Futility Case

Baby Chris was born at 23 weeks gestational age (40 weeks gestation is full-term) and weighs about 1. 2 pounds. Because of extreme prematurity and extremely low birth weight, this baby has less than a 10% chance of surviving. Even if the baby survives, the likelihood of very serious physical and developmental damage (cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing impairments, respiratory impairments, and other problems) is very high. (In one recent study, ALL of the infants who survived long enough to be discharged from intensive care had significant long-term damage.) Treatment, that is, treatments, would be invasive, painful, and would continue over a long period of time. It is really so sad that a newborn baby would begin his life under such very difficult circumstances. What is worse is that the treatments that would supposedly save him would instead condemn him into the most compromised existence possible. Instead of living the normal, carefree existence of a child, Chris would have a life that is forever associated with pain, medicines, surgeries, and rehabilitation.Not even an adult can handle such a distressing way of life. But the doctors of Chris cannot just refrain from giving him treatments. They are doctors, after all, and it is their duty to cure the sick. Even the hospital policy and the courts would certainly agree with them. Furthermore, it is the right of the sick to receive treatment that would cure him or her of his ailment. Does this mean that the physicians of Chris can virtually turn him into a human guinea pig?While a doctor has an obligation to cure the ailing, the welfare of his or her patient must always be prioritized above this duty (Cohen-Kohler and Illingworth 366). In the context of the subject of the limits of medicine, the concept of patient welfare is synonymous to the rights to informed consent and to have a say on the treatment plan that the doctor devised. Simply put, any steps that a physician will take to continue or withhold treatme nt must be fully explained to the patient beforehand and carried out with his or her consent.Furthermore, the wishes of the patient must be taken into consideration. However, because Chris is a newborn baby (making him a minor in the eyes of the law), it is his parents who should make the final decisions on a treatment plan for him. In both the legal and the social perspectives, the parents are considered as the primary custodians of their children (Maccoby and Mnookin 282). Unless it has been proven that they are incapable of carrying out their responsibilities as parents, it is they who are supposed to decide for their minor children.It is permissible to make Chris comfortable but not start treatments that would prolong his life. It must be remembered that because he is premature and has very low birth weight, his survival rate it less than 10%. Should Chris survive, he will spend his entire life battling serious health conditions such as cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing impairm ents, and respiratory impairments. Furthermore, the treatments that will be administered in order to prolong his life are invasive and painful and would last indefinitely.The problem with many doctors is that in their excessive zeal to carry out their duty, they reduce the concept of human life to biological normality (Stark 6). Their idea of a cured patient is someone who is biologically alive and is free of infirmity, never mind if the treatments that are given to him or to her severely reduce the quality of his or her life. Medicine should not be limited to the elimination of disease or the treatment of an injury. Rather, medicine must treat illness and/or injury with the goal of restoring the overall health and functionality of a person.As the World Health Organization (WHO) puts it, health is â€Å"a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity† (qtd. in Furber 192). Under the present circumstances, therefore, it is not permissible to do everything possible to save Chris’ life. Even the most radical treatments would save him only in the sense that he would be kept biologically alive. These would not completely spare Chris from the debilitating effects of cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing impairments, and respiratory impairments.Worse, these treatments would make him suffer even more pain. Subjecting Chris to more treatments defeats the very purpose of medicine – restoring people to their fullest functionality by curing them of their disease and or injury. How can Chris live the life of a normal child if he cannot even get out of bed without machines attached to him? How can he and his parents enjoy life as a family if he constantly has to undergo painful and invasive long-term treatments? What is the point of keeping Chris alive if he will just spend the rest of life in illness and pain?Putting him on aggressive lifesaving treatment would merely worsen the situation. To be gin with, his chances of survival are only less than 10%. Should Chris live, he will endure a host of complications that would most likely end in death. He could likewise die while undergoing treatments – the human body can only take so much pain, medicines, surgeries, and rehabilitation. Simply put, with or without treatments, Chris is likely to succumb at any moment. By putting him on aggressive lifesaving treatments, his doctors are giving his parents false hopes.Instead of enabling them to prepare themselves for the impending death of their son, they are making them hold on to futile case. Babies are human beings and therefore, they also have the right to live and die with dignity. Doctors do not have the right to withhold this from them simply because they do not have the capacity to decide for themselves and/or because of a misplaced idea of what medicine should accomplish. Works Cited Cohen-Kohler, Jillian Clare and Patricia Illingworth. â€Å"Access to Medicine and t he Role of Corporate Social Responsibility: The Need to Craft a Global Pharmaceutical Systemwith Integrity. † The Cambridge Textbook of Bioethics Eds. Peter A. Singer and Adrian M. Viens. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. 359-368. Furber, Christine. â€Å"Promoting Health to Men. † Men’s Health: An Introduction for Nurses and Health Professionals. Eds. Tony Harrison and Karen Dignan. London: Harcourt Brace and Company Limited, 1999. 191-210. Maccoby, Eleanor E. and Robert H. Mnookin. Dividing the Child: Social and Legal Dilemmas of Custody. 3rd ed. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1992. Stark, Andrew. The Limits of Medicine. New York, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Past Paper

