William Blake s London The Appalling Conditions Of...

In his poem, â€Å"London,† British poet William Blake describes the appalling conditions of London and its people. Innocence has also been a major theme that is throughout many of Blake’s poem, including â€Å"London.† William Blake uses metaphors and imagery to show the themes of disappointment and ruined innocence throughout his poem â€Å"London.† In the first stanza of â€Å"London,† Blake describes himself walking through specific streets of London, yet he is only describing the terrible and melancholy things he sees. Blake specifically chose to not include anything cheerful he might see in the streets of London. He is obviously displeased with what he sees, and those outweigh anything good he might see if he truly walked through â€Å"each chartered†¦show more content†¦Also, the mind, these chains are not real, they are of the mind, imaginary. One possible interpretation of these â€Å"mind-forged manacles† is Blake’s merging of what is real and what is fiction, which could explain the â€Å"marks of weakness, marks of woe.† Or, it could be interpreted as there was so much pain and sorrow Blake saw as he walked through the streets of London, that the chains created in his mind, and the other people, was the intangible correction of these problems. Another reason to believe the idea of restraint and intangibility is the use of the word â€Å"ban† in the line before, simply another restriction given to the people, whether that was a literal â€Å"ban† by the government or a restraint of the mind. The third stanza first mentions â€Å"the chimney-sweeper’s cry† (Blake 9). There is another poem by William Blake that specifically goes into a chimney sweeper’s job, but chimney sweepers are normally young boys who clean people’s chimneys. The working conditions are quite terrible, and they often sleep in the soot that they clean, it is just a very dirty and dreadful situation. â€Å"Every blackening church appalls,† (Blake 10) could relate back to the chimney sweeper’s and the black soot, and also Blake’s disappointment of the church. The chimney sweepers are young, orphaned, boys and the church’s duty is to help the orphans, according to the Bible. Blake may be expressing his disappointment of the church not helpingShow MoreRelatedAN ANALYSIS OF WILLIAM BLAKES SONGS2960 Words   |  12 PagesAN ANALYSIS OF WILLIAM BLAKE’S SONGS OF INNOCENCE AND OF EXPERIENCE AS A RESPONSE TO THE COLLAPSE OF VALUES TIMOTHY VINESâˆâ€" Blake’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience are a much studied part of the English canon, and for good reason. Blake’s work depicts a quandary that continues to haunt humanity today: the struggle of high-order humanity against the ‘real’ rationality and morals of institutionalised society. This essay seeks to explore both Blake’s literary reaction to the Enlightenment and theRead MoreAn Analysis Of Mary Tudor And Her Little Girl Mary Ruler Of Scots3665 Words   |  15 Pageschanged the universe for their encounters alternately the route they felt/feel people through the run through might identify with the thing that they said alternately the thing that they stated clinched alongside their composing such as mary tudor and her little girl mary ruler of scots. Marxist-leninist Wollstonecraft s Vindication might have been those Initially for huge numbers replies. It may be an fascinating What s more rhetorically capable partake) energizes its own right and in addition AnRead MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 PagesEmeritus Professor of Business Administration The Business School Loughborough University and Colin Gilligan Professor of Marketing Sheffield Hallam University and Visiting Professor, Northumbria University AMSTERDAM †¢ BOSTON †¢ HEIDELBERG †¢ LONDON †¢ NEW YORK †¢ OXFORD PARIS †¢ SAN DIEGO †¢ SAN FRANCISCO †¢ SINGAPORE †¢ SYDNEY †¢ TOKYO Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP 200 Wheeler Road, Burlington, MA 01803 First published 1992 Second edition 1997 ReprintedRead MoreLangston Hughes Research Paper25309 Words   |  102 Pagescontinued to submit to segregation and live in poverty. Langston Hughes, 1933 (Library of Congress) Langston was not ashamed of being a black American. He had already written poems celebrating his heritage. He felt connected to the oppressed brown people of the world and hated his father for mistreating his Mexican employees. Witnessing his fathers tyranny made Langston sick enough to require hospitalization. By the end of the summer, Langston was glad to return to school in the United States

The Effects Of Jet Lag, Artificial Air During Pressurized...

Hopping in and out of planes is exercise enough, you say. But that s not the kind of exercise that will condition your heart, make your reflexes and joints more fluid, keep the sugar levels or keep you from swinging from one mood to another! Nor is it the kind of exercise that will make you euphoric after a good cardiovascular session. You need to counteract the effects of jet lag, artificial air in pressurized aircraft cabins and sky fatigue. Suzanne Schlosberg says, Sometimes your travels help you recognize how humdrum your workout routine has become. At home, it s easy to fall into a rut - to use the same weight machines in the same order, week after week, month after month, simply out of habit. But a trip may take the routine out of your routine. You may have no choice but to try new strength exercises or jog in the pool instead of swim laps. And you might find these new pursuits so enjoyable that you add them to your fitness repertoire at home. Common Obstacles What are some of the reasons why travelers do not incorporate exercise while they re on the road? They re stressed or too tired They don t feel comfortable about working out in unfamiliar surroundings They don t have access to a hotel gym But if they made just a tiny effort to change this thinking, they d be on the road to fitness sooner. Engaging in exercise allows you to get out of that bubble of meetings, seminars and tours. Walk when on the Road When traveling, have a pair of goodShow MoreRelatedCfi Oral Plan of Action17474 Words   |  70 PagesDocuments Airworthiness Requirements Weather Information IFR Cross-Country Flight Planning National Airspace Technical Subject Areas Regulations and Publications Operations of Systems Aeromedical Aircraft Systems, Flight Instruments, and Navigational equipment Instrument Cockpit Check Air Traffic Control Clearances Lost Communications Schedule: FOI 0:15 Review 0:45 Technical subject areas 1:00 Equipment: Dry erase board, markers, Pilot Operating Handbook (POH),

Holistic Care Nurse Free Essays

The name and other identifying information about the patient included within this piece of work have been changed to protect confidentiality, as required by The Code of Professional Conduct (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2008). For this reason, the patient included in this case study will be given the pseudonym of Sam Jones. The purpose of this assignment is to identify one client problem and provide an evidence-based plan of care for the individual. We will write a custom essay sample on Holistic Care Nurse or any similar topic only for you Order Now The purpose of care planning is to show a logical and systematic flow of ideas through from the initial assessment to the final evaluation (Mooney and O’Brien, 2006). The nursing model that will be incorporated in this care plan will be the Roper, Logan and Tierney’s model (2000). This model was chosen because is it extremely prevalent in the United Kingdom and is the most widely used model familiar to nurses. The model of nursing specifies 12 activities of daily living which are related to basic human needs and incorporates five dimensions of holistic care, physiological, psychological, sociocultural, politicoeconomical and environmental (Roper, Logan and Tierney’s model, 2000). Care plans are based on evidence-based practice, allowing the nurse to determine the est possible care and rationale for the chosen nursing interventions (Roper, Logan and Tierney, 2000). They take into account the psychological, biological and sociological needs of the person and therefore provide a holistic approach to care (Roper, Logan and Tierney, 2000). The main activity of living that will be affected within this care plan will be maintaining a safe environment as Mr. Jones may have a potential problem of death, due to hypovolemic and/or metabolic shock caused by ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) usually occurs in people with type 1 iabetes mellitus, but diabetic ketoacidosis can develop in any person with diabetes (Diabetes I-JK, 2013). DKA results from dehydration during a state of relative insulin deficiency, associated with high blood levels of sugar level and ketones (Diabetes I-JK, 2013). This happens because there is not enough insulin to allow glucose to enter the cells where it can be used as energy so the body begins to use stores of fat as an alternative source of energy, and this in turn produces an acidic by-product known as ketones (Diabetes I-JK, 2013). It is evident that DKA is associated with significant isturbances of the body’s chemistry, which should resolve with appropriate therapy (Diabetes I-JK, 2013). Severe metabolic acidosis can lead to shock or death (Dugdale, 2011). The specific problem was chosen because there are measures that can significantly reduce the risk of metabolic and hypovolemic shock which can be caused by severe metabolic acidosis (Dugdale, ) Within the care plan relevant care interventions will be identified to prevent the possible development of shock for Mr. Jones. In practice the interventions would happen contemporaneously. The interventions involve identifying the potential risk factors for the development of hock by using specific assessments. This will be done by following an assessment which includes planning, assessing, implementing and evaluating the care that will be provided to Mr Jones and to evaluate its effectiveness (Mooney O’Brien, 2006). Once the diagnosis was made, specific, achievable, measurable, realistic and time limited goals of care for Mr. Jones were made. The NHS foundation trust specific guidelines for adult diabetic ketoacidosis suggest a series of immediate actions and assessments for suspected DKA which will allow for appropriate interventions to be ade and will provide a baseline which will provide a measure of the effectiveness of the treatment (The Joint British Diabetes Societies Inpatient Care Group, [JBDS], 2012). Mr Jones will need fluid and electrolyte management to clear ketones and correct electrolyte imbalance (Nazario, 2011). How to cite Holistic Care Nurse, Papers

