Monday, September 30, 2019

Dance Helicap Essay

In 1967, Frank Dance proposed the communication model called Dance’s Helix Model for a better communication process. The name helical comes from â€Å"Helix† which means an object having a three-dimensional shape like that of a wire wound uniformly around a cylinder or cone. He shows communication as a dynamic and non-linear process. Theory Dance’s model emphasized the difficulties of communication. Frank Dance uses the form of a Helix to describe communication process. He developed this theory based on a simple helix which gets bigger and bigger as it moves or grows. The main characteristic of helical model of communication is that it is evolutionary. Frank Dance explains the communication process based on this Helix structure and compares it with communication. In the Helix structure, the bottom or starting is very small then it’s gradually moves upward in a back and forth circular motion which form the bigger circle in the top and it’s still moves further. The whole process takes some time to reach. As like helix, the communication process starts very slowly and defined small circle. Communicators share information only with small portion of themselves to their relationships. Its gradually develops into next level but which will take some time to reach and expanding its boundaries to the next level. Later the communicators commit more and share more portions themselves. Example When a child is born the only means of communication is crying, he/she cries for everything like hunger, pain, cold etc.. As the child grows the means of communication become wider and broader. He learns to makes noises then he learns language to obtain attention and to fulfil his needs. As a Helix the process of communication in this case started from crying and later it developed into a complex and compound means. The Helical model of communication is largely dependent on its past. A child learns to pronounce a word in his elementary classes and throughout his life he uses that word in the same way he learnt. Just like that we used to react to certain things in a certain way in our childhood and such reactions and habits lasts with us forever. The communication evolves in the beginning in some simple forms then the same process of communication develops based on the past activities. It develops further with modifications. Conclusion Frank Dance included the concept of time in his theory. Something happens over the other will always be based on the first event according to him. This theory of communication was a subject to a number of experimental researches. Even though this model of communication clarifies everything there is a problem of over simplification. According to this theory a communication process is the product of what we learnt. Let us understand the model with the help of an example. A child from the very moment he comes to this world starts communicating. When a baby is born, the nurse rubs his back to make the child cry. If the child doesn’t cry, it is an indication of a still born child. What does crying in this case refer to? It is actually a way the child is communicating to his parents that he is alive, absolutely hale and hearty and ready to face the challenges of the world. As the child grows up, he cries whenever he is hungry or expects something from his parents and sometimes simply for his parent’s attention. It is again a child’s own way of conveying his message to the whole world. When the same child grows up and starts going to school, he soon interacts with his parents, teachers, friends in the form of words. Now crying actually gets replaced by words or his speech but one thing which is common is the process of communication which existed since the child’s birth. Thus the child actually started communicating from the very first day of his life and has been communicating all through till the present day. This explains one part of helical model of communication. According to the Helical model of communication, the process of communication evolves from the very birth of an individual and continues till the existing moment. All living entities start communicating from the very first day of their origin. When seeds are planted, they convey the message to the gardener that they need to be watered daily and should be treated well with fertilizers and manure. When a plant emerges from the seed it also starts communicating its need for water, sunlight, manure and fertilizers, thus supporting the Helical model of communication. The same also applies for animals, birds, fishes and all living creatures. Now let us throw some more light on a real life situation An individual in his elementary classes learns to pronounce a particular word or react to a particular situation. It has been observed that even though the child grows up, he continues to pronounce that particular word in the same way as he did during his growing up days or for that matter, if the same situation arises again he would under all circumstances react in the same way as he did in the past. The fear of the child when suddenly the light goes off at night resulting in a complete blackout is present in his younger days as well as when he grows up. The above example again makes the Helical model of communication clear. According to the Helical model as the process of communication moves forward it also comes back and is largely dependent on the past behaviour of the individual. The model believes that communication process is just like a helix which moves forward as well as comes backward and is dependent on the behaviour patterns of the past definitely with some modifications and changes. As the child grows up, he does make slight changes in his past body movements or past pronunciation or facial expressions. He makes certain changes, modifications in his communication and tries to get rid of the communication errors. An individual will definitely get less nervous in his teenage days as compared to his childhood days, thus a slight change in his behaviour.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Maman/Louise Bourgeois

Louise, a twelve year old girl drawing missing segments on a tapestry for her parents’ tapestry repair shop lives her life lacking the knowledge of what she is going to be when she grows up. She begins to study math which she loves to do, but she had no idea that her studies had a close association with her exceptional drawing skills. One day, coming home from school, she walks by a tapestry, and begins to reminisce about the times when she had to draw them, so it struck her. She wanted to focus her studies in art. As she began to study art, she soon found out that she also exceeded in painting. She started out small, but her hard work and determination got her to the well-known artist that we know today as Louise Bourgeois, the artist of Maman. Any art piece can have multiple interpretations depending on how you look at it, but knowing the artist’s background will give you a complete understanding of their work of art. In addition, breaking down the artistic terms and one’s interpretation on a work of art are vital and usually different compare to other spectators. Knowing the artists’ background can be quite intriguing because it shows the reason and the process of creating their art, but for Louise Bourgeois’ background, it was straight forward. She was born on Christmas day, December 25, 1911, in Paris, France and now today living in New York at age 98. Her parents anticipated that she will be a boy, and name her Louis Bourgeois after her father’s name. Despite being a girl, she still retained the name, Louise Bourgeois. She is the second oldest of her siblings, but she is actually the third oldest because the first baby died. Her older sister is six year older than her, and her younger brother is one year younger. They lived above a tapestry gallery which belongs to their parents. In 1932 when Louise passed her high school exam, her mother passed away naturally. Family members were a great deal to Louise. Each member of the family has a special part of the family’s role. While studying art and painting art pieces, she met an American art historian, Robert Watergold which she married in 1938. They adopted an orphan boy named Michel which made them move to New York. She felt guilty leaving France, but she wanted to be able to care for the orphan boy. When they moved, she gave birth to two sons in the U. S. Shortly after giving birth, she began her painting career and soon started sculpting abstract sculptures. Her art work was displayed in many museums all over the United States. She regularly exhibited her art work in museums and was an active member of the American abstract artist group. Next, she transformed her paintings into sculptures. An example of such pieces is the sculpture, The Nest in the 1990’s, which is a group of spiders with the mother watching over the little ones. Later she made a giant spider called, Maman and was first displayed outside the Tate Museum of London in 2000. When you walk by Maman, the art piece just captures your attention and draws you in. Once you are in front of this breath taking sculpture. You wonder what is underneath it; how big is it? Well, Maman means mother in French. It was first put on show outside the Tate Museum of London in 2000. The sculpture Maman is a 30 feet tall female spider constructed of stainless steel. The whole sculpture is colored black, and beneath the body, there is a sac attached to the body of the mother spider in which she carries 26 pure white marble representing eggs. In addition, there are eight long thin legs supporting the sculpture to stand up. While assembling the sculpture, Bourgeois paid careful attention to details, such as positioning the legs and detailing the legs in order to attain a well-balanced structure. The sculpture emits a strong aura with all the little details put into it. Besides the original stainless steel version owned by the Tate Museum, London, there are other several brown bronze casts, located at: Kansas City, Canada, Tokyo, Boston, Cuba, and many more. The three main artistic terms are subject matter, content, and artistic form which I will be breaking down in this sculpture. First the subject matter. The sculpture is an image of what appears to be a giant spider with a sac of eggs and eight long thin legs. Secondly, content. The giant spider looks threatening, but the eggs that she embraces in her sac give her a sense of weakness. Louise attached the sac of eggs underneath the spider’s body demonstrating that the spider is more of a mother figure like than a predator. This spider was a tribute to her mother. Ms. Bourgeois said in a statement. â€Å"She was my best friend. Like a spider, my mother was a weaver. Like spiders, my mother was very clever. Spiders are friendly presences that eat mosquitoes. We know that mosquitoes spread diseases and are therefore unwanted. So, spiders are helpful and protective, just like my mother. † (Marie-Laure Bernadac 10) The oversize spider is also frightening which also means pain and fear to some others. So when one walks by, they can reminisce about the old memories of pain or fear. Louise Bourgeois said. â€Å"My sculpture allows me to re-experience the fear, to give it physicality so I am able to hack away at it. Fear becomes a manageable reality. Sculpture allows me to re-experience the past, to see the part in its objective, realistic proportion. † (Marie-Laure Bernadac 8) Finally, artistic form, where she placed the sac of eggs beneath the spider’s body, and the in depth designs on Maman’s legs; especially the size too. From my point of view, I wondered why she made this one so tall compare to all the other spider sculpture she made. Another spider sculpture she made is called The Nest which I have seen in person. The Nest is similar to Maman because Maman has a sac of eggs beneath her, and The Nest has smaller spiders beneath the tallest one in which it is the mother. Since The Nest is about 6 to 8 feet tall, it is saying that we are the predators because it is almost the same height as us. Why does one compare the spider to us you say? It is because we squish them when see them at home. Now she made a bigger and taller sculpture which we all know is Maman; it is saying that we are endanger now if we got too close to her eggs. The size of Maman is saying that who is looking down on whom now? Spiders can make cob webs in the corner and aggravate you. In this case, Maman wants to live her life in peace with her kids, and if you get too close the spider will fight back. Maman is a tribute to her mother because she was not only a mother, but also a best friend. Moreover, her mother was a weaver and was very clever just like a spider. Maman is almost practically a self portrait of Louise’s mother; a protective mother and defend her kids with all her might.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Experience of Hope Among Caregivers: Concept Analysis Essay

