Chinese Communism DBQ Essay

Communism in China from 1925 to 1950 was a very interesting period in China, especially in terms of relationship between the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese peasants. Communism in China survived through the Japanese invasion and control of China during the Second World War. Based on evidence provided in the documents, the Chinese Communists and peasants both disliked and fought against landlords, the communists supported peasants in their fight against the Japanese, and made the lives of peasants over all better. One obvious relationship and similarity between peasants and communists is their hatred toward landlords. Direct evidence including instructions to local party officials (Doc 5) and a photo from Xinhua news agency (Doc 9) show the communists obvious bias to the peasants. The communists even created laws to overthrow the landlords, like the Agrarian Reform Law (Doc 8). The peasant’s hatred was so strong, in fact, that they violently threatened the landlords to get back all grievances (Doc 6). The communists were also confident and excited with the peasant movement that would overthrow landlords (Doc 1). The communists organized struggle meetings shown in a photo where peasants humiliated former landlords (Doc 9).

“Nobody Knows” and “Maboroshi”: Films about Pain and Struggle

These two Japanese films were directed by the critically acclaimed director Hirokazu Koreida. Both films were well accepted by the general public. These two films also garnered numerous awards and are known for their compelling storylines. Film critics around the world praised these two films on almost every department. â€Å"Maboroshi† was released in 1995, while â€Å"Nobody Knows† was released in 2004. There is a noticeable gap between the times these two movies were released, but director Hirokazu Koreida never lost his style and vision in film making. â€Å"Maboroshi† is Koreida’s first film. It revolves around the life of a woman named Yomiko. After her husband committed suicide, she was left miserable and alone. She struggled to put the past behind as she was consumed by pain and depression. As she struggles to battle her own insecurities, regrets and doubts, she is forced to resolve the inexplicable cause for her grief through an eventual renewal of love and companionship. It seems that Yumiko cannot escape the ghost of the past. Yet, she has renewed hope and comfort in the arms of another man. She decided to marry this man who is a fisherman. This man was lost after a storm came while he was fishing at the sea. After his return, Yomiko was never the same. Her doubts and fears have consumed her. She was also troubled with anxiety. She was stuck in the past, lost in thoughts that could bring pain and depression. These are the reasons why she could not fully commit herself to her second husband. The film â€Å"Nobody knows† is a story about four children who were abandoned by their parents. The film was based on actual events which took place in 1988. It was said that the actual even was more depressing than the movie adaptation. The story begins when a woman named Keiko abandons her young children in a shabby apartment in an unknown Japanese city. She left her children with almost no money for survival. Her character shows us how irresponsible parents could be. Akira, her eldest son, took the role of their parents. He had to take care of his three siblings. He tried his best to be a good parent by borrowing money from people he knew and even gave gifts for his siblings during Christmas. The film gives a picture of how hard life can be in an urban setting, where life is fast and only the fittest would survive. The film is about the struggle of these four children in finding comfort, security, happiness and salvation. Film Analysis and Comparison The analysis and comparison will be divided into three parts. The first part will tackle the technical aspects of both films. Then the second part will tackle the theme and the story of both films. We will try to see if the two films are somewhat parallel. The last part of the analysis and comparison is about the message of the two films. Technical Aspects Since both films were directed by the same person, they do not differ that much in terms of the technical stuff. These two films boast greatness in cinematography. The shots were meticulously framed and scenes were carefully orchestrated. The lighting in both films helped a lot in accentuating the mood and emotion that a certain scene elicits. This was more evident in â€Å"Maboroshi†. The film has a distinct imagery which was achieved by the contrast of colors and proper lighting effects. There are scenes from the film that actually looks like a canvass. The primary colors came in very effectively to highlight certain objects. An example would be the moving vehicles which brings luminous contrast. Even just the small details like the pink ball thrown by a child, the illuminated rooms bathed in light, and the blue paint in fishing boats were are all captivating. The film is pleasing to the eye. The scenes from this film were shot from a distance, making it more like a piece of artwork. This actually makes the audience feel distant from the characters and the story. â€Å"Maboroshi† could be described as an art film that is crafted by a master artist. Just like â€Å"Maboroshi†, â€Å"Nobody Knows† can also be called an art film. It is quite different because it is like a documentary. The film feels more like a documentary on the story of the four abandoned children rather than a regular film. It is quite noticeable that there are only few dialogues in both films. Certain scenes are actually shot pretty long and camera movement was seldom. The sparse dialogue and minimalist production actually worked well with â€Å"Nobody Knows† because it made the film more authentic. The movie’s slow pace and quietness made the plot build up more emotional. The set's close quarters and bright lighting puts emphasis on the isolation and loneliness of the children's apartment. The documentary style of filming that was employed in this film allowed the audience to see things from the children’s point of view. Both films were well directed and the actors gave a wonderful performance. Since dialogue was sparse in both films, the body movement and facial expression of the actors had to play a big part in the story telling. We should applaud the actors in both films because they delivered well in this department. A number of them actually garnered acting awards. Yuya Yugira (Akira) from â€Å"Nobody Knows† won best actor at the Cannes Film Festival. He was only a novice at that time. Koreida revealed the emotions and thoughts of his characters through the use of body movement and facial expressions. Emotions could be felt even by just looking at the eyes of the children. The best directors simply know how to use this style. The connection between the characters and the audience is the grand result of these stylistic choices. The Story and Theme If we look deeper into these two films, we will notice that their respective themes are quite parallel. â€Å"Maboroshi† and â€Å"Nobody Knows† both talk about pain and struggle. These two themes are the driving forces of the two films. If we look back and recall the plot of â€Å"Maboroshi†, we would notice that the story is about the pain and struggles that the main character (Yomiko) was going through. She was always in a situation wherein she has to confront her pain and struggles. This is the same for the movie â€Å"Nobody Knows†. The story was also about pain and struggle. The four abandoned kids had to go through a lot because they had irresponsible parents. The whole story was about their struggle for survival and their continuous search for salvation. The director employed the proper style and method to illustrate these two themes. The quietness and sparse dialogues helped a lot in relating these two themes to the audience. This is also the same reason why the two films are somewhat depressing. Although it’s necessary that films about these themes should be dark and gloomy, the use of contrast and a little bit of humor could still be effective. Director Hirokazu Koreida was successful in utilizing this style. In â€Å"Maboroshi†, he used contrast of colors to bring light into the overall mood of the story. He made the audience see beauty amidst the gloom that surrounds the film. In â€Å"Nobody Knows†, he used a bit of humor and optimism that is quite unexpected in the worst of situations. There was a part when one of the kids had these funny squeaking shoes which could represent the privilege of finding hope as they leave their shelter for the first time. The two films are about the universal concept of pain. They explore the emotion that makes us human. The question on how to deal with it is actually answered in the two films. Message Maboroshi is a Japanese word that loosely translates to â€Å"illusory light.† It is an incomprehensible mirage that occasionally unveils itself along the waves of the sea, leading many curious sailors to their impending doom. Its origin is still a mystery. Nobody knows why men are lured by its worldly promises. There are things in this world that cannot be explained. There are events that are incomprehensible. It only reminds us of our limitations and our humanity. The lesson that we can draw from the film is that there tragedies and misfortunes in life that we cannot immediately understand, but this does not mean that we should give up on our search for redemption and recovery. One must learn to accept these tragedies to be able to move on with life. The message that we can draw from â€Å"Nobody Knows† is similar to â€Å"Maboroshi†. The film shows us that there is hope amidst the worst of situations. Akira showed courage and devotion, even though it seemed that the weight of the world is upon him. The four siblings showed determination to survive, hoping that someday they will find a place in the harsh world they live in. â€Å"Maboroshi† and â€Å"Nobody Knows† were crafted artistically. They are unique, full of emotion, and captivating. They reach through the hearts of the audience, pleading for sympathy and compassion. These two films are undeniably deserving of the praise and recognition they have received.      

