Symbolism In English literatureâ€â€œGravity” Essay

Symbolism is a good tool to use when we come across difficult abstract concepts such as life and death.For example, in her article entitled â€Å"Gravity†, David Leavitt tells us a story about how a mom named Sylvia encourages her HIV infected son Theo to live longer. When Theo started to have bad eye sight in his childhood Sylvia just let him wear her flamboyant glasses despite that people around them all think that Theo looks strange. After Theo grew up, between a drug that could sustain his life and a drug that could save his sight, Theo chose the second one. Sylvia worried that Theo would give up the hope for living, so she tried to encourage Theo to live by a strange way which similar to the way she help him with his sight when he was a child. She threw a very heavy crystal bowl to Theo when they were shopping in a gift store. Theo caught the bowl without thinking. Theo realized that by throwing the bowl, on one side, Sylvia tended to prove that he is still alive. On the other side, Sylvia wanted to encourage him to live longer. The crystal bowl in the story represents exactly what Theo was going through. It symbolizes both life and death. It represents life because it was heavy and valuable â€Å"(The crystal bowl is) Four hundred and twenty- five dollars† (l. 88) This shows that the crystal bowl is very valuable just like that human’s life is very precious. In the same time, crystal bowl represent death because it could easily been shattered. Theo was surprised that he actually did not shatter the bowl â€Å"Theo looked at the floor, still surprised not to see shards of glass around his feet.† (l. 96-97) If the crystal bowl were broken, it would have not value or meaning just like it has lost its life. So, the Crystal bowl in the story represents death. If the bowl shattered, it just like a person lost his/her life. The crystal bowl also represents the character and hopes of Sylvia. The crystal in the story is very showing and pricy. â€Å"(The crystal bowl is) a large ridges crystal bowl, a very fifties sort of bowl, stalwart and square-jawed.† (l. 84-86) It represents Sylvia’s flamboyant and materialism characters. The author tells us that Sylvia has a flamboyant character by describing Sylvia’s bold and flashy glasses†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ harlequins with tiny rhinestones in the corners†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (l. 9) The author also implies that Sylvia is quite materialism by showing us that she care a lot abo ut the price of a graduation gift her sister given to her son  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Don’t you remember that cheap little nothing Bibi gave you for your graduation? It was disgusting.†(l.50-51) On the other hand, the crystal bowl represents the strength of Sylvia’s hope for Theo to live because the crystal bowl is heavy â€Å"’That’s heavy,’ Sylvia said, observing with satisfaction how the bowl had weighted Theo’s arms down†(l.93-94) The heavier the stronger, so the heaviness of the crystal bowl represent the strong will and hope of Sylvia. The author shows us that Sylvia is a strong willed woman who has done extremely stressful things in a role â€Å"The DHPG injections she (Sylvia) took in stride—she’s seen her own mother through her dying, after all, Four times a day, with the equanimity of a nurse, she cleaned out the plastic tube implanted in his chest, inserted a sterilized hypodermic a Sylvia and slowly dripped bag of sight-giving liquid into his vein†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (l.17-20) It shows that Sylvia has tremendous strength just like the toughness the crystal bowl appeared to be. The author also shows us that Sylvia’s hope for Theo to live is very strong. Even though Sylvia was stressed out †Yet she (Sylvia) had also, at about three o’clock one morning, woken him up to tell him she was going to the twenty-four- hour supermarket, and was there anything her wanted†(1. 122-124) This shows that Sylvia was on the edge of mental broken-down. But Sylvia still keeps strong hope for The o to live â€Å"†¦ it had occurred to him (Theo) that she (Sylvia) was trusting his two feeble hands, out of the whole world, to keep it from shattering.† This shows that after all, Sylvia strongly hoped that, showing Theo that he was still strong by throwing the crystal bowl and letting him catch it, Theo would not continue on giving up his life but choose to live longer. The crystal also symbolized the general message which the author is trying to convey to the readers: life should be fully lived. The author shows that Theo was dying and tended to giving up his life. He felt â€Å"†¦wide and unswimmable the gulf was becoming between him and the evereceding shoreline of the will †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (l. 35-36) Even though he felt that way, he still caught the heavy crystal bowl without thinking. It shows the underlining deep and significant meaning of the story â€Å"There are certain things you’ve already done before you even think how to do them†¦ the bowl, which Theo was holding before he could even begin to calculate its brief trajectory†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (l.131-133) This shows us that all human have an instinct for living. By showing us this, the story conveys a message to the readers that even though life is  violable like the fragile crystal bowl; it doesn’t mean that we should give up. Instead, we should look at the positive side of life. Just like the crystal bowl also heavy and strong side, human lives also have a strong side because very one have instinct for living. Therefore, we should have faith to ourselves and stop complaining our own misery but start to look at life in a positive way, and realize that our lives should be fully lived.

Participative Leadership Essay

In taking the online quiz required for this assignment I found myself to be a participative leader. This type of leader fits me perfectly and I was not surprised to see the answer. I try to engage each team member in identifying necessary goals and developing procedures or strategies for reaching those goals . Nursing management is a challenging and difficult task. The style of the manager can be important for employees’ as well as other members of the healthcare team’s acceptance of change and in motivating them to achieve a high quality of care. From this view, participative leadership can be seen as a leadership approach that relies greatly on the leader functioning as a facilitator and mentor rather than simply issue orders or make assignments. Participative leadership theories recommend that the model guidance approach is one that takes the involvement of each member of the team concerned into consideration. I encourage participation and contribution from members of the group. This helps them feel more significant and committed to the decision-making process. In participative leadership, however, the leader retains the right to allow the participation of others and eventually has the final say for the best interest of the group and entice teamwork. Teamwork is established through effective communication and a shared vision that reinforces an environment of collaboration with a constant free-flow of ideas. The leader must communicate a clear vision of where the organization is headed and how the team is going to attain this goal. I find myself trying to take complete control and responsibility for the team. I have a hard time letting go and giving in to new ideas. I need to develop better listening and compromising skills. I am not a shy or quiet spoken person/leader. I do think I am fair, honest and take pride in maintain integrity. Taking a different approach and keeping an open mind would be a good place for me to start. I most definitely will be watching for the leadership skills needed for advanced practice nurses in my clinical phase of courses. I am open to suggestions now as a leader in management in my current role. I feel it is always most important to do what is safe for the patients, the team and the organization. I am always watching the leaders of my organization and picking up skills I see as note worthy. Unfortunately, each organizations has leaders with attributes that should not be a part of leadership qualities. The most important quality that a leader can possess is honesty. The process of becoming a leader starts with honesty and builds into a trusting relationship between leader and followers. If this quality is lacking no amount of team building will be successful. Honesty is the building block of any healthy relationship. â€Å"Honesty is the most powerful weapon in business† (Fralic, 2011, p. 447). â€Å"Leaders must have a sense of one’s own character and be able to accept no less than what is beneficial for the whole group†(Fralic, 2011, p. 447) In order to function with total honesty and integrity each leader must have the mind set of what is beneficial for the whole group not just the select few or the leader (Fowler, 2010).

Human Resource Information System-101 Assignment

Human Resource Information System-101 - Assignment Example The process ensures that the organization has the right mix of employee with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the particular jobs (Kavanagh, Thite, and Johnson 284). Job descriptions provides for the working relationships between the employee and the organization. Job descriptions are used in determining the compensation structures, promotions, dismissals, training, performance appraisals, disciplinary procedures and employee grievances handling. Numerous techniques such as the critical incident reporting, task inventory analysis and questionnaires can be used to conduct job analysis (Kavanagh, Thite, and Johnson 285). Advantages of HRIS over â€Å"paper and pencil† approach to HR operations Web-based tools such as the O*Net database which is an online repository with more than 1,000 occupations have enhanced the convenience of job analysis (Kavanagh, Thite, and Johnson 286). Guide.com also provides simple, job analysis tools to the HR professionals. HRIS have en abled online administration of job analysis questionnaires and surveys to the job incumbents. HRIS have increased accuracy and timeliness of job analysis. HRIS will assist the managers to reduce HR administration costs, improve the service to personnel and enhance the reliability of internal reporting by minimizing human input errors on employee database. HRIS will support relational databases and improve report generation since the systems contain query capabilities. HRIS enhances the secure distribution of employee data thus maintaining employee privacy (Kavanagh, Thite, and Johnson 287). Advantages of service oriented architecture for HRIS With the emergency of computer technology, software and internet technologies, most HR professionals know use HRIS to support HR transactional and administrative activities such as data accuracy and employee privacy. Service oriented architecture has enabled HR administrators to leverage on technology in HR administration. Service-oriented arch itecture involves organizing and utilizing distributed computing capabilities that are under the control of different domains in assessing, offering and using capabilities to realize desired organizational effects. The process is focused on adding value to the business rather than the technologies. SOA includes both internal and external services that communicate through coordination among various services in order to achieve the shared organizational goals. Some principles that guide SOA include flexibility, loose coupling, modularity, optimization and standards-based computing (Kavanagh, Thite, and Johnson 290). Some of the benefits of SOA architecture include improved alignment of business strategies and processes, IT consolidation capabilities and integration in order to reduce associated costs and faster implementation through modeling and reuse. For instance, eXtensible Markup Language (XML) supports SOA through data sharing over numerous information systems via the Internet. XML-Enhanced SOA improves the security of employee data and reduces transactional costs while improving customer satisfaction. It also supports compliance with HR policies and business change requirements. XML-SOA supports various HR administration structures like outsourcing, self-service

GE study case Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GE study case - Coursework Example Consequently, this has resulted in a high product differentiation for GE, which gives it competitive advantage over other competing firms in the industry. Most organization do not take full advantage of what the internet and radio stations has to offer in terms of reaching more customers. In the beginning, Welch was against the idea of digitization, but once he found out the advantages that came with it he fully accepted the prospect and used it to its fullest potential. In addition, digitization has helped in widespread discovery of new opportunities not only in terms of improving internal knowledge but also in relation to customer satisfaction. GE is one of the best performing companies in the 21st century. This can be attributed by the high level of performance among the employees. The employees constantly undergo training in order to ensure that they explore their skills to the fullest and give their best to the organization. In addition, the employees were free to speak their mind on the running of the organization and any improvements if necessary and if it would see them perform better. The staff in GE is highly diversified which helps in ensuring that everyone brings something new to the table. The diversity is in terms of not only culture but also age. In addition, communication is the key to success for many organization, the staff at GE are free to express any concern they may have and any areas, which the management can improve on in order to improve their performance. This is beneficial in ensuring low employee turnover, which in the end is beneficial for the organization. The overall organization structure of GE is based on a formal organizational structure, which incorporates the hierarchical system. At the very top of the structure are the shareholders, the Corporate Executive Office and the Board of Directors. In the middle, we find the Chairman and the CEO who play the role of an intermediary between

