Standard Procedure For Male Circumcision Health And Social Care Essay

In a combined survey from the USA and Kenya, the safety of big male Circumcision in the latter state was reviewed, peculiarly with the purported association between this process and a lower incidence of HIV and other sexually-transmitted infections. It was found that safe and acceptable grownup male Circumcision services could be delivered in developing states should this be advocated as a public wellness step. Aim To develop a standard process for male Circumcision in a resource-poor medical scene and prospectively measure the result in a randomized, controlled test with the incidence of human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV ) as the chief result, as surveies suggest that Circumcision is associated with a lower incidence of HIV and other sexually familial infections in bad populations. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Healthy, uncircumcised, HIV-seronegative work forces aged 18-24 old ages from Kisumu District, Kenya, were offered engagement in a clinical test utilizing a standard Circumcision process based on ‘usual ‘ medical processs in Western Kenya. The followup included visits at 3, 8 and 30 yearss after Circumcision, with extra visits if necessary. Healing, satisfaction and recommencement of activities were assessed at these visits and 3 months from randomisation. Consequence Overall, 17 ( 3.5 % ) of the 479 Circumcisions were associated with inauspicious events judged decidedly, likely or perchance related to the process. The most common inauspicious events were wound infections ( 1.3 % ) , shed blooding ( 0.8 % ) , and delayed lesion healing or sutura line break ( 0.8 % ) . After 30 yearss, 99 % of participants reported being really satisfied with the process ; ?aˆS23 % reported holding had sex and 15 % reported that their spouses had expressed an sentiment, all of whom were really satisfied with the result. About 96 % of the work forces resumed normal general activities within the first hebdomad after the process. Decision Safe and acceptable grownup male Circumcision services can be delivered in developing states should male Circumcision finally be advocated as a public-health step. Abbreviations STI sexually transmitted infection KES Kenya shilling. Introduction Top of page Abstraction Introduction SUBJECTS AND METHODS Consequence Discussion Recognitions Conflict OF Interest Mentions Of African work forces, ?aˆS62 % are circumcised [ 1 ] ; more African work forces are seeking clinical Circumcision to better hygiene, to cut down the hazard of sexually transmitted infections ( STIs ) , to look more ‘urban ‘ , or to be more like others [ 2-6 ] . Epidemiologic surveies suggest that male Circumcision is associated with a ?aˆS50 % decrease in the hazard of HIV infection, and with a lower hazard of ulcerative STI [ 4,7-10 ] . Male Circumcision eliminates the venereal jobs of balanoposthitis, phimosis and paraphimosis, well reduces penial carcinoma rates and, in one survey, reduced the cervical malignant neoplastic disease hazard in female spouses [ 3 ] . Despite increased involvement among medical governments and greater credence among African work forces, there are significant concerns about urging male Circumcision as a public-health step. These reserves include the deficiency of informations from randomized, controlled clinical tests demoing that Circumcision decreases the hazard of STIs and HIV. Considerable anecdotal grounds, including studies based on medical record reappraisal, suggests that Circumcision in traditional scenes exposes immature work forces to an inordinate hazard of complications [ 11-15 ] . Very few informations on Circumcision results are available from African clinical scenes. One survey from Tanzania found that infant Circumcision utilizing the Plastibell technique resulted in a 2 % complication rate [ 16 ] , comparable to reported rates in developed states [ 17 ] . We are carry oning a prospective, randomized controlled clinical test of grownup male Circumcision to measure its impact on the incidence of HIV among 18-24-year-old work forces in Kisumu District, Kenya. One of import aim was to develop a standard Circumcision process that would be applicable to resource-poor medical scenes. A 2nd aim was to find the inauspicious event rates associated with this process. Thus the intents of this study are to: ( I ) describe the proficient facets of the standard process ; ( two ) outline the processs for monitoring and sorting inauspicious events ; and ( three ) to depict results and inauspicious events associated with the first 479 Circumcisions. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Top of page Abstraction Introduction SUBJECTS AND METHODS Consequence Discussion Recognitions Conflict OF Interest Mentions Uncircumcised, HIV-seronegative work forces aged 18-24 old ages shacking within Kisumu District, Kenya, were offered admittance to the test. After supplying written, informed consent, participants were randomized every bit to either Circumcision or delayed Circumcision after a 2-year followup ( the control group ) . Exclusion standards included: any medical indicant for Circumcision ( e.g. important phimosis, recurrent balanitis, paraphimosis, or extended venereal warts ) , history of a hemorrhage upset, keloid formation, or other status that might unduly increase the hazards of elected surgery. Work force in both weaponries of the test were given extended reding about the decrease in hazard of STI/HIV, including the proviso of limitless supplies of free rubbers. This survey was approved by institutional reappraisal boards at the Universities of Nairobi, Illinois at Chicago, Manitoba, Washington, and RTI International. A Data Safety and Monitoring Board reports to the USA National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. For Circumcision, a standard process was based on ‘usual ‘ medical Circumcision processs in Western Kenya [ 18 ] . One Medical Officer ( medical physician ) and two Clinical Military officers ( Kenyan paramedicals who conduct medical audiences and selected surgical processs ) were trained in techniques and inside informations of the process. All instruments and supplies were purchased from providers in Western Kenya. The genital organ were prepared with a povidone-iodine solution and draped in unfertile manner. A dorsal nervus block was applied utilizing 2 % Lidocaine, with extra anesthetic administered circumferentially about the penial base ( maximal 10 milliliter ) . The foreskin was grasped at the 3 and 9 o'clock places utilizing two mosquito clinchs, so pulled over the glans. The scratch was outlined with a taging pen analogue to and 1 centimeter proximal to the coronal sulcus. The mosquito clinchs were so used to draw the foreskin over the glans while a Kocher clinch was applied below the planned scratch, taking attention to avoid wounding the glans. The foreskin was excised by cutting above the Kocher clinch, which was so removed. Shed blooding vass were