Wednesday, December 25, 2019

William Shakespeares Macbeth Essay - 770 Words

William Shakespeares Macbeth â€Å"This dead butcher† is not an accurate description of Macbeth. Macbeth did not give an impression of a â€Å"butcher† since he was affected by the death of Duncan. He had contemplated on the positive and negative points about killing Duncan before he committed the act of treason. However his ambition to be king and Lady Macbeth’s persuasiveness and mocking had overridden his sense and logic which caused him to commit this crime. He was consumed by guilt and regret the minute after he killed Duncan. Macbeth had not intended to murder Duncan at all. He was described as someone admirable and brave since the book stated he was called ‘brave Macbeth’. He fought for†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ËœGlamis, and Thane of Cawdor: the greatest is behind’ shows us that his ambition has been recognized since he contemplates how easy it would be to become king, having obtained the title of Thane of Cawdor. ‘A prosperous gentlemen and to be king stands not within the prospect of belief’ tells us that Macbeth knows he cannot be king therefore he will have to do an evil deed. At this point, Macbeth had failed to see sense therefore he was blind towards what was correct. When the prospect of murder crossed his mind as a way to obtain the title, he heart was beating hard from fear. He was appalled by the direction of his thoughts yet he wanted the crown. Being unsure of his own motives, he balanced the positive and negative points of murder. He thought Duncan a kinsman and great king and wise ruler and also being his cousin, he saw no reason to murder Duncan but his ambition. â€Å"To prick the sides of my intent, but only/ Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself’ tells us that he knows his ambition is the only reason to murder Duncan yet he wants the crown. King Duncan is depended upon by the people to hack down rebels and for other important purposes. ‘This Duncan/ Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been/ So clear in his great office, that his virtues/ Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued against/ The deepShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth749 Words   |  3 Pages1. Macbeth, the tragic hero in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, suffers from the fatal flaws of insecurity and indecision, allowing him to easily be manipulated, which causes the audience to feel sympathetic toward him. A fter Macbeth has heard the prophecy from the three witches and he has been named thane of Cawdor, he is led to a strong internal conflict: â€Å"If good, why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair†¦ / Shakes so my single state of man that function / is smother’dRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth1401 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth At the beginning of the play, before Macbeth is introduced, the impression given is that he is a very good man indeed. It is as if he was a local hero and could do no wrong. The sergeant refers to him as brave Macbeth and Duncan says O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman! Duncan, the king, rewards Macbeth with the title, thane of Cawder, and the previous, treacherous thane having been sentenced to death. People speak of MacbethsRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth2461 Words   |  10 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth In Macbeth, look at the following scenes: Act one, scenes one, two and three, Act two, scene two, Act four, scene one and Act five, scenes three, six and seven. What did Macbeths character, words and actions show about changes in his character? Why are these scenes important to the plot and structure of the play and how the themes are presented? The play Macbeth is about a man whose rise to power and fall are influenced by his ownRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth Essay757 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth Macbeth was a â€Å"butcher†, however he became that way as a result of Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth was a fiend-like queen whose evilness declined after the murders. In the end of the play, however, Macbeth’s transformation was complete and he was a butcher. Main Body Topic 1 ================= Macbeth’s transition from good to evil by Lady Macbeth:  · Ambition was his only reason for killing the king – â€Å"I have no spur To prickRead MoreEssay on William Shakespeares Macbeth1483 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth During the Elizabethan era, the great chain of being reigned. Women were low on this chain of power, and men were on top. In fact, women were below horses; you couldn’t live without a good horse, but, you could live without a wife. Lady Macbeth was a woman before her time, she was caught between being today’s ambitious, powerful modern woman and a fragile creature of the Elizabethan era. In the first four acts of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is vicious, overly ambitiousRead MoreEssay on William Shakespeares Macbeth647 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth In the tragic play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth decide, to kill King Duncan. In the play, we see the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth transform in their personality after murdering the King. Macbeth begins the play as a noble soldier, gradually changing into an ambitious murdering man. Similarly, Lady Macbeth is ambitious but she beginsRead MoreEssay William Shakespeares Macbeth671 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth William Shakespeare lived in an era where women possessed few political and private rights. Women were subjected to the will of men as men were thought to be greater morally, physically and intellectually. Shakespeare, as he was living in this hierarchical and patriarchal world, was subjected to this value system. His powerful and tragic play Macbeth, reflects aspects of this world but also challenges the very basis of its foundations withRead MoreThe Letter in William Shakespeares Macbeth1609 Words   |  7 PagesThe Letter in William Shakespeares Macbeth Lady Macbeths reaction when she reads her husbands letter is powerful and dramatic.  · As soon as shes finished reading, she has decided she will make sure Macbeth is king Its as if she and her husband are thinking exactly the same thing. She does not hesitate for a moment.  · Lady Macbeth invites the spirits of evil to enter her She knows she has to steel herself, that the murder will need evil power, andRead MoreThe Downfall of Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeares Macbeth1399 Words   |  6 PagesThe Downfall of Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeares Macbeth William Shakespeares Macbeth has been a theatrical favorite since Elizabethan times. Its timeless themes of ambition, fate, violence, and insanity collaborate to produce a captivating plot. The audience traces the disintegration of a tragic hero and his willful wife. Lady Macbeth, one of Shakespeares most forcefully drawn female characters, plays an important role in the play Macbeth. She has a profound influence over the actionRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth638 Words   |  3 Pagesagree? Well, in Macbeth manhood is concurrent with power, physical strength, courage, and force of will. Rarely though, is it bound to the ideals of moral fortitude or mentality. The motif of gender recurs many times in Shakespeare’s work. Being a â€Å"man† in Macbeth means that you must be physically capable, cruel, and do what ever it takes to accomplish one’s goals. Women were supposed to obey their husbands and be good. Evil from a woman was absolutely not permitted. The women in Macbeth are the fire

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Phaedo Summary Essay - 786 Words

Phaedo Summary nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Socrates stands now before his disciples telling them he is not afraid of dying because he says death is what the true philosopher waits for all his life. The philosopher must have lived a good life, and when death is presented upon him, he should take the opportunity. Socrates formed a conclusion that: â€Å"That the real philosopher has reason to be of good cheer when he is about to die, and after death he may hope to obtain the greatest good of the world.† Socrates is saying that when death is presented upon him, he should have no reason but to be happy, and when that death comes; he will have achieved the best gift in the world. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Socrates states evidence of why he†¦show more content†¦When Simmias agrees this he brings out all his support. Socrates believes â€Å"Death† is the separation of the body and soul. The soul is the biggest part of the death. The soul goes on living and doesn’t have to deal with any of the bad commodities of the body attached. You are only dead when this separation has been completed. Therefore death is when the body exists in herself, and is released from the soul. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Through out the life of a philosopher or any other person there are â€Å"fruits† of life. There are many unnecessary pleasures and treasure in which we could live without. â€Å"Instead of caring about them, shouldn’t he rather despise anything more than nature needs.†? Socrates is saying that to go as the true philosopher, you have to live life with only the bare essentials needed and pass the opportunities for the unnecessary pleasures and treasures like costly clothing, sandals etc†¦ and other adornments. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;â€Å"The philosopher who is indifferent about bodily pleasures is as good as dead.† Socrates is saying that if a philosopher goes through life passing up pleasures not needed, he will definitely get his chance at death. The philosopher is only concerned with the soul and not the body, and as soon as possible would like get rid of his body and turn to his soul. And all other men wonder and opinionate about him not enjoying life’s pleasures nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The body only gets in the way ofShow MoreRelatedPlato Is One Of The Greatest And Well Known Philosophers1388 Words   |  6 Pagesexperience of dying and any sort of afterlife. This is how Plato expresses the importance of wisdom, in that it impacts the thought of death or dying (Apology 30, 36-42). The second aspect of the importance of wisdom in Plato’s worldview is found in Phaedo. Phaedo also describes the impacts of wisdom on death and dying. Socrates goes into detail about death by saying, â€Å"Is [death] anything else than the separation of the soul from the body?† Socrates further elaborates about how to gain wisdom, or pure knowledgeRead MoreWhat Are The Charges Against Socrates?1019 Words   |  5 Pagesbecause of the fear of death Works Cited Plato. Apology. Plato, The Dialogues of Plato, Vol. 2 (Meno, Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo, Gorgias, Appendix I - Lesser, Hippias, Alcibiades I, Menexenus, Appendix II - Alcibiades II, Eryxias) [1892]. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print. Marrow, Daniel. The Apology:Socrates Defense. Ancientgreece.com. N.p., n.d. Web. Summary and Analysis Apology. Cliffsnotes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. Apolog. Apology/Plato. Apology/ Plato (n.d.): n. pag. Http://academic.muRead MoreBroken Family3761 Words   |  16 PagesKhomeini, Russell and countless other philosophers and theologians A .Masterpieces 1. phaedo BY: PLATO The Phaedo is acknowledged to be one of Platos masterpieces, The Phaedo, which depicts the death of Socrates, is also Platos seventh and last dialogue to detail the philosophers final days. The scene is at Compoton where Echecrates who, meeting Phaedo, asks for news about the last days of Socrates. Phaedo explains why a delay occurred between his trial and his death, and describes the sceneRead MorePhilosophy Essay1433 Words   |  6 Pagespresent awareness by a process of recollection aided by the technique of dialect or the Socratic method. (Stumpf 260) This is known as the theory of recollection. The theory of recollection is told through Plato in the Phaedo and the Meno. In the theory of recollection Socrates answer to the paradox is that knowledge is recollection. This thesis allows a man to have ideas of which he later becomes conscious by recollection;Read MoreAristotle s Views Of Poetry Essay1671 Words   |  7 Pagesdialogues, mostly the dithyrambs. Therefore, Socrates possesses a diverse understanding of poems, and he can quote some of his favorite pieces. Similarly, Plato’s explanation of Socrates’ dialogues shows his broad understanding of poetry. Besides, in Phaedo, Plato explains that Socrates once considered himself a poet when he was waiting for his execution. In brief, although Socrates supports the real essence of poetry in his early dialogues, he is identified in many cases claiming that poetry is morallyRead MorePlato s Views On The Philosophy Of Human Nature1984 Words   |  8 Pagesthe entity or part of us that has the ability to reason and allows us to be rational. Therefore, the soul and reason go hand in hand. The soul works and reasons best under conditions in which it is the furthest removed from the body as po ssible (Phaedo). Thus, Plato views the body as a hindrance to the mind and soul in the sense that the body and its connection to the phenomenal/physical world deceive the mind in the world of ideas (â€Å"Plato’s Republic†). Plato conveys this in one of his dialoguesRead More George Gemistos Plethon on God: Aristotle vs Plato Essay4387 Words   |  18 Pagesa pagan. I argue that Plethon takes the position he does because his interpretation of the Platonic God better fits his own neo-pagan theological conceptions. Part of the evidence for this is supplied by the first English translation of Plethons Summary of the Doctrines of Zoroaster and Plato. I. Background (3) George Gemistos, who called himself Plethon, (1355?-1452) lived during the last years of the Byzantine empire. Constantinople fell to the Turks less than one year after his death. YetRead MoreCartesian and Platonic Philosophical Themes in The Matrix Essay2065 Words   |  9 Pageslife back to death in a continuous never-ending cycle that Plato wrote of what Socrates spoke of on his death-bed in The Phaedo (42-43). In the films current form this student is unable to say with any certainty what the writers true intent was and how closely they chose to follow Plato’s themes, but it looks like they may have selectively used and interpreted them. In summary the Matrix is a clever work of fiction drawing heavily upon the likes of both Descartes and Plato. The movie barrows conceptsRead MorePlatonic Philosophy Of Christian Theology1902 Words   |  8 Pagesthat most accurately suites Augustine’s Christianity—the Theory of the Forms. The Theory of the Forms is first introduced in the Phaedo, one of Plato’s many dialogues, and is broken up into separate references throughout his many writings, including The Republic, but the theory itself never seems to be fully developed (or at least specific enough for our liking). In summary, this theory encapsulates the idea that two distinct levels of reality exist: the visible world of sights and sounds that we inhabit

