Delaney Mossbacher Characterization Essay

Delaney Mossbacher resides in the hills of Topanga Canyon, away from the rest of Los Angeles and its ethnic problems; he tells himself it is to feel at peace with nature. He disagrees with the idea of living in the seclusion of the white American neighborhood of Arroyo Blanco to escape ethnic disputes the city holds; he lives in Topanga Canyon to satisfy his environmentalist title. After letting Delaney’s character develop more to give further insight on who Delaney truly is, there is no need to address how one action of his gives him a specific trait. Delaney strongly stands by his liberal views when other characters criticize Mexican immigrants, but when he is faced with a situation possibly involving a Mexican immigrant his liberal views dissipate. Delaney can give off a sense of awkwardness when found in an uncomfortable situation, but he can’t be classified as being completely socially awkward. He does, however, possess an introverted personality. He will not be the type of person to take charge or one to freely initiate a conversation. At this point of his life Delaney is being bombarded with a number of incidents that cause him to formulate a dislike and anger toward Mexican immigrants. Delaney allows what occurs around him to dictate how he reacts to situations. This starts to promote contrast in his liberal views, making him a product of the society and cultural views that surround him. At first attempt to characterize Delaney it took a number of possible traits, and it summed up to: Delaney struggles to be a normal person due to his social awkwardness and lack of common sense, but that was only with part one of The Tortilla Curtain. After seeing further development of Delaney’s character, it is observed he does communicate well with others unless he’s uncomfortable, his marriage is normal and has its rough patches like most other relationships, and that Delaney isn’t completely irrational in the way he reacts in stressful situations. Delaney reacts on impulse and jumps to conclusions like most people do. â€Å"Delaney would be on his own. But Delaney didn’t want to be on his own (225). † In part one, solitude seems to enlighten Delaney, though he clearly states he doesn’t like being alone in part two. Yet he is alone for the majority of each day, Delaney enjoys the company of others and expresses how he eagerly waits for the Kyra to return at the end of each day. So Delaney keeps himself productive and finds things to do while Kyra is at work. So why did Delaney marry Kyra if she is a workaholic? Delaney finds happiness in his life by catering to Kyra, he feels she compliments him by completing everything he isn’t. Delaney is a proud liberal humanist, proud that he stands for the right for anyone to have to the right to pursue the American dream and pursue a better life. He is all for everyone having their rights when it best suits him, but where do these liberal views go when he assumes Mexican immigrants are camping in the canyon leaving their trash in attempt to make it a garbage dump, a little Tijuana (Boyle 11)? When he concludes Mexican immigrants stole his car? When he absolutely knows what Jose Navidad is doing in his neighborhood demanding the Mexican man to explain himself. Ever since he hit Candido, Delaney has sheltered inner conflict within him and doesn’t become apparent to what he is becoming until the incident in his cul de sac, â€Å"so devastated he couldn’t speak, what was happening to him, what was he becoming (229)? † Delaney is back and forth between two different people, he is not a liberal humanist he is a hypocrite. The Delaney that’s shows concern for the immigrants, like after the news that the corner of Shoup and Ventura had been cleaned up along with the labor exchange, his thoughts are, â€Å"Where were these people supposed to go (193)? † The Delaney that still has glimpses of his liberal views is contrast with the new Delaney. The Delaney becoming a product of the society that surrounds him is starting to shape his thoughts, thus the first impulses and conclusions he has are racist. Delaney is from New York. The east coast has a large diversity of ethnic cultures due to the many European immigrants that had immigrated generations before. Delaney’s liberal views could have been shaped by the culture he grew up in because of the large diversity of race after so long. There was not a large amount of racism on the east coast, and or he received the same kind of racial tension for being Irish-American. Now that he resides in California and he is now part of the white superior group, the people around him like to conservatively think they are better than anyone else. Whatever the underlying cause of his sudden change of feelings towards Mexican immigrants, it is do the influences that had started to take affect around him. Delaney channels his anger through his writing; he uses his articles Pilgrim at Topanga Creek to describe the coyote but the coyote is symbolic of much more than itself. It symbolizes the life of the Mexican immigrants. He uses the coyotes as metaphor to stand for Mexican immigrants, because like the coyote, the immigrants also coincide among the white American population, struggling to survive. There is a fence between the coyotes and the Mossbacher’s dogs but the coyotes still breach it. Just like there is a U. S. and Mexican border the Mexican immigrants find their way across in search of better lives. At first reading the second article on the coyotes just seemed as if Delaney was venting his frustration because another coyote had struck again. Then something stood out, â€Å"The coyotes keep coming, breeding up to fill in the gaps, moving in where the living is easy. They are cunning, versatile, hungry and unstoppable (215). † Delaney’s implicit thoughts could very well stand for his true feelings of the Mexican immigrants and all along his liberal views were all talk, never truly made to be put to action. He passes by the perfect opportunity to put his liberal views to action when Todd Sweet asks Delaney to intervene in opposition with the wall (227). So was Delaney Mossbacher ever a true liberal humanist at all? His racism had been dormant and it took the fire of hitting Candido, Jack’s influence, and the incidents that kept including Mexican immigrants, to somehow spark the same racism he could have possibly felt growing up as a child. The wall represents more than what Delaney and the citizens of Arroyo Blanco see it as. More than a distance between humans and nature and more than keeping the unwelcome out. The wall is a symbol of the strong separation between the prospering white Americans and the struggling Mexican immigrants. The Mexican immigrants that are working hard to achieve the American Dream, while the wealthy Americans feed them nonsense but know the immigrants will never amount to anything. Delaney describes the wall as not only â€Å"keeping them out, but look what it keeps in (224). † This refers to the racism Jack’s son displayed, concluding that walling in all the poisonous racism it would affect Jordan, just like it had already affected Delaney living in the seclusion of Arroyo Blanco. Delaney has become a developing product of his racist community and society. He fears the worst for Jordan to grow up around racial tension, but has not yet seen how much it already has affected him. Delaney is gradually losing his liberal views, while also losing control of his temper and his over morale he once held. It is only a matter of time until Delaney himself becomes a â€Å"Jack Jardine†

Hospitals are Driving toward a Leaner Organization Essay

To obtain sustainable organizational efficiency and service quality, many hospitals have adopted an Open Systems Perspective by using â€Å"lean management† procedures borrowed from leading car manufacturers, in an effort to â€Å"reduce and remove waste from work processes†. These processes improved organizational efficiency reduced costs and provided better patient care. i What ‘seems’ to be the Problem: Secondary Symptoms Full waiting rooms, long wait times, inefficient use of supplies and budgets, needless stress and high mortality rate is feedback from the external environment that the hospitals are not meeting the needs of their stakeholders, or fitting in with their environment. Before adapting lean management processes, hospital staff and patients alike shared the burden of what appeared to be the inevitable consequences of health care delivery and a closed systems perspective.ii These problems are manifestations of organizational deficiencies which negatively affect the quality of patient care, the distribution of hospital resources and employee morale. The Real Reasons Hospitals are Facing Difficulties: Primary Problems The secondary symptoms are indicative of underlying issues, highlighting their poor organizational-environmental fitiii and the ineffectiveness of communication between Internal Subsystems.iv To a large extent hospitals have not adapted to their external environment nor have hospitals managed it effectively.v Hospital management, for example, has not adequately promoted the appropriate use of hospitals as opposed to family physicians. The departmentalization of hospitals has unintentionally caused a disconnection between internal subsystems. The lack of coordination between hospital management, physicians, hospital staff and patients prevents the flow and use of information within the organization. The ultimate result is that resources (staff, equipment, financial resources) are not allocated to their optimal use causing superfluous procedures and purchases.vi Solutions, Recommendations and Implementation Plan: Open Systems Perspective and Lean Management strategies will promote organizational efficiency and resolve the underlying problems. Steven L.  McShane explains that collaborative efforts between internal subsystems have proven to reduce the time, efforts and costs contributing to the primary problems. vii Hospitals can use information technology and incentives to staff to share information about where efficiencies can be realized. For example, those responsible for hospital purchases will be greatly assisted by pertinent information from those using the equipment and supplies. The strategy will be financial costly in the short to medium term as the costs associated with implementing such a system will not be compensated for until efficiencies realized over the long run exceed its cost. Furthermore, cost and effort may be required to change the organizational and departmental cultures within hospitals to foster the collaboration necessary for the exchange of information. Including hospital staff in decision making of management may also increase job satisfaction and morale. Efficiencies discovered through information sharing will take stress of budgets and savings may be allocated to areas in need of more resources. A second organizational fit strategy is to transfer resources from underutilized areas to areas in need of greater health care services. Hospitals have likely not allocated their resources to respond demographic changes. Transferring health care resources will almost certainly result in public discontent in areas from which some health care resources are removed. There is also a financial cost and time associated with transferring resources from one geographic area to another more needy one, such as construction costs. In the medium to long term, however, moving resources from areas where they are not needed to an underserviced environment increases efficiency which addresses long wait times, lower quality of care and higher mortality. A further strategy from the Open Systems perspective is to manage the environment by engaging and educating the public about how to more efficiently access health care services. Hospital management will be required, in pursuing this strategy, to spend resources on promotion and education which may exacerbate wait times and the other secondary problems discussed earlier. In the medium to long term, the more efficient use of hospital resources on those that truly require them and diverting other potential hospital users to the appropriate health care provider, such as a family physician, will necessarily alleviate wait times, increase quality of care and improve hospital budgets. Finally, from the internal sub-systems  perspective, through expending resources on gathering empirical data concerning the relationship between resources and health care outcomes, as well as developing and employing greater diagnostic testing, physical resources and time can be managed more efficiently. Hospital management must implement a system and allocate resources to data gathering and analysis. Physicians must participate in providing data and expertise. Through continuous improvement the benefits of not expending hospital resources superfluously may be realized in the medium to long term. These solutions will positively impact full waiting rooms, long wait times, inefficient use of supplies and budgets, needless stress and potentially contribute to a decrease in the mortality rate. This allows hospitals to better fit and manage their environment.

