Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Does Quantitative Easing Policy in US Affect Market Liquidity Research Proposal - 1

Does Quantitative Easing Policy in US Affect Market Liquidity - Research Proposal Example The effect is due to the contrast it has in increased awareness of potential risk and the cost that are associated to quantitative easing as expressed by policy makers as purchases continued (Krishnamurthy & Vising-Jorgensen, 2011). In the initial program of quantitative easing, officials of Federal Reserves suggested potential risk but the focus they had was mainly on implementation of the program without taking into consideration the costs that were associated with the ongoing purchases. They were mainly concerned with using the policy to support stronger economic recovery (Krishnamurthy & Vissing-Jorgensen, 2011). The effect that quantitative easing had to the economy is on the stimulation. Through the policy, the federal government is able to auction large quantities of treasuries so that they pay for expansionary fiscal policy. As the treasuries are bought, demand increases keeping yields of the treasury low. This leads to keeping the consumer debts affordable since treasuries are the basis of long term interest rates. This is also similar to corporate bonds as they allow business to expand more cheaply. To show liquidity channel, analysis can be made on the second program of Fed which was from November 2010 and was concluded in 2011. In the period, there was effect on priced frictions to trading in the market for treasury inflation protected securities and the markets that they were related for inflation swap contracts. To quantify the effects of TIPS purchases on the functions the market and the related market for inflation swaps, there is use of sum of TIPS and inflation swap liquidity premiums (Lessambo, 2013). The measure is only reliant on the law of one price and provides a good proxy for the priced frictions to trading. The hypothesis formulated for the study is that there are several ways through which quantitative easing has affected

Monday, October 28, 2019

Giving examples describe Essay Example for Free

Giving examples describe Essay Giving examples describe the way in which Aristophanes tried to make his audience laugh; what, also, can you infer from The Wasps about the types of people who make up that audience? Aristophanes used lots of different techniques to make his audience laugh and to get them to enjoy the performances. These techniques ranged from low slapstick humour and crude jokes such as Philocleon going to the toilet in the home made court room in front of the jury to more educated jokes being mainly aimed towards Kleon, the archon of the time and also the jokes were made for the more educated Athenian. For the more simple minded Athenian, slapstick humour and role reversal was used to please the audience, this was done by having the character Philocleon being a bit dim minded and crazy. We see this in the first act and first scene where Philocleon escapes through the chimney and talks to Bdelycleon saying that he is a puff of smoke trying to get out of the chimney. In a modern day audience, this wouldnt have been found that amusing, but during the rein of Aristophanes plays, this was funny and got laughs from a wide range of the audience, not just the simple minded Athenians. Also when Bdelycleon stuffs his dad back down the chimney, he cracks a joke about being the son of smoke; that small play on words is still used today and would have gotten laughs from the audience. Also in the first scene, we have a small use of role reversal with Sosias impersonating Alcibiades and joking around about his lisp when talking to Xanthias. Yet again this is humour is aimed for the whole audience but mainly again the lower educated, more listening based audience members over the people watching the play. We can infer from this that the audience had uneducated/less educated Athenians but we can also tell that the audience was varied due to it being a religious festival, everyone had to attend and watch these plays. Along with this, Aristophanes wanted to attack Kleon even more and he did this by using political satire and this was aimed at the higher class Athenians who would understand the clearly stated political jokes, mostly seen just by the names of the father and son in the play, Philocleon being pro -Kleon and Bdelycleon being anti-Kleon. Aristophanes attacked Kleon in different ways in the WASPs, one way being that he mocked how Kleon got into power. Kleon owned a tanning business and became an Archon by using his wealth from the tanning business and not being given power like the Eupatrid normally became Archons. Also we see political satire in the court room scene that Bdelycleon has created for his father where they put Labes on trial for eating sicilian cheese in the house and this is not only political satire because we see the court system being mocked, but this is a clear indication of slapstick humour due to the dog, Labes, being able to talk. For the more visual people in the audience they could laugh and find humour in the fact the dog is talking because dogs do not talk and the people in the audience who mainly enjoyed what they were listening to could laugh at how the first dog only says bow-wow unlike Labes. Also we see low used humour when the cheese grater and bowl are brought in as witnesses and Aristophanes did this because he knew that this humour entertained the mass audience watching the WASPs and his play would also win the competition happening at the festival of Dyonisis, God of wine, food and laughter. Finally we see a lot of farce jokes used in the WASPs from crude jokes about sex with slave girls to toilet humour. For example we see Bdelycleon convincing his father to stay at home and set up his own court room and we see him joke about having to sentence the slave girls for a small crime and that he can give her a stiff sentence implying having sex with her. This would have mainly been for the men in the audience who would have enjoyed the joke and maybe agreed with what was being said. Also toilet humour is seen from Philocleon talking Lycus, a hero whose shrine stood beside the courthouse that Philocleon attends, and he talks about how he will no more to piss or fart behind your shrine which would have gotten some small laughs from the more lower class watchers. So we can see from all these different types of humour involved in the WASPs that a wide spread audience was Aristophanes aim and that he did entertain the mass audience from the lower class Athenian who enjoyed crude jokes to play on words to the more upper class/educated Athenian who enjoyed the political satire about Kleon but who also enjoyed the simple jokes too.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

It’s Time to Stop Corporate Terrorism :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

It’s Time to Stop Corporate Terrorism Looking at corporate terrorism, homlessness, and the technology gap, it is clear that the profit of large corporations varies indirectly with the improvment of the economy.   When given the opportunity, all companies would take money from the workers and communies and spend it on themselves.   The greed of large corporations is terrorizing communities throughout America.    Corporate terrorism is occurring and millions of people are losing their jobs as corporations claim they need to "stay competitive." (Moore)   Relationships between employers and their employees are dwindling as no credit given to the hard workers. (Terkle)   Instead, their jobs are taken away.   The more profit the company makes the less that goes back to the economic community.   Roger Smith, the CEO of GM, moved his company to Mexico where he could increase profit by paying the workers less. (Moore)   This is a corporate terrorism where "anything goes" seems to the motto.   Corporations are mindlessly discarding whatever is in their way to fulfill their idea of the American Dream. (Derber)   The leftovers are then thrown out to the street with no sense of hope.   The number of homeless citizens increases each year.   â€Å"Homelessness is a problem that is not going away.   There are more homeless people this year than last, and the number keeps growing.† (Grisham)   If corporations would move thier plants back to the communities, new jobs there would to create equal opportunities to all employees where a gap now stands.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   The technology gap is increasing.   More people are experiencing that what you earn depends on what you learn.   The rich are getting richer and the poor getting poorer.   The gap will not even out. (Alter)   Recently unemployed citizens are experiencing an American Nightmare.   There are no jobs left. (Newman)   As labor positions decrease, employees cannot find anywhere else to go.   When asked to build a Nike plant in Flint, Phil Night’s response was â€Å"Americans don’t want to work in factories.†Ã‚   The truth is factories are the only thing that some people know.   There is nothing left for these people in their own community. The profit of large corporations should not vary indirectly with improving the economy because it harms more people than it helps.   At the time of the layoffs in Flint, Roger Smith gave himself a one million dollar raise. It is unlikely to expect profiting corporations to overcome the childishness of greed.   Instead of finding work for the previous employers of GM, Smith thought only of himself.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Industrial Conditions: Urban Life Essay

How successful were progressive reforms during the period 1890-1915 with respect to TWO of the following? Industrial conditions; urban life; politics.The late 19th century and early 20th century were marked by a period of reforms known as Progressivism. During this time, leaders of Progressive reforms aimed to improve American lives by instigating changes that would influence politics and urban lifestyles. Progressivism generally helped improve the everyday life and reduced corruption within the nations legislations. During the Progressive Era, President Theodore Roosevelt adapted in 1904 what was known as the Square Deal program. This was the main program that outlined business relationships between the corporate leaders and the industrial workers and that fairness and equality would preside over the connection. However, in order to prevent a communistic society and maintain competition in the economy, Roosevelt did not eliminate all trusts. He declared that there were some good trusts, along with the bad ones. The good trusts were those that were free from corruption and would generally maintain a fair and just relationship between employer and employee. The program included the Sherman Antitrust Act, which demanded that the trusts be judged by the acts they have committed. This act successfully signaled the end of corrupt trusts, along with the passing of the Elkins Act. The Elkins Act prevented the rich and the well known to benefit and receive rebates on the railways. The Elkins Act forced the railroads to create an equal rate for people of all walks of life and it could not be subject to change. In the coal strike of 1902, hundreds of thousands of Americans refused to work in the mines without improvements to working conditions. With the support of Progressive reforms, Roosevelt successfully improved the working environment by instituting a nine-hour workday and a 10% increase in wages. The Square Deal program also marked the end of laissez-faire, which meant an increase in federal power and consequently, an improvement to urban life. In addition to improving daily life, progressives also wanted to reduce corruption in the federal government and increase democratic ideas. Progressives were unsatisfied by the way the United State government was ran  at the time, since it did not represent the direct voice of the citizens. They wanted several reforms and changes to be made, such as recall, in which the people could remove officials from office with a public vote. This would successfully reduce corrupt power within state legislations. Taking it to a national level, progressive leaders also demanded direct primary elections and direct elections of Senators. In the past, many of the political bosses decided whom the candidates would be for each party by letting the people vote for the party nominations, the actual candidates would be a much better representation for the people. Many progressives depicted the Senate as being run by political bosses, each representing the views and notions of different major corporations. The 17th Amendment was eventually passed, which allowed citizens to direction vote for their Senators, rather than the state officials. This also increased the voice of the people rather than the voice of the corporate leaders. In addition to direct elections, Progressivism also pushed towards womens suffrage. This ensured that political officials elected into the office do represent the voice of the entire nation, not just that of men. The 19th Amendment was passed in 1920 and granted universal suffrage. Progressivism successfully ended the reign of trusts and monopolies. Power was stripped from the corrupt urban machines and placed in the hands of everyday citizens. Lives improved as working conditions improved; corruption disappeared as the federal government began taking charge; the period of Progressive reformed marked an era of true progress.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Wuthering Heights in Relation to Bronte’s Life

