Statement of Educational Goals and Philosophy :: My Philosophy of Education

Articulation of Educational Goals and Philosophy At the point when I was in High school I concluded that I needed to be an optional instructor. From the outset I didn’t need to be an educator, however a couple of my instructors altered my perspective. In auxiliary school, I was thought of as an outsider by both my companions and my instructors. I had moved from Washington D.C. to the little nation town of Galax, in Virginia, and the manner in which I talked and dressed picked up designate of negative consideration. Individuals felt that I was not equipped for anything besides rather beginning difficulty, when in certainty I was very and bashful. This negative generalization made school an excruciating encounter and I didn't appreciate going to class. It wasn’t until my lesser year that I had educators who saw that I was in certainty a keen individual, equipped for anything. They were the ones that gave me that, provided the correct guidance, any understudy can achieve anything. They likewise gave me that learning coul d be made fun. These instructors are what made me need to educate. They made me need to be the instructor that is there to enable each understudy to arrive at their maximum capacity. In the accompanying passages I will express my way of thinking on instruction and a few objectives that I will meet. It wasn’t until an undertaking that my Education 210 educator, Miss Smith, appointed my gathering a task on essentialism that I understood I was an essentialist, this way to deal with instruction was made well known by William Bagley. This methodology was initially thought of as being to condemning of understudies, however the starting of Sputnik in nineteen fifty seven and â€Å"A Nation at Risk† in nineteen eighty three brought essentialism back. In everything that are done in the study hall, for example, homeroom the executives, the educational program, showing strategies, and the methods of assessing my understudies, I intend to follow the essentialist approach. I wish to do this since it is my conviction that schools ought to ingrain conventional virtues and the scholarly information that understudies need so as to become model residents. All things considered, I accept that the motivation behind instruction is to shape understudies into model residents since they are future pioneers.

Systems Development: Concepts, Issues and Approaches

Frameworks Development: Concepts, Issues and Approaches Frameworks advancement ideas, issues and approaches and the connection among innovations and their social setting Question 1: For what reason are traditional ways to deal with frameworks configuration viewed as techno-driven? Presentation This paper presents an exhaustive clarification of the different procedures identified with frameworks plan and to the issues that face the ordinary, or customary, strategies as per which PC frameworks, of various types, are planned. The paper will at that point clarify why the customary methodologies of framework configuration are viewed as techno-driven. Before having the option to respond to the principle question of this paper, we ought to characterize certain terms so as to explain all the components that will be talked about later on. Stews (2004, p.542-543), states that â€Å"a PC framework is an electronic gadget that can be thought of as a total data preparing focus. It can ascertain, store, sort, update, control, grouping, arrange, and process information. It additionally controls rationale tasks and can quickly impart in designs, numbers, words, and sounds.† Another definition is introduced by Avgerou and Cornford (1998, p.1), as they express that data frameworks â€Å"refer to data and information dealing with exercises in human associations. Data taking care of in this sense is a deliberate action continued after some time, and incorporates the exercises of gathering data, putting away it, guiding it to fitting spots and individuals, and using it in different assignments inside the organization.† The planner of the framework endeavors to recognize a particular issue inside a given situation of work, for instance, and makes a lot of procedures that ought to have the option to determine that issue as per pre-decided guidelines and prerequisites (Kelkar, 2004). Framework DESIGN A framework should deal with an assortment of issues identified with an association and to empower the individuals whom are viewed as the people that manage those issues to work appropriately, quickly, more proficiently, and all the more precisely. This generally additionally includes the communication (between availability) between each one of those working in a particular segment. The individual (or gathering of individuals) that should plan the ideal framework should contemplate and break down altogether the difficult circle, distinguishing the different components and elements engaged with it, proposing distinctive framework alternatives, put them into test (ideally in genuine workplaces), lastly choosing, with the assistance of the administration of the association being referred to, the best arrangement. PC frameworks planners, nearly from the earliest starting point of this field, would in general work only inside their specialized domain; implying that they were distinguishing the issue and making the arrangement that, clearly, was effective, yet that was just operable and encouraged to themselves and to individuals of a similar specialized foundation. This made a reality which made it, fairly, hard for normal clients, who are additionally expected to be the end clients of today’s PC frameworks, to bargain, cooperate, not to mention produce proficiently utilizing those frameworks. The principle issue in this unique situation, as clarified by Doherty King (2005, p.2), is that the fashioners don't, by and large, follow most required strides in what concerns the examination of the effect of using the PC arrangement on the association and in what concerns the communication between the made framework and the human factor of that association. As per Poulymenakou Holmes, 1996 (in Doherty and King, 2005, p.2), â€Å"the reception of techno-driven advancement approaches can be a hazardous technique, as it urges engineers to convey and actualize the data framework, and at exactly that point, if by any stretch of the imagination, stress over adjusting it to its authoritative context.† The traditional procedure, which relies entirely upon making a PC framework that is effective in settling a given issue and that works from a specialized (or PC programmable and configurable) perspective, is viewed as techno-driven in light of the fact that the most significant factor in planning the framework, which is the human factor, has not be thought about completely by the originator (or the architects) during the execution of their underlying arrangement of work. Numerous experts and scientists continue requiring a procedure of framework plan that centers more around the social part of the made apparatus: â€Å"little progress has been made in the advancement of down to earth socio-specialized strategies and approaches that have prevailing with regards to making the change from look into research facility to broad business usage† (Doherty King, 2005, p.2). Davidson and Chiasson (2004, p.6) express that the three primary phases of data innovation are the turn of events, the usage, and the osmosis. They weight on the way that all the subtleties that are identified with the day by day utilization of the innovation may not be seen at the hour of arranging on the grounds that the â€Å"attention is centered around by and large business objectives and usage strategy.† This makes the period following the establishment and the underlying execution exceptionally significant as all the social and human related variables must be balanced and changed to suit the clients and the association in general. There are different instances of frameworks that were made by the customary, techno-driven, approach and that have fizzled at the hour of usage in light of the fact that the planners came up short on the social-situated component in their structure Doherty and King (2005, p.2) referenced a few bombed encounters of this sort; cases, for example, the London Ambulance System, the Taurus System, and the Benefits Payment Card System. Different models were introduced by Davidson and Chiasson (2005, p.6-12) who detailed that the electronic clinical record frameworks (EMRS) that were utilized in two human services associations were likewise a reason for worry, to a limited degree. The creators affirm that the first frameworks made for the wellbeing associations should have been socially changed through the usage of TUM (Technology Use Mediation) during framework improvement stages and all through the period in which the frameworks were being used. â€Å"System setup expected changes to programming foundation and code. Authoritative size affected the accessibility and the viability of intercession resources.† Another factor that is associated with the traditional methodology is the complete underestimation of beforehand existing frameworks which is additionally another quality of techno-driven techniques for plan and framework advancement. Disregarding the ‘old’ frameworks drives the originator to make something that is absolutely new to the association, and this additionally rejects the impacts, the points of interest, and the convenience of the past framework. The ease of use of the framework and the capacity of individuals inside the association to work with it came because of an extensive stretch of framework alterations (regardless of whether equipment or programming) and of individual preparing and various procedures of blunders and revisions; which is the thing that can be considered as the social-related side of framework improvement. Every one of those components will be completely disposed of by the originator during his/her advancement of the new framework, which w ill bring about the new framework experiencing similar stages that the old framework went through, and this is another type of time-related and monetarily related misfortunes to the association. Chae and Poole (2005, p.19) offer a significant conversation starter: â€Å"Is it workable for a huge scope data framework to be created ‘from scratch’?† Their clarification affirms that: Records of framework advancement and the frameworks improvement writing frequently center essentially around the new framework and tend to underemphasize the job of previous frameworks Few give a lot of consideration to the job of prior data frameworks in IS [Information Systems] improvement. To the degree the new framework must coordinate with previous frameworks or utilize existing equipment and programming Existing frameworks have additionally been viewed as issues or boundaries to the advancement of new IS and as disablers of Seems to be based hierarchical development and change†¦ This methodology, as well, will in general treat prior frameworks as articles, secret elements (for example Markus, 1983). Those referenced above are the most prominent focuses when considering PC plan in its ordinary strategy, which is, as can be seen, techno-driven. End Despite the fact that ordinary methodologies of framework configuration have been applied from the earliest starting point of the time of Information Technology, they are still techno-driven. What fashioners should concentrate on are those framework qualities that are progressively operable by the people of an association; this incorporates the interface structure, the language utilized inside the different pieces of the framework (those identified with both the product and the equipment) Another significant point is the flexibility to the association that mentioned the framework; the originators ought to see completely that different variables that can lead the recently made framework to be increasingly social-arranged and to be what the association needs. Techno-driven structures can work, yet just in specialized related fields and segments. Past frameworks ought to be concentrated cautiously before starting the plan for new ones; this will empower the planner to comprehend what qualities worked already, what structure are the representatives and the administrators used to work with, and which devices can be re-utilized inside the new framework. Anderson and Vendelo (2004, p.27) clarify the issue of techno-driven structure by expressing that â€Å"when brought into a field, the specialized framework frequently should be changed to consider the more all encompassing prerequisites that are available in the field, as clients need to oblige the innovation in their every day routines.† Reference L

