Post-Colonial Literature: Salman Rushdie Essay

The style of Post-colonial writing has been given the name â€Å"New English literature† most especially for its very particular way of writing that focuses on the discussion of colonization. These types of writings have often dealt with various issues that are related to de-colonization or the cultural independence as well as the political power that is related to colonial rule. Various authors have already tried to delve deep into this specific type of genre and they have been able to carry out their novels with racist or colonial subtexts. Revie, 2003) The characteristic of post-colonial literature is that in its most modern form, it seeks to critique the various contemporary post-colonial discourse that has been able to shape the times. Post-colonial works are typically literature that seeks the process of re-writing and re-reading. This particular description of this specific type comes from the perspective of those who have been under the rule of colonization in the past. This particular type of style is used in almost every type of post-colonial literature novel that has been made. Due to the tone and the type of narrative that authors use with this particular type of literary work, the inhabitants of those colonized countries are most often portrayed as victims instead of foes of those who have colonized them. This is one of the attributes of this type of literature. The various actions of colonizers have long harmed those who have they tried to submit to their will and because of this fact, the authors who have had the privilege of writing about their injustices have always given the colonized people a fate which was less than desirable. Revie, 2003) Salman Rushdie One of the most notable authors who have already made their mark regarding this particular type of literature is Salman Rushdie. The different types of fiction that Salman Rushdie has authored has been continuously monitored and analyzed for its different perspectives. A review of several of the books and his journals will reveal that there is a proliferation of criticisms that concentrate mainly on the topic of postcolonial matters. His works effectively address the various types of issues that have a political or social nature. Some of these things address the fatwa as well as the publication of The Satanic Verses. Some of the sentiments that other writers and authors share is that Rushdie is a postmodern writer whose seriously pushes the different boundaries of the novel in modern times. Rushdie had authored several novels and as different as the texts are from each other, so does Rushdie stick a coherent type of message which is only discernible from a broader standpoint. One of the novels that Rushdie had written is Midnight’s Children. This was a novel that had already been published for already twenty years. This novel gave Salman Rushdie a notable status because he was a very gifted author who wrote in English. This is one of the things that was quite remarkable about the author since he was aware of different things about postcolonial national matters of different countries even though he was of Indian descent. This fact gave prominence to writers who were of a different race and thus gave the literary enthusiasts and various classes of people a new way of looking different things. This cross-cultural way of writing novels has shone the spotlight on how post-colonial literature should not be limited to an author of that particular country. This is one of the things that was highlighted when Rushdie churned out Midnight’s Children way back in the 80’s. Midnight’s Children With his work, Midnight’s Children, this novel is about the power of mixture and interaction. This type of mixture that Rushdie tries to focus on is seen through the filter of the protagonist’s memory. Saleem Sinai is a person who recalls the history of his family and provides the readers a very thorough history of the entire Indian environment that he knows. The reader is thrust deep into the heart of a particular period of India which essentially covers the entire timeline of India’s pre- as well as postcolonial twentieth-century history. The protagonist who is said to be born during the first hour of independence from the British colonizers begins by recalling his narrative from about 32 years before that time. He begins with his his heritage which focuses on his grandfather, Aadam Aziz. This is one of the most noticeable things that one can see with this type of literature. The strategy of going back to set the stage for the present is one trait of postcolonial literature and at the onset of the novel, Rushdie masterfully inserts this type of characteristic in order to set the stage for the rest of the novel. Throughout the novel, Saleem is set out to find meaning in his life but as the novel goes on, one learns that Saleem is actually switched at birth by the nurse Mary Pereira with Aziz’s biological grandson, Shiva. The story actually weaves a very complicated web as it turns out that Saleem is the illegitimate son of Vanita who is the wife of another Hindu who plays the accordion. Saleem writes out the story of his life and narrates it to his friend Padma. This is exactly the story that Saleem seems to narrate and recall over and over. (Rushdie, 1996) It is through this particular novel that we find that recalling is not exactly something that is done on purpose by the protagonist but it somehow flows out of his natural tendency to move and focus on different fragments of his past. He Saleem manages to create the memory of his past through bits and pieces of information that he remembers throughout his life. It is through the act of recalling that Saleem seems to make sense out of the chaos that is around him as he compares recalling to pickling which to according to him is an â€Å"impure† act of love. (Rushdie, 1996) Pickling for him is sort of a process that makes things new again due to the fact that one dies without newness. One of the things that is implied here is the fact that we exist and are alive simply because of the fact that we continue to reinvent and redo ourselves in the sense that we recreate our world and our reality as we remember it and as we experience it. The author gives a certain degree of importance to memory and how it has helped him with this particular novel in the sense that he makes it known to the readers that what they do is very important. (Hogue, 1996) Shame In the novel Shame, Rushdie seeks to focus on a different type of characteristic. The author’s other novels seek to further illustrate the different possibilities of mixtures but with this particular novel, Rushdie finds himself writing about anger. The repressed state that one enters in when angered is what this novel is focusing on. This is the time that Rushdie retells the history of Pakistan ever since the time of its independence way back in 1947. (Rushdie, 2008) The story essentially discusses three generations as focuses on the different lives of Raza Hyder who is a very successful and celebrated military general and Iskandar â€Å"Isky† Harappa who is a politician who came from being a playboy because of his riches and wealth. These characters are actually based on different real life people–the former being President Zia-ul-Haq and the latter former Prime Minister Zulfikar Alik Butto. As seen in the different novels of Midnight’s Children and The Satanic Verses, the novel Shame describes the colonizer-colonized relationship. In this particular relationship, the colonizers are those who are politically powerful and they are the characters Isky and Raza. They have been said to become repressed identities who have been mistreated in the past. The repression that can be found in the novel Shame comes from the longstanding desire for purity which is a a theme that is also found in The Satanic Verses and Midnight’s Children. Pakistan is said to be the land of the pure and mohajirs. (Rushdie, 2008) There have been rewrites of their pasts in order to fit into this new myth of purity that Pakistan is supposed to be. In such a novel, the author seems to reject hybridity in exchange for purity. With this particular novel, the author seems to focus on this idea and highlights purity in the face of anger and repression that is found in the relationship of the colonizer and the colonized. In this particular novel, the author focuses on the anger that is found in the relationship of those colonizers and those who have been colonized. In relation to this particular setup, it is because of the repression that happens and because of the fact that people are in essence filled with anger and hatred when they are stripped of their natural freedom. This novel adheres directly to the type of literature that characterizes post-colonial treatments. The Satanic Verses The Satanic Verses is the kind of novel that admonishes the reader to ask various questions regarding himself. This novel focuses on identity. As with the setup in a colonized state, there are various questions that arise because of such an act. The novel begs to ask the question, â€Å"How does one act when one wins? † and â€Å"What kind of idea are you? † The former and the latter pertaining to the identity of the person is challenged because of the fact that they are ideas which are ingrained in a person. One of the characters in the novel is Gibreel Farishta who never actually develops a will of his own and actually becomes a battered and abused puppet of other people throughout the entirety of the novel. (Rushdie, 2008) The question of identity plays around with the fact that Gibreel is unable to be flexible and â€Å"impure† at the same time. This particular juxtaposition by the author reveals a much larger picture philosophically as it addresses the notion of reality as a mere artifact that is masterfully handmade by the strength of words. The identity of people is questioned in this particular novel because it focuses on identity and what one person should be when he encounters a particular challenge in his or her life. This is one of the things that a person or a nation struggles with when they are colonized. (Spivak, 1993) Conclusion Through the various texts, the archetype of post-colonial literature was quite obvious because of the nature of the way that the ideologies were presented. Through the different ways and plots that the author introduced to the readers, he was able to fully explain and incorporate the feelings and the ideas that the colonizer and the colonized go through in their minds. Rushdie was able to immerse the readers in very profound stories where he was able to stay faithful with the characteristics and the nature of the genre of literature. The different novels that he authored are wonderful examples of how diverse the feelings and the ideas are when one encounters colonization firsthand.