Wuthering Heights Relation to Emily Bronte’s life Characterization: 1. Hindley- Bronte used the character of Hindley to represent her brother. Emily Bronte’s brother drank himself to death just as Hindley did. 2. Edgar- When Catherine died, Edgar became exceedingly private and quiet. Edgar represents Emily Bronte’s own father. When Bronte’s mother died, her father followed the same pattern that Edgar did by secluding himself and becoming very quiet. 3. Catherine- Emily Bronte personifies her dislike for women’s position in society through Catherine’s love for Heathcliff.Because women are not listened to, Bronte represents herself as a man, Heathcliff, in order to be listened to. 4. Catherine’ Cold- Emily Bronte caught a cold at her brother’s funeral. Setting: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Emily lived in an isolated area called Haworth in the West Riding area of Yorkshire. Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange both reflect the isolated area where she lived. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because they were isolated socially by there geographical location, Emily and her siblings created fictional worlds.Emily and her sister Anne created Gondal which is a land of moors, and the world is reflected in moors surrounding the two houses. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wuthering Heights literally means stormy heights. Emily’s life had many hardships or â€Å"storms† throughout her life, such as, her brother’s alcoholism and some of her family dying from tuberculosis. †¢   Ã‚  Ã‚   Emily was home schooled because she easily became homesick when away at normal schools. This can be seen through young Catherine because Catherine is home schooled and not aloud to see the outside world without her father’s supervision.Mood: I. Tragic A. Death in Wuthering Heights B. Death during Emily’s lifetime C. Tuberculosis-caused death of characters D. Tuberculosis-caused death of family E. Drunkeness of Hindley Earnshaw F. Drunkeness of Bronte’s brother II. Isolated 1. Cathy and her father 2. Bronte and her father 3. Characters and their reading 4. Emily and her reading Tone: 1. Defiant tone: Book: Catherine is naughty, does not behave. She is against society â€Å"They both promised fair to grow up as rude as savages†¦ † (46, chapter 6). She also believed she could do what she wanted. †¦ if I marry Linton I can aid Heathcliff to rise, and place him out of my brother’s power† (82, chapter 9). Life: Emily was persistent in her goals and beliefs. She and her sisters attempted to open a school, but it failed because of isolation. Before setting the school up she attended an academy to finish studying French and German. In addition, the three sisters published their works under false names because women writers were discriminated against during the time. 2. Humorous tone: Book: Both Catherine and Cathy have a â€Å"humorous tone† in some scenes.The two have the tendency to not take everything seriously all of the time. â€Å"Her spirits were always at high-water mark, her tongue always going-singing, laughing, and plaguing everybody who would not do the same† (42, chapter 5). Cathy has a joyful mood in many instances; the first talking about the Crags. Life: Emily had two imaginary worlds, although she broke off from the first when she was 13 (Angria) The second one, Gondal, she kept on with until she died. 3. Dark, depressing tone: Both Emily’s life and the novel are filled with the â€Å"dark† tone.Death is consistent and parallels with one another. Structure: Symbolism: The cold dark kitchen that is described at the beginning of the book is a symbol of the hatred Emily had for the woman’s â€Å"station† that is symbolized by a kitchen. Heathcliffs starving of himself symbolizes his hunger for life, and in his case his life is Catherine. This relates to Bronte through her own hunger for greater expe riences, love, and happiness. She was also anorexic, so heathcliffs physical starvation relates to her own.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock Essay Example

The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock Essay Example The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock Essay The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock Essay Essay Topic: poem This poem is set in a big, dirty city, and its speaker is a very unhappy man who Is afraid of living and therefore bored all the time. The epigraph of this poem is a six- line quotation from Canto 27 of the Inferno by the Renaissance Italian poet Dante Alighieri. The Interno tells the story ot how a guy (Dante) who has messed up his lite badly enough to require some help from heaven. In order to scare him away from sin nd other bad things, heaven sends another poet named Vlrgll to give Dante a guided tour through the horrors of Hell (known as Inferno In Italian). Along the way he meets a lot of evil and misguided people. The quote from this epigraph is said by one of the characters in the eighth circle of Hell (which has nine circles), where some of the worst of the worst are stuck for eternity, This persons name is Guido da Montefeltro, and when Dante asks to hear his story, heres what he says: If I thought that my reply would be to someone who would ever return to earth, his flame would remain without further movement; but as no one has ever returned alive from this gulf, if what I hear is true, can answer you with no fear of infamy. What does this quote mean? Dante is really curious to know why Guido ended up so far down In Hell. But Guido Is selfish. Hes afraid that people back on earth will find out about the horrible stuff he did hes concerned about his reputation. On the other hand, Guido knows that no one has ever entered Hell and made It out again, so he figures that Its safe to tell his story because Dante is stuck here. nfortunately for Guido, Dante Is the first human ever to be allowed to pass through Hell and return to earth, so people do eventually find out about Guidos reading the Inferno. One other thing we should mention: Guido doesnt even have a body in Hell † hes not worthy of that so his entire spirit is just a flame that moves when he talks, When he says, this flame would remain without further movement, he means, l would shut up and not talk to you anymore. Why does Eliot choose this epigraph for his poem? Well, It suggests a couple of things. First, that Prufrock might not be a the poem is a kind of hell. Second, it tells us that this fellow Prufrock, who is singing his love song, might be concerned about his reputation like Guido. In other words, Prufrock is going to tell us things because he thinks we wont have a chance to repeat them to other people. Who are you? This is the question Prufrock will not answer, but responds, do not ask, what is it (11-12)? Prufrock is afraid that his true identity will be exposed to the ladies at the tea party he will attend. He is consistent n wondering how-and-why he can begin to talk about his boring life in lines (54, 60, 61, 68, and 69). He desires to present himself as significant, but what can he possibly say if a lady is anticipating him to converse about himself. Whatever Prufrock reveals about himself could induce a state of unexpected rejection. He is confident though the ladies will not care about the butt-ends of my days and ways, fearful of the fact that if he reveals part of himself to one of the ladies, she may find his life uninteresting (60). As Prufrock looks within himself, he is fearful of being disclosed at he tea party. He is afraid that the ladies will mock his thin hair and his thin legs, both symbolizing his unimpressive mind and body. What is so ironic is that Prufrock is self-conscious because he goes unnoticed mostly by the ladies at the tea party. The women come and go/Talking of Michelangelo (13-14; 35-36), and miss out on Prufrocks moment of excellence, which turned out to be only a flicker (84). Eliots intense description of Prufrocks life portrays one of imperfection. As Prufrock recognizes his days and ways are only butt-ends, like wasted cigarettes 60), he admits he has measured out my life with coffee spoons asserting that in his small world, tea parties are his only means of entertainment (53). Even Jesus would find his life a bore as he implies he has seen the eternal Footman hold my coat and snicker (85). Eliot alludes to John the Baptist when Prufrock states that l have seen my head (grown slightly bald) brought in upon a platter/ I am no prophet (82-83). John the Baptist was killed because he was bold enough to tell King Herod that he was living corruptly. He died because he told the truth. For Prufrock, revealing his true identity to others would kill him, so he will not. He is no prophet because he doesnt have the courage (83). He holds no banners of greatness. Prufrock shields himself within a protective shell that seems harmless to the casual reader and himself. His reluctance to answer the overwhelming question at the beginning of the poem is differentiated by the peaceful yellow smoke that acts like a cat in the soft October night, surrounding the house (symbolizing Prufrock) and resting there (21-22). However the smoke is not as harmless as it appears. It eems calm, but is more like a cloud of mustard gas that chokes life. Prufrocks shield hides his flaws and prevents any realization of his emotional needs, especially the need for love. While in this shell, he cannot find love and acceptance at this tea party. In the past, he has unsuccessfully attempted to meet his intimate desires by sexual excursions. He has spent times with prostitutes, for he has known arms already (62). Yet, these experiences have not met his emotional needs. He needs to be able to share himself with someone who will accept him as he is, but is afraid to do so, ecause physical intimacy with a lady at a tea party will not bring emotional intimacy, and wondering if she will, as she is settling a pillow by her head, casually reject him (96). air of ragged claws/ Scuttling across the floors of silent seas (73-74). This imagery shows Prufrock admitting that he should have been a crustacean. Like a crab, he is trapped in a protective shell, and there are at least three sides to our speaker, Prufrock. On one side we have the sneaky trickster, who invites us on a romantic walk only to lead us down windy roads and point out that the evening looks like a patient bout to undergo surgery. He keeps stalling and leading us away from the main subject (his overwhelming question) as if he had something to hide. He constantly confuses the time of day and even the past versus the future. On the other side we have Prufrock the Fool, whose desperate attempts to make us think hes a cool, confident ladies man is comically transparent. Finally, we have the sad, honest man who realizes the Jig is up and cant even convince himself of his own stories. This Prufrock, who only lets his mask drop for a few lines at a time, is the ne who admits that he should have been a pair of ragged claws and that he has seen the moment of [his] greatness flicker (lines 72, 84). Like a Juggler, the poem keeps a delicate balance between these three personalities, so that one never gets an upper hand other the others.

