Monday, September 30, 2019

Columbus and the truth behind the legend

When a group of people are different from us their way of living Is wrong. That Is what it seems to come down to when most conflicts in history are broken down. Men vs.. Women. Hippies vs.. Government officials. Blacks vs.. Whites. Jews vs.. , well, everyone. All kidding aside it is very true. When Columbus first arrived in the Americas in 1492 he wrote, speaking of the Native Americans, â€Å"They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features†¦.They do not bear arms, and do not know hem, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane†¦. They would make fine servants†¦. With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want. † Just because they were kind and offered gifts to the new comers Instead of only suspicion, as his culture was use to always doing with strange people, he thought them Inferior and easily controlled. Later on he obvious ly finds out that It Is not as simple as he thought.Yes he took control but he also lost a lot of them due to illness, rebellion, and massacres. Native Americans thought of the Europeans culture to be barbaric and distrustful. Some of the tribes didn't take to the intruders as well as other tribes did. They took some time getting organized due to tribes usually fighting against each other but by the sass, according to West Virginia Archive & History, a Confederacy was created. The Iroquois Confederacy. They fought to get their land back. Did they win? Obviously not. But they didn't go down without a eight.Afro Americans had a big issue as well when they first arrived in the Americas. In 1619 when the first â€Å"slaves† arrived, even though they weren't labeled as slaves at this time, they were automatically considered Inferior to the white Europeans simply because they were of a darker skin and a different culture. They thought them uncivilized even though back In Africa the y had, at the time, a longer living civilization even than to the mother lands themselves. But the African culture believed their servants to be equals.Some even had them join the family through marriage. Sadly in the Americas they treated them as dirt. Both the African â€Å"servants† and the European servants. A good one to compare is the privileged Europeans and the Europeans sent over to the Americas to simply work for 2-7 years as a servant and then maybe make a name for themselves. Just because they were different not by skin color, not by culture, but by status alone. Even with something so small the upper Europeans act as if the other Europeans are from a different world ND outcast them.Just in the beginning of America's history the very simply truth is that the human race Is afraid of anything different. Change Is something that goes against our very nature so Instead of compromising with people that we meet that are different from us we simply cast them out as If th ey are plagued with something other than another view or opinion than our own. It is sad to think what the discovery to expanding their minds and accepting the Native Americans instead of destroying them for being â€Å"uncivilized†.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Childhood experiences Essay

The quality and type of relationships differ between individuals:some are happy with long term-relationships, others prefer more temporary, less passionate relationships. Some individuals seem ‘lucky in love’, while others seem to struggle to maintain a long term stable relationship. Bowlby (1951) believed that the type of quality of relationship that individuals have with their primary caregivers provides the foundation for adult relationships by forming an internal working model hat acts as a template for all future relationships. This is the Continuity Hypothesis, the belief that similar relationships will occur as an adult. One theory that is thought to affect someones future relationships is the attachment styles a child can develop. These Attachment styles are determined by Mary Ainsworth’s strange situation experiment, where a child is either Secure attachment, Insecure-resistant attachment or Insecure-avoidant attachment type. It is believed attachment style provides children with a set of beliefs about themselves and others and the nature of relationships. The Continuity Hypothesis sees attachment as a main factor as predicting the nature of adult relationships. Therefore, someone who is securely attached as an infant will have similar relationships throughout life. This is Theory is supported by the study of HAZAN & SHAVER (1987). The experiment consisted of a ‘love quiz’ questionnaire that was published in a newspaper. The questions were designed to classify and individual as one of Ainsworth’s attachment type. The questionnaire also included q’s which aimed to assess the pps childhood relationships with their caregivers, and their romantic experiences in their life. Results showed that attachment type that individual had shown as a child was related to how they felt about adult relationships. Showed secure attachment types in childhood were more likely to enjoy secure relationships as an adult. Those with insecure-avoidant found it more hard to trust people in an adult relationship. Those with  insecure-resistant were more likely to feel anxious in adult relationships and find it hard to get as close to them as they wanted. As a result they concluded that relationships formed with parents during childhood affect relationships in adulthood. However this study does have issues with reliability as it is based on self-report data which is subjective. Furthermore the data is also retrospective further reducing reliability of the study. Also because the study relied on volunteer sampling, so the sample they have may not be truly representative of the population. However there are contradicting results in experiments done on the effect of attachment type on adult relationships as STEELE et al. (1998) found a small correlation of 0.17 between having a secure attachment type in childhood and early adulthood. This is also true for the study of RUTTER et al. (1999) who reported that individuals without secure attachments to their parents went on to secure stable relationships contradicting the findings of HAZAN & SHAVER. It is also believed that interaction with peers during childhood also influences later adult relationships. Peers become more influential as children progress into adulthood, playing a significant role in individuals becoming independent adults, helping develop social skills including those needed for adult relationships. GARNETT(2007) suggests that friendships during childhood give opportunities to develop skills needed to form successful adult relationships including: how to resolve conflict and how to take on different roles needed in relationships. COLLINS VAN DULMAN (2006) supports this theory and also suggests that relationships with peers give individuals the opportunity to learn behaviours and expectations involved in adult relationships. Supporting the idea that experiences during childhood and adolescence influence the quality of adult relationships. However some believed that it is difficult to measure the impact of a childs peer relationships on adult relationships, as there is a need to differentiate between having friends, who the friends are and the quality of each of the relationships, making it hard to identify the direct influence each of these factors has on quality of adult relationships. Furthermore it is thought that children who have witnessed unstable relationships between their parents and others around them will be influenced by this and thus influences their adult relationships. Studies have shown that people who experienced parental divorce during childhood have more negative attitudes towards relationships than those who didn’t experience parental divorce. These negative attitudes include being less optimistic about having a successful relationship, feeling less trustful of partners, having more favourable attitudes towards divorce and more negative attitude towards marriage. SILVESTRI (1991) supports this notion as he found that having divorced parents significantly increased an individuals own chances of getting divorced. JOHNSTON and THOMAS provide an explanation for this suggesting that this could be because individuals model their behaviour on their parents behaviours. Linking back to bowlbys theory that children form an internal working model as to how relationships should be whilst not only being in a dysfunctional relationship themselves but observing these dysfunctional relationships too. However this theory cannot be generalised to the entire population as there are a large amount of people who experience divorce during childhood but still go on to have successful adult relationships. Thus proving that their must be many other factors that can influence the long term effects. Also research into this area of how divorce effects a child’s adult relationships can be used to minimise the effect of divorce on children. To conclude it seems that there is sufficient evidence to support bowlbys theory that early childhood experiences both being involved in relationships and observations of parents to does to some extent play a role in affecting their adult relationships. However due to the causal nature of much of the studies related to this area means that it can be difficult to establish what the true cause and effects are of early childhood experiences or whether it is other factors that are contributing to this, supported by the contradicting results of many studies in this area. Furthermore attachment theories are somewhat deterministic, perceiving childhood/peer attachments as causing later adult relationships. However it is likely that other factors are influential such as the different attachment types other people  bring to the relationship. e.g if a insecurely attached person can have a secure relationship if they are in a relationship with a securely attached person.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Local Beaches Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Local Beaches - Essay Example Years later when I got married, my husband, who is from Virginia Beach, introduced me to the region where he grew up. I discovered that Virginia is a conservative state. The Virginia Beach area has a large military the  presence, and conservative family values such as the ‘proper’ role of women in the home and church attendance are dominant. Virginia Beach, which is 35 miles of waterfront property, has three different beaches within the city. They are the Chesapeake Bay of the  Virginia, Virginia Beach Resort area and Sandbridge. By comparing the beaches of my childhood with the beaches of my husband’s childhood, I was able to get a better sense of place and the type of people who might enjoy each location. The beaches of Virginia all have their own distinct personality. The section of Virginia Beach called the Chesapeake Bay area is for the person who is looking for tranquility and a more relaxed atmosphere. It is calmer, quieter and more laid back than many of the party beaches you see on TV. The traditional beach activities such as swimming, building sand castles, strolling along the beach and playing volleyball or throwing a football around are all a part of this scene. The Virginia Beach Resort area consists of a three mile concrete boardwalk. It has hotels, a few outdoor cafes and novelty shops. In addition, on the boardwalk there are roller-bladers, bikers, live music and street performers. There are many special events held here throughout the whole year.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Research Proposal week 4 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Week 4 - Research Proposal Example Basically, Employee Engagement Index (EEI) is the ratio of satisfied employees to the total number of employees in an organization, expressed as a percentage (Stevenson, 2009). As such, the research will need to examine how well this index operates to show the realities of human resource performance in an organization. The research must therefore examine the relationship between EEI and actual performance in organizations. The research can be conducted through an inferential research and study of quantitative information relating to performance and the EEI to examine the relationship that exists between them. Quantitative research refers to the measure of data and information about a given topic (Young, 2004). In this case, the phenomena are actual performance and the reported EEI. In order to examine this closely, there is the need to examine some empirical information relating to some real organizations which will given an overview of how the two concepts interact and how well EEI interprets performance in an organization. In doing this, it will be appropriate to use a null hypothesis. A hypothesis is a tentative statement that is tested for its truthfulness or falsity in a research (Kothari, 2005 p22). In this case, the hypothesis is that â€Å"the performance of an employees in an organization has a direct correlation with the employee engagement index (EEI)†. As such, the purpose of the research will be to prove whether there is a direct relationship between EEI and performance or not. If there is a direct relationship, then it will be inferred that EEI is very relevant as a performance measure and indicator in institutions. In order to prove or disprove this hypothesis, there will be the need to conduct an empirical study which will involve the collection of data from various sources in a number of organizations to enable

