Man and Nature after the Fall in John Miltons Paradise Lost

Man and Nature after the Fall in Paradise Lost In Paradise Lost, the consequences of the fall and the change in relations between man and nature can best be discussed when we look at Miltons pre-fall descriptions of Eden and its inhabitants. Believing that fallen humans could never fully understand what life was like in Eden and the relationships purely innocent beings shared, Milton begins his depiction of Paradise and Adam and Eve through the fallen eyes of Satan: So little knows Any, but God alone, to value right The good before him, but perverts best things To worse abuse, or to thir meanest use. Beneath him with new wonder now he views To all delight of human sense exposd In narrow room†¦show more content†¦His fair large Front and Eye sublime declard Absolute rule; and Hyacinthine Locks Round from his parted forelock manly hung Clustring, but not beneth his shoulders broad: Shee as a veil down to slender waist Her unadorned golden tresses wore Dishevelld, but in wanton ringlets wavd As the vine curls her tendrils, which implid Subjection, but requird with gentle sway...(IV, 287-308) Adam and Eve are tall and erect like the trees, pure and nude, uncovered like the rural landscape. Adams hair cut short, almost as if the pair had pruned it. Eves body seems to be supported by the garden, but her hair is described as wild, unadorned and wanton, not unlike the landscape outside of Eden: Steep wilderness, whose hairy sides/ With thicket overgrown, grotesque and wild... (IV, 135-36). With special care and a watchful eye the Eden will not smother itself, just as Adam and Eve are safe from Satan when they are together. When Eve leaves Adam, she is tempted by the Serpent and decides to eat the forbidden fruit. When this happens, the earth feels the fall profoundly: So saying, her rash hand in evil hour Forth reaching to the Fruit, she pluckd, she eat: Earth felt the wound, and Nature form her seat Sighing through all herShow MoreRelatedThe Power And Lure Of Satan1365 Words   |  6 PagesThe Power and Lure of Satan Although the fall of man is written in the bible, no other author has thoroughly written thoughts which have resounded in the minds of those that have read John Milton’s â€Å"Paradise Lost†. Milton’s epic tale of Paradise Lost has become biblical folklore and even Christians who have not fully read the Bible rely upon the representations and indulgences that Milton presented through his embellishments of fact. Milton’s paradise lost is considered by critics to be one of theRead MoreParadaise Lost by John Milton Essay1299 Words   |  6 PagesPART ONE: John Milton is the greatest poet of all time. Oddly enough, he wanted to be as great as Homer or Virgil and be remembered like they were. Milton had this thing called Photographic Memory, so he remembered everything he had ever read. He even spends six straight years just reading every book he could get his hands on. However, he ended up becoming blind because when he did read the only lighting he had was candle light so he literally read his eyes out. Yet, this was before he could doRead MoreThe story of Paradise Lost by John Milton details disobedience and the fall of mankind from God’s900 Words   |  4 PagesThe story of Paradise Lost by John Milton details disobedience and the fall of mankind from God’s grace. God preordained all that was and all that will be following his creation. The poems major themes are the obedience to God, the nature of the universe and ultimately the fall of mankind. These themes will be further explained thru Milton’s explanation of light and darkness. Milton’s conversations between Satan, Beelzebub, Adam and Eve illustrate the difference between their conflicting views onRead MoreHeroic in Paradise Lost by John Lost Essay1637 Words   |  7 PagesThe theme of the heroic in John Miltons Paradise Lost is one that has often been the focus of critical debate, namely in the debate surrounding which character is the true hero of the poem. Most critics of the subject have, however, noted that the difficultly in defining the hero of Miltons work is mainly due to our â€Å"vague understanding of what constitutes heroism†1 and the fact that â€Å"the term itself is equivocal†2. The vague terming of what heroism can be defined as it what draws criticsRead MoreAllusions Vs. Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1520 Words   |  7 PagesAllusions to Paradise Lost in Frankenstein In the classic gothic novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley creates numerous allusions, or references to another work, to John Milton’s epic, Paradise Lost. Allusions can be interpreted differently by each individual, and do not have absolute meanings. They are indirect, which means that the author does not specifically mention the book or epic that he or she is referencing to. Though in Frankenstein, Mary Shelley directly mentions Milton’s Paradise Lost at one pointRead More Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and John Miltons Paradise Lost Essay1685 Words   |  7 Pagesand John Miltons Paradise Lost â€Å"Forth reaching to the Fruit, She pluck’d, she eat:/ Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her seat/ Sighing through all her Works gave signs of woe,/ That all was lost [†¦]† (PL 8. 781-784) In the gothic novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley weaves an intricate web of allusions through her characters’ expedient desires for knowledge. Both the actions of Frankenstein, as well as his monster allude to John Milton’s Paradise Lost. BookRead MoreFrankenstein And Frankenstein Essay1474 Words   |  6 Pagesconsiders the difference between nature and nurture. Sociologists, psychologists, scientists, and other professionals have tried to pin down the exact distinctions between these two types of upbringings. In literature, the same questions have been asked and studied using fictional characters, most famously in John Milton’s Paradise Lost, in 1667, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, in 1818. The complexity of the characters in these texts creates the theme of nature versus nurture before they divergeRead MoreAnalysis Of John Milton s Paradise Lost 1253 Words   |  6 Pages Students often read John Milton’s works with great difficulty; h e is determined to have his audience know his goals and how important his writing is through epic metaphors and masterful language. In Paradise Lost, he tells his audience that this will the epic to end all epics and that this is the most important tale of all mankind: the fall of Man. Comparatively, Alexander Pope used the same style of epic not to tell an important tale, but to question much of the life of aristocracy in his timeRead MoreJohn Miltons Theodicy in Paradise Lost595 Words   |  2 PagesParadise Lost is an epic of John Milton, a seventeenth century English author, known for being the greatest reader in English history. The poem goes back to the beginning of time and tells of the rebellion of Satan and his followers, the war in that took place in heaven, and the defeat of Satan. The story also tells of the creation of the world, the life of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and their loss of everything when they give into the temptations of Satan in the form of a re ptile. It endsRead MoreWho Can Blame The Poor Little Demon?1596 Words   |  7 Pagesor not to eat an apple from the forbidden tree. Milton’s makes Satan an interesting character, almost a hero, although unwilling to repent, simply seeking his rightful place and when he cannot, and will not, he goes after God’s prized creations. Who can blame the poor little demon? Aren’t we accustomed to routing for the underdog? Milton gives Satan the gift of gab, intelligence and our viewpoint, which makes us see his point of view. Of all the poets who have introduced into their works the agency

Who Has Influenced Deaf Literature More Than George Veditz

When it comes to influence, there may be no human being that has influenced deaf literature more than George Veditz. I like to label him as a hero, among other adjectives. Born in August 13th, 1861, Veditz became deaf at the age of 8 due to scarlet fever, according to Gallaudet.edu. After becoming deaf, he was privately tutored for 6 years until the age of 14. He then later enrolled in the Maryland School for the Deaf. He then received his masters from Gallaudet in 1887. After this, he moved to Colorado Springs where he taught at the Colorado School for the Deaf for 17 years. The man was brilliant and had plenty of knowledge to spread to the masses. In 1904, he became the president of the National Association of the Deaf. This is where he made the most impact possibly anyone has ever had in the deaf community. He was a huge advocate for sign language, and he seeked out to preserve it. The motivation for his passion for preserving sign language came from the mistreatment of deaf peopl e and sign language in forms of discrimination. These forms of discrimination are still seen today sadly, as deaf people are occasionally seen as second-class citizens. He preserved sign language in the deaf community with the use of film. He used the effectiveness of film to mass spread his message around the world. His films are still impacting the deaf community today and are still relevant throughout time and history. Another issue he was very passionate about was the discrimination of deafShow MoreRelatedThe Importance of Language and Culture3202 Words   |  13 Pagesacquisition of the continent of India’s future. The pedagogy of language is connected to perpetuation of culture, traditions, and social norms. The Deaf community is another example of the importance of language acquisition throughout history. The impact of how a deaf child is educated impacts more than that deaf child alone but also the future of the Deaf community and the languaculture rich in American Sign Language. â€Å"Classrooms mediate unique and diverse pedagogies of language, in turn these pedagogies

Indiabulls Research Project Free Essays

No professional curriculum is considered complete without work experience. It is well evident that work experience is an indispensable part of every professional course. In the same manner practical work in any organization is must for each an every individual, who is undergoing management course. We will write a custom essay sample on Indiabulls Research Project or any similar topic only for you Order Now Without the practical exposure one cannot consider himself as a qualified capable manager. Entering in the organization is like stepping into altogether a new world. At first, everything seems strange and unheard but as the time passes one can understands the concept and working of the organization and thereby develop professional relationship. Initially it is felt that as if classroom study was irrelevant and it is useless in any concern working. But gradually it is realize that all fundamental basic concepts studied are linked in one or other ways to the organization. But how and what can be done with fundamentals depends upon the intellectual and applicability of an individual. Executive summary Investing in equities in a market like India is speculative and involves risk that may be greater than other types of investment strategies. Before investing an Investor should be careful enough about him investment decision to avoid erosion of wealth. As seen in the recent times the volatility of market is more detrimental to the retail iinvestors as it seems to be lucrative for speculative gains of short duration of time. Hence an investor has to evaluate his options carefully for a prudent investment, keeping long-term horizon in mind. The report has tried to bring out the parameters those are of paramount importance to general public dealing in an equity trading on day-to day and delivery base trading. The working methodology has been discussed i. e. the data collection methods, sampling methods and the survey questionnaire methods. The questionnaire prepared is designed so as to cover a wide range of customer â€Å"touch points† The report given a view about the iinvestors perception that what thy think while making investments in shares. The questionnaire has been designed for the target group to get the best amount of data possible keeping in view the importance and authenticity of the information and convenience of the respondent. The selection of investor was predetermined in nature Personal contacts were established to conduct a face-to-face interview. Interview was conducted under strict supervision to maintain the standards of the data collected. Research Design Research design is a spacification of methods and procedures for acquiring the information we need to solve the problems. Research design was adopted for the purpose of collection and analysis of data in a manner aimed at getting relevant information. It was conceptual structure within which research was conducted, collected, measured and analyzed. Research Idea To know the market scene of trading and Investment in equities through Indiabulls securities Ltd. Research Question What is the market trend regarding investment? What difficulties and challenges iinvestors are facing while making investments? Research Statement ? â€Å"To get an insight into the mind of iinvestors regarding trading and investment in Equities† â€Å"To get an insight into the mindset of iinvestors regarding the importance assigned to different attributes such as risk, return, liquidity etc. of various investment channels such as equities. In the report this tries to understand the investor’s behavior while trading. † ? â€Å"To study the preferences and perceptions of iinvestors regarding various financial products from the stable of Indiabulls Securities Ltd. so that the firm can benefit from the findings of the report in launching any new investment product in future. How to cite Indiabulls Research Project, Essays

