Dance theory Essay

At the beginning of this dance class, I honestly thought it was going to be easy to get by for someone who really knows nothing about dance or anything related to it. Currently, knowing the techniques involved in different types of dance like the Dunham technique I would not say the same thing. It does get better with time because practice gradually makes perfect and every time you do a particular dance move, you get the chance to realize what you do wrong and keep it in mind for the next time you do that same move. Conditioning and training the body for dance is also one thing I have come to realize is essential to start off well especially when doing a variety of dance movements. This is because dance is like going up in different stages where the first one serves as a foundation for what is coming next. Even though I am still in the process of learning, I have quickly realized that dance is complex and there are many components like breathing, body alignment, and control involved to make every dance step better. So far, some of the dances I have learned include traditional dances like Kpalogo, which is a West-African dance originated from the fishermen of Ghana, Rocking Horse which is just as the name implies. It is an African warrior dance in which your hands are raised about chest level to sort of indicate your shield and one leg is raised as high as possible while the other leg stays grounded before you swing forward and alternate hands. This dance in particular requires â€Å"groundedness†. It is fierce and you need to have correct body alignment and ensure you are controlling your breath because using an appropriate breathing technique is a necessity if you do not want to wear yourself out before completing the dance routine. Proper breathing also helps when working on slow movements like body rolls, flat back, pelvic rolls amongst many others. I think controlling my breath has helped me a lot when dancing since the beginning of this class. I 2 have learned when to take longer and slower breaths in order to assist my body control when doing certain things. Hence, I know breathing correctly when dancing, has a difference over a period of time because correct breathing enables you to strengthen your body internally. It also seems like breathing and your type of movement work hand in hand together to get the best results possible. Personally, I think emphasizing the importance of body alignment is very necessary. Proper body alignment enables you to have a sense of understanding what your body is doing. A poor body alignment defeats the whole purpose of doing a certain movement. For example, when doing plie and releve where you lengthen your spine and work on your posture and balance, you defeat the purpose if your feet are not well placed and your buttocks are not tucked under and as a result, the benefits of this rhythmic exercise will not be maximized. Also, body alignment relates with balance and when the body alignment is correct, balancing your body weight becomes easier. I know this because initially, I thought it was all about just trying to move your body by doing what the rest of the class does because you cannot go wrong when following the majority. I later found out that I was absolutely wrong because when you become aware of your own body internally and you focus on getting your body alignment right, it definitely reflects on the outside. This means that if you just dance without understanding the dance process involved in whatever move you are trying to do, your body movement would be as disorganized as your thought process. Also when doing fall and recovery, I loved it the most because I thought it was so easy. I did not see the point of it, but then I realized I was defeating the whole purpose because of my poor body alignment. Fall and recovery involves stretching and reaching with your hands when you bend over to flat-back and initially I just placed my hand where I felt comfortable without reaching and actually stretching my muscles. My head alignment was also 3 wrong and therefore, my spinal actions were not as good as they could have been. At this point, I was probably doing more damage that good to myself by not aligning my body correctly. Also correct body alignment removes the possibility of suffering any sort of injury or irrelevant body pain caused by the strain that could possibly occur in tedious exercises. Every dance move is like a piece of the puzzle that all come together to create a better dancer as progression occurs. This makes body control also very key in dance. You need proper control in order to make sure that you are conditioning and training your body when dancing. Body control involves focusing on the action that is taking place and being in charge of it. A good example of where control is absolutely needed is when doing Up and Over otherwise known as Pelvic Rolls. Pelvic Rolls are a combination of flat-back, fall and recovery, and the pelvic placement exercise. In Pelvic Rolls, the abdominal plays a major role and the spine has to be in proper alignment like in the flat-back position. It takes good control to start from going into a flat-back holding it there, then holding your body in plie, tucking you butt in, pointing your knees to the ground after and then circling your arms up to raise your body before you go into releve and then slowly bring your heels down to maintain flat feet. It takes a lot of energy and most importantly body control. Your mind has to focus on every single move you make in order to make sure you are connecting with your body both internally and externally. With proper body control, you strengthen your body and prevent injury from occurring.