Research Methodology for Social Media Networks - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theResearch Methodology for Social Media Networks. Answer: Introduction The social e-commerce is considered to involve the social media which support the social interaction and the user contribution to assist the online buying of the products and the services. It includes the use of the social networks with the transactions set for the e-commerce. The description is based on the collaborative framework with the shared pick lists and the user ratings with the user generated content sharing for the online product and information (Laudon et al., 2013). The concepts of the social commerce are mainly to aim towards the collaborative e-commerce tools that enable the shoppers to get advice from the different trusted individuals. Problem Statement The focus of the problem statement is mainly to handle the opportunities which are associated to the use of social media along with exploring the problems and suggesting ways for the company to adapt to the issues and the misuse of social media networks (Huang et al., 2013). The technologies have been integrated with the social commerce that allow the shoppers to properly visualise about the different apparel items and the solicit feedback using social media tools. Problem Objectives The focus of the research is based on discussing about the different opportunities and the problems which are related to the applications of social e-commerce. It includes the scales of business with the effectiveness to communicate with the customers. The ability is mainly to deliver the proper message and work over achieving and engaging the customers with the brands as per the social behaviour of the customers (Hu et al., 2014). It also includes the incentives for the customers to return to the website with the platform to talk about the brands as well. The information of the customer need to be researched with the comparison of the tools which include the use of the contexts of e-commerce (Diaz, 2014). Scope The scope of the project is based on handling the business organisations that can help in improving the popularity through the customer groups. With this, the scope is about the opportunities where the different forms work over the prime idea of collaborative activity of the online shoppers. The focus is on how the people work over finding the individual or the groups that share the values, likes and the beliefs with receiving the positive feedback. The main features of the social commerce are related to the content, community with proper engaging with the customers, prospects and the stakeholders through publishing the content on the web. Literature Review There is a need to focus on the different factors while administering the social e-commerce content, where the basic need is to engage with the customers, prospects and the stakeholders. This is through valuable holding of the published content on the website. Google being the organisation has the best forefront for the indexing and working over the findable content on the web (Turban et al., 2015). With this, the community also treats the audience with the objectives of sustainable relationship by properly providing the tangible values. The e-commerce can fulfil the customers needs through the presence of web, with the online retailers, banks and the other insurance companies working over the business-to-consumer services. The business-to-business sites tend to range from the online storage with hosting to product sources and then handling the fulfilment of the services as well (Zhao et al., 2016). The use of the structure with the organisations working over the notions of social media aims to leverage and work over the encapsulation of the different technologies. The onsite social commerce refers to the retailers which include the social sharing and the social functionality on the website which enables the users to share the purchases and allow to create the poll for finding the right product. The social commerce works on the concept where the retailers are not employed and need to focus on the different distinction programs that are set between the onsite social and the offsite social plans (Qu et al., 2015). The concepts are related to the new technologies which includes the onsite and the offsite social media brand pages. This is for the proper measurements that are done with the return on investments, reputation and the reach. The measures have a major effect or the action of the social media on the sales, with the indices set to define about the changes to the online repu tation. The advertising metrics is to measure the rates of exposure and the levels of audience with the social media. Gap Opportunities The research is mainly for the social e-commerce which is directly associated to the social media marketing strategies. It works over highlighting the different strategies and the brand marketing forms (Turban et al., 2015). The major gaps of the literature are mainly due to the limitations that are set due to the strategies based on highlighting about the technological infrastructure. The firms need to work over the implementation forms with the different risks that are involved since the social media platforms provide the false or the fake information related to the description of the product. The social marketing policies are mainly to reach the audience and then work over the internet connectivity with the security concerns that are related to the social media marketing. The people make major misuse of the social media platform and then tend to make the negative implications which are set to provide the product description with misusing and implementing the unethical business pra ctices (Mata et al., 2014). Hypothesis H1: The social media marketing policies are depending upon the product suggestions from the people where there is a new digital standard for handling the eCommerce and working over the recommendations that are important for the next level purchase. H2: The brands are mainly to figure out the innovative ways to incorporate the social media marketing to keep the customers engaged. H3: The brand managers and the product marketers tend to spend most of the time on the messages with the selective products that are set for the ratings, reviews and the other status updates and likes. Justification The social ecommerce includes the decisions related to the profitability of business and work over the ratings, reviews and the check-ins. The focus is on the consumers involved in the social media that is for the largest visible drivers of quality leads with biggest detractors from the customer acquisition and the loyalty (Chiu et al., 2014). The business is reluctant in coping and working over the ever-changing trends in technology to meet the needs of the customers. Research Questions Primary Questions What is the major importance for the social e-commerce in the different regions of Australia? Secondary Questions Q1: Which small medium enterprises works over the financial statements? Q2: Comment on the sources and the ways which are set for the different level of independence with carrying out audits at various small medium enterprise? Research Design and Methodology The research includes the research related to the applied forms of the data collection methods with the different interviews and the questionnaire surveys. It includes the allowing of the detailed investigation with the financial reporting with the perspectives that are related to the research on the obtained data and the results (Fang et al., 2014). The effects and the elements are related to the qualitative and quantitative data collection with wide range of the methods to meet the requirements of the research. Qualitative Research The specification is based on the forms with the qualitative aspects where the data collection works over the understanding of the complex nature with the processes related to involve the human behaviours. The mixed research is about gaining and understanding the usage of the social e-commerce with detailed research over the open ended and the closed ended questions. Quantitative Research The well-structured interviews work over the respondents with proper access to the aggregation of the obtained answers (Li et al., 2013). The assurance works over the interviews with same set of questions. Sample Size The case is related to the people of 18 years of age where there is a proper access to ensure the perceptions related to the social media with financial institutions. They are set to view the reactions and auditing in the decision-making process. The identification of the population works over drawing the sample from the population where the representative forms are set with the market research requirements (Wang et al., 2016). Sampling The study is about the random sampling which includes the use to interview the respondents and then answer the questions about testing the hypothesis. It also includes the analysis to determine the effectiveness with proper collection of data and the tools for the main survey. Variables The variables are related to work over the classifications where the dependent and the independent variables are used. This includes the ages, gender, and the respondents where the independent variables are mainly to include the business nature with the proper standards that are for the financial accounting (See-To et al., 2014). The level of effectiveness is set to meet the nature of the business and work over the returns. Data Collection The data is collected with the forms of the informed consent where the participants need to work over the hand delivery. With this, the major focus is on the participants and the responses which relates to compile the views and work over a conclusion and the recommendation. The questionaries are then sent to the respondents through the email and then they are delivered by the research assistants as well (Wegner et al., 2015). The response is received from the questionnaires with the proper review about entering the data and work on the editing, coding as appropriate. The data is summarised with the descriptive statistics, means and the mode percentages. Here, the responses received from the data will be exported into SPSS version with 17 data analysis software, analysed and the data is presented using descriptive statistics like the means, modes percentages, 5-Likert scale and the standard deviations. Data Analysis The responses work on the questionnaires which includes the entering of the SPSS version with 17 data analysis software with the data presentation using the descriptive statistics. The multi-linear works over the regression controls with the effects on the independent variables when one works over offering the information concerning the effects of the independent variables. The online world is mainly to track the real-world elements which is enabled by the mobile devices. (Popescu, 2015) Along with this, there are real world entities for the online data like the business or the place that works over providing the products and the services to the consumers. The new networks which are set online are defined with proper documentation and the relationships which are set among the people. It works over improving the conversation challenge and providing the potential market for the supplier organisations. Expected Outcome/Conclusion The categories are based on handling the social network driven sales, peer to peer sales platforms with the participatory commerce where the users are involved in the production process. The sites provide the chat sessions for the users so that the users can communicate with the friends for some advice (Turban et al., 2017). The peer-to-peer sales platforms are for the users to communicate and then sell the products as well. The consumers are involved in the social media who target the largest visible drivers of quality leads from customer acquisition and loyalty for the larger and the smaller brands (Leong et al., 2016). Limitations The challenge is for the suppliers to focus on the conversations and then map the different range of products and services that could be supplied. There are examples related to the conversations that indicate the demand where the people place the objects of desire on Pinterest board or Like the item. Time Plan References Chiu, C.M., Wang, E.T., Fang, Y.H. and Huang, H.Y., 2014. Understanding customers' repeat purchase intentions in B2C e?commerce: the roles of utilitarian value, hedonic value and perceived risk.Information Systems Journal,24(1), pp.85-114. Diaz, E., 2014. Factors that influence Impulsive Buying on Social Networking Sites Platforms: The Case of Facebook for Social E-commerce. pp.1-92. Fang, Y., Qureshi, I., Sun, H., McCole, P., Ramsey, E. and Lim, K.H., 2014. Trust, Satisfaction, and Online Repurchase Intention: The Moderating Role of Perceived Effectiveness of E-Commerce Institutional Mechanisms.Mis Quarterly,38(2). Hu, D.J., Hall, R. and Attenberg, J., 2014, August. Style in the long tail: Discovering unique interests with latent variable models in large scale social e-commerce. InProceedings of the 20th ACM SIGKDD international conference on Knowledge discovery and data mining(pp. 1640-1649). ACM. Huang, Z. and Benyoucef, M., 2013. From e-commerce to social commerce: A close look at design features.Electronic Commerce Research and Applications,12(4), pp.246-259. Laudon, K.C. and Traver, C.G., 2013.E-commerce. Pearson. Leong, C.M.L., Pan, S.L., Newell, S. and Cui, L., 2016. The Emergence of Self-Organizing E-Commerce Ecosystems in Remote Villages of China: A Tale of Digital Empowerment for Rural Development.Mis Quarterly,40(2), pp.475-484. Li, Y.M., Wu, C.T. and Lai, C.Y., 2013. A social recommender mechanism for e-commerce: Combining similarity, trust, and relationship.Decision Support Systems,55(3), pp.740-752. Mata, F.J. and Quesada, A., 2014. Web 2.0, social networks and e-commerce as marketing tools.Journal of theoretical and applied electronic commerce research,9(1), pp.56-69. Popescu, G.H., 2015. E-commerce effects on social sustainability.Economics, Management and Financial Markets,10(1), p.80. Qu, W.G., Pinsonneault, A., Tomiuk, D., Wang, S. and Liu, Y., 2015. The impacts of social trust on open and closed B2B e-commerce: A Europe-based study.Information Management,52(2), pp.151-159. See-To, E.W. and Ho, K.K., 2014. Value co-creation and purchase intention in social network sites: The role of electronic Word-of-Mouth and trustA theoretical analysis.Computers in Human Behavior,31, pp.182-189. Turban, E., King, D., Lee, J.K., Liang, T.P. and Turban, D.C., 2015. E-Commerce: Regulatory, Ethical, and Social Environments. InElectronic Commerce(pp. 689-730). Springer International Publishing. Turban, E., King, D., Lee, J.K., Liang, T.P. and Turban, D.C., 2015.Electronic commerce: A managerial and social networks perspective. Springer. Turban, E., Whiteside, J., King, D. and Outland, J., 2017. Business-to-Business E-Commerce. InIntroduction to Electronic Commerce and Social Commerce(pp. 101-135). Springer International Publishing. Wang, W.T., Wang, Y.S. and Liu, E.R., 2016. The stickiness intention of group-buying websites: The integration of the commitmenttrust theory and e-commerce success model.Information Management,53(5), pp.625-642. Wegner, B.C. and Wegner, R.C., Triliant, LLC, 2015.Consumer-directed social e-commerce retailer marketplace and offer management system. U.S. Patent Application 14/972,703. Zhao, W.X., Li, S., He, Y., Chang, E.Y., Wen, J.R. and Li, X., 2016. Connecting social media to e-commerce: Cold-start product recommendation using microblogging information.IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering,28(5), pp.1147-1159.