Deductions from income including medical expense, state and local Essay

Deductions from income including medical expense, state and local taxes, interest, charitable deductions, personal and business - Essay Example Deductions of interest upon tax are categorized into six: Home mortgage (publication 936), Business or trade, Investment (publication 550), Passive activity, Personal and Student loan interests For interest to be deductible upon one’s return of tax, it is determined by how money was borrowed and how such money was utilized. Form 1040’s schedule A upon the tax return shows the kinds of interest one can deduct on the return regarding investment interest, points and home mortgage interest. This is with regards to the Internal Revenue Service. (wwwebtax.com, 2011) Section of the IRS code that the IRS will use to support its position of disallowing the deduction Section 506 of the House Bill talks about revaluation of gifts and the same House Bill extends its special rule for such gifts as provided by Chapter 14 of gifts in entirety. (rpifs.com, 2011) Starting august 1997, subsequent to Taxpayer Relief Act’s implementation, revaluation of gifts was considered as follo ws with regards to tax return. After 1997 August, IRS is no longer in a position to revalue gifts and this is following the expiry of the statute of the limitations duration. For this provision to apply, though, the gift’s value must be finally determined. ... Also the fair market value has to be determined, unless the regulations have not made it a requirement to state the market value of the whole entity if the interest value in that entity is reached without utilizing the entity’s net asset value. An explanation of how the fair market value was reached has to be included, the relation ship existing between the recipient and the donor and lastly, the description of the taxpayer’s position he/she is taking contrary to the regulation of the treasury or a ruling of revenue. (Mitchell, 2008 p6-10) Support that Donald will need to defend his position that the interest is investment related and should be deductable for tax purposes Mitchell gives an example, where the recipient of a gift may challenge a decision reached by IRS. According to the example given by Mitchell, a lady by the name Smith, Grace gave out a gift six years prior to her demise and which was valued at 1,000,000USD ( Assuming that Smith was supposed to pay the IRS a rate of tax on gift of 55%). The statute that governs this gift passed this without carrying out an audit of the return of gift. The IRS went through the return by Smith and decided on the correct value, though. This led to a scenario where the estate was supposed to have a credit for the taxes on the gift that were previously payable of an amount of 825,000USD instead of 550,000USD gift tax that was actually paid upon filing of the return. This would result to an estate tax increasing since such revaluation pushes that estate to an upper bracket of tax. In a case where the estate was in the top-most tax bracket, such a revaluation would not have any impact, though. In case the IRS gives a final notice with regards to the redetermination in accordance

Short response 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Short response 6 - Essay Example According to Hunt (792), it was during this time that almost every revolutionary group wanted to take leadership reigns of the nation. One such group was the Bolsheviks band led by Lenin, who finally came to power. The revolution was a success because it occurred at the right time when Russia people needed change. This was after the World War when everyone including soldiers as well as civilians were tired of the suffering. According to Hunt (791), the revolution that followed this event in Russia was not just war but ended up being a civil war. This war was for power and domination between the Bolshevik party and the Provisional Government. Daniel (398) notes that the Bolsheviks revolution succeeded against incredible odds because of their disregard for any form of rational calculation previously done. Lenin saw a chance for the Bolshevik party to ascend to power and he took it. Together with other party leaders Lenin risked everything to gather enough force against the provisional government which was not ready to hand over power as it did everything to resist the takeover. Other party leaders including Zinoviev and Kamenev wished for a less radical and organized way of getting power. Lenin was keen to seize power once and for all and that is why he made vehement demands on the Bolshevik party to take the opportunity of the Provisional Government’s weakness and fight it with all their might (Daniels 399). He went ahead and chose Marxists ideologies of communism to govern Russia. According to Daniels (400), many of the decisions that Lenin made were widely influenced and pressured by his lieutenants from Bolshevik party. However, Lenin had his own convictions and as Hunt points out, he had devoted all his life to seeing socialism thrive and that is exactly what he did when he gained power. Lenin much feared for a counter revolution in his party leadership and that is why he accommodated other

Juvenile Justice Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Juvenile Justice - Coursework Example Finally, these transfers benefit the system, as it is intricate to handle some cases committed by juveniles, while in juvenile courts. In case of a transfer, youths become adults legally and face similar treatment to that for adults. After a careful examination of the reasons behind such transfers, I strongly support this practice (Elrod and Ryder 217). Currently, three main mechanisms are applicable for transfer of a juvenile to an adult court. As depicted in this source, the first mechanism is the judicial waiver, which has been in application since ancient epochs. A number of elements distinguish it from other mechanisms. For instance, the examination of the likely reasons for the juvenile to have committed the crime is among the basic elements. Secondly, it becomes necessary to consider the threats of such a youth to the society (Elrod and Ryder 218). Moreover, it considers the system to which the juvenile court system can effectively handle such a case. In a scenario, whereby th e case is so serious, a careful evaluation of how the adult court can handle such a case becomes a point of focus. The other mechanism known as the legislative waiver has been in use, in various states of America. This mechanism forms its decision on the age, along with the offense criterion of the juvenile. The third and final mechanism is the prosecutorial waiver. This is different from the other two mechanisms as it permits a concurrent jurisdiction in the two dissimilar court systems. Similarly, both the age together with the offense criterion demand cautious considerations. Kent vs. US and Breed vs. Jones impacts the waivers transfer in a negative way as it prohibits the double trial that the waiver transfer supports. In the determination of the suitability of any of the transfer mechanism, it is suitable to examine the two different court systems. After establishing which one is appropriate, the transfer process starts (Elrod and Ryder 224). A number of problems arise in case of transferring juveniles to an adult court for trial. The decision to transfer these youths can bring adverse consequences to the youths. Prosecution of these youths in open criminal courts exposes them to criminals known to have committed serious offenses than them. Eventually, they may resort into learning how to commit similar crimes. Additionally, erosion of their civil rights is a problem allied to such a transfer. In various scenarios, such a transfer fails to curb the increasing rate of recidivism, therefore, the deterioration of the security of community’s security. It would be crucial to transfer only those cases that the juvenile court cannot address with efficacy. If I were a judge, the state would have to prove to me that the juvenile court would find it intricate to handle such a case, together with the effectiveness of the needed superior court (Elrod and Ryder 220). Sources have revealed that a number of states have adopted separate programs within the adult c orrectional centers. Florida and South Carolina are the two states that have established different facilities for housing juvenile inmates. The age range is the key determinant of which youth ought to be housed in such facilities. In the above-mentioned states, the two age ranges are between 18 and 21, or 18 and 25. I also support the idea of housing them in different

Reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 20

Reading response - Essay Example In the second pathway, he attempts to analyse and predict the manipulation of behaviour and emotions through the use of pharmacology. The third pathway explores ways in which biotechnology will influence the politics of the future by prolongation of life. The fourth pathway focuses on genetic engineering, which explores the introduction of â€Å"designer babies†, which could bring a number of ethical and technical issues. This paper however makes an analysis of Our Posthuman Future and seeks to explain the implications of Fukuyama’s post-apocalyptic prophecies, their relationship with scenarios presented in (2003, p.556) and their plausibility. Fukuyama makes a consideration of the association of totalitarian states and eugenics and further addresses considerations in religion and finally makes an inspection of utilitarian concerns, his alternative for economic considerations. In the production of designer babies, we are likely to encounter the danger that biotechnology will aid in enforcement of politically correct methods of thinking and feeling. There will also be a surplus of â€Å"zero sum† engineering whereby for instance a person designed to be a faster runner will have no competitive advantage against other designs of faster runners in a race. A progress in the field of genomics leading to the creation of drugs that could alter the generic profile of individuals with minimal side effects(if any at all).This scenario is more likely to happen since as we speak, pharmacologists have come up with energy and pleasure enhancing drugs that are altering the way people behave. Steroids for example are known to enhance performance and change one’s moods. They may cause depression and to others they would feel extremely high, whereas others can feel so down for no apparent reason. In second scenario of stem cell research, we realize that stem cell research is alive and vibrant in places like California

Criminal Law as a product of Social Engineering Essay

Criminal Law as a product of Social Engineering - Essay Example When the number of inmates the various prisons also increases as a result of the high rate of crimes, then the catering of these inmates becomes another head-ache of the government. All these things do not allow governments especially in developing countries to be able to use the scarce resources they have on more useful and profitable things which will bring them more income to be able to develop their economies. This when studied further will in a long term becomes another cause of crime. This is because when a country's economy is very poor there will be no jobs for the citizens hence poverty will be on the increase. These citizens therefore in an attempt to be able to earn some money to feed themselves and their families tend to engage in criminal acts. This makes the whole process become more or less a viscous circle. The governments not only will not be able to generate more revenue to improve their economy ,but also they will not be able to provide the basic amenities all thei r citizens may need. these include good drinking water,electricity,medical services and so on. When it comes to the social effects crime has ,it is quite obvious that communities where crime rates are high ,the younger generations or citizens grow up to become very violent people .This is because they are e always surrounded by violence and this affects them psychologically. It makes them believe in nothing else but violence and illegal ways as the only way to get what they want. They have not even the slightest idea about what peace is really about or even what the laws of their country are and their significance. If a country or community has its younger generation who are supposed to be the future leaders of that community have such a character and wrong perception, you would agree with me that that community really has a lot to do to have a good future. Social engineering as labeled above as a very important issue in the combat against crime ,can be described as the use policies that are base don the findings of social science to deal with social problems of which crime is no exemption. Policies made by governments come in different forms, but the one that comes to light in this context is the regulatory policies. This policies as the name implies, are meant to give limits to individuals and co-operate bodies in their decision making and actions. These policies when made serve as a guideline or step to step actions or procedures the government needs to follow in order to be able to achieve a set goal. Before policies are made, various things are taken into consideration ,these include the purpose for which the policy is been made. These is when the governments need the ideas of the experts in the specific sector within which the policy is been made. that is whether it is an education, health, est. policy. When it comes to policies o f social engineering ,the ideas of experts in the social sciences are needed in order to structure out the policies in such a way to be able to achieve its set goal or purpose .Social science involves of how groups of people behave ,often in effort

