The Religious Symbolism and Architecture of Angkor Wat and Borobudur

Built by the Khmers between 802 and 1220 AD, the ancient temples of Angkor Wat exist as the remaining relics of a historically and religiously rich city. While many other historical and religious structures in Cambodia have disappeared due in part from being constructed out of vulnerable materials like wood, Angkor Wat still remains as a symbol of the divinity of its former kings, as well as for the palace itself. Likewise, Indonesia’s Borodubur temples exist as the single remaining structures of the city.The temples of Angkor Wat and Borodubur hold several similarities within architecture and symbolism, both being heavily based on religious belief. However, different features within both structures, architecturally and symbolically, distinguish and provide insight into the individual cultures. Significance of Hinduism, Astronomy, and Cosmology In Angkor Wat Architecture With Hinduism serving as the prevailing religion of Cambodia, the temples of Angkor Wat serve as a visual b ridge between the terrestrial plane and the spiritual one.The temples of Ankgor Wat uses architectural features in order represent various ideas of Hindu Cosmology; â€Å"The walls, moats, central sanctuary, entrances, pyramidal temples and bridges with naga balustrades, and monuments such as the Neak Pean, or Bayon,† all contribute to the re-creation of the heavenly world on Earth. By re-creating this, Earth and the heavenly world are entwined; creating a bond between the two worlds that allows humanity to flourish. In constructing Angkor Wat to represent religious beliefs, the Khmer people literally built heaven on Earth.By creating a tangible representation of what is believed to have happened in the past, the past becomes more real and more concrete to viewers and believers alike. In order to honor the Hindu God Vishnu, Suryavaram II built Angkor Wat during the early years of the 12th century, around 1150 B. C. Structurally, the central building of Angkor Wat is serves as a re-creation of Mount Meru, the mountain that the center of the Jambudvipa within Hindu cosmology as well as being considered the axis of the Earth by the Hindu religion.The central mammoth of a tower represents Mount Meru, and uniquely faces west instead of east towards the sunrise, as all other temples do. Several theories explain why the temple faces west; the first theory being that the west is associated with Vishnu. In facing the temple west, the temple continues to serve as a means of honoring Vishnu. The second theory states that King Suryavarman intended Angkor Wat to serve as his funerary temple while a the third theory explains that the alignment of the central tower with the sun adds another dimension to the divinity of the temple.Ankgor Wat’s architecture does not only exhibit its religious roots, but also displays the importance of astronomy and cosmology. It â€Å"contains calendrical, historical, and mythological data encoded into its measurements. † Because solar movement regulates the position of the bas-reliefs, the architecture exhibits the importance of the sun to the Cambodians. The Cambodians built the structure of Angkor Wat to align directly with the sun during the spring equinox, â€Å"where the sun can be seen rising over the central tower. Although no concurrent reason exists as to why the sun is so important to the Cambodians, what can be said is that the sun was so significant to the Cambodians, that they not only based their calendar on the solar and lunar cycles, but they constructed their King’s palace, a place of great importance that connects the heavens with Earth, to align with the sun. The five central towers of Ankgor Wat that stand 77 meters tall hold religious significance as well. These five inter-nested rectangular towers represent five peaks of the mountain Meru.Also, the moat surrounding the central temple that measures 190 meters wide symbolizes the cosmic ocean that existed before the dawn of creation, and the enclosing wall represents the rock encircling the universe. Creating a replication of â€Å"Mount Meru, enclosing walls as the wall of rock, and the moat filled with water as the ocean† serves as the essential architectures for the Cambodians to re-create and symbolize their Hindu religious beliefs. Decorative elements through out the towers and galleries present their own characteristics and fulfill specific needs within the temple.The towers are formed into the shape of the ever-popular lotus buds, and the galleries are used to expand the many passageways of the temple. Also, the axial galleries within the temple are used to connect several enclosures. Characteristic decorative components of Angkor Wat include narrative and historical bas-reliefs, pediments, and devatas. The bas-reliefs located in the gallery of Angkor Wat holds a special signification for Angkor Wat. The gallery displays heaven and the underworld in which garudas and lions are holding the celestial palaces.These gerudas indicate that the palaces were floating in heaven, comparing Angkor Wat to the palaces of the Gods. This display furthers the idea that Angkor Wat acts as a liason between the world of Heaven and Earth. Because the palace physically remains on earth but spiritually resides within heaven, the palace acts as communal place for believers to gather. The bas-reliefs and pictures did not only serve to decorate the palaces, or depict stories of the past. They hold the important task of transforming the palace into a â€Å"celestial dwelling† or heavenly place.Further evidence to support this notion is the fact that many scenes are hidden to the point where they cannot even be seen by the naked eye. This highlights the spirituality of the place, that spirituality is not necessarily tangible or seen. In hiding the bas-reliefs, or making them subtler in the overall construction of the temple, furthers the idea that the palace is not meant to be just a place of beauty, but also a place of divinity. Candi Borobudur Layout Unlike Angkor Wat, Buddhism more heavily influences Borobudur.Built in Indonesia in the 9th century as a shrine to Buddha as well as a pilgrimage site for believers, Borobudur consists of six square platforms topped with four circular platforms. Nearly 2. 700 relief panel and 500 statues of Buddha decorate the temple. Additionally, 72 Buddha statues surround the center of the top platform of the monument. As a pilgrimage site, Pilgrims climb from the bottom of the monument, ascending to the top. While on their voyages, they are said to pass two three levels of Buddhist cosmology, or three stages of Buddhist enlightenment: the Kamadhatu, Ruppadhatu, and Arupadhatu.These levels represent the world of desire, the world of forms and the world of formlessness. Borobudur differs from Angkor Wat in that is constructed as a single, large stupa, with no inner space. It is the single remaining temple of its kind in Java, and is more than likely intended as a shrine to Buddha, instead of temple or house of worship. Typical Buddhist temples were built with rooms, intended to possess icons; Borobudur does not have the same amount of space or rooms to properly house icons, suggesting that the purpose of Borobudur differs from the other temples of Java.Various theories exist to explain the purpose behind Burobudur and architecture. It has been said that Borobudur represents Mt. Meru, that it contains three levels of Buddhist enlightenment, that the â€Å"round upper terraces were meant to form the base for an enormous stone stupa which contained a precious relic of Gautama Buddha,† or that Borobudur was simply a stupa or for initiation rights. Religious Symbolism in Borobudur Architecture Similarly to the uniqueness of Angkor Wat facing the west, Borobudur is unique as well, for it was constructed on a bedrock hill, between two volcanoes, instead of on a flat surface like other temples.Similarly t o the Khmer temple, Borobudur also displays several variations of religious significance throughout the architecture. The lotus is prevalent in the architectural and decorative aspects of the shrine. The architecture of Borobudur is similar the appearance of a lotus and the Buddha statues within Borobudur symbolize the Lotus Sutra, which is found in several Mahayana Buddhism texts. Additionally, the four circular platforms located on the top of Borobudur are also considered to embody the leaf of a lotus.The foundation of Borobudur measures approximately 118 meters on each side, in the form of a square. Of the ten platforms that make up the structure six are square and the remaining four are circular. The highest platform exhibits seventy-two small bell shaped and decoratively pierced stupas. Statues of Buddha reside within these pierced stupas. When Borobudur is viewed from above, the monument resembles the appearance of a tantric Buddhist mandala, furthering the representation of t he Buddhist cosmology.The division of Borobudur into three parts, the base, body, and top, symbolizing the three stages of what Buddhist cosmology considers the â€Å"ultimate goal. † The base represents the Kamadhatu, the five square platforms the make up the body represent Rupadhatu, and the three circular platforms that compose the top represent Arupadhatu . Similarly, the paths that guide pilgrims to the â€Å"ultimate goal† were designed through sacred Buddhist knowledge, based on Buddhist cosmology. Comparable to Ankgor Wat, Borobudur possessed exact measurements that possibly indicate calendrical, astronomical and cosmological themes.The exact ratio formula 4:6:9 has also been discovered in the Pawon and Mendhut, two other neighboring Buddhist temples. The monument further represents cosmology because it can be concluded that the 360 squares that surround the central square of the monument symbolize the 36o degrees of the â€Å"celestial circle that surrounds t he Earth. † However, details of the Buddhist system details vary from those of Hinduism origins, although the Buddhist system’s temples also focus on the idea of a central mountain that represents Meru.