NSS MATHEMATICS IN ACTION HONG KONG DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINATION MOCK PAPER MATHEMATICS Compulsory Part Paper 2 Time allowed: 1 hour 15 minutes 1. Read carefully the instructions on the Answer Sheet and insert the information required in the spaces provided. 2. There are 45 questions in this book. All questions carry equal marks. 3. Answer ALL Questions. You are advised to use an HB pencil to mark all the answers on the Answer Sheet. Wrong marks must be completely erased with a clean rubber. 4. You should mark only ONE answer for each question. If you mark more than one answer, you will receive NO MARKS for that question. . No marks will be deducted for wrong answers.  © Pearson Education Asia Limited NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 There are 30 questions in Section A and 15 questions in Section B. The diagrams in this paper are not necessarily drawn to scale. Choose the best answer for each question. Section A 1. If n is an integer, then 33 n = 9 n ? 1 6. Which of the following statements about the equation 3( x ? 2) 2 ? 6 x ? 2 is true? A. It has distinct, rational real roots. B. It has distinct, irrational real roots. C. It has equal real roots. D. It has no real roots. 7. It is known that a polynomial g(x) is ivisible by 2x + 3. Which of the following must be a factor of g(4x – 3)? 2 n ? 1 A. B. C. D. 2. x 2 ? y 2 ? 2 xy ? 4 ? A. B. C. D. 3. A. B. C. D. 8. 1. 5. 8049. 8053. a = 3, b = ? 2 . a = 3, b = ? 3 . a = ? 2, b = ? 2 . a = ? 2, b = ? 3 . B. C. D. 9. Let p be a constant. Solve the equation ( x ? p )( x ? p ? 1) ? x ? p . A. B. C. D.  © Pearson Education Asia Limited NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 –2– 1. 1 . 6 –1. –2. ? Peter sold a vase to Mary at a profit of 15 %. Later, Mary sold the vase to David for $ 6400 and gained $ 420. What was the cost price of the vase for Peter? A. B. C. D. x ? ?p x ? p ? 1 ? ? p or x ? p ? 1 x ? ? p or x ? p 2x ? 3 4x ? 3 8x ? 3 8x ? 9 If x is an integer satisfying 4x ? 1 , then the 2(1 ? x) ? 6 x and x ? ?2 greatest value of x is A. If 5a ? 2b ? a ? 4b ? 11 , then A. B. C. D. 5. ( x ? y ? 2)( x ? y ? 2) ( x ? y ? 2)( x ? y ? 2) ( x ? y ? 2)( x ? y ? 2) ( x ? y ? 2)( x ? y ? 2) If f ( x) ? x 2012 ? 2012 x ? 2012 , then 2 f (? 1) ? 3 = A. B. C. D. 4. ?1? . ?3? 3n ? 1 . 3n ? 2 . 35 n ? 2 . $ 5200 $ 5970 $ 6877 $ 7780 10. The scale of a map is 1: 250. If the area of a playground on the map is 20 cm2, what is the actual area of the playground? A. B. C. D. 11. 5000 cm2 125 m2 625 m2 5000 m2 A.B. C. D. Let an be the nth term of a sequence. If a1 ? ?2 , a2 ? 1 and a n ? 2 ? 4a n ? 1 ? a n for any positive integer n, then a5 = A. B. C. D. 14. The circumference of a circle is measured to be 10 cm, correct to the nearest 0. 5 cm. Which of the following is a possible area of the circle? 15. 86. 66. 46. 26. In the figure, CDE and BDF are straight lines. If DF = DE and AB // CE, find ?ABD. 12. It is given that s varies jointly as t2 and u. If t is increased by 15% and u is decreased by 20%, then s A. B. C. D. is decreased by 8 %. is decreased by 5. 8 %. is increased by 5. 8 %. is increased by 8 %. 13. If z ? y and y 2 ? 4. 2 cm2 8. 55 cm2 8. 14 cm2 7. 11 cm2 A. B. C. D. 76? 104? 116? 128? 16. In the figure, a = 1 , which of the x following is true? III. z2 ? y2 1 x? y 2 3xz is a non-zero constant. A. B. C. D. I and II only I and III only II and III only I, II and III I. II.  © Pearson Education Asia Limited NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 A. B. C. D. –3– 40?. 45?. 50?. 55?. 17. In the figure, ABCD is a rhombus and FBC is a triangle. If FA = 2 cm and BC = 3 cm, find ED. 19. In the figure, a circular cone is cut into two parts A and B by a plane parallel to the base. 4 that of the 9 original cone, find the ratio of the olumes of A and B. If the base area of A is A. B. C. D. A. B. C. D. 1 cm 1. 2 cm 1. 5 cm 1. 8 cm 18. The figure shows a right pyramid with a square base and a slant edge of length 17 cm. If the total length of the edges of the pyramid is 132 cm, find the total surface area of the pyramid. 2:3 8 : 19 8 : 27 19 : 27 20. Through which of the following transformations, would figure A be transformed to figure B? I. Translation II. Rotation III. Reflection A. B. C. D. A. B. C. D. 544 cm2 608 cm2 736 cm2 800 cm2 II III I and III only II and III only 21. If the point P(7, –1) is rotated clockwise about the origin through 90? o Q, what is the distance between P and Q? A. B. C. D.  © Pearson Education Asia Limited NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 –4– 5 units 72 units 10 units 128 units 22. If a > 0, b > 0 and c < 0, which of the following may represent the graph of the straight line ax ? by ? c ? 0 ? 23. In the figure, 2BC = 5AC. Find sin ? . A. 2 29 A. B. C. B. D. 24. 29 2 cos(180? ? ? ) 1 ? ? sin(180? ? ? ) tan(90? ? ? ) A. B. C. D. C. 2 5 5 2 tan 2 ? tan ? 1 †“1 25. In the figure, O is the centre of the circle ABCD. Find x. D. A. B. C. D. 36? 40? 42? 45? 26. What is the area of the circle x2 + y2 + 12x ? y + 9 = 0? A. B. C. D.  © Pearson Education Asia Limited NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 –5– 9? 43? 52? 61? 27. Two fair dice are thrown once. What is the probability of getting a sum of 4 or 6? A. B. C. D. 1 6 2 9 5 9 5 36 30. The pie chart below shows the distribution of the nationalities of 60 students randomly selected from an international school. It is given that 9 of them are American. 28. The box-and-whisker diagram below shows the distribution of the heights (in cm) of 40 students in a class. Find the number of students whose heights are between 145 cm and 150 cm. A. B. C. D. 5 10 20 30If there are 840 students in the international school, estimate the number of Australian students in the school. A. 196 B. 208 C. 216 D. 224 Section B 31. 29. {a , a, a + d, a + 3d and a + 6d} is a grou p of numbers. Which of the following must be true? A. B. I. The mean of the group of numbers is a + 2d. II. The median of the group of numbers is a + d. III. The mode of the group of numbers is 2. A. B. C. D. C. D. I and II only I and III only II and III only I, II and III  © Pearson Education Asia Limited NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 1? –6– ab b ? ? 2 a ? b b? a 2 1 a2 a2 ? b2 b2 a2 ? b2 a 2 ? 2ab ? b 2 a2 ? b2 32. Which of the following best represent the graph of y ? 2 log 3 x ? x 2 x ? 1 34. Solve 16 ? 2 ? A. A. B. C. D. B. 15 ? 0. 2 5 2 5 or –3 2 5 log 8 log 5 ? log 2 log 4 35. If a and k are real numbers and a ? 11i ? (2 ? 3i )(3 ? ki) , then A. B. C. D. C. D. NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 ? ? 1 . ? 1. ? ? 1 . ? 1. 36. Find the maximum value of P = 1 – x – 4y subject to the following constraints. 1 ? x ? 3 2 ? y ? 4 ? ? ?2 y ? x ? 2 ? x ? 2 ? ?2 y ? 33. If ? and ? are the roots of the quadratic equation 4 x 2 ? 5 x ? 3 ? 0 , find the value 1 1 + . of 2? 2? 3 A. ? 5 2 B. ? 5 5 C. 8 5D. 6  © Pearson Education Asia Limited a ? 3, k a ? 3, k a ? 9, k a ? 9, k A. B. C. D. –7– 3 4 6 7 37. It is given that three positive numbers x, y and z are in geometric sequence. Which of the following must be true? I. x3, y3, z3 are in geometric sequence. II. 3x, 3y, 3z are in geometric sequence. III. log x2, log y2, log z2 are in arithmetic sequence. A. B. C. D. 40. The figure shows a circle with centre O. BC and BA are the tangents to the circle at C and D respectively. If ? BAC = 42? , find ? BOC. I and II only I and III only II and III only I, II and III 38. Find x in the figure, correct to the nearest integer. A. B.C. D. 66? 72? 84? 90? 41. The figure shows a triangular prism ABCDEF, where both ? ABF and ?DCE are right-angled isosceles A. B. C. D. 12 13 14 15 triangles. If AB = 10 and BC = 5, find the angle between the line AE and the plane ABCD, correct to the nearest degree. 39. Solve 1 + sin? cos ? = 3sin2? for 0? ? ? ? 360?. A. B. C. D. ? = 45? or 225? ? = 135? , 207? or 225? ? = 45? , 153? , 225? or 333? ? = 135? , 153? , 315? or 333?  © Pearson Education Asia Limited NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 A. B. C. D. –8– 14? 17? 22? 45? 42. The figure shows a circle which is symmetrical about the y-axis. A(4, –1) nd B are two end points of a diameter of the circle. If the equation of the tangent to the circle at B is 4 x ? 3 y ? 31 ? 0 , find the coordinates of the centre of the circle. A. B. C. D. 3 (0, ) 2 (0, 2) 5 (0, ) 2 1 ( ? , 2) 2 44. A box contains 50 bulbs and 8 of them are defective. Two bulbs are drawn at random from the box without replacement. Given that at least one bulb drawn is defective, find the probability that exactly one bulb drawn is defective. 4 A. 13 3 B. 5 4 C. 5 12 D. 13 45. In a Chinese test, the standard scores of the marks obtained by John and Mary are †“1. 05 and 0. 8 respectively. Which of the following are true? I.II. III. 43. There are 2 different English books and 4 different Chinese books on a table. If all the books are put onto a shelf and the two books at the two ends must be of different languages, in how many ways can the books be arranged? A. B. C. D. A. B. C. D. 32 40 192 384  © Pearson Education Asia Limited NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 Mary performs better than John in the test. Compared with John, the mark obtained by Mary is closer to the mean mark of the test. The mark obtained by John is below the 16th percentile of the marks in the test. I and II only I and III only II and III only I, II and III End of test –9–

Criminals are Made Not Born

One of the longest debates held in criminology concern the criminal behavior.   There are those who have been supporting the notion that criminals are born while other have been arguing that criminals are actually made no born.There is not side which can claim to have the correct answer for the question owing to the dimension of the issue and the amount of research that is used to back each claim.One of the most important factors about the debate is that they both try to explore the criminal behaviors. Past researches have proved that criminals can either be made while other has shown that criminals can be born. Based on the long standing debate in psychology on nurture vs. nature, the debate on criminal behavior has become more complicated and more confusing.   (Komiya, 1999)As early as 19th century, the debate had taken the centre stage in criminal psychology with high minded physician like Cesare Lombroso taking a number of skull measuring with an aim of proving that criminals usually have smaller brains compared to the law abiding citizens.This study elicited different feelings   with some giving it an interpretation that it showed criminals are actually born while others like Richard Herrnstein a Harvard Professor arguing that it showed that criminals are born with constitution factors which actually expose them to crime.The conclusions of most of these researches have shown that off render usually differs from non-offenders in different characteristics in physique, intelligence and the personality. (Hare and Forth, 2003)There are also a number of studies which have rooted on nurture rather than nature as the cause of crime. These studies have asserted that the environmental factors including the environment where one is brought up in contributes to the overall risk of one becoming criminals.These studies have been based on the increased patters of crime which have been identified on some places like where there is high poverty compared to areas wher e the families are well up. These studies therefore assert that criminals are actually made rather than born. (Bowling and Farrel, 1999)The nature and nurture debate  The nature verses nurture debated is pegged on the relative important that can be attached to   the personal innate qualities as opposed to the individual experiences in   the way they determine   the difference in physical and the behavior development of   the person.This debate can be traced back to the time Darwin published his book Origin of species which rooted for the individual traits as the main factor leading to the development in physical and behavioral traits. This means that the growth factors or genes which are inherited from parents are held responsible for determining the future of the individual person. (Meaney, 2001)On the other hand the Darwin view of the genetic factors being responsible for individual growth was opposed by behaviorist who argued that the environment rather than the inherit ed genetic factors should be held responsible for individual growth in physical and behavioral traits. This is the nurture side of the debate.Those proposing on this side argue that the environment under which we live has a great effect on our overall development. This is supported by a number of social theorists who came up with several social and conditioning theories to support their argument. (Jennie, 2003)The nurture and nature debate soon found its way into the world of criminology. The nature side of criminal behavior assert that criminal are born as criminals while the nurture side argues that criminals are made which means that the environment under which they live in   can be help responsible for   their criminal behaviors.Those asserting that criminals are born supports their view with the argument that crime tend to run in families and children who are born of   criminal parent have are three times more likely to become criminal in their adult life.On the other han d those asserting that criminals are made assert that there is a high level of crimes which are committed on some areas especially where there is rampant poverty compared to other well up areas. They also support the argument showing that some environmental factors like a high exposure to lead and other are likely to result of criminal adults. (Lykken, 2005)

Discussion wk5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion wk5 - Essay Example Binge eating disorder is characterized by eating a lot of food at once. Primary health problems include obesity, high cholesterol levels, gastrointestinal complications, osteoarthritis, and sleep apnea among others. Eating disorders may lead to many health problems. For instance, Night eating syndrome may cause sleep apnea, abdominal distention, anemia, preeclampsia, and other obstetric complications. Compulsive overeating disorder may lead to obesity, high cholesterol levels, gastrointestinal complications, and osteoarthritis, among others. Bulimia nervosa may cause hypokalemia, boerhaave syndrome, gastro paresis, dehydration among others. Undeniably, obesity has many health complications. However, measures to control obesity are sometimes predisposing factors to more problems. Although I was quite familiar with some of the health complications associated with obesity, I had not realized that treatments for obesity could present worse complications. For instance, I have learned that homeopathic weight loss remedy by use of products containing the hormone (Human chorionic gonadotropin) HCG can cause such serious health effects. It is therefore important to control obesity using appropriate methods (Hellminch, 2011). It also caught my attention that sedentary behavior is indeed a contributing factor towards overweight, obesity, and cardiovascular complications. Although this field is receiving heightened attention from researchers, it is evident that the complications result from failure to expend extra calories. Although sedentary behavior is not classified as an eating disorder, it can cause complications such as obes ity that is often classified within the reams of eating disorders. Hellminch, N. (2011). Feds crack down on homeopathic weight loss remedy. Retrieved from

What is existentialism in the art world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What is existentialism in the art world - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that existentialism can be described as a philosophy that came about during the occupation together with the French post-war era of 1945.This was an era of great transformation with the atrocities and aftermath of the World War II leaving Europeans and possibly the whole world’s population re-examining the significance of their existence and simultaneously being confronted by not only death, nuclear threat but also mass destruction. During the post-war era, existentialism spread through to all aspects of mainline modern-day thinking which saw a general interest for explaining man’s place within the field of things being developed. The greatest exponent of existentialism Jean-Paul Satre took Martin Heidegger’s and Soren Kierkegaard's texts and re-examined and added them to a contemporary existentialism philosophy. Other prominent existentialists comprise Genet, Beckett, Camus, Ponty, Ponge as well as Simone de Beauvoir w ho was also Sartre’s partner. Thus, the post-war climate brought with it not only a new but also devastating dimension for the person as well as the world politics. The philosophy of existentialism is closely related to art production. Thus according to Sartre, the consciousness of man is subjective and therefore can never objectively become aware of its own self except via â€Å"Other’s gaze†. Consequently, if other individuals act as mirrors, then it means the work of art too can be viewed as a mirror.