Rhetorical Analysis (Ad Critique) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rhetorical Analysis (Ad Critique) - Essay Example The advertisement may look silly and nonsensical. It showed how everybody was moved to dance including the characters in the video game and painting but this silliness made the audience immediately understand what the ad is all about – that it is an energy drink. The audience may not understand what is in the drink or what the ingredients are, but they know that whatever is in the energy can surely make one move. Of course the audience know that the advertisement is exaggerated. But they do not necessarily believe whatever was shown in the ad that even the animals, painting and video character dance. The ad may not be physically feasible but it appealed to the audience’s tickle bone that made the advertisement funny and memorable. In this advertisement, the pathos or emotional is taken to the extreme because other rhetorical device were discarded particularly the logos or logic. In an effort of the advertisement to make an impression to its audience through the use of pathos, it disregarded the consideration of logic. Such, the advertisement did not mind if it made any sense or not. It just wanted to sell its product after all and not to make sense. Mountain Dew knows that it is not reason that makes people buy but rather their emotion. So the approach of the advertisement is to make a point that the audience understands that the product that the advertisement is trying to sell will make them energetic. It was able to achieve this by showing that everybody in the ad danced after the main characters drank the energy drink. Never mind if it is impossible or silly to see a painting dance or a mounted deer or even a dog to dance. As long as the audience finds it cute and made them smile or laugh, then the ad had served its purpose of appealing to the emotion of the audience and most likely, they will buy the product when they see one. The Mountain Dew Kickstart

Attributes of a Good Dancer Essay Example for Free

Attributes of a Good Dancer Essay Describe the attributes of a good dancer. Discuss ways of improving each of these skills in a suitable training programme: (20 marks) A good dancer should have a range of attributes, which they use on a daily basis and in all their work. One of the first attributes of a dancer is having the correct alignment and posture. Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity whilst standing, sitting or lie in positions where the least strain is places on supporting muscles and ligaments. Whilst alignment in dance refers to the posture and position of the body while dancing or preparing to dance. Having correct body alignment improves the posture, muscle tone and length of performing career of dancers. Good posture is used during ballet and contemporary dance mainly as its helps create better balance with little strain on the on your ligaments and muscles as possible. Alignment also improves a dancer’s balance and therefore is an important attribute of a good dancer and it also increases levels of agility and can reduce chances of causing an injury. To improve your alignment and posture as a dancer you can practise dancing with the correct posture and body alignment and over time you will become use to it and more comfortable doing so. Train to sit up properly and not hunched over when at home for example whilst eating or watching television; this way you’ll eventually be able to do it without thinking whilst dancing so it will come naturally. You can also do exercises at home or incorporated into your dance warm-ups/cool-downs so you can gradually improve on your technique. An example of a exercise you could do at home in your spare time is to sit on a chair, lift your chest and straighten your shoulders. Move your head back as though you are trying to touch an imaginary wall with the back of your head. Hold this position for ten seconds, relax and repeat up to eight times. As you progress with this exercise try and do it up to three time a day and to improve even more and wider the benefits to other parts of your body you could carry out this exercise sitting on an exercise ball instead of a sturdy chair so you would strengthen your core muscles as well as improving your posture and alignment. Another attribute of a good dancer is to have all round high levels of skill related fitness. This includes agility, balance, co-ordination, power, reaction time and speed. Agility is the ability to change the position of the body quickly and to control the movement of your whole body. To improve this in training you could create a dance phrase which includes travel and changes of pathways and levels. Every dance class work on this phrase and progressively make it more difficult therefore improving your agility as a dancer. Balance is the ability to maintain the point of balance over the centre of gravity and you can develop this by focusing time on your technique; this may include arabesques, rond de jambe en’lair and pirouettes (using spotting technique). Co-ordination is the ability to use two or more body parts simultaneously this area of fitness can be improved during dance class by doing more complicated phrases as you progress. Power is the ability to do strength performances quickly and involves both strength and speed. Having a balanced and healthy diet is one of the most important attributes as not only can it improve you dancing it can have positive changes in your everyday life as well. By eating well between your dance classes/ training sessions and at home you will gradually see a change in your dancing as your body needs a high energy source for your stamina and other aspects of dance such as strength and power. There are six different food groups these include; carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins and minerals, water and fibre. Each of these groups plays an important role in your diet and nutrition as they each help do different things. Carbohydrates are stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen and they provide you with energy so you can do more activity in dance sessions with getting as tired quickly. Fats are stored all over the body in special fat cells; they also provide energy to a dancer but should be consumed in small amounts compared to the rest of the food groups. The third group protein is found in the muscles and organs; it is needed for growth and repair and therefore is important to a dancer in case they are get injured so they can recover quickly. Vitamins and minerals are stored all over the body and they are needed to increase the strength of your bones, which is highly important in dance as strong bones can prevent injury and means you can have better alignment. Water is another group making up the balanced diet and it is found all over the body seeing as 70% of your body is made up of water. It is a vital factor for the metabolic process and helps get rid of body waste, but most importantly in dance it helps you stay hydrated so you can perform to the best of your ability for longer periods of time. The final group is fibre, it is not stored in the body but passes through; we need it for our intestines to function (mainly the colon) and for our digestive system. As a dancer you should have a good and wide range of knowledge of the mus cles in the body and the body’s anatomy; this way you’ll be able to understand the more technical side of dance and the different ranges of movement and will eventually improve your dancing skills. An attribute of a good dancer is spending time researching the different joints and what they do movement wise, as there is more to dance than just the actions performed. By practising good and safe techniques in class from the knowledge they learn, it will help prevent injury of the dancer. Having high levels of dance fitness is also an attribute of a good dancer; these include cardiovascular fitness, strength, muscular endurance and flexibility. Cardiovascular fitness is the ability to exercise the whole body for long periods of time. Strength is the amount of force you can put forth with your muscles. Muscular endurance is the ability to use the muscles, which are attached to the bones, many times without getting tired and can improve your posture. Finally flexibility is the ability to use your joints fully. You are flexible when the muscles are long enough and the joints are free enough to allow movement. You can improve all of these in training sessions/dance classes by focusing on your fitness in warm-ups. An example of a warm-up you could do before a dance lesson could be doing five shuttle runs, twenty plie’s in second, twenty parallel squats followed by twenty crunches and then holding a twenty second plank and doing this three times. You can adjust this warm up as you progress by increasing the amount of times you do a certain activity or how long you hold the plank. You can also make it harder for example doing the plank on one foot for twenty seconds and then on the other foot for twenty seconds. This whole warm up covers every aspect involves in dance fitness and the more you complete it the fitter you will gradually become. Good dancers also have spent a long time improving their performance skills during dance practise and doing lots of rehearsal until they get it right. The performance skills they work on are focus, projection, style and musicality. Focus is the use of the eyes and where you direct them during different aspects of the dance whilst doing certain movemen ts. For example if you were doing an arm circle above your head you would direct your focus to the arm, it helps the audience interpret the qualities of the dance and draws their attention to the most important parts of the movement. Projection is when a dancer gives out a certain type of energy from the body, this gives the movement a noticeable quality, and you exaggerate certain actions more than others, making a movement obvious and stand out. An example of projection would be a lunge to your right with an out stretched arm reaching to the end of your kinesphere. Style is the individual features of a choreography or performance that make us recognise a certain dancer’s performance and personal interpretation. A good dancer will spend rehearsal time practising certain movements of their style to make it original and fit them by doing this you can improve your dance performance. Musicality is how a dancer is able to perform in a relation to the music, so say if they’re is a climax in the music they would create a climax in their dance to fit this. They may also do contrasting movements compared to the music or do movements with similar or matching dynamics. This will fit into you training programme by including them every time you dance so they will eventually come naturally to you and you will do them all the time without realising. To conclude good dancers have a wide range of attributes which they use all the time to get to a high level of performance in dance. These include attributes which now they subconsciously use from great practise and ones which they have to constantly work on and keep up to a good/high standard for example diet and health.