Holiday Decision Making

Name: Luong Thanh Long Class: FB3A CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND HOLIDAY I- Holiday decision-making is different from the traditional problem-solving model of consumer decision-making: 1) The traditional problem-solving model of consumer decision-making: * Behind the visible act of making a purchase lies a decision process that must be investigated. * The purchase decision process is the stages a buyer passes through in making choices about which products and services to buy. * Five Stages of Consumer Behavior: A. Problem Recognition: Perceiving a Need: Perceiving a difference between a person's ideal and actual situations big enough to trigger a decision. * Can be as simple as noticing an empty milk carton or it can be activated by marketing efforts. B. Information Search: Seeking Value Two steps of information search| Internal search| External search| * Scanning one’s memory to recall previous experiences with products or brands. * Often sufficient for frequently purchased products. * When past experience or knowledge is insufficient * The risk of making a wrong purchase decision is high * The cost of gathering information is low. * Personal sources, such as friends and family. * Public sources, including various product-rating organizations such as Consumer Reports. * Marketer-dominated sources, such as advertising, company websites, and salespeople| C. Alternative Evaluation: Assessing Value * The information search clarifies the problem for the consumer by: (1) Suggesting criteria to use for the purchase. (2) Yielding brand names that might meet the criteria. (3) Developing consumer value perception. * A consumer's evaluative criteria represent both The objective attributes of a brand (such as locate speed on a portable CD player) * The subjective factors (such as prestige). * These criteria establish a consumer's evoked set * The group of brands that a consumer would consider acceptable from among all the brands in the product class of which he or she is a ware. D. Purchase Decision: Buying Value Three possibilities| From whom to buy| When to buy| Do not buy| which depends on such considerations * Terms of sale * Past experience buying from the seller * Return policy. which can be influenced by * Store atmosphere * Time pressure * a sale * Pleasantness of the shopping experience. | | E. Postpurchase Behavior: Value in Consumption or Use * After buying a product, the consumer compares it with expectations and is either satisfied or dissatisfied. * Satisfaction or dissatisfaction affects * Consumer value perceptions * Consumer communications * Repeat-purchase behavior. * Many firms work to produce positive postpurchase communications among consumers and contribute to relationship building between sellers and buyers. Cognitive Dissonance: The feelings of postpurchase psychological tension or anxiety a consumer often experiences * Firms often use ads or follow-up calls from salespeople in this postpurchase stage to try to convince buyers that they made the right decision. In short, in the traditional problem-solving model of consumer decision-making, people tend to consider and investigate all the needs and desires of a product carefully through a range of steps. There are both internal and external factors affect on the decision-making of consumer. ) Holiday decision-making, as described in the case: * The genetic decision about whether or not to go on holiday was not always the starting point; and sometimes this genetic decision was irrelevant. * â€Å"People have a limited capacity for analysis, and this leads them to break down complex decisions into hierarchical processes and take into consideration a small number of critical variables at each level to make the decision-making process more manageable†. * â€Å"When confronted by a complex problem, the human brain ‘satisfies’ more than it ‘optimises’,† explains Nicolau. In this situation, â€Å"the individual will try to choose an option that is sufficiently satisfying, regardless of whether or not it is the best choice†. 2 * Final decision and bookings are often made very late. * Informants often expressed post-decision regret, which people strove to reduce. * Searching for holiday information tends to be affected by external factors. II- Compare the information search process, as it is described here, with the search process that consumers might follow for one other product category: Holiday information search process| Consumer search process for one product| * Information collection for a holiday tends to be stopped when the holiday has been booked * Real information are collected during the holiday * Consumer will get more conflicted conscious of information. * People do not prepare their trip in much detail. In contrast, they want to discover unexpected things. * Incidental learning seems to play a bigger role than internal learning. * For only one product, consumer will take more time to collect information of a product and analysis in more details and intensive from lots of sources. * Information collection lasts till they ensure that this information is correct and they can make a comparison with other products. * Consumer tries to avoid unexpected situation. * Information search information tends to be stimulus-based (external)| III- The implications of the findings for managers marketing and promoting holidays: 4P principle plays important role in the man agers marketing. Holidaymaker should make a holiday that meets the needs of customer. If we don't provide a holiday special or offer that helps them with those goals, we are doing them and your business a grave disservice. We also need to survey clients and customers from the current year to see how they can improve in the future. Think about how your channels work together and which channels reach your target customer. Offer a free gift or holiday discount to customers who take the time to complete your survey and do not forget to keep contact with your customer. Customer surplus is a very important area in Marketing mix. Only the marginal consumer is willing to pay just the market price in typical supply and demand equilibrium. The consumers would be willing to pay more than the market price is what makes the demand curve slope downward. The amount that these consumers would be willing to pay, but do not have to pay is known as the consumer surplus. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. 2 The magazine Tourism Management, Juan Luis Nicolau and Francisco Mas analysed data from 2,491 people gathered by the CIS http://www-rohan. sdsu. edu/~renglish/370/notes/chapt05/

Food coloring Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Food coloring - Research Paper Example Food colours can either be obtained naturally or manufactured synthetically. Most colours are obtained from plant pigments. These pigments could either come from vegetable or fruits. Obtaining natural colours is sometimes costly. Chemists make identical colours improve purity. Molecules of these manufactured colours are the same molecules from the natural source. Since most natural colours cannot dissolve in water, they are processed as salts to make them soluble in water. Some of the synthetic colour examples are; blackcurrant jams made from azo dyes quinoline and xanthenes. Aramnath an example of synthetic food colour Carmine used in yoghurts is obtained from insects that produce carmanic acid. Dried insects are boiled in water to extract this acid. The structure of a carminic acid that is extracted from the cochineal insect is shown below. Other chemical formulas of commonly use food colours include; Allura red (C18H14N2Na208S2), Tartrazine (C16H9N4Na309S2) and Brilliant blue (C37H34N2Na209S3). any people relate a food colour to ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).Tartrazine is associated with hypersensitive reactions to children. Chemists turned attention to synthetic colours since natural colour were found to be having traces of mercury toxics. According to America’s research, synthetic food colours have adversely been found to be affecting small children behaviour. Food colours that are deemed synthetic are sometimes mixtures of chemicals from laboratories and combinations of other petro chemicals.

Describe your decision making process in choosing physical therapy as Personal Statement

Describe your decision making process in choosing physical therapy as a career choice versus other health care careers - Personal Statement Example There are various roles that are played by the physical therapists in different fields such as healthcare and hospitals among others. A plan and a process are followed and established by a physical therapist to take care of the problems in the human body regarding the physical functions. The physical therapy as a profession has emerged after the World War II and has expanded, developed and grown its self-sufficiency. The physical therapy in the present day context possesses positive, skilled and specialized practitioners on the edge of healthcare and is determined to be one of the most preferred careers to choose. In this day and age, physical therapists are engaged in playing major roles in the field of healthcare by providing services regarding the physical functioning of the human body. I am choosing physical therapy as a profession that I have set a goal to continue to do in the years to come and to help people and take care of them regarding the physical problems of the body. I love to help and take care of the people; I feel great to see that someone is progressing and recovering from the problems relating to the physical function of the body with my help. The aspect of supportive skill which is possessed by me would certainly provide benefit while dealing with the people as in the healthcare profession it is extremely important. I also possess the aspect of care and compassion which is a valuable and pertinent characteristic that would enable me to handle the people suffering from various physical problems with empathy. Everyone should love their professional career and should enjoy working with the aim to move ahead in future. If a person is not satisfied with the career and the work he/she is engaged with, or is not enjoying the work, he/she will not make any progress in respect of the field of career he/she is working in. As I love to help people, I have opted for physical therapy as my profession. A number of my family members and

Research report-Tour Down Under Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Report-Tour Down Under - Research Paper Example Some of the notable events include AFL Grand Final, Clipsal and Tour Down Under. Based on its popularity among Australians and foreigners, Tour Down Under has been recognized as a major sport tourism event. Tour Down Under (TDU) is a cycling event held in South Australia. Based on its popularity in the country and across the globe, TDU attracts large numbers of tourists thus having a positive implication for the South Australia economy as well as social and cultural aspects of the region. Being held in January each year, the event has continued to attract a large number of participants thus making it act as a major source of tourism attraction. To the residents of Australia, TDU is not only seen as a sporting activity but also as a charity and international event that greatly benefit local people and the government (Hall, 1992). This paper seeks to evaluate the impact of the Tour Down Under on different stakeholders. In addition, the paper will discuss a strategy of using the event t o attract more tourists to South Australia. ... For instance in 2011 and 2013, 782,300 and 760,400 spectators respectively experienced the Tour Down Under. Due to the large number of spectators who come from various countries, the event was recognized by the Qantas Australia Tourism Awards in 2011 and 2012 as the best festival event. In order to attract more spectators, the Australia government in collaboration with Mike Turtur, the Tour Down Under directors, undertakes extensive promotion strategies. For example, in 2013 event the organizers held that when the Tour Down Under would hit the Adelaide Hills all the spectators would experience a European-style treat (John, 2013). In this way, the event has benefited from a strong loyalty from the spectators thus making it more popular. A notable aspect of the spectators is the creation of festival atmosphere by creating strong friendship with the visitors thus leading to visitor satisfaction. 3.0 Impacts on participants Tour Down Under participants include all 19 UCI WorldTour. Once the teams are ready, they join the Australian National UniSA team thus forming the Australian National UniSA team. Each team consists of seven riders (Gammon and Robinson, 2003). One of the major factors that enable the event to attract a large number of participants as well as spectators is the visual attributes of the landscape within which the event is held. The natural environment, the scenic vineyard and the sea, make the event provide a strong experience to the participants (Gibson and Heather, 1998). Some of the major regions that make up the tour include Barossa, Clare Valley, urban circuits, Saddleworth, Norwood and Hahndorf among other towns. Tour Down Under invites the winners of each year to join other

International perspectives in organisation Literature review

International perspectives in organisation - Literature review Example According to Javidan et al. (2006), global leadership is one of the critical factors in the management of large multinational corporations. In their paper titled â€Å"In the eye of the beholder† the researchers particularly use the research findings from the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) program as a basis for conceptualizing the global leadership differences. Generally, Javidan et al. (2006) effectively presents the cultural profiles of four countries namely France, Egypt, Brazil and China as a case study to highlight the potential cultural implications of a hypothetical American executive working in the business environments in these countries. Javidan et al. (2006) particularly suggests that cross cultural leadership should represent an open mind and understand overly the cultures of different countries. Mangers should be critical and analyze empirically the cultures of their countries’ to the cultures of the people in the countries of their business operations. Managing and leading in different counties: The corporate management should be considerate on the types of marketing activities across the different countries of their operations. Both the dominant and metropolitan countries managerial schemes should be in an equilibrium and modal way of management. Regional clustering of globe nations: The business corporate world is prone to completion. Through these competitions, a global cultural clustering is therefore eminent with about 62-case studied culture clustering from America continent through to African continent to Asia and Europe (Jovidan et al, 2009 p.122). The study concludes by highlighting practices such as the ability of the individual global managers to share information about their culture alongside the culture of the host country, contemplate bridging the gap between two diversified cultures, to exhibit a high level of ambiguity tolerance and to remain