Your Boss Put You on a Performance Improvement Plan, Now What

Your Boss Put You on a Performance Improvement Plan, Now What At around this time about two years ago, I got a call from my friend Elsie asking me to help her find a new job.This caught me by surprise, since she had been working with the firm for a while, and it seemed to me that she was happy at her job.So, what had made her decide to look for a new job all of a sudden?Turns out, she had just been put on a performance improvement plan and felt that she was about to lose her job.Despite being put on a performance improvement plan, she didn’t end up losing her job.Actually, what reminded me of the incident is the fact that she called me with the news that she had just received a promotion (at the same company where she was put on a performance improvement plan), and I felt that it would be a good time to talk about performance improvement plans.When I ask people what they fear most about performance reviews, a high number of them mention that they are very much afraid of being put on a performance improvement plan.Most people assume that being put on a performance improvement plan automatically means that they are on their way out the door.However, this is not always true.The fact that you haven’t met some performance expectations does not necessarily mean that you suck at your job.It just means that there are areas that you need to improve to enhance your performance.Of course, there are some people have lost their jobs over the years after being put on a performance improvement plan.However, these typically happens when an employee is unable to meet the conditions set out in the performance improvement plan.Actually, being put on a performance improvement plan should be taken as a positive sign, because it shows that the organization views you as a valuable employee and believes that the performance issue you are going through is fixable.If they didn’t think you were valuable, or if they didn’t believe that your issue is fixable, you’d be shown the door without any chance to get your act together.In this articl e, we are going to look at what you need to do in case your boss puts you on a performance improvement plan.But before we get there, let’s first understand what a performance improvement plan is.WHAT IS A PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PLAN A performance improvement plan is a document that highlights any recurring performance issues together with areas of improvement suggested for the employee, and a specific timeline for making the improvements.The areas of improvement are normally suggested to give you the chance to maintain goodwill with the organization.In simple terms, it’s like when a student makes a mistake in class, and the teacher gives them probation time in which they are supposed to think about what they have done and promise to improve on their behavior.Therefore, unlike the punitive measure that most employees assume it to be, it can be regarded as a corrective measure aimed at doing away with certain behavior and improving others in order to ensure organizational goals a re met.If you have been put on a performance improvement plan, the HR manager will most likely call you to talk about it to ensure that you understand what the expected outcomes of the performance improvement plan are.But as many HR managers will tell you, it does not mean you are about to be fired.If the company had wanted to fire you, they would have just done it without the need to first put you on a performance improvement plan.The performance improvement plan is therefore a chance for a comeback, an opportunity for you to learn about your weaknesses, a time for you to re-think your strategies and tactics and most importantly, a chance for you to be better.A performance improvement plan will constitute the following:A written document of the performance issueA detailed description of the expected outcomes of the employee’s behaviorA resources allocation section to support the employee in enhancing performanceA follow-up plan that includes timeframes, meeting schedules, and the milestones that have been established between the manager and the employee.The consequences of failure to meet outcomesPURPOSE OF A PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PLANSome of the reasons why you might be put on a performance improvement plan include:To Identify Substandard PerformanceThe first reason your employer would put you on a performance improvement plan is to identify substandard performance and make you realize that your performance is not meeting expectations.Therefore, the performance improvement plan will detail specific areas that you are deficient in and that are affecting your work performance.The second thing it will detail is an improvement plan which could be on-the-job training or actual coaching.When you are not performing, the organization is also not performing, and a performance improvement plan is usually viewed as a chance to identify the substandard performance with an aim to rectify.To Document Substandard PerformancePerhaps this is the greatest reason why most employees fear being put on a performance improvement plan, because the plan can serve as evidence of your underperformance if the organization decides to fire you.In case you get fired and decide to file a complaint for wrongful dismissal, the performance improvement plan serves as evidence that you were indeed not meeting your performance expectations.To Identify Behaviors Contributing To Substandard PerformanceA performance improvement plan identifies recurring behavior that contributes to the substandard performance.You may not be aware of any such behavior, but perhaps your manager has been noticing it.Maybe you have been arriving later than usual, maybe you spend too much time on the internet, or it probably lies in the way you have been treating fellow employees or customers.To Deter Reoccurrence of Improper BehaviorEmployers have specific work guidelines, and rules stipulated for employees.Those regulations are established to ensure organizational goals are met.When the mana ger puts you on a performance improvement plan, there is a chance that there is something you are doing which is against company policy and they want to put a stop to that behavior.Putting you on a performance improvement plan serves as a deterrence to the behavior both for you and other employees.To Enable Employees to Develop Certain SkillsContrary to popular opinion, performance improvement plans are not meant to punish you.They are meant to help you correct some behavior that might be contributing to your non-performance.In the process of working towards achieving the improvement milestones set out in the performance improvement plan, you might also end up developing some key skills.For instance, when on a performance improvement plan, you have to meet the conditions set out in the plan, in addition to working on your regular assignments.This might force you to develop time management skills in order to ensure you meet both objectives.All you need is to have a positive attitude and to open up yourself to learn and experience new things which will improve your performance.To Improve PerformanceThe ultimate goal of a performance improvement plan is to help you improve your performance on the job.The performance improvement plan makes an employee aware of substandard performance, identifies the behavior that contributes to it, enables the development of skills and abilities, deters maladaptive behavior and provides you a course of action to correct whatever issue it causing the non-performance.It is thus a chance for you to improve yourself and your performance so that you improve your job security and contribute to the organizational goals.While I have said that the performance improvement plan shows that the organization values you and is giving you a chance to fix whatever issue is causing your non-performance, it also shows that you are fast approaching the end of your leash.Your job is riding on the outcome of the performance improvement plan.If you are unable to meet the conditions set out in the plan, there is a very high chance that you will lose your job.Therefore, you should not take the performance improvement plan lightly.Remember that the performance improvement plan is a legal document, one that gives the organization a valid reason for letting you go.WHAT TO DO AFTER BEING PUT ON A PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PLANYour performance at work has been slacking, and your boss has put you on a performance improvement plan.Now what?If you have been put on a performance improvement plan, below are some tips on how to handle the situation.Calm DownWhen placed on a performance improvement plan, the first thought that comes to mind is that you are about to lose your job.This can lead to anxiety and emotional overwhelm, which can easily cause you to do or say something you might regret later.Therefore, after being notified that you have been put on a performance improvement plan, the first thing you need to do is to try to calm down.As we have already seen, a performance improvement plan does not necessarily mean that you are about to get fired, so there is no need to panic.Do something to help you remain calm as you process the news. If necessary, you can even take a walk and get some fresh air as you process the news.Assess the SituationOnce you have taken a breather, it is time to evaluate the situation you are in.The first thing to ask yourself is why you are on a performance improvement plan in the first place.Is it something you have been put on before, or is it the first time?If you have been put on a performance improvement plan before, you need to remember the reasons why you placed on the improvement plan.Was it poor customer feedback, failure to meet deadlines?Whatever reason, you need to jot it down and reflect on it for a while.If it’s something for which you have been put under a performance improvement plan before, maybe you need to think about further and come up with interventions that will work t his time.If it’s the first time that you have been put on performance improvement plan, then you need to consult your manager for further clarification especially if it’s a behavior that you hadn’t noticed yourself.Once you have identified the reason why you have been put on a performance improvement plan, you need to reflect whether the role in which you failed at matches your personal and career goals.You also need to evaluate similar situations where employees have been put on a performance improvement plan and determine what the company culture is in such instances.You also need to analyze the relationship between your manager and yourself and determine if she or he is willing to help you throughout the course of your performance improvement plan.If you find out that you have actually been slacking in fulfilling your duties, that the company culture is oriented towards employee improvement, and that you have a trustworthy relationship with your manager, then, by all means, the best thing to do in this case is to start working on improving your performance.If, on the other hand, your company is more oriented towards letting employees go rather than helping them improve, and if you have doubts that your boss will be willing to help you improve your performance, it might be time to start hunting for a new job.Decide If It Is Worth ItYou might do this in the previous step since this step is more of a continuation of the previous one, but I would advise you look at it as a separate step.In the previous step, you wanted to assess the situation that led to you being put on a performance improvement plan.In this step, you want to review if it’s actually worth it going through with the performance improvement plan, or if it is much better to start looking for greener pastures.I would advise you to put your emotions aside when reviewing the performance improvement plan.While it is true that most companies use the performance improvement plan as a way to impr ove your performance, the reality is that some employers will use it to fire you.Therefore, you need to decide if it is worth it going through with the plan. If your manager is not willing to schedule a meeting with you to talk about the performance improvement plan, then this could be a sign that you should be looking for a new job.You also want to review the plan to evaluate whether it is humanly possible to meet the conditions set out in the plan.If your performance improvement plan requires you to bring in twenty new clients by the end of the week, then you might just hand in your resignation letter.Make sure you have read all the sections of the performance improvement plan to ensure that you understand what is required of you.The document requires your signature, and you do not want to sign anything that might get you fired.Once you have read through and decided that it is worth it, then sign the document, keep a copy for yourself and begin working on your performance improvem ent plan.Take It Seriously And Commit Your SelfWhile we have discussed that a performance improvement plan is more or less like probation, the risks involved and the consequences are entirely different.We have also seen that the performance improvement plan might be used to terminate your employment if you are unable to meet the conditions set out in the plan.You therefore need to take it seriously and commit yourself to the goals of the plan.While it does not mean that you will get fired, some companies take it as a warning to their employees.They have realized a certain gap in the accomplishment of your tasks which relates to the performance of the organization, and that’s why they have given you a chance for redemption.Therefore, meeting the goals of the performance improvement plan is critical to the organization and the only guarantee that you will still retain your job.The good thing about a performance improvement plan is that it is usually specific and detailed and will ad vise on what to do so as to achieve the goals set out in the plan.You should really take some time going through the plan to ensure that you fully understand what is needed of you.Come up with a to-do list and other tools to help you accomplish whatever is set out in the plan.Commitment is also a necessary element for the success of a performance improvement plan. You want to show your employers that you are committed to the task at hand and the surest way of doing this is committing your time.You might want to call your friends and cancel any other plans you might have had and commit that time to your performance improvement plan. Tell the manager that you are going all in and actualize that.You might even decide to put in extra hours to ensure that your time on the performance improvement plan is superseding expectations.Do the extra work with pride and make sure that your performance exceeds that of others.When your manager sees how willing you are to ensure you accomplish the go als set out in the performance improvement plan, they will see that you are committed to the goals of the company.Ask for HelpAsking for help is not a sign of weakness, but an acknowledgment that we are aware of our limitations and are not afraid of enlisting others to help us get better.Therefore, do not be afraid to ask for help just because you are on a performance improvement plan.For instance, you might come across a task that you need to accomplish but don’t know how to, but then get tempted to not ask for help because it might show that you are not really good at your job.Resist the temptation not to ask for help, because only by asking for help will you learn how to accomplish that task.Asking for help is a strength, and your manager will be willing to help you if they are certain you are committed to improving your performance.When you are on a performance improvement plan, it shows there is something that you haven’t been able to do on your own, and therefore there is nothing wrong with asking others to help you if this is what will help you improve.Be Open to Learning And Have a Positive AttitudeBeing put on a performance improvement plan is an opportunity for learning and unlearning behavior so be open to it. It gives you a chance to redefine yourself, to test your limits, to change and to grow.The only way you improve your performance and learn something from it is to have a positive attitude. Attitude has been the make-or-break central factor since time immemorial.Only a positive attitude can get you through a performance improvement plan.When we began discussing what you should do when put on a performance improvement plan, we said you should control your emotions.Employees with high emotional stability are able to get through an emotionally challenging situation because they face it with a positive attitude.Therefore, have a positive attitude and open up yourself to learning and accomplishing the tasks detailed in your performance improveme nt plan and grow.You Have Learned, Now Move OnCongratulations now that you have come this far! If you successfully complete the objectives set out in your performance improvement plan, you have reason to celebrate, because it is not always that employees are able to achieve the conditions set out in their performance improvement plans.Getting through the performance improvement plan serves as evidence of your attitude, commitment to learning, motivation, and organizational commitment.When you complete a performance improvement plan, it is a sign of success.While many would have panicked and quit their job, you took it bravely, acknowledged that you haven’t been performing your job effectively and worked with the organization to ensure that your performance improved.You took the time to reflect, contacted your mentors and associates and truly committed yourself to ensure positive outcomes. What is more, you maintained a positive attitude through it all.You learnt, you grew and made improvements, and now it’s time to move on.Remember you will still go through a performance review so make sure your energy lasts through this period. In the performance review, show your manager and the team that the performance improvement plan was a learning process and that your performance has improved.Give specific details about what you learnt and your vision for the future and make sure it is in line with organizational goals.WRAPPING UPAs an employee, you should always give your best at work to avoid being put on a performance improvement plan.If you happen to be put on one, however, there is no need to panic. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you are about to be fired.Instead, you are being given a chance to fix your mistakes.Simply acknowledge that your performance has been under par, and then commit yourself to correcting the issue and improving your performance.If you happen to get fired after being placed on a performance improvement plan, and this does happen in s ome cases, take it gracefully and move on.Furthermore, it might be for the best.You could have been holding on to a job that was not the best for you, and this is your chance to go after the job you have always dreamt about.Give yourself a chance, carry all your life skills, failures and accomplishments â€" they are part of who you are â€" and move on.Just make sure you do not get on another performance improvement plan.