Speech Act Theory Implications For English Language English Language Essay

Speech Act Theory Implications For English Language English Language Essay Speech act theory was introduced by J.L Austin in How to Do Things with Words. Later John Searle further expanded on the theory, mostly focusing on speech acts in Speech Acts: An Essay In The Philosophy Of Language (1969) and A Classification Of Illocutionary Acts (1976). Searle further defined speech acts and categorised them. First of his five classifications were Representatives, where the speaker asserts a proposition to be true, using such verbs as affirm, believe, conclude, deny, and report. The second category is Directives, when the speaker tries to make the hearer do something, with such words as ask, beg, challenge, command, dare, invite, insist, request. The third is Commissives, where the speaker commits to an action, with verbs such as guarantee, pledge, promise, swear, vow, undertake, warrant. The next category is Expressives, where the speaker expresses an attitude to or about a state of affairs, using such verbs as apologize, appreciate, congratulate, deplore, detest, regret, thank, welcome. And the last category is Declarations, where the speaker alter the external status or condition of an object or situation, by making the utterance, for example: I now pronounce you man and wife, I sentence you to be hanged by the neck until you be dead, I name this ship.and so on. (Searle, 1976 ) There have been additions to this list, however, the focus of this essay is on how meaning is communicated from the speaker to the listener(s), how it is interpreted and how they are related to TEFL. It will focus on the three types of meaning an utterance has, but it will not explain the types of speech acts in detail. According to Austin (1962) speech act is a functional unit in communication. Its an act that a speaker performs when making an utterance. (LinguaLink website) Utterances have three kinds of meaning (ibid) which are Locutionary, Illocutionary and Perlocutionary. (Schmidt, R. Richards, C. 1980, Cohen, 1996) Locutionary act is saying something with its literal meaning. (Searle, 1969) For example, in saying I am cold. the locutionary meaning is that I feel cold. Illocutionary meaning is the social function of the words or the way they are intended to be understood (Ibid). For example I am cold. may actually be a way of asking the other person to close the window. If this is the intention an Indirect Speech Act (Austin 1962 Searle 1975) had been performed because the meaning is dependent on the hearers interpretation of what has been communicated. The Perlocutionary meaning (ibid) is the effect or the aim of the utterance on the feelings, thoughts or actions. The Perlocutionary force of the utterance I am cold. could be that the listener closes the window. If it was the intended outcome from the words the perlocutionary force (result or aim) matches the illocutionary meaning (intention). This may not always be the case, which is called Perlocutionary failure (Leech, 1983: 204-5). A very c ommon example is that Could you pass the salt? (Searle, 1969) is a request rather than asking about ability (Fraser 1983: 29). Also the sentence Why are you so sensitive? is more likely to be a criticism rather than a question. (Pinner, 2008). There are a number of empirical research on practical applications of speech acts for language teaching. Bardovi-Harlig Hartford, Blum-Kulka Kasper, Olshtain Cohen, Schmidt Richards and Wolfson researched and evolved the implications of speech acts for English language teaching. The teaching of speech acts becomes more intriguing regarding cross-cultural pragmatics. The findings from a cross-cultural study by Cohen, Olshtain, and Rosenstein (1986) showed that non-native speakers (NNS) were not aware to certain sociolinguistic distinction that native speakers (NS) make, for example excuse me versus sorry or really sorry versus very sorry. One of the first studies that focused on first language (L1) and second language (L2) speakers while performing speech acts was The Cross Cultural Speech Act Research Project (Blum-Kulka, House and Kasper 1989). It was observing and analysing the differences of seven languages in how they use the speech act of request and apology. (1989: 11). The study looked at social distance and dominance (Wolfson, Marmor and Jones, 1989: 191). The findings revealed that the foreign speakers responses were quite different from native speakers answers and that not just low but advanced level learners can make sociolinguistic errors. Furthermore according to Boxer Pickering (1993: 56) sociolinguistic errors are gaps in etiquette or as Bachman terms in sociolinguistic competence(1990). He states that these errors are more serious than grammatical errors (Crandall Basturkmen 2004: 38) Hence explicit teaching of pragmatics would be beneficial to language learners, (Rose Kasper, 2001) because acquisition of native like production by non-native speakers may take many years even if they are in the target culture (Schmidt, 1993: 25-6). There is a divergence between the responses of native and second language speakers of English, therefore the explicit teaching of illocutionary meaning and conducting certain types of speech acts has value for s tudents (Blumka-Kulka, House, Kasper 1997, Schmidt ,1996, Bardovi-Harlig,1999). Cohen (1998: 66-7) also advocates the need for explicit teaching and notes that it does not take a long time for students to put the knowledge from speech act training into use, if the learners want to fit in and to be accepted in the target culture. Cultural contrast does not only exist between speakers of different languages. There can be also a cultural contrast when the native language of the speaker is the same but the culture is different. For example, Creese (1991) discovered differences between American and British speakers of English in dealing with compliments. Gumperz (1982) looked at variations between British-English and Indian-English speakers when performing speech acts in institutional settings. These studies have implications for TEFL and for English as a Global Language .They also introduce the limitations of appropriateness. A number of studies (e.g., Boxer Pickering, 1995; Bouton, 1994; Kasper 1997, DÃ ¶rnyei, 1997 Bardovi-Harlig, 2001) have shown that language learners with high grammatical proficiency are not always competent in pragmatic aspects of the foreign language (FL). As Boxer Pickering (1995) point out grammatically advanced learners may not know how to use appropriate language in different situations and digress from pragmatic norms of the target-language. They might directly translate speech acts from their mother tongues into the target language when they are trying to get the intended meaning across. Teachers often disregard pragmatic failures and they sometimes assign them to other causes, for example to disrespect. (p. 47) The contrast in cultural norms may reduce speech act theory being universally relevant to language, but there is a definite need for teaching them in the language classroom. Bardovi-Harlig and Hartford point out that theories related to teaching and learning are cultural and they are usually not shared when teacher and students have different backgrounds (1997: 129). Boxer and Pickering (1993:45) states that the appropriate speech behaviour depends on the rules of the societies. On the side of overtly teaching illocutionary force and meaning Schmidt (1993: 25-26) discusses the value of making learners conscious of the meanings or functions of various speech acts. He talks about consciousness perception and lists examples from his acquisition of Portuguese. He observed how to end a phone conversation. Before this observation he was not confident of what to say when finishing a phone conversation, but after he was able to make use of this new knowledge (Ibid: 29). From my own experienc e it was really useful when someone explained the different phrases to me that I should use in English, because I came across as being rude at many times without me intending to be rude or even knowing about it. It is important to make the students aware of expressions and phrases, such as Id better let you get back for saving face of both parties when closing a conversation as learners often express difficulty.(Schmidt 1993: 29).Cohen (1996: 411) also states that explicit teaching of speech acts helps learners in communicating with native speakers in real life. Widdowson (2003: 04) points out that theory and practice in ELT should not be separated. Teachers should not go into explaining the theory in details, but this does not mean the two should be separated. If learners are to be effective in acquiring a language they need to have a certain amount of sociolinguistic competence (Bachman 1990) of the learnt language or they would fail using for example English language as they will not be able to communicate their real intentions without a loss of face (Brown and Levinson, 1978). I agree with the above mentioned theories of Cohen and Schmidt that speech acts and particularly the illocutionary meaning behind them can help language learners in becoming more skilled speakers and avoid them from losing face. I also think that it is important to give the student a chance to make some observations and come to their own conclusions, without telling them what is right or wrong. As Ellis (1998) states let the student be the researcher. This way the students learn to make their own decision based on their own observations of what is appropriate. McConachy (2007) analysed the dialogues which contain speech acts in several English language course books. For example, dialogues which present the speech act of suggestions, but without any contextual information. He suggests that the teacher need to add to these the dialogues by asking questions about the speakers relationship to one and other and asking students to guess any illocutionary information. This asks the students to make their own judgement on the situation and it makes them aware of illocutionary meaning. It seems that speech acts are finding their way into classroom materials (Bardovi-Harlig MayhanTaylor, 2003), but there is still a lot that teachers need to add to make them more comprehensible. At first teaching speech acts it is important to determine the students level of awareness in general by eliciting. Dialogues are useful to show student how speech acts are used, also the evaluation of a situation is a good technique to reinforce the awareness of the learners. Activities such as role plays are good for practicing speech acts. At the end feedback and discussion are useful so students can tell their understanding. Again the idea is to encourage the learner as researcher (Ellis, Bardovi-Harlig et al, 1989) approach and assist students to make their own observations. The most practical implication of speech act theory in teaching is the idea that the literal meaning of the words might not agree with the intended meaning. As I understand speech acts focus on communicative intentions in a language. It is useful for language learners to teach them, because they provide an insight into the study of language as it is used in a social context, and also because they can be applied when learners need to discuss different meanings in a certain context. Bardovi-Harlig Hartford (1997: 114) report that the difference between speech acts and language functions is not always recognised in language teaching, and that the two have a distinct difference. This point might be argued because the study of speech acts comes from the idea that communication is a performance of certain acts, such as making statements, thanking, asking questions, apologizing, complaining and so on (Blum-Kulka, House Kasper 1989: 2). These are functions within a language, which means that speech act theory is about teaching functional units of language with the aim of an understanding of possible illocutionary meaning present. Materials do not always follow this, however there is a progression towards presenting speech acts with contextual information. Teachers need to simplify the speech acts and the sociolinguistic norms around them by breaking them down into easy terms, so the language learners can use them. Although this does not mean it should be separated from the theory. The best way to teach speech acts might be to make students more aware of pragmatic variables and to give them enough information to be able to make their own observations. This allows learners to work out themselves the best way to perform a speech act in any given situation.