Incentive pay as a way of compensating employees Essay

Incentive pay as a way of compensating employees - Essay Example According to the Vision Link advisory group, intrinsic rewards also allow employees to obtain a certain level of autonomy, provides opportunities for mastery in which employees may feel and see their progress, and it can establish purpose in their work so that they can feel that they are doing something good not only for themselves but also for the company. On the other hand, extrinsic compensation may include monetary and nonmonetary rewards. Examples of extrinsic compensation can be discretionary benefits such as paid time off and protection programs (Martocchio 86). Generally, â€Å"Incentive pay may come in the form of bonuses, profit sharing, or commission† (Business Dictionary). It is a monetary reward given to employees based on individual or group performances. This type of pay can reflect the way employees continue to pursue positive results in the workplace. In addition, incentive plans can inspire loyalty, commitment, and hard work. This type of plan will allow for recognition of outstanding workers and at the same time keeping track of the organizational goals (â€Å"Employee Incentive†). A company can decide on how they will design their incentive pay plans and on what criteria depending on what industry and type of the company. The most common types of incentive pay plans are individual incentive plans, group incentive plans, and companywide incentives. In many occasions, â€Å"Individual incentive plans reward employees for meeting such work-related performance standards as quality, productivity, customer satisfaction, safety, or attendance† (Martocchio 85). Organizations use individual incentive plans to motivate their employees by granting them the opportunity to receive additional income. These additional incomes can be given in forms of bonuses or commission (Joseph). There are different types of individual incentives the most common are piecework plans, management incentive plans, behavioral encouragement plans, and refe rral plans (Joseph). Piecework plans reward their employees for increases in productivity. It consists of the quantity and the quality of work produced. This criterion is based upon the supervisor’ or managers’ interpretation on the performance of the employee. Piecework plans can be used in industrial and production settings (Joseph). In contrast, management incentive plans involve several intricate objectives. This type of incentive only allows managers to receive their award when they reach objectives depending on sales, profit, production, or other criteria in the company (Martocchio 86). In addition, many companies may compensate their employees for referrals. Some companies use referrals to motivate their workers to recruit new employees into the company the employee will then be rewarded after the new employees has been in the company for a certain period (Joseph). Lastly there are behavioral encouragement plans where employees are given cash for specific behavi oral accomplishments. In addition to individual incentive plans, some companies choose to compensate or reward their employees as a group, in other words, based on collective performance. Group incentive plans are measured depending on customer satisfaction, labor cost savings, material cost savings, reduction in accidents, and services cost savings (Joseph). It is said that â€Å"well designed group incentive plans ultimately reinforce teamwork, cultivate loyalty to the company, and increase

Review 5_2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Review 5_2 - Essay Example Semi-automated handling systems involves the utilization of typical equipment such as automated guided vehicles, computerizes sortation, robotics, and live tracks. Semi-automated systems are often used to supplement the mechanized handling systems. The general working principle of the system is that it contains a mechanical system, whose operations are automated by either programming or applying other formats (Codourey, Zesch, Buchi & Siegwart, 1995). Automated handling systems are integrated system involving such activities as handling, and controlling of materials by use of fully computerized equipment, in which, their entire operation is fully dependent on the computer instructions directed to them. The system includes digital conveyors; Automated guided vehicle and automated storage and retrieval systems. In these systems, computers direct automatic loaders to pick and place items where they are required. Automatic guided vehicles are driverless vehicles, in which their control unit is connected to a computer interface to manage their function. Automated material handling systems improve efficiency of transportation, storage and retrieval of materials (Viswanadham & Narahari, 1992). Information directed systems combines the control typical of automated handling with the flexibility of mechanized systems. Informational directed systems use mechanized processing controlled by information technology. The most common examples of information directed systems are the RF controlled equipment and the light detected operations. Consumer packaging is a package that is customarily produced or distributed for sale through retail sales agencies for consumption or use by individuals for the purposes of personal care. Industrial packaging is particularly a package intended solely for industrial or institutional use or wholesale distribution (Chandra & Kamrani, 2003). Consumer packaging is an essential in the contemporary society.

Corporate Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate Governance - Essay Example Such an argument is made with specific reference to the role that companies play in the social and economic lives of the society at large. The governance of corporations is also debatable at governmental level as per the political powers they may exercise and the world wide reach of the business in the globalized economy. Governments are taking keen interest in the governance matter of the companies not only to secure the national economy and shareholders rights but also to protect the global share of the country in the international markets. On the other hand, the finance providers including the individuals, banks, financial institutions and governments (in their role as investor) seek guarantee that their resources are being utilized in an efficient manner and create sufficient profits for them. This guarantee or assurance leads to the necessity of good corporate governance in place. In other words we can say that good corporate governance leads to increased shareholder trust and a ttracts potential investors due to the assurance that their resources will be secured (Macey 2008). Corporate governance can be defined in a number of ways. ... The main idea is the governance of corporations with an aim to increase stakeholder trust and confidence in the company’s operations, strategies, outputs and practices. Such a system of running businesses lead to the compliance with legal, constructive and social obligations which further enhances the credibility of the corporation in terms of gaining trust and assurance of the stakeholders (Monks & Minow 2004; Ali & Gregoriou 2006). Economic Reasons The corporations are governed by the directors through the managers and lower level staff, however, shareholders holds the directors accountable for the matters concerning the businesses. Corporate governance should be a matter of shareholders as their investments are at stake with the business’s reputation, operations and governance. Shareholders need an assurance of the security of their shareholdings. The returns that the business generates are eventually distributed among the shareholders. The governance of a corporatio n, hence, is of immense importance to the shareholders in terms of the economic benefits it may bring. Alternatively, any inappropriate action or decision taken by the directors held them accountable to the shareholders. Friedman (1962) suggests that the shareholder theory claims that corporation decisions should be made to enhance the value of shares to increase returns for the shareholders. Further, the agency relationship that exists between shareholders and directors may form the basis of good corporate governance practices, whereby, directors act as agents to the shareholders. In other words, the corporate governance codes and practices, as per the

Radio summury Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Radio summury - Essay Example They are of compelling topics, and they aim at advertising new music (Bing, Alison, & John, 314). It is an engaging program that an individual does not get tired of listening. The reception from the listeners is positive, and this markets the program. In addition, the songs played deliver significant messages to the people. It promotes cultural diversity, which directly facilitates peace and cohesion among the people. However, the show would be livelier in the presence of co-host. One hour a long time for one host and he gets tired and bored during the show. Also, to criticize the music two parties are required because one person cannot praise and criticize the same song. In addition, there many callers at the same time and this cause delays in the program. During commercial breaks, advertisements appealing to the listeners to support the program are aired. This is a brilliant strategy for the station to get funds from well wishers who are fans of the show, Music from Other Minds. : 50 Contests (the host tell the listeners to vote for their best song by sending certain codes for the songs to get the song of the day. He also asks a question based on the played songs where the winner gets a free copy of the songs tape and compact disc.) : 58 Ending remarks (the song that has the majority votes is announced and the listener who won the question of the day is rewarded. The host ends the show with the winning song playing- Beyonce Knowles

Career Opportunities with Commerce Education Essay Example for Free

Career Opportunities with Commerce Education Essay Commerce Education As a stream of study, Commerce can be studied right after 10 years of schooling. After the 10 years of schooling commerce is available as an option in 10+2 or the Higher Secondary level. This paves the way for higher studies in commerce related subjects. The undergraduate and postgraduate Education in Commerce is offered at University departments and colleges spread all across the country. Specializations are offered at post graduate and at research levels. A number of subjects can be studied under disciplines of Commerce in conjugation like; accountancy, economics, mathematics, business, finance etc. Most commerce colleges in India offer the following subjects: Business economics: This would cover concepts like the laws of demand and supply, law of returns, elasticity, theory of pricing under different market forms etc. Financial accounting: This subject would deal with the preparation of profit and loss statements, balance sheets and final accounts of a company, knowledge of Indian and international accounting standards, calculation of depreciation and valuation of shares and goodwill of a company. Cost accounting: This would include process, Job and contract costing, costing of overheads, standard nd variance costing and budgetary control. Income tax: This would encompass the nature and basis of charge of income tax, tax planning, tax deduction, incomes not taxable etc. Business finance: This would include in its scope financial analysis as a diagnostic tool, the management of working capital and its components as well as capital structure leverages. Business law: This subject would discuss the different laws in India relating to, among others, the Companies Act and the Consumer Protection Act. Programs Offer in Commerce Education S. No. Traditional Programs: Following study programs are offered by different niversity departments and colleges in India. 1 Intermediate in Commerce (Class X): This is the preliminary stage (senior secondary level) where students get basics of commerce education. This is a two year course offered by various central boards (viz. CBSE, ICSE), state boards and councils. 2 Eligibility Criteria: A candidate must have completed 15 years of age and 10 years of schooling during the time of admission for this program. 3 Under Graduate (UG) Programs: In general, B. Com. (Bachelor of Commerce) is awarded under this program. There may be two options. One can simply take up 3Com as a pass course or can take up with honours. Eligibility Criteria: A candidate must have completed 17 years of age and 12 years of schooling during the time of admission for this program. Candidate also requires fulfilling the eligibility criteria laid by the University / Institutions / Departments in which he / she seek admission. 5 Post Graduate (PG) Program: In general, M. Com. (Master of Commerce) in relevant discipline is awarded under this program. One has to choose candidate must have completed Bachelors Degree during the time of admission. He / she also require fulfilling the eligibility criteria laid by the university department in which admission is sought. Master of Philosophy (M. Phil. ): This is pre doctoral program offered by various university departments. Generally admission to this program is offered on the basis of Interview and past academic record. 8 Eligibility Criteria: This program is offered to candidates who shows research aptitude and who have good academic record. The minimum eligibility criterion for admission into this program is M.