Project Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Project Risk Management - Essay Example They are present almost everywhere like in business, homes, and government agencies. Government agencies are using digital mediums to improve their governance style like filing of taxes, utility bill payments, pension payment etc. Through the use of e-governance the government is trying to speed up the process and reduce cost at the same time. Because of computers we can now use digital evidence to solve crime and prosecute the offenders at a much faster pace. Many a times the law enforcement agencies and judiciary can’t handle such evidences. There is an ample shortage of judges and attorneys who understand technology. Digital courtrooms refer to use of technology to run the courtrooms so that prosecution or trials can be done at a much faster pace and at considerably low cost. They use electronic evidence which can be effective at implicating the criminal. Electronic evidence refers to the information and data which of investigative value and stored in the electronic medium. With new advancement of technology digital forensic specialist will ensure that the evidence meets the standards. In such trials both the parties need not be present in the courtrooms. They can be connected via internet and use their laptops or other visual mediums to get connected to the digital courtrooms. It reduces the cost to a great extent. Risk Identification To make the judicial system digital, necessary infrastructure needs to be built upon; it means technical platforms are needed to be put in place for the data systems (software, equipment, networks and standard services). The aim should be that the same standard platforms should be able to serve the data systems which will be implemented in the coming years (Kendrick, 2009, p67). The users in the digital courtrooms will now require graphical user interfaces and easy to use systems should be installed. Else it would be difficult for all to comprehend and use the devices (Pmp and Knapp, 2010, p65). One of the most common f orms of digital devices to be used is audio devices. One needs to ask the question whether digital recording is better than human reporting or it may cause more trouble. There can be problems like botched recordings, microphone mishaps etc. can lead to a mistrial in the courtroom (Institution of Civil Engineers (Great Britain), 2005, p67). Also with the introduction of new digital courtrooms the pending cases must be first integrated to the system. It may result in few cases not making it through (Bartlett, 2004, p78). With the era of digital information comes the question of security and reliability. The reliability of the saved digital devices must be ascertained at first (Raftery, 2003, p99). It is not impossible to create a fake digital recording or fake videos to implicate someone. Again the security issue must also be looked at. Making the courtrooms digital implies that all of the data needs to be stored somewhere. With the advent of newer technologies it its becoming increas ingly important to keep the data secured from data theft (Grey,

Political Frame Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political Frame Paper - Essay Example Rather than allowing the use of power to be destructive, the manager can learn to use power and politics as a skill to be developed within organizational arenas. The first assumption of the political frame perspective states that organizations are a compilation of competing interests and groups (coalitions) with conflict and tension inherent in conducting day-to-day business (Bolman & Deal, 2008). Because of limited resources it becomes necessary for the organizational members to vie for the rights to those resources. There is no escaping the politics of the organization environment. For example, if a Danish center director and a regional marketing director are negotiating with a corporate client that needs French and English training within a month for four executives who are travelling internationally, but a competing center in Italy with the same regional marketing manager also has a need for the same resources for a different client, how would the company make the decision as to which client gets the resources first? Who would take priority? If the regional director is Danish, would it be the Danish center director? From what can be found on the website, those decisions would follow the regional headquarters procedure, because the cultures found under that regional headquarters (in this case Denmark and Italy are both under Europe) are qualified to consider all interests equally (Berlitz, 2010) . Organizations form into coalitions that attempt to influence one another by pooling resources and power of the various members (Bolman & Deal, 2008; McShane & Von Glinow, 2005). The Berlitz Worldwide Regional Directors can use a variety of influence methods to get what they want from one another. Influence tactics include: deferring to authority; assertiveness; information control; coalition formation; upward appeal; ingratiation and impression management; persuasion; and exchange (McShane & Von Glinow, 2005). There are factors to consider when utilizing an influen ce tactic such as upward, downward, or lateral influence, the influencer’s power base, and personal and cultural values. These factors are the reasons why Berlitz is a particularly challenging organization to communicate within. There are a number of aspects to be considered that can be extremely diverse that can affect the power base, reactions, body language, response time, level of defensiveness to requests. Again, factoring all of these things takes time and in the fast-paced world we live in, the leader may not have the luxury of the time to work the issue as some might say and resort to â€Å"hard tactics† rather than â€Å"soft tactics† (p. 356). As a global organization each leader will have to consider the culture they are operating within and the culture of the coalition they are attempting to deal with or experience an exchange. The second assumption within the political frame perspective is that the coalition members cannot ever shake their differenc es. No matter how much training, coaching, and peace keeping skills a leader/manager/diplomat may receive, that coalition member will continue to have persistent differences in attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, feelings, and activities (McShane & Von Gl

A study was conducted and an introduction (lit review) section needs Research Paper

A study was conducted and an introduction (lit review) section needs to be done - Research Paper Example f-concept also gives people an opportunity to compare their personal attributes, abilities, and reactions to those of others (Harter & Bukowski, 2012). On the other hand, self-esteem refers to the respect that a person has for himself or herself. Self-esteem is an extremely vital concept since it affects functional behavior, motivation, as well as life satisfaction (Bordens & Horowitz, 2002). Individuals who have high self-concept about themselves normally have positive thoughts. In this regard, they have high self-esteem of themselves. Having high self-esteem is a critical component in one’s life since it gives one confidence about his or her self-worth. In this regard, an individual can compare himself to be attractive. Being attractive entails several components, and personal hygiene is one of the components (Harter & Bukowski, 2012). Therefore, one must assess his or her personal hygiene in the wake of evaluating

The Art of Etruscan Civilization Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Art of Etruscan Civilization - Case Study Example It looks like the idea of afterlife is present in the majority of Etruscan art form. From this viewpoint it is clear that the majority of their art form is primarily based upon the art of tombs. It was their belief that a kind of magical survival was needed for the final resting place or in the shadowy world of Hades. This funerary cult was scrutinized with every major and minor detail and it seems as if Etruscan art had nothing else to look forward to or no other world end in view. (Bonfante, 1986) The Etruscan art also relied heavily on portraits. The portraits commemorate a dead man’s facets so as to make him credible enough to fight against the power of darkness. There is a valid reason for this creation and its continuing popularity, especially the Tuscan portrait which in turn inspired the Roman portrait. On a burial pot from Chiusi it is clearly seen that in the earlier period a trustworthy copy of a deceased face, in the form of a mask most likely made from bronze, was affixed to the vessel. Later the head was carved and placed on the pot’s lid. This ultimately led to the creation of the statue. Similarly, the wall paintings, that covered the clammy walls of the Tuscan Hypogea (subterranean burial chambers), were seen as imperative to their religious and cultural symbols. The show funeral feasts also portray the livelihood and contentment of his earthly life, and according to their belief it would shape their life in the afterworld. This repeals the apparent incongruity of sepulchral art infused with a passionate and enthusiastic feeling of life. To the spiritualist soul of Etruria, the life of this world is merely a test and is foreshadowed by the more significant and permanent afterlife that is waiting for them. Their culture was more about decorating tombs rather than towns, which were built using a single type of stone and hollowed out of the same material – places of abode were proposed to revolt against the blitz of time. In t he necropolises at Tarquinia and Cerveteri, virtual cities of the dead were formed and the locale and very rhythm and Etruscan life were clearly exhibited in those virtual cities. For Etruscans money, people and art became a feature of everyday life. Etruscan villa in Murlo, which was reconstructed recently, revealed big, painted terracotta panels decorating the foyer and also included a number of fresco wall-paintings. Etruscan painting and frescos often tried to influence a sense of Joie de vivre in the form of human figures looking strong and hearty and full of life, often in the form of dancing couples. Looking at Etruscan art from this perspective it seems clear that it was much more developed in capturing human emotion than the stylized Greek art. (Bonfante, 1986) During the 7th century BC the Etruscan art gained a new level of prosperity and popularity based upon their export of metal ore. Since Greek art got a great deal of inspiration and influence from the high cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean. Greek goods made its way to Etruria together in Orientalizing style with exotic objects and reached the Phoenician cities, Egypt, Cyprus and Asia Minor. During the entire existence of Etruscan empire, it was largely inspired from Hellenic styles which had profound impact on its independent artistic development.

Managing Across Cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Managing Across Cultures - Essay Example Diversity in workforce members can lead to improved organizational performance and effectiveness (Pires, Stanton, and Ostenfeld 2006). Therefore, in order to function better with diverse colleagues, there is a crucial need for multicultural employees to be aware of the cultures that they are working with as well as have an appreciation for their values and beliefs, attitudes toward conflict, and personal experiences (Soderberg and Holden 2002). The increased reliance of international companies on a culturally diverse workforce should drive these organizations to improve their members’ understanding of how certain processes such as training or communication can positively contribute to the success of a multicultural labor forceAlthough ethnically diverse teams play a critical role in the success of companies due to the flexibility, receptiveness, and resource utilization that are expected of them (Marquardt and Horvath 2001), the management of cultural differences and conflict has become a challenge for many international organization. Diversity in culture can bring about misunderstanding, adverse relationships, and weak performance, thus the need to effectively manage geographic distances, facilitate control and coordination matters, establish strong communication, and maintain team consistency. Because of this crucial need, numerous studies, even early research such as that of Hofstede and Trompenaars, have been carried out to explain cultural variations in the working environment and the successful management of these differences among employees. Theories on Cultural Dimensions Through my experience as international director, I have learned about the essential components behind a successful expatriate assignment. Theories of cultural dimensions from well-known researchers such as Hofstede (1980) have been of good use in explaining why people are culturally different from each other. National culture plays a crucial part in understanding a workforce tha t is ethnically diverse as explained through Hofstede’s (1980) cultural dimensions including power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and long term orientation. Power distance indicates the acceptance and expectation of the society, especially the less powerful individuals, that power can be unequally distributed, thus representing inequality. Anyone who has had experience in international studies can point out that all countries and societies have demonstrated inequality in wealth and power distribution, although some are more unjust than the others. Individualism refers to how people are integrated into groups; for instance, individualist societies tend to establish loose relationships among its members and each individual is expected to attend to himself and his family while collectivist ones are likely to stay committed to such relations and demonstrate unwavering loyalty to each other. Masculinity indicates how gender roles are distributed; menà ¢â‚¬â„¢s values significantly differ from those of the women

