Antibiotics Are Antibiotics Used For - 1198 Words

Antibiotics What are antibiotics used for? Antibiotics are used to fight infections which are caused by bacteria. They are not effective against viruses. What are antibiotics? Antibiotics can either be bactericidal or bacteriostatic. Bactericidal antibiotics act to kill bacteria and bacteriostatic act to inhibit and slow down the growth or bacteria. By doing this the antibiotics allow the hosts defence mechanisms to kill the bacteria or fight infection. Where do antibiotics come from? Lead compounds used in the formation of antibiotics are metabolites from microorganisms. These metabolites can be used as antibiotics by themselves or can be further developed to produce new antibiotics. Fungi are also used to inhibit the growth of†¦show more content†¦Penicillin for example acts on peptidoglycan which is only found in prokaryotic cell walls. It is possible for drugs with low therapeutic index to attack or inhibit structures or pathways in the host, this produces the side effects of the drug. How are antibiotics classified? Antibiotics are classified in three main ways: †¢ Their specificity ie. Do they have a broad or narrow spectrum (some antibiotics will act on many different pathogens whereas some will be more specific and only act on certain strains) †¢ The microbial group they attack – antibacterial, antifungal and antiprotozoan †¢ How they stain in the Gram stain procedure What is the gram stain? The Gram stain is a chemical preparation which allows bacteria to be classified into Gram positive and Gram negative by their ability to retain the stain. Bacteria which keep the purple stain are Gram positive and those that loose the stain or turn a pink colour are Gram negative. This procedure is based on the differences in the cell walls structure. The bacterial cell walls will all contain peptidoglycan but the gram positive bacteria the peptidoglycan layer will be thicker. Gram negative, as well as having a thinner peptidoglycan layer, will also have lipopolysaccharides covering the peptidoglycan layer causing less of the stain to be retained. Functions of antibiotics. †¢ Inhibit the synthesis of cell

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL REPORT OF HIV/AIDS INFECTION IN NIGERIA...

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL REPORT OF HIV/AIDS INFECTION IN NIGERIA INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND: HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a retrovirus which infects, impairs or destroys the cells of the immune system and functions. Progression of the infection (severe immunodeficiency) leads to weaker immune system rendering an individual susceptible to more infections. These infections are termed opportunistic infections. At its most advanced phase, HIV is called AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) and characterised by cancers related to HIV or any of twenty opportunistic infections (WHO, 2013; WHO 2014a). There are various mode of transmitting HIV infection such as sexual transmission, parenteral transmission and†¦show more content†¦Worldwide, at the end of 2012 32.2 to 38.8 million 2people were living with HIV/AIDS and 1.6 million people have died of AIDS related diseases. 0.8% adults worldwide between the ages of 15 to 49 years are estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS but burden of the disease varies between regions and countries with sub-Saharan Africa being the most affected where 1 in every 20 adults live with the condition and accounts for 71% of the people worldwide living with HIV (WHO, 2014c). As at 2011, there were 839,600 pregnant women living with HIV in middle and low resource countries and about 280,000 to 390,000 children are estimated to have been newly infected. A total of 3.3 million children younger than 15 years globally are living with HIV (WHO, 2014d). 3.0 PREVALENCE AND SITUATION OF HIV INFECTION IN NIGERIA Nigerias population is estimated to be 162,256,000, making it the most populous country in sub Saharan Africa, has a HIV prevalence rate of 4.1%, with over 3.1 million people estimated to be infected and living with the virus and 1,512,720 requiring antiretroviral therapy. This figure ranks Nigeria third country in the world after India and South Africa carrying the globes highest burden of HIV and AIDS (Federal Ministry of Health

Commercial Law Negligence and Claim

Question: Describe about the Commercial Law for Negligence and Claim. Answer: Issue Taking into consideration the facts relating to the situation, offer advice to Rebecca as to whether she would be successful in her negligence claim. Rule In order to prove negligence and claim damages, the plaintiff needs to ensure that the three conditions highlighted below are satisfied (Lindgren, 2011). There is a duty to care on behalf of the defendant directed towards the plaintiff. This duty of care has been breached due to the negligent conduct of the defendant. As a result of this breach, the plaintiff suffers damage Duty to Care The commonly used test to opine on whether the defendant is bound by the duty to care is Neighbor test This test advocates that neighbor is any entity which may suffer damage on account of the choices made by the activity doer in event of going ahead or refraining from doing the same(Gibson Fraser, 2014). This has been advocated in the case discussion of Donoghue v. Stevenson [1932] AC 562 at 580 case. In the context of ascertaining neighbour, the purview of damage is fairly wide and includes harm that may be intangible such as mention and emotional sufferings. It is noteworthy that the duty to care extends to prevention of only that harm which is possibly foreseeable and harm that is highly unlikely is not bound by the duty to care (Davenport Parker, 2014). Breach of duty The defendant in order to discharge the responsibility of duty to care must take measures that are reasonable so as to protect the neighbor from damage due to the causes that are foreseeable. The taking of reasonable measures by the defendant effectively amounts to the discharge of the duty (Harvey, 2009). It is imperative that the care nature and intensity is driven by the nature and intensity of the risk present in a situation. If measures expected reasonable are not undertaken, then it implies that there has been a breach in the duty to care. However, any damage sustained by the neighbor despite the duty being discharged does not amount to negligence (Pendleton Vickery, 2005). Harm/Damages For negligence to be established, it is required that the breach of duty on the part of the defendant must be linked to the damage incurred on the part of the plaintiff. In order to ascertain the same, it needs to be established that the damage caused was preventable provided that defendant did not breach the duty of care. Besides, the damages suffered by the plaintiff are wide in scope and besides monetary loss and physical injury includes inconvenience and torture (mental and emotional) (Latimer, 2005). Further, it may be possible in select cases that harm caused is not linked to the breach of duty even though breach of duty has taken place. In such cases negligence is deemed to be not established. There are certain remedies which the defendant may avail to reduce the overall liability on account of negligence (Gibson Fraser, 2014). Defence Available Partial or complete relief in terms of tort liability may be available to defendant on deployment of defence strategies. A particular defence that is of use in the situation presented is the with regards to assumption of voluntary risk (Lindgren, 2011). In accordance with this, if the plaintiff willingly makes the choice of being present in a situation where risk is present, then if damages are incurred, it is imperative that some portion of the negligence should be attributed to the plaintiff as well for taking the incorrect choice of indulging in a risky situation. Therefore, since both defendant and plaintiff act in a negligent manner, hence the liability is shared between the two based on the exact circumstances (Harvey, 2009). Application The given situation involves two individuals Rebecca and Michelle who have gone to see a performance but due to delay in the performance, both end up getting drunk. By the time the performance ended, it was apparent to Rebecca that Michelle was not in her senses and due to alcohol consumption, going home with her would be highly risky. But, Rebecca chose to ignore these fears and made the choice that she would go with Michelle. Michelle drove the car dangerously and therefore Rebecca told her to pull over so that she could get out. But, Michelle does not listen to these pleas by Rebecca and continues driving till the car finally crashes and Rebecca is injured. As per the case, the driver is Michelle and there is clear duty to care on her part towards all the passengers that may be present in the car since she is incharge of the car. Hence, Rebecca is a neighbour in the given case. Ideally Michelle should not have offered a drive as she was drunk and hence there has been a breach in the duty to care on her part. Also, when Rebecca told her to pull over she still acted negligently and did not stop the car. In the event of Michelle yielding to Rebeccas request of pulling over and also not driving under the influence of alcohol, the injuries to Rebecca would not have happened. Thus, the tort of negligence is established as all conditions are satisfied. But, Michelle could reduce her liability arising from her negligence by citing that Rebecca should have turned down Michelles request as she was appraised of the situation and knew that this is possible. Conclusion Rebecca would be successful in her claim of negligence directed towards Michelle although part of negligence has to be also borne by Rebecca as she voluntarily assumed the risk. References Davenport, S. Parker, D. 2014, Business and Law in Australia 2nd edition, LexisNexis Publications, Sydney Gibson, A Fraser, D 2014, Business Law, 8th edition, Pearson Publications, Sydney Latimer, P 2005, Australian business law, 24th edition, CCH Australia Ltd. Sydney Pendleton, W Vickery, N 2005, Australian business law: principles and applications, 5th edition, Pearson Publications, Sydney Harvey, C. 2009, Foundations of Australian law. 3rd eds., Tilde University Press, Prahran, Victoria Lindgren, KE 2011, Vermeesch and Lindgren's Business Law of Australia, 12th eds., LexisNexis Publications, Sydney Pathinayake, A 2014, Commercial and Corporations Law, 2nd eds., Thomson-Reuters, Sydney