The term hope refers to undetectable strength that permits us to overcome our weaknesses, boosts us up when we fall, and continue to motivate us to move forward in any given situation. The theoretical description of hope is not universal but many shared elements are present in the definition of hope (Herth, 2000). According to Cutcliffe and Herth (2002), review of the literature has shown eight distinct key elements that outline and describe hope, such as, multidimensional, dynamic in nature, essential to life, focused on the future, personalized, part of a process, goal oriented, and connected to nursing (Table 8, p.839). The theoretical background for this analysis is grounded on concept of hope as established by Herth, who based her theory on Stress Appraisal & Coping outline by Lazarus and Folkman (Borneman, Stahl, Ferrell & Smith, 2002). Analysis of concept of hope among caregivers using Walker and Avant approach will expend the understanding of the concept. Clarification of defining attributes of hope, identification of antecedents that affect the insight of hope, discussion of probable consequences of hope, and explanation of the significance of terms will help the author and the reader with sharing of mutual language. Connection of hope to the vital attributes will be shown by the use of model case. Contrary and borderline case will distinguish this concept from other nursing concepts. Review of empirical literature will provide proof of this concept existence. Aims or Purpose In general, analysis of specific concept â€Å"aims to pull apart an interesting phenomenon with a view to understanding more about what it is and how it works in practice† (Tutton, Seer, & Langstaff, 2009, p. 120). The objective of concept analysis is to comprehend what is the concept about and differentiate it from other concepts. Furthermore, in order to modify and explain concept that originates from nursing research, theory or practice a concept analysis is conducted. Concepts are the building blocks for nursing theories and their examination is vital to active and correct implementation (Maputle & Donavon, 2013). In nursing, the concept of hope plays significant part in the plan of care. It is assumed that this concept analysis of hope  among caregivers will help nurse’s acquire better knowledge of the concept and help them implement gained understanding in patient-centered care settings. Accurate assessment of fading hope among caregivers will allow for implementation of supporting interventions. Application of patient-centered interventions, based on acquired findings, will help with delivery of evidence-based holistic care (Duggleby et al., 2009). Literature Review Caregivers of dementia patients face many challenges on a daily basis and their hope is â€Å"very much tied to how the person they were carrying for was doing that day† (Duggleby, Williams, Wright, & Bollinger, 2009, p. 517). The experience of carrying for a patient with dementia is perceived to be distinctive and as vital to the experience as the illness itself. The research has shown that physical, psychological, and spiritual stress is part of everyday struggles among caregivers. Furthermore, their physical and mental health is affected by the experience of caregiving. Hope among caregivers of dementia patients’ balances stress and sense of well-being (Duggleby et al., 2009). According to Herth (2000), hope is â€Å"one of the most essential elements in the lives of people with cancer† and has influence on â€Å"effective coping, especially during times of loss, suffering, and uncertainty† (p. 1431). Contribution from hope to enhancement of quality of life and impact on the progression of disease, among cancer patients, has been noted. Nursing practice has been known for contributing to support people in enhancing and preserving their hope (Herth, 2000). Terminally ill patients perceive hope as a treatment or cure that can extend their life regardless of their terminal diagnosis. They depend on hope for energy to keep moving forward when promising treatments fail to deliver positive outcomes. Hope can offer the capability to tolerate distress and cope with unbearable situation. Overall, â€Å"hope is exactly what is needed to stay engaged in the living while shouldering the burden of an uncertain future† and it â€Å"gives life meani ng, direction, and an optimistic focus† (Johnson, 2007, p. 451). Uses of Concept The concept of hope is vital in terms of disease and health problems. Milne, Moyle, and Cooke (2009) examined the significance of hope for patients  diagnosed with chronic disease, such as COPD. The live of individuals and their family members is burden by chronic illness. Dealing with condition that is chronic, on a daily basis, requires constant life modifications and hope is known for contribution to better understanding of illness and enhances future outcomes. Additionally, â€Å"hope is an intrinsic part of being human; a basic human response essential for life and to have no hope is to plunge into despair† (Milne, Moyle, &Cooke, 2009). Hope has been known as a significant part of patients’ existential needs, especially among patients that are terminally ill. Maintaining hope among home-bounded palliative patients was analyzed by the use of social and psychological approach by Olsson, Ãâ€"stlund, Strang, Grassman, and Friedrichsen (2010). Considering that hope â€Å"is a dynamic experience that is central to attaining both a meaningful life and dignified death†, terminally ill patients, uphold it by conversing about their future and by getting emotional and practical support (Olsson et al., 2010, p. 607). Elements that nurture hope among terminally ill patients include: family support, faith, short-term goal attainment, and presence of symbols that are associated with hope (Olsson, 2010). Defining Attributes The defining attributes of hope are relief of burden and inner strength. Carrying for a loved one, who has chronic or terminal illness, can influence negatively quality-of-life and overall health. The negative consequences, such as physical, social, and economic stress can be defined as burden of caregiving. Caregivers have many roles and responsibilities that can affect that burden. Some of the negative outcomes experienced by caregivers are: â€Å"stress, anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation, physical pain, and other chronic health conditions† (Williams et al., 2013). Additionally, fear of unknown and loneliness are included in the caregivers’ experience. In order to manage every day challenges, caregivers rely on hope as a psychosocial and spiritual source (Williams et al., 2013). Hope as a psychosocial and spiritual source provides support to caregivers during challenging transitions and provides support to improve their quality of life. It is part of the experience of caregiving, especially the uncertainty of the future. In many situations, hope serves as an inner strength to keep going and having an optimistic view of the future. Many caregivers refer to hope  as an inner source for coping with given situation (Williams et al., 2013). Model Cases Caregivers of chronically or terminally sick patients rely on hope during everyday struggles. The following model cases are presented to portray how caregivers experience hope when their loved ones suffer from chronic or terminal illness. A caregiver of a person suffering from Alzheimer’s disease states: â€Å"I think hope is the future, hope is what we do every day of our lives†¦I think hope is to overcome any obstacles that come in our way† (Duggleby et al., 2009, p. 517). â€Å"Hope is what happens to me every day†¦.It is what drives us and gets us up in the morning† (Duggleby et al., 2009, p.517). It is the inner strength that helps us to overcome obstacles on a daily basis. Everyday challenges faced by caregivers can be managed by incorporation of hope into finding some relief of the burden of caregiving. â€Å"The initial cancer diagnosis was just over a year ago†¦A few weeks ago we received bad news that was hard to take in†¦My partner is not showing any emotion and says he accepts it, but I am feeling anger, sadness, and fear. I am still shocked with the soberness†¦I try to be the best person I can be, but sometimes it is hard to find the strength to do that†¦I guess I need to look for hope every day because it is the one part of disease that I can control, unlike how the cancer progresses†¦But I can chose to hope. There may be light at the back of the tunnel yet – every once in a while it sneaks in when I’m not looking† (Williams et al., 2013). Additional Cases Additional cases provide an example of what the concept is not and deliver supplementary clarification (Walker & Avant, 2011). Two additional cases, contrary and borderline, are discussed to provide clarification of the concept of hope. Contrary Case â€Å"Mr. B is a 62-year-old Caucasian who is carrying for 72-year-old Filipino wife with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Mrs. B has completed several lines of chemotherapy with disease progression. Mr. B is in excellent health with no chronic health problems, and he works full time as a manager. They have two children and five grandchildren†¦Mr. B and his wife do not see eye to eye on important issues and they have different styles of  coping. Mr. B was raised as a Protestant but does not subscribe to any religion as an adult. Mrs. B is a Catholic and gains support from her faith and church community. Mr. B finds meaning and purpose in life from his family and providing for their needs. He also derives meaning from his work while experiencing the stress of multiple demands on his time. Mr. B has great difficulty coping with his wife’s disease and treatment†¦Mr. B describes waves of emotion and an inability to control his feeling of helplessness, ange r, and fear. He chooses not to share his feelings with his wife for fear that he may cause her more distress. While struggling with many unknowns, Mr. B anticipates being alone in the home the couple has shared for more than 40 years. He perceives that his responsibility as a caregiver is to protect Mrs. B from suffering and negativity (Fujinami, Otis-Green, Klein, Sidhu, & Ferrell (2012), p. E213). This case study presents a scenario of struggling with burden of caregiving. Mr. B has no inner strength to cope with his situation. He feels hopeless and decides not to inform his wife about struggles with his role as caregiver and fading hope. Open communication with his wife about struggles with many unknowns could bring Mr. B some hope and relief from burden of his wife’s disease. Borderline case Some of the critical attributes of the concept of hope are present in a borderline case (Walker & Avant, 2011). The next case offers similar attributes to the main concept . â€Å"A 46-year-old woman, incompletely injured at C5, moving around with the aid of crutches and a wheelchair, described her personal experiences of faith, hope and will power: ‘I really have hope, you always have hope, you just hope to manage a new, little thing, and then you hope to succeed†¦and if you have faith, then you hope and then†¦and all the time you have this (hope) within you, and to keep it (the hope) you need the will as well as the belief that you will make it†¦And she summarized her years’ experience as follows: ‘I really need to have hope. I need both faith and hope to cope with this. And willpower. Because if I give up, I will end up sitting here (in a wheelchair) and nothing can help me† ( Lohne, & Severinsson, (2005), p. 319). According to this case, f aith, hope and will power are relentlessly related. Patients who suffer from traumatic injuries depend on on hope to cope with a new situation. They also need  willpower, faith to hope and effectively cope with lifestyle changes. Antecedents and Consequences The circumstances or instances occurring prior to main concept are the antecedents (Walker & Avant, 2011). Antecedent to hope can be related to crisis. The examples of crisis include: terminal or chronic illness, hardship, harm, a life frightening condition, or a change. Tough decision that needs to be made or a challenge in one’s life could also be an antecedent to hope. Overall, antecedent to hope can be anything that is crucial in persons’ life since hope is exceptionally linked to persons’ life experiences (Stephenson, 1991). â€Å"The consequences or outcomes of hope can be a new perspective† (Stephenson, 1991, p. 1459). Hope provide inner strength, empower and energy in ones’ life experience. Fulfillment of hope delivers encouragement, purpose for ones’ actions, calmness, and relief (Stephenson, 1991). Empirical Referents The theoretical framework offers different structure for understanding the concept of hope. Herth (2000) pursued to establish if theory driven interventions enhance hope and quality-of-life among participants with an initial relapse of cancer. Groundwork for this study was constructed on The Hope Process Framework. Implementation of nursing interventions during group session intended to focus on diverse attributes of hope, such as experimental (searching for hope), spiritual or transcendent (expending the boundaries), relational (connecting with others), and rational thought (building the hopeful veneer) (Herth, 2000, p. 1434). This study has shown that by focusing on the four attributes of hope, patient-centered nursing interventions enhance the level of hope and increase patient’s quality of life. Suitable research instruments are mandatory to assess the concept of hope. In order to measure the level of hope Herth Hope Index (HHI) can be used. HHI is a valuable instrument that is used to measures hope using 12-item Likert-type scale. The level of hope among terminally ill patients was assessed by the use of HHI and Background Data Form (BDF). The BDF delivered information on age, sex, diagnosis, and level of education, activity and fatigue. The results have shown no influence on the level of hope by those variables, moreover, reveling that hope remained stable  (Herth, 1990). Conclusion This paper sought to deliver concept analysis of hope. The understanding of this concept analysis was based on literature, attributes, and empirical evidence. The critical attributes, antecedents, and consequences were identified and empirical reference was provided for better understanding. Hope as a concept is multidimensional and the understanding of hope among caregivers of chronically or terminally ill patients is significant. Hope gives inner strength and relief of burden of caregiving daily and should be nurtured and cherished before it fades. References: Borneman, T., Stahl, C., Ferrell, B., & Smith, D. (2002). The concept of hope in family caregivers of cancer patients at home. Journal of Hosipce and Pallitive Nursing, 4(1), 21-33. Retrieved from http://prc.coh.org/CHopeFCG.pdf Cutcliffe, J., & Herth, K. (2002). Concept of hope. The concept of hope in nursing 1: its origins, background and nature. British Journal Of Nursing, 11(12), 832. Duggleby, W., Williams, A., Wright, K., & Bollinger, S. (2009). Renewing everyday hope: the hope experience of family caregivers of persons with dementia. Issues In Mental Health Nursing, 30(8), 514-521. doi:10.1080/01612840802641727 Fujinami, R., Otis-Green, S., Klein, L., Sidhu, R., & Ferrell, B. (2012). Quality of Life of Family Caregivers and Challenges Faced in Caring for Patients With Lung Cancer. Clinical Journal Of Oncology Nursing, 16(6), E210-20. doi:10.1188/12.CJON.E210-E220 Herth, K. (1990). Fostering hope in terminally-ill people. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 15(11), 1250-1259. doi:10.1 111/j.1365-2648.1990.tb01740.x Herth. K. (1999). Herth Hope Index. Retrieved from http://www.promotingexcellence.org/downloads/measures/herth_hope_index.pdf Herth, K. (2000). Enhancing hope in people with a first recurrence of cancer. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 32(6), 1431-1441. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.2000.01619.x Johnson, S. (2007). Hope in the terminal illness: an evolutionary concept analysis. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 13(9), 2007. Lohne, V., & Severinsson, E. (2005). Patients’ experiences of hope and suffering during the first year following acute spinal cord injury. Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 14(3), 285-293. Maputle, M. S., & Donavon, H. (2013). Woman-centred care in childbirth: A concept analysis (Part 1). Curationis, 36(1), 1-8. doi:10.4102/curaionis.v36i1.49 Milne, L., Moyle, W., & Cooke, M. (2009). Hope: a construct central to living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. International Journal Of Older People Nursing, 4(4), 299-306. doi:10.1111/j.1748-3743.2009.00185.x Olsson, L., Ãâ€"stlund, G., Grassman, E., Friedrichsen, M., & Strang, P. (2010). Maintaining hope when close to death: insight from cancer patients in palliative home care. International Journal Of Palliative Nursing, 16(12), 607-612. Stephenson, C. (1991). The concept of hope revisited for nursing. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 16(12), 1456-1461. Tutton, E., Seer, K., & Langstaff, D. (2009). An exploration of hope as a concept for nursing. Journal of orthopedic nursing, 13(3), 119-127. Retrieved from http://www.hopeforthespirit.info/quality_we bquest/Tutton_et_al_2009.pdf Walker, L.O., & Avant, K.C. (2011). Strategies for theory construction in nursing (5th ed.). Norwalk, CT: Appleton, Lange. Williams, A., Duggleby, W., Eby, J., Cooper, R., Hallstrom, L., Holtslander, L., & Thomas, R. (2013). Hope against hope: exploring the hopes and challenges of rural female caregivers of persons with advanced cancer. BMC Palliative Care, 12(1), 44. doi:10.1186/1472-684X-12-44

