Thursday, October 31, 2019

Protecting the Interests of the Employees Assignment

Protecting the Interests of the Employees - Assignment Example The main aim why the WARN act was initiated to offer advance notices was to allow the employee and their families sufficient time to adjust to the prospective job termination. This also allows them to seek other employment opportunities as well acquisition of new skills that will make them more competitive in their new job prospects. There are a number of employees who are not covered by the WARN Act hence they are not subject to advance notice by their employers. Such include workers who are taking part in strike actions as well as those who are subject to labor disputes. Business partners, contract employees, and consultants who are charged with the responsibility for some period by an organization are not entitled to notification from their employers (Ford, et. al, 2000). The federal, local government and state employees are not subject to the Act as they are deemed to be protected by the government under other labor laws. Those employed on the temporary basis and those who have no direct control of the undertakings of the companies that they are working for are left out of the Warn Act. One of the factors that trigger the issuance of advance notice is the closure of a plant. An employer who is covered by the Act must issue the notice in circumstances where an employment site is to be shut down which is likely to lead to loss of employment. The only exemption to those who are to receive notice are the employees who have only worked for a period of six months in the last one year and those who work for the employer for an average of 20 hours per week. Another trigger is during mass layoffs in which an employer under the Act must issue advance notice where loss of employment is likely to take place (the United States, 1993). The general requirements for the notice include the fact that all must be made in writing but any method of delivery s acceptable. The notice has to be very specific and it must be given conditionally upon the occurrence or the non-occurrence of a given event. The WARN Act is thus a clear provision of the law that seeks to protect the interest of t he American workers. This Act has seen its application in all the states in a bid to safeguard the interest of the employees.        

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Women language Essay Example for Free

Women language Essay One of the debates which is of long standing within the study of linguistics is concerned with whether women speak in a language and perceive situations in a manner significantly different from that of men. Many theorists both feminists and anti-feminists have attempted to prove that women do indeed speak in a different way from men; and that there is such a thing as the â€Å"women language†. The debate attempts to place in context matters such as sex differences in linguistic behavior at the level of phonology and to a lesser extent grammar. The concepts upon which the debate has been built however reflect, to a greater or lesser extent, the influence of feminism over the past two decades. Feminism has fore grounded issues of gender differences and male domination in society; it has prompted a concern with putting women ‘on the map’ and a critical reappraisal of feminist and non-feminist research. The discussions on gender linguistics therefore focus on the feminist projects of ‘redressing the balance’, as manifested in the academic field of languages. Phonology Cognitive research on gender differences has drawn interest from linguistic experts and language scholars. Holmes and Meyeroff (2003, p. 144), the research more often than not directs itself to the hypothesis that women posses much better verbal skills than men. Most of the studies have drawn the conclusion that there are in fact differences based on gender, in verbal performance and verbal cognitive processing. It is often believed that females are far better in reading and posses much stronger language acquisition skills than males. Many scholars equate this probability to the phonological superiority possessed by women, (Christie 2002, p. 102). The difference in phonological ability is often attributed by some researchers and scholars to the structure of the brain which in this case favors the female. Studies suggest that the left hemisphere of the brain which is much more developed in males is superior in mathematical and scientific processing and analysis (direct speech). On the other hand the right hemisphere (much highly developed) in females is much more superior in word structure, grammar recognition and verbalization (indirect speech), (Christie 2002, p. 104). However the evidence provided to support this theory has often drawn inconsistent results making it much difficult to prove. Another school of researchers in linguistics suggests that culture is the main foundation for any form of language processing and development. For this school of scholars the role of women as caregivers in society makes them much more sensitive in their speech structure and verbalization. They know that they must be more knowledgeable in the different aspects of language and speech, (Holmes and Meyerhoff 2003, p. 142). The women are the first teachers for the child and therefore they take much more time to understand the speech techniques and pronunciation so they can be able to direct the children much easily. The men’s social role as providers on the other hand, pre-disposes them to poor performance in reading, sounds and sentence structure. This means that women easily develop direct and indirect speech much easily than men. Men are much better at direct speech. Use of Slang In historical society and the study of linguistics, women have been given the conservative linguistic role while men are often considered much more creative, and innovative in their language use. In traditional societies, subordination of women denied them the chance to use creative, innovative language that violated the speech protocol. It is from this perspective that many scholars develop the notion that women are less likely to develop â€Å"slang† or terms considered as â€Å"slang† in their speech. Medieval society put in place taboos and regulations that denied women the chance to distort conventional language regulations. Women had to use respectable language, refrain from swearing and insults; and use properly structured words and sentences. Grammatical errors and poor pronunciations were frowned upon, a woman’s speech was considered a reflection of her character and conduct, (Christie, 2000, p. 154). Surprisingly this practice is still present in today’s modernized society. We all have a tendency to judge and draw conclusions regarding an individual’s character from their command of conventional language, moreso women. Although there is no evidence that the use of ‘slang’ is more predominant in a specific gender than the other; it is found that men revert to the use of ‘slang’ terminologies much more easily than women. Even when women are influenced by the use of ‘slang’ and they incorporate ‘slang’ terminologies in their speech, the difference can be seen from the choice of terminologies. Women tend to use more euphemistic terminologies, while men apply complete use of ‘slang’ vocabulary. Use of Polite Speech In any form of communication, the speaker often hopes to get respect from his audience or the people he is speaking to. The difference in language and speech comes from how the women and men perceive respect. While the men view fear and admirations as forms of respect, women view agreement, generosity and sympathy as the measures of respect. Socio-linguists use this reason to explain why women are much more pre-disposed to the use of polite language than men. The mutual agreement is that women find polite language to be much more productive than men who prefer aggressive terms. Men are socialized by society to use rougher and more commanding language than women. Women on the hand are required to â€Å"act like ladies†, be respectable and meek. Coates (1998, p. 87) women are much more likely to use polite words such as please, excuse me and thank you than men. Women identify with the lesser classes and the abused or misused, and find it natural to appreciate others. Men on the other hand are socialized to demand action, appreciation and praise especially from women. Though being male does not necessarily mean that one is rude and arrogant, it does mean that the person is less likely to say please or thank you. In written literature, feminist scholars have often insinuated that female writers have developed what is known as the â€Å"female sentence†, which is structured to appeal to the polite nature of the female reader as well as the writer. Women are socialized to be much more submissive, as young girls for example sharing use of polite language and general respect to others is applauded. On the other hand boys are encouraged to be much more aggressive and demanding. It is this form of socialization rather than the biological composition of gender that linguists believe conditions women to be much more polite than men. Conversation Dominance A study conducted in 1975 by psychologist and linguist Zimmerman and West, based on a turn taking conversation model revealed that men are much more likely to dominate a conversation through interruption than females, (as quoted in Coates 1998,p. 161). Men feel the need to be dominant in all areas of their life, always commanding the full attention of others. They employ strategies such as interruption, questions in the middle of sentences and change of topics to maintain the dominance of the conversation. Men are well versed in strategies such as ‘no response’, interrupting, poor and inadequate responses and silence employed to change the path of the conversation to what suits them best. Eckert and McConnell- Ginnet (2003, p. 121) state that women may resort to arguments and shouting much easily when ignored, but they also tend to calm and compromise easily. However men are much more adamant, they can become completely uncooperative when ignored. While women have a tendency to imply what they would like to address or their wants and needs, men just tend to come out and directly demand what they want. Men are more confident with voicing their own needs even when they are infringing on some one else’s needs and time. As children parents and the society in general socializes the young girl to be more compromising allowing the male to get the attention they seem to thrive on. The male on the other hand is socialized to fight for and demand this attention. Conclusion The analysis of language and speech in gender provides a reflection of the cultural roles and status in society. The biological composition of each sex is less important in the development of language as compared to the socialization patterns utilized by different cultures. In general women are much more likely to develop subjective language and speech, easily influenced by the people they are speaking to. Men however are much more technical and object oriented in their language and speech, incorporating as little emotion as they can. To understand the difference in speech and language between men and women, one must first understand the gender roles and status defined by specific cultures. Works Cited 1. Christie Christine. Gender and Language: Towards Feminist Pragmatics. Edinburgh. Edinburgh University Press . 2000. 2. Coates Jennifer. Language and Gender: A Reader. Massachusetts. Blackwell Publishing 1998. 3. Eckert Penelope and McConnell -Ginet Sally. Language and Gender. United Kingdom. Cambridge University Press. 2003 4. Holmes Janet and Meyerhoff Miriam. Handbook of Language and Gender. Massachusetts. Blackwell Publishers. 2003.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Development of Healthy Eating Habits

