The Nurses Role in Patient Advocacy

Caring originates in the relationships of shared human experience. The nurses primary roles of promoting health, preventing illness, restoring health and alleviating suffering places the nurse in a position to always remain an advocate for their patient. A scenario has been created in which a terminally ill patient has asked the doctor about alternative healthcare treatment options. The doctor in this case dismisses them as â€Å"quack† practices.What role does the nurse play in this situation? â€Å"When the patient’s wishes are in conflict with others, the nurse seeks to help resolve the conflict. Where conflict persists, the nurse’s commitment remains to the identified patient† (Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements, 2001). Moral courage is something that helps the nurse to address ethical issues and take action when doing the right thing is not always easy.When a patient and doctor relationship is strained the nurse can sometimes help mediate a situation while always remembering her legal and ethical obligations. Physicians and nurses have different roles and duties in the hospital.Although nurses do not have the power to make certain types of care decisions, they do have the responsibility to follow the chain of command according to facility policy, until satisfied that good decisions are being made for their patients. Nurses spend more one on one time with their patients than doctors.The closeness of this relationship may make it easier for some patients to disclose their complaints to the nurse rather than the doctor (Ofri, 2013). Nurse’s responsibilities are to provide the best care to the patients and to insure that all of their rights and interests are met.â€Å"Once healthcare interventions have been adapted to meet the special needs of the patient, the nurse’s role is to articulate the patient’s request for care within the multidisciplinary team, creating patient-centered patterns of health care† (Hewitt, 2002).As a patient advocate, ordering a consultation with those who can help further in the decision making process is paramount. Patient advocacy is described as â€Å"nursing activities aimed at securing patient’s legal and ethical rights and satisfying their existential needs, both on the level of the patient-nurse relationship and in the healthcare team or organization† (Vaartio-Rajalin & Leino-Kilpi, 2011).The nurse should stand for the patient’s rights, dignity and health when others will not, thus becoming the communicator between the physician and patient. This ascertains that the patient receives optimal treatment. The Patient Bill of Rights states: â€Å"A patient has the right to obtain information about the specific nature of proposed treatment or procedure, a disclosure of the risks involved, and information about medical alternatives† (Patient’s rights, 2013).Since the physician from our scenario has refus ed to discuss alternative health care options with the patient, it is the duty of the nurse to become a patient advocate. After first discussing this situation with the doctor, if the nurse is granted the doctor’s permission to provide information to the patient, there are some government agencies and resources like National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), The National Cancer Institute, U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CAM on PubMed.These organizations assist patients and their families in learning about Complementary and Alternative Medicine therapies (Complementary and Alternative Medicine in cancer treatment, 2013). If the doctor refuses to give permission, it should lead the nurse to share his or her opinions with the medical staff involved in the patient care, following the appropriate chain of command.Based on a survey held by The New England Journal of Medicine â€Å"most of the physicians reported that when a patient requests a legal medical intervention to which the physician objects for religious or moral reasons, it is ethically permissible for the physician to describe the reason for the objection but that the physician must also disclose information about the intervention and refer the patient to someone who will provide it† (Curlin, Lawrence, Chin, & Lantos, 2007). In order to provide the best care and safe environment to a patient, nurses need to band together and work as a team.Gloria Ohmart, EdD, MN, APRN, offers a few strategies to protect patient’s rights and nursing profession. Some of them are: 1. â€Å"Keep an accurate record of issues that may be dangerous, illegal or unethical; 2. Check with other coworkers to see if they feel the same way about the situation, compare notes and discuss what the problem is and present a united front; 3. Talk to a charge nurse, head nurse, or supervisor to bring the problem to someone else’s attention; 4. Go up the chain.If a superior doe s not act on the complaints, then nurses may need to go to the next level of administration and so on until they get to the top; 5. Pursue an advanced degree. Higher education empowers through knowledge and enables nurses to develop strong communication and conflict resolution skills, the ability to negotiate and provides a deeper understanding of professional ethics† ( Finn, 2013). â€Å"Nurses must examine the conflicts arising between their own personal and professional values, the values and interests of others who are also responsible for patient care and health decisions, as well as those of patients.Nurses strive to resolve such conflicts in ways that ensure patient safety, guard the patient’s best interests and pressure the professional integrity of the nurses† (Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements, 2001).The Code of Ethics for Nurses was developed as a guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality i n nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession. When a hot topic arises in the industry, the American Nursing Association (ANA) will create an explanation, justification, or recommendation for a course of action otherwise known as a position statement.The Code for Nurses published by the ANA is the standard by which ethical conduct is guided and evaluated by the profession. It provides a framework within which nurses can make ethical decisions and discharge their professional responsibilities to the public, to other members of the health team, and to the profession.According to number eight of the position statement nurses must attend to and be aware of the conflicts of dual loyalty to patients, health care institutions, employers and agencies that provide payment for services (Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements, 2001).Care and compassion are two traits that most nurses excel in. However these two qualities alone cannot facilitate being a voice for a patient. Education and moral courage are also essential needs when standing for the rights of a patient. It is imperative that a nurse understand their legal and ethical obligations to society and be able to carry forward their role as a patient advocate.Nurses should always endeavor to become as skilled and qualified in their chosen field as possible by consistently trying to advance their education and training, as well as entering into a partnership with physicians and health professionals.Policymaking and workforce planning should be done effectively to collect data and provide for a better information infrastructure. Educating ourselves as nurses will be essential to teaching our patients and allowing us to be a strong patient advocate, while standing united and taking comfort in knowing we are not alone.

Ideology ; Discourse

Ideology, what is that? There are hundred answers and none of them is right or wrong. Most of ideology definitions are not compatible with each other, but I have found one that I like the most: An  ideology  is a set of  ideas  that constitute one's goals,  expectations, and  actions. An ideology is a comprehensive vision, a way of looking at things as in several  philosophical  tendencies, or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to all members of this society. Ideologies are systems of abstract thought applied to public matters and thus make this concept central to politics.Implicitly every political or economic tendency entails an ideology whether or not it is propounded as an explicit system of thought. 1 So ideology is a system of conceptualized views and ides, expressing the interests of different social classes, groups and societies, to evaluate relationships between people and reality, as well as authorized on a community form of dominatio n and power (conservative ideology) or settle their transformation (radical, revolutionary ideology). It`s not a science, but it includes scientific knowledge of social and politic life, as well as assessing it.Good example of bad ideology was Nazi in Germany, when Hitler wanted to â€Å"clean† the Aryan race from â€Å"sub-human† – Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals and handicapped people who were at the bottom of racial hierarchy by Nazi studies. Now let`s move on discourse. What is that? Discourse is the term that describes written and spoken  communications; the â€Å"language in the language,† a certain vocabulary, semantics, pragmatics and syntax, manifesting itself in actual communicative acts, speeches and texts. â€Å"Discourse constitutes the social.Three dimensions of the social are distinguished – knowledge, social relations, and social identity – and these correspond respectively to three major functions of language †¦ Discourse is shaped by relations of power, and invested ideologies. † (Fairclough 1992:8). 2 Example: Discourses are seen to affect our views on all things; it is not possible to avoid discourse. For example, two notably distinct discourses can be used about various  guerrilla  movements describing them either as â€Å"freedom fighters† or â€Å"terrorists†.In other words, the chosen discourse provides the vocabulary, expressions and perhaps also the  style  needed to communicate. 3 So how ideology and discourse works together? Actually they both are inextricably connected to each other, because both are elements of human thoughts and communication. Some people say that ideology affect discourse, other say that discourse is used as a way to deliver an ideology. 4It`s very important to remember that when analyzing media texts, because the interpretation of the text will depend on person who wrote it and his opinion on the subject and the person who is reading it. F or example some political articles in newspapers in the UK have political alignments, some support Labours, some support Democrats. So when one of the parties wants to write a press release or something their ideological discourse will be organized by a general strategy of positive self-presentation (boasting) and negative other-presentation (derogation).This strategy may operate at all levels, generally in such a way that our good things are emphasized and our bad things de-emphasized, and the opposite for the Others—whose bad things will be enhanced, and whose good things will be mitigated, hidden or forgotten.

