African continent Essay

My friend came from the African continent, we had shared a lot since we had met in high school and she had always told me stories of her country, most of the stories sounded interestingly and I knew deep down in my heart that it would be a place I would want to visit probably for adventure purposes. It was one of the school holidays when she had been preparing to go back home for an event that was important to her and her clansmen. She had told me that it would be great event and that I was welcome to attend, then event was supposed to go for a week. I was hesitant at first because I knew that I would a lot of money for my transport and accommodation but still really needed to go for an adventure. I thought about it for about six months and I approaching my parents to see if they could finance me. It took a few days when at last they both asked me how safe I would being that far from home. My dad had wondered how safe Africa could be and especially for someone like me who had never been there before. When I convinced them that my friend would take care of me and always give me company they granted my wish! I remember having sat next to my friend in the plane leaving for Nairobi with a lot of anxiety, many imaginations but soon feel asleep since the journey was a long one. We flew for many hours and eventually got to land in the large airport that was filled with peoples movements. We walked out through the arrivals exit and I followed my friends who led me to a huge group of people who I came to learn later that they were her relatives. We put our bags onto a car, entered and were driven off. We then reached to her parents’ home and for sure I could see that it was full of people, my friend told me that the main event was going to take place the following day and that is the reason there were so many people to do the preparation. We were walked through the people as we shook their hands a way of greeting in many parts of Africa. I was shown the room that I would spend my nights which was well lit and next to where my friend was to occupy. The next morning we were woken up very early, I had lost truck of time and I kept trying to figure out and adjust to the time zones. I had told that this day marked a very important transition period to the age group; it was their initiation day! That the process takes a week, which all the initiates had been sent away from home to the wild for months! When the right time reached I saw a parade of many young looking people all in traditional attires, they looked so wonderful! They had colors on their heads and funny slipper- like shoes. There was a lot of singing and dancing, ooh it was wonderful! The main ceremony/initiation process was to start at 4. 30 in the morning and it was a circumcision ceremony. Very old people were to perform the act, the initiates were many and that the process as painful as it is they do not administer anesthesia this way they rate the initiate who undergoes the whole process without any sign of fear or pain as the bravest one. Now I realized at some point that some girls I had seen at the parade were also waiting to undergo the same procedure! I couldn’t believe it, how could a society be so cruel? How could anyone want to mutilate the genitals of a female? I kept asking my friend and I was in total dismay! She kept telling me that it is the society way of intiating the girl child from childhood to adulthood. But I wondered why through such a cruel act? Can’t there be anyone who can stand against it and educate this society the health damages associated? I then observed that the same razor blades were used on all the initiates and at this point I made up my mind that I was not going to leave this place having not conveyed my dismay to the few people who would care to listen. There was so much tension as the process took place, much tension from the parents of the initiates because if anyone cried or screamed during the process they could be left alone and the whole society would treat such a person as a coward. Every time the operation went well there would be ululations in high voices. The few times the operation didn’t go smoothly there would kicks and blows it was so cruel. That whole event challenged me to try and convince the people there how wrong it was to use the same blades, the dangers of HIV and AIDS associated to sharing such items, the health problems associated to Female Genital Mutilation and for sure I was met with hostility but with time since it sank down in some people and they began to see the truth of the matter. Well, I got the contacts of those I found to be reasonable and I have continued to having communication with them, trying to educate them on these matters but the response is slow and I don’t think I will give up even if it takes my life time to have spread this word.

Red Ocean And Blue Ocean Strategy Essay

In the world of business there are many ways to work, and they are very different, in this case im going to talk about the blue ocean strategy, and the basic for this strategy is that companies need no challenges themselves, not with other companies, on the other hand we said that a Company has a red ocean strategy when they compete with other companies, and thats why these 2 are different, not only in the color, also in the concept. BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY This concept comes from a book with the same name â€Å"Blue Ocean Strategy† (Harvard Business Review Press 20050), by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne. The primary concept si avoid the bloody path of business, and thats how we know the red oceans, instead of looking how to compite with the others, create new ways to work and free of competitors. The main idea of this is to create a model of business with low cost and that low cost be the differentiation, when a Company do that, get it the blue ocean. To get together the differentiation and the low cost there are 4 key questions that apport some basic stuff that is neccesary to get in the blue ocean. †¢Raise: What factors should be raised well above the industry’s standard? †¢Eliminate: Which factors that the industry has long competed on should be eliminated? †¢Reduce: Which factors should be reduced well below the industry’s standard? †¢Create: Which factors should be created that the industr y has never offered? For some companies its complicated answer this questions, but in fact, this are some elements that companies in the red ocean, see in the opposite way. In the blue ocean your Company is the principal element, defined as the title indicates, you have all the water for yourselve. They need to change the concept of competition, and focus on the competition inside the Company, that means that they need to check every idea that comes from the Company. An example of blue ocean strategy is cirque du solei, they take the concept of circus and changed it, instead of animal the main part of the circus is the estravagant dance and other things like opera and ballet, also the  customers are different, mostly of them are adults, unnatural for a normal circus. Another example comes from Nintendo and their revolutionary product, wii, that comes i 2006 and with that, Nintendo offers an original and fun way to play, besides their principal competitors sony and Microsoft, they focused in create an u nique product, and also, without a powerful cpu Nintendo reduce the production cost and give a exciting way to play. RED OCEANS STRATEGY This is the normal market place, the place where companies confront other companies and swim in the bloody sea. Companies try to outperform their rivals to grab a greater share of existing demand, usually through marginal changes in offering level and Price. These companies are normal for the people and society, and in fact the majority of companies in some form practices the red ocean strategy. This companies are in constant fight with others, and they are always watching the prices of the competitors, and offer a better Price, its a simple concept that doesnt have science they are just normal companies doing the same stuff always, watching the actions of others and always in danger. This is a concept that doesnt have a lot of science, its just the normal market that we are seing evey day. CONCLUSION The red ocean strategy maybe Works for big companies, but this doesnt define i fis the best option, companies should use the blue ocean strategy because when a lot of companies do the same, the results are going to be the same, and what a Company look for is to get bigger than what they were yesterday. In the concept of blue ocean strategy i dentify that the innovation has a special role in this model, they need to create something different from the rest, and when they do that, they are innovating, but this innovation needs to be unique, that means that only the Company that introduce the change can afford to repeat that unique process. The blue ocean strategy is the best option for every Company, including big companies. REFERENCES http://thomasafowler82.wordpress.com/2013/09/10/what-is-red-ocean-strategy-and

Change and Conflict Management in Nursing

Change and Conflict Management in Nursing Jon Teegardin Change and Conflict Change and conflict occur in all aspects of our society. In nursing, it is important to identify and embrace change, address and resolve conflict, and do so in an effective and efficient manner. This paper will present descriptions of change theories, conflict theories, and how a nurse’s ability to handle both can enhance or hinder effective leadership. Additionally, the leader as a change agent will be discussed. Change Theories While there are numerous theories of change that exist, in the profession of nursing there are three main theories that are consistently seen throughout the healthcare industry. These theories are Lewins theory of change, Rogers change theory, and Spradley’s change theory. Lewins change theory Probably the most recognizable theory of change is that presented by Kurt Lewin. His theory involves three stages to change: unfreezing, moving, and refreezing (Stolley, 2005). Two forces are present in this theory, the driving force, or those pushing for a particular change, and the resistant force, those who are resistant to the change. For change to occur the driving force or agents for change, must be stronger than the resistant force. In the unfreezing stage, the driving force develops a method that allows people to let go of the current, unproductive way of doing something. By finding this method, individual resistance to the change is overcome. In the moving phase, individuals are encouraged to change their way of thinking, feeling, or behavior to the new method. Finally, in the refreezing stage, this change becomes the new habit and ultimately the standard operating procedure. Lewins theory is also referred to as the force field theory that states an organization attempts to maintain a state of equilibrium between change forces and restraining forces (Swanson, & Creed, 2014). Change agents are the forces for change and must overcome the restraining forces to make the change successful. Rogers change theory Everette Rogers’s theory is a modification of Lewin’s change theory and involves five stages. The stages are awareness, interest, evaluation, implementation and adoption (Boston University School of Health, 2013). Roger’s theory is typically applied to long term projects. In the awareness stage, individuals are exposed to the new idea or process but lack all of the information about it. In the interest stage, the individual is interested in the new idea and seeks out additional information. The next stage is the evaluation stage where the individual determines how to apply the idea or process to their situation and decides whether or not they want to try it. The implementation stage occurs when the individual decides to make full use of the idea or process. Finally, in the adoption stage, the individual decides to continue to use the new idea or process. Roger’s theory is an example of social cognitive theory. Change does not occur im mediately among all those presented with the change. There are actually five groups of people that implement the change over time. These groups are innovators who are leaders that embrace the change immediately, early adopters who are also leaders but will follow innovators, the early majority who are the bulk of the followers, the late majority who include skeptics of the change, and finally laggards who are resistant to change (Kaminski, 2011).