Monday, October 21, 2019

African Americans In The South essays

African Americans In The South essays As a social and economic institution, slavery originated in the times when humans began farming instead of hunting and gathering. Slave labor became commonplace in ancient Greece and Rome. Slaves were created through the capture of enemies, the birth of children to slave parents, and means of punishment. Enslaved Africans represented many different peoples, each with distinct cultures, religions, and languages. Most originated from the coast or the interior of West Africa, between present-day Senegal and Angola. Other enslaved peoples originally came from Madagascar and Tanzania in East Africa. Slavery became of major economic importance after the sixteenth century with the European conquest of South and Central America. These slaves had a great impact on the sugar and tobacco industries. A triangular trade route was established with Europe for alcohol and firearms in exchange for slaves. The slaves were then traded with Americans for molasses and (later) cotton. In 1619 the first black slave arrived in Virginia. The demands of European consumers for New World crops and goods helped fuel the slave trade. A strong family and community life helped sustain African Americans in slavery. People often chose their own partners, lived under the same roof, raised children together, and protected each other. Brutal treatment at the hands of slaveholders, however, threatened black family life. Enslaved women experienced sexual exploitation at the hands of slaveholders and overseers. Bondspeople lived with the constant fear of being sold away from their loved ones, with no chance of reunion. Historians estimate that most bondspeople were sold at least once in their lives. No event was more traumatic in the lives of enslaved individuals than that of forcible separation from their families. People sometimes fled when they heard of an impending sale. During the 17th and 18th century enslaved African Americans in the Upper ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Perfectionists Read This! There is No Getting It Right!

Perfectionists Read This! There is No Getting It Right! You can please some of the people some of the time. A few months ago, I received a call from a potential client who told me he had almost decided not to call me because he did not like my website. My immediate response, as a lifelong perfectionist, was to think, â€Å"I need to fix this!† I asked him to tell me more about what he didn’t like. I looked at some other web sites he said he did like. I even spoke to my web designers about what it would take to redesign my site to be more Web 2.0. Then I took a step back. This was one person. One potential client. I have no way of knowing exactly how many other people are not calling, which is what scared me and made me think I should make changes. But other people were calling me and telling me they chose my company over many others on the web because they were so impressed with my web site! Some of them even purchased my highest-value packages. Given these realities, my business coaches suggested that redesigning my site was not the best choice of investments right now. With the benefit of wisdom and reason, I decided to wait before making any major changes and to make some minor tweaks to my existing site instead. My site is performing just fine, imperfect though it is. If you are a job seeker, take this story to heart. On a conference call this month entitled â€Å"Debunking Resume Myths,† one of the participants, a resume writer, shared an enlightening story about one of her clients (I’ll call him Jim). Resume in hand, Jim began applying for positions locally. One company, which was not well-regarded in the area, criticized the resume for being too polished. Jim was undeterred and kept applying for positions using his spiffed up resume. Not long after the first company’s criticism, another company, with a reputation as an excellent place to work, complimented Jim on his decision to invest in a professionally-written resume. This company ultimately hired him, and he remains in his new position today. If Jim had spent his time trying to get it right, changing his resume every time anyone did not like it, he might have missed out on applying for a job he wanted. We have a winner! These stories prove that no matter what decisions you make with your resume, personal statements or written documents of any kind, some people will like the finished product and some will not. The best advice I can give is to create a document that you feel best represents who you are; the right company, school or client will appreciate the way you present yourself and act on their opinion! Sometimes sticking to your gunsand not striving for impossible perfectiontakes courage and patience. Sometimes you might discover after a period of time that you truly have missed the mark and need to do something differently. But if you give your best shot a chance to reap rewards, you have an excellent chance of coming out a winner. Do you have a story of a time when one person criticized your document or presentation and another person (besides your mom) loved it? Please share below.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

A Comparison of the Religions of India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Comparison of the Religions of India - Essay Example e in these countries mainly practice the four eastern religions; Buddhism, Sikhism, Hinduism and Jainism all tracing their roots in India (Sudheer, 2014). To understand how the religions have influenced the cultures of these countries it is necessary to look at their characteristics, similarities and their differences. Buddhism is believed to have originated from North India in the fifth century. Their main texts are the three pitakas. The Buddhists believe in a supreme being referred to as the Buddha. They also believe that the suffering experienced by the people is always as a result of the desire held by the people. Hinduism on the other hand is believed to have originated from the Indus valley. Their main texts are collectively referred to as the Veda. Hindus believe in many gods and goddesses. Hinduism is therefore a polytheistic religion. The Hindus believe in re-birth after death which is facilitated by one dying in a holy place. All Hindis are also expected to strictly follow and observe the caste system and to go for cleansing annually (Sudheer, 2014). Sikhism started in the sixteenth century in India. This religion is believed to have originated from Guru Nanak. The main text that is used by the Sikhs is the Guru Granth Sahib. As opposed to the Hindus, Sikhs always believe in a supreme God who is believed to be an immortal creator. The believers and the followers of the Sikhism religion believe that the good life always achieves unity with God. Sikhs Like the Hindus believe in reincarnation which is also the re-birth after death. Jainism which is another main religion in India is seen as a group of Hindis that broke away from Hinduism in the sixteenth century. The Jains view the earth as a place full of misery. This is the sole reason as to why most Jains are either nuns or monks as a way of seeking their personal liberation (Sudheer, 2014). The four religions share many common similarities and the characteristics. One of the similar characteristic is

Marketing Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Report - Research Paper Example This implies that in production, a company needs to have a clear understanding of its customers in relation to the things they need and an analysis of the most preferred size of the commodity. A good product that is acceptable in the market is able to win the confidence of customers and they are easily going to buy it from the market. Production and sale of Dove Soap Bar is one of its kinds because it has put into consideration the needs of the customers and this has made it very competitive in the market and has led many customers to neglect other brands of bar soaps to adopt it. Table of Contents Executive summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 Table of content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..3 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 Supply Side Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 Demand Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦5 Segmentation and Targeting†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.......6 Comp etitor Identification and Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦......7 Competitive Advantage of Dove Soap Bar †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.8 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.10 Introduction Dove Soap Bar contains some ingredients that make it good for bathing for people of different ages and sexes, who value skin protection. This is because in production of the bar soap, the producer focuses on giving people a quality product that has most of the things they like and need in a soap. The soap has different qualities that are physical and chemica l, which add value to it as soap sold in a market that has other varieties. Dove Soap Bar is produced with some diversity so that it can capture different people in the market and have them buy it according to their preferences dictated by their health and socialization (Raju, 1995, p53). Dove Soap Bar appears in the market with different qualities that make it preferable among other soaps in the market. The physical qualities of the soap is that it has sweet blue fig and orange blossom scent which makes it to attract people because it is friendly to them. It also appears in different colors, which include; blue, white, orange and pink, to attract different class of people to whom colors are important in determining the choices they make for products. In this respect, people choose the Dove Soap Bar according to these physical qualities, which manifest without a need for detailed evaluation on its properties. Dove Soap Bar has different properties that make the customers to prefer i t as compared to others that serve similar purposes to the people. For example, the property that it moisturizes after taking a bath with it and leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth makes it a preferable product for different people in the market (Parker, 2006, p57). Supply Side Analysis The supply of the Dove Soap Bar happens from an industry that produces it and presents the orders to customers make from the company. In the US, customers who come from within the industry have ease of access from the shops in the area and different retail opening in the area which supply consumer products in small quantities (Jacoby, 2010, p31). The supply of Dove Soap Bar is established in that it has two main channels i.e. from the industry to consumers and from the industry

Friday, October 18, 2019

Supply Chain Management Master Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Supply Chain Management Master - Case Study Example It has an excellent distribution service network throughout the UK. While it's administrative office is located in Harrow, its central warehouse is at Thamesmead, London for all of Waissel's worldwide incoming shipments as well as nationwide deliveries (Waissl's). Supply chain of Barilla SpA has been a case of study for the revolutionary changes it made in late eighties and early nineties of the last century. With UK being one of the major markets of Barilla's product, Barilla's action of reducing the distributor's control over the shipment quantity while taking the larger portion of the responsibility has now become an ever guiding policy of supply chain management. The supply chain in Barilla requires the involvement of many third-party distributors. They are the major link between Barilla and the retailers who were the actual person getting customer's interest and their feedback. The Barilla management analyzing the pattern of customer's demand and that of distributors has sharp differences. The company saw very wide fluctuations in the demand pattern of the distributors while the customer's response was much less sharp and unusual (Simchi-Levi, Kaminsky & E. Simchi-Levi, 1999). In the world where globalization as a matter of discussion is making rounds of talk and competitors are from all over the world, it's the supply chain management that is greatly used as management tool to win over competition in retail sector. Supply chain design for a particular product is different than that of others. So, supply chain for supplying or delivering pasta is different from supply chain for fashion jewelry or apparels. Supply chain design for producing and delivering pasta deals with productivity and efficiency. Waissel's being UK's leading importer receives all its inbound shipment from all over the world in its central ware house located at Thamesmead, London. The Wiassel's now uses its nationwide supply network to provide products to retailers. The products of Barilla are also delivered to retailers like Tesco in the same manner. Waissel's has the responsibility that after receiving the order from the retailer, it has to deliver the product directly to the retail s tore or to its ware house. The long distribution channel with distributor's importing shipments in their warehouse and then using their network of logistical support to supply the product to retailers are basically forecast-driven. The reason behind this much forecasting is the rarity often seen in the stability factor of customer's demand. Forecast is very important because it is the only way to manage a balance in positioning the inventory and other resources. But this forecasting is still not more than a mathematically calculated data so it has its own limitations and most of the time it deviates from actual outcomes (Nagi, 2005). The forecasting errors are normally covered through buffer or safety stock. The supply chain from the simple end-user to raw material provider and producer are all because of being a part of the complete set of supply chain normally see greater variation in demand and hence the safety stock. The actual effect is visible when the lower end supply chain participant increases and de creases its order to higher one according to the orders from the participant lower to it. This causes Bullwhip effect. The effect can