Analysis of Chapters 8 and 9 in Paradise of the Blind Essay

Write an analysis of how Chapters 8 and 9 explore the connection between culture, food and community The interdependent connection between culture, food and community is pivotal in the demonstration of the importance Vietnamese tradition in Paradise of the Blind. Chapters eight and nine focus on the importance of culture through family particularly evident in the way food acts as an expression of this culture. Food is also used to establish a sense of community, which is an important aspect in the Vietnamese culture. Food is presented as a direct reflection of a person’s wealth in Vietnamese culture. Limited in other forms of power, women like Aunt Tam can rely on materialistic objects, such as food, in order to display their wealth and earn respect. This is evident as one of the guests at the feast exclaims, â€Å"What a pleasure this evening has been. A sumptuous meal followed by such spellbinding stories. This is a blessing from heaven.† The use of words with strongly positive connotations, such as â€Å"sumptuous† and â€Å"spellbinding† displays the great degree of appreciation and thus importance that food has on Vietnamese culture. This idea is further emphasised with the reference to the Gods and ancestral beings through the use of the word â€Å"heaven†. Another example of food reflecting the idea of wealth is when another guest says, â€Å"A sticky rice flavoured with rose-apple juice! Why, it’s exquisite.† Aunt Tam responds to the compliment, â€Å"Oh please, will you stop it?† The use of the word â€Å"exquisite† again highlights the importance of food and its inherent effectiveness in delivering praise. The way in which Aunt Tam replies, almost rehearsed and clichà ©d, suggests that there was an unspoken expectation of praise and therefore respect in the original intention of the feast. The undeniable connection between food and wealth reflects the material-focused culture of Vietnam. Another idea that connects food to culture is the idea of the sacrifice, particularly in relation to food. Selflessness is a major part of Vietnamese culture and a certain amount of gratification can be achieved through sacrifice, which is shown in these chapters as sacrifice of food. Hang observes that Aunt Tam â€Å"ate almost nothing as if watching me gave her greater pleasure.† Aunt Tam’s sacrifice of her own wellbeing reflects the cultural idea that the strongest link between people is in family. Aunt Tam is willing, even happy to sacrifice her own well-being in order to cater for Hang. This idea of sacrifice can also be linked to the cultural idea of worship and fate, whereby it is believed those who perform good deeds in the present will be rewarded in the future. This idea of selflessness has evidently also affected Hang as she says â€Å"I played the part of the successful niece†¦ I smile dutifully at everyone. My lips stiffened into a permanent smile.† Although Hang is obviously uncomfortable, which can be seen through the use of words such as â€Å"dutifully† and â€Å"stiffened†, she continues to put on a faà §ade of happiness to please her Aunt. This reinforces the cultural idea of the strength of familial ties as well as the importance of sacrifice in solidifying these relationships. The practice of food preparation establishes a sense of community in the chapter. Food preparation appears to have a rehearsed, methodical quality which is evident in the line â€Å"The scene was lively but well-ordered as if all the feverish activity was directed by the iron hand of some invisible conductor.† The simile of the conductor draws a comparison of food preparation to an orchestra, thereby highlighting the importance of group collaboration. Furthermore, the juxtaposition of the â€Å"feverish activity† and its â€Å"well-ordered† nature suggests the idea of controlled chaos. Thus the great amount of activity that is required in the practice of food preparation can only be completed with the cooperation of each individual party. Finally, the unchanging nature of culture is shown to cause conflict within Hang’s character as she is caught in her desire to become a modern woman and her family’s strong links to cultural traditions. Hang describes the countryside as â€Å"Everywhere, an indescribable backwardness hung in the air, immaterial yet terrifyingly present: It would be like this for eternity.† This line suggests not only in restrictive nature of culture but also shows how difficult it is to shake culture. The use of the phrase â€Å"terrifyingly present† highlights the inescapable nature of tradition and the strong bond to which each individual in the book is tied to their traditions. The ideas of food, culture and community are explore in chapters eight and nine, particularly through the ideas of family relationships and its strong links to traditional Vietnamese culture.

The Rights of Children in Asylum under the UN Essay

The Rights of Children in Asylum under the UN - Essay Example Children who have separated such as the children who are far away from their states of derivation and alienated from parents or other relatives are not visible in this world. This invisibility is divided into two folds, first as children who frequently have no authority to raise their voice and secondly as asylum seekers, are prevented to have attention or power in the society. If these children are mostly invisible in the first case than who will become aware of them if they go missing Who will support on their behalf and participate as a substitute parent to prompt the state that its responsibilities under the UN Convention on the rights of the child relate to all children within its country, be they populace or not. Frequently, romantic concept of early days differentiates sharply with the severe actuality for a lot children globally. Amnesty international has recognized human rights infringement of children together with killing by death groups, agony, unfair imprisonment, obligatory genital disfigurement, slavery, trafficking on sensitive organs and cruelty of lane children. Additionally enforced marriage, forced recruitment and individuals trafficking and most of the children are repeatedly mistreated just because they are kids. Specific violation towards children of human rights has still to find clear example in government. Perhaps to guard the children. It is prefer to provide such children unseen rather than thinking about their encounters. However, the reason that they are grown-up adults and that going missing interprets as deciding to go secretive. While some may have a mature behavior as a result of their previous experiences it is these same experiences which have roughly overwhelme d the blameless child surrounded by. Maybe if they are called matured, they become grown-up and are called as asylum seekers. Although, these children should be observed as children initially and as primary plus their migration position should be less important. The best happiness of the child are dominant in any choice. For example, visualize that your family has been misplaced due to political brutality and eventually you become an orphan. You are only twelve years old and have soft retardation. A companion eventually protects a ticket and migration papers to dash you to the United States for refuge. Leading towards the entrance, you are under arrest for demeanor of a false passport. You are questioned single-handedly in a lingo you do not converse or understand. You discover yourself locked up in a mature prison with illegal criminals awaiting a managerial migration investigating on your allege to asylum. The system actually forgets to take you to see a migration judge for about eight to nine months. Yet while signified by in favor of bono advice, the migration court rejects you asylum and you stay locked up amongst the adults while you plea your case. You waste your initial three years in the United States, dragging your feet from jail to jail. At last you are free to a refugee protection and a new asylum consideration is prearranged. This strange step is the effect of worldwide media reporting and over seventy constituents of the assembly, several public notices is of foundations and thousands of people pleasing to migration systems for you. You then experience the greatest asylum tryout in U.S.

Celia, A Slave book Melton A. Mclaurin (Author) Essay

Celia, A Slave book Melton A. Mclaurin (Author) - Essay Example The purchase of Celia was less of a cook than it was a sexual object. However, was it right to convict Celia of murder while defending herself from her rapist master? In my opinion, it was unfair to put Celia to death while she was severing her relations with her master who had raped her for five years. The judicial process at the time shows that it was against the rights of slaves and did not care what they went through. Mr. Newsom characters also depict him as a pervert who had no respect for women. Newsom character seems to have changed for the worse when his wife died. He was lonely yes, like any other man but he could have maintained his family values and principles as he had his children around to console him. After purchasing Celia as black slave who was mandated to cook, Newsom started treating her like his wife. He forced Celia to have sex with him and eventually raped her (Mclaurin 15). Celia even though angered by the inhumane act perpetrated against her by her master could not find a place to air her grievances for the slaves had no legal redress to self defense in Missouri County. Newsom unacceptable behavior may have been persuaded by the fact that he knew that there were nowhere slaves would find justice. Furthermore, it is clear that he had no respect for women as he never cared about his two daughters who were in the same compound. Newsom prolonged his illicit behavior and bore two children with Celia while he knew very well that there existed no acquaintance bet ween him and Celia (Mclaurin 23). Another sign that portrays Newsom as a pervert is the unclear circumstances his older daughter Virginia got a son named Billy while still in his father’s compound. Even though Virginia was married to Waynescot, one year after her mother’s demise she returned to stay with her father (Mclaurin 9). Her husband might have died thus

I want a Comparative case study Design To my PI research and Paper

I want a Comparative case study Design To my PI and justification for the chosen design - Research Paper Example The best research that can be applied to this issue is the application of comparative case studies. The classic experimental design would be the best design to apply in this case considering one has to determine the advantages and disadvantages of using the PI program in under performing schools (Klaus & Oscar, 2008). Using comparative case studies allows the researcher to establish the main differences between schools that use the PI program and those that do not. Using one school that does not have the PI program and one that does, a researcher is able to determine the environments that both schools function in and thus they are able to locate the issues that need to be looked at in terms of improving students’ performances in their academics (Klaus & Oscar, 2008). The qualitative status of the study also allows one to identify the factors that need to be concentrated on regarding improving the PI program to make it as efficient as possible (Klaus & Oscar,

Mercury Contamination in Fish Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mercury Contamination in Fish - Research Paper Example The paper is based on two studies carried out in Bangladesh and the U.S. In the first study, Rees et al. (2007) aimed at elucidating how toenail mercury is related to dietary fish consumption in New Hampshire. In the second study (Bangladesh study), Shamshad, Shahidur, and Tasrena, (2009) focused on determining the level of trace elements (including mercury) in fish feed and shrimp sampled from aquaculture ponds. Mercury is an established heavy metal, environmental pollutant with deleterious health effects in human beings (Eisler, 2006). Mercury toxins lead to neurological impairment in humans (National Research Council, 1978). Mercury in contaminated fish food consumed by pregnant women may affect the unborn baby’s brain and nervous system. Children who were affected by mercury while in the womb have poor cognitive thinking and memory and reduced concentration (Health Effects, 2012). Studies have proved that adults, children and developing fetuses are in danger of mercury intoxication (National Research Council, 1978). Schmitt, Stricker and Brumbaugh (2011, p. 1) argue that methyl mercury concentrations in some U.S species of fish (Micropterus dolomieu and Hypentelium nigricans) â€Å"are significantly high to represent a threat to human health and wildlife†. The U.S has a high risk of suffering from mercury intoxication consumed from fish compared to Bangladesh, in spite of Ba ngladesh having more fish than the U.S. Studies on mercury intoxication are essential because they enable stake holders to devise preventative measures. Thus, this paper examines the effect of mercury toxins in fish in Bangladesh and the U.S. The graph below is an example showing comparing levels of mercury in blood lead and the risk for autism in children. The graph indicates a significant correlation between the two variables. Figure 1: Graph indicating the distribution of Hg levels in ‘charge children’, comparing four groups: regressive autism, autism of early onset, general population controls and developmentally delayed children. Source: http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.highlight/abstract/1773/report/F Materials and Methods The Bangladesh study assessed the level of trace elements content in fish feed and shrimp sampled from aquaculture ponds in Bangladesh by the use of Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (FAAS), Cold Vapor Absorpti on Spectrometer (CV-AAS), and Hydride Generation Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (HG-AAS). The study was based on the theoretical assumption that since tannery and poultry waste are used as fish feed in Bangladesh, there is an accumulation of toxic contaminants in cultured fish posing food safety risk. Toxic metals including mercury are used in the manufacture of tanneries, dye production, textile dying and paper and pulp mills. Two samples of Shrimp and twelve samples of the feed were collected from different aquaculture sites in Bangladesh. The sample was washed by de-ionized water and then air-dried. They were then analyzed using FAAS, CV-AAS and HG-AAS (Shamshad, Shahidur, & Tasrena, 2009). The American study was conducted as follows: method one; participants observed a 3 day diary of water and seafood consumption which facilitated the calculation of the average consumption of finfish and shell fish on a weekly basis. Method two; the average weekly consumption of fish (shell fish , tuna and dark fish) was estimated using semi quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Method three; the weekly consumpti

