Geography and the Development of Human Civilization Essay

A. Without argument, the most significant geographic or environmental factor of Ancient Egypt to shape early civilization is the Nile River. The Nile has been referred to as life’s blood for the Egyptian civilization. (Fassbender, 2008). To begin understanding how the Nile River was the greatest factor, one must understand a few facts about the River itself. It starts from two separate sourcesÍ ¾ first the lakes of central Africa, called the White Nile, and second the Blue NileÍ ¾ that comes from the mountains of Ethiopia. The Blue Nile and the White Nile come together and flow northward to the Nile delta, starting the 4,000 mile length of the life blood of EgyptÍ ¾ finally spilling into the Mediterranean Sea. The Egyptian climate does not offer much in rainfall, averaging less than 2 inches per year in some areas and non existent in other areas. The early human civilizations were able to farm near the banks of the Nile River with much success compared to the outlying harsh climates of the Sahara and Arabian deserts on both sides of Egypt. Each summer the Nile River would swell as the rain fell and the snow melted in the mountains. Overflowing its banks and lightly flooding the land with fresh water and thick rich deposits of alluvial soil created a land that could â€Å"yield two harvests before winter† (Kreis, 2006)Í ¾ creating an ideal location for early human civilizations to settle and prosper. This flooding of the Nile River did more than create agriculture wealth for the early Egyptians, it also helped create some very early inventions such as the calendarÍ ¾ (Keita, n.d.) created from the expected annual nature of the floods, the end of the second harvest and the 2 winters. The Nile River also gave the people a sense of direction, creating the north, south , east and west concepts we now use. The flow of the Nile is basically south to north and the daily rising and falling of the sun from east to west created a concrete sense of direction for the Egyptians. (Fassbender, 2008). Egypt offered easy access to most of the resources it needed for survival and success which guaranteed the development of a large population. The promise of a harvest climate, new inventions, security of the deserts on both sides, transportation provided by the river into the sea, the Nile River was the greatest factor creating early civilization for Ancient Egypt. B. Tea is the most popular drink in the world, second only to waterÍ ¾ got it’s start in China as nothing more than a mere accident and has since traveled the world, started wars, and created millions of dollars for governments and plantation owners. The origin of tea dates back â€Å"around 4,000 years ago† ( History & Future  ­ When did people start having tea?, n.d.). According to legend â€Å"the Chinese Emperor Shen Nong discovered tea in 2737 BC while he was boiling water in the shade of a tree† †¦ when a â€Å"light breeze caused some leaves to fall into the water† (Origins of Tea, 2012). The emperor tasted it and thought it was delicious, and so began the tea adventure. At that time, tea was bitter and mostly used for it’s health properties as a medicine for problems such as eyesight and stomach issues. At the end of the fifth century, tea was traded and exported with Mongolian and Turkish merchants. By the eighth century it was exported to far regions like Japan, Central Asia and Tibet. Tea began to spread further west with other foreign traders, missionaries, and ambassadors that were given samples and gifts of it to try and take home for others to try. The first agreement to export and trade tea was between China and 3 Russia. In the mid 1850’s, Chinese immigrants heading to Taiwan would bring tea seedlings, tea growing and processing skills and the tea culture with them. In the seventeenth century, green tea was exported into Europe and was mostly used as a medicinal drink due to the bitter taste and the health properties it offered. The Dutch started to buy tea in Japan and China and then shipped it and sold it in France, Germany, and England. The Dutch also introduced tea to New Amsterdam in the 1650’s. During this time tea was usually only for the very wealthy because it was so expensive, until the 1750’s when it became a more modern drink with more av ailability for larger groups of people. (Saberi, 2010), (Origins of Tea, 2012), and ( History & Future  ­ When did people start having tea?, n.d.). In the eighteenth century tea became popular in countries like North America and EuropeÍ ¾ however, China was the only country selling tea to other countries. China’s tea business was soaring until India stepped into the tea business. When the British started ruling India, they found some tea plants in Assam (found in the North Eastern area of India) and decided that these tea plants had a sweeter taste. Tea plantations started growing in Assam, then Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka), Sumatra, Java and Formosa. It was discovered that the plants in China grew 5 meters shorter in height than those in IndiaÍ ¾ so the tea business naturally shifted there. This was very good for the British because their demand for the drink was huge, creating a huge deficit for them with China. The British government now had the surplus of tea, from the plantations in India (and the areas around there) and the trade agreements with China. The British now sold to other countries, like North America  ­ only they levied a sales tax on the tea leaves that they couldn’t sale anywhere else and try to sale to the new American coloniesÍ ¾ this was faced with a fierce resistance  ­ known as the â€Å"Boston Tea Party†. (The Spread of Tea from 4 China, 2012). Tea was first created with a leaf in boiling water, then it was dried and steeped, then as the drink was being traded and sold  ­ tea leaves and buds were dried, pressed and packaged for shipping, including bricks of dried, crushed tea leaves. Each time the seedlings were taken to a new climate or country, new flavors were established and new ways of serving the drink were created. For instance, â€Å"the Chinese sip it from tiny cups, the Japanese whisk it. In America they serve it iced. The Tibetans add butter. The Russians serve with lemon. Mint is added in North Africa. Afghans flavour it with cardamom. The Irish and the British drink it by the gallon with milk and sugar. The Indians boil it with condensed milk. In Australia it is brewed in a ‘billy’ can† (Saberi, 2010). The diffusion of tea may have started as a bitter, medicinal emperor’s drink, yet it has traveled the world, been raised or farmed in multiple corners of the globe, transformed from a drink for the wealthy to a world ­wide drink of choice for all classes and races  ­ from bitter to sweet, from medicinal to being a part of the social sceneÍ ¾ including having restaurants, tea rooms, and clubs created just for the enjoyment of those that want a cup of the world’s most popular drink†¦Tea. C1. One of the environmental factors that contributed to the expansion of the United States was the devastating Dust Bowl of the 1930’s. The Dust Bowl, also referred to as the â€Å"dirty thirties†, â€Å"Black Roller† or the â€Å"Black Blizzard†, (Buonanduci, 2009 and Baumhardt, 2003) happened when a severe drought in 1930 to 1936 (to 1940 in some areas) caused extreme dust storms over the prairie lands of Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, and the border areas of Colorado and New Mexico. When the dust storms hit, visibility was reduced to a few feet or less and millions of farmland became uselessÍ ¾ the storms caused major ecological and agricultural damage to over 5 100,000,000 acres of farmland (Buonanduci, 2009). In addition to a severe drought, the people had over farmed without needed crop rotation or other farming techniques to prevent erosion which then created the inevitable wide ­spread disaster. This coupled with the Great Depression left the government without a lot of options to help the people of the prairie lands who were suffering from extraordinary financial difficulties. In a span of about five years over 500,000 Americans were forced to flee the area. About half of those people headed west to California where many settled into farming the Central Valley and Los Angeles areas. (Simkin, 1997). In response to the devastation of the Dust Bowl, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first 100 days in office (in 1933), were spent creating government programs designed to â€Å"restore the ecological balance by encouraging diversified agricultural crop production using tested practices and improved tools† (Baumhardt, 2003) The Dust Bowl created expansion of the U.S. when hundreds of thousands moved west to California bringing the lessons learned from farming successes and failures with themÍ ¾ it also contributed to the development of the U.S. as the entire country took the essential agricultural lessons learned and established programs to ensure the same mistakes would not be repeated again. C2. The Irish Potato Famine of 1845  ­ 1849 also cont ributed to the development and expansion of the United States because of the â€Å"nearly a million Irish† that arrived in the United States (Gavin, 2000). The large number of people helped literally develop our county through the blood, sweat, and tears that hard work and desire brings to those making a home of peace and happiness for their families. In the early 17th century, the Irish were quite dependent on food exported from other 6 countries  ­ mainly the potato from America. However, by the 19th century about a third of Ireland was dedicated to potato farming, â€Å"turning this into Ireland’s primary crop†¦the potato supported massive population expansion within Ireland. Within that time, the population doubled from four million to eight million citizens† (Hawkes, 2012). The first report of the potato blight was recorded on August 20, 1845, and by October one ­third of the potato crop was lost to the blight. At first there was still enough food for the Irish people despite the potato blight, the problem for most of those who had the diseased crops was the fact that they didn’t have enough money to b uy other food. The blight reduced the Irish potato harvest by about 30%. This drastic loss caused many farmers to eat the potato seedlings that they were going to plant in the upcoming year. Now the starving people resorted to slaughtering their pigs and cows to keep from starving through the harsh winter, they also knew they wouldn’t have food to feed their starving their animals. The situation in Ireland became grim, by this time the blight wasn’t spreading any longer, but the farmers weren’t planting or harvesting enough potatoes to have enough food to feed the people of their country. Lasting about six years, the Irish Potato Famine had killed over a million people from a combination of starvation and diseaseÍ ¾ causing another million people to migrate to the United States (Smith, 2011), (Gavin, 2000) and (Hawkes, 2012). The Irish immigrants came to America to escape the certain death that they faced there, and for a promised future of the American dreamÍ ¾ however, it was not a welcoming place for many, instead it was a brutally hard, unkind and unwelcoming place for many. Boston might have been the hardest and most cruel place for those comi ng from Ireland, but New York wasn’t that much easier in the end. One of the turning points for the unwelcomed Irish people was the Civil WarÍ ¾ â€Å"over 140,000 enlisted in the Union Army, while those in the South enrolled in the 7 Confederate ranks† (Gavin, 2000) and (Hawkes, 2012). The Irish immigrants provided many laborers needed for the backbreaking work that was needed for the American expansion that was happening at that time. The immigrants saw this move to America as permanent and â€Å"brought over several hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants during the following decades† (Smith, 2011). Politically the Irish now had the numbers to influence votes, welcome at first or not, the Irish people could no longer be ignored. The Potato Famine started as a deadly killer in Ireland, turning into a large exodus of people immigrating to the United StatesÍ ¾ changing the face of the American laborers and changing who was running and winning political offices. The Anti ­Irish sentiment would be quieted at last when an Irish Potato Famine immigrant’s descendant was elected President of the United States  ­ President John F. Kennedy was that person. â€Å"He is the great ­grandson of Patrick Kennedy, a farmer from County Wexford who had left I reland in 1849† (Gavin, 2000). The Irish are considered the first large group of poor refugees to come to the United States and they paved the way for all the many refugees and immigrants that would follow their footsteps. Today, after years of hard work to overcome numerous amount of obstacles to find freedom, peace and happiness  ­ Americans of Irish descent are the third largest ethnic group in the country. Unfortunately, Ireland stayed a very sad place after the famine for decades. (Gavin, 2000). References Baumhardt, R. L. (2003). USDA  ­ The Official Website for The Conservation and Production Research Laboratory DUST BOWL ERA. Retrieved June 16, 2014, from http://www.cprl.ars.usda.gov/ Buonanduci, M. (2009, April 27). Dust Bowl. Retrieved June 16, 2014, from http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/151818/ Fassbender, M. (2008, September 11). Physical Geography Ancient Egypt by Michael Fassbender | Humanities 360. Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://www.humanities360.com/index.php/physical ­geography ­ancient ­egypt ­50663/ Gavin, G. (2000). The History Place  ­ Irish Potato Famine. Retrieved June 16, 2014, from 9 http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/famine/ Hawkes, S. (2012, August 28). Fatal Potatoes: The Nineteenth ­Century Irish Potato Famine | US History Scene. Retrieved June 16, 2014, from http://www.ushistoryscene.com/uncategorized/fatalpotatoes/ History & Future  ­ When did people start having tea? (n.d.). Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://humantouchofchemi stry.com/when ­did ­people ­start ­having ­tea.htm Irish Potato Famine. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16, 2014, from http://courses.soomopublishing.com/ Keita, M. (n.d.). Rise of Civilizations and Empires in Mesopotamia. Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://history ­world.org/rise_of_civilizations.htm Kreis, S. (2006, October 11). Lecture 3: Egyptian Civilization. Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://www.historyguide.org/ancient/lecture3b.html Origins of Tea. (2012). Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://www.higgins ­burke.com/About ­Our ­Tea/Pages/Origin ­of ­Tea.aspx PBS (2009, November 15). Video: Surviving the Dust Bowl | Watch American Experience Online | PBS Video [Video file]. Retrieved from http://video.pbs.org/video/1311363860/?starttime=1200000 Saberi, H. (2010). Chapter 2 China. In Tea: A global history (pp. 27 ­41). Retrieved from http://lrps.wgu/provision/8539375 Saberi, H. (2010). Chapter 5 Tea Comes to the West. In Tea: A global history (pp. 85 ­124) . 10 Retrieved from http://lrps.wgu/provision/8539375 Simkin, J. (1997, September). The Dust Bowl. Retrieved June 16, 2014, from http://spartacus ­educational.com/USAdust.htm Smith, A. F. (2011). Potato: A global history. Retrieved from http://lrps.wgu.edu/provision/8539677 The Spread Of Tea From China. (2012, September 13). Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://thespreadofteafromchina.blogspot.com/

