Knowledge and Emotion Essay

Emotion plays a big role in gaining knowledge even though when we do not realize it. Therefore, I agree with the quote, â€Å"There can be no knowledge without emotion. We may be aware of a truth, yet until we have felt its force, it is not ours.† by Arnold Bennett, an English novelist. First of all, with the part, â€Å"There can be no knowledge without emotion1†, it can be proved by our experience. For example, we know about plate tectonics but until you feel it, you can’t have knowledge. Earthquakes prove that the plate tectonics are moving towards each other, away from each other or slide past each other. Since I live in Japan, earthquakes can be felt often and I have the knowledge of what it is like to be in an area with lots of earthquakes. Also, for example, we can prove that we have knowledge from genes. Sometimes, I feel that I have the same characteristic as my mother when I am talking to my pets. I talk with them in a softer voice than when we talk to other people. Also, my mother’s family loves animals and I was also brought up with an animal always beside me. Finally I can also see evidence from learning physics. I learned that the energy is transferred into other energies. Before, I wondered why bouncy balls bounced lower each time. When I learned about the energies, I gained the knowledge that the potential energy was transferred into heat, sound and other energies. From gaining these truths and experiencing it, it gives us knowledge of what it is like. By experiencing these things, it influences our emotion and gives us the knowledge. Though some people disagree that knowledge can be gained without emotion, I argue that the statement is not true. Though when you learn something, until you have realized what it is and accepted the information, then it is not knowledge. We have to know the information to gain the knowledge so to gain the knowledge we have to experience it. For example, I know the truth that floods occur and the consequences as well as the effects of it but since I have not experienced it before, I do not have the knowledge of what it is like to be in an area, which flooded. Furthermore, by learning biology, I know that there are diseases such as thrombosis, a blood clotting disease but since I have not experienced it I do not what it feels like to have thrombosis. As a result, I do not yet have the knowledge. Knowledge can be gained by other ways of knowing such as reason, sense perception and language. Though I agree with this, I think these all involve the ways of knowing of emotion. When we have a reason to gain knowledge, we gain the knowledge by realizing it and experiencing it. When we gain knowledge by sense perception it is done by experiencing something and realizing what is going on in our surroundings. Finally for language, we are experiencing it since we are talking or listening to the language. Since all these involve the action of experiencing, it all involves emotion. If someone did things unconsciously, I wonder if they can get knowledge. People who sleepwalk have been seen eating, dressing, driving cars, and many other things. Their brain is not fully shut down. Sleepwalking occurs before they are in the state of rapid eye movement, or the moment they are dreaming.2 They have their eyes open to recognize their surroundings. Therefore, I think they are using their sense perception when they are sleepwalking. Though they may not remember it when they wake up and get confused but I think their brain remembers it since the brain is not fully shut when people sleepwalk. Therefore knowledge is gained from experiencing things even if they are sleepwalking which is done unconsciously. Reflexes are also done unconsciously. They are done because we have the knowledge of what to do best to have the least damage to ourselves. That is why we pull our hands back when we touch something hot to reduce the possibility of burning our hand. We try to reduce it because we have the knowledge of what is going to happen if we do not. If we do not take our hand back, we know we are going to burn our hand and feel the pain. When I wake up, I have the reflex of stopping the alarm clock because I have the knowledge that I have to wake up to go to school. This reflex was done because I had the emotion that I did not want to go to school since I had to wake up at six o’clock in the morning. Therefore as a conclusion, I agree to an extent with the quote by an English novelist, Arnold Bennett of â€Å"There can be no knowledge without emotion. We may be aware of a truth, yet until we have felt its force, it is not ours.† Emotion is connected to the other ways of knowing and everything we do in our lives. Experiencing things give knowledge to us which gives us emotion whether we do things consciously or unconsciously.