Vacation Policy for Compensation Package - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theVacation Policyfor Compensation Package. Answer: Four Items related to vacation leave pay to be addressed in the policy to ensure compliance with employee standard Vacation policies need to be identified as a part of the total compensation package offered to an individual employee working for an organization. The four major vacation leave pay policy that an organization in Canada needs to follow are: Vacation pay based on base pay: Canadians are entitled to get a minimum two weeks of vacation and the employees are entitled to a pay of 4% of their regular wages earned in last year including bonuses, overtime[1]. Vacation pay for temps: Employees working on assignments through an agency are entitled to 4% pay of the period of employment. Vacation accrual on leave: Employees on maternity, parental or other leaves also continue to accumulate vacation time for two weeks per year available only when they worked for the full year. Scheduling a vacation: In order to meet the organizational demand, the vacations of the employees are scheduled as well and the employees are given vacation on the basis of their needs[2]. Recommendations: It is recommended that the employees could be given vacation based on scheduling. The vacations need to be scheduled in order to reduce the problems that might occur in absence of the employees. The employees could be given accrual leave as lesser percentage of employees are found to avail this particular leave. Scheduling the leaves is the most important way of curbing extra leaves and at the same time the organization would have the minimum presence rate of employees required. References: Canadabusiness.ca (2017) Government of Canada, Canada Business Network Available at: https://canadabusiness.ca/government/regulations/regulated-business-activities/human-resources-regulations/employment-standards/ [Accessed on: 8-5-2017] Community.gov.yk.ca (2017) Employment StandardAvailable at: https://www.community.gov.yk.ca/pdf/es_faq.pdf [Accessed on: 8-5-2017]

Women And The History Of Computers Essay Papers Example For Students

Women And The History Of Computers Essay Papers The earliest existence of a modern day computers ancestor was the abacus. These date back to almost 2000 years ago. It is simply a wooden rack holding parallel wires on which beads are strung. When these beads are moved along the wire according to programming rules that the user must memorize, all ordinary arithmetic operations can be performed. The next innovation in computers took place in 1694 when Blaise Pascal invented the first digital calculating machine. It could only add numbers and they had to be entered by turning dials. It was designed to help Pascals father who was a tax collector. We will write a custom essay on Women And The History Of Computers Papers specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now In the early 1800s, a mathematics professor named Charles Babbage designed an automatic calculation machine. It was steam powered and could store up to 1,000 50-digit numbers. Built into his machine were operations that included everything a modern computer would need. It was programmed by, and stored data on, cards with holes punched in them, appropriately called punch cards. But his inventions became failures because of the lack of precision machining techniques used at the time and the lack of demand for such a device. By the late 1930s punched-card machine techniques had become so well established and reliable that Howard Hathaway Aiken, in collaboration with engineers at IBM, undertook construction of a large automatic digital computer based on standard IBM electromechanical parts. Aikens machine, called the Harvard Mark I, handled 23-digit numbers and could perform all four arithmetic operations. The Mark I was controlled from pre-punched paper tape. The outbreak of World War II produced a desperate need for computing capability, especially for the military. In 1942, John P. Eckert, John W. Mauchley, and their associates at the University of Pennsylvania decided to build a high-speed electronic computer to do the job. This machine became known as ENIAC, for Electrical Numerical Integrator And Calculator. It could multiply two numbers at the rate of 300 products per second, by finding the value of each product from a multiplication table stored in its memory. ENIAC was thus about 1,000 times fast er than the previous generation of computers. ENIAC used 18,000 standard vacuum tubes, occupied 1800 square feet of floor space, and used about 180,000 watts of electricity. It used punched-card input and output. The ENIAC was very difficult to program because one had to re-wire it to perform whatever task he wanted the computer to do. It was efficient in handling the particular programs for which it had been designed. ENIAC is generally accepted as the first successful high-speed electronic digital computer and was used in many applications from 1946 to 1955. The first wave of modern programmed electronic computers appeared in 1947. This group included computers using random access memory (RAM), which is a memory designed to give almost constant access to any particular piece of information. These machines had punched card or punched-tape input and output devices and RAMs of 1000-word capacity. The first generation of stored program computers required considerable maintenance. Typically, they were programmed directly in machine language, although by the mid-1950s progress had been made in several aspects of advanced programming. This group of machines included EDVAC and UNIVAC, the first commercially available computers. Early in the 1950s two important engineering discoveries changed the electronic computer field. The first computers were made with vacuum tubes, but by the late 1950s computers were being made out of transistors, which were smaller, less expensive, more reliable, and more efficient. In 1959, Robert Noyce, a physicist at the Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation, invented the integrated circuit, a tiny chip of silicon that contained an entire electronic circuit. Gone was the bulky, unreliable, but fast machine; now computers began to become more compact, more reliable and have more capacity. Memory storage capacities increased 800% in commercially available machines by the early 1960s and speeds increased by an equally large margin. In the 1960s efforts to design and develop the fastest possible computers with the greatest capacity reached a turning point with the completion of the LARC machine for Livermore Radiation Laboratories by the Sperry-Rand Corporation, and the Stretch computer by IBM. The LARC had a core memory of 98,000 words and multiplied in 10 microseconds. Stretch was provided with several ranks of memory having slower access for the ranks of greater capacity, the fastest access time being less than 1 microseconds and the total capacity in the vicinity of 100 million words. .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb , .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb .postImageUrl , .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb , .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb:hover , .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb:visited , .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb:active { border:0!important; } .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb:active , .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u24edcc2b5a2850483b8cab9f49d1cabb:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: American Expansion EssayDuring this time the major computer manufacturers began to offer a range of computer capabilities, as well as various computer-related equipment. These included input means such as consoles and card feeders; output means such as page printers, cathode-ray-tube displays, and graphing devices; and optional magnetic tape and magnetic-disk file storage. The trend during the 1970s was, to some extent, away from extremely powerful, centralized computational centers and toward a broader range of applications for less-costly computer systems. Most continuous-process manufacturing, such as petroleum defining and electrical-power distribution systems, began u sing computers of relatively modest capability for controlling and regulating their activities. In the 1960s the programming of applications problems was an obstacle to the self-sufficiency of moderate-sized on-site computer installations, but great advances in applications programming languages removed these obstacles. Applications languages became available for controlling a great range of manufacturing processes, for computer operation of machine tools, and for many other tasks. In 1971 Marcian E. Hoff, Jr., an engineer at the Intel Corporation, invented the microprocessor and another stage in the development of the computer began. A new revolution in computer hardware was now well under way, involving miniaturization of computer-logic circuitry and of component manufacture by what are called large-scale integration techniques. In the 1950s it was realized that scaling down the size of electronic digital computer circuits and parts would increase speed and efficiency and improve performance. The size-reduction trend continued with the introduction of personal computers, which are programmable machines small enough and inexpensive enough to be purchased and used by individuals. One of the first of such machines was introduced in January 1975. Popular Electronics magazine provided plans that would allow any electronics wizard to build his own small, programmable computer for about $380. The computer was called the Altair 8800. Its programming involved pushing buttons and flipping switches on the front of the box. It didnt include a monitor or keyboard, and its applications were very limited. Even though, many ord ers came in for it and several famous owners of computer and software manufacturing companies got their start in computing through the Altair. For example, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, founders of Apple Computer, built a much cheaper, yet more productive version of the Altair and turned their hobby into a business. IBM had been the computer industry standard for well over a half-century. They held their position as the standard when they introduced their first personal computer, the IBM Model 60 in 1975. However, the newly formed Apple Computer Company was releasing its own personal computer, the Apple II (The Apple I was the first computer designed by Jobs and Wozniak in Wozniaks garage, which was not produced on a wide scale). Software was needed to run the computers as well. Microsoft developed a Disk Operating System (MS-DOS) for the IBM computer while Apple developed its own software system. Because Microsoft had now set the software standard for IBMs, every software manufacturer had to make their software compatible with Microsofts. This would lead to huge profits for Microsoft. Since the end of World War II, the computer industry has grown from a standing start into one of the biggest and most profitable industries in the United States. It now comprises thousands of companies, making eve rything from multi-million dollar high-speed supercomputers to printout paper and floppy disks. It employs millions of people and generates tens of billions of dollars in sales each year. Surely, the computer has impacted every aspect of peoples lives. It has affected the way people work and play. It has made everyones life easier by doing difficult work for people. The computer truly is one of the most incredible inventions in history.