The Poetry of Andrew Marvell and John Donne Essay - 951 Words

The Poetry of Andrew Marvell and John Donne The seventeenth century was an era of beautiful poetry. Two poets in particular, Andrew Marvell and John Donne, wrote carpe diem poetry full of vivid imagery and metaphysical conceits. Each conveyed the message of living for the now. This message can be clearly seen in the poems To his Coy Mistress by Marvell and Donne’s Flea. By using clever metaphors and meter, the poems not only are symbolic, but have almost a physical aspect to them. Though both poems take a similar approach, it is Marvell that writes the more persuasive one, reaching deep into the soul to win his object of affection. The main theme of Marvell’s poem is to seize the day. The speaker is trying to convince the†¦show more content†¦Images of deserts of vast eternity and virginity together instill the idea that it will be hard to prolong virginity, and it would be better to give in now. The poem is mostly written in iambic tetrameter, and flows softly and easily, much like a nursery rhyme. All the lines do not conform to the same format, however. While most lines contain eight syllables, some have more. Line 27 uses nine syllables, as does line 38. The switching of the meter keeps the reader on edge, and never lets the poem slip into a monotonous cycle. Not only does this technique keep the reader on its toes, but also symbolizes the spontaneous thought of the narrator, who lives very whimsically. Marvell uses spondaic meter as well as iambic. Shall sound, the last two words of line 26, are both stressed. Rough Strife, the last words of line 43, are also both stressed. The use of spondee helps to switch up the tempo of the poem and also fits the context of the lines. Lines 39-41 deal with time: Rather at once our time devour, Than languish in his slow-chapped power. Let us roll all our strength and all These lines actually produce the effect of slowing time down. Languish in his slow-chapped power rolls off of the tongue and takes effort to say. When spoken out-loud, the line reads almost as if it were in slow motion. Line 41 is almost entirely composed of stressed feet,Show MoreRelatedEmphasizing The True Meaning Of Poems By Andrew Marvell And John Donne s A Valediction : Forbidding Mourning1148 Words   |  5 PagesTrue Meaning of Poems† Around the seventeenth century the poets Andrew Marvell and John Donne expressed their feelings through poetry. Both John Donne, born in 1572 and Andrew Marvell, born in 1621 in England, are known for their ideas of metaphysical poetry. Metaphysical poetry is a persuasive poem that uses a conceit. It focuses on imagery, paradoxes, arguments, philosophy and religion. Andrew Marvell’s â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† and John Donne’s â€Å"A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,† focus on the themeRead More To His Coy Mistress Essay1227 Words   |  5 PagesTo His Coy Mistress Compare and Contrast â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† By John Donne. â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† and â€Å" To His Mistress Going to bed† are two poems that feature â€Å"carpe diem†; they are also written by two of the most well known metaphysical poets. Andrew Marvell, the author of â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† and John Donne, the writer of â€Å"To His Mistress Going To Bed†. Both poems were written through the 16th and 17th Century, where love and sex were describe as two different things. 16th and 17th Read MoreMetaphysical Poetry By John Donne1590 Words   |  7 PagesAwaga Grade 11 B Metaphysical Poetry According to English language, when metaphysical is divided into two words ‘meta’ is defined as after and physical remains as it is. Thus metaphysical means after the physical. 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Metaphysical poetry is concerned with the whole experience of man, but the intelligence, learning and seriousness of the poets means that the poetry is about the profound areas of experience especially - about love, romantic and sensual; about man s relationship with God - the eternal perspective, and, to a less extent, about pleasure, learning and art. Metaphysical poems are lyric poems. They are brief but intense meditations, characterized by striking use of wit

Achilles, Aeneas, and Roland - 979 Words

Imagine living in a turbulent world, where people lived their day to day lives praying that they would see the next sunrise. That was life for villagers that lived during the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as during the medieval period when Germanic tribes ruled Europe. To help them get through their very insecure days, people would tell oral stories of great heroes, like those of Achilles, Aeneas, and Roland. Achilles was a Greek war hero who fights in the Trojan War, a ten year long war between Greece and Troy (present day Turkey). Aeneas was an epic hero in ancient Roman folklore. He was a soldier who fought in the Trojan War and after surviving the destruction of Troy, he later founded the city of Rome. Roland was an†¦show more content†¦He was described as a model medieval hero, because he was a natural Christian leader who was sent on a holy war to stop the Muslims from invading and converting France. He was a noble Frenchman, who died at the hand of p ower and land hungry, Islamic forces. At the end of the story, it is said that he died while he was chasing away the pagans. To this day, in the 21st century, homo sapiens still write stories about heroes that will save them and society. The number one characteristic that describes a hero is one that has a Stoic sense of duty that can overcome the desire for personal fulfillment. Achilles, Aeneas, and Roland were all created to create personal comfort for their people that lived in such a hectic and dangerous world. These three protagonists who were viewed by their cultures as gods also showed their people that they did portray human characterists (two out of the three even die) and that anyone can be like them if they tried. In a way they were used to inspire their respective residents to be better civilians in their community. If everyone could follow that, than living in a turbulent world would go from reality toShow MoreRelatedSummaries of Indapatra and Sulayaman, the Song of Ro land and Iliad2416 Words   |  10 Pagesplant withered and it means that Sulayman died * He removed the wings and he prayed to Bathala. * And the hero ressurected The Song of Roland A French Epic Author * Since the song of Roland is the oldest surviving major work of French Literature, there is no evidence about the author * It is written from 12th to 14th Century The song of Roland is attributed to... * France, specifically, the story told in the poem is based on a historical incident, the  Battle of Roncevaux Pass  onRead More12 Literary Piece1670 Words   |  7 Pagesbecame the basis of democracy. 7. The Divine Comedy: (A Dante of Italy). This shows the religion and customs of early Italians. 8. El Cid Comedy: This shows the cultural characteristics of Spaniards and their national theory. 9. The Song of Roland: This includes the Doce Pares and Ronces Valles of France. It tells about the Golden Age of Christianity in France. 10. The Book of the Dead: This includes the cult of Osiris and the Mythology and theology of Egypt. 11. The Book of the Days:Read MoreBiography Of Ancient Greek Poet Homer2350 Words   |  10 Pagesthat the Iliad was the work of Homer s childhood and the Odyssey of his development. This basic yet intense recognition represents the wide divergences in good and religious tone between the two. The Iliad is the appalling story of the respectable Achilles, who impeccably encapsulates the antiquated Greek beliefs of brave direct additionally experiences the human failings of pride and outrage. The Grecian armed force is partitioned by quibbling, numerous commendable men are murdered, and even the divine