Case Study Volkswagen Emissions Scandal

Question: Discuss about theVolkswagen Emission Scandal. Answer: Introduction: Volkswagen, the worlds biggest car maker company, is indicted of installing software in its diesel vehicles which are sold since 2009 in the US cheats emissions tests by reporting the lower figures (Krall and Peng, 2015). Due to this in the short span of time share prices have fallen, there are lawsuits as well as recall issues. Moreover, criminal investigations are going on by US Department of Justice. Not only this, there is a threat of fine of around billion dollars. All these issues have led me to write a report focusing on the key issues as well as potential implications. Key Issues The company was trying to enter in the markets of U.S but unfortunately their vehicles did not meet the emission standards which were quite higher as compared to the requirements. Therefore, it is not possible that they are not aware that something wrong has been done to pass the emission tests. The company has tried various solutions to make it the best product. Initially, they have attempted to resolve the catalytic convertertechnology which was quite effective in reducing the nitrogen oxide gas from the exhaust of petrol engine. It did not work well in the exhaust of diesel engine due to the high percentage of oxygen. They have also tried to acquireMercedes'BlueTecmethod for reducing the effects of pollution. This technology was rejected by other parts of Volkswagen and therefore, they were forced to make their own system. Volkswagen started transferring their light-duty commuter vehiclesdiesel engines to a fuel injectionsystem. It helped them in getting higher fuel delivery by us ing electronicfuel injectorsas well as higher injection pressure, leading to fuelatomization, enhancedair/fuel ratiomanagement, and emission control. Thus they have started using the defeat device software. Volkswagen has used this software in 11 million cars worldwide and out of these 500,000 were sold in the US since 2009. In this, the engines are attached to the computer software which is smart enough that they can sense the test scenarios with the help of speed, air pressure as well as the steering wheel position (Schiermeier, 2015). The issue came into the light at the inspection of Environmental Protection Agency. The Environmental Protection Agency found the defeat device software in few Volkswagen car models. After detection of the test settings, it connects with the environmental friendly settings in which the speed of the engine is below normal power and ultimately improving the results of emission but this device automatically turns off when the vehicle is on the road so that drive performance can be enhanced (Chris and Gerhard, 2016). The main issue of Volkswagen was to increase the sale of diesel cars in the US. To increase the sales a massive marketing campaign was planned in which they declared that the cars' emission is less. The findings of EPA covered 482,000 diesel cars only in the US, which includes Audi A3, Jetta, Golf, Beetle, and Passat. Another issue was that they had modified the software of the 3-liter engines of diesel which is fitted in Porsche as well as Audi (Burki, 2015). The company has denied these complaints at the initial stage due to which 10,000 vehicles were affected. The crisis of the Volkswagen is due to the failure of culture in marketing, management of risk as well as internal controls. The interconnectivity between these parts is also a failure. The loss of reputation is an attribute of marketing approach. The task of marketing is to increase the sales but also to get the messages from the environment. Volkswagen is considered as an environment-friendly car due to which a lot of consumers have brought the cars but due to the emission scandal they trust on the company is broken. These emissions have caused adverse effects on the environment as well as the health of the individuals (Oldenkamp, van Zelm and Huijbregts, 2016). Now building the trust again is a long as well as hard process. Secondly, the risk management process of the organization tries to identify the risks apart from the financial as well as operational risks which can affect the image of the company. Some of these risks are ethical, social as well as environmental concerns. These risks although cannot be easily identified as they fall outside from the area of expertise, but it is necessary and possible to keep an eye on any of the wrong doing happening inside the organization. Ultimately, this wrong doing will turn as one of the major crisis in the long run. The third and the most important aspect is the internal control or audit. In this aspect, the monitoring of all the functions is done by checking the product against the set standards. The controls should be developed for areas where there is the higher tendency of manipulation. All the three functional areas can avoid reputational problems. If these systems are synchronized with each other, then it will become the perfect system without any chances of manipulation. Potential Implications Emission scandal led to the investigation of the Volkswagen Company in various countries. The stock prices have fallen in worth by a third in the days straight away after the news. The CEOMartin Winterkornhas resigned. Not only this, various personnels in the top ranks have been suspended such as the brand development head, R D head. Apart from this the organization has announced to spendUS$18.32 billion on fixing the emissions issues and have initiated the recall campaign in which they will refit the concerned vehicles (Altman, 2002). These vehicles have a tendency to emit gasses more than expected in the real driving conditions Approximately 50,000 US vehicles have been told to recall by the Obama administration. Due to this, they have set aside $7.3bn for covering the cost of recalls as well as other damage limitation.The market value of the company is dropped by 23% during the last year end after they have admitted that they cheated the diesel emissions (Licker, 2006). It has af fected the sales to a great extent. In U.S. there is a decline of around 25 percent in sales in November 2015. The total estimated cost is likely to exceed $8 billion because of this emission scandal. The effects are not limited to this. There are certain invisible as well as long term damages associated with it for e.g. the negative effect on the trust of the brand, customer satisfaction, and reputation, morale of the workers and trustworthiness, and investor confidence. It is easy to gain the lost money but it is difficult to rebuild the trust, once lost The emitted fumes have the ability to cause inflammation in the airways as well as they can worsen the breathing of anyone. NOx emissions can act in response to other compounds which will lead to serious respiratory conditions as well as heart problems. If the exposure is for the Long-term, then it can result to death. The research says that high levels of NOx lead to 9,500 premature deaths (Holland et al., 2016). It clearly shows that they have not fulfilled their Corporate social responsibility (Zhang et al., 2016). They have polluted the environment to a great extent and also disturbed the ecological balance which is against the ethics as well as the practices of the company. The implication of all this has stopped the sale of 2015 models, and the company is not allowed to sell the 2016 models till it fixes the program. It has put the other car makers also into a question that whether they are also using the similar kind of software. Due to this, many manufacturers are under pressure for giving the clarification (Mansouri, 2016). The Environmental Protection Agency of US will screen the other carmakers for the software "defeat devices". To overcome the crisis and gain the reputation back it is essential to have the strong leadership in which the employees feel free to raise their voice, and if anything like this is occurring then, the issues are brought into the eyes of the board. If the leaders are strong, then they will resolve the problems at the initial stages whereas on the other hand, weak leadership will lead to less chivalry as well as high materialism which have happened in the past. For earning more profits, they have put the lives of many people to danger (Barrett et al., 2015). To boost the morale of the existing employees, it is essential that the culture of the company is reshaped in which the emphasis should be on human values also apart from profit making. Building the integrity to gain the loyalty of the team members is the foremost step in reshaping the culture. Conclusion The corporate culture is a crucial factor (Fombrun and Foss, 2004). The board should be such where there is the diversity of opinion, and the voice of people is heard from time to time. Had there been synchronization in the marketing, risk management as well as the internal audit then such problem might not have evolved. The crisis has affected financially as well as there are invisible long term damages. The company must take steps in resurrecting the image. A plan is required to reduce the emissions and comply with the set standards. The measures should be such that emissions are reduced, and the performance is enhanced. A strong culture will be required for preventing any fraud in the coming future. References Altman, W. (2002). Getting the bugs out [Volkswagen in America].Engineering Management Journal, 12(1), p.5. Barrett, S., Speth, R., Eastham, S., Dedoussi, I., Ashok, A., Malina, R. and Keith, D. (2015). Impact of the Volkswagen emissions control defeat device on US public health.Environ. Res. Lett., 10(11), p.114005. Burki, T. (2015). Diesel cars and health: the Volkswagen emissions scandal.The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 3(11), pp.838-839. Chris, B. and Gerhard, v. (2016). An investigation of the marketing performance measurement practices in Hatfield Volkswagen group.African Journal of Business Management, 10(6), pp.131-139. Fombrun, C. and Foss, C. (2004). Business Ethics: Corporate Responses to Scandal.Corp Reputation Rev, 7(3), pp.284-288. Holland, S., Mansur, E., Muller, N. and Yates, A. (2016). Damages and Expected Deaths Due to Excess NO x Emissions from 2009 to 2015 Volkswagen Diesel Vehicles.Environmental Science Technology, 50(3), pp.1111-1117. Krall, J. and Peng, R. (2015). The Volkswagen scandal: Deception, driving and deaths.Significance, 12(6), pp.12-15. Licker, P. (2006). An Interview with Warren Ritchie, Director of IT Governance Americas Regions Volkswagen AG.Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 9(4), pp.72-76. Mansouri, N. (2016). A Case Study of Volkswagen Unethical Practice in Diesel Emission Test.IJSEA, 5(4), pp.211-216. Oldenkamp, R., van Zelm, R. and Huijbregts, M. (2016). Valuing the human health damage caused by the fraud of Volkswagen.Environmental Pollution, 212, pp.121-127. Schiermeier, Q. (2015). The science behind the Volkswagen emissions scandal.Nature. Zhang, B., Marita, V., Veijalainen, J., Wang, S. and Kotkov, D. (2016). The Issue Arena of a Corporate Social Responsibility Crisis The Volkswagen Case in Twitter.Studies in Media and Communication, 4(2).

Cady Stanton Critique Essays - Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lecturers

One may find Lois W. Banners biography, Elizabeth Cady Stanton: A Radical for Womens Rights an enjoyable read, as long as the subject and topic interests them. The author, Banner, observes Stanton's role as an activist in the women's rights and suffrage movements, as well as Stanton's personal and professional relationships and successfully ties it all back to her upbringing and why Stanton is considered such a radical of her time period. A reader can appreciate the structured flow of the book since Banner chose to write the biography in chronological order. Because of this, Banner allowed the reader to better understand the events of Stantons life from beginning to the end, as well as historical events. Additionally, Banner also made it easy to follow along by mentioning the activist in her younger years as Cady and for her adult years; Banner would identify her as Cady Stanton. Lastly, Banner was successful in allowing the readers ability to connect to Stanton as a person and how she dealt with parenting and marital issues. Banner illustrates a portrait of Cantons background and how that relates to the activist she became. Banner goes into detail about the era that Stanton was born and raised in and allows the reader to understand how Stanton immediately disagreed with how women were viewed. It is as if Banner, without the credentials, made assumptions about the psychological aspects of who Stanton was. Some may view that Banner in a sense downplayed the origins of a great womens rights activist. Banner also broke down the lines of who Stanton was as a mother and wife and how those roles both hindered and helped to make Stanton, the activist. For example, on page 53, Banner writes: her [Stanton] underlying guilt at the prospect of leaving her children in the hands of others while she pursued a public career. The episode also reveals her [Stanton] scarcely submerged anger at the cultural demand that mothers bear total responsibility for their children. Depending on the reader, one may or may not enjoy how Banner referenced speeches and at many times all through the book, pulled from Stantons autobiography. One may argue that in doing so, Banner is giving the reader a biased opinion of Stanton and not her own. While that might be true, Banner does not conceal when Stanton was hypocritical to certain womens movements. For example, in chapter 3 of the book, Banner writes how Stanton wants to change to formality of womens dress code for the mid 1800s to a more casual dress. Stanton asked other women to continue wearing the dresses despite the criticism. However, once Stanton was pressured by her family and children, she was the first feminine leader to stop wearing the casual dress. For Banner to shed a light to this particular event shows Stanton in a way that she herself may not have done. Although quite brief, this book is a good overview of the life of one of the most important innovators of the women's movement in nineteenth century America. A reader can take away a better perspective of who Stanton was and how Banner portrayed her was an everyday woman with everyday struggles born years ahead of her time. LIT Summer 2015

