Violence Among Youths - 2563 Words

Recently, an increasing number of North American youth are committing violent crimes. Although the consequences of these violent crimes are easily apparent, the causes behind them are often abstract and obscure, making it difficult to pin blame on a single source. Moreover, this deviant behaviour among young people can be attributed to a combination of several generalized factors. Leading contributing factors of youth violence include the media, the influence of family life, widespread abuse of drugs and alcohol, the ease of access to weapons and a lack of strong punishment that exists for juvenile offenders. If this rise in aggressive acts is to be stemmed, the causes youth violence must be determined and analyzed to determine which†¦show more content†¦Parents are usually legally responsible for their children until they reach the age of 18. A parents legal accountability for a child implies much more than this law states. Specifically, in the context of this subject, a parent is responsible for teaching their child right from wrong in both moral and legal senses (Lerner and Spanier 50). For all intents and purposes, this implicit onus on parents ensures that they will instruct their children not to commit illegal offenses, including violent ones, which are detrimental to society. In the absence of this parental instruction, be it due to neglect, or for other reasons such as single parenthood, children tend to become involved in delinquent acts, which can and often involve violence. This failure to instill proper values upon a child recently became headline news when a six year-old boy from Michigan fatally shot a young girl during class. Debbie Howlett reported that that this boy, who suffered from neglect and who was being raised by a single mother, shot the girl in anger over a quarrel that had occurred the previous day (A3). This incidence of violence is indicative of a parental failure to show the child proper values, and consequently t he child knew no better than resort to violence to settle his emotions. In North America, stories of misguided children behaving violently such as this one are not at all uncommon, and they have been occurring unexpectedly. Both Canada and the United States areShow MoreRelatedViolence Among Youth3553 Words   |  15 Pagesgreat nation. In India, 480 million are less than 19 years old. India has 20% of the world’s children. [1] The recent years have seen an unprecedented increase in youth violence, often lethal violence, all around the nation. Anecdotal evidence of increase in violence by young people against women and old people, of road rage, of violence in schools, and other violent actions to get whatever they want is alarming. This epidemic, as many social analysts called it, caused serious concern to both parentsRead MoreThe Effects Of Violence On Youth Violence Essay959 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction: Violence is everywhere and due to this notion people find ways to accept it. Violence is part of the national mythology. Meaning violence is a social construction. Violent acts cannot be wholly understood unless we examine them as but one â€Å"one link in the chain of a long process of events† (Schmidt Schrà ¶der 2001, 7). Violence and the responses to it are socially constructed, they are phenomena viewed and interpreted in many different ways. For example, individuals become a productRea d MoreViolence in Youth1171 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Youth violence is defined as violent behaviour that begins early in life and continues throughout subsequent stages of life. Youth violence may include physical and emotional harm, and minor crimes, escalating to murder (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). Youth are recognized as being between the ages of twelve and twenty-four however, teens are the most affected by violence than any other group of youths as they are habitually perceived as the most violent age groupRead MoreLife Of A Gang : Youth853 Words   |  4 PagesLife in a Gang Youth are exposed to gang life at an early age, sometimes as early as 10 or 11 years old. Observing older and respected gang members can often lead to impressions among youth that lead them to believe gang life is the way to gain access to things such as status, money and prestige. Research states that older more established gang members will utilize youth to their advantage by having them steal for the gang, buy and sell drugs, carry weapons and commit other crimes in hopes to evadeRead MoreYouth Violence And Its Effect On Children1637 Words   |  7 PagesSince the year 2000, youth violence has been one of the biggest concerns in almost every community. In my research I decided to evaluate the study of youth violence. Youth violence is said to start since the early days of childhood and lead onto the teenage years of a child. When talking about youth violence, the child may not only be an offender but they can be a victim of violence as well. Bullying, punching, slapping, kickin g, teasing, and verbal abuse are all behaviors and forms of mistreatmentRead MoreProblems and Solutions to Violence in Schools Essay1239 Words   |  5 PagesViolence is a very important issue that is coming to the front in todays school systems. School violence is a `complex social policy problem and is considered very complicated and hard to define. My paper is on school violence and the methods in which the government and schools can provide support and/or programs to help stem the recent rash of incidents. These steps include: use of `less violent materials, peer mediation interventions, police presence and action, individualizing of the troublemaker(s)Read MoreMedia Influences our Children1181 Words   |  5 PagesMedia Effect on Today’s Youth Media plays a strong hand in the development of a child in society. Youth are easily influenced and could think actions of unsavory morals are appropriate because it was in media. This is a major problem today as the news make reports of children intentionally committing crimes as big as murder. Children are experimenting with drugs and alcohol at an earlier age and there is even a show dedicated to teen moms on MTV. Of course, media is not the only force at fault hereRead MoreA Study On The Theory Of Teen Dating Abuse By Using A Phenomenological Inquiry942 Words   |  4 Pagesexperience of youth that has experienced dating violence. To grasp the essence of their experiences I will conduct interviews with adolescent survivors of dating violence, allowing them to tell their story and explain their experiences from their personal point of view. The statements and descriptions of those experiences will define the essence of the phenomenon. (Taken from Tranell Steward Initial discussio n wk 3). Problem Recent literature suggests there is little known about dating violence among youthRead MoreMedia Violence and Its Effect on Children Essay1112 Words   |  5 Pages There is a strong agreement among American society that violence in the country is on the rise. It is easy to see why this is a strong argument among the American people, especially because of the rising popularity of violent video games and television programs. However, as these violent video games and television shows are creating their own place in our society, the reports of violence among children are escalating. This correlation has been studied extensively in the scientific community inRead MoreThe Rate For Youth Committing Extremely Violent Crime1140 Words   |  5 PagesAlthough the rate for youth committing extremely violent crimes have been low, it is still a disturbing deed that happens in Canada. Violent crimes are described by the Province of Ontario as: â€Å"...a composite measure that includes homicid e, attempted homicide, assaults, sexual assaults and robbery.† (Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services, 2013). There are many different reasons why these type of crimes could occur before adulthood. Some factors that could cause this type of behaviour are:

Marijuana Should Not Be Considered as a Lethal Drug

Marijuana Should Not be Considered As a Lethal Drug In out society drugs are considered to be addictive and lethal. People tend to abuse drugs regardless of their side effects. In many cases government agencies regulate their use. Also there are drugs that are illegal to use, produce and sale. One of those illegal drugs is marijuana. For thousands of years, marijuana has been used to treat a wide variety of sickness. It became illegal in 1937 under The Marijuana Stamp Tax Act. This act prohibits the use, sale and growing of marijuana. It was made illegal because no one understood why smoking marijuana made people feel the way they did and because appropriate researches had not been conducted about it. Though marijuana remains illegal†¦show more content†¦Alcohol is also a popular drug among young people especially college students. Alcohol is the reason why have a high number of college dropouts. Tobacco is responsible for many deaths ever year from cancers, lung, heart and other vascular diseases, Tobacco is proved to be add ictive and many people agree that it is one of the hardest drugs for addicts to quit using. Why would the United States government let such a bad drug on the market and refuse to use marijuana for medical purposes? Because the tobacco lobby group is a powerful, well-financed and aggressive group that has successfully fought efforts to regulate, tax or otherwise control it. Also tobacco companies continually floods the media and public with misinformation suggesting that tobacco smoking is really good for you because it relaxes the body, or there is no connection between cigarette smoking and addiction, which are lies. Many lawsuits came in state and federal courts against the tobacco companies for not reveling the truth about nicotine and other dangerous additive that are found in cigarettes and many have been awarded a large amount of money. This proves that cigarettes are very dangerous and need to ban from selling it in the supermarkets. Drugs and alcohol are in fact dangerous an d should not be compared with marijuana. People have been led to believe that marijuana is very lethal and dangerous drug to use because it is illegal. In addition marijuanaShow MoreRelated†¢Legalizing Marijuana Is Beneficial For A Person’S Mental717 Words   |  3 Pages†¢ Legalizing marijuana is beneficial for a person’s mental and emotional health Marijuana should be legalized because it is beneficial for a person’s mental and emotional health. Marijuana is beneficial for a person’s mental and emotional health because it helps decrease anxiety, relieve stress and it provides a mental break from pain for those who are suffering physically. Firstly, marijuana is beneficial to one’s mental and emotional health because it helps decrease anxiety. Anxiety affects 12%Read More The Argumentr Regardingf The Decriminalization Of Cannabis Essay1705 Words   |  7 Pagesamong these one will see â€Å"drugs† as a major concern of most Americans. There is speculation that this is due to a perceived association between drugs and crime (Inciardi 1). A good deal of the argument over government policy towards drugs centers on the least unhealthy and most socially accepted of the illegal drugs, marijuana. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Marijuana, scientifically known as Tetrahydrocannabinol, belongs to its own group among other legal and illegal drugs. It is neither a narcoticRead MoreLegalization of marijuana789 Words   |  4 PagesAnnotated Bibliography The topic I chose is the legalization of marijuana. My research was enjoyable because I love reading on a topic that I fully support and agree with. The four sources I found are very persuading and contain strong points. I used the web for research but as I found sources, I made sure they were credible sources since this is such a debatable issue. Jacques, Renee. This Is Why Marijuana Should Be Legal Everywhere. The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 24 Oct. 2013Read MoreEssay about Pro Legalization of Marijuana906 Words   |  4 Pages Cannabis has been illegal since the Marijuana Tax act of 1934. Yet out of a population of 284 million American citizens, 70 million Americans claim to have smoked cannabis at some point in their lives. Prohibition of cannabis is therefore apparently ineffective at changing the habits of a population, just as prohibition of alcohol was ineffective in 1919-1933. Making otherwise law-abiding citizens fugitives does nothing more than fill the prisons and alienate the populace fromRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1489 Words   |  6 PagesThe cannabis plant or marijuana is intended for use of a psychoactive drug or medicine. It is used for recreational or medical uses. In some religions, marijuana is predominantly used for spiritual purposes. Cannabis is indigenous to central and south Asia. Cannabis has been scientifically proven that you can not die from smoking marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized to help people with medical benefits, economic benefits, and crimin al benefits. In eight states, marijuana was legalized for recreationalRead MoreDo The Benefits Of Medical Marijuana Justify Its Legality?890 Words   |  4 PagesDo the Benefits of Medical Marijuana Justify its Legality? According to article, â€Å"Recent Research on Medical Marijuana,† written by Paul Armentano, and published on NORML.org in 2015, he mentions in the United States, federal prohibitions outlawing cannabis recreational, industrial, and therapeutic use were first imposed by Congress under the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. In the article, â€Å"23 Health Benefits Of Marijuana,† by Jennifer Welsh and Kevin Loria, published on Business Insider.com in 2014Read MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?951 Words   |  4 PagesMarijuana is the mixture of dried, shredded flowers and leaves that comes from the hemp plant. It was brought over from Europe to North America around the 1600s. American production of hemp was encouraged by the government in the 17th century for the production of rope, sails, and clothing. Everyone thinks that marijuana is a harmful drug, but it has not been fully researched, we are still discovering new things from it every day. In the United States and around t he world, scientists extract chemicalsRead MoreDr. Hart As A Guest854 Words   |  4 Pagesprofessor of psychology and psychiatry at Columbia University. His field of interest is that of drug abuse and addiction, he recently wrote a book about these topics titled â€Å"High Price†. Dr. Hart has a very interesting point of view when it comes to drugs in society, for example one of his beliefs is that all drugs should be decriminalized in America, another one of his controversial opinions is that drug users can be fully functioning members of society as opposed to how they are regularly viewedRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1049 Words   |  5 Pagespeople think that marijuana is dangerous should be considered as illegal drug, I firmly believe that marijuana should be legalized medically and recreationally. Marijuana provides its user relaxation and peacefulness which indicates that the drug does not influence bad or criminal actions. However, marijuana is still illegal in some areas where dangerous products like alcohol are legal. In the field of medicine, marijuana is one of the safest drugs among all medications nowadays. Marijuana is a very uniqueRead MoreArgumentive Essay1121 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Argumentative Essay Legalization of Marijuana Ashley Bassett Eng. 1301 Instructor: Pam Hesser pg.1 The recreational use of Marijuana should be legalized. According to the New York Times The social costs of the marijuana laws are vast. There were 658,000 arrests for marijuana possession in 2012, according to F.B.I. Figures compared with 256,000 for cocaine, heroin and their derivatives. Even worse, the result is racist, falling disproportionately on young