ligated utilizing 3/0 field intestine. The lesion was irrigated with physiological saline. The tegument and mucosal scratchs were aligned utilizing 3/0 chromic perpendicular mattress suturas at the 12, 3 and 9 o'clock places, and a horizontal mattress sutura at the 6 o'clock ( frenulum ) place. The four initial suturas were tagged with mosquito clinchs to supply grip during the balance of the closing. Four extra perpendicular mattress suturas were placed halfway between the initial suturas, with simple suturas so placed to jump between the mattress suturas. The lesion was covered utilizing a Vaseline gauze dressing. Each patient was given verbal and written instructions, including vesture and bathing patterns, and instructed to urinate often to minimise hard-ons. They were given Datrils, 1 g three times daily as needed for 5 yearss, and tramadol hydrochloride, 100 milligram at bedtime as needed for two darks. Participants were strongly counselled to abstain from sex for at least a month. Follow-up visits were scheduled for 3, 8 and 30 yearss after surgery. Patients were instructed to return to the clinic if there was shed blooding, infection or inordinate hurting. At each visit the lesion was checked, and standard inquiries assessed activities of day-to-day life, possible inauspicious events, and the participants ‘ satisfaction. Additional elaborate ratings were conducted at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months from randomisation. Regular instance conferences reviewed all processs and results. Adverse events were categorized by badness and relatedness to the survey. Severity classs were mild, moderate and terrible. Relatedness to the process was classified as: ( 1 ) decidedly unrelated, clearly explained by another cause ; ( 2 ) perchance related, probably explained by other causes ; ( 3 ) likely related, most likely explained by the Circumcision ; and ( 4 ) decidedly related, a clear complication. Patient satisfaction was analysed at ?aˆS30 and 90 yearss after surgery as ( 1 ) really satisfied, ( 2 ) slightly satisfied, ( 3 ) slightly disgruntled, or ( 4 ) really disgruntled. We evaluated whether patients had resumed work and sexual activities and, if so, whether their sexual spouses had expressed an sentiment about their Circumcision position. The critical end points and definitions were determined before get downing the survey. Datas were collected prospectively and entered on site, and evaluated for quality and consistence continuously. Consequence Top of page Abstraction Introduction SUBJECTS AND METHODS Consequence Discussion Recognitions Conflict OF Interest Mentions Between 4 February 2002 and 11 March 2004, 2160 work forces were screened, including 47 % who agreed to take part. Of these, 505 were randomized to Circumcision, including 479 ( 95 % ) who had the process. The balance either declined after randomisation or deferred Circumcision until subsequently. The average age of circumcised participants was 21 old ages and 96 % were of Luo cultural beginning ; 89 % had completed primary school, 53 % had completed secondary school and & A ; gt ; 90 % were single. Almost half classified themselves as unskilled workers and about a one-fourth were pupils. Merely 37 % reported regular employment. The median ( scope ) continuance of Circumcision was 30 ( 18-63 ) min ; Fig. 1 shows the continuance for each consecutive group with clip ( Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel rank correlativity statistic, chi-square 149.4, 1 d.f. , P & A ; lt ; 0.001 ) . Figure 1. Box-and-whisker secret plan comparing process continuance with the figure of Circumcisions. For each group of Circumcisions, the line in the box indicates the median ( 50th percentile ) , and the upper and lower bounds of the box the interquartile scope ( 25-75th percentiles ) . The mistake bars indicate the 10th and 90th percentiles. Valuess above the 90th or below the tenth percentiles are plotted as points. For all 479 Circumcisions, the median ( scope ) continuance was 30 ( 18-63 ) min ; the average continuance was 38 min for the first 100, 30 min for the 2nd 100, 30 min for the 3rd, 28 min for the 4th and 26 min for processs 401-479 ( Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel rank correlativity P & A ; lt ; 0.001 ) . Of the 479 Circumcisions, 17 ( 3.5 % ) were associated with 18 inauspicious events considered decidedly, likely or perchance related, including six wound infections ( 1.3 % ) , four bleeds ( 0.8 % ) , four delayed healing or disrupted lesions ( 0.8 % ) , two with inordinate puffiness ( 0.4 % ) , one anesthetic reaction, and one participant who reported erectile disfunction. Of the 18 inauspicious events, none was classified as terrible, 11 were moderate ( necessitating extra intervention, e.g. drainage of an infection or revising a sutura to command indecent hemorrhage ) , and seven were mild ( necessitating minimum extra intervention ) . Fourteen inauspicious events were considered decidedly related ( including most infections and shed blooding jobs, plus the anesthetic reaction ) , one was considered likely related ( an infection off from the lesion that represented a reaction to the dressing tape ) , and three perchance related ( including diminished erectile map reported, folliculitis at the pubic base, and a pubic abscess in one participant each ) . Overall, nine of 18 inauspicious events were considered to be both moderate and definitely/probably procedure-related, happening after eight of 479 processs ( 1.7 % ) . The decorative consequences were first-class, with no demand for alterations or secondary processs. There were no instances of extra preputial tegument remotion, unequal preputial tegument remotion, penial tortuosity, cheloid, other hapless decorative or functional results. At this analysis, 411 of 479 participants were evaluated at ?aˆS30 yearss after surgery ; 99 % reported being really satisfied, 23 % reported holding had sex since the Circumcision, and 15 % of these work forces reported that their female spouse had expressed an sentiment about the process, all of whom were really satisfied with the result. In all, 321 work forces had appraisals at ?aˆS90 yearss from surgery, when 65 % reported holding resumed sexual intercourse, and 54 % of their sex spouses had expressed an sentiment about the process. Of these spouses, 95 % were really satisfied with the result, 4 % were slightly satisfied and 2 % were slightly disgruntled. None was really disgruntled. At 30 yearss after surgery, 98 % of work forces who were employed reported holding returned to work, 91 % within a hebdomad of the process and 97 % within 2 hebdomads. At this visit, all work forces reported holding resumed normal general activities, 96 % within the first hebdomad and another 3 % during the 2nd hebdomad after surgery. Discussion Top of page Abstraction Introduction SUBJECTS AND METHODS Consequence Discussion Recognitions Conflict OF Interest Mentions We developed a Circumcision process that was implemented efficaciously in an African