Lao Culture and Business Etiquette

Lao Culture and Business Etiquette Lao is located in South-East Asia. It is one of the long history countries with well-established traditional in Asia. Laos has its own culture, traditional which is quite similar to other countries in South-East Asia However, Laoss culture is strongly influenced by religious, Buddhism believe and also nearby countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, and Burma. For people who come from different country, they always have a big crash in culture shock. They must learn and get used to Lao culture which is very important for their new living place. Normally, when they have conversation with Laos, they should use their eyes and common sense to navigate and learn Laos culture. Here is some information guideline for foreigner should know: Greeting Laos has its own traditional greeting called Nob where palms are placed together and held in front of the chest or face. The person who is in the lower level/position in social or younger should give a bow or greeting first, then but the oder or l/higher level/position in social person will respond greeting back. There are many levels for showing respect to the person in greeting with Nob. The higher of the hands holding level and the lower of the bow means the higher the degree of respect. During Nob, one should smile and say hello together with. Sa Bai Dee is a word used for the same purpose as Hello. Its general meaning is How are you or Im fine. It is also used for meaning I am doing well. It is common in Laos to ask others if they already had dining or meal after greeting. When persons ask this question, they do not normally purpose for the answer but they show their care to those persons they ask. Nation Pride The Lao are truly  happy  being Laos. The Lao  accept  for who are they, what they are doing and  proud  in their long histories and well-established traditions. They appreciate when foreigner shows interest in their culture. Word expression Laos is a feeling sensitive culture. They care for other people feeling. Lao have many words to describe about their feeling and to express how they think. Laos words that are often used in everyday life are Bo Penh Nyang and Tham Ma Dha. These two words have various meaning according to the context. However, all meanings are related and influence by a Buddhist perspective. Bo Penh Nyang directly means No problem. It also has other meanings as never mind or are you all right? In some case, Bo Penh Nyang used with someone did something wrong to express that the action is forgiven. Tham Ma Dha is the word from Buddhist thinking, means everything goes on it way. In everyday life situation, it means average, the norm or everything process as usual. Religious Culture Similar to other countries in South-East Asia, Lao culture is influenced by Buddhism believe.. Buddhism deeply binds with Laoss everyday life and their ways of thinking also their traditional. With Buddhist teaching about the ways of things that things are as they are and as they should be, Lao easily accept the changing. Moreover, Buddhism religious always teach people to be peace and respect to each other. This builds Laos society to be a peaceful living. Lao people also highly give respect to monk and religious related things. Religious and Temple is the center of Lao mental conduct. Body conduct In Laos, as in most Buddhist cultures, head is considered the most precious/highest part of the body. In the other hand, the feet are the least sacred/lowest part of the body. There are many manners and aspects that are related to body conduct. It is necessary to remember this conduct whenever in Laos. Laos do not play other head as it is consider as the high part of body. Dress In big city and urban area, Laos dress the modern cloths in the same way as the western do. However, short and revealing clothes are generally not acceptable in Lao culture. In temple, everybody must wear polite cloth such as women must wear long pant or dress to cover their knee with long sleeve and must not show their chest. Losing face Losing face is a very sensitive situation for Laos. Losing face in public is a humiliated thing. Lao are afraid of being insulted. before talking about something or doing some action, those stuff should be reconsidered if it will cause losing face to anybody. Any form of confrontation for winner and loser which might lead to losing face must be avoided. Business Etiquette Dos DO say Sa Bai Dee as a greeting word in Lao with Laos traditional greeting. If you dont know how to greet in Laos tradition way, it is better to bow a little bit and say hello with a smile. Do smile a lot, Lao people love peaceful atmosphere. They always smile to each other. Do avoid showing affection in public. Lao are quite conservative. Greeting are any action with affection of person is not widely accepts even within the same gender. DO dress with neat and clean business suites for meetings. Lao are easily getting impressed by outside cloths. Do wear polite dress when visiting government, office and temple. Appropriate dress and behavior when entering places are essential. shorts or sleeveless shirts or flip flop is impolite dress. DO take off your shoes when invited into your Lao business colleagues home. Lao people try to keep their places clean. Taking hat and shoes off also are showing respect to the places. Lao appreciate and expect foreigner to do the same. Do crouch your back down when walking pass someone sitting, especially the elder. Lao highly give respect to elder. Also, as crouching back, body of walking person is consider as not higher than sitting person. Do show respect to Buddhism. Foreigner should show respect and be careful on their action in the temples area. Do speak respectful about the religion. One important thing about Buddhism is women should not touch Monks. Donts Do not touch anyone on the head. As head is the most sacred part of the Laos body, touching head is considered as very impolite behavior Dont put your feet on table or chair and shouldnt sit with crossed-leg or point your feet to anyone. The same thing as the previous one, Lao believe that Head is high and Feet are Low. Dont take any people photo without permission. You must ask them first to permission if they are ok or not. Do not shout or raise your voice or lose temper in public. Lao people speak softly and avoid confrontation. Speaking or shouting in loud voice may frighten them. It is also considered as uneducated or uncivilized person. People who lose their temper in public might be looked down on from other people. Do not involving with illegal stuff and sex tourism. The use of drugs is illegal in Laos.. The selling of wildlife and wildlife products should be avoided. Trading antique Buddha, sacred items and other old artifacts are prohibited. They are not allowed to be taken out of Laos. You might have problem when leaving Laos. Sex tourism is also illegal in Lao Business Practical Business Value Business culture in Laos is different from westerners business culture. In order to understand the difference of business culture between different cultures, the person has to have real experience and navigate deeply in the culture. The comparison of the value emphases that can be found for each culture, Laos and Western, are listed in the following Table.1. This table is derived from real experience of western businessman in Lao with his point of view and his own navigating. It can be used as a guideline for more understanding Laos business value. Relationship Businesses are often based on personal relations developed within social circles. In Laos business culture, work and social relationship are getting along and depend on each other. Since the emphasis placed on personal relationships is high, having a reliable and well-connected local agent or representative is crucial to the success of a foreign venture. Lao are seeking for trusted and credible relationships. Relationships progress slowly in Laos with the step-by-step approach. Asking Laos partner about their family, traditions, culture help foreigner understand their Laos partner better and also effective in building the relationship. View of Time Punctuality Lao people are not so punctual. They are often late for the appointment. Normally, they do not have exact plan and time table for their schedule. Foreigner should learn how the locals plan their time and keep their sense of time flexible. However, punctuality from foreign partner is appreciated Business Hours Official office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. In factories and private companies work hours can be extended according to the laws allowance. Business Etiquette Greeting In business, nowadays, handshaking is becoming increasingly common during the conduct of business but only for people with same gender. Men and women should avoid public displays of affection. However, Laos traditional greeting is preferred. Naming Lao people should be called by their first names, with their title Mr//Ms//Madame or Than (in Lao) before the name. In the special occasion or to give higher honors, last name or their family name should be followed after their first name. Dress In Laos business, dress code for business is an importance. Men should wear western clothing such as shirt and trousers for normal business occasion. For special occasion, lightweight suits with tie should be worn. Women usually wear long skirts or blouse with long sleeve covering the shoulders and upper legs. Womens business cloth should avoid showing skin. Another important thing for dressing is perfumes. Laos are quite sensitive to odour. Westerners who have strong body odour should wear soft perfumes. Clean and neat cloths help in giving impression to Laos. Language Official language is Lao. English and Fresh are also commonly used in Business. However, French is more widely used, spoken and understood than English. Business cards When doing business in Lao, carry lots of business cards. Business card exchange is common in Laos business practice. Business cards should be translated into Lao and printed out.   A common used one is to have English version on one side and Lao version on the other side. In business card exchanging, cards should be given and received using both hands. Giving business card with this posture shows honor and humble to the person whom is dealed with. Exchanging business card with one hand also acceptable, but only exchanging with right hand where left hand lightly wrap around wrist and lower arm. The card should never be immediately kept into the pocket or placed somewhere. The detail in card for person name and position should be studied after receiving another persons card. Also, the card should not be written anything down. At meetings, other peoples business cards should be arranged on the table according to the sitting position. This helps tracking of people names.   It also is a sign of respect and interested in for the person. Another important thing is, playing or writing anything down in other people business card is disrespectful action. Business card should be treated with respect in same degree of respect as one would show the person him or herself. Gift Giving It is not required to give the gift when meeting business partner but giving gift shows consideration to other people and good relationship. Gift can be anything and do not have to be expensive things. Gift can be offered to anyone in the meeting but the most importance is giving one for the host or person in the highest rank. Gifts are given in the order of peoples importance or their position.   Wrapped gifts will be opened only when the person is alone. Shoes and socks are not suitable to be gifts in Laos as it is related to foot which is the least sacred part of the body. Green and red are the most suitable colors for wrapping paper in Laos. White wrapping paper, which is considered as unlucky and miserable color, should be avoided. Negotiation Negotiations process in the Lao is quite slow. It is also highly unwell-organized. Lao contracts are normally written in short with simple language. The Laos contract focuses on principles while western contract is obtuse and legalistic. Relationship is more important than the terms and conditions in the contract. They view the contract as the starting point of relationship but are able to change later. The agreement may become meaningless if the circumstances change. Good  relationship with Lao partners is a big help in negotiation. Breaking of negotiation should be done very carefully as it might shut the door on future cooperation.   Seeking for legal  counsel might lead to failed relationship i Meeting Meeting in Lao is not well-conducted.  In many case, meeting for Lao people is made for purpose of opportunities for social occasion. The highest ranking person of the group should be the first one who go into the room and speak to other people.   There is normally business card exchange before the meeting start. Meetings always begin with informal talk with serving coffee or tea.   The served tea or coffee should be drink or sip before main topic start as a polite and appreciate behavior. A several  discussion are normally takes place before launch into the the main topic of the meeting. The host will be the person who starts talking into the main topic. There are several signals from host that indicate the end of meeting. The signals include asking guest if they would like more tea, beginning to summarize things up, thank you for coming, and leading guest to the door. Table Manner If Lao has invited someone to a dinner it means that they interest to build deeper relationship. It is important to return the favor as it is a sign of interested in having relationship with them. Whenever accept dining invitation, it is important to be a host for next meal. If the meal take place at Laos house, remember to take shoes off before enter the house. Guest should not take seat until host invites to sit. For dining at restaurant, do not ask to share the bill if have dining at restaurant if they propose to pay for you. Instead, accept the invitation and then host the next meal. Communication Lao has indirect communication style. Rather than confront a person with an issue or disagreement, Lao prefer a non-confrontational ways of communicating for disagreement. As Laos are collectivism, relationship between people is important thing. They avoid having any conflict in relationships especially when in public.   People are more likely to avoid anger, confrontation or verbal criticisms which can lead to loss of face. Instead of direct confrontation, they try to find another way to solve the conflict. Body languages are quite preserved in Lao. They try to avoid eye contact. They also have few body language gestures. For documentation, written documents should be in both Lao and the foreign language so Lao people could understand more correctly about the content of the document. One more important thing is document written with red ink might get negative feedback from Lao. One more thing that foreigner should know is thing are not as the way they seem to be. For example, Foreigner should never ever take yes of Lao as an answer. Lao normally say yes to indicate that the message has been heard and understood. Yes means maybe or perhaps or no. Maybe means yes, no, or just maybe. And there is really no no as they try to avoid any form of conflict. Another example is bad news from Lao is often slowly  introduced. The main topic is normally come after the word and which generally is when the most important content is revealed. Another important thing in communication is saying Apologize. Lao normally apologize when something happen, even if they did not do anything worng. But they apologize because an  unfortunate incident has occurred.   It is importance to remember how to show respect. When in Laos, try and do as the Laos. Do and remember about body conduct, dress, and public affection and religious manner.