Cricket in Australia in the 1920s Essay Example For Students

Cricket in Australia in the 1920s Essay Cricket is a game now played all over the world. Back in the 1920s there were two main teams, Australia and England. The Ashes are a series of cricket test matches between Australia and England. The first Ashes test ever played was on March 15th 1877 in Australia. Since then Ashes tests between Australia and England have flourished numbering a series approximately every three years. The overall Ashes results are in favor of Australia, while since 1989 the Ashes series have all been won by Australia. The 1920s Ashes saw a more even event with England winning two series, Australia three. Although Australia won 13 tests to Englands six with six draws all in England. The first Ashes series in Australia was in 1920-21. This series was dominated by Australia winning all five tests. This was the first English team to tour Australia since the war, but it was delayed by an outbreak of typhus on the passenger ship carrying the English team. Australia placed seven test debutants under the captaincy of Warwick Armstrong, and yet they seemed too experienced and too good for England. The team was; W. Armstrong, W. Bardsley, H. Collins, J Gregory, C. Kelleway, A. Mailey, G. McDonald, W. Oldfield, C. Pellew, J. Ryder and J. Taylor. The first test in Sydney never from the outlook looked like a two teamed race, rather a spectacle to see how much Australia could win by. Armstrong won his first of many tosses and decided to bat first, Australia making 267 on a pitch favoring the bowlers. England, on the second day crumbled being spun out for a feeble 190 and in reply Australia made 581, with centuries to Collins the opener and Armstrong the captain. This meant E ngland needed 658 on the last two days. Australias superior bowling attack dismissed England for 281, 377 short. The second test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was no closer. Australia batted first and made 499 with centuries to Pellew and Gregory. Australia then bowled England out for 251 with inspirational Gregory taking 7/69. Enforcing the follow on, Australias bowlers took advantage of the mental state of England and bundled them out for 157 winning by an innings and 91 runs. The third test in Adelaide beginning on January 14 was by far the closest test. Australia winning the toss decided to bat for the third time in a row. On a road like pitch Australia hit a comparatively feeble 354. England for the first time in the series played with some confidence making 447, a lead of 93. However it was not to last. Australia got their act together and piled on 582, Kelleway, Armstrong and Pellew all scoring hundreds. England had no reply to this falling short by 119 runs. So the two teams moved onto Melbourne, the home of Australian cricket. England batted first and reached 284, a feeble total for the Australians who managed 389. In the second innings Mailey dominated taking an amazing 9/121 off 47, and single handedly dismissed England for 315. Australia got the required 211 only two wickets down. By the fifth test came around it was a matter of whether Australia could rewrite the record books and become the first of the two teams to win all test matches in a series. Inevitably it happened with a win of 9 wickets dismissing England for 204 and 280, and getting 392 and surpassing them at 1/92. Australia had won the Ashes in a whitewash 5-0. Australias dominance in the results clearly represented the difference in the standards of cricket between the two nations. England had a lot to learn before they returned in 1924. Hades EssayThis was not to be in the first test where England batting first made 521 and bowled Australia out for 122. England batted again and declared at 8/342 with Grimmett taking 6. With only ten men batting Australia were 8/66 handing England an comprehensive win. The second test at the SCG lasted six days, six painful days for Australian supporters. Batting first Australia was bundled out for 9/253 with Ponsford retiring hurt and taking no further part in the game. England replied politely with 636 due to a marvelous 251 to WR Hammond. Australia were already beaten making 9/397, England polished off the runs going two up in the series. The third test at the MCG went for seven days and saw England prevail in a close contest. Australia amassed 397 due to centuries from Kippax and Ryder, and England in reply scored 417, with yet another double century to Hammond. In the second innings Woodfull and Bradman set about the task of a challenging total, but without help from the rest of the team, the batsmen making 107 and 112 and the team 351. England needed 332 for victory, and Australias arch nemesis Sutcliffe guided the team to their third win with 135. There was no way Australia could regain the Ashes, but some dignity wouldve been nice. However it was not to be losing another close seven-dayer at Adelaide. Man-of-the-series Hammond made a century in both innings showing England to 334 and 383. The Australian first innings was both positive and dominating scoring 369. Although chasing 348 White destroyed Australian hopes with 8 for 126, Australia falling 12 runs short. Finally in the fifth test there was some consolation for the Australians. England won the toss and batted and made 519. The Australians, although beaten in the series replied with 419, their highest score yet, Bradman and Woodfull making 102 and 132 each. Then Tim Wall, on debut took 5/66 on his way to dismissing England for 257. Australia passed their total with five wickets in hand, and at long last Australia had won the test after eight consecutive days or 34 hours. England had retained the Ashes with a 4-1 series win over the gallant Australia. BIBLIOGRAPHY:Pollard, Jack, Australian Cricket 1918-1948 The Bradman years200 seasons of Australian cricketa href=http://www.baggygreen.com.au/archiveshttp://www.baggygreen.com.au/archivesauthor unknown, Test Match Cricket, Australia and England 1877-1977

Why Education is Important to me free essay sample

The day I met Dessy I can honestly say was a moment in my life when I felt that all of the things I had been doing on my mission trip in the Dominican Republic were the most important things I would ever accomplish. Dessy spotted me from across the schoolyard, recognizing me from a family photo that had been sent to her. She was wearing a beautiful bleached white dress with pink flowers on it. She was carrying a small purse, which my mother and I had sent to her as a birthday gift the year before. Her crooked little smile brought instant tears to my eyes. Dessy is my family’s sponsor child. For a few years now my family has been paying for Dessy to receive an education at the Lighthouse school, in the village of Los Alcarrizos, Dominican Republic. While in the Dominican Republic I was surrounded by many children who lived in poverty yet were happy to have the things that they have. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Education is Important to me or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Many children in Los Alcarrizos are not able to attend school. Like my family sponsor child, almost all of the children getting an education must be sponsored. Education to these children is the best gift of all. At the Lighthouse school all of the children are smiling because they know they are blessed. An education may be their only chance of rising above a life of poverty and achieving success. These children are so eager to learn. They are grateful to be experiencing this opportunity. In America most children do not consider education to be a privilege like the Dominican children. My goal is to become a teacher so that I may influence the children that I teach in such a way that they too can feel privileged to be receiving an education. Children should know and learn how important and meaningful an education really is. Jane Goodall once said, â€Å"Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.† I want to be the educator who makes a difference in children’s lives by becoming the best teacher I can be.

