Essay Beowulf The Ideal Anglo-Saxon Hero - 858 Words

Originating in the Anglo-Saxon period, the epic poem Beowulf portrays a legendary hero. Beowulf established the earlier form of heroism, and was then later introduced in to the English culture. Praised and admired by many people, Beowulf possesses several distinct traits that allow him to be defined perfectly as an ideal Anglo-Saxon hero; his eagerness to seek glory and fame, rather than richness and treasures, his loyalty and graceful attitude not only to his rulers but also to his followers, and his contradictory beliefs of faith and fate In the Anglo-Saxon society, an ideal hero does not seek riches of gold and treasures; instead, he seeks fame and glory through his accomplishments. To ensure immortality and spread his name across†¦show more content†¦Moreover, he also signifies his loyalty to his uncle, which is another heroic trait he owns that defines heroism. The other leading heroic trait that Beowulf possesses is loyalty. The Anglo-Saxon warriors believe in the idea of comitatus, which are the faithful and unbreakable bonds between his king and his warriors. Throughout the story, Beowulf had shown devotions to both his leader and his followers. As mentioned earlier, Beowulf easily passed all the treasure to his uncle noting that â€Å"since every benefit I have ever received I owe to you, my closest and kindest kinsman on earth. (Chapter 31).He shows great gratitude to his king by presenting all of his treasures that he had gained. He was then portrayed to be â€Å"loyal and true and loved him dearly ,† (Chapter 31). Additionally, not only he is committed to his rulers, Beowulf is also loyal to his followers. As described by Wiglaf, one of his most faithful men, â€Å"Our ancient king often gave us---heroes while in hall!---helmets and mailcoats, the finest treasures he could find for his men anywhere on earth, armor like the brilliant well-wrought war-gear you areShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Beowulf As A Heroic Epic779 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"A hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown†. Stories about such heroes have been told for centuries. In fact, heroistic ideals are sometimes the basis of a society. The Anglo-Saxon people are a prime example of the previous statement. In Anglo-Saxon culture, being called a hero was an honor. Heroes were treated like kings. One of the most popular hero stories that bled into Anglo-Saxon life was the heroic epic of Beowulf. Beowulf was the perfect example of an Anglo-Saxon hero as heRead More Epic of Beowulf E ssay1033 Words   |  5 Pages The epic poem, Beowulf, is one of the oldest European epics in existence. When Beowulf was written, the writer incorporated many of the ideals of the Anglo-Saxons. Some of these ideals included loyalty, bravery, selflessness, and justice and were demonstrated in the hero. Both the characters Beowulf and Grendel represent aspects of both good and evil, Christianity and Paganism, and what occurs when they collide with one another. A characteristic of an epic poem is the concern over struggles thatRead MoreQualities of an Ideal Anglo-Saxon Warrior Illustrated in Beowulf638 Words   |  3 PagesAn Anglo Saxon epic poem, Beowulf, which was originally passed down through an oral tradition during the 5th century was written into literacy by an unknown Christian monk during the 10th century. This classic poem explicitly illustrates an ideal Anglo Saxon hero of possessing the characteristics that many people during that time regarded highly. Beowulf is an e pitome of an Anglo Saxon ideal hero who possesses loyalty to both of his people and king, desires to gain glory and fame for his own recognitionRead MoreThe Epic Of Beowulf By William Shakespeare977 Words   |  4 Pagesthat are noble to them. Beowulf, as an epic hero, is a direct representation of the ideal man as seen through Anglo-Saxon eyes. In looking at the poem Beowulf and analyzing the characteristics of the epic hero, it will become evident the desired attributes that were desired in the Anglo-Saxon culture: physical strength, pride, bravery, selflessness, and loyalty. An epic hero is a person that is admired for great achievements and inspires great events. Beowulf certainly fits into both ofRead MoreThe Themes Of Heroism In The Wander By Anglo-Saxon830 Words   |  4 PagesTo start of I selected Beowulf by Anglo-Saxon, the second text I chose was The Wander by Anglo-Saxon. The theme of Beowulf is heroism. Beowulf himself represents the heroic ideal because of his features, strength, and courage, but also because of his intelligence and honor. Beowulf is proud of his strength and great his honor. When Beowulf goes to Heorot, waiting for Grendel, he refuses to keep a weapon. He believes in himself that he can defeat the monster who has devoured many men without usingRead More Reflections of a Culture Past Essay654 Words   |  3 PagesReflections of a Culture Past The poem, Beowulf was supposedly written in the tenth century, but it was most likely told before then, orally, for centuries. There is little information about the author, on when Beowulf was first created or about the original version of the story before it was written. However the poem does, however, give us great insight into the cultural views and ideals of the Anglo-Saxon people who would have composed and told this tale. This includes their political, socialRead MoreBeowulf: An Analysis1615 Words   |  7 Pages11/26/10 Beowulf Anglo Saxons are Germanic people that lived during the 5th and 6th centuries. This early Anglo-Saxon society was centered on families and clans. The earliest Saxon settlers and families in England were pagans who worshipped a number of gods. Although Anglo Saxons had unalterable beliefs, Christians eventually purveyed their religion upon the pagans. However, the ideals of paganism still perpetuate through the most prominent epic poem of this era called Beowulf. Beowulf embodiesRead MoreTheme Of Heroism In Beowulf740 Words   |  3 PagesThe theme of Beowulf is heroism. Beowulf himself represents the heroic ideal because of his features, strength, and courage, but also because of his intelligence and honor. Beowulf is proud of his strength and great his honor. When Beowulf goes to Heorot, waiting for Grendel, he refuses to keep a weapon. He believes in himself that he can defeat the monster who has devoured many men without using any weapons. It turns out that Beowulfs intellig ent approach was right. Glory is also one of the themesRead MoreVirtues Of The Anglo Saxons1054 Words   |  5 Pages Virtues in the Anglo Saxons In the 8th century, an epic poem of Beowulf written by an anonymous author embodies the ideal characteristics of Anglo Saxons. During the time of Anglo Saxons, Beowulf is used to convey similar qualities such as virtues, belief and traits in which the character of B Beowulf possess. For example, Beowulf exhibits Bravery, Loyalty, and strength. Beowulf’s action symbolizes him as the epitome of a â€Å"True Hero† because he demonstratesRead MoreBeowulf : An Anglo Saxon Hero1825 Words   |  8 PagesBeowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Hero The Anglo-Saxons’ cultures and traditions are rooted in their beliefs of the perfect hero. Their ideal hero has many key characteristics influenced by their culture including courage, strength, bravery, thick skin, loyalty, humbleness, and the ability to create strong trustworthy friendships. Beowulf is an epic poem that exhibits the ideal Anglo-Saxon hero. The Anglo-Saxon traditions illustrated in Beowulf accurately represent the Anglo-Saxon traditions of the time period