B-boy the Local Scene Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

B-boy the Local Scene - Essay Example The culture is also further subdivided on the locality; this is so because music and arts in general is normally a reflection of a society. The lyrics in a song or the type of facts that a movie refers to are normally borrowed from the occurrences in the society. Given the differences in the societal structure, the activities in one society may vary slightly with those of another. This is later reflected in the composition of the music in the locality (Kitwana 87). The town of Bloomington, Indiana, also has its own local hip hop culture. The culture, just like in American hip hop, is influenced by the national hip hop to a greater extent. Hip hop was a music mentality brought into existence by Americans of African descent. These people loved rapping; a type of narration in which an artist simply counts his wordings accompanied by a beat to make music. To make them stand out from any other music genre, artists of this type of music adorned unique type of attires. For instance, they dr essed in baggy and very fashionable dresses which constituted baggy trousers, most preferably jeans, baggy T-shirts, and very expensive jewelry. Besides, the culture involves a show of liking for the basketball sport. This was a culture that was specifically coined out of the preferences portrayed by the African American population in America. Given theikr big bodies, these people loved and played basketball very well. They thus incorporated the love for the sport in the music thereby succeeding in making the sport a black phenomenon. The city of Bloomington, just like many other cities in America, has a cosmopolitan population. It has both blacks and whites living together. However, African Americans tend to dominate in matters of entertainment. This thus implies that hip hop culture is a little bit more predominant in the entertainment scenes in the demography. A bigger portion of youths of the city appreciate the culture. This is a factor they portray in their mode of dressing, t heir hair styles and their speech patterns. Just like addressed earlier, the hip hop showcased in this city borrows much from the national and international hip hop scene. However, given the unique way of life in this city, the trend in music and movie creation has a variance of its own (Watkins 78). Arts and culture is strongly appreciated in the city. Bloomington is a home to a number of cultural centers which have been attributed to the growth of the hip hop culture in the region. There are a number of both professional and armature theater companies including the Indiana university department of theatre and drama. The other is the Bloomington Playwrights Project as well as the Cardinal Stage Company and even Theatre of the People. Besides, the streets of the city are dotted with clubs, cinemas and discos. This points to the fact that arts and culture are a vibrant social aspects of the people in the city. This is also a factor that has led to the development of the hip hop cultu re since very many artists in the city own their own in house production studios. Producing media content is therefore cheap and virtually anyone having interest has the ability to put his interest into practice and turn their talents into sources of livelihoods. There are a number of national arts festivals held in the city that further support the growth of arts and culture in the city. These are platforms that have been used to help promote the hip hop cultu

NCLB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

NCLB - Essay Example This essay declares that NCLB will bestow significant benefits to the education system. An inherent feature of the whole program lies in linking every stakeholder in the education system towards a common goal of improving education. Significant reports claim that education standards have been falling in the USA. In spite of exceptional enrollment rates, students have registered low performance even in key areas such as Mathematics and English. Solving such problems requires measurable standards that teachers, students, and the state strive to achieve. The NCLB program, hence, unite all the stakeholders in designing unique policies that work towards a convergent direction. In this sense, it recognizes that achieving a comprehensive education requires the unique efforts of every party. This paper makes a conclusion that the NCLB program recognizes that states and districts possess unique problems and needs in education. In spite of the overall needs of education, the NCLB program recognizes that certain factors differentiate the state of education of one state from the other. For instance, education and income is a critical issue because it determines the nature of education that a student receives. In this sense, a state will have to examine the income groups in its communities and ask for proportionate funding levels. In addition, each state will examine the differentials in terms of the suburban schools and the inner city schools. In the end, it becomes essential to design tests that cater for all the communities in a state.

Supply Chain Integration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Supply Chain Integration - Essay Example The study "Supply Chain Integration" will help to understand than the coordination of information for the common benefit of businesses in the supply chain is more effectively accomplished via the internet. The internet in supply chain integration is important for the sharing of information relative to supply and demand in a more timely manner and as such signifies the significance that information and knowledge have in the creation of â€Å"value†. It is useful for efficiently facilitating the means for adopting â€Å"an integrated approach throughout the supply chain† and allows for the more effective balancing of â€Å"autonomy and control† among the individual supply chain partners. GE’s online business network is indicative of the significance of using the internet for integrating supply chain management. GE’s online trading process is a significant improvement on the prior process which involves prolonged â€Å"labor intensive contract biding and award processes†. By using the internet, businesses are able to reach out to new markets by providing reduced costs for entrants, less â€Å"complexity with more flexibility† and more importantly offer a far more efficient method for doing business. Another development in international business behavior necessitating integrating the supply chain via the internet and via tB2B is the tendency to outsource and the formation of tactical partnerships among industries. The internet provides a forum by which supply chain integration is accomplished at minimal cost with optimal success.... The internet in supply chain integration is important for the sharing of information relative to supply and demand in a more timely manner and as such signifies the significance that information and knowledge has in the creation of â€Å"value† (Graham & Hardaker, 2000, p. 287). Graham and Hardaker (2000) maintain that the internet is useful for efficiently facilitating the means for adopting â€Å"an integrated approach throughout the supply chain† and allows for the more effective balancing of â€Å"autonomy and control† among the individual supply chain partners (p. 287). GE’s online business network is indicative of the significance of using the internet for integrating supply chain management (Graham & Hardaker, 2000). GE maintains an online trading process network which facilitates the transaction of approximately US$1 billion in business among over 1,400 suppliers located around the world. GE’s online trading process is a significant improvem ent on the prior process which involves prolonged â€Å"labour intensive contract biding and award processes† (Graham & Hardaker, 2000, p. 287). By using the internet, businesses are able to reach out to new markets by providing reduced costs for entrants, less â€Å"complexity with more flexibility† and more importantly offer a far more efficient method for doing business (Graham & Hardaker, 2000, p. 287). Another development in international business behaviour necessitating integrating the supply chain via the internet and via tB2B is the tendency to outsource and the formation of tactical partnerships among industries. These kinds of developments obviate the need for information and

National Film Registry and Existentialism Reflection Patch Essay Example for Free

National Film Registry and Existentialism Reflection Patch Essay Existentialism Reflection Patch Adams is a movie about a man that is determined to be a doctor. Along the way, he comes across some issues when he won’t conform to the rest of the medical students. He is actually a good example of an existentialist. He is his own person within a larger society, or the other students at the school. He follows what he believes in and his life turns out almost just the way he wanted it to. In the movie, there were some quotes: â€Å"Look beyond the problem.† –Arthur †¢Everyone else stares whatever their problem is right in the face and expect to figure out the solution. Arthur tries to say, look past the problem. Focus on the solution. â€Å"See the world anew each day.† –Arthur †¢In a way, this is a stoic quote. To not let anything previous to this day affect it. Everyday holds a new adventure and if you are worrying about the past, how are you ever going to enjoy it? â€Å"The mental hospital was the best thing that ever happened to me.† –Patch †¢In the hospital, he found out he loved to help people. He wanted to listen to people and make them enjoy life. He really found his passion and without the mental hospital, he maybe never would have. â€Å"Death is not the enemy†¦indifference is.† –Patch †¢When people are dying, showing care is the most important thing. If they don’t know that people care, that makes death so much worse. Everyone is going to die someday. Everyone should just enjoy life. As relating to existentialism, Kirkegaard would have thought that Patch was a good example. He was a part of the group, yet he was his own person within that group.

