Discuss Ways in Which Edward Thomas Presents Memory in ‘Aspens’ Essay

Empty as sky, with every other sound No ceasing, calls there ghosts from their abode† Discuss ways in which Thomas presents memory in ‘Aspens’. In your answer, explore the effects of language, imagery and verse form, and consider how this poem relates to other poems by Thomas that you have studied. Memory is presented as either a way of life or a community of change, as demonstrated in ‘Aspens’, ‘Old Man’, ‘Aldestrop’. He does this through the variety of techniques such as change in form, use of imagery and alternations in the tone of each poem to explore memory. As well as this, Thomas explicates the devastation of emptiness due to the consequence of war, which is portrayed through the use of soft consonantal sounds or the use of sibilance to carry the silence through the poem as it does in the places described in each poem. Quatrain A, B, A, B combined with the iambic pentameter shows regularity in the stresses of the beat, which reflects the motion of the Aspens as they sway consistently in the breeze. Alternatively, the regularity in the rhythm could reflect the beat of the hammer of the Blacksmith’s, as mentioned in the second stanza to emphasise how the vignette was once active, busy and lively. This is also seen in the sonnet by Robert Frost, Acquainted with the Night, where iambic pentameter could have been used to reflect the constant depressive state the poet experienced at the time. This contrasts with another of Thomas’ poems, ‘Tears’, where his thoughts are disjointed and disorganised as he tries to recollect his memories. Thus the use of free verse and an 18 line stanza, unbroken, is appropriate as it reflects how he struggles to remember. Despite this, the whole stanza is in iambic pentameter but Thomas has used this technique in order to reflect what is going on in his memory. For example, the last 6 lines of the stanza regulate, as all are of the same length, which expresses the formality of the soldiers marching and their systematic organisation. In comparison, ‘Old Man’ has an irregular structure and this use of free verse conveys Thomas’ uncertainty in dealing with the subject of memory. It would be deemed applicable to say that the struggle to reminisce is present in ‘Aldestrop’ as Thomas uses the hyphen at the end of the first line to show the pause in his recollection, as seen similarly and previously in the first line of ‘Tears’ as the use of two hyphens portrays Thomas’ thought process. The theme of emptiness is seen throughout Thomas’ poems. The wartime poet writes of his memory of livelihood and activity in villages, such as the one described in ‘Aspens’, and then how it begins to disappear as a result of war. This is shown as the village is left with a ‘lightless pane and footless road’ causing the village to appear as ‘empty as sky’ and this simile gives a sense of vastness of the effects of the war, emphasising on the emptiness in the poem. Further, the mention of the ‘cross-roads to a ghostly room’ explicates that the village is so empty that it is leading nowhere. This metaphor is ironic as cross-roads are suggestively open gateways and a sense of choice in direction. However this connotation is altered as Thomas uses the metaphor ‘ghostly room’, to portray the vacant village and this is supported by the cross-roads as they lead to emptiness and isolation. This is also seen in ‘Old Man’ as the paradox ‘only an avenue, dark, nameless, without end’ gives a sense of no lead despite the fact that an avenue should lead somewhere. It is clear here that Thomas’ state of depression is reflected in this last line as the imagery conjures connotations of death, gloom and finality. The emptiness is also portrayed in ‘Aspens’ as Thomas describes the ‘ghosts from their abode’, which suggests he is referring to the ghostly memories of the village, comparing them to how things have changed. We also see emptiness in ‘Aldestrop’ as Thomas explains how the unexpected stop is ‘bare’. The reason for this could be because the train was not due to stop at Aldestrop; on the other hand it could indicate the effects of wartime, particularly desolation. Loss of memory is seen in many of Thomas’ poems through different ways. Edna Longley, critic, points out that the part of the mind that remembers is the same part of the mind that generates poetry- the subconscious and comments that in ‘Old Man’ ‘perhaps / thinking perhaps of nothing’ is a rhetorically cunning line break. The verb ‘think’ is central to the poem as is the verb ‘remember’. Particularly in ‘Old Man’ Thomas uses the metaphor ‘I have mislaid the key’ to present his attempt of recollecting his first memory of the plant, Lads-Love. He portrays this as tantalising as he can ‘think of nothing’ when sniffing the herb, which suggests he finds loss of memory as frustrating. This is shown from the anaphora of ‘no’ at the end of the poem as it rightly expresses that the more he tries to remember the less likely the memory will reappear, which further shows his frustration of struggling to regain his memory. Despite this, Thomas makes it clear that the memory brings him sentimentality and this is clearly important to him. He shows that although the smell of the bush is ‘bitter’ he admires the plant because it brings back memories of his daughter. In comparison, Thomas also mentions that names are important in ‘Aldestrop’ as ‘I remember Aldestrop -/ The name’ suggests that the name brings every detail for him. A sense of change in community is seen in various poems by Thomas, due to the effects of war. Most specifically, ‘Aspens’ shows clearly how vibrant and animated the village was once before through the onomatopoeic sounds ‘clink, the hum, the roar’ as they reflect the vivacity that was once present before the war. This is contrasted as the silence is emphasised through the dominance of sibilance through ‘a silent smithy’ and ‘a silent inn’, which emphasises the hollow atmosphere. The silence is further shown by the sibilance in the penultimate line ‘ceaselessly, unreasonably grieves’, which allows the silence of the trees to continue through to the end of the poem. A sense of change is also seen in ‘Aldestrop’ as Thomas uses the metaphor of ‘all the birds’ to represent the people of England as they suffer from the effects of the war as a whole. The fact that Thomas mentions countryside towns such as Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire shows how much Thomas values traditional English scenery and therefore shows his devastation of the effects of war. Thomas uses lots of different techniques in order to portray memory through a communal change, emptiness and as a way of life. Through his language, structure and symbolism within his poems, the reader is able to understand Thomas’ thoughts about memory (those being that it is frustrating to have ‘mislaid the key’ and how memories can change over time) and relate their own experiences with Thomas’ due to his profound and truthful portrayal of memory.