Florida Public Health And Statutes Health And Social Care Essay

1 ) Discuss the subdivision of the public wellness legislative acts that is of greatest involvement to you. Explain why it is of import and depict what you learned as new information. The public wellness legislative act covering with Substance Abuse Services ( Chapter 397 ) is of great involvement to me.The chapter fundamentally trades with substance maltreatment bar, intercession and intervention services. Substance maltreatment is a major wellness job and leads to deeply upseting effects as serious damage, chronic dependence, condemnable behaviour, vehicular casualties, gyrating wellness attention costs, AIDS. It is the purpose of the Legislature to guarantee within available resources a full continuum of substance maltreatment services based on projected identified demands, delivered without favoritism and with equal proviso for specialised demands. It is recognized that a substance maltreatment damage crisis is destructing the young person and is the underlying cause of many juveniles come ining the juvenile justness system, and that substance maltreatment damage contributes to the offense the school dropout rate, young person self-destruction, adolescent gest ation, and substance-exposed neonates and that substance maltreatment damage is a community job, a household job, a social job, and a judicial job and that there is a critical demand to turn to this exigency instantly. Therefore, it is the purpose of the Legislature that scarce financess be invested in bar and early intercession plans. The economic cost of substance maltreatment damage to the province drains bing resources, and the cost to victims, both economic and psychological, is traumatic and tragic. The end of the legislative assembly to deter substance maltreatment by advancing healthy life styles and drug free schools, workplaces and communities. The Legislature besides intends to supply authorization for the section to spread out bing services to juveniles, to contract with community-based substance maltreatment service suppliers for the proviso of specialised services, and to hold paradigm theoretical accounts developed prior to statewide execution. The new subjects I came across in this chapter are: ( a ) Duties of the Department ( B ) Treatment-based drug tribunal plans. Duties of the section: A comprehensive province program has been designed for the proviso of substance maltreatment services which includes: Designation of incidence and prevalence of jobs related to substance maltreatment, description of current services, need for services, cost of services, precedences for support.It besides provides on a direct or contractual footing public instruction plans and an information clearinghouse to circulate information about the nature and effects of substance abuse. , developing for forces who provide substance maltreatment services, a information aggregation and airing system, in conformity with applicable federal confidentiality regulations. , basic epidemiological and statistical research and the airing of consequences, research in cooperation with qualified research workers on services delivered. The Department plans to set up a support plan for the airing of available federal, province, and private financess through contractual understandings with community-based orga nisations or units of province or local authorities which deliver local substance maltreatment services. Treatment based drug tribunal plans The treatment-based drug tribunal plans include curative law rules and adhere to the 10 cardinal constituents, recognized by the Drug Courts Program Office of the Office of Justice Programs of the United States Department of Justice and adopted by the Florida Supreme Court Treatment-Based Drug Court Steering Committee. : ( a ) Drug tribunal plans integrate intoxicant and other drug intervention services with justness system instance processing. ( B ) Using a non adversarial attack, prosecution and defence advocate promote public safety while protecting participants ‘ due procedure rights. ( degree Celsius ) Eligible participants are identified early and quickly placed in the drug tribunal plan. ( 500 ) Drug tribunal plans provide entree to a continuum of intoxicant, drug, and other related intervention and rehabilitation services. ( vitamin E ) Abstinence is monitored by frequent proving for intoxicant and other drugs. ( degree Fahrenheit ) A co-ordinated scheme governs drug tr ibunal plan responses to participants ‘ conformity. ( g ) Ongoing judicial interaction with each drug tribunal plan participant is indispensable. ( H ) Monitoring and rating step the accomplishment of plan ends and gauge plan effectivity. ( I ) Continuing interdisciplinary instruction promotes effectual drug tribunal plan planning, execution, and operations. ( J ) Forging partnerships among drug tribunal plans, public bureaus, and community-based organisations generates local support and enhances drug tribunal plan effectivity The support of a treatment-based drug tribunal plan under which individuals in the justness system assessed with a substance maltreatment job will be processed in such a mode as to suitably turn to the badness of the identified substance maltreatment job through intervention services tailored to the single demands of the participant. ( 2 ) Identify two different types of attacks or methods used to progress the wellness of Floridians ( e.g. , service bringing, ordinance ) . For each, describe an illustration from the Florida public wellness legislative acts and place a possible restriction that could discourage accomplishing the intended result. The two different types of attacks or methods used to progress the wellness of Floridians are: ( a ) Health Insurance Access. ( ss.408.90-408.910 ) ( B ) Delivery of disease control services-Tuberculosis Control ( Delivery of Tuberculosis control services ) ( chapter 392 ) ( A ) Health Insurance Access: The Legislature finds that a important figure of the occupants of this province do non hold equal entree to affordable, quality wellness attention because the premiums are unaffordable The Legislature intends to supply a province wellness insurance plan for those people who are without wellness insurance so that they may hold entree to preventive and primary attention services. The province wellness insurance plan programs to offer basic, low-cost wellness attention services to those Floridians who have non had entree to the private wellness insurance market. The Legislature intends that the province plan shall aim the uninsured and non those who presently have private wellness insurance coverage. . The Legislature farther discoveries that increasing entree to affordable, quality wellness attention can be best accomplished by set uping a competitory market for buying wellness insurance and wellness services. It is hence the purpose of the Legislature to make the Florida Health Choices Program to: Expand chances for Floridians to buy low-cost wellness insurance and wellness services, preserve the benefits of employment-sponsored insurance while easing the administrative load for employers who offer these benefits, enable single pick in both the mode and sum of wellness attention purchased, supply for the purchase of single, portable wellness attention coverage, disseminate information to consumers on the monetary value and quality of wellness services, Sponsor a competitory market that stimulates merchandise invention, quality betterment, and efficiency in the production and bringing of wellness services Every occupant of this province who has a gross household income that is equal to or below 250 per centum of the federal poorness degree and who meets the demands of this subdivision is eligible to inscribe in the Med Access plan. Every eligible individual who enrolls in the Med Access plan is entitled to have benefits for any covered service furnished within this province by a take parting supplier which include physician services, hospital inmate services, hospital outpatient services, research lab services, household planning services, outpatient mental wellness services Registration in the Med Access plan is capable to eligibility and financial restrictions and shall be renewed yearly. Restrictions of Med Access Program: ( 1 ) The Med Access plan shall non cover benefits that are provided as portion of workers ‘ compensation insurance. ( 2 ) The Med Access plan shall except coverage for preexisting conditions, except gestation, during a period of 12 months following the effectual day of the month of coverage every bit long as: ( a ) The status manifested itself within a period of 6 months before the effectual day of the month of coverage ; or ( B ) Medical advice or intervention was recommended or received within 6 months before the effectual day of the month of coverage. ( 3 ) The Med Access plan shall non include coverage for outpatient prescription drugs, spectacless, dental services, tutelary attention, or exigency services for non emergent conditions. ( 4 ) Any member of the Med Access plan who is determined to be at â€Å" high hazard † by a take parting primary attention supplier shall, upon reclamation, hold to be placed in a instance direction system when it is determined by the plan to be in the best involvement of the member and the Med Access plan. ( 5 ) No individual on whose behalf the plan has paid out $ 500,000 in covered benefits is eligible for continued coverage in the Med Access plan. ( B ) Delivery of Disease Control Services: TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL ( Delivery of TB control services ) Active TB is a extremely contagious infection that is sometimes fatal and constitutes a serious menace to the public wellness. There is a important reservoir of TB infection in this province and that there is a demand to develop community plans to place TB and to react rapidly with appropriate steps. Some patients who have active TB have complex medical, societal, and economic jobs that make outpatient control of the disease hard, if non impossible, without presenting a menace to the public wellness. The Legislature finds that in order to protect the people from those few individuals who pose a menace to the populace, it is necessary to set up a system of compulsory contact designation, intervention to bring around, hospitalization, and isolation for contagious instances and to supply a system of voluntary, community-oriented attention and surveillance in all other instances. The Legislature finds that the bringing of TB control services is best accomplished by the co-ordinated attem pts of the several county wellness sections, the A.G. Holley State Hospital, and the private wellness attention bringing system. Community TB control programs. — The section operates, straight or by contract, community TB control plans in each county in the province. Community TB control plans trades with the: Promotion of community and professional instruction about the causes and dangers of TB and methods of its control and intervention to remedy ; Community and single showing for the presence of TB ; Surveillance of all suspected and reported instances of active TB, including contact probe as necessary and as directed by the section ; Reporting of all known instances of TB to the section ; Development of an individualised intervention program for each individual who has active TB and who is under the attention of the section, including proviso of intervention to remedy and follow up, and the distribution of medicine by agencies of straight observed therapy, if appropriate, to eligible individuals under regulations and guidelines developed by the section ; and Provision of guidance, periodic retesting, and referral to allow societal service, employment, medical, and lodging bureaus, as necessary for individuals released from hospitalization or residential arrangement. The section plans to develop, by regulation, a methodological analysis for administering financess appropriated for TB control plans. Standards to be considered in this methodological analysis include, but are non limited to, the basic substructure available for TB control, caseload demands, laboratory support services needed, and epidemiologic factors. The end of the intervention program is to accomplish intervention to bring around by the least restrictive agencies. The section shall develop, a standard intervention program form that must include, but is non limited to, a statement of available services for intervention, which includes the usage of straight observed therapy ; all findings in the rating and diagnostic procedure ; mensurable aims for intervention advancement ; and clip periods for accomplishing each aim. Each intervention program must be implemented through a instance direction attack designed to progress the single demands of the individual who has active TB. The in dividual ‘s advancement in accomplishing the aims of the intervention program must be sporadically reviewed and revised as necessary, in audience with the individual. Restrictions of Tuberculosis control services: Disobedience to anti tubercular therapy is a major restriction to the TB control plans. The failure to take prescribed medicine is a cosmopolitan perplexing phenomenon. This fact must be taken into consideration when one enterprises to handle a patient or control diseases in a community. Terbium is a catching disease necessitating drawn-out intervention, and hapless attachment to a prescribed intervention increases the hazard of morbidity, mortality and spread of disease in the community The curative regimens given under direct observation as recommended by WHO have been shown to be extremely effectual for both forestalling and handling TB but hapless attachment to anti TB medicine is a major barrier to it ‘s planetary control. Factors associated with patients for hapless conformity in the pre-DOTS ( Directly Observed Treatment Short-course ) epoch are alleviation from symptoms, inauspicious reactions to drugs, domestic and work-related jobs. In an urban TB control plan, disobe dience with DOTS was common and was closely associated with alcohol addiction and homelessness. Disobedience is associated with an addition in the happening of hapless results from intervention and accounted for most intervention failures. Advanced plans are needed to cover with alcohol addiction and homelessness in patients with TB. [ 1 ] 3 ) Select a wellness profession of involvement to you. Discourse the chief elements of how the profession is regulated, how the ordinances benefit the profession and the community, every bit good as any restrictions A wellness profession that involvements me the most is medical pattern ( chapter 458 ) .The profession is regulated by a set of regulations and the primary legislative intent is to guarantee that every doctor practicing in this province meets minimal demands for safe pattern. It is the legislative purpose that physicians who fall below minimal competence or who otherwise show a danger to the public shall be prohibited from practising in this province. Any individual wanting to be licensed as a doctor, who does non keep a valid licence in any province, is supposed to use to the section on signifiers furnished by the section. The section provides a licence to each applier who the board certifies: has completed the application signifier and remitted a nonrefundable application fee non to transcend $ 500, Is at least 21 old ages of age, is of good moral character, has non committed any act or discourtesy in this or any other legal power which would represent the footing for training a ph ysician pursuant and meets one of the undermentioned medical instruction and graduate student preparation demands: ( A ) Is a alumnus of an allopathic medical school or allopathic college recognized and approved by an accrediting bureau recognized by the United States Office of Education or is a alumnus of an allopathic medical school or allopathic college within a territorial legal power of the United States recognized by the recognizing bureau of the governmental organic structure of that legal power or Is a alumnus of an allopathic foreign medical school registered with the World Health Organization and certified pursuant to s. 458.314 as holding met the criterions required to recognize medical schools in the United States or moderately comparable criterions ( B ) Has had his or her medical certificates evaluated by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, holds an active, valid certification issued by that committee, and has passed the scrutiny utilized by that committee ; and ( C ) Has obtained a passing mark, as established by regulation of the board, on the licensure scrutiny of the United States Medical Licensing Examination ( USMLE ) ; or a combination of the United States Medical Licensing Examination ( USMLE ) . The section and the board assures that appliers for licensure meet all the standards through an fact-finding procedure. When the fact-finding procedure is non completed within the clip set and if the section or board has ground to believe that the applier does non run into the standards, the State Surgeon General or the State Surgeon General ‘s designee may publish a 90-day licensure hold which shall be in composing and sufficient to advise the applier of the ground for the hold. Furthermore, the section may non publish an unrestricted licence to any person who has committed any act or discourtesy in any legal power which would represent the footing for training a physician pursuant to s. 458.331. When the board finds that an person has committed an act or discourtesy in any legal power which would represent the footing for training a physician pursuant to s. 458.331, so the board may come in an order enforcing one or more of the footings set Forth in subdivision. The section besides issues punishments for go againsting regulations and ordinances such as: The pattern of medical specialty or an effort to pattern medical specialty without a licence to pattern in Florida, the usage or attempted usage of a licence which is suspended or revoked to pattern medical specialty, .attempting to obtain or obtaining a licence to pattern medical specialty by cognizing deceit, trying to obtain or obtaining a place as a medical practician or medical occupant in a clinic or infirmary through cognizing deceit of instruction, preparation, or experience. Restrictions of medical pattern are: The Legislature recognizes that the pattern of medical specialty is potentially unsafe to the populace if conducted by insecure and unqualified practicians. The Legislature finds further that it is hard for the populace to do an informed pick when choosing a doctor and that the effects of a incorrect determination could earnestly harm the public wellness and safety. ( illustration: inauspicious incidents in office pattern scenes. the term â€Å" inauspicious incident † means an event over which the doctor or licensee could exert control and which is associated in whole or in portion with a medical intercession, instead than the status for which such intercession occurred, and which consequences in the undermentioned patient hurts: The decease of a patient, encephalon or spinal harm to a patient, lasting disfiguration, the public presentation of a surgical process on the incorrect patient, The public presentation of a wrong-site surgical process ; the public presentation of a i ncorrect surgical process or the surgical fix of harm to a patient ensuing from a planned surgical process where the harm is non a recognized particular hazard as disclosed to the patient and documented through the informed-consent procedure ) . The section reviews each incident and determine whether it potentially involved behavior by a wellness attention professional who is capable to disciplinary action and disciplinary action, if any, will be taken by the board under which the wellness attention professional is licensed. When the board determines that any applier for licensure has failed to run into, to the board ‘s satisfaction, each of the appropriate demands set Forth in this subdivision, it may come in an order necessitating one or more of the undermentioned footings: ( a ) Refusal to attest to the section an application for licensure, enfranchisement, or enrollment ( B ) Certification to the section of an application for licensure, enfranchisement, or enrollment with limitations on the range of pattern of the licensee ; or ( degree Celsius ) Certification to the section of an application for licensure, enfranchisement, or enrollment with arrangement of the doctor on probation for a period of clip and capable to such conditions as the board may stipulate, including, but non limited to, necessitating the doctor to subject to intervention, attend go oning instruction classs, submit to redirect examination, or work under the supervising of another doctor.