The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy - Essay Example Reagan claimed that most people did not understand the functioning of Nicaragua, as they only knew it as a Marxist country but many were not for the idea of exchange of money and weapons and this made it difficult for the U.S to bring in funding (Bermann, Page 9, 1996). The Reagan Doctrine was out to offer both covert and overt support to resistance movements and anti-communists guerrillas so as to have the governments backed by the Soviet governments in Asia, Latin America and Asia. The doctrine was designed to cut down on the general Cold War strategy administration. After Reagan’s election in the year 1981, he decided to support the resistance revolutions in countries like Angola, Nicaragua, Afghanistan and Cambodia. In May 1982, Reagan approved a document which was referred to as, U.S National Strategy, which its main purpose was stop and overthrow the development of soviet management and the presence of armed forces worldwide, and also to increase the cost of support that was being provided by the soviet and increase the use of rebellious rule at the same time collaborating with the terrorist. Reagan started a campaign for the community to support his plans by using some of the strong statements to prove it. For example in 1985, he said that the U.S citizens were not to lose faith in those who were able to risk their lives for their country worldwide even in the dangerous continents like Afghanistan (Burns, page 89, 1999). One year down the line, he stated that America was going to support both morally and substantially those who were ready to fight for the freedom of their nation even if it included dying. Reagan’s destructive policies and measures caused much damage in many countries. The exploitation and management of the banks by the U.S for example that was practiced in Nicaragua led to the decimation of its economy. War on the Sandinista national liberation front was funded by the administration that the congress played a role in suppor ting it. This was a war that several terrorist from Nicaraguan, which was referred to as Contra, fought and its main aim was to conquer the Sandinistas who after the 1979 revolution, took over power (Flanagan, page 25, 2000). In 1981, was the year that establishment of Contra forces started and Reagan funded the Central Intelligence Agency by authorizing the release of large sums of money. There was also the generation of extra money from illegal sales of weapons to Iran which was channeled to the Contras. These illegal actions were later known in Iran Contra Affair in the month of November in 1986, which led to condemnation and conviction of his staff. The collapse of the FSLN (Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional) in the 1980s was as a result of the U.S continuous hostility. The victory of the contra military was not the cause of the fall of the Sandinista, but it was because of the U.S economic blow, the restrictions on trade and the social and economic attack of the nation. President Daniel Ortega finally accepted that he was defeated in the 1990 elections due to the persistent economic failure and handed over the government to the conservative who emerged the winners (Oberdorfer, page 71, 1999).. The elections however were not held as a result of Reagan’s pleas but to others efforts especially President Oscar Arias. He was the one who held the negotiations of a peaceful handover

