Understanding Nursing Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Understanding Nursing Theory - Essay Example Grand theory presenters start theoretical formulation at abstraction level and these formulations never link the realities. Roy’s (1971) work was designated for the grand theory. Roy presented the adaptation model. In the adaption model of Roy, a person was perceived as receiving the adaptive system for inputs. This input may be as the stimuli from the external environment, which is processed by the feedback or internal processes. These processes are inherent in the changing abilities of individuals and result into an output in the form of either ineffective response or adaptive (Parse, 2001). Middle range Theory is less abstract and more specific in its scope, which reflects a practice and also addresses the specific phenomenon. This theory deals with a limited number of aspects of real world concepts. A mid-range theory is made up of relative concrete concepts, which are concrete propositions and defined operationally. These concepts can be tested empirically. A period of ten years ago, Georgene Eakes, Mary Burke, and Margaret Hainsworth developed the theory of Chronic Sorrow. This is the application of the middle range theory of nursing that explains the periodic recurrence of a continuous sadness or grief feeling over an important loss. This presents the normal response to the loss. Because, parents always felt sadness over their children’s mental retardation and this response was not permanent. Clinicians could intervene in these conditions if they had similar beliefs. This theory also related with the feelings of parents who have premature infants. Hainsworth, Eakes, & Burke (1994) found that mothers of those children with the spina bifida also had a pervasive sadness. This theory focuses upon the specific phenomenon, which mirror out the clinical practices and has narrowest interest range. This theory is limited to a particular population or a specific field of

Why I want To Be President Essay Example for Free

Why I want To Be President Essay Hola! â€Å"Why did the chicken cross the road?† Well, according to George W. Bush, the President of the United States, a proper answer could be. â€Å"We dont really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road or not. The chicken is either with us or it is against us. There is no middle ground here.† However, I am not George Bush, and this speech is about me running for president of the Foreign Language Honour Society. But what about language? Let us consider our own language, English, which is considered by many to be one of the hardest languages in the world to learn or speak. I read an interesting quote about the English language that goes: â€Å"Lets face it: English is a terrible language. There is no egg in the eggplant, no ham in the hamburger and neither pine nor apple in the pineapple. English muffins were not invented in England, French fries were not invented in France. We sometimes take English for granted. But if we examine its paradoxes we find that Quicksand takes you down slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. If writers write, how come fingers dont fing. If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldnt the plural of phone booth be phone beeth. If the teacher taught, why didnt the preacher praught. If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what the heck does a humanitarian eat!? Why do people recite at a play, yet play at a recital? Park on driveways and drive on parkways. You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language where a house can burn up as it burns down and in which you fill in a form by filling it out. And a bell is only heard once it goes! English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which of course isnt a race at all). That is why when the stars are out they are visible, but when the lights are out they are invisible. And why it is that when I windup my watch it starts but when I wind up this story it ends?† But back to the real reason for this speech. Why I want to be president? Because I think I would be a good one! Of course, everyone would say that, wouldn’t they? But I really mean it.   Every elected official wants to make a difference, and though, not all of them do, they all want to. Yet, I know I can make a difference in this Society, a difference that will not only improve things but make being a member of this Society something to be really proud of. Language is an art and the more languages a person knows then the broader their abilities to communicate with others. Communication is the key to any problem or any situation so when true communication is achieved, then the world can only improve from the classroom to the world of nations. This always reminds me of a quote I once read by a former politican. â€Å"When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldnt change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldnt change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family. Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.† No matter how small a group is, they can always make a difference and as the president of this Society, I know that I can help this Society make a big difference in our school and in our own lives.

Schizophrenia Essay -- Schizophrenia Essays

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that Encarta (2001) describes as an illness that results in delusional thought patterns, hallucinations, and inappropriate effect. It literally means â€Å"split-mind’, but is not a multiple personality disorder. According to DSM-IV (1996) schizophrenia is categorized under the diagnostic code, ICD-9-CM or International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification of 295.xx. Symptoms of schizophrenia can be positive, which occur during the active phase, and negative, which are present before the onset of the disorder. Positive symptoms of the disease include delusions of grandeur (a belief that one is a famous admired individual), delusion of control (when they believe something wants to control them), delusions of broadcasting (belief that another can read their minds or their thoughts are being aired on the radio), delusions of persecution, and thought withdrawal (belief that their thoughts have been removed from thei r brain). Negative symptoms include anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure), alogia (disorganized speech), and flat affect (when the individual does not show any emotion even in situations that strong reactions are expected). According to the DSM-IV (1996) one must fall under these explicit categories in order to be diagnosed with schizophrenia: A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Characteristic Symptoms: Two (or more) of the following, each present for a significant portion of time during a one-month period (or less if successfully treated): 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Delusions 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hallucinations 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Disorganized speech (e.g.. Frequent derailment or incoherence) 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Negative symptoms, i.e., affective flattening, alogia, or avolition Note: Only one Criterion A symptom is required if delusions are bizarre or hallucinations consist of a voice keeping up a running commentary on the person’s behavior or thoughts, or two or more voices conversing with each other. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Social/occupational dysfunction: For a significant portion of the time since the onset of the disturbance, one or more major areas of functioning such as work, interpersonal relations, or self-care are markedly below the level achieved prior to ... ...mily members of the sick individual as most schizophrenics are released into their family’s care. It helps the family members learn to see â€Å"early warning signs† of probable relapse as well as different methods of problem solving. Self-help groups are for both the schizophrenic individual as well as their families. These groups are not led by professionals, but rather are groups of schizophrenics and their families leaning on each other for psychological support. Works Cited American Psychiatric Association (1996). Diagnostic Criteria from DSM-IV (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. (1, 22, 23, 147-152) â€Å"Schizophrenia†. Encarta Encyclopedia(2001). Ireland: Microsoft Co. Searles, Howard F. (1956). The Effort to Drive the Other Person Crazy-An Element of the Aetiology and Psychotherapy of Schizophrenia. New York University School of Social Work-Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. 133-148. Taylor, Edward H. The Biological Basis of Schizophrenia (1986). New York University School of Social Work-Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. 51-57. National Institute of Mental Health. Schizophrenia (1999). Retrieved from http://www.medhelp.org/NIHlib/GF-359.html

The Allegory of the Cave?? in Different Perspectives :: essays research papers

 ¡Ã‚ §The Allegory of the Cave ¡Ã‚ ¨ in Different Perspectives  ¡Ã‚ §The Allegory of the Cave, ¡Ã‚ ¨ written by Plato, is an interpretation of a conversation between Socrates, Plato ¡Ã‚ ¦s mentor, and Glaucon, one of Socrates students.  ¡Ã‚ §The Allegory of the Cave ¡Ã‚ ¨ can be interpreted several different ways. Imagine men in a cave chained up by their necks and legs, forcing them to only look forward at a wall. An opening behind them lets the light in. Above the burning fire and chains, there is a road. Have these chained men ever seen anything else of themselves or others beyond the cave ¡Ã‚ ¦s shadows made by the fire? Some people would say the truth is only perceived by the shadows seen on the walls of the cave. What if one of these men ¡Ã‚ ¦s chains were taken off and he was free to leave? Would the man feel pain when seeing the real world? Would he be confused on believing what is real? Would it make a difference if the chained man was briefly educated about what he was going to see first? Perhaps he would understand and not be confused about what is real. Will the man think what he saw before was much more real than what he sees now? Questions like these will bring different opinions and meaning to  ¡Ã‚ §The Allegory of the Cave. ¡Ã‚ ¨ Whose interpretation, if any, is correct when explaining the meaning of  ¡Ã‚ §The Allegory of the Cave ¡Ã‚ ¨? Does it have mathematical meaning, explain a vision of the whole world, or is it just a comparison to the field of social work? I personally feel that  ¡Ã‚ §The Allegory of the Cave ¡Ã‚ ¨ is a great explanation of how people in the world live. People are just like the men chained inside the cave, people only know and believe what he or she might have seen. Outside of the cave is the world around us. People are very narrow minded beings, a persons perception on life is only from their own experiences. When the chained men are let free is when people finally realize what is going on in the world and not just what is around them.  ¡Ã‚ §The Allegory of the Cave ¡Ã‚ ¨ can be interpreted with different meanings, such as Michael O ¡Ã‚ ¦Leary ¡Ã‚ ¦s theory of the cave being a place away from the world. Michael O ¡Ã‚ ¦Leary believes  ¡Ã‚ §The Allegory of the Cave ¡Ã‚ ¨ is Plato ¡Ã‚ ¦s explanation of the education of the soul towards enlightenment.