A5-Chpt 7 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A5-Chpt 7 - Assignment Example Its other fundamental role is in the industrial field, where it acts like a trade organization. Through this it enables the preservation of a secure ACH Network and at the same time, taking into account the public sentiments (NACHA). There are numerous innovations and technologies in emergence, thus changing the manner in which businesses access, utilize and transit their money. The current world is shifting into an electronic and mobile infrastructure (NACHA). This depicts the essence of securing the electronic payments to ensure that they operate as expected by the consumers. Here the ACH Network emerges into involvement because it makes all these possibilities into action. In addition, NACHA is the trustee of this payment network. The major participants involved when making an ACH e-payment are the originator, ODFI, ACH operator, RDFI, receiver and the third party processor (NACHA). There are various changes and upcoming projects that are emerging from the ACH Network. Some are already in implementation while others are still in the planning stage. However, there is one outstanding project that is underway and it entails authorization proof for non-consumer entries. This project will be effective by the end of the 2014 year, awaiting its implementation (NACHA). Currently, RDFIs are often not asked to provide authorization proof for their card transaction entries. This will improve the security protection, thus impeding any corrupt activities when transacting business and making payments. This is a relevant project coming up in the ACH that will boost its network

E-learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

E-learning - Essay Example University Senate Regulations: www2.le.ac.uk/offices/sas2/regulations/documents/2012-13/Senatereg11-discipline.pdf Unintended plagiarism as well as deliberate plagiarism will result in the award of a fail grade. In recent years, the proliferation of the latest technologies and easy access to a wide range of Internet tools, the lives of people has been changed significantly. Even the learning sector has been impacted due to the robust growth in the technological gadgets; it has revolutionised the learning and teaching areas of the field simultaneously (Conole et al., 2003). As a result, there is a surge in the demand of workforce which makes learning a part of their training and development agenda during the career growth (Newton & Ellis, 2005). In order to cultivate an E-learning culture within the organisation, it is mandatory for the management team to seek help from the professionals so that they can enhance the morale of the workforce (Wall & Ahmed, 2008). The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been playing a dual role in the digital era. At one extreme, it is expected that the information oriented society in future will have to face various challenges. Likewise, these challenges ignited by the technology driven, knowledge intensive and dynamic working life will facilitate the lifelong and continuous competence development of the working people in various aspects of life (Tynjala & Hakkinen, 2005). On the other extreme, it is believed that ICT will assist in developing solutions for the posed challenges. The rapid changes in the field of E-learning have taken place due to evolution of the technologies which is also considered as a problem in this arena (Tynjala & Hakkinen, 2005). It is evident from the history of E-learning that there was dominance of the technology-driven approaches such as CAI (Computer-Aided Instructions), mobile learning, blended learning and distance learning; the basic learning process remains consistent just the

Team motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Team motivation - Essay Example The organization is now on the treat o dissolving. In due with that, he should quickly establish many changes (which are actually revivals based on their history as currently they had not implemented) on the organization. He should revive the parliamentary rules and procedures on meetings. According to the code of ethics, it to make sure that the meeting shall go professionally, or is in other terms without bias (Slaughter, online, 2006). This is a kind if self-regulation on the president's part, which is technically backed up by a due process-i.e. he could not make decisions on his own, pass bias judgment. In fact he cannot even vote. In meetings, the writer must be careful of his nonverbal cues, which can influence other emotions (Academic, 1992, 18:12). He should smile often, and control the tone of his gestures into non-threatening, as Patton would suggest in her example (1997, 118-120). It is about 10 years ago that the since SAO had appointed chairpersons on its activities. Choosing the right people for the first time to chair the right activity was the next challenge. The writer must, prior on that meeting had asked members individually what event do they want to lead. During the past 10 years, the president always "led" all of the activities, which were just a carbon copy of that of last year.

Free Healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Free Healthcare - Essay Example (explanation) 2. The goal of free healthcare perfectly harmonizes with the ideals enshrined in the American constitution and the ethical moorings of the American society. Absence of free healthcare is un-American and un-democratic and interferes with the objective of social justice. (explanation) B. Absence of free healthcare exposes the lower strata of the American society to excessive stress and anxiety, thereby deteriorating its quality of life. 1. Citizens hailing from the weaker sections of the American society often have to face unwarranted stress and apprehension because of being unable to afford proper healthcare for themselves and their family members. (explanation) 2. Even if the poor Americans somehow manage to afford medical remedies for their health problems, it puts excessive burden on their financial resources and curtails their ability to allocate money for other basic necessitates like housing, nutrition, education and sanitation. (explanation) C. Absence of free healthcare is making America more vulnerable to pestilence and epidemics. 1. Many people being unable to afford medical care for their health problems simply carry on with their lives, without coming under the scrutiny of any health professional or agency. Presence of such unattended patients with potential infectious and contagious diseases jeopardizes the safety and well-being of the entire society. (explanation) 2. For example, the recent proliferation of Swine Flu in North America made it mandatory to quarantine and isolate... 2. The goal of free healthcare perfectly harmonizes with the ideals enshrined in the American constitution and the ethical moorings of the American society. Absence of free healthcare is un-American and un-democratic and interferes with the objective of social justice. (explanation) 1. Citizens hailing from the weaker sections of the American society often have to face unwarranted stress and apprehension because of being unable to afford proper healthcare for themselves and their family members. (explanation) 2. Even if the poor Americans somehow manage to afford medical remedies for their health problems, it puts excessive burden on their financial resources and curtails their ability to allocate money for other basic necessitates like housing, nutrition, education and sanitation. (explanation) 1. Many people being unable to afford medical care for their health problems simply carry on with their lives, without coming under the scrutiny of any health professional or agency. Presence of such unattended patients with potential infectious and contagious diseases jeopardizes the safety and well-being of the entire society. (explanation) 2. For example, the recent proliferation of Swine Flu in North America made it mandatory to quarantine and isolate the infected individuals.

Retail Theories and Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Retail Theories and Strategies - Essay Example Retailing is an activity of enormous economic significance to most developed nations. In Britain, 2.5 million people are employed in retailing, comprising 10.5 percent of all employees (National Statistics, 2001a). Retailers provide the goods and services needed--from food, auto parts, apparel, home furnishings, appliances and electronics to advice, home improvement and skilled labor. Retailing is one of the fastest-growing segments of the economy. As one of the nation's largest employers, the retail industry provides excellent business opportunities. At least one-third of the 100,000 or so new enterprises launched each year are retail operations. The entrepreneurs behind these ventures risk their capital, invest their time and make a living by offering consumers something they need or want. Most retailing involves buying merchandise or a service from a manufacturer, wholesaler, agent, importer or other retailer and selling it to consumers for their personal use. The price charged fo r the goods or services covers the retailer's expenses and includes a profit. Each year, this vital sector of the UK economy accounts for about 08 percent of our gross national product--more than $1 billion.. Most are store retailers, though there are other types of enterprises--such as e-commerce, mail order, automatic-merchandising (vending) machines, direct retailing (door-to-door and home party sales), and service providers. ... Strategically, food retailing has become a highly competitive industry increasingly answerable to the City and shareholder pressure. Labour represents the second largest financial outlay for the retailer after merchandise costs. The most efficient means of labour utilization are therefore a strategic priority. Attempts to improve market share and increase profitability have resulted in operational changes that have influenced the structure of the retail food labor market.It is essential that retailers are aware of the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of targeting a particular segment of customers which needs to be done considering the suitability of different options to their kind of business and the environments in which they wish to operate. In a retailing environment, it requires major market analysis to understand what type of customers needs to be targeted for a specific product. This is highly time - consuming and irrelevant and inappropriate data might result in the loss of the retailer. Another important task involves, UK retailers and their suppliers of retail branded products must take "all reasonable precautions and exercise all due diligence", in the development, manufacture, distribution, advertising or sale of food products to the consumer. Segmenting Retail Markets Every customer has a different set of needs, wants and motives, but in few consumer goods market it is feasible fully to tailor the retailing mix to the level of the individual customer. Hence the need to identify reasonably homogeneous groupings, or segments, of shoppers to be the target(s) of retail marketing

Cloning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Cloning - Essay Example ifferent contexts in biological research but in its most simple and strict sense, it refers to a precise genetic copy of a molecule, cell, plant, animal, or human being. In some of these contexts, cloning refers to established technologies that have been part of agricultural practice for a very long time and currently form an important part of the foundations of modern biological research† (Nussbaum & Sunstein, 1998, p. 1). Although this method has created many live successes, it has proved significantly less likely to generate successful instances of pregnancy than those conceived naturally via sexual intercourse. Additionally, the majority of cloned mammals have had some form of birth defect. Mammals do not replicate their own DNA through the natural process. This occurs only by cloning which presents both scientific and ethical implications. â€Å"The prospect of such replication for humans has resulted in the most controversial debate about reproduction ever to be taken up in western civilization† (McGee, 2001). Plants create offspring through replication by the natural method. When mammals replicate DNA by artificial means the practice is complex both technically and socially speaking. Those who are in opposition to cloning humans contend that this unnatural form of reproduction has a tremendous potential for basing dubious procreation decisions with regard to the genetic engineering of children. Their worry is that the traditional family is in jeopardy of evolving in a bizarre, unfamiliar and socially undesirable direction. Supporters of cloning procedures say that it may possibly, among other attributes, serve society as a valuable alternative infertility treatment. The cloning of animals has provoked the debate regarding the social, legal and ethical aspects concerning human cloning. Because of failure rate as compared to the customary conception method in animal testing, scholars, scientists and politicians usually agree that human experiments

Understanding how asset classes and systematic strategies behave and Thesis - 1

Understanding how asset classes and systematic strategies behave and perform during different macroeconomic environments - Thesis Example The CLI system uses a predefined system of indicators and uses their composite measure to predict the future economic activities. The movement of CLI is in the same direction of movement of the business cycle and they are specially designed to recognize the turning point. However, CLIs cannot be used to predict the intensity of recovery of the business cycle. The importance of this method has increased even more after the global financial crisis of 2008 as it has become very important for the policy makers, economists and other agents related to the business cycle to analyze the economic condition correctly (OECD, 2009). In case of the CLI OECD indicators it has been observed that the CLI results are mainly used by the in-house users. Analysts have mainly used this method to determine the current state of the economy. This paper focuses on the use of CLI indicators in predicting the future pattern of economic growth in a number of economies. This is done by reviewing the existing literature. The final part of the paper focuses on the behaviour of the asset classes and its relation to the business cycle. The CLI indicators was introduced in 1938 and has been modified a number of times to improve its efficiency over time. It has been stated that CLIs are mainly constructed by using reference series as it represents a composite of many other indicators. As in most of the other composite indicators Gross Domestic Product was expected to be one of the major indicators to be used as reference series in constructing CLI. However, in practice it has been observed that Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is taken as the primary reference series. The rationale behind involving IIP is that this is measured on a monthly basis whereas GDP is measured at a quarterly basis. It is for this reason that IIP is found to show the way in which GDP will behave in the subsequent months. In case of OECD countries the concept of leading