Epic theatre Free Essays

The only form that can grasp the processes which drama needs to grasp if it Is to provide an all-encompassing view of the world† BB’s ‘all-encompassing view of the world’ was Marxism. Epic Theatre derives from Greek. Epos, story. We will write a custom essay sample on Epic theatre or any similar topic only for you Order Now A form of theatre which self consciously narrates. Estrangement effect = estrangement/alienation effect: distancing the viewer from the action; encouraging rational thought and analysis; reducing emotional catharsis. Aristotelian Theatre / non-Aristotelian Theatre. Term derives from Aristotle’s Poetics. A. formulated an aestheuc based on catharsis, ( = purging of emotion through empathy), hence BB’s description of his Epic Theatre as â€Å"non-Aristotelian Theatre†. Epic Theatre = Historicised theatre, theatre about the present, but not set In the present. (Distanclatlon) verfremdungseffekt (V-Effekt): Entfremdung both equal alienation. But? Estrangement aims to facilitate rationality, reason, reflection; militate against empathy and catharsis; learning either from or against characters; making politics into art: â€Å"The politicisation of aesthetics and the aesthetlclsatlon of politics. â€Å" BB was also a great manipulator of genre. Adaptations, parodies, allegories, parables (political not moral e. g. Arturo Ui). 1 . PARODY: Keeping an existing cultural form, but inserting a different content. The Threepenny Opera (1928): an opera peopled by beggars, gangsters ; prostitutes 2. TRAVESTY ( = disguise): retaining a familiar existing content, but delivering It In a new or different form. Two examples: The Sex Pistols’ punk version of God Save the Queen. The credits’ music at the end of Michael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine? : the Ramones upbeat version of Wonderful world originally recorded by Louis Armstrong. Why is that travesty, and what’s the effect in the context of the film and Its subject matter (crime, racism and the gun-culture in the LISA)? 3. PARABLE: â€Å"Narration by analogy. A didactic narrative conveying a moral truth or message in another guise. † M. H. Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms, London, 1988. Compared to Kafka’s parables (e. g. Before the Law? 4. ALLEGORY: â€Å"A narrative in which the agents and action, and sometimes the setting as well, are contrived so as to make coherent sense on the ‘literal’, or primary level of significance, and also to signify a second, corresponding order of agents, concepts and events†. M. H. Abrams, ibid. The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (1941) reflects in parabolic form events in Germany 1929- 1939. Allusion, rather than direct one-to-one reference. Apparently/superficially about gangsters in 1930s Chicago, but actually about fascism’s rise to power in Germany. Hitler as A1 Capone, Nazi politicians as 1930s Chicago gangsters, but talking in classical metre ands presented as if in a classical tragedy. Also a parable, with a political moral: ‘The womb is still fertile†. Donmar Warehouse London, 2008: Arturo I as Robert Mugabe. . As parables by definition simplify complex processes, BB’s model of Germany 929-1938 is inevitably incomplete. What is missing historically? Complex negotiations re. Weimar cabinets before 1933 The book burnings (1933) The Persecution and expulsion of intellectuals (post-33) The Nazi Olympic games (August 1936) The Hitler/Stalin pact (August 1939) The Spanish civil war July 1936 – March 1939) The Munich agreement (Sept 1938) What is retained? 1 . The NAZI tactic of pseudo-legality , so for instance the Nov 1923 Beer Hall Putsch is referred to as a failed bank robbery. BUT: There’s no mention of Hitler’s electoral support 2. BB suggests that the petty bourgeoisie were forced to support Hitler. . Various political manoeuvrings around Hindenburg are addressed in the play, but Brecht’s portrayal distorts history: In reality the Junkers supporting Hindenburg were not captains of industry, but pre-industrial agricultural landowners, economically archaic, a politically powerful landowning elite. BB solves this problem by giving the cauliflower trust a dual function: they are both industrialists and they also represent the Junkers’ agricultural interests. 4. The ‘Anschluss’ (annexation into the greater German Third Reich in 1938) is portrayed by 8B, but BB gives a different reason for it n the play, so that Ul invades Cicero to allow business to expand its interest and markets. BB ignores the political and nationalist motivation of Hitler’s Anschluss, i. e. bringing the Germans ‘Heim ins Reich’. The play portrays historical figures in characters represent types: social, political, economic, class positions. Dogsborough represents the old right-wing traditional conservatives in Germany, Dollfuss the same in Austria, Trustherren represent the capitalists, and Kleinh ¤ndler represent the middle class. But BB gives hardly any insights into Hitler the person. Although Ui is a ively theatrical character, he’s very one-dimensional, a thug with hardly any charisma. Brecht: using non-realist techniques to penetrate beneath the surface appearance of capitalism to reveal its essential reality, its power strategies and economic relations. Dramatic realism (naturalism): Dismissed by Brecht as too preoccupied with the accuracy of surface details. The realist myth of a ‘slice of life’ Mere reproduction of reality is inadequate. dramatic action is Art as a lamp, not a mirror Illumination, v. reflection Art should draw attention to the conditions and the process of its own production Non-realist’: expose the illusion striven for by naturalist and realist writers and directors, the myth that what they offer an audience (in a theatre, cinema or wherever) is an uncomplicated unmediated â€Å"slice of life†. For Brecht non-realist methods, transcending the limitations of the strictly empirical, the verifiable, were (paradoxically? ) those most appropriate to understanding the true nature of reality, not Just its superficial appearance. Brecht believed he was not anti realism as such, he preferred a different form of realism. In this experimental sense Brecht was both a realist and a modernist. Typical techniques of Brechtian epic theatre in performance 1 . Announcer summarising the events to come. 2. Actors stepping outside their roles, addressing the audience, reminding us we are watching a play 3. Characters singing (as in opera, but to didactic effect) 4. Actors swapping roles (to prevent emotional identification). 5. (In film) Montage Verfremdungseffekt : a practical example SPRING The play of the sexes (regeneration of the species) is renewed Every Spring. The lovers Meet. The gentle embrace Of the lover’s hand makes the Girl’s breast tremble. Her fleeting glance beguiles him. In Spring the countryside Appears to the lovers renewed. The air is already warm. The days grow long and The fields stay light later. In Spring the trees and grass Grow free of inhibition. Fertilisation in the forests and fields gathers pace. And the earth gives birth to the new, Free from care and precaution. From the sound film Kuhle Wampe co-scripted by Brecht, Germany, 1931/2 James Lyon, Brecht and Hollywood Conclusion: Some broader Brecht issues to reflect on: BB’s primary attraction to Marxism was his thirst for greater knowledge and greater understanding of social processes, what he called the â€Å"temptation† of rational hought (Galileo? BB was above all a scientific thinker, who sought rational solutions to social problems. He rejected metaphysics and all forms of irrationalism, and prioritised empirical thought. Precisely because of his apparently total ; exclusive dedication to rationalism BB was worthy of the term UTOPIAN thinker. BB was the ultimate rationalist, more dedicated to the analytical methods of Marxist enquiry than to Marxism ’s practical implementation. Did BB fetishise idolise science? Did he acknowledge its limitations? How appropriate is BB’s work to the post-modern age, when scepticism about the ncritical appliance of science, and thus about the desirability of human progress humankind, seem to dominate the political agenda? How does the above relate to Life of Galileo? Is BB now pass ©, given the end of the Cold war, the demise of â€Å"real existing socialism† in eastern Europe, and the ‘disappearance’ of his chosen German homeland (DDR) after German re-unification in 1990? Or is BB’s project (to inject politics into art and art into politics i. e. to make both activities fun) now even more necessary? Look out for the predilection amongst some TV advert designers for Brechtian self- irony! The essays excerpted in John Willet’s The Theatre of Bertolt Brecht are a good starting-point for investigating Brecht’s views on theatrical practice. From The Modern Theatre is the Epic Theatre (notes on Mahagonny): the ‘shifts of accent’ between dramatic theatre and epic theatre. Wears down his capacity arouses his capacity for for action action provides him with sensations forces him to take decisions experience picture of the world the spectator is involved in he is made to face something omething suggestion argument instinctive feelings are preserved are brought to the point of recognition the spectator is in the thick of it, spectator stands outside, studies shares the the human being is taken inquiry the human being is the object of the for granted eyes on the finish eyes on the course one scene makes another each scene for itself growth montage linear development in curves evolutionary determinism Jumps man as a fixed point man as a process thought determines being social being determines thought feeling reason Brecht on Theatre. How to cite Epic theatre, Papers