A liereature review of the pharmacological interventions for narrow Essay

A liereature review of the pharmacological interventions for narrow complex tachycardias that are used in the emergency setting - Essay Example The researchers collected demographics on the patients, including history, medications, vital signs, and ECG readings. This study revealed that out of the 41 patients included in this paper, 31 were correctly diagnosed with PSVT, one had sinus tachycardia, and nine had atrial fibrillation (Furlong, et.al., 1995, p. 383). In the 31 cases diagnosed with PSVT, 28 successfully had sinus rhythm after the administration of adenosine. This represents 90.3% of the population being studied (Furlong, et.al., 1995, p. 383). For patients who were converted to sinus rhythm, 16 of them were given a single dose of adenosine, nine of them were given one additional dose of adenosine, and three later required two additional doses of adenosine (Furlong, et.al., 1995, p. 383). None of the patients given adenosine reverted to PSVT after administration of adenosine; there was also no difference in length of asystolic pause or in the outcome which was seen between the actual PSVT and the AF cases receiving adenosine (Furlong, et.al., 1995, p. 383). No significant negative side effects were also seen in the patients given adenosine. This study concluded that adenosine can be an effective emergency treatment of narrow complex tachycardia, and it can also be safely administered without the necessary physician control. The authors recommended that this drug must be used as directed by the manufacturer and it is actually a valuable prehospital diagnostic adjunct in patients with atrial fibrillation (Furlong, et.al., 1995, p. 383). In 2008, a paper by Ertan, et.al. (pp. 386-390) sought to assess the proarrhythmic potential of adenosine in terminating or treating supraventricular arrhythmias otherwise known as narrow complex tachycardia. This study was conducted as a retrospective paper reviewing the records of all patients who underwent adenosine treatment for the termination of supraventricular tachycardia. Patients who

Thursday, October 17, 2019

XBUS Man Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

XBUS Man - Assignment Example Therefore, if Davis worked overtime, it was out of his wish since he was aware of the policy. The defendant claims though Davis was the meat market manager at the North Carolina branch he used to work at Martinsville, Virginia sometimes and he was warned about the overtime by the supervisor there but he chose still to ignore, maybe because he enjoyed his job and wouldn’t mind if he worked extra time. It is a federal law. The law that is being litigated is the Fair Labor Standards Act section 7(a). The Act states the circumstances on which an employee can do overtime and the reward for the overtime. It categorically states that for overtime to be effective there must be an agreement between the employer and employee. For them to come up with terms, that will be binding between them, concerning the overtime. The law however put the limits on the amount of reward the employee shall receive from the employer. The amount should not be less than one hundred and fifty percent as compared to what one earns per hour on a regular pay (â€Å"FairLaborStandAct.pdf†, n.d.). This law tries to bring harmony between the employee and employer regarding overtime. Over the years prior to the enactment of this law, employers misused labor by using their employees as slaves, thus the government found it necessary to develop a legal framework that will ensure smooth operation and relation at w orkplace. The employer has a stronger argument against the plaintiff that is Mr. Jerry S. Davis regarding the overtime compensation dispute. The law states very clearly that for overtime to be effective there must be an agreement between the employer and employee and in this agreement they should agree on reward. The plaintiff didn’t discuss with the employer on matter concerning overtime but rather thought since the law recognizes overtime he is entitled to be rewarded. The Act only gave direction on the minimum reward

International Marketing Beverage Industry Case Study

International Marketing Beverage Industry - Case Study Example The competitive market in Australia is also change very fast with most international companies now trading in the country. This has affected the segmentation of the market and fierce competition is being witnessed currently. With the change completion in the market, most companies have been coming up with new juice product in order to suit the consumer preferences. Tao Ti has been a product that has been doing well in the Hong Kong market. However it is in the class of mixed juices which has been facing a stagnated growth in the Australian market. In order to introduce the product in the Hong Kong market, there have to be strategic approach to the market. To venture into the market there will be need to carry out marketing strategies to introduce the product in the competitive market. The entry strategy will determine how the product will perform. The market strategies will need to have a direct entry in the market rather than merging with other companies. It will also need to have a retail distribution chain to be close to customers and as per the trend in the market. The marketing strategies will also need to brand the product to identify with the health concerns of the customers. This means that it will have to pack the product in a new attractive package which will appeal to the consumer. The price of the product must be adapted to the local market. Price can be set lower than for other products in order to create price competitive edge. There will also be a number of promotions to accustom the product to the market. The marketing strategies will also be revised from time to time to access its effectiveness. Introduction This paper will discuss on the introduction of Telford International Co. Ltd Tao Ti Mandarin Lemon from Hong Kong to the Australian market. The paper will fist look at the Australian market and various marketing issue in the beverage industry. It will then at the various international factors that can affect the introduction of the new product. The paper will then discuss the marketing strategy that can be used in order to help the product to venture into the market. It will look at various components of the marketing strategies and how they will be used. Description of the product Tao Ti Mandarin Lemon is a product produced by Telford International Co. Ltd. It is a beverage product which has been retailing in the Hong Kong market for along time now. It is not produced by the company but rather it is a blend of various beverages that the company imports. It has been rated fourth in the Hong Kong market which means it has a large market share in the bevergage category. The product is packages in attractive packages and is sold on the point of its attractiveness to the consumers based on branding and also on the quality of the product. The product has been doing well in the market but introducing it in the Australian market may be a bit tricky since it is in the class of mixed juice which is not doing very well in the market. Therefore there has to be product adjustment to be made to introduce it in the market. (GMID, 2008b, p. 7; GMID, 2008c, p. 2) Environmental analysis Fruit/vegetable juice industry in Austria has been recording poor growth. In 2007, the industry recorded 1% growth. This has been contributed by many factors in the consumers. The consumers have started rejecting nectars in favour of pure juices. This has been the main

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

XBUS Man Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

XBUS Man - Assignment Example Therefore, if Davis worked overtime, it was out of his wish since he was aware of the policy. The defendant claims though Davis was the meat market manager at the North Carolina branch he used to work at Martinsville, Virginia sometimes and he was warned about the overtime by the supervisor there but he chose still to ignore, maybe because he enjoyed his job and wouldn’t mind if he worked extra time. It is a federal law. The law that is being litigated is the Fair Labor Standards Act section 7(a). The Act states the circumstances on which an employee can do overtime and the reward for the overtime. It categorically states that for overtime to be effective there must be an agreement between the employer and employee. For them to come up with terms, that will be binding between them, concerning the overtime. The law however put the limits on the amount of reward the employee shall receive from the employer. The amount should not be less than one hundred and fifty percent as compared to what one earns per hour on a regular pay (â€Å"FairLaborStandAct.pdf†, n.d.). This law tries to bring harmony between the employee and employer regarding overtime. Over the years prior to the enactment of this law, employers misused labor by using their employees as slaves, thus the government found it necessary to develop a legal framework that will ensure smooth operation and relation at w orkplace. The employer has a stronger argument against the plaintiff that is Mr. Jerry S. Davis regarding the overtime compensation dispute. The law states very clearly that for overtime to be effective there must be an agreement between the employer and employee and in this agreement they should agree on reward. The plaintiff didn’t discuss with the employer on matter concerning overtime but rather thought since the law recognizes overtime he is entitled to be rewarded. The Act only gave direction on the minimum reward

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Nurses dealing with the death of their patient Essay

Nurses dealing with the death of their patient - Essay Example There are several tips that can help those entering the nursing field for the first time and who need guidance on how to handle death and the bereaved family once the death of one of their patients occurs. The tips will be discussed in detail below. The first thing to always remember and put in mind is that death is inevitable for anyone no matter whether the patient had signs to die or not. This therefore calls for acceptance once it happens. Acceptance is not always easy but reminding oneself that the patient wherever he or she is has no more pain and is better off comprises acceptance. One has also to think about the rest of the people who are living and how lucky they are to be alive and this will help with the acceptance process. There is no time limit for this process of acceptance just as there is no time limit for grieving (Kasher, 2009). The other thing the nurse has to remember is that everyone is allowed to grieve and in whichever way they want to as long as if it is in the workplace, one has to still maintain professionalism unless under closed doors, in the presence of a counselor or fellow nurses who have also undergone the same thing in the past or more often. One can shed tears in the work place and once at home, they can fully grieve and breakdown. Grieving even though is another step of acceptance is a channel to express the feelings of pain, anger and unhappiness that come with death. Talking is another way to cope with bereavement of a patient. Talking can be with family members, with grief professional, with other nurses who have had to undergo the same during their career or even with close friends and spouse as long as they understand. It helps to talk to people who will not judge but who will be understanding and considerate of your feelings and hence the coworkers and grief counselor are the best. Talking will also help to heal quickly and move on so that you will be able to pay more attention to the rest of the loving patients who