Social Media and Social Change

Social Media and Social Change: A Closer Look at the Revolutionary Qualities of Social Media In Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase, â€Å"the medium is the message† (McLuhan). McLuhan suggests that messages are greatly affected by the medium in which they are delivered. Messages must be received in the proper channel to create social change. On July 21, 1969, the American astronaut Neil Armstrong created history when he sent his message to 3. 31 billion people via radio and television, â€Å"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind†. Forty years later another astronaut created history by sending the first tweet from outer space, â€Å"Launch was awesome!!! I am feeling great, working hard, and enjoying the magnificent views, the adventure of a lifetime has begun! â€Å"(AP). While many people see online activity on social media sites as a past-time, a growing trend and even a fad, it is actually the biggest key player in creating social change. This is why NASA has more Twitter accounts than any federal agency. The biggest reason NASA has been extremely keen about adopting social media is because of the collapse of interest in space programs, said the NASA chief of public affairs Bob Jacobs. NASA also has plans to incorporate YouTube on their next shuttle flight to field questions from space (AP). The message is clear, NASA looks to generate more interest in space programs or to create social change and they look to social media tools to help them. We are in the midst of a communicative revolution fuelled by social media and driven by the masses. Social media possesses the intrinsic power to change the world even in the most marginal of ways. A closer look at the ability social media has to generate dialogue, its ability to change perception and persuade, and its ability to connect and unite the masses democratically, will demonstrate the power that social media possesses to enable a revolution. It will demonstrate a profound shift in the way that we communicate and denounce social media as a current fad or passing trend. Many people credit the television for its ability to deliver a high quality message. In fact it would be extremely hard to misunderstand a message delivered through such a high sensory communicative channel. Social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter have been criticized for its â€Å"dumbing down† qualities. In Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes our Future, Mark Bauerlein suggests that Generation Y, that is – a generation of youth born in the late 1970's to the late 1990's – spend wasteful hours on social networking sites posting useless updates and sending mundane messages (Bauerlein 12). But the Harvard Law professor Jonathan Zittrain reminds us that â€Å"the qualities that make Twitter seem inane and half-baked are what makes it so powerful† (qtd in Cohen). It is the same qualities that give social media a high quality communication channel for inspiring social movements amongst participants. Participants of social media are often required to create accounts or profiles and as a result participants are left with a sense of community. Because all content on social media sites are user-generated, any information or message posted on a given site is automatically received as word of mouth dialogue and this is the powerful nature of social media. It is important to note that dialogue is unrestricted to mediums. It can occur via face to face interaction, by telephone, by email or even a social media site such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or MySpace. Danah Boyd suggests that comments in a world of social media act as conversation in the real world (Boyd 124). Her compelling article, Why Youth Love Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life argues that profiles, friends and comments â€Å"differentiate social network sites differentiate from other types of computermediated communication† (124). Boyd explains that comments are what engage and encourage users to participate and when they do they become participants (127). In Sociability and social interaction on social networking websites, Andrew Keenan and Ali Shiri identify the emphasis social media outlets place on transferring your existing â€Å"real world† experiences, connections, networks and information to the web and making them accessible (Keenan & Shiri 443). Naturally users are inclined to do the opposite. Any dialogue generated online is not limited to or even discouraged from entering the real world. What Boyd, Keenan and Shiri remind us is that social media sites are not only encouraging us to socialize on their sites, they are encouraging us to participate and to socialize in the real world. In The Power of Dialogue, Patrick Jenlink highlights the contributions dialogue makes in creating social change: The primary challenge to global society, as we pass the threshold of a new millennium, is to transform existing social systems, and therefore American society, in such ways as to embody a more inclusive, democratic, and open-ended communicative spirit. Necessary to this transformation is a social discourse that enables the power and potential of global citizens to be realized. Dialogue is such a discourse that enables citizens in unconcealing societal patterns and structures, which guide and direct individual and collective interactions within and across events and activities. Engaging in dialogue, as a social discourse of creative possibility, with others in our daily lives can contribute to change in our selves and society (Jenlink 1). One example of social media's ability to use dialogue to create social change is the recent use of Twitter to coordinate protests. The Iranian government's attempts to restrict and censor media outlets was challenged by citizens that used Twitter to spread the word about the Iranian Election (Cohen & Stone 2). When the Chinese government censored citizens from accessing the internet the Global Internet Freedom Consortium provided Chinese movements with software that helped evade censorship. When asked about the increase of traffic from Iran, the founder of the organization suggested that â€Å"the Iranian people actually found out by themselves and have passed this on by word of mouth† (Cohen & Stone 2). Furthermore, Zittrain suggests that â€Å"Twitter was particularly resilient to censorship because it had so many ways for its posts to originate – from a phone, a web browser or specialized applications – and so many outlets for those posts to appear† (qtd in Cohen & Stone). Similarly, word of mouth messages are difficult to avoid because they can be delivered from so many places – a neighbour, a teacher, a coworker, a classmate or even an astronaut. In short, the intrinsic nature of social media sites to turn user generated content into word of mouth information, that is – unrestrictive dialogue – allows for users to spread messages quickly and effectively. Social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and MySpace have not only given us a way in which we can converse, they have given us a space in which conversation and dialogue can start and continue to grow. When John E. Kennedy first tried to define advertising in 1904 he did so with three simple words, â€Å"salesmanship on paper† (O'Reilly). While he might rework this phrase, first to include all forms of advertising media and then to comment on some form of social change; he would certainly be forced to include social media tools such as YouTube, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter as they have changed the way in which we choose to communicate. When considering social change it is imperative to consider advertising. The first step to creating social change on any level is to change public perception and there is no other industry known more for changing perception than the advertising industry. It is best explained by notorious ad man who persuaded millions to watch MTV and wear Tommy Hilfiger, George Lois who said, â€Å"Great advertising can make food taste better, can make your car run smoother. It can change your perception of something. Is it wrong to change your perception about something? Of course not. I’m not lying; I’m just saying, ‘This one’s more fun, this one’s more exciting. ‘† The advertising industry is typically always the first one to recognize the capability of digital technologies to create social change. This is why Katalyst Media, a media agency dedicated to producing content on social media has more campaigns than they can handle. The founder and CEO of Katalyst Media, Ashton Kutcher uses social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to send his message and to persuade others to join his causes. It started with a message to promote World Malaria Day that read â€Å"Every 30 seconds, a kid dies of malaria. Nets save lives. $10 buys a net† and was followed by a link to Malaria No More's web site where people could donate (Macsai & Wilson 80). The celebrity's tweet persuaded millions to join and the donation website had more traffic in one month than it did the previous twelve (80). Kutcher was able to tally nearly 90,000 nets in a very short time. What Kutcher did was raise awareness to a cause and by taking advantage of the most popular space in modern times to have a conversation he created action. Another celebrity to cash in on free advertising, that is – the process of attracting public attention to a product, business or cause through multiple forms of media with the ultimate goal of delivering a message to create action – is Bill Cosby. Cosby recently held a virtual town hall to discuss issues that face the African-American Community and to promote this town hall he advertised his message on social media sites, Facebook and Twitter (Hein). Cosby launched his ad campaign in a few simple words, â€Å"Our children are trying to tell us something, but we are not listening† followed by a link to Ustream – a website that streams footage live alongside a comments box where the streamer can read at the same time. Cosby was capable of generating 1. 3 million views which set a record behind President Obama's inaugural address (Hein). Similarly, companies are taking advantage of social media sites by gathering positive word of mouth dialogue to create a social change, that is – a higher demand and positive brand relationship with consumers (Schmitt). Companies like Nike, Red Bull and Samsun all have their own Twitter and Facebook pages where consumers post reviews and experiences with relative products. In The Last Campaign: How Experiences Are Becoming the New Advertising, Garrick Schmitt highlights the increasing awareness that companies have for social media (Schmitt). He also argues that companies unwilling to adapt are unlikely to survive (Schmitt). The ability that social media has to change perception is largely fuelled by its ability to generate dialogue in a public space. In creating a public space social media sites provide a space where the masses can rule, even if the masses are as marginal as a group of chess players. In Explaining Why Young Adults Use MySpace and Facebook Through Uses and Gratifications Theory, Mark Urista, Qingwen Dong and Ken Day assert that â€Å"the uniqueness of social networking sites is not in their ability to allow individuals to meet strangers but rather their ability to enable users to shape and make their social networks visible to others (Urista et al. 17). Because social networks are visible to the public it is easy to find the best or most popular product. Persuasion and the changing of perceptions becomes easy when 500,000 people think the same way you do. This is why Bill Cosby was capable of generating 1. 3 million hits when he only had 650,000 Twitter followers and 26,000 fans on Face book. In short, social media sites present users and companies with a platform for persuasion through a visibly public space. Effective companies and social change movements relish critical feedback via social media and used correctly can persuade the masses to take part of revolutionary change. Perhaps the most powerful quality that social media possesses is the ability to connect, unite and democratize traditional forms of communication. All of which help to generate social change albeit unintentionally. The most recognizable form of social media's ability to democratize and unite can be found in its language. Twitter for example opened up its ever evolving language to its users. Tweets is a term that refers to a Twitter post. the letters RT is a negotiated term amongst all users that stands for Retweet which means to forward, like an email or repost. As more and more uses are found for social media sites such as Twitter, the language evolves. For example, Tweet-Up is a recently added term that refers to a real-world meeting of people who connected via Twitter (Wired). Another way in which social media acts as a democratic force is its ability to give power to the masses. User-generated content certainly adds to the democratic nature of social media sites because the content on them can become important or redundant but it is up to participants and users to decide. When something becomes popular often times groups will be started and streams of meta data are collected and grouped to provide easy access. In Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business , Erik Qualman suggests that â€Å"human beings have the dichotomous physiological need to be our own individual, yet we also want to feel like we belong to and are accepted by a much larger social set. People are willing to have an ‘open diary' as a means to stay connected – as their ultimate desire is to feel connected† (Qualman 43). This idea suggests that we are rewarded for participating so a simple call to action is in fact rewarding: Part of this lies in a yearning to have a clear understanding of what the majority is ding. It was much easier to know what the majority was doing when all on had to do was tune into Casey Kasem's â€Å"American Top 40† to find out the latest and greatest in music or to flip through â€Å"Vogue† magazine to quickly grasp ever fashion trend. â€Å"Social media help us make sense of information overload by quickly seeing what our friends find important, helpful or interesting. It also helps eliminate people performing he same tasks – if three of your friends have already performed the task (finding a good hotel in Bermuda), why should you be redundant? (Qualman). Danah Boyd also highlights social media outlets call to participate as a reward (Boyd 126). Social Media makes participation in social movements rewarding and democratic. Participation in social medi a allows users to connect and unite as the public platform used by social media sites makes it easy for users to connect and to participate with others. These qualities are the underlying reasons surrounding the profound shift in the way that we choose to communicate. Social media has become the biggest change to our society since the industrial revolution (Qualman). Qualman states the following statistics while arguing his case for social media revolution: 96% of Generation Y have joined a social media network, is the number one activity on the internet today, 1 out of 8 couples married in the US last year met via social media, it took the radio 38 years to reach 50 million users, the television took 13 years, the internet took 4 years, the iPod took 3 years, Facebook added 100 million users in less than 9 months (Qualman 2). Along with it are the intrinsic qualities social media carries with it, that is ability to generate dialogue, to change perception and persuade, and its ability to connect and unite the masses democratically. The social media revolution is incipient and inchoate. The creation of every new medium brings with it a learning curve and as its strengths are developed and its language invented, social change will be one of its many uses.