Monday, December 9, 2019

The Health Belief Model Regarding Food Choice Free Samples

Question: Analyse and Critique theHealth Belief Model as a Food Choice Model. Answer: The Health Belief Model (HBM) is a psychological model that attempts to explain and predict health behaviors including food choice behaviour. The Health Belief Model regarding food choice, is based on the understanding that a person will make healthy food choice, if that person: Feels that a negative health condition due to wrong food habits/ choices could be avoided. Has a positive expectation that by making healthy food choices he/she will avoid bad health. Believes that he/ she can successfully and comfortably make healthy food choices. Thus health belief model is based on four constructs of perceived threats and net benefits; and these constructs are perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits and perceived barriers. An added construct called cues to action would stimulate the overt food choice behaviour. Another addition is self-efficacy or the persons believe in one-s own ability to perform a task.[1] Perceived susceptibility is the belief that one can get a bad health or disease or illness. If a person is able to understand that there is a possibility of getting a disease or bad health due to poor nutrition or bad eating habits; he will be more conscious regarding his diet and will try to improve his/her eating habits. Perceived severity is the belief about, how severe a disease or condition could be. If a person believes that the bad health due to poor diet is a minor issue or the disease will not be a severe one, he may not be very cautious with his diet. But if the person believes that the disease could be severe one, he will be very cautious with the diet and eating habits. Perceived benefits is ones belief about possible benefits of making a healthy food choice. There are positive incentives also. If a person believes that a good diet will improve his health and will have a positive impact on his life and will make him more successful or happy; he will be more particular to take a healthy diet. Perceived barriers is ones belief about the possible barriers or difficulties in making healthy food choices. If there are barriers due to which he could not take healthy diet, they need to be addressed. Here the domain of health belief model may go outside the individual behaviour as the barriers could be contextual or structural. For a simple example, he may not afford the healthy diet. Cues to action are reminders that provide information or promote awareness regarding making healthy food choices. The campaigns play an important role to generate health cues. Print ads on metros, trains, other transport; could remind the commuters daily that they have to take a healthy diet. Self-efficacy involves providing guidance or training in successfully making healthy food choices. A person needs to believe in himself that he can change his behaviour and could adopt more healthy lifestyles including healthy diet. There is a need to generate self-confidence and self-efficacy in the individual and motivate him to take healthy diet. Source Glanz et.al. 2008[1] Analysis of Health-Belief Model A meta-analysis of 18 studies (2,702 subjects) was done to determine the effectiveness of health belief model in predicting behaviour.[2] Perceived benefits and perceived barriers were found to be strongest predictors of a healthy behaviour. The relationship was strong for prevention of a disease outcomes but the relationship was weak for adherence to a treatment outcomes.[2] Perceived susceptibility and perceived severity were found to be weak predictors.[2] Also the effect of HBM variables on predicted health behaviours got weakened when measured over an increased length of time.[2] Thus the meta-analysis did not recommend the HBM model based on its weaknesses.[2] Although there is a component of perceived barriers; the Health Belief Model (HBM) largely focus only on behavioural determinants of food choice and thus the interventions also focus only on individual level factors. The barriers as described by Health Belief Model are individual-centric which says that these barriers are perceived by an individual and the individual should alter his perception while the barriers remain then and there unaltered. Thus Health Belief Model totally focuses on altering the individual behaviour making him responsible for his poor diet. But the individuals do not exist in isolation and form societies as a part of their socio-cultural environments which plays a very important role in their food choice behaviour.[3] Socio-cultural environment determines what is socially acceptable to eat and is socially prevalent in various societies. Physical environment defines availability and accessibility of various food items, including financial accessibility.[3] Lot o f studies have been done on environmental determinants of food choice and are well grounded in theoretical frameworks. Educational interventions and programmes also influence food choice behaviour.[4] The educational interventions must address environmental factors along with individual level factors in determining food choice.[4] Educational interventions are also based on theoretical frameworks that determine food choice behaviour.[4] Other determinants or models of food-choice Legislative policies such as soda taxes; nutrition guidelines for schools, educational institutions and public procurement systems; restrictions on food marketing targeting children; regulations on vending machines; licensing fast food establishments; mandatory calorie labelling; also influence food choice behaviour of consumers to a great extent.[5] One such example is NewYork citys 2006 regulation of mandatory calorie labelling on menu items by all restaurants; and the research have shown that customers made lower calorie choices after implementation of this legislation.[5] Environmental factors also influence lifestyles such as eating out of home.[6] This include taking food and beverages from vending machines, consuming ready-to-eat meals, eating at restaurants, work-sites or on-the-go.[6] It has been found that eating out of home was associated with unhealthy food choices which were high in energy and low in micronutrients particularly Vit.C, Calcium and Iron.[6] Thus lifestyle is an important determinant of food choice behaviour which is further influenced by larger macro-level determinants such as socio-economic status and working environments. Food choice is also influenced by social networks or the company with whom we eat.[7] Relationships such as spouse, friends and siblings; plays a very important role in our eating behaviours or food choices we make. Research has found that newly formed couples tend to eat more of fruits and vegetables and less of fat-foods.[7] Peer groups tend to consume more of snacks and alcohol.[7] Thus social environment including company while eating influence food choice behaviour to a large extent.[7] People spend most of their time at workplace and the meals served at work-site canteens also play an important role in determining food choice behaviour of individuals.[8] Increasing the availability of healthy food at workplace helps individuals in making healthy food choices.[8] There are diverse contextual aspects when individuals make food choices such as combining food with drink, physical condition of the individual, physical settings, social settings, state of mind while making food choice, consecutive activities, time of food, recurrence of meals etc.[9] All these contextual level determinants influence the food choice behaviour of individuals.[9] Sobal and colleagues have come up with some eating maps based on places, time and people involved while making food choices.[10] For example, if the person is alone at work, he may quickly finish with a sandwich and continue his work. If a person is at home with family, he may eat home-cooked fresh food. If a person is eating out at restaurant with his friends, he may choose some fast-food with drinks. If the person is eating out with family he may choose some healthy meals for his family which may not be as good as home-cooked meal. If a person is in a car with someone, he may choose some snacks like chips.[10] Food choices are also made throughout the process of food acquisition, preparing the food, serving the food, eating the food, cleaning up, and disposal.[11] For example the person who picks up raw material, fruits and vegetables for cooking-up food choose the items at the first place, then the person who cooks up the food also choose ingredients for cooking, the person who serve the food also make choices about how to serve different food items which have an influence over consumers eating behaviour, the person who clean-up after eating also gives feedback about which food item gets wasted most of the time and thus to regulate its quantity of preparation and serving.[11] Thus whole process right from acquisition to clean-up influence the food-choice behaviour of individuals.[11] Jastran et. al. in 2009 theorised that the regularity occurs in eating behaviour determined by eating situations.[12] Eating routines thus formed are embedded in daily schedules related to family, work and recreational activities. People make food choices as a part of different eating routines depending on varying daily schedules of life. For example during early hours of work-days a person may regularly take a diet-cola or a coffee. During late-hours of work-days a person may eat left-over dinner or order a pizza on a regular basis. During Sundays a person may regularly eat breakfast with spouse. Thus daily schedules have an influence over food choice of individuals.[12] Blake et. al. in 2008 gave some mental maps individuals use during eating situations resulting in a sequential behaviour that guide food choices in relation to different contexts.[13] For example, a cook may ask the kids of a family regarding what to cook. In another situation, wife may pick-up fresh fruits and vegetables from market. The family may decide a night before what to cook in the morning. Thus these mental maps as a contextual behaviour may decide food choice.[13] The life-course perspective tells that food choices change over the persons life-course and it depends on what stage of life he or she is.[14] The children may prefer ice-creams, biscuits and candies. The young adults may prefer drinks, pizzas, and fast-food. The elderly people may prefer some home-cooked, low-calorie, easily digestible food. This life-course trajectory is further influenced by micro and macro level determinants such as family, friends, community, workplace, school, cultural and social environment, economic growth, and government policies.[14] Food choice is also influenced by the seasons of the year and what is available during specific seasons.[15] For example individuals may prefer easily digestible food during hot summers and may prefer water-melons, coconut-water, mangoes and fruits with high water content. During winters people prefer dry-fruits, spinach, sweets with ghee and dishes cooked in oil. Religious health belief may also decide the food choice of individuals.[16] For example certain religions like Jainism may advocate strict vegetarianism. Cow is worshiped in Hindu religion and thus beef is not eaten by Hindus. On the other hand goat is sacrificed by Muslims on Eid and its meat is served. The appeal of food to the five senses also determines food choice.