Promoting national unity in Malaysian public schools Essay

Introduction â€Å"Malaysia, Truly Asia† aptly describes the country as a melting pot of three major Asian cultures. Yet, less than 140 years ago, a homogenous society existed in the Malay Peninsular with a population of 90% Malays (Gullick, 1969). However due to colonial policies and increasing economic prosperity, the society evolved ethnically into present day multi-ethnic Malaysians The 2010 consensus from Department of Statistics Malaysia revealed Malaysians of the 21st century as coming from three major groups; 67.4% Bumiputera (Malays, Sarawak and Sabahan bumiputera), 24.6% Chinese, 7.3% Indians and 0.7% others. In short, this land has changed from a homogenous society to a pluralistic society with Malaysians coming from different cultures, languages and religions. It can be deduced that integration among Malaysians are crucial factors that contribute to the nation’s success. This unity has been a main concern of the Malaysian government from pre-independence day to the present. In the face of multi-culturalism, Ho (1952) stated that â€Å"It is accepted that education is not the only means available in the tasks of achieving national unity and solidarity in the plural community of Malaya, but it remains the most important single factor for integration in the racial, religious and cultural complex of Malaya.† Thus he proposed that education be used to unify the multi-ethnic Malaysian society starting from school level where early stages of inter-racial socialisation process begins. Through education, the younger generation of Malaysians are nurtured with stronger national consciousness and imbued with stronger national identity. Ideologies and policies like Rukun Negara,and Bangsa Malaysia were formulated to cater to each succeeding generation of Malaysians. With integration still remaining as a top national agenda, the first part of this paper attempts to examine the role of education reports on national unity in Malaysia from pre-independence to the present day, and analyse their impact and success. The impact is analysed by relying upon a combination of historical investigation from various education reports in the light of national unity. With 1Malaysia being the latest effort of integration, the second part of this paper tries to gauge the awareness of NKRA 4, a visible  mechanism of 1Malaysia among 1the educationists through analysis of empirical evidence gathered from the interviews with them. Finally, the paper will analyse if 1Malaysia concept conceived to promote unity will be the right panacea for removing ethnicity barriers among Malaysians. Inculcating national unity in education: A pre-Independence to present day review of the educational reports The current Malaysian education policy for national unity has its roots in pre-independence era and it has become part of the society’s prevailing colonial inheritance (Azhar Wahid, 2011). During the colonial era, the existence of vernacular schools catering for each race had physically divided the Malayan society. The second divisive factor was the different ethnic languages used as medium of instruction to educate the respective races (Marimuthu, 2008). The third was the geographical separation of the vernacular schools according to the unequal population distribution of different races (Omar, 1991). The only opportunity for integration was among students in English medium schools established in towns (Marimuthu, 2008). Separate curriculum for vernacular schools was the fourth factor splitting the communities. With focus on ethnics’ respective countries of origin and the nonexistent Malayan context in the curriculum, the vernacular education failed to build a sense of national identity and consciousness (Marimuthu, 2008). To integrate multi-ethnic communities in Malaya through educational system, the 1950 Barnes Report 1950 suggested replacing the vernacular schools with national schools using English or Malay as medium of instruction in primary schools and English for secondary schools and bringing students and teachers of different races together under one education system to build a nation with national characteristics (Noriati Rashid et al., 2012). As the report was viewed unfavourably by the Chinese, another report, the 1951 Fenn-Wu report, was commissioned; it recommended Chinese education curriculum to include local Malayan elements to help form a sense of national identity among its students. Both Barnes and Fenn-Wu reports were taken into consideration when the 1952 Education Ordinance was passed (Ee, 1995). It supported the National School concept with a common curriculum using Malay and English language as media of instruction. However, lack of funding and insurgency hampered its implementation. Historically, 1957 was the year an independent Federation of Malaya was formed. To cater to a post-independent Malaya, the Razak Report, the most influential education committee reports, was commissioned. It cited two major considerations: using Malay language as the main medium of instruction and incorporating Malayan context and values into school curriculum (Omar, 1991). The proposal desired to instil national consciousness and mutual understanding among multi-racial communities through mono-language and socio-cultural values. The Razak Report led to the 1957 Education Ordinance. As a follow-up, 1960 Rahman Talib Report recommended retaining a single schooling system for all pupils with the same school curriculum using Malay language as medium of instruction. This report resulted in the Education Act of 1961with its most significant outcomes of phasing out English medium schools and converting Chinese and Tamil National secondary schools to Malay medium secondary schools, standard ising school system, and nationalisation of curriculum and examinations (Omar, 1991). The 1969 racial riot had warranted the need for a more intense scrutiny of the nation’s fragile unity. Poverty, ethnic disparity in economic participation and wealth distribution had emerged as the primary causes of racial tensions and social political instability (Syed Husin Ali, 2008). Hence, in 1971, New Economic Policy (NEP) was introduced as a remedy. The policy emphasised on education as a major role in eradicating poverty and in restructuring economic and wealth disparity in Malaysian society leading to social integration and national unity (Hussein Ahmad, 2008). Not surprisingly, the 1979 Mahathir Education Report again emphasized on national unity. Process of reforming Malaysian education system continues on in strengthening socio-cultural mechanism to build a stronger national identity and consciousness (Hussein Ahmad, 2008). In 1990s, national unity and social cohesion were still the major agenda of Malaysia’s nation building which led to Vision 2020 with the first goal of establishing a united Malaysian nation made up of one Bangsa Malaysia (EPU, 2011) together  with Vision  Schools where children of all races study in their respective mother-tongue primary schools under one roof and sharing same facilities. Impact of Educational Reports on National Unity in Schools Past and present educational reports have highlighted the needs for curriculum standardization, use of common medium of instruction, employing teachers of all races, using multi-cultural Malaysian context in curriculum and bringing all students together to share common classroom so as to increase openness, interaction and understanding among them. All these criteria which were absent in pre-independent Malaya have now been implemented in national schools. In particular, the National Philosophy of Education entails using Bahasa Malaysia as medium of instruction, using the same curriculum, standardising examination and syllabus as well as introducing school co-curriculum. The 1979 Mahathir Report brought about the New Primary School Curriculum (KBSR) which was formulated to help develop socio-cultural values based on the Rukun Negara, and national culture (Azhar Wahid, 2011). Integrated Secondary School Curriculum (KBSM) was introduced with emphasis given on mastering Bahasa Malaysia and nurturing national consciousness through inculcating common values, aspirations and loyalties (Nagendralingan, 2008). Multi-cultural education is promoted in the curriculum to ensure that all students are aware of cultural, gender, racial and ethnic diversity of the nation and to foster mutual respect and positive social interaction with each other (Azhar Wahid, 2011). In the classrooms of national secondary schools, teaching and learning process promote cooperative learning methods such as doing projects, case research, group discussion, pair work and group assignments to help students of different races to not only improve communication skills with each other but also to interact, share ideas and learn teamwork spirit (Neo et al., 2009). When students are aware of the values of multi-cultural education, they learn to respect different cultures, thereby reducing misconceptions and prejudices towards those of  other ethnic groups. Syllabus and curriculum  are replete with elements of Malaysian cultural heritage where students learn and understand another culture’s dominant practices, way of life and religious holidays (Azhar Wahid, 2011). As part of co-curriculum activities, sports and games, uniformed bodies, clubs and societies help students to interact with each other; speech day, field trips, sports carnivals, fund raising events are designed to draw out involvement from all students to socialise together (Nagendralingan, 2008). Parent Teacher Associations and alumni associations help to integrate the school communities with the outside communities. Though the National Education Policy may not have achieved the highest degree of ethnic integration, some of its strategic policies such as using Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction in secondary schools have been successful (Azhar Wahid, 2011). This has created generations of Malaysians communicating and learning using the same language. The concept of equal access to education at every schooling level is another major characteristic of education development in the mid-1970s. Affordable access to education for all can help to narrow the education gap between races and increase upward social mobility. With equitable ethnic participation in the economy and wealth distribution, the causes of racial tensions can be remedied and this promotes social political stability. National Key Results Area 4 (NKRA) Pemandu (2011) reported that National Key Results Area (NKRA) is part of 1Malaysia’s concrete efforts to give priority to people’s needs first. Improving student outcome is one of the seven NKRAs â€Å"which have been deemed crucial and urgent for achieving 1Malaysia.† NKRA goal for education is improving student outcome by developing students’ minds, talents, and capabilities to safeguard the nation’s future generation. THE INTERVIEW RESULTS: Views on NKRA 4 from Education Practitioners The  interview questions focused specifically on eliciting their understanding of the NKRA goals which are â€Å"access to affordable education† and â€Å"quality of education† as well as how their contributions can make the policy a success. Respondent 01 is a school principal who has been an educationist for 24 years; respondent 02, an assistant principal, has been an educationist for 33 years; respondent 03 has been a teacher for 32 years and respondent 04 36 years. Regarding the term â€Å"access to affordable education† , respondent 01 replied that it means giving free education from a young age up to secondary education. Respondent 02 said that affordable education includes scholarships and financial help for underprivileged students to keep schooling. Both respondents 03 and 04 mentioned that it means children can easily attain education without been financially burdened. â€Å"Access to Quality of education† was understood by respondent 01 and 03 as getting a holistic education with balanced intellect, spiritual, emotional and physical development. Respondent 02 interpreted it as what makes students employable after finishing their secondary or tertiary education. Producing quality students who have the ability to think critically, apply their knowledge and contribute to society is regarded as quality education by respondent. All the respondents agreed that Malaysians have access to affordable education in reality. But as to the quality of education, all the respondents conceded that it has declined. Respondent 01 explained that he has experienced the unsatisfactory situation of rural schools where the parents and students do not prioritise education and school principals fail to play their part. According to respondent 02, the decline is partially due to the low standard of admission for applicants applying for teaching training at universities and training colleges and this lowers the quality of education. Respondent 03 believed that the intellectual formation has been over emphasised to the detriment of other JERIS aspects (physical, emotional, spiritual and social). As for respondent 04, she claimed that lack of vocational schools and their limited enrolment make it difficult for under  performing students to continue their studies in a meaningful way. Towards attaining NKRA education goals, respondent 01 pointed out that the principal’s most important contribution is strong leadership with clear and achievable vision and mission for his school. He further enunciated that a principal who sets achievable standards for both the under achievers and bright students can enhance the school’s performance. Respondent 02 and 03 mentioned that active supervision of students and teachers by the principal can significantly improve their performance. Showing interest in students’ performance and connecting with them at ground level are some of the ways according to respondent 04 that the principal contributes to improving student outcomes. Regarding the role of teachers, respondent 01 stressed that â€Å"the input of teachers is proportional to increasing student outcomes in developing students’ minds, talents and capabilities†. Both respondents (respondent 02 & 03) pointed out that students’ access to quality education is enhanced by receiving quality teaching and mentoring from teachers. Therefore, according to them, teachers must be good role models and have the right attitude towards their students. Instead of just settling for mediocrity among students, respondent 04 suggested that teachers should discover students’ weaknesses and motivate them to overcome it. Evaluating the findings Generally, it is agreed that Malaysian students have access to affordable education as currently school fees are waived, textbooks are provided on loan, deserving students receive financial aid and rural schools provide free lodging and food. The overall consensus is that quality of education is the holistic development of the whole person. However it may not necessarily correlate with better quality of education as there are other factors involved such as parental involvement and awareness, teachers’ input and principals’ leadership. Two key factors in better education quality are the principal’s leadership and the teachers’ cooperation in increasing students’ performance and outcome. NKRA education recognises this by creating High Performing Schools whereby schools are categorised into bands according to performance in order to motivate and increase principals’ performance (The Star, 2012). To produce committed, responsible and caring teachers, intervention programmes to train and motivate teachers towards higher achievement are also in place under NKRA 4. To improve the quality and standard of professionalism, the Education Ministry plans to pick only top-scoring university graduates to be 20% of trainee teachers by 2015 and review the passing criteria for trainee teachers at training colleges (Fernandez & Lingan, 2012) to ensure quality teachers. The goals of NKRA in improving student outcome help teachers and principals to tackle the challenges faced in providing quality education. Achieving the goals can indirectly increase unity goal under 1Malaysia as better education opportunities for all can bridge the gap between ethnic groups by balancing their l evel playing field and providing economic advancement. Evaluating 1MALAYSIA as the underlying key towards unity in cultural diversity Although efforts were made to integrate the Malaysian society using national education and ideologies, strong feelings of ethnicity in Malaysian social life are rife (Centre for Public Policy Studies, n.d.). In response, the current Prime Minister, Najib Razak introduced 1Malaysia concept in 2009 which aspires to unite the pluralistic Malaysian society by inculcating the spirit and values of solidarity and sense of togetherness, irrespective of race, religion and creed. (Najib Abdul Razak, 2009). The objective is to have the Malays, Chinese, and Indians perceive themselves collectively as a single identity –Malaysians. 1Malaysia founded upon the principle â€Å"People First, Performance Now† means that the government’s prime concern is people’s welfare and producing high quality performance that benefits them. In identifying his government with Malaysians regardless of race, soc ial background or religion and understanding their aspirations, he seeks to lead his government to identify their needs and to incorporate their feedback. Consequently, 1Malaysia can strengthen solidarity and cooperation among races for unity in cultural diversity. Is 1Malaysia the underlying key towards achieving unity in cultural diversity? According to Mujibu Muis et al. (2012), history shows that when national unity and integration focused on assimilating minority cultures into the dominant culture, it invariably caused minority ethnic groups to hold stronger to their languages and cultures. As Hazri Jamil and Santhiram Rahman (2012) suggested, the past assumption that the main method for national integration is the educational policy has been over simplistic. They claimed that racial harmony cannot be fostered through education initiatives alone. Hence, the concept of integration is not only about a mono-language, but is about mutual respect and understanding of other cultures and beliefs. In this respect, 1Malaysia concept which celebrates multi-culturalism, accepts cultural diversity and sees it as an advantage which can contribute to a prospering, stable and sustainable future (Hasnul Salleh, n.d.). As examples, Malaysian multi-culturalism has been packaged as the main attractions for the tourism industry (Tourism Malaysia, n.d.) and it brings about economical advantages in trade relations with China and India because of the language and cultural link. Has 1Malaysia concept being embraced by all Malaysians when through its acceptance, Malaysia has the potential to be more developed and stable economically, politically and socially? Without Malaysians’ acceptance, the implementation of the concept may not reach its full capacity. Yet, time will tell if 1Malaysia is to be seen as an underlying key to achieving unity in pluralistic Malaysia. Such a unity attained through the acceptance of the ideology of 1Malaysia renders one’s loyalty more towards the country and breaks down barriers of ethnicity. Conclusion Among the government educational policies built on the educational reports, the national language, common curriculum, standardised syllabus and examinations and national schools have always been tools of unity. Such policies have been effective and workable throughout the first 50 years of the nation’s independence. However, the idea of integration has somehow  progressed further according to the changing times with 1Malaysia concept which proposes that  the nation celebrates its unity amidst cultural diversity and views multi-culturalism as an edge that makes the country unique as in â€Å"Malaysia, truly Asia.† This means that the cultural diversity can become its strength rather than its Achilles heel when rather than assimilating minority cultures into dominant cultures as the only way of integration, 1Malaysia concept accepts the reality of multi-culturalism and promotes unity in its diversity. Therefore, the realisation of the concept may be the way forward fo r Malaysia to reinvent itself as a progressive nation at the dawn of the 21st century. REFERENCES Azhar Wahid. (2011). HBEF1103 Sociology and philosophy of education in Malaysia. Seri Kembangan, Selangor: Meteor Doc. Centre for Public Policy Studies. (n.d.). National unity fact sheet. [Online]. Available: http://www.cpps.org.my/downloads/factsheets/National%20unity%20factsheet.pdf . [2013, February 20]. Education NKRA reaping success. (2012, March 28). The Star. [Online]. Available: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/3/28/nation/10970176&sec=nation. [2013, February 20]. Ee, A. M. (1995). Pendidikan sebagai suatu proses: Asas pendidikan 1. Shah Alam, Selangor: Fajar Bakti. EPU Economic Planning Unit. (2011). Economic development: Vision 2020, 1991-2020. [Online]. Available: http://www.epu.gov.my/184. [2013, February 19]. Fernandez, E. & Lingan, L. (2012, June 6). Degree a must for new teachers by 2020. The News Straits Times. [Online]. Available: http://www.nst.com.my/top-news/degree-a-must-for-new-teachers-by-2020-1.91540. [2013, March 1]. Gullick, J. M. (1969). Malaysia: Nations of the modern world. London: Ernest Benn. 11 Hasnul Salleh. (n.d.). 1Malaysia – Concept and Values. [Online]. Available: http://www.jba. gov.my/files/Microsoft%20Word%20- %201Malaysia%20website%201705.pdf. [2013, February 19]. Hazri Jamil, & Santhiram Rahman. (2012). Malaysian educational policy for national integration: Contested terrain of multiple aspirations in a multicultural nation. Journal of Language and Culture, 3(1). [Online]. Available: http://www.academicjournals. org/jlc/PDF/pdf2012/Jan/Jamil%20and%20Raman.pdf. [2013, February 19]. Ho S. O. (1952). Education for unity in Malaya : An evaluation of the educational system of Malaya with special reference to the need for unity in its plural society. Penang: Ganesh Printing Works. Hussein Ahmad. (2008). History, policy, and reform in Malaysian Education. In Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid (Ed.), Malaysia from traditional to smart schools: The Malaysian educational odyssey (1st ed., pp. 35-82). Shah Alam: Oxford Fajar. Department of Statistics Consensus. (2010). Population and Housing Census Malaysia, 2010: Percentage of distribution of the population by ethnic group, Malaysia, 2010. [Online]. Available: http://www. statistics.gov.my/portal/index.php?option=com_content& view=article&id=1215. [2013, Feb 22]. Marimuthu, T. (2008). Tamil education: Problems and prospects. In Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid (Ed.), Malaysia from traditional to smart schools: The Malaysian educational odyssey (1st ed., pp. 113-138). Shah Alam: Oxford Fajar. 12 Mujibu Muis et al. (2012). Ethnic Plurality and Nation Building Process: A Comparative Analysis between Rukun Negara, Bangsa Malaysia and 1Malaysia Concepts as Nation Building Programs in Malaysia. Asian Social Science, 8(13). In Ebscohost (OUM Digital Collection). Nagendralingan, R. (2008). Reflections on the development of curriculum in Malaysia. In Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid (Ed.), Malaysia from traditional to smart schools: The Malaysian educational odyssey (1st ed., pp.221-254). Shah Alam: Oxford Fajar. Najib Abdul Razak. (2009). The 2010 Budget speech: 1Malaysia, together we prosper. [Online]. Available: http://www.treasury.gov.my/pdf/budget/bs10.pdf. [2013, March 1]. Neo, T. K., Neo, M., & Kwok, W. J. J. (2009). Engaging students in a multimedia cooperative learning environment: A Malaysian experience. 2009 Ascilite Conference Proceedings . [Online]. Available: http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/auckland09/procs/neo.pdf . [2013, Feb 27]. Noriati A. Rashid et al. (2012). Falsafah & Pendidikan di Malaysia. Shah Alam, Selangor: Oxford Fajar. Omar Mohd Hashim. (1991). Pengisian Misi Pendidikan. Ampang, Selangor: Percetakan Dewan Bahasa dan Pusaka. 13 Pemandu Performance management and delivery unit. (2011). Annual report 2011 Executive Summary. [Online]. Available: http://www.pemandu.gov.my/gtp/annualreport 2011/pdf/pemandu_ar2011_ executive_summary.pdf. [2013, February 18]. Syed Husin Ali. (2008). The Malays: Their problems and future. Petaling Jaya, Selangor: The Other Press Tourism Malaysia. (n.d.). Malaysia Truly Asia. [Online]. Available: http://www.tourism. gov.my/en/my/Web-Page/About-Malaysia/Culture-n-Heritage. [2013, March 1].