The Impact of Technology on Music in the 20th Century Free Essays

string(37) " money being spent on entertainment\." Matthew Hugenschmidt LBST 3020-090 Final Paper For centuries man has sought pleasure through music and visual arts. Until the last 100 years or so that required someone to go see a live performance, either locally or possibly to a larger metropolis with concert halls and theaters. The technological advances experienced in the last century have allowed the pairing of the audio and visual media for the masses, and have let them spread much farther than their local roots and changed their influence on society. We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of Technology on Music in the 20th Century or any similar topic only for you Order Now Though essentially performing the same function, they have gone from merely allowing an escape from everyday life for very limited audiences to affecting American society’s values, view of its own culture, and consumerism. With the advent of the gramophone in 1901 people were able to listen to music inside their own homes, as well as were able to easily transport music from one area to another. (Savage 115) It was these earliest recordings brought with the American troops, or doughboys, in WWI that brought jazz, blues, and other American musical styles to Europe. These recordings would heavily influence the shape of the European musical landscape after the war, and also increase the overseas demand for American culture and style. The music and associated dances were completely new to Europeans, and combined with the care free attitude of the Americans it showed what was seen as a hopeful way of life that had all but been forgotten in the war ravaged continent. This craving for American culture would have a large effect on the coming European generations, and would help steer the musical course for the bands that started the British Invasion. Almost simultaneously, nickelodeons started to become popular in urban areas of the United States. Named after their admission price, a nickel, these places showed short motion pictures and were usually located in working class districts. (essortment. com) Since the movies of the time were silent, the theaters usually had a piano or organ to provide music for the film. This was the first time there was a mass media distribution that included both audio and visual components, though the music played varied a bit from theater to theater. As movie technology improved nickelodeons soon ecame out of date, but they laid the ground work for audio and visual pairings in mass media. The rise of national radio broadcasts in the United States would play a huge part in the spread of music around the country. When the national broadcasts went to clear channel, it signaled the rise of weekly radio shows that became standard nationwide. Because of the limited variety of programming at the time, the se programs had a very large audience base. One of these radio shows was Ozzie and Harriet, a family oriented radio show that was based on Ozzie and Harriet Nelson’s family. The show was quite popular on the radio since it portrayed the everyday stereotypical white suburban family. The major leap came when television became the new medium of choice. In 1957 Ozzie and Harriet moved from radio to television, and by this point their son Ricky had also become an integral part of the show. This was during the very beginnings of Rock Roll, and Ozzie saw an opportunity to cross market his son as both an actor and a singer. At the time the genre was represented primarily by figures like Elvis and Chuck Berry who were by considered risque by the elder suburban white population. Ricky Nelson was marketed as a wholesome alternative singing the same style of music, thereby appealing to both the youth and their parents. This was a major step in defining stars in pop culture since it cemented that the performers image could be more important than their musical ability and gave rise to the teen idol culture. Concurrently, since the national broadcasters had begun to focus on television, the local radio stations no longer had time occupied retransmitting the major station broadcasts. Because of this they found it necessary to diversify their offerings to fill the time slots. This allowed them to cater more to their local audience and what they wanted to hear. This heralded the rise of the disc jockey, and because the radio signals reached beyond the immediate locale it broadened the fan base for many musical styles. Programs like Red Hot and Blue in Memphis started playing some more alternative styles, and when it was realized that there was a large demand for this music they became important for the stations and their advertisers. (Miller 35) These shows would play what they pitched as new and â€Å"hot† tracks, thereby pushing their listeners in the directions they wanted. The person that would take this to the next step was Dick Clark with American Bandstand. He very successfully took what these radio shows were doing and applied it to national television. By carefully selecting the performing artists and the kids dancing to the music, he cultivated a very tame and innocent atmosphere for the show. This was integral in changing the image of Rock Roll and its perception by the older generation, and though there had been variety shows for a good number of years, it was the first television show to completely focus on music and giving it a visual component. American Bandstand would go on to be one of the longest running series in television history. Also in the mid-1950s movie industry was becoming more popular than it had ever been, and this was due largely to the trickle down of the post World War II economic boom. Many teens had part time jobs doing things like delivering papers or running errands, and others were given an allowance by their parents. Because they had no bills to pay, all of the income for this demographic was disposable income. This led to almost all of their money being spent on entertainment. You read "The Impact of Technology on Music in the 20th Century" in category "Papers" This started in the early 1900s with the nickelodeons, and then progressed as the movie industry expanded and technology progressed to allow longer films and include audio. When the movie Blackboard Jungle was released in 1955 it brought out a very interesting revelation. The Bill Haley and His Comets’ song â€Å"(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock† was played over the opening credits, and though it had been released the year before it had not fared well at all on the charts. As soon as it was featured in the movie it immediately shot to the top of the charts, where it remained for eight weeks. Covach 78) Alan Freed, a New York City DJ, immediately saw an opportunity and began making movies such as Rock Around the Clock, Rock Rock Rock, and Mr. Rock and Roll. These movies had very little in the way of plot or story line, but focused on promoting some of the hottest musical acts of the time, including Chuck Berry and Little Richard. They also served to further the career of several new artists such as Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. (Covach 84) This would mark the beginning of cross marketing musical stars into movies. The person who is most responsible for the cross genre bridge between music and visual media was Elvis. His start was a humble one, beginning with him paying for his own recording at Sun Records. Sam Phillips thought the he heard something special and signed him. For the first year and a half that after his first Sun recordings, Elvis was primarily known in the south and was relegated to the country charts. It wasn’t until Phillips sold his contract to RCA that Elvis began getting television appearances, starting with Stage Show. Covach 85) The show had poor ratings, but within week of his start there he had become a national phenomenon. This led to his appearances on the Milton Berle show, the Steve Allen show, and culminating in the Ed Sullivan show. With his good looks, sex appeal, and exciting performance style, his television performances rapidly cast him onto the national stage. (Covach 84) This meteoric rise would forever cement the link between image and popularity, an d also add to the â€Å"rags to riches† dream which has always been prevalent in lower and middle class households. Once Freed’s movies started coming out and doing well, RCA was quick to pitch their new star as an actor as well, though more as a feature with hip music in it rather than a sort of American Bandstand movie. The movies Elvis did, such as Jailhouse Rock, fared decently well at the box office, and usually had a single by the same name released concurrently, which in turn became a hit. The companies behind the scenes had realized that by doing this they could have their star produce multiple revenue streams for them. This would lead to a slew of movies following the same formula, especially beach movies with surf music. These movies would prove to be very influential to the images of bands and individual singers for years to come. The next level of combining visual arts and music came in the form of marketing for a band, manifested as The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night. This movie departed from the Elvis style fictional motion picture that just included songs by the featured artists, which were pretty much standard at the time. Rather, this film portrayed The Beatles roughly as their lives actually were. Though exaggerated, they used The Beatles playing themselves showing their daily lives. The use of irony and satire were prevalent throughout the movie, which makes it an entertaining comedy. Even so, the viewer gets the sense that they are connected to the band and has gotten to know them on a personal level, and they could easily be someone down the street. One of the common themes throughout the film is the manager’s futile attempts at controlling the band members. Whenever he tells the band they need to do something like reply to fan mail or stay in the dressing room the first thing that is done is the opposite. Though the band members are always going against what they are being told to do, they always come through to fulfill their responsibilities, usually at the last possible moment. This appealed to both the youth who appreciated the free spiritedness The Beatles exhibited as well as the adults who cared about the example it set of fulfilling responsibility, thereby successfully cross marketing the band to both demographics. All of these events were heavily intertwined with the boom in consumerism in the 1950s and 60s. In an era of excess, the image of success is what was being sold. The idea of the suburban house with two cars and modern amenities was what the older generation who still remembered the depression was being pushed towards. With the surplus of disposable income in the post WWII economic boom, Americans began replacing items rather than fixing them, which let almost all products to be disposable. This attitude carried over to entertainment as well. Because of the short attention span of the general public it was no longer enough to just make good music. The image of the artist and how they were marketed became in some cases more important than the music itself. Rock Roll was integral in the shift of America’s values in 1950s to 1960s towards the liberal side, starting with the youth. The music and the image it portrayed meant different things to different people, usually split by generation, but the successful visual marketing done by some key players helped change the image and soften the transition to allow the older generation to become more receptive to the cultural changes. The liberalization of music and image that started in the 60s would grow by leaps and bounds in the 70s. Artists began to take the alter ego route started by the Beatles with Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and stepped it up a notch. One of the most notable examples of this was Alice Cooper. Alice Cooper’s lead singer, Vincent Furnier, had noticed that most rock stars of the day were portrayed as heroes, but there were few rock villains. He created the persona of Alice Cooper as such a villain and also dressed in tattered women’s clothes to add more social controversy. The biggest break and controversy that really launched the band was the infamous â€Å"Chicken Incident†, where at a show a chicken somehow made its way on stage. Thinking chickens could fly Alice Cooper threw the chicken into the air above the audience thinking it would fly away. Unfortunately, the chicken fell into the audience where it was torn apart. This turned into a story of him biting the head off the chicken and drinking its blood, which made national headlines. As had been learned with Elvis, the only bad press is no press, and this rang true for Alice Cooper as well. Following this, their performances were known for being â€Å"dangerous, dark, and irreverent. † (Covach 344) These shows usually ended with some sort of gruesome death for Alice, frequently beheading or electric chair. This goes to show how important and image and show could be to the career of a band. The next major development in visual and music pairing was MTV. This would go on to change the course of pop music and culture from its inception in 1981 all the way through the present day. MTV was modeled after Top 40 radio, focusing on the most popular artists at the time. In the early days they found that their most successful market was mainly the Midwest, so they focused on playing the mainstream rock artists that were usually white as well. At the same time most videos were shot on shoestring budgets since labels weren’t convinced that music videos would pay off in additional sales. (Covach 451) The view of music videos would change with Michael Jackson. In 1983 â€Å"Billie Jean† was rising in the pop charts, but MTV refused to play the video, presumably because it was thought it wouldn’t appeal to their target audience. After a great deal of pressure from Jackson’s label MTV conceded, and the video became very successful. This brought a significant rise in popularity to both the network and artist, and that in turn showed the labels the importance of music videos. After that, videos were major undertakings with major label backing and significant repercussions. It was found that even if the music wasn’t good, if the artist looked good in the video then they could be successful. This really is a continuation of the teen idol phase of the late 1950s, just taken to the next level and across a broader range of styles, which still continues today. Though MTV had become more popular and mainstream, it also had the double edged effect of negative media attention for the content of the videos it played. Applying images to music that was said to be â€Å"a help to the devil† (Gilmore 263) would bring further scrutiny to the content of the music itself. Though rap music was already under attack from the media and PMRC (Parents Music Resource Commission), videos like that of N. W. A. would further widen the gap. The most important technological advancement of the last 20 years or so is the development of the internet. This one creation has done more to connect the globe and share information than anything else in the history of man. The amount of information that is readily available o anyone with an internet connection is almost incomprehensible. This sharing of information has also had a drastic effect on the music industry and artists. According to Brian Hiatt and Evan Serpick â€Å"the Internet appears to be the most consequential technology shift for selling music since the 1920s. † (Hiatt Serpick) Because of the internet, anyone with a microphone or video camera an d internet access can publish their music. With the advent of some computer programs like Pro-Tools there isn’t even a need for musicianship. This has greatly changed the landscape for artists and how music is viewed socially. Until an artist becomes successful enough for corporations to heavily invest in, the responsibility for creating an image and fan base has largely moved from the label to the artists themselves. No longer does the label sign a band, make a record, and then produce a formulaic video to try to garner interest. Take Arctic Monkeys for example. Their debut album â€Å"Whatever people Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not† released in 2006 became the fastest selling debut album in British music history. (NME) They did this by recording early demos and giving them away on burned CDs at shows. In the digital age, these songs were immediately shared on the internet as well by their fans, which greatly broadened their popularity. Once their popularity was recognized, they were signed and had a huge debut album. This shows the shift in landscape and how the sharing of information and files on the internet can impact such a major industry. Works Cited Covach, John. What’s That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and Its History. New York: W. W. Norton ; Company, 2009. Essortment. com. The Nickelodeon’s History. ; http://www. essortment. com/nickelodeons-history-21268. html;. Gilmore, Mikal. Night Beat: a Shadow History of Rock ; Roll. New York: Anchor Books, 1998. Hiatt, Brian and Evan Serpick. â€Å"The Record Industry’s Decline†. Rolling Stone 19 June 2007: n. pag. Web. Miller, James. Flowers In the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock n’ Roll 1947-1977. New York: Fireside, 1999. NME. com. â€Å"Susan Boyle beats Leona Lewis, Arctic Monkeys to ‘biggest first week sales for UK debut album’ title†. http://www. nme. com/news/various-artists/48619 Samuels, David. Only Love Can Break Your Heart. New York: W. W. Norton Company, 2008. Savage, Jon. Teenage: the prehistory of youth culture: 1875-1945. New York: Penguin Books, 2007. How to cite The Impact of Technology on Music in the 20th Century, Essays

Media Portrayal of Stereo Types free essay sample

Most rappers are black people and the way the media orators them causes people of others races to look at them in a negative manner. To carry on the country singer example, most people look at country singers in a positive manner. The rap music that blasts from the stereo causes stereotypes, maybe that where that word originated from. When a jury member enters the court room those stereotypes are embedded in there subconscious. They may sneak and watch the news or talk to people about the rapper their judging.The usual senior is the prosecutors play the rappers USIA and videos in court, the jurors hear the music and automatically deliberate a guilty verdict based off the rappers violent lyrics. Most rappers have a vivid imagination that should be taken into account but usually that is not the case. The Media caused the death of two famous rappers Tuba Shaker and Biggie Smalls by sensationalistic a fall out between the two rappers. We will write a custom essay sample on Media Portrayal of Stereo Types or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Mr.. Shaker was a complex and sometimes contradictory figure, with a career featuring million-selling albums, gunshot wounds and run-ins with the police.He was an intelligent, vivid writer who had studied acting at the High School of Performing Arts in Baltimore; he was an accomplished rapper with a husky baritone and crisp enunciation. He was also a convicted sex offender, and the words Thug Life and Outlaw were tattooed on his body. Its really unfortunate that the violent perception that the world has of that young man may be exacerbated by the way he died: art is being confused with real life, Mr.. Shakers lawyer, Shawn S. Chapman, said yesterday in Los Angels.There was this wonderful, charming, bright, talented, funny person that no one is going to get to know; they are just going to know this other side. Hopefully, this will have some positive effect on people the gang members who are shooting each other. Although some may say that Tuba laid down in the bed he made, it is always unfortunate when someone with talent dies at such a young age, regardless of circumstances, hopefully the reaction to what has happened will dampen enthusiasm for violence among those who looked up to him, rather than promote it.