Understanding Shakespeares Seven Ages of Man

Understanding Shakespeares Seven Ages of Man The poem The Seven Ages of Man is a part of the play As You Like It, where Jacques makes a dramatic speech in the presence of the Duke in Act II, Scene VII. Through the voice of Jacques, Shakespeare sends out a profound message about life and our role in it. Shakespeares Seven Ages of Man All the worlds a stage,And all the men and women merely players,They have their exits and entrances,And one man in his time plays many parts,His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,Mewling and puking in the nurses arms.Then, the whining schoolboy with his satchelAnd shining morning face, creeping like snailUnwillingly  to school. And then the lover,Sighing like furnace, with a woeful balladMade to his mistress eyebrow. Then a soldier,Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,Jealous in honour, sudden, and quick in quarrel,Seeking the bubble reputationEven in the cannons mouth. And then the justiceIn fair round belly, with good capon lind,With eyes severe, and beard of formal cut,Full of wise saws, and modern instances,And so he plays his part. The sixth age shiftsInto the lean and slipperd pantaloon,With spectacles on nose, and pouch on side,His youthful hose well savd, a world too wide,For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,Turning again towards childish trebl e, pipesAnd whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,That ends this strange eventful history,Is second childishness and mere oblivion,Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything. In this drama of life, each one of us plays seven distinct roles. This, the author says, is the Seven Ages of Man. These seven roles begin at birth and end with death. Stage 1: Infancy Birthmarks the entry of man in the first stage of life. An infant in the caretakers arms is just a helpless child learning to survive. Babies communicate with us through their cries. Having been nourished in the womb of the mother, the baby learns to accept breast milk as its first food. Vomiting is common among all babies. Once a baby is breastfed, you need to burp the baby. In the process, babies throw up some milk. Since babies do nothing most of the day, other than crying and spitting up after feeding, Shakespeare says that the first stage of life is marked by these two activities. Babies have been perceived as cute since the beginning of time. They feed and spit up, and between these two activities, they also cry. A lot. Young parents know the drill even before they become parents. While babies continue to be puking and mewling little adorable beings, the difference between then and now is that raising babies is a concerted effort between the parents. Stage 2: Schoolboy At this stage of life, the child is introduced to the world of discipline, order, and routine. The carefree days of infancy are over, and schooling brings about a regimen in the life of a child. Naturally, the child takes to whining and complaining about the forced routine. The concept of schooling has seen a great change since the time of Shakespeare. In Shakespeares time, school was a forced practice usually overseen by the church. Depending on the status of the parents, a child went to either a grammar school or a monastic school. School  began at sunrise and lasted the whole day. Punishments were common, and often harsh.   Modern schools are quite unlike their ancient counterparts. While some kids still whine and complain about going to school, many actually love school because of the play while you learn approach to schooling. Modern day schools have taken a holistic approach to education. Children are taught through role plays, visual presentations, demonstrations, and games. Homeschooling is another option that most parents prefer to formal schooling. Also, with the abundance of online resources, modern education has extended the boundaries of learning. Stage 3:  Teenager Teenagers in the medieval times were accustomed to social etiquettes of wooing a lady. The teenager during Shakespeares time pined for his lover, wrote elaborate verses of love ballads, and mooned over his object of desire. Romeo and Juliet  is an icon of romance during the period of Shakespeares. Love was sensual, deep, romantic, and full of grace and beauty. Compare this love to the teen love of today. The modern age teen is technically savvy, well-informed, and romantically astute. They dont express their love in amorous love letters. Who does that in the age of texting and social media? Relationships are not as elaborate, or romantic as they were for the medieval teenager. The youth of today is far more individual-centric and independent than those in Shakespeares time. Back in those days, relationships were nurtured towards matrimony. Nowadays, marriage is not necessarily the goal of every romantic affiliation, there is more sexual expression and less adherence to social structures such as monogamy. However, despite all these differences, the teenager of today is as angsty as the teenager of the medieval time. They have to deal with unrequited love, heartbreak, and depression just as those in ancient times. Stage 4: Youth The next stage Shakespeare talks about in the poem is that of a young soldier. In old England, young men were trained for combat. The young soldier developed an attitude of brash courage, raw passion mixed with the impetuous temper that is characterized by unwarranted rebellion. The youth of today have the same zeal and energy for rebellion. They are far more expressive, vocal, and assertive about their rights. Though the youth of today would not necessarily be enlisted for service in the army, they have enough avenues to form social groups to fight for a political or social cause. With social media platforms and the global reach of mass media, the young can reach their voice to the far corners of the world. A widespread reaction is almost instantaneous because of the global reach and effectiveness of propaganda.   Stage 5: Middle Age The middle age has hardly changed over the centuries. Middle age is the time when men and women settle down, and kids, family, and career take precedence over personal indulgences. Age brings wisdom and a sense of peaceful acceptance of realities of life. Idealistic values get pushed behind, while practical considerations become important. While the middle-aged man (and woman) of today have more options to further personal or professional interests, perhaps the medieval middle-aged man had fewer such options, and, not surprisingly, even less so the medieval woman. Stage 6: Old Age In medieval times, life expectancy hovered around 40, and a man of 50 would consider himself lucky to be alive. Depending on the social or economic class of the person, old age could be harsh or at best, ambivalent. Though the old were respected for their wisdom and experience, most old people suffered due to neglect and degeneration of physical and mental faculties. Those who were oriented towards religious pursuits fared better than the household man. Today, life is alive and vibrant for a 40-year-old. Many senior aged people (starting in their 70s) in the modern era are still actively involved in social activities, secondary occupations, or hobbies. Also, there are good retirement plans and financial devices available to make old age comfortable. It is not so uncommon for a healthy and young-at-heart senior citizen to go on a trip around the world, enjoy gardening or golf, or even continue to work or pursue higher education if they so desire. Stage 7: Extreme Old Age What Shakespeare talks about in this stage of man is an extreme form of aging, where the person is no longer able to perform basic tasks such as bathing, eating, and going to the toilet. Physical frailty and incapacity no longer allow them the freedom to live unassisted. During Shakespeares time, it was quite okay to treat old people as senile. In fact, in the Elizabethan era, where slavery and discrimination against women were highly prevalent, ageism  was hardly considered a problem. Old people were treated as little children, and as Shakespeare describes this stage as a second childhood, it was socially acceptable to treat the old with disdain. Todays modern society is more humane and sensitive to seniors. Though ageism still exists and is prevalent in many spheres, with growing awareness, seniors sans teeth, sans eyes, and sans taste still live with the dignity that ought to be afforded to the elderly.

Sociology and Age Old Problem Essays

Sociology and Age Old Problem Essays Sociology and Age Old Problem Essay Sociology and Age Old Problem Essay Bosom Friend Hira Bansode The poem â€Å"Bosom Friend† is a critical and a sarcastic remark against the hypocritical caste-ridden society. The poet here articulates the pain she has suffered at the hands of the upper class. The experience of constant subjugation, separation and marginalization are expressed in a tone which is both vehement and sarcastic. The title of the poem has an ironic under tone since her guests do not in anyway live up to her expectations. The narrator in the poem plays the role of hostess to some upper-caste guests. Her treatment of the guests is unconditional and unpretentious. She appreciates her guests for their gesture of magnanimity since they have shed their feeling of cast superiority. She finds it surprising as the gap between low class and upper class was too large to be bridged. But the age old problem has been effortlessly remedied by her guests with the mind as large as the sky. The devotion showed by the hostess has been compared to that of Shabari of the Ramayana. But unfortunately her devotion was short lived, when she started to serve. The feeling of caste- superiority suddenly found expression in her guests’ insolent remarks on the table etiquette of the hostess. One of them even says, â€Å"You folk will newer improve†. The hostess is terribly offended and breaks in to a sense of nostalgia. She recalls her days of poverty and painfully expresses her impoverished circumstances when she had no access to milk or yoghurt. The expectations of the guests can not be fulfilled since the hostess has been brought up in utter poverty. Her only source of luxury was chutney on coarse bread. The hostess also says that shrikhand was not part of their language. The hostess who was so happy at the arrival of the guests now sounds like a liberated women and defends her ignorance of table etiquette since it was the society which made her.