Public Administration Degree and Career Options

Public Administration Degree and Career Options What Is a Public Administration Degree? A public administration degree is an academic degree awarded to students who have completed a postsecondary college, university, or business school program with a focus on public administration. The study of public administration typically includes an examination of government organization, policies, and programs. Students may also study government decision-making and the behavior of elected and non-elected officials. Types of Public Administration Degrees Students who major in public administration have a number of degree options available to them. The most popular degree options include: Bachelors Degree - A bachelors degree in public administration, business administration, management, or political science can help graduates get entry-level positions in the public administration field. Bachelors programs typically take four years of full-time study to complete. However, accelerated and part-time programs are also available.Masters Degree - A masters degree with a focus on public administration, public policy, or a related topic is the next step for students who have earned a bachelors degree. Students may choose to earn a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus on public administration or management or a Master of Public Administration (MPA), which is the equivalent of an MBA in the public administration field. Some students may also choose to pursue a Master of Public Policy (MPP), which focuses on analyzing and solving public policy issues. Masters, MBA, MPA, and MPP programs usually take two years to complete. One-year and part-time programs are also available. Doctorate Degree - The two most advanced degrees in public administration are the Doctor of Public Administration and the Ph.D. in Public Administration. Both are research degrees with a focus on the practice of public administration. The amount of time it might take to complete an advanced research program varies depending on the school you choose. Choosing a Public Administration Degree Program There are many different schools that offer a public administration degree. When choosing a program, you should consider rankings (U.S. News and World Report offers a list of the best public affairs schools) as well as school size, faculty, curriculum, cost, location, and career placement. Here are 8 tips for choosing an MPA School. NASPAA Accreditation Accreditation is always important when choosing a school. Accredited programs have been evaluated for quality. Many different agencies accredit schools. One organization, the NASPAA, focuses specifically on public administration accreditation. NASPAAs Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation is considered the authorized accreditor of graduate-level public administration programs in the United States.   Public AdministrationCareer Options There are many different career paths available to students who have earned a public administration degree. The majority of grads take public service jobs. They may work in local government, state government, or federal government. Positions are also available in non-profit administration and management. Other job options include careers with independent or government agencies, such as the U.S. Small Business Administration, or positions with business and healthcare organizations. Another career path involves politics. Grads can run for political office or offer political support through lobbying and campaign management. Common job titles for public administration grads include Budget AnalystCity ManagerCounty ClerkLegislative SupportLobbyistNon-profit ManagerPolicy AnalystPolicy ConsultantPolitical ScientistProgram ManagerSocial Services AdministratorSocial Worker Learn More About Earning a Public Administration Degree Click on the links below to learn more about earning a public administration degree and working in the public administration field. ASPA - The American Society for Public Administration is a professional association for public administration. They focus on advancing study and practice of public and non-profit administration. You can view various publications on the ASPA website and learn more about student opportunities and careers in public administration.

E-Commerce Payment Methods Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

E-Commerce Payment Methods - Research Paper Example Continuous studies reveal that offering alternative methods of paying increase sales because of the fact that, the several options of payment offered by an electronic store increases the likelihood for customers to find a mode that suits them best when making a purchase online. This paper will take a research that expounds on electronic commerce payment methods and their affluence on today’s world. Bill Me Later Different people have different views regarding some methods of settling debts. Likely, as a shopper, you have used several of the most popular methods of payment . However, when it comes to setting up a Web shop, exactly what does storekeeper require in order providing a choice of modes of payments to his customers? This research outlines the steps needed to take to incorporate three popular alternative methods of payment, which include Bill Me Later, Google Checkout, and Pay Pal in to a business . To begin with, Bill Me Later is an optional form of payment the, with reference to the vice president of Bill Me Later, marketing department Vince Talbert, this instrument has more than 3 million users within 700 sites and 300 call centers worldwide. During the interview, Vince Talbert said, this company offers its clients a lower cost compared to credit cards and as surprising as it may sound, it assumes the hazards of fraud for both the merchants and consumers thus guaranteeing payment for merchants3. Further findings reveal that, Bill Me Later requires a merchant account whereby, a bank extends a credit line to a business so that the business can accept payment by major credit card. In so doing, if an online merchant finds it necessary to incorporate this method into his site, Vince Talbert said the process is a straightforward one. When a willing client contacts Bill Me Later, the company representative leads him through the task required to fold the requisite data into the existing merchant account. After, to get it up and running on a site, the process is two fold. On one end, there is basic HTML work and on the other, the client needs to fill some merchant processor database work. This research revealed that, this company provides sample code together with promotional messaging and a check out screen that electronic businesses can use while at their sites. The designers the response of Bill Me Later designed it to work just like a response of an authorization card making it easy for merchants to store it in their systems. Bill Me Later is advantageous over its competitors because, according to Vince, Bill Me Later is just as simple as a Master card or Visa card transaction on both the front and back end. Consumers provide a small amount of identification data; mainly their date of birth and the last four digits of their Social Security number and authorization process take place within three seconds. This mode of payment has no complications as it only requires merchants to keep their code of response in their ordering or fulfillment management system in order for them to be able to generate settlement requests the same way they do in the case of processing a credit card4. Google Check out With Google Checkout, merchants are able to charge the credit cards of their customers and do order tracking via the fulfillment process as well as receive payments of orders in bank account. This research carried a critical evaluation whereby it foun d out that, unlike Bill Me later, Google Checkout does not require someone to have a merchant bank account.

The swine flu clean up Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The swine flu clean up - Essay Example It is noteworthy that the earlier SARS outbreak as well as the Hurricane Katrina were at threat level three and four respectively. Though the current administration has not been found wanting in its response, there are nonetheless several steps that could have been taken to counter the threat of transmission. Swine Flu is a virus that spreads from pigs to humans and then from humans to humans as well. The typical symptoms are coughing, fever and headache with muscular atrophy as well. The greatest risk is not from eating pork but from the spread of the virus from person to person. There has been a widespread belief that the current hype over the swine flu outbreak has largely been media driven and in reality, the outbreak is not as severe as it seems. As the ABC news website puts it, â€Å"As the swirling national media coverage of swine flu nears the end of its first full week, signs are emerging that a certain degree of panic may be gripping the public† (ABC News, 2009). Further, the website adds that, â€Å"While the official case tally in the United States hovers at 64, according to data presented by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today, even suspected cases are edging their way into the public eye†. Thus it is apparent that people by and large are worried over the pandemic and are taking preventive steps to protect themselves and their families against the outbreak. The WHO or the World Health Organization responded immediately to the new threat by convening an emergency meeting where the threat level was raised to 5. According to a prominent news website, â€Å"The World Health Organization called a third emergency meeting in response to a spike in swine flu cases and said the expert panel will discuss Wednesday whether to raise the worldwide flu alert level. After the panels first meeting Saturday, WHO declared the outbreak an international public health emergency and on Monday it raised the pandemic alert level from

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 14

Philosophy - Essay Example apitalism in essence can be neither egalitarian nor authoritative, while Rawls felt that capitalism could afford basic rights and liberties to all while still allowing people to pursue their own desires. As these are contradictory viewpoint, they both cannot be correct. It is my position that Rawls’ theory is idealistic and doesn’t have much in common with the society in which we actually live, and that Kristol’s theory stands as the stronger of the two. Rawls’ basic conception of social justice is dependent upon two claims: 1) that people should have the most amount of personal liberty possible that is compatible with others’ and 2) that it is possible to arrange inequalities in regards to social and economic status so that can be to the advantages of all. Rawls’ position is an extrapolation of the idea of the social contract; the social contract is the idea that people enter into an agreement with each other and form a system by which they all agree to be governed. How Rawls’ idea differs is that he views justice as the that which is the product of the agreement, as opposed to a particular form of government. To differentiate his conception with previous ideas, he refers to his idea as ‘justice as fairness.’ Rawls feels that his two basic principles would be agreed upon by rational people. He feels that people, in order for his conception of social justice to work, must not be aware of their own individual assets, as far as natural abilities, dispositions, place in society, etc. This is where his idea of the ‘veil of ignorance’ comes in; the veil of ignorance makes everybody fair and equal, as there would be no way for a person to create an advantage over another through their own personal abilities. This would be most desirable because it would be the most fair, and any rational person would agree to enter into this sort of arrangement. In theory, this plan might sound ideal, but the problem is that there is no real life way to