Miss Essays (246 words) - Kids, Physical Exercise, Parenting

Miss Most kids love to play sports. Its important to them, but for the majority, its just one type of activity out of many that they do. For a small number of kids, though, a sport becomes their whole life. They spend almost all their time and energy practicing. This has both advantages and disadvantages. Sports are good for young children in many ways. Kids who enjoy sports are likely to have better health. They develop good habits of daily exercise that will keep them healthy as adults, too. Today, many children and adults are overweight, but those who love sports stay in shape. Plus, by developing their physical abilities, they will learn how to work hard towards a goal. Their achievements in sports will make them feel good about themselves. Theyll also make friends and learn teamwork. Sports, whether a little or a lot, can have positive effects. We admire the talent and dedication of young athletes, but we also wonder if theyre losing something. Their focus is very narrow. If they devote most of their time to sports, are they neglecting schoolwork? What about other interests? Children should try out many different activities. In addition, many young athletes are pressured by parents or coaches to succeed. Kids whose drive comes from inside usually do okay, but others can be unhappy and have health and emotional problems. So sports, like anything else in excess, can have negative effects too.

Low Book Sales 11 Methods to Give Your Book a Boost Sell More

Low Book Sales 11 Methods to Give Your Book a Boost Sell More Low Book Sales: 11 Methods to Give Your Book a Boost Sell More You wrote a book for a few reasons†¦To fulfill a need in your life and also likely to make some passive income.Both of which are great reasons to write a book but what if only one outcome is coming to fruition and in fact, you’re not making much- if anything- off the hard work you put into your book?It can be really frustrating but we can help. After all, that’s part of what we do here at Self-Publishing School.Low Book SalesMany self-published authors who are doing this on their own may see an encouraging spike in sales early on in their publishing journey.After their launch, however, they check their stats, only to be let down by the low book sales they see. What happened to this vision of an author who actually made a living from their books?While it’s challenging, making a full-time income from your books is possible. You just have to have the right system in place. Our very own coach here at Self-Publishing School, Lise Cartwright, has been able to grow her passive income to over $4,000 per month in sales.And we want to teach you how to do the same.Nobody likes low book sales. If you did, you’d never publish a book in the first place but instead, just hoard your books for yourself to read.But it’s not always just about the money, either. More book sales means that more people are reading your book and changing their lives as a result.Since sharing your book’s deep purpose is linked to book sales, it’s only reasonable to want to learn how to sell more books.Plus, we all like to be paid fairly for the work we put into our books, right?NOTE: We cover everything in this blog post and much more about how to build a platform and maintain consistent book sales in our Sell More Books Program. Learn more about it hereHow to Sell More BooksSo you did it. You went through the arduous process of self-publishing and now you’re left with more questions than when you started.Since your focus was on actually pub lishing your book, you may have overlooked the very important step of making sure it actually sells.Here at Self-Publishing School, we know what it takes to self-publish and maintain your book sales.Just take a look at this student’s results with our methods. Jed Jurchenko committed, and made it happen, so much so that he’s now one of our very own coaches, so he can teach new students how to implement these techniques in the same way he did.Here’s how you can get rid of your low book sales and actually sell more books. #1 Realize the marketing doesn’t stop once you hit â€Å"publish†The best thing for you to do is realize that just because you’ve published, it doesn’t mean the work is done.In order to maintain steady, continuous book sales, you have to set up a foundation in which you can grow from. This often means marketing regularly in order to keep your book in the limelight.For example, the more you market your book, the more vi sitors you’ll get on your book’s page.Why is this important?Because the Amazon algorithm uses other user’s information to make sure your book pops up in the â€Å"Customers who bought this item also bought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  section, as seen in the example below.The more people visit your book’s page, the more information Amazon gathers about those users, and this helps your book land in that spot, which increases sales.#2 Adjust your book description on AmazonThe description you put on Amazon is much like a short sales letter.Why should someone buy your book? What’s in it for them? If they’re going to be paying you money, they often want to ensure they’re getting their money’s worth.Is your Amazon book description written in a captivating way?This is an example of a strong, powerful book description that helps pull in thousands of dollars in sales per month.Here are a few HTLM tips to ensure your book description on Amazon is hel ping increase your book sales:br Create line breaksem Emphasize the enclosed text in italicsfont Determines the appearance of the text within these bracketsh1 to h6 Determines the size of the text (h1 is the largest)hr This creates a horizontal line used to divide sectionsli is used to create lists (it stands for list item)ol creates a numbered liststrong created bolded textu underlines enclosed textIf you need more help, we have an entire blog post all about this topic, you can read right here.#3 Get more reviewsReviews are so important for book sales. Not only do they help readers discover if the book is a good fit for them, but Amazon relies on book reviews heavily in order to determine where to rank your book.The way the algorithm works is to reward authors who are getting consistent, high rating reviews. Meaning, if your book got 50 4 or 5 star reviews during launch and nothing since, it might fall in the rankings compared to a book that has fewer reviews, but had received the m on a consistent basis.The reason for this is because Amazon wants to promote books that are consistently getting sales and are pleasing the people actually buying them.So it’s your job to get out there and increase your reviews!Here are a few ways you can work to get more reviews (and we have a whole blog post about this here if you want to head over and read that):Add a section about reviewing the book within your bookHost giveaways with a review as one of the criteria to enterRemind people to write a review if they reach out about your bookIn order to increase your book sales, getting more reviews is essential. Don’t underestimate the power of a book review.#4 Create adsIf you’re willing to invest in your book, creating ads on Amazon and even BookBubs is a great way to increase your sales.Make sure you’re not putting more in than what you’re making. In order to ensure you’re using the ads to the best of your abilities, check out this po st about how to create unique Amazon ads to help your book stand out against the rest.#5 Host a relaunchA great way to help your book gain momentum again is to host a relaunch. This could be just a fun event where you get another launch team together to promote your book, or you could also put out a hardcover copy and host a launch for it.As of right now, Amazon does not allow printing of hardcover books, but you can use other sources like IngramSpark for your hardcover.This will bring new attention to your book and when you have more than one version (paperback, hardback, and kindle), you’re seen as more of an authority, which can skyrocket your sales.#6 Reassess your keywords on AmazonAuthors need to start treating Amazon like a search engine, because that’s what it is. But in its case, you’re searching for products and not just information, like you do in Google.Without hitting the right keywords, you can lose out on sales that should rightfully be yours, s imply because your book isnt’ showing up when someone looks for its contents.Take this, for example.If you search for the term â€Å"be happier† in the â€Å"books† category on Amazon, a number of results pop up.We go into even more details of this in our VIP Self-Publishing course, which you can check out right here.#7 Assess your categoriesThe categories you place your book in can make or break your chances of becoming an Amazon bestselling author!Do not make light of this.When you put in your information on Amazon, you’re able to select which categories your book belongs in. These are what’s shown in the example image below.We have a blog post covering this topic in much more detail than you can read right here, but we’ll give you the basics for getting approved for more categories:Use Amazon Keyword Selection. Place your categories in strategic places.Contact Amazon. These category placements are what will attract the right readers and help you become a bestseller remember that!#8 Upgrade your author bioYou want to make sure that people searching Amazon for the types of books you write can find you easily. And sometimes, that means optimizing your Amazon Author bio so others can do so.Take this example of Joanna Penn’s author bio.As you can see, she has a few keywords right away in her biography, which can help those searching for authors who cover the same material she does.Not only that, but she also posts â€Å"author updates† to keep her bio fresh. This shows others that she’s active, which can motivate them to purchase from her, since they know she’s frequently available.#9 Get book endorsementsBook endorsements are one of the best ways you can place yourself as more of an authority in your field. When others see that your book has an endorsement by someone they deem as highly credible, it can prompt them to purchase from you.The reason for this is because they already trust the person who is endorsing you.Since they may not have heard of you before, they might feel less inclined to purchase from you.But having a book endorsement from someone they trust will help calm their qualms so they purchase.Take this example of a book endorsement by one of our students, Cloris Kylie, and her book Beyond Influencer Marketing.#10 Land interviewsInterviews are a powerful way to get your name out and show people just how much you know about the topic you’ve discussed.Whether this is an in-person interview, like one of our youngest students, Emma Sumner as she discusses her book, The Fairies of Waterfall Island: The Search for the Missing Crystal, or an interview on a podcast, you can only benefit from allowing others to ask you questions about your book. Because you’re leveraging someone else’s audience, you can increase your book sales from those who may not have been able to find you or your book through other means.#11 Be consistentOverall, the best thing you can do for you and your low book sales is to be consistent with your methods of marketing.As scary as the term â€Å"marketing† can be, there are many ways you can up your exposure in order to increase your book sales.Our most successful students are those who put in the work and remain consistent in their efforts to sell more books.What’s to do NextAre you ready to increase your low book sales and turn your passion into consistent passive income?Were ready for you!