The Roles of Identity in Society

The Roles of Identity in Society Many would argue that social justice is being served when someone says â€Å"we are all the same under the skin†. We are not all the same under the skin. Within us are our own senses of identity, constructed by our familiar discourses, the physical environment and its embedded culture, and our individual differences. Our sense of identity accounts for our perceptions of ourselves and how we are positioned by others in terms of culture, tradition, rituals, race, family, religion and education (Allen, 2004). Our identities affect our life chances through our positions in society, the access we have to power, status, education, and wealth (Allen, 2004). Examining our own identities gives us insight into the role identity plays in life and society and therefore some understanding of the impact that the identities of others has for them on their life choices (Austin, 2005). This essay will examine the importance of the search for identity, and the desire to reconcile those identities with society’s expectations, for the narrator in the novel by McDonald and Pryor (1999), ‘The Binna Binna Man’. The journey of this character will be positioned against my own life’s story as I attempt to compare the roles our identities have played in positioning us as members of Australian society. The narrator in The Binna Binna Man is a character who has a very secure sense of his own identity. He has a sound knowledge of his spiritual heritage, his people’s traditions and the importance the strength of his identity has for him and for his people. He seems perplexed by the idea that his cousin Shandell is â€Å"†¦living different from all that stuff’ (McDonald & Pryor, 1999, pg 17). He is reminded by his â€Å"girragundji† (a guide for life sent by his ancestors) that the way to stay strong and avoid getting lost is to have faith in his spirituality and his identity (McDonald, et al. , 1999). This is proven to him when he almost follows Shandell down the path to self-destruction. The Binna Binna Man, their beliefs, bring them both back to the strength they gain from knowing that they are Aboriginal Australians, with a wealth of culture, history, knowledge, and skills. Unfortunately their people bear the scars of that wealth being devalued and misunderstood by the Anglo Australian hegemonic society. This is demonstrated through the sadness they carry and the way they feel how many of their people they have lost. The narrator and his family have to scrape together the means to travel out of the community they live in to be able to participate in their cultural rituals of grief and burial because they are not traditions easily accessible to them in Australian society. The narrator does not carry around the invisible knapsack of rights and power described by McIntosh (1988) that gives him access to the ability to carry out the roles of his identity. Rather, he realizes the struggle he has ahead of him, to keep the strength of his identity and to be able to survive life and society with it proudly intact. He can see the strength of his people, but he can also see their struggle (McDonald et al, 1999). As noted in McDonald (2004) Australian Indigenous youth battle on a daily basis with the pressures their identities generate such as racism, poverty, the hegemonic culture of school, and having English as a second language, while trying to maintain the roles expected of them from their Indigenous cultures. It is an enormously demanding and frustrating battle for these youth to get through their daily lives intact, let alone being able to achieve well in either world. The narrator is struggling with his identity as an Aboriginal youth in Australian society and is trying to emerge from a history of oppression and denial. He has not inherited wealth from his parents or the social and cultural capital necessary to be able to identify with the hidden curriculum of the education system (Allen, 2004). His family has only relatively recently emerged from a period of oppression under The Aboriginal Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897 (Genever, 1992) where the Indigenous people of Australia were denied, by the Australian Government, the right to own anything, freedom of movement, the right to practice their cultural traditions, or the right to the education required to â€Å"participate as responsible citizens† (Genever, 1992). He is caught in Australian society, within his cultural boundaries â€Å"†¦(the objective presence of cultural difference)† as discussed in McDonald’s paper on ‘Forms of Social Justice’ (2004). In no way is he served by social justice by being given the same chances I was, under the pretext of â€Å"treating us all the same†, as though we share a common identity. The development of my identity has benefited from what McIntosh (1988) terms â€Å"unearned privilege†. The life choices and chances I have, I have inherited, not struggled or worked for. I am fortunate to have a very strong family support structure within my immediate family and my extended family. Traditionally, as a family, we celebrate birthdays, special events and seek advice from one another as needed. There is a strong sense of respect for elders in my family and the younger generation bears responsibility for their well-being. Predominantly, my family follows the Catholic religion and my values and beliefs reflect this. Consequently, I have developed a strong sense of self worth through the influence of my family and their cultural practices. I am a third generation Australian. My family was middle class and although not overly wealthy in terms of material belongings I can see that my life was rich in opportunities and choices that the narrator was not afforded. I was born into an environment that set me up to be able to succeed at school. English is my first language and I speak it well enough to succeed at school and to be accepted into university. I am immersed in a society where the traditions, customs, practices and language of my heritage surround me and dominate all other identities. The practices and language used by my family were consistent with those of the schools I attended, where the autonomy and independence encouraged in Indigenous children like the narrator may have been misinterpreted and devalued as neglect (Malin, 1990). I did, however, experience a brief time in my schooling that bore a stark contrast to that described above. When I was nine years old, I attended a school in Hawaii for twelve months and for the first time in my life was part of a minority group where my language, culture and experiences were not valued by the students or the teacher. I was never asked to share anything about myself or my life in Australia and was the victim of some ridicule from my peers because I lacked knowledge of, and a skill for playing, baseball. I was subjected to racist remarks about the colour of my skin and was never supported or really even acknowledged by my teacher. As a class, we were required to write a paper detailing the history of American presidents which I found extremely difficult. The exercise held no meaning for me and I was unable to connect with it on the same level that my American peers did. My developing experience as a pre-service teacher now allows me to see the value that would have come from the teacher asking me to write my paper on the history of Australian Prime Ministers, and to share that with my teacher and the class. This would have been an opportunity for the teacher to encourage a rich, authentic learning experience for me and for my American classmates – a sharing and valuing of knowledge and cultures and an opportunity to break down some of the cultural barriers that were present within the classroom and the school. I strongly believe that education is the key to success in society and that teachers hold powerful positions with regard to recognizing and valuing the diverse groups in their classrooms. My development as a pre-service teacher depends on an ongoing commitment to value and support every student in my classroom by understanding their cultures and how their identities shift and change, have different importance amongst peers, family, and the community. I will continue to make myself aware of the role identity plays in shaping our self perceptions and, therefore, our life chances. The education system has, in the past, failed certain groups and continues to reproduce social disparities, prejudices, conditioning and spirals of failure for these groups (Keefe & Carrington, 2007). As teachers, we should not see the cultural differences of our students as excuses or reasons for students to fail. Rather, we need to adapt our teaching practices and find ways to give them access to education and opportunities. Students need to be taught to view the world, themselves and others critically in order to recognize and discontinue the perpetuation of social inequities in education and other institutions. If teachers can work towards identifying the inadequacies in teacher service, they begin to address the needs of disadvantaged groups ensuring equitable access to education, as is every student’s right. As I raise my own child and instill in him the same practices, language and culture as my family did for me, I am aware I am equipping him with that â€Å"invisible knapsack† that McIntosh (1988) writes about. I am aware that I am sending him out into a world where he does not have to carry his identity around with him like a weight around his neck, restricting him access to education, his choices, his rights and responsibilities. I do hope however as I continue to grow and learn, that I instill in him the ability to understand ‘identity’ and what that means for him and for others. As he grows and learns he will understand that if he were to be treated â€Å"the same† as many of the minority groups he lives amongst, that he too would have to struggle to maintain his identity, just like the narrator. I know that his identity will provide him with more than his share of opportunities and choices. It is clear that various cultural and traditional factors shape our unique identities. Teachers have a responsibility to recognize and value the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge that their students bring to the classroom, and to ensure that pedagogies incorporate a variety of styles to cater for this diversity. Researching this topic and reflecting on my own experiences has been a valuable exercise that will influence my teaching philosophy and the way I view identity and diversity. Compiling this essay brought back virtually forgotten memories of events I myself encountered during my schooling when I experienced a situation akin to those described by the narrator. I strongly believe that our education system must implement inclusive curriculum programs that value all cultural identities. This will ensure that all students receive educational opportunities and the chance to develop self respect and positive dispositions towards learning, thus enhancing life chances and empowering them to succeed. . References: Allen, J. (2004). Sociology of Education: Possibilities and Practices. (3rd Ed). Southbank, VIC: Social Science Press. Austin, J. (Ed. ). (2005). Culture and Identity (2nd ed. , pp 139-154). Sydney: Pearson Education Australia. Genever, T. (1992). Black and Blue. Aboriginal-Police Relations in Far North Queensland During The Currency of The Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1893 – 1939. Unpublished Honours Thesis, JCU, Tsv. Keefe, M. , & Carrington, S. (Eds. ). (2007). Schools and Diversity (2nd ed. , pp 108 – 127). Sydney: Pearson Education Australia. McDonald, H. , (2004). Forms of social justice. Notes prepared for teacher education students. Townsville: James Cook University. McDonald, H. , (2004). Supporting Indigenous students as â€Å"smart, not good† knowers and learners: The practices of two teachers. Paper adapted for exclusive use of students enrolled in ED2990 and ED3290 at James Cook University. McDonald, M. , & Pryor, B. M. , (1999). The binna binna man. Crows Nest. NSW: Allen & Unwin. McIntosh, P. (1988). White privilege: unpacking the invisible knapsack. Available from http://seamonkey. ed. asu. edu/~mcisaac/emc598ge/Unpacking. html (Accessed 17 September 2008). Malin , M. (1990). â€Å"Why is life so hard for Aboriginal students in urban classrooms? † The Aboriginal Child at School, 18 (1), 9-29.