Conflict Influence On The Provision Of Aid Politics Essay

Conflict Influence On The Provision Of Aid Politics Essay The question of how conflict influences the provision of aid subtly posits a normative assumption; the reader is immediately positioned on the affirmative side of whether aid should be provided in a conflict situation. This reflects a new reality in the global political landscape: the proliferation of conflict involving a high humanitarian cost has led the international community to prioritise intervention over sovereignty. As Duffield notes, largely through a series of ad hoc Security Council resolutions, a key development has been the ability [of the United Nations] to provide relief assistance even under war conditions.  [1]  Essentially, the changing nature of conflict has provoked changes in the role and function of aid, and when, and by whom it is provided. I will be exploring the perspective that the relatively new strategy of providing aid during conflict has led to an inevitably dynamic interactive relationship between conflict and aid, characterised by both legal/ moral quandaries and delivery problems. Initially I would like to define what is meant by the term conflict. Contemporary conflicts, as described by Kaldor, are a mixture of war, crime and human rights violations.  [2]  They are no longer inter-state affairs participated in by actors delineated along traditional lines, i.e. military vs. military. They are typically intra-state, characterised by low intensity warfare; they are facilitated by technological advances such as low cost, lightweight weaponry and speedier communication; they receive much international attention, both from the media and the international/ political community; and whilst not being inter-state, they may be facilitated by external involvement. Duffield suggests these new wars are a permanent characteristic of fragmented crisis areas, which lack political and economic cohesion.  [3]  Duffield explains that these areas outside of the economically and politically integrated blocs- cannot be understood in conventional terms of war and peace. Thei r defining feature is ongoing instability, and furthermore this is not a temporary phase in the process of development and transition toward liberal democracy (i.e. modernisation)  [4]  . A more appropriate framework than the binary war/ peace opposition is to situate contemporary violence on a conflict-to-peace continuum. This spectrum perspective firstly accommodates the varying levels of intensity within a conflict, and also situates conflict in a timeframe. In considering the interaction of conflict and aid, one must not only consider the influence of the actual conflict enacted in the present; but the influence of past conflicts, and how aid might avoid or exacerbate potential conflicts in the future. The continuum should be viewed as linear but non-teleological, in that it includes the causes of conflict, conflict itself, and post-conflict situations which have the potential for repeated conflict. Uvin defines the transition from a state of conflict to a state of peace as a process with no definitive endpoints: Sustainable peace is not something that can be produced rapidly; it is not something that can be mastered technically, with a fixed formula; it is not ev en a clear state that can be achieved once and for all as much as a process.  [5]  Conflict can also be defined in opposition to peace. Within Suhrke and Buckmasters definition of a transition to peace, the conflictual position on the spectrum is also elucidated: Peace stabilization [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦involves securing] transition from a military to a political mode of conflict [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] demobilisation, return of refugees, reintegration [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] and mechanisms for dealing with the conflict in political terms (elections, power sharing), relief (especially for IDPs and refugees), and immediate reconstruction to [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] offer alternatives to war economy.  [6]   As mentioned before, contemporary conflicts involve a range of less-clearly defined actors. Conventional distinctions such as state vs. state or state vs. rebel have dissolved, and the lines demarcating illegitimate state/ legitimate state/ military, civilian/ military/ rebel/ revolutionary are very much distorted.  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­In relation to this dissolution of clearly defined actor roles, an overarching feature of contemporary conflict is that whilst some are waged as legitimate rebellions over genuine grievances pursuing the objective of social transformation, the sustaining of conflict itself is often the objective. In a situation with few economic opportunities and resource scarcity, the ability to wage war is the wielding of economic and political power in itself, and sustaining the conflict may paradoxically be synonymous with sustaining the means of life. Conflicts may not just be the outcome of deep, structural causes, but also actors attempts to address a nd weather these causes. It is also necessary to define what aid is. Aid can- theoretically at least- be categorised as either relief (humanitarian assistance) or development aid. The former will focus on material goods (food, medicine, clothes and shelter) and services (water, security), and will be provided in the short term, as emergency situations dictate. The latter will concentrate on addressing structural inequalities and divisions, aiming to transform and reconstruct society through capacity building in political, economic and social spheres; and will generally be disbursed within a longer term framework. Aid is for the relief of suffering and human needs, both the immediate need and the causes of that need. Aid is delivered by NGOs (e.g. Oxfam), international organisations (e.g. the UN) and governments (e.g. DFID) although these actors may overlap, conflict and co-operate. However, this neat categorisation of aid is not theoretically or practically possible. It seems that whether relief constitutes aid is disputed. The OECD says: Official development assistance is defined as those flows to countries and territories on the DAC List of ODA Recipients and to multilateral development institutions which are: i. provided by official agencies, including state and local governments, or by their executive agencies; and ii. each transaction of which: a) is administered with the promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries as its main objective; and b) is concessional in character and conveys a grant element of at least 25 per cent (calculated at a rate of discount of 10 per cent).  [7]  This definition should not technically include relief or humanitarian assistance, as generally these do not fulfil the second criterion. However, other literature does consider humanitarian assistance as a (growing) part of ODA: the share of human itarian assistance has risen sharply, from about 3 per cent of Official Development Assistance (ODA) in the 1980s to close to 10 per cent in recent years.  [8]  The problem of, and reasons for, separating these different sorts of aid in practical situations will be discussed further. It is similarly useful to consider aid in terms of a continuum: relief-to-development. The purpose and goals of aid modulate along this spectrum, and may in fact be in opposition as well as converge. Short term provision of relief aid which bypasses a weak state will serve to effectively weaken that state further, hindering future development efforts. For example, Natsios details how the effect of one the ICRCs interventions in Somalia in 1992, intended to improve food security, had other long term negative effects. Their soup kitchens actually destabilised society socially and politically, because the starving remained relocated near to the kitchens instead of returning to plant crops. Whilst the ICRCs methods preserved life, they had other long term effects.  [9]   The core humanitarian value acknowledging a responsibility to prevent human suffering, whether in the short or long term- underlies both relief and development aid. Traditional, apolitical, neutral humanitarianism emerged, as Duffield explains, from the inhumane political bias cultivated within the Cold War climate.  [10]  Humanitarianism is based on qualities of impartiality (need being the only criteria for distribution) and neutrality (not taking sides or interfering in a conflict). This is emphasised in UN Resolution 46/182, clarifying the provision of aid in conflict situations. Guiding Principle two states Humanitarian assistance must be provided in accordance with the principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality.  [11]   Duffield initially concluded that neutrality is impossible in the new wars, since any assistance necessarily has political effects.  [12]  He also charted the development of a New Humanitarianism which acknowledges that there are severe difficulties in the real life provision of apolitical, impartial and neutral aid.  [13]  Duffield later suggested that humanitarianism had changed its modus operandi, supposedly maintaining neutrality with practices such as negotiated access and the more refined variable consent.  [14]  Whatever the practical feasibility of neutrality and impartiality, it is important to bear in mind the importance effects of trying to maintain these principles in order to preserve the likelihood of access: Duffield suggests it is a useful tool of practical diplomacy.  [15]   As well as delivery problems, such as maintaining impartiality, humanitarian aid faces a legal problem in conflict settings; such as the adhering to the responsibility of providing aid whilst not in the process of intervention impinging on sovereignty. Chapter One, Article 2, Paragraph 7 of the UN Charter: forbids intervention in the internal affairs of a sovereign state: Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦]  [16]  UN Resolution 46/182 reinforces state sovereignty but also emphasises the states responsibility towards those needing aid. Guiding Principle six states: States whose populations are in need of humanitarian assistance are called upon to facilitate the work of these organizations in implementing humanitarian assistance, in particular the supply of food, medicines, shelter and health care, for which access to victims is essen tial.  [17]  Within this Resolutions framework, the state has had a much greater role in the delivery and co-ordination of humanitarian assistance: but expectations of responsibility are stressed as well. This provides aid donors and international organisations with a clearer duty and right to intervene in situations where a predatory state blocks aid to one or more population groups. Who provides aid to whom is a complex problem, and in the reality of a conflict situation it involves a series of moral tradeoffs. Duffield pinpoints a shift from apolitical aid to an acknowledgement of aids political effects: the new humanitarianism involves a shift in the centre of gravity of policy away from saving lives to supporting social processes and political outcomes.  [18]  However, he is, as am I, uncomfortable with the new accommodation and its willingness to sacrifice lives today on the promise of development tomorrow.  [19]  He explains that the consequentialist ethics of the new humanitarianism [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] in holding out the possibility of a better tomorrow as a price worth paying for suffering today, has been a major source of the normalisation of violence and complicity with its perpetrators.  [20]  Unfortunately, Duffield is left in the same position as anyone attempting to find a clear-cut, positive way to provide aid. There are problems with eit her viewing aid as apolitical or political. The most responsible path through this quandary is to look in detail at the actual dynamics between conflict and aid, and to approach each particular conflict situation individually with these dynamics in mind. The dynamic influence conflict has on aid results primarily from the new types of actors involved in conflict. For example, a state which offends human rights (i.e. not fulfilling its security role) has a direct impact on how aid will be provided. Unable to ignore the human rights offences of predatory states, donors will target aid and incentivise it for peace. Uvin suggests that the international community has become active in so-called democratic policing a matter which would have been considered far beyond the reach of ODA only a decade ago.  [21]  The tools used to foster democracy and other liberal goals include, among others, the use of conditionality, which has evolved into less strong-armed methods such as DFIDs promotion of: ownership, alignment and harmonization, as detailed by Goodhand.  [22]  But it is unclear how these positive governance-related behavioural results can be used as tools in the same way that aid can be leveraged. Conflict attracts aid: it creates a need for it, and negatively impacts successful disbursement and provision in a variety of ways. Aid is unavoidably a source of political, economic and social power and combatants will use it for their objectives. Conflict is a perverse economic, political and social system, an imbalance of powers: when the power associated with aid is introduced into that system or conferred on one party, it cannot be expected to fulfil a pacifying role, immediately solving the conflict and its effects. It will interact with, and within, the conflicts dynamics. Parties involved in conflict will misuse, deplete and misdirect aid. Lischer outlines these: firstly, aid will be given to combatants, both unknowingly, and on purpose (in efforts to adhere to the impartiality criterion of humanitarian aid). For example, after the Rwandan genocide of 1994 and massive subsequent refugee movements into neighbouring countries, UN aid was disbursed in refugee camps in eastern Zaire. These camps and aid received were controlled largely by the RDR, a combatant group of Hutus who had perpetrated genocide. Secondly, Lischer notes that as well as supporting combatants, aid will support their dependents (families, political supporters) thus allowing them to use their resources to pursue conflict. Thirdly, aid will be coercively taken instead of donated. Lischer outlines the following methods of diversion: Refugee leaders levy war tax on refugee populations [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] refugee leaders control distribution, [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] militant leaders divert aid by inflating population numbers, [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] raiding and stealing.  [23]  The resource scarce and hungry dynamics of conflict means aid inevitably supports combatants, thus sustaining conflict. Conflict also creates the economic conditions in which aid is expected to function. Donors may intend aid to work in one way, but the context of the conflict economy will distort this intended impact and actual provision of aid may differ greatly from operational policy. War economy and war markets will be reinforced. Natsios details the way in which this was evident in Somalia. Civil war, drought and resulting famine meant that attempts to improve food security were distorted by the perverse dynamics of Somalias conflict economy. Natsios explains that the scarcity of food in Somalia increased its value: as food aid was disbursed, relief food was an attractive objective of plunder.  [24]  In addition, market demand was driving some of the looting the normal disposition of merchant classes supporting law, order and stability as essential to commercial exchange was reversed, because of distorted markets.  [25]  Conflict and aid also interacted to produce very variable food pri ces rather than affordably low ones, as the influx of food aid was supposed to produce. Natsios explains how prices fluctuated, rising as warlords hoarded substantial tonnage, and dropping as these same warlords dumped food on the market preceding the US airlift. As flooding the market had little effect in the conflict context, OFDA began a policy of monetization. However, even though a reduction in food value was achieved, the effect of this aid policy had an adverse effect due to the conflict economy. Instead of making food relatively invaluable and improving security, the drop in food prices increased [the level of violence] as warlords and thieves alike stole a greater volume of food to make up for its diminished value.  [26]  The conflict economys dynamics meant peverted the intended effects of food aid. The disbursement of aid is not only prey to conflicts perverse economic forces, but to its socially divisive nature. Conflict is waged along and facilitated by divisions in society (ethnic, territorial, religious) and the provision of aid will be influenced by these cleavages: aid will reflect adverse group relations. This can be on an operational policy level (ostensibly aiding refugees, but prolonging their segregation from society), and at the level of delivery; Anderson suggests that the practice of targeting aid reinforces divisions rather than connectors in societies.  [27]  However, if social connectors are facilitated and reinforced instead of undermined, as Natsios exemplifies in the case of Somalia, aid can avoid the vicious effect of conflict on social dynamics. He details how the irrigation project in the Shabeelle valley bolstered Somalian societys connectors, the tempering natural stabilizing force of the clan elders, as they were given the resources and money to cr eate employment.  [28]   Conflict engenders a need for aid but also jeopardises its integrity, as the humanitarian imperative to fulfil this need means aid donors interact with less than ethically robust actors still pursuing conflict. In order to gain access and begin peace building, a short-term pragmatic attitude is required, resulting in engagement with combatants in positions of control, and thus conferring legitimacy, both domestically and internationally. Uvin posits a sliding scale of principle/ pragmatism/ complicity which is positions the problem usefully: as policy slides down this scale, the dangers of ignoring the humanitarian objective reform into being complicit in or fuelling an illegitimate actors actions.  [29]   Conflict creates gaps in state function, which aid presumes to fill (not close): for its very nature is substitutive. Uvin points out that During conflicts, many governments cease functioning, particularly in areas with heavy violence.  [30]  Filling this gap of capacity or service delivery may have the adverse effect of weakening and undermining state and local capacities: for example governance in Afghanistan, and food provision in Somalia.  [31]  Stewart and Samman suggest that in the long term, conflict and the aid it attracts perpetuates the situation: Even when [CONFAID] does help prevent starvation in the short term, it can prolong suffering over many years by contributing to the financing of the war and diverting people from their normal economic activities.  [32]   The political context of conflict influences the provision of aid dramatically. By political context, I mean that a) aids impact is unavoidably politicised, and b) the political context and objectives of international involvement, and various recipient actors, will be influential. The political context of donor actors involved in the conflict-peace continuum, will determine how aid is used. For example, Goodhand and Sedra argue that international engagement in Afghanistan has been Janus headed [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] tension between one face prioritizing the war on terror and short term stability and the other durable peace through state building.  [33]  The donors short term focus and commitment due to domestic political pressures meant that long term goals were undermined. The political context of non-state actors receiving aid is also a factor. Lischer argues that the extent to which a group is politicised will determine for what purpose aid is used, and how successfully. The greater the level of political cohesion among the refugees, the more likely they (or their leaders) will attempt to divert refugee relief in support of their political and military goals.  [34]   The political context of state recipients can influence the on-the-ground provision of aid in adverse ways. Stewart and Samman contrast the way in which successful aid provision depended on the political stance of the governments in Sudan in 1983 and Mozambique in 1975- 1982: CONFAID was manipulated and used to pursue conflict by a predatory government in Sudan, but in Mozambique the Frelimo government, whilst less predatory, was still associated with aid provision. This made the opposing Renamo areas inaccessible despite having an impartial mandate.  [35]   Furthermore, the combination of political contexts of both recipient and donor results influences at whom the aid is targeted: Uvin exemplifies this: in Rwanda, many donors abandoned targeting for fear of being seen as partial to any one side; in Afghanistan, they strengthened targeting to women, for fear of acquiescing to government policies that exclude women.  [36]   In conclusion, having looked at the intricacies of the conflict-aid dynamic, I would like to position the question of conflicts influence on aid within the wider spectrum of debate about conflict. Conflict is often seen as a breakdown or transgression from a normal state of affairs: however, as Anderson notes, it is normalcy that gave rise to the emergency initially.  [37]  Relinquishing this idea will obviously have an effect on the role that aid is expected to play: it is not merely a temporary measure, but a whole new start. Related to this is the fact that conflicts have structural (deep) and immediate (light) causes requiring long-term development and short-term aid solutions, but the two are rarely successfully reconciled. As Uvin notes, outside pressure for democracy [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] tends to take more time, consistency, knowledge, finesse and commitment than the international community typically has.  [38]  This is perhaps because the traditional view of conflict att ributes blame to internal problems; whereas aid and development are imposed, technically and professionally, from a sphere external to the conflict. But as Uvin explains, aid can be an integral part of the system; which, in the case of Rwanda, perpetrates and perpetuates structural violence; development aid interacts in manifold and important ways with profound social processes of inequality, exclusion, humiliation, impunity, and despair, on which the genocidal edifice was built [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] Domestic politics are inseparable from external aid: foreign aid is constitutive of domestic processes.  [39]  Lastly, the impossibility of neutrality and apolitical action within complex situations of conflict does not mean that we must retreat back to neutrality: politicisation is inevitable. Beyond neutrality is an acknowledgement of responsibility, for both the successful and unsuccessful results of aid provision. 3448 words.