David by Michelangelo Essay Example

David by Michelangelo Paper Name: Tutor: Course: Date: We will write a custom essay sample on David by Michelangelo specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on David by Michelangelo specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on David by Michelangelo specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer David by Michelangelo David is a Renaissance sculpture that was formed between 1502 and 1504, by the Italian sculptor, Michelangelo. The sculpture is a 17-foot marble bust that displays a naked standing male. The character used in the sculpture represents the biblical King David, a special subject in Florentine art. The sculpture was initially commissioned as one of a set of masterpieces of prophets to be situated alongside the roofline of the Florence Cathedral. However, the statue was alternatively placed in the Palazzo della Signoria public square, in Florence City where it was made public in 1504. Because of the personality of the individual it represented, it soon came to denote the defense of social liberties embodied in Florence, a self-governing city-state endangered from all directions by powerful adversary states. The original statue was relocated to the Accademia Gallery in Florence and replaced with a replica at the same location. Historical background Before Michelangelo became involved in the development of the statue, the management at the Florence Cathedral had planned to erect twelve massive Old Testament effigies that would also act as the buttresses for the building. In fact, work had already started on these sculptures led by Donatello (Joshua and David sculpture) and Agostino’s unfinished David sculpture. However, just before the project was complete, the cathedral management ran into the challenge of how to hoist the sculpture onto the roof. Finally, they appointed a team of several artists to deliberate on the most appropriate location for the statue. Interpretation of the sculpture Michelangelo’s David was slightly different from earlier representations of the theme in that the biblical character was not portrayed as the killer of the giant Goliath. Typically, David was always represented as holding Goliath’s head, and, in fact, Verrocchio and Donatello sculpted their own works with this traditional inclusion. Most academics believe that the masterpiece showed David when he was preparing for a battle with Goliath. Instead of showing signs of victory over an enemy mightier than he was, David’s face displayed a lot of tension and preparedness for combat. The muscles in his neck stood out stiffly; his facial especially his upper lip was taut; his forehead was wrinkled, and his eyes appeared to concentrate attentively on a far away object. While veins were protruding from his lowered hand, his body was in a tranquil pose, and he was armed with his sling that was lying offhandedly over his shoulder. The calm pose itself was dissimilar from any other earlier representations of David; Both Verrocchio and Donatello had created sculptures of David standing triumphant over Goliath’s head while Andrea del Castagno had portrayed the character while he was swinging his weapon and Goliath’s head down at his feet. However, the entire range of masterpieces done by earlier Florentine artist had not failed to include the Philistine giant overall. The difference between his powerful appearance and his peaceful pose, possibly suggested that David’s sculpture represented his demeanor after he decided to wrestle Goliath, but before the real encounter. The large part of his body mass was stressed on his back leg in a manner consistent with the Renaissance tradition of portraying its subjects in retreated, composed positions, just before they sprung into action. Michelangelo’s representation was that of the period between mindful choice and conscious battle. Michelangelo’s David was a Renaissance understanding of a general historical Greek theme of the upright valiant male nude. In the High Renaissance, contrapposto styles were regarded as a characteristic feature of historic sculpture. In David, the form stands with one leg supporting its complete weight and the other leg loosened up. This traditional pose makes the statue’s shoulders and hips to sit at conflicting angles, creating a small s-curve to the complete upper body. Additionally, the head was twisted to the left, whereas the left arm was lifted towards his left shoulder and his sling that was thrown on his back. Michelangelo’s David became one of the most celebrated sculptures of Renaissance sculpture, becoming a representation of both might and youthful human attractiveness. The gigantic mass of the sculpture was the most extraordinary feature of Michelangelo’s statue compared to that of his rivals. One of the artists, Vasari described the sculpture as a marvel created by Michelangelo that had the ability to bring to life the past memories of the dead. He concluded by mentioning all the other marvelous creations that were done by Michelangelo over the Renaissance period. The sizes of David and other sculptures were an atypical feature of Michelangelo’s efforts; the effigy had an abnormally large head and limbs especially the right hand. These exaggerations may be because the effigy would have been initially displayed on the cathedral rooftop, where the significant parts of the statue would unavoidably be emphasized in order to be noticeable from below. The statue was also abnormally slim when compared to its height. While most artist would have attributed this difference to individual taste, it was probably Michelangelo’s oversight that could not be rectified. It is probable that David was envisaged as a political effigy before Michelangelo started to sculpt it. Definitely, David had long been perceived as a political character in Florentine culture, and pictures of the Biblical personality were already influencing political actions there. Donatello’s David made of pure bronze as a distinct feature in the Medici family quarters. Later on, it still assumed a political role at the Palazzo della Signoria courtyard, where it represented the Republican government. Analysts have even pointed out that David’s undamaged penis that went against Judaic practice was in line with the traditions of Renaissance art. Conclusion Michelangelo’s David arrived from the Piazza della Signoria in 1873 due to the threat of natural erosion that would erode the sculpture as well as intentional damage. There were undocumented reports of vandalism in 1991 hen a man defaced the statue. After this incident, the statue was considered for renovation several times. A replica of the sculpture was however, made and placed in the exact position, in Piazza della Signoria. In spite of the awareness of the statue’s illustration, the utter magnitude of the marble effigy always surprised all the contemporaries and even the present day viewers. The present connection between Florence City and David is highly political. Since the Renaissance period, Florence perceived the David statue as a symbol of the city. David’s power, bravery and youthful assurance were the picture that Florence needed to project. In the 14th century, Florence regained its position as a republic. David signified the city’s sovereignt y from unknown authority, both the aristocracy and colonialists. Like Florence, David illustrated a calm power that was often overlooked by many. The strategic position outside the state offices also made it seem like he was a guard that reminded the citizens to defend bravely and lead fairly.

Free Essays on Colorism

Introduction The various shades of complexion within the African American people should be something celebrated. The different hues of skin should be an attribute that differentiates, but still unites the black society. However, this is not always the case. African Americans, today, seldom celebrate their differences in the respect to complexions. Differences in skin color, in the past, has not united, but divided black communities. This division and racism within a group of people based on skin tone is called colorism (Goetz 2001). This is a newer term for the intraracial discrimination that has been occurring since slavery. This paper will discuss colorism, whom it affects, how those people are affected, where this intraracial discrimination stems from, and what people are trying to do to stop the problem. Historical Context Colorism affects an abundance of people of color, but mainly African Americans. It roots back to early slavery. White slave owners often had what was called a â€Å"house† Negro. The â€Å"house† Negro was most often a light-skinned slave. The darker skinned slaves mostly occupied the field slave positions. There are many theories to this separation of jobs. Some say that the lighter skinned slaves were used within the house because the lighter the skin, the less â€Å"threatening† the slave seemed. Other historians feel that the master would place the light skinned slaves within the house because they were usually offspring (Crawford 2004). This biracial aspect explains their fairer skin. House slaves were always treated better than field slaves. They were always around the family, sometimes taking care of the master’s children. They were fed better, and received hand-down clothing from the family. They were trusted more, and sometimes even se rved as spies for the master. House slaves were the first considered for freedom, when it was offered. â€Å"All of these aspects made the house slav... Free Essays on Colorism Free Essays on Colorism Introduction The various shades of complexion within the African American people should be something celebrated. The different hues of skin should be an attribute that differentiates, but still unites the black society. However, this is not always the case. African Americans, today, seldom celebrate their differences in the respect to complexions. Differences in skin color, in the past, has not united, but divided black communities. This division and racism within a group of people based on skin tone is called colorism (Goetz 2001). This is a newer term for the intraracial discrimination that has been occurring since slavery. This paper will discuss colorism, whom it affects, how those people are affected, where this intraracial discrimination stems from, and what people are trying to do to stop the problem. Historical Context Colorism affects an abundance of people of color, but mainly African Americans. It roots back to early slavery. White slave owners often had what was called a â€Å"house† Negro. The â€Å"house† Negro was most often a light-skinned slave. The darker skinned slaves mostly occupied the field slave positions. There are many theories to this separation of jobs. Some say that the lighter skinned slaves were used within the house because the lighter the skin, the less â€Å"threatening† the slave seemed. Other historians feel that the master would place the light skinned slaves within the house because they were usually offspring (Crawford 2004). This biracial aspect explains their fairer skin. House slaves were always treated better than field slaves. They were always around the family, sometimes taking care of the master’s children. They were fed better, and received hand-down clothing from the family. They were trusted more, and sometimes even se rved as spies for the master. House slaves were the first considered for freedom, when it was offered. â€Å"All of these aspects made the house slav...

Scientology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scientology - Essay Example A religious person does not blame God for his failures he faced in life. However, whatever he does should not be a show off and he shall not be a hypocrite. (a). A spiritual man looks upward. It means his earnest desire to be one with God. He spent most of his time in prayers. The worldly matters such as wealth, conveniences etc never bother their spiritual life. His ultimate hope is in God. (b). Secondly, a spiritual man looks inward. He is always aware of what he does. He is a good judge of himself. If there is something that destroys his spiritual life, he is ready to do away with whatsoever important it is in his personal life. (c) Finally, a spiritual man looks outward. It means he is willing to impart the goodness that God has bestowed on him to others. He is ready to forgive his trespassers as he knows God forgives his trespasses. He is not worried about his own happiness and life but finds bliss in making the men around him happy. Religion has got both social and psychological functions. As the part of social function, it ensures social control and reduces conflict. Every religion sets a standard for behavior that is expected to be followed by the believers. Secondly, religions avoid social conflict by reducing tension and frustrations. As Ferraro and Andreatta (2009) point out, religion controls the animosity of people and makes them compassionate and charitable through various religious experiences; and when it comes to psychological functions, religion provides mental peace to the believers by consoling them during the time of crisis and helplessness (pp. 354-355). From the religious leaders, one gets emotional support and peace. It encourages him to face the problems with a renewed punch. We cannot understand religion by setting aside its functions. Religion becomes an integral part of the society only through its functions. So, it is impossible to thoroughly understand a religion merely from

Lenovo computer company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lenovo computer company - Essay Example CSR ensures that industries and other businesses commit their policies to improving and protecting the lives of the community members and workers. In the contemporary business operations, CSR reports address issues such as worker hiring, opportunity and training, governance and ethics, energy and environment impact. CSR reports rely on philanthropy (Lee & Kotler 2013, p. 30). Lenovo computer company management understands the centrality of a functional CSR within its operations. The company recognizes that it possesses a unique heritage, which comprises of different cultures of west and East countries. Lenovo understands the essence of having an active public relation that will enable it to compete with rival companies such as apple. Lenovo Company has taken social responsibility for its manufacturing process and overall business operations by shaping the future of humanity through technological advancements. The company prides in observing environmental laws such as pollution, producing quality and high performing products (Lenovo 2014, p. 1). Lenovo Company, therefore, prides in commitment to serving consumers and responsibility to the products. Lenovos CSR success results from its guiding principles such that binds it to sustainable and social