Thursday, September 26, 2019

E-marketing in Focus Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-marketing in Focus - Term Paper Example Email is far inexpensive on a cost-per-customer basis than other electronic marketing forms. Email speed up communication to as little as 48 hours in most cases than as much as 6 to 8 weeks for direct mail. Campaign success can be measured using software intended to document responses or sales that can be attributed to email marketing efforts. Reports can be produced on the number of emails read by the recipients and the quantity wherein the embedded links were clicked. By being able to measure the accomplishment of campaigns in progress, marketers can immediately regulate strategies to make response rates stronger. Email is the most extensively used facet of the Internet and is part of many people's daily habit. It is a means of communication with remarkably large addressees that allows recipients to act on messages without delay. Email reinforces product/services awareness and helps build strong customer relationships. Frequently sent email messages that have correctly titled subje ct lines and logos strengthen the company and product/service awareness. Email builds an interactive link with clientele and in a long run develops long-lasting, mutual and beneficial relationships. Marketing Solutions.com specializes in knowing the client's business, their goals, and objectives to customize internet marketing strategies and get the best result for the growth of the clients' businesses. Marketing Solutions.com operates widely via the World Wide Web, www.mssample.com. For less than a year, Marketing Solutions managed to emerge as one of the most competitive service-oriented business solutions all throughout the world, especially in Asia. Business-related products and services are being offered by Marketing Solutions.com. Improving search engine rankings by obtaining the program to easily monitor Web traffic and study where the traffic has been coming from. Find ways to get listed in search engines through writing, coding, and designing pages to make Marketing Solutions.com website ranked high in searches.  

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Summary - Essay Example The study aimed at â€Å"investigating the quantity and quality of household waste in terms of socio-economic groups and family size in the Dehradun city, India† (Suthar and Singh, 56). The article provides the reasons for the increased MSW in developing countries in Africa and Asia as increasing population growth in urban centres. The causes of the high population are provided by rural-urban migration, urban lifestyle changes, economic growth, and social improvement. The study was conducted in Dehradun City in India, which is the fastest growing City in India with information on HW quality and quantity conducted between March to May 2011 from 11 blocks consisting of 144 households. ANOVA and descriptive analysis aided in the analysis of HW data collected allowing for the determination of the significant difference in the garbage generation rate in households earning different income levels. Wide statistical parameters including median, range, skewness, standard deviation, kurtosis, steam-and-leaf- plots, and variance were determined using descriptive statistical analysis. SPSS statistical package was used in the study for data analysis purposes. The study found out that biodegradable waste makes up a huge junk of HW including paper waste and food/vegetable waste. Recyclable wastes comprised a small percentage of HW and the authors believe that the reasons for the few percentage of recyclable waste were the screening by households of HW for reusable/recyclable waste. The lack of plastic, glass, metals, fresh paper, cardboards, among others in HW is because of resale by HW to recycling dealers/Pheriwalas (Suthar and Singh, 57). The research also concludes that t he absence of secondary waste collection points creates health and environmental issues in the city. Owing to the high percentage of biodegradable waste in HW, generation of value-added products including compost, digestive slurry, and biogas is possible from HW. I strongly

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The future of tourism planning lies with a community-driven approach Essay

The future of tourism planning lies with a community-driven approach - Essay Example The general â€Å"host-guest† conflicts and stereotypes can be better overcome by tourism development through clearer local guidance which goes on to stimulate a superior stewardship of tourism resources. The participation of the stakeholders such as tourism operators, government, local residents, etc in tourism planning guides an improved fitting, longer enduring, and less exhausting tourism industry taking into consideration the local requirements, concerns, desires and abilities. Community involvement while preparing plans for tourism increases the abilities of the stakeholders thereby resulting in sustainable tourism development. Community-driven tourism planning highlights improved strategic and rational vision for growth of tourism. The approach depends upon the local residents and the community leaders who propose opportunities to clarify strengths and weaknesses for the social, economic and ecological well-being. The influence of community-driven approach assures touri sts’ satisfaction eliminating the experience of tourism as a source of anxiety and negative impact. The involvement of community in the process of tourism planning undoubtedly brings up flourishing impact on the tourism industry which otherwise would have remained less successful due to insufficient local knowledge and experience. The illustration of the Whistler Village has been cited as an ideal example of community-driven approach for tourism planning. It has been very rightly said that the future of tourism planning lies with a community-driven approach. The need for community participation in tourism planning must be felt and appreciated (Murphy, 1985a). This calls for the inclusion of strategic planning and community development standards in tourism planning processes. This will inevitably result in to the cohesive working of all the stakeholders, be it tourism industry associations, resident organizations, public organizations, government officials, social

Monday, September 23, 2019

Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Tourism - Essay Example Therefore, while evaluating tourism as a whole it is imperative to consider its dark and the bright side. Tourism just for the sake of leisure or fun may leave detrimental effects, thus educating tourists about their limits and rights is very important, to provide tourism a healthy form. In the following text some of the pros and cons are discussed with respect to their socio-economic implications. Tourism is involved directly as well as indirectly in economic activity of a place or a country, this is due to demands for services and goods that are needed to be produced and provided (Tribe, 2011). The direct effect of tourism on economics of a place is termed as tourism’s ‘economic contribution’ and it is determined by tourism satellite account or TSA. Meanwhile, the indirect economic impacts of tourism are determined through various models, and this type of modelling helps in determining the overall direct and indirect effects of tourism on the economy of a place. While considering the economic contribution of tourism it is imperative to understand the concept of tourism industries. Tourism industries are activities that typically produce tourism characteristic products. The criteria to characterize tourism product is that the production or availability of a product or service is sufficiently proportional to the extent of tourism, consequently the demand of these services or products develop a direct link with the presence of tourists. Some of the key characteristic tourism products include accommodation services, transport services, recreational services and area specific tourist services. Accommodation services refer to availability and management of hotel, motels and rest houses (Goeldner & Ritchie, 2009). Transport services include air, rail and road transport. Recreational services are usually specific from place to place, but some

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Comparing tajfels social identity theory and scapegoating theory in explaining prejudice Essay Example for Free