Skin Cancer Essays - RTT, Carcinoma, Anatomical Pathology

Skin Cancer Essays - RTT, Carcinoma, Anatomical Pathology "Skin Cancer" Gone are the days when people sent children outside to play to get a little color in their cheeks. They know too much about the dangers of unprotected sun exposure and the threat of skin cancer. Or do they? Despite the fact that 58% of parents remembered hearing about the importance of protecting their children from the sun, children are still playing in the sun without sunscreen or protective clothing (3., p 1). Sunburn is the most preventable risk factor of skin cancer. Skin type and family history cannot be changed. Protection from the sun and education of the potential hazards of the sun need serious attention. The American Cancer Society estimates that over 850,000 cases of skin cancer will occur in the United States during 1996. Of those cases, they predict that 9,430 will end in death (4., p 1). Apparently, Americans still do not have an adequate amount of prevention information to help reduce the disfigurement and mortality from this cancer. Exposure to the ultraviolet radiation from the sun is the most frequently blamed source of skin cancer. Due to the reduction of ozone in the earths atmosphere, UV radiation is higher today than it was several years ago. Ozone serves as a filter to screen out and reduce the UV light that reaches the earths surface and its people. Very simply, sunburn and UV light can damage the skin and lead to skin cancer (1., p 1). The American Cancer Society also faulted repeated exposure to x-rays, artificial forms of UV radiation like tanning beds, and contact with chemicals like coal tar and arsenic as other causes of skin cancer (4., p 1). Additionally, if there is a history of skin cancer in the family, an individual may be at a higher risk (1., p 1). Individuals who have experienced only one serious sunburn have increased their risk of skin cancer by as much as 50% (1., p 4). There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma. Basal cell carcinoma usually imposes itself on areas of the skin that have been exposed to the sun. It usually appears as a small raised bump with a smooth shiny surface. Another type resembles a scar that is firm to the touch. Although this specific type of skin cancer may spread to tissue directly surrounding the cancer area, it usually does not spread to other areas of the body (9., pp 2-3). Squamous cell carcinoma growths also appear most frequently on areas of the body that have been exposed to the sun. These areas can include the hands, lower lip, forehead, and the top of the nose. Additionally, skin that has been exposed to x-rays, chemicals, or has been sunburned can host these tumors. The squamous tumors may feel scaly or develop a crusty appearance. Some growths may bleed. These particular tumors may spread to lymph nodes in the surrounding area (9., pp 2 -3). Malignant melanoma is a far more serious type of skin cancer. It can spread quickly to other parts of the body through the lymph system or blood. This type of skin cancer is more common among adults. Findings have indicated that men most often develop melanoma on the trunk of the body. Whereas, women most often develop it on the arms and legs (6., pp 2-3). The warning signs of melanoma are: changes in the color, size, or shape of a mole, bleeding or oozing from a mole, or a mole that is hard, lumpy, swollen, and is tender to the touch, or feels itchy. A new mole can also be an indicator of melanoma. A simple "ABCD" rule outlines the warning signs of melanoma. "A" is for asymmetry. One half of the mole does not match the other. "B" is for border irregularity. The edges are ragged, notched, or blurred. "C" is for color. The pigmentation is not uniform. "D" is for a diameter of greater than 6mm. Any progressive increase in size should be of particular concern (8., p 1). For both basal and squamous cell carcinomas, surgery is the most common treatment. Electrosurgery is the process in which the cancer is scooped out with a sharp instrument and then an electric current is used to burn the edges around the site to kill

The future of natural medicine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The future of natural medicine - Essay Example The future of helth cre nd medicine cn not be predicted, but it will certinly be developing into n Informtion ge, evolving in itself. Prticulrly, the medicl services will be delivered through the Internet nd other innovtive mens of communiction providing qulity nd cre whenever nd wherever needed. E-medicine refers to the use of telecommuniction tht provides medicl informtion nd services. It my be s simple s two helth professionls discussing cse over the telephone, or s sophisticted s using stellite technology to brodcst consulttion between providers t two distnt loctions, using videoconferencing equipment." (Gustke et l., 20000) The simplest definition of E-Medicine is tht it uses multimedi technology (voice, video nd dt) to deliver medicl services. The lower cost of bnd- width nd improvement in video nd dt compression stndrds hve incresed the number nd types of medicl services tht cn be delivered from distnce to include virtully every specilty. E-Medicine is n ppliction nd not technology. It uses hybrid technology incorporting elements of television, telecommuniction, computers, engineering nd medicine. Services cn be delivered on combintion of technologies with vriety of equipment. The objective of E-medicine "is not n evolutionry concept but revolutionry concept nd t the hert of every revolution, there is the need for sudden mssive chnge, t the core of which is the humn mind." (Merrell, 2004). E-medicine in the future will bring mny benefits to helth cre system, will fcilitte the work of helth cre employees nd improve the response time for ptients. Prticulrly, the benefits of e-medicine include: higher qulity helthcre vilble to trditionlly under privileged popultion. For lrge rurl bsed popultion seprted by lrge distnces the ccess to regulr qulity medicl cre is needed nd cn be provided by e-medicine. E-medicine cn enhnce citizen's equlity in the vilbility of vrious medicl services nd clinicl helth cre, despite these economic nd geogrphic brriers. E-medicine will sve the time wsted by both providers nd ptients in trveling from one geogrphic loction to nother to vil services on time. The ptient who requires immedite specilist consultncy, nd there is no specilist vilble to cter to him, could be utilized for effective helthcre delivery. E-medicine will reduce costs of medicl cre since the rising cost of helthcre is becoming prime concern. The costs relted to ptient cre, i.e. the cost ssocited with fctors other thn the ctul medil cre such s trvel, ccommodtion for reltives, food etc lso contribute substntilly to the overll cost of tretment. In country where helth insurnce is yet to ctch up, ll these re borne by ptients, in mny cses by selling property nd livestock. If hospitls cn reduce these costs ssocited with tretment, it would go long wy in reducing the burden of cre on the ptient. E-medicine seems to be the nswer. dvntges of E-medicine Providing helthcre services vi Internet nd other telecommuniction services gives mny dvntges. It cn mke specilty cre more ccessible to underserved rurl nd urbn popultions. Video consulttions from rurl clinic to specilist cn llevite prohibitive trvel nd ssocited costs for

Physiological and psychological traits of two primates Assignment

Physiological and psychological traits of two primates - Assignment Example Physiological and psychological traits of two primates This observational activity was conducted in Fort Worth Zoo in Texas during which physiological and psychological traits of two primates were studied and compared. However, body hairs were not visible on the face, hands and feet of this animal. He also had silver grey hair as well on his bak which showed that this gorilla was in his late 20s. Same hair color was visible on its thighs and chest as well. The weight mentioned on the board was 40 kg which is fairly regular for this genus. Average height was supposed to be around 65 inches. There were three more gorillas kept in the same setting however major focus of this session was on the male Gorilla who appeared to be the leader of the herd and had a silver back. An interesting fact about the outlook of this gorilla was his lower jaw protruding the upper one. This particular primate was kept in an open area which had concrete floor as well as grassy area. However, the animal appeared more comfortable on the grassy land. He was being fed with bananas and other fruits whereas he was also occasionally picking grass and chewing it. There were some big insects visible on the grassy land which were picked by Gorilla and taken into his mouth. The Gorilla had its arms longer than legs and was moving on four limbs with major support given by the hands with curled digits. The male Gorilla did not appeared to be interested in interacting with the visitors and was showing less receptiveness to the food given or noises made by them. Throughout the observation, a single instance of low growling sound made towards the visitors was witnessed. The gorilla had made a small nest of plants and shrubs which he was using for occasional sitting. The weather on the day of visit was sunny and subject being studied appeared to enjoy sunlight. However, he kept on moving between shadows made by artificial rocky walls and open ground. Another interesting observation made was about little interest shown by Silver back gorilla regarding acti vities taking place in its habitat. Rest of the gorillas who appeared as female due to their smaller height and weight were roaming around freely towards food provided by zoo employees however they were just interested in food supply and not the individual feeding them. Unlike them, male gorilla only moved towards food once other gorillas had taken their share. Furthermore, he was picking up fruits thrown by some children. Some of the edible items were removed by zoo members and they were also told not to throw food inside gorilla’s habitat. The male Gorilla also appeared a little offended due to noise made by visitors to attract a smaller gorilla that seem to be attracted by the food offered by visitors. Therefore, when the smaller gorilla tried to move towards walls of its living arena in order to get closer to the visitors, the male Gorilla who was the subject of this activity quickly made a forceful growl in order to warn him. This production of sound was further followed by few quick leaps as well. Later on, the smaller Gorilla was taken to the nest of shoots where it was handed over to other female Gorillas. It was also noticed that the male Gorilla was paying relatively no attention to the water reservoir present in its living area. Although he moved towards it several times but did not touch the container with its mouth. On the contrary, he dipped his hands in the container and then put them in his mouth which quenched his thirst for the time being apparently. Perhaps, the reason for such low consumption of water is high use of vegetation which already has sufficient percentage of water. Male Mandrill Another subject

Personal journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Personal journal - Essay Example My best friend and his dad had also joined us. We all rose up early the morning of the long trip up to the camp site. Mom had made a whopping helping of pancakes and packed our lunches for along the way. My friend and I couldn’t sit still and hurriedly gulped down our breakfast forcing our dads to hurry up as well. Finally we headed out and I remember counting the cars to make the hours go by faster. When we arrived at the site, it was just like how my young mind hand imagined it. The clearing was wide and beautiful surrounded by trees, shrubs, and swaying grass. We had immediately set up the tents and started collecting logs for the campfire before the sun went down. There was a small stream not far away where we planned to do some fishing the next day. It was the perfect spot for the perfect weekend. That day we just rested and lay by the water, dipping our feet lazily, staring up at the darkening sky. The stars I remember seemed super bright and closer than usual. We had go ne to sleep early, resting up for the busy two days ahead. The next day we rose bright and early, ready to go hiking and later fishing for our lunch. At night the four of us used to sit around on logs with a flaming, hot camp fire in the middle, holding out our sticks covered in layers of gooey marshmallows. My friend’s dad told the best scary stories.