Wood Polymer Composite (WPC) and its infiltration into Eastern European Markets

Wood Polymer Composite (WPC) has increased demand over the recent past due to benefits that these products possess. Countries such as the US have used these products over the last decade, but some countries are currently realizing the benefits that the products have in local markets. It is therefore very important to analyze the benefits that these products have over wood products and how they can be made available to countries that have realized their potential, especially those in Western Europe. This paper aims at analyzing the manufacturing process of Wood polymer Composite, the history of the same products and the benefits and costs that such products have over wood. The paper will also analyze the level of demand that WPC products have in Western Europe, the available opportunities and the challenges of expanding these opportunities. Finally, the paper will give a brief conclusion on the subject and give a recommendation on the same. Table of Contents Abstract 1 Introduction. 2 History. 3 How WPC is manufactured. 3 Benefits of WPC. 4 Weaknesses. 5 WPC demand in Western Europe. 6 Growth in the use of WPC 8 Countries to be targeted. 8 Distribution 9 Challenges of expanding the use of WPC. 10 Conclusion and recommendation. 11 Works cited. 13 Introduction. The use of WPC products has increased in several countries and this can be traced to the benefits that such products possess. WPC products have several qualities that make them superior to wood, and this is the major reason that makes them popular in several markets. They are usually used in the construction industry, and some countries use these products for outdoor activities. These products are also very useful in the automobile industry. It is important to understand the nature of the Wood Polymer Composite before analyzing it further . Wood Polymer Composite is a material that is manufactured through impregnation of wood with monomers, after which the resultant product undergoes polymerization. This enables the materials to be tailored to special needs, and this is necessitated by the resultant properties that such materials possess. These include enhanced mechanical characteristics and lightness, but these will be discussed at a later stage. WPC is used for a wide range of activities and these include automotive engineering, construction and building. WPC is used for a wide range of activities such as outdoor floors, indoor furniture, fences, railings, park benches, landscaping timbers, door and window frames among others. History. Karpov is reportedly the first person who did research on WPC and he did this during 1960. Other researchers such as Meyer, Kent and Kenaga also conducted various researches on the prospects of producing WPC in various countries. These countries include Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Sweden, UK, South Africa and Denmark among other countries. The use of atomic energy such as gamma radiation has been a major contributor to development of WPC. The expansion of petrochemical industry market policies has also been linked to the development of WPC. These materials are relatively new to the market, especially considering the long history that wood has been used. However, their superior qualities are increasing their demand by a variety of consumers. These qualities that the WPC materials possess will be discussed at a later stage, but can be broadly classified as aesthetic and usage qualities. How WPC is manufactured. A palleted compound is fed through a gravity bunker into extruder. This mixture is heated until it melts to form a mass that flows uniformly in the extruder's cylinder. There is a screw present inside the extruder and this presses the melt flow through the die's slit. The extrusion process subsequently undergoes cooling with the use of a water tank. It is afterward pulled through water by a tractor to cool it . The sudden temperature change makes the extruded blank cool and shrink. the size of the final product is not only decided by the cooling but also by the traction speed. The extruded blank is further pulled by the tractor at a uniform speed to the handling and cutting table. The cutter subsequently holds the extruded profile and cuts it to the desired length. Benefits of WPC. Consumers are increasingly choosing WPC over wood due to the many benefits that they possess, over wood. Although they cost more than wood, they have superior features that make consumers ignore the price and purchase them. The consumers ignore the price since they reason that the long term costs of maintaining wood materials will supersede the cost of purchasing the WPC. Some of the benefits of WPC will be discussed below. One benefit of the use of WPC is that these products are weather resistant and moisture resistant. Another benefit is that these products have natural feel, longevity and dimensional stability. They are also more attractive than the natural wood, and this is the reason that they are used as finishes to various products. This makes them more popular than wood. They are also manufactured using various colors, which makes them attractive without the need for them o be painted. These products have also the ability to retain screws and nails for longer periods of time compared to wood. WPC products, unlike wood, are immune to termite attacks. This is one major problem that many consumers of wood products complain about, since termite attacks render the wood weak. This necessitates the need to replace such wood, which is expensive. Since WPC is resistant to termite attacks, this makes it popular with consumers. WPC is more environmental friendly than wood, and this is because of the following reason. As has been discussed, WPC products require lesser maintenance compared to wood. This means that these products last longer than ordinary wood, which necessitates fewer cases of replacing them. This translates to fewer trees being cut and hence is more friendly to the environment compared to wood. These products are also seen to be friendly to the environment as compared to wood, since they are mixed with other products during the manufacturing process. This means that the amount of wood used to manufacture these products is relatively less, and hence helps conserve the environment. WPC products are resistant to splitting and cracking. This feature makes them have the ability to be molded into various shapes and sizes, whether or not someone has the details on the wood grains. This is one feature that is superior to that of wood, since wood is prone to splitting when being molded. They also possess cellulose that can be as high as 70%, which makes them have similar properties to wood . Weaknesses. When WPC is being manufactured, there are many elements that are added to improve the capabilities of these materials. Such materials include adhesives and polymers and these complicate the process of recycling these materials. WPC is considered to have many impurities that make the recycling process more difficult, which means that fewer WPC materials are recycled, as compared to wood. This has a negative impact on the environment. Another weakness of WPC materials is that they are prone to staining due to the porous nature of such materials. These materials are porous and can be stained by some solvents, which might affect their beauty. The process of altering wood to a form where it can be used more effectively when finishing exposes some weaknesses. Since nitrocellulose polymers come into contact with organic solvents when carrying out the finishing operations, this makes organic solvents to be released in air before they dry. This presents a host of problems mainly to people who work around such environments. One problem is the danger of explosion or flammability of the solvents. The other is the potential health problems to workers due to inhalation of the vapor. When the air is released into the atmosphere, it poses a problem to the neighboring community. This final stage also presents another challenge to producers and this involves the drying process. As has been stated earlier, during this process, some organic solvents are released to the atmosphere. This solvent is expensive and some producers are not willing to ‘waste' it, thereby ignoring the process. Dispersing the vapor and recycling materials, in order to acquire the solvents is energy intensive and costly. WPC demand in Western Europe. The demand for WPC has risen in Europe, and this was after the success of similar products in American markets. European producers have envied their American counterparts for many years and they currently have an opportunity to reap the benefits of WPC products. The demand for these products has increased mainly because of the fact that the high purchase cost is compensated by the low costs of maintenance. This makes the products cheaper in the long run. Their durability is also another factor that has led to massive increase in demand of these products in Europe. According to the Hackwell group, the projected growth rate for WPC products in 2009 is expected to be close to 10%, which represents increase from 100,000 tonnes that were purchased in 1999, to approximately 144,000 tonnes. This is equivalent to approximately 290 million Euro. In 2004, Germany was producing approximately 5000 tonnes of WPC each year. In 2007, Europe produced approximately 100,000 tonnes of the same product, with Germany producing 20% of this total. When these figures are compared to those of North America, it becomes clear that Europe is lagging in the consumption of WPC. North America produced over 700,000 tonnes in 2005 and by 2010, the production is widely expected to rise to 1. 6 million tonnes. Most producers are based in countries which consume WPC the most and these include France, UK and Germany. However, there is a growing trend where suppliers establish themselves in emerging markets for these products, and these markets include Italy, Sweden and Netherlands. Currently, the major European consumer of WPC, is the automobile industry. Germany is among the highest European consumers and uses WPC for manufacture of vehicles such as BMW, Daimer Chrysler and Audi. These companies use between 7 and 10 kg for each vehicle, and WPC is used for car parts such as headliners, acoustic panels, interior panels, parcel shelves and seat panels. WPC especially convenient for these car parts due to its good strength, lower cost, ease in processing and light weight. In fact, estimates show that 90 million Euro has been used on research by automobile industry in Germany over the last decade. The general automotive industry consumes over 50% of the total WPC consumed in Europe. This is a stark contrast with the worldwide consumption trends, which reveal that automobiles consume less than 7% of the total WPC consumed worldwide. This means that there is a lot of untapped potential for the WPC in Europe, since furniture and construction are among the major consumers of WPC worldwide. Growth in the use of WPC There is optimism that consumption of WPC will increase in Western Europe due to certain technical innovations that aim at reducing the inefficiencies of the current WPC products. For instance, Austria's Melamine International developed melamine resin which is one of a kind since it can be extruded. Its thermoset is created in such a way that it allows the use of wood flour and fiber mix of 70%. This mix improves on the weaknesses of the current WPCs that are thermoplastic based. Such weaknesses include lower levels of stability when exposed to high temperatures, and they are solved through combining the product performance, and processing behavior of this thermostat. Products created using this technology are reputed to have higher resistance to scratch as well as better mechanical properties. In Netherlands, Holland Colours has produced natural colorants which are dust free which will be used in pigmenting WPC profiles. These additives allow faster color changes to be made, as well as reduce tear around the edges of such materials. Countries to be targeted. As has been discussed, there is a major potential for the use of WPC in Europe. Most economies are growing at a fast rate and there are increasingly new investments in most of the European countries. There has also been considerable growth in the real estate and automobile industry. This necessitates the need to develop and use WPC materials in a majority of these countries. Russia is one country which has the potential to make a major investment in this sector. Going by the success of the WPC in the US, Russia has an opportunity to reap the benefits that have been enjoyed by the US for over a decade. Germany has been seen to have invested in WPC in its automobile industry. As has been discussed earlier, Germany is among the leading WPC consumers in Europe. However, the bulk of the investment is in the automobile industry. This has been seen to go against the global trend where most of the consumption of WPC goes to construction sector. Germany therefore has a chance to increase consumption of WPC through diversifying its use beyond the automobile sector into other sectors of the economy. Another country that has the opportunity to take advantage of the use of WPC is France. France is one of the leading vehicle manufacturers and is also Germany's largest trading partner. France therefore should invest in WPC through importing the technology from Germany through their trade agreements. This will help improve the automobile industry, after which WPC will be used for other industries. This will not only create jobs, but will improve the overall utility derived by the consumers from these products. Distribution When undertaking distribution activities, it is imperative that there is a form of outsourcing for the minor services and operations. Outsourcing involves delegating the minor operations or activities that a company undertakes, to a third party so that the company can concentrate on its core duties and responsibilities. In undertaking distribution, these countries should outsource the minor functions so that they are not distracted from their core activities. One service that the companies can outsource is the maintenance of the warehouse. Outsourcing this service will enable the vendors, who are professionals in this operation, to provide warehousing services for the products that have been produced or imported. This will increase efficiency and reduce costs since the company can now concentrate on its core business. The companies should distribute the products to the clients through retailers and wholesalers. These are people who have high information an knowledge on the market since they are closer to the consumers. There should however be as few middlemen as possible in order to prevent the prices from rising. This is also done to prevent chances of the WPC products experiencing pilferage. When selling the products, the companies dealing in WPC product should use the correct forms of advertising so that they might capture a large number of clients. They may sell the WPC products under the theme ‘saving the environment' and organize for support from the local environmentalists. Some people might be against these products given the fact that these products still make use of trees, but as long as the products helps conserve the environment, even if it is one tree, the members of the public will identify with the product. Challenges of expanding the use of WPC. There are several challenges that face the use of WPC, which thereby hinder investment in this market. These challenges stem from the nature of the business and also the behavior of the investors. These challenges will be discussed below. The first challenge is that some European manufacturers are hesitant to the use of WPC in manufacture of car parts since these materials go against the European Union's directive of End of Life, when manufacturing products . The EU requires vehicles to be manufactured in such a way that once the life of a vehicle is over, 85% of it should be able to be recovered. Such vehicles have their parts recycled and metals extracted for the same purpose. However, in spite of the legislation, the growth of the use of WPC in automobiles is still expected to rise by about 4% each year. European environmental groups also oppose the use of WPC in manufacture of various products due to the perception that it has contents which are toxic . Another reason given by the groups include the perception that the manufacturing process emits some fumes which negatively affect the environment. There are also very few WPC manufacturers in Western Europe, since most are not willing to take the risk and experiment with new products. In Western Europe, there are only about ten producers of WPC, yet there are more than fifty such producers in North America. Most potential manufacturers are observing the market trends before fully investing in the trade. Financial analysts believe that by the end of the next three years, may producers will have invested in the trade, going by the current market demand. There needs to be incentives that encourage entry of new players in this industry . There are also challenges that are faced due to the rising costs of wood flour. This is one of the materials that are used in manufacturing WPC. According to senior managers in the wood industry, German prices for wood flour have increased by over 30% during the past year. This has the effect of increasing the prices of the final product which will discourage consumers from purchasing them. It is important for the German government to regulate the prices of material used in this process, since WPC products have benefits that far outweigh the costs. Conclusion and recommendation. It is evident that WPC products play a very important role in conserving the environment . Not only do WPC products conserve the environment, they have many features that make them superior over wood. These have been discussed in the paper, and it clearly proves that WPC products are better than wood. However, the fact that these products conserve the environment, this should be a major reason why people should embrace these products. This is because the environment is very important and it goes beyond the needs of the present generation. Environmental groups should come together and look for support in order to encourage people to use these products. It has also been seen that there is enormous potential that exists in Western Europe but is untapped due to many factors. Many producers are not willing to venture into an untested market, but they should observe the model that worked for the US government. The US economic environment is relatively similar to the economies of most of the Western European countries. This should act as an incentive for the European countries to invest in the WPC product market . The European Union should consider changing the legislation that requires manufacturers to manufacture vehicles in such a way that 85% of it should be able to be recovered. This will enable the consumption of WPC by motor vehicle manufacturers from the current 10% to approximately 80% each year . European governments also need to offer incentives to producers willing to invest in WPC products since this will encourage many investors to venture into this field. The benefits of this investment will not only be felt by these investors, but they will trickle down to the general population. In developing a distribution means, the companies that venture into this market should aim to reduce the costs of the products as much as possible. This is necessary especially considering the fact that this is a new product in the market and high prices will discourage consumers from purchasing it . The reduction in price can be achieved through the reduction of middlemen in the distribution process as well as outsourcing some non-core activities to vendors. Finally, it is important for all stakeholders involved to realize that benefits of such a kind of investment will not only help the current generation, but will help the future generation. The current generation will benefit from economic growth, employment opportunities and improvement in the standards of living. On the other hand, the future generation will benefit from the conservation of the environment which will ensure their future survival.