Pro Forma Sessions in Congress

Pro Forma Sessions in Congress In the daily agendas of the House of Representatives and Senate, you will often see that House or Senate leaders have scheduled a â€Å"pro forma† session for the day. What is a pro forma session, what is its purpose, and why do they sometimes stir up political firestorms? Key Takeaways: Pro Forma Sessions Pro forma sessions are meetings of the U.S. Congress held â€Å"in form only.† Either house of Congress can hold pro forma sessions.During pro forma sessions, no votes are taken and no other legislative business is conducted.Pro forma sessions are held for the purpose of meeting the â€Å"three-day rule† in Article I, Section 5 of the U.S. Constitution. The three day rule prohibits either chamber of Congress from not meeting for more than three consecutive calendar days during a congressional session without the approval of the other chamber. The term pro forma is a Latin term meaning â€Å"as a matter of form† or â€Å"for the sake of form.† While either chamber of Congress can hold them, pro forma sessions are most often held in the Senate. Typically, no legislative business, such as the introduction or debate on bills or resolutions, is conducted during a pro forma session. As a result, pro forma sessions rarely last more than a few minutes from gavel-to-gavel. There are no constitutional restrictions on how long pro forma sessions must last or what business may be conducted in them. While any Senator or Representative present can open and preside over a pro forma session, the attendance of other members is not required. Indeed, most pro forma sessions are conducted before nearly empty chambers of Congress.   A Senator or Representative from one of the nearby states of Virginia, Maryland or Delaware is usually chosen to preside over pro forma sessions since members from other states have usually left Washington, D.C. for vacations or meeting with constituents in their home districts or states. The Official Purpose of Pro Forma Sessions The officially stated purpose for pro forma sessions is to comply with Article I, Section 5 of the Constitution, which prohibits either chamber of Congress from adjourning for more than three consecutive calendar days without the consent of the other chamber. Scheduled long-term breaks provided for in the annual legislative calendars for  sessions of Congress, such as the summer breaks and district work periods are typically provided for by the passage in both chambers of a joint resolution declaring the adjournment. However, the numerous unofficial reason for holding pro forma sessions of Congress often results in controversy and politically hurt feelings. The More Controversial Purpose of Pro Forma Sessions While doing so never fails to raise controversy, the minority party in the Senate often holds pro forma sessions specifically to prevent the President of the United States from making â€Å"recess appointments† of persons to fill vacancies in federal offices that require the approval of the Senate. The president is allowed under Article II, Section 2  of the Constitution to make recess appointments during recesses or adjournments of Congress. Persons appointed by recess appointments assume their position without the approval of the Senate but must be confirmed by the Senate before the end of the next session of Congress, or when the position again becomes vacant. As long as the Senate meets in pro forma sessions, Congress never officially adjourns, thus blocking the president from making recess appointments. However, in 2012, President Barak Obama made four recess appointments during Congress’ winter break, despite a run of daily pro forma sessions called by Senate Republicans. Obama argued at the time that pro forma sessions do not block the president’s â€Å"constitutional authority† to make appointments. Despite being challenged by Republicans, Obama’s recess appointees were eventually confirmed by the Democrat-controlled Senate.

NURSING RESEARCH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

NURSING RESEARCH - Essay Example process is concerned with gathering of scientific data, analysis, and compilation of nursing information (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, n.d. The process takes a theoretical perspective and uses new and existing information to compile alternative or new methods in practice. Implementation of the research process requires resources and time. Nursing process is different in that it is specific and concrete. It deals with offering unique services to individual patients. Another difference is that the main objective of a research process is to gather information and increase the knowledge of existing and emerging ailments. However, nursing process focuses on delivery of care to patients. The measure of success in the nursing process is health outcomes. A nursing process that ensures maintenance or improvement of health of patients is deemed to be efficient. The above discussion proves that both research process and nursing process are essential in nursing. The processes are similar in that they seek to maximize the health benefits of patients. However, the nursing process is more practical and patient-centered. It is thus imperative to ensure that both elements are present in nursing to enhance creativity, new information, and quality health care

Legal Method Skills & Reasoning Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legal Method Skills & Reasoning - Coursework Example Consequently, her application for review of CICA’s decision by the First Tier Tribunal - Social Entitlement Chamber, and the decision held by the Upper Tribunal -Administrative Appeals Chamber is refused on the grounds that, CICA’s decision was in conformity with the requirements of s.20 of the Offences Against the Person Act 18612. There are, therefore, three principal issues before the Court of Appeal. The first issue is an interpretation of s.20 of the Offences Against the Person Act 18613. The second issue is the determination of whether psychiatric illness may constitute bodily harm within the meaning of the section 20 and section 474. The third issue is for the court to decide whether, with the provisions of The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2001, psychiatric illness is deemed a mental injury and whether Petal’s injury fall under the qualifications of mental for which award of compensation was warranted5. In giving its judgment, CICA stated  "Petal’s application for compensation is declined because that her injury was not attributable to a ‘crime of violence’ and, in any event, her injury was not a mental injury for which compensation could be paid.† Facts The facts of Petal’s case are well set out in the reported judgment of CICA; therefore, I would only offer a brief and short description of the facts. Orlando Fiction and Petal Agatha Scissor, a 20 year old student at UEA, met through an online dating service. They started dating and soon were involved in a sexual encounter, had unprotected sex-without a condom-, on their very first date. At the time, Petal nothing about her partner, only that he had working in South Africa and had just returned to England. Orlando Fiction and Petal Agatha Scissor had multiple, frequent unprotected. Orlando, months later, died in a road accident. Through Orlando’s mother-who she met at Orlando’s funeral-Petal learned that Orlando had been HIV positive and was not under antiretroviral drugs. After six months of medical tests, it was conclusively determined that Petal was not HIV infected. This experience resulted in Petal suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, which became severe and eventually she ended up in a psychiatric hospital. On a solicitor’s advice, she applied for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority on the basis of the provisions under the Compensation Scheme 20016. Her application was refused on the basis that her injury were not as a result of a crime of violence7 and that her psychiatric illness did not constitute a mental injury for which compensation is warranted8. She later appealed against this decision to the First Tier Tribunal arguing that Orlando had committed an offence under s.20 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861; this appeal was, however, dismissed, with the tribunal upholding CICA’s decision asserting that, Petal’

Movies and cultural influences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Movies and cultural influences - Essay Example With the sudden urbanization on a large scale, the ordinary factory workers in the city became psychologically isolated, though they were in the midst of a huge mass of urban population. This situation was further aggravated by the arrival and assimilation of a large number of immigrants, most of whom were not English speaking, and from a different cultural background. With time and money at their disposal due to the rising affluence, the urban workers needed to find avenues for entertainment. They still could not afford to attend entertainment shows such as music performances, theater plays etc. The invention of the moving picture towards the end of the nineteenth century, suited this demand perfectly. This amazing novelty captured the imagination of the common man. This medium had several advantages over other forms of entertainment. It was cheap. It could be copied, transported, and staged simultaneously at several places. Initial silent movies had no language barrier, and hence had a universal appeal. The earlier movie producers, mostly jews, Italian or greek immigrants who could not get in the mainstream industrial workforce, but were nonetheless hungry for success, utilized these advantages to attract a huge audiences and make maximum profits. Nickelodeon theaters, with shabby seating arrangements inside, and crude and gaudy posters outside, sprang up throughout the cities and even countryside. Some owners included vulgar and objectionable content in their movie shows. The dark environment inside the theatre was also found to foster unsocial and immoral activities. Cul tural traditionalists saw, in this movement, a potential to corrupt the minds of the young generation and a threat to the moral society. This commercial amusement activity was directly in contrast to playgrounds, libraries, school recreation centers, church sponsored recreation, which were considered to be the conserving moral agencies of a respectable society. Large scale criticism of the uncontrolled commercialism, as regards to movies, ultimately led to stricter theater regulations and even a temporary closure of all the movie houses in New York in 1908.Susequently, the movie men fought and won legal battles with the administration against this action, but with a clear message, that some form of regulation was needed. The first comprehensive law in the United States, regulating movie theaters was enacted in 1913, banning objectionable content such as vaudeville acts, enforcing the provision of better amenities inside the theaters etc. Movies and advertisement: The success of the industrial revolution, which started around the middle of the nineteenth century, was a collective result of several factors acting simultaneously in a complementary manner. The practical application of technological innovations, like telephony and telegraphy, effective use of electricity development of transport systems, and development of mechanized assembly lines greatly helped the economic growth of the American society as a whole. This further fueled the demand, not only for technology based products by the industries, but also for consumer based products and services by the masses. The Cycle of demand and growth prompted the manufacturers towards large scale production of goods. At the same time, these manufacturers had to compete with each other for maximizing their market share in the fully