Comparing tajfels social identity theory and scapegoating theory in explaining prejudice Essay The issue of comparing and contrasting Tajfel’s theory of social identity and the scapegoating theory in explaining prejudice is a very controversial issue subject to debate .The theories are like one and the same thing though they are different as show be noted as the debate goes on.The main difference is that scapegoating mainly touches on the rivals of in-group against out-group while social identity theory bases on the individual rivalry against individual and both have got a negative prejudice effect. Barbara (1997) reiterates that prejudice by definition is an attitude usually negative toward a member of some other group solely on prejudice the membership in that group . Feldman explains prejudice in the sense that when two groups want to achieve the same goal but both groups cannot get hostility is due to happen .For example increased competition of various groups in times of economic crisis may be one of the factors leading to prejudice .Tajfel (1971) believes that the scapegoating theory is not adequate in explaining prejudice and he also uses a social identity theory . However Tajfel et al (1971) argue that competition is not sufficient for inter-groups conflict and hostility .Tajfel does not deny the importance of competition between groups as explanation for the origins of prejudice but argues that mere perception of the existence of another group can itself produce discrimination .Tajfel et al goes on to say that before any discrimination occur ,people must be categorized as members of in-groups or out-groups but more significantly the very act of of categorization by itself produces conflict and discrimination leading to negative prejudice . Therefore from the above analysis one can be tempted to say that the origins of prejudice in both social identity theory and scapegoating theory arise from the same nature to a greater extent as noted in the argument in question though they might be some differences but to a lesser extent. Moreover, scapegoating theory in explaining prejudice asserts that people or groups seeks to displace their anger on the weaker people or groups .When the weaker group sees that its being dehumanized or being regarded as inferior scapegoating has entered in the danger zone which will eventually lead to the aggression of the out-group. However Tajfel’s social identity theory suggest that individuals strive for self image and social identity that is influenced by the value categorized by a group an individual belongs .Therefore from the aforementioned analysis one might be tempted to conclude that the spirit of pride within one group and an individual’s ego perpetuated by a group an individual belongs may leads to prejudice as expulsed in the argument above. In addition , basing on the scapegoating theory in explaining prejudice ,pain and frustration only often evoke hostility for example the native Africans were allocated land in reserves which was very infertile and this led to the First Chimurenga war when the natives fought the whites blaming them for drought and other misfortunes that they were facing as a result of their presence .In contrast to the above theory, Myers(2008) elucidates that the social identity theory in explaining prejudice suggest that individuals in a group come to develop a sense of their identity that is anchored within in-group . Therefore .from the information above one might tempted to clear that both of the two theories asserts that as a result of aggression by scapegoating and in-group development development as supported by Tajfel(1971) elaborates the concept of prejudice though they vary to a lesser extent as exhibited in the argument in question. More so, Healey (2006) pontificates that the scapegoating theory targets for the displaced aggression vary, for example failure by the government of Zimbabwe to run the economy that led to hyper-inflationary epoch many Zimbabweans blamed the sanctions for the economic turmoil and the Europeans as the oppressors but were there to blame for economic crisis in actual sense and this poses a question to many people . Moreover, in the early 1980s people vented their anger to the witchcraft tradition and leading to the masquerading of tsikamutandas to uproot witches in societies and people who were presumed to be witches were humiliated or forced to drink a concoction and if the witch belongs to in-group and another one from out-group  favoritism was bound to happen leading to someone being unfairly treated due to favoritism .The South Africans felt the shortage of employment in their country is because of Zimbabweans saying that they are taking all jobs thus leading to xenophobia attacks on Zimbabweans and in that essence it evokes prejudice between the in-group and out-group. On the other side of the coin ,Faney (2004) alludes that the social identity theory furnishes favoritism among in-groups and out-groups. The theory asserts that as groups are formed ,they come to develop a culture of patriotism towards themselves and to discriminate against out-groups .therefore , from the aforesaid assertions one might be tempted to alludes that prejudice arise from favoritism and displaced aggression as exposed in both theories above . Furthermore , Tajfel (1971) suggests that resource allocation is done unequally ,in particular they will favor their own group at the expense of out-group .This suggest that the tendency in-favor of in-group may be especially powerful if the in-group feels to be minority .In addition the scapegoating theory in explaining prejudice propounds that for instance in Zimbabwe ,opposition to immigration since 1990 has gone up and down following the hijacking unemployment rate . Moreover ,the scapegoating theory and social identity theory explain the concept of prejudice in a different dimension as noted above in the argument in question though some very small similarities were noted but since the explanations outwit the similarities one might be tempted to conclude that both theories in explaining prejudice they differ immensely . To add more flesh to the bones , the social identity theory presumes that as people hear the views of a group they are bound to change their own views to suite of the in-group and one school of thought believes that similarities within groups will ultimately lend itself to polarization among groups .Members of the in-group will try to make themselves look unique from out-group as they endeavor this uniqueness to prove a spirit of social identity . For example if l am a soccer fan and we are discussing the play of the play of an opposing team , l might advocate for my team that plays much better than the opposing team .However the scapegoating theory reiterates that the strongest anti-black prejudice has occurred among whites who stay  much closer to blacks on the socio-economic hierarchy . For instance the whites who protested for the industrial conciliation act enactment are the whites who were feeling threatened by the black society and those white who were on top of the socio-economic hierarchy felt no intimidation by blacks .there, as thus discussed above one might possibly say that it is clear from the aforesaid argument that scapegoating and social identity theory can explain prejudice from various angles as expulsed in the argument in question . Moreover , Tajfel (1971) asserts that the personal identity deteriorates and social identity become focal in the sense that people have a feeling of themselves individually and as part of the group they belong and in doing so their group identity comes to the central core of their prejudice and they ceases to pay more attention on the individual characteristics of out-group .Furthermore , scapegoating pontificates that the clash of interest may result in prejudice and anyone who is not satisfied with himself is always ready for a revenge .For example Floyd May-weather might always feel that he can outclass Pacquino despite losing to him and every time is ready for a revenge match so as to claim his status as a champion . Therefore , from the above analysis one might be tempted to conclude scapegoating and social identity theory are somehow different though clearly explaining the concept of prejudice as noted in the aforesaid assertions . In summation ,It does not need a rocket scientist to discover that competition to prestige, social recognition ,water, land ,jobs and some other resources may precipitates aggression which will eventually turn into prejudice in both theories scapegoating and social individual theory .However , it is an abortion of factual evidence to sidestep the differences such as displaced aggression , feelings of in-group and out-groups , favoritism among in-groups and out-groups and just to mention but a few were addressed as differences of social identity and scapegoating theory as exhibited in the argument in question in explaining the concept of prejudice. ` Tatenda Nyoka is a student at Great Zimbabwe Zimbabwe University and can be contacted on [emailprotected]

Saturday, September 21, 2019

To See isn’t to Belong but to Touch is to Feel Essay Example for Free

To See isn’t to Belong but to Touch is to Feel Essay The Cathedral is a very interesting short story that defines people and places.   Raymond Carver demonstrated how spiritual blindness can make a person loose his sense of place and ultimately barricades a person sense of touch.   There could be places where two or more people live or stay close to one another but are really out of touch because they have set walls in between.   This ignorance has made people unable to see what is beyond in everything with their normal eyesight in which the author of the short story manifested in the beginning. Spiritual blindness leads to lack of communication or understanding.   This is the state of Bub the narrator when he first met Robert who is blind, a long time friend of his wife.   Robert serves as the story keeper of the narrator’s wife whose name was never mentioned but was simply called my wife by Bub and my dear to him. The narrator’s voice was craftily sculptured by the pen of the writer; it described his skepticism towards the blind friend of his wife and his easy going relationship with his wife.   The tone of the story tells about a marriage that is going towards a period of tepidity despite to the woman it is already a marriage of a second chance for happiness.   The tones used by the writer to describe the blind man prefigured a strong man that despite of his handicap, Robert is a man who made his touch more powerful than his eyes. The voices even expressed how fruitless it was to described a thing when the eye that can see can not comprehend what it sees that is when the narrator finally commented â€Å"I’m not doing so good, am I (Carver, 1983)?†Ã‚   But ironically was able to explain how the blind man understood things when he began to asked if the paintings are made of fresco paints and that cathedrals needs hundred of workers who would never lived to see their work completed because it takes a hundred years for it to be built. Robert explained to Bub that a lifetime is not enough to learn everything by saying that â€Å"they’re no different from the rest of us, right (Carver, 1983)?† The story tells about a man who learned to live well without having the gift of sight of which many people are incapable of doing.   Many people today are like Bub who are afraid to live without their necessities in life and are even unhappy in spite of what they have. Bub is a physically complete person, good natured but do not possess a deep character because of his insensitivity towards the needs of others.   Though he possesses his youth and physical attributes he was an incomplete person and that search led him to use cocaine simply because he wanted more but just cannot get or know where to take it in spite of the presence of a wife.   The woman on the other hand is the feminine version of humanity who seeks to be nurtured and loved but still was taken for granted by her husband.   Her longing to belong was the reason she was able to keep that good friendship with Robert which according to his husband was just a form of recreation or diversion or a life that we call simply fleeting away. The climax of the story was when Bub’s hand was touched by Robert while sketching the figures of the cathedral as he sees them on the television screen. Bub’s hand was able to define the lines and the blind man was able to see through those strokes.   However, that exchange of motion taught Bub to see without staring and made him realized his sense of place by simply feeling he was on it as he is being guided by another.   He finally felt that he is with someone and that experience made him see without looking. Finally, Bub learned from Robert how to feel through those same hands that was able to accompany Beulah to her deathbed and touched the face of his wife with an elegant tenderness.   The handicap in Carver’s story was able to prove to the world the importance of touch because the man who feels and knew how to reciprocate that sense makes a person real, strong and lovable.   Craver’s short story shows a man of every man in modern times, unmindful as long as he does his own thing and that solitude separates him from the rest so he see without seeing and that blindness forbade him to touch and feel. By the end of the story the blind man succeeded in guiding Bub to learn about himself and about human communication as Robert reached for his hand so he too can learn how a cathedral really looks (Donley, 1995).   Bub finally realized his sense of place with an eyes closed when he exclaimed at the end that â€Å"It was like nothing in my life up to now (Carver, 1983).†   References Carver, R. (1983). Cathedral [Electronic Version]. Retrieved 19 April 2008, from http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/cinichol/GovSchool/Cathedral2.htm Donley, C. (1995). Carver, Raymond :   Cathedral [Electronic Version]. Retrieved 19 April 2008, from http://litmed.med.nyu.edu/Annotation?action=viewannid=744