Organizational Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organizational Theory - Assignment Example Also, the paper will review the criticisms that have been generated towards the two assumptions. While ontology is associated with the nature of an event, epistemology is about the way people understand such an event (Gioia, 2003). The classification of the two assumptions, therefore, can be based on an individual’s belief considering that objective existence is inherent in the world, or because the reality of an event is based on a mediated social understanding. In this sense, prior to human judgement, objective ontology presumes that natural and social reality occurs independently (Johnson and Duberley, 2000: 180). In view of this assumption, objective epistemology takes into consideration the causal inter variable relationships, and assumes that the reality does not originate in an individual, but rather from sensory experiences. Having said this, the manner in which an individual understands an event is acquired from measurement, touch, taste, or observation (Johnson and Duberley, 2000). Furthermore, the epistemology of objectivity seeks to generalize theories by mak ing a very important presumption that the theory applies to all people in the world regardless of the context and circumstances. A good example of a research that best shows a theory-approach alignment is one conducted in by Cooper and Sobol (1969) investigating seniority and employment testing as a criteria for hiring and promoting employees. In this paper, the theory being used is the disparate impact theory while the approach is basically a case study complex, while epistemology is constructionism coupled with positivism. By analyzing the various cases where the use of seniority and testing were deemed to be violating the fair employment laws, Cooper and Sobol (1969) went on to suggest that depending on who is analyzing the cases may take different meanings because of their constructionist approach. They

Development of Nationalism in East and Southeast Asia Essay

Development of Nationalism in East and Southeast Asia - Essay Example Nationalism is considered to be a process, which develops with respect to time; it does not emerge abruptly or unexpectedly. â€Å"It is not a phenomenon that appears suddenly. It is the result of a process by which a people become conscious of themselves as a separate national entity in the modern world, a process by which they become willing to transfer their primary loyalty from the village, or the region, or the monarch, to the nation-state† 1. It is this perspective, which can be found in East and Southeast Asia. In order to integrate nationalism, several steps and measures have been adopted by the government. These measures include the suppression of opposition, the selection of a mutual language and the concentrate on economic growth in order to sustain and maintain liberty. Nationalism and Communism in Southeast Asia is the product of colonisation. The vast majority of the East and Southeast Asian countries were â€Å"controlled either by the British, French, Dutch, A mericans or Portuguese, who sought to control unnatural boundaries and had no regard for the natives of those areas† 2. After the end of World War II, majority of the East and Southeast Asian countries declared independence from the Western imperialist. For instance, Indonesian nationalists fought with the Dutch in order to get their independence. Philippine got it independence from United States; Vietnam got its independence from France after the Indochina war. After the end of World War II, majority of the East and Southeast Asian.

The Ethics of Mountaintop Removal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Ethics of Mountaintop Removal - Essay Example Moreover, mountaintop removal is associated with the destruction of the physical environment for the surrounding communities which minimizes on the overall good done to the neighboring communities. Human beings generally love the aesthetic view of their surroundings which makes them feel happy about what they see around (Camacho, 2010). Mountaintop removal while mining coal, however, destroys this aesthetic view by deforestation and surface destruction among other scenery destructive activities (Mcgarvey & Johnston, 2013). In fact, deforestation in itself is responsible not only for changing the climatic conditions of an area but also affects the freshness of air that the inhabitants of the neighboring communities breathe (Zullig, M.S.P.H & Hendryx, 2011). This is with regard to the fact that vegetation is responsible for facilitating the gaseous exchange between oxygen and carbon dioxide. Such an interference with the natural sceneries is, therefore, an undesirable activity which re mains to be a total interference to the moral and ethical standards of inhabitants of the neighboring community. Without regulation of the mining activities of companies involved in the mining of coal, it may be impossible to maximize on the principles of utilitarianism which entails creating more â€Å"good† to the community while reducing the bad effects of the mining activities in the neighborhood.The coal industries can be considered to be more consumptive than preservative in their mining processes.

