Comfort and Gods Glory Essay

In the decision to discuss two topics included within this reflection paper I have been led to discuss two doctrines that are close to all Christians. The comfort of God and the glory of God are the two doctrines that I have focused on over the last several weeks. The comfort of God has touched me at times over the course of my life however, never as much as it has over the last year. I wish to praise the glory of God as directed within the bible to show how God has worked in my life. The Comfort of God  Theological Definition The comfort of God can be best represent and defined by 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 which states: â€Å"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too†. (NIV) However, Webster’s dictionary defines comfort as â€Å"to give strength and hope to† and â€Å"to ease the grief or trouble of† (Webster’s, 2013) Biblical Foundation  The Bible provides many references to God’s comfort as stated in Psalms 18:2 â€Å"The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower†. (NIV) Even though the word comfort isn’t contained in the passage just knowing that God is your strength and rock is enough. Psalms 138:7 states â€Å"though I walk in the middle of trouble, you will revive me: you shall stretch forth your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand shall save me†. (NIV) Practical Application  Over the course of my career as a law enforcement officer, I have found myself seeking comfort in some way or another. I have involved myself with discussions with fellow officers and have sought guidance from counselors and other professional sources. However, I have found no sense of comfort that compares to the bible and the comfort that religion brings me. I have learned over the course of my career that God is in control. He has a plan for all of us and comforts us when we stray from that path. When I speak of Gods comfort I think of a video that I watched on YouTube recently. The video was a speech given by Admiral Lee of the United State Coast Guard. Admiral Lee talks about the red tape that prevents him and all military personal from comforting soldiers on the battlefield. He states that he is unable at times to give guidance to those struggling for hope. I’m not a type of person who wants to force my faith and beliefs on a person. But much like Admiral Lee I have had the opportunity to be there when someone is reaching out. To give them comfort with Gods preachings and to give them a bible so they can find hope and comfort within its pages. I have for years during my tenure as a police officer carried a bible in my police vehicle. I also carry small pocket bibles purchased at my own expense. I throughout the years have never had anyone refuse one of my bibles. However, I have arrested people who have already got one of them. The Glory of God Theological Definition The glory of God is the beauty of his spirit. It is not his physical beauty however; it is his beauty that emanates from his character. God’s glory is His splendor, his majesty. The glory of God is his character and his divine nature; it is the very essence of his presence. Biblical Foundation The glory of God is referenced early in the bible Exodus 24: 15-17 states â€Å"Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain. Now the glory of the Lord rested on Mt. Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel†. (NIV) The glory of god is used figuratively for God himself. Moses said to God himself in Exodus 33: 18-22 â€Å"Please show me your glory. Then he said, I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you . . . You cannot see my face; for no man shall see me and live. And the Lord said, here is a place by me, and you shall stand on the rock. So shall it be, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand while I pass by†. (NIV) Practical Applicati on How do we practically apply Gods glory to our everyday life? God calls us to glorify him in all we do. I do not proclaim to live a life without sin, as most Christians would agree. I don’t just do kind things to others with hopes of cancelling out the sins that I have done. However, I try to reach out into the community in the way in which I believe God wants me to. My career is a hard one and it takes a hard person to be a police officer. I have been accused of many things by people whom are upset and don’t understand. It’s easy to stand on the side of the road and observe a group of police officer at a tragic vehicle accident and get the wrong impression. I have seen officers who begin to joke around and are smiling. Now I agree the place and time for a joke is not at a car accident where someone has lost his or her life. However, it is a coping method that a lot of officers use to deal with a high stress situations. Are they living up to the glory of God? Probably not, however, they are performing their jobs to the best of their ability. The bible tells us we are not to commit murder, so how do I explain to my children that I had to take a life in the performance of my duties? How do I express to them that I am here to glorify God when I have broken one of the commandments? I don’t know the answer, but I do know that I try to live my life in a manner that allows me to glorify Him. I don’t believe that just worshiping God in church and singing hymns is enough. I believe that we need to try to preach to those who haven’t heard the Gospel and we need to live our lives praising him and living in his example. Conclusion I have progressed in my Christian studies and have focused on the things that I can do to both glorify God and to provide the comfort of God to others. You never know when the moments will be presented to you to affect the life of another, but I’m prepared. I can tell story after story to describe how I have attempted to accomplish these things, but I don’t want to place emphasis on them. God knows the good things I have done in my career and he knows the bad things. I will continue to study his word and build my house in heaven as to speak. Good deeds will not secure your place in heaven. The only way to God is through Jesus Christ. I have allowed Christ to fill my heart and I can build my home in heaven by the good deeds to which I do here. I can learn by Admiral Lee’s advice and example. I don’t have to stand and shout to someone in need. I only need to hand them the tool they need to find hope and Gods glory. I only need to whisper to them â€Å"read this†.

What Is Ethics

1. What is ethics? What is morality? Ethics is the philosophical study of morality. Morality refers to the belief of right and wrong, good and bad, beliefs that can include judgments, values, rules, principles and theories. 2. In what ways are we forced to do ethics? What is at stake in these deliberations? A person is forced to do ethics every time they exam any feeling, choice, or action concerning right or wrong. The thing that is at stake when doing ethics is a person’s values. 3. What is the unfortunate result of accepting moral beliefs without questioning them? Some of the unfortunate results of accepting moral beliefs without questioning them are it undermines your personal freedom meaning if you just accept belief from someone else without thinking about them they are not truly your beliefs. Another result of blindly accepting belief of someone else is when asked to defend these beliefs the person may have no sound argument to back it up. Finally it limits intellectual moral growth. 4. Can our feelings be our sole guide to morality? Why or why not? Feelings should not be sole guide to morality because by solely following feelings a person is not critically examining the problem. 5. What is descriptive ethics? In this field, what do researchers study? Descriptive ethics is the moral study of belief and practices. Researchers in this field try to explain how people actually behave and think. 6. What is normative ethics? Applied ethics? Normative ethics is the study of principles, rules, or theories that guide our actions and judgments. Applied ethics is application of moral norms applied to a specific moral issue. . What is metaethics? What is the difference between normative ethics and metaethics? Metaethics is the study of the meaning and logical structure of moral beliefs. Normative ethics job is to assume certain things about the meaning of moral terms and the logic relation among them but the job of meteethics is to question all assumptions. 8. What is the difference between judgments of value and judgments of obligation? Ju dgments of value judges what is morality good, bad, blameworthy, and praiseworthy. While judgments of obligation deal with actions and things a person feels what they should do. 9. What is the difference between moral and nonmoral value? Moral Value refer to value in the sense of morality while nonmortal value refers sense of good and bad that are not morality bad or good but rather quality. 10. What is the difference between instrumental value and intrinsic value? Instrumental values are things that are valuable as a means to something else. While intrinsic values are things that are valuable for its own sake. 11. To what does the â€Å"preeminence of reason† refer? The preeminence of reason refers to being able to critically think and logically argue a claim. 12. What is the principle of universalizability? The principle of universalizability states that if a moral statement applies to one situation it must apply to relatively similar moral situations 13. What is the relationship between morality and religion? The relationship between morality and religion is very important because same way critical reason is used to exam moral norms it can be used to exam religion. What is Ethics? Ethics are standards that differentiate right and wrong and how people should conduct themselves. Ethics refer to standards that would prevent someone from doing something wrong, like murder for example. Is it ethical to commit murder? Society has deemed murder as an unacceptable. In the same way ethics help to determine what are appropriate behavior at home, school, and the work place. How we interact with others can be considered ethical, treating others with respect, hospitality, sharing, and helping others in need would be considered good ethical behavior. Ethical standards also include virtues of honesty, compassion, and loyalty. The Virtue Theory The virtue theory deals with the individual, the expectation is to â€Å"cultivate excellence in all that you do and all that others do (Boylan, 2009). † It deals with the character of an individual. Qualities of a virtuous person would be considered an upstanding, trustworthy, dependable, and honest. In contrast an unethical person would be selfish, unreliable, devious, or careless. People are characterized as â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad† or a combination of both, it does not leave room for a good person to make a bad choice. Once a person commits an unacceptable act, he or she may be branded as a bad person even if they have high morals and ethics instead of a good person who made a bad decision. An example of this would be of a person who drinks and drives. This is bad choice and the consequences of this choice can lead to accidents and death, but does this mean that this is a bad person? More than likely there would be no negative consequence unless the person is caught or there is an accident causing physical or property damage. The Utilitarianism Theory Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that places right and wrong on the consequence of the action that will be for â€Å"the greatest good for the greatest number† (Boylan, p. 133, 2009). The utilitarianism moves from the individual’s interest and takes into account the interest of others. An example of this would be when a team member knows that another person is a better fit for a job and steps down so that person can take the lead, which would benefit the whole team in the process. An example of this that comes to mind is: during the plot to kill Jesus, John 11:49-50 â€Å"Caiaphas, being high priest that year, spoke up, you know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man should die for the people than the whole nation perish. † This is an example of the sacrifice of one to benefit the whole group or nation† (â€Å"Caiaphas – High Priest Of The Jerusalem Temple†). The Deontological Theory Deontological theory questions right and wrong by action instead of consequences. It is considered to be wrong when the action intentionally harms others. The deontological approach defines ethics as either right or wrong, there is little or no middle ground for exceptions (â€Å"Deontology Ethics,† 2008). With the utilitarianism theory it is acceptable to lie if it is to prevent hurting a person, with the deontological theory it is wrong to lie because it is a lie. Conclusion The similarities between the ethics theories concern the idea of right and wrong, and good and bad. The differences constitute on how they interpret right from wrong, and good from bad. With the virtue theory deals with the individual, whereas the utilitarianism focus on the group where actions are right when they provide the greatest good to the largest group. The deontology determines rightness by actions not the consequences; deontology is more of an absolute, stealing is wrong, lying is wrong, and murder is wrong, anything that causes harm to another person. All three theories have a place in present society and are used interactively without conscious effort. From a young age people are taught right from wrong from parents, teachers, church, and other people they come in contact with. What Is Ethics? Ethics is not equivalent to feelings. We feel on whether a certain thing is right or wrong. Feelings actively affect our daily choices. It may sometimes prevent us from making the right ethical choices. [Peter Zafirides, 2012]. Some may feel remorse when an unethical deed is done. This can be mainly attributed to persons’ different needs and desires. In 1992, Dr. Cox, a 70 year old, with a lethal injection of potassium chloride had what rheumatologists’ described as the worst case of rheumatoid arthritis ever seen. Conventional medicine was unable to relieve her pain and repeatedly requested to die. The Independent, 1992]. In that case, Dr. Cox was charged with attempted murder. It may seem to some people that it is ethically and morally â€Å"alright† to end a persons’ suffering and misery by taking his/her life, if requested. However it is unethical to end a persons’ life for whatever the reason so. Hence, an ethical standard cannot be judged by feelings alone. Ethics is not religion as well. Many people are religious but not all are ethical. The same applies to people who are not religious are not necessarily ethical as well. However, most religions do practice an ethical code of conduct. Faith in religion does not require ethics but ethical principles apply to everyone. For example, during the 9/11 incident, what happened a decade ago was raging a â€Å"holy war† against the Americans and other western democratic nations in the name of their religion. Although the Islamic religion advocated good ethical standards, some deviate from the path and become corrupted, even in the name of their religion. Al Qaeda and the leader had taken the religion to its extreme. [Scholastic; Natalie, no date] A law abiding person may not necessarily be ethical. Although the law does embody high ethical standards generally accepted by the public, it may easily deviate from ethics as well. The law may become ethically corrupt under totalitarian regimes and turn it into a form of power to serve the interest of certain people or groups. For example, abortion is made legal in certain states and countries. Like China, where abortion is not a criminal offence but in turn is available on request by the patient and is even done by the government as a public service. Furthermore they are able to receive 2 weeks to a month of sick paid leave for abortion. [Act Now AU 2008][UN Abortion Policy, no date]. It may have been made legal by the law but that does not mean it is ethical to do so, unless in certain situation, it may affect maternal health or life. In Malaysia, an abortion is legal when there is risk of life or threat of injury to the pregnant woman. [WAO, 2011] Ethics is also not parallel to socially and culturally accepted norm. Although many cultures are ethical, some are very corrupted and even blind to ethical concerns. One good example would be the Netherlands Drug Law and Cultures. In the Netherlands weed or pot (common name of the drug marijuana/cannabis) is openly traded and consumed every day. There are even specific places (the coffee shops) in the Netherlands where they specifically cater to drug consumption. [Mark Owoll, 2000] Although it is widely accepted culturally, socially and legally in Netherlands, it is still unethical to consume cannabis/marijuana as it does harm to ones’ body through lung diseases, heart diseases, weakened immune system and many more and it is unethical to do harm to oneself. [WebMD, no date] Ethics is not a science as well. Ethics is not based off accurate calculation and scientific formulas and most certainly is unable to certainly predict the correct action to every ethical issue. However, social science and natural science are able to aid in making a better ethical decision. Science may provide the explanation but ethics provide the reason as to how we should act. For example, Cheryl, a mother of one and was pregnant with another at that time, was diagnosed with cancer while she was pregnant. Science had given her the option to have an abortion, and then proceed with chemotherapy or continue without chemotherapy and save the baby, but endangering her own life. Cheryl then decided to have the baby and died shortly after giving birth to her second child in an emergency caesarean birth.