Christian Israelite community Essay

The first main event that we learn of is the moment when the prophet informs the Christian Israelite community in Ashton that, â€Å"The Lord has instructed me to take of your number, seven virgins for comfort and succour†. Leah is the first girl who speaks to us, and the reader can find a somewhat humorous side to the event. Leah’s language in this, her first time of talking to us, makes her seem younger than she is; as she tries, â€Å"not to giggle†, she takes the information, and reacts to it as though it were gossip. Leah writes in the present tense; this gives the reader insight into her feelings at the very moment that she felt them, rather than looking back detachedly on what she felt. It is from Leah that we gain the first view of Mr Wroe who is â€Å"powerful†, at this point we do not know just how powerful, but later events give more supporting evidence of this comment. Leah also shows the reader how religious the sect was; she is unsure as to whether or not they would â€Å"make us pray all day†. Also we learn of how women were treated, Leah is locked in her room and guarded, and the girls do not have a choice over whether to go to Southgate – their parents offer them to the prophet. Joanna gives us a very religious view of the calling of the virgins, and other people may have also felt the same as she did about Mr Wroe and the sect. Joanna shows us that at this time in history, women were not really involved in religion, particularly within the Christian Israelites; she is thankful that â€Å"this is the sign the women are not forgot†. The event of selection shows that the women were indeed not forgotten, but being women they were forced to attend, and some â€Å"had to be clasped and held secure†. The severity of the women’s reactions to this event was great, and Ann Taylor (one who was chosen), tried to kill herself because she did not wish to join the Prophet’s household. Hannah sees this event differently to the others as she is an outsider, and unaccustomed to the rituals and beliefs of the Christian Israelites. However, both she and Leah show us that at this time, daughters were seen as a burden to their parents because they had to be married off and of course could not carry on the family name. Leah recognises that the girls’ parents would not â€Å"give the prophet a pretty daughter† who could easily be married, and Hannah feels as though she has been â€Å"handed over† to a crazy sect predicting the end of he world, with â€Å"less heart searching than they would undergo in parting with crust to a beggar†. Hannah is non-religious and also gives us a detached view of the prophet – whom she dislikes at first. She feels he’s rude and that the sect is primitive in their customs, particularly the elders who â€Å"resemble tribesman†. Hannah feels that she has been given â€Å"into the care of a lunati c band of would -be ancient Jews†. Rogers also goes into some detail about how Wroe spread the word about the Christian Israelites to the surrounding areas of Ashton. He used the girls to draw attention by their strange dress and, Hannah shows the reader how much power and influence he had on people. Rogers probably could not have known whether he had a deep attractive voice or not but she would have known that many converts joined the Christian Israelites and it was his charismatic leadership that caused this. Rogers gave Wroe characteristics that she felt would fit this role and make him seem (as far as possible), as he probably would have been. These views give us a good idea of what was involved at the beginning of this historical event. Although Wroe may have completely believed that what he was doing had religious significance, but we also see that his ideas, particularly around the seven virgins were verging on the surreal. Rogers uses this event to create literature by using both fact and fiction, bringing events in history into view and giving the reader a greater understanding of them. Like Rogers, Miller focuses on certain characters, as there are many characters in ‘The Crucible’ some play a larger parts in disclosing the events than others. Abigail seems to begin the hysteria by leading the girls into the forest and causing Betty to become â€Å"frightened and then she fainted†. John Proctor, Tituba, and Rebecca Nurse give evidence of three different views on the threat and outcome of being arrested. Also Reverend John Hale, who changes his mind about the alleged witchcraft in Salem. The other characters also give the reader information about events throughout the play; they show the reader how people were affected by the event. Lives stopped with the number of people in prison; land was going to waste and people found excuses not to work. For example Mary Warren, who neglects her duties to the Proctors claiming that she is â€Å"an official of the court†. Reverend Parris has a breakdown, and there is doubt as to who owns what because so many were dead. This was dire for the people of Salem, as due to the time, their survival leaned on that which grew on the land. With everything neglected, people were worried; rumours of rioting were spread to help to discontinue the court’s dictatorship. The three characters mentioned earlier as giving the reader an impression of the events, show three different reactions. Rebecca Nurse is very faithful to her religion, but will not become caught up in the hysteria; and when she herself is accused, she will not confess, â€Å"It is a lie; how may I damn myself? I cannot†. Rebecca Nurse is one of the most respected members of the community and her execution is part of the final crescendo in the play. Tituba takes a different viewpoint. She does not want to be punished or executed, and finds that pleading innocence only worsens her situation. She accepts the accusations and confesses, realising that lying would be the only escape, â€Å"I tell him I don’t desire to work for him†. Tituba may have been blamed for the girls’ behaviour because she was black, and a slave. An easy target for blame; black people were not socially accepted except as slaves, and were considered untrustworthy. John Proctor is probably the central character in the play, particularly in the fourth act, in which he attempts confession, but cannot name his friends; he is loyal and won’t lie to hurt them. This shows a view that is more sensible and although he is executed, Proctor tries to stop the court by admitting to his adultery with Abigail. But what really causes him to decide to give his life is that when the judges make him sign his confession they will publicise it. Proctor is distressed by this as, â€Å"I have given you my soul; leave me my name!†

Modernity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Modernity - Essay Example Berman says modern humans â€Å"are moved at once by a will to change †¦ and by a terror of disorientation and disintegration, of life falling apart† (Berman, 1982). Change frightens us even as we long for it. â€Å"To be modern is to live a life of paradox and contradiction. †¦ It is to be both revolutionary and conservative: alive to new possibilities for experience and adventure, frightened by the nihilistic depths to which so many modern adventures lead† (Berman, 1982). In capitalistic society, it is argued that the consumer is the master by reason of making the choice to purchase or not purchase. Berman says this is not really the case. Availability of options only begins the list of restrictions. â€Å"Poor people can't get lawyers in a country that is glutted with them; the HMOs have abolished the autonomy of physicians; college professors are often glorified fundraisers† (Hitchins, 1999). The World Trade Center of New York City is an architectural example of the modern. Berman describes it as â€Å"isolated †¦ it gave off hostility† as compared to the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings. â€Å"[The Port Authority’s] idea of safety involved repelling the people. The slab shape †¦ grew out of an aesthetic voiced best by Le Corbusier, who said that in order to have modern planning we have to ‘kill the streets.’ For him the street epitomized disorder and chaos† (Berman, 2002).

Love Compare State of The Union Address with poems Essay

Love Compare State of The Union Address with poems - Essay Example A direct parallel can be made to these expressions of patriotism and the patriotic service of the armed forces with the third stanza in Bates’ (1993) America the Beautiful. The third stanza reads as follows: The parallel between Obama’s (2012) State of the Union Address and the third Stanza of America the Beautiful is more profoundly made when Obama (2012) informs Americans that the troops returning from Iraq are a â€Å"generation of heroes† that have â€Å"made the United States safer†. Thus the reference to the heroics of the armed forces and their efforts in making America safer are vastly similar to Bates’ (1993) reference to the â€Å"heroes proved in liberating strife† how much they loved the United States. Obama (2012) conveys the same message more profoundly in his State of the Union Address when he states that the efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan are manifestations of the armed forces’ love for the United States as they demonstrated â€Å"courage, selflessness and teamwork† and were not driven by self-serving aspirations. The emphasis on the patriotic contributions toward Americans’ liberations are questioned in Baker’s (1997) poem Patriotics and can thus be seen as a direct contradiction of the President’s (2012) State of the Union address. Baker (1997) points out that America’s freedom is celebrated on July 4th by the symbolic launching of military firepower: the launching of fireworks. Yet at the same time Americans are suffering everywhere, making these military conquests for freedom virtually inconsequential. Baker (1997) goes on to describe how despite the obvious suffering among Americans, they gather to celebrate the achievement of the military on the 4th July â€Å"our country’s perfect holiday, so direct a metaphor for war† (2nd Stanza). Obama (2012) touched on the irony only slightly, and in a way that promised hope for the

Atheistic Existentialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Atheistic Existentialism - Essay Example This in turn refers to the vast improvements achieved in agriculture, the sciences, the arts, and in almost all spheres of human life, in activities which contribute to the cultivation, betterment, and refinement of the individual person, and of societies in general. Modern culture therefore refers to the sum total of all human experiences and phenomena, starting with the period mentioned and continues up to the present time. Modern culture is the integrated system of learned behavior and actions, mediated by new technologies such as in telecommunications, the Internet, and others. Culture is produced from the creative, imaginative, inventive, and innovative ideas that people make during their time. Culture is primarily in two forms, that of physical things made by a group of people, called as artifacts, and secondly, the intangible culture made up of language, customs, traditions, religious beliefs, cultural practices, and a particular worldview. In particular, the intangible aspect s of culture can be evidenced by the prevailing or prevalent philosophy at a certain time, which in turn guides human thinking and behaviors. Relatedly, there are various or different types of life philosophies over the course of human existence. In this connection, this is the focus of this paper. The philosophy of existentialism is a fairly modern kind of world view, a product of the modern times. It can be traced to around the nineteenth century and clearly within the modern period in human history; its main tenet is the emphasis on the individual person. Discussion Existentialism is a philosophy which states that thinking begins with the individual. It is further claimed by existentialists that acting, feeling, and living are the true indicators of what it termed as an â€Å"existential attitude† which refers to a vague sense of disorientation and confusion, felt by people who are truly living in the real meaning of the word. This feeling of disorientation is experienced when an individual realizes he is living in a meaningless, absurd world. People have always asked since time immemorial what constitutes reality, because human existence is faced with doubts whether human existence is the reality or merely a reflection of it. This feeling of doubt was expressed succinctly by the famous Dutch philosopher, priest, and humanist Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) with his utterance of â€Å"cogito ergo sum† or in the plain English language translated roughly as â€Å"I think, therefore I am.† Basically, existentialism advances the idea that it is the individual himself, and not society or religion, which determines and gives meaning to human existence. In other words, it is up to that individual, by his actions, how to live his life the way he wants, how it will turn out to be. This is quite a radical departure from previous life philosophies, because the sole responsibility is placed squarely on the person. Man acquires essence, once he acts on his thoughts, by using his free will (Sartre, 1947). Existentialism as a life philosophy ignores the basic question of whether there is really a God or not. It rather dwells on the capacity of Man to act by himself through his free will; that is Man himself is ultimately responsible for what happens, based on a doctrine of action. A God is seen by existentialists as a limitation or a hindrance to what Man can achieve (Webber, 2009). Conclusion Existentialism as

The Disease of Alcoholism Speech or Presentation

The Disease of Alcoholism - Speech or Presentation Example The present paper has identified that alcohol is a poison which can damage the body. Either as a con ­ sequence of its direct toxic effects or because of the dietary and vitamin  deficiencies which often  accompany heavy drinking, alcohol can harm the body. It can damage the brain with, at worst, dementia the result. The nerve supply to the limbs can be impaired with numbing and pain (peripheral neuritis). The liver can be the prime site of alcohol poisoning, with cirrhosis the outcome. The pancreas can become inflamed, with painful and potentially lethal consequences. The limb muscles can be weakened (Goodlett et al 1999). Only imagine that about 200,000 deaths each year are directly related to alcohol abuse (Death Statistics 2007). The major adverse effects associated with alcohol abuse are related to liver damage because of the accumulation fats and protein in the liver. Long-term heavy drinking is associated with the development of esophagitis, gastritis, achlorhydria and g astric ulcers. Heavy alcohol intake may interfere in the normal process of food digestion and absorption (Goodlett et al 1999). It also inhibits the capacity of the intestines to absorb various nutrients including vitamins and amino acids. This can result to vitamin deficiencies. Alcohol has been shown to affect the heart by increasing the resting cardiac output, heart rate and myocardial oxygen consumption. A person with alcohol intoxication may also be predisposed to infections secondary to the suppression of the immune system. Alcoholism ruins personality and males a person dependant on alcohol. â€Å"Rich or poor, tall or short, fat or thin, male or female, all fall into the alcoholic spectrum in an orderly and predictable pattern--each being equal to the other†. Form the chemical and biological point of view alcohol has potent effects on areas of the brainstem called the locus coeruleus and the raphe nuclei (Goodlett et al 1999). These play an important role in both moto r coordination and alertness, which unsurprisingly are two of the functions most impaired by having a drink or three. Alcohol abuse is so dangerous because it negatively inferences the mental and psychological development of a person. Alcoholism has the potential to disrupt every brain function. The well-known fact is that alcohol may appear to be a stimulant, but it is mostly a central nervous system depressant. Although initially there may be a feeling of happiness and well-being, alcohol produces loss of emotional control, violent behavior, inability to coordinate movement, nausea, confusion, and coma. Less known facts are that alcoholic coma is not a minor problem - it results in death in about 1 in 20 cases. Once people who use alcohol heavily are habituated to this drug after five or so years; they will experience blackouts, nightmares, and hallucinations. It is a known fact that citizens can drink alcohol life long in moderate quantities without significant risk to health or social well-being. Unfortunately, too many people who take alcohol regularly are unable to resist the temptation and increase the quantity of alcohol that leads to alcoholism. It is important to remember that withdrawal also produces uncontrolled trembling of the limbs, delirium and epileptic attacks that do not always respond to anti-epileptic drugs (Goodlett et al 1999).  