Nancy Morejon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nancy Morejon - Essay Example There she absorbed and assimilated Afro-Cuban culture until she identified herself with the very essence of her beloved Havana" (Cordones-Cook 2003:33). Cordones-Cook (2003) asserts that Morejon in her poetry projects "a clearly matrilineal consciousness that establishes connection and filiation," a kind of sympathetic female bonding, with legendary female ancestors. Gonzalez (2005) would understand this as Morejn's poems referring to Yoruba deities, known as orishas, and honoring the "living dead," the eggun or ancestors. She said Morejon dominates these poetic spaces with words of wisdom from both the African ancestors and the orishas, who exercise their eternal influence. A study of her poems suggests that Morejn is obsessed with her past, and often uses poetry as a way of exploring it. It is in those poems that she revisits Africa, encounters the grandparents she never met, and experiences the hardships of slavery. As a result, she often gives voice to people who don't normally have one. Morejn is a strong believer that ancestors and loved ones who have passed on, continue to affect people's daily lives. Honoring the living dead or the ancestors may be seen from the perspective of communicating with them because of "Frustrations in personal life" as Xianglong (2007) would see it. Xianglong (2007) looked into filial consciousness into the thinking that intersects the past and future. Accordingly, frustrations in personal life are one occasion for a person to bridge the time and reach out to the dead. Indeed, in Morejon's culture, the spirits of ancestors are spiritual guides (Gonzalez-Wippler 1998:76). After death, spirits are said to remain around their relatives here on earth, for protection and guidance. Invoked in every religious ritual, they often participate in family decisions, giving their approval or disapproval in family affairs. Morejn's poem, "In Front of a Mirror," refers to the importance of "our dead ones" and how present they are in their daily lives If the parks blossom overflowing with fresh tulips then the boulevard brings in the scents of your loved ones, and, above all, of your dead ones. (Morejn in Looking Within 109) Morejon is conscious that the dead are ever with them - participating in their present conditions. Maier (2005) asserts that one poem closely identified with Morejon is "Persona." This poem, according to David Frye (2000), is a relatively recent one (1999), but it is also an update of the earlier "Mujer negra" ("Black Woman"). In "Mujer Negra" ("Black Woman)" she moves through various generations discussing immigration, slavery, poverty, rebellion and the independence movement (from Spain), and finally, affirmation of the Afro-Cuban as a human being after 1959. According to Maier (2005), this poem emphasizes the slave's point of view, and demonstrates the influence of ideological freedom found in the Cuban Revolution. She underscores the racial together with the feminist dimensions of Cuban nationalism by making the Black woman the central figure and the protagonist of the contemporary era "Black Woman," and "Persona," exemplifies well the characteristics for which Morejon and her work are known and admired. These traits include a strong identification with her family, with the

Problem Definition at Kudler Fine Foods Case Study

Problem Definition at Kudler Fine Foods - Case Study Example With the reasonable success of its first three stores, Kudler desires to expand into other locations in Southern California as well as in San Francisco. It is also planning to expand its products and services offerings with the addition of coffee & tea, a fish counter, and a deli, as well as more aggressively market its catering services. In order to target high-end areas in other cities, Kudler plans to launch an internet website that will eventually have e-commerce capabilities. Several issues have been identified in Kudler's current operations that need to be addressed before it can successfully achieve its future goals. Currently, it deals mainly in perishable goods which require extremely accurate forecasting of inventories so as not to incur losses. Kudler employs some relatively highly paid specialty personnel such as the butcher, the baker and the wine steward, and finding qualified people for a new store or to replace those who leave is difficult, especially so, since Kudler's pay is a bit below average. Kathy Kudler and her small management team may not be able to handle additional stores in farther locations, if their management approach is not adjusted to this situation, which limits their plans for expansion. The Del Mar location is not doing too well and needs to be addressed. Another gourmet shop opening within Kudler's current market areas would definitely pose a threat. And since, Kudler's gourmet products are pricey, an economic decline in i ts geographic area would definitely hurt Kudler. Problem/Opportunity Taking economic decline as the issue in question, this problem can only be solved by preparing for such an eventuality. According to Joseph Ellis (2005), a Goldman Sachs partner, economic cycles or periods of advancing and slowing are the rule and there are 4 stages of economic downturn: the peak, a modest slowing, intensifying worrying, and the advent of recession. Therefore, preparations to help minimize the threat of an economic decline are always worth undertaking so as not to be caught off-guard when it actually happens. Actions to hedge the disadvantageous effects of an economic decline can present opportunities. Kudler needs to carefully choose locations where it will set up additional stores, like identifying high-growth areas where profitable business operations could be better forecasted. These new locations may be in geographically dispersed areas, therefore the need to take a new management approach for managing more widely dispersed operations needs to be considered. Th e introduction and aggressive marketing of new products and services (such as online selling and catering) in its stores not only enhances Kudler's business viability but will also increase customers' patronage of Kudler as it expands into more stores. In the event of an economic decline in a certain geographic location, Kudler would be able to handle its negative effects because of the increased number of profitable stores operating, while actions are being undertaken to relocate a distressed store. End-State Goals The end vision for Kudler consists of several goals that would have