Development of Healthy Eating Habits Amanda Benicio de Sobral EATING HEALTHY AND GOOD HABITS INTRODUCTION This essay aims to discuss Healthy Eating Habits. The first part discusses about tips how to create and maintain good habits. Also this essay discusses about how you can eat more healthily easily. In the end, the conclusion talk about if is possible to change your habits. Methodology The information of this report is collected from various books and websites about healthy life. These books are written by James Clear, a famous behavioral psychology author and Georgie Moore who is a famous dietician. The most important reference in this essay is James Clear,a famous author who write about behavioral psychology, habit formation, and performance improvement. EATING HEALTHY AND GOOD HABITS According to a study conducted by the Brazilian scientist Andrà © Frazà £o Helene (2014) (professor of the Department of Physiology of the Institute of Biosciences of the University of Sà £o Paulo), fat and sugar, for instance, are rich sources of energy, fundamental for life A FEW GOOD TIPS ON HOW TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN GOOD HABITS In the guide Transform your Habits, by James Clear (year), there are a few precious tips on how to keep one loyal to their objectives: 1) Focus on the process, not the results. As a rule, people tend to rely on results to change their lives. Different results which will transform one overnight. Nonetheless, what seems really necessary is taking up better habits. By changing and sticking to these new habits day by day, the process of transformation becomes much easier to continue, and the results come in turn. Hence, prioritize daily decision making and develop strategies to make your habits and costumes healthier. 2) Rely on habits that are easy to take up At the beginning, think small. It is important to choose something that easily fits your routine. Next, choose a strategy to start this new habit in a way that it is easy enough that you have no excuses not to do it. Lets take Abdominal Crunch or Sit-ups as an example. A good plan could be to start with 2 sets a day. More important than the initial quantity is becoming someone constant in this new routine. 3) Easy-to-remember reminders for new habits Motivation and necessity to change are not directly related not always you will feel motivated to do something. It is actually related to remembering to do it. Therefore, create mental reminders to the habits to take up from now. Such reminders can be anything that triggers your will to put these new habits in practice. For instance, linking the commercials on TV to your time to exercise might be a good idea. 10 GOOD STEPS TO EAT MORE HEALTHILY EASILY 1. Unprocessed FoodAccording to 12WBT dietitian Georgie Moore, there are various downsides of packaged / processed foods, such as high quantities of preservatives, colourings and added chemicals. Packaged foods tend to be higher in fat, salt and sugar than food cooked from scratch, while lacking nutrients and fibre, she states. The solution is to cook unprocessed foods such as lean meat, fresh vegetables, nuts and legumes, as well as organic eggs, milk and fruit. 2. Healthy Whole GrainsApart from containing more texture, whole grains contain considerably more fibre and nutrients than the standard refined ones.Brown rice, wholegrain pasta, quinoa and buckwheat are good examples of substitutes (Moore, 2012). 3. Change to Healthy Cooking MethodsThe simpler, the better. Try grilling, barbecuing, steaming the food. Also, there are good substitutes for the standard dressings and salt, such as balsamic for salad and herbs for refined salt. Pink salt is also a good healthy option (Bridges, 2017). 4. Eat Healthy Portion SizesA healthy dish must be balanced properly. The ideal balance must be a quarter of the food composed of lean protein, another quarter of low-GI carbohydrates, wholegrain carbohydrates, and the other half of vegetables and legumes (Moore, 2012). 5. Understand Healthy Eating-Out OptionsWhen eating out, one does not have to eat everything offered on the plate. A half portion can be asked, and the main course can also be substituted by an entrà ©e size dish, complemented by vegetables. In case you find the menu available online, a healthy meal can be chosen before you leave home. (Moore, 2012) 6. A Food Diary Will Help Your Healthy Eating HabitsKeeping track of what is eaten every day is another good strategy to control the intake of calories. Then, it is possible to analyze and decide on the best balance between the ingredients (Bridges, 2017). 7. Healthy Eating at Social EventsAlthough it is tempting to eat a considerable amount when in social events, if a healthy snack is eaten prior to the event, it will help control the hunger. Moreover, a healthier option at the buffet must be considered, filling the place just once (Bridges, 2017). 8. Plan Your Healthy ShoppingTakeaways are always an easy option when the fridge is empty. It is paramount to plan the shopping and stock healthy options in the pantry (Bridges, 2017). 9. Treats Can be Healthy TooEvery once in a while, we can treat ourselves. Once a week, decide on a meal where you can indulge yourself. It will help relieving the will to eat unhealthy foods, and will set up your calendar, avoiding these foods the rest of the week (Bridges, 2017). 10. Water: Natures Healthy DrinkDrink plenty of water. Water is crucial for a good digestion and for the elimination of waste, as well as paramount for the control of body temperature. According to the Australian Dietary Guidelines a healthy amount for men to drink is 2.6 litres per day and women should have 2.1 litres (or 8 to 10 cups per day). Who keeps a drinking bottle at all times is more likely to keep healthy (Crowe,2013). HEALTHY EATING PLATE The Healthy Eating Plate, created by nutrition experts at Harvard School of Public Health, provides detailed guidance, in a simple format, to help people make the best eating choices. Vegetables and Fruits -Should be  ½ of your plate Whole grains Should be  ¼ of your plate    Protein power Should be  ¼ of your plate. SURVEY ABOUT EATING HEALTHY Water According to teachers and students of Ailfe, water is the second most popular drink (behind soft drinks). Students and teachers are drinking enough water, besides, only one of them doesnt drink water. Vegetables Eating vegetables provides health benefits, but according to teachers and students of Ailfe, cook vegetables is difficult and spend a lot of time, that is why the results show that once a week is how many time they have vegetables. SURVEY ABOUT EATING HEALTHY 1) How many cups of water do you have per day? None à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   2 cups à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   4 or 6 cups of water à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   More than 6 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   2)How many portions of vegetables do you have per week? None à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   Once a week à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   3 or 4 portions per week à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   everyday à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   3) How often do you eat whole grains? None à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   Once a week à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   3 or 4 times a week à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   everyday à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   4) How many portions of protein (meat, fish, eggs, milk) do you have per day? None à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   1 portion à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   2 portion à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   3 or more portion à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   5) How many portions of fruits do you have per day? None à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   1 portion à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   2 portion à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   3 or more portion à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚   CONCLUSION In conclusion, although the world is becoming faster and our routines gradually busier with the globalized life, people can still eat healthy foods without much effort. There must be determination and discipline enough, but where there is a will, there is a way. Developing strategies to create new habits, focusing on daily eating practices, anyone is able to improve life quality without arduous dedication. There is always possibility to change, and change for better. THE REFERENCE LIST Kedouk, M. (2014). Changing Habits: A Science Explains Why Its So Difficult. Retrieved from http://boaforma.abril.com.br/estilo-de-vida/mudanca-de-habito-a-ciencia-explica-por-que-e-tao-dificil/ Clear, J. (2013): Transform your habits. Retrieve from https://www2.usgs.gov/humancapital/ecd/mentoringreadinglist/TransformYourHabits.pdf

Friday, October 25, 2019

Analysis of Alexander Popes An Essay on Man -- Pope An Essay on Man

Analysis of Alexander Pope's An Essay on Man    There are three main issues that Pope talks about in his long poem "An Essay on Man." First, the poet evokes a timeless vision of humanity in which the universe is connected to a great chain that extends from God to the tiniest form of life. Secondly, Pope discusses God's plan in which evil must exist for the sake of the greater good, a paradox not fully understandable by human reason. Thirdly, the poem accuses human beings of being proud and impious. Pope feels that man claims more insight into the nature of existence then he possesses. In "An Essay on Man" Pope is trying to make clear the relationship of humanity to the universe, himself, society and also to happiness. He states "For me health gushes from a thousand springs; seas roll to waft me suns to light- me rise; My footstool earth my canopy the skies" (330). Pope implies that the universe is created for man's pleasures and needs and so therefore we are all connected to the chain of universal order. Through this connection man realizes that all are part of one stupendous whole. He then suggests that this order extends further then we know; any interference with it could destroy the whole. Pope asks in the poem,   "Is the greater chain, that draws all to agree,   upheld by God or thee?" (327). Here he explains that by conforming to the order of the universe we can all agree on and connect to one goal. Through this connection, we would then reach the purest form of humanity. The belief in this poem is that although things do not turn out well for some individuals, everything falls into place in the great chain of the universe. In the long run everything works out for the best, Pope argues. Because humanity is ignor... ...m with these words: "Whatever is, is right" (333). This implies that things are done or happen for a reason. When humanity tries to change things for individual gain rather than the improvement of the whole it weakens the chain, which in turn affects the rest of the universe. I believe we are all individuals who are connected to a higher power, whatever that power may be. The beauty of humanity is exactly that individuality. I agree with Pope in the sense that we are all connected somehow, but I do not agree with total submission in order to achieve total unity. Rather than total submission, I believe our mission is to connect with the universe by using the special gifts given to us by the power that unites us. Works Cited   Pope, Alexander. "Essay on Man." Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces 6th ed. Ed. Maynard Mack et.al. New York: Norton, 1992. 326-333