Role of a Customer Champion

Role of a Customer Champion Key role of marketing is to act as customer champion to the organization. There are two highlight points in this argument, one is if organizations have to act as customer champions among all the other orientations that they can choose, and the other one is if it is the role of marketers in each organization to be the customer champion between other alternative positions. Marketers roles in an organization Marketers role by the time: Pull/push method: Since 1950, marketing has been on a push/pull model that the manufacturer designs a product to fulfill a need and then persuades the customer to buy that product by advertisements, promotions and different kinds of distribution tactics. Customer-centricity: the next level of marketers role in organizations with more involvement of customers. Customer advocacy: a new era in marketing in which marketer is the customers advocate.(Urban, 2005) The marketers role has significantly changed during the past years, for example the development of social media, made the marketers role more strategic and complicated. Considering the history of business, it shows that marketing has played a role in even the simplest early businesses.(burrow, 2009) In marketing, there are metrics that relate to customer satisfaction: advocacy, loyalty, margin, market share and the rest. Marketers main jobs are creating a marketing plan that ensures the metrics are on the right track, and engaging and supporting everyone across the business to ensure delivery. In other words, their role is to create the future and deliver it today. We all know that marketing is about more than creating the advertisements. (Gooding, 2006) New products and services require marketing, in order to find and build relationships with different types of customers, to speak to them in an innovative way and sometimes reach them through different channels. Marketers have to connect with mass-market consumers and help them to imagine how this new product would enhance their life. It is not a small task. (Kelley, 2010) They should also be involved in product development, and since they are the closest to customers opinion, it is their responsibility to share new ideas to match the companys offer to the customers needs and wants. ( Asis, 2003)Most fundamentally, marketers must bring the outside-in perspective to balance, and often lead the inside-out aspects of business.(Fisk, 2006) Different approaches Product-orientation: the companys knowledge about its customers is often vague and general. The customers segmentation is not very precise, and since the company cannot predict the customers behavior accurately, the strategic objectives of the firm are also unclear.(Matheson, 2006) Customer-centricity: is the orientation of a company to the needs and behaviors of its customers, rather than the internal drivers, like quest for short-term profit. (Landy, 2010)From this basic strategic difference other different organizational features flow. These are the two extremes, but different strategies in every organization will result in different degrees of customer-centricity. Nokia is a good example of a hybrid structure of products and customers. It moved from a product-centric company to one that is still product-centric, but also has added a customer-centric component.(Galbraith, 2002) Knowing which type of marketing organization exists within a company is crucial. Every organization has to ensure that their type of marketing organization actually fits what the company is trying to do. (Mitchel, 2006) Market and customers changes Customers today are more different and individual, more intelligent and difficult than ever, while 100 years ago, a new car buyer would be more than happy to buy a Ford Model T, a model that hardly changed in decades, in any color as long as its black. (Fisk, 2006) Thanks to new media, Facebook, Twitter, Google, YouTube, eBay, Amazon and etc. customers now have an unlimited access to information about a company, its products, customer reviews, seller rating and almost whatever they want to know in no time. There are no time and place barriers any more. No matter where the customers are, they can buy from everywhere. Therefore the old methods of marketing are much less effective now customers can easily find competing products and compare them in order to find the best product at the lowest price. With the simple and visible star ratings, even they do not have to bother themselves reading through lots of comments.(Urban, 2005)So in such a market it is almost impossible to survive without transparency. Although among all these approaches in the 21st century customer-centricity is the most popular and successful one but there is an exceeding tactic with almost the same basic principals called customer champion. Definition of customer champion: Advocate for your customers and they will advocate for you. It is a two-way relationship between the company and its customers for a common benefit of both. (Urban, 2005)In very simple words they become a trusted resource and partner. They build trust and respect. Customer champions believe that when you focus on the relationship rather than the business, business will come. (OBrien, 2010). The whole concept is to motivate some changes in the organizations approach toward customer-centric strategy in order to meet new changes, in which customers are in power, they have various needs, their own independent means to research the market and more bargaining power. Also they are now more individualistic.(Fisk, 2006) This approach is mostly based on representing the customers interest by providing them complete and unbiased information, always be there for them and give them some advice on which product is the best, even with comparing with competitors. This kind of partnership leads to a long-term loyalty.( Urban, 2005) Besides having the skills in customer-centricity, using revolutionary tools to gain value from customer conversations is one of the must dos in order to be a customer champion. It can be achievable by seeing things through the eyes of the customers and serve them as a dedicated consultant. It sounds more like a slogan rather than a strategy, to bring the voice of the customer to the centre of the business, but by utilizing certain skills it will be possible.(Newby, 2010) By being transparent they have to tell the truth to the customer. Therefore considering the quality of the products or services becomes very important. They should be good -not necessarily the best- in quality to eventually win the customers and maintain them for a reasonably long time.(Urban, 2005) Why customer champion The markets change, the economy changes, customers change. If we are not in alignment with the voice of the customer, and if we are not nimble or humble enough to make the changes, we are not there.(Mainz, 2010) Successful examples in the market like Tesco, PG, IBM and lots of other businesses illustrate the effect of changing the organizations approach with the flow of the super quick changing market. Tesco is the market-leader supermarket in the UK, with a significant presence in Eastern Europe and South-east Asia. They think of marketing as looking after their customers. Actually their core purpose is to create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. They do this by responding to the different and constantly changing needs of all of their customers to deliver what they want, when they want. (Dibb and Simkin, 2006)And this is their secret for such a big success. In IBM even the bonuses are based on customer satisfaction. In addition to the fact that others experiences are promising, there is another reason for organizations that encourage them to go for being a customer champion and it is the image. Some companies believe that it can build brand image and customer loyalty and at the end it results in delight the customers and increase revenue. It can be a differentiation value for the organization in market.(Gunn, 2010) Marketers as customer champions Customer champions may have different jobs and responsibilities, but they share a common passion for the customer. Customer satisfaction and positive feedbacks are satisfying result for them.(Collins, 2009) The customer champion may live on the edge of the organization. By having a constant contact with the customers, they can understand their needs, become familiar with their actions and behaviors. (Kelley, 2010) The marketing people should take the lead in this way, because they are best placed to act as both the voice of the customer and an effective part of business plan. (Gooding, 2006) And also regarding to the nature of the marketing -mostly interaction and communication with customers- it makes more sense to think about marketers as the customer champions. Possible solutions As it is mentioned before the push/pull method has been the core of marketing for the past 50 years. Actually it was a solution to economics of mass production. But now with more powerful and wiser customers, the time pressure of the modern life and new technologies, this method does not work anymore. It may result in a short term winning in the sales but undoubtedly will end in losing the customers. They also can choose to continue with customer-centricity approach, which was urged by the saturation of push/pull marketing and also intense competitive market especially around quality and price. This is the approach of many leading companies in recent years. By emphasizing on customer satisfaction criteria, creating consistency in customer interactions, trying to satisfy the customer with higher quality products and with more customized services. They try to use one-to-one marketing and understand each customer and then deliver a consistent service to that customer. It seems an effective way and customers may like this one-to-one connection, but the problem is the huge amount of data, which companies are getting from CRM programs. (Urban, 2005)They keep receiving feedbacks from customers but most of the times they do not take these feedbacks into account for the upcoming steps. These feedbacks are data, and data is not information, information is not knowledge, and knowledge is no t insight. Insight is more profound.(Fisk, 2006) In fact considering the results, for most of the companies, CRM is just an improved way of pull/push marketing. As mentioned above The third way that they can follow is customer advocacy approach, being a loyal representative of customers interests and provide them with open, honest and thorough information. They have to simply reflect the reality, because customers now have the ability to find out the truth. (Urban, 2005) Conclusion Accepting this concept as a leading approach in the organization and the translation of customer champion from words to action is a tricky job; it requires lots of care, knowledge and skills. It also needs a crystal clear visioning. As technology advances and consumers become more knowledgeable, selling a product will increasingly demand a well-defined target segment and thorough understanding of customer needs, interests and frustrations. And it just can be achieved by the relationship, which is defined as customer champions.(Fisk, 2006) The point is that marketers as a customer champion would result in satisfied customers but not necessarily every happy customer is a result of a customer advocate marketer. Customer advocacy is the right way to do marketing; it is honest, open, and ethical. It can be a difficult decision to make as well, since it may result in short-term losses. But by committing to customers this approach is an easy and long-term decision; in long-term perspective businesses in the front line are the winners. Customers trust them and it will be very difficult for the competitors to change the customers mind and persuade them to switch to a new manufacturer. (Urban, 2005) By taking this approach, based on the information that companies can get from the customers, products and services will improve. As a result sales will increase and the company can produce more efficiently and costs can decline. But the problem is how to use this knowledge.(Burrow, 2008) I think in todays extremely competitive market, organizations cannot just compete on price and product. They have to deliver a great customer experience and build an extra ordinary trust among customers. The penalty for not doing so is greater than ever since consumers will complain on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.(Caballero, 2009) It is the matter of how to implement it. By doing it correctly, the organizations can gain huge opportunities that competitors can never touch.

John Dalton :: essays research papers fc

John Dalton John Dalton was born on September 6 1766 at Eagelsfield, Cumbria in England.Although he was born in England, he spent most of his life in Manchester.He was born into a Quaker family and while his family had food, they were still poor. His father Joseph was a weaver and John recieved most of his early education from his father. At the age of 12, John opened a school in Eagelsfield where he was the master. He was often threatened by the older boys who wanted to fight him because he was smarter, but he managed to keep in control for 2 years.Due to a poor salary, John was forced to leave his school and work in the fields with his brother. In 1781 John and his brother moved to Kendall. There John, his cousin George, and his brother ran a school where they offered English,Latin,Greek,French and twenty one mathematics and science course. Their school had sixty pupils. After twelve years at Kendall John started doing lectures and answering questions for mens magazines. John found a mentor in John Gough,who was the blind son of a wealthy tradesman. John Gough taught Dalton languages,mathematics,and optics. In 1973 John moved to Manchester as a tutor at New College. He immediately joined the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society and in the same year he published his first book: Meteorological Observations and Essays. In his book Dalton stated that gas exits and acts independantly and purely physically not chemically. After six years of tutoring, John resigned to conduct private research while still doing tutoring at 2 shillings a lesson. In 1802 John stated his law of partial pressures. When two elastic fluids are mixed together ( A and B) they dont repel each other. A particles do not repel B particles but a B particle will repel another B particle. One of his experiments involved the addition of water vapor to dry air. The increase in pressure was the same as the pressure of the added water. By doing this experiment, John established a relationship between vapo r pressure and temperature. John’s interest in gases arose from his studies of meteorology. He had weather equipment that was with him at all times and he was constantly studying weather and atmosphere. He also kept a journal throughout his life in which he wrote over 200,000 observations. In 1803, John made his biggest contribution to science: The Atomic Theory.

Ethical Non-Objectivism Essay

According to A. J. Ayers, the moral judgements are not cognitive in nature and are based on specificity to a given situation. These judgements can not be evaluated in absolute terms as true or false but rather on the basis of validity or applicability to a given situation. A moral judgement, according to him, is reflective of emotions aroused by a particular situation and can hence be classified as valid or invalid rather than as true or false. These judgements are not objective propositions but they express emotions and are not verifiable. An argument about the truth or falsity of a moral judgement is actually the interpretation based on empirical observations to specific cases thereby constituting a non-objective reality. The validity or the truth and falsity of ethical judgements can not be found because they are dependent on sense-experiences and they do not categorically make statements but rather give one’s biased opinion towards the situation. The ethical and moral judgements are thus purely emotive. Persuasive arguments for moral objectivism do not constitute a proposition since they are based on normative emotional reactions and earlier moral conditioning. His key argument against moral objectivism is thus this emotive response because even if an adversary agrees to facts in a given situation, he might still differ on his moral judgement with the two parties accusing each other of having a distorted moral sense whereas in reality each may be justified in having their judgements from their emotive experiences. Hence, the claims of moral objectivists on the correctness of their moral evaluations can not be verified in absolute terms as a propositional claim. Any such claim carries with it a certain emotive content or a sense-experience and so these do not come under the purview of being right or wrong as the moral objectivists proclaim. A more sound treatment of these value judgements, Ayer believes is an approach that takes into view an individual’s or a group’s empirical viewpoints. References Jules Ayer, Alfred. (1952). Language, truth, and logic. Dover Publications.