Advantages of living in a vilage Essay

There are several advantages to living in villages. To Begin with, generally villages have healthy ‎and pleasant weather, which makes people feel healthy and gives them a lot of energy. Also, ‎the food of rural people is more natural and healthier. Living in a good condition lead to ‎physical and mental health. In contrast, owing to various pollutions, which exist in cities, a vast ‎number of urban people suffer from health problems such as heart disease or breathing ‎problems.‎ see more:life in the countryside essay Moreover, the cost of living in villages is lower compared to cities. Since village life is plain and ‎simple, there is no willing to luxury in this lifestyle and many people who live in villages ‎prepare their own needs. For instance, rural people have a limited number of clothes, all of ‎them are quite simple, and mostly they sew their clothes. In addition to basic needs, some ‎expenses in cities are meaningless in villages, such as daily transportation cost. Another point is ‎that high cost of living in cities compels the people to face too much stress.‎ Last but not least, villages offer a relaxed and joyful atmosphere which most urban people are ‎deprived of. Rural lifestyle is a reflection of living in nature. The beauty of the nature Is ‎completely visible in villages. In addition, the people who live in villages participate in local ‎festivals and celebration that are simple and fun. Relationships in villages are close. Thus, rural ‎people are care for each other. All of these make the village people live happier.‎ There are several advantages to living in villages. To Begin with, generally villages have healthy ‎and pleasant weather, which makes people feel healthy and gives them a lot of energy. Also, ‎the food of rural people is more natural and healthier. Living in a good condition lead to ‎physical and mental health. In contrast, owing to various pollutions, which exist in cities, a vast ‎number of urban people suffer from health problems such as heart disease or breathing ‎problems.‎ Moreover, the cost of living in villages is lower compared to cities. Since village life is plain and ‎simple, there is no willing to luxury in this lifestyle and many people who live in villages ‎prepare their own needs. For instance, rural people have a limited number of clothes, all of ‎them are quite simple, and mostly they sew their clothes. In addition to basic needs, some ‎expenses in cities are meaningless in villages, such as daily transportation cost. Another point is ‎that high cost of living in cities compels the people to face too much stress.‎ Last but not least, villages offer a relaxed and joyful atmosphere which most urban people are ‎deprived of. Rural lifestyle is a reflection of living in nature. The beauty of the nature Is ‎completely visible in villages. In addition, the people who live in villages participate in local ‎festivals and celebration that are simple and fun. Relationships in villages are close. Thus, rural ‎people are care for each other. All of these make the village people live happier.‎

Diversity in Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Diversity in Workplace - Essay Example According to Hofstede (2001), the culture background of an individual largely varies across different nations or their place of origin. It also influences how they interact with other people in the society, display social behaviour, perceive different stimuli and practise social customs. Thus, it can be stated that the individuals belonging from different cultural or ethnic background bear different psychological profile personality trait. stated that a workforce is more effective in delivering higher output if it is composed of employees from different cultural background. It gives the organisation a diverse employee base with employees bearing different personality traits suitable for different organisational activities. Green et al., (2012) further stated that diversity in an organisation should also be maintained on the grounds of gender distribution. As of now, in a typical organisation the male employees outnumber the female employees. These situations have become quite challen ging for the organisation and they have taken several steps towards its improvement. The racial discrimination in the US against the minority group of Muslim is quite prevalent. Major terrorist attack incidents have been linked to the entire community, which as a result has led to the increased discrimination of the Muslims by a large number of western population. According to the reports of Greenhouse (2010), the religious discrimination against the Muslims has found its way into the organisational behaviour of several firms.

Assess the impact of international business on social and economic Research Paper

Assess the impact of international business on social and economic conditions in bangladesh - Research Paper Example Workers were forced to go to the streets to fight for their rights which they thought were being infringed. The government formed wage board with the help of international labor organization stepped in to assist in the crisis. December last year the wage board approved a 77% increment in wage in the garment industry though most factory owners opposed it they had to oblige. As much as their right was granted, another problem arose. According to (Lazear, 15) the increase in minimum pay pushed the production cost since labor is the most valuable asset in production. On a business perspective, this was tragedy especially international trade. Price and quality of a product are correlated in international market and therefore, sound decision should be made before implementation. The increased minimum wage paved way for China, India, Turkey and Indonesia to surpass Bangladesh in the exportation of garment. According to (AP Worldstream, 7) This was attributed to the increase in the price of her garment which was expensive as compared to her competitors. This will impact on Bangladesh since she will experience unfavorable balance of payment i.e. high value of import as compared to export. Bangladesh being a developing country faces the problem of inequality in wealth distribution. In Bangladesh, the social class differs on extreme scenario such that we have those who are extreme poor and those who are â€Å"stinking† rich. People living around urban areas like Dhaka enjoy a quality life as those who live in the rural area. However, this doesn’t mean that all Dhaka inhabitants enjoy lucrative lifestyle, also in Dhaka there are shanties (Vietnamese News Agency, 4). In these shanties, the sanitation is compromised though they enjoy some benefits like availability of electricity and water. Inequality in wealth distribution has an impact to business development of a nation. With this widening gap between the rich and the poor in