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Reflective Essay Essay

The aim of this essay is to prove an understanding of my perception of reflection and how reflective practice impacts on the clinical environment and the learning process. The essay is based on my practice and training in the cardiac ward during my Foundation degree in Health and Social Care. I have selected 5 extracts from my Reflective Journal concerning a patient experiencing shortness of breath which led to a cardiac arrest. In order to be able to use this situation for my reflective process the patient will be referred to as â€Å"Jane† for the maintaining of confidentiality according to the Nursery and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2008).I have chosen to discuss on the case of Jane as the situation I was confronted with at the time made me reflect on issues of decision and the importance of communication and interpersonal skills in the relationship with the patient. I will be using the What? Model of Structured Reflection (Driscoll, 2007) a framework that uses three simple que stions as guidance in reflective practice, namely What? So what? Now what? I have chosen this model as I believe is a practical solution that can be applied by health care professionals in a rapid and efficient manner. It stimulates an in depth meaningful reflective process that leads to an actual plan for future actions. According to Johns (2013) reflection can be viewed as a window through which a practitioner can see himself in the context of his practice and have a clear view of his/her experience, being able to make an analysis between what should be done and the actual practice. Searching for a deeper understanding of the decisions and actions taken in one’s activity can generate evolution of each professional and the development of his/her work practice (Benner, 2001). The process of reflection can be developed on two levels depending on its complexity and the details it comprises. Therefore reflection can be made in a deep and meaningful manner that considers all aspects of the situation or in a superficial manner that leads to solving problems based on factors such as tradition or work pressure (Lowe et.al, 2007). Another downfall of reflection can be the focusing on the negative aspects of the way a situation has been managed instead of concentrating on the potential for development based on a critical evaluation (Bradbury-Jones, et.al, 2009). When trying to improve knowledge from practice, there are several models of reflection aimed at directing individual reflection. Among them, the Gibbs’  model of reflection (1988, cited in Callara, 2008) has stages that include the description of the situation, feelings experienced during the situation, an evaluation regarding the positive and negative aspects, an analysis process followed by a conclusion which should include what could have been done in the situation and an action plan for future actions if a similar situation occurs (Gibbs, 1988, cited in Callara, 2008). Johns’ model of reflection (2013) on the other side focuses on questions regarding the intention of the action taken, the reason that was at the base of action, the practical and affective consequences on the patient, the patient’s family, the practitioner and his/her work colleagues. Johns (2013) also highlights the importance of influencing internal and external factors in the decisional process and the possible alternative solutions that could have been found. The reflection process suggested by Johns (2013) ends wi th a learning phase that aims at understanding the effects of the experience and how it reflects on practice. Although there are numerous reflective frameworks, none of them should be used as a rigid tool which asks questions that need to be answered. They are all intended to offer a certain structure of the reflective process and guide the practitioner towards deeper understanding (Lowe et.al, 2007). I have chosen Driscoll’s model as I believe it is a practical tool that allows free thinking and rapid understanding of the situation. Coward (2011) states that following a rigid model of reflection limits the thinking process and undermines the reflective process. Throughout my reflective process I have chosen to discuss also on the subject of decision making as the Code of Professional Conduct (NMC, 2008) underlines the fact that nursing practitioners are accountable for their decisions. During a working day in a hospital there are numerous clinical decisions that need to be made and as Dowie (1993, cited in Raynor, 2005) states, the decisional process is manly a choice between several alternatives. According to Burns and Bulman (2000) through reflection we can have a clear understanding of the reasons that lie behind our de cision. This is what I have learned during my training and through my clinical experience, that only thinking about the actions I take in different situations helps me evaluate my work and understand what further knowledge I need in order to become a professional. Writing a journal that detailed my thoughts and worries on specific situations I was confronted  with in the cardiac ward helped me learn and develop my skills, as Moon (2004) stated. Jane was a 60 year old lady diagnosed with valvular heart disease. She has been submitted in the hospital several times before as she experienced shortness of breath and released from the hospital when her condition stabilised. On that day I was helping the nurse observing the patients, taking vital signs and recording blood results. Her observations on that day were within normal limits, but even so she complained about shortness of breath. Her husband had just visited half an hour before and the breathing problems appeared after he left. The nurse asked her if she received any unsettling news from her husband because her state changed suddenly after he left. She told us that one of her sons was in town for a short period of time, came to visit not knowing she was in the hospital and left worried bac k home as he had to be back at work in the same day. The nurse told Jane that her son will be fine and probably will come back to visit very soon. However, I could see that Jane was feeling anxious and had a desperate look in her eyes. She repeated several times that she couldn’t breathe and the nurse told her that she will be alright if she tried to calm down and relax. The nurse didn’t seem to worry too much as the patient’s observations were within limits. Jane saw the fact that I was gazing at her while wondering if this is more than the observations might show. She took my hand and asked me not leave, because she needed someone by her side. At first I told her I would be there for as long as she wishes, but then I was called to help other nurses because they needed me in the ward. I assured her that I will come back. Unfortunately, the day passed very quickly and time came for me to go home. Before I left, I asked the nurse who was attending Jane about her condition and she said she was still upset about the news her husband have her, but that her medical conditions was within limits. When I returned the next day I was informed by the nurse that Jane suffered a cardiac arrest over the nigh t and although cardiac procedures were made nothing could be done and she was pronounced dead. My first thought after I heard the news was that probably, considering her heart condition nothing could have been done. However, after I read the journal and the notes I made in it about this case and applied the Driscoll model I began questioning about my actions and think about what I should be doing if a similar situations occurs. Reflecting on the incident made me wonder  whether I acted accordingly with the NMC (2008) which states that I am accountable for my actions and omissions even if I follow the advice of other professionals. This is what happened in this situation as well, as I felt and thought that there might be more than unsettling news that could be disturbing Jane. Even so, it is well-known the fact that stress influences the medical condition of patients with heart diseases and this could have been a hint that her condition might get worse (Meterko, et al, 2010). According to Basford (2003) anxiety and fear of the patient can be reduced if he/she receives the affective support of a nurse. I felt I didn’t do enough for Jane, as the least I could have done was to be there and talk to her and maybe her breathing would have come to a regular level. Basford (2003) highlights the importance of communication and interpersonal skills of nursing practitioners in their relationship with the patie nt. Being warm and appearing willing to listen and talk to the patients can sometimes make a big difference in someone’s medical condition. I believe that the lack of communication with the patient was the biggest mistake I made in this case. I feel know that if I stayed by her side and tried to comfort her she would have become more relaxed and perhaps wouldn’t have triggered the cardiac arrest. I think that at that time assuring her that it will all be alright and that feeling better was the most important thing for her and her son as well was the best thing to do. This was a point where the decision I made was not according to NMC (2008) as the relationship between me and the patient was broken because of lack of communication. This situation made me think about my communication skills and how important they are in my profession. Being assertive and saying what’s on my mind if I have a suspicion that more than what meets the eye might happen is what learned I should do in the future. Moreover, I think I still have to work on my empathy and compassion as I believe this would improve also the quality of the observations I make during the time I spend with patients. Reflecting on the action I took made me understand that guidelines cannot prepare me for all types of situations that can be met in the ward. They are very useful s guidance for the majority of cases, but most of the times it is the individual’s responsibility to act as he thinks it’s appropriate at the given time (Scott and Spouse, 2013). This assertion becomes more relevant especially when it comes to dealing with interpersonal issues that don’t  come across as essential tasks in dealing with patients. Focusing on the regular work practices and tasks most of the times takes our mind away from the interpersonal aspect and the fact that we are actually the ones that patients look at for compassion and relief (Rolf et.al, 2001). There are situations, as the case of Jane when listening and being by the patient’s side can bring more benefit than measuring their blood pressure or taking vital signs. Conclusion Reflection can vary from deep and meaningful to superficial inquiry. As I stated above the care for patients can be improved through reflective practice that leads to a plan of action for future situations. The case of Jane helped me understand the importance of communication and compassion in the relationship with the patient. Also, although I might not be the one most experienced in situation, I should have the courage to speak my mind and raise certain issues if I feel they could make a difference in the patient’s condition. Driscoll’s model of reflection made me understand the situation I was in, identify my learning needs and find ways through which I can improve my performance and patient care. I also believe that reflection also helps health care professionals become motivated and empowered by the feeling that they actually have a word to say in the care of the patient and that they can influence important situations and outcomes for their patients. References Benner, P., 2001. From Novice to expert: Excellence and Power in Clinical Nursing Practice. London: Prentice Hall Basford, L., 2003. Theory and Practice of Nursing: An Integrated Approach to Caring Practice. Nelson Thrones Bradbury-Jones, C. et.al, 2009. A new way of reflecting in nursing: the Peshkin Approach. Journal of advanced Nursing, 65 (11), pp.2485-2493 [online] Available at: http://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com [Accessed the 15th of February 2014] Callara, L.E., 2008. Nursing Education Challenges in the 21st Century. Nova Publishers Coward, M., 2011. Does the use of reflective models restrict critical thinking and therefore learning in nurse education? What have we done? Nurse Education Today, 31(8), pp.883-886 [online] Available at: http://www.nurseeducationtoday.com [Accessed the 12th of February 2014]. Driscoll, J., 2007. Practising Clinical Supervision: A Reflective Approach for Healthcare Professionals. Elsevier Health Sciences Johns, C., 2013. Becoming a Reflective Practitioner; Oxford: Blackwell Science Ltd Lowe, M., Rappolt, S., Jaglal, S. and Macdonald, G., 2007. The Role of Reflection in Implementing Learning from Continuing Education into Practice. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 27(3), pp.143-148 [online] Available at: http://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com [Accessed the 18th of February 2014] Meterko, M. et al, 2010. Job Satisfaction of Primary Care Team Members and Quality of Care. American Journal of Medical Quality, 26(18), pp.8-9 [online] Available at: http://ajm.sagepub.com [Accessed the 15th of February 2014] Moon, J., 2004. Reflection in learning and professional development, theory and practice. Oxon: Routledge Falmer Nursing and midwifery Council (NMC), 2008. The code: standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council Raynor, M.D.,et.al, 2005. Decision Making in Midwifery Practice. Elsevier Health Sciences Scott, I. and Spouse, J., 2013. Practice based learning in nursing, health, and social care: Mentorship, facilitation and supervision. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell . Rolf, G., Freshwater, D. and Jasper M. (2001) Critical reflection for nursing and the helping professions: a users guide. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Improve Your Writing Income with These Five Golden Options