Understanding Business Research Terms and Concepts Essay Example for Free

Understanding Business Research Terms and Concepts Essay The first article discusses the overall Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people; and Building a Foundation for a better understanding. In this article you will find accompanying research on the generally health status of the LGBT community. A condition in order to review existing research on sexual-gender-minority health, this article presents research encounters accompanying with this particular study of LGBT populations. When research method along with data sources that would be used in the studding of these populaces and to determine the best overall reliable practice for directing this type of research on the health conditions on LGBT people, also finding a summary of key on research opportunities. With this topic the three overall important challenges are confronting the researchers attempt to gathering any type of effective and somewhat consistent data for describing the LGBT community and the basics on measuring their health. The first is defining the overall measures of sexual coordination and the gender distinctiveness. Next is overpowering the lack of enthusiasm from some LGBT individuals in order to identify themselves for the purposes of research. The third challenge is to obtain high-quality samples of relatively small populations. Although the â€Å"LGBT† acronym is generally applied to more or less lesbians, gay people, bisexual women and men, and also transgender people. These groups are pretty distinct and could also comprise with other subgroups based on ethnicity, race, age, geographic location, and other factors like socioeconomic status. These types of variations have been implicated for the purpose of health research, also including the need to capture sample sizes that are just large enough to help with the understanding of difference amongst certain subgroups. With the research method in all practical of each component the studies design has to be grounded on the deliberation of certain appearances of the people actuality studied, in order for the most actual method of the data received are to be  developed. When dealing with the LGBT studies the research needs to identify and choose the most effective methods to balance for the unique research that is explained above. Challenges with sampling requires careful precise of definition on the targeted population of its study. When you set up the target population be sure to set up as well the elements and what information is required overall and what limited estimates that would be required (ONM, 2001). Let just say for example, the targeted population is the LGBT in a particular state, geographic or the community area. If the supporters of this targeted populace are nominated into to a particular sample by random and unbiased mechanism and every individual within the target should have knowledge of being selected into this studies and the overall subsequent study model could be used to attraction implications and will simplify the target population, thus generating a â€Å"representative† of this targeted populace. Other items explain in this article are data collections using quantitative and Qualitative methods. In addition to choosing the most appropriate sampling frame that concerns major methodological concerns over the options of using quantitative and Qualitative methods. With research opportunity its beat that procedures need to be created for take full advantage of its usefulness obtainable data. I next article I came across was about Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice. It discusses how nursing is clearly becoming a bit more evolving towards a likable evidence-based practice regardless of the many obstacles that are processed. In today society trends are propelling around healthcare delivery system for the concentration on patient overall safety, its value, and overall distinction to create a managerial cultural within expectation for all teams members of healthcare. The landmark publications To Err is Human (Institute of Medicine, 2000) and Crossing the Quality Chasm (Institute of Medicine, 2001) have served as the impetus for all healthcare professionals to consider their practice patterns. The quest for Magnet designation has propelled nursing leaders to evaluate whether the care delivery models they use incorporate evidence-based practice, and there is integration of research and evidence-based practice in clinical and operational processes (Turkel, Reidinger, F erket, Reno, 2005). To embed these values among a nursing staff, clinical staff participation in the  process of nursing research is critical, as well as the use of evidence to drive nursing interventions (Clark, 2006). I have noted that the research generally process of methodical inquiry to create and develop acquaintance within a self-control or profession. I have also learned that research validates and refinances of existing knowledge and develops new knowledge (Burns and Grove, 2007). With nursing research priorities exists to provide a certain high quality of nursing care for any individual in need of any type of healthcare promotions, also health sustain along with health-restoring strategies. Is show’s how the overall consequence of this type of research activity for a typical nurse would be ultimately and put its knowledge increased to work along with its healthcare delivery! Something else I have found about research priorities is that; frequently set up by groups that will fund its research just to reassure nurse researchers and to possibly devote time and money within in those types of areas! Looking at its study designs tells the researcher how data would be collected. It’s noted that the researcher indicates a method founded on a question along with the current levels of knowledge about the issues at hand to be studied. The concept like caring, pain and unhappiness are of principal importance (Speziale and Carpenter, 2007); this design provides a dimension of understanding and adds to the traditional quantity method. For an overall general understanding Nurses of just about every level should really critically read these types of research journal articles. It also explains the types of levels and evidence that exists and it many forms. Perhaps you can see that the most obvious form would be the journal article that helps to describe a single research study. It states that certain subject has been extensively studied; other research articles with more information may also be wide-ranging as well. Previous to EBP, the readers were responsibly for original reports to evaluate and to agree if any of the supporting documentation could be used in a practice setting. References: http://phoenix.summon.serialssolutions.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/search?s. q=business+problem+is+researched+using+a+qualitative+design+and+the+other+using+a+quantitative+design AAPOR (American Association for Public Opinion Research) Best practices. 2010. [October 22, 2010].https://www​.aapor.org/Best_Practices.htm. Aaron DJ, Chang YF, Markovic N, LaPorte RE. Estimating the lesbian population: A capture-recapture approach.Journal of Epidemiology Community Health. 2003;57(3):207–209. [PMC free article] [PubMed] Almeida J, Johnson RM, Corliss HL, Molnar BE, Azrael D. Emotional distress among LGBT youth: The influence of perceived discrimination based on sexual orientation. Journal of Youth Adolescence. 2009;38(7):1001–1014.[PMC free article] [PubMed] Austin SB, Conron K, Patel A, Freedner N. Making sense of sexual orientation measures: Findings from a cognitive processing study with adolescents on health survey questions. Journal of LGBT Health Research. 2007;3(1):55–65.[PubMed] Clark, M. L. (2006). The Magnet Recognition Program and evidence-based practice. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 21, 186–189. Check Document Availability Bibliographic Links [Context Link] Greenhalgh, T. (2006). How to read a paper: The basics of evidence-based medicine(3rd ed.). Oxford, England: Blackwell Publishing. [Context Link] Institute of Medicine. (Ed.). (2000). To err is human: Building a safer system.Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Context Link] Institute of Medicine (Ed.). (2001). Crossing the quality chasm: A new health system for the 21st century. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Context Link]