Friday, September 27, 2019

My personal statements Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My statements - Personal Statement Example This will enable me pursue my dream career and enable me to make significant contributions in the area of study. My educational qualifications are outstanding and in line with the requirements for the Masters in Agriculture Economics. I attended Bashu High School in China between September 2006 and July 2009 and got my high school degree. Since I am a foreign student, I studied English as my second language at the Central Center for English as a Second Language (CESL), University of Arizona between January 2010 and May 2010. I hope to complete my Bachelor, Major in Agriculture Economic and Management, Minor in Japanese and Administration management between August 2010 and May 2014 (expected). This proves that I have the intellectual capabilities to pursue the Masters in Agricultural Economics. Additionally, I have pursued other courses that are related to the field of agricultural economics that will positively towards my course. These courses make up important aspects of the course I need to study. These courses include future goods, financial management in agribusiness and a biology plant course (James, 2013). This goes ahead to prove my extensive knowledge in agricultural economics. I have two years experience in weed control, proficiency in English, Japanese and Chinese. I am also highly skilled in various computer applications and this will help me in conducting research in various topics in the agricultural economics. My work experience as an accounting assistant in Accountant assistant Chongqing Bank between June 2010 and December 2010 helped me gain valuable lessons in the field of economics and also enabled me to develop teamwork and leadership skills. I was also a leader of the Agricultural Club in high school and this further developed my interest in Agriculture. I enjoy outdoor activities and sports and this has facilitated how I manage my time between learning and extra- curricular activities. I have been able to combine sports and excel in

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Macroeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Macroeconomics - Essay Example In order to justify the arguments mentioned in the article, the author has used different economic theories. Equilibrium Theory of Economics: The author of the article implicitly described that the political leaders believe that the equilibrium in the economy will be achieved with the help of tax cut strategy. The assumption that lies behind the strategy of tax cut was that by reducing the taxes the economy will grow further and the economy may be able to achieve equilibrium position. First of all, it is important to develop cognizant regarding the equilibrium theory. Equilibrium theory of economics depends upon the behavior of demand and supply along with the prices of the whole economy (Scarf, 2008). The combination of quantity and the prices, where demand equals supply, is referred to as the equilibrium point. This equilibrium point is the point, where the economic growth is at its peak. The strategy, which is being followed by the US Govt. since last 10 years, was to reduce the t axes so the purchasing power of the people can be increased and the economic growth can reach approximately at its peak. Implicitly, the Govt. of United States Of America is assuming the equilibrium theory of economics persists. ... The strategy of tax cut prevails throughout the period. Now the question arises why the tax cut strategy could not be successful? The answer lies in the explanation of Keynesian Theory of Economics. Keynisian Theory Of Economics: One of the most significantly studied economic theories by the author of the article is the Keynesian theory. The Keynesian theory describes the fact that there are number of different factors that must be considered when studying the cause and effect relationships (Keynes, 2004). The article has beautifully described the facts that during the period of tax cuts the economy could not grow properly, but the period of economic growth could be significantly seen when the tax rates were high David Leonhardt, the author of the article has conducted the correlation analysis. The basic concept behind the Keynesion economic theory is that the aggregate demand and supply may never be equal for the economic growth. In other words, the equilibrium point, where the dema nd equals supply may not necessarily be the point of highest economic growth. The reason is that there are many other factors that may have profound impacts on the economic growth. The US Govt. must also consider those other factors to define the economic growth. The basic presumption behind the tax cut strategy, was that in short term the tax cut put money in the people’s pocket and in the long run people will work harder if they keep more of the next dollar they earn. The Govt. did not focus on other related and important factors. One of the most important considerations was that the people who care about hitting the specific income target might work less because they can hit that particular income target more easily. In addition to this, the economy has also experienced deficit,

Business Opportunities in Brunei Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Opportunities in Brunei - Essay Example Brunei is a members of ASEAN, United Nations Organization and the Organization of Islamic Conference. In spite of great political changes, Brunei is still a sultanate headed by Hassanal Bolkiah. The official language is Malay but business companies and organization understand English and Chinese. The currency of the country is Brunei dollar (Brunei. Brunei Country Reports 2008). The uniqueness of Brunei business culture is that it is influenced by Hinduism and Islam. Similar to other Asian coulters, Brunei culture has no clearly defined division between religion, philosophy and business. Faith and philosophy are lived every day as a way of life. To understand the Brunei businessmen, for example in the context of business leadership, it is important to understand the principles by which they live and to what extent the teachings of their philosophers are still applicable today (Brunei. The World Factbook 2008). They are extremely good at exploiting opportunities and at deal-making; they are masters of financial, in particular cash, management; in short, they are a result of a long series of opportunistic tactical moves. They are persistent, enduring and may survive in business for a long time by simply accumulating slim short-term gains. Historically, one characteristic of the Brunei business leaders is that their power rests on high flexibility, adaptabilit y and political pragmatism.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Low Life Expectancy in the Developing World Essay

