Nursing Theory Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nursing Theory Critique - Essay Example The significant influence of the theory is the need for congruency in therapy as well as empathetic understanding to the client. The theorist provided a logical statement on the problem-solving approach that can be easily used by practitioners to show different activities within their nursing practice. The method is general to clients with particular health needs and specific health needs and specific nursing problem. The theory is much practical and helpful to the healing process by providing a concept of problem-solving techniques. The theory provides an understanding and a way of predicting outcomes by recommending treatment regimens that people should follow to achieve good health conditions. The theory suggests that a correct diagnosis and effective medical treatment are significant activities to survival and the quality of life of an individual. The theory has guided great deal of research on coping with health threats. The theory focuses on personal cognitive understanding of health problems and ways of solving them. The research done by the Leventhal’s Common Sense Model in 1984 is an example of this theory. The strength of this theory includes the fact that various nursing activities its approach. The language used in this method is also simple and clear. The theory pays little attention to what the client achieves when provided with client care. The theory also fails to offer a perspective on humans and

Time and Order-processing Costs Essay Example for Free

Time and Order-processing Costs Essay After making some wise short-term investments at a race track, Chris Low had some additional cash to invest in a business. The most promising opportunity at the time was in building supplies, so Low bought a business that specialized in sales of one size of nail. The annual volume of nails was 2,000 kegs, and they were sold to retail customers in an even flow. Low was uncertain of how many nails to order at any time. Initially, only two costs concerned him: order-processing costs, which were $60 per order without regard to size, and warehousing costs, which were $1 per year per keg space. On average, the rented warehouse space is only half full. This meant that Low had to rent a constant amount of warehouse space for the year, and it had to be large enough to accommodate an entire order when it arrived. Low was not worried about maintaining safety stocks, mainly because the outward flow of goods was so even. Low bought his nails on a delivered basis. Question 1: Using the EOQ methods outlined in Chapter 9, determine how many kegs of nails Low should order at one time.  Question 2: Assume that all conditions in Question 1 hold, except that Low’s supplier now offers a quantity discount in the form of absorbing all or part of Low’s order-processing costs. For orders of 750 or more kegs of nails, the supplier will absorb all order-processing costs; for orders between 249 and 749 kegs, the supplier will absorb half. What is Low’s new EOQ? (It might be useful to lay out all costs in tabular form for this and later questions.) Question 3: Temporarily ignore your work on Question 2. Assume that Low’s warehouse offers to rent Low space on the basis of the average number of kegs that Low will have in stock, rather than on the maximum number of kegs that Low would need room for whenever a new shipment arrived. The storage charge per keg remains the same. Does this change the answer to Question 1? If so, what is the new answer? Question 4: Take into account the answer to Question 1 and the supplier’s new policy outlined in Question 2, and the warehouse’s new policy in Question 3. Then determine Low’s new EOQ. Question 5: Temporarily ignore your work on Questions 2, 3, and 4. Low’s luck at the race track is over; he now must borrow money to finance his inventory of nails. Looking at the situation outlined in Question 1, assume that the wholesale cost of nails is $40 per keg and that Low must pay interest at the rate of 1.5% per month on unsold inventory. What is his new EOQ? Question 6: Taking into account all of the factors listed in Questions 1, 2, 3, and 5, calculate Low’s EOQ for kegs of nails.

Letter to the Tommy Hilfiger Advertising Manager :: Advertising Marketing Business

Letter to the Tommy Hilfiger Advertising Manager Dear Tommy Hilfiger Advertising Manager, â€Å"Just be you!† I’m sure one experiences a bit of their own nostalgia at the sight of the following phrase; anything from making new friends in preschool to being on a difficult job interview, â€Å"just being yourself† has always been said to be the best way to approach any uncomfortable situation. This is why an ad of yours that I have recently come across has significantly astounded me. The ad that I speak of pictures a flock of sheep standing in front of an American flag (the obvious symbol for Tommy) and, displayed at the bottom, a slogan that reads â€Å"follow the flock†. I was perplexed that a company of your stature and prestige would want anyone to just â€Å"follow the flock†. So I asked myself: â€Å"Would wearing Tommy Hilfiger really make me fit in?† and â€Å"Would I rather wear Tommy Hilfiger and be ‘like the flock’ or would I rather be the individual I have been brought up to be.† If t he intention of the advertisement is to simply have everyone wearing your clothing line, then I suppose your slogan suits this purpose, but being one who was targeted with this ad, I feel that your company should have gone with more of an individualistic approach. Although your ad may be directed toward any number of age groups, it particularly had an effect on me. I have been wearing your clothing line for as far back as I can remember so I had to frown upon the thought that all these years I may have only been â€Å"following the flock† instead of being myself. Being an 18 year old who has recently embarked in my first year college, I have found it difficult enough to stand out among a student body of well over 35,000. With the modern day misconception that the media has for what every man or woman â€Å"should† look like, individualism is something that is not only hard to find, but also hard to keep. So as much as I have marveled over your clothing line for the past decade or so, I can honestly say that I will think twice before buying a pair of your jeans over another.

Oedipus the King: Bliss in Ignorance :: Oedipus Rex Essays

Oedipus Rex - Bliss in Ignorance One of the most memorable and meaningful Socratic quotes applies well when in context of Sophocles' Theban Trilogy. "The unexamined life is not worth living," proclaims Socrates. He could have meant many things by this statement, and in relation to the play, the meaning is found to be even more complex. Indeed, the situation of Oedipus, king of Thebes, the truth of this statement is in question. Would Oedipus have been better off if he was blind to the knowledge of his birth and the fate which was foretold to someday befall him? Truly though, his life would have been a far better and easier path had he never known about his true origins. His life in Corinth would have been long and prosperous, and Thebes would have lived on under King Laius. In fact, everyone would have been better off in the long run if Oedipus had not ventured out beyond the walls of Corinth. So is it worth living an examined life? Socrates had made this statement long after the creation of the Theban Trilogy. In the context of his own time, this was meant to imply that life must be examined and reflected upon, known and discovered by each individual philosopher to better enrich life for all. Yet in terms of Sophoclean drama, specifically Oedipus Rex, this was meant in a vastly different way. The unexamined life was one that was in the dark, unknown as to what fate lied beyond every turn and irony of living. Oedipus, up to the point in which he heard the comment in the tavern in Corinth, lived an unexamined life. To Socrates, he was an unfulfilled man, one who deserved to know more, one who was not complete. However, in a much less metaphysical sense, Oedipus' life was complete, in that he had all that he needed, and was living a happy and fruitful life. As the drama progresses, he finds out more and more, learning exactly what the implications of his birth was, he suffers the fate for examining his life. So what Socrates had meant, that the life which was not rich with self exploration and reflection was not worth living, was indeed different than its application in terms of Oedipus, who's life was unexamined, yet complete. The question arises, what would life have been like, if Oedipus had not discovered his true origins? Oedipus the King: Bliss in Ignorance :: Oedipus Rex Essays Oedipus Rex - Bliss in Ignorance One of the most memorable and meaningful Socratic quotes applies well when in context of Sophocles' Theban Trilogy. "The unexamined life is not worth living," proclaims Socrates. He could have meant many things by this statement, and in relation to the play, the meaning is found to be even more complex. Indeed, the situation of Oedipus, king of Thebes, the truth of this statement is in question. Would Oedipus have been better off if he was blind to the knowledge of his birth and the fate which was foretold to someday befall him? Truly though, his life would have been a far better and easier path had he never known about his true origins. His life in Corinth would have been long and prosperous, and Thebes would have lived on under King Laius. In fact, everyone would have been better off in the long run if Oedipus had not ventured out beyond the walls of Corinth. So is it worth living an examined life? Socrates had made this statement long after the creation of the Theban Trilogy. In the context of his own time, this was meant to imply that life must be examined and reflected upon, known and discovered by each individual philosopher to better enrich life for all. Yet in terms of Sophoclean drama, specifically Oedipus Rex, this was meant in a vastly different way. The unexamined life was one that was in the dark, unknown as to what fate lied beyond every turn and irony of living. Oedipus, up to the point in which he heard the comment in the tavern in Corinth, lived an unexamined life. To Socrates, he was an unfulfilled man, one who deserved to know more, one who was not complete. However, in a much less metaphysical sense, Oedipus' life was complete, in that he had all that he needed, and was living a happy and fruitful life. As the drama progresses, he finds out more and more, learning exactly what the implications of his birth was, he suffers the fate for examining his life. So what Socrates had meant, that the life which was not rich with self exploration and reflection was not worth living, was indeed different than its application in terms of Oedipus, who's life was unexamined, yet complete. The question arises, what would life have been like, if Oedipus had not discovered his true origins?