PERFORMANCE AND CULTURE I ESSAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

PERFORMANCE AND CULTURE I - Essay Example He along with his colleagues Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford pioneered the American acting techniques and significantly contributed towards the actor training and played vital role in promoting the naturalistic acting style on stage and screen (Cole, 1995). He developed and explained the naturalistic style of acting and teach the actors to create neutralism in their acting style be relating the roles to their personal life experiences and emotions. The use of this technique added depth to the performance of the actors and they become able to give enhanced performance at theatre and movies (Sharon M. 1999). The following essay aims to discuss the contributions of Lee Strasberg to the training of the actors and his role in the development and promotion of the naturalistic style of acting. Strasberg was also an actor, director besides being a teacher of acting but the major proportion of his career journey was spent in developing and teaching different acting techniques (Barton, 2008). In the beginning of his career, Strasberg was interested in direction however soon he realized his passion for training the actors and then his complete attention was concentrated towards the training of the actors. In the ‘Group Theatre’ he taught several valuable acting techniques to the actors that later became successful and popular stars of the American theatre and film industry (Foster et al, 1989). In the Group Theatre he created the technique called The Method or Method Acting. Later he joined the non profit ‘Actor Studio’ in New York City in 1951 that was regarded as the most prestigious acting school of the country at that time (Sharon M. 1999). Later in 1969, Strasberg created his own acting academy entitled Lee Strasberg theatre and Film Institute. He established the institute in New York City and Hollywood where he

Globalization inevitably leads to a homogenous 'world' culture and the Essay

Globalization inevitably leads to a homogenous 'world' culture and the erasure of local richness. Discuss using a variety of examples from your research into cu - Essay Example external manifestations of globalization which have been the focus of criticism are (a) cultural imperialism (b) Americanization and (c) McDonaldization. This may be noted specifically in the European countries where the cultural and linguistic diversity of this small geographical area is increasingly being made vulnerable to the dominant influence of American culture and values. Critics of globalization argue that it leads to a homogenization or hybridization of cultures, so that the rich diversity of local culture and traditions may be irretrievably lost. (Nederveen Pieterse 1995; Robertson 1995). The end of the Cold War, symbolized by the disintegration of the Soviet Union has resulted in the emergence of a new global era (Meyer et al 1997, p 174) where the competition between the former super powers is being replaced by a consumer driven social, political and economic scenario. (Freidman, 2000). The bureaucratic, tightly controlled economies of the Cold War era have yielded to free trade. The Berlin wall came down and so did the trade barriers between countries, opening up the doors to technological advancement and an age of communication where the Internet has revolutionized the availability of information, creating a knowledge based economy.(Thurow 2000, p 116). Information is the new mantra that spells success in the modern world .(Shapiro and Varian, 1999). Intellectual capital is important and the use of business worldwide webs spells power. (Lynn 2000; Bernhut 2001). The Internet has been described as â€Å"a decentralized, global medium of communication comprising a global web of linked networks and computers.† (Thurow, 2000, p 116). It enables instant communication across geographical boundaries and thereby has fostered the growth of an era of capitalism and consumerism, where the focus has shifted to economic interests, with political, social and cultural aspects being subordinated to the dominant capitalist trend. This has produced the phenomenon

The types of leadership styles that are at work and acess their Essay

The types of leadership styles that are at work and acess their effectiveness - Essay Example This kind of leadership has control on all spheres of society’s activity. Some experts argue that a number of chief executives in the business world practice this kind of leadership like feudal lords in medieval Europe (Legacee, 2012). These are the kind of leaders who maintain absolute control on entrepreneurial structure and do not agree on the democratization of thoughts and decision. This leadership is weak because its followers are rendered passive. Since it’s a little close to tyranny, it’s likely that this kind of leadership will inspire upheaval from constituents. Transformational leadership is a principle-based leadership with combined features of charismatic and participative type of leadership. This type of leadership inspires involvement of people in decision-making through teambuilding and consensus. It’s a leadership that respects democracy and motivates its human resources to advance their empowerment as stakeholder of development and change (Gumusluoglu. & Ilsev, 2009). This kind of leadership leads by example and implore on the necessity of vision and mission that guides an organization to its targeted goal. They are good in strategizing the framework for optimized organizational performance. Transactional leadership on the other hand deals about the bureaucratic aspect of managing an organization. Oppose to transformational leadership, this kind of leadership wanted the retention of status quo and rest more on completing its goals by rules and stringent rules (Hugo, Dimovski, & Ã…  kerlavaj, 2009). There is less employee-employer interaction in this leadership style hence, misunderstanding is very potent which could lead to disenfranchisement of members. Hugo, Z., Dimovski, V. & Ã…  kerlavaj, M. (2009). Transactional and transformational leadership impacts on organizational learning, Journal for East European Management Studies, Rainer Hampp Verlag, vol. 14(2), pages 145 -

Vap Bundles, What to Leave in, What to Leave Out Essay Example for Free

Vap Bundles, What to Leave in, What to Leave Out Essay Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a chronic and costly problem in the intensive care setting. VAP increases patient morbidity, mortality, and length of stay. These negative effects add significantly to the financial and emotional burden to the patient and family. VAP is being considered for addition to the Medicare non-reimbursable infection list, therefore healthcare providers need to proactively evaluate and implement procedures to minimize VAP rates. Article Summaries The focus of this article was identifying the lack of universal diagnostic criteria for VAP and the impact of the lack of diagnostic standardization on interpretation of hospital reported VAP rates. The author’s contention is, despite an abundance of studies on VAP prevention the inconsistencies between institutions in diagnostic criteria can provide false zero and/or falsely elevated reported rates of infection. Additionally, the study that was primarily cited by the author did not include several interventions which he felt represented a major design flaw. In summary, the disparity in diagnostic criteria and variety of VAP prevention bundles make it difficult to clearly interpret currently available data regarding efficacy of specific interventions. I included this article based upon the three criteria I chose for inclusion: publication date within five years, clinical relevance, and statistically significant data produced by the study. This article specifically addresses the quandary surrounding diagnosis and prevention of VAP. The authors of this study chose to compare the effects of mechanical treatment, pharmacological treatment, and a combination of both on VAP reduction. In preparation for the study the authors reviewed previously identified causes of VAP and chose to focus their study on the effect of reducing oropharyngeal colonization by potential respiratory pathogens. The conclusion of the study indicated that their analysis was confounded, in part by the defining criteria they chose to identify VAP. There was no significant reduction in VAP from toothbrushing(mechanical), and no sustained reduction beyond day three for the chlorhexedine(pharmacological) group. As has been noted in many studies there were additional, and perhaps more efficacious interventions concurrently in use, particularly elevation of the head of bed to thirty degrees. I included this article based upon the three criteria I chose for inclusion: publication date within five years, clinical relevance, and statistically significant data produced by the study. This article addresses the outcomes of specific nursing interventions targeting the reduction and/or elimination of VAP. Article Critiques The researchers who designed this study attempted to minimize some of the confounding factors by applying certain aspects of the institution’s ventilator bundle to all of the study participants. This clearly defined standard of care improved the ability to directly attribute the effects of the research interventions. Prior to beginning the study the researchers observed the standard care of intubated patients in the facility and identified practices that were viewed as potentially contributing to oropharyngeal colonization. Based upon their observations, during the study period advanced oral care kits were exclusively used to provide oral care for the study group along with a clearly delineated schedule for performing different components of the oral care protocol. The result for the study group was a significant reduction in VAP with increased time to VAP. There was also a decrease in ventilator days and length of intensive care unit stay. The study confirmed that VAP prevention is improved with the incorporation of comprehensive oral assessment and care. I included this article based upon the three criteria I chose for inclusion: publication date within five years, clinical relevance, and statistically significant data produced by the study. This article addresses the outcomes of specific nursing interventions targeting the reduction and/or elimination of VAP This article was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, which is a peer reviewed journal. The subject is relevant to my topic in that it is a qualitative analysis of multiple studies on the efficacy of VAP reduction bundles. The author is a physician working in the field of infection control, affiliated with two major United States academic medical centers and as such he has professional credibility. No conflict of interest was reported by the author. The format of the article was a comparison of various VAP bundles and their outcomes from studies conducted by other researchers. The comparison group was large, comprised of seventeen different studies, all of which used the before-after design (Klompas, 2010). As a qualitative study the premise was not answerable by a yes or no hypothesis, instead it relied upon review of specific, focused research. This research substantiated the author’s initial question by defining elements that remain unaddressed in the current body of research surrounding the prevention of VAP (Klompas, 2010). The study presented in this article was a well-designed 2 x 2 factorial trial (Munro, Grap, Jones, McClish, Sessler, 2009). The principal investigator reported receiving a grant from the National Institutes of Health in support of this research, no other disclosures were reported. The investigators are fully credentialed in their respective fields. The study took place at a large academic medical center with a population that allows for broad representation. Participants were recruited from three intensive care units with clearly defined inclusion and exclusionary criteria. The study personnel were all appropriately blinded to the participants VAP status (Munro et al., 2009). The performance of the assigned treatments was completed by study personnel rather than the bedside nurse to increase the consistency of treatment delivery. The authors noted a few limitations as the study progressed. The first limitation was the definition of VAP. In this case they chose to use clinical pulmonary infection score greater than six to define VAP (Munro et al., 2009). During the course of the study they noted that even though a clinical diagnosis of pneumonia was considered exclusionary, that many of the participants in fact had a CPIS greater than six upon enrollment (Munro et al., 2009). A second limitation was enrollment attrition; by day seven the number of participants was no longer large enough to be considered statistically significant (Munro et al., 2009). Despite the noted limitations the investigators were able to draw conclusions applicable to early onset VAP (Munro et al., 2009). The study presented in this article was completed by a multi-disciplinary team, none of which reported any conflict of interest or financial disclosure. As one of the end points of the study was demonstration of a sustainable reduction in VAP rates use of cohort study was intentional, incorporating an extended time frame to counter the large number of required enrollees to otherwise demonstrate statistical significance (Garcia, Jendresky, Colbert, Bailey, Zaman, Majumder, 2009). A potential confounding factor was the facility ventilator protocol, which included many interventions which are known to directly and significantly impact on reduction and prevention of VAP i.e. head of bed maintained at thirty degrees and an active weaning protocol (Garcia et al., 2009). This study was completed at a large urban academic medical center and the participants were screened for defined eligibility criteria and are representative of the adult population at large. The authors or the study are appropriately credentialed in their fields and included a biostatistician to aid in the data analysis (Garcia et al ., 2009). The primary and secondary outcomes were clearly identified. All variables were tested or analyzed using the method demanded by the results. VAP was defined using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published definition (Garcia et al., 2009 ). Conclusion There remain many unanswered questions as to the etiology and prevention of VAP. In my research I observed that many of the studies included multiple interventions for VAP prevention in the study protocols. They also continued the institutions current policies for managing ventilated patients. It would seem to cloud the interpretation when there are multiple interventions making up the protocol i.e. Chlorhexedine rinse, and subglottic suctioning, and routinely scheduled oral care. Multi-factorial studies make it more difficult to determine which factor is influencing the outcome. A well designed study needs to eliminate or incorporate a single intervention at a time to determine its effect, or lack thereof. This would enable the researcher to clearly demonstrate a cause and effect relationship More carefully crafted studies will need to be performed with a universally agreed upon definition of VAP. As is always the case when research is involving people there is a reluctance to leave off anything that might be perceived as healing. In this case I believe that multiple interventions performed simultaneously are a hindrance to clearly understanding what is truly the most efficacious VAP prevention protocol design. In light of ongoing mandates from CMS to eliminate nosocomial infections there is an added impetus to define and eliminate VAP. Ventilator associated pneumonia is a chronic and costly problem in the intensive care setting. VAP increases patient morbidity, mortality, and length of stay. These negative effects add significantly to the financial and emotional burden to the patient, family, and the institution. Therefore, healthcare providers need to proactively evaluate and implement procedures to minimize VAP rates. References Garcia, R., Jendresky, L., Colbert, L., Bailey, A., Zaman, M., Majumder, M. (2009). Reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia through advanced oral-dental care: A 48 month study. American Journal of Critical Care, 18(6), 523-532. Doi:10.4037//ajcc2009311 Klompas, M. (2010). Ventilator-associated pneumonia: Is zero possible? Clinical Infectious Diseases, 51(10), 1123-1126. Doi:10.1086/656738 Munro, C., Grap, M., Jones, D., McClish, D., Sessler, C. (2009). Chlorhexedine, toothbrushing, and preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill adults. American Journal of Critical Care, 18(5), 428-438. Doi:10.4037//ajcc2009792

