Barbarian to Humanist

Kimberly Kurata HI 30 Barbarian to Humanist Francois Rabelais wrote, Gargantua in the 16th century as a satirical short story depicting a giant named Gargantua and his transition from his barbaric ways to civilized humanistic way of living. The story takes place during the time of transition from the Medieval Era to the Renaissance. It went from a time of scholasticism and monasticism to a time of humanism and secularism. The Renaissance gave the modern world secularism, humanism and individualism.Throughout the story we see Gargantua evolve into a respectable and honorable man and Frere Jean as a monk who defies all previous views of who and what a monk is. The story of Gargantua illustrates the transition from scholasticism to humanism and in a satirical account through the lives of Gargantua and Frere Jean’s. Humanism can be defined as the cultural intellectual way of thinking that focuses on human beings exposing themselves to their own potential.This way of thinking emerg ed during the time of the Renaissance. It was the new movement to broaden an individual's narrow seeking mind. Scholasticism was the scholarship that went on in monasteries where the tradition was the study and focus on only theological issues. Before humanism rose, scholasticism was the only type of higher education. Scholasticism consisted of memorizing texts and focusing on obscure questions. Humanists criticized and completely rejected this form of living.The humanist’s core value can be summond up in one description by Leonardo DaVinci, â€Å"Luomo Universale†,the universal man is interested in everything, not one thing. Gargantua’s early life can be described as a medieval type of living. He was birthed, â€Å"As a result of that mishap, the cotyledonary veins of the womb were released from above and the child sprang through the midriff (which is situated above the shoulders where the aforesaid vena divides into two) took the left path and emerged through her left ear. [1] The way Gargantua was birthed is a metaphor to the type of world he was being born into. The old way of living was based around the Greek way of thinking. Gargantua’s birth can be paralleled to the classical reference of the birth of many Greek gods. While growing up, Gargantua was shown as a child with barbaric tendencies. His inappropriate ways and signs of pure immaturity can be exemplified when he would, â€Å"drink out of his slippers, regularly scratch his belly on wicker work baskets, cut his teeth on his clogs†¦ et off fat farts†¦ shovel the soil back into the ditch†¦ †. [2] In Gargantua’s young mind, one of his greatest achievements was figuring out the best object to wipe his bum with; stupidity, was at an all time high. Gargantua’s ways prove the simplicity and barbarism of his character. One of the main sources of Gargantua’s lack of knowledge at a young age sprouted from his first tutor, Magister Thuba l Holofernes whose intelligence, or lack of intelligence, focused around the Scholaticism movement. He taught Gargantua his ABC so well that he could recite it by heart backwards. He spent five years and three months over that. †[3] The chief concern of of the Scholastics such as Holofernes, was not to learn new facts but to it integrate the knowledge already acquired by the Greeks. This example is also connected to monasticism because Rabelais is poking fun at the fact that the monks would sit in solitude for years and just memorize the Bible’s text, a tradition that humanists completely rejected.These traditional doctrines and way of living were useless and repetitive. This skill – reciting the alphabet backwards – was a satirical swipe at scholasticism's knowledge for knowledge’s sake. Finally Gargantua’s father, Grandgousier, came to realize the lack of knowledge his son had when a young page named Eudemon embarrassed Gargantua, who was à ¢â‚¬Å"an ideal Renaissance youth, clean, healthy, skilled in Latin and at elegant speaking, but his rhetoric is more eloquent than truthful in his praise of the young giant. [4] After the young page praised Gargantua so beautifully, Gargantua’s, â€Å"behavior was merely to a blubber like a cow and hide his face in his bonnet. †[5] With that, the decision was made that Gargantua would go to France and learn the new ways of classicism. This signified not only the transition of Gargantua from medieval and scholastic ways, but all of Europe’s transition to ways of humanism. Once in Paris, Gargantua made drastic improvements in education with his new tutor Ponocrates. At first, Ponocrates decided to observe Gargantua and the activities he partook in on a normal day.Seeing Gargantua’s daily routine and how useless his old education had made him, Ponocrates realized he had no time to spare with Gargantua’s narrow-scholastic mind. Ponacrates way of teachi ng could be seen as the way he disciplined Gargantua’s mind. He made Gargantua clear his mind of anything he learned from previous tutors, and fill it with the new humanistic subjects of learning. To start off, Gargantua was awoke every morning around four am, â€Å"While he was being rubbed down, a passage of the Holy Scripture was read out to him, loud and clear†¦Gargantua would often devote himself to revering, worshipping, supplicating and adoring God in his goodness, whose majesty and marvelous judgements were revealed by the reading. †[6] This shows one of the major components of humanism, the balance between religious and secular views. Humanism was indeed against most religious traditions but it was not against God and the belief in God. Humanism was focused on the human being reaching his or her full potential in all aspects of life. Focusing on one skill or talent was cutting an individual short; being well-rounded was glorified and stressed with humanis ts.Striving to become his or her best whether it was the simple task of getting dressed in the morning. â€Å"[Gargantua] was dressed, combed, brushed, perfumed and made elegant, during which time yesterday’s lessons were gone over with him. He would recite them by heart and base on them some practical matters concerning our human condition; they might extend it to some two or three hours but normally stopped once he was fully dressed. † [7] The distinction between the two educations in Gargantua’s case are clear.Gargantua accomplished more in the first three hours of waking up in this new humanistic way of living, than he did in probably a week or two with scholasticism. Gargantua mastered subjects such as arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music. â€Å"As regards to musical instruments, he learnt to play the lute, the spinet, the harp, both the traverse and the nine holed flutes, the viola and the sackbut. †[8] The arts were a huge part of the Renaissa nce, and being able to play all of those instruments is tangible evidence that his knowledge and intelligence is growing in more than one area.The second half of Gargantua’s story is brought back to his homeland. Gargantua travels back and meets a monk named Frere Jean. Frere Jean was not an ordinary monk. Monks during the Middle Ages were seen as spiritually minded men who withdrew themselves from society. Their life consisted of praying, religious exercise and works of charity. Monks were the center of scholasticism, being the only ones who could read and write. Some would isolate and withdraw themselves from society. They felt that society contained too much evil and sin to live in.Because of their isolation, when put in a situation where they needed to defend themselves, they ran away in fear. [9] Yet, when Frere Jean was put in a situation where he was captured by enemy guards and needed to escape, he faced the situation with bravery and, â€Å"struck the archer who was holding him on his right, entirely severing the sphagitid arteries in the neck – his jugular veins – together with the uvula down to the thyroid glands†¦ †[10] ———————– [1] Rabelais, Francois. â€Å"Gargantua. The Histories of Gargantua and Pantagruel. [Harmondsworth, Middlesex]: Penguin, 1955. 226. Print. [2] Rabelais, Francois. â€Å"Gargantua. † (243). [3] Rabelais, Francois. â€Å"Gargantua. † (251). [4] Rabelais, Francois. â€Å"Gargantua. † (252). [5] Rabelais, Francois. â€Å"Gargantua. † (254). [6] Rabelais, Francois. â€Å"Gargantua. † (279). [7] Rabelais, Francois. â€Å"Gargantua. † (279). [8] Rabelais, Francois. â€Å"Gargantua. † (281). [9] Rabelais, Francois. â€Å"Gargantua. † (293). [10] Rabelais, Francois. â€Å"Gargantua. † (339).