Future trends in the internatonal criminal justcie Essay

Future trends in the internatonal criminal justcie - Essay Example Predictions for the future of the domestic and the international criminal justice for the 21st century had started as the new millennium approached. The other aspects of criminal justice whose past, current, and future trends should be assessed are the roles of individuals and that of the public, privatization of the criminal justice system, service-oriented ideas, and professionalism. This paper explores the future of international criminal justice, mentioning the past and the current trends that could influence the future of the profession. The Future of Criminal Justice What the criminal justice system will look like in the future can be estimated by certain criminal acts and trends, including terrorism, multicultural populations, large scale immigration, age and composition demographics, technological and scientific advances, and globalization among other factors. Nonetheless, there are certain forces or factors that will have greater effect than others and current and future cri minal justice system practitioners have no choice but to be conversant and compliant with these changes. One of these factors is the co-evolution of crime. Crime, like disease-causing microorganisms, will change with time in a manner corresponding to the more effective defense mechanisms put in place by its likely victims (Garland, 2002). For instance, while people may insert wheel locks and alarms to prevent auto theft, car thieves will apply devices that would neutralize such security measures. Notwithstanding the co-evolution of different types of crimes, the future will still see crime fighting being categorized into crime opportunity reduction, de-motivation of would-be criminals, and the changing of society’s and individuals’ basic values.... ng being categorized into crime opportunity reduction, de-motivation of would-be criminals, and the changing of society’s and individuals’ basic values. The purpose of the category of crime fighting that will change peoples’ value will be to target the nurturing of the youth so that they pick positive values, hence minimize their chances of becoming criminals and indulging in other disorderly behaviors (Sunga, 1997). All these categories of crime fighting will however be implemented according to the changing demographics, which are expected to be more flexible in the future. For instance, it has been postulated that the population of the most crime-prone group, males of age 15 to 29, will decline to a small extent while the population portion of 30-65 years old is expected to increases substantially. These foreseen demographic changes have the implication that more people will either be criminals or victims in the future. For example, the postulated increase in t hose aged above 60 years old implies that there could be more victims of crime in the future (Wolfgang, 1990). On the other hand, the increased percentage of this elderly portion in a given population could imply that these elders will use their discretionary time to guide the young on positive values or to report crimes, thus helping in the fight against crime (Wolfgang, 1990). Public Rights versus Individual Rights One of the future aspects of the international criminal justice system that is likely to be influenced by past and current trends is the individual versus public rights issue, often encountered in the system. In the future, the international criminal justice system will be expected to ensure that a steady and delicate balance is maintained between the interests of individuals and those of the

Operations Management Forecasting MAD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Operations Management Forecasting MAD - Essay Example Seasonal forecast takes into account the seasonal variations that occur during a specific time period. Seasonal variations are the regular ups and downs in a time series that relate to repetitive events such as holidays and weathers. Seasonal forecasting is very useful as it can be applied to hourly, daily, weekly, quarterly and yearly events. Seasonal forecasting can also be useful for the management of the organizations in order to plan the capacity so that the organization can handle peak loads. Analyzing the data in the form of quarterly or monthly values makes it easy to detect seasonal patterns by the organizations’ management. By using this forecasting technique, the Great Northwest Outdoor Company can easily estimate the demand for its orders in the all the seasons as demand for its item is seasonal. Exponential smoothing is defined as a weighted moving-average forecasting method in which data points are weighted by an exponential function. The concept of exponential smoothing is not a complex. In mathematical terms, exponential smoothing can be defined as the latest estimate of demand is equal to our old estimate adjusted by a fraction of the difference between the last period’s actual demand and the old estimate. Seasonal exponential smoothing takes into account the demand across four seasons in a year for this company. As this technique is easy to use and does not require a lot of past data, it is used in almost every type of business. This type of forecasting cannot take into account the seasonal variations that occur in each year for the demand of the company’s items. If the company uses Seasonal Forecasting method, it can take into account the seasonal variations and produce a more accurate forecast for the four seasons of 2005. Following is the forecast for year 2005. If the MAD (Mean Absolute Deviation) is considered to recommend the most accurate forecasting method then it would be the Seasonal Forecasting. The MAD

Opium War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Opium War - Essay Example The First Opium War was majorly caused by Chinas isolationist trade relations with the West particularly the British. Tension further arose between China and British because China would accept only silver from the British. Opium addiction was also the main and direct cause of the wars. During this time, opium addiction was an epidemic for the people of China. The British took this advantage of the high demand and began illegal exportation of opium which angered the Chinese. Furthermore, the trade was considered as disrespectful to the emperor and was in a violation of Chinese law. The tension then built more, and none of the countries were willing to compromise. All was as a result of China to spoil trade for British, and they engaged in the war to show their frustration. The consequences of the Treaty of Nanjing were more like the impact of the Opium War itself since the Treaty was as a result of the Opium War. In the treaty, the British as a country were given Hong Kong and free access to five ports. The ratification humiliated China, and their demand were never considered. According to the ratification â€Å"†¦. The Emperor of China agrees to abolish that practice in future at all Ports where British Merchants’’ (Article V). This was more like a humiliation as apart from the port accusation China was compelled to pay a huge sum of fine. In these five ports, the British Nationals had the right of extraterritoriality. This is to say, they were not subject to laws of China. In immediate resolution, these were not all that significant. Moreover, they represented the start of a series of humiliating episodes in where the Chinese were forced to open up more to the West. The treaty, for instance, has been considered significant in mod ern day Sino-foreign relations (Wang, 2005). There are various historical lessons that one can learn from opium war. The war is important as it humiliated the Chinese. Chinese

Chinatown Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chinatown - Case Study Example Water has a sexual meaning in the movie and this is portrayed by the different characters present lie Jake and Cross from the movie. Water is a very essential commodity for both internal and external use. Poor planning in the water system may not achieve the desired effect on urban planning because good urban centers have stable water supply system. Transparency in the urban water commission enhances urban development as individuals are attracted to places with availability of such factors like water and security. Urban centers are characterized by large populations who cannot stay permanently in areas without water for a long period, therefore, most urban planers take into consideration the availability of water when erecting structures or drawing up the map of a new urban center. Suburbanization is eminent in Chinatown movie by the culture presented by the film producer in the movie. A perfect example of the differences in the suburbs is the presence of the Mall which greatly differs in the different areas mentioned in the movie. Urban growth and suburbanization are a process where developments happen gradually and within a set period of time. It is traced through the obscure era when there was scarcity of resources to an era when the mission of drought management, water quality and good control of the environment is achieved. Urban growth must be accompanied by a tremendous increase in the population of individuals within a given urban center. The increase in the urban centers will promote the development of suburbanization since there will emerge class difference amongst the individuals living in the area. Political corruption is an issue of concern in Chinatown movie. An example is that Polanski flees from the unfair verdict of the judge who was corrupt and wanted to wreck political career. The movie is filled with issue of political and moral corruption and this lies the political planning of the movie.

Ambition in Macbeth by William Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

Ambition in Macbeth by William Shakespeare Essay What is ambition? Ambition is described as eager for success, power or fame. For Macbeth. Ambition was what drove him to become great, it forced him to change his nature towards evil. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth was portrayed as a courageous soldier who fought for his King without mercy. But once the witches planted the seeds of greater things and Lady Macbeth fuelled his ambition, which lead him to become greedy and power hungry. Macbeth was led down to an unescapable road of doom by an outside force, namely fate in the form of the three witches. There was no supernatural force working against Macbeth, which therefore makes him responsible for his own actions and inevitable downfall. Macbeth is indeed responsible for his own actions, which are provoked by an unwillingness to listen to his own conscience, the witches, and his ambition. The witches tempted Macbeth with their prophecies, which made Macbeth ¡Ã‚ ¦s heart and mind slowly filled with ambition and his huger for power. The witches predicted, at the beginning of the play, that Macbeth would soon become the Thane of Cawdor and eventually the outright King. They tell Macbeth this, simply to ignite what would finally end up in him taking the life of King Duncan. Ambition, no matter how small, builds up, and becomes a need. When this ambition is built up and encouraged, it can influence a persons decision. Macbeth went to three witches, who prophesized that he would become King. This got Macbeth thinking of how he can become King. At this time, he was still unsure of whether he would take any action toward gaining the crown. When he comes back to his house, Lady Macbeth convinces him to murder King Duncan, through emotionally degrading him, shown in the quote: Art thou afeard/ To be the same in thine own act and valour/ As thou art in desire? (Act I, Scene IV). This quote shows how Lady Macbeth influenced Macbeths decision, because after hearing about the prophecy, she also had the ambition for her husband to become King. Macbeth slowly becomes accustomed to killing and does it more easily and without remorse. For example, after Macbeth becomes king, he begins to worry about the second part of the prophecy, when Banquos sons become kings. Knowing that he will not have any heirs, Macbeth dreads the idea of the  seeds of Banquo kings. Rather than so, come fate into the list, and champion me to the utterance (3.1.70-73). Since he committed a sinful act to fulfill his desire become king, Macbeth does not want to lose everything he got to Banquos royal bloodline This shows how corrupt and villainous Macbeth has become; he will not let anything, not even friendship, get in the way of his desire to be the King of Scotland. And if the destruction of friendship is not a symbol of how strong Macbeths ambition truly is, then the manslaughter of an innocent mans entire family is. When Macbeth sees the three apparitions, one of them tells him to beware Macduff. Surprisingly, after Macbeth learns that Macduff has fled to England, he responds by declaring that he will give to the edge o the sword his wife, babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line. (4.1.151-153). This shows how corrupt and evil Macbeth has become; he doesnt even care about who hes killing anymore. A wife and kids symbolizes purity and love in a mans life; the fact that Macbeth doesnt even consider the moral consequences of destroying a loving family and killing children shows how filled with ambition he has become. Macbeth is so afraid of losing to Macduff that he believes that by killing his family, Macduff will be broken beyond repair and not be able to face Macbeth. Unfortunately, he does not count on a certain someone to heighten Macduffs hopes to slaying Macbeth by using his sorrow to his advantage. That certain someone is Malcolm, the son of Duncan. After the murder of his father, Malcolms ambition to destroy Macbeth becomes so strong that he forgets all moral values and disregards the feelings of others; this ambition represents revenge. Though Malcolm is able to understand the feelings of others, he lets nothing stop him from achieving his goal; this is either due to his inexperience of the world, or because he is too bent on revenge to think about anything else. When Macduff learns that his family is murdered, he begins to despair. Malcolm, not wanting to let anything get in the way of his ambition, tells Macduff to dispute it like a man. (4.3.221). Since Malcolm is a young man; he does not have a wife or kids and disregards Macduffs pain as a sign of weakness. Note that even if Malcolm had a family and understood Macduffs pain fully, he would still have been reckless and put revenge above anything else. Malcolms  father was a good man who lost his life at the hands of the man he trusted the most; Malcolm is not going to let Macduffs personal tragedy get in the way of his goal of destroying Macbeth. When Macduff responds by saying that first he must feel pain like a man, Malcolm responds by telling Macbeth to make his grief be this the whetstone of your sword. Let grief convert to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it. (4.3.230- 231). While Malcolm is more understanding of the pain Macduff feels, he still convinces him to move on. When he says let grief convert to anger, he means for Macduff to use his sorrow as his anger so he can move on with his life and destroy the man responsible for his sorrow: Macbeth. Malcolm truly does feel bad about Macduff losing his family, but unlike Macduff, he has no family to worry about and has not experienced every pain and sorrow Macduff has been through. Given this evidence, it is evident how much ambition Malcolm has for destroying Macbeth. Macbeth is not fully to blame for his ambition clouding his judgment since the audience knows that Lady Macbeth has him kill Duncan so she can be Queen; this ambition represents power. While Macbeth is to blame for all he has done to his country, his wife started a chain reaction that sent Macbeth down this dark path. Had Macbeth not told his wife about the prophecies, she would not have become so obsessed with power and she would not have sent her husband to kill Duncan so she could be Queen faster†¦and all of Macbeths victims would be alive and well. Lady Macbeth wants so desperately to gain power, she begs of the immortals to unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty! (1.5.41-43). Lady Macbeth is asking the spirits (or gods†¦Im not quite sure; its pretty vague) to make her cruel and unforgiving so she can do the terrible deed of killing Duncan. This shows how evil and impatient Lady Macbeth is; had she waited for Duncan to promote Mac beth, she could have been Queen without her husband having to kill anyone, Macbeth would still have been a good person, and they would not have had to suffer so much guilt for all they did. Later, after Lady Macbeth drugs the guards, she boasts about the drugs that which hath made them drunk Sprouse  hath made me bold; what hath quenched them hath given me fire. Now Lady  Macbeth is almost certain that they will not fail; her ambition has clouded her better judgment and ignored the possibility of guilt haunting her and her husband. This ambition, the ambition of power, is by far the most deadly of all ambitions. If you want power so badly and very quickly, you forget about all the consequences that might come from it. In Lady Macbeths case, her consequence for her actions was the loss of her sanity and restless nights thinking about what she made her husband do, eventually causing her to take her own life. This being said, I think it is safe to say that too much ambition is NOT a promise of power or a sign of greatness.