Karl marx Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Karl marx - Essay Example He intended to help the readers understand the kind of pain that these classes were being placed into by the rule that had been established in France at the time, and how the dictatorship failed to notice the plight of the commoners, which further led to a pitfall in the politics as well as economy of the country. Through his writing, Marx tried to help the people to understand that even a commoner could come to terms with the entire situation and circumstance and play the rightful part of a hero by lifting the pressure that the lower classes had been engulfed into because of the rule that persisted in the country at the time. It was leading to a major deterioration in the economy’s cycle, not to forget the happiness factors of society at large. One of his most famous quotes help to provide readers of the Brumaire with Marx’s views on an individual’s life within society at the time in France. ... anxiously conjure up the spirits of the past to their service and borrow from them names, battle cries, and costumes in order to present the new scene of world history in this time-honoured disguise and language.† By this, Marx means to throw light on how the rise of Bonaparte led to a downfall of the people and how the country suffered on the basis of their societal aspects because of harsh and unfair decisions taken by a single man. This quote means that a man has a destiny to follow, and thus he must follow the path of his life with respect to the same, while creating new opportunities for himself. Most people are under the impression that whatever is in store for them will happen eventually, however a man must try and create solution for himself to live his life with ease and peace. Life throws a number of situations and circumstances towards a person during his lifetime, and these are the opportunities that a person perceives. He must have the ability to figure out on his own what must be done in a given situation because otherwise he might end up regretting and hurting himself as well as others around him. According to Marx following a set tradition laid down by ancestors was not the way by which life was meant to be lived. He writes that it is this tradition that weighs people down in the present as they are hell bent on trying to imitate the lives that their forefathers had undergone. Even though some men try and break free from such a historical presence present in their lives, they somehow fall short at the very last moment as the past catches up with them and weighs them down. A man must be strong in his will and determination to be able to live a life for himself despite whatever he must have gone through earlier, or despite whatever hardships his family

Roe v. Wade or Miranda v. Arizona Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Roe v. Wade or Miranda v. Arizona - Essay Example (Cross & Miller, 165). However, some legal professionals were of the impression that Miranda had been denied his legal rights to remain quiet and to have an attorney during the police interrogation. AUCL helped Miranda to initiate a ‘thirty-six months’ legal battle on the issue and finally, the issue was posted before the Supreme Court. U.S.A. Before and during the Miranda’s case, the accused or the suspect had the constitutional rights to remain silence but the main question was when and how those privileges could be used. Whether the right to remain quiet or silent, which is being guaranteed under the Fifth Amendment’s which bar against self-incrimination be practiced either during the police interrogation at the pretrial stage or only during the trail stage of the case. Were admissions obtained from accused permissible in court if the accused was not reminded of his privilege to remain quiet and other legitimate privileges? (Cross & Miller, 164). These questions were answered in the ‘Miranda v. Arizona1, a milestone judgment by U.S Supreme Court which held that anyone accused of a crime had â€Å"the privilege to remain silent.† Thus, Supreme Court verdict is being referred as ‘Miranda Warning’ that is being applicable every individual who is arrested in U.S.A. Further, Miranda case also unveiled the privileges of the defendant, especially in criminal cases. (Cross & Miller, 164). Fifth Amendment to U.S Constitution offers to safeguard against the self-accusation and a right to have a counsel during police questioning of an accused is guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment. Under the Fifth Amendment, an individual cannot be forced to swear against her or himself or to offer incriminating testimony that can be employed later in a trial. The Sixth Amendment offers the constitutional right to engage a counsel during police questioning. (Cross & Miller, 165). The Miranda Rule demands that an accused or a witness while

Karl marx Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Karl marx - Essay Example He intended to help the readers understand the kind of pain that these classes were being placed into by the rule that had been established in France at the time, and how the dictatorship failed to notice the plight of the commoners, which further led to a pitfall in the politics as well as economy of the country. Through his writing, Marx tried to help the people to understand that even a commoner could come to terms with the entire situation and circumstance and play the rightful part of a hero by lifting the pressure that the lower classes had been engulfed into because of the rule that persisted in the country at the time. It was leading to a major deterioration in the economy’s cycle, not to forget the happiness factors of society at large. One of his most famous quotes help to provide readers of the Brumaire with Marx’s views on an individual’s life within society at the time in France. ... anxiously conjure up the spirits of the past to their service and borrow from them names, battle cries, and costumes in order to present the new scene of world history in this time-honoured disguise and language.† By this, Marx means to throw light on how the rise of Bonaparte led to a downfall of the people and how the country suffered on the basis of their societal aspects because of harsh and unfair decisions taken by a single man. This quote means that a man has a destiny to follow, and thus he must follow the path of his life with respect to the same, while creating new opportunities for himself. Most people are under the impression that whatever is in store for them will happen eventually, however a man must try and create solution for himself to live his life with ease and peace. Life throws a number of situations and circumstances towards a person during his lifetime, and these are the opportunities that a person perceives. He must have the ability to figure out on his own what must be done in a given situation because otherwise he might end up regretting and hurting himself as well as others around him. According to Marx following a set tradition laid down by ancestors was not the way by which life was meant to be lived. He writes that it is this tradition that weighs people down in the present as they are hell bent on trying to imitate the lives that their forefathers had undergone. Even though some men try and break free from such a historical presence present in their lives, they somehow fall short at the very last moment as the past catches up with them and weighs them down. A man must be strong in his will and determination to be able to live a life for himself despite whatever he must have gone through earlier, or despite whatever hardships his family

Research Paper for Othello Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

For Othello - Research Paper Example Jealousy, that is roused by suspicion and wounded pride, which could be reactions to prejudice, makes Othello the most celebrated text that explores the powers of these debilitating factors even over someone who is considered a hero (Collie 88-9). Shakespeare’s Othello is one of the earliest texts that depict racism against blacks (Iyasere, Iyasere, and Little 326). Normally, especially during Shakespearian days, the whites are the natural protagonists while the blacks are usually portrayed as antagonists. This depiction of a hero is unusual because Othello is shown as troubled with bitterness, delusions, and self-importance (Vaughn 180). He is a dignified, brilliant, heroic, and important figure in the Venetian army, yet despite this prominent status, his own insecurities make him prey to the selfish motives of Iago, the play’s villain (Jacobsen 502). The tragic part here is that no matter how great his status is, and no matter how admired he is by the people of Venice , the war strategies that make him win several battles do not win for him his battle at home, which ultimately resulted in the tragic end of Othello and his beloved Desdemona. Iago sees Othello’s jealousy for his wife Desdemona and decides to use it to his own advantage. He is able to manipulate Othello easily, even when Iago never once presented strong evidence about Desdemona’s infidelity. In fairness to Othello, the ideas that Iago convinces him of are very likely to happen, therefore, easy to believe (Jacobsen 503-4). However, if he knows his wife Desdemona well, it is also easy to see that these accusations are not only improbable, but ridiculous as well. In a scene in the play, Iago exclaims â€Å"Ha! I like not that.† (3.3.33) and â€Å"Cassio, my lord? No, sure, I cannot think it, That he would steal away so guilty-like, Seeing you coming.† (3.3.37-9). Here, it is obvious that Iago, lacking any solid proof, tries to plant ideas in Othello’s mind through manipulation. Iago acts like he is unwilling to confess the sordid details of the scene between Desdemona and Cassio, yet all the while uses a suggestive tone and drops hints that Desdemona is having an illicit affair with Cassio. This causes Othello to demand for more details, making it appear that he is dragging information out of Iago, while the truth is that Iago leads him into that trap of suspicion. This skillful manipulation ignites jealousy in Othello that is roused by the suspicion that Iago successfully implants in his head. These suspicions that rouse his jealousy cause constant speculations by different critics. Othello’s self-loathing is one popular idea. For example, making their marriage private instead of public could mean that he does not believe he is good enough for Desdemona (Vaughn 180). Othello is also portrayed as filled with contradicting characteristics. He promotes Cassio (1.1.18-21) but shows more trust to Iago; he kills his wife Desde mona (5.2.137-8) despite professing his overwhelming love and passion for her; he also kills himself (5.2.376-7) instead of facing the consequences of his crime despite being noted for his courage and dignity. His insecurity makes him gullible to Iago’s manipulations. It can be said that even without Iago’s exploitations of his insecurities, Othello would still be susceptible to suspicions one way or another (Vaughn 181). Despites his great accomplishments and elevated status in the society,