medical scene. All instruments and supplies were purchased locally and local clinicians performed all processs. The standard method was based on medical processs used in eastern Africa [ 18 ] . To avoid trust on a engineering that is non widely available in developing states, we did non utilize electrocautery. Nevertheless, the overall inauspicious event rate was comparable to reported rates from the developed universe. Postoperative lesion infection ( 1.3 % ) and shed blooding ( 0.8 % ) were the most common inauspicious events, as would be predicted. The huge bulk of participants and their spouses who expressed sentiments were really satisfied at 30 and 90 yearss after surgery. This is one of the largest series of big male Circumcisions and it is alone in that results were monitored prospectively. Participants were followed utilizing a strict protocol. We used simple definitions that may turn out utile for other surgical tests, particularly surveies measuring Circumcision as a public-health step. The average clip to finish a Circumcision was 30 min ; runing continuance decreased from a median of 38 min for the first 100 processs to 26 min for processs 401-479 ( P & A ; lt ; 0.001 ) . This is of import, because if Circumcision were recommended as a public-health step for forestalling HIV, so it would be necessary to finish processs within an acceptable period in resource-poor states. The instruments and supplies were modest and all were obtained locally. In Kisumu the cost of supplies is 1500 Kenya shillings ( KES ) per process at our installation ( ? US $ 20 ) . In the Kisumu community, charges for Circumcision scope from 1000 KES ( US $ 13 ) at the authorities infirmary to 5800 KES ( US $ 77 ) at the taking private infirmary. Therefore, this survey suggests that our standard Circumcision method is consistent with bing pattern in Kenya and is likely to turn out practical within the underdeveloped universe. We besides showed that it is possible to obtain consequences that are tantamount to series of big male Circumcisions from the developed universe. The present survey has some advantages ; it represents a big series of big male Circumcisions and one of really few studies of surveies designed to supply an optimal prospective appraisal of results. We used strict definitions for events. The Circumcision process and resources were based on local medical pattern and resource handiness. All instruments and supplies were obtained locally, and clinicians trained and working in their ain community completed all processs. Therefore, our consequences should be straight applicable to similar clinical scenes in other countries. Two of the three clinicians were Clinical Military officers, the cell of professionals likely to execute most Circumcisions in sub-Saharan Africa. An of import lesson was that clear patient instructions are critical for lesion attention after surgery. Young work forces in many developing state scenes may miss easy entree to H2O and have trouble in keeping hygiene. Their timeserving employment forms frequently require high degrees of physical activity that can interrupt wound mending. Instruction manuals, both verbal and written in autochthonal linguistic communications, can help patients to restrict the possible effects of such lifestyle challenges. A determination that requires further attending is that 23 % of work forces reportedly resumed sexual activities before their 30-day follow-up visit, despite intensive reding to the contrary. Fortunately, merely one adult male reported holding had sexual intercourse at one of the early visits, and that was 19 yearss after the process. If work forces resume sexual contact before their scratchs are to the full healed, there is the danger of increased hazard of infection with HIV or other STIs. Once the test is complete, we will prove whether circumcised work forces have a higher incidence of HIV/STI than uncircumcised controls during this 1-month period after randomisation. Effective guidance of immature work forces is disputing, but developing effectual ways to advocate against sexual contact while the surgical lesion is mending will be important if male Circumcision is to be introduced as an intercession to forestall HIV. The present survey has of import restrictions ; the work forces were circumcised in a carefully designed, controlled research undertaking, with thorough preparation of clinicians, careful choice of healthy patients and uninterrupted monitoring of the result. It will be necessary to demo similar results in less strict scenes. The followup was short, but we will obtain more informations on sexual map. Most significantly, we need to find, through the test, whether grownup male Circumcision is effectual in cut downing the incidence of HIV. In decision, we developed a standard process for grownup male Circumcision that proved suited for resource-poor clinical scenes. The inauspicious event rate compares favorably with rates reported from developed states. Participants had first-class clinical results, acceptable morbidity and first-class patient satisfaction. They returned to work and to normal general activities really rapidly. These findings suggest that it should be possible to present grownup male Circumcision services with acceptable complication rates in developing states. Recognitions Top of page Abstraction Introduction SUBJECTS AND METHODS Consequence Discussion Recognitions Conflict OF Interest Mentions We particularly thank the immature work forces in Kisumu who have so enthusiastically participated in the survey. We acknowledge the aid and indefatigable support provided by Dr J. Otieno. We greatly appreciate the tireless attempts of the UNIM undertaking staff. This survey was funded by grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland USA, Grant No. AI150440, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research ( CIHR ) , Grant No. HCT 44180. S. Moses is the receiver of a CIHR research worker award. Conflict OF Interest Top of page Abstraction Introduction SUBJECTS AND METHODS Consequence Discussion Recognitions Conflict OF Interest Mentions None declared. Mentions Top of page Abstraction Introduction SUBJECTS AND METHODS Consequence Discussion Recognitions Conflict OF Interest Mentions 1 Drain PK, Smith JS, Hughes JP, Halpern DT, Holmes KK. Correlates of national HIV seroprevalence: an ecologic analysis of 122 developing states. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2004 ; 35: 407-20 CrossRef, PubMed, Web of Science ® Times Cited: 21 2 Caldwell JC, Caldwell P. The African AIDS epidemic. Sci Am 1996 ; 274: 66-8 CrossRef 3 Castellsague X, Bosch FX, Munoz N et Al. Male Circumcision, penial human papillomavirus infection, and cervical malignant neoplastic disease in female spouses. N Engl J Med 2002 ; 346: 1105-12 CrossRef, PubMed, Web of Science ® Times Cited: 188 4 Bailey RC, Muga R, Poulussen R, Abicht H. The acceptableness of male Circumcision to cut down HIV infections in Nyanza Province, Kenya. AIDS Care 2002 ; 14: 27-40 CrossRef, PubMed, ChemPort, Web of Science ® Times Cited: 33 5 Lagarde E, Dirk T, Puren A, Reathe RT, Bertran A. Acceptability of male Circumcision as a tool for forestalling HIV infection in a extremely infected community in South Africa. Aids 2003 ; 17: 89-95 CrossRef, PubMed, Web of Science ® Times Cited: 25 6 Kebaabetswe P, Lockman S, Mogwe S et Al. Male Circumcision: an acceptable scheme for HIV bar in Botswana. Sex Transm Infect 2003 ; 79: 214-9 CrossRef, PubMed, ChemPort, Web of Science ® Times Cited: 24 7 Jessamine PG, Plummer FA, Ndinya Achola JO et Al. Human immunodeficiency virus, venereal ulcers and the male prepuce: synergy in HIV-1 transmittal. Scand J Infect Dis Suppl 1990 ; 69: 181-6 PubMed, ChemPort 8 Cameron DW, Simonsen JN, D'Costa LJ et Al. Female to male transmittal of human immunodeficiency virus type 1: hazard factors for seroconversion in work forces. Lancet 1989 ; 2: 403-7 CrossRef, PubMed, ChemPort, Web of Science ® Times Cited: 541 9 Todd J, Munguti K, Grosskurth H et Al. Hazard factors for active pox and TPHA seroconversion in a rural African population. Sex Transm Infect 2001 ; 77: 37-45 CrossRef, PubMed, ChemPort, Web of Science ® Times Cited: 15 10 Weiss HA, Quigley MA, Hayes RJ. Male Circumcision and hazard of HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic reappraisal and meta-analysis. Aids 2000 ; 14: 2361-70 CrossRef, PubMed, ChemPort, Web of Science ® Times Cited: 189 11 Mayatula V, Mavundla TR. A reappraisal on male Circumcision processs among South African inkinesss. Curationis 1997 ; 20: 16-20 PubMed, ChemPort 12 Ahmed A, Mbibi NH, Dawam D, Kalayi GD. Complications of traditional male Circumcision. Ann Trop Paediatr 1999 ; 19: 113-7 CrossRef, PubMed, ChemPort, Web of Science ® Times Cited: 19 13 Crowley IP, Kesner KM. Ritual Circumcision ( Umkhwetha ) amongst the Xhosa of the Ciskei. Br J Urol 1990 ; 66: 318-21 Direct Link: Abstraction PDF ( 630K ) Mentions 14 Magoha GA. Circumcision in assorted Nigerian and Kenyan infirmaries. East Afr Med J 1999 ; 76: 583-6 PubMed, ChemPort, Web of Science ® Times Cited: 24 15 Khalifa S. Implications of the protective consequence of male Circumcision against HIV. A reappraisal of male Circumcision processs presently used in Africa and their safety. [ Maestro of Science ] . London, UK. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 2000 16 Manji KP. January 1 of the immature baby in a underdeveloped state utilizing the Plastibell. Ann Trop Paediatr 2000 ; 20: 101-4 PubMed, ChemPort, Web of Science ® Times Cited: 9 17 Williams N, Kapila L. Complications of Circumcision. Br J Surg 1993 ; 80: 1231-6 Direct Link: Abstraction PDF ( 808K )

Dbq- Scientific Revolution

DBQ – The Scientific Revolution The Scientific Revolution of the sixteen and seventeenth century were affected greatly from the contributions of the opposing voice and ideas of the Church and their disagreement with the uprising of scientific studies. Despite the rejection from the Church, the Scientific Revolution was heavily influenced by those in society who felt differently, and believed the benefits the Scientific Revolution would bring. This view however, was unequally agreed in when it came to the view of it politically.Still during the sixteenth and seventeenth century, religious and the Church played a great role in the ways of people. Till the time of the Scientific Revolution, many things were not questioned, but once scientists began to question the traditional beliefs, many people of the church were outraged and spoke openly against it. Even people like Copernicus, who was the great contributor to the heliocentric idea, denied himself and submitted to the church e ven dedicating a part of his book to Pope III which showed his fear and actions in pleasing the pope to avoid condemnation. doc. 1) His situation greatly exemplified how the Scientific Revolution although was growing but many times stunted because of fear from the disapproval from the Church. Italian monk Giovanni Ciampoli also expressed his disapproval in a letter to Galileo stating with much urgency that the nature of the world should just be left alone for the Scripture to explain it and that man should not go about their ways to reason why. (doc. 3) Similar to Copernicus, Walter Charleton a English doctor and natural philosopher who studied the balance of science and religious.He makes it clear that science is only possible with religion. Although he does not completely push the idea of scientific studies, he does believe it is only possible with the power of God. (doc. 8) The conclusion as you interpret out of Charleton is that no matter what man upholds through science or idea s are not sufficient enough to differ or oppose what God determines it to be. The views of secular people and society also bought about significant influence upon the Scientific Revolution, but just on the other side of the scale.Francis Bacon, a English philosopher of science made it evident in his advocacy of science. In fact, in the document, he expresses his eagerness of the goal people need to bring achievement in human society. (doc. 4) The document shows that despite the lack of support from the church was given, many people chose to stray away tradition and venture out into new ideas. Another document that poses the same suggestion as Bacon as to improving the community of scientific studies was that of Henry Oldenbury, Secretary of the English Royal Society in his letter to Johannes Hevelius.Oldenbury emphasizes the need in cooperation, and that scientists shouldn’t just focus on one’s study, put into consideration with the studies of others to develop the edu cation of science. (doc. 6) Oldenbury in saying â€Å"friendship among learned men is a great aid to the investigation and elucidation of the truth† only shows him hinting that a society of scientist should be raised. Both Bacon and Oldenbury were men during the seventeenth century who viewed science as a way to improve and enhance society, but others had a different view.Margaret Cavendish’s Observations on Experimental, shows her demand in questioning why women were not allowed to be a part of the revolution and contribute as men could, and her willingness in building upon the study of natural philosophy of women if she were allowed. (doc. 9) Her partake show’s that the influences of the Scientific Revolution did not solely come from different men of different social communities, but it had even spread to the other gender, which shows involvement. Political figures serve as a voice and power of the people in their society. In this case, politics took a great p art in the uprise of the Scientific Revolution.Document 5 is a letter from French monk Marin Mersenne to his noble patron in which he asks for the approval of his patron on his statements based on his experiments. His letter expresses a sense of meekness and humbleness Mersenne has for his patrons. He feels pressure in doing things correctly for his patrons, and is hindered from sharing what he has experimented on without winning