The Structure Of British Airways Management Essay

The Structure Of British Airways Management Essay British Airways is the largest international airline in the United Kingdom and is assigned in the operation of international and domestic carriage of cargo and mail, and the auxiliary services The British Airways Group comprises of British Airways, British Airways Holidays Limited, BA Connect Limited, Deutsche BA, and British Asia Airways, amongst others. Since privatization in 1987, British Airways have persisted to develop as competition in the market becoming the worlds first airline to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to let passengers to print online boarding passes. Structure of British Airways: As explained British airways flat structure encourages the company to have a corporate culture which can be described by applying the McKinsey 7S s model which includes Staff, Skills, Style, Shared Values, Systems and Structure and strategy. Before the privatization, British Airways had a more formalized bureaucratic structure with rules and procedures, as a result of its size and its activities. But a main change in the last years has been the decrease of its management levels and it now has a formal structure with responsibilities across different functions. Therefore the structure of British Airways is flat type because it has only one level of hierarchy that separates managing directors at the top of bottom-line employees. The organization has segregated management-level positions into ten departments and each department has own subordinates. British airways structure is shown in figure 2 in which its departments include Planning, Investment Alliances, Commerce, Ground Operation, Engineering, Flight Operation, IT, Finance, Law, and Human Resource. (British Airways, 2010) Figure 2: British airways organization structure, (British airways 2010) Description: Management structure diagram Sources: www.britishairways.com However market influences created a leaner, structure at the top of the management. As illustrated in figure 1, British Airways have a flat hierarchical structure that needs them to cooperate within all the levels of as strategic where the board of directors take a decision on the long term objective the information which flows to the managers in the tactical who furnishes the information to the operational level and the operational level (front office staff, flight stewards etc.) drives the data into meaningful messages to be operated conveniently and efficiently. Culture of British Airways: Mission Statement:                   To be the most exclusive and first choice airline for all airline travelers We recommend a new mission statement after a consultation process involving our group members. The mission statement can replace an existing statement, which had been drawn up in 1997 in the run-up to privatization, and many employees have received training in its meaning for their particular jobs. Their mission statement clearly shows that in every persons mind the first thing to come from traveling by air should be British Airways. Whatever it is called, a vision, mission or strategic intent, its purpose is to provide a guiding light for the future. Companies without a mission are prone to opportunistic. A unifying mission is especially important in large companies where staff and managers are expected to take decisions themselves, without constant referral back to headquarters or to their seniors. Aims: British Airways is to become the worlds first global airline Objectives: Like all businesses one of their objectives was to maximize profits however after September 11th they had to change their aim of having an increase in   security as this was the main issue globally and they needed to keep their customers safe after the horrific terrorism attacks in the USA. Objective:    To increase security to combat terrorism Specific To increase security for the safety of passengers and staff Measurable Hand luggage of passengers was reduced to a plastic bag, stop and search was also put into place and metal detectors as well as a regular anti-terrorism drills Achievable More security staff will be in place and they have the finances to do so. Realistic This objective is realistic as terrorism is a threat and they also have the finances to do so to ensure that all passengers and staff are fully protected. Objective: To increase profits by the end of the tax year 2009 Culture: The organizational structure of a company reflects its culture, its management style and its leader attitude in addition to the environment in which it has to operate. . British Airways have a more formalized structure with precise rules and procedures, due to its size and the global scope of its activity. A major change in the last years has been the reduction of its management layers, between the chief executive and the front line who interface with customers, from nine to five. It now has a small ad hoc group working in parallel with the formal structure, with responsibilities that cut across different functions, or in any case duplicated these functions. Corporate culture The organizational culture consists of the deep basic assumptions, beliefs, values and norms which are shared by members of an organization, arise from the organizations history and tradition and are modified by contemporary events. Management style and leadership at British Airways As clearly stated above, British airways had been bureaucratically, between functions and hierarchies. It has changed to a style of employees empowerment. This means management gets help from employees outside the formal structure and across functions. British Airways used to have a more autocratic style but at the moment company is delegating responsibility directly to key individuals. The management at all levels mutually responsive to relationships created with customers and stakeholders. In other words company is experiencing democratic leadership style. Interrelationships of functions with processes: The business process is a collection of interrelated activities and tasks that will create a service as well as products for the consumers of business. There are three types of business processes involve in British airways and they are management process, operation process and supporting processes. The management process of British Airways is all about the operation of a system which includes the strategic management and the corporate governance. Strategic planning in management process is very important because it includes business plans, risk assessment, risk management, financial objectives, management responsibility, continuity planning, quality control, IT threat, contingency plan, disaster recovery, and fulfillment. Operations: Another type is the operational process which is the most essential among all the types of the business processes. It generally comprises the core business of British airways which is transporting passengers fast, safely and comfortably. In addition to this, it also generates the primary value stream. Purchasing, sales, manufacturing and marketing functions are usually included in its operational process. These three types of business processes of British airways have their own distinctive attributes which add value to its service delivery process. SUPPORT ACTIVITIES FIRM INFRASTRUCTURE Structured hierarchy permits BA to build a massive amount of specialist knowledge in order to get a competitive advantage over economized firms. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Invested in the expansion of customer service training in 2007 drawing attention of the best employees. Speak Up view survey persuades employees to offer feedback (British Airways, 2008). TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT BA has included value in this group over smaller companies by reason of lack of resources that can be employed to create the service in an innovative way. (e.g. Individual LCD screens). PROCUREMENT As a result of the size and chronological business relationships and alliances, BA is able to influence suppliers and during economies of scale make efficiencies where competitors may fall short. PRIMARY ACTIVITIES: INBOUND LOGISTICS: Stock Control High quality training given by City the Guilds (British Airways, 2008). A continuous relationship with suppliers (e.g. Gate Gourmet. OUTBOUND LOGISTICS: Customer Service Large database of airport slots facilitates passengers to contact the majority of destinations from preferred airport. MARKETING SALES Marketing communications to all stakeholders. Brand consenting to for large budget to be spent in this field. POST SALE SERVICE The loyalty club card is offered. Bringing up to date communication on other services Interrelationship between the processes and functions of British Airways British Airways is one of the worlds largest aviation companies. Its portfolio of aviation transportation in which it is a global leader in air transportation The companys aviation operation and extensive airplanes of growth projects are located in all over the world, South America, Australia, North America and Asia. The purpose of the organization is to set out in a mission statement. To be the leading global aviation company through the operational excellence of world class assets in the most attractive commodities and a resolute commitment to safe and sustainable air transportation. In 2008 there was a downturn in world economic activity. This resulted from a loss of confidence in the world financial system. The downturn has led to a steep fall in aviation travelling prices such as airfares. By late 2009 these prices started to rise again as demand for aviation transportation increased. Sustainability Although Airline companies are affected by changes in economic activity, aviation is a long-term investment business. Firms like British Airways have to take a long term view of the business. This involves creating more routes which is a sustainable way over a long period of time. The company focuses on those routes in which it has a favorable position. It concentrates on various routes where sales of air tickets will be possible for many years into the future. It also looks at aviation projects where costs can be kept to a minimum but where there are opportunities to expand operations. There are several issues of sustainability facing British Airways. Key ones are: Securing energy supplies, such as airplanes and resources including fuels, for the future Managing emissions to minimize harm. British Airways uses large quantities of energy in its operations. It also generates the potential for energy, e.g. by purchasing the very latest planes which are eviromental friendly. A key aim of the company therefore is to do more with less. It must achieve maximum efficiency with minimum waste. British Airways believes that by operating in innovative and socially responsible ways it can do things better than its rivals. Doing things better in business is referred to as competitive advantage. Social responsibilities are those duties to all the stakeholders of a business, not just the shareholders. Embedded within social responsibility is the concept of sustainable development. Sustainable development involves using resources so that: Resources are available to meet the needs of people now Resources can be available to future generations The needs of the natural environment are respected. The success of British Airways is the best value comfort service provides for its passengers. And to build up this solid foundation in the marketplace, British airways utilizes its resources effectively and efficiently. In that manner operations management of British Airways plays an important role in transforming inputs (labor, capital, equipment, land, buildings, materials and information) into outputs (goods and services) that offer superior value to customers.