Grief and Loss in Adolescence: Principles, Responses and Challenges

Grief and loss are fundamental aspects of life; they are inevitabilities that stem from our mortality and our natural propensity to form deep emotional bonds with those closest to us—our family, friends and colleagues.Perhaps C. S. Lewis captured the sensation of grief best when he said: â€Å"No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.  I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing. — C. S. Lewis, A Grief Observed How one physically manifests grief may vary between age groups and cultures but it is a universal occurrence in humans who are of normal cognitive development.In this paper, grief and loss will be reviewed in the context of Worden’s principles and theories; specifically, what these principles say about grief and loss, how they might apply to the adolescence demographic, what challenges the health care provider might expect to encounter when working with a grieving adolescent, and how a health care provider can best respond to a grieving teenager. A series of hypothetical acute care settings will be presented to illustrate how a nurse might best proceed in responding to a grieving adolescent.Death during AdolescenceAdolescence is a transitionary stage of life that poses unique challenges for the individual. Change is the hallmark of this developmental period as teenagers struggle with hormonal changes, newfound desires for independence, confidence issues, and concerns about body image. Grief and loss during this stage of life, whether it be the loss of a parent, relative, or close friend, often greatly exacerbates the emotional state of a teen who is already experiencing the stresses associated with the transition from child to adult.According to Metzgar, typical grief responses of teenagers include anger, depression, withdrawal, frustration, confusion, acting out, and noncompliance (Metzgar, 2002). Unlike young childre n, who often do not fully contemplate the finality of death, adolescents are usually aware that death is final (Freeman, 2005). According to Freeman, adolescents have the mature intellectual development necessary to understand the core concepts of death—universality, non-functionality, irreversibility, and causality—and can elucidate fully the details (Freeman, 2005).This greater understanding of death places adolescents closer to adults on the level of death awareness; however, teens may wonder if a dead person will return; this thinking may include supernatural elements as teens often associate an unexpected death or serious illness with a supernatural event or cause (Brewster, 1982). An adolescents’ grief experience is highly personal in nature, and unlike adults, teens tend to grieve more intensely.Often their grief response is not expressed smoothly or continuously but takes the form of a series of punctuated outbursts; in some cases an adolescent may make a concerted effort to control his or her emotions (Worden, 1996). In attempting to control their emotions, a teen may retreat inwardly by immersing themselves in highly personal activities such as reading, writing, listening to music, or exercising; in other cases, a teen may want to release the anger and sadness associated with their grief; in this case, he or she may act out angry or antisocial behavior (Worden, 1996).Of particular importance from a health care perspective is the recognition that teens often perceive death as something that happens to others even though they recognize that death is a phenomenon that can and will happen to everyone. When a teen is confronted with the death of a close friend or relative, their perception of death as being a phenomenon that is distant from them, is abruptly challenged. In the case of the death of a peer, death is often sudden—in an American study, the three leading causes of death in the 15 to 24 year-old age group are acciden ts, homicide, and suicide (Minino and Smith, 2001).In such cases, a teen’s sense of pseudo-immortality is often shattered (Freeman, 2005). The trauma associated with this may cause a teen to experience an overwhelming sense of helplessness or powerlessness (Aronson, 2005). In the case of the loss of one or both parents, a teen may experience a grief reaction that is unique for their age demographic—an irrational guilt associated with the normal desire to detach from their parents (Freeman, 2005). For the health care worker, it is crucial that this particular grief reaction is considered when helping a teen deal with the loss of one or both parents.Theoretical Principles: Grief and Loss according to Worden.In Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy, Worden conceptualizes the process of grief into a framework of four tasks that he suggests need to be addressed and completed before the process of mourning can be concluded (Worden, 1991). Worden’s four task paradigm cons ists of:Task 1. To accept the reality of the lossTask 2. To work through the pain of griefTask 3. To adjust to an environment in which the deceased is missingTask 4. To emotionally relocate the deceased and move on with lifeAccording to Worden, children and teens, like adults, must acknowledge and accept the reality and finality of death before they can begin to deal with the emotional impact of this loss (Worden, 1991). Generally this is easier for teens than children because their concept of death is more developed and in tune with that of an adult’s. In order to help facilitate acknowledgement of loss, a health care worker needs to explain the circumstances of the loss in a language that is both accurate and age appropriate.Since maturity levels vary within the teen demographic, one must not assume a given maturity level based on age; in this case the carer should make a concerted effort to determine the maturity level of a teen through dialogue and observation (Smead, 199 4). In task two, Worden suggests that the painful emotions associated with grief need to be worked through. By working through, Worden suggests that emotions need to be released in a healthy manner such that a teen is able to cope with the nature of their loss.In this case, the carer needs to assist the teen with opening up—helping the teen discuss their fears and anxieties in a non-judgmental way. Encouraging teens to express their grief through creative arts and by engaging in rituals can be therapeutic in this regard. (Silverman and Nickman, 1999) In Worden’s third task, adjusting to the loss of a deceased peer, sibling or parent requires that the adolescent develop an adaptation to this loss.Adaptation will be heavily influenced by what role the deceased played in the teen’s life; often this adaptation requires an extended period of adjustment (Worden, 1991). In this case, the health care worker’s role is to help the teen adapt to the loss of old role s (roles associated with the deceased) and adjust to the emergence of new roles (roles previously associated with the deceased now taken up by other individuals). In Worden’s final task, the deceased are relocated—they are placed in an appropriate emotional place such that the bereaved can move on with their lives.For many bereaved individuals, relocation may involve the pondering of existential questions: Where did the deceased go? Why did they die? Is there a Heaven? Children and teens are often more open to supernatural explanations, and in this case, belief in an afterlife can be therapeutic as it helps the individual maintain a healthy and tangible link to the deceased—it may give the bereaved a sense that the deceased is watching over me from Heaven (Silverman, Nickman and Worden, 1992).Grief and Loss in the Acute Care Setting: A Nurse’s RoleWhen a nurse is expected to provide emotional care to a bereaved teen, he or  she must consider a number of factors that may influence the grieving process. These may include: age, level of maturity, psychological state, physical state, and circumstances of the loss. In the following hypothetical case studies, a nurse will offer emotional support directed specifically at teens whom are experiencing different stages of grief as outlined by Worden. The question to be answered in each case is this: What would be the most appropriate nursing response? In each case, as the attending nurse, you will note the individual’s age, statements, stress level, and physical demeanor.Case Study One – The immediate loss of a best friendTom is an 18 year old who has been admitted to a hospital emergency room after a traumatic car accident. His best friend Bret was a passenger and has been killed in the accident. Tom has minor physical injuries that you are tending to. He has just been informed that his best friend died at the scene. Emotional and in disbelief, he yells: â€Å"You’re a ll lying! Bret is not dead! He can’t be dead! He can’t be! It’s my fault!† Bret is shaking.Response:Using compassionate but clear and direct language you reaffirm that Bret has died. You show empathy to Tom but avoid making value judgments for him that offer explanations for the death or attribute blame. When interfacing with Tom’s parents you explain to them the stage of grief their son is going through and how best to assist him through it.Case Study Two – Working through the loss of a parentSarah is a somewhat rebellious 17 year-old with a strong sense of independence. She doesn’t always see eye to eye with her mother, Jenifer. Six months previous, Jenifer died suddenly in car accident. Since the accident, Sarah has suffered major anxiety attacks and has been plagued by guilt. At school she has been involved in arguments and fights with other girls; on this occasion she is in the school infirmary after fighting with another girl. Af ter initially appearing angry, Sarah breaks down in tears  and says: â€Å"Why did my Mom have to die! I didn’t really want her out of my life!†Response:You consol Sarah, and listen to her—you let her release her emotions without restraining or judging her. You reassure Sarah that it is ok and normal to feel fear, guilt and doubt, and that is ok to express her feelings. You tell Sarah that she can come and share her feelings with you whenever she feels the need. If interfacing with Sarah’s father, explain to him what Sarah is experiencing, and offer helpful suggestions that are in line with Worden’s model for task two grief.Case Study Three – Adapting to the loss of a siblingJanet and Karen are sisters close in age, 15 and 17 respectively. They were inseparable and enjoyed doing things together such as sports, shopping and talking about boys. Janet looked up to Karen who she thought of as being her pillar of strength and confidant. Last ye ar Karen died suddenly from a rare form of meningitis. Janet has accepted the loss but has had a hard time readjusting to life without her sister. She is in the hospital being attended to for self inflicted cuts on her arms. Janet states that life is unexciting now because her sister is gone.Response:With empathy you help Janet recognize and reassign the emotional roles filled by her sister. You may suggest ways to help Janet remember Karen in a desensationalized way such that the memory of Karen is retained and respected but that recognizes that life must go on. The suggestion of doing activities (previously done with Karen) with friends or classmates might be helpful. This information should be relayed to Janet’s parents to help them understand how they might be able to assist Janet adjust to life without Karen.Case Study Four – Relocating a deceased grandparentFourteen year old Ben loved fishing with his grandfather. Granddad was Ben’s best friend. Earlier th is year Ben’s granddad died suddenly from a heart attack. Ben accepted that granddad was gone, and he knew that there would be no more fishing. Ben was admitted to the hospital to receive stitches for a fall; Ben asks you: â€Å"Miss, where do dead people go? My Granddad died this year you know.† In a melancholy tone he continues, â€Å"I’ll never have a friend like him again.†Response:In a compassionate tone reply that you are not sure where people go when they die and that it is one of life’s great mysteries. You may suggest that many people have different ideas as to where people go after death. Suggest to Ben that life is about continuing to develop special moments with people we associate with in life. Keep in mind that grief resolution involves reflecting on the meaning of a deceased person’s life, and keeping this as a pleasant memory. It is not meant to focus on the death itself.ConclusionsGrief is a fundamental aspect of life. Adole scence, being a major transitional stage in human growth and development brings with it unique emotional challenges. These challenges need to be addressed by the health care worker if he or she is to effectively assist a teen who is grieving for a deceased peer, sibling or parent. Worden suggests a four step paradigm for the grieving process that can serve as a guide for elucidating the stage of grief an individual may be experiencing.Knowledge of this model can assist the health care worker in grief stage recognition, and in making informed decisions that will ultimately help a teen deal with challenges involved in the of grieving process. With the support and encouragement of health care workers, peers, and relatives, adolescents can learn to successfully manage grief and loss, and move forward with their lives.