Joy of My Life

Joy of My Life Shirley Evans English 121 Professor Jen Miller January 20, 2013 Joy of My Life I never considered myself blessed in anything, or knew the purpose of my life, until the birth of my grandson. Robert is my first grandchild and greatest blessing God has given me, and the center of my universe for which I give thanks every day. His life started with difficulties, but his unquenchable elan has brought joy to those who meet him. Robert entered my life on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 2:28 in the afternoon; weighing 2lbs. 4 ounces and measuring 16 inches long. He arrived two months premature, and reminded me of a baby doll with wrinkled skin covering his tiny arms and legs. Set below perfectly arched blonde eyebrows were eyes so dark as to appear black, and opened wide to make them look enormous. A conical shaped head covered with platinum blonde hair made his sunken cheeks stand out; giving him the appearance of an alien. I fell in love the instant I saw him and my love grows immeasurably with every passing day. Robert developed at a rapid pace despite being born prematurely.During a stay with us one weekend, I laid him on his back atop a blanket spread on the floor for him to roll on. He rolled onto his stomach raising his head up; arms swinging out at his sides with legs kicking trying to crawl. He reminded me of a turtle poking out of its shell, slowly inching his way off the blanket. To this day my daughter still calls him turtle after witnessing his attempt to crawl. Once he learns to walk, there is no holding him back; he joyfully goes through life with smiles on his face and laughter in his voice.Robert is growing to be a precocious child who quickly turns independent. He stands proud with arms akimbo as he proclaims he can dress himself, and I settle back into my chair to watch him put his arms in the sleeves of his shirt, and tuck his shirt tails into his jeans. I am shocked to realize how quickly he is growing as he struggles with fastening his jeans, but is quite adamant in doing it himself; he asks for help with his belt only after trying to buckle it on his own. One of the things I enjoyed teaching Robert was bedtime prayers.I have shown him how to interlace his fingers and clasp his hands together. Closing our eyes as we bowed our heads together, I recited his prayers as he repeated after me. He no longer allows me to say prayers with him, and he does not know all of the words yet, but ends his prayer blessing everyone he loves in the sweetest tiniest voice. He looks up at me with a smile on his angelic face and says â€Å"now it is your turn grandma. † Pictures of Robert depict how cute he is, but in person he leaves you with a more accurate portrait of how adorable he actually is.Robert brings smiles and happiness to everyone he meets with his robust attitude. Sporting a child sized black Stetson cowboy hat perched atop his blonde head, down to feet encased with green and yellow John Deere boots, he exudes im pish joy. He will nonchalantly say he is not my little man, but everyone’s little man. I do not argue with his statement as it is true. Robert loves everyone in his life and they love him. People say the greatest joy of being a grandparent is spoiling the child then sending them home.I am no exception to this rule, although I never want to send him home. Time speeds by like a blink of an eye when I have him, and it feels like he just arrived when it is time for him to leave. It fills my heart close to bursting when he sees me and comes running with his arms stretched wide to throw his petite frame into my arms to hug my neck screaming â€Å"grandma! † The joy he brings to my life is truly a blessing from God above, and one I treasure more than life itself. I contemplate if having my son, who helped create my joy called Robert, has been the purpose for my life.

buy custom The Canadian Biotechnology Company essay

buy custom The Canadian Biotechnology Company essay This section reviews the issue of the Canadian company on how it should go about manufacturing and distributing the goods that they produce. The first option available is that of manufacturing the good at the home country and letting the distribution to be carried out by some middle people. It should be taken into consideration that the biotechnology company wishes to venture into a new region and as such there is the need to for the company to get an intermediate who best understands the market dynamics of the new place that they wish to open their products to. The following is an analysis of this option in terms of the advantages and disadvantage: The sales agents will only provide needed expertise for the specific job giving it high flexibility on whether to establish a long term consulting relationship- in this manner it becomes easy and convenient to handle such kind of expansion. Another advantage which is likely to accrue from the use of agents is that there will be a great field of experts to make a choice from. Furthermore the experts will be wiling help out in case of some unforeseeable situations concerning the distribution of the goods. It will cut down on the costs because the distributors are hired on a as needed basis. This will ensure that paid services are made use of when they are extremely needed. Lastly, it will be of great significance because the agents can be recalled in case of some advise concerning further distribution of the goods thus they will like a resource to the biotechnology company (Kuglin and Hook, 2002). If the company decides to manufacture the product at home but set up a wholly-owned subsidiary in Europe to handle marketing this will rovide better coverage of local issues as well as an on the ground presence for developing future business in Europe. The advantages and disadvantages associated with this kind of manufacture distribution strategy is covered below. Making the manufacturing process to be based at the home grounds will make it easy for monitoring of the manufacturing process to be properly carried out. In most cases the technology and production mechanism are based at the home grounds of a company; this will act as an assurance that the goods will be produced will be exclusively of the right standards and which will meet the customer requirements. This will create customer satisfaction and will ensure that the customer remain loyal to the firms goods. Though it can be argued that the distribution might be problematic due to the factor of distribution expenses but this can be overlooked for the sake of satisfying the customers. Meeting the customer requirements and expectation can be viewed as the top priority at this point of the company since it is venturing into new markets where there is a need for the creation of a market presence. Setting the manufacturing units at the home grounds has couple of disadvantages: the manufacturing units being far from the market will incur transportation. It might not be possible for the firm to take advantage of abrupt short term demands for their goods. There is a likelihood of missing out on cheap labor at the distribution region (Kuglin and Hook, 2002). If the company decides to go into a joint venture with a large European pharmaceutical company, it will not be involved in the large overhead of setting up and maintaining a branch office (Glover and Wasserman, 2003). This brings about the following advantages and disadvantages: Mainly the Biotechnology Company will take advantage of the economies of scales. The company will not have the overhead involved with direct hires. It can argued that there are fewer bureaucratic constrains on hiring oversees persons as consultants rather than as full-time employees (Culpan, 1993). Forming a joint venture with the large company positions the Canadian biotechnology at a gaining position. There is likelihood that the company will gain more and new skills in the pharmaceutical world. The Canadian company is also to be introduced into new markets. Forming a joint venture with a large company also has its limitations. Due to the fact that the large company will more at stake, it is likely to dominate in the issues of major decision making. At times this might lead to making of decisions which might contradict the business policies of the Canadian Biotechnology; it can be argued that joint ventures sign memorandum of understandings but also it should be noted that the loarge will have more responsibility to making of decisions (Badertscher Reese, 2007). There are numerous reasons, benefits, and pitfalls available to the company whichever path it takes, but I will recommend that it goes into a strategic alliance, because besides the pros given this will boost its credibility in the eyes of its customers and also it will enjoy economies of scale. It will also be able to expand its geographic reach. Strategic alliance can be quite beneficial to a corporation especially if the company trying top form an alliance is not established yet. Through an alliance, a company is stretched to maximize its potentials Buy custom The Canadian Biotechnology Company essay

Aids Example

Aids Example Aids – Coursework Example Aids By considering the fact of over 16 million injection drug users and millions of others who use a variety of other addictive drugs, it can be affirmed that a global decriminalization of drug use in the next 5 years may appear to a considerable level. This is mainly for the initiatives taken by the nations throughout the globe in lessening HIV transmission rates amid the people who are often found to inject drugs. It has been quite evident that the yearly drug consumption during the period 1998-2008 has raised at large, which can be better comprehended from the following graphical representation:Source: (Global Commission on Drug Policy, 2011)Though the annual consumption of drugs is witnessed to increase in this modern day context as compared to the earlier years, it can be asserted that there will be a global decriminalization of drug use in the next 5 years because of the augmented level of governmental expenditures in introducing repressive as well as criminalization measures. It can be apparently observed that the countries encompassing United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland have certainly experienced lower HIV transmission rates by following certain quality, effective and appropriate measures of criminalization. This can be better understood with the help of the following pictorial illustration:Source: (Global Commission on Drug Policy, 2011) It is worth mentioning that excessive drug usage leads towards composite health conditions whose management through punishment tends to be quite ineffective (Global Commission on Drug Policy, 2011). In this regard, it can be affirmed that the push for global decriminalization of drug use by the AIDS 2012 delegates may aid in global decriminalization of drug usage in the next five years by finding out certain alternative methods rather than promoting repressive along with criminalization measures. ReferenceGlobal Commission on Drug Policy. (2011). War on drugs. Retrieved from globalcommissionondrugs.org/wp-content /themes/gcdp_v1/pdf/Global_Commission_Report_English.pdf

My Work Ethics Essay

My Work Ethics Essay My Work Ethics Essay Crystal Briscoe Sept. 13, 2013 Management My Work Ethics My work ethics are to me about the same way I live in general. I live fast, work hard, and play right. I strive to do the best I can in general with everything that I do. In the work place, trust among workers mean a lot to me. I have to be able to trust my co-workers that they get their job done and correctly as they expect the same out of me. I really strive to be very dependable. I usually come at least a few minutes early to get situated and prepared for the day. If I know I’m going to be late, I call even if’s only going to be a few minutes. Sometimes I may have to call off work completely for a day. This is when I call my manager as soon as possible to let him/her know. I know how stressful it can be on the rest of the workers if they cannot find a replacement for my position. It hurts everyone if they don’t because that means they have to do my job and theirs. Teamwork is a lot of my work ethics also . Without teamwork, your job is never done. One person is not capable to do everything. When teamwork is done together and the job is completed, it feels good knowing that it is done. I think I have really good communication skills. I deal with the public every day and I enjoy it. Communicating with fellow workers makes my day go bye easier and I learn from them also. Respect goes a long way in the workforce. Without respect for one another, employees argue, fuss and fight. None of these factors belong in the workforce. A happy workplace is a healthy and usually a thriving company or job. I like to learn new things when I’m at work. To me, the more I

Mentoring and Counseling in the Workplace Essay

Mentoring and Counseling in the Workplace - Essay Example Thus, obtaining in-group status may be a prerequisite for subordinates to receive mentoring from their supervisors (McManus). The most critical cycle for effective counseling is the 4Es cycle - Enter, Empathize, Empower and Exit. At a workplace, if people need to share their problems and if they need to go back with a sense of relief, then the most important requisite for a mentor or counselor is that the mentor or counselor needs to build a trust based relationship quickly that could actually help the aggrieved person. Some of the essential characteristics that a mentor or counselor needs to possess as an individual are strong yet effective communication, make an objective assessment of situations, the ability to call a spade a spade and communicating this reality to the person opposite in a way to empower them in their current situation and give feedback effectively. Empathy is one of the soft skills that any person would need to be an effective counselor. Empathy actually means affection clubbed with passion touched by the quality of suffering. This particular characteristic is viewed by many professionals as the most important one in a helping relationship. ... The following are the most important yet critical values that a mentor or counselor needs: 1. A professional qualification with consistently high academic performance. 2. Have the required soft skills to be an effective counselor providing support services to people. 3. Last but not least, needs to have mastered the 4E counseling cycle. Empathy is one of the soft skills that any person would need to be an effective counselor. Empathy actually means affection clubbed with passion touched by the quality of suffering. This particular characteristic is viewed by many professionals as the most important one in a helping relationship. "Empathy is often viewed as conveying sensitivity to the client and trying to understand what "walking in the other guy's shoes" may feel like. The counselor need not necessarily have undergone the experiences of a person who is actually having a problem in order to understand the former's feelings (Brooks/cole - A division of Thomson learning)." Genuineness is another important aspect that any person who intends to take up a counseling profession needs. Genuineness is the expression of true feelings. "To be a genuine mentor or counselor, one must avoid role playing or feeling one way and acting another. Genuine counselors do not take refuge in any specific role, such as therapist. Genuineness involves self-disclosure. It implies a willingness to be known to others (Brooks/cole - A division of Thomson learning)." Balanced Objectivity or Subjectivity - This refers to private, personal and unique ways of experiencing situations. Both these characteristics have their own disadvantages when not balanced properly at a workplace which actually is a collection of various kinds of

