Biography of Cheikh Anta Diop Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biography of Cheikh Anta Diop - Research Paper Example Diop argues that it was in Africa where humanity developed to the Homo sapiens status. According to him, this great development in human evolution helped shape the civilization of the early Egyptians. Although African civilization stared in other places such as Sudan, Egypt provided the right environment in which the civilization grew. He further noted that since Africa was the original home of humankind, the difference in skin color and other structural differences are self explanatory2. In general, Diop believed that the contribution of Africa towards humanity is enormous and cannot be ignored. Secondly, Diop believed in the anti-colonial policy and was greatly influenced by it. For him, he believed in an independent and economically sound united Africa. For example, in his book titled Black Africa: The Economic and Cultural Basis of a Federal State, Diop mainly focuses on how African countries coupled unite to form one common market3. He also argued that Africa needed to have a continental army capable of defending the content and its inhabitants. He had a vision of an industrialized and united Africa, free from external interference and aid. In this book, he divides Africa into different zones for purposes of industrial development. He believed that there lies a lot of potential in the African continent that when used, could make African countries rich. He had a vision of how fusion could be used to generate enough power for the African countries to help on the process of industrialization. These ideas about industrialization and African independence are born from the fac t that he was a firm believer in creativity. According to him, man needs to create in order to survive4. Therefore for him, the only way Africa could survive was through industrialization.

Sound as Used in Film Essay Example for Free

Sound as Used in Film Essay Individual motion pictures are encompassed in a term called film. By recording actual people and objects, films are produced. Films are created by cultures that reflect these cultures in return. It is considered as an important form of art, a popular entertainment, and an effective means of indoctrinating the people. Individual photographs make up a film. A film may likewise be called as motion picture, movie, or flick. Cameras are used to capture images on rolls of film when recording a motion picture. Sound is a mechanical energy disturbance that is propagated as a longitudinal wave in matter. The sense of hearing help humans perceive sound. Medium is the matter that supports sound. Musical instruments, hearing aids, and broadcasting equipment are some of the equipment for propagating or using sound. Many of this equipment such as microphones and loudspeakers use electro-acoustic transducers. Silence is a total absence of sound. A person’s state of mind is often affected by silence. Most people will find silence uncomfortable. In modern Western society, people will talk even about nonsense things just to avoid moments of silence when meeting and talking with each other. Silence has played key roles in many musical works. Music is a form of artful arrangement of sounds. At times, it may likewise be used for purposes of aesthetics or ceremonies. Music may be enjoyed by people in different ways. Various societies take musical performances differently. The music that is produced by some creators can be heard using several media. Producing a sound for a performance is where some musical styles focus. Others focus on producing a recording which mix sounds together. Sound effects are artificial sounds that are created so that the artistic content of movies is emphasized. The sound effects in a movie are all other sounds that can be heard aside from the music and dialogue. It is referring to different levels of discipline with regards to movies. These disciplines include hard sound effects, background sound effects, foley sound effects, and design sound effects. Hard sound effects which can be exemplified by slamming doors are commonly seen by the audience that appears on screen. Background sound effects do not directly jive with the scenes on the screen but they provide the environment for the particular scene. Sounds that synchronize on screen like footsteps and movement of hand props are called foley sound effects. Last one is the design sound effects that are created from the creator’s imagination as it cannot be commonly heard in the environment. One of the essential elements of a film is music. It is not complete if there is no music (Coppola). A film is best enhanced by music when a specific emotional response is evoked in the audience to the story without the audience being aware of it (Corman). Film music is another weapon of the director. The mood of the theme is reflected by a score with a strong theme, thus any form of music may be used (Gilbert). In film making, music is a powerful tool. It can add emotion or even entirely change the impact of a sequence (Harding). Music either directs the audience’s attention or it subtly eludes a larger meaning of interpretation (Julien). The feeling that would not be present in the scene is created using music. By having music in a film, certain scenes can be expressed like tension and a feeling of suspense. It may likewise be used to procure or intensify the speed of certain scenes. Romance can be enhanced by a beautiful melody and bad music can enhance the opposite (Lynn). Without music, a movie is lifeless. Sound and silence is mixed together so as to arrive to a scene that the director of a film wants to portray. Likewise, a film can be better understood and enjoyed through the sounds that can be heard by the audience. A film that has no sound can be boring and may not sometimes be understandable. It is easier to enjoy a film where one can hear various sounds that may enhance his/her viewing enjoyment. Works Cited Sight and Sound. September 5, 2006. Because Films Inspire. April 24, 2007. http://www. bfi. org. uk/sightandsound/filmmusic/scoring. php

Joe Conrad :: essays research papers fc

Joseph Conrad was a very talented author. He started writing at the age of thirty-two, and began telling many tales of his life on the sea. In his youth he was a sailor and traveled to many places such as the Orient, and the Congo. It are his experiences on the Congo that serves as his primary source for his story The Heart of Darkness. This book was actually a story of a man, Charles Marlow, telling the story of his experience in Africa. While in Africa, Marlow's attitude towards life changes as can be seen in the following excerpts from the book. "We live in the flicker-may it last as long as the old earth keeps rolling!" (68). When Marlow gives that quote, he has not yet started his story. He is on a ship after a bad storm, and is about to begin. This particular quote has a zest to it. It tells one to live every moment to the fullest because life is but a flicker. This quote also tells the reader that Marlow wants to live a long life. After finishing the book, his statement seemed a bit strange because Marlow's tone became less enthusiastic at the end. However, Marlow survived through the experiences he told in his story. If he is still able to look back at his life and say, "may it last as long as the old earth keeps rolling!," then he must make the most out of it, and not let a few bad experiences change his attitude towards it. I couldn't help asking him once what he meant by coming there at all. 'To make money of course. what do you think?' he said, scornfully. Then he got fever, and had to be carried in a hammock slung under a pole...(86) This quote tells the reader much about the type of men that went to Africa. Most went only for the money-not giving a second thought to their health and safety. This particular man got deathly ill, and still was concerned only for money. Conrad was making a statement in this quote that too many people today do things only for money. Nobody works because they have a passion for what they do. People are too willing to put their lives on the line just to make a little money. Marlow was disgusted when the man snapped at him. Marlow he went to Africa because he had desired to do so since he was a little boy. He was an explorer at heart, and did not risk his

Analyse on “Broken boat” by John Galsworthy

Good time management is essential for coping with the pressures of modern life without experiencing too much stress.If you never have enough time to finish your tasks, better time management will help you regain control of your day.Good time management doesn't mean you do more work. It means you focus on the tasks that matter and will make a difference. Whether it’s in your job or your lifestyle as a whole, learning how to manage your time effectively will help you feel more relaxed, focused and in control.â€Å"The aim of good time management is to achieve the lifestyle balance you want,† says Emma Donaldson-Feilder, a chartered occupational psychologist.Here are her top tips for better time management: Work out your goalsThis first step towards improving your time management is to ask yourself some questions. â€Å"Work out who you want to be, your priorities in life, and what you want to achieve in your career or personal life,† says Donaldson-Feilder. â€Å" That is then the guiding principle for how you spend your time and how you manage it.†Once you have worked out the big picture, even if it's quite general, you can then work out some short-term and medium-term goals. â€Å"Knowing your goals will help you plan better and focus on the things that will help you achieve those goals,† says Donaldson-Feilder.Make a listA common time-management mistake is trying to remember too many details, leading to information overload. A better way to stay organised and take control of your projects and tasks is to use a to-do list to write things down.â€Å"Try it and see what works best for you,† says Donaldson-Feilder. She prefers to keep a single to-do list, to avoid losing track of multiple lists. â€Å"Keeping a list will help you work out your priorities and timings, so it can help you put off the non-urgent tasks.† Work smarter, not harderGood time management at work means doing high-quality work, not high quantity. Donaldson-Feilder advises concentrating not on how busy you are but on results. â€Å"Spending more time on something doesn’t necessarily achieve more,† she says. â€Å"Staying an extra hour at work at the end of the day may not be the most effective way to manage your time.†You may feel resentful about being in the office after hours. You’re also likely to be less productive and frustrated about how little you’re achieving, which will compound your stress. Have a lunch breakMany people work through their lunch break to gain an extra hour at work, but Donaldson-Feilder says that can be counter-productive. â€Å"As a general rule, taking at least 30 minutes away from your desk will help you to be more effective in the afternoon,† she says.A break is an opportunity to relax and think of something other than work. â€Å"Go for a walk outdoors or, better still, do some exercise,† says Donaldson-Feilder. â€Å"You’ll come back to your desk re-energised, with a new set of eyes and renewed focus.†Planning your day with a midday break will also help you to break up your work into more manageable chunks. Prioritise important tasksTasks can be grouped in four categories:urgent and important not urgent but important urgent but not important neither urgent nor importantâ€Å"When the phone rings, it seems urgent to pick it up but it’s not necessarily  important,† says Donaldson-Feilder. â€Å"It may be more important to continue with what you were doing rather than be distracted by a phone call. When it is appropriate, it may be more effective to let your voicemail pick up the message.†Donaldson-Feilder says people with good time management create time to concentrate on non-urgent, important activities. By so doing, they minimise the chances of activities ever becoming urgent and important.â€Å"The aim is to learn how to become better at reducing the number of urgent and important tas ks. Having to deal with too many urgent tasks can be stressful,† says Donaldson-Feilder. Practise the 4 DsWe can spend up to half our working day going through our email inbox, making us tired, frustrated and unproductive. A study has found that one-in-three office workers suffers from email stress.Making a decision the first time you open an email is crucial for effective time management. To manage this burden effectively, Donaldson-Feilder advises practising the 4 Ds of decision-making: Delete: half of the emails you get can probably be deleted immediately. Do: if the email is urgent or can be completed quickly.Delegate: if the email can be better dealt with by someone else. Defer: set aside time at a later date to spend on emails that require longer action.