Improve Your Writing Income with These Five Golden Options If you dabble in anything writing, you know it shares a similarity  to any ordinary business seasons. Businesses experience boom or recession;  writers experience feast or famine. To escape this cycle, writers capitalize in two ways: finding retainer clients and collecting a plethora of clients. But do you know there are other options that can help beat the challenges of seasons? Here are six alternative revenue sources to engage in as a writer. 1. Social media management Social media management may involve writing social media teasers to jazz up social content. It is also about managing/moderating social media groups or pages through writing or sharing social posts, commenting, and interacting with the audience for clients with a large social following. Have an idea/expertise on how to run a social media page successfully or how to deal with influencers? Share your credentials on  Social Media Manager Pro Directory,  AngelList,  Indeed, or  LinkedIn  to find assignments suitable with this skill set. 2. Content pruning/editing/author website manager Content pruning seeks to eliminate or update non-performing content and duplicated pieces that have lost meaning or weigh  down a site. The aim is to improve a sites health, search, and SEO ranking. Website managers write the metadata for webpages and blog entries: writing subject lines/ headlines, uploading pieces to CMS, providing quality, licensed images and videos, and engaging blog readers They also edit ebooks, webinar, courses, novels, manuscripts, and articles submitted To land assignments of these types, check out  Reedsy,  Scribophile,  Scribendi,  Servicescape, and  Book-Editing.com. Other places to find editorial appointments are on professional editorial directories like  Society for Editors and Proofreaders  (SfEP) and  Editorial Freelancers Association  (EFA). 3. Email writing and marketing campaign Email writing is yet another avenue you can explore, separate from article writing. With its low barrier to entry, email marketing/writing generates a higher ROI compared to article writing while remaining as the best method to promote solutions to an audience. Places to find email writing assignments are  Reedsy,  Indeed,  LinkedIn, and  ZipRecruiter. 4. Writing contests, personal essays and poetry Many freelance writers never think of adding writing contest or poems to  their portfolios. To find yearly writing contest and poems, visit  Sapiens Plurum,  The Smart Set,  32poems,  The  Poetry Foundation,  Rattle,  American Poetry Review,  The New Yorker, and  The Paris Review. For short stories, you can view guidelines at  StoryMagazine.org,  The Atlantic,  The New Yorker, and  The Threepenny Review. 5. Writing a

Monday, October 21, 2019

Biology in the Popular Media Comparison essays

Biology in the Popular Media Comparison essays Reading over the original scientific study, we discover that the research team came to a rather important conclusion for the study of the development of biological species. Traditionally, it has been hypothesized that the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (the KT boundary) was the precipitating even that led to the diversification of mammalian species as they expand to fill ecological niches left by the dinosaurs. This is a short fuse hypothesis: species diversification occurred rapidly because of a single event. In fact, Bininda-Emonds et al. (2007) found-through an examination of fossil and molecular data of 4,510 mammalian species-that the KT boundary was not significant. Diversification of mammals occurred in two spikes: one roughly 93 million year ago, and then again slowly over the Eocene and Oligocene epochs. This long fuse hypothesis finds that diversification took longer to occur than previously thought, the KT boundary was not a contributor to diversification, and the mechanism of mammalian diversification is very much unknown. Wilfords (2007) report of this research in The New York Times was remarkably consistent with the original tenor and conclusions of the research teams findings (Bininda-Emonds et al., 2007). Wilford accurately reports the researchers sample size and composition, the purpose of the study, and the major conclusions that were drawn from the study. One noticeable deviation is a greater emphasis on the implications of the research over the raw data that is presented in the original research. Wilford (2007) emphasizes the significance of this study for our understanding of species development and diversification by stressing that the research undermines the traditional short fuse hypothesis that the KT boundary was the precipitating event that facilitated species diversification. Since this study favors a long fuse approach to mammalian diversification, it challenges our understanding of what c...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Should the SAT be Use to Evaluate Student Application for Ad essays

Should the SAT be Use to Evaluate Student Application for Ad essays Throughout their years in high school, students carry anxiety and heavy burden on their backs over the supposedly, most important test of their life time, the SAT. The test is known as Americas oldest and most widely used college entrance exam. It is composed of two sections, Verbal and Math, each scored on a 200-800 point scale. The test questions are almost exclusively multiple-choice... as stated in article, Gender Bias in College Admissions Tests. The result of this test will determine their future and as well as alter their goals. They avidly study, spending hundreds and thousands of dollars cumulatively to prepare for the test. Brain Doherty, in his article Those Who Cant, Test, states ...last year 35,000 kids paid the nationwide coaching service almost $26 million to learn how to beat the standardized test. SAT preparation programs such as Kaplan or Princeton Review flourish as more and more students realize the need to do well in order to gain acceptance into a good co llege. Today, the SAT exams are so overrated that the test preparation industry blossomed. Furthermore, the real purpose of the SAT test has completely been hidden under many thick layers of misconceptions. The SAT test no longer measure intelligences but rather how much time and money the individual spent in preparation. The purpose of the SAT has evolved much over time and has lost its meaning and fairness altogether-it has deviated over time and it does not test all the knowledge a person has; thus the UC school system, along with other colleges should not evaluate student applications for admission based on their SAT scores. The SAT was created to give equal opportunities for an education to all people, but unfortunately, in the world today, the purpose of the SAT has deviated. During the early days, only members of the elite class were given a chance for proper educa...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

International Marketing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Marketing - Coursework Example d Fitch is among the organizations that have sought to venture into the international market, most notably in Europe, where different brands are made available in numerous outlets. For instance, the A&F brand is made available by the company through the experiential marketing policy, in which much emphasis is put on the sales outlets that are tasked with showcasing the brand values. This approach is seen as ideal in enabling the brand have a competitive edge over those provided by its competitors, since the brand offers the consumer a significant experience, as well as creating a brand community (Powers and Loyka, 2010). The company uses in-store experience as the marketing vehicle. Enhancing the product competitiveness and the general organizational profitability involves carrying out a situational analysis, where the company creates a clear knowledge of the respective markets, and eventually evaluates its importance for the company as well as for the other markets where the business operates. International business environment is more dynamic, competitive and complex, hence the need for the management to be knowledgeable of both the immediate situations and the potential impacts of the effected changes in the business area. The European market explored by the Abercrombie and Fitch Company could exhibit various similarities and dissimilarities, hence the need for the company to understand the implications and linkages of the marketing strategy changes in its brand operations. Modern companies have realized the need to target particular customers, since they cannot appeal to all buyers. The buyers are widely scattered and have varying needs and buying behaviors, making it inevitable for the companies to adopt different practices that include segmentation, differentiation, and positioning, in order to satisfy the specific customer needs and ensure their competitiveness and profitability in the market. The segmentation of A&F brand must take into consideration

Friday, October 18, 2019

Health Insurance and Patient Care in Market Changes Essay

Health Insurance and Patient Care in Market Changes - Essay Example An excellent example that could demonstrate the connectedness of the healthcare submarkets is the manner by which the government exercises control. Ideally, the healthcare industry in America operates within the free market framework. However, it is easy for the government to intervene and even dictate prices and quantities effectively in an indirect manner. This is partly because of the interrelatedness of the submarkets. This is shown in the case of Medicare. Originally, a passive entitlement financing program, the institution provide the necessary funding for the purchase of physician services. However, today it is capable of setting the prices in other submarkets by simply refusing to pay for services, medical technology, among other products and services offered across submarkets (Getzen, 2010, p. 345). This opportunity to influence is not limited to the government. Other healthcare organizations especially those that have policymaking capacities such as hospitals and profession al organizations could do the same. For instance, hospitals could affect the prices on several subsectors when they demand an increased supply of nurses. A rise in nursing income could address the problem of RNs not working in nursing or reverse the trend of the decreasing number of people entering nursing field, two of the major factors identified by Unruh and Fottler (2005) as causes for the shortage in nursing today and in the immediate future (p.177). This also works in a reverse way. When new nursing schools open, the supply of nurses increases and demand decreases. It ushers in a different price dynamics. The impact is not only limited to education.

Qualitative Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Qualitative Research - Essay Example For example, a proponent could ask the respondent on the idea of whether a set price, placement or promotion for a new health and energy beverage might be effective or not. In-depth interview is somewhat advantageous because it seeks not only to get the opinion of the interviewee, but the interviewer’s understanding of the interviewee, even if the said qualitative tool is expensive and does not allow generalization to larger populations (Stacks, 2010). Another qualitative tool is the focus group. This is a qualitative tool that focuses on certain issue, which provides a great ability to come up with data that is focused on the chosen topic, but it could also substantially limit the responses of the respondents in order to ensure efficiency at some point (Hatch, 2010). Focus group as a qualitative tool can definitely help unravel ideas, concerning for instance the price, placement and promotion for a new health and energy beverage. Threaded discussion that may span for weeks might be a remarkable qualitative tool because it solicits feedbacks and critical ideas, but understanding its patterns is critical on the part of the target audience and the facilitator by which the failure to meet such requirement could lead to a failed discussion (Tomei, 2008). There is a great concern on how to separate the role of researcher and the respondent. In fact, this is one of the great ethical issues in qualitative research. The researchers may substantially instituted a bias on the subject at hand due to lack of objectivity, such as one observed in the quantitative research orientation. The second great ethical issue is on how the researchers might ensure respect for privacy of the chosen respondents. Considering that there might be inclusion of in-depth interviews that may broaden the topic, the researchers might end up asking questions that at some point might be able to violate

Report on the Solar Power Generation Versus Hydropower Generation Assignment

Report on the Solar Power Generation Versus Hydropower Generation - Assignment Example The research had been done through; questionnaires, interviews and document review. It discusses hydro electric power production systems, wind turbine generators, coal as a source of energy, solar energy and geothermal sources of energy. Government is seen to play a key role in the progress of these processes. It is seen that the government has affirm stand as pertains to the different kinds of power generation methods. Its support of hydro power systems is evident from the percentage of hydro power generated and connected to the national grid system. This report will look at the methodology used in collecting data, the results and carry out a discussion from which a conclusion and appropriate recommendations will be made (Patton, 2002). Introduction This is a report of research on the power production in Waikato. Research was done to compare the methods of power generation in Waikato; hydroelectric power and solar power. ... This report is to outline some the merits and demerits of these methods of production of power. These were to be used in the control of the environmental pollution during energy generation processes. Government involvement in the production and supply of power to other parts was to be discussed. This was to help know the depth of government intervention in these processes. These pieces information were required for the deep understanding of these methods. It was to help know the one that call for more intervention by the government, their impact on the environment, the cost of production and supply to the areas of use. The report therefore entails; research plan, results, discussion, conclusion and recommendation. s Research plan/ methodology Before commencing our study we structured our research plan in the following steps: Description of evaluation criteria Data collecting process and information research Assessing the power supply sources and levels Interviewing of experts Analyzi ng the power supply trends based on the collected data Step1: description of evaluation criteria To ensure that we collected relevant information, we outlined our criterion as follows; 1. Identification of the power generating methods: this entailed the identification of the sources and machines involved. 2. Identification of the impact of the related power sources to the environment; we were to describe or find out the sources, machines and procedures involved impact the surrounding environment. 3. Determination of the cost effectiveness of the methods and systems; we were to determine the cost incurred to construct, maintain and run the production system. 4. Determination of the life span of the equipments, structures and machines involved; from the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The Vietnam War Did war prove to be a successful means of achieving Essay