Definition and Examples of Vogue Words

Definition and Examples of Vogue Words A vogue word is a fashionable word or phrase that tends to lose its effectiveness through overuse. Also called a  voguism. Vogue words, says Kenneth G. Wilson, are perfectly good Standard English words that suddenly become modish, so that for a time we hear them being used everywhere, by everyone, until we are utterly sick of them (The Columbia Guide to Standard American English, 1993). Examples and Observations [Some] vogue words are technical words clumsily applied to other fields. These include parameter, bottom line, interface, mode, and space; phrases like immediate feedback and close the loop; and, in a sense, ballpark figure, and touch base with you.(Matt Young, The Technical Writers Handbook: Writing With Style and Clarity. University Science Books, 2002)IconicMr. Leopold is not turning 95 years old, but his iconic ice cream business is. . . .Now owned by Peters youngest son, Stratton, and his wife Mary, the iconic sweets shop on Broughton Street still serves its premium recipes in a fun, retro-style soda shop. . . .She says they plan to offer plenty of room for guests to find a seat while hot dogs will be for sale and the iconic Leopolds portable carts will be on hand outside the store.(BDay Bash: Leopolds Celebrates 95 Years. Savannah Morning News, August 14, 2014)ArtisanThere are, I think, two ways one could read the fact that McDonalds is using the word  artisan  to market it s chicken. On the one hand, it could be a self-aware joke meant to finally deal a death blow to one of the most grating words in the pop lexicon. The king of mass-produced fast food has officially appropriated a phrase that once denoted something expensive and handmade, thus rendering it fully devoid of meaning. In which case: McDonalds 1, upper-middle-class foodies 0.The other possibility: The chain is struggling to  reverse its sales woes, and bewildered by the brave new world ushered in by Shake Shack and Chipotle, it has latched on to artisan as an inadvertently desperate-sounding synonym for less industrial.†(Jordan Weissmann, McDonald’s, Bewildered by Modernity, Is Now Selling an Artisan Chicken Sandwich. Slate, April 27, 2015) Favorite and Least Favorite Words: Awe and Awesome!- Awe, a word we are about to lose, that has been robbed of its meaning by the unfortunate adjective awesome. Awe meaning ecstatic, reverential feeling before Beauty, before the Magnificent. Awesome, a tiresome word, flung indiscriminately in all directions, on all occasions until it has become so trivial, it is valueless.Awe, to be used on rare occasions before the marvelous, the extraordinary. It conveys wonder and amazement. Even the sound conveys a feeling. Saying the word, the mouth opens in speechless delight before that which is greater than the self.(Elizabeth Strong-Cuevas, quoted by Lewis Burke Frumkes in Favorite Words of Famous People. Marion Street Press, 2011)- In a world of sensory overload, most terms of acclaim are exaggerations. A pile of french fries hardly makes us tremble in awe, yet we call it awesome, exaggerating for the sake of persuasion. But because awesome is so worn out, the exaggeration doesnt register; it needs an element of novelty to help it to do so. Novelty gets attention. The fries were industrial-strength awesome. The ride was shiver-me-timbers awesome.(Arthur Plotnik, Better Than Great: A Plenitudinous Compendium of Wallopingly Fresh Superlatives. Cleis Press, 2011)- Im just amazed that hundreds of people can gobble up this malarkey and repeat it, with straight faces. Im equally amazed by the high regard in which HubSpot people hold themselves. They use the word awesome incessantly, usually to describe themselves or each other. Thats awesome! Youre awesome! No, youre awesome for saying that Im awesome!(Dan Lyons, Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble. Hachette, 2016)- Vogue words like  awesome  catch on because everyone is using them, and they irritate because everyone is using them. Adopters hear other people using  awesome  to indicate enthusiastic approval generally and pick it up because it gives them a sense of solidarity and group identity. Scorner s resist  awesome  because they do not care to sound like those people.Acceptance or rejection of group identity sharpens the reactions.For example, sticklers will likely carp about impoverishment of vocabulary and semantic drift,  awesome  in the enthusiastic approval generally sense having little or nothing to do with  awe  (just as they would previously have objected to  terrible  for its attenuated connection to  terror). For the stickler, disapproval is a badge of cultural and social superiority. For the adopter, approval is a thumb in the eye of the pretentious.(John E. McIntyre, Shock and Awesome. The Baltimore Sun, December 23, 2015) ViableViable means workable and likely to survive. It has become a vogue word and is commonly used in the sense of workable or achievable. Adjectives such as durable, lasting, effective, and practical are more appropriate.(James S. Major, Writing Classified and Unclassified Papers in the Intelligence Community. Scarecrow Press, 2009)Associate You walk into a PetSmart, a supermarket for dog and cat supplies that allows customers to shop along with their animal companions. You hear a voice on a loudspeaker say urgently, Would an associate report to the rubber-toys aisle. Instantly, a guy with a mop and pail appears, zeros in on the puddle behind a shamefaced puppy and takes care of the problem.The job title of the person doing the mopping-up is associate. No longer is today’s man with a muck rake termed an employee; that description is deemed demeaning. Associate hints at managerial equality.(William Safire, On Language: Vogue-Word Watch. The New York Times, July 15, 2009)Unacce ptableWhy is everyone using the word unacceptable lately? An irate woman on Five Live phoned in this morning and said that it was completely unacceptable that the banks were gambling with our money.Tonight, on East Midlands Today, after a disturbing report about a sawn-up body found in a wheelie bin in a Nottingham suburb, a policeman said, This is a quiet residential area and, as such, this crime is totally unacceptable.A neighbour who was interviewed in the street said, I noticed the bin had been out on the pavement for three days, which is obviously unacceptable.(Sue Townsend, Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years. Penguin, 2010) ImageA great darling among the loosely used pseudoscientific vogue words of recent years is image in the sense impression that others subconsciously have of someone. A jaundiced observer of modern life might well suppose that what we actually are is not nearly so important as the image we are ableto use another vogue wordto project.(John Algeo and Thomas Pyles, The Origins and Development of the English Language, 5th ed. Thomson, 2005)FeedbackFeedback. In its rigorous scientific sense, feedback is the return to an input of part of its output, so as to provide self-corrective action. Feedback is a vogue word in a loose sense for which response would be a perfectly adequate alternative, as in we got a lot of valuable feedback on our advertising campaign.(Ernest Gowers, et al. The Complete Plain Words, rev. ed. David R. Godine, 1988)How to Resist Vogue WordsThe best way to offset the harm of vogues is to stick resolutely, in speech and writing, to each vogue words central meaning. Addre ss an audience or a postcard, but not a problem or a question. Call a substance or a temperament volatile, but not an issue or a situation. Express sympathy far and wide, but keep empathy for aesthetics or psychiatry. Remember Tiny Tim and avoid naming things minuscule or minimal.(Jacques Barzun, Simple Direct: A Rhetoric for Writers. Harper Row, 1975)

Developing self-awareness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Developing self-awareness - Essay Example At the same time, continuous self-examination of feelings and emotions within a person opens a way to self-mastery. This paper is an examination of the â€Å"self† and â€Å"others† processes. It directly discusses my self-awareness skills and how I can understand and improve it in my daily interactions. I understand that both positive and negative feedback are important to me and in order to improve, I should share with others what I feel. I am not aware of my cognitive style and how I process information and this needs improvement. My emotional maturity is not much improved and I only show the capacity to develop it. I struggle a lot to hide my emotions and try to rationalize them. However, sometimes I become emotional before thinking which lands me in saying unintended things to others. This has made me try my best to withhold my emotions as much as I can and dealing with them later by confronting myself. I do not like being uncertain about everything and I try my best to master situations otherwise I quit. I realize that I am quite principled in my behaviour because I have tried my best to nourish it since my early age. I also like being aware of what happens around me and rarely feel angry, depressed or anxious without knowing the reason. Sometimes I annoy others unknowingly an d I like apologizing where possible. I like having someone close to me to share my personal feelings When upset, I look into the problems without sometimes facing the real persons. I am concerned with others and like remaining in touch, though am less group-oriented. I like consulting others just as I tell others what I do not like. I like helping people opposed to each other to find something they can agree upon. In situations needing my attention such that I have to leave work early, I tend to exaggerate a bit to my colleagues of a duty I cannot fail to attend. I do not like people who yell at me when they are angry and

Experiencing Work Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Experiencing Work - Research Paper Example Dedication to his career is one of his most admirable characteristics. He does not mind spending long hours in school. He values each minute spent tutoring students who are having a hard time understanding their lessons. He does not only teach them math, he is also considered by most students as their best friend. Most students come to him to ask for advice with regards to their other subjects or even about their personal problems. When asked why he chose the teaching profession, when it is a job which is not financially rewarding, he smiles and answers, â€Å"Money is not the most important thing in this world. What is more rewarding is being able to help other people.† He adds, â€Å"My reward is not in this world. Mine is in heaven.† He said that he was once offered by a large company to be part of its training department. It offered a very lucrative salary with several fringe benefits to go with it. He refused the job because he knew that he will not be happy working for that firm. He said that he will not find fulfillment in a job with a high salary if he does not enjoy doing it. While other employees hate waking up each morning because they will be doing the same boring job again, he always thanks God for another day where he can share his talents and skills with other people. He said that he is one of the lucky persons who have found his true vocation. It has brought meaning to his life. At night, when he feels so tired from a days’ work, he just thinks of the number of children whom he has taught that day and all the tired muscles seem to go away. The satisfaction that he gets from teaching is more than enough to relax him at night. He also said that another reason why he enjoys his profession is that he always feels young and energetic being with young people every day. His pupils serve as his inspiration

Biochip technology Essay Example for Free

Biochip technology Essay The term global village is one popularized by Canadian communications theorist Marshall McLuhan to refer to the ability of electronic communications technologies to collapse notions of geography and disrupt the conventional wisdom by which society appraises time-space relations. At the heart of the concept of the global village is the idea that because electronic communications technology are exponentially increasing their ability to abnegate space and time limitations, they enable individuals, societies and institutions to operate on a larger scale than before – phone calls can be made across greater distances at reduced costs, e-mails allow instantaneous transmission of readable content and cellular technology increases the mobility of telephony. Whereas the domain we used to operate on was on the village-scale, it is now global: a global village. McLuhan effectively celebrated the development of the global village because he believed that it would expand our social consciousness. Not necessarily make us more socially conscious, but at the very least increase the scale by which we already think. Where we used to think primarily in terms of local affairs and developments that are mostly proximate to our surroundings, the ability to transmit developments instantaneously means that citizens can now think on an enlarged scale. More enthusiastic neo-McLuhanists maintain that the global village will eradicate all barriers to cultures, nations and political institutions. However, there is some concern that this is not entirely a good thing. For example, some have worried that expanding the individual consciousness to meet the scale of the global village comes at a cost. In effect, by thinking on the global scale, individuals may find themselves effectively disengaged from local concerns and proximate issues and at the very worse actively following developments in communities they have no power to affect, and disengaged from local developments that they could realistically make a difference in. Castells (1997) contends, however, that the globalizing effects of Internet and other similar networking technologies will not necessarily eradicate political boundaries. Rather the side effect of the Information Age is that many of the things that have come to define the nation state will be effectively downsized. Sovereignty will no longer figure in the absolute sense that we have understood it before, but rather, nation-states will exist solely due to the network of alliances, commitments, responsibilities and subordinations that are more than just existent for the benefit of the state, but are necessary to its existence, and this becomes possible due to the ability to instantiate relationships through networking technologies. It is this component of Castell’s understanding of globalizing effects which hold some consonance with the views of Ulrich Beck. Beck maintains that much of the failure to really take measure of the effects of globalization is derived from a limited understanding of it. Beck contends that globalization is not something that is limited to economic relationships and complex trade relations, but something that occurs in the most internalized sense, such as the ways by which we navigate culture and social relationships in an expanded transnational view that is the result of a national sense sublimated by globalizing technologies, cultural exchanges and international relationships. However, because of the co-dependencies brought upon by the transition into Castell’s â€Å"network state,† there is a risk that globalization will erode what sovereignty and democracy there is in the weaker nation-states. In other words, rather than acting as a force for solidarity, globalization could erode democratic controls and constitute a political and economic injustice to the nation-state. This is possible when a nation-state is unable to negotiate for the betterment of its community (whether through incompetence and corruption from the weaker country, or exploitation and deception from the stronger one. ) Globalization cannot end democracy per se, but it risks compromising it to the point of rendering it ineffective. REFERENCES Castells, M 1997, The End of the Millennium, The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture Vol. 3. Blackwell, Cambridge, Massachussetts. Beck, U 2000, What is Globalization? Polity Press, Cambridge. McLuhan, M 1986, The Global Village, Oxford University Press: New York.