Business Excellence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Business Excellence - Essay Example It is in this context that since its inception, the company had been strategically designing its products focussing on the customers’ needs. By adopting the customer centric strategies, Dell was determined to become the low cost leader while providing high value products and services (Dell, 2012). After successfully doing business in the global markets for almost a decade, Dell began facing challenges in terms of competition, rapidly losing its market share and witnessing reduction in its customer bases (Paul & et. al., 2007). Furthermore, the company was losing its market share in all the segments, namely, desktops, servers and notebooks during the same year to its major competitors. Notably, the major factors that led to the declining market share of Dell from all segments can be identified as the company’s emphasis on its traditional business model lacking in terms of innovation and transformation. Due to the company’s resistance to change in the global compet itive market, other players in this industry such as HP and Lenovo emerged as the new leaders. They focussed on the emerging markets and segments such as Laptops, whereas Dell with a market share of 4.2% ranked eighth among other manufacturers (Paul & et. al., 2007). Drivers for Strategic Change In today’s modern era, the process or rather the conception of change is attributed as the only continuous and inevitable phenomenon of the business world. Due to the incessant changes occurring in the external business environment, businesses are becoming increasingly swayed to implement strategic changes in their business processes. It is in this context that due to the ongoing changes in the global business environment, business entities are forced to alter their operational vision, goals and methodologies too often causing the risk of unplanned and chaotic changes in the working process which in turn are quite likely to give rise to perplexity within the human resources and thus l ead towards a greater disruption in the overall operational functions of the organisation. Taking these aspects into concern, the major drivers of change in today’s business context can be stated as the alterations in the external business environment in terms of innovation, competition, legal as well as economic variations, and social changes which accumulatively lead to the alterations of consumer needs, demands along with their perceptions (Yokota & et. al., 2005). Focus Areas for Enhanced Business Performance In today’s global scenario, competition and financial liberalization are considered to be the most influential factors that effectually enable a company to sustain in the prevailing fierce competition. Consequently, with an effect of such fierce competition and growing need for product differentiation, quality has emerged to be one of the prime concerns of global companies in order to enhance its competitive advantages over its rivals. It is owing to the belie f that best quality with