A Christmast Surprise for Gramma

A Christmas Surprise for Grandma by Gloria J. Shuttleworth Grandma lived on Sugar Creek Mountain all alone. It was a beautiful mountain, with tall cedar trees all over the mountain top. In the middle of the mountain was a crystal clear lake. The water in the lake was the prettiest blue youve ever seen. When the water was calm, you could see the fish swimming around in the lake. I loved sitting by the lake when I was a little girl. Grandma would pack us a lunch, and we would sit at the lake for hours on end. Hour after hour, grandma would tell me stories about her life on the mountain. I remember the day that grandpa drowned in the lake. My parents had tried to talk grandma into moving into town, but she wouldnt hear of it. My parents knew not to argue with her, because they knew that grandma was set in her ways. Ive been on this mountain for so long that Ive forgotten which is the oldest, me or the mountain, grandma had said, with a twinkle in her eyes. I knew my parents worried about her being alone, because grandma was the only person who lived on Sugar Cliff Mountain. Today I was going to visit grandma, and the excitement grew inside me at the thought of spending time on the mountain once more. After all, it had been ten years since I had seen grandma. Its hard to believe that my career had kept me away for so long. As I approached the top of the mountain, I could see grandma staring out the window of her little log cabin home. Grandma greeted me at the door with a big hug. I am so happy that you could come to visit with me, said grandma. This Christmas is going to be so wonderful! I have a special surprise for you dear. Little did grandma know that I had a very special surprise for her as well. Well, we cant stand around here all day, said grandma. Theres a lot of work to get done. I have invited the people from the village to come to my Christmas party on Saturday evening. After I had freshened up a bit, we spent the day baking all sorts of cookies and candies. Grandma had a story to tell as we baked the goodies for the party. She told me about how she used to bake apple pies for grandpa. He loved apple pies, said grandma. Those were his favorite. She said that after the pies would cool off, that grandpa would send her into the living room, under the pretense that he would clean up the kitchen. Grandma knew what he was really up to, but she never let on that she knew. Grandma would go into the living room and sit in her rocking chair. She would sing some of the songs that she knew grandpa loved. About an hour later, grandma would wander back into the kitchen. Why Henry! she said kitchen, grandma retired for the evening. I made myself a cup of tea and sat down in front of the fireplace. Sitting alone in the quiet house, I pondered my childhood memories of my grandparents. They had always been such a fun loving and happy couple. Shortly after they were married, grandpa built the log cabin home for his Little ole Emmy, as he called her. Just before Christmas, almost twelve years ago, grandpa was outside gathering firewood, when grandma heard a horrible scream and a terrible noise. She ran outside to find that an area of the ice on the lake had fallen through. She yelled for grandpa over and over but no reply ever came. They searched the lake for over a week, but no trace of grandpa could be found. Finally, they called off the search. One of the men who had helped in the search said theyd probably never find grandpa now. Just then, as my thoughts were still racing around in my head, my grandmother brought me back to reality. We have to be up very early in the morning dear, so off to bed now, she said. I slowly walked to my grandmothers room, and kissed her goodnight. Morning came early at grandmas house. As I entered the kitchen I could smell the homemade biscuits and gravy cooking on the stove. Whats on our list of things to do today? I asked. The men are coming from the village this morning to put the lights on the trees, and we have lots of presents to wrap for the children, she said. Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was the men from the village ready to start putting up the lights. Grandma was so excited as she stepped back to watch them. Lets wrap those presents now Laura, said grandma. As I watched grandma wrap the presents and tie the ribbons, I knew that so much more was being placed around them. With each piece of wrapping paper grandma was also wrapping them with love. After the last present was wrapped, we realized that wed been wrapping presents all day! It was now getting dark outside and grandma wanted to go outside to view the lights. As we stepped out onto the porch, we gasped. The sight that met our eyes was so beautiful to behold! The snow was glittering and the reflection of the lights on the snow was beyond words! It was breathtaking! That night I went to bed with a heart full of love for my grandmother. I knew that someday I wanted to be just like her, full of love for others. Saturday evening the village people started arriving just after dark. Grandma always waited until evening to have her Christmas party, because she loved the lights. All the guests gathered around in the front yard and began to sing Christmas carols. Oh, how grandma loved that! Ole Ben was a jolly fellow who worked at the village store, and he was chosen to help Santa hand out the presents. The children shouted with glee, as they unwrapped their gifts. Grandma said, Laura, come here dear, I have a surprise for you. As she handed me the present, I could see the love and pride in her eyes. I love it grandma, I said, as I bent down to kiss her cheek, I will cherish it forever. Grandma had made a quilt out of some of my dresses that I had worn as a little girl. Grandma, if you could have just one special gift for Christmas, what would it be? I asked her. Without even stopping to think, she replied, I would like t o see your grandfather just one more time, so I could feed him the apple pie that the horses quit snatching when he left us. Just then grandmas face lit up like the lights on the Christmas tree! Everyone turned to see what grandma was looking at. Walking slowly toward her, with an apple pie in his hand, was grandpa! There was two slices missing from the pie that he was holding. The village people were speechless, as they thought they were seeing a ghost. Grandpa chuckled, as he yelled out, Emmy, those darn horses snatched the pie and got away with two pieces. Difference to me, but slowly my memory started to return. I remember now going out to gather firewood. There was a nice piece of wood on the lake. I thought the lake was frozen over so I stepped out on the lake to get the piece of wood. I remember hearing the lake crackle and thats the last I remember about the accident. Laura, how can I ever thank you for bringing grandpa home to me? asked grandma. Laura replied, Seeing the happiness and the love you have for each other is all the thanks I need. As Laura retired to bed that night, she couldnt help but think about the surprise that she had given to grandma for Christmas. She knew in her heart that it was the best surprise present that grandma would ever get. What a warm and wonderful feeling came over Laura as she fell asleep, thinking of her grandparents.

Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Entrepreneurship - Essay Example According to the task outline, the objective of this assignment is to develop an understanding of the experiences, motivation, and lessons acquired by individuals who have created successful enterprises. Consequently, this paper has focused on The Cambridge Satchel Company as a demonstration to help us understand to various dimensions that entrepreneurs face although till they create successful businesses. As such, the paper will analyse an interview conducted on the company’s co-founder Julie Deane (Faulkner, 2012). Julie Deane, Co-Founder, the Cambridge Satchel Company According to McGowan et al. (2012) entrepreneurs are always motivated by the desire to take control of their lives and self confidence in their abilities to run a business (McGowan, Redeker, Cooper, & Greenan, 2012). Similarly, the idea behind the creation of The Cambridge Satchel Company started from the need of Deane to transfer her eight years daughter from a school where she was being bullied. As such Dean e was faced with a situation that required more income/money. This made Deane to come up with many business ideas only to settle at an idea that involved the making of traditional leather satchels. Her target market was the school going children who were crazy about the Harry Potter kind of bag. Consequently, in 2007, with a saving of six hundred euros Deane set her business (Eccles, 2012). The first consignments were classical chestnut coloured bags, in addition to black and dark brown colours because these colours were readily available. This is a classical support of the need for entrepreneurs need to set their goals and objectives. Moreover, this business is a sole-proprietorship kind; as such the company had its share of hardships in borrowing. Another, back draw in this business form is it weak growth rate due to limited capital and exposure (staff, 2010).However, another important characteristics for any successful entrepreneurs is high risk tolerance, a feature that has enab led Deanne to be successful in her business, to date (Shah, Smith , & Reedy, 2011). The Cambridge Satchel Company initial operations were at home. Deane confesses that as a start-up business she was only able to sell one to three bags in a week. However, through her own advertising initiatives, she started distributing leaflets in the neighbourhood and in offices and clinics. In addition, the fact that Cambridge boasts of being a career town and hold a lot of traditions, many people were able to identify with the Satchels. This factor greatly helped in the growth of the Satchel demand. More so, Deane was able to make a name through fashion houses and celebrities many of whom fell for them. To make more sales she started producing the bags in more different colours so that they could match the requirements and demands of the customer. Though this, Deane has demonstrated very good entrepreneurship skills. For example, she has demonstrated the importance of relating with the customerâ €™s needs. In addition Deane confessed that even if the demand grew she has never compromised on the quality. From the interview, Deane admits that another success factor for her business is innovativeness and creativity. Notably, in diversifying her product, she realized the importance

Examine the Treatment of Women and Minortities in Corportations Essay

Examine the Treatment of Women and Minortities in Corportations - Essay Example But, despite these changes, many in the world in positions of power do not have the patience or adaptability to accept the fact that woman can play a leading role, and so discrimination has become a normal experience for women. This paper examines how females are treated in companies as they have now become a threat to the continued economic and political ascendancy of men. Table of content Introduction 4 Public policies 6 Public policies about women and minorities 7 Role of corporations in affecting public policies about women and minorities 8 Programs run by the corporation that helps in affecting women and minorities 10 Mission statements for how women shall be treated in corporations 11 Conclusion 12 Examine the Treatment of Women and Minorities in Corporations Introduction Women in America face different opportunities, types and levels of treatment, and cultural acceptance and norms than a century ago. Women a hundred years ago were not expected to have full and free civic and c ultural participation, and were expected to ultimately deserve domestic tasks, have and raise offspring. Social norms constructed women as passive and frail, and not as competent to achieve strongly or intellectual all that men could. Men were supposed to be breadwinners, strong John Wayne figures with unquestioned authority over the home and over children. Though this was always an idealized view of the world, and ignored micro-conflicts going on in the culture at all times (especially since the feminist movement is as old as the 19th century), certainly these archetypes and schema are still important to cultural formation today. Changing role of women today Counterintuitively, despite obvious cultural and social changes, family responsibilities have not modified much in today's society. Women might be in the workplace more often, but the conventional responsibilities of women are still dominant. They are still the very compassionate provider and nurturer of infants and children, t he comforter for the weeping young offspring and the feminine existence of the household. While the husband's job has diversified into more domestic chores such as cooking, cleaning, attending PTA meetings, and going to soccer games, they still overwhelmingly are considered to have the role as head of the household, not its manager. Women have picked up more economic labor, but this has not been met by men picking up commensurate domestic labor (Hochschild, 1990). This is of course increasingly at odds with a world where women can often out-earn their male counterparts and are often more educated and qualified. Can women truly "be like the man", in terms of domestic authority, economic power, etc.? Arguably, yes. Women are increasingly capable of managing money, handling home improvement projects, and being single parents and sole breadwinners. Women aren’t likely to become as physically strong as men, but that has never been a truly important consideration in an industrializ ed society. Women are increasingly capable of thinking like men, but still being in a somewhat subordinate period and having different gender norms and construction have made it unlikely that women will be like men in terms of lived experiences, values and

Electricity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Electricity - Essay Example Moreover, the industrial sector and business of any country owes its development to the electricity system of that country. Energy consumption is also an omen of a country’s wealth, because higher consumption indicates a higher proportion of middle class, who can afford to utilize energy. (Hill) This graph show that Global demand for Electricity is set to grow 76% by 2030 (source: WNA, July 2012) .This is only a little reflection of the whole story, whereas in developed countries like United States, frequent brownouts result when the consumption grows. It also results in total blackouts at times of storms. In other countries such as India, it is getting difficult to fulfill the energy demand for domestic matters, resulting in power outages for several hours. This is worsened with the additional buying of electric appliances, inability of electric companies to generate electricity and illegal theft by people. But, frequent brownouts or prolonged blackout affect the sales of electrically powered products. A major part of the electricity generated every year goes to power electrical appliances at home such as televisions, computers, kitchen appliances, etc. Sudden blackout affects the performance of electrical appliances. Fluctuating voltage, which is the result of this blackout, causes lower operational efficiency in electrical appliances. This frequent brownout and prolonged shutdown affects the electrical appliances in a way that it increases the losses of the buyers, causes changes in power and voltage and premature wearing of the router. Blackout may also produce defective parts in automatic or computerized machines and it causes unwanted triggering of the units of UPS, thereby causing the malfunctioning of the security system and inconsistency in the speed of the motor. All these defects that occur as a result of frequent

Knowledge Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Knowledge Management - Coursework Example Knowledge management is highly reliant on people. The staff, the employees all carry knowledge about the company and they are the ones that carry out knowledge management. At the end of the day information technology does play a great part but the human factor is way bigger and way more necessary. Information technology will help in developing a knowledge management system and the success will depend on how well the information is organized and stored. The information however comes from the human beings. It is important for them to be encouraged by the organization. There should be a very caring, social and interactive organizational culture for knowledge management to thrive. Often companies used to restrict access to information; often employees would not bother sharing information with others with regards to their own personal promotion or job safety. But now organizations have modernized, they take concrete steps to make sure that the culture is more open, more relaxed and everyo ne is more at ease. Knowledge sharing only takes place when the culture is open to it, people are at enough ease to open their minds up and share their knowledge with superiors and inferiors both. Knowledge rather than capital or labour is the only meaningful resource a company has according to Drucker(1993). Capital and labour are actually pretty volatile resources when you think about it. They provide you with stability but there is no guarantee that they won’t leave you. Capital can be lost when faced with a crisis, employees leave and all of them don’t stay for a long time but knowledge is one factor that is constant. It can be stored in repositories for ages; it can be further analyzed and disseminated. Every human process result is a key success factor which should be stored. All the developed economies are now moving from industrial to knowledge based economy as they realize the importance. Defined broadly â€Å"KM is the process through which organizations ext ract value from their intellectual assets† (Kaplan, 2002). Intellectual assets in this case are their employees and managers not the information technology systems that a company has. Employees spend a lot of time in a company; they learn the inputs, processes, outputs. The experience they gain is extremely valuable though intangible. This true information has to be stored somewhere; an employee can leave anytime and can take the expertise to another organization. Knowledge management is made in two dimensions. One is to manage the existing knowledge by creating repositories, knowledge compilation, arrangement and categorization. The second is the activities of knowledge acquisition, creation, distribution and application. (Stenmark, 2001) Knowledge management also consists of administering the knowledge assets of the organization which is the human resource. Knowledge modelling is a process that helps in achieving those goals. Knowledge management includes identifying and map ping knowledge within the organization. The end objective is to generate enough amount of knowledge that the business can gain competitive advantage. Knowledge management also observes the whole lifecycle of an organization, from the beginning to the possible end. It sees how the organization has changed over time, how it has adapted to the external environmental challenges and how it became successful (Mathi, 2004).

Martial Relationships before and after Getting Married in UAE Essay - 1

Martial Relationships before and after Getting Married in UAE - Essay Example While this traditional patriarchal system has survived through ages, the 21st-century woman is breaking this concept. â€Å"Emirati women in 2010 were ranked number one in terms of gender equality among the whole Arab world and our ranking internationally was 103. This is a big leap,† said Shamsa Saleh, Chief Executive Officer of the DWE. (Chowdhury, 2011 April 02, Khaleej Times Online ). The society of UAE is mostly governed by Islamic laws, also called sharia and family laws pertaining to marriage and divorce are handled accordingly. Muslim men are allowed to have four wives at the same time and they can even marry non-Muslim women. However, they have to bear the financial expenditures of all their wives and children. They are the ‘providers’ of their wives and children and in return, their wives are supposed to be absolutely chaste, obedient, and available to satisfy their sexual and domestic needs. The United Arab Emirates is one of the advanced countries in t he entire Gulf region. Exposure to foreign lifestyle due to tourism, foreign media, multinational organizations with its multinational workforce and education has gradually changed the social system of Emirates. The youth has responded well to the social changes and they find it implausible to fit the traditional practices in their modern and contemporary lifestyles. The most adverse effect of the clash of civilizations has been on marital relationships. An increase in the divorce rate has been recorded in UAE during the past few decades. â€Å"According to latest available statistics, the UAE leads GCC states in divorce rates, which hit 36 percent, reported 'Emarat Al Youm'†. (Emirates 24/7, March 04, 2011)

Clever Marketing in the Luxury Fashion Industry Essay

Clever Marketing in the Luxury Fashion Industry - Essay Example Talented designers, nowadays, unlike their counterparts from before, can no longer merely rely on their talent. In fact, they are forced to share profits such as the Gucci Group and the LVMH in order to increase their sales through marketing. Without a doubt, the luxury fashion industry makes use of clever marketing strategies in order to keep the brand alive. It is then in relation to this that this research seeks to look into the concept of clever marketing and how this posed implications to the industry. Furthermore, this paper also examines the said strategies and how these affect the companies. In order to achieve this then, the researcher employs the questionnaire method in order to gain the perceptions of the members of Gucci, LVMH, and Richemont with regard to clever marketing and how these affect them. a Luxury, style, and elegance have traditionally been associated with the French way of life. In fact, the first so-called ‘grands against’ were found in their capital and these were associated with values of sensuality, luxury, innovation and premium service. Added to this was the manner by which the architecture conveyed senses of majesty and power thereby defining the shopping experience for the wealthy consumers. Hence, fashion becomes more than just a matter of clothes and accessories. Rather, it has been of vital importance and influence that structures the culture, identity, and lifestyle of a certain society, Okonkwo. Central then to this luxurious shopping experience is coveted products that are authentic, exudes quality and craftsmanship, and most importantly, demonstrate exclusivity.  

Gangrene in the United States Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gangrene in the United States - Research Paper Example Serious injuries, diabetes, and long-term smoking can cause this disease. Physicians believe that blood vessel diseases like arteriosclerosis increase an individual’s risk for gangrene. In addition, surgeries and suppressed immune system resulting from issues like HIV or chemotherapy may lead to the development of gangrene in individuals. Clostridium perifringens is a gangrene causing bacteria. Finally, trauma is also a potential cause of this disease. The symptoms of gangrene may vary in accordance with the location and cause of the disease. If the affected area is close to the skin, the symptoms may be foul-smelling discharge and loss of feeling sensation in that particular area. In addition, discoloration is another major symptom of gangrene. The affected region will be turned black or blue if the skin is affected whereas it will become red or bronze in color if the affected location is beneath the skin. Symptoms like fever, low BP, severe pain, confusion, and generally ill feeling may appear if the gangrene affected location is inside the body. In severe cases, amputation of the affected body part is the only treatment for gangrene. Sometimes, emergency operations are performed to increase blood supply to the affected area and to locate and remove dead tissues. In some other cases, antibiotics can treat the disease. Gangrene is more common in an old population as they are prone to health problems like diabetes and blood vessel diseases. A Medical News Today report indicates that in the US, the gangrene victims’ average age was 72 years in 2003; and in addition, 56 percent of an affected individual were men in the same year. This disease is found all over the world despite socio-economic differences. The geographic distribution of gangrene causing bacteria (Clostridium perifringens) is worldwide.  

Discuss Classic Film Posters Essay Example for Free

Discuss Classic Film Posters Essay Introduction Movie posters today are considered collectibles and rare ones fetch high prices. Great movie posters are hard to find. Historically, most posters are cut and paste jobs that do not sell the movie very well while a great poster could intrigue, shock, inspire as well as excite.   To create sensation and convince viewers, it should be aesthetically beautiful or original as well memorable that a single glance will make the viewer go inside the theatre to watch. According to Kinross (1991), graphic design is the activity that evolved out of what has been known as ‘commercial art’ closely linked to advertising, drawn or painted illustration. The graphic designer is generally acknowledged among themselves as professional designers who are able to work across a range of fields with different media including companies and corporate bodies, book or magazine publishing, exhibition design, signing and architectural graphics, television graphics, posters, among others. Hollis acknowledged that up to the Second World War, artists who are either painters or sculptors such as Kurt Schwitters, Willi Baumeister, and Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart. He also added that there had been a crisis in design as computerized designers go off in one direction led by Basel-Wolfgang Weingart and commercially developed by April Greiman and the New Wave of Americans (Kinross, 1991). â€Å"It was something to do with graphic and typographic freedom and with making new images, presenting information as a decorative style†¦ emerged from the new technology of the computer,† Hollis said (Kinross, 1991, p 75). Hollis also believed then that the graphic designer does not control the content of what he or she is designing. He also observed that in postmodernism, there is a large element of eclecticism that borrow past styles and apply them such as what Bruno Mongunzzi, a classic modern typographer and an intelligent designer who is â€Å"not highly original †¦ [with the] notion of â€Å"I don’t want to be interesting, I want to be good,† (p 75). Hollis delineated art as pre aesthetic information while graphics is information which could inevitably become aesthetic. Hollis and Kinross agree that â€Å"graphic design is modernism in the graphic field†¦ the conjunction of image and text† (p 76) of which Hollis emphasized the importance of the relationship between image and text. Lithography (from 1800) was credited to allow joining of image and text laboriously by hand. Likewise, aside from text and image, there was also the conjunction of image and image where photography provided raw material for montage such as John Heartfield’s, and by making surrealism possible images which appeared to be machine-made. Photography was considered as the central generator of graphic design of the modern movement citing the Volkswagen advertisement in particular (Kinross, 1991). Design as also closely linked, if not overlapped with advertising starting the 1960s. Hollis proposed that it was difficult to separate graphics from marketing which is, â€Å"a distinctly bourgeois activity, which has occasionally, probably through pop music, had connections with some sort of mass culture,† (Kinross, 1991, p 79-80). This paper shall try to discuss the organization, design, use of colour, spatial layout, and lettering in the movie posters: The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Guns of Navarone, The Magnificent Seven, and The Great Escape with the above premise. Discussion: The Bridge on the River Kwai. Design This poster uses period book-type design with an obvious elongated presentation. The type spacing or leading is not controlled and seem to take up much space to provide cramped texts that followed, including the movie title. It also uses illustrations in layered format from the smallest image below, a bigger image above it, and the biggest one showing up close in action the lead character. In fact, the rectangle below the introductory four-line texts seem to be a book cover superimposed on the lower small image with the matching text so that the poster seem to have used a book cover itself. Color The use of color is impressive as the classic eye-catching combination of yellow and red are used. A little of blue text complemented the overall mix of colors. Spatial Lay-out As mentioned earlier, there seem to be a followed desire to use a book cover format with introductory catch lines above and supporting details just below the book cover image. The concept, although longer than the usual movie poster, is impressive. Lettering Type fonts were already used in this print but the title â€Å"The Bridge on the River Kwai† is definitely hand-executed in bold, uneven manner which is very prominent. The Guns of Navarone. Design This one uses comics-type illustration and classic poster size to present strong images of the lead characters and the sea. Already, the use of the classic movie poster lay-out is laid and presented making this one in hand-lettering and cut and paste rendition one for the books. Color The use of the yellow/brown and red combination is another notable characteristic of this movie poster. It is catchy with a huge single image in symmetrical balance with the lead credits. However, its catch line superimposed on the image is not very noticeable or striking. Lettering The Guns of Navarone is also hand-executed with uneven yet type-cast style showing ethnic influence in the design and lettering. The bigger presentation of the lead character names overshadow the movie title, showing that the characters are more saleable than the story plot. Or that each could help sell the other. A witty approach towards commercialism. Spatial Lay-out The use of space and overall design of the poster is pleasing and symmetrical. It is also-well-balanced and does not stray the attention away from it. The Magnificent Seven. Design The Magnificent Seven uses the number image as its main design structure showcasing the face of the lead characters. It has a convincing approach to the use of graphics and confining images in a relevant manner so as to emphasize the number. Color Once again, the colors red and yellow are very evident in this poster although the gray, black and white images of the faces and heads confined within the number add a balance that mutes the overwhelming yellow. The use of the neutrals or muted hues is very rational as use of human flesh colors could drown the effect red and yellow provide. However, additional color on the images below the number 7 could have provided more impact, intrigue and variety. Spatial Lay out The lay-out is quite crampy within the confines of the number 7, with much waste on the sides of each space. The limitation could have been the effect of printing graphics at that time. Use of machine is already evident at this poster and the font sizes and the wasted spaces provide a glimpse of experimentation being used. Lettering A combination of hand-executed lettering and machine type, this one shows the limitation of graphic design during the period. The Great Escape. Design Considered the quad poster, this one uses horizontal design to present the entire poster. The balance is achieved through the placement of small catch line on the left and the title and image on the center-right. Color The use of basic red and blue is very effective as black balances the off-white color of the reversed title in big fat fonts. Spatial lay out There is also the experimentation of text size in this poster. While balance is being achieved, there is also the wastage of some space where the catch line could have gained advantage. However, since commercial design was in its adolescent stage, this is forgivable. Lettering Machine seems to be the evident executor at this poster. Every letter size and type are uniformed and the limited use of space made it more obvious. Conclusion The period when photographs are hardly used, comic and book art illustrations were used in movie posters. These posters achieved classic popularity and acceptance due to use of what are typically accepted design concepts at that time; use of basic colors red, yellow and blue which appear striking against one another at the same time catchy in the commercial sense, attainment of balance and symmetry by not tilting the meter of text and photos to only a single side, or plain use of centering. The lay-out and ettering are evidently limited due to time and resources restrictions. However, in a period when posters were used as announcements and not exactly collectible graphic arts, these are acceptable norms for movie posters. Current trends, however, may provide new design concepts that may or may not be considered acceptable in any other given period. Design mutates, and popular taste is conditioned, influenced, as well as acquired. So does design and movie posters. Reference: Kinross, Robin (1992). â€Å"Conversation with Richard Hollis on Graphic Design History.†Ã‚   Journal of Design History 5 (3) 73-93. Hershenson, Bruce (1998). â€Å"A History of Movie Posters.† Reel Classics.