Monday, October 14, 2019

Postpartum Stress Disorder Essay Example for Free

Postpartum Stress Disorder Essay The postpartum period has been defined as a bringing forth of the period following childbirth (Webster, 1988, p. 1055) or occurring after childbirth or after delivery, with reference to the mother (Doriand, 1988, p. 1343). In nursing or medical textbooks, the postpartum period is defined as the 6-week interval between the birth of the newborn and the return of the reproductive organs to their normal non-pregnant state (Wong Perry, 1998, p. 480). However, Tulman and Fawcetts (1991) found that the recovery of postpartum womens functional status from childbirth takes at least 3 to 6 months. Websters Dictionary defines stress concretely as a physical, mental, or emotional strain that disturbs ones normal bodily functions (Webster, 1997, p. 735). Stress is produced by stressors. Wheaton (1996) defines stressors as conditions of threat, demands, or structural constraints that, by the very fact of their occurrence or existence, call into question the operating integrity of the organism (p. 2). In addition, four characteristics of stressors are described: (1) threats, demands, or structural constraints; (2) a force challenging the integrity of the organism; (3) a problem that requires resolution; and, (4) identity relevant in threats in which the pressure exerted by the stressor, in part, derives its power from its potential to threaten or alter identities. Further, awareness of the damage potential of a stressor is not a necessary condition for that stressor having negative consequences; and a stressor can be defined bidirectional ly with respect to demand characteristics. That is, it is possible for both over-demand and under-demand to be stress problems (Wheaton, 1996). Accordingly, based on the above definitions of the postpartum period, stress, and stressors, postpartum stress is defined as a constraining force produced by postpartum stressors. Postpartum stressors are defined as conditions of change, demand, or structural constraint that, by the very fact of their occurrence or existence within six weeks after delivery, call into question the operating integrity of body changes, maternal role attainment, and social support. Due to its many adjustments, the postpartum period has been conceptualized as a time of vulnerability to stress for childbearing women (Too, 1997). Postpartum Period The postpartum period has been conceptualized by a variety of cultures as a time of vulnerability to stress for women (Hung and Chung, 2001). It is characterized by dramatic changes and requires mandatory adjustments that involve many difficulties and concerns, possibly leading to new demands, or structural constraints and, therefore, stress. All mothers face the multiple demands of adjusting to changes in the body, learning about the new infant, and getting support from significant others. For women going through this transition, it may be a uniquely stressful life experience. Several stressors specific to the puerperium as it exists in the literature have been identified. Those pertaining to body changes include: pain/discomfort, rest/sleep disturbances, diet, nutrition, physical restrictions, weight gain, return to prepregnancy physical shape, care of wounds, contraception, resuming sexual intercourse, discomfort of stitches, breast care, breast soreness, hemorrhoids, flabby subcutaneous tissue, and striae. Stressors pertaining to maternal role attainment include: concerns about infant crying, health, development, bathing, clothing, handling, diapering, night-time feeding, breastfeeding, conflicting expert advice, keeping the baby in an environment with a comfortable temperature, bottle feeding, appearance, safety, elimination, body weight, skin, babys sex, breathing, spitting up, sleeping, and cord care (Moran et al. , 1997; Too, 1997). Finally, those stressors pertaining to social support include: running the household, finances, perception of received emotional support, giving up work, finding time for personal interests and hobbies, fathers role with the baby, relationship with the husband, restriction of social life, relationship with children, and coordinating the demands of husband, housework, and children (Moran et al. , 1997). In addition, Hung and Chung (2001) shows that after childbirth women will encounter another type of stress during the postpartum period, which is characterized by dramatic changes and requires adjustment. Conditions of change, demand, or structural constraint may occur during these dramatic changes, creating many difficulties or concerns. Therefore, in addition to general stress, postpartum stress is induced after delivery during the postpartum period. Postpartum Stress Disorder Postpartum Stress Disorder (PSD) is the most serious, least common, and most highly publicized of the postpartum mood disorders: mothers with PSD have killed their infants and themselves. It is on the extreme end of the postpartum continuum of mood disorders (Nonacs, 2005) and attention to symptoms is vital for any postpartum support program. The treatment issues will not be fully discussed here because of their specialty and complexity. However, it remains a primary function of the service delivery to recognize symptoms and refer appropriately for specialized psychiatric care and management. A sensitive, direct question such as, Some women who have a new baby have thoughts such as wishing the baby were dead or about harming the baby; has this happened to you? (Wisner, et al. , 2003, p. 44), is an essential element of postpartum evaluation and Wisner and colleagues (2003) have suggested that this question be asked of all postpartum women. PSD is a rare, severe disorder with a prevalence of one to two cases per one thousand births (Seyfried Marcus, 2003). Symptoms are abrupt and often occur within 48 hours of delivery but can be delayed as long as two years (Rosenberg, et al, 2003). Typically, however, symptoms occur within the first three weeks, and two thirds appear within the first two weeks postpartum (Chaudron Pies, 2003). Symptoms include mood lability, distractibility, insomnia, abnormal or obsessive thoughts, impairment in functioning, delusions, hallucinations, feelings of guilt, bizarre behavior, feelings of persecution, jealousy, grandiosity, suicidal and homicidal ideation, self-neglect, and cognitive disorganization (Wisner et al. , 2003). Women with PSD who harbor thoughts of harming their infant are more likely to act on those thoughts (Wisner et al. , 2003). Because of the severity of the illness and significant concern for the safety of both the infant and the mother, PSD is considered a psychiatric emergency and hospitalization is necessary. Etiology of PSD There has been some debate about the etiology of PSD. As noted previously, the incidence is approximately one or two women per one thousand births. This rate has remained unchanged for that last 150 years (Wisner et al. , 2003). In cross-cultural studies the rates for PSD are similar to those reported in the United States and the United Kingdom. These findings suggest a primary etiologic relationship between PSD and childbirth, rather than psychosocial factors (Wisner et al. , 2003). OHara (1997) has noted that women are 20 to 30 times more likely to be hospitalized for PSD within thirty days after childbirth than at any other time during the life span, leading him to speculate, with little doubt, that for women there is a specific association between childbirth and PSD. There are subgroups of women who may be more likely to develop stressful symptoms after delivery. Primaparas appear to have a higher risk for c than multiparous women (Wisner et al. , 2003). This may be the result of an undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Women with a history of bipolar disorder or PSD have a 1 in 5 risk of hospitalization following childbirth (Seyfried Marcus, 2003). The overall pattern of symptoms described as PSD suggests the illness is on a continuum of bipolar mood disorders (Wisner et al. , 2003). The clinical presentation of PSD is often very similar to a manic episode (Seyfried Marcus, 2003). Affective disturbances may be depressive, manic, or mixed (Chaudron Pies, 2003). While there is no typical presentation, women often display delusions, hallucinations, and/or disorganized behavior. Delusional behavior often revolves around infants and children, and these women must be carefully assessed because thoughts of harming their children are sometimes acted upon (Chaudron Pies, 2003). The predominant affective symptom in those postpartum women who commit infanticide, filicide, or suicide is depression rather than mania (Chaudron Pies, 2003). In reviewing the connection between bipolarity and PSD several studies have shown evidence for a link in four areas: symptom presentation, diagnostic outcomes, family history, and recurrences in women with bipolar disorder (Chaudron Pies, 2003). The relationship to bipolar disorder is considered quite persuasive and it has been suggested that acute onset PPP be considered bipolar disorder until proven otherwise (Wisner et al. , 2003). However bipolarity does not account for all cases of PSD and a meticulous differential diagnosis is mandatory for those women with presenting stress symptoms. A careful checking of the patients history for previous manic or hypomanic episodes as well as any family history of bipolar disorder is important in order to rule out bipolar disorder. Organic causes contributing to first onset PSD need to be examined and ruled out. These include: tumors, sequelae to head injury, central nervous system infections, cerebral embolism, psychomotor seizures, hepatic disturbance, electrolyte imbalances, diabetic conditions, anoxia, and toxic exposures (Seyfried Marcus, 2003). Of special consideration in postpartum women is thyroiditis. This is relatively common in postpartum women and usually begins with a hyperthyroid phase progressing to hypothyroidism. In either phase PSD can occur (Wisner et al. , 2003). Obtaining serum calcium levels is important to rule out hypercalcemia for patients displaying PSD symptoms (Wisner et al. , 2003). Sleep loss resulting from the interaction of various causes may be a pathway to the development of PSD in susceptible women (Wisner et al. , 2003). The later stages of pregnancy and the early postpartum period are associated with high levels of sleep disturbance. This seems to be more prevalent in primiparous women than in multiparae. Historical and contemporary studies have noted that insomnia and sleep loss are significant and early symptoms of PSD. The rapid and abrupt changes of gonadal steroids after delivery and the evidence that estrogen has an effect on mood and the sleep-wake cycle (Wisner et al. , 2003) suggest an interaction between hormonal fluctuations, sleep loss, and the onset of PSD. Treatment of PSD PSD is a severe illness and should be considered a psychiatric emergency requiring hospitalization (Rosenberg et al. , 2003). The stigma attached to mental illness and especially to mothers who may harm their infants and themselves, often prevents women and their families from seeking help. PSD is often marked with periods of lucidity that can fool those close to the mother and health care professionals. Because of the complexity of the diagnosis and treatment, referral to a psychiatric specialist is required and formal treatment is beyond the scope of this program. However, it will be necessary to recognize symptoms and be cognizant of risk factors, such as history of bipolar disorder or previous PSD. Such awareness is essential, as is the readiness to offer support until adequate services can be implemented (Wisner et al. , 2003). Prevention of PSD is unclear, but early identification of a history of bipolar disorder and/or previous PSD would be an element of a comprehensive postpartum program. Prenatal education describing symptoms is an important aspect of a proactive approach to postpartum care. Part of the prenatal and postpartum educational effort will include urging women to share any bizarre thoughts and fears with their health care professionals and families. New mothers experiencing insomnia will be encouraged to seek assistance from their physicians and to engage other family members to care for the infant during nighttime feedings (Wisner et al. , 2003). As noted earlier, specific treatment is beyond the scope of this program, but a proactive approach to early identification and recognition of unusual thoughts, feelings, and experiences may help to initiate treatment and avoidance of tragic results. Conclusion During the postpartum period, women are immersed in the realities of parenting and coping with balancing their multiple roles (e. g. , wife, mother, and career woman). However, women frequently report difficulty in adjusting to the needs of the baby and other children, difficulty with housework and routines, concerns over support to cope with family needs, and concerns over weight gain and body changes. Accordingly, postpartum stress has an important role in a womans life and influences her health status, both physical and mental.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The five outcomes of every child matters