Dramatist Henrik Ibsen Essay

Henrik Johan Ibsen was a modern realistic dramatist. He is though of, by many authors and playwrights as the â€Å"father of modern drama†. Ibsen was considered a great national treasure by the Norwegians. Henrik Ibsen wrote many controversial plays which dealt with gender discrimination. The plays highlighted the struggles Victorian women went through to find respect and equality. Ibsen’s work gave insights into the barbarities that existed within the law and society of those times. Controversial writers like Ibsen intentionally or unintentionally forced women to rise up and reclaim their rights. His work was considered immoral and outrageous by many Europeans because it challenged their Victorian values. While other playwrights were writing moral dramas that consisted of a noble leading character fighting against evil, Ibsen challenged the same notion and came up with the opposite. He was born in Skien, a small Norwegian village, on March 20, 1828 to parents Knud Ibsen and Marichen Altenburg. When he was eight years old, he suffered drastic changes in his family circumstances. His father was a rich merchant and belonged to one of the elitist families of Norway. Unfortunately, the family went from prosperity to complete poverty. His mother hid her pain by becoming religious and his father became a depressive. This had a great effect on his later work. The protagonist of his many plays like his parents dealt with financial burdens and moral constraints. As a young man Ibsen was studious and non-athletic. He left home at the age of fifteen to be an apprentice pharmacist in the small town of Grimstad. He started writing plays in his free time. He had an illegitimate child with his maid in 1846 and never accepted this child into his life. He spent his free time preparing for his entrance into Christiania University. Bjornson became friends with Ibsen at the same university. However, he never passed the entrance test and had to continue his writing. He published his first play â€Å"Catilina† in 1850 when he was only 22. He published under the false name Brynjulf Bjarme but the play itself was never performed. The first play staged was the â€Å"The Burial Mound† in 1850. It left not much of an impact on the Norwegian audiences. Ibsen was still determined to be a sucessful playwright but had to discontinue his writing for a few years. Soon he went to Bergen; was hired at the Norwegian Theater and helped produce 145 plays. However, he refrained from publishing his own plays. Instead he worked on getting valuable practical experience at writing, directing and producing. In 1858 he returned to Christiania and started working at the Christiania’s National Theater. He married Suzannah Thoresen in 1858 and both had had their first child Sigurd. They lived through financial problems and Ibsen became bitter about life in Norway. He made a move to Italy in 1864 to better his financial conditions. He returned to Norway after 27 years. While living in Italy in 1865, he introduced his next play, â€Å"Brand†. The play brought Ibsen the much craved financial success and critical acclaim he needed. His next play â€Å"Peer Gynt† published in 1867 was just as sucessful. He became more and more confident about his work and incorporated his own views and judgements into the plays. He called his own work â€Å"drama of ideas†. The plays written after this time earned him power and influence and spurred controversy all across Europe. In this golden age he wrote many of his best plays. In 1868, Ibsen travelled to Dresden, Germany. He stayed in Germany and wrote the play Emperor and Galilean in 1873 about the Roman emperor Julian the Apostate. Although he thought this was his best work however others disagreed. The work that received the most international attention and critical acclaim was â€Å"A Doll’s House†. It was written in 1879 and criticised the traditional gender roles in Victorian Society. The play was about Nora a middle class Victorian woman, ruled by her husband and unaware of her state of unfulfillment. It was set in the late 1800’s during Christmas time in Norway. When Nora the protagonist was thrown into a dire situation she tried to protect her husband and family by committing forgery and dishonestly obtaining a loan. As a woman, she was completely oblivious to the legal consequences of her act. She believed her special status would protect her and her kids. The law on the other hand expected her to know better. At this moment she realized the hypocrisy of the system and tried to break away from her doll like shell. She suddenly wanted to live a life less frivolous. Soon, she gets a job and starts earning her own money. This new found freedom enthralled her. However, her relationship with her husband spirals downwards and sows the seed of doubt and self reflection. Nora, throughout the play never left the room of her apartment. This one room showed various shades of hypocrisy, discrimination, arrogance and dishonesty exhibited by society. It could be Ibsen’s way of showing a microscopic vision of the world. It showed the plight and suffering of every woman in every household all around the world. The fact that Nora does not leave the room throughout the play showed how she had been trapped in this Victorian Doll House. The original ending broke boundaries and spewed controversy in many European countries. The original ending showed Nora rebelling against her husband, her father and ultimately the patriarchal society. However, it caused too much shock and disagreement within the audiences and Ibsen was forced to change it. He later on lived to regret the change. Ibsen’s work showed the cruelty towards women in the Victorian Age. The law dictated that property; children and income should belong only to men. Divorce or Separation was shunned upon. Working women were frowned upon by society. The status of women was equivalent to the slaves, criminals or the insane. A woman had the role of reproducing children, keeping the house clean, and feeding the children while the husband worked. To conclude, this play had a great role in convincing men and women of the Victorian age that women should get equal pay for equal work; equal rights to enjoy an independent self sufficient life; rights to child custody and divorce; equal stature in legal matters; Equal access to knowledge. Nora, the leading lady made a great sacrifice when she left her husband and stopped being treating like a mere rag doll. She influenced many other women that they shouldn’t be treated like inanimate objects that are dispensable by the society. She taught them that they deserved respect, rights and esteem. After writing this phenomenal scathing criticism of Victorian Life, he wrote another play named Ghosts in 1881. The play was about a widow that revealed to a pastor about her life with a philandering husband. It was the first time any play had mentioned sexually transmitted diseases. In the play, the son contracted syphilis as a result of his father’s many affairs with women. The widow’s morality could not save her from hidden evils. The play relayed to the public that sometimes fulfilling duties rather than desires can still cause trouble. In 1882, the play â€Å"An Enemy of the People† continued to be controversial. Ibsen challenged the notion that the society or community was an ethical institition. This was a chasticism of both liberals and the ring wingers. The plot was about a doctor revered by the community. However, when he tries to save the community he is called the ‘enemy of the people’. Eventually the community ostracized him. Arthur Miller, an American playwright inspired by this play adapted it corresponding to Trumanism in America. Films were made based on this play in Bangladesh and America. The next play called The Wild Duck attacked the beliefs of reformers and their idealistic ideologies. The play was published in 1884 and proved to be Ibsen’s best and the most complex work to date. The plot was strewn around a young man named Gregers Werle who after a long exile reunites with his childhood pal Hjalmar Ekdal. Werle soon finds out the secrets behind Ekdal and his picture perfect family. Ekdal’s father had impreganted a servant girl named Gina. He quickly married her to his son to legetimize the child. When Greger’s convinces Ekdal that Hedvig is not his child he disavows her. Hedvig to prove her love for her father kills herself in a climatic end. At the end of his career he stopped denouncing Victorian morality but moved onto introspective dramas that dealt with interpersonal confrontations. Both plays â€Å"Hedda Gabler† written in 1890 and â€Å"The Master Builder† written in 1892 had female leading characters whose energies benefitted and destructed those around them. The personalities of Hedda Gabbler and Nora from The Doll House were quite similar. Ibsen completely revolutionized drama and inspired playwrights like Chekhov and many others. His plays were never written purely for entertainment value but to force a change within society. When he returned in 1891 to Norway, modernism had risen and replaced the dated Victorian ideals. Ibsen’s work was completed and he died on May 23, 1906 in Christiania. A hundred years after his death, Norwegian authorities named 2006 as the â€Å"Ibsen year† to commemerate his wonderful work. WORKS CITED: †¢ â€Å"Henrik Ibsen. † Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 20 Apr 2007, 20:04 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 27 Apr 2007 †¢ Bellinger, Martha Fletcher. â€Å"A Short History of Drama†. 1927. pp. 317-22. New York: Henry Holt & Company. 27 April 2007. http://www. theatredatabase. com/19th_century/henrik_ibsen_001. html †¢ â€Å"Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906)†. Pegasos. 2002. 27 Apr 2007. http://www. kirjasto. sci. fi/ibsen. htm

Microeconomics and property market Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Microeconomics and property market - Term Paper Example In ancient days however, when trade and commerce were still at their primitive stage, market competition was nearly absent and people distinguished the quality of goods according to the craftsmanship of the artisans. Property in those days mainly indicated physical commodities or tangible assets. But with the progress of civilization and the storm of globalisation sweeping over almost every nook and corner of the world, many transformations started taking place simultaneously. These transformations resulted to a renaissance of the social relations and some stringency in the rights of the people, including that of their ownership rights. So, property got a new definition as well. With greater and greater competition seeping into the eventually liberating market structure, people started ruminating way-outs to protect their respective domains in order to stick back in the market competition. That was when the concept of intangible assets got introduced. Intangible assets imply those th at do not have a physical existence but which can be legally owned by an entity. Hence today, the term ‘property’ actually implies tangible as well as intangible assets. The present paper deals with the short-run equilibrium or the market clearing conditions in the property market today. In economic terms, short-run is the span when one or more factors are fixed, so that people have to operate in a more constrained framework. The present study aims to clarify how equilibrium is attained in the short run in the property market and how even a slight external disturbance is capable of shaking its very roots. Broadly speaking, property comprises of two kinds of assets – tangible and intangible. However, a further dissection reveals that there are four main categories of the same, namely - stock of houses (for business or residential purpose), financial assets, developmental assets and

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Poetry analysis - Essay Example ot return his affections, the early death of his mother and the death of a second person close to him leading to the development of â€Å"A Shropshire Lad†, â€Å"a collection of sixty-three poems addressing the themes of unrequited love, the oblivion of death, and idealized military life† that carefully navigated around any issues of homosexuality. In addition, he is surprisingly consistent in his writing, showing nearly identical themes, forms and language usage in â€Å"Last Poems† as were used in â€Å"A Shropshire Lad.† However, his â€Å"open investigations of the mysteries of death and the dual nature of humankind have earned him acknowledgment as a precursor to the development of modern poetry† (â€Å"A.E. Housman†, 2006). These attitudes about death can be most understood as they are expressed in the poems â€Å"To An Athlete Dying Young,† â€Å"When I Was One and Twenty,† â€Å"With Rue My Heart is Laden† and â €Å"Is My Team Ploughing?† In â€Å"To An Athlete Dying Young†, Housman demonstrates a sensitive honor for the man who dies in his prime, invoking a powerful sense of regretful comprehension regarding the wisdom of dying young. He begins the poem with a nostalgic look back at the happy crowd carrying the star athlete around on a chair, everyone celebrating and having a good time. This nostalgia is established by the wistful â€Å"The time you won† (1) that immediately invokes a fog of memory around the edges of the scene described. The hero’s way is carefully invoked in the lines â€Å"Man and boy stood cheering by, / And home we brought you shoulder-high† (3-4) to be carefully juxtaposed against the same phrase in the second stanza: â€Å"Shoulder-high we bring you home, / And set you at your threshold down† (6-7). With only this slight change in language, Housman makes it clear that this is no longer a cheering crowd, they are not celebrating and, by distinguishing his fri end as â€Å"Townsman of a stiller town† (8), he makes it obvious that this is a

Critical Path Essential in Project Planning Assignment

Critical Path Essential in Project Planning - Assignment Example quence of choice is very important and starting with those problems in the critical path helps reduce any delays since the critical path dictates the total project duration. The author also argues that dealing with problems in the critical path is logical since tasks tackled later only have at their disposal the resources left by tasks undertaken before them. Hence, there is need to prioritize the problems in the critical path to avoid resource deficiencies for critical tasks. Since Task B is an integral part of the critical path in the PERT chart, it takes the first priority over the C and D which are not part of the critical path. Problems in task B will cause undesirable slack times and delays in the critical path which in turn lengthens the total project time and attracts penalties. Besides the fines and penalties, longer projects usually result in more costs and thus, efforts have to be placed on correcting problems in the critical path to avoid budget strains. As already stated earlier, the critical path has limited flexibility and thus problems in the tasks involved should receive the first priority. Tasks not in the critical path are mostly flexible; hence, C and D can be corrected later without any significant impacts on the total project time and costs. The remaining problems in tasks C and D can be prioritized based on the project scheduling analysis. Here, the hierarchy of tasks in terms of which task is dependent on the other for the project to proceed according to plans will be used. Hence, the priority in solving problems in tasks C and D will be given to the task that should come prior to the other in the project schedule. According to Lester (2007), the project schedule entails time analysis and logical hierarchy, where the project management team determines which tasks require to be completed before other tasks. It consists of establishing interdependencies, time analysis and identifying the key performance indicators for the given project.