Chemistery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

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Analysis of Note on Deconstructing the Popular by Stuart Hall Essay

Analysis of Note on Deconstructing the Popular by Stuart Hall - Essay Example In 1980 he wrote an article and proposed the encoding decoding model in reference to media messages. This model helps us understand how cultural texts are produced and transmitted by the industry. He has also contributed to the discussion on hegemony. Stuart defines popular culture as all those things that people do or have, Stuart starts his discussion by discussing periodisation, periodisation is the attempt to divide time in discrete new blocks, popular culture can be dated back in the agrarian society to the industrial society therefore the study of popular culture can be studied in different periods. He says that in the period 1880-1920 there was an increased interest in the study of popular culture. In 1930s this study declined and this was the time there was a decline in Chartism. In his discussion of periodisation he argues that the proper periodisation of popular culture is the profound transformation which was in 1880s and 1920s, this period was a period of deep structural changes. Social change can be defined as the alterations that occur in social system which occur in both the structure and the functions; causes of social change include advancement in technology, ideology, conflict and growth in population. Stuart acknowledges the existence of social change, he says that in the beginning of the 20th century there was the development of a working class audience and this as a result led to the development of a commercial press. In this period there was also the development of new technologies, distribution process and labour processes and this led to a change in the relationship between the dominant and the dominated classes. Stuart says that there has been a struggle over the forms of culture and way of life of the popular class which is evident in this periods of history, conflict is one source of change and according to Stuart the struggle has caused cultural changes, throughout the ages there has been active destruction of particular ways of life and this can be viewed as cultural change. This changes include honour to certain people in the society, He says that magistrates and police were in the past being accorded honour in the past than they are in the present he also argues that people in the present time understand struggle and resistant more than they understand reform and transformation, transformation is the key cause of the process of moralization and demoralization of the people. In his discussion on popular culture, popularity means manipulation and debasements of the culture of the people, people who consume the popular cultures changes them or are put in a state of false consciousness. These means that popular culture plays a major role in shaping peoples culture, the proposed culture provides an alternative culture and this means that the culture industry has the power to reshape what they create. He also says that cultural domination has an effect on people's culture, there is a continuous struggle by the dominant culture to reorganise popular culture and there are cases of resistance and acceptance. Cultural resistance involves cultural struggle which takes many forms. Cultural struggle takes the form of incorporation, distortion, resistance, negotiation and recuperation, this struggle continues to exist. The existence of

Construction Law Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

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Social penetration theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social penetration theory - Essay Example Their talk involves cliche like it has been long since we talked when they actually have little to say, life has been good it is always like that and you have grown so beautiful used at times to evade the actual topics that are personally involving. The conversations do not involve personal matters on a deeper level. Most comments during the orientation stage could be insincere or with very little sincerity or concern. The exploratory stage is where people give their opinion on light matters that are yet not deep. At this point only casual friendships develop out of social activity and conversations revolve around politics and the weather celebrities and public figures. Conversations may involve talk like I think the senator is doing a good job with his new project. Affective stage involves a lot of personal critical opinion. Persons start to express themselves and their emotion, what they like and what they do not like. They start to use the first person in statements for example, I am really not into bowling, and that man angers me or I like that girl. Relationships at this point may involve kissing and intimate touching and open statements of affection like I love you. At the stable stage, persons not only express themselves they also learn to read the other persons emotions and know what to do to please them and what to avoid doing to avoid displeasing them. At this stage personal matters are shared mutually and the people in the relationship know each other to a reasonable point (Atman, & Taylor 118). Depenetration is a radical stage where friendships may break apart. Here there is exploration in depth of the advantages of the relationship in the long run and its disadvantages. People making such decisions at this point make informed decisions. It is important that relationships be allowed to develop through the stages at their pace without being hurried to allow for the parties involved to freely share their information and develop a good platform of comm unication that is honest. Social disclosure allows for information to be shared at the sharing party’s free will. The information shared could involve activities one has been involved in or hopes to get involved in, the things they like and do not like. People share information depending on the level of trust they have developed in their counterparts and choose the information to share with them. They also consider the repercussions of sharing certain information even with their close friends(Atman, & Taylor 113). People share their personal information to reduce the impact of emotional or mental stress it has on them, to seek an opinion from a second party on major decisions or to gain moral support from close friends. Others expect to gain the confidence of their partners so much that those parties will involve them in their own experiences. Other times the disclosure may lead to the self-disclosing party being viewed differently in a better or taint reputation. The self-di sclosure process is therefore a risk by itself. It may involve very deep rooted emotions and beliefs, secrets and scarring moments of one’s past life. Relations grow with the parties’ ability to communicate. In most relationships people will try not to be a burden and even compromise their own situations to avoid conflict. There is an unspoken expectation by parties to gain confidence and trust from their partners. The relationships do not grow constantly and linearly all the same,

Self Development Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Self Development Plan - Assignment Example Before this, I did not need to think or consider because I met people from the same religious background since birth. Of course, people did come from varied cultures even in Madinah, the city in Saudi Arabia that I hail from, but having the same religious background, we had something in common. Interacting with them was never an issue. I did realize the difference when I arrived in Toronto. I come from a decent family and hence the luxury of Canada was not a shock. I had been exposed to comforts and convenience and hence adjusting to Canadian lifestyle was not a problem. Being an Arabic Muslim male in mid-twenties, leaving home was exciting because little did I know what I would encounter. With a desire to be at par with people in the western world, with a desire to compete for jobs at an equal level, I decided to undertake Masters Studies in Canada. I did realize that one has to come out of the shell, one has to explore the world to equip oneself and to gain competency. This gave me the courage to leave the comfort zone and arrive in Canada. I lived in Toronto for 18 months before enrolling for Masters and moving on to Saint John City, New Brunswick. I soon realized that it is not enough to have academic competency; one also requires cross-cultural competency. I guess this thought came to my mind because I identify myself as a Muslim and not as another human being coming from a different background. I became conscious of my culture when I encountered people from an entirely background. Canada and Saudi Arabia differ vastly in their cultural background. I did face problems in the beginning simply because the exposure back home was limited. However, since there were a few people from my region already domiciled in Canada, I received some guidance from them and learnt the rest as I lived. Fortunately I did not avoid cultural difference; I accepted its importance, which according to Bennett (2004) is ethnorelativism. My exposure to diverse cultures helped me accep t an entirely different culture with ease. I also realized that the cultural values norms and beliefs that I had unconsciously imbibed were relevant to that region. Here I would need to adapt to different cultural nuances. This implies that acceptance has set it as one recognizes that one’s own culture is one of the different cultures prevailing in the world. In fact I found that Canadians too, were receptive and accepted Islamic culture as they had been exposed to many from the Arabic countries. Toronto was a multicultural city and I encountered people from diverse cultures such as China, India and Africa. I used to be taken aback at the way children, once they finished education, moved out their parents’ house. I obviously was trying to compare with the situation back home. At the same time I was stared at, and none ventured to stretch their hand in friendship. Gradually, I smiled and they smiled back. I was relieved to some extent and it also gave me the feeling tha t with time, things would be different. As acceptance set in, tolerance also crept in. Knowledge of other Cultures I realized that exploring your own cultural identity can be the hardest thing to do. Our own culture is so deeply ingrained in us but unless we understand our own rules and norms we shall not understand other cultures. I was quick to adapt to a new culture because prior to arriving in Canada I had done some reading on this culture which helped me develop a positive attitude towards it although I lacked

Organizational Change Essay Example for Free

Organizational Change Essay An organization is a social system that consists of individuals with a common or agreed objectives (Barzilai). The study of the kinds of systems involved in an organization, which help it meet its different concerns, refers to organizational theory. Organizational theory consists of â€Å"individual processes, group processes and organizational processes (Barzilai).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When an organization wants to entertain changes in its operations as a result of poor performance, or a gap between the desired performance and actual performance as in the given example, the stakeholders affected should be a major consideration.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In many organizations, shrinking the budget is a common remedy, in order to better allocate scarce resources while at the same time ensuring the productivity of the organization (Tjosvold Poon, 1998). One way of cutting costs in an organization is by reducing personnel, which can be challenging to implement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the major challenges that an organization desiring to implement changes would have to face is the general attitude of resistance to change, common to employees or members in the lower rungs of the organization (Piderit, 2000). This is especially true in the given scenario because it has been a long time since the organization implemented changes in its structure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While resistance to change is often viewed negatively as a form of disobedience or unwillingness to support the management, management should see such resistance to change as the employees’ means of showing their concern and expressing their views to the management (Piderit, 2000). Therefore, as studies suggest, the whole organization must learn how to adapt to change, mainly by gathering employee support to organizational changes (Piderit, 2000). References Barzilai, K. Organizational Theory. Retrieved October 18, 2007, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.case.edu/med/epidbio/mphp439/Organizational_Theory.htm Piderit, S. K. (2000). Rethinking Resistance and Recognizing Ambivalence: A   Ã‚   Multidimensional View of Attitudes toward an Organizational Change. [Electronic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   version]. The Academy of Management Review 25(4), 783-794. Tjosvold, D. Poon, M.   (1998). Dealing with Scarce Resources: Open-Minded Interaction for Resolving Budget Conflicts. Group Organization Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   23(3): 237-255