Weddings in The Middle East, Europe and America Research Paper

Weddings in The Middle East, Europe and America - Research Paper Example How the food is prepared and what they eat is significant to the ceremony. Furthermore, there are related religious ceremonies and meals that accompany wedding celebrations with concomitant health connotations. Therefore, this paper will compare weddings among Middle Easterners, Europeans and the Americans discussing their history, food symbolism, religious celebrations and health connotations. To begin with, the history of wedding in the United States is rather interesting. Traditionally, weddings were seen as a means of wealth and not necessarily out of desire or love. In fact, wedding symbolized the financial security that the groom provides to the bride’s family when the couple marries. Furthermore, brides were chosen in line with their economic worth. It precisely had nothing to do with affection. However, at the turn of the nineteenth century, couples began marrying for love (Wallace, 2004). In contrast to American wedding, Arab weddings were arranged marriages. When a young man reaches the appropriate for marriage, his family will go out and search for a potential bride. The process of investigation takes into account the girl’s physical beauty, cleanliness, education, educational level and her qualities as a house wife. Additionally, the groom’s family takes consideration of the behavior and reputation of the bride’s family (Monger, 2004 ). On the other hand, European wedding traditions are largely borrowed from other traditions. It is worthwhile noting that wedding traditions vary among European nations. Traditional European customs involved kidnapping bride and fighting off the bride’s tribesmen using a sword. Thereafter, the groom would hide the bride for one month in an unknown location; a process known as the ‘honeymoon’. However, things changed during the Victorian era. In the contemporary Europe, wedding borrows heavily from Christian practices. Notable is the white dress, denoting ‘white wedding’. The white dress

IP3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IP3 - Essay Example The services provided by organizations can be analyzed using the market share and growth rates and can be classified into four categories. The services can be classified as cash cows, question marks, dogs and stars depending on their performance in the competitive market. Portfolio analysis enables the organization to allocate it resources effectively and help in the decision making process. The challenge facing portfolio analysis is the accurate definition of product market segment by an organization. Portfolio analysis can be considered as an organized way to go about asset allocation in the market. The services  dispensed by the hospital can be evaluated using the service department offering the services. The market share will reflect the number of patients visiting the organization and the growth rate will be evaluated by the increase in customers on an annual basis. The hospital offers orthopedic services to its patients. Orthopedics deals with ailments affecting the musculoskeletal system in man. This is one of the high performing departments in the organization receiving  many patients on an annual basis. The hospital has allocated a large number of nursing staff and technological resources to the specialty. Another high performing department in the hospital is the Pulmonology department. Pulmonology deals with ailments that affect the respiratory tract in human beings. The hospital receives high numbers of patients thus has invested in nursing staff and technology to ensure that the organization is efficient. The hospital is ranked highly for the number of specialized patient services it provides. Pulmonology and Orthopedics services can be considered as cash cows to the organization due to the market share the hospital commands. Cash cows can be defined as those services that have elevated market share in a sluggish growing industry. The hospital has two cash cows explains the ranking

America Out of Iraq Now Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

America Out of Iraq Now - Essay Example Some Americans still support the president, but most of us understand that Bush lied about his reasons for going to war, and that he wanted to invade Iraq and depose Hussein before he even took office. The Iraq invasion was a mistake from the very beginning, and now the cost of this war is more than we can bear. More than two thousand American troops have died in this unjustifiable war, which is bad enough, but between thirty-five and forty thousand Iraqi civilians are dead due to U.S.-led military activity in their country (Iraq Body Count). Reservists and National Guardsmen are being sent to Iraq because we are running out of regular military troops to send, but National Guardsmen are more useful to us at home. There should have been more National Guardsmen to help Americans through New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Instead, they were in Iraq. Our presence in Iraq is killing thousands of people and it is depriving Americans of their loved ones and the social support that military personnel stationed on American soil can provide to their country. We can't afford the body count, and we can't afford the financial price tag either.

ENGLISH 4 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ENGLISH 4 - Research Paper Example This keeps off diseases that cause death in humans. Even so, the presence of accidents both in the present and future stands out as the only deterrent to the achievement of this objective. Thus, this research report analyses examples from the article to determine the effectiveness and reliability of the emotional, ethical and logical appeals that the author uses to pass across the intended arguments and persuade the reader. Emotional Appeal In this essay, figurative language has been used to appeal to the reader’s emotions. For example, the word, â€Å"party,† has been used by the author in place of the word, â€Å"life,† as in the phrase â€Å"leave the party† (McCarthy 550). This portrays life as being fun that one cannot afford to lose. It thus becomes easier to have a discussion on immortality appeal to the readers. Therefore, the author uses this figurative language to emotionally gain the support of the reader on the need to increase human life so as to allow for a longer time of fun with life. Furthermore, the author appropriately uses metaphors and comparisons to appeal to the reader’s emotions. For example, talking of the â€Å"path of long life† and the â€Å"highway of immortality† aims at portraying the intended lifespan as being long, just as a path or highway is (McCarthy 544). Moreover, placing the phrases in the same paragraph helps the author make immortality more appealing by comparing it to a highway rather than long life which she compares to a path. The author makes immortality more appealing, even though both long life and immortality entail longer life. The author also uses irony to appeal emotionally to the reader. For example, â€Å"I have accepted my own mortality†¦ [but] I don’t accept the mortality of my loved ones†¦ I don’t want them ever to die† (McCarthy 548). This shows that the author is least concerned about whether she dies, but willing to do all i t takes to ensure that her loved ones do not die. It is ironical for one to wish others well more than self. The author uses this irony to emotionally gain the reader’s trust who will consider her as selfless. It, thus, becomes easier for such an audience to agree with the author’s arguments. Ethical Appeal In this essay, the author establishes ethos through appropriate choice of words. Use of technical terminologies related to the studies of human anatomy gives the article an ethical appeal. Terminologies used in human science such as DNA, chromosome and telomerase have been used by McCarthy (545) in the essay. This enables the author to convince the reader that she has the technical knowledge on human anatomy. The perception of a qualified author in the field of human science makes the reader qualify her as a reliable authority to discuss human immortality. Logical Appeal Examples used in the essay have been appropriately chosen so as to establish logos. The author h as borrowed examples from credible sources so as to logically appeal to the readers. The use of titles and describing the cited sources aims at establishing a logical appeal in the essay. For instance, McCarthy (545) cites the argument by Dr. Francis Collins, a director at the National Human Genome Research Institute at the NIH, that within the next 30 years, the genes responsible for aging in humans would have been known. She further cites Dr. Huber Warner, a director at the aging program biology based at the National Institute of Aging, NIA, as being optimistic about humans living longer through