United States - A superpower in decline Term Paper

United States - A superpower in decline - Term Paper Example Global media is abuzz with news, opinions and predictions on the decline of the US, and there are innumerable ‘foretellers’ assuming the rise of other would-be superpowers, especially China. Theories of world domination by emerging economies have always been around, however, it is yet to be seen if the superpower status of the US actually caves in. Are US powers really declining? The answers to this question are extremely elusive especially in light of the fact that even after severe economic crises in the past, the US has successfully bounced back to stable conditions, retaining its economic and political dominance. This paper attempts to analyze the current status of economic and military power of the US, in order to investigate the ‘assumed’ decline of the power of this nation. The present economic situation in the US, the extreme debt crisis topped with public protests such as Occupy Wall Street demonstrate the gravity of the U.S situation. Most economists worldwide have even gone to the extent of analogizing it to the Great Depression. It is believed that the present crisis will consume the nation and that it is a harbinger of the US downfall from power. Although the US economy is currently under recovery, the percentage decline in median annual household income is greater than it was during the previous recession. The decline in income during the period of recession from 2007 – 2009 was 3.2%, which increased to 6.7% by June 2011 (Berman). Lack of growth in income coupled with the sluggish job growth has marred the U.S’s once enviable job market. It is in fact feared that the US will trip back into another recession. In another major drawback, the US lost its AAA credit rating, downgrading it to AA+ status. As the dollar is under threat and the US debt burden mounts up, it is speculated that within a decade or so, China, with a GDP growth rate of 9.8% as of 2010, will outgrow the US, whose GDP growth rate is only 3.10% (World Bank). The Chinese Yuan may replace the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency. This scenario reminds of earlier predictions in the 1980s when it was foretold that Japan would be a superpower, which however did not come true. This proves the inconsistency and fallibility of such predictions. However, the avowal that the US economic and military power is in decline, stands true, as will be discussed in the following sections. 2. The US Economy Economy is a major determinant of world power and the size of the economy influences its position in the world market. The US economy is analyzed here, in terms of growth, export, import, innovation, natural resources and trade. 2.1 Growth The annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate is a major indicator of economic growth. The US economy is the largest in the world, followed by China and Japan. The GDP growth rate of the US was documented as 1.6% in the third quarter of 2011 (tradingeconomics.com). The GDP growth rate of China is far higher, at 9.1%. The GDP growth rates of other major economies of the world, such as India, Germany, Canada, France, Australia, UK and Japan were 7.7%, 2.7%, 2.2%, 1.6%, 1.1%, 0.5% and -1%, respectively, in the third quarter of 2011. As is evident, China has the highest GDP growth rate and India is not far behind. The US GDP growth rate is despairingly low, falling from 3.10 to 1.6%. Therefore, in terms of economic growth, the economy of the US is seemingly in decline. As for the prediction that the Chinese economy will soon become the world’

The new idea business restaurant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The new idea business restaurant - Essay Example I found an appropriate site last month and lease negotiations are set to be complete before this month ends. I chose Crockett Street because there is a large population of the target market. After signing the lease, I will raise the start up funds required for construction. Apparently, the construction period will take approximately two months. After completion of this phase, Vegas restaurant will open and start serving consumers with nutritious food. However, if the restaurant meets its projections within nine months of operation, we will scout for another location and establish plans for setting up another restaurant. Apparently, our four-year goal is having three restaurants within Texas with a joint yearly profit of between $ 600,000 and $1,000,000. Market Analysis According to Ariss (2010), the restaurant industry faces increased competition but lifestyle alterations resulting from contemporary living continue to propel growth in the industry. Baruch (2004) affirms that that sev eral people have minimal time and resources to prepare a meal on their own. Vegas restaurant will perform better because it is likely to offer healthier foods at affordable prices. The industry happens is the third leading industry in America. Additionally, it accounts for approximately $ 250 billion yearly in sales. However, individual restaurants contribute to fifteen percent of this total. Bevitt (2008) affirms that an average American uses fifteen percent of income on meals away from their residence. Moreover, this number is increasing over the last 7, and four years. This industry has outperformed the GNP by approximately forty percent. Over six hundred restaurants open monthly and over three hundred required in offsetting the increasing demand for fast foods. A report released by ‘National Restaurant Association’ revealed that as contemporary lifestyle creates demand, it would force individuals to consume more meals away from their residence (Halverson & Tirmizi, 2008). Consequently, Vegas restaurant focuses on attracting several consumers leading to higher profits. Products Vegas restaurant will offer food and beverages with a unique image. It will incorporate two ways of purchasing products namely; table service and take away. The Vegas menu offers a variety of ethnic foods that are nutritious. As earlier stated, the prime goal is to develop an image of light, satisfying and healthy foods. This is attributable to increased awareness on consuming healthy and nutritious foods. Food production will occur at the restaurant’s kitchen using fresh vegetables and dairy products. However, the chef will conduct strict sanitation standards, quality production, and packaging. As they purchase food, customers may sit on one of the sixty seats at the dining room that will allow waiters to attend to them. A separate counter will service clients, who opt to consume food away from the restaurant. Competition An average of twenty restaurants within C rockett Street sells food at equivalent prices. Although this situation creates a clear challenge regarding market share, it also indicate the existence of a strong potential to obtain customers. The new competitors have made a successful entry into this restaurant industry based on novelty. However, this should not restrict Vegas Restaurant from venturing into the industry because it will present an inventive product using an equivalent style at a

The Impact of Mediation in Business Decisions Research Proposal

The Impact of Mediation in Business Decisions - Research Proposal Example Disputes may arise among employees, or labor union disputes against the company due to issues such as retrenchment, promotions, rewards, pay rise among a host of other problems. In these cases, conflict resolution is sought to settle the problems. There are several channels followed by different companies in making compromises in decision making including litigation, negotiation, mediation and arbitration. It is clear that more and more businesses are finding litigation a less popular option, and are seeking to adopt other channels. While mediation is quite efficient in making sound business decisions, few businesses make the decision to take it. It is thus imperative that considerable wealth of information needs to be generated on mediation, based on case studies. This will involve studying the mediation decision in terms of evidential reasoning, risk analysis, knowledge of what the decision entails and finally the impact of the decision on the business. Did mediation solve the prob lem or deadlock in decision making to the company’s satisfaction? This research will analyze mediation in all these areas with a bid to conclude on whether the decision to undertake it is satisfying in comparison to other methods. Thus, this research is particularly synchronous with Manchester Business School’s focus on addressing the issues affecting business leaders across the world. Under MBS, this research falls in the division for Decision analysis, support and risk management. Specifically, it will harmoniously integrate within the Decision and Cognitive Sciences Research Centre (DCS), where the decision to undertake mediation by businesses will be studied in terms of evidential reasoning, risk analysis, and impacts. LITERATURE REVIEW Business disputes are usually settled through several ways which can be broadly categorized into two; litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Litigation involves visiting law courts to have the dispute settled by a judge whil e alternative methods include negotiation, arbitration, mediation and arbitration. There is compelling evidence that the decision to take alternative dispute resolution methods over litigation is a wise one especially in terms of two very important things; time and cost savings (Paul 1). Other benefits include the fact that both parties conscript the services of neutral expertise (National Arbitration Forum 4). Alternative dispute resolutions also bring about flexibility which is absent in litigation. This is through innovation and ingenuity in the processes involved in a fashion that a court may not undertake (5). Amicability, confidentiality and party representation are also other benefits over litigation (6). One of the main setbacks to these methods of resolution is the compromise involved, which may be counteractive. The other disadvantage is that the lack of public scrutiny (Spangler, 2003). To disambiguate among the various strategies used in alternative dispute resolution is important since several business leaders are largely ignorant on the different concepts. First, mediation differs from arbitration in terms of the fact that arbitration is an adjudicative process that involves hiring an adjudicator to hear out the dispute and make a decision that is usually enforceable in court. In mediation however, the mediator does not make a decision for the parties, while another difference is that mediation is a voluntary process with nonbinding agreements (Shakman et al, 2001). Among the methods involved in alternative dispute resolution, it has been found that most businesses decide to use arbitration and negotiation over mediation, despite of much

Fulfilling the promise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fulfilling the promise - Essay Example eve through various ways, and I will strongly agree to the fact that America has made a wide progress towards achieving â€Å"The Promise of America Life†. â€Å"Organized labor had never been more powerful than at the end of World War II. Cold War page 798† â€Å"A knowledge of history is, in addition, a means of strength. (John F. Kennedy paragraph 7, line 1), we realize that this led to the increment of in the number of women workforce in 1953 as well as the increment of job opportunity. During this period, America improved their civil and voting rights. American democracy was reshaped thrusting the federal government more deeply into economic and social life. America experienced the Atomic Age as well as the communist period, thus the country tried to fight against the communist in the state. â€Å"During the social, political, and military crisis of the 1960s, Americans had largely taken the economy for granted. Living with Less (page 880).† This was all brought by failing of businesses, government and economists, multinational giant strategies combined to weaken the foundation prosperity. â€Å"†¦.United states began as an underdeveloped nation which seized its independence by carrying out a successful revolution†¦ (John F. Kennedy paragraph 6 line 3).† The shortage oil spread well beyond gas stations, truck drivers blockaded highways to protest the high cost of fuels and low speed limits, and this challenged the state and thus contributed to the realization of, The Promise of America Life. â€Å"There is little that is more important for an American citizen to know than the history and traditions of his country† (John F. Kennedy paragraph 1 line 1). The Cold War marked the age of globalization, as the state established regional relations to various countries worldwide and contributed to the development of new communication technologies which sped up the global flow of news, ideas and money through the development of communication satellites. It also saw the

To read the syllabus and write about your oppinions Coursework

To read the syllabus and write about your oppinions - Coursework Example Quite often, I disagree with the writers and many a times, I feel that the writers of novels and scripts tend to project their personal opinions in their texts. Those opinions are understandably motivated by their personal experiences, but the writers tend to make a biased approach about discussing the subjects. Such exercises would provide me with a platform to criticize the writers and project my own response to their texts, which would be satiating and interesting. The syllabus suggests that the developers have not only carefully selected the course content, but have also planned and scheduled the delivery by students at different points throughout the course. The contents and exercises have been declared week by week in order to provide the students with a thorough insight into the course from the outset. It is great that the course content or any exercises mentioned in the syllabus. A very important part of the syllabus is the way students’ performance would be analyzed and graded. The grading as mentioned in the syllabus is well-suited to a class at college level and does justice to the activities both that are conducted within the class and outside. Another very appealing aspect of the syllabus is the fact that the professor has clearly outlined the assignments’ criteria and formats right from the beginning. This will help the students develop their assignments to the point. Also, the grading will be fair as everybody would have submitted the assignments in the same format. The syllabus addressed the requirements of a college-level English program and is centered around a range of essentials that include but are not limited to the research process, finding and quoting credible sources, mechanics of writing, and developing an understanding of diction and rhetoric. I am eagerly looking forward to the leadership roles my class-mates and I will be assigned by the professor in the class. Such activities not only enhance group