The unemployment problem and possible solutions

The unemployment problem and possible solutions Unemployment is a residual and individual problem which effect on whole economy. By late the 1980s unemployment becomes a big policy and public consensus for the G5 countries (UK, USA, Japan, France and Germany). It continued argue that among the G5 countries the level of UK economy was an economy of Unemployment with all the human and economic waste and inefficiency such as an economy entails. In view of the rapid rise in unemployment that has occurred between 1990 and 1991. But recently the UK has lower unemployment rates than France and Germany. However a number of logical thought trying to explain the policy of unemployment rates and address the solution of Unemployment. Unemployment Unemployment defined as the numbers of people of working age who are able and available for work at current wage rates and who do not have a job. But the unemployment rates in the proportion of unemployed people in the economically active in labour force. Unemployment Rates calculated by: number of unemployed/number of economical active X100.There is two basic ways government can measure the unemployment rates such as The Claimant Count: means the number of people when claiming their unemployment benefit from government on any given period time. Labour Force Surveys: by this survey government count number of employed including number of unemployed people. According to Labour Force survey the graph shows that in 1990 unemployment rates fall at just over 6% where employment rates picked at just under 76%. Currently (source: IMF) UK unemployment rates more than 8% whereas Germany holds well above 10% unemployment rates. Zero Unemployment Rates It is true that the economy unemployment rate could not at zero if an economist full employment because there are two type of unemployment exist in our economy such as: Structural Unemployment: It occurs when consumer demand for the new product. For example when new technological progress has made skills blockage such as computer introduced white collar disappeared. Frictional Unemployment: It occurs when for the particular skill demand for labour and supply for labour are not match or people are not aware for the job opportunity or geographical match of workers ongoing process. Besides those reason unemployment could not zero for some institutional phenomenon such as: Minimum wage law may make it too expensive to hire a extra labour Government employment benefit reduce job interest Government restriction on institution may reduce job arability. Racism or gender discrimination may decrease interest of job. etc However there are numbers of principal schools of thought in macroeconomics offered the cause of unemployment such as Classical Thought Keyness Thought Neo -Classical Thought Monetarism Thought New classical Thought New Keynesian Thought Classical Thought The classical thought assumed that the economy would tend to full equilibrium if left its own. According classical theory, labour market operated demand of labour and supply of labour when balanced by price signals. From the graph shown that there is unemployment exist when excess labour supply (N2) and demand of labour (N3). The classical school of thought explain that if excess labour supply existence in economy, wages would fall(W1 to W*) until the labour market clearing equilibrium is restore, alternatively when excess labour demand existence labour shortage would push up wages and restore the equilibrium(NFull). Says Law is justified the classical view and law said that: supply creates its own demand. That means the economy is in a permanent state of full-employment equilibrium. Because says law guarantees any increase in output of goods and services will sold for sufficient demand and therefore firm will never reduce output or cut the jobs. However, if there is unemployment, market forces should quickly eliminate it and restore equilibrium. But after 1929-33 great depression the whole world economy collapsed in industrial capitalism and the classical school of theory could not explain the established economic wisdom. This depression eventually gave to raise Keynesian thought. Keynesian Thought Keynes his most famous work The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money (1936) argued that could not settle at Equilibrium and it would not change the labour market situation because of aggregate demand. If aggregate demand fell, output and employment could fall and the economy could become trapped in a less than full-employment equilibrium. The graph shows that when demand for labour fall (D1 to D2) the wage also fall (W to W1) and unemployment would formed (ab). Nevertheless 1970s continuous unemployment and inflection failed the Keynesians demand deficient unemployment and this argument considered as Keynesians two analytical frame works such as the 45 degree model and the Philips curve which is known as a Neo- classical theory. Neo Classical Thought According the neo classical thought the 45 degree demonstrates the Keynesian aggregate demand .It means to using the appropriate fiscal policy if aggregate demand add and reduce the economy fall in inflection pressure. More precisely where output and employment are below their full employment level if government cut tax or higher government expenditure which is increases the aggregate demand. On the other hand where output and employment are at their full employment level if government increase tax or decrease government expenditure in this situation demand- pull inflationary pressures are exists. Therefore the aggregate demand management will maintain the economy at close to full employment equilibrium both unemployment and inflection need be a problem. The graphs show that if aggregate demand fall a positive demand shock occurred at full employment equilibrium position (Ye) and meanwhile inflationary gap existed in economy. Conversely the 45 degree aggregate demand says that the unemployment and inflection not appeared in same time. In the late 1950s Philips curve more purify the Keynesian thought. In 1958 Professor A.W.Philips illustrated a statistical relationship between unemployment and inflection The Philips curve shows the inverse relationship between unemployment rates and inflection. It argued that if government wants to reduce unemployment it has to accept higher inflation as a trade off. The graphs shows that if unemployment rates fall (1.5% to 1%) inflation rates up (2 to 4%)S Although in 1970s the Philips curve was unable to explain the problem of unemployment and inflection which is going up together stagflation. In mean while time two economists Milton Friedman and Edwards Phelps appeared with monetarism theory that able to show concurrently inflection and unemployment based on expectations augmented Philips curve. Monetarism Professor Friedman argued that there were a series of different Philips curve for each level of expected inflection. He persuaded that when government injects resources into the economy once again the unemployment fall in short-term but there would occurred high inflation. As a result people expected inflection to occur then they would anticipate and expected a correspondingly higher wage rise. The graph revealed that unemployment below Un to U* the series of Philips curve (SRPC1) moved alone with inflation rates zero to 4% because the expectation has been changed and people adept new rates. But Friedman failed to long term unemployment related with inflation rates which is elaborated by New Classical viewed. New Classical Thought Robert Locus who is one of the new classical economist argued that announced and unannounced fiscal and monetary policy are affected on out and employment because of natural rate of unemployment will alter the equilibrium and this thought actually expand the rational expectation. The graph shows without short term reduction of unemployment (Un to U*) rational agent would anticipated an inflationary environment. New Keynesian Thought The new Keynesian thought wrecked the long run Philips curve which is breakdown by Friedman depends on NAIRU (Non Accelerating inflation rates of unemployment). In Behavioural theory George Akerlof argued at the low level of inflation permanent trade off between inflation and unemployment because low inflation not silent. In the diagram shows when unemployment fall from U a silent inflation becomes higher. Furthermore according New Keynesian point of view real wage rate could establish long unemployment equilibrium. The diagram exposed that a higher market clearing efficiency wage paid consequent unemployment (N2-N1) whereas aggregated demand shock shifting the labour demand curve which is lead the unemployment ( N2 to N3). Most Satisfactory Explanation on nature of European Unemployment The classical thought believed that supply automatically creates full employment and efficient market economy drive the unemployment problem where a little need of government interference. But 1929-33 great depression pushed the European unemployment rates to unprecedented level and whole economy collapsed. Country 1921-29 1930-38 United States 7.9 26.1 United Kingdom 12 15.4 France 3.8 10.2 Germany 9.2 21.8 The table shows the percentage of unemployment rates of European countries during depression period. In 1930-38 USA enjoyed high Unemployed rates 26.1% The depression eventually gave to raise the Cambridge economist John Maynard Keynes thought and he identified the root of the problem as a lack of aggregated demand. He explained that if aggregate demand fall the economy were hit by adverse shocks which create a fall the business confidence where Says law would failed to hold as firms cut investment, output and employment and this process could leave the economy in less than full unemployment equilibrium. Moreover a less than full-employment output would find just enough demand for that output and the economy would be stuck in a slump. Keynes suggested that government attempt stabilized the policy for settle the level of output and full employment. Despite the fact that until 1970s the Keynesian aggregate demand management dominated western policymaking the economy in of overheating and facing the inflationary pressured. In1970s inflation rates increase 10% to more the 20%. The graph shows that after 1970 inflation rates in UK and Japan reached at well above 20% whereas USA and France more than 15% abut Germany enjoyed the less inflationary rates. In the mean while time G5 countries were suffered by high unemployment. From the following graphs we can see that in 1970s unemployment rates increased rapidly where full employment appear only 2.5% . In 1970s economy are experienced by rising unemployment and inflation which made together stagflation where Keynesian policy failed to explain the new dilemma. On the other hand Keynesian appeared that most unemployment arise outside labour market but the great depression and early 1980s and 1990s recession Keynesian view unsuccessful to explain Frictional and Structural unemployment. Conversely Friedman views clear the all of Keynesians confusion which is based on expectations augmented Philips curve. Because 1970s stagflation redundant the Philips curve. Whereas Friedman indentified that the cause of inflation is balanced by the natural rate of unemployment and this unemployment occurred inside labour market which should be in microeconomic nature, cause macroeconomic policy not affective in the long run. He also argued the stabilization policy which was driven the Post war boom means it ineffective to maintain the economics at potential GDP and full employments and it should be d estabilized cause economic will stable inherently. Yet Monetarist assumption abandoned the1980s and 1990s recession and in monetarist view labour market are not flexible even though the lack of competitiveness has obsessed the real wage. After all in my point of view the Keynesian school thought likely approach than other school of thought though monetarist would favour to abandon the stagflation. But if we see the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s inflation and unemployment is high but overall GDP rate remarkable. In addition Keynesian view is applicable in recent recession. Recently viewed that the Europe countries aggregated demand fall and lower rates of growth people are less interest to consume which tend to increased unemployment hand .Besides the Keynesian thought not decline fiscal and monetary policy and Labour union power to determined the wage and right. Recent Unemployment and Solution In UK jobless jumped by 43,000 and unemployment reached at 8%. According to IMF survey global financial crisis impact on European output and employment and it increased the recent unemployment. In Germany, UK output falls in significantly which reduced the growth of employment. Moreover labour market flexibility, mainly the higher level of employment protection lean to reduced employment inflow and outflow and declines the labour reallocation. Further more rapid rise of structural unemployment, financial institutions collapse, cutting hours, early retirement tend to increased the Unemployment On the contrary mix labour market policies and flexibilities at firm level gradually employment has adjusted in UK and Germany. It is true that time accounts smooth the Germanys employment whereas government subsides decreased the working time. But wage flexibility and government support help to surpass the UK unemployment. Conclusion As final point unemployment is a major problem in the world economy. It is very difficult to bring down equilibrium position if it is not stop to increase at the first place and in the long run unemployed not able to participate in labour market. Therefore, government should initiate the improving labour market by increasing work incentives, reforming the operation house market and trade union.