Science and Church Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Science and Church - Essay Example He confronted authority and tradition by putting these theories before those of religion. Aristotlianism was the frame of the Christian Science and so rejecting Aristotle means rejecting Christianity. Because of this Rome rejected Galileo's theories and sentenced him to life imprisonment according to several reasons. About these several reasons like authorities, arguments from common sense, dubitability of telescope, the political consequences of this age and these reasons' unreality and illogicality will be argued in this essay. The end of the 16th and the 17th centuries were featured by the scientific revolution greatly brought about by Galileo Galilei. He supported Democritos's theories in opposition to those of Aristotle who had argued that everything that existed in nature has a purpose. Democrito maintained that the universe and its organisms are formed by atoms in a continuous and arbitrary movement. His philosophy was thus founded on observation and not on finalism as was that of Aristotle: on how, not on why. This was in direct collision with the church which ideally supported the Aristotle's philosophy. Galileo asserted that he had managed to show the theory of Coperni... He also had the insight of not only using the telescope to see the planets, but also to use lenses to examine the tinny things of this world, and told his students to do so. This in essence brought about political consequences where by the inquisition threatened him with torture, forced him to recant, and subjected him to life imprisonment in 1633. The charge was "suspicion of heresy" and was after the church had taken the position that if a Biblical interpretation was found to be in conflict with scientific fact, the Bible was to be interpreted metaphorically. Bible teachings caused the church to oppose Galileo's proof that the earth rotates on its axis and revolves around the sun. Galileo argued that the sun was the centre of the universe which totally differed with common sense as well as the scripture. From common sense perspective, there are only three dimensions in space. All matter in the universe evolves in time, just as explained by Newton. Hence, we can say that the universe is mathematically flat which Galileo proved otherwise. Conclusion The disagreement has been presented tremendously in Galileo's favor. To this date, he is seen as the champion of enlightenment against the blind despotic power of the church. Galileo's "mistake," according to this fascinating study, was not one of science or mathematics, philosophy or religion, but one of diplomacy. Works cited Notes provided by the tutor, a paper by Peter E. Hudgson "Galileo the scientist"

Advanced Cost Analysis and Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Advanced Cost Analysis and Systems - Assignment Example The Advanced Cost Analysis and Systems involves carrying out Business cycles for Apple Inc, which include Revenue--sales process, sales return, cash receipt Expenditure--purchasing, purchase return, cash disbursement Payroll Fixed Assets--Acquisition, dispose Inventory--production Treasury Cycle Finiancial. The payroll cycle begins by the receipt of time cards from the hourly employees. The time cards depict the number of hours worked by the employees in their respective departments. The head of the department either signs the time card for confirmation or does not sign to indicate rejection. The head of department then submits the time card to the payroll manager who then updates the payroll. The company’s CFO then reviews gives approval leading to the processing and posting of the payroll. Once the CFO authorizes the paychecks, the company then prepares adequate cash for disposal, in covering the amount indicated in the payroll. This triggers the preparation of a payroll voucher to act as a record for the total amount indicated in the payroll. After posting the payroll, the checks are then delivered to the employees. This transaction affects the cash department consequently triggering for the preparation of a disbursement journal. The company then reconciles the ledger informa tion. As depicted in the flow chart showing sales process, the first step is a customer placing an order for the company’s products. The company presents the customer with the details of products before the actual transaction starts. As a legal procedure, customer purchase order forms an inherent part of the transactions and must include company name, customer’s name, fabric, quantities, shipping and billing information. The receipt of the purchase order drives the company to approving the order and accompanied credit carried by the customer for the transaction. in the shipping process, the company makes use of a common

Pen Pal Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pen Pal Letter - Essay Example This class makes a consideration of the trends in dance all over the world. Its focus on classics has left me interested more than ever. Before this, I have previously been exposed to dances since I was a small child. Growing up in the midst of people who loved music and dance inspired me. They always praised dancers from as far as the 19th century, highlighting just how much classical dances inform the emergence of new and improved kinds and styles of dance. On a more specific ground, I would like to describe some course material and offer my insight and/or reaction to the material. My class covers a number of types of ballet. Before I address three of those types of ballet, I would to share how the teaching process is done in this class. A number of teaching and learning methods are employed, namely: theory, practical, and visual. Teacher-learner and learner-learner interactions inform the theory and practical part of teaching and learning. On the other hand, the visual aspect encompasses watching dance videos and sharing our experiences relative to the videos. The three types of ballet I would like to talk about are: Vaganova, Cecchetti, and Balanchine. Vaganova ballet is commonly referred to as the Russian ballet. This ballet encompasses a movement that is continual in nature. Body parts are essentially not isolated, thus the observation of a movement flow that is continual. Cecchetti is the simplest form of ballet. The technique employed is precise and basic. Finally, modernization has significantly influenced ballets. In this respect, Balanchine reflects the modernity of ballet technique. Notably, the study of Balanchine is mostly done in America. The three ballet types presented above are just a tip of the iceberg as far as dance is concerned. The dance world is intensive and extensive, but the common denominator is that this world is one of the most interesting aspects globally. Dance entertains, communicates, informs, warns, unites, and

Chromosome Markers in the DNA Tests Research Paper

Chromosome Markers in the DNA Tests - Research Paper Example Forensic DNA testing is currently performed by using the complex STR multiplex systems. This testing allows the testing of several loci in a single – tube PCR system. A highly variable STR is chosen for the analysis such that they should be within the detection range of 90 – 500 base pairs. These STRs should also be present in the other chromosomes too. Highly polymorphic markers and gender identifying markers are widely used in the STR multiplex systems. All these loci are labeled with different fluorescent dyes for the automated Genotyping. The fluorescent dye is attached to the PCR primers and these dyes get incorporated into the target DNA sequence during the process of amplification.   5-FAM (blue) dye is used for the STR loci D3S1358 and NED (Yellow) dye is used for D19S433 STR loci. By using the two different fluorescent dyes, it was observed that the height and the peaks of the STR loci D3S1358 and D19S433 are similar between them. If we use the same fluoresce nt dye then it may lead to confusion whether the source of DNA is from a single person or from multiple persons because the peak areas are very important for the determination of the amount of DNA. If the sample is homozygous and have only one peak with the area equal to the two individual peaks then it will be very difficult to analyze the results. This is very frequent if we use the same fluorescent dye for D3S1358 and D19S433. Since D3S1358 and D19S433 are similar to each other, the use of two different dyes will easily differentiate them. (Thompson 2006). The specific dye is incorporated into the PCR product and the level of emission of light and the intensity of light emission gives the details about the size of the DNA. The level of emission may vary for the two STR loci but since they are of same size, the emission level will be same and it will be very difficult to identify the two STRs. The factors for choosing the Fluorescent dye are based on the dyes, optical filters, las er and matrix to which it binds. The D3S1358 is 119 bp to 147 bp in size with the average repeats of 15. These loci will accept the blue dye more readily than the yellow dye. Similarly D19S433 is 206 bp with 9 repeats. (Foster and Laurin 2012). This also will absorb yellow dye more readily than the blue dye. The variation in the base pair is thus an important factor for the choice of fluorescent dyes. The peak heights of the two STR loci D3S1358 and D19S433 vary with the annealing temperatures. Similarly the relative intensity of the loci also varies. (Foster and Laurin 2012). First generation dyes were used for the analysis of the loci initially; later the development of the second generation dyes with more specificity replaced them. The fluorescent dyes used for the multiplex were amandine dyes that emits the color when bind properly to the DNA fragments. The fluorescent dyes NED and 6 - FAM currently for the identification of the D19S433 and D3S1358 produces standard results for the different populations in many parts of the world. (Li et al. 2013). Thus it is concluded that D3S1358 and D19S433 STR loci cannot have same fluorescent dye because they have the similar base pair length and produce the same peak. (Butler 2005). If the same dye is used then they will form only one peak but with

The title of the book I read was 1491 Essay Example for Free

The title of the book I read was 1491 Essay New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus. It was written by Charles C. Mann. Other books by this author include Noahs Choice: The Future of Endangered Species and The Second Creation: Makers of the Revolution in Twentieth-Century Physics. 1491 is based around Native Americans and how they really lived before European settlers came to the Americas. This is a very interesting, as well as extremely informative book that gives unbiased and well-thought-out information about on the peoples about which that the author writes. about. I personally found this book to be a very good read. Charles Mann is a fantastic writer, and he makes everything about this book interesting. He knows how to put things so that he really grabs the readers attention and keeps you interested to learn more. He is very descriptive and words things in a way that is understandable for me, the reader. He also has a very extensive vocabulary, which makes the reading even more interesting. Mann also uses tons of information that he has gathered. He makes very good points to his topics, as well, and he makes these points very clear. Because of this, I did not find anything that I really disagreed with him on. The book mostly speaks of how much false information is widely believed in the world today about early Americans before Columbus and the Europeans settled in the New World. Many scholars in the past have made false assumptions on about the Native Americans because of their own ethnocentric opinions. For example, today most people view the early Americans as being very nature-oriented, but not very intelligent people who live in small, isolated tribes scattered across the country, who also never did anything to change their environment. However, these assumptions are not true. The Indians actually had a huge impact on their land, mostly for the better. They cleared land to plant more nut and fruit trees, they grew tons of crops, they even created maize. One group in particular, the Beni, was exceptional in the area of purposing land for their its benefit. They built huge mounds in an area that was constantly being flooded. By doing so, this allowed them to grow crops and trees on the mounds. They even made traps below the mounds to trap fish when the area did flood. Overall, I found the book to be very memorable. I really enjoyed reading this book and I will remember a lot of the information that it has taught me for a long time. I cant think of anything that I disagree with the author on, since Charles Mann does make very good points, and he is impressively convincing. I think that the information given in 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus will open the eyes of many people and teach a lot of people more about the history of the Native Americans. This is a very good and informative book that gives unbiased and trustworthy information about the early Americans before and after Europeans settled in the Americas.