Cardiology Studies: Conditions Involved and Services Offered

Cardiology Studies: Conditions Involved and Services Offered 1. The area of medicine it studies  [i] Cardiology derived from Greek and Latin. Kardia in Greek means the heart and logia also from Greek stands for logy or study. Branch of medicine dealing with diseases of the cardiovascular system (heart, aorta and smaller blood vessels), their diagnosis and treatment. 2. Title of consultants in this field Cardiology department is run by Cardiologists which is divided into cardiac sections and various cardiac consultants including Heart surgeons, Cardiologist Electrophysiologist, Cardiothoracic [surgical treatment of thorax (the chest) of the heart (heart disease) and lungs (lung disease)]. surgeons and Cardiovascular (diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels) Imaging Consultants.   Ã‚   3. Services offered in the Cardiology department. Cardiology department is divided into various other sub departments which fall under Cardiology category: Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory  [ii] (Cath Lab): there are many procedures carried out in the Cath Lab some of which may be; Coronary Catheterization, Coronary (relating to arteries surrounding and supplying the heart) Angioplasty (opens blocked arteries and restores normal blood flow to heart muscle), Permanent and Temporary Pacemaker Implantations and many more. Coronary Care Unit  [iii] (CCU) care of patients with heart attacks, unstable angina, cardiac dysrhythmia (abnormality in heart rhythm) etc. Chest Pain Assessment Unit  [iv] is to assess and treat patients with life-threatening heart conditions, chest pain, heart attacks, shortness of breath, palpitations etc. Cardiac Rehabilitation  [v] is a program for people who are on their way of recovery from a heart attack, heart failure, heart valve surgery, etc. the program involves adopting heart-healthy lifestyle changes, exercise training, and help you return to an active life. Cardiology Outpatients examines and treats patients without keeping overnight. 4. Surgical procedures and diagnostic tests used in the Cardiology department.  [vi] Coronary Angiogram (x-ray photo of blood and lymph vessels) is carried out in the Cath Lab it is an invasive imaging procedure, used to; evaluate the presence of disease in the coronary arteries, valves or aorta and heart muscle function. Also to determine the need for further treatment. Permanent Pacemaker (PPM) Insertion is an invasive procedure used to stabilise the heart rhythm. An incision is made on the left side of the chest under the clavicle, following local anaesthetic, the leads and pacemaker are inserted. Catheter Ablation invasive procedure used to treat an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia). Several catheters are inserted into the patients groin, neck or arm and guided with the aid of x-ray equipment to the heart. Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (high energy shock to bring back heart action) (ICD) it is an invasive procedure used to stabilise the heart rhythm. An incision is made on the left side of the chest after local anaesthetic and the ICD leads and device box are inserted. Using x-ray guidance, the leads are fixed into position. Coronary Angioplasty used to widen narrowed coronary arteries. Opening up the arteries improves blood flow to the heart and may improve symptoms. A catheter with a small balloon at the tip is guided through a blood vessel into the heart artery. The balloon is inflated at the site of the narrowed artery, widening its diameter (balloon angioplasty). 5. Medical conditions encountered in the Cardiology department.  [vii] Most common heart conditions are: Coronary thrombosis: a blood clot in the coronary artery. Cardiac arrhythmia: Abnormal electrical activity in the heart, the heart beat may be too fast or too slow, it can be regular or irregular. Cardiac failure: the heart impairs its ability to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the bodys needs. Palpitations: abnormal awareness of the beating of the heart; whether it is too slow, too fast, irregular or at its normal frequency. 6. Common abbreviations relating to Cardiology MRI Magnetic resonance imaging CT Computed tomography (X-Ray) ECG Electrocardiogram (or EKG) VF Ventricle failure CHD Coronary heart disease 7. Common blood tests used in diagnosing heart disease. Cardiac biomarkers: these tests are used to diagnose a heart attack by determining if heart cells have been damaged.  [viii] Lipid blood tests: checks levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, which are associated with the risk of heart disease.  [ix] Question 1 Endo Endoscopy used to examine a persons digestive tract Question 2 Norovirus winter vomiting bug side effects; nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain Question 3-5 Term Explanation Gingivitis Inflammation of gums Gingiv= gums Itis= inflammation Endocarditis Infection of the inner lining of the heart Endo= inner lining of Card= the heart It is= inflammation Atherosclerosis Narrowing and hardening of arteries Athero= artery Scler=hardening Osis= condition of the Question 6-8 Term Explanation Relates to Cystitis Inflammation of bladder Urinary system Uraemia Blood in the urine Urinary system Enteritis Inflammation of gastrointestinal tract Digestive system Question 9-11 Term Department Consultant Disorder of hormones Endocrinology Endocrinologist Disorders of the digestive system Gastroenterology Gastroenterologist Disorders of the skin Dermatology Dermatologist Question 12-17 HCV Hepatitis C virus HIV Human immunodeficiency virus PUD Peptic ulcer disease IVF In-vitro fertilisation MRSA Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus C. Diff Clostridium Difficile Question 18-20 Term Suffixes Examples Inflammation Itis Conjunctivitis Cystitis Bone Osteo/Ortho Osteoporosis Rheumatoid Arthritis Tumour Oma Malignant melanoma Squamous cell carcinoma References [i] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiology [ii] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cath_lab [iii] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronary_care_unit [iv] http://www.westerntrust.hscni.net/services/2577.htm [v] https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/rehab [vi] http://www.blackrock-clinic.ie/services-procedures/cardiology/procedures/ [vii] An introductory to Anatomy Physiology, 4th Edition, reprinted in November 2012, written by Louise Tucker. Chapter 5 The Cardiovascular System page. 85 [viii] http://www.leehealth.org/cardiaccare/tests/blood.asp [ix] http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/cholesterol-and-triglycerides-tests#1 Good Will Hunting: Sean Maguire Good Will Hunting: Sean Maguire Melissa Hernandez This case is about, Sean Maguire, a character in Good Will Hunting. Mr. Maguire is a 56-year-old Caucasian psychologist and therapist male. He teaches different types of psychology classes at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston. He was married to, Nancy Maguire for eighteen years before he lost her to cancer. They have never had any children. After his wife passed away, Mr. Maguire withdrew himself from friends and family. He is also a Vietnam Veteran. He continues to teach at the college because he wants to be surrounded by the people he is familiar with, people he grew up with. This case study will cover Mr. Maguires transition being secluded from friends into his turning point when he starts to make amends with his friends. Life Course Perspective The life course perspective (LCP) looks at how biological, psychological, and social factors act independently, cumulatively, and interactively to shape peoples lives from conception to death, and across generations. Of course, time is only one dimension of human behavior . . . (Hutchinson, 2015, p. 7). The LCP has five basic concepts; cohorts, transitions, trajectories, life events, and turning points (Hutchinson, 2015, p. 11). Cohort A cohort is a group of persons who were born during the same time and who experience social changes within a given culture in the same sequence and at the same age (Hutchinson, 2015, p. 11).   Sean Maguire belongs to the Caucasian, team of professors cohort. All of Mr. Maguires friends are professors who have gone on to do more with their lives. During the period Mr. Maguires wife was sick he quit counseling and he regretted it. After her death, he secluded himself from his friends. Mr. Maguires cohort were his friends from college, his colleagues, and his wife. Life Events A life event is a significant occurrence involving a relatively abrupt change that may produce serious and long lasting effects (Hutchinson, 2015, p. 15).   Mr. Maguires life events evolve around his wife from the moment he meets her until she passes. He passes up the Boston Red Sox playoff games, probably one of the most crucial playoff games during the history of baseball, to spend time with Nancy who he had just met. It was a risk worth taking because later he marries her and he states, I dont regret the 18 years I was married to Nancy. I dont regret the six years that she was sick and I gave up counseling. I dont regret later when she got really sick.   I sure as hell dont regret missing that damn game. After his wifes death, he lives an independent life. The pain he is left with after her passing became difficult to deal with. He doesnt know how to move on until he meets a young man, Will Hunting, he starts to counsel who helps change his life. Also as a child, Mr. Maguire experiences abuse from his alcoholic father who he tries protecting his mother from. He can relate to his patient Mr. Hunting. Transition A transition is a process of gradual change that usually involves acquiring or relinquishing roles, but it can be any change in status, such as change in health status (Hutchinson, 2015, p. 13).   Sean Maguire transitions into life without his wife after she dies. This life event changed Mr. Maguires environment as well as his self-concept and expectations. He is not able to move past losing his wife and watching her grow more and more ill. It hurts him knowing there was nothing he could have done for her but he is grateful he was able to spend her last months with her. This transition required Sean Maguire to make social adjustments. He stopped counseling for the duration Mrs. Maguire was sick, which he previously stated he regretted. Transitioning to life without his wife has been a challenge for Maguire. Life Course Perspective Themes There are six themes that pertain to the life course perspective; interplay of human lives and historical time, timing of lives, linked or interdependent lives, human agency in making choices, diversity in life course trajectories, and developmental risk and protection (Hutchinson, 2015, p. 20). This case study will cover linked or interdependent lives, human agency in making choices, and developmental risk and protection. Linked or Interdependent Lives The life course perspective emphasizes the interdependence of human lives and the ways in which people are reciprocally connected on several levels. (Hutchinson, 2015, p. 24). Mr. Maguire shut off communication with his college friends which left him with no social support, which is defined as help rendered by others that benefits an individual or collectively, is an obvious element of interdependent lives (Hutchinson, 2015, p. 24). The one person who was Sean Maguires family who always stood by his side through everything passed away, thus causing him to push away friends who could have supported him. Human Agency in Making Choices Constructing a life course through the exercise of human agency, or the use of personal power to achieve ones goals. (Hutchinson, 2015, p. 28).   Sean Maguire grew up with an abusive alcoholic father who would beat on him, his mother, and younger brother. He would protect his mother and sibling by taking the beatings for them. He confesses this to his client, Mr. Hunting. Growing up with an abusive father and in a low-income community, led Mr. Maguire to make goals to get out of that environment. He enlisted in the military and fought in the Vietnam war, returned home and made another goal to achieve his Doctorate degree in Psychology. Then he fell in love with, Nancy who he soon married. According to Albert Bandura, Mr. Maguire uses all three modes of efficacy; self-efficacy, efficacy expectation, and collective agency to set these goals and accomplish them. Developmental Risk and Protection As the life course perspective has continued to evolve, it has more clearly emphasize the links between the life events and transitions of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. (Hutchinson, 2015, p. 31).   As a child Mr. Maguire experiences abuse at the hands of his father. As a young adult, he experiences difficult situations during his time served in the Vietnam war. An example of him protecting himself is when his client, Mr. Hunting criticizes his painting which is a painting done by Mr. Maguires late wife. He pushes Mr. Hunting up against the wall and proceeds to walk out of the room to gain his power back. He protects himself by pushing people away, he doesnt want to get close to anyone for fear of losing them or getting hurt. Banduras Social Learning Theory AlbertBandura proposes that humans are agentic, meaning they are capable of intentionally influencing their own functioning and life circumstances (Hucthinson, 2015, p. 28). Bandura argues that everyday life requires use of all three modes of agency. The three agencies will explain how Sean Maguire used them through his life course perspective. Personal agency Personal agency is exercised individually, using personal influence to shape environmental events or ones own behavior (Hutchinson, 2015, p. 28). Sean Maguire grew up in a low-income neighborhood with an alcoholic father who abused his mother and him. He used personal agency to get out of the neighborhood and rise up from the physical and mental abuse. He set goals to get out of his neighborhood, enlist in the U. S. Army and attend college. He did well because he earned a Ph. D. Proxy agency Proxy agency is exercised to influence others who have greater resources to act on ones behalf to meet needs and accomplish goals (Hutchinson, 2015, p. 28). Sean Maguire is a professor and psychologist who helps people resolve any conflicts they might have. In this case Mr. Maguire helps Will Hunting resolve his issues he has been dealing with since his childhood and young adult life. Mr. Hunting believes the abuse he endured as a child was his fault and was stuck in his childhood. Collective agency Collective agency is exercised on the group level when people act together to meet needs and accomplish goals (Hutchinson, 2015, p. 28). Sean Maguire and Will Hunting help each other accomplish life perspective goals together, which benefits both men. The time Mr. Maguire spent with Mr. Hunting was beneficial for both men because they opened up to each other and helped one another deal with