The Californian lifestyle Essay Example for Free

The Californian lifestyle Essay Having lived my entire life in California, I have always dreamed about expanding my horizons and experiencing a different lifestyle. As a teenager, online games and their model economies would spark my curiosity. This curiosity was the beginning of my interest in the driving force behind money and investments. As a senior year in high school, I was lucky to have my first professional position in charge of advertising, sales and customer service for a small company. In addition to professional experience, I also learned good business values and financial responsibility from working closely with the owner. Thus, when I was accepted to UC Riverside, my decision to be a Business Administration major seemed logical. But after reading a few books on investing and contemplating everything that my mother taught me about being smart with money, concentrating in Finance made perfect sense. But my world still felt enclosed. I had vague ideas of where a degree in business could take me, but nothing concrete. My life was too narrow and Californian. I wanted to see the world and how social interactions and motivations were different in a foreign culture. I needed to experience life away from home and meet new people from around the world to recognize what my career path would be. With these goals and dreams, I applied for the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) to study abroad in Hong Kong. To say that I have discovered myself would be clichà © and a terrible understatement. The Californian lifestyle is often stereotyped as laidback and carefree but I never realized the merit of this stereotype until I experienced life in Hong Kong. The hustle on the crowded streets of Hong Kong is nauseating compared to even the busiest areas of Los Angeles or San Francisco. As a product of the competitiveness of getting into college, the students of HKUST are insanely driven and literally, the best of Hong Kong and China. The fast paced lifestyle and difficult competition adds crushing pressure and I love it; the pressure drives me towards success. The friends that I made in Hong Kong come from around the world and they broadened my perception on life, education and career. The bottom line of their outlook simply boils down to being passionate about who you are and  knowing what you want. Clichà ©, but what impressed me about my friends was that they all had set career paths, relevant internships and understood how everything that they were doing would help them achieve their goals. Upon broadening my views on the world in Hong Kong, I became motivated with a firey vigor to succeed in the finance world. I took my first finance class at HKUST which was both the worst and best course decision I made in Hong Kong: worst because HKUST is notorious for driving their finance majors insane and best because it solidified my decision in concentrating in finance. My passion and curiosity in the workings of money and investments motivated me to welcome the challenge of beating the curve against the the finance majors of HKUST. Deep conversations with different people such as my friend from UPenn about his internship with Morgan and Stanley, a local friend getting ready for an internship in Shanghai and even a stranger that I met at a rooftop steakhouse about her experiences in a law firm while investing on the side motivated me to walk my career path in finance. I am grateful for the opportunity to apply for the Bank of America Business Leaders Scholarship and Walter A. Henry Memorial Scholarship. Financially independent from my parents since my second year at UC Riverside, the financial aid of the scholarship will be a great support in finishing my college career. Rather than money however, what will truly impact my goals from winning this scholarship is the achievement. This achievement means that I have taken another step and standing that much closer to achieving my goal of a prestigious career in finance.

Denial Of The Holocaust History Essay

Denial Of The Holocaust History Essay World War II was a difficult time to live in. Families all over the world were sending their husbands, sons, and brothers off to fight Adolf Hitler and his Nazis. But while they were fighting for peace, many others were fighting for their lives. In 1941, the beginning of a horrific event occurred; the Holocaust. It all began when the Nazis came into power in Germany. They believed that Germans were racially superior and that the Jews, deemed inferior, were an alien threat to the so-called German racial community (Holocaust Memorial). As a result the Jews were then placed in ghettos, concentration camps, or forced-labor camps where they either died from malnourishment, incarceration, maltreatment, or disease. Extermination of the Jews was an essential part of the gospel of Nazism and inherent in the core of its creed (Wigoder 450). Out of the seventy eight people in my family, I am the only one to survive. My parents had three boys and three girls: My parents were Jacob and Toby; my b rothers were Moishe and Baruch, and my sisters were Sarah, Rivka and Leah. They were all killed, claims Holocaust survivor Solomon Radasky (Quotes from Holocaust). By the end of the Holocaust, around six million Jews were killed. Even though there is substantial evidence that this event occured, there are many people in the world that believe the Holocaust never really happened. Holocaust denial began in 1979 when Willis Caro founded the Institute for Historical Review (IHR), the headquarters of Holocaust denial. Holocaust denial consists of claims that the genocide of Jews during World War II did not occur at all, or that it did not happen in the manner or to the extent historically recognized (Holocaust Denial). David Irving, a popular Holocaust denier, claimed in a speech in Portland, Oregon, Yes, hundreds of thousands of people were killed, but there were no factories of death (Representative Quotes). Deborah Lipstadt, an American historian, author and Holocaust denier, reports that a 1993 Roper Poll found that twenty two percent of American adults and twenty percent of American high school students believe that it is possible that the Holocaust didnt happen. A 1993 Newsweek poll found that a full forty percent of American adults express doubts regarding the generally accepted magnitude of the Holocaust (Austin). Key elements of Holocaust denial claims are the rejection of the following: that the German Nazi government had a policy of deliberately targeting Jews for extermination as a peo ple and that genocide was carried out at extermination camps using tools of mass murder, such as gas chambers (Holocaust Denial). In order to make their points, deniers concentrate on their opponents weak points, while rarely saying anything definitive about their own position. Holocaust deniers emphasize the inconsistencies between eyewitness accounts, for example (Shermer 212). Most believe that eyewitness accounts are very helpful when making an argument; they provide us with their experiences and thoughts on the matter. They tell us stories about what had happened to them, their friends, their families, and other people that went through the same experiences. But Elizabeth Loftus, a world-renowned memory expert and University of Washington psychology professor, found that an individuals memory is not as reliable as most of us think (182). As new bits and pieces of information are added into long-term memory, the old memories are removed, replaced, crumpled up, or shoved into corners (Loftus 20). Since this became a realistic possibility, many Holocaust deniers use this to their advantage by telling Holocaust survivors that what had happened to them was all in their imaginations; that it never occurred. For example, on March 14, 1994, Michael Shermer, th e author of Why People Believe Weird Things, went on the Phil Donahue show to discuss Holocaust denial with Bradley Smith and David Cole, two Holocaust deniers. They both focused on denying that gas chambers and crematoria were used for the mass murder of Jews. During the show, Smith made a statement that it was a lie about the Germans cooking Jews to make soup out of them. This claim sent a Holocaust survivor, Judith Berg, on the edge claiming that this statement was true. She went ballistic when Smith continued denying that what had happened to her and what she had seen for several months was the truth. Smith used her hysteria against her to make her appear as if she was lying. He twisted her words, as well as Shermers few attempted thoughts in the discussion, to help him prove his point. Another attacking point during this program was the discussion of gas chambers. Many survivors of the Holocaust talk about the gas chambers. Gas chambers are claimed to be one of the leading cause of death in concentration and extermination camps during the Holocaust. Judith Berg, the survivor that appeared on the Phil Donahue show, claimed she lived near the crematorium in Auschwitz, where she spent several months. I lived near the crematorium as far as I am from you. You would never eat roast chicken if you had been there (Phil). It is a wonder to many individuals how deniers can claim that the extermination of Jews by gas chambers never happened when these facilities still exist to this day (Shermer 227). One of the leading Holocaust deniers, Fred A. Leuchter, Americas leading specialist on the design and fabrication of execution equipment, was curious about the gas chambers. In 1988, Leuchter scraped samples from the gas chamber walls in Auschwitz, Birkenau and Lublin. Cyanide residue would be clearly evident on all these walls if gassings did occur. To his astonishment, Leuchter found no significant cyanide traces in any one of these rooms. In 1991, the Polish government repeated these tests to disprove Leuchters findings, but they as well found no evidence of any gassings ever occurring (Hoax). It also appeared that the structure of these gas chambers was also extremely faulty. The rooms apparently had ordinary doors and windows which are not sealed. There are large gaps between the floors and doors. If the Germans had attempted to gas anyone in these rooms, they would have died themselves, as the gas would have leaked and contaminated the entire area. Also, no equipment exists to exhaust the air-gas mixture from these buildings. Nothing was made to introduce or distribute the gas throughout the chambers. There are no provisions to prevent condensation of gas on the walls, floors or ceilings. No exhaust stacks have ever existed (Hoax). Not only do survivors claim that gas chambers existed but guards have confessed to the gassings as well. Pery Broad, an SS Unterscharfà ¼hrer, was captured by the British on May 6, 1945. After his capture, he wrote a memoir that was passed on to the British Intelligence Service. In his memoir, he described in detail the gassing procedure, including the use of Zyklon-B and the design of the undressing room, gas chambers, and crematorium (Shermer 230). Deniers dismiss confessions like Broads because they think the guards that have confessed to gassing were either coerced into a confession or made up the claim for bizarre psychological reasons. Broad also claimed that the gassing process only took about four minutes to complete. Deniers point this out because it is at odds with the statements of others, such as Commandant Hoess, who claim it was more like twenty minutes. Because of such discrepancies, deniers dismiss the account entirely. A dozen different accounts give a dozen differe nt figures for time of death by gassing, so deniers believe no one was gassed at all. Obviously, the gassing process would take different amounts of time due to variations in conditions such as temperature, the number of people, the room size and the amount of Zyklon-B poured into the room (230). It seems as though Holocaust deniers thrive on the inconsistencies of eyewitnesses to prove their points. Granted eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust may not be the best way to prove what happened since memory is lost or distorted with time. Elizabeth Loftus admits that eyewitness accounts are faulty because every time we recall an event, we must reconstruct the memory, and with each recollection the memory and reality may be changed colored by succeeding events, other peoples recollections or suggestionsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Truth and reality, when seen through the filter of our memories, are not objective but subjective, interpretive realities (Loftus 20). But what Holocaust deniers forget is that there are plenty of other ways to prove that the Holocaust existed such as pictures, videos, and remnants from the facilities used during the Holocaust. There are not many of the above left due to the fact that the Nazis tried their best to conceal the crimes they had committed after the war. First, they limited the written record of their crime to a minimum. Second, they falsified the record, to the degree that technical and organizations made its existence necessary. And lastly, they destroyed the superfluous and the most incriminating part of the record, once it had served its purpose, in the final phase of the Third Reich. They destroyed not only documents, they also destroyed the mass killing apparatus and liquidated the witnesses (Denial). Although there is not as much evidence as there was during World War II, what remains is still enough to prove that it existed. If there is a museum dedicated to the Holocaust, how can anyone say that it doesnt exist? The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, found in Washington DC, is a living memorial to the Holocaust. It has exhibits containing more than 900 artifacts, 70 video monitors, and four theaters that include historic film footage. Some of the videos on display within the museum are of the experimentation as well as the execution that was performed on the Jews within concentration camps. These videos are graphic and disturbing to watch. During my visit to the Holocaust museum, some visitors may not find many of the exhibits moving or disturbing until they actually watch the videos, such as a video of the experimentations performed on the Jews. The one video that sticks out in my mind is the one about fertility and genetic experiments. The video showed graphic images of guards raping the women in the camps. Many found the video very disturbing and violating. In another part of the museum, they h ave a railcar that was used to transport Jews from their homes to the concentration camps; visitors can even walk through it. The museum also contains the barracks in which the Jews lived. They are just planks on top of supports, theres nothing really to them. Many Holocaust deniers believe that the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has no proof whatever of homicidal gassing chambers, and no proof that even one individual was gassed in a German program of genocide (Phil). Although it is true that they do not show the actual gassing of Jews, they have written documents from the camps as well as the Shoe Room. This room contains hundreds of shoes from the undressing rooms of the gas chambers; you can still smell the feet of the individuals who wore them. Most who visit find the museum an amazing tribute to the Holocaust and that it captures the harsh reality of what the Holocaust was. Many know the saying, a picture is worth a thousand words. Well this is very true when it comes to pictures of the Holocaust. Although most photographic evidence of the Holocaust was destroyed by the Nazis towards the end of World War II, there are still plenty that remain. There are pictures of emaciated, naked bodies lying on top of one another in pits dug in the ground. The bodies in the pits were then burned to make room for more bodies. There are other pictures of naked women being lined up next to the pits with guards pointing guns at them; the women were then killed execution style and thrown into the pits with the other bodies. There are pictures of children smiling at cameras through barbed wire fences in stripped prisoners clothing. There are also plenty of pictures of men, women, and children waiting in line to be placed in gassing chambers, awaiting their death. With pictures such as these that remain, how can anyone deny the fact that an act as horrific as the Holocaust existed? Not only are there pictures of these horrific events, there is significant evidence that still exists today. The Memorial and Museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau still contains remnants of the gas chambers. Auschwitz is, in many ways, the main target of attacks by deniers, yet the denial of genocide, the existence of the gas chambers, and mass murder nevertheless extends to all the camps, the death camps, and, generally, the mass killing of the Jews (Denial). The gas chambers were used by authorities to delete traces of their awful crimes by burning bodies (Wigoder 190). The Leuchter Report, claimed that there was not enough hydrogen cyanide present in the existing gas chambers to prove that the Jews were killed there. He claimed that with how small the amount that was present, the Zyklon-B was only used for delousing purposes only. This is contradicted not only by statements from former prisoners and Auschwitz commandant himself. The basic German document on crematorium throughout, prepare d by the Central Construction Board in Auschwitz on June 28, 1943, states that the five crematoria in the Auschwitz and Birkenau camps, together, could burn four thousand seven hundred fifty six corpses in a twenty four-hour period. This document indicates that the Birkenau crematoria could burn 1.6 million bodies per year. This makes it clear that the Leuchter Report is nothing more than an attempt, concealed beneath an academic-looking smokescreen of graphs, analyses, and calculations, at misinforming readers who have no access to the scholarly literature (Denial). More proof of the existence of gas chambers exists in the remains of the floor plans for concentration camps. They are very clearly drawn and state the undressing, gassing, crematoria, and morgue rooms. With all of this evidence stacked up, it is obvious that gas chambers existed and were used in the extermination of Jews during the Holocaust. Today, we face an alarming rise in Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism-even in the very lands where the Holocaust happened-as well as genocide and threats of genocide in other parts of the world; all of this when we are soon approaching a time when Holocaust survivors and other eyewitnesses will no longer be alive (About). Holocaust deniers focus on the faultiness of eyewitness accounts. They may change with time, contradict each other, and may be too crazy to believe, but eyewitness testimonies are still keys to the past and to our worlds history. Although their experiences are important to the proof of the Holocaust, there is a large amount of other evidence that helps to prove its existence. The Nazis failed at trying to hide what the Holocaust was by attempting to destroy the concentration camps, documents, photographs, and videos. Their failure led to the creation of museums such as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and The Memorial and Museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau that are dedicated to the memory of the Holocaust. The extermination of six million Jews is not a fallacy but a reality. The deniers may claim that only a few million were killed during the Holocaust, but then what happened to the other few million? It is not possible for two or three million people to just disappear of the face of the Earth. Deniers may claim that there were no gas chambers and that the chambers were only used for delousing due to the evidence that Fred Leuchter supposedly found. They also may claim that the museums have no video or photographic proof that Jews were gassed, but the proof the floor plans and documents that remain say otherwise. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Memorial and Museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau contain so many artifacts and evidence that Holocaust deniers can barely make a case. Holocaust deniers may think they are able to prove the Holocaust didnt exist, but the amount of evidence available proves otherwise.