Teacher as Managers Essay Example for Free

Teacher as Managers Essay There are five behavioral steps in the differentiation of the effective delegator and the ineffective delegator. In this case, the manager of a contracts group, Ricky Lee, who is part of a large regional office supply distributor realized his limitations in terms of capacity when he received a new assignment. Ricky lee knew he needed to delegate this assignment in order to meet his current project deadline and also meet the needs of his boss. The first step Ricky needs to do is assess his employees and determine who has demonstrated a clear understanding of negotiating contracts, and also who has proven excellent results in negotiating with manufacturers. When Ricky identifies an employee who has knowledge, and demonstrated success contract negotiation like his employee, Bill Harmon, Ricky needs to evaluate if Bills workload would allow him to take on a new project. The next step Ricky needs to do is have a private conversation with Bill and clearly outline the parameters and scope of this project. Ricky needs to make sure that Bill understands what is expected by clarifying and asking open-ended questions. Ricky needs to make sure Bill does not have any unanswered questions regarding the development of the department’s new procedures manual for negotiating contracts with office product’s manufacturers. Therefore, Ricky will allow Bill to participate in the decisions since he will be held accountable for this task. Ricky needs to clearly explain that this needs to be completed by the end of the month, and make sure that Bill feels comfortable and accepting of the time commitment. Ricky needs to make sure that Bill has the ability to work this project as he see fit, however his authority is limited to only the parameters of the project. Bills needs to understand this his authority to all other aspects of his job or the job of other works has not changed. Ricky needs to ensure that Bill understands and accepts that his range and discretion are limited to the scope of the project only. In allowing the employee to participate, Ricky must understand that Bill may have his personal self-interests and biases that may cause a potential problem in not committing fully or deterring him from taking on the delegation of the new assignment. Ricky will need to listen to learn and use open-ended questions to redirect the personal biases and self-interests. Some employees find themselves facing challenges because they immediately think about themselves and have a tendency to exhibit impartial judgment, which is not always fair in a workplace environment. Employees have to do what’s right for them, but also remember that this is a business. When presenting open-ended questions, this provides Ricky the opportunity to answer all of Bill’s questions or concerns in a positive manner. Ricky is able to provide Bill with all of the answers and support and even resources that Bill needs. For instance, if Bill says â€Å"I do not have the the first written copy of the resource manual and I am not sure who has it. † Ricky may respond, â€Å"Well Bill, I have it in my office and I will commit to have it to you by 12pm. † This provides Bill with the resource he needs and Ricky may ask some more open-ended questions using who, what, where, when, and why to get Bill to open up about any questions or concerns. Personal biases influence the way another person may think about a particular object, place, or person. The employees who are judgmental may focus on ways to degrade their peers or have difficulty in taking on a new task. This creates a negative culture and does not motivate a team to perform to its fullest. Many employees can see being bias in a workplace both negatively and positively. They are normally personal biases which are formed through a person that may have been predisposed during childhood, environment, through another person’s own biases without researching, and/or experiences. The Assignment that Bill Harmon has agreed to take on will outline the steps followed in negotiating contracts with office products’ manufacturers who supply the organization’s products. It is important to inform everyone involved of the delegation. Anne Zumwalt and any other managers that may be involved with this project or directly affected by the outcome will be informed of Bill’s commitment to take on this new task. It is important that Ricky informs all employees affected by this delegation of Bill taking on this project and to inform employees on how much authority Bill has committed to. This provides a sense of pride and ownership over the project for Bill and he is fully aware that he will be held accountable for the end-product. When setting the parameters of this project with Bill it will be important to determine how Bill and Ricky will establish feedback channels. Bill must know how to communicate with Ricky about the project. It is important to know the stages that Bill may provide feedback to Ricky. Ricky should also inform Bill on how he intends on monitoring the project and how often he will be checking in. Bill should provide commitment and understanding on exact deadlines (end of the month on a specific date) and expectations. It is crucial that Bill knows if any problems should arise then Ricky should be contacted as soon as possible so they are able to work through it in the most proactive and efficient way.

