Effects of Computer Gaming Essay

Technology nowadays has brought man to an era of digital and advanced world of computers. Not only are computers used in studies, research and work, it is now being used as part of leisure and entertainment. Most of the youth today know how computers work and even a 3 year old child who is still yet to learn how to read and write knows how to operate a simple computer. This is because the interactive element of a lot of software that computers use excites and attract children and this makes them learn to use and play with the computers. (Jones, 2002) Advancement in technology has drastically changed man’s way of living which has been made easier for most. It has come from diskette to very portable and stylish mini USB, from the ancient â€Å"three point eleven† personal computers with big and bulky monitors and CPUs to very user friendly touch screen-tablet PCs, and from limited Nintendo games like Mario brothers to a bunch of online and offline games like Dota, Counter Strike, Angry Birds, and Fruit Ninja etc. Such kind of improvements has led today’s generation to learning more of what life has to offer through the use of modern technologies like computers. Schools now facilitate teaching and learning through the use of computers. By the use of this kind of technology, learning is now more fun and a lot easier. Application of modern technology like computer-assisted teaching-learning on student’s aims to provide faster learning and ease of teaching and also provide the students of the advanced technology that they need to experience inside the classroom, and which they can apply when they are out of school. Since computer has a lot to offer to its users, it is also being used as entertainment and leisure and computer gaming being the most popular. There are lots of computer games that enhance the thinking abilities of students because of its gaming nature and environment like strategic gaming, word puzzles, etc. With this fact, learning through computer gaming helps students be more willing to study and learn more because, they are not just playing, they are also learning. The use of multimedia in education has significantly changed people’s learning processes. Results from a number of research studies indicate that appropriately designed multimedia instruction enhances students’ learning performance in science, mathematics, and literacy (Gee, 2003). Previous studies indicate that computer-assisted instruction programs have important factors that can motivate, challenge, increase curiosity and control, and promote fantasy in children (Tzeng, 1999). Despite the fact that computer and video games have the same multimedia capability as computer assisted instruction programs, their potential learning impact is often discounted by parents and educators. While computer gaming is regarded somewhat negative in educational settings, particularly for young students, re-scrutinizing of its influence in a teaching and learning context is vital since computer gaming can also be an education-assisted-program with proper implementation and application. While others confirm the negative effects of computer gaming to students’ performance in school and student’s health and mental ability, some authors argue that there are positive outcomes that a player can gain while playing computer video games. A research published in the Australasian Journal of Educational technology found that students who play computer and video games more frequently get lower grades than those who do not. However, it is also included in the research the positive effect of this activity to students as far as some specific video games are concerned which promote some elements that increases learning. On an online article entitled by Charles Pearson (2009) â€Å"Positive Effects of Computer Games on Student Achievement†, the author enumerated five positive significant effects of computer gaming to students. These include enhancing one’s problem solving capability, time and resource management, strategic life management skills, educational games promoting learning, and inherent instructional nature helps students to hone mastery skills. Playing video games needs a sharp mind and an alert reflexes because most of the games require thinking quickly to be able to achieve the games’ goal. According to a blog site on the web authored by Manali Oak (2009) which has an article entitled Positive Effects of Video Games states that since video gaming is interactive, it boosts the ability of one person to use his mind and hence, develops the thinking ability of the person playing. The author also said that video gaming is surely better than watching television as video games are interactive. In addition to what Manali Oak added that playing video games help benefit person with inferiority complex and lack of self confidence as they are experiencing sense of participation and a sense of achievement thus, building his self confidence. An excellent summary of the scant research that has been conducted is by Barlett, Anderson, and Swing (2009) on their research book Video game effects confirmed, suspected, and speculative: A review of the evidence. They reviewed the evidences for video game effects and grouped them into categories of confirmed, suspected, and speculative. By â€Å"confirmed,† the authors mean that the outcomes have received consistent empirical support for causal claims. They describe two such confirmed positive outcomes: (1) Playing video games can result in superior visual attention and (2) Video game play improves the ability to mentally rotate or arrange objects. They point out that the research shows that both violent and non-violent video games produce these positive effects. They also observed that educational video games and simulators can teach specific educational skills and knowledge such as algebra, biology, photography, computer programming, and flight training. The evidence for this connection is provided by Gee (2007) and Shaffer (2006). However, most of the games that they discuss are not commercially available. Perhaps such games will be developed and distributed more widely in the future. In the meantime, the evidence shows that video games can enhance learning if they are designed properly for that purpose. Another study tackled the good and bad effects of video games to children conducted by the Raise Smart Kids Organization. The study enumerated the positive effects of video games to children. Following instructions, problem solving and logic, hand-eye coordination, fine motor and spatial skills, resource management and logistics, multitasking, quick thinking and making fast analysis and decision, inductive reasoning and hypothesis testing are among those which enumerated by the author about the positive effects of video gaming. In addition, the article also included that video games can improve one’s decision making speed. People who played action-based video and computer games made decisions 25% faster than others without sacrificing accuracy, according to a study from the University of Rochester. Other studies suggests that most expert gamers can make choices and act on them up to six times a second—four times faster than most people, and can pay attention to more than six things at once without getting confused, compared to only four by the average person. Surprisingly, the violent action games that often worry parents most had the strongest beneficial effect on the brain, according to cognitive neuroscientist Daphne Bavelier, who studied the effect of action games at Switzerland’s University of Geneva and the University of Rochester in New York. Moving from the early years, the effects of socialization become more entrenched. In an article published in The Journal of Educational Computing, A. Colley (1994) reported that masculine gender role traits are associated with a more positive computer attitude and that there is a gender stereotype of science in general being masculine. According to Sax (2007) his book â€Å"Boys Adrift: The five factors driving the growing epidemic of unmotivated boys and underachieving young men† where he drew one fact well established by his conducted research revealed that violent video games cause aggressive behavior in the players. He argues that video games are so addictive that they satisfy the male need to power and control. It is evident in the country like the Philippines that the most popular computer games that the youth play in the computers are Dota, San Andreas, Counter Strike among others which are clearly promoting violence and aggression through its war and battle depiction. It can in effect, influence the youth as they play those kind of games which depict war, blood, killing, shooting etc. In a book by Barlett, Anderson, and Swing (2009) entitled Video Game Effects Confirmed, Suspected, and Speculative: A Review of the Evidence, it has stated that the â€Å"confirmed† negative effects of video games established by the research include aggressive thoughts and behavior, physiological arousal, and antisocial behavior. It was also explained that there are two variables that heighten the effects of computer games. One is depiction of blood, which results in higher levels of physiological arousal, aggressive feelings, and aggressive thoughts. Another is rewarding of violent acts, which also increases these effects. Since most of the computer games depicts violence, what they conceive in the monitors of their computers in the games that they are playing are somewhat becoming part of their reality. In an article on a eHow.com by Sarah Arnette (2011) entitled The Negative Effects of Computer Gaming on Students, the author enumerated four negative effects of computer gaming on students. She used the General Aggression Model (GAM) developed by Craig Anderson and Douglas Gentile in conducting the study that helped the author come up with the results. The results showed the negative effects include short term aggression, lack of problem solving thinking ability, weight gain, and anti social behaviors. It is regarded that the negative effects of playing video games does not only affect the player’s mental ability but as well as that concerning their health and socialization. Computer gaming also affects the behavior of the players and on how they relate with other people. A study by Argosy University’s Minnesota School on Professional Psychology found out that game addicts argue a lot with their teachers, fight a lot with their friends, and score lower grades than others who play video games less often. Performance in class may be negatively affected due to significant time spent in playing video games. Studies conducted by Anderson and Dill (2000) and one that was conducted by Gentile, Lynch and Walsh (2004) show that the more a person spends playing video games, the poorer is his performance in school. Computer gaming can also affect the health of the players. According to an online article entitled â€Å"the good and bad effects of video games† (2011), online gaming may also have bad effects on one’s health including obesity, video-induced seizures and postural, muscular and skeletal disorders such as tendonitis, nerve compression, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Conceptual Framework This study was based on a recent study conducted by Barlett, Anderson, and Swing (2009) and a study by the Raise Smart Kid organization which stated that there are confirmed positive and negative effects of computer gaming on studies of students who play the computer. Barlett, Anderson, and Swing stated that the â€Å"confirmed† negative effects of video games established by the research include aggressive thoughts and behavior, physiological arousal, and antisocial behavior On the other hand, Raise Smart Kid organization stated the good and bad effects of video games to. The article enumerated the positive effects of video games to children: following instructions, problem solving and logic, hand-eye coordination, fine motor and spatial skills, resource management and logistics, multitasking, quick thinking and making fast analysis and decision, inductive reasoning and hypothesis testing. Using the results of the study conducted by Barlett, Anderson, and Swing in 2009 and the study by the Raise Smart Kids Org as basis, this study aims to find out what effects do computer gaming have particularly on students of Business Administration of the College of the Immaculate Conception and enumerate both the positive and negative effects of the said activity on their studies and personal behavior.

Studying History Is a Waste of Time

Studying history is a waste of time because it prevents us from focusing on the challenges of the present. People live in this present. They plan for and worry about the future. History, however, is the study of the past. Given all the demands that press in from living in the present and anticipating what is yet to come, the speaker concludes that studying history is a waste of time because it distracts us from current challenges. However, I do not agree with this opinion because history is essential to individuals and our society. In the first place, history helps us understand people and societies. It offers a storehouse of information about how people and societies behave. Understanding the operations of people and societies is difficult, though a number of disciplines make the attempt. An exclusive reliance on current data would needlessly handicap our efforts. How can we evaluate war if the nation is at peace—unless we use historical materials? How can we understand genius, the influence of technological innovation, or the role that beliefs play in shaping family life, if we don’t use what we know about experiences in the past? Some social scientists attempt to formulate laws or theories about human behavior. But even these resources depend on historical information, except for limited, often artificial cases in which experiments can be devised to determine how people act. Major aspects of a society’s operation, like mass election, missionary activities, or military alliance, cannot be set up as precise experiments. Consequently, history must serve, however imperfectly, as our laboratory, and data from the past must be served as our most vital evidence in the unavoidable quest to figure out why our complex species behave as it does in societal settings. This fundamentally, is why we cannot stay away from history: it offers the only extensive evidential base for the contemplation and analysis of how societies function, and people need to have some sense of how societies function simply to run their lives. The second reason history is inescapable as a subject of serious study follows closely on the first. The past causes the present, and so the future. Any time we try to know why something happened—whether a shift in political party dominance in the American Congress, a major change in the teenage suicide rate, or a war in Iraq – we have to look for factors that took shape earlier. Sometimes, fairly recent history will suffice to explain a major development, but often we need to look further back to identify the causes of change. Only through studying history can we grasp how things change; only through history can we begin to comprehend the factors that cause change; and only through history can we understand what elements of an institution or a society persist despite change.