Who will be the major political actors in international relations in Essay

Who will be the major political actors in international relations in the post-cold war era Furthermore, what do you think are the major issues in this new world - Essay Example One of the major political player in the post-cold war era is Europe, a continent that was turned into an object during the cold war due to the dominance that Russia and the infiltration that the United States. The post-cold war era has however ushered a new Europe, which has ended its object status and today considered as a major actor in international relations. The role of Britain and other European friendly states in helping the United States to strengthen its domination over the Soviet Union has been replaced by s block that charts its own course. With the formation of the European Union and the development of a single currency, Europe has stamped its authority in international relations, often differing with its cold war era partner, the United States. China has also emerged as one major super power due to its industrial and manufacturing strengths. Economic focus in the world has shifted from the United States as many countries today courting china to benefit from its great economy, available resources and technological advancements. As the new centre of attraction away from the United States, the strength of china can today be compared with the former soviet as it struggles to rival the United States and de-Americanize the world. Exports from china have increased tremendously with companies and multinationals from the country serving different contracts across the world compared to the former world powers (Luundestad 216). Apart from the emergence of new political centres in the world’s political landscape, issues of concern have also changed from arm building and wars to economic competition. Economic growth and the development of strong economic blocs like the European Union and the BRICS block has changed the political landscape in the world and resulted into a new political discourse. This explains the unease that the United States has developed over the current dominance that china is gaining especially in countries that formally

INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS - Research Paper Example AVG is a world leader in software development, threat detection, threat detection and risk analysis. The company also invests in research and development and collaborates with leading universities in order to maintain its technology edge (Company Profile, 2012). The company is currently contemplating to issue an IPO (initial public offering) so that it can expand its global market. The company has two options as to which type of IPO the company should use. The company may decide to either use the traditional IPO or use the online auction. In this research essay, I will discuss the two types of IPO issues and look into lessons learned from the module one case. The traditional approach to getting capital has usually been the way to go for most companies seeking equity. However, with the advent of the internet and technology some start-ups are choosing to do online auction in an effort to seek capital. Both types of IPO have have their pro and cons. I will start by analyzing the traditi onal IPO method before embarking on online auction analysis. As I had earlier mentioned that, the traditional IPO method is the most common way of getting capital. The traditional method has some advantages and disadvantages. Regardless of the type of IPO used, the company issuing an IPO usually has several benefits. First, the company increases it capitalization, net worth, liquidity and prestige. However, the company has to abide by the rules and regulations of the SEC (Security and Exchange Commission) which is the body that oversees the registration of public companies in the U.S. Companies going public are required to disclose their financial statements to the public. This may negatively affect the company’s perception especially during the bear market and this may decrease a company’s stock price, lower its liquidity and capitalization. In order to have a successful IPO, a company needs to attract investors. Enough investors who will create large levels of capita lization that exceeds the amount that had been privately invested. In the traditional approach, companies conducting the IPO pitch to investors on investing in to their companies on road shows. These road shows usually target institutional investors. Institutional investors play a huge role in influencing small investor participation. Therefore, underwriting firms usually offer institutional investors discounted stock prices as what is termed as pre-IPO rates. The courtship of large institutions is crucial to the success of IPO offerings because it facilitates the participation of other investors in the market. In addition, it guarantees that the underwriting company gets a good stock price, which will determine the future value of the company as well as determine the capital collected. As far as the cost of going public are concerned, the traditional approach may at times prove to be costly. First, the company has to disclose financial and business information to potential investor s. The disclosure might be costly to the company considering that there is always competition in business. Therefore, the disclosure of such information may provide valuable information to the competitors. Second, the traditional method of issuing IPO may take anywhere from six months to two years. A lot of time and effort is put towards gathering the relevant information and putting things together. This distraction slows down the day-to-day operations of the company and engages the senior management in focusing

Global Warming Statistics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Warming Statistics - Assignment Example Fellow citizens, extreme weather events will be the new order of events in the world resulting from carbon emissions saturated in the air. Sandy is just one of the recent storm events that caused great destruction. In fact, the storm destroyed 76,000 homes and businesses in New Jersey. Of these, some were hospitals that need about $3 billion to resume work. Governor Cuomo Stated that New York City needs about $42 billion in total to recover form this storm (Beinecke web). Over the past decades, statistics reveal that surface temperatures have gone up by a significant amount (0.6), degrees with two-thirds of the increase occurring in the 1980s with the onset of industrialization. Many of the Americans now believe that global warming is an issue that needs to be handled with great urgency. 70% of them believe it is real and 90% believe that it is caused by human activity. At least 31 Billion tons of carbon dioxide is released to the environment every day, causing the greenhouse effect. Accumulated carbon dioxide in the environment in the past 100 years have resulted in a rise in the sea level by 17.5 cm, which is quite alarming (Mason web) Causes and Effects For sure, carbon dioxide emission to the atmosphere is the greatest contributor of global warming. When carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping emissions are released to the atmosphere, they act as a blanket that traps and keeps heat. You realize that the introduction of fossil fuels to drive cars and run industries have not left our atmosphere the same. Other human activities that add carbon emissions to the atmosphere include deforestation and burning of charcoal, which leave the atmosphere bare and unable to purify the air.

NASA's Mission to Asteroid Bennu Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

NASA's Mission to Asteroid Bennu - Essay Example Basically, the question being asked by the project, that they hope to answer is â€Å"can you go to an asteroid, collect material, and bring it back to earth?† (Algar, Jim â€Å"NASA Gets Go-Ahead To Build Spacecraft for Space Sampling Mission†)/ This paper will look deeper into the relevance of the mission to Bennu, the current status of the project, and finally, make conclusions about the possible success or failure of the space mission. This will be done by presenting the latest facts about the mission as taken from the latest news and scientific reports / updates related to the 2016 space mission. In order to fully grasp the importance of the mission to Asteroid Bennu, the public must first understand the key mission objectives of the project. All of which are crucial to the continued study of planet and life preservation on Earth. These mission objectives are: Having received financing and support from the government to implement the project, NASA has begun to develop the spacecraft that will be used for this unmanned mission. Known as the Origins, Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer, OSIRIS REx for short the unmanned explorer was approved at the Mission Design Critical Review at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in Ohio this April (Myles, Robert â€Å"NASAs Asteroid Sample Mission Gets Go-Ahead†). With a planned launch date in the Fall of 2016, the craft is expected to rendezvous with the 493 meter asteroid in 2018. OSIRUS - REx will have 5 onboard instruments meant to help with data and sample collection. A task that is expected to last at least one year. The samples and data will then take a 5 year trip back to earth where NASA will collect the samples and other onboard data for long term experimentation, research, and study well into the 2020s (Myles, Robert â€Å"NASAs Asteroid Sampl e Mission

Global Warming Statistics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Warming Statistics - Assignment Example Fellow citizens, extreme weather events will be the new order of events in the world resulting from carbon emissions saturated in the air. Sandy is just one of the recent storm events that caused great destruction. In fact, the storm destroyed 76,000 homes and businesses in New Jersey. Of these, some were hospitals that need about $3 billion to resume work. Governor Cuomo Stated that New York City needs about $42 billion in total to recover form this storm (Beinecke web). Over the past decades, statistics reveal that surface temperatures have gone up by a significant amount (0.6), degrees with two-thirds of the increase occurring in the 1980s with the onset of industrialization. Many of the Americans now believe that global warming is an issue that needs to be handled with great urgency. 70% of them believe it is real and 90% believe that it is caused by human activity. At least 31 Billion tons of carbon dioxide is released to the environment every day, causing the greenhouse effect. Accumulated carbon dioxide in the environment in the past 100 years have resulted in a rise in the sea level by 17.5 cm, which is quite alarming (Mason web) Causes and Effects For sure, carbon dioxide emission to the atmosphere is the greatest contributor of global warming. When carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping emissions are released to the atmosphere, they act as a blanket that traps and keeps heat. You realize that the introduction of fossil fuels to drive cars and run industries have not left our atmosphere the same. Other human activities that add carbon emissions to the atmosphere include deforestation and burning of charcoal, which leave the atmosphere bare and unable to purify the air.

Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economics - Assignment Example Now, before throwing some light on the importance of government in reducing the rate of unemployment, it is crucial to shed some light on the types and methods of measuring unemployment. The definition of unemployment is quite varying. In simple words, it is a situation where people want jobs but they don’t become able to find any. But, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), if a person is working at least for an hour a week, he is considered employed. Here, definition of employment will help understanding what unemployment is all about. The LFS( Labour Force Survey ) definition of employment is anyone (aged 16 or over) who does at least one hour’s paid work in the week prior to their LFS interview, or has a job that they are temporarily away from (e.g. on holiday). Also included are people who do unpaid work in a family business and people on government supported employment training schemes, in line with ILO definitions [1]. As different unemployment types exist in the real world, it is crucial to use right methods to measure those different types. Unemployment rate is the best way to measure the extent of unemployment in any country. Economists all over the world, give huge importance to the measures of unemployment rate for designing the policies of economic development. The most widely used measure of unemployment rate is mentioned below[2]: Claimant Count: This method was usually used during the 1980s and 1990s. The basic thing about this method is to count those unemployed heads who are receiving unemployment benefits. The good thing is that measurement can be done by using administrative records, which is the reason why you don’t have to suffer from sampling errors. But, it is a fact that many countries are now using other computation methods which is the reason why it is not logical to compare results of this method with other methods. Also, it provides relatively inadequate data as only those people who receive unemployment