Importance Of Communication Of Nurses Nursing Essay

Importance Of Communication Of Nurses Nursing Essay Communication involves the exchange of messages and is a process which all individuals participate in. Whether it is through spoken word, written word, non-verbal means or even silence, messages are constantly being exchanged between individuals or groups of people (Bach Grant 2009). All behaviour has a message and communication is a process which individuals cannot avoid being involved with (Ellis et al 1995). In nursing practice, communication is essential, and good communication skills are paramount in the development of a therapeutic nurse/patient relationship. This aim of this essay is to discuss the importance of communication in nursing, demonstrating how effective communication facilitates a therapeutic nurse/patient relationship. This will be achieved by providing a definition of communication, making reference to models of communication and explaining how different types of communication skills can be used in practise. In order to engage in meaningful communication and develop effective communication skills, nurses must engage in the process of reflecting on how communication skills are utilised in practise. Reflection allows the nurse opportunity to gain a deeper insight into personal strengths and weaknesses and to address any areas of concern in order to improve future practise (Taylor 2001). A further aim will be to reflect on how communication skills have been utilised within nursing practise. Various models of reflection will be examined, and a reflective account of a personal experience which occurred during placement will be provided using a model. This reflective account will involve a description the incident, an analysis of thoughts and feelings and an evaluation of what has occurred. Finally, the reflective account will include an action plan for a similar situation, which may arise, in the future. Communication involves information being sent, received and decoded between two or more people (Balzer-Riley 2008) and involves the use of a number of communication skills; which in a nursing context generally focuses on listening and giving information to patients (Weller 2002). This process of sending and receiving messages has been described as both simple and complex (Rosengren 2000 in McCabe 2006, p.4). It is a process which is continually utilised by nurses to convey and receive information from the patient, co-workers, others they come into contact with and the patients family. Models of Communication. The Linear Model is the simplest form of communication and involves messages being sent and received by two or more people (McCabe 2006). Whilst this model demonstrates how communication occurs in its simplest form, it fails to consider other factors impacting on the process. Communication in nursing practice can be complicated, involving the conveyance of large amounts of information, for example, when providing patients with information relating to their care and treatment or when offering health promotion advice. In contrast, the Circular Transactional Model is a two way approach, acknowledging other factors, which influence communication such as feedback and validation (McCabe 2006). Elements of this model are also contained in Hargie and Dickinsons (2004) A Skill Model of Interpersonal Communication which suggests that successful communication is focused, purposeful and identifies the following skills; person centred context, goal, mediating process, response, feedback and perception. It also considers other aspects of the individual and the influence these may have on their approach to the process of communication (McCabe 2006). For communication to be effective it is important for the nurse to recognise key components, and intrinsic and extrinsic factors, which may affect the process (McCabe 2006). They must consider factors such as past personal experiences, personal perceptions, timing and the setting in which communication occurs. Physical, physiological, psychological and semantic noise may also influence the message, resulting in misinterpreted by the receiver (McCabe 2006). Communication skills. Communication consists of verbal and non-verbal. Verbal communication relates to the spoken word and can be conducted face-to-face or over the telephone (Docherty McCallum 2009). Nurses continually communicate with patients; verbal communication allows the nurse opportunity to give information to the patient about their care or treatment, to reassure the patient and to listen and respond to any concerns the patient may have (NMC 2008). Effective communication is beneficial to the patient in terms of their satisfaction and understanding, of care and treatment they have been given (Arnold Boggs 2007), while at the same time optimising the outcomes or care and/or treatment for the patient (Kennedy- Sheldon 2009). Questioning allows the nurse to gather further information and open or closed questions can be used. Closed questions usually require a yes or no response and are used to gather the necessary information, whereas open questions allow the patient, opportunity to play an active role and to discuss and agree options relating to their care as set out in the Healthcare Standards for Wales document (2005). Probing questions can be used to explore the patients problems further thus allowing the nurse to treat the patient as an individual and develop a care plan specific to their individual needs (NMC 2008). It is vital that the nurse communicates effectively, sharing information with the patient about their health in an understandable way to ensure the patient is fully informed about their care and treatment and that consent is gained prior to this occurring (NMC 2008). The nurse should also listen to the patient and respond to their concerns and preferences about their care and well-being (NMC 2008). In nursing, listening is an essential skill and incorporates attending and listening (Burnard Gill 2007). Attending; fully focusing on the other person and being aware of what they are trying to communicate and listening; the process of hearing what is being said by another person are the most important aspects of being a nurse (Burnard 1997). Non-verbal communication is a major factor in communication, involving exchange of messages without words. It relates to emotional states and attitudes and the conveyance of messages through body language; body language has seven elements; gesture, facial expressions, gaze, posture, body space and proximity, touch and dress (Ellis et al 1995). Each of these elements can reinforce the spoken word and add meaning to the message; it isnt about what you say or how you say it but it also relates to what your body is doing while you are speaking (Oberg 2003). Patients often read cues from the nurses non-verbal behaviour, which can indicate interest or disinterest. Attentiveness and attention to the patient can be achieved through SOLER: S sit squarely, O Open posture, L learn towards the patient, E eye contact, R relax (Egan 2002). There must be congruency between verbal and non verbal messages for effective communication to be achieved. Non-verbal communication can contradict the spoken word and the ability to recognise these non-verbal cues is vitally important in nursing practice (McCabe 2006), for example, a patient may verbally communicate that they are not in pain, but their non-verbal communication such as facial expression may indicate otherwise. It is also important for the nurse to be aware of the congruency of their verbal and non-verbal communication. Any discrepancies between the two will have a direct influence on the message they are giving to patients, and may jeopardise the nurse/patient relationship. Other factors may affect communication in a negative way, endangering the process, and nurses must be aware of internal and external barriers (Schubert 2003). Lack of interest, poor listening skills, culture and the personal attitude are internal factors, which may affect the process. External barriers such as the physical environment, temperature, the use of jargon and/or technical words can also negatively influence the process (Schubert 2003). Reflection. To fully assess the development of communication skills the nurse can make use of reflection to gain a better insight and understanding of their skills (Siviter 2008). Reflection can also be used to apply theoretical knowledge to practice, thus bridging the gap between theory and practice (Burns Bulman 2000) and allows us opportunity, to develop a better insight and awareness of our actions both conscious and unconscious in the situation. Reflecting on events that take place in practice, allows opportunity not only to think about what we do, but also to consider why we do things. This helps us to learn from the experience and improve our future nursing practice (Siviter 2008). Reflection can be described as either reflection in action; occurring during the event, or reflection on action; which happens after the event has occurred (Taylor 2001) and is guided by a model, which serves as a framework within, which the nurse is able to work. It is usually a written process, and the use o f a reflective model uses questions to provide a structure and guide for the process (Siviter 2008). Reflective Models. There are numerous reflective models that may be utilised by the nursing professional, for example, Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988), Johns Model of Structured Reflection (1994) and Driscolls Model of Reflection (2002). Gibbs model (Appendix I) has a cyclical approach, consisting of six stages per cycle that guide the user through a series of questions, providing a structure for reflection on an experience. The first stage of the process is a descriptive account of the situation; what happened? Followed by an analysis of thoughts and feelings in the second stage; what were your thoughts and feelings? The third and fourth stages involve an evaluation of the situation, what was good and/or bad about the experience and an analysis allowing us to make sense of the situation. The last two stages are the conclusion of the situation, what else could have been done and finally an action plan to prepare for similar situations, which may arise in the future (Gibbs 1988). Similarly to Gibbs Reflective Cycle, Johns Model of Structured Reflection (Appendix II) and Driscolls (Appendix III) model of reflection promote learning through reflection. They have similar structures, which guide the user through the reflective process. Johns Model incorporates four stages; description, reflection, alternative actions and learning (Johns 1994) and Discolls model has three stages: a return to the situation, understanding the context and modifying future outcome (Discoll 2002). The three models described all have similarities in that the user is guided through the reflective process by describing the event, analysing their thoughts, feelings and actions and making plans for future practice. Considering the models of reflection described, the next component of this essay will make use of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1998) to provide a reflective account of a situation which I experienced during clinical placement in a community setting. Reflective Account. As part of this placement, I assisted my mentor, a health visitor, in the provision of a baby club for parents with babies and pre-school children, which takes place on a weekly basis and involves routine checks, such as baby-weighing, in addition to opportunity, for parents to socialise and opportunity for health visitors to provide information relating to the care and health of babies and children. During the second week of this placement, I was asked to assist in the delivery of a forthcoming health promotion session relating to dental health. I have chosen this event as a basis for my reflective account as I feel that health promotion is an important area to consider. It enables individuals to play a pivotal role in their own health (Webster and Finch 2002 in Scriven 2005) and is a means by which positive health can be promoted and enhanced alongside the prevention of illness (Downie et al 2000). It gives clients the knowledge to make informed decisions about their health and prevention of illness and is an area in which the nurse or healthcare professional plays a key role (WHO 1989). Description of the event. The event occurred during a weekly session at baby club that takes place in a community centre. My mentor (Health Visitor) and I were present along with a group of ten mothers and their babies. As this event took place during a group session, I will maintain confidentiality (NMC 2008) by not referring to any one individual. Consent was gained from all clients prior to the session commencing, in line with the NMC Code of Conduct (2008) and the environment was checked to ensure it was appropriate and safe for the session to take place. The aim of the session was to promote good dental health and oral hygiene amongst children and babies. Standard 1 of the Standards of Care for Health Visitors (RCN 1989) is to promote health, and the session aimed to provide clients with relevant, up-to-date information, thus allowing them to make informed choices about the future care of their childrens teeth. Chairs were set out in a semi-circle with a number of play mats and various baby toys placed in the centre. This allowed parents opportunity to interact in the session, to listen to the information and ask questions while at the same time being in close enough proximity to their children to respond to their needs. The Health Visitor and I sat at the front of the semi circle facing the group. I reintroduced myself to the group and gave a brief explanation of my role and the part I would play in the session. This was important; some of the clients were meeting me for the first time, and it is during this initial contact that jud gements are made about future interactions, and the service being provided. Positive initial interaction can provide a good foundation for a future beneficial relationship (Scriven 2005). The session was broken down into two parts: information giving, focusing on the promotion of dental health and prevention of illness in the form of tooth decay (Robotham and Frost 2005). Secondly, information relating to tooth brushing was given along with a demonstration undertaken by myself that showed the clients good oral hygiene could be achieved through effective tooth brushing. A question and answer session followed which allowed us to clarify any issues raised. Feelings and thoughts. In the week, preceding the session it was important for me to consider a systematic approach to the planning of the session. The first stage was to gather relevant, up-to-date information relating to the subject and plan how it could be incorporated in the session. The NMC Standards of Proficiency (2004a) states that nurses must engage in a continual process of learning and that evidence-based practice should be used (Bach and Grant 2009). The plan was discussed with my mentor and advice was sought about any adjustments which may be necessary. Prior to the session, I was apprehensive about delivering a health promotion session to clients (patients). I as I felt out of my depth as a first year student and my anxiety was exacerbated further as this was my first placement. However, support and encouragement from my mentor and other health visitors in the team helped me to relax. I was given the opportunity to discuss the topic with my mentor and was relieved when I was able to respond to any questions asked in an appropriate manner and that my knowledge had been increased through the research I had undertaken, thus boosting my confidence. Evaluation. Despite my initial reservation about my knowledge of the subject and apprehension at delivering a health promotion session, I feel that my mentors decision to include me in the delivery of the session benefitted me greatly in the development of my knowledge and self confidence. During the session, I feel that I communicated well verbally with clients and that my non-verbal communication was appropriate and corresponded to what I was saying. The clients were focused on the session and seemed genuinely interested, nodding when they understood and showed attentiveness by making regular eye contact. Feedback from clients after the session also allowed me to reflect on my communication; one of the clients stated afterwards that she had gained a lot from the session particularly the demonstration relating to tooth brushing and was now more aware of the importance of early oral hygiene to prevent problems later in the childs life. Analysis. Dental Health is a key Health Promotion target in Wales and is the most prevalent form of disease amongst children in Wales. Many of the participants were unaware of when and how childrens teeth should be cared for and the importance of ensuring good oral hygiene from an early age. The aim of the session was to provide information to parents as a means of promoting good oral hygiene and prevention of tooth decay in babies and young children. In order for the aim to be achieved, communication was a key element. Effective communication in a group can only be achieved if there is trust, participation, co-operation and collaboration among its members and the belief that they as a group are able to perform effectively as a group (Balzer-Riley 2008). The information was provided in a way that was easily understandable, a demonstration of how teeth should be brushed was given, and time was allowed for the clients time to ask questions. Communication and listening skills allowed us to discov er what knowledge the clients already had, and enabled us to adjust the information to meet the needs of the clients. Throughout the session, I was aware of my non-verbal communication and attempted to show attentiveness to individuals in the group, using the principles of SOLER I made the necessary adjustments. At times, this proved difficult as trying to lean towards the clients and maintain eye contact with each individual was not possible in a group situation. My anxiety about delivering the session was also an area which I had some concerns with. Nervousness can have an influence on how a message is delivered, and I was constantly aware of my verbal communication, particularly my paralanguage. I have a tendency to speak at an accelerated rate when I am nervous, and was aware that this may influence the way in which the message was being received. It is important to be aware of paralanguage in which the meaning of a word or phrase can change depending on tone, pitch or the rate at which the word(s) is spoken. Paralanguage may also include vocal sounds which may accompany speech and which can add meaning to the words being spoken (Hartley 1999). Throughout the session, I was aware of my verbal and non-verbal communication, and I tried to ensure that it corresponded to the information being given; I was also aware of non-verbal communication of the participants and made appropriate adjustments to my delivery when needed Conclusion. After the session had finished, I was given an opportunity to discuss it with my mentor. I was able to articulate what I felt had gone well, what hadnt gone quite as well and what could be improved. I noted that I was very nervous about delivering the session despite having the knowledge and understanding of the subject and felt that this may have been noticed by the participants. However, feedback from my mentor allowed me to realise that my nervousness was not apparent in my delivery. By undertaking this reflection, I have been able to question the experience and analyse my actions and behaviour, as a means of developing my knowledge for future practice Action plan. This session has helped with my learning and personal development and I now feel more confident in my ability to deliver health promotion activities in a group setting. I am, however, aware that speaking in a group setting is not an area I am very comfortable with but further practice will help alleviate this. I am confident that I will be able to use the knowledge gained on the subject of dental health in my future placements. In the future, I will repeat the process of thorough research, as it is best practice to keep knowledge up-to-date in order to provide care based on evidence (NMC 2008). Summary. In summary, communication is a complex process and an essential skill which the nurse must be aware of in every aspect, of care and treatment they give to patients. A full awareness of not only the spoken word, but also the influence non-verbal communication has on the messages being communicated, is essential in the development of a therapeutic relationship between nurse and patient. The process of reflecting upon practice is also an essential element of knowledge development. After consideration of a number of reflective frameworks, the use of Gibbs Reflective Cycle as a structure for creating a reflective account has proven to be beneficial in the exploration of personal thoughts and feelings in relation to a specified event and I recognise the importance of reflection as a learning tool that can enhance knowledge and practice.