Critical Analysis of the Film Good Will Hunting Essay

Critical Analysis of the Film Good Will Hunting - Essay Example Luckily, mathematics has been spared the symbolism of forbidden knowledge, troubled with ethical dilemmas (Frankenstein, Faust, Rappacini). Quite on the contrary, the film Good Will Hunting strikes a balance, and its mathematicians are portrayed as more multifaceted than those in the works referred to above. Good Will Hunting is in effect not about mathematics. It is about the touching story of a young man's struggling to outdo his Dickensian childhood, to find his place in the world, and to attain closeness with others. The main character, Will (the title is a play on his name), is a tough and supernaturally gifted orphan from Boston's South Side. He works as a janitor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and cannot resist showing anonymously his solutions to (apparently) perplexing mathematical problems. The identity of the solver is revealed just about the time that Will (Matt Damon) is arraigned for taking part in a street brawl. His following court-ordered supervision by a m athematics professor and Fields Medallist Professor Lambeau, (played by Stellan Skarsgard) includes psychological counselling. This sets the plot in motion. The way Will feels about himself, the woman he courts, about his remarkable gift and his background are looked into detail through an interaction with his psychologist (portrayed by Robin Williams) whose a background also turns out to be similar. So what is the role of mathematics in all this? Alfred Hitchcock's metaphor of the "McGuffin" rings in the head: an object or idea that drives the plot and with which everyone in the film, but not the audience, is preoccupied. In films by Hitchcock, the McGuffin might be a hidden treasure, or someone's identity. This film's McGuffins are Will's talent and the mathematics problems the he has a knack of solving so easily. It is quite possible that Will could have been gifted in physics, biology, in languages and faced similar issues in his life. Indeed, his intellect is drawn larger than life, so that he can learn organic chemistry, talk about economics, and even defend himself in court, with an ability to cite precedents. So why mathematics? One of the reasons is that mathematics is alleged to be vague that few can do it. In fact, this is amongst the few remarks about mathematics that this film makes, with which a mathematical audience will strongly disagree. Under the opening credits, the first frames of the film are of a mathematical text out of focus and blurred, as if seen by a general reader who cannot understand it. The mathematics referred to later on ranges from simple graph theory, through basic linear algebra to Parseval's theorem (mispronounced in the film) and to what seems like some deeper graph theoretical results. Mathematics mentioned persistently, but in no scene is it presented articulately. Will's gift is valuable, possibly because it is so rare. Mathematics highlights the major differences between Will and the academics. Will is a tough street y oungster. His gift is well-regarded but not envied by his friends. Had his gift been in rock music or sports, the plot could not have turned on the choice Will has to make between his background and his destiny. The culture of mathematics doesn’t fit well with that of blue-collar South Boston. And it is not predominantly "our fault". Professor Lambeau goes to great lenghths to keep Will out of jail, to get him a decent job which

Cost advantage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cost advantage - Essay Example Learning: Productivity improves as the process of learning to do a task attains peak level. It provides opportunities - from a complex machine center operation to even routine tasks like collecting stores or selecting a channel for distribution. It is one of the drivers behind the success of suggestion-box schemes, where employees with hands-on experience are rewarded for suggestions for improving efficiency. (your last name) 2 Capacity utilization: Resources of a firm in the form of different assets like men, machinery, money etc. are put to different levels of utilization. It is possible to improve the levels and achieve better balance in order to reduce fixed/variable costs per unit, with better volumes. Linkages: This explains the interrelationship between activities both within and without a firm. At the broadest level, the critical path method (CPM) or project evaluation and review techniques (PERT) can be seen as typical study of linkages in project planning operations. The id ea is to see that wastage and inefficiency is eliminated in completing different tasks that have dependencies. The Japanese inventory control system, just-in-time (JIT), is typical of the examples of deriving cost efficiencies of input supplies, a process in which even suppliers’ value activities are studied and improved upon to create win-win situation for both. Interrelationships: This is the process of identifying interrelationship of activities of the different units of a firm, which are amenable to improved efficiencies e.g., administration, recruitment/training or purchases. Integration: Popularly called backward and forward integration processes, this identifies activities upstream or downstream of the current operations with a view to locate opportunities for (your last name) 3 integration which would result in cost efficiencies/value addition or both. For example, a steel rerolling unit may examine setting up facilities for steel melting (backward) or end-product fab rication (forward). Timing: First-mover or late-mover advantages/disadvantages play a role in operational costs. First-movers gain brand advantage and enjoy premium prices but may be tied up with expensive/obsolete machinery or methods over a time; Late-movers learn from the mistakes of early-movers, employ more modern and efficient machines but have to fight entrenched players to gain market share. Also, market conditions and seasonal factors influence operations and underscore the importance of timing. Finally, a firm’s discretionary policies as per its objectives and goals, and institutional factors of agencies like the local/state/national governments and creditors, drive the cost advantage of a firm. Porter’s analysis also emphasizes the interplay of the different cost drivers and searches for scope for improved efficiencies, going beyond conventional cost accounting method. In other words, for gaining cost advantage, it is less important to know ‘how muchâ €™ an activity costs than ‘why so much’. 2. Analyzing and deciding steps The competitor enjoys an average price premium of 0.6% and lower costs of 0.5% on account of maintenance and scrap, resulting in net higher pre-tax margin of 5.1%, compared to my 4%. These cost benefits accrue to him due to the modern machinery employed by him. Since (your last name) 4 replacing my 30-year old machinery or charging higher prices is ruled out, I have to look for alternative ways to generate

Q8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Q8 - Essay Example e effective in achieving the desired objectives of effectiveness; rather resolving a conflict at the organizational level where the knowledge to address the conflict is available, is likely to be more effective. In order to address the performance issues and large costs associated with reforming and refining systems development projects, a study carried out by Patnayakuni et al (2006) proposes a knowledge management system perspective in order to manage both tacit and explicit knowledge in the process of systems development. Supply chain management and inter-organisational system development techniques have also been used by large companies in order to develop their efficiency. Assessing the same techniques in the case of small and medium sized enterprises however, Morrell and Ezingeard (2002) have concluded that while such enterprises may gain significant benefits through the application of supply chain management and inter-organizational system development techniques, in practice they do not do so because there is a culturally rooted lack of vision and awareness, which are limiting the extent to which such techniques are applied and benefits realized. These methods may nevertheless offer excellent opportunities to develop efficient methods to improve inter organizational performance. The most important aspect however, would be to develop effective systems of knowledge management. The major objective would be to keep department leaders apprised of developments occurring within the organization. As Patnayukuni et al (2006) have highlighted, this would involve the effective use of both tacit and explicit knowledge, but more importantly, ensuring that department heads are able to gain access to and be aware of such knowledge through the development of an effective system to communicate information to all department heads. It is effective integration within an organization that is therefore likely to be beneficial in the adoption of a corporate wide system for

Wages ,Unions ,and Labor Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Wages ,Unions ,and Labor - Term Paper Example Moon (2011) cited that the weekly applications of unemployment insurance fell to a 3-1/2 year low. The unemployment rate was reduced to 8.6 percent last November from 9.0 percent in October this year (Dalgleish, 2011). Though this shows an improvement of 0.4 percent, the present unemployment rate is still high (Harrison & Berg, 2011; Felsenthal & da Costa, 2011). This improvement might be undone if the bill which cuts funds allocated for defense in the 2012 budget will be approved by the senate and the president. This bill will cost 800,000 jobs and this might rose up to 1.5 million jobs in the following decade due to legislation passed in August (Felsenthal & da Costa, 2011). High unemployment rate was one of the reasons why thousands of demonstrators marched on ports from Southern California to Alaska last December 12. This march included two of the largest labor unions in country: the longshoremen’s union and the Teamsters (Harrison & Berg, 2011). Part of the rally’s focus was for non-union members; independent workers who earn low wages such as truck drivers said Harrison and Berg (2011). High unemployment rate is one of the major problems of the economy of the United States at present times. ... The U.S. GDP and Unemployment Rate To analyze the current situation in an economic perspective, the country’s data on its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) must first be known together with its unemployment rate. It is important to take note of the economic output at the macro level According to Williamson (2008), â€Å"when the aggregate real GDP is high, the unemployment rate tends to be low since the two variables are countercyclical in nature (p. 594). Graphing these two sets of data will serve as a tool for analysis. Table 1. U.S. Gross Domestic Product 2011  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter3  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ GDP 0.4 1.3 2.0 Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis Table 2. U.S. Unemployment Rate 2011  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ Month Unemployment Rate January 9.0 February 8.9 March 8.8 April 9.0 May 9.1 June 9.2 July 9.1 August 9.1 September 9.1 October 9.0 November 8.6 Sou rce: Bureau of Labor Statistics Graph 1. U.S. GDP and Unemployment Rate 2011 Graph 1 show that the data is in accordance with what Williamson (2008) mentioned regarding GDP and unemployment rate. This further implies that despite the European debt crisis, the U.S. economy is still doing well at the moment, especially since an increase in GDP has been noted in the last quarter together with a significant decrease in unemployment. Production output has increased implying increased earnings. The number of people employed increased which means less spending for the government since the people who avail unemployment benefits decreased. If the bill which permitted the cut of funds in the budget for defense is approved, 800,000 workers will lose their job and the unemployment rate will increase once more. This will lead lesser production