Analysis of the Liberian Conflict

Analysis of the Liberian Conflict Background to this Conflict Analysis The Liberian conflict began in 1979 with civil unrest and ended in 2003 with the forced exile of the then president Charles Taylor. During this 24years period, Liberia has had a number of significant turning points: two regime-changing coups (1980 and 1990) and with them the assassination of 2 presidents, two civil wars, the first in 1989 90, the second from 1997 2003, and two elections, 1985 and 1997. The period was marred with systemic violence and human rights violations which resulted in the death of 150 250,000 people and 1.5 million people displaced (FRTRCLDP, 2009: 3) this is startling given a pre-war population of 2.8 million. However, if we examine the period from the rice riots of 1979 and the 1980 coup we find a steady escalation in direct violence starting from that period. Furthermore there is substantial evidence of structural violence in pre-79 Liberia. The means of financing the regimes of Charles Taylor, Samuel Doe and the True Whig Party, from 1979 to 2003 were very different during reign (Reno 1999,pp102 103 ), but nevertheless the political, hierarchical structures endured throughout this time, albeit with different leaders. This continued to allow a ruling elite to exploit the subjugated masses as it had done for the previous century. Furthermore, the lack of loyalty towards Taylor, by the wealthy elite, is comparable to the lack of support for Does administration, by the same elite, during Does final years in office. The similarities between Taylors reign, the Doe era and the period of rule prior to 1979 demonstrate a cyclical nature to the conflict. Therefore, unless the period under review in this conflict analysis is based around one of the turning points noted above, the selection of a time is almost arbitrary if chosen during this period. Furthermore, if one tries to analyse the conflict at the time of the first civil war or post 1990, the discourse leads to an examination of the conflict and structures during Does rule, and ultimately, this leads to an analysis of the societal structures and conflict potential prior to the 1979/80 uprising. In order to provide a time frame for evaluation, this analysis will focus on the period of 1979 1989 because what comes thereafter is very much a product of what came before. Conflict Analyses The aim of a conflict analysis is to provide a better understanding of the causes and drivers of a given conflict. Several leading development agencies have designed conflict analysis tools to help them to better target their development work and to ensure that they do not aggravate a conflict situation through that development. A summary of few prominent conflict analyses can be found at Appendix 2 Methodology The aim of this conflict analysis is to gain an understanding of the root causes and manifestations of violence in Liberia over the period 1979 1990, in particular focusing at the country level. The analysis will also identify and analyse sub-national, regional and international actors that affected the conflict. The DfID Strategic Conflict Assessment consists of three parts: Conflict Analysis; Analysis of responses to the conflict; Strategies and options for dealing with the situation; The Conflict Analysis Framework of the assessment examines the following areas: Table 1 DfID Conflict Analysis Framework Conflict Analysis (i) Structures (ii) Actors (iii) Dynamics Analysis of long term factors underlying conflict: Security Economic Political Social Analysis of conflict actors: Interests Relations Capacities Peace agendas Incentives Analysis of: Long term trends of conflict Triggers for increased violence Capacities for managing conflict Likely future conflict scenarios (Great Britain, DfID, p10, Table 1). The DfID framework provides a tool which is easily transferable to analyse the Liberian conflict within the parameters set. A secondary aim of this analysis is to see whether we can shed any light on the greed versus grievance debate and to help assess the predominance of one set of motivating factors over the other in the case of the Liberian conflict. Greed and grievance The principle greed arguments focus on the economic benefit that might motivate an individual, or group, to fight and then continue fighting (Mac Ginty 2006: 69) Three pre-conditions, have been identified, by Collier, as conflict catalysts in greed based theories. These are access to primary commodities, the proportion of young men in society and the amount of education available (Collier 2000, 93). Collier goes so far as to rank the importance of these factors but does not suggest that all three need to be present at the same time. Grievance theories of conflict emphasise arguments of ideology, ethnicity, human needs and inter-group competition (Mac Ginty 2006: 71). Idoelogy and ethnicity are often used by the layperson in explaining conflict causation, but a fuller analysis often identifies these as sustaining a conflict rather than initiating it, leaders might use ethno-religious calls to ‘rally the troops, but this is often not the underlying cause (Barash and Webel, 2002: 15) . Based on statistical research, Collier argues (2000: 96) that grievance theories of conflict causation â€Å"are so unimportant† compared to the prevalence of greed based motives, that, â€Å"grievance based explanations of civil war are so seriously wrong†. However, he does admit that that under the right circumstances (such as following and economic slump) grievances motives can be explained. Structures Societies that are socially fractionalised along ethnic or religious divides are significantly less prone to conflict (Collier, 2000: 98). Social division in Liberia lay between 17 groups (FRTRCLDP 2009: 51). The first group consists of the original settlers from the US freed slaves who arrived in Liberia in 1822, this group were known as the Americo-Liberians; together with the Caribbean freed slaves they constituted 5% of the population. The remaining groups were formed from 16 separate indigenous tribal groups. There were further splits along religious lines. The US settlers brought with them Christianity which spread amongst the population. Liberia also had an Islamic population from the African-Arabic slavers of the 16th and 17th centuries. By 1980, this provided a blend of approximately 40% Christian, 20% Muslim, 20% indigenous religions (and a number of individuals practicing some form of hybrid religion). According to the hypothesis, Liberia would be very unlikely to collapse into civil war due to its non-homogeneous nature. This was in fact the case rprio to the arrival of the Americo-liberians; A study by Olukujo (as cited in the FRTRCLDP 2009: 51) notes that for hundreds of years the 16 tribes had lived in relative peace with â€Å"intermarriage, modern education and westernised Christianity, Islam and other foreign influences† blurring tribal ethnicity. Furthermore, each family had a family head and each village a council of elders who would resolve conflicts. However, when analysing the Liberian political and economic structures prior to 1980, we find that it is difficult to untangle the two strands; this is because the Liberian system was very hierarchical with a ruling elite and a proletariat; there was limited, if any middle class. The establishment of the Liberian political system, in the 18th century, was based on a US constitutional model (Outram, 1999: 164) with a Senate and a House of representatives. However, only the Americo-Liberians were allowed to vote. The political elite passed laws which kept the indigenous people subjugated, both politically and economically, Evidence of this self-perpetuation can be seen in the fact that the True Whig Party was the only political party that held officer from 1877 until the coup in 1980, even the previous President, President Tubman, remained in office for an unbroken period of 37 years. It is very unlikely that the True Whig Party would have been voted out prior to the coup, as the indigenous population did not have the right to vote, until a constitutional change in 1984. Therefore those who had political positions were also either economically power or financially well connected. Those without money or power were subjugated by this ruling elite known as a patron-client relationship (Outram, 1999: 165). The President had a significant amount of power vested in him, as both the Chief of State and Head of Government. President Tubman consolidated power in his position, just as Doe did 10 years later, and both following unsuccessful coups. So the evidence suggests that the ruling elite in society were able to exploit self interest and so were motivated by greed. We shall now turn our attention to the motives of the subjugated. When a rebel organisation has the potential to gain sufficient size that the prospect of a conflict has a realistic chance of success, then individuals will be more likely to bond together for grievance based reasons (Collier, 2000: 99). So, if Liberia is viewed through the lens of the masses, then the society is much less divided; with split of 95% indigenous population to 5% ruling elite (FRTRCLDP 2009: 5). This allows us to evaluate the grievance theory model due to Liberias homogenous nature and therefore its propensity to civil war for grievance reasons. The following lists examples of laws that were passed that demonstrate the lack of rights tahts wereexperienceed by the indigenous people REFERNCES!!!! Examples of the laws passed by the government included: the 1864 Ports of Entry Act, which restricted foreign trade with indigenous people, the indigenous werent granted citizenship until 1904. In 1926 the government leased 1 million acres of land to the firestone company, land which was inhabited, they then conscripted local labour for the company and other neighbouring countries. In 1931the Government of Liberia was requested to defend its position over allegations from the League of Nations of svaling the indigenous population. . Economic 1864 passed laws baning trade Political US constitiional arrangement Single party from1877, Political eltie Social Access to education forced adoption referred to as barbarians no tribal problems Unification attempts but more for popular support context of the regional issues at the time. Indeed when Samuel Doe rose to power in the 1980 coup he did so onthe back of a wave of local grievances. Dynamics Manifestation of Violence Defintion of direct and structural Violence, definition of peace and conflict Comparison or 1985 Vs 1955 Structural: no right to vote, land taken away, human salvery and conscript labour, not even citizens til 1904 Quotes form TRC Ref topdown and bottom up Mac ginty p 77, 3rd feature of conflict†¦.. Corruption Issues regarding money and support for wealthy elite Issues of 23 million to release Ellen and the 400m in aid. Table 2 Comparison of Violence Pre 1980 Post 1980 †¢ Ruling Elite (Americo Liberian) †¢ No right to vote for masses †¢ Power vested in the President †¢ President is Chief of State and Head of Government †¢ Army used as security †¢ Suppression of uprising 1955 †¢ Huge personal financial incentives to stay in power foreign investment †¢ NO Ethnic tensions (Olukoju 2006) †¢ Ruling Elite (Krahn tribe) †¢ No Right to vote for the masses Voting overturned †¢ Political structure remains the same †¢ Power vested in the President †¢ Army used as security †¢ Harsh suppression of coup by Gen Quiwonkpa 2985 †¢ Huge financial incentives to stay in power †¢ Escalation of Structural violence and direct violence †¢ Inter-ethnic fighting †¢ Corruption increases as a survival mechanism Conclusion Violence escalation table The following table summarises the level of violence during the period and notes the factors that sustain or escalate the violence. Table 3 Violence Manifestation Violence Manifestation and Explanation Initiation †¢ ‘Colonial structures and exploitation in Liberia lead to → Localised grievances and structural violence, Create opportunities for Sustainment †¢ Individual actors greed → nepotism to galvanise own support → fractionalisation leads to ethno-tribalism †¢ No structural change takes place → continued marginalisation / HR violations Which creates: Escalation †¢ Further grievances which fuel the conflict → Direct Violence as a survival mechanism ‘Poverty and lack of opportunity, intensified by the war have helped promote the attractiveness of fighting as a means of survival (Atkinson, 1997) The story of Liberia between 1979 and 1990 is one of action, inaction and reaction: action by the proletariat and ruling governments (pre and post 1979), inaction by the international community and reaction by regional actors to the. The violence during this period escalated from societal structural violence in 1979 to overt direct violence against the civilian population and opposition groups in 1990. This resulted in an increase of displaced persons, frustrating neighbouring countries threatening to de-stabilised the region. The actions by regional countries coupled with the frustrations of the masses provided the circumstances which could lead to a second coup, and the first civil war in 1989. The DfID Conflict Analysis Framework provides a useful tool with which to analyse a protracted conflict such as Liberia. By examining the structures and dynamics in play at both national and local levels it has been possible to see that the Liberian conflict shows signs of greed and grievance motivations with each playing off the other. The ruling elite motivated by the prospects of substantial wealth and pursuing a desperate attempt to hold onto power, and grievance by the oppressed masses with little prospect of anything better unless they rise up and rebel against the elite. Epilogue The greed and grievance cycle, as discussed in the background to this analysis continued to play out during Charles Taylors reign. Taylor has suggested that his motives for staging a coup had been to force regime change of a brutal dictatorship (Ref). That might have been his altruistic outward cry, indeed â€Å"narratives of grievance play much better with this [the international] community than narratives of greed.† (Collier, 2000: 92). It is clear now that Taylors coup was heavily supported internationally, and regionally (Ref). What is also evident now is that within the first 6 months of Taylors charge for Monrovia, he had not only gained control of 90% of the country, but had also amassed a personal wealth of USD 3.6million. It is also estimated that during the period 1991 1994, Taylor had a personal income of USD 420 450 million per year (REF). In this context it of difficult to see how greed rather than grievance was not his motivating factor. The economics of a war torn society, (particularly one which has an abundance of extremely profitable primary commodities) has an ability to sustain conflict. Once the shackles of a oppressive regime are unable to control the population, the rise of strongmen and warlords is possible . Then, fuelled, by the potential of substantial wealth, they will strive to keep the inferno of conflict burning. Conflict Analyses The World Bank Conflict Analysis Framework. This uses 6 variables (social and ethnic relations, governance and political institutions, human rights/security, economic structure and performance, environmental and natural resources and external factors) which are analysed against given criteria. These are graded and then linked to their impact on the conflict and on the countrys poverty level. This framework allows for the extraction of underlying causes and the opportunities for conflict. The US AID Conflict Assessment Framework focuses on Means, Motives and Opportunities and also includes regional and international factors. The framework therefore allows for a holistic approach and also provides an understanding of the prevalence of greed or grievance agendas in conflict zones. Like the World Bank conflict analysis it highlights causes and opportunities for conflict. The Department For International Development (DfID) Strategic Conflict Assessment (Great Britain, DfID) is a tool that was developed by DfID to assess: risks of negative effects of conflict on programmes; risks of programmes or policies exacerbating conflict; opportunities to improve the effectiveness of development interventions in contributing to conflict prevention and reduction. The assessment criteria allow the assessment to focus on programmes or projects, or at a strategic level on a country or region (Great Britain, DfID, p6).

Just Do What the Pilot Tells You :: Comparative, Stanley Milgram, Theodore Darymple

Stanley Milgram’s experiments on obedience are the focus of Theodore Dalrymple and Ian Parker. Theodore Dalrymple is a British physician that composed his views of the Milgram experiment with â€Å"Just Do What the Pilot Tells You† in the New Statesman in July 1999 (254). He distinguishes between blind obedience and blind disobedience stating that an extreme of either is not good, and that a healthy balance between the two is needed. On the other hand, Ian Parker is a British writer who wrote â€Å"Obedience† for an issue of Granta in the fall of 2000. He discusses the location of the experiment as a major factor and how the experiment progresses to prevent more outcomes. Dalrymple uses real-life events to convey his argument while Parker exemplifies logic from professors to state his point. Dalrymple starts his essay by stating that some people view opposition to authority to be principled and also romantic (254). The social worker Dalrymple mentions on the airplane with him is a prime example that certain people can be naturally against authority, but she quickly grants authority to the pilot to fly the plane (255). Dalrymple also mentions his studies under a physician and that Dalrymple would listen to her because she had far greater expanse of knowledge than him (256). Ian Parker writes his essay explaining the failed logic with Stanley Milgram’s experiment and expounds on other aspects of the experiment. One of his points is the situation’s location which he describes as inescapable (238). Another focus of Parker’s article is how Milgram’s experiment affected his career; the experiment played a role in Milgram’s inability to acquire full support from Harvard professors to earn tenure (234). Dalrymple states that he obeyed his superior because she was more knowledgeable over her job (256). The Milgram experiment demonstrates how ordinary people act towards authority in certain situations. Dalrymple accurately utilizes that point by describing when a boy is turned in for trying to steal a car and then the parents proceed to yell at the guards. The guards began to stop reporting kids because they wanted to avoid the conflict all together (257). Parker agrees with Dalrymple by explicating that the experimenter alludes to conflict when the teacher wants to discontinue the experiment, but stumbles to rebel when dictated to continue (238). Parker’s solution is to offer a button for the teachers to press when they are no longer able to continue the experiment (238).