[17] How the food smells, how it looks and how it tastes determine the food choice of individuals. Also the different societies have different sensory perceptions about food. Some societies prefer blend food. Some other societies prefer spicy food. Some societies prefer sweetness in their food. At the most important structural level, the prices of healthy food diet and affordability as determined by socio-economic status of individuals play a very important role in determining what people buy and eat.[18-19] The evidence shows that prices of food items is the strongest predictor of food choice among low-income populations.[18-19] Thus an already inequitable society creates even more socio-economic disparities related to food and health if the government is unable to control the prices of food items, fruits and vegetables.[20] The reverse is also true. The unhealthy food items such as sugar-sweetened beverages, aerated drinks, tobacco and alcohol need to be taxed more such as to increase their prices and thus discourage their use.[21] Thus government policies including taxation on various food items play a very important role in determining the food choices its citizens make. For healthy food items such as fruits and vegetables; the government should ensure a price ceiling policy so that the healthy food items remain available to the poor sections of society.[22-23] The governments must ensure a food subsidy or public procurement system to decrease inequities in healthy food consumption. The individuals in a country have a right to food and it is the responsibility of state to respect and protect this right.[24] The financial ability of individuals to procure healthy food is generally ignored by governments and thus there is a need to address social and policy circumstances that leads to poverty and thus inability to make healthy food choices.[24] The solutions to address the food choice issues should be directed at structural level determinants rather than blaming the individuals themselves for their unhealthy choices and thus directing all the energies towards altering the behaviour of the individuals.[24] Thus there are lot of contextual and structural level variables that affect food choice behaviour among individuals as described in other food-choice models. Some factors have been emphasised by one model and some other factors have been emphasised by some other models. In reality all these factors play their role simultaneously and thus confound each other. So it becomes difficult to precisely measure how much role a particular factor plays while modifying food-choice behaviour among individuals. After studying all the food choice models; an attempt has been made to formulate a self-created holistic and comprehensive food choice model which has been described as follows. The development of a self-created model Thus after discussing many of the determinants of food choice, I hereby arrive at the following multi-level ecological model of food choice. Figure 2 Self-developed multi-level ecological food choice model. At the centre of model is the food choice behaviour of an individual and the behavioural processes working at the individual level as determined by the health belief model. Individual perceptions regarding susceptibility and severity of diseases or ill health influence the food choices at the individual level. Other perceptions like perceived benefits and barriers to a healthy food choice also work at the level of an individual. The next level is the contextual level where food choices are made by an individual in context of social relationships, religion, lifestyle, life-course and other contextual level determinants. The outermost circle include structural level determinants such as food policies, legislations related to food, food prices, socio-economic disparities and social inequities; determine the food choice behaviour of populations. Thus this model is a holistic model which takes into account behavioural as well as social and structural determinants of food choice. The individual level determinants as described by Health Belief model affect the individual behaviour directly. At the centre of the model is always an individual who is making food-choices. He perceives some benefits, some susceptibility to diseases, the severity of diseases, the barriers and his own self-efficacy. Then in the outer circle are the contextual level determinants which determine his various perceptions. Throughout his life he has learnt many perceptions from his social relationships; he may be eating out in a particular company; he may follow a particular religion and lifestyle. Throughout his day, he may be in different situations that put him in a certain probability of making certain food-choices. In the outer-most circle are structural level determinants that alter even the behaviour of populations or masses and also alter the contextual level determinants. The governments may formulate certain legislations such as a ban on tobacco consumption by state or a ban on sale of tobacco products. The governments may increase taxes on certain food products such as sweetened beverages and tobacco products. The government may not be able to regulate food prices or the inflation is high in economy. There may be extreme poverty in the society and majority of its population may not be able to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. The society may be rich but may not have distributive justice or equity in resource allocation. The government may not have public distribution system or food security. There may not be enough production due to poor climatic conditions such as drought or heavy rains or floods. The food may be getting rotten in warehouses and there may not be the provision of minimum support price by the government. Thus there are macro issues which can alter the individual behaviour in a sweep and the individual may be helpless. Thus various macro level, meso level and micro level determinants of food choice have been discussed in this model. In this way this model turns out to be a more comprehensive and holistic, multi-level, ecological model. References Glanz K, Barbara K, Rimer K, Viswanath. Health behavior and health education: theory, research, and practice. (PDF) (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; 2008: pp. 4551. ISBN 978-0787996147. Carpenter, Christopher J. A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of health belief model variables in predicting behavior. Health Communication 2010; 25 (8): 661669. doi:10.1080/10410236.2010.521906. Brug K J, Kremers S P, van Lenthe F, Ball K, Crawford D. Environmental determinants of healthy eating: In need of theory and evidence. Symposium on Behavioural nutrition and energy balance in the young. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2008; 67(3): 307316. Contento I R. Nutrition Education: Linking Research, Theory and Practice. Jones and Barlett Publishers 2011: LLC. Dumanovsky T, Huang CY, Nonas C A, Matte T D, Bassett M T, Silver L D. Changes in energy content of lunchtime purchases from fast food restaurants after introduction of calorie-labelling: cross sectional customer surveys. The British Medical Journal 2011; 343: 4464. Lachat C K, Nago E, Verstraten R, Roberfroid D A, Van Camp J, Kolsteren P W. Eating out of home and its association with dietary intake: A systematic review of the evidence. The International Association for the Study of Obesity 2012; 13(4): 329-46. Doi: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2011.00953.x. Pachucki M A, Jacques P F, Christakis N A. Social Network Concordance in Food Choice among Spouses, Friends, and Siblings. American Journal of Public Health 2011; 101(11): 2215-2222. Doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300282. Thorsen A V. Healthy meals at worksite canteens: Social shaping as a framework for understanding sustainable interventions. Doctoral dissertation 2010. DT Technical University of Denmark, Department of Management. Available at: https://orbit.dtu.dk/fedora/objects/orbit:83086/datastreams/file_5211393/content. Bisogni CA, Falk LW, Madore E, Blake CE, Jastran M, Sobal, JS, Devine CM. Dimensions of everyday eating and drinking episodes 2008. Appetite. 2007;48(2):218-231 Sobal J, Blake C, Jastran M, Lynch A, Bisogni C, Devine C. Eating maps: Places, times, and people in eating episodes. Ecology of Food Nutrition. 2012; 51(3), 247-264. Sobal J, Bisogni CA. Constructing food choice decisions. Annals of Behavioral Medicine 2009; 38 (1): S37-S46 Jastran M, Bisogni CA, Blake CE, Sobal J, Devine CM. Eating routines: Embedded, value based, modifiable, and reflective. Appetite 2009; 52: 127-136. Blake CE, Bisogni CA, Sobal J, Jastran M, Devine CM. How adults construct evening meals: Scripts for food choice. Appetite 2008; 51: 127-136 Delaney M and McCarthy M. Food choice and health across the life course: A qualitative study examining food choice in older Irish adults. Paper prepared for presentation at the 113th EAAE Seminar A resilient European food industry and food chain in a challenging world, Chania, Crete, Greece, date as in: September 3 - 6, 2009. Sturm R, Patel D, Alexander E, Paramanund J. Seasonal cycles in food purchases and changes in BMI among South Africans participating in a health promotion programme. Public Health Nutrition 2016; 19(15): 283843. Hayward R D, Krause N, Ironson G, Pargament K I. Externalizing religious health beliefs and health and well-being outcomes. Journal of Behavioral Medicine 2016. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s10865-016-9761-7. Lawless H T, and Heymann H. Sensory evaluation of food: principles and practices, 2nd ed. Springer Science Business Media 2010, LLC, New York. Pp. 259281. Rao M, Afshin A, Singh G, et al. Do healthier foods and diet patterns cost more than less healthy options? A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open. 2013; 3: e004277.doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004277. Nicole Darmon and Adam Drewnowski. Contribution of food prices and diet cost to socioeconomic disparities in diet quality and health: a systematic review and analysis. Nutrition ReviewsV R 2015; 73(10): 643660. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuv027. Brambila-Macias J, Shankar B, Capacci S, et al. Policy interventions to promote healthy eating: a review of what works, what does not, and what is promising. FoodNutrBull.2011; 32: 365375. Andreyeva T, Chaloupka FJ, Brownell KD. Estimating the potential of taxes on sugar-sweetenedbeveragestoreduceconsumptionandgeneraterevenue.Prev Med.2011; 52: 413416. Herman DR, Harrison GG, Afifi AA,et al.Effect of a targeted subsidy on intakeof fruits and vegetables among low-income women in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Am J Public Health. 2008; 98: 98105. Waterlander WE, de Boer MR, Schuit AJ, et al. Price discounts significantly enhancefruitandvegetablepurchaseswhencombinedwithnutritioneducation:a randomizedcontrolledsupermarkettrial.AmJClinNutr.2013; 97: 886895. Dowler EA, OConnor D. Rights-based approaches to addressing food poverty andfoodinsecurityinIrelandandUK.SocSciMed.2012; 74: 4451.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Mandatory Reporting free essay sample