SWOT analysis on UK business 'What competition does Bubbleology face Essay

SWOT analysis on UK business 'What competition does Bubbleology face in the Uk niche drinks market ' - Essay Example I analyzed and compared different sources as well as the website of the reference business to derive relevant information. My sources are relevant, up-to-date, authoritative, and efficient to address the competition that Novosco face in the UK cloud technologies, managed service, and consulting market. Findings Novosco Novosco is a company based in Belfast U.K (ULSTER Business 2013, p. 1), which deals with cloud technologies, managed service, and consulting services. The company has been in operation since 1994 and has recorded immense growth and success over the years (Novosco 2013, p. 1). As a result, the company has won major recognitions in its operations like the Cisco Datacenter Partner of the Year and EMC Partner of the Year in 2012 based on the volume and caliber of work delivered (Novosco Ltd 2012, p. 21). Moreover, the company has been enjoying consistent and immense economic growth in the technology industry. In fact, Novosco received the Deloitte FAST50 award in 2012 for the 13th consecutive year for being the most successive technology company in revenue growth (Novosco Ltd 2012, p. 21). The company manifests high level of technical ability where it investment in delivery and support staff (Novosco 2013, p. 1). Indeed, the company accommodates continuous training and certification in its operations with a view of gaining optimum expertise and receiving maximum accreditation on the technologies they recommend to their customers (Novosco 2013, p. 1). Novosco specializes with helping institutions to utilize the unique aspects of emerging technologies for purposes of addressing business challenges in a more efficient and cost-effective manner (Novosco 2013, p. 1). It provides unique consulting talent and technical support to organization seeking to maximize the advantages of their investment in information technologies. Notably, the company operates under managed service or strategic partnership contracts with its major clients to realize its objective s (Novosco 2013, p. 1). As such, it collaborates with the best hardware and software companies that deal with cloud technologies, managed service, and other technology applications. The company commits itself to offering help to their clients in the evaluation of all potential solutions that enables them to design and deliver cost-effective solutions (Novosco 2013, p. 1). Its main clients include universities, government departments, and UK and Ireland health trusts (Weir 2013, p. 1) with Belfast Health and Social Care Trust being its largest client (Gosling 2012, p. 1). Novosco Competition among Cloud Technologies, Managed Service, and Consulting Companies Novosco is the leading provider of managed services and cloud based infrastructure in U.K (Novosco 2013, p. 1). However, the company faces immense competition in different sectors including the winning of contracts. Novosco seeks to enroll its services to the wider market and its directors know that it will face stiff competition from established companies (WEIR 2013, p. 1) like AJUBEO and CDNETWORKS. The competition will be in the field of internet connectivity, supply of cloud computing, transfer of data, servicing

North Carolina Drug Courts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

North Carolina Drug Courts - Essay Example Therapeutic justice encourages Drug Courts’ judges to address the underlying issues that lead to drug abuse (Cooper & Knotts, 2008). Since their inception in the year 1989, more than ten thousand drug offenders have taken part in Drug Court programs nationwide, and about 71 percent offenders have completed Drug Court successfully or are still involved in Drug Court (Hennessy & Pallone, 2002). This paper looks into the North Carolina Drug Courts. The North Carolina Drug Treatment Courts (DTC) were established in the year 1995 by law to monitor and enhance treatment services’ provision to adult offenders who are chemically dependent while holding them strictly responsible for adhering to their treatment plans as ordered by the court. Presently, North Carolina has about forty-two operational Drug Treatment Courts, which serve approximately 33% of apt intermediate-level lawbreakers. In the year 2001, the Drug Treatment Courts were expanded to take in substance-dependent par ents of abused or neglected children as well as juvenile offenders addicted to drugs. In July of the year 2004, in an attempt to intervene actively and bring crime and addiction cycle to an end, North Carolina’s General Assembly defined DTCs as an Intermediate Sanction/punishment that is under the Structured Sentencing statute. As expected, intermediate sanction offers an efficient substitute to the range of graduated punishment between incarceration and probation. As a probation requirement, lawbreakers at the intermediate level who are sent to DTCs should abide by the rules of the program; turn up as required, in addition to participating in alcohol or drug treatment programs, court supervision, as well as drug testing or screening (Davis, 2009). The North Carolina Drug Treatment Courts seek to diminish the alcohol and other drug-linked court workload, decrease alcoholism as well as other dependencies on drugs among juvenile and adult defendants and offenders and amongst re spondents in juvenile appeals for neglect and/or abuse; and to diminish delinquent and criminal recidivism and child neglect and abuse incidences. They also aim to endorse effectual use and interaction of resources amid community agencies, personnel in criminal and juvenile justice, and child protective services agencies; and to enhance the societal, familial, and personal answerability of juvenile and adult lawbreakers and respondents and defendants in juvenile appeals for neglect and/or abuse. Concisely, DTC’s overall aim is to attain a considerable break of addiction cycle that brings about recurring incidents of breaking the law. By improving the prospects of the substance-driven lawbreaker to remain socially responsible and free of crime and drug, the courts seeks out the reduction of the health system, justice system, as well as additional societal costs linked with enduring involvement in criminal activities as well as the use of drugs (The North Carolina Court System, N.d). The courts started offering case-tracking and treatment services in the year 1996. In its thirteen judicial districts, the state of North Carolina runs seventeen treatment courts for adults. It also operates juveniles’ drug courts as well as family drug treatment courts for parents who are attempting to recover guardianship of their children. Adult defendants who have

Small Business (Entrepreneurship) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Small Business (Entrepreneurship) - Essay Example Citroen has the experience of working in a large organisation. He understands the business of cooking and recipes well. But he is still a novice in handling business operations. He may not have accosted those costs of a business that come to fore better in a small environment. The figures on which he is Citroen bases his decisions are not exhaustive and the actual running cost of the restaurant could be higher. Some of the fixed and non-fixed expenditures like overheads like electricity, water; establishment costs, telephone bills, software, internet and computer costs, insurance, dilapidation costs, maintenance costs and sales promotion are not included in his analysis. A business always needs to be in growth, expansion, improvement or development mode in order to stay in competition. A salary of $85000 and a profit margin of $ 90000 are not comparable figures. He needs to generate enough money that is over and above the amount he needs to look after himself. According to Citroen, each meal leaves him with a margin of $22. The costs for sales promotion. He needs to make forecasts of the occupancy of 40-seater restaurant especially the peak occupancy and its time period. In case it exceeds the available seating capacity of 40, for such time period that may lead to substantial business loss, he will have to provide additional seats. This needs a workload and capacity management planning. His decision to close shop on the weekend is also flawed as restaurants generate highest turnovers on the weekends. Cost should be defined as what the customer pays to obtain certain goods or services and to derive full utility from them. It is important for Citroen to realise that he will not be able to encash his rapport with clientele of La Gauloise in entirety, for as much he may have done to increase restaurant’s popularity, big businesses carry their brand loyalty that does not change with change of employees. He needs to conduct a thorough financial analysis

Energy drinks Essay Example for Free

Energy drinks Essay An energy drink is a drink which contains drugs that increases levels of nervous activity in the body, mainly caffeine, which is known for its mental or physical stimulation. Energy drinks may or may not be carbonated, and contain large amounts of caffeine and other stimulants drugs, and many also contain sugar, herbal extracts and amino acids. They are sub branches of the group of energy products, which includes bars and gels. Energy drinks comes in many brands, qualities, flavors and varieties. Positive Points: 1. Significant amount of improvement in mental and cognitive performances as well as increased alertness. 2. It’s been suggested that the reversal of some components present in caffeine helps in leaving a good effect on mood and one’s performance. 3. After many tests it is observed that in young healthy adults an energy drink significantly increased upper body muscle strength. 4. Energy drinks help in improve memory. 5. Energy drinks improve circulation of blood in your brain, ears and eyes. 6. Many energy drink companies use fruits and herbs that are healthy (for example: berries they protect your body cells from oxidation). Negative points: With 30 to 50 percent of teens are taking energy drinks on daily basis, there are disadvantages of drinking these drinks, especially in children and teenagers, because they cannot safely consume as much caffeine as adults can. 1. Energy drinks are very high in sugar level, containing up to 35 grams of sugar per drink, which is above the recommended amount of sugars for women of 25 grams per day and very close to the recommended daily limit of 37.5 grams per men. Consuming a lot of added sugars increases your risk for obesity, because added sugars provide extra calories. 2. The caffeine in energy drinks increases the speed with which the alcohol is absorbed by a body making it more likely a person will stay awake long enough to consume more alcohol than a body would otherwise be able to. 3. The risks can be lessened by sticking to the recommended limts, which are listed on every drink, and by controlling the consumption of energy drinks by drinking one drink in a day. Extra ingredients , like amino acids, taurine, guarana and ginseng, are added in such small amounts that they are not likely to give any beneficial health effects or cause any negative side effects. Suggestion: 1. For many people, occasional drinks are fine, but try your best to limit yourself to about 500 milliliters a day. If youre consistently fatigued or rundown, however, figure a better and healthier way to boost your energy. Get good sleep, include yourself physical activity in your routine, and eat a healthy food. If these things dont help, consult your doctor. Sometimes fatigue is a sign medical condition, such as hypothyroidism or anemia. 2. There are energy drinks which are not recommended, If you have a heart disease or high blood pressure, consult your doctor if energy drinks may cause complications. Pregnant women and women who are breast-feeding may want to especially limit consumption of these beverages. 3. With the growing popularity of energy drinks on daily basis, most of the parents are concerned about how much caffeine their kids are taking. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that adolescents get no more than 100 milligrams of caffeine a day. Younger children shouldnt drink caffeinated beverages on a regular basis.