Sir Gawain and Green Knight Essays: Allegory :: Sir Gawain Green Knight Essays

Allegory in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight  Ã‚   Discuss the allegorical significance of the following words of the Green Knight,   You are so fully confessed, your failings made known,/ And bear the plain penance of the point of my blade,/ I hold you polished as a pearl, as pure and as bright/ As you had lived free of fault since first you were born  . These words are uttered by the Green Knight almost immediately after he delivered the third blow on Gawain  s neck (l 2391-2394). They should be understood as referring to events which began with Gawain  s arrival at the Lord  s castle. The words   confessed   and   penance   appearing in the Green Knight  s utterance may lead one to connect them not only with events of the narrative, but also with the Christian idea of sin. According to Christian ideology all human beings are sinners, though- owing to God  s grace and kindness- sins may be forgiven. But before this happens there is need for confession and penance. Absolution is the final stage which may be reached only by those who pass the former ones. When Sir Gawain is looked at closely, the events of the story correspond to the sequence: temptation -sin - confession - penance - absolution. The sin committed by Gawain was not being loyal to the lord by concealing the green girdle. This weakness of character resulted from the love of life - the girdle was to protect anyone who wore it. What happens at the Green Chapel are the later parts of the cycle: confession - penance - absolution. The penance is the fight with the Green Knight during which Gawain receives a cut on the neck and absolution (granted by the Green Knight) is attained through blood, which makes it even more meaningful. On the other hand, a nick on the neck is not an extremely painful experience (although the way in which it was attained was definitely very stressful) and shows that Gawain  s sin was only a minor one. He did not sin against chastity as he did not give in to the lady  s wishes. But still, in this interpretation Gawain  s character turned out to be faulty. There is a different possibility of interpretation - one which broadens the allegory even more. It may be said that Gawain  s primary fault was sinning against courtesy. If courtesy was in reality what he had been tested on, Gawain did not stand a chance of passing this test.

Theme of Voice in Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay -- Literature Zor

Breaking Through In the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God" written by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie the protagonist is seen by critics as having no voice. For all women silence knows no boundaries of race or culture, and Janie is no exception. Hurston characterizes Janie with the same silence that women at that time & period were forced into, (complete submission.) "Women were to be seen and not heard." Janie spends forty years of her life, learning to achieve/find, her voice against the over-ruling and dominate men in her life. But in the end Janie comes out the victor, breaking the silence. In her essay "What do Feminist Critics Want?" Gilbert states, "Like Wagner's master singers....men had the power of speech,[but]....women like Emily Dickinson, knew that they had, or were supposed to have, the graceful obligation of silence."(34) To question the male voice in "Their Eyes" is an important aspect of the genre which contributes to the story as a whole. Furthermore it is to discover the ways in which the male voice affected Janie's. Weather it be physical or mental, the reader [if reading close] can surpass Janie's verbal silence and allow just her presence to speak for her. Janie's actions are what makes her someone to pay attention to. By first understanding that Janie was silent (verbally)through most of the novel, does not mean she was not heard. Her presence demands respect and by doing so, the reader will find and appreciate Janie as a whole, and not just a "Black Woman" whose voice had been hindered by societies bias. Mary Helen Washington states in her critical essay on Their Eyes, "Ourattentiveness to the possibility that women are excluded categorically from the language of the dominant discourse should h... ...-defense, and from the voice she expresses in defending her life from Tea Cake. Hurston shows that her characters' voices have been influenced by people's subjection to a dominant authority. Hurston indicates that voice may be personal and yet move into the universal. At the end of the novel, Janie's voice is heard and recognized by Pheoby, who will share it with the community later. Finally there is a unity within Janie that allows her to share her self with others. Janie has found her voice, and she can choose when and how to express it when defining who she is. Works Cited Gilbert, Sandra M. "What Do Feminist Critics Want? A Postcard from the volcano." ADE Bulletin 66 (1980).Rpt. Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Harper, 1998. Wall, Cheryl A. Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Casebook. New York: Oxford, 2000.

Microenvironmental Factors Affecting Toyota Essay

Microenvironmental factors are â€Å"The factors close to the company that affect its ability to serve its customers† [principles of marketing]. The microenvironmental factors that affected the introduction and sale of the Toyota Prius were it customers, competitors and publics. Customers are anyone who buys or rents from the company. Customer are the most important microenvironmental factor that affect company as they survive on meeting the wants and needs of the customer and failure to do so will result in the company failing. Toyota study their customers and saw that they wanted a car with better fuel consumption and as a result Toyota decided to make the Prius, their first hybrid car. Toyota dealt with their customers by setting up website to educate the customers about the Toyota Prius. They took advantage of Earth Day to send out green seed cards shaped like Toyota’s logo to prospective buyers and they also gave away some green Prius at Earth Day events. However, Toyota did not recognise that consumers normally don’t buy cars for the saving in the long-run so â€Å"fuel savings are not going to be the key it convincing people to purchase the Prius† [principles of marketing]. As a result of this Toyota have asked governments to give tax cuts to cars with better fuel consumption. Competitors are any company in the same market place as your company. In order of a company to be successful in the market place a competitors most grain a competitive advantage over its competitors. Toyota has been successful in maintaining its competitive advantage although competitors like Citroen have cars which are just as efficient as the Toyota Prius, â€Å"Toyota is still the market leader in this segment† [principles of marketing]. They have done this by capturing people imagination by being the first Hybrid car on the market and through the effective use of advertisement. Publics are any group that has an actual or potential interest in an organisation’s ability to achieve its objectives. Good relations with the public help to enhance the company’s reputation so helping to increase in sales. The biggest factors of the Toyota Prius’ microenvironment are media and the government. Toyota has worked with Government bodies and has asked for tax incentives encourage people to buy more environmentally friendly cars to increase the amount of hybrids sold. Toyota also has spent 15m of its 200m annual marketing budget on the Prius. It has introduction ads that appealed more to peoples’ emotion to get them to buy the Prius. Overall, Toyota has analysed its icroenvironment extremely well as it has maintaining its competitive advantage over it competitors and has sold over 1m Prius with the waiting list of the Prius waiting list being over 18 month and becoming a status symbol among Hollywood stars. Question 2: The macro environment consists of six forces that affect the whole microenvironment, demographic, economic, natural, technological, political and cultural forces. The Toyota Prius is such a highly technologically advanced vehicle with its four cylinder petrol engine and 33-kilowatt electric motor. This could be one of the demographic factors that prompted the introduction of the Prius for Toyota. The Prius appeals to Generation Y also known as the â€Å"echo boomers† who were born between 1977 and 1994. Their comfort with computers, digital technology and overall technical advances prove they are and attractive target for marketers wanting to create a device at the high end of new, innovative devices on the market today e. g. iPad , Toyota Prius. The economic environment consists of the factors that affect consumer buying power and spending patterns. With many countries experiencing economic recession, consumer purchasing power is reduced. People have less money and now have to spend more carefully. The recent high petrol prices are causing a rising demand for greener, more fuel efficient cars that are cheaper to run. Several governments are providing incentives to people to buy these hybrid cars. In the UK, the government is offering reduced car tax on initial purchase. Electric car drivers can also avoid the ? 8 per day Congestion Charge in London. Toyota must be aware of and keep up with the technological environment which includes the forces that create new technologies, creating new product and market opportunities. This is the most rapidly changing environment. By introducing the Toyota Prius, the company has gained a technological initiative in the hybrid market. Toyota knew that their target market for this product would include technology enthusiasts, or ‘techies’ as they are known, and included reference to the cars leading technology in their advertisements. Natural forces also affected Toyotas decision to manufacture a hybrid car. Consumers are becoming more concerned about the environment and about how the products they purchase have an effect on it. Petrol and diesel are both non-renewable fossil fuels which release carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. Therefore there is a demand in the market for alternatives to petrol-powered vehicles, such as electric cars. Hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius offer improved gas mileage and emissions standards. Toyota have used this opportunity to position themselves in the market as an ‘environmentally concerned company’ Toyota needs however, to be aware of the political environment which may pose restrictions on its business activity. The political environment includes laws, government agencies and pressure groups that influence and limit various organisations and individuals in a given society. Recently, the EU commission announced new legislation which will be brought in that requires all manufacturers selling cars in the European Union to lower average CO2 emissions of new cars. The governments of some countries have intervened and offered tax incentives to stimulate the purchase of clean-fuel and high-mileage hybrid cars. Cultural values have an effect on the products people choose to buy. Although core values and beliefs held by society are quite persistent, secondary cultural values are more open to change. Recent changes in cultural values include a greater appreciation for nature. People are starting to realise that nature is finite and fragile. They are beginning to seek out more environmentally-friendly products, one of these being fuel-efficient cars. Toyota has responded to this by introducing the Toyota Prius onto the market. Even in Hollywood it seems that it is now cool to be environmentally responsible as a range of A-listers are now owners this hybrid car. Question 3:  Toyota has ran a masterful marketing campaign so far. It has become the â€Å"environmentally concerned† car manufacturer and the technology leader in the hybrid car market. It has targeted â€Å"techies† and early adopters by educating consumers about the new car. Toyota have used the power of the internet to promote the Prius. The first thing they did was educate consumers about the prius. They launched a website to distribute the information and sent 40000 e-brochures to likely buyers. It worked. The Prius â€Å"flew out of dealer’s showrooms† and they even had difficulty â€Å"keeping up with demand†. They also ran print ads with tag lines such as â€Å"when it sees red it charges†, an emotional reference, and they ran television ads as well. By using these marketing tools to great effect the company was firmly established as a caring brand in the consumer’s mind. The new â€Å"environmentally concerned† Toyota is clearly a hit with customers as it sold 400000 hybrids in 2006 alone. It has even succeeded in making being green cool as a host of Hollywood celebrities like Cameron Diaz and even Arnold Schwarzenegger has one to park, ironically, beside his giant hummer. Another effective strategy was to become the market leader in a new technology. It was risky to jump into the market that soon as it could have cost the company a lot of money if it didn’t work out. Toyota always subtly stresses the technology aspect of the car in its advertising. Surprisingly hybrids aren’t all that efficient. The citroen CZ, C1 and C3 all have better fuel consumption than the Prius, but it doesn’t matter as Toyota â€Å"have captured people’s minds†. It’s marketing campaigns have won over the environmentally conscious companies like IKEA, who are switching their car fleet to hybrids. Toyota’s efforts have left other car makers â€Å"racing to catch up†. Marketing segmentation was used to great effect by Toyota. It set out very early on to target the â€Å"techies† and the â€Å"early adapters† through emails and the online website. â€Å"Many Prius owners are immersed in technology†, they even have their own website called â€Å"Priusenvy. com†. It really has taken off with the â€Å"techies†. They were able to make changes such as â€Å"cruise control† and a â€Å"sniffer† to the car without the help of a qualified mechanic or engineer. This success can be attributed to the narrow targeting of the cars. Toyota could improve its strategy by appealing more to the general market for cars. Today the cost of a Prius is significantly lower than it was when it first came out. Perhaps it’s time to focus on what a great small family car it would make or how it might suit a professional, like a teacher for example. There are many environmentally conscious people among the ranks of the middle class families of Ireland. By honing in on the small family market Toyota could bring an alternative to the Ford Mondeo and the Volkswagon Passet. Overall Toyota has done almost everything right with the Prius. When we think â€Å"Hybrid† we think â€Å"Prius† exactly like â€Å"MP3† and â€Å"iPod†. That is the sign of an extremely efficient marketing campaign.