On Human Cloning :: Genetics Science Feminist Papers

On Human Cloning How should we think about cloning as philosophers and feminists? Reproduction by cloning is not, in itself, morally inferior to human sexual reproduction. Moral criticism of cloning rests on condemnation of its "unnaturalness" or "impiety," but this kind of criticism should not persuade non-believers. I evaluate cloning in two phases. First, some hypothetical situations involving private choices about cloning are examined within a liberal framework. From this individualistic perspective, cloning appears no more morally problematic than sexual reproduction. A liberal feminist may welcome the possibility of human cloning as an expansion of the range of reproductive options open to women. The second phase argues for a shift in the framework of analysis in order to get a more complete evaluation of the ethical implications of human cloning, including questions of distributive justice and the ideology of reproduction. How should we think about cloning as philosophers and feminists? Reproducing by cloning is not, in itself, morally inferior to reproducing by human sexual reproduction. Moral criticism of cloning in itself rests on condemnation of cloning's "unnaturalness" or "impiety," but this kind of criticism should not persuade non-believers. In this paper, cloning is evaluated in two phases. First, some hypothetical situations involving private choices about cloning are examined within a liberal framework. From this individualistic perspective, cloning appears no more morally problematic than is sexual reproduction. A liberal feminist may welcome the possibility of human cloning, as expanding the range of reproductive options open to women. The second phase argues for a shift in framework of analysis to get a more complete evaluation of the ethical implications of human cloning, including questions of distributive justice and the ideology of reproduction. In this paper, "cloning" refers to a process begun when an enucleated oocyte receives a complete set of genetic material from one adult of the same species, and then develops. The resultant cloned embryo is genetically identical to the adult supplying the DNA. Thus, cloning differs from sexual reproduction, in which half the genetic material of the fertilized egg is supplied from the oocyte itself and half from the sperm. It is also different from "twinning," in which an egg, once fertilized sexually, splits into two genetically identical zygotes, each of which may develop into an embryo. In February 1997, Dr. Ian Wilmut announced the birth of Dolly, the cloned offspring of an ewe. If it is possible to clone sheep, why not then humans?

Comparing Death of a Salesman and The American Dream Essay -- comparis

Comparing Death of a Salesman and The American Dream   Ã‚  Ã‚   In Arthur Miller’s Death of A Salesman and Edward Albee’s The American Dream, Willy Lowman and Mommy possess the trait of superficiality. Their priorities are to look good and be liked, and this contributes to their misguided paths to reach success. This attribute is one of many societal criticisms pointed out by both authors. Arthur Miller criticizes society for perceiving success as being liked and having good looks. He illustrates society’s perception through Willy, who thinks the keys to success are being popular and attractive. Willy transmits this philosophy to his sons by ignoring their education and personal growth and setting an example that popularity is most important.   Edward Albee criticizes society for the same thing. He points out the wrong priorities in life such as emphasizing good looks and the wish to be liked at the expense of deeper ethics and morals. Through Mommy’s incident with the hat, which showed she wanted to be liked, and her problems with her own son’s physical and mental faults, which showed she cared too much for good looks, Albee shows how society is misguided in its methods to achieve success. Miller’s Willy shows many times that his idea of success goes no deeper than the superficial by teaching his sons the wrong path to a successful life. When Biff was in high school, Willy had already started to teach his son the false values in which he believed. When Willy found out Biff had stolen a football and was caught by his coach, who did not get angry, Willy responded by using the incident as an example of the importance of his philosophy. "That’s because he likes you. If somebody else took that ball there’d be an uproar." (... ...ve path in the form of Bernard, who unlike Biff and Happy, does well in school, is not well liked by others, and is a relatively unattractive man. However, his goals are more within reach because he is prepared to work hard and is less concerned with the opinions of others.    Works Cited and Consulted Albee, Edward. The American Dream. Toronto: Plume, 1997 Baym, Franklin, Gottesman, Holland, et al., eds.   The Norton Anthology of American Literature.   4th ed.   New York: Norton, 1994. Costello, Donald P. â€Å"Arthur Miller’s Circles of Responsibility: A View From a Bridge and Beyond.† Modern Drama. 36 (1993): 443-453. Hayashi, Tetsumaro.   Arthur Miller Criticism.   Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1969. Martin, Robert A., ed. Arthur Miller.   Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1982. Miller, Arthur.   Death of a Salesman.   New York: Viking, 1965.