Developing YORKLAB HR strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Developing YORKLAB HR strategy - Essay Example The company tries to retain its customers by ensuring timely delivery of goods which in turn enables to ascertain growth for the company throughout the year. Yorklab follows a flat organisational structure, which ensures a wide span of control with fewer level of management. The structure allows the company to be less costly, with less management levels. This structure will ensure a better and quick flow of decision within the organisation. Moreover, it will have a fast and clear communication of messages from the management ensuring timely and quality product. This structure helps the company to keep a proper track of the sales and the services provided. The HR policy of the company facilitates in employing people who have knowledge regarding the process and are friendly and ready to work in team. Satisfying the customer is the primary motive of the company and this is the core reason for the success of the organisation for years. The company is in the need to expand its business in to new areas of the market. In this context, the management realises that the current HR system or management structure will not be able to sustain the market growth. The HRM concept used is to bind the employees and the management to achieve the goal of the company. It entails the planning, controlling and organising the employees to add value to their service and achieve the desired objectives. In this regard, the objective of the paper is to explore the efficient structure requirement of the company, to mitigate the issue related with the market expansion. The upgraded HR strategies are required to be implemented by the Yorklab in order to attain profit and growth in the market. HR Strategy Content Human resource management is a strategic approach on managing employment and relation in order to achieve competitive advantage. The competitiveness of a business depends on the manager, employees and the knowledge and training provided. Yorklab in this regard followed the flat structu re of management, with a few number of employees and a wide span of control. This structure had various advantages such as the fast communication of information and quick decision regarding the process improvement. The fewer strata of management also help Yorklab to have a better recurrent communication between the higher level of authority and the staff. The purpose of the company is to expand its business keeping in view the quality and the level of customer satisfaction. This was not possible with the current flat HR strategy used by the company. As the level of guidance and coordination between the management and the employee was less there was no proper co-ordination. With the expansion of business, the current number of employee would not suffice the need of the company. With the increase in the business activities, the complexities would increase and the current flat structure would not support the requisite. The flat strategy with wider span of control renders less amount of time to focus on the individual decisions. This can thus be of a great disadvantage for taking significant strategic decisions which will have a long-term impact on Yorklab (Education-Portal,

Article Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Article Response - Essay Example Ziegelman then provides a brief history about the introduction of pickle in America in 19th century by immigrants. She terms a pickle as pungent, toxic and morally suspect. The pickle became popular due to its cheap price. Pickles were also considered by charity and health workers to be a stimulant like coffee, whiskey and tobacco. Children from poor families always had a strange fascination about pickles. Efforts were then made to transform immigrant food into American food. This began with the separation of children from their pickles. Cooking classes were established to teach immigrants about American way of cooking and homemakers were trained how to make simple American food including chowders and pies. In 1919 and 1920, New York City’s Board of Education started to feed immigrant children with American food in place of pickles. Pickles had not ceased by mid 1920s, so quotas were issued to stop immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe. However, the pickle did not stop; Americans started to use it as diet reforms declined, and nowadays pickles are enjoyed as normal food. This story shows that one can eat any kind of food and speak any language and still be an American. Therefore, what makes an American to be an American is citizenship and not food or culture. Immigrants can be assimilated to become American without necessarily forcing them to abandon their culture and food. American society is made up of diverse communities with different cultures and behaviours, but those differences never make them less or more American than others. In my case, I eat pickles. The introduction of pickles to United States is a thrilling story that may make some people who are radical to the American culture to hate pickles. However, I think that the story just indicates how the society accepts diversities in form cultural values and ways of life. I can eat food from any community as long as they do not have any negative health effects. Pickles have been eaten

Progressive Movement Essay Example for Free

Progressive Movement Essay The Progressive Movement was a movement that came about due to changes in society after the Civil War. The Movement was a political response to industrialization and social imperfection. The Progressives were able to bring about successful reform in the areas of political and social reform, women’s suffrage, and worker and child labor. The black movement was not considered part of the Progressive Movement, because so many people consider that it was a limitation of the Progressives. The goal of Progressives in the political reform was to make the government more democratic. They made many structural changes in city government, such as hiring managers and administrators instead of having mayors. Electoral reforms were starting to be made by the Progressive Movement like stopping secret balloting, which led to the percent of voters going down. The political machines could no longer control the outcome of elections. Political machines had controlling the elections for many years but now because of electoral reforms, the elections were fair. Teddy Roosevelt believed in the direct election of U. S. enators, instead of by indirect vote through what he believed was an untrammeled electoral college. He thought the senators should be elected like the presidents are elected. He belief in these things led to the passing of the 17th Amendment, which states the direct election of U. S. senators. President Roosevelt also promised that he would break up the bad trusts of companies running railroads, and the power of Standard Oil. He passed the Elkins Act which led to the Interstate Commerce Commission having the authority to stop railroads from giving rebates to favored customers. He also passed the Hepburn Act which allowed the ICC to set max railroad rates and examine the railroad records. During Woodrow Wilson’s presidency the Clayton Anti-trust act was passed to specifically list illegal activity since the Sherman Anti-trust act was unclear about what constituted illegal activity. Because of the Clayton Anti-trust act, more antitrust suits were filed. The act reformed and emphasized concepts of the Sherman Anti-trust Act that are still active today in a growing market and merging of the industries. Wilson also passed the Underwood Act which reduced tariff, and started graduated income tax. Hebert Croly believed that President Wilson’s passing of these different acts casts suspicion on his grasp of the realities of social and industrial life. By 1914, women had the right to vote in 15 states. The women’s involvement with the Progressive Movement helped fuel the cause of women’s suffrage. The National American Women Suffrage Association was organized by Susan B. Anthony and Carrie Chapman Catt to help lobby state legislators, pass out literature, and organize parade and rallies to help women’s suffrage. Alice Paul formed the radical National Women’s Party which put direct pressure on the federal government for suffrage. A political cartoon made it seem that Woodrow Wilson cared more about Germans than women. Because of women’s effort in WWI, the 19th Amendment was passed which allowed women to vote. (Doc A, D, E, F, J, H) Many moral reforms were made during the Progressive Era. They wanted to impose morality by law against gambling, alcohol, amusement parks, dance halls, movies, and prostitution. The Mann Act was passed to state that it was a federal crime to bring a woman across state lines for immoral purposes. This act used the government’s authority to regulate interstate commission as a basis for controlling morality. Francis Willard formed the Women’s Christian Temperance Union to emphasize the legal prohibition of alcohol which led to the 18th Amendment of prohibition of alcohol. This Amendment was later repealed in 1933. The condition of workers in factories was a major problem in the 1900s. The Neill-Reynolds Report shows how the meat packing industry was a disgusting and horrible place to work and how it was unsanitary and unsafe. Upton Sinclair described these horrible conditions of the meat packing industry in his novel, The Jungle. Teddy Roosevelt read this novel and was so disturbed by it that he immediately passed the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act. Workers at this time were facing long hard hours and unfair treatment. Woodrow Wilson administration passed the Adamson Act which advocated an 8 hour workday for RR workers. When workers were injured on the job, they could be fired or replaced and not receive any money. Wilson had the Workmen’s Compensation Act passed which protected against accident and injury. Many children were also working in factories just as hard as adults. Children as young as 4 years old were working 12-14 hour work days. In 1904, the National Child Labor Committee began an investigation into child labor. Some states began to set a minimum age for employment, forbid dangerous jobs and set education requirements. Jane Addams and other settlement workers did not want children working but believed they should be educated. She argues that people are so caught up in the modern achievements that they are forgetting that children need an education. The Keating-Owen Act banned interstate commerce of products produced by child labor. In response to the act, the Supreme Court case of Hammer v. Dagenhart held regulation of child labor in purely internal manufacturing, the products of which may never enter interstate commerce. (Doc B, C, G) The black movement was not included in the Progressive Era, but it was prominent in this time. This was not a successful movement like those stated earlier because of the racism going on. Booker T. Washington was a prominent black leader during this time, and he believed that blacks should acquire skills and improve their economic value to society. He wanted them to accept the racism and be patient. He shared his views during his Atlanta Conference which was also called the Atlanta Compromise. Another black leader, W. E. B. DuBois, shared a different view than Washington. He demanded that all blacks should have full access to the same opportunities like those of whites. He paved the way for black activism. DuBois created the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People or NAACP for short. He created this to end all racial discrimination and rejected Washington’s accommodation policy. DuBois argued that blacks should be treated like whites, especially since they fought in WWI and bled for America, but instead of being treated equally, they returned to a country full of racial discrimination. The black movement was a major failure for the Progressives, as they failed to really address the problems of racism and discrimination. (Doc I) The Progressive Movement was a time of reform in the country. In many ways it was very successful but the one flaw of the movement was its failure to address the wrongs of the treatment of blacks. The movement left a lasting impact on the country that can still be seen today.