conflicts they probably would not have otherwise dealt with. Mr. Maguire was able to reconnect with old friends and enjoy life even though his best friend is no longer alive. Mr. Hunting was able to accomplish his goal of falling in love and trusting someone, specifically a woman who he was afraid to get close to. Eriksons Theory of Psychosocial Development Eriksons theory explains socioemotional development in terms of age defined stages such as basic trust and mistrust which ranges from birth to one year old; autonomy versus shame and doubt which falls into one to three year olds; initiative versus guilt which is from three to five year olds; industry versus inferiority which has an age range of six to 11 years old; identity versus role diffusion from ages 11 to 20 years old; intimacy versus isolation which includes 21 to 40 year old adults; generativity versus stagnation which 40 to 65 year olds fall; and ego integrity versus despair which is 65 and older (Hutchinson, 2015, p. 112). Intimacy versus guilt Sean Maguire is 56 years old and finds himself dealing with intimacy and isolation. During the time his wife was sick he momentarily ceased his practice and regrets not helping clients. It was during that time that he also isolated himself from his friends and colleagues. After he became a widower Mr. Maguire further confined himself as he tried to deal with the death of his wife. He became distant from his students, who lost respect for him and he stopped communicating with his friends. He does not believe he will ever find a love like the love he experienced with his wife. Levinsons Theories of Finding Balance Daniel Levinson suggest that middle adulthood is a time when individuals attempt to find balance in their lives in several ways (Hutchinson, 2015, p. 321). Levinson sees the transition to middle adulthood attachment versus separation. Mr. Maguire deals with being attached to his wife and then losing her to cancer. He does not know how to deal with this in a positive manner. He has a huge tab at a local bar that has not been paid in months. Ethical Issues Ethical issues a social worker could possibly face could be, Sean Maguire is a psychologist who may not want to speak about his issues because he doesnt realize he has any issues to resolve. It would probably be an issue trying to convince Mr. Maguire what him and the social worker speak about is strictly between them and will be kept confidential. The social worker will not speak to her colleagues about what is discussed nor will the sessions interfere with Mr. Maguires careers. Ethical Principles The social worker may face dignity and worth of a person ethical principle when working with Mr. Maguire. Social workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers promote clients socially responsible self-determination. Social workers seek to enhance clients capacity and opportunity to change and to address their own needs. Social workers are cognizant of their dual responsibility to clients and to the broader society. They seek to resolve conflicts between clients interests and the broader societys interests in a socially responsible manner consistent with the values, ethical principles, and ethical standards of the profession (NASW, 2008) The social workers client, Mr. Maguire may not feel worthy and may feel his dignity is lost if he needs to speak about some issues that are interfering with his life. Ethical Values Dignity and worth of the person is an ethical value a social worker may deal with when working with Mr. Maguire. As stated previously, Mr. Maguire could possibly feel like his dignity is lost and his self-worth is diminished. The social worker must not allow the client to feel they have lost their dignity and make them feel they are worthy, because it is not easy to for Mr. Maguire to admit he needs help and seek it to become a healthier individual. Discrimination Sean Maguire received discrimination as a child growing up in an impoverished neighborhood. As an adult he was discriminated against because his friends think he did not anything further with his life after he earned his college degree. Oppression Sean Maguire experienced oppression at the hands of his father while growing up as a child. His father had abused him and his mother physically and psychologically. The oppression he experienced made him stronger and more willing to accomplish goals. Conclusion Sean Maguire has accomplished many goals while counseling his client, Will Hunting. He has learned how to deal with the passing of his wife in a positive way and he has reconnected with old friends who can bring him joy during this time in his life. Mr. Maguire needed someone who he could relate to and connect with who would help him come out of seclusion and experience the fulfillment of life. He is able as well to understand the abuse he endured as a child was not his to blame and he is able to nurture and love another person despite his life experiences. References Affleck, B., Damon, M., Driver, M., Elfman, D., Escoffier, J., Sant, G. V., Williams, R. (Writers). (1997). Good Will Hunting [Video file]. Hutchison, E. (2015). Life Course Perspective. In Dimensions of Human Behavior: The Changing Life Course (Fifth ed., p. 7, 11, 13, 20). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publishing. Code of Ethics (English and Spanish) National Association of Social Workers. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2016, from https://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp Sun, X., Kim, D. O. (1999). Adaptation of 2f1-2f2 distortion product otoacoustic emission in young-adult and old CBA and C57 mice. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 105(6), 3399-3409. doi:10.1121/1.424668 Wood, R., Bandura, A. (1989). Social Cognitive Theory of Organizational Management. Academy of Management Review, 14(3), 361-384. doi:10.5465/AMR.1989.4279067 What was the Reasoning behind Medicare and Medicaid? What was the Reasoning behind Medicare and Medicaid? Early in the twentieth century, those concerned in the human condition, mostly reformers and progressives, reasoned that the American family needed protection from the debilitating effects of lost wages subsequent to the family provider becoming unable to work due to an illness or injury. Many of the social service benefits we enjoy today were rooted in what was referred to at that time as Sickness Insurance. Sickness insurance included the seeds of future programs like Social Security Retirement, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSI), Unemployment Insurance, Workmans Compensation and yes Medicare and Medicaid. Although advocates for sickness insurance included plans to cover medical expenses. They were far more concerned with families recouping losses due to lost wages than they were with recovering medical expenses. This was because medical expenses during that time period were significantly less expensive and burdensome than they are today. During the first part of the twentieth century the average person spent roughly $30.00/year and that amount included burial expenses should they be needed. As a result, the political climate in the first half of the twentieth century, accompanying opposition from the medical profession and other interest groups, defeated any successful attempt towards establishing health insurance in any form or, for that matter, developing any type of comprehensive health care strategy until the mid to late 1930s. Although the Social Security Act was passed by Congress in 1935 and physicians began organizing the first private healthcare plans like Blue Shield to cover costs of physicians care in 1939, it wasnt until the late 1950s and early 1960s before the groundwork began which eventually produced Medicare and Medicaid. The stimulus for this development was directly attributable to private insurance companies adjusting their premiums on growing employer-based health coverage on ever increasing medical costs. As a result, the retired and disabled found it progressively more difficult to find affordable coverage as costs for same quickly exceeded their means. Because of this, health reformers focused their efforts on the elderly a battle more easily won. In 1960, Federal Employees acquired a health benefit plan (FEHBP), providing health insurance coverage to federal workers. The Kerr-Mills Act was also passed that year which provided federal monetary support to state programs providing medical care to the poor and elderly. The Kerr-Mills Act was the precursor to the Medicaid program. Shortly after the Civil Rights Act passes in 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicare and Medicaid programs into law (1965). This legislation created Medicare Part A (covering hospital and limited skilled nursing and home health care), as well as Medicare Part B (a plan to help cover the costs of physicians services). The Medicare and Medicaid programs were incorporated into the Social Security Act as a result of support from the hospital and health insurance industries mainly because this legislation contained no cost controls or physician fee schedules along with public approval and a congress containing a progressive, democratic majority. The next ten years, 1971 1981 saw an expansion of services under the Social Security Income (SSI) program such as a cash assistance program to elderly and disabled persons along with amendments that allow those with long-term disabilities to qualify for Medicare while healthcare costs continued to skyrocket and politicians squabb led with special interest groups over proposals and reforms. The next 30 years, 1981 to 2009, was composed of a flurry of disjointed legislative attempts to both expand healthcare coverage for specific target groups while attempting to reign in the constant upward spiral of health care costs. For example: in 1986 the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active labor Act (EMTALA) required all hospital facilities that received Medicare imbursements to screen and stabilize all persons who used their emergency room facilities regardless as to the ability to pay. Then, just a few short years later in the face of the Clinton administrations proposed Health Security Act (which, in 1993, proposed access to healthcare for every American), the Health Insurance Association of America fought back with television ads depicting middle-class American families worried about access to health care under the Clinton sponsored plan. They had cause to worry. In the 10 years between 1987 and 1997 the number of uninsured grew from 31 million to over 42.4 million as ever increasing healthcare insurance costs, responding to exploding medical care costs, forced individuals and whole families out of the ranks of the insured. In 2009, the White House held its first Health Reform Summit with key stakeholders. Shortly thereafter, President Obama releases his 2010 fiscal budget which includes 8 principles of health reform (electronic record-keeping, preventing expensive conditions, reducing obesity, refocusing doctor incentives from quantity of care to quality, bundling payments for treatment of conditions rather than specific services, better identifying and communicating the most cost-effective treatments, and reducing defensive medicine), and sets aside 634 million dollars in a health reform reserve fund while Congress continues to debate national healthcare reform options (Obama, 2009). Late in 2009 both the House and the Senate pass health reform legislation. Even so, neither the Houses healthcare reform version nor the Senates are ratified by both political bodies. Then, on February 22, 2010 the White House releases President Obamas proposal for health care reform and hosts a second Healthcare summit just 3 days later.   One week later, President Obama lays out his proposal and threatens the Senate that if need be a reconciliation process that required only a majority vote rather than the normal 60 votes to pass would be used to insure passage of the bill. Less than three weeks later, on March 21, 2010 the House of Representatives passes the Senates sponsored version of the bill the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), along with the Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 that amends the original Senate version of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act reflecting negotiations between the House and Senate, and sends it to the President for signature. Two days later, President Obama signs the bill and P.L. 11-148 (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ACA), becomes law and Obamacare is born. Does the Affordable Care Act of 2010 adequately fix the majority of the healthcare problems we face as a nation today? Or should the responsibility of individual health be on the individual? In the words of Phil Schiliro, former Director of White House Legislative Affairs The right measure of the ACA isnt whether it avoids political controversy; its whether it makes America better by achieving its five most fundamental goals: expanding health-insurance coverage, lowering costs and promoting fiscal responsibility, increasing quality through innovation, protecting seniors and delivering peace of mind to American families by guaranteeing essential rightsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. With these goals in place, individuals can concentrate on lifestyles that promote health rather than worrying about getting help when efforts in this regard fail expectations. References Timeline: History of Health Reform in the U.S. https://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/5-02-13-history-of-health-reform.pdf A Brief History of Workers Compensation, Gregory P Guyton, Department of Orthopedics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Copyright  © 1999, The Iowa Orthopedic Journal https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1888620/ Medicare and Medicaid: The Past as Prologue, Edward Berkowitz, Health Care Financing Review/Spring 2008/Volume 29, Number 3 https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and- https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-Systems/Research/HealthCareFinancingReview/downloads/08Springpg81.pdf Health is ultimately the responsibility of the individual: to what extent is this viewpoint correct? rodrigo | November 13, 2012 The WritePass Journal https://writepass.com/journal/2012/11/health-is-ultimately-the-responsibility-of-the-individual-to-what-extent-is-this-viewpoint-correct/ Who is Responsible for Your Health? Sarah Lifsey, May 14, 2015, Altarum Institute altarum.org/health-policy-blog/who-is-responsible-for-your-health ProCon.org. (2015, May 8). Is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) Good for America? Retrieved from http://healthcarereform.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001526 Remarks by the President to the AMA (June 15, 2009). Whitehouse.gov. Retrieved January 12, 2012. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-annual-conference-american-medical-association