John Rawls’s The Law of Peoples :: John Rawls Law Peoples Essays

John Rawls’s The Law of Peoples From its beginnings, Edward Said's Orientalism (1978) has produced conflict in post-colonial studies. Does Professor Said’s theory suggest global implications and/or strategies as Culture and Imperialism (1993) argues? Or does the East of Orientalism belong only to the Middle East and particularly to Middle Eastern studies? Is there a monolithic "Othering" at work? Or do resistive pockets exist within Western imperial discourse? Perhaps the thorniest issue, however, concerns the stance from which to view global issues of imperialism and colonization. Ethical decisions—judgments, in a word—should play a large part in post-colonial theorizing and critiques. But on what basis can judgments be made? Where should accountability lie? And if there is accountability, how can it be enforced? Moreover, there has been a recent shift in the major players in the 21st century version of the Great Game. Said and Bhabha have, in characteristically fine ways, questioned the stability of the term â€Å"nation.† â€Å"National identity† may now be seen more as a â€Å"notional identity.† But does it matter any more? Does national identity even count? These questions come on the heels of global political reactions to global capitalist institutions (multinational corporations) and the global political institutions wholly owned and operated by them. By global capitalist institutions, I mean organizations like Bertelsmann, Aramco, Merck, Sony, Microsoft, Daimler-Benz, and so on. By global political institutions, I refer to the World Bank, the IMF, the WTO, and the various protectors of Intellectual Property. Imperialism and colonization must now be looked at in terms of these global institutions, rather than in political or even cultural terms. The dichot omies first world/third world, east/west, north/south, developed/underdeveloped do not hold the relevance they once had. There are thus two issues to be faced: first, how to establish a foundational basis for ethical judgments, and second, how to theorize resistance to the new economic imperialism which has changed rather radically from the old imperialism of nation-state or region and which has rendered Samuel Huntington’s â€Å"clashes of culture† obsolete. Critics of both of these situations must ask where to look for guiding principles upon which to base judgments within a global context. I want to avoid both the hegemonic â€Å"westernization† of democratic/capitalist values and the seemingly benign cultural relativism that avoids any standards of ethical or political judgment.

Coming of Age: Esperanza Rising Essay

Most kids seem to think that going to school and getting an education is boring and even a waste of time but that was not the case for these two girls. Francie Nolan and Esperanza Cordero are two very different characters that come from very different backgrounds. However, for both of them, education played a pivotal role as they matured. It helped them escape reality, and opened the door for a better life. For Francie Nolan education was something that was always stressed in her family. Her mother Katie made her and Neeley read either the encyclopedia or some of the works of Shakespeare, every night before they went to bed. This greatly expanded their knowledge and vocabulary. Also, since she started them doing this at a young age what they read would help shape their mind and the lessons and things they might have learned would stay with them forever. Some things she read like A Midsummer Night’s Dream have very vivid descriptions of setting and very intriguing characters. I think that after Francie reads these novels she tries to come up with her own descriptions for Brooklyn, â€Å"Prairie was lovely and Shenandoah had a beautiful sound but you couldn’t fit these words into Brooklyn. Serene was the only word. Especially on a Saturday afternoon in the summer.†(Smith 1) These words show how Francie describes her city and the words she uses are far more advanced than what any other child her age would be Steers 2 saying. Therefore, this shows the positive effect that reading Shakespeare has had on her. Besides the books she is forced to read at night, Francie takes her education into her own hands. Every Saturday, while most other kids she knows, including her own brother Neeley, are outside playing or picking rags to give to the junkman, Francie goes to the library. â€Å"It was an old shabby place but Francie thought it was beautiful. The feeling she had about it was the same feeling she had about church.†(Smith 20) This shows me that Francie feels safe in the library and she goes there to escape reality, to dive into the new and exciting worlds those books present to her. The books also help Francie escape reality in the sense that they give her peace in a time and a city where that was hard to find. â€Å"†¦ She read, at peace with the world and as happy as a little girl could be with a good book and a bowlful of candy.†(Smith 24) As she watches from her perch on a tree outside her window, â€Å"Kids ran in and out, going to and returning from the butcher’s, the grocer’s, and the bakers†(Smith 24) From Francie’s perspective all the kids, most of them probably around her age, are very stressed as they run around doing errands for their parents. Francie is able to avoid that stress by reading. Esperanza is slightly different from Francie. She uses her writing, not reading as a way for her to escape her reality. Specifically, Esperanza is interested in writing poems. She would always read her poems to her Aunt Lupe. Sadly, her Aunt Lupe dies of a mysterious disease and Esperanza no longer had anyone to share with. That was made even worse by the fact that Esperanza felt partially responsible for her Aunt’s death. That responsibility, even if it was not actually hers, was a big burden on Steers 3 Esperanza. Then Esperanza remembered something that her Aunt had said to her the last time that Esperanza had shared one of her poems with her aunt. â€Å"That’s nice. That very good she said in her tired voice. Esperanza, you must remember to keep writing. Always keep writing. It will keep you free.†(Cisneros 61) Esperanza had said that at the time she did not know what her Aunt Lupe meant, and when I first read that line, I had no idea either, but after reading it over I realized that she meant that Espeanza’s  writing would keep her free from reality and that no matter what happened to her, she could always find relief in writing. In the last vignette in the novella Esperanza says, â€Å" I make a story for my life, each step my brown shoe takes†¦ I like to tell stories. I am going to tell you the story of a girl who didn’t want to belong.†(Cisneros 109) This quote gave me the idea that the whole novella could have been Esperanza writing down her memories from Mango Street, as a way of letting go and moving on to the next place. However, that idea is not supported throughout the whole novella. In some vignettes, use of the resent tense makes it seem like Esperanza wrote things down as they happened and then later went back and edited them or added details. She is using her writing to set her self-free like her Aunt Lupe said. The last way that Esperanza is using writing to free herself and escape reality is that she is always going to be writing wherever she goes. One of the last lines of the novella is, â€Å"And I packed up my papers and pencil as I say goodbye to Mango Street.†(Cisneros 112) This shows that no matter where she goes or whatever troubles may befall her in her new home she will always have her writing to help escape reality and let go of the bad times. Steers 4 Another way that education helped Francie as she matured was that it helped open doors for her that led to a better life than what she had in Brooklyn. Francie was excited for school but she found the local public school cruel and mean, â€Å"and her learning was juxtaposed with the cruelties of the teacher’s and students.†(Smith 156) This quote clearly shows that the public school was not a good place to learn and that Francie would not be able to get a good education there. However, that did not stop her from getting an education. Her mother largely supported this. She pretended that she lived in a richer section of town, and her mother paid extra tuition so that she could go to a better school and receive a better education. I think one of the main reasons for this is that Katie, one of the â€Å"proud and strong Rommely women†, was too proud so she would not allow her daughter to receive a sub-par education. In this new school, children were not judged based on how rich or poor they were. Later on in the novel, after eighth grade graduation, when Katie is unable to support all three  kids after Johnny’s death and Francie’s education is cut short so that she can get a job and help support her family. At first this seemed unjust that Katie would have Francie deprived of an education when she could clearly do more with a good education and would do more things than Neeley would. I thought that Francie would feel indignant, about this treatment, however, the job did not discourage Francie from pursuing her education. Even though the Nolan’s could only afford to send one child to high school,(and Katie chose to send Neeley), Francie still found a way to enroll in college summer classes and was still able to pursue her dream of higher education. When I reflected on this I realized that Katie probably knew that Francie would not ever stop her from getting an education whereas she would Steers  have to force Neeley to go to school in order for him to get educated because he had an infinitesimal desire to learn. This really reinforced how passionate Francie is about her education, which was shown in the first chapters where she would go to the library and read books rather than spend her Saturday outside with the neighborhood kids. â€Å"Francie liked school in spite of all the meanness, cruelty and unhappiness. The regimented routine of many children, all doing the same thing at once, gave her a feeling of safety.†(Smith 161) This quote shows how Francie likes school because in a busy world, it is one of the few places that mollifies her anxiety. Francie ends up matriculating to college at the University of Michigan where she will finally get the education she deserves. The novel comes together and Francie finally is able to leave Brooklyn. Education opened doors for her and allowed her to lead a better life. Esperanza’s education and writing also opened doors for her and allowed her to leave Mango Street and let go of all the bad memories she had there. The writing helped very much as she matured and provided an outlet that she greatly needed in order to â€Å"let go† of Mango Street so she could move on and lead a good life. During her one year tenure on Mango Street Esperanza experiences and goes through many different and powerful things. She makes friends, hits puberty and becomes interested in boys, and even is sexually assaulted and betrayed by people who she thought were her friends. Many of these things would have been difficult to deal with, even traumatizing, if  Esperanza did not have her writing to use as an outlet. At the end of the novella, days before Esperanza is due to leave Mango Street her friend Alicia says, â€Å"Like it or not you are Mango Street. It is a part of you now.†(Cisneros 107) In this, Alicia is saying that Steers   Esperanza may leave the house on Mango Street but she will never be able to leave behind all of the memories she has there. If this was true, I think that it would be detrimental to Esperanza as she matures even more in becoming a true adult because during her time on Mango Street, she had some adult experiences and went through too much too fast. I believe that if Esperanza were unable to truly leave behind Mango Street it would hinder her maturing greatly. However, because of her writing, Esperanza can write everything down as a way of distancing herself from her experiences on Mango Street. This will make so that she can mature as an adult without complications and eventually make her able to lead a successful and fulfilling life. Both of these young women use education as the focal point of their coming of age. It helps them to escape their realities and let things go, and also to pursue higher education and a better life so that later they may come back and help others do the same. Works Cited Page †¢ Smith, Betty. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. New York: HarperPerennial, 2006. Print. †¢ Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: A.A. Knopf, 1994. Print.