Food Safety And Security In India Environmental Sciences Essay

Food Safety And Security In India Environmental Sciences Essay Food safety is a growing concern globally. With the innovations in the processing technologies, packaging techniques, agricultural practices, and change in food habits, industry and enforcement authorities are facing new challenges every day. Currently there are more than twenty Indian laws relating to food, which are administered by a number of different Ministries and Departments. Food processors have to comply with these rules. Among the more important food laws are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA) of 1954 and the PFA Rules of 1955. Covers specifications related to food colour, preservatives, pesticide residues, packaging and labelling, and regulation of sales. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1976, and the Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rule, 1977. Designed to establish fair trade practices with respect to packaged commodities. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Fruit Products Order, 1955. Specifications and quality control requirements regarding the production and marketing of processed fruits and vegetables, sweetened aerated water, vinegar, and synthetic syrups. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Meat Food Products Order, 1992. Administers the permissible quantity of heavy metals, preservatives, and insecticide residues for meat products. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992. Regulates the production, distribution, and supply of milk products; establishes sanitary requirements for dairies, machinery, and premises; and sets quality control standards for milk and milk products. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. In August 2006, Government of India has passed a new legislation Food Safety and Standards Act. 9.2 Food safety standards Temperature control should be maintained in Raw and cooked meat, poultry and meat products, Dairy products and foods containing dairy products, Seafood, Processed fruits and vegetables, Cooked rice and pasta, Processed foods containing eggs, beans, nuts and other protein-rich foods, foods that contain any of the above foods eg sandwiches and custard and cream filled baked goods. Generally the Standards require that potentially hazardous food is kept under temperature control which means below 5 °C and above 60 °C. Businesses need to limit the amount of time that potentially hazardous foods are kept in the danger zone à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ temperatures between 5 °C and 60 °C. Food storage During storage you must make sure that the safety and suitability of the food is kept. This means that Food must be protected from contamination; Food must be stored under correct environmental conditions e.g. lighting and humidity; Potentially hazardous food must be stored under correct temperature. (below 5 °C and above 60 °C or frozen). Food processing Only safe and suitable food is processed; Food must be protected from contamination; There are no organisms present that can cause illness when the food is ready to eat. Some processing steps have clear requirements for example: Cooking Cooling Thawing Reheating Food display Food must be protected from contamination, for example barriers, covering ready to eat foods such as cakes and muffins that are on counters and supervision. That potentially hazardous food is either kept under temperature control or time is used as the control to keep the food safe. If less than 2 hours the food must either be refrigerated or used immediately; For longer than 2 hours, but less than 4 hours, must be used immediately ; For a total of 4 hours or longer, must be thrown out. If using the 2 hour/4 hour rule the business must be able to provide evidence of the times, eg tags with times marked. Food packaging The packaging material used is safe for food; the packaging material used is not likely to contaminate the food; the food is not contaminated during the packaging process. Food transportation Businesses must make sure that food being transported is protected from contamination; and that Potentially hazardous food must be transported at the correct temperature. ( 60 °C or frozen) Health and Hygiene requirements inform the food handlers about their health and hygiene responsibilities; make sure that the food handlers do not handle food if they are unwell with an illness such as gastro, or other illnesses that can be passed on through food; provide sufficient hand washing facilities, refer to Food Safety Standards Premises and Equipment fact sheet; make sure that food handlers on the premises do not contaminate food. Food Handlers Requirements: Food handlers must do everything they can to make sure that they do not contaminate food. They must wash their hands with soap and running warm water in the hand wash basin provided and then dry them using either a paper towel or air drier. Hand washing before handling food must be done regularly and whenever there might be the risk of contaminating food. They must not behave in any way that could cause contamination of food, for example smoking in food handling areas. Food handlers must inform their supervisor if they are suffering from; diarrhoea, vomiting, a sore throat with fever, fever or jaundice, any infected skin wound or discharges from their ears, nose, or eyes as these conditions could contaminate food. Cleaning, Sanitising and Maintenance Food contact surfaces, ie- chopping boards and preparation benches, must be cleaned and sanitised regularly or in between tasks to make sure that contamination of food does not occur. This also applies to the eating and drinking utensils. Sanitising can be achieved by; using hot water (77 °C at least), using a food grade sanitiser or diluted bleach. The premises, fittings and equipment must be kept clean and in a state of good repair. Chipped, cracked or broken utensils must not be used. Garbage must not be left to build up and must be removed regularly. Food Security The broader reasons for food insecurity are many: war, poverty, population growth, environmental degradation, limited agricultural technology, ineffective policies, and disease. Natural resources base like land, water, forest and the bio-diversity being the foundations for the both food security and environmental sustainability has been irreversibly damaged owing to the increasing food demand and consequently food insecurity. 9.3 Food Standards Safety measures for Select food products: Dairy products: As far as microbiological criteria is concerned, Indian standards for dairy products are elaborate. E,g ghee, butter, skimmed milk. The possibility of contamination from heavy metals should be checked and incorporated. Also, the products which are prepared from milk, should address to pesticide residue levels, and veterinary drug contamination e.g. yoghurt and weaning food. Poultry products: Indian standards for shelled eggs are comparable to international standards. The Indian standards for chicken meat and poultry meat should address the requirements for heavy metal contamination. Meat Products: Indian standards are available for boneless meat of Bovine which takes care of microbiological contamination is silent of heavy metals. There are no specifications available for sheep meat and goat meat in India, whereas other countries have identified the heavy metal contamination. Sea foods: Mercury contamination in sea foods is a major concern internationally which has not been addressed in Indian standards .Microbiological characteristics should also be addressed. Agricultural Products: The possibility of aflatoxin content in agricultural products has been addressed in the Indian standards but is silent on heavy metals (lead, cadmium and arsenic). Majority of the codex standards compared talk about lead contamination. The standards are comparable as far as honey is concerned. Milling products: Codex standards on whole-wheat flour consider the possible contamination from heavy meats and microbes where as Indian standards give requirements for physical hazards like rodent hair etc. Edible Oils: Specifications on all types of oils as under codex consider the heavy metal contamination where as Indian standards are not addressing the same. For parameters such as peroxide value, which relates to the rancid condition of oils, Indian standards do not give quantitative specifications. Indian standards should be reviewed to such effects in the interest of public health. Fruits and vegetables: Fresh fruits: Majority of the countries has identified the allowances level for physical impurities, defects and physical contaminations. Some of the countries have given the requirement for metals with Indian additionally following the heavy metals and pesticides specification of codex. Dry fruits: Majority of the countries has identified the specifications for physical impurities and physical contaminants and physical defects. Codex has additionally identified the specifications for heavy metals. Processed fruits and vegetables: Heavy metals limits are clearly identified in Malaysian standards but PFA standards for the above mentioned products are limited to compositional requirements and physical characteristics. USA has clearly described the physical defects in case of jams, squash and jellies etc. Pickle is an item of mass consumption all over India and has various category of ingredients in it. The PFA standards refer to microbiological contamination. The heavy metal contamination is addressed only in qualitative terms where it should have addressed to the heavy metal contamination such as lead, arsenic and cadmium etc in quantitative terms. Food safety checklist includes different aspects under the following heads: Personal hygiene Food Preparation Hot holding Cold holding Refrigerator, Freezer cooler Food Storage Dry Storage Cleaning sanitizing Utensils equipment Garbage storage and disposal Pest control Notes The installation of ISO: 14000, ISO 22000 Quality Management Systems and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) based food safety system is extremely desirable in view of the changing scenario in the international trade. Ministry of Food Processing Industries is operating a Plan Scheme to motivate the food processing industries for adoption / implementation of food safety and quality assurance mechanisms such as Total Quality Management (TQM)including ISO, ISO 14000, ISO 22000, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Hygienic Practices (GHP) and prepare them to face the global competition in international trade in post WTO era. (Ministry of op Annual Report 2008-09) Unprocessed foods are susceptible to spoilage by biochemical processes, microbial attack and infestation. The right post harvest practices such as good processing techniques, and proper packaging, transportation and storage (of even processed foods) can play a significant role in reducing spoilage and extending shelf life. Sources: Food Security-Agricultural Bio Diversity (Yamini Gurani) Food safety standards ( www.foodstandards.gov.au) Comprehensive study of food regulations and standards, food testing, CODEX resource system Report by TUV South Asia Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai

Passing Essay -- Literary Analysis, Nella Larsen

Nella Larsen's Passing tells the story of the reconnection of two childhood friends whose lives take divergent paths. Through these characters Larsen weaves together a cautionary tale about the consequences of living a double life, and the harm associated with internalized racism. Through Clair and Irene, Larsen conveys to readers the consequences of desiring to live life as a bicultural individual during the early 20th century. Claire represents the archetypical character known as the tragic mulatto, as she brings tragedy to all those she encounters. Irene represents someone grappling with internalized racism; catalyzed by Claire's reentrance into her life. Larsen juxtaposes the two characters to demonstrate the inescapability of social regulations. Clare attempts to escape the social barriers placed upon African-Americans, and she does, but not without consequence. Through diction, tone, and imagery Larsen makes it luminous to readers that "passing" may seem glamorous, however, t he sacrifice one makes to do so is not without consequences for themselves and those they care about. Tragic mulatto characters such as Clare transport unforeseen horrors when they make the selfish decision to reinsert themselves back into the world they so desperately desired to flee. Larsen makes this point clear through the diction she uses when describing the self-esteem destruction Irene undergoes once Clare has reinserted herself into Irene's life, and the situations Irene finds herself as a direct result of Clare. Prior to Clare’s reentrance into her life Irene is a self-assured, independent, and confident woman; however, she soon turns self-conscious, dependent, and hesitant. Upon viewing Clare at the hotel Irene is struck by Clare’s ... ...s appealing it is not without consequence. Clare, and those who choose to pass, are not free to embrace their whole identity and will always remain a threat to those they come in contact. Clare exemplified the archetypal character of the tragic mulatto, as she bought tragedy to her own life and all those she came in contact. Clare’s presence forced Irene to contend with feelings of internalized racism, and thus feelings of inferiority. Through diction, tone, and imagery Larsen makes it luminous to readers that "passing" may seem glamorous, however, the sacrifice one makes to do so is not without consequences for themselves and those they care about. Larsen does not allow her readers to perch on the belief that once a member of the dominate group ones life is not without pain and suffering. Every action, even those that seem to make life easier, have consequences.

War :: essays research papers fc

Recent photographs of Iraqi Prisoners Of War (POWs) being humiliated and abused by United States armed forces have caused uproar and disgust throughout the world. The sole purpose of any war is to win; either through destroying the enemy, or the achieving a specific goal. Why then should coalition forces be held to a higher standard in regard to treatment of POWs than the rest of the world? To fully explore this question we must understand the history of POWs, and the role that the United States plays in world affairs. During the 1991 Gulf War, pictures of American pilots beaten and bleeding were shown to the world. Civilized nations were outraged. As Major Rhonda Cornum told of being molested, Colonel Jeff Tice told of being electrocuted, and other American and British pilots read scripted statements on television (PBS), civilized nations were appalled. Throughout the years, prisoners have been interrogated and mistreated by their captors. Vietnamese soldiers housed prisoners in substandard shelter or even pits throughout their country. The most famous POW camp was known as the â€Å"Hanoi Hilton†. Here, POWs where beaten, tortured and humiliated for years. Brainwashing techniques were perfected by North Korea during The Korean Conflict. World War I POWs were forced into labor camps or systematically murdered through â€Å"death marches† where guards would force prisoners to march until they died from exhaustion in an effort to reduce the number of prisoners in the camps. World War I I POWs were killed, or used for medical experiments. The United Sates Department of Defense recognizes table below outlines the prominent type of torture administered during each of the official US Wars (DoD, 47). After the wars ended, and it was discovered just how badly the POWs were treated, civilized nations convinced themselves that torture and abuse were the acts of uncivilized nations ruled by madmen. Principal Wars in which the US Participated Official War  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Torture technique Revolutionary War  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Murder, destruction of property War of 1812  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rape, theft, Arson Indian Wars  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scalping, murder, rape Mexican War  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Murder Civil War  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hanging, destruction of property Spanish-American War  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  providing only saltwater to drink-causing dehydration and hallucinations World War I  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sleep deprivation, murder World War II  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (sexual) enslavement, medical experiments, death marches Korean War  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  re-education, Bataan Death March, physical torture Vietnam War  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  cutting off various body parts to get other prisoners to talk, Sleep deprivation, bamboo under fingernails Gulf War-1991  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Electrocution, humiliation, beatings, Sleep deprivation Gulf War-2003  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Religious and sexual abuse, humiliation, beatings, sleep deprivation The United States has, from the onset of the Civil war, led the moral and ethical charge for proper care and treatment of prisoners of War.