A College Education: Overrated or Invaluable? Essay -- Higher Educatio

Since the beginning of the 20th Century, college education has been available for everyone and anyone who is willing to develop their knowledge regarding a specific professional field. Currently in the United States, the percentage of high school graduates going to college has increased considerably: 68 percent in 2011 compared to 49 percent in 1940 (Menand, 2) and the record high set in 2009 with 70 percent of total high school graduates enrolled in college ("Bureau of Labor Statistics"). Notwithstanding, it has come to the attention of many that the college tuition and fees have been increasing at an accelerated rate. According to The New York Times, college tuition and fees increased 439 percent from 1982 to 2007 (Lewin, 1). This sumptuous rise inhibits many citizens from obtaining a higher education; furthermore, creating the debate whether college education is overrated or if it is a valuable professional and educational experience. Despite the rising prices, I believe that the college experience provides the necessary tools to develop an individual’s set of skills that will furthermore lead them to a successful career. Going back to the beginning of the century, one is able to witness that most people wished to attend Ivy League universities like Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Standford, etc. Over the years with the development of the S.A.T.’s and other standardized examinations, there was a way to separate the most intelligent high school graduates from the less prepared. Moreover, this allowed public and state colleges to be more accommodating towards other sectors of the population. The main problem is that most students are more attracted to the social aspects of college rather than the academic ones. Higher education is ab... ...ww.bls.gov/news.release/hsgec.nr0.htm>. ("Bureau of Labor Statistics") Lewin, Tamar, . "College May Become Unaffordable for Most in U.S.." New York Times. N.p., 2008. Web. 3 Apr 2012. . (Lewin, Tamar) Menand, Louis, . "A CRITIC AT LARGE Live and Learn Why we have college.." The New Yorker. The New Yorker, 2011. Web. 3 Apr 2012. . (Menand, Louis) Pappano, L.. "The Master’s as the New Bachelor’s." New york times. N.p., 2011. Web. 6 Apr 2012. . "Why College Students Stop Short of a Degree." Reuters. N.p., 2012. Web. 6 Apr 2012. .

The Pugilist at Rest :: essays research papers

Judging from the other reviews, the awards, and multiple accolades Thom Jones's writings, and "The Pugilist at Rest" in particular, have received, I am apparently in quite the minority. But here goes: I found an inherent falseness and overwritten emotion throughout the stories. Jones too often tells the reader what he/she should be feeling instead of letting the reader respond sans prescription. Case in point: "I Want to Live!" The son-in-law is the "good guy" (obviously the author -- tacky) who gives the dying woman Schopenhauer to read and narcotic medication to ease the unbearable pain no one else will even acknowledge. This revitalizes the woman in the extreme (I believe she thanks God for her son-in-law at some point, which struck me as the author thanking God for the character of himself as he portrayed himself in the story -- again, ooh, tacky). Obviously, Jones digs Schopenhauer and through the character of the woman tells us that philosophy from just the right guy will turn it all around for us as we are dying an excruciating death. Please. This situation probably "actually happened" just this way in Jones's life, but it doesn't mean the recounting of it reveals the truth. I also found technical medical error in the description of the effect of certain drugs on the woman's pain. I have to paraphrase re: the effect of methadone, something like "circles of orange orgasms blossoming through her body." Methadone has a long half-life; taken orally, as in the story, it would take a long time to take effect. Methadone works as a slow build toward pain relief -- good relief, but hardly orgasmic -- as opposed to an injection of morphine, for which an orgasmic description would have been appropriate.

Buju Banton :: Essays Papers

Buju Banton His voice is thunderous and piercing. With each lyric, he pounds away at our psyche and makes our bodies shake with rhythm. He has become the crown prince of Dancehall reggae in Jamaica, and is a force to be reckoned with in the Jamaican music scene. He is young, but mature and powerful, and his name is Buju Banton. Born Mark Anthony Myrie on July 15, 1973, Buju Banton has used his lyrical skills and pounding voice to take Dancehall by storm. He combines his own musical influences with those of Burro Banton and Bob Marley to achieve a sound and beat that is bringing generations of reggae listeners together for an enjoyable experience. He owns the audience with his lyrics and his stage presence, and is forming both a musical and cultural movement that is taking over Jamaica. (www.bujubanton.net) One of 15 children born to a street vendor inside Trenchtown, Banton lived in poverty for most of his upbringing. A direct descendant of the Maroons, his chubby appearance earned him the nickname of Buju, the Maroon name for breadfruit. His last name is a tribute to another reggae legend, Burro Banton, as well as the name for talented storytellers, from which much of his influence is derived. Buju entered the Jamaican music scene at age 12, where he was known as the â€Å"Lambada Man† of the Dancehall, working with the Sweet Love and Rambo Mango sound systems. In 1986, DJ Clement Irie introduced Banton to producer Robert French, who produced his debut single, â€Å" The Ruler.† At the age of 15, Banton had already worked with artists like Bunny Lee and Red Dragon. He was destined for success in the Dancehalls. In 1991, he met producer Dave Kelly of Penthouse Studios, and debuted on the label with 1992’s Mr. Mention, which broke all sales records on the island, including those of Bob Marley. With songs like Love Mi Browning, where he professed his attraction to light-skinned women, caused an uproar among the dark-skinned Jamaican women who viewed such comments as an insult towards their looks. He made up for his remarks, however, with the song Love Black Woman, and demonstrated that he had love for everyone in his repertoire.