Porter Five Analysis of the European Airline Industry Essay Example for Free

Porter Five Analysis of the European Airline Industry Essay While the business model existed for some time (first such in 1973 US), the appearance of these in the European market needed the liberalization brought forth by the EU, implementing the „Freedoms of the air† in three stages. In 1997 the first LCC (Low Cost Carrier), the Ryanair began its operation, and in a few years a few more followed, which gave the national and network airlines a new problem to the existing economic problem, shrinking market and others such as 9/11. By today the changes in the past two decades have shifted and diversified the industry, which was once a mature and to some level declining in structure. The new regulations, companies, investors and consumers have brought new life, the industry once again mature with fragmented characteristics. The ideal tool for the assessment of the airlines industry is Michael Porter’s five force model. It aims to find and demonstrate the forces in the microenvironment which influence the industry, internal and external as well. Threat of new entrants (barriers to entry) †¢High capital investment ? †¢Capital intensive ? †¢Airport slot availability ? †¢Predatory pricing ? †¢Brand loyalty/frequent flyer ? †¢Economies of scale ? Limited number of routes ^ The threat of new entrants, due to the barriers mostly set by the nature of the industry and by the existing companies, are very low. Yet sometimes when the possibility arises, new companies start: in the past few years many national companies went bankrupt leaving a market to take by the existing companies or new upstarts. Bargaining power of suppliers †¢Ai rcraft manufacturers †¢Relatively low number of suppliers ^ †¢Suppliers are concentrated ^ †¢Airlines are valued customers ? †¢Airports †¢Slot availability ^ †¢Alternatives to the primary airports ? The bargaining power of suppliers is mostly two-legged, and both have a medium threat. For both parties it is best to find a mutually working solution on a long term, because it is a industry with relatively small number of players loosing even one can have an impact on both sides. Threat of substitutes †¢Alternative transport (bus, car, train) ^ †¢Videoconferencing ^ †¢Global environmental awareness ^ The threat of substitutes includes a broad variety for the different needs. All-in-all it still only gives a medium threat, since the quick transport to a distance has no alternative. Bargaining power of customers †¢Price ? †¢Internet/social media ^ †¢Customer orientation ? †¢Choice ^ With the first LCCs the customers had no bargaining power: if you choose to go with this low price, accept the services as it is. However, nowadays with more alternatives and the ever-reaching internet and social media a bad customer satisfaction can be a disaster. This can however be mitigated with customer orientation, but still customer had the choice, it is a medium high level. Rivalry within the industry †¢Between LCC and national/network airlines ^ †¢Between LCCs ^ The rivalry within the industry is high due to the high number of big and medium sized companies. The airlines industry is highly competitive, with very high barriers and medium to high threats within. While there is a relatively low threat from a new market entree, the existing international competition is fighting over all the resources: more and better airports possibly with mutually excluding contracts, picking up the customers fed up with their previous carrier or starting a price war on a selected destination, binding the newly aquired flyers with brand loyalty programmes. Unless there is an opportunity, it is not an attractive industry to enter due to the high number of barriers. However, once established a foot, it is a very interesting and very intensive industry with good possibilities. The major LCCs depending on how low cost they are making good profit and there is still room for growth. The key factors for success should include: †¢Efficiently utilizing the resources (financial, time, human resources) †¢Utilizing a network of business partners (complementary) †¢Timely expansion (trying new destinations, increasing frequency) †¢Customer orientation (with following trends eg. ocial media) These above should be observed by both LCCs and traditional airlines. The industry standards are given, those companies will become successful which can effectively utilize them.

Peter Brooks The Shifting Point English Literature Essay

Peter Brooks The Shifting Point English Literature Essay Many famous and talented people, the representatives of different professions, among which are writers and singers, politicians and historians, actors and scientists, attract everybodys attention by their biographies. Of course, it is very interesting to know more about a man who has already had a great success in life and who can easily share his experience with others. Peter Brook is one of such people, who are worthy of respect and whose wise thoughts should be analyzed and discussed. I think that his book The Shifting Point is worth to be reading and analyzing because it is not just an autobiography of a talented man, a theater director and a well-known playwright and a wonderful screenwriter but also this book can be considered a so-called guide to the wonderful world of theater. My goal in this essay is to discuss Peter Brooks book The Shifting Point and to prove the fact that this literary work deserves attention of all the people who are not indifferent to theater as a form o f art. That is why I decided to organize my paper into several sections which will help to develop the theme. It is known that Peter Brook was born in London. His father, a Russian scientist, who came to Great Britain searching for the better life, was not a well-to-do man, nevertheless, Peter Brook got a good education. He studied at Westminster College, later at Oxford University where he was noticed as an active member of the amateur theater. His first amateur work on Jean Cocteaus play La Machine Infernale attracted attention of the famous playwright Barry Jackson who offered twenty-years-old Brook to put a rather difficult play Man and Superman written by Bernard Show on the stage of Birmingham repertory theater. According to Peter Brooks words, he always hung upon his feelings and the sixth sense in his work. It always helped him to be the first on the stage and in life. Brook was 21 when he was invited to Shakespeare Memorial Theater to produce Shakespearian plays. This unforgettable cycle of plays made him famous. Romeo and Juliet (1947) was a real sensation. It even set off a lively argument among the English theater critics. For the first time in his work Brook used the idea of empty space getting rid of many decorations. As a matter of fact, he was known for brave innovations on the stage and new styles of his productions. May be, his book The Shifting Point which was written in 1988, after about forty years of experience as a theater playwright, an opera playwright and a film producer has the main goal to represent Peter Brooks ideas and thoughts concerning William Shakespeares plays. There were a great deal of other plays, operas and films where Peter Brook showed his talent of a playwright and screenwriter. Among them are the following plays: King Lear (1962) Measure for Measure (1950) The Winters Tale (1952) Titus Andronicus (1958) Marat/Sade (1964) A Midsummer Nights Dream (1970) The full title of this book is The Shifting Point: Theater. Film. Opera. 1946-1987. It is quite obvious why Peter Brook decided to give his book such a long title. He wanted to show that he had the greatest experience in the sphere of the drama and film production. Forty years is quite a long period to become an expert whose innovations were highly appreciated. The book consists of numerous witty essays which include not only some commentaries concerning both the classic theater and the avant-garde theater but also different anecdotes which are connected with opera and film work. Besides, the book The Shifting Point touches upon the theme of Shakespeares plays. The author gives series of thorough explorations of Shakespeares plays. Peter Brook is well-known as the leading director of his generation who uses his own theater techniques and innovations. Some critics even call him a genius of our times. That is true. Everybody will agree with this statement after reading his book The Shi fting Point. Now Id like to turn to the contents of the book. There are nine chapters (or parts) in the book The Shifting Point: A Sense of Direction People on the Way a Flashback Provocations What is a Shakespeare? The World as a Can Opener Filling the Empty Space The Forty Years War Flickers of Life Entering Another World Part I The First Part A Sense of Direction. There are six essays in this part. The Formless Hunch is a rather interesting essay where Brook tells us about the way he usually organizes his work on play, the process of preparation his play for the stage: costumes, color, his rehearsal work. The Stereoscopic Vision is another essay from the first part. Here the author continues his discussion concerning the role of director in the theater. For him being a director is taking charge, making decisions, as well as saying the last word. There is Only One Stage is the title of the next essay. Here Brook tells about the great misunderstanding which takes place in the present-day theater. Brook compares the work of director with a potter who molds his pot and then sends it into the world. It is a misunderstanding. Brook states that the process consists of two phases: First: preparation. Second: birth. Misunderstandings is another essay which continues the theme of work in the theater. Here Brook tells how he came to a famous producer and said to him: I want to direct films. Brook was 20 at that time and had already directed an amateur film A Sentimental Journey. Of course, he was too young to direct films. Brook prepared his script as for a film. The first scene in this play was a dialogue between two soldiers. Brook did not know how a professional rehearsal starts. I Try to Answer a Letter is a small letter written by Brook to Mr.Howe, telling about how to become a director. He said that all the directors in the theater are self-appointed and one can become a director by calling himself a director and bringing other people to believe in it. He advices to be active and not to waste time in achieving the goal. A World in Relief, the last essay in the first part of the book, continues Brooks discussion about directing. Here he again repeats all the duties of a director in the theater. He speaks about a special directors language where an actor is only a noun, but an important one. He pays attention to the phenomenon akin to holography in the theater. Brook speaks about the golden rule which says that any actor must remember that the play is greater that himself. Part II The second part is People on the Way A Flashback. It contains nine essays. The first one is Gordon Graig. This essay tells how Brook met Gordon Graig, a person whose life is closely connected with the theater. He is an actor but many years ago he gave up this profession and began to direct a tiny number of productions. Before the First World War, he staged his last production. Now he is 84. He lives in pension de famille in the South of France. His life story is an interesting one. The Beck Connection is one more Brooks essay which tells about Julian Beck and Judith Malinas production of Jack Gelbers play The Connection. Here Brook touches upon the theme of different forms of theater, the meaning of the the term lying in relation to the theater and cinema. Happy Sam Beckett, the next essay of the second chapter. Here the author writes about the new Beckett play Happy Days which impressed him greatly by its objectivity. Bouncing, another essay represents Brooks point of view concerning the routine work in the theater. He says that it is useless to make plans. He compares all the theater staff with ping-pong balls bouncing off the net of events. In this essay Brook touches upon his play The Balcony which was postponed due to some circumstances, he recalls Marilyn Monroe who came to the rehearsal of his play View from the Bridge without Brooks permission and criticized his actress Mary Ure. Grotowski is the title of the other Brooks essay included into the second part of The Shifting Point. In this essay Brook shows his relation to Grotowski who is known for his investigation the nature of acting, its phenomenon, its meaning, the nature and science of the processes including mental, physical, emotional points. Artaud and the Great Puzzle. In this essay Brook continues his story about Grotowskis skills and experimental works in theater. Brook and Grotowski had a lot of common ideas but their paths were different. How Many Trees Make a Forest? This essay with such an unusual title tells about Brooks first meeting with Brecht. He compares Brecht, Graig and Stanislavski and decides how many decorations must be put on the stage to make a forest. It Happened in Poland. In this essay Brook tells about his friend Jan Kott whom he met in a nightclub of Warsaw. He was a Professor of Drama and was known for his writings about Shakespeare. Peter Weisss Kick. In this essay Brook discusses the problems of theater, finds the answer to the question concerning the difference between a poor play and a good play and gets acquainted with Peter Weiss works. Part III In the third part of the book which has the title Provocations. Cruelty, Madness and War, you can find five essays by Peter Brook. The first one, Manifesto for the Sixties, is represented by a number of quotes which are worth thinking of. For example, Culture has never done anyone any good whatsoever. No work of art has yet made a better man. The Theater of Cruelty. This essay tells about Brooks work with a group of actors who presented some theater experiments in public. He states that national theater, musical comedy and experimental theater are the main parts of the healthy theater. U.S. Means You. U.S. Means US. In this essay Brook gives explanations concerning the fact that The Royal Shakespeare Theater used public money to stage a play about Americans at War in Vietnam. A great deal of contradictory reactions appeared in connection with this. Twenty five actors together with the team of authors investigated the situation in Vietnam. Brook and his partners were against the idea to use the theater as a television documentary, as lecture hall, as vehicle for propaganda. The Theater Cant Be Pure is another essay which explains the difference between words true, real, natural in relation to the theater. Here Brooks compares theater with the stomach where food metamorphoses into two equalities: excrement and dreams. A Lost Art. In this essay Brook argues on the issue of acting. He took Senecas play Oedipus where there is no external action and he calls this theater liberated from scenery, free from costume, stage moves and gestures. In this essay Brook represents his ideas concerning the actors nature and the psychological aspect in acting. Part IV Shakespeare isnt a bore. Shakespeare has an incredible dramatic quality of the plays. Romeo and Juliet is described as a love story, which is sentimental, also includes violence, intrigues and excitement. An open letter to Shakespeare, or, as I dont like ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Most of the plays of Shakespeare are miraculous, except As you like it. But despite that, the public loves them all. What is a Shakespeare? Not much is understood about Shakespeare, as he is different in kind. The two ages of Gielgudà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ John Gielguds reputation inspired love and awe, and each actor was thrilled to be there. The author says that John I unique and that he is always in the present. He is also traditional, for his passionate sense of quality comes from his understanding of the past. Shakespearean realism. For centuries our practical understanding of Shakespeare has been blocked by the false notion that Shakespeare was a writer of far-fetched plots which he decorated with genius. Lear- Can it be staged? The author doubts that there is any designer that has patience to work with him. Exploding stars. Within the galaxy of plays there are plays that move closer to us at certain moments in the history and some that move away. Points of radianceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ When I started work on Shakespeare, I did believe to a limited extent in the possibility of a classical word music, that each verse had a sound that was correct, with only moderate variations. Shakespeare is a piece of coal. The author is interested in the present. History is a way of looking at things, but not one that interests me very much. Shakespeare does not belong to the past. The play is the message. Considering the theme of a Midsummer Nights Dream, at the center of a Dream there is the love. This theme touches all men. Part V The international centre. People do research. The purpose is to be instruments that transmit truths which otherwise would remain out of sight. Structures of sound. The theme of the first years work of the International Centre of Theatre Research was to be a study of structures of sounds. The theatre tries to reflect the real world. Life in a more concentrated form. The effect is rather intense if the group of actors includes people with different backgrounds. With an international company, a deep understanding can be touched between people who seem to have nothing in common. Brooks Africa. An Interview by Michael Gibson. As a result, nothing had a better effect on the actors than the stillness of the African audiences. It is very natural to most Africans not to manifest. Te world as a can opener. Everyone can respond to the music and dances of many races other than his own. For the actors the power of myths can be as a challenge. Understanding through identification is normal in the theatre. An aborigine, I presume. A lot of gesticulating and interpreters help in telling the stories. The story describes people who live in their countries and do not fully know them. Part VI Space as a tool. Author thinks that the theatre is based on a particular human characteristic, which is the need at times to be in a new and intimate relationship with ones fellow men. Les bouffes du nord. The author describes that his stroke of luck was having Micheline as a partner it was her brilliance and originality of vision that enabled us year after year to cross the tightrope of survival. The conference of the birds. The illusions have less body, because they havent got the ferocious attachment to the very forces that make the illusions in life so impossible to break. Butter and the knife describes the specifics of the theatre, the possibility to have butter and knife by other means, the Ubu Roi, the plays The Bone and The Conference of the Birds. The Cherry Orchard describes the work of Chekhov, and the author says that in Chekhovs work death is omnipresent, as he knew it well. The Mahabharata describes the difficulties in the traditional theatre from the East, which is admired even without understanding. Dharma is something that can not be answered and the only thing that can be said about it is that it is the essential motor. The Goddess and the Jeep. There is a decline and fall of religious theatre described in The Goddess and the Jeep. Part VII The art of noise describes the Opera and people making noise when they came out of their caves. Eugene Onegin. Here is described the theatrical weakness of the work the last scene. The work also demands realistic style of staging. Carmen describes the interview with Philippe Albera after the opening of La Tragedie de Carmen at the Bouffes du Nord in November 1981. The taste of style is about the facts and symbols of our time. As well, the style is described, along with the peculiarities of the theatre. Part VIII Filming a play describes cases and peculiarities of filming the plays. As well, the principles of television and filmic equivalents are described. The reality of the image gives to film its power and its limitation. Lord of the flies described the Goldings book, which is a history of man. My experience showed me that the only falsification in Goldings fable is the length of time the descent to savagery takes. Moderato Cantabile describes the story written by Marguerite Duras and about the idea of making it into a film. Filming King Lear. There were efforts to evolve an impressionistic movie technique, cutting language and incident to the bone, so that the total effect of all the things heard and seen could capture in different terms Shakespeares rough, uneven, jagged and disconcerting vision. Tell me lies is a feature film based on the Royal Shakespeare Company production of US. Meetings with remarkable men is not totally truthful story, sometimes accurate, sometimes not, sometimes in and sometimes out of life, like a legend. Part IX The mask- coming out of our shell- is a story about masks. What is the mask doing: the thing you are most afraid of losing, you lose right away your ordinary defenses, your ordinary expressions, your ordinary face that you hide behind. People are imprisoned and there is a capacity to open eyes wider and raise the eyebrows higher than people done ever before. The essential radiance it describes the theatres that exist at the precise moment when these two worlds that of the actors and that of the audience meet: a society in miniature, a microcosm brought together every evening within a space. The culture of links is all about the cultural peculiarities. Fragmentation of the world deals with the discovery of relationships, and there are certain aspects that are imprisoned in the culture. Conclusion In conclusion of my essay I should say that Peter Brooks book The Shifting Point can be the guide to the world of art because the author gives too many ideas and explanations concerning theater, opera, film production as well as his own understanding of the outer world. We learn about his feelings, emotions, achievements, and failures. All critics have a considerable respect for Peter Brook. Now he is 85 but he is full of energy. He continues his writing and his new books impress his readers.