American Revolution vs. French Revolution free essay sample

American Revolution vs. French Revolution From studying and learning about both revolutions, I guess you could say they had their similarities; they both had good intentions did they not? Both the Americans and the French people hungered for a new way of life, change is what they wanted. Change is indeed what they received. The American Revolution, to me, seemed more organized and well handled than the French Revolution. The Americans were tired of being under the British’s control, especially when the British tried forcing the American colonies to pay for the British army’s expenses in defending the colonists during the Seven Year War.The attempt to raise new taxes by the Stamp Act in 1765 led to riots and the law’s rapid appeal. The colonist disagreed with the British beliefs, that a single empire with Parliament as the supreme authority. The colonists were more comfortable with neither the king or Parliament interfering with their internal affairs and that no tax could be levied wit hout the consent of the people or their chosen representatives. We will write a custom essay sample on American Revolution vs. French Revolution or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The American colonists felt in 1776 that it was time to separate themselves from the Britain’s control.On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress released a declaration written by Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration of Independence, a page of parchment, had started the war for American Independence. The Second Continental Congress then authorized the formation of the Continental Army under George Washington’s command. Washington was the best choice for the job because he had political experience and military experience in the French and Indian War. The French were eager to gain revenge for earlier defeats from the British, so they supplied weapons and money to the American colonies at the beginning of the war.Some French officers even fought along the Americans side against the British. I think at the time, this was the best alternative for the 13 American colonies. They achieved their independence as the United States of America; put together the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. It seemed to have worked out for them at the time. The main cause of the French Revolution was the differences between the three social classes that existed in France at that time. There was a severe amount of injustice in the tax system.The third estate paid the highest taxes, while the first estate was exempted from paying the French chiefs taxes (taille). The second estate was excused from paying any and all taxes. The rent for the Third Estate was raised. Consumer prices rose faster than wages, enabling peoples economic ability to pay. Although the third estate made up most of the population of France, it owned less land than the first and second estate. An immediate cause of the French revolution was the near collapse of the government finances.French governmental expenditures continued to grow due to costly wars and royal extravagances. On the verge of complete financial collapse, the government called a meeting of the Estates-General. The Estates disagreed with how the Third Estate wanted to vote, therefore, the Third Estate voted to constitute itself a national assembly and decided to draw up a constitution. The results to this was finding themselves locked out of the usual meeting place, so they made the Tennis Court Oath that they would continue to meet until they produced a French constitution.These actions by the third estate were said to be the first step into the French Revolution. The king sided with the first and second estate but the common people came together with many uprisings in the summer of 1789, one in particular was the Fall of Bastille, an attack on a royal armory, which had also been a state prison. The National Assembly voted to abolish seigniorial rights as well as the fiscal privileges of nobles, clergy, towns, and provinces.On August 26, 1789, the assembly provided the ideological foundation for its actions and an educational device for the nation by adopting the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. The king refused the decrees on abolition of feudalism and the Declaration of Rights, but after some Parisian women threatened the royal family, King Lou is XVI changed his mind. By 1791, the National Assembly completed a new constitution that established a limited constitutional monarchy. There was still a monarch: king of the French, but he enjoyed few powers not subject to review by the new Legislature Assembly.The Legislature Assembly would sit for two years; consist of 745 representatives chosen by an indirect system of election. The king attempted to flee, but was captured and brought back to Paris. Surrounding countries feared that the French behavior and rebellion would spread to their land, so those leaders planned to force the reestablishment of the monarchy authority in France. This just brought on more fire to the French. The political groups in Paris rose against the king and the Legislature Assembly.They organized a mob attack on the royal palace, took the king captive, and forced the assembly to suspend the monarchy and call for a national convention to decide on the future form of government. The first step the Convention took was to abolish the monarch and establish republic. They also passed a decree condemning Louis XVI to death. A nation in arms was put together, very quickly. It was a â€Å"people’s† war, the entire nation was involved in the war. I’m not even sure where or when the French Revolution ends, its ever-lasting it seems.

Military Abbreviations Found on US Grave Markers

Military Abbreviations Found on US Grave Markers Many military graves are inscribed with abbreviations that denote the unit of service, ranks, medals, or other information on the military veteran. Others may also be marked with bronze or stone plaques provided by the U.S. Veterans Administration. This list includes some of the most common military abbreviations that may be seen on headstones and grave markers in American ​cemeteries, both in the United States and overseas. Military Rank BBG - Brevet Brigadier GeneralBGEN - Brigadier GeneralBMG - Brevet Major GeneralCOL - ColonelCPL - CorporalCPT - CaptainCSGT - Commissary SergeantGEN - GeneralLGEN - Lieutenant GeneralLT - Lieutenant1 LT - First Lieutenant (2 LT 2nd Lieutenant, and so on)LTC - Lieutenant ColonelMAJ - MajorMGEN - Major GeneralNCO - Noncommissioned OfficerOSGT - Ordinance SergeantPVT - PrivatePVT 1CL - Private First ClassQM - QuartermasterQMSGT - Quartermaster SergeantSGM - Sergeant MajorSGT - SergeantWO - Warrant Officer Military Unit Branch of Service ART - ArtilleryAC or USA - Army Corps; United States ArmyBRIG - BrigadeBTRY - BatteryCAV - CavalryCSA - Confederate States of AmericaCT - Colored Troops; may precede the branch such as CTART for Colored Troops ArtilleryCO or COM - CompanyENG or EM - Engineer; Engineers / MinersFA - Field ArtilleryHA or HART - Heavy ArtilleryINF - InfantryLA or LART - Light ArtilleryMC - Medical CorpsMAR or USMC - Marines; United States Marine CorpsMIL - MilitiaNAVY or USN - Navy; United States NavyREG - RegimentSS - Sharpshooters (or sometimes Silver Star, see below)SC- Signal CorpsTR - TroopUSAF - United States Air ForceVOL or USV - Volunteers; United States VolunteersVRC - Veteran Reserve Military Service Medals Awards AAM - Army Achievement MedalACM - Army Commendation MedalAFAM  - Air Force Achievement MedalAFC  - Air Force CrossAM  - Air MedalAMNM  - Airmans MedalARCOM - Army Commendation MedalBM - Brevet MedalBS or BSM - Bronze Star or Bronze Star MedalCGAM  - Coast Guard Achievement MedalCGCM - Coast Guard Commendation MedalCGM  - Coast Guard MedalCR  - Commendation RibbonCSC - Conspicuous Service Cross (New York)DDSM  - Defense Distinguished Service MedalDFC - Distinguished Flying CrossDMSM  - Defense Meritorious Service MedalDSC  - Distinguished Service CrossDSM  - Distinguished Service MedalDSSM  - Defense Superior Service MedalGS  - Gold Star  (generally appears in conjunction with another award)JSCM  - Joint Service Commendation MedalLM or  LOM - Legion of MeritMH or MOH - Medal of HonorMMDSM  - Merchant Marine Distinguished Service MedalMMMM  - Merchant Marine Mariners MedalMMMSM  - Merchant Marine Meritorious Service MedalMSM  - Meritorious Servic e MedalNMCM  - Navy Marine Corps MedalNAM  - Navy Achievement Medal NC  - Navy CrossNCM  - Navy Commendation MedalOLC - Oak Leaf Cluster (generally appears in conjunction with another award)PH - Purple HeartPOWM  - Prisoner of War MedalSM  - Soldiers MedalSS or SSM - Silver Star or Silver Star Medal These abbreviations generally follow another award to indicate superior achievement or multiple awards: A - AchievementV - ValorOLC - Oak Leaf Cluster (generally follows another award to indicate multiple awards) Military Groups Veterans Organizations DAR - Daughters of the American RevolutionGAR - Grand Army of the RepublicSAR - Sons of the American RevolutionSCV - Sons of Confederate VeteransSSAWV - Sons of Spanish American War VeteransUDC - United Daughters of the ConfederacyUSD 1812 - Daughters of the War of 1812USWV - United Spanish War VeteransVFW - Veterans of Foreign Wars

Should individuals be allowed to sell their organs on the open market Research Paper

Should individuals be allowed to sell their organs on the open market in the U.S - Research Paper Example Those improvements would increase the number of lives saved. Putting a social priority in place and imposing regulations that require donation when possible will help to increase the number of patients saved by organ donation. In addition, opening the avenue of commerce for body part sales from live donors will allow for more lives to be saved when the social concept that it is unethical is removed. The integrity of the medical community is one of the primary concerns in the idea of making medical care subject to commerce. However, the United States already limits health care to those who can afford it. Therefore, selling organs in an open, but controlled market is not against the ethics of the medical community and will allow for more patients to receive the treatment that they need in order to promote longer, healthier lives. Organ transplants: Selling body parts for profit Organ transplants depend upon donations from the loved ones of people who have died or the loved ones of thos e who need an organ that can be taken from a live donor with still preserving that life. Blood can be donated in bulk along with plasma. Sometimes blood banks pay for donations of blood. However, selling organs is strictly forbidden, thus contributing to a burdened system that has long lists of people in need of transplants. When discussing the sale of organs, the issues that prevent this from occurring are based upon ethical standards of practice. These ethics are put into place for a reason; however, framing the issue differently might provide an ethical way in which to encourage more available organs while still preserving the integrity of the medical industry. Examining the topic of organ donation requires studying health behaviors. Health is a social issue, the ways in which health issues managed part of a social construction of behaviors in which medical personnel and patients interact towards defining the experience of illness and disease (Siegel and Alvaro 4). While the medi cal science provides treatments for health issues, society creates structures for administering those treatments. The frustration that many patients have is that there is treatment available, but the necessary components needed, whether that be federal laws, money, or medical materials, are not available. At this point, the social system reveals one of its flaws. In the case of organ donation, the lists are much longer than the availability of the required organs. Thus, the drive for organ donation becomes vital in providing the quantity of organs needed to save those that are suffering from various diseases. When considering all types of transplants, including tissue transplants, the chances of a person needing some form is one in two people (Institute of Medicine Committee on Rates of Organ Donation, 2006, p. 293). According to UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) (2011), the total number of people who are active on the organ transplant list is 72,260 with 110,624 total on the list as of 2:07pm on April 1, 2011. The difference is caused by those who are on the list, but who are inactive because they have become medically ineligible, either temporarily or permanently. From January to December of 2010, there were 28,664 transplants from 14,506 donors (UNOS). This difference reveals a disparity between the number of available organs to the actual need. In Africa, Asia, Europe and South America, the commercialization of organ transplants occurs, with renal transplants being one of the more commonly sold form of

Sustainable Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sustainable Management - Essay Example The per capita income for this county was low than average per capita income of U.S.A, and this company’s introduction was great news to them. Its establishment in this area would see a vast population benefiting from it through employment thus, boosting the county’s economy to another level that is better than the current one. Despite the above mentioned benefit, there are a number of obstacles that come along with this company’s establishment. Beaufort town is internationally famous for a variety of issues such as the famous Hilton Head resort. This hotel attracts many vacationers from all over the world who travel every year just to enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature. It is with this reason that the Management of Hilton Head got worried about the disaster that BASF as a chemical production company would cause to the environment that they depended much on for their livelihood. The existence of this chemical plant meant that air and water would be polluted because it had no plan for constructing its own dumping site or even recycling the waste products. This situation was disastrous for this resort because it would prevent millions of vacationers from traveling to this region. It is true that this was a typical situation that had arrived in front of the department of Beaufort and the people of this county (Fisher and Lovell 2006. As a chemical plant, lots of employment would be available for the people of this town and its per capita income would also rise. But the issue about pollution needed to be sorted out in order for these two companies to trade fairly because the whole situation comes under the moral and ethics of business in an environment. Many governments across the world have shown much concern on issues regarding environmental pollution. Apart from governments, NGOs are also taking part on the fight against environmental pollution which has consumed lives and interfered with the agricultural sectors. Pollution has

Robin Hoods Band as an Example of Financial Control and Authority in Assignment

Robin Hoods Band as an Example of Financial Control and Authority in Resolving Disputes between People - Assignment Example Imposing a fixed tax on the route through the forest would make Robin unpopular with the band which in turn could lead to a revolt against Robin and his supporters (Burke, Lake and Paine). It is also important to mention here that a fixed transit tax would have Robin lose the support of the villagers. Expanding into new territory would allow Robin and his band to generate greater revenue than they are currently generating. This would not only solve financial problems of the band but would also make it harder for Prince John and the Sheriff to track down members of the band and interrogate them regarding the whereabouts of the entire band. Expanding into new territory would also provide the opportunity to hide their loot in different more secure places. Killing the Sheriff would not yield the result of Robin’s financial problems and there is a good chance that killing the Sheriff would create more troubles for him than it would solve. Killing off the Sheriff might help Robin get the authorities off his back temporarily but Prince John and the Sheriff’s political allies would be even more determined to apprehend Robin. Furthermore murdering the Sheriff would not be an easy task. The Sheriff would probably be guarded by his men at all times and getting close to him would not be an easy task. The Barons’ proposal has a lot of advantages but there are also a large number of disadvantages to the acceptance of their proposal. The greatest advantage of helping the barons ensure the return of King Richard would not only get rid of Prince John and the Sheriff but it would also put Robin and his band in King Richard’s good books. However, there is a chance that a plan this big would grab the attention of Prince John before it can be carried out. The participation of Robin in such a plan could increase the determination of Prince John to capture Robin and his band of men. The best course of action for Robin would be to opt to expand into new territories.     