Smoking, Gender, Sick Role Essay Example for Free

Smoking, Gender, Sick Role Essay How do you think that smoking and gender is related? Why do you think that men/women smoke even though it is known as a deadly practice? Despite the overrun and almost cliched disclaimer from government reminding the general public that â€Å"cigarette smoking can be dangerous to your health,† a lot of people prefer to think and/or act otherwise. While smoking is considered generally bad or quite frankly, repulsive, and met with disgust by some, it is nonetheless acknowledged in society as something relatively acceptable or tolerated. Its social acceptability lies in different aspects or points of view. Most smokers believe, for instance, that breathing in nicotine and burnt paper helps in times of stress, and that cigarettes help them relax. People smoke to clear their heads and think. People smoke when they feel cold, or tired, or lonely, angry, or to socialize, and so on. Smoking, like drinking, has become an effective outlet by which people socialize and vent, and they do, despite the number of diseases that statistics promise every pack of cigarettes come pre-packaged with. More than being provoked by the said factors, the instance of cigarette smoking has come to relate and define ones gender and sexuality. Smoking is generally accepted among men as something which somehow affirms their masculinity. Cigarette smoking in women is seen as a sign or symbol of sophistication, despite what the opposite may connote. Adolescents for the most part, take a significant proclivity and liking to practices considered bad or unacceptable, and smoking is easily one of them. These concepts and images entrenched in society, as well as the previously enumerated factors relating to its validity or acceptability contributes to the instance that is cigarette smoking; the benefits of which appear to outweigh negative implications, of various illnesses and diseases which may or may not result from its practice. 2. What is sick role? Describe the sick role vis a vis birthing in Turkey. A concept brought about by Talcott Parsons in 1961, a sick role is a behavior that an individual is expected or not expected to perform within his/her obligations to society in the event of an illness or disease which incapacitates him/her from doing so. Parsons concept of the sick role affords a sick person the right to be exempted from normal roles prescribed in society, and the freedom not be held responsible for his or her condition. The sick persons only obligations on the other hand, are to condition themselves into recovering from the said sickness, and to find a competent doctor or physician which would attend to their particular sickness or illnesses. In Turkey, culture and tradition demands that a women who has just given birth is not allowed to leave her house in the extent of forty days from the time shes given birth. She is not to be left alone and is to be attended to within the forty days in which she is confined to her house. The said culture and tradition mirrors Parsons concept of sick role, and exempts a woman who has just gone through child birth the necessary and proper duties and obligations society warrants from her by confining her to the bounds of her own home, requiring that she rests, be nursed back to health, and nothing else. References Dichter Ernest. â€Å"Why Do We Smoke? † http://smokingsides. com/docs/whysmoke. html 10 January 2008. Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Culture and Tourism. â€Å"Culture and Beliefs. † http://www. kultur. gov. tr/ 10 Jan 2008. â€Å"The Sick Role. † http://www. diligio. com/sick_role. htm 10 January 2