Efficient Market Inefficiency of Capitalization †MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Efficient Market Inefficiency of Capitalization. Answer: Introduction Troy a venture capitalist founded a hedge fund foundation known as Northwest capital management. The main aim and objective of such organsiation is to minimise the trading risk while infusing money in the market securities. Both public and private money is invested in the hedge fund. Analyst in the present case study discussed about the expectation of Troy regarding the declining housing market with an expectation about growth in the oil market in the future terms. As in general treasury bonds are the fixed income bearing securities issued by the government department for the long range of period. However such type of securities can be freely transferable in the indirect market at the value prevailing at the certain period of time. These are risk free securities. Reviewing upon the direct and indirect nature of treasury bonds it totally depends upon the fact from where the investor has purchased such bonds. Venture capitalist Troy through his hedge fund group Northwest capital management can bid in the primary market or can purchase at a reasonable price in the secondary market (Haugen Baker, 1991). To hedge the risk the asset management company should also invest in some sort of indirect and direct investments. In the present case where the AMC is looking forwards to invest in a debt fund it is sort of direct debt investment with a fixed range of returns. However as far as energy stock is concerned if the AMC is investing in the individual en ergy stocks with its individual screened name then he is certainly investing in the direct securities. But in the case structure if the Troy is investing in the pool of energy stock through foundation trust or mutual funds related to relevant sector then he is investing in the indirect securities (Guercio Reuter, 2014). The AMC Northwest capital management formulated a common pool of securities where he himself and certain investors place their contribution that is to be invested in accordance with a stated objective. The ownership of complete fund is joint and mutual in the particular case. The entry load and management fees of such funds are subdivided among the number of units that are sold in the external market. Troy in the present case faces issues with selecting the fund in the portfolio (Fama French, 2010). He has to regularly switch his investments while viewing the external market opportunities and the current prevailing conditions in the external market. For instance in the present case, the AMC is exiting from the housing group stocks due to future forecast of financial downfall in the particular sector. Alternatively Troy is wishing to invest in the energy segment companies as in the future period certain stock will create a hike as witnessed by external current market situations. Apart from growth prospect, the Asset management company is working out towards the hedging the security risk while diversifying the complete risk among the debt and equity stocks. To work out in the particular area the Northwest capital management group has invested the total pool of funds in the treasury funds which sustains the feature of risk free returns and certain part of money in the energy stocks (Manek, 2016). To further reduce the risk to acceptable investor appetite the fund manager can work out in the direction of investing the funds in the indirect energy securities rather than in direct particular stocks. Indirect security investment in the present task makes sense that fund manager invest in the pool of sartorial securities in certain proportion while reviewing the market Beta factor. Analyst can also trade in the energy sector index funds to work out more effectively and efficiently. It is reviewed that while hedging the risk while utilising the hedge funds might red uce the returns to certain level in the short run but seeking the long term portfolio investment approach and making a risk benefit analysis it has been worked out that investor is in ultimate profitability position at the reduced risk level (Authority, 2015). The analyst has also need to consider the entry and exit load as the frequent switch between the investments might enhance the cost associated with the complete portfolio which ultimately puts a great affect on the overall portfolio returns (Avramov, et. al., 2011). As in the current case scenario investor while infusing his funds in the portfolio of the current AMC suffered loss due to which initial funds invested got reduced to considerable level. This position comes into fact when the investor has placed its complete fund in the particular direct security and not diversifying its portfolio. An investor is advised to not keep all his funds invested in a single security to minimise the investment loss (Arouri Nguyen 2010). Additionally the AMC has not placed the certain portion of investors fund in the risk free treasury bonds. Although these bonds do provide the returns at lower level as comparison to the direct funds but it saves the investor to get his funds eaten up. Northwest capital management should utilise the approach of diversification in its portfolio with overall reference to overall fund management, this makes sense that the fund manager should work out with the number of securities for the purpose of spreading and reducing the risk that sustains in all the financial securities. The risk of portfolio (indirect securities) is considerably lesser than the individual securities (direct securities). Combining security assets in the AMC portfolio should be done in an appropriate manner subject to the degree of correlation between the assets. Troy Dexter needs to minimize the risk by investing the money of the investor in different sector to reduce the risk of loss of money of the investor. The Troy Dexter to minimize the risk of the investor needs to invest in derivative marker t where in future and option minimum lot are fixed. The buying in future and option minimum lots are fixed. The buying in future involves rutting up the margin money a nd minimizing the risk by keeping low margin than the assets value. These contracts are for hedging, arbitration and speculation and for this the investor must open a derivation trading account with a derivative broker. The northwest capital management needs to adopt various hedging strategy to reduce the market risk depending upon the portfolio or the assets which the company is planning to hedge. The Northwest capital management can make the use of the various tools to reduce the market risk which includes constructing the portfolio, volatile hedging and by making the use of the option. These tools are more effective to reduce the risk of the investment. The Northwest capital management company can make the use of modern portfolio theory which diversifies the assets among various groups to reduce the volatility of the investment. The method uses the statistical approach to identify the expected amount of return from the defined amount of risk. The technique identifies the correlation between the various assets and identifies the volatility of the investment for the purpose of creating optimal portfolio to deliver the best result to the investor. Many of the financial institute use the modern portfolio theory for the purpose of risk management practices and provide the curved linear relationship between the risk and the return which the company is earning. The Northwest capital management company can use option which is the other powerful tool for reducing the risk of the investor. For the purpose of hedging the stock with reasonable liquidity can put buy put option for the purpose of protecting against the of downside move. The index option helps in tracking large stock indexes for the purpose of maximizing the return (Manek, 2016). In the above report analyst has discussed about the Venture capitalist Troy who behalf on his personal Asset management company Northwest capital invest the certain amount of funds for his individual and external investor purposes. Depending upon the external market situation and different risk attitudes of his fund investors he switches his funds in the different proportion among the direct and indirect securities. The analyst in the above report detailed about the particular case in which while investing the funds in the direct fund he ends up his total investment amount. Making Norwich Tools lathe investment decision Payback period method The method is the most effective and easiest way of measuring the risk associated with the investment. The payback period measures the duration within which the company will recover the cost made over the investment. The between the two or more project is made on the basis of the project having shorter payback period. This method is easy to use and involves less complexity as it reduce the evaluation to the simple number of year which provide clear picture of the investment (Storesletten, 2003). It helps in identifying the project which delivers faster return and is important of the company possessing limited cash to recover the cash as quickly as possible. It helps in evaluating the project with the smaller investment and avoid conducting the rigorous economic analyse. The method ignores the time value of the money which is one of the major disadvantages of the project and the cash flow may be irregular as most the return occur well until the near future. The project may have expected return but many of the time fail the company minimum requirement of the minimum payback period. The method also doesnt consider the cash flow after the payback period which also plays a critical role on investment. Lathe A Lathe B Year Cash flow Cumulative cash flow Cash flow Cumulative cash flow 0 (660000) (660000) (360000) (360000) 1 128000 (532000) 88000 (272000) 2 182000 (3500000 120000 (152000) 3 166000 (184000) 96000 (156000) 4 168000 (16000) 86000 30000 5 450000 434000 207000 237000 Payback period of Lathe A- 4+16000/450000 =4.0356 years Payback period of Lathe B- 4+56000/486000 =3.6512 years Analyse- after analysing the above two method using the payback period it was identified that Lathe B is much better in comparison to that of Lathe A as it is having shorter payback period. But the method doesnt consider the cash flow after the payback period which is higher in the case of Lathe A. Net present value The method compares the investment which was made today with the present value of the future cash flow and consider the time value of money at the time of measuring the investment. The method considers the cash flow throughout the life of the project thus consider effective over the other method. In the method profitability and the risk of the project are given high priority and it also helps in maximizing company value. The major disadvantage is that it requires lots of complexity at the time of applying the method. The method does not give the adequate result if the amount of the investment is different in the two projects (Olawale, et. al., 2010). Also it creates complexity due to not availability of the adequate discount rate and may not give the correct decision when the project has uneven life. The project with the higher NPV is considered better at the time of decision making. Lathe A Lathe B Year P. v factor P.V of the current cash flow Cash flow P.V of the current cash flow 0 1 (66000) (360000) (360000) 1 0.885 113280 88000 77880 2 0.783 142506 120000 9396 3 0693 115038 96000 66528 4 0.613 102984 86000 52718 5 0.542 243900 207000 112194 NPV 57708 NPV 43280 Analyse from the consideration of the NPV method Lathe A is better in comparison to that of lathe as it is providing higher return to the company. This is because the total cash inflow from the project A is higher than that of project B. Internal rate of return- it is the capital budgeting measuring which helps in making choice between the various investment and is the interest rate at which net present value of the investment is zero. If the IRR exceed the company rate of return than the project should be accepted on the other hand if falls below the project should be rejected. The method makes the perfect use of the concept of the time value of the money and provides importance to all the cash flow (Bhattacharya, 2014). The method doesnt require calculating cost of capital and helps in attaining maximum profitability of the shareholder. The method creates difficulty in the case of two mutually exclusive projects and involves unrealistic assumption. Lathe A = 113280 +142506 + 115038 + 102984 + 243900 /660000 = 1.0874 Lathe B = 77880 + 93960 +66528 +52718 +112194 / 360000 = 1.1202 Analyse- The IRR of the Lathe is better so should be considered for investment. Recommendation By applying above capital appraisal technique it was identified that from the point of view of NPV Lathe A is better, on the other hand from the point of other two methods Lathe B is better. Referencing Arouri, M. E. H., Nguyen, D. K. (2010). Oil prices, stock markets and portfolio investment: evidence from sector analysis in Europe over the last decade.Energy Policy,38(8), 4528-4539. Authority, F. C. (2015). Hedge Fund Survey. Avramov, D., Kosowski, R., Naik, N. Y., Teo, M. (2011). Hedge funds, managerial skill, and macroeconomic variables.Journal of Financial Economics. Bhattacharya, H. (2014).Working capital management: Strategies and techniques. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.. Fama, E. F., French, K. R. (2010). Luck versus skill in the cross?section of mutual fund returns.The journal of finance. Guercio, D. D., Reuter, J. (2014). Mutual fund performance and the incentive to generate alpha.The Journal of Finance. Haugen, R. A., Baker, N. L. (1991). The efficient market inefficiency of capitalizationweighted stock portfolios.The Journal of Portfolio Management. Manek, V. B. (2016). Mutual Fund Performance: A Study On The Effect Of Portfolio Turnover On Mutual Fund Performance In The Indian Financial Market. Olawale, F., Olumuyiwa, O., George, H. (2010). An investigation into the impact of investment appraisal techniques on the profitability of small manufacturing firms in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Bay Area, South Africa.African Journal of Business Management. Storesletten, K. (2003). Fiscal implications of immigrationA net present value calculation.The Scandinavian Journal of Economics.