Policy Paper Middle East Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Policy Middle East - Term Paper Example The mere fact that Syria is facing a civil war constitutes the problem statement, and other associated factors in form of internal and external elements of the overall scenario of Syria. The paper looks at the current standing of civil war in Syria, the historic perspective and the elements that contributed towards it and the future outlook of the country. Syria at present is in the grip of civil war. Further intentions and objectives include getting an understanding and familiarity of the dynamics of the Syrian territory, politics, society, demographics and other associated factors. Assessment in terms of the foreign states and their influence is also part of the study . The topic also provides an overview of the current problem faced by Syria in terms of the ongoing internal civil war. Key words: Civil War, Shiite community. One party state, chemical weapons. Background: Syria is situated in the south western part of Asia and is important on multiple accounts. One of these accounts is the neighborhood and demographic importance. Syria has its borders with Turkey, Israel and Lebanon. Hence the mere geography of Syria speaks of its strategic importance and mere turbulence in Syria would lead to the disturbance of balance in the entire region. Population of Syria makes up for around 22 million citizens and Syria is a multi cultural society that is relatively progressive in its outlook as compared to various other societies of the Middle East. Damascus is the capital city of the country and is centre to the business and political activities and from foreign viewpoint; it is center of attention as well. Syria is a Muslim populous country with over 85 percent of population constituting the Sunni Muslims while the remaining small percentage constitutes the Shiite community of Muslims. Apart from the largely represented population of Muslims there are traces of Christians and they have absolute freedom of worship and other elements of private life in the best manner possible. The form of government in Syria: The country has an uneven history of political affairs. The first unevenness came about in the 1960s when an elected government was toppled by the then Military leader Hafiz Al Asad. Hafiz Al Asad went on to rule the country for next three decades. His rule and reign came to an end around the 21st century and his rule was succeeded by his son Hafiz Al Asad. Since then, the political spectrum of country has been dominated and run by the family politics. The Alawati family is in the corridors of power since last four decades and the country has shaped up into a single party state. It is the small minority of the Shiite community that has been ruling over the majority Sunni community and as a result has created a vacuum and imbalance of the political activities(Billingsley, 2009, 151). The country does not enjoy true and transparent democracy, Bashar Al Asad has been elected to the seat of President ship on multiple instances. Syria once also remained as the part of Mandate system set forth by League of Nations and was given into the custody of France and later on gained its independence as an independent state afterwards. The country depicts number of features and elements that are characteristic of a despotic, tyrant and unelected leadership. The first challenge and vacuum is in form of the absence of any other political party. The

Analytical and synthetic cubism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analytical and synthetic cubism - Essay Example Cubism was founded by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, inspired by the artworks in African Sculpture, by painters Paul Cà ©zanne (French, 1839-1906) and Georges Seurat (French, 1859-1891), and by Fauves. Cubism was later divided into two branches, Analytical Cubism and Synthetic Cubism.Analytical Cubism is the first development phase of Cubism and was developed between 1908 and 1912. The Analytical phase consisted of analyzing the object and then breaking it down into basic geometric forms in the canvas.Synthetic Cubism, the second and more decorative phase of Cubism started after the Analytical phase in 1912. This phase was less complex than its predecessor phase.During Analytical Cubism the language of Cubism had become flatter, consistent, but also more ambiguous. In his portrait of Ambroise Vollard, Picasso fragmented a human figure into a number transparent geometric planes intersecting each other at a variety of angles, none of these planes giving the illusion of three dimens ionality.2 In this work, Picasso merged figure and environment, solid and void, background and foreground.â€Å"Synthetic Cubism was in part a reaction against the abstract tendency of the Analytical phase.†3 With his `Still Life with Chair Caning’ (1912, Musà ©e Picasso,Paris, France) Picasso invented a technique called collage (from the French word `coller’ meaning "to glue"). This started the second phase of Cubism known as Synthetic Cubism. Pasting pieces of paper or other material to the surface of painting is Collage. In his painting, Picasso used a piece of oilcloth. Soon both Picasso and Braque began using newspapers, wallpapers, advertising in their paintings implying that art can be created with anything and not just brushes and paint.2 During Analytical Cubism, the works produced by Picasso and Braque shared similarities in style since the objects were represented by geometric forms such as cylinder, sphere and cone. Whereas Synthetic Cubism was more like synthesizing several objects into a figure. The colors were minimum or almost non-existent in Analytical Cubism paintings. Many of the painting were entirely muted brown or grays. The main reason for this was that the two artists were concerned about geometric shapes. Synthetic Cubism on the other hand is more of a decorative phase of Cubism. Colors were reintroduced in synthetic cubism. For the decorative effort, bright colors were used, smooth and rough surfaces were contrasted with one another. Sometimes objects such as newspapers or tobacco wrappers were used in combination with painted areas.4 Abstraction was one of the main characteristics of Analytical Cubism. There was minimal resemblance with the real world as can be seen in the paintings 'Ma Jolie' (1911) by Picasso and 'The Portuguese' (1911) by Braque. The subject matter appeared to be structure of fragmented planes. In Synthetic Cubism both artists included stenciled letters, words (often pun) as a reaction against abstraction of Analytical Cubism.3 Right angles and straight-lines were mostly used in Analytical Cubism. Paintings were almost flat though sometimes in some areas the painting appeared sculptural, for instance in the painting Girl with a Mandoline' (1910), by Picasso. The synthetic phase of Cubism affirmed Cubism as a manipulative technique which plays games with both reality and perception, through the use of collage and letter stenciling. It also helped in accentuating its flatness. Picasso began to look at sculptures in a new way, due to his experience with collage, as an assemblage of parts rather than a shaped mass, which shows in the sculptures he made in 1912, riffs on the form of the guitar. Cubism as Modern Movement: Cubism is considered to be the most influential modern movement by many art critics. The reason being that Cubism gave a new meaning to looking at objects in a significantly different way from the one set during the Renaissance

Critical Assessment of a published qualitative research article Essay

Critical Assessment of a published qualitative research article - Essay Example The realities in Morgan’s stories are uncommon because what he writes is also common for students who have little or no English background with the English language. The only difference is the style through, which they approach their realities. In the case study, it is clear that the teachers are in denial to accept the validity of the student’s realities and experiences and existence of previous learning experiences, whether home based or school based. To understand the concept of the teacher’s refusal to accept the student’s reality, the author explores the English learning experience of two Bangladeshi children who attend mainstream English lessons. The study was conducted at an inner city school because it was public and had multicultural policy settings. The first study indicated that the teachers’ approach to Abdul made him weak, in that, instead of bilingualism being beneficial to him; it became a challenge because his teacher made it difficult to accept his realities. The first study was supported by the Cummins’ theory of Common Underlying Proficiency. The second study showed that the teacher can make the student learn better if they understand and accept their realities. â€Å" It was noticed that in subsequent work an= number of changes occurred to the student’s writing† (Hammersley & Woods, 2014, 187). In the case of Mashud, he learnt bilingualism fast, because his teacher was willing to accept his reality and help him correct grammar and make the relevant changes in his composition. The study concludes with the reflections of Ms. Montgomery, where it is seen that although she does not understand the cultural diversity of the student, it does not hinder her from dealing with the realities of his student. â€Å"These doubts led Ms Montgomery to think carefully on broad issues related to cultural reproduction† (Hammersley & Woods, 2014, 188). By so doing, she achieves to hasten a

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Promotional Analysis - Research Paper Example The area of the business is strategically located in order for its esteemed customers to access quickly. Because the store also has a high volume of individuals, it is situated in the center of the city and a very spacious locality. Due to greater demand for perfume across the world, the idea of note fragrance came into being. Moreover, the availability of materials as well as skilled labor required producing the product enhanced product generation, also there the high demand for quality and affordable fragrance perfumes boosted the business idea in its existence. Like any other business, the owners of note fragrance had an intention of making profit and employment generation to individuals around the world. In addition, strategic location of the company as well-advanced marketing strategies that are E-marketing among other online services boosted the Idea of generating the Note fragrance store. The business also requires little capital start as cheap and readily labor contributes in one way to another for the development of the fragrance shop. The idea of creating my perfumes emerges because passions and interest in perfumes. Apart from enjoying the beautiful scent of the perfume, I join the business for the sake of make profit and try to make ends meet. Due to readily available market for the product and sufficient infrastructure also boosts the need for one to invest heavily in the business. The product also does not only concentrate on particular individuals, but it cuts across to; young and old, men as well as women. Due to high demand and readily available market for the product, it will call for massive production that will increase the volumes of supplies hence meeting the customers demand at any given time across the world. Fragrance oil international limited is one of the major competitors, producing the same product as Note fragrance. In addition, luxury store also sells

Reflective Diary Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reflective Diary - Coursework Example These food places are called fast casual and have become a threat to fast food places and the traditional restaurants. The second key issue described in the article is how pubs, specifically those in London, are enjoying more visits from customers due to an adjusted family-friendly menu and dà ©cor. It seems that pubs have upped their food offerings and have started including food items for the entire family. Moreover, they have updated their interiors so as to be cozier and family-friendly. Because of these changes, adults have started bringing their kids along and pub owners are starting to get a new reputation as a family-oriented food establishment, other than a place where one can enjoy drinks with friends. Aside from these two significant issues, other key issues could be gathered from the article. First of these is the effect of fast casual food places on fast food joints. People still find fast food places convenient, especially those who want to grab something to eat because they are too busy to sit down and enjoy a meal. Second of these is the effect on traditional restaurants. People also like full service restaurants because the atmosphere is more conducive to having conversations over a warm and complete meal. Still, as the study has discovered, these same people would appreciate a place where the speediness in fast food joints and the comfortable ambiance of traditional restaurants can be enjoyed at the same time. This is why fast casual restaurants are now becoming popular among consumers. The other sub issue is the sudden popularity of pub and hotels because of the way they reinvented their service. Aside from changing the atmosphere in their establishments, pub owners have also started improving the food that they are offering to the customers. Instead of continuing to focus on adult customers, they have now expanded their service to also providing meals for