Ursuline College Admissions

Ursuline College Admissions Ursuline College  Description: Ursuline College, founded in 1871, is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church; the school was started by the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland and was one of the first all-women colleges in the country. Now, Ursuline is co-educational. Located in Pepper Pike, Ohio, Ursuline is only about 13 miles east of downtown Cleveland. Academically, the school offers over 40 majors, with nursing, business administration, general studies, and psychology among the most popular. Academics are supported by an impressive 6 to 1 student/faculty ratio. Outside of the classroom, students can participate in a number of extra-curricular activities, ranging from academic clubs to recreational sports, to performing arts groups, to religious/faith-based activities and projects. On the athletic front, the Ursuline Arrows compete in the NCAAs Division II, within the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Popular sports include lacrosse, bowling, soccer, swimming, tennis, and volleyball. Admissions Data (2016): Ursuline College Acceptance Rate: 90%Test Scores 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 470 / 540SAT Math: 420 / 570SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanACT Composite: 19  / 24ACT English: 17 / 24ACT Math: 17 / 23ACT Writing: - / -What these ACT numbers mean Enrollment (2016): Total Enrollment: 1,136 (645 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 7% Male / 93% Female72% Full-time Costs (2016  - 17): Tuition and Fees: $29,940Books: $1,200 Room and Board: $9,964Other Expenses: $1,724Total Cost: $42,828 Ursuline College  Financial Aid (2015  - 16): Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 99%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 98%Loans: 80%Average Amount of AidGrants: $22,614Loans: $7,108 Academic Programs: Most Popular Majors:  Nursing, Business Administration, Psychology, Management Information Systems, Design/Visual Communications, Studio/Fine Arts, Public Relations, Social Work, Humanities Transfer, Graduation and Retention Rates: First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 70%4-Year Graduation Rate: 31%6-Year Graduation Rate: 52% Intercollegiate Athletic Programs: Womens Sports:  Soccer, Swimming, Softball, Bowling, Track and Field, Volleyball, Lacrosse, Basketball, Golf Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics Ursuline and the Common Application Ursuline College uses the  Common Application. If You Like Ursuline College, You May Also Like These Colleges: Cleveland State University: Profile  Notre Dame College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphKent State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphOhio State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphAshland University: Profile  Oberlin College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphXavier University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphOhio University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphLake Erie College: Profile  Bowling Green State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBaldwin Wallace University: Profile  University of Toledo: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph Ursuline College  Mission Statement: mission statement from  their website Ursuline College offers  a holistic education that transforms students for service, leadership and professional excellence by providing undergraduate and graduate programs that foster lifelong learning and personal wisdom in an environment characterized by: Catholic and Ursuline heritageWomen-centered learningValues-based curriculaInclusive, global perspective

The Dimensions of Inter-Professional Practice The WritePass Journal

The Dimensions of Inter-Professional Practice Abstract The Dimensions of Inter-Professional Practice [online]), which provides a way to structure and implement change. I will also   use a tool widely used in business called ‘SWOT’ analysis, which helps in change planning by formalising the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in a given situation, and which is also useful for healthcare (Marquis and Huston 2009).   Gibbs (1988) model of reflective practice will also be influential.   The essay will be structured according to this 6 stage cycle, from description of event through evaluation and analysis to action and further reflection. While there are several different models of using reflectivity in practice including Bortons’ (1970), Kolb’s (1984) and Johns’ (1995), I use Gibbs model as it seems to best express the dynamic process of learning and change for me.  Ã‚   These tools will be used to demonstrate the things I feel are inadequate with the present situation whereby a limited number of healthcare professionals attend war d reviews, and suggest a change whereby key workers also attend, offering a deeper perspective on patient needs. The nomination form, which assesses my placement, is included in the Appendix. 2. The Situation: Description The situation in question occurred when I was on placement.   The hospital at which I was working, like others, carried out regular ward reviews. In these, the patient was discussed. A number of key staff involved in patient care were involved, and the aim was to review the patients care, treatment and prognosis. At the hospital where I carried out my placement, the members of staff who were involved were the consultant, the occupational therapist and the review nurse, sometimes also a student attended.   The patient did not attend this meeting. I attended a number of these reviews. In general, all members of the team who attended were respected and respectful, and took care to listen to what each person had to say.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One person led the meeting, making sure all were included and also ensuring that discussion did not go on for too long. Realistic goals and a date for the next meeting were set at the end, and the items discussed were formalised in writing. 3. The Situation: My Feelings I had two sets of feelings. On the one hand, I felt pleased   that everyone who attended the meetings seemed to have the best interests of the patient at heart. Where there were disputes it was regarding what would work best for the patient. Also, I was pleased with how professionally staff members conducted themselves, I seldom witnessed rudeness or ‘shortness’ when one person spoke to another. People took turns and really seemed to listen. In part, I felt, this was due to the way the meetings were led, which was very sensitive. However, on the other hand, I felt quite annoyed and disappointed that not all staff who were involved in patient care were included in the meetings.   I felt that a whole side of the patient’s experience was being missed out.   The staff who attended seemed to understand the patient’s condition only generally, from their records and discussing the situation, not through contact with the patient daily. The holistic side of pa tient care, understanding what the patient was feeling, seemed to have been missed out. 4. Evaluation In terms of the ‘SWOT’ framework, widely used in business but also useful for understanding healthcare (Williamson et al 1996), I evaluated the experience as follows. As Gibb’s evaluation stage is concerned mainly with what is good and bad about the experience, I have omitted the ‘opportunities’ and ‘threats’ from this analysis, as they will be covered later. Strengths Good communication between team members Respectful awareness of other points of view Developed clear goals and actions to follow Weaknesses Patient seems to lack a ‘voice’ Those involved in caring regularly from patient are not included in the review Those who know the patient well are not included in the review Lack of holistic and person-centred care 5. Analysis The following sections looked at what happened, how I experienced it and what sense I made of it within my own parameters. In order to make wider sense of the situation, I need to draw upon notions of interprofessional teamwork, user perspectives and team dynamics, all concepts central to the current health service.   Interprofessional teamwork, also known as multidisciplinary teamwork (MDT), has been part of healthcare policy in the UK since 1997 (Davis 2007). As an approach, it means professionals from a range of disciplines involved in patient care meeting to discuss and agree on care plans for patients (Hostad 2010).   There are a number of benefits, for example multidisciplinary teamwork seems to meet user needs better, and to deliver better outcomes.   However, there are also some drawbacks including the time needed for teams to work effectively, and difficulties with perceived status differences (Housley 2003).  Ã‚   For effective MDT, the ways in which team dynamics w ork has to be understood. There are many attempts to understand how people work together, both generally and in the healthcare context, for example Bale’s (1950) model.   Maslow’s model is also influential in healthcare. He suggested that all human’s need to be respected by others in order to feel valued, and have a need to feel part of a group, and want to have their social and emotional needs met within the work context (Borkowski 2009). The notion of incorporating user perspectives is also very influential in the NHS currently, as ‘patient-centred healthcare’.   This was introduced in the late 90s, and involves patients being involved as much as possible in decisions which are made about their care.   The relationship between healthcare professional and patient is no longer one in which the professional is at the top of a hospital hierarchy, but one of partnership in which mutual respect and communication exist (Chambers et al 2003) Overall, I feel that both MDT and patient-centred healthcare could be improved here through including the key workers, or support workers of the named patient. The key worker acts as a co-ordinator on behalf of the patient, keeping the patient informed of what is going on and co-ordinating care and ensuring continuity of treatment (NICE 2004). Support workers or healthcare assistants act in a supporting role to other professionals, and are very ‘hands-on’ in well-being and looking after the patient.  Ã‚   Both these professionals have much closer contact with the patient and as such have important insights into the patient’s situation. Multidisciplinary   teamwork emphasises including all viewpoints relevant to the situation, and I feel that these workers would add valuable insights to enhance the teamwork.   In addition, how can patient care be really holistic and patient-centred if the meetings do not include those people who get to know patients as indivi duals, understanding their feelings, hopes and fears?   Including support and key workers would allow those people who are not involved in daily care to really understand how the patient is feeling.  Ã‚   In addition, if support and key workers were present at the meeting, it would be much easier and quicker to feedback to the patient what is going on with their care. As it stands, patients hear second hand. 6. Conclusion Gibbs suggests reflecting upon what else I could have done here. Given that I was on placement, I feel that the opportunities for changing the situation are practically limited. At the time, I felt it was not appropriate for me to speak up and question the accepted meeting structure. Later, however, I did question whether I should have mentioned this to my supervisor on the ward.   I felt that the emphasis on MDT meant that I would be heard sympathetically, even though I had very little experience. If I was able, I would change the meeting structure to ensure that either a support worker or a key worker was included as a matter of principle. I feel that the existing meeting structure is very good, and that if it was part of protocol that staff closely involved in the patient’s care were included, they would be welcomed into the meetings, their opinions heard and the patient’s viewpoint better understood.   This would, I feel, ensure that the care delivered to the patient was more truly patient-centred and holistic, as it would take into account not only quantitative data about their condition but also their feelings and emotions. In addition, I feel wider meetings would be more reflective of multi-dimensional teamworking, as they currently don’t include all staff perspectives. It also seems that including key and support workers is more ethical.   All hospitals have detailed code of conducts which set out the ways in which they expect their staff to behave, and the care of the patient is generally the first priority in these. Working as a team is also one of the central tenets of most ethical codes in UK hospitals (Melia 2004). 7. Action Plan Here I draw upon the PDSA model to suggest a way to structure the change: Plan Discuss and agree new format for meetings (including key worker or support worker) Inform key / support worker and other staff of new meeting format Do Carry out a series of 4 pilot meetings over agreed time period Agree and implement mechanisms for review of new meeting format (gather data from key/support workers, staff already included, and patients) Study Analyse data collected, assess changes against clearly defined criteria (for example, do patients feel more informed, happier; did key/support workers feel included; did other staff value new structure) What worked well? What worked less well? Act Plan new meetings on basis of what was learnt during study phase. If including key/support workers beneficial, change meeting structure so that they are now part of meetings. Ensure that repercussions of this are understood, for example allowing them extra time for preparing for meetings. References Borton, T (1970) Reach, Teach and Touch,   Mc Graw Hill, London. Gibbs, G (1988) Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods,   Further Educational Unit, Oxford Polytechnic, Oxford. Johns C (1995) Framing learning through reflection within Carper’s fundamental ways of knowing in nursing Journal of Advanced Nursing, 22, 226-234 Kolb, D A (1984) Experiential Learning experience as a source of learning and development, Prentice Hall, New Jersey Marquis, B L and Huston, C J (2009) Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: theory and application (6th edn), Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Melia, K M (2004) Health care ethics: lessons from intensive care, SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement (2012) ‘Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA)’, [online] (cited 14th February 2012), available from institute.nhs.uk/quality_and_service_improvement_tools/quality_and_service_improvement_tools/plan_do_study_act.html NICE (2004) ‘Improving Outcomes Guidance for Supportive and Palliative Care’, National Institute of Clinical Excellence 2004, London. Williamson, S, Stevens, R E, Loudon, D L (1996) Fundamentals of strategic planning for healthcare organizations, Routledge, UK Appendix CLIENT – INCLUDE NOMINATION FORM HERE Assignment In writing the 1500 word reflective commentary focussed on service improvement you should consider/address the following: The context and setting for your placement. Your reflective commentary should focus either on a service improvement initiative that you have identified with your mentor, or on a service improvement that has previously been implemented in your practice area. You should examine this initiative in terms of the inter-professional team and identify actual or potential ways that inter-professional working can facilitate its implementation. You should also discuss potential barriers to implementation. You MUST include the Service Improvement Activity notification form with your assignment including a discussion of future plans in terms of the service improvement initiative. An evidence based model of reflection or reflective writing should be used. You should offer a rationale to support what you have used (fixed resource sessions on the use and application of reflective models and writing are included in the delivery of this module). You should also demonstrate the use of the PDSA cycle in terms of service improvement. For assessment purposes you are not expected to move beyond the planning stage of the PDSA cycle. As this assignment is a reflective commentary your reflection must be supported and referenced by using appropriate sources (as per learning outcomes). You may wish to use a structured reflective model e.g. Gibbs’, Rolfe et al or John’s; or you may wish to write in a reflective style, encompassing reflection on action e.g. Schon or Borton. This is your choice but either way you must show evidence you have done this. A reflective commentary requires that you use subheadings. The structure of this piece of work can be informed by using either learning outcomes or the stages of a reflective model to do so. If you say you are going to use a model of reflection, then you must demonstrate clearly that you have done so. Which ever process you use must be briefly explained and rationalised within your introduction. Ensure that you have supported your assignment with appropriate, contemporary and relevant sources, including published literature, professional standards key texts and policy. You need to apply theory to practice and use paraphrasing to demonstrate understanding of the sources you have used. Make sure you address the relevant learning outcomes for this piece of work (l,2,5) in this commentary: Learning outcome one requires you to analyse the unique role of the nurse within the inter-professional team and also to apply this to your experience in your placement area. For example, do nurses in your placement area require any additional skills or knowledge to work with the client/patient group? Learning outcome two requires you to evaluate the contribution of all members of the inter-professional team in providing holistic care to clients/patients. For example, which guidelines and policies inform holistic care in your placement area and how did this impact on practice in your area? How did the team work together? What qualities did you note in the team and how did this impact on care delivery? Learning outcome five asks you to reflect on learning and transfer newly gained knowledge. For example, what did you learn and how will what you learned in your placement help to prepare you to be a registered nurse?