Business Financial Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Business Financial Analysis - Assignment Example Insurance industry has become one of the most fundamental sectors in the performance of any economy. Businesses, private organizations, and individuals all insure their products and property to shield them from recording significant losses and potential threats to going concern problem.The choice of state farm insurance has been propelled by the better ranking and the immense interests that investors have on the insurance segment of the economy. Any economic sector that fails to develop robust insurance firms and businesses are bound to record losses that arise due to the uncertain nature of operations.This paper therefore analyze the financial performance of state farm insurance, its performance in the industry, products, and leadership styles that have been pursued by the company to achieve the core objectives. State farm insurance was founded with the core object of providing insurance to the automotives of farmers before it later ventured into other services provision and increas ed its products range. The company recorded significant growth in the lifetime and is one of the top ranked companies according to the Fortune 500 Company ranking. Companies that operate in highly competitive industry must ensure continuous monitoring of their financial performance and satisfaction of the interests of their stakeholders for them to be going concern. It is for this purpose that potential investors and trhose who wish to engage in trade in the stock market will value the analysis. The use of financial ratios and other financial techniques will be involved in the analysis of the business. INTRODUCTION Insurance industry has become one of the most fundamental sectors in the performance of any economy. Businesses, private organizations, and individuals all insure their products and property to shield them from recording significant losses and potential threats to going concern problem. The choice of state farm insurance has been propelled by the better ranking and the im mense interests that investors have on the insurance segment of the economy. Any economic sector that fails to develop robust insurance firms and businesses are bound to record losses that arise due to the uncertain nature of operations. State farm insurance growth in business and operation also makes it suitable for analysis and consideration. COMPANY BACKGROUND State farm insurance was formed in 1922 by its policyholders to insure automobiles. At the early stages, the company was entirely engaged in the insurance of auto of farmers before extending their operations to cover the insurance of banking services, financial services, and life insurance (Mundy 16). George Mecherle who was a retired farmer and was interested in improving the welfare of the members founded it. The company has recorded tremendous growth of both employees and the number of company agents. State farm insurance has expanded its operations in other countries like Canada and has operations in most of the states in America (Mundy 18). State farm insurance was heavily hit by the recession in the financial sector since many policy holders were unable to pay for their insurance. The company has since recorded growth in their base and has policyholders of about 80 million people. MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE Management is the act of planning the future now. An organization that is aimed at surviving in the dynamic and competitive market must have a strong management and visionary leadership. Rust ensured that state farm mutual insurance had a well-educated staff. He believed that through training and knowledge, the employees input, and efficiency will be increased. State farm therefore incurred large amounts of money in taking their employees for further training and education. Better leadership ensured that the future could be forecasted and that risks inherent in the business were absorbed by the business. Management of state farm also motivated their staffs by giving out better packages to their emp loyees and investing heavily on talents (Millenson 45). Rust, the chairperson of the board has thus succeeded in the winning of the confidence and trust of their employees. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS State farm insurance recorded a decline in their revenue and earnings in the financial year 2011. This was attributed to the increased number claims. Moreover, the large portfolio of

Finding something that will make it easier to plan your holiday Essay Example for Free

Finding something that will make it easier to plan your holiday Essay Finding something that will make it easier to plan your holiday It is not as easy as it looks to find a concept that you believe in and you think is going to make it easier or more convenient for people to travel. First I was trying too hard, finding something that would do amazing things, something that would be so new. Nothing came to my head, then I thought, why not just try something simple that I would like to have to help me planning my travels or for my friends. I had to stop trying to think something big as the small things are just as important when you are for example planning your trip. So after going through the thoughts that I was not going to find anything, something came into my head. Why not make a website that will help people travel around Iceland and maybe have an application that goes with it. I did some research before my presentation and found out what technology I could use. Then I went to class with the idea. Getting feedback and to work more with the concept After the presentation, the concept was more clear what it could have and what was needed to be done to get it going, as well as what more research needed. There were some new ideas from the class that in a way changed the purpose for the website and for the application. The research that had to been done was to look how many people could use it, maybe it would be a good idea to narrow it down in the beginning, so it would only be accessible for people that live in Iceland, to get the domestic tourism stronger, help people to travel in the own country before taking it further. So the concept was coming together and the next step was to do the research that had to be done to be sure that this would be possible for the travellers. Planning your dream holiday It is everyone’s dream to plan a dream holiday, it is not as easy as someone would think, there are so many information about different transport, activities, attractions, tours, accommodation and dinning. Putting all the information form each category into a database, each area would have its own database so it could work on its own as well as together. It is going to be a website as well as a application for I phone. The technology that Trip Sketch application is using with Green Traveller is similar as what is in this concept for the I phone, The focus going to be Iceland and not the USA or UK. For example for the website the customer will first have the opportunity to choose for how long the holiday is going to last and then what area of Iceland is interested for the customer. With that out of the way the customer can have the choice between the categories that were mention before, click on accommodation and there will be all the places in that area and if the customers click on for example a hotel they will get information about the hotel, where it is, how to get there, website, opening times and other important information. The customer can also save that hotel in his folder and later on compare different accommodations before booking the right one. This goes for all the things in the database. The application for the I phone is more for the customer on the road, following the technology as mention before with the opportunity to plan a day out. This is going to focus on domestic traveller at the beginning, if that is successful then it will be look at taking futher. What this concept idea will consist of The need to be able to make our own holiday in the comfort of your home is an increasing demand, this concept will help travellers build the dream holiday by going on a website, which will have multi choice questions so the person will answer questions related to what that the person would like to do on that holiday. It will look like questioners for the consumer and in the end the person will have all the information to plan and book the dream holiday. This site will only be available in Iceland for the start, if that goes well, then by time it will be open for international tourist that have Iceland on the list and there will be the opportunity to open a site for other countries if there is interest for it. The welcome page will consist of basic information about Iceland as well as safety tips for travelling in the country. There will be a demonstration on how the site works, similar to what is done on the website Just-Eat (Just-Eat 2010). On the page will be a sign in part, where the consumer will sign in and fill out basic information, like contact, age, gender, address and interests, this will create a username that will allow the consumer to log in anytime and will also store the searches that are conducted. There will be a â€Å"start your trip button† on the page that will take the consumer to the start of the exclusions process, the consumer will then be taken to a page where there will be a start of point choices. Like Region: the different region of the country – West, South, East, North and the West fjords. Adventure: for example; horseback riding, river rafting, hiking, sailing and more. Time: how long the trip can last, couple of hours, half a day, a day, week, month. Attractions: Culture and history: where the Icelandic culture and history are, like art galleries, museum, heritage centres, festivals for the arts and more. Based on the choice made, the consumer is taken to another page where there will be sub options to choose from, with the addition of accommodation. This process continues until the consumer presses finish and is presented with the result from the search that was undertaken. That would be called the travel plan and would give the consumer the insight of what kind of a holiday would be on offer. The opportunity is then available to book any aspect of the holiday right from the website. Like Travel option: booking a car rental, bus tickets or airplane tickets. Accommodation: hotels, country hotels, farmhouses, cottages, camping sites. Restaurants: would be able to make reservations for all the meals the consumer is thinking of having on the trip. Trips: the consumer would be able to book all the trips that would be on the travel plan. Tickets: to museums, festivals, shows and more. The flow chart below demonstrates the concept process of elimination to find the ideal holiday for the consumer. Figure 1.1 Flowchart for design concept The companies that want to take part in the website will need to create a retailer login, where the company will have to fill in an application form with all required information, such as Company name Type of activates: selected from a drop down menu. Location: where the company is based. Activities locations: where the activities are taking place. Dates: fill in a calendar with the upcoming activities. Prices: Range of package prices as well as prices for individual activities. Contact details: phone numbers, homepage, e-mails and contact person. Each company or business will have to fill out predetermined templates for each activity and these will then be available on the website instantly, the responsibility lies with each company to give accurate details. The templates are used so the website information is uniform for display to the consumer. A fixed charge will be taken for each booking that is made on the website, so the company will only pay if it gets business from the website. The website has two main objectives Assist the consumer in finding the ideal holiday. Assist local retailers in finding customers for the holiday activities. This is done by designing the website so that it only requires the input from consumers and retailers to function. Consumer input: search entries, holiday review, holiday request. Retailer input: holiday details, prices, dates. References: Just-Eat. (2010, November 17). Retrieved November 17, 2010, from Just-Eat: http://www.just-eat.co.uk/ What technology will support the concept and how Developing the concept will involve building up a web site that will take all the information that is needed and put it in the right places. Building up the website will go through several stages, taking the storyboard that is the foundation of the site (Sweeney 2008) and getting all the ideas on it is the first step, this gives the layout for the site at the beginning with the opportunity to improve further on. The second stage will be to get the information into the database that will be behind the web site as the storyboard is only the structure of the site but has no full information on it. The layout will have similarity to what TripSketch uses for the application Green traveller for the iphone . Using multi questions templates to plan a domestic holiday. It would be possible to take the website and turn it into an application for iphones or smart phones, which would then have to be in an area where there would be internet connection to be able to interact on the application and get the result straight into your phone. The concept is based around the use of a website as the interface for both the consumer and the retailer. This requires the development of a website interface that is linked to a database in which data is input or output to the interface. The consumers interface in one where the database is searched based on the input from the consumer is taken through a process of elimination. The consumer interface can be set up in many ways such as Search engine interface Single page multiple choice Multi page multiple choice The search engine interface allows the user to input any number of search terms and the n the database is searched and the results displayed. The pros of using this type is that it will make it easier for the consumer to find the activity that is on offer, however the user might not use the right words for the activity that will then resolve in not finding what is on offer. Single page multiple choice allows the user to input all choices on the same page and go straight to result page. This can be convenient if there are few choices in the form and holidays are mostly similar, the more the variety the more inconclusive the result will be. Multi page multiple choices allows the user to eliminate at each page before going to the next set of choices, this then only presents choices to the consumer based on its previous selections. Doing this the consumer will come to concentrated results and from there the user can select the ideal holiday. The retailer interface could have any numbers of styles to bring the data into the database as out of it, such as The website has employee that would take all the data that comes from the retailer and process them into the database that will then be available to the consumer through the website. The retailer would take all the data and put it into the database through the retailer interface on the website. That would then not require a special employee from the website and would then be more cost effective to the website. The site would be able to charge the consumers directly as bookings are made online, using online credit card facilities and possibly Paypal. In doing so the website can update the retailers account with the payment made and show the deducted amount to the website. The retailer is then paid on regular bases. The website could have a review interface for the consumer for a specific holiday that the consumer has undertaken. This would be an option for the user to do, as signed into the website and already gone on the trip, which would go into the database and be linked to the trip that the retailer has on offer as well as linked to the retailer. It would also be a possibility to have an comment box for the website that would give the consumer an opportunity to give comments on what could be improved data wise on the site as well as what has been done well and not so well. This data would then be send to the administrator for further improvement on the site The technology used for the website is widely used and thus easily implemented for this type of website. References: Bibliography Buhalis, D. (2003). eTourism Information technology for strategic tourism management. Harlow: Prentice Hall. Chris Cooper, J. F. (2008). Tourism; principles and practice. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Just-Eat. (2010, November 17). Retrieved November 17, 2010, from Just-Eat: http://www.just-eat.co.uk/ Nokia. (2010, November 15). Ovi daily app . Retrieved November 15, 2010, from Ovi store: http://blog.ovi.com/dailyapp/global/2010/08/travel-plans-in-your-future-try-tripsketch-green-traveler-for-nokia/ Page, S. J. (2009). Tourism management man; managing for change. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Sweeney, S. (2008). 101 Ways ti Promote Your Tourism Business Web Site. Jim Hoskins. Sweeney, S. (2009). 101 Ways to Promote Your Web Site. Jim Hoskins.

