obedience to law (as legitimate authority)† (Ray, 2011, 13). A government that solely relies on violence has no power and â€Å"tyranny is both the least powerful and the most violent form of government† (Arendt, 1972, 140). Reproduction of Power and Violence In the past, power is largely associated with gains of interests, or occupation of social resources like those identified by Michael Mann. In Honneth’s Struggle for Recognition, he reveals the â€Å"force of recognition† behind power. Once this point is taken into consideration, the reproduction of power will no longer be just about violent competition, or rivalry for social resources, rather, the willingness of others to acknowledge and accept. Arendt insists that violence does not give rise to power because she believes that social recognition is missed in violence. When power is taken as a combination of coercive and rational forces, it may be understood as a relationship of mutual recognition among a group of people backed by the potential threats each have for others. Therefore, the reproduction of power naturally includes attempts of occupying as much resources as possible for greater coercive capability; it is indispensible and more important to gain recognition from others. If authoritative coercion is a source of power, it is not the only source. Rational recognition also generates power. So political power is not the potential capability to implement one’s own goals or realize one’s own interests, it relies on those over whom the power is exercised to define what power truly is. The power of a government is conferred through people’s recognition, or in another word, the coercive force of the government is agreed by the people. When applied at the micro level, it can also be stated that the power between individuals does not only arise in the lure of interests or in the constraint of violence, it rests in the one’s recognition of others’ will and authority over oneself. Only when such recognition exists, the will can be implemented without enforcement and power becomes power rather than violence. Right to the contrary, what violence concerned is how one’s own goals are reached through forceful means. Violence is always destructive but never constructive. Terrorist attacks do not increase the power of the terrorists, it grows intimidation and controls; meanwhile it gives the government power to do what it cannot do in the past and to expand its sphere of influence. Violence reinforces state power and makes more violence necessary in order to maintain and reproduce violence. Conclusion When power is perceived under violence theory, man is to be controlled and manipulated, instrumentalized in a subject-object relationship which is all about one trying to dominate the other in struggles for power resources, in order to preserve power and oppress others from grabbing it. Power in that sense equals to violence, which is observed throughout history. While power will fail should it be not supported by forceful and compulsory means, it is not sufficient to have these only. What cannot be overlooked is an â€Å"infinitely complex network of ‘micropowers’, of power relations that permeate every aspect of social life† (Sheridan 1980: 139). Where rational recognition also creates power, power can be compellent but not violent simultaneously. Thus, viewed in a rational context, man becomes a dialogue partner with the coexistence of competition, compromise and cooperation. Mutual regulation and interdependence is the one of the features of such power relationship and mutual understanding and respect is part of the foundation of power reproduction. Recognition of imbalance between people, particularly from those over whom power is exercised, legitimizes power and differentiates it from violence. Power and violence are not the same; the former is more than the latter. Power â€Å"cannot be overthrown and acquired once and for all by the destruction of institutions and the seizure of state apparatuses† (Sheridan 1980: 139). Unlike violence, power is not unitary and its exercise binary; it is interactive; a very important part of power struggle is the rivalry for recognition. In modern democratic societies, the violence aspect of power is decreasing and increasingly giving way to the role of rational recognition in shaping power. The major resources of power is no longer just about military or economy of one’s own capability, it is more about how convincing it is for others to accept, and in the end, how well one’s power is recognized and received by others. Bibliography: Arendt, Hannah, (1972), â€Å"On Violence† inCrises of the Republic, New York: Harcourt Brace Company, pp. 103-184. Elias, Norbert, (1998), â€Å"On Civilization, Power, and Knowledge†, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, chapter 7. Foucault, Michel, (2003), â€Å"The Subject and Power† inThe Essential Foucault, P. Rabinow, ed., New York: The New