The five outcomes of every child matters Within this resource pack, I aim to guide practitioners and parents to implement the five outcomes of every child matters for children age four and five years in their care. I will begin by given the historical background of Every Child Matters and Policies and Legislative material in order to outline the definitions of social justice and inclusion. Also, I will discuss the significance and possible barriers of inclusion. Portions of the resource pack will reflect critically on Every Child Matters agenda which led to the enactment of The Children Act 2004 linking it to the five outcomes. In 2003, the government initiated Every Child Matters which was launched in the United Kingdom followed by the death of Victoria Climbie. It was a significant plan of the government to change and improve the lives of children and childrens services. The idea of the plan was to safeguard children; however it went beyond and expands the prospects available to young people from birth to 19 years. After the death of Victoria Climbie, there was a long meeting of all the various professionals working in children services. The outcome of the meeting underlined a lot of failure of the system, such as not being able to protect vulnerable children from purposeful harm. As the above has not being the only or a one off incident this was based on professionals not communicating with one another therefore Lord Laming suggested a structural reform which means different agencies working together (DfES, 2003). Following the consultation, the Government published Every Child Matters, the next steps which gave way to the Children Act 2004 which provided the legislative backbone for developing more useful and within reach services, focused around the needs of children, young people and families. The document carried 108 recommendations for fundamental changes. It aimed at supporting all children to have the support they need, no matter whatever their background or circumstances. This Act brought in a change for children. In 2005 a Childrens Commissioner for England was assigned to stand for the views of children. The Every Child Matters agenda was further developed in 2007 through the publication of the Childrens Plan. This plan was a ten year strategy ensuring that every child gets the best in life and helps parent into work as well as making an informed choices about child care and family life. Also it aims to improve childrens educations, health and eradicate poverty (DfES, 2004). Every Child Matters focuses on the well being of children and young people. It lays emphasis on better outcome for children, hence the five outcomes a guideline every practitioner should follow. Being Healthy requires that Early Years settings must show that practitioners are enabling children to be in an environment that let them to enjoy physical, mental and emotional health. All settings have the responsibility to make sure children learn how to achieve these things for themselves and live healthy lifestyles and understand the importance of being healthy (Knowles 2009:59), this has significance to Article (24) (27) of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which recommends that all children should have right to health, clean water and environment, nutritious food, and have a good standard of living that meets moral and social needs (Bruce and Meggitt 2007). One will include that children should be supported through various measure, ensuring that they are mentally and emotionally healthy, practitioners must promote, encourage and set good example through the curriculums and its policies and practice as well as attracting children in physical activity in order to educate them on how to wash their hands and what to eat and drink. Also families should be provided with other health-care support needed which represents the good multi agency practice already in place at Children Centres (DfES, 2004c). (Practitioners should refer to appendix A for illustration of promoting a healthy environment for children). The next key outcome is Staying Safe which enables children to be safe from maltreatment, neglect, violence and harm. Practitioners should ensure that there is policies and procedure in place that clearly demonstrate an ethos of zero tolerance to bullying. Children should be protected from maltreatment, ensuring that providers and all relevant staff are appropriately trained in order to contribute to their safe from any harm. This is in relation to UNCRC article (9) (19) which states that all children should be protected from violence, abuse and neglect and Government should protect them (Meggitt and Bruce 2007) One could argue that providing a safe and secure environment will enable the children to achieve their full potential. (Practitioners should refer to Appendix B for the illustration of keeping safe). Enjoying and achieving is the third most crucial outcome which stresses that children of all potentials are to be helped to achieve personal and social development with particular focus on those with special and additional needs and also to those in disadvantage and isolated areas (Bruce and Meggit 2007). Practitioners in early years settings should make available for all children to achieve their full potential despite their educational needs. Also pupils should be provided with an environment regardless of any physical disability so that they can access the social and educational aspects of school. Furthermore practitioners should promote and support inclusive learning, gender, culture, social and emotional desires. Lastly children with special education needs (SEN) should be encouraged by practitioners to experience equal opportunities to achieve and attain their ultimate goal (Knowles 2009) This is eminent of the UNCRC, article (28) (29) stresses that all children have the right to an education and the purpose of education is to develop every childs personality, talents and mental physical abilities. (Practitioners should refer to appendix C for illustration of the above). One could agree that taken education to some extend will teach children to respect individuals, their own and other culture and also prepare children to live responsibly and peacefully in a free society. Within the policy document, the section on enjoying and achieving cited in (DfES 2003:para1.8) meaning that out of the five outcomes this does give a highlight on leisure time whilst the rest is mainly about educational attainment. Children imagine Enjoying as playing yet within this document it seems to be more emphasising on education. Enjoying appears to be one of the most vital outcomes requested by children. If children are seen as the citizens of the present why not pay particular attention to them. It is important to respect their views (William 2004:412 cited in Hendricks: 2008). In additional to this, making a positive contribution to childrens life is most important this include taking part in decision making and supporting the community, being law abiding, developing positive relationships with others being, self confident and able to deal with challenges and enterprise behaviour (Bruce and Meggitt 2007). In essence practitioners should encourage children to partake in planning and development of activities. This correspond to article (12) of the UNCRC which requires that the views of children must be sought after and given due weight in all matters affecting them. Lastly, achieving economic well-being helps children to conquer income barriers and achieve their full potential (Bruce and Meggitt 2007). Consequently, practitioners should make sure that children are given the best start in life. Evidently, educational attainment is the most effective route out of poverty. Within article (24) of the UNCRC achieving economic well-being the standard of living for children should meet their physical, mental, spiritual moral and social needs (DfES 2004). (Practitioners should refer to appendix E) The reason for writing this resources pack is to guide and support early years practitioners, parents and carers to implement the five outcomes of every child matters in the settings. Although Every Child Matters agenda outcomes seeks to promote the well being of all children which is underpinned by social justice and inclusion, practitioner still needs some ground rules to follow. Social justice is a theme in the United Nations and the European agenda for young children (Jones et al 2008:106). In Britain social justice is a belief that is currently in used to support public policies and practices with a view of making sure that all have equivalent chance to achieve the necessary goods and provisions they need to thrive and achieve well. This idea of fairness is embedded in the concept of social justice (Knowles 2009). Many young people as citizens take their rights and responsibilities seriously as it is necessary to keep hold of the belief in freedom and rights. Undesirably, some o f the policies linked to social welfare are challenge by beliefs of rights and justice (Jones et al 2008). In an ideal and fair society all children and families should have an equal chance of achieving well being yet the society we live in is homogenous entity. This encompasses of huge number of smaller groups between which is unequal distribution of power and access to goods and as part of the unequal power distribution some groups will knowingly and unknowingly discriminate against others. In this way some are prevented from being able to achieve well-being (Knowles, 2009:5). The achievement gap between boys and girls is smaller than that between working class children and middle class children. The focus on underachieving boys hide the fact that boys who come from the different class background and that some middle class boys gain well and some working girls do not. Practitioners should promote a healthy environment for all the children in their care. (Practitioners should refer to appendix A), practitioners should engaged and also supervised the children when they are washing their hands. A child needs water to stay healthy therefore practitioners should make water fountain accessible. Being healthy is in line with Emotional Healthy and Well-being, (2008 cited in Knowles 2009:60) which states that promoting positive health and well being of children helps them to understand and express their feelings as well as building confidence. In other words practitioners should listen and respect children views. According to Rinaldi 2001 (cited in Abbott, 1999), listening means being open to differences and recognising the value of different points of view and the interpretation of others. Children should be allowed to play and rest anytime they want to. As I have mention earlier practitioners should promote a safer environment for the children. Practitioners should support learning with symbolizing materials for children who are not able to read text. This helps them to understand what is required in different situation. According to Piaget (cited in Penn 2008 :42) It is the teachers job to provide a well resourced classroom, where children could have lots of opportunities to learn for themselves how things worked, with guidance and suggested from the teachers. Every child has the right to enjoy and achieve, practitioners should make play a high lead as this is central form of learning. Children should have the opportunity to play for thirty minutes this must involve children with special needs. Also, both boys and girls need to be allowed to experiment wider range of play. For example if a boy wants to ride a pink bicycle he should be permitted to do so. According to Vygotsky (cited in Penn 2008 :43) play is a mental kind of support system which allows children to represent their everyday social reality and therefore enables them to think and act in more complex ways to invent their own rules and narratives. In regards to achieving economic well being practitioners must make sure that neutral advice and quality information are available to children and their families in order to make a thriving move to further learning. In addition to this Practitioners should ensure that children are provided with access to different facilities and safe spaces where they can meet and engage in positive activities. For example play grounds with various facilities. At the centre of all these lies inclusion, this has been one of the vital problems in the early years framework. Social Inclusion is a focal point within the early years education and care policy documents. The Government has stomp inclusion as the Keystone to good practice (DfEE 1998:8). It is the process by which early years settings develop their ethos, policies, and practices to include all learners with the aim of meeting their individual needs. Historically, inclusion has been seen as a process that is relevant to those groups who have been marginalised, but now it is about all children, and it is closely linked to the Governments personalised learning agenda that lie at the heart of the EYFS. Practitioners should deliver personalised learning development and care to help children to get the best possible start in life (DfES, 2007a, paragraph 1.7). One would argue that social Inclusion denotes that all children are involved in appropriate activities making sure that they will not feel isolated or excluded from taking part in any learning performances for whatever reason. This link up with what Roffey (2001) proposes that inclusion does not only take charge of a few children but all. She went on to say that one of the main achievement of the last twenty years legislation has been the increase focus on the desirability of inclusive practices rather than the segregation of children with special education needs which is backed by the 1994 Salamanca statement that pose the Government to agree to the principle of inclusive education and make it a policy (www.unesco.com). Children who find it hard to communicate in class often feels excluded I believe that when practitioners introduce symbol cards in the settings it will help children who feels shy to talk in class and also, it will raise confidence among children and enable them to deal positively with life changes and challenges. Again it will stop practitioners wrongly labelling children as being slow. For example my little boy is very loud at home but very quite in school so when he was introduced to the symbols cards, at his nursery he began to involve in the classroom activities. Practitioners will send newsletters to the parents to inform them about family evenings. In the interest of the child, practitioners and parents should work together to see how best they can understand each other. Helen Penn (2008) noted that working together will not only help the child but also make the individuals understand each others professional rareness and work together this will not isolate the child. After the peer assessment group discussion, I went home to read over the comments my peers made about my resource pack. My peers noted both positive and negative comments therefore I decided to correct the negative ones. Within my resource pack, I explained the five outcomes of Every Child Matters but I had not planned for the activities so I started to gather information about the activities. I had written down my points which I have not yet linked to theory and practice and also had to expand on my points. I found it a bit difficult finding books for the assignment and there was no evidence of critical thinking in my resource pack. During the Christmas break I borrowed books from the university library so I started rewriting my whole work again. Moreover I had already written down notes of what I was going to write for the resource pack so I added some little information from the books I had borrowed. Although I had planned wanted to do, it was still not easy for me to do, as I did not know where to begin. However, the comments given by my peers really helped me to get started. An activity I had planned for the practitioners was for them to give the children in their care all the telephone numbers of people and organisation to contact when they feel unsafe. Later on I changed my mind, to make a poster which can be on the classroom walls so that children can always revisit when they need help. I had read children story book on what they should do when they are in trouble and I found it very good which I wanted to include in the main essay however I was advised by my colleague to put it in the appendix and then refer it in the main essay. Also, I had printed out some pictures which I was going to use for my activities but was told by the initial group not to use them. However, during the second group discussion in lectures, I joined another peer assessment group who were pleased with the pictures and I was told to use them. I found the peer assessment very helpful because I met different people and got various feedbacks regarding my course work. To conclude this, practitioners should ensure that the resource pack is followed as required, because it provides vital and timely contribution to the development of children between the ages of four and five. As laid out in the Every Child Matters agenda every child has the right to education irrespective of his or her background that is cultural, religion and gender or needs. Practitioners should develop a very good relationship with parent and carers this is very important on childrens achievement as well as leading them into adolescence and better adulthood. Part of healthy and successful education comes from home. Involving parents and the community will have a good impact in the setting. Similarly, it makes parents feel a part of the setting and their children education. Also, practitioners should recognise individual needs of each child and respond to them by organising extensive teaching strategies to help them. Conversely, practitioners should also create and work in multicu ltural settings which ought to demonstrate an understanding of the value of diversity and respect for difference.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Brother Grim Taking The Merry Out Of Fairy Tales Essay -- essays resea