Use Of Hydraulic Kers Commercially Engineering Essay

Use Of Hydraulic Kers Commercially Engineering Essay The potential of using a KERS on a bicycle to store hydraulic energy can be achieved using a device such as a hydraulic accumulator. In a hydraulic accumulator the potential energy is stored in the form of a compressed gas or spring, which is used to exert a force against a relatively incompressible fluid. Accumulators store energy when the hydraulic system pressure is greater than the accumulator pressure and releases hydraulic energy in the opposite case. By storing and providing hydraulic energy, accumulators can be used as a primary power source for a KERS. Accumulators are naturally dynamic devices; meaning they function when configuration changes, for example, valves opening and closing. Accumulators respond rapidly to configuration changes, and nearly instantaneously for gas accumulators. They are usually used in conjunction with a pump/motor in a hydraulic circuit. A hydraulic system utilizing an accumulator can use a smaller fluid pump since the accumulator stores energy from the pump during low demand periods. The pump doesnt need to be so large to cope with extremes of demand, therefore the supply circuit can respond more quickly to any temporary demand and to smooth pulsations. There are four types of accumulator: bladder, diaphragm bladder, piston (spring or gas controlled), and metal bellows. Depending on the application, the choice of most suited is based on the required speed of accumulator response, weight, reliability and cost. Compressed gas accumulators are the most commonly used type since they generally have the faster dynamic response and are most reliable. Accumulators with seals will generally have the lowest reliability as there is the potential for leaks. Pressurised gas accumulators take advantage of the fact, that the gas is compressible. The potential to store energy and the affect of the accumulator is dictated by its overall volume and pre-charge of the gas. The pre-charge is the pressure of the gas in the accumulator when there is no hydraulic fluid within the accumulator. Too high of a pre-charge pressure, reduces the fluid volume capacity, and limits the maximum amount of hydraulic energy that will be available to the system. A gas accumulator has a gas pre-charge, which is less than the nominal hydraulic system pressure. When hydraulic fluid enters the accumulator, the gas is compressed to the nominal system pressure, which is in an equilibrium position and corresponds to the maximum amount of energy that can be stored. As system hydraulic pressure drops, the gas will expand forcing hydraulic fluid back into the system. Most gas accumulators are bladder type, made up of a vessel divided into two volumes, by a flexible membrane. Within the bladder, nitrogen is stored under high pressure, which is an efficient and safe medium since the ability of gas to store energy increases exponentially as pressure rises and because of its inert properties. As fluid from the hydraulic circuit, enters the vessel (under system pressure) and impinges against the bladder, the gas is compressed allowing energy to be stored. The release of energy when required is achieved via conventional valve arrangement. Figure Bladder Accumulator [10] and [4] Use of hydraulic KERS commercially There are, a number of emerging systems that allow the operators of vehicles to reduce both fuel consumption and unwanted emissions, specifically to vehicles that are subject to constant stop-start operations, like for example buses, refuse collection vehicles (RCV). Constant stop-start operations, such as braking in large vehicles, produce considerable kinetic energy, which is wasted as heat. Capturing this energy using conventional hydraulic technology enables it to be stored and then returned to the vehicle systems. The potential uses are not just limited to aid subsequent acceleration (reducing the energy required from the engine), but can potentially power ancillary equipment. For example, RCVs can use stored energy to drive the hydraulic refuse compacting and packing mechanisms. This enables a significant reduction of engine speeds and operating noise [10]. Hydraulic Power Train Technology Hybrid hydraulic power-train technology normally incorporates a hydraulic system operating parallel to the IC engine to share the task of powering the vehicle. Although other arrangements are possible (in series), the simplest is where the conventional vehicle transmission and driveline components are replaced by a hydro-mechanical transmission, a system that works similarly to a hydrostatic CVT. In which the output shaft from the vehicles engine is used to drive a hydraulic pump that in turn supplies pressure to hydrostatic motors; these are then connected via a gearing mechanism to the vehicle power-train to drive the wheels [10]. These motors then, under braking, act as pumps to charge accumulators, where energy is stored before being released back to the power-train, transmitting torque to the driveshaft and propelling the vehicle. Fig depicts the capturing and releasing of energy in a hydraulic circuit. Engine Trans Pump/ Motor Low Pressure Accumulator High Pressure Accumulator Drive Shaft Capturing Releasing Figure Hydraulic Power-train Examples of Commercial Hydraulic KERS There are two commercial products of hydraulic hybrid KERS on todays market and both are implemented on delivery vehicles and refuse truck applications. These are Parker Energy Recovery System [6], and Eaton Hydraulic Launch Assistà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (HLA ®) [7 ].Prototype testing proposes typically regenerative braking capability captures about 70% of the KE produced during braking, minimizing the load on the engine, and helping to reduce fuel consumption [9]. The hydrostatic motors, when acting as pumps during vehicle braking, also help to slow the vehicle down by inducing drag on the rotating drive-train; a feature that helps to reduce brake wear [9] by more than 50% [8]. Generally these systems operate at a maximum pressure of 5,000 PSI [9]. The hybrid technologies are controlled by specialized systems that are activated upon braking. The controls prevent service brake application until just before a complete stop. They also monitor if the energy stored in the accumulator falls below a predetermined level, upon which the vehicle engine can be used to provide supplementary power. However, on vehicles with frequent stop-start cycles, this is seldom required as even gentle braking is sufficient to maintain the stored energy at high levels. http://www.eaton.com/ecm/groups/public/@pub/@eaton/@hybrid/documents/content/ct_132084.jpg Figure Hybrid Hydraulic KERS implemented on large Vehicles [7] The HLA ® has two modes of operation, Economy Mode and Performance Mode. When the operating in Economy Mode, the energy stored in the accumulator during braking is used alone to initially accelerate the vehicle. Once the accumulator has emptied, the engine will begin to perform the acceleration. This process results in increased fuel economy of 30% and provides increased acceleration of 2% [7 ]. Economy mode allows for maximum fuel savings maximum exhaust emission reductions of 20% to 30% [7]. In Performance Mode, acceleration is created by both the energy stored in the accumulator and the engine. Once the accumulator has emptied, the engine is completely responsible for acceleration.  While a 17% increase in fuel economy is possible, the greatest benefit is an increased acceleration of 26% [7]. The benefits of hybrid solution are numerous; reduced emissions, increased brake life, and better fuel economy. The technology also allows the possibility to reduce the size of the vehicle engine as this can be sized for peak speeds, rather than for low-end torque. Application of Hydraulic KERS to a Bicycle A team of engineering students from the University of Michigan [1] undertook a project to use a hydro-pneumatic regenerative braking system on a bicycle. It was a redevelopment of a heavier previous attempt to make a working prototype to fit within a 29 front wheel (fig). They use a 0.5 litre accumulator and believed this to be sufficient in storing the required energy at a maximum working system pressure of 5000psi. Its weighed an impractical 13kg almost as much as a bike and is its major drawback, its weight can be accounted for by its separate high and low accumulators, separate hydraulic pump and motor and its relatively large mounting bracket (fig). Figure Prototype Hydry-pneumatic KERS from the University of Michigan [1] Calculations They failed to test and thus supply conclusive results for the performance characteristics of their prototype, but instead prescribed its key performance parameters via theoretical calculations. In the same way and based on the same calculations the following section outlines the performance of a hydro-pneumatic KERS. Storage Capacity Firstly for a hydraulic system to be implemented the storage of fluid must be addressed, the capacity must be determined and pressures needed to store the kinetic energy. The combined mass of cyclist and bicycle (90kg) braking from 32km/h (20mph) has 2880kJ of kinetic energy. Parker [5] (manufacture of accumulator and motors) rates the ACP series accumulators at max pressure 5000psi, if assuming ideal gas law: () So () Parker rates the ACP Series Accumulators 2 bore with capacities of 0.32l, 0.5l, 0.75l. If the accumulator has a pre-charge of P1 = 3200psi and max pressure is P2=5000psi; then rearranging gives: () Taking the capacity as: V1=0.5l gives V2= 0.32l. Energy stored is: () Thus 0.5l capacity accumulator pre-charged to 3200psi provides more than 5kJ. Hydraulic Motor/Pump Performance Fig presents torque-rpm curve for the Parker 09 series hydraulic motor. It will be used to determine braking and launching performance of the hydraulic motor/pump. Figure Torque-Rpm Curves for Parker 09 Series Hydraulic Motor [1] Braking A hydraulic KERS must use a hydraulic motor to provide enough torque to run the bicycle as well as providing enough resistive torque to be an effective brake. If the bicycle travelling at 32km/h (20mph) on 0.66m (26inch) diameter wheels, which spins the motor at 4632rpm through the 18:1 gear ratio of the pump gear train, then this corresponds to 4.52Nm of torque at 3000psi (fig ). This translates to a braking torque of about 81.36Nm applied to the main gear due to the 18:1 gear ratio. Launching On release of pressure, a fully charged 5000psi accumulator generates 7.57Nm of torques (fig). The 14:1 gear ratio of the motor gear train applies a 105 Nm torque to the main bicycle cluster gear. 7.57Nm corresponds to around 800rpm from motors torque rpm curve (fig), which turns the main gear at around 57rpm due to the 14:1 gear ratio. This is an initial speed of 8km/h (5mph) which will increase as pressure is expended. Advantages In many applications, especially those where high power densities are required, hydro-pneumatic systems offer a more efficient alternative to system driven by electric motors. The technology can be used to capture and transfer high levels of energy extremely quickly compared with similarly sized electric systems, which generally require long periods over which batteries have to be charged. They are also likely to have a longer operating life than battery-powered systems. Disadvantages The main disadvantage of a hydro-pneumatic KERS would be its weight, which is attributed to by weight of hydraulic fluid, accumulator material (steel), and the fact that in application it would be necessary to have separate high and low pressure accumulators. As well as potentially needing separate hydraulic pump and motor. In hydro-pneumatic systems when the gas is not charged by the hydraulic fluid and thus not storing energy, the fluid can be considered dead weight. If implemented on a bicycle to be used as a KERS, this would be counterproductive. Lastly hydro-pneumatic systems are limited where consistent levels of power are required for extended periods at near constant speeds, such as long-distance cruising. Conclusion The major consideration when using hydro-pneumatic accumulator for storing the energy whilst braking, is of course the loss of pressurized gas in a sealed accumulator. It is a failure critical to safety when it plays such an important role as braking. It is apparent the hydraulic accumulator needed for a KERS, does not have an excessively large capacity (pre-charged to 3200psi), in order to release enough energy to propel a bike to 32km/h (20mph). Furthermore, a hydraulic motor can produce 81.36Nm braking torque which makes it an effective brake. However based on the weight of the prototype (13kg) from the University of Michigan, it is impractical to use a hydro-pneumatic technology, as it stands currently, for a bicycle KERS.