Medical Assisting Essay Example for Free

Medical Assisting Essay Medical Assistants are crucial people in the medical field. â€Å"Medical Assistants are multi-skilled members of the health care team who perform administrative and clinical procedures under the supervision of a licensed health care provider such as a nurse or doctor.†(American Association of Medical Assistants, Library) Medical Assistants do have a variety of different duties that they have to perform on a day to day basis. As a medical assistant, a person will have administrative and clinical duties; work with nurses and doctors, and comply with OSHA and HIPAA guidelines. Some of the administrative duties a person might have to perform as a medical assistant include: â€Å"greeting patients, handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, answering telephones, creating and maintaining patient medical records, handling billing and insurance processing, and performing medical transcriptions.† (K. Booth, L. Whicker, T. Wyman, S.M. Wright 2008-2011) All of these administrative duties that a medical assistant does, they must remember to follow HIPAA guidelines and privacy of the patient. (HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.) If a medical assistant fails to follow these guidelines they could possibly face legal charges such as: fines, imprisonment, and/or loss of job. There was a case in Kansas were a man was suspended for unknown causes but, did have to go to court to see if an immediate danger to the public health, safety, or welfare requiring immediate state agency action. said presiding officer Dr. Nancy Welsh. Some of the clinical duties a medical assistant might have to perform include: â€Å"assisting the doctor during the examination of a patient, infection control, performing tests (urinalysis, blood work, ECGS(Electrocardiogram)) , preparing and giving injections and medications, phlebotomy (blood work), disposing of contaminated supplies, preparing patient for examination, vital signs and medical histories, preparing the exam room before and after examination of a patient, removing of sutures or changing dressings on wounds, and sterilizing equipment.†(K. Booth, L. Whicker, T. Wyman, S.M. Wright, 2008-2011) With all of the clinical duties, as well as the administrative duties, a medical assistant must remember to follow the HIPAA guidelines. Depending on the office a medical assistant works in will depend on the clinical duties they will be preforming. For example, if a medical assistant is assisting a surgeon or a surgical technician they might have duties like: sterilizing e quipment, making sure the operating room is stocked properly with supplies(gauze, medical tape, suture kits), and talking with the patient about the procedure. As a medical assistant there are certain values or qualifications that you need to have. These qualifications might include: critical thinking skills, time management, empathy, attention to detail, flexibility, professionalism, neat appearance, positive attitude, remaining calm in a crisis, team work, proper judgment, and good communication skills. (K. Booth, L. Whicker, T. Wyman, S.M. Wright, 2008-2011) Such things as time management, empathy, attention to detail, neat appearance, and positive attitude are extremely important in the medical field. No patient wants to be taken care of by someone who is rude, has a negative attitude, does not exhibit proper hygiene, or who just plainly doesn’t care about the patient. In the medical profession, professionalism is something that a person must have! The difference between a CMA and an RMA is: a CMA is a certified medical assistant and an RMA is a registered medical assistant (www.aama-ntl.org). A certified medical assistant has only a state wide certification. In order to practice in another state a person would have to transfer their certification to that state. It is different for a registered medical assistant. For a registered medical assistant it is nationwide, which means a person does not have to transfer anything. A person with a RMA can practice anywhere in the U.S., but a person with a CMA would have to transfer their certification first before they could practice in that state. The current issues that medical assisting face is that they are a â€Å"new breed† into the medical field. Which means that a person with a degree in medical assisting; might find it hard to find a job right now. The job field for medical assisting is growing and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the field is to grow 31% in the years to come. (Bureau of Labor Statistics; Publications; Job Outlook 2010-20). So, in the next few years, medical assisting should be as common as certified nursing assistants are today. The median average pay for medical assistant right now is around $28,860 a year or around $13.87 per hour. For more information about Medical Assistants you can visit the following websites: www.aama-ntl.org ( American Association of Medical Assistants), www.caahep.org (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education), www.amt1.com (American Medical Technologists), www.jcahpo.org (Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthmology), and www.aspma.org (American Society of Podiatric Medical Assistants). These websites have helped me a great deal with not only research but, questions that I have had about my degree as a Medical Assistant. I know that they have helped me and I hope that they will help others with either questions they have or concerns that they might have about the medical assistant degree or duties. Becoming a Medical Assistant takes hard work and dedication. Working as a Medical Assistant takes even more hard work. Medical Assistants do a lot to help doctors and nurses every day. Some of the things they do for them are: answering the phone so that patients can make or cancel appointments or to answer a question they might have, preparing the patient and the room for the patient, doing blood work for the doctor or nurse, handling insurance paperwork, giving medication or getting it ready for the nurse, and cleaning up after the doctor is done with the patient’s examination. Medical Assistants are a very important part of the everyday duties in the medical field. REFERENCES Bureau of Labor Statistics; summary; job outlook. American Association of Medical Assistants website (www.aama-ntl.org); become a CMA. Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Procedures with Anatomy and Physiology, 4e; Kathryn A. Booth, Leesa G. Whicker, Terri D. Wyman and Sandra Moaney Wright; Pages 9,26-38 License of medical assistant suspended Hutchinson News, The (KS), Apr 07, 2012 Newspaper Source; Kaplan Library