English: The Official Language?

English: The Official Language? For better or for worse, like it or not, English is in effect the official language of the planet. It is the most commonly used language of international commerce, politics, science, diplomacy, and the most commonly used language on the Internet. It is a lingua franca, or vehicular language, i.e. a language spoken and utilized outside of the country or countries of its origin, as opposed to a vernacular language, i.e. a language spoken within and amongst native speakers in the country of origin. English, like other lingua franca of the past, is often used as a second language to effect common communication for a specific purpose (such as diplomacy) between people for whom the lingua franca is not their first language. For example, French was once the lingua franca of diplomacy up until around World War I, only to be supplanted by English; scientists themselves declared English to be their lingua franca in a 1989 article in The Scientist magazine bluntly entitled The English Language: The Lingua Franca Of International Science. One may view the domination and global use of English as linguistic and cultural imperialism, and indeed we shall explore this notion further, but the simple fact is that the situation is unlikely to change any time soon. It is everywhere. Some 380 million people speak it as their first language and perhaps two-thirds as many again as their second. A billion are learning it, about a third of the worlds population are in some sense exposed to it and by 2050, it is predicted, half the world will be more or less proficient in it. (The Economist, 2001). It is thus in the best interest of citizens and governments of any nations that wish to participate on the global stage economically, politically, scientifically, etc., to embark upon official programs to ensure that people have the opportunity to learn English; in fact, it may be argued that the teaching of English should be mandatory in such nations. While there are cultural drawbacks to the institutionalized teaching of English in non-ENL countries, the benefits seem to outweigh the drawbacks, and we shall explore both as well. To understand the merits of education in English, as well as its drawbacks and the practical requirements therein, we must first understand something of the merits of the English language itself, the historical circumstances and cultures that spawned it, and why it continues to be durable and vital as a universal language. The global influence and power of the British Empire, and then subsequently the United States as the British Empires scope gradually eroded, is primarily responsible for the primacy of English as a de facto official international language. Latin, once the lingua franca for most of Europe, was gradually supplanted in the 17th and 18th century as global exploration and colonization; for a time, scholars and clerics who regularly traveled across the boundaries of national languages continued to use Latin and their lingua franca. But as knowledge of Latin declined and the rise of merchant and professional classes produced travelers unschooled in Latin,people sought alternative means of international communications. (Graddol,2000, p. 6) The victory of the Allies in World War II cannot be underestimated in terms of representing a huge step in cementing the destiny of English as the language eventually destined to be the universal language of the globe. The only two potential rivals at the time were French, mostly due to historical inertia, and German, mostly due to the astonishing rise to military and economic power of Nazi Germany in the 1920s and 1930s. Had the U.S. not lent its economic and military might to defeat the Germans and the Japanese, English might be a quaint relic of the planets short-lived experiment in democracy. Had Hitler won World War II and had the USA been reduced to a confederation banana republics, we would probably today use German as a universal vehicular language, and Japanese electronic firms would advertise their products in Hong Kong airport duty-free shops in German. (Eco, 1995, p. 331) Unlike almost every other major nation that fought in World War II, the United States emerged with its economy not only intact, but also thriving. It was therefore no surprise that the United States took the lead in forming and administering institutions to aid the reconstruction and reintegration of Europe, Japan, and many other regions of the world. In short order, English-speaking nations were also exporting their culture, not simply their goods and goodwill. The ongoing hegemony that the United States and Britain enjoy in terms of cultural communications film, television, books, music, etc., helps perpetuate the influence and staying power of English as an official language. Even such cultural communications that are translated into the native languages of individual countries are not immune to the Englishness of the communications, i.e., the distinctly American and/or British cultural elements that inform the language of the communications and therefore necessarily survive any competent translation and are inculcated into the minds of the listener/viewer/reader. In ways too intricate, too diverse for socio-linguistics to formulate precisely, English and American-English seem to embody for men and women throughout the world -and particularly for the young the feel of hope, of material advance, of scientific and empirical procedures. The entire world-image of mass consumption, of international exchange, of the popular arts, of generational conflict, of technocracy, is permeated by American-English and English citations and speech habits. (Steiner, 1975, p. 469) Other than the cultural, military, and political hegemony of the British Empire and of the United States, what might account for the staying power of English as a lingua franca? From a linguistic perspective, English is hardly the most sensible choice for a quasi-official global language. English, simply put, is not the most efficient and consistent language. English is an irregular and fractured language comprised of influences from Latin and Celtic, and later Scandinavian and Norman French tongues. Its syntax, construction, verb conjugation,spelling, and other grammatical constructions, etc., are riddled with maddening inconsistencies that at times befuddle even native speakers, to say nothing ofthose who struggle for years to master it as a second language. English lacks the simplicity and consistency of the Romance languages to the extent that it varies from its Latin and French influences, though it is certainly easier to learn and utilize than some Asian tongues. However, these same elements that make English a flawed language are also believed by many linguists to be strengths that assist in the durability and adaptability of English; it has historically adapted to and incorporated language influences with ease that it has encountered from around the globe. English has always been an evolving language and language contact has been an important driver of change Some analysts see this hybridity and permeability of English as defining features, allowing it to expand quickly into new domains and explaining in part its success as a world language. (Graddol, 2000, p. 6) As English owes its existence to the fact that it absorbs, not rejects new linguistic and cultural influences, its inherently hybridized nature makes it all the easier for English to assimilate characteristics of other cultures and languages, instead of reject them or demand they conform to some sort of rigid structure. As the rules of English are a bit fast and loose, English is well-suited to evolve on the fly. There are a variety of challenges facing both those who wish to learn English as a second language and those who wish to teach it. Some of these challenges are cultural, some are practical, but the utilization of English by non-native speakers in non-ENL nations is never as simple a matter as it might seem. Culturally speaking, some aspiring English speakers may feel pressure from the more traditional and/or conservative members of their own cultures to resist what they may label as American cultural imperialism, the decadent influence of consumer capitalist values from the West that are transmitted through theEnglish language. To embrace these values at the expense of ones own language and culture is frowned upon in many conservative cultures, for example, particularlyin fundamentalist Muslim cultures which have suffered from seriously strained relations with the United States in the past six to ten years. Often, proficiency in one or more indigenous or native tongues will co-exist, mingle, and/or exist in hierarchal forms of usage with English. The acquisition of English skills does not necessarily lead to the supplanting or replacement of the native tongue with English; the choice of which language to speak is often context- and audience-dependent. For example, in some cases speakers will employ code-switching, in which two participants in a conversation, who know both English and a local vernacular language, will switch back and forth between the two tongues as a means of negotiating and navigating their relationship, in some cases even alternating back and forth between languages within the same sentence. Graddol (2000) outlines some fascinating examples, including a situation in which a young job seeker enters an office in Nairobi, Kenya, seeking employment. The vernacular language in question is Swahili; the young man commences his job inquiry with the owner of the establishment by speaking in English. The Kenyan manager of the office, however, insists on using Swahili, thus denying the young mans negotiation of the higher status associated with English. (Myers-Scotton, 1989, p. 339) Their conversation goes as follows: Young Man: Mr Muchuki has sent me to you about the job you put in the paper. Manager: Uitumabarua ya application? [Did you send a letter of application?] Young Man: Yes,I did. But he asked me to come to see you today. Manager: Ikiwaulituma barua, nenda ungojee majibu. Tutakuita ufike kwa interviewsiku itakapofika. [If youve written a letter, then go and wait for a response.We will call you for an interview when the letter arrives.] (pause) Leo sina lasuma kuliko hayo. [Today I havent anything elseto say.] Young man: Asante.Nitangoja majibu. [Thank you. I will wait for the response.] (Graddol, 2000,p. 13) The managerasserts his authority as both manager and adult in a position that commandsrespect, and he utilizes his insistence on the vernacular tongue to indirectlycommunicate this authority and demand for respect from the young man. Theyoung man is shrewd enough a native speaker of Swahili to grasp the subtext ofthe exchange, which is in essence a command to show proper deference and notwalk into a shop trying to exploit the connection with a mutual Kenyan friendby speaking English. It is not that the manager does not speak English; hedoes, but he insists on a certain element of cultural integrity by insisting onSwahili. The young man picks up on this, and therefore switches to Swahili tobid the manager farewell and tacitly submits to the shopkeepers authority byconforming to his wishes. Had the young man entered the office and spokenSwahili, he might have been granted an interview on the spot, though it ispossible the boy meant no disrespect and in fact wished to display hiseducati on by speaking English. In any case, this example shows thefascinating, multi-layered cultural and personal interchanges that go on duringcode-switching. (Note also that the manager chooses to use the English termsfor interview and application, perhaps because there is no directequivalent in Swahili, or perhaps to illustrate his own ability with English asa point of both pride and warning.) As further examplethat the finding of linguistic common ground is not the cure-all forcommunications difficulties, we now turn to the topic of how speakers interactwhen they share only one language in common, i.e., English, instead of sharingin common speaking ability in both English and their own native, vernacularlanguage. Graddol (2000) provides us with another scenario from the studies ofFirth (1996), in which international phone calls between Dutch and Syrian goodstraders were analyzed to see how the respective parties interacted in English.In some cases, where one speaker is less proficient than the other, the formerwill employ a conversational strategy termed let it pass, in which the lessproficient speaker will mask his lack of understanding of what is being said bythe other by delaying a request for clarification, in hopes that what the firstspeaker said will become understood as the conversation continues. Onehumorous exchange went as follows, in which a Dane (D) and Syrian (S) discussan order of cheese that had gone awry. S: So I told himnot to send the cheese after the blowing in the customs. We dont want theorder after the cheese is blowing. D: I see, yes. S: So I dontknow what we can do with the order now. What do you think we should do withall this blowing, Mr Hansen? D: Im not uh(pause) Blowing? What is this, too big, or what? S: No, thecheese is bad Mr Hansen. It is like fermenting in the customs cool rooms. D: Ah, its goneoff! S: Yes, itsgone off. (Graddol, 2000,p. 13) What this exampledemonstrates is that an entire skill set and mode of sub-communication developsbetween non-native speakers who do not have another frame of reference incommon, i.e., the same vernacular language, further complicating theutilization of English in business and/or commerce situations. There are alsonumerous practical considerations that affect the utilization of English,particularly in teaching it to non-ENL speakers. For example, which versionof English should be taught? Despite the extensive global use of English, itis far from a homogenous language spoken and written in the precisely samemanner in each country. English, as befitting its history, is a language ofmany diverse dialects; British English is different from American English,largely in pronunciation, accent, and certain vocabulary words, and American Englishitself is sub-divisible into any number of different sub-dialects, includingBlack/African-American English, which in its purest form is so unique inaccent, grammar, and slang that it is almost completely unintelligible to manynative English speakers, to say nothing of speakers of English as a secondlanguage (ESL). The numerouschallenges presented by English pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary may alsoserve as a roadblock for both students and teachers. The difficulty ofteaching the ambiguities of unstressed vowels, consonant phenomes, and stresstiming is considerable. English grammar and verb conjugation is extremelyirregular, requiring a considerable amount of rote memorization, instead of theapplication of logical and consistent rules, as found in Romance languages(Spanish and French rely on a consistent set of 13 verb tenses with largelyregular characteristics; English does not.) English vocabulary also requires a large amount of rote memorization, as the innumerable linguistic influences from which English draws its unusually large lexicon make it difficult to extrapolate and create words from basic linguistic structures as a speaker of Spanish can do. For example, the Spanish words pertaining to meat are all rooted in the Latin word carnivorus, whereas in English, they are not: carne = meat; carnicero = butcher; carnicerÃÆ'Â ­a = a store where meat is sold. For Spanish speakers, learning the underlying root word of a concept means the speaker should have little trouble deducing how to say related words; in English, there is no such consistency and therefore the barriers to effective learning and usage are high. On the other hand,there are inherent flaws in other major world languages, for which Englishprovides a natural compensation. One such example is Japanese, an ancient andbeautiful language rich in complexity and the capacity for subtlety and nuanceof expression, but also notorious -for those same reasons for itsinefficiency and lack of clarity when it comes to matters of politics, law,debate, and decision-making. In 1999, one of the most influential Japanesenewspapers, Asahi Shimbun issued a hotly debated call for English to beadopted as the official language of Japan, citing advantages ranging from theobvious greater Japanese ability to participate in science, internationaltrade, politics, etc. to the unusual, i.e., the newspaper asserted that theuse of English would in fact strengthen the usage of Japanese, whose linguisticweaknesses, the paper asserted, played a large part in the inefficiency of thegovernment. Quoting Yoshio Terasawa, a former director of Japans Economic Planning Agency, former member of the House of Councilors, and former president of Nomura Securities U.S. division, the newspaper delivered a stinging indictment of its own native language and recommended the usefulness of English when it came to decision-making in business and government: Japanese is fullof vague expressions, so people rarely talk in terms of black and white and itis very easy to blur responsibility. It is an everyday occurrence forgovernment ministers to spend 10 minutes answering a question in the Diet [theJapanese Parliament] without actually saying anything. But if Diet memberscould put their questions in English, it might be possible to do away with thenon-committal bureaucratic language that is too wishy-washy to translate intoEnglish. People wouldnt be able to fudge the issues any more, and not just inpolitics. (Kinomoto, 1999) The article wenton to remark, with some astonishment, that the expected outcries of culturalimperialism and the imminent demise of the celebrated individuality andindependence of the Japanese culture, were few and far between. The Japanesehave yet to make English their official language, unsurprisingly given theirhistoric national pride, but the open advocacy of the virtues of English usagewas remarkable. In the end, theutilization of English as a lingua franca second language has clear benefits.While the potential obliteration of cultural diversity worldwide, a constantsource of worry and debate, seems valid, one only need look as far as theexample of the Swahili-speaking office manager to see that indigenous speakersare finding ways for English and their own vernacular languages to co-exist,even with a bit of unease. So the challenge becomes not so much about whetheror not English is of neutral or positive benefit; it self-evidently is; butrather how to go about navigating the parallel use of English with otherlanguages across the globe, both augmenting the strengths of and compensatingfor the weaknesses of local cultures and local tongues. BIBLIOGRAPHY/ REFERENCES Fennell, Barbara. A History of English:A Sociolinguistic Approach, Blackwell Publishing, 2006. Garfield, Eugene. The English Language:The Lingua Franca Of International Science, The Scientist Magazine,1989, 3(10):12, 15 May 1989. The Triumph of English: A World Empire byOther Means, The Economist, 20 December 2001. Graddol, David. The Future of English?The British Council, 1997, 2000. Eco, U. The Search for the PerfectLanguage. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1995. Graddol, David, Dick Leith JoanSwann. English : History, Diversity and Change London: Routledge, 1996. FBailer, R. M. Gorlach,(eds.) Englishas a World Language. Ann Arbor: Michigan University Press, 1982. Myers-Scotton, C. Code Switching withEnglish: Types of Switching, Types of Communities, World English, Vol.8, No. 3., pp. 333-46. Kachru, B.. The Alchemy of English.Pergamon Press, 1982. Trudgill, P. J. Hannah. InternationalEnglish: A Guide to Varieties of Standard English, Arnold Publishers, 1982. Kinomoto, Keusuke. Should English Be Madethe Official Language? Asahi Shimbun, 29 August 1999.