Friday, September 20, 2019

Development of Extended Low Frequency Enclosure

Development of Extended Low Frequency Enclosure Introduction The rationale for this work is to present a theoretical and practical analysis of an extended low frequency enclosure capable of 20-65Hz, obtained through a method of careful cabinet design built around a suitable transducer and to support the findings with a build supporting sufficient evidence through implementation of testing. Low frequency tones Enclosure types Reinforced low frequencies cannot depend entirely on the driver itself for extended low end and requires a form of baffle or enclosure to completely isolate the front and rear drives. D. Weems (page 11) states also that a speaker can deliver 100 times greater sound intensity at low frequencies in a suitable box than in free air. Nearly all drivers are sat in an enclosure or at least some kind of baffle in order to increase and extend the low frequency output from the speaker system (J.Murphy pg 17). It is shown in figure 1 the importance of separation, illustrating how pressure waves from the front of the cone equal that of the pressure radiating from the rear and therefore are of opposite polarity and cancel each other out. Sound is directional at mid and higher frequencies and so these can be audible at a greater level, though wavelengths as long compared to the diameter of the speaker curve back and around the cone so that the out-of-phase waves mix (J.murphy pg17). When a baffle or box is utilized, the driver becomes much more efficient, using the much more contained air in front and behind the driver like a spring. Another purpose to house a speaker in an enclosure is its help to dampen the driver further from excessive vibrating at its frequency of resonance (fs) and furthermore to increase definition on the musical notes by reducing its hangover. If accurately designed, this should be kept to a minimum and is the relationship or air pressure against the cone between a speaker and its enclosure that helps balance the mechanical properties of air volume within and help generate a smooth flat frequency response. This is known as acoustic or resistive loading. S.Stark (pg141) explains in the lower two-thirds or so of a drivers intended frequency range, the speaker cone requires an extra amount of acoustical impedance (or load) to keep its motion under control. Again if both appliances are well designed, especially the driver construction, this acoustical imp edance is balanced out on the diaphragm movement. Loudspeaker driversThese are known as Thiele-Small parameters and are essentially a set of electromechanical parameters that determine the performance of a low frequency driver. Each driver is sent out with these specifications from the manufacture and help define a relationship between a speaker and an intended enclosure for use. They are very accurate and crucial in establishing constitution in the enclosure design in respect to sound quality and response output. One way to look at these in more depth is to see a direct correlation with the voice coil, magnet, and cone interacting with the cone suspension and the air in and outside the enclosure as an electrical circuit made up of resistors, capacitors and inductors. This can be seen as a relatively simple analysis circuit where changing the parameter increments of the individual components can alter the needed frequency. By then changing these parameters back into physical attributes such as enclosure size for a sealed box, a desi gn can be implemented (A. Ludwig 1997). This practice sets a scientific foundation in the practice of loudspeaker design as much a science as an art. It can often be seen in some cases, speaker designing a trial and error process, though with simple calculation correction methods based on these parameter formulas. For example, from predicted theory or software modelling, once a loudspeaker build has been complete, an initial test for electrical impedance across the driver terminals will demonstrate the first step in comparing the finished result with the simulations. If these are in contrast with the predictions, the enclosure can be tuned founded on these measurements. Often impedance spikes are sensitive to design faults and can cause extended amplification or location shifts at unintended frequencies. Ludwig (1997) however, suggests how these responses can be due to mutual coupling though in some cases such as a bass-reflex or ported designs actually a necessary result benefittin g the design by allowing air to enter the duct and work in alliance with the speaker cone. There are three parameter categories as constituted by Neville Thiele and Richard small. These are acoustical, mechanical and electrical and can be determined by either an A, M or E in their symbol script. Acoustic parameters are established by the effective piston area of the cone where the mechanical attributes are obtained by multiplying by the square of this area in the case of mass and resistive loss, or dividing by the square of the area in the case of compliance. Ludwig (1997). The electrical components involve two energy diffusions: the voice coil DC resistance and the amplifiers output resistance. To build a loudspeaker these parameters must be fully understood so justified usage can be applied in the different stages of design. Q has no dimensions though is a measure of damping on a speaker. It is simply the ratio between energy storing and energy dissipative mechanisms at resonance and in electrical terms, it is the ratio of the reactance to the resistance at its resonant frequency. D. Pierce (1995). The greater the damping of a speaker i.e. higher the Q, the lower its output is at resonant frequency indicating a small mechanical energy transfer in the driver. In other words, the amount of resistance available to dissipate the energy is small compared to the amount of energy stored. Therefore, for larger applications such as long horn or ported enclosures, generally a lower Q is required to produce the synonymous low frequency responses. This is induced by damping the resonant motion quickly as the resonant energy is dissipated quickly and removed from the resonant system. D.Pierce (1995). The mechanical and electrical mechanisms are classed as Qms and Qes with a combined unification closely described as Q ts, also determined by the enclosure volume (Vas) and total Q of the driver. EQUATIONS Essentially the compliance is the measure of stiffness of a drivers suspension measured in litres or cubic ft. Written as Vas, It denotes the same volume of air for the cone as it does for the speaker suspension. Larger drivers predominantly have a larger Vas due to the resistance of air it has to push in comparison to a smaller driver. The compliance must be established in order to ascertain whether an enclosure size is too small or large for the driver. A larger value equates to a stiffer surround and therefore being more suited in large enclosures. This said however, often results in a lower Qts and would correspond better as a mid-bass region either in a three or four way system. To follow on from these few basic parameters, a look into some basic speaker enclosures allows a practical look into the enclosure variables and how each box evolves to ascertain the diagnostics of my final build. EQUATION Compliance ratio =3 ÃŽ ± = Vas / Vab = Cms/cmb compliance of driver is expressed as an equivalent volume of air or Vas (Murphy pg24) Speaker designs can be put into two main classifications: direct radiators and acoustic horns with many variations and combinations to gain different frequency responses from the size, shape and air tightness of the box. Within these classifications bring four sub category types, each with their own advantages and disadvantages so suit different applications. A sealed box or air suspension enclosure uses quite a compact design, mainly found in home hi-fi where excessive SPL is not such an essential necessity. It utilizes the force of air at the rear driver more so than its own suspension, though a floppy driver is often used along with the spring to help dampen the driver cone movement. The rear of a speaker in any enclosure plays a fundamental part in shaping the sound waves. It is therefore clear to see why these types of enclosures are not commonly seen in the larger scale venues or for live music due to its inefficient design of soley manipulating the rear waves of the diaphragm as a linear air spring in a sealed enclosure. The compliance ratio decides whether the box is sealed (infinite baffle) or air suspension. An infinite baffle box usually has a low ratio of about one or two as the box replies predominantly on the cone suspension as a its control with a large box volume behind. This in turn acts similarly to a baffle of infinite proportion where the air gives little resistance to the movement of the cone. On the other hand, an air suspension can have a relatively high compliance ratio of four or five due to the air being reasonably stiff which in turn allows a looser driver where most the control is regulated. This enclosure has one self contained variable known as Vb and as mentioned by Ludwig, by altering the volume size in co-ordinance with driver parameters can help tune the box to its optimum response. As well as a drivers resonance frequency, the enclosure simultaneously also produces a system resonance known as fsc and a second order high pass filter defined as Qtc and corresponds to the sealed box Q. These parameters will perpetually be greater than the drivers uniformed fs and Qts. To gain the enclosures resonance, both the volume of the enclosure and driver parameters have to be applied. Therefore: F(sc) = F (fs, Qts, Vas, Vb) Ported box has two variables V(B) the box volume and F(B) the tuning frequency A ported enclosure essentially allow for extended low end with a given driver and is even possible to reduce the size of box gaining extra low end frequency without increasing the internal stiffness of the air. The air inside the box continues its proficiency as a spring yet the port serves as an additional piston where the vibrating air supplements the resonant frequency for two other contemporary resonances; one in phase slightly higher than the Fs and one lower than the Fs working out of phase. As with a sealed enclosure a balance has to be struck as this lower Fs and out of phase response can run the risk of over excursion as the roll off frequency quickly becomes a much steeper gradient. Stark (2004) explains how when a speaker is given a significant amount of power below the resonant frequency, the speaker unloads and becomes drastically more inclined to push beyond its normal excursion limits. At its best sound bad, but at worst can risk driver failure. Helmholtz resonator stark 178 Port tuning frequency = Fb Further advances on ported designs such as installing additional baffles inside the enclosure result in an even lower resonant frequency of the air mass in the enclosure, fabricating a smaller enclosure at the front with a larger air space at the rear of the driver. These are known as bandpass enclosures and by adjust the volumes of air in the two compartments help to equalize the enclosure with the duct or port used to tune the fs. This again comes as a compromise where a considerable amount of power is needed to produce the equivalent output levels. Transient response differences page 29 murphy What the different frequencies do More about the port Variations, band pass 4th 5th 6th order Horn loaded speakers serves a much more beneficial approach of further increasing efficiency over direct radiators and serve two paramount parameters: A higher composure of directivity control (especially in the higher frequencies) and loading of the driver. By increasing the loaded of the driver over that of the free air, increases efficiency and hence the output and by further concentrating the sound into a fixed solid angle increases the output further (B. Kolbrek horn theory). This method of amplification is not a recent discovery and has dated back thousands of years where ram horns have been used consisting of a small throat and large mouth where perceivable amplification is recognized. Thomas Edison then evolved this principle in 1877 where the first tin horn phonograph was invented, coupling the minute vibrations of the diaphragm to the air of the listening area (J.Dinsdale horn loudspeaker design). To expand this principle further, a loudspeaker propagates pressure producing an internal source impedance and external load impedance and essentially acts as an acoustical transformer, matching the high impedance at the driver to the low impedance of the room air by its smooth rate of increased cross sectional area from the driver cone to the horn mouth. In a direct radiating enclosure, because a mismatch between source and the load, most the energy is converted into heat in the voice coil and the mechanical resistances where the size of source is small compared to the wavelengths its trying to produce and therefore merely push the medium away and making it quite an inefficient design (B.Kolberk). Kolberk goes on to say that high frequency output consist of plane waves (Wave in which the wavefront is a plane surface; a wave whose equiphase surfaces form a family of parallel planes (J. D. Jackson, 1998 )) that do not spread out. The system will therefore be at its optimum efficiency as the load from the driver is at its highest. If the lower frequencies coul d be radiated also in pane waves Quarter wave horns Tapped The build Initially, a tapped horn build was not first choice. A model of a twin loaded 18 4th order bandpass sub was modelled using the software winISD. This program allows modelling of vented, bandpass and passive radiator enclosures with additional tools such as filter calculators and signal generators with help if designing multi-way systems. Various drivers were configured such as BC 6PE13, Beyma G550, PD 1850 and an RCF LF18X400 though a 800W Ciare 18.00sw would have been the driver of choice with a low fs of 22Hz at. This illustrates the maximum SPL response from the predicted cabinet. This was as close to flat as possible with a low f3 (cut of frequency -3db) and tuned to 29Hz. However, size would have been a serious issue with a cabinet size of 600 litres. This was the first initiation into speaker design with little appreciation to what is really intended from a low frequency enclosure. The purpose of this build is to establish an efficient, effective and accurate acoustical reproducing circuit. The circuit system should be able to emphasize the necessary frequency tones and accordingly dampen unwanted characteristics. Furthermore, through the desired frequency bandwidth, an ideal flat response contour should be achieved where the structure should collaborate, emphasizing the bass tones in the music content. From looking at sealed enclosures, an analytical careful design should be constructed where the use of both sides of the speaker should be implemented to its maximum performance. Therefore, by constructing a circuit where the change in phase from the front and rear of the driver actually couple and in turn reinforce the sound level output. For these reverse polarity sound waves to couple and increase efficiency, a folded horn arrangement seems a coherent route to pre-empt and can be either exponential, hyperbolic, tractix, parabolic or conical each giving their own individual response in terms of efficiency and distortion. In essence of a loudspeaker box, distinctively the drivers competence plays a considerable role in quality and magnitude of the sound as much as the structure of the box. A paramount feature of a good enclosure besides its principle design is its backbone of rigidity and strength. A feature of good quality cabinets demand a sturdy design with minimal or no waver from the surrounding walls or internal baffles caused by the high pressure sound waves. Correspondingly, joins and fixings should also be air tight and free from unwanted vibrations. Stark (pg 144) explains how this possible flexing of the walls can create unnecessary resonances and consequently reduces efficiency and maximum output. Furthermore, it also degrades the principle of the infinite baffle and can also diminish transient response. In other words, the enclosure is likely to continue vibrate after the driver has stropped moving. From analysing the different enclosures in research, a further look into quarter wave horns was undertaken. It was found that transmission lines absorbed much of the intensity on output though a slightly adapted rear loaded horn with a tap and could accomply a larger driver could be much more suitable resulting in a smaller driver and box with extended efficiency at low end. A new driver had to be found with a much more in depth look into the thiele-small parameters and which characteristics would work in such a horn. Again various speakers were modelled but the Eminence Lab-12 predicted the best results due to WinISD is not capable of calculating tapped horn responses so a look into the horn modelling software; Horn Response (Hornresp) designed by D.J.McBean was carried out. Here the parameters of the driver can be inserted along with the length and area of each horn section, the rear chamber parameters including acoustical lining specifications and a series of predicted test tools such as schematic diagram of the horn, acoustical impedance, SPL response, electrical impedance, diaphragm displacement, phase response and group delay. On first look at this program the input parameters for each section looked somewhat perplexing and took a lot of time calculating what each section could achieve with different horn designs. On initial play, parameters from other designs were inserted where alterations could be adjusted to see the possible outcome. Advancing from this further, looking at a pattern in previous models and trying to design a horn suitable for the needs of my own chosen driver. It wasnt until extensive reading in speaker design, that the different thiele-small parameters really came into play where a clear relationship between the driver parameters and enclosure parameter knowledge that a formulated pattern could be understood and used on further developments. Although the variables can be adjusted on the different sections, a starting point had to be established. Firstly a driver had to been chosen. It was quickly found however that not any driver would suit a tapped horn. For example, as ownership of a several 12 Ciare drivers a logical and initial route to take to help save money was to use these drivers. Dick pierce: Closed boxes store energy that interacts with the loudspeaker driver in complex ways, especially in vented enclosures. Boxes themselves also have resonances. Normally a high-Q closed box is combined with low-Q loudspeaker driver to give a desirable total system Q. But when we mount a loudspeaker driver on an open baffle this situation is reversed. An open baffle stores no energy and has a low-Q of 0.2 and Carver chose to use a high-Q woofer with a total Q of 3+ to arrive at a desirable total system Q. Sound is the element which occurs when an object is set to vibrate. Reproduced sound can be seen as an art to reinforce these inputs accompanied using sciences of physics, mechanical and electrical engineering. Loudspeakers have evolved considerably since E. W. Siemens built the first moving-coil transducer in 1875. Bibliography Ludwig. (1997). Thiele Small Analysis of Loudspeaker Enclosures. Available: http://www.silcom.com/~aludwig/Sysdes/Thiel_small_analysis.htm. Last accessed 10 April 21010. D. Pierce. (1995). what is Q. rec.audio.tech. 1 (1), 1. S.Stark (2004). Live Sound Reinforcement. 9th ed. Michigan: Artist Pro. 143. B. Kolbrek. (2008). Horn Theory: An introduction, Part 1. Tube, Solid State, Loudspeaker Technology. 1 (1), 1. J.Dinsdale. (1974). Horn Loudspeaker Design. . 1 (1), 1. J. D. Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics (Wiley: New York, 1998 )