Legalization of Drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Legalization of Drugs - Essay Example In addition to marijuana, others, such as Douglas Husak, want to decriminalize all drugs as he explains in Four Points about Drug Legalization, a philosophical commentary on the irrationality of the â€Å"war on drugs.† Of course the idea of legalization to some, such as James Wilson, suggests legitimizing the use of dangerous, mind-altering substances which would lead to the increase of addiction therefore crime and the decline of society. Wilson’s comments are based more in real-world terms rather than philosophical but both arguments are similar to the ones held in the medical, legal and philosophical arenas along with those by common citizens at the office, home and social settings. Husak favors decriminalization but not necessarily legalization. He believes users should not be punished for drug use just as alcohol possession was not illegal during the Prohibition era during the 1930’s. It’s a subtle yet important distinction in the national debate. Wi lson contends the war on drugs is working. As an example, he points to the use of heroin, which has not increased since the drug war began in earnest during the early 1970’s. This is because it’s essentially the same - people are using it as back then. Young persons are afraid of getting caught and suffering through long prison terms in addition to not being able to afford the very expensive drug. Had heroin been made legal both those impediments to use would not exist. He provides evidence of the more liberal drug laws in Britain where heroin use has been climbing every year since the 1960’s to illustrate his point. On the other hand Husak argues that punishment should be reserved only for those who harm others such as assaults and theft. Imprisoning drug users is not rational. Millions of Americans use drugs but they use alone, and only very seldom does that do any harm except, possibly, to the person using. Yes, if that person commits robbery to support their drug habit, that’s a punishable crime but the actual use should not be. Additionally, the drug war has been employed unfairly, a circumstance that should nullify any law. â€Å"Drug prohibition would have vanished long ago had whites been sent to prison for drug offenses at the same rate as blacks. This is one of the features of prohibition that should outrage us all.† (Husak, 2003). Heroin is a debilitating drug, which, according to Wilson, serves the public good to be kept illegal. However, crack cocaine is worse and the thought of it being legalized is preposterous. At least when people are using Heroin, as Wilson says they are â€Å"helpless but at least harmless.† When using cocaine, people tend to become violent with the only goal of obtaining and using more, becoming binge users at the expense of their job and family. These addicts are impulsive, irritable, hyperactive, violent and uninhibited making them a constant danger to society. Therefore the user should be taken out of society. Women use crack cocaine more than men and cannot stop when they become pregnant which has very harmful effects for the innocent child. These are not isolated incidents, it is estimated that up to 50,000 babies are born every year addicted to cocaine in New York City alone. The reason people use crack more than heroin is the price. If we legalize drugs the price will drop for all varieties. We will see other drugs rise to the usage level of crack and beyond. Crack cocaine is a precursor, a lesson for future drug policies. (Wilson, 1990). Husak counters that one should not assume decriminalization will act to decrease the price of drugs. Again, the difference in legalization and decriminalization matters when discussing the method

Presentation Globalisation Outline & speech notes Essay

Presentation Globalisation Outline & speech notes - Essay Example a considerable achievement in avoiding economic crises and achieving its current situation of macroeconomic stability, the country’s economic performance in the last 40 years was below its potential. Globalization has played a big part in reforming the economy of Qatar (Basu, 2008). This paper delves some of the impacts of globalization, with a close focus on the economy, education, and foods and diet to Qatar. Moreover, the paper also looks at these impacts at personal level. 2) Globalization has also enabled Qatar to export its products and resources natural gasses and oil to other countries all over the world. Regional agreements that govern the movement of people and commodities have created opportunities both at national and international levels. 1) People originating from different countries can now look for jobs in different countries. Personally, globalization will enable me to look for a job in any part of the world after I complete my studies. Moreover, my parents who are businesspersons can sell their products as well as buy products from various parts of the world. 2) On the other hand, I must be very competent for me to be employed since I will be competing with other people from various countries. Moreover, the products produced by our family business will have to face the stiff completion from good from the rest of the world. 2) Globalization has led to Introduction of new languages in the learning institutions. This expands the opportunities for the learners since they can look for jobs in other countries that use the newly introduced languages (Basu, 2008). 1) Globalization has led to increased per capita income, higher living standards, and high educational quality in Qatar. These aspects are associated with economies that have high literacy levels among its citizen. Personally, I have been able to study in the United Kingdom where the education system is of a higher quality when compared to that of my home country. Studying from abroad

Conflict Resolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conflict Resolution - Essay Example Conflicts between employees, small groups of employees, or employee unions and employers are manageable because of existence of recognized frameworks that each party can resort to for resolution. Conflicts however threatens an organization’s sustainability when none of the involved parties are willing to be involved in a resolution and existing resolution frameworks are perceived to be incredible. Such was the conflict situation that I experienced in one of my former work environments. The organization had a strong internal workers organization that served both as a union and as a welfare organization. This identified diversified interest from both employees and the organization’s management. Politics among employees led to polarized alignment with two major opposing groups as the union headed for its elections. Incumbent union leaders were seeking reelection but their main rivals had accused them of working with the management to embezzle union funds and undermine empl oyees’ rights. The political environment became more polarized as rumors spread that the organization’s management was planning to influence elections results in order to retain the incumbent office. An unidentified group, in masks, then invaded the pooling station, disrupted counting of votes, and physically abused electoral officials. A massive protest then followed this on claims that the management had interfered with the election results to favor the incumbent office. The opposing group of aspirants then mobilized employees to sabotage work and threatened violence and destruction of the organization’s property if the management failed to either recognize them as leaders, or organized for fresh elections that had to be free and fair. Cause of the conflict The problem in the case was a conflict between the organization’s management and the employees’ fraternity who believed that the organization was misusing its powers to retain a weak leadershi p that it could continue manipulating in order to exploit employees. The problem identifies a conflict involving three groups in the organization. Employees did not like the way their leadership was managed and the relationship between their incumbent leaders and the organization’s management. This difference in management of the union developed a disagreement between a large percentage of employees on one side, and the management and the incumbent leaders on the other sides with support from some employees who were accused of being beneficiaries of the management’s influence, or of being cowardice. This difference polarized the political environment into the elections and was therefore a cause of the resultant conflict between the employees who sabotaged the organization’s operations, and the management. Perceived management’s direct involvement in interfering with the election results is another identifiable cause of the conflict. The organized demonstr ation was, however, the immediate cause of the conflict that involved a disagreement between the administration and employees. Employees accused the organization’s management of exploiting them and using their leaders to suppress their possible opposition, and demanded that their choice leaders be given an opportunity, and the management stops oppressing them. Approach to resolving the conflict The management, of which I was part, applied an authoritarian approach to resolvi

Andrew Jackson's Presidency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Andrew Jackson's Presidency - Essay Example The native Indian Americans faced one of their toughest times during his presidency, considering that he had embarked on a mission to dispossess the Native Americans of their land from the East of the Mississippi river to relocate them to the west, and this is a decision that he acted on most swiftly and decisively (Benson, 22). Thus, by the end of his term in presidency, he had managed to displace the natives from their motherland, to present day Oklahoma, through a forceful eviction that eventually came to be known as the ‘Trail of tear’ (Heckscher, n.p.). Secondly, Andrew Jackson’s policies were responsible for an economic meltdown in the United States and restricted economic growth for the country, since he adopted economic policies that were fundamentally flawed such as the closure of the Second Bank of the United States, eventually leading the country to a future economic crisis (Buchanan, 165). Thirdly, Andrew Jackson’s political actions were unjust, unconstitutional and created strains between the federal government and the states they presided over, thus leading to a political discontent in the country, at a time when peace was the most important thing in the country, having moved out of previous wars and conflicts that had threatened to completely tear the country apart. Therefore, in a nutshell, Andrew Jackson’s presidency was a cancer on the United States, and prevented the federal government from growing as a whole, during his time in office. Analysis of Andrew Jackson's Presidency The most memorable and horrific aspect of Andrew Jackson’s presidency was his treatment of the Native Americans. President Andrew Jackson passed the Indian Removal Act (1830), which then gave the president powers to negotiate the removal treaties with Indian nations, by transferring them from the regions they previously inhabited as their homeland, through legalizing the transfers and providing for the funding of the transfer proc ess (Buchanan, 166). This move has largely been termed by the human right commentators as amounting to ethnic cleansing, through dispossessing the native Indians of their motherland in the East of Mississippi, and transferring them forcefully to the western side; the present day Oklahoma (Andrew Jackson, n.p.). While the passage of the Removal Act was meant to be a channel through which peaceful treaties would be entered into, between the Indian Nations and the federal government, Andrew Jackson resulted to the forceful eviction of the Natives, after it became clear that they were not willing to give up their ancestral lands (Cole, 72). The forceful eviction was extremely dehumanizing, especially since President Andrew Jackson Sent 7,000-armed troops specifically to remove the Cherokee tribe, which had proved to be a bit more resistant in signing a transfer treaty that would displace them from their motherland (Benson, 27). This move was extremely bad, considering that the only reas on President Jackson implemented the forceful transfer of the Natives, was to have the white settlers expand their farms, so that their cotton farming and slave economy would continue to flourish, at the expense of the comfort of the Natives, who were not seen to contribute much