the approval from his patrons. The power of political figures still remained throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth century, which from this document, shows how some studies were hindered because of the political authority.Political influences on scientific studies included personal beliefs on how scientific research should be controlled and suppressed. Thomas Hobbes, an English philosopher believed that any scientific findings that would interfere with the authority of rulers should be rid of. (doc. 7) Hobbes, a strong believer in an absolute monarch emp hasized the power of rulers to overpower the research of scientists. Unlike other documents, the depiction of the drawing that commemorated Louis XIV’s visit to the French Royal Academy, although not a very reliable source still portrayed how Louis XIV’s support in the scientific studies.Since a ruler takes up such a huge part in a country, the people of the country, in this case France, would naturally follow in the steps of their ruler. Louis XIV from this painting would’ve initiated a message that showed The work of scientists were affected by religious, social, and political ideas and influences in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. All these affected in ways that encouraged the study of science, while others felt that all scientific research should be stopped and suppressed.

Asda Marketing Plan

Abstract The following report considers the ethical position of ASDA, noting the external environment in which it operates and its marketing plan.The report finds that ASDA’s focus on low prices has somewhat disengaged it with ethics, with the business more focused on selling volume, as opposed to selling sustainable products. However, given changes in the external environment, and the rise in the discount retailers, ASDA has now been faced with higher competition. To combat this, the report suggests that ASDA looks to change its strategy to focus more on a sustainable supply-chain, potentially one which is focused on UK food and products. While this may lead to higher prices from the retailer, it could improve its image when it comes to sustainable food retailing, and so warrant higher prices to consumers, especially if the introduction of local products develops an emotional attachment for customers. Introduction The following assignment will consider ASDA, considering the external environment in which the business operates as well as its ethical consideration, determining whether the current strategy should be maintained or whether a change is needed, with the assignment then making recommendations.Company OverviewASDA is a UK-based grocery retailers owned by U.S. listed Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ASDA has been part of the UK’s ‘Big 4’ retailers in the UK grocery sector, also compromising of Tesco, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s, however it recently moved from 3rd from 2nd place on the list, being overtaken by Sainsbury’s after disappointing sales. The latest report from Kantar Worldpanel (2016) put’s ASDA’s market share at 15.3%, behind that of Sainsbury’s after suffering a 4.7% fall in sales, compared with a 0.7% fall in Sainsbury’s, and a 1.6% rise in sales at Tesco. To many UK consumers, ASDA has developed on the back of price co mpetition, with the retailer being heavily focused on being the UK’s best value supermarket. Due of its focus on price, ASDA in the past could have been seen to ignore ethical consideration, with some of the top places seen with premium retailers such as Marks & Spencer, who use their premium pricing to better consider the quality/ ethics behind their supply chain.Market EnvironmentHowever, it is this strategy which has been a downfall for the retailer, especially when put against competition from the expanding ‘discounter’s’, namely Lidl and Aldi (Ruddick, 2014). These retailers have aggressively expanded into the UK market on the back of offering low prices to consumers, with their focus on ‘prime-match’, similar of marketing conducted by ASDA against the other ‘Big 4’[1]. Given this, Aldi managed to record sales growth of 10% over the same period, beating all competition and increasing its market share to 6.2%. At the same time , Aldi also announced that it looks to take its store tally from 450 to 1,000 by 2022; Lidl also announced plans to open 40-50 new stores in the UK each year, noted by Gale (2016). This move in the market has been supported from a new business model and changing consumer habits. Discounters have benefitted from economies of scale, reducing the scale of choice to offer just one option; in turn allowing them to increase sales of that product and reduce the production costs. At the same time, these discounters have also expanded on a no-frills approach to stores, moving away from the ‘Superstore’ concept which became popular with Tesco and ASDA. This comes at a time when consumers have also looked to move away from superstores, preferring little-and-often shops to better budget. There also seems to a reduction in customer loyalty as consumers look for the best value.Marketing Situational AnalysisBuilding on the above, a SWOT analysis is shown below; Strengths  ·UK wide presence with 525 stores.  ·Still the UK’s 3rd largest grocery retailer – potential to increase share.Weaknesses  ·Recent marketing seems to have placed it in the ‘discount’ category when it comes to grocery stores – potentially restricting sales of some of its higher-value items. Opportunities  ·Recent improvement in UK economic fundamentals – coupled with rising wages may increase consumer disposable income.  ·Fall in ?GBP has put some spotlight on UK food/ products to escape price rises.Threats  ·Competition remains the biggest threat to ASDA, especially with discounters such as Lidl/ Aldi quickly expanding their store network, as well as expanding their marketing activities, with a focus on value. Ultimately, the analysis is suggesting that the main weakness in marketing lies within this continued focus solely on the price. This has come under pressure given new entrants into the market, with the discounters of Lidl/ Aldi coming into the market with business models which mean they can potentially undercut ASDA on prices. This is the main threat to the business, with ASDA still seeing a fall in sales, even with the recent buoyancy in UK retail sales. However, there are potential opportunities for ASDA to diversify, expanding its marketing to cover issues within sustainability and UK produce; improving the ethics when it comes to food sourcing, and issues such as food security and locality[2].ObjectivesIn the past, ASDA’S objectives have been focused on customer value, however given an expanding ‘discount’ sector, the retailer is now under more pricing pressure to maintain customers. With this, there is the expectation that the retailer may need to diversify, essentially look to attract more customers back to its stores. The objective for ASDA is to tempt customer’s back into its