The Importance of Water Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Water Essay Water is one of the most important molecules necessary to life. humans, for example, are made up of 70% water. Osmosis is a form of intracellular transport which is important in maintaining a correct balance of ions and substances between the blood and the inside of cells, for example. If the oncentration of an ion is too high outside a cell, water will br pulled out of the cell by osmosis in order to increase the water potential and thus retore balance. This is the case in ORT (oral rehydration therapy) which is used to treat diarrhea ocurring due to cholera for example. The ORT packs ontain salt and electrolytes which are transported into the epithelial cells after ingestion and thus lower the water potential of the cell by causing water to be pulled into the epithelial cells from the gut lumen, thus stopping diarrhoea. Diarrhoea is caused by an too high water potential in the lumen of the gut, often due to a movement of water by osmosis. In the case of lactose intolerance, when lactose is ingested it will not be broken down and continues along the gut, thus causing water to be pulled out of the cells and liquefying the stools (diarrhoea). Water is important in thermoregulation. When the thermoreceptors perceive an increase in temperature, a signal is sent to the heat loss centre in the hypothalamus which starts the heat loss mechanism such as vasodilatation, lowering of body hair, and sweating or pantinh. Sweating allows to lose heat by evaporation off the skin, or mucous membranes in the case of panting. If there is not enough water in the body, sweating cannot take place and thus normal core temperature cannot be restored to normal value, which may cause overheating. Water is also the main molecule present in the cohesion-tension theory. Water is pulled up from the soil by osmosis from the root hairs of a plant, due to a lower water potential inside the root hair cell. Higher up, the plant is transpiring through its stomata (the rate of transpiration increases as temperature or wind increases) which pulls water out. There is an unbroken column of water from the stomata down the xylem of the plant, all the way down to the root hairs of the plant, so when water is pulled out of the stomata it is also pulled up from the root hairs of the plant up the xylem. The reason for this is the cohesion of the water moleules caused by hydrogen bonding between the molecules. There is also tension between the inside walls of the xylem and the water column this is why the diameter of a tree is larger at night due to a smaller rate of transpiration thus less tension. Water is also responsible for maintaining the shape and turgidity of plant cells by making the cell membrane push against the cell wall. If there is not enough water in the cell, it will be plasmolysed and flaccid.