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Mexican U.s. Connection Essay -- essays research papers

The Mexican U.S. Connection Mexico and the United States have been close together, at the same time being so far apart. Mexico and the U.S. have maintained a healthy neighbor to neighbor relationship over the centuries. There have been disputes of course, but for the most part we are working together. When striving to maintain a healthy relationship between neighboring countries, certain problems arise. When the countries don't have the same standard of living, people might try and migrate illegally to the better country. When one country has more illegal drugs than the other, people might try smuggling the drugs. Also, trade between the countries is always a factor in keeping a healthy connection. The first issue to deal with is illegal immigration. Doris Meissner, Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner, announced the INS would pump 185 more agents and an array of equipment, including two new helicopters, seven more infrared scopes, eight miles of fencing and 172 additional sensors to detect and deter illegal immigration traffic along a 16-mile stretch between Otay Mountain and the Tecate Port of Entry. The area has been inundated by immigrant smugglers who have been forced east because of increased Border Patrol activity along the 14-mile corridor from the Pacific Ocean and Imperial Beach to Otay Mesa. The effort, known as Operation Gatekeeper, was launched in October 1994. Meissner said the latest effort, an extension of Operation Gatekeeper, would add five Border Patrol agents on horseback to patrol the back country and three dog teams to be assigned to checkpoints along rural roads. Meissner also announced that the Federal Bureau of Investigation would join the operation to break up illegal smuggling rings at the border. She said the Border Patrol would step up the use of checkpoints in the Temecula area, where smugglers usually end up trying to evade the Border Patrol checkpoint. In March, a van carrying illegal immigrants overturned near there as its driver tried to avoid agents; eight illegal immigrants were killed and 18 others injured. In Los Angeles, an alleged smuggler of illegal immigrants who police say was at the wheel of a pickup truck during a chase in April which ended with the televised police beatings of two undocumented aliens from Mexico, pleaded not guilty to f... ... added that the challenges that the Mexican economy faces have not changed with the passage of the NAFTA and that its effects will not be immediate. The Mexican Action Network on Free Trade (RMALC) asked the government to open spaces for public consultation and participation to deal with the repercussions of the NAFTA. RMALC representatives announced that if the NAFTA is ratified by the Mexican Senate, they will mobilize to obtain a profound re- negotiation of the NAFTA which benefits the majority of the population. According to RMALC members, the re-negotiation should include the recognition of asymmetries between the participating countries' economies and aspects of the social agenda which have been left out of the agreement. Said RMALC Director Bertha Lujan, "We still don't know the popular vote on the NAFTA." Thus, all the factors in keeping good connections between neighboring countries have been discussed. Some out there might argue that there is more to it. This is my argument and I stand firm in the belief that Mexico and the U.S. have a steady connection and have many things that interact between them. That is what makes the Mexican-U.S. connection so beautiful.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

An Analysis of William Carlos Williams Poem, The Young Housewife Essay

An Analysis of William Carlos Williams' Poem, The Young Housewife In this poem, Williams uses a series of images to capture a fleeting moment in time, an emotion of admiration and desire. The poem consists of three stanzas of varying length, and each share in a similar method in portraying the woman and the narrator's relationship with her. Each stanza starts out with somewhat broad statements about the scene, and as they each progress, they become more specific until the image is pinned down to a specific moment in time. After reading the poem the reader is left with three separate images, which describe the emotion/admiration felt by the narrator for the woman. Williams in the first stanza gives the reader a glimpse of the woman in "her husband's house". His description is somewhat voyeuristic, as the woman is in her negligee behind walls, and yet the reader is still able to see her. The poet also tells us the exact time, ten A.M.. This suggests that the woman while still in her negligee, is in no rush to prepare herself for the day. This is import...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Avon Rubber Diving Aggressively Into Rebreather Market Essay

Rebreathers, the subject of this article, are an exciting new technology. The background and chemistry of rebreathers is quite interesting in that they were largely improved upon and regularly used by a famous American cave diver, Bill Stone, who wanted to more deeply explore underwater cave passages. He demonstrated his rebreather in 1987 to the diving community. They allow a human to breathe for long periods of time either underwater or in a different atmosphere. Through a carefully controlled exothermic reaction in one partition of the device, they essentially â€Å"scrub† exhaled carbon dioxide in order to allow it to be â€Å"rebreathed† in a closed system, hence the name of the equipment (Tabor, 2010). This article, which was just published on June 18th of this year, cites an acquisition and expansion by a company, Avon Rubber P. L. C. , in order to manufacture rebreathing devices. The fact that this article exists highlights the fact that they are fast becoming more widely used and sought-after. One main focal point of the article is the fact that the US Navy has commissioned Avon Rubber for a rebreather device worth an initial estimated $30 million to the company. The article mentions their future uses in diving and military applications, and it’s of note that the company is expanding into several countries to further develop â€Å"respiratory protection system technology† (McNulty, 2013). This article leads this reviewer to think about the exciting future possibilities in exploration that the advancement of rebreather technology will lead to. However, the questions raised, in this reviewer’s eyes, largely have to do with the safety aspects of rebreathers and the social issues surrounding their military use. The knowledge that our military is spending huge sums on rebreathers leads to the questioning of the need for such technology in a military fashion (instead of in an exploratory manner by NASA, for example). The risk factors involved are also rather high, especially as the technology becomes more widely available. An inherent problem with rebreathers is the swift death that can occur from breathing in carbon dioxide that has not been sufficiently â€Å"scrubbed†. As stated in the book Blind Descent, the user has no warning that the air they are breathing is tainted with insufficiently scrubbed CO2. Hopefully, this will be further perfected in advanced versions. Even though there will always be risks involved in their use, the very fact that we have been able to manipulate the chemistry of respiration in such a way is exciting in terms of human scientific advancement.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Coffee Benefits Essay

