Margaret Atwood Essay

Margaret Atwood once wrote â€Å"Does feminist mean a large unpleasant person who’ll shout at you or someone who believes women are human beings. To me it’s the latter, so I sign up.† This clearly shows that Atwood believes that feminism is not about depicting a woman as a strong and macho character but a real one with admirable traits and some imperfections. Cat’s Eye, one of Atwood’s acclaimed novels, is distinctively a feminist novel that shows two different kinds of women in society. The first being the stereotypically traditional woman, who is weak and submissive to man. She illustrates this type of woman through her minor characters – Ms. Smeath and Susie, both of whom play weak and traditional women who face tragedy in life. Her second kind is the heroic and feminist character that while being admirable and strong has some human weaknesses. She presents this with two unconventional protagonists – Elaine Risley and Cordelia. She depicts Elaine and Cordelia as two tough but insecure women who fight to create their unique identity in the society. During the time frame of the book (1940- 1980), society was extremely male dominated especially the literary aspect of it. Most of the famous authors were male and most of the highly regarded books were written in a chauvinistic manner, depicting women as weak, vulnerable, disloyal, unimportant and narrow minded. On the other hand, men were portrayed as heroic, overly strong, and perfect in every sense. Feminist novels, throughout this time, were novels that portrayed women as the â€Å"hero† and protagonists rather than as women. Atwood’s Cat’s Eye, however, differed from the typical feminist novels as it illustrated the women as admirable â€Å"heroines† who were strong and proud but flawed. This brought a realistic touch to the characters as readers were able to understand them better as they seemed more humanlike – with strengths and weaknesses. Margaret Atwood cleverly proves her book uniquely feminist through her portrayal of characters as she explores the struggles of dual level of women in society; the stereotypical and vulnerable woman and the strong and unconventional feminist. Ms. Smeath is first introduced as a woman with a weak heart and someone who needs constant rest due to her illness. Already, readers pity her and have a mental image of a weak and frail mother who is in need of help. In contrast, if a novel of the same era were to depict a man with the same condition, he would be shown as someone who is internally very strong and despite his physical illness, he would be fighting to save himself. This is a clear example of the sexist views of society during that time. Through the description of her physical appearance, one can see that Ms Smeath believes that women should dress in a plain and conservative fashion. She is shown as wearing print housedresses which are especially saggy around the chest and Oxfords- which are very plain leather shoes. She also does not wear make-up or make fancy hairstyles and is perceived to be strict, straight and upright. This perception of her is later proven true as Atwood describes her as someone who doesn’t laugh, goes to church every week and does not stand for things she does not like – like the time she was told that Carol’s mom and dad slept on two different beds. â€Å"Mrs. Smeath is not like Mrs. Campbell. For instance, she has no twin sets and views them with contempt. I know this because once, when Carol was bragging about her mother’s twin sets, Mrs. Smeath said â€Å"Is that so†, not as a question but as a way of making Carol shut up.† In the novel, Mrs. Smeath is depicted as a narrow-minded mother who believes that Elaine deserves to be punished by God because she comes from a family that is not as religious as the Smeaths. â€Å"It’s God’s punishment†, says Mrs. Smeath. â€Å"It serves her right†. This shows her high-self esteem and her belief of superiority over others. Mrs. Smeath represents the dark and evil side of women in society during that time period. Another stereotypical woman, fragile and defenceless, is presented in the form of Susie, a fellow classmate of Elaine’s in night school. Susie is seen as someone who puts on a lot of make-up and jewellery, wears skin-tight clothes, and has a quiet voice. To Elaine, she is just a fake and dumb girl who’s just fooling around in class. Elaine also suspects Susie of having an affair with their art teacher Mr. Joseph Hrbik, as she is the only one who sticks up for him when the rest of the class taunts him. In the beginning, Elaine thinks that Susie is incapable of love – as she is too superficial; another stereotype of women in that society, she believes that Susie is just playing with Mr. Hrbik’s feelings for personal benefit. â€Å"Susie herself is incapable of love, she’s too shallow, I think of her as the conscious one, the one in control: she’s toying with him† Susie represents the other side of the stereotypical woman in society †“ the opposite of Mrs. Smeath. She is seen as a dependant person as she seems to be in awe of Mr. Hrbik at all times. Another proof of this is the time Susie comes to visit Elaine one last time in Swiss Chalet. â€Å"Have you seen Josef?† she asked. I lied not well â€Å"No why would I?† â€Å"I just thought you might know where he was†, she said.† This shows that not only is Susie aware that Elaine and Josef are having an affair; she can do nothing about it, as she is too dependent on Josef. This also proves her to be weak and with a low self esteem. However, Elaine later discovers that Susie was in fact pregnant and knew that Josef would refuse to marry her and so she decides to abort the baby – herself. This shows her helplessness, as she is unable to defend herself against the pain of Josef leaving her. Even in her weakest moment, the time she was in the ambulance she pleads with Elaine not to tell Josef. Together, Mrs. Smeath and Susie represent the stereotype of women as eit her evil and dark or weak and vulnerable in society at that time period. On the other hand are Atwood’s two uniquely feminist characters – Cordelia and Elaine. Cordelia and Elaine represent the reality of women rather than the supposed roles represented by Mrs. Smeath and Grace. Cordelia represents a very strong but victimized woman of society and Elaine is the unusual central character that is a very passionate and talented with a traumatic childhood, which influences her entire life. Cordelia is first introduced in the beginning of the novel in one of Elaine’s first memories. Straightaway, the reader gets the impression of a rebel when the narrative voice says, â€Å"We’re impervious, we scintillate, and we are thirteen†. Through the way they express their likes and dislikes, and the power they thought they had, one can easily make out they are feminists. Atwood uses symbolism when she writes â€Å"Cordelia sits with nonchalance, nudging me with her elbow now and then, staring blankly at the other people with her grey-green eyes, opaque and glinting metal. This symbolizes Cordelia’s eyes as cold and sharp as metal to show Cordelia’s attitude towards others. Cordelia has many traits fit for a heroine – for example her outer self-confidence – she presents herself in an extremely confident manner despite her real feelings inside. Her independence- she is never dependant on anyone to guide her and despite having two sisters and mother to look up to, she lives life her own way almost struggling to create her own place, her own identity in the world. Her intelligence-she got promoted to a higher grade despite being younger than the rest. Her strength to become what she wants and not what the society wants her to be. And her leadership skills, which even though used wrongly, were powerful enough to ensure she was always leader. However, Cordelia has some obvious weaknesses – her family. Throughout the book, Cordelia shows that she has a certain discomfort with her family, especially her father – who beat her- and her sisters who were the perfect girls thus, creating a lot of pressure for Cordelia to do well. But no matter how well Cordelia did, her dad paid no attention to her. She later on reveals to Elaine that as a child she would swallow mercury so she wouldn’t have to go to school, and she would dig holes in her yard so she could be safe in them and how she used to get into a lot of trouble with her dad and that she hated moving to the new house because she didn’t have any good friends except for Elaine. At that moment, readers see the broken and hidden child behind the hard and cold exterior. Readers see a young girl who has been a victim to many pressures and responsibilities. Another instance of this is when Perdi says to Cordelia â€Å"Pull up your socks, Cordelia, or y ou’ll flunk your year again. You know what Daddy said last time.† Cordelia flushes and doesn’t respond. This shows Cordelia’s fear of disappointing her dad and again readers see this young child just stuck in cruel and cold world, wanting to come out, but never given the chance. Another weakness of Cordelia is her self-esteem, which is very low. When Elaine and Cordelia are in high school, Elaine manages to get more attention from guys than Cordelia as Cordelia comes across as a fake person to most guys since she lacks the self-confidence to behave naturally. One more example of this is when Cordelia looses her job and tries to kill herself at home and gets sent to a mental hospital. Readers can make a connection between Susie and Cordelia, as both in times of trouble resorted to self-harm. And this proves the genuineness of Cordelia’s character as she has strengths of a hero and weakness of the female stereotype, which form her personality – both powerful and vulnerable Elaine Risley, the main unconventional protagonist of the book when first introduced, is a successful 50 year old painter back in Toronto (her home town) to do an exhibition. She is first seen as an insecure woman with a tormenting past but as the book progresses one can fully appreciate Elaine’s heroic traits. One can see the journey Elaine takes the struggles she faces, the obstacles she overcomes and the memories she leaves behind. Elaine, though not the conventional heroine and perfect, is someone most women will admire as she has a lot of inner strength. There are many times where Elaine shows her inner strength – especially when she walks away from Cordelia, Grace and Carol, and when she finds the inner strength (through Virgin Mary) to go back home instead of loosing consciousness at the freezing riverbank. She also finds the inner strength to walk away from a failing marriage, while having no concrete plans. Elaine also has a thirst for finding a place where she belongs, her own identity, which is why she struggles to please people- so she can fit in. She is very unique in her thoughts and actions – for example when she runs past her poster and she has moustache, instead of feeling hurt or breaking down as the stereotypical women would, Elaine likes the moustache because she thinks she has â€Å"achieved, finally, a face that a moustache can be drawn on, a face that attracts moustaches. She is also a proud feminist who stands up for women, when she goes to â€Å"consciousness raising† meeting for women, in which feminine issues are raised. She also feels bitter towards the Art Gallery of Ontario as they refused to hold her exhibit in their gallery because as she says, â€Å"Because they have a bias towards old dead men†. She is also seen as someone who cares for others as she is shown giving money to the poor on more than one occasion and is also seen doing things to please people even if she does not want to – for example the interview with Andrea. She also shows her caring side when she finds out Grace’s mother has a weak heart and so she goes and checks everyday to see if Mrs. Smeath is fine. However, Elaine also has her human weaknesses like her habit on putting on masks and faking things to please people. She also develops neurotic habits such as biting her skin, pulling her hair and peeling her skin so she can feel pain and her existence. She also develops fainting fits and has suicidal impulses. She has moments where she is lost and needs help, she is afraid of galleries, and is afraid to express her emotions and all in all she hold a lot in from her past that she needs to let out in order to move on. She is also self-doubting as she has no confidence in her abilities and she is paranoid as to what other women think and say about her. She is always afraid she is going to end up like someone and so takes pleasure in knowing she’s stronger than others. She struggles her entire life to create her own identity that is not pre-determined by society. Elaine and Cordelia represent the unique and real female protagonist Atwood creates to represent the true role of women in society. Through her clever way of portraying characters to represent a society much like a normal one rather than a fake one, Atwood explores the detailed struggle in the lives of all four characters, which at a first glance seem very distinct but are interconnected in their roles in the society. Atwood brings forth an unconventional protagonist, who despite being susceptible to weaknesses and flaws manages to gain the admiration of many readers through her actions in life.

Application Architecture Essay

Strayer University: Piscataway In designing and building a payroll program for a large organization with offices spread across the country, which possesses quite a few changelings to overcome and must be done in a particular manner. Thus having the right application architecture is important where the design is concerned. Because the company has one large data center that each office connects to via a wide area network (WAN), hence the appropriate architecture for this solution would have to consist of a WAN diagram to be used in management of this project, along with system documentation, and information technology architecture documents to provide a visual representation of the network. A wide area networks (WANs) usually covers a large, physical area. And many WANs cover entire buildings, cities, states, or regions, thus the primary purpose of the WAN is to link together all the local area networks, of these other offices spread across the country. The Payroll program being used in this case study has been cent ered on having the proper application architecture that would be effective for the solution being deployed. It would take into consideration where each piece of equipment needs to be deployed and where its physical location should be sited and which is most effective for the organization. Thus an effective system would combine elements into an architecture, or design, that is flexible, cost-effective, technically sound, and able to support the information needs of the business. There would be a logical design of the payroll system into a physical structure, which would include hardware, software, network support, and processing methods. Therefore an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)Â  would have to be established in order to determine the strategies for using IT resources in the new payroll application. There would also be a supply chain management (SCM) and initial Cost and TCO (Total Cost of Ownership), and this will come into effect when the final design stage is completed, and where certain decisions will be made that will have a major impact on the initial costs and TCO for the payr oll system. Cost estimates should also not be overlooked when final decisions are being made. There would also be consideration for scalability in reference to the new system ability to expand, change or downsize easily to meet the changing need of a business enterprise, if the need arises in the future. Besides all of this it would be important in implementing systems that are volume-rated, such as transaction processing systems that would have more than what it was designed to handle. Below is a global payroll core application which determines the organizational structure for payroll processing. This diagram shows the hierarchy of components in the organizational structure. Some software applications will include procedures for web integration, which would require an information system with applications. Thus a Web-centric architecture would avoid many of the connectivity and compatibility problems that typically arise when it comes online and users/employees start accessing it through the web. With the new system being put into place other legacy systems may need to be integrated with the new applications. Thus the interfacing of both would have to be consistent with the requirements to analyze different types of data formats and compatibility. Those implementing the new payroll system should know if the new application eventually will replace the legacy system. Potential ethical issues that could arise in connection with the new architecture are fundamentally associated with the emerging of the development of the new system. Where the concern would be the right away that the new payroll application has on the jobs that it may affect negatively and may replace the person/employees that use to do certain aspects of the legacy system. The idea that the new system would replace humans in many jobs, within the business may result in widespread job loss. To fully grasp the issues involved with computer ethics, it is important to consider the history of the organization being discussed for deployment of this solution. References Herold, R. (2010, June 22) Introduction to computer ethics. http://www.infosectoday.com/Articles/Intro_Computer_Ethics.htm Oracle: PeopleSoft Enterprise Global Payroll (n.d) Introducing the Core Application Architecture. http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E20215_01/hr91pbr1/eng/psbooks/hgpy/chapter.htm?File=hgpy/htm/hgpy04.htm

Personal Development Plan Essay

Introduction This project development plan is a write up of the theoretical underpinning and the technical experiments or of the reengineering undertaken in order to answer the question(s) posed by the research topic. The project proposal should be supported by a list of current references and an annotated bibliography. The proposal must include A good development plan is not a easy document. To be influential, it has to be built approximately a development model beached in real-world skill. It has to be cautiously crafted to fit the needs of the person being urbanized. It has to comprise job assignments that build leadership skills. And it has to be hold up by the organization and incorporated into a development philosophy that views planning documents as the commencement of the development expedition, not the end (Ametrano, I. M., 2003, 190-193). During the research of this network based assignment I have equally focus upon my personal development and look for to become accustomed the worldwide assessment of performance more especially to the personal development in networking. It is based mainly on WAN based networking for Nokia Incorporation The primary four part scores seek to gauge Personal grooming as a professional figure when I was capturing data, the aptitude to create a living in a dynamic-based company like Nokia. Aim of Project To design and implement a network model for an international organisation to get connections between two branches. To also examine the network model to make sure it met the performance and compatibility requirements. Objective Of Research No doubt, the objective of this network based project is a development plan for multier national company is an important part of any effectual leadership-development system at two levels. At the organizational level, these plans make sure that the next age group of leaders will have the skills and skills required to define and implement the corporation’s strategies. According to this research work at the personal level, it forces me as future leader to focus on what needs to be done in order to grow. When done right, the individual development plan becomes a contract future leaders make with themselves and the organization about the things they want to do or to become. The plan creates discipline and a good plan creates motivation. If we analyzed then we come to know about basic object of this research based project: 1. Research into different area networks (LAN, WAN, MAN, etc) 2. Research into few network modelling and simulation software. (OPNET guru †¦etc) 3. Critical evaluation on the chosen area network (WAN) 4. Critical evaluation on the chosen network modelling and simulation software(OPNET guru) 5. To illustrate the issues to produce a better performance of a WAN 6. Using network modelling and simulation software(OPNET guru) to create a simulation for the designed network model 7. Implement a prototype to demonstrate the simulation of the network. 8. Testing the prototype to ensure it performs and its performance of the network met the requirements. No doubt, the worth network systems of Nokia is a ground of hypercompetitive and personal development spirited individuals were look at in an example of successful people. As predictable, people higher in hypercompetitiveness and in personal development competitiveness were together further possible to support values connected to self-contained uniqueness such as attainment, hedonism, and a determined for an exciting and demanding life, but merely hypercompetitives authorized the worth of power and control over others. Furthermore, the data point to that people higher in personal development competitiveness were extra prone to support values linked to ensembled uniqueness. In exacting, they powerfully endorsed values linked with social concern, that is, with caring regarding the well-being of others and by treating them by admiration and as equals, whereas hypercompetitives uttered a lack of such concern. Discussion centered on the socialization procedure and how it can foster the development of dissimilar competitive orientations (Barak, A., 2005, 471-476). Strengths And Weaknesses During The Research Following strengths and weaknesses during this Research I have developed in my self and it is consist of eight part scores are derived directly from the work of my research 1. Self-esteem: An individual’s insight of self-worth as well as peers’ depicted value or feelings of significance of self during this technical research. 2. Coping Skills: Individual’s aptitude to develop and use effectual skills needed to total tasks successfully during this technical research. 3. Positive Assertiveness: Positive actions that are heading for to unpleasant and defensive strategies for objective attainment during this technical research. 4. Locus of Control: Full receipt and faith that personal achievement is not a matter of ‘luck,’ but rather personal decision making during this technical research. 5. Team Membership: An individual’s incessant recognition and actions are for eternity in full agreement by values and practices of possess group membership during this technical research. 6. Sympathy: An individual’s sustained ability and carry out to sympathize and feel the pains of every people and animals during this technical research. 7. Self-efficacy: The full work out of control from side to side personal expectations by the essential expansion of actions to total task productively during this technical research. 8. Caring: Whatever happens to one person or animal anywhere in the globe is significant to all people all over the place. Developmental Needs Personal development is supreme in sustaining and improving the functions of societies of any form. Maturity, as a function of personal development, is that condition or time of life at which a person is careful fully developed socially, intellectually, emotionally, physically, and morally. For complete personal development during technical research is the final objective of human development according to computer expert idea of self-actualization. Throughout this research and at work the professional ethics have been to make sure that I have to learn to live and produce together in peace environment for a good performance and agreement in such a way that each one stands to benefit from every other’s full contribution in upholding the values deemed significant for the betterment of organization. Deliverables Within The Research Proposal This infrastructure can be federal, state, wide or corporate. In this proposed network system few live models of the infrastructure will be subjected to steady attacks of viruses for weaknesses of clients and server relations. †¢ End-users of security: is another good aspect of proposed network. End users of security are frequently forced to deploy technology without field-testing. The proposed facility at Nokia will provide a place for end-users to test out security configurations. †¢ Developers of security: The proposed network will offer a trial setting for developers to organize versions of their products. The Nokia can also serve as a test bed for interoperation among dissimilar vendors. †¢ WAN Researchers: The Nokia will be intended to offer outstanding surroundings to behavior state of the WAN research in computer security and security tool development. By its very nature information declaration is a multidisciplinary research area for proposed network. While most organizations that carry out explore in computer security focal point exclusively on the technical issues, it is proposing a truthfully multidisciplinary endeavor with ability from all regions. It is this amalgamation of technology, business issues, strategy concerns and ethics that construct our program exclusive and will permit us to manufacture extremely capable researchers and IT specialists. In this proposed study selected to separate information pledge in six explore efforts; Interruption detection, attack broadminded networks, rejection of service, Cyber rule, digital government, and e-commerce, Wireless communications and mobile security. Declaration Of New Skills Acquired And Old One That Were Strengthened Due to this network based research the benefits resulting from participation are a function of the superiority and quantity of attempt for my research attempt. For instance, my positive struggle is related to the positive association among grades and the amount of thinker effort put into studying, organizing a campus-wide event requires further effort and is potentially a extra powerful learning knowledge than only attending the event. Those involved in the provision and exploitation of information require certain basic personal qualities as well as professional or technical skills and qualifications. You need only take a detailed look at current job advertisements to get some idea of what is being sought by today’s employer. ‘Dynamic and forward thinking’, ‘ability to work well under pressure’, ‘strong interpersonal skills’, ‘enthusiastic self-starter’, ‘good communication and team working skills’, ‘well developed IT skills’, ‘ability to teach client groups’, ‘project management skills’, ‘sense of humour’ (Elliott, R., 2003, 443-467). Four of the eight part scores are incorporated inside the Internal and Personal areas of one’s life spaced; while the further four part scores are from the External and unfriendly areas (Crutchfield, 2000, 162-169). 1. Home: The period connecting to research is the untimely rearing of the child and the hold up system that is concerned in that period of life. 2. Emotional: The feeling and emotional development in relation to interacting with others during this project. 3. Moral: Acceptance and following of the rules and laws of the land and becoming a role model for others during this project. 4. Health: Physical and mental health of individual as displayed in the personal development process during this project. 6. Social: The interrelations among the individual and the rest of society during this project. 7. Survival: The sustained enlargement of an individual and his/her ability to influence the environment and others during this project. 8. Race: The general receiving of all others and the aptitude to interrelate by them in a significant way during this project. Conclusion In opening any conversation on personal development during this project it has been noticeable that the initial response has usually been based on an assumption that the topic under discussion is training. Whilst this plays an important part, personal development is a broader process, concerned with motivation, attitudes and personal qualities, as well as job-related skills (Eriksen, K.,2003, 120-133). No doubt this research reveals to put it simply, it is a constant process in which the individual seeks to enhance his or her knowledge, abilities and skills, and/or develop new ones; a process of continuous self-building and realisation of his or her full potential. It takes place by linking abilities with preferences to achieve personal goals, and applies to all aspects of the individual’s life (Gershefski, 2004, 233-247). For the purposes of this book it is in the context of the work situation that personal development is considered, but development of a professional nature and the resultant job satisfaction is likely to have a positive effect on life outside the work situation (LaCrosse, 2004, 170-172). In concluding end with the help of this research I came to know that the Nokia IT Network Administrators have worked with quite a few local law enforcement agencies to offer computer forensics support, counsel, and preparation for international connectivity purpose. The Nokia can be used to offer these services to law enforcement. Reference Ametrano, I. M., & Pappas, J. G. (2003). Client-perceptions of counselors-in-training: The effects of sex and gender role orientation. Counselor Education & Supervision, 35(3), 190-193. Bachelor, A. (2001). Comparison and relationship to outcome of diverse dimensions of the helping alliance as seen by client and therapist. Psychotherapy, 25, 227-240. Barak, A., & LaCrosse, M. B. (2005). Multidimensional perception of counselor behavior. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 22, 471476. Braden, R., Ed., Zhang, L., Berson, S., Herzog, S., and S. Jamin, Resource ReSerVation Protocol (RSVP) — Version 1 Functional Specification, RFC 2205, September 2004 Baskett, F., Chandy, M., Muntz, R., and Palacios, F. Open, Closed, and Mixed Networks of Queues with Different Classes of Customers. Journal of the Association for Computing Machinery 22, 2 (2005), 248-260 Cooke, M., & Kipnis, D. (2002). Influence tactics in psychotherapy. Journal of Counseling & Clinical Psychology, 54(1), 22-26. Corri gan, J. D., & Schmidt, L. D. (2003). Development and validation of revisions in the Counselor Rating Form. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 30(1), 64-75. Crutchfield, L. B., Baltimore, M. L., Felfeli, M., & Worth, S. (2000). Empathic responding skills across counselor education training tracks: A comparison study. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, 38(3), 162-169. Downing, T. K., Smaby, M. H., & Maddux, C. D. (2001). A study of the transfer of group counseling from training to practice. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 26, 156-176. Elliott, R., & James, E. (2003). Varieties of client experience in psychotherapy: An analysis of the literature. Clinical Psychology Review, 9, 443-467. Eriksen, K., & McAuliffe, G. (2003). A measure of counselor competency. Counselor Education & Supervision, 43(2), 120-133. Gershefski, J. J., Arnkoff, D. B., Glass, C. R., & Elkin, I. (2004). Clients’ perceptions of treatment for depression: I. Helpful aspects. Psychotherapy Research, 6(4), 233-247. Howley, D. (2003). Performance assessment in medical education. Evaluation & the Health Professions, 27(3), 285-303. LaCrosse, M. B., & Barak, A. (2004). Differential perception of counselor behavior. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 23, 170-172.

Quality Management System (Quality in the work environment) Case Study Essay

Quality Management System (Quality in the work environment) Case Study - Essay Example Another reason for introduction of quality management system was the vertical integration of the oil industry. In the present world, with the increasing workload and decreasing resources, standardisation has become a major concern of the world’s oil and natural gas companies and their suppliers. It is the industry which relies highly on API standards in order to get the job done in the right way. Standardisation helps companies to move forward in the right direction besides allowing them to operate safely and reliably anywhere in the world. The standardisation efforts help to assure compliance with government equipment interchangeability to meet the needs of the global industry. (The oil and natural gas industrie’s most valuable resource 2004). Quality management system can be discerned as a series of practices that are constantly being reconsidered and to conform to the international standard. It aims at achieving first class customer service to be derived and at the least costs, and prove to the customers that the supplier in question has an organized and disciplined approach to the achieving that end. ( Fravennec, Trambouze & Baker, p.540). There are three elements of quality management systems that apply to refineries these are: Matter of culture, service to the customer as the quasi religion, implemented by a wide spread network of customer/supplier relationships as possible, based on the contractual approach and monitors by using quantified measures of satisfaction or nonsatisfaction. Technology, that aims continuous improvement which includes a system of correction and prevention of non-quality practices that are reviews by a process of regular audit and a system for continuous improvement to achieve enhancement of quality. Prescriptive, a formal system of procedures to codify, attempts to see that the incident resulting from a

Fashion As A Form Of Art Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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WOMANS SUFFRAGE MOVMENT Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

WOMANS SUFFRAGE MOVMENT - Annotated Bibliography Example t ran a historical analysis of this occurrence and allowed for a biopic into how women’s suffrage has impacted the United States and the world since that time. Although it is clear that the United States was not the first system to allow women’s suffrage, the article argues for the fact that its global position of power and dominance helped to spread this practice and acceptance faster than it would otherwise have been spread. Similar to the 100th anniversary discussion that was engaged, the 75 anniversary piece was included due to the fact that it helps to detail the differential in understanding women’s suffrage that has taken place within the past 25 years. Through such a unit of analysis, the reader is able to appreciate the evolutionary process by which an understanding of the suffrage movement has changed and shifted within the recent past. Fraser, Steve, and Joshua B. Freeman. "IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR: The Counter-Revolution Against "Mobocracy."  New Labor Forum (Murphy Institute)  21.2 (2012): 105-108.Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Oct. 2013. This article references the main argument that many men of the era made against allowing women the right to vote; namely the belief that allowing women to vote would result in a type of â€Å"mob rule†. Naturally, by deconstructing this argument and showing how this ultimately did not come to pass, the author is able to shed additional light on the way in which antagonism towards women voting was evidenced during the turn of the century. This particular article discusses the fact that the United States was unique in the fact that it gave certain minorities the right to vote prior to women. In discussing the topic in such a way, the reader is made aware of the obvious levels and overtones of sexism that existed within the United States and caused the women’s suffrage movement to be delayed as long as it

Financial management and risk analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial management and risk analysis - Essay Example The new assembly cell requires three cell programmer/operators recruited at a salary of  £20,000 per year each. The cell robots are expected to last for 5 years, after which they can be sold off for an estimated price of  £1,000 each. The company’s cost of capital is currently 10%. This is a two-option financial investment appraisal case which compares the cost of operating an existing sub-assembly line with the cost of a new automated assembly cell. Both options incur costs we could compare to find out which option results in lower expenses over the next five years. Any savings will increase profits, which we can then transform into additional value that would benefit our shareholders. We utilised common investment criteria to analyse this project, and considered other factors that may affect its financial viability. We included our suggested solutions and potential effects on the final decision through a sensitivity analysis, which takes into account: 1. The cost of replacing our eight fitters and with three skilled operators. We included the effect of granting separation pay to each displaced operator and made a recommendation on how much we could afford to pay. The key insight to our problem is to match the cash flows for both options. Option 1 is our existing sub-assembly line, whilst Option 2 would be our proposed investment in new automated machines. Each option has a cash outflow over the next five years. Whilst Option 1 would not require a large cash outflow now, it has the same level of cash flows we are currently spending to maintain the line. In contrast, Option 2 demands a large cash outflow now, but this would result in lower cash flows over the next five years. We compared both cash flow forecasts and arrived at a net cash flow, which is the amount of working capital we would save from the lower cash requirements of Option 2. A basic assumption is that the sub-assembly line’s productivity would be constant, and that

Adler and Van Dorens The Activity and Art of Reading Essay

Adler and Van Dorens The Activity and Art of Reading - Essay Example (2014). In this case, I think that it is the students’ responsibility to apply the concepts taught by the teacher so that they can articulate them in their memory. In addition, learners have to incorporate initiatives of internalizing different concepts and knowledge that they receive from the teachers. Therefore, learners are obligated to act on things communicated to them, Adler, M. (1999). After reading â€Å"The Activity and Art of Reading† by Adler and Van Doren, I deduce my main role as a student is to be a thinker or a learner. In this aspect, I should consider the absence of a teacher as a motivating factor to help me have my books for a tutor: the book takes the position of a life instructor. Compulsorily, I should be very active in class by not only taking simple questions from the teacher but also tackling ideas raised by other students. In addition, I should feel free to express my own thoughts and ideas concerning the matter under discussion in the classroom. This will allow me to create my own knowledge and ideas about learning. Lastly, I have a role as a student to be motivated about learning. In this case, I am supposed to exhibit surmountable interests in learning. Adler, M. (1999) suggest that the main classroom duty performed by a teacher is to facilitate learning. In this case, the teacher communicates ideas and concepts to the students that are commonly referred to as aided discovery. The teacher is tasked with the role of monitoring various activities that learners are undertaking. In addition, the teacher is obligated to prepare learners with knowledge and prior experience so that the learning process can be conducted with expedite and efficiency. Other roles include managing the learning, managing activities and managing the group. Teacher diversity capital, according to Adler, M. (1999), is intended to develop teaching enrichment that embraces sensation and drives teachers to seek new prospects and ideas for building

The future of tourism planning lies with a community-driven approach Essay

The future of tourism planning lies with a community-driven approach - Essay Example The general â€Å"host-guest† conflicts and stereotypes can be better overcome by tourism development through clearer local guidance which goes on to stimulate a superior stewardship of tourism resources. The participation of the stakeholders such as tourism operators, government, local residents, etc in tourism planning guides an improved fitting, longer enduring, and less exhausting tourism industry taking into consideration the local requirements, concerns, desires and abilities. Community involvement while preparing plans for tourism increases the abilities of the stakeholders thereby resulting in sustainable tourism development. Community-driven tourism planning highlights improved strategic and rational vision for growth of tourism. The approach depends upon the local residents and the community leaders who propose opportunities to clarify strengths and weaknesses for the social, economic and ecological well-being. The influence of community-driven approach assures touri sts’ satisfaction eliminating the experience of tourism as a source of anxiety and negative impact. The involvement of community in the process of tourism planning undoubtedly brings up flourishing impact on the tourism industry which otherwise would have remained less successful due to insufficient local knowledge and experience. The illustration of the Whistler Village has been cited as an ideal example of community-driven approach for tourism planning. It has been very rightly said that the future of tourism planning lies with a community-driven approach. The need for community participation in tourism planning must be felt and appreciated (Murphy, 1985a). This calls for the inclusion of strategic planning and community development standards in tourism planning processes. This will inevitably result in to the cohesive working of all the stakeholders, be it tourism industry associations, resident organizations, public organizations, government officials, social

Business strategy in Chinese restaurant Assignment

Business strategy in Chinese restaurant - Assignment Example Several other outlets of Hai Di Lao Hot Pot were also started and the business operations were carried through this chain of restaurants. The restaurant reached a stable growth rate over time and this enabled it to open multiple outlets and marketing stores in Nanjing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Beijing and other locations of China. The company employs about 15,500 employees (Hai Di Lao hot pot, 2014). Political: The business operation of the restaurant, Hai Di Lao Hot Pot is subject to some political constraints. In emerging nations like China, the government often impose several extensive policies for maintaining a stable and competitive market. Sometimes due to political wars and corruption in bureaucracies, the expansion plans of the company get hampered. The restaurant also has to abide by foreign tax policies in order to expand its business globally (Griffiths and Tenenbaum, 2004). Economical: The distribution centre, warehouse and factories of the restaurant mainly operate in the Chinese market and thus, it does not have to worry about risks associated with the exchange rate. Economic productivity of China, as measured by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is quite stable which implies that there is an increase in the per capita income level of the population. Consumers have high demand and increased purchasing power which enables them to avail speciality dining in restaurants like Hai Di Lao Hot Pot. Social: Globalization has helped businesses to conduct integrated operations that would help improve standard of living. Hai Di Lao Hot pot offers its customers with traditional dinning habit with a blend of modern styles. The restaurant values the social and cultural aspects that are associated with Chinese food. This ensures that the restaurant maintains a stable growth (Chow, Lau, Lo, Sha and Yun, 2007). Technological: Food making techniques are essentially subject to innovations. Several innovations in cooking techniques are practised by the

Network Infrastructure Basics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Network Infrastructure Basics - Assignment Example This device allows one to place phone calls over the internet to any phone all over the globe. One fascinating thing about the VoIP is that the phone one is calling does not need to have VoIP for communication to take place. What is required is that the people being called should also be able to receive calls over the internet. In addition, interconnected VoIP services also allow one to make and receive calls to and from traditional landline numbers at no fee. Desantis (2008) notes that some VoIP services require the use of dedicated VoIP phones or computers, while others allow an individual to use landline phones to place VoIP calls through a special adapter. The other pros of the VoIP are that its usage is generally cost effective. Nevertheless, just like the threats facing internet users, new threats, scams and attacks that are unique to telephony are currently emerging and should be mitigated for effectiveness. IP or Internet protocol addresses are necessary if hosts have to communicate on networks that are IP based (Sinclair & Fong, 2002). The IP address is a set of four octets with each octet separated by a period. An example of an ID address is 172. 162. 54.12. When configuring an IP address, certain conditions should be met. The address includes both the host and network addresses. The subnet mask identifies the network portion of the address. When assigning IP addresses, each host must be assigned a unique IP address. When there are several hosts on the same network, each of them should have an IP address with the network portion being the same. The range of IP addresses that can be assigned to hosts in a network are subject to the network mask. 5. If you want to manually configure DNS server addresses, click Use the following DNS server addresses, and then type the preferred DNS server and alternate DNS server IP addresses in the Preferred DNS server and Alternate DNS server boxes. 1. To resolve an unqualified name by appending the

6. “It Is More Important to Discover New Ways of Thinking Essay Example for Free

6. â€Å"It Is More Important to Discover New Ways of Thinking Essay Developing new ways of thinking about what we already know is very important as it helps us to develop a better understanding of that which we already know so to some extent the above statement is true. However it is as significant to discover new data or facts. In fact these two concepts go hand in hand; it is because of some discoveries that we knew when they first came to light that we have something we call existing knowledge to think about and sometimes it is through trying to develop new ways of thinking about a certain issue without a solution that we finally decide it is best to find a new explanation or concept of looking at it. A student who goes from lower to higher school both learns new and advanced ways of thinking about the information they have gathered in previous grades as well as some new data they have never come across before which further stresses that both concepts are important. We cannot learn everything at once nor can we know all sbout those things we know, which is why both developing what we already know and leaarning some new things are equally important. In some cases one may find that discussing and thinking about what we already know but in a new clearer way can help us reach a conclusion whereas if we had chosen to discover new facts about it instead, our horizon of confusion would have been broadened and we find ourselves with yet another mystery to solve. A good example of a case like this is death. Unless someone dies and comes back and tells us exactly what happens after death, no one can ever really know what happens. Any information we all have of life after death is based on assumptions that is if there is even life after death. Discovering new facts about the so called life after death isn’t but going to cause even more confusion, so really in my view I would say it is rather best that one sticks to the knowledge and believe they have over this issue, and if anything, find new ways of thinking about instead of creating yet another confusing phenomena based on assumptions. But such fields as Science motivate constant discovery of new knowledge because this is one area of knowledge where falsification is the only method used to prove the theories because we cannot verify, in other words prove a Scientific theory to be true in any way but we can pfove it fo be wrong. In this case it is clear then that in Science it is more important to discover new facts or data than to think about that which we already have as we need new discoveries to falsify old theories. However sometimes it may be thinking hard and deep into a scientific theory that makes one see fault in it as a result make new discoveries in which case both thinking of something in a new way and making new discoveries would have been equally important. We can for instance look into the famous example of the falsification of Newton’s theory of gravitation by Einstein’s theory of relativity. Einstein like all other Scientists of that time saw nothing wrong with Newton’s model until a crisis came when Newton’s theory of gravity failed to account for the behavior of light. Obviously this had to be a result of scientists thinking of new ways of applying Newton’s model. No one expected the negative outcome they came out with but it was negative and the Scientists were faced with a dilemma they had to solve. That it is when Einstein invented his theory of relativity, a whole new theory, which could work even for those discoveries that Newton’s model failed to. In any case, the point is to show that finding new ways to think of something can actually lead to the discovery of new information which in turn gives us something new to think about and in new ways if we please. Living only by developing things we already know would be depriving ourselves off so much knowledge. Had the people who lived before our generation decided they wanted to live only on what they knew, there would be so much we do not know. Generations like that of Newton or Einstein, generations like that of Priestley or Lavoisier who made discoveries about oxygen and those of people who learned the word of God and passed it on from generation to generation till the bible was written we would not have the knowledge we have today. And the knowledge does not end there and like the paradigm shifts suggest, there will always be new information, new theories and new ways of thinking as the world revolves that will override the current theories but should we decide to live only by the data that already exists, we may find that we are making experiments with 90% errors all the time.

Article Discourse Analysis: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Article Discourse Analysis: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict A Critical Discourse Analysis of an article on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict With increasing global media synergies, media studies seems to be gaining popularity in academia. One part of this discipline involves the close examination of media texts, be they written, spoken, or symbolic. To analyse texts linguistically, two dimensions are often considered: that of coherence, involving semantics or the construction of meaning, and that of cohesion, or syntax. This analysis can be done through various types of frameworks, including grounded theory, narrative semiotics, conversation analysis, and critical discourse analysis (CDA). According to Barthes (1994), texts are always multi-dimensional and their meanings are uncovered differently depending on the reader, context and setting. Particularly in the media, they are interconnected to other texts, through means such as quotations, indirect or direct references, photos or historical facts; thus, it could be said that the media produce and reproduce not only texts, but from these, social meaning, which is then further reinforced through subsequent intertextuality (Ibid). Baudrillard (2000) adds that language itself is not necessarily powerful; what makes it more so is its use by powerful people—in today’s society, this being epitomised by the globalised media. Critical discourse analysis is also sometimes referred to as critical linguistics (Wodak and Busch, 2004). Its roots lie in classical rhetoric, sociolinguistics and applied linguistics, and it is often used to illustrate the relationships that power, hierarchy, race and gender have with language (Fairclough, 1995). CDA is especially used today by academics that regard the discursive unit of a text to be one of the most basic units of communication. In fact, it is so widely used within scholarly environments that its legitimacy as a tool for examining power imbalances has been called into question by some, such as Billing (Wodak and Busch, 2004). He claims that because CDA has become so entrenched in academic discourses, it is thus subject to the same rituals and jargon as institutionalized knowledge, thus negating its potential to demystify the functions and intentions of CDA research. While these points are interesting and worthy of further exploration, the scope of this paper will not allow such examination, and furthermore, the assumptions of this paper are that CDA does, in fact, provide useful tools for critical analysis of media texts. Thus, this paper will apply CDA to one article by Rory McCarthy in the Guardian newspaper, dated Wednesday, December 12th, 2007. CDA will be employed to illustrate overt and underlying assumptions and beliefs, as well as the construction of social meaning. Wodak and Busch (2004) claim that all texts can help reproduce and produce unequal relationships in power between men and women, racial groups, social classes, ethnicities, and nations. This can be done through the creation of the Other, which involves the textual representation of a group as being ‘perpetrators and agents’ operating outside the law (Ibid, p. 99). They further claim that after the terrorist attacks of September 11, anti-Islamic prejudices became more pronounced in the media, which characterizes Muslims in anonymous and criminal terms (Ibid). Additionally, ‘strategies of generalization, blaming the victim, and victim-perpetrator reversal are increasingly prominent’ (Ibid, p.100). Analysing the text in the Guardian, these strategies do indeed seem to be in place. For example, actions attributed to Palestinians in the article often involved negative activities, whereas verbs related to the Israelis were more neutral: Palestinian actions: firing rockets, accused, complained, fired back, were detained, were reported, appeared to be Israeli actions: mounted an incursion, said, issue tenders for It is only when the voice of the article shifts from the writer to a direct quote from a Palestinian official that any harsher activities are attributed to the Israelis: sabotage, place obstacles The first sentence of the article is also interesting: Israeli troops in tanks and armoured vehicles mounted an incursion into Gaza yesterday, killing at least six Palestinians†¦.As many as 30 tanks and vehicles were involved in the operation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Although the facts in the article imply that the Israeli army killed several Palestinians, it is important to note the syntax of the sentence removes direct responsibility from the army and pins it on ‘the incursion’. What is more, semantically, Israeli activity is never referred to as an ‘invasion’ or an ‘attack’ but is referred to as a mere ‘incursion’ or ‘operation’, or in the title, ‘Israeli tanks enter Gaza’. The Israelis have neutral ‘troops’ which are seeking ‘members of Islamic Jihad’ ‘a hardline Palestinian militant group’ or ‘Palestinian fighters’. These phrases imply that Palestinians are the only ones operating outside the law. Although it is clear from the facts stated in the article that Israel is the aggressor in this particular case: (tanks enter Gaza, killing at least six Palestinian militants) the writer felt it was necessary to include the feeble reaction of the Palestinians to this ‘incursion’ even though no Israelis were killed or even injured by the Palestinian action: ‘Palestinian fighters fired back’. This structure implies a fair battle, although it is abundantly clear that Israel is the only party here with fierce military power. The body count is kept low in the piece, which claims ‘at least six Palestinian militants’ were killed, rather than emphasizing a larger number, such as ‘about ten’ or even ‘half a dozen’ even though it seems certain that more than six were killed. Importantly, only the deaths of the ‘militants’ are mentioned here: it could be quite possible, then, that several hundred civilians were also killed. Although ‘as many as 30 tanks and vehicles’ seems a high number, the fact that these machines, and not people, were semantically involved in the invasion diminishes personal, human responsibility for the invasion and deaths. The sentence: ‘most of the dead appeared to be members of Islamic Jihad†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ only slightly suggests the possibility that ‘innocent civilians’ were also killed in the attack, and the words ‘appeared to be’ mean that there was no firm confirmation that the dead were, in fact, members of Islamic Jihad. ‘Several Palestinians were reported injured’ is another vague sentence which refuses to offer quantitative data regarding how many were injured, or give information about who, exactly, gave this report, which makes it sound dubious. The simple use of Palestinians is also vague and fails to clearly state the possible injury of ‘innocent civilians’. The situatedness of this text historically and politically supports Barthe’s claim that social meaning is reinforced through intertextuality. There is no mention or even implication that the Palestinians are, in fact, fighting to free their homeland from an illegal oppressor, and there is also no overt mention of the illegitimacy and illegality of Israel’s acts: for example, by choosing the word ‘settlement’ in the sentence: ‘†¦an Israeli decision†¦to issue tenders for more than 300 houses in the East Jerusalem settlement of Har Homa’ allows for a form of Israeli ‘newspeak’ to whitewash what is essentially an illegal occupation that has destroyed the natural environment of the Abu Ghneim forest and stolen more land from the Palestinians (poica.org) . Moreover, there is no mention of how Israel has repeatedly been condemned by the United Nations for its illegal ‘settlements’ such as that in Har Homa (Ibid). In fact, after reading such an article as the one in the Guardian, readers could well be left wondering just why the Palestinians have been ‘firing rockets’ or why they have been ‘detained’ or have become ‘militants’, although the article makes Israeli grievances easier to understand by employing the very lexis just mentioned previously (as well as: Islamic Jihad, accuse, complain). Thus, victim-perpetrator relationships are skewed by the semantics and syntax used in the article. There is no doubt that Israel is an oppressive power and disturbing presence in the Middle East, yet it is rarely portrayed as such in the media. There could be several reasons for this, but one may reside in Foucault’s notion of discourse, which states that discourse is an institutionalized way of thinking about something, or in other words, it defines the limits of what constitutes acceptable speech on a topic. Discourse is thus related to power, and defining discourses are often taken to be defining of reality itself (Foucault, 1997). Wodak and Busch (2004) state that the dominant discourse on Israel generally supports this state, possibly as a kind of backlash after the blatantly anti-Semetic propaganda that was once so common in Europe before and during the Second World War, but also because power relationships have shifted: Israel is a key ally to the most powerful nations in the world, including the United Kingdom and the United States, and as mentioned by Baudrillard (2000), the powerful use language to keep power structures intact. The final sentence of the article illustrates this point well: Although Israeli and Palestinian leaders and negotiators have been meeting regularly for months, today’s meeting marks the beginning of talks intended eventually to bring the creation of an independent Palestinian state. This paragraph implies that talks to create a Palestinian state are just beginning, and that a Palestinian state could possibly be created for the first time. Both of these assumptions are erroneous. Without delving too deeply in the politics of the Middle East, it is generally known by most that shortly after Israel’s inception, talks to negotiate Arab/Jewish territory have gone on almost continually. Secondly, in 1919 Palestine was provisionally recognized as an independent nation by the League of Nations in League Covenant Article 22(4) as well as by the 1922 Mandate for Palestine that was awarded to Great Britain. This recognition continues today due to the conservatory clause found in Article 80(1) of the United Nations Charter (Boyle, ) . Thus, ‘the creation of an independent Palestinian state’ negates the fact that such a nation has already existed. Incidentally, legally, Israel does not have fixed and permanent borders (except most recently with respect to Egypt) and yet it is generally considered by the media to be a legitimate state (Ibid). What is important to note here is that history is practically being rewritten in the Guardian text. Van Djik’s (1990) explanation as to how this is possible is closely connected to Barthes (1994) and Baudrillard’s (2000) ideas mentioned above. He claims that journalists and media consumers own ‘mental models of the world’ and thus any text that is understood contains only the ‘tip of an iceberg of information’ (Ibid, p.6). The tip is expressed through syntax and semiotics, but the rest is assumed to be supplied by the underlying knowledge of previous texts. For this reason, Van Djik states that ‘the analysis of the implicit†¦is very useful in the study of underlying ideologies’ (Ibid, p.6). In conclusion, this paper has illustrated how critical discourse analysis can be a useful tool for unearthing implicit meanings in text, through the analysis of syntax, semiotics, and assumptions implicit through intertextuality. Furthermore, it has given examples of how current discourses of power can influence the content of media texts. There is no doubt that after several years of exposure to standard news formats, broadcasters and audiences alike are prone to overlooking the covert messages in news content. For this reason, a critical perspective is certainly important, and furthermore, if news texts are assumed to be a system of encoding reality, then the agendas of the encoders must be understood before a thorough deconstruction of their messages can be possible. Appendix 1 Israel tanks enter Gaza on eve of peace talks Rory McCarthy, Jerusalem Israeli troops in tanks and armoured vehicles mounted an incursion into Gaza yesterday, killing at least six Palestinian militants on the eve of a new round of peace talks. As many as 30 tanks and vehicles were involved in the operation in southern Gaza, near the Sufa crossing and close to the town of Khan Yunnis. Several Palestinians were reported injured. The Israeli military said it was a routine operation against militants, but Palestinian officials accused Israel of trying to disrupt the peace talks. Israeli and Palestinian negotiators were to meet today at the King David hotel in Jerusalem to start a new process of talks in the wake of the Middle East conference in Annapolis late last month. Palestinian officials have already complained about an Israeli decision last week to issue tenders for more than 300 houses in the East Jerusalem settlement of Har Homa. ‘The Israeli policy of escalation aims to sabotage and place obstacles before the negotiations even before they start,’ said Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a spokesman for the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. Most of the dead appeared to be members of Islamic Jihad, a small but hardline Palestinian militant group which ahs been responsible for firing makeshift rockets from Gaza into Israel. Around 60 Palestinians were detained in what was the largest Israeli operation in months. Palestinian fighters fired back and hit one Israeli tank. Although Israeli and Palestinian leaders and negotiators have been meeting regularly for months, today’s meeting marks the beginning of talks intended to eventually bring the creation of an independent Palestinian state. References Barthes, R, (1994) Mythologies, Hill and Wang, London Baudrillard, J, (2000), Routledge Critical Thinkers, Routledge Publishing, London Boyle, F, (2007) Elements of Palestinian Statehood, in The European Journal of International Law, Vol.18 No 3 Fairclough, N (1995) Critical Discourse Analysis, Longman, Harlow. Foucault, M (1997) The Politics of Truth, Semiotext(e), France McCarthy, R, Israel tanks enter Gaza on eve of peace talks, in the Guardian, December 12, 2007 Van Djik, T. A. (1990). Discourse Society, in Van Djik, T. A (ed.), (2007) A New Journal for a New Research Focus, Volume 18 No 2, Sage Publications, London Wodak, R and Busch, B, (2004) Approaches to Media Studies, in Downing, J, The Sage Handbook of Media Studies, Sage, London http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/view.php?recordID=1207

Origins Of The Bow And Arrow History Essay

Origins Of The Bow And Arrow History Essay Technology has given power to man. The ability to hunt more efficiently, gather and live has all been improved by the innovations of man. At first mans tools were given by nature in their natural form. Rocks and branches can be considered one of the first tools used by Man. After some time and understanding of the resources given. Man was able to manipulate the tools given to provide a more narrow and specific use. For example, the flaking of rocks created sharper edges for cutting. After some time and creation of new tools, man finally invented the bow and arrow. However, the origins and distribution of the bow and arrow can be quite complex. It seems that the origin can be traced back to several locations around the earth and at different times. However, I will only be researching on the origins of the Bow in North America. The origins and studies on the arrow will be brief, but the context of this paper will focus more on the bow. The contents of this paper include the definition and types of bows, the origin locations and distribution of the bows, issues and problems when tracing the bow, and a few case studies that describe how this issue has been applied in the field of archeology. The bow can be simply defined four ways. These definitions are based on the different types that were found when researching the origins of the bow and arrow. The first is the bow consists of a single strip of material that is flexible which was commonly wood (bowR4). This bow definition is the most basic and can be concluded to be the first bow ever created. Second, The bow may consist of two or more materials attached throughout the entire length of the stave so as to form in effect a single piece, (bowR4). This is as if to attach two different pieces of material to create the arch needed. Also these bows can be wood that has a layer of sinew around it, multiple layers of wood, horn used with sinew, or multiple types of wood combined (bowR4). This is a more innovated way of thinking to inventing a bow. Thirdly, The stave may be wrapped with a tough substance such as sinew or rattan, or attached by wrappings to a sinew cable the length of the stave, (bowR4). Lastly, the bow can be d efined by using several segments to piece bound together (bowR4). All these bows are defined in the context of how they were discovered. Describing the types of bows is helpful when archeologists discover and classify found artifacts. However, there are many types of bows. Specifically speaking in the region of North America the types found are the self-bow, composite bow, backed bow and compound bow. However, these types can also be found in other regions around the world. The self-bow is a plain piece of wood that is flexible (bowR4). This is the most common bow found throughout North America. Also we have the composite bow which can be defined as a shaft of which embodies a laminated construction involving more than one type of material such as wood, sinew, and horn, or two woods of different property. Includes the Sinew-linked Bow consisting of a strip of wood and a layer of sinew, (bowR4). The backed bow is a bow that is wrapped in sinew or other elastic material to prevent splitting or breaking of the wood (bowR4). The compound bow is a combination of short segments riveted together (bowR4). These types are the most basic and common bows when discussing the origins of the archery. The first instance and distribution of bows in North America was studied by Mason who established four areas in which the bow types were distributed. What was found was the hard-wood bow, which has a classified type of self-bow, was distributed in the region of east of the Rocky Mountains and south of the Hudson Bay (bowR4). This is one of the simplest bows found and has a much wider range than all the other bows researched. This bow type was also found on the southern border of the Rocky Mountains where it crosses paths with the compound bow (bowR4). The composite bow was found to be in the Northeastern Eskimo and the Siouan tribes (bowR4). The Siouan tribe is also known as the Sioux and they were located in the northern central region of United States. Extending across the Sierra Mountain range and the British Columbia on both slopes is the area where the sinew-lined bow is found (bowr4). Lastly we can find the sinew-corded bow area. When discussing the sinew typed bows Mason is re ferencing to the composite bow type (bowr4). Mason finds three different types in Alaska (bowr4). These types can be argued to be adopted or invented. The first is the South Alaskan, second, the Arctic type and lastly the Western type (bowr4). These types are distinguished differently by their size and form. To see a more visual description of the distribution of the bow types a man named Longman mapped out the world distribution of bows. The study of the North American distribution of bows was mapped out by Longman (Bowr4). He showed a distribution of the types of bows in North America, by displaying the bow type diffusion across the map. Below is a picture depicting the distribution of different types of bows based on Longmans research and facts found after his research (bowR4). This is a good resource when researching the distribution of bows and the areas in which they originated. As you can see the plain bow was widespread over most of North America, specifically running all the way up through Southern North America peaking into what today is known as Canada. There are three different types of composite bows that are described in the picture above, the composite with a closed backing of molded sinews, plain with form allied to composite and the composite with free backing of thongs (bowr4). Northern North America used only the composite free of thong backings, as shown in the picture. However, there is a mix of n early all four types of bows in the Central Western area of North America. This brings up a question of if the bow type were traded among other tribes or perhaps adopted. The second map shown in the picture above depicts the bow areas in which they were found. This also shows a region where many types of bows were mixed concluding that bow types were adopted and the bow evolved. The most basic type of bow found in North America is the plain wooded bow which consisted of a plain stick (bowr4). The other types of bows used the plain bows architecture and evolved the structure to create a more specific and better use for the bow. Another study brought up the question of how and when the bow and arrow was adopted in Eastern North America (bowEasternAmerica). It is commonly accepted that the bow was diffused into the East from the north and west during the late Middle Woodland or early Late Woodland period (bowEasternAmerica). This can be narrowed to a time between 1 CE to about 1000 CE. The concept that the bow was adopted from the north and west was unclear to a specific origin. However, researchers found that the bow and arrow diffused specifically from northeast Asia as well as burial mounds and pottery (bowEasternAmerica). This goes against saying that the bow was invented in North America. However, there is not enough evidence to prove against it. The bow and arrow adoption into North America is assumed since the Mesolithic is proven to have the earliest evidence of bow creation (bowEasternAmerica). The earliest bow evidence in North America started in the north and was spread throughout all of North Amer ica (bowEasternAmerica). The evidence that was provided to prove of this spread and adoption was supported by projectile points. The arrow is considered to be darts that are shortened in length (bowEasternAmerica). It is also well known that the arrow did not replace the dart. This is important because when discovering projectile points one is needed to understand the difference of a dart point and an arrow point which is distinguishable by size. Here is a picture detailing the frequency of the projectile points, their time periods, where they were found and how many were found (bowEasternAmerica). The different shapes and designs are given by the middle columns labeled, for example as A, K, Seq, GvB and GvC (bowEasternAmerica). All of these projectile point types are distinguishable in size and shape. The characteristics of these points usually have a pointed tip with notches on the other end for appending to another material like wood. The discovery of these projectile points suggests the use of the bow and its adoption. Another study questions the origins of the bow and arrow in North America specifically in the region of the Great Basin. Gary Webster states that the origin and dating of the bow and arrow in the Great Basin has been a key issue in a recent debate concerning a cultural hiatus between Archaic and Fremont. To assist in the answer to this debate projectile points that are interpreted are a key factor. Projectile point sequences have aided in the debate among Great Basin pre-historians (bowr3). There is a developmental relationship between the Fremont and Archaic cultures which is also in debate (bowr3). With much debate the dating to the origin of the bow and arrow is assumed to be around 1500 B.P. (bowr3). Researchers have said there is a small link in the argument around the dating of the bow and arrow however, the evidence to date the bow and arrow to an earlier time is insufficient. The evidence from the Dry Creek Rockshelter, which is located in Idaho along the western Rocky Mounta ins, include 13 layers of excavation and is dated between 4000B.P. to 1400 B.P. (bowr3). The excavated site shows a distribution of projectile points which aid in the dating of the bow and arrow. There are a number of arrow and dart points found in this site. The arrow points found were of different types and are defined in the Rose Spring-Eastgate complex (bowr3). From the recovered projectile points it is concluded that there is overlapping of arrow and dart points. The oldest arrow points found are to be dated to 3300 B.P. (bowr3). After much time the largest amount of arrow points found date between 2400 and 1950 B.P. (bowr3). This evidence proves that the bow and arrow did not originate in 1500 B.P., but rather in an earlier time. It is also clear that from this research the bow and arrow did not replace the dart and is evident that bow and arrow was not a dominant weapon till around 1700 B.P. (bowr3). This evidence proves the origin of the bow and arrow in the Great Basin arou nd 2500 B.P. However, it is still in question whether the bow and arrow was adopted by another culture in this region. The study on the adoption of the bow and arrow in eastern North America is reviewed by Michael Nassaney and Kendra Pyle. The debate within this study is distinguishing the difference between arrow and dart points. A quantitative analysis of point form and qualitative reconstructions of bifacial reduction trajectories from Plum Bayou culture sites in central Arkansas indicate that arrow points were abruptly adopted and became widespread about A.D. 600, (bowr6).

Fort Pillow Attack :: essays papers

Fort Pillow Attack THE GRAND FABRICATION It is almost as difficult to find consistent information about the incident at Fort Pillow as it is to determine the moral significance of its outcome. Scholars disagree about exactly what transpired on April 12, 1864 at Fort Pillow, when General Nathan Bedford Forrest captured the fort with his 1,500 troops and claimed numerous Union lives in the process (Wyeth 250). It became an issue of propaganda for the Union, and as a result the facts were grossly distorted. After close examination it is clear that the  ³Fort Pillow Massacre ² (as it became known by abolitionists) was nothing of the sort. The 1,500 troops under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest acted as men and as soldiers in their capture of Fort Pillow. It is first necessary to understand what happened in the battle before any judgment can be made. A careful study performed by Dr. John Wyeth revealed the following information: from April 9-11, 1864, troops under the command of Ben McCulloch, Tyree Harris Bell, and Brig. General James Chalmers marched non-stop to Fort Pillow to begin their assault under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Confederate sharpshooters claimed the lives of several key Union officers during the morning assault on the fort. The losses included the commanding officer Major Loinel F. Booth, and his second in command shortly after that. These losses created a complete breakdown of order and leadership among the Union troops within the fort. (251) During the morning engagement, the gun boat the New Era was continually attempting to shell the Confederate forces from the Mississippi, but with minimal success. The Union forces fought back heartily until around one o ¹clock in the afternoon, when both sides slowed down. Around that time the New Era steamed out of range to cool its weapons. It had fired a total of 282 rounds, and its supplies were almost totally exhausted. During this hiatus in the firing, while Confederate troops waited for supplies that would arrive around three o ¹clock, Forrestwas injured when his horse fell on him after being mortaily wounded (252). When the supplies arrived, Confederate troops under a flag of truce delivered a message from Forrest that said,  ³My men have received a fresh supply of ammunition, and from their present position can easily assault and capture the fort, ² (253). Forrest demanded  ³the unconditional surrender of the garrison, ² promising

My Idea of a good life :: essays research papers

My idea of the good life Depending you are a man or a woman, there can be many aspects and opinions of the good life. Depending your rich or poor, there are many aspects. Some people say money is the key to a good life, but I do not think that. The age means something, but I have my opinion and have my own examples, and I will tell you, and can only speak for my self. From childhood you need good solicitous parents. If you have good parents, it has good effects on you, but if you have bad parents that don’t care about you, it will have negative effects on you and your future. Of course, that’s not a rule, but in most cases that will be the chance. My parents raised me well and have always loved me, and I love them too. If your life has to be good, you always need some resistance from your parents, so it isn’t all sugar in your childhood. Resistance will surely be good for you. My parents always there to support me. Support is very important for your life no matter your 5 years old or 60 years old. They have been there to support and guide me, whether it is badminton, school or any other problems. So it’s very important to have parents, and most important, parents that supports and guides me. Then you grow up and gets older. You start in school and get a lot of friends hopefully. I see the school as a important thing for your life, why that is the way to build up a good education, so you can have a job when your finishing school. For people who do not blow up, education is the same as a bright future. Friends are probably the most important things for your life. If your have friends you are never alone, and that’s why you can’t live without friends. A couple months ago I moved to Aalborg (I live alone), and first I was afraid of being alone the first while. I found surprisingly many friends, and they made me feel home. For me, the most important thing, besides my family, is badminton. I train 6 times a week, and that does not include tournaments in weekends. It helps me stressing of and it helps keeping in shape. Badminton gives me lot of experiences.

The Velvet Revolution Essay -- World History

The citizens of Czechoslovakia had not known freedom in decades. During much of World War II the nation was occupied by the Nazis and later by the Red Army as it drove the Nazis back to Berlin. When they Red Army moved into an area, communist regimes were set up to govern the area, and establish satellite nations. There were numerous uprisings throughout the decade that were violently suppressed by the communist governments with help from the USSR. After Alexander Dubcek tried to grant reforms to the people of Czechoslovakia in 1968, the USSR and most members of the Warsaw Pact sent their military forces to intervene and suppress any unrest or reforms. Things grew somewhat violent and brutal, as any demonstrators were either or beaten, killed, or arrested. Dubcek himself was removed from power. While many Czech citizens were fed up with their lack of freedom and the failing economy, they had little chance to achieve change. In the mid 1980’s though things began to lighten up w hen Mikhail Gorbachev became Premier of the USSR and announced his reform programs of Glasnost and Perestroika. Gorbachev also encouraged the leaders of the satellite states to follow suit and grant their citizens more political and civil liberties. Under Gorbachev the USSR also withdrew most of its armed forces from eastern and central European countries. Many citizens and political reformers took advantage of the moment and started to push for an end to the single party political system that had been forced on them for years. 1989 was the year of many revolutions and demonstrations in eastern and central Europe. In October of 1989 police in Prague had to break up a few large demonstrations that broke out on the 71st anniversary of the establishment of Czec... ...the movement gained such widespread popular support made it possible for the demonstrators to have a great deal of leverage when negotiating with the communist party. Works Cited Ladislav Adamec, "Speech by Premier Ladislav Adamec at an extraordinary session of the CPCz CC, stating his preference for a political solution to the crisis," Making the History of 1989, Item #512, http://chnm.gmu.edu/1989/items/show/512 (accessed April 17 2012, 7:06 pm). The Civic Forum, "The Civic Forum's Exposition of its Position in Public Life with a Call for Nonviolence, Tolerance and Dialogue," Making the History of 1989, Item #503, http://chnm.gmu.edu/1989/items/show/503 (accessed April 17 2012, 7:15 pm). The Civic Forum, "List of Goals by the Civic Forum," Making the History of 1989, Item #513, http://chnm.gmu.edu/1989/items/show/513 (accessed April 17 2012, 6:56 pm).