Low Life Expectancy in the Developing World - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that  life expectancy of different countries is different. Developed countries normally have better life expectancy because of the better care it provides to the wellbeing of its citizens. On the other hand, developing countries or underdeveloped countries cannot spend much on the health care sector and subsequently the people in these countries may have a low life expectancy compared to that in the developed countries. African countries are famous for low life expectancy not because of poor economy alone, but because of the life styles also.As the paper highlights  the increasing number of severe diseases is the major reason for low life expectancy.   AIDS, Heart attacks, cancer, stroke, high blood pressure, Cholesterol, diabetics are some of the major diseases which lowers the life expectancy of the developing world. Cancer is one of the major problems in the developing world.  Africa is a continent which is infamous for AUDS problems. Afric ans, have poor habits in their sexual life and they do not care much about the consequences while engage in unsafe sexual activities. â€Å"Sub-Saharan Africa is more heavily affected by HIV and AIDS than any other region of the world. An estimated 22.5 million people are living with HIV in the region - around two thirds of the global total†.  The African culture and life styles are major culprits for the increased AIDS problems in this region. Africans are fun loving people and they have the habit of unsafe sex.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Overload protection systems and mechanics of machines Essay

Overload protection systems and mechanics of machines - Essay Example Overload protection systems play a great role in protecting people and equipment from harm that may result from such faults or overloads. Overload protection systems normally feature overload switches or relays that serve to cut off power supplies to certain elements of the system and, therefore, prevent the machine from working normally (Gurevich 2003, p. 57). There are different overload protection systems that exist, each with its specific function and application. In industries that involve the movement of heavy loads, overload protection systems are installed to ensure that the machine, equipment and people are protected against injustices or damages that may occur in case the machine is loaded beyond its capacity (Gurevich 2003, p. 183). Systems that protect against weight overload commonly exist on cranes and elevators. There are also machines that work in environments that feature a lot of heat. Some machines are installed with protection systems to prevent them from damage b y extreme heat or cold. These systems are fitted with sensors that prevent them from functioning normally under adverse thermal conditions. One example of an overload protection system used in cranes is the LKV Crane Overload Guard. Figures 1 and 2 show the LKV Crane Overload Guard. Fig. 1 & 2: LKV Crane Overload Guard Courtesy of www.unirope.com The guard is attached to a line part that is stationary. The guard is installed such that the wire is deflected slightly between the clamping jaw and the two wheels (Unirope 2013, par. 3). The rope tends to straighten when the system is subjected to a load. When this happens, a force is applied to the clamping jaw as well as to the pull rod. If the load exceeds a present switch value, the pull rod activates a microswitch which closes or opens a circuit (Unirope 2013, par. 3). The load cell contains a spring element that is preloaded to reduce the movement by the pull rod to about a quarter of the full load. Many machines that are used in in dustries rely on electrical energy for their control or functioning. Electricity supplies sometimes fluctuate to the extent of transmitting currents beyond the ratings of machines or their components. To prevent electrical and electronic systems from damages that result from too much, too low or fluctuating currents or voltages, some machines are fitted with overload switches (Gurevich 2003, p. 124). Scientific Principles of Mechanics of Machines A machine is basically a tool or equipment that makes work easier and faster. Machines commonly use electrical, chemical, thermal, or mechanical energy to meet the objectives for which they are intended. Many machines that are used today are complex in nature and often times comprise one or more simple machines and computer systems. Simple machines include levers, pulleys, wheels and axels, inclined planes, screws, and wedges. Mechanical Advantage Machines are specifically designed to make work easier and faster. The level to which a machin e makes work faster or easier is known as the mechanical advantage (MA). In Engineering and physics, mechanical advantage is defined as the number of times a machine multiplies the effort implied into it (ThinkQuest 2013, par. 1). In other words, it is the ratio of exerted working force produced by a machine to the effort applied, the units of force being measured in Newtons. In order to determine the mechanical advantage of a machine, one needs to divide the resistance force by the force of effort (ThinkQuest 2013, par. 1). In many cases, the resistance force is equal to the weight of the object. Mechanical Advantage of Pulley Systems A pulley is basically a machine that comprises a wheel that has a groove. A cable, belt or rope runs inside the groove to lift or lower loads and to

Monday, September 23, 2019

The Black Death and its aftermath Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Black Death and its aftermath - Essay Example The religious view argued that the "Black Death" was created by the Jews so that they could eliminate all the Christians from this world. They believed that the Jews had poisoned all the wells and springs. Therefore, they persecuted the Jews demanding them to confess their evil schemes. Many of the Jews confessed that they obtained this lethal poison from a foreign land but it was done without the knowledge of the Jewish community. Many communities had to pray hard for rain so that their people could have pure water to drink and cook. Some of the regions that were severely affected by this disease believed that God would want the Jews to be punished for this act. So they began to burn the Jews for poisoning all the wells and springs. As a result of the torture, many Jews were adopted to the Christian faith through baptism in order to avoid undeserved punishment 2 (Horrox, 1994). The religious view also argued that the plague was a punishment from God. They believed that the human race deserved to be punished because of their disobedience to God. People lived lifestyles that were sinful, unrighteous and not pleasing to him. Because of this, God had to demonstrate his sovereign power by allowing humanity to suffer. People could be cured from this disease but in order to be healed they had to humble themselves and totally submit to His authority. In comparison, the practitioners from Egyptian and Mesopotamian nations had 'medicine' to make peace with the gods. They believed that performing certain rituals and incantations before the sick person would cause him to be delivered from the demon spirit, for they all believed that diseases were caused by demons 3 (Horrox, 1994; & Longrigg, 1998). The medical theory presented two main explanations on the plague. Firstly, they believed that the cause of 'Black Death' was associated with "miasma" which means "bad air". They said that when a person inhales 'bad air' it goes directly into their lungs before it gets transmitted into their blood stream. Therefore, it starts to affect the patient's body by generating various symptoms such as headaches, coughing up blood, and a rain increase in the pulse rate. 2 The disease also would spread quickly into the air when the afflicted patient exhaled. This medical theory supported the fact that the air was not the main cause of the plague; instead, the plague was a direct result of the pollution or bacteria in the air that which was the cause for the disease. So when a normal individual contracted the disease through an afflicted person, they were both required to immediately leave the town before they passed it on to more people4 (Horrox, 1994). The medical theory also claimed that the plague was caused by an imbalance in the individuals' diet. For instance, individuals with inadequate nourishment were more vulnerable to the plague than people with malnutrition. People who consume an adequate amount of water were less susceptible to the disease. This indicated that the socioeconomic status was a significant factor in determining the rate at which the disease spread. Therefore, people from low class families were mainly blamed for the elevation of 'Black Death'. The medical view

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Should Parents Be Obliged to Immunise Their Children Against Childhood Diseases Essay Example for Free

Should Parents Be Obliged to Immunise Their Children Against Childhood Diseases Essay Some people argue that the state does not have the right to make parents immunise their children. However, I feel the question is not whether they should immunise but whether, as members of society, they have the right not to. Preventative medicine has proved to be the most effective way of reducing the incidence of fatal childhood diseases. As a result of the widespread practice of immunising young children in our society, many lives have been saved and the diseases have been reduced to almost zero. In previous centuries children died from ordinary illnesses such as influenza and tuberculosis and because few people had immunity, the diseases spread easily. Diseases such as dysentery were the result of poor hygiene but these have long been eradicated since the arrival of good sanitation and clean water. Nobody would suggest that we should reverse this good practice now because dysentery has been wiped out. Serious diseases such as polio and smallpox have also been eradicated through national immunisation programmes. In consequence, children not immunised are far less at risk in this disease-free society than they would otherwise be. Parents choosing not to immunise are relying on the fact that the diseases have already been eradicated. If the number of parents choosing not to immunise increased, there would be a similar increase in the risk of the diseases returning. Immunisation is not an issue like seatbelts which affects only the individual. A decision not to immunise will have widespread repercussions for the whole of society and for this reason, I do not believe that individuals have the right to stand aside. In my opinion immunisation should be obligatory.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Continuous Development Of Modern Media Technology Media Essay