Benazir Bhutto English Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Benazir Bhutto English - Research Paper Example Born to a comfortable lifestyle Benazir had an exemplary primary education in Pakistan that eventually qualified her to be educated in the United States’ Radcliffe College at Harvard University where she graduated cum laude in Comparative Government. She continued her studies in the United Kingdom’s Lady Margaret Hall in Oxford eventually completing additional courses in International Studies and Diplomacy. An astute speaker she eventually led the prestigious debating society as the president of the Oxford Union Debating Society. Benazir’s rude awakening to the tumultuous Pakistan politics was when her father Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was removed from office by a military coup in 1977. Coup leader General Zia-ul-Haq imposed martial law and placed on house arrest the entire family of Benazir. The death of Benazir’s father in 1979 by hanging at the hands of the coup plotters despite international pressure for clemency also exposed Benazir to the hea vy cost of public service. In one of her memoirs she described her time under house arrest. â€Å"The summer heat turned my cell into an oven. My skin split and peeled, coming off my hands in sheets. Boils erupted on my face. My hair, which had always been thick, began to come out by the handful. Insects crept into the cell like invading armies. Grasshoppers, mosquitoes, stinging flies, bees and bugs came up through the cracks in the floor and through the open bars from the courtyard. I tried pulling the sheet over my head at night to hide from their bites, pushing it back when it got too hot to breathe.† (Bhutto) In the first quarter of 1984, under pressure from the international community General Zia allowed Benazir Bhutto to travel abroad for medical consideration. After her surgery Benazir, resumed her political activities outside Pakistan to raise international concerns about the abuses political prisoners are suffering at the hands of General Zia-ul-Haq’s regime. The effectiveness of Benazir’s strategy forced General Zia to respond by holding a referendum to provide local and international legitimacy to his government. However, the referendum failed to achieve its purpose for General Zia, who was furthered pressure by the international community to hold general elections to restore the Parliamentary Government of Pakistan. In response Benazir’s People’s Party boycotted the elections because it violated certain provisions of the Pakistan Constitution. In November 16, 1988, in the first open election in more than a decade, Bhutto’s Peoples Party of Pakistan won the majority seats in the National Assembly. Consequently the first term of Benazir Bhutto as the first and to date only woman Prime Minister of Pakistan also started. (Hughes) Her term lasted until 1990 amidst corruption charges. In the October 1993 elections Benazir’s People Party of Pakistan again gained most of the seats in the National Assembly. However, due to the mounting pressures of the mounting corruption allegations against the people in her immediate circle of friends and family she was again forced to resign. Her reign eventually ended in 1996. Benazir Bhutto’s crusades include the repeal of controversial laws that curtail the rights of women in Pakistan that would include the Hudood and Zina ordinances. These ordinances make it legal for rape victims to be stoned to death. The

Pan European Fish Auctions Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Pan European Fish Auctions - Case Study Example PEFA's system is an electronically based system that uses client/server architecture, whereby, the suppliers/sellers are connected to the system through the Intranet, while the buyers connect to the system using the internet. Online auctioning has revealed several advantages over the period of time that were just not possible with the conventional on-site auctioning; this is the reason why online auctions are probably the most renowned form of e-commerce in the present day world. On-line auctioning has been a tremendous interactive opportunity for both buyers and sellers, communicating with each other at their respective ease. Some of the advantages to the sellers and the buyers are mentioned as below: 1. One of the major advantages of online auctioning is its allowance to the fishermen, or any seller for that matter, to address a huge and diversified range of customers. Internet reaches the globe, thus anything on the internet is globally accessed, so the reach is beyond the localities. 7. There is lesser cost of selling associated i.e. ... 3. There is immense demand for fishes in the southern part of Europe, while major supply is in the north, so it's an opportunity for the suppliers to meet the customers and directly sell to them. 4. This also gives birth to the phenomenon of disintermediation, whereby, intermediaries are eliminated, again giving birth to increased margins and yet consumer friendly prices. 5. In online bidding, with huge number of buyers, the bidding is quite competitive, with lesser chances of customers forming a cartel or anything of similar sort so the customer is at advantage. 6. The time to the market, often referred to as the Lead time, is reduced, which keeps the fishes fresh in turn increasing its worth and value. 7. There is lesser cost of selling associated i.e. just 0.2%. As mentioned in the case example, the commission of auction house on $93 is $7, which is approximately 7.52%, while in online auction; it would be $0.18 only. 8. There are some small ports that are not able to generate enough value and are often overlooked. Through online auctioning, these ports and their respective sellers also gain access to a competitive market. 9. There is buyer authentication in terms of security deposits. Advantages to Buyers 1. Online auction gives buyers more options to buy from by providing more and more information on what is available at the auction and at which ports. 2. The buyers have access to the bid placement at all times i.e. 24/7, which allows buyers from different time zones to also interact. 3. The lesser transaction cost reduced time for transaction, literally within seconds, attracts buyers more than anything because time is precious. 4. Online Auction

Business Presentations DB2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Presentations DB2 - Essay Example Correct timing is also essential and the use of the right language is vital. A well organized speaker who makes good use of the time available can ensure objectives are successfully achieved. Presentation efficiency is impaired if the speakers are poorly organized. In this connection the use of financial or scientific terms is helpful as they form a type of common denominator. Non-verbal interaction with the audience is important because it guides presentation. The choice of words and vocabulary is one type of symbol that possesses emotional and psychological properties. The main challenge in presentation is to persuade the audience sending clear messages and informing about the issue, to persuade people to do something, to develop positive attitudes, and to cause other changes in peoples thinking and behavior that will be beneficial to the project (Adair, Thomas 2003). My personal success in making the presentation is effective time management and selection of appropriate information. I have tried to identify the key tasks and points in a presentation which should be given the greatest amount of time. In the presentations I have tried to present the most important facts and made a recommen ­dation. The object is to give the audience to whom it is presented, sufficient information to enable it to take suitable action, if necessary. I have tried to state facts fairly and accurately, in logical order and in a concise manner. The ingredients of successful presentation include six principles of effective speaking: be clear, be prepared, be simple, be vivid, be natural and be concise. The personality and amount of self-confidence the presenter has can have an effect on presentation efficiency. The more self-assured and assertive individ ­ual can deal more effectively with people who encroach on their time. The use of visuals helps the

Protecting and Improving Quality Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Protecting and Improving Quality - Assignment Example s, equity in the provision of health services, efficient utilization of resources, effectiveness, timeliness, and focusing on patients needs (Institute of Medicine, 2001). Joint effort may be required to help organization achieve its goals. As a leader, measures that will be taken to improve the quality include implementing IT because it will revolutionize service delivery in the health sector. It is also important to bring all stakeholders on board for them to be involved in the search for quality services. Sensitive issues about the sector should be resolved amicably to avoid deadlocks which may hamper the delivery of improved service delivery (Institute of Medicine, 2001). Medication errors arise because of negligence from health practitioners. Controlling risks and putting safety measures in place needs a serious focus on the systems will aid in making errors severe. Medication safety refers to preventing accidents to patients who have come to seek medication. Lack of safety measures can make health institutions to be sued because of failure to comply with the set safety standards. Legal suits may interfere with operations of the facilities (Lewin, Altman, & Institute of Medicine, 2000). In order to improve quality service in the health sector, performance of professionals in this sector needs to be evaluated frequently. Such evaluation may help to ensure health practitioner improves their performance (Institute of Medicine of the national academics,

Research Proposal Essay Example for Free

Research Proposal Essay Correctional inmates engage in drug-related and sexual risk behaviors, and the transmission of HIV, hepatitis, and sexually transmitted diseases occurs in correctional facilities. However, there is uncertainty about the extent of transmission, and hyperbolic descriptions of its extent may further stigmatize inmates and elicit punitive responses. Whether infection was acquired within or outside correctional facilities, the prevalence of HIV and other infectious diseases is much higher among inmates than among those in the general community, and the burden of disease among inmates and releases is disproportionately heavy. A comprehensive response is needed, including voluntary counseling and testing on request that is linked to high-quality treatment, disease prevention education, substance abuse treatment, and discharge planning and transitional programs for releases. General area being studied Sexual activity among inmates is a complex phenomenon that occurs along a continuum, from the entirely consensual to the violently coerced. The New York Times detailed a gang-run system of sexual slavery in a Texas prison, where at least 1 gay inmate claimed he was bought and sold numerous times and â€Å"forced into oral sex and anal sex on a daily basis. 9 Recent federal legislation called for research into the prevalence and patterns of rape and other sexual victimization within correctional facilities to inform policy changes aimed at controlling these abuses. 9 A Human Rights Watch report presented accounts of sexual slavery from inmates in Texas, Illinois, Michigan, California, and Arkansas and asserted that sexual victimization threatens inmates’ essential human rights. Importance of the studied area Conditions vary widely between correctional facilities and among these conditions is an opportunity for inmates to engage in sexual activity and drug use. Despite the denials of many correctional administrators, sexual activity and illicit drug use do take place in prisons and jails. A survey of inmates in a southeastern state prison system estimated that, on average, 44% of the inmates had sexual contact with other inmates. 1 Studies of US correctional systems published between 1982 and 2002 found that anywhere from 2% to 65% of inmates had homosexual contact while incarcerated. Studies of incoming, current, and former inmates in New York City, Illinois, Canada, Hungary, Thailand, and many other countries showed the prevalence and the riskiness of inmates’ sexual and drug use behaviors. 2–7 Because of the general lack of condoms and sterile needles/syringes, such behavior may involve greater risk within correctional facilities than on the outside. 8 Stated Problem During the early years of the AIDS epidemic, prisons and jails were commonly called breeding grounds for AIDS. Such statements are still made today. A Google search on May 19, 2005, of the terms breeding ground AND HIV AND prisons yielded more than 800 entries from newspapers, United Nations agencies, AIDS activist groups, and human rights organizations around the world. However intended, such opinions imply that unprotected sex and the sharing of drug injection equipment are rampant in prisons and that these activities commonly result in the transmission of HIV, hepatitis, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Background of problem Overall, there are uncertainties about the extent and the nature of infectious disease transmission within correctional facilities. Some of the aforementioned studies reached qualitative conclusions about the extent of transmission that are not supported by their analyses. Moreover, even when studies estimated the annual incidence of infection among inmates, the meaning and significance of such figures are not clear. On its face, an annual incidence rate of 0. 5% seems low. Yet, if such rates are applied to the total prison population, or even to that proportion of prisoners who engage in high-risk sexual or drug use behaviors, they may translate into substantial numbers of infections. However, even such numbers do not justify the use of metaphors such as â€Å"breeding ground† to characterize correctional facilities. Although some inmates are clearly being infected as a result of drug-related and sexual risk behaviors while incarcerated, the vast majority of cases among inmates probably are the result of exposure while in the general community. Sexually transmitted diseases are known to be more prevalent in correctional facilities. Although, sexual activity is prohibited in prisons sex acts still takes place. Transmitted diseases are higher among jail and prison population because inmates do not have access to condoms. Correctional facilities see giving condoms to inmates as encouraging homosexuality. However, numerous local screening studies and several national literature reviews reveal that women specifically girls in juvenile facilities and women in adult correctional facilities are more likely to have a sexually transmitted disease than men in these type facilities (Hammett, 2009). According, to the HIV and Aids Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Incarceration, among Women National and Southern perspectives study; the prevalence of HIV and other Sexually transmitted diseases are higher amongst female than male population in jail and prison facilities. This study advises the infectious disease HIV is three percent to two percent nationally. However HIV is found to be more common among prisoners released from correctional facilities in the south. In 1999 twenty six percent of people living with HIV were released from prison or jail that year. The study also reflects fifteen percent of women with HIV were correctional releases; the study also suggests that incarceration rates are higher in the south than majority of other regions and most women with HIV are poor African American women from rural areas (Hammett, 2009). However, one must ask themselves does this study reflect inmates going in to serve a sentence or inmates being released from prison. Because there are several ways in which males can contract HIV.