Aravind Eye Hospital, India: Mission and Vision

Aravind Eye Hospital, India: Mission and Vision Aravind Eye Hospital:Â  Improving Lives One Eye at a Time A Brief Introduction Imagine having the world as you know it cease to exist, the things you once saw be erased, and having no hope to gain control of your life. This is how life for many people in India once was, and how it still is for some even today. A cataract, a curable infliction of the eye, has attacked men and women of every age, sparing no one, not even a child. They build up in size over time, and leave many blind. Once struck, the individual in question can no longer work, and has no way to take care of themselves, making them entirely dependent on their family for support. Living in an already impoverished area, blindness has dire consequences, resulting in many cases of premature death. There is a simple procedure that can reverse the effects of cataracts and return sight to the user. However, this surgery is too costly for some to afford. In India, a country with an extremely high poverty rate, cataracts had become a major problem for the inhabitants. Cataracts have left millions to suffer with an unnecessary disability, but one man came about to challenge its hold on the people of India. Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy revolutionized the medical field of eye care, and built a health institution that would allow everyone afflicted to get the help they needed, despite their ability to pay. This case analysis examines that institution, how it came into existence, how it operates, its creator, and the general background of the country of origination. Poverty and Healthcare in India Poverty is one of the biggest social issues in India. According to the Indian government, of its nearly 1 billion inhabitants, an estimated 260.3 million are below the poverty line. More than 75% of these poor people reside in impoverished villages (Azad, 2008). The causes of rural poverty include inadequate and ineffective implementation of anti-poverty programs, and the unavailability of irrigational facilities. The poor irrigation systems result in crop-failure and low agricultural productivity, forcing farmers into a debt-trap. Economic development since independence has been lopsided. There has been an increase in unemployment rates that have forced many people into a state of poverty, and the population continues to grow at an alarming rate (Economy, 2009). Overpopulation of an already scarce job field has kept many individuals trapped by poverty. India has a Universal Health Care System operated by the government, like many other industrialized countries. The governmental hospitals offer health care to the masses at the tax-payers expense. The Indian government set up the health care system to help people who are below the poverty line, but many people have problems using the hospitals. One reason for this is the fact that there are an extremely low number of medical practitioners available for the people. Another reason is that most public hospitals are inefficient, and provide poor quality medical services to their patients. Quality could be better, but public hospitals generally only provide basic treatment, and have lower quality equipment to perform with. Inefficiency in the system is caused by the imbalance between medical providers and the needy population. For example, although India requires more than 74,000 hospitals to satisfy demand, it just has about 37,000 health care centers (Liberty, 2009). Due to the impoverished peoples lack of resources, they cannot afford to go to a private eye hospital to get their cataracts removed. And because of the limited availability and help from government hospitals, and their inability to perform eye surgery, most individuals are left with no choice but to remain blind. This in turn adds to the increasing rate of unemployment, as it is difficult for a blind person to get or maintain a job. And that leads to having even more people below the poverty line, as it is not only the individual in question, but their entire family as well. If there was a place they could go to be treated, it would help stop the cycle of poverty, and give them a fighting chance to live. Enter the Vision, Aravind Eye Hospital Aravind Eye Hospital has risen from its humble beginnings to promote eye health not only in India, but also throughout the world. Doctor Govindappa Venkataswamy, along with his sister and brother-in-law, started Aravind in 1976 (Maurice, 2001). This eye hospital was first opened in a rented house that contained only ten beds. The three founders were the only doctors at Aravind when it first opened. Since then it has grown little by little each year. This hospital has grown into a five-story building that is located in Madurai, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This particular hospital now contains 1,900 beds. As of 2001, approximately 1.5 million blind people have left this one hospital with their sight completely restored. In addition to this, Aravind Eye Hospital has now expanded into a total of five hospitals throughout India (Maurice, 2001). The Aravind franchise includes a hospital created specifically to help restore sight to children (Maurice, 2001). The Internationa l Institute for Community Ophthalmology, which is a part of Aravind Eye Hospital, trains eye care workers from low-income countries. There is a medical research foundation as well as an eye bank that handles about 900 corneas a year that are associated with Aravind. Aurolab is a manufacturing facility that makes lenses, pharmaceuticals, and surgery supplies for Aravind (Maurice, 2001). Aravind Eye Hospital later branched out and opened Aurolab, despite disagreements from the Indian government, because imported intraocular lenses, IOLs, were too expensive for low-income patients to afford (Shah, 2004). Aurolab makes approximately 700,000 IOLs each year (Maurice, 2001). These IOLs are then sold, not only to Aravind but to eye care facilities in over eighty countries, for a price that is ten times less expensive than the same quality of IOLs used in western countries (Maurice, 2001). Aurolab also manufactures spectacles, sutures, and medications along with the IOLs, to sell to the hosp itals for reduced costs (Chang, 2004). The Aravind group worked with approximately 1.3 million patients in 2000 (Maurice, 2001). This is about 85-90% more than most other hospitals in India. Also, Aravind holds mobile eye camps throughout the year to raise eye care awareness in India (Maurice, 2001). These eye camps screen villagers on a Sunday, then bus the patients into Aravind in the evening (Chang, 2004). The surgeries are then performed on Monday. There are usually 300-400 cases on Mondays, with the record being 500 cases (Chang, 2004). Most eye surgeons in the world perform less than 350 surgeries each year. At Aravind, the average number of surgeries per doctor is 2000 per year. Aravind looks to multiply its benefits by hiring and training local doctors and surgeons. Even though Aravind pays slightly more than the government hospitals, seven to ten doctors leave each year. The reason is, since Aravind is nonprofit organization, it is unable to compete pay wise with private practice institutions (Maurice, 2001). The Path to Aravind As previously mentioned, Aravind was founded by Govindappa Venkataswamy, who is commonly known as Dr. V (Maurice, 2001). Dr. V does not view his job as work, but rather as something that he is excited to be able to do. According to Dr. V, if there is something you can do, you should do it. Dr. V was born in 1918 and died at the age of 87 on July 7, 2006 (Govindappa, 2009). He received a Bachelors of Arts in chemistry from American College in Madurai in 1938. Then, in 1944, he received a doctor of medicine from Stanley Medical College in Madras. Finally in his education he received a doctor of ophthalmology from the Government Ophthalmic Hospital in Madras in 1951. From 1976 until his death in 2006, Dr. V was the chairman of Aravind Eye Hospital. In 1956 he was named the head of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Government Madurai Medical College. At the same time, he was an eye surgeon at the Government Erksine Hospital. He held both of these positions for twenty years until his forced retirement from the government hospital in 1976 (Govindappa, 2009). Dr. V was partly influenced in the creation of Aravind by his mentor, the philosopher and mystic Sri Aurobindo, whom Dr. V was a disciple of for fifty years (Maurice, 2001). When Dr. V was asked about the influence of his mentor into Aravind, he made the following statement: You do your best in your job and higher ideas come to you, and then you try to realize those ideas too (Maurice, 2001). Dr. V was also motivated from his work at the government hospital (Shah, 2004). The government asked him to have four camps a year while he still worked with the government hospital in 1961. This also proved to be a part of his opportunity identification. He saw the number of patients attending rise each time the camp was held (Shah, 2004). The fact that eighteen million people are blind by curable cataracts worldwide is another part of Dr. Vs opportunity identification (Chang, 2004). This number is growing at an alarmi ng, nearly epidemic rate. Blindness causes reduced life expectancy, and productivity is lost for both for the blind as well as for those that care for them (Chang, 2004). Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy: A True Social Entrepreneur Dr. V had entrepreneurial quality, which is one of the four categories used to evaluate Ashoka nominees (Bornstein, 2004). People with entrepreneurial quality seek to change an entire field, not just get something done locally. People with this trait not only want to express their ideas, but they want to go out and be a part of solving the problems by executing their ideas (Bornstein, 2004). Dr. V has shown entrepreneurial quality through his work at standardizing the procedures for cataract surgery because this allowed the change to spread throughout the field, not just at his hospitals in India. Another way he has shown entrepreneurial quality is through the training that Aravind does for doctors in other countries. Finally, the fact that Dr. V did over 100,000 eye surgeries successfully himself shows that he was willing to be a part in executing his idea (Govindappa, 2009). The Six Qualities of Social Entrepreneurship Dr. V has also demonstrated the six qualities of a successful social entrepreneur as laid out by David Bornstein (2004). These six qualities are as follows: the willingness to self-correct, the willingness to share credit, the willingness to break free from established structures, the willingness to cross disciplinary boundaries, the willingness to work quietly, and a strong ethical impetus (Bornstein, 2004). Dr. V asked for help from business schools to on how to keep doctors from falling back into complacency at their own hospitals after completing training with Aravind (Shah, 2004). This shows his willingness to share credit because he publicly sought their help. It also shows his willingness to self-correct because when he saw the problem of doctors becoming complacent, even after receiving Aravinds training, he took active measures to fix the problem. He also shared credit with the other doctors that work with him, acknowledging the fact that Aravind could never have become such a success without the hard work put forth by everyone involved. And as mentioned earlier, the government was against the creation of Aurolab (Shah, 2004). By creating the facility anyway, Dr. V demonstrated his willingness to break free from established structures. Dr. V was able to cross disciplinary fields from medical and into manufacturing when he opened Aurolab. Also, by working privately at creating Aurolab and making it affordable, Dr. V demonstrated his ability to work quietly (Shah, 2004). Dr. V has repeatedly demonstrated his strong ethical impetus. During an interview Dr. V said that the focus of Aravind was on honesty and respecting the patients (Shah, 2004). Also, he said he tries to choose compassion over cost. This is exemplified when they spend more than the fixed charge for a patient because they do not charge the extra cost to the patient. R.D. Thularsiraj, the executive director of Aravind, says that Dr. V instituted a system of values into the hospital that has the effect of guiding their work to wanting to help others and away from focusing too much on money (Maurice, 2001). Finally, Dr. V has capacity building programs that basically work to instill integrity and quality into new hospitals (Shah, 2004). Structuring Sustainability, the Core of Aravind Dr. V wanted to reach those who had not been reached before, and help the poverty stricken individuals, who without his help, would not be able to see. He removed barriers, promoted community involvement, and had a growing market model for healthcare. Even after his death, his dream is still living on. Aravind continues to explore new approaches to the primary eye care market, and continuously seeks new innovations to help the population. When opening the first hospital in Madurai, in Tamil Nadu, his sister and her husband, both eye surgeons, joined Dr. V in his efforts. To cut costs, all three doctors took significant pay cuts since bankers would not finance a clinic that, regardless of ability to pay, gives eye care to the rich and poor. Dr. V even mortgaged his house to get the necessary finances to start the hospital. Within a year, all the efforts paid off and the hospital quadrupled in size. There are now five Aravind Eye Hospitals, and all are self sustaining, thanks to a blueprint copying system that has allowed for easier knowledge transfusion throughout the hospital chain. Dr. V took the unusual step of asking even poor patients to pay whenever they could, believing that the volume of paying business, which amounts to approximately 30% of clients, would sustain the rest (Aravind, 2007). Two thirds of patients receive the free outpatient services, while paying patients receiving additional amenities, such as private rooms for extended recovery, and hot meals. The profit made from every one paying customer covers the costs of two patients that cannot pay. Aravind is famous for its fee structure. The consultations are free for poor patients while others pay 50 Rs (their currency, approximately $1 US). Impoverished patients can be expected to pay as little as nothing, or up to 250 Rs, which is as much as they can spare. A subsidized rate is 750 Rs (approximately $15 US). The regular patient fee, which is aimed for middle income patients, is 3,500-6,000 Rs. For a Phaco surgery, the rate is 6,500-12,000 Rs (Saravana,2002). This is a need based transparent financial system, and it is this kind of trust and care Aravind has built that attracts paying patients. The lower than market cost for even the paying patients, at least 25% lower, attracts them also. The Business Model of Aravind Aravind Eye Hospital operates with a business model unlike that of any other business in the health care industry, bearing striking similarities to the fast food industry instead. Dr. V. was impressed with how a chain like McDonalds could offer the same quality product no matter where you went, and still get it to you quickly (Health, 2007). He became adamant about the fact that a hospital could be run under the same principle, and trained his employees to treat large amounts of people without sacrificing quality. Today, Aravinds network of hospitals has the distinction of being the most productive eye care organization in the world in terms of surgical volume and the number of patients treated. The success of Aravinds business model is dependent on numbers, as it is the high-volume of low cost procedures that offsets the costs associated with delivering such a high quality service. In order to reach more patients, Aravind Eye Hospital advertises its services heavily, and is benefite d by the positive word of mouth that has quickly spread about them. They have also implemented technology that allows his staff to serve people that are not able to come to the hospital; they do this by video conferencing, instant messaging, online patient questionnaires, and through the use of web cams. One example of how they have used technology to help their business can be seen through the internet kiosks the place in remote villages. Here, they have women trained to take pictures of the patients eyes using a webcam, then they send the images to the Doctor along with the filled out patient questionnaire. The doctor then receives the file via e-mail almost instantaneously, and is able to interact with the patient through an online chat program. This is made possible because of collaboration with the University of Berkeley Information Technology center, with a low cost Wi-Fi connection. This provides access to the patient, and a remarkable cost reduction. This also allows the sta ff to provide consultations with people who would otherwise not be able to make it to the hospital, and makes it easier for the team to transfer information between each other (Aravind, 2007). What Makes Aravind Different A core part of Aravinds model is to never turn away a patient due to economic reasons. In fact, it has even been recorded that Dr. V once accepted a chicken as payment for surgery. The goal of Aravind is to help as many people as they can, not to make a profit. Their business model is formatted in a way that provides a level of self-sustainability that allows them to use all income towards expanding their processes, improving their work, and keeping services free to those who need them. Dr. V set up this model believing that people will pay when they can, even if its months after their surgery. Aravinds business model originally focused on just eye surgery and care, but after time it expanded into manufacturing in order to create low cost lenses. This change in the model was necessary because importing the lenses from the West was too expensive, and in order to comply with their vision of providing eye care to the disadvantaged, they needed to come up with a way to lower costs. Anoth er way they have put into their system to help them reach more clients is by using a two tiered pricing structure. Wealthy people are expected to contribute more, and for every one paid surgery, Aravind can afford to do many free surgeries. And because Aravind is the best eye hospital in the region, wealthy people choose to go there. In order to maintain maximum levels of efficiency and resource usage, the hospital staff performs just their specific specialization, and the surgery procedures themselves are standardized. And to make sure that all who want to go to Aravind are able to, the clinic provides buses that pick people up in the morning, and then drive them back to their communities after the day is over (Shah, 2009). Before the patients are brought to the hospital, they must go through an eye screening at their local community, using one of the internet kiosks as mentioned earlier. They are then evaluated, and transported to the hospital if it appears that surgery or a live consultation will be necessary. This process is promoted, organized, and financially backed by local business leaders. In keeping staffing cost low, Aravind recruits locally. The majority of the staff is from local villages. Being trained and having grown up in the same community as they will be working, they share the dream of the hospital. And since local wages expectations and cost of living are low, the hospital can pay these individuals less than individuals coming from out of the country. The medical staff is also trained, not only for a job, but a prestigious life long career. For each surgeon, the hospital has four highly trained paramedics for support. Aravind Eye Hospitals ophthalmologists are linked with video conferencing with their Vision Centers technicians for each patient. Expanding their business model, Aravind ventured into lens production. They now have a factory that can produce parts at low-cost prices. Compared to the $200 for imported lenses, they produce these for about $5 at their home factory (Dan, 2008). Now, because of outside funding they export their products to over 80 countries. Their method to production lens was branched out to produce other products such as blades, instruments, sutures, and pharmaceuticals. They can produce these products for fractions of what the western world can, and make a handsome profit. This also cuts costs on buying them from somewhere else. The income gained from the paying patients contributes to approximately 20% of the budget. The other income comes from the production of manufactured products and the provision of training and consultations. In order to retain a sustainable operation Aravind is constantly looking to improve. Since they adopted many technologies earlier than other hospitals they are remain ing high in breakthrough technology. They utilize their technology to communicate easier with fellow staff members, patients, partners, and other hospitals across the globe. Aravind has regular reviews of their system, and follows up on executive decisions to ensure they stick to their intended model. But they are always looking for new ways to better themselves, and to grow. Scalability of the Aravind Model The Aravind System has a great approach to overcoming obstacles in the cataract surgery industry. The main characteristic of the Aravind model is that they provide quality care at prices that everyone can afford. They are self sustaining, yet still able to provide their services to the poor and rich alike. Their business model stresses a maximum use of all resources. This is all achieved by their high volume quality, and a well structured system. The Aravind model can be replicated in countries with inexpensive labor. For example, the model would work well in Asia or underprivileged areas in Africa. Their model will work well if you have a large population with a social need, and if you can find doctors who are willing to operate many times daily. Also, to be financially stable there must be enough revenue to cover the free services from the paying ones. The cost of the service cannot be too high. In order for the need-based service to work, there must be incentives to paying. The people at Aravind pay because they want to have a bed in a private room with air conditioning, or the other amenities that they offer. Aravind eliminated non-beneficial activities and wait time. By having standardized protocols of clinical procedures, activities, and administrative measures, it cuts down on the error count and makes procedures more efficient. The surgeons do not do tasks such as preparing patients, taking measurements, or diagnostic s testing, this is all done by trained assistants. Letting the surgeons focus on just the surgical procedure itself. It cuts down on transition time between surgeries. The state of the art technology requires surgeons to exhibit less energy, and allows them to operate more times per day. Since surgeons average 1700 more surgeries than the national average, there are many benefits to being an Aravind surgeon. Surgeons here do not only want to make a difference in the lives of the people, but by performing many more surgeries than they would otherwise, they are also bettering themselves. Aravind has reached over 200 hospitals through their consultancy process, and they hope to reach many more in the near future. The Aravind model makes scalability in developing nations limitless through their fee system, management techniques, high aspirations, and quality of care. From the David Bornsteins book example of blueprint copying, Aravind wants to be used as an example. They want their techniques, management protocols, and philosophies to be copied by others, as well as they have in making their hospitals across India. Just as the Grameen Banks idea of Micro-credit has spread to numerous lending programs, Aravinds basic model, a 250-bed hospital was adopted in Mumbai, Kolkata and Nepal hospitals. Also, the Indian government is adopting Aravinds medical protocol doctrine for their training centers around the country. Aravinds goal is to be an example of efficient management and inexpensive care to patients, since any ophthalmologist can provide eye care, but can only sustai n affordability to the masses as long as it is managed properly. This is their new focus called Managed Eye Hospitals. In the long term, according to their website, they want to affect a larger population, by exceeding 100 eye care hospitals spreading to other parts of the world. They want to be an example for other health care hospitals to become more efficient, and to grow and thrive. Aravinds ultimate goal is to join together with others to help eliminate treatable blindness entirely by the year 2020 (Aravind, 2009). A Bittersweet Critique It is hard to critique a social business, as we try to negate or justify the flaws in the system by contrasting it with the good it does for the public. However, a company, no matter how well intentioned, cannot grow to its full potential if not given the criticism necessary to improve their system. In this section, we will first explain the flaws we found within Aravind and how we believe they might negatively affect the company in the future. Then we will explain some of the great benefits or pros of Aravind, and how we believe they will perform in the future. The Bad The business model of Aravind, although scalable, is very reliant upon having a strong client base. In particular, it needs a constant influx of paying customers to negate the costs incurred by offering their services for free or for extremely reduced prices. The location of new ventures is also a factor of success for the model to work, as their structure involves hiring local residents to work in the hospitals. If the quality of workers is diminished in the area attempted, then the Aravind system will not run as efficiently or effectively as intended. Also, it would cost them more to bring in employees from outside the area, which would raise the overall cost level, and reduce their ability to offer their services to the impoverished people of the area. Another flaw in the Aravind system is the high turnover rate they must deal with. Doctors come from all over the globe to train in these hospitals, as they perform more surgeries in a day than they would otherwise perform in a few m onths time. But since Aravind is trying to operate on as small a cost budget as possible, they cannot afford to pay their staff rates that are high enough to compete with private practice firms. One final flaw we saw when examining Aravind, was the fact that they make staff members work even when they are sick. Although this is done to keep production up, it also makes room for errors, and contagion. The dedication seen by the employees is admirable, but when sick, you should not be performing any service in the medical field. The Good Aravind has greatly enlarged the social impact they have on society by not only providing a necessary service to meet one of their healthcare needs, but also by creating jobs and hiring locally. This is seen both with Aravind hospitals and with their manufacturing plant, Aurolab. Aravind could easily outsource to get employees and resources, but instead they choose to continue helping the social sector in their respective areas. And even though Aravind Eye Hospitals treat more patients than any other eye care facility in the world, they continue to advertise their service across the country in order to find and serve more individuals. They are actively seeking out their target market instead of waiting for them to come to them. Eye camps, kiosks, and bus runs have been created by the Aravind system to get them closer to their market, and physically bring their clients in. Their use of technology allows them to consult and share their practices with hospitals worldwide, and increases productivity among staff members, and allows them to reach the population that cannot make it into the hospitals. Aravind Eye Hospitals have created an efficient and effective service that best serves the social sector, and provides much needed help to the economically disadvantaged and blind population. And because Aravind is renowned worldwide for its innovation in the field, technical excellence, and operational efficiency, it attracts new ophthalmologists to the system. Once these new surgeons get trained in the Aravind way, it betters the surgeon himself because of the massive amount of surgeries he will complete, and it also extends the Aravind practice into even more hospitals across the globe. We believe that Aravind is doing an excellent job so far, and has a very sustainable model. They have been critical in their decision making thus far, and we feel confident that they will only become stronger as time goes by. This will hit a cap at some point though, as Aravind gets closer to reaching its vision of curing all the worlds treatable blindness, their market will start to decline. Once demand sinks low enough, the current model used by Aravind will become useless, and they will need to undergo some major revisions to their model. Overall though, it really is an excellent business model, and is doing a great deal of good for the people of India. Work Citations Azad India Foundation: http://www.azadindia.org/social-issues/poverty-in-india.html Economy Watch: http://www.economywatch.com/indianeconomy/poverty-in-india.html Reason For Liberty: http://www.reasonforliberty.com/current-affairs/indian-health-care-an-overview.html Bornstein, David. How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2004. Print. Chang, David F. Three programs offer hope. (Cover story). Ophthalmology Times 34.9 (2009): 1-43. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. EBSCO. Web. 27 Oct. 2009. Govindappa Venkataswamy, MD (deceased). ASCRS: The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. 2009. ASCRS. Web. 17 Nov. 2009. Maurice, J. Restoring sight to the millionsthe Aravind way. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 79.3 (2001): 270. CINAHL. EBSCO. Web. 27 Oct. 2009. Shah, Janat, and L. S. Murty. Compassionate, High Quality Health Care at Low Cost: The Aravind Model. IIMB Management Review 16.3 (2004): 31-43. Business Source Complete. EBSCO. Web. 4 Nov. 2009. Aravind Eye Hospitals: http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:-V-GZ0L9JZMJ:www.aravind.org/tribute/A%2520Man%2520Who%2520Saved%25202.4%2520Million%2520Eyes.pdf+aravind+eye+hospital+business+modelcd=7hl=enct=clnkgl=us Health Scribe Media: http://health.scribemedia.org/2007/01/03/aravind-eye-clinic/ Saravanan, S., Organisational Capacity Builting- A Model Developed by Aravind Eye Care System http://laico.org, retrieved on 11-29-2009, http://laico.org/v2020resource/files/capacity_build.pdf. Dan, Sorin A.,ARAVIND EYE HOSPITAL:Assignment Public Managementhttp://www.people.umass.edu, retrieved on 11-27-2009. http://www.people.umass.edu/sdan/projectspapers/Aravind.pdf. Last opened 11/29/2009.