Caring for Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease does not form part of the common ageing process but a higher risk of experiencing this disease is more prevalent in the older population. Alzheimer’s disease emerged as a term when Dr. Alois Alzheimer reported in 1906 the condition of a fifty-five year-old woman suffering from the effects of progressive dementia, a condition that is strongly linked to old age. Edwards et al.Due to the progressive nature of the disease, the individual with Alzheimer’s disease together with the community within which the individual belongs also becomes affected. In the latter stages of the disease, the individual may suffer dementia manifested in the disorientation of surroundings, inability to recognize family members, and lack of awareness of daily needs and wants.Mahoney (2003) states that around four million of the American population is already suffering from Alzheimer’s disease with the number expected to multiply three-fold in 2050. The effects of the disease together with the expected increase in the population of people with Alzheimer’s disease has given importance to the enhancement of knowledge and practical experience on the part of caregivers with family members suffering from Alzheimer’s disease stressing on vigilance as a standard of care.Family Caregivers of Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s disease has been the subject of many studies covering its various areas from the determination of the causes and effects of this disease to the access and availability of healthcare for people with Alzheimer’s disease and then to the focus on caregivers and care giving standards.Some studies on caregivers are continuing because of the need to collect and collate information on the importance of families caring for members with Alzheimer’s disease together with the concurrent important role of nurses and other healthcare professionals in providing family caregivers with the informative and other forms of support they need to take on the task of dealing with the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Mahoney (2003) explains that caregiver burden emerged in studies on the caregivers of family members with Alzheimer’s disease to describe the aggregate demands and issues faced by the caregivers.These cover the financial burden incurred by the family in caring for their family member with Alzheimer’s disease from seeking professional healthcare to continuing care at home as well as the emotional and social burdens of seeing or experiencing the symptoms of dementia such as the inability of the individual with Alzheimer’s to recognize family members or frequent disorientation. The failure of family caregivers to understand and effectively deal with these demands and issues could lead to fatigue and stress or even to psychological problems on the part of family caregivers.This means that apart from studying the cause, effect and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, there is also need to focus on providing multi-faceted support to family caregivers based on the underlying principle that family caregivers also need care. This implies the important role of health professionals, especially nurses that constantly deal with family caregivers to extent care to family caregivers. Care Issues of Family CaregiversWith the expected increase in the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease in the succeeding decades, it is then important to make sure of the proper care not only for the patients but for their caregivers as well. As individuals depend on them for optimum care so that keeping abreast with current care giving trends and applications covering patient care and keeping themselves less stressed and fatigued are imperative. This ensures the caregiver’s health and competence in handling Alzheimer’s disease cases and patients.Sufficient and relevant data exist that prove the increased probability of caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease to experience symptoms related to depression. The financial burden, coupled by the physical and emotional turmoil of caring for elderly with Alzheimer’s may be some reasons for the increased risk of depression and health problems of caregivers. Wykle (1996) conducted an earlier study on family caregivers and recognized the extent that the Alzheimer’s disease takes its toll on the families caring for their members suffering from this disease.While studies on the cause and cure of Alzheimer’s disease are ongoing, there is also need to conduct parallel studies on alleviating the stress and pressure on families caring for their members with Alzheimer’s disease. Based on the recognition of the increases responsibility of families in caring for members with Alzheimer’s disease, these families are calling for appropriate and effective interventions in reducing family stress and supporting caregivers man aging the manifestations of dementia. After almost a decade, studies on caring for family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease continue to advance.Vitaliano, Katon and Unutzer (2005) studied caregiver health in the context of geriatric psychiatry in the five areas of: 1) caregiver outcomes in relation to the manifestations of the link between caregiver distress and physical indices in order to determine the intervention to caregivers; 2) assessing caregiver status and condition; 3) relationship between the caregiver and the recipient of care; 4) future studies; and 5) important areas to consider in applying interventions to family caregivers.These constitute important considerations for nurses providing support and care to family caregivers. Nursing Support for Family Caregivers Roper, Logan and Tierney (2001) developed a model for nursing care that incorporates a consideration of five factors, which are:1) activities of living,2) lifespan,3) continuous relationshi p of dependence and independence,4) factors affecting activities of living,5) individuality in living experiences.This means that throughout a person’s lifetime, a number of biological, psychological and environmental factors experienced by individuals either improve or threaten the physical, mental and emotions well-being of individuals. To prevent the threats, individuals engage in preventive activities such as being in a safe environment, communication, and having a healthy lifestyle. People go through these activities with other people, such as other family members, other families and healthcare professional, creating a continuous relationship of dependence and independence with the dependenceIn relation to nursing support for family caregivers, this model suggests that nurses play the important role of supporting family caregivers especially in the stages of dependence. This means that importance of determining when the dependence stages occur, the extent of support need ed by family caregivers, and the appropriate intervention to apply. To assist nurses in this task, Mahoney (2003) discuss the model of vigilance that applies to the relationship between the family caregiver and care recipient and the nurse’s relationship with the caregiver and care recipient.By applying the concepts of watchful supervision, protective intervening, anticipating, being on duty, and being there, patients with Alzheimer’s disease will be effectively cared for by family caregivers in the same way that family caregivers will be supported by nurses and other healthcare professionals. Salient Learning on Family Caregivers of Person’s with Alzheimer’s Disease Proper orientation prior to taking on the job of caring for family members with Alzheimer’s disease is important, so is periodic evaluation and assessment of the patient’s condition and the degree of influence it has over the caregiver.Caregivers must also allow sufficient time for leisure activities, rest and relaxation. It is also important for caregivers to be aware of the symptoms which may lead to their stress and fatigue. The symptoms they must look out for include denial, short and hot temper, anger (which may be prolonged or manifested in spurts), withdrawal from family members, friends and activities which were enjoyed previously, anxiety and agitation, sleeplessness, irritability, and exhaustion.These symptoms, if undetected, may give rise to serious health problems or even depression later on. Nurses play an important role in facilitating understanding and stress alleviation. Important Topics for Continuous Learning Although many studies have directed focus on diagnosing and treating family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, there are still areas that need further investigations and learning.On the part of nurses providing support to family caregivers, the existence of healthcare infrastructures to support the recognition of the importance of supporting family caregivers through the sharing of knowledge and experience to family caregivers constitutes one important topic for learning. This is because it is common for hospitals and nursing homes not to have their own Alzheimer’s disease care unit. Nurses and other healthcare providers may be commonly assigned from one station or area to the next which may limit the expertise gained if the said people concentrate only on a particular area.The lack of an Alzheimer’s disease unit may be due to lack of funds, hospital space, facilities, and different priorities. A possible area of learning could be the viability of establishing Alzheimer’s disease units in hospitals or nursing homes or stationing nurses in the care of Alzheimer’s patients to allow nurses to develop learning and best practices not only in treating patient’s with Alzheimer’s disease that they can use in understanding the issues of family caregivers and they can share as practical lessons to family caregivers.Another possible area of learning could be the differences in the experiences of family caregivers, caring for family members with varying manifestations of dementia, in terms of the degree of stress and fatigue and ways they apply in care giving. Concurrently, effective practical means that caregivers apply to alleviate care giving burden such as relaxation and leisure or group support become equally important. These areas of learning constitute important consideration in the orientation, evaluation, training and development of nursing care to family caregivers to assure the best care possible given to and extended to care recipients.Pertinent Actual and Potential Nursing Diagnoses of Family Caregivers Enough relevant and significant data are available that discusses the high risk of clinical depression and anxiety in family caregivers. The said depression and anxiety may be a result of the demanding physical and emotional w ork that caregivers who take care of patients with Alzheimer’s disease experience daily as part of their care routine. This may give rise to certain conditions that afflict the caregiver him/herself.â€Å"Hidden† patient is the term used to describe nurses or caregivers who suffer from anxiety and clinical depression, coupled with health problems (Parks and Novielli, 2003). Hidden in a sense that their despair and symptoms are commonly denied, not given attention to, or altogether ignored, which may give rise to graver threats later on. Caregiver depression is a condition that family caregivers may experience. These include persistent and untreatable pains and aches, irritability, weight loss and loss of appetite, exhaustion and lack of energy, insomnia and feelings of guilt and anxiety (Vitaliano, Katon, & Unutzer, 2005).Thus, nurses supporting caregivers should be well aware of the symptoms that may lead caregiver depression. Conclusion Due to the extent of the impac t of Alzheimer’s disease to the various people, including the family of the individual suffering from the disease, other people comprising the social network of the patient, and healthcare professionals, there is need to apply collaborative learning and information sharing in order to derive optimum and comprehensive understanding of best practices on the alleviation of the care giving burden of family caregivers.This is important since family caregivers able to handle and adjust to the care giving burden would lead to effective care outcomes for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.References Edwards, J. , Handy, R. , Lancaster, M. , & Turnbull, J. (Eds. ) (1998).Alzheimer's Disease: A Handbook for Caregivers. St. Louis, M. O. : Mosby. Mahoney, D. F. (2003).Vigilance: Evolution and Definition for Caregivers of Family Members with Alzheimer’s Disease. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 29, 24-30 Parks, S. M. , & Novielli, K. D. (2003).Alzheimer's Disease Caregivers : Hidden Patients. Clinical Geriatrics, 11(5), 14-16. Roper, N. , Logan, W. , & Tierney, A. (2001).Roper-Logan-Tierney Model of Nursing: Based on Activities of the Living. London: Churchill Livingston. Vitaliano, P. P. , Katon, W. , & Unutzer, J. (2005).Making the Case for Caregiver Research in Geriatric Psychiatry. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 13, 834-843. Wykle, M. L. (1996).Interventions for Family Management of Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. International Psychogeriatrics, 8, 109-111.