Moral Relativism in Fyodor Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment :: Crime and Punishment Essays

Moral Relativism in Crime and Punishment At the close of Crime and Punishment, Raskolinkov is convicted of Murder and sentenced to seven years in Siberian prison. Yet even before the character was conceived, Fyodor Dostoevsky had already convicted Raskolinkov in his mind (Frank, Dostoevsky 101). Crime and Punishment is the final chapter in Dostoevsky's journey toward understanding the   forces that drive man to sin, suffering, and grace. Using ideas developed in Notes from Underground and episodes of his life recorded in Memoirs of the House of the Dead, Dostoevsky puts forth in Crime in Punishment a stern defense of natural law and an irrefutable volume of evidence condemning Raskolnikov's actions (Bloom, Notes 25).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Central to the prosecution of any crime, murder in particular, is the idea of motive. Not only must the prosecutor prove the actus rectus or "guilty act," but also that the criminal possessed the mens rea or "guilty mind" (Schmalleger 77). The pages of Crime and Punishment and the philosophies of Dostoevsky provide ample proof of both. The first is easy; Dostoevsky forces the reader to watch firsthand as Raskolnikov "took the axe all the way out, swung   it with both hands, scarcely aware of himself, and almost without effort, almost mechanically, brought the butt-end down on her head" (Crime and Punishment 76). There is no doubt Raskolnikov caused the death of Alena Ivanovna and, later, Lizaveta, but whether he possessed the mens rea is another matter entirely. By emphasizing the depersonalization Raskolnikov experiences during the murder, the fact that he was "scarcely aware of himself" and acted "almost mechanically" the sympathetic r eader might conclude that some unknown force of nature, and not the person Raskolnikov, is to blame for the death of the usurer and her sister (Nutall 160). Dostoevsky's answer to this is contained not in Crime and Punishment, but rather in an earlier work, Notes from Underground.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The entire story of the Underground Man was intended to parody the works of Nicolai G. Chernyshevsky, and thereby prove that man's actions are the result of his own free-will. The idea that man is alone responsible for his actions is central to proving that Raskolnikov is really to blame for his crime. For under the Chernyshevsky-embraced doctrine of scientific determinism, Raskolnikov cannot be held accountable for his actions. Rather, scientific determinism holds that whatever actions men take are inevitable and unalterable because they are "totally determined by the laws of nature.

The Influence of Family Functioning on Eating Disorders Essay -- Relat

The Influence of Family Functioning on Eating Disorders Understanding the etiology of an eating disorder is perhaps the most complicated issue surrounding the disease, as teasing apart cause and consequence can be extremely difficult. This problem becomes immediately apparent when examining family factors associated with eating disorders. Research over the past decade has focused largely on identifying family factors that potentially contribute to the development of an eating disorder in an individual, and further refining these characteristics into prototypes for the â€Å"anorexic family† or the â€Å"bulimic family.† Identifying a pattern of specific family risk factors would be an extremely useful tool in recognizing those vulnerable for developing an eating disorder. While the research has been unable to paint an entirely complete picture of family characteristics, certain traits surface as typical to the eating disordered family. Unfortunately, much of the existing literature on family factors and eati ng disorders relies upon correlational data, as controlled studies are difficult to conduct within a family setting. Caution must therefore be applied to such findings, as one cannot assume causality; based on strictly correlational studies alone, it cannot be determined whether the family environment caused the eating disorder, or whether the eating disorder led to family dysfunction. Nevertheless, it remains useful to examine any significant factors that emerge from the literature in order to increase understanding about each potential factor influencing the development of eating disorders. Although they both fall into the common continuum of eating disorders, anorexia nervosa (restricting subt... ...(1986). Bulimia: assessment of eating, Psychological adjustment, and familial characteristics. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 5(5), 865-878. Scalf-McIver, L. & Thompson, J.K. (1989). Family correlates of bulimic characteristics in college females. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45(3), 467-472. Stern, S.L., Dixon, K.L., Jones, D., Lake, M., Nemzer, E., & Sansone, R. (1989). Family Environment in anorexia and bulimia. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 8(1), 25-31. Thienemann, M. & Steiner, H. (1993). Family environment of eating disordered and depressed adolescents. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 14(1), 43 48. Walsh, B.T. & Garner, D.M. (1997). Diagnostic issues. In D.M. Garner & P.E. Garfinkel (Eds.), Handbook for the Treatment of Eating Disorders (pp. 25-33). New York: The Guilford Press.