Access and consent in public photography

Access and consent in public photography Difficulties in obtaining literature I thought it would be appropriate to start this chapter with a foreword, explaining the difficulties I had in obtaining relevant literature for this review. Whilst conducting an initial search for literature, it became quickly apparent that very little other primary research had been conducted on this subject. To confound matters, the only literature that had been conducted was extremely dated. As a result, there was little other material that I would be able to compare my research to. The one piece of research that was directly relevant was a chapter in Image Ethics by Lisa Henderson – Access and consent in public photography. This chapter will receive a thorough review in a latter section of this review, as its importance as the only other comparable piece of primary research cannot be understated. The only other papers I found that were comparable in terms of content were legal review papers, usually specific to a particular nation. Both Dunedin and Ludlows papers at first glance seemed to be similar in content to my working title (Dunedin 2007; Ludlow 2005). Upon closer inspection though, their applicability was limited. Both dealt with photography as a form of privacy invasion, however, the large bulk of both papers was review of the legislation covering these issues in New Zealand and Australia respectively. Whilst some the content was arguably valuable, I felt that discussing legal legalisation of countries outside of the UK would be irrelevant in the context of my interviews. As there is little to no comparable primary research to base this review upon, I have instead aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the relevant issues that may occur during the interview process. These include, an overview of the laws in the UK that govern photographers rights, A social history of amateur photography and the advent of the Kodak and specific review of Hendersons Access and Consent in Public Photography. The Law The law is fundamental to many of the arguments covered in this dissertation. The UK law in particular, covers many aspects of photographers rights and details exactly when and how they may intrude upon the privacy of others. Despite issues such as the intrusion of privacy, are more of a modern product of legal development, their creation can be attributed in part to the onset popularisation of amateur photography as a result of the hand camera. In this aspect, it can be argued that photography is on the forefront of ethical and moral issues surrounding privacy and the protection of intellectual property. In particular, this section will focus on the laws surrounding photography of private property, invasion of privacy and harassment, and photography of children. There exists much material on copyright issues pertaining to photography. I have purposefully excluded these issues from this review because I felt it was less relevant to the overall purpose of the dissertation as compared to the issues involved in actually performing the act of taking the photograph. Private property As a rule of thumb, photographers do have the right to take photographs of private property from public spaces (Macpherson 2009). Photographers also have the right to take photographs on private property provided they have the owners permission to do so. Conversely however, any owner of private property has the right to refuse access to a property upon entry, and this includes taking photographs of said property. Macpherson notes that, in addition, photography is restricted upon entry to other areas of private property that some might consider public, including â€Å"museums, stately homes, for example, and by most concert venues† In addition, the use of a of a long lens to take to an picture of a private property, such as a persons residence, is an invasion of privacy if the photograph is taken without the owners consent, even if it is taken in a public space (Macpherson 2009). Exceptions in Public Spaces The UK has two exceptions, where photography is prohibited in openly public spaces. These specifically, include Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square in London. Photography in these areas is prohibited from commercial photography, for example, it could not be used in business adverting or for selling prints (Greater London Authority 2002). Non-commercial photography is not prohibited, for example, tourists taking photographs are unrestricted in their photography in these areas. Harassment In general, any harassment of a person is illegal. Obviously this term is extremely broad but photography in certain circumstances can be viewed as harassment. Macpherson notes that â€Å"Harassment is essentially behaviour that causes alarm or distress, and it refers to a ‘course of conduct not a single incident.† (Macpherson 2009) This means that this behaviour has to be repeated at least twice to count to amount to harassment; however, two separate incidents have the potential to occur in a short period a time, for example, if a person repeatedly tried to photograph of an unwilling subject. Invasion of Privacy As it stands, the UK does have laws governing an individuals privacy. This right to privacy has developed through the interaction of the European Convention on Human Rights with domestic law through the Human Rights Act 1998. This may result in certain prohibitions on the practice of photography. Specifically Article 8 of European Convention on Human Rights gives every individual the right to protect their private family life, correspondence and home from the intrusion of others. Whether this right is directly a result of the Human Rights Act 1998 or is judicially created, is a matter that has been widely discussed (Morgan 2004). Whilst, the right to privacy is protected by Article 8 of the convention, Article 10 detailing freedom of expression, contradicts this right in terms of photography As a result, courts often have to judge each case in terms of its own merits (Human Rights Act 1998). To confound matters, article 8 is in a stage of flux, and laws surrounding the privacy of ind ividuals are often altered, creating the potential for further confusion among both photographers and members of the general public. When specifically considering the case of photographing in public spaces, the core of the issue lies in whether a person could have a reasonable expectation of privacy, however, the degree to which is asserted is a matter of debate. Data Protection Despite there currently not being a case of such, there is still a possibility that photographs may be subject to the Data Protection Act (Data Protection Act 1998). This act monitors and protects all aspects pertaining to personal information. Whilst the act does not specifically mention privacy as a concept, the label of ‘personal information can relate to almost any aspect of an individuals intellectual property, whether this includes their image, is a question that has yet to be clearly stated ,but is a matter that will no doubt be debated in the near future. Protection of Children The law protects children in exactly the same way as adults when considering the issues we have already considered in terms of harassment, data protection and invasions of privacy. However, in addition, children are also protected by the child protection act. It is illegal both to take an indecent photograph of a child, or to edit an image in such a way that a photograph becomes indecent. These laws are detailed in the Protection of Children Act (Protection of Children Act 1978). Macpherson notes that while it is not illegal to take photographs of children under the age of 16 in public places, it may well arouse suspicion from the police and may result in investigation of motives (Macpherson 2009). In addition he notes that other activities and events put on by local councils, such as fairs and school-based events, may well have strict rules about photography of children which can be enforced. Security National Security has become an issue of chief importance in the light of recent terrorist activity. One of the most published examples is the fact that is now illegal to transfer or publish a photograph of a police constable, members of the armed forces, or other security related personnel under new counter terrorist legislation (Counter-Terrorism Act 2008). This rule is somewhat moderated by the fact that the accused photograph would have to be of a nature that would prove useful to terrorists. The accused are capable of defending themselves if they manage to provide a reasonable excuse, nevertheless, the focus of this legislation is arguably still a case of ‘guilty before proven innocent. This law has been met with considerable resistance, with journalists recently staging a protest against the legalisation at Scotland Yard. In an news article covering the protest, Victoria Bone notes â€Å"That means anyone taking a picture of one of those people could face a fine or a prison sentence of up to 10 years, if a link to terrorism is proved The law has angered photographers, both professional and amateur, who fear it could exacerbate the harassment they already sometimes face.† (Bone 2009) A Cultural History Of Amateur Photography The Advent Of Personality And Privacy The advent of a formal understanding of privacy is an issue that is central to this entire dissertation. I wanted to examine the advent of privacy as a concept because it is so inextricably linked to many of the issues that arose through my interviews, aiding my latter analysis. Many of the issues pertaining to the evolution of privacy can be found in Mensels paper Kodakers Lying in Wait: Amateur Photography and the Right of Privacy in New York, 1885 -1915 (Mensel 1991). At first glance of this paper, I was concerned of its potential use because I wanted to focus on the UK, as many of these issues are culturally relative. Despite this, upon further inspection, the concepts the paper produces are universal in their applicability. In addition, many of the issues of privacy do appear to have developed in Victorian New York in a way that is both traceable and easily understood. The first of Mensels key references in the development of privacy is author Warren Susman. Susman has written a wealth of information on the fundamental changes that occurred in American society in the early 20th century. Perhaps the most important of these changes was the shift between being a â€Å"culture of character† to a â€Å"culture of personality†. In her book ‘Culture as History: The Transformation of American Society in the Twentieth Century (Susman 1984) Susman describes how self-awareness developed within society, subtly and yet fundamentally. He argues that for much of the 1800s that society was defined by the nature of â€Å"Character†. Character was defined as form of self-awareness where people examined their own morality. From Susman: â€Å"In the age of self-consciousness, a popular vision of the self defined by the word character became fundamental in sustaining and even in shaping the significant forms of the culture. Such a concept filled two important functions. It proposed a method for both mastery and development of the self. In fact, it argued that its kind of self-control was the way to fullest development of the moral significance of self. But it also provided a method of presenting the self to society, offering a standard of conduct that assured interrelationship between the social and the moral.