Activity Based Costing (ABC) Case Study: Exxonmobil

Activity Based Costing (ABC) Case Study: Exxonmobil STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT This paper presents an assessment of the set up of an activity-based costing (ABC) for Exxon Mobil, a global oil company. The discussion in the paper is structured as follows: Setting up an activity-based costing for Exxon Mobil – This first section presents an overview of activity-based costing and focuses on how such a system could be set up for Exxon Mobil. Stages involved in designing ABC systems – The second section of the paper presents the stages involved in the set up of an activity-based costing system. Selection of cost drivers – An important factor in the set up of an activity-based costing system is the selection of the cost drivers. The third section of the paper discusses this. Calculation and Examples– The fourth section presents an example calculation for the activity-based costing for Exxon Mobil. Limitations of information from ABC systems – The fifth section of the paper presents the limitations and issues in the use of activity-based costing. Conclusion – Finally, the last section summarises the arguments presented in the paper and highlights the key points to conclude the paper. A.  SETTING UP AN ACTIVITY-BASED COSTING FOR EXXON MOBIL Activity-based costing is utilised to improve business processes through behavioural, business and accounting practices, and â€Å"focuses on costs associated with activities, but also evaluates whether those activities add value, thus providing a means of understanding how to most effectively reduce costs† (Maiga Jacobs, 2003). This paper discusses specific areas that will help ExxonMobil in setting up an activity-based costing system. It is possible to set this up for ExxonMobil to drive its performance but this will require two key principles in pursuing this approach: Commitment from senior management – Setting up the ABC system will require strong commitment from senior management as there may be challenges and questions raised by different stakeholders as this approach is pursued. Transparency in measures – In addition to commitment, setting up an ABC system will also require that the organisation be transparent in its financial and operating figures in order to achieve the most benefit from implementing such a system. B.  STAGES INVOLVED IN DESIGNING ABC SYSTEMS There are several key stages that organisations need to follow in designing ABC systems in organisations. The key stages in designing ABC systems are as follows (Allott, 2004): Determine scope and key activities performed – This stage involves the development of key objectives and activities for departments and the organisation. The challenge in this stage is to ensure that there aren’t too many activities that then render the analysis as inaccurate given the detail required. Apportion direct staff time and assess the organisations’ resources required –The management within the businesses then need to assess the resources required to work on the key activities defined in the first stage. This stage requires the evaluation of where employees spent their time, as this will be apportioned as part of the ABC system. Add other direct costs – Aside from the costs related to the staff and their time, other direct costs will also need to be included as part of the analysis and measurement. Allocate department and corporate overheads and identify the key outputs produced – The outputs for the activities determined in stage one should be defined. These outputs should be largely measurable though there could be some activities that won’t have directly measurable outputs. From this, departmental and corporate overheads can then be allocated. Split into value-adding and non-value adding activities and also assess activity-level drivers and cost-input drivers – The fourth stage is to assess the value-adding and non-value-adding activities, and also the factors that cause the activity to occur which includes both activity-level drivers and cost-input drivers. The activity-level drivers are related to the frequency of the occurrence of the activities while the cost-input drivers are related to the cost of performing the activities for the organisation. Cost drivers are particularly important in designing ABC systems and the next section discusses this concept further. Calculate unit cost – Once all the measurements and factors have been defined, it is then possible to calculate the unit cost for various output measures. This will then drive the next stage. Use findings to determine improvement opportunities – In designing and implementing an ABC system, there should be well define improvement opportunities that the organisations will target. This will be based on the findings that result from the analysis and are important, as this will drive the actions of the employees and the organisation. Thus, these improvement opportunities should be initiatives that are achievable and, at the same time, could impact the performance of the organisation significantly, if achieved. The stages defined above are the high-level key stages in designing and implementing an ABC system for organisations. C.  SELECTION OF COST DRIVERS As mentioned in the previous section on the stages of designing an ABC system, the identification of cost-input drivers is important in the proper implementation of the ABC system. This section discusses the selection of cost drivers in greater detail in the context of an ABC system. Cost drivers play an important role as the objective in identifying the cost drivers is to be able to determine how the organisations can manage and control the costs effectively and make beneficial changes to how these costs drive the organisation. The end goal then is to have lower costs for the firm and better operational and financial performance which could lead to strong competitive advantages for organisations versus the competitors in a sector. There are some principles that are important in the identification of the cost drivers for an ABC system. The selection of cost drivers is important for the following reasons: Drive performance of organisation – The ABC system can be used through the cost drivers to drive the performance of the organisation. Improve internal understanding – Having the right cost drivers selected for the ABC system will enhance the understanding of the employees of the value-adding activities and be able to focus on the activities that merit the most time. Address external concerns – Finally, some external stakeholders will need to be catered to in the selection of cost drivers. The next few paragraphs show how this is important. Aside from an internal assessment of the key cost drivers for an organisation, there are also factors that could come into play. For example, one of the factors driving the selection of cost drivers is external pressure on these cost drivers. Given the increasing focus on the environment in recent years, the pressure to control and manage the environmental costs especially in industries such as the oil sector has increased with investors concerned about potential liabilities that could impact the firm and the general public, including the government, concerned about the health consequences that may result from toxic emissions and materials (Lee, 2005). These environmental costs can be significant as seen from the following examples (Lee, 2005): W. R. Grace had charges totalling US$50 million in 1998 for environmental remediation Koch Petroleum Group spent significant amounts over the course of a few years for environmental impact and refinery pollution: circa US$7 million in 1998, circa US$$8 million in 1999, and circa US$2 million in 2000 NCH Corporation charged earnings in the amount of circa US$16 million in 2000 for environmental remediation Unocal provided provisions amounting to US$22 million in 2002 for environmental remediation and lowering earnings Overall for industries such as utilities, steel and metals, oil, paper, and chemicals, which deal with environmentally-sensitive areas, estimates place â€Å"environmental expenditures to be annual spending of over 1% of revenues† Thus, with the pressure externally to manage environmental costs, this has become a cost driver that firms such as Exxon Mobil need to include in an activity-based costing system. The key reasons for including this cost driver are as follows (Lee, 2005): Environmental issues continue to be increasingly focused on by the public and environmental groups globally Environmental decision-making is thus critical and information to be able to manage and control this factor needs to be collected by the relevant firms A proactive stance in managing environmental costs can be very beneficial for firms in these environmentally-sensitive areas particularly â€Å"in terms of risk reduction, prevention of liabilities, and the preservation of firm reputation† D.  CALCULATION AND EXAMPLE In implementing an ABC system in ExxonMobil, it is important to have an initial review of what the cost drivers for Exxon Mobil could be in terms of the design of an ABC system. Before continuing on this path, a number of assumptions have to be stated: (1) this is a high level example of a calculation for ExxonMobil as an in-depth review has not been conducted to properly do an ABC system for the organisation, (2) only quick estimates are presented given that these are based on an outside-in perspective utilising existing financial reports, (3) no specific details have been provided yet by the organisation. The focus of this analysis is only on the Upstream (Oil Gas Exploration and Production) division. A review of their summary annual report indicates that the following could be the key cost drivers that Exxon Mobil would focus on for their ABC system: 2007 Canada Outside Revenue US So. America America Worldwide Production Costs 2,275 2,206 5,852 10,333 Depn and depletion 1,493 1,256 6,159 8,908 Exploration Expenses 282 273 947 1,502 Taxes 1,347 126 8,258 9,731 Income tax 2,429 1,190 23,924 27,543 Total Costs 7,826 5,051 45,140 58,017 Number of units (mn) 232 167 1,126 1,526 Unit Costs 33.70 30.16 40.09 38.03 With re-allocation Production Costs 2,048 1,985 6,300 10,333 Depn and depletion 1,493 1,256 6,159 8,908 Exploration Expenses 254 246 1,003 1,502 Taxes 1,262 118 8,351 9,731 Income tax 2,276 1,111 24,156 27,543 Total Costs 7,332 4,716 45,969 58,017 Number of units (mn) 232 167 1,126 1,526 Unit Costs 31.57 28.16 40.83 38.03 + other central costs 8.00 8.00 12.00 10.95 (per unit) Total unit costs 39.57 36.16 52.83 48.98 Revenue per unit 52.42 49.40 55.55 54.40 Profit per unit 12.85 13.24 2.72 5.42 The above calculations are based on a number of assumptions made for the purpose of showing how using an ABC system could alter the results of the performance of the regions and allow the organisation to then make better decisions. The assumptions were made up in this scenario and it could be the other way around in that the greater costs end up in the US and Canada / South America regions. The objective in showing these calculations were to highlight the impact that activity-based costing could have in generating a deeper understanding of the costs that are incorporated in the financials of organisations. The way the costs are then broken up and allocated to different cost divisions will have an impact on these divisions and the decisions made. The important aspect to consider is that the ABC system should identify the right allocation of the costs through an understanding of the time spent by the staff including other factors that the organisation may deem important in the ABC system. E.  LIMITATIONS OF INFORMATION FROM ABC SYSTEMS The limitations of information from ABC systems can be looked at in two ways: (1) limitations in establishing and implementing the ABC systems, and (2) limitations in the use of the information resulting from the ABC systems implemented in an organisation. This section looks at both of these limitations. E.1.  Limitations in establishing and implementing the ABC systems One of the key challenges in implementing an activity-based costing system is the ability to collect the correct information for the proper use of the system. Throughout the years of the use of the ABC system, a number of limitations have come to the fore. The key limitations most often cited have been the following: Subjectivity in distribution of time. A key concern of users of the ABC system was the proper distribution of time among the key activities that employees worked on, and the subjectivity in allotting the time raised some concerns and issues in the potential reliability of the system (Journal of Accountancy, 2008). In recent years, there have been improved processes which were designed to minimise the subjectivity in the distribution of time by employees, particularly with the approach used in time-driven activity-based costing with a key benefit in simplifying the process (Lambino, 2007). However, this has not been well communicated and there is still a general concern about this issue for the ABC system. Complexity of retrieving information for the ABC system. Another factor that had hampered the use of the ABC system has been the general feeling that the retrieval of information was too complex and that the input required in order to complete the process for the ABC system was too demanding (Max, 2008). Similar to the point above, there have been further developments which have tended to minimise the complexity surrounding the retrieval of the information needed for the ABC system but this has not been accepted widely though the trend is changing. The two limitations highlighted above are the key reasons that implementation of the ABC system has been limited. In organisations where the ABC system has been implemented, the two limitations identified have affected the use of information churned out by the ABC system. This is discussed further in the next part. E.2.  Limitations in the use of information resulting from ABC systems For the organisations which have made the decision to implement the ABC system, there are still limitations in the information that need to be considered as the information is utilised in the organisations’ decision-making. The key limitations are the following: Costing not an exact science. The output from the ABC system remain as estimates and are impacted by the subjectivity of some of the inputs as described in the previous part of the this section. The use of cost averages and estimates lessens the transparency of the cost and profitability information and thus results in a key limitation in the use of the ABC system (Max, 2007). Potential misuse of information. This argument is not be construed as to be done intentionally. But where the information is not properly linked between activities and processes, the potential exists to have inaccurate results which then impact on how the information is utilised (Crance, Castellano Roehm, 2001). F.  