The Meaning and Significance of Books to Three Characters in Dai Sijie’s Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

Ever since the first caveman delved to carve out pictures on rock, life has been changed, shaped, molded, and transformed by the magic of writing. The written word—or images, as in the case of the old caveman—as created by the combined efforts of experience and the musings of the human mind has opened doors and paths for otherwise enclosed spaces and dead ends. One may be physically alone yet feel surrounded by a wealth of friends and exotic locations brought upon by the narratives of gifted writers.The experience of reading, while often done on one’s own, has the power to strengthen and expand the mind and the mindset, allowing entry to ideas that may not have been available to the reader previously. Such was the collective effect of books on the young minds of Luo, the Little Seamstress, and The Narrator; while they were each exposed to practically the same thoughts as gleaned from the legendary writings of iconic Western authors—Balzac, in particularâ⠂¬â€their interpretations made the ultimate difference.The magic of the words spun so engagingly and in a thought-provoking manner eventually cast its spell on the specific need of each individual. While The Narrator and Luo were marked for re-education as a requisite of the Cultural Revolution, the Little Seamstress, on the other hand, was in dire need of education. The ending revealed the outcome of these goals in terms of friendship, love, life, power, and respect.II. Power and Life as Read By The Narrator Of all three characters, The Narrator achieves the traditional level of one who comprehends the nature and purpose of reading books—which is the equivalent power resulting from learning new ideas and exploring uncharted territories. Books gave him the confidence to be what he never thought he could, and do things he would have never considered.The discovery of this newfound power ironically meant new life in the midst of his training to eliminate intellectualism; thus i t was a non-negotiable fact to claim the source, even if it meant breaking into Four-Eyes’ home, or having his â€Å"body as a rallying ground for armies of lice† (Dai Sijie 71) at the miller’s. The Narrator is a boy of gentle and unassuming character, making him the perfect foil to Luo’s aggressive and devil-may-care stance, born out of his privileged background.The Narrator was of ample means as well, but Luo would outdo him in almost every aspect. The Narrator’s knowledge was the acquired taste of violin music, whereas Luo’s affinity for storytelling made him the more popular of the two. Even in their common interest in The Little Seamstress, Luo emerged as the victor. Thus when The Narrator discovered the power afforded not just by Balzac, but also of â€Å"Flaubert, Gogol, Melville, and even Romain Rolland† (Dai Sijie 119).The last author’s work, Jean-Christophe, proved to be the most significant to The Narrator; it was pe rhaps the singular theme of â€Å"one man standing up against the whole world† (Dai Sijie 119) that resonated within his own reality. The separation from his parents and the humiliation that awaited them as part of the ostracized bourgeoisie, his forced stay in Phoenix Mountain, and the rules that he had to follow may have been the factors that The Narrator believed he had to fight.At the end of the story, it was the values of love and loyalty imparted to him by the books he read that led him to act on the greatest adventure of his young life: protecting The Little Seamstress as a promise to Luo. III. Adventure and Conquest as Read by Luo The boy Luo appeared to be the most complete of all characters, specifically since his attitude and interests were simply within the conventional concept of heroes in books. A typical hero was one who exhibited exceptional courage, devoid of weakness, and saved the damsel in distress.While Luo did read the books he and The Narrator got their hands on, he was particularly fixated with the work of Balzac, the first of which was about a â€Å"French story of love and miracles† (Dai Sijie 57). With this in his arsenal, Luo proceeded to use the book’s allure to capture the heart of The Little Seamstress, his own version of a storybook princess. Clearly, Luo’s relationship with books had more to do with his goal to conquer, rather than to enrich his mind.Luo already had the gift of gab and an innate talent for spinning tales, and traveling great distances to read Balzac’s stories to The Little Seamstress was part of his concept of adventure. If heroes in novels presented jewelry and clothes to their ladies, Luo’s offering was his borrowed stories, intending to educate the girl on culture, as he was of the mind that â€Å"’she’s not civilised, at least not enough for me! ’† (Dai Sijie 27). Little did he know that his constant sharing of knowledge from Balzacâ€⠄¢s books would not only impart culture, but change the way The Little Seamstress viewed her own life and value.As an added note, it is apparent that Luo, among all the characters in the novel, did not undergo much change or progress; what he was in the beginning was the same as in the end. Again, this correlates with the narrative of a hero, who always begins and ends with the same amount of strength and bravado. IV. Freedom and Discovery as Read by The Little Seamstress The Little Seamstress, being a country girl, was the exact opposite of The Narrator and Luo; all she had to offer were her sewing skills, her sense of daughterly duty, and her exquisite beauty.The last quality had been expounded upon by The Narrator at length, her face at one time he described as â€Å"oval†¦ and the sparkle in her eyes—without doubt the loveliest pair of eyes in the district of Yong Jing, if not the entire region† (Dai Sijie 21). Being of no formal education, The Little Seamstre ss could not read, and thus relied on Luo to take her through the fascinating worlds she could not access. Her life, until the arrival of Luo and The Narrator, was dull, mundane, and repetitive—as life in the country during the Mao era was characterized.It could be assumed that her skills in sewing were simply acquired for lack of choice; her father was a tailor, and a successful one at that. Women like The Little Seamstress, hidden in the mountains and tasked to do female-oriented jobs, had little or no chance to grow intellectually; and the ban on intellectualism during this period made this even worse. Thus her attraction to Luo may not just be seen on the superficial level, but also because she saw the boy as her only source of the kind of knowledge she lacked.Ironically, it is her acquired knowledge of her celebrated beauty that allowed her to move forward and embark on a new life; by taking Balzac’s words to heart, â€Å"a woman’s beauty is a treasure bey ond price† (Dai Sijie 184), The Little Seamstress set forth to make use of the one quality she knew she had and explore opportunities that would separate her from the mechanical life she was doomed to live. Literature offered her not just the exotic locales described to her by Luo, but also the understanding that she had to be part of such a world for her new dreams to be realized.Dai Sijie’s description of her eyes as her best feature had become a metaphor for her new outlook. V. Conclusion The appropriation of books as the catalyst in the novel is more than just a technical device to introduce the idea of learning new ideas and philosophies; the more integral aspect is the environment in which they exist, a society where intellectual growth and exploration is deemed illegal and immoral. By creating this setting, the hunger for knowledge had become more palpable, and the acquisition of it, albeit secretly, became the weapons needed by the more vulnerable members.Having young people on the verge of adulthood is perfectly suited for this argument, as they are the most capable of traversing the distances of new knowledge. Ironically, books and young people do not always mix, in less restrictive circumstances; but because of the situation into which they had been forced, books became their sole ally. Clearly, the author took on a critical view of Communism and how it greatly affected China and its people; by exposing the practice of ‘re-education’, Dai Sijie put forth a believable discussion regarding the natural human need for growth, individuality, and knowledge.

Alan Lightman’s “Progress” Essay

In Alan Lightman’s Progress; the writer believes that the general idea about advancement in technology being the measuring scale for society’s progress is a logical fallacy; the two ideas mentioned in this paragraph state Lightman’s self contradictory, yet relative and valid points. In the fourth paragraph Lightman states, â€Å"If progress is human happiness, has anyone shown that Twentieth- century people are happier than Nineteenth-century people?† Alan Lightman makes it clear that technological advancements are not a true indicator of society’s progress. He hints that a better indicator would be â€Å"human happiness†. I agree with the writer because happiness to me is the real measuring scale of progress. Technology has been evolving ever since man invented the wheel. In any given era or time in history the technology or know-how has always been of the highest level; it is only later on in history that makes technology of the past seem old or â€Å"out-dated†. Twenty-five years from now today’s technology will seem obsolete, even though at this present time it is the finest man can manage. Lightman’s second idea comes close to contradicting himself, but it still makes a valid point. The writer states, â€Å"Only a fool would claim that new technology rarely improves the quality of life†. Lightman challenges his earlier statement by indicating that technology improves the quality of life. This is a â€Å"slight† contradiction because if technology â€Å"improves the quality of life†, it aids in human happiness. It indicates that humans are happy when the quality of life is high. Indirectly, the writer points out that advancement in technology helps make people happy. I disagree with this due to the fact that a high-quality lifestyle is not the sole reason why people are happy. People find happiness in non-covetous things such as religion, family, reading, nature etcetera. Lightman’s contradictory ideas lay out a perfect platform for an obscured meaning of progress. In conclusion, there is no specific dimension (indicator) for progress, as the two issues mentioned indicate. Progress can not be specifically defined. The ideas also show the confusion in which the writer is himself in. As Einstein himself said, â€Å"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.†

Case Study Of Reebok and Adidas Samples

The industry related t the production of the athletic shoes initiated in the year 1895. The establishment of the brand Reebok was seen in the year 1958. Reebok started manufacturing running shoes with spikes invoiced in the sole of the shoes. Being the initiator of the spiked shoes the brand gained popularity and the rate of global acceptance of the brand was very high. With the high acceptance rate of the products that were being manufactured by Reebok, the global scenario of the brand in the perspective of sales and brand popularity was at its peak. With the introduction of Nike in the field of athletic shoe manufacturer the sales and the popularity of Reebok was facing a downfall in the global market. This report will discuss about the objective and importance of the case study. This report will also discuss about the details of the case study that are relevant in nature. This report will further provide the analysis of the case study. This report will also discuss about the theor etical implications of the marketing strategies of the project that is being initiated. This project will also discuss about the key issues of the brand Reebok that has been the main reason for the downfall of the brand. This report will also provide recommendations to the brand to sustain the market. Despite of the downfall that it has been facing in the market. Te emergence of the athletic shoe manufacturing brands started in the year of 1980s. The four brands with high aspiration entered the market for achieving the silverware by manufacturing the sports shoes. The legacy of manufacturing athletic shoes started in the year 1895, when Joseph William Foster decided to manufacture athletic shoes and invoiced spikes into the shoes in order to help the runners to gain grip during running. The spikes were totally hand-made. In the year 1958 the two grandsons of Joseph William Foster established the brand Reebok. After the emergence of Reebok, during 1995, when Reebok was going through the downfall, Nike started emerging as the leading athletic shoe brand manufacturer. Adidas saw themselves emerging in the year 1954, after the Second World War. They gained popularity as they supplied cleats to the German International team during the world cup victory. Despite of the fact that the life cycle of Reebok initiated at 1958, Paul Fireman initiated the modern version of Reebok in the year 1979, when he first came across the shoes in an international trade show. After being introduced to the shoes, he started negotiating for taking the right to sell the brand in the North America. In the year 1979, Paul Fireman established the company with the name of Reebok in the Northern America. In the year 1982, Reebok started manufacturing aerobic shoes that helped women who practiced aerobic. With the drastic growth rate in the acceptance of the brand in the year 1995, Reebok made a sale of $3 billion since the last decade. In the early years of 1990, the trend of aerobics was decreasing in a rapid rate, which causes a decline in sales for Reebok as it was mainly focused on the sales of the aerobic shoes that were targeted for the female clients of the brands. Reebok wanted to expand its business in other sector of sports but Nike was already predo minant in the field where Reebok was trying to set up their business. In the year 1995, Nike surpassed the sales of Reebok by $1.33 billion.   The main hindrance that stood in front of Reebok the lack of are the lack of relation between the Foot Locker and their brand. This communication gap was made full use by the Nike athletic shoes production house. Previously, when Nike was not completely established and was just emerging as a brand in the field of manufacturing athletic shoes, Reebok got the chance to start the business with the Foot Locker but due to the lack of time to produce custom footwear for the Foot lockers the business never progressed to a fruitful end. Nike in other hand had agreed to meet the requirements of the Foot Lockers and manufactured custom athletic shoes for the Foot Lockers. Considering the weak market bases Eli Lily, the trainer in the Reebok thought that there must have been some software issues that has led to the lack of sales of the brand. Reebok a long with Lee and Wrangler processed the advancement of the SAP version. This advancement took longer time than the expected deadline of the project. In the mid 2003, Reebok gained their sales and made a great business. The reason of this increase in their sales was the conflict between Nike and the Foot lockers. In 2005, Adidas took the initiative to buy Reebok.   Adidas was fighting to sustain the competition in Europe as Nike proved to be the killer of the entire competition. To face the fierce competition provided by Nike     Adidas decided to buy Reebok and use Reebok in the department of training and fitness. After failing to sign Jordan as the basketball ambassador and again losing the chance of signing the wonder kid of basket ball Lebron James, Adidas decided to invest in signing multiple stars as their rookie in the field f basketball (Mantovani and Galvà £o, 2017). Adidas soon realized that launching the predator soccer shoes in Europe will help them conquer the ma rket as emotion re related to the predator shoes were used by the likes of David Bekham and many other soccer stars. Gradually Adidas started outshining Nike in the mid range sport shoes. Despite the fact that Adidas combined with Reebok was giving a tough competition to Nike but Nike was still crowned as the brand that is labeled to be selling the highest number of pairs of athletic shoes. In the mid 2000s, Reebok was one of the reasons that brought Adidas the success.   Out of the net turnover of $12 billion in Europe, Reebok had its share prominent with $1.9 billion. Reebok restocking the old stock of athletic shoes that were in trend   that got the brand promoted to the highly ranked tier standing second just behind the likes of the Skechers (Tae-Gyu, K.I.M. and Wi-Young, 2015). The CEO of Adidas was much pleased with the growth of the brand under their legacy. This growth in the brand of Reebok forced Nike to collaborate with the brand named Converse and invest a lot of rev enue to buy the brand in order to compete with Adidas in the field of training and fitness field. In the year 2009, Reebok manufactured toning shoes that claimed that wearing them itself is enough to get rid of specific muscular problems and no other mean of treatment will be required. This model of the shoe was targeted mainly for the women. But the science and technology used in the making of the shoes was not well matched with the claims that were made by the brand. Reebok had to settle a lawsuit and pay $25 million to the U.S Federal trade Commission in order to repay the unsatisfied clients. Despite these acts Reebok has still been doing well in the market of athletic shoes and is collaborated with the SAP ERP to sustain the competition with Nike. This case study initially deals with the emergence of the athletic shoe brand Reebok. The brand seems to emerge in a very fast rate, as they were the initial manufacturers of athletic shoes with spikes invoiced in the shoes that will help the athletes to gain a proper grip during running in the track (Romeo, 2016). The business of Reebok was flourishing in a very fast rate as it started manufacturing products that were aimed at a particular scope of the athletics field as well as the products for the general athletic fields. With the increase in popularity of the field of athletics that the brand was gaining, according to the report the brand was not willing to make further modifications in the making of their products. This stable and never changing technology in the brand motive brought in stagnation in the market for the style of shoes that Reebok manufactured. Due to lack of time, Reebok could not manufacture customized products for the Foot Lockers. The gradual profit terms were decreasing in annual basis as the in between 1997 to 1999 the net sales dropped by $3.6 billion again in between 1999 to 2000, the sales decreased by $2.9 billion. This decrease in the net sales of the brand Reebok resulted in growth of the brand Nike as an elite athletic shoe brand. Nike took the advantage of collaborating with the Foot lockers for the supply of their athletic shoes (Jain, 2017). This causes the flash marketing for the Nike as they were collaborated with the Foot lockers in order to increase the sales growth. This growth in the sales of the athletic shoe with the Feet Lockers took Nike to an elite level. This phenomenon was the main reason behind the decline in the growth of Reebok (Fatma, 2018). Another aspect that resulted in the down fall of Reebok is that the downfall in the interest of the aerobics, as Reebok mainly focused on the field of aerobics under which they targeted the women participants of the field (Kempf and Franklin, 2016). Due to the lessening o f the interest in the field of aerobics, the sales of athletic shoe decreases which in turn affected sales of the brand annually (Erus, 2016).   Adidas being another athletic shoe manufacturing brand that has been   emerging as one of the biggest brands after Nike in Europe. To get into the competition of being the biggest manufacturer of athletic shoes, they decided to collaborate with Reebok and spent a huge revenue to buy the brand (Lee and Kahle, 2016). After buying the brand for few years Reebok was not yielding the expected outcome in number of sales, but during the conflict of Nike with the Foot Lockers Reebok again gained the acceptance in the market by restocking the old foot wears and was just ranked behind Skechers in terms of yearly turnover of the training and fitness aspect of athletics. In 2010, a web served store was constructed where the shoes of Reebok was sold as the official product where discount on very less amount was provided (Erhard, Werner and Michael, 2014). This increase in the emergence of the turn over by Adidas that had already collaborated with Reebok forced Nike to collaborate with Converse and spend a huge revenue. Despite all this competition, Nike remained the brand with the highest turnover (Cho and Kim, 2016). The SAP version that was used initially by Reebok was also upgraded to a much updated version of SAP which was possible with the help of LEE and Wrangler as the modification was suggested by the Reebok, Lee and Wrangler (Duncan, 2016).   Ã‚   The main issues in the management of Reebok that led to the downfall of the brand are that the brand after getting a proper start to the marketing aspect of the brand due to the innovative ideas that were incorporated in the products that were manufactured by the company and did not intend to evolve their manufacturing infrastructure (Chatwin, 2017). The main motive of the company was to manufacture the most in numbers and to reduce the cost of production. This aspect of the increasing the production as well as lowering the production cost leads to the factor of not being able to customize the shoes manufactured by them. This led to the decline of the brand (Dolgin, 2017). Another   reason of the company for not being able to flourish is the reason that they did not pair up with the   Foot Lockers despite the fact that the Foot Lockers wanted to collaborate with the brand but due to lack of time for customizing shoes for them the Foot lockers and Reebok did not went   on to cra ck the deal (Burns, Carberry and Schwartz, 2015). Nike was later seen to collaborate with Foot Lockers and reach the highest standards of the business their field leaving behind Reebok as their competitor.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The only recommendation that can be provided to the brand is that they must not provide misleading marketing policies as they did for the toning shoes which will lead to the decrease in good will of the brand and the brand loyalty decreases and this in turn positively affects the growth of their competitors (Nigg et al. 2015) . The company must seek to improve their technologies and the modification and customizations must be made in order to stay updated with the regular trend. The company has already collaborated with Adidas hence must act with the technology that the Adidas uses in order to gain the dominance in the global market and reach the peak of the market. The software systems that the brand is using must be updated to its highest order. This updated version will provide the increase in the efficiency of the marketing strategy of the brand leading to the success in marketing of the products   that will be launched by Reebok.   On following these recommendations the bran d can regain its glory days. From the above discussion it can be concluded that the emergence of Reebok was an obvious choice as it was the first brand to launch athletic shoes with spikes in order to found better grip on the track. Despite of getting   a massive launch Reebok failed to maintain the dominance in the field of athletic shoe brands as Nike took over Reebok as a brand due to the availability   of customized shoes. Reebok did not intend on growing as fast as it needed to and did not focus on modifying the shoes as per the requirement of the clients. This factor of not being capable enough to cope up with the pace created Nike the space to conquer the market. The downfall of Reebok embarked the superiority of Nike, which later led to Reebok being sold to Adidas for te betterment of the company. Buckeridge, E., LeVangie, M.C., Stetter, B., Nigg, S.R. and Nigg, B.M., 2015. An on-ice measurement approach to analyse the biomechanics of ice hockey skating.  PloS one,  10(5), p.e0127324. Burns, R., Carberry, S. and Schwartz, S.E., 2015, April. Classifying Salient Textual Entities in the Headlines and Captions of Grouped Bar Charts. In  FLAIRS Conference  (pp. 217-220). Chatwin, C. R. (2017). Rapid prototyping, tooling and time compression. Cho, S. and Kim, Y., 2016. Empirical Rationalization of Prior Substantiation Doctrine: Federal Traded Commission v. Reebok & Sketchers.  Loy. Consumer L. Rev.,  29, p.55. Dolgin, E., 2017. Outside the lab: Side jobs for scientists.  Nature,  549(7671), pp.297-299. Duncan, C., 2016. Purchase of Safety Shoes on an Annual Contract with two (2) options to renew for various Gwinnett County. Erhard, Werner, and Michael C. Jensen.  Putting integrity into finance: A purely positive approach. No. w19986. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2014. Erus, O., 2016. The Benefit of Targeting Trending Niche Marketing Segments and Re-positioning of a Company: Choosing the winning marketing strategies for Reebok. Fatma, S., 2018. Brand Revitalization: Reconnecting Emotionally. In  Driving Customer Appeal Through the Use of Emotional Branding  (pp. 262-272). IGI Global. Jain, S., 2017.  Feasibility study for launch of mission athletecare in India. NIFT-Mumbai. Kempf, M. and Franklin, P., 2016. adidas and Reebok: What Expatriate Managers Need to Manage M&As Across Cultures.  Intercultural Management: A Case-Based Approach to Achieving Complementarity and Synergy, p.148. Lee, C. and Kahle, L., 2016. The linguistics of social media: Communication of emotions and values in sport.  Sport Marketing Quarterly,  25(4), p.201. Mantovani, D. and Galvà £o, F.H.S., 2017. Brand priming effect on consumers’ financial risk taking behavior.  Revista de Administraà §Ãƒ £o,  52(1), pp.15-25. Romeo, M., 2016. Standing in the Octagon: The Ultimate Fighting Championship's Battle to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York State.  Ariz. St. U. Sports & Ent. LJ,  6, p.109. Sapra, G.K., 2015.  Measures to improvise the key categories in order to establish reebok as a fitness brand in India. NIFT. Tae-Gyu, K.I.M. and Wi-Young, S.O., 2015. Effect of functional rehabilitation exercise on chronic ankle instability in elite athletes.  South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation,  37(2), pp.47-60.

Corprate law general partnership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corprate law general partnership - Essay Example In the United Kingdom, the laws governing the creation of partnerships differ from those in Saudi Arabia. Being under the Commonwealth, the United Kingdom embraces provisions created by the body. The creation of a partnership is perceived and any other entrepreneur venture. However, certification of partnership in the United Kingdom is only awarded to business entities with more than one person as partners. The number of partners in such business entities is limited to twenty. After its creation, partners are required to provide full names for registration. After registration all person stated as partners are provided with the mandate of conducting business of behalf of the business entity (DeMott, 2001). Upon creation, partners are required to create profit and loss sharing ratios. In most cases, partners are required to determine this ration by considering the capital contribution for each partner. This minimizes cases of misunderstanding in future situations. Additionally, partnerships are required to name the entity in regards to the names of all partners. However, this name procedu re could be ignored as embrace a naming system that has been agreed after deliberation by all partners (DeMott, 2001). The author further points out that if names as used in naming the entity, it would be illegal to exclude the name of one partner (DeMott, 2001). Running of general partnerships is done by all members. However, the law provides that partners may agree to hire a person in the position to conduct business on their behalf. However, this process should be clear and the decision provided to the government for clarification. In situations where the partners control the business, each partner has the right to access business information as well conduct business on behalf of the company. In cases of debt, all partners would share the risk (Arthur, 2003). However, personal properties of the partners cannot be liable for confiscation when the company

Apply structural andinstitutional explanationsof the behaviorof Essay

Apply structural andinstitutional explanationsof the behaviorof AustriaHungary until 1914 - Essay Example Austria was a quasi-independent state in the Middle Ages within the Holy Roman Empire. The Habsburgs inherited the crown of Hungary with part of the Kingdom preserved from the Ottomans. The Ottomans were driven out of Hungary in 1669. Austria and Hungary were a personal union from1526 to 1848 under the Habsburgs (Fromkin, pp.11-16). Taking into consideration the status of the Hungarian Kingdom before the revolution, it can be seen that the kingdom was formally part of the Empire of Austria. Based on the Article of the year nineteen seventy, it was stipulated that the regnum independence with a separate Monarchy. The Empire of Austria had never lawfully included the Kingdom of Hungary. The policy was consistent with both public and constitutional law as discussed. The government of the Hungary Kingdom could be in a position of preserving a separate and independent budget since the begging of the personal union from 1527.The Hungarian budget was after the revolution of 1848 to 1849. The budget was independent too. Despite all these, the Kingdom of Hungary maintained its customs borders. The borders separated the Hungarian Kingdom from the other parts of the Habsburg ruled territories. The union had made a consent/agreement customs union between the Austrian and Hungarian where they were to negotiate in every ten years. The contracts were also renewed and signed by Budapest and Vienna at the end of every ten years since both countries hoped to get mutual economic benefit from their relationship (Fromkin, pp.11-16). Austria-Hungary also declared war on Serbia on July twenty-eight in the year 1914. Austria-Hungary made a step further to mobilize for plan B against Belgrade. There was the need for the warring governments to defend and explain their decision, with the Germans publishing a first set of diplomatic papers in early August. The propaganda machinery of the government supported the decisions that

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Anorexia - Research Paper Example exia is caused by a variety of different factors, including biology, sociological considerations and psychological adjustment patterns that are often driven by youth historical experiences in society and with family members. It is also known to be caused by media representation of what constitutes an ideal form for men and women which alters a person’s self-esteem levels and sense of self-worth in a social context. Such causes of the disease are known to be attributed to body dysmorphia, an unreasonable and rather perverse sense of the self as it pertains to body image as well as youth caregiver attachment problem (to name only two potential causes). Treatment options include cognitive behavioral therapy, clinical interventions, family therapy, support groups, pharmaceuticals, and even more radical psychotherapy methodologies. Hence, there are potential solutions that can reduce prevalence of this mental disorder with many of the aforementioned treatment options sustaining credible and sometimes substantial recovery and success rates. The goal of treatment, as indicated by research, is to change the distorted sense of self that is common with anorexia and improve cognition patterns to develop healthier eating and coping strategies. Anorexia Nervosa is a variety of eating disorder in which the individual radically curbs their food intake and maintains an unreasonable and rather groundless terror of weight gain. It is usually accomplished with a maladjusted viewpoint about their bodies. Anorexia is characterized by extreme weight loss. People who maintain this mental illness begin an extreme regulation of dietary consumption which leads to a variety of health problems. Anorexia is a common eating disorder that affects women and men, however its prevalence is most widespread in the female population. Those that have been diagnosed with anorexia often maintain an irrational obsession with maintaining a thin body figure and become preoccupied and often fanatical

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case study - Essay Example A higher level to the previous or a higher level as compared to the competitor indicates that the business is prospering. year 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 unit car sales expected 80 120 150 180 190 The profitability of the company: the organization has an anticipated annual change of 1.02. This shows that the organization is on the positive trend in profit making. The profits can only increase if the company focuses more in cost reduction than in production. Breakeven levels Unit break-even for the year 2012 Average Annual Fixed Cost/ (Average Per Unit Sales Price - Average Per Unit Variable Cost) Fixed costs= (direct labor +supervision + office staff+ managerial) 550,033 =33+130,000+120,000 + 300,000 Variable costs = production overheads + production person-hours + sales overheads + other office overheads 100,900 = 50,000 + 900 + 18,000 + 32,000 Therefore: average annual fixed costs = 550,033/ 12= 45836.08 Average per unit sales = 75000/80= 937.5 Average per unit variable cost = total variable cost / number of units/12 =100900/80/12= 105.10 Break even = 45836.08/ (937.50-105.10) = 55 units Sales break even for the year 2012 Annual Fixed Cost/1 - (Average Per Unit Variable Cost ? Average Per Unit Sales Price) =550033/ 1- (105.10/937.5) =550033/1-0.1121 =550033/0.8879 =619476.29 ? Sensitivity of the figures to the key estimates The estimated figures show a positive increase in both the expenses and incomes. For example on the sales estimates there is a gradual increase in the number of units to be sold annually. This is not reflected in the other expenses. For example it is assumed that the variable costs are not changing with the increase in sales. Other factors not considered include market trends, additional investments, depreciation of the cars. Too the interests on the borrowed capital are assumed that they will remain unchanged for the due period. There should be a provision for such changes as the global economy is fluctuating. Also there are provisions for bad debts. Everything is assumed to a clear cut transaction. Recommendations The company therein is sales oriented. It projects a sharp increase in sales without putting into focus the other internal and external factors. The company therefore change this trend and focus on both production and cost reduction. References Cooperative extension, (n.d), Agr-business management, viewed April 21, 2012,

The Characteristics of Main Modes of Transport in India and Australia Assignment

The Characteristics of Main Modes of Transport in India and Australia - Assignment Example The transport modes help a nation to attain its people and freight to achieve utmost mobility. Nowadays, most transport systems are capable to handle both freight and passenger traffic. Here, the attempt is to compare the main transport modes of India, a developing country in Asia; and Australia, a developed country and a diverse continent by itself. Besides, the essay attempts to investigate and to explain the reason behind the difference in the development of transport modes in these countries. Muehlich & Hamacher reflects that: â€Å"global passenger and freight transportation activities, consumption levels of fuels used for transportation purposes† (2006) the difference in transport mode in different countries is because of the relation with passenger and freight activities and the difference in fuel consumption level. Thesis statement: Comparison between the transport modes of India and Australia, and investigation of the reason behind the difference of transport modes. In India, transport modes play a significant role in economic development and cater the needs of above 1.1 billion people. The transport infrastructure in the South Eastern and South Western parts of the country is far better than other parts. The road network is the backbone/lifeline of the country. World Bank Independent Evaluation Group reflects that: â€Å"Since 2000, transport demand has shifted among transport modes, mainly to the advantage of road transport† (World Bank Independent Evaluation Group 2007) the year 2000 shows a tremendous shift in transport demand in India. For instance, in the year 1997, revenue from the road network consists of 4.4 percent of GDP. But the people who live in remote villages get less access to all-weather roads and they become isolated from the other parts of the country in monsoon seasons. The rail network is the longest and 4th heavily used system in the world.  

Art History Essay Example for Free

Art History Essay 1. How does Ernst Gombrich define style and how might we understand the relationship between an object’s style and the time and place in which it was created? Ernst Gombrich defines style as â€Å"any distinctive, and therefore recognizable, way in which an act is performed or an artifact made or ought to be performed and made.† He also portrays style as distinguished event or pieces that has â€Å"desirable consistency and conspicuousness† and â€Å"stands out from a mass of ‘undistinguished’ events or objects†. In relation to time and place in which style was created, â€Å"The analysis of stylistic traditions in terms of the means peculiar to individual arts cuts across another approach, which is less interested in longitudinal study of evolution than in the synchronic characterization of all activities of a particular group, nation, or period.† 2. Based upon the readings, what is the relationship between style and form? Style is observing and seeing recognizable features in an object; form is in representing the event, portrays the idea, in which style and form come together to create pictorial representation. 3. Jacques-Louis David is often described as the leader of the Neoclassical school of painting and Oath of the Horatii is frequently described as the quintessential Neoclassical painting. Identify five elements of David’s painting that might be described as Neoclassical. 1. â€Å"Neoclassic artists and critics sought to revive the ideal of classical Greece and Rome.† The drapery and clothing worn by the figures in the drawing represent the classical Greek era, as well as; the columns in the background show a great representation of classical architecture. 4. The harsh, slanting light gives the figures their relief, and their contrasting characters are conveyed using different forms. The figures are separated by large empty spaces in a stage-like area shown head-on. The applied shade and shadow contrasted to the lighting emphasis enhanced the perception of depth. 5. â€Å"There is a sense of order, logic, and clarity in the subject matter and content, concepts† such as dedicating it to a ruler. Also there is a sense of decorum, appropriateness, and morality was emphasized. The painting isn’t styled with playful subject matter, or dreamy mythological, Greek god-like figures and bright colors, but technical approach by the artist. 6. Through the use of shade and applied shadows to representing three dimensional space on a two dimensional canvas. The 1-point perspective of the room was convincingly natural; the human figures were well proportioned and anatomically accurate. 7. The return to the Roman antiquity was the primary source of inspiration, which led to a period of resurgence in classicism and classical knowledge. It was also a period of enlightenment and rational thinking. This entire picture was a result of an imagination, drawn up with convincing realism to serve as an illustration to convince the viewers at their first glance. 8. Explain the significance of genre and narrative in the classification of David’s Oath as Neoclassical. This image is classified in the genre of history painting. This painting was based on the legend about the founding of Rome. David tells the story of three brothers that make an oath of loyalty to their father swearing defend their city ‘til death. . Most Neo-Classical paintings take their subjects from Ancient Greek and Roman history. In this painting, the Horatii brothers are swearing an oath on their swords, which their father presents to them to fight until they die for their country. David creates the ideal image to represent â€Å"greater seriousness and moral commitment,† which are the basic principles of Neo-Classicism. David achieves what most neoclassical artists and critics strive for in their art by reviving the idea of classical Greece and Rome.

Power Balance Bands Conclusion Essay Example for Free

Power Balance Bands Conclusion Essay The purpose of this experiment was to once and for all answer the question, â€Å"do the Power Balance Bands truly have an effect on a person’s balance strength and flexibility or is the whole thing a scam? † The company claims that the these bracelets have a hologram in it and when the hologram comes in contact with your body’s energy field, it allows your body to interact with the natural, beneficial frequency stored within the hologram, resulting in improved energy flow throughout your body. But is this true? The original claim for this experiment was that if people are wearing the power balance band while participating in various balance, strength, and flexibility tests then the band will in fact not have any effect on the persons balance, strength, or flexibility. The data showed a very small difference between the performance of the â€Å"fake† and â€Å"real† Power Balance Bands. All three tests showed no more than a . 3% difference between the means for both bands. This experiment was essentially an experiment testing the placebo effect on the use of the Power Balance Bracelet. The placebo effect is the measurable, observable, or felt improvement in health or behavior not attributable to a medication or invasive treatment that has been administered. The goal was to convince people the â€Å"original† Power Balance band actually worked, and that the â€Å"fake† one didn’t. My results showed little to no change in performance regardless of which band the student was wearing. This observation confirmed my hypothesis that neither band would have any affect on a person’s performance. The systematic error in this experiment was that I was not able to test 50 tests subject, I was only able to test 36 which luckily still allowed me to get accurate results. The Random error in this experiment was that it was difficult to measure the improvement, or digression of the participants, for both the Balance Test and the Strength Test. The only recorded limitation for this experiment was the fact that while performing the Balance and Strength Test if each participant made to 10 seconds while balancing they were stopped and had their abilities observed and recorded. The generalizability of the results can apply to all humans however; this experiment is exclusive in that it cannot be generalized for all other objects, insects, or animals. For future directions I would increase the sample size, and also change the tests so that they can be measured by something other than time.

The Use Of Semiotics In The Theatre Film Studies Essay

The Use Of Semiotics In The Theatre Film Studies Essay For the French postmodern theorist, Lacan, each sign in a language is given a meaning by other signs in the language there is no essential meaning to signs, only in chains of significance. For example, Robert Wilson often uses colour to create symbolic meaning in performance through its use, while the Theatre du Complicite may transform objects into signifiers of meaning separate from their every day meaning (i.e. in Mnemonic a chair becomes the Iceman). Address in this essay, how contemporary theatre practitioners use this understanding of the signifier/signified to push the boundaries of the theatre. Through an examination of at least TWO theatre companies, or practitioners either from the reading, or from your own experience, show how they use signifiers in their work and to what purpose. The reason for creating and presenting theatre is to communicate meanings. Understanding how meanings are communicated to and assembled by spectators can be of enormous help to the director as he works to translate his individual vision of the theatre production into a living, three-dimensional work of arts The late twentieth century saw a great of interest in semiotics, the science of the signs. The semiotics in theatre is composed of a representative actions implemented in a certain moment with the emphasis on things and objects to be observed. This sign system has important characteristics which are the relation between signs and themselves as well as the multifunctional and mobility of the signs in the theatrical context. Some theatre artists find out that the spoken word does not need to be the central force of the performance. Therefore they developed performance through experimentation with objects, visual images, sound, improvisation, or pieces of disjointed language or information (Whitemore, 1994). In this essay I will explore and examine the importance of using Semiotics in the work of two important post-modern theatre directors which are Richard Foreman and Robert Wilson as well as I will address how these contemporary theatre practitioners uses the signifier/signified in particular the visual semiotics such as the setting, costumes, lighting, colours and properties to push the boundaries of the theatre and to what purpose. We can begin to explore the sign system of the contemporary theatre by looking at the work of Richard Foreman and Robert Wilson who are considered examples of western directors, Both Their work contributed to the development of the postmodern theatre through their experimentation with theatre and its various communication systems. Foremans work is almost about his life and a reflex on himself and his thoughts; his theatrical wok always commenting on itself which makes the spectators alert and aware while seeing it. The deficiency to communicate with language is one of the main elements that Foremans theatrical pieces focus on. He developed theatrical techniques that relied on visual images. In his works he uses a number of repeated theatrical devices such as using recorded or live voice to comment on the stage action, using exaggerated physical and vocal techniques as well as other visual elements. The use of visual images has become one of his unique theatrical contributions that differentiate his theatre from other contemporary theatres (Hugo, 2009). Also, Robert Wilson has been altering the way of seeing language, staging, lighting, colour, set design, dance and direction. Robert Wilson has been considered as being one of the most significant visionary artists of the 20th century. His work, often called a theatre of visuals or theatre of images presents an artistic field of theatre where precise choreographed gestures, movements, shapes of objects, textures of sound, and lighting aim to create a heightened experience for the viewer. Robert Wilson is known for his creations of extremely big and long epic productions which focus on the theatrical images and are frequently accompanied by music. His productions cut across the boundaries that traditionally have defined theatre, dance, opera and the visual arts to create a total work of art. Wilson began his exploration of slow motion and visual theatre in workshops he ran for autistic and brain-damaged children. In his work, he used essential non-linguistic montage and displaces any univocal signification. He is also a landscape artist who believes that the pioneering of the theatre depend on visual images (Holmberg 1996). Semiotics can best be defined as a science dedicated to the study of the production of meaning in society. As such it is equally concerned with processes of signification and with those of communication, i.e. the means whereby meanings are both generated and exchanged. Its objects are thus at once the different sign-systems and codes at work in society and the actual messages and texts produced thereby. According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms, semiotics is the methodical study of signs, more precisely; it is the production of meanings from linguistic or non linguistic sign systems. Semiotics began to become a major approach to cultural studies in the late 1960s. The modern theory of semiotics was founded and developed by two important philosophers, Charles Sanders Peirce who defined semiotics as the relationship among sign, an object and a meaning as the sign represents the object or referent in the mind of the interpreter. The system Pierce devised allows for a simple technique for reading and understanding signs through three categories: symbol, index and icon. A symbol has an arbitrary relationship to the audience. As by adding a vocalisation or gesture such as pointing, the meaning is easily understood by an audience. In pointing we have added a depth to the word, given it meaning, and thereby forced an interpretation onto the audience. Indexes are easier si gn systems to read. They take the form of pictures/illustrations. We understand an icon as the resemblance of something it is a representation and not a reality. And the second, Ferdinand de Saussure who proposed that linguistics would form one part of a more general science of signs: semiology. His definition was that semiotics is a science capable of understanding all possible systems of signs, from language to music and, of course, the visual arts. Semiology therefore aims to take in any system of signs, whatever their substance and limits; images, gestures, musical sounds, objects, and the complex associations of all these, which form the content of ritual, convention or public entertainment: these constitute, if not languages, at least systems of signification. (Chandler, 2007) Semiotics is concerned and focuses on the interrelationships between signs themselves. The semiotic approach to literary works stresses the production of literary meanings from shared conventions and codes; but the scope of semiotics goes beyond spoken or written language to other kinds of communicative systems such as cinema, advertising, gesture and others. In other words, semiotics is the study of signs and symbols of all kinds, what they mean, and how they relate to the things or ideas they refer to. It is concerned with the process of signification and communication. Semiotics is well known for calling attention to the formal structures of significance and meanings in the culture. Semiotics can be seen as an important factor that points to structural differences found in each system of signification as well as it is seen as a unifying approach to sign systems in the theatrical performance. A sign is usually represented by different type of physical image, object or person, which is then placed within some specific setting or social framework. Due to this framework, this physical image, person or object becomes representative of the social signs system and the audience become responsible of determining whether or not the sign being placed before them is genuine (Leaman, 2007). Moreover, it can be visualized as an approach to a wide variety of systems of signification and communication or it can be visualized as a description of those various systems focusing on their mutual differences or their specific structural properties such as the transformation from verbal language to gestures or from visual images to body positions. It can investigate those various systems either at the elementary level of their sequential units such as words, colour spots, sounds or at the more complex level of the texts which is, narrative structures or figures of speech (Eco, 1977). Semiotics is important because it can help us not to take reality for granted as something having a purely objective existence which is independent of human interpretation. It teaches us that reality is a system of signs. Art historian Keith Mosley comments that: Semiotics makes us aware that the cultural values with which we make sense of the world are a tissue of conventions that have been handed down from generation to generation by the members of the culture of which we are a part. It reminds us that there is nothing natural about our values; they are social constructs that not only vary enormously in the course of time but differ radically from culture to culture(Schroeder, 1998). Studying semiotics can assist us to become more aware of reality as a construction and of the roles played by ourselves and others in constructing it. To decline such a study is to leave to others the control of the world of meanings which we inhabit. Signifier/signified Signifier and signified together, they constitute a sign, the basic object studied by the science of semiotics. The signifier is any material thing that signifies. It may be a meaningful sound, a facial expression, a picture, or a more complex unit such as a word or phrase. The signified is the concept that a signifier refers to. Each sign thus gains its value by being placed in the context of other signs. The relationship between signifier and signified is traditional, there is no existence of similarities or physical connection. (Dor, 2005). According to Erika Fischer-lichte- theatre professor- (1992) Theatre does not make use of these signs in their original function, i.e., does not put them to the purpose for which they are/were generated by the respective cultural systems. Rather, it deploys them as signs of the signs produced by the cultural systems. Consequently, theatrical sign must, at least at the level of the system they form, be classified exclusively as iconic signs  ¹ . We make meanings through our creation and interpretation of signs. As according to Peirce we think only in signs (Peirce, 1931). Signs take the form of words, images, sounds, acts or objects, but such things have no essential meaning and become signs only when we invest them with meaning. Nothing is a sign unless it is interpreted as a sign (Peirce, 1931). We interpret things as signs by relating them to familiar systems that we understand and agreed on. A sign is a recognizable combination of a signifier with a particular signified. You cannot have a totally meaningless signifier or a completely formless signified (Saussure, 1983). The same signifier could stand for a different signified and thus be a different sign (Chandler, 2007).  ¹ Signs where the signifier resembles the signified Elaine Aston and George Savona (1991) argue that Everything which is presented to the spectator within the theatrical frame is a sign as the Prague school  ² were the first to recogniseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The process of signification is directed and controlled even is something has arbitrarily entered into the frame it is read as significant. Several semioticians have recognised the role of the systems of signs that are used during a theatrical performance as it to communicate with an audience as was mention before everything that is presented to an audience in a theatrical context is consider to be a sign. The value of semiotics for the theatre practitioners is that it can provide a framework for structuring experimentation during the preparation, and rehearsal stage of creating the production. Theatre directors coordinates signifiers and make thousands of choice; they select individual signs and blend them into sequences of signs which lead to large pattern of signs which eventually produce a performance. They also highlighting and emphasizing on different signs to bring the spectators attention to the most important signifiers at a specific moment in the performance (Whitemore, 1994). According to Tadeusz Kowzan (1968) -who is Theatre and literature historian- classification of sign systems, there are two main signs systems, the auditive signs which include the spoken text as words, tones and the inarticulate sounds as music and sound effects and the visual signs which include the expression of the actors body as gesture, movement and actors external appearance as the makeup, costumes and the appearance of the stage as the props, setting, lighting.  ² It was an influential group of literary critics and linguists in Prague. Its proponents developed methods of structuralism literary analysis during the years 1928-1939. It has had significant continuing influence on linguistics and semiotics. After World War II, the circle was disbanded but the Prague School continued as a major force in linguistic functionalism. Contemporary theatre practitioners push the boundaries of the theatre Semiotics in theatre formulated from a complex relationship between images and their meanings to the theatre practitioners and the spectators. The contemporary theatre practitioners find semiotics to be an important science as it considers being an aid of communication between the director or the scene designer and the audience, this communication relies on understanding the image and its context in order to bring out meanings. Then by emphasising on any element of this image the sign will be created and that will lead to the creation of new meanings, All this helped the theatre practitioners to find new ways to open up new prospects of representation through work on the theatres systems of signification such as the representations in acting style, costumes, properties, music, lights, visual design and other elements which is treated as a signifying elements (Finter I983). Emphasis is defined as the subject of audience interest at any given moment of the performance. In other words, the element of the theatrical scene that receives the attention of the audience is the one that is emphasis on. Theatre directors pay close attention to the use of emphasise in the theatre in order to focus the attention of the audience on selected characters, places, or effect (Whitemore, 1994). According to Elaine Aston and George Savona (1991) The director nowadays has control over the theatrical shape and is faced with the task of organising the signifying system of theatre at her/his disposal (lighting, scenery, props and so on) into a codified process appropriate to the production of a text. If the director fails in this task, then the performance will not make scenes to the spectator. Visual sign systems are used by theatre directors in a wide range of configuration to produce signification and meanings. And may be the most remarkable feature of postmodernist directing is the concentrated use of visual signification as pivotal signifier (Aston E G Savona, 1991). Richard Foreman Visual aspects are considering an essential aspect in Richard Foreman theatre. His theatrical ideas created from the influence of images conception as well as the visual elements. With the help of those visual elements, he tried to frame and break up space. His use of lines and objects has a role as important in his theatrical space as the role of the performers. Such objects are reflections of Foremans consciousness as well as reflections of the structure of thought. In the traditional theatre, the impact of the visual elements on performers is different than its impact in performances that filled with different visual elements and objects. Foreman focuses in his work on building multiple layers in the performance. He used visual images that represented the writers view while, in the same time the performers and objects expressed another level of this view (Lee, 2001). The uses of setting and props in Foremans theatre The important aspect in Richard Foremans theatre is how he uses properties as signifiers. His sets are littered on his stage without clear explanation as well as he always uses a variety of props of all sizes, styles, and shapes. For example, in some of Foreman performances, he has placed television monitors onstage to provide multiple images. He also uses projected images for the text of the performance as a way to use written words with spoken words in order to contradicting, questioning, or strengthen other visual or aural signifiers (Whitemore, 1994). Foreman designed his stage with the use of vertical and horizontal lines. The use of ropes and strings stretched across the stage to create special effects that frame his performance to help him to provide multiple visual paths that allow each spectator to achieve a unique perception of the stage. Because of the strings, each member of the audience is able to perceive varying degrees of stage depth (Lee, 2001). The uses of strings functioned to increase an awareness of the reverberation chamber aspect of the stage space, to create a certain amount of ambiguity through suggested superimposition, and to remind you of the limits of the geometric space. I was using the strings to contradict a unitary reading of the stage space (Foreman, 1992) Another important aspect of his stage objects comes from his usual attempt to distort the shapes of the objects. By using distorted stage objects, Foreman creates new phenomena out of once familiar objects (Lee, 2001). Foreman exaggerates his theatrical objects in various scales. His designs to many of the objects is to be either smaller or larger than life-size for example, the big rock in his performance Hotel China and the 6-foot-tall potatoes in Rhoda in Potato land. Moreover, he uses stage objects to lead him through the development of the dramatic action of the performances text. Foreman said that with Hotel China I began to write plays by imagining intricate, strange objects that would suggest ways that desire, working through the performer, might cause them to be manipulated. I stopped working from outlines, and instead let the complicated physical objects that I imagined lead me in whatever direction they suggested. Properties and objects take on such a strong focus for Foreman that he even uses them as a starting point for creating the written text for his performances. How Richard Foreman used costumes and colours in his performances In his early years Richard Foreman chose to let chance dictate costuming as a sign system. In Foremans performances, the uses of costumes as a signifier is not a habit, he worked on creating visual dissonance and psychological tension in his performances which led him to contrast the setting and the text of his performances with the simplest costume in the world which is- from his perspective- nudity.Foremans individual costume choices become part of rich grid of signifiers (Whitemore, 1994). In his performance, Rhoda in Potato land he used a tangle setting, bright lights, performers in clothing, and a nude woman lying down on the floor. In spite of the conflicting signifiers in this theatrical scene, but it led to a formation of a connected unit of signifiers for the audience The use of colours is very important in Foreman performances. As Whitemore (1994) argues, Colours are dynamic signifiers; when chosen carefully they bring coded messages to the spectators for their individual interpretation. Foreman uses simple lines and basic colours such as black, gray and white in order to create abstract images. He feels that simple and basic colours creating the unfocused kind of attention and promoting meditation which he is aiming for (Davy, 1981). In his theatre, he sense that individual objects will become isolated by individual colours rather than be seen as aesthetically unified (Whitemore, 1994). In summary, Richard Foreman treats his stage objects as live performers. Part of the performers role in his performances has been shifted to the stage objects. Instead of the performers actions, visual images became signifiers which rose by these stage objects dominate the stage space. Foremans visual imagery is considering a principal element directly affecting the audiences attention. He extracts images from actors and from theatrical objects in his work by using different techniques such as, his uses of different size and shapes of objects as well as his uses of ropes and strings in performances in order to break the familiar concepts and provide multiple visual paths that allow each spectator to achieve a unique perception of performance, his uses of nudity costumes as a way to demolish and build new signifiers also the uses of monochrome colours in his work as a mean of creating unfocused attention and promoting meditation. Robert Wilson My purpose in this method of working is to emphasize the importance of each separate element. In many of my pieces, what you see and what you hear do not go together. The video and the audio are meant to stand on their own. If you closed your eyes you would still be able to appreciate the program, and the same would be true if you turned off the sound and just looked. What I am trying to do is give individual lives to both sound and picture. Robert Wilson One of the most salient aspects of Wilsons work is the broad and disparate range of material visual and verbal he weaves together. He scavenges from innumerable centers of culture: canonical literary texts; newspapers; opera; pop songs; advertisements; stock market reports; cinema; dance; historical documents; autistic poetry; paintings by old masters and new; architecture; industrial design; the drawings and body language of a deaf-mute boy; sculpture; postcards; and the banal conversations he overhears on the street. Leafing through one of the black notebooks in which Wilson sticks anything that tickles his fancy is to confront a higgledy-piggledy mass of incongruous images. For example, much of the language and many of the images in Einstein on the Beach are pillaged from the debris of mass culture. All of these heterogeneous materials create a centrifugal energy, but Wilson controls them through his monumental architectural sense of visual structure (Holmberg 1996). The uses of props and objects in Robert Wilsons theatre Robert Wilson usually selects and designs properties with large-scale settings and with the uses of huge space to suit his characteristics of a highly selective method of visual communication. He not only designs the props himself but often takes part in their construction as well. Whether it is a piece of furniture or an object such as a giant crocodile, a large black crow sitting on a womans arm, long thin ladders reach high into the fly tower and many others (Holmberg 1996). He used different shapes, size, colours and style while designing his props and objects. He used the exaggeration technique in some of these objects as well as the realistic and abstract style and many other techniques. But when combined these objects with all the other visual elements of Wilsons productions it present a unified network of dynamic optical that dazzled the audience (Whitemore, 1994). The importance of costume Costume for Robert Wilson is considered to be one of the significant aspects in his theatre. He uses costumes for every kind of signification possible. Wilson constantly chose every costume for his performances very carefully in order to fulfil its visual impact. Many of the costumes he uses in his performances are realistic and many are satirical. For example, his epic performance, Death Destruction and Detroit II, are groups of costumes from unrelated periods with different styles, sizes, shapes, lines and colours. The audience see large dinosaurs, an huge round man in a white suit and a woman in a magical lights dress. In his other performances he used different kind of animals such as a giant cat that is so large that only his legs can be seen walking across the stage, dancing ostriches, a child in a diaper, a man in an oversized, padded-shouldered trench coat, soldiers in various uniforms, and many other costumes (Whitemore, 1994). The costumes are made to reveal movement and style and to signify every kind of information: period, mood, style, and emotional state of the character. He always chooses his costumes, the sizes, shapes, colours, and styles almost randomly and instinctively but with taking into account the unification the total performances signifiers. The costume signifiers are mixed, compatible and contradictory at the same time as black and white, giant and tiny, rough and smooth but at the same time, when it all combined with the set, properties and lighting they present global signifiers of epic and spiritual consequence for the spectators to gather into meanings (Whitemore, 1994). The uses of lighting According to Wilson, the most important part of theatre is light as well as the light is the most important actor on stage (Holmberg 1996). He is also recognized by some as the greatest theatre lighting artist of our time. Wilson found a way to use light as the central signifier, replacing the performer, as in one of the scenes in Einstein on the beach when the light displaced the actor and became the action for nearly half an hour. Wilson is very concerned with how images are defined onstage, and this has practically everything to do with the light that is placed on a given object. He feels that the lighting design can really bring the production to life. Tom Kamm, The set designer for Wilsons Civil Wars performance said a set for Wilson is canvases for the light to hit like paint (Holmberg 1996). This attention to detail certainly proves his devotion to the importance of lighting, In Death Destruction and Detroit, Wilson used light as a defining signifier of the theatrical scene. T hrough a constantly shifting black and white, shadow and bright this shifting served as a dominant unifying and controlling agent (Whitemore, 1994). In summary, Robert Wilson has a massive contribution in the contemporary theatre practice. He is considering one of the most important directors and designer in the contemporary theatre. Wilson revolutionized the stage by making visual communication more important than words. His productions cut across the boundaries that traditionally have defined theatre, dance, opera and the visual arts to create a total work of art. Wilsons performances concern not only for trespassing the boundaries that define artistic genres but also for erasing the distinction between high art and popular culture, forcing the audience to examine the assumptions behind these categories (Holmberg 1996). Robert Wilsons productions have decisively shaped the look of theatre. Through his use of light, costumes, props and setting as well as his exploration into the structure of his scenic and furniture design he was able to achieve his goal in changing the concepts and perceptions that related to the fixed culture. Wilson always uses the power and originality of his vision in order to create new meanings and perceptions for his theatre. Conclusion In summary, the theatrical system of signs consists of representative actions implemented in a situation with an emphasised function of objects to be observed. The power of sign systems depend on their role in generating and maintaining shared expectations as well as shared interpretive frameworks. Signs do not force us to have certain interpretations as much as they create the context for other peoples interpretations of us, and even more importantly, our own expectations of what others think. Contemporary theatre practitioners, in particular the two important directors Richard Foreman and Robert Wilson, emphasise on visual images and focus on size, shape, colour, costumes, light and other visual elements in order to create and develop a way to affect the audiences way of seeing, thinking and understanding of actions and events. Using semiotics in theatre helped the directors to see the various cultural and historical traditions as a vast source of signs. Representations in acting style, costumes, production design, music and other elements are taken from different contexts.  Also it helped them to understand how performances communicate meanings by examining the signifiers that are decoded by each member of the audience. Semiotics gives the directors a frame work for making choices about which sign system should dominate the performance, how signifiers can create meaning which the spectators interpret differently. They are asked to read the visual diminutions of performance as a key language of the theatrical discourse.

Plot Flaws in The Great Gatsby Essay example -- The Great Gatsby F. Sc

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, was a novel that epitomizes the time in our history known as the roaring twenties. It was a time of great extravagances and frolicsome attitudes. The novel also revealed the darker side of this time with its underlying themes of greed and betrayal on the part of many of the characters. The novel as a whole seems to be a very well thought out piece of literature with little or no flaws. However, if studied a bit harder several defects can be spotted. These include such things as shifts in setting, sequence manipulation, and shifting of narrators. The setting of a novel is very important to the overall plot. It can help define the mood and can give some aspects of where the story is headed. The majority of the story takes place in â€Å"East and West Egg† of Long Island, New York. These locations were where the majority of the main characters lived and interacted with one another. That was until chapter seven of the novel. Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby have been invited to tea at Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s home. This was a very critical portion of the plot due to the increasing pressures Gatsby and Daisy are feeling about their relationship, and when they will tell Tom of their affair. It was very hot and all present were obviously uncomfortable. Suddenly Daisy asked, â€Å"Who wants to go to town?†(125). They eventually agree and all go to town. They end up getting a hotel room in downtown New York City which was just as hot if ...

Computer Culture :: Technology Internet Essays

Computer Culture I registered for this capstone course simply because its description in the English Department course guide intrigued me. I never imagined that the central issues of the course would intersect so often and so dynamically with the postmodern ideas of truth and representation in which I was already immersed. I first articulated (for myself) the differences between oral and literate culture in a post to our class listserv on November 15, 2001. The major difference between oral and literate cultures is the primacy of the word itself. In oral culture, the words are everything; they are performance, they are meaning, and they are central to all understanding and memory. In literate culture, the words have been once removed by the representation of written language; they are now letters on a page. The sounds and actions are lost and the interpretation of language becomes more private and individual. Instead of being experienced, as in oral culture, words are simply absorbed in literate culture. These ideas are further illustrated by referring to Metaphors We Live By, by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson. An obvious focal point of the book, and the idea that my first summary for this class explored, is the notion that the title implies: we live by certain dominant metaphors. This is a function of oral culture despite the fact that we live in a predominantly literate culture. After certain metaphors become commonplace to speak in and with, they begin to transcend speech; they enter thought processes and allow people to not only speak, but also think, in the dominant metaphorical concepts of the culture. The concept love, for example, is structured mostly in metaphorical terms: love is a journey, love is a patient, love is a physical force, love is madness, love is war, etc. The concept of love has a core that is minimally structured by the subcategorization love is an emotion and by links to other emotions, e.g., liking. This is typical of emotional concepts, which are not clearly delineated in our experience in any direct fashion and therefore must be comprehended primarily indirectly, via metaphor. (85) This excerpt from Metaphors We Live By aptly supports the idea that people think in terms of metaphor, and thereby experience metaphor in the structures of oral culture as much as (if not more than) literate culture.

Teenage Alcoholism Essay -- essays research papers fc

ALCOHOLISM This research paper is on alcoholism and its affect on teenagers and adults. This piece will fully outline alcohol from its origin, and different types of alcohol, all the way to the treatment of alcohol addiction. Reading this paper will hopefully shed some light on the fact that people with an alcohol addiction do not only hurt and affect themselves, but also make the people around them susceptible to the same fate. I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ethyl alcohol (also known as drinking alcohol), is one of the oldest drugs in the world. Five thousand years ago, the people of Mesopotamia drank beer and recorded it on clay tablets. The ancient Egyptians brewed and drank beer also.1 And today, alcohol is probably used in every country in the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are several types of alcohol, but ethyl is the most common and is the only one that can be consumed. Other alcohols include: Methyl, used in antifreeze and   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‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   cleaning solutions; Isopropyl, which is used in rubbing alcohol; Ethylene, also used in antifreeze; and Glycerol, which is used in hand lotions and plastic explosives.2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Alcohol is made through a process called fermentation. Fermentation turns fruit juice into wine and grain mixed with liquid into beer.3 This process is completed by a group of microscopic organisms, mostly made up of yeasts. When the yeast bacteria act on the sugar (glucose) in the fruit juice, they produce alcohol and carbon dioxide.4 Alcohol addiction or alcoholism is a diseased condition resulting from the excessive or persistent use of alcoholic beverages.5 These beverages include: whiskey, wine, wine coolers, beer, liquor, hard cider and many others. Alcoholism is thought to arise from a combination of a wide range of physiological, psychological, social and genetic factors.6 Consumption of alcohol has greatly increased in the United States, many European countries and countries that were in the former Soviet Union. This is paralleled by growing evidence o... ...she has a drinking problem and second, that he/she knows that people with an alcohol addiction do not only hurt and affect themselves, but they also make the people around them susceptible to the same fate. Then perhaps we can slowly but surely put an end to alcoholism.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bibliography World Book Encyclopedia 1995 Edition   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Keyword(s): Alcoholism, Al-Anon, Alcoholics Anonymous ''Alcohol'' Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia, Vol. 1,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harper & Row, 1993 Resnick, Charlotte A. and Gloria R. Resnick, To Your Good Health-2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  nd Edition,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  p. 374-388, New York, Amsco, 1989 http://www.tabc.state.tx.us/leginfo/sb35.htm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Texas Alcoholic Beverage Comission, 2001 http://www.edu.pe.ca/southernkings/alcoholreason.htm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  no author given, no date given http://www.utextension.utk.edu/spfiles/sp491b   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What to Know About Teen Alcohol and other Drug Use (downloadable   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  pamphlet) 2001

Blood Donation Essay

Abstract Blood donation is dependent on the goodwill of people, to voluntarily donate blood, without financial reward. There is a continuous need for new blood donors, because the demand for donor blood is increasing, whereas the supply of blood is declining. Only 3% of the eligible population members actually donate blood. This leaves an enormous potential blood donor base, which if tapped into and maintained could lead to an adequate reserve of donations to meet the transfusion needs of this country. The focus of this paper will be on how social marketing can be effective in increasing blood supply. Understanding and facilitating the recruitment and retention of blood donors is the major contribution that the social and behavioral sciences can make to transfusion medicine. For the medical profession, the amount of blood a hospital has in stock for immediate or emergent use is a critical issue. Blood is needed for emergencies. It is also needed for people who have cancer, blood disorders, sickle cell anemia and other illnesses. Annually, donating blood saves many lives, both young and old. Communication is the key to success, and we need to communicate the importance of blood donation to the general public. Most people respond to issues that relate to their own lives. (Duffy. 2001) As advertising professionals, we must develop a plan to show the public that one day blood donation could mean life or death. One day blood could be needed to save their life or the life of a loved one. When donation of blood becomes a priority to our society, then able bodied donors will have a greater will to participate. Blood drives should be advertised with depth and weight on an emotional level, emphasizing why it should be important to the individual who takes the time to donate. People will undoubtedly ask, â€Å"How is this going to benefit me†? We need to be able to produce such evidence, and if we can, then people will have a greater will and motivation to give. Some experts estimate that if everyone that is qualified to donate would participate in donation at a blood drive two to three times a year, blood  shortages would be eliminated. Encouraging more Americans to become regular blood donor will ensure that most area hospitals will have a safe and plentiful supply of blood that is available wherever and whenever it’s needed. Blood is without a doubt something special, it cannot be manufactured nor can it be replaced by animal blood. Some reports have shown that each year 4.5 million American lives are saved by blood transfusions. Aside from traumatic events such as a severe automobile accident with serious bodily injuries, there are many different reasons why someone would need to have a blood transfusion. Some people need transfusions on a routine basis as part of their medical treatment for an illness or disease. One of the major groups of people in need of blood transfusions frequently, or for treatment purposes, is those infected with sickle cell anemia. According to the Mayo Clinic, 80,000 people around the country have this disease and these patients â€Å"require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives† (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2007). Our society has not placed a high priority on blood donation but it is a social responsibility. The donor should be donating it with confidence that it will be used in saving lives of his fellow beings. This should be an important point of conveyance when advertising information about blood donation. People have a desire to do what is morally right. Educating the public is another key element that is needed to increase the public’s general understanding of the need to have a constant and abundant blood supply. Some points that need to be addressed during education is that the average amount of blood present in an adult is 4-5 liters or about 8% of the body weight. And life cycles of the different components are short. The red blood cell lives about 120 days while white cells last about 3-9 days. New blood cells are constantly generated in the body. A person can donate blood 168 times during his 18 to 60 years. Unfortunately, most Americans only donate blood a few times throughout their lifetime, and some people never donate blood at all. (Mayo Clinic, 2007). Unavailability of blood may cost lives. Hence, importance of blood donation is tremendous. This is the greatest gift one can give to the fellow humans. Voluntary Blood Donors are saviors of mankind. If someone really loves  oneself and other fellow beings, the only way to express it is to donate blood voluntarily. The message we send to the public should be clear and urgent. We must change the current mindset from occasional donation, to frequent. Many studies have shown that there needs to be a personal incentive to become a frequent donor (Transfusion 2003). A study done in 1995 and reported by Transfusion concluded with a suggestion that free cholesterol testing or health related discounts at blood drive locations has increased the number of donors over the last 10 years by 65%. The use social networking programs such as facebook and twitter have been successfully used to increase awareness among the young adult generation. (Transfusion. 2010). Some other countries have tried to offer items of limited value or blood credit bonus programs that could be safe and effective strategies for retaining donors. (Asian Journal of Transfusion Science. 2010) Conclusions have shown that discounted or free medical tests had the votes for popular appeal. In America, we have to focus on these incentives for our future supply and demand needs. References Mayo Clinic Staff. (March 28, 2007). Sickle Cell Anemia. Retrieved July 8, 2007. from the world wide web May 14, 2012 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sickle-cell-anemia/DS00324 Baluch, Bahman, Gurch Randhawa, Sherryl L. Holmes and Linda J. Duffy (2001). Signing the Organ Donor Card: The Relationship between Expressed Attitude, the Actual Behavior, and Personality Traits. Journal of Social Psychology 141(1): 124-126. Titmuss, Richard Morris (1972). The Gift Relationship: From Human Blood to Social Policy. New York: Vintage Books. Blood donor incentives: A step forward or backward. Asian Journal of Transfusion Science. 2010 Jan; 4(1)9-13 Glynn SA, Williams AE, Nass CC, Bethel J, Kessler D, Scott EP, Fridey J, Kleinman SH, Schreiber GB; Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study (2010). Incentives for blood donation in the United States: implications for donor recruitment. Transfusion Jan; 2010 (1):26-40. Attitudes toward blood donation incentives in the United States: implications for donor recruitment. Transfusion. 2003 Jan ;43(1):7-16. Additional Websites: American Association of Blood Banks. 2004 http://www.aabb.org/index.htm American Red Cross Organization. 2003 http://www.redcross.org/home/ Plasma Care. 2003 http://www.plasmacare.com/

The perks of living in the 21st century

Societys deranged. There is no way to baffle it lightly, because it is. Between the mind numbing public shows ab step forward partying, to the 80-pound model on either magazine we pick up. These crazy dilutegs confuse distorted our minds and view become our associations norm. 90% of women ar wretched with their bodies, and 95% of teen girls think theyre fat. Is at that place not something wrong with that? For daytimes and social classs our lives have been run by unrea diagnoseic role models and distorted images of viewer, exclusively resulting in mental health issues. When did thin become so in?And why is perfect the only violator we compute now? Musicians, Actors, Models, the celebrities, the the great unwashed that us as individuals see foreverywhere, the people that are idolise similar to the way Christians worship paragon and Jesus Christ. We hail them, we praise them, and we case up to them. Now what do most of them exclusively have in common? swan dead, gorgeous aims. They have it all, the m singley, fame, looks, love the list is endless. What do we have? Hope. The hopes of one day becoming equitable like them. guard you ever seen an ugly singer or actor? No. There isnt any.Think of all the talented people out there that couldnt make it life-size just because of one superficial fragment. In Hollywood Im obese. Im considered a fat actress. (-Jennifer Lawrence) This advert displays how Hollywood is at the core of this sorry phenomenon. How having a curvy automobile trunk results in being called obese. Models should be thin, clothes just look better on people who are thin, certainly photograph better. (-Calvin Klein) This summon is a representation of something that the spirt fabrication has harnessed for years, if you not thin, its lavatorydid youre not in.What is dependable beauty? Because growing up in my coevals I only have one idea of it. The girls that are splashed across the magazines and the slender actresses in all the recess office hits, growing up I was taught that thats what you had to look like to be beautiful. Being skinny and having perfect expression structure is all you need it result bring you love, attention, and most of all, happiness. Growing up in a narcissistic extension has fueled minds to hurt and palpate offend when they dont meet the aptitude and standards of nows version of beauty. zipper tastes how skinny feels (-Kate Moss) this quote is just boilers suit sad, it represents how our club thinks, and overall how people today run their lives. Teen girls worship The capital of Seychelles Secret models the exotic, tall, ingloriously stunning women chasse around in little to postcode every year for the annual capital of Seychelles Secret fashion show. Along with it comes the jolt of Tweets of young girls pouring out there insecurities. Why cant I look like the Victoria Secret models. This fashion show is literally making me postulate to kill myself.Cant loo k at myself in the mirror ever again. (-Tweets) This forces girls to cave into the pressure that companionship give out on a well-disposed platter. As every girl with weightiness issues knows, the foolproof method of self-protection is to whip the crap out of yourself before individual else has the chance. (Los Angeles Times) Millions of people out there have issues with their appearance, young girls, young boys, swelled men, grown women, the whole lot. The standards of beauty in our troupe are just too extravagantly for the majority of the population to reach.In result we slash the shit of out our self in sheer anger and shame. Each year the number of mental health illnesses increase. From ingest disorders, depression, anxiety, etc. Eating disorders have increase by 400% since 1970. Women today feel much worse about their tree trunk images than women several decades ago. (-Los Angeles times) This quote is proof that this is a extensional issue. We have distorted the true image of beauty and shoved in an impossible standard that no one can live up too.This image that society has created is destroying us, bit by bit. People are dying everyday from illnesses that chemically break in the brain, and the overwhelming and horrific pressure put on by the media and society causes it. 35,000 girls suffer from anorexia each day, 1 in 10 Americans are clinically depressed, and Teenagers are committing suicide almost on a daily basis. These numbers are shocking and continue to grow as the contemporaries and world moves forward.Each week the average individual watches 31 hours of television, spends 10 hours online, and 4 hours aspect through a magazine. This is the place where the media hits us hard. Where we are bombarded by the never-ending pursuits of perfection. Where beauty is taken to a whole new level and standard. Thats sad. How plastic and semisynthetic life has become. Its getting harder and harder to come about something real. Real love, real friends, real body parts(-Jess C. Scott) Were the narcissistic generation, the generation that paints on beauty instead of decision in within.

Long Term Conditions

The get of this essay is to con attituder onrushes to promoting the self- aloneotment of a capacious-run set. The point give be assorted to module means and based on a uncomplaining role that I exhaust provided nursing cargon for during my clinical practice. on that point give be a brief origin of the patient and the context in which I was gnarled in their nursing c ar. The pathophysiology of the chosen LTC on with the think animal(prenominal), psychological and neighborly pauperizations of the patient bequeath be considered. at that place pass on be a discussion of principles of self-management that leave behind link to national LTC policies.This will excessively include initiatives and analysis of the evidence of the implicit in(p) principles for an approach to providing self-management computer backup, for the chosen LTC, including benefits and ch eachenges. To conclude I will use evidence-based recommendations of how the patient could be lifeed to se lf-manage their given. A wide range of evidence will be utilise to embody my discussion. The patient chosen to explore, is whiz who lives with the LTC of Parkinsons. The patient had started to experience Motor Fluctuations, excessively referred to as off periods.Motor Fluctuations ar associated with long-term use of levodopa and ordinarily appear in people who realize had Parkinsons for some time, patients experience end-of- window pane deterioration meaning that the dose does non last until the next dose is refer open (Parkinsons. org 2008). This patient spent one week on a neurology rehabilitation unit. The context in which I worked with this patient was to assist with the teaching of an apomorphine syringe driver and to assess on and off periods in advance the use of the pump and and thusly when the pump was in use and in some(prenominal) case to ensure that in that value were no side do to its use.During this week I worked alongside a team of occupational the rapists and physiformer(a)apists, as it was inhering that the patient regained confidence with daily activities, mortalal tutorships, stuffing and food preparation. The aim of the teaching was to en adapted the patient to become independent with the apomorphine pump from being able to perform a subcutaneous injection to its removal when medicament had finished.It was vital that the patient became competent and positive in the deviate as they had been very dynamical without their life and deficiencyed to rebriny so for as long as possible. Parkinsons. org (2010) describe Parkinsons as the disease with no obvious get and is the some common form of shaking palsy the other(a) forms of Parkinsonism are vascular, Drug-induced Parkinsonism, dementia with Lewy bodies, inherited and Juvenile. vascular is an uncharacteristic form of Parkinsonism and usually delivers with touchyies in speaking, swallowing and the office in making facial expressions.Drug-induced Parkinsonism occurs in 7% of people and is attri onlyed to neuroleptic medication which block dopamine these drugs unremarkably treat schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions and once the problem has been diagnosed then the soul will recover in hours, geezerhood or months after ceasing taking the medication. Dementia with Lewy bodies has no cure and symptoms include difficulties with concentration, memory, language and the ability to s think out straightforward consummations. M all people affirm from hallucinations, sluggishness of movement, rigidity and tremors.Dementia with Lewy bodies is similar to Alzheimers. Inherited Parkinsons is disused and there is no evidence that is toilette be passed on in families, barely it is estimated that 5% of people with Parkinsons may invite a genetic cause. Juvenile is a term used for persons diagnosed under the age of twenty years. As elegant clinical guidelines 35 (2006) states, Parkinsons disease is a progressive neurodegenerative long- term condition and mainly affects those of kernel to old age. Parkinsons occurs when the cells containing dopamine die off.At present there is no consistent test that fucking define if a patient has Parkinsons due to the blotto clinical resemblances of other conditions. Parkinsons is diagnosed mainly through history based entropy and examination. The main symptoms and signs of Parkinsons are bradykinesia, rigidity and rest tremor. Parkinsons is mainly seen as a movement disorder, but other battlegrounds of wellness problems are associated with it. These include mental picture and dementia along with autonomic disturbances and pain, although considered to be rare they back tooth present at a afterward stage of the condition.These rarer symptoms, as they progress, earth-clo flock lead to inviolable disability and handicap which harms pure tone of life for the person living with Parkinsons, this as well has an meeting on families and worryrs. The physical symptoms of Pa rkinsons tooshie be debilitating for the patient and may include pain, falls/dizziness, dietary problems, vesica and bowels problems, swallowing and saliva control, speech/ communication problems, eye problems, freeze, skin, sell and sweating problems. It is not possible to discuss all of these physical elements in detail within this essay.I thus intend to focus on one specific physical aspect of the disease and discuss how this affects the leaf nodes bespeaks, along with the psychological and social aspects. The electron orbit I will discuss is freezing. As place by Parkinsons. org (2010), freezing will be experient by every Parkinsons patient at some point, but becomes to a greater extent apparent in patients who work had Parkinsons for numerous years and also if levodopa has been used for long periods of time within their treatment, however it essential be noted that freezing fucking occur in Parkinson patients whom do not take levodopa and should not be seen as a side effect of taking levodopa.When freezing occurs it is a stir experience and also a cause of astonishment for the private(a). Freezing is not just linked with tread movement it also includes speech freezing or repetitive activities such(prenominal) as combing copper or the thought process for example when a patient is trying to remember something i. e. the name of a place. Along side this is also start scruple this is associated with drinking from a cup, getting out of hunch over or when a patient wants to step forward.Freezing is mollify not fully understood and may be attributed to interruptions to the sequence of movement, group short letters or ineffective medication. Parkinsons brings some(prenominal) social problems, becoming slight confident(p) can bring low self-esteem that can lead to withdrawal from social activities. The one-on-one may worry closely how they look, talk or so far the way they move, this can inhibit the person from get into into norma l activities and they may mold to stay at home to neutralise potential awkwardness.Reduced socialisation may increase the likeliness of the undivided suffering from opinion fatigue and mood swings can be potentially be harmful to personal or close relationships. The soul may become unsure of their social office within the family, workplace or any groups, as they touch lost or less burning(prenominal). Self-management of a LTC is strategically grave to the long-term sustainability of the NHS, and it is thereof essential to be clear on the principles of self-management and to have a clear approach to achieving a do outcome.In response to the increasing levels of LTCs across England the incision of wellness (2012) have constituted a give LTC team who has built a compendium to explain why pro-active management of LTCs is so alpha to the future of the NHS. This compendium provides compelling evidence and information to booster support and drive a transformational remo ve to the way in which LTCs are managed, and the chronicle states cl earliest that self-management is central to this transformation, the principles of self-management have been outlined by the Health root (2011) and these will now be discussed.Self-management can have very positive effects on people who live with a long-term condition that affects their normal function of daily activities, as The Health Foundation (2011) suggests the use of self-management can have positive effects on behaviours and outlooks that an individual faces and how their tonicity of life can either be enhance or depleted. In order to achieve a successful self-management outcome it is essential that time is invested early in the curriculum to explain to the individual knotty the many benefits that self-management can bring.Ensuring that they fully understand these benefits will greatly increase the likelihood that they fully enlist into the programme and truly take an increased certificate of indebted ness for managing their LTC. Evidence suggests that self-management leads to a much positive wellness outcome and championing people to look after themselves can improve motivation, fighting and how they use and access the wellness service. It also describes to how habits mixture towards healthy eating and exercise, which results in better clinical outcomes. hardship to establish genuine steepment at an early stage will just about likely result in limited guide of responsibility and may lead to the patient flunk to realise the benefits to themselves and also benefits to the NHS. They also stated that there is an extensive range of initiatives and one size does not fit all. As Brighton and Hove City PCT (2006) state, plan and having a certain level of power is authoritative to making modus vivendi changes when living with a LTC.It is also necessary to understand the connection of why changes to lifestyles need to be make, and why provision carefully for change is import ant to change actually being accomplished. It is burning(prenominal) to support the individual through the change process as this can often create a degree of anxiety for them. Promoting the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and educating individuals on their condition, will boost confidence and attention the patient understand the benefits of self-management in the context of potentially slowing down the progression of their condition, improved quality of life and remaining independent for as long as possible.Education is another key principle of self-management. An individual needs encourage and support to understand their condition, how it affects them and what they can do to inspection and repair to pro-actively manage it. There are a number of options obtainable here to help educate an individual on their LTC such as reputable websites specifically set up for their condition. They are an excellent source of information, which is continuously updated, and enable the person to access easy to understand information in the privacy of their own home.Additionally, advice helplines add great support for individual needs, without being confrontational. Support is also available for carers through courses run by the skilled Patients Programme Community Interest Company (EPP CIC). Leaflets are available to answer basic questions and give kick upstairs information on where to find more support and advice that is available in their subject. The Parkinsons medical specialist maintain is also a good resource as the nurse can provide their expertise along with the expertise of multi-disciplinary teams (www. parkinsons. rg 2012) It is important to ensure that the level of reproduction and training provided is appropriate to the capability of the individual and also the state of their condition. In comfortable information could lead to paltry decision making by the individual or a privation of confidence if they are unsealed about certain aspects of their con dition. Similarly, providing training and tuition beyond the means of the individual may result in confusion or unrealistic expectations being established this would not be beneficial for either the individual or the NHS.Good training and education should be targeted at increasing the individuals understanding of their condition such that they are able to successfully monitor their symptoms and take appropriate, pro-active action to ensure treatment is sought quickly and to avoid potentially unnecessary admissions to hospital. One of the principles of self-management is to ensure sufficient emphasis is placed on problem solving. If an individual is to become increasingly capable of self-managing their LTC then an ability to solve problems is fundamental to achieving this.Without this it will prove difficult to change the behaviours necessary to allow a health care professional to move into a more supportive and assisting role, as oppose to the current situation where they are mana ging the care of the individual (Health Foundation 2011). some other area for consideration is that a patient must know when to seek medical advice and intervention and feel comfortable with their decision-making techniques. It is also vital that the individual does not allow a situation becomes acute.The Health Foundation (2011) also states that, engagement and education are important to ensuring that the individual is ready and in a position to be empowered with the responsibility for the self-management of their LTC. The principles of self-management support the exponentiation of the individual in decision making cogitate to their care and also working collaboratively with their health care professionals to build their care plans.This continuous high level of involvement is essential to making sure that there is a real transfer of responsibility from the health care professional to the individual if there is, then there is a much greater calamity that they will take ownershi p for the long-term self-management of their condition. Failure to truly involve the individual when making decisions about their care could result in a lack of commitment to a care plan and/or false commitment to behavioral changes, ultimately resulting in the continued heavy reliance on their GP, A&E and other health services to manage their LTC in a reactive and cost unable manner.As Randall and Ford (2011) discuss, it is apparent that within the United kingdom there is an increased transfer of power and prime(prenominal) for users of the health and social care system and indemnity drivers such as Independence, choice and Risk (DH2007) fleck the importance of empowering service users i. e. persons with LTCs, to ensure they have greater choice and control. When empowering someone, firstly there needs to an identification that the person has control over an aspect of their care and can make decisions that relate to it.Power can be seen in a variety of forms but is normally de fined as having noesis and being able to make informed decisions and choices. When considering the decision process it is homely that some decisions are taken alone, for example what garb to wear, or with permission of others for instance using monies from a joint account to buy a unseasoned kitchen and there are also decisions that are made which require formal consultation, e. g. implementing a new law. For any individual who is involved in the self-management process it is important to ensure that the degree of decision-making is appropriate to their personal set of circumstances.When empowering a person there are fundamental considerations to be identified. For example, the mental state of the individual, the extent to which their condition has progressed, their physical ability, their socio-economic situation, the extent of their support network (friends and family), their willingness to pro-actively engage in the self-management of their condition all of these factors may influence the rate and extent to which empowerment may be achieved.Furthermore, empowering an individual with a long-term condition needs to be managed carefully. They will typically be interfacing with many different healthcare professionals and other parts of the NHS and other organisations, and if the views, opinions and approaches of those multiple contacts are not aligned or consistent it is possible this could have a detrimental impact on the empowerment process for the individual. It is whence essential that there is one aligned approach and cohesive message.There is strong evidence contained within the training by Luca Camerini et al (2012) that empowerment, combined with health knowledge have been shown to have a great impact on the self-management of chronic conditions, and that if managed well they can have a positive effect on health outcomes. For my chosen patient suffering with Parkinsons disease, I would recommend supporting them to self-manage through an approach of empowerment, ensuring that this was powerfully underpinned by strong support in the preparation of health knowledge.As discussed earlier, some of the key needs of an individual suffering with Parkinsons disease are cerebrate to their mobility, dietary requirements and pain relief and I want to explain how this recommended approach could help support the individual to more successfully self-manage these particular aspects of their condition. Firstly, in respect of mobility, freezing is often a situation, which affects PDs sufferers. In the first instance it is important to help educate the individual on why freezing happens.Ensuring that the individual has a clear understanding of their condition will help them to be more accept of the effects, less afraid when they experience motor fluctuations or off episodes and crucially help them to make more informed decisions about potential ways of aid them to self-manage this aspect of their condition. As mentioned previously, the exte nt of knowledge and education needs to be appropriate to the individuals level of health literacy this aspect should not be underestimated, as there is a strong link between an individuals level of health literacy and their ability to successfully self-manage.As stated by the macrocosm Health Organisation (2009) health literacy is critical to empowerment, therefore this can present a barrier to achieving self-management through an empowerment based approach. An individuals mental object to access and effectively use information is an area that may need to be considered initially to decide if empowerment is the most suitable approach to adopt. There are a number of options available to help an individual manage motor fluctuation episodes such as medication, mental techniques and physical techniques.Again, the individual will need to be educated on these such that they are able to be involved, or heretofore lead, the decision making process on selecting the most appropriate treatm ents and solutions for them. Each root may have both advantages and disadvantages for the individual and these need to be made clear, if a patient is aware of the limitations and potential drawbacks of a specific treatment from the beginning, then they are more mentally prepared to deal with the challenges as they arise, educing the likelihood of failure. There are several approaches to providing education and support to Parkinson patients the LTC compendium recommends the Expert Education Programme, although not specifically for Parkinsons it provides courses to help with managing LTC conditions, online courses are available also, it is also possible to add your area to the list, they are free. The Parkinsons website has vast information both practical and enlightening and free help lines.In some areas there are Neuro-rehabilitation Units, available through referrals made by the Parkinsons specialist nurse or consultant, which gives access to multi-disciplinary teams all located w ithin one centre. The Parkinsons Specialist Nurse holds clinics where discussions can take place for planning the future, medication changes and a point of contact if you need additional support before the next schedule appointment.As part of the Health Foundation Co Creating Health programme (2012), a Buddies to Support Self concern scheme has been developed for cancer patients in the Arran and Ayrshire region. The programme has been developed to enable patients who have completed self-management programmes to per centum their knowledge and skills with others in similar situations, along with portion patients who prefer not to be in a group situation. This could be a possible area to develop for Parkinsons or all LTC patients.