† This matter of expressing oneself to society was a crucial trigger for a wide reaching social change. For Susman, the advent of character was the first step on the road to society developing personality and consequently, the concept of privacy. Despite these insights, Mensel argues that Susmans use of words such as ‘character and ‘personality are inappropriate because such distinction between them was not recognised at that time. Another key reference that Mensel cites in his paper, is the writing of renowned journalist EL Godkin. Godkin was at the forefront of the development of privacy as a concept and was one of the first to write specifically on the matter. His article in Scirbners magazine ‘The Rights of the Citizen was one of the first writings to consider â€Å"The right to decide how much knowledge of [an individuals] own private affairs the public shall have† (Godkin 1890). Godkin saw privacy as â€Å"a distinctly modern product, one of luxuries of civilisation†. Having recognised the advent of privacy as a new phenomenon, Godkin was also conscious of the threats to privacy that the behaviours of modern society represented. He was particularly concerned with the behaviour of the media in intruding peoples personal lives: â€Å"The Chief enemy of privacy in modern life is that interest in other people and their affairs known as curiosity, which in days before newspapers created personal gossip [A]s long as gossip was oral, is spread, as regarded any one individual, over a very small area, and was confined to the immediate circle of his acquaintances. It did not reach, or but rarely reached, those who knew nothing of him. It did not make his name, or his walk, or his conversation familiar to strangers† Godkins writings on the issues of privacy and how it may be intruded upon, inspired a strong desire within some sectors of the society, to protect their privacy with legal means. Some social commentators have argued that Godkins work was the direct inspiration for Warren and Brandeiss groundbreaking article, ‘The Right to Privacy, that argued for privacy to be protected by law (Warren Brandeis 1890). Ironically , it would appear that Godkin was actually opposed to using the law as a method of protecting privacy. According to Mensel, this was partially due to the fact that a jury in such a trial would be most likely â€Å"be composed of the same ‘depraved classes that were responsible for the advent of sensationalist journalism and intrusive photography profitable† (Mensel 1991). Despite Godkins objections, Warren and Brandeiss article was a huge success. Combining elements from varied and estranged fields of law, they managed to formulate an argument that the law could protect the â€Å"thoughts, sentiments and emotions† of the general public (Warren and Brandeis 1890). This issue was especially important to the authors because of the threat generated by â€Å"Recent inventions and business methods† These included the new journalism style that was similarly disregarded by Godkin, in addition a previously unconsidered threat in the form of the newly invented Kodak hand camera. The Social Impact Of The Kodak Camera Photography, prior to the invention of the hand camera, was a difficult and cumbersome process that was only left to the reserve of a minority of experts. It was certainly not the highly accessible hobby that it became in later years. As Jenkins notes: â€Å"From the time of the introduction of commercial photography in 1839 until the late 1870s, the technical complexities of the photographic process were so great that only professional photographers and a very few avid amateurs chose to pursue the practice. In the 1870s the photographer had, for example, to prepare the photosensitive materials; adjust the camera settings; expose, develop, and fix the glass-plate negative; and print and fix the positive paper copy.† (Jenkins 1975) This situation changed permanently and dramatically with the invention of the hand camera, invented by George Eastman. This camera used an innovative new technology that used dry plates and allowed for instantaneous exposures. This new technology came to change not only how photographs were taken, but who took them. Perhaps the widest reaching effect of the introduction of the Kodak was to allow members of the public with no little to no previous experience of photography to take acceptable quality pictures. Whilst this may have seen as a positive step in terms of the reputation and esteem of the photographers, the advent of thousands of amateur photographers had the opposite effect. In the late 19th century, in America, prominent newspapers such as The New York Times produced articles on what came to be known as The Camera Epidemic (The New York Times 1884). These articles disregarded the mass popularisation of photography to the extent of a labelling it a national scourge. Reports written by members of the public of the growing problem of â€Å"camera lunatics appear frequently in letters to the major publishers. A different article in the New York Times (NYT 1884) went as far to liken amateur photographers to the mentally ill: â€Å"it has not occurred to a single medical man that the first noticeable increase in the percentage of lunatics in this country and in England took place about a year after the introduction of dry plate photography We need search no further to find out why our lunatic asylums are crowded. These reports are a potent reminder of the disregard many people felt for the advent of the hand camera at this time. One article detailing Secretary of Treasury, Charles Folger marked as an oddity for having â€Å"a most extraordinary fondness for being photographed†, In the same article as the author describes Folgers picture being taken be describes â€Å"..while the camera does its deadly work† (NYT 1884) Examples such as these highlight the publics distaste for these new amateurs. One particularly violent solution was offered in The Amateur Photographer1885: There is but one remedy for the amateur photographer. Put a brick through his camera whenever you suspect he has taken you unawares. And if there is any doubt, give the benefit of it to the brick, not to the camera. The rights of private property, personal liberty, and personal security birthrights, all of them, of American citizens are distinctly are distinctly inconsistent with the unlicensed use of the instantaneous process. (The Amateur Photographer 1885) Access And Consent In Public Photography – A Review This essay, written by Lisa Henderson, is essentially a review of an unpublished masters thesis – Photographing in Public Places: Photography as social interaction that was produced while she was a student at the University of Pennsylvania in 1983. I first encountered this essay while studying a book called Image Ethics: The Moral Rights of Subjects in Photographs, Film, and Television published in 1991, the essay however is also revised and reprinted in a book called The Photographer Reader published in 2003. The gap between these dates was a good initial indication that the essay had occupied a unique niche in terms of describing issues of privacy caused by photography from a social standpoint. Indeed, it is the only comparable piece of literature I have found on the subject. Unfortunately, I was unable to obtain a copy of the original thesis. Thankfully, the essay alone contains a detailed summary of the most pertinent results. This section will review these results so that I may be able to compare the findings of our research during my analysis and conclusions. Hendersons results are subdivided into three main categories: Settings, Subjects and Strategies. I will purposefully avoid repeating the reference (Henderson 2003), all of the following material is adapted from the most recent version of her essay in The Photography Reader, all statements can be directly attributed to this essay. Settings Henderson begins this chapter with four elements that she has defined as being key when considering the setting of photographs: 1) The familiarity of the setting 2) Whether the setting is is considered a â€Å"front† or â€Å"back† region of a larger area 3) How frequently photographs are taken in the setting and 4) The purpose of the event within the setting. Familiarity, according to Henderson, is key in defining how comfortable a photographer feels taking photographs in a given setting. She notes that familiarity is key because it allows a photographer to achieve a state of â€Å"normality† By understanding their subject audiences, photographers can blend into specific cultural settings and make their subjects feel at ease. The language used in this case is interesting. Henderson implies that a state of â€Å"normality† is beneficial because photography is an abnormal action. The terms of â€Å"front and back† are adapted from theatrical stage language and define a photographers route of access. Back regions involve a photographer to imitate the image of a consummate professional going about day-to-day business, they can achieve this by being accompanied by a official such a police officer or by â€Å"pretending† to be on official business. Front entrance occurs when an event implies a photographers presence is not unusual. Henderson argues that photographers are more comfortable when surrounded by their own kind. A mob has the effect of drawing attention away from the individual, making it easier for a single photographer to achieve â€Å"neutrality† in their setting. Again, the language here implies neutrality is beneficial in order to avoid unwanted attention. Again, events where photography is expected, such as press conferences, are easier for photographers because photography is the expected norm at such an event. Subjects Henderson introduces this section with what some would argue, is an extremely bold statement: â€Å"No group of people is categorically off-limits or of no interest to photographers†. This statement is modified by adding that many different groups at treated differently by photographers, Age, gender ethnicity and social class all require a modification of strategy be it an invitation to take a photography or an act of â€Å"intimidation in others†. Henderson notes that a common subject for many amateur photographers can be found in street performers performing various formal and informal activities. Individuals performing musical, theatrical or other forms of entertainment are ideal according to Henderson, because photography is usually a welcome presence or â€Å"flattery† for many street performers who are keen for attention. They also allow the photographers to remain relatively unnoticed among a crowd of stationary observers. Strategies Henderson describes a plethora of different strategies in order to gain access to their subjects. These strategies are eased if the photographer shares common characteristics with their subjects, she cites ethnicity, social class and social background as being key in determining the ease at which a photographer can gain access to their subjects. Interestingly, she notes that children are an exception â€Å"Photographing children is an exception. Children are thought to be less self-conscious about their appearance and less likely to anticipate the â€Å"possible horrors† of photographs and they might appear in publication† This comment is of particular interest because it reflects the culture of the time in which it was written. Indeed children would be considered an exception in photography in recent times, more likely for the fact that they were a subject to be avoided due to possible fear of being labelled a sexual deviant. A mass paranoia about paedophilia was not p resent in the early 1980s to the same degree that it is currently. Henderson describes a variety of different strategies that may be employed to gain access to their subjects. The majority of these involve the photographer assuming a role where he/she can appear as â€Å"un-alarming† as possible by either assuming an official role or by blending in with the crowd. Conclusions Hendersons work serves an interesting social insight into the behaviour of photographers. However, there are several factors that would be interesting to have been more informed on. She mentions that this work is based on interviews with 15 ‘photographers, it becomes clear in the subsequent prose that these photographers consist of a mix of amateurs, professionals and photojournalists, which does seem a wide variety for such a small sample. In many ways, the paper exudes a feeling of disapproval, photographers are seen as taking steps to remain â€Å"un-alarming† and seeking to try and gain an appearance of â€Å"normality†. Photographers are also seen as adjusting their approach to different social groups by â€Å"intimidating† them, although direct quotations or evidence to support this claim is not provided. In many regards, this paper seems to follow the line of the amateur photographer as a 19th century â€Å"camera lunatic†. Whilst informative, it does seem somewhat odd that this one-sided approach to the issue remains the only obtainable source on the behaviour of the photographer and their considerations of privacy.