Palestinian Conflict essays

The Origins of Israeli/Palestinian Conflict essays The origins of the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict For most of the past century, Middle East has been the center of violence and carnage. The Palestinians and the Israelis-two peoples fighting over one land. Most of us has grown up watching and hearing about these two groups and their clashes. We hear about the invasion and the massacre of the Palestinian territory and people by the Israeli soldiers. Or we hear about the suicide bombings carried out by Palestinian men, women, and even children these days. With all the anger and animosity that exists between these two people, one might wonder if this mess will ever be resolved. But before we begin looking for solutions, lets look at how it all started. The roots of the problem dates back to late 1800s with the creation of a movement called Zionism. The movement started mainly among European and Russian Jews who called for a national home for Jews in Palestine. The concept of Zionism was brought up by a Viennese journalist named Theordor Herzl in 1896. In his book, Der Judenstaat, he brought to the worlds attention that the Jews should have their own sovereign nation-state. (Schafer) Jewish claims were that the Palestinian lands were promised to them by God and that they have a right to return to their promised land. Thus, they started migrating to Palestine. Huge pieces of land were bought by wealthy European Jews which allowed them to built communities. Slowly but steadily the number of immigrants increased to the point that they were faced with opposition from the Palestinians. (Schafer) At the beginning of World War I, the British empires dependency on Suez canal and Persian Gulf increased with their presence in India. They were faced with opposition when the Ottoman Empire, who controlled the Middle East region, joined forces with Germany. Thus, the British, in order to strengthen its position in the region, looked for support from Jewish i...

Word Choice Bare vs. Bear - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog

Word Choice Bare vs. Bear - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog Word Choice: Bare vs. Bear Homophones – similar sounding words that differ in meaning – can cause a lot of confusion, especially if English isn’t your first language. The terms â€Å"bare† and â€Å"bear,† for example, are pronounced identically, yet mean completely different things. As such we’ve prepared this guide on how to use â€Å"bare† and â€Å"bear† correctly, helping to ensure your written work is always at its best. The Meaning of â€Å"Bare† The term â€Å"bare† can be used as either an adjective or a verb. As an adjective it has two main uses, meaning either uncovered or naked: Since going bald, Donald always hid his bare head with a wig. Or it can mean plain or simple: Hilary stuck to the bare facts. As a verb, â€Å"bare† means â€Å"uncover†: Terry bared his chest and show off his tattoos. The Various Meanings of â€Å"Bear† The word â€Å"bear† is a little more difficult to define as it has a number of meanings. The most simple of these is when it’s used as a noun, referring to the large, furry, ursine animal: The American black bear is native to many parts of the USA and Canada. As a verb, â€Å"to bear† has a number of different meanings: Carry or support (â€Å"the bus could bear up to fifty people†) Withstand or tolerate (â€Å"I can’t bear rude people†) Display a mark (â€Å"the letter would bear her signature†) Bring forth (â€Å"to bear children,† â€Å"to bear fruit†) Turn in a specific direction (â€Å"bear left at the end of the road†) Give testimony (â€Å"bear witness†) There are also a few technical meanings of the word â€Å"bear.†Ã‚   In finance, for instance, a â€Å"bear† is an investor who bases decisions upon the belief that a stock or the overall market will decline. Generally, though, you will only need to know these extra meanings when writing about particular subjects.

Housing Fabric Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Housing Fabric - Essay Example However, the sense of place suggested by CABE has also encouraged designs with strong references to local vernacular styles. Numerous issues therefore impact on design and construction today. It is imperative at this juncture that we understand what some certain things are all about Sustainable construction can or is defined as "the process of creating and responsibly managing a healthy built environment based on two factors which are resource efficient and ecological principles". The aim of Sustainable designed buildings is to reduce the effect of their impact on our environment through energy and resource efficiency. The following principles are included: Healthful Interior Environment. All possible measures are to be taken to ensure that materials and building systems do not emit toxic substances and gasses into the interior atmosphere. Additional measures are to be taken to clean and revitalize interior air with filtration and plantings. Three principles of an environmental architecture include: Energy Efficiency. All possible measures are to be taken to ensure that the building's use of energy is minimal. Cooling, heating and lighting systems are to use methods and products that conserve or eliminate energy use. Environmental Form. ... All possible measures are to be taken to relate the form and plan of the design to the site, the region and the climate. Measures are to be taken to "heal" and augment the ecology of the site. Accommodations are to be made for recycling and energy efficiency. Measures are to be taken to relate the form of building to a harmonious relationship between the inhabitants and nature. (Thomas A. Fisher, AIA, November, 1992). Energy EfficiencyEconomic (saving money), ecological (reducing resource exploitation and emissions) and social (reducing fuel poverty) Are the benefits derived from the energy-efficient sitting and design of buildings. An explicit energy strategy should be possessed by every new development ideal. Throughout the design process, energy assessment conservation measures can be done early through computer energy simulations.Many alternative concepts for building form, envelope and landscaping, focusing on minimizing peak energy loads, demand and consumption etc are collaborated by the expanded design team. In energy conservation, and their construction costs, computer energy simulation is used to assess their effectiveness. Simulations are made use of to refine designs and properly ensure that energy-conservation and capital cost goals are met; and to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. Architecture and construction of new housing in the UK can be vitally dissimilar to t raditional housing, as demonstrated by the three case studies that have been shown above, including Abode Newhall in Harlow, Ashley Vale Self-build in Bristol, Great Bow Yard in Langport Somerset. These case studies have sustainable, low-energy and ecological features. They have also encouraged design with strong references to local

Impact of calorie labeling on menus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Impact of calorie labeling on menus - Essay Example It is unlikely that posting the amount of calories that are in food while have a strong impact on diet or they health decisions for the majority of consumers. Some people may have been genuinely unaware of how unhealthy some of the food they were eating was, and as a consequence make a choice towards better eating. However, it is likely that people who do this will be in the minority.There are many different factors which control why consumers purchase different products, with price being only one of these. Other factors include the convenience, the price and the taste. Much of the food that is bought from chain restaurants such as McDonalds and Burger King is bought because consumers desire food that is fast and inexpensive. A study on the effect of showing the calories on menus at McDonalds showed that there was no significant difference in the calorie content of the meals that were brought before and after the changes to the menu were made (Harnack et al. 2008). Another study showed that the inclusion of calorie information on fast food menus in Seattle had no effect on consumption (Consumer Affairs 2011). Often at chain restaurants, the price of the food is directly related to the health, with food that is lower in calories generally being more expensive. Because of this, it is unlikely that making consumers more aware will change their eating habits, as the factors of price and convenience are likely to be more relevant than health.

Mao's propaganda with arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mao's propaganda with arts - Essay Example Art propaganda was based on the cult of Mao and his unique vision of communist China. As a charismatic leader, he directed propaganda to mass publics and mass media amplified political and social messages. Mao's art propaganda was a product of the more egalitarian, participant forces that emerged in the communist China (Cheek 82). Unlike members of mass cultures, who were almost wholly dependent on their leaders for propaganda, members of the popular culture have gained the ability to initiate messages as well as respond to them. The aim of art propaganda was to remold the individual (Brady 98). Art propaganda was a part of new mass culture created by Mao. On the domestic front, the new government introduced a system of rationing cards to purchase food, clothing, and other scarce commodities essential for everyday living. Curbing and eliminating social ills also loomed large on the agenda, prompting government officials to crack down on black marketeering, religion, and the sale of opium (Cushing and Tompkins 43). In the case of opium, the government imposed stiff criminal penalties, including the execution of suppliers and dealers. By 1951 addiction to opium had fallen off sharply, enabling the government to focus more on the social consequences of drug abuse and on educational and rehabilitation programs for victims and users. The most extreme of this art propaganda was that which went under the name of the new republic and new social order established by Mao (Cushing and Tompkins 45). Art propaganda was one of the most effective and simple ways to influence Chinese society and form national ideals and values. The propaganda was grounded in the needs of totalitarian society to create and exploit mass cultures. Art propaganda flowed from the leader, Mao, to the led, from a few to many, not from many to a few (Cheek 81). Posters and wallpapers were used to educate the peasants in the political process by making them aware of their political power and encouraging them to seize the land and kill their landlords. Following Knight (2002): "He [Mao] recognized and admired the revolutionary potential of China's peasants that had resulted from centuries of feudal exploitation and oppression. He recognised, too, that conditions were deteriorating in the countryside due to the economic effects of imperialism and the political instability resulting from the collapse of the Qing dynasty and the division of China between hostile warlords" (29). In fact, estimates of the number of counterrevolutionaries executed during the early period of Mao's domestic revolution range between 1 and 3 million people, figures that raised the specter of a government-sanctioned reign of terror (Cheek 80). Emotional appeal was made in every major section of art propaganda, and even legal arguments were fundamentally based upon emotionalism. The effort was constantly made to arouse fear and hate of the capitalists, and pity, love, and admiration for the workers and communist regime. A most important phase of this technique was the practice of exploiting idealism. The Chinese