Effects of Transition on Child Stress

Effects of Transition on Child Stress Using evidence, write an essay showing how stress is influenced at the levels of the individual, family, locality and society. Chose one intervention at one of the levels and say why you think it could be effective in tackling the problem.   This essay looks at how stress is influenced at many levels: individual, family, locality and society, and concentrates on the level of family, to describe an intervention that could be effective in tackling the problem. As Finlay et al. (2005; p. 141), stress is something that everybody experiences at some point in their life, from children to adults, although excessive amounts of stress can be harmful for individuals in terms of their health and longevity. It is therefore important that the causes of long-term stress be identified and that interventions are utilized in order to minimize the adverse effects of this stress. As Finlay et al. (2005; p. 29-31) point out, however, stress can have many causes, from individual factors, to family concerns, to external factors from the individual’s environment (locality) to societal-level factors, all of which can lead to an individual experiencing stress. This can make it difficult to isolate one intervention that could be effective; the remainder of the essay will, however, describe a case study and will highlight one intervention that might be effective in this case. The particular example that will be used is that of a primary-aged child who is showing signs of stress. The child is manifesting behavioural changes, such as disturbed sleep and mood swings, and is experiencing headaches and loss of appetite, all of which are classic signs of childhood stress (Flinn, 1999). The child is the youngest child of a two-child family, and has just started primary school. His parents both work full-time and they are rarely in the house. The family does not eat together. The child’s older brother is a teenager, and is going through exams at the moment. He himself is also showing signs of stress, and all the spare time the parents have, they spend with their oldest child, helping him cope with his exams. It is clear that the youngest child is being neglected emotionally, at a time when he needs support, having just moved to full-time school. There are many stressors on this child, which can be addressed through some simple interventions, which will be discussed below. A recent study (Turner-Cobb, 2008) shows that, in particular, periods of transition in childhood can be extremely stressful for children. Studies have suggested that stress can be anticipated by children, which can lead to deep anxiety (Primary Report, 2007). As shown by Flinn (1999), untreated stress in childhood can have long-term health effects, such as adverse developmental effects (McEwen, 2008) and increased mortality (McEwen, 2003). In addition, childhood stress can lead to social problems, such as poor familial relationships, and behavioural disorders as a result of this (McEwen, 2003; Alfven et al., 2008; Flinn, 1995). As Flinn and England (1997) show, supported by Bauer and Boyce (2004), these social problems can then lead, in later life, to socio-economic problems caused by long-term health concerns. As (Finlay et al., 2005; p.64) state, â€Å"Family relationships have both a positive and a negative effect on health behaviours and health†. As suggested, the lack of ‘family meals’, where the whole family sits down to eat can disrupt the parent-children relationship, and can lead to stress being put on the children, who feel they do not have a regular point of contact with their parent(s), breaking the facility for communication with their parent(s) (Finlay et al., 2005; p.64). This certainly seems to be the case here, where the parents work full-time and have little spare time to spend ‘quality time’ with their child. As (Finlay et al., 2005; p.70) suggest, the changing roles within families have put stress on the family, with both parents working meaning that the children are less likely to see their parents for extended periods of time, leading to a greater need for independence at an earlier age and, also, potentially leading to poor health beha viours in the children and to higher levels of stress in these children. What can be done, what intervention can be suggested, to help this child? Given that the child is young, very young, and is going through a stressful period in his life at the moment, with the transition to full-time school, and that the child is being neglected, emotionally, by his parents, the suggested intervention is that the family attempt to sit down together at all mealtimes. This would give the family an opportunity to be together and would allow the child time to settle down with his parents and to feel comfortable enough to be able to tell them about his worries and his concerns. As shown by Arnold (1990), it is often enough for a child to be given the space to talk for the child to feel less stressed, and to recover from the symptoms of stress they were suffering. This intervention is expected to be effective in that it would allow connections to be made again between the child and his parents, and his brother, allowing some repair of the disrupted parent-child relationship (Finlay et al., 2005; p. 64). The need for families to have a space (both physical and temporal) where they can be together is paramount, in terms of allowing each family member to interact with each other, allowing them to discuss their worries and concerns and allowing, to some extent, the stressors to be relaxed. This is especially important for a young child who needs to feel protected. Without the protection of their families, their parents, young children can begin to feel vulnerable, with this vulnerability allowing for stressful events to have a far greater negative effect than usual on their responses to stress (Arnold, 1990). By sitting down together as a family, by talking and being listened to, the child can externalize his worries and, once shared, these worrie s can be dealt with in the most appropriate ways. Indeed, recent studies have shown that families who eat meals together have children who are more emotionally healthy than those families who do not eat together (Fivush and Duke, 2005; Duke et al., 2004). In summary, the suggested intervention in this case is to sit down together, as a family, to eat together. It is important to realize that such an intervention can have major effects on the sense of belonging a child has, which, in turn, can reduce their sense of vulnerability and can increase their ability to deal with stressful situations, and to avoid suffering from stress. This type of interaction can also lead to greater levels of family cohesiveness and resilience, having the beneficial side effect of contributing to a general reduction in family-level stressors. References Alfven, G. et al. (2008). Stressor, perceived stress and recurrent pain in Swedish schoolchildren. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 65(4), pp. 381-387. Arnold, E.L. (1990). Childhood Stress. John Wiley Sons. Bauer, A.W. and Boyce, T. (2004) Prophecies of childhood: how childrens social environments and biological propensities affect the health of populations. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine 11(3), pp. 164-175. Duke, M.P. et al. (2004). Of ketchup and kin: dinnertime conversations as a major source of family knowledge, family adjustment and family resilience. The Emory Centre for Myth and Ritual in American Life, Working Paper 26, available from http://www.marial.emory.edu/pdfs/Duke_Fivush027-03.pdf [Accessed on 3rd October 2008]. Finlay, L. et al. (2005). Understanding Health. The Open University. Fivush, R. et al. (2004). Family narratives and the development of children’s emotional well-being. In Family stories and life course, Pratt, M.W. and Fiese, B.H. (eds.), Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Flinn, M.V. (1995). Childhood stress and family environment. Current Anthropology 36(5), pp. 181-187. Flinn, M.V. and England, B. G. (1997). Social economics of childhood glucocorticoid stress response and health. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 102(1), pp. 33-53. Flinn, M.V. (1999). Family environment, stress and health during childhood. In Hormones, Health and Behaviour, Panter-Brick, C. and Worthman, C.M. (eds.), Cambridge University Press. McEwen, B.S. (2003). Early life influences on life-long patterns of behaviour and health. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disability Research Review 9(3), pp.149-154. McEwen, B.S. (2008). Understanding the potency of stressful early life experiences on brain and body function. Metabolism 57(2), pp. 11-15. Primary Report (2007). Community Soundings: The Primary Review regional witness sessions. Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/12_10_2007primary.pdf [Accessed on 3rd October 2008]. Turner-Cobb, J. (2008). Children’s transition to school. Preliminary results available from http://www.bath.ac.uk/schooltransition/home#results [Accessed 3rd October 2008].