The mandatory reporting law is a great law that is in need of major revisions. The role of the doctor has been clear and distinct in my life. I have always looked at my doctor as a person who assists me with health issues. But somewhere down the line, the role of the doctor has changed. Doctors are taking on the decision making of the patient. In a recent bill that was passed, practitioners are required to report any physical injury that is due to firearm, assault, or abusive conduct. This law is called, â€Å"The Mandatory Reporting Law†, in which it aids victims of domestic violence. We will write a custom essay sample on Mandatory Reporting or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However the word â€Å"aid† has speculated through many people in examining this law. Mandatory Reporting has become a big controversial topic, in which people are investigating the pros and cons. To understand the pros and cons of the Mandatory Reporting law it is important to address the historical and social relevance of domestic violence. Domestic violence has been an ongoing problem for centuries. Historically men would have power over their wives. Women would be beaten for not having the dinner made or not taking part in sexual activities. Domestic violence was very common, in which the man would usually be the batterer and the woman would be the victim. Taking into consideration that women had no rights or power, they were subject to the abuse, society treated spousal abuse as a normal way of life—domestic violence was not seen as a crime. According to Dr. Mitizi Krocker (Roan, 1996) many practitioners and police felt that it was not their job to assist in domestic violence situation. As years went by, women were starting to gain rights. Women started talking about their abuse and finding the courage to leave. As a result, resources were developing for victims of domestic abuse. A resource that was developed was the Mandatory Reporting Law. The Mandatory Reporting Law stemmed out of the ideologies of society not caring or taking domestic violence seriously. There were too many batterers getting off the hook and or not being caught. The Mandatory Reporting law would assist in building a stronger case for victims and creating a method for batterers to be prosecuted. Mandatory Reporting was introduced by Jackie Speier (Assemblywoman) in the O. J. Simpson era. In 1994, as Americans tuned into the O. J. Simpson case, domestic violence was becoming an interesting subject. People were eager to find out if Nicole Simpson (a battered wife killed) would be found justice. When the verdict was reached, domestic violence was confirmed as an insignificant matter. Unfortunately, O. J. Simpson was released and dropped of charges because of the lack of evidence in the defense of Nicole. Mandatory Reporting has been a tool that can help in the defense of a victim. Many victims are abused and never tell anyone and or visit a practitioner. As a result, when the victim appears in court they usually have no solid proof on the accusers side. With the help of Mandatory Reporting, practitioner are required to document and make a police report, in which hard core evidence is produced. Kramer (one of the victims in Smith article) suggests that mandatory reporting is an excellent resource—women that are victims of domestic violence are forced to report. She further explains that women who have come into hospitals have altered the truth about their injuries. Mandatory Reporting will confirm that these women will be taken care of, in regards to the batterer being confronted. Mandatory Reporting is available at any licensed doctor who performs medical services to the victim. The practitioner is automatically required to assist in domestic abuse cases. The question to be raised is what happens when victims do not want to be reported? Under the law practitioners are not required to inform the patient of the reporting. Victims are reported rather than agree or disagree to the terms. The doctor is obligated to report any suspicious behavior leading to domestic violence. As a result, Mandatory Reporting is being utilized frequently. However, many victims are catching on to the law, in which they are steering away from their doctors. Victims are afraid of the action that the law might take. The law is utilized daily to victims who come into the hospital with an injury. Practitioners who fail to report can result in a misdemeanor charge and or fine. Mandatory Reporting has the intended benefit. Critics have mentioned that Mandatory Reporting was designed to catch the battered and not worry about the well being of the victim. The intended effect has been accomplished through evidence; there has been an increase in prosecuting the batterer. However, an unintentional effect has been the decline in women going to their doctors for medical assistance. Immigrant women have really declined in seeking medical attention because they are scared to be removed from America. There has not been any evidence that has proven that mandatory reporting is beneficial to the victim’s safety. Beverly Upton states, â€Å"In some counties, officers show up at the victims home and arrests the batterer upon receiving the report from the practitioner this can increase danger for the woman. The law did not take into consideration the danger that some victims would encounter, when their spouse would be released from jail. Many batterers will leave jail, angry at their spouse for reporting the abuse. As a result, victims would be severely beaten. The victim would be afraid to seek medical attention again. Lynn Smith explains how many women are going to shelters for medical attention. Another unintended effect is that in some cases doctors are put into an awkward position, where they are faced to report something that their patient asked them not to do. The law is relevant but not accessible to marginalize populations. What the law brings to victims in a sense of loss freedom—not being able to make decisions about their personal wellbeing. The worst thing that could happen to a person is to take their freedom away from them. When people realize that their freedom is limited, few people will conform. Victims should have the right and support to keep their injuries confidential. A third party should not be involved in a situation, where the victim has refused the service. Adults are being treated as if they have no voice in regards to their life. Mandatory Reporting is not accessible to the marginalized population because it does not take into consideration all of the effects of the law. Mandatory Reporting is an excellent resource; however there are some things that could be modified. According to the Association of Women’s Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (n. d. , p. 1), mandatory reporting should not be modeled from child abuse laws—these victims are adults who are capable to make decisions for themselves. I believe that victims should be able to have the right to decide whether they would like to report their injury or not. Practitioners do not know the circumstances of the particular family. Who gives them the right to decide on a family’s wellbeing? In some cases there are children involved. What happens to a child if they see one of their parent’s arrested? How will the child cope with not having a father or mother around? The law also does not take into the consideration of finances. If a family depends on one another for financial support, how will the family cope with a missing income? These are all question that should have been taken into consideration when the law was written. Beverly Upton suggests that there is a need for a change in the language if we would like to keep the law active. The language of the law is not formatted for victims to feel safe on reporting to their doctors on medical situations. The whole notion of doctors composing a report because of suspicion has also been a red flag. The word â€Å"suspect† is not accurate enough for me, because speculation can be wrong. A woman could have encountered a black eye because she was hit with a baseball. What does the doctor do, if there is a false report made? How will a family cope with a false arrest on a member of the family? I project that a victim must admit to being abused before the practitioner takes any additional steps. If the practitioner believes that the victims injuries were related to domestic abuse, the Practitioner should offer a class or counseling for the victim. As Lynn Smith (1995) states, â€Å"it is unfortunate that law requiring reporting came before the one requiring training. † Doctors should be required to take part in training, where they are taught to address and understand domestic violence to a patient. Practitioners should be able to recommend proper support when a victim is under abuse. In some cases, reporting their alleged abuse to the police is detrimental to the victim and or their family. The Mandatory Reporting Law has benefited and hindered victims of domestic violence. I agree with Beverly Upton, that there should be a change in language. The law is a good attempt to cracking down on domestic violence, but it leaves out the importance of the situation; which is to protect the victim. Mandatory Reporting should not be a tool to capture batterers, but a tool to assist and support victims. Jackie Speier must have kept in mind the safety of the victim. In writing a law, one must take into consideration all of the possibilities that may occur. The law benefits the victims that want to escape from their batterer, but it does not assist victims who are still in denial about their abuse. Many victims have trouble realizing that they are in a bad situation. Victims might feel that their abuse is caused by their behavior, or some might be victims of abuse for years in which they see nothing wrong with it. Before a judgment is called about a victim’s situation, there must be a full analysis of their circumstances. One must have a good insight on her life, before making judgment. There are too many risks that can take into place, if the right choice for the victim is not made. Mandatory Reporting becomes a controversial topic because there is a conflict with the purpose of the situation; some people believe that the end to domestic violence is capturing the batterer, as the opposing view would believe that the end to domestic violence is to remove the victim out of the situation in the best interest of the victim. The key to eliminating domestic violence is taking into consideration that everyone’s situation is different. There might be a need to call the police and have a batterer arrested in some situations in which the victim feels that he/she has had enough. In other cases the victim might not want to leave, in which counseling would be implemented to get him/her in the mind frame to leave their situation. Domestic violence is a sticky subject, in where it varies from place to place. Mandatory Reporting will not encompass all of the needs for victims of domestic violence; instead it will serve as an aid to a certain population. Until Mandatory Reporting is modified, the law will remain controversial in attempts to addressing domestic violence.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Comparison of the Healthcare System in Singapore and America