Blake :: essays research papers

In Blake's "London" the speaker connects various characters and socio/political institutions in order to critique the injustices perpetrated in England. The busy, commercial city of London functions as a space in which the speaker can imagine the inescapable interconnections of English institution and citizens. Although separated by differences of class and gender, the citizens of London brush up against each other so that the misery of the poor and dispossessed is a direct indictment of the callousness of the rich and powerful, f the institutions of state and religion. The speaker of the poem emphasizes the social and economic differences that separate the citizens of London. By repeating the word "charter'd", he reminds the reader of the commercial nature of the city, the fact that portions of it are owned, and that not everyone has equal access to goods or property. In the first line of his poem as Blake speaks of how he is wandering through the "charter'd" streets, he is commenting on this commercial aspect of London. As he moves on in his poem he also refers to the "charter'd" Thames, he is telling us in this second line that even a river which is a force of nature, is owned in London. When Blake says that he sees "marks of weakness, marks of woe" in "every face" he meets, he means that he can see how this commercialism is affecting everyone rich and poor. Yet, despite the divisions that the word charter'd suggests, the speaker contends that no one in London, neither rich or poor, escapes a pervasive sense of misery and entrapment. The speaker talks of how in "every cry of every man" he hears the misery. Blake is once again reminding us that this is affecting everyone. As he goes on to comment on he can hear it in "every infants cry of fear", he is saying that even the babies know what is going to happen to them when they grow up and they fear the misery that they will soon face. In the next line of the poem Blake chooses to use a very interesting word. When he writes "in every ban" he leaves the line open to many different interpretations. The word ban can mean a political prohibition, a curse, or an announcement of marriage. The political meaning is an obvious one in this poem, Blake obviously does not like the politics of London and he fells that the commercialism is preventing the people from being happy.