Agricola as Hope for a Troubled Empire Essay -- Tacitus Agricola Essay

Agricola as Hope for a Troubled Empire Tacitus’ Agricola, though it traverses a significant part of Rome’s conquest of Britain, is primarily about the man from whom the book takes it title. Tacitus used British conquest to show the reader Agricola’s many virtues, and he explained why Romans should strive to follow Agricola’s example. At the same time, however, Tacitus echoed Agricola’s virtues to Rome, which, before and during the writing of his book, endured several tyrannical emperors. Tacitus’ book, besides praising an individual, suggested hope for an improved future to many troubled Romans when the virtues of the empire had decayed, and freedom that they once loved had largely disappeared. Despite the mostly laudatory writing in Agricola, Tacitus began the book on a melancholy tone. He expressed anger over what he considered autocratic ruling of Rome, suggesting that it was a terrible political fault. â€Å"An outstanding personality can still triumph over that blind antipathy to virtue which is a defect of all states, small and great alike.† (p.51) Tacitus expressed the idea that any state would carelessly disregard the virtues it once held as important, and by implication of the context he wrote in, find itself in a state of degradation similar to Rome’s at the time. He was not exclusively negative in that statement, however. His believed that one highly virtuous person could in fact successfully counteract a state’s decline. Agricola, he revealed throughout the book, was a paradigm for that person. Tacitus considered Agricola virtuous because he exhibited many qualities that Romans traditionally valued. Perhaps the most important virtue discussed was humility, or, as Tac... ...asting Domitian’s tyranny with Agricola’s equity, and specifically that the former resulted in disunity while the latter resulted in cohesion. Tacitus stated at the beginning of Agricola that it â€Å"†¦sets out to honor my father-in-law Agricola.† (p.53) One can not deny that Tacitus was successful in that effort, but it is also clear that he offered Roman readers much more than an inspiring story about a great man. At a time when many citizens of Rome were subdued by Domitian’s threats to opposition, Tacitus wrote in remembrance of Rome’s greatness and the freedom that Romans had previously enjoyed; and he wrote to inspire hope that they would experience both again in the future when the empire improved. Agricola embodied the ideals of that hope, and his example, Tacitus pointed out in chapter 46, would live forever with Roman destiny and its nobility.

The Department of Psychology at State University Essay -- academic dis

The psychology department of State University is considered an academic discourse community. They have a stated purpose, requirements for membership, and exercise intercommunication techniques. Furthermore, they have shared common knowledge that they use to advance their discipline and attract new members. Eleanor Kutz, a leading expert in the field of language and literacy, argues that academic discourse communities differ from informal ones in the critical area of assumed shared knowledge. She states, â€Å"building on the assumed shared knowledge...affects how people participate in academic communities, including introductory ones† (Kutz 344). In other words, professors introduce basic concepts when students enter the community. These concepts are the foundation that will eventually give rise to greater functionality within the desired academic discipline. The purpose of the academic discourse community is to foster development of novice members and therefore, assurin g that the community has the resources to sustain itself. The purpose of my research stems from this concept of shared knowledge and how it relates to membership and survival. John Swales theorizes, â€Å"survival of the community depends on a reasonable ratio between novices and experts† (Swales 27). Building upon this notion, I aim to show how freshmen to professors are dependent upon one another and how this community achieves their purpose of shared common knowledge. I will do so by focusing on their modes of academic advancement, intercommunication techniques, and shared public goals. Additionally, my research also reveals insight on how a bachelor’s degree in psychology translates into employment. Methodology: Experiences, Observation, and Documen... ... feedback† (Swales 26). This function lends evidence to the idea that within any academic discourse community, there must be ways to pass on knowledge and feedback. This is the action that maintains life within the community. The exercise of passing on shared information allows the Department of Psychology to expand, stay relevant, attract new members, help the community, and function with unity to accomplish their stated purpose and goals. Works Cited Kutz, Eleanor. Exploring Literacy: A Guide to Reading, Writing, and Research. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2004. Print. "Many Opportunities for Psychology Students at Akron." The University of Akron : Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. . Swales, John M. Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings. Cambridge: Cambridge United Press, 1990. Print.