Pharmaceutical Industry Analysis

Pharmaceutical Industry Analysis In this chapter a basic understanding of how the pharmaceutical industry will be defined and which models will be used to analyse it will be given to the reader. 1.1 Definition of Industry The most important definition of industry was given by Michael Porter in 1979: a group of competitors producing substitutes that are close enough that the behaviour of any firm affects each of the others either directly or indirectly. Later, Porter defined the term more precisely as a group of companies offering products or services that are close substitutes for each other, that is, products or services that satisfy the same basic customers needs. This new definition emphasizes the importance of industry borders and industrys role as a market supplier or producer of goods and services, as distinguished from a market, defined as a consumer of goods and services. Furthermore, inside every industry there are groups of companies that follow similar strategies, defined by Michael S. Hunt in his unpublished 1972 Ph.D. dissertation as strategic groups. Between these groups there are differences in entry barriers, bargaining power with buyers and suppliers and skills and resources . Strategic groups compete against each other within the industry as a result of these differences. 1.2 Models to Analyse the Industry and Its Environment The literature agrees that comprehension of the industry structure is essential to developing a firms strategy and has a greater effect on the firms performance than whether it is business-specific or corporate-parent. The comprehension of the structure requires analyses of the industrys life cycle. It also requires step-by-step political, legal, technological, social and economic analyses as well as the five driving forces of business, provided by Michael Porter. By utilizing these analysis techniques, it is also possible to anticipate changes in industry competition and profitability over time. 1.2.1 Industry Life Cycle Analysis There are different phases during the development of an industry. Every phases is characterized by a different environments which make competition assumes different the form. Through studying the life cycle, the industry realizes its stake in the market and its influence on consumers. The industry life cycle model includes four different phases: introduction, growth, maturity and decline. The first phase, called introduction, is characterized by a low demand, whereas prices are high as a consequence of firms inability to realize economies of scale. For this reason profits are low and losses are possible due to high amount of investments in new categories. Barriers to entry are primary based on technologies and competencies. Strategy is focused mainly on RD and production, with the goal of enhancing novelty and quality. Competitors, attracted by the rising demand, attempt to replicate the new product. In the second phase, growth, the use of the product is extended, demand grows, prices decline due to economies of scale, barriers to entry are lower and the threat of new entry is high. At this phase the technology is usually not exclusive property of one or more firms, and the primary reaction to competition is marketing expenditure and initiatives; profits are not very high because prices decline as competitors enter the market. There is a transition period, or shake-out, between the second and the third phases. The shake-out involves finding and using all investment opportunities, because the market is near saturation and demand grows more slowly. In the third phase, maturity, market growth is low or non-existent, and the focus shifts to gaining market share; demand is represented only by the substitution of products, investment in RD decreases and there is little innovation. In this phase firms seek cost reductions, and competition is based primarily on advertising and quality because of the low differentiation between products. Big firms acquire smaller players, while others are forced to exit. As a consequence of high barrier to entry, the threat of new entrants are low. The last phase is decline, so called because of the continued decline in demand. Industries arrive at this stage for a variety of reasons. These include a change in social behaviours, demographic changes, international competition, technological innovations and increased customer knowledge. The buying process is based primarily on price rather than innovation. As a result, profit and revenues decline, and the industry as a whole may be supplanted. 1.2.2 PEST Analysis The word PEST is an acronym of several aspects that influence business activities at any given moment. An industry operates under Political, Economic, Social and Technological conditions. These conditions are identify and analyzed using the PEST Analysis technique. Due to their independent influence on any industry, it is essential that each be considered individually. The political aspect of analysis encompasses various factors that influence business activities in a given country at several levels: national, sub-national and supranational levels. These include trade policies control imports, exports and international business partners, government ownership of industry, attitude toward monopolies and competition and trade policies. Hence, failure to consider these policies may result in loss of revenue due to taxes or penalty fees. Government stability is also very important, because it eradicates the risks associated with wars and conflicts. For an industry to thrive, political stability must be uncompromising; otherwise, sales and business activities will be uncertain, and investors will lose interest. The internal political issues in any country influence the running of industries. Politics based on race or religion may define the course for certain industries, especially if an industry falls short of political expectations. Elections and changes in leadership also influence an industrys strengths and opportunities and thus should be considered during the analysis. In addition to internal issues, international pressures and influences may affect some industries, such as environmental degradation or product safety. Another factor is terrorism. Though uncommon in many countries, poor or unstable governance may attract terrorist activities, vengeful or otherwise, which can have adverse effects on the industries operating in that country. All these issues may influence industry and firm expansion and industry attractiveness from stake holders point of view. The economic aspect of analysis includes many factors. The first factor to consider is the current economic situation and trends in the country in which the industry is based. Companies should note inflation and economic decline so that when it comes to investing, they can avoid being financially affected. Failure to do this results in an economically blind platform that may cause the industrys sudden collapse. Another factor to consider in analysis is taxation rates. When there are high taxation rates in a given country, price-based competition may affect a given industry in the international market. International economic trends are also very important, because they define currency exchange rates, imports and exports. Other factors to consider are consumer expenditure and disposable income and, finally, legal issues, including all trade legislation in a given country and other legal regulations that inhibit or encourage expansion of business activities. Also to be considered are consumer protection laws, employment laws, environmental protection laws and quality standardization regulations. Industrial laws regulating competition, market policies and guidelines also play an important role in influencing industrys stability and future expansion possibilities . When considering the social aspect, factors including demographic changes, shifts in values and culture and changes in lifestyle are important to note so as to strategize on expansion and growth . Certain factors, such as media and communities, influence an industrys growth and returns. Brand name and corporate image are also very important in influencing growth and returns since they shape customer loyalty and shareholder investment. The medias views on certain industrial products should be incorporated into the analysis, as should consumer attitudes and sensibility to green issues, that is, issues that affect the environment, energy consumption and waste and its disposal. A companys information systems and internal and external communications should also be analyzed to ensure that it keeps pace with its competitors. Other factors are the policies regulating education, health and distribution of income, all of which, in the long run, influence consumer use of products . The technological aspect of analysis encompasses a variety of factors. In addition to developing technologies, all associated technologies, along with their innovation potentials, speed of change and adoption of new technology, should be analyzed for a proper evaluation of the industry. Other technological factors are transportation, waste management and online business. The level of expenditure on RD should also be considered in order to secure the industrys competitive position to prevent losses and collapse . 1.2.3 Porters Five Competitive Forces Analysis Porters model, as described by Kay, is an evolution of the Structure-Conduct-Performance paradigm conceived by Edward Mason at Harvard University in the 1930s and detailed by Scherer in the 1980s. , The model aims to determine the intensity of industry competition, major issues in determining strategy and whether an industry is attractive or not. Porter identified five competitive forces that act on an industry and its environment: threat of entry, intensity of rivalry among existing competitors, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of buyers and bargaining power of suppliers. The first competitive force, threat of entry, refers to the threat of new entrants in an established industry or acquisition to gain market share. Reactions of participants and barriers to entry are the main factors used to establish whether the threat is high or low. Six major entry barriers have been identified: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ capital required to compete in the industry (especially in risky industry, such as advertising or RD) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ switching costs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ access to distribution channels à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ economies of scale à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ cost disadvantages independent of scale, such as patents, access to know-how, access to limited resources, favourable locations, government subsidies or policies and learning or experience curves à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ product differentiation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ expected retaliation from existing firms against the new entrants Strong barriers to the entry of new firms enable a few firms to dominate the market and thereby influence prices. The second force is intensity of rivalry among existing competitors. Rivalry takes place when one or more firms inside an industry try to improve their position using tactics such as price competition, new product introduction or new services. Rivalry depends on several factors: number and size of competitors, industry growth, product characteristics (which determine whether the rivalry is based on price or differentiation), cost structure, exit barriers, diverse competitors, operative capacity and high strategic stakes. If an industry is inhibited, then firms will experience difficulties when trying to expand. The growth of foreign competition and the corporate stakes should also be included in the analysis. Threat of substitutes is the third forces. Substitutes are those products manufactured by other industries but serving the same purposes as the initial product. These substitute products cause the demand to decline. The implications are reduced profits and reduced market command by the original capital investor. This is of particular importance when the buyer has no switching costs and can easily compare products in terms of price and efficiency. Bargaining power of buyers is the fourth force. High bargaining power positions weak firms inside the industry, forcing price down, enhancing competition between industry players and resulting in bargaining for higher quality or services. This power is particularly high under certain conditions, such as few and specific buyers, undifferentiated products, low switching costs, the possibility of backward integration and information about demand and the availability of market price to the buyers. Furthermore, bargaining power is high if product quality is not a crucial factor of decision-making and if what the buyer is acquiring is a modest fraction of his total costs. Bargaining power is even higher when the buyer is a retailer or a wholesaler able to influence the consumers purchasing decision. The fifth and last force is the bargaining power of suppliers. This can act on the industry in several ways: raising prices, lowering quality or privileging some buyers. Supplier power can be divided into several elements. One of these elements is supplier concentration. Suppliers are in a stronger position when there are few suppliers, switching costs are high, the industry they are serving account for a small fraction of their business or their products are an important part of the buyers business. The bargaining power of suppliers is low or non-existent when there are substitute products. Lastly, purchase volume and the suppliers influence on cost are very important. 