Bilateral Shoulder Dislocation from Weight Lifting Essay -- essays res

While doing seated behind-the-neck military presses, a young man of 22 years, experienced bilateral anterior dislocation of the shoulders. He came into the emergency department complaining of acute bilateral shoulder stiffness and pain. He claimed to have been performing behind-the-neck military presses with a 108-lb (50kg) weight while being spotted by a training partner. While performing the military presses, he suddenly felt that his shoulders were going out of place, and lost control of the bar. Unfortunately, his training partner was unable to prevent injury. The injured man stated that he felt immediate pain and lost mobility of his arms. He was then rushed to the emergency department.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the patient first arrived at the emergency department, his shoulders were in abduction and external rotation. He complained of stiffness and pain. Tests showed bilateral flattened contour of the shoulders below the tip of the acromion. Anterior fullness was present, but luckily, the patient did not suffer from any neurological or vascular injuries. Further examinations showed a bilateral anterior shoulder dislocation but no fracture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The young man was a 22-year-old, right-handed accountant, who had 3 years of weight training experience. He was 5 ft 10 in. (178 cm) tall and approximately 180 lb (83.3 kg). Upon investigation, the patient had no history of any type of injury to either of his shoulders. None of his family had ...

Bad Writing Assignment(Intentional)

An Indiana supermarket has started the next trend in do-it-yourself grocery shopping – allowing customers not only to check themselves out. But also to let themselves in. On Thanksgiving night in Goshen, the locking mechanism on its front door was not checked by someone at the store. That resulted in a dozen customers entering the store and trying to shop despite a complete absence of store employees. Normally open 24 hours a day, the doors of the store were shut at 6 p. m. on Thanksgiving evening. Store manager, Sheila Donley, said. It seems the locks on the front doors must have failed, and instead of actually sleeping off their turkey dinners or getting an early head start on Black Friday, some loyal Kroger customers decided to pick up a few extra items. † Since the locking mechanism had failed the doors were not easy to slide open, Donley said, that may have deterred others who came earlier in the evening. About 10:15 p. m. , though, one customer decided the store lo oked open. And pulled the sliding front doors apart just as several other shoppers arrived. When I arrived at the store I could see a little space between the doors, because all the lights were on inside, I just assumed the automatic opener had stopped working but I could still shop,† said, Goshen resident, Bill Terrell. â€Å"I looked for an employee to alert, I found no one and decided just to buy what I needed. † Several other late-night shoppers gathered items and went to the self-checkout lanes, seemingly oblivious to the utter lack of employees. They realized something was wrong after seeing all registers closed, Terrell said. At some point, police were called.Puzzled by the situation, a call came from a customer or a neighbor concerned about the sudden activity. Police spokeswoman, Christy Samms said, â€Å"There were definitely no signs of forced entry at all and apparently no one stole any items from the business. † She said it appeared the door’s locking mechanism had not completely engaged. At this point in time, Donley, called in by police, secured all of the entrances and sent the confused customers on their way – each with a voucher for $20 worth of Kroger-brand items on a upcoming future visit.The customers, taking it in stride, left without incident, Terrell said. â€Å"As foolish as we probably were to be out on Thanksgiving night, I guess it’s hard to complain about free food on our next trip,† he said. 1a. Original: Donley, called in by police†¦. 1b. Revision: At this point in time, Donley, called in by police†¦ (Concise Wording) 2a. Original: â€Å"There were no signs of forced entry and apparently†¦. 2b. Revision: â€Å"There were no signs of forced entry at all and apparently†¦ (Unnecessary Filler) 3a.Original: †¦and apparently no one stole from the business. † 3b. Revision: †¦and apparently no one stole any items from the business. † (Unnecessary Filler) 4a. Original: â€Å"It seems the locks on the front doors failed†¦ 4b. Revision: â€Å"It seems the locks on the front doors must have stopped working†¦ (Concise wording) 5a. Original: â€Å"I could see a little space between the doors†¦ 5b. Revision: â€Å"When I arrived at the store I could see a little space between the doors†¦ (Long Lead Ins) 6a. The doors were not easy to slide open,†¦. 6b.Since the locking mechanism had failed the doors were not easy to slide open,.. (Long Lead Ins) 7a. †¦and instead of sleeping off†¦. 7b. †¦and instead of actually sleeping off†¦ (Needless Adverb) 8a. †¦brand items on a future visit. 8b. †¦brand items on a upcoming future visit. (Redundant Words) 9a. â€Å"There were no signs of forced entry†¦ 9b. â€Å"There were definitely no signs of forced entry†¦ (Needless Adverb) 10a. †¦or getting an early start on Black Friday†¦ 10b. †¦or getting an early head start on Black Friday†¦ (Redundant Words)