A Natural History of the Dead essays

A Natural History of the Dead essays As one begins to dissect Ernest Hemingways short story A Natural History of the Dead, a great deal of meaning can be found through the situations he conveys. Through his commentary and the experiences of Mungo Park, much can be learned about Hemingways views and ideas. Upon quick read, one might think this is a simple-minded story about death and its place in history. However, it actually has a much deeper idea hidden in it. Hemingway is revealing to the reader how trivial death actually is. In fact, A Natural History of the Dead is completely irrelevant except to provide the reader with examples of how death is only a small part in the tremendously large scope of nature and the rest of the world. In his short story, Hemingway provides examples as to why death is just one facet in the big picture of life. Early in his story, Hemingway jump-starts the theme that is to be stressed through the rest of the short story by depicting many smaller experiences and cases. One such story is his description of dead bodies on the battlefield. He explains that one of the most surprising things seen on a battlefield is the paperwork scattered among the bodies. One does not remember the smell of the battlefield as much as the incredible amount of paper strewn about. By way of this example, Hemingway shows that even though a person might die, the rest of life, and everything that person has touched, goes on. After reading this particular part of the story, a real life example immediately came to mind. Throughout the September 11th disaster, it was common knowledge that many of the bodies of the deceased were never found, and most likely never will be. Yet, hundreds of thousands of documents proving these people had lived remain. Financial statements, tax returns, employment records, and so on were e verywhere to be found, but the body of the person often was not. Once again, it shows that death pales in comparison ...

Affirmative Action Essays - Social Inequality, Affirmative Action

Affirmative Action Essays - Social Inequality, Affirmative Action Affirmative Action Affirmative Action: Reverse Discrimination? Affirmative Action is a hot issue in the United States, with wide differences of opinion over the correct way to expand opportunity for people who have historically been discriminated against. With the philosophical difference behind the legal and political tensions is deep. One side wants a total rollback of affirmative action programs, making individual merit the only criterion for hiring and promotional considerations. While the other extreme wants affirmative action to be pushed until the racial makeup of all professions mirrors the racial makeup of US society exactly. While both these sides are to the greatest ends of the argument there needs to be an approach to come up with a medium. This could include laws to force companies to vigorously recruit and develop minorities for professional and managerial jobs. However, there should not be any outright quotas, which reserve a certain number of slots for particular minority groups. This will cause resentments and constitutional obs tacles down the road. The objective here is not to do away with affirmative action in one sweep, rather to seek out strategies to help promising minorities and match them with opportunities they have rightfully earned and deserve. Now, what does the law say? Although Title VII has an affirmative action component part of it, most regulations stem from a requirement imposed by Executive Order 11246. There are a lot of misconceptions about affirmative action and what laws companies actual have to follow. One is that all companies are required to adhere to the laws under affirmative action, this is not the case. Executive Order 11246 states that once a company enters into a contract with a federal governmental agency that exceeds $10,000 it must abide by the affirmative action rules and regulations. These regulations include, but are not limited to, the following: to post in a conspicuous place, available to all applicants, provisions of the nondiscrimination clause; include in contractor's advertisements that all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, or national origin; include statements of these obligations to all subcontractors; and furnish all informa tion and reports to the Secretary of Labor for purposes of investigation to ascertain compliance with the executive order and its regulations. In addition to the above regulations if a corporation enters into a contract of $50,000 or more additional requirements are put in place. A Corporation must develop a written action plan within 120 days of the beginning of a governmental contract. They must also perform a workforce analysis, which must indicate how many women and minorities are in job categories ranging from unskilled workers to managerial employees. These are the basic rules and regulations companies and corporations must follow in order to be within the compliance of the law. There have been several major court decisions that have helped define the application of the statutes and regulations. One of the biggest and earliest cases was that of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. This case was not against an individual's employer rather against a university. Bakke applied to Davis for two consecutive years but was rejected on both occasions. In both years, applicants with lower scores than Bakke were admitted due to a special admit program. Davis had a program that says applicants who are not of minority status are totally excluded from a specific percentage of the seats in the entering class. When the State's distribution of benefits hinges on the color of a person skin, that individual is entitled to a demonstration that the challenged classification is essential to promote a tangible state interest. For this reason the court's judgment was that Davis' special admission program was invalid under the Fourteenth Amendment. Another case, that di d deal with the employer-employee relationship, was United Steelworkers of America, AFL-CIO v. Weber. In this case a white employee sued because his employer adopted a voluntary affirmative action plan reserving for black employees fifty percent of the openings in a training program. Because the company had put in place a voluntary program to eliminate an apparent racial imbalance the Supreme Court held that the program was permissible and did not unnecessarily trample the rights of white employees. These are just

Poaching in Zimbabwea, causes and attempts to stop sense the 1990s Annotated Bibliography - 1

Poaching in Zimbabwea, causes and attempts to stop sense the 1990s - Annotated Bibliography Example help me to identify the causes of poaching in Zimbabwe and the general overview of the steps taken by the South African governments to fight poaching. Consequently, I will use this source to show how the South African countries have suffered from poaching and the strategies they have employed to curb cases of poaching. Gabriel, Hua, and Wang have explored the market dynamics of ivory. They have pointed out that China is the leading market for ivory that is smuggled from Zimbabwe and other African countries. They have raised concerns that despite the ban of ivory trade, this was only short-lived because poaching still continues. Additionally, they have pointed out that the research conducted by IFAW implicates China as the leading market for ivory that is smuggled from Africa. In this scenario, there are a big number of industries of ivory processing industries in China thus affecting Zimbabwe and other African countries negatively. I will use the source to point out the China’s influence on poaching in Zimbabwe. Gulland and Williams explores the steps taken by the African countries following the1989 ban of the ivory trade. They have pointed out how the African member countries enacted laws that could stop and control poaching. In Zambia, they have pointed out the government was out to fight poaching that was rampant in the Luangwa valley. Research shows that poverty is one of the factors contributing to poaching amongst the locals. Additionally, the Zambian government passed stern penalty to poachers found poaching in Luangwa valley between a periods of 1970s-1985. Consequently, the gang members who were caught poaching could be sentenced in groups and sent to jail. I will use this source to argue the steps taken by various African member countries affected by poaching to stop poaching within their territories. The article explores on how the demand for ivory has gone up in the Asian markets more especially in China. The reason given is that these goods are

Setting and Theme of these stories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Setting and Theme of these stories - Essay Example The plot type is tragedy, and the novel is about depressed, hopeless and saddened characters, which endure hardships and loss. The novel focuses over the wanted success of different characters, and it describes their dreams. The needed relationships in life, friendship and loneliness of characters are the elements contained in this novel that makes it worth reading. The themes of the novel include pain of loneliness and tragedy of mental retardation. Locations discussed in this novel are the California farm, Salinas River and villages. Author is sympathetic to the characters, yet he does not give them a happy ending. Even till now, it is argued that the novel is emphasizing over hope, happiness and joys of life or it takes its reader into depression. The style of this novel is naturalist, which relates to the depressing literary style. The tone of the author throughout the novel is gloomy and dismal. Steinbeck is a naturalist writer and for the naturalist writers the human characters are more like a human-beast as they seem to be the victim of others around them. In the novel, the author has referred Lennie as a â€Å"bear† and â€Å"horse†. The author does not describe his characters as evil or good as he believes that they are controlled by their environment, chances or heredity. The author does not represent its characters by enforced judgment about their actions; he just presents the characters as they are. He mirrors his characters through the writing style. The language used is simple but compelling. Author keeps the language simple, straightforward and descriptive. A famous novel A Tale of Two Cities is written by Charles Dickens, the novel portrays the scene and circumstances in London and Paris during French Revolution. This novel consists on three books named Recalled to Life, the Golden Thread and the Track of a Storm. The