Mirabell and Millament Relationship Essay

In The Way of the World, his last comedy, Congreve seems to come to realise the importance for providing an ideal pair of man and woman, ideal in the sense that the pair could be taken for models in the life-style of the period. But this was almost impossible task, where the stage was occupied by men and women, sophisticated, immoral, regardless of the larger world around them, and preoccupied with the self-conceited rhetoric as an weapon to justify their immoral activities within a small and restricted area of social operation. Congreve could not avoid this, and for this, he had to pave his way through the society by presenting a plot which, though complicated enough for a resolution, aims at the ideal union between the hero and heroine—Mirabell and Millament. They emerge as the triumphant culmination of the representative characters of the whole period, of course not types, for they are real enough to be human. Congreve endowed his hero and heroine with all the qualities typical of the society, but towards the end the qualities, if negative, are employed as guards against the venoms of the society. At the beginning of the play, we find Mirabell shaping up a situation so that he can win the hands of Millament and her estate as well from Lady Wishfort who has the rein of power over them. In this Mirabell is perfect Machiavellian: conscious of his surroundings. He is not at all a man from chivalric romance. That he is a past master in the game of love, of course, in the sense of the period, that is, sexual relationship—is evident from his past affairs with Mrs. Fainall, from Mrs. Marwood’s fascination towards him and, one many suspect, from Lady Wishfort’s unconscious longing for him. Moreover, Mirabell has mastered rhetoric to encounter men and women around them. Consistent with the irresistible charm of Mirabell, Congreve built the character of Millament. She is the perfect model of the accomplished fine lady of high life, who arrives at the height of indifference to everything from the height of satisfaction. To her pleasure is as familiar as the air she draws; elegance worn as a part of her dress; wit the habitual language which she hears and speaks. She has nothing to fear from her own caprices, being the only law to herself. As to the affairs of love, she treats them with at once seriousness and difference. For instance, she exclaims to Mirabell: â€Å"Dear me, what is a lover that it can give? One makes lovers as fast as one pleases, and they live as long as one pleases, and they die as soon as one pleases; and if one pleases one makes more. † This, however, may be a case for Millament who is â€Å"standing at the threshold of maturity from girlhood†, as Norman N. Holland points out. But from her discussion of preconditions before entering into marriage with Mirabell, it is clear that she is intelligent and discrete enough to judge her situation. In the Proviso Scene we find Mirabell and Millament meeting together to arrange an agreement for their marriage. The scene is a pure comedy with brilliant display of wit by both of them, but, above all, provides instructions which have serious dimensions in the context of the society. On her part, Millament makes it clear that a lover’s (Mirabell’s) appeals and entreaties should not stop with the marriage ceremony. Therefore, she would like to be ‘solicited’ even after marriage. She next puts that â€Å"My dear liberty† should be preserved; â€Å"I’ll lye abed in a morning as long as I please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Millament then informs that she would not like to be addressed by such names as â€Å"wife, spouse, my dear, joy, jewel, love, sweet-heart; and the rest of that nauseous can, in which men and their wives are so fulsomely familiar. † Moreover, they will continue to present a decorous appearance in public, and she will have free communication with others. In other words, after marriage they maintain certain distance and reserve between them. Mirabell’s conditions are quite different: they are frankly sexual in content, directed to his not being cuckolded or to her bedroom manners. â€Å"Just as Millament’s are developed femininely† as Norman N. Holland points out, â€Å"Mirabell’s are developed in a typically masculine way. † Each of Mirabell’s provisos begin with its item: first, the general principle, â€Å"that your Acquaintance be general†, then specific instructions, â€Å"no she-friend to screen her affairs†, no fop to take her to the theatre secretly, and an illustration of the forbidden behaviour, â€Å"to wheedle you a fop-scrambling to the play in a mask†. Nevertheless, Mirabell denounces the use of tight dresses during pregnancy by women, and he forbids the use of alcoholic drinks. The conditions are stated by both parties in a spirit of fun and gaiety, but the fact remained that both are striving to arrive at some kind of mutual understanding. While the Proviso Scene ensures the marriage of true minds, the possession of dowry with Millament remains the aim of Mirabell for the rest of the play. At the end of the play Mirabell and Millament through their own peculiar balance of wit and generosity of spirit, reduce the bumbling Witwood and mordant Fainall to the level of false wit. Thus Mirabell and Millament dramatise the true wit that is so carefully and symmetrically defined through opposition. On his part, Mirabell informs that, â€Å"†¦I like her with all her faults: nay, like her for her faults†¦They now to grown as familiar to me as my own frailties†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And Millament declares to Mrs. Fainall, â€Å"Well, if Mirabell should not make a good husband, I am a lost thing—for I find I love him violently. † These confidences do not prevent their own chances for honesty in marriage. The triumph of the play is in the emergence of lovers who through a balance of intense affection and cool self-knowledge achieve an equilibrium that frees them from the world’s power. As the title of the play The Way of the World suggests, they have assimilated the rational lucidity of sceptical rake so that they can use the world and reject its demands.

Databases essays

Databases essays The database consists of characters or a group of characters that form a field. A related group of fields creates a record. The records are combined to form a file. The files are grouped to form a database. Databases can contain only characters or can also include images, sound, and movies to form a multimedia database. Businesses need data so that it is available, modifiable, and controllable. Data files can be organized in a sequentially, direct, or indexed file. The data must be kept up to date and correct. To do this a data validation process must be used. The advantage of data files is that they are easy to use. The disadvantages are that when multiple data files are required for the business a lot of duplication of data and effort is involved; this is where databases comes to play. The database consolidates the different data files into one database and is managed with database management software. The database is a collection of data and relationships in the stored data. Throu gh the relationships established in the database the updating of the database normally requires single entries for one field or record. The database will then update the other databases within the whole database based on that input. This is the primary advantage of the database method of managing data. The greatest disadvantage of database software is the cost of the software and the need for a more powerful computer with larger storage, both primary and secondary, to store the data. Another disadvantage is that the database is stored altogether on one disk, if that disk is damaged or destroyed all data is lost. The final disadvantage is that systems utilizing this system can be complex to develop. Database relationships can be one-to-one, one-to-many or many-to-many. The most common type of database in use today is the relational database utilizing one of the relationships. The relational database requires the use of a primary key that uniquely identifies ...

Outline for a Term Paper

Outline for a Term Paper Outline for a Term Paper Outline for a Term Paper Outline for a term paper is a very important element of term paper writing. Outline should be written before you start writing a term paper.   Outline will help you set the direction for the term paper writing. Using custom term paper writing services, outline is delivered for free!   site unites professional native English writers who are able to help you with term paper writing on any topic!   Our paper writing blog is free and has numerous samples and writing tips. Term Paper Sample: Free Excerpt Part of the downward trend of fertility since 1957 was a result of the compressed fertility of the baby boom. Although it is not known whether today's young couples will have appreciably fewer children than couples born during the Depression years, there are two new facts in the picture today which point toward the probability of smaller families. The first is the continuation of the relationship described by Easterlin between fertility on the one hand and the supply of and demand for labor on the other. The bumper crops of babies are now maturing and swelling the ranks of job seekers and their competitive position is much less favorable than that of their counterparts in the late forties who entered the labor force in small numbers in a rapidly expanding economy. The second factor is the Pill. There is absolutely no evidence that the advent of the Pill initiated the decline in fertility; quite the contrary, the trend was evident for several years before the Pill was used by enough women to have made any substantial impact. But by 1964 this was no longer the case and by 1969 perhaps as many as a third of married couples were using this sophisticated contraceptive. The significance of the use of this method goes beyond its high degree of effectiveness in preventing unwanted fertility. The fact of its popularity among the young means that couples are adopting this method before, as well as early in, marriage, they are developing the contraceptive habit soon enough that increasing proportions of young couples are making decisions about first and second births that were formerly left to chance. This means not only that the length of time between births is increased, but also that the attitudes of successful family planning may be carried over into the later childbearing years. Moreover, an important by-product of postponing early childbearing is that it exposes the woman more to alternative interests potentially competitive with the mother role, such as working; this should also operate to reduce fertility further. One additional observation about the near future is also in order. Not only is research on new improved contraception progressing rapidly but the possibility of legalized abortion throughout the country seems closer at this moment than it has ever been closer indeed than anyone would have guessed even a year or so ago. And if that happens, as it well may, the fertility rate will undoubtedly decline further if the level of unwanted births has remained at anything like the rate estimated for the early 1960's. Term Paper Help Online Term paper writing service is qualitative help.   Using custom term paper assistance, you get a number of free pages: outline, cover page, and references.   Our educated writers can handle virtually any topic and they are never late with paper delivery!   Our term paper writing services are affordable.

Quotations by King Alfred the Great

Quotations by King Alfred the Great Alfred was extraordinary for an early medieval king in several respects. He was a particularly wily military commander, successfully keeping the Danes at bay, and he wisely shored up defenses when the enemies of his kingdom were occupied elsewhere. At a time when England was little more than a collection of warring kingdoms, he established diplomatic relations with his neighbors, including the Welsh, and unified a substantial portion of the heptarchy. He displayed remarkable administrative flair, reorganizing his army, issuing important laws, protecting the weak, and promoting learning. But most unusual of all, he was a gifted scholar. Alfred the Great translated several works from Latin into his own language, Anglo-Saxon, known to us as Old English, and wrote some works of his own. In his translations, he sometimes inserted comments that offer insight not only into the books but into his own mind. Here are some notable quotations from the notable English king, Alfred the Great. I desired to live worthily as long as I lived and to leave after my life, to the men who should come after me, the memory of me in good works. From  Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius Remember what punishments befell us in this world when we ourselves did not cherish learning nor transmit it to other men. From  Pastoral Care by Pope Gregory the Great Therefore he seems to me a very foolish man, and very wretched, who will not increase his understanding while he is in the world, and ever wish and long to reach that endless life where all shall be made clear. From Blooms (aka Anthology) Very often it has come to my mind what men of learning there were formerly throughout England, both in religious and secular orders; and how there were happy times then throughout England; and how the kings, who had authority over this people, obeyed God and his messengers; and how they not only maintained their peace, morality, and authority at home but also extended their territory outside; and how they succeeded both in warfare and in wisdom; and also how eager were the religious orders both in teaching and in learning as well as in all the holy services which it was their duty to perform for God; and how people from abroad sought wisdom and instruction in this country; and how nowadays, if we wished to acquire these things, we would have to seek them outside. From the preface to Pastoral Care When I recalled how knowledge of Latin had previously decayed throughout England, and yet many could still read things written in English, I then began, amidst the various and multifarious afflictions of this kingdom, to translate into English the book which in Latin is called Pastoralis, in English Shepherd-book, sometimes word for word, sometimes sense for sense. From the preface to Pastoral Care For in prosperity a man is often puffed up with pride, whereas tribulations chasten and humble him through suffering and sorrow. In the midst of prosperity the mind is elated, and in prosperity a man forgets himself; in hardship, he is forced to reflect on himself, even though he be unwilling. In prosperity a man often destroys the good he has done; amidst difficulties, he often repairs what he long since did in the way of wickedness. ― Attributed. In recent years, the veracity of Alfreds authorship has been called into question. Did he really translate anything from Latin to Old English? Did he write anything of his own? Check out the arguments in Jonathan Jarretts blog post, Deintellectualising King Alfred.