Causes and Types of Cerebrovascular Accidents (CVA)

Causes and Types of Cerebrovascular Accidents (CVA) Cerebro-vascular accident Introduction Cerebrovascular accident or CVA as it is commonly called is defined as the unforeseen death of some of the cells of the brain because of lack of the supply of oxygen to the brain. This occurs when the flood flow to the brain is hindered by blockage or some rupture of an artery going to the brain another common term used to denote a cerebro vascular accident (CVA) is stroke. The most common symtoms of a cerebro vascular accident vary depending upon the area of the brain affected. The commonly presenting symptoms of a stroke are weakness and/or paralysis of any one side of the body with either partial or complete loss of wilful movement or sensation in the arm or leg or both. Other associated problems can be speech difficulties and weakness of facial muscles which causes drooling. Tingling sensations and numbness of the limbs is a common occurrence. Cerebrovascular accidents which involve the base of brain can cause imbalance, visual imparity, trouble in swallowing, breathing difficulties and loss of consciousness. Patho-physiology A cerebrovascular accident or stroke can be classified into two broad categories- Ischemic stoke Haemorrhagic stroke Ischaemic stroke When a blood vessel like an artery supplying to the brain is hindered by a blood clot resulting in obstruction of the blood flow to the brain, ischemic stroke is said to have occurred. This occurs in two ways. One, called as a thrombotic stroke, occurs in an artery that has already narrowed. A clot may form in this artery causing stroke.this accounts for 80% of all cases of cerebro vascular accidents. Second, called as an embolic stroke or central embolism occurs when a clot breaks off from another part of the body and travels thrugh the circulation to reach the brain. 10-15% of people diagnosed with CVA fall under this category. Haemorrhagic shock Sometimes a blood vessel in the part of brain becomes weak and bursts causing blood to leak in the brain cavity. This can occur in patients with certain defects in the blood vessels of brain and is called as haemorrhagic shock. Such defects include- arterio-venous malformation (AVM) or aneurysms. The cause of vessel bursts can be high blood pressure. Haemorrhagic strokes might even occur in patients on blood thinners. A patient who has ischemic stroke can develop bleeding and change to haemorrhagic shock. Signs and symptoms The side effects of stroke rely on upon which some piece of the cerebrum is harmed. Sometimes, an individual may not realize that a stroke has happened. More often than not, side effects grow abruptly and all of a sudden. Be that as it may, manifestations may happen on and off for the first day or two. Manifestations are normally most extreme when the stroke first happens, yet they might gradually deteriorate. A cerebral pain may happen if the stroke is brought about by draining in the cerebrum. The cerebral pain: Starts abruptly and may be extreme May be more regrettable when you are lying level Wakes you up from slumber Gets more terrible when you change positions or when you twist, strain, or hack Different manifestations rely on upon how serious the stroke is and what a piece of the cerebrum is influenced. Manifestations may include: Change in readiness (counting lethargy, obviousness, and trance state) Changes in hearing Changes in taste Changes that influence touch and the capacity to feel torment, weight, or diverse temperatures Clumsiness Confusion or loss of memory Difficulty gulping Difficulty composing or perusing Dizziness or strange feeling of development (vertigo) Eyesight issues, for example, diminished vision, twofold vision, or aggregate loss of vision Lack of control over the bladder or insides Loss of offset Loss of coordination Muscle shortcoming in the face, arm, or leg (normally just on one side) Numbness or shivering on one side of the body Personality, temperament, or passionate changes Trouble talking or comprehension other problems Stroke and nervous system When you have an ischemic stroke, the oxygen-rich blood supply to some piece of your cerebrum is diminished. With a hemorrhagic stroke, there is draining in the mind. After around 4 minutes without blood and oxygen, mind cells get to be harmed and may bite the dust. The body tries to restore blood and oxygen to the cells by augmenting other veins (corridors) close to the territory. Recuperating after a stroke may feel like an overwhelming errand. In addition to other things, your mind must relearn aptitudes it lost when it was harmed by the stroke. Late research, however, demonstrates that the mind is amazingly strong and equipped for adjusting after a stroke. This implies that recuperation is more conceivable than beforehand suspected. On the off chance that blood supply isnt restored, lasting harm ordinarily happens. The body parts controlled by those harmed cells cant work. This loss of capacity may be mellow or serious. It might be transitory or perpetual. It relies on upon where and how a significant part of the cerebrum is harmed and how quick the blood supply can be come back to the influenced cells. Life-debilitating complexities might likewise happen. This is the reason it’s critical to get treatment at the earliest opportunity. Recovery relies on upon the area and measure of mind harm created by the stroke, the capacity of other sound ranges of the cerebrum to assume control for the harmed regions, and restoration. As a rule, the less harm there is to the mind tissue, the less inability results and the more prominent the possibilities of an effective recuperation. Stroke is the most well-known apprehensive system–related reason for physical inability. Of individuals who survive a stroke, half will even now have some handicap 6 months after the stroke. You have the best risk of recovering your capacities amid the initial couple of months after a stroke. Recovering a few capacities, for example, discourse, comes gradually, if by any means. About a large portion out of every other person on earth who have a stroke will have some long haul issues with talking, comprehension, and choice making. They additionally may have changes in conduct that influence their associations with family and companion. Right sided hemiplagia and resolving dysphagia Hemiplagia Hemiplegia is loss of motion of one side of the body. Hemiparesis is shortcoming of one side of the body and is less extreme than hemiplegia. Both are a typical symptom of stroke or cerebrovascular mishap. One may consider how stand outside of the body can get to be incapacitated or powerless after a stroke. Uneven loss of motion or shortcoming happens when a stroke influences the corticospinal tract of one side of the mind. The right half of the mind controls the engine capacity of the left half of the body. The left half of the cerebrum controls the engine capacity of the right half of the body. Therefore when one side of the mind is harmed, it causes stand outside of the body to be influenced. Dysphagia Dysphagia is a regularly reported grimness after stroke, yet its accounted for frequencies are broadly discrepant; going somewhere around 19% and 81%.The vicinity of dysphagia has been connected with an expanded danger for aspiratory complications and even mortality. There is rising confirmation that early discovery of dysphagia in patients with intense stroke decreases these muddlings as well as diminishes length of clinic stay and general medicinal services expenditures. A precise appraisal of the occurrence of dysphagia and its expanded danger for pneumonic outcomes in the stroke populace will be basic to guide the outline of future exploration meaning to survey advantages of dysphagia mediations. Cerebral, cerebellar, or mind stem strokes can debilitate gulping physiology. Cerebral sores can intrude on intentional control of rumination and bolus transport amid the oral phase.Cortical injuries including the precentral gyrus may create contralateral hindrance in facial, lip, and tongue engine control, and contralateral bargain in pharyngeal peristalsis. Cerebral injuries creating debilitations in subjective capacity, for example, focus or specific consideration might likewise impede control of swallowing.Brain stem strokes are less normal than cortical injuries yet bring about the biggest gulping trade off. Cerebrum stem sores can influence vibe of the mouth, tongue, and cheek, timing in the trigger of the pharyngeal swallow, laryngeal height, glottic conclusion, and cricopharyngeal relaxation. Regardless of injury area, in light of the fact that stroke is more basic in the elderly, typical age-related gulping could further compound stroke-related dysphagia. The elderly poststr oke patient may never again have the capacity to make up for ordinary changes in skeletal muscle quality that diminish mastication or lessen lingual pressure. Therefore, single or numerous parts of the swallow may be debilitated relying upon stroke sort and patient age.

The Pathways of Pain Essay -- Medicine Medical Papers

The Pathways of Pain In 1931, the French medical missionary Dr. Albert Schweitzer wrote, "Pain is a more terrible lord of mankind than even death itself." Today, pain has become the universal disorder, a serious and costly public health issue, and a challenge for family, friends, and health care providers who must give support to the individual suffering from the physical as well as the emotional consequences of pain (1). Early humans related pain to evil, magic, and demons. Relief of pain was the responsibility of sorcerers, shamans, priests, and priestesses, who used herbs, rites, and ceremonies as their treatments. The Greeks and Romans were the first to advance a theory of sensation, the idea that the brain and nervous system have a role in producing the perception of pain. But it was not until the middle ages and well into the Renaissance-the 1400s and 1500s-that evidence began to accumulate in support of these theories. Leonardo da Vinci and his contemporaries came to believe that the brain was the central organ responsible for sensation. Da Vinci also developed the idea that the spinal cord transmits sensations to the brain. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the study of the body and the senses continued to be a source of wonder for the world's philosophers. In 1664, the French philosopher Renà © Descartes described what to this day is still called a "pain pathway" (5). What prompted me to research about the various pain pathways was my grandmother's arthritis. She has suffered for many years with severe joint pain and in the past, has been treated with corticosteroids. Currently, she is taking Celebrex, (COX-2 inhibitor) which is a relatively new drug in the family of 'superaspirins'. What impressed... ...ds the promise of an even greater understanding of pain in the coming years. Their research offers a powerful weapon in the battle to prolong and improve the lives of people with pain: hope (1) . References 1)National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke http://www.ninds.nih.gov/ 2)American Pain Society http://www.ampainsoc.org/ 3)American Academy of Pain Management http://www.aapainmanage.org/ 4)PainNet.Inc http://www.pain.com/ 5)International Association for the Study of Pain http://www.halcyon.com/iasp 6)MayDay Pain Project, The. http://www.painandhealth.org/ 7)Pain Treatment: Janssen-Cilag Pharm. http://www.janssen-cilag.com/ 8)American Chronic Pain Organization http://www.theacpa.org/ 9)Rest Ministries Chronic Illness http://www.restministries.org/ 10)Worldwide Congress on Pain http://www.pain.com/ The Pathways of Pain Essay -- Medicine Medical Papers The Pathways of Pain In 1931, the French medical missionary Dr. Albert Schweitzer wrote, "Pain is a more terrible lord of mankind than even death itself." Today, pain has become the universal disorder, a serious and costly public health issue, and a challenge for family, friends, and health care providers who must give support to the individual suffering from the physical as well as the emotional consequences of pain (1). Early humans related pain to evil, magic, and demons. Relief of pain was the responsibility of sorcerers, shamans, priests, and priestesses, who used herbs, rites, and ceremonies as their treatments. The Greeks and Romans were the first to advance a theory of sensation, the idea that the brain and nervous system have a role in producing the perception of pain. But it was not until the middle ages and well into the Renaissance-the 1400s and 1500s-that evidence began to accumulate in support of these theories. Leonardo da Vinci and his contemporaries came to believe that the brain was the central organ responsible for sensation. Da Vinci also developed the idea that the spinal cord transmits sensations to the brain. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the study of the body and the senses continued to be a source of wonder for the world's philosophers. In 1664, the French philosopher Renà © Descartes described what to this day is still called a "pain pathway" (5). What prompted me to research about the various pain pathways was my grandmother's arthritis. She has suffered for many years with severe joint pain and in the past, has been treated with corticosteroids. Currently, she is taking Celebrex, (COX-2 inhibitor) which is a relatively new drug in the family of 'superaspirins'. What impressed... ...ds the promise of an even greater understanding of pain in the coming years. Their research offers a powerful weapon in the battle to prolong and improve the lives of people with pain: hope (1) . References 1)National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke http://www.ninds.nih.gov/ 2)American Pain Society http://www.ampainsoc.org/ 3)American Academy of Pain Management http://www.aapainmanage.org/ 4)PainNet.Inc http://www.pain.com/ 5)International Association for the Study of Pain http://www.halcyon.com/iasp 6)MayDay Pain Project, The. http://www.painandhealth.org/ 7)Pain Treatment: Janssen-Cilag Pharm. http://www.janssen-cilag.com/ 8)American Chronic Pain Organization http://www.theacpa.org/ 9)Rest Ministries Chronic Illness http://www.restministries.org/ 10)Worldwide Congress on Pain http://www.pain.com/