Understanding and analysing self harm

Understanding and analysing self harm Self harm in all of its forms is one of the greatest dangers that face vulnerable adolescents, promoting unhealthy cycles, and increasing the risk of suicide and from the perspective of a school nurse, the problem is very evident. Whilst providing duties to young people with, or prone to, psychological, emotional or mental help problems it is clear that self harm is an ever increasing issue. There is evidence that would suggest that the rates of self harm within the UK are the highest in Europe (Mental Health Foundation, 2006, a) and as such, this act should be considered one of our nations significant health concerns. Self harm is a complicated and very challenging problem to face and as such a deep understanding of self harm is vital to combating it. In reviewing literature we must interpret a comprehensive volume of information relating to a given topic. In this instance the topic at hand is self-harm, and as such we are required to study and absorb as much of the available information in order to digest it into new insights and to provide evidence to inform our practical decisions. In this specific review the aim is to use the available literature to identify the most prominent and prevalent challenges that could face a school nurse in the treatment and management of youths that self harm. The act of self-harm has become all the more common amongst adolescents (Fortune and Hawton, 2005) (Laukkanen et al, 2009), wherein as many as one in 15 youths undertake self harm at one point or more in their lives (Mental Health Foundation, 2006, a). Self harm involves many types of personal injury, from poisoning to starving, though cutting is the predominant method of self injury (Lakkanen et al, 2009) and because of this, I have ensured to differentiate cutting, from other means of self harm within this review. The primary approach of this review is to attempt to identify the most prominent literature relative to this topic within the UK. Unfortunately there is only a small pool of literature governing the topic of self harm in youths; even foreign literature on the topic is just as underdeveloped and lacking, often using differing terminology, such as self-Mutilation (Derouin and Bravender, 2004). A further category of self harm that requires specific definition is the term Deliberate self harm, otherwise known as DSH. Whilst it is most frequently used in UK literature pertaining to the subject, it has been regarded as controversial, because of the mental connotations behind the disorder. (NICE, 2004). People who commit self harm, tend to not feel comfortable with the use of the word deliberate, as it disrupts the notion that the act is voluntary, which a lot of sufferers disbelieve (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2007). In recognising different perspectives on the matter, the term deliberate should no longer be used in relation to self harm, to give an enlightened view of the topic within this literature review. When discussing young people or adolescent in this report, the terms will refer to any young person between 12 and 18 years of age. The average age of onset for self harm is 12 years (mental health foundation, 2006, a), however children as young as five years old have been reported to self harm (Bywaters and Rolfe, 2002). The cases of children that young performing self harm is very uncommon, and the rate tends to increase rapidly with age throughout adolescence (Hawton et al, 2003). Methodology. Gathering literary sources was done by utilising a search of CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), a database for nurising based literature reviews. It is particularly suiting as it relaties specifically to nursing and allied health literature (Aveyard, 2010). In order to get the most comprehensive list of resources, several terms were used within the search; Cut* self-harm self-mutilation, Adolescent and School nurse in order to provide a wide range of literature related to the topic. Recent papers, such as those published within the last five to ten years were used. In order to gather enough information, the limit was extended to ten years, as there was simply not enough sources within a five year bracket. When performign these searches, the search terms were often linked in order to provide the best set of results. Other databases were used, using a similar method as this to good results. They included The British Nursing Inde, and PsychINFO. It is often emphasised how important it is to combine search strategies (Greenhalgh and Peacock, 2005), within literature reviews. Despite the advantage electronic searches provide, it is still possible to miss key sources of literature. (Montori et al, 2004). Every step to ensure the best quality of literature is provided should be taken, and as such within this review, any appropriate cited references have been thoroughly checked and sourced. In following various searches, the extracts from the articles were read for relevance to the review. They were also regarded to see if they met the inclusion/exclusion criteria and for general relevance and importance. The critical apraisal skills programme was used to great effect in ascertaining the quality of certain articles (Aveyard, 2010). Further articles that did not meet criteria at this stage were disregarded from the study. As could be expected, all literature that had been collated showed similarities in their findings and themes. These have been used to link the findings in a systematic manner for the purpose of this review (Pope et al, 2007). Prevelance, rates, reasons to harm, the factors behind harming, suicidal intentions and intervention are all themes which need to be studied and examined for the problems and considerations faced by a medical professional when encountering them. Prevelance One thought that is unanimous within studies concerning self-harm is that the act itself is much more than simply attention seeking behaviour. (Mental Health Foundation, 2006, a). This is supported by the instances in which youths attempt to hide their attempts behind long sleeved tops, or by cutting in areas of the body that are hidden from view, such as the inner thigh or the axilla (Freeman, 2002). Because of this, many acts of self-harm do not come to the attention of the healthcare services, so it is almost impossible to discern the true scale of the matter. However in one study 13 .2% of adolescents reported to have purposefully harmed themselves within their lives (Hawthorn and Rodam, 2006). There have been many studies on the matter, but it is difficult to compare results due to varying age groups and conditions. Two facts seem t o be agreed upon however, and they are that cutting is the most prevalent type of self-harm (Laukkanen et al, 2009) and that in all likelihood the true scale of the problem goes unrecorded. The latter could be due to several reasons; between youths hiding the fact they perform self-harm and that parents who have no fears in regards to their children, are less likely to give consent to permit these studies recording data. (Hintikka et al, 2009). With all reports agreeing that the situation as a whole reflects merely the tip of an iceberg, and that findings do not cover the majority of acts that go unnoticed by the medical services, health professionals require a greater understanding of the topic, in order to tackle the problem when they do encounter it. As School Nurses are often the first to contact youths who self harm (McDougal, 2003), it is even more vital to provide an understanding and means to address this problem. Whilst establishing a professional where pupils feel comfortable in disclosing their behaviour , it is also vital to promote awareness in the school and community at large of the dangers of this self-harming behaviour (Hackney, 2009). However the root of the problem lies in identifying those who are prone to cutting and other acts of self harm, and understanding why they choose to take this step. Why Adolescents Self-Harm There appear to be many reasons offered as to why adolescents choose to harm themselves including to feel more alive, to distract from the reality of their situation, and to even gain relief from the pressures that surround them (Mental Health Foundation, 2006, a). It can be used as a means of dealing with emotional extremes of anger, sadness or depression (Mental Health Foundation, 2006, a), or even as a means of expressing negative emotions such as self-loathing or loneliness. Whatever the cause, the reason behind it is often that the adolescents mind finds it easier to deal with physical pain and trauma than the emotional pain that is the root of the problem (Medical Health Foundation, 2006, a). Physically, there are endorphins released during the act of cutting which serve as to calm the person down (Starr, 2004). In doing this, the anxiety is reduced and not only is the adolescent satisfied emotionally, but also potentially addicted physically. Adolescents often feel that betwee n studies and their family, they have no control over their own life; and as such cutting can be a means of exerting control over themselves physically. (Derouin and Bravender, 2004). However in certain circumstances, it can be used to exert control of those around the youth, such as friends, family, and other loved ones. (Freeman, 2002). With this in mind, it is understandable why youths take to self harm as a means of resolving their emotional issues, as it has been recorded that most youths who have undertaken the act, hold it in a positive light (Griesbach, 2008). However it is only a temporary solution and an often dangerous one at that. Any gratification gained from the act itself does nothing to relive the underlying problem (Mental Health Foundation, 2006), and as such cannot be expected to resolve itself. Those who choose to self harm, tend to do so because of a complex combination of reasons and experiences, rather than a single, governing event (Fox and Hawton, 2004). As such, it can often be difficult for a Nurse to address these issues as a collective when dealing with those who self-harm. Factors associated to Self Harm Girls are more prone to internalise their problems than boys and as such, certain pieces of literature believe that girls are far more likely than boys to resort to self harm (Hawton et al, 2002). In contradiction to this, certain texts would state that in a study of admissions to an accident and emergency department, almost as many boys were admitted as girls, for the act of self harm (Lilley et al, 2008). As such, it is important to acknowledge that the differences between genders, may not reflect the likelihood of cutting as any greater than the other. There a re also emotional factors tied to self harm, tha t include feelings of loneliness, isolation, depression, frustration and worthlessness (Griesbach, 2008). These feelings in and of themselves often a re enough to cause concern that a youth could self harm, however combined with other factors such as separation from loved ones (through arguments or neglect), bullying or even abuse could amplify the risk of self-harm (Griesbach, 2008). It is just as important when considering these factors, that not everybody who has suffered neglect or abuse will self-harm, and that those that have will often handle things in a less destructive manner (Turp, 2002). Other behavioural factors have been linked to those who self-harm, which include aggressive tendencies, poor educational performance, substance abuse, and most commonly depressive moods (Laukkanen et al, 2009). There are also those who suffer from stress, or who feel as if they have little control over their life. (Griesbach, 2008) Family and Relationships Whilst behavioural problems can be tied to the reasons behind self-harm, often it is those closest to the adolescent that promote these issues, knowingly or otherwise, such as a parental figure providing either overprotection, or a lack of care (Marchetto, 2006). There are many psychosocial issues that may impart negative emotions, stress, or pressures upon a youth, with serious family and relationship problems being the more common (Laukkanen et al, 2009). With this to consider, a school nurse must realise that even the most superficial act of self harm could be linked to a very deep and complex series of psychosocial problems. Young people often feel uncomfortable opening up about such backgrounds, regardless of family circumstance (Griesbach, 2008) and consequently it can be difficult for a school nurse to uncover the true cause of self-harm with a patient. This