Continuous Development Of Modern Media Technology Media Essay With the continuous development of modern media technology, constantly updated means of communication and increasingly rich forms of communication, mass media almost always affects people in all aspects of life. In current society, a variety of communications activities has become indispensable in our lives. As an example, the radio program Mars on Earth reported in 1938, which led to huge panic in the United States adequately illustrated this point. TV, newspapers, online news, and radio stations and other news media access to information are now the most important source of information for people to understand the social. Media as an integral part of life, its coverage means often affects the publics mood, and the report of peoples point of view often leads the trend of public opinion. While the continuous spread of important information for the audience, the media is also instilling the relevant concept to audience in a subtle way, in order to affects our attitude, and thus to some extent, to change our view of the world. Just as C. Wright Mills stated that Media not only give us information, they guide our very experiences. This paper will make a detailed analysis of the social function of the media, first introduced the media function in the information dissemination, and discusses the media as information channel for people to provide services. Then this paper will analyze in which way the media influence peoples attitudes, behaviors and experiences. 2.0 The social function of the media The news media is part of the whole social system, which is responsible for reporting the development of the whole society and change, recording the process of the functioning of society bit by bit, with has social information dissemination, public opinion, social supervision and cultural heritage features. In all above, information dissemination is the most basic function of the media, and it has been undertaking to pass true and accurate social information, as well as the task of passing the first-hand information to the audience. Through continually providing a large number of reports of the social events, media transfers flow of information about the surrounding environment, transportation, culture, news, financial market to the public, and also a variety of impending disaster has occurred or, threats and other information to meet their needs. (Bryant Oliver, 2009) In addition to the basic functions of information dissemination, media also has social supervision, education and guidance functions. This paper focuses on the social function of how media guides peoples behavior. 3.0 Means by which media guide peoples experience 3.1 Media decides the content and intensity of information dissemination by news selection There are many large and small event happen every day in the world, reporters choose what to report and what not to have set the window limits for the mass audience, and the scope of the subject of discussion. (Deephouse, 2000) The media measures whether the incident should be reported and how they are reported by a certain news value, in which the fresh of news and timeliness are the key criteria. The fierce ratings competition between media makes the journalists must be ready to face tight time pressure; they all hope to make exclusive reports and starting the news. (Lengel Trevino, 1987) When a hot topic in the head, the media will rush to chase stories, all television, newspaper layout with large, a lot of time around the same topic, it is important to create the atmosphere. But soon, when the subject lost its news value, it will completely disappear in the media. The chase of timely news brings urgent pressure of time, so that media workers have difficulties to do in-depth coverage of events. The media led the public to focus a particular issue, it will also lead us quickly forget the subject. 3.2 To guide the public emotions through different ways of media coverage Press report is easy to influence the publics perception of news events, and lead us to a particular point of view to understand the event. The news media report implied social customs, ethics, philosophy, personality temperament and other news elements of influence and control human emotions more and more apparent. (Scannell, 1992) For example, media report to specific geographical coverage and the spread of video content, due to re-process or phenomenon and not only focus on its nature, to live lives of such people would deepen the misunderstanding of people and things, the tendency of these people and events to be rendering, and thus have a negative impact on the public: not only will affect the groups feelings, but also affects the positioning. Medias role is to help us to transcend personal experience of life constraints, let us know what is happening in other corners. News reporting should be objective and fair. But each persons perception of the world derived from the individuals life experience, according to different backgrounds, social status, gender, ethnic group, different people present for the same facts, is bound to see a different face, resulting in different interpretations, no one can remove the view or values . Of course, media are no exception. The integration of these differences in the news becomes emotional and cognitive impact of a factor to people. 3.3 The development of new technologies creates more possibilities for the media influence on people Television reports which allow people to the text provided in the newspaper and sound provided by broadcast, itll also see a real vivid picture. TV news focuses on visual effects, even if not shooting pictures, television stations often use computer graphics showing the incident, manufacturing, and shot in the visual. These impressive images are easy to be trusted by people, so television has more social control force than other media. In addition, the way to receive information from television is mostly passive, television is relatively weak selective information, which more seriously confined the scope of access to information sources of the audience. In todays information society, media pluralism has been formed. In the press, radio, television and other media followed by a fourth media Internet. (Edwards, 1998) The rapid development of new media provides more extensive information on the public. (Couldry Curran, 2003) 3.4 advertising leadS tendency of the media coverage Advertising is the greatest sense aggressors of modern society and the strongest message implants. As an advertising vehicle of the release of advertising, the tremendous impact on the news media brought by the advertising is inevitable. As we all know, at present, the news media advertising is still the most important publishing platform. News and advertising co-exist on one platform, to contradictions and problems inevitably arise. (Schewe, 2004)As social and economic development, the role of advertising is growing. It passes the information to promote economic development in goods but also to both the media and advertisers to create huge economic interests. In the interests of the stimulation, the media coverage will inevitably have a certain bias. Media on corporate image, product performance, marketing activities and other information for publicity, this practice is called soft ads by some media, and is called hidden advertising by advertisers. For ordinary consumers, these practices are very deceptive in nature. This appears to news is actually a style advertising openly in the news section, so unknown to the audience and may mislead them to believe. 4. How peoples experience be guided by media 4.1 Reconstruction of social values through public opinion Opinion is the most controversial social life events have a certain tendency to published comments, opinions and views. As a common psychological tendency of public opinion, it is hidden in the depths of peoples thinking, through the social assessment with value judgments, such as a specific values or behavior of the praise and admiration or criticism and condemnation, resulting in a social atmosphere, to have an impact on the values and behavior of the community Members. With members of the broad impact on society, public opinion has become an important means of cultural control, and the control system in modern society has an important position. Through the role of public opinion, on the one hand, the mass media will be the legislative branch and public administration institutions to develop, promulgate laws, decrees made public, called on people to adhere to the existing social norms, while the mass media to spread the people values, beliefs and life behavior in order to guide public choice to establish a correct outlook on life and behavior; on the other hand, public opinion and mass media will call through the network, television, radio, newspapers and other channels back to the social ruling, prompting the legislature and public regulatory bodies to consider the public demand, the existing legal and institutional system to adjust and improve, and continuously improve its administrative capacity to maintain social stability and social order. Thus, there is the formation of mainstream social values, although it is not mandatory like the law, it generally widespread impact on peoples thinking and behavior as an invisible constraint. 4.2 To change the publics lifestyle and spending habits Mass media treats guide as a starting point, using its powerful propaganda to make people happy in leisure reading among accepted the new consumption patterns and lifestyles, (Morris Ogan, 1996) which gave birth to consumer culture. The shopping information published in the Newspaper also makes people change their attitudes in consumer. Which stores have recently engaged in activities, what brand, price number, price information, etc. Which pharmacies, we reported on the exchange received from these messages, and compare, go consumption. Difference with the elderly is that, young people read newspapers are concerned about the strong style of entertainment news and employment information. Some people also go through the information reported on the drivers, waiters, security and other jobs. From that point on, the mass media, consumer culture and consumption in the formation of lifestyle play a conspiracy role. 4.3 News reports of crime and violence have a tremendous impact on people With the development of society, media attention on political related events has gone from a single broadened to a variety of criminal phenomena, showing a trend of diversification. With the strengthening of public opinion functions, the number of news reports of crime and weight has been significantly improved, which strongly shocked criminals, and demonstrate the power of the rule of law. (Thoman, 2010) Media is keen to report crime and the main reason is that crime news concerns the audience easily and access to them more attractive. Crime news reports often have twists and turns of the plot, as well as the color of violence, it has more stimulating and entertaining elements than the other news stories. The authenticity of news reports also makes it depicts the victims of crime, especially violent crime, to bring serious consequences, more than the literary fiction film and television has more power to shock. Driven by the economic interests, news reports of crime is inevitably some distortion of the real social phenomenon: excessive rendering of malignant cases, highlighting the cruel circumstances, the disclosure of personal privacy and other related personnel cases. Violation of implied theory believes that exposure to aggressive stimuli may increase a persons motivation level of physical and emotional. In other words, the content of news violence can increase aggressive behavior stimulation occur. In some cases, aggressive characters in the news will give them a role model. Which can be seen, the mass media violence and the proliferation of pornography are often imperceptible to the audiences behavior and way of life tend to have a negative impact on these effects if left unchecked, it is possible to induce the production of deviant behavior. Elizabeth (2010) said that, Many blame media for the rise in violence, but of course thats not the whole storyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Some of the details of this connection might be questioned But the fact that a connection exists is hard to dispute. Which leads us to an inescapable conclusion: Something must be done. The media should adopt accurate news reports of crime, so the audience can keep abreast of the latest social facts of the crime, ease because it caused an unknown number of tension, suspicion, rumors and other negative emotions have to create a good environment for punishing evil and promote good. 5. Summary Since the 20th century, mass media has had a profound impact on peoples lives. The newspapers, books, radio, television, communications satellites and the Internet all represented the modern media space, which makes the whole world a small village. In the aspect of time, the whole community culture and communication network system stay in the same structure, which enables human to enjoy the same important information at the same time, so that all ethnic and cultural exchanges and interaction between real world. The news media with modern sense has become the dominant mode of existence of a culture in modern society the news media culture. Media culture on the psychological characteristics, behavioral structure, attitudes toward other aspects have had a significant effect on the contemporary human life form, content and even ways of thinking have changed dramatically along. With the in-depth of news media era, mass media plays in contemporary society, not only to transmit information, provide entertainment and other social functions, but also changing peoples values and way of life, shaping the social and public life. It continually to provide a series of community-oriented public values and colors to create a highly popular media discourse system, the media text is also increasingly becoming an important form of the modern spirit of the consumer. As a result, the news media become a pervasive cultural existence for its coverage of the large community and huge influence on people in modern society. The news media refers to mass media culture as a carrier; to the media of expression is the basic characteristic of modern society, a cultural phenomenon unique. Either as channels for the dissemination of information, or acts to guide the public, news media should be fully aware of their responsibility, (Curran Seaton, 2003) and try to make it fair and make contribute to sound development for the community. (2109 words)