A stressful life is an inevitable consequence

A stressful life is an inevitable consequence In our career-driven society, work can be a pervasive source of stress. According to a report cited in an edition of the Financial Times, stress at work is one of the biggest problems in European companies. It is evident that the prevalence of stress at work majorly influences job satisfaction, work performance and productivity (Mullins, 2002). The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) define stress as the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them (ISMA, 2004). Stress can be accumulated through constant tension and frustration, and can arise from a number of issues including individual, group, organizational and environmental factors. In this essay, I am going to discuss the implications that stress incurs on the individual, and on the organization as a whole by looking at some of the most important issues such as cost, stress-related illnesses, and how to tackle stress in the workplace for a better and healthier workforce. With the changing lifestyles of people today (25-year mortgages, easier credit arrangements, etc.) most people are looking for permanent, full-time employment. Nevertheless, with the current economic crisis, many businesses are cutting back on staff and many jobs are being lost. This has lead to an increase in stress levels. An article published by the Daily Mail on 5 November 2008 (National Stress Awareness day) stated that almost 2/3 of 2700 workers polled said that they felt more run down, stressed and prone to illness than they did three years ago. This has resulted in many of them putting in seven hours of unpaid overtime a week. The article urged employers to tackle this problem as the research shows the credit crunch is having serious implications on the nations workforce, with people working and worrying more (Daily Mail, 2008). As these findings demonstrate, the stress caused by the current economic situation will lead to grave consequences for both individuals and organizat ions; if the individual suffers, the organization is inevitably going to suffer, and vice-versa. Certainly, a healthy workforce gives a larger contribution to a business. Working in a stressful environment means that not only performance is decreased, but productivity is also reduced. So what causes stress? Some would say that being under a lot of pressure causes one to be stressed. However, there is a difference between working under pressure and working under stressful conditions. It is said that a certain level of pressure is needed in our daily life to motivate us and enable us to perform at our best (ISMA, 2004). Cooper et al. (1988) have identified six major sources of stress at work: intrinsic to the job, role in the organization, relationships at work, career development, organizational structure and climate and home-work interface. He also added that conflicts, such as bullying and harassment, at work are another cause of stress. However, stress is said to be a very personal experience as individuals respond and cope differently with the causes and effects of stress. One major source of work stress develops from role incongruence and role conflict. When workers are not clear about their roles in the company, it creates difficulties in communication and interpersonal relationships. In addition, it can have an emotional impact on morale, performance and effectiveness at work, and health. In order to improve business, many organizations restructure and reduce staff, leading to more pressure on the remaining staff. This often results in an increase of work-related health problems, work stress and a less efficient workforce (Mullins, 2002). Handy (1993) has suggested five organizational situations that are likely to produce role problems, and thus stress for the individual: having responsibility for the work of others such as reconciling conflicting objectives of groups and organizations; conflict between the routine aspects of the job and the creative side; being the outside contact is particularly stressful due to the lack of control over demands or resources; relationship difficulties in the company, such as problems with a boss or colleagues; and last but not least, having career doubts if future career prospects are uncertain. Role ambiguity has greater effects on the physiological and psychological well-being of the individual, among them being low self-confidence, low motivation, higher job-related tension, and even depression (Handy, 1993). Karasek and Theorell (1990) have predicted that the most unpleasant reactions of psychological strain such as fatigue, anxiety, depression and physical illness, occur when the psychological demands of the job are high and the workers have low freedom in deciding the task. This model of the high strain situation suggest that arousal energy is transformed into damaging, unused residual strain because of an environmental constraint on the persons optimal response (e.g. trying to get lunch and queues are very long, travelling distance involves a crowded, heavy traffic road; this results o n the residual strain which lasts longer than a normal arousal reaction). Basically, this model implies that environmental stressors that we are presented with in our everyday life can leave us aroused for hours, thus leading to psychological strain and therefore stress. This has great implications for individuals that tend to be more affected by these environmental factors than others. The burden of strain that workers experience on a daily basis has therefore an indirect implication for the organization as performance is affected by the unpleasant, unproductive, and in the long term, unhealthy state of workers. In respect to the unhealthy state of workers and psychological strain, extended exposure to stress has been linked to almost every illness imaginable: heart disease, high-blood pressure, metabolism problems, colds, depression, obesity, memory problems and migraines (Jaffe-Gill et al. 2007). It all comes down to the biological response to stress, Fight or Flight mechanism, which prepares us for emergency. When in danger, the hypothalamus in the brain sets off a chemical alarm. The sympathetic nervous system responds by releasing a flow of stress hormones, including adrenaline, nor epinephrine, and cortisol, which race through the bloodstream, preparing us to either escape the scene or battle it out. However, the more the stress response its activated, the harder it is to shut off which causes the stress hormones, heart rate, and blood pressure to remain elevated even after the crisis has passed. In addition, continuous activation of the stress response causes havoc on the body. This i mplies that workers who are continuously responding to stress are damaging their body; the stress response system will eventually become exhausted causing the immune system to break down, thus making it easier for various illnesses to attack the body. Consequently, this will have enormous effect on the individual, leading to reduced performance in every domain of their life, in particular work. Not to mention the number of increased absence from work that will affect the organization, financially as well as performance wise. In the December 2008 issue of Glamour Magazine, there was a very interesting article about the consequences of stressful life situations. Research shows that women are more prone to negative effects of stress as they tend to be more emotionally tuned in than guys. Women seem to stress more over a problem, they keep thinking about it over and over in their head. The stress caused by a bad day at work is an example of what experts call acute stress, which triggers the fight-or-flight response, but it is temporary and therefore it is harmful as such. It only leads to a tiring day as it burns up a lot of energy. However, when every day at work is a bad day, the acute stress turns into chronic stress, which could cause a lot of damage to your body. As mentioned before, this leads to the fight-or flight response being constantly activated and thus causing strain on the body which in turn can lead to stress-related illnesses. All body systems are affected by this. Recent British research fo und that while stress doesnt necessarily cause cancer, women that have high-pressure jobs had at least a 20% higher risk of breast cancer than those with less job strain. Research also shows that we are getting more stressed with each decade. In a report that looked at the incidence of work-related stress and mental ill-health in the United Kingdom (1996-2001), an estimated annual average of 3624 new cases were reported by psychiatrists (reported higher rates for men), and 2718 by occupational physicians (reported higher rates for women). Anxiety/depression or work-related stress were mainly diagnosed, and post-traumatic stress accounted for ~10% of cases reported by psychiatrists. Inherent to the job factors (for instance work overload) and interpersonal relations problems were generally the most common causes. Nevertheless, those in personal and protective services and professional workers also showed high rates of ill-health (Cherry et al. 2006). Managing mental ill-health requires the adaptation of the workplace to meet legitimate expectations and capacities of the worker, as well as the adaptation of the worker to increase his/her capacity to cope with work demands, through training and cognitive therapy. Therefore t o be able to do this, workers and managers need to collaborate together in order to ensure that both parties know what is expected, thus stress levels reduced. In collaboration with stress management professionals, the Health and Safety Executive has developed the Management Standards approach to reduce levels of work-related stress. This approach displays good practice through risk assessment, allows for the current situation to be measured using various data-collection techniques, and encourages active discussion with employees to help decide upon the practical improvements that can be made (HSE, 2005). This was developed after figures of stress have risen to 1 in 5 people finding work very or extremely stressful. The Management Standards include six key areas of work, which if not properly managed, can cause poor health, lower productivity and increased sickness absence. These primary sources of stress at work are: demands, control, support, relationships, role and change. As the main causes of stress are now well-known, managers can work with employees to find solutions in order to reduce stress at work, unlike in the past that modest a ttempts were made to deal with them. This approach will be excellent news for organizations if followed and applied in the right manner, as well as good news for the worker as hopefully, stress levels will be reduced. One huge factor that has lead to the development of such an approach is the financial cost that work-related stress incurs on the organisation and the society. Stress is the single largest cause of occupational ill-health in the public sector, accounting for around half of all days lost to work-related ill health. In financial terms the estimated cost of sickness absence to the UK as a whole is around  £12 billion a year, and around  £4 billion of this has been attributed to the Public Sector (HSE, 2006). Each case of stress-related ill health leads to an average of 29 working days lost. A total of 13.4 million working days were lost to stress, depression and anxiety in 2001. Work-related stress cost society  £3.7 billion a year in 1995, a figure which has undoubtedly risen in 2008, as stress levels have undeniably soared considering the sharp fall of house prices, cut of interest rates and the loss of numerous job posts due to the current economic climate (HSE, 2005). The cost factor has great implications for organisations as they are spending unnecessary money which could instead be spent effectively to develop their business and create a less stressful work environment, rather than covering the costs of stress-related illnesses that workers seem to endure from working in a stressful work environment. Stress is upsetting to the individual and detrimental to the business at a time when the need to control business costs and ensure an effective and healthy workforce is greater than ever (Mullins, 2002). Much of ill-health is associated with the discrepancy that is caused when changes in job demands exceed the worker capacities. Mental-ill health which arises from traumatic events at work can be avoided by employing good managerial techniques to tackle stress, and in the event of the occurrence, it should be dealt with promptly and effectively.