CONCLUSION It is possible to implement an ABC system for ExxonMobil. A number of conclusions and follow up steps can be highlighted: High level draft of implementing was shown to be possible. Next step is to have a proper review to follow the complete stages if the organisation were keen to go ahead. Detailed process is needed to complete an ABC system implementation – ExxonMobil will need to commit to this and assign resources in order to push the effort to have the ABC system implemented. Commitment and transparency important for the implementation – It is critical to get the buy-in and support of top management and the key managers of the organisation. Through these next steps, it is possible to move into the next stage of having the ABC approach designed for ExxonMobil and implemented in the organisation. REFERENCES Allott, A. (2004), ‘Activity-based management’, New Straits Times, 3 July 2004, [online], accessed on 11 November from Global Factiva Database, http://factiva.com Crance, J., Castellano, J., Roehm, H. A. (2001), ‘SPC enhances ABC’, Industrial Management, 43(6), [online], accessed on 11 November from Global Factiva Database, http://factiva.com ExxonMobil (2007), ‘ExxonMobil: Taking on the world’s toughest challenge’, 2007 Summary Annual Report Journal of Accountancy (2008), ‘Linking Strategy to Operations’, 206 (44), [online], accessed on 11 November from Global Factiva Database, http://factiva.com Lambino, C. (2008), ‘Time-Driven activity-based costing’, Government Finance Review, 23(4), [online], accessed on 9 November from Global Factiva Database, http://factiva.com Lee, T. (2005), ‘Environmental issues and managerial accounting: The IFAC exposure draft’, Petroleum Accounting Financial Management Journal, 24(1), [online], accessed on 10 November from Global Factiva Database, http://factiva.com Maiga, A. S., Jacobs, F. A. (2003), ‘Balanced scorecard, activity-based costing and company performance: An empirical analysis’, Journal of Managerial Issues, 15(3), [online], accessed on 10 November from Global Factiva Database, http://factiva.com Max, M. (2008), ‘ABC Trends in the Banking Sector: A Practitioners Perspective’, Journal of Bank Cost Management Accounting, 21(1), [online], accessed on 10 November from Global Factiva Database, http://factiva.com Max, M. (2007), ‘Leveraging Process Documentation for Time-Driven Activity Based Costing’, Journal of Bank Cost Management Accounting, 20(3), [online], accessed on 11 November from Global Factiva Database, http://factiva.com Chronic Stress: Causes, Effects and Treatments Chronic Stress: Causes, Effects and Treatments Report on Chronic Stress Introduction Stress is an unavoidable part of life. Be it at home or the workplace, different challenges arise which ultimately lead to stress. There are various types of stress related issues, one of which is chronic stress (American Psychological Association, 2015). Chronic stress is that branch of stress when there is an overwhelming response emotionally to any situation which an individual deems to be out of his or her control. This type of stress is characterized by the release of corticosteroids in the human body, especially the endocrine system which triggers the increase of stress. Though these hormones might be beneficial for a short period of time, continuous stress inducing activities can lead to a constant release of hormones which can cause fatal side effects (Bruno, 2012). Detection of chronic stress There are various methods through which chronic stress can be detected early to ensure immediate correction. Our body begins to give us various warning signals during our daily life which can be a symptom of increased stress. It affects all the functioning of our body and makes us feel unbalanced and hypersensitive (Chandola, Brunner Marmot, 2006). If a person is suffering from chronic stress, then he or she will be easily irritated or overwhelmed by any situation (Sanders, 2014). These people will be unable to concentrate on anything for long and will constantly worry about the tasks ahead of them. Also, they will feel extremely isolated and suffer from physical strain and nausea. These symptoms can also be related to other physical or psychological problems and therefore requires a full diagnosis by a doctor to be sure (Scott, 2014). Differences and similarities with other diseases Although the physical and chemical reactions to various mental disorders can be similar, there is a vast difference between them. For example, stress is similar yet different from anxiety in many ways (The Stress Management Society, 2015). Stanford University’s associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences David Spiegel says that â€Å"while the line between stress and anxiety often gets blurred, there are distinct things to be aware of-including how these emotions affect the body and the root causes of each† (Holmes, 2014). The chemical reactions that occur in our body are very similar during chronic stress and anxiety. The physical reactions that occur in our body during both stress inducing and anxiety inducing causes include an increase of heartbeats, quick breathing and tightening of muscles. Yet anxiety and stress are different in various ways. He says that while we feel chronic stress we are very much aware of the causes behind it while in anxiety we usua lly do not know what exactly we are anxious about (Holmes, 2014). Another important psychological term which is often confused with chronic stress is depression. Laura J. Martin, MD and MPH, states that the causes behind both chronic stress and depression are often the same (McEwen Lasley, 2002) Any traumatic incident in our lives, such as loss of a job or the death of a loved one, can lead to both chronic stress as well as depression. In fact, it is more likely that while chronic stress is the first response to any such life-changing situation, prolonged exposure to stress can also lead to depression. â€Å"Stress, or being stressed out, leads to behaviours and patterns that in turn can lead to chronic stress burden and increase the risk of major depression,† states Bruce McEwen, PhD (McEwen Lasley, 2002). But it has also been noted that depression and chronic stress can be caused by different reasons. Most people who are resilient towards stressful activities are quite able to carry on with their lives without becoming depressed (Segerst rom Miller, 2004). Also, people tend to become depressed even though there are little or no stressful incidents in their lives. While any one incident can cause chronic stress, it requires a combination of a few stressors to become clinically depressed (McEwen Lasley, 2002). Effects of chronic stress Effect on health: Stressful activities are always around us, yet people almost always find a way to deal with the stress. If you are stressed over a huge pile of work, deadlines to meet, a conflict with your spouse or any other incident, your body always reacts in the same way (Psychiatry, 2009). The release of stress hormones in our body helps us to respond to the chronic stress until it is resolved (Sincero, 2012). But a prolonged exposure to chronic stress can lead to a continuous flow of hormones in our body which can be harmful. It disturbs all the other systems of our body and causes a rise of blood pressure levels, increased risk of heart attacks or strokes, decrease in fertility and accelerated aging (Miller, Chen Zhou, 2007). The usual physical effects of chronic stress are pain, insomnia, loss of weight and skin conditions like eczema (Sanders, 2014). Also, Dr. Richard Weinstein, a private chiropractor and a member of the American Chiropractic Association’s Council on Nutrition and the National Institute of Chiropractic Research, says that â€Å"the adrenal glands have a nasty tendency to rebound†, which means that the physical effects of chronic stress can return â€Å"if the cause of the cortisol imbalance is not addressed.† (Weinstein, 2004) Effect on behavior: Chronic stress can lead to certain changes in our behavior pattern as well. Since chronic stress is a result of a prolonged exposure to stressors, many changes can be detected in the behavior of these people (Carthage, 2013). The patients who are suffering from chronic stress reveal particular habits and behavior, such as moodiness, irritability, agitated behavior or isolation from friends and family (Helpguide.org, 2015). These people are prone to angry outbursts and impulsive decisions and are generally unhappy about everything around them. Their eating and sleep patterns also change and they develop certain unhealthy habits like drinking alcohol, biting nails or pacing. This in turn affects their social and personal lives (Weinstein, 2004). Effect on brain: According to the recent findings of the University of California, Berkeley, it has been found that due to the excess release of hormones due to chronic stress, certain permanent changes occur in the brain which results in people becoming prone to other mental diseases (Lupien et al., 2009). After conducting a series of experiments, Daniela Kaufer, UC Berkeley associate professor of integrative biology, and her colleagues, have come to the conclusion that chronic stress causes the generation of more myelin-producing cells and fewer neurons than acceptable (Weinstein, 2004). This often leads to an increase of myelin or white matter in certain parts of the brain, which can cause a disruption in the critical functions of the brain like the neuronal system (Bergland, 2014) Treatment of chronic stress At one point in our lives, everybody experiences stress due to one factor or another. Since avoiding stress is completely impossible, there are certain steps that can be taken to cope with it (Breazeale, 2012). Some of them include: Consult a proper psychologist or psychiatrist and ask him to do a full evaluation if you are experiencing overwhelming situations, suicidal thoughts, etc. Seek help from a doctor and redress any new or existing health issues. Contact your friends, family, community or organization to share emotional issues and ask for help in dealing with stressful situations. Identify any symptoms that you might be going through, such as eating or sleeping disorder, anger, depression or loneliness, and try to solve these problems. Prioritise your tasks and decide what must be completed now and what you can do later. Refuse to take up any new tasks if you feel overburdened. Make a list of what you accomplished at the end of the day. Avoid spending too much time thinking about certain issues. Indulge in regular exercises daily and plan your exercising and eating activities to make sure they are balanced. Take up certain stress reducing activities like yoga, meditation etc. (Thaker et al., 2006) Conclusion Being â€Å"stressed out†, as many people would call it, and being actually stressed, both physically and mentally, is a significant issue, as highlighted in this article by the number of intricacies involved in chronic stress (Medical News Today, 2014). Whether the symptoms of stress are recent or have been continuing for a long period of time, it is important to immediately look into the problem and discover new forms and therapies to address and solve the issue (Holmes, 2014). To seek relief from the stressors, it would be better to consult a proficient therapist and examine the causes behind the stress and how to decrease it. References American Psychological Association. (2015). Understanding chronic stress. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/understanding-chronic-stress.aspx Bergland, C. (2014). Chronic Stress Can Damage Brain Structure and Connectivity. Psychology Today. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201402/chronic-stress-can-damage-brain-structure-and-connectivity Breazeale, R. (2012). Ways To Manage Chronic Stress. Psychology Today. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-the-face-adversity/201202/ways-manage-chronic-stress Bruno, K. (2012). The Stress-Depression Connection | Can Stress Cause Depression?. Webmd.com. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/stress-depression Carthage,. (2013). 11 Behavioural symptoms of stress. Are you experiencing stress?. Coaching Positive Performance. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://www.coachingpositiveperformance.com/11-behavioural-symptoms-of-stress/ Chandola, T., Brunner, E., Marmot, M. (2006). Chronic stress at work and the metabolic syndrome: prospective study.Bmj,332(7540), 521-525. Helpguide.org,. (2015). Stress Symptoms, Signs, Causes: The Effects of Stress Overload and What You Can Do About It. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-symptoms-causes-and-effects.htm Holmes, L. (2014). The Difference Between Stress And Anxiety. The Huffington Post. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/25/stress-anxiety-difference_n_4833172.html?ir=India Lupien, S. J., McEwen, B. S., Gunnar, M. R., Heim, C. (2009). Effects of stress throughout the lifespan on the brain, behaviour and cognition.Nature Reviews Neuroscience,10(6), 434-445. McEwen, B., Lasley, E. (2002). The end of stress as we know it. Washington, D.C.: Joseph Henry Press. Medical News Today,. (2014). What is stress? How to deal with stress. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/145855.php Miller, G. E., Chen, E., Zhou, E. S. (2007). If it goes up, must it come down? Chronic stress and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis in humans.Psychological bulletin,133(1), 25. Psychiatry, M. (2009). Stress Management Strategies Marks Psychiatry. Marks Psychiatry. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://markspsychiatry.com/stress-management-strategies/ Sanders, R. (2014). New evidence that chronic stress predisposes brain to mental illness. Newscenter.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2014/02/11/chronic-stress-predisposes-brain-to-mental-illness/ Scott, E. (2014). What Are Your Stress Symptoms?. About.com Health. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://stress.about.com/od/understandingstress/a/stress_symptoms.htm Segerstrom, S. C., Miller, G. E. (2004). Psychological stress and the human immune system: a meta-analytic study of 30 years of inquiry.Psychological bulletin,130(4), 601. Sincero, S. (2012). Three Different Kinds of Stress Acute, Episodic and Chronic. Explorable.com. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from https://explorable.com/three-different-kinds-of-stress Thaker, P. H., Han, L. Y., Kamat, A. A., Arevalo, J. M., Takahashi, R., Lu, C., Sood, A. K. (2006). Chronic stress promotes tumor growth and angiogenesis in a mouse model of ovarian carcinoma.Nature medicine,12(8), 939-944. The Stress Management Society. (2015). Common Stressors that You can Encounter Every Day. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://www.stress.org.uk/stress-solutions/common-stressors.aspx Weinstein, R. (2004). The stress effect. New York: Avery.