Spontaneous Generation :: essays research papers

From the time of the Ancient Romans, through the Middle Ages, and until the late nineteenth century, it was generally accepted that life arose spontaneously from non-living matter. Such "spontaneous generation" appeared to occur primarily in decaying matter. For example, a seventeenth century idea for the spontaneous generation of mice required placing sweaty underwear and husks of wheat in an open-mouthed jar. Then, waiting for about 21 days, during which time it was said that the sweat from the underwear would penetrate the husks of wheat, changing them into mice. Although that idea may seem ridiculous today, that and other ideas like it were believed and accepted during that time, which was not too long ago. The first serious attack on the idea of spontaneous generation was made in 1668 by Francesco Redi, an Italian physician and poet. At that time, it was thought that maggots arose spontaneously in rotting meat. Redi believed that maggots developed from eggs laid by flies after observing that they had different developmental stages.. To test his hypothesis, he set out meat in a variety of flasks, some open to the air, some sealed completely, and others covered with gauze. As he had expected, maggots appeared only in the open flasks in which the flies could reach the meat and lay their eggs. This was one of the first examples of an experiment in which controls are used. In spite of his well-executed experiment, the belief in spontaneous generation remained strong, and even Redi continued to believe it occurred under some circumstances. The invention of the microscope encouraged this silly belief. Microscopes revealed a whole new world of organisms that appeared to arise spontaneously. It was quickly learned that to create "animalcules," as the organisms were called, you needed only to place hay in water and wait a few days before examining your new creations under the microscope. The debate over spontaneous generation continued for centuries. In 1745, John Needham, an English clergyman, proposed what he considered the definitive experiment. Everyone knew that boiling killed microorganisms, so he proposed to test whether or not microorganisms appeared spontaneously after boiling. He boiled chicken broth, put it into a flask, sealed it, and waited - sure enough, microorganisms grew. Needham claimed victory for spontaneous generation. An Italian priest, Lazzaro Spallanzani, was not convinced, and he suggested that perhaps the microorganisms had entered the broth from the air after the broth was boiled, but before it was sealed.

Charles Dickens Great Expectations Essays -- Charles Dickens Great Ex

Charles Dickens' Great Expectations One of Dickens’ most popular novels ‘Great Expectations’ is a griping search for identity- the narrator’s self-identity Pip has been born into a difficult world in the early years of the 19th Century. Philip Pirrip is the narrator of ‘Great Expectations’. In the book he is known as Pip. He called himself Pip because as a young child his infant tongue could only get across to Pip. I the first few chapters of the book he is described as a timid, sensitive and guilt-ridden person. His parents had died earlier, probably due to poverty. Pip is living with his sister, who intimidates him in every form. We realise his intimidation when he arrives late from the graveyard, â€Å"I twisted the only button on my waistcoat round and round, and looked in great depress at the fire. Tickler was a wax-ended piece of cane, worn smooth by collision with my tickled frame† I see a parallel between Dickens and Pip. Dickens’s lived in an over-crowded place when he was young. His parents had no intentions of sending him to school. He spent his days running errands and doing chores around the house also his younger sister died of smallpox just like, Pip’s brothers and sisters. Dickens was very concerned with social issues like poverty. At the time when the book was written, there was a very high level of infant mortality, which was made worse by deaths among poor adults, hence the number of orphans. The first meeting with Magwitch is in the churchyard, where Pip is lost in childish absorption grappling with his family’s fate. His state of mind is very unstable when Pip is grabbed violently and the convict threatened to cut his throat if he was to make noise. Pip imagines Magwitch as a pir... ...r. Pip felt, Estella looked down on him because he was poor and not a gentleman. Pip was asked to play, but he didn’t know how to ‘play’. Estella lived in a society where her class did not have to work, and we read that Pip wanted to leave when he was told to ‘play’ because he did not understand the word ‘play’. In chapter 9, when Pip returns home his shame will not allow him to tell the truth to his sister and Pumblechook so he is exaggerates. We see that Pip is telling Joe about his real feelings about his trip to ‘Satis House’. Unlike the theft, which he kept secret, he eventually confides to Joe because he knows Joe will keep an open mind and he is the only one person he can speak to without being punished and having a guilty conscience. What he is confiding to Joe is his shame as a working-class person and how he must change in order to win Estella.