Lisa Sherman Case Analysis

Lisa Sherman worked for Verizon for many years. While there she never revealed her sexual orientation . Then one fated day, there was a diversification workshop with her fellow managers. The outcome of this was that her coworkers were bigoted towards homosexuality. Lisa Sherman had a tough decision to make, whether to stay or to leave. The following analysis shows a suggested solution. Lisa Sherman Case Analysis: Lisa Sherman spent many years not being true to who she was. She never told her coworkers that she was gay during her 15 years at Verizon Communications. Then, the company decided they wanted to hold diversity training. This is what led Lisa Sherman to the tough decision of whether to stay working at Verizon or put in her notice. The diversity training displayed general statements about different types of people, with statements such as â€Å"gay people are†¦Ã¢â‚¬  written on poster boards. The corporate leaders then formed groups and wrote on the poster boards what their first concept of a particular group of people was. Their statements of groups such as Blacks and Jews involved only positive messages. However when they got to the board regarding homosexual people, it was nothing at all positive, with comments such as â€Å"immoral, pathetic, perverse, and spreading disease. † (Audenaert and George, 2008). How could Lisa now open up and tell these people that she herself was Gay, when they thought such horrid things? Not only were negative derogatory statements bad for Lisa Sherman they were also bad for the company. The CEO Ray Smith wanted to enact a policy of diversification, to take Verizon into a more flexible and creative company. He planned to establish policies that barred not hiring someone because of their ethnic background, religion, race, sex, and sexual orientation. However if his highest level managers felt this way about Gay people what did the rest of the company feel? Lisa Sherman was with Verizon for 15 years, working her way up the chain. She had always hid her sexuality and the existence of her partner Sophie, using pronouns such as â€Å"him† and â€Å"we† for â€Å"her† and â€Å"she† (Alboher, 2008). She felt that if she were to tell anyone it would affect her career, which allegedly proved to be a correct assumption, from the comments that her co-workers made. One of the most homophobic individuals turned out to be one of Lisa’s mentors. In essence, the people Lisa had been closest to turned out to be bigoted individuals. When deciding what to do, Lisa needs to be sure it is in the best interest of her needs. Since she has been with the same company for 15 years, and quickly worked her way up, she probably has a myriad of opportunities waiting for her. She can inform the CEO Ray Smith of her sexual orientation, as he wants the company to become more progressive and would (allegedly) not be bothered by her sexuality. However, the rest of her coworkers still feel that Gay people are immoral, disgusting people. Even if the CEO did not mind her sexuality, her coworkers would still see her in a different light. I feel the best decision that Lisa can make is to look for different work, with a more open, progressive company, then resign from Verizon. This decision would allow her time to get her finances in order. However, if she had a large savings, then the best decision would be to resign immediately, because being around such bigoted individuals would cause her undue stress, and her performance may be affected. If Lisa Sherman chooses to resign, since the CEO Ray Smith is so open to becoming a more diversified workforce, perhaps he can use her and her experience, when she informs him of her sexuality, as a consultant for future policies. Lisa could be a great asset to the company, as she has experienced the bigotry and discrimination about her sexuality her whole adult life, since she first came out. She understands what it means to not admit to others your true self, for fear of losing a job, or not gaining a job. Policies can be changed but unfortunately it takes much more work to change people’s opinions. People are afraid of the unknown, they fear change (Pratt, 2005). To help change people’s opinions training would need to be done, to show that Gay individuals are no different than anyone else. They do not choose their sexuality anymore than someone chooses their skin color. Someone should not be judged by something that they cannot choose. If Lisa Sherman chooses to resign, Verizon Communications and the CEO need to reeducate their employees on what a diversified workplace should be like. There are currently no federal laws that prohibit workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation (Smith, 2010). However many states and companies have laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. The company should respond by offering condolences to Lisa Sherman, then start by making policies to make all workers comfortable. Lisa Sherman was a good employee and a hard worker for many years, yet she had to hide who she really was. No employee should have to hide their family life; it affects their stress levels and their mood. Lisa stated that while others had pictures of their wives and kids on their desks, she had a picture of her dog. Lisa should have been comfortable with having her partner’s photo on her desk, as she was her family. Unfortunately, as the office was not a comfortable place for a lesbian woman to state that she was a lesbian, she was unable to. Whatever the actual outcome was in this case, Lisa Sherman should leave the company for her own peace of mind, and sense of self worth. Verizon Communications and Ray Smith need to take the company to a modern, progressive state, by hiring openly gay people, and enacting policies to prevent discrimination in hiring, and the harassment of workers. Such a progressive policy is not only good for the workforce but for the company. As a company that is so open to diversification, they are bound to increase their customer base. Works Cited http://www.life-with-confidence.com/life-change.html http://www.hrhero.com/topics/sexual_orientation_discrimination.html

Ventilator Associated Pneumonia in the Icu

Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a nosocomial infection occurring in hospitalized patients who are mechanically ventilated. These infections are common in ICU settings, difficult to diagnose early, and unfortunately have a high rate of mortality and morbidity. VAP accounts for almost half of infections in ICU settings, up to 28% of mechanically ventilated patients will develop VAP and of these patients the mortality rate is between 20% and 70% (Craven & Steger, 1998). A patient that develops VAP while mechanically ventilated adds days to his recovery as well as thousands of dollars to the care costs. Numerous studies have been conducted across the county in an effort to understand VAP, however very few of those studies focus on the nursing interventions that can prevent this deadly and costly nosocomial infection. Many of these studies focus on the â€Å"bundling† of certain interventions, so the question is does the implementation of a VAP bundle compared with the use of non-bundled interventions decrease the incidence of VAP in ventilated patients. The research that was found in nursing journals along with a related study from a medical journal follows. Cason, Tyner, Saunders and Broome (2007) conducted a study of 1200 critical care nurses and the results demonstrate the variability in the recommended and reported care of the ventilated patient. Their study aims to identify the areas of needed improvement to comply with the CDC recommendations for prevention of VAP. The study consisted of a questionnaire distributed to nurses who attended the 2005 American Association of Critical Care Nurses National Teaching Institute, with the findings demonstrating a need for more education and research in the area of preventing ventilator associated pneumonia. Ferrer and Artigas (2001) also noted the lack of compliance in even the most basic of preventative measures. The study focuses on non-antibiotic preventative strategies for VAP; they suggest the use of antimicrobial hand soap, clorahexidine oral rinses, stress ulcer prophylaxis, prevention of gastric over distension, providing adequate nutritional support as well as frequent position changes. The research also suggests that endotracheal tubes with an extra lumen designed to continuously suction secretions pooled above the endotracheal tube cuff would lower the incidence of VAP by reventing these secretions from being aspirated into the lower airway. The authors also suggest more research be done to further limit the number of patients who develop VAP. Siempos, Vardakas and Falagas (2008) found that after meta-analysis of nine published randomized controlled trials that a closed tracheal suction system has no benefit in reducing the incidence of VAP compared with an open tracheal suct ion system. The preliminary data suggests that a closed circuit would reduce the incidence of VAP, however the data and trials that were reviewed showed that there was no decrease in the rate of infection. Due to the fact that a closed system can be used more than once, and only needs to be changed every 24 hours, it does tend to be more cost effective. Also of note, in two separate trials, a closed system was found to increase colonization of both the respiratory tract and the ventilator tubing. Obviously more research is needed to determine the best intervention when endotracheal suctioning is necessary. Ventilator associated pneumonia is both common and unfamiliar to nurses in the critical care setting, according to Labeau, Vandijck, Claes, Van Acken & Blot (2007). They note that while nurses deal with VAP frequently their knowledge of the infection and preventative measures may be a reason that VAP is still so prevalent in the intubated patient. The research points to the idea that because many nurses are not responsible for the ventilator circuit; they rely on the respiratory therapist to manage the ventilator, they may be less informed than if they had more control and training in the interventions necessary to prevent VAP. The research suggests more training and education for nurses who work with ventilated patients. Research done at the University of Toledo College of Medicine has shown a decrease in the incidence of VAP in its ten bed surgical ICU by implementing a â€Å"FASTHUG† protocol. Papadimos, et al, (2008) explained the interventions that the college used as a tool to educate the critical care team. â€Å"FASTHUG† stands for daily evaluation of feeding, analgesia, sedation, thromboembolic prevention, head of bed elevation, ulcer prophylaxis, and glucose control in critically ill intubated patients. The â€Å"FASTHUG† protocol was emphasized at morning and afternoon rounds and after a 2 year esearch period the incidence of VAP declined to 7. 3 VAPs/1000 ventilator days down from a historical rate of 19. 3 VAPs/1000 ventilator days. Of note, in 2007 the surgical ICU that implemented this program actually had no incidence of VAP from January to May. The research suggests that the use of bundled care processes for ventilated patients may reduce the rate of VAP. The nurs e’s knowledge of the use of the ventilator bundle is crucial to the success of the protocol according to research done at the University of Texas. Education sessions were held with pre and posttests administered as well as observation to evaluate the nurse’s understanding of the bundles. The VAP bundle focused on the elevation of the head of the bed, continuous removal of subglottic secretions, change of the ventilator circuit no more often than every 48 hours, and washing of hands before and after contact with each patient. The research done by Tolentino-DelosReyes, Ruppert and Shiao (2007) suggests that a lack of understanding and knowledge of VAP leads to a higher rates of infection. Observation of the nurses in the study revealed that after the education sessions nurses demonstrated an increase in compliance with the established standards of care. Given the high mortality and morbidity of ventilator-associated pneumonia, compliance in the critical care unit is crucial to reducing the rate of VAP. The critical care nurse is vital to the prevention of VAP, and nurses need to initiate further research concentrating on education and prevention. References Cason, C. L. , Tyner, T. , Saunders, S. Broome, L. (2007) Nurses’ implementation of guidelines for ventilator-associated pneumonia from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. American Journal of Critical Care, 16, 28-37. Craven, D. E. , Steger, K. A. (1998) Ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonias: Challenges in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. New Horizons, 6(2). Ferrer, R. & Artigas, A. (2001) Clinical Review: Non-antibiotic strategies for preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia. Critical Care 2002, 6, 45-51. Hunter, J. D. (2006) Ventilator associated pneumonia. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 82, 172-178. doi:10. 1136/pgmj. 2005. 036905. Labeau, S. , Vandijck, D. M. , Claes, B. , Van Aken, P. , Blot, S. I. & on behalf of the executive board of the Flemish Society for Critical Care Nurses (2007) Critical care nurses’ knowledge of evidence-based guidelines for preventing ventilator- associated pneumonia: An evaluation questionnaire. American Journal of Critical Care, 16, 371-377. Morrow, L. E. Shorr, A. F. (2008) The seven deadly sins of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Chest, 134, 225-226. doi:10. 1378/chest. 08-0860. Papadimos, T. J. , Hensley, S. J. , Duggan, J. M. , Khuder, S. A. , Borst, M. J. , Fath, J. J. , Oakes, L. R. , & Buchman, D. (2008, February) Implementation of the â€Å"FASTHUG† concept decreases the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in the surgical intensive care unit. Patient Safety in Surgery 2(3). doi:10. 1186/1754-9493-2-3. Siempos, I. I. , Vard akas, K. Z. & Falagas, M. E. (2008) Closed tracheal suction system for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia. British Journal of Anasthesia 100(3), 299-306. doi:10. 1093/bja/aem403. Tolentino-DelosReyes, A. F. , Ruppert, S. D. , Shiao, S. P. K. (2007) Evidence-based practice: Use of the ventilator bundle to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia. American Journal of Critical Care, 16, 20-27. Ventilator-associated pneumonia. (2008). Critical Care Nurse. Retrieved from http://ccn. aacnjournals. org