Political Objectives of the Falklands War

Political Objectives of the Falklands War War as a Strategic Tool of Policy: The Falklands War Did War prove to be a Successful Means of Achieving Political Objectives? Examine from both UK and Argentinean perspectives. In an essay of this brevity it would be impossible, and indeed unnecessary, to discuss fully the history of the Falkland Islands; we will therefore begin by discussing the immediate origins of the conflict before going on to discuss the strategic, economic and finally political objectives of both participants before reaching a conclusion as to weather the war proved a successful means of achieving each sides political objectives. Development of a Crisis. Argentina had been smarting for some years after the 19th century British occupation of the Falkland Islands, but the matter began to come to a head when they raised the question of sovereignty at the United Nations in 1964. At that time the British position was that sovereignty was non-negotiable, but that they were open to discussions regarding contact between the Islands and Argentina, as well as issues regarding the welfare of the Islanders themselves. An the beginning of 1966, the British Foreign Secretary held discussions regarding the Falklands with officials in Buenos Ares and later a meeting was held in London with the same issue on the agenda. The British strategy during these discussions was to defuse and potential difficulties and to essentially to maintain the then current position. The Argentinean delegations, however, wanted nothing short of a return of the Malvinas to Argentine sovereignty; from the very beginnings of the growing crisis the two sides had differing and indeed mutually exclusive, political and strategic objectives. After the discussions the British publicly stated that they had no strategic, political or economic interests in the Falkland Islands, all of which were untrue as we will see. The growing tension was not only felt among the higher echelons of Government, but also among the public, particularly in Argentina and on the Islands themselves. In September 1964 a light aircraft landed at Port Stanley and planted an Argentine flag, the pilot then took off and returned to Argentine without opposition. Exactly two years later a hijacked Argentine passenger airliner was forced to land on the Island and despite suspicions to the contrary the argentine government denied any involvement. These incidents helped to raise the existence of a British colony on its very doorstep to the Argentine populace, as did the British response of stationing a platoon of marines on the east of the Islands. In November 1966 the British proposed a thirty year freeze on discussions, after which time the islanders would be allowed to decide their own future, this was rejected by the Argentineans as it did not serve their immediate political objectives of a return of the islands. In March of the following year the British subjected that, under certain conditions, they would be prepared to cede sovereignty of the islands to Argentina. There were conditions attached, however, most notably that the wished of the islanders would be paramount. The islanders themselves lobbied parliament and the matter was dropped. The condition that the wished of the islanders be sacrosanct was to become the key underlying theme of British foreign policy with regard to ownership of the islands. The islanders themselves wished to remain a British protectorate and thus the British Government were forced to discount all proposals to the contrary. To the Argentineans, sovereignty was the key issue; thus their respec tive political objectives set the two nations on a collision course. With the political objectives seemingly firmly entrenched and mutually exclusive, it seems a little strange that the two sides continued to negotiate throughout the 1970’s. In the middle of June 1970, talks were concluded that resulted in improved communications between the Argentineans and the Falklanders. The Islanders were offered travel documents that allowed them to move freely in Argentine, as well as a generous range of financial incentives. The Argentines believed that they had made significant concessions and that the British had not reciprocated at all. In 1974 the British proposed a condominium, essentially joint control of the islands. The islanders themselves balked at the idea however. If the Argentine concessions of 1970 had been intended to sway public opinion among the islanders in their favour, it had evidently failed. By the mid 70’s, the Argentine Government had evidently grown tired of attempts to seek a purely political resolution and their position hardened. Argentina began to increase the strength of its rhetoric and openly implied the possibility of invasion. This was followed at the beginning of 76 by an Argentine destroyer firing upon and attempting to board a British vessel. March 1976 say a military coup in Argentina; the military had no doubt been increasing in power as the hardening of the Argentine line on the Falklands of the previous few years indicates. Soon after the coup in Argentina, a patrol helicopter from the HMS Endurance discovered an Argentine military presence on Southern Thule, part of the Falkland Islands, a clear violation of British territory. The British Government failed to react in any more serious way than making a formal protest. This Argentine base was allowed to exist unchallenged for five years, right up to the outbreak of the war in 1982. If there was any one factor in the pre war years that convinced the powers that be in Argentine of the lack of political and/or military will to maintain control of the Falkland Islands it was the failure to react appropriately the they unchallenged presence on southern Thule. 1979-80 saw, along with the election of a new Conservative Government in Great Britain, the revival of the lease back idea first proposed by the British in 1975; the idea being that formal sovereignty would transfer to Argentina whilst the British would maintain a military base and continue to administer the islands. The proposal was vehemently opposed by the islanders and their supporters in Britain. Despite this opposition, the Foreign Office pursued the policy whilst Lord Carrington advised the new Prime Minister Thatcher of the likely political consequences at home. The policy was eventually rejected. Following the breakdown of talks, a summit was held in New York, but, as reported in the Economist, the British diplomats were politically restrained and had little or nothing to offer regarding concessions over sovereignty. By the beginning of 1982, the Argentine military junta was thoroughly dissatisfied with the level and pace of progress and, although publicly stating that their aim was a diplomatic solution to the problem, the unstated agenda was sovereignty by the end of the year. The invasion was, perhaps inevitable. Strategic objectives. The strategic importance of the Falkland Islands is very easy to assess, a simple glance at a map is enough. The islands were one of the very few bases for the British in the Southern Atlantic; from the islands the British could maintain a vigil upon activity throughout most of the southern part of South America. For this reason too, it was of vital (probably even greater) importance to Britain’s key ally, the United States. The importance of the islands in friendly hands can be suggested by the unofficial assistance provided to the British task force by the American navy. Thus Britain’s policy objectives were inseparably bound within strategic considerations. The Argentineans perspective was precisely the reverse; they could no longer tolerate a base so close their coastline. An analogy may be seen in the position of the United States over Cuba during the Cold War. The desire to recover the Malvinas Islands was not new, but the military coup did provide new impetus to the policy, along with putting in power people who were not afraid to explore, and finally execute, the military option in order to achieve the objective. Economic objectives. The economic objectives of both sides as a cause of the conflict have been largely ignored by historians. In 1966 the British unofficially told the Argentines that they had no economic interest in the islands at all and that they were largely self sufficient. Although this may have been the case at the time, this position soon changed. By 1975 the British Government established a working committee under, Lord Shackleton, to investigate the economic potential of the islands. The report concluded the islands had enormous fishing potential, as well as potentially significant oil and natural gas reserves. The oil crisis of 1973 and a recent (1973-75) geological survey in the region had suggested the significant potential for the development of local oil and gas fields. Thus, economically the British Government could not allow the islands to pass out of the British sphere of influence. The Argentines were also aware of the economic potential of the islands as the geological survey was not secret, this led to suspicion in Buenos Ares that the â€Å"British were after the islands oil† The importance of the discovery of oil in the region can not be overstated as a reason for increasing tensions in the region. It would have been politically unsound to say the least for the British to cede control of significant new reserves to a foreign power so soon after a global oil crisis. To the Argentineans, the potential exploitation of a major new oil field just a few miles off their coastline, by a foreign power, was unacceptable. Political objectives. Margaret Thatcher had become Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1979; after wresting the leadership from Edward Heath after the electoral defeats of 1974. The early years of the new Thatcher Government were not easy; inflation was a major issue, as was the entrenched power of trade unions. Oil prices were high following a crisis with Iran, further fuelling inflationary pressures. High interest rates and an increase in VAT did not help the domestic economic position, nor did it help British industry, leading to record unemployment and recession. By 1980, both inflation and unemployment were double what they had been at the election the previous year. The obvious domestic political result was a massive slide in popularity of the new Conservative Government and a significant personal decline in the popularity of the Prime Minister. By 1981 unemployment reached 2.5 million and there were riots in Brixton and Toxteth; the following year unemployment stood at 3 million, where it remained for five years. With this domestic backdrop it is hardly surprising that the British put so little emphasis upon the developing crisis in the Southern Atlantic., and the lack of appropriate response to the landings on Southern Thule. The Argentine invasion allowed the Thatcher government to move the focus away from the failing domestic agenda to matters of foreign policy. She surrounded herself in calls of patriotism which the country responded to. The British task force was assembled with remarkable speed and despatched to the Falklands. The recovery of the islands was hailed as a personal triumph for Mrs. Thatcher, and the general feeling of deep political failure with which the crisis began, had been transformed into a sense of resounding and overwhelming success by its conclusion. The Falklands crisis was a major success for the Thatcher Government; confidence was restored, popularity was again high, despite the domestic situation not having improved at all. For the new military junta in Argentina, there was only one possible course of action. Recovery of the Malvinas Islands was a priority. Military regimes generally do not pride themselves on economic success, but rely on strength of arms; an invasion of the islands became inevitable therefore. The unopposed landings on Southern Thule had had a positive effect in Argentina, reinforcing the belief that the islands would return (and soon) to Argentine control. The invasion came soon after and acted to stabilise the political situation in Argentina, the new regime was acting to secure the islands and thus the nation’s borders from foreign imperialist powers. Initially therefore, the invasion was a huge success, although it quickly turned to disaster as the Argentines underestimated the desire of the British to maintain control of the Falklands. Ultimately the invasion was as negative a force for the Argentine junta as it was positive for the Thatcher Government. Conclusion. Despite the initial successes of the operation for the Argentines, the strategy of militarily occupying the islands proved an utter failure. Progress that was being made on diplomatic means of recovery of the islands, even if that had been some kind of shares control, was lost completely. The Thatcher Government began the crisis in deep difficulties on the domestic front, but a victory in warfare, the defending of the realm as it were, proved a resounding success for the Government and restored its failing popularity, despite the dire domestic situation remaining unchanged. The war was, therefore, a significant success for the British. With hindsight we can also say that it helped to lead to eighteen years of Conservative Government, a feat that would surely have been impossible without the Falklands campaign, or with any kind of a failure to recover the islands. Bibliography. P. Beck, The Falkland Islands as an International Problem (London 1988) L. Freedman, Britain and the Falklands War (Oxford 1988) L. S. Gustafson, The Sovereignty Dispute over the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands (Oxford 1988) M. Hastings S. Jenkins, The Battle for the Falklands (London 1983) D. Kinney, Anglo-Argentinean Diplomacy and the Falklands Crisis, in A. Coll, and Anthony C. Arend, (eds.), The Falklands War: Lessons for Strategy, Diplomacy and International Law (London 1985) G. A. Makin, The Military in Argentine Politics 1880-1982, Millenium: Journal of International Studies, 1983a, 12.1 G. A. Makin, Argentine Approaches to the Falklands/Malvinas: was the Resort to Violence Foreseeable, International Affairs, 1983b, 59.3 M. Middlebrook, Task Force: The Falkland Islands War, 1982, (London 1987) D. Sanders, H. Ward, D. Marsh, Government Popularity and the Falklands War: A Reassessment, British Journal of Political Science, 1987, 17.3 Lord Shackleton, Economic Survey of the Falkland Islands, vol’s 1-2 (London 1976) J. H. Wylie, The Influence of British Arms: an Analysis of British Intervention since 1956, (London 1984) D. S. Zakheim, The Southern Atlantic Conflict: Strategic, Military, and Technological Lessons, in A. Coll, and Anthony C. Arend, (eds.), The Falklands War: Lessons for Strategy, Diplomacy and International Law (London 1985) The Economist, January 24th 1976 The Economist, June 19th 1982 The Times, January 19th 1976

Xenophanes Concept of God :: Philosophical Philosophy Religion essays

Xenophanes' Concept of God Xenophanes of the late 6th and early 5th centuries BC should be credited, in opposition to his critics and misinterpreters, with an advanced contribution to the Western philosophy of religion, namely that there is one God. First, he exposes the weaknesses of the Greek pantheon. Then he satirically demonstrates the narcissistic limitations of human conceptions of the nature of the divine. Third, he logically structures a coherent concept of the nature of the only God. Then finally he reveals how his concept explains certain observable natural phenomena in an account of physical reality. 1. Xenophanes said "there is one god, among gods and men the greatest... "[1] but why would that idea be unusual for his culture, in its history? He explains that everyone in his culture had been taught by the famous poets and writers, including Homer, that a pantheon of multiple deities existed and affected the lives of humans in various ways. The nature of these gods, however, defies the whole notion of deity. Anaximander had earlier conceived of the underlying "stuff" of the universe as apeiron, an unexplainable something. But Xenophanes carries the notion much farther by attacking the mythology of his time and giving definition to the ineffable source of life. The famous writers "attributed to the gods all things that are shameful and a reproach among mankind: theft, adultery, and mutual deception" [2]. Illogically also, humans thought that gods were born and had clothing, voices, and bodies as well [3]. Surely, gods had to be more than glorified albeit often more immoral than hu mans, by the definition of "god." Probably Xenophanes viewed God from two perspectives. First, the Homeric gods demonstrated behavior that simply resembled the behavior of humans. God, by definition, had to be someone greater, better than humans in some way(s). He said that the One God is "greatest among the gods, not like mortals in form or thought." Thus worship of this God implies that an all-encompassing greatness is a factor of worship, which means primarily submission to and reverence for a being greater than oneself. As well, morality seems to be recognized by all cultures in some form or another, but reveals a certain weakness or propensity in humans to behave badly at times, as opposed to behaving well at times. There is an inherent recognition that there are good and bad actions and God is "not like mortals in form or thought.

Othellos Fainting as a Point of No Return :: Free Essays Online

Othello's Fainting as a Point of No Return In Act IV, Scene 1 of Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello faints when confronted with the possibility that his wife has been unfaithful. Through the past few scenes, Iago, exploiting Othello’s concerns about his race, has performed a delicate act, slowly but surely leading him towards the inevitable conclusion that his wife and Cassio have ‘cuckolded’ him. When Iago finally refers explicitly to Desdemona’s sexual betrayal, Othello can bear it no longer and faints to escape the reality he cannot bear. From the outset, Othello has been uncomfortable in aristocratic Venetian society. He has deep insecurities about his ability to fulfill his role as Desdemona’s husband, both sexually and socially. Othello is elated when he realizes that beautiful young Desdemona is attracted to him since he perceives himself to be unworthy of her love, primarily due to his old age, physical unattractiveness, and most importantly because he is a black Moor. Thus, his realization of his racial identity figures prominently in his mindset. Sexually, he fears being unable to satisfy his wife’s desires; for it would be only natural for her to, having sealed the vows of marriage, seek a companion more like her. For he is â€Å"rude [†¦] in speech, / And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace† (1.3:81-2), most unfit to wed the daughter of the noble senator Brabanzio[1]. Thus, he makes it clear that he prefers the military atmosphere to the aristocratic civilian one. While Othello has thoroughly internalized his concerns regarding his marriage, shrewd Iago is able to perceive and exploit them. Iago’s villainous brilliance is manifest in his ability to take himself into Othello’s confidence. The relationship that develops between the two is of great significance. Iago is most careful to avoid explicitly accusing Desdemona of adultery until the time is right. Instead, he gradually weaves the thought into Othello’s mind so that Othello is able to independently arrive at the same conclusion. While initially Iago exhibits deference and fear of his king, the power dynamic progressively shifts so that the two become almost equal allies in an unholy conspiracy. Othello, at one point, is almost thankful to Iago for revealing to him the truth, declaring that â€Å"I am bound to thee for ever† (3.3:218). Iago reciprocates in the next scene upon being appointed lieutanant, vowing â€Å"I am your own for ever† (3.3:482). Esp ecially in this scene, Iago can be seen as representing Satan himself, inducing good Othello to err thereby securing a vow of loyalty from his servant.