Victor Vasarely :: essays research papers

Victor Vasarely (1906-1997) Internationally recognized as one of the most important artists of the 20th century. He is the acknowledged leader of the Op Art movement, and his innovations in color and optical illusion have had a strong influence on many modern artists. In 1947, Vasarely discovered his place in abstract art. Influenced by his experiences at Breton Beach of Belle Isle, he concluded that "internal geometry" could be seen below the surface of the entire world. He conceived that form and color are inseparable. "Every form is a base for color, every color is the attribute of a form." Forms from nature were thus transposed into purely abstract elements in his paintings. Recognizing the inner geometry of nature, Vasarely wrote, "the ellipsoid form...will slowly, but tenaciously, take hold of the surface, and become its raison d'etre. Henceforth, this ovoid form will signify in all my works of this period, the 'oceanic feeling'...I can no longer admit an inner world and another, an outer world, apart. The within and the without communicate by osmosis, or, one might rather say: the spatial-material universe, energetic-living, feeling-thinking, form a whole, indivisible...The languages of the spirit are but the supervibrations of the great ph ysical nature." Vasarely was born in Pecs, Hungary in 1906. After receiving his baccalaureate degree in 1925, he began studying art at the Podolini-Volkmann Academy in Budapest. In 1928, he transferred to the Muhely Academy, also known as the Budapest Bauhaus, where he studied with Alexander Bortnijik. At the Academy, he became familiar with the contemporary research in color and optics by Jaohannes Itten, Josef Albers, and the Constructivists Malevich and Kandinsky. After his first one-man show in 1930, at the Kovacs Akos Gallery in Budapest, Vasarely moved to Paris. For the next thirteen years, he devoted himself to graphic studies. His lifelong fascination with linear patterning led him to draw figurative and abstract patterned subjects, such as his series of harlequins, checkers, tigers, and zebras. During this period, Vasarely also created multi-dimensional works of art by super-imposing patterned layers of cellophane on one another to attain the illusion of depth. In 1943, Vasarely began to work extensively in oils, creating both abstract and figurative canvases. His first Parisian exhibition was the following year at the Galerie Denise Rene which he helped found. Vasarely became the recognized leader of the avant-garde group of artists affiliated with the gallery. In 1955, Galerie Denise Rene hosted a major group exhibition in connection with Vasarely's painting experiments with movement.

Launching The New Engineered Jeans Essay -- Business and Management St

Launching The New Engineered Jeans 2.1 Introduction The outline bellows gives an overview of the new engineered jean that Levis will be launching Product A top-end Jean in straight cut that is fits snugly and is flattering, well cut using the engineered technology Price  £90 Target Segment Fashion conscious female 18-35yrs 2.2 Objectives of the Launch ============================ * Break into Womenswear Market * Re-launch Engineered technology to emphasise fit * Make consumer aware of new product * Increase sales of engineered Jeans 2.3 The Marketing mix 2.3.1 Segment The Women’s market has been the by far the strongest sector in terms of increased sales since Jeans sales began to boom in 2001 (see appendix E), this trend is expected to continue into 2007 (Mintel, 2003). After the Male orientated anti-fit campaign, now is a good time for Levis to turn their attention to the female market. The number of 15-24 year olds in Britain has already increased dramatically and is expected to grow by around 7% by 2007 (Mintel, 2003 See Appendix D). At present Levi’s do not have our having problems reaching the younger female customer (Foster, 03/2004). If Levi’s can break into this market it will generate a significant increase in sales. 2.3.2 Product In a recent poll on hanbag.com the †Denim Diva† look, Jeans teamed with a sexy top and high heels, was voted the most popular by the women who voted (www.wgsn.co.uk, 10/1...