Money Magazine Essay Example for Free

Money Magazine Essay It seems that Baton Rouge, Louisiana is surviving the current real estate crisis better than most cities. According to a Money Magazine article, â€Å"10 Fastest Growing Real Estate Markets† dated May 13, 2008, Baton Rouge was rated number nine. As of the date of the article, Baton Rouge showed a positive one year price change of 5. 7%; and a positive five year price change of 38%; even though the foreclosure rate had increased by 14% in the same time period. (Money, 2008). Some of the price stability in the real estate market there may be attributable to proactive legislation. If we count mortgage fraud as one of the key factors in the current economic crisis, then we can congratulate the state of Louisiana in the steps they took to prevent fraud. Louisiana’s state Office of Financial Institutions (OFI) took action in December of 2007 to join other states in passing legislation to prevent mortgage fraud. Legislators felt that even though there was not a reported high incidence of mortgage fraud, many of Louisiana’s homeowners were especially vulnerable because of the two recent devastating hurricanes, Katrina and Rita. OFI examiners sought legislative funding to assist with communication within its agency; analysis of statistics and tracking cases. Educating the public about mortgage fraud, including foreclosure help scams, became a top priority. The OFI also investigates allegations of fraud such as buyers pretending to purchase a house as an owner occupied dwelling when it is in fact an investment property. Appraisal fraud is also actively investigated. Appraisal fraud occurs when property appraisers inflate the value of a property to obtain a larger mortgage, often at the behest of a lender or mortgage broker. This scam may seem to boost instant equity in the property, but in truth is a huge detriment to homeowners. This type of activity is particularly insidious, because in the event of a market downturn, homeowners often suddenly owe more on their property than the property’s real value. (Thibodeaux, 2007). While researching this paper I became curious as to how foreclosures in Baton Rouge might compare to another city. I chose Hialeah, Florida to compare, because they are similar in size and not too far off in median age. Also, Florida is ranked in the top four states in foreclosure rates. California, Arizona and Michigan are the other three. As of July, 2007, Baton Rouge had a population of slightly over 227,000 residents; and Hialeah had a population of just over 212,000. Median age groups for both areas was between 30 and 37 years old, so neither is strictly a retirement area. The median household incomes for both areas were nearly identical at just over $32,000. per year. The similarities between these two areas ends there. (Citi Data, 2008). According to Zillow there are 66 foreclosures in Baton Rouge and a whopping 1326 foreclosures in Hialeah. I chose to use the information from Zillow rather than Realty Trac. Realty Trac displays as foreclosures properties in any degree of foreclosure; while Zillow displays houses as foreclosures after they have been sold at a foreclosure auction. Realty Trac when they display foreclosures includes as foreclosures any property anywhere on the foreclosure timeline. If a homeowner has been served with a Notice of Default or a Lis Pendens, it shows up on Realty Trac as a foreclosure. Some of these properties will not be sold at a foreclosure auction. There are many things that can happen between the time a homeowner is served with a foreclosure complaint and the auction at the county court house. A homeowner may remedy the foreclosure by paying all past due payments. The property may be sold as a short sale after a homeowner has received the foreclosure complaint. A short sale cures a foreclosure. Similarly, a homeowner may successfully negotiate a mortgage loan modification after having been served with a foreclosure complaint. A loan modification changes the terms of a mortgage loan to make it more affordable for the homeowner. Lenders have many tools at their disposal to make changes to the terms of the mortgage loan. It is within the lender’s power and discretion to lengthen the loan period for the mortgage, say from a 30 year mortgage to a forty year mortgage and adding the missed payments to the end of the loan period. This provides the homeowner with some immediate relief and the lender does not lose. Or a lender has the ability to change the terms of a mortgage from an adjustable rate mortgage to a fixed rate; or simply change the rate to a lower interest rate. Lenders also have within their power to reduce the principle of the mortgage loan, although lenders are understandably reluctant to do so. (Zillow, 2008). Besides the actual number of foreclosures in Baton Rouge and Hialeah there are also some other striking differences between their respective housing markets. Even though the median household incomes for both areas is nearly identical the median home prices are very different. In Baton Rouge the median home price in 2007 was $142,000. ; and the median home price in Hialeah for the same time period was $245,000. amounting to over a $100,000 difference. The rate of appreciation in the two housing markets also provides some insight as to why one area is so rife with foreclosures and the other is not. In Baton Rouge the median home price was $93,000 in 2000. The increase to $142,000. in 2007 represents about 5% appreciation per year over seven years. By contrast, Hialeah saw an increase from a median home price in 2000 of $102,000. to more than double over 100% in the same time period, which is around a 20% per year rate of appreciation. It is small wonder that so many homes in Hialeah have gone to foreclosure auction. (Citi Data, 2008). When I plugged the different principle amounts into a simple mortgage calculator and used an optimistic 6. 5% interest rate, and a 30 year fixed mortgage loan; the results were remarkable. The homeowner in Baton Rouge would pay $897. 54 per month for his $142,000. home; and the homeowner in Hialeah would pay $1,548. 57 for his $245,000. home. Both homeowners are working with nearly identical incomes. After researching the literature and the data collected for this paper, I wondered whether mortgage fraud played a large role in Hialeah, Florida’s foreclosure rate. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Florida is one of the states where mortgage fraud is most common, and Louisiana is not mentioned in their report. The FBI defines mortgage fraud as the â€Å"intentional misstatement, misrepresentation, or misstatement by an applicant or other interested parties, relied on by a lender or underwriter to provide funding for, to purchase, or to insure a mortgage loan. † (FBI, 2007). â€Å"Analysis of available information indicated that mortgage fraud was most concentrated in the north central region of the United States. Data from law enforcement and industry sources were compared and mapped to determine which mortgage fraud states for 2007 were Florida, Georgia, Michigan, California, affected by mortgage fraud according to available sources included Arizona, Connecticut. † (FBI, 2007). Mortgage fraud is described as a low-risk, high yield white collar crime. Individuals in finance related occupations such as mortgage brokers, lenders, and accountants were most likely to engage in mortgage fraud. These perpetrators, since they are familiar with the mortgage loan process are best positioned to exploit the process’ vulnerabilities. Victims of mortgage fraud may not only include the borrower and the lender, but entire surrounding neighborhoods as well. If foreclosure rates due to high incidence of mortgage fraud, such as artificially high appraisals, the effect is that the surrounding neighborhoods values also begin to decline. (FBI, 2007). It seems clear that there are a couple of important factors that explain the differences in rates of foreclosures in the two cities examined, Hialeah, Florida and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. First, Louisiana government took steps to prevent mortgage fraud before it ever became rampant. Second, Louisiana enjoyed a relatively modest appreciation in home values during the boom years, home prices never exceeded an amount that a family living within their means could afford. The opposite is true in Florida. In fact, Florida rated number one in the incidence of mortgage fraud in 2006 and 2007. It is simple enough to imagine that appreciate rates in double digits could not last forever. If the galloping rate of appreciation during the real estate boom years was caused by mortgage fraud then the house of cards was destined to finally collapse. References Citi Data (2008). Baton Rouge and Hialeah. Retrieved December 11, 2008. http://www. city-data. com/city/Baton-Rouge-Louisiana. html http://www. city-data. com/city/Hialeah-Florida. html Daily Report (2008). Baton Rouge ranks near bottom for foreclosure activity Oct. 23, 2008 Retrieved December 10, 2008. http://www. businessreport. com/archives/daily-report/2008/oct/23/667/ Federal Bureau of Investigation (2007). â€Å"Mortgage Fraud Report† Retrieved December 10, 2008. http://www. fbi. gov/publications/fraud/mortgage_fraud07. htm Thibodeaux, Anna (2007). Buyers Beware. December 17, 2007. Retrieved December 11, 2008 http://www. businessreport. com/news/2007/dec/17/buyers-beware-fnc1/ Zillow (2008). Retrieved December 11, 2008. http://www. zillow. com/homes/map/Hialeah,-Florida_rb/ http://www. zillow. com/homes/map/Baton-Rouge,-Louisiana

McMurphys One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest

McMurphys One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest This question is answered through the investigation of five specific aspects of McMurphys life in the asylum: McMurphys arrival into the asylum, his healing miracles, the change and truth McMurphy brings, his followers, and lastly, McMurphys death. These aspects in the novel will bring the revelations of McMurphys Christ-likeness and unlikeness, closer to the requirements of the research question. In each phase of McMurphys life, I assessed the extent to which Kesey portrayed McMurphy as a Christ-figure, keeping in mind the intentions of the author, as well as its effect on the American society in the 1960s. While using this novel as a primary resource, I also explored secondary resources like study guides, published interviews, journal articles, literary criticism and the Internet. The essay concludes that Kesey has portrayed McMurphy as a satirical Comic Christ. Kesey eases into the idea of McMurphy as Messiah. McMurphy becomes increasingly Christ-like as the plot progresses, indicated by the increasing intensity of the allusions from simple unobtrusive allusions in his arrival, to pronounced biblical allusions to Christ in his death. While McMurphy becomes more of a Christ-figure, he still retains the essence of his character throughout the novel his irreverent nature. Through the portrayal of McMurphy as a Comic Christ, Kesey echoes his anti-establishment feelings throughout the novel. This influences the readers perspective, particularly the straight-laced American society of the 1960s, on issues such as conformity and individuality. Kesey encourages readers to adopt a personal sense of morality, as the views of the majority may not necessarily be the best. INTRODUCTION One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey captures the anti-establishment sentiments of America in the 1960s through the arrival of anarchist R.P. McMurphy at a mental asylum in Oregon, the ‘Cuckoos Nest of the title. Using McMurphys conflict with Nurse Ratched and the ‘Combine, this classic deals with issues prevalent in its era. The supposition that Kesey shapes McMurphy after the archetype of Jesus Christ resounds in much of the literary criticism written on One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. This essay aims to ascertain the extent to which Kesey models McMurphy after Christ. It also aims to examine the effect this has on plot development and readers reactions. It will do this by answering the question: Many critics believe that McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey is deliberately portrayed as a Christ-figure. To what extent does Kesey portray McMurphy as a Christ-figure? A Christ-figure is an individual who displays certain Christ-like traits, and is comparable to Christ of the Bible. The character may possess divine qualities such as the ability to perform miracles. He may also bring new truths with him, and fight for justice by defying authority. The Christ-figure is often a martyr, sacrificing himself for the liberation of others. This can be seen as his ultimate act of love. In One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, McMurphy is a parallel of Jesus in some aspects. In order to define the extent to which Kesey wants us to look at McMurphy as a Christ-figure, this essay will delve into five distinct aspects of McMurphys life: McMurphys entrance into the institution, his miracle healings, the revelation of truth and changes McMurphy brings with him, McMurphys disciples and McMurphys death. The significance of McMurphys entrance into the asylum. The novel begins with McMurphys entrance into the psychiatric ward. Bromden, who narrates the story from his perspective, describes McMurphy as â€Å"no ordinary Admission† An ‘Admission would normally be given an ‘Admission shower, where Kesey hints that the â€Å"black boys† rape the ‘Admissions with a rectal thermometer. In 1960s America, where racial discrimination was still at its peak, African-Americans were viewed as the dregs of society. Particularly in the South, African-Americans were subject to harsh treatment. In the 1960s, the rape of the new ‘Admissions by the â€Å"black boys† emphasizes their vulnerability and weakness. Unlike the usual ‘Admission who submits with a â€Å"weak little yes†, McMurphy brassily refuses the ‘Admission shower. His strength and assurance marks him as the odd one out. McMurphy is in full control of the situation and is not easily pushed around. This is apparent when he tells the â€Å"black boy†, â€Å"Get back away from me with that thermometer, Sam†. Not only does he command Sam confidently and boldly, he also calls him by his name. In contrast, one â€Å"black boy† describes Bromden, who is a foil to McMurphy, as â€Å"big enough to eat apples off my head an he mine me like a baby†. Bromdens timid and submissive nature highlights McMurphys assertive personality, making McMurphy seem larger than life despite being physically smaller than Bromden in reality. McMurphys sanity amidst a ward of mentally ill patients makes him superior. In spite of this, McMurphy enters the ward humbly, shaking everyones hand. This humble act implies that McMurphy regards everyone as an equal, despite being a cut above the rest. At this point in the novel, it would never occur to readers that McMurphy is an archetype of Christ. Kesey makes no hint of McMurphy as a Christ-figure. McMurphys entrance into the psychiatric ward is dissimilar to Christs entrance into the world, apart from having a powerful presence, which is hardly a character trait exclusive to Christ. McMurphy is vastly different from Christ. He is a sex addict convicted of having sexual relations with a â€Å"child of fifteen†, as well as a â€Å"gambling fool†with a deck of cards showing â€Å"fifty-two (sex) positions†. The courts ruled that he was a psychopath who â€Å"fights and fucks too much†. McMurphy owns boxer shorts with â€Å"big white whales†resembling Melvilles Moby-Dick, which is possibly perceived as a phallic pun, though, it can also symbolise the omnipresent and all-powerful nature of God , reinstating McMurphys character as a Christ-figure that is unabashedly sexual. However, McMurphys profanities make him an unusual Christ-figure, as he engages in the vices that Christianity teaches against. In The Comic Christ and the Modern Reader, Richard B. Hauck presents the notion that ‘The Christ-figure Metaphor Hunt is played between the reader and the author, whereby readers search for clues that prove a character is an imitation of Christ. In an effort to hide the clues, the author may purposefully assign conflicting character traits, creating a character with moral ambiguity. Perhaps it is this thrilling game, together with the humour American readers find in irony, which allows this classic to withstand the test of time. The effect of McMurphys healing miracles. A common trait of Christ-figures in literature is the ability to perform miracles. McMurphy accomplishes two healing miracles that bear slight resemblance to the miracles Christ performed during his lifetime. Ellis, who was once an ‘Acute, becomes a ‘Chronic after being sent to the ‘Shock Shop to undergo electroconvulsive therapy. â€Å"Now hes nailed against the wall in the same condition they lifted him off the table for the last time, in the same shape, arms out, palms cupped, with the same horror on his face.†Ellis position corresponds to the position of a crucified person. Crucifixion, practiced by ancient Romans, is a means of punishment for criminals. Not only does it strip a person of his dignity and life, it also serves as a warning to society on the ramifications of crime. Nurse Ratched uses Ellis as an instrument to show others what they can become if they rebel. Unlike a crucified person who dies shortly after, Ellis persistent suffering occurs daily. After McMurphy tells Ellis to arise because a grown man should not be â€Å"sloshin in his own water†, Ellis responds by momentarily stepping away from his crucified position Like Christ, McMurphy alleviates others suffering. His ability to evoke a response from Ellis demonstrates his power to release a person from the grips of evil that is embodied in Nurse Ratched. However, McMurphy is no infallible god. He does not manage to successfully heal Ellis. It is noted that Ellis miracle is rather short-lived, as he returns to the original crucified position. If Kesey were to attribute Christ-like sovereignty to McMurphy at this point, it may have upset readers in 1960s America. From a strict Christian perspective, it is considered blasphemous that a mere human with his shortcomings should be compared to Christ. Kesey gradually eases into the idea of McMurphy as a saviour, instead of blatantly shocking readers by turning a contemptuous man into a saviour overnight. In the subsequent miracle, McMurphy prompts muted Bromden to speak, by offering him a piece of gum. Bromden opens his mouth to thank him This corresponds with Christs miracle when he caused a mute to speak by casting out a demon within him. In this case, it is not the demon that prevents Bromden from speaking. Rather, it is the fear of the ‘Combine that suppresses his words, which McMurphy successfully manages to dissipate. While Ellis miracle does not last, Bromdens transformation is permanent. He begins to communicate increasingly with the ‘Acutes under McMurphys influence. Relating back to Keseys own experiences, from 1960 to 1961, he volunteered for government drug experiments at Menlo Park Hospital. After which, he became a psychiatric aide in the same ward. Having spent his time as both patient and staff, Keseys intimate knowledge of the patients circumstances aroused a deep sense of empathy for them. In his letter to Babbs titled â€Å"PEOPLE ON THE WARD†, Kesey identifies the patients by their â€Å"empty eyes†. This presents a poignant image; instead of seeing their soul through the windows of their eyes, all Kesey sees are â€Å"dilapidated organs, grinding through their organ duties†, as if living in the mental institution robs patients of their essence, just like how Ellis and Bromden deteriorate from ‘Acutes to ‘Chronics. This hints Keseys dislike for mental institutions, and his hopes for a saviour for redemption. Another interpretation is that these miracles are metaphors for the political situation in America in the sixties. Patients are referred to as â€Å"mechanical puppets†controlled by Nurse Ratched. The mental illnesses that she inflicts upon patients either rob them of the ability to express or confine self-expression, which Kesey reveals through the suffering Ellis and muted Bromden respectively. Ellis and Bromden represent society, and the ‘Combine, the government. Perhaps Kesey feels that the government suppresses ones individuality, and McMurphy is a projection of his desire to free society from the expectation to conform. The impact of the revelation of truth and changes that McMurphy brings with him. Not only do McMurphys miracles encourage self-expression, McMurphy leads by example, audaciously expressing his views that differ from society. Though McMurphy and Christ are similar in this respect, the revelations and change each brings is different. Before Christs arrival, the Pharisees had established numerous rules for what was considered ‘rest on the Sabbath. Jesus defied the rules by healing a man on the Sabbath, telling the Pharisees, â€Å"What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep!†Jesus redefined ‘rest on the Sabbath and taught them that doing good works on the Sabbath is far more essential than adhering to rituals. This is one of the many instances where Jesus challenged the Pharisees interpretations of rules. McMurphy, likewise, questions the rules by exposing the intentions of Nurse Ratched. Contrary to Hardings angelic depiction of Nurse Ratched as a â€Å"sweet, smiling, tender angel of mercy†, the sibilance in â€Å"sweet†, â€Å"smiling† and â€Å"mercy† brings out a hissing sound, like that of the serpent in Genesis, that led to Adam and Eves downfall. From this, readers can gather that she may not be who she appears to be. Like the serpent, she might possess evil motives. Furthermore, McMurphy likens therapeutic sessions to a â€Å"peckin party†, where one chicken is ripped to â€Å"shreds, blood and bones and feathers†. He reveals that Nurse Ratched does not have the patients welfare in mind. She initiates the fights by taking the first peck â€Å"where it hurts the most†, in an attempt to weaken them into compliance. Explosive words in the description of the therapeutic sessions are uttered with force, emphasizing her bestiality. This novel is possibly a medium to voice Keseys political dissatisfaction. In 1950s America, Eisenhower, a five-star military general and right-wing conservative, served his term as President. It was an era of conformity under his leadership. Kesey, however, did not conform to societal standards, but rebelled against conservative societal norms of his time. In a society where the typical American man had strict religious views, Keseys behaviour was controversial. Through the exposure of Nurse Ratcheds wicked intentions, Kesey encourages Americans to question policies implemented by the government. Evidently, Kesey was not the only one who thought that some rules would stifle ones individuality. Anti-establishment feelings were becoming rampant, with Hollywood movies like ‘Rebels Without A Cause. Another revelation that McMurphy brings is that the patients are not the rabbits they believe to be. According to Harding, â€Å"The ritual of our existence is based on the strong getting stronger by devouring the weak. We must learn to accept it as a law of the natural world†¦ (The rabbit) knows his place. He most certainly doesnt challenge the wolf to combat.†This is similar to the messages that Christ preached about the meek inheriting the earthand turning the other cheek when one is wronged. Similarly, the inmates behaviour is Christ-like. They believe they are not going to win by fighting, and do not retaliate against the ‘Combine. However, McMurphy proves that the rabbits can overcome the wolf. He alters institutionalised policies by Nurse Ratched, regarding the viewing of World Series, the use of the tub room for the ‘Acutes, as well as cigarette rationing. The message Kesey brings is different from Christ. Kesey preaches that one must assert himself in order to save his life, contrary to biblical teachings that one must lose himself in order to save his life. During the sixties, the rabbit metaphor allowed society to view themselves as Kesey does. Having progressed from the fifties, America was going through a series of rapid changes. This decade saw the rise of the counterculture the civil rights movement, gay liberation, sexual revolution and Beat Movement. Kesey was part of the Beat Generation. In the context of the institution, the ones who submit to Nurse Ratched are the mentally insane â€Å"rabbits†. Conversely, readers perceive McMurphy, who challenges Nurse Ratcheds authority, as sane. Through this setting and Hardings metaphor, readers view the conformists of society through Keseys eyes. Kesey makes readers ponder, â€Å"Is it insane to challenge rules and authority? Could it be that the mentally insane are, in fact, the ones who subject themselves without question to authorities?† The likeness of Christs disciples and McMurphys followers. Besides revealing truths that instil confidence in the patients, McMurphy also empowers them when he â€Å"(leads) the twelve of (them) toward the ocean†, to become â€Å"fishers of men†- just as Jesus did. This is a direct allusion to Jesus, who takes his twelve disciples fishing. McMurphys disciples are empowered with laughter, and manage to find humour amidst calamity. Their laughter â€Å"rang out on the water in ever-widening circles, farther and farther in wave after wave after wave.†This is like McMurphys laugh which â€Å"spreads in rings bigger and bigger till its lapping against the walls all over the ward†. The imagery of vast space that their laughter reaches emphasizes its genuineness. It is unrestricted and liberating. This is contrasted with the snickers the patients make with their fistsearlier on. Their laughter seems controlled, as if it forced within the confines of their hands, implying its falsity. Laughter is a source of sanity and strength to McMurphy, who believes that â€Å"you have to laugh at the things that hurt you just to keep the world from running you plumb crazy†and that one â€Å"cant really be strong until (he) sees a funny side to things†. Laughter is a means of salvation and freedom from oppressio n. Unlike Christs ‘fishers of men who spread the message of salvation, McMurphys ‘fishers of men are called to spread the redemptive power of laughter to mankind. By drawing a parallel to Christs followers, Kesey casts McMurphys followers in a favourable light. McMurphys disciples, who indulge in laughter, resemble The Merry Pranksters a group in the Beat Generation who indulged in pleasures atypical of society. Kesey promotes the message that what is deemed socially unacceptable may not necessarily be wrong. Right and wrong is not determined by the views of majority; but rather, by the consequences of the act. McMurphy empowers his followers with boldness. To the gas station servicemen who give them condescending looks, McMurphy lies that they came from the â€Å"criminal-insane ward†, with Billy Bibbit who was an â€Å"insane knife artist that killed three men† and so on. This causes everybody to call orders to the service-station men, â€Å"just like (they) owned the show† They stare at people at a stop light, intimidating them. It is noteworthy how antithetical to Christ, McMurphy uses immoral means, like fabrications, to empower his disciples. Perhaps it is for Kesey to remind readers that McMurphy is still a flawed human. In his attempt to humanise a saviour, Kesey relates that one does not have to be Christ or immortal to possess the same self-sacrificial love that knows no bounds. Although McMurphy maintains his profane disposition, he becomes increasingly Christ-like; not only in character, but also in the experiences they share. McMurphys dubious moral standards are juxtaposed with his Christ-likeness, to reveal what Kesey feels are the more important aspects of being a saviour. Kesey and The Merry Pranksters rebelled against authority by experimenting with hallucinogens and their sexuality. Like non-conformist McMurphy, they took to worldly pleasures. Due to the religious surge in post-WW2, readers of the sixties would have frowned upon the seemingly unprincipled lives of The Merry Pranksters and McMurphy. By presenting McMurphy as a secular Christ-figure, Kesey upholds that the positive contribution one brings to society overrides the importance of strictly adhering to biblical rules. McMurphy is proof that a morally flawed character can bring monumental benefits to his community. The meaning in McMurphys death. The events leading to McMurphys death accentuate his Christ-likeness. Because McMurphy fights the aides to protect George, Nurse Ratched sends him to be electroshocked. Electroshock treatment is likened to a crucifixion, with a cross-shaped table Before McMurphys crucifixion, he says, â€Å"Anointest my head with conductant. Do I get a crown of thorns?†This is comparable to Christs crown of thorns. Furthermore, a man announces: â€Å"I wash my hands off this whole deal† an echo of Pontius Pilates words before he executed Christ. This foreshadows McMurphys eventual death. Before the crucifixion of Christ, Jesus had his ‘Last Supper with his disciples. The traitor Judas Iscariot was amongst them. McMurphys ‘Last Supper at the asylum is celebrated with alcohol and his hiring of two whores, one of whom Bibbit loses his virginity to in the ‘Seclusion Room Following Nurse Ratcheds discovery and threats of telling his mother, Bibbit identifies McMurphy as the mastermind behind this. He then commits suicide by â€Å"(cutting) his throat†, unable to handle the guilt. A parallel can be drawn to Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus and then hung himself out of remorse McMurphy, upset about Nurse Ratcheds strong influence over Bibbit, smashes through the glass and rips her uniform down the front, exposing her breasts In doing so, McMurphy brings his final revelation of the truth that Nurse Ratched is merely human, changing the patients mechanical perception of her forever. From then on, she â€Å"couldnt rule with her old power†, as she could â€Å"no longer conceal the fact that she was a woman† McMurphy pays for this with his mind the very thing that defines his life. Nurse Ratched sends him for a lobotomy that leaves him a â€Å"Vegetable. Bromden refers to him as â€Å"it†, knowing McMurphy is already dead inside, and â€Å"mashed the pillow into the face† to find that â€Å"the expression hadnt changed from the blank, dead-end look the least bit†. The term â€Å"mash† connotes violence in the merciful act of killing McMurphy. The paradox of mercy killing is redolent of the Roman centurion who drove a spear through Christs side, relieving his suffering by quickening his death. McMurphy dies as a crucified person would: by suffocation. He could have undertaken his plan to escape and live, but chose to die for the inmates sake. Likewise, Christ died on the cross to save mankind. The 1960s society would have a thorough comprehension of the torture endured by Christ, a fundamental concept of Christianity. A Christ-like death for McMurphy effectively evokes sympathy in readers. Hence, it is likely that the readers respect for McMurphy, who sacrifices his very being, far outweigh their feelings of disapproval regarding McMurphys profane antics. Just as Christ resurrected from death, McMurphy resurrects in his disciples. They become more assured, and are â€Å"no more rabbits† as Harding says. As a result of his death, â€Å"everything was changing†: almost everyone either signed out or transferred out and the new nurse â€Å"gave the guys a chance to change a lot of the ward policy† Of all his disciples, McMurphy is kept most alive in Chief Bromden. McMurphy transfers his powers to Bromden, who becomes stronger as McMurphy becomes weaker. Previously, the plot is seen through Bromdens unclear fogginess, which gradually disappears towards the end as he gains clarity of mind. The schizophrenic is even able to distinguish between delusions and reality, when he says â€Å"There was little brown birds occasionally on the fence; when a puff of leaves would hit the fence the birds would fly off with the wind. It looked at first like the leaves were hitting the fence and turning into birds and flying away.†At the end, he courageously confronts the unhappy past that caused his insanity, by looking â€Å"around the gorge†, â€Å"just to bring some of it clear in (his) mind again†, rather than hide behind fog and muteness like he had done before. Narrating the story from Bromdens perspective allows readers to observe his transformation. In Robert Faggens interview with Kesey during one of his visits to Keseys Oregon farm in 1992 and 1993, Kesey recounted an event he witnessed: In order to stop the dam project in Portland, an Indian ran into an oncoming truck that carried the materials the government would use to build the dam. The Indian, who did everything he could to protect his land, prompted Kesey to realise â€Å"the notion of what you have to pay for a lifestyle† Keseys message resounds throughout the novel, even more so after McMurphys death. Freedom comes at a cost, but its benefit is far-reaching. CONCLUSION The novel is replete with allusions of McMurphy to Christ. Despite McMurphys distinctive presence being evident in the beginning, there is no hint of his Christ-likeness at that point. On hindsight, Christ came blamelessly and without sin as a baby, to a world full of sinners. In this respect, he was superior to society; yet he entered this world humbly in a manger. While it is no rarity for humans to possess either an air of superiority or humility, it is uncommon for one to be both superior and humble. It is fair to say that the characteristics of McMurphy are somewhat reminiscent of Christ. While the first miracle that McMurphy performs on Ellis lasts only for a moment, the subsequent miracle sparks a transformation in Bromden. Further on, McMurphy begins to bear a greater resemblance to not only Christs character, but also to specific experiences he brings truth and change to his community, and takes his followers on a fishing trip. McMurphys death is another allusion. After Mc Murphy finishes his ‘Last Supper, one disciple betrays him. This leads to his crucifixion, mental death through lobotomy and finally his physical demise; with his resurrection portrayed through Chief Bromden. The series of inconspicuous allusions intensify as the plot develops. However, while McMurphy learns to be more Christ-like, he is different from Christ. Kesey shapes McMurphy as a crude and profane individual, making him a satirical Comic Christ. Kesey uses McMurphys journey to Christ-likeness to address significant issues such as conformity and individuality, the triumph of good over evil, freedom from oppression. These are recurring themes in most of Keseys works, namely Zoo and Sometimes A Great Notion. McMurphy, as a Christ-figure, brings this novel to a whole new level of sacrosanctity, which is apt, considering it holds these themes that are important to Kesey. Uneven forces will always exist in this world, good and evil, the strong and the weak, the dominant and the meek. As such, these issues remain relevant in modern times. The interpretation of this novel has been largely dependent on my perception of who Christ is. Kesey, who held interest in psychic phenomena, use of the I-Ching, Eastern religions and the Bible, may not have had the same idea of Christ as others when writing the novel; but as with all literary works, interpretation is open to its readers. Given the vast number of religions and cultures, each individual has differing perspectives on Christs character. Whether he adheres to Christianity, Judaism, Atheism or any other religion, new syntheses can be created regarding these key themes. After all, as Kesey teaches us, each man is entitled to a mind of his own.

The Role of African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement Essay

The African American Civil Rights Movement was a series of protests in the United States South from approximately 1955 through 1968. The overall goal of the Civil Rights Movement was to achieve racial equality before the law. Protest tactics were, overall, acts of civil disobedience. Rarely were they ever intended to be violent. From sit-ins to boycotts to marches, the activists involved in the Civil Rights Movement were vigilant and dedicated to the cause without being aggressive. While African-American men seemed to be the leaders in this epic movement, African-American women played a huge role behind the scenes and in the protests. When discussing the American Civil Rights Movement, the names that seem to come up are those of prominent black men. While these men did enormous amounts of good during this movement, there are many women who seem to be poorly represented or credited. Black women had a huge amount of influence during the Civil Rights Movement. While many of the protests and movements were led by men, the women were behind the scenes organizing and promoting and popularizing the ideas themselves. Many women were heavily involved in political organizations such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and many others. Even if they were not directly involved in organizations, however, many black women became informal leaders of movements and/or enthusiastic participants. A few famous example of black women’s involvement are: Citizenship Schools in South Carolina, the Montgomery B us Boycott, And various women’s involvement in political groups and organizations. One of the most influential women i... ...rica? Fannie Lou Hamer and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party." Women in the Civil Rights Movement: Trailblazers and Torchbearers, 1941-1965. By Vicki L. Crawford, Jacqueline Anne. Rouse, and Barbara Woods. Vol. 16. Brooklyn, NY: Carlson Pub., 1990. 27-37. Print. Robinson, Jo Ann Gibson, and David J. Garrow. The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who Started It: the Memoir of Jo Ann Gibson Robinson. Knoxville: University of Tennessee, 1987. Print. Ransby, Barbara. Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement: a Radical Democratic Vision. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 2003. Print. Standley, Anne. "The Role of Black Women in the Civil Rights Movement." Women in the Civil Rights Movement: Trailblazers and Torchbearers, 1941-1965. By Vicki L. Crawford, Jacqueline Anne. Rouse, and Barbara Woods. Brooklyn, NY: Carlson Pub., 1990. 183-202. Print.