Brainwashing in America

Television, religion, school system, politics, child rearing. Advertisement and media President Bush on October 7, 2002 at Cincinnati Museum Center – Cincinnati Union Terminal, Cincinnati, Ohio, The threat comes from Iraq. It arises directly from the Iraqi regime's own actions — its history of aggression, and its drive toward an arsenal of terror (WHPR1, 2002). Months before on February 13, 2002 during a Press Conference with President Musharraf of Pakistan, Mr. Bush declared: And I think that statement was clear enough for Iraq to hear me.And I will reserve whatever options I have, I'll keep them close to my vest. President — or Saddam Hussein needs to understand I'm serious about defending our country (WHPR2, 2002). And During his speech at the Virginia Military Institute on April 17, 2002, Mr. Bush made these claims: And, finally, the civilized world faces a grave threat from weapons of mass destruction. A small number of outlaw regimes today possess and are d eveloping chemical and biological and nuclear weapons. They're building missiles to deliver them, and at the same time cultivating ties to terrorist groups.In their threat to peace, in their mad ambitions, in their destructive potential and in the repression of their own people, these regimes constitute an axis of evil and the world must confront them (WHPR3, 2002). With all these statements made in the presence of media persons and the way it had been made that a major part of America and the world really believed that Saddam Hussein and the Iraq is the real threat to the civilized society. Despite the presence of law which prohibits the Bush administration from disseminating government propaganda at home.But in an age of global communications, there is nothing to stop it from planting a phony pro-war story overseas — knowing with certainty that it will reach American citizens almost instantly. This is the power of media and especially electronic media. It has the capability to make any one believe in what it wants to convey. The beautiful newsreader on a TV channel giving us the news. After that the news analysis program is aired. The program brings a battery of analysts to our bedrooms, drawing rooms or shops.These serious looking intelligent faces sitting in front of camera with a list of burning issues are giving their view on the issues. Their facial expression and smartness over words, language and the contents can make anyone feel ill informed. This makes us glued to the television screen. And once the program gets finished we have an unusual feeling that now we have gained great information on issues about which we were quiet ignorant few minutes or hours before. A single program made some change in our self and our personal database of information.This is the actual effect of one of the most popular form of media called the electronic media. But the point of concern is not its power or ability of influencing human psyche. The actual issue whic h has been raised this time is the way it makes an impact on our world views. The authenticity of the content which is aired is now being discussed. The focus is shifting towards the way it influences religion, culture and social belief. After all the US govt. , with all its efforts didn’t found a single weapon of mass destruction.The Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq was defeated by the combined US and UK army. But the main issue that led to the war was the weapons of mass destruction which Saddam Hussein regime was allegedly possessing, was nowhere present. This means what the US govt. and its allies were telling the whole world was actually a farce. It was nothing more than a propaganda war against a nation which was adamant to pursue those policies which were not influenced by US. Things mentioned above are some of the many effects caused through electronic media.Moving on to its actual definition, electronic media are those communications mediums which are based on electronic or electromechanical means of production and most often distinguished from print media. The primary electronic media sources familiar to the general public worldwide include — radio, sound recordings, television, video recording, and streaming internet content. And this electric communication technology goes further than any of the previous products of man's skill. Earlier technologies extended the power of man's limbs, and with the invention of writing, man's memory in a sense could be placed outside of himself.Present communication technologies supplant man's external senses, and more recently, the internal senses of imagination and the most important, the central or common sense, which brings the various data of the external senses together into a cohesive unity (McDonald). The world of information, however conceived, may appear to exist in its own right by means of electronics, and the human user becomes a mere participant in that world. Let’s take the c ase of a farmer in South Western America. He was very happy with the money he was earning and was comfortably taking care of his family.The main worry for that man was nothing but the stem rust disease which causes great loss in wheat farming. But when he comes under the influence of electronic media, he sees that the condition is not as good as it appears and his problem is actually not a problem. The actual problem the country is facing is that of possible terrorist attacks and its war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq. The news of slowdown in world economy and the rising of Asian economy giants like India and China and the job outsourcing makes the same guy more frightened.He feels threatened. And this perceived threat results in a physical reaction as much as actual physical injury. The same person in a large crowd sees perhaps twenty people around him, but a camera above the crowd reveals a crowd incomprehensible to human imagination. The widespread anxiety among people in the first world about there being too many people is an effect of them seeing thousands of faces on television, whereas someone may walk for hours on the streets of the suburbs without seeing a single person (McDonald).The reality is that the information beaming capability of the electronic media upsets normal community and family relations based on physical contact and proximity, leading to an ersatz community where people have the illusion of being angels. People in their relations are reduced to being pieces of disembodied information without context or substance. The level of sensation present in our lives affects our intellectual judgment. It’s not only that individuals re getting affected but whole social order is getting influenced by this stream of information supplied continuously through electronic media.If we talk about law and justice, information acts as lifeblood to it and media of communication are the veins and arteries that move the information through the system . And the same usually works not by exercise of force but by information transfer, by communication of what's expected, what forbidden, and what allowable, what are the consequences of acting in certain ways (Katsh, 1999). That is, law entails information about what the rules are, how they are applied, with what costs, consequences, etc.The changes in the means used to communicate information are important to law because law has come to rely upon the transmission of information in a particular form. The effectiveness and operation of law depends on controlling access to some information and highlighting or directing attention to other information. The electronic media are not to be considered merely as more powerful versions of print. They have different mechanisms for transmitting and processing information, some of which will pressure the law to change course and become a different and not simply a more efficient institution (Katsh, 1999).It’s not only the grownups who are actually getting influenced but also children as young as five years old. According to report, it has been found that there has been an explosion in recent years in electronic media marketed directly at the very youngest children in our society: A booming market of videotapes and DVDs aimed at infants one to 18 months, the launching of the first TV show specifically targeting children as young as 12 months, and a multi-million dollar industry selling computer games and even special keyboard toppers for children as young as nine months old.Their homes are packed with media options, including TVs, computers, DVD players and video game consoles. Nearly all children (99%) live in a home with a TV set, half (50%) have three or more TVs, and one-third (36%) have a TV in their bedroom. Nearly three out of four (73%) have a computer at home, and about half (49%) have a video game player. In some ways, new media is trumping old: nearly twice as many children in this age group live in a home with Internet access (63%) as with a newspaper subscription (34%).Nearly all of them (97%) have products—clothes, toys, and the like—based on characters from TV shows or movies (Rideout, 2003). But the point of concern is that this rapid changes in our media environment have not been accompanied by a similar growth in our knowledge of how new media may impact children’s cognitive, social, emotional or physical development. These issues are of deep concern not only to parents, but also to educators, health providers, policymakers and advocates.Many experts have argued that it is especially critical to understand media use by the youngest children, noting that because social and intellectual development are more malleable in these early years, media use at this age could have an especially significant impact. According to Valdemar W. Setzer (1993), some children addicted to electronic games spoke too fast with limited sense, feeling or contents in their speech. Th is suggests that those children spoke with a speed compared to the use they make of their fingers when playing the games.There is a correlation between speaking and gesturing, which may be explained by the close proximity of the motor and speech neurological centers in the brain. The fact that children do not have the fully developed, active thinking and consciousness characteristic of adults means they don't have to make any effort to â€Å"switch off† these inner activities when playing electronic games and are not â€Å"sidetracked† by outside influences that can act as a buffer to overdevelopment of or addiction to an undesirable trait.Finally, we can say that though our ability to gather information is enhanced by technology, we are placed under greater stress, and to maintain equilibrium we must find strategies to cope with it. One strategy is to withdraw from the flood of information and go for selected and conscious input. It is one of the ways but there is a n eed of finding more. References The White House Press Release, http://www. whitehouse. gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021007-8. html The White House Press Release, http://www. whitehouse. gov/news/releases/2002/02/20020213-3. html The White House Press Release, http://www. whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/04/20020417-1. html McDonald, H. Asceticism and the Electronic Media: Technophilia and Technophobia in the Perspective of Christian Philosophy, www. rcp. net. pe/IAL/vm/bec/etexts/macdoeng. htm, 3. Katsh, E. (1989). The Electronic Media and the Transformation of Law, Oxford University Press. Rideout, V. J. & Vandewater, E. A. & Wartella, E. A. (2003). Zero to Six : Electronic Media in the Lives of Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers. , A Kaiser Family Foundation Report. Setzer, V. W. & Duckett, G. E. (1993). The Risks to Children Using Electronic Games, http://www. ime. usp. br/~vwsetzer/video-g-risks. html

Ptolemy vs. Copernicus essays

Ptolemy vs. Copernicus essays Throughout the history of astronomical theory, there have been two main theories on the setup and placement of the heavenly bodies within our observed universe. The two theories are the geocentric model, our earliest theory, wherein the earth is at the center of everything, and everything rotates around it, and the heliocentric model, introduced much later on, wherein the sun is at the center, and nothing except the moon rotates around the earth. Both these theories have been disputed and argued over until more contemporary astronomers put the argument to rest by basically proving the heliocentric idea to be much more realistic through observations of other objects, their motions in relation to earth, and mathematical calculations about these motions. The astronomer who first questioned the astronomical model that was laid forth by Aristotle in his book On the Heavens, and Physics around 350 BCE, was the Greek astronomer, Claudius Ptolemy, who introduced his idea mid- 2nd century CE. He lived and made most of his observations in Egypt, namely Alexandria, and recorded them in a single, impressive compilation called Almagest, which would contain the foundation for popularly accepted astronomical theory for the next 1000 years, going undisputed until the time of Copernicus, when the notion of a heliocentric universe began to become more accepted. In Ptolemy's model, Earth is placed at the center of the universe, though in some models it was very slightly off-centered. Next is the moon, rotating around Earth, followed by the orbit of Mercury, then Venus. The Sun was thought to be the fourth object out into space that was rotating around earth, followed by Mars, then Jupiter, and then Saturn. Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto were all not possible to observe without much more sophisticated equipment than was available at the time. The revolutionary aspect of Ptolemy's work was not inventing the theory of an earth-centered universe, because th...

Definition and Examples of Visual Metaphors

Definition and Examples of Visual Metaphors A visual metaphor is the representation of a person, place, thing, or idea by means of a visual image that suggests a particular association or point of similarity. Its also known as  pictorial metaphor and analogical juxtaposition. Use of Visual Metaphor in Modern Advertising Modern advertising relies heavily on visual metaphors. For example, in a magazine ad for the banking firm Morgan Stanley, a man is pictured bungee jumping off a cliff. Two words serve to explain this visual metaphor: a dotted line from the jumpers head points to the word You; another line from the end of the bungee cord points to Us. The metaphorical message- of safety and security provided in times of risk- is conveyed through a single dramatic image. (Note that this ad ran a few years before the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007-2009.) Examples and Observations Studies of visual metaphors  used for rhetorical purposes generally concentrate on advertising. A familiar example is the technique of juxtaposing a picture of a sports car . . . with the image of a panther, suggesting that the product has comparable qualities of speed, power, and endurance. A variation on this common technique is to merge elements of the car and the wild animal, creating a composite image...In an ad for Canadian Furs, a female model wearing a fur coat is posed and made up in a way that is slightly suggestive of a wild animal. To leave little doubt as to the intended meaning of the visual metaphor (or simply to reinforce the message), the advertiser has superimposed the phrase get wild over her image. (Stuart Kaplan, Visual Metaphors in Print Advertising for Fashion Products, in Handbook of Visual Communication, ed. by K. L. Smith. Routledge, 2005) A Framework for Analysis In Pictorial Metaphor in Advertising (1996) . . ., [Charles] Forceville sets out a theoretical framework for the analysis of pictorial metaphor.. A pictorial, or visual, metaphor occurs when one visual element (tenor/target) is compared to another visual element (vehicle/source) which belongs to a different category or frame of meaning. To exemplify this, Forceville (1996, pp. 127-35) provides the example of an advert seen on a British billboard to publicize the use of the London underground. The picture features a parking meter (tenor/target) framed as the head of a dead creature whose body is shaped as the fleshless spinal column of a human being (vehicle/source). In this example, the vehicle visually transfers, or maps, the meaning of dying or dead (because of lack of food) onto the parking meter, resulting in the metaphor PARKING METER IS A DYING FEATURE (Forceville, 1996, p. 131). Considering that the advert wants to promote public transport, having lots of parking meters wastin g away in the streets of London can only be a positive thing for underground users and the underground system itself. (Nina Norgaard, Beatrix Busse, and Rocà ­o Montoro, Key Terms in Stylistics. Continuum, 2010) Visual Metaphor in an Ad for Absolut Vodka [The] subcategory of visual metaphor involving some violation of physical reality is a very common convention in advertising...An Absolut Vodka ad, labeled ABSOLUT ATTRACTION, shows a martini glass next to a bottle of Absolut; the glass is bent in the direction of the bottle, as if being drawn toward it by some invisible force... (Paul Messaris, Visual Persuasion: The Role of Images in Advertising. Sage, 1997) Image and Text: Interpreting Visual Metaphors [W]e have noticed a decrease in the amount of anchoring copy used in visual metaphor ads...We theorize that, over time, advertisers have perceived that consumers are growing more competent in understanding and interpreting visual metaphor in ads. (Barbara J. Phillips, Understanding Visual Metaphor in Advertising, in Persuasive Imagery, ed. by L. M. Scott and R. Batra. Erlbaum, 2003)A visual metaphor is a device for encouraging insights, a tool to think with. That is, with visual metaphors, the image-maker proposes food for thought without stating any determinate proposition. It is the task of the viewer to use the image for insight. (Noà «l Carroll, Visual Metaphor, in Beyond Aesthetics. Cambridge University Press, 2001) Visual Metaphor in Films One of our most important tools as filmmakers is visual metaphor, which is the ability of images to convey a meaning in addition to their straightforward reality. Think of it as reading between the lines visually. . . . A couple of examples: in Memento, the extended flashback (which moves forward in time) is shown in black-and-white and the present (which moves backward in time) is told in color. Essentially, it is two parts of the same story with one part moving forwards and the other part told backward. At the point in time where they intersect, the black-and-white slowly changes to color. Director Christopher Nolan accomplishes this in a subtle and elegant way by showing a Polaroid develop. (Blain Brown, Cinematography: Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. Focal Press, 2011)