Can Lord of the Flies be Classified as a Fable? Essay

A fable, by strict definition, is a short tale conveying a clear moral lesson in which the characters are animals acting like human beings. A fable is intended to provide moral instruction and its characters and scenes are drawn to suit this purpose. William Golding has referred to his novel, Lord of the Flies, as a fable. This essay will demonstrate that in the moral lessons it offers us and in the symbolic nature of its setting, characters and literary devices, the novel functions as a fable for the inherent tendency in man to revert to primal savagery once he is removed from civilization. We are left with the caution that evil must be acknowledged and consciously opposed. The novel’s status as a fable is demonstrated strongly through the moral lesson it presents to his responders. Golding’s message is dark one, emphasizing the bleaker aspects of human nature. Rejecting the conventional, romantic notions that man ‘is basically noble’, Golding insists that evil is inherent in man. Indeed, Golding would say that the central idea behind the Lord of the Flies is that man is fallen from grace. He would go on to state that once the faà §ade of civilization is stripped away, man is fundamentally motivated in his behaviour by primal and brutal instincts. Evil is a force which is instinctive in man, which must be recognized and controlled. Golding’s message for the inherent tendency in man to revert to primal savagery once he is removed from civilization is presented through the boy’s gradual loss of order and descent into savagery. When the boys conduct their first meeting on the island they establish rules and methods of proper conduct. Ralph is elected by the boys as Chief and a democratic ‘political’ system is established. The boys are excited at the prospect of rules and meetings, even Jack ironically states, â€Å"We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English; and the English are best at everything. So we’ve got to do things right†. However, later on in the book, when Jack deserts Ralph to form his own tribe he declares, â€Å"Bollocks to the rules!† and assures the boys that their tribe will not be based on rules-instead they shall have ‘fun’, hunting and feasting. The call of the conch is disregarded and autocratic system of governing commences. This new warrior cult establishes fortifications, political feuds, wars and methods  of torture. The loss of order and descent into savagery is further presented through the boy’s progression from vegetarianism to carnivorous hunting. When the boys first arrive on the island they are content to eat the ripe fruit available to them, however as the book progresses their lust for blood and meat becomes more and more evident. Jack’s first attempt to kill a pig ends unsuccessfully, but he claims that next time there will be no mercy. Ralph however realizes the truth of his hesitation, that he is still faintly attached to the civilized life he once lived and because â€Å"of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood.† Jack’s first kill is significant in the stories plot, as it a revelation of his own darker side and shows the extent to which his primal instincts and bloodthirstiness have taken over him. As the boys establish the technology of hunting, their kills become more violent and eventually they begin to turn their bloodthirstiness on each other. Barbaric chants such as, â€Å"Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!† develop, as do savage dances that often end in the hurt of one of their peers. It is these rituals that eventually end in the death of Simon. The boy’s loss of order and descent into savagery is further shown through their worship of the Beast. Jack proposes that â€Å"when we kill we’ll leave some of the kill for it† , in order to keep the threat of the Beast at bay This conduct is similar to ancient, primal rituals where offerings and sacrifices would be left in order to please the gods. The boys have invented their own primitive religion which is a crude form of totemism and their worship is of blood and ultimately, the devil. Overall, like a fable, Lord of the Flies enforces a very strong message. Humans as a race have a tendency to revert to their primal, savage instincts and in doing so reveal their true sadistic and evil nature that lies within. This moral message is expressed in several ways by the author, however especially through the boys gradual loss of order, their blood lust and their worship of the devil. The novel’s symbolic nature further enhances the books status as a fable. The  disintegration of civilization is charted through the use of symbols, one of the major tools of the fabulist. Almost every detail in the novel has a meaning of its own and a representational meaning in terms of the theme and the development of evil on the island. The setting of the novel is particularly symbolic. The island functions as a microcosm of the wider world and parallels our society in competitiveness, destructiveness and violence. The island is a perfect place in which Golding can test his theories, as being isolated it lacks society and societal laws and rules, allowing the boys to run wild and show their true inner selves. However, the presence of the wider world is never forgotten, as there are constant mentions to the war occurring outside the island. References such as the boy’s evacuation, the crashing of the plane and the pod, the dogfight over the island at night and the arrival of the naval officer on the beach and his warship, show the corruption of what is happening in the real world. The island starts off as a paradise with â€Å"food and drink and-rocks-blue flowers† and in many ways is similar to the Garden of Eden in biblical stories. The book corresponds to this biblical story further, in that man is given a chance of Paradise but destroys it, which shows mans potential for evil. Indeed, at the end of the book the entire island is set alight. The â€Å"roughly boat shaped† layout of the island is symbolic in itself, the boat being an ancient symbol of civilization. The water current flowing backwards around the island is also meaningful, as it leaves the impression that civilization may be going backwards for the island and its inhabitants. The disintegration of civilization in the novel is demonstrated particularly in the symbolic nature of the characters. Described as a â€Å"skinny, vivid little boy, with a glance coming up from under a hut of straight hair that hung down, black and coarse,† Simon represents the highest aspirations of the human spirit towards beauty and holiness and can be interpreted as a Christ figure. His name, which comes from the Hebrew word ‘listener’, further enhances his spiritual role, as it is also the name of one of Jesus’ apostles Simon Peter. Simon participates in an important symbolic dialogue with ‘Beelzebub’, who represents the lowest part of man, the source of violence, hatred, fear and murder. The meeting represents the recognition of  these forces in all men, even the saintly. Like Christ, Simon brought a radical new message to those around him; however instead of heeding this message, his peers took him and killed him. Jack is another symbolic character in the story, however in contrast to Simon, he represents savagery and anarchy. Originally a prefect, Jack rediscovers in himself the instinct and compulsions of the hunter that lie buried in every man. From the beginning he is surrounded by symbolism. For example the fact that â€Å"his hair was red† connects him immediately to connotations often associated with the devil and his name means ‘one who supplants’. Throughout the novel, Jack is a significant figure for evil and destruction and hungers for leadership positions. Jack disregards order and it is through him that the responder sees the innate evil of man, since he was the one cast off from society the earliest. Ralph is another central character to the novel and is the embodiment of democracy. Ralph is a likeable character from the start; strong, handsome and comes from high British society. It is Ralph who establishes the use of the conch at assemblies, using it to carry out fundamental principles of democracy; â€Å"I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak†¦And he won’t be interrupted† . Ralph, whose name in the Anglo-Saxon Language means ‘counsel’, is fair, rational and understanding, as is democracy. It is through Ralph that the responder sees the degradation of society on the island, and thereby shows them the innate evil within man. This is particularly evident when â€Å"Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart.† The symbolic literary devices Golding uses also enforce this novel’s genre as a fable. The evolution of the conch as a symbol reflects the boy’s gradual loss of civilization and all its fragility, beauty and innocence. In the beginning of the novel, the conch is regarded as a toy, beautifully coloured and â€Å"ever so valuable† . However, when the boys discover the true power of its voice it is used to summon meetings. As the book progresses, it becomes to be the centre of order and organization and is instrumental in creating order. It develops into a symbol of civilization, common sense and  discipline. The fact that it is beautiful, powerful and fragile gives us an idea of how we should view civilization itself, especially later when the primal forces of evil and disorder are breaking down its influence over the boys. As the story progresses the shell summons the boys and pulls them into order from even the wilds of the island. However, as the boys descend into brutality they grow impatient with the order the conch represents, disregarding the power it bestows on the holder to speak at meetings. This is evident at Jack’s feast when Ralph threatens, â€Å"I’ll blow the conch†¦and call an assembly† and Jack refutes, â€Å"We shan’t hear it.† The conch’s destruction towards the end of the novel destroys once and for all the boys own sense of beauty, fragile innocence, order and civilization. The title Lord of the Flies is symbolic in itself; a reference to who the boys are submitting to as they give in to savagery. It is a translation of the Hebrew name Beelzebub, the devil beneath Satan himself. This title suggests the boys are becoming more evil as they establish the Lord of the Flies on a stick and begin to worship the mysterious forces of the jungle. The Beast is another important literary device used by Golding. The Beast is symbolic of the evil residing within everyone-the dark side of human nature. The Beast is first introduced by a littun who has nightmare. Initially dismissed by the older boys as imaginary, the fear of the Beast in the boy’s minds continues to linger and haunt them. Indeed, its presence grows stronger and more frightening with each day on the island. With the discovery of the parachutist on the mountain top, the boys are convinced it is a living thing. Jack and his tribe make sacrifices to it, whilst Piggy and Ralph opt to avoid it completely. It is only Simon who has the insight to discover the truth-that the beast resided in the boys themselves, â€Å"Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill †¦ I’m part of you. Close, close, close†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In addition, Piggy’s glasses are a symbol of political insight and clear-sightedness. As an inadequate leader, Ralph depends on Piggy’s judgment. Ralph must see through eyes that themselves need corrective lenses. Although Piggy’s vision is imperfect, even with glasses, it is all  Ralph has. The glasses are first damaged by Jack, who blurs them whilst attempting to light the fire. While the lenses remain intact, Ralph can at least go through the motions of statesmanship, however the smashing of one of the lenses diminishes Piggy’s effectiveness and the theft of the other by the hunters renders Piggy and Ralph helpless. Overall, the symbolic nature of Golding’s setting, characters and literary devices, enforce its status as a fable. The symbol is an important tool used in writing fables, as can be seen in Lord of the Flies. Whilst the figurative temperament of the setting helps to show that what is happening on the island is just a mirror of what’s happening in the wider world, the representational characteristics of the characters and literary devices help to give the novel a more complex and powerful meaning. In conclusion, William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is a fable, in that it conforms to the structure and features of one. It offers us a moral lesson about the darkness of human nature, showing us that once the faà §ade of civilization is stripped away, man is fundamentally motivated in his behaviour by primal and brutal instincts. Golding delivers this message through the symbolic characteristics of his setting, characters and literary devices-important features of a fable. Lord of the Flies offers an important lesson to all of mankind, perhaps the one of the many reasons why this all time classic shall never die. â€Å"And in the middle of them, with filthy, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