Press, pp. 126-144. Gilligan, James, (2000), â€Å"Violence: Reflection on Our Deadliest Epidemic†, London: Jessica Kingsley, pp. 1-60. Gosling, David, (2007), â€Å"Micro-Power Relations Between Teachers and Students Using Five Perspectives on Teaching in Higher Education†, available at: http://www.davidgosling.net/userfiles/micro power relations isl 2007.pdf, last accessed on 7 Dec. 2014. Habermas, J., (1996), â€Å"Between Facts and Norms†, Massachusetts: the MIT Press. Honneth, Axel, (1996), â€Å"The Struggle for Recognition: The Moral Grammar of Social Conflicts†, Massachusetts: the MIT Press. Mann, Michael, (1970), â€Å"The Source of Social Power†, Cambridge University Press, chapter 2, pp. 34-72. Michel-foucault.com, (2007), Key concepts, available at: http://www.michel-foucault.com/concepts/index.html, last accessed on 6 Dec. 2014. Ray, Larry, (2011), â€Å"Violence and Society†, London: Sage, pp. 6-23. Shabani, A. Payrow, (2004), â€Å"Habermas’Between Facts and Norms: Legitimizing Power?† available at: https://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Poli/PoliShab.htm, last accessed on 6 Dec. 2014. Wieviorka, Michel, (2009), â€Å"Violence: A New Approach†, London: Sage, pp. 165.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Life and Debt Documentary: Summary and Analysis

Life and Debt Documentary: Summary and Analysis Life and Debt Film Write The tourist who comes to Jamaica focuses on the beauty of the island. Jamaica is the island where Antiguans suffer and want to escape. However, the natives are too poor to escape the island. Antiguans try their best to satisfy the tourists. The natives envy the tourists because the tourists have the ability to leave their boredom and turn Jamaica into a pleasurable vacation. Stephanie Black, the filmmaker of Life and Debt, is attempting to demonstrate that the tourist, through Jamaica Kincaids description, witnesses the beauty of the island while being oblivious from the harsher realities of the natives. The major themes that Kincaid addresses include the influence of homeland on identity, culture, and the desire for independence. The first themes that will be argued are the perspectives of the tourists, the natives, and the omnipotents view on Jamaica. The first concept that will be argued is the tourists perspective on the natives. In the tourists perspective, they stereotype natives as being relaxed, laid back people, without realizing that natives are working hard to satisfy the tourists. In the tourists perspective on Jamaica, they are fond by the beauty of the island and the continuing sunshine. The continuing sunshine in Jamaica represents a lack of rainfall. This lack of rainfall is a lack of fresh water. This lack of fresh water for the natives does not interest the tourists because the beauty and the sunshine of the island is all that really matters to them. Tourists who swim in the sea have no clue the amount of waste that they create. Also, the tourists do not notice that the food that they are eating is from Miami. The second concept that will be argued is the natives perspective on the tourists. When the tourists arrive in Jamaica, natives automatically label them as being a tourist. In the natives perspective, a tourist is an ugly human being because they do not look, eat, or speak the same way as the natives do. The natives view the tourists as people who make use of poor people for their own satisfaction. The natives must work hard in order to prove pleasure for the tourists. The natives are living in poor conditions wishing that they can be the tourists, because tourists have the ability to leave their boredom and come to a place such as Jamaica to relax. However, in Jamaica, getting off the island is not as easy for the natives then it is for the tourists who are visiting the island. The third concept that will be argued is the omnipotents perspective on Jamaica. The US and European countries may not have authority over Jamaica, but they push their influence and instigate their authority within Jamaica. The United States of America and European countries took advantage of the Jamaicans by creating a trade system in order to earn extra money for themselves. This, in turn, jeopardizes businessmen and farmers in Jamaica because it is harder for them to compete with the US and Europe. Jamaicans are manipulated by the IMF, WB, and WTO. The US and European countries have power over Jamaica because the tourists commodify and exploit the natives by still treating them as slaves. Tourists do not recognize that the natives history, culture, and religion and what Jamaica is all about. All that the tourists care about is their vacation time to relax and be treated as royalty. This is similar to the way they were treated before their independence. The history of Antigua includes Britain controlling the Antiguans. The old Antigua includes many racist moments and slavery work for the Antiguans. The Antiguans