Comparison of the Healthcare System in Singapore and America Introduction Singapore is an Asian country that has a population of approximately five million people. The country has one of the most efficient healthcare systems in the world. Since its independence in 1965, the country has taken several steps that have led to significant improvements in its healthcare system. In 1983, the government developed the National Healthcare Plan.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Comparison of the Healthcare System in Singapore and America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The aim of the plan was to provide a roadmap for the development of the healthcare system for the next 20 years (Meng-Kin 17). During this period, the government introduced several programs that targeted various groups of people. In 2002, the government introduced the ElderShield plan. The aim of this program was to improve the healthcare of the elderly and disabled. On the other hand, the US healthcare industry i s more than two centuries old. The US government spends vast sums of money on healthcare provision. Medicaid and Medicare account for the lion’s share of government expenditure on healthcare provision. This necessitates the US government to formulate strategies that would help in reducing the cost of healthcare provision. Increase in the proportion of the elderly to the total population necessitates the US government to take urgent steps to prevent further escalation of the healthcare budget. The US government should formulate a strategy that would help in replicating the strengths of the healthcare system of Singapore in the US healthcare system. Healthcare Regulation Singapore’s healthcare system has three pillars. The healthcare system strives to improve the general health of the population through various preventive healthcare programs. In addition, the healthcare system puts great emphasis on the personal responsibility of individuals towards their healthcare. The government strives to reduce the cost of healthcare services by subsidising healthcare in public health institutions. The Ministry of Health (MOH), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Central Provident Fund (CPF) are the main health regulators. CPF is a social security savings plan that enables Singapore nationals to support themselves in their old age (Ho 95). On the other hand, the US has one of the most complex healthcare regulations in the world. Numerous agencies help in regulation of healthcare. Healthcare agencies may regulate healthcare at the state or federal level. In addition, the regulators may be private or public.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The United States Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are the major bodies that cater for the healthcare needs of all American citizens. The Ame rican Medical Association (AMA) is one of the vital private organisations that help in the oversight of healthcare industry (Field 608). In the US, different states may have different agencies that help in regulation of healthcare. Healthcare Delivery Singapore’s healthcare system helps in the delivery of various types of healthcare to the population. Approximately 2000 private hospitals provide 80% of the primary healthcare needs of the population. This shows that the government’s efforts to provide primary healthcare services to the population have been unsuccessful. However, the government provides the bulk of hospital care services. Government healthcare facilities provide approximately 80% of hospital care services. In 2010, there were 8,881 hospital beds in government healthcare facilities (Ministry of Health Singapore para 1). Public health facilities had slightly less than thirteen thousand nurses and approximately 1800 nurses. On the other hand, private health care facilities had 2,268 hospital beds. The number of doctors and nurses in the private healthcare facilities was approximately 3,300 and 5,100 respectively (Ministry of Health Singapore para 2). These statistics show that the government is the dominant player in the provision of hospital care. However, a close analysis of the number of doctors and nurses shows that there are less hospital beds for every healthcare practitioner. The number of hospital beds per healthcare practitioner has a significant effect on the quality of healthcare. This may imply that the quality of healthcare services in private healthcare facilities is higher than in government healthcare facilities. Community hospitals play a key role in healthcare delivery in the US. Community hospitals may be state-owned or investor-owned. Community hospitals are the major healthcare facilities that provide primary and intermediate healthcare services. Most community hospitals tailor their services to meet the healthcare needs of the community (Purves 88). This improves the efficiency of healthcare services of community hospitals. There are 4,973 community hospitals. The total capacity of these community hospitals is 797,403 beds. On the other hand, there are slightly more than 200 federal government hospitals.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Comparison of the Healthcare System in Singapore and America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The total capacity of these hospitals is slightly more 100,000 beds. Therefore, community hospitals are vital in designing various preventive health programs. Most community hospitals have adequate staffing levels that enable them to meet the healthcare needs of the community. Funding Medisave, MediShield, Medifund, and ElderShield are the main medical schemes that help in financing public health in Singapore. Medisave is a social scheme that helps people to save for future healthcare expense s. Medisave caters for hospitalisation expenses and certain outpatient treatments of individuals and their immediate family members. In addition, Medisave may help in paying the premiums of MediShield and Private Medical Insurance Scheme (PMIS). On the other hand, MediShield is primarily a medical insurance scheme that caters for severe health conditions. It caters for partial expenses of prolonged hospitalisation and outpatient treatment of various serious illnesses. ElderShield is a health insurance scheme that caters for people who need long-term care. ElderShield mainly covers the elderly. Medifund is a government endowment fund that acts as a last resort source of funds if Medisave and MediShield are unable to cater for medical expenses. The government replenishes the funds when there is a budget surplus. However, the government is not the only major player in the healthcare insurance industry. Several private health insurance companies provide health insurance to individuals a nd groups (Meng-Kin 19). In the US, it is the duty of employers to ensure that their employees have medical cover. Medicare and Medicaid are the major medical schemes that help in financing public health. Medicare is a healthcare plan that covers the elderly and disabled. On the other hand, Medicaid covers people who have low incomes. Federal funds help in supporting Medicare while state and federal funds support Medicaid. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is a healthcare regulation that ensures that all Americans have access to healthcare insurance. Access to healthcare insurance enables people to save huge sums of money that they would have used to cater for medical expenses (Pipes 107). People who would like to receive extended healthcare services may enrol in various private healthcare plans.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Healthcare Expenditure Healthcare expenditure as a percentage of GDP is one of methods that help in determining the government’s commitment to improving the health status of the nation. In 2009, Singapore’s ratio of healthcare expenditure as a percentage of GDP was 3.9% (Ho 95). There is a gradual increase in the ratio of direct government expenditure on health through Medifund. On the other, there is a gradual decrease in the social security expenditure on healthcare. In the private sector, out-of-pocket expenditure accounts for a sizeable percentage of healthcare payments (Ho 95). This necessitates the government and the private sector to formulate strategies that would improve access to healthcare insurance. In 2008, the US had the highest healthcare expenditure as a percentage of GDP. The expenditure of the US on healthcare was 16% of its GDP. Medicare and Medicaid accounted for a sizeable percentage of the government spending on healthcare. In addition, out-of-poc ket healthcare expenditure of the US was very high (Squires 2). Conclusion The US has one of the most efficient economic systems in the world. Very few economic systems can rival the US economic system. However, the healthcare system of the US has many flaws. Exponential increase in healthcare costs is one of the major problems that the healthcare system faces. On the hand, Singapore has been able to replicate the efficiency of its economic system to the healthcare system. Despite having significantly lower expenditure on healthcare, Singaporeans are some of the healthiest people on the planet. Copying the healthcare structure of Singapore would enable America save huge sums of money. It would free up money for other activities that would lead to economic development. However, the healthcare systems of the countries face several problems that are unique to each country. Field, Robert I. â€Å"Why is health care regulation so complex?† Pharmacy and Therapeutics. 33.10. (2008) : 607–608. Print. Ho, Lok-sang. Health policy and the public interest. Burlington, MA: Routledge, 2012. Print. Meng-Kin, Lim. â€Å"Health care systems in transition ll. Singapore, part I.† Journal of Public Health Medicine. 20.1. (1998): 16-22. Print. Ministry of Health Singapore. â€Å"Healthcare institution statistics.† Statistics. n.d. Web. Pipes, Sally C. The truth about Obamacare. Washington DC: Regnery Gateway, 2010. Print. Purves, Geoffrey. Primary care centres. Burlington, MA: Routledge, 2012. Print. Squires, David A. â€Å"The U.S. health system in perspective: A comparison of twelve industrialized nations.† The Commonwealth Fund. 16.1. (2011): 1-13. Print.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Vietnam War The Easter Offensive

Vietnam War The Easter Offensive The Easter Offensive occurred between March 30 and Oct. 22, 1972, and was a later campaign of the Vietnam War. Armies Commanders South Vietnam United States: Hoang Xuan LamNgo DzuNguyen Van Minh742,000 men North Vietnam: Van Tien DungTran Van TraHoang Minh Thao120,000 men Easter Offensive Background In 1971, following the failure of the South Vietnamese in Operation Lam Son 719, the North Vietnamese government began assessing the possibility of launching a conventional offensive in spring 1972. After extensive political infighting among senior government leaders, it was decided to move forward as a victory could influence the 1972 US presidential election as well improve the Norths bargaining position at the peace talks in Paris. Also, North Vietnamese commanders believed that the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) was overstretched and could be easily broken. Planning soon moved forward under the guidance of First Party Secretary Le Duan who was assisted by Vo Nguyen Giap. The main thrust was to come through the Demilitarized Zone with the goal of shattering ARVN forces in the area and drawing additional Southern forces north. With this accomplished, two secondary attacks would be launched against the Central Highlands (from Laos) and Saigon (from Cambodia). Dubbed the Nguyen Hue Offensive, the attack was intended to destroy elements of the ARVN, prove that Vietnamization was a failure, and possibly force the replacement of South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu. Fighting for Quang Tri The US and South Vietnam were aware that an offensive was in the offing, however, analysts disagreed as to when and where it would strike. Moving forward on March 30, 1972, Peoples Army of North Vietnam (PAVN) forces stormed across the DMZ supported by 200 tanks. Striking the ARVN I Corps, they sought to break through the ring of ARVN firebases located just below the DMZ. An additional division and armored regiment attacked east from Laos in support of the assault. On April 1, after heavy fighting, Brigadier General Vu Van Giai, whose ARVN 3rd Division had born the brunt of the fighting, ordered a retreat. That same day, the PAVN 324B Division moved east out of the Shau Valley and attacked towards the firebases protecting Hue. Capturing the DMZ firebases, PAVN troops were delayed by ARVN counterattacks for three weeks as they pressed towards the city of Quang Tri. Coming into force on April 27, PAVN formations succeeded in capturing Dong Ha and reaching the outskirts of Quang Tri. Beginning a withdrawal from the city, Giais units collapsed after receiving confusing orders from I Corps commander Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Lam. Ordering a general retreat to the My Chanh River, ARVN columns were hit hard as they fell back. To the south near Hue, Fire Support Bases Bastogne and Checkmate fell after prolonged fighting. PAVN troops captured Quang Tri on May 2, while President Thieu replaced Lam with Lieutenant General Ngo Quang Truong on the same day. Tasked with protecting Hue and re-establish the ARVN lines, Truong immediately set to work. While the initial fighting in the north proved disastrous for South Vietnam, staunch defending in some places and massive US air support, including B-52 raids, had inflicted heavy losses on the PAVN. Battle of An Loc On April 5, while fighting raged to the north, PAVN troops advanced south out of Cambodia into Binh Long Province. Targeting Loc Ninh, Quan Loi, and An Loc, the advance engaged troops from the ARVN III Corps. Assaulting Loc Ninh, they were repelled by Rangers and the ARVN 9th Regiment for two days before breaking through. Believing An Loc to be next target, the corps commander, Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Minh, dispatched the ARVN 5th Division to the town. By April 13, the garrison at An Loc was surrounded and under constant fire from PAVN troops. Repeatedly assaulting the towns defenses, PAVN troops ultimately reduced the ARVN perimeter to about a square kilometer. Working feverishly, American advisors coordinated massive air support to aid the beleaguered garrison. Launching major frontal attacks on May 11 and 14, PAVN forces were unable to take the town. The initiative lost, ARVN forces were able to push them out of An Loc by June 12 and six days later III Corps declared the siege to be over. As in the north, American air support had been vital to ARVN defense. Battle of Kontum On April 5, Viet Cong forces attacked firebases and Highway 1 in coastal Binh Dinh Province. These operations were designed to pull ARVN forces east away from a thrust against Kontum and Pleiku in the Central Highlands. Initially panicked, II Corps commander Lieutenant General Ngo Dzu was calmed by John Paul Vann who led the US Second Regional Assistance Group. Crossing the border Lieutenant General Hoang Minh Thaos PAVN troops won quick victories in the vicinity of Ben Het and Dak To. With the ARVN defense northwest of Kontum in a shambles, PAVN troops inexplicably halted for three weeks. With Dzu faltering, Vann effectively took command and organized the defense of Kontum with support from large-scale B-52 raids. On May 14, the PAVN advance resumed and reached the outskirts of the town. Though the ARVN defenders wavered, Vann directed B-52s against the attackers inflicting heavy losses and blunting the assault. Orchestrating Dzus replacement with Major General Nguyen Van Toan, Vann was able to hold Kontum through the liberal application of American airpower and ARVN counterattacks. By early June, PAVN forces began withdrawing west. Easter Offensive Aftermath With PAVN forces halted on all fronts, ARVN troops began a counterattack around Hue. This was supported by Operations Freedom Train (beginning in April) and Linebacker (beginning in May) which saw American aircraft striking at a variety of targets in North Vietnam. Led by Truong, ARVN forces recaptured the lost firebases and defeated the final PAVN attacks against the city. On June 28, Truong launched Operation Lam Son 72 which saw his forces reach Quang Tri in ten days. Wishing to bypass and isolate the city, he was overruled by Thieu who demanded its recapture. After heavy fighting, it fell on July 14. Exhausted after their efforts, both sides halted following the citys fall. The Easter Offensive cost the North Vietnamese around 40,000 killed and 60,000 wounded/missing. ARVN and American losses are estimated at 10,000 killed, 33,000 wounded, and 3,500 missing. Though the offensive was defeated, PAVN forces continued to occupy around ten percent of South Vietnam after its conclusion. As a result of the offensive, both sides softened their stance in Paris and were more willing to make concessions during negotiations.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