Becoming A Better Writer :: Teaching Education Essays

Becoming A Better Writer Why did the chicken cross the road? We all know the answer of course. Yet we continue to ask this question in order to solicit the obvious response, "...to get to the other side." Why do we ask questions or pose problems that have only one solution? We've all heard the excuses: "That's the way I learned how to do it." "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" "I'm only doing what I was told." "I don't know another way." Chances are, if you're perusing the contents of this paper, you have probably used, at one time or another, one or all of the above rationalizations. Don't get me wrong. I'd be the first one to admit that rationalizations are an important part of life. Some, but not many, would argue that rationalizations are more important than sex. I mean, have you ever gone a week without a rationalization? It is your ability to rationalize that allows you to continue to construct themes of generic babble. You know that the mindless banter that it is typical of such endeavors will get you a fair, if not exceptional, mark from the professor whose class for which you wrote it. There is certainly no shame in turning in such regurgitation. After all, you were just, "...doing what you were told," right? You're not alone. This single rationalization allows half of the free world to sleep at night. The other half has a prescription. "I want to change," you cry halfway through what had been a restful night. You've decided to kick the theme-writing habit. "How do I do it?" you ask the faithful rocking chair that you sat in as a child. Incidentally, if the chair answers, you're problems will be addressed in another paper. However, getting back to the task at hand, you can probably deduce that this theme writing vice will be hard to conquer. You get by for a quarter, or semester, without needing one and then BAM! You need a fix. "Briefly outline the Kennedy administration," appears as an essay question on a 20th Century American History exam, for which you haven't thoroughly prepared yourself. You casually glance around the room. No one's looking. "Just one little theme," you say to yourself. But the pointless dribble doesn't stop with this essay. The next week you'll do it again. Soon your up to a theme a day. "Why is it so hard?

My Dream School

General Certificate of Secondary Education June 2007 ENGLISH (SPECIFICATION A) 3702/2F Paper 2 Foundation Tier Thursday 7 June 2007 1. 30 pm to 3. 00 pm Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes Instructions ! Use blue or black ink or ball-point pen. ! Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Examining Body for this paper is AQA. The Paper Reference is 3702/2F. ! Answer two questions. ! Answer one question from Section A. Answer one question from Section B. ! For Section A, you must have a copy of the AQA Anthology labelled 2005 onwards in the examination room.Section 1 of the Anthology must not contain any annotations. ! Write your answers in the answer book provided. ! Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked. ! You must not use a dictionary. Information ! The maximum mark for this paper is 54. ! The marks for questions are shown in brackets. ! You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers. All questions should be answered in continuous prose. Advice You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on each sectionThis section relates to Section 1 of the AQA Anthology labelled 2005 onwards that you have been using during the course. Answer one question from this section on the poems you have studied in Section 1 of the Anthology: Poems from Different Cultures (pages 5-18). You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section. EITHER 1 Compare the methods Denise Levertov uses to present a particular culture in eWhat Were They Like? i (page 11) with the methods another poet uses to present a culture or cultures in one other poem from the Poems from Different Cultures.Write about: ! the cultures in the two poems the methods the poets use to present them ! how those methods are similar ! how those methods are different ! which poem you prefer and why. (27 marks) OR 2 How does Sujata Bhatt show that identity (who you are) is important in efrom Search For My Tong uei (page 12)? Compare the methods she uses with the methods another poet uses to show that identity is important in one other poem from the Poems from Different Cultures. Write about: ! identity in the two poems ! why identity is important in the poems ! the methods each poet uses to present identity and its importance. (27 marks) SECTION B: WRITING TO INFORM, EXPLAIN OR DESCRIBEAnswer one question in this section. You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section. EITHER 3 Many people are interested in animals. Write an informative article on an animal or animals of your choice. Remember to: ! write an article ! choose language to inform about the animal or animals. (27 marks) OR 4 Teenagers are often criticised in newspapers. Write a letter to the editor of a national newspaper explaining why this is often unfair. Remember to: ! explain what sort of things teenagers are often criticised for ! focus on why it might be unfair to criticise teenagers ! use letter form use lan guage to explain ! use language suitable for a national newspaper. (27 marks) OR 5 Describe your home.Remember to: ! think about what makes a home ! describe the sorts of things which make somewhere a home ! choose language suitable for describing your home. (27 marks) OR 6 Childhood memories can be very important. Choose one childhood memory. Describe the memory and explain its importance to you. Remember to: ! choose a childhood memory ! describe it in detail ! explain why the memory is important to you ! choose language to describe and to explain. (27 marks) END OF QUESTIONS My Dream School My dream school Monday, April 22, 2013 A Dream School in My Mind Have you ever thought about why you are going to school? Or have you ever talked to yourself: â€Å"Oh my God, it’s school time again. † The environment keeps changing all the time. We change houses, jobs, friends and schools. We might often ask ourselves a question: Is there any dream places where we would like to stay? If you have a chance to create a dream school, what is your dream school going to be? In my mind, a dream school is not a place that only teaches students basic knowledge. It should be a place where students can apply the skills they learn.Let’s talk about my schooling experience first. I studied at elementary school for six years, middle school and high school for six year, and university for four years. Under the traditional pattern of education, I realized that in addition to the knowledge from books, I did not get anything during my whole school life. We were taught to follow th e teacher and school’s instructions. We could not have our own ideas and had to face never-ending homework. I hated chemistry and physics. I didn’t understand why I needed to study these two subjects. The only thing I could do was memorized the formula and do the exercises again and again.I thought these subjects would not relate to my future job. This has proved to be true. I cannot remember most of the subjects that I learned in school when I graduated from high school. After college in China, I told myself that I would never go to school again. After the sixteen years of school experience, I was extremely tired. I also imagine my dream school. If I could design my dream school, it probably should be a studio school. What is a studio school? The studio school is the kind of school which breaks away from the traditional education system. The original idea of a studio was from the Renaissance.People learn their skills by working. In the Chinese language, two characters represent the word â€Å"learning†. The first character means to study. The second character means to practice constantly. Studying and practicing are put together. It suggests that learning should mean self-improvement. This comprehension is confirmed by the studio school. There are two main aspects in a studio school. First, students who study in a studio school will be much more motivated and excited than in traditional education. A large number of teenagers are dropping out of school because they are bored in the traditional education system.They don’t like to attend school. They can’t see any relationship between what they learn in school and their future job. On the other hand, employers complain that the students are not actually ready for real jobs. They didn’t have any experiences or the right attitude. Studio school can solve this problem. Every student can attend this kind of studio school. There is no extra cost and no selection. This school allows the students the route into university. The most important part is that most of the curriculum is done not through sitting in a classroom. No grades or competition exists in school. Every class has their own field.One class may focus on creative and media industries, while other ones have a focus on health care, engineering and other fields. Students would decide the specific subject that they like to study. Second, this school puts things like working in teams, and doing practical projects at the heart of learning, rather than on the edges. Students learn best by doing things and learn best in teams. In the studio school, students do the practical projects and work on commission for businesses. Every student would have a coach, as well as a teacher who would have a timetable much more like a work environment in a business.And all of projects will be done within the public system. Students do a lot of real projects in order to prepare much better for real life work today. Sch ool life is one of the most important parts of our life. We spend at almost a quarter of our life in school. The ideas of studio school correspond to the character â€Å"learning† in the Chinese language. We are not only to study, but also to practice. As long as we combine study and practice, learning would be a fulfilling, exciting experience, and students wouldn’t have to dread school. — college student

To What Extent Does the Impact of World War I Explain the Outbreak of the Two Revolutions in 1917 ?