The development of social work

The development of social work The development of social work practice within Britain since the Second World War and influencing welfare movements that have changed role of the social worker. When looking at government policy within Britain since the Second World War it is possible to look at the development of the welfare state and how those governing the country have influenced and shaped the welfare state of today. Pluralism represented majority wide spread values within post war Britain having substantial historical legitimacy explaining contemporary decisions, supplying the most satisfactory foundation on which to examine the post war British welfare state. Reluctant collectivism was the main overriding political ideology of the time period influencing strategy within post war Britain resulting in the recommendations of the Beveridge Report 1942. (Timmins, 1996) 1941 saw the government commissioning Sir William Beveridge to produce a report into the ways that Britain should be rebuilt after WW2, published in 1942 with recommendations to fight the five giant evils of Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness. (Timmins, 1996) Key points, despite later changes were that in organising social security the state shouldnt suppress encouragement, opportunity and responsibility. The states position to Social Insurance and Assistance System should be rigorously limited to guaranteeing citizens a subsistence income. Anything above that minimum should be determined by personnel effort and voluntary contributions to private insurance, not the state. (Lowe, 2005) Beveridge had strong commitments to the free market believing that the state intervention should be kept to a minimum promoting maximum freedom of the individual and therefore political autonomy, economic effectiveness and social diversity. Beveridge also indicated a need for greater state regulation acknowledging that politically it was crucial. He was concerned that should economic waste and social inequalities persist parliamentary democracy could damage and discredit political stability. (Lowe, 2009) Beveridge was a reluctant collectivist intending his recommendations for the welfare state to be a safety net for those who would need it the most believing in limiting the role of the government. Beveridge believed that the overall cost of medical care would decrease as people became healthier, hence needing less treatment (Batholomew, 2004). 1945 saw the appointment of Clement Atlee of the labour party as the new prime minister. He went on to introduce the welfare state as outlined in the 1942 Beveridge Report. By 1948 the National Health Service was created introducing free medical treatment for all, reformist socialist looked upon it as a framework for development shifting towards an egalitarian society, whilst those such as Hayek had never been convinced of a need for the welfare state in the first place. A national system of benefits was introduced to provide social security to protect from cradle to the grave Partly built on National Insurance Scheme set up by David Lloyd George 1911. People in work had to make contributions each week as did employers but the benefits provided were now much greater. Social work was first recognised in 1898 with classes being offered at Columbia University. Social work and the five giants of want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness were deep rooted and radical welfare reformers often saw violence, alcohol misuse, child abuse being mainly caused through the absence of welfare and that the introduction of the welfare state as a way of solving these. (Lowe, 2005) The provision of services following the Beveridge Report saw the introduction of many Acts, policies, reports and events that brought about changes to services and the law. In 1945 the death of Dennis ONeil highlighted the plight of foster children. The Mockington Report 1945 found the poor supervision, coordination and overdue action being key contributing factors in the death of Dennis ONeil. The Moncktons committee Report and Curtis Committee Report 1946 brought about changes in relation to children in foster care. Stipulating that a fit person be it an individual or the local authority must care for the child as their own. (Horner, 2009, Jordan, 2007) The Curtis Committee Report focused on children in care in particular those in residential care settings and directly resulted in the Children Act 1948 with local authorities becoming more responsible in the professional recognised service and recognised the need for a more personal approach within the care of children. When looking at the knowledge and skills required for this role the Curtis Report noted the need for this position to be the responsibility of a graduate with experience of children: Her essential qualifications, however, would be on the personal side. She should be genial and friendly in manner and able to set both children and adults at their ease (Curtis, 1946 as in Jordan 2007) The Origins of social work can be traced back to COS (The Charity Organisation Society founded in 1869) and the Settlement Movement both influential yet declined mid twentieth century. Younghusbands report 1947 noted a wide variety of social work, family case work, settlement work, and work within physically and mental health, probation, youth work amongst others she also believed that both the COS and the settlement movements sought to integrate casework, group work and community work. Younghusbands report went on to position social work into five specific settings, Childrens Departments, Welfare Departments, Health Departments linked to psychiatric services, Health Departments and medical social workers and Probation Departments ( Younghusband, 1981, Horner 2009) In 1954 Younghusband played a key part in establishing the first generic training ensuring all social workers had a common base of knowledge for professional social work training. Further reports of Younghusband led to the founding of a Council for Training in Social Work and a social work certificate (Wilson et al, 2008). More recently through the Modernising Social Service Agenda and the Care Standards Act 2000 there have been huge developments within social work education with major changes ensuring that qualified Social Workers are educated to honours degree level ensuring common shared knowledge, skills and values (Department of Health, 1998) Banks (1995) acknowledges the complex interaction of social work and how it involves interconnected complex issues, ethical, technical, legal and political. All of these are part of the shared knowledge, skills and values of the modern qualified social worker. These shared knowledge, skills and values are more important when considering as Parton (1997) argues the position of the social worker, between the rights of the individual and the states responsibilities. The Department of Health (2002) states Social work is a practical job and therefore the degree requires social workers to demonstrate their practical application of skills and knowledge ability to problem solve. Whilst providing hope for those people who rely on social services. Some definitions such as Jones (2002) link more towards individual difficulties and raises questions of social control. When looking at different definitions it is possible to look at the different practice context. The department of health definition highlights skills and interventions this views social work as practical interactive activity which requires a set of beliefs, knowledge and interpersonal skills linking the ethics and values of social work (Oko, 2009) Titmuss (1965) acknowledge the changing role of social work in relation to social problems stating that within the past two decades social problems brought about a call for more trained social workers. Focaults (1977) noted that government increased employment opportunities upon realising the capacity of social work to control populations those populations troublesome to social order. Foucault (1977) and Parker (1990) also acknowledged the importance of historical awareness and understanding of social work when reflecting upon the present to enable more productive and effective outcomes. The General Social Care Council (GSCC) views reflection as essential to high-quality social work and key to ongoing professional development and acknowledges this within the National Occupational Standards and General Social Care code of practice (GSCC, 2002). The BASW have recognised that the duty of the social worker being to assist with the solving of social problems and conflict at the personal l evel.(Oko, 2009) National Occupational Standards define reflective practice as: Reflective practice is grounded in the social workers repertoire of values, knowledge, theories and practice, which influence the judgements made about a particular situation. The characteristics of reflective judgments indicate that the practitioner has developed the ability to view situations from multiple perspectives, the ability to search for alternative explanations, and the ability to use evidence in supporting or evaluating a decision or position (Training Organisation for the Personal Social Services (TOPSS, 2002) Learning through reflection is a life long process of development Lindeman (1926) viewed it as a process autonomous with life and revolves about non-vocational ideas noting adult education to be around situations putting the student needs first and acknowledges that it is the learners experience, if education is life, then life is education. Within the learning and qualification elements of social work training and qualification, anti oppressive and anti discriminatory practice is key. Anti oppressive and anti discriminatory practice is fundamental to social work. This is clearly emphasized in the GSCC code of practice highlighting the need to respect diversity and promotion of equal opportunities. In order to undertake the role of a social worker it is essential to have some basic understanding of anti discrimination legislation. The Race Relations Act 1976 and Disability Discrimination Act 1995 make it illegal for authorities to discriminate as do elements of the Children Act 1989. Social work commitment to anti oppressive and anti discriminatory practice gained significance having recognised the lack of response to discriminatory and oppressive practice on the part of social workers in the 1980s towards the needs disabled people, women and ethnic minorities (Taylor, 1993). It is this fundamental practice that is recognised within the training and a major part of qualifying courses with in social work. (Wilson et al, 2008) It is this core commitment of the social worker to anti oppressive practice and anti discriminatory practice that encourages and supports active involvement on the part of the service users. Direct payments and individual budgets support individual choice and empowerment. Mullender (1997) stated that in order to understand the oppressions and discrimination people face it is essential perceive the way in which people are disadvantaged. With many forms of oppression and discrimination all of which impact upon social clients, it is important to recognise that negative use of power is at the heart. Thompson (2001) states that for social workers this power lies within their knowledge and expertise, access to resources, statutory powers and influence of individuals and other agencies. Historically this links back to the variety of social work as originally set out in Younghusbands Report 1947 as mentioned on page 4. As people became more satisfied with each of the welfare services this resulted in them becoming a better resourced service dispelling previous anxieties changing the climate of opinion. The personal social services in 1950s had very little increase in expenditure although 1960 1968 expenditure doubled. As social work continued to develop so did policy and legislation, 1963 saw the first lawful vital Act that enabled preventative developmental social work enabling early intervention, the Children and Young Persons Act of 1963. This enabled preventative and rehabilitative social work enabling social workers to work towards changing conditions, to prevent children entering local authority care or the juvenile court. It was as a result of pressure from probation and childrens services which led directly to the establishment of the Seebohm Committee in 1965 and the passage of the social work (Scotland) Act in 1968. In 1968 Fredric Seebohm led a committee appointed by the government (Committee on Local Authorities and Allied Personal Social Services) whos task was To review the organisation and responsibilities of the local authorities personal social services in England and Wales, and to consider what changes were desirable to secure an effective family service. (Horner, 2009) The Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 went on to see the enactment of the Seebohm Report in 1971. The report changed the delivery of the welfare Servcies into Social Services with a new generic social worker role. The report recommended a generic integrated social care approach to social services, family orientated, and community based service available and accessible to all, as an integrated service rather than totally separate departments run independently. This new personal Social Services being one of five parts of the social security policy arena, the other four being Social Security, Health, Housing and Education in which Social workers and Social Care are as Walker (1984) says viewed as the safety net of the five. This saw the appointment of a director of social services accountable to the Social Services Committee.   Resulting in breaking down fragmented services between health and welfare committees and associated departments and leading onto the development of generic social work training developed through central council for education and training of social workers (CCETSW) Claire (2000) post Seebohm, noted staff struggles to the new generic approach given that many had specialisms within a now integrated service. Whilst Willmott (1975) acknowledged   how social work reforms brought about change which meant the families would have one lead social worker as a means to one for each area of need, resulting in a more holistic approach to the need of the individual or family. Toronto (1993) held a collectivist view of this that in order for society to be judged as a morally admirable society it must, among other things, adequately provide care of its members. Thompson (2005) noted that in working within integrated approaches positive outcomes can come about for all concerned, but warns that it can also make some situations worse and the potential for these situations needs to be recognised in order to minimise harm and maximise the good. It could be argued that the recommendations of the Seebohm report 1968 was not wholly new as the Ingleby Report 1960 wit h a main focus upon juvenile delinquency, child neglect and the entry of children into care it noted the need for state intervention when families are seen to be failing. The Ingleby report commented upon a solution being to reorganise various services concerned with families into one unified family service in effect Ingleby was a forerunner to integrated social care. (Boss, 1971) The Seebohm reforms created changes to management systems and coordination in children and welfare departments for many this was a high point of collectivism, state intervention of the state in social welfare and formal education with the state at the fore front.   With major developments also taking place within education, council housing and urban regeneration. Jordan also noted how the collective institutions were not seen as reliable and able to resolve disagreements.   This was demonstrated through trade union consciousness amongst those working within social services, coming together against many of the states strategies and policies.   Freire (2003) would see this as people understanding of their social and political position within society, consciousness raising and critical thinking enabling people to challenge their position and start the process of change, viewing empowerment as conscientization education of the consciousness, in which communities become aware of iss ues affecting them.   Freire used the term conscientization to refer to learning to perceive social, political and economic contradictions and take actions against the oppressive elements of reality. The Victoria Climbie inquiry overseen by Lord Laming saw the production of the green paper Every Child Matters (ECM), published along side Lord Lamings report.   The report had four key focus points, improving the way in which carers and families are supported and notes the critical influence upon the lives of children, preventative interventions prior to crisis point situations proactive action to stop children falling through the net, addressing underlying weak accountability and poor integration and make sure those people working with children and young people are appreciated, rewarded and trained.   one of the outcomes of ECM was to set five outcomes for all children and young people, be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well being.   In relation to social work there are many areas covered and given consideration, foster care, care matters, child trust funds, independent reviewing officers, health care, adoption, educat ional achievement of looked after children, secure childrens home, family and friends carers and social work practice pilots.   Within this new Joint Area Reviews (JAR) inspections focused on communication and integrated care. In addition there is substantial coverage of issues around safeguarding.   The ECM has seen a multi agency approach with integrated services, strategies and governance as a result of the depth and breadth for the ECM and subsequent ECM papers. In conclusion social work mediates between the state and its members the roles and responsibilities therefore can vary significantly based upon the over riding views within society and the elected government.   This in turn will affect responses to the needs of people in relation to individual rights and responsibilities verses collective responsibility.   Social workers often engage with those most in need, struggling to participate within society.  Ã‚   Frequently caught somewhere in the middle of conflicting political ideologies of left/right wing policies, engaging and supporting those most marginalised yet often employed within the political, social and economic setting that may have gone some way to contribute to that marginalisation.   Therefore it is essential for social workers to have a commitment to understanding their modern role and how that has developed through the range of different and often conflicting political thinking of government influencing power in relation to culture, thoughts, actions, attitudes, feelings and structural levels. Social work will continue to evolve along with legislation, movements and unfortunately high profile incidents and therefore training will follow a parallel in line with the current discourse.   Through looking back through time from the implementation of the state welfare the collectivist approach was dominant.   That was until the Thatcher years which saw an anti collectivist approach to welfare services which viewed the welfare state as over developed creating dependency, irresponsibility and keeping people from using their initiative.   Whilst New Labour believed in a limited role, reducing the role of the state and by supporting and promoting schemes such as sure start and new deal with the focus being upon social inclusion.   As governments and common ideologies change so will the roles of social workers as, administrators of social policies. References Banks, S (1995) Ethics and Values in social work.   London: Macmillan Bartholomew, J (2004) The welfare state were in.   London: Politico Publishing. Clare, B (2000) Becoming a social worker: learning, doing and being, in J Harris, I Paylor and L Frogget (Eds) Reclaiming social work: the south port papers.   Birmingham: Venture Press. Department of Health (1998) Modernizing Social Services: promoting independence, improving protection, raising standards.   CM.1469. London: Stationary Office Department of Health (2002) Requirements for social work training.   London: Department of Health. Foucault, M (1977) Discipline and Punishment.   London: Allen Lane General Social Care Council (2002) Code of Practice for Social Workers and employers.   London: GSCC Horner, N (2009) (3rd Ed) What is Social Work: Contexts and Perspectives, Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd Jordan, B (2007) Social work and well-being.   Dorset: Russell House Publishing Ltd Lindeman (1926) Lowe, R (2005) The Welfare State in Britain since 1945. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan Oko, J (2009) Understanding and Using Theory in Social Work.   Exeter: Leaning Matters Ltd Parker, R (1990) Away from home: a history of childcare.   Ilford, Essex: Barnardos Parton, N (1997) Social Theory, Social Change and Social Work: an introduction. London: Routledge. Taylor, G (1993) Challenges from the margins, in J, Clarke(ed) A Crisis in Care: Challenges to Social Work, London: Sage/Open University. Thompson, N (2001) (3rd Ed) Anti-discriminatory Practice.   New York: Palgrave Thompson, N (2005) (2nd ed) Understanding Social Work.   Basingstoke: Palgrave Timmins, N (1996) The Five Giants: A Biography of the Welfare State.   Glasgow: Fontana Press Titmuss, R (1965) Goals of todays Welfare State, in P Anderson and R Blackburn (eds)   Towards socialism.   London: Fontana. Toronto, J (1993) Moral Boundaries: a political argument for an ethic of care.   New York: Routledge. Training Organisation for the Personal Social Services (2002) National occupational standards for social work.   London: TOPPS. Walker, A (1984) Social Planning: a strategy for socialist welfare.   Oxford: Blackwell Willmott, P (1975) (2nd Ed) Comsumers guide to the British social services.   Harmondsworth: Penguin Wilson K, Ruch G, Lymbery M, Cooper A, Becker S, Brammer A, Clawson R, Littlechild B, Paylor I, Smith R (2008) Social Work: An introduction to contemporary practice.   Essex: Pearson Education Limited Younghusband, E (1981) The Newest Profession.   Community Care:/IPC