Dealing with Stress the Genentech Way Case Study

Dealing with Stress the Genentech Way - Case Study Example The company has for many years been recognized by professional bodies for its human resource policies that identifies it as a favorable workplace. This has been because the company prioritizes a balance between its commercial goal and employees’ social ‘well-being’. The company for instance promotes â€Å"creativity and innovation† that encourages its employees to communicate their ideas, even outside the organization, besides accommodating its employees’ diverse ideas (Nelson and Quick, 2010, p. 250). The company’s interactive forums between its human resource and patients also enhance emotional stability while employee benefits promote utility at the workplace. These, together with a conducive environment that balances work and family life conversely benefits the organization by motivating its employees towards achieving Genentech’s objectives such as profitability, efficiency and customer utility (Nelson and Quick, 2010). Diagnosis a nd analysis Distress or ‘eustress’ Genentech’s employees are experiencing ‘eustress’ and not distress. ... the impacts of Genentech’s programs towards employee’s well being The Yerkes-Dodson law that provides for a relationship between employees motivation and performance identifies Genentech’s programs as the factors to the company’s success in the industry. The principle stipulates that employees’ performance is directly proportional to motivational factors to a given limit beyond which further increase in motivational factors leads to a decrease in performance. This rule relates to Genentech’s employee motivational programs through achieved employee utility level and the company’s level of success. Commendable human resource policies that develop emotional stability, a balance between work and family life besides academic support programs for example allows the employees to focus on service delivery (Nelson and Quick, 2010). How the company’s management philosophy and culture sets stage for employees’ well being The managem ent philosophy and culture sets stage for employee well being by providing a favorable social environment for the employees. The organization’s management philosophy that stipulates â€Å"causal intensity† offers employees a level of freedom towards well being (Nelson and Quick, 2010, p. 250). A level of informality in the organization for instance facilitates informal communication towards collaboration for innovation, a factor that further promotes employees satisfaction. Informality also breaks monotony that could be a detriment to employees’ well being through boredom and burning out. Similarly, a culture where every employee feels recognized and appreciated promotes employees sense of belonging towards social well being. The organization achieves this through providing an environment for idea generation among employees and

The Impact of social Networking on Customer Loyalty Thesis

The Impact of social Networking on Customer Loyalty - Thesis Example This essay stresses that Facebook is one of the widely use social networking websites around the world. The number of users of social media is increasing with the passage of time however youngsters are more inclined towards using of social media than people of other ages. Moreover most of the people are logging their accounts on a daily basis and thus, it has encouraged businesses to use social media to convey their marketing messages as well. Social media websites are used for different purposes, one of them is that people do research and gather information about the products and services. Social Networking Sites are a very important part of Web 2.0. SNSs have become a powerful force in shaping public opinions on virtually every aspect of commerce. SNS imply word-of-mouth marketing, and have an increasing influence on customers’ purchase decisions and in turn affects customer loyalty. The study of this topic has been really interesting due to the image that the social media portray in the society. Although there was not so much time and mean I managed to have convenient samples for a small case study, which is thus a hindrance to generalize the result of the finding. However convenient sample could provide springboard for further research. The work could have been easier if only the questionnaire has been done based on the theory chapter. Due to some misunderstanding some theories were not letter consider as to be one hence some theories has to be included latter. So the challenge was to make sure that the new.

Management government 4500 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management government 4500 - Term Paper Example A technology battles against other technological designs to achieve dominance (Suarez, 2004). Notably, just like any other technology, genetic engineering technology experiences various battle milestones in different stages of a dominance battle to achieve dominance. Battles for dominance occur where two or more technologies apply in one firm within the same industry (Suarez, 2004). In this context, the outcome of the technological battle will determine the fate of genetic engineering technology and the success of the products of this technology. Each milestone marked the beginning of a new stage in the dominance battle where each stage had different dynamics that derived distinct factors associated with dominance (Suarez, 2004). Biologists achieved the first milestone in overcoming startup challenges while trying to introduce the technology for commercial purposes. This was in in the first stage of dominance battle that introduced the key characteristics of the technology. The secon d milestone was in the second stage that demonstrated the technical feasibility of the technology and related to the appearance of the ?rst working prototype (Suarez, 2004) of the GMO that warned other technologies. Moreover, the successful introduction of the first GMO for commercial purposes was another milestone in the dominance process though it was too expensive for the mass market. This was in the third stage that created the market for the technology. The fourth milestone related to establishment of GMOs as clear front-runner in a stage with several competitors in the dominance battle where this technology stood a chance of winning the battle (Suarez, 2004). Ultimately, the technology’s achievement of dominance marked the last milestone where the technology is now dominant in many industries as it occupies a significant market share (Suarez, 2004). This was in the last stage of dominance battle where genetic engineering technology emerged as a clear dominant technology in the market. Response 2 The organic food industry poses a relevant ethical dilemma on whether the benefits of developing and supplying GMOs supersede the future demerits that GMOs may pose for the environment, human beings, and the animal kingdom. To this effect, I recommend that the world addresses the possible adverse effects of using GMOs and seek to achieve global food security through sound scientific principles. Such a move would be consistent with the actor’s basic duties of seeking to achieve global food security. At the same time, this recommendation will respect the rights and other legitimate claims of the affected parties as it will ensure that human beings, the ecosystem, and animals are free from the adverse effects of GMOs and that animals and human beings are free from hunger. This recommendation is equally compatible with the scientists’ deep commitment of ensuring global food security without jeopardizing the future lives of the affected parties. R esponse 3 Based on Franco Malerba’s reading â€Å"Innovation and the dynamics and evolution of industries: progress and challenges,† I choose to describe how the structure and current state of emergence in the organic food industry affects competition and innovation. There have been various analyses on the relationship between innovation and the dynamics and evolution of industries, which includes the organic food

Hell Hath No Fury Like Medea Scorned Essay Example for Free

Hell Hath No Fury Like Medea Scorned Essay In Euripidess Medea, revenge can lead to destructive actions. This theme is a central part to the tragedy, mostly because it pops up time and time again. Euripides, through the use of motif, makes Medeas desire for revenge seem conceivable. Not only has Jason left her by marrying Creons daughter, but Creon has exiled her from Corinth because she â€Å"nourish[es] rancorous ill will toward [Jason and Creusa] whom [he] intends to protect† (Euripides 92). The protagonist is left with ultimately nothing and blames her misfortune on Jason. Throughout the play, Medea is described as a very determined and passionate woman who will stop at nothing to serve her sweet revenge. The death motif supports Medeas theme of revenge because it foreshadows her plans for vengeance. Medea shows the horror that can come when a person lets desire for revenge rule ones life. Death pops up very early in the play, when â€Å"death is [Medeas] wish† (87). She explains how she wishes death on herself, her enemies, and her children. She could â€Å"think of nothing but the death of three persons† (96). This foreshadows her plans for revenge because she eventually kills Creon, his daughter, and her own children, leaving Jason with nothing. Medeas plan for revenge starts with her children delivering a golden wreath and cloak that is cursed to burn the wearers body to death to Jasons new wife Creusa. This leads to not only the death of Creusa, but also her father, Creon. Although Medea has caused much damage and havoc, her vengeance does not stop there. She wants Jason â€Å"crushed, boneless, and crawling,† and she wants to sever all ties with him (119). She claims that â€Å"as long as [my children] live; I shall be mixed with him† (120). This brings her to her final and most destructive act of revenge: she kills her own children therefore leaving Jason with no wife or power. Ultimately, Medeas theme of revenge is supported throughout the tragedy and ends with Medea coming out victorious yet left with nothing to live for in her life. Death is brought upon multiple characters and is mentioned multiple times throughout the play. Euripides, by using theme and motif, sends a clear message that revenge can seem to control ones meaning of life and leave a person empty and with nothing except for a rancorous spirit. Medea ends with the protagonist exiting, carrying her dead boys with no home, family, or a reason to live. The protagonist’s need for revenge leads to irreversible destructive actions that not only leave Jason with nothing, but Medea as well.