An investigation into the potential of implementing Cause Related Literature review

An investigation into the potential of implementing Cause Related Marketing in Barnados charity in the UK - Literature review Example In the social marketing, the management takes much consideration of the customers’ needs with much concern on the needs of the wider society. Cause Related Marketing is a significant ingredient of this marketing mix (Stein, 2009; pg. 56) Cause-Related Marketing is describe as a commercial activity through which businesses and charities form a partnership for the purpose of marketing a product, an image or a service for a shared benefit. It is a tool that addresses the current social issues by providing resources and funding. Additionally, this tool addresses important business objectives. The Cause Related Marketing began getting its full attention recently. It was not until the CRM was much steamed to the marketers by the American Express, which had devised a promotion which promoted donations of a cent to restore the funds for the Statute of Liberty at every single time a customer made use of the American Express card (Lindsey, 2003; pg.67).   The campaign also included ot her elements like a one dollar donation to fund every new American Express account that had been approved. A true corporate partnership establishes openings for every party to develop joint business opportunities. In an investigation, a link with Barnardo’s, which is one of the UK’s best known charity brands, is found to do that (Petticrew & Roberts, 2005; pg. 87). It is a well know children’s charity organization. There would be numerous benefits on establishing cause-related marketing in Barnardo’s as this would become a simple and an effective way of increasing sales and customer loyalty. This can also promote a positive PR coverage and provide an increasing significant link for ethical customers to align themselves with the charitable cause. Involvement with this charity would create opportunities for a great PR and marketing. The Barnardo’s charity can assist in the promotion for the partnership through their network of close to ten media and communication managers situated in London regional offices and headquarters. This is a prominent national charity that has excellent links to local and national radio and television stations, as well as, with national and regional media. Cause Related Marketing is found to influence customer perceptions and their buying habits. This makes it a vital weapon in the marketing strategy which enhances corporate reputation and increases loyalty. It can build sales and benefit the society thus, becoming an intrinsic tool of the marketing strategy. The Cause Related Marketing has its strength over the traditional forms of marketing as it can provide the emotional and the racial engagement of the consumers (Neyland, 2008; pg. 78). It also incorporates the customer’s heart and their mind thus, giving it the potential to build an enduring and stronger relationship. So many companies in the UK have recognized the potential in the holistic management and corporation of the relationship of all stakeholders that will support the development of successful companies. Cause Related Marketing provides a high profile and an effective way for brand owners to strengthen their relationships, not only with the customers but with all stakeholders including the employees, suppliers, distributers, shareholders, opinion formers as well as a broad relationship with the wider community. Due to the interdependence between the wider communi

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Leadership and communication culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Leadership and communication culture - Essay Example A dialogic communication is one whereby a two way communication path is followed and participants defend their opinion and thoughts with justified arguments and simultaneously listen to other positions as well with the intention to understand better (Habermas 1984). Isaacs (1999) has explored numerous meaning for the term ‘dialogue’. Dialogue is not merely a normal form of conversation or a talk, but, in broader sense, it is now being used as a tool for fostering organizational learning. Coordinated actions among members of the organization could be produced through dialogue. A dialogic communication culture can be highly effective for a firm, in incorporating and facilitating continuous and sustainable change within a firm. Dialogue can open up the limited or narrow approach to work practices that most of the organizational members uphold. Dialogues can bring improvement in existing ideas and help in developing creative futuristic approach as well. With the development of the dialogic communication, organization can completely transform its culture by imbibing spirit of commitment and inculcating onus of responsibility and accountability among the members of the organization. Leaders play a vital role by dealing with unavoidable and anticipated conflicts skillfully. Thereby, existing challenges and problems can be resolved through innovative breakthroughs and cooperation of the entire team force which can be acquired through influential dialogic culture (Novak & Sellnow 2009). Sellnow 2009). DIALOGIC COMMUNICATION PROMOTES BETTER UNDERSTANDING THROUGH CONSTRUCTIVE LEADERSHIP Sustainable change can be attained only when understanding among members can be enhanced. By supporting the statement that ‘dialogues can rejuvenate organizational culture and leader’s foster development of such culture’, a study performed by Innes (2007) can be analyzed whereby the significance of dialogic communication is revealed clearly. In this study, the essence of solving group problems is highlighted. Two groups of students were allotted case studies and specific problems. The solutions to the problem allotted were analyzed later. It was found that group that had better understanding amongst them focused on the specific issue assigned whereas group

Sunday, November 17, 2019

TUFS Value Proposition Essay Example for Free

TUFS Value Proposition Essay The Technical Underwriting Financial System (TUFS) (McKeen Smith, 2012), like any Information Technology (IT) project requires a value assessment. This value assessment is intended to help business leaders weigh the possible benefits and risks associated with the project. In the case of TUFS, some of the anticipated benefits included financial savings through improved efficiency and e-business capabilities. As noted in the case, the company had not made use of the e-business feature two years after it was released. This may point to an IT failure, but it may be as likely that a communication failure among those responsible for defining company strategy produced the unused feature. The anticipated benefits represent expectations, which in this case don’t appear to have been clearly defined by IT or their business counterparts. It may be of more interest in this case to ask how the project fit into the company strategy. One reason this is important is that the expectations (benefits) mentioned are tactical in nature. In other words, improved efficiency and e-business may be good business tactics, but in the absence of a clear strategy, it’s difficult to say how these features would give the company an advantage . External Investment and Commitment IT projects require buy-in from stakeholders. There are several reasons to get buy-in before starting an IT project, some of which include investment during development and commitment to transition away from old processes to the new system upon completion. Unilateral IT projects often lack the level of investment and commitment required for a successful IT project. This becomes even more critical as the scope and size of the project increases. The TUFS project had low stakeholder involvement in the beginning and early stakeholder abandonment when issues arose. In IT projects, there is a risk of going to one of two extremes: analysis paralysis or inadequate requirements planning. In some projects, the analysis phase can reach a point  at which no work is getting done and stakeholders are moving away from consensus rather than toward it. This situation may signal a project that’s poorly aligned with company strategy or even a faulty strategy. For example, a strategy may be to improve the reception of new products by targeting tighter integration between sales and research and development (RD) organizations. In such a scenario it could be plausible to devise an IT project that would synchronize the efforts of sales and RD. However, with two very different groups, salespeople and engineers, consensus may be difficult to reach. In this case, the lack of consensus may be a good sign that either a modified strategy or a different tactical approach would be preferable to pursuing the project. The alternative of inadequate requirements planning may indicate a lack of strategy altogether. Projects that lack careful requirements are often conceived and executed unilaterally. This presents significant risks when original time lines require modification. There are other risks associated with adoption and adaptation. Failure to view the system as a whole, which must include training, support and feedback mechanisms, may be another indication that the project is being pursued unilaterally or that analysis is failing to  achieve consensus. When there is lack of investment and commitment, the safest, although sometimes frustrating, course of action is to pause the IT project and return to strategy discussions for better alignment with all stakeholders. Monolithic, All or Nothing Systems Many significant IT projects have the objective of replacing systems that have been in place for years. In most cases, those systems have evolved over time to become what they are. As the business grew, so did the systems that enable that business. A significant implication of this is that the current systems in use by a company required many years and significant financial investment to become what they are. Surprisingly, many business people believe that a complete replacement of such a system is possible in a very short period of time. The amount of effort and cost involved in implementing a new system is underestimated. The required changes to existing business processes is underestimated. The amount and duration of required training is underestimated. This tendency to underestimate creates a set of unrealistic expectations, which can product tension between IT and other departments. The result is that many attempts to put a new, monolithic system in place fail. Furthermore, monolithic systems will rarely satisfy the requirements of the broad spectrum of stakeholders who have an interest in its outcome. The human tendency to view desired changes as all or nothing sometimes makes opportunities for incremental replacement of functionality difficult to sell. It is often true that there is a minimum viable product (MVP) required for an initial release of a new IT system. One factor in the success of an IT project is in accurately identifying that MVP and limiting the scope to only essential functionality. After that, continuous improvements are much lower risk and more likely to be prioritized based on actual business needs  and value. One way to approach this is to think in terms of segmented job functions rather than think monolithically. Define the intersection of job functions and allow systems to develop independent of one another with well defined interfaces between them. Role Myopia A common pitfall in IT projects relates to a narrow view of job role. This myopia of roles within a company interferes with communications and subverts accountability. When this occurs, technologists and business participants are at risk of relying on false assumptions about who is qualified and accountable for making key decisions about functionality. Narrow views of roles defeat the synergy that is desired in large projects. On the other hand, when technologists show a willingness to learn other job functions before attempting to create IT solutions for them, the outcome is often more relevant. Similarly, when individuals in key business functions take time to understand the capabilities and limitations of key technologies, the solutions they request are more likely to meet relevant needs. Define Key Success Metrics First A final observation from the case is that the postmortem discussion in which the CFO asked for the metrics that would determine success for future projects should have been discussed before the TUFS project began. A careful identification of pain points and deficiencies up front may even reveal quick and easy solutions that can be applied to existing systems. Even when quick solutions aren’t possible, this is a key step in establishing measurements for the execution of the IT project that will follow. Measurements must be able to quantify losses and gains. References McKeen, J. D., Smith, H. A. (2012). It strategy issues and practices (second ed.). Pearson.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Paeadise Lost :: Essays Papers