Describing Different Types Of Environment Environmental Sciences Essay

Describing Different Types Of Environment Environmental Sciences Essay In our surround there is living and nonliving things which are together form life. Hydrosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere are the component of the environment that surrounds us. Hydrosphere, the wet environment that consists of water, covers most of earth surface. Sea, rivers, lakes and under surface water are all aquatic environment. Land or what is called geosphere composed of deserts, mountains, hills and level lands. Atmosphere is around the earth and consists of gases such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦etc. The interaction of all these make up a liveable surround with unique properties that correlates organisms. Not all environments suitable to us. Deserts even cold or hot ones do not correlate individuals. However some organisms live in these environments because they have special adaptation to their environment. To us, we the humans, prefer to live in cities where comfortable civilization life. However others dont prefer that because of the crowed, noise, and pollution that emerge from humans activities. They used to live in villages where more green lands, natural landscapes, and more quiet than cities. To divide environments sorts we can mention 3 kinds of environments Natural, industrial, and social environment. Natural environment: Include water, light, land, air and all organisms that live in nature. Industrial environment: Include cities, villages, factories and all humans synthesis. Social environment: Include authorities, universities, schools, companies and other establishments along with their output legal and their communication ways. The future of the environment is in danger! Human made environment standard for the acquisition of the bulk of the land and it is natural resources and resources of crude, instead of improving the earth and know how to utilization it they attrition the land resources and depreciation capacity o rehabilitate themselves and make up for lost natural environment cannot in any way to adapt to the devastation caused by human, and cannot mechanisms of years of natural cope with waste and depletion of resources and polluting it is vital. The effects of the present inequity in appearance and shone on the horizon the alarm uncle everywhere in the world, and suffered all either from a decline in production and the abundance of food, as a result of the growing stunning in population, water shortages and pollution of water sources, or from air pollution and climate change due to development industrial and energy use, without concern, which has increased the proportion of harmful and toxic gases in the atmosphere such as oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, high temperature of the earth, which are threatened with drowning if the melted ice of the Arctic. And the body of this in the spread of poverty, famine, unemployment, disease, degradation of natural resources of the planet. Here exploded question filled the world, north and south, about the capacity of the land and the environment on probability, and the continuing rights in the ignore for its self-destruction for himself and his children and grandchildren and to the earth. What the differences between the new environment and old environment ? (environment in the past and nowadays ) There is a lot of (are many differences) differences between the new environment and the old one. First of all, the old environment could be very difficult and simple (in the past the life was simple, but it had a difficult way to live) . For example, how people was lived in that environment! They lived in the tents and they have not any electronic machines, like a computers, televisions, telephones, dish washers and washing machines. They lived in a simple life without any problems about food or clean clothes. (For example they can cook by fire). Also they can clean their clothes by their hands. In the past, there is no cars they move by animals, like camels or horses. Its hard to get anything by yourself, people should help each other. On the other hand, the new environment thats where we live now, its more easily and comfortable. Now a days after they discover the oil, people have a lot of electronic machines and can benefit them in many ways. For instance, the computer can help everybody to finish their works or research for a lot of things, like news or weather. Generally, people was very happy in this life. Which is making their life more easier and faster. Finally, I cant say that people who live currently in this time are better than the others. In this life every time is different from another. Maybe people in the future will be better than us. Øلؠ¹Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ ÙˆØلؠªÃƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã†â€™Ãƒâ„¢Ã…  ÃƒËœÃ‚ ± ÙˆØلقØ ¯ÃƒËœÃ‚ ±ÃƒËœÃ‚ © Ø ¹Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ° ØلؠªÃƒËœÃ‚ ¹ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¨Ãƒâ„¢Ã…  ÃƒËœÃ‚ ± Reasons of Environmental pollution Day by day, we are looking at pollution, but we cannot solve this problem. Many people do not keep the environment healthy, because they do not have any responsibility about our environment; so many pollutions residues leave unhealthy life and spread out diseases. In this essay, I will show you some examples of pollution. First of all, there are many people throw plastics in parks, streets, water, etc. While, plastic is the most dangerous material from other pollution. For instance, the disadvantage for plastic cannot be Disintegrates until millions years. Then it will be lagging material under the land, so the water cannot pass inside the land (abdominal water). Unfortunately most of markets or shops use plastics for baskets or use like bags for customers and do not care for Recyclable, so they throw it in every ware. For example, Ajman supermarket and some other markets contribute the plastics bags like a gift, so they help to damage the environment without knowing. In addition, all of us have to protect our environment honestly and think how to solve plastics problems to live in beautiful earth. Furthermore, the water pollution are also keep contaminant environment such as when people throw the rubbish inside waters then all sea animals will die, for they will eat some dangerous chemical material. Next, some countries prefer to build chalet or Industrial Islands near the sea, it is wonderful and nice landscape, while it is affect for waters into bad environment. In fact, all sea animals need to quietly place and clean water, so when we use some chemical material or put sands to build island, its help all animals to immigrate to another quiet and clean place, or kill them before immigration. Moreover, sometimes the petrol will leakage from steamship into the oceans, and it will make lagging layer above the water then the oxygen will never receive under the water, so all sea animals will asphyxiates and will die. Finally, if we are ignore the water to clean it and keep it healthy, all sea animals will be endangered, so we have to keep our water environment healthy to feel comf ortable. Meanwhile, the land pollution is one of dangerous pollutions in our life. Firstly, the most pollution resource in the world is human, because they can control the earth in every ways either is healthy earth or dirt environment. Secondly, when we buried all rubbish under the earth, it will invent new dangerous diseases for people in every run. However, if we burned the rubbish or use the explosives in war, it will affect for the air and it is possible to pierces the ozone layer, so it will make the air pollutions. To summarize, all detonations and rubbish make bad healthy, so you have to cede these dangerous material. In conclusion, we have to find the solutions for these pollutions to be wonderful environment. The relation among organisms: The study of the environment related on studying the relation between its elements and how do they affect each other, so the environment creates a surrounding where the life exists and mutual bonds appear in a very unique form. The relation between organisms is the most important relation that occurs in any type of environment. Furthermore, this relation consists of combined processes that start with specific element and end up with another element. For example, the food chain among organisms starts with self feeding organisms such as plants then herbivores, organisms that eat plants, and finally it end up with carnivores, organisms that eat the herbivores. This complex relation happen by nature, so it is innate that why I always call this relation the battle of existence. Another type of relation that takes place in the environment is the relation between the organisms and the environmental components. For instance, the environment that suffers from food shortage, dehydration and oxygen depletion has no life. As a result, the surrounding that encompasses all the biological factors, such as water, air and food, is very important for survival. Human did create a special relation with the environment since the Stone Age. For example, people utilize the environmental resources to create their own lifestyle. The use of the animals skins to make a fashionable clothes and the use of plants wood, mountains stones to build their own houses with a beautiful designs. All these represent the vital bond between human and the environment. Environment is a commonly used word that is related to the living beings components and other components and how they interact together, in order to exist. It regulates the relationship between these lifes components. Human being is one important component of the environment it is related to the other parts of the environment in how he or she adapts to live within the different environmental conditions for example climate, water, food in addition to the society. As a result, to talk about environment, it can be summarized in the middle that the living beings live in and how they interact in this middle and together. As the previous mentioned, and with regard to human being effect on environment as one component of the environment, he or she plays a very important role in develop, create, rebuild and remake the natural environmental resources such as agriculture, manufacturing and so on, The natural environment or the basic one is a complete system in other word for example the color of the sea water is a reflection of the sky color another example is the volume of oxygen in a place is related to the volume of plants and woods in this place. These instances describe the beauty of our mother the environment. The differentiation in earths environment creates different types of divisions. For example, water environment has its own world. From the living beings those live in passing by its climate areas which affect in the type of the living beings that exist there reaching to the effect of this environment on other types of environments. The same example can be put in land environment and air spheres one. Solutions for pollution: 1* we can use the solar energy instead of energy generated because a solar energy is free from pollution and it can save the environment from it. 2*we must to reduce from forest fires it can help us to keep our environment from pollution. 3*we should to build the factories out of city and away from people. 4*It`s not allowed to throw the waste in the sea specially the waste oil it`s very bad and harmful for view of the sea. 5*good way to reduce from pollution is to grow a lot of trees in the city .They can get fresh air and moves us away from pollution. 6*put filters in our cars to reduce from pollution. 7*we should also to reduce from use the plastic it`s very bad and it can make pollution in environment.