speak the same language as Britain. Since English is the Britains language, it is also the Antiguans language. The Antiguans did not have any independence until the time of the Earthquake. When post-colonial happened in 1974, the Antiguans went to the church and thanked a God, a British God. Even though the Antiguans got their freedom and independence, they still had to speak the language of those who enslaved them. Also, the Antiguans had to follow the Britain religion because they have been adapted to this religion. In conclusion, these perspectives have been linked together to prove that tourists are lacking conscious awareness of how the natives live their lives. This type of agency relates to the book â€Å"A Small Place† by Jamaica Kincaid because the Government is also taking advantage of his power of Jamaica. He is taking advantage of his power by delaying the reconstruction of the library because he has, in his perspective, his own priorities to deal with. The library is a symbol of education and culture for the Antiguans. The library can only be re-built if the Antiguans have money to provide for it. The rich people of the Mill Reef Club would help if the old library was re-built. The Government is not doing what is right for the Antiguans. There has been a corruption of the Government because there have been many abuses of power in Jamaica. The funds have been wrongly placed. Drug smuggling is an issue in Jamaica. Also, there has been a misappropriation of political violence. In conclusion, â€Å"Life and Debt† shows the ignorance of tourists who travel to Jamaica for their own enjoyment and satisfaction. Stephanie Black, the filmmaker of Life and Debt, is attempting to demonstrate that the tourist, through Jamaica Kincaids description, witnesses beauty of the island while being oblivious from the harsher realities of the natives. The major themes that Kincaid addresses include the influence of homeland on identity, culture, and the desire for independence. The lives of the natives have no interest to the tourists because the tourists come to enjoy the beauty of the island. In the natives perspective, they view tourists as ugly human beings because tourists are oblivious to how the natives live their lives. The Government is abusing his powers by wrongly placing funds. The United States of America and Europeans took advantage of the Jamaicans by creating a trade system in order to earn extra money for themselves. The Government is also taking advan tage of his power. The library has been pending repairs since 1974. The library is very important to the Jamaicans because the library represents a symbol of education, culture, history, and independence.

Monday, August 19, 2019

traglear King Lear Essays: Elements of Tragedy in King Lear :: King Lear essays

Elements of Tragedy in King Lear One Work Cited King Lear meets all the requirements of a tragedy as defined by Andrew Cecil Bradley. Bradley states that a Shakespearean tragedy has to be the story of the hero who endures exceptional suffering and calamity. The story must also contrast the current dilemma to happier times. The play also depicts the troubled parts in the hero's life and eventually he dies instantaneously because of the suffering and calamity. There is the feeling of fear in the play as well, that makes men see how blind they are not knowing when fortune or something else would be on them. The hero must be of a high status on the chain and the hero must also possess a tragic flaw that initiates the tragedy. The fall of the hero is not felt by him alone but creates a chain reaction that affects everything below him. There must also be the element of chance or accident that influences some point in the play. King Lear meets all of these requirements, which have been laid out by Bradley. The main character of the play would be King Lear who in terms of Bradley would be the hero and hold the highest position is the social chain. Lear, out of pride and anger, has banished Cordelia and split the kingdom in half between the two older sisters, Goneril and Regan. This is Lear's tragic flaw that prevents him from seeing the true faces of people because his pride and anger overrides his judgement. As we see in the first act, Lear does not listen to Kent's plea to see closer to the true faces of his daughters. Kent has hurt Lear's pride by disobeying his order to stay out of his and Cordelia's way when Lear has already warned him, "the bow is bent and drawn, make from the shaft" (I.i.152). Kent still disobeys Lear and is banished. Because of this flaw, Lear has initiated the tragedy by disturbing the order in the chain of being by dividing the kingdom, banishing his best servant and daughter, and giving up his thrown. Due to this flaw, Lear has given way to the two older daughters to conspire against him. Lear is finally thrown out of his daughters' homes and left with a fool, a servant and a beggar.