Literature review on learning styles

Literature review on learning styles Chapter 2 Literature review on learning styles 2.1 Background of learning styles Learning styles have received considerable attention in recent years. There are more than 20 style dimensions that have been identified so far. It has come out of the more general research on cognitive styles, particularly from the field of psychology. The earliest and frequently discussed dimension of learning styles is the concept of field dependence and field independence that is advocated by psychologist Herman Witkin. Recent researchers, such as Lardner (1989), Reid(1995), Nam Oxford (1998), Bailey Onwuegbuzie (2000), Malinsky (2001), Ehrman Leaver (2003), Decapua Wintergerst (2005), have contributed greatly to the development of learning style theories. Kolbs (1976) experiential learning theory is prevalent in educational settings, because his theory explains more about the teaching and learning process (Cited by Reid, 1995). Many researchers and instructors have adopted his theory and applied it into different educational areas. The most important thing is that he has proposed four learner types on the basis of his learning theories. And the four learner types are converger, diverger, assimilator, and accommodator. Claxton and Murrell (1987) use an onion metaphor to describe the multi-constructs of learning styles (Cited by Eliason, 1995). The multi-constructs of learning styles are compared as the layers of an onion. The core is composed of personality characteristics, then from insideto outside, the layers are sequentially information-processing the second layer, social interaction the third layer, and instructional layer the fourth and the outermost layer. The core is the mostm constant and stable part, but the successive layers around it can be slightly changed to some extent. Reid (1995) divides the learning-style researches into three major categories: cognitive learning styles, sensory learning styles, and personality styles. Cognitive learning styles, according to her introduction, include field-independent and field-dependent learning styles, analytic. and global learning styles, reflective and impulsive styles, and Kolbs Experiential Model. Sensory learning styles consist of perceptual learning styles and environmental learning styles. Personality learning styles are made up of Myers-Briggs Temperament styles, tolerance of ambiguity styles, right and left hemisphere styles. Riding Rayner (1998) just discuss and describe the two basic dimensions of cognitive styles, including wholist-analytic and verbal-imagery styles. The wholist-analytic style learners tend to organize information into wholes or parts, while verbal-imagery style learners are inclined to represent information during thinking verbally or in mental pictures. It is inevitable that diverse assessment instruments of learning styles exist. It is difficult to find a comprehensive assessment instrument because of the complex nature of learning styles. The majority of the assessment instruments are only to measure one or two dimensions of learning styles. For instance, OBriens (1990) Learning Channel Preference Checklist (LCPC) and Reids (1984) Perceptual Learning Style Preference Questionnaire (PLSP) are instruments just to measure perceptual learning styles, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) measures personality traits, such as extroversion-introversion, sensing-perception and the like, and Oxfords (1993) Style Analysis Survey (SAS) is relatively multi-dimensional and includes learning styles, such as perceptual learning styles, extroverted and introverted learning styles, concrete and sequential learning styles and so on. In this study, we mainly focus on perceptual learning style preference because it is one of the most obvious aspects of learning styles. Rossi-le (1989) refers to it as an individuals preferred mode for perceiving, organizing, and retaining information. Reids (1984) Perceptual Learning Style Preference Questionnaire (PLSP) is used in this study, because of her high reliability and validity for non-native speakers. It measures six types of perceptual learning styles, including visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, individual, and group learning styles. Each of the learning styles possesses unique learning characteristics. Visual-style learners like to learn through eyes. For example, they prefer to obtain information through reading, computers, TV, a nd bulletin boards. Students of auditory learning styles rely heavily on listening or talking; they remember what you say. Tactile-style and kinesthetic-style learners like to learn through touching or moving and prefer to obtain information from audio tapes, lectures, class discussions, field trips, and role-plays. Individual-style learners learn best when they work alone, which contrasts strongly to group-style learners who learn effectively when work with other students or peers. It is evident that all learners have individual attributes relating to their own learning process and learn differently because of their biological and psychological differences. 2.2   Definitions of styles and learning styles The concept of style has existed in literature for approximately a century. It can be dated back to a description of personality in classical Greek literature about the ancient classification of temperament and physique created by Hippocrates (Riding Rayer, 1998). Styles are the words used to describe differences among people. They are the general, broad approaches a person uses to learn or to solve a problem. Brown (1994) defines it as consistent and rather enduring tendencies or preference within an individual. Generally speaking, styles are an individuals habitual patterns or preferred ways of doing something that remain consistent over a long period of time. Learning styles originate from the concept of style. There is a lack of concept agreement over the basic terminology. The term has been used in various and sometimes confusing ways in the literature, often interchangeably with the terms of cognitive styles, affective styles, or learning strategies. Cognitive styles and affective styles are only sub-constructs of learning styles and learning styles are more comprehensive. Cognitive styles are often referred to as an individuals preferred and habitual approach to organize and represent information. Its important dimensions are field-dependent and field independent, leveling and sharpening, holist and serialist, impulsive and reflective, and abstract and concrete etc. Affective styles are usually related to an individuals emotional states, including self-esteem, inhibition, risk-taking and anxiety and the like. Learning styles are constant and innate and difficult to be changed, whereas learning strategies can be learned and consciously applied in different learning situations. Learning strategies are specific procedures or techniques a person consciously uses in solving a problem or in working through an assignment. Literature on definitions of learning styles is also rich and diverse. Different researchers emphasize on different aspects of learning styles when rendering the definitions. Keefe (1979) defines learning styles as the cognitive, affective and physiological behaviors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how learners perceive, interact with, and respond to the learning environment (Cited by Eliss, 1994). Reid (1995) holds the view that learning styles are an individuals natural, habitual, and preferred way(s) of absorbing, processing, and retaining new information and skills. It is difficult to find an overall and comprehensive definition of learning styles, but similarities can be concluded from these definitions that the characteristics of consistency and perseverance are the core of all the learning style definitions. 2.3 Models of learning styles For researchers, it is difficult to propose a comprehensive learning model that encompasses all dimensions of learning styles. Thus the majority of learning style models focus on one or two aspects. In the following part, only two learning style models are introduced and elaborated because of their great popularity in research field. 2.3.1 The Dunn and Dunn learning-style model Compared with other learning-style approaches, the Dunn and Dunn learning-style model encompasses greater comprehensiveness and consistent effectiveness. According to Dunn and Dunn (1993), learning style is the way that students begin to concentrate on, process, internalize, and remember new and difficult academic information and is composed of both biological and developmental characteristics that make the identical instructional environments, methods, and resources effective for some learners and ineffective for others (Cited by Dunn and Griggs, 2000). In this model, the Dunns describe learning style as the ways to affect an individuals abilities to master new and difficult academic information or skills. 21 elements have been identified in this model and are classified into five categories of learning stimuli. (1) Environmental. The elements are sound, light, temperature, and design. Part of an individuals learning style depends on his or her preference regarding sound versus silence, bright versus soft lighting, warm versus cool temperatures, and formal versus informal seating. (2) Emotional. These elements are motivation, persistence, responsibility (conformity versus nonconformity), and preference for structure versus choice. (3) Sociological. These elements describe the group in which a student prefers to learn, such as whether to learn alone, with peers, or with either a collegial or authoritative adult, andlor in a variety of ways as opposed to patterns or routines. (4) Physiological. These elements include perceptual strengths like auditory, visual, tactual, and kinesthetic skills; time-of-day energy levels; intake (snacking while concentrating); and mobility needs. (5) Psychological. These elements describe the way in which a student processes information. For example, analytic students focus on facts or details in step-by-step fashion. Gradually the facts build up to an understanding. Conversely, global students need to understand how they are learning relating to them and their lives before they can begin to focus on facts. Also, analytic students respond to printed words and numbers, whereas global students respond better to illustrations and pictures (Searson, R., Dunn, R., 2001). In summary, Dunn and Griggs (2000) explain the theoretical base towards the Dunn and Dunn Learning-Style Model as follows: 1. Most individuals can learn. 2. Instructional environments, resources, and approaches respond to diverse learning-style strengths. 3. Everyone has strengths, but different people have very different strengths. 4. Individual instructional preference exists and can be measured reliably (Burke, Guastello et al.,1999/2000). 5. Given responsive environments, resources, and approaches, students attain statistically higher achievement- and attitude-test scores in congruent, rather than in incongruent, treatments ( Dunn Dunn, 1992, 1993; Dunn, Dunn, Perrin, 1994; Dunn, Griggs et al., 1995); they also behave better in style-responsive environments (Oberer, 1999). 6. Teachers can learn to use learning styles as a cornerstone of their instruction ( Dunn DeBello, 1999). 7. Students can learn to capitalize on their learning-style strengths when concentrating on new and difficult information (P. Roberts, 1999; Schiering, 1999). 2.3.2 Kolbs learning style model Kolbs learning style model has attracted considerable interest since the mid-1970s and has greatly contributed to the development of learning style theories. Kolb remarks that learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience (Cited by Riding Rayer, 1998). Learning style is described by Kolb (1976) as the individuals preferred method for assimilating information and makes learners actively involve in the learning process. Hauer, Straub and Wolf (2005) state that Kolbs theory of learning is based on Deweys emphasis on the need for learning in experience; on Kurt Lewins work which stresses the importance of a persons active learning; and John Piagets theory of intelligence which explains the interaction between the person and the environment.  According to Kolb, the learning model comprises two independent dimensions: perception and process. The first dimension involves concrete experiences and abstract conceptualization, and the second includes active experimentation and reflective observation. Perception reflects how individuals perceive information. For example, abstract learners comprehend information conceptually and analytically, whereas concrete learners learn most effectively through specific learning experiences. Processing describes how individuals process information. Active learners, for instance, learn primarily by manipulating the environment, while reflective individuals typically learn by introspection and internal reflection on the external world. The learning model of two dimensions can be further classified into the following four learner types: Converger (Common sense learner): these students perceive information abstractly and learn through active experimentation. They are best at finding practical uses for ideas and theories. They prefer activities, such as small-group discussions, classroom participation, and computer use. Their favorite question is How does this work?. Diverger (Innovative learner): these students learn better when they are able to perceive concretely and to process reflectively. They like to do things by themselves and have good imaginative abilities. They are interested in people and culture, and tend to be social learners. Brain-storming and lectures are their favorite activities. They usually bear the question Why do I need to learn this? in their minds. Assimilator (Analytic learner): these students learn more effectively when they are able to perceive abstractly and to process reflectively. They are good at putting the separate information into a logical organization and enjoy theoretical reading. They are more interested in facts and important things. They are more used to traditional classroom learning. Their favorite question is What do I need to learn?. Accommodator (Dynamic learner): these students learn more effectively when they are able to perceive concretely and to process actively. They are good at hands-on experience and like to connect their learning into the context of real world. They like activities of risk-taking, presentations, debates, and group discussions, but dislike authority figures. They always hold the question like What if?. The four learner types can be summarized briefly as below: accommodators are people who learn primarily from hands-on experience rather than from logical analysis; divergers are best at viewing concrete situations from many different points of view; assimilators are best at organizing information into a concise and logical form; convergers are best at finding practical use for ideas and theories.

Comparison Between Sculpture in Kuwait and Australia Essay -- Art

Comparison between Sculpture in Kuwait and Australia Research Objectives There have been significant differences between the sculptures in Kuwait and those in Australia. The research will evaluate the weaknesses in Kuwait sculptures in terms of funds accessible, available galleries and the public awareness on this artistic works. In addition, the research will evaluate ways of strengthening the sculptures in Kuwait. Synopsis The difference between contemporary and traditional art can be demonstrated by analyzing the sculptures in Kuwait. This is because the available sculptures have been neglected and the artists remain unappreciated despite their amazing talent and dedication. This paper will analyze the galleries in Kuwait, the art schools, funds allocated and the existing sculptures, and compare these factors with those in Australia. The differences to be realized after the analysis will be used to develop a strategy aimed at improving the sculptures and other artworks in Kuwait. Background Information The sculptures available in Kuwait have been long forgotten, especially those in public places. The sculpture in Rumaithiya is one example of sculptures that have been neglected, as demonstrated by the rust and cracks in the sculpture (Modeen 2009). For a very long time, many people have ignored artworks and sculptures across Kuwait. The government has also not been vibrant enough to promote sculpture making. This has made individuals to take to other jobs, hence reducing the number of artists willing to engage in sculpture making. The artists who have concentrated in sculpture making have been reducing in numbers given that in this era developed computer software is being used to generate virtual designs. Graphic design ... ...ill take another seven days after which the renowned artists and sculptors will be contacted. Depending on their schedules, the study will give each individual an allowance of ten days, and since the artists will be three, one month will be used to conduct the interviews. Works Cited Art Kuwait 2011, Spatial sound sculpture – new generation of art, viewed 29 August 2011, Drury, N 1993, New sculpture: Profiles in contemporary Australian sculpture, Craftsman House, Sydney. Lumley, A 1990, Sydney's sculpture, Longman Cheshire, Sydney. Modeen, T 2009, Public sculpture in Kuwait – Rumaithiya, viewed 29 August 2011, Sturgeon, G 1991, Contemporary Australian sculpture, Craftsman House, Sydney.

Essay --

Introduction TIME Fibre Home Broadband The press ¬ure for internet user nowdays is to get better internet connectivity. This is the main reason why internet users are looking at fiber to the home broadband connection as a potential solution to get better internet connectivity. TIME Fibre Home Broadband offer the fastest connection in Malaysia. TIME company create a superfast home network and keeping up with the bandwidth need for user computer, smartphone, and tablet. TIME's core business focuses on providing wholesale information measure to leading native, regional and world operators in Asian nation and therefore the Asia-Pacific region. The cluster delivers intensive fibre optic-based telecommunications solutions, together with personal hired lines and dedicated web services to giant companies, government organisations and enterprises that demand progressive, always-on property. In Asian nation, TIME has created significant headway within the shopper phase, with the country's initial100% fibre-optic broadband service. With speeds of up to 100Mbps, TIME's service, presently the quickest within the country, has been effectively supporting a number of the industry's biggest names with innovative solutions. TIME offer user two package of their fibre connection 100Mbps Home Broadband and Unlimited Home Broadband that will bring the best connectivity for their user. TIME 100Mbps Home Broadband package offer the user 100GB monthly quota, equal to 200days non stop internet surfing or upload 20 thousand high resolution photo while the Unlimited Home Broadband package offer their user speed up to 50Mbps when user need more speed. 30hours of boost is made if the user want for free. The Technology Application TIME company use fiber o... ...sensitive data. Flexibility - An optical fibre has greater tensile strength than copper or steel fibres of the same diameter. It is flexible, bends easily and resists most corrosive elements that attack copper cable. Cost - The raw materials for glass are plentiful, unlike copper. This means glass can be made more cheaply than copper. Disadvantage Cost - Cables are expensive to install but last longer than copper cables. Transmission - transmission on optical fibre requires repeating at distance intervals. Fragile - Fibres can be broken or have transmission loses when wrapped around curves of only a few centimetres radius. However by encasing fibres in a plastic sheath, it is difficult to bend the cable into a small enough radius to break the fibre. Protection - Optical fibres require more protection around the cable compared to copper.

gatdream Death of the American Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Death of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby The American Dream embodies the belief that each person can succeed in life on the basis of his own skills and effort. This idea awakes and develops during the 18th and 19th centuries - a period of fast development in the United States. The issues of growth, progress and money become a major theme in American society, which is why Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby focuses on this problem. Through the characters Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, the author impressively presents a failure in achieving this dream. The collapse of Gatsby's attempt to win Daisy proves that dreams, money and blind faith in life's possibilities, are not enough for a man to reach his goals. Gatsby perceives Daisy as a rich, beautiful and charming young lady, who represents the perfect woman. This ideal inspires his love and evokes his dream to reach her. He is a poor and uneducated young man, without any past. This is why Gatsby is impressed by the glamour and careless gayety that surrounds Daisy. That veneration is expressed in his words: "I was flattered that she wanted to speak to me, because of all the other girls I admired her most." The beauty of her life, fill Gatsby's mind with passionate sense of mystery and love. He sees Daisy as an "excitingly desirable" woman, which makes him thrilled, but at the same time unsure about the future. Even though he feels she is unreachable, he keeps his hope, which inspires him to fight for her. Gatsby's ambition represents the American Dream. He believes that despite his empty past and lack of education, he can succeed on the basis of his abilities, hard work and money. Gatsby does everything - legal and illegal in order to gain the wealth and property that will win him Daisy. The source of his money is unclear, and as Tom Buchanan suggests he is a "bootlegger". This denotes that Gatsby is determined to achieve his goal and is ready to put all the efforts needed to accomplish his high set aim. He has a blind hope in the abilities of life - he trusts that money can buy him Daisy's love.