Culture as a Process in Levines Highbrow, Lowbrow Essay -- Highbrow L

Culture as a Process in Levine's Highbrow, Lowbrow In Highbrow, Lowbrow, Levine argues that a distinction between high and low culture that did not exist in the first half of the 19th century emerged by the turn of the century and solidified during the 20th century, and that despite a move in the last few decades toward a more ecumenical interpretation of â€Å"culture,† the distinction between high art and popular entertainment and the revering of a canon of sacred, inalterable cultural works persists. In the prologue Levine states that one of his central arguments is that concepts of cultural boundaries have changed over the period he treats. Throughout Highbrow, Lowbrow, Levine defines culture as a process rather than a fixed entity, and as a product of interactions between the past and the present. Levine’s first chapter presents evidence that 19th century Americans of all social classes enjoyed Shakespeare as an integral part of their culture and entertainment. Shakespeare’s works were familiar enough to the populace that a variety of parodies were written and performed for large crowds that displayed their engagement with the works by applause, vegetable-throwing, interruptions, and commands to the actors. Shakespeare’s plays were performed in frontier communities and in cities, in churches and theatres and make-shift stages, attended by people of all classes. He describes the integration of Shakespeare into the Americans’ language and imagination, and explains Shakespeare’s popularity on the basis of its compatibility with 19th century Americans’ oral rhetorical style and their ability to see their own culture’s emphasis on individualism and morality reflected in Shakespeare’s characters and stories. Levine ex... ... and others whom Levine treats are a different breed of reformers because they are concerned only indirectly with morality. But when Brown laments that today’s youth are intellectually wanting and have no connection with their cultural heritage, he uses bold phrases such as â€Å"junk food for the soul,† indicating that the erosion of appreciation for high culture is changing not only the common forms of entertainment but the character of today’s youth. Another parallel exists in Brown’s conception of culture and the Springhall’s reformers’ concept of morality as something that youth can access if they choose to break away from the evil influences of â€Å"mass† or â€Å"popular† culture – with the help, of course, of their moral or intellectual superiors, who long to inculcate their own (perhaps technologically or culturally outdated) ways of thinking into the next generation.