HIV/AIDS in Prisons and Jails :: STD, HIV, AIDS

In addressing the prevention of the spread of the HIV virus in prisons, we have seen a rush to develop and implement prevention measures. Much attention has centered on such controversial issues as compulsory or voluntary blood testing, isolation versus integration of HIV infected inmates into the prison mainstreams, provision of condoms and disposable needles, and effective educational measures for specific groups within the prison.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unfortunately, this rush to develop and implement preventive measures has resulted in a degree of polarization which has hindered progress towards implementation of effective prevention measures. Prisons and jails offer uniquely important opportunities for improving disease control in the community by providing health care to disease prevention program to a large and concentrated population of individuals at high risk for disease. Inmates often have little interaction with the health care system before and after being incarcerated. (U.S. News & World Report) The bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) reported that in 1999, HIV/AIDS in prisons and jails was a growing problem in American correctional facilities. The AIDS rate in US prisons was five times the rate of general population. (Society. 2003)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For a variety of reasons, many inmates do not seek diagnosis or treatment for illness before arriving to prison or jail. Because inmates are literally a â€Å"captive† audience, it is vastly more efficient and effective to screen and treat them while incarcerated than to conduct extensive outreach in local communities. (AIDS Weekly. 1998) Uninfected prisoners have sued the authorities for failing to test and segregate. In a recently reported case, Cameron v. Metcuz 705 F. Supp 454 (N.D. Ind 1989), an uninfected plaintiff prisoner sued prison authorities for failing to segregate a known infected prisoner with a violent history who had bitten the plaintiff. In that case, the court found that the authorities’ failure to segregate a known infected prisoner with a violent history did not amount to gross negligence or reckless indifference to the prisoner who was bitten. (Mead. Vol. 15 no. 5, pp. 197-9).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is a clear case for urgent reform of the law as it relates to prisoners right’s to ensure meaningful HIV/AIDS prevention and care strategies for both the prison and general populations.

The Physiological Effects of Exposure to Nature

It has been suggested that humans have a genetic predisposition for forming a close affinity with nature (Wilson, 1984). It has long been established that people have a broad range of emotional and physiological responses to nature, and that there are positive physical (Moore, 1981; Ulrich, 1984), cognitive (Cimprich, 1990; Hartig et al. , 1991) and psychological (Kaplan & Talbot, 1988; Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989) benefits to forming close attachments to nature. According to Ulrich (1983), experiencing nature is physiologically healthy and has biological value for people.Mayer & Frantz (2004) also established empirical evidence that connection to nature was associated with subjective wellbeing. In light of these noted effects, this review focuses on the impact which exposure to nature may have on mental health, and possible explanations for the noted effects. Exposure to Nature and Mental Health Although it has been acknowledged that contact with nature has multiple physiological benefits , it has also been noted that there are specific benefits to an individual’s mental health from exposure (Taylor et al., 2001). For example having close contact with nature has been found to foster recovery from general mental fatigue (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989). In addition, seeing nature is effective in relieving stress and improving wellbeing (Kaplan, 1992; Leather, Pyrgas, Beale, & Lawrence, 1998, Lewis, 1996). When people view natural scenes, particularly natural scenes that depict water, human health can be improved and have a positive psychological benefit (Ulrich, 1982; cited in Rohde & Kendle, 1994).In their research, The Wave Nature of Being: Ultradian Rhythms and Mind-Body Communication, Rossi and Lippincott (1992) commented: An extensive matching of the clinical-experimental data of chronobiology and psychology suggests that what the biologist calls the â€Å"entrainment of ultradian and circadian rhythms by psychosocial stimuli† is the psychobiological basis o f what psychotherapists call â€Å"hypnotic suggestion to facilitate mind-body healing. (para. 1) There are also noted effects on specific mental health conditions which have been found in the available research.Ulrich commented that viewing nature effectively lowers stress. When stress is lessened, levels of stress hormones, such as norepinephrine, often are lowered as well, and this may alleviate the experienced intensity of pain† (1983, p. 103). The stress-reduction theory perspective taken by several authors (Ulrich, Dimberg, & Driver, 1991) also supports this, suggesting that â€Å"nature reduces stress for evolutionary reasons† (Cackowski & Nasar, 2003, p. 747). Types of Exposure to Nature Research indicates that forming a bond with nature does not have to be a physical activity to hold benefit.For example Kaplan and Kaplan (1989) found that office workers who had a view of trees and bushes from their office suffered significantly less frustration than those with out such views. Research by Ulrich (1999) also suggests that looking at natural environments as opposed to urban scenes is more effective in restoration from stress. Ulrich (1983) also noted that: â€Å"When patients cannot be provided with an actual view of nature or direct contact with nature, representing nature in photographic images and other artwork has also been shown to be beneficial—though the results are not quite as dramatic.Nature photographs and artwork of natural scenes are common in the more progressive hospitals today. Expanding on this concept is the SkyCeiling, an illuminated ceiling system that provides an illusion of an attractive sky scene that helps people relax† (p. 201). In addition, the sounds of nature have also been investigated as a means of improving mental health. Tsuchiya et al. (2003) found that playing sounds from nature to patients undergoing general anesthesia had a positive impact on blood pressure and heart rate. This then also corr esponded to reduced stress in the patient.Reasons Behind the Positive Effects of Nature on Mental Health There are numerous different explanations as to why exactly exposure to nature has such a notable impact on human mental health. Alexander et al. (1977) noted that â€Å"In some way, which is hard to express, people are able to be more whole in the presence of nature, are able to go deeper into themselves, and are somehow able to draw sustaining energy from the life of plants and trees and water† (p. 806). Ulrich (1983) suggests that these positive benefits are largely due to evolutionary causes:â€Å"Because humans evolved over a long period in natural environments, we are to some extent biologically adapted to natural as opposed to build content. A theme common to this perspective is that individuals are innately predisposed to respond positively to many natural settings. Such evolutionary notions are not new† (p. 116). It is also possible that it is something whi ch is fostered in adults from an early age, for example Kellert (2005) commented that â€Å"children’s emotional, intellectual, and evaluative development depends on varied ongoing experiences of natural process and diversity† (p. 88). Equalizing Brain HemispheresOne of the most cited explanations behind the impact of nature on mental health is that of the effects which it creates to balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Pettigrew (see Blakeslee, 1999), an inventor of the sticky-switch idea of depression, believes that there is a sticky-switch that connects the right and left brain hemispheres, and Chowdhary (2007) claimed that the key to brain equalization was the corpus callosum. In addition, a psychology professor, Cindy McPherson Frantz (2006) supported the idea that the balanced brain may possibly relate to well-being as per Swara yoga claims.â€Å"In our research, we demonstrate that connectedness to nature is a better predictor of environmentally friendly behavior than are attitudes. It also correlates with several health and well-being indices† (Frantz, 2006, para. 2). Furthermore, in his book, Of Two Minds: The Revolutionary Science of Dual-Brain Psychology, a neuroscientist and a medical professor from Harvard University, Schiffer (1998) commented that, â€Å"a healthy left and right mind with a respectful, cooperative relationship between them can lead to a life of greater meaning, creativity, productivity, and fulfillment.Only when the relationships within yourself are in harmony are you best able to sustain a healthy relationship with another person† (p. 15). Rossi (2007) suggests that when one experiences an equal nasal dominance, our brain is in a balanced state, which could mean that our body and mind are then in a balance state which allows them to behave in more healthful ways. Furnass (1979) commented that an experience with nature can help to restore the functions of the right and left side of the brain in harmony as a whole. Yogendra (1958) also stated that the act of contemplating nature can reduce the brain’s nervous system activity.In their research, Rossi and Lippincott (1992) demonstrated the physiological link toward bi-lateral brain hemisphere activity and stated that, The most significant of the[se] studies for understanding mind-body communication are those of Debra Werntz (1981) who reported a contralateral relationship between cerebral hemispheric activity (EEG) and the ultradian rhythm of the nasal cycle. They found that relatively greater integrated EEG values in the right hemisphere are positively correlated with a predominant airflow in the left nostril and visa versa . . .an irregular nasal cycle, particularly one in which the person remains dominant in one nostril or the other for an excessively long period of time are associated with illness and mental disorder (Rama, Ballentine, & Ajaya, 1976). (para. 20-22) Research in support of the Swara yoga tra dition believes that â€Å"nostrils are the windows to the state of our body and mind† (Chowdhard, 2007, p. 39), and â€Å"when both nostrils are open, this could mean that the body and mind are in balance and more prepared to act in mindful ways from the balanced dialogue between left and right hemispheres and a reduction in stress† (Nirgunananda, 1999, p.58). This is supported by a review by Wernts et al. (1981) which found that during the deepest states of consciousness, nostril breathing was equal, indicating a balance between both sides of the brain. Medically-based research by Ri (2008) also found that fMRI brain scans revealed that when subjects watched a nature film they experienced equal nasal dominance and also entered a state in which their brain was completely calm.This research indicated that there was an active communication through the corpus callosum between the right and left hemispheres, which shows that the film put the participants’ brain int o a balanced state. This supports Schiffer’s (1998) theory that: â€Å"a healthy left and right mind with a respectful, cooperative relationship between them can lead to a life of greater meaning, creativity, productivity, and fulfillment. Only when the relationship within yourself is in harmony are you best able to sustain a healthy relationship with another person† (p. 15). Physiologic/Emotional/Psychological ResponseThe effects which are noted on psychological well-being are actually most likely to be a result of a combination of psychological/emotional and physiological changes relating to psychological (Kaplan, 1973; Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989; Kaplan & Talbot, 1988), physical (Moore, 1981; Ulrich, 1984), and cognitive aspects (Cimprich, 1990; Hatig et al. , 1991). Within only 3-5 minutes of exposure, views of vegetation or garden-like features elevate levels of positive feelings (e. g. , pleasantness, calm) and reduce negatively toned emotions such as fear, anger, and sadness.Certain nature scenes effectively sustain interest and attention and accordingly can serve as pleasant distractions that may diminish stressful thoughts. Regarding physiological manifestations of stress recovery, laboratory, and clinical investigations have found that viewing nature settings can produce significant restoration within less than 5-minutes as indicated by positive changes, for instance, in blood pressure, heart activity, muscle tension, and brain electrical activity (Cackowski & Nasar, 2003; Ulrich, 1981; Ulrich et al. , 1991).Conclusions It is apparent from the literature available that exposure to nature may have a positive impact on an individual’s physical and mental health. This may result from activities which create an interaction with nature, or merely from sights and sounds of nature. The health benefits which have thus far been shown focus predominantly on stress reduction, but it is possible that the combination of physical, emotional, psycho logical and cognitive effects may also have benefits for recovery across a wide range of mental health disorders.A particularly important element in the physical and psychological interaction which underlies these benefits is the manner in which experiences with nature may be able to facilitate a balancing of the brain’s two hemispheres. It would appear that experience with nature creates a state in which equal nasal dominance is initiated, which then appears to reduce brain activity, putting both brain hemispheres in a state of equal relaxation. It is this effect which then appears to create a sense of balance, which is conducive to a more positive state of mental health. References Cabeza, R. , & Kingstone, A. (2001).Handbook of functional neuroimaging of cognition, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Cackowski, J. M. & Nasar, J. L. 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