difficulty in opening up must be considered when assessing a youth suspected of self harm in order to best establish a r elationship with the patient and thus a level of trust (Griesbach, 2008). Mental concerns. A high proportion of children can be diagnosed with mental disorders. With mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and even eating disorders being strongly linked to those who self-harm (Hintikka et al, 2009), these high proportions become all the more concerning. According to The Mental Health Foundation (2006, b) One in ten children have a mental health disorder, coupled with the strong links between self harm and these disorders gives cause for concern as to how much goes unrecorded. Depression has even been recognised as a major factor behind self harm (Derouin and Bravender, 2004), which is becoming even more common with girls who choose to cut. (Hintikka et al, 2009). However there is often a stigma attached to mental health issues that a school nurse will have to overcome when addressing these problems. Often establishing a heightened awareness of these disorders within the community will remove some of the stigma related to these disorders, and in turn will encoura ge youths to be more open and healthy with their thoughts (Hackney, 2009). Some adolescents however, have been discovered to have self-harmed for years by successfully hiding their injuries, and have shown no signs of a mental disorder (Derouin and Bravender, 2004) that stimulates the necessity to cut. Even if mental problems are not to blame however, the act of self harm is a sign that something is wrong within the youths life; self harm often being the outward response to unfavourable circumstances (Griesbach, 2008). Social Circumstances Peer pressure is an all too common part of adolescence. In regards to self-harm, this combined with curiosity and risk taking behaviour will often act as encouragement to try it (Derouin and Bravender, 2004). It is important for a school nurse to understand the presence of peer pressure, and be mindful of it when assisting those who have to overcome self-mutilation. Indeed it is necessary to be mindful of all outside social developmental issues when a school nurse attempts to break the cycle of cutting with a patient. (Derouin and Bravender, 2004). Suicide. Whilst those who choose to self cut or self mutilate often are not intending to attempt suicide, there can often be a risk. Often they are simply attempting to release extreme anxiety or inner pain, (Derouin and Bravender, 2004). However, there are difficulties when addressing this problem as a school nurse. Those who choose to cut are often less likely to be at risk of suicide than those who harm in a different manner; often their only aim is to release tension, and they are more in control of the damage they are inflicting than other methods. (Griesbach, 2008). However, evidence supports the notion that those who self-harm, will repeatedly self-harm, and in turn this increases their risk of suicide, intended or not (Cleaver, 2007). It is important to remember that in general young people will see suicide, and self-harm as two very separate things. Unfortunately for a school nurse, the characteristics of those who self-harm and those who intend to commit suicide are often shared (Hawton and James, 2005). Thus it can be a very challenging experience for a School Nurse to identify pupils who self harm who are at risk of suicide in a medium or a short term. It is vital for School Nurses to recognise the differences between the two, and intervene at the earliest possible opportunity, for every case of self-harm. Whilst Suicide is a rare event (NICE, 2004), it is still the third most common cause of death in the adolescent age group. As such any discovery of self-harming should be fully assessed for needs, emotional, psychological and social factors that are specific to the individual case (NICE, 2004) so as to better assess the problem at hand. Interventions There is some debate as to the best method to stop repeated self-harm, and unfortunately there is a lack of good evidence to support one method over another (NICE, 2004). Randomise Control Trials (RCT) are often the premier choice of researching and comparing differing interventions (Harner and Collinson, 2005). There had been positive results found within the realm of group therapy. Wood (2001) found promising results from a study into developmental group psychotherapy, recording a clinically significant difference to favour group therapy above other forms of aftercare and upon this evidence a first line of treatment should be prescribed as group therapy. Unfortunately in contrast to this a recent repetition of the study failed to yield any positive results to suggest that group therapy was a superior treatment (Hazell et al, 2009). As we can see there is a great difficulty in assessing the value of any research into treatment, and the importance of repeating the tests for grounded evidence. Young people say that they wish to be helped in a way that feels comfortable for them. This is understandable, as they are often discussing a private matter. Private support groups, one on one sessions and drop in services are viewed as particularly helpful (Griesbach, 2008). One of the most important factors is overcoming the negative attitude associated with the disorder; something that is even possessed by the nurses who treat it (Cleaver, 2007). As such it is important to treat the patient with respect and to listen to their problems, even if their roots do not stem from self-harm, but from daily, or emotional issues. Many who have self harmed state that had this service been available to them in the first place, they would not have started their disorder (Mental Health Foundation, 2006, a) Preventative measures must be taken to address self-harm in all of its forms. A school nurse is positioned at the forefront of these preventative measures, and often can find themselves in the best possible position to assist the youth. However; self harm is a very large, and very complex problem for a school nurse to address, with evidence suggesting nurses to feel overwhelmed and under supported when tackling the issue (Cook and James, 2009). With this in mind, the further education of school nurses to equip them to deal with these issues cannot be disregarded (NICE, 2004). When preventative measures fail it is good practise to advise people who repeatedly self injure with management techniques such as, how best to deal with scarring, alternative coping strategies, and harm minimalisation techniques (NICE, 2004). This concept is well established in health promotion and has been applied in recent years successfully to both sexual health education and in a reduction of teenage pregnancies (Lesley, 2008). Adolescence is a time for striving for independence, experimenting and taking risks (Lesley, 2008) and this approach of minimising self harm can often be the best approach to tackling those who have already self harmed. Evidence to suggest an effective treatment is not abundant (NICE, 2004) but to focus on minimising the damage is a pessimistic approach. Certain voluntary organizations advocate the thought If you feel the need to self harm, focus on staying within the safe limits (Mind, 2010). Young people want a range of options for self help best suited to them, even if it is something as simple as something to distract themselves from self harm for just a short period of time (Mental Health Foundation, 2006, a). Successful distraction techniques have been known to include using ice instead of cutting, or even marking with a red pen; other means involve simply venting pent up frustration such as by punching a punch bag (Mental Health Foundation, 2006, a) not all reliefs have to be physical, however, and often creative pursuits such as writing, drawing and painting can have a very positive effect (Griesbech, 2008). Often, it is much more constructive to engage in creative rather than destructive be haviour and is even more likely to change behavioural response to self harm (Norman and Ryrie, 2004). If unavoidable, it is advocated that those who cut use clean, sharp instruments and avoid areas that include veins and arteries (Pengelly, 2008). When advocating this a nurse must consider both the legal and ethical arguments of endorsing any form of self harm (Pengally, 2008). Many do not feel comfortable discussing these minimalisation techniques over the concern that this could be construed as encouragement and leave the nurse vulnerable to backlash (Pengally, 2008). That said, often self harm may be the only control that a young person feels that they have over their lives (Derouin and Bravender, 2004) it is essential for a nurse, when supporting adolescents, to make effective clinical decisions. Ethical dilemmas and diverse situations often arise in this field of medicine and must be balanced with the needs of the patient and community (Bennet, 2008). Ultimately, when undertaking these decisions, practitioners must consult with the rest of the clinical team and maintain in depth records. Similarly, the decision whether or not to inform the parents raises another ethical question. Inititally, it can damage trust between the nurse and patient in future consultations, however, should a youth be considered mature enough they should be treated as adults and thus given the same level of confidentiality (Hendrick, 2010). Limitations. The majority of sources of information within this review is qualitative research which is related to the desire to obtain the opinions of individuals alongside their experiences (Watson et al, 2008). The benefits of qualitative methods are that often a greater wealth of information is obtained, in terms of social and personal experiences and insights than would otherwise be available (Hall, 2006). Unfortunately, there are many criticisms that beset qualitative studies. For instance, many disregard the findings as they are not ecologically valid due to the small sample size (Parahoo, 2006) as such, findings of many studies often only reflect the characteristics of that particular sample as opposed to the diverse population that engage in the act of self harm. Furthermore, it is difficult to justify evidencing qualitative research as often its results are interpretative (Aveyard, 2010) of course, findings can also be affected by the differing assessment methods used to collate the inf ormation, such as whether the assessment was done autonomously or if it relied on parental consent. Recommendations. Harm minimalisation techniques need to be widely available to adolescents who self harm with recognization of the ethical dilemmas, in order to support school nurses within this field of practise. Future literature on the subject also needs to choose its terminology carefully and focus upon one form of self harm rather than generalising. This is the only manner in which a specific treatment can be formulated to address each individual form of self harm allowing nursing to develop appropriate preventative interventions. School nurses should also refer all youths who harm to CAMHS. The presumption that young people that cut are not suicidal or that they do not have mental illness is too high a risk to consider and even though the majority hold neither of these disorders, they can not be overlooked due to the minority that do possess them. Conclusion. The true extent of self harm or self cutting is very difficult to determine due to the inconsistencies and definition and underreporting that often it goes unnoticed. What can be agreed upon, is that self cutting is an increasing and serious problem among adolescents. School nurses hold a vital role in the management of this disorder and are often at the forefront of any prevention, treatment and education. An understanding of why adolescents self harm and all linked factors are vital for undertaking treatment of a patient. However, this challenge is complex and requires a large amount of training and support; it is very important to avoid any stigma attached to self harming when treating youth, they are often not attention seeking and frequently posess a lot of problems in their lives. Self harm masks underlying emotional, psychological and social trauma and can simply be a youths only outlet to relieve stress and emotional tension. It is undeniable that self harm is a rapidly expan ding area of research, however upon reviewing this literature many questions are still left unanswered. There is still the underlying moral and ethical difficulties that a school nurse must consider when supporting those who self harm