Stakeholder Influence in Strategy Decisions

Stakeholder Influence in Strategy Decisions Devising a strategy should be a product of logical and external analysis, yet often appears to be a product of the power of stakeholders. Discuss using recent business examples. Johnson and Scholes (2002) p10 define strategy as â€Å"the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage for the organisation through its configuration of resources within a changing environment and to fulfil stakeholder expectations.† A strategic plan is therefore large scale future oriented activities that allow interaction with the competitive environment in order to achieve company objectives. It follows that strategic management is the process whereby a strategy is formulated, evaluated, and continuously improved. Strategic planning flows from the definition of an organisation’s vision, mission and objectives and subsequent environmental scanning, to understand the organisation’s strategic position with respect to the macro external environment, its industry, competitors, internal resources, competencies and expectations and influence of stakeholders. (Stoner, Freeman and Gilbert, 1995) This initial process establishes a basis for strategic choice by means of a match of identified strengths to opportunities. The translation of strategic choice into action is then implemented across all levels of the organisation through programmes, resources, technologies, and performance management structures. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002 and Davis, 2005) This essay focuses on the strategic position of the organisation in the context of its environment, its strategic capability, and stakeholder expectations. The purpose of an environmental scan is to develop a list of diverse variables from an uncertain and complex world to offer actionable responses and in so doing allow a structured framework for defensive or offensive actions. There are a variety of available analysis tools such as a PESTEL framework from a macro-environmental level, Porter’s Five Forces framework at an industry level, strategic groupings within an industry and individual market analysis. The results can then be applied in a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis to determine strategic choice. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002) PESTEL is an acronym representing the key forces that exist or are emerging in the external environment and suggests how they will, or might impact on future strategy and resources.   These comprise Political, Economic, Sociocultural, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002) Changes in these forces and their interaction affect the types of products and services offered and impact on suppliers and distributors to the organisation. An example of political and legal forces in setting the climate for business, are the tax harmonisation processes in the European Union (EU) which have caused many multinational firms, including John Deere and Cargill, to relocate their head offices to Switzerland, a non EU member to avoid tax costs. Consequentially, the global competitive ratings for the Netherlands, Germany and other home countries of these firms plunged whilst the rating for Switzerland has surged. (Davis, 2005) The use of PESTEL in isolation and a mer e listing of possible influences without an understanding of the combined impact of a number of these forces could lead to inaction with respect to countering threats or pursuing opportunities to the detriment of the business. The combined effect of the factors can be understood by identifying structural drivers of change that affect the structure of an industry sector or market. These include an increasing convergence of markets as customer needs and wants become similar (eg standardisation of strategy textbooks across international higher education institutions), maximising cost advantages achieved through economies of scale by centralised production in low cost, labour efficient countries such as India and China, or the differential impact of the factors dependant on industry type. (eg Pharmaceutical sales to an aging population in a first world country) (Johnson and Scholes, 2002) This reinforces the need to regard strategy formulation as an interactive multidisciplinary process requiring creative thinking. Porter suggests that industry selection and analysis is a vital component of strategic planning. An industry is â€Å"a group of firms producing products that are close substitutes for one another.† (Johnson and Scholes, 2002, p110) Competitive forces within an industry can be analysed in the contexts of the sources of competition, the dynamics of that competition and strategic groupings. Although criticised as being too generic in nature, Porter’s Five Forces framework is useful in addressing key interacting forces affecting a strategic business unit with a distinct market for goods or services within an industry. Porter referred to these forces as the microenvironment so as to contrast it with the more general term, macro environment. They consist of those forces close to an organisation that affect its ability to serve its customers and make a profit. A change in any of the forces normally requires a company to re-assess the marketplace. (Porter, 1996) An example is that of the mobile phone network industry where the barrier to entry by new competitors is the huge entry cost associated with 3G broadband licenses. The purchasing power of buyers is high with a significant range of choices between networks and the power of suppliers increasing through alliances such as that of Casio and Hitachi in 2003. (Davis, 2005) The threat of substitute products is increasing as Personal Digital Assistance (PDA) convergence with phones and voice-over-internet technology emerges with the potential to bypass the network operators. Competitive rivalry between firms with similar products is high with a broad range of products on offer to the consumer. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002) The concept of strategic grouping addresses the criticism of Porter’s model where an industry is considered to be too generic to provide a basis for understanding the competitive environment by applying the Five Forces framework. Johnson and Scholes, 2002, p122 define strategic groups as â€Å"organisations within an industry with similar strategic characteristics following similar strategies or competing on similar bases.† These firms are not homogeneous within the industry and follow strategies common to the group, but different to firms in other groups in the same industry. An example is a pharmaceutical manufacturer with a unique medication product protected by patent serving a common market using a similar strategy. (Davis, 2005) Understanding the competitive environment together with current and potential customer needs and wants will determine the success or failure of an organisation. Porter suggests that there are two generic strategies: cost or differentiation. Marketing segmentation identifies similarities and differences between individual and customer groups based on geographic, demographic lifestyle and benefit segmentation. An appreciation of customer values in a market segment and matching needs against the organisation’s capacity to meet those needs, is a critical aspect of determining strategic capability. (Pitt, 1997) The emergence of global firms suggests that traditional models are limited in application and that there is a need for the development of a broader integrative international strategic business model framework. (Ricart et al, 2004) Strategic capability involves the identification and evaluation of an organisation’s strengths and weaknesses in the functional areas of the business in the context of the external environment analyses. It is typically recorded in a SWOT framework. It represents an understanding of customer’s perceptions of value, the critical success factors through which that value is realised and unique competencies, processes, and technology to achieve competitive advantage. (Hussey, 2002.) The core competencies of the organisation are the unique capabilities that are critical success factors in achieving competitive advantage and hence key to the delivery of customer value. They form the foundation for differentiation and for increasing perceived customer benefits. Competencies must evolve as the needs and wants of customers change and a focus on developing critical competencies that affect market position, share and power is key. (Hamel and Prahalad, 1994) A useful model to analyse an organisation’s core competencies that underpin its competitive advantage is Porter’s Value Chain Analysis. This attempts an understanding of how the organisation creates customer value by examining the contributions of various activities within the business to that value. An organisation’s value chain is normally part of a broader value system that represents a set of inter-organisational linkages and relationships to create the product or service. It separates prima ry and support activities through which that value is generated. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002) Porter argues that competitive strategy is about being different, and focussing on those activities that deliver a unique mix of value and doing them better than competitors. (Porter, 1996) The structured and systematic process of analysing the external and internal environment described thus far is carried out by a consultative process with stakeholders and should present a sound basis for establishing the foundation for the organisation’s strategy formulation. However, the impact of stakeholders and the complex role that people play from a political and cultural perspective should be taken into account. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002) Davis, 2005, suggests that stakeholders are individuals or groups with an interest in the success of an organisation to deliver intended results and on whom the organisation itself depends. Donaldson and Preston, 1995, p64, argue that this general statement is too wide should be qualified to â€Å"be those persons or groups with a legitimate interest in procedure and / or substantive aspects of corporate activity.† Walsh, 2005, suggests that too broad a definition creates a situation whereby managers function in order benefit a stakeholder group or act as a continuous conduit to stakeholders. Stakeholders may include employees, unions, customers, financial institutions, suppliers, shareholders etc depending on the accepted definition. The definition of stakeholder is therefore important to the organisation because it impacts on the strategic plan formulation. The relationship between stakeholders and the organisation encompasses the field of stakeholder management that ranges in complexity from stakeholder mapping through to stakeholder collaboration and social capital. The corporate governance structure of the organisation and the regulatory framework within which it operates should determine who the organisation serves and how the purpose and direction of the organisation is determined. This includes the management of the capacity of a stakeholder to influence the organisation as well as accountability issues in the formal structure. This is typically structured through a separation of ownership and management at main board level, balanced by non-executive directors and a non executive chairperson. Internal or organisational stakeholders may blur this line through the inappropriate use of power and politics. Society in turn creates expectations of the organisation in terms of ethics and within a cultural context that need to be congruen t with that of the organisation. (Donald and Preston, 1995) The organisational field approach suggests that networks of related organisations develop which share common assumptions, values, and processes that may incorporate common organisational views on stakeholders. Under this scenario, relationship with stakeholders are taken for granted leading to legitimised strategies shaped by expectations being accepted without a structured strategic planning process occurring. (Walsh, 2005) A stakeholder map is a tool that inventories and categorises a companys stakeholders, shows their inter-relationships, expectations, and power. It illustrates the approaches that the organisation can follow to achieve its business objectives while winning support from its stakeholders. It raises the dilemma of ethics in that stakeholder management through such a strategy can be subverted to the detriment of the organisation. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002) The Enron debacle is manifestation of both this dilemma and the organisational field phenomenon which allowed the failure of corporate governance structures when unethical conduct was accepted in the areas of finance and management by organisational stakeholders. The Enron case was one of the largest bankruptcy cases in US history. In 2001, it was the fifth largest company on the Fortune 500 with revenues of USD 100 billion, 19,000 employees, and rated the â€Å"most admired company† six years in a row by Fortune magazine. (Culp an and Trussell, 2005) The basic premise of Enron’s strategy was to create markets for goods and services traditionally transacted through complex distribution channels. It leveraged off its competitive advantage of delivering services efficiently and stretching it’s competency through added risk management features. The high growth phase of the organisation during the 1990’s and changed business strategy and corporate culture of Enron was driven by top management. In the process, Enron appeared innovative and profitable to the extent that the traditional agency relationship underpinning the firm as a nexus of contracts between the shareholders (principals) and the management as agents were left unchecked, which in turn impacted negatively on the broader spectrum of stakeholders. (Donald and Preston, 1995 and Culpan and Trussell, 2005) An ostensibly well structured, high profile corporation within the highly regulated environment of a security exchange, audited by a major audit firm was bought down by unethical conduct of its senior executive team with possible collusion by external stakeholders. The ultimate test of how well a strategy has been thought out is at implementation level and the controls around that implementation. Unless a strategy can be executed effectively with appropriate checks and balances then it will almost certainly fall short in achieving objectives. This means that strategy has to be linked to the organisation’s objectives, mission, operations, and measurable outcomes within a corporate governance framework that meets the needs of the stakeholders. The evolution of the Kaplan and Norton’s Balanced Scorecard to incorporate financial, customer, learning and growth, and internal process metrics evaluated against the vision and strategic objectives of the organisation provide one such strategic management control methodology across the organisation. (Kaplan and Norton, 1996 and Kaplan and Norton, 2001) In conclusion, this essay has examined the formal process of strategy development and given examples of tools from the literature to systematically evaluate the external and internal environments of the organisation. It has sought to demonstrate that organisations are facing dynamic and rapidly evolving forces that influence its strategic direction. This is especially true with the emergence of globalisation and intensively competitive world markets. The eventual choice of a strategic direction for an organisation is a function of the values and expectations of a broad range of stakeholders which influence strategic decision making through political power over the organisation within a cultural and ethical context. It is the control through governance structures, and ongoing measurement of the strategic implementation process that will determine the successful outcome of the strategy and concomitant success of the organisation. References Cuplan, R. and Trussel, J. (2005) â€Å"Applying the Agency and Stakeholder Theories to the Enron Debacle.† Business and Society Review. Volume 110, 1. Davis, F. R. (2005) Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall. Donaldson, T. and Preston, L. E. (1995) â€Å"The Stakeholder Theory of the Corporation: Concepts, Evidence and Implications.† Academy of Management Review. Volume 20, 1. Hamel, G. and Prahalad, C. K. (1994) Competing for the Future. Boston, Harvard Business School Press. Hussey, D. (Jan–Feb 2002) â€Å"Company Analysis: Determining Strategic Capability.† Strategic Change. Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (2002) Exploring Corporate Strategy Sixth Edition. London, Prentice Hall. Kaplan, R. S. and Norton, D. P. (1996) The Balanced Scorecard. Boston, Harvard Business School Press. Kaplan, R. S. and Norton, D. P. (2001) â€Å"Transforming the Balanced Scorecard from Performance Management to Strategic Management.† Accounting Horizons. Volume 15, 1. Pitt, L. (1997) Marketing for Managers: A Practical Approach. Cape Town, Juta Ltd. Porter, M. (November – December 1996) â€Å"What is Strategy?† Harvard Business Review. Ricart, E. J. et al. (2004) â€Å"New Frontiers in International Strategy.† Journal of International Business Studies. Volume 35, 3. Stoner, J. Freeman, E. and Gilbert, D. (1995) Management Sixth Edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice Hall. Walsh, J. P. (2005) â€Å"Taking Stock of Stakeholder Management.† Academy of Management Review. Volume 30, 2.