Hidden messages of objects of African art Essay

In our modern world works of art play a role which is quite different from the role they used to play in the past. Indeed, in ancient times the craftsmanship of masters who produced utensils necessary for daily needs was already the source of art, because their products were among few vehicles of self-expression. As the result, many of the objects of the ancient art were simultaneously the objects of use, like vessels for liquids, different decorated tools, etc. However, with time and along with the social developments at least since Hellenistic culture art in the Western world was becoming more a means of self-expression of man and of our human striving for beauty. This process, while preserving the attraction to objects of practical utilization endowed with artistic qualities, also led to the separation of decorative art into a means to achieve aesthetic satisfaction. At a certain moment, art began to be integrated into the approaches towards creation of living spaces of human beings, and, importantly, the works of art began to be valued for their own sake. Since the industrial revolution, when technologies enabled mass production of products, the role of art in the Western world underwent further transformation art because capitalism initiated â€Å". . . the bringing of art . . . into subordinate relation . . .†[1] Since those times there appeared a tendency to perceive works of art as a kind of modern icons enclosed in museums for public viewing. Thus, â€Å"the religion of art . . . was born†[2], and art as a consecrated phenomenon has been by now somewhat isolated from our everyday lives. In this regard, one of the most important tasks of museums is to find the most effective ways to immerse people into artistic environment and to teach them not only to contemplate objects with their eyes, but as well to feel them with all their senses, as if reliving experiences of those human beings who created artistic objects. This task becomes especially challenging when it comes to the presentation of artifacts of cultures that significantly differ from our own. To see such challenges we may turn our attention to art of Africa, which contains a lot of exotic elements for modern viewers. One of the most important qualities of art in African cultures is its focus on immediate human experiences. In addition to racial differences among the ethnic groups of Africa that are reflected in their approach towards depiction of human beings, works of African art in most cases also look so strange for modern viewers because they represent world views and unique experiences (already fixed by addition of â€Å"and unique experiences†) of their creators which are really different from ours. Indeed, African art builds upon heritage of several millennia of various cultural traditions embodied in such diverse artistic artifacts as sculptures created for ritual purposes, wooden and golden monuments, ornaments made of silver and gold, unique garments, masks, and other artifacts. On grounds of this diversity, it is very hard to make generalizations about the African culture. However, there are some common elements that can be viewed as main motives and themes of African art. For example, it is a well known fact that African natural environment is very harsh in comparison to other regions of the world. Consequently, for African denizens the answer to the need to maintain population has traditionally been the bearing of numerous children. Therefore, African women are primarily associated with the symbol of life, because the existence and integrity of families and clans depends on one hand upon ability of woman to give birth to children, and on other hand upon her role as supporter of old parents and upon her mission in many African societies of contacting with spirits of the ancestors through prayers and ritual offerings. On ground of this, many themes in African art are in one way or another linked with symbols of fertility of women, of soil as another source of life, and of animals and plants. For example, many African shrines are dedicated to spirits that are believed to provide fertility, and they often contain some sculptures or other art forms that symbolize fertility. In a more direct fashion, in many African cultures there is an abundance of art objects that directly depict pregnant women. In this way we can see that African art has traditionally been influenced by specifics of its environment. However, one of the Western approaches to African art lies in our attempts to find out whether Africans make art for its own sake, and this approach may be somewhat misleading. At this point we may recall our considerations of the development of art in the Western world when until relatively recent times art was not meant to be placed in museums as it is often the case today, but rather was integrated in the life of society, for instance in religious and even political practices. In this connection, African art seems to have retained the ability to keep itself close to everyday concerns of people as far as it aims to reflect upon the most urgent concerns of African people. The objects of African art bristle with expressive emotions of their masters who with the help of objects of art try to investigate their relation with the world, and who through art communicate their striving to survive in a tough environment. Therefore, African art can hardly be separated from the lives of people who created it, and this unity seems to be stronger than in the Western artistic tradition.[3] One of the very exciting exhibitions where we can find beautiful exemplars of African art is the exhibition devoted to Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Let us with the help of this exhibition explore how modern viewers perceive objects of quite a different culture, and whether this exhibition manages to make the displayed objects of art speak to spectators in their native language. For this task we may pick several objects representative of the African culture as far as they reflect upon the main traditional themes of past and present African art. It must be pointed out from the outset that very often there are no firm dates for many of objects of African art. This is because African artists neither signed nor dated their creations. However, as many pieces of African art are made of wood, which is not a very long-lasting material, especially in African environment, it is thought that most of the wooden pieces of African art can probably be dated as belonging to the end of the nineteenth or the beginning of the twentieth century. Of course, aside from wood many objects are made of stone, clay, bronze, silver, gold, ivory, and terracotta. Such objects are long-lasting and those of them that have been found in known archeological contexts and in properly investigated archaeological locations have more or less fixed dates attributed to them. I propose to choose the following objects for the further research: A seated figure of a male from the thirteenth century, which offers an impressive image of anxiety that speaks directly to viewers` emotions (figure 1 in Appendix). This object originates from Inland Niger Delta region, the site named Jenne-jeno, which is the most ancient known city of sub-Saharan Africa. The Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired this object in 1981 as a bequest from Joseph Pulitzer, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Rogers Funds. (already fixed) A memorial head of a ruler of the Akan ethnic group from Western Africa from the seventeenth century that reflects idealized notions of African people (figure 2 in Appendix). This object`s origin was Hemang city in the Twifo region of Ghana, the land of the Akan ethnic group. It was initially a part of Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection and was given to museum by Nelson A. Rockefeller in 1967. A pendant mask dated of the sixteenth century, which has an interesting history and therefore can enhance our understanding of the role of art in African cultures (figure 3 in Appendix). This object originates from Benin, a culturally important region populated by Edo speaking people that is a part of southern and northern The mask has a rich history of ownership, as it belonged to Brenda Z. Seligman, Prof. C. G. Seligman, and Sir Ralph Moor. In the end, it also became a part of Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection and was gifted to museum by Nelson A. Rockefeller in 1972. (I`m afraid that if more detailed info is needed on provenance, the only way to get it is to visit the museum and find out, because officially Metropolitan Museum states only what we have mentioned above, i.e. that â€Å"it belonged to Brenda Z. Seligman, Prof. C. G. Seligman, and Sir Ralph Moor. In the end, it also became a part of Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection and was gifted to museum by Nelso n A. Rockefeller in 1972†) Of course, there exists a diverse and comprehensive body of research dedicated to such a complex phenomenon as African art. Most of the books dedicated to this topic attempt to integrate African art with social and ethnographic peculiarities of African cultures. I believe that this is a rightful path to follow, because if we try to comprehend the meaning of African objects of art while ignoring their context we risk not grasping their true meaning that was assigned to them by their creators. Among books that provide such an integrated approach to the research of African art we may highlight several. One of them is the work History of Art in Africa by Monica Blackmun Visona and numerous co-authors. This book is not that much a strictly formal research but rather a detailed guide that increases our understanding of artistic forms created in different regions of Africa by different peoples and cultures, especially those of the Sub-Saharan areas. From the academic point of view, by means of a combination of modern research of various forms of African arts and their attempts to apply those findings to different geographic regions and different times of African history authors had made a significant contribution to the literature devoted to the history of art. Another relevant work that deals with African art is the book edited by Tom Phillips Africa: The Art of a Continent. It is one of the most thorough general works on African art that provides detailed overview of art forms and styles, and at the same time gives extensive description of African tribes and their influence on regionalized art forms. In this way, this book is helpful as a reference for those who would like to systemize the knowledge of African art that one already has, and to localize cultural centers of African art. In addition to the mentioned books, the work of Sidney Littlefield Kasfir Contemporary African Art is the worthy piece of reasearch that treats the transformations in African art in the latter half of the 20th century. It is a very helpful direction of research because, among other things, it shows how the traditional forms of African art are reevaluated by contemporary African artists themselves. The high level of scholarship of the author and his masterful ability to tie modernity with history co-operate to paradoxically make this book relevant for those who aim to better understand not only modern African art, but its traditional forms as well, which is the important achievement for this author. Each of the mentioned books contains some outstanding points, but at the same time none of them can pretend to be a fully comprehensive guide to African art, if it is at all possible to make a such a guide. But as all those books cover somewhat different aspects of African art, I believe that our task is to try to combine their findings with our immediate impressions from the contemplation of the objects of African art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in order to achieve the highest possible level of comprehension of the uniqueness of African cultural heritage. This aim leads me to a more general task which I will try to accomplish, namely to see whether it is possible for a museum as a kind of â€Å"modern cultural church† of our society to present objects of an unfamiliar culture in such a way as to enable viewers to really penetrate beyond the objects` material form and recreate in their minds experiences similar to those of artists who embodied their feelings in artistic creations. This task presupposes some psychological research, of which my own impressions from the exhibition will be the object, and also considerations about the general level of successfulness of the exhibit as measured by visible impressions of its other visitors. The first object of our analysis is a seated figure of a male. Due to the age of this piece of art and the fact that African artists did not inscribe their names on their creations it is impossible to know who exactly was the author of this object. However, we know that this sculpture originates from a location known as Jenne-jeno, which was the most ancient known city of sub-Saharan Africa. This was a center that thrived around the ninth century AD, but declined by the beginning of the fifteenth century leaving numerous artifacts made of forged iron, cast brass, and clay. While performed archaeological digs give only a vague glimpse of the true role of art in that region, the available heritage of the old culture of Jenne-jeno definitely shows that artists of the urban society of that time possessed highly sophisticated artistic skills. For example, this particularly impressive figure, with its legs crossed, its chest almost pressed against a leg, and its head touching its knee, transmits the sensation of anxiety and stress, or, alternatively, of a full immersion in a prayer. This frozen emotional load of the sculpture bespeaks the motives of a creator of this piece of art that apparently were aimed at expressing intense emotional experiences that could arise from such events as ritual commemoration of the death of loved people. The method of direct portrayal of emotions as if written on the face of the figure serves to actually dissolve boundaries of time and make this object universally understood. (well, sometimes we have to defend our position, and in this case it actually could be both that the figure is tense or relaxed in prayer, and it`s not a contradiction. In fact, I checked the website of the Metropolitan and, ironically, there it is also said that this figure â€Å"simultaneously suggests the knotted tension of anxiety and the sublime absorption of deep prayer†) At the same time, sculptures like this one despite their concreteness of representation could simultaneously serve as a symbolic image of ancestors or mythic heroes, in this way existing in realms of both the material and spiritual, and therefore most probably were employed in ritual ceremonies. Indeed, the shaved head of this figure and its state of self-immersion are somewhat symbolized and remind of mourning practices that are still used by many cultures of sub-Saharan Africa.