Open Family Communication Is Important Research Paper

Open Family Communication Is Important - Research Paper Example The range of areas elaborated comprises the following: (1) maintaining open communication amidst changes in location by means of various channels (2) the role of communication in preventing unfavourable and disadvantageous including, but not limited to, juvenile delinquency and drug abuse. This treatise points toward resolving questions on the subject of strong communication orientation and healthier parental relationship; open communication and founding moral values in children. THE IMPORTANCE OF OPEN FAMILY COMMUNICATION 2 Introduction Communication is not merely an art but likewise an important facet in building an ideal and healthy parental relationship. The lack or deficiency in communication among family members invites an augmented possibility of misunderstanding, disagreements and predicaments. Furthermore, poor communication orientation, particularly between parents and a child, assigns greater susceptibility on children to undesirable consequences including, but not limited to, juvenile delinquency and drug abuse. Thus, a strong communication is needed in order to preclude these possibilities. A research conducted by Kelly et al. (2002) proposes that, on the whole, parent-child communication serves as a strong protective factor with respect to the youth involvement with substances. Parents should therefore initiate discussions or display communicative behaviour more than their children. Besides, â€Å"†¦parents may be a more potent influence than they might perceive themselves to be† (Kelly, Comello, & Hunn, 2002). An unveiled communication between parents and children paves the way for ingenuousness and ideal parental supervision. The development of family relationship is typically determined by the quality of communication encompassing a home. According to Clark and Shields (1997), communication among family members is universally regarded as one of the most important and fundamental aspect of interpersonal relationships. Correspondingly , they added that it is â€Å"a key to understanding the dynamics underlying family relations† (Clark & Shields, 1997). In some cases, the quality of parent-child communication is rather slashed due to some changes in location or due to some inevitable transition, for example, when a child needs to provisionally separate from his parents to study at another location. Essentially, this particular subject matter interests the researcher because of its prevalent significance in terms of how THE IMPORTANCE OF OPEN COMMUNICATION 3 communication plays a crucial role in maintaining intimate association between parents and a child. Likewise, how dearth of parent-child communication affects the relationship of a child toward his or her parents and the consequences that could conceivably transpire as a result of this deficiency. In effect, this treatise intends to answer the following questions: (1) how does open parent-child communication precludes feasible emergence of undesirable co nsequences – including juvenile delinquency, drug use, and the like - affecting adolescents and young adults? (2) In what ways open parent-child communication can be perpetuated with respect to location, age or means of communication? Open communication does not only bring in healthy home relationship but it also moulds a child’s behaviour and personality. A study conducted by Elwood and Schrader (1998) found out

Cell Phones in China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cell Phones in China - Research Paper Example Many religions survive in China. Different religions that are preached In China are Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism, with the first three being major. Education system in china is divided into 3 categories basic education, higher education, and adult education. Education order implementation is that each child must have necessary education of 9 years. In 1900, China strictly lacked the technological progress. The past 10 years are the era of massive technological development in China and now China is among one of the most developed nations of the world. Chinese mobile phone industry has a high growth rate and during last year it supplied up to 50% of global production of mobile phones. In 1995 China started wireless telecommunication through GSM. In 2000 a fixed telecom company (China telecom) and 2 mobile phone companies (China Mobile and China Unicom) were established. Another major telecommunication company was established in China an year before the 3rd Gen eration was granted. Reference Brandt, L. Reflection on China’s late 19th and Early 20th Century, 1997 The mobile phone technology has boosted up Chinese economy due to great sales and purchases and it has also enabled china to have a stand in global market.

Is the institutionalisation of social movements inevitably Essay

Is the institutionalisation of social movements inevitably emasculating - Essay Example These movements make demands through various means like lobbying, protesting and other campaigns. This is in contrast with the historic system of overthrows whereby people, mainly men, with dissatisfaction with a given regime, used various means to either overthrow the entire government or military cessations that led to a complete revolution and change in the nation. This paper examines whether the institutionalisation of social movements are emasculating or not. Hence, this research paper will examine the following research question: whether the institutionalisation of social movements is inevitably emasculating or not. To this end, the paper critiques various theories and concepts of social movements and its impact. The paper will draw on contemporary and historical examples in order to critique the topic in order to synthesise different concepts and theories to draw conclusions on the fundamental research question. In previous times, protest groups were seen to be an affront to the nation and to the authorities of the state (Marx, 1974). Therefore, the governments, police and authorities in these different nations and communities used informants to spy on these protest groups in order to get inside information about these protesters in order to make arrests (Marx, 1974) . Examples of these situations and phenomenon include totalitarian regimes like Tsarist Russia, the Soviet Union, North Korea and other nations. These countries used various approaches and means to gain information and feedback about protest groups. However, in the West today and in most parts of the world which are democratic, the attitudes and approaches to protests are different. Save for a few countries like Egypt and North Korea today, most countries are nations with freedom of speech and the right to free association. Nations like the United States and the United Kingdom have also come a long way. And the previous system of viewing

GDP and the circular flow of income and expenditures Research Paper

GDP and the circular flow of income and expenditures - Research Paper Example roductivity, expenditure, or income (gross domestic product of a nation) (Ouanes, Abdessatar, Subhash, Thakur, Lienert, Marciniak and Swiderski, 1997, p.87). Consumption is a primary concept in economics, and many other social sciences also study it. Economists are very much interested in the relationship that exists between income and consumption. According to some economists, consumption entails the final purchase of goods and services by individuals. Other economists define consumption in a much broader manner. They define it as the aggregate of all economic activities that does not include the design, marketing of goods and services and production. An example is the adoption, selection, use, disposal and the recycling of the services and products (Ouanes, Abdessatar, Subhash,Thakur, Lienert, Marciniak and Swiderski, 1997, p.87) According to economists, Investment is the accumulation of physical entities that are newly produced, such as goods inventories, houses, machinery, and factories. Also in macroeconomics, it is the amount purchased per unit time of goods that are not utilized but are employed in at a future date production. It is as a function of interest rates and income. An increase in the amount of revenue will contribute to higher investment and, on the other hand, higher rates of interest may lead to the discouragement of investment since it will be more costly to borrow money. More so if a company decides to use its funds in an investment. The interest rate will represent an opportunity cost of investing the funds rather lending out the money for interest (Ouanes, Abdessatar, Subhash ,Thakur, Lienert, Marciniak and Swiderski, 1997, p.87) According to economists, government spending entails all consumptions of the government, investments, and transfer payments. Government spending can be by taxes, seigniorage, and government borrowing. Changes in the government expenditure are a primary component of fiscal policy which is used to stabilize the

Assessment of the Patient with Acute Abdominal Pain Article

Assessment of the Patient with Acute Abdominal Pain - Article Example Assessment by the use of a thorough history can determine the cause of up to seventy percent of all abdominal pain cases. The history plan laid out by the authors questions involving the pain itself, what symptoms are co-morbid with the pain, past medical treatment, current medications and medical conditions, and a family and social history. Article Evaluation The guide for the history laid out in this article is very detailed. It even gives notes on how to frame the questions in order to gain the most useful results from the patient, as well as listing nearly a dozen co-morbid disorders that can lead to abdominal pain during serious complications. It also provides an explanation of many of the therapies that are often used to treat and diagnosis abdominal pain. However, most of the diagnostic tools mentioned and all of the treatment methods would require a physician and are outside the scope of traditional nursing care. Despite this, there are no reasons why this assesssment should not be used.

Doctoral Study Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Doctoral Study Topic - Essay Example Studies conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Hospital Association (AHA) during the early 2000s project that there will be â€Å"shortages of at least 124,000 physicians and 500,000 nurses by 2025† (Ziwiak 2010 pg 1). The ever increasing demand for care, in terms of escalating growth in the population, aging and enhanced life expectancy, places a hefty onus on the healthcare sector to cater for an exponentially growing number of patients. However, the country is finding it difficult to recruit sufficient number of human resources to meet the requirement. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), taking into account the reports of the AHA (July, 2007) and the American Health Care Association (AHCA) (July, 2008), puts the â€Å"total RN vacancies in the US to more than 135,000† (Rosseter 2012 Pg 2). Thus, it transpires that there exists an acute shortage of nurses in the US and that this trend will rather continue unabated than checked. Though the US government is taking steps to enroll more nurses and trying to increase the age of retirement, these measures hardly seem adequate to fetch the intended results in addressing the issue. Alternatives like recruiting overseas nurses also come with certain disadvantages. Healthcare Industry being service oriented, it becomes imperative that hospitals should have sufficient number of nurses to provide quality healthcare to the patients. In this context, it is relevant that when staff shortage exists in a hospital, the services of available personnel gets overstretched, which may entail in compromising the quality of care to the patients. Thus, the main concern of a hospital manager or administrator is to ensure that the organization has sufficient number of human resources to meet the demands of quality patient care. Besides, eliminating delays in care should be one of the top priorities of hospitals for

Assessment of the Patient with Acute Abdominal Pain Article

Assessment of the Patient with Acute Abdominal Pain - Article Example Assessment by the use of a thorough history can determine the cause of up to seventy percent of all abdominal pain cases. The history plan laid out by the authors questions involving the pain itself, what symptoms are co-morbid with the pain, past medical treatment, current medications and medical conditions, and a family and social history. Article Evaluation The guide for the history laid out in this article is very detailed. It even gives notes on how to frame the questions in order to gain the most useful results from the patient, as well as listing nearly a dozen co-morbid disorders that can lead to abdominal pain during serious complications. It also provides an explanation of many of the therapies that are often used to treat and diagnosis abdominal pain. However, most of the diagnostic tools mentioned and all of the treatment methods would require a physician and are outside the scope of traditional nursing care. Despite this, there are no reasons why this assesssment should not be used.