2. Pharmaceutical Industry Analysis A general overview of the pharmaceutical industry is the primary objective of this chapter. First, this chapter will define the industry in order to identify the main players in the pharmaceutical market. Second, using the instruments and models described in the first section, it will highlight the main characteristics of the industry and the factors that influence it. 2.1 Definition of Pharmaceutical Industry The pharmaceutical industry is composed of companies developing, manufacturing and marketing products licensed for use as medications. Their goal is to prevent, diagnose or treat diseases. A medicinal product, also called a pharmaceutical, according to the EU, is an exogenous substance or a combination of exogenous substances that can be organic or inorganic, natural or synthetic, and able, once inside the human or animal body, to modify physiological functions or to make a medical diagnosis through physical, chemical or physicochemical action. This industry is subdivided into two sub-industries characterized by different business models and players: prescription and OTC pharmaceuticals. Prescription pharmaceuticals, also referred to as Rx, are medicines that are available to the consumers for purchase in a pharmacy or drug store only with a prescription from a physician or administered only in hospitals. These medicines target specific diseases and, therefore, are prescribed for and used by one person only. OTC pharmaceuticals are instead used by more than one person which present the same symptoms in the same or in different time. These medicines are available to the consumer at every time and the consumer dont need any prescription from a physician for purchase. Furthermore, inside this industry there are two types of firms: Big Pharma and Biotech. These two types, despite being in the same business, vary in several ways: IP, drug methodology, expenditure and productivity of RD . The primary drug RD techniques used by Big Pharma firms are chemoinformatics and in silico screenings. Biotech firms are companies that use biotechnology in RD . Biotechnology, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, is the application of science and technology to living organisms, as well as parts, products and models thereof, to alter living or nonliving materials for the production of knowledge, goods and services. Generally, Biotech firms tend to have a strong academic culture, are more risk treatment and spend less than half what Big Pharma spends on R&D; in 2004, Biotech firms spent $20 billion, versus $50 billion spent by Big Pharma. Generally, a Biotech product has multiple IP covering manufacture, formulation and stability, as opposed to Big Pharma IP, which covers only the product, allowing generics to be produced quickly. While they may appear to have the same phenotype, their genotypes are distinct, so much so that they can be considered two industries, as stated by Arthur D. Levinson, Chairman and CEO of Genentech. Nevertheless, this distinction is not always clear, as many Biotech and Big Pharma firms are hybrids to varying degrees. The focus of this thesis are Big Pharma involved in the development of prescription pharmaceuticals to treat and prevent human diseases in the EU market. 2.2 Analysis of the Pharmaceutical Industry The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of the pharmaceutical industry lifecycle and investigate the major force acting inside it . 2.2.1 Industry Lifecycle Analysis People over the years have always tried to discover diseases causes and to find remedies against it. The most complete medical test, the Ebers Papyrus, is dated 1550 BC and it was written by Egyptians . However, the industrial production of drugs dates back to the year 1827 when Heinrich E Merck in Germany founded the first company for the production of cocaine and morphine . This event started the introduction phase of the pharmaceutical industry in Europe. In Europe, this industry was born in different way, reflecting the different strategic groups inside it. In the German-speaking countries, pharmaceutical companies were born as a branch of the chemical industry, with firms like Bayer and Hoechst in 1863, BASF in 1865 and Schering in 1871 in Germany, and CIBA in 1884 and Sandoz in 1886. Only Hoffman-La Roche in 1894 in Switzerland was originally a drug firm. On the other hand, in Italy, France and the UK companies were born from small shop pharmacies, such as Glaxo which traces its origins to a pharmacy in Plough Court in 1715 . During the 1800s many compounds were already being isolated, but none was being synthetically produced. The first synthetic drug was Phenacetin, produced by Bayer and commercialized in 1888 . Ten years later Bayer commercialized Aspirin, which marked a milestone in the pharmaceutical industry. Many firms rose to prominence in the 1920s-30s with these kinds of pharmaceuticals, but also with a new class of pharmaceuticals: vaccines and serums . During the Second World War II the demand for drugs increased and mass production started, primarily with drugs such as antibiotics (penicillin, streptomycin and neomycin) and sulphonamide . The availability of these drugs dramatically changed the quality and the average life-span of people. In this period the German pharmaceutical industry, a leader along with the Swiss in pre-war times, was taken over by American firms who came to Europe to taking advantage of the condition of the continent after the war. The period 1950-60 was the start of the industrys growth phase , and this saw a proliferation of new drugs and high return to drug discovery. New drugs included tranquilizers such as MAO inhibitors in 1952, anti-tuberculosis drugs such as Isoniazid in 1952 and oral contraceptives in 1956. Other discoveries included Librium in 1960 and Valium in 1960. The latter was sold from 1963 and later became one of the most prescribed medicines in history before controversy emerged over its link to habituation and dependency. In the 1950s, legislation was put in place to regulate the industry, mainly touching on labelling and approval by health authorities as well as drawing distinctions between non-prescription and prescription medicines. In this apparently unstoppable process of pharmaceutical progression and optimism the industry was stalled by a drama concerning one drug sold in Europe and Japan, Thalidomide. This drug, synthesized in Germany in 1954, was introduced to the market to treat the symptoms of morning sickness and nausea in pregnant women. Between 1954 and 1960, it caused around 5,000 and 10,000 severe deformities in infants. In fact, the drug had not been sufficiently tested on animals to assess its safety, and after this revelation, in an attempt to better regulate the industry, drug oversight authorities were established to exercise control over the industry. The World Medical Association met in Finland and issued the Declaration of Helsinki, setting the standards for clinical research. Among other things, the declaration stated that pharmaceutical companies must prove the efficacy of a new drug in clinical trials before releasing it to the market, and subjects must consent to experiments done to test the efficacy of drugs in clinical studies. The industry remained small up to the late 1970s . Two events characterized the 1970s. First, chemical production for raw materials and early intermediates shifted out of Europe to low cost destinations such as India and China which later began producing active pharmaceutical ingredients and finally non-patented pharmaceuticals . Second, there was the birth of biotechnology. This new science had its roots many years before with the discovery of the double helix in 1953 by Watson and Crick, which followed the advances in molecular genetics, recombinant DNA technology, and molecular biology. Until then, drugs in commerce were produced by extraction from natural substances or chemical synthesis. These new techniques of molecular biology marked the birth of a new industry which became a competitor to and a substitute of the pharmaceutical industry. This new industry was pioneered by firms like Genentech and Amgen which introduced revolutionary drugs such as Epogen and recombinant human insulin. In the 1980s, legislation was passed in most European countries requiring adherence to strong patents for both the pharmaceutical products and their production processes. There were also new regulations such as the introduction of the Good Clinical Practices, which were guidelines regulating ethics and the reliability of clinical studies. In Europe, several states also initiated health maintenance organizations and managed care in an effort to limit rising medical costs, and a preference for preventive rather that curative medication took root. As the industry entered the 1990s, new discoveries and projects, such as the Human Genome Project 1990, changed the business environment. Also, there was a huge wave of MA to build on synergies. This included Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz forming Novartis, Hoechst and Roussel-Rhone Poulenc-Rorer forming Aventis and Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline forming GlaxoSmithKline. In this way, the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals came to be concentrated in Western Europe and North America, with dominant firms and a few small companies that produced drugs in each country. The major European companies are still the dominant players not only in Europe but also in the global market. They include Novartis of Switzerland, Bayer of Germany, GlaxoSmithKline of the UK, Hoffman-la Roche of Switzerland and AstraZeneca of UK/Sweden. As the European pharmaceutical industry entered the 21st century, signs of the growth phase have become even more evident. This has been characterized by intense marketing to physicians and internet commerce. This, in part, has been facilitated by the liberalization of marketing rules requiring presentation of risks as well as the advertising message. Internet has enabled the direct purchase of raw materials by the manufacturers. The development of drugs has moved from the hit-and-miss approach to research and informed discovery. Alternative medicines and lifestyle medicines have presented new challenges and opportunities and have raised the level of competition in the industry. The ageing population in western European economies has increased opportunities for raising revenues. In fact, because of the ageing population in the developed economies, drug consumption will increase since the aged have a higher frequency of contracting diseases than younger people. New epidemics, such as the recent H1N1 flu outbreak, continue to batter the world population, and increased globalization makes them spread more quickly than ever. As the industry advances through the growth phase, companies are undertaking research and development initiatives both to develop new drugs and improve production processes. Further, the increased role of state-supported medical schemes across Europe, as well as other state-managed health programs around the world will greatly increase the reach of healthcare, extending it to more of the middle class and the poor who constitute the larger part of the population in most countries. As the medical programs continue to gain efficacy, the sales of pharmaceutical firms are expected to grow. In addition, the emerging economies like Brazil, Russia, India, China, Turkey, Mexico, and South Korea will add to potential consumer numbers in the industry for European manufacturers. Together, these countries constitute a huge percentuage of the worlds population, meaning that their entry into the high income category will no doubt present an enormous potential market for pharmaceutical products. In fact, the growth in these markets is expected to reach 14-17% by 2014, compared with only 3-6% growth in the developed markets. Thanks to agreements signed by the Asia-Pacific and Europe governments concerning liberalization of the Asia-Pacific pharmaceuticals and investments market, many companies have already started to establish relationships with emerging markets. An example is GlaxoSmithKline, who partnered in 2009 with Indias Dr. Reddy Laboratories. GlaxoSmithKline will distribute the drugs manufactured and supplied by Dr. Reddy in Africa, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. Even with these last considerations, the European pharmaceutical industry has only a limited chance of entering the maturity phase of the cycle. The barriers to entry are so great that they choke any new entrant in almost every facet of operation: in research and development, in product distribution, and in compliance with rules and regulations. In fact, this industry has complex manufacturing capabilities which are hard to replicate, and are protected by way of patent, as well as huge consumer attachment to preferred brands from specific companies, often informed by experience. Furthermore Europe generic penetration is very low (less than 10% in total). Thus the industry might remain in the growth phase for a considerable time.