Paeadise Lost In John Milton’s Paradise Lost, we can see that there are the two ideas damnation and salvation through the characters of Satan and Adam & Eve, respectively. It is Satan’s sin of pride that first causes him to fall from God’s grace and into the depths of hell. This same pride is also what keeps him from being able to be reconciled to God, and instead, leads him to buy into his own idea of saving himself. With Adam & Eve, we see that although they too, disobeyed God, they repented of their sin, and were reconciled to the Divinity through the saving judgement of the Son. It is their ability to admit their wrong doings to God that allow them to have the promise of returning to Paradise; something that Satan was not able to do. In the fourth book in Paradise Lost, we see Satan wrestling with himself over what has happened, his fall, and what it is he is about to do, his completely setting himself against God. He is able to recognize that God’s forgiving nature extends even to himself, "I could repent and could obtain By Act of Grace, my former state", and is if only for a moment, unsure as to "which way I shall fly"? However, Satan knowingly chooses to cling to his foolish pride, and is unwilling to ask and receive the forgiveness of God, "is there no place left for repentance†¦ none left†¦ disdain forbids me". It is important to understand that Satan fully comprehends the sin he is about to commit as he is well aware of the consequences for his actions. He allows his pride to completely remove him from ever regaining his "former state", and so damns himself and the other fallen angels to the hell set aside for them. This idea of his last and lost chance to reconcile himself to the Divinit y is seen when he declares "So farewell Hope†¦ Farewell Remorse: all Good to me is lost". This demonstrates his complete sense of despair, and thereby, his complete rejection of both God and His love. When we look at Adam & Eve, we see what might be considered tragic "heroes" in the sense that they also knowingly doom themselves to be removed from Paradise, and subjected to the harsh, new world as well as death, and yet persevere with the hope for a better future.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Apollo vs. Green Arrow

Apollo and Green Arrow/ Oliver Queen When I first learned about the Greek god Apollo in my Classical Mythology class, he reminded me of Oliver Queen. Oliver Queen is a character from one of my favorite television show called â€Å"Smallville†. He inherited a big industrial empire from his parents when they passed away. He was a playboy who did not care to give back to the society and only did what pleases him. One day, when Oliver was out on his boat, he was pushed overboard into the sea by an employee. After being marooned on an island, he learned to hunt and improved his survival skills.He later found a small settlement on the island and saw that some of the islanders were cruelly disposed of in a nearby well. It shocked him and he became focused on avenging their deaths. He resorted to making his own weapons and pursued the escaping men in the boats, who turned out to be drug dealers. His stamina and skills helped him overcome them, and was later able to turn them over to t he police. Oliver had his first taste of crime fighting then. He vowed to change the world for the better with the resources he had. He became a vigilante under the name of â€Å"Green Arrow†. â€Å"Comic Vine†) I think that Oliver Queen and Apollo seems so alike yet different at the same time. I believe that they will make a great comparison to each other. The very first and obvious similarity between Apollo and Oliver is that they are both skillful archers. Apollo is the god of Archery. When Apollo was still an infant, he claimed that the bow was his. (Mayerson 118) Oliver created his vigilante persona based on his skill and passion for arrows and bows. When he was marooned on an island, he improved his already talented archery skills.He made his own makeshift bow and arrows and used them to hunt to eat. With his refined archery skills, he later tracked down the drug dealers who were escaping in a plane. He managed to gain upper hand by shooting them down. Oliverâ₠¬â„¢s vigilante character â€Å"Green Arrow is considered by even the superhuman members of the Justice League to be the greatest archer in the world. † (â€Å"Comic Vine†) Oliver himself always said that Green Arrow never misses a target, not even when he was not looking at the target. Apollo and Oliver are also both full of wit and charm.Apollo is the God of Music. According to Mayerson, â€Å"the infant-god †¦ declared that the †¦ lyre would be his†. He later joined the other gods in Olympus and played the lyre them. Oliver is also very charming. In various episodes of Smallville I have watched, Oliver is often seen offering a glass of wine for a beautiful lady and impressing them with his charming personality. (â€Å"Smallville†) He is also sometimes seen playing the piano, where he intentionally lets people see the soft and refined side of him. Oliver have the kind of personality that is not easily forgettable.When he enters a room, he make s a great impression on everyone with his charm and wit. He converses with just about anyone and his conversations are usually laced with humor. Compared to other wealthy billionaires, Oliver has become very down to earth and he does not let his status in society and wealth hinder him from ridding the world of evil. (â€Å"Appointment in Crime Alley†) As very powerful and handsome men, Apollo and Oliver’s lives are filled with women and their love interests are numerous. Unfortunately, their affairs never last or are always cut short by another factor.Philip Mayerson explained in his book of various relationships of Apollo. Apollo’s first love Castalia changed into a spring of water. His next love Cassandra, a Trojan Princess, was cursed by Apollo himself. Sibyl was granted her wish of living as long as the grains of sand in her hand, therefore becoming just a voice. Daphne turned into a tree nymph. His wife Coronis was burned to death. While Oliver’s lov ers did not have brutal endings like Apollo’s, Oliver still went through various women. He was in a relationship with Black Canary when they were working together for the Justice League.He later came across Shado, a Japanese assassin who was killing the yakuza, and had an affair with her. Oliver was also seen kissing a girl named Marianne now and then. (â€Å"Scott McCullar's Green Arrow Compendium†) Throughout his first appearance in Smallville, Oliver was seen dating Lois Lane, the future wife of Superman. They had differences that cannot be overcome and their relationship ended. After that, Oliver seemed to rekindle with an on-and-off old flame Tess Mercer, who was also Lex Luthor’s, Oliver’s enemy, ex-wife. She is also very cunning and self-perseverative.She only cared for herself and fled when Oliver came into trouble. She later came back to be a good friend and support system for the vigilante team. Oliver also had flings with Betsy Braddock and Adr ienne Frost. Betsy Braddock was noticed by Oliver because she had psychic abilities. Oliver came across Adrienne Frost because she seemed to have telepathic abilities. (â€Å"Smallville Season 6 – 10†) Oliver’s fascination with these two ladies especially reminded me of Apollo and his †¦. Oliver’s latest and last known relationship is with Chole Sullivan and they have a child together.While there are many similarities between Apollo and Oliver Queen, there are also several differences. Apollo is the God of Prophecy; therefore he or his oracles are prophetic and can know what will happen in the future. While their answers are ambiguous, the oracle or the priests who interpret them still seemed to predict well enough. (Mayerson 124) Among the superheroes, Oliver is one of the few people without any metahuman skills. He compensates it by improving his skills as well as trying to predict and be more aware of possible threats. He does this by using the Wa tchtower, along with a team of superheroes.The Watchtower is ran by Chloe Sullivan, his then-friend and now-wife. However, the equipment and research is funded by Oliver’s very own Queen Industries, whose support is very crucial. The Watchtower allowed Oliver’s Justice League to assess any incoming supernatural problems and patterns, observe happenings in the world, and access almost any paperless trails. (â€Å"Watchtower†) In Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music, Philip Mayerson states that Apollo is â€Å"a god of Purification, particularly from acts, such as homicide†. On the other hand, Oliver does not have a problem with stealing and murdering.It does not necessarily make him a bad man. Oliver decided use his improved archery skills to become a vigilante. This requires him to defeat and overcome opponents who were very similar to the man he used to be. He thwarts greed and corruption from hurting average citizens. He channels a modern d ay Robin Hood persona and constantly fights for underdogs. Since his days stuck on the island was full of misery, sweat, blood, and desperation, he came to understand the â€Å"testament to what it takes for someone to answer that wake-up call, change their ways, and fly straight. As straight as an arrow. (â€Å"Green Arrow†) While Apollo and Oliver Queen both went through various relationships and affairs, there is one major difference between them. Apollo dearly loved Coronis but was worried she might not stay faithful him. She did not, and he or his sister Artemis punished her transgression by setting her on fire. Apollo â€Å"regretted the hasty action, but it was too late. † (Mayerson 131) Oliver, on the other hand, was much luckier. After going through many obstacles together as a crime-fighting team, Oliver finally realizes his love for Chloe, who already seems to be in love with him as well.In â€Å"Warrior/ Super girl†, viewers can obviously see how co mpatible Oliver and Chloe are with each other. It was a beginning of a romance that changed their lives. They stopped hiding their feelings and kept no secrets. This lifted some weight off of Oliver’s shoulders since he does not have to hide his secret identity as Green Arrow from her either. Unfortunately, their relationship was tested with various situations, such as both of them sacrificing themselves into enemies’ hands and going far away to keep the other one safe. However, they just cannot stand to be apart from each other.During the episode called â€Å"Fortune†, they happily married in the tenth and final season of Smallville television series. Oliver tells her â€Å"You saved my life, Chloe. Both the myth and the man. † (â€Å"KSite TV†) There are many similarities and differences between the Greek god Apollo and the television show character Oliver Queen. Despite their various statuses situations, they both are powerful men, who went thro ugh many heartaches and obstacles. They are so different yet so alike. This is why I believe that Apollo and Oliver makes a very good comparison to each other.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Brunelleschi’s Dome

Filippo Brunelleschi was in many senses a modern day entrepreneur in the Middle Ages. He is the architect and innovator responsible for building the Santa Maria del Fiore, arguably the greatest dome ever built. In the years leading up to and during the construction of the dome, his life was surrounded by managerial aspects. There were several critical success factors for the construction of the dome including access to financial resources, raw materials, and product equipment. The building of the Santa Maria del Fiore was not something that could be done overnight, in fact it took the better of two centuries until it was complete. Probably his greatest competitive advantage, Brunelleschi was able to separate himself from his competitors by using technology to create new products and come up with innovative solutions to problems. Seeing as the creation of the dome was the first project of its kind, certain product equipment was required but not available. Brunelleschi himself invented and created much of the equipment needed, such as the ox driven hoist and the pulley. With the Opera del Duomo constantly bidding out the different projects involved with the construction of the Santa Maria del Fiore, Brunelleschi was able to create far more innovative designs than his competitors to win these bids. Another factor that played into Brunelleschi’s competitive advantage was the fact that there wasn’t much work in the city of Florence. Laborers worked for a cheap rate and did not hold any power. When they went on strike, Brunelleschi simply fired them and found a replacement which was in need of work. Filippo Brunelleschi basically held a monopoly on the labor market. The organizational behavior was one that that the capomaestros, or managers, did not have to motivate the workers one bit. The fact that the workers held employment in a city where jobs were in desperate shortage was enough motivation. Something very important to any project’s completion is time management. Entrepreneurs must master time management skills in order to get your product to the market within your budgeted time. When dealing with a new product, time frames are difficult to estimate because of delays and nforeseen circumstances, but Brunelleschi was able to manage his time and reach deadlines productively. When he had to come up with a way to hoist the marble up to the top of the dome, he did it quickly and effectively. When there was an unexpected crack in the wall after it was completed and he needed to come up with a way to fix it without delaying the overall completion of the dome, he was able t o. He did not only manage his time productively with the building of the dome but with other projects as well. Like any good entrepreneur, Brunelleschi did not put all of his time and effort into one project such as the dome, but instead took on many side projects. These little projects were not only a source of income or a way to get more recognition, but most importantly they allowed him to test his techniques and skills intended for use on the dome. He gained much respect and notoriety for his skills and successes on projects other than that of the dome. In a sense, these side projects were a way of marketing for himself, showing his precise skills and abilities through these successful projects. Although he seemed to be very well rounded, Brunelleschi did not excel in the area of communication. He was paranoid, constantly worrying about his designs or plans being stolen which is why he kept to himself. He felt as if his competitors believed the saying, â€Å"instinct tells us to watch what our competitors are doing and simply try to do the same thing better. † During a project, communication is key- the managers and workers need to be on the same page and communicate directions and progress. This is something that was never present during the building of the dome. In a business, knowledge must be shared within all units of the organization, but Brunelleschi did not believe this. If Brunelleschi had known the importance of communication, he could have received feedback from his workers and possibly avoided setbacks such as the cracks in the nave of the church. In addition to his lack of communication, another setback of Brunelleschi’s technique was the poor working environment. The culture of the business created during the building of the dome was not a worker friendly one, with no benefits or accommodations given to the workers. There was no set of directions but rather, workers ‘went with the flow’ as Brunelleschi gave directions on the fly. This was a disadvantage to his progress because things may be forgotten without realizing their importance and crucial role to the project. With his big fear of plagiarism, it’s no surprise the very first patent was issued to Brunelleschi for his boat that was to be used as a transporter known as Il Badalone. Ironically, this was Brunelleschi’s most unsuccessful invention but he felt the need to protect it. Nonetheless, it can be seen that patents are a necessity for entrepreneurs. Brunelleschi was in constant fear of his competitors stealing his ideas and designs and this stands true in today’s society as well. Entrepreneurs need to protect their ideas from their competitors because everyone is looking to get ahead and come up with a new and better idea. Brunelleschi often followed his prime instinct, trusting it would work and that it was the best idea. This stood true for many of his projects and inventions. When he decided to lay the transverse bricks to prevent the dome from collapsing, there was no past documentation stating that this would work but he felt that it was the best way to go about it. Often times, entrepreneurs have to make final decisions based on gut instincts and Brunelleschi was what we may call a master of this. Being a very confident man, Brunelleschi often refused advice or help from other sources. He very rarely collaborated with others on designs or projects, but rather did it all himself. It may be argued that he may not have had the success he did if he teamed up with others. It may also be argued that if he did take advice from others, some of his unsuccessful inventions might have had a different and more successful outcome, such as Il Badalone. Filippo Brunelleschi is one of the most influential architects in history, with success in many areas due to his innovative ideas. He had access to plentiful financial resources and was able to take advantage of a labor force that worked for minimal fees. His ingenuity provided him with the capability to create unique product equipment that could not be found anywhere else. Brunelleschi was a proud and confident man, his confidence helping him in many ways. When his theories were questioned, he simply followed through and proved why his designs were going to work. When problems arose on the job, he trusted his intuition and was able to fix the problems. Although he showed many characteristics of an entrepreneur, Filippo Brunelleschi is not known as one of the greatest managers in history. In order to be successful in today’s world, he would have needed to brush up on a few things, such as his poor communication skills due to his fear of plagiarism of his designs and ideas. Communication is a must when talking about being an effective manager, but this was not all he would have to alter. He was a selfish man, refusing to work with others on projects or reluctantly working on a project with others. Effective managers need to be able to collaborate and work with numerous people at once. Brunelleschi was always more worried about his reputation and image rather than the overall well being of the project. A manager needs to put the overall success of the business first before their own ego and pride.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

People Of Gilded Age Essays - Philip Sheridan, Gilded Age

People Of Gilded Age Essays - Philip Sheridan, Gilded Age People Of Gilded Age After the Civil War had ended, several soldiers had returned home to find their places of living destroyed. Most of these people returned to practically nothing. The United States had to rebuild itself, and this rebuilding was called Reconstruction. Today historians refer to this era of reconstruction as the part of the Gilded Age. Many people had to pickup and start all over again, while others continued their quests of expanding. Expanding by taking control over the land or by expanding their beliefs, either way lives of these people reflected the social tensions of the Gilded Age. Philip H. Sheridan, who was one of the heroes of the Civil War, was a soldier who had started his career on the frontier and would return there after the war to help the United States in expanding its territory by having to combat many Native Americans in doing so. Sheridan was an extremely important person who helped conquer the frontier. Sheridan believed in the freeing of black slaves, and decided that he would help protect the blacks now that they were free. He expresses his opinion about what is done to black people in Texas by commenting that the black codes are a policy of gross injustice toward the colored people on the part of the courts, and a reign of lawlessness and disorder ensued.(10) Sheridans defense of the black cause much tension in his life, in Texas, that he was later reassigned to command the Department of the Missouri. (11) In 1869 when Grant had became President; he appointed Sheridan lieutenant governor and command of the Division of Missouri. Sheridans past o n tactics for attacking the Indians made him the best man for the job in defending the western frontier. Much of Sheridans life involved being enrolled in the army and defending the frontier. He is also known for the quote The only good Indian is a dead Indian, which he became synonymous with. (13) Sheridans life practically evolved around the Indian warfare and the tensions that surrounded it. His ethics and tactics of Indian warfare were often questioned, leaving him to defend himself against his critics quite often. Another lifestyle that had taken on the challenges of living a successful life was that of being a doctor. Susan LaFleshe Picotte was one of these doctors; but for Susan to be a successful doctor, she had to overcome many more obstacles than other people did. As you see, becoming a doctor is one difficult task at hand, but being a woman who was Indian was another. Susan was a Siouan-speaking Omaha, who had migrated to Nebraska because of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. (24) Susans life was different than the rest of the people in her tribe; she was one of the firsts not to have any piercing or any tattoos as Indians did back then. One other unique characteristic of Susan was that she wanted to continue her education to eventually become a physician. So on October 12, 1850 Susan was accepted to the Womans Medical College of Pennsylvania. (26) She finished her schooling and soon became the physician of her old reservation. Susan did anything she could to help her patients, including go ing house to house from sunrise to sunset providing care for her patients. Susan was up to her knees in patients and was taking care of all of the 1,244 tribal members on the reservation. (28) She was an extremely hard working woman of this age. Susan had to deal with other problems other than medicinal purposes. She had to deal with the fact that her tribe was constrained to its reservation. Susan also had to overcome the tensions at home and on the reservation with liquor, for she believed that it was one of the leading causes of death even before her husband succumbed to the effects. (32) Susan became politically involved and helped her tribe as much as possible, it must had been very difficult for someone of her stature to be looked at differently for her race and not for who she was. Sarah Christie Stevens was another woman who had to overcome adversity and survive in a mans world. Sarah was a