GAP company information

It was the year of 1969 when man has taken its first step toward the moon and â€Å"Doris and Don Fisher opened the first Gap store in US in San Francisco. † The fast change in style between teenagers and adult lead to formation of company name called â€Å"GAP†. From Justa single store In 1969. our story Doris and Don Fisher opened the first Gap store in 1969. The reason was simple. Don couldnt find a pair of jeans that fit. They never expected to transform retail. But they did. Guided by humility, compassion and a strong desire to win, the Fishers grew their company thoughtfully. ustomers responded.Today, Gap Inc. Is a leading International specialty retailer with six brands – Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime, Athleta and INTERMIX – more than 3,500 stores and more than 137. 000 employees. We're growing globally, and Just within the last few years, we opened our first stores In china and Italy. we're expanding online shopping to customers, too. T oday, customers in about 90 countries can buy our products. While many things have changed since 1969, the principles on which we were founded have stayed the same: creativity, delivering results, doing what's right and lways thinking of our customers first.Key Facts Founded: 1969, with a single store in San Francisco The original brand that brought American casual style to the world. Founded In 1909 In San Francisco, cap offers Iconic, yet modern clothing and accessories for adults, kids and babies. Gap gives customers the freedom to express their individual sense of style. Brand Includes Gap, GapKids, babyGap, GapMaternity and Gap30dy. Franchise stores: More than 350 stores in locations across Asia, Australia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa Brands: cap Intermix Old Navvy PiperlimeAthleta Headquarters World HQ: San Francisco Bay Area Product Design: New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London Store Management, distribution and product manufacturing: Worldwide. Stores Total: More than 3,500 stores worldwide Fun Facts The average cost of a pair of Jeans at Gap in 1969? About $7! Gap's 1988 Individuals of Style campaign was the first time the company specifically hired celebrities as models. In 2004, Banana Republic was among the first sponsors of the Emmy-nominated sleeper hit â€Å"Project Runway. † Gap has about 10 miles of storefront windows around the world. Old Navvy was named after a bar in Paris! Retired New York Times fashion editor Carrie Donovan was tapped to be the â€Å"Old Navvy Lady† in 1997 after Joking in one of her columns that she'd be great for TV spots for the brand. After a wildly successful pilot, Gap Factory Outlet was founded and opened its first store in August 1994. Glenn Murphy is our fourth CEO since our founding in 1969. (Bob Fisher served as interim CEO in 2007 before Glenn was hired. ) Celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe can be found on Piperlime. com, where she shares her picks on her favor ite fashions from the site. ? Athleta, which has served women thletes since 1998, opened its first full-sized store in 2011. How They Do Business: From the start, Gap Inc. ‘s story wasn't going to be limited to Just selling Jeans. Doris and Don Fisher made certain that integrity would become a hallmark of their business. As they continue to expand their presence internationally, They're more aware than ever how their decisions affect the communities in which they do business. And their philosophy is simple: They seek to make a positive, lasting impact on the people and in the places where they operate.They listen to their customers around the world, and share their expectations. For hey, that means looking deeper into their supply chain to ensure that they take a responsible path throughout the product lifecycle, from the source to their stores. Financial and Strategic Analysis Company Overview The Gap, Inc. (Gap) is a specialty apparel company. The product line of the company consists of casual apparel care products, accessories and fashion apparel. The company distributes its products through its retail stores, internet and catalog stores. The company is also operates wholesale and franchisee businesses.Gap operates company owned stores in the US, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan and the I-JK. Financial Performance: The company reported revenues of (U. S. Dollars) USD14,549. OO million during the fiscal year ended January2012, a decrease of 0. 78% from 2011. The operatingprofit of the company was USD 1,438. 00 million duringthe fiscal year 2012, a decrease of 26. 93% from 2011. The net profit of the company was USD 833. 00 millionduring the fiscal year 2012, a decrease of 30. 81% from2011 Share Data THE GAP, INC. , Share Data pnce (USD) as on 01-NOV-2012 35. 5 EPS (USD) Book value per share (USD) 1. 56 5. 68 Shares Outstanding (in million) 533 Performance Chart SWOT Analysts THE GAP, INC. , SWOT Analysts Strengths Weaknesses Strong Liquidity Posit ion Strong Product Portfolio and Brand Recognition Wide Geographic Presence Product Recall Dependency on Third Party Manufacturers Decreasing Comparable Store Sales Opportunities Threats Growing Apparel Market Increasing Online Presence Expansion into New Markets Competitive Environment Changing Consumer Behavior Decreasing Shopping Trips SWOT Analysis – Overview The Gap, Inc. Gap) is a specialty retailer of apparel, footwear and accessories. The I-JK, France, Ireland and Japan. The company also has online and catalog stores. The company's broad product portfolio and brand recognition and wide geographic resence provide strong foundation for its future growth . However, intense competition and changing consumer behavior are the major areas of concern for the company. THE GAP, INC. – strengths Strength – Strong Liquidity Position The company's liquidity position strengthen significantly during the fiscal year 2010.The company recorded current ratio of 2. 19 at th e fiscal year ended 2010, as compared to 1. 86 in 2009. Gap had significant increase in its cash and short term investments during the fiscal year 2010. It recorded cash and short term investments of USD 2573. 00 million in 2010, as compared to USD 1715. 0 million during the fiscal year ended 2009. Moreover the company reported a net change in cash of USD 633. 00 million in 2010, as compared to a negative net change in cash of USD 9 million at the fiscal year ended 2009.This was principally due to increase in cash inflow from operating activities. The company' cash flow from operating activities increased 36. 54% to USD 1928. 00 during the fiscal year ended 2010. Increasing cash and cash equivalent represents the companys ability to fund its business opportunities, working capital needs, meeting short term obligations and other capital requirements in the future. Strength – Strong Product Portfolio and Brand Recognition The company's strong product portfolio and brand recogni tion ensures financial stability through a diversified customer base.Gap through its retail and online stores engaged in providing a wide range of apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The company markets its products under the well known brands, namely Gap, Old Navvy, GapKids, babyGap, GapBody, Banana Republic, and Piperlime. Under the Gap brand, the company provides denim, khakis and T-shirts, fashion apparel, accessories and personal care products. The company also provides a wide collection f apparel and accessories under the brand names GapKids and babyGap.Under the Old Navvy brand, the company offers apparel, shoes and accessories for both children and adults. The company also provides casual and tailored apparel, shoes and accessories for men and women under its Banana Republic brand. In addition, the company also offers its products through its websites. The company, through its multiple store banners, caters to a wide range of customers across the world. Stre ngth – Wide Geographic Presence The company's wide geographic presence insulates it from the risk of operating in a single economy. Gap operates 3,082 stores across North America, Europe and Asia.In products across several geographies. The company's franchised stores are located in Bahrain, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Oman, Qatar, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Croatia. The company also operates its online stores through www. gap. com, www. bananarepublic. com, www. oldnavy. com, and www. piperlime. com websites. The company's global presence enables it to build its brand image and maintain its strong position in the market.THE GAP, INC. – Weaknesses Weakness – Product Recall The company's various product recalls not only generate substantial negative publicity about its products and business, but also prevent commercialization of other future prod uct candidates. During April 2010, the company recalled its babyGap Marrakesh and Gap Outlet baby one-piece swimsuits . This recall was mainly due to presence of a halter straps that were manufactured too short causing the plastic ring located at the center of the swimsuit to press against the child's throat and obstruct the airway.This poses a strangulation hazard to the child. Weakness – Dependency on Third Party Manufacturers The company is highly dependent on the vendors outside the US, which may adversely affect its ability to meet any urgent requirements. The company purchases private label merchandise from approximately 650 vendors and non-private label merchandise from approximately 350 vendors having facilities in approximately 60 countries. During the fiscal year 2010, approximately 98% of the merchandise was produced outside the US.These outside vendors require to comply with certain vendor conducts and environmental, labor, health, and safety standards in domestic and international markets. Any noncompliance with the standards might delay the delivery of the goods and significantly affect the company's reputation. Thus, the company's high dependence on third party manufacturers may have an adverse affect on its business operations. Weakness – Decreasing Comparable Store Sales The comparable store sales have been decreasing over the past few years, which is adversely affecting the growth of the company.The stores segment accounts for more than 90% of the company's total revenue. During the fiscal year ended 2010, the company generated USD 13,079 million as compared to USD 13,496 million in the iscal year ending 2009, a decrease of 3. 18%. Over the past three years, the comparable store sales figures have been declining as demonstrated by a decrease of 9. 17% in the fiscal year 2009 and a decrease of 2. 19 % in the fiscal year 2008. As a result, Gap recorded a negative CAGR of 2. 97% during the period 2006-2010.The decrease has been pri marily due to a decline in net sales in all the brands due to the weakening retail environment and a shift of consumers from department stores to supermarkets and discount stores. THE GAP, INC. – opportunities The performance of the industry is forecasted to accelerate, with an anticipated CAGR rate of 2. 6% during 2006-2011. According to research, the US apparel retailing industry is expected to drive to a value of USD336. 7 billion by the end of 2011. Gap's stores and direct segments provide branded apparel, footwear and accessories for men, women and children through their retail and online stores.The company offering state of the art products and solutions through their wide distribution channel is likely to utilize opportunity of the growing apparel industry and thereby boost their top line growth. Opportunity – Increasing Online Presence With the rising trend of e-commerce business, there is huge potential for the ompany to increase its profitability through the direct-to-customer segment. In the fiscal year ending 2009, the direct-to-customer segment accounted for 7. 87% of the total revenue of the company and it increased by 8. 4% as compared to the sales at the end of the fiscal year 2010. The company can increase the contribution of this segment to the revenue by increasing its online presence. According to Forrester, online sales are expected to increase 13% to about USD 176. 9 billion in 2010. The growth is forecast to be 10%, 9% and 8% for 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively. Moreover according to a report published by U. S. Census Bureau the non-store retail sales for the 10 month period from January to October 2010 increased by 12. 7% from the same period in 2009.Such web-based store concept provides consumers the convenience of shopping from home, doing away with the time consuming Journey and saving on the transportation cost. Thus, web sales are expected to register substantial growth in the coming years as e-commerce continues to capture market share from physical stores. The company stands to benefit from the growth trend of e-retail, which is supported by rising internet penetration and increasing familiarity o online shopping. Opportunity – Expansion into New Markets The company has taken several initiatives to enter new geographies in recent financial years.During November 2010, the company opened its firsh Gap store in Italy. This new store is located on Corso Vittorio Emanuele in Milan's premier shopping district. It also entered into an agreement with Armin Systems Limited to bring Gap stores in Thailand. Moreover during November 2010, the company announced to open its first store in Latin America during the fiscal year 2011. The store will be located in Santiago, Chile. The company also had taken initiatives to launch its Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navvy online brands in Canada, and Gap and Banana Republic online in the UK and nine other European countries.The company also has renewed inter est for a possible foray into India's specialty clothing market through possible venture with Reliance Retail. The company's several initiatives to enter new markets may provide significant exposure to more diversified customer base and strengthen its brand image. THE GAP, INC. – Threats Gap operates in a highly competitive specialty apparel retail industry. It faces intense ompetition from local, national, and global department stores, specialty and discount store chains, independent retail stores, and online businesses, which are dealing with similar products.The company also faces significant competition from the local players in European, Japanese, and Canadian markets. The company's franchisees also faces competition in the respective markets. Increasing global competition in the apparel retailing market may significantly affect the company's market share in the future financial years. Threat – Changing Consumer Behavior Owing to recession, consumers in the US are left with lesser disposable incomes. It is showing in their purchase attitude Consumers tend to reduce their discretionary shopping.According to a consumer survey conducted in the US by Harris Interactive, more than half of adults (54%) say they would reduce discretionary spending during an economic recession and the majority (63%) of adults said they would not make a purchase if there was no deal attached. It clearly states that during an economic recession, consumers would cut budgets, yet will continue to shop when discounts are available. The scenario is a threat to specialty retailers like the company, which ell discretionary products. They will see a decreased footfalls and reduced revenues.In order to attract customers, these retailers will have to spend more on coupons and discounts, which will reduce their margins. Threat – Decreasing Shopping Trips The business of Gap may significantly affected due to decreasing shopping trips of consumers in the US. The US operati ons contributed to 82. 1% of the total revenue of the company in the fiscal year ending 2010. According to a study by Nielsen, outlet shopping trips in the US has shown an average monthly decline of 4% from July 2008 o February 2010.The company has already been recording a decline in comparable store sales over the past few years, which accounts for Change Factors: In the beginning Gap was sell only Levi's products where they have to depend on that particular brand by and large. Later on when they realized depending too much on a particular product may harm the business in the future, they have changed there course of depending on a single particular product . Gradually they have came up with there own product name and different supplier in order to reduce risks. In 1983 Gap purchased Banana Republic