The Vietnam War Did war prove to be a successful means of achieving political objective Examine this from both the US and North Vietnamese perspectives - Essay Example It is â€Å"an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfill our will†¦ War is not merely an act of policy but a true political instrument, a continuation of political intercourse, carried on with other means.2 The Vietnam War was initially a conflict between two new countries that came out of the French colonization of Indochina. But, the US intervention led to a change in the circumstances. In the end, the essential reality of the struggle, wrote Hendrik Hertzberg in his book, Politics (2005), â€Å"was that the Communists, imbued with an almost fanatical sense of dedication to a reunified Vietnam under their control, saw the war against the United States and its South Vietnamese ally as the continuation of two thousand years of resistance to Chinese and later French rule.† (p. 37) Although there are three main players in the Vietnam War: North Vietnam, South Vietnam and the United States, there is the important addition of the Soviet Union as an actor and to a certain degree, China, that the Vietnam War came to be characterized by the conflict of two factions, the Communist and the US-South Vietnam alliance. On the Communist side, there is North Vietnam, Soviet Union and China. Here, the Vietnamese communist is holding the center stage. The Vietnam War was said to be an undeclared war between the Soviet Union and the United States or an extension of the Cold War, with Vietnam as the battleground of the West and the Communists war for global influence. The strategy in this regard is that these major powers were involved in their war against each other using the weaker countries as a battleground. In this approach, their troops are kept at a minimum and that they – the US and Soviet Union - are protected, themselves, from risk of direct attack. The Vietnam, was primarily a conflict between the North and the South for control over

Case Study Topic about risk management of events or meeting Essay

Case Study Topic about risk management of events or meeting - Essay Example e specific study chosen focuses on the collapse of a stage on 13th August 2011 at the Indiana State Fair, as attendees waited for Sugarland, a prominent band, to perform. The tragic incident, caused by strong winds preceding a storm, led to four deaths and critical injury of about twenty four individuals. Following the accident, the event was cancelled, and subsequent entertainment fairs involving the performing band suffered the same fate. This shows that the accident set off a series of negative events. For instance, in addition to the deaths, injuries, and events cancellation, the affected attendees also filed expensive law suits against Indiana State Fair (CNN Wire Staff, 2011). Some of the factors that will be examined in the case analysis will include: How consistency in event scrutiny and review of meeting activities can pave way for problem detection and prevention or mitigation measures, especially since the incident under scrutiny could have been avoided through early

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Report on the Solar Power Generation Versus Hydropower Generation Assignment

Report on the Solar Power Generation Versus Hydropower Generation - Assignment Example The research had been done through; questionnaires, interviews and document review. It discusses hydro electric power production systems, wind turbine generators, coal as a source of energy, solar energy and geothermal sources of energy. Government is seen to play a key role in the progress of these processes. It is seen that the government has affirm stand as pertains to the different kinds of power generation methods. Its support of hydro power systems is evident from the percentage of hydro power generated and connected to the national grid system. This report will look at the methodology used in collecting data, the results and carry out a discussion from which a conclusion and appropriate recommendations will be made (Patton, 2002). Introduction This is a report of research on the power production in Waikato. Research was done to compare the methods of power generation in Waikato; hydroelectric power and solar power. ... This report is to outline some the merits and demerits of these methods of production of power. These were to be used in the control of the environmental pollution during energy generation processes. Government involvement in the production and supply of power to other parts was to be discussed. This was to help know the depth of government intervention in these processes. These pieces information were required for the deep understanding of these methods. It was to help know the one that call for more intervention by the government, their impact on the environment, the cost of production and supply to the areas of use. The report therefore entails; research plan, results, discussion, conclusion and recommendation. s Research plan/ methodology Before commencing our study we structured our research plan in the following steps: Description of evaluation criteria Data collecting process and information research Assessing the power supply sources and levels Interviewing of experts Analyzi ng the power supply trends based on the collected data Step1: description of evaluation criteria To ensure that we collected relevant information, we outlined our criterion as follows; 1. Identification of the power generating methods: this entailed the identification of the sources and machines involved. 2. Identification of the impact of the related power sources to the environment; we were to describe or find out the sources, machines and procedures involved impact the surrounding environment. 3. Determination of the cost effectiveness of the methods and systems; we were to determine the cost incurred to construct, maintain and run the production system. 4. Determination of the life span of the equipments, structures and machines involved; from the

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Case Study Topic about risk management of events or meeting Essay

Case Study Topic about risk management of events or meeting - Essay Example e specific study chosen focuses on the collapse of a stage on 13th August 2011 at the Indiana State Fair, as attendees waited for Sugarland, a prominent band, to perform. The tragic incident, caused by strong winds preceding a storm, led to four deaths and critical injury of about twenty four individuals. Following the accident, the event was cancelled, and subsequent entertainment fairs involving the performing band suffered the same fate. This shows that the accident set off a series of negative events. For instance, in addition to the deaths, injuries, and events cancellation, the affected attendees also filed expensive law suits against Indiana State Fair (CNN Wire Staff, 2011). Some of the factors that will be examined in the case analysis will include: How consistency in event scrutiny and review of meeting activities can pave way for problem detection and prevention or mitigation measures, especially since the incident under scrutiny could have been avoided through early

Oxford Don and Half Caste Essay Example for Free

Oxford Don and Half Caste Essay The poems, Listen Mr. Oxford Don and Half Caste were both written by John Agard, and in both of these poems, Agard challenges the status quo. In Listen Mr. Oxford Don, he challenges the use of language and in Half Caste, he challenges views of ethnicity. In the poem Listen Mr. Oxford Don, Agard characterizes Mr. Oxford Don as the Guardian of English, and the idea of a person who uses the correct form of English. In this poem, Agard challenges the view that Standard English is the correct form of English, and other forms of English are of a lesser status. In the poem Half Caste, Agard challenges the reader prejudices towards people of mixed ethnicity. In Listen Mr. Oxford Don, Agard uses repetition of particular words and imagery to help him convey his ideas. He uses the phrase, is a dangerous one twice in the poem. He also uses sentence like, I ent have no gun to create the image of violence. Words such as, bashing and slashing are also used by Agard which suggest him being very threatening. The reason that Agard creates all these violent images is because he wants us to know that hes a peaceful man, but he can be very dangerous if people think that English has to be spoken in a particular way. Unlike Listen Mr. Oxford Don, in Half Caste Agard concentrates more on using imagery to make his point. An example of imagery used by Agard, when yu say half-caste yu mean tchaikovsky mix a black key wid a white key? Here, Agard is saying to the reader that Tchaikovsky uses both white and black notes, but no one calls him half caste because hes respected by others. Agard is asking the reader that if you can mix a black and white key, then why cant you be of mixed race? As the poem goes on, Agard carries on using examples to make his point, but this time it relates to his body. He says, why I offer yu half-a-hand an when I sleep at night I close half-a-eye. Hes saying this in a way that he can only have half a hand and half an eye because hes half caste or half made. When people call him half caste, hes offended because its like saying that hes not a complete human being, hes only half made. He wants these people to review the term half caste, and think about it before using as its the wrong term to use. Agard uses non-standard English in Listen Mr. Oxford Don. He uses a lot of double negatives for example, Me not no Oxford Don. Many of his spellings also comes from the Caribbean dialect: de, dont, ent, etc. Both double negatives and Caribbean dialect spellings are informal and non-standard. The purpose of him using these words is to show that hes against the academics because he knows that the academics would never write in a non-standard way like this. Agard also uses colloquial language, Im not a violent man Mr. Oxford Don. This type of language is used to speak not to write so its informal and non-standard. Agard uses non-standard English throughout the poem; this shows that hes unashamed to use it, and shows that hes challenging Standard English which is the accepted form of English. Alternatively, in Half Caste, non-standard English is used for different reasons. In this poem, Agard also uses words from the Caribbean dialect, for example, dem, yu, etc, but the effect of this is to show that hes not fully English and hes of a mixed race. Agard also uses the direct address; he refers to himself as I and refers to the reader as you as shown in this quotation, but yu must come back tomorrow wid de whole of yu eye an I will tell yu de other half of my story. Agard makes the reader feel as though the point is being made directly to them, and makes them feel more challenged that if they want to hear another half of his story, they need to be more open minded. Most importantly, they must not judge people because of their race. In Listen Mr. Oxford Don, theres no clear structure to the poem. There is not the same number of lines in each stanza, and theres no fixed number of syllables in each line like there would be in a Standard English poem. He also doesnt use any form of punctuation, and he even adds a slash in the middle of the line: to split/ up yu syntax. This makes it even more non-standard because slash breaks the rhythm of the poem. All of these things shows the fact that he doesnt believe Standard English is the only form of English; there are other forms of English which are equally legitimate. In Half Caste, the lines throughout the poem are generally quite short, the effect of this is to make the poem go faster, and make us receive short quick messages. Agard also uses many commands, for example, Explain yuself wha yu mean when yu say half-caste. The effect of this is to grab peoples attention, but its also asking the reader what do we mean when we say half caste. Do we say it because we feel prejudiced towards people of mixed ethnicity? In Listen Mr. Oxford Don, the tone starts off lightly; this is when hes talking about who he is and where hes from. As the poem goes on, he begins to talk about violence, I ent have no gun, I ent have no knife. This is when his tone starts to become quite aggressive and threatening. After this he says, I dont need no hammer to mash up your grammar, his tone becomes even more threatening because he says that he will speak whatever he wants. The word mash up implies violence, Agard is threatening to destroy the English language. Unlike Listen Mr. Oxford Don, the tone of Half Caste is lighthearted, only towards the end of the poem that the tone starts to get serious. This is when he says that we need to give people full respect if we want to understand them completely as human beings. If were categorizing them into groups, were not giving them respect. In both of the poems, Agard uses clever humor to grab our attention, but at the same to provoke our preconceptions. Both of these poems are very political, and have a social impact. In Listen Mr. Oxford Don, Agard is challenging the traditional institutions to say that theres no such thing as the correct form of English anymore. Society has moved on, and now we need to embrace other forms of English language as well because we all have different dialects, but each dialect is as valid as the other. The traditional form of English doesnt mean its more superior or more acceptable in society. In Half Caste, Agard not only wants to address the reader, hes challenging the reader into questioning their own preconceptions and prejudices. Hes also getting them to think about the implications of the words they use, because most people do not know the full meaning of it, and do not realize the weight of what theyre saying. For example, the word half caste can seriously offend the people who are of mixed ethnicity.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Narrative Analysis of Depression Case Study