Downsizing Definition Essay Example for Free

Downsizing Definition Essay Downsizing occurs when a company permanently reduces its workforce. Corporate downsizing is often the result of poor economic conditions or the company’s need to cut jobs in order to lower costs or maintain profitability. Downsizing may occur when one company merges with another, a product or service is cut, or the economy falters. Downsizing also occurs when employers want to â€Å"streamline† a company – this refers to corporate restructuring in order to increase profit and maximize efficiency. Downsizing results in layoffs that are often followed by other restructuring changes, such as branch closings, departmental consolidation, and other forms of cutting pay expenses. In some cases, employers are not fired, but instead become part-time or temporary workers to trim costs. In a business enterprise, downsizing is reducing the number of employees on the operating payroll. Some users distinguish downsizing from a layoff, with downsizing intended to be a permanent downscaling and a layoff intended to be a temporary downscaling in which employees may later be rehired. Businesses use several techniques in downsizing, including providing incentives to take early retirement and transfer to subsidiary companies, but the most common technique is to simply terminate the employment of a certain number of people. Recentll, countrys largest cell phone company Grameenphone, has embarked on major operational cost-cutting measures that include the downsizing of its manpower in some specific sections of the company. GrameenPhone is the largest mobile phone company in Bangladesh. In the midst of lack of communication means, GrameenPhone has introduced an effective and user-friendly mobile phone network. It has put a positive impact on the lifestyle of the people of Bangladesh.It is one of the largest cellular operator in the country. It is a joint venture enterprise between Telenor and Grameen Telecom Corporation. Telenor is the largest telecommunications company in Norway, owns 51% shares of Grameenphone. It is amongst the oldest, most sophisticated, and diversified telecom companies in the world. Grameen Telecom itself owns 35% shares, 9.5% shares are held by Marubeni Corporation in japan and the remaining 4.5% shares are held by Gonofone Development Corp in New York. In addition, three leading international financial institutions the International Finance Corporation, Asian Development Bank and the Commonwealth Development Corporation are also shareholders of GrameenPhone. The three organizations each hold three per cent of preferred shares of GrameenPhone. It was the first company to introduce GSM technology in Bangladesh. It also established the first 24-hour Call Center to support its subscribers. With the slogan Stay Close, stated goal of Grameenphone is to provide affordable telephony to the entire population of Bangladesh. At present around 4800 employees, both permanent and contractual, are working in different sections of the GP. But the sudden decision to downsize its manpower has created panic among most employees of the company that saw substantial rise in its annual profit-earning in recent years. The victims of the latest cost cutting measures are in most cases permanent employees who worked in the sales and services departments. The company has abolished its logistics services in all regional offices and in the case of sales it has reduced the number of posts and declared the remaining post vacant. Interestingly, it has asked all the sales staff either to compete a fresh for the vacant posts or take an attractive exit package. Management is saying it is a part of the business alignment process, Through a so called performance evaluation process the company is conducting termination of permanent employee who were meant to be loyal and efficient. Even in many cases employees are being forcefully asked to leave the organization. some of the employees have complained that Grameenphone’s management has threatened them to submit their resignation letter otherwise they will be mentally humiliated as well as downsized at work. From employee source it is found that in many cases the company is violating the Bangladesh Labor Act 2006 but the government or the labor law enforcement bureau is not taking any actio n. The statistic shows that last year the company profit incensement was almost 205% and the employee of the company was suppose to get a potation of the profit as per the company policy. But it never happened. As Grameenphone’s profit already is in increase as per last year’s report than the company should provide a valid reason of termination of such a large number of employment within a short time. Recently the management have introduces a new system of re-interview within the company to ensure the existing position of the individuals. Management has claimed this process as a part of performance evaluation tool which has made the employee to raise their voice against this injustice. By using such words like ‘Business Alignment’ and ‘Change in structure’ actually the company is terminating the employment of permanent employee who has given his 8 hours of every single day with loyalty to built this organization to this height. Even in some cases the company had forced some of the female employee to attend the interviews during their maternity leave and terminated their employment contract as claiming the employee is less productive for the company which is a direct violation of Bangladesh labor Act 2006. Employees have claimed that the management is not providing any written announcement or instruction but verbally they are asking to leave the organization through phone calls and general meeting. This year the government has announced 11% inflation rate but Grameenphone being a multination company has provided only 0%-5% incensement to it’s employees though it’s quarterly report shows almost 81% increase op profit with is this year. Back in 2009 Almost 1500 permanent employees are asked to leave the organization without any valid reasons but based on performance evaluation process. So how come the number of termination became so high based on performance evaluation process after a certain period of time every year? And how downsizing a large number of senior employees into junior position became ethical practice or business alignment process? As a Norwegian company people had a better expectation from Grameenphone but now it seems to be the reason behind of distraction of hundreds of employee’s career.

Sears lack of employee involvement and empowerment

Sears lack of employee involvement and empowerment Sears is a leading retailer providing merchandise and various services, which offers a wide variety of products with more than 2,300 stores in the U.S. and Canada (Sears home page). The company has a strong cultural base with effective operation systems, of which internal and external environment scans can be identified with a SWOT analysis. Internal Strengths Since established in 1886, Sears has developed a strong retail network with extensive customer database of more than 60 million Sears credit card holders (Prentice-Hall, 2003). The company has gained good reputation as a reliable retailer and great trust from consumers thanks to its flexibility in identifying need and adapting strategies to provide best service (Rucci et al., 1998). Even during the crisis period, consumers faith was basically unchanged. It has many nation-wide known brand names with focused range of products and attracts large attention from both male and female customers. Internal surveys also revealed that employees had high expectation from the company and great desire to contribute to the companys success. Internal Weaknesses During the 1980s, the company expanded its business into other fields, for instance insurance, investment and banking, real estate, which resulted in loosing strength and prestige position in its core business as a retailer (Rucci et al., 1998). It was no longer the leading company in retailing but ranked number three after Wal Mart Stores, Inc. and Kmart Corporation. Lack of focus made the company fail to follow new trends in selling and respond quickly to changes in the marketplace. Another problem was the inappropriate attitude towards consumers. The senior managers in the head office were said not to listen to customers need, which resulted in high proportion of dissatisfaction. Other factors, for instance, low inventory turnover, bad service and poor sales companion also contributed to the companys downturn. Opportunities: The company started to realise the importance of female customers and changed the image of a mans store to attract more women by offering new ranges of apparel and cosmetics (Rucci et al., 1998). On the other hand, the application of the employee customer profit chain had positive effect on operation as employee satisfaction on the Sears TPI was high and employees were highly aware of the need for performance improvement. The development of learning maps, town hall meetings, and later maps, including Voices of our customers, The Sears money flow and Ownership, seemed to significantly promote learning environment in the organisation and enhance realistic action. External Threats: The intense competition in retailing was a comparatively significant threat to the company. The industry with a variety of old names like Wal Mart and Kmart as well as new arrivals caused great pressure for Sears to compete and required the company to apply the most suitable strategies without fault to survive and develop. Main issues In a previous study, Sears used an employee-customer-profit chain to collect data from up to 800 stores and found that a five percent increase in employee satisfaction drives a 1.3 percent in customer satisfaction, which results in 0.5 percent increase in revenue growth (Rucci et al. 1998). Thus, the company itself realised the necessity to employees attitude improvement. Although the company was on the fast track of recovery, there were still many issues to be identified and tackled in order to achieve sustainable growth as described in Rucci et al. (1998). First, lack of communication and cooperation between different departments and functions in the company resulted in poor operation efficiency. Customers satisfaction had decreased significantly and it was frontline employees who seemed to know this situation the best. However, they had little opportunity to deliver their messages to the management. The next problem was lack of employee involvement and empowerment. The companys strategies and expectations were poorly transferred through to them, and thus, they were lost in ambiguity about the tasks they were assigned. Moreover, employees are not given enough creative power to have influence on the shaping of companys future. Moreover, employees had to opportunity and support to realise their personal goals. The company aimed to create a compelling and motivated working environment. In reality, however, they still had a long way to go. To some extent, the old control and command culture had prevented the company from advanced development and employees were not highly valued enough as an ultimate resource in the organisation. Misunderstanding was another major issue which the company had to pay much attention to. According to a survey conducted by Sears itself, employees believed that Sears made profit of 45 cents on each dollar while the real figure was 2 cents. This was seen as a barrier to trust. While the company had to implement some changes in operation such as cost cuttings and reduced rewards to cope with crisis, employees might oppose them because they thought the company was doing well. Consequently, there was a lack of sense of urgency and commitment to change through the company. Another point is that the company should have invested more on develop their reward practices although the company was in a crisis and struggling to survive. It becomes even more important to have reward strategies supporting business objectives during hard times as they will strengthen existing resources and help the company overcome difficulties (CIPD, 2009). Approach to reward management With the emergence of the global knowledge and service oriented economy, more attention has been paid to the value of human resource to improve operation capability and create sustainable competitive advantages (Thompson, 2002). However, it is increasingly challenging to attract, motivate and retain employees with the most appropriate reward strategy which can maximise the benefits and perceived value of the rewards at an affordable cost to the company. Although managers at Sears recognised the significance of reward management and executive incentives were based on both financial and non financial performance, they still lack of a systematic approach to the issue. Consequently, a total reward system consisting of financial and non-financial, direct as well as indirect, intrinsic and extrinsic rewards is what Sears needs to improve reward and compensation strategies and reinforce its core values. Total reward, as defined by CIPD (2011), is a concept that encompasses all aspects of work that are valued by employees, including elements such as learning and development opportunities and/or an attractive working environment, in addition to the wider pay and benefits package. Under this concept, employees are empowered and engaged in operation, and can have positive attitudes towards the company. In return, employers get to know more about staffs work life and receive commitment and high performance from employees (Zhou, Qian, Qi Lei, 2009). A useful total reward model was developed by WorldatWork (2006) with five elements as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: Elements of Total rewards (adapted from worldatwork.org) Total reward approach helps to allocate resources properly and guarantees that all aspects of reward offering are monitored and utilised (CIPD, 2009). When all elements are delivered, employees are increasingly motivated and satisfied with the package, and thus, more engaged in fulfilling responsibilities, improve customer service and enhance performance. The company may choose different strategies from each element to give employees offers aiming at attracting, motivating and retaining them. Compensation It is widely recognised that pay plays the most important role in staff recruitment, motivation and retention process (CIPD Mercer, 2010). Pay at least needs to be set at a reasonable rate to render employees effort and contribution. Apart from fixed pay, employees can earn bonuses for better than expected performances or results achieved. It is especially suitable for Sears where bonuses can encourage employees to perform better and improve customers experience. It also keeps the companys reward package stay competitive against that of other retailers. Benefits The company needs to design a flexible benefit programme, which is available to all levels of employees, to supplement cash compensation and promote the companys image. The offerings may contain: social insurance (e.g. social security, unemployment benefits, shopping discounts, workers compensation,), group insurance (e.g. life insurance, savings, health vouchers) and paid leave (e.g. sickness, holidays, vacation). Good benefits may assist employees in avoiding financial risks and obtaining a stable life, while at the same time, mirror the companys positive values and deliver promising messages to its stakeholders (WorldatWork, 2006). Moreover, well-designed benefits schemes can even lower the expenses and make some savings (Silverman Reilly, 2003). The company can attract employees attention to the most cost effective benefits, for instance, discounted gym membership, child care facilities or cheap loans. Benefits can also be designed as a percentage of salary, then the company may avoid the fluctuation of benefit cost and transfer part of this risk to employees. For instance, employees may choose to withdraw a cash allowance of four percent of salary each year, or invest it in a health and well-being programme offered by the company. Work-Life It contains the experienced working reality in the company, which includes the physical and emotional environment (Higgs, 2006). Policies are designed with an aim to support employees to get the balance and success both at home and in the workplace. In order to achieve this element, the company needs to have an open management style in which everyone is highly involved as a strong community and empowered. There should be flexibility at workplace and great concern from management about employees health and well being, with occasional financial support, if necessarily. Performance and Recognition Performance: This is a significant component in determining the companys success, in which performance of all employees is assessed to evaluate the efficiency. The management as well as employees must invest properly on planning process to link expectations with individual, team and organisational goals. Then, feedbacks are provided to all levels of staff to examine whether performance is up to expectations and goals or not. Appropriate feedback is important as it can motivate employees and improve their working efficiency. Recognition: After performance has been assessed, recognition is psychologically necessary to appreciate ones efforts and acknowledge his/ her contributions. Public recognition is important as it not only affects ones behaviour but also has impact on the others as well (Wiscombe, 2002). Awards can be cash or non-cash (e.g. certificates, restaurant or movie tickets, verbal or written notes of thanks). It is crucial that recognition be proper and fair as the company can gain greater employees loyalty and commitment with such programmes (Boxall Purcell, 2008). Development and Career Opportunities The company is supposed to provide employees with continuous development to enhance their skills and competence as it is an important part in the psychological contract between both sides (CIPD, 2009). On the other hand, a plan for career advancement not only makes employees be more responsible to their work but also deliver greater value to the company (Higgs, 2006). For development strategies, the company may offer different learning opportunities, for instance, short term training courses, on the job learning, coaching and mentoring, leadership development. As Sears already has a corporate university, more employees should be given the chance to attend it rather than managers only. For advanced opportunities, the company may offer some internships, apprenticeships with experts, attendance on meetings and lunches with senior managers for best performers. Each employee will be consulted with individual career ladder plans so that he/ she can know clearly what to do to be promoted. The company should also consider about succession planning to prevent job gaps and operation disruption. Elements to consider Although Total Reward has been proved to be effective in many companies already, it is necessary for implementers to apply its elements in correspondence with each companys specific situation. Contractual arrangements The company must regulate clearly what benefits are offered to employees in the contract to avoid any ambiguity or misunderstanding in reward strategies. Besides, as employees may change their choices or obtain new benefits regularly, the contract needs amending accordingly. Communication to employees It is important that the company deliver the right messages to its workforce explicitly or implicitly to obtain sustainable high-performance (CIPD, 2011). The company must provide employees with enough information about benefits schemes and update regularly about new policies or offers in different forms, for instance, through intranet, posters, emails and in verbal. As many people tend not to see the true value of benefits realistically, good communication may help them to get an idea of basic mechanics of the plans and their operation (Silverman Reilly, 2003). Managers can discuss with their staffs about salary progression, potential for higher salaries, promotion possibility to give them clear vision and expectations of what they can have and how to get these benefits (Armstrong Murlis, 2004). Valuation of benefits Evaluation of the benefits schemes before and after deployment is crucial to achieve the best efficiency. Reward practitioners need to design a plan which is both cost-effective for the company and advantageous to employees. After execution, the outcomes need to be reviewed and lessons are to be learned for improvements. Cultural dynamics Reward management must be considered in the context of the organisations culture (Armstrong Brown, 2006). Companies have different styles of work culture, which significantly affect the way employees work and behave. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the companys culture thoroughly before deciding the type of reward strategy and ways to deliver them to employees. Conclusion This paper attempts to analyse Sears case study with some key drivers for change and main issues, then propose an applicable model for implementing reward management at the company. Given the urgent need to design and deploy applicable strategies for the company to follow, it is hoped that the proposal bring about expected outcomes for the companys sustainable growth in the future. Word count:

Childhood Poverty Essay -- Poverty Essays

We as Americans are extremely lucky. We live in a big country with many resources and almost all the luxuries we ever wanted. On the flip side, in America there are also many people who do not have these privileges. The lower class is a struggling class. For many years, people have been trying to pull themselves up from the lower class and the majority does not succeed. Childhood poverty is a large problem in the U.S. It is said that the poorest people in the United States are the children of the lower class. Childhood poverty could lead to a number of problems such as hunger, violence, physical and mental disabilities, educational problems, homelessness, family stress, sickness, and too-early parenthood. The sad truth is that living in poverty lowers a child’s chance to grow into a healthy, well-adjusted adult who will contribute to society. The number of people who are classified as the working class poor has increased. It has also been proven that work by itself will not keep a family out of poverty. As for government assistance for families in poverty, it has been decreasing. The government argued that families were not using all the services, which were available to them. In today’s society, the amounts of single-parent households are increasing and this is another reason for the existence of childhood poverty. Statistics show that children living in single-parent homes are five times more likely to be poor. More people are getting divorced and are also having children outside of wedlock. It has also been said that women rather than men head about 90% of single-parent families. One of the reasons why these particular families are so poor is because out of all divorced fathers, only 50% help support the... ...iggest and toughest job of you life†¦parenthood. Along with parenthood comes the largest amount of responsibility anyone has even been faced with. Their job is to raise their children, and show them the world. Everything is brand new to them, and as a parent, they are the ones who will be introducing their children to everything. The last thing any parent would want for their child is to have tem grow up in poverty. Every year we spend so much money to report to the public that there are children living in poverty. Why spend millions of dollars campaigning an issue which his already known worldwide? That money should be taken and used to help people lift their children and themselves out of poverty. Progress will not be made of we are just going to sit their and cry about it. Childhood poverty is a large issue, which has been and still needs to be dealt with.

Oxygen :: essays research papers

Oxygen content of air Objective: To measure the percent of oxygen in air and the percent of oxygen in an exhale of a breath Hypothesis: Air has more oxygen content in it rather than the exhale of a human breath. Procedure: Wash hands to remove oils Obtain 2 samples of steel wool (.7g each) Expose one sample of the wool to 35mL of vinegar solution for 1 minute Remove the wool from the solution and shake it to remove the vinegar Place the steel wool in a syringe. Put the plunger in the syringe at the 28mL mark Place the syringe a 250mL beaker that is slightly filled with water Pull the plunger until the water reaches the 0mL mark Record observations every three minutes of the water level Fill a balloon with the exhale from breath Put 100mL of water in the balloon and shake for 5 minutes Place the other sample of steel wool in another 35mL vinegar solution for one minute and clean it Put the steel wool in another syringe and then release the air from the balloon into the syringe Repeat steps 6 - 9 with this syringe. Data and observations: (THE GRAPH WILL GO HERE!!!!!) Conclusion: The oxygen combined with the steel wool in both syringes. This is apparent because rust was formed on both samples. The water came up to the 5.5mL mark on the syringe with the air in it, while the syringe with the breath only reached 4.5mL. Therefore, concluding that the oxygen content of air is higher than the oxygen content in a human breath. Albertson’s Brand Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup has many different ingredients within the steel container. These ingredients are as follows: Water, enriched egg noodles (enriched wheat flour [niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid] , eggs) chicken, salt, modified corn starch, chicken fat, dextrose, soybean oil, monosodium glutamate, soy protein isolate, natural flavoring, garlic powder, beta carbonate, sodium phosphate, paprika, and onion concentrate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thiamine mononitrate, also known as Vitamin B, is a white crystalline powder. It has a positive reaction. The Chemical formula is C12H17N5O4S. â€Å"Thiamine Mononitrate is stable for at least 36 months when stored in the unopened container. It is stable in acid solutions at a pH less than 4.0 but deteriorates rapidly in neutral or alkaline solutions, especially when exposed to air. Moisture and contact with metal accelerates oxidation and reduction.