The Newfoundland & Labrador Essays -- Advertising

Travel advertisements are created to inspire. They are constructed to be visually appealing and intriguing, yet they must also maintain a distinct trace of the exotic. The embedded foreignness in travel advertisements spark curiosity, which in turn seeks to enlighten the reader’s sense of adventure. The advertisement coauthored by the Newfoundland & Labrador Department of Tourism (henceforth referred to as â€Å"NL Tourism†) and the Canadian airline WestJet is no exception. What sets this particular advertisement apart, however, are the elements of publication dynamics and design that combine harmoniously to sell an idea. The advertisement was published in travel section of Toronto’s The Globe and Mail, a newspaper that is circulated across Canada. The publication selection hints at the advertisement’s intended audience. It would be fair to deduce that readers of The Globe and Mail are fairly educated since The Globe often features analyses of issues that are of international importance. Readers are also perhaps middle aged, as newspaper is becoming an antiquated medium in society, and they are likely to have decent salaries, for the weekend edition of the newspaper costs $3.88 alone. WestJet and NL Tourism are targeting people with a healthy discretionary income. This is especially true considering The Globe is published in Toronto, which is a popular economic and financial centre of Canada. The advertisement size, a full-colour back page, is also intended to draw attention to the reader and possible onlookers. Finally, the advertisement’s publication date of Saturday, 25 Februa ry 2012, is also strategic. It comes at a time when people may be thinking about summer vacations and journeys to visit home. The sunny, placid overtone fe... ... way ticket, but suggests that perhaps a one way ticket is the only direction the reader needs. The passage in the fine print correlates to the idea of time zones and escape, further inviting the reader to discover the Province. Through tactical publication placement and quality visual aesthetics, the advertisement cultivates appeal. The idea being marketed embodies core concepts of the desire to travel: relaxation, exploration, and the regress to a more simple state of living. These concepts are promoted as what the reader deserves. Venturing to Newfoundland and the Conception Bay sunshine should be the priority of the reader after viewing the advertisement. The description on the uniqueness of place fulfills the impression that Newfoundland and Labrador is unconventional and alluring. In just three short hours from Toronto, the secluded bay awaits your arrival.

Gender Bias in the Religion Essay

The term â€Å"religion† refers to a human spiritual approach which comprises of practices, beliefs, and symbols which have a supernatural quality or significance. This gives a follower of a given religion the meaning to the life experiences in reference to the truth. The question of whether there is gender bias in the religion has triggered many debates and discussions in the past and in the modern society. In order to determine whether there is gender bias in the religion, one requires knowing about the history of the major religions that exist and the state of women and men in the religions. The claims that gender bias exist in the religion emanates from the opinion that women seems to be oppressed in the religion. However, some argue that gender bias has been promoted by application of religious beliefs in a negative way. Every religion has defined roles of both men and women and these differences have played an important role in promoting gender bias. In all the religions, gender bias is linked to the dominant role that men play in the religion and in the society. The religious perception of who men and women are and their role determines is an important factor in determining whether gender bias in the religion exists. In this paper, the question of whether religion bias exists in the religion will focus on some of the most popular religions in the world; Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Arguments on why each of these religions is considered to have gender bias will be presented. In addition, the beliefs in the religions that speak against gender bias will be discussed Discussion Gender bias in Christianity Christianity is a religion whereby the religious beliefs and practices are based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians are expected to follow the teachings and the religious beliefs that were taught by Jesus. In Christianity, gender bias is linked to the dominant role of men in the religion and the society as compared to that of a woman. According to the Bible in Genesis1:26-28, both man and woman were created equal and in God’s image. Contemporary criticism of Christianity has been attributed to its gender bias. According to the Bible, the origin of sin is considered to have come from the woman. Some people have used this religious teaching to consider women inferior to men. Another argument that is presented to justify gender bias in Christianity is that almost all the writers of the Holy Scriptures were men, with the exceptions of the book of Eshter. Only a few women participated in the writing of the scriptures. However, women have a strong presence in the Holy Scriptures. These women include, Eshter, Naomi, Deborah, Rachel, Mary Magdalene, and the Virgin Mary. Christian beliefs and attitudes have varied based on the societies within which the Christians have lived. Because Christianity through its holy scriptures prescribe gender roles for both women and men, lack of involvement or minimal involvement of women in church leadership is considered to be gender bias in the religion. Women until the second half of the twentieth century were not allowed to take part in ecclesiastical and pastoral office duties. Only men were allowed to undertake religious duties in these offices. This traditional stance of Christianity still remains influential in some Christian denominations (Gilbert, 2006). For instance, the Eastern Orthodoxy, the Roman Catholic and the Complementarian Protestants still have men dominating the church leadership. Although women may participate in church leadership, their role is minimal as compared to the men’s dominant role. For example, the top leadership positions such as those of bishops, archbishops, and priests are reserved for men while women play a minor role in top leadership. The fact that women have a little role to play in the religions’ top hierarchy is considered to be gender bias in Christianity The role of women in the church is considered to have been overlooked, downplayed or denied throughout the Christian history. The minimal participation of women in religious duties contributed to the domination of men in the society and in government leadership. During the Patristic age, only men were allowed to take the religious teachings offices and sacramental ministry. The Christian society for a long time has not considered it right to have women serve in the church top leadership However, in the early centuries, the Eastern church allowed women to participate in church leadership to a limited extent by ordaining women as deaconesses. The Western church reserved the position of deacon for men only. In the ancient churches such as the Roman Catholic, Coptic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, church leadership continued to be reserved for men only. Up to date, these churches have the position of the pope, bishop, archbishops, and priests strictly reserved for men. Women serve the church as nuns. Another argument that is presented to support gender bias in Christianity is the selection of all Jesus’ apostles as men (The Good News Bible, Mark 3:13-35). Christians believe that Jesus was the son of God who suffered, died, and resurrected for their salvation. Jesus is considered to be the Christians’ model of a virtuous life, a physical incarnation of God, and a revealer of God’s message. The New Testament gospel is a written account of Jesus life. According to Christianity, Jesus had twelve disciples who were all men whom he appointed to be the leaders of the church. This is viewed as the reason why church leadership is often reserved for men. Because priests represent Jesus, then having male priests is considered to be right. Women are not ordained as priests in Christian churches which still hold the traditional stance of having church leadership received for women. Gender bias in Christianity is attributed to lack of ordination of women as priests. Women can only work as nuns but cannot be elevated to the positions of priests, bishops or pope in religious hierarchy (Roman Catholic). In the ancient Christian societies, only men served as priests. In early Christianity, the religious law makers or the Pharisees applied religious laws that discriminated women . According to the Good News Bible in John 8:1-6,the Pharisees brought an a woman to Jesus who they claimed had committed adultery. According to the Pharisees, the law of Moses required them to stone her to death. Jesus told them that the only one to stone the woman would be the one who had never committed a sin. None of the Pharisees stoned the woman. Jesus showed mercy to the woman due to the injustice that was being done to her since no punishment was being given to the woman’s sexual partner. Apart from such treatment against women by the traditional Jewish societies, rules that were put in place portrayed women as inferior to men. For example, men were not supposed to speak to women publicly. Modern Christianity teaches against such treatment based on Jesus’ teachings against the discrimination of women. Christianity advocates for men as the head of the family (McGrath, 2006). A woman who was created from man is meant to be a companion and a helper to a man, a belief that has made man to be viewed as superior to a woman . The application of this belief has promoted gender bias in the church and in a Christian society. The superiority of man over a woman which is supported by the scriptures has continued to influence the perception of women. The doctrine of Holy trinity in Christianity has been used to argue that men are the best suited in representing Jesus who is the son of God, who is also considered to be â€Å"Him† just like in Islam and Judaism. Although Christianity has been criticized for promoting gender bias, it has also spoken openly against ill treatment of women. In the story of creation, man and woman were created differently but they were supposed to work together as equals. A man and a woman in a marriage are meant to love and respect each other (The Good News Bible, Ephesians 5:31-33). The early Christian society which discriminated women (the Pharisees) was criticized by Jesus. In addition, Jesus preached against injustice on women and showed compassion towards them. Christianity is said to acknowledge the important role of a woman because Jesus who is the Christians’ model of a virtuous life accepted women, including those who were seen to be sinners. In the early church, women were depicted to be teachers, leaders, and apostles (Rebecca, 1997). The New Testament through the letter of Paul to Timothy preaches against discrimination. Apostle Paul asks Christians to treat each other well with respect, and the younger women with absolute purity. In Galatians 3:38 the Bible states that â€Å"there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus† . These teachings oppose roles that promote gender bias. The church has continued to promote the important value of women through the Virgin Mary. However, the issue of gender bias in the church has led to the formation of women’s movements with the aim of changing the role of women in the church. For example, the â€Å"Christian feminism† movement is trying to challenge some traditional Christian interpretations of the Holy Scriptures which define the role of women. The modern debate on gender has promoted Christian feminism and Christian egalitarianism arguments. Gender bias in Judaism Judaism is based on the Hebrew Bible which is also referred to as the Torah. The Hebrew Bible is the first section of Tanakh and it comprises of the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deutronomy. Some Jewish laws are not written in the Torah. Those that have been derived from the textual hints are referred to as Oral Torah. The religion just like in Christianity has defined roles for men and women (Elyse, 2008). Women are not allowed to become religious leaders in Judaism. In addition, priests are supposed to marry pure women (Leviticus 21:13-14). The Talmud passage in Reboot 61a-b indicate that priests should not marry a woman who is barren unless he has a wife and children. A barren woman is considered to be a â€Å"faithless wife†. Women do not participate in church leadership although various women such as Miriam (prophetess) and Rachel are recognized in the religion. In the traditional Jewish societies, the women were allowed to play the roles of prophetesses and Nazirites despite their minimal role in the religious matters. Jewish women were expected to participate in religious rituals. Orthodox Judaism portrays gender bias when women were exempted from studying some advanced Jewish texts although the evolutions of the orthodox society has resulted changes in such practices. Traditional Orthodox rabbis in the contemporary society oppose the change of Judaism accepted norms of observance to promote gender equality. These changes include the modern Orthodox Judaism support for more advanced education for Jewish women. Furthermore, the issue of whether women should study Talmud is still controversial in modern Orthodoxy. In traditional Orthodox Judaism, women are not allowed to serve as witnesses in a rabbinical court. The traditional exclusion of women testimony as advocated by Judaism is seen as discrimination against women. Jewish women are not ordained as rabbis, although rabbi – like positions for Orthodox women have now been created despite many followers opinion that ordaining women as rabbis goes against the Jewish law. The Torah in the book of Exodus 21:10 support polygamy which is considered to be gender bias against women (Rabinowitz and Harvey, 2007). Despite the gender bias in Judaism, several women are recognized as role models in the scriptures. Modern Judaism has now allowed active participation of women in reading the Torah, serving as a cantor, and being part of the Minyan. Gender bias in Conservative Judaism has triggered changes that aim at including mixed seating and promoting synagogue corporate leadership. Reform Judaism now promotes equality of women and men, encouraging women to participate in religious rituals earlier reserved for men. Gender bias in Islam Islamic teachings are based on the teaching of Prophet Muhammad, where the Muslims are required to observe the five pillars of Islam. Theologically, Islam promotes equality of men and women. The Muslim society however is seen to establish a distinction between men and women. According to the Islam teachings in Al-Baqarah, 2:228 â€Å"and women shall have rights, similar to the rights against them, according to what is equitable†, women are equal to men. However, the different status and responsibilities for men and women in Islam depends on the religious interpretations. According to the Quran 49:13, Islam promotes equal treatment for both men and women (Stowasser, 1996). Gender bias in Islam is attributed to the Sharia law due to its promotion of practices that are to the disadvantage of the women. The Sharia law prevents the mixture of both men and women at the places of worship and the traditional interpretations of Islam are considered to allow polygamy for men. This is seen by some as against the equality of both men and women. Muslim women are not allowed to take religious leadership positions in Islam and a suggestion for women to become imams is criticized and disputed by many. Medieval Muslim women had problems accessing religious education as compared to the men. Women cannot be allowed to lead mixed prayers in the mosque since worshipping at the mosque is done with women and men in separate places. The women’s’ freedom of movement and travel is limited by the Sharia law, and women should only travel together with a male relative (Mumisa, 2002). For instance, the prohibition of women to drive in some Muslim societies is considered as the Sharia law discrimination against women. Although this was a move to promote a woman’s safety, Muslim women are sometimes prohibited from driving. Some Muslim women have been discriminated against due to extremist Islam beliefs. For example, in Afghanistan women have in the past been denied access to education and job opportunities. Islamic law has also undermined the involvement of women in leadership and it promotes gender –biased inheritance rules which are considered to oppress women . When giving evidence in a court according to Sharia law, a women’s evidence is counted as half that of a man’s evidence. Islam support polygamy and Shiite Islam is criticized for allowing mota or Sigheh where men can exercise a temporary marriage, and women are expected to submit to such practices. Muslim men are allowed by the Sharia law to marry non – Muslim women, while the same does not apply for Muslim women. Muslim women under Sharia law should not interact with men who are not their relatives unless in presence of a male relative. This is viewed as discouraging social interaction of women with other members of the society (Safi, 2003). Despite the ill treatment of women in Muslim societies that promote Sharia law, Islam promotes equal rights and dignity for both men and women. It has been argued that gender bias is linked to Islam not because the religion is biased but due to the practices that exist in Muslim societies. Islam provides women with an equal status to that of men in theory and in practice. The women are assured of financial security through inheritance whether it’s during marriage or in case of divorce and widowhood. Islam recognizes a woman’s’ role as a wife and as a mother, and it does not prohibit her from seeking employment. Islamic teaching defines men and women as recipient of† divine breath† due to their creation with the same human-spiritual nature and both men and women are acknowledged by Allah as His trustees on earth (Yvonne et al, 2006). Gender bias in Buddhism Buddhism is a religion whose teachings are based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhism comprises of two branches, Mahayana and Theravada. Buddhists uphold the four noble truths (Eliot, 2003). Women Buddhists can easily integrate with other members of the society and are given an honorable place in the society. Buddhist women even in the ancient times were able to access religious knowledge and participate in religious ceremonies. However, womens’ religious roles differ from those of men. For example, religious women are not able to perform religious duties similar to those of the monks. Buddhism teaches that a marriage is a contract between equals. Gender bias is portrayed in the doctrine of Karma and rebirth in Buddhism which supports inherent male superiority. Furthermore, gender bias in Buddhism can be seen in the domination of men in religious leadership. Though Buddhist nuns can hold important religious positions, they are categorized as a group than can occupy a niche in the religious realm and secular world. Buddhism considers women as religiously insufficient hence they have to depend on men to make merit. The religion allows multiple spouses for a man and only one for a woman Both men and women in Buddhism are able to realize nirvana equally, although the paths of realizing it vary. Gender equality is promoted in Mahayana Buddhism since it allows the ordination of women to serve in religious duties as Bhikkhunis. Bhikkhunis are also referred to as Buddhist nuns. Buddhism promotes spiritual equality for both men and women a belief that prevents supremacy of males in the religion. This had Buddha acknowledge the spiritual potential of both women and men. For instance, the order of Bhikkhunis or nuns represents the important role of a woman in Buddhism. The Sasana is comprised of Bhikkus (Monks), Bhikkhunis (Nuns), laymen, and laywomen. This ensures that women are not segregated from religious activities. Unlike in Hinduism, funeral rites in Buddhism can be conducted by a widow or a daughter hence the birth of daughters only is not considered as a misfortune. However, male offsprings are preferred in Buddhist societies due to the ideology of male superiority. Gender bias in Hinduism The most authoritative text of Hinduism is the Vedas. The position that is given to both men and women depend on the specific text and context of the Vedas. For example, positive reference to women is given in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, while restriction on the role of women is given by the Manu smriti (Michaels, 2004). Gender bias in Hinduism is seen in the religious practices. For example, the birth of daughters with no sons becomes lamentation due to the importance of a male offspring in funeral rites. When a father dies in a Hindu community, only male offspring are allowed to assure a family of its happiness by carrying out funeral rites. A wife without a son is therefore superseded by a second or third wife. Male children in this case are highly regarded unlike the female children. The religious practice of Sati is criticized for discriminating and giving harsh treatment to women. The sati in Hinduism encourages the immolation of women after their husband’s death. Although women willingly take part in sati, many cases result from societal inducement or compulsion. Examples of women who are mentioned in Hindu Holy Scriptures to participate in Sati Vasudeva’s wives (M Bh. Mausalaparvan 7. 18) and Madri (M Bh. Adiparvan 95)). The Hindu religious practices promote discrimination of females due to the culture of payment of dowry, which makes female children to be viewed as a burden to the family. The religious customs of having the bride’s family pay dowry to the groom’s family has had many female children looked down upon with cases of female infanticide being witnessed . In Manu VIII 416-417,the ownership of property by women is restricted and alienation of Hindu widows from the society has also been attributed to female infanticide. Marriage of females at a very early age and denial of women to marry again after the death of a husband are gender bias religious practices that are still witnessed in some Hindu societies. Apart from the above arguments that support gender bias against women in Hinduism, the religion supports the participation of women in religious rituals. In addition, both men and women can learn about the sacred texts of the religion and women have been appreciated due to the representation of some deities in the religion as females (Williams, 2005). Conclusion Whether there is gender bias in the religion is an issue that has triggered heated debates from the people all over the world, especially the religious leaders. In various societies, gender bias has been witnessed. While some gender bias has been attributed to the religious beliefs and practices of the society members, some bias has been attributed to the culture of the people and not the religion. Various arguments have been presented to prove whether there is gender bias in the religions that exist. Some arguments support the notion that there is gender bias in the religion. In all religions, the beliefs, traditions and values that are advocated for greatly influence the way of life of the followers. Therefore,the role that different genders play in the society and in fulfilling religious duties are linked to the religious beliefs and traditions upheld by the members of a given society. This is why gender bias that exists in the society is related to the religion. References Eliot, C. 2003. Hinduism and Buddhism: A Historical Sketch, vol. I (Reprint ed. ), Munshiram Manoharlal Elyse G. 2008. The Women’s Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions. Jewish Lights Publishing Gilbert, B. 2006. Beyond Sex Roles: What the Bible says about a Womans Place in Church and Family, Baker Academic McGrath, E. 2006. Christianity: An Introduction. Blackwell Publishing Michaels, A. 2004. Hinduism: Past and Present (5th ed. ), Princeton University Press Mumisa, M. 2002. Islamic Law: Theory & Interpretation, Amana Publications Rabinowitz, I. , and Harvey, W. 2007 â€Å"Torah. † Encyclopaedia Judaica. Ed. Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik. Vol. 20. 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA Rebecca, G. 1997. Good News for Women: A Biblical picture of gender equality, Baker books Safi, O. 2003. Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism. Oneworld Publications. Stowasser, F. 1996. Women in the Qur’an, Traditions, and Interpretation, Oxford University Press The Good News Bible. 1976. American Bible Society, Harper Collins Publishers Williams, P. 2005. Buddhism: Critical Concepts in Religious Studies, Routledge, London & New York Yvonne, H. , Kathleen, M. , and Jane, S. 2006. Muslim Women in America: The Challenge of Islamic Identity Today. Oxford University Press