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 6

Globalization - Essay Example The political, societal and moral aspects of this sort of a global financial system are starting to aggravate significant discussion as well as argument. Economists have acted in response to reports of conflictual international market forces with both contempt and unresponsiveness and, whereas such reactions have not always been unjustifiable, they have not done much to facilitate in going towards a more productive discussion. Actually, the global economy is still a quite long way from this condition. A further appropriate account of the existing circumstances is global economic interdependence, where cross-border relations among markets and between production and economic activities are currently so powerful that economic growth in any one nation is controlled to a considerable level by procedures and advancements outside its borders. Nonetheless, the level as well as nature of that control carries to rely on a nation’s capital endowments, institutional agreements and domesti c strategy alternatives. Discussion The prospects of this interdependent global economy on the medium to longer term will be dependent on its capability to provide not just a quicker rate of economic development but as well a level of affluence which is extensively shared by various nations as well as classes. Up till now, conservative economic study has been capable of dominating the debate on global potential with a dynamic assertion of the powerful and spontaneous connections among higher openness, more rapid development, and economic integration.

English literature Essay Example for Free

English literature Essay For Locke, all knowledge comes exclusively through experience. He argues that at birth the mind is a tabula rasa, or blank slate, that humans fill with ideas as they experience the world through the five senses. Locke defines knowledge as the connection and agreement, or disagreement and repugnancy, of the ideas humans form. From this definition it follows that our knowledge does not extend beyond the scope of human ideas. In fact, it would mean that our knowledge is even narrower than this description implies, because the connection between most simple human ideas is unknown. Because ideas are limited by experience, and we cannot possibly experience everything that exists in the world, our knowledge is further compromised. However, Locke asserts that though our knowledge is necessarily limited in these ways, we can still be certain of some things. For example, we have an intuitive and immediate knowledge of our own existence, even if we are ignorant of the metaphysical essence of our souls. We also have a demonstrative knowledge of God’s existence, though our understanding cannot fully comprehend who or what he is. We know other things through sensation. We know that our ideas correspond to external realities because the mind cannot invent such things without experience. A blind man, for example, would not be able to form a concept of colour. Therefore, those of us who have sight can reason that since we do perceive colours, they must exist.

Pride of the Anthropocentric World vs. the Theocentric World

Pride of the Anthropocentric World vs. the Theocentric World Verna Drieas Throughout The Iliad and the Tanakh, pride becomes an apparent theme, which frames characters and their worldview of humanity as a whole. Within the Tanakh, the Jews look down upon pride or admiring oneself, because they associate all their gain   to God. Yet, pride for the Greeks was about more than just one thinking highly of themselves, it was about being respected and honored by men now and those to come. The reason for this being that the Greeks live in an anthropocentric world, whereas the Jews live in a theocentric world. Living in an anthropocentric world means that the human is the main focus, so the Greeks felt that their Gods held no glory which they had to humble themselves before. Leading the Greeks to act as Gods themselves, therefore taking the glory away from the Gods of Olympus. For the Jews, God is the central element of their lives, so they associate [1]their prosperity to the glory of God, who they believe allowed them to have such blessings. Consequently, the Jews push aside their pride to acknowledge that they are nothing without God and ensure that God remains with them. Coming from different worldviews, causes the Greeks to put their pride above all others because humanity to them is greater than any divine, whereas the Jews associate[2] pride with sin, because they believe that all their gifts come from God so it is wrong to take credit for such blessings.[3][4] When David returned from war with the Philistines, the people chanted his name and praised him for his bravery. Saul, hearing this, became angry and sought out to kill David as he saw that David was a favorite among the people and feared that he would go after his crown. Fortunately, Sauls son, Jonathan, told David of his fathers plan, so David escaped from Saul and fled from one place to another to hide from the wrath of Saul. As David was hiding in the cave of En-gedi, Saul came in to relieve himself, so David went and cut off a piece of his cloak. David then felt guilty for doing so to Saul, The Lord forbid I should do such a thing to my lord- the Lords anointed- that I should raise my hand against him; for he is the Lords anointed (I Samuel 24. 7). Rather than killing Saul, he spares him because he is the Messiah, he was chosen by God. David feels as if he can not bring harm to Saul because then he would upset the Lord. Even though Saul insults David and continuously threatens h is life, David puts his pride aside and does not kill Saul for the sake of God. In contrast when Achilles was asked to put aside his pride for the sake of his comrades he was not willing to do so, for Agamemnon stole his war prize, Briseis and claimed her as his own. This was an attack towards Achilles as Agamemnon not only took away his trophy but his timà ª,   also known as honor. This humiliated Achilles, as Agamemnon continued to insult him and discredit his war efforts, Achilles then questioned Should he draw the long sharp sword slung at his hip, thrust through the ranks and kill Agamemnon now? (The Iliad I. 224-225). If Athena had not come down from Olympus to calm the fury in the heart of Achilles, he would have killed Agamemnon. To Achilles, his pride was far greater than the life of Agamemnon, as he was willing to kill him regardless of his position. Although both David and Achilles were faced with an inner-conflict of whether or not they should kill their king, they deal with it in different ways. David puts aside his pride and stops himself from committing such a violent act, and even feels remorse for simply cutting off a piece of Sauls cloak, because he is Gods chosen one. He fears God and is not willing to put his pride ahead, because he comes from a world where mans focal point in life is pleasing God. On the other hand, Achilles wants to kill Agamemnon for dishonoring him, he doesnt try to stop himself, rather it is Athena who stops him. Achilles does not care about Agamemnon nor does he fear him, as he would rather Agamemnon be dead than his pride be aggrieved. Being that they come from different worlds, Achilles and David handle the situation differently. David fears God because his whole world focuses on God and pleasing the Lord. Whereas Achilles does not need to fear the Gods, since they hold no true holiness, and in his world, human beings hold the greatest significance, so Achilles cares more about what man will say about him and his honor, rather than what the Gods will say or do to him. So the different worldviews affect the way in which characters value their pride. After Nathan had come to talk to David about Gods wishes, of building him a temple and relayed the Lords covenant to David, David said to God, What am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me thus far?You are great indeed, O Lord God! There is none like you and there is no other God but you (II Samuel 7. 18, 22). David reflects on all that he has gained over the time and he realizes that he has prospered immensely. Yet, he does not boast, rather he takes the time to thank God for all that he has given him and even vows to build the Lord a place for public worship. He does not become prideful and blame all his success on himself, instead he acknowledges that he is nothing without the Lord who blessed him with such riches. When it comes to the Greeks, they however are not the same. As Patroclus goes to war, in the place of Achilles, he kills one man after the other, with Zeus watching over him. Until Hector faces him and stabs him in the guts and mocks him, but Patroclus answers right back saying, Even if twenty Hectors had charged against me-theyd all have died here, laid low by my spear. No deathly fate in league with Apollo killed me (The Iliad XVI. 991-993). Patroclus shows no thanks to the Gods, rather he takes pride in all his success thus far in the war. He says that he could have taken any man, as he was able to face Gods who could not kill him. Patroclus boasts in himself, because he sees himself as a man who is greater than even the Gods and could defeat even twenty Hectors. Though both characters are blessed with gifts and talents, David connects his success to   the glory of the Lord, whereas Patroclus claims that all his talents and his ability to kill so many men was his doing alone. Patroclus is able to do so because he comes from a world where humans are held at a higher value than other beings, even divine beings, however he does not acknowledge that his gifts are given by the Gods. Instead he takes the glory of the Gods for himself and indulges in his own success, and forgets the Gods when he is able to gain such defeat over the Trojan warriors. In contrast, David thanks God for all that he has acquired, he knows that he was given all these blessings through the Lord. Unlike Patroclus, when David is faced with great prosperity, he humbles himself and questions the Lord saying Who am I to receive all these gifts from you. He does not claim all his success for himself, as he sees that he could not have done any of that without Gods doing. Si nce David does come from a theocentric world, his whole life revolves around God, so he does not take pride in himself, but rather he takes pride in the Lord being great towards him. In conclusion, pride within the two texts is different in that the characters from the novels come from different worlds, so their pride reflects upon what their focus is. Being that the Greeks come from a world that focuses on man, they are not afraid to admire themselves as all they truly care about is their pride and honor because that is what is carried on through history, and what men will be talking about even when they are dead. However, the Jews fear the Lord far more than man, so they are willing to put their pride aside in order to please the Lord above all. When faced with similar situations the characters from The Iliad and the Tanakh, go about the situation differently, because their central focuses in life are different from one another.

Hackers Good or Evil :: Essays Papers

Hackers Good or Evil Imagine this, you are driving along the road and suddenly you see something spectacular. Now imagine that you are not allowed to deviate from your course to check it out. This is what a so-called â€Å"hacker† faces. Just imagine that you saw an injured person on the side of the road. In this analogy you are not allowed to help the injured person. A hacker is not allowed to explore like everyone else in the world. A hacker is not allowed to help fix potential security holes. The term hacker can have many meanings. The most visible to the public is the person pirating software, and breaking into corporate networks and destroying information. This is the public misconception of a hacker. Back in the Unix days, a hack was simply a quick and dirty way of doing something. Hackers in those days were basically just computer experts. Nowadays hacker means the same thing as a cracker, a person who pirates software, and malicious hackers. The media, of course, never prints the good thin gs hackers do. Most hackers provide a service to companies, by letting the company know about security holes, before a rival exploits it. Most hackers want nothing more than to simply learn. A hacker has an extreme thirst for knowledge, but not in the traditional subjects. Technology, and anything new interest hackers. In fact most security experts start out but learning and â€Å"hacking†. The bad view of hackers is not completely false. There are hackers out there that will do there best to harm any system hey can, but most want nothing more than to find the beauty in system, or network. To hackers vast networks, and the inside of a firewall that was meant to keep them out, are the most beautiful sights on Earth. In every aspect of life there are people who exploit others. Murders, robbers, or any other criminals come from every walk of life. Even hackers have some, but like the general population, it is a small percentage. Most people would call the whole Linux community hackers, because anyone who has the knowledge to run Unix must be a hacker. This show what good hackers can do. The entire Unix GNU community is run by hackers. They all contribute toward a free operating system. They all work out the bugs, and then distribute it for free. Hackers got tired of paying for an OS that did not work well.