Business Analysis of Nonas Sweets :: North Carolina Bakery Baked Goods Essays

Business Analysis of Nona's Sweets Executive Summary This brand communication campaign has as its primary objective to establish Nona’s Sweets as a high end bakery in the University area of Charlotte, North Carolina and to maintain brand awareness of Nona’s Sweets goods among the families, businesses, and churches in the area that crave high quality baked goods. From its beginning in a home in Charlotte, North Carolina four years ago, Nona’s Sweets has expanded. Today they are to a company with a store on North Tryon Street. From its very start, Nona’s Sweets baked goods have been produced to be the utmost its class offered. At this moment in time Nona’s Sweets is in its growth stage and is continually seeking to uphold a strong relation with its consumers. The Olympus Advertising Agency has developed a comprehensive plan to position Nona’s Sweets’ baked goods as the most outstanding in the baking industry. I. Situational Analysis A. Bakery Industry In recent quarters consumers based their purchase decision on price and perceived value. This trend has increased the sale of private brand baking goods at expense of its branded competitors. According to the food institute, sale of food for at-home consumption have skyrocketed in recent years. These food retailers only accounted for 1.8% of food in 1991 and by 2003 their percentage rose to 11.1%. USDA projects that the consumer price index for food will rise from 3.0% to 4.0% in 2005. CPI for all types of food rose 3.6% for the first nine months of 2004 and it is projected to increase even higher. B. Company and Brand History Company Background It all started four years ago when a family member had a birthday where a cake was ordered from the local grocery store. The cake was not up to par. Dominica Clementi’s mother Nonna Jo-Ann decided that she could bake cake that was better. She sent her daughters to school to learn pastry decorations in order to keep up with the new trends of baking. They started by making cakes out of their home. From word of mouth around the church and community Nonna Jo-Ann and her family started to bake for holidays, family functions, and religious activities. In December of 2004 Nona and her daughters bought a store in the Terraces at University to keep up with increased demand for their product. Brand Background To meet the demands of quality baked goods market, Nona’s Sweets developed there own baked goods in 2001 what would enable customers to enjoy their own top quality baked goods with out the mess of the kitchen. Business Analysis of Nona's Sweets :: North Carolina Bakery Baked Goods Essays Business Analysis of Nona's Sweets Executive Summary This brand communication campaign has as its primary objective to establish Nona’s Sweets as a high end bakery in the University area of Charlotte, North Carolina and to maintain brand awareness of Nona’s Sweets goods among the families, businesses, and churches in the area that crave high quality baked goods. From its beginning in a home in Charlotte, North Carolina four years ago, Nona’s Sweets has expanded. Today they are to a company with a store on North Tryon Street. From its very start, Nona’s Sweets baked goods have been produced to be the utmost its class offered. At this moment in time Nona’s Sweets is in its growth stage and is continually seeking to uphold a strong relation with its consumers. The Olympus Advertising Agency has developed a comprehensive plan to position Nona’s Sweets’ baked goods as the most outstanding in the baking industry. I. Situational Analysis A. Bakery Industry In recent quarters consumers based their purchase decision on price and perceived value. This trend has increased the sale of private brand baking goods at expense of its branded competitors. According to the food institute, sale of food for at-home consumption have skyrocketed in recent years. These food retailers only accounted for 1.8% of food in 1991 and by 2003 their percentage rose to 11.1%. USDA projects that the consumer price index for food will rise from 3.0% to 4.0% in 2005. CPI for all types of food rose 3.6% for the first nine months of 2004 and it is projected to increase even higher. B. Company and Brand History Company Background It all started four years ago when a family member had a birthday where a cake was ordered from the local grocery store. The cake was not up to par. Dominica Clementi’s mother Nonna Jo-Ann decided that she could bake cake that was better. She sent her daughters to school to learn pastry decorations in order to keep up with the new trends of baking. They started by making cakes out of their home. From word of mouth around the church and community Nonna Jo-Ann and her family started to bake for holidays, family functions, and religious activities. In December of 2004 Nona and her daughters bought a store in the Terraces at University to keep up with increased demand for their product. Brand Background To meet the demands of quality baked goods market, Nona’s Sweets developed there own baked goods in 2001 what would enable customers to enjoy their own top quality baked goods with out the mess of the kitchen.

The Effects of Nuclear Weapons Essay -- Nuclear Weapons Essays

The Effects of Nuclear Weapons The United States is the most powerful country in the World. They have the biggest army, navy, and airforce, but that is not why other countries fear them. The reason the United States is feared, is because of its nuclear capabilities. The United States has the power to blow up the entire World without even using half of their nuclear bombs. Having all of this nuclear power is good, because it prevents other countries from trying to go to war with the United States. The problem with these bombs is that in order to make sure they work, the United States has to test them. There is only one way to test a nuclear bomb, and that is by letting it off. When they test these bombs, it send radiation flying through the air, causing many innocent civilians to get severely sick, and even die. Not only do these bombs effect humans, but they also effect the wildlife. When these bombs are sent off in the ocean, they kill many fish, and also plant life. Some fish don't die and then are con taminated with the radiation For years the government has been testing Nuclear Weapons to make sure that they work, incase we ever have to use them. It is a good idea to make sure that our country is protected, but is it worth killing American citizens in the process. The idea for a Nuclear Bomb came into the picture, during World War II. The code name for the project to create it was the Manhattan Project. It was named for the Manhattan Engineer District of the US Army Corps of Engineers, because much of the early research was done in New York City. In 1942 General Leslie Groves was chosen to lead the project, and he immediately purchased a site at Oak Ridge, Tennessee for facilities to separate the necessary ur... ...Nagasaki, in order to end WW II, and to save American lives at the same time. The question remains, just how many American live were saved, if you add up all of the people that died from the nuclear testing that followed after the war? Works Cited: 1. Manhattan Project. "The Story." www.gis.net/~carter/manhattan/thestory.html. 2. "Atomic Bomb – Truman Press Release – August 6, 1945. www.trumanlibrary.org/teaching/abomb.htm#further. 3. York, The Advisor, p. 77. 4. Michael Marchino, "A Wrongful Death," Progressive, November 1980, pp. 9-10. 5. Atomic Veterans’ Newsletter, November/December 1979, p. 7 6. Ralph E. Lapp, The Voyage of the Lucky Dragon (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1958), pp. 81-83. 7. Robert C. Pendleton, et al. "Iodine-131 in Utah During July and August 1962, "Science, August 16, 1963, pp. 640-642.