Friday, September 20, 2019

Contemporary Issues In Human Resource Management Commerce Essay

Contemporary Issues In Human Resource Management Commerce Essay The impact of the recession upon human resource management activities of HM activities The paper provides an overview on Hennes Mauritz (HM), analyzing the industry environment and the position in the retail market. The paper also explores the impact of the recession upon the human resource management activities, based on publicly available details of HM, which has been analyzed and presented within the context of the perspective. Introduction The retail industry is usually a very dynamic, and a fast changing sector in the market. It represents one of the main sectors in the UK economy, in terms of employment, transactions and turnover, so that as a consequence, it is a highly competitive and a sophisticated industry. Thompson(2002) argues that economic conditions are an important element in the industry and he states that they may affect the way, weather easy or difficult, a business runs the activity successfully and profitable .Furthermore he claims that economic conditions may affect both capital availability, cost and demand. Companies in the fashion sector have to keep all the time the attention on monitoring the market, and should try to identify any new trends as soon as possible and, above all, they have to keep up with the customers increasing expectations, needs and changing tastes. As the paper shows above, the analysis will be on the HennesMauritz fashion business which is considered one of the worlds favourite and preferred designers of clothes and accessories for man, women, teenagers and babies. In addition, HM its also known not only for the fashion cosmetics and accessories but also because of the quality of the clothes ,using sustainable materials like organic cotton, wool and organic denim, all being environmental friendly ( HM website(1), viewed 20 October 2010). According to the Datamonitor (2010, p.4) HM is a large clothing retailer with its operations primarily set in Europe, North America, and Asia, owning in 2009 1,988 stores worldwide and reaching sales of 119 billion Sweden Kronor. (HM website (2), viewed 20 October 2010). The companys main office is based in Stockholm, Sweden and employs almost 76,000 workers out of which more than 53,476 are on full time employment as of November 2009. HMs strategic approach is to offer designer clothes to general population at affordable prices, the company working with such brand names as Stella McCartney, Karl Lagerfeld, Roberto Cavalli and Lanvin (Capell Beucke 2005, p. 16; Kroll 2004, p. 71; Zimmerman 2009, p. D1; WWD 2010, p. 2). RECESSION IN RETAIL SECTOR Nowadays almost all kinds of industries are willing to maintain their competitive position in the market during the recession period. Most of the challenges that the retail market faces are related to the economic and the financial aspects. The fashion industry faced unfavourable situation due to the reduction of the money spent on clothes, but also due to the change in consumers behaviour. According to Kambil (2009) recession should last less than 2 years, and managers should take full advantage of this in order to rethink and renew their strategies and their competitive positions in the UK retail market. The UK retail market was just one of the industries hit by the global economic downturn, as shoppers were forced to limit their spending and consumer confidence was shaken by the failure of important retail giants like Woolworth. With the retail market getting back on its feet in 2010 particularly the online sales segment, where UK web sales grew by 18% in August 2010 (BBC website, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11034030 ), compared with the same month a year earlier one of the most pressing concerns is whether there will be long-term effects on consumer confidence or spending. The retail industry has been an excellent contributor to the UKs economy. According to the British Retail Consortium, the retail sector is one of the second largest employers in the UK, employing 11% of the UK workforce, some 2.9 million people as of March 2009. Historical evidences depict that the UKs economic development has been dominantly fuelled by the successes in the fashion industry especially because of the existence of 286,680 retail outlets in the UK (British Retail Consortium website). Over all these years, industrial success in textiles and fashion goods component have been significant and can be attributed to the continuous change and improvements in the lifestyle of the shoppers and the increasing value being placed to such products. Consumers constantly experimented different looks, styles, fabrics and ideas and their interest in fashion accessories has been stimulated by high media exposure, which have been growing over the last few years. This assiduous rise in the consumer spending on fashion products led to practically unchallenged growth in the industry. Despite the crisis in this sector of the economy, some of the organizations managed to grow their market share. According to Kambil (2008) companies need to focus their attention on the market share and in addition they had to launch new products and adjust the existing ones in order to improve their relations with the customers. Using HM as a company example, they tried to beat the effects of the downturn, by launching designer clothes in partnership with well-know designers like Jimmy Choo, Roberto Cavalli and Lanvin this November (HM website, viewed 21 October 2010). Moreover the economic recession has affected many HR Processes and they needed to be adapted to the new economic environment and furthermore they had to be ready to face the new reality. The impact of the recession is not the same and many HR Processes can continue their regular operation without any adjustment. Even if recession has affected many fashion organisations, closing stores or slashing prices, one of the big retailers operating on the UK market, HM ,was keeping quite well, in addition they were opening stores, entering new markets, and adding new brands (Spiegel website, April 9 2008, ). Another major effect of the recession in the retail industry is the staff redundancies. According to The Telegraph website there is an important downsizing in this sector, which may affect retail organisations in many ways. The article shows that at the beginning of 2009 economists were announcing massive staff reductions between 100,000 and 135,000 jobs due to the severity of the slowdown. Moreover the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development predicted at that time more than 600,000 jobs will be lost and many companies will be forced to freeze their workforces pay. Sales have been also suffering by the economic downturn, reporting a volume of retail sales lower with 0.1% than October last year (National Statistics Online website, http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=256). Among the factors that should be taken into consideration is the current economic growth rate in the nation. This directly refers to an economys rise in value of services or goods produced. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the case of United Kingdom, the economic growth rate in 2010 grew by 1.1% in the second quarter of the year (BBC website, National Statistics Online website, http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=256 ). Another economic factor that may influence retail business in the fashion industry is the inflation. According to the BBC newspaper, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), inflation increased to 3.2% in October from 3.1% per cent in the previous month (BBC newspaper, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11784775, Appendix A) . SWOT Analysis of HM According to Armstrong (2004) SWOT is defined as (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) and is a popular framework for developing a marketing strategy. SWOT analysis is basically done to find out if they have sufficient resources to cover their weakness and still achieve their objective. Strength Hennes Mauritz AB build its strengths by operating through complementary retail channels stores, Internet, and printed catalogues. According to Datamonitor (2010) one of the significant strength of HM Company is the request for its products which rise up the inventory turnover and enables low price cut. Customer express their preference for HM product especially clothes because of its quality at the best price but also because of the stores which are refreshed and reordered daily with new garments products. Moreover, collaboration with designer like Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Roberto Cavalli and Lanvin this November, which are very well know worldwide, will improve the desire for their garments ,but also will accelerate sales growth ( Business week website, viewed 19 October 2010) . Another major strength of HM is the presence on different markets such as Europe, North America and Asia with almost 2000 stores (HM website (4), viewed 20 October 2010). This fact is a positive aspect for the company because they can diversify their risk, but also be sustainably- financially, socially and environmentally (CSR Report 2009). Weaknesses One of the most important and noticeable weakness that HM encounters is the segment that the fashion company targets. HM designs clothes for young customers offering them the HM Divided and HM L.O.G.G collections. Second fact that can be taken into consideration as a weaknesses is the shoppers base which is influenced by the macro economic environment in a negative way (Datamonitor 2010).The article claims that HM focus on the young segment of the market, which is one of the worst hit by the recession, with 21% rate of unemployment for teenagers under age of 25. Opportunities First of all, one of the most important opportunities that HM faces is the e-commerce. According to Datamonitor (2010) HM online sales grew by 22% with 4.7% of the total retail online sales in Europe. Moreover the online sales within more 17 European Countries (such as France, UK, Germany) are estimated to grow by 11% each year over the next five years. Even if the recession affected the retail industry, Hennes Mauritz opened in 2009 250 stores worldwide with 25 more than they planned. (HM website (3), viewed 21 October 2010) Second of all, the expansion plans 2010-1011 for HM intend to reach a 10-15 % each year. The Company tries to focus on markets like Asia where the sales double over, China Japan and South Korea. (Financial times website October 20, 2010). Another opportunity that HM takes full advantage of is the use of organic cotton which classified the company in the top twelve global brands and retailer using organic cotton. Threats Threats of the company are also related to the economic recession because shoppers spend less money on clothes. Over the year 2010 employment were expected to become worse, peaking towards the end of the year at approximately 10.3% and consumers were expected to apply for benefits. Second major threat for the organisation is the VAT which has been reduced in the UK in 2008 by 15% and in January 2010 has been changed again do 17.5%. Apart of this change the cost for cotton has been modified as well with almost 60-75 % by the end of 2009 and with 20-30% during 2010 (Datamonitor 2010 , http://web.ebscohost.com/bsi/pdf?vid=20hid=7sid=4b01c02d-b8cf-414f-b787-7f93a0b69865%40sessionmgr113 ). Human Resource Management in a recession The retail sector is one of the most hit by the global economic recession, so that managers should handle the effects of recession as professionally as possible in a downturn. But since when human resource management is dealing with the implementation of the strategies and policies relating to the management of individuals, the department become one of the most responsible to bring the organisation on the right track during recession time. According to Kambil (2008) there are some important steps that a business should follow in order to maintain their competitive position on the market. Some of these vital steps are the improvement of prices in order to grow margins, the increase of the financial and operational efficiency, but also the concentration on the market share. According to Armstrong (2009, p.5) the purpose of the human resource management is to make sure that an organisation is able to perform well through its staff, but also to increase the efficiency and the capability of the business. Furthermore, it also helps the business to reach it goals by using the resources available to their best use. One of the first processes affected by a recession is the recruitment selection policies which have been massively affected by the recession. Newell and Shackleton (2000) argues that recruitment and selection process involves making anticipation about what will happen, so that decisions are made about who is the most suitable person for a certain job that can increase the performance of an organisation. Now managers and recruitment agencies are being extra careful who they bring in, and they prefer to rethink and implement new strategies in order to improve their relations with the customers. In addition, companies are even more demanding than before, making sure that they recruit the best candidate that can bring real value to the company. Another significant effect on human resource management which impact an organization in recession time is the cost cutting. Retailers are conscious about the situation of the business and try to do everything to maintain their competitive position on the market. They started to cut working hours, holidays, labour costs, and travel expenses and they dont offer long-term benefits anymore. According to Retail Week website (http://www.retail-week.com/cost-cutting-the-lean-machine/1923604.article ) organizations needed to reduce its cost not only to their store level, but also to their head offices. The career and development process have been also affected by the recession, so that managers offer limited trainings to their staff. Selecting and training employees with great potential, contribute to the increase of the sales and organisations performance. It also leads to a more structured career path which ensures that staff has the necessary skills to improve the quality of services and products of a company. Introducing flexible working arrangements and part-paid sabbaticals is another effect of the recession that has a significant impact on an organisation impact on an organization. Managers prefer to make these changes, rather than implementing redundancy programmes, because it allows them to manage every cost. This measure eliminates the need of hiring extra staff for busy periods such as Christmas or Easter holidays. The operations are also suffering due to the recession, because managers develop different channels which imply lower labour costs, such as online sales. A number of retailers found more innovative ways to deal with cost cutting by introducing 9 day fortnights, reducing daily hours and offering unpaid sabbaticals, so we also saw an uplift in the request for interim specialists to renegotiate these new practices. Conclusion The middle of 2008 saw huge changes for the UK retail industry, with the sector suffering a very intense downturn and several well-known brands were disappearing from the high streets. But on the other hand there have been retailers that improved their performance during the recession. As seen above, HM is one of them, reaching a SEK 118,697 million turnover, and about 76,000 employments. The human resource management is one of the sectors that have been also affected by the economic downturn. According to Armstrong (2000) Human resource management is a construct largely invented by academics and popularised by consultants. So that many retailers took decisive actions, like concentrating and simplifying their operations by reducing staff numbers and costs, both through natural wastage and implementing redundancy programmes and flexible working hours. Furthermore, there is now evidence of significant change in the retail sector. In line with the drop-off in demand for goods not being as bad as had initially been feared, retailers are now re-evaluating and rethinking their HR strategies. In conclusion, the paper demonstrates that the current economic conditions have provided the opportunity for the UK retail industry to learn and deal better with HRM structures and recession, adding to what had already been in progress before the economic downturn, which in turn shows an opportunity to make the business stronger, successfully and profitable. Moreover, there is a lack of standard qualifications across retail sector which is also unfavourable.   Government policy in this area is ineffectual and needs to be improved as soon as possible.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