Technical and fundamental analysis for Appe Inc Essay

Technical and fundamental analysis for Appe Inc - Essay Example 16 1. Introduction: Apple Incorporation is believed to be one of the most leading and most researched stocks, which is traded in different stock exchanges. Technical and fundamentals of stocks such as Apple, Google etc. are more commonly studied and researched by number of different financial researchers and analysts Grady (2008). The paper is based on analyzing the stock of the Apple inc., from both technical and fundamental perspective. As the current situation identifies that there is big debate whether the apple can sustain its current market share in the market in terms of its tablets and Smartphone or not? Moreover, Apple is issuing more debt to repurchase shares from the market, the impact of debt increase will make investors demand higher rate of return on their investments and this coupled with low cash flows definitely reduces the intrinsic value of Apple’s share price. Apple is expected to continue to issue more debt. Despite of all the expectations, what is the out come for the investors of Apple stock (AAPL.O). The purpose of the paper is to analyze apple stock in terms of investment perspective, whether it’s a good buy or sell. The first section of the paper is based on the technical analysis. ... Therefore, the stock of apple is analyzed technically by evaluating its trends, which refers to the past data analysis, moving averages, moving average convergence and divergence and relative strength index. The idea behind using different method for evaluating the same stock under technical analysis is that the stock’s analysis and its movement can be confirmed from different angles. The second section of the report is based on the fundamental analysis of the Apple Stock (AAPL.O). The fundamental analysis is concerned with calculating the intrinsic value of the firm using its financials. The stock is evaluated in terms of its ratios, which are derived from the financial statement of the firm. The stock evaluation of Apple incorporation is conducted using different fundamental research model. Stock is initially analyzed using the Graham Valuation Screen, in terms of value investors. The Dividend Discount Model , which calculates the intrinsic value in terms of dividends. As th e stock evaluation is conducted in terms of value investors, therefore the Graham Valuation Model is more appropriate as compared to methods such as GARP. 2. Technical Analysis: Technical analysis is based on the evaluation of the stock in terms of historical data and its movements. There are different methods adopted to conduct technical analysis of the stock of Apple Incorporation to analyze the stock price movement more effectively. Technical analysis can be used in two different ways a) Predictive Technical Analysis b) Reactive Technical Analysis 1) Predictive Technical Analysis: The Analyst use the analysis to project the price of the stock based on its past movements. The analysts make money by selling their projections to investors. 2) Reactive Technical

Nursing research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Nursing research - Essay Example To improve overall service at BTGH, so that every patient who wants to can get the highest quality of care. To improve patient-provider relations at BTGH, by improving the quality of the service which patients receive. In order to accomplish these goals, each objective in the practicum learning agreement was to be designing in a manner that helped me achieve the overall goals of my practicum project. Nonetheless, I achieved the following four objectives as per my practicum learning agreement. I carried out an effective analysis of the need to improve the low HCAHPS scores at BTGH. I learned how to develop an action plan based on the following approaches: Conducting a staff survey that identifies the needs for a healthcare facility. An effective process of conducting the literature review for the need of improving HCAHPS scores I learned the effective approach of implementing an action plan in order to improve HCAHPS scores and the importance of a mentor. Finally, I learnt the process of conducting an effective evaluation of the overall project. Effective Analysis Based on the practicum learning objective, I achieved the objective of carrying out an effective analysis on the need to improve the HCAHPS scores in a facility. ... d a crucial role in ensuring that I gained experience in conducting literature review that supported the goals of a project that I wanted to implement. On the other hand, this learning objective has played a crucial role in ensuring that I gained experience in conducting surveys that identified the needs of a healthcare facility. In this case, not only have I gained experience from the practicum project on how to identify the needs of a facility as an effective way of ensuring that I focused on achieving the overall objective of my project, but I have also gained the experience of structuring the survey questionnaire in order to obtain results that will help me develop an effective project. In addition, this learning objective has helped me gain experience on the approaches to use in order to conduct surveys from my respondents. Overall, in the process of achieving this learning objective from my practicum learning agreement, I have achieved experience that will be crucial in my futu re engagement as a nurse, and especially in the process of engaging in projects that changed practice. Developing an Action Plan The experience learnt during the preparation of the action plan is crucial in enhancing my future nursing career. In achieving this learning objective, I developed the action plan using the findings from the literature review that I conducted from the peer-reviewed journals and the survey I conducted among the nursing staff and patients admitted at Ben Taub General Hospital as represented in Appendix 1. These two activities were essential in developing the objectives of the action plan and identifying the areas that required attention in order to achieve the overall practicum’s goal of raising the HCAHPS scores at BGTH. On the other hand, it is crucial to point