Civil Litigation Process For Sexual Harassment Essay example -- Sexual

Civil Litigation Process For Sexual Harassment Prompt: You are in charge of the human resources division of a large software development company. One of your responsibilities is to work with the company's retained law firm on suits against the company by present and former employees. A former employee has just filed suit against the company and one of its supervisor's for sexual harassment. The citation has been served upon the authorized agent for the company today. You have also been advised today that you are going to be promoted to senior vice president in charge of software development and that the new human resources director has little experience with matters related to civil litigation. You must orient the new director to the mechanics of how a civil lawsuit works its way through the legal system so that she can integrate her activities with that of the law firm in defense of the newly filed suit Prepare a three (3) to five (5) page memo to the new director generally describing the litigation process. To: Manager, HR department From: Vice President Date: 5/18/14 Subject: Litigation process for recent lawsuit of sexual harassment Over view The following document is a description of sexual harassment litigation process and my proposals to create a manual policy on sexual harassment cases. The Stages of Sexual Harassment Litigation 1. Beginning of Controversy and Attempts to Resolve Conflict "Having an litigation goal'' The goal of the case should be determined as early as possible, by the facts, witnesses, forum and client, because it will dictate how you will manage the litigation. For instance, if the forum, facts and client indicate that (1) summary judgment is ... ...uld establish, distribute to all employees, and enforce a policy prohibiting harassment and setting out a procedure for making complaints. In most cases, the policy and procedure should be in writing. Â · Small businesses may be able to discharge their responsibility to prevent and correct harassment through less formal means. For example, if a business is sufficiently small that the owner maintains regular contact with all employees, the owner can tell the employees at staff meetings that harassment is prohibited, that employees should report such conduct promptly, and that a complaint can be brought "straight to the top." If the business conducts a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation of any complaint that arises and undertakes swift and appropriate corrective action, it will have fulfilled its responsibility to "effectively prevent and correct harassment."

Constraints Facing The African Stock Market Economics Essay

The African stock market is going progressively sophisticated in pricing, insulating and reassigning hazard. Tools such as derived functions and securitization contribute to this procedure but pose their ain hazard. The failure of accounting and ordinance to maintain abreast of development introduces more hazard with on occasion dramatic effects.Macroeconomic FactorsMacroeconomic hazards include rising prices hazard, involvement rate hazard, low modesty and thin fiscal market which all together affect the public presentation of a stock market. Macroeconomic policy has a great impact on the public presentation of the stock market. In 1996, the Zimbabwe stock market which accounted for an overall public presentation of 86.5 % . However, in 1997 its public presentation decreased by more than 50 % in the aftermath of dramatic authorities farm and to pay $ 240 million in pensions to veterans of Zimbabwe independency war. For the last two decennaries, the growing rate of existent per capita end product for Africa has been negative, while other parts have been demoing strong positive growing rates. For illustration, while between the 1970s and 1990s East Asia and South Asia moved from an mean growing rate of 4.6 per centum and 0.7 per centum to 6.4 per centum and 3.3 per centum, severally, Sub-Saharan Africa ‘s growing rate declined from 0.5 per centum in the 1970s to -0.4 per centum in the 1990s.Corporate AdministrationCoup vitamin D ‘ & amp ; eacute ; cheapnesss is rather celebrated in African history. It appears that constitutional regulation are present at that place and politicians are pull stringsing fundamental laws to either seek thirster footings in office or perpetuate their stay. Therefore, there is a deficiency of good corporate administration in the states. In the absence of corporate administration, there is inappropriate policy taken by the authorities and regulative models. Furthermore, there is no control of corruptness, capacity edifice, and there is an uneffective, inefficient, no transparent and accountable system for mobilising and apportioning public every bit good as private resources.High unemploymentIn Africa, there is copiousness of unskilled labour and this may take to worsen of the on the job category. The growing in demand for skilled labour does non fit the diminution of unskilled and semi-skilled occupations. The labour market is switching towards more skilled workers, professionals and directors. A labour study in South Africa found that there is more demand for directors in the populace sector, particularly local authorities and peculiar services sectors Unemployment is pig-headedly high and edging upward. In South Africa the expanded unemployment rate is estimated to be every bit high as 40 % with the official rate at about 29 % . The fact that the labour market is biased against those with less accomplishment is reflected in the higher mean wage additions for skilled individuals.Trade DevelopmentMany African states are faced with a multiplicity of challenges that prevent them from take parting in the planetary economic system and harvesting the benefits of increased globalisation. Africa is the most disconnected continent. Fourteen states are landlocked, accounting for 30 % of Africa ‘s population. The roots of the job prevarication in chronic restraints to competitiveness including, hapless substructure, little and disconnected markets, undeveloped fiscal markets, weak systems to ease trade, weaknesses in cardinal establishments, and the deficiency of equal human resources.Political HazardPolitical instability, institutional incapacity and societal unrest inhibit foreign capital influxs. These in bend lower investing appetencies and have a negative impact for economic chances and investing clime. Percepts of political hazard originating from peculiar events, such as those related to the recent elections in Kenya which generate market volatility and discourage investing. Africa is seen as a part of high political hazard, and important hazard premium are demanded by equity investors, loaners and insurance companies.Currency fluctuation hazardThe planetary economic lag in universe growing may impact African exports of agricultural merchandises, minerals and hydrocarbons. Africa ‘s dependance on natural resource exports has made many states vulnerable to trade good monetary value dazes that are outside their control. Sudden additions in export grosss or import costs can do currency instability and budget uncertainness. Furthermore, there is strong grounds that currency depreciation has negative consequence on the public presentation of the African stock market.Crisis of International ConfidenceMany states in sub-Saharan Africa enjoyed robust economic growing in recent old a ges. However, the nutrient and fuel monetary value dazes of 2007-08 that preceded the current planetary fiscal crisis weakened the external place of net importers of nutrient and fuel, caused rising prices to speed up, and dampened growing chances. A research done by IMF shows that in the yesteryear a 1 per centum point lag in planetary growing has led to an estimated ? per centum point lag in sub-Saharan African states. But the effects may be more marked this clip because the tightening of planetary recognition compounds the impact of the lag, worsening hazards for trade finance and other capital flows.Recommendations.The stock market needs specific attending when it comes to the menaces and challenges predominating. Normally, there are several ways which can take to the development of the stock market. Automation can be of great aid as it reduces costs every bit good as inefficiencies. It operates faster than the manual system which besides increases trading activities and liquidness. We besides have demutualization which is a procedure that involves a alteration in ownership construction and a alteration in legal and organisation signifier. Factors such as competition among exchanges, demand for increased capital, demand for good corporate administration in exchanges and the impulse to open up ownership of exchanges to public investors help demutualization addition popularity. Demutualization is expected to work out common construction jobs by opening up merchandising rights, acknowledging new trading spouses, and broadening ownership such that the populace can put in exchanges. It besides increases entree to services of the exchange and removes inordinate investing costs for fund holders. Another cardinal solution can be to beef up Financial Regulation and Supervision. Such a step will hike the assurance of investors every bit good as protects their rights and hence besides encourages them to put more in the stock market. The development of good quality establishments can besides impact the attraction of equity investing and lead to stock market development. Good quality establishments such as jurisprudence and order, democratic answerability, bureaucratic quality are of import determiners of stock market development in Africa because they cut down political hazard and heighten the viability of external finance. The increased engagement of investors on the stock market will besides assist advancing efficient market patterns and fiscal invention. They typically favor greater transparence and market unity in both primary and secondary markets, seek lower dealing cost, and promote efficient trading and colony installations. Enhancing surveillance of the OTC forex derivative markets by systematic processing and analysis of information on offshore activity will besides be of great aid. Another proposed solution to jobs faced by African stock markets is to incorporate stock exchanges. Unifying African stock markets into a individual regional exchange instantly is no uncertainty an ambitious and dashing undertaking, given the associated institutional and fiscal cost complexnesss. Advocates of this proposition argue that a good incorporate regional stock exchange in Africa will be a powerful beginning and driver of capital flows to Africa. Such an exchange will besides, if good structured, work out the current jobs of illiquidity, little size, and atomization.