To Be of Use

According to Confucius, â€Å"You should treat others the way you want to be treated. † Resembling Confucius’ golden rule, Harold Kushner’s â€Å"Shalom: The Quest for Integrity† talks about a man who did something good, when people didn’t think he would. While Marge Piercy isn’t writing about treating others a certain way, she is instead writing about being of good use. Harold Kushner’s text parallels Marge Piercy’s poem in the topic of being of good use. Due to the length of the poem, she talks about people being of use. Harold Kushner’s text talks about people who were useful.On Monday night December 11, 1995, the fire at the textile mill changed a city. Many people of Lawrence, Massachusetts, were worried about the economic impact from losing the textile mill due to the fire. However, the owner Aaron Feuerstein surprised everyone. People expected he would take advantage of the fire to move to a more profitable locatio n. Feuerstein announced that not only was he going to rebuild the factory, but also workers would receive three months of payroll, even though there was no work. â€Å"Feuerstein is a special person, a man of integrity†, are there few people with integrity?Maybe is the reason Blanchard co-author the book called The Power of Ethical Management, â€Å"there’s no right way to do a wrong thing,† using the book as a plea to the business world. Directed to the people who do things to benefit themselves, but hurt others. Confucius states: treat others the way you want to be treated; ask yourself if you do harm to others, would you like it if someone did harm to you in the same way? No because many of us wouldn’t; many don’t think about the consequences, or if it happened to themselves, before they do something. People commit wrong doing, to benefit themselves.When I hear politicians and preachers condemning the sinful ways of society around them, I often agree with their criticisms, but I don’t hear the pain in their voices. † As stated in the text by Kushner, many people lead with falsehood, tricking others to believing that they are useful people of integrity, when in the end they really are not. Marge Piercy’s poem gives her opinion of people who are useful. In the first verse, she has a high regard for people who throw enthusiasm into the work they do. She compares the people who throw enthusiasm into their work, to water buffalo.That people who enjoy their work, with patience, will in the end receive good rewards. Rewards of satisfaction, the results of their hard work, are what they receive in return for tireless hard work. To Piercy, work is as common as mud; work like mud smears the hand. â€Å"But the thing worth doing well done, has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident,† says Piercy in her poem. Piercy’s poem is more of a collection of opinions, the things that make a person useful. W hat she thinks useful people are like. Piercy has high regard for people who give care into their work.In past experience, and previous knowledge, people who work hard are reward, they move up in life. However people who don’t have integrity, who do harm eventually fail from life. Many people, who are successful, love their work; they enjoy what they are doing with enthusiasm. Treating other with respect should gain you respect. Kushner discusses more about people who had integrity, who gave back, when no one expected them to. People who made themselves useful People who try to encourage people to be ethically positive. To change their tactics to help people not harm people. The benefits, and why people did the things they did.Then also the people who are false or true prophets. The people who speak true, but don’t adhere to what they preach. Piercy, on the other had in contrast, expresses her opinion, on the factor of people being of use, having high regard for people who love working, being useful and enjoy their work. That their hard work would reward them. Piercy’s poem contrast’s Kushner’s text, in terms of the directions they go. Kushner is indirectly talking about being of use but on the topic of people with integrity, and ethical standards. Piercy directly relates to the topic of to be use. The opinion of what she thinks people who are useful.

Nadine grodimer’s The train from Rhodesia

Nadine grodimer's The train from Rhodesia BY jzy240 Nadine Gordimer's nobel prize speech To sum up the speech, Nadine Gordimer is saying that humans as a species are natturally inquisitive and are constantly advancing. We always want the answer to all the questions. That we have evolved to communicate to find these answers quicker. Yet we may not be able to find these answers. This is where fantasy and myth can gives us the answers to compincate for the lack of the truth. They combine what is known and what we want to know. That writing and life go hand in hand with achother.Metaphorical language in The train from Rhodesia Throughout the short story the train itself is a metaphor. Not easily-envisioned one yet a metaphor all the same. It is mentioned to be a beast. For example â€Å"the steaming complaint of the resting beast†. The use of the word beast represents the train as uncontrollable and aggressive. Also the sound of the trains whistle is an eerie sound, like the howl of a wolf. The train isnt Just an out of control beast, it is like a chained beast. It was â€Å"blind and pulled helplessly' such as an oxen pulls a farmers plough.However for all its anamalistic qualities the train is given the human qualities. An example would be when the train calls out â€Å"I'm coming† is saying that the train is able to speak, therefor giving it human qualities. The train cries out â€Å"and again there was no answer† this represents humans and how they have been calling out throughout the centuries to o avail. We called out in prayer in song and in many other ways, yet no reply from anything, other than humans, came back. The train then mocks mans forever desire for an omnipotent creator, or at least an answer.

MGT 501

Developing the Session Long Project Paper:   The SLP paper is a unique opportunity to directly use the course materials to improve your understanding of the OB-related issues within your immediate work organization (or another organization you know very well).   This should help to make the course more personally relevant. Please note that they ARE NOT simply ‘personal opinion’ papers.   Rather, they ask you to conduct a series of brief personal assessments, relating insights you have gained from reviewing the assigned academic materials, to your specific career.   Spend some time thinking about how to apply these assessments and coming up with a substantive career development plan to build on your skills and shore up your weaknesses. Your analysis should be approximately two double spaced pages, plus include both title and academic reference pages (the same as requested for each case paper).   Also, as with the case paper, please use contiguous citations (at the point in the paper where they are most relevant†¦again, see the TUI Style Sheet on this).   These will assist help your professor to better understand how you have used the applicable academic material to support your analysis. The SLP for this class involves constructing a personal inventory of your management skills, and a plan for improving those skills. In each module, you will complete an assessment of a relevant set of skills, focusing on your strengths and identifying any weaknesses that may have been revealed through the assessment an/or your personal experience. You will then be asked to create a plan by which you can `grow` your strengths and shore up your weaknesses. By the end of the project, you will have a personal management profile and action plan. In this module, you will be assessing your cultural awareness. Click on this link to Kwintessential Language and Culture Specialists. ((http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/culture-tests.html)) You will find a selection of 20 or so cultural awareness quizzes. Choose one or two that looks interesting to you. (Hint: You will learn the most if you choose a general quiz, or one that concerns a country with which you are not familiar, as well as test your knowledge of a culture with which you think you are highly familiar.) After completing the quiz(s), address the following questions in a 1-page essay: Which quiz(s) did you take? As I am from Asia and I do know a bit of Spanish, I took the Cross-Cultural quiz on Islam and on Mexico. Were you surprised at your score? Yes, I was a bit surprised about the results.   In the Islam quiz, I got an 80 %, and in the Mexican quiz, I got 60 %. What strengths do you think that you have in the area of inter-cultural awareness? Some of the strengths I have in the area of cross-cultural awareness includes: – Knowing a bit of the local languages, such as Arabic, Urdu, and Spanish Knowing the customs and traditions belonging of these groups Belonging to the same religion or staying with people of the same religion as these groups. Having an idea of the attitudes, beliefs and practices followed by these groups. Having respect for one another, irrespective of the caste, creed, race, etc. Having more of cultural encounters and interactions Having an idea of interacting and developing a relationship with people from other cultures Staying in a cosmopolitan environment I have met people from these countries I have read about these groups in books and in web sites.  · What weaknesses are you able to identify? I have not traveled to these regions of the world I do not know to read and right the languages spoken in these regions Taking a bit longer time to learn local languages Taking longer time to get accomplished with local traditions – Create a plan of specific steps can you take to build on your strengths and decrease areas of weakness. During cross-cultural interactions, the individual should not be bias and have a faulty attitude towards people belonging to certain cultural background.   These attitudes develop when others provide inappropriate information of these groups.   Hence, we tend to develop negative behaviors with individuals of these groups leading to negative interactions and bad experiences.   It would be more important for us to be unbiased and have an open mind. 1. As I stay in a cosmopolitan environment, I would be open for discussion, interactions and ability to accept people belonging to foreign cultures. 2. Before interacting with any individual belonging to another cultural group, a thorough cultural assessment similar to this needs to be conducted. 3. Once the cross-cultural skills have been developed, individuals belonging to other groups would begin to trust us and have a stronger relationship with us. 4. During interactions, eye-to-eye contact is necessary. 5. It is important to respect the beliefs, attitudes and practices of these groups during interactions, as many of them follow strong traditions and customs. 6. During intercultural interactions, it is necessary to keep in mind whatever ideas exist of the attitudes, behaviors, traditions and practices.   Even a little bit of these put into practice would be identified by the other individual and would be appreciated.   In this way, slowly but surely relationships can be developed. 7. If the individual expresses a belief, which is superstitious in nature, it may be better to be nonjudgmental about it.   I would respect such superstitious as it would mean giving credit to the other individual’s culture. 8.It may be difficult for me sometimes to mix with people from other cultures, as I have not traveled to other regions of the world.   However, reading more about these individuals, their countries and their cultures through books, videos and the Internet can reduce the problem. 9.As I take longer time to learn languages, I would have to make an extra effort to do so.   It may be easy for a child to learn and accept a new language as they have good learning capacities.   However, once an individual crosses the age of 8 to 9, the ability to learn a new language may decrease.   Adults having good motivational capacity would also be able to learn a new language.   Hence, I would have to motivate myself further to learn the new language. 10.   In order to get accomplished with new traditions, an open mind and greater amount of intercultural interactions is required. Why is it important for managers to increase their levels of cultural awareness? Managers have to increase their level of cultural awareness so that they can develop a strong relationship with individuals belonging to other cultures.   Once these relationships develop, both parties would begin to trust and have confidence in one another.   The Managers could now motivate the staff and also be able to understand and solve their problems better.   This would be positive not only for the manager and the staff member, but also for the organization as a whole. References: Campinha-Bacote, J. (2001), A model of practice to address cultural competence in rehabilitation nursing, Rehabilitation Nursing, 26(1).      