First Lady of Nursing: Virginia Henderson Essay

Abstract Virginia Henderson has made an everlasting imprint on society. With her various degrees and teaching settings, Virginia was a very knowledgeable nurse who helped other young nurses into their roles in the health care industry. She was not only a teacher and student, but also a researcher. Because of her many roles in nursing, the books she has written and revised cover a wide span of information. Although this may intimidate some, Virginia wrote for a general audience so that all could learn how to take care of a sick loved one. She defined nursing, so that the whole population could have a universal definition. She pushed for the roles of nurses to be clearly defined so that hospitals would be able to see all a nurse could or could not do, making a safer environment for the patient. Because of all her work, Virginia Henderson is one of the most well-known nurses in history. Key Words: Virginia Henderson, Need Theory, Definition of Nursing A look Inside the First Lady of Nursing: Virginia Henderson After a long hospital stay a patient hopes to go home and care for themselves; this was not always the case until Virginia Henderson revolutionized the nursing industry. Virginia grew up with a great education and went to school for many years, giving her an extensive span of knowledge that allowed her to make her mark on nursing. Although nursing is a forever changing occupation with new innovative technology always arising, Virginia Henderson has made a lasting mark on nursing with her â€Å"Need Theory† and her many books, teaching nurses worldwide the concepts of health promotion and disease prevention. Henderson began her life in Kansas City, but she was only there for a short four years. Born on November 30, 1897 Henderson became the fifth child of what would be eight. Her parents, Lucy Abbot Henderson and Daniel B. Henderson, came from a background of educators and scholars. In 1901, at the age of four, the Henderson’s relocated to Virginia, where Virginia would finish her maturing (Halloran, 2007). Through a developed impulse to help the sick and wounded military personnel, Henderson began her journey of nursing. Beginning her education at a young age of four under William Richardson Abbot, a figure named â€Å"grandfather†, Virginia Henderson grew to be a well-informed individual as she continued her schooling. Although she attended school, Virginia’s education did not produce a diploma, which hindered her entrance into nursing school (Halloran, 2007). In 1921, Virginia graduated the Army School of Nursing, located in Washington D.C and continued her journey as a nurse by accepting a position as a staff nurse at the Henry Street Visiting Nurse Service. After briefly working here, Henderson began her role as a teacher. Working back to her roots, she taught at Norfolk Protestant Hospital in Virginia (Anderson, 1999, p. 9). Here, Virginia was the first and only teacher in the school of nursing (Halloran, 2007). Although she was not done with her role as teacher, she decided to let another do the teaching when she went back to school at Columbia University Teachers College to complete her Baccalaureate and Masters degree in nursing. After accomplishing these goals in her career she again went back to educating young nurses at the Teachers College from 1930 to 1948 (Herrmann, 1996, p. 19). Throughout her role as an educator, Henderson saw the need to teach young nurses not only clinical skills, but also analytical skills to help them succeed as nurses (Anderson, 1999, p. 9). As her years of teaching came to an end, Henderson took on the role of researcher associate at Yale University in 1953 (Herrmann, 1996, p. 19). The research, named the National Survey of Nursing, conducted was â€Å"designed to survey and assess the status of nursing research in the United States† (Halloran, 2007). Later on in life, after the completion of her Nursing Studies Index, Virginia began to see the world as she â€Å"embarked on an international schedule of consultation† (Herrmann, 1996, p.22). With all this knowledge she was able to write and revise many books that would keep her name alive even today. Another major part in Virginia Henderson’s career is the work that will survive forever, her books. While teaching at Columbia, â€Å"she revised Bertha Harmer’s Textbook of the Principles and Practice of Nursing, which was published in 1939† (Halloran, 2007). Starting in 1948, she began to revise the fourth edition of the Principles and Practice of Nursing, which took her five years to write. Although the title may fool the reader that this book was not meant only for nurses, â€Å"it is written for anyone who is faced with the prospect of caring for another human being†. Her earlier works were greatly influenced by all she had gained as an instructor of clinical nursing (Halloran, 1996, p. 20). Creating the first annotated index of nursing research, Henderson began her four volume Nursing Studies Index in 1959 and completed it after twelve years (Halloran, 2007). This volume was â€Å"an analytical and historical review of nursing literature from 1900 to 1959† (Tlou, 2001, p. 241). Henderson continued to write as she progressed in years. She wrote Basic Principles of Nursing Care in 1960, Nursing Research: A Survey and Assessment in 1964, and the Nature of Nursing in 1966 (Herrmann, 1996, p.21). The beginning of her sixth edition of the Principles and Practice of Nursing started when Virginia was seventy- five, in the year 1972. In the book she argues that â€Å"health care will be reformed by the individual nurses who will enable their patients to be independent in health care matters when patients are both educated and encouraged to care for themselves† (Halloran, 2007). Although her books have a great influence on us, the thing that makes her most well-known is her definition of nursing and the Need Theory. With her contribution of her Need Theory, Henderson taught other nurses what she believed was the true meaning of nursing: to assist an individual to become more independent on the road to health. Henderson defined nursing as â€Å"helping people, sick or well in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery, or to a peaceful death, that they would perform unaided if they had the necessary strength, will, or knowledge† (Halloran, 1996, p. 23). In her basic needs theory Henderson defines the roles of a nurse by explaining that a nurse should help or provide conditions under which the patient can do the following unaided: 1. Breathe normally. 2. Eat and drink adequately. 3. Eliminate body wastes. 4. Move and maintain desirable position.5. Sleep and rest. 6. Select suitable clothes – dress and undress. 7. Maintain body temperatures within normal range by adjusting clothing and modifying environment. 8. Keep the body clean and well groomed and protect the integument. 9. Avoid dangers in the environment and avoid injuring others. 10. Communicate with others in expressing emotions, needs, fears, or opinions.11. Worship according to one’s faith. 12. Work in such a way that there is a sense of accomplishment. 13. Play or participate in various forms of recreation. 14. Learn, discover, or satisfy the curiosity that leads to normal development and health and use the available health facilities. Henderson wanted to define nursing because she feared that some states didn’t have a true definition of nursing, which could lead to an unsafe environment for patients. In order to solve this issue she believed that nursing should be defined in the Nurse Practice Acts that would clearly state a nurses roles (Anderson, 1999, p. 10). Even though she defined nursing as this, she still saw acknowledged that nurses were given a stereotype. Virginia Henderson had an ideal of what nursing should be and who they were. She believed that nurses during her time were not able to give the care that they thought would help the patient (Henderson, 2006). Virginia believed that because nurses came from all classes in society that the public had a confused definition of what a nurse was. She saw that the image of a nurse was influenced by the fact that most were women, who were not well educated from a privileged social class. Virginia Henderson saw nurses as the ones who provided the most intimate and comforting service as they are the ones who are continuously with the patient, because of this she saw nurses as independent practitioners. She identified a nurse as someone who would have to be able to work with all ages of people in order to provide for their needs and help them live a life as normally as possible (Henderson, 2006). In order to fix the stereotype and lead members of society to truly see how important nurses were, Henderson thought nurses should be educated in a certain way. Henderson also believed that nurses should be prepared in national, provincial or state systems of higher education (Henderson, 2006, p. 25). She thought that nursing students should work with other people in the health fields in order to create an interdisciplinary learning environment. She also believed that nurses needed an understanding of government and economics (Henderson, 2006, p. 26). She thought that nursing students should be assigned to practitioners, where they would first observe and then participate until they can function independently. She thought nursing should be taught in stages. The first stage would be geared toward studying the basic human needs or functions and helping patients with daily activities. The second stage would be devoted to helping patients with common dysfunctions. The third stage would be studying the different stages of life and the specific help that is needed for a particular disease. She also thought that nursing students should be taught in a multitude of settings (Henderson, 2006, p. 30). If each of these principles were followed Virginia believed nurses would get the education they needed and be respected. Without the ground-breaking research and ideas contributed by Virginia Henderson, nurses today would not be taking care of patients in a style allowing them to succeed after recovery from the hospital. Virginia passed away on March 19, 1996. Although she may be gone from this world she is still with us through her books and her theories. References Anderson, M. (1999). Virginia avenel henderson: A modern legend. Wyoming Nurse, 12(1), 9-10. Halloran, E. J. (1996). Virginia henderson and her timeless writings. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 23(1), 17-24. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.1996.tb03130.x Halloran, E. J. (2007). Virginia henderson 1897- 1996. Retrieved January/31, 2013, from http://www.aahn.org/gravesites/henderson.html Henderson, V. (2006). The concept of nursing. 1977. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 53(1), 21-31; discussion 32-4. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2006.03660.x Henderson, V. (2006). Some observations on health care by health services or health industries. 1986. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 54(1), 1-2; discussion 2-4. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2006.03829_1.x Herrmann, E. K. (1996). Virginia henderson: Signature for nursing. Connecticut Nursing News, 69(5), 1. Tlou, S. D. (2001). Nursing: A new era for action. A virginia henderson memorial lecture. Nursing Inquiry, 8(4), 240-245.