Narrative Analysis of Depression Case Study A Route Through Depression Loredana Lenghel Introduction Illness is a prevalent issue in today’s society. It encompasses a wide array of problems and it refers to â€Å"the subjective response of the patient to being unwell; how he, and those around him, perceive the origin and significance of this event; how it affects his behaviour or relationships with other people; and the steps he takes to remedy this situation† (Helman, 1981, p.1). Illness is distinct from disease which refers to the medical labels put on pathological entities with specific properties and identity (i.e diabetes). Illness includes not only a person’s experience with the ill-health, but also the meaning given to that experience. This essay will attempt to present one such experience with depressive symptoms. Presenting someone’s experience through an illness narrative provides the patient with the opportunity to expose a more nuanced aspect of their illness. Greenhalgh and Hurwitz (1999) stated that â€Å"narrative provides meaning, context, and perspective for the patient’s predicament†. It also provides the opportunity to create an empathic bond between the sharer that the listener (Wear and Varley 2008). This essay will utilise a narrative style framework in an attempt to make sense of someone’s experience. Distinct narrative types will be identified based on how the patient recollects their experience. In a restitution narrative, one can identify as a primary goal the motivation to get better, to overcome the illness, which is seen as a roadblock or a detour in someone’s life journey. In a chaos narrative, a person does not seem to see a â€Å"light at the end of the tunnel†, they see the illness as a permanent, rather than temporary, state (Weingarten, 2001). Stable, progressive and regressive narratives have also been identified. Respectively, they refer to stories in which an individual’s path is constant – the illness does not get better or worse; a story in which a clear path towards improvement can be identified; and one in which the person seems to be on a downwards spiral – getting worse and not seeing any possibilities of improvemen t (Weingarten, 2001). This paper will, therefore, discuss Cicero[1]’s experience with depressive symptoms and analyse it through the lenses of a narrative framework. It will try to portray Cicero’s subjective feelings throughout his journey, the effect of the social environment, and its negative or potentially positive aspects. Life journey Cicero, a nineteen year old boy, engaged in a recollection of his experience with illness. The narrative started with his present, moment in which he seemed quite detached from the past illness – viewing his depression as an â€Å"endemic part† of his life, as something he just had to â€Å"deal with† at the time. His story started by explaining how that episode is now compartmentalised, it is not something that has a serious effect on his current life, as he chose to ignore it, to forget it. These feelings, however, seemed different when Cicero started to reconstruct the memories of the illness’ emergence. Symptoms first began when he was 13 years old. Pinpointing the exact moment of occurrence seemed difficult, as his symptoms accumulated in time, not due to a succinct occurrence. The domestic environment was what led to their appearance, as parental misunderstandings, which ultimately led to their divorce, catalysed the negative experience of Cicero. The parental issues had started five years before the divorce, when Cicero was still in secondary school. During this time, there were no indications of maladjustment or ill-health. Cicero saw himself as a lively boy; other children liked him, he partook in football matches, he was a sociable child. But this ended around the time he began high-school. He was around 10 years old when his domestic environment seemed to worsen as parental misunderstandings were increasing in frequency and intensity. Cicero recalled how his younger self became more reserved as time passed. The initial symptoms of withdrawal were followed by negative results in academics and less social involvement. Cicero was trying to explain these symptoms to himself and first attributed them to the beginning of puberty, and not to what was occurri ng at home. The narrative then fast-forwards to age thirteen, as Cicero put it, it was â€Å"the moment when us, the kids, reached an age when it was possible to divorce – the parents reached an agreement to end it, to exit the marriage†. His parents got a divorce that year, which marked the moment when Cicero’s symptoms got noticeably worse. He recalled how he reached full social isolation, sometimes actively looking for someone to just â€Å"hang out with†. His grades were getting progressively worse. He met no deadlines which resulted in him needing to retake a year of high-school. He then recalled how he got tired of the lonely lunches, of the friendless days and found some comfort in joining a subculture, a group of gothic kids that would gather in a town park. Even though Cicero was not particularly interested in the subculture’s ideas, these people â€Å"would immediately like you even if you only knew one person in the group†¦ and then you’d feel you have all those thirty people around you as friends†. Cicero did not seem to believe that this group accepted him for himself, his views were negative in the sense that he saw himself as just another pawn filling a space in a certain group. Even if his social life seemed to be improving, his school situation enabled his parents’ suggestion to see a psychologist. Cicero gladly accepted the proposition, being motivated by his desire to perform better in school and saw this as an opportunity to regain his academic excellence. At the same time, however, he had no real expectations to get better. Maybe this constitutes the reason why his subsequent experience with the therapeutic setting was â€Å"awful†. Individual sessions consisted primarily of endless psychometric tests, while the group therapy he was undergoing did not really elicit any genuine responses. In group therapy, he never felt as if he answered questions truthfully, resorting to giving â€Å"empty, satisfactory† responses in order to avoid further inquiry. He felt as if the others could not understand him and based these thoughts on the seemingly trivial complaints the other children had. He spent three months in group therapy, and then wa s when his â€Å"memory got hazy†. He felt that â€Å"my mind was going; my mind was fading away†. This seemed to be the lower peak of his experience with the illness, as it seemed like he was losing himself. Cicero compared that period with how he used to be before the illness developed. He recalled he was very organised, he seemed to remember everything and this had then gone away. It was striking how his narration style seemed to mirror the recalled experience. A hint of uncertainty was noticeable in the manner he was reconstructing his memories. He himself then stated that he felt as though he had lived those three months for two years. The tests and group therapy eventually ended. The Psychologist suggested a diagnosis which was not accepted by him or his parents. Initially, the therapist told them Cicero’s symptoms fell in the autistic spectrum – news which had a large impact on both his family and him. No one was willing to accept this diagnosis and were convinced it was wrong. Cicero felt as if his world had shattered, he felt he was not sick, he was â€Å"not lying in bed with cancer†; he was not getting treated for autism. This opinion was shared by his father, who also took a negative stance on the diagnosis. The mother agreed it was questionable, and with more experience in the matter, eventually suggested two possibilities. She proposed that the autistic symptoms could be there and related to depressive symptoms; or that everything could be just a phase which will eventually pass. At this point, Cicero recalled feeling overwhelmed, prepared to accept any explanation. The mother’s stance on the matter, however, prevented that. Cicero stated that what essentially got him through was his mother’s proposition that everything could be â€Å"just a phase†. This led to him regarding the experience as something temporary, as something caused by external circumstances. He believed it would either fade away or he would find a way to conceal it until it would not peak through to the surface. Cicero pinpointed a specific moment which he regarded as highly significant in his improvement. The decision to buy bright coloured polo shirts instead of the old black clothing was the moment when he recalls making a big decision. He figured that â€Å"if he was going to pretend to be normal, he might as well look normal†. This was a big step, as the new clothing got him compliments at school which slowly led to him extending his social boundaries and eventually to his recovery. Narration analysis Distinct types of narratives can be identified when analysing this story. It can be seen how a change in narrative style was indicative of Cicero getting better. At first, the narrative was not clear, as the recollection of certain events led to him remembering earlier ones, indicating the haziness and compactness of the experience. A chaos narrative can be identified in this situation, as his experience was overwhelming him, preventing him to think clearly, making him feel like his mind was fading away. The uncertainty and lack of awareness of the chronological timing of events further indicates a chaotic experience. A change from a chaotic to a restitution narrative establishes the moment when he took the decision to overcome his illness. He began to see the illness as a phase, as something that could be overcome and wanted to be normal again. Moreover, a progressive narrative style could also be identified. After the initial regressive narration, a movement towards an incremental improvement characterised Cicero’s story as his social circle and academic performance started increasing. Cicero’s narrative was also coherent, as his feelings were attuned to the domestic situation. His progressively more negative affect paralleled the deteriorating domestic environment. The parental response was also synchronized with the development of events. They offered support when the situation seemed to worsen, and were alarmed when hearing the suggested diagnosis. A clear narrative closure cannot be identified, as the symptoms seem to have just tapered off. Even Cicero stated â€Å"I don’t know if I’m okay now, maybe I just know how to hide it. I guess I’m over it but I will never know how it actually feels to be normal. What is feeling normal, anyway?†. Support Cicero did not seem to lack social support. Both parents, regardless of their relationship, managed to put aside their misunderstandings and offered combined support to Cicero. Both were involved in the whole process, and both did their best to guide the young boy through that difficult period. Other sources of support were his group of gothic friends, who were always expressing how important therapy was. An older girl, who Cicero liked at the time, seemed to have also provided him with positive feedback on starting therapy and receiving treatment. Reflection Thinking back on his experience, Cicero does not see it in a completely negative light. The worst aspect seemed to be the feeling of having an empty mind. Suddenly not recognising yourself and your thoughts were frightening. Doing well in school was also amongst his priorities, and feeling like he was disappointing himself only worsened his feelings. At the same time, however, he mentioned a positive aspect of his experience. Cicero values the opportunity to learn how it feels to have an empty mind. In his view, it is the only way to appreciate â€Å"how good it feels when you can think again†. Conclusion In conclusion, this essay attempted to portray Cicero’s experience with mental illness. His story was analysed using a narrative style framework in order to gain a deeper understanding of what this life period meant to the boy. It can be seen how such an illness has a significant impact on someone’s daily functioning and well-being. References Greenhalgh, T., Hurwitz, B. (1999). Narrative based medicine: Why study narrative?. BMJ, 318(7175), 48-50. doi:10.1136/bmj.318.7175.48 Helman, C. (1981). Disease versus illness in generl practice. Journal Of The Royal College Of General Practitioners, 31, 548=552. Wear, D., Varley, J. (2008). Rituals of verification: The role of simulation in developing and evaluating empathic communication. Patient Education And Counseling, 71(2), 153-156. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2008.01.005 Weingarten, K. (2001). Making sense of illness narratives: Braiding theory, practice and the embodied life (1st ed.). Dulwich Centre Publications. Retrieved from http://www.dulwichcentre.com.au/illness-narratives.html [1] The name of the patient has been changed in order to maintain confidentiality.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Terry Tempest Williams Journey Into Self Spirituality Essay -- Litera