Chronicle of a Death Foretold essays

Chronicle of a Death Foretold essays The novel Chronicle Of A Death Foretold written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez was originally written in Spanish. The novel talks about a murder of the man Santiago Nasar, who was killed by the Vicario brothers, who tried to pay him back for damaging their familys honor by taking their sitsers, called Angela Vicario, virginity. In the next paragraphs question #3 will be discussed as a response to the criticism that the characters appearing in this novel are not clearly discribed and create a distraction than rather to help the progress of the story. Gabriel Garcia Marquez is an author known for the use of magic realism in his works. Also Chronicle of a Death Foretold includes many examples of Magic Realism. It is this tool, which Marquez uses to decorate normal scenarios, from a day-to-day life into unreal but fantastic worlds. The criticism of the novel explains that Marquez is unable to populate it with characters who are realistic and lasting in the memory. It says that the novel lacks of real characters and that Marquez focuses more on describing the setting and the mood instead of going into more detail with the characters image. The next paragraphs are a response to this criticism, which arguments certainly miss the main point of the novel Chronicle of a Death Foretold, by focusing too much on the aspect of the characters in the novel but not keeping in mind the many other, more important, aspects which contribute to this great novel filled with foreshadowing, social criticism, satire, and allusions. In the novel Chronicle of a Death Foretold Gabriel Garcia Marquez uses a unique style of story-telling, which is known as magic realism. He creates an imaginary world that is so similar to our everyday life, and yet it is so different from it. Certainly, this novel wouldnt be the same ...

The Challenges and Opportunities Facing HBCUs

The Challenges and Opportunities Facing HBCUs Historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, encompass a wide range of institutions of higher learning. There are currently 101 HBCUs in the United States, and they range from two-year community colleges to research universities that grant doctoral degrees. Most of the schools were founded shortly after the Civil War in an effort to provide African Americans access to higher education. What Is a Historically Black College or University? HBCUs exist because of the United States history of exclusion, segregation, and racism. With the end of slavery following the Civil War, African American citizens faced numerous challenges gaining access to higher education. Financial barriers and admissions policies made attendance at many colleges and universities nearly impossible for the majority of African Americans. As a result, both federal legislation and the efforts of church organizations worked to create institutions of higher learning that would provide access to African American students. The great majority of HBCUs were founded between the end of the Civil War in 1865 and the end of the 19th century. That said, Lincoln University (1854) and Cheyney University (1837), both in Pennsylvania, were established well before the end of slavery. Other HBCUs such as Norfolk State University (1935) and Xavier University of Louisiana (1915) were founded in the 20th century. The colleges and universities are called historically black because ever since the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, HBCUs have been open to all applicants and have worked to diversify their student bodies. While many HBCUs still have predominantly black student populations, others do not. For example, Bluefield State College is 86% white and just 8% black. Kentucky State Universitys student population is roughly half African American.  However, it is more common for an HBCU to have a student body that is well over 90% black. Examples of Historically Black Colleges and Universities HBCUs are as diverse as the students who attend them. Some are public while others are private. Some are small liberal arts colleges while others are large research universities. Some are secular, and some are affiliated with a church. Youll find HBCUs that have a majority white student population while most have large African American enrollments. Some HBCUs offer doctoral programs, while some are two-year schools offering associate degrees. Below are a few examples that capture the range of HBCUs: Simmons College of Kentucky is a tiny college of just 203 students with ties to the American Baptist Church. The student population is 100% African American.North Carolina AT is a relatively large public university with over 11,000 students. Along with robust bachelor degree programs ranging from the arts to engineering, the school also has numerous masters and doctoral programs.Lawson State Community College in Birmingham, Alabama, is a two-year community college offering certificate programs and associate degrees in areas such as engineering technology, health professions, and business.Xavier University of Louisiana  is a private Roman Catholic university with 3,000 students enrolled in bachelor, masters and doctoral programs.Tougaloo College in Mississippi is a private liberal arts college of 860 students. The college is affiliated with the United Church of Christ, although it describes itself as church-related but not church controlled. Challenges Facing Historically Black Colleges and Universities As a result of  affirmative action, civil rights legislation, and changing attitudes towards race, colleges, and universities across the United States are actively working to enroll qualified African American students. This access to educational opportunities across the country is obviously a good thing, but it has had consequences for HBCUs. Even though there are over 100 HBCUs in the country, less than 10% of all African American college students actually attend an HBCU. Some HBCUs are struggling to enroll enough students, and roughly 20 colleges have closed in the last 80 years. More are likely to close in the future because of enrollment declines and fiscal crises. Many HBCUs also face challenges with retention and persistence. The mission of many HBCUs- to provide access to higher education to populations that have historically been  underrepresented  and disadvantaged- creates its own hurdles. While it is clearly worthwhile and admirable to provide opportunities for students, the results can be discouraging when a significant percentage of matriculated students are ill-prepared to succeed in college-level coursework. Texas Southern University, for example, has just a 6% four-year graduation rate, Southern University in New Orleans has a 5% rate, and numbers in the low teens and single digits are not unusual. The Best HCBUs While the challenges facing many HCBUs are significant, some schools are flourishing. Spelman College  (a womens college) and Howard University tend to top the national rankings of HCBUs. Spelman, in fact, has the highest graduation rate of any Historically Black College, and it also tends to win high marks for social mobility. Howard is a prestigious research university that grants hundreds of doctoral degrees every year. Other notable Historically Black Colleges and Universities include Morehouse College (a mens college), Hampton University, Florida AM, Claflin University, and Tuskegee University. Youll find impressive academic programs and rich co-curricular opportunities at these schools, and youll also find that the overall value tends to be high.

The British museum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The British museum - Essay Example Most of all, the analysis derived important lessons for future event managers. Ideally, the paper derived new understandings on BM’s operations, existence, and global presence. I find that better management tools, competent and diverse staff, corporate partners, enough funding, diverse membership, and technology are pertinent factors that determine successful attraction management and operations. We need resources to support diverse events targeting different audiences. Indeed, an event should target a specific population. The modern technology, new collections, and globalization offer new opportunities for the audience, sponsors, and partners to subscribe to the event. With respect to the tourism industry, I recommend that government’s increase funding to museums. Governments should hire competent operation managers and employees to design temporary events and specific exhibitions for purposes of promoting visitors performance. The tourism industry should adopt modern technologies to market, manage, and attract visitors to

American Society and Culture in Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

American Society and Culture in Film - Essay Example It would not be a mistake to suggest that the course heavily relies on several concepts that are used to design a framework for a detailed analysis of the cinema. Thus, the concept of historical as well as industrial contexts is engaged in order to show the diachronic value of films. Ideology is a notion which is used to translate the messages that are being sent. A genre is an important term which defines the place of a movie in a general perspective. Cinematic codes shed light on the way actual scenes, the building units of movies, are created. Visual politics explain the content of messages that are conveyed by the movies. The first concept that will be analyzed in great detail is historical context of a movie. It is quite obvious that cinema should be regarded as one of the forms of art, in spite of the fact that it is rather young if compared to others. Nevertheless, the popularity of it is big and resulted in the fact that movies became â€Å"an alternative to such established pastimes as the music hall, vaudeville, professional sports, and the saloon† (Jarvie, 1997, 249). As one can easily see, out of the pastimes which were named in the quote above, only professional sports survived. This means that movies should not be regarded as some kind of senseless entertainment, but rather an important act of aesthetic interaction between various parts of society – the function which the above-mentioned pastimes used to fulfill. One would make no mistake suggesting that watching a movie may be regarded as a modern equivalent of listening to folklore stories since both engage a person in an aes thetic dialogue and teach a certain lesion. The only difference is the extent to which image is used. In addition to that, movies often were used as a means to convey important messages, for example, in the movie The Great Dictator the directors designed aesthetics in a way to reflect the contemporary situation in Nazi Germany. What is more important is that at the present moment there is a clear distinction between watching a movie and going to a cinema.

Fostering the Greatest Happiness for the Greatest Number of People Essay

Fostering the Greatest Happiness for the Greatest Number of People - Essay Example Despite opponents of fostering happiness, moral actions will definitely foster and sustain the greatest happiness within the greatest number of people in a given society or community. Key words: Greatest, happiness, moral, action, utilitarianism, fostering, and sustaining Fostering the Greatest Happiness for the Greatest Number of People Based on the utilitarian philosophy any public policy should aim at making a greater number of people attain the greatest possible happiness (Roberts, 2011). Despite the fact that attaining greatest happiness for a greater number of people is unfeasible and undesirable on ideological grounds, there are better ways of attaining the same (Brulde & Bykvist, 2010). Since the classical time social history has shifted its main objective from poverty alleviation to making sure that every individual receives a more considerable standards of living (Roberts, 2011). Enhanced standard of living is one way of achieving happiness within a given population. Theref ore, Veenhoven (2010) argues that despite the philosophical misconceptions that fostering greatest happiness to a greater number of people is both undesirable and unfeasible, there are numerous strategies, actions, and policies that would enhance the same. The following discussion attempts to provide a deeper understanding on how to foster the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. In order to provide the same, the discussion includes definitions of both the greatest happiness as well as the greatest number of people. The following discussion attempts to provide a deeper understanding on how to foster the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.... What’s more, the paper attempts to provide an overview of the main points under the conclusion sections. Definition of Terms ‘Happiness’ is a word that has many different meanings. The meanings of the word ‘happiness’ are always mixed up when use thereby ending into elusive reputations. One of the ways of defining happiness is on the basis of quality of life. According to Roberts (2011), happiness used in a broader sense would indicate high quality of life or the art of well-being. As a quality of life or well-being happiness denotes that life is a good thing even though such meanings do not provide the features or aspects of a good life. When used in specific ways under the aspect of quality of life or well-being, happiness can described some of the aspects of quality of life (Brulde & Bykvist, 2010). In most cases, happiness is used to define two main classifications revolving around the life’s quality or well-being. Vertically, happiness may be used to differentiate between chances of good life against the actual outcomes that individuals undergo through. On the other hand, happiness can be used horizontally to provide a distinction between external and internal qualities of a person. Understanding happiness in respect to quality of life has been commonly used especially in the contemporary economy. Qualities of life can be viewed as either inner or outer qualities on one perspective and as either life-chances or life-results on the other perspective (Brulde & Bykvist, 2010). A life that has desirable outer qualities and life-chances is considered to be livability of environment whereas a life that has both results and outer qualities is considered to be utility of life. Notably, life with chances and inner qualities is