SWOT Analysis Starbucks :: business marketing

SWOT Analysis Starbucks Strengths †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Starbucks Corporation is a very profitable organisation, earning in excess of $600 million in 2004.The company generated revenue of more than $5000 million in the same year. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is a global coffee brand built upon a reputation for fine products and services. It has almost 9000 cafes in almost 40 countries. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Starbucks was one of the Fortune Top 100 Companies to Work For in 2005. The company is a respected employer that values its workforce. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The organisation has strong ethical values and an ethical mission statement as follows, 'Starbucks is committed to a role of environmental leadership in all facets of our business.' Weaknesses †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Starbucks has a reputation for new product development and creativity. However, they remain vulnerable to the possibility that their innovation may falter over time. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The organisation has a strong presence in the United States of America with more than three quarters of their cafes located in the home market. It is often argued that they need to look for a portfolio of countries, in order to spread business risk. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The organisation is dependant on a main competitive advantage, the retail of coffee. This could make them slow to diversify into other sectors should the need arise. Opportunities †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Starbucks are very good at taking advantage of opportunties. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 2004 the company created a CD-burning service in their Santa Monica (California USA) cafe with Hewlett Packard, where customers create their own music CD. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New products and services that can be retailed in their cafes, such as Fair Trade products. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The company has the opportunity to expand its global operations. New markets for coffee such as India and the Pacific Rim nations are beginning to emerge. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Co-branding with other manufacturers of food and drink, and brand franchising to manufacturers of other goods and services both have potential.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Charlie Chaplin :: essays research papers

When Charlie Chaplin was a little boy, a sheep escaped on its way to a slaughterhouse near where he lived. Charlie and other youngsters chased the sheep around, laughing and having fun. But when it was taken away, Charlie realized the sad finality of death and cried to his mother. That incident paved the way for the theme of Charlie’s future filmmaking career. Comedy mixed with pathos made perfect sense to him. He was also an everyman character, a lost soul, a wanderer - he embodied the American soul. He could be anyone. Chaplin was born Sir Charles Chaplin after his father on April sixteenth, 1989. His mother, Hannah Chaplin, was often put in mental houses and his brother Sydney and him were put into children’s workhouses. His father whom he almost never saw died of alcoholism. Charlie’s childhooCharlie directed and produced it. Its length is six reels, roughly an hour long. The Kid expertly showed Charlie’s use of pathos in his work, if perhaps too much pathos this time The Gold Rush. This 1925 film was a favorite of Chaplin’s. Charlie plays a lone prospector on a gold seeking quest in the Sierra Nevadas. Seeing shelter, he stumbles into a cabin where the villainous Black Larson lives. Black Larson doesn’t like this new guest and tells him to leave, rifle in hand. Charlie tries to leave, but a hilarious wind keeps blowing him back into the cabin. During this escapade in blows another luckier prospector, Big Jim McKay. Jim and Larson fight, and Larson goes off to find food for the trio. Meanwhile, the starving Charlie and Jim have the trademark meal of Charlie’s cooked boot. In this scene, Charlie eats the boot like it were a fine meal at a fine restaurant, twirling the laces around a fork like spaghetti. Later on they bid farewell, and Charlie finds a town with a love interest of his, Georgia. He invites her to a New Years Eve dinner, which she doesn’t come to. At the dinner, we see Charlie dozed off at the table, and he dreams that the Georgia came. Here is another trademark scene, the dance of the dinner rolls. Charlie spears two dinner rolls with his fork, and bowing his head down over them, he makes them dance and twirl. Big Jim shows up at the town now, and sees Charlie, telling him if he they find Black Larson’s cabin, they will find gold and be rich.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

City X’s investigative plan Essay

As the Police Chief, I have noted with concern the rising number of daylight robberies within the precincts of the city. Over the past couple of days I have gathered and analyzed various reports from both the police and investigation department on the same. Armed with intelligence, my team and I have come up with robust and feasible strategies not only to curb this type of crime but to nail those who are accountable for it. It is absolutely true that those who engage in these robberies are living among us; our relatives, friends and neighbors. I would like the public to volunteer any helpful information to help us carry out duties more effectively. Besides that, the following are some of the actions that we are going to make use of to tackle the problem. First, we are going to amplify the use of intelligence in assembling and acting on useful information about imminent robberies. That is, we are to engage in a policing type which is guided by analyzed information and data. From the studies we have made, the most useful information comes from the undercover police, the public, through top secret informants as well as from those suspects we have in custody. With such information, we will scientifically analyze it, determine and predict when such incidents are likely to happen. From then, we will act swiftly (Palmiotto, 2004). Secondly, we will map out some entities, felony groups and systems which offenders use to cause mayhem. In this case, our work will be to focus on specific people who are well known, their ilk and the connections they use. This is a critical group that will make our investigation procedures easy. Thirdly, we are going to classify and deal with places which report most incidences. These areas are well known to us and therefore, an increase of our undercover personnel will be the next logical step. Fourthly, from now onwards the police will thoroughly categorize and examine the crime cycles from the records that are in their possession. This will help us to be acquainted with the patterns of robberies common in our city. Fifthly, we will implement a variety of precautionary guiding principles which may include revamping the police administration as well as establish a unit dedicated to robberies. This means that a re-structuring of the administration may be in the offing. In addition to that, we will re-engage the community to, alongside our personnel, keep watch over itself. In essence, we will equip the community with the know-how to effectively collect information on likely robberies and notify the police. Local observatory groups ought to be formed to that effect. Furthermore, with the help of the city council, we will be increasing the number of closed circuit television cameras in our streets and residential areas. Undercover, cameras will be discreetly installed in particular places. Similarly, our tour of duty operations will be more objective and directed towards the areas with widespread robberies. The police therefore will be resourced with more patrol cars, special clothing and guns to handle the most violent locations. On top of that, the police will be watching closely monitoring released convicts and repeat offenders in order to thwart them from. Besides that imprisoned robbers will be a vital source of information to our investigations. This because they are relatively knowledgeable on how the friends outside operate, how they are connected to them and the times they pounce on businesses and homes (Palmiotto, 2004). Computer based software for crime analysis is being installed in our stations and experts have already been hired to start working on the available data. What they will provide us with is premises which will inform our decisions regarding robbery and other types of crime. In this regard we would like to appeal for more funding from the federal government and the city council to enable the police division to procure the state-of-the-art communication equipments and systems. This will facilitate our forces to be more effective in their lines of duty. We are in the process of drafting proposals to other organizations pursuant to the same effect. Thank you.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Life Lessons Essay

A moment that will forever change my life happened two years ago during my sophomore year, I will never forget it, but I am also thankful that it happened because I have learned from my mistake and it has taught me a few valuable life lessons. Two years ago, I moved up to Eugene to live with my aunt and uncle for the year to experience a new life setting. I was thrilled to experience new things, meet new people, and learn new ways of living in a big city. It was the first day of school at Willamette High school, I was filled with excitement to be attending a new school and meet different people, I had a goal that day to make a great first impression to start my year off. When lunch time came, I was going to have lunch with my cousin and his friends to get a start on meeting people. We found out that our ride was making its way down the street already, my cousin Artees, said to me to run and jump into the car. Without fully thinking about this, I made the decision to go for it. Running to catch up to the car felt like forever, but I made it to the door that was open for me to jump in, I was able to get up inside the car and was almost fully in, I suddenly felt a tug on my backpack and started falling back out, not being able to catch myself, I fell out of the car landing underneath and have both legs ran over from the ankles down. I remember this happening very quickly and seeing nothing but the bright sun in my view. The pain I went through is indescribable, it felt as if you had your legs cut off and a burning sensation as if you were being burned. Read more:Â  Essay About Lessons Learned From Parents I wasn’t unconscious but felt as if I was in another world, everything was happening very slow and I could hear people screaming around me and Artees above me saying he was sorry and if I was doing okay. All the voices I was hearing sounded like a whisper and as if everything was a blur. It seemed like I was lying in the middle of the road for hours and fell into a little sleep, I remember opening my eyes to people circled around me looking down at me with my cousin holding me, then came paramedics breaking the crowd. I was quickly in put in a neck brace, and strapped to a board. I had my pants cut off while in the road to get to my legs, at the time I didn’t care at all how many people were watching me, but now it is weird to think how many hundreds of people saw me in my underwear. Quickly I was in the hospital was doctors all around me and my family devastated by my bed side. After many x-rays and CT scans, we discovered that I miraculously broke no bones, but fractured my ankles badly, crushed arteries and muscles, severe nerve damage and broke blood vessels that still two years later, have not grown back. I spent a week back in Bend to recover, which was a struggle all in itself. I was bed ridden for seven days and to shower or use the bathroom, I had to be carried everywhere. When I attempted to walk on my own, shooting pain would soar my entire body and my ankles would make a cracking noise. After a week, I felt well enough to try and go back to school. I wore ankle braces day and night, and used crutches. As I expected, I got many stares daily and had people whisper when I was around. I made it through with much support from my cousin. It has almost been three years now since my accident, and still I have pain in my ankles that have spread throughout my legs that I deal with daily. I am not able to stand for more than ten minutes and now have a disease called neuropathy that makes my entire leg either very cold or very hot, tingle, swell, and I am in sever pain daily. I also have nightmares and flashbacks about that day weekly, and have anxiety being in cars and walking on sidewalks. I have been told by my orthopedic doctor that I am going to live with this for the rest of my life, so I have learned to deal with this better. What I have learned from my experience is to always think things through even if you think if you do something, it is going to impress someone, the result can be bad, leave you with injuries, or even be fatal. I am thankful everyday that this didn’t turn out worse, and I am still here today.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Health and Social Care †Service User Needs Essay