Miranda Law

On March 13, 1963, in Phoenix, Arizona, Ernesto Miranda, a man with a past criminal record, was arrested at Arizona in his home. Ernesto Miranda was arrested and brought into custody by the police and brought to the Phoenix police station. He was suspected and then later identified as the person who stole $8. 00 from a Phoenix, Arizona bank worker. Ernesto Miranda was questioned for two hours by police, then confessed to the robbery, unexpectedly he also confessed to kidnapping and raping an 18 year old girl 11 days earlier. He had signed the two written confessions. During the arrest and questioning, Miranda was never told he had the right to remain silent, to have a lawyer, and to be protected against self-incrimination. On June 19, 1963, Miranda was trialed in court for the robbery charges from Barbara Roe, the women who accused him of the robbery. His lawyer, Alvin Moore, argued that Miranda was mentally ill, hoping to gain his client freedom. Two doctors examined Miranda and conclude that he was not mentally ill. They said, â€Å"Miranda was aware of the nature and quality of his acts and he was aware that what he did was wrong. Miranda’s mentally ill claim was dropped. During the trial on June 19th, Carroll Cooley, the officer who questioned Miranda had admitted that he did not tell Miranda that he was allowed an attorney at the time, and that anything he said could be used against him in court. Alvin Moore believed the confession’s of Miranda were not voluntary and that the confessions should be dismissed. The judge disagreed, and found Miranda guilty on the robbery charges. They next day, on June 20,1963, was Miranda’s kidnapping and rape trail. Once again Alvin Moore asked for the confessions to be dismissed as evidence because it was a violation of Miranda’s constitutional rights, to be questioned without the knowledge of being granted an attorney and for him to know his rights. The judge told the jury that they could decide if the confessions were voluntary or not, because of the signed confession they decided it was. Based largely on his confessions during the police questioning, Miranda was sentenced to twenty to thirty years in jail. In August 1963, Moore went for an appeal. He felt the decision was unfair and did not follow the proper rules of the law and constitution. He believed Miranda’s constitutional rights were denied. He filed an appeal with the appellate court, the Arizona Supreme court. The supreme court or appellate court is there to search for any discrepancies in the trail that many have violated the proper procedures, they do not look at the criminal case itself. If the appellate court found that Miranda’s confession was involuntary then the conviction would be overturned. The Arizona Supreme Court, upheld the first decision of the criminal court where Miranda remained behind bars. At the same time, in Washington D. C. supreme court, there was a pending case of Danny Escobedo, one similar to that of the case of Miranda’s, which would influence Miranda’s case. Escobedo was accused of murdering his brother in law. Police brought him in for questioning, when Escobedo asked for a lawyer he was denied by the officer. After hours of questioning, Escobedo finally admitted in the plotting of the murder, he did not pull the trigger though. Escobedo was convicted of murder. Escobedo’s lawyer argued that his confession was not voluntary and he was denied a lawyer. Just six weeks before, the Supreme Courts had decided Massiah V. United States, another similar case, in which the courts ruled for the first time, that the Sixth Amendment right gave the defendant the right to a â€Å"counsel† once the individual has been charge. This decision was used in Escobedo’s trial where his conviction was reversed because his confession was dismissed. The decision made in the Escobedo V. Illinois (1964) , one year after the Miranda’s trial in the Arizona Supreme Court, helped Miranda resurfaced his trial. In 1996, in Arizona prison, Miranda sent a petition to the U. S. Supreme Court. His case was accepted because it raised issues in a person’s constitutional rights. The Supreme Court had to revisit many issues and used Miranda’s second appeal as a starting point. John Flynn, a highly regarded defense lawyer took over the appeal case. He claimed that the police had violated Miranda’s Fifth Amendment right to protection against self-incrimination. The Bill of rights states that, â€Å"No person†¦shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself. This violation accrued during the police interrogation. They did not inform Miranda of his rights to remain silent, or to request for an attorney, which would protect him from self-incrimination. Arizona state lawyers argued that Miranda could have asked for an attorney anytime during the interrogation, but he did not do so. Flynn argued that since the police already violated his Fifth amendment right, of informing Miranda of self-incrimination, then caused them to violate Miranda’s Sixth amendment of a right to a lawyer. It states that, â€Å"In all criminal prosecutions†¦have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense. † The U. S. Supreme Court agreed with John Flynn and reversed Miranda’s conviction. Chief Justice Earl Warren said that Miranda raise issues that, â€Å"go to the root of our concepts of America Criminal jurisprudence: the restrains society must observe consistent with the Federal Constitution in prosecuting individuals for crimes†¦the necessity for procedures which assure that the individual is accorded his privilege under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution not to be compelled to incriminate himself. He finds it necessary for all to follow procedures and laws that the Amendments lay out for American citizens. Miranda was re-tried after his conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court. In his second trial, his confession was not presented. However, he was still convicted of kidnapping and rape based on other evidence. He served eleven years in prison and was paroled in 1972. After his release from prison, he made money by selling â€Å"Miranda rights† cards with his signature on them. In 1976, at the age of 34, he was stabbed to death in a bar fight. Ironically, the man suspected of killing him exercised his Miranda rights and refused to talk to police. He was released and never charged with Miranda's murder. Following the trial Chief Warren clarified rules for police to follow in future cases. It is a now popular line known to be cited by officers during questioning. The statement goes, â€Å"you have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Do you understand? † The officer must receive a verbal or written agreement that the suspect understands his right to remain silent. The officer is then says â€Å"Anything you do say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Do you understand? † Once again, the officer must have a verbal or written acknowledgement of their right. The next statement continues, â€Å"You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future. Do you understand? † That statement is followed by â€Å"If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish. Do you understand? If you decide to answer questions now without an attorney present you will still have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorney. Do you understand? † The last Miranda right specifically asks â€Å"Knowing and understanding your rights as I have explained them to you, are you willing to answer my questions without an attorney present? † The Supreme Court then said that the â€Å"process of interrogation is intimidating by its very nature, and that a suspect must be read his or her rights to counteract this intimidation. A suspect needs to be read their rights before he is to be interrogated and an officer may arrest a suspect without reading the Miranda rights as long as the police does not question or interrogate the suspect in any way. Police initially opposed Miranda rights, but it soon became universally recognized. The â€Å"Miranda Rights† was a major mile stone in U. S. history. It has further strengthened the American citizen’s constitutional rights. The Miranda rule protects suspects from abusive tactics during interrogations by guaranteeing that defendants know their legal rights. It also restructured the legal system by having law enforcement remind suspects of their rights. Without the Miranda laws, courts would have to evaluate each arrest in order to make sure that all legal procedures were followed. Reading a suspect's rights protects both the law officer and the suspect from wrongful prosecution, but it has also cause many issues for the law enforcement agencies. With the Miranda rights in place, law enforcement procedures are more complicated. People now know their rights to remain silent and many suspects exercise their right. They wait for a lawyer, resulting in fewer voluntary confessions, prosecutions, convictions and crimes solved. The Miranda rights also cause millions of dollars in lawyer fees and court fees for both the state and the prosecutors. For the past 40 years American citizens have recognized the Miranda rights as a popular line in most police television drama, but it has much deeper significance. It has not just changed the procedures of an arrest and interrogation, but also has revolutionized the civil liberties of being an American citizen. Miranda v. Arizona is the one of the most important case to the development of human rights.