Factors to Develop a Doctor-Patient Relationship

Factors to Develop a Doctor-Patient Relationship Patients and Health care Professionals need to communicate about many different aspects of health and illness. With reference to a specific example, outline the factors that the health professionals would need to consider when preparing to discuss this issue with a patient. The medical consultation is considered to be one of the most important phases in the care of a patient (Bennet, 1979; Beck et al., 2001). Especially in long term illnesses, health care professionals have a close relationship with their patients; the main reason is because of the nature of this relationship itself, as they are both involved in illness in their own different ways (Bennet, 1979; Ong et al., 1995; Pendleton Hasler, 1983; Molleman et al., 1984; Morrison, 1994; Usherwood, 1999). Through this relationship, health professionals and patients are constantly exchanging information (Ong et al., 1995; Morrison, 1994; Usherwood, 1999); patients are the ones who experience illness and discomfort, and are seeking for both care (feeling that health care professionals know and understand them) and cure (need to define the health problem), (Stimson Webb, 1975; Usherwood, 1999; Ong et al., 1995), whereas health professionals are the ones with the knowledge, experience and the ability to help patients (Bennet, 1979; Messer Meldrum, 1995; Usherwood, 1999). Therefore, physicians and patients are interdependent and influence each other during their interactions (Stimson Webb, 1975; Bennet, 1979; Ong et al., 1995; Pendleton Hasler, 1983; Leigh Reiser, 1985). In order to have a functional doctor-patients relationship, an effective medical consultation and better health outcomes, good communication between physicians and patients is required (Ong et al., 1995; Stewart, 1995). As research indicates, the need for good communication is greater when it is between physicians and patients with fatal medical diseases, such as cancer (Molleman et al., 1984; Ong et al., 1995; Ong et al., 1999). Therefore, health professionals’ role is even more important, since they will need to be prepared for the consultation. Before their meeting, both patients and health care professionals have expectations and anticipations for the consultation and of course are preparing for their face to face interaction (Stimson Webb, 1975; Leigh Reiser, 1985). Health professionals have several subjects to consider and be prepared for, before any cancer consultation, such as medical information that need to be discussed during their interaction with cancer patients , but also factors that may influence their between interaction and communication (Stimson Webb, 1975; Faulkner Maguire, 1994). To begin with, the first factor that health care professionals should consider and be prepared for, before the meeting, is the patients’ emotional state, which can affect both the course and outcome of a consultation (Faulkner Maguire, 1994). The patients’ mood is influenced by numerous factors, such as their current medical condition and experience of illness, their personal information, such as age, culture, education or even the received support from their social networks (Faulkner Maguire, 1994; Suinn VandenBos, 2000; Lin et al., 2003). Bearing all these factors in mind, physicians should understand that working with cancer patients can be challenging and emotionally difficult (Faulkner Maguire, 1994). Although physicians cannot foresee their patients’ mood for their upcoming consultation, they can be prepared for different scenarios and think of different strategies of how to professionally handle difficult situations and yet provide the best quality care (Faulkner Maguire, 1994). First of all, one of the most difficult aspects when consulting with a patient is the breaking of bad news or having to answer difficult questions, for example questions regarding life expectancy and death (Buckman, 1984; Faulkner Maguire, 1994). When informing cancer patients about the severity of their condition, the amount of information to be shared with the cancer patient, depends on the patient himself, for example, cancer patients are often unaware of their condition or patient does not want to be informed about the severity of his/hers condition (Faulkner Maguire, 1994; Maguire, 1999). Nevertheless, the approach which is used to present bad news to the cancer patient, is extremely impor tant, since it can influence not only their way of coping with the psychological impact of the cancer, but also it can influence their future adjustment to both the cancer and the treatment (Fallowfield et al., 1990). According to Fujimori and Uchitomi (2009), when patients receive bad news, they want afterwards, their physicians to be supportive as this can help them relieve their emotional distress. Therefore, it is important for health care professionals to consider whether their patient would like to know about the severity of their condition and be prepared not only to inform their patients but also to listen to their concerns and support them. Furthermore, when patients are dealing with a new unknown and therefore frightening situation, they are hoping that through the consultation their need for information will be covered and that they would be able to ask questions and get answers from their physician (Molleman et al., 1984; Faulkner Maguire, 1994). Most of the times, the questions asked from cancer patients are awkward and often reflect the patients’ fears and worries, but also indicate that the patient is thinking and is troubled by the idea of death (Faulkner Maguire, 1994). Even though answering these difficult questions can be challenging for health care professionals, it is important to make sure that patient’s need for information is established. Giving information to cancer patients, is an indication that physician is paying attention and understands their needs, and therefore help reduce feelings of uncertainty and fear (Molleman et al., 1984). Another difficult situation which health care professionals must be prepared to face is their patient’s psychological mood (Faulkner Maguire, 1994). It is very common that cancer patients may be withdrawn and often overwhelmed with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness or even experience anger, which is often a form of defense mechanism (Maguire et al. 1993; Faulkner Maguire, 1994). However, it is essential that patients’ psychological condition is assessed if it is consider dangerous for the patients’ condition (Maguire et al. 1993; Faulkner Maguire, 1994). Moreover, before meeting with cancer patients, practitioners need to bear in mind that they both arrive at the meeting with different knowledge and skills (Leigh Reiser, 1985). During consultations physicians may use medical jargon, which is difficult to be understood by cancer patients (Bennet, 1979; Leigh Reiser, 1985). According to Leigh and Reiser (1985), there is the risk that patients may jump to their own conclusions through what they believe they heard or what they understood physicians told them. As a result, the use of medical definitions may lead to unwanted non-communication and misinterpretation between physicians and patients (Leigh Reiser, 1985; Fallowfield Jenkins, 1999; Chapman et al., 2003). Even when patients are properly informed about their conditions, and their options, it is often difficult for the patients to remember all the information they were given, due to the complexity of these information (Kessels, 2003). As mention by Kessels (2003), the use of written language may help improve to remember and better understand the information given during a consultation. Therefore, it would be useful if health care professionals have prepared or found some leaflets or even written down essential information and instruction (when medication is required), that may help their patients. Thus, health professionals need to be prepared to explain the condition to the patient and be as specific as possible, with the use of nontechnical language, but more importantly to ensure that their patient has understood and has received sufficient information (Leigh Reiser, 1985; Faulkner Maguire, 1994; Ong et al., 1995). Furthermore, health care professionals do not interact and talk only to their patients; most of the times during a consultation a member of the family or a close friend are also present to support the cancer patient but also to get information about the condition of their loved ones (Labrecque et al., (1991); Delvaux et al., 2005). Even though family and friends can influence the way a patient understands and experiences illness (Usherwood, 1999; Delvaux et al., 2005) and are usually involved in decision making, their opinions and views are often not considered (Dowsett et al., 2000). However, with the possibility of the presence of a relative, health care professionals need to consider how the course and outcome of the consultation may be affected, as well as how to treat possible unwanted behavior on behalf of the relative. There are only a few studies, examining the possible negative effects of the presence of a relative during a cancer consultation. Though, a research conducted b y Labrecque et al., (1991) showed that, cancer patients who had a consultation with a family member present were less satisfied with that meeting. Furthermore, physicians are often unable to handle a three person consultation, due to the difficulties that arise from this situation (Delvaux et al., 2005), as it requires special skills that are difficult to practice and the interaction is often more stressful than a normal doctor-patient consultation (Bragard et al., 2006). When a relative is present, the health care professional has to consider not only the needs of the cancer patients but the needs of the relative as well (Delvaux et al., 2005; Lienard et al., 2008). As the research by Labrecque et al., (1991) showed, when a family member was present, consultations lasted longer and the health care professionals were likely to share more information, however they showed more emotional support to cancer patients when they were not accompanied by a relative. Even though each consultation differs and may require more time, these findings show the need for consistency in the information giving (always according to the needs of the patient) and support provided to the cancer patient, regardless the presence of a relative. It essential, before the consultation, for the physician to be prepared to share information, consult and be supportive, whether his patient is alone or not. To conclude with, the communication and consultation between health care professionals and cancer patients are challenging and often emotionally difficult for both (Faulkner Maguire, 1994; Bragard et al., 2006). Though, health professionals are trained and have acquired both knowledge and skills to cope with difficulties, they might face while working with cancer patients (Faulkner Maguire, 1994). More research can be conducted, in order to examine the complexity of the doctor-patient relationship and how it is affected by the patient’s psychological condition or the presence of a relative, how the patients benefit from a good doctor-patient relationship and an effective consultation and finally how the health care professionals can prepare for consultation with cancer patients. REFERENCES Bragard, I., Razavi,, D., Marschal, S., Delvaux, N., Libert, Y., Reynaert, C., Boniver, J., Klatstersky, J., Scalliet, P., Etienne, A. M., (2006). Teaching communication and stress management skills to junior physicians dealing with cancer patients: a Belgian Interuniversity Curriculum. Support Care Cancer, 14, 454-461. Beck, R. S., Daughtridge, R., Sloane, P. D., (2002). Physician-Patient Communication in the Primary Care Office: A systematic Review. Journal of the American Board of Family Practice, 15, 25-38. Bennet, G., (1979). Patients and their doctors: The journey through medical care. London: Bailliere Tindall. Buckman, R., (1984). Breaking bad news: why is it still so difficult? British Medical Journal, 288, 1597-1599. Chapman, K., Abraham, C., Jenkins, V., Fallowfield, L., (2003). Lay Understanding of Terms used in Cancer Consultation. Psycho-Oncology, 12, 557-566. Delvaux, N., Merckaert, I., Marchal, S., Libert, Y., Conradt, S., Boniver, J., Etienne, A. M., Fontaine, O., Janne, P., Klastersky, J., Melot, C., Reynaert, C., Scalliet, P., Slachmuylder, J. L., Razavi, D., (2005). Physicians’ Communication with a cancer patient and a relative. Cancer, 103(11), 2397-2411. Dowsett, S. M., Saul, J. L., Buttow, P. N., Dunn, S. M., Boyer, M. J., Findlow, R., Dunsmore, J., (2000). Communication styles in the cancer consultation: Preferences for a patient-centered approach. Psycho-Oncology, 9, 147-156. Fallowfield, L. J., Hall, A., Maguire, G. P., Baum, M., (1990). Psychological Outcomes of different treatment policies in women with early breast cancer outside a clinical trial. BMJ, 301,575-580. Fallowfield, L., Jenkins, V., (1999). Effective Communication skills are the Key to Good Cancer Care. European Journal of Cancer, 35(11), 1592-1597. Faulkner, A., Maguire, P., (1994). Talking to Cancer Patients and their Relatives. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Fujimori, M., Uchitomi, Y., (2009). Preferences of Cancer Patients regarding communication of bad news: A systematic literature review. Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology, 39(4), 201-216. Kessels, R. P. C., (2003). Patients’ memory for medical information. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 96, 219-222. Labrecque, M. S., Blanchard, C. G., Ruckdeschel, J. C., Blanchard, E. B., (1991). The impact of family presence on the physician-cancer patient interaction. Social Sciences Medicine, 33(11),1253-1261. Leigh, H., Reiser, M. F., (1985). The Patient: Biological, Psychological, and Social Dimensions of Medical Practice (2nd ed.). London: Plenum Medical Book Company. Lienard, A., Merckaert, I., Libert, Y., Delvaux, N., Marchal, S., Boniver, J., Etienne, A. M., Klastersky, J., Reynaert, C., Scalliet, P., Slachmuylder, J. L., Razavi, D., (2008). Factors that influence cancer patients’ and relatives’ anxiety following a three-person medical consultation: impact of a communication skills training program for physicians. Psycho-Oncology, 17, 488-496. Lin, C. C., Lai, Y. L., Ward, S. E., (2003). Effect of Cancer Pain on Performance Status, Mood States, and Level of Hope Among Taiwanese Cancer Patients. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 25(1), 29-37. Maguire, P., (1999). Improving Communication with Cancer Patients. European Journal of Cancer,35(10), 1415-1422. Maguire, P., Faulkner, A., Regnard, C., (1993). Managing the anxious patient with advanced disease a flow diagram. Palliative Medicine, 8, 76-81. Messer, D., Meldrum, C., (1995). Psychology for Nurses and Health Care Professionals. London: Prentice Hall/Harvester Wheatsheaf. Molleman E., Krabbendam, P. L., Annyas, A. A., Koops, H. S., Sleufer, D. T., Vermey, A., (1984). The Significance of the Doctor-Patient relationship in coping with cancer. Social Sciences Medicine, 18(16), 475-480. Morrison, P., (1994). Understanding Patients. London: Bailliere Tindall. Ong, L. M. L., De Haes, J. C. J. M., Hoos, A. M., Lammes, F. B., (1995). Doctor-Patient communication: A review of the literature. Social Science Medicine, 40(7), 903-918. Ong, L. M. L., Visser, M. R. M., Lammes, F. B., De Haes, J. C. J. M., (2000). Doctor-Patient communication and cancer patients’ quality of life and satisfaction. Patient Education and Counseling,41, 145-156. Pendleton, D., Hasler, J., (1983). Doctor-Patient Communication. London: Academic Press, INC. Stewart, M. A., (1995). Effective Physician-Patient Communication and Health Outcomes: A Review. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 152(9), 1423-1433. Stimson, G., Webb, B., (1975). Going to See the Doctor: The Consultation Process in General Practice. London: Routledge Kegan Paul Ltd. Suinn, R. M., VandenBos, G. R., (2000). Cancer Patients and their Families: Readings on Disease Course, Coping and Psychological Interventions. Washington DC: American Psychological Association. Usherwood, T., (1999). Understanding the Consultation: Evidence, Theory and Practice. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt Essay -- American Presidents Hi

Biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt Introduction FDR Changed the very idea of what it meant to be president of the United States. FDR used his genius political skills and charisma to direct this nation into his own dreams. His ability to communicate encouragement and confidence to the American people aided his presidency more than his legislations. Winston Churchill likened his first meeting with FDR to â€Å"uncorking a bottle of champagne.† All future presidents would be forced to reckon with his legacy. The Beginning Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882. He was so sickly that he almost did not survive, and his worried parents held off naming him for two months. His father was James Roosevelt, a graduate of Union College and Harvard Law School, though not a practicing lawyer. James lived a life similar to an English country gentleman, with a large estate at Hyde Park in New York. Sara Delano, James Roosevelt's second wife, came from a family background equally distinguished as the Roosevelt’s. His age and her difficulty giving birth to Franklin prevented them from having any more children, and Franklin grew up as their beloved only child. His relationship with his parents, especially his mother, was very strong. It was her unshakeable faith in him that many believe gave him the self-confidence that enabled him to succeed later in life. French and German governesses educated Roosevelt until he was fourteen, and he spent most of his free time riding on the estate and playing alone. He accompanied his parents on their travels to Europe and to all their social engagements. This youth spent in the company of adults helped him develop a charm that would prove indispensable later in life, unable to relate to many children his own age. This proved to be a drawback when his parents sent him away to the Groton School, a recently opened school that had the backing of many of the leading men in America, such as J.P. Morgan. Roosevelt's experience at Groton was a personal disappointment because of his inability to win over his peers as he had won over his parents and their associates. It may have been the bitter memories of his years at Groton that made FDR determined to become a leader at Harvard, which he entered at the turn of the century. Unlike many of his fellow classmates, who were used to living the life of the idle ric h, FDR set the ... ...ing I have learned is that history telling is often no the whole truth. I think it would be only fair to read the thoughts of those who disagreed with his policies. 4) Arnold, Alex. Nothing to Fear: Lessons in Leadership from FDR. Portfolio Hardcover 2003. -I really liked the back flap intro the book when I read it. There are many books out there by people that seem to just be inspirational fluff. This book is by an executive who go through many of FDR’s tactics in leadership and how effective they were. This book should be a great read. 5) No Author. â€Å"Franklin D. Roosevelt† No Date Given. http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/fr32.html - I thought it would be useful to use this short page that is full of facts. I figure if this is the White House’s page, it would be forced by reputation to be on its information. 6) Schlesinger JR, Arthur. Leaders and Revolutionaries: Franklin Delano Roosevelt. http://www.time.com/time/time100/leaders/profile/fdr.html -Time Magazine is one of the oldest and most reputable magazines around. This is a comparatively short, yet compelling bio about FDR. The style of writing I believe will help my in my own writing format.

Model of Leadership Essay -- Leadership, philosophy

A large amount of work has gone into studying, researching, and developing models of leadership. There have been numerous models put forth, examined, applied, and either used or discarded. However, after all this work, there is still not one 'perfect' model or method of leading. Every situation and group is different, therefore a good leader must be flexible. A good model of leadership is one that incorporates different models into one that understands that the only constant is change. Therefore, my model of leadership will be based primarily upon flexibility. I feel that a leader must first understand the basic styles of leadership and how to apply them. Then he/she can know what style is the most appropriate given the task and group composition. Second, he/she must be able to observe his/her group in order to decide when the aforementioned styles are to be applied, and when problems begin threatening the group or its task. Then, that leader must be able to effectively communicate and influence his/her followers in order to fix problems, provide feedback, and inspire a group to be more than the sum of its parts. That is what effective leadership is about. â€Å"Whatever is flexible and flowing will tend to grow. Whatever is rigid and blocked will atrophy and die.† -John Heider, The Tao of Leadership A flexible leader realizes the advantages and disadvantages inherent in each of the three styles of Authoritarian, Democratic, and Laissez-faire leadership. While it seems that most of the researchers agree that democratic style is the most effective, there are certain situations that call for different styles. Effective leadership demands that a leader be able to adjust his/her style according to the circumstances. Autho... ...th honey than with vinegar.’ It is my hope that I have developed a competent model of leadership arising out of flexibility. I hope that I can apply this model in my own practices of leadership, to help me build the confidence I need to grow out of my leadership apprehension. I feel that an understanding of the group process, and of the styles of leadership, working together, can provide one with a very powerful method of effective, flexible leadership that can be applied to multiple groups and situations. First, by learning the styles of leadership, he makes harmony between himself and the group. When understands how the group acts and reacts, he can make harmony between the members of the group. And when this leader understands how to influence and conduct his followers, they can both begin to play beautiful music that no one would have been able to play alone.

Bruce Dawe Essay -- Australian Poets Poetry Poems Essays

Bruce Dawe Bruce Dawe is a prominent Australian poet born in 1930, in Geelong. His experiences as a laborer, postman, gardener, and in particular his 9 years as a sergeant in the Royal Australian Air Force, have enabled him to recollect and articulate his memories into a renowned compendium, Sometimes Gladness, which has been described as â€Å"perhaps the most successful book of verse by a contemporary Australian poet†. His anthology contains a variety of poems. The three I will be discussing include The Day that They Shot Santa Claus, The Wholly Innocent, and Homo Suburbiensis, all of which focus on life (or the lack of it) and its ups and downs. The Day That They Shot Santa Claus tells a story through the eyes of a bystander; obviously in central Melbourne (the reference to Bourke St). It elaborates not the death of Santa Claus, but rather the consequences of the event. It tells of extreme sadness after the death of the highly prominent symbol of innocence, happiness and festive spirit, key themes of this verse. The speaker is portrayed very sadly, (yet in a way...