The Effects of Misconduct on the Armed Forces

The armed forces of the United States is one of the most feared and respected military organizations in the world. This image is helped by documentaries, news reports and even by the movies. But the real reason why the US military is considered very powerful and a dangerous enemy can be understood after reading the following explanation:The United States military is unique in the amount of power it can project globally. Although France and the United Kingdom, as well as Germany, Spain, Italy, PRC, and European Union, are capable of projecting power overseas, the United States military is the only one with the higher military capacity to fight a major regional war at a distance from its homeland. The U.S. is also one of the few nations in the world that has a sizable nuclear arsenal and maintains active doctrines for plausible nuclear attack operations. (see Wikipedia: US Military).This is why America is feared and respected. Although there is reason to believe that Americans would pr efer that their country and its citizens are respected rather than feared; there is also a lot of apprehension over the notion that U.S. superpower is a bully in the global theater.This negative image which others believe to be the dark side of this great institution is   putting a lot of pressure on the military organization to behave appropriately and to borrow from their lingo: there should be no conduct unbecoming a military officer. For when this happens the chain reaction can be unbelievable. One indiscretion and the whole structure will be placed in a bad light. Consider for example relatively recent events about U.S. soldiers abusing POW’s and some of its members involved in an alleged rape case overseas are a few instances when the rest of the world shakes its head and would love to believe that all this power had corrupted the men and women in uniform.In order to prevent such misconduct and to keep its integrity intact the U.S. military is keeping in place a syste m of rules, regulations, traditions, and protocols that would ensure that the rest of the world will hold the said institution in high esteem.Military DisciplineThe word discipline when put inside the world of soldiers takes on a different meaning. This has nothing to do with the kind of discipline kids get at home when they fail to do their homework or when they do not clean their room. Discipline in the ordinary day to day life of normal people can sometimes mean a temporary abstinence on doing something or a temporary increase in work volume to accomplish a task or simply to grit ones teeth and do something that is normally not done if the circumstances are more favorable. In the military soldiers do not wait until things are worse before they will begin to be disciplined.In other worlds soldiers do not wait until they are overweight before they start doing morning jogs and calisthenics. They trained before the need arises, they practice long and hard before the fight and they pr epare before the crisis. Discipline in the Army, Navy and the Air Forces is a lifestyle. It can be said that it is more than a lifestyle in fact it is the blood that keeps the institution alive and the invisible force that holds it together. Without discipline the armed forces can easily disintegrate in quickly destroying everything in its path including itself. The infamous tortures at the Abu Ghraib prison – where prisoners of war were being held – was well documented and shown around the world.It was an example of a breakdown in discipline. And noncommissioned officers figured prominently in this fiasco. CNN reporters J. Johns, D. Ensor and M. Mount quoted Rep. Jane Harman in a letter to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Harman said, â€Å"The fog of war is thick, but these acts of abuse and humiliation contradict international norms, military regulations and the very values that our military fights to defend†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (see CNN.com)The report adds that a ll the perpetrators were, â€Å"†¦all officers or noncommissioned officers† (Johns, Ensor & Mount). In an ideal setting this should not have happened especially in the presence of NCOs.The Role of Noncommissioned OfficersNCOs are leaders, period. The military cannot function without leadership as much as a body cannot survive without a head. Everything depends upon leadership and in this regard NCOs play a major role.An Army Officer’s guidebook expounds on the meaning of the term and it says:A leader is people fitted by force of ideas, character, or genius, or by strength of will or administrative ability, to arouse, incite, and direct men in conduct and achievement. Leadership is the art of imposing one’s will upon others in such a manner as to command their respect, their confidence, and their whole-hearted cooperation. (Bonn, 320)In the NCO guidebook leadership is seen as basic in the structure of the U.S. armed forces and it says, â€Å"Leadership, des pite the great strides in technology, remains the same – influencing and motivating people to get the job done† (Rush, 34).  With regards to the NCOs taking up a part of the burden of leadership, Rudyard Kipling was quoted as saying, â€Å"The backbone of the army is the noncommissioned man!† (as qtd. in Fisher, 3).An article in Wikipedia’s website expounds on the words of Kipling:The noncommissioned officer corps is the junior management of the military. An experienced NCO corps is a key component of Western armies: in many cases NCOs are credited as being the metaphorical backbone of their service. By contrast, the weak NCO corps of the modern-day Russian armed forces, and those modeled after it, is widely blamed for the general ineffectiveness of those militaries. (see Wikipedia: Noncommissioned Officers)NCOs and the Concept of DisciplineThe U.S. military structure amounts to a pile of junk without discipline and the people that are tasked to instill discipline and order in the ranks are the noncommissioned officers. NCOs do the dirty work and this is very much evident in shaping a bunch of boys who know nothing about authority and following orders prior to enlistment into hardened men who will obey first before they complain.  Discipline is very important in the military because it is an organization tasked to do jobs that are out of the ordinary and in many instances, in life and death situations. These kinds of jobs will determine the safety of a country, the lives of their fellow soldiers or the civilians under their sphere of influence.NCOs instills this concept of a more serious kind of discipline by being an example for his men. In Semper Fi, a book about the highly respected U.S. Marine corps, a description of the NCO’s methodology – in terms of how he earns the respect of his men and how he hammers discipline into their system – was provided by the authors:The authority of the Marine NCO does not rest on fear; its foundation is the well-earned respect of equally tough men. He leads, and inspires, by being the man he wants his troops to become. The NCO personifies his expectations of the men he commands. He wants his Marines to look â€Å"squared away† and so he dresses and marches smartly himself. Since he wants to instill instant obedience, his men will see him obey instantly when an officer commands. He wants his men to be aggressive in combat, so he himself is the epitome of aggressiveness. The Marine Corps NCO, through his own behavior, creates a desire to be like him. (Carrison and Walsh, 69)The apt description of what an NCO is all about as presented by Carrison and Walsh answers the question on what happens when NCOs misbehave. Using the ideas discussed earlier it would be easy to list the reason why NCOs should always be the quintessential soldier.First of all it is due to his position as part of the leadership of the armed forces. An NCOs actions does not go unobserved and will always be an influence and guide to the new recruit and those under his command. If the NCO is unruly, does not follow orders and breaks the code of conduct then it is not surprising for the rest of the soldiers to do the same.An NCO could not afford to appear irresponsible and uncontrollable or speaks in a manner that show disrespect to his superiors and fellow officers simply because he is not in a normal setting. In an office or in a school perhaps undisciplined behavior and a rebellious attitude towards authority will not really cause too much damage in relative proportion to a similar behavior in the army. When NCO acts like a spoiled brat men dies and blood flows unnecessarily. Worse, the unit can be in grave physical danger and the morale of the troops would significantly decrease leading in more losses and more damage.The chain reaction from an NCO’s lack of prudence can not simply be taken lightly as the repercussions will be felt for many generat ions. And this is not an exaggeration. The following is an account of what happened more than 200 years ago – in America’s war of independence – that helped changed the course of history. It is a testament to the fact that undisciplined men would cause a series of events that will lead to catastrophe:Following the British victory at the Battle of Long Island in August 1776, Queens County came under military’s control [†¦] From the outset, military officials realized that the war had both military and political dimensions. [†¦] Military misconduct against civilians would only create enmity, hinder the effective prosecution of the war and make post war reconciliation more difficult [†¦] By wars end the people of Queens had become, not loyal subjects, but Patriots – as much by British default as by personal choice. (Fingerhut and Tiedermann, 50)ConclusionThe effect of military misconduct especially when an NCO exhibits such undesirable behavior will first result in a breakdown of discipline but it will not end there. The men under the NCOs command will use said breakdown as an excuse for caving in under pressure. Thus when the going gets tough the men who witnessed insubordination and disrespect to senior officers will use that as an excuses for not following orders and then a chain reaction follows.When things begin to turn really uncontrollable, when the spirit of discipline that holds the army together is gone, the same soldiers who are selfless, hard workers, united and having one mind and heart will suddenly transform into a selfish monster who will do everything that seems to be right base on selfish interests. The result of which is written in the annals of military history. These events are labeled as infamous but it has cost more than shame it has resulted in the deaths and humiliation of the innocents. But from a military’s point of view it all boils down to failure in accomplishing a mission and for some cases it means losing the war.Works CitedBonn, Keith E. Army Officer’s Guide. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2002.Carrison, Dan and Rod Walsh. Semper Fi: Business Leadership the Marine Corps Way.New York: American Management Association, 1999.Fingerhut, Eugene R., and Tiedermann, J.S. The Other New York: The American RevolutionBeyond New York City. New York: State University of New York Press, 2005.Fisher, E. F. Jr. Guardians of the Republic: A History of the Noncommissioned officer corps of  the U.S. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2001.â€Å"Military of the United States.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 27 May 2006. Wikimedia  Ã‚  Ã‚   Foundation, Inc. 28 May 2006 .â€Å"Non-commissioned officer.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 24 May 2006. Wikimedia  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Foundation, Inc. 28 May 2006 .Rush, Robert S. NCO Guide. 7th ed. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2003.