Monica Lewinsky: Women in Society, Body Image and Feminism :: Essays Papers

Monica Lewinsky: Women in Society, Body Image and Feminism In the current post-impeachment proceedings the question becomes whom it has affected most and what it will mean to them and their agenda. Obvious groups that will suffer most from the impeachment that are subject to the after effects are the Republican Party and American politics in general. As far as individuals are concerned, Monica Lewinsky has a good deal of post-scandal baggage. But what about those who will experience the effects of Monica and what she represents as a woman in American society? The movement which has suffered the most in the standpoint of social and political agenda are the Feminists. Using Feminist criticism to analyze the discourse surrounding and as well as by the speaker, Monica, I aim to reveal how women's place in society led by the Feminist's has changed due the sex scandal and where it maybe headed next. In looking at this aspect of the scandal it becomes crucial not just to analyze the discourse of Feminists and Monica but to find it in a larger scheme of a society which shapes many of the gender roles and pressures put on individuals to look and act in certain ways. There is an evident change in the role of women in American society that has occurred as a result of the scandal which is important not just to the Feminists and their supporters but to any female who enters the public arena and is faced with pressures and expectations put on them as a result of their gender. As a leading special interest group, Feminists, who are politically active concerning gender roles in society, have been at the forefront of the Paula Jones case and the Lewinksy-Clinton scandal. What comes at odds with the Feminist stance in politics is a womanizing Democratic President that they support and his opportunizing and provocative young mistress. It was something the Feminists were neither prepared for nor easily responded to when given the option of a liberal President with sexual issues or the conservative, Republican moralists taking charge. We deplore his misconduct but we also understand the hypocrisy of his opponents. We Have years of progress at stake if the President is hounded out of office. But worse yet, We wish the ushering into power of a puritanical or fundamentaliststs, sex police which Speaks of freedom but allows government to destroy the right of privacy.

Two Girls with the Courage to Change their World

Although most humans are born free, they can live life bound by the barriers and expectations of society. The novels The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and Sister Wife focus on female protagonists who break out of the moulds their societies place them in and form their own identities. In this essay, I will argue that these novels show how feminism has a positive impact on society and on the individuals who practise it. To do this, I will analyze how the cultures restricted females, how each protagonist resisted conformity, and the successful conclusion each character reached. In The Sweetness of the Bottom of the Pie, the main character, Flavia DeLuce, epitomizes the struggles women faced for equality in England during the 1950’s. In the aftermath of World War II, a new emphasis was placed on the nuclear family as the foundation of society. Although during the war many women worked outside the home and participated in the war effort, after its end they were encouraged to assume roles of wives and mothers as the government aimed to re-establish domesticity as women’s primary occupation. The fictional town of Bishops Lacey was no different. Women were expected to perform domestic work or jobs considered to be specific to their gender, such as a cook or librarian, and men were expected to perform the superior roles, such as detectives, professors or priests. The society Flavia was raised in expected females to be dependent and accepting of their male superiors. Flavia, the protagonist of the novel, can be described as an independent, self-reliant, and persistent eleven year old. Throughout the novel, her feminist qualities and resistance to the moulds of her culture are evident. Flavia verbally declares on several occasions that she is just as capable, if not more so, than her male counterparts: â€Å"Yes, I’d solve this case and present it to him wrapped up in gaily colored ribbons† (95). In this statement Flavia affirms her belief that she has the ability to solve the case just as effectively as the male detectives. Similarly, Sister Wife‘s main character, Celeste, questions the inferior place of women and their lack of rights in the context of a polygamous community. Celeste was born in Unity, home to The Movement, a conservative religious group that lives apart from mainstream, modern society. Unity is a society based on conformity and unwavering obedience, especially when it comes to women. Women in this society are not granted the option to choose; before they are born, their roles in society are already planned, â€Å"Fathers and mothers †¦ from the time your daughter can crawl, you must teach her that she does not belong to you but to the prophet and the man the prophet will assign her to in marriage. Only these men†¦ can take your daughters to the highest degree of the celestial kingdom† (33). This statement, spoken by the prophet, clearly shows the roles of women in Unity and their dependence on the male figures that dominate their society. Celeste, who can be described as an opinionated and individualistic young girl, has to hide aspects of her natural personality to find acceptance in Unity. Celeste begins to question the ways of The Movement as the day when she will be assigned to a husband draws near. She does not want to be married at 15; she seeks higher aspirations, such as â€Å"an education, a career, to fall in love and chose her own husband, to be independent and think for herself† (264). However, Unity would never permit Celeste to do any more than become a celestial wife. A celestial wife is a term commonly used in polygamous communities meaning heavenly or holy wife; a woman can be considered a celestial wife when their husband marries more than one women. This forces Celeste to decide whether to conform to the roles laid out for her, or to resist her male dominated society. In the novel The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Flavia, contrary to Celeste, avidly verbally and physically, defies her male dominated society. Flavia hates being undermined and judged based on her gender instead of her abilities; â€Å"’why it’s only a girl,’ ‘I could’ve slapped his face,’† (242). These statements occur after Flavia is caught breaking into a boys boarding school. When a teacher notices her he calls the police, assuming that she was a boy and therefore a legitimate threat to security. However, when he discovers that she is a girl, he apologizes for alerting the cops and claims that if he knew, he could have easily dealt with the situation. In Bishops Lacey, many male figures decide the scope of Flavia’s abilities before they get to know her; as a result Flavia receives great joy in proving them wrong. In the beginning of the novel, Flavia discovers a dead body in her front yard. Instead of initiating the expected female response of running to get help, Flavia kneels over the body and exclaims, â€Å"I wish I could say I was scared, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life† (29). Although Flavia wakes Dogger, a maintenance worker in the De Luce home, she takes care of the dead body herself. Flavia calls the police, confirms that the victim is dead, and is the first to greet the detectives when they arrive. Her natural ability to remain calm and take control of the situation is very uncharacteristic of the females in Bishops Lacey. Ms. Mullet’s response to the situation is much less refined: â€Å"Oh, good Lord! † (14). Later, when Flavia’s father is charged with the murder, she cannot just watch as men try to wrongly convict him of the crime: â€Å"My duty was to my father and it had fallen upon my shoulders to help him† (152). Despite the detective’s setbacks, Flavia begins to unravel the mystery which will free her father and prove that she is just as capable of solving the case. During her journey to discover the truth, Flavia ignores the rules created by the men in her life, such as ignoring the detective’s obvious worry for her safety, her father’s pleas for her to â€Å"Go home,† and unlawfully breaking into a hotel room and a clock tower (173). Flavia’s determination and unwillingness to rely on men are admiral qualities; however, they do place her in serious danger. Near the end of the mystery Flavia is kidnapped by the murderer Frank Pemberton. Although this is the first time in the novel she shows fear, Flavia still refuses to submit to his demands. Despite the fact that she is physically bound and unable to resist, she believes she can still conquer Pemberton with her wit. Throughout the novel Sister Wife, Celeste also defies the male dominance in her society; however, she does this in a much subtler way. Through the majority of the novel, Celeste mentally resents the restrictions and roles of women in her society; however, physically, she seems to follow and obey the laws laid down by men. This is one of the major differences between the two characters, as Flavia could be characterized as a woman of action whereas Celeste could be described as a woman of thoughts. At the beginning of the novel, Celeste seems to be the perfect daughter: she is obedient and respectful of her culture. However as more of her character is revealed, the reader discovers that Celeste is consumed with thoughts of a life outside Unity. Within the community, Celeste’s lifestyle is so structured that â€Å"a person doesn’t really need to think at all† (11). Yet, Celeste still doubts the system and finds it impossible to accept the prophet’s laws without questioning them: â€Å"God is not in the religious ranting, he’s not in the rules or the sacred book. He is here in this beauty of this divine morning† (129). When Celeste meets a young, attractive boy named Jon, she begins to believe that she should have the right to fall in love with a boy her own age. Although Celeste and Jon’s relationship is banned in Unity and considered blasphemy, neither character can stop romantically seeing the other. Celeste wonders whether â€Å"it’s time for her to change things†¦. Refuse to be assigned to a husband† (49). This shows Celeste’s feminist tendencies and her subtle way of resisting her society. However, Celeste’s loyalty and love for her family prevents her from acting on her desires. When Celeste and Jon are caught, he begs her to leave with him: â€Å"’Celeste you know you don’t want this life’†; she responds: â€Å"‘But I also know that I cannot disgrace my family’† (142). After Jon’s departure, the whole community becomes aware of Celeste’s indiscretion and Celeste reaches a new level of despair. She laments that â€Å"What Daddy wants is right for him. Nobody asked me if being a celestial wife was right for me; if they had I would have said no† (148). Celeste begins to feel like a caged animal and every movement becomes an effort. This leads the reader to conclude that without the right to think independently and make decisions for oneself, people can lose the very essence of what makes them human. The days begin to blur for Celeste and soon she finds herself engaged to Jon’s father. It does not matter how much she is repulsed by the idea of her new husband; Celeste cannot leave Unity and in the end she chooses to marry the one the Lord reveals for her. In the end, Flavia’s resistance to the gender inequality in her society changes Bishops Lacey forever. When sitting in a room alone with a raging murderer, Flavia realizes that there are no miracles in Bishops Lacey. If she wants to live she â€Å"must make things happen for herself† (315). Flavia knows that â€Å"humans were incapable of accepting their own helplessness,† (316) and as a result they have become survivors. She was not giving up without a fight, and although she knew that she could not escape alone, she physically fought Pemberton with everything she had. Flavia proclaimed that â€Å"Napoleon had once called the English a nation of shopkeepers†¦ but we were a nation of survivors, and I, Flavia Sabina De Luce, could see it even in myself,† (331). Even as the strength leaves her body, Flavia stalls Pemberton using her knowledge of the murders he had committed, hopefully buying her rescuer the time he needs. In moments, Dogger arrives, freeing Flavia from Pemberton’s grasp. When Flavia is freed from the pit she had been concealed in, the residents of Bishops Lacey no longer view her as just a girl. They regard her as â€Å"somehow a different Flavia than the one†, they knew â€Å"only two days ago† (349). Flavia will forever be remembered as the girl with enough courage to defy all the odds and uncover the truth. The symbolism of her heroic journey is evident as Pemberton is arrested in complete darkness and her father is released in the light that followed. The idea of darkness becoming light also symbolized the rebirth of Bishops Lacey, as their previous view that â€Å"females were disadvantaged by nature† (275) had been proven false by Flavia’s actions. In the weeks that follow her kidnapping, Flavia comes to be perceived as an equal in her community, consulted by the detectives and police. As a result her independence flourishes. In contrast, Celeste’s resistance to the gender inequality in her society changes her life forever by providing her with enough strength to follow her dreams. Celeste does not find any more happiness in married life than in life with her biological family and feels as though she has â€Å"been sentenced to a life without hope. My heart feels as though it will never heal† (246). This statement reveals the psychological realities of many women trapped within the system of polygamy. To keep a level of sanity, Celeste creates Inukshuks; this allows her to regain some control in her life and feel connected to the earth. As male dominance leaves little room for female imagination, Celeste manages to express herself through her creations and this ends up saving her soul: â€Å"When I concentrate on rocks, I forget everything else, and for those short hours I experience peace† (246). The idea of using an element of creation to explain one’s society and her place in it is a common theme shared by both novels. In The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Flavia uses chemistry to express her creativity and knowledge, using chemical analogies to explain her world. After only a few months of marriage, Celeste becomes pregnant, and as a result, her devastation increased because a child would forever bind her to Unity. But on the first day of spring her daughter, Hope, is born, and suddenly everything in Celeste’s world changes. She wants her daughter to have everything she did not have: â€Å"I may not have been strong enough to leave Unity for myself, but in this moment I know that I will find the strength to do it for her† (264). Celeste’s dream of escape become reality when she leaves Unity a few months after her daughter is born. The courage to believe that society should have a place where everyone is equal is the foundation of feminism in both the novels Sister Wife and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. The two female protagonists defy the male dominance in their societies and discover who they truly are. Each character faces the obstacle of a very repressive culture and yet, are able to summon the courage of the feminists who lived before them to resolve the conflicts of their time. Though Flavia’s resolution had more of an immediate impact than Celeste’s, by leaving Unity, Celeste set a new precedent for girls in polygamous communities and helped others realize that there is a way out. Therefore, it is justified to claim that both girls resolved aspects of gender inequality in their societies. These unique women have positively impacted society and contributed to the rights and freedoms modern women enjoy.