How Are Women Represented in British Sitcom Peepshow

How are women represented in the British Sitcom PeepShow Introduction I have looked at how women are represented in Peep Show, a British Situation Comedy based around two very different friends that share a flat in London. The majority of situations they get into involve their attempts to seduce or gain affection from the women they either love or have a fleeting obsession with. The reason I decided to analyse Peep Show is because its two main characters are so contrasting in ethics, morals, life style choices and attitudes towards women that it allows for an interesting look into how women are represented.I also feel that women in comedy on a whole are underrepresented. Literature review The literary resources I will be drawing upon include and article by Jack Glascock from the Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media(2001). In which he looks at gender roles on primetime television and focuses on the shift in representation from the seventies gender roles on primetime television . The article is both theoretical and statistical and provides an interesting overview of gender on screen. I will also be looking at the work of Brett Mills.I will look at two of his works one is a journal article in the Oxford Journal Screen. Also looking at his book, The Sitcom. Brett Mills is an expert in the sit com arena, with several journals and books on similar subjects, he offers a contemporary look at British sitcom, including Peep Show. Methodology I had several issues when approaching the method of my research. The first issue was that in order to do a focus group, I would have to pick specific episodes to show people. By choosing a specific episode, I would by default be cherry picking the content and with that content cherry picking the ideology of the episode.I therefore decided to pick an episode at random, so I could try to eradicate the possibility of me picking an episode that would reinforce my own opinions. The episode â€Å"The Local Zero† was then sho wn to two male and one female. These three participants had never seen an episode of Peep Show before, they there for were briefed on the general narrative: i. e that Mark and Jeremy are friends that live together in a flat. I also did not tell them specifically what I was trying to find out; I then asked them a series of questions.Not all specific to gender, however the majority were pin pointed towards gender. The focus group gave me an unbiased first account of what people thought if they were to just turn on the television for the first time and see an episode of Peep Show. Would they think that the show they had just watched represented women positively or negatively? They would have no bias or favouritism towards the characters. So it was a raw first thoughts approach, that was both useful and a hindrance. I balanced this out with a general textual analysis of the series. AnalysisAs I mentioned in my methodology the focus group consisted of people that had not seen Peep Show p reviously. I showed them an episode in which Jeremy is troubled by his girlfriend’s new found wish for abstinence and Mark is still trying to win the heart of Sophie, the woman he works with, by fighting off the competition. The two female characters we are then presented with are Sophie and Nancy. Nancy is an American Christian who wants Jeremy to break sexual taboos after being criticised by Mark for not following her religion; she decides abstinence to be the last sexual taboo.When I asked the focus group who the least likeable character was they all eventually agreed on Nancy, when asked why a participant stated she was â€Å"just annoying† a statement again that was agreed on. In the episode she comes across as a bit stupid. In response to her abstinence Jeremy pretends that he is fine with it, although in Peep Show you can hear the thoughts of Mark and Jeremy. One of the participants noted when how positive the interaction between men and women was, one participa nt said â€Å"not very as they think one thing and tell the women another. It is the deceitful attitude towards women they use in order to gain either affection or sex. In Jeremy’s case he lies about being religious in order to continue to have sex. However Jeremy was not the least likeable character even though he lied to his girlfriend. I asked the question whether they felt the interests and attitudes of female characters reflected real interests and attitudes of real women, the response was undecided. Feminists of the 1970s were concerned about the narrow range of representations of women offered in the media and argued that these were often ‘negative’ stereotypes.So, for instance, much advertising was taken to task for restricting representations of women to only a few roles, primarily the wife and mother, the housewife and the sex object. This approach focused on the power of ideology as a force and a mechanism. (Fisk, 1987) Although Peep Show is a contemp orary text, we have to wonder whether there is that diverse roles with the characters within. Nancy can be seen as the sex object, although throughout the series there are many similar characters that Jeremy has fleeting relationships with.Sophie (Marks love interest) in later episodes becomes the â€Å"nagging wife† as he decides he doesn’t want to marry her and doesn’t want her child. There are very few female characters in Peep Show that seem to break theses boundaries. Gender issues have been of concern within the study of television. These concerns have primarily taken two forms. First, there has been the question of representation, which initially focused on how television stereotyped, under-represented or misrepresented women.As a extremely popular show I felt it was important to analyse how women were represented, especially in comedy as a whole, the lack of strong female characters in comedy is apparent not only on television and in film, but also on th e stage although it in improving. If you look at Space (c4,1999) the representation is balanced, the formatting is the same in that two friends share a flat but one is female and one is male, the minor characters are also more balanced and interestingly the writing was done by both Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevens something I will touch upon later.In later series Mark befriends a colleague called Dobby. Nick naked so because of her likeness to the â€Å"house elf† from Harry Potter. A nickname that does not associate with beauty or power but that of an elf and a male elf. Dobby is the tom boy character, she is not referred to as attractive, is into typically male orientated activities such as computer games , Mark begins to like her because she makes references to things that he would also make reference to. She is like him and he is amazed that a woman knows about or is interested in the same things as him.So it would be interesting to note that while she is a character that M ark relates to and befriends rather than obsesses over, she is considered strange looking. This can be seen throughout films and television, the idea of desexualised women because she gains male characteristics. The representation of women in Peep show can be assessed in two ways, by looking literally at the roles of female characters and by looking at the attitudes and relationships men have with women and vice-versa.Peep Show’s two main characters are male; the female characters are not necessarily permanent, although Sophie is in it from the beginning. The other female characters tend to come in depending on the episode. Female representation in the media and in television in particular, may correspond to inequities behind the scenes. (Glascock,2001 ) If as Glascocks findings show the direct correlation between women behind the scenes and women on screen could it be then that this explains the lack of female representation on screen, or the lack of solid and permanent fema le characters at least.By looking at the cast and crew information as listed on IMDB, all episodes have been written by men, all episodes have been produced by men , however it also states that it was a female that has directed a majority of the episodes. Interesting to note that as stated earlier Spaced ( c4, 1999) was co wrote by a female. The interaction between Mark, Jeremy and the female characters has two sides to it. You have Mark who is ultimately the â€Å"romantic† he obsesses with women down to minute details; he is the shy and awkward geek looking for the one. However you have Jeremy who is a hap hazard womaniser.Yet what makes them so likeable is their foolish nature. While the progression of female characterizations on television has been noted, the pendulum may have swung the other way for male depictions. Frequently criticized have been made-for-television movies featuring males as abusive psychopaths (Kloer, 1996; Stein, 1994; Zurawik, 1996) and situation com edies in which â€Å"guys run the gamut from insufferable to useless† (Glascock,2001) Due to Peep Shows popularity it could be said that the characters are not â€Å"insufferable† however because they never fail to make tremendous mistakes, it could be said that they are â€Å"useless†.This contrast with the useless, clumsy and likeable Mark and Jeremy, and the uptight relatively rigid female characters creates an overall impression of forgettable female characters. In some respects the women in Peep Show act as mother figures and Mark and Jeremy act as the child, the relationships are there for usually relationships that don’t last because they are told off or make a mistake and the women are then completely repelled by them.In order to see what extent the female characters in Peep Show can be deemed stereotypical I first looked at the definition of stereotype : A process involving the expression of an exaggerated belief about a group that serves to qual ify of justify the conduct towards that group of those who hold and express that belief (Long and Wall, 2009) Using this definition I applied it to the female character â€Å"Nancy† in the episode I showed focus group. Starting with Nancy, the beautiful blonde, does she fit the dumb blonde stereotype? I would say yes, in the program she says â€Å"God wanted us to have fun that’s why he invented pills†¦ in a genuinely serious voice. Is this an â€Å"exaggerated belief†? I would propose that very few religious people would actually claim that God condones drug taking. Sitcoms; the genre criticised for its simplistic use of stereotypes, outmoded representations and an apparent failure to engage with social or political development (Mills, 2004) Yet I wouldn’t say the character are stereotypical men. They are very self-aware, self-depreciating, they also make frequent remarks about there in lack of strength, lack of manliness. In the episode shown to t he focus group, Mark says â€Å" ‘Mate’†¦ he universal word for befriending taxi drivers, and bouncers† as he tries to fit in with some security guards. He has a sort of inferiority complex and yet acknowledges at the same time that he is middle class. Perhaps then he fits the stereotype of the middle class man, Jeremy often attacks him for his love of typically â€Å"middle class food† such as olives and humus. Yet they share a flat together and don’t really have much money. Additionally Peep Show has been noted for its naturalistic style, it is set in a point of view narrative, where we are positioned as different characters at different times.Bret Mills further explore Peep Show in his book The Sitcom. In which he suggests: Peep Show is better placed in the realist/naturalist category than as a comedy of distinction, because of its gloomy colours for its downplayed performances suggests a kind of naturalism. If we see Peep Show as a realist text then we are to assume to sort of ideology that must also closely reflect the real world. As Mark says in the episode where he marries Sophie â€Å" this has to be a dream, nothing this bad happens in real life. † He reinforces the realist feel of the comedy. Representations give substance to ideology.Textual analysis reveals ideology in action. The femme fatale is about gender and power. It is about the male fear of being; unmanned; by the sexual power of the woman, a fear of losing control. (Burton,2004) If Peep Show is a realist view, the ideology within it by default must also be deemed a natural point of view. Although they are exaggerations of characters like them, there interaction with the world are deemed quite natural and realistic. As Burton quotes â€Å"that representation gives substance to ideology† how we represent certain groups of society gives force to ideology.Because of Peep Shows critic of society I would say that it did not promote dominant id eology. I would however say it was negotiated; it promoted new and forward thinking ways, yet with regards to women, it does not promote anything other than dominant ideology. It remains true that in critical studies the concepts of difference and of otherness are often used to emphasize the negative: sameness and difference are marked both symbolically through representational systems, and socially through the inclusion or exclusion of certain groups of people Conclusion.To conclude, I feel that Peep Show does not necessarily represent women in a bad way, it rather under represents them. What is shown in a derogatory light is the relationships between men and women, the women are often sexualised. Whilst the research I have done has proved useful it has not necessarily helped me to come to a solid conclusion. Bibliogrpahy Books 1. CALVERT, Ben; Lewis, Justin; French, Liam; Casey, Bernadette; Casey, Neil. (2007). Television Studies: The Key Concepts. Taylor & Francis. 2. BURTON. (20 04). Media And Society: Critical Perspectives.Open University Press. 3. FISKE, J. (1987): Television Culture. London: Routledge 4. MILLS, B. (2009). The sitcom. Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press. 5. LONG, P. , & WALL, T. (2009). Media studies: texts, production, and contexts. Harlow [u. a. ], Pearson Longman. . Journals. 6. GLASCOCK,J 2001, ‘Gender Roles on Prime Time TV’, Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, Fall 2001. 7. MILLS, B 2004, ‘Comedy Virite’ Oxford Journal Screen, Vol 45, no 1, Pp 63-78 Websites 8. Wikipedia, List of Peep Show episodes, http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/List_of_Peep_Show_episodes (as of May 22, 2011, 16:05 GMT). 9. International Movie Database, Full Cast and Crew, Peep Show, http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0387764/fullcreditscast (as of May 22, 2011, 16;06 GMT). Television Programs PeepShow, September 2003-, video, Channel Four, United Kingdom Spaced, 1999-2001, Video, Channel Four, United Kingdom Appendices. Focus Group Transcript. Peep Show Episode â€Å"Local Zero† What kind of relationships do you think are explored in Peep Show? Participant A: Friendship. Participant C: Sexual, love.How positive is the interaction between men and women? Participant B:They were all being fake to one another they were thinking one thing and saying something else†¦ made up. Which character including minor characters would you say was the most like able? All: Mark. Lest Likeable? Participant A: The homeless man†¦ he didn’t do anything [laughs] Participant B :No I would say the girl†¦ the American girl.. Participant C: Yeah she doesn’t do anything. Yeah even Sophie doesn’t. Partcipant A: Actually yeah, Nancy. Would you say peep show was a realistic portrayal of men’s attitudes towards women.Partipant B: I think so†¦ Participant A: I would say some not most Participant c: Yeah but guys think that even if you say no that really you would like them its just a matte r of time, What social class would you place Jeremy? Participant C: What are the classes? Participant B: I would say lower class he doesn’t work Participant A:No i would say he is middle. Particpant B :He would be middle but lazy. Participant C: Yeah manybe. What are the main concerns of Mark of Jeremy? Particpant C: Women [laughs] Particpant B: Yeah sex.Participant A: I agree Just sex, women. Do you think the characters Mark and Jeremy have a respectable attitude towards women? Participant C: Yeha maybe Mark, not the other one. Jeremy he just lied. Participant A:Yeah I agree Mark maybe but not Jeremy. Would you say that the female characters attitudes and interests reflect real women’s attitudes and interests? Participant C: It is hard to say, they were extremes. Participants B: Yeah, It is not really clear what they think. Participant A: You don’t hear their thoughts so you don’t get any idea about them.