Introduction I.I believe there is something special in our little everyday moments, from that first wonderful sip of hot, milky coffee in the morning to those ten stolen minutes of me. II.Not only does coffee taste good, it can stimulate my mind to refresh and relax. III.Coffee stimulates your senses from its caffeine content which stimulates metabolism and supports mental alertness and concentration. IV.Coffee may hydrate you beside its advantage of relaxing. a.Because water is the main ingredient in a cup of coffee, it helps you work towards your daily water needs and is practically free of calories. V.Coffee refreshes you with its wealth of polyphenols. a.Polyphenols are nutrients that help maintain your body in good health over time. VI.Today I would share with you guys about the three major health benefits of coffee – coffee and antioxidants, coffee and your mind and coffee and your body. (Transition: Let’s start with the coffee and antioxidants) Body I.Research has shown that a cup of coffee naturally comes with antioxidants, which are really good for you. a.Your body is constantly exposed to particles called – free radicals. i.Particles which are caused by factors like exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, environmental pollution, stress and smoking. b.Scientific studies suggest that free radicals can damage your body tissues, affect the ageing process and cause diseases like cataracts, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. c.Antioxidants in your body neutralize the free radicals and protect your body cells from damage. (Transition: Now that you know something about the coffee and antioxidants, let’s look at coffee and your mind) II.Many studies suggest that coffee drinking can improve overall ‘cognitive performance’. a.The cognitive performance which includes important mental skills like perception, attention, memory, problem solving and reaction or response abilities. b.There is some evidence to suggest potential benefits of coffee and caffeine in situations which require increased alertness e.g. night shifts and jet lag. (Transition: Now I have brief about the coffee and your mind. So let’s move to the last) III.Upping Your Physical Performance and weight management aid a.Increasing your capability and capacity for exercise. b.This means that you can keep going at a more intense pace, for a longer period and gain more from your workouts! c.Did you know that a plain black cup of coffee contains a very small amount of calories? i.In fact, coffee may be able to help maintain a healthy weight! Conclusion I.As we have seen, Coffee provides numerous health benefits which are contains antioxidants, improve cognitive performance and physical performance. II.Thus, the next time you drink a cup of coffee, just think of all its benefits! – â€Å"go beyond taste†. Bibliography Books S Rautiainen et al, 2012. Total antioxidant Capacity from Diet and Risk of Myocardial Infarction: A prospective Cohort of Women. The American Journal of Medicine, Volume 125. R Sinha et al, 2012. Caffeinated and decaffeinated and tea intakes and risk of colorectal cancer in a large prospective study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 96; 374-381. Article Sin CWM, et al (2008). Systematic review on the effectiveness of caffeine abstinence on the quality of sleep. J Clin Nursing; 18:13-21. Internet sources Coffee & Health: From The Institute For Scientific Information On Coffee. â€Å"Cancer†. (27 Jan, 2012) Retrieved 26 Sept 2012 from http://www.coffeeandhealth.org/topics/cancer/ Coffee & Health: From The Institute For Scientific Information On Coffee. â€Å"Mental Performance† . (2 Feb, 2012) retrieved 26 Sept 2012 from http://www.coffeeandhealth.org/topics/mental-performance/.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Application of psychological theories at the Queens Hospital

Abstract This report analyses the application of psychological theories at the Queens Hospital where I was on placement as a Health Care Assistant. Health psychology takes into consideration the context of individuals’ lives, beliefs, behaviours and other risk factors in order to achieve the desired objectives, which in this case is to provide the best ways of attending to the patients. The hospital uses the biopsychosocial model, psychoanalytical and the task oriented approaches in offering psychological care to the patients. All the three approaches emphasise the idea of ensuring that the patient is the centre of all actions in order to engage them as much as possible in the treatment process. Introduction Picano (2009, p. 44) suggests that in the past the medical practitioners regarded psychology and other social sciences as unimportant soft sciences in the medical profession. However this notion slowly changed as scholars started linking psychology to the well being of both physical and mental health. This paper explores the linkage between psychological theory and practice at the Queens Hospital. I worked as a health care assistant and was a vital part of the team that supported the medical staff and patients in wards and departments throughout the hospital. I had direct links to both the patients and the medical staff and as such I was able to observe the interactions between the patients and other medical staff. As the first point of contact for many patients and members of the public, healthcare assistants need to be well-presented and confident with good interpersonal skills. Some of the tasks are unpleasant and needs flexibility to able to help patients with their personal care without getting embarrassed and making sure they are comfortable. Achieving this requires application of psychological theories into practice in order to be able to offer the best care to the patients in medical settings. Psychological theories Segal & Hersen (2010, p. 47) define psychology as the study of human behavior, emotions and thought processes. Psychological theories if well applied contribute greatly to understanding other people and developing functional relationships. Robins (2007, p. 28) suggests that health psychology is the application of these psychological theories and research in the promotion of evidenced based health. Nevid (2009, p. 33) claims that health psychology takes into consideration the context of individuals’ lives, beliefs, behaviours and other risk factors in order to achieve the desired objectives, which in this case is to provide the best ways of attending to the patients. It is for this reason that it is important for all healthcare personnel to have some psychological knowledge so that they can know how to attend to the patients in the best possible way. The patients come from varied social and cultural backgrounds valuing certain behaviours and beliefs over others. Walker (2007, p . 36) claims that this may place more risk or less risk of illness than the others. In this case therefore, some sociological knowledge is equally essential to the healthcare practitioners. In the same way, some knowledge of biomedical sciences is critical in the comprehension of the link between physiological and psychological process (Hefferon & Boniwell, 2011, p. 67). Therefore, psychology complements these other disciplines in making important contributions to the well being of the patients. Psychology is important to health and social care because health care professionals spend most of their time interacting with the patients. An important aspect of their job is to encourage and promote the well being of the patients and those around them. Before going further into the discussion, it is important to first define the meaning of health in order to be able to bring out the importance of psychology to the discipline clearly. Irwin & Rippe, (2008, p. 18) define health as a state of complete social, physical and mental well being and not just the absence of infirmity or disease. This is an important goal to health care professionals working in health and social care and it is the reason why they need the knowledge and skills to help them work toward their achievement. Psychological theories and research contributes to the improvement of health and social care through appreciation of other people’s feelings in order to offer them individualised care. Patterson & Lipschitz (2008, p. 44) claim that health care is among the most complicated services because it faces the challenge of client diversity and need variability. Patients come to the hospital with different needs caused by many different diseases; some of them adhere to the requirements of behavioural change while others don’t. In addition to this, some patients do not even finish taking the prescribed drugs which makes the treatment process more difficult for the doctors and nurses. In addit ion to this it also faces huge pressure from other factors because the whole process occurs around beds and wards. The health care professionals operate in an abstract world and are faced by both psychological and social forces guiding them from the point of admitting the patients to administration of treatment. They attend to patients with different psychological needs and as such must be well equipped with psychological theories in order to attend to them in the best possible ways. Patterson & Lipschitz (2008, p. 24) assert that while all health care issues have their own controversies and debates, at times moments of transient consensus often occur. This stems from the fact that the role of patients in medical settings have gradually changed along environmental and social lines in the western society over the years. The major changes include aspects like consistent erosion of the previously perceived omnipotence of physicians, increase acceleration of information exchange, and in creased awareness of the rights of the patients. Greenberg (2007, p. 22) suggests that the prevalent situation in most hospitals today is the partnership model that is acceptable to both the providers and the patients. These patients no longer play passive roles as recipients of medical procedures but are actively involved in deciding the clinical decisions affecting them. Ninivaggi (2010, p. 17) asserts that this new arrangement raises ethical issues in the determination of best interests and delegation of authority to the relevant personnel to pursue them. Psychology seeks to understand and explain why people behave in certain ways both as individuals and in groups. It does not only seek to understand and predict behaviour but also looks into ways of changing them in order to improve the quality of life. This is closely linked to what the medical practitioners do as they also seek to understand the behaviour of the patients, treat them and then direct them on healthy living practi ces. Medical practitioners often employ psychological theories in the dispensation of their duties because medical care has its foundations in psychology, sociology and biology (Marini, Glover-Graf, & Millington, 2012, p. 30). Theory provides the medical personnel with the framework and goals for assessment, diagnosis and intervention. For instance the nurses working at the hospital focused on the aspects of care that are holistic in nature for more effective judgment of different patient situations and conditions. The goals of care helped the nurses by providing a checklist by which the services that they provide are measured against. In deed Walker (2007, p. 65) says that theory is an effective tool that renders practice more efficient through comparing the outcomes against the set goals and then providing mechanisms for rectifying problems as soon as they are detected. Application of psychological theories at the hospital As a health care assistant I was many times faced with the challenge of choosing the appropriate theory or set of theories to apply in any given circumstances. This was not an easy decision because I realised that selection of only one theory in a certain circumstance would have placed restrictions on practice and probably led to inefficiencies. It is for this reason that I relied heavily on theory adoption where I took a theory and then altered it to suit the situation where I was applying it and in other cases I had to use it alongside another one. I learned that most of the patients were going through intense stress as a result of their illnesses. Some of the patients adjusted well to their new conditions whereas others developed some form of psychological disorders secondary to their physical diseases especially for those that were unable to do basic things like going to the toilet and bathing. In addition to this, some patients also showed physical symptoms for which there is no significant medical explanations and most of them were as a result of unrecognised psychological problems. I was able to learn from the nurses and other hospital staff as I realised that they were applying psychological theories in dealing with the stressed patients. They used the biopsychosocial model to explain to me the reasons why the patients were stressed. This was a very resourceful tool in the assessment of psychological stress among the patients in the hospital. The model included both environmental parameters and personal processes of perception and being able to cope with the different stress factors at the hospital. Greenberg (2007, p. 30) claims that the effects of stress have a positive correlation to coping. Coping in this case as defined by the Lazarus theory is constantly changing both cognitive and behavioural efforts to manage the existent taxing demands of the internal or external environment (Pickren & Rutherford, 2010, p. 52). The doctors and nurses encouraged dialogue with the patients because they considered it an important aspect in the management of psychological and psychiatric elements of physical ill health. Greenberg (2009, p. 67) suggests that this relationship is beneficial to both the medical team and the patients. It is very important for patients particularly for those with serious physical and psychological problems to have a more personal relationship with the nurses and doctors in order to create and sustain a therapeutic relationship for better health care delivery (Sitzman & Eichelberger, 2011, p. 94). This will be helpful for the health care personnel to identify the patients that need psychological treatment in good time and offer immediate attention to help them cope with the mental problems. The doctor patient relationship is explained by two other approaches which are the psychoanalytical and the task oriented approaches (Bekerian & Levey 2012, p. 31). All the approaches emphasise the idea of ensuring that the pati ent is the centre of all actions in order to engage them as much as possible in the treatment process. Greenberg (2007, p. 32) says that these approaches demand that for an effective treatment to be achieved there has to be an efficient partnership and information sharing between the patients and the doctors. Nevid (2012, p. 89) says that the information has to flow both ways in order to improve the clinical outcomes through cognitive (knowledge), behavioural (adherence to advice) and affective (satisfaction). Indeed the application of psychological theories at the hospital was beyond what I had imagined it will be at first. I observed that the patients were mostly able to recall more information when they were satisfied. The non cooperative patients seemed to remember less information and the hospital staff in most cases had to offer them specialised care. Good communication was also maintained among the clinicians to ensure that the information flowing to the patients was consiste nt in order to eliminate any possibility of conflicting information reaching the patients. This was important because any conflicting information would have left the patients wondering who to believe and this would have even made things worse for them. Conclusion Application of psychological theories in medical settings is an important aspect of the treatment process because the patients need to be attended to psychology as well. As indicated in the paper some patients find it difficult to cope with their new conditions in the hospital and go to the extent of developing mental disorders as a result. This is the reason why the hospital made use of psychological theories in understanding their behaviour and condition in order to be able to attend to them efficiently. This is a big lesson that I learned from my placement at the Queens Hospital and I will apply it once I start working in the hospital. I am now aware of the fact that ignoring the psychological needs of the patients places them at an increased risk of developing psychological disorders and as such will always apply psychological theories in communicating with them in order to know how they feel and the best possible ways of attending to them.ReferencesBekerian, D. A., & Levey, A. B . (2012). Applied psychology: Putting theory into practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Greenberg, T. M. C. (2007). The psychological impact of acute and chronic illness: A practical guide for primary care physicians. New York: Springer. Greenberg, T. M. C. (2009). Psychodynamic perspectives on aging and illness. Dordrech: Springer. Hefferon, K., & Boniwell, I. (2011). Positive psychology: Theory, research and applications. Maidenhead, Berkshire, England: Open University Press. Irwin, R. S., & Rippe, J. M. (2008). Irwin and Rippe’s intensive care medicine. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Marini, I., Glover-Graf, N. M., & Millington, M. J. (2012). Psychosocial aspects of disability: Insider perspectives and counseling strategies. New York: Springer Pub. Nevid, J. S. (2009). Psychology: Concepts and applications. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. Nevid, J. S. (2012). Essentials of psychology: Concepts and applications. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Ninivaggi, F. J. (2010). Envy theory: Perspectives on the psychology of envy. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Patterson, J. A., & Lipschitz, I. N. (2008). Psychological counseling research focus. New York: Nova Science Publishers. Picano, E. (2009). Stress echocardiography: [CD-ROM included]. Berlin: Springer. Pickren, W. E., & Rutherford, A. (2010). A history of modern psychology in context. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley. Robins, R. W. (2007). Handbook of research methods in personality psychology. New York: Guilford. Segal, D. L., & Hersen, M. (2010). Diagnostic interviewing. New York: Springer. Sitzman, K., & Eichelberger, L. W. (2011). Understanding the work of nurse theorists: A creative beginning. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Walker, J. (2007). Psychology for nurses and the caring professions. Maidenhead, Berkshire: Open University Press