Pushing Paper Can Be Fun Essay

1.Organizational and Personal Outcomes – What performance problems is the captain trying to address? Behavior- Officers not doing paperwork, or when done, is incomplete. Result – Cases being lost, due to poor reporting. The officers lack motivation and perceive filling out reports as boring. 2.Goal Statement – What would be a desirable outcome? A desirable outcome would be that officers perceive their jobs to include paperwork, and that they understand the value and importance of filling reports adequately and correctly in an assigned time frame. 3.What has the Captain already tried doing to solve the problem? To help motivate the officers, team competitions were established. These were based on the excellence of the reports. The competition provided no reward. An idea suggested to the Captain is to include financial rewards as incentives, based on the number of conviction records. These are also related to motivational factors. 4.Using the MARS Model to diagnose the possible causes of the unacceptable behavior and to explain what the Captain should do to resolve the situation. The MARS Model outlines the four major factors in determining individual behavior and results. The four major factors consist of Motivation, Ability, Role Perceptions and Situation Factors. Motivational: The police officers are lacking motivation when it comes to doing paperwork. Their paper work is frequently put off or completed inadequately. They are aware that promotion is not based on how well they complete paperwork; rather it is based by simply staying on the force for a certain number of years. Ability: I would assume that officers do not receive adequate training on proper report making while attending the police academy. Also some officers may have more of an aptitude than others when it comes to writing. Role Perceptions: The officers perceive their job as peace, law and order. They think of paperwork as boring and routine. A possible issue is that they don’t understand the value attached to providing an adequate and correct report. This perception may have been established due to improper training, the rookies are being taught by other officers, who themselves have never been formally trained. The personalities of the officers as well as their personal values play a role in how they perceive their job to be. Situational Factors: The case did not mention any situational factors; however there is one possible factor. There isn’t enough funding for rewards, so little, that layoffs are being considered. This poses a problem in that, if officers are laid off then there is less of them to perform the task, thus making the issue worse, not improving it. Suggestions: First off in order for things to improve, it needs to start with the Captain. He himself claims the work to be routine and boring; this attitude passes down to his fellow officers. Something as simple as changing his perception, would help motivate the officers. Secondly, all officers including the Captain should be retrained. This will insure consistency throughout. Fewer cases will be lost, and establishing future incentive plans will be must easier. Thirdly, The Captain could decrease the hours officers spend out on the streets, and allocate more time for the officers to complete their paper work. Motivation by Punishment: If a case were to lose due to a faulty report, then the officer responsible for filling the form would have to attend a training session. To avoid the officers from falling back into the same habit, he could also punish them with a week of traffic duty. (I believe most cops prefer to be fighting crime, not issuing traffic tickets). Motivation by Incentive: As the case study mentioned, the police station is experiencing a budget crunch. An affordable method could be to provide officers with free perks, for completing their paper work adequately, correctly and on time. Such things as: first pick of the squat car, which area/street they prefer to patrol and being able to choose cases that interest them most.

Netw360 Week 7 Lab

Kyle Pederson NETW360, Ben Brezinski 4/16/12 Lab #7 Hands on Lab Microsoft Network Monitor Introduction and Wireless Frames When we expanded frame 4 the signal strength was -60dbm, the data rate was 1mbps, and the SSID in the beacon frame was Amory. In frame 5, looking at the Hex Details, the BSSID for this access point was 00 15 E9 D1 48. The authentication status in frame 14 was successful. In frame 15, the Association Response status was in a successful state. When we tried to the Microsoft Network Monitor we were unable to pick up any management packets during our capture. SNMP management We were able to successfully ping 10. 7. 8. 80 to verify we had access to the â€Å"managed† device. The batch file was set up with the 10. 27. 8. 80 address and had commands to get information from that address. The name of the device was NPIF9460B and the status of it was â€Å"ready to print†. After we downloaded the MIB Browser and entered 10. 27. 8. 80 into the address field, we were able to get the sysUpTime which was 830 hours 13 min and 2 sec. Finding rogue access points When using the command â€Å"netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid† in the command prompt we were able to identify 17 access points. Out of the 17 access points 11 were not part of the DeVry wireless network.Using the FindAccessPoints. BAT we were able to identify 18 access points and 12 of them were not part of the DeVry wireless network. Opening the FindAccessPoints. vbs in notepad we were able to see the script and the basis of the script worked around the command netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid. After we set up our Linksys as a rogue access point we had no problem finding it using the batch file. This would be very handy to use at your home network, if you lived in a place where there is many access points, because you could pick up any rogue access points that someone has set up to attempt to capture any of your information.Logging Here is our log file from our Linksys a ccess point. [pic] Linksys Access point maintenance and troubleshooting The current firmware version of our Linksys access point was 1. 5. 01 and the current time was 2012/04/14 15:42:41. The current status of our access point was: †¢ Report Mode- BG-mixed †¢ SSID- net360 †¢ DHCP- enabled †¢ Channel- 1 Next we were able to backup our current configuration to our PC and then we reset the access point to the factory defaults. The factory defaults were set as: †¢ Report Mode BG-mixed †¢ SSID- Linksys †¢ DHCP- enabled †¢ Channel- 6Once set as the factory we were able to restore our original configuration by uploading the file we created earlier. As soon as that file uploaded our access point was set up the same as before. This was very straight forward to do and I feel it is a good idea to back up your configuration, just in case the access point gets reset. Wireshark Introduction and Examining Wireless Frames Lab Lab Report 1. Is Wireshark open s ource or propriety? (7 points) Wireshark is an Open-source program. 2. What is seen in each of the three panes that display the packets seen on a local area network? 7 point) The top pane is the packet list pane that shows each packet on a separate line and has five columns with the following information: the time that the packet came in, source, destination of each packet, the protocol being used with the packet, and information about each packet. The second pane is the tree view pane and it displays the headers of the various protocols captured in the packet and this is displayed in a hierarchal view from physical layer to the application layer. The third pane is the byte view pane that shows the raw data in a hexadecimal format. . What does a display filter do? (7 points) The display filter enables you to filter what you want to view when capturing your packets. So if you wanted to just view the packets that were using the protocol TCP you could filter those out. You can also use expression filters that lets you be more specific in what you want to filter. 4. What does the protocol column show? (7 points) The protocol column shows the highest layer protocol in the frame. 5. How do you expand the details in a layer of the packet in the middle frame? 7 points) To expand the details you must click on the plus sign. 6. In frame 1 what channel is being used? (7 points) Frame 1 is using channel 6. 7. In frame 1 what frequency is being used? (7 points) The frequency being used is 2437MHz. 8. In frame 1 what is the signal level? (7 points) The signal level in frame 1 is 11. 9. What type of frame is frame 1? (7 points) Frame 1 is a broadcast initiation frame to the access point 10. In frame 1 what is the beacon interval in milliseconds? (7 points) The beacon interval is 102. 4ms.