Quantative Methods Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quantative Methods - Research Paper Example berg poll to study the music piracy in the US, and a sample of N = 1650 with a proportion sample of n = 839 representing a variable group of ages 12 to 17 and 811 representing sample = 811 (Duhigg, 2006). A sampling error which is the difference in population and the results indicated in the sample, E =  ± 3% (Ron Larson, 2015). The population selected to participate on the survey was 4466 and the respondent had to respond using internet, that’s an indication that the data left out a good proportion of candidates who could have qualified but did have internet access thus an avenue of biasness. Only 43% of the selected sample responded indicating that the survey had a poor turn-out thus the data can be biased. The questionnaire was mainly qualitative and from the data we the sponsors can use to lobby more funds to fight copy-wrongs in the US, media can use it to create awareness and the legal fraternity can use it to gauge the level of biting teeth the copyright laws in curbi ng the menace. A random survey was conducted in the US to evaluate the president’s image in relation to how he manages the government effectively. A sample N= 1015 was interviewed on telephone with a population proportion samples of 50% both on cellphones and landline with sampling error  ± 4% at 95% CI (Newport, 2015). The study focus on adults aged 18 and above, the survey does not indicate the number of the population sample selected and only gives the sample that qualified to be tested. The data can be biased as it did not cater the adults who don’t have telephone access, according to Pew Research Center (Pew Research Center, 2014), 10% of US adults of 18 years and older don’t have access to telephone and 40% of homes in the US don’t have access of landline (Channick, 2014). Further the respondent answering questions can be of below 18 years as there is no way to verify the age of the respondent thus biasness (Waters, 2011). The data was qualitative, media can use the data in

Influence of Confucianism on the Han Dynasty Essay

Influence of Confucianism on the Han Dynasty - Essay Example Confucianism became quite popular under the Han dynasty and influenced it greatly in terms of politics, history, education, law, and the role of women. According to Spodek, Confucianism influenced politics in the Han dynasty by changing the hierarchy of power within society. In a Confucian society, scholars were the most powerful, â€Å"followed by farmers, artisans, and merchants†(Spodek). In this new hierarchy, scholars had the most influence over how the Han empire ran on a day to day basis. Confucianism also had a great impact on history and its importance within the Han dynasty. According to Spodek, court historians were utilized in a much greater capacity than in previous dynasties. This change was due to the fact that Confucianism emphasized the â€Å"importance of tradition and continuity†(Spodek, 2006). This emphasis, therefore, dictated that histories should be documented more frequently and carefully. Education and law were other areas that were especially influenced by Confucianism. Within the Han dynasty, special schools were set up to teach Confucian principles(Spodek, 2006). Spodek states that â€Å"the emperor declared that the knowledge of Confucian classics would be a basis for promotion in the imperial civil service†(Spodek, 2006). This was a significant change as before the shift to Confucianism, only the aristocracy was really brought into the imperial civil service(Spodek, 2006). Law also changed as Confucian scholars were given the power to change and inform the laws within the Han dynasty in order to reflect Confucian principles(Spodek, 2006). Lastly, the role of women was influenced by Confucianism. According to Spodek, Confucianism taught that women were inferior and should dedicate themselves to serving men such as their brothers, fathers, and husbands(Spodek, 2006). Confucianism established the way women should behave in that they were seen as subservient to the males within their society.

Impact of management of control system and leadership Essay

Impact of management of control system and leadership - Essay Example Hutzschenreuter (2009) points out that such tools can be formal procedures used to maintain or change the activities of the organization. The notion of management control has been discussed intensively in the fields of management research (Horch, 2009). The existing literature on leadership points out that the leadership styles adopted by the top management of an organization affect not only the performance of the business, but also the level of commitment among the middle and low level managers. Scholars in the accounting and control field also argue that the style of leadership adopted by the managers is directly influenced by the level of management control structures that exist in a particular company. Different organizations invest differently in their management control systems with the aim of improving decision making (Simons, 2000). Some scholars argue that such systems enhance the performance of the managers thus increasing the overall productivity of the business. Cogliser & Shriesheim (2000) indicate that when managers are able to rely on the information collected through these systems, they can model their leadership styles to enhance the achievement of the objectives of the organization. Boedker et al. (2011) further states that such systems boost productivity as they ensure that the mission and vision are at the core of the decisions made at the management level. According to Horngren et al. (2009), without strict control, workers will never bring good results as they will have the freedom to be involved in practices that end up limiting their value and productivity. Bass et al. (2008) adds that tight management control systems ensure that a company performs efficiently by reducing the number of violation cases .This is heavily contested by another group of scholars who argue that such systems result in fear among junior employees. According to Sinha (2008), fear and stress are among

Use of the financial statements to make business decisions Essay

Use of the financial statements to make business decisions - Essay Example When the calculations are done, they indicate that at a price of $40.97, the Coca-Cola Company spent a total of $4,015.06 million to repurchase 98 million of common stock in 2014. On the other hand, at a price of $37.11, the company used a total of $4,490.43 million to purchase 121 million shares in 2012. This indicates that the company spent just $475.37 million to repurchase 23 million more shares in 2012, which means that the extra shares only cost an average of $20.66 per common stock repurchased in 2012. This simply goes to show that the extra shares of common stock that were purchased in 2012 above the 98 million mark were very, compared to the price of the common stock in 2014, since they cost 50% less. Additionally, if the Coca-Cola Company had to repurchase 121 million common stocks in 2014, it would have used a total of $4957.37 compared to $4490.43 that the company used to repurchase 121 million common stick on 2012, which shows that the Coca-Cola Company would have saved a total of $466.94 million, if it would have purchased more common stocks in 2012. Therefore, based on these calculations, it would be much cheaper for Coca-Cola Company to repurchase more common stock when the prices are lower since it would save a lot of money. In this respect, the Coca-Cola Company financial statements can help the management to make a decision on whether to use some more of the company’s profits to repurchase more common stocks, other than waiting until the price of the common stock increases.

Life and Work of a Famous Greek Thinker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Life and Work of a Famous Greek Thinker - Essay Example Aristotle was appointed the tutor to Alexander in 343 B.C (Williams 44). For three years he remained tutor to Alexander until the Prince turned 16. Not much is known of the relationship between Aristotle and Alexander, yet Alexander’s terrific career stands to be an apt testimony to the practicality of Aristotle’s philosophy. Aristotle resided in Athens in 335 B.C. to 323 B.C. It was in these 12 years that Aristotle wrote most of his works. However, after the death of Alexander, Aristotle had to flee from Athens to avoid persecution at the hands of Athenian rebels (Williams 53). As per some credible records, Aristotle died in 322 B.C (Williams 16). It is said that Aristotle wrote three treatises on ethics. However, two of them are today attributed to his disciples and it is the third one that is Nicomachean Ethics that is known to be written by Aristotle (Broadie 4). The views pertaining to ethics professed by Aristotle in this treatise present a good insight into the m indset of the mature and educated men of his age. In this treatise Aristotle lays out the principles by which the well behaved citizens need to conduct themselves. Till the late 17th century, Aristotle’s treatise on ethics had a great influence on the politics and statecraft and continued to be source of inspiration for the future scholars and statesmen (Broadie 5). One other treatise by Aristotle called Politics is regarded to be the very source of varied principles that held a great sway till the culmination of the Middle Ages (Weber 396). This treatise is not only a source of apt information regarding the ways of government in non-Hellenic States, but stood to be a pivotal instrument of defense of democracy in the times of Aristotle (Weber 396). The assumptions embedded in Politics not only were strongly entrenched in the Athens under Pericles, but the Aristotelian concept of governance by cultured gentlemen had its reverberations in Renaissance Age, till it was modified b y French Revolution and industrialism (Weber 397). Though Aristotle’s genius greatly influenced many aspects of the Greek civic life and the statecraft in the following ages, it was in the sphere of Logic that it reached its zenith (Ackrill 79). Aristotle’s dominance in logic flourished right through the Middle Ages, till he was accorded a dominion in the area of metaphysics by the Christian philosophers in the 13th century (Ackrill 80). Though Aristotle strain of Logic is today quiet antiquated, still many Catholic theologians, scientists and mathematicians prefer to adhere to his system (Ackrill 84). Aristotle’s doctrine of syllogism is the most important contribution by Aristotle to the field of Logic (Ackrill 80). When considering the contribution of Aristotle to modern sciences, two of his other works that are Physics and On the Heavens do need to be mentioned (Judson 19). These works greatly influenced the world of science in the Greek times and their domi nation continued till the times of Galileo (Judson 19). Aristotle’s views regarding planets and stars though were immensely influenced by the Pagan beliefs of his times were actually well received and accepted by the medieval Christians. Aristotle’s philosophy had a significant impact on both the Islamic and Western philosophy (Ackrill 9). Aristotle not only studied and meticulously delved on almost every subject and discipline existing in his times, but in fact made a significant contribution to the existing

Reproductive Health in Nursing Essay Example for Free

Reproductive Health in Nursing Essay Reproductive Health Bill was introduced by Congresswoman Bellaflor J. Angara -Castillo is also known as  ³Reproductive Health Care Act of 2002 ´,assembled at Senateand House of Representatives of the Philippines, and now known as House Bill 5043 of 2008. It ¶s been years since the bill was approved in the senate, due to some churchconflicts, biomedical ethical issues and some scientific research conflicts. Today thereare still lots of Filipino citizen who are now fully aware about this bill and why this billwas imposed.Before I write this reaction paper I had to read the Bill twice and read somearticles, reaction and comments in the internet I had read books and research which isrelated to reproductive health, sex education and Bioethics, for me to fully understandwhat was the RH bill all about and the reason of the creation of this bill. Poverty, the main problems that the Philippine is facing today and they say thatthe primary factors that lead to poverty is due to overpopulation, the Philippines has apopulation of 64,318,120 in 1990. Today the population is ballooning and estimated toover 94 million according to latest census and the top 12 th  country having the mostpopulation. The population is growing by about 2 percent a year, giving the Philippinesone of the world ¶s highest population-growth rates.This is one of the reasons of the creation of the Reproductive Health bill to give asolution to poverty by eradicating the overpopulation problem, by implementing familyplanning, sex education and prevent the sexually transmitted disease.