Pre Birth Assessment Reflective Analytical Study

Pre Birth Assessment Reflective Analytical Study I was requested to complete a Pre-Birth Assessment with regards to Case BB. The referral was made by the Community Midwife to the Children and Families Area Team where I was on my placement. The Community Midwifes concerns were BBs age, she already had a child who was under one year, her partner was in prison and the Midwife was further concerned about BBs lack of engagement with the health services particularly ante-natal services. The Midwife was also concerned with BBs emotional state of mind. To consolidate what little information was on the referral I contacted BBs current Health Visitor whereby I was subject to a litany of BBs misdemeanours regarding her care of CA. Although the Health Visitor regarded BBs care of CA as poor I noted that there had been no social work input requested from the Health Visitor and that the Health Visitor had quite a forceful personality. However, I took on board the information the Health Visitor provided with an objective mind. BB is 19 years old and lives in a local authority house in a rural village with few local amenities. The village is not well served with public transport which makes it difficult for BB to access the main town. BBs sole income is benefit based. BB now has two children, CA who is 15 months old and LA who is 3 months old. BBs partner, BA (who is 22 years of age) is at present in prison, serving a sentence for Assault to Serious Injury. BA is not expected to return to the family home until October 2010. BA is the natural father to both CA and LA. My role was to complete a Pre-Birth Assessment with regards to convening a Pre-Birth Conference if necessary. This is in line with the local authoritys High Risk Pregnancy Protocol. My role was also to support and work in partnership with BB and her family in the longer term. The context of my practice was that of a statutory role with statutory responsibilities. Therefore, I had to consider how to support the family by assessing BBs strengths and pressures as well as promote the welfare of BBs child and unborn child and in the wider sense to keep the family together. According to Hothersall (2008) these are principles inherent within the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 which themselves derive from broader principles surrounding the rights of the children and the importance of positive development as the basis for a meaningful life. Further to this Healy (2005) points out that within the practice context it is the legal aspect which has precedence over other aspects of practice. This incorporates the fulfilment of legal duties and responsibilities. The Children (Scotland) Act 1995, as mentioned previously, is the underpinning legislation within Children and Families. This legislation with regards to parental responsibilities was I felt, pertinent to this case. For example, the responsibilities of a parent to a child under 16 are set out in Section 1 of this Act. They are to safeguard and promote the health, development and welfare of the child and to provide appropriate direction to the child according to age. These parental responsibilities were important to consider when completing the Pre-Birth Assessment in response to both BB and her partner BAs capacity to parent. The Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) (Scottish Executive, 2005) policy was also crucial in my assessment. GIRFEC provides a practice model which promotes holistic assessment and planning for children, centred upon indicators of well-being and as a policy is about intervention as early as possible and provision of the right help at the right time. Within GIRFEC is the My World assessment model which I used to help me complete the Pre-Birth Assessment particularly in relation to BBs parenting skills with CA. I also utilised Getting Our Priorities Right (GOPR) A Guide for Workers in Best Practice (Local Authority Child Protection Web Pages). Underpinning this assessment was Protecting Children and Young People Framework for Standards (Scottish Executive, 2004). Within the context of completing the assessment I was aware of the statutory legal responsibility involved and the requirement to work within the framework of current legislation and policy. During supervision discussion was centred around the issue of care and control from the perspective of my practice based on statutory responsibility. According to Thompson (2005) to ignore control is to run the risk of being ineffective, while to ignore care can lead to potentially abusive and oppressive practice. Further to this Banks (2006) points out that the reasons for many ethical dilemmas and problems stem from the social work role as a public service profession dealing with vulnerable service users who need to be able to trust the worker and be protected from exploitation; and also from its position as part of state welfare provision based on contradictory aims and values (care and controlprotection of individual rights and promotion of public welfare) that cause tensions, dilemmas and conflicts. (Banks, 2006, p.25) As Banks also points out, in practice it is the rules of the agency that define who is to be regarded as a service user and provide the context in which the social worker operates. This, for me reflects that need to recognize the significance of discrimination and oppression in service users lives and for my practice to be ethically sound and develop a participatory approach to my practice. Considering these points helped me formulate how I was going to engage with BB. I had an understanding of my statutory responsibilities from a legal and policy perspective and I had an understanding of my personal and professional values in terms of the tensions caused by care and control. Therefore, I needed to build a working relationship with BB which would allow me to build a theoretical understanding of the interrelationship between the individual and society. (Watson West, 2006, p.13) This would help me complete a meaningful and insightful assessment of BBs current difficulties with appropriate interventions. To complete the assessment, I took into consideration Germain and Gittermans The Life Model of Social Work Practice (1996). Payne (2005) describes this model as a formulation of the ecological systems theory which is based on the relationship between people and their environment. The aim of social work is to increase the fit between people and their environment by alleviating life stressors and increasing peoples personal and social resources to enable them to use more and better coping strategies. Payne further points out that practice must be carried out through a partnership between worker and service user that reduces power differences between them. The environment and the demands of the life course should be a constant factor in making decisions. By utilising Germain Gittermans life model of practice (1996) I was able to create an accepting and supportive environment by describing my role clearly to BB and encouraging BB to give her thoughts about the referral. This elicited background information about her relationship with BA and support networks she had within her own extended family and with BAs extended family. We discussed the birth of her second child particularly in respect of how BB felt she could cope with CA as well as with the new baby. BB identified this as a worry for her as she was concerned that she would not be able to manage. To make sense of this information Payne (2005) describes resources that people have in order to cope. These are self-efficacy, self-esteem and self-concept. BB had none of these emotional resources available to her at this time. Coupled with this she had no self-direction in the sense she did not feel she had any control over her life. To allow me to elicit further information regarding BBs parenting skills I observed her care of CA. The My World model which draws on upon the work of Bronfenbrenner (1979) and encourages practioners to take an ecological approach to the assessment process helped me in this respect. By looking at the three domains of growth and development, what is needed from the people who look after me and my wider world I was able to elicit the positives in the situation and the areas of pressure in relation to the safety, well-being and development of the child. Further to this, attachment theory, which according to Schofield (2002) is primarily a theory for understanding (Schofield, 2002, p.29) was also useful in that although directly seeking to improve the quality of interaction between children and caregivers, the childs sense of security, self-esteem and self-efficacy may also be increased by intervening in the systems around the family, for example providing social support to the mother or funding a place for the child in an activity group. A visit with BA was also organised, who although in prison presented as a significant risk factor due to alcohol consumption and increasing levels of violence, albeit the incidents were not in or near the family home and did not involve BB nor his child. BA was at first uncommunicative which was understandable due to the setting and nature of the visit. Trevithick (2007) suggests that asking a range of different questions is central to interviewing however, before asking a question we must be interested in the answer. (Trevithick, 2007, p. 159) By careful use of open and closed questions I was able to draw out BAs views on the assessment and gain some sense of a working relationship with him. However, what really opened the conversation was when I commented on how CA looked very like him. BA then started to talk about CA and how he was looking forward to the birth of his next baby. During the course of the visit I was able to understand how BA supports BB by allowing her the freedom to take care of CA while he did the cooking and looked after the house. BA went on to explain that his relationship with BB was sound but that he was aware he had let her down badly particularly as she was pregnant with his second child. BA was aware that he had missed a lot of CA growing up and he did not want this to happen with his second child. BA was also open about the circumstances leading to his arrest and he admitted that it was due to a feud between two different villages that had been going on since school. BA confirmed that the whole thing was stupid and that he now realised he needed to grow up. Taking into account the information gained and observations made during my visits with BB, CA and BA I was able to start to make sense of their environment, their strengths and pressures and the roles each of them had within the home and their community. Intervention at the initial stages of the process was I believe successful with regard to forming a working partnership with BB and to an extent with BA. Further visits with BB drew further information regarding informal support networks which in the main was her mother. BBs mother was a source of practical support and advice and they were in contact daily. BB described her mother as her ear. Permission was sought from BB to meet with her mother. BBs mother was keen for her daughter to gain support from social services as she realised how difficult her daughter was finding things at this time. To complete the assessment and take into account risk factors and strengths I had to analyse and reflect on the information I had gained. According to Helm (2009) this information needs to be analysed before an understanding is developed which allows a judgement to be formed which can lead to an appropriate decision or action. Calder (2002) further offers a framework for conducting risk assessment by assessing all areas of identified risk and ensuring that each is considered separately e.g. child, parent, and surrounding environment each worrying behaviour should be assessed individually as each is likely to involve different risk factors. To counteract the risk factors present family strengths and resources should also be assessed, for example good bonding, supportive networks. After a thorough analysis and supervisory discussions I recommended that a Post-Birth Multi-Agency Conference not be convened. However, I recommended that a further assessment take place when BA returns to the family home and a Post-Birth Multi-Agency meeting to discuss future interventions be arranged as I was aware that the birth of the new baby could be a future pressure on BB. In line with anti-oppressive practice and partnership working, I discussed both the assessment and recommendations with BB and by letter with BA. Both were given the opportunity to put their views across and both were happy to continue to work voluntarily with the department for the present. The reasons behind my recommendations were that BB although socially isolated had a strong supportive network with her extended family and BAs extended family. Further to this BB has a close and supportive relationship with her mother whom she sees every day. According to Hill et al (2007) a vast array of research shows that parents in poverty, or facing other stresses, usually cope better when they have one or more close relationships outside the household and these are activated to give practical, emotional or informational support. Most often this is informal but, for isolated parents access to family centres or professionals including health professionals can make a great difference to both the parents and the social and emotional health of children. (Barlow Underdown, 2005) With regards to CA, BB had a good bond with her daughter and was quick to attend to her needs. BB also had a routine in place for CA regarding mealtimes and naps this also included a bedtime routine. CA was reaching her developmental milestones (Source: Sheridans Charts). CA had age appropriate toys and had the freedom of the living area. BB had erected a baby gate to stop CA from gaining access to the kitchen and the stairs. However, since CA started walking, BB has to continually keep an eye on CA due to the open fire and hearth in the living area which is proving stressful for BB. Immediate interventions included obtaining Section 22 funding to purchase a safety fireguard and information was obtained regarding BB making applications for Sure Start and Healthy Eating Grants. These applications were successfully made by BB and allowed her to purchase essential items for the new baby. BB had highlighted this as a worry for her as she was struggling financially. Working in collaboration with the Community Midwife arrangements were made for BB to make the trip to the clinic on alternate weeks when her benefits were received. The Community Midwife visited her at home the other weeks. I believe I managed to build a positive working relationship with BB. According to Wilson et al (2008) relation-based practice is the emphasis it places on the professional relationship with the service user. The social worker and service user relationship is recognised to be an important source of information for the worker to understand how best to help. In order to make informed decisions and critically evaluate practice, reflection and analysis of information should embrace all sources of knowledge which have to be drawn upon. Further to this, a potentially more informative, relationship-based and reflective response would be to articulate the service users feelings by which the service user can acknowledge their own responses to the situation. As Fook (2002) points out: Reflective practioners are those who can situate themselves in the context of the situation and can factor this understanding into the ways in which they practice (Fook, 2002, p.40) Banks (2006) also indicates that part of the process of becoming a reflective practioner also involves being aware of ones own position of power and how dominant discourses construct the knowledge and values we use to describe and work with situations and practice. This has been discussed in supervision with regards to BBs Pre-Birth assessment and to visiting BA in prison. It is difficult to evaluate whether aspects of my work were effective or not. However, in supervision we discussed how keen BB was to gain support and seemed to appreciate the partnership approach. This was discussed in relation to Hill et als (2007) research and Barlow and Underdown (2005). Small aspects of my intervention, such as the provision of the safety fireguard were described by BB as a godsend and she was proud to show me the baby items she had purchased on receipt of the grants. Discussion in supervision also centred round the next stage of intervention which was after the baby was born. I discussed with BB the opportunity for CA to attend a local authority nursery one day per week. This would help CAs social and emotional development and at the same time allow BB to spend time with LA. This referral was successful as was gaining the services of a volunteer driver to transport CA. However, CA has only just started at the nursery and therefore difficult to gauge if this referral has been effective. Reflecting on my work overall, I should probably have explored more with BB her social isolation and worked on strategies to get her more involved in the community. Further to this resources in this village are non-existent and the parenting groups which were suitable were not available locally. BB was interested but location of the Family Centre and lack of public transport negated this. I enquired with regards to Outreach Work but this was not available. Discussion with other colleagues in the team reflected the same theme regarding facilities for the outlying villages. Further discussion in supervision raised for me the difficulty of maintaining empowering and anti-oppressive practice within this context as assessment should be needs led not resource led. 2,979 words