American Literature Questions Essay

21. The leader of the Irish National Theater Movement in the early 20th century was ______. A. W. B. Yeats B. Lady Gregory C. J. M. Synge D. John Galworthy 22. T. S. Eliot’s most popular verse play is ______. A. Murder in the Cathedral B. The Cocktail Party C. The Family Reunion D. The Waste Land 23. The American writer ______ was awarded the Nobel Prize for the anti-racist In- truder in the Dust in 1950. A. Ernest Hemingway B. Gertrude Stein C. William Faulkner D. T. S. Eliot 24. Hemingway’s second big success is ______ , which wrote the epitaph to a decade and to the whole generation in the 1920s, in order to tell us a story about the tragic love affair of a wounded American soldier with a British nurse. A. For Whom the Bell Tolls B. A Farewell to Arms C. The Sun Also Rises D. The Old Man and the Sea 25. With the publication of ______ , Dreiser was launching himself upon a long career that would ultimately make him one of the most significant American writers of the school later known as literary naturalism. A. Sister Carrie B. The Titan C. The Genius D. The Stoic. 26. Henry James is generally regarded as the forerunner of the 20th -century â€Å"stream -of-consciousness†novels and the founder of ______. A. neoclassicism B. psychological realism C. psychoanalytical criticism D. surrealism 27. In 1849, Herman Melville published ______ ,a semi-autobiographical novel, con- cerning the sufferings of a genteel youth among brutal sailors. A. Omoo B. Mardi C. Redburn D. Typee 28. As a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,______ marks the climax of Mark Twain’s literary activity. A. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn B. Life on the Mississippi C. The Gilded Age D. Roughing It 29. Realism was a reaction against ______ or a move away from the bias towards romance and self- creating fictions, and paved the way to Modernism. A. Romanticism B. Rationalism C. Post-modernism D. Cynicism 30. When World War II broke out,______ began working for the Italian government, engaged in some radio broadcasts of anti- Semitism and pro- Fascism. A. Ezra Pound B. T. S. Eliot C. Henry James D. Robert Frost 31. In 1915 ______ became a naturalized British citizen, largely in protest against America’s failure to join England in the First World War. A. Henry James B. T. S. Eliot. C. W. D. Howells D. Ezra Pound 32. What Whitman prefers for his new subject and new poetic feelings is â€Å"______ ,† that is, poetry without a fixed beat or regular rhyme scheme. A. blank verse B. free rhythm C. balanced structure D. free verse 33. The American woman poet ______ wanted to live simply as a complete independent being, and so she did, as a spinster. A. Emily Shaw B. Anna Dickinson C. Emily Dickinson D. Anne Bret 34. The Birthmark drives home symbolically ______ point that evil is a man’s birthmark, something he was born with. A. Whitman’s B. Melville’s C. Hawthorne’s D. Emerson’s 35. The Financier ,The Titan and The Stoic written by ______ are called his â€Å"Trilogy of Desire†. A. Henry James B. Theodore Dreiser C. Mark Twain D. Herman Melville 36. Disregarding grammar and punctuation,______ always used â€Å"i† instead of â€Å"I† in his poems to show his protest against self-importance. A. Wallace Stevens B. Ezra Pound C. Robert Frost D. E. E. Cummings 37. Though Robert Frost is generally considered a regional poet whose subject matters mainly focus on the landscape and people in ______ , he wrote many poems that investigate the basic themes of man’s life in his long poetic career. A. the west B. the south C. New England D. Alaska 38. Most critics have agreed that Fitzgerald is both an insider and an outsider of ______ with a double vision. A. the Gilded Age B. the Rational Age C. the Jazz Age D. the Magic Age 39. In the American Romantic writings,______ came to function almost as a dramatic character that symbolized moral law. A. fire B. water C. trees D. wilderness 40. The desire for an escape from society and a return to ______ became a permanent convention of the American literature. A. the family life B. nature C. the ancient time D. fantasy of love 21. The Renaissance marks a transition from ______ to the modern world. A. the old English B. the medieval C. the feudalist D. the capitalist 22. The great political and social events in the English society of neoclassical period were the following EXCEPT ______. A. the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660 B. the Great Plague of 1665 C. the Great London Fire in 1666 D. the Wars of Roses in 1689 23. With the scarlet letter A as the biggest symbol of all, ______ proves himself to be one of the best symbolists. A. Hawthorne B. Dreiser C. James D. Faulkner 24. The author of Leaves of Grass , a giant of American letters, is ______. A. Faulkner B. Dreiser C. James D. Whitman 25. In Tender is the Night, ______ traces the decline of a young American psychiatrist whose marriage to a beautiful and wealthy patient drains his personal energies and corrodes his professional career. A. Dreiser B. Faulkner C. Fitzgerald D. Jack London 26. Melville is best – known as the author of his mighty book, ________, which is one of the world’ s greatest masterpieces. A. Song of Myself B. Moby – Dick C. The Marble Faun D. Mosses from an Old Manse 27. The theme of Henry James’ essay â€Å"______† clearly indicates that the aim of the novel is to present life, so it is not surprising to find in his writings human experiences explored in every possible form. A. The American B. The Europeans C. The Art of Fiction D. The Golden Bowl 28. During WWI, ______ served as an honorable junior officer in the American Red Cross Ambulance Corps and in 1918 was severely wounded in both legs. A. Anderson B. Faulkner C. Hemingway D. Dreiser 29. In order to protest against America’ s failure to join England in WWI, ______ became a naturalized British citizen in 1915. A. William Faulkner B. Henry James C. Earnest Hemingway D. Ezra Pound 30. Robert Frost described ______as â€Å"a book of people,† which shows a brilliant insight into New England character and the background that formed it. A. North of Boston B. A Boy’s Will C. A Witness Tree D. A Further Range 31. We can easily find in Dreiser’ s fiction a world of jungle, and ______ found expression in almost every book he wrote. A. naturalism B. romanticism C. transcendentalism D. cubism 32. As an active participant of his age, Fitzgerald is often acclaimed literary spokesman of the ______. A. Jazz Age B. Age of Reason C. Lost Generation D. Beat Generation 33. From the first novel Sister Carrie on, Dreiser set himself to project the American values for what he had found them to be: ______ to the core. A. altruistic B. political C. religious D. materialistic 34. The 20th -century stream- of- consciousness technique was frequently and skillfully used by ______ to emphasize the reactions and inner musings of the narrator. A. Hemingway B. Frost C. Faulkner D. Whitman 35. With the help of his friends Phil Stone and Sherwood Anderson, ______ published a volume of poetry The Marble Faun and his first novel Soldiers’ Pay. A. Faulkner B. Hemingway C. Ezra Pound D. Fitzgerald 36. The Sun Also Rises casts light on a whole generation after WWI and the effects of the war by way of a vivid portrait of â€Å"______. † A. the Beat Generation B. the Lost Generation C. the Babybooming Age D. the Jazz Age 37. Within her little lyrics Dickinson addresses those issues that concern ______, which include religion, death, immorality, love and nature. A. the whole human beings B. the frontiers C. the African Americans D. her relatives 38. H. L. Mencken, a famous American critic, considered ______ â€Å"the true father of our national literature. † A. Hamlin Garland B. Joseph Kirkland C. Mark Twain D. Henry James 39. In his poetry, Whitman shows concern for ______ and the burgeoning life of cities. A. the colonists B. the capitalists C. the whole hard -working people D. the intellectuals 40. In 1837, ______ published Twice – Told Tales, a collection of short stories which attracted critical attention. A. Emerson B. Melville C. Whitman D. Hawthorne 21. The work ________ by William Blake is a lovely volume of poems, presenting a happy world, though not without its evils and sufferings. A. Songs of Innocence B. Songs of Experience C. Poetical Sketches D. Lyrical Ballads 22. The plays known as â€Å"the Lawrence trilogy† are all the following EXCEPT ________. A. A Collier’ s Friday Night B. Lady Chatterley’ s Lover C. The Daughter – in – Law D. The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyed 23. Greatly and permanently affected by the ________ experiences, Hemingway formed his own writing style, together with his theme and hero. A. mining B. farming C. war D. sailing 24. â€Å"The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one -eighth of it being above water. † This â€Å"iceberg† analogy about prose style was put forward by ________. A. William Faulkner B. Henry James C. Ernest Hemingway D. F ·Scott Fitzgerald. 25. In Go Down, Moses, ________ illuminates the problem of black and white in Southern society as a close- knit destiny of blood brotherhood. A. William Faulkner B. Jack London C. Herman Melville D. Nathaniel Hawthorne 26. In Death in the Afternoon ________ presents his philosophy about life and death through the depiction of the bullfight as a kind of microcosmic tragedy. A. William Faulkner B. Jack London C. Ernest Hemingway D. Mark Twain 27. William Faulkner once said that ________ is a story of â€Å"lost innocence,† which proves itself to be an intensification of the theme of imprisonment in the past. A. The Great Gatsby B. The Sound and the Fury C. Absalom, Absalom! D. Go Down, Moses 28. Walt Whitman believed, by means of â€Å"________,† he has turned poetry into an open field, an area of vital possibility where the reader can allow his own imagination to play. A. free verse B. strict verse C. regular rhyming D. standardized rhyming 29. Herman Melville’s second famous work, ________, was not published until 1924, 33 years after his death. A. Pierre B. Redburn C. Moby-Dick D. Billy Budd 30. In 1920, ________ published his first novel This Side of Paradise which was, to some extent, his own story. A. F ·Scott Fitzgerald B. Ernest Hemingway C. William Faulkner D. Emily Dickinson 31. Unlike his contemporaries in the early 20th century, ________ did not break up with the poetic tradition nor made any experiment on form. A. Walt Whitman B. Robert Frost C. Ezra Pound D. T. S. Eliot 32. While Mark Twain seemed to have paid more attention to the â€Å"life† of the Americans, ________ had apparently laid a greater emphasis on the â€Å"inner world† of man. A. William Howells B. Henry James C. Bret Harte D. Hamlin Garland 33. At the age of eighty -seven, ________ read his poetry at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961. A. Robert Frost B. Walt Whitman C. Ezra Pound D. T. S. Eliot 34. Of all Herman Melville’s sea adventure stories, ________ proves to be the best. A. Typee B. Redburn C. Moby – DickD. Omoo 35. Man is a â€Å"victim of forces over which he has no control. † This is a notion held strongly by ________. A. Robert Frost B. Theodore Dreiser C. Henry James D. Hamlin Garland 36. With the publication of ________, Theodore Dreiser was launching himself upon a long career that would ultimately make him one of the most significant American writers of the school later known as literary naturalism. A. Sister Carrie B. The Titan C. An American Tragedy D. The Stoic 37. Nathaniel Hawthorne was affected by ________’s transcendentalist theory and struck up a very intimate relationship with him. A. H. W. Longfellow B. Walt Whitman C. R. W. Emerson D. Washington Irving 38. Among the following writers ________ is generally regarded as the forerunner of the 20th -century â€Å"stream – of – consciousness† novels and the founder of psychological realism. A. T. S. Eliot B. James Joyce C. William Faulkner D. Henry James 39. Walt Whitman wrote down a great many poems to air his sorrow for the death of President ______, and one of the famous is â€Å"When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’ d. † A. Washington B. Lincoln C. Franklin D. Kennedy 40. The Marble Faun by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a romance set in______, is concerned about the dark aberrations of the human spirit. A. France B. Spain C. England D. Italy [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic]