Eight Leadership Style Essay

Collegiality and teamwork are central to professional communities such as schools, colleges, and universities. Roger Mottram has conducted research and he found eight fairly distinct styles or team roles that managers consistently adopted. The combination of these roles in the workplace largely contributes to the climate in every organization. Thus, the efficacy and productivity of work processes as well as the pursuit of organizational goals, visions, and missions are highly dependent as to how the members of the organization plays these eight particular roles. The chairperson, because of his authoritative powers to control and coordinate the group and to equally sub-divide the workload, should act as the leader and push the group towards completion of tasks and pursuit of goals. He has balanced the character of being creative, enthusiastic, and people-oriented that’s why he can easily put others to work without colliding with personal judgments others have. It should also be noted that the chairperson’s work will greatly be hastened and effectively coordinated if the sharper comes into the picture. With him, difficulties will be easily cut through since he believes in getting things done as soon as possible. Also, since the sharper can command respect, inspire enthusiasm, and make things happen, it will be very beneficial if the sharper helps the chairperson in leading the group towards achieving results. Since there are two people now who act as leaders, the innovator comes into the picture and must be considered as equally important as the other two. Since he is the one who has the capacity of thinking new ways and strategies of solving the most difficult problems and transforming the group’s efforts by adding his insights, he must also be properly engaged with the team. However, the whole group must assist him because sometimes he keeps to himself the things that he thinks of. The workload will always be easy because the company worker will never fail to do his task of getting the jobs done passed onto him. He is a very determined and dedicated to his work. However, the sharper and the chairperson should always provide clear procedures and objectives to the company worker because it is the only requisite for the latter to work effectively and efficiently. Also, because of the low personality profile and the inability to deal with unstable situations, the other members of the workgroup, especially the chairperson and the sharper, should really guide the company worker. In the process of doing things and achieving goals, the monitor evaluator should always be present and should work hand in hand with everyone. He will serve as the critic and shall provide the different perspectives with regard to the things that the workgroup is trying to achieve. He may be sometimes pessimistic but when properly coordinated by the sharper, his thoughts will largely contribute towards providing clear solutions to problems and achieving the goals of the workgroup even in the presence of complex pieces of information. The team worker must always be present in the group to make sure that feelings, needs, and, concerns of members are properly addressed. Combined with the efforts of the chairperson, the team worker will be contributory to the effective workgroup climate that will exist in the organization. Also, the resource investigator will be helpful in finding and recreating, as well as exploring resources inside and outside the company. Lastly, there should be someone to make sure that everything is finished on the dot. That is the job of the completer. The combined efforts of all these team members will ensure the success of every organization especially in the achieving of goals.

Research Paper on Drug Use Essay

Drug use in today’s society is something that has become too common. We have a large percentage of our population using drugs for numerous reasons. The stresses of our fast paced lives can be the reason we need drugs to keep up. We sometime take these drugs with out thinking of the future consequences and risk that might be attached to them. We have to teach society of the dangers of drugs and the treatment available to quit using. We have too many people using drugs in our society today. â€Å"In 1996, 50. % of high school seniors had used some illegal drug at some time during their life, 40. 2% during the previous year, and 24. 6% during the previous month. † This shows that at least half of the senior class in high schools use or have use drugs. These numbers are from 1996 from then to now the number has grown drastically. If these people are using drugs as seniors it most evident that they will use drugs after high school. â€Å"A 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that among all youths aged 12 to 17, 6% had tried prescription drugs for recreational use in the last month. Kids as young as 12 years old are using prescription drugs to get high this tell me that their parent are to busy to supervising them or just don’t care enough to prevent them from doing so. If teenagers can use the drugs they have at home to get high how are we supposed to prevent them from using them? People don’t use drugs simply for the fact to get high, but also to cope with problems in their lives. When someone uses drugs to deal with the stresses of the everyday life it is easier to develop an addiction to the drug. A study based on a sample of 20,291 individuals drawn from the community at large found that more than half of those who met the medical criteria for diagnosis as drug abusers also suffered from one or more mental disorders at some point during their lifetime. This included 28% with anxiety disorders, 26% with mood disorders (depression), 18% with antisocial personality disorder, and 7% with schizophrenia. Some had multiple disorders. The prevalence of mental disorders varied with the drug being abused, ranging from 50% of marijuana abusers to 76% of those who abused cocaine. Almost half of the drug abusers also suffered from alcohol abuse at some point during their lifetime. † People don’t only use drugs get high or deal with the stresses of life, but also to deal with the problems with in them. People use drugs to cope with their anxieties, depression and schizophrenia. With the drugs the people feel that the disorder they have does not exist. They believe that they are everyone else and there is nothing wrong with them. â€Å"Initial low-level involvement with drugs may result from peer pressure, drug availability or other risk factors in an individual’s social or family environment. Many individuals use drugs to fit in with friends or to be excepted by a crowd of higher popularity than them. This happens a lot in high school with younger students being pressured by upper classmen. People sometime do things without thinking about the repercussions of their actions. â€Å"Some people think that prescription drugs are safer and less addictive than street drugs†¦. But prescription drugs are only safe for the individuals who actually have prescriptions for them. That’s because a doctor has examined these people and prescribed the right dose of medication for a specific medical condition. The doctor has also told them exactly how they should take the medicine, including things to avoid while taking the drug — such as drinking alcohol, smoking, or taking other medications. They also are aware of potentially dangerous side effects and can monitor patients closely for these. † Someone might take someone else’s prescription drug with alcohol not knowing that there could serious risk in doing so. For a childish mistake like mix the wrong prescriptions together a person can dead. â€Å"Whether they’re using street drugs or medications, drug abusers often have trouble at school, at home, with friends, or with the law. The likelihood that someone will commit a crime, be a victim of a crime, or have an accident is higher when that person is abusing drugs — no matter whether those drugs are medications or street drugs. † There more consequences to using drugs then just the health risk. You can be arrested for using another persons prescriptions just you can for using street drugs. Some prescription drugs such as opioids can make you hallucinate. This becomes dangerous because the person under the influence of the drug can be driving a vehicle and cause an accident putting their life and others around them in danger. 17,000 people die from all illicit drug use, Direct and Indirect a year. 7,600 people die from Non- Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Such As Aspirin a year. † People don’t realize how many people actually die from drug abuse until they see the numbers. People need to think before taking drugs an realize that every action has its consequences. If your using drugs do it for the right reason not to get high to forget your problem. You might get rid of your troubles for a short amount of time but they be back when your sober. Drugs can either help you or hurt you, but you have to decide.

Bloom Research and Response Paper

Larkin and Burton’s abstract preface the Joint Commission’s directive for effective communication among caregivers during handoff to ensure patient safety (Larkin Burton, 2008, p. 360). The case study reviews the lack of handoff practice and its effect on continuum of care provided to â€Å"Ms. C, a 64-year-old woman, presented to the ambulatory surgery center for an open cholecystectomy† (p. 390), and the subsequent workshop utilizing Bloom’s Taxonomy of Education Objectives to educate and change clinical practice among the staff members. From this reader’s vantage Ms. C’s respiratory de-compensation was a result of the nurses’ failure to communicate patients medical history and critical findings during unit-to-unit transfer and shift report, inadequate nurse to patient ratio along with incomplete charting, failure to recognize early signs and symptoms of respiratory compromise, and lack of critical thinking skills. Evidenced by the case study’s assertions, Ms. C required oxygen in the post anesthesia care unit (PACU) but was transferred without it. Second, the PACU nurse did not communicate to the patient’s need for oxygen to the receiving nurse during handoff report. It is unclear if the surgeon wrote vital sign parameters and pulmonary toilet orders, or if there were standard protocols for this post operative unit. Ms. C’s incomplete graphic record indicate she was placed on four liters of oxygen within two hours of her arrival to the unit at 1630; however, fail to adequately trend abnormal vital signs such as low grade temperature and tachycardia (Larkin Burton, 2008, p. 392). The record does not document any nurse-initiated interventions or call to the doctor requesting a chest x-ray or recommending a respiratory therapy consult for breathing treatment and incentive spirometer. On post-op day two Ms. C’s respiratory status declined requiring a non-rebreather mask, rapid response team consult, and a transfer to the intensive care unit for a diagnosis of respiratory distress (p. 392). There were multiply factors that contributed to the above scenario; Larkin and Burton writes that â€Å"after this near-miss, failure to rescue incident† (p. 94) a task force consisting of management, clinical nurse specialist (CNS) and unit educator convened to discuss the event. The task force concluded that the nursing staff members were ineffectual in critically evaluating the patient’s signs and symptoms. The CNS chose a framework that utilized â€Å"Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives†, that provided measurable outcomes to the ed ucational activity and enabled the nursing team to optimize their critical skill levels. A workshop to assist staff to navigate through the case study in a realistic manner was implemented (Larkin Burton, 2008, p. 95). The cognitive domain contains six intellectual skills that measure: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information received. The affective domain contains five emotional factors: receiving, responding, valuing, organizing, also conceptualizing and characterizing by value concept. It is during this phase that individual buy-in occurs or not. Finally, the psychomotor domain contains five motor skills functions of imitation, manipulation, precision, articulation, and naturalization. The individual learn to adapt his or her movements intuitively to a given situation (Larkin Burton, 2008, p. 395). The key component of continued nursing education is to advance and apply evidenced based practice at the bedside. The use of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives as the framework promote the transfer of evidence based information, in a setting that allow the nurse educators to evaluate and measure the learner’s: cognitive, affective and psychomotor processes. It allows the learner (nurse) to assess his or her level of application within each domain. Both the educator and the nurse can reinforce successes and target learning opportunities to areas of inefficiency. References Blais, K. K. , Hayes, J. S. (2011). Professional Nursing Practice Concepts and Perspective (6th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Bouchard, G. J. (2011, November). In Full Bloom: Helping Students Grow Using the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. The Journal of Physican Assistance Education, 22(4), 44-46. Larkin, B. G. , Burton, K. J. (2008, September). Evaluating a Case Study Using Blooms Taxonomy of Education. AORN, 88(3), 390-402.

Strategic Management of Google Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Strategic Management of Google - Essay Example The paper tells that the examination of the Google strategy is one which focuses not only on the prospects for the future but also with the core issues which are associated with Google and ways in which this can be overcome with the corporation.   Re-examining the strategy of the corporation is one which can then change the strategic approaches of the company while allowing them to work toward the necessary alterations to continue to advance with the Internet technologies offered. The concepts which have been applied to Google are based on a diverse work structure and management that offers new innovations to the workspace. This is followed by the goals of the company to offer technological innovations that are able to provide more to the market. The beginning structure of Google was able to base this on the unique algorithm used to help websites gain different prestige online followed by alternatives which have been developed with creative endeavors to create more categorization a nd options to those who are working online. The new technologies and the several portals that Google has created has led to a domination over the online market with search engines, social media and other options that are able to continue expanding with the market. The issues which are following with this include the fast expansion of the core team that requires new management and which can’t be controlled as easily. This is followed by questions of the new applications and technologies which may not carry the same innovations as the Google technology, causing the external environment to question the value of Google. Monitoring and controlling both the internal structure and the products which are resulting then become the main concern for Google. The core issue which Google is facing is based on the strategic management that is now required for the growth and changes which have occurred in the business. The strategy is one which needs to be inclusive of the countries which of fices are located with Google.

Catch it Bin it Kill it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Catch it Bin it Kill it - Essay Example The second aspect of NHS, as mentioned earlier, is communicating the problem to the public and making sure that they are aware of the issue in hand properly. Communicating the problem or increasing awareness becomes extremely critical in situations in which the problem at hand is risky, and taking action is urgent. Not dealing with or not communicating such a problem properly can lead to creating a hype among the public, and making the people who are not at risk of the problem worry about the problem, too. This is what has been named as the â€Å"worried well† people. Therefore, an important responsibility that government or any other concerned organization has is to communicate properly (House of Lords Select Committee on Communications, 2008-2009). Let the paper precisely see what does communicate properly mean. Firstly, it deals with deciding upon the target group or the group with the maximum level of risk. Selecting the right target group is critical as the later steps de pend upon it. Next step includes a well researched and a well thought-out script or content to be delivered. For this purpose, the organization needs to conduct a proper research and collect as much information about the problem in hand as possible. This includes deciding upon the research methodology and making sure that the right people conduct the research. The third important thing is to decide upon the communication channels i.e. deciding upon whether to use T.V., newspapers, pamphlets etc. It is important that the communication channels chosen be relevant with the target group selected. A mismatch in the communication channel and target group would lead to a total failure, as the message would not reach where it is supposed to reach. The last and an equally important thing is collecting feedback on the impact or effect of the communication made, and taking corrective measures if necessary. In other words, it includes checking out progress of the campaign periodically. Presence of all the above steps is necessary in order to make the communication effective. This paper specifically details the campaign named â€Å"Catch it, Bin it, Kill it†, which was conducted by NHS/Government in order to bring about public awareness about the sudden outbreak of Swine Flu after the first case was diagnosed earlier in 2009 (Jonathan Van-Tam, 2009, p. 189). Swine Flu was then a new thing; therefore, scientists were put to task of doing research as to what causes it and the ways to combat with this virus. After considerable research was done and some antibiotics were identified that would prove helpful in dealing with this virus; an awareness campaign was launched towards the end of 2009 with the name â€Å"Catch it! Bin it! Kill it!† This campaign had a well-researched content that included information about swine flu, measures taken by government, protective measures, symptoms of swine flu and ways and importance to keep oneself updated with news regarding swine flu (Smith, 2010). This campaign, if seen from a broader perspective, was a success with some loopholes too that can be pointed out. The main strengths of the campaign included its catchy slogan and its simplicity (Stephenson, 2009, p. 126). The slogan was not only simple, but it was functional at the same time. This is

PDA Sim Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

PDA Sim - Essay Example The X6 is the high end product in its second year of production. This consumer segment shops for performance and increasing the R&D expense should be able to be offset by an associated increase in price. The goal will be to raise the market share to 30%, which will require sales of approximately 1 million units. The X7 is a new entrant that is a combination of attractive price and performance. Currently it is priced at $200 and is the lowest cost PDA in the lineup. Increasing the sales on the X7 should result in lowering the marginal cost and increasing the profit. Last year it lost money due to low sales. According to Pete Cunningham, senior analyst at Canalys, "With the rapid increase in demand for new features and services, smartphones are migrating into the higher volume, mid-range market segments" (qtd. in "Symbian Fast Facts Q4 2007"). It will be assumed that the smartphone and the PDA has similar market dynamics. The strategy question becomes, can we increase price and market share As a compromise, the price will be increased moderately and R&D spending increased significantly. The outcome for run number 1 was $965,929,406. One of the problems with the strategy was that after lowering the price to $200, it hit saturation the next year. ... The theory is that the X7 needs more R&D money allocated to get the performance necessary to gain market share. Part of the strategy will be to recover the increase in R&D costs of the X7 by increasing the price. In addition, the X6 began to lose sales in the fourth year. The new strategy will be to raise the prices on the X6 and X7 at $450 and $250, but decrease the X6 R&D funding, while increasing the R&D on the X7. This is based on the theory that the older and more mature X6 product will not benefit as much from R&D as the newly developed X7. During this run, the X& R&D will increase when the X5 is discontinued as there is a price similarity and the X7 is a newer and better performing product. The beginning scenario: X5 Price $225 R&D 5% X6 Price $450 R&D 35% X7 Price $250 R&D 60% Outcome and Analysis Run Number 2 The profit from run number 2 was 1,048,169,006. This was only marginally higher than run number 1. One of the problems encountered was that the X6 began to lose sales volume during the third and fourth year as it began to saturate the market during the third year. In addition, the X7 sales never caught on, even with the increase in R&D. Run Number 3 Strategy For run number 3, I used the strategy from run number 2 with the following changes: Reduce the price on the X7 and increase its R&D spending. Decrease the R&D on the X6 after the 2nd year. Also, the price will be reduced on the X6 at that time. The beginning scenario: X5 Price $200 R&D 5% X6 Price $450 R&D 30% X7 Price $200 R&D 65% Outcome and Analysis Run Number 3 The profit from run number 3 was 1,156,812,698. This was the highest to date and was approximately 20 percent above the original simulation. The X7 sale volume rose as anticipated, though the X6 fell off

JetBlue Airway Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

JetBlue Airway - Case Study Example The service provided can be obtained by reservation via the internet at www.jetblue.com, an airline representative or a toll free number. JetBlue has established itself as a strong brand in providing excellence in service for its customers. The company is based out of John F. Kennedy airport and employs about 8, 390 people. JetBlue provides its airfare services for 50 destinations in 21 states across the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Caribbean. Domestic operations account for approximately 97.1% of its capacity during the year ending December 31, 2006. The focus of JetBlue is in serving areas that have a high demand with high priced travel and are may not be serviced properly by the airline industry. JetBlue flies to these destinations 502 times a day and fosters an environment of excellence by ensuring that all employees have an opportunity at promotions and can go for higher education, are well trained and happy coming into work every day. This practice has been a cont ributor to Jet Blue's financial success during the hard economic strenuous times in the United States following the events of September 11, 2001. JetBlue Airways Corporation has maintained much success in a market economy that has been troubled. Through their strategic success in marketing on radio, television, internet and press releases JetBlue has become a household option for the market of flyers that want a low cost option with the highest excellence in service. Their frequent low airfare service has increased to new heights as new destinations are added based on consumer demands and more flights enable the customer to feel satisfied and happy with excellence provided by the company. JetBlue is a company that has excelled due to their ability to react quickly to the changes demanded by their consumer markets separating themselves from the losses in an airline industry sector that is in trouble and attempting a bounce back for several years. (Annual Report 2006) 3 Mission Statement JetBlue's mission statement is to provide all clients with a superior level of service in every aspect during the travel experience. JetBlue's mission is to bring the humanity back to air travel. 4 Vision Statement The air travel industry has gone through its ups and downs since the September 11 attacks in 2001 and several of these organizations have done very little to improve the customers experience. Unlike the rest JetBlue has been the first airline to establish a bill of rights for the customers. The strategy to have a bill of rights was developed by management

Marketing, Management Project ( Introduction) Essay

Marketing, Management Project ( Introduction) - Essay Example The presence of other car manufacturers such as Toyota and Tata Motors has made the Asian vehicle market difficult to reach (Lewis, 2011). However, the use of social media in creating product awareness gives Mercedes Benz more opportunities to get in Asian countries, especially in China (Huang, 2014). The importance of global social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube among other national or regional social networks has attracted more attention from product promoters and marketers (Harris, 2014). For a long time, Mercedes Benz has relied on social media channels to reach areas with high presence of technology. Mercedes has significantly used the Chinese leading social media networks; Qzone, Tencent Weibo and Sina Weibo in efforts to reach its target market. This means that the interaction and discussion of its brand and products is very high in social networks (Lewis, 2012). The use of social media channels in product awareness and interaction with both customers has increased in the last two years. Company marketers and public relation officers have set out to understand the real benefits from the use of social media by organization in communicating with their customers. While social media channels may not be as effective as television, newspapers or print media, Sandoval (2014, p. 46) notes that the personal relationship created by these channels improves the confidence of the customers. Mercedes Benz and other firms using social media have widely used the channels to connect with their customers concerning the quality of products and solution to any problems raised by customers (Barker et al, 2012). According to Lewis (2012), most potential customers spend more time online seeking clarification and information on products or services they are interested in. Customers use this important brand information in making their buying decisions (Lardi and Fuchs, 2013). Therefore, the type of information

Govt paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Govt paper - Essay Example President, the use and custodianship of the Great Seal, and the execution of the White House’s protocol functions. As may be deduced from the stated, therefore, the office of the Secretary of State is an extremely influential one, with its associate powers reaching far beyond those assigned to the Vice-President. It is precisely because of this that, even though the Secretary of State is fourth in line to the succession of the presidency, this particular office has been traditionally viewed as a stepping stone to the Presidency. Indeed, several secretaries of state, including Thomas Jefferson, were later elected to the Presidency (DeConde, 1962). Given the importance of the defined office, it is useful to research the occupation of those who filled this position and comparatively analyze the historical retention rate of Secretaries of State between Democratic and Republican Administrations. Focusing on the time period from 1897 to the present, history shows that there were thirty-two U.S. Secretaries of State. Many had had a career in politics prior to their appointment and, several had been appointed to various offices in previous administrations. Only three of the thirty-two had had an army career which, in light of this office’s primarily being a diplomatic one, is understandable. Similarly, only four were university professors/academics while a total of six had been career diplomats prior to their appointment. As regards the majority, records show that seventeen were lawyers (â€Å"Federal Government,† 2006) A more critical analysis of the facts outlined in the above leads to an interesting conclusion. While both Democratic and Republican Administrations display a comparable tendency to select their secretaries of state from amongst those who have a legal background, the Republicans have a much more pronounced preference for university professors, having appointed three of the four which served, than

Video game review- BE CAREFUL IS NOT A MOVIE REVIEW BUT A VIDEO GAME

Video game - BE CAREFUL IS NOT A BUT A VIDEO GAME - Movie Review Example The game is interactive in that the player assumes the role of God and seeks to prevent the humans’ quest of constructing the tower. This is done through punishing as many workers achievable using electric bolts, using wind to blow them away, killing them with fire and drowning the workers in floods. The game creators clearly tried to incorporate elements evident in the original story. The control options in the game are varied, but the gamer is encouraged to employ the kinect hardware (Venter, 2012). This is, however, cumbersome that the use of hand controls since the player is engrossed in determining how to move their body when issuing commands. This is because motion controls are employed as opposed to standard controllers. It is, therefore, more practical to use the standard controllers. The games strong points are in its unique story line and its impressive graphics depicting the workers are expertly animated. The action and the employment of strategy by the player also gives the game an edge. It, however, has its low points with the music being monotonous since it is repetitive. The multiplayer option also fails to impress since the game becomes cumbersome to see. The game overall is engaging, but becomes tiresome as one plays it for a

The value of cross-cultural studies Essay Example for Free

The value of cross-cultural studies Essay A cross-cultural study examines human behavior by comparing members of at least two different societies. Comparing two groups that differ only in terms of culture allows researchers the opportunity to determine whether certain traits, behaviors, and practices are culturally bound. In addition to differentiating contextual factors, like socioeconomic status and education, from cultural factors, cross-cultural studies can also test hypotheses posed about a certain way of life. Cross-cultural studies also answer questions of variations. Do traits like intelligence or self-esteem differ across different countries? Every culture cherishes its strengths and absorbs its weaknesses. Cross-cultural studies allow scientists and researchers to define the unique personalities of the world’s countries. A recent study by Fiori, Antonucci, and Akiyama (2008) is an example of a cross-cultural study that sought to answer the question of whether social relationships among the elderly differed between older Americans compared to older Japanese citizens. This research utilized archival data gathered for another study over a decade ago. Face-to-face interviews were conducted for approximately 60 minutes to determine how many, what quality, and what type of relationships elderly participants experienced. Different types of social networks were determined and labeled, including such types as family-focused, friend focused, and various types of restricted relationships (Fiori, Antonucci, Akiyama, 2008). All participants also consented to the disclosure of a number of health variables, including time of death. A statistical analysis examined the association between social networks and morbidity. One of the aims of this cross-cultural investigation sought to identify societal differences in social relationships. Fiori and colleagues concluded some types of relationships described by the elderly are shared by both the Japanese and American cultures. These include family-centered and friend-centered. Other types of social networks are unique to that country, like the married/distal label attached to the Japanese tendency to experience the companionship of marriage with little social contact with others. Social networks labeled â€Å"diverse† were exceptionally common in the United States but rarely observed in Japan. Elderly Americans also experienced two distinct barriers to social relationships, structural restrictions and functional restrictions. Older adults who live far from family members and may be socially isolated experience structurally restricted socially networks. A functionally restricted social network includes proximal family members or contacts but these relationships fail to meet the emotional and social needs of the older individual. In addition to exploring cultural differences between the social networks of the elderly in Japan and the United States, this study also identified differences in associations to health and survival related to these relationships. Americans who reported functionally restricted relationships were at a much greater risk for depressive symptoms and a number of negative health adversities. Those with structurally restricted relationships, however, demonstrated higher and faster rates of morbidity compared to participants who experienced other social network types. Interestingly, Japanese participants showed no difference in health variables or survival associated with social networks. The information garnered from this study can be applied to working with the elderly population. The need to consider social networks and cultural factors is clearly established. Future research can expand these findings to develop interventions to target negative or nonexistent social relationships among the elderly. Longitudinal research is needed to draw a causal connection between social networks and health, but the importance of these variables has certainly been emphasized by this study. References Fiori, K. L. , Antonucci, T. C. , Akiyama, H. (2008). Profiles of social relations among older adults: A cross-cultural approach. Ageing and Society, 28, 203-231.

Heaven Is for Real Essay Example for Free

Heaven Is for Real Essay Sadness, happiness, excitement, joy, and astonishment are only but a few of the emotions you will endure while reading the book Heaven is for Real, the amazing story of a brave and eccentric little boy named Colton Burpo. In March of 2003, what seemed to be a seemingly typical family trip turned into a terrifying fight for Todd and Sonja Burpo’s little boy’s life. Even after months of injury and illness within the Burpo family, Colton’s incident tops them all. The strength of this little boy, even at the young age of only four, is truly inspirational. This book truly portrays the crazy days, weeks, months, and even years that follow the frightening experiences that this family had to go through. In February of 2003, the Burpo’s decide to take a family outing. The Butterfly Pavilion is their destination of choice, and the family couldn’t be any happier to get away. After Sonja’s miscarriage, Todd’s shatter leg, round of kidney stones, and hyperplasia; a vacation is precisely what they need. The Thursday before they’re to leave, however, Colton isn’t feeling well and had complained of a stomach ache. Their babysitter, Norma, calls Sonja at work to report a plunge in little Colton’s sickness. After a trip to the doctor, the Burpos find that the stomach flu is the cause of Colton’s poor health. They see the fun-filled trip slipping away as soon as it had come, and nobody in the household is content. But, by morning, Colton is up and feeling well again; the Burpo’s then set out on their adventure. They soon made it to the Crawl-A-See-Um right outside of Denver, and the kid’s stop to see the many tarantula exhibits. These draw Cassie and Colton Burpo in like magnets. The kids are easily amazed by the many eight-legged creatures, which shock the children with everything that they do. They soon see Rosie, the spider you can hold in exchange for a sticker. Cassie holds her, but Colton is afraid, so they make their way on through. After visiting the many aquariums, they make their way to the butterfly pavilion. They see a monarch fly by, enjoying the beauty of the beautiful orange creature. Sonja, remembering the kids want to swim, insists they leave. As they walk by Rosie, Todd asks Colton if he wants to try and hold Rosie. Colton is positive that this time, he will do it. He ventures up to Rosie, holds her, and gets a sticker. He leaves feeling triumphant as they leave. After swimming, the Burpos head to the Old Chicago Restraunt in Greeley to eat with Pastor Steve Wilson and his wife. While sitting around the large, round booth, they talk about their churches and enjoy Italian food. Todd and Sonja decide to visit Pastor Wilson’s church the next day, as Rebecca Wilson divides her time between the conversation and coloring with the kids. Colton’s eery quietness isn’t noticed throughout the dinner, until Colton makes a remark about his stomach again. They Burpos decide to cut the dinner short, after Colton and Cassie both decide they aren’t feeling well. Colton’s statement comes true, as he throws up all of that night. Soon the next day, they decide to take Colton to the hospital. â€Å"Could it be appendicitis? † Sonja asks the doctor, fearing for bad news. Colton squirms, afraid of the IV as any kid would be. He assures her that the blood test don’t show this, but they don’t know what has happened. As Colton’s health gets worse, Todd and Sonja worry for their son. Then the worst thing yet happened, the shadow of death. Todd sees it on Colton, and afterwards they decide to take Colton to the Great Plains Regional Medical Center. Calling ahead to let the doctor know, they set out towards the center. Todd and Sonja blame each other throughout the whole trip, but when they reach the center and the doctor has gone to lunch, they’re out of people and reasons to blame. Fifteen minutes later, the doctor comes in and looks over Colton. They perform a CT scan, and send the Burpos into a secluded waiting room. â€Å"I think this is it,† are the only words Sonja can muster out as she cradles Colton’s limp body. Five tiresomely long minutes later, a Radioligist comes out to let them know Colton has a ruptured appendix and needs emergency surgery. They wheel Colton away on a gurney, preparing him for his surgery. He thrashes, screaming for his dad, as they put the IV in his arm. Anger flashes in Todd’s eyes, realizing that he may have waited too long and might not see his son alive again. He rages at God, assuming he is going to take his son before he had the time to even live. After the surgery is over, Todd is asked to come back. All the fear and anger leaves his eyes, when he is told that his son is conscious and has been asking for him. Todd and Sonja are amazed at how much better their son feels, looks, and seems. They are told, seven days after checking into the hospital, that they can take their son home. After packing the mulititude of toys and clothes, they go to leave. The elevators are sliding shut, when they are told they cannot leave. New pockets of infection show in Colton’s CT scan, in his abdomen. Sonja, completely exasperated, has a breakdown. The church comes to pray with Colton shortly after, only praying for one simple thing: gas. They are told that if Colton passes gas, that it would be a good sign. Within an hour, the prayer was answered. Colton felt better the next morning, and doctors were shocked at this miracle. After what seemed like forever, Colton and the rest of the Burpo family can finally go home after this horrific event. After they go home, life seems to go back to normal. It wasn’t until four months after Colton’s surgery, on their Fourth of July trip, that they realize their son has witnessed something extraordinary. On their way, Todd jokingly asks Colton if he wants to go back to the hospital. The response he gets is far from what he expects, however. Colton proceeds to tell him that the hospital is where angels sang to him and he sat in Jesus’ lap. Todd and Sonja laugh it off, thinking Colton had imagined the whole thing. They continue to believe so, until he tells them exactly what they were soing, and where, during his surgery. He also offers more information, spread over the next years. Days, weeks, and months all came with new information. â€Å"Did you know that Jesus had a cousin? Jesus told me his cousin baptized him,† Colton informed his father one night. He tells his dad about a horse that he petted, God’s beautiful eyes and clothes, his crown, and God’s â€Å"markers,† nonchalantly one night, as if he were talking about what he ate for lunch. When Todd realizes that by â€Å"markers,† Colton means the nails in Jesus’ hands and feet, he knows that he can’t be making it up. Todd and Sonja are amazed at all the things he knows all of a sudden. The normal nights come often, but the talks about supernatural phenomenons become spaced out. Colton begins to talk about his Pop, who died before Colton was born. He also tells his dad that he knows that Jesus told him to be a pastor, and when he agreed, Jesus was very happy. He also told his mom that he knows he had another sister, but she died in her tummy. He tells her that she looks like Cassie and is dark headed, like Sonja. He also says that she didn’t have a name, because they hadn’t named her yet. When Sonja begins to freak out, Colton explains that she’s okay and that God adopted her. Colton also tells about God’s throne room, and makes one point in particular stand out: God loves the children! After Colby is born, they realize they have to hire a babysitter. They decide in a very mature for her age 8th grader, named Ali. All is well, until one night they come home to Ali crying. When Sonja asks her why, she says that Colton was crying and tells her why. Colton, after being put in bed, tells Ali that he misses his sister that died in mommy’s tummy. When he begins to cry, Ali holds him until he finally cries himself to sleep. This isn’t the only serious thing Colton says about Heaven. One night, while at home, he tells his dad that the angels have wings to fight off Satan. He tells him that there is going to be a battle, and that Todd will have to fight in it. He also tells that he sees the power God sends his dad during church, while he preaches. Todd and Sonja now believe Colton more and more by the passing day. 2007 is the first time that the Burpos told about Colton’s indifferent, to say the least, experience. Todd now found himself with more and more questions about Heaven and what his 4 year old saw. One woman, in tears, approaches and asks if Colton might have seen her stillborn baby in Heaven. He asks the woman that if she believes that God loves her as much as God loves him, and if he loves her living son as much as he loves his living son, then why wouldn’t he love her unborn child as much as his? At this moment, he knew that God had sent him the power to help that woman; the same power Colton had claimed to have seen God shoot down. Years have passed since Colton’s accident, but his story is and will be known for many more years to come. The amazing experiences that this family went through are truly touching, and this book portrays that beautifully. From cover to cover, it’s a book you will not want to put down. Colton’s story is amazing, and as the nurse once told Todd Burpo, â€Å"There has to be a God, because this is a miracle. †

NHS: History of, and Modern Day

NHS: History of, and Modern Day Introduction Early approaches to health in the UK generally saw it as the responsibility of the individual to seek and pay for health services. However, we can see the emergence of government involvement as early as the late 1700s as Britain was emerging as an industrialised nation. This new age of wealth brought about medical advances but symptomatic of the laissez-faire (leave alone) attitudes of the time, nothing much was done about public health until the Cholera outbreak of 1831 which made government intervention essential. It took the deaths of over 100,000 people in four cholera epidemics between 1831 and 1866 to get the British government to take action to improve public health in the cities. Social reformers began to survey the living conditions of the poor and 1842 Edwin Chadwick published his Report on the Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Population of Great Britain which concluded that the life expectancy of people living in the cities was about half of that living in the countryside. This was due to various forms of epidemic and endemic as a result of mainly overcrowding and the lack of drainage, ventilation and proper cleansing. Change was slow as the report offended many influential groups including water companies, corporations and public figures and the government disassociated itself from the report. Initial public health acts failed, however, after the second outbreak of Cholera in 1848 the first Public Health Act was passed which allowed Councils to set up a local board of Health if 10% of the rate payers agreed. Further public health acts were passed in 1872 and 1875, the latter completely changing public health as it forced councils to take action which included providing clean drinking water and proper sanitation. This was when we saw a concerted effort by the government to intervene in public health. Early hospitals were part voluntary, where the standards varied, and there were Local Authority Hospitals, which were developed from the workhouses. There were also Teaching hospitals, which were the best, but these charged fees. Most of the population paid for care they needed, although some were covered by national insurance. The services did not include dental care, ophthalmic services or hearing aids, specialised treatments and did not cover non insured family members. In 1942 the British economist William Beveridge produced his Report on Social Insurance and Allied Service, later known as the Beveridge report. It listed five basic problems in public health: idleness, ignorance, disease, squalor and want and proposed a scheme to look after people from ‘the cradle to the grave. Later in 1948 we saw the beginning of full government responsibility in the form of the National Health Service Act when the people of Britain were provided with free diagnosis and treatment of illness, as well as dental and ophthalmic services. Formation of the modern NHS In 1980 the DHSS published the Black report which concluded that although overall health had improved since the introduction of the welfare state, there were widespread health inequalities. It also found that the main cause of these inequalities was poverty and it stated that the death rate for men in social class V was twice that for men in social class I and that gap between the two was increasing. This report led to an assessment by the World Health Organization of health inequalities in 13 countries. The situation did not improve and in 1992 the government published the Health of a Nation, which listed numerous targets to improve public health. Approaches under the Conservative and New Labour governments saw an attempt to shift responsibility away from the state back towards the individual. Margaret Thatcher was unsure how to tackle the NHS in the 1980s, as it was so popular with the public, but eventually decided to follow her principles that she had followed on other policies, that of internal competition. The NHS was in real crisis at the time and it was felt by many that it had created aculture of dependency. The government wanted to transfer the emphasis from ‘dependence to ‘independence, by ending the benefit culture. The government believed that the NHS should be for the poorest and they actively encouraged the public to make their own provision with regards to their own health and insurance, either through company or private cover. These right wing think tank policies continue with the new Labour government in 1997 and this set about to fragment the NHS with autonomous foundation trusts. Tony Blair did not want to dissolve Conservative reforms and was attracted to use incentives to kick start the modernisation of the HNS. He was determined to boost spending to the EU average and opposed to traditional socialist values, he believed that reform needed to be in partnership with the private or voluntary sector. Waiting times were not falling and he wanted the patient to have a choice of which hospital or which doctor to treat them under patient controlled care. He states ‘I need to know how to increase the role of the private sector in health (Seldon: p44). Against much hostility within the Labour Party on 19 November 2003, the bill was passed for the formation of self funding Foundation Hospitals. These hospitals are independent legal entities which can opt out of government guidelines. Critics argue that the top hospitals are attracting investment and more money, therefore creating a two tier system. Structure of the NHS in England http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:QzBfNynbBC8w8M:http://www.hygicare.co.uk/images/hygi/clients/nhs_logos200x200.gif The NHS is divided into two separate sections. The first is primary care which is initially the first point of contact for most patients. The services are delivered by a large range of independent health care professionals such as GPs, dentists, pharmacists optometrists and podiatrists. Secondary care can be either elective care or emergency care. Elective care is generally specialist medical care or surgery, typically following a referral from a primary health care professional such as a GP. There are also tertiary care services which offer specialist care, such as hospitals for sick children. The Department of Health is responsible for running the NHS, public health and social care in England. This organisation provides organised direction, secures resources as well as setting national minimum service standards. The NHS Executive is part of the Department of Health with offices in Leeds and London and eight regions across the country. It supports Ministers and provides leadership and a range of management functions to the NHS, while the regional offices make sure national policy is developed in their own areas. In October 2002, 28 Strategic Health Authorities were created to manage the NHS at local level and act as a link back to the Department of Health. The role of the SHA is to support the local health service in improving performance, integrating national priorities into local health plans as well as resolving any conflicts between local NHS organisations. SHAs also monitor the performance of Primary Care Trusts and ensure that they meet their specific targets. The number of SHA was reduced in 2006 to 10 in order to provide a better service. There are 147 Primary Care Trusts in England, each charged with planning, securing and improving primary and community health services in their local area. They work strongly with patients, the public, GP practices to deliver these healthcare services. PCTs are allocated 75% of the NHS budget to fund services and are accountable to their local SHA. Primary Care Groups are there to improve the health of the population and they bring together GPs, community nurses, managers, social services, local communities, Health Authorities in partnership to improve services and the health of their community. NHS Trusts employ the majority of the workforce in the health service. Most of their income is generated from Primary Care Trusts and are mainly self governing, but accountable to SHA. They have to deliver results and if they dont their agreements can be withdrawn. The main types of trust are as follows. 1. Acute Trusts There are 168 acute trusts and they manage hospitals to make sure there is quality health care. They employ the vast majority of the NHS workforce. 2. Care Trusts These Trusts are organisations that work in both health and social care. They are set up between local authorities to enable close integration and benefit the local community. They usually concentrate on specialist mental health and older peoples services 3. Mental Health Trusts There are 60 Mental Health Trusts in England which provide specialist mental health services in hospitals and the local community. 4. Ambulance Trusts There are 12 Ambulance Trusts in England providing patients with emergency access to health care. 5. Childrens Trusts These are run by the local government and offer an integrated service for children. 6. Foundation Trusts There are currently 122 Foundation Trusts which are non-profit making organisation owned by members of the local community. These Trusts remain within the NHS and its performance inspection system. One significant change was in 2003 when The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) was set up. This is an independent body which collects information from the public so that they can be involved in health care. It represents public views on healthcare matters and provides advice and support to patients wanting to make a complaint about NHS Services. Private Health Care In an affluent society like Britain with an individualist culture, there has been increasing private health care in the UK since the 1980s when the conservative government introduced ‘market orientation in which there was compulsory tendering for ancillary services such as catering and laundry. By 1985 private contractors undertook 40% of all ancillary services. Private health care has been actively encouraged by the government to ease the burden of the NHS and although there has been substantial expansion, it only accounted for 18% of the total spending on health care in 2005. Around three quarters of those using private health care pay for it by health insurance, usually by their employers. The amount of people with private insurance has increase from 2.1 million in 1971 to 7 million by 2003. Some sorts of treatments like cosmetic surgery are only available through private medicine and there is also a tendency for people to make one off visits for minor operations to avoid lo ng waiting times with the NHS. Patients generally get better treatment for private health care and competition between companies improves the all round service. One of the major downsides is that more affluent areas attract better hospitals and services and it the lower social groups that require more health care. People that do not have the expertise about health sometimes may be persuaded under private health care to undergo operation they do not necessarily need. The private sector is made up of different types of company, the largest ones being PLCs, companies like BUPA which carry out approximately 850,000 operations each year. Another sector is smaller private limited companies and organisations such as Podiatrists and Physiotherapists. Voluntary, alternative and complementary medicine There has been a growing popularity of alternative therapies to challenge medical pre-eminence and is estimated that a fifth of the population has used some form of alternative medicine. These include professionally organised therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic, complementary therapies such as aromatherapy and hypnotherapy and alternative disciplines such as kinesiology and radionics. Voluntary services are those which are considered not profit making and are registered charities i.e Age Concern and Mencap. They do not cover all localities and only a few are involved in the direct provision of health care. Relationship between the different types of health care Private health care often fails to care for those who need it the most, the poor and the elderly and private health care systems which are in competition with each other tend to be less efficient than the NHS. In 2002 the new labour government continued to use the private sector in conjunction with the NHS services to expand capacity, increase access and promote diversity in the provision and choice of health services (Department of Health, 2002). The NHS has pay beds which are rented out to the private sector, although these often cost more to service than the money they raise. While most patients seek conventional medicine and receive treatment from the NHS, some alternative medicine has been recognised by the medical profession. These services have been incorporated into medical practices and treatments such as osteopathy and acupuncture are now available to NHS patients. Voluntary groups contribute to care in the community and can make improvements to peoples lives, yet the ‘mixed economy of health care and the boundaries of responsibility are not always clear. Conclusion Originally the HNS was set up to be free at the point of entry and it has stayed largely unchanged for over 30 years. Since the 1980s ‘internal market, changes have taken place and new labours reforms set up Foundation Hospitals and actively encouraged the private sector. In the future there will be undoubtedly further expansion of primary and preventative health care and more commercial involvement and expansion of the private sector. References: Childs, D. (2006) Britain since 1945, 5th Edn, Routledge: Oxford. Giddens, A. (2006) Sociology, 5th Edn, Polity Press: Cambridge. History and Policy, (2009), [Online], Available at: http://www.historyandpolicy.org/papers/policy-paper-14.html (Accessed 19 Nov 2009). Marrie Barrie, A., and Yuill, C. (2008) Understanding the Sociology of Health, an introduction, 2nd Edn, Sage: London Nettleton, S. (2008) The Sociology of Health and Illness, 2nd Edn, Polity Press: Cambridge. NHS (2009) [Online] Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/aboutnhs/Pages/Authoritiesandtrusts.aspx (Accessed 22 Nov 2009). Science Museum. (2009), [Online], Available at: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/themes/publichealth.aspx. (Accessed 17 Nov 2009). Seldon, A. (2007) Blair Unbound, Simon and Schuster: London. Skyminds. (2009), [Online], Available at: http://www.skyminds.net/politics/inequalities-in-great-britain-in-the-19th-and-20th-centuries/the-thatcher-years-the-individual-and-society/ (Accessed 17 Nov 2009). Taylor, T., and Field, F. (2003) Sociology of Health and Health Care, 4th Edn, Blackwell Publishing: Oxford.

The Importance of Ending Consumerism :: Environment Capitalism Essays Papers

The Importance of Ending Consumerism America is the world’s biggest and most earnest consumer. Within the national culture, there is a tremendous emphasis placed on the acquisition of goods, and subsequently, the cultivation of luxury. The American dream itself implies material gain, the pot of gold at the end (or top) of the socioeconomic ladder. Collectively and personally, Americans identify themselves through consumerist attitudes and practices. Ironically, the price of such consumerism is far greater than the simple cost of any given product; though not necessarily in terms of currency, but that of planetary expense. The harm done to Mother Earth is substantial both in its scope and rate of growth. Luckily, though, it is also avoidable. Clearly, one of the best ways to aid the environment is to eliminate excess. By excess, I mean the needless proliferation of products, elaborate packaging and the waste that such extravagances necessitate. The overuse of fossil fuels in production, waste products created by industry and the damage rendered to the landscape, all direct outgrowths of consumerist practices, contribute to the destruction of our most valuable resources, such as clean water, and air. Still, American society continues to heedlessly grow more and more materialistic each year. As a wealthy and powerful nation, we Americans seem to give credence to the philosophy that if we have the economic means, we should acquire all that we can. This ideology is merely the reflection of another: might makes right. Yet, our government is often intervening in foreign affairs which do not concern our country in an immediate sense; cases in which a weaker nation or group is being victimized by a stronger party, for example, U.S. intervention in the Bosnian conflict in the late 1990s. Thus the contradiction is established between our military or foreign policy and that of our economic patterns and practices. Truly, should not the environment be defended in the same fashion as the weaker nations to whose defense we rush as a matter of custom? The present state of the environment in America demonstrates an acute lack of foresight and an abundance of greed. Depressing though it may be, it is time that we, as nation, came together to truly evaluate the problem. Additionally, it is time that we eliminated the wheat from the chaff of our lives, the harmful luxury from the necessity.

natural supplements :: essays research papers

OUR HEALTH AND FREEDOM OF CHOICE IS THREATENED†¦ An alarming development in the health industry has seen the spread of fear among the public regarding natural therapies. So much so, that the US, Australian, UK and Canadian governments are suggesting new legislation designed to remove natural health products from our shelves or to brutally regulate access. The question is, are Natural Supplements a Safe Form of Medicine? Only three recorded deaths have ever been associated to vitamins, two of which are debatable and one which was a known overdose of vitamin A, taken to intentionally kill. Although on the other hand, doctors have admitted to around 18000 fatalities per annum in Australia that are caused by pharmaceutical drugs. Herbal remedies were used safely by all ancient civilizations for thousands of years, and proved to have beneficial effects. Historically, pharmaceutical drugs are the (very profitable) newcomers on the scene. In reaction to the PAN Pharmaceutical fiasco, there has been wide spread hysteria amongst the Australian community. In May 2003, PAN was served with a â€Å"class one† removal of all products from shelves after products caused death. 1600 products with no adverse reactions reported were eliminated from the shelves of all pharmacies around the country, most of these being natural supplements. How this logically follows the problems caused by one purely synthetic, chemical, pharmaceutical product (there was nothing natural about â€Å"Travacalm†) has yet to be explained. Following the humiliation that PAN Pharmaceuticals endured, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has assembled a Close Door Committee made up of representatives and pharmaceutical industry peoples from the TGA. This group will release new proposals for the Australian community and the health industry and these suggestions don’t look good. A key member in the TGA, Prof. Alistair McLennan, is famous for his comment on the subject: â€Å"We shouldn’t support the complementary medicine (industry) or subsidise it. It’s a bit like subsidising the tobacco industry or the gambling industry.† Australia aren’t the only ones coming down on natural supplements like a tonne of bricks, but England and the majority of Europe are doing the same. A law on all conventional medicines is being initiated. Continuing to be on the market is getting harder and harder, all herbal and natural products must have been on the legitimate market for 30 years or more (15 of which must have been in Europe). Of course the end product is no more independent producers and retailers but most importantly no new movements in the herbal industry.

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption :: essays research papers

The story of Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption begins in 1948 when Andy Dufresne arrives at Shawshank prison. In contrast to most other convicts, he's not a hardened criminal but a soft-spoken banker, convicted of killing his wife and her lover. Like everyone in Shawshank, he claims to be innocent. Like most newcomers, Andy gets in trouble with the sisters. They are a gang of sodomites led by Bogs Diamond that gang up on anyone they feel they can handle, and Andy is no exception. Not until much later does he escape their attentions. Red, the narrator of the story, is known as the guy who can get stuff. His ability to deliver contraband of almost any type into Shawshank makes him somewhat of a celebrity among prisoners, and it's also the reason that Andy approaches him. Andy's hobby outside the walls was rock-carving, and now he has immense amounts of free time on his hands, so he asks Red to get him a rock hammer. He uses this to shape small rocks he finds in the exercise yard into small sculptures. The next item he orders from Red is a large poster of Rita Hayworth. When taking the order, Red reflects that Andy is excited like a teenager just for ordering a pin-up poster, but doesn't think more of it then. One spring day, Andy and Red and some other prisoners are tarring a roof when Andy overhears a guard griping over the amount of tax he will have to pay on an inheritance he has just gotten from a run-away brother. Andy approaches him (almost getting thrown off the roof in the process) and tells him that there are legal ways to avoid taxation. He offers to help him with all the necessary paperwork for the operation, in exchange for some beer for himself and the other prisoners on the roof. This is the beginning of a long stretch of economic work for Andy. More and more of the screws discover that they can use him for tax returns, loan applications, and other things like that. In return for his help, he gets protection from the sisters and is allowed to stay alone in his cell instead of having a cellmate like most other prisoners. For a short period, he shares a cell with an Indian called Normaden, but he soon leaves again. He keeps complaining about the draught in the cell while there.

White Servitude and the Growth of Black Slavery in Colonial America

From â€Å"The Journal of Economical History†, Vol. 41, No. 1, author David W. Galenson provides a nine-page article published in March 1981 entitled â€Å"White Servitude and the Growth of Black Slavery† which I thoroughly read and will present my own analysis. In a unique approach author David Galenson examines the transition of servants to slaves during the 17th and 18th century of British America. He successfully covers the importance of slavery and the reason for its high demand. Galenson takes into consideration the demographic conditions and its differences throughout the West Indies, the Chesapeake colonies, Virginia and Maryland, and South Carolina. He also provides his own analysis, which is the belief that the growth of slavery may have been due to the decisions of planters. Despite our past and its complete disregard to the social consequences of its actions David Galenson attempts to piece together the puzzle and make sense of it all. Slavery served many purposes aside from being a foundation in constructing America’s agricultural staple. For many it meant a fresh start and others freedom however, they accepted the fact their debt would be paid in servitude sometimes slavery. Upon reading Galenson’s article it is evident that indenture servants and slaves were essential in developing the economy. Early on indentured servants were of high demand due to their credibility and skill. With the introduction of profitable staple crops the need for labor rose along with immigration. Supporting his evidence with primary sources Galenson provides charts of statistics. The first chart illustrates the need for servants and how over time they became obsolete from slaves fulfilling their duties. The second chart showed the numbers of skilled servants registered and place of destination. Quotes were pulled from letters sent oversea by planters so that Galenson could effectively defend his topic. One in particular he used read â€Å"want of servants is my greatest bane and will hinder my designe†¦. In January next god willing I shall begin to make sugar. So pray if you come neare to any port where shipping comes hither indenture produce and send me [servants]†¦. ett them be of any sort men women or boys†¦ what I shall not make use off and are not serviceable for mee I can exchange with others especially any sort of tradesmen†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The article emphasized the need for servants and slaves in order to make substantial growth however failed to mention where slavery derived from. As wrongful as slavery is it has been installed in our history for centuries. A reference to Ancient Egypt could have easily been made and just like then it was used to build a foundation of civilization. Slavery, indenture servants, immigration and planters all functioned in a cycle, which seemed to work but after long term failed. Planters needed labor to be done and immigrants wanted a way out from British rule so they sold themselves either into slavery or as an indenture servant. As an indenture servant they were contracted anywhere from 3 to 7 years and freed. Slavery on the other hand continued and was instilled into the culture. Galenson explains how servants at one point were worth more than slaves. Overtime the two flopped and slaves were of demand and the reason for that was due to cost. Planters realized they could train the slaves to pick up a trade and replace the indenture servants. This way they would be spending less money towards food and clothing for indenture servants. Slaves were merely property to the planters so less money was spent towards them. It makes perfect sense to why planters would choose slaves over servants however this led America into more problems down the road. Having got rid of most servants all that were left were slaves, which happen to be primarily of African descent. Slaves were acknowledged as property and thought less of. It was not until 1808 that congress banned importation of slaves from Africa. Slaves were not always deemed as property it was the result of numerous feuds over slaves and owners engaging in sexual activities. One must wonder why the slaves allow themselves to be treated this way and the reason behind that would be lack of education. Some slave owners even prohibited the slaves from ever reading. Uproar did occur with those who were fortunately educated and stir up rebellions and or fled. David Galenson did touch upon some key elements of slavery and its evolution but I feel he should have expressed more of its history to give his audience a well-rounded understanding. Having read â€Å"White Servitude and the Growth of Black Slavery† I have made connections to our course texts book â€Å"Visions of America† since it ties together with our current readings. Galenson effectively provides facts with supported evidence allowing his readers to have a well understanding of our history in slavery. What I found most convincing from his articles were the documents he provided. One of the records was literally an inventory of the servants and the duties the servants held along with the slaves. It is exponentially hard to trace documents of a specific time frame in which you want to argue for. If Galenson had left out those two main documents his article would be less accredited and hard to believe. Lastly what I really found convincing was his quotes from the planters. The quote made me feel as if I was apart of history reading it. It was definitely an eye open to how real and harsh the times were for the slaves at the time. In the end Galenson provides a great piece of work and constructively educated me through his writing. His article was well written in the sense it was brief and to the point.

Profitability of Slavery Essay

Briefly state the two opposing views. A. Abolitionists condemned slavery based on moral, social, and economic reasons. Many believed that slaves were mistreated and were often subjected to corporal punishment. Others argued that the forced labor of blacks was inefficient and unproductive for various racial and economic reasons. Ulrich Phillip’s studies from the antebellum slavery in the south claimed that although plantation slavery produced great wealth, even without the civil war, slavery was economically on a dead end due to the rising cost of factor prices (slaves) increasing faster than the product prices (cotton). B.Economists approached slavery as a business matter and tested its profitability. They perceived slaves as a capital investment and argued it was not in an owner’s interest to enforce severe corporal punishment because it would lower their rates of return. Alfred Conrad and John Meyer calculated the price of a slave along with their rates of return to determine profitability. They concluded that the rapid increase of factor prices (slaves) was mainly due to the fact that output per slave was also increasing. Outline in some detail the more traditional view. Where did it come from? What was it based upon? In 1905, historian Ulrich Phillips wrote a study based primarily on slave prices relative to cotton prices. Ulrich claims that American-born slaves were sold at a higher cost than fresh African slaves, because of their training in plantation labor and domestic service. Slave prices were low in the late 1780’s and early 90’s until Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin came in 1793. Due to the increasing demand for labor, slave prices steadily increased and spiked after the prohibition of the African trade in 1807. Despite prohibition, between 1800 and 1860, the slave growth rate averaged about 2.4 percent per year (W.R. 222). Based on Phillip’s table of slave and cotton prices in Georgia, it shows the average price of a prime field hand, in 1800, was approximately $450. At the same time, the average New York price of upland cotton was 30 cents; however, in 1860 we see a significant difference in prices. The average cost for a prime field hand is now $1,800 and the average New York price of upland cotton is 11 cents. Phillips explained, â€Å"The decline in the price of cotton was due to improvements in cultivating, ginning and marketing. The advance of the slave prices was due in part to increasingly intelligence and ability of Negroes and to improvements in the system of directing their work on the plantations, also to the decline in the value of the money.† (Phillips, 268) With factor prices (slaves) rising by 600 percent from 1805-1860 (Weiher), and product prices (cotton) declining by 63 percent, Phillips concluded that slavery was becoming unproductive and unprofitable due to overcapita lization in the labor force. He saw planters as bad business people, because they purchased slaves for conspicuous consumption. Furthermore, he believed the Civil War was unnecessary because slavery was doomed to fail within the generation without emancipation. Outline in some detail the revisionist view. In 1958, economists Alfred Conrad and John Meyer conducted a study by testing the hypothesis of taking appropriate variables and computing the rate of return over cost of a slave in a lifetime. Conrad and Meyer’s studies were based on four key aspects: the life expectancy of a slave, the price of a prime field hand (fixed cost) along with the of supplies necessary to maintain a slave (variable cost), land and cotton prices, and annual returns from a slave based on field labor and procreation. By understanding these variables, Conrad and Meyer were able to calculate the yearly-expected output values by taking â€Å"the price of cotton times the marginal physical product of the slave, minus yearly maintenance costs summed over the expected remaining length of life of the slave† (W.R. 225). Based on the calculation above, they were able to explain the reasons as to why slave prices would increase. If the price of cotton increases, then the demand for labor also increases which ultimately drives up slave prices. If cotton prices stay the same but there is an increase in output per worker, then the price of slaves will increase. If the cost to maintain a slave decreases, then the difference will eventually offset once slave prices increases to its equilibrium. Conrad and Meyer found Phillip’s table involving the relationship between the prices of prime field hands compared to the prices of cotton accurate; however, they explained that Phillips was missing key data to support his claims of slavery being unprofitable. Phillips completely left out the overall productivity of a slave, which was the ultimate difference in the revision of 1958. A major factor Conrad and Meyer took into consideration concerning production was the reproduction rates for females. Their researched showed that â€Å"prime hand wenches produced anywhere between 5-10 kids, and was one-half to two-thirds productive as prime field hands† (C.M. 106-107). However, an average 3 months time is lost due to pregnancy. After calculating return rates they found that women bearing 10 children would have an 8.1 percent rate of return and a women with 5 children will have a 7.1 percent rate of return. Furthermore, the rate of return per slave averaged out to 10 percen t (Weiher). In what ways do the differences in views hinge on economic interpretation? On differences in empirical evidence? On anything else? For over 50 years, Ulrich Phillip’s interpretation of slavery set precedence. His results concluded that after the mid 1850’s, slavery was increasingly becoming unproductive and unprofitable, because of overcapitalization of labor due to the rising costs of slave prices. He also believed slaves were a fictitious form of wealth based off of conspicuous consumption, and slavery was doomed to fail even without the Civil War. His studies were precedent until 1958, when economists Conrad and Meyer published an article overturning Phillips. Evidence from Conrad and Meyer implies that Phillip’s findings were inaccurate because he failed to calculate the rates of return on investments in slaves. Phillip’s relationship table between slave prices and cotton prices were accurate, and were also used in Conrad and Meyer’s studies; however, Phillips used speculation and overlooked productivity advance. Eventually Conrad and Meyer came up with a table of their own, only this time they included output. Their data shows that during the 1840’s through 1860 (the same time period Phillips said overcapitalization was steadily increasing) â€Å"slave prices rose about one and one-half times, while the value of cotton production per hand increased rose more than three times since 1842† (C.M. 116). This data supports the overturn of the overcapitalization of labor theory, because it shows that slave prices were increasing due to the fact that production was increasing more rapidly. From the rising trend of slave prices and the slave population growth suggests evidence implicating the profitability of slavery. Phillip’s believed slave prices were increasing because of conspicuous consumption, which ultimately lowed the rates of return. Conrad and Meyer countered his hypothesis with evidence showing rates of return averaging out to 10 percent, which was good or better than New England textile mills, southern railroads, and corporate bonds (Weiher). Phillip’s also suggested that diminishing returns was occurring in the late 1850’s and that slavery was going to fail soon even without emancipation. According to Dr. Weiher, from 1860-90, cotton land planted increased 2 percent per year, which was faster than the slave population growth. Land planted doubled again by 1925, which is evidence that suggests slavery was not going away in the short-term, unless emancipated. Contrast what the belief in each view can mean to the picture we have of the past and/or present. In other word, why does this difference matter? These two beliefs play a critical role in American history. The difference factor in these two views matters significantly. The traditional view claims that the Civil War was an unnecessary bloodshed to protect a system that was economically doomed; on the other hand, the revisionist’s implicates evidence suggesting the root cause of the Civil War was indeed to protect slaveholders’ investments. After Phillip’s study came out in 1905, which claimed that slavery was economically ending in less than a generation, controversy over the Civil War suggested that the reasons for fighting the war was not because of slavery, but instead, states rights. In Conrad and Meyer’s research conducted in 1958, they were able to overturn Phillip’s hypothesis and proved that slavery was not economically doomed. Their evidence showed that the rates of return for a slave was actually increasing after the 1860’s due to increased production and expansion of land planted. These results implicate conclusive evidence that shows slavery was neither unprofitable nor dying in the near future. Slaves produced much more than the cost of actually maintaining them, so it made perfect business sense for slaveholders to want to protect their assets by all means, even if it meant war.

Education and Its Affects Around the World Essay

Education is something that affects all of us as a whole gender, race, and poverty plays a role in education. As a citizen of the United States of America it is important for us to appreciate a good education that some of us take for granite. Gender is crucial in how people view education in the text:† Philippine Women’s College corrects gender miseducation†. Professors and education enthusiast are breaking down the barriers and bias that is associated with gender. Text books in the Philippines show women playing the â€Å"stay at home† role and the father portraying the â€Å" bread winner† role this a form a of bias. Scholars at the Miriam College are working to correct this matter by teaching all female students about stereotypes relating to gender. Students often are shown at a young age to approach matters in a biased free manner, through this approach both male and female can share duties in the household that were once delegated to one based on gender. Trained teachers are able to spot the gender difference and compensate with materials that are fair for all. Miriam College and its faculty also discuss sexual harassment and a list of other things as well. What was happening in the†Women’s Movement â€Å"and what was being taught in the classroom were two totally different things. In 1986 Corazon Aquino became the first female president of the Philippines this was in stark contrast of what was being taught. As far as equality for women the Philippines are ranked ninth in the world, with that being said advocates of gender feel that it is best suited to teach and educate when the students are young. Patricia Licuanan president of Miriam College implemented in 2001 gender courses to the curriculum that focuses on equality and quality education for women. Also in 2001 several colleges in the Philippines have shown interest in providing studies for women as well. Due to the work that has been taken place in the Philippines young women are questioning and taking up professions that were once generally associated with men. In the text â€Å"Lost Generation Fears as boys reject education† Professor Reynolds of Plymouth University states that: â€Å"the gender gap is a worldwide phenomenon, not just in the UK or a Welsh one†. Research has shown that boys are neglecting school, while girls are less likely to drop out of school after 16. A survey showed more girls than boys seek a higher education. Studies also show that vocational programs also play a role in why boys choose not to seek college versus girls. Boys are also not performing on the same level as girls this factor leads to fewer boys in college. Poverty is a component to lack of education as well in the article:† Escaping Poverty is possible when there are local opportunities for people with initiative†. This article shows the stereotypes that are associated with poverty 60,000 people that spread over 15 countries worldwide were surveyed; there are a lot of hurdles we must overcome for this to work. People are likely to fall into poverty the study will take preventive measures to ensure people will not make these mistakes. The stereotypes that haunt poverty stricken places is that people are lazy, shiftless, and have no ambition this is not the case. In fact these people surveyed accept responsibility for there actions, and want to better themselves. All of us need local opportunities and social networks to ensure that this will not happen on a global front, even if someone works hard to get there selves out of poverty with out help from the community and economic woes this process will be pains taking to say the least. Education is factor when combating poverty, we as Americans need to take advantage of our educational system though it may not be the best we are still a free country and should utilize any and every opportunity we have. Race also plays a vital role in education the text:† Officials try to improve black males’ academic performance: The achievement† Ginger Littleton has been a teacher in Northern California for more that twenty years. She has been stumped by the numbers of black males that scored drastically lower than other races in test of achievement. A look at last years test results from grades 1-10 math scores and FCAT were sorted by race. The results showed that 89 percent of white third graders were a the appropriate level, while Hispanics represented 66 percent, and blacks 69 percent but only one out of that percentile was a male. 59 percent of Anglos, compared to 33 percent of Hispanics were at the appropriate level. African Americans represent only 30 percent. This trend increased more by there sophomore year, Caucasians represent 38 percent, Hispanics 32 percent, and 13 percent of African Americans sustained this level of reading. By this point many African Americans have stopped going to school by then. The FCAT test of reading shows that only 1 percent of males were reading at the 10th grade level, white males scored 7 percent on the same level. African American males results were 0 percent, white males were 8 to 7 percent at levels 4 and 5 of reading. A study was conducted in 2004-2005† Focus on Blacks† by The National Education Association labeled the poor standings as â€Å"the achievement gap† and a national crisis. The study showed that African American 17 year old students performed in comparison to 13 year old whites in science. In the math part of the study blacks scored 61 percent below the standards, versus 20 percent of whites in the 4th grade. The results show that African Americans face challenges before they start school. Some of the findings show that it is less father figures and mentors in the African American community, lack of after school programs, and cohesiveness in the family all plays roles in the significant decline in education in the black community. There is a saying† it takes a village to raise a child† the African American community needs to rebuild it village from the foundation up to eliminate this disparity that runs rampant among so many. As you can have just read there are several factors in ones education it may be a gender problem, a socioeconomic problem, or ones ethnicity may all play a role in the type of education we receive as well as our chances of making it in today’s society. We still live in one of the greatest countries in the world in the end it is up to us to utilize what avenues are available and make the most out of it.

The One Man Industry

If success is all there is in life, there would be no room for learning. Failure is an important aspect of one’s life for more often than not, it is through these debacles that one learns the real value of living and the essence of what he has. Amitabh Bachchan, the most popular and highest paid Bollywood actor is the epitome of a wheel. His life has gone through several failings, others serious enough to ruin his name in the Indian society, however, in the face of all the controversies he went through, he still managed to resurface and continue his life.Bachchan is the son of the well-known poet, Harivansh Rai Bachchan and socialite Teji Bachchan. He received his early education from Allahabad’s High School and finished his college art degree in Sherwood College and his science degree from the University of Delhi (bollywoodblog. com n. pag. ). Growing up, he already had his visions of becoming and actor so when he finally graduated, he worked his way to Bollywood. Howe ver, his Bollywood dream was not an easy aspiration to realize.He had to go through several trials before finally contributing his talent to the acting scene. Bachchan first worked as a freight broker in a shipping company in Calcutta (Noronha n. pag. ) then moved to Bombay to pursue an acting career. When he applied for an acting stint, he was refused because his stature was not of a Bollywood actor material. He is 6’3†, too tall for the Bollywood scene and he also had a fair complexion which was not too ideal for an actor (apunkachoice. com n. pag. ).He was given a break though as a narrator after Indira Gandhi, the mother of his friend, Rajiv Gandhi and the Prime Minister then, made a recommendation letter (indiazen n,pag. ). His baritone voice earned him several projects, not as an actor but merely as background voice. It was only after a few years that he was able to infuse the acting scene with his dramatic prowess. His first movie, Saat Hindustani in 1969 was not very successful and did not even earn him an award, nevertheless, it served as his passport to the acting industry.The movie which really gave him his first break was Abhimaan in 1973. This movie gave him the attention he needed to remain in the entertainment world. He starred in this movie with the famous actress Jaya Bahduri, who later on became his wife. They have two children, the other one is also engaged in the film industry (Noronha n. pag. ). After his first successful movie, Bachchan also starred in several others. Among these movies was Zanjeer which placed him on equal footing with famous Bollywood actors.The movie showcases a quasi-revolutionary fervor that is also linked to a private trauma (Mishra 134). Through the movie, Bachchan came to be classified as â€Å"the Angry Man† because of his role as a strict police officer. His portrayal showed rebelliousness, a feeling which was not normally featured in Indian films at that time. The rebellious attitude which h e established in the film did not only give a new taste in the film industry but it also showcased the emotion that was then reigning in the hearts of the Indian lower-middle and slum-dwelling classes (Mishra 134).Bachchan portrayed other roles depicting rebelliousness after the Zanjeer movie. Among the movies that he starred on were Deewar (Wall) in 1975, Sholay (Embers) also in 1975, Amar Akbar Anthony in 1977, Don in 1978, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar also in 1978, Laawaris in 1981, Silisila (The Affair) also in 1981, Namak Halaal in 1982 and Black in 2005. He did many others but these are the top ten movies that he starred on as classified by BBC news (n. pag). All of these films became spectacular and box office hits in the Indian community (entertainmentoneindia n.pag). Bachchan’s flare in the entertainment world cannot solely be attributed to his skills in acting but more on the attitude that he exude in the roles that he played. Unlike the famous actors before his time, he in troduced a new blend in the Indian movies—rebelliousness. He did not fall for the stereotype characters and plots that were reigning then, instead he depicted antagonism and rage. This new blend in the movies was well accepted by the Indians, not only because it was a new approach but also because this was a part of what they were then feeling.The movies which the actor made were more realistic, making the audience relate with what is being shown. Life to Bachchan is not all about romance and happy ending, life is more than that. It includes trials, conflicts and resentment. The approach that Bachchan infused into his films also destroyed the prevalent plot in Indian movies. Films that were prevailing before Bachchan’s time mostly revolved on the character rather than on the story but with his depiction of revenge and anger, the idea of a character was destroyed and the focus was placed more on the story.Mishra (128) enumerates some of the reasons behind the success of Bachchan’s carreer. The first according to the author, is the fact that he was conversant both with the Hindi language and the other dialects. He is the first partition major star who came from the Hindi-speaking heartland of Uttar and Pradesh and who was thoroughly conversant with standard Hindi as well as the other dialects, notably Avadhi (Mishra 128). Knowledge of the language and the dialects was necessary for an actor as this enhances his capacity to better communicate with his audience and beautifully portray the character that he wants to depict in the movie.This also gives him vantage point as compared to other actors who are not conversant with the dialects that he knows because it establishes a closer connection with the viewers. The closer the connection that the actor establishes, the better is the appreciation that the spectators will give to the performance. It must be understood that movies are not just about acting, it is also about communicating with the pe ople and trying to convey a message across. (The second reason for Bachchan’s success is the challenge that he posed) on the figure of the noble, transcendent Rama as the dharmik model of the hero.His roles deployed features that belonged to the antihero Karna in the (Indian epic) Mahabharata while the generic frames of his films destabilized the dominant cinematic form much as the baroque Traverspiel destabilized German tragedy. Finally, he projected this antiheroism into the very modern notion of the angry young man in rebellion and grafted this into the figure of a subaltern hero as an agent of national reconciliation. The rebelliousness thus synthesized reflected the disenchantment, the oppression, the hopelessness of the slum dweller who saw in Bachchan’s acts of antiheroism a symbol of his or her own aspirations.The rags to riches theme that always paralleled the narrative or personal revenge in Bachchan’s films was the imaginary fulfillment if the slum dw eller’s own fantasies (Mishra 128). All of these were not evident in the films that were crafted before Bachchan entered the cinema scene or if they were, it was not as emphatically portrayed as Bachchan did. He said that his commendable performance can be attributed to his genes and the influences of his father’s writings. As a child, he was exposed to the liberal and rebellious writings of his father and this somehow built in his system the same principles that his father advocated (Mishra 128).Many found it ironic that the son of a socialite is espousing the cause of the poor people in India. Nevertheless, his background was not a hindrance to his realistic performance of the lower class Indians. This might have been because of his early exposure to the problems that face the lower class Indian nationals. The source of his acting was not merely dependent on the script—it was beyond it. He was driving source for his acting from his own ideologies which were sh aped by his father’s principles. He had a deeper cause for his performance and exude greater realism.As a result of this, he dominated the Indian movies for quite sometime, leaving no room for the other actors. His influence to the Indian populace was so great that when he met an accident while filming the movie, Coolie, the whole nation prayed for his recovery. There was also a great number of Indians who donated blood for the actor. During the taping for the movie, Bachchan wanted a scene to be realistic so he suggested how the punch should be undertaken unfortunately, the acting got so intense that he ended up in pain.For several days, the doctors cannot find the source of Bachchan’s hurt, until one day, a doctor was able to detect a dark spot on his intestine. The dark spot was his undigested when the punch in his abdomen was made. After seventy-two hours of pain, the undigested food could have turned into poison (Mishra 142-143). His intestine was also ruptured as a result of his fall on the steel table after the punch administered by the stuntman (Chopra n. pag. ) The doctors opted for an immediate operation, however, while he was in the operating table, he lost signs of life.He was declared clinically dead until his wife, Jaya shouted that he saw him move his toe. After this remarkable statement of his wife, the doctors were able to revive him (Mishra 142-143). Throughout the period that he was in the hospital, his supporters speculated that the punch that he received was real and intentional—that it was meant to hurt him. However, no proof was established to back up the claim. After the recovery, Bachchan continued filming the movie to where he left off.He also thanked those who offered prayers for his recovery and the support that the entire nation devoted to him. To date, he is the only movie actor who received such sympathy. People from all walks of life showed all the support they can give and it was as if life in India stopped for Bachchan. Life only returned to its normal shape when it was declared that he is already safe (Mishra 142-143) Aside from acting, Bachchan also tried his luck in politics after he was swayed by his friend Rajiv Gandhi, whose mother was assassinated and won by sympathy vote.Bachchan was elected to a Parliamentary seat, however, this prestigious position did not prove beneficial to him as his name was included to a political controversy. Bachchan, his brother and Rajiv were accused with bribery. It was rumored that the Boffors company bribed Indian politicians to ensure that the government will buy tanks and other military equipment from them (Mishra 144). This hullabaloo seriously injured the name that Bachchan was able to established through time so he decided to quit politics two years after he first explored it.After his flop in the field of politics, Bachchan returned to his first love—film making. Bachchan is well loved by the Indians and his acting widely accepted, however, these love and acceptance were not enough to keep his star shining after the political controversy he faced. Mishra, however, points out that his breakdown in politics is not the direct cause of his collapse as a star. Just like the period when he started his sensational career as an actor, the people then were looking for variety, for something new to watch, the Indians also felt this way at some point when Bachchan was the king of the charts.The people were worn-out with the constant revenge and anger theme in his movies and were looking for something new—for a new approach in movies. This was the time when the need to revive Romanticism was felt. The revival of romance in the films brought back the idea of a character and once again motivation replaced generic predictability, something which Bachchan turned his back on (Mishra 138). For Bombay cinema to survive, the romantic twist had to return. And so, as Bachchan’s star waned, romance returned (Mishra 138 ). After his political stint and cinema flops, Bachchan shifted his attention to a new venture.He created a multi-faceted commercial enterprise known as the Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited or ABCL. The company delved in production and distribution of films and other ventures that involved the movie industry. For sometime, the company enjoyed success in producing movies and even catered the Miss World pageant in India in 1996. However, in its latter years, it faced so many debts that it reached bankruptcy (Indiaoye). His failure both in the political and business worlds, prompted him to go back to where he established his name—the entertainment industry. At 55, he filmed his comeback movie, Mrityutada.It was not as successful as his previous movies but it was enough to sustain him in the entertainment field. Two years after his comeback film, he was named in a BBC poll as the Superstar of the Millennium. This title placed him in equal footing with Sir Lawrence Olivier, Ch arlie Chaplin and Marlon Brando. Aside from this, he is also the first Asian actor to be included in Madame Tassaud’s wax museum (hindi lyrix n. pag. ). According to Mishra, Bachchan’s success in his career is not only because of his talent in acting but also because of his skill in building his image outside the theater houses.The author suggests three stages in the life of Bachchan that moulded his image as an actor. First is his relationship with his leading ladies, particularly Rekha. Rekha, the daughter of the Hindi actor Ganeshan, is a tall and good looking woman who exhibited real acting talent. She was one of the few actors then who brought â€Å"real sense of character to the films†. She was suspected by journalists to have established a romantic relation with Bachchan and this suspected relationship was â€Å"extensively documented in the fanzines†. Mishra suggests that this added to the growth of the â€Å"quietly sanctioned counternarrativeâ €  by the actor himself.However, Bachchan imposed censorship when journalists began to pester him (Mishra 140). The affair of Rekha and Bachchan was better revealed in the movie Silsila (Continuity, 1981). In this movie the actors showed what they could not reveal in real life—depicting the love triangle that exists between Jaya, the wife; Bachchan, the husband; and Rekha, the mistress (Mishra 141). In real life, Bachchan denied all allegations of an affair that exists between him and Rekha but the latter had less disavowal in her system. She was more open although not explicitly with the relationship that he has with the Indian icon.Jaya also admitted that girls were a problem with Bachchan but she did not elaborate on his affairs. Bachchan reiterated in an interview that Rekha was just his leading lady and nothing else (cited in Mishra 140). The other two the Mishra talked about were his near death experience while filming the movie Coolie and the Bofors controversy. Dur ing the period that he was in the hospital fighting death and trying to survive, life in India seem to have been brought to halt. Temple houses and mosques were filled with people trying to offer prayers for the fast recovery of their beloved star.The Prime Minister then, his friend Rajiv Gandhi, cut his international trips to see him. The kind of emotion Amitabh has evoked among Indians across the globe is absolutely phenomenal, said film director Ramesh Sippy (Chopra n. pag). To reiterate, Mishra (146) said that no correlation should be made between Bachchan’s failure as a politician and the flop of his comeback movie. According to the author, Bachchan’s return in the film industry and the people’s cold reaction to the movies that he made is not the direct effect of the Bofors deal.Bachchan’s waning as a star can only be attributed to the return of romance in Indian films, something which the actor did not patronize. After his comeback movie, Bachchan b ecame the host of â€Å"Who wants to be a millionare? †. This undertaking proved successful for him as he was able to woo many Indians to watch his show. Movie theaters have adjusted the screening of their movies in order to accommodate the program time of Bachchan’s game show. Moreover, he has also tried acting in other genres like comedy and drama and he also proved triumphant in these fields. It only goes on to say that the king of Indian films has regained his thrown.Aside from going back to the film industry, he has also invaded the advertising industry. He is the most sought after promoter of products such as clothing among others. The Indian icon, now in his 60’s, remain to be active and show no signs of slowing down. Many Indians still look up to him despite his age not only because of his legendary achievements but also because of the way he plays his age. In a BBC new report (n. pag. ), it was stated that Bachchan has made aging cool. He acts his age a nd yet he still manages to go with the flow of modern times, something which only a few could do.More than his acting career, Bachchan is extraordinary for his attitude towards life. Despite the failures he faced and the narrow roads he walked through, he still manages to get up everytime and continue where he left of. He does not allow any fiasco to pull him to the ground level and never get up again. He also has established a certain charm with the Indian people that they keep on accepting him despite his failures and continuously gives him the chance that he needs. Without this charm, he would have had a hard time bringing back the luster of his name in the face of all the controversies that he had been through.Today, he continues to live up his image as the legend of Indian television. It must be remembered that Bachchan’s influence in the movies in India is remarkable because he defied the odds at a time when everyone was into romance. Through his acting abilities he was able to change the genre of the themes in Indian movies and provided variety. Without him, there would have been no variety in the Bollywood films and the film makers would have just stuck with the traditional portrayal of a character in the movie. He introduced innovation and experimentation in Indian movies.His significance as an actor and influence to the Indian populace is indelible because of the great contribution that he made in the movies and also because of the way his movies shaped the minds of the people. From the early 70’s until the 90’s he was the only actor who was patronized by the Indian people. It seemed that he was the only actor then existing thus the title, â€Å"one man industry†. It would take a really brilliant man and a well-skilled actor to be able to dominate the film industry which is considered to be the biggest in the world and holds a record high of movies produced annually in the world (MSN Encarta onlone encyclopedia n.pag. ). T o date, India is the country which has the highest number of movies produced annually registering 800 movies a year (Chopra n. pag). Only a few people could exert such an influence in a such a big industry. Films to the Indian people is very important and well patronized because to them, cinema is not just entertainment. It is all about passion. Since the dawn of film production in the country, the entertainment industry has produced 27,000 films in 52 languages. Everyday, people in India flock the 13,000 movie houses in the country and enjoy the song and dance that the movies offer (Chopra n.pag). Many of the films that Indians produce come from the factories of Mumbai or Bombay. The film industry in Bombay is what is known was Bollywood it is India’s Hindi film capital and the home of ten sprawling studios. The movies that are produced in this part of India have ranging budgets, some start big time amounting to five million dollars while the others have to content themselve s with a meager fund of fifty-thousand dollars and create the movie within ten to fifteen days.Many parts of India are also flustering with movie producers but nothing could still match Bollywood, the industry where Bachchan established his name. Bollywood according to Chopra has a wider audience reaching to Indians who are scattered across the globe and the stars are considered gods. (Chopra n. pag. ). Through the years, many changes have also been undertaken in the Hindi films. It has leaped giant steps in terms of the technical production but its themes are leaping like babies, one small step at a time. The themes that it used to foster traditionally remain to be evident in Hindi films. (Chopra n.pag). This only shows that Hindi films can hardly be infiltrated and changed overnight as they are influenced by culture and tradition and it took a really powerful man such as Bachchan to have changed the twist of Indian films for a certain period in history. Works Cited â€Å"Amitabh Bachchan Biography. † N. d. A punk choice. com. 28 April 2008. â€Å"Amitabh Bachchan. † N. d. Bollywoodblog. com. 28 April 2008 â€Å"Amitabh Bachchan. † N. d. Indiazen. com. 28 April 2008 â€Å"Amitabh Bachchan. † N. d. Hindilyrix. com. 28 April 2008. â€Å"Amitabh Bachchan: The Comeback Man. † N. d. BBC news. 28 April 2008 â€Å"Amitabh Bachchan. † N. d. Indiaoye. 28 April 2008 Chopra, Anupama. â€Å"Bollywood: India’s Star Machine†. n. d. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia side bar. 28 April 2008