[4] In this way, this object enables us to suppose that such practices were as well common 700 years ago among peoples of the Inland Niger Delta. But, of course, due to the mentioned scarcity of our knowledge of the true role of art in the region of Jenne-jeno we cannot convincingly limit the role of this figure exclusively to mourning practices. In terms of materials used, this object is made of terracotta, a brownish baked earth clay that is a durable and easily workable substance. Usually, found terracotta figures have a lot of detail, because this material was widely used in African art for production of bodily ornaments and jewelry. This sculpture is not an exception as can be seen from its physical appearance and its surface qualities. For example, the technique used for the creation of this object enabled the author to make the parallel lines of knobs and dots on the back of the figure in such a way as to give it a heightened sense of relief. By the way, such knobs and dots were employed in African art quite often, sometimes covering the whole space of human figures. It is thought that this element in art was supposed to stand for signs of some kind of sicknesses that abound in African environment. [5] Combining the mentioned aspects of this object of art, I have to admit that I was greatly impressed by its overall look, and I noticed that the general response of other museum visitors was similar as people were apparently staying near this object for a longer time than on average. I believe the reason for this is the skillful work of the artist who managed to embody in the material shape a lot of emotional load, and therefore reached a powerful effect. But what made me especially excited about this object was the realization of the fact that for the author of this work its message was most probably personally experienced, and therefore this object conforms to one of the most important tasks of art, which lies in the creation of universal space of communication that transcends bounds of time and cultures. The second object of our research is a memorial head of a ruler dated of the seventeenth century, and for which we also do not know the author. This terracotta object is a decorated portrait that depicts a serene man with accurately balanced facial features and striped long neck. This form of African art belongs to what is called in some West-African cultures as â€Å"mma†, an idealized image that depicts the positive qualities that were expected from a ruler. Therefore, one of the main motives for the creation of this object was its involvement in ritual procedures. In fact, it is known that such portraits were crafted posthumously and were left along with similar images of preceding rulers in special sacred cemeteries and shrines called â€Å"mmaso† that had to keep the memory and the history of lineage of noble members of African societies. Additionally, this practice of posthumous pictorial commemoration of rulers also extended to members of his court and his servants, who were supposed to continue their service for their ruler after his death as well. â€Å"Mmaso† cemeteries were the places of regular offerings and prayers aimed at the constant support of the deceased ancestors.[6] On these grounds, it stands to reason that artists who created portraits such as the one we are studying were adding a great deal of symbolism to their creations. Indeed, the general appearance of this object is such that for me it was hard to imagine the person who it was intended to copy, and I suspect that the exact physical resemblance might not have been the main concern of the author of this memorial portrait. This head is also made from terracotta, and is decorated with fragments of quartz. But in contrast to the previous terracotta object that depicts a figure in a very plastic and emotional way, this object looks as if it was consciously processed by the artist without excessive modification of the original terracotta sphere. It seems that the facial features of the man float above the rough material they are inscribed on, and radiate a kind and positive irony, which to my judgement testifies to a very subtle technique used by the artist that is on a par with the best recognized masterpieces of fine arts. At the same time, it seems to me that this object of art retains some mystery, as if the closed eyes of the man say that we cannot see the world that his eyes had seen, and that we might have to become one of his contemporaries to fully perceive the world view of this ancient ruler and the artist who immortalized him. (Hm, it`s really hard to say what the professor meant by putting â€Å"!† along this portion of the text. . . Do you know exactly?) Interestingly, many people in the museum behaved as if feeling in some subconscious way the ultimate futility of efforts to fully comprehend the message of this object, because I noticed that in most cases visitors did not spend much time near this memorial head. But I believe that with this work the artist reached perhaps the most important artistic effect, that of its ability to intrigue truly attentive viewers, and therefore make them wonder about the hidden aspects of the culture that gave birth to this object. The last target of our research is a mask, the object strongly associated with African art. And, indeed, this mask had a special meaning for its creators. It is dated of the sixteenth century, and in contrast to previous anonymous works this artifact can give us some hints as to its artistic origin. In fact, this mask is thought to have been created in the beginning of the sixteenth century for the king of Benin Esigie. The mask depicts the elaborated and thoughtful portrait of the mother of the king, and it was probably used in rites that honored the king`s mother. From this we can guess that this mask was created by some court artist specifically for the ritual purposes, moreover that even today in many African cultures similar pendant masks are always involved in yearly rituals of spiritual purification. To reinforce this assumption we should point out that this mask is primarily made of ivory, the material that in Benin is associated with the white color that symbolizes ritual purity of the god of the sea named Olokun. This god was also viewed as a spiritual guard of kings, so this mask could bear several meanings.[7] In addition to ivory as a primary material, this mask is decorated with metal mosaic, has carved superficial incisions in the skin of its forehead, and holds below the chin beads made of coral. Interestingly, the collar and the diadem of the mask contain images of mudfish and bearded Portuguese. Mudfish live both in the water and on land, and thus it stands for the dual nature of the king who is simultaneously human and divine. On the other hand, Portuguese, who arrived from the sea, were perceived as coming from the spiritual realm. In this way, this mask integrates in it numerous symbols of the African culture. In general, this object of art conveys a somewhat different impression than previous ones. First of all, its high level of detail draws attention and begs for an especially careful inspection from the side of a viewer. On the other hand, despite having many types of decorations this mask nevertheless looks very integral and thematically complete. Moreover, among the objects of our research this mask is the most realistic one in terms of its resemblance to an actual human being. But at the same time it seemed to me that maybe because of its portrait-like look many people fail to notice the depth of its symbolical meaning of which the facial form of the mask is merely a small part. Thus, we can see that African artists already long time ago fully possessed the skill of integration of multilayered symbolical messages in a work of art, which uncovers the richness of their world views. On ground of our observations, we may conclude that museum exhibits can really give visitors a chance to relive experiences of cultures as different from ours as African ones are. However, the expansion of our cultural awareness is a task that perhaps to a larger degree depends on a viewer himself. Indeed, if a viewer just walks by the exhibit, she may get only a very limited impression of African art which may only confirm some formulaic notions that many of us have about it, like that there are a lot of masks, that objects of African art are of a strange look, etc. Even I must admit that without the deeper investigation of the history and hidden messages of the objects of African art that we had researched I would most probably also fail to see the true meaning of the works of African art, because a superficiality of judgement reduces the artistic creations merely to their material form and ignores their spiritual connotation. On a more practical side, I would recommend that in relation to exhibits devoted to exotic forms of art, of which African art is a good example, museums should not merely provide a passive presentation of artistic objects, but rather should take more proactive steps in terms of attraction of visitors` attention towards hidden aspects of art that may defy superficial attitude. For example, this purpose may be achieved through organization of publicly open regular thematic seminars on new historical, ethnographic and iconographic research devoted to African and other exotic forms of art, and through advertised presentations of new objects obtained by museum. All of this would help put what otherwise might be perceived as isolated individual objects of art into a larger cultural context, and therefore might increase public awareness of the specifics and values of art of different regions of the world.    Bibliography: â€Å"Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas†. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2006. Bacquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. Thames & Hudson, 2002. Brettell, Richard R. Modern Art 1851-1929 : Capitalism and Representation. Oxford University Press, 1999. Drewal, Henry John, Pemberton, John III, Abiodun, Rowland, and Wardwell, Allen, (Ed.). Yoruba: Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought. Harry N Abrams, 1990. Ezra, Kate. Royal Art of Benin: The Perls Collection. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1992. Hahner-Herzog, Iris, Kecskesi, Maria, and Vajda, Lazlo. African Masks: The Barbier- Mueller Collection. Prestel Publishing, 1998. Kasfir, Sidney Littlefield. Contemporary African Art. Thames & Hudson, 2000. Mills, C. Wright. Power, Politics, and People: The Collected Essays of C. Wright Mills Oxford University Press, 1967. Phillips, Tom, (Ed.). Africa: The Art of a Continent. Prestel Publishing, 1999. Thompson, Robert Farris. African Art in Motion: Icon and Act in the Collection of Katherine Coryton White. University of California Press, 1974. Turner, Victor Witter. Revelation and divination in Ndembu ritual (Symbol, myth, and ritual). Cornell University Press, 1975. Visona, Monica Blackmun, Poynor, Robin, Cole, Herbert M., Harris, Michael D., Abiodun, Rowland, and Blier, Suzanne Preston. History of Art in Africa. Prentice Hall, 2003. Willett, Frank. African Art. Thames & Hudson, 2002. Works Cited: Hahner-Herzog, Iris, Kecskesi, Maria, and Vajda, Lazlo. African Masks: The Barbier- Mueller Collection. Prestel Publishing, 1998. Kasfir, Sidney Littlefield. Contemporary African Art. Thames & Hudson, 2000. Mills, C. Wright. Power, Politics, and People: The Collected Essays of C. Wright Mills. Oxford University Press, 1967. Paz, Octavio. Convergences: Essays on Art and Literature. Harvest/HBJ Book, 1991. Phillips, Tom, (Ed.). Africa: The Art of a Continent. Prestel Publishing, 1999. Visona, Monica Blackmun, Poynor, Robin, Cole, Herbert M., Harris, Michael D., Abiodun, Rowland, and Blier, Suzanne Preston. History of Art in Africa. Prentice Hall, 2003. (As you could see, I already have removed Paz from Bibliography)

Nursing Home Abuse Essay

Approximately 1.4 million elderly people reside in long term care facilities, such as nursing homes. The families that admit their loved ones to these long term care facilities believe that excellent care is being provided to them. Many of the residents in nursing home settings receive adequate health care, but a numerous amount of other residents are subjected to abuse and neglect. It is believed that nearly one-third of all nursing homes have residents that are subjected to abuse either by staff or other residents (Masters in Health Care). Definitions of elder abuse vary. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what actions or inactions constitute abuse. Besides a variety of definitions, the major types of abuse that occur in nursing homes are categorized into physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, neglect, abandonment, financial or material exploitation. The solution to such nursing home abuse is rather simple. To prevent the inhumane treatment of the elderly in nursing homes, the nursing shortage needs to be addressed. The scandal of elder abuse in nursing homes appears to be new phenomena, but in reality this god forsaken crime has occurred for decades. Due to an elder’s physical and cognitive make up, they are not able to defend themselves from the heinous acts of abuse by their caregivers. Abuse in nursing homes is mainly thought of as physical aggression, but the elderly are subjected to psychological abuse also. One would think that no man or woman could commit abuse onto a helpless individual; however the issue of elderly abuse in nursing homes has been a growing problem. In 2003, there were 20,673 complaints of abuse, gross neglect, and exploitation on behalf of nursing home and â€Å"board and care† residents (American Association for Justice). By 2010 the number of elderly abuse complaints rose to a number between one million and two million (National Center on Elder Abuse). A study prepared by the staff of the Special Investigations Division of the House Government Reform Committee found that thirty percent of nursing homes in the United States (5,283 facilities) were cited for almost nine-thousand instances of abuse over a recent two year period. The common problems of the study included untreated bedsores, inadequate medical care, malnutrition, dehydration, preventable accidents, and inadequate sanitation and hygiene. These common problems can be categorized into the major types of elder abuse in nursing homes. Physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, neglect, abandonment, and financial exploitation are considered the major types of such abuse. Physical abuse is defined by the use of physical force that may result in bodily injury, physical pain, or impairment. Physical abuse may include but is not limited to such acts of violence as striking (with or without an object), hitting, beating, pushing, shoving, shaking, slapping, kicking, pinching, and burning. In addition, inappropriate use of drugs and physical restraints, force-feeding, and physical punishment of any kind also are examples of physical abuse (National Center on Elder Abuse). Nearly sixteen-percent of nursing home abuse cases involve physical abuse (Brent & Adams). An article published by ABC news interviewed Helen Love, a 75 year-old grandmother of three that was a victim of nursing home abuse. Helen told ABC, â€Å"He choked me and he went and broke my neck. He broke my wrist bones, in my hand. He put his hand over my mouth.† Two days after the interview, Helen Love died. Nursing home officials did not report her beating to a state official who was at the nursing home at the time. Ultimately, though, Love’s attacker served a year in prison. An investigation revealed that he had been fired by two previous nursing homes for aggressive behavior. A report by the Senate Select Committee on Aging found that many nursing home abuse cases are not immediately reported to law enforcement official (Robinson). In fact, a recent report indicated that one in fourteen incidents of elder abuse where not reported to the authorities (American Association of Justice). Emotional or psychological abuse is defined as the infliction of anguish, pain, or distress through verbal or nonverbal acts. Emotional/psychological abuse includes but is not limited to verbal assaults, insults, threats, intimidation, humiliation, and harassment. In addition, treating an older person like an infant; isolating an elderly person from his/her family, friends, or regular activities; giving an older person the â€Å"silent treatment† and enforced social isolation are examples of emotional/psychological abuse (National Center on Elder Abuse). Almost twenty percent of reported elder abuse cases involve emotional abuse (Brent & Adams). With emotional abuse being the most abundant, it is also the most difficult to define. Emotional abuse is purely subjective which therefore is difficult to reprimand nurses against these crimes. The other major crimes however are objective, and are more easy to identify, such as neglect. Neglect is defined as the refusal or failure to fulfill any part of a person’s obligations or duties to an elder. Neglect may also include failure of a person who has fiduciary responsibilities to provide care for an elder (e.g., pay for necessary home care services) or the failure on the part of an in-home service provider to provide necessary care (National Center on Elder Abuse). According to Brent & Adams, twelve percent of abuse cases involve caretaker neglect. Neglect typically means the refusal or failure to provide an elderly person with such life necessities as food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, medicine, comfort, personal safety, and other essentials included in an implied or agreed-upon responsibility to an elder (National Center on Elder Abuse). The Federal Bureau of Investigation published an article in May of 2012 about a case of nursing home neglect. The owner of three Georgia nursing homes, George Dayln Houser, was convicted in Atlanta of defrauding Medicare and Medicaid for $32.9 million dollars. To receive Medicare and Medicaid payments, Houser agreed to provide his residents with a safe and clean physical environment, nutritional meals, medical care, and other assistance. Houser not only failed to maintain a nursing staff sufficient to take proper care of the residents but did not pay food suppliers or providers of pharmacy and clinical laboratory services, medical waste disposal, trash disposal, and nursing supplies (FBI). Neglect, alongside physical abuse, are the most detrimental to a residents health. Not only do caregivers subject their residents to the atrocious crimes of neglect, but they also exploit them financially and materially. Financial or material exploitation is defined as the illegal or improper use of an elder’s funds, property, or assets. Examples include, but are not limited to, cashing an elderly person’s checks without authorization or permission; forging an older person’s signature; misusing or stealing an older person’s money or possessions; coercing or deceiving an older person into signing any document; and the improper use of conservatorship, guardianship, or power of attorney (National Center on Elder Abuse). In 2009, a Chicago nursing home worker faced financial exploitation and aggravated identification theft charges for allegedly stealing $4,008 from a Illinois nursing home. The criminal remained free on bail and was fired from the Illinois nursing home. Authorities acknowledge that the criminal had a previous criminal conviction for forgery (Nursing Home Blog). The major types of nursing home abuse have a direct correlation to inadequate staffing levels. A recent statistic by the American Association for Justice, found that ninety-percent of United States nursing homes had staffing levels too low to provide sufficient care. Residents of those nursing homes falling below minimal staffing standards are much more likely to develop bedsores and experience excessive weight loss than those in other nursing homes. This is because enough staff must be available so that all residents who cannot eat by themselves receive help. Also, unless immobile elderly residents are repositioned frequently, they may develop bedsores. To add to the problem, understaffing contributes to low morale and frustration among employees, decreasing their ability to deal with residents patiently and respectfully. According to the American Association for Justice, a series of reports revealed that many nursing homes do not have enough staff to meet the levels recommended by federal officials (3.45 nursing hours per patient daily) and nursing home experts (4.55 nursing hours per patient). Insufficient hours per patient hosts all sorts of potential problems for nursing care, the most problematic being neglect. Many nursing home residents need constant nursing attention to ensure that they do not develop medical problems. In many cases, residents need to be turned, moved, or given skin assessments to avoid developing pressure ulcers or from forming deadly blood clots. John A. Fisher, Ph. D, said there have been an alarming amount of recent cases in which New York nursing homes have been found liable for elder abuse after a resident died or was injured due to inadequate care. In every case, inadequate staffing was named as a contributing factor to the cause of the abuse. With inadequate staffing being the undeniable cause of nursing home abuse, how does the projected nursing shortage effect this issue? The projected nursing shortage in the United States is expected to intensify as baby boomers age and the need for health care grows. â€Å"In the July/August 2009 Health Affairs, Dr. Peter Buerhaus and coauthors found that despite the current easing of the nursing shortage due to the recession, the U.S. nursing shortage is projected to grow to 260,000 registered nurses by 2025. A shortage of this magnitude would be twice as large as any nursing shortage experienced in this country since the mid-1960s. In the article titled The Recent Surge In Nurse Employment: Causes And Implications, the researchers point to a rapidly aging workforce as a primary contributor to the projected shortage (American Association of Colleges of Nursing).† In some instances today, nurses are forced to attend to 20 patients at a time, and that is at the lower part on the nurse- patient spectrum. Federal law requires Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes to have an registered nurse (RN) director of nursing (DON); an RN on duty at least 8 hours a day, 7 days a week; and a licensed nurse (RN or LPN) on duty the rest of the time. However, there are no minimum staffing levels for nurse’s aides, who provide most of the day-to-day care. Instead, nursing homes are required â€Å"to provide sufficient staff and services to attain or maintain the highest possible level of physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of each resident. (Elder Law Answers)† If a nursing home met only the federal nurse staffing requirements described above, a resident would receive 20 minutes of nurse time per day. In 2000, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reported that the preferred minimum staffing level was when nursing home residents received three hours of total staff time per day — two hours of nursing assistant time and one hour of licensed nurse time. The optimum staffing level, according to the CMS, is one hour of licensed nurse time and three hours of nursing assistant time (Elder Law Answers). Most states have standards that are higher than the federal requirements, but still fall short of the levels recommended by the CMS. According to a recent study, the key to improving nursing home staffing levels is increasing state standards. The study by Charlene Harrington, a UCSF School of Nursing professor, found that states with the highest standards for nursing staff levels are the only states where nursing homes have enough staff to prevent serious safety violations. According to the study, the act of raising the state minimum staffing ratio has a direct impact on the quality of care nursing home residents receive. With such an impact that state and federal standards have on quality of care, how can the state enforce nursing homes to follow such mandates? According to an article published by nursing home reality endorsed by Aaron Delurey, the best way to ensure that residents are receiving an ample amount of care is for state officials to introduce these three procedures: Have each state mandate an increase in the percentage of surprise inspections that must take place outside of regular business hours on weekdays. Second, require management personnel to work staggered shits all the time, not just when the state is in their building. Why require this change? When the management is out of the building the quality of care given often suffers. Third and foremost, when the state shows up for an any kind of inspection, the inspectors should immediately seize the payroll data to verify staffing levels for the 14 continuous days immediately prior to the inspection. The inspectors should also insist that while they are in the building that no additional staff can be called in. These procedures would ultimately address the nursing shortage, therefore depleting the abuse within nursing homes.