Mongol invasion on the Muslim world

The Mongols entered history as just one among a number of nomad tribes on the steppes of central Asia. The rise of the Mongols and the beginnings of the Mongol conquests arose out of a dramatic shift from such disunity to unity, and it was achieved through the personality and military skills of one man. In all probability he was born in 1167. He was given the name of Temuchin. The nomad world he entered was a fierce and unforgiving one of rivalry and survival skills. Like all Mongol children, Temuchin learned to ride with great skill and to handle a bow and arrows. After an eventful younger life his thoughts turned towards the opportunity of defeating his rivals and taking control of the unified Mongol tribes. Many years of warfare followed, the decisive victory being Temuchin's defeat of the Naimans. In 1206 a grand assembly was called at the source of the Onon River. A white standard symbolizing the protective spirit of the Mongols was raised. Its nine points represented the newly unified Mongol tribes. The gathering then proclaimed Temuchin as Genghis Khan (‘Universal Ruler') (Turnbull, 2003). Before we turn to the Mongols beliefs and their attitudes towards the religions of others, some general observations are in order. We cannot take it for granted that the motives for, or indeed character of, â€Å"conversion† in the thirteenth century will be identical with those we would recognize today—or certainly those which would meet with the approval of the purist. In particular, such motives might have more to do with political, diplomatic or economic considerations than with inner conviction. We should be wrong to emphasize the individualistic over against the communal, the internal over against the outward form of law or cultic practice, and the profoundly personal transformation over against the adoption of additional cultural norms. For instance, the Uighur conversion to Manichaeism in the late eighth century had owed something to economic relations with Sogdian merchants, and it has also been called—like the Khazar afghans adoption of Judaism—â€Å"a declaration of ideological independence.† (Jackson, 2001) Like earlier steppe rulers, the Mongol qaÄÅ'ans presided over public debates between representatives of different faiths. The impulse behind these events is unclear. In a recent article, Richard Foltz points out that the effect of the whole policy was to make mischief, but he stops short of suggesting that the aim was to divide and rule. It has been proposed that a debate took place at the point when the sovereign meditated a change of religious allegiance. There may be some truth in this: Juwaynis account of the conversion of the Uighurs some centuries previously, indeed, appears to be based upon the idea that such debates were always the means of bringing the ruler to a new faith. But we cannot discount the possibility that one purpose was entertainment—that the public religious disputation, in other words, was the intellectual counterpart of the bloody gladiatorial conflicts which the Mongols staged between captured enemy soldiers (Fiey, 1975). Lastly, the frontiers between different faiths were not impermeable. â€Å"Shamanism† was itself an amalgam, and we occupy no vantage point that enables us to distinguish some pristine model from accretions that might have attached themselves to the Mongols' beliefs in the few centuries preceding the rise of Chinggis Khan (Franke, Herbert 1994). A syncretistic approach had long been the hallmark of the nomads religious beliefs; it is reflected in the Secret History of the Mongols, where elements from the mythical history of the early Turks, the Khitans and other steppe and forest peoples are appropriated and integrated into the Mongolsown origin myths (Amitai-Preiss, 1996). Intent as the Mongols may have been on sharing the world only with subjects, they were also compelled to share it with a plethora of spirits, often malevolently inclined and in any case termed â€Å"demons† by Western European writers. When Rubruck's little group in 1253 passed through a difficult stretch in the Tarbaghatai range, his guide asked the friars to chant a prayer that would put the demons to flight. Diagnosis of the activity of these invisible powers, and if possible their harnessing for good purposes, was the job of the shamans; and there is no dearth of testimony that by the middle decades of the thirteenth century Mongol rulers manifested a heavy dependence upon shamans and fortune-tellers. Shamanistic activities are geared to influencing conditions in this life, not to securing an after-life. The Mongols ancestral beliefs and practices and the great world religions, in other words, were valid for different spheres: hence the â€Å"tolerant† policy of the Mongol qacans, to which we shall return (Elias, 1999). So it was not at all incongruous that a Mongol sovereign or prince should make some formal gesture towards, say, Christianity or Islam while continuing to observe the â€Å"shamanistic† practices of his forebears: Rubruck saw even those of Mà ¶ngke's wives who had no knowledge of the Christian faith venerating the cross (Charpentier, 1935). We do not have to see this as some kind of celestial insurance, as if any of the several faiths with which the Mongols were confronted might embody the Truth and so it was advisable to court them all, although the idea finds support in a speech ascribed to Qubilai by Marco Polo. On leaving the camp of the Mongol prince Sartaq, Rubruck was told, â€Å"Do not call our master a Christian: he is not a Christian; he is a Mongol.† (Heissig, 1980) Although he goes on to say that â€Å"they regard the term Christendom as the name of a people† (i.e. presumably the Franks of Europe), it is doubtful whether this necessarily supports DeWeese's contention that religion in Inner Asia was a communal affair. It may well have been so; but Rubruck (whose interpreter was proverbially inadequate) could easily have misunderstood the reason for the warning, and a different explanation comes to mind. We should notice that on several occasions the Mongol terms for religious specialists seem to have been interpreted as denoting the religious community as a whole. Rubruck, for instance, employs the Mongol word toyin (Chinese daoren, â€Å"man of the path,† i.e. Buddhist priest) as a designation for the Buddhists (â€Å"idolators†) in general (Fennell, 1983). And the use of erkeÄÅ'à ¼n (â€Å"Christian priest†) betrays a similar confusion in the thirteenth-century sources. This might explain the apparent bewilderment of the Qacan Gà ¼yà ¼g at Innocent IV's request that he become a Christian and the anger in the camp of the Mongol general Baiju over the same injunction on the part of Ascelin. The QaÄÅ'an Mà ¶ngke, too, objected when Rubruck was misrepresented as having called him a toyin. It is possible that with one exception the Mongolian lexicon recognized only religious specialists and contained no word for the respective religious community en masse. The exception was the Muslims who confronted Chinggis Khan in the shape of the powerful KhwÄ razmian Empire. Here two words were available: sartacul, employed in the Secret History to designate the KhwÄ razm-shÄ h's subjects, and dashman (from Persian dÄ nishmand, literally â€Å"learned man†), which denoted the Muslim religious class. But to the best of our knowledge the language contained no word for â€Å"Christian† or â€Å"Buddhist,† as opposed to erkeÄÅ'à ¼n or toyin for priest/monk. Even in the late thirteenth century Persian authors in the Mongol empire equated â€Å"Christian† (Persian: tarsÄ ) with â€Å"Uighur† on account of the large number of Christians among that people (Allsen, 1994). At what juncture â€Å"Shamanism† merits being called a religion, it is difficult to say. It has been proposed that in any consideration of the religious beliefs and practices of Inner Asian peoples we need to distinguish between â€Å"popular† cultic practice—â€Å"folk religion, † as Heissig calls it —and what has been termed â€Å"Tenggerism, † centered on the sky-god, i.e. those beliefs and practices associated with a monarchy based on divine sanction. DeWeese is skeptical, and sees the dichotomy as between, not two competing levels of religious thought and ritual, but â€Å"imperial† and â€Å"domestic† styles of evoking essentially the same system of religious values and practices (Amitai, 2001). A clash between the aspiring steppe emperor and the representative of popular traditions might, nevertheless, provide a framework within which we can locate the downfall of Teb Tenggeri (Kà ¶kà ¶chà ¼), the shaman who had been instrumental in Chinggis Khan's enthronement but had then got above himself and was eliminated. RashÄ «d al-DÄ «n seems to suggest that Teb Tenggeri had a following among the ordinary Mongols, who were ready to believe in his spiritual accomplishments. The difficulty with this scenario is that it was Teb Tenggeri who invoked Heaven's mandate and Chinggis Khan who disregarded it (Bundy, 1996). The notion that the early thirteenth-century Mongols worshipped the supreme sky-god, Tengri (Tenggeri), has been challenged on the basis of the way in which the term tenggeri is used in the Secret History, the only Mongolian narrative source that has come down to us. But Anatoly Khazanov makes the plausible suggestion that the Mongols were experiencing the pull of monotheism, as Tengri took on more of the attributes of the omnipotent God. Indeed, a shift is visible during the early decades of the conquest period, to judge from the comments of contemporary observers. The Mongols believed in one God, creator of all things visible and invisible, though they did not worship Him, as was fitting, reverencing idols instead. Subsequent observers, at any rate, were ready to class the Mongols as monotheistic. Rubruck assumed that they had acquired monotheism from the Uighurs. â€Å"You are not a polytheist,† Qadi HamÄ «d al-DÄ «n SÄ biq SamarqandÄ « told Qubilai Qacan during the clampdown on Islamic observance in China in the 1280s, â€Å"because you write the name of the great God at the head of your edicts (yarlighs)† (Jackson, 1994). This development, of course, made it easier for representatives of the different confessional groups to claim the Qacan as one of their own. Reference: Allsen, Thomas T. â€Å"The Rise of the Mongolian Empire and Mongolian Rule in North China.† In CHC. Vol. 6: Alien Regimes and Border States, 907–1368, eds. H. Frank and D. Twitchett. Cambridge, 1994, pp. 321–413. Amitai, Reuven. â€Å"The Conversion of Tegà ¼der Ilkhan to Islam.† JSAI, 25 (2001), pp. 15–43. Amitai-Preiss, Reuven. â€Å"Ghazan, Islam and Mongol Tradition: A View from the MamlÃ… «k Sultanate.† BSOAS, 59 (1996), pp. 1–10. Bundy, David. â€Å"The Syriac and Armenian Christian Responses to the Islamification of the Mongols.† In Medieval Christian Perceptions of Islam: A Book of Essays, ed. John Victor Tolan. New York and London, 1996, pp. 33–53. Charpentier, Jarl. â€Å"William of Rubruck and Roger Bacon.† In Hyllningsskrift tillà ¤gnad Sven Hedin pak hans 70-akrsdag den 19. Febr. 1935. Stockholm, 1935, pp. 255–67. Elias, Jamal J. â€Å"The Sufi Lords of Bahrabad: Sa'd al-Din and Sadr al-Din Hamuwayi.† Iranian Studies, 27 (1994), pp. 53–75. Endicott-West, Elizabeth. â€Å"Notes on Shamans, Fortune-tellers and yin-yang Practitioners and Civil Administration in Yà ¼an China.† In The Mongol Empire and Its Legacy, eds. R. Amitai-Preiss and D.O. Morgan. Leiden, 1999, pp. 224–39. Fennell, John. The Crisis of Medieval Russia 1200–1304. London, 1983. Fiey, J.M. â€Å"Iconographie syriaque: Hulagu, Doquz Khatun †¦et six ambons?† Le Musà ©on, 88 (1975), pp. 59–68. Foltz, Richard. â€Å"Ecumenical Mischief under the Mongols.† CAJ, 43 (1999), pp. 42–69. Franke, Herbert. From Tribal Chieftain to Universal Emperor and God. The Legitimation of the Yà ¼an Dynasty. Sitzungsberichte der bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, phil.-hist. Klasse, 2. Munich, 1978 [Reprinted in H. Franke. China under Mongol Rule. Aldershot, 1994]. Heissig, Walther. The Religions of Mongolia. Tr. Geoffrey Samuel. London, 1980. Jackson, Peter. â€Å"Christians, Barbarians and Monsters: The European Discovery of the World beyond Islam.† In The Medieval World, eds. Peter Linehan and Janet Nelson. London, 2001, pp. 93–110. Jackson, Peter. â€Å"Early Missions to the Mongols: Carpini and His Contemporaries.† In Hakluyt Society. Annual report for 1994, pp. 14–32. Stephen Turnbull, 2003. Genghis Khan & the Mongol Conquests, 1190-1400, Routledge