Saturday, September 14, 2019

I Will Great This Day with Love in My Heart Essay

Who is love by the author? The author love everybody because even if we have indifferences he knows that every quality we posses should be accepted and be love for what they have. What does the author love about this people? The author loves this people for who they are. Regardless of our indifferences he loves everyone because he knows that every individual has a life that we cannot judge base on their appearance. He loves the rich because they are lonely. That means that we cannot say that a man is happy just because he has money. Aside from love, what does the writer feel for this people? Aside from love the author feels their inner emotions that they people tries to hide. So he is so compassionate about their feelings. How were you able to get the message of the poem? I was able to get the message by understanding each phrase and what it truly means. The message is that to love everybody because they have a purpose. Like loving the ambitious for they can inspire you. What helped you determine what the author wanted to convey? The details in the poem like: I will greet this day with love in my heart. Because he will greet the day with love, he loves everybody even if there is indifferences.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Analysis of theoretical approaches to speech perception

Analysis of theoretical approaches to speech perception Speech perception is vital to language used in day to day lives. When someone speaks, the air pressure fluctuates and the waves strike the ears and in some way the individual turns these sound waves into meaningful consideration what the speaker is saying about. So, speech perception is important for human communication (Smith 2007). The core concept in speech perception is to explain the mechanism of perceiving the words correctly despite of inconsistent information provided by speech signals. It can be understood by the fact that human can perceive as many as fifty phonemes per second in a language in which the individual is fluent. This suggests that speech is perceived with marked rapidity. On contrary when the individual is not fluent in a particular language (e.g. foreign language) can perceive only about two third of single phone per second (of non speech sound) (Sternberg 2009:351). Over the last five decades researcher in the field of speech perception focused more attentio n on establishing the relationship between the properties of acoustic signal and linguistic components (phonemes and distinctive features). This has turned out the result to be more complex, and still how human perceive speech is not ascertain. Thus, this extensive research for explanation has given rise to important theoretical perspective on speech perception (ncbi 2009). The purpose of this essay is to critically evaluate various theoretical approaches toward speech perception. The most influential theories of speech perception include Motor theory, Cohort theory, and TRACE model (Eysenck 1995:280). First the essay will scrutinize the main claims proposed by motor theory; then it will examine the critique of cohort theory and finally analyze the TRACE model. A conclusion can be drawn that among all of these above mentioned theories cohort theory is better, scientific, and there is good evidence which suggests rationale justification of speech perception (moodle.coventry.ac.uk n.d .). The motor theory was the first and the most influential theory of speech perception proposed by Liberman et al. (1967). This theory is based on the following assumptions: Speech perception is perception of the articulatory gestures. ‘Phenomenon of speech perception as special’ (Sternberg 2009:352). Involvement of the motor system in perception of the speech (ncbi 2009). Speech perception is perception of articulatory phonetic gestures. ‘Listeners engage in a certain amount of mimicking of articulatory movements of the speaker’ (Eysenck 1995: 280). This is a controversial claim of the motor theory of speech perception, it state that the phonetic gestures produced in the air are not the objects of speech perception; instead the gestures of the vocal tract of the speaker are the real objects of speech perception (ncbi 2009). The evidence which supports this claim that the object of speech perception is gestural and not acoustic is the finding that ‘t he hand motor system to be activated by linguistic tasks, most notably pure linguistic perception but not by auditory or visuospatial processing’ (ebscohost 2003) ‘Phenomenon of speech perception as special’ (Sternberg, P.352): It is difficult to evaluate this claim because the term ‘special’ in itself is ambiguous. At least three possibilities can be drawn by the term ‘special’ as speech perception is special with respect to audition or speech perception is special with respect to audition that mean application of motor system in speech perception or speech is produced and process by a special neural track (ncbi 2009). There are no sufficient evidence available to support this claim so, should probably be retarded (talkingbrains 2008).

CEOs Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

CEOs - Article Example However, the gap is mainly due to the reason that the CEOs have a far rosier view of the team performance than other members of the team. On the other hand, the team members are not able to be frank and outspoken due to their own inhibitions. It is common knowledge that good communication ishighly essential for effective leadership. A CEO has to understand how to make real conversation with his team members. But, creating a high-performance team is about a lot more than just communicating.Thoughtful CEOs realize the fact that the key contributor to overall effectiveness of the team is the team process and the right structure. Team process involves aspects such ashow the teamworks together, its decision-making patterns, how it manages conflict, andhow effective the team is in responding to changes in the environment. Structure includes the composition of the team, definition of roles, decision rights, and rewards that shape individual behavior in a team context. There is yet another important step every CEO needs to take. A CEO must analyze as to what he/she is good at when it comes to leading his/her team. What a CEO cannot do, he/she should get it done through others. For instance, a CEO who is not efficient in communication may seek outside help for the same. After all, a CEO is not promoted to such a position because he/she is an excellent coach, but due to other qualities such as achieving the desired business results, understanding external markets, being aggressive in introducing new products or expanding into new geographies. Seeking help from others may mean seeking help from consultants, may it be an external or internal consultant, but someone outside the team. Somebody who is not on the team is a great aid in making the team perform better because they have no stake in the content of any of the discussions and hence can view thingsfrom an impartial perspective. This article can mainly be related to the various steps involved in effective team building. These steps can be summarized as follows: Ensure the team goals are totally clear and completely understood by each team member. Ensure clarity in who is responsible for what and avoid overlapping authority. Build trust with team members by creating an atmosphere of honesty and openness. Recognize interpersonal issues early and deal with it in full. Ensure there are no blocked lines of communications and you and your people are kept fully informed. Involve the whole team in the decision making process. Not limit one to merely negative or positive aspects; practice fairness. Learning from George Washington's Leadership Reported by: Francesca Di Meglio Source: www.businessweek.com Link: http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/apr2008/bs20080422_057896.htm George Washington was notonly the first US President, but also anexcellent leaderwith amodern style of leadership. Mark McNeilly, author of'George Washington and the Art of Business: The Leadership Principles of America's First Commander-in-Chief,' in his book examines Washington's career and also points out the qualities of Washington that made him such an outstanding leader. Washington had traits like self-discipline, strong character, physical and moral courage, persistence, and integrity. Washington also was highly innovative. For

Thursday, September 12, 2019

War on Drugs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

War on Drugs - Research Paper Example This reduction in drug users was attributable to the fact that these drugs became more difficult to obtain. There are a few entities that advocate the legalization of drugs, with regard to drug users who do not harm others under the influence of intoxicating substances. Thus, the Global Commission on Drug Policy advocated the de – criminalization of drug use. It was their considered opinion that the various nations of the world should enact legislation that would legalize drug use. Such measures were expected to end the stigmatization, marginalization and criminalization of people using drugs, but not causing harm to others. This perspective towards drug use has found favor with several US drug advocacy groups. Moreover, those who oppose the legalization of drugs contend that legalization would increase the availability of drugs, which would considerably escalate crime and violence. On the other hand the proponents of drug legalization argue that the war on drugs has ended in a fiasco. Such legalization would transform what is now a law and order problem into a health problem (Price). As such, it is the considered opinion of the opponents of legalization of drugs that drug legalization would result in an increase in the number of drug users. On the other hand, once drugs are legalized, the government could raise huge amounts as revenue, via the taxation of drugs. Such amounts could be utilized for treating drug addiction. In addition, the vast sums, of the order of $41. 3billion per annum, spent on drug enforcement would be available to the government for other useful expenditure. This would be supplemented by the $46.7 billion that would be realized as taxes on drugs (Price). (Price). Thus, the legalization of drugs seems to be a worthwhile alternative. The US and several other nations have formulated drug policy on the premise that arrests prevent crime. Thus, it is believed in these countries that punishment and the resultant stigmatization would deter criminal behavior. There is some truth behind this belief, for instance, the arrest and imprisonment of infected drug users would reduce the risk of disease to drug users from injection – related infections. In addition, to incarceration of the infected drug users, the fear of arrest would bring down the number of drug users (Friedman, Pouget and Chatterjee 344). This would significantly reduce drug use and the consequent infection. Question Two The US has been beset with the problem of drug addiction from decades. The present administration has failed to comprehend the drug issue in all its ramifications. The assumption that the legalization of drugs would lead to unbridled drug use is indisputabl e. The international drug cartels would find way and means to find a niche in the US market, even if drugs were to be legalized (Smith). Moreover, crime related to drugs would not be eliminated, as the drug addicts would indulge in criminal behavior, due to drug induced defective judgment and instability. In Oakland and New York, a mere tenth of the heroin and cocaine addicts obtain treatment for their condition. Such individuals have to wait for a minimum of 6 months to receive treatment (Smith). In addition, crime related to

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Scream Movie Effects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Scream Movie Effects - Essay Example As one of the characters exclaims, "There is a formula for a very simple formula that everyone is a suspect ..!†This document will explain how Craven uses his camera shots, and explicit scene to scare the viewer and keep them guessing who the murderer (s) is. In horror movies, the sound is an intricate part of the film. Scream is no exception. Immediately from the beginning of the movie, the sound is present. The film begins in the same manner with creepy music in the background Dimension Films comes slowly from the darkness. It is followed by a roar as if many of the doors are closed. Even when the music is still mysterious as the film title is stretched and returns in a crash. Then, the phone rings, rapid beating of a heart, fast, scary screams, a knife cutting something, and, finally, followed by more shrill screams. The ringing phone connects to the first scene. The caller picks up the phone and the music, the beating heart, and cry disappear. All this happens within 20 sec onds of the film. Craven has already played in all senses of the viewer. It is expected that something bad is happening. Another example of sound effects early is when Drew Barrymore hangs up the phone for the second time from the mysterious caller. The scene changes to outside the house where the camera focuses on a few branches. We hear the sound of crickets, frogs, etc. In these sounds, a crack is heard. The camera moves down and the viewer sees that it is a swing swaying forward and back, which is making noise. The rope rubs against the branch. It creates a feeling of excitement because, among the quiet night sounds that sound strange cracking sound. It also leaves the viewer wondering maybe someone is in the tree? Wes Craven is determined to use these small objects to scare the viewer. Different images give the viewer information about what is happening on stage. Wes Craven has carefully chosen his plans.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Evaluation assessing modern American Capitalism and its impact on our Essay

Evaluation assessing modern American Capitalism and its impact on our culture - Essay Example This has led to the increase of profit margins and maintenance of the status quo of the bourgeoisies, who are the sole proprietors of the factors of production. This research paper assesses the modern American societies’ view of the term profit maximization in comparison to the traditional American society’s view of a reasonable profit and mutual benefit from an exchange. In the modern American society, profit maximization is viewed as the basis of a dominant business model. This model ensures the proper use of all the factors of productions such as labour and land. It is also necessary to note that that profit maximization does not involve the over-exploitation of customers (Calvin & Sandomir 123). This is because excellent products and services will capture the attention and loyalty of customers, thus ensuring maximization of the profit margins of any business organization. In the modern American business cultural environment, the currency trade dominates the economy. This contrasts with the traditional American economy where barter trade was perceived as the finest means of trade. The modern American society also considers profit maximization as a perfect social business. This is an emerging business system, in this American civilization era, where profit entity’s primary aim is to benefit the whole society. ... For instance, the traditional marketing economy viewed a reasonable profit in several diverse ways. First, traditional owners of the factors of production argued that an increased investment, in the capital market or fixed capital, was the basis of a reasonable profit. The assets, in the traditional capitalistic competition, were the major constant factor that increased productivity and maximization of profit margins (Lichtenstein 122). In cases of reduced margin of surplus labour, the capital market increased the production as well as reasonable profit. Traditionally, the capitalistic view of profit maximization can be concluded as primitive as compared to the modern ones. In the modern American society, profit maximization, as a result of surplus production, is acquired through technological advancements. In the traditional capitalistic competition markets, profit maximization was solely experienced though forced and harsh labour conditions. This, in turn, highly undermined the soc ial and cultural prestige of the traditional American societies. The modern America free enterprise economy has to some extent, weakened cultural practices especially in the investment strategies carried out by business organizations. Self-interest is the basis in which the modern American capitalistic competition is based upon. This opposes the traditional communalism nature where capitalistic competition was focused towards benefiting the whole society (Calvin & Sandomir 145). This, in turn, enhanced the peaceful coexistence in the marketing economy and social cohesion. Serving self-interests, in the modern American society, has led to the

Monday, September 9, 2019

Macroeconomic analysis of France Research Paper

Macroeconomic analysis of France - Research Paper Example This has been accredited to the global financial crisis that has affected Finance as well; although it is difficult to identify the exact nature and extent of impact that the financial crisis had had on GDP (Banque De France, 2008). There are other factors that influence gross domestic product of a country. These include trade balance (exports and imports), public debt, consumption, expenditure and savings in the economy. The above figures show that there has been continuous growth in imports for the country but it is not matched with growth in exports. As a result, the trade deficit has been increasing over the years. Imports for 2008 were almost 33% of GDP; whereas exports were 30.36% of GDP. This has also affected the reducing growth in the GDP. As per the latest report published by INSEE, the consumer price index (CPI) for all households, which is the measure generally used to determine inflation, was 1% in March 2009, as opposed to 0.8% last year which shows an increase of 0.2% (INSEE, 2009). The increase in the consumer price index from 2008 was mainly due to the fact that prices for clothing and footwear increased due to the winter season. Although their effect was somewhat compensated due to the decrease in prices of communication services, energy and transport services (INSEE, 2009). As a general rule, the greater the consumption by government, the higher will be the economic activity in the country; thus leading to higher GDP. Government consumption for France over last three years is shown in the following table (OECD, 2009): The above table shows that government consumption has been growing at a constant rate for the last three years. However, considering the financial crisis, the government consumption growth rate is expected to decline in 2009 by 0.8% (absolute amount of government consumption in 2009 is expected to be 429.2 billion Euros). Moreover, government consumption in 2010 is expected to increase by 0.7% of 2009 (OECD,