Aristotle Essays -- essays research papers

Aristotle   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In our fast paced technologically advanced society today, our governments have evolved into supposedly well oiled machines effectively managing budgets, jails, militaries, as well as many other programs. Unfortunately, many of these governments are not as well organized, as they could be. Democratic countries like France, Germany, and even the United States have some very serious shortcomings to the way their governments are managed. These problems occur, many times at a very basic level, rather than at the minor details. One problem that is consistent with many countries is the maintenance of governmental programs over large geographical areas. Many times geographic or social differences within countries are what cause these problems. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle had simple, yet ingenious ways to deal with problems, precisely like these. Aristotle solved this problem, for example, by dividing the country into both geographic and social regions. Then h e would have smaller governments for each of these sections. These divisions were similar to states or provinces in some modern countries today. Aristotle’s ideas, in general, on governmental politics were revolutionary in Athens, when he wrote them and some could even have positive effects on governments today. Modern governments, such as Germany, France, and the United States could all use Aristotle’s ideas to make their own governments run much more efficiently. Aristotle even had plans to minimize corruption, a big problem in most governments today (politics 1286a). If modern democratic countries based their political philosophies more on Aristotle’s theories, they could run smoother and do a better job of supporting the people, which is what democracies were made for in the first place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The polis is a partnership of citizens in a system of government that serves to achieve the common good. It is not just a place where people live together for defense against enemies and for the exchange of goods. It is rather a partnership between households, clans, and villages for the sake of a fully developed and self-sufficient life. The polis gives those who possess wisdom and moral intellect a chance to move up to high positions Justice is the political good in the polis, and it must promote the common interest of the people. What is perceived to be good has to be distrib... ...ld have authority rather than those who are "best fit to rule", and groups few in number. Although everyone in the polis may not be a political scientist, they can work better together with peers. With each individual having qualities of excellence and intelligence, they join to form a single entity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The real difference between democracy and oligarchy is between poverty and wealth. Oligarchy occurs when rulers owe their power to wealth whether or not they are the majority. Tyranny can be described as the worst of two potential evils. It is extreme oligarchy in its "distrust of the masses" and extreme democracy in its "hostility to the noteables" (Page 211). Aristotle says the best form is one based on merit. A combination between oligarchy and democracy is constitutional government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although people can agree on what justice is, they often fail to reach it because they can not stop from pursuing their own goals and desires. A good government can moderate between what people think is just and what is best for the common good. Aristotle's theories are fundamentals of our current political system and earned him the title "The Father of Political Science."

The Strong Beliefs of Aerin from McKinleys Hero and the Crown and Elle

The Strong Beliefs of Aerin from McKinley's Hero and the Crown and Ellen from Gibbon's Ellen Foster In the 1970's, rock artist David Bowie wrote a hit song entitled "Changes" that included these lines: "And these children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds/Are immune to your consultations/They're quite aware of what they're going through." These lyrics hint at the numerous weighty issues young teenagers must resolve while going through the "changes" that will lead to a development of adult moral codes. As any young adult will testify, an undefined moral atmosphere can result in difficulty making decisions (to cheat on a test or not to cheat on a test?), a problem that can become even more pronounced with the addition of pressure from peers, media, family, and religion. However, some teens have experiences that result in the shaping of a strong will and as a consequence can easily form ethical convictions with nary a doubt. Two teens from this year's English Festival book selections fall into the latter category. Both Aerin from Robin McKinley's The Hero and the Crown and Ellen from Kaye Gibbon's Ellen Foster exhibit strong moral beliefs formed during their early teen years. Some of the values and beliefs Aerin and Ellen share are independence, self-sufficiency, and a mistrust for authority. Each girl's unique experiences help shape these beliefs, and both girls manife... ...o piqued that she develops her own plan to prove she is not just the silly girl everyone thinks she is: She will become a dragon-killer. Aerin's mistrust of the ability of authority figures to judge her capacities correctly will lead her to continually exceed expectations. Aerin and Ellen have each formed strong moral and ethical beliefs at a young age, beliefs that will likely remain with them throughout their lives. They have come through the changes in their turbulent adolescent years with flying colors, building a firm moral foundation. To borrow another line from the famed Bowie song, Aerin and Ellen are ready to "turn and face the strange" future that lies ahead and the changes it will bring.

Violating Social Norms Essay

Social norms are the shared expectations of what kind of behavior is acceptable and what isn’t. Violating social norms can be very amusing for the person who’s doing it, but can sometimes gather very hostile reactions from those around you. Violating personal space, standing on the wrong side of the escalator, walking on the wrong side of the sidewalk, wearing your clothes backwards and paying with change are just a few examples of how social norms can be broken. My partner Jordyn and I proved with our project that stepping outside of the box and violating social norms isn’t always as bad as it seems. For starters Jordyn and I decided we were going to violate a social norm by going to a food place and paying with change. At first I felt really awkward because I wasn’t sure how the cashier and those around us were going to react but I just went with it anyway. Jordyn went first and I filmed her, she waited in line like normal and oddly enough when she pulled out the change it really wasn’t that big of a deal for anyone. The cashier was really nonchalant about it and even helped her to count the change, it was all very casual. The results I got when it was my turn were very similar to Jordyn’s I went up and ordered my drink and when he told me the total I pulled out my change same as last time and the cashier helped me count the change, he seemed to have no problem with the fact that I was paying with change which was actually very refreshing. It didn’t feel like anyone was being judgmental and overall I just felt very comfortable with the whole situation. In conclusion violating social norms can have varying results depending on the act you’re taking part in and the people that are around you while you’re doing it. I feel that our project was very successful because we broke a social norm but we didn’t show up with all pennies which would have probably gotten a better reaction, but in my opinion would be slightly obnoxious. I know that if I were in a cashier’s position I would be pissed so we didn’t take it that far. Regardless of the type of change we paid in IÂ  think we definitely displayed a great example of violating a social norm and I’m very proud of our uniquely found success with this project.

Dead Man’s Shoes †Essay Essay

The short story â€Å"Dead Man’s Shoes† (1998) by David Evans is an astonishing view into the life of a rural village in South Africa after the fall of apartheid, and of the different attitudes flourishing in the community. The story depicts the life of a rich widow, Anne Bezuidenhout, who lives alone on an enormous farm with only her black workers to help her. She has many offers of marriage, all with something to offer her, but she ends up surprising everyone with her choice. However, at the heart of the story we see the persistence of apartheid and conservative values in the ‘new South Africa’. Perhaps one can see this persistence in the narrative voice of the short story. As a 1st person narrator, he is part of the story, as one of the seven suitors of Anne; â€Å"Last and least me, a teacher, divorced by a wife who had found me, my profession and Pampoenfontein too dull for her.† The story is slightly affected by the narrator’s opinions. This is visible in several quotes such as â€Å"Most important, she was rich.† and â€Å"But a good Black staff was one thing. A woman trying to manage it on her own was quite another.† The last quote is one of several quotes in the short story pointing towards the narrators both racist and slightly patriarchal mind. One could argue that the quote just pities Anne for being alone on the farm, however on page 3 Anne tells the suitors that she is in fact used to hardship. If one reads between the lines, it is clear that she is aware of her situation but is not worried about it at all. The language in the story al so has a role in the slightly racist values of the narrator. We see this in the choice of words the author has made when describing, for instance, Anne and Samuel. In the description of Anne, the author uses many positive words to do a detailed image of her, as seen on page 1; â€Å"pleasant-faced with wide green eyes and a voice which carried soft currents of her native Galway. She also had a flickering smile charming and at the same time tantalizing, hinting somehow at private amusement and undeclared opinions†. Naturally Anne would receive a detailed introduction as she is one of the main characters in the story, yet Samuel is also a main character, but his introduction is much less personal and without many adjectives, as seen on page 3: â€Å"Anne had taught him to read and write and to do simple sums. This bit of education hadn’t  spoiled him as it did so many. He knew his place: bossboy among the Black workers†. On top of that the author has let the characters use several nicknames for Samuel such as â€Å"swartg oed† (page 5) and â€Å"boy†(page 4). The use of nicknames could, however, lead the reader on to having a look at the characters of the story. As a last contributor to the general feeling of continued apartheid in the story is the characterization. The characters are revealed through an outward description. In the beginning of the story, the introduction of Anne is given very quickly and detailed. But the author’s way of describing the seven suitors is almost like a list where each of them equals a different personality or genetic trait such as â€Å"Harry Smith, the town’s auctioneer, was the oldest†, â€Å"Japie van Os (†¦) was the richest†, â€Å"Hannes Snyman (†¦) was the biggest† and so forth. The reader must therefore make his or her own conclusions on the character through behavior and talking, because of the author’s use of implicit characterization. For instance the reader could focus on the character Maritz Grootbek and immediately conclude that he is indeed a racist. Why? Because he frequently comments on Samuel. One could argue that this is simply because he admires Anne for having â€Å"a good staff with a reliable Black foreman† (page 3), but his rude behavior and ways of talking states otherwise. An example could be when he arrives at Anne’s house and is shocked when Samuel doesn’t fetch her immediately; â€Å"†Where’s the Nkosikazi (frue), boy?† Jamie demanded roughly. â€Å"Go and fetch her. Hurry!†. Since the other suitor doesn’t argue with his rudeness it is clear that they share his opinions. Last but not least, the shared racist values of the seven suitors become certain when Anne tricks them and decides to marry Samuel. Based on their reaction â€Å"We stared, we glared, we blinked in disbelief, then stared again.† (page 5), it is clear that none of them ever thought that they would be put aside in favor of a black man and even after she has announced her will they still â€Å"tried to dissuade Anne† (page 5). Even though it is generally known between the characters in the story that Samuel is a good man, he is still considered low because of his color, and the suitors are still suspicious about him. Ultimately this shows that even though apartheid has legally ended, it is still a state of mind for many white South Africans, as confirmed by the narrator himself: â€Å"Pampoenfontein may have accepted that all of us – whatever our colour – were equal citizens in the new South Africa, but we  were all proud of our past and no white man there could be expected to tolerate any talk of a black being as good as a white†.