Nursing Research Class Notes Essay

Nursing research is the process that underpins all the other things we have talked about. How was it determined that one particular way of carrying out nursing care was better than another way? How was it decided that a particular framework of understanding will explain certain behaviors better than another? When we discussed frameworks of understanding or conceptual models earlier in the course you learnt that there are various ways of viewing mental illness were discussed and the treatments were based upon eradicating or fixing the cause. This can be described as ways of knowing and ways of intervening. These beliefs came about as the result of research. That is asking, and trying to answer such questions as â€Å"Why does this occur?†, â€Å"Does this treatment work better than that treatment?†, â€Å"How do we know?†, â€Å"Do more people improve if we do this rather than that?†. Research is a way of gaining knowledge about concerns that psychiatric nurses have. What is the best way to help this client with this particular distress?† â€Å"Is there any evidence that suggests that this way of caring is better than that?† Nursing research is relatively new in some ways but in other ways gathering-nursing knowledge has been going on since the early days of nursing. Women learned through watching and observing what treatments worked best. This is one particular kind of knowledge. Potter and Perry discuss this in Chapter 5 â€Å"Nurses Ways of Knowing†. Ethical, personal, esthetic knowledge was identified and scientific became one more way of knowing. In terms of nursing research we can re turn to Florence Nightingale who of course made the observation that there were more deaths closer to the open sewer than there were for men whose beds were further away. This is an excellent example of drawing a conclusion by making observations thereby developing new knowledge. Research itself is a way of developing knowledge but there are other ways of developing knowledge. They are differentially respected and acknowledged but each is a way of `knowing’. When you take your research course in fourth year you will learn more about the various kinds of research. For now I just want to highlight the major ways of gathering knowledge. This is Chapter 5 in Potter and Perry and there is also reference to research in Stuart and Laraia under Evidenced Based Practice p 76-83. The opening section of the chapter in Potter and Perry gives a little background on the emergence of nursing practice and theory. Nursing science came into its own: no longer a discipline applying the knowledge of other disciplines but a unique body of knowledge. A good activity for you to consider doing is to go onto the Library website and click on journal holdings, once there search psychiatric nursing. Journals that publish the results of nursing research and in particular psychiatric nursing are a very important part of your reading and learning how to read a research article is an important skill to develop. We will discuss this further momentarily, for now I want now to review ways of gaining knowledge. 1. Tradition certain beliefs are accepted sometimes without too much enquiry. Its â€Å"we’ve always done it that way†. This may be good but sometimes it is appropriate to question these traditions. 2. Expert Authority: Asking an expert or authority is a very common way of gathering information. All of us ask for information from time to time but we also have to be somewhat cautious about confusing information and knowledge. But certainly we do seek out knowledge and assistance from others. There are, of course, some limitations since not all authorities are always right and like tradition, we do not always challenge this knowledge. 3. Experience A lot of what we know we have learned ourselves. Children certainly do this all the time. Sometimes through unfortunate experience like putting their little hand on a hot stove: Learning is also part of knowledge acquisition. But we also solve problems from experience. Like, if I turn off the alarm and don’t get out of bed in the morning, I am late for work. So we learn not to do that. The ability to generalize and recognize patterns and make predictions is one of the hallmarks of the human mind and has been a large part of how our ancestors developed knowledge. It is always rains every time there are black clouds, then the next time you see black clouds, rain is predicted.. But there are limitations, first each person’s experience may be too limited to generalize all the time. Maybe black clouds predicting rain only occurs in your part of the world for some environmental reason. Secondly your personal experiences may be colored by biases. 4. Investigating Ideas: Where would we be if no one pursued their ideas for instance, testing molds for their antibiotic value That the earth is not flat but round 5. Reasoning or Problem Solving Thinking through problems and finding solutions. There are two intellectual methods used in reasoning. Inductive reasoning is the process of drawing conclusions and generalizations from specific observation. For example a nurse may observe anxious behavior in children who are removed from their parents and conclude that separation is a stressful event.. Deductive reasoning. This is the process of developing specific predictions from general principles. For example, if you assume that separation anxiety occurs in children removed from their parents then you may predict that children, in your hospital will show signs of anxiety. So we have gone from a general assumption to a specific’ situation. So, induction is to make or develop a theory from actual observation or grounded in observation. Deduction is to have a hypothesis or a theory and then test it. These terms will become important when you are considering qualitative and quantitative research. Both of these reasoning systems are important for you to think about. They are both useful. But errors can also occur or faulty reasoning. However it may lead to the development of questions 6. The scientific method, which is considered the most objective and accurate way of developing knowledge. However, it, too, can certainly be questioned as you may discover but it is also considered one of the primary ways of developing knowledge. Beginning on p. 85 of Potter and Perry they describe the characteristics of research with a number of definitions you need to study. The sooner you grasp these concepts the better off you will be in future courses. To understand the research process and for your future endeavors I like to begin with the components of a research article in a journal. I have briefly described these below: Title: A succinct description of key elements of the study Running head: Usually a two to three word description of the key elements of the study, which runs at the top of each page. Abstract: A succinct paragraph describing key features of the study, the population studied, the variables manipulated; the findings and discussion point. Usually of 150 words or so. Literature Review: A summary of key research findings from other studies, which lead into your study. If you are studying in a new emerging field this may be short; if in a well established area it may be lengthy or, it might focus on one key area for instance of child development (i.e. there are numerous areas of child development-your study may be focused on cognitive development so it is not required to review all areas of child development within the literature review). The review should provide the reader with an understanding of the area, without missing key studies and without losing the audience with obscurely related information. The literature review should cover research related to your key variables of interest and should draw the reader into your hypotheses. Hypothesis: what you think the relationship between variables is. Depending on the level of research one might have an exploratory hypothesis or you may have predictive hypotheses suggesting the results are going to be in the direction of (one way or the other). This might be a good time to review any of the terms used thus far in Potter and Perry and especially look at table 6-2 which describes levels of research. It is difficult to keep a complex topic simple. Method: The method contains subsections. It usually begins with a description of the sample (who did you interview, who comprised your sample (children, parents, university students etc). One would also find how the sample was selected (was it randomized, was it a captured audience, was it every blonde haired blue eyed left handed boy) Detail is expected. The method section will also describe the research design and procedures. Both are essential for someone else who might say I don’t believe these results. I want to try and replicate the study. Which has been done with interesting results in many areas. Research designs are very complex and influence the type of statistical analysis that can be done. I refer you back to table 6-2 for a beginning understanding of this. Test in struments and their reliability and validity are also expected in the methodology section. Identification of independent and dependent variables would also be described here. The independent variable is that variable you are manipulating i.e. temperature of the room; the dependent variable are the observations you are making i.e. number of complaints of room temperature in a given interval of time. Results: This section will go through sample characteristics, main findings described pictorially sometimes in graphs or may be tables. Results are described matter of factly with little interpretation. Limitations of the study: these become important to the conclusions one can draw. For example if I were studying teen pregnancy and the needs of young mothers and my group ended up being older teens would this be representative of younger teens. Conclusions: This is where results can be interpreted and tied back to the literature review. Were findings supportive to the hypothesis or not and if not what might explain the findings. Implications for nursing practice: it would be found in nursing research studies, not often in other research. The application of nurs ing research is an important area for future discussion. As psychiatric nurses we must however be able to critique research. Sometimes it is conducted under ideal conditions where there is control over a number of variables and there may be difficulty applying it in the real world. That is perhaps why observations of a patient’s behavior may be better to understand their experience in the real world. Research is the use of a series of steps to gather objective knowledge and nursing research of course is the study of phenomenon of interest to nurses, which is often the patient’s response to illness and nursing interventions. The second point there is control but we have to understand what scientific research is attempting to state. It is the relationships between 2 variables. That is, if I do one thing will it influence another? So just to take a simple nursing example, we might theorize or predict that a patient who lies on their back for long periods will develop pressure sores. So if the patient is turned frequently and does not develop pressure sores we might conclude that turning is related to unbroken skin. Say, however, at the same time as turning the patient’s skin is gently massaged; now we can’t tell if it is the turning or the massage that resulted in the unbroken and healthy skin. So this is what is meant by control of external factors. Sometimes you may hear this referred to as level of control over the variables of interest. If you are using the scientific method then you probably have a hypothesis you want to test and you would set up your experiment to either prove or disprove. This would be quantitative research. But if you are observing a phenomenon and want to study it in its natural state then you are more likely doing qualitative research. Qualitative research is particularly well suited to psychiatric nursing because it. involves gathering information about people’s experiences which we could use an instrument to assess which would give us a quantitative measure i.e., how traumatized were you 0-10. Asking a person to tell their story gives us significantly more information. Methods can be combined. The ethnographic qualitative research method tends to look at humans in their natural environment. This research always takes place in the field often over a long time. Collection and analysis of data takes place concurrently, as insights are gained new questions may emerge. Often the opinions of the people under study are sought which is very different from quantitative research where opinions and feelings are not considered valid. You will become m ore proficient at reading, understanding and critiquing research but there is no reason why you should not be locating and reading nursing research journals now. Research Principles and terms The practice of Psychiatric Nursing is guided by nursing knowledge. As a profession nursing has developed a unique body of knowledge, which guides the practice of nursing. There is a number of ways in which knowledge is developed and disseminated. They are listed in Potter & Perry. Question: State 6 ways of acquiring knowledge. Polit and Hungler (1997) use these terms to describe the scientific research method: †¦Disciplined Research. Research conducted within a disciplined format is the most sophisticated method of acquiring knowledge that humans have developed. Nursing research combines aspects of logical reasoning with other features to create systems of problem solving that, although fallible, tend to be more reliable than tradition, authority, personal experience, intuition, or inductive or deductive reasoning alone. (P.11) The scientific method does have its drawbacks however, it is conducted under ideal conditions and sometimes there may be difficulties in applying it to the real world. There are however two main categories of research Quantitative and Qualitative. Quantitative research follows the scientific model and has a series of clearly defined steps. Quantitative research Process Identify an issue Gather information? State the hypothesis? Review the literature? Design the study? Gather the data? Evaluate the findings Qualitative Research Qualitative research differs from quantitative in that it is a less linear process. It more often involves gathering information about individuals by observing them in their natural environment or through interviews. This type of research takes place â€Å"in the field† rather than the laboratory. The information is rich and varied and subject to the interpretation of the researcher. This is one of its limitations. Nurse researchers can be involved in either quantitative or qualitative research, but most importantly, nursing research should be able to be applied to psychiatric nursing practice. Here is a list of some research projects of psychiatric nurses: Examples of research studies conducted by nurses in Psychiatric Nursing and Mental Health topics: Client expectation and perception of the nurse’s role in re lationship to client satisfaction. A comparative study of widows’ and widowers’ perceived social support during the first year of bereavement. The effects of cognitive-behavioral nursing intervention for depressed patients and their families. Factors affecting staff nurses’ use of limit setting with disruptive patients. Nurses’ attitudes toward the suicidal patient. Nursing interventions with long-term patients in regard to their physical appearance: An evaluation study. The nurse’s therapeutic use of touch as related to withdrawn patients. Observable signs of anxiety or distress during psychiatric interviews conducted by nurses. Patient and situational factors that affect nursing students’ like or dislike of caring for patients A study of alcoholic patients’ perception of the role of the nurse. A study of the confidence level of nurses in caring for patients with depression. A study of psychiatric patients’ knowledge about their prescribed medications. Question: What do you think would be a good research topic for psychiatric nurses? Some terms to Learn in Relation to Research