Diagnosing Depression In Ethnic Minority Groups Social Work Essay

Diagnosing Depression In Ethnic Minority Groups Social Work Essay The essay title is curious and could be interpreted in a number of ways. Firstly, it invites me to decide whether the essay should be from the perspective of a client, or the therapist, or both. I have chosen to present the essay from the point of view that it is the client who is a member of an ethnic minority group. Perhaps what drew me to this title over the others is of personal significance, being from a multicultural family and having lived and worked in countries in the Far East and West Africa where culture and society is vastly different to that of the UK. Essentially, I have experienced being an ethnic minority member in the opposite context and hence was eager to explore the essay from a clients perspective in the UK. I chose to focus on depression rather than psychosis, as I was less aware of current research linking ethnicity to depression and felt this would balance out my motivations and be beneficial for my development as a trainee. As for the content, I will begin with a discussion on what is meant by an ethnic minority group and by the term depression. I will then present my view of how ethnicity affects the diagnostic process, initiated with a brief health warning about the implications of racial stereotyping. Following this I will focus on presentation of symptoms and the formulation process of depression. The second half of the essay will be about the treatment process, looking closely at the influence of ethnicity on help-seeking behaviour and psychological treatments. Finally I will end the essay with a reflective account containing my thoughts about finishing the essay and a conclusion. What is an ethnic minority group? When translated literally, the term ethnicity means people or nation (i.e. ethnos; Franklin, 1983). Senior Bhopal (1994) highlight that is now used as a variable to describe health data. On closer inspection, the concept of ethnicity is not simple or easy to understand. Firstly, ethnic minority status does not account for changes over time and context. There are also many different terms used for groups. McKenzie Crowcroft (1996) highlight a good example of this: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a Black Baptist born in the UK whose parents were born in Jamaica might be called Afro-Caribbean, black British, of Caribbean origin UK born, West Indian, and of course, Jamaican. Furthermore, ethnic categorization does not inform us of whether the individual is of first or second generation descent, not to mention the migrant status of the individual. Given our multicultural climate, the meaning of ethnicity is a source of continuing debate and is also likely to change with national trends and politics. For example, the Irish have only recently be recognized as an ethnic minority in the UK. Although the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH, 2003) has advised that ethnicity should be self-identified, this does not always happen in the process of research. McKenzie Crowcroft (1996) point out that this leaves many researchers in the position of assigning membership of an ethnic minority group on an informal basis in order to have comparable data. Indeed, defining an ethnic minority group is problematic due to the lack of consensus. Despite these issues it was necessary for me to attach myself to a concrete definition for the purpose of this essay. Furthermore, I have selected a particular ethnic minority group (African-Caribbeans) when specific examples are needed. The definition I am following regarding an ethnic minority group is: Those with a cultural heritage distinct from the majority population (Manthorpe Hettiaratchy, 1993). What is Depression? Depression is a term used both clinically and in everyday discourse (Valente, 1994) to describe a host of unpleasant feelings which people experience, ranging from a low mood to describing a situational feeling (Keller Nesse, 2005). When depression is considered clinically significant is it quite different from the common experiences just narrated. A person may be diagnosed with clinical depression if they are experiencing depressed mood or loss of interest and pleasure plus at least five other adverse feelings during a two-week period or longer (DSM-IV-TR; American Psychological Association, 2000). When depression is at its worst, it can make people withdraw from ordinary pleasures and concentration may become very poor. Some people with depression report a sense of hopelessness and can experience suicidal feelings or ideations as a result (APA, 2000). Clinical depression can occur alongside different disorders and be multifaceted in its presentation (e.g. Akiskal et al., 2005). It is probably fair to say depression does not occur in every country across the world in the way we view it in the West. Other cultures may label it as something different. For example, Kleinman (1980, as cited in Bentall, 2003) found Western depression and a Chinese condition called Neurasthenia to be the same thing, although expressed in different ways. Given this, I question how useful our depression label is. This essay is however, directed by the title and the focus of this essay will therefore follow the DSM-IV-TR definition of depression. According to the Office for National Statistics clinical depression is experienced by 10% of the British Population at any one time. Depression is a diagnosis of increasing popularity, and was once referred to as the common cold of psychiatry (Seligman, 1975 as cited in Hawton et al., 2000). It is estimated that there are over 6 million people in England alone who are designated as from minority ethnic groups (Department of Health (DoH), 2003). Much of our current knowledge of depression in UK African-Caribbean people relies on limited research showing inconsistent results. I feel such statistics often lead to misdiagnosis, as clinicians are informed by research and policy. In order to avoid statistical discrimination I have therefore not included any data displaying suggested prevalence rates of depression in this population. Chakraborty McKenzie (2002) points out that early studies were criticized for methodological problems, but argues that more recent studies have attempted to advocate more rigorous methodology. More recent studies tend to suggest a high prevalence of depression in African-Caribbean populations (e.g. Nazroo, 1997 as cited in Chakraborty McKenzie, 2002). Interestingly, it is also thought that depression is underecognised and undertreated in African- Caribbeans, especially in primary care (Ahmed Bhugra, 2006). To what extent is membership of an ethnic minority group influential in the process of diagnosis of people experiencing depression? In the recent Inside Outside UK national initiative (Department of Health, 2003) a well-established link between health care disparities and ethnicity is claimed and structures are recommended which target this. I question the wider implications of producing such documents as it appears to suggest people should be viewed differently according to their ethnic status. As Lewis-Fernandez Diaz (2002) rightly point out, even people who share the same ethnic minority status can differ, as ethnic groups are culturally heterogeneous. As noted above, membership of an ethnic group is not a static thing and there are vast differences within an ethnic group as well as outside of it. I can relate to this as I often have difficulties when completing the ethnic status box on equal opportunities forms. Although I would class myself as white-British my father is Italian-American and my mother is Swiss, hence I have four passports. I normally choose to categorize myself as British however this someti mes changes to white-other or white-American depending on where I have been living. In my experience, I feel the desire to categorize people in society outweighs the usefulness of doing so. Given the increasingly multicultural climate of the UK it may not always be accurate to state that white people are of the dominant origin however statistically that is currently the case. This means that the relatively recent surge in interest and attention on differences of ethnic groups in mental health is often taken from an essentialist perspective (Giles Middleton, 1999), where differences are observed from my or our perspective. Claims made in research detailing differences between ethnic groups also encourage categorizing of individuals, which simply creates an othering between groups. Othering has been explained as a way to serve and mark those thought to be different from oneself (Weis, 1995 as cited in Grove Zwi, 2005). There is a concern for me that by focusing on the differences between African-Caribbeans and whites, or any other ethnic minority simply serves to reinforce the idea of racial differences and segregation. Institutional racism is a form of discrimination, which stems from the notion that groups should be treated differently according to phenotypic difference (McKenzie, 1999). It has been suggested that it is widespread in the UK (Modood et al., 1997). It seems to me that if we are to eliminate racial disparities in mental health care; concordant with the aims of the recent Department of Health initiative (2003), we all need to look at the way we are talking and presenting our ideas around this. For the reasons just discussed I will now attempt to present a view that is balanced and allows disparities of depression in African-Caribbean people to be seen in a relational context. Whilst I will describe potential areas of difference, the aim is not to stereotype people according to their ethnicity. Presentation The bodily styles of experiencing and expressing distress may be different for some people of African-Caribbean origin living in the UK than people from other ethnic backgrounds. Some studies suggest they experience and present more somatic symptoms of depression, e.g. headaches, achy limbs (Comino et al, 2001). Comino and colleagues also contend that idioms of distress differ linguistically and can take the form of cultural metaphors. If clinicians do not recognize these symptoms as signs of distress I imagine some clients may be left feeling quite frustrated. For us, as therapists, this does make the process of diagnosis more complex. An awareness of the possibility of somatic presentations, with a view to enquiring about the clients understanding of them seems helpful. A unique approach for the assessment and understanding of somatic symptoms of depression and idioms of distress has been developed (Lewis-Fernandez Diaz, 2002). There have also been attempts at identifying the core symptoms of depression across different ethnic groups, although the last one is most probably outdated now. In their large cross-cultural study, Jablensky et al., (1981 as cited in Bhugra Ayonrinde, 2004) found nine common international symptoms of depression; sadness, joylessness, anxiety, tension, lack of energy, loss of interest, poor concentration and ideas of insufficiency, inadequacy and worthlessness. Perhaps doing more studies like this could help in us developing a more universal approach to symptom recognition. Despite the evidence, I do believe that symptom presentation of depression can vary for a number of reasons completely unrelated to an individuals ethnic minority status. Children were once considered a difficult and under diagnosed population as they often present with somatic symptoms (e.g. failure to make expected weight gains in very young children; Carson Cantwell, 1980) which makes it difficult to diagnose. Subsequently, rating scales and measures have been devised which are appropriate for different age groups and enable a conventional diagnosis to be made (Goodyer, 2001). People living with HIV may also present somatic symptoms of depression. Kalichman et al., (2000) suggest available methods for distinguishing overlapping symptoms should be utilised when assessing such individuals. It seems obvious to me that we have to adapt standard methods of recognizing depressive symptoms when dealing with the diversity that naturally occurs in human beings. Language is also thought to be a potential barrier (e.g. Unutuzer, 2002) in the diagnostic process of depression. African-Caribbean people may not always speak clear English but speak multiple local languages or with an accent. Whilst I know this happens, I could not find any research investigating the percentages of African-Caribbean people in the UK and their language abilities. This so-called barrier could therefore be perceived rather than actual; however I will briefly discuss methods to work with this in the clinical context. As stated in the aforementioned Inside Outside document (2003) mental health services now aim to be culturally capable, which includes tackling difficulties with language. There is no doubt in my mind that communication is a key element in diagnosis, and I know from personal experience that not being able to communicate in a locally understood language can cause people to feel isolated. Thus, ensuring language access for people who speak a language other t han English through appropriate interpreting/translating services is crucial. However, I do feel that this parallels a need for people who have other difficulties with language. For example, I am sure it can be difficult to identify depression in individuals who have suffered severely dehabilitating strokes or physical injuries where speech is severely impaired. My point is that there are an array of factors which influence the way people talk about their difficulties and how they are understood by clinicians. Not being able to speak the English language in a clear English accent is simply one of those factors. I feel the issue raised here is more related to how we work with diversity rather than how we work with ethnicity. Formulation As a trainee clinical psychologist involved in the diagnostic process of depression I am also concerned with the formulation process and how this is affected. The beliefs people have about the nature and causes of depression do differ between cultures. For example, Bhugra et al., (1997) identified some African and Asian cultures view depression as part of lifes ups and downs, rather than a treatable condition. From this perspective, many psychological models which aid us in understanding depression can account for the differing beliefs and experiences of people. For example, the Cognitive model of depression (Beck, 1967, 1976) suggests that peoples early experiences lead people to form beliefs or schemata about themselves and the world. These assumptions are thought to cause negative automatic thoughts which perpetuate symptoms of depression on five different levels; behavioural, motivational, affective, cognitive and somatic. Despite this model being quite flexible at face value, ho wever, the negative cognitive triad (Beck, 1976) is directed by the beliefs and experiences of the individual. This may not fit in with those from more collectivist