Individual service users have a range of needs, which must be met, including physical, intellectual, emotional ad social needs. In my case study, a care worker, a nurse and a doctor who in turn identified Sophie’s range of needs carried out Sophie’s care assessment. They then developed a plan to meet Sophie’s needs. This next section covers a range of approaches used in Health and Social Care to help services and practitioners meet the needs of individuals. An analysis of how practitioners meet the needs of Sophie and her family Physical Health Firstly, Sophie’s strengths and needs were considered. Her general health was discussed in relation to Sophie’s condition and impairments; access to and use of dentist, GP, optician; immunisations, development checks, hospital admissions, accidents, health advice and information. Next, Sophie’s physical development was assessed in relation to her nourishment, activity, relation, vision and hearing, fine motor skills (e.g. drawing), gross motor skills (e.g. mobility, playing games and sport). In addition, her speech language and communication skills were assessed. These included her preferred communication language, listening, responding and understanding. The care workers needed to ensure that Sophie had basic care, ensuring her safety and protection. Finally, it was important to confirm that Sophie was provided with food, drink, warmth, shelter, appropriate clothing and that her personal needs were assessed within a safe and healthy environment. Social Health Next, Sophie’s behavioural development including her lifestyle, self-control, behavior with peers, attention span and concentration were looked at. Then Sophie was assessed for her perceptions of self knowledge of personal and family history, sense of belonging, experiences of discrimination due to race, religion, age, gender, sexuality and disability. The multidisciplinary team of workers then focused on Sophie’s family and social relationships Sophie had with her friends. Intellectual Health The workers focused on her aspirations and ambitions in her confidence and progress was monitored and measured. Also Sophie’s understanding of reasoning and problem solving and her progress and achievement in learning was assessed and recorded. Emotional Health It was also important for Sophie to be raised in an emotionally warm and stable environment ensuring that the family was stable, affectionate, stimulating, where praise and encouragement and secure attachments were made. It was also necessary to make sure that Sophie had guidance, boundaries and stimulation and that self-control was encouraged and that she showed positive behavior. Finally, it was checked to see is Sophie’s family provided effective and appropriate discipline, avoiding over-protection and support for positive activities. Approached Used to Support Sophie’s Health and Well-being Treating diseases and illnesses at an early stage can improve outcomes. In the case of Sophie’s, Health and Social Care workers were aware that service users have social, intellectual and emotional needs and Sophie was supported at an early stage to make an informed choice about the treatment that was offered. In addition, a holistic approach was used which took into account of the whole needs of Sophie. By assessing all areas of Sophie’s physical, intellectual, emotional and social personal health, the practitioners involved helped to reduce the effects of her initial problem. By targeting the stress through the holistic approach, practitioners prevented the trauma of Sophie’s abuse from getting worse. Sophie was also given the opportunity to make decisions and not be treated as passive receivers of Health and Social Care services; this is called empowerment of patients. As a result, Sophie and her family become active participants in the support and care planning process.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Their Eyes Were Watching God †Rebirth of Transcendentalism Essay

A century elapsed between the period of transcendentalism and the publication of Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. During this time, the philosophies of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau faded as the post-war era of social realism began to dominate American culture and American literature. Thus, Their Eyes, published in 1937, was scorned and criticized by many for not being â€Å"political or serious† enough. It was not until twenty years after Hurston’s death that people began to appreciate Hurston’s works, especially Their Eyes, as important literatures in the African American and the American feminist movements. With further analysis, although Their Eyes is a modern novel, it actually takes the readers back to the period of Thoreau and Emerson; Their Eyes Were Watching God possesses elements of transcendentalism – self-reliance, nonconformity, and the over-soul – as supported by the essays of transcendentalist thinkers. To begin, a fundamental idea of transcendentalism is self-reliance, which stresses a person’s own judgment and intuition. Janie, the protagonist of Their Eyes, shows self-reliance when she uses her own judgments for the struggles she faces. For example, as she realizes that her marriage with Jody is tumbling down, â€Å"she saw that it never was the flesh and blood figure of her dreams. Just something she had grabbed up to drape her dreams over. [†¦] She had an inside and an outside now and suddenly she knew how not to mix them† (Hurston, 72). Janie knows her goals and desires, both are which shattered by Jody, so she must now distinguish the difference between the lies and the truth of her dream. Together with courage, her intuition gives her the strength to speak up to Jody on his death bed. Moreover, when she finally finds the love of her life, she feels â€Å"a self-crushing love, [allowing] her soul [to] crawl from its hiding place† (Hurston, 128). She doesn’t hide her feelings but goes to pursue her lover, Tea Cake. She is strong-will and has control over her feelings and thoughts. Even Tea Cake encourages Janie to use her own mind, â€Å"‘Nobody else on earth kin hold uh candle tuh you, baby. You got de keys to de kingdom’† (Hurston, 109). As Emerson would say that Janie possesses transcendentalist ideals because, â€Å"[She has the] integrity of [her] own mind [†¦] What [she] must do is all that concerns [her], not what the people think† (Emerson, 80). Her past experiences and her present judgments lead Janie to maker her own path in the future. Only when Janie relies on herself and holds her â€Å"keys to de kingdom† does she find her happiness and reach her dream. Furthermore, another element of transcendentalism is nonconformity, or individualism, which stresses the importance of finding one’s identity instead of giving in to society. Emerson explains nonconformity as â€Å"the great man who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude (Emerson 80). Janie shows exactly this on the day she arrives back in Eatonville. Dressed in her blue satin dress, she confidently walks past the women and men, ignoring their hurtful gossips and leaving them in awe. Despite her solitude due to Tea Cake’s death, Janie welcomes her independence; she is perfectly at ease with herself. Moreover, Thoreau also writes about nonconformity; he writes, â€Å"The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right [†¦] They only can force me who obey a higher law than I† (Thoreau, 104). Janie shares Thoreau’s attitude when she stands up to both of her late husbands and declares what she believes is right. Logan tells her that she doesn’t belong anywhere but â€Å"‘It’s wherever Ah need yuh’† (Hurston, 31). This is probably the worst thing he can say to his newlywed; it’s hurtful, disparaging, and disrespectful. However, unlike all the other women, such as Nanny, during the time, Janie stands up for herself by yelling back at his wrongs so she can gain back her independence and dignity. As for Jody – a husband who makes her tie her hair back, denies her of speech and social interaction, and abuses her – Janie finally takes up the courage to tell the truth at his deathbed. â€Å"‘All dis bowin’ down, all dis obedience under yo’ voice—dat ain’t whut Ah rushed off down de road tuh find out about you’† (Hurston, 86). Jody has crushed her hopes and dreams and her image of love, and she’s not about to let him forget that. She would not obey; she has no obligation to obey. After Jody’s death, Janie is finally free. Even more, she feels no remorse and she doesn’t mourn because the lost of her husband gives her back her individuality. Last but not least, the over-soul is another focal point of transcendentalism; it connects God, Nature, and Man. Emerson writes in his essay, Over-soul, â€Å"We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles. Meantime within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related; the eternal One† (Emerson, Over-soul). This over-soul connects the broken pieces of the universe together. Hurston’s Their Eyes contains many details that support the over-soul. For instance, in the beginning Janie â€Å"saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree form root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight† (Hurston, 11). This imagery of the bee and the flower symbolizes Janie’s dream. The bee and the flower coexisted in harmony, just like what Janie hopes her marriage will be. This is Janie’s innocent soul as depicted by nature. Later on however, as she’s forced into marrying a man she doesn’t love, she begins to know â€Å"the words of the trees and the wind. She often spoke to falling seeds and said, ‘Ah hope you fall on soft ground’ [†¦] Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman† (Hurston 25). As she begins to mature more, she also begins to understand the sound of nature. Nature and Janie’s souls appear to be one, united and growing together. She talks to the seeds, warning them, sympathizing with them of a world that can be disappointing and unfair. Finally, after she shoots her beloved Tea Cake in order to protect herself, Hurston writes that Janie â€Å"pulled in her horizon like a great fish-net. Pulled it from around the waist of the world and draped it over her shoulder. So much of life in its meshes! She called in her soul to come and see† (Hurston, 193). Although it was a tragic and sudden death, Janie is in peace. The love of Tea Cake will not be forgotten because he will always be with her. Janie now understands the mysteries of nature and her world; she is ready for whatever that may come. Janie has learned and grown, most importantly, she has found her soul. All in all, a century later, Their Eyes Were Watching God leads to the rebirth of transcendentalist ideas, including but not limited to self-reliance, nonconformity, and the over-soul. Throughout her journey, Janie begins to identify herself as a self-reliant individual with a soul, all of which are transcendental characteristics. In the mid 1900s, because of the on going civil rights movements, an African American woman is the least expected person to posses all these traits. Even so, Janie Crawford becomes a prominent literature figure that gives people hopes and dreams, while fulfilling those of Emerson and Thoreau. Bibliography Emerson, Ralph Waldo. â€Å"From Self-Reliance. † The InterActive Reader Plus. Illinoise: McDougal Littell, 2003. 78-83. Print. Ferguson, Craig. â€Å"Ralph Waldo Emerson – â€Å"Within Man Is the Soul of the Whole; the Wise Silence; the Universal Beauty†Ã¢â‚¬  Transcendental MeditationBlog. N. p. , 27 Mar. 2010. Web. 05 Aug. 2013. . Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Novel. New York: Perennial Library, 1990. Print. Thoreau, Hentry David. â€Å"From Civil Disobedience. † The InterActive Reader Plus. Illinoise: McDougal Littell, 2003. 90-105. Print.