Echelon: Considerations with International Communications Monitoring :: Technology

Echelon: Considerations with International Communications Monitoring Introduction Since the invention of radio, intelligence-gathering organizations have been developing and using eavesdropping techniques to intercept and review wireless communications. Initially, these capabilities were solely used to spy on hostile nations, and particularly for military purposes. Human operators had to manually review each transmission, and cryptanalysts pored over military ciphers in an attempt to decode important messages. As wireless communication has become an integral part of commercial and individual existence, and potential threats to security are increasingly found in peacetime and on home ground, the scope of this intelligence gathering has likewise broadened. One of the most controversial eavesdropping systems in existence is a classified project known as ‘Echelon.’ Its use of computer hardware and software to filter communications from all over the world brings up many ethical issues related to the impact of computers on privacy. Overview of Echelon Most of the evidence for Echelon is circumstantial, though a few facts have been established. The participating organizations (notably the US Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency) have neither confirmed nor denied its existence. In lieu of a discussion of the ethical issues, a brief summary of the current knowledge follows. How it Works Echelon is the product of Cold War efforts to monitor wireless communications in the USSR. It traces its roots back to the clandestine UKUSA alliance, a communications intelligence agreement that dates back from around 1947. Member nations include the US, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It is now known that the system has been in existence for at least 20 years.[1] In the past, high frequency radio listening posts were also used to listen to radio communications. Currently, the system is composed of a series of eavesdropping satellites, ground listening stations, and supercomputers that intercept and sift through telecommunications satellite broadcasts. These broadcasts include faxes, phone calls, and web traffic- especially those dispatched over long distances.[2] The term Echelon has never actually been mentioned by officials, but is believed to represent the computer system that manages the data gathered by the network.[3] The computers are used to store and ana lyze text data for key words, and to review telephone conversations for unique ‘voiceprints’ or the phone numbers of persons under surveillance.[4] This makes it possible to filter an enormous amount of traffic, since human analysts review only relevant messages. The US National Security Agency (NSA) is widely considered to be both the originator and head of the project, and likely owns and operates the major computer facilities for Echelon. Echelon: Considerations with International Communications Monitoring :: Technology Echelon: Considerations with International Communications Monitoring Introduction Since the invention of radio, intelligence-gathering organizations have been developing and using eavesdropping techniques to intercept and review wireless communications. Initially, these capabilities were solely used to spy on hostile nations, and particularly for military purposes. Human operators had to manually review each transmission, and cryptanalysts pored over military ciphers in an attempt to decode important messages. As wireless communication has become an integral part of commercial and individual existence, and potential threats to security are increasingly found in peacetime and on home ground, the scope of this intelligence gathering has likewise broadened. One of the most controversial eavesdropping systems in existence is a classified project known as ‘Echelon.’ Its use of computer hardware and software to filter communications from all over the world brings up many ethical issues related to the impact of computers on privacy. Overview of Echelon Most of the evidence for Echelon is circumstantial, though a few facts have been established. The participating organizations (notably the US Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency) have neither confirmed nor denied its existence. In lieu of a discussion of the ethical issues, a brief summary of the current knowledge follows. How it Works Echelon is the product of Cold War efforts to monitor wireless communications in the USSR. It traces its roots back to the clandestine UKUSA alliance, a communications intelligence agreement that dates back from around 1947. Member nations include the US, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It is now known that the system has been in existence for at least 20 years.[1] In the past, high frequency radio listening posts were also used to listen to radio communications. Currently, the system is composed of a series of eavesdropping satellites, ground listening stations, and supercomputers that intercept and sift through telecommunications satellite broadcasts. These broadcasts include faxes, phone calls, and web traffic- especially those dispatched over long distances.[2] The term Echelon has never actually been mentioned by officials, but is believed to represent the computer system that manages the data gathered by the network.[3] The computers are used to store and ana lyze text data for key words, and to review telephone conversations for unique ‘voiceprints’ or the phone numbers of persons under surveillance.[4] This makes it possible to filter an enormous amount of traffic, since human analysts review only relevant messages. The US National Security Agency (NSA) is widely considered to be both the originator and head of the project, and likely owns and operates the major computer facilities for Echelon.

Macbeth :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Macbeth†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When a play is presented on film, the director takes the script, and with poetic license, interprets it. A film not only contains the actual words of the author (in this case Shakespeare), but it includes action, acting, and cinematographic techniques; the three are used to better portray the author’s story. Using these elements, the director’s interpretation of the plot is reinforced. The film provides symbolic images and a visual interpretation, hence Shakespeare’s play â€Å"Macbeth† is better understood by the viewers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The use of action was essential in the film. Murder, parties, battles, dancing, and embraces were actions that were focused upon the most. For example, in the scenes of Duncan’s murder, the actions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, the two guards, and Duncan were emphasized. The director used close-ups and long pauses in dialogue and action to give the viewer more time to focus on details in the scenes. Also, the long pauses and close-ups add to the drama, and overall mood of the film. Facial expressions, body movements, and speech were combined to portray â€Å"Macbeth† in such a way that the characters, and their emotions could be better understood. Thus, reinforcing the plot. For example, the close-ups of Macbeth’s face in the scenes surrounding Duncan’s murder clearly convey to the viewer his fear, guilt, uncertainty, anxiety, confusion and horror. Without these close-ups, these emotions might possibly have not been c learly sent to the viewer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The actions of the characters as a whole in the film portray the change in mood over the course of the film. For example, in the beginning scenes, the soldiers rode high on their horses, the children played and laughed, townspeople seemed to be bustling about in a pleasant manner, and smiles were on all faces, especially at the party at Macbeth’s house the night of Duncan’s murder. Towards the end of the fourth act, the soldiers, townspeople, and children were crying, moaning and showed signs of suffering. In conclusion, these overall actions of the characters portrayed the mood change over the course of the film, thus emphasizing the fact that Macbeth had brought poverty, sorrow and horror to Scotland.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cinematography enforced the mood, drama, and plot. The use of color in the film was telltale of the mood. The colors were drab, lifeless, mellow colors. These colors were telltale signs of the setting and mood of the play. The setting was in a sorrowful, dirty, suffering country; the mood was sorrowful and suffering as well. Macbeth :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Macbeth†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When a play is presented on film, the director takes the script, and with poetic license, interprets it. A film not only contains the actual words of the author (in this case Shakespeare), but it includes action, acting, and cinematographic techniques; the three are used to better portray the author’s story. Using these elements, the director’s interpretation of the plot is reinforced. The film provides symbolic images and a visual interpretation, hence Shakespeare’s play â€Å"Macbeth† is better understood by the viewers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The use of action was essential in the film. Murder, parties, battles, dancing, and embraces were actions that were focused upon the most. For example, in the scenes of Duncan’s murder, the actions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, the two guards, and Duncan were emphasized. The director used close-ups and long pauses in dialogue and action to give the viewer more time to focus on details in the scenes. Also, the long pauses and close-ups add to the drama, and overall mood of the film. Facial expressions, body movements, and speech were combined to portray â€Å"Macbeth† in such a way that the characters, and their emotions could be better understood. Thus, reinforcing the plot. For example, the close-ups of Macbeth’s face in the scenes surrounding Duncan’s murder clearly convey to the viewer his fear, guilt, uncertainty, anxiety, confusion and horror. Without these close-ups, these emotions might possibly have not been c learly sent to the viewer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The actions of the characters as a whole in the film portray the change in mood over the course of the film. For example, in the beginning scenes, the soldiers rode high on their horses, the children played and laughed, townspeople seemed to be bustling about in a pleasant manner, and smiles were on all faces, especially at the party at Macbeth’s house the night of Duncan’s murder. Towards the end of the fourth act, the soldiers, townspeople, and children were crying, moaning and showed signs of suffering. In conclusion, these overall actions of the characters portrayed the mood change over the course of the film, thus emphasizing the fact that Macbeth had brought poverty, sorrow and horror to Scotland.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cinematography enforced the mood, drama, and plot. The use of color in the film was telltale of the mood. The colors were drab, lifeless, mellow colors. These colors were telltale signs of the setting and mood of the play. The setting was in a sorrowful, dirty, suffering country; the mood was sorrowful and suffering as well.

Rich, Adrienne. Midnight Salvage: Poems 1995-1998. NY: W.W. Norton & Co

Rich, Adrienne. Midnight Salvage: Poems 1995-1998. NY: W.W. Norton & Co., 1999. A Physical Conversation Adrienne Rich writes a long conversation, in A Long Conversation, with multiple and fluid dialogues. Interpretations of these dialogues are rich, thick and endless. Her dialogues include a conversation between past and present times, between past and present theories, between great minds and regular people, between the subject and creation of art and its place in time, and the conversation of the physical. For Rich, the physical is not just body to body, but also mind to body, and body to time. In recognizing that the physical is just as fluid a dialogue as verbal communication, Rich explores a long physical conversation and gives it new meaning in each of the many sections of the poem. Body to body and heart to heart. Physical communication goes beyond the typical interpretation of sex and can be an internal process. Rich starts her poem with such an acknowledgement, â€Å"-warm bloom of blood in the child’s arterial tree† (53). This first line helps to establish life – the life of a child and the life of the poem. The tree in itself gives solidity in genealogical meaning - generations have come before and generations will follow. The blood in the child’s arterial tree expands out and gives life to all the body, the body that will later/always participate in the long conversation of life. A few lines down, Rich makes reference to death from cold, a throwback to phrases said to kids, â€Å"Come out of the cold, you’ll catch your death.† This cold could freeze the â€Å"bloom of blood,† but what would a child know of that physical interaction. For a child, life is the ball game that he/she is playing, causing â€Å"co lor still high in your... ...inally, Rich paints a picture of beauty in what could be called physical decay. One of the last stanzas says and asks, â€Å"In the dark windowglass/ a blurred face/ - is it still mine?† (69). The blurred face is as much old age as a difficulty grasping the passing of time and seeing the change. The physical identities and actions that occur throughout a lifespan make it difficult to determine the current identity and physically it is hard to believe. Rich makes the physical imagery come full cycle in showing the physical nature of time and communication. The body learns communication in youth and from there fine tweaks and fluidly melds the process physically as much as mentally to carry on life’s long conversation about the world and mankind at large. Looking back from the edge of the end, the journey might be blurred, but there is clarity and beauty in the process. Rich, Adrienne. Midnight Salvage: Poems 1995-1998. NY: W.W. Norton & Co Rich, Adrienne. Midnight Salvage: Poems 1995-1998. NY: W.W. Norton & Co., 1999. A Physical Conversation Adrienne Rich writes a long conversation, in A Long Conversation, with multiple and fluid dialogues. Interpretations of these dialogues are rich, thick and endless. Her dialogues include a conversation between past and present times, between past and present theories, between great minds and regular people, between the subject and creation of art and its place in time, and the conversation of the physical. For Rich, the physical is not just body to body, but also mind to body, and body to time. In recognizing that the physical is just as fluid a dialogue as verbal communication, Rich explores a long physical conversation and gives it new meaning in each of the many sections of the poem. Body to body and heart to heart. Physical communication goes beyond the typical interpretation of sex and can be an internal process. Rich starts her poem with such an acknowledgement, â€Å"-warm bloom of blood in the child’s arterial tree† (53). This first line helps to establish life – the life of a child and the life of the poem. The tree in itself gives solidity in genealogical meaning - generations have come before and generations will follow. The blood in the child’s arterial tree expands out and gives life to all the body, the body that will later/always participate in the long conversation of life. A few lines down, Rich makes reference to death from cold, a throwback to phrases said to kids, â€Å"Come out of the cold, you’ll catch your death.† This cold could freeze the â€Å"bloom of blood,† but what would a child know of that physical interaction. For a child, life is the ball game that he/she is playing, causing â€Å"co lor still high in your... ...inally, Rich paints a picture of beauty in what could be called physical decay. One of the last stanzas says and asks, â€Å"In the dark windowglass/ a blurred face/ - is it still mine?† (69). The blurred face is as much old age as a difficulty grasping the passing of time and seeing the change. The physical identities and actions that occur throughout a lifespan make it difficult to determine the current identity and physically it is hard to believe. Rich makes the physical imagery come full cycle in showing the physical nature of time and communication. The body learns communication in youth and from there fine tweaks and fluidly melds the process physically as much as mentally to carry on life’s long conversation about the world and mankind at large. Looking back from the edge of the end, the journey might be blurred, but there is clarity and beauty in the process.