Themes, Motifs and Symbols for the Twelfth Night Essay Example for Free

Themes, Motifs and Symbols for the Twelfth Night Essay Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy, and romantic love is the play’s main focus. Despite the fact that the play offers a happy ending, in which the various lovers find one another and achieve wedded bliss, Shakespeare shows that love can cause pain. Many of the characters seem to view love as a kind of curse, a feeling that attacks its victims suddenly and disruptively. Various characters claim to suffer painfully from being in love, or, rather, from the pangs of unrequited love. At one point, Orsino depicts love dolefully as an â€Å"appetite† that he wants to satisfy and cannot, at another point; he calls his desires â€Å"fell and cruel hounds†. Olivia more bluntly describes love as a â€Å"plague† from which she suffers terribly. These metaphors contain an element of violence, further painting the love-struck as victims of some random force in the universe. Even the less melodramatic Viola sighs unhappily that â€Å"My state is desperate for my master’s love.† This desperation has the potential to result in violence—when Orsino threatens to kill Cesario because he thinks that Cesario has forsaken him to become Olivia’s lover. Love is also exclusionary: some people achieve romantic happiness, while others do not. At the end of the play, as the happy lovers rejoice, both Malvolio and Antonio are prevented from having the objects of their desire. Malvolio, who has pursued Olivia, must ultimately face the realization that he is a fool, socially unworthy of his noble mistress. Antonio is in a more difficult situation, as social norms do not allow for the gratification of his apparently sexual attraction to Sebastian. Love, thus, cannot conquer all obstacles, and those whose desires go unfulfilled remain no less in love but feel the sting of its absence all the more severely. The Uncertainty of Gender Gender is one of the most obvious and much-discussed topics in the play. Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s so-called transvestite comedies, in which a female character—in this case, Viola—disguises herself as a man. This situation creates a sexual mess: Viola falls in love with Orsino but cannot tell him, because he thinks she is a man, while Olivia, the object of Orsino’s affection, falls for Viola in her guise as Cesario. There is a clear homoerotic subtext here: Olivia is in love with a woman, even if she thinks he is a man, and Orsino often remarks on Cesario’s beauty, suggesting that he is attracted to Viola even before her male disguise is removed. This latent homoeroticism finds an explicit echo in the minor character of Antonio, who is clearly in love with his male friend, Sebastian. But Antonio’s desires cannot be satisfied, while Orsino and Olivia both find tidy heterosexual gratification once the sexua l ambiguities and deceptions are straightened out. Yet, even at the play’s close, Shakespeare leaves things somewhat murky, especially in the Orsino-Viola relationship. Orsino’s declaration of love to Viola suggests that he enjoys prolonging the pretence of Viola’s masculinity. Even after he knows that Viola is a woman, Orsino says to her, â€Å"Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand times / Thou never should’st love woman like to me.’’ Similarly, in his last lines, Orsino declares, â€Å"Cesario, come— / For so you shall be while you are a man; / But when in other habits you are seen, / Orsino’s mistress, and his fancy’s queen.† Even once everything is revealed, Orsino continues to address Viola by her male name. We can thus only wonder whether Orsino is truly in love with Viola, or if he is more enamoured of her male persona. The Folly of Ambition The problem of social ambition works itself out largely through the character of Malvolio, the steward, who seems to be a competent servant, if prudish and dour, but proves to be, in fact, a supreme egotist, with tremendous ambitions to rise out of his social class. Maria plays on these ambitions when she forges a letter from Olivia that makes Malvolio believe that Olivia is in love with him and wishes to marry him. Sir Toby and the others find this fantasy hysterically funny, of course—not only because of Malvolio’s unattractive personality but also because Malvolio is not of noble blood. In the class system of Shakespeare’s time, a noblewoman would generally not sully her reputation by marrying a man of lower social status. Yet the atmosphere of the play may render Malvolio’s aspirations less unreasonable than they initially seem. The feast of Twelfth Night, from which the play takes its name, was a time when social hierarchies were turned upside down. That same spirit is alive in Illyria: indeed, Malvolio’s antagonist, Maria, is able to increase her social standing by marrying Sir Toby. But it seems that Maria’s success may be due to her willingness to accept and promote the anarchy that Sir Toby and the others embrace. This Twelfth Night spirit, then, seems to pass by Malvolio, who doesn’t wholeheartedly embrace the upending of order and decorum but rather wants to blur class lines for himself alone. Motifs Letters, Messages, and Tokens Twelfth Night features a great variety of messages sent from one character to another—sometimes as letters and other times in the form of tokens. Such messages are used both for purposes of communication and miscommunication—sometimes deliberate and sometimes accidental. Maria’s letter to Malvolio, which purports to be from Olivia, is a deliberate (and successful) attempt to trick the steward. Sir Andrew’s letter demanding a duel with Cesario, meanwhile, is meant seriously, but because it is so appallingly stupid, Sir Toby does not deliver it, rendering it extraneous. Malvolio’s missive, sent by way of Feste from the dark room in which he is imprisoned, ultimately works to undo the confusion caused by Maria’s forged letter and to free Malvolio from his imprisonment. But letters are not the only kind of messages that characters employ to communicate with one another. Individuals can be employed in the place of written communication—Orsino repeatedly sends Cesario, for instance, to deliver messages to Olivia. Objects can function as messages between people as well: Olivia sends Malvolio after Cesario with a ring, to tell the page that she loves him, and follows the ring up with further gifts, which symbolize her romantic attachment. Messages can convey important information, but they also create the potential for miscommunication and confusion—especially with characters like Maria and Sir Toby manipulating the information. Madness No one is truly insane in Twelfth Night, yet a number of characters are accused of being mad, and a current of insanity or zaniness runs through the action of the play. After Sir Toby and Maria dupe Malvolio into believing that Olivia loves him, Malvolio behaves so bizarrely that he is assumed to be mad and is locked away in a dark room. Malvolio himself knows that he is sane, and he accuses everyone around him of being mad. Meanwhile, when Antonio encounters Viola (disguised as Cesario), he mistakes her for Sebastian, and his angry insistence that she recognize him leads people to assume that he is mad. All of these incidents feed into the general atmosphere of the play, in which normal life is thrown topsy-turvy, and everyone must confront a reality that is somehow fractured. Disguises Many characters in Twelfth Night assume disguises, beginning with Viola, who puts on male attire and makes everyone else believe that she is a man. By dressing his protagonist in male garments, Shakespeare creates endless sexual confusion with the Olivia-ViolaOrsino love triangle. Other characters in disguise include Malvolio, who puts on crossed garters and yellow stockings in the hope of winning Olivia, and Feste, who dresses up as a priest—Sir Topas—when he speaks to Malvolio after the steward has been locked in a dark room. Feste puts on the disguise even though Malvolio will not be able to see him, since the room is so dark, suggesting that the importance of clothing is not just in the eye of the beholder. For Feste, the disguise completes his assumption of a new identity—in order to be Sir Topas, he must look like Sir Topas. Viola puts on new clothes and changes her gender, while Feste and Malvolio put on new garments either to impersonate a noble man (Feste) or in the hopes of becoming a nobleman (Malvolio). Through these disguises, the play raises questions about what makes us who we are, compelling the audience to wonder if things like gender and class are set in stone, or if they can be altered with a change of clothing. Mistaken Identity The instances of mistaken identity are related to the prevalence of disguises in the play, as Viola’s male clothing leads to her being mistaken for her brother, Sebastian, and vice versa. Sebastian is mistaken for Viola (or rather, Cesario) by Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, and then by Olivia, who promptly marries him. Meanwhile, Antonio mistakes Viola for Sebastian, and thinks that his friend has betrayed him when Viola claims to not know him. These cases of mistaken identity, common in Shakespeare’s comedies, create the tangled situation that can be resolved only when Viola and Sebastian appear together, helping everyone to understand what has happened. Symbols Olivia’s Gifts When Olivia wants to let Cesario know that she loves him, she sends him a ring by way of Malvolio. Later, when she mistakes Sebastian for Cesario, she gives him a precious pearl. In each case, the jewel serves as a token of her love—a physical symbol of her romantic attachment to a man who is really a woman. The gifts are more than symbols, though. â€Å"Youth is bought more oft than begged or borrowed,† Olivia says at one point, suggesting that the jewels are intended almost as bribes—that she means to buy Cesario’s love if she cannot win it. The Darkness of Malvolio’s Prison When Sir Toby and Maria pretend that Malvolio is mad, they confine him in a pitch-black chamber. Darkness becomes a symbol of his supposed insanity, as they tell him that the room is filled with light and his inability to see is a sign of his madness. Malvolio reverses the symbolism. â€Å"I say this house is as dark as ignorance, though ignorance were as dark as hell; and I say there was never man thus abused.† In other words, the darkness—meaning madness—is not in the room with him, but outside, with Sir Toby and Feste and Maria, who have unjustly imprisoned him. Changes of Clothing Clothes are powerful in Twelfth Night. They can symbolize changes in gender—Viola puts on male clothes to be taken for a male— as well as class distinctions. When Malvolio fantasizes about becoming a nobleman, he imagines the new clothes that he will have. When Feste impersonates Sir Topas, he puts on a nobleman’s garb, even though Malvolio, whom he is fooling, cannot see him, suggesting that clothes have a power that transcends their physical function.