Thesis Citation Recommendations

Thesis Citation Recommendations Thesis Citation Recommendations Citation is the process by which you give proper attribution to authors of materials you used to form a thesis. Without proper citation and corresponding bibliographical references listed at the end of a paper, you could be accused of plagiarism or unfounded/unsupported statements and conclusions. Experienced writers in Toronto and surrounding areas recommend the following steps: Writing Formats There are various writing styles and citation formats to consider: APA (American Psychological Association) MLA (Modern Language Association) Chicago Manual of Style /Turabian Harvard CBE (Council of Biology Editors) CGOS (Columbia Guide to Online Style) Check Your Citations Make sure your paper meets the necessary citation and reference list criteria: Are all references cited in the text? Are all the citations mentioned in the reference list? Are all entries in alphabetical and numerical order? Do reference list entries have basic, required information (e.g. author/s, publication year, title, page number, DOI Digital Object Identifier, URL, etc. ) Do the in-text citations with multiple authors have the correct number of names and use of â€Å"et al.† appropriately? Are the names of the authors spelled correctly (and use either full first name or first initial as required by the chosen style format)? Are the titles accurate? Do various papers written by the same author(s) have the proper use of â€Å"ibid.† or â€Å"op cit† in the in-text citations? Master Essay is an exceptional thesis writing service. You can request a Standard, Premium or Platinum quality paper from one our expert writers. Each member of our writing team can assist you with any assignment. Call for expert writing help in the GTA today at 1-800-573-0840.

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The Life and Studies of WEB Du Bios essays The Life and Studies of W.E.B. Du Bois William Edward Burghardt Du Bois entered the world on February 23, 1868. This was less than three years after slavery was outlawed. However, his family had been out of slavery for several generations. He was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, a small village with only a handful of black families. His teachers quickly made him a favorite, and most of his playmates were white. At the age of fifteen he became a local correspondent for the New York Globe. Du Bois moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he received a scholarship and attended Fisk University. This was the first time that he discovered that being black was a big part of his identity. He spent his summers in Tennessee teaching in rural schools. It was there that he met "the real seat of slavery." He had never seen such poverty in his entire life. "I touched intimately the lives of the commonest of mankindpeople who ranged from barefooted dwellers on dirt floors, with patched rags for clothes, to rough hard-worki ng farmers, with plain clean plenty." (Hamilton, Her Stories). Unlike Massachusetts, Nashville was a southern town that exposed Du Bois to the everyday bigotry he had escaped growing up. While he was there he came in contact with some people that did not think of him as a normal human being. There is a story of one woman that called him a nigger after she accidentally bumped into her. By the end of his college years Du Bois had begun to take pride in his heritage. Du Bois graduated from Fisk and entered Harvard where he received his A.B., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. He was the first African-American to receive a doctorate from that university. He also spent two years studying at the University of Berlin, which was at the time the world's most distinguished center for advanced research in history. His doctoral dissertation was a study of the efforts to suppress the African slave trade. He accepted a position teac...

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Technology adoption of e-government from the perspective of citizens - Article Example Various governments across the globe have initiated e-government programs with a view to offer speedier and convenient ways for their citizens to access information regarding government services. However, in order for e-governance to work successfully and effectively, as planned, it entails a comprehensive study of factors which may influence its use. Trust – is one such factor which plays a key role in e-commerce, and more specifically e-government, adoption since trust between the government and the citizens is inevitable for this technology to function effectively (Bhattacherjee 2002; Carter and Belanger 2005; McKnight et al. 2002; Pavlou 2003; Warkentin et al. 2002). Hence, if the level of trust displayed by citizens on the government is high, it will lead to high level of involvement in e-government as well. However, trust in e-government or any sort of web-institution for that matter, is greatly influenced by ‘disposition to trust’ since individuals who trust others will generally trust institutions involving people (McKnight et al., 2004). When viewed, from the e-government perspective, the disposition to trust has invariably resulted in an increased level of trust in e-government by the citizens (McKnight et al., 2004) In order to effectively apply any given technology and ensure its widespread acceptance, its antecedents must be taken into consideration. With respect to technology; privacy concerns assumes relatively higher significance and hence needs to be probed thoroughly to ensure wider acceptance. The level of privacy afforded by the media used, across all age groups is directly related to its usage since privacy risks rank highly on the users concerns list (Jacko, 2009). Parents are highly concerned about the privacy protection tools provided to ensure the safety of information accessed by their children. Various studies conducted so far, have reaffirmed the role of privacy in influencing the technology usage. This is

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Markiting - Essay Example The two dimensions of the BCG model, market growth and relative market share, serve as proxies for industry attractiveness and competitive advantage respectively which are two important determinants of company profitability (â€Å"BCG Matrix† para 1). Looking at it from the product lifecycle point of view, it is often prudent for an organization to have a balanced product portfolio consisting of both high-growth and low-growth products. High-growth products are those that require greater resources and effort to market now but that have a high probability of generating immense revenues in the future, for example Apple could categorize the iPad here. On the other hand, a low-growth product is an already established product that brings the organization constant flow of cash for example in Apple’s case the iMac. The BCG model operates under two important assumptions. First of all, increasing market share leads to an increase in the generation of cash. The experience curve manifests that relative market share increases as a firm creates cost advantages (â€Å"BCG Matrix† para 2). Secondly, a growing market requires investment in assets to increase capacity which results in the consumption of cash.

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Managing Diversity and Equality - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the British labour market is a highly diverse one and, according to available statistics, is continually moving towards greater diversity.   According to 2005 data released by the Office of National Statistics, 5.4% of the current labour force is foreign, with EU and former Commonwealth migration statistics, among other non-British sources of labour inflow, indicating a continual increase. The previous year, 2005, was witness to the largest ever influx of foreign workers to Britain, totalling approximately 400,000.   In addition to that, diversity statistics indicate that ethnic minority groups comprise approximately 8% of the current workforce; 25% are non-Christian; and around 12% are disabled.   Statistics pertaining to gays and lesbians are indeterminate, largely because of a lack of national surveys but, are estimated to stand between 5-7%. The implication here is that the British workforce is, incontrovertibly diverse; a fa ct which poses challenges to organizational management. Over the past thirty years, legislature has effectively acknowledged the reality of the nation's existent and, ever-increasing, gender, ethnic, racial, religious and cultural diversity and has sought its positive address. From 2003 to 2006, Employment Equality regulations addressed the issues of all of age, religion/belief and sexual orientation, effectively establishing the legal and regulatory framework for both the prevention of direct and indirect discrimination against minority group employees while, at the same time, outlining the imperatives of equity. Prior to that, all of the Equal Pay Act (1970), the Sex Discrimination Act (1975), the Race Relations Act (1976) and the Race Relations Amendment Act (2000), among others, sought to ensure against both direct and indirect discrimination in the provision of goods and services and within the workplace. Consequently, from the legal and regulatory perspective, Britain has take n the requisite steps to ensure that its minority groups are extended the necessary opportunities for integration and assimilation. While the legal and regulatory framework provides against both direct and indirect discrimination in the workplace, the fact remains that it did so largely because it outlawed the aforementioned. It imposed a toleration of differences upon employees and co-workers but, does not establish the mechanism for directing either to look beyond the differences or, indeed, to accept, rather than simply tolerate them. From the perspective of the management sciences, the aforementioned can function to inhibit efficient and effective operation; can stand as an obstacle towards the articulation, let alone realisation, of strategic objectives; and can offset the design and subsequent dissemination of a unifying organizational culture. Of equal importance is the potentially negative effect it can have upon teamwork. At the same time, if managed efficiently, the benefi ts of a diversified workforce can reflect upon both financial and non-financial performance indicators. The concept of diversity management arose from within this context. It aims, not only to achieve more than toleration for differences but, the realisation of the benefits of workforce diversity for the organisations in question.

Self Reflection Paper Essay Example for Free

Self Reflection Paper Essay As a young boy growing up in a rural town (Dublin, VA) in Southwest Virginia, the furthest thing from my mind was â€Å"learning styles†. We had one stop light, a tight knit community where everyone knew everyone. The only learning we concerned ourselves with consisted of the lake, the river and the local church grounds. We went fishing, we liked to swim and participate in local sports activities (whatever sport that was relevant at the time) against local neighbor kids. Our learning was not about how we learned; it was about fitting in and learning how to be a great fisherman and a good athlete. What was important was fitting in both socially and athletically. I came from a family where education wasn’t important. The community, working hard and making a living were the important aspects of life. Learning style and school were the furthest things from my mind. However, once I started high school it all changed, I realized I had a dream to pursue. During high school it was my dream to play college football. Randy Flinchumm a special teams football coach made me realize that I was capable of living my dreams. He said â€Å"Son you have the talent to make it to college on your abilities, but your grades have to get better to qualify you to get into college†. I never took school seriously; it was boring and I struggled with the subjects I was trying to learn. I found classes were difficult. For me, classes which were fun and interesting were those that included charts, diagrams and physical activities that would allow me to stay focused and to really understand what I was learning. I had never heard of learning styles until now, here at the University of Phoenix. While taking Com/516 and reading an article called â€Å"Different Strokes: Learning Styles in the Classroom†, I have learned about three learning styles. There are three: Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic. In the article â€Å"The Effect of Learning Styles on Education and the Teaching Process† by Ibrahium, he tells us that visual learning is where the student uses items such as charts, pictures, diagrams and animations to learn. He also explains further that auditory student’s use listening as means of learning and kinesthetic learners use physical activities rather than watching and listening to a demonstration.

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Tre Graffity Paradigm: The Art of the Piece It’s 11:00 p.m. on a Tuesday when three young men, barely high school age, slip through a chain-link fence and into a New York City trainyard. Each carries a duffel bag, from which can be heard the rattling and clanking of spray cans. Six hours later, they re-emerge, their hands stained with paint and their bags almost empty. What have they done? Inside the yard now stands a freshly painted mural, sixty feet wide and twelve feet high. The work is the result of weeks of designing and planning, and with luck it might last as long on the train as it already has on paper. What the boys have done, what has taken place inside that trainyard, is a work of art. [Let us begin with a basic assumption. One may object to graffiti on social or moral grounds, but only in the most conservatist terms can it not be considered â€Å"art.† Any idea of art which does not go out of its way to disinclude vandalism will, in fact, contain graffiti. We will, then, put aside social and moral considerations for the duration, and consider graffiti as art.] What does the work consist of? Who authored it, and how? What is it based on, and how does it relate? What is it, and what will become of it? The answers to these questions, collectively, form an important response to a bigger question: What is art? What does it mean to describe a piece as â€Å"a work of art†? AUTHORSHIP The young men have, in the course of this night, authored a â€Å"piece,† a work of graffiti. In the traditional sense, authorship is defined as the creation of the work. In such a sense, one of these young men is the author of the piece. One of the artists claims the piece as his own, and gives credit to the other two for â€Å"assis... ...ach style is in the distance between the previous styles and the style of the existing piece. Here, then, is the nature of art which graffiti exposes. Art is an activity, not an object; it is something which happens when foundations are developed upon and, most importantly, when new reference points are created. Each new reference point is a work of art; each new reference point is art. Works Used/Further References The quotes at the beginning are from New York City graffiti artists Bando and Seco, and came from Subway Art, by Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper. This book and another, Spraycan Art (by Chalfant and James Prigoff), have been invaluable resources. Another invaluable resource is the ArtCrimes web site, at http://graffiti.org/. The definitions above are taken from that site’s glossary, and I found my way to all the pictures from that site as well.