Philosophy And Modernity Essay

The conflict between Philosophy and Modernity is a never ending topic. Each of the terms is individually supported by the corresponding generations. But those who support modernity, at least at some point of life will surely support philosophy. That is the power of philosophy. Let us take a mishap as example that shows us how these two issues conflict with each other. The terrorist attacks of September 11 still haunt the minds of Americans unnerved by the enormity of the crime. We need to know what could have inspired someone to do such a thing. It is bad enough to experience such a monstrous event; to feel it is inexplicable, an act with no conceivable motive, only adds to the sense of unreality. What is the source of this hostility? What ideas, values, and attitudes give rise to it? Lewis’s observation contains the seeds of the two leading schools of thought about the answer to this question. Both schools place Islamist hatred of the USA in a larger cultural and historical context. Both are plausible, and in many respects they are compatible. But they differ in what they see as the essential terms of the ongoing conflict, and in their implications for the future. One school holds that the war on terror reflects an underlying conflict between Islam and the West as civilisations. Each is united, as a civilisation, by the loyalty of its people to a narrative of their past, a common religion, and shared ideas, values, and ways of life. The current tensions between Islam and the West are only the latest of the conflicts that have occurred over the centuries. The USA is a particular object of hostility now because it is the most powerful Western country. Those who reject modernity are to be found in every nation and civilization. The second school holds that terrorists’ hostility is directed at ‘the principles and values’ of the West. On this view, what they hate is not the West as a society or a civilisation per se, but rather the culture of modernity. Modernity was born in the West, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but it is not inherently tied to the history or customs of any one society. It is a constellation of universal values – the secular culture of reason, science, individualism, progress, democracy, and capitalism – that have spread worldwide in different forms and to varying degrees. By the same token, those who reject modernity, who fear and wish to destroy it, are to be found in every nation and civilisation. And invariably they hate the USA as the fullest, most persuasive, and thus most dangerous embodiment of that culture. There are as many battles within civilisations as between them. Muslims saw military success as a mark of Allah’s favour. As Seyyed Hossein Nasr, a prominent Iranian philosopher and historian, observes, ‘During the first twelve centuries of its historic existence, Islam lived with the full awareness of the truth and realisation of God’s promise to Muslims that they would be victorious if they followed His religion. Such verses as â€Å"There is no victor but God†, which adorns the walls of the Alhambra, also adorned the soul and mind of Muslims’. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, however, the tide turned. The scientific and industrial revolutions vastly increased the wealth and the military power of the West. After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, the Middle East was taken over by European nations and broken up into colonies and protectorates. Today, despite decolonisation, the countries of this region remain poor and backward by comparison not only with the West but also with the booming economies of East Asia. Oil revenue has showered wealth on the region, but economic growth has been held back by layers of regulations, wasteful government enterprises and investments, not to mention corruption. Because of their strategic location, Middle Eastern countries were pawns of the Cold War but were rarely true partners or friends of either power. Now, Muslims feel they are at the mercy of a global economy driven by Western capitalism. They feel invaded by Western popular culture, which they regard as morally decadent. Israel is the salt in all these wounds – a nation of people who came from the West, tore a patch of land from Islam, turned it into a vibrant, wealthy economy, and acquired the military prowess to defeat its Arab neighbours. The result of all this, is ‘a feeling of humiliation – a growing awareness, among the heirs of an old, proud, and long-dominant civilisation, of having been overtaken, overborne, and overwhelmed by those whom they regarded as their inferiors’. Having tried to take on Western ways, with dismal results, they are increasingly drawn to the idea that the solution is a return to the pure Islamic faith that reigned in the days of their former greatness. The clash-of-civilisations school doubtless represents part of the truth of the matter. But it is not the whole truth, and not the fundamental truth. Its chief shortcoming is that it exaggerates the extent of agreement in outlook, values, ideas, and loyalties among people who share the common history and culture that define a civilisation. In fact, there are as many battles over these issues within civilisations as between them – especially in the West. The hijackers’ target was a temple of modernity. At the level of fundamental philosophical principles, however, the Enlightenment period was much more important as a turning point in the West, and in a way created a new civilisation. Anti-modernism Modernity was born in the West in a radical transformation of its past. The world of the Middle Ages, built around the world-view of Christian Scholasticism, was a society of religious philosophy, feudal law, and an agricultural economy. Out of this soil, the Renaissance and Enlightenment produced a substantially new society of science, individualism, and industrial capitalism. When we examine the wider context of Islamic terrorism, it is clear that a hatred of modernity is its driving force. The cultural foundation of this new society, if we state it as a set of explicit theses, was the view that reason, not revelation, is the instrument of knowledge and arbiter of truth; that science, not religion, gives us the truth about nature; that the pursuit of happiness in this life, not suffering in preparation for the next, is the cardinal value; that reason can and should be used to increase human wellbeing through economic and technological progress; that the individual person is an end in himself with the capacity to direct his own life, not a slave or a child to be ruled by others; that individuals have equal rights to freedom of thought, speech, and action; that religious belief should be a private affair, tolerance a social virtue, and church and state kept separate; and that we should replace command economies with markets, warfare with trade, and rule by king or commissar with democracy. It is therefore misleading to call our civilisation Christian, even though that remains the largest religion in terms of adherents. The West may still be a culture of Christians, by and large, but it is not a Christian culture anymore. It is a secular culture. And that is what the Islamists hate most about us. The al-Qaeda hijackers did not target the Vatican, the capital of Western Christianity whose leaders launched the Crusades. They did not attack the British Foreign Office, which directed colonial policy in the Middle East after World War I. They attacked the World Trade Centre, the proud symbol of engineering audacity and global commerce, where businesses from scores of countries (including many Muslim countries) worked in freedom and peace, creating wealth and investing in material progress. Their target, in short, was a temple of modernity. The culture of modernity is not a Western good but a human good Modernity meant people changing their relationship with both the world and themselves. For the first time, through science, they realised that many things, such as certain weather patterns or illnesses, were not a matter of fate. The social order no longer seemed impossible to change either. Revolutions could sweep away despots and people could improve their living standards. The threat posed by the Islamist terrorists derives not from their Islamic background but from the ideas, values, and motivations they share with anti-modernists everywhere-including in the West. In that regard, they have not merely assaulted our civilisation. They have attacked civilisation as such. Civilisation is the condition a society attains when it emerges from prehistoric barbarism and begins to apply intelligence systematically to the problems of human life, by creating technologies of production like farming, technologies of cognition like writing, and technologies of social order like cities and law. The culture of modernity is one of these permanent contributions – the most important. Though Western in origin, it is not a Western good but a human good. It has vastly expanded our knowledge of the world; brought a vast increase in wealth, comfort, safety, and health; and created social institutions in which humans can flourish. Anti-modernism is not simply loyalty to pre-modern stages of civilisation on the part of people who have not yet discovered reason and individualism. It is a postmodern reaction by people who have seen modernity and turned against it, who hate and wish to destroy it. This is a profoundly anti-human outlook, and there can be no compromise with it. As we take aim at the terrorists who have attacked us, we must also take intellectual aim at the ideas that inspire them.