store; or tempt new customers back. Given continued expansion of Lidl/ Aldi, it could be expected that the new strategy will need to focus more on attracting new customers, be it from retailers such as Sainsbury’s.Strategy & SegmentationTo support its strategy, ASDA will look to segment the market into different consumers, based on demographics, location, income etc. Given marketing campaigns undertaken by the business, it would appear that ASDA has segmented the market; looking to appeal to those families of lower incomes. Its focus on being the cheapest is indicative of its primary target market. Because of this, the business has become somewhat specialised on this business model, a focus on low-cost, which in turn could impede quality. It has positioned itself in the low-cost end of the market, however given new entrants and intensified competi tion, is now finding it hard to compete and develop with new competition (Peter, 2011)[3]. The business model helped ASDA over the years of recession given constrained consumer income, however as economic conditions have improved, consumers have essentially traded-up. This has provided support to other retailers such as Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose which position themselves at the higher end of the market. With this, ASDA may feel that its business is currently positioned to narrow, targeting a consumer base which is shrinking which competition is increasing. There are two ways in which the retailer can broaden its consumer base, either through changes to marketing which will target a new market, or by differentiating the product to appeal to a broader base of consumers, noted in Armstrong et al (2012)[4].Tactics & ActionGiven the above, the main tactic for ASDA s to re-position itself in the market, remove this constant focus on price and look to focus more on ethical issues such as sustainability, which in turn may suggest quality. To do this, the retailer has a number of actions: ASDA will move to focus on local; putting its focus on supplying more UK produce in-stores, having dedicated aisles in superstores to local producers. The benefit here will not only be from higher sales of these goods, put also of the positive PR which could arise through supporting local farmers, and local communities. This is essentially classed as differentiation; the retailer will be introducing new products to do so. ASDA will also look to introduce convenience aisles into superstores. This will be seen as segmentation,[5] looking to attract a new set of customers to its stores who may have previously left as they prefer to do ‘little-and-often’ shops. This can be marketed by ASDA to target these specific customers.BudgetThis section will now discuss the budget for such a change in strategy. The main costs to the business will be seen as the marketing. For instance, when it comes to the ‘convenience aisle’, it could be noted that the infrastructure is a lready there; the stores will simply have to shuffle around stock to create the new aisle. When it comes to introducing the new products, the costs may be more down to developing the local links, with the suppliers themselves bearing the costs associated with producing the goods. Rather than a major financial cost, the introduction of more local products may be more time consuming for ASDA, given that they will need to ensure that the new products are in-keeping with the goals of the business, both in terms of pricing and quality (Ferrell, 2012)[6]. Marketing will be done through all ’traditional’ channels given the mass-market appeal of ASDA and the fierce competition within the UK grocery sector. While this would involve a higher cost than say digital marketing opportunities, it would be hoped that print advertisements and TV commercial will draw more attention, and so inform more customers. However, digital marketing could also be used, especially when it comes to advertisements through social media, and targeted banner ads which can be used online.ControlControl remains an important consideration, both in terms of ensuring a level of consistency in the marketing message as well as also monitoring the return on investment (hereafter ROI). When it comes to consistency, while marketing could change to reflect changes in the marketplace, the business must look to maintain its ‘core’ message. For instance, while the focus on new marketing campaigns may be on local produce, the core message remains with the slogan ‘Save Money, Live Better’. Too much of change may lead to current customers becoming detached with the business and its values. Control will also come with ROI. Essentially, all businesses need to ensure that their marketing spend is generating business. New, digital marketing allows businesses to track this, with businesses able to use tools such as Google Analytics to view web traffic etc. (Chaffey, 2012)[7]. Traditional marketing may be harder to manage in terms of ROI, given that it is harder to distinguish how a certain poster/ TV commercial may have driven demand. However, if ASDA move forward with a unified campaign, so changing all marketing to reflect a single message, then the business can understand the potential ROI of the campaign. Recommendation/ Conclusion To conclude, ASDA has in the past focused its marketing plan on price, looking to drive consumption through low prices. This is itself would not be considered ‘ethical consumerism’, given that some of the lower prices products could be viewed as a damage to the environment. However, this strategy has now placed ASDA into a market segment which is seeing more competition, at a time when the size of the market may be slowing, given improving economics in the UK[8]. To combat this, ASDA has an opportunity to diversify its product range into a more ‘premium’ space; be it the expansion of their ‘Extra Special’ range, or through the introduction of more local products and brands (Perreault, 2010)[9]. The focus on UK produce could provide ASDA with a ‘Unique Selling Point’; which could allow the business to justify higher pricing, noted in Fifield (2012)[10]. This may also improve the organisations ethical position as it suggests that ASDA is considering sustainability in its wider supply-chain; given that more food is local, opposed to international, reducing the ‘distance’ of the supply chain, potentially being seen as more environmentally friendly. However, at the same time, the retailer must be wary that any change to its pricing may impact on its core customers. In the end, this may further impact on market share, however this is seen as a potential risk of an opportunity. The recommendation for ASDA is that is moves forward with a change in marketing, highlighting developments in both local sourcing as well as convenience. However, ASDA must look to control this movement, and potentially monitor the opportunity. This could be done through monitoring sales of, as well as monitoring footfall into stores. References Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., & Brennan, R. (2012). Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Prentice-Hall, London. Chaffey, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2012). Digital marketing, London, Pearson Higher Ed. Ferrell, O. C., & Hartline, M. (2012). Marketing strategy, text and cases, London, Nelson Education. Ferrell, O. C., & Fraedrich, J. (2015). Business ethics: Ethical decision making & cases, London, Nelson Education. Fifield, P. (2012). Marketing strategy, London, Routledge. Gale. (2016) [Online]. How long will Aldi and Lidl’s onslaught last?, Available at http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/long-will-aldi-lidls-onslaught-last/future-business/article/1386497, Accessed 17.12.2016. Kantar Worldpanel. (2016) [Online]. UK Grocery Market Share, Available at http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/grocery-market-share/great-britain, Accessed 17.12.2016. Perreault, W. D. (2010). Essentials of marketing: A marketing strategy planning approach, London, Pearson. Perreault Jr, W., Cannon, J., & McCarthy, E. J. (2013). Basic marketing, London, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Peter, J. P., & Donnelly, J. H. (2011). Marketing management: knowledge and skills: text, analysis, cases, plans, London, Pearson. Ruddick, G. (2014) [Online]. It may already be too late for Tesco and Sainsbury’s, the rise of Aldi and Lidl looks unstoppable, Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10974773/It-may-already-be-too-late-for-Tesco-and-Sainsburys-the-rise-of-Aldi-and-Lidl-looks-unstoppable.html, Accessed 19.12.2016. Wood, S., & McCarthy, D. (2014). The UK food retail ‘race for space’and market saturation: A contemporary review. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 24(2), 121-144.

Health CAre Financing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health CAre Financing - Assignment Example Patients from less well-off families lack insurance to cover their medical care, they are faced with the challenge of unaffordability or unwillingness of physicians to offer health services. Transport services hinder access to care especially in situations where ambulances are unavailable for patients who may be severely injured. Quality of care focuses on the health service provider, how patient’s inability to pay for the service affect the overall delivery of quality service. Unpaid expenses and fees may ground efforts to offer service thus limit access to care. Equity of access shows whether there is any systematic variations in the use and outcome among individuals and groups in the community and if those variations are due to financial or other barriers to care (Gulliford & Morgan, 2013). Equity of access is commonly measured by utilization of indicators i.e. looking at the frequency of visits by the patient to a health center. The survey attempts to study the nature of access and the components of utilization (Aday et al., 1980 in Access to Health Care in America, 1993). Outcome indicators i.e. utilization rates are also used to measure access through; survival rate, physical and emotional health (Lohr, 1988 in Access to Health care in America, 1993). Outcome indicators such as mortality rates, ailments that require overnight stay highlights the barriers hindering access to care. Structural barriers, these are hindrances related to place, mode of operation of medical service providers. Individual and cultural barriers impede individuals who need health services, but be recommended as post treatment. Financial barriers, limit patients ability to pay for the health services or doctors from offering services with limited

Mourid Barghouti's I Saw Ramallah Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mourid Barghouti's I Saw Ramallah - Essay Example The aim of this paper is to answer the following questions: what key personal and public events shaped Barghouti's account To what extent in Barghouti's personal life affect his memory of public events Can historians use memoirs like Barghouti's to understand the past In addition to that, my personal opinion about possible chances of resolving the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians will be reflected. 2. The book begins from the scene when Barghouti returns to his homeland crossing the Jordan River bridge and reminding his first crossing it thirty years ago when he had to leave for Amman: "Here I am crossing the Jordan River I walk westward in a normal manner - or rather, a manner that appears normal. Behind me the world, ahead of me my world (Barghouti, p.1)". Such historical event as Israel victory in Six-Day War influenced the author's life very much: he had to leave his native country and go abroad. He lived in exile for thirty years, so his book I Saw Ramallah is very self-reflective and shows Barghouti's pain and despair from his inability to return to Ramallah again. By 1967 he had graduated the Cairo University - it shaped his account as a famous poet and writer. In addition to that, he married Radwa Ashour and got back to Cairo again to teach English to law students. His return to Cairo played a significant role in Barghouti's life - he began working at the Palestine Rad io Station as an anchor man and political commentator. But Sadat's presidency influenced his career: the station had been closed, and Barghouti worked at the radio station in Beirut during the civil war - this war became another event which affected the life of the author. Then, the political situation changed, and after Sadat's visit to Israel Barghouti was departed from Cairo, as well as other Palestinians. So, foreign policy events influenced personal and professional life of Mourid Barghouti, and such troubles, misfortunes and disadvantages are clearly reflected in his book I Saw Ramallah. Barghouti's personal and professional life affected his memory of public events. He was not fond of politics, but political events of that time influenced and affected him, and this affection is reflected in his book. He perceived the world political events through wide scale of his own experience. Israeli-Palestinian conflict deprived him of his native country; political regime of Egyptian president Sadat affected his professional activity. He had lost himself - after he left Palestine in 1967 he had no place to feel comfortable, he felt as an exile. Barghouti was arrested in 1977 in Egypt, and he was deported to Hungary where he lived for 17 years separated from his family: his wife and son who was five months old when Barghouti was deported. These and other difficult circumstances of his personal life affected his memory of public events - he described these events from the point of view of his personal experience, that's why the world events seem to be so naturalistic and full of sadness and sincerity: "Israel allows in hundreds of elderly people and