cultures. Indeed, we know that social networks often play an important part in the belief systems of ethnic minority members (Bhugra Ayonrinde, 2004). Therefore, thinking more systemically may be particularly useful when considering individuals from ethnic minority groups. However, we do need to be cautious in making assumptions about what beliefs people from ethnic minorities have. There is a danger that in doing so, we may be able to formulate quicker but may also cause considerable distress to the client. I recently attended a mental health awareness course as part of my placement where an African Caribbean service user came to talk to us about her experiences of being in the mental health system. She described her first traumatic admission to hospital after a close suicide attempt at the age of nineteen. She told us it was persistently assumed by mental health staff that she had attempted suicide because she did not understand or fit in with the predominantly white community in her area. She told us how upset and misunderstood this made her feel, as this was not the case at all. On reflection, this highlights the importance of service-user feedback in clinical practice. The question I see appearing with regards is how we as clinicians in the UK can best explore the beliefs, experiences and background of the multicultural population we are working with in order to diagnose appropriately. As Fernandez Diaz rightly point out, to do this we need a systematic method for eliciting and evaluating cultural information in the clinical encounter (Lewis-Fernandez Diaz, 2002). There is a paucity of information debating ways to take this forward and models to encapsulate these ideas are currently being developed and tested in the USA. One such model is the Cultural Formulation model (Lewis-Fernandez Diaz, 2002), which is an expansion on the depression guidelines, published in the DSM-IV-TR. This innovative model consists of five components; assessing cultural identity, cultural explanations of the illness, cultural factors related to the psychosocial environment and levels of functioning, cultural elements of the clinician-client relationship and the overall impact of culture on diagnosis and care. I find this model very inclusive as it can still elicit very useful information about culturally-based norms, values and behaviours even when there is no ethnic difference between the clinician and the client. Whilst cultural differences exist within an ethnic group, they are not necessarily ethnicity-bound. For example, they can equally be associated with an individuals age, gender, socioeconomic status, educational background, family status and wider social network (Ahmed Bhugra, 2006). If this is the case, then I would say that it is important for clinicians to have a very exploratory and curious approach when assessing and diagnosing an individual in a mental health service, whether they are from an ethnic minority or not. To what extent is membership of an ethnic minority group influential in the process of treatment of people experiencing depression? Some people with depression get better without any treatment. However, living with depression can be challenging as it impacts many areas of an individuals life including relationships, employment, and their physical health. Therefore, many people with depression do try some form of treatment. This process usually begins at primary care level and then a collaborative decision is made between the patient and the clinician as to what treatment suits them best. It has been suggested that Africa-Caribbean people are less tolerant to antidepressant medication than whites (Cooper et al., 1993). Therefore this section of this essay will focus on the process of psychological treatments of depression. Treatments vary and have altered radically with the growing use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is based on the scientist-practitioner model and routinely offers outcome data (Whitfield Whitefield, 2003). In CBT, and in the majority of other talking therapies, treatment usually involves seeing a therapist for a number of sessions on a regular basis. Seeking help There appear to be two main potential barriers when it comes to the treatment of depressed clients from ethnic minorities. Firstly, the help-seeking behaviours of African-Caribbean and other ethnic minority groups have attracted considerable attention in the research domain. Members of the African-Caribbean population are thought to be less likely to seek professional treatment for psychological distress (e.g. Bhui et al., 2003). Whilst reading a mountain of papers listing reasons why the help-seeking behaviour of people from ethnic minorities is so different, a few ideas sprung to my mind. From my own experience when people are very depressed they may struggle to get motivated and make less use of the support available to them. Moreover, I wonder whether one it is a possibility that African-Caribbeans do not approach services as much because of negative experiences of the UK mental health system. I recall seeing an elderly Jamaican gentleman for an assessment last year whilst working as an Assistant in a Clinical Health department. Following the very limited referral information I had, I elicited his ideas about what brought him to our service. He told me that he had felt unable to cope with his low mood and intrusive thoughts for some while, however he did not feel able to seek help because a family member of his had been treated unfairly by mental health staff before. Perhaps the reasons for people not acc essing treatment are simpler than we think. In their study of reasons for exclusion of African-Caribbean people in mental health services, Mclean et al., (2003) found the types of interactions between staff and patients strongly associated with disparities in treatment. They encourage positive, non-judgmental interactions as the first step on the path to social inclusion of mental health services (Mclean et al., 2003). Their study reminded me of a report I read recently on placement about the Circles of Fear (Salisbury Centre for Mental Health, 2002). Essentially, this report stipulates that people from ethnic minorities tend to have a more negative experience of the mental health system. People may then fear the consequences of becoming involved with it and avoid contact. This leads me to believe that we (the health service) are very much part of the reason why such individuals may not seek help. Geography may also be a reason for varying help-seeking behaviour. People living in rural areas are thought to be at risk of facing isolation and discrimination in mental health treatment (Barry et al., 2000). I do think there is something valuable about looking at populations which services are not reaching. However, it has just struck me that writing about the help-seeking behaviour of people can come across as quite blaming and puts the responsibility very much with the individual. Whatever the reason, if minority members are less likely to get appropriate care, I feel the focus should be on how to engage different members of society in effective care for depression. Fortunately, depressed people who fail to seek help for treatment can often be identified and treated in general medical settings (Shulberg et al., 1999). One study also suggests that the majority of people who are depressed do want help, regardless of their ethnicity (Dwight-Johnson et al., 1997). What I find particu larly interesting is that the desire for help seems to be related to the severity of the depression in precedence of their ethnic minority status. Thus it appears that ethnicity, severity of depression, geographical location, previous experiences with the mental health system and beliefs about what help is available all influence help-seeking behaviour. Psychological Treatment The second claimed difficulty in the treatment of African-Caribbean people who are depressed is poor attendance rates and incompletion of treatment (Bhugra Ayonrinde, 2004). There are also claims that African-Caribbean people are more likely to experience a poorer outcome from treatment. Given that the search for a biological cause for disparities in treatment success rates has not been fruitful we must turn our focus to other explanations. For example, we now know that the relationship between the therapist and client is a key component of treatment outcome (Hovarth Greenberg, 1994). As such, I am going to focus on those explanations which link to the therapeutic alliance. There are few empirical studies which explore how ethnic differences affect the therapeutic alliance and these have consisted mostly of client preferences. Cultural unfamiliarity may act as interference to some African-Caribbean people staying in psychological treatment (Davidson, 1987). In their study of secondary school students, Uhlemann et al., (2004) looked at how being an ethnic minority therapist affected relationships in a counselling setting. They found ethnic minority counsellors were perceived more favorably than white-Caucasian counsellors. Most students believed therapists were less able to understand or empathize with them if the therapist was ethnically different. In another study Coleman et al., (1995) surveyed studies comparing ethnic minority clients preferences of therapists, being ethnically similar or ethnically dissimilar. They found that in most cases clients preferred therapists of similar ethnic background, particularly those with strong cultural attachments. I acknowledge that this may be something to be aware of as a therapist; however I do not think this in itself would put people off psychological treatment. It might be useful for us as therapists to address this issue and to do so early on in the treatment process. One way of doing this could be to address any obvious ethnic differences and explore together how it may affect the given relationship. This may also help the process of understanding which is deemed very important in strengthening the therapeutic alliance. Whilst this is something I will try and be aware of in my practice, I also feel it is important to present this discussion in a realistic and in context. From my experience as a trainee, the age and amount of experience a therapist is far more valuable and influential than the ethnic status of a therapist. One lady I saw recently had difficulty accepting me as her therapist for the simple fact that she worried about how much I would be able to help her in comparison to a qualified clinical psychologist. There was also an ethnic difference between us but this was did not cause her concern. Similarly, Coleman et al., (1995) asked clients individuals in their study to list the characteristics of a competent therapist in order of importance. Sure enough, they found that people placed ethnic similarity below that of other characteristics such as educational ability, maturity, gender, personality and attitude. I think this illuminates just how important it is for us to tailor the treatment process to the individual needs and concerns of the client. Is a more holistic approach to psychological treatment of depression the answer? I do wonder whether CBT, the current preferred model of treatment, will soon lose its popularity. The somewhat prescriptive nature of CBT for depression may mean the varying needs of people in our multicultural climate are not being met. Rather than creating new and separate treatment models or services for ethnic minority clients, perhaps we should be embracing ones which encourage clients to lead the treatment. One model I find demonstrates this is the Recovery model. Recovery from mental illness is seen as a personal journey and the unique experiences of each individual are valued and explored (Jacobson Greenley, 2001). Treatment using this model works around helping the client gain hope, a secure base, supportive relationships, empowerment, social inclusion, coping skills, and finding meaning to their experiences. Although used more with individuals experiencing major mental health problems, I think the principles are very inclusive and useful for the treatment of any mental health problem, including depression. Of course, I have only touched upon one model and there are many more which embrace individual differences. Reflective statement As a current trainee on my adult mental health placement, I cannot pretend that I am able to provide an objective nor extensively experienced view. I am also aware that I am at the beginning of my first placement, in a service which very much promotes recovery from mental illness through understanding the individual rather than categorically through their psychiatric label. Whilst this may have had an influence over my stance towards the essay topic, I have witnessed the positive effects in my clinical work of not categorizing people and feel that this has indicated some valid concerns. Upon finishing this essay it came to mind that that the buoyancy of the essay may be a reflection of the ideas and questions I have been grappling with as part of my practice on placement. However, these ideas are by no means a closed deal and I continue to work with them in an applied context. Furthermore, I acknowledge that had I chosen to present this essay assuming that it was the therapist who was a member of an ethnic minority, my essay and conclusions may be very different. How will writing this essay affect my practice as a Trainee Clinical psychologist? I do feel we are in a contentious situation. If we treat people differently according to any issue of diversity we run the risk of perpetuating institutional racism. On the other side of the coin, if we work with everybody in exactly the same way and try and fit people in to Eurocentric systems then we run the risk of ignoring important cultural differences. What I will take from this is the importance of being sensitive to peoples backgrounds and experiences and investigation of what makes them who they are. I will definitely attempt to bring more flexibility, curiosity and receptiveness to my practice and acknowledge when there is a noticeable difference between myself and the client in the therapeutic setting. Conclusion In conclusion, membership of an ethnic minority group may influence the diagnosis and treatment process in how people experience depression, present to services and possibly how they proceed with psychological treatments. If we are to diagnose and treat depression through a Euro centric lens, we should be embracing the use of models which allow for cultural diversity in the diagnosis and treatment of depression. However, as I hope I have demonstrated in my writing, no two people in a therapeutic setting will ever be exactly the same. So how useful is it to continually focus on ethnic differences when they are just one drop in the ocean of diversity? Perhaps instead we need a shift in the dominant discourses surrounding ethnic differences in mental health? The real challenge I think we face is understanding how the identity of the individual contributes to the diagnosis and treatment of depression.