Christian and Islamic Art Essay

Christian and Islamic Art The difference between Islamic art and Christian art is that Christian art is of human objects and forms while Islamic art portrays the meaning and reflection of things. Unlike Christian art, people do not appear on Islamic art. Unlike Christian art, Islam art does not include pictures and statues of Prophets and Gods. Christian art however, brings religious forms and images to life. It represents spiritual beliefs through illustrated scenes from the life of Jesus. It gives us images of biblical episodes and even carries on stories and images of those now deceased. The Catacombs (Christian burials) represents the final resting place for Christians. It represents ultimate love, sacrifice and triumph. When I first entered into the Catacombs of Rome, I remember walking down into the catacomb and feeling bit nervous as I was surrounded by darkness. It was dark, humid, smelly and yet, so beautiful! There were religious carvings on the inside that almost looked like chalk drawings. The clearest memory I have is visiting the section where the martyrs were buried and putting myself in their position. Would I have been so brave? In Islam, calligraphy is a major Islamic art form. Writing, books, geometry and patterns are most important. In Islam art, geography reflects the language of the world and most importantly, it reflects their spiritualism. A circle for example has no end and represents infinity. It represents never ending love. For Islam, the circle is a reminder that Allah is infinite. My Muslim brother-in-law, born in Lebanon, doesn’t take pictures and explained to that in his culture, taking pictures of living forms is forbidden. They can take pictures of objects, but not of pets or humans. Of course, in my culture we save pictures for memory keepsakes. After 7 years of marriage, he agreed to take a family picture with my sister and their three sons. It was a huge sacrifice in his part but this also explains how art, religion and culture have an influence on each other.

English Language Coursework †Task One and Introduction Essay

Task One Robin Lakoff devised a theory of language and gender differences. She believed that women had a greater lexis when describing subjects such as colours where men would have a greater lexis in subjects such as sports. Lakoff also believed that women use more prestige grammar and clear pronunciation with more intensifiers than men. Therefore I have chosen to see whether these patterns occur within boys and girls aged 7-8 to see if they have developed these attributes even at an early age. The audience I feel that would be appropriate to my research are people who work with or study children, A level or university students and people with a general interest of this topic. This is because by working with children you will be keen to pick up new information to help you with your work so you may find some here and an A level student taking English language may look at this for an example. By observing the speech of children’s language I will be able to decide whether there is a difference in gender. People are influenced throughout their lives; they are influenced by things such as their environment, media and social groups. At an early age children are looking towards their families and peers to see how they should act. This shows children are aware upon how to communicate with others, therefore leading the possibility that even at a young age they have the same traits as an adult. The research question I have concluded with is, are language and gender differences apparent within children ages 7-8 as there are in adults? Robin Lakoff stated that there are differences in spoken language between men and women so I have decided to see if children still have these differences. The reason for this is because at such an early age every child is thought of the same and it is hard to see a dominate gender; this was a key issue with early studies of men and women. Robin Lakoff also said ‘women use hypercorrect grammar and pronunciation’ but since the children are only 7-8 years old they are still learning basic English skills. This means that this point will not apply here since the children are young. I have chosen this topic area because I was not aware that there was a gender difference in language until I was taught it. I have taken a interest in this because men and women are both educated in the same way and thought to be brought up the same so I believed that they would have the same attitude in language. Another reason I have chosen this is because women are seen as the less dominate gender but when I was a child I was not aware of this so I am interested to see if there are signs of this even at such a young age. I expect to find that even at an early age the boys will interrupt more as they tend to be very energetic whereas the girls will be more descriptive in describing an object. Introduction When studying English language I found out that there was gender differences within speech, this took my interest as I believe that women now are equal to men. I felt that some of these differences maybe because of the language men and women use. When researching this topic I found out that Robin Lakoff devised a theory that there are differences between the language of men and women and how males are more dominant speakers than females. This is because females are believed to be less assertive and tend not to interrupt during conversation like men do. This could branch onto discrimination as this a topic seen throughout life and it may give reasons to why females are discriminated more than males since they are not seen as the dominate gender. Another reason why I am doing this because I am interested how we develop our skills when we are young, why we develop them and who influences us on the language we use. I think the way we brought up and the language we are taught to use plays a big role in our society because I feel that each person uses their own distinctive language from each one and another, this is because I could tell a friend from another purely because of the vocabulary and dialect the person uses. Therefore I wanted to look to see if this still applies to boys and girls at a young age where they are seen to be innocent and they would not pick up on these differences. I will do this by talking to children ages 7-8 the same questions and taking down their response. The problem that may arise with this is that some children are more confident than others; this means they will not be as shy with their response as another child would.

Changes in Legal Defence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Changes in Legal Defence - Essay Example This is the bedrock of the Canadian legal system and the concept of defense is crucial in the determination of culpability. In the worst case scenario they must be given the opportunity to justify their actions through defenses. Recent events have shown unique and new cases that demonstrate the evolving nature of the legal system. These reflected in the way the law is ever changing in order to maintain a valid standpoint. An important aspect to this characteristic is how new legal defenses become legitimate and necessary addition to the legal system. There are several land mark cases in which seemingly absurd ideas such as automatism, battery and duress become legitimate defenses and excuses from criminal guilt and culpability.   Automatism Automatism attracted attention recently with several high profile criminal cases that led to acquittal. The decisions for these cases constitute entirely new elements to Canadian jurisprudence. For example, there was the case of Kenneth Parks wh o killed his mother in-law and attempted to do the same to her husband. This happened in 1987 and was a controversial event that riveted the whole country until a verdict was reached in 1988. Ramsland (2010) provided the grisly and enlightening details: He rose from bed and got into his car. Despite, as he said later, not being awake, he drove about 14 miles to the home of his wife's parents in Scarborough. Accounts say he then removed a tire iron from the car and entered the house, where he proceeded to beat his mother-in-law to death and choke his father-in-law into unconsciousness. He also used a knife from his in-laws' kitchen to stab them. (Ramsland, 2011) The defense for Park was automatism. His lawyer argued that this defense is supported by several important evidences. First, the perpetrator had a history of sleepwalking. Secondly, he had a good relationship with his wife’s parents and, hence, had no motive for murder. Park’s defense team assembled an army of e xperts – psychiatrists, psychologist, neurologist, and a sleep disorder specialist - explaining what automatism is. (Ramsland) The â€Å"disorder was new to the jury and, certainly, to the legal system. There is no explicit reference to this in the Canadian jurisprudence that is why the defense settled on homicidal somnambulism. The collective arguments presented by the experts, who demonstrated how sleepwalking is a neurotic disorder and could result in an individual having less control of his or her actions, finally convinced the court that Parks was innocent. It was declared that his acts were unmediated and unconsciously committed, hence, free from criminal liability. The cases of murder and attempted murder lodged against him were promptly dismissed. As a defense, automatism is considered to be a category separate from insanity plea. A case of a woman charged with murdering her husband had the jury reject the verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity but acquitted her of murder on the basis of automatism because she was proven to be subject to narcolepsy, a rare sleeping disorder. (McCord, McCord & Bailyer, 2011, p. 254) Another case, however, show a different facet to this type of defense. This was the case of William Wade who was charged with murder when he repeatedly stabbed his wife, banging her head on the

Knowledge Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Knowledge Management - Essay Example Keywords: knowledge management, organizations, Siemens, organizational culture. Knowledge Management Knowledge management is one of the most popular objects of scholarly and empirical analysis. Much has been written and said about the principles of effective knowledge management in organizations and factors affecting it. Despite the growing body of literature, many organizations fail to implement KM practices properly. â€Å"The major problems that occur in KM usually result because companies ignore people and cultural issues† (Geisler & Wickramasinghe, 2009, p.12). For organizations that seek to establish themselves as repositories of knowledge, creating a culture that rewards individuals for knowledge sharing and recognized the value of tacit knowledge is crucial (Geisler & Wickramasnighe, 2009). This paper presents an analysis of the human and cultural issues involved in knowledge management in Siemens and, actually, many other organizations. In this paper, the examples of Texaco, Semantech, Xerox, Hewlett Packard, General Motors, BP Amoco and others are used to substantiate the argument. Knowledge Management as Human Resource Management Randall Sellers stated that â€Å"the challenge is managing the people who manage the knowledge†. In other words, the human dimension is believed to be an essential ingredient of knowledge management practices in organizations. ... ity is logical and reflects an ongoing tension between the growing role of knowledge and increasingly distributed structure of modern organizations (Swan et al., 1999). KM had to reduce this tension and enhance organizations’ capacity to generate and share knowledge. Unfortunately, failure to understand the basics of KM creates a situation, when organizations hide behind technologies and do not notice human resources which, in the meantime, are primarily responsible for creating this knowledge. Many organizations rely on the systems and tools that codify and commodify knowledge (Swan et al., 1999). Managers in these firms adopt an information-based perspective on KM, which interprets knowledge management in terms of information, not people, and emphasizes the importance of accessibility, availability, and real-time changes of information (Alavi & Leidner, 1999). In reality, the main challenge of knowledge management is in managing people who produce this knowledge, and there a re several reasons for this. First, knowledge is a human act (McDermott, 1999). Therefore, no knowledge management is possible without people. The essence of knowledge management is in generating knowledge, piecing information together, reflecting on individual and collective experiences, generating insights, and using the results to solve acute organizational problems (McDermott, 1999). â€Å"From the point of view of the person who knows, knowledge is a kind of sticky residue of insight about using information and experience to think† (McDermott, 1999, p.106). Yet, many organizations make one and the same mistake, when they limit their knowledge management solutions to IT systems and networks. The real challenge of KM is to manage people, who generate and possess this knowledge. Well-known is