Terry Tempest Williams is a naturalist, a feminist, a writer who brings such power into everything she touches. Herself driven passion with her positive outlook and drive for change has brought so much goodness into this world. She has overcome many obstacles, including her own struggle within herself, but has last realized that the fight with nature is the same fight we have with ourselves, and ultimately accepting the outcome; whatever that may be unnatural, or natural, is the secret to life. Terry is a Mormon who grew up in Utah, loving nature and striving to keep it natural. She never understood why there were so many people that didn’t care. She found peace in serenity in a bird refuge. She came to the bird refuge many, many times. This was her sanctuary, where things made sense. The bird refuge in the Great Salt Lake is home to her, and her family before her. Her grandmother taught her so much of the ways of the lake, the animals, and how it was to be conserved. She often went back to her child memories where she spent most of her days there with the birds, just watching how they live their life in so much peace, unaware of all of the hurtful pieces of life outside of their home. â€Å"This is another paradox of mine, wanting to be a bird when I am human.† (Williams,R 266) There was one particular place that was her favorite; she would come to watch owls nest. They would nest in the same spot year after year. On one occasion she had come to see them, watching their heads pop up, and they were gone. A truck full of construction workers were making fun of her as they thought the owls were no big deal. She was polite, as a good Mormon girl should be, she smiled and stuck out her middle finger at them and walked awa... ...lear testing in the Nevada Desert, and again later, she has written many books of her own struggles in life along with her spirituality, she has abandoned that confinement of being a good Mormon girl to make changes in this world. Her faith is strong, she has adapted. â€Å"Finding beauty in a broken world is creating beauty in the world we find.† (Williams, B 385). Works Cited Riley, Jeannette E. "Finding One's Place in the "Family of Things":Terry Tempest Williams and a Geography of Self.." Womens Studies. 32.5 (2003): 585-602. Print. Williams, Terry T. Finding Beauty in a Broken World. 1st. New York: Pantheon Books, 2008. Williams, Terry T. Leap. Vintage, 2001. Williams, Terry Tempest. Refuge, An Unnatural History Of Family And Place. Vintage, 1991. Williams, Terry T."The Moment I Became a Feminist ." progressive. (2011): n. page. Print.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

School Violence Essay -- Bullying in Schools

School violence has become a matter of increasing concern in recent years. With the occurrence of incidents such as Columbine, more schools are becoming aware of and concerned with a rise in teenage/school violence. Violence is a broad term to define but in it’s simplest terms, can be defined as â€Å"a verbal, visual, or physical act intended to demean, harm, or infringe upon another’s civil rights,† (Kopka, 175). In 1977, the National Alliance for Safe Schools was founded by Peter Blauvelt. This organization was formed with the intent of providing technical assistance, training and research to school districts concerned with increasing incidents of â€Å"serious, disruptive student behavior,† (Kopka, 36). The NASS conducts seminars, workshops, and school security assessments to help schools prevent and deal with violence in our schools. These security assessments are useful to schools as they provide school administrators with an accurate assessment of their preparedness to deal with a security issue. Then in 1983, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention began working in violence prevention by coordinating activities and programs for Public Health Service. They first seek to define the problem through surveillance and assessment methods. Then they develop and test intervention methods for their effectiveness in dealing with the problem. In the mid-1980s, violence was first defined as a public health issue. â€Å"As violent acts become increasingly prevalent in our nation’s schools, violence among youth is now recognized as a major public health issue that must be addressed by administrators, educators, family and community members, lawmakers and health care professionals,† (Kopka, 1). This declaration sparked the... ...ontinues intervention through the 12th grade,† (Kopka, 18). Many schools implement programs to assist in violence prevention and counseling such as: peer-mentoring, conflict resolution, early intervention, dating-violence intervention, gang and drug prevention and peer leadership and mediator programs. School violence is becoming more and more of a serious issue in our nation’s schools. It interferes with a healthy learning environment and only has negative effects on both it’s victims and perpetrators. And although no school is immune from violence, schools can better prepare themselves to deal with incidents by educating themselves (both students and staff) and offering prevention programs as well as assistance for victims. School violence is an issue that effects the whole school and community and the first step to dealing with it is recognizing it.