To what extent does the impact of World War I explain the outbreak of the two revolutions in 1917 ? To a certain extent, the First World War was a major contributing factor to the two revolutions that took place in 1917, the February and October Revolution. The war worsened the issues that already existed in Russia and also highlighted the lack of leadership shown by the Tsar and the Provisional Government set up after the February Revolution and also the Tsars military command over the army during the war. However, World War One was not the only reason for the revolutions taking place and acted as a tipping factor from the already undergoing social, political and economical problems plaguing Russia which led to the fall of the Tsar and the Provisional Government. The war was a massive mistake for Russia, it gained success support at first from the Russian public until they started to lose battles. After defeats in 1915 the poor attempt at retreating and the number of those wounded the high command and the Tsar were blamed which led to Nicholas II making one of his biggest mistakes ever whilst in his reign, Tsar Nicholas II took the advice of Grigori Rasputin, a peasant who was friends with the royal family from trying to heal their son of haemophilia, and went and led the Russian war effort. The tsar had a slender knowledge about war which led to him putting himself in a vulnerable position as he would now have to make all correct decisions or would be blamed by the people back home for any wrong decisions. Joe Gaucci, a historian, backs up this claim and states that the Tsars decision â€Å"proved disastrous as the government became increasingly chaotic†. Over 200,000 men were lost in the war and with 15 million peasants pulled from the farms the food shortage became a larger problem. The army started to lose faith in the Tsar, this was a vital for the revolution as they stopped shooting on the rioters and leading to the revolution continuing. The war also led to the downfall of the provisional government. After the Tsar leaving his role, the public called for peace and for Russia to leave the war. The provisional government tried to regain the support of the army and the Russian public by making the army launch the June offensive, with the July offensive in the first two weeks being able to exploit the poor morale of the Austrian Army were then pushed back because of soldiers refusing to obey order thus overriding the early success. After the Germans counter-attacked leaving thousands of soldiers deserted the army suffered a collapse. Not only did this show how poorly the Russian army was organised, equipped and mentally able to win the war but it also showed the Provisional Governments disregard of listening to the publics cries to stop the war. During the first revolution the political issues were a large factor for it to happen. With the Tsar leaving the country to command the army, the Tsarina was left in charge. This was a poor decision at first because the Tsarina was German and many people saw her as either a spy for Germany or having split allegiances so would make poor decisions and not consider what was best for Russia. The government became very unstable with the Tsarina in charge as she continually kept changing the ministers especially if they did not want to make decisions directed by the ‘Man of God’. On top of this the Tsarina took advice from a peasant called Rasputin, who was first Tsars Nicholas II’s sons doctor to try and cure his haemophilia. Rasputin was a advisor to the Tsarina and many speculated having an affair with her, while Tsarina was firing ministers he persuaded her to induct ministers, who were corrupt, into the high court. For the second revolution and the Provisional Government it was Lenin and the Bolsheviks who were the main political issue. Lenin knew the government was weak and published his ‘April theses’ which highlighted two areas ‘All power to the Soviets’ and ‘Peace, Bread, Land’ which also follows the saying ‘Bread and Circuses’ which is the common metaphor to explain the needs to keep the public of a country happy. After this in July the Bolsheviks supposedly were the brains behind the ‘July Days’ which almost lead to a revolution, instead it lead to the Provisional Government arresting main leaders of the Bolsheviks such as Trotsky, however the bolsheivik party was still allowed to run. The biggest provisional government mistake was during the Kornilov affair in which the bolsheivks were released from prison, given guns and told to fight, in the end they were not needed but were seen as the heroes of the day. The provisional Governments poor handling of the Bolsheiviks could also lead to someone believing that politics was the reason for the Revolutions. Both of the political factors for the revolutions breaking out could be attributed to World War I Economic Problems During both revolutions Russia was struggling with economic problems. The three main factors which affected the economy of Russia was the Inflation, Food shortages and the affect of industrialization in the cities. Inflation occurred mainly because of the Governments spending which increased by 400% between August 1914 and March 1917, this would have occurred because of the war but affected the people of Russia as inflation increased as they kept printing more money, taxes then slumped as sale of alcohol was banned which contributed a large sum of taxes as the government possessed a monopoly on the sale of vodka. When the war started in 1914 15 million peasants were called up to aid the war effort, this resulted in the agriculture sector becoming affected and eventually food shortages started in 1916, this affected the cities a considerable amount as transport was mainly used for supplying the army and everything they needed. With industrialization happening at the same time as the war, Petrograd and Moscow’s populations increased and resulted in overcrowding. Factories were hiring more people than they were before the war and many people were affected by the food shortages, the first signs of a revolution started in 1916 when one million workers went on strike. These economic problems can all be attributed to World War I breaking out. Why the war wasn’t a factor Some could argue that the World War was not the cause of the two revolutions. The Tsar had gained alot of support from the war at first and many believe they should work together to win the war but all of this came undone when he removed himself from Russia to join the army in the front line. It could also be argued that even though the war contributed to the Revolution the problems for the revolutions was there before the war and anything could have triggered the revolution. But its just so happened that poor decisions during the war lead to the revolution occurring. The first revolution could be the result of the poor political set up in Russia. With a Duma being granted by the Tsar after the 1905 Revolution. With the Duma being set up after the October manifesto it was useless as it had no power with the Tsar still being the main controller of the Duma. It could not do anything against the Tsar otherwise risking being shut down and even though it supposedly gave more power to the people in matter of fact the Tsar had the majority of control. conclusion In conclusion, even though there were factors such as social, economic and political within the country which varied between short and long term as well as foolish decisions made by Tsar Nicholas II and Kerensky leader of the provisional government. The world war was the cause of most of the problems and also was the cataylyst of tese problems making them worse. Because of this reasoning the World War should be considered as a large cause and factor for both October and February revolution of Russia in 1917.

The Hero’s Journey

The Hero’s Journey In recent centuries, China has been subject to many foreign powers even on its own soil. In times of low national pride, martial art masters such as Ye Wen and Huo Yuanjia became national heroes, inspiring the Chinese people to prove their worth to visiting foreigners and preserve their sovereignty. Through a comparative study of heroic martial artists in the recent Chinese films Ip Man( ) and Jet Li’s Fearless ( ), this paper will explore how the stories that they tell relate to and critically reflect the â€Å"Hero’s Journey† narrative pattern identified by American Scholar Joseph Campbell.Campbell’s 2008 book The Hero With a Thousand Faces provides a theoretical frame for this paper. We will study how these martial artists’ personal stories inspire their community and the nation to overcome great hardship and how the filmic representation of their images represents the self-image of China as a nation. Drawing a parallel between these heroic images and China’s own journey toward self-reliance and national regeneration, this paper will argue that the narrative pattern of â€Å"A Hero’s Journey† could also project a meaningful reading of China’s own trajectory of social and economic growth as a nation.The first film that this paper studies, Jet Li’s Fearless takes place in the early 1900’s, half a century after the Opium Wars have resulted in China giving up territory to Western powers as well as diminished their rule over foreigners in Chinese cities. In this historical period, Western powers look down on the Chinese as the weak men of Asia. Likewise, despite his father being a martial arts master, Huo Yuanjia is not permitted by his father to practice wushu because of his asthma.After his father’s death, Yuanjia is able to practice wushu openly and begins to build his reputation as the â€Å"best of Tianjin. † Huo Yuanjia’s call to adven ture comes after tragedy strikes his family. Yuanjia is led by one of his disciples to believe that another martial artist, Master Qin, has beaten him without provocation. In the ensuing confusion, Yuanjia kills Master Qin and Master Qin’s nephew in turn kills Yuanjia’s wife and daughter. This personal tragedy can be contextualized in the historical period knows as the Boxer Rebellion.China’s reluctance to accept western ideals, specifically its rejection of Christianity, led to irrevocable conflict across the country in which many innocent people lose their lives. As portrayed by the film, one of China’s major weaknesses was its inability to adapt as the world around it modernizes and westernizes. A hero is not without mentors and ultimately must work to gain a treasure, which can then be used to transform the world. Huo Yuanjia is humbled by the tragedy that struck his life and learns to accept guidance from many around him.In a small mountain village h e is taught how to live in harmony with nature. Upon returning to Tianjin, he visits his old friend Nong Jinsun with a changed heart. Yuanjia knows that China’s image is in desperate need of refreshing and asks his friend to pay his way to challenge O’Brien, the US boxing champion, in Shanghai. Huo Yuanjia then undergoes many tests, finding allies and enemies along the way. He is invited to dinner and tea on occasion. The first invitation comes, again, from his friend Nong Jinsun.The two agree that China must realize the gravity of their situation and reunite to take back their sovereignty. Jinsun knows that Yuanjia can unify the country through martial arts and is so dedicated to the idea that he sells his successful restaurant in order to help open the Jingwu Sports Federation. Later, Yuanjia has tea with an arranged challenger, Anno Tanaka. Tanaka is prideful of his knowledge and taste for differentiating various grades of tea. In perhaps the deepest line of the fil m, Yuanjia explains to Tanaka that the tea does not judge itself, but people judge it, placing one above the other.In contrast, Yuanjia believes that the all tea is made equal by nature and the taste of the tea will reflect the attitude of the drinker. As for martial arts, there isn’t one superior style, but varying degrees of skill in each style. This explains China’s endangered situation at the time of the movie. The Chinese style of government and nationalism simply couldn’t withstand the pressure of outside forces. Finally, the hero Huo Yuanjia must  be severely tested in order to be purified by a last sacrifice.According to the film Fearless, Yuanjia’s sacrifice is literal. In a contest against four opponents, he is poisoned, even as he is near victory. China has its own internal conflict. Although the internal struggle was largely put on hold during the Second World War, the Chinese Communist and Nationalist Parties divided China one more time bef ore it could finally be united under Mao Zedong’s communist government. Tanaka declares Yuanjia the victor as he dies and becomes a hero behind which the Chinese can unite to fight the foreign influence.Resonating the theme of heroism and nationalism, the movie Ip Man is a great tribute to Ip Man, a great leader of China by example of his determination to achieve justice. This story takes place in Foshan, Guangdong region before and during the Japanese invasion of China in the 1930s. This invasion leaves a lot of Chinese people to be wrongly treated and also have an inappropriate and improper view of the actuality in strength that China has as a whole especially in numbers. What good can a high amount of people be if they aren’t all governed by the same organized and directive laws?The importance of effective and self-sufficient leadership is great and can be shown through the life of heroes like the martial artist Ip Man, a visionary leader of the Chinese people, who was able to bring hope, direction and most importantly greater unity to the local Chinese community Ip Man was a very important and influential master of Kong Fu in the history of China. Taking his heroic life and comparing it with the â€Å"Hero’s Journey† will allow readers to perceive what affects a Heroic figure had on a historical nation such as China.According to Joseph Campbell, there are various stages in the narrative pattern of â€Å"A Hero’s Journey. † The most important are: one, â€Å"The Ordinary World†; two, â€Å"The Call To Adventure†; three, â€Å"Refusal of The Call†; four, â€Å"Meeting with the mentor†; five, â€Å"Tests, Allies and Enemies†; six â€Å"The Ordeal†; seven, â€Å"The Road Back†; and lastly, eight, â€Å"Return With The Elixir†. In Ip Man, the first stage, â€Å"The Ordinary World†, is presented as the earlier life of Ip Man. He is extremely accomplished in t raditional Chinese martial arts and lives a quite life.As an ordinary person, he has no desire to become a master and teach others. Corresponding to Stage two, â€Å"The Call To Adventure,† Ip Man is brought to pass as the Japanese are introduced as invading China, which caused numerous Chinese to live in perilous conditions. Ip Man, as well, lost his home and many personal belongings. In a scene of the film, a Japanese General invites Chinese locals to challenge Japanese martial artists using their own styles of Kong Fu to judge which national martial arts are more powerful.The intersection between personal and national crisis is escalated in the third stage, corresponding to Campbell’s narrative pattern â€Å"Refusal of the Call†, when Ip Man chooses to fight against 10 Japanese fighters at once due to the very recent murder of his close friend. He triumphs at last, conquering his challengers. When he reviews this experience with his wife, he comments that his Kong Fu has no use in this current unfortunate situation for his country-men and friends since the whole nation is in a larger, much more dangerous and critical condition.Later a Chinese officer who later works as the interpreter for the Japanese brings the Japanese military to find Ip Man. This is when the fifth stage is visible, â€Å"Tests, Allies and Enemies†. Ip Man could see the apparent intentions that one Japanese officer had towards his wife. To save himself and his family from danger, Ip Man fights against all the soldiers and finally manages to flee. The story later progresses into stage six â€Å"The Ordeal†, when Ip Man dares to face the Japanese General in a fight to see whose Kong Fu can prevail.At this time Ip Man understands that whether he wins or loses, he is doomed to be unfairly killed. However, he knows that the dignity and glory of his nation rests on him and is dependent on his victory. Ip man then greatly triumphed in this match up, and the la rge crowd mostly consisting of Chinese locals cheered and chanted, â€Å"Ip Man, Ip Man†¦Ã¢â‚¬  but then out of nowhere a Japanese Colonel shot Ip Man, and seemed to have killed him, but luckily he lived on.Finally, corresponding to Stage seven, â€Å"The Road Back†, the film shows Ip Man willingly sacrificing himself to protect the workers in the cotton factory, when revealing his genuine care for them, his countrymen. Lastly, stage eight, â€Å"Return with the elixir† is that Ip Man finally establishes his belief that Chinese martial arts is founded in Confucian spirit, the essence of which is benevolence. This corresponds to the eighth stage in the Campbell narrative pattern, the return with the elixir, which to Ip Man, is this spirit of benevolence. This, the elixir is a treasure that the Hero brings back from his journey.It can be physical or an idea. In most wushu films, the elixir can best be compared to attaining a zen-like state where the hero gains int ernal peace and harmony with the world around him. To conclude, as a part of the Hero’s Journey, the hero must obtain some form of treasure or elixir. For Huo Yuanjia, the treasure was discovering the essence of wushu. Before his journey, Yuanjia was certainly a strong martial artist, but through his journey, he realized that the true power in martial arts is the ability to avert conflict and better oneself.For Ip Man, the true lesson that he obtained was that you must cherish your abilities using them for good and that even one person can accomplish great things as an example to others, causing many people to unite and become great. As a nation with dramatic changes in the recent decades, China has recently learned this lesson power in unity and good leadership as well. In 1971, The People’s Republic of China gained a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Since then, China has worked peacefully to become a world power, with an average annual GDP growth rate of ne arly 10 percent in the last 20 years.And finally, Beijing had the honor of hosting the world’s athletes in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. China has grown into a world power, and as any hero knows, with great power comes great responsibility. Through this process that is found through a hero’s journey, the audience are also invited to explore the importance of these heroes and their entire process of becoming real heroes and draw lessons from them. The same is true for China as a nation that may grow and progress by learning from the empowering examples of heroes on screen such as Ip Man and Huo Yuanjia. .