Economic And Social Changes In Post 1960 Essay

This report is aimed at addressing recent economic events and economic reports. First is analysis of problems of unemployment rate, changes in general price level, total output of goods and services and the ways in which the government raises and spends money. Other areas to be reviewed include examining the relationships between economic variables such as output, employment, interests, money and prices. This is the key variables that determine macro-economic activities and the level of national income in an economy. It therefore analyses the performance of the economy as a whole. Goals of Macro-Economic Policy: The major aims of macro-economic policy in relation to the recent economic events are as shown below. (1)It aims at full employment level in the economy: Full employment is favorable in an economy because the greater the level of unemployment the greater the goods and services in an economy. When more goods and services are produced in an economy more sales are made. The more the sales are made. The more the sales made the profits also made by a company also increase. Therefore to improve and increase profits made by companies there should be full employment level in an economy. Also the burden of unemployment and loss of goods and services is not desirable in an economy. (2)Price stability: In consideration to the recent economic events inflation should be avoided at all costs such that prices remain stable and predictable offer time. And this is advocated since inflation adversely affects a number of businesses and individual purchasing decisions. (3)Economic growth: Takes place when the real output increases more rapidly than the increase in population. In developed countries production is higher than the increase in population growth. With economic growth the society has more goods and services at its disposal and correspondingly high standard of living. (4) External balances: If a country has a favorable balance of payment its foreign exchange results will increase and therefore it can import much needed capital for investment. Unfavorable balance of payment will lead to reduced flow of foreign exchange to finance the trade deficit. Most developing countries have unfavorable balance of payment. This has lead to poor growth of their economies. Unlike in developed countries that have a favorable balance of payment. Hence they earn more foreign exchange. This makes developed countries to import needed capital for investments. National income accounting National income accounting is an accounting framework used in measuring current economic activities of all countries in the world. They use or apply national income accounts as their standard measure. The national income accounts are based on the idea that the amount of economic activity that occurs that occur during a period of time can be measured in terms of the following. (1) Output produced, excluding output used up in intermediate stage of production. If a country produces more goods and services per year then its economy will be improved. If the GDP (gross domestic product) is high it means that the country has produced more goods and services within that year hence promoting the economy of the country. (2) Income approach: In terms of income received by the producers output Inflation Inflation refers to persistent increase in the general price level over time. By analyzing the recent economic events inflation has got a number of effects to an economy. The following are the effects of inflation. Due to inflation income and wealth are redistributed arbitrarily, for inflation. Imposes a tax on those who hold money as opposed to those who holding real assets. Inflation reduces the standard of living of persons dependent on fixed incomes, for example pensioners. It benefits debtors and penalizes lenders. Due to inflation banks charge higher interest rates. Due to inflation interest rates rise, both because people require a higher reward for lending money which is falling in value and also because the government is forced to take ant inflationary measures. Investment is discouraged by government ant-inflation policy . because of inflation the prices of goods go high compared to the wages people are getting. Savings is discouraged by high level of inflation in our economies things are likely to cost more if bought later. Hence people will spend money to buy goods and stock them . this discourages savings. Inflation encourages speculation by the purchase of really assets by borrowing later than investment by the use of resources in production. Indeed inflation discourages investment in long-term projects because possible government anti-inflation policies are difficult to forecast. Because of inflation inefficiency is encouraged because a buoyant seller market blunts competition as higher prices obtained for their products allow even inefficient firms to survive. Inflation does not promote health promotion. Good and efficient firms lack market while inefficient firms gain market. Inflation generates industrial and social unrest since there is competition of higher incomes. Thus because of rising prices, trade unions ask for annual wages rise. Often demands exceed the rate of inflation anticipating future rise or seeking a larger shares of the national cake to improve their members’ real standard of living. Those with the most muscle gain at the expense of the weaker groups. Due to inflation employees in companies will strike in demand for high wages. This will force the companies to deploy its employees due to industrial unrests. By deploying a few workers the remaining once will then demand for higher wages. This situation will affect the operations of a company. If also the company reduces the number of its employees fewer products will be produced. If production is low fewer sales will be made also affecting the smooth running of the company. Additional administrative costs are incurred in offsetting go-slow and work to rule disruptions, allowing for inflation in negotiating contracts and wage rates, revising price lists and labels. High administrative costs arise due to inflation. Due to inflation companies may change their suppliers this means that new contracts should be made. To sign a new contract with a new company takes some time; this will affect the progress of a company. Due to inflation also prices of products change. Time is taken at preparation of new price lists and price labels. The rate of inflation tends to increase largely because high wage settlements in anticipation of higher future prices help to bring about the very rise which people fear. Since people are demanding for high wages then the rate of inflation increases this leads to an increase in the price of goods. External effects of inflation Inflation can create serious difficulties for a country that depends on international trade. These difficulties include: Exports tend to decline because they are relatively dealer in foreign market. Inflation increases the prices of products produced. This high prices discourse exports. Imports tend to decline because foreign goods are relatively cheap compared to Kenyan goods. Because of high prices of locally produced goods imports become discouraged. Higher money incomes in the economy increase the demand for imports and tend to decrease exports because of buoyant home market makes it less vital for manufactures to seek outlets abroad for their goods. An outward movement of capital may take place if price rise continues. Since foreign trades and financiers lose confidence in the shilling maintaining its current rate of exchange. Due to high levels of inflation, prices of goods will keep on growing this will eventually lead to investors losing confidence in a country hence they will not continue investing there. Money will not be invested in that country. It will lead to saving in other countries with stronger economies. Microeconomics Analysis on recent economic event under microeconomics Scarcity: Due to the drought that is already affecting people many products are know scarce. For example due to lack of rain milk is now scarce hence the price of milk has gone very high. Due to the since there is high demand for milk and less is readily available at the market the price of milk keeps on increasing. Since milk is not available in the market it means that it’s limited in supply. Scarcity is a relative term and it means less than requirements. Scarcity of resources is the main economic problem because all the abilities within our disposal like time, wealth and money are all scarce. A commodity is considered scarce when it is limited in supply. And because of scarcity of resources human beings can not be satisfied. Theory of demand and supply in microeconomics: In the country presently there is a shortage of maize. Due to the shortage of maize in the country the price flour has almost doubled. Demand theory plays a crucial role in business decision making. Business executives have to take decisions such as what to produce and how much to produce . However production managers will seek information regarding the commodity its respective quantities demanded by the consumers at different prices. There has been a shortage of bread in the country. The main factors that led to the shortage of bread are: Cost of production: It is likely possible that the cost of production of bread was high, relative to the price hence few types of bread were being produced. When the cost of production of a product is higher than its relative price less of that product is produced or so firms end up closing their businesses due to the high cost involved in production. The production method: Prices of the inputs such as labor, energy or machinery: The price of bread was high for example due to the inflation rate of the country. Due to inflation labor charges go high also affecting the price of bread. Some factors affect the demand of bread in the market. Such factors include: The level of income of people: This is a key determinant. It states that as people’s income rise individuals will tend to buy more of market products. Size of Market: The size of the market may be measured by the population. A larger population implies a bigger demand of goods and services. Price of related goods; changes in the price of substitutes will lead to a decrease or increase in the demand for the product. Anticipated price rises; If the government changes the tax rates, then there will be anticipation of price increases. This will lead to an increase in demand for the product in the short run. Increase in information technology; The availability of broadband services to homes and offices has led to an increase in demand for products because shopping has become interesting. Nowadays in the world, every home is intending to have an internet connection which is in essence increasing the demand for products and have a wide variety to choose from. Taste or preference; Special influence. These are seasonal demands, festivals or feasibilities and demonstration effects. Market structures Perfect competitive market structures: In perfect in a competitive market structure no individual seller can influence the price of the commodity, Perfect competitive is that situation of the market when there is large no of buyers and sellers, and there is no individual who dictates the price or the level output. Its therefore clear that one price of one commodity prevails in such a market. Further its noted that in such a market average revenue and marginal revenue bath will remain constant under the perfect competition however the concept of cost is significant under this markets. The cost that are usually involved include total cost average fixed costs and marginal cost. Monopoly and monopolistic market: Monopoly is that market structure in which a single producer controls the whole supply of a single commodity which has no close single substitute. In case of monopoly the following conditions must apply: (1) There must be one producer or one seller; That single producer may be an individual owner or a group of partners. (2) The commodity produced by the producer must have no close substitute. For example considering the current shortage of tomatoes in our county. Only one group of people are producing the tomatoes hence its price can only be controlled by this group of people country wide. REFERENCES Anonymous. A Not So Great 2008: Emerging Trends Report. National Real Estate Investor (Online Exclusive), (Oct 17, 2007). Baumol W, (1992); Economics principles & policies; Australia, edn, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich BLIX, Marten, 1995,† Underlying Inflation- A Common Trends Approach,† Bank of Sweden Working Paper No. 23 Elkington J. (2001); The Chrysalis Economy, Capstone, oxford. 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