Dickens A Christmas Carol and the Industrial Revolution Essay

Dickens' A Christmas Carol and the Industrial Revolution Besides being the secular story of Christmas time in an urban setting, A Christmas Carol, tells the sacred story of Christmas as well. With A Christmas Carol, Dickens initiated an ongoing creative process in the Anglo-American imagination. As a result of the Industrial Revolution and the growth and development of cities people's lives changed drastically as they moved from the life and traditions of the country into those of the city. As industrialization continued, for many people in the city living and working conditions worsened. As reports of horrible working conditions increased so did the literature of social concern for reform.. Prior to the publication of A Christmas Carol the ideas and concerns of various reform bills sparked increased debate over political and social issues. Whether or not Dickens had A Christmas Carol specifically in mind, it is clear that the Industrial Revolution was an important factor in making his Christmas story a tale for the times. Dickens was concerned about the working and living conditions during the Industrial Revolution, when the book was written. These are reflected in Ebenezer Scrooge. He is the shown as the mean and hateful owner, who could care less if his workers are well because he could always get more people. He knew this because during the Industrial Revolution there were more people than there were jobs, so people had to settle for worse conditions because that was all there was. When two men some into his shop wan... ...ooge indeed changes his ways he can in a sense "spoonge away the writing on the stone" and begin a new life. It is significant that Scrooge promises that "the Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach". This statement is indicative of several Christian statements of faith promising to live and follow the teachings of the "Three" God, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit. When we first met Scrooge, we are informed, and also observe that he is cold, miserly, and bitter. However, after the visit of the Ghost of Christmas future, Scrooge changes into a generous and cheerful man. It is clear that something must have caused a man who is really nice, turn into a mean and nasty person, in this case it was the Industrial Revolution.

Ranking of Learning Benefit of Each CEO Essay

For those who have not read any great leaders biographies and theirs accomplishments, the book provide good introduction of all the seven exceptional corporate leaders and their signature strategies. The books should be able to stir reader interest for more serious reading and learning on other more in-depth leadership books. 2. Strengths Krames’s rigorous analysis of each of the CEO and their strategies, provide reader an understanding of what are their strategies and how the strategies implemented and why they were implemented. The book not only discusses the framework of each of their strategies but also entails some of the example of the leaders’ relevant experience. Through these leaders, the book portrays proven business insights, ideas and innovations of practiced by these world-class organizations. The inclusion of thoughts provoking case studies and self-test â€Å"Assessing Your CEO Quotient† at each of the chapters provide interactive learning experience. 3. Weaknesses The book could have provided experience from wider spectrum of leaders from other non-profit organization, corporate leaders from emerging economies and corporate leaders from Asia. The definition of successful leaders in this book is narrow is the sense its only from the perspective of immediate financial wealth creation. 4. General Learning Benefit The author, being a novice in the area of strategic leadership studies found that the book provide a very good introduction to strategic leadership and corporate strategy. The books open the author mind on the dynamism of strategic and critical thinking of addressing corporate problems. The author found that the â€Å"More Lesson From CEO† sections at the end of each chapter were practical and applicable to the author current profession. Ranking of Learning Benefit of Each CEO Out of all the CEOs the author has learned the most is from Andy Grove. Turning from negative situation to positive though it took resourcefulness to achieved, without real strong courage and determination, many leaders would not succeed. These strong qualities possessed by Grove no doubts would have developed through his early days hardship and this had earned Grove the respect of being a leader. Through his ability see the condition Intel from the perspective of an outsider enable him to prepare Intel for drastic change and turn into a multi-billion dollars business. The author admired Grove leadership style based on truth telling. Ranking second after Grove is Herb Kelleher. The author learned the important of building performance-based culture in business. Kelleher’s down-to-earth leadership style, by putting customer and employee, putting aside title and protocol caught the attention of the author especially when it came from the leader from big organization like Southwest. Kelleher lean management structure that made him accessible by his front lines supervisor plus his flamboyant and people treatment breed loyalty and commitment from his staff. Ranking third is Sam Walton. Walton continuous endeavor to be better by learning from his competitors, and remain faithful to his vision to provide lowest cost impressed the author. Normally when organization became big, they will not adopt lowest cost strategy. Lesson that the author draws from Walton leadership style was to lead by example in the aspect of learning from others. Ranking fourth is Bill Gates. Bill Gates leadership approach to knowledge management was definitely a lesson that that the author have learned. Gates ability to see the future label him as visionary leader. Ranking fifth is Jack Welch. Jack Welch was good corporate strategies. Though through learning organization make GE a great company, his â€Å"number one or number two† strategy was mean and neglected the human aspect which the author believe negate the overall leadership pursuit. This strategy though might work with big corporation like GE, might not work on the smaller organization. People commitment to their job could be due to job security. Ranking sixth is Lou Gerstner. Gerstner approach to put IBM under the scrutiny of its customer and use the market feedback to transform IBM would be expected of him. His previous experience in Nabisco naturally would give IBM a fresh perspective of how to business would be directed. No doubt his leadership abilities would have contributed to his success transforming IBM. Ranking seventh is Michael Dell. Dell approach to build DELL business model surround the customer and his strategy of mass customization would be the natural things to do for highly competitive industry like computers. Whereas other failed, Dell succeeded to harness the power of Information Technology to build DELL supply chain. Probably other computer makers would have recognized the important of bringing the business closer to the customer but they fail to know how. 6. Other Prominent Leader. Another leader that the author regards to be prominent is Fujio Cho, the president of the Toyota Motor Corporation. Fortune reported that Toyota’s worldwide sales leapt 10%, to 7. 5 million vehicles, posting strong growth in all regions. Toyota’s profits for fiscal year 2003 exceeded those of GM, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, and Volkswagen combined. (Annex A) Cho portray his leadership style particularly dedicates his time through interaction with the working group on the production floor, congratulating them of their best achievement. Cho leading by example has earned him admiration and respect from his employees. (Annex B) Cho none compromising stand on environmental issue evident went he lambasted his own company saying â€Å"The sense of crisis we feel, despite increasing sales and profits, stems from our fear that we have no kept up. Particularly fears that we have not kept up with environmental issues†¦ † (Annex C) To be globally competitive today, according to Cho, a company must be agile, able to make rapid decisions and respond quickly to changing business environments (Annex D) and this factor has brought Toyota to the current level. Cho leadership exemplifies the quest for organization for continuous improvement. Lesson that can be drawn by the author from his leadership and strategy are, his treatment for his employee, passion for quality and meeting customer expectation and respect for the environment. Conclusion The reading of the book provides the author a good introduction of the practice and the dynamics of strategic leadership. Based on experiences of these CEOs, the author realized that the application strategic leadership varies depending on the personality of the leadership and the circumstances and type of the organization they are in. Source:  http://www.fortune.com

The Structure of Myth and the Structure of Western Film

? The Structure of Myth and the Structure of Western Film Based on Saussure (1974), structuralism is a theoretical method derived from his theoritical work. He divides language into two component parts which together produce a third (signifier, signified and meaning). According to him, meaning is produced through a process of combination and selection. As Saussure insists, â€Å"In language, there are only differences without positive terms†¦ language has neither ideas not sounds that existed before the linguistic system, but only conceptual and phonic differences that have issued for the system. (1974: 120) Saussure divides language into langue and parole. Langue refers to system of language, the rules and conventions which organized it. Parole refers to individual utterance, the individual use of language. Structuralism takes two basic ideas from Saussure’s work. First, a concern with the underlying relations of cultural text and practices – the grammar which ma kes meaning possible. Second, the view that meaning is always the result of the interplay of relationship of selection and combination made possible by the underlying structure. According to Levi – Strauss, the myths are structured in terms of binary opositions. All myths also have similar social culture function within society. Their purpose is to make the world explicable, to magically resolveits problems and contradictions. In sixguns and society, Will Wright (1975) use both methodologies to analyze the Hollywood Western as myth. According to Wright, the western has evolved through three stages: classic, transition theme and professional. He also identifies a basic set of structuring opositions: inside society >< outside society, good >< bad, strong >< wilderness (49). In order to fully understand the social meaning of a myth, it is necessary to analyze not only its binary structure but also its narrative structure – the progression of event and the resolution of conflicts. The classic western is divided into sixteen narrative functions. Those are: 1. The hero enters a social group. 2. The hero is unknown to the society. 3. The hero is revealed to have an exceptional ability. 4. The society recognizes a difference between themselves and the hero; the hero is given a special status. 5. The society does not completely accept the hero. . There is a conflict of interests between the villains and the society. 7. The villains are stronger than the society; the society is weak. 8. There is a strong friendship or respect between the hero and a villain. 9. The villains threaten the society. 10. The hero avoids involvement in the conflict. 11. The villains endanger a friend of the hero. 12. The hero fights the villains. 13. The hero defeats the villai ns. 14. The society is safe. 15. The society accepts the hero. 16. The hero loses or gives up his special status. (48-9) Poststructuralism and popular movie Poststructuralists reject the idea of an underlying structure ultimately determining the meaning of a cultural text or practice. For poststructuralists, meaning is always process, a momentary stop in a continuous flow of possibilities. Jacques Derida (1973) has invented a new word to describe the divided nature of the sign: meaning both to defer and to differ. The sign is made meaningful for Saussure by being different. Derrida adds to this notion that meaning is also always deferred, never fully present, always both absent and present. Jacques Lacans poststructuralist account of the development of the subject has had an enormous influence on both cultural studies and film studies. Lacan takes Freud’s developmental structure and rearticulates it through a critical reading of structuralism to produce a poststructuralist psychoanalysis. According to Lacan, we make a journey through three determinate stages of development. Those three determinate stages are: 1. mirror phase 2. the fort-da game 3. Oedipus complex Laura Mulvey’s (1975) work is in part an attempt to appropriate the poststructuralist psychoanalysis on Lacan for a feminist film criticism. Using Lacan, she constructs an analysis of how popular cinema produces and reproduces what she calls the male gaze. The inscription of the image of women inthis system is twofold: she is the object of a male desire, and she is the signifier of the threat of castration. A particular problem for cultural studies is Mulvey’s account of the audience as purely textual- a homogenous and passive production of the text. There is no room in Mulvey’s theory for social, historical subjects who arrive at the cinema with a range of competing and contradictory discourses, which confront and negotiate with the discourse of the film.