Factors Causing Substance Abuse Relapse

Factors Causing Substance Abuse Relapse Relapse among substance abusers after treatment is an old phenomenon that has always been the nemesis of nations all around the world (Golestan, Abdullah, Ahmad Anjomshoa, 2010). For long, studies have found that through several generations, relapse to substance abuse after treatment remains one of the greatest challenges in the treatment of all forms of substance abuse including alcohol, marijuana, heroin and cocaine (Marlatt George, 1984; Polivy Herman, 2002; Witkiewitz Marlatt, 2004). Many a study posits that when people attempt to change an undesired or problematic behavior, there is a high possibility of an initial lapse (Golestan et al., 2010; Marlatt George, 1984; Witkiewitz Marlatt, 2004). Drug dependency has been typified as a persistent relapsing disorder (McLellan, Lewis, O’Brien Kleber, 2000). In clinical terms, relapse is defined as a return to a maladaptive use of substance, such as marijuana, alcohol, tobacco, heroin, cocaine or other illicit psychoactive drugs after having been previously treated for the same substance abuse disorder (Witkiewitz Marlatt, 2004). Researches on the substance abuse phenomenon posit that on the average, within a year of receiving treatment, most patients revert to previous levels of substance use (Hall, Havassy Wasserman, 1990; Witkiewitz Marlatt, 2004). Substance abuse clients and counselors both consider relapse as a major challenge militating against substance abuse prevention strategies (Golestan et al., 2010). Global statistics on the rate of relapse to substance use is disturbing. Both counselors and clients admit that whereas it is tough for a client to quit the use of drugs, it is even tougher to stay off the drug after intensive treatment (Ducray, Darker, Smyth, 2012; Moeller et al., 2001). Notwithstanding the client-focused and intensive treatment modules available for substance abuse, most treated clients return to the use of the abused substance after a period of abstinence (Polivy Herman, 2002). Substance abuse is shrouded with personal and social problems including the health of society regarding its political, social, economic and cultural issues in various degree (Hendershot, Witkiewitz, George, Marlatt, 2011). The price for using and abusing illicit drugs are weighty and incontestable. The attendant health complications, poor psychosocial functioning and adverse economic implications such as government’s expenditure on treatments and rehabilitation of substance abusers have all been well documented (Burger, 2008; Parrott et al., 2004; Pressley McCormick, 2007; United Nations Office on Drug and Crime’s report, 2013). Piggot, Carson, Saha, Torbeyns, Stock and Ingenito (2003) have stated that relapse to substance abuse could lead to such consequences as cognitive impairment, non-adherence to medication, personal distress, imprisonment and hospitalization. Decades of research on substance abuse have implicated psychosocial factors such as mental health, significant life events and social functioning as playing critical roles in influencing the relapse rates and the abuse of drugs among clients who have previously been treated for substance abuse disorders (Hammerbacher Lyvers, 2006; Melberg, Lauritzen, Ravndal, 2003). Contextual factors such as living and working environments have been considered as relevant when accounting for relapse precipitants in substance abusers (Reece, 2007). Consistently, researchers have identified psychosocial factors including self-efficacy, negative affects, ineffective coping responses and a host of high-risk situations as precipitating the relapse to substance use (Connors, Maisto Zywiak, 1996; Larimer, Palmer Marlatt, 1999; Marhe, Waters, Van de Wetering Franken, 2013; Mattoo, Chakrabarti Anjaiah, 2009; Reece, 2007). Several other psychosocial factors including fights and interpersonal conflicts, peer pressure, divorce, strained relationship with friends, family and co-workers (Broome, Simpson Joe, 2001; McLellan, Lewis, O’Brien Kleber, 2000) have been found to increase the risk of relapse to substance abuse. Community supports (Ibrahim Kumar, 2009), support from family and friends (Broome et al., 2001) and stressful life events (Wills, Vaccaro McNamara, 1992) have also been found to determine clients relapse state after rehabilitation. Information about psychological and social (contextual) factors relating to relapse and substance abuse may both be critical and important for planning clinical intervention strategies as well as contribute to aftercare and community-based interventions. Literature is replete with studies correlating cultural and religious variables to relapse to substance abuse. Ethno-cultural identity and religiosity have been found to moderate substance use among particular groups of people (Chen, Dormitzer, Bejaro Anthony, 2004). In particular, there has been a significant negative correlation found among people with higher levels of religious practice (religious devotion) and substance abuse (Chen et al., 2004; Kliewer Murrelle, 2007). Since four decades ago when scientific approach into the study of relapse has started (Marlatt Gordon, 1984), there has been ample evidence that suggest various relapse rates for various substances. In one earlier study, about 90% of alcoholics who received treatment experienced at least one relapse over a 4-year period (Polich, Armor, Braiker, 1981). In another study, Cornelius et al. (2003) found that 66% of the respondents had resumed their drug use within six months after treatment. There exist various relapse rates for the various substances of abuse. Differences in these rates could be attributed to several factors including the definition of relapse, individual’s variables, characteristics of the addiction and the effectiveness and success of treatment (Connors, G.J., Maisto Zwiak, 1996). Substance abuse and relapse phenomenon have been conceptualized and explained through a number of theories. In particular, the Cognitive-Behavioral Model of Relapse Process (Marlatt Gordon 1984, 1985; Witkiezie Marlatt, 2004) and the Relapse Syndrome Model (Gorski Miller, 1982; Gorski, 1990) have expansively explained the process and indicators involved in relapse to substance abuse. Other theories that explicate relapse to substance abuse include the Stress-diathesis Model (Gatchel, 1993), the Self-medication Hypothesis (Duncan, 1974; Khantzian, Mack, Schatzberg, 1974), the Bidirectional Model (Biafora Jr. et al., 1994), the Psychological Distress Model (Mercier et al., 1992) and the Behavioral Choice Model (Bickel Vuchinich, 2000). The Cognitive-Behavioral Model of Relapse Process and the Relapse Syndrome Model – the foundations of this study are discussed comprehensively in the next chapter. In general, substance use is attributed to a number of factors, including, psychosocial, biological and contextual variables (Nordfjà ¦rn, 2011). In particular, psychosocial factors have been known to be critical determinants of relapse to substance abuse. Significant life events, psychosocial distress and self-efficacy have all been identified as significant predictors of relapse to substance abuse (Hendershot, Witkiewitz, George, Marlatt, 2011; Nordfjà ¦rn, 2011). Studies have found major positive and negative events, similar to those found in the general population, have significant influence in the lives of substance abusers (Melberg et al., 2003; Witkiewitz Marlatt, 2004). Periods such as the loss of a loved one, or social occasions and events such as funerals, wedding celebrations, and birthday parties have been found to have influenced the return to alcohol and drug abuse (Melberg et al., 2003; Saunders Kershaw, 2006). For instance, a client discharged from a substance abuse rehabilitation facility after treatment could remain sober for a long period only to lapse during a funeral or wedding celebrations. Unquestionably, the role of psychological distresses, including depression, interpersonal conflicts, and anxiety in substance abuse and relapse have long been noted (Grant et al., 2004). Continuous interpersonal conflicts with a spouse or a co-worker, for example, could lead to depression, or outburst of anger and frustrations. The individual could revert to alcohol and drugs to either help take cope the situation or to empower him or her to face the perpetrator. Empirical supports linking psychological distress to substance use and abuse exist. In one study, clients with psychological distress were found to abused alcohol and drugs than those without any psychological distresses (Grella, Hser, Joshi, Rounds-Bryant, 2001). Self-efficacy, defined as one’s belief that a task can be carried out successfully to achieve a desired outcome (Bandura, 1997), has been associated with substance abuse and relapse (Nordfjà ¦rn, 2011). Clients who show low levels of self-efficacy, for instance, have been found to have shown high levels of alcohol and substance abuse (Hendershot, Witkiewitz, George, Marlatt, 2011). Individuals who lose confidence in themselves and in their efforts to succeed, no matter the venture, could for long remain depressed and frustrated. The individual may then resort to substance use, amid the frustration, to enflame some happiness. Gradually from a lapse, the substance abuse behavior may continue and become a full blown relapse. 1.1 Statement of the problem Unquestionably, the abuse of alcohol and drugs remains problematic in most countries of the world. The 2013 World Drug Report by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) revealed that over 35 million people, representing 0.8% of the adult population worldwide use heroin, cocaine or a combination of both. Of this population, it is estimated that 10-13% will become drug dependent and will forfeit their sobriety (UNODC Report, 2013). The UNODC’s statistics for 2013 on the worldwide estimate of substance abuse is even more frightening. The report revealed that in 2012, between 167 and 315 million people aged 15–64 were estimated to have used an illicit substance in the preceding year. West Africa is not excluded from the problem of drug trafficking and abuse. About a decade ago the region was declared as a transit route for hard drugs (Drug News Africa, 2012). According to the Ghana Demographic Health Survey Report (GDHS) for 2009, the sub-region had become not only a transitory route, but more disturbingly, a consumer market of these illicit psychoactive drugs (GDHS Report, 2009). The report concluded that the abuse of hard drugs was on the increase and had attracted the attention of most health professionals in Ghana (GDHS Report, 2009). The Out-patient Monthly Morbidity Returns (OMMR) records for 2012 from the Department of Psychiatric of the Regional Hospital, Sunyani, showed that of the 2,284 patients who accessed the facility for the year, about 596(26%) were alcohol and drug abuse related cases. In the same year, out of the 1,047 new cases seen, 413 were substance abuse related disorders, with 138 having been either re-admitted or treated on at least one other occasion for the same diagnosis. This statistics showed a 12% increase in substance abuse and relapse cases as compared to that of the preceding year (OMMR for Psychiatric Unit: Regional Hospital, Sunyani, 2012). The Drug News Africa states that about 1.25 million Ghanaians in 2012 had drug addiction problems, mostly marijuana (Drug News Africa, 2012). Studies on substance abuse in Ghana (Affinnih, 1999a Lamptey, 2005; Redvers et al., 2006) estimate more worrisome statistics. In no doubt, more people may be abusing drugs in Ghana than is estimated. This is very disturbing since the rates of relapse to substance abuse after treatment remain high. For instance, Brandon, Vidrine and Litvin (2007) noted that the relapse rates for most individuals after the cessation of alcohol or tobacco for a year ranges from 80 – 95%. Notwithstanding the type and frequency of the drug in use, the penalties are always grave. Witkiewitz and Marlatt (2004) noted that violence, legal problems, depression and suicide attempts are some of the adverse consequences of substance use. The availability and the increasing use of these illicit psychoactive drugs results in its dependence with its attendant psychosoci al adverse effects. Undoubtedly, substance abuse has profound health, economic and psychosocial consequences to the individual, family, community and nation. Studies (Berk, 2007; Large, Sharma, Compton, Slade, Olav, 2011; Witkiewitz Marlatt, 2004) have shown a number of physical, psychological and health-related consequences following the continuous use and abuse of substances. At the personal level, substance abuse has been associated with adverse biopsychosocial consequences, including heart failure, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, cancer, stroke and capillary haemorrhages, irritability and restlessness, mild paranoia, physical exhaustion, mental confusion, loss of weight; fatigue or depression and unemployment (Davison, Neale, Kring, 2004; Kring, Davison, Neale, Johnson, 2007). Similarly, the families of substance abusers also share in the consequences. In particular, the loss of productive hours in care of the substance abuser and the cost of treatment have been documented (Moos, 2007; Redve rs et al., 2006). A number of social and economic implications have also been noted at the community and national levels. Increase in crime rates, unemployment, poor academic or job performance, school dropout, divorce and the diversion of scarce national resources for treatment and rehabilitation of substance abusers have been associated with substance abuse (Burger, 2008; Parrott et al., 2004; Pressley McCormick, 2007). 1.2 Aim and objectives of the study Willig (2008) argues from a pragmatic viewpoint that the aim of research is not about generating abstract truth free from the experience of people but rather to provide insight that will inure to the benefit of humanity. Hence the aim of this study is to explore the psychosocial precipitants of relapse and the rate of relapse among substance abusers in the Sunyani Metropolis. More specifically, the objectives of this study are: To explore the various psychosocial factors that contribute to relapse of substance abusers in the Sunyani Metropolis To estimate how often respondents return to pre-treatment levels of substance abuse after treatment To explore the role of the family, culture and religion in relapse or abstinence among respondents. To explore the preventive/coping strategies clients use to prevent relapse. To explore the psycho-socioeconomic consequences of relapse to the respondents, their families and society. 1.3 Relevance of the study In 2005, a total of 86,003 outpatient attendances were recorded by the three psychiatric hospitals in Ghana (Ofori-Atta et al., 2010). Substance abuse disorders were among the top psychiatric diagnoses for the attendance, accounting for about 22.8%. Even more frightening was the number of substance abusers projected to develop psychological disorders in the course of time. The passage of the Ghana Psychological Bill and the Ghana Mental Health Law in 2012 mandates the Ghana Health Service to employ Clinical Psychologists to all regional and district hospitals in the country to treat and manage the myriad psychological problems faced by clients. In no doubt, substance abuse and relapse would be one of the major clinical diagnoses these clinicians would encounter. Reece (2007) has postulated that contextual and environmental factors are critical determinants of relapse among substance abusers. Certainly the environmental conditions of Europe and elsewhere are significantly different from those in Ghana and the rest of Africa. Consequently, one cannot readily attribute the factors found to have precipitated substance abuse and the resultant relapse of a different context to that in Ghana. More widely, findings from this research would aid Clinical Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Psychiatric Nurses, policymakers and relatives of clients to better understand the psychosocial factors that precipitate the relapse phenomenon and the rates at which relapse to substance abuse occur when deciding how best to offer treatment options to develop effective relapse preventive strategies which are contextual in the management of the relapse phenomenon. Furthermore, although there are studies on substance abuse in Ghana (Affinnih, 1999a Lamptey, 2005; Redvers et al., 2006), there is a paucity of data regarding the psychosocial factors that influence relapse to substance abuse. The rates of relapse to substance abuse among substance abusers have also not been well documented. Of equal importance, the findings from this study would add to the literature on the relapse