3 Poems

Republic of the Philippines Tarlac State University COLLEGE OF EDUCATION Villa Lucinda Campus, Tarlac City 73 Poems (A Stylistic Analysis) In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements In the course EM9 Introduction to Stylistics Submitted to: Mr. Christopher Ronn Q. Pagco Instructor [1] (listen) this a dog barks and how crazily houses eyes people smiles [5] faces streets steeples are eagerly tumbl ing through wonder ful sunlight [10] – look – selves,stir:writhe o-p-e-n-i-n-g are(leaves;flowers)dreams ,come quickly come [15] run run with me now jump shout(laugh dance cry sing)for it's Spring [20] irrevocably; and in earth sky trees :every where a miracle arrives [25] (yes) you and I may not hurry it with a thousand poems my darling [30] but nobody will stop it With All The Policemen In The World (E. E. Cummings, 73 Poems) Introduction Stylistic is very different from studying literature. That is why it is really difficult to do a stylistic analysis than to do a literary an alysis. Because when doing a literary analysis, you just focus on the elements of the story and the theory being used. It is totally different when doing a Stylistic analysis, which you should always be based on facts. That is why doing a stylistic analysis is really factual and complicated. In doing a stylistic analysis, we try to explain how the words in the text create feelings and meanings. I will be analyzing the 73 poems of E. E. Cummings. I will show you the stylistic features of the poem. Edward Estlin Cummings was born October 14, 1894 in the town of Cambridge Massachusetts. His father, and most constant source of awe, Edward Cummings, was a professor of Sociology and Political Science at Harvard University. In 1900, Edward left Harvard to become the ordained minister of the South Congregational Church, in Boston. As a child, E. E. attended Cambridge public schools and lived during the summer with his family in their summer home in Silver Lake, New Hampshire. E. E. loved his childhood in Cambridge so much that he was inspired to write disputably his most famous poem, â€Å"In Just-â€Å". Not so much in, â€Å"In Just-† but Cummings took his father's pastoral background and used it to preach in many of his other poems. In â€Å"you shall above all things be glad and young,† Cummings preaches to the reader in verse telling them to love with naivete and innocence, rather than listen to the world and depend on their mind. Attending Harvard, Cummings studied Greek and other languages. In college, Cummings was introduced to the writing and artistry of Ezra Pound, who was a large influence on E. E. and many other artists in his time. After graduation, Cummings volunteered for the Norton-Haries Ambulance Corps. En-route to France, Cummings met another recruit, William Slater Brown. The two became close friends, and as Brown was arrested for writing incriminating letters home, Cummings refused to separate from his friend and the two were sent to the La Ferte Mace concentration camp. The two friends were finally freed, only due to the persuasion of Cummings' father. E. E. Cummings experimented with poetic form and language to create a distinct personal style. A Cummings poem is spare and precise, employing a few key words eccentrically placed on the page. Some of these words were invented by Cummings, often by combining two common words into a new synthesis. He also revised grammatical and linguistic rules to suit his own purposes, using such words as â€Å"if,† â€Å"am,† and â€Å"because† as nouns, for example, or assigning his own private meanings to words. Despite their nontraditional form, Cummings' poems came to be popular with many readers. Stylistic Analysis Before I start the analysis itself, let me tell first my initial interpretation of the poem. This is my general interpretation of the poem. 73 poems is a book which is a collection of poems by E. E. Cummings. It has 73 pages and each poem does not have any title. The poem that I will be doing a stylistic analysis is found on page 63. The fact the E. E. Cummings did not make or put a title in each poem gives the reader the permission to give their own title. So for reference, I will use the word ‘Spring’ as a title. Since, it is the first word in the poem written in capital letter. Cummings’ poems are difficult to interpret because they contain striking irregularities. Many of E. E. Cummings poems that I have read appear to all the joy and new things it brings in life but other works symbolizes negativity to mankind. ‘Spring’ is a reference for a new life. It is a beginning. I have related it in the life of everyone. After the winter which can be a symbol of problems and struggles, we people are happy in the fact that spring is coming which can be a symbol that every problem has its ending and solution. When you are somehow forgetting God and not putting Him in the center of your life, it is like everything is wrong. But when you put Him in the center of your life, everything seems alright. When everything goes wrong just keep your faith. You will feel blessed and at ease at all times. And this new life with the Lord is ‘Spring’. I came up with this interpretation by merely looking at the words and by reading beyond the lines. Linguistic Stylistic Features I easily noticed that the poem consists of many nouns and verbs. NOUNSMAIN VERBSADJECTIVESADVERBS doglistenwonderfulcrazily housesbarkseasily yestumblingquickly peoplelookirrevocably smilesstir faceswrithe streetsopening steeplescome (2x) sunlightrun (2x) leavesjump flowersshout dreamslaugh earthdance skycry treessing miracleis poemsarrives policemenhurry worldstop 192114 The nouns are mostly concrete and only two are abstract (dreams and miracle). Nouns that are related to nature are dog, leaves, flowers, earth, sky, trees, miracle and world. Nouns that are related to human are houses, eyes, people, smiles, faces, streets, steeples, dreams, poems and policemen. There are no neologisms and no morphological deviation which Cummings is fond of using. It makes use of directive verbs which addresses to another person such as (listen, look, come (2x), run (2x), jump, shout, laugh, dance, cry and sing). The most striking aspect of deviation in ‘ Spring’ is the constant use of lower case letters instead of capital letters which is known as the graphological deviation. It is very typical of Cummings’ poems so I will no longer give significance to it. Cummings’ desire is to break the normal convention. The effect of graphological deviation is to foreground the words which are written in capital letters. Since ‘Spring’ is the first word which is written in capital letter, I can say that it plays a big role in the meaning of the poem. Some of the words are really written in a strange manner. In lines 7 and 8, Cummings divides the word tumbling so that the progressive morpheme –ing appears on a separate line. In these lines, the verb appears to tumble from one line to the next. I think it is a way for us to understand the action being done as an important concept in the poem. In lines 8 and 9, the word wonderful runs across the morphemes (wonder and ful). I can interpret it in two ways, the noun wonder and the adjective wonderful. There is astrong element of foregrounding in the last stanza (With All The Policemen In The World) since the words start in capital letters which make it stand out. There is also lack of phonological parallelism, obvious lack of punctuation and it follows the grammatical ordering which follows the rules of syntax. Perhaps, Policemen is used because they are the stereotype example of powerful people. There is also the second pronoun (you) in line 26 and it has an addressee referred to ‘my darling’ in line 29. Suggesting that there is a romantic relationship between the speaker and whomever he is referring or addressing to. Semantic Deviation In lines 12 and 13, (o-p-e-n-i-n-g/are(leaves;flowers)dreams). In line 13, leaves and flowers mean that they are physically opening. Dreams cannot actually open. It breaks the rule of subject-verb-object. It will be more appropriate to say the leaves and flowers are opening. It makes me arrive to the interpretation that the poet’s dreams are opening metaphorically. In line 2 (this a dog barks). The possible explanation of this is that this is used to show that the speaker is referring to a specific dog, but a is used to show that the speaker is not sure of the dog’s name. Grammatical Deviation Cummings used much punctuation where it would not be necessary. Example is in lines 12 and 13 (o-p-e-n-i-n-g/are(leaves;flowers)dreams). This phrase is being bracketed where punctuations are not needed. In lines 3 to 6 (how crazily houses/eyes people smiles/faces streets/ steeples are eagerly) and in line 22 (earth sky trees) groups of nouns are often run together without punctuation. Cummings split the progressive participle ‘opening’ into its component letters (o-p-e-n-i-n-g). The hyphens are used to express that opening of Spring is a long, drown out process and slow. The following line (are(leaves;flowers)dreams) contains no spaces between words and punctuation marks. Dynamic verbs such as in line 10 (-look-) which comes with hyphens on both sides, the initial verb in line 14 (,come quickly come) which starts with a comma and in line 11 (selves,stir:writhe) which is connected by a colon and lack of space which makes them foregrounded. Actions are foregrounded in different ways. In line 15 (run run) I noticed that there is repetition of words. In lines 16, 17 and 18 (with me now/jump shout(laugh dance cry sing)for) the verbs occur in unpunctuated list. Tense Most of the verbs are in present tense. The simple present tense are barks (line 2), is (line 9) and arrives (line 24). There are present progressive verbs such as are eagerly/tumbling (lines 6, 7 and 8) and o-p-e-n-i-n-g/are (lines 12 and 13). There are also progressive present participles (tumbling and opening) indicates the ongoing nature of action. There are also four adverbs of manner which convey sense of speed (quickly), excitement (crazily, eagerly) and inevitability (irrevocably). Sound Patterns I found the repetition of particular sound which is in the phonological order. There is a degree of phonological parallelism in each stanza except the last two stanza. There are 3 repetitions of vowel sounds. how crazily houses (line 3) eyes people smiles (line 4) steeples are eagerly (line 6) †¦wonderful sunlight (lines 8 and 9) , come quickly come (line 14) sing) for it’s Spring (line 19) Conclusion The effect of foregrounding is to make it unusually easy for us to understand the poem. Actually after doing the stylistic analysis of the poem, I never thought that the real meaning of the poem is very superficial because on my interpretation is something that is not explicitly shown. And knowing E. E. Cummings’ of poems most of them or maybe a lot of them entails deeper meaning which you as a reader should really think of the possible interpretation of the poem. And ‘Spring’ is an exception to that. Now that I have analyzed the poem stylistically, I am in the position to give the meaning of the poem. ‘Spring’ is an active and dynamic poem since most of the words express movements and it involves senses. The poem is to be address to a lover that nobody can stop the love that he feels for the love if his life. It is also to acknowledge the inevitability of the natural world. With All The Policemen In The World expresses that nothing or nobody is able to stop the progression of Spring or the poet’s love to his addressee. Reflection Essay â€Å"Am I able to do it? † that is the question that really tickled my mind and bothered me a lot. Stylistic analysis is a new endeavor for me. It is very far different from doing a literary analysis and critizing a literary piece which I am comfortable and confident in doing. When I am doing the analysis itself, I can say that the feeling is really vague. It is like I am on something and I do not know where and what to do. I do not know how to start. But as I am on the process of doing the stylistic analysis, I felt a part of me feeling fulfillment. The most important thing that I have learned in doing the stylistic analysis is discipline as how foregrounding is the corner stone of stylistics. Because I believe that discipline is the corner stone for you to achieve something that you want. Discipline comes from the heart. I know that this is the reason behind why I was able to do my stylistic analysis. I have the heart and the passion in doing this. Patience is also a virtue that I have developed. Because doing a stylistic analysis is a long process. It does not stop on finding and noticing the foregrounded parts of the poem. You have to prove and say your piece of why and how that part of the poem is foregrounded. You have to go back to the lines on the poem many times. You have also to devote your time in analyzing the poem because you are basing your works on facts and not by merely looking the words on the poem. At first, I admit that I will be having a hard time doing it. But as I go through the process and making the first move, I found myself having fun and enjoying what am I doing. Doing a stylistic analysis is something that we should not be afraid of. In fact, it is an easy thing to do as long as you are guided with the correct steps to follow in doing the analysis. As I did the analysis of the poem, I found myself proud. Proud in the fact that, I finished my analysis with my own blood and sweat. It made me somehow feel that I am a certified sylistician even though it was only my first time to do a stylistic analysis. Upon finishing my analysis, I have reflected that stylistic analysis is like life. It is like the authors of poems. They write poems using their own perspective and style because that is what they like. Nobody is dictating them to do so. Another thing is that doing a stylistic analysis is a process. In this way, life also follows a certain process. A good example of this is that, when you want to achieve something, start from the basic step before you can go to a more difficult one, life is really a process, you cannot get want you want with just a blink of an eye. It is something that we should always work for. The stylistic analysis helped me in many ways. Not only on the virtues that I have developed, the discipline but also the academic value it taught me. It made me see the world of literature vividly. I can say that literature is really an interesting work of art. References: http://www. lancs. ac. uk/fass/projects/stylistics/sa1/example. htm http://famouspoetsandpoems. com/poets/e__e__cummings