Friday, October 11, 2019

French Revolution, Cause and Effect 1789

The pivotal event of European history in the eighteenth century was the French Revolution. From its outbreak in 1789, the Revolution touched and transformed social values and political systems in France, in Europe, and eventually throughout the world. France's revolutionary regime conquered much of Western Europe with its arms and with its ideology. But not without considerable opposition at home and abroad. Its ideals defined the essential aspirations of modern liberal society, while its bloody conflicts posed the brutal dilemma of means versus ends. The revolutionaries advocated individual liberty, rejecting all forms of arbitrary constraint: monopolies on commerce, feudal charges laid upon the land, vestiges of servitude such as serfdom, and even (in 1794) black slavery overseas. They held that political legitimacy required constitutional government, elections, and legislative supremacy. They demanded civil equality for all, denying the claims of privileged groups, localities, or religions to special treatment and requiring the equality of all citizens before the law. A final revolutionary goal was expressed by the concept of fraternity, which meant that all citizens regardless of social class, region, or religion shared a common fate in society, and that the well-being of the nation sometimes superseded the interests of individuals. The resounding slogan of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity expressed social ideals to which most contemporary citizens of the Western world would still subscribe. I. Origins Those who made the Revolution believed they were rising against tyrannical government, in which the people had no voice, and against inequality in the way obligations such as taxes were imposed and benefits distributed. Yet the government of France at that time was no more tyrannical or unjust than it had been in the past. On the contrary, a gradual process of reform had long been underway. What, then, set off the revolutionary upheaval? What had changed? An easy answer would be to point to the incompetence of King Louis XVI 1774-1792) and his queen, Marie Antoinette. Good-natured but weak and indecisive, Louis was a man of limited intelligence who lacked self-confidence. Worse yet, his young queen, a Hapsburg princess, was frivolous, meddlesome, and tactless. But even the most capable ruler could not have escaped challenge and crisis in the late eighteenth century. The roots of that crisis, not its mismanagement, claim the principal interest of historians. The philosophes In eightee nth-century France, as we have seen, intellectual ferment preceded political revolt. For decades the philosophes had bombarded traditional beliefs, institutions, and prejudices with devastating salvos. They undermined the confidence that traditional ways were the best ways. Yet the philosophes were anything but revolutionaries. Nor did they question the fact that elites should rule society, but wished only that the elites should be more enlightened and more open. Indeed, the Enlightenment had become respectable by the 1780s, a kind of intellectual establishment. Diderot's Encyclopedia, banned in the 1750s, was reprinted in a less expensive format with government approval in the 1770s. Most of France's 30 provincial academies_learned societies of educated citizens in the larger towns had by that time been won over to the critical spirit and reformism of the Enlightenment, though not to its sometimes extreme secularism. Among the younger generation, the great cultural hero was Rousseau (see picture), whose Confessions (published posthumously in 1781) caused a sensation. Here Rousseau attacked the hypocrisy, conformity, cynicism, and corruption of high society's salons and aristocratic ways. Though he had not exemplified this in his personal life, Rousseau came across in his novels and autobiography as the apostle of a simple, wholesome family life; of conscience, purity, and virtue. As such, he was the great inspiration to the future generation of revolutionaries, but the word â€Å"revolution† never flowed from his pen. Underground literature More subversive perhaps than the writings of the â€Å"high enlightenment† was the underground literature that commanded a wide audience in France. The onarchy's censorship tried vainly to stop these â€Å"bad books,† which poured in across the border through networks of clandestine publishers, smugglers, and distributors. What was this fare that the reading public eagerly devoured? Alongside a few banned works by the philosophes, there was a mass of gossip sheets, pulp novels, libels, and pornography under such titles as Scandalous Chronicles and The Private Life of Louis XV. Much of this material focused on the supposed goings-on in the fashionable world of Paris and Versailles. Emphasizing scandal and character assassination, this literature had no specific political content or ideology. But indirectly, it portrayed the French aristocracy as decadent and the French monarchy as a ridiculous despotism. II. Fiscal Crisis When he took the throne in 1774, Louis XVI tried to conciliate elite opinion by recalling the Parlements or sovereign law courts that his father had abolished in 1770. This concession to France's traditional â€Å"unwritten constitution† backfired, however, since the Parlements resumed their defense of privilege in opposition to reforms proposed by Jacques Turgot, Louis, new controller general of finances. Turgot, a disciple of the philosophes and an experienced administrator, hoped to encourage economic growth by the policy of nonintervention or laissez-faire. When agitation against him mounted at Versailles and in the Paris Parlement, Louis took the easy way out and dismissed his troublesome minister. The king then turned to a Protestant banker from Geneva with a reputation for financial wizardry, Jacques Necker. A shrewd man with a strong sense of public relations, Necker gained wide popularity. To finance the heavy costs of France's aid to the rebellious British colonies in North America, Necker avoided new taxes and instead floated a series of large loans at exorbitant interest rates as high as 10 percent. Short of a complete overhaul of the tax system, little improvement in royal revenues could be expected, and the public would bitterly resist any additional tax burdens that the monarchy simply imposed. Facing bankruptcy and unable to float any new loans in this atmosphere, the king recalled the Parlements, reappointed Necker, after tarying several other ministers, and agreed to convene the Estates General in May 1789. III. Estates General to National Assembly The calling of the Estates General created extraordinary excitement across the land. When the king invited his subjects to express their opinions about this great event, hundreds did so in the form of pamphlets, and here the liberal or â€Å"patriot† ideology of 1789 first began to take shape. The Third Estate While the king accorded the Third Estate twice as many delegates as the two higher orders, he refused to promise that the delegates would vote together (â€Å"by head†) rather than separately in three chambers (â€Å"by order†). A vote by order meant that the two upper chambers would outweigh the Third Estate no matter how many deputies it had. It did not matter that the nobility had led the fight against absolutism. Even if they endorsed new, constitutional checks on absolutism and accepted equality in the allocation of taxes, nobles would hold vastly disproportionate powers if the Estates General voted by order. In the most influential of these pamphlets, Abbe Emmanuel Joseph Sieye posed the question, â€Å"What is the Third Estate? † and answered flatly, â€Å"Everything. † The enemy was no longer simply absolutism but privilege as well. Unlike reformers in England, or the Belgian rebels against Joseph II, or even the American revolutionaries of 1776, the French patriots did not look back to historical traditions of liberty that had been violated. Rather they contemplated a complete break with a discredited past. As a basis for reform, they would substitute reason for tradition. Cahiers For the moment, however, the patriots were far in advance of opinion at the grass roots. The king had invited citizens across the land to meet in their parishes to elect delegates to district electoral assemblies, and to draft grievance petitions (cahiers) setting forth their views. Highly traditional in tone, the great majority of rural cahiers complained only of particular local ills and expressed confidence that the king would redress them. Only a few cahiers from Iarger cities, including Paris, alluded to the concepts of natural rights or popular sovereignty that were appearing in patriot pamphlets. Very few demanded that France must have a written constitution, that sovereignty belonged to the nation, or that feudalism and regional privileges should be abolished. Elections Virtually every adult male taxpayer was eligible to vote for electors, who, in turn, chose deputies for the Third Estate. The electoral assemblies were a kind of political seminar, where articulate local leaders emerged to be sent by their fellow citizens as deputies to Versailles. These deputies were a remarkable collection of men, though scarcely representative of the mass of the Third Estate. Dominated by lawyers and officials, there was not a single worker or peasant among them. In the elections for the First Estate, meanwhile, democratic procedures assured that parish priests rather than Church notables would form a majority of the delegates. And in the elections to the Second Estate, about one third of the delegates could be described as liberal nobles or patriots. â€Å"National Assembly† Popular expectation that the monarchy would provide leadership in reform proved to be ill-founded. When the deputies met on May 5, Necker and Louis XVI spoke to them only in generalities, and left unsettled whether the estates would vote by order or by head. The upper two estates proceeded to organize their own chambers, but the deputies of the Third Estate balked. Inviting the others to join them, on June 17 the Third Estate took a decisive revolutionary step by proclaiming its conversion into a â€Å"National Assembly. † A few days later 150 clergymen from the First Estate joined them. The king, who finally decided to cast his lot with the nobility, locked the Third Estate out of its meeting hall until a session could be arranged in which he would state his will. But the deputies moved to an indoor tennis court, and there swore that they would not separate until they had given France a constitution. Ignoring this act of defiance, the king addressed the delegates of all three orders on June 23. He promised equality in taxation, civil liberties, and regular meetings of the Estates General at which, however, voting would be by order. France would be provided with a constitution, he pledged, â€Å"but the ancient distinction of the three orders will be conserved in its entirety. † He then ordered the three orders to retire to their individual meeting halls. This, the Third Estate refused. When the royal chamberlain repeated his monarch's demand, the deputies, spokesman dramatically responded: â€Å"The assembled nation cannot receive orders. Startled by the determination of the patriots, the king backed down. For the time being, he recognized the National Assembly and ordered deputies from all three estates to join it. Thus the French Revolution began as a nonviolent, â€Å"legal† Revolution. IV. The Convergence of Revolutions The political struggle at Versailles was not occurring in isolation. Simultaneously, the mass of French citizens, already aroused by elec tions to the Estates General, were mobilizing over subsistence issues. The winter and spring of 1788-1789 had brought severe economic difficulties, as crop failures and grain shortages almost doubled the price of flour and bread on which the population depended for subsistence. Unemployed vagrants and beggars filled the roads, grain convoys and marketplaces were stormed by angry consumers, and relations between town and country were strained. This anxiety merged with rage over the behavior of â€Å"aristocrats† in Versailles. Parisians believed that food shortages and royal troops would be used to intimidate the people into submission. They feared an â€Å"aristocratic plot† against the Third Estate and the patriot cause. Bastille When the king dismissed the still-popular Necker on July 11, Parisians correctly assumed that the counter-revolution was about to begin. Instead of submitting, they revolted. Protesting before royal troops (some of whom defected to the insurgents), burning the hated toll barriers that surrounded the capital, and seizing grain supplies, Parisian crowds then began a search for weapons. On the morning of July 14 they invaded the military hospital of the Invalides where they seized thousands of rifles without incident. Then they laid siege to the Bastille, an old fortress that had once been a major royal prison, where gunpowder was stored. There the small garrison did resist and a ferocious firefight erupted. Dozens of citizens were hit providing the first martyrs of the Revolution, but the garrison soon capitulated. As they left, several were massacred by the infuriated crowd. Meanwhile, patriot electors ousted royal officials of the Paris city government, replaced them with a revolutionary municipality, and organized a citizens militia or national guard to patrol the city. Similar municipal revolutions occurred in 26 of the 30 largest French cities, thus assuring that the capital's defiance would not be an isolated act. The Parisian insurrection of July 14 not only saved the National Assembly from annihilation but also altered the course of the Revolution by giving it a far more active, popular dimension. Again the king capitulated. Removing most of the troops around Paris, he traveled to the capital on July 17 and, to please the people, donned a cockade bearing the colors of white for the monarchy and blue and red for the city of Paris. This tricolor was to become the flag of the new France. The Great Fear These events did not pacify the anxious and hungry people of the countryside, however. The sources of peasant dissatisfaction were many and long standing. Population growth and the parceling of holdings were reducing the margin of subsistence for many families, while the purchase of land by rich townspeople exerted further pressure. Seigneurial dues and church tithes weighed heavily upon most peasants. Now, in addition, suspicions were rampant that nobles were hoarding grain in order to stymie the patriotic cause. In July peasants in several regions sacked the castles of the nobles and burned the documents that recorded their feudal obligations. This peasant insurgency eventually blended into a vast movement known as the Great Fear. Rumors abounded that the vagrants who swarmed through the countryside were actually â€Å"brigands† in the pay of nobles who were marching on villages to destroy the new harvest and cow the peasants into submission. The fear was baseless, but it stirred up hatred and suspicion of the nobles, prompted a mass recourse to arms in the villages, and set off new attacks on chEteaus and feudal documents. Peasant revolts and the Great Fear showed that the royal government was confronting a truly nationwide and popular revolution. The night of August 4 Peasant insurgency worried the deputies of the National Assembly, but they decided to appease the peasants rather than simply denounce their violence. On the night of August 4, representatives of the nobility and clergy vied with one another in renouncing their ancient privileges. This set the stage for the Assembly to decree â€Å"the abolition of feudalism† as well as the tithe, venality of office, regional privilege, and social privilege. Rights of Man and Citizen By sweeping away the old web of privileges, the August 4th decree permitted the Assembly to construct a new regime. Since it would take months to draft a constitution, the Assembly drew up a Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen to indicate the outline of its intentions. A rallying point for the future, the Declaration also stood as the death certificate of the old regime. It began with a ringing affirmation of equality: â€Å"Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be based only on common utility. The Declaration went on to proclaim the sovereignty of the nation as against the king or any other group, and the supreme authority of legitimate law. Most of its articles concerned liberty, defined as â€Å"the ability to do whatever does not harm another . . . whose limits can only be determined by law†; they specified freedom from arbitrary arrest; freedom of expression and of religion; and the need for represent ative government. The Declaration's concept of natural rights meant that the Revolution would be based on reason rather than history or tradition.