Dream Children

An Analysis of Lamb’s Dream Children Or Charles Lamb as a Romanticist Charles Lamb was a famous English prose-writer and the best representative of the new form of English literature early in the nineteenth century. He did not adhere to the old rules and classic models but made the informal essay a pliable vehicle for expressing the writer’s own personality, thus bringing into English literature the personal or familiar essay. The style of Lamb is gentle, old-fashioned and irresistibly attractive, for which there is no better illustration than Dream Children: A Reverie. From the analysis of this essay we can find Lamb’s characteristic way of expression. Dream Children records the pathetic joys in the author’s unfortunate domestic life. We can see in this essay, primarily, a supreme expression of the increasing loneliness of his life. He constructed all that preliminary tableau of paternal pleasure in order to bring home to us in the most poignant way his feeling of the solitude of his existence, his sense of all that he had missed and lost in the world. The key meaning of the story shows the beauty that resides in sadness. There are remarkable writing techniques to achieve such an effect. Through the stylistic approach to Dream Children, we can see that Charles Lamb is a romanticist, seeking a free expression of his own personality and weaving romance into daily life. Without a trace of vanity of self-assertion, Lamb begins with himself, with some purely personal mood or experience, and from this he leads the reader to see life and literature as he saw it. It is this wonderful combination of personal and universal interests, together with Lamb’s rare old style, which make the essay remarkable. 1 Lexical Feature 1. Old-fashioned but elegant diction Lamb prefers to use archaic words in order to reach a certain distance between the author’s real life and his whimsies, such as: (1) and how in her youth she was esteemed the best dancer (esteemed here means admired, respected) (2) here Alice's little right foot played an involuntary movement, till, upon my looking grave, it desisted (desisted here means topped doing) (3) and how the nectarines and peaches hung upon the walls, without my ever offering to pluck them (pluck, also a poetic word, here means pick) (4) he had meditated dividing with her, and both seemed willing to relinquish them for the present as irrelevant (meditated here means thought, and relinquish means give up) 2. Repetition of the word here When regarding for beautiful things and fine actions, Lamb does not f orget to show to the readers the pictures of the children–real children until the moment when they fade away. He repeats the word here altogether eight times, to portray the children’s response. For example: (5) Here Alice put out one of her dear mother's looks (6) Here John smiled, as much as to say, â€Å"that would be foolish indeed. † With this repeating word, we can see these children almost as clearly and as tenderly as Lamb saw them. If we take the essay’s main purpose into account, we will find the more real they seem, the more touching is the revelation of the fact that they do not exist, and never have existed. Sentence Feature 2. 1 Loose structure and post-modification Generally speaking, the tone of this essay is relaxed and comfortable, which can be attributed to Lamb’s use of loose structure and post-modification. Let’s study the sentence below: (7) Children love to listen to stories about their elders, when they were children; to stretch their imagination to the conception of a traditionary great-uncle, or grandame, whom they never saw. If ap plied to daily communication, the former part of this sentence seems tediously long. However, here it gives us a sense of comfort and enjoyment, for in the essay it causes our sympathy with the author of the fondness of innocent children. Therefore, we do not feel weary. 2. 2 Cohesion Sentences in Dream Children are long, sometimes containing more than eighty words in one. The author makes them cohesive with the help of coordination, conjunctions, as well as some adverbs. For instance: (8) Then I went on to say, how religious and how good their great-grandmother Field was, how beloved and respected by everybody (Adverb then and the coordination how†¦how†¦how†¦ here function as cohesive devices. (9) but still she lived in it in a manner as if it had been her own, and kept up the dignity of the great house in a sort while she lived, which afterwards came to decay, and was nearly pulled down, and all its old ornaments stripped and carried away to the owner's other house, where they were set up, and looked as awkward as if some one were to carry away the o ld tombs they had seen lately at the Abbey, and stick them up in Lady C. ‘s tawdry gilt drawing-room. (Conjunction and here functions as a cohesive device. 3 Article Feature 3. 1 Narration enlivened by depiction of the children. As is illustrated in sentence (5) and (6), the author’s narration of the great-grandmother and his brother is enlivened by a certain depiction concerning the children. Incidentally, while preparing his ultimate solemn effect, Lamb has inspired us with a new, intensified vision of the wistful beauty of children–their imitativeness, their facile and generous emotions, their anxiety to be correct, their ingenuous haste to escape from grief into joy. This vision gives us an impression that they seem real, thus makes the revelation in the end touching and pathetic. 3. 2 Unexpected ending Dream Children begins quite simply, in a calm, narrative manner, representing Lamb as sitting by his fireside on a winter night telling stories to his own dear children, and delighting in their society, until he suddenly comes to his old, solitary, bachelor self, and finds that they were but dream-children. In the end of the essay, we read: (10) that I became in doubt which of them stood there before me, or whose that bright hair was; and while I stood gazing, both the children gradually grew fainter to my view, receding, and still receding till nothing at last but two mournful features were seen in the uttermost distance, which, without speech, strangely impressed upon me the effects of speech; â€Å"We are not of Alice, nor of thee, nor are we children at all. The children of Alice called Bartrum father. We are nothing, less than nothing, and dreams. We are only what might have been, and must wait upon the tedious shores of Lethe millions of ages before we have existence, and a name. † Reflecting upon the essay, we will surely be obsessed by the beauty of old houses and gardens and aged virtuous characters, the beauty of children, the beauty of companionships, the softening beauty of dreams in an arm-chair–all these are brought together and mingled with the grief and regret which were the origin of the mood. 4 Rhetorical devices Lamb introduces some rhetorical devices to make his essay vivid and profound, such as: (11) and how the nectarines and peaches hung upon the walls, without my ever offering to pluck them, because they were forbidden fruit, unless now and then (metaphor) (12) till I could almost fancy myself ripening too along with the oranges and the limes in that grateful warmth (empathy) Lamb’s use of Humor and Pathos in Dream Children/ Pathetic beauty presented by Lamb From 1820 through 1825 he contributed a series of essays to the  London Magazine  which were immensely popular. Though he wrote under the pseudonym Elia, these essays, like his letters, are intimate revelations of Lamb's own thoughts, emotions, and experiences of literature and life. He touches on few disturbing subjects. He prefers instead to look to the past for a sense of calm, stability, and changelessness. Yet beneath the wit, humor, and humanity of such essays as â€Å"A Dissertation upon Roast Pig,† â€Å"Witches and Other Night-Fears,† and â€Å"Dream Children,† one finds a gentle  nostalgia  and  melancholy. This bitter-sweet  tone remains the  hallmark  of Lamb's style. Bunyan once said â€Å"Some things are of that nature as to make One’s fancy chuckle while his heart doth ache†. The nature of things mostly appeared to Lamb in that way. Lamb does not frolic out of lightness of heart, but to escape from gloom that might otherwise crush. He laughed to save himself from weeping. In fact, Lamb’s personal life was of disappointments and frustrations. But instead of complaining, he looked at the tragedies of life, its miseries and worries as a humorist. Thus his essays become an admixture of beauty and pain as well as humour and pathos. Examples of his keen sense of humour and pathetic touches are scattered in all of his essays. Let’s focus our discussion on Dream Children: A Reverie. In Lamb’s  writing  wit, humour and fun are interwoven and it is humour which is most notable for its extreme sensitiveness to the true proportion of things. Lamb often brings out the two sides of a fact and causes laughter at our own previous misconceptions. Therefore it borders on the painful realization. Thus his humour is very nearly allied to pathos. They are different facets of the same gem. In his essay Dream Children: A Reverie Lamb talks of personal sorrows and joys. He gives expressions to his unfulfilled longings and desires. He readily enters into the world of fantasy and pops up stories in front of his dream children. He relates his childhood days, of Mrs. Field, his grandmother and John Lamb, his brother. He describes how fun he had at the great house and orchard in Norfolk. Of his relations he gives us full and living pictures – his brother John is James Elia of My Relations, but here is John L-, so handsome and spirited youth, and a ‘king’. John was brave, handsome and won admiration from everybody Charles’ grandmother Mrs. Field is the other living picture. She was a good natured and religions – minded lady of respectable personality. Narrator’s sweet heart Alice Winterton is the other shadowed reality. The dream children, Alice and John are mere bubbles of fancy. Thus Lamb’s nostalgic memory transports  us back to those good old days of great grandmother Field. But even in those romantic nostalgia the hard realities of life does not miss our eyes. Death, separation and suffering inject us deep-rooted pathos in our heart. Whereas Mrs. Field died of cancer, John Lamb died in early age. Ann Simmons has been a tale of unrequited love story of Charles Lamb. Notably the children are millions of ages distant of oblivion and Charles is not a married man but a  bachelor  having a reverie. In his actual life Lamb courted Ann Simmons but could not marry her, he wanted to have children but could not ha ve any. Thus he strikes a very pathetic note towards the end of his essay when he puts the following word into the mouths of his imaginary children, â€Å"we are not of Alice, nor of thee, nor are we children at all †¦ We are nothing, less than nothing, dreams. We are only what might have been†. Alice is here no other that Ann Simmons the girl Lamb wanted to marry, but failed to marry her. In fact, the subtitle of the essay – ‘A Reverie’ which literally means a daydream or a fantasy – prepares us for the pathos of the return to reality although the essay begins on a deceptively realistic note. Although Dream Children begins on a cheerful note, the dark side of life soon forces itself upon Lamb’s attention and the comic attitude gives way to melancholy at the end of the essay. Throughout the essay Lamb presents his children in such a way that we never guess that they are merely figments of his imagination – their movements, their reactions, their expressions are all realistic. It is only at the end of the essay that we realize that the entire episode with his children is a daydream. We are awakening by a painful realization of the facts. Lamb’s humour was no surface play. In fact, Lamb’s humour and pathos take different shapes in different essays. Sometimes it is due to his own unfulfilled desires, sometimes it is due to the ill-fortunes of his relatives and friends and on some other occasions it is due to his frustration in love etc. If his ‘Poor Relations’ begins humorously of a male and female poor relation, he later gives us a few pathetic examples of poor relations who had to suffer on account of poverty. Again in his ‘The Praise of Chimney Sweepers’ Lamb sways between humour and pathos while describing the chimney sweepers. Similarly the essay ‘Dream Children’  is a beautiful projection of Lamb’s feelings and desire to have a wife and children of his own. It is humorous that in his dream he is married and has two children of his own while he had a disheartening frustration in love. Thus Lamb has painted both the lights and shades of life in full circle. His is the criticism of life in pathos and humours Why is the essay entitled â€Å"Dream Children†? Ans: Charles Lamb entitled the essay â€Å"Dream Children† because he never married and naturally never became the father of any children. The children he speaks of in the essay were actually the creations of his imagination or fancy. 2. Who was Field? How does Lamb present her before his dream children? Ans: Field, pseudonym for the actual person, was Lamb’s grandmother. Lamb presents her as an ideal grandmother in an imaginary and inflated way before his â€Å"dream children†Ã¢â‚¬â€she was extremely pious, fearless and compassionate person besides being the best dancer of the area in her youth. 3. Why is the essay entitled â€Å"A Reverie†? Ans: The essay is subtitled as a ‘reverie’ because Lamb  never married and so he never had children. In the essay he created an imaginary picture of a happy conjugal life—a picture which finally dissolves into nothing as he comes back to reality. 4. How does Lamb present his brother John L—? Ans: Lamb’s elder brother, John L—in his youth was a handsome, high-spirited, strong and fearless person. He loved Lamb very much. But subsequently in his old age he became lame-footed and spent the rest of his life in utter hopelessness, irritation and pain. . Whom does Lamb refer to as â€Å"faithful Bridget† by side? Ans: Lamb had a sister, Mary Lamb, who did not marry since she had attacks of insanity. She has been referred to here as â€Å"faithful Bridget† because she never married and was Lamb’s only companion in his life. At the sudden breakdown of his reverie, he finds her s eated by his side. 6. What, according to you, is the most striking feature of the essay and why? Ans: The chief characteristic feature of the essay is the author’s mingling of pathos and humour. Lamb begins the essay in somewhat deceptive fashion, describing the incidents, full of humour. But gradually he reduces the tone towards the end describing the tragedies of his personal life. 7. How does Lamb present the autobiographical elements in the essay? Or, Why is the essay called a personal essay? Or, What type of essay is Dream Children? Ans: Dream Children is a personal essay. Lamb presents the characters and incidents from his own life—the sketches of his grandmother, Field, his brother—John Lamb, his sister—Mary Lamb, his tragic love-affairs with Ann Simmons. But Lamb is always playing with facts and fictions and transforms the real into the literary. 8. How does Lamb show his knowledge of child psychology? Ans: It is surprising that without ever having children Lamb had acute sense of how children react to the happenings in the world of the adults. By deceptively referring to the meticulous reactions of his dream children, he succeeds in catching the reader immediately. The aesthetic impact of the essay becomes more effective for this reason. 9. â€Å"†¦ till the old marble heads would seem to be live again†¦ o be turned into marble with them†Ã¢â‚¬â€Where does the expression occur? Explain the context. Ans: Lamb told his â€Å"dream children† that in his boyhood he would enjoy rambling in and around the great country house in Norfolk. He would gaze at the twelve marble busts of Caesars in such an intensely meditative way that it seemed to him after some time that those were coming back to life again, or that he w ould be himself transformed into marble with them. 10. Where does the expression â€Å"busy-idle diversion† occur? What does the author mean by this? Ans: Lamb told his â€Å"dream children† that in his boyhood he would enjoy rambling in and around the great country house in Norfolk more than the sweet fruits of the orchard. He would remain busy with this though he had no work to do. 11. â€Å"When he died though he had not been†¦ died great while ago†. Who is referred to as ‘he’? Why is he spoken of? Ans: Lamb loved his brother John L— very much. But very shortly after his death it seemed to him that death had created such an immeasurable vacuum in his life that it made impossible for him to comprehend the significance of the difference between life and death. 2. â€Å"†¦ such a distance there is betwixt life and death†Ã¢â‚¬â€Explain the significance of the line in light of the context. Ans: the immediate absence of his brother John Lamb created by his death forced Lamb to feel the gulf the difference between life and death. He understood that death created a permanent absence a s the dead cannot be restored to life. Again, death is unknowable and Lamb was forced to reflect on his brother’s absence in this way. 13. â€Å"†¦ the soul of first Alice looked out at her eyes with such reality of re-presentment that I came in doubt†Ã¢â‚¬â€Who was Alice? What does the word ‘re-presentment’ mean here? Ans: In the course of his day-dreaming when Lamb looked at his dream-daughter, her physical resemblance reminded him of his dream-girl Alice W—n, a fictitious name for Ann Simmons who did reciprocate his love. 14. â€Å"But John L—(or James Elia) was gone forever†Ã¢â‚¬â€Who was James Elia? Why does the author say this? Ans: At the end of his day-dreaming Lamb coming back to reality finds his sister (Bridget) Mary Lamb by his side; but he realises and remembers that his brother James Elia or John Lamb had died and would no more be with them. So he laments his loss thus. 5. â€Å"Here Alice put out one of her dear mother’s looks, too tender to be called upbraiding†Ã¢â‚¬â€What does the word ‘braiding’ mean here? What makes Alice react thus? Ans: While describing the great country house in Norfolk, lamb tells his â€Å"dream children† that the chimney piece of the great ha ll was decorated by the curving of the story of Robin Redbreasts. At the information  that a foolish person pulled it down, Alice’s countenance changed, which suggested that it should not have been done. The word ‘braiding’ here means castigation or censure. 16. How does Lamb record Alice’s reactions to his story-telling? Ans: While listening to Lamb’s personal tale, Alice reacts firs by spreading her hands when Lamb says how good, religious and graceful person Field had been. Alice reacts to it either in great astonishment or putting up some pious gesture. She also cries out When Lamb talks about his elder brother’s pain and death. 17. How does Lamb record John’s reactions to his story-telling? Ans: At the information of the great house being stripped off its ornaments John smiled, which suggested the foolishness of the work. He was trying to look brave and impress upon his father that he would not have been afraid of the ghosts like his father. At the end of the story, when Lamb was talking of his elder brother’s pain and death, John, like Alice, began to cry. Exercises 1. Give a pen-picture of Field. 2. How would you comment on the style of the essay? 3. â€Å"†¦ We are only what might have been, and must wait upon the tedious shores of Lethe millions of ages before we have existence and a name. †Ã¢â‚¬â€Explain the context. Or, What is the significance of the river Lethe here? Or, Why are the shores of Lethe called ‘tedious’ Or, Why should the ‘dream’ children wait for million years for their existence and name?