Peer Evaluation Example Essay

The first speech I am going to evaluate is Jane Doe’s speech about why music is good for people and the positives effect of it. Jane started out very well by giving a personal example of using music in her own life which got the audience’s attention. I liked it when she started off with a story and example because it helped me understand what she was trying to say to the class. She then introduced her topic and stated her reasons of why everybody should have an iPod and listen to music. This was a good strategy because it was well organized and simple which helped her keep the audience’s focus. Being too complicated would have caused the class to lose sight of her argument. I enjoyed the outline of her speech because it was simple and straight to the point. Although her outline was well thought out, the way she presented her argument could have used a little work. Jane wrote out a paper to explain her arguments so that she would not miss anything important that she wanted to say. This is a good way to be organized; however, she kept her head down most of the time and read off her paper word-by-word. This affected her voice which made her sound ‘monotone’. Also, an important thing about giving speeches and attracting the audience’s attention is to looking at the audience, making contact with them like you are speaking directly to them. I did not feel as if she had any contact with anyone since she was reading from her paper. I think if she would have had more eye contact, the audience would have been more interested and accepted her arguments. Another thing that affected her speech presentation was that she was very quiet and it was difficult to hear her. It did not seem like she was very passionate about her topic because she stayed at one level with her tone and her dynamics throughout the speech did not seem to change. In other words, she could have used more vocal variety and projection. Overall I think Jane picked a great topic that everybody could relate to and she used great points to explain her stance. However, I think if she would have been more excited about her topic and had contact with the audience, the speech would have been even better.

Balanced Scorecard and Strategy Map Essay

Balanced Scorecard: Part of a system that translates strategy into action. Also, gives a balanced view in four perspectives of how well an organization is driving execution and how successful the results are. The four perspectives in the balanced scorecard and strategy map give executives a more balanced view of their organization. Strategy Map: Represents how an organization will execute its strategy. The Strategy Map shows the objectives needed to execute the strategy and casual links between objectives. It can also be a tool for clear communication and help identify the â€Å"critical few† metrics to monitor strategic execution. Examples: The first of the four aspects contained in the Balanced Scorecard is the Customers. Finding ways to appeal to your customers can be a tough task, but it is one that has to be assessed. For my company, we will have to differentiate between trying to be the broad differentiator or trying to be the low-cost leader. Customer complaints and concerns can also be an issue, so we will want to monitor and record all of those statements to ensure customer satisfaction. In order for us to succeed financially, we have to make sure that we are presenting ourselves well to our shareholders. Do we want to achieve a certain earnings per share or a certain income figure? Our goal this year may be to break even or reach a certain revenue level. Whichever the case may be, we will have to be firm in what we are trying to accomplish. The financial section of the scorecard looks at the company’s financial goals and how they are meeting the goals both currently and in the future. For my company, it will be the most important metric because we want to show our  shareholders the exact progress and growth of the company accurately. Our company will want to continue to grow and have the ability to adapt and improve. In order to do so, we will have to provide detail metrics to track our growth and expansion if there is any. Metrics may include employee retention rates or even the number of training hours for full-time employees. As an organization, it is necessary to adapt to a changing landscape through employee training, learning, and development. With these metrics we can look into the future of the organization, instead of taking a snapshot of how the organization is performing right now. To satisfy our shareholders and customers, we can either sell a large quantity of items at a low price or focus completely on a high quality product that comes at a premium price. Both strategies could be effective, but we will only be able to choose one to fulfill the vision of what we want the company to be in the future. The Strategy Map and Balanced Scorecard go hand in hand and are vital platforms that all companies need to be successful. I like to compare it to the checks and balances system that our government has had in place since its birth. The balanced scorecard monitors finances, performance, growth, and vision while the strategy map makes sure that all of these metrics are organized and focused towards achieving our companies’ goals. References Person, R. (2013). Accelerating Strategic Performace. In Balanced Scorecards & Operational Dashboards With Microsoft Excel (2.nd ed., p. 6, 7, 8). Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley ;.

EU communication strategy and the euro implementation Essay

EU communication strategy and the euro implementation - Essay Example f Sweden, this came in the form of a referendum that declined adoption of the unified currency, choosing instead to maintain its national identity and sovereignty and viewing adoption as a barrier to the country’s continued progress and prosperity. In the case of Slovakia, however, adoption was openly embraced, and the process undertaken as flawlessly as possible, supported by the national perception that the adoption of the euro will bring about economic stability and prosperity made possible by a single European market. The difference between the two countries is borne by the discrepancies in public perception about the prospects of euro adoption. This study examines the circumstances which circumscribed each case, the nature, strategies, and activities of the information campaign undertaken by the EC in each country. In comparing the communication campaigns in these two Member States, insights are gathered on the importance of an organized and well implemented information programme in forming favourable public perception and preparation of the citizenry for the transition, for the overall successful adoption of the euro. Chapter 1 introduces the topic of research and the context within which it shall be addressed. It presents the thesis statement sought to be substantiated, and explains the general methodology of arriving at the solution. The Chapter describes the approach that this dissertation takes in the course of arriving at a solution that leads to either the confirmation or negation of the thesis statement. The analysis is conducted according to the Integrative Framework for Effective Communication by Van den Putte, the particulars of which are explained in this Chapter. The topic of the dissertation is on the EU communication strategy and the euro implementation. The main research topic is approached through a comparative examination of the communication strategies employed in two countries, namely Sweden and Slovakia, in order to determine