Heritage Assessment

Heritage Assessment NRS-429V | Culture and Cultural Competency in Health Promotion John Thomas 3/24/13 The Heritage Assessment tool is primarily used as a device to evaluate health maintenance, health protection, and health restoration of a person’s cultural beliefs and values (Spector, 2006). This assessment helps aid in providing quality patient care in that it helps to meet and respect the needs of different types of people and their respective backgrounds (Spector, 2002).This particular paper serves to compare and contrast the ethnicities of Indian, Caucasian, and Arabic families using health maintenance, health protection, and health restoration as evaluation markers. The purpose was to identify and isolate different groups of people and their unique health practices and traditions that were based off their heritage or background. An assessment of these ethnicities led to several discoveries that I believe could truly improve our methods of health care. Cultural awareness is an essential part of life, especially in this country that is considered to be the melting pot of the world.Cultural awareness can be defined as understanding and appreciation the difference between oneself and people of other backgrounds and cultural beliefs (Shen, 2004). Cultural competence is a term used to refer to awareness and skill acquired to be able to care for people of different ethnicities and cultures (Purnell, 2002). The heritage assessment tool serves as a questionnaire of sorts that is used by personnel in management or care-providing positions in order to gain a better familiarity of a patient/client’s values before providing care (Spector, 2002).These can include questions about everything from their childhood experiences to varying health practices carried out in their homes. These all contribute in helping the nurse/caregiver to be culturally sensitive and utilize the questionnaire to provide quality care to the patient without unknowingly overstepping any boundaries. The Indian family I observed and talked to was my own. Growing up in India had a huge impact on my life and the choices I still make today. Upon working out the Heritage Assessment tool, I found that I still hold deeply rooted ties to my homeland and that I have tried to raise my children in the ame way. Though lifestyles are completely different when comparing the person living actually in India to the individual with an Indian background, a plethora of factors pertaining to health still carry over. Indian families tend to eat foods that are heavy with spices and capsaicin. Studies have shown that these have a number of health benefits including weight loss. When looking into some of the decisions that my family has made that seem to stand out from my friends of different background, diet and religion seem to stand out the most.Indian families are acutely aware of balance and moderation and this can be seen in the average meal. Religion is also a key factor in heal th protection. I have found that families will turn to God to keep their loved ones safe. Being from an Indian Catholic family, I am painfully aware this can also have its down side. For example, Catholicism discourages the use of contraceptives. This is a serious issue when understanding how this affects the growth of the AIDS epidemic not only among Indians but the rest of the world.In terms of restoration, there are more herbal remedies and natural medicines involved than antibiotics and pills. My wife still makes an array of teas and extracts for our children before resorting to taking them to a doctor. The Arabic family I talked to had a surprising number of parallels to my own. They were also driven by religion when it came to health protection. An illness was often considered to be unlucky and a curse from Allah for your sins. The diet high in spices and vegetables seemed a reasonable method of health maintenance.The values of the Arabic values were much stricter than the oth er families I talked to. An incident comes to mind of when it is very important to keep the values and traditions of the patient in mind. A Muslim woman was pregnant and nearing her due date. When it came time for her delivery, the only available Gynecologist was male and went through with the standard procedure and she delivered a healthy baby boy. The woman however, was shunned from her community because the doctor was a man who was not her husband.Situations such as these are important to keep in mind when providing care to patients. The Arabic family also was more open to natural medicine and homeopathic medicine and sought to find a way to cure themselves before seeking outside help at a medical facility. Lastly, the Caucasian family that were my neighbors seemed the most different from the families that I had talked to but the most open and attentive to the world around them. Though their diet was not the best, they seemed more inclined towards exercise and consumption of vita mins to maintain their health and protection of their health.They were also much better about keeping up with regular doctors’ visits and checkups and opted for more immunizations and vaccinations. They seemed more up to date and modernized in all aspects of health. They were also more trusting of modern medicines and prescriptions. They heavily relied on the healthcare system for health restoration even for the simplest medical issues. In conclusion, all three ethnicities have varying lifestyles that contribute to their current status of health. It is important to keep in mind that this is not an accurate report of that general culture.Rather it is an extremely small sample that I found to compare to other families in a somewhat suburban town. I found it very interesting that even with drastically different beliefs and values, all three cultures seemed to value their immensely, even though each had their own traditions and methods so as to preserve that state of health. From the stories and experiences I have heard in talking with these people, I believe it is more imperative than ever that nurses direct more attention to the usefulness of the Heritage Assessment tool.References Purnell, L. (2002). The Purnell model for cultural competence. Journal of transcultural nursing,  13(3), 193-196. Shen, Z. (2004). Cultural competence models in nursing. Journal of Transcultural Nursing,  15(4), 317-322. Spector, R. E. (2002). Cultural diversity in health and illness. Journal of Transcultural Nursing,  13(3), 197-199. Spector, R. E. (2004). Culture care: guide to heritage assessment and health traditions. Prentice Hall. Heritage Assessment Heritage Assessment Cultural competency is an essential part of nursing. Catering to the population of the United States as a nurse, one must embrace the cultures of others to provide competent care that will address the needs of the patient in a holistic manner. Beliefs of health management and care differ for all cultures. Being familiar with all backgrounds and cultures is a key factor in providing culturally appropriate care for patients. Illness and the care for illness and disease is viewed differently from culture to culture.The ability to understand and respect the differences among all cultures needs to be utilized by all healthcare providers. Since the perception of illness and disease and their causes varies by culture, these individual preferences affect the approaches to health care. Culture also influences how people seek health care and how they behave toward health care providers (Cultural Diversity, 2012). As health care providers we must learn how to take the proper steps in assessing cultural backgrounds of patients.Asking the appropriate questions can help create a treatment plan that will provide quality care that tends to the patients cultural beliefs as well. In assessment of three cultures: Filipino, Chinese, and Asian-Indians although they share similar views on health care they also have some differences as well. Health beliefs of the Chinese culture are centered on harmony and how to achieve it. Influences of this harmony involved, Yin/Yang, Relationship of elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, water, Psychosomatic Integration, Buddhism, and Taoism.In all the listed influences balance is the key factor that they share. Knowledge of historical experiences of Filipino cohort groups may provide health care providers with additional insights into an older person and the family members’ responses to clinical encounters and the recommended plan of care (McBride, 1996). Indigenous health beliefs of the Filipino culture like the Chinese culture centered on balance. The Filipino people call it â€Å"timbang† which is translated into balance. The belief that a rapid shift from hot to cold will end in illness for the individual, thus causing the body to be imbalanced.For Asian-Indians Hinduism is a social system as well as a religion; therefore customs and practices are closely interwoven. â€Å"Karma† is a law of behavior and consequences in which actions of past life affects the circumstances in which one is born and lives in this life. Despite complete understanding of biological causes of illness, it is often believed that the illness is caused by â€Å"Karma† (Alagiakrishnan, 1996). They believe that the body was connected and looked at as a whole. Mind, body and spirit are one and health is highly tied to all factors of the whole being.Asian- Indians also believe in balance that needs to be attained mentally, physically and spiritually to achieve balance within the entire being. Health prote ction for the Chinese culture derives from traditional Chinese treatments such as acupuncture to help realign the energy of the body, herbology to protect the body from illness or to get rid of the illness in the body and correct the â€Å"chi† within the individual. The most common is the use of yin/yang. Some Chinese elders will avoid food that can be considered cold food because of fear that it will throw their body off balance and diminish the harmony.Meditation and prayer is a form a protection used by the Filipino, Chinese and Asian-Indian Culture. Meditation is most often seen in Chinese and Asian-Indian culture than the Filipino cultures. Religion plays a huge role in cultural beliefs in health protection. Although all cultures believe in different forms of a higher being or power, nonetheless traditional elders of the cultures seek faith as a form of protection from illness and disease. Health restoration among the Filipino, Chinese and Asian-Indian cultures share th e similarity of balance.Just like the focus of health promotion, restoration is also centered around a form of balance, depending on the culture that is being addressed. The Chinese culture use methods of yin/yang and cupping with the use of heated bamboo cups to reduce stress of the mind and body. The Filipino culture uses â€Å"heating† which acts as a balancing tool to achieve harmony. Filipino cultures uses healers to aid in removing illness from the body through methods of herbs, prayer and rituals. The Asian- Indian culture also uses elder healers to restore health back into the body.Since the cultures being compared are all of Asian descent. The cultures show significant similarities as far as the goals they are trying to achieve: promote, maintain and restore health to the body. The balance of all aspects of the body showed grave importance in all cultures. The methods however are different in the sense of rituals that are preformed, the Gods that are prayed to for pr otection, and the types of herbs that are used to create medicine. The ancient and traditional methods mentioned are practiced and exercised more by the elder generations of the cultures.As more generations are being born here in the United States it seems as if the rituals and methods of healthcare are becoming fused with western medicine as well. Incorporating was has been passed down from generation to generation as well as things learned from physicians and nurses here, the younger generation of the cultures somewhat pick and choose cultural practices and methods that they feel would best suit the issue that is being experienced. In a situation such as a minor cold is starting to become an issue, the families will use traditional methods such as hot teas, soups or broths to restore the balance.On the other hand if the issue is too great to be just treated on a traditional level, they will seek medical attention and take the proper medicine to get better. The Conclusion Although the genetic makeups of all the cultures are distinctly different, all the cultures still share similar ties in tradition. The Filipino and Chinese culture share more similarities but knowing the history of the two countries one can see that the Filipino people was taken over by the Chinese for sometime. Thus, their influences are seen in many traditions of the Filipino culture. ReferencesMelen McBride, RN, PhD (1996). HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE OF FILIPINO AMERICAN ELDERS. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. stanford. edu/group/ethnoger/filipino. html. [Last Accessed 22 February 13]. Linda Ann S. H. Tom, M. D. (1996). Health and Health Care for CHINESE-AMERICAN ELDERS. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. stanford. edu/group/ethnoger/chinese. html. [Last Accessed 22 Februray 13]. Kannayiram Alagiakrishnan, M. D. (1996). HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE OF ASIAN INDIAN AMERICAN ELDERS. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. stanford. edu/group/ethnoger/asianindian. html. [Last Accessed 22 Februray 13]. Heritage Assessment Heritage Assessment NRS-429V | Culture and Cultural Competency in Health Promotion John Thomas 3/24/13 The Heritage Assessment tool is primarily used as a device to evaluate health maintenance, health protection, and health restoration of a person’s cultural beliefs and values (Spector, 2006). This assessment helps aid in providing quality patient care in that it helps to meet and respect the needs of different types of people and their respective backgrounds (Spector, 2002).This particular paper serves to compare and contrast the ethnicities of Indian, Caucasian, and Arabic families using health maintenance, health protection, and health restoration as evaluation markers. The purpose was to identify and isolate different groups of people and their unique health practices and traditions that were based off their heritage or background. An assessment of these ethnicities led to several discoveries that I believe could truly improve our methods of health care. Cultural awareness is an essential part of life, especially in this country that is considered to be the melting pot of the world.Cultural awareness can be defined as understanding and appreciation the difference between oneself and people of other backgrounds and cultural beliefs (Shen, 2004). Cultural competence is a term used to refer to awareness and skill acquired to be able to care for people of different ethnicities and cultures (Purnell, 2002). The heritage assessment tool serves as a questionnaire of sorts that is used by personnel in management or care-providing positions in order to gain a better familiarity of a patient/client’s values before providing care (Spector, 2002).These can include questions about everything from their childhood experiences to varying health practices carried out in their homes. These all contribute in helping the nurse/caregiver to be culturally sensitive and utilize the questionnaire to provide quality care to the patient without unknowingly overstepping any boundaries. The Indian family I observed and talked to was my own. Growing up in India had a huge impact on my life and the choices I still make today. Upon working out the Heritage Assessment tool, I found that I still hold deeply rooted ties to my homeland and that I have tried to raise my children in the ame way. Though lifestyles are completely different when comparing the person living actually in India to the individual with an Indian background, a plethora of factors pertaining to health still carry over. Indian families tend to eat foods that are heavy with spices and capsaicin. Studies have shown that these have a number of health benefits including weight loss. When looking into some of the decisions that my family has made that seem to stand out from my friends of different background, diet and religion seem to stand out the most.Indian families are acutely aware of balance and moderation and this can be seen in the average meal. Religion is also a key factor in heal th protection. I have found that families will turn to God to keep their loved ones safe. Being from an Indian Catholic family, I am painfully aware this can also have its down side. For example, Catholicism discourages the use of contraceptives. This is a serious issue when understanding how this affects the growth of the AIDS epidemic not only among Indians but the rest of the world.In terms of restoration, there are more herbal remedies and natural medicines involved than antibiotics and pills. My wife still makes an array of teas and extracts for our children before resorting to taking them to a doctor. The Arabic family I talked to had a surprising number of parallels to my own. They were also driven by religion when it came to health protection. An illness was often considered to be unlucky and a curse from Allah for your sins. The diet high in spices and vegetables seemed a reasonable method of health maintenance.The values of the Arabic values were much stricter than the oth er families I talked to. An incident comes to mind of when it is very important to keep the values and traditions of the patient in mind. A Muslim woman was pregnant and nearing her due date. When it came time for her delivery, the only available Gynecologist was male and went through with the standard procedure and she delivered a healthy baby boy. The woman however, was shunned from her community because the doctor was a man who was not her husband.Situations such as these are important to keep in mind when providing care to patients. The Arabic family also was more open to natural medicine and homeopathic medicine and sought to find a way to cure themselves before seeking outside help at a medical facility. Lastly, the Caucasian family that were my neighbors seemed the most different from the families that I had talked to but the most open and attentive to the world around them. Though their diet was not the best, they seemed more inclined towards exercise and consumption of vita mins to maintain their health and protection of their health.They were also much better about keeping up with regular doctors’ visits and checkups and opted for more immunizations and vaccinations. They seemed more up to date and modernized in all aspects of health. They were also more trusting of modern medicines and prescriptions. They heavily relied on the healthcare system for health restoration even for the simplest medical issues. In conclusion, all three ethnicities have varying lifestyles that contribute to their current status of health. It is important to keep in mind that this is not an accurate report of that general culture.Rather it is an extremely small sample that I found to compare to other families in a somewhat suburban town. I found it very interesting that even with drastically different beliefs and values, all three cultures seemed to value their immensely, even though each had their own traditions and methods so as to preserve that state of health. From the stories and experiences I have heard in talking with these people, I believe it is more imperative than ever that nurses direct more attention to the usefulness of the Heritage Assessment tool.References Purnell, L. (2002). The Purnell model for cultural competence. Journal of transcultural nursing,  13(3), 193-196. Shen, Z. (2004). Cultural competence models in nursing. Journal of Transcultural Nursing,  15(4), 317-322. Spector, R. E. (2002). Cultural diversity in health and illness. Journal of Transcultural Nursing,  13(3), 197-199. Spector, R. E. (2004). Culture care: guide to heritage assessment and health traditions. Prentice Hall.