Hate Crimes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hate Crimes - Research Paper Example It should be noted that 9/11 incident itself can be labelled as a hate crime. In short, hate crimes are happening at all parts of the world in different forms. According to Lieberman (2010), â€Å"In 2008, 13,690 police agencies reported 7,783 hate crimes—almost one hate crime for every hour of every day† (Lieberman, 2010, p.82). In other words, the incidents of hate crimes are growing day by day not only in America, but also in all parts of the world. It should be noted that the major reasons behind majority of the wars in the past and at present are attributed to hate crimes. The war on terror, First and Second World Wars, Gulf war, conflicts between Israel and Palestine etc are some of the examples of hate crimes. This paper analyses the history of hate crimes, the development of laws against hate crimes, pros and cons of hate crimes, examples of hate crimes etc. History of hate crimes The first recorded "hate crime" occurred in 1922 in America. The Federal Bureau of Investigation encountered a rising Ku Klux Klan, white supremacist movement in Louisiana. Two people were kidnapped, tortured and murdered while thousands more received threats to their person. The KKK and other racist organizations committed thousands between 1922-2006. In July 1946, two black couples were pulled from a car, lined up and shot by 20 white men. In 1954, one of America's most horrible, hate crimes occurred in Money, Mississippi. The crime, itself, was bestial. As many as 20 men took turns beating and torturing 14 year-old Emmett until his death (Brookes, 2012). The history of hate crimes started along with the evolution of humans in this world. However, the term hate crimes started to get more popularity only during the Second World War. The modern day history of hate crimes started during the Nazi regime in Germany. Nazis started a massive operation against the Jews community and millions of Jews forced to sacrifice their lives because of it. Germans had a perceptio n that they were the superior race in this world and all the other religions and communities should obeys the laws formulated by the Germans. In fact the major reasons for the two world wars were the superiority complexes of Germans. In recent times, ethnic conflicts were reported from countries such as Bosnia, Herzegovina, Rwanda, Serbia etc. The development of laws against hate crimes â€Å"It makes better sense, legally and morally, to prosecute someone for harassment, trespassing, or disturbing the peace without judging the content of their expression than it does to proscribe certain forms of expression† (Breaking The Codes,1991, p.8). Hate crime prevention laws are in place in America after the abolitions of slavery and racial discrimination. In fact normal laws are enough to punish hate crimes since majority of the hate crimes involve real crimes or normal crimes. The First Amendment does not protect violence, nor does it prevent the government from imposing criminal p enalties for violent discriminatory conduct directed against victims on the basis of their personal characteristics. Americans are free to think, preach, and believe whatever they want. It is only when an individual commits a crime based on those biased beliefs and intentionally targets another for violence or vandalism that a hate crime statute can be triggered (Lieberman, 2010, p.83)

The Aztecs simplistic crop-enhancing Essay Example for Free

The Aztecs simplistic crop-enhancing Essay The main supply for food for the Aztecs were agriculture and farming. They rely mainly on the crops for every season; they grow, produce and consume food and this is how they get their daily food. Terracing Indicating the societal complexity of the Aztecs, the farming technique known as terracing is complicated and elaborate. They used terracing in the hilly areas and built walls, forming terraces into the sides of the hills. These stone walls ran parallel to the contour of the slope and rainfall washed compost vegetation and nutrients from the hills above. Terracing opened up previously unusable land for farming. Irrigation Because the Aztecs built extensive canal and water-diverting systems, irrigation farming became popular and productive. With water readily available, the Aztecs could enhance the growing season by irrigating the fields prior to planting, strengthen their crops by augmenting the rainfall with additional watering, and lengthen the farming season by irrigating long after the rains had stopped. Chinampas Also know to the Aztecs as floating gardens, chinampas were pieces of land created by piling up alternating layers of compost vegetation and mud from the lake bottom, in the shallow marshy parts of the lakes. Initially the 30 feet by 330 feet chinampas were held in place by man-made posts, but eventually these fertile farming patches stayed secured by the roots of nearby willow trees. Once the mud and vegetation piled up higher than the water level, the plot was ready for cultivation. The crop yield from chinampas was so prolific and expedient, farmers began growing, not only for themselves, but for marketing out to others. Rainfall Cultivation The Aztecs most basic and simplistic crop-enhancing technique, called rainfall cultivation, involved fallowing the fields. They left farming plots empty to collect itself and become nutritionally enhanced by rainfall. This process is the least labor intensive form of farming, but the Aztecs eventually cast it aside following the population boom and the need for larger, more productive crops.

Barack Obama: Leading Change In The US

Barack Obama: Leading Change In The US Having defeated John Mc Cain, in the 44th US presidential elections on the 4 November 2008, Barack Obama became the first African-American president in the history of the US. According to Forbes, he is seen as the most powerful person in the globe because he leads the largest, most powerful and evolving economy in the world. In his capacity as the American president, he participates in the (G8) forum and he is one of the people whose decisions shape the world economy. Additionally, at home, his party holds the majority in both US house and senate; therefore, he is able to wield legislations and policies to his favour. (Forbes, 2010) His priorities when elected as president was to develop plans to withdraw American troops from Iraq, finish the operations in Afghanistan and close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. His overall political agenda included (a) improving the American Economy, (b) introducing new legislation which aimed to provide affordable accessible health care to all American citizens as well as (c) improving education and (d) investing on renewable sources of energy in an attempt to reduce the disastrous effect of climate change. Last but not least, he aimed to stop Iran from developing their nuclear program. One of Barack Obamas major concerns was to improve the American foreign policy image around the world, in particular the relationships between the US and Muslim countries, which under the presidency of Mr. George Bush had deteriorated as a result of the war against Afghanistan and Iraq. Moreover, unlike George Bush who saw himself as the ultimate CEO, who sets big goals and agendas, and runs the Federal Government as a large private corporation, Barack Obama had at the core of his internal policy the interests of the ordinary American citizen. In other words, George Bush, an autocratic leader was succeeded by Barack Obama, a democratic leader. His vision was to inspire pride in all American citizens so that they would believe again in the potential of the American dream and restore their belief that change was possible and that they could all, together develop a new sense of common goals about their country. Clearly, Obama does not see himself as a CEO, but rather as a community orga nizer and facilitator whose authority is derived from the American People and whose main purpose is the public welfare. (Burnett, 2008) What makes Barack Obama a true leader? Barack Obama is true leader because of his leadership characteristics and personality traits. One characteristic that makes him a leader is integrity, that is, the strength of someone able to keep his personal ethics. Obama has this trait because he will not compromise to anything that is unethical to him and he will stick to his position and ethics for the greater good of the country, even if he is risking his career. Another characteristic that represents Obama, with regard to foreign affairs, is his sense of respect of other countries despite their past. This led Obama to support diplomacy, even with countries which were considered terrorist such as Iran. Barack Obama is characterized for his belief in equality for every American citizen. According to a tax plan that he introduced, middle class families will relief from taxes and so will small business because they create more jobs. Another typical characteristic of Obama is his sense of citizenship. Back in 1992, when he was still a community organizer in Chicago, he helped to create a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants rights organization. This showed Obamas self-will and motivation to be an active member of a community and make changes for the greater good. Obamas sense of caring and solidarity to the American people, led to a new legislation which reformed the public health care sector as well as the education sector in the United States. This shows that the welfare of each American is at the top of its agenda. Not many leaders have the ability to have time for both their families and the public welfare, but apparently Barack Obama keeps balance of his time and also devotes time to his beloved family. Confidence is another virtue of Barack Obama, which is particularly obvious in his speeches and the way people perceive him. His confidence is inspiring; it boosts their morale and encourages them to act for a common purpose with their own goodwill. Barack Obama was elected with a majority of 53%. A remarkable thing to say is that a few weeks after his election, a Gallup poll revealed that the 83% of the population approved of his action. This shows that the 30% of the voters who hadnt voted him at the elections changed their minds and gave another chance to the 44th American president. What made them change their mind about Barrack Obama? Since day one, Barack Obama tried to introduce important changes in domestic policies and the foreign affairs as he had promised from his campaign. His activities caught the eye of the public and gained him their trust, with his charismatic nature. One century earlier, the German Sociologist Max Weber, stated that charismatic leaders are characterized by a certain quality in their personality by virtue of which they are set apart from ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities. Barack Obama has this charisma and his followers think of him as a leader with special qualities that he deservers their devotion and faith. This charismatic ability enabled him to bring the people to his side, especially young people and prompt them to achieve goals larger than their expectations and strengths. During his speeches he uses the expression we a lot, which enables him to have direct communication with his audience. A lso, in his speeches he uses expressions such as we are hurting, in order to awaken them and get their attention to important issues that affect them and make them believe that they can contribute to his work. (Fellahi, 2009) According to Barack Obamas doctrine, a complete change will come from the transformation of the politics of America to heal Americas pain and change American lives for good by replacing the politics that breed division, conflict and cynicism with a policy that increases unity and brings peace in America and the whole world. From this doctrine we can see that Barack Obamas charisma springs from empathy and inspiring power rather than authority and muscular strength such as Bushs administration. (Fellahi, 2009) Is Barack Obama a transformational leader? Looking so far what Barack Obama has done as a president for this short term, we can see an extraordinary person who has climbed the ladder of power with a vision. One of the dominant mottos in his presidential campaign was Change We Can Believe In. This referred to hope for a better future and a better country. So far, Barack Obama has made a lot of changes in the health care legislation and the economic system in an attempt to fight recession. His activities have inspired many people and provide them with a new vision that increases commitment and performance. After eight years under George Bushs transactional leadership with rewards and penalties in an attempt to force people to comply, came the transformational leadership of Barack Obama who presented himself as an initiator of change able to inspire people with his vision and create a need for change by making the people to deal with the problem, by creating a new culture of urgency and energy and not by ignoring it. (Bateman, 2010) According to the contingency theory in leadership, different management styles will be more effective in different situations. In that case, during his presidency Barack Obama has been able to respond to different situations with different styles. For example, when he was travelling abroad he was humble and listened patiently before he spoke. However, in other cases he showed his tough site and forced the automobile industry in the US to follow some standards and change their business actions. Finally, he showed the world that he is willing to work hard to accomplish the changes he promised to bring and overcome all types of challenges in order to keep his promises. (Coggins, 2009) In conclusion, Barack Obamas leadership has taught us that every leader needs to set his goals and create his own strategy of implementing them. Definitely, having a vision helps to set priorities and makes you confident so that you will work hard in order to achieve your goals. Barack Obamas vision has enabled him to set goals and priorities such as the welfare of the American citizens, to be self-motivated and confident of what he was doing and inspire others to follow him. Finally, Barack Obama is characterized as an initiator of change; with his vision, he has created a need for change by making people deal with their problems and create a new culture of urgency and energy. Sources Forbes, 2010. [online]. Available at:

Microsofts .Net architecture :: essays research papers

BY NOW YOU'VE read and heard plenty about .NET, Microsoft's new enterprise application strategy. A nuts-and-bolts rundown of .NET's features may leave you asking, "Does this have anything to do with me?" If you run Windows on desktops, .NET's impact will be minimal, and if you operate Windows servers, .NET could require making a few changes. But if you specify, design, develop, or implement enterprise software or Web applications, keep in mind that .NET drastically changes Windows' profile. You can't use the old rules to determine Windows' suitability for an enterprise task. The assumptions, design models, and development techniques that have worked since Windows NT 3.51 will soon be obsolete. In contrast to the poorly defined Windows DNA (Distributed interNet Architecture), .NET is a tangible and easily defined software product. It is an application framework, meaning that it provides applications with the system and network services they require. The .NET services range from displaying graphical user interfaces to communicating with other servers and applications in the enterprise. It replaces Windows COM (Component Object Model) with a much simpler object model that is implemented consistently across programming languages. This makes sharing data among applications, even via the Internet, easy and transparent. .NET also substantially improves application scalability and reliability, with portability being a stated but not yet realized objective. These are clear benefits demonstrated by the pre-beta edition of .NET. We've been testing the .NET pre-beta (now downloadable from msdn.microsoft.com/net) for several weeks. Attendees of Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference (PDC) 2000 in Orlando,Fla., ourselves among them, received a stack of CDs with the .NET preview, plus a good deal of software not yet released. The combination of the .NET components adds up to a strikingly complete picture of what .NET will be on its release. With an uncharacteristically stable and feature-rich pre-beta, relationships already in place with third-party tools suppliers, and even books on .NET topics, Microsoft could drive .NET to market with head-spinning speed. But until Microsoft publishes its schedule for .NET's release, it's best to plan for a debut that's months rather than years awayWe've been testing the .NET pre-beta (now downloadable from msdn.microsoft.com/net) for several weeks. Attendees of Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference (PDC) 2000 in Orlando,Fla., ourselves among them, received a stack of CDs with the .

Consider how effectively does David Lean creates an atmosphere of fear and suspense in the opening sequence of ‘Great Expectations’

Welcome to the new monthly section of The Film Watchers' Journal in which we discuss a question asked to us by a reader. As it is nearly Halloween, our topic for this month will be, ‘What is the best way to create an atmosphere of fear and suspense in a film? ‘ To do this I will first discuss my personal views on this question and then we will take a deeper study of the classic suspenseful opening of the 1945 film ‘Great Expectations', directed by the great David Lean and the Academy Award Winner of Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction in 1946. To start with, let's consider what makes a film scary and suspenseful. Some may say that it is outright scares and jumps, though I believe that it is more than that. Something within us needs to feel the fear of the characters and there are many techniques a director can use to achieve that. One of the main causes of fear is the music. Large periods of silence can really get you feeling scared as you wait for something to happen, but equally I also would say that it is chilling when you hear the odd sound such as creaking or the wind to give a sense of realism and pulls at our basic fears of these sorts of noises. Another way that many films are made to be scary is by their use of lighting. Again the basic fear of the dark is used, but also making certain aspects of the scene light or dark can foreshadow future events and subconsciously make the viewer feel worried about what is going to happen. There are also of course many other ways of making a scene fearful and suspenseful such as camera movement, the relative size of what is in the frame, speed of editing and lots of other things besides but we will get to this as I analyse the opening scenes of ‘Great Expectations' as it has many good examples which can be noted. To start with it would be wrong not to look at how the opening shot of the scene in which the book is read. At first glance it may not seem to have any fear or suspense as it is a very everyday object, but I think that there is relevance to this in the overall build up of apprehension. As it is read, the calmness of the melody in the background is slowly overtaken by the sound of the wind as the story begins, and the way this is makes you wonder what is going to happen and starts building up some tension, especially as the pages of the book flick in some supernatural way. It immediately focuses you on it as the book is lit up, framed by the darkness of an unknown place which may be playing on our fear of the unknown. It then fades into the next scene, which I believe gives it a sense of smooth carrying on, and the suspense really starts to kick in. One of the key ways in which David Lean creates fear is by the imagery of death all around, a common technique used by directors. One of the chief examples of this is when Pip runs past the gallows in the wide open marshes. With the use of perspective he really looks the same size as the first, almost as if it is made for him. Subconsciously I think that this must make the scene more worrying for the audience as they have the picture of him and death together in their minds. This is strongly reinforced by the second gibbet which towers over him as he runs underneath it which again shows that death is over him all the time. I find that this is a very effective way of creating fear as it is not too obvious so it works at our subconscious which is more subtle and can create more lasting and deeper fears as we slowly piece them together in the backs of our minds. Another example of death imagery is obviously the graveyard which almost always has the gravestones looking bigger than Pip and looming over him, possibly to create a sense of foreboding. I think that the constant reminder of death being always there is definitely a big reason that this is the classic suspense scene always remembered. Of course imagery is also used elsewhere; one of the foremost cases of this is when the second tree is shown looming over Pip you can quite clearly see what seems to be a face in the gnarled bark. This reflects the childish fears of Pip and therefore makes us immediately empathise with him and feel his fear as well due to our compassion for frightened children that is within most people, especially seeing as that sort of thing can live in with us until we are much older. Of course the imagery is not the only way of creating fear and suspense. Another obvious technique used in this film is the way objects or people, specifically Pip, are placed in the frame to give them certain relevance. This is shown to start with by the world seeming very big and Pip seeming very small by using very distant establishing shots. You may think that this would make him seem quite irrelevant but as he is kept quite central in the mise en scine and the camera moves with him we can see that his size on the screen must serve a different purpose and I believe that this is to show us just how scary and big this world is, especially to a child, and straight away lead us to empathise with him and therefore feel his fear. Again this use of size is echoed later in the scene when Pip meets the convict, with the convict always towering over him in a way that makes him seem very weak and in peril. At some points we cannot even see the convict's head as it is looming so high above him that it does not fit in the frame. It could be said that this is just for practicality but I think it is important because in quite a lot of the time we can be more scared by what we cannot see that what we can see and the fact that his head is not in the shot makes it seem all the more frustrating as we do not feel that we can see the whole picture and therefore it scares us as the unknown is a massive factor in how we get scared.. Another more subtle way that this film gets into our subconscious is through very clever lighting which can be seen as very symbolic. In the shot where the boy runs toward the camera we can quite clearly see that the foreground is darker than the light shining on the horizon so we can plainly see that the boy is running from the light into the dark and I would associate this with danger and fear. However, I think the use of light is most evident in the section with Pip and the convict as Pip clearly has the light shining on him while the convict is left in the dark. This not only makes him more mysterious as we cannot see him as well as we would like to but it also makes him seem dark and scary which sparks most people's inner fear of darkness and again that which is unknown. Use of the dark is therefore a very popularly used way to really get into people's heads as it is a primal fear that everyone has and instantaneously makes us feel nervous when this man is introduced because he is so dark within the frame compared to Pip whom we have come to trust who is lit up. Although a lot of the lighting is not as strong as in some other films, I think that the way that it affects us is still quite noticeable and does serve a very useful purpose in that it grabs our attention and slowly builds up future unconscious foreshadowing of future events. Probably one of the more obvious things which David Lean uses to create tension is his use of sounds. Unlike many other suspenseful films he does not use suspenseful music or much silence, but in fact the chilling sounds of the howling wind, distant seabird call and the creaking of trees. These may seem a little over the top to a modern audience used to being scared in much more elaborate ways, but they still can make you shiver if you are really getting into the film. A great deal of this is just repeated over and over, so you are lulled into a false sense of security so that when the scream comes as Pip is grabbed by the convict you are caught completely off guard. This use of a long period of similar sounds then a large, surprising one is often used to great effect in films and the shock of it is a very good tactic as it shakes the audience into focus and really makes them watch what's happening. The scream itself is quite scary as, having to got to empathise with the boy, we immediately share his fear and want to know what is going on but can't quite tell. I think that this is again going back to the fear of the unknown which has seemed to come up quite often in this review. Lastly, it is useful to look at some of the more technical techniques used to make this film suspenseful, namely camera movement and post production editing. I don't feel that the way the camera moves makes it quite as suspenseful as it could be as there is not all that much done with it other than panning across whenever Pip moves. It could possibly be improved had more been done with it such as zooming in slowly to build up tension or quick movement away from Pip to disassociate with him at some points. However, it could be said that the lack of movement in the shots makes them seem more sharply put together and could make movement more edgy and therefore in a way scarier. The editing on the other hand I feel is quite well done to make it seem more suspenseful. As the scene opens there are long, slow moving shots which establish us into the scene and make us feel a sense of what it is like to be there and begin to draw us into it. The shots continue to be long and unhurried until the lengthy shot of Pip slowly looking round behind him as he begins to feel that something is wrong. The shots then speed up rapidly, cutting from him to the tree then back to him and even more quickly onto the tree with the gnarled face. With this we can feel his fear building up and we begin to feel it ourselves too, and as he gets up and runs we are fully with him and are just as shocked as him when his is grabbed by the convict. The shots stay quite fast as he has his conversation with the convict which I feel reflects his own fear in the situation and again, because we have already built up some form of empathy for Pip's character during the short time before, we begin to worry what will happen as well. So there it is, I can answer the question that in this old classic the way that David Lean thinks that a film can be made suspenseful and fearful is mainly by slowly getting us to feel for a character and build up imagery of death and subconsciously keep feeding us fearful pictures and sounds so that when the climax of the fear comes we are equally as shocked as Pip is. Although modern audiences might scoff at this movie as it is not as scary by today's standards, I think that it is a very clever piece of film in making you scared without being too obvious about it and that if you look carefully in more contemporary films you will see that even then the same techniques are generally used. That's it for this month's film question, but please write in with responses or suggestions for November, and keep an eye out for these techniques when you are next watching a scary film!