After reading the Brothers Grim version of â€Å"Cinderella† and viewing the film version of â€Å"Cinderella†, Everafter, one can distinguish precise differences between the these two similar stories. Both versions tell of a young maiden whose mother died when she was young and is then tormented by her stepmother and her two stepsisters who enslave her in her own home and force her to sleep among the ashes of the fireplace. Yet, both stories vary greatly when it comes to the content of the tales. The Brothers Grim version portrays Cinderella as a young, defenseless woman who submits to her stepmothers every wish and endears harsh punishment for any insolence she may show towards her. Another difference in the Brothers story is that Cinderella’s father is still living and does nothing to protect his daughter from the brutal treatment inflicted upon her by her stepfamily. Cinderella’s only comfort is the friendship she has developed between the wild animals that live outside her home.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unlike, the Brothers Grim version Everafter portrays Cinderella as a headstrong orphan who becomes a heroine by standing up for herself even though it may result in punishment. Like the Cinderella in the Brothers story she is tormented by ...

Friday, October 11, 2019

Srinivasa Ramanujan

Srinivasa Ramanujan Ramanujan was born in India to a poor family in Erode, a city in Madras state. His father was a clerk and his mother a deeply religious housewife. None of these facts reflect who Ramanujan really was. He was a brilliant, self-taught mathematician whose ideas caught the attention of some of the prolific mathematicians of his time to include G. H. Hardy. In this short biography we will cover both his life and his contributions to mathematics. As stated earlier, he was born in south India to a poor family but they were still respectable in the community.This gave Ramanujan the opportunity to attend school and begin learning elementary Mathematics. He was quickly realized as a truly brilliant student with most of his talent directed towards mathematics. Interestingly, his family would sometimes take in student boarders and one of them gave him a trigonometry text when he was twelve and he mastered it within a year. In 1903 he was awarded a scholarship to attend the Go vernment College at Kumbakonam. He spent all of his time studying mathematics and ended up failing his other subjects and lost his scholarship and dropped out.He married Janaki in 1909 and acquired a job as a clerk. While the position did not pay much it allowed him much time to concentrate on his research. Ramanujan went to Cambridge in 1914, despite the great strides he made in his work in corroboration Hardy and Littlewood it took a great toll on his body. Ramanujan, being devout to his religion did not eat meat and the lack of quality vegetarian food in England and his long working hours were hard on his body. In 1917, Ramanujan was hospitalized with what was thought to be tuberculosis.While continually working from his hospital bed, he did not show enough improvement to make the trip back to India until 1919. Even with the best medical care available in India, Ramanujan died on April 29, 1920 at the age of 32. Ramanujan’s genius in mathematics is still represented today. His impact on Number Theories, Modular Forms, Statistical Mechanics, and other branches of mathematics have made great contributions not only in math but also in physics and computer science. Ramanujan’s style and methods of mathematics developed from his earlier studies in trigonometry and Carr’s volume of theorems.In his own works, Ramanujan looked for such formulas or identities that he saw in Carr’s works. In his earlier work, when he found a formula or answer he felt to be true by his own mathematical intuition and therefore he provided few proofs for his results. In his works with Hardy, they made great progress in the theory of partitions. â€Å"The partition function p(n); is the function of a positive integer n which is a representation of n as a sum of strictly positive integers. Thus p(1)= 1, p(2)= 2, p(3)= 3, p(4)= 5 ,p(5)= 7, p(6)= 11. (Denbath 628) In some of his last work before his death, Ramanujan discovered what is now known as the Mock Theta Functions. Mock functions are q series with exponential singularities such that the arguments terminate for some power. Srinivasa Ramanujan was a man dedicated to mathematics and had a true love for it. He was also a man entrenched in his religion and a deep commitment to his family. He consistently wanted to improve the education in his community and showed much interest in the poor and orphans who needed help getting an education.With all of the accomplishments and accolades that are attached to his name the truth of who Ramanujan was as a mathematician and a person makes him truly a one of a kind person in history. Works Cited Watkins, Thayer. â€Å"Srinivasa Ramanujan, a Mathematician Beyond Compare. † San Jose University, n. d. Web. 19 November 2012. Debnath, Lokenath. â€Å"Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920) and the Theory of Partitiions of Numbers and Statistical Mechanics a Centennial Tribute. † J. Math. & Math & Sci. Vol. 10 No. 4 (1987): 625-640. Web. 19 Novemb er 2012.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Gambling: poker and slot machines Essay

Gambling is a game in which winning is completely or mostly dependent not on the art of play, but on luck. It has long been recognized as an adult pastime but in recent years, however, gambling has increased significantly among adolescents who have grown up in a culture more tolerant to gambling than any previous generation. Movies, TV shows, and more acceptable online betting have helped embed gambling in youth culture. Poker tournaments and lotteries have become social activities at university campuses that best assemble friends and create enormous interest among them. For many people, such gambling activities are harmless, but for others, a simple game of chance may turn into a serious problem or life-impeding addiction. Although many students may feel that they are in control of the situation, unconsciously their behavior is changed, and is in the hands of arbitrary betting. Young and ambitious students are heavily affected by long-term gambling, not realizing its dreadful payoffs. These can result in unexplained absences at home and university. These threaten their academic performance, lead to financial bankruptcy and moreover, have negative impact on overall health. Gambling is one of the oldest avocations of humankind. Due to the cave drawings illustrating gambling and the dice that have been found during archeological excavations, historians believe that gambling existed even in tribal societies. Gambling is also mentioned in the mythology of ancient Greece. According to one of the legends, after defeating the Titans, Zeus and his brothers Poseidon and Hades became masters of the universe. They decided to throw dice in order to divide the universe among them. King Henry VIII, known for his intelligence, was also an avid gambler. In spite of this he banned gambling in his country after he discovered that his soldiers were playing more than practicing. In more recent history, people played to predict the abundant of harvest. On the other hand the attitude towards gambling of the most popular religions is mostly negative. Nowadays gambling is classified as a highly addictive compulsive disorder with neurological causes. People believe that a string of losses makes a win more likely. They believe that a winning hand should always substitute a losing hand. This is what they tend to believe, but their beliefs do not create more chances of winning. The brains of people anticipating a win in casinos appear to react much like those taking euphoria-inducing drugs. Neuroscientists claim that the parts of the brain that respond to the prospects of winning or losing money while gambling are the same as those that appear to respond to cocaine and morphine. Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to map the brain responses of twelve men while they participated in a game of chance involving winning or losing money. They found that in the gambling experiment, blood flow to the brain changed in ways similar to that seen in other experiments during an infusion of cocaine in subjects addicted to that drug and to low doses of morphine in drug-free individuals (â€Å"Gambling Affects Brain Like Drugs†). Gambling seriously captures the whole brain and has a strong negative impact on it. Ann Klinestivet from Milton, W. Va provides a vivid illustration of brain damage from slot machines (Lehrer). Having been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease; she was desperate to find something that might calm the tremors caused by the terrible disease. She found relief in slot machines, but from time to time she needed more doses to stay calm and that is when she became an addict. Parkinson’s disease is caused by decreased dopamine, but slots machines served as a medication for Klinestivet, imitating the effects of dopamine, as it plays a core role in brain pleasure. She had lost huge amount of money and it could not continue any longer, so she was forced to stop. Her tremors worsened, though her addiction to gambling vanished. One of the biggest problems of gambling is that it may start off as innocent competition, for example, two teens playing a computer game, and one saying that he can beat his rival several times in a row or something of the sort. This might end up with further intensive competition, or turn into some kind of situation where money or anything of value will be included. The game itself seems to be not illegal or really addictive, but that is the proposal of the teen what involves gambling. Typically, student gambling involves lotteries, card games, and slot machines. It is said among students that gambling has been popularized and glamourized by poker games. Poker games have huge increase on television shows and all over the world in the twenty-first century. It is one of not many games that involve the individual skills of playing along with cards dealt. Many young poker players that took place in the World Series of Poker with the help of luck won the biggest tournaments in their lifetime and that serves as a motivation for beginners who are just starting. Students tend to think that poker may change their lives, and make them popular, moreover, reduce the need to study. An example could be Joe Cada, who at age twenty one, which is considered to be a legal age in the United States for gambling, became a winner of the Main Event at a poker tournament and received more than eight million dollars. Adolescents gamble for fun; to socialize, to relax, and to have the adrenaline rush in their bodies from time to time. They also gamble to escape home and university problems, to alleviate feelings of loneliness, and disconnection. Addicted gamblers care about nothing, but the game and its winnings. They may not get enough sleep, miss out all the daily activities; their main goal is to be in the game and try to win as much as they can. Usually the result is against them, because when losing a small amount of money, they try to gain it back and start gambling for more and more. It comes to the point when they realize that no money is left and they have lost quite a fortune. The most dreadful nightmare begins after they borrow money and bury themselves in debts. The National Council on Problem Gambling has estimated that approximately 6% of college students have a serious gambling addiction. A little over 5% suffer from bankruptcy and debts caused by regular gambling. Since 1975, the proportion of adults â€Å"who never gambled† has dropped from 1 in 3 to 1 in 7 (â€Å"Gambling & Spending†). Students who became the victims of gambling and lose most of their savings or even their parents’ money have higher rates of depression and noticeable changes in their behavior; they become less willing to be involved in any activity and most of their thoughts are related to gambling. ABC News has recently published a story about one college student, Ryan. Every single day, not depending on the activities he was busy with, he returned home until midnight and gambled on online poker sites till five in the morning. He eventually stopped doing anything and gained over 40 pounds, moreover, he could lose as much as $25,000 in a single night. Ultimately, his parents found out that he stole money from their savings and lost most of it, they decided to pull him out of university and now he is left with a $10,000 debt. Nowadays, a major issue in gambling among students is that the dedication to gaming is so important; they simply start spending nights in casinos, or other places gambling, in the meantime, forgetting about their family and studying. The urge to gamble is so addictive, that it becomes the most important daily activity. For instance, I have conducted a survey among students in the University of New York in Prague, and five students out of twenty four who filled out the survey claimed that they gamble several times a week and it affects their academic success. Only four students stated that they had never gambled in their lives, and all of them were females. My personal opinion is that women are less reluctant to gambling in general; they simply do not develop strong passion towards gambling. The same students who claimed that their academic performance is influenced by gambling, also acknowledged that gambling alters their relationship with relatives and friends. Instead of spending time with people who are willing to help you any time you are in need of it, they preferred to waste time in vain. Most of students who gamble in order to gain some profit, do not realize that â€Å"the house always wins† (Ocean, 2001). The ones who do not stop gambling even when losing, wait for the sweet win; the feeling of victory is so satisfying that most young gamblers are willing to expect it for long. The survey reports that sixteen students, which is almost 70% of people surveyed, after a win have a strong desire to come back and win more. Analyzing results of my survey it is clearly indicates the support of world statistics, even though later after survey, students confessed in not truly answering some of the questions. Some students are ashamed of their gambling habit and that slightly influences the results. Many addicted students realize that gambling addiction will cause serious problems in future life and to prevent it, they seek different treatments in the early steps of addiction. As the gambler’s mind is open to absorption and imaginative involvement, it can effectively be treated by hypnosis. This kind of therapy is considered not only to treat gambling addiction, but also to end depression and relieve stress. Hypnosis therapy helps gamblers to diminish their urge to gamble, and as a result, the players can decrease their addiction. In addition, hypnosis therapy teaches and helps a person to change his opinion about gambling. While the person is changing his mind about gambling, therapists try to develop new behaviors in the patient. They try to help the person to organize his day and fulfill it with activities not related to gambling. If the person is married, therapists try to make that person more related to his family and spend the time with his children, if he has them. For those who gamble because of tedium, therapists try to find other ways or activities to make them interested. It may also happen that the patient changes his mind, but gambling thoughts will still exist at a rudimentary level. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for problem gambling is also considered as an option for quitting gambling. It aims to alter threatening of gambling behaviors and thoughts, such as rationalizations and false beliefs. It helps gamblers deal with uncomfortable situations rather than escape them through gambling. Main goal of the therapy is to change ones thoughts toward gambling and look at it in a new way. Ben’s story is presented for illustrative purposes. Ben as a child believed that number seven was his lucky number, and throughout his student years he became an addictive gambler. He would always bet on his favorite number when he had a chance. Loss of all his money did not stop him and it continued to worsen. Linette, Ben’s cognitive behavioral therapist, helped him realize that his thought of number seven being his lucky number is an error that have occurred in his brain since childhood (Hartney). The other way to help preventing problem gambling could be effective awareness events and programs on gambling. Such kind of events and programs engage university and college students in a humorous and informative way. Coordinators of these programs explain the real chances of winning and losing, introduce the symptoms of problem gambling and offer certain ways to keep gambling safer. One of my friends who was just staring to get involved in the world of gambling, realized that the further it goes, the stronger he suffers from gambling. He decided to visit several awareness events on gambling. Later he told me that the program itself is made in a way to distract students from heavy gambling and explain all the negative effects of it. The reason it works out for most of the students who attend events is because hosts of those events repeat terrible affects so many times that it stays in gamblers’ mind for long. For many years student gambling has been a major topic of discussion. Much research and surveys have been conducted to understand the main reasons for students gambling. Clinical counselors and specialists claim that there are some ways to gamble responsibly, such as setting a time and a budget limit, accepting losses as the cost of entertainment and never borrowing money to gamble (Wallisch). However, the practice shows that even if gambling is done responsibly and handled in a proper way it is still harmful fun. Regrettable consequences of gambling include money problems, neglect toward responsibilities and loved ones, physical and mental health problems and even suicide risk. Thus, universities should have the opportunity to educate students and their parents on the risks of gambling and create an environment where the association of problem gambling with financial and interpersonal problems is clearly understood.