Work Related Learning By Blended Learning Education Essay

Today, it is widely accepted by universities and employers that those pupils who gain work experience and maximize their acquisition from it are lending strongly both to their surveies and to their employability. This faculty will supply you with the chance to critically measure your working patterns in footings of direction manner ; leading ; alteration ; and working relationships and associate these to your ain experiences with a position to informing your personal development and your future calling.1.1 Module purposesThe purposes of the faculty are to enable pupils to: – addition maximal personal development benefit from their work experience through a series of brooding and peer acquisition activities ; – measure their work experience in footings of their subject particular cognition to widen their apprehension of the concern universe application of their schoolroom surveies.2.0 Learning results of the faculty2.1 Knowledge and UnderstandingSuccessful pupils will typically: critically assess direction manners and leading and how this affects the person in the workplace ; analyse barriers to and effectual patterns in constructing working relationships ; apply theoretical accounts of brooding pattern for personal development ; appreciate alteration, its beginnings and impact.2.1 Skills and PropertiesSuccessful pupils will typically be able to: reflect critically on ain acquisition and accomplishments in relation to personal and calling development ; demonstrate good developed societal and movable interpersonal accomplishments. critically observe direction manners and leading with a position to informing ain hereafter pattern.3.0 What learning methods are used on this faculty?The faculty is delivered through seminars delivered locally and through a one-hour hebdomadal presentation supported by Powerpoint slides and explanatory notes, posted up on StudyNet. The talks introduce you to theoretical tools and constructs together with practical direction illustrations. You are expected to develop your apprehension of both theory and pattern by independent reading and self contemplation utilizing the broad scope of e-book and electronic diary resources referred to in the talk and seminar support notes. These resources can be accessed through your StudyNet portal. Seminars will take topographic point locally each hebdomad associating to a unit of acquisition. In progress of each seminar, pupils will utilize the information provided in this faculty usher and subsequent updates to place the relevant unit and seminar stuff and prepare replies in progress to the inquiries scheduled for treatment on the twenty-four hours. Students will work through the electronically available readings developing their ain responses to the seminar treatment inquiry by using the theoretical cognition and practical apprehension they have gained through survey of employment patterns, relevant talks and readings. When they arrive at the seminar, the local coach will ease their treatment of the seminar inquiry. It is expected that different ways of replying each inquiry will go apparent. Through this experience, pupils are expected to intensify their apprehension of the cardinal function played by arguments and dissensions in the procedure measuring issues. Students are active participants and subscribers to the faculty and its success. They are required to go familiar with the content of the chief texts and to research and read around the topic as the faculty progresses. Seminar readying is an indispensable portion of the acquisition procedure and pupils should anticipate to pass several hours in readying for each hebdomad. They are required to pull on cognition of their work experience and from other concern subjects whilst developing their apprehension through researching administrations, industries and instance surveies of emerging factors. As the faculty develops, through their active engagement, pupils should derive some consciousness of how the pupils and staff may be viewed as a acquisition system and develop self-reflective accomplishment set.Faculty agendaThe faculty is divided into 11 units of acquisition ( hebdomad 12 should be used for contemplation and alteration ) . For each unit of larning the followers will be supplied: Materials aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦these will be a series of electronically available readings with narrative adhering the readings together in chase of the acquisition results, selected chapters from e-books with associating narrative. Presentation aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦..this will represent up to one hr of ‘lecture ‘ which will probably utilize PowerPoint slides with a voice over. These may be enhanced by the usage of picture cartridge holders, intelligence infusions and web based stuff Seminar aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦.this will include a series of seminar subjects which you are required to fix to reply in the seminar. The local coach will move as a facilitator and advisor to the seminar. Activity aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦..this is extra to the seminar and will be used to look into for pupil cognition and apprehension. Detailss of these will be linked to each larning unit and will be released each hebdomad. It will be used to look into pupil cognition and apprehension.Module agenda – Unit of measurements of LearningPresentations in the signifier of talks will give an overview of a learning unit. Seminars will research subjects in greater deepness and concentrate on the subjects given below. This will include ; reenforcing cardinal constructs and theories ; comparing different positions and reexamining theoretical and empirical stuff that may be applied to your work topographic point experience. The accent in seminars is on pupil engagement and the treatment will be based on the readying and reading that has been undertaken by pupils. All talks and learning stuffs will be on StudyNet. Any notices, proclamations or alterations of agreements will be posted on StudyNet and hence the site must be checked on a regular footing.5.0 Weekly programmeThe faculty unit subjects are listed below. Module units: Introduction Contemplation Administrations – Structures, Forms and Processes Management and Leadership Teams Organizational Change Pull offing Change Pull offing Conflict Coaching Giving and Receiving Feedback Career Development The hebdomadal Learning Materials ; Presentations ; Seminars ; and Activities will be produced in due class.5.0 Assessment DetailssThe intent of the appraisal for this faculty is to prove whether, and to what extent, you have reached the acquisition results for the faculty. It is of import that you know early what the appraisal diet is and what is expected of you. Assessment standards stipulate what it is that you will be assessed against, and what, in general footings, you will necessitate to show in your assessed work in order to accomplish the specified classs. The appraisal for this faculty is 100 % coursework-based. It consists of two pieces of coursework ; an separately prepared study ( 70 % ) and an individually presentation ( 30 % ) .a ) Assignment 1 – Report ( 70 % )Individually, you are asked to fix a written study of 3,500 words showing an consciousness of the cognition, accomplishments and experience envisaged of a recent alumnus from this programme to come in an country of graduate employment. The research and self-reflection required to fix the study will back up you in your future calling planning and determinations and the passage to future chances after your undergraduate surveies. The overall purpose of the assignment is to supply you with the chance to: demonstrate consciousness of the different types of alumnus chances i.e. alumnus preparation strategies, professional callings, chances with Small and Medium size Enterprises ( SME ) etc ; provide grounds of how to research these chances i.e. resources available and contemplation on the usage of these ; develop an consciousness of the accomplishments, cognition and experiences Graduate Employers are looking for and how these are altering ; show the function of ego consciousness and contemplation in Career Development activities ; fix a CV /covering missive as a generic calling direction tool to take you frontward during your calling ; develop a clear Career Development Plan as a consequence of sing your current cognition, accomplishments and experiences against the demands you have researched. You will have farther information sketching the demands of the assignment along with back uping resources, one time the faculty starts. There will be hebdomadal online treatment on the appraisal as the subjects of the faculty are explored ( and linked to the appraisal ) . The study should include the undermentioned subdivisions: Section 1 – Occupational Research ( about 50- 60 % of word count ) . The first subdivision of the study should be as a factual contemplation of the findings from the business or country of graduate employment you have chosen to research. This should be written in the 3rd individual and include full â€Å" Harvard referencing † to all beginnings of information used ( inside informations of how to cite all types of resources is available on the Academic Skills Unit site in the ASU Guide to Harvard Referencing – see StudyNet ) . The undermentioned headers should be used this subdivision: Footings of mention – What are you puting out to research and study on i.e. Graduate chances in the Tourism sector Methodology – How did you near transporting out your research? What beginnings of information did you utilize? Include both secondary resources i.e. studies, web sites, employment statistics, company literature ; and primary research ; talking with current alumnuss, reaching employers. ( Note: You are required to finish and subject the Graduate Employment Resources checklist as an appendices to back up this subdivision ) Main Findings – this should include the cardinal information sing this business or country of employment in footings of: General Employment trends in this sector / business: the employment market by and large in this country, recent developments, predicted future tendencies. Opportunities for recent alumnuss – what administrations are enrolling alumnuss in this country of employment? What types of function would a recent alumnus be making? Where are they advertised? The accomplishments / cognition and experience required – a drumhead based on research of a lower limit of 6 different administrations of the cardinal accomplishments / cognition and experience expected from an applier at this phase in their calling How are graduates selected in the administrations you have researched? – what are the enlisting and choice methods being used? How are you expected to show your accomplishments / cognition / experience? Graduate Employment Resources checklist – you are asked to finish this papers ( available on faculty site ) , to show that you have reflected on the value of the different resources used during your research. This will be utile for you when you do farther research related to your calling planning in the hereafter. You should finish this at the terminal of your research and before get downing subdivision 2 Section 2 – Personal analysis, CV / Covering missive readying, â€Å" spread analysis † , and Career Action program – this subdivision is where you look at your current accomplishments, cognition and experience against those highlighted by your research in subdivision 1. This portion of the study should be written in the first individual as it is a personal contemplation. The suggested headers to be used in this subdivision are: Personal analysis – a general reappraisal of your current accomplishments, cognition and experience, foregrounding in peculiar those that came up in your research. CV & A ; Covering missive – Preparation of a CV and covering missive to use for a alumnus degree place in the country of your research, based on your current state of affairs. Gap Analysis – this subdivision is where you look at your ain personal analysis against the demands identified in your research. The purpose is to foreground countries to concentrate your personal development about. Reflect on the undermentioned countries: what countries do you miss grounds in? where do you necessitate farther illustrations / grounds in your applications? Where do you experience weak in your overall application? Career Action Plan – Once you have identified the countries you need to concentrate on, you are asked to fix a Career action program which addresses both the personal development and specific calling related activities you will set about to take you frontward. This should be written out in full i.e. a paragraph on each country in the first individual, and you should explicate the actions and what you hope to derive from them. This should include the cognition, accomplishments and experiences you need to foster develop i.e. commercial consciousness ; and specific activities to back up you through the choice procedure i.e. interview accomplishments, doing presentations etc. Both through your ain research, and utilizing the information heard during the talk Sessionss about resources and support available, you should come up with clear actions with timescales. You should demo the resources you will utilize to travel the country of development forward and the timescales you will fi nish these in. A drumhead papers should be attached as an appendix. Conclusion – written in the first individual, a brief contemplation on how you feel holding completed the overall exercising, and how you intend to utilize the Career Action Plan. Section 3 – Mentions and bibliography – see Academic Skills Unit Report Writing guide notes and Harvard citing papers for counsel. Both are available on StudyNet.