Independant Study, Delayed Cord Clamping vs Immediate Cord Clamping Essay

Throughout the students practical placements they have witnessed midwives having conflicting views on the practice of delayed cord clamping which then allowed the student to research the topic in depth. After reviewing all the evidence the student will make recommendations for practice. They should discuss the implications of both delayed cord clamping and immediate cord clamping to improve patient safety and reduce harm to both the neonate and the mother. For the student to show their ability to be an independent learner they must undertake a study on a subject of their choice. The student has chosen to discuss whether delayed cord clamping or immediate cord clamping is more beneficial for a positive outcome for neonates and mothers. The student will relate this subject to The World Health Organisations (WHO) documentation relating to patient safety and also how delaying cord clamping could reduce harm to the neonate and mother. Previous to this study the student will have presented their plan and learning outcomes to a small audience and has also provided a rationale, stating the aim, learning outcomes and also outlining their reasoning on choosing this particular topic for their Independent study (appendix 1). Literature Review The most historically practiced protocol has been delayed cord clamping, with work dating back to 1773, when Charles While published his famous work, A Treatise on the Management of Pregnant and Lying in Women, which taught delayed cord clamping as common practice except in the case of a nuchal cord (Cook, 2007). Erasmus Darwin in 1801 suggested that it was injurious to an infant if the umbilical cord was cut too soon. He advised it should always be left until the child has repeatedly breathed and the cord had stopped pulsating, otherwise the baby would be left much weaker than it should be as the blood which should have been transfer to the baby would have been left in the placenta (Bluff, 2006). Immediate cord clamping started becoming more common practice in the 1960s due to two reasons. Firstly, mismanaged jaundice provoked a great deal of lawsuits against paediatricians who then urged obstetricians to minimise placental transfusion. Secondly, due to the increase use of analgesia and active management of the third stage of labour Eastman (1950) stated that by the widespread use of analgesic drugs in labour, it has resulted in a number of infants who had sluggish respiratory effects at birth causing the need for immediate cord clamping to take place. In 1997 the World Health Organisation suggested the primary reason for early clamping being practiced is to protect the neonate from the large infusion of blood that occurs from the Syntocinon induced contraction immediately after delivery. More recent studies have shown the opposite from this and that delayed cord clamping is more beneficial to the mother and baby. The NICE Clinical Guidelines (2007) on intra-partum care carried out a review to ascertain whether interfering with placental transfusion had any benefits to the mother or the baby. Their findings was that there was insufficient evidence to support delayed cord clamping in high income countries but it did support that delayed cord clamping reduced anaemia in low to middle income countries. They suggest this is due to anaemia being more prevalent in those countries over all and that more research needs to be done to suggest delayed cord clamping is beneficial to mother and baby. The student has chosen three studies to consider and review. The first is a study by Anderson et al, (2011). Their aim was to determine the effects of delayed cord clamping versus early cord clamping on neonatal outcomes and iron status at four month. Their reasoning behind this was that previous studies have found that as much as 26% of children suffer from anaemia and in India 70% of children between six-eleven months were found to be anaemic (Jaleel, Deeba, Khan, 2009). It has been suggested that iron deficiency has been associated with impaired neurological development; therefore Anderson et al (2011) decided to carry out a randomised control trial to try and decided what would be the best practice. They state their main focus is haemoglobin and iron status at four months of age and they have a secondary focus of neonatal anaemia, early respiratory symptoms and polycythaemia. Their aim was clear from the outset that they would show delayed cord clamping reduces iron deficiency in neonates. The second study is an article by Bluff (2006) discussing early versus delayed cord clamping. Bluffs objective is to prove that by delaying cord clamping it can reduce the incidences of Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Intravatricular Haemorrhage, Necrotizing Enterocolostic and brain damage. Bluff (2006) provides sufficient evidence to back up their claim agreeing with Anderson et al (2011) that delayed cord clamping is more beneficial to the mother and baby than early cord clamping. The third study the student has chosen to discuss is one of midwives views on delayed cord clamping. Airey et al (2008) states that although there is evidence to associate delayed cord clamping with benefits to mother and baby midwives still practice early clamping. The author claims there is an uncertainty of alternative strategies with cord clamping. Falcao (2012) agrees suggesting this may be due to the lack of knowledge and clear guidelines of what delayed cord clamping is. Therefore Airey et al (2008) conducted a survey, their aim was to interview a number of delivery suite midwives and record the results, stating there is conflicting knowledge of the timing of delayed cord clamping. Anderson et al (2011) states that young children are at risk of iron deficiency due to low iron intake and the need for iron for rapid growth. Iron is essential for cognitive development (Mitra, 2009) therefore it is important that we understand the best practice possible to reduce these risk associated with iron deficiency and achieve optimal brain development. Bluff (2006) states that iron stores are crucial for optimal neurological development. Anderson et al (2011) obtained their results from 400 full term infants in low risk pregnancy which makes it one of the largest randomised controlled studies comparing delayed and early clamping. By using a larger group it gives more accurate and widespread results (NIH,2012). Their results showed, that at four months of age infants had no significant differences in haemoglobin concentration, but 45% of infants that had delayed cord clamping had higher ferritin levels and lower prevalence of iron deficiency. Mitra et al (2009) also carried out a similar study, although only using 130 participants the same results were found that delayed cord clamping reduces the risk of iron deficiency. Many studies have shown that by clamping the umbilical cord immediately after birth it reduces the blood the neonate receives therefore it may increase the risk of that infant becoming iron deficient or anaemic. The blood circulating the placenta and umbilical vessels is 25-40% of the babies total blood volume (Yao & Lind,1974). A healthy neonate’s blood volume is around 80-115ml/kg of birth weight therefore a neonate weighing 3. 6kg has a blood volume of 209- 290mls of blood, which 75-125mls may have been transfused. By delaying cord clamping and allowing the extra blood to be transfused this could provide the neonate with an additional 50 mg of additional iron which may prevent or delay low iron levels as an infant ( Bluff, 2006). Bluff (2006) also discusses the other benefits to delayed cord clamping, such as reducing the risks of Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) which is the major cause of neonatal morbidity, mortality, Necrotising Enterocolitis (NEC) and Intraventricular Haemorrhages (IVH). This is due to immediate clamping of the cord preventing additional blood being transfused to the neonate which is the equivalent to the amount transferred to a baby with profound shock Morley (1998). This describes immediate cord clamping as the equivalent of subjecting an infant to a massive haemorrhage. Mercer and Skovgaard (2002) state that if we lost this much blood at any other point in our lives it would cause serves morbidity or death. . By clamping the cord immediate after delivery this would result in blood being sacrificed from other organs in order to establish pulmonary perfusion, which may increase the risk of the neonate suffering from RDS, NEC or IVH. The use of Delayed Cord Clamping should also be used with preterm neonates. Strauss et al (2008) also carried out a randomised controlled trial comparing delayed versus immediate cord clamping but specifically relating to preterm neonates. The outcomes are the same as the previous trials that delayed cord clamping is more beneficial to the neonate than immediate cord clamping. The author states that the neonates whole blood volume was increased after delayed cord clamping. Bluff (2006) also agrees that delayed cord clamping should be used with preterm infants if possible as it increases red blood cells and stabilises blood pressure therefore decreasing the need for transfusions and also decreases the risk of bleeding in the brain. Although there is a great deal of evidence showing benefits to the neonate from delayed cord clamping, there is also benefits to the mother. Bluff (2006) suggests that by delaying the clamping of the cord it reduces the risk of the mothers experiencing a post-partum haemorrhage or a retained placenta. By immediately clamping the cord it increases the placentas blood supply by as much as 100mls therefore increasing the bulk of the placenta and decreasing the efficiency of uterine contractions which are necessary for the expulsion (Bluff, 2006). In 1968 Walsh found that Delayed Cord clamping reduces post-partum haemorrhages and retained placentas. She states that with the placenta being less bulky when it has been drained blood by the neonate, the uterus can contract easier and ore effectively on a less engorged placenta therefore reducing maternal blood loss. This is helping to improve patient safety to the mothers by preventing PPHs and retained placentas. It was thought that early cord clamping should be performed if the mother is anaemic, so in 2004 a study conducted by the Liverpool school of tropical medicine assessed mothers with a mean haemoglobin level of 10g/dl. The results showed it was still beneficial to the neonatal to delay the cord clamping and caused no adverse effects to the mother. The adverse effects of delayed cord clamping which are outlined in the studies are that it may cause polycythaemia and hyperbilirubinemia. There have been studies to show that polycythaemia and jaundice is an increased risk of delayed cord clamping. Polycythaemia means that more red cells are transfused delivering more oxygen to the tissues which Bluff (2006) suggests could be beneficial. Some, use the reasoning that there is a risk that by having more red blood cells may cause the blood to become too thick as an argument against delayed cord clamping, which seems to be negligible in healthy babies. Morley 1998). A study carried out by Hutton and Hussian (2007) showed that the infants who had delayed cord clamping had a slight increase in polycythaemia but where not symptomatic and did not need any treatment. Morley(1998) suggest that if a baby receives their full quota of blood, then the baby is almost certain to suffer from slight jaundice as its caused by the normal breakdown of the normal excess blood to produce bilirubin, but there is no evidence of adverse effects from this. Mercer et al (2003) also carried out randomised and nonrandomised studies on delayed cord clamping. From the five hundred and thirty one term infants and nine trials she conducted, there were no significant symptoms of either polycythaemia or hyperbilirubinemia noted. Hutton and Hussians study also showed a slight increase in bilirubin levels within the first 24 hours of live but no infants had to be treated. There were insignificant differences in bilirubin levels from three to fourteen days. The trial Anderson et al (2011) carried out also found no differences in these outcomes. The Cochrane review (2008) was one which reported significant differences in bilirubin levels between immediate cord clamping and delayed cord clamping and suggested a number of infants needed phototherapy for jaundice, although it was conducted using unpublished data. Therefore given no reason to ensure the cord is clamped immediately to prevent any harm to the infant. One of the problems the student observed while working in a clinical area was the midwives different views and practices on cord clamping. Airey et al (2008) carried out a study to gather the general senses of midwives views on the subject. They interviewed 63 delivery suit midwives of which 42 described delayed cord clamping as when the pulsation stops, but 48 of the midwives admitted to clamping the cord within one minute of the baby being delivered. The author states that within the UK 87% of units give Sytocinon and clamps the cord early applying controlled cord traction. Falcao (2012) agrees in which a higher percentage of midwives will practice early cord clamping rather than delayed. She suggests this may be due to the lack of knowledge and clear guidelines of what delayed cord clamping is. Falcao (2012) states all midwives should have a clear understanding of the timing and benefits of delayed cord clamping to have the safest up to date practice. Discussion Patient safety is a worldwide public health problem, but the issues around patient safety differ. In 2002, The World Health Organisation recognises patient safety as ‘the need to reduce harm and suffering of patients and their families’. They state that any producers carried out should be evidence based to help prevent harm. Anderson et al (2011) randomised controlled trial refers to reducing harm to the neonate. They suggest that by delaying the cord clamping it is improving iron stores. As previously discussed by increasing iron stores it is likely to reduce the risk of impaired cognitive function, Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Intraventricular Haemorrhage and Necrotising Enterocolitis (Bluff, 2006). This is giving us evidence that delayed cord clamping is beneficial to the neonate. The Royal College of Midwives have produced a document ‘Evidence Based Guidelines for midwifery-led care in labour; third stage of labour’ which outlines the ‘pros and cons’ for delaying cord clamping, stating communication is important. They suggest by informing the women of her choices and explaining to her the benefits she should be able to make a decision which midwifes will support. According to the joint commission on Accreditations of HealthCare Organization, communication was the worst category in 2005. They state the reason for ineffective communication is varied from stressful environments causing staff to forget information, to the culture of autonomy and hierarchy of staff. Poor communications between health care professionals, patients and their carers has shown to be the most common reason for lawsuits against health care providers (WHO,2011). It is important that information about delayed cord clamping is shared with the women herself so she is able to make an informed choice about the care of her and her baby. Another problem highlighted in communication is the ability to handover correct information to staff taken over their care. The SBAR communication tool has been implement for staff to be able to communicate effectively with one another (NHS, 2006). Communication is essential to good team work, and team work is essential to patient safety (NHS, 2007). Staff should use the tool in the clinical area where it enables the communication to be clear and allows the midwife looking after the women to write down their care plan for the staff to take over without the worry of missing essential information. Communication is also very important in delayed cord clamping as Airey et al (2008) highlighted the midwives have different views on cord clamping and the timing that defines delayed clamping. Their results showed a variance in understanding of delayed clamping times whether it should be after one minute, five minutes or after pulsation has stopped. Each unit should be able to communicate with their staff to make sure that all midwives have the same understanding of cord clamping to promote the best possible practice to reduce harm. NHS Scotland (2007) state that clinical descions about treatments should be made on the basis of the best possible evidence to ensure care is safe and effective. Midwives should have the ability to be able to assess information which would help them make decisions about the best possible care for that women. They should be able to understand where delayed cord clamping is not appropriate by identifying a problem such as an obstetric emergencies, and use appropriate interventions to care for that women and her baby to reduce the risk of any harm (WHO 2011). WHO (2007) state that evidence does not always need to be the most up to date to be the most accurate. Bluff (2006) discusses article written as far back as 1773 which are relevant to practice today and still adhere to patient safety guidelines discussing how delayed cord clamping reduces harm to the neonate by increasing blood supply. As Bluff (2006) discusses, there is some evidence that shows immediate cord clamping contributes to post-partum haemorrhage (PPH). The rate of PPH continues to rise although most other causes of severe maternal morbidity declines. International data suggest that post-partum haemorrhage is increasing worldwide with 385 women in Scotland experienced PPH in 2011, one in every 170 births. PPH accounted for 73% of all the reported incidents of severe maternal morbidity. (Healthcare Improvement Scotland, 2013). As Bluff (2006) states by simply practicing delayed cord clamping causing the placenta to be drained of blood by the neonate it will help reduce the number of women experiencing Post-partum haemorrhages improving Patient safety. By gathering all the information and research studies carried out it is clear that by delaying cord clamping at deliveries it can reduce harm to neonates and prevent unnecessary illnesses and diseases. WHO state that’s when solutions have been shown to work effectively in controlled research settings, it is important that we can assess and evaluate the impact, accessibility and affordability of these solutions and implement then accordingly. It has been proven that by practicing delayed cord clamping cost is reduced as it is less likely for the neonate to need a blood transfusion. (Kinmond, 1993) . It is very accessible as we would not be changing practice just delaying it therefore we should implement delayed cord clamping to reduce harm and improve on patient safety for both mothers and neonates.