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) - Essay Example The properties that are handled by the National Trust of Scotland are quite diverse ranging from castle to cottages. They also look after the birthplaces of famous Scots like Robbie Burns and taking care of the industrial heritage sites such as Lanark Mills also comes under their responsibility. Other than this, the Trust also takes care of over 200,000 acres of countryside including farmlands, mountains and moorlands, farmland forest, waterfalls, coastlines, and island (Countryhouses, 2010) Despite having such a great responsibility, the National Trust of Scotland has been ignoring its prescribed duty thus; it has to face the financial reality of their mistakes. These mistakes have somehow far- reaching consequences of its houses (Countryhouses, 2010). Marketing Proposal Mix The proper use of 7 Ps is very essential for internet marketing and when used properly, they can make a significant difference in online business. Therefore, to attract customers for the Trust, management should understand these policies and use them for the following reasons. Increase website traffic: To increase the internet traffic, the language used by the website must be easy and comprehendible to the viewers. By using the promotional strategies for the trust on the web, and advertising the places for the trust, you can surely gather the potential customer. The basic idea behind the increase in the traffic of website is to have an effective content on the site. Keeping in mind the element of people and place from the marketing mix, the trust should hire competent people who can make the site interactive for the user. It can also be done by making small a documentary on the places they handle (Snack, 2011). This might increase the budget of hiring but it can be recovered when business will be generated The other way to increase traffic on the site is to utilize the place, website, properly. Let people share information and their experiences about the trust places. Through this, the pro cess will be enhanced; they will remain engaged with the website and will come to know about the recent updates and offers made by the trust. Moreover, the management should keep on changing the features and content of the site so the user does not feel monotony. The anticipated outcome from these activities is to increase the viewership and the traffic on the site with little expenditure from the budget (Snack, 2011). Followers become advocates for the trust People who are passionate about the trust can become its best advocate. They can only become loyal customers if the Trust manages to give them the services they have promised them online. The Trust can make people their advocate if they manage to provide incentives to the people who will bring other customers for the Trust. These incentives can depend on the ratio of the business that they are bringing in; these customers can get free tickets to a national place or they can get discount of some events they want to hold in the T rust’s property. Through the proper planning, with very little investment the trust can play with Product and Pricing for the Promotion. The anticipated outcome form this is; the Trust can gain more customers with little investment. Thus, it will raise the income column of the budget sheet. Visit national Trust of Scotland or purchase from online store: It is generally

Radiotherapy in cancer care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Radiotherapy in cancer care - Essay Example Nevertheless, besides radiotherapy destroying the cancers cells, it also affects the normal tissues of the person receiving the treatment. This unintentional damage of normal tissues is often termed as toxicity. This toxicity often comes in hand with many sides effects. These include fatigue, radiation enteritis, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, hair loss, sore skin and joint or muscle stiffness. In cancer treatment, fatigue is a common side effect of radiation treatment. Fatigue is the most distressing symptom. It is much beyond the burden caused by nausea and pain. Research has proved that more than 75% of the patients who undergo radiotherapy in their cancer treatment complain of fatigue during and after the process (Cancer Net, n.d). This has induced a negative effect on the management of cancer. This is because it sometimes becomes severe affecting the life of the patients (Barsevick, Dudley & Beck, 2006). According to Dr, Vogelzang report, about a third of the patients considered fatigue as the most significant symptom of radiotherapy while almost 70% described it as the worst side effect. Studies have found that fatigue and skin problems were the most frequently reported side effects of patients undergoing radiation for lung cancer, although levels of fatigue were higher at the start of treatment compared to women treated with radiotherapy for breast cancer (Corner, & Bailey, 2009). Fatigue is recognized as a common symptom of radiotherapy, which not only occurs during treatment but also continues after the Radiotherapy has ended. The incidence of moderate to severe fatigue following radiotherapy has been reported as between 32% and 59% of those undergoing treatment trajectories (Dauz, Duccy, Scars, et al, 2001). Research has shown that management of fatigue is often limited during radiotherapy, with an undue focus on anaemia-related problems rather than providing wider support

The Comparison and Contrast of Marijuana and other Harder Drugs Essay - 5

The Comparison and Contrast of Marijuana and other Harder Drugs - Essay Example Marijuana is different from heroin and cocaine in that it is a ‘natural’ drug, not a derived drug. It is known by many names such as pot, weed, grass, and skunk; all terms, however, refer to the â€Å"dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the cannabis plant.† (NDIC, 2003a, p.2) Heroin, on the other hand, is derived from opium; although opium itself is a natural substance extracted from the â€Å"seedpod of the opium poppy’ (NDIC, 2003b, p.2) heroin is manufactured from morphine which is an element of opium. Cocaine is derived from the coca leaf in South America and has to go through a chemical process to become cocaine. (NDIC, 003c, p.2) There are clear evidence and statistics reporting on death by overdose of pure cocaine and heroin use but I was unable to locate any such evidence of death by pure marijuana use.1 Heroin and cocaine, being powders (other than heroin sold in solid form in the west of the US) can be mixed with other substances like sugar, powdered cleaning agents and strychnine before being sold and thus create the risk of death, whereas it is difficult to dilute marijuana in any way. Marijuana is not associated with violent behavior as is evidenced by heroin and cocaine. A study conducted at the University of Victoria in British Columbia found that the use of marijuana on its own is not related to violent injuries in need of hospital attention but that the use of cocaine on its own is related. (NORML, 2007) There are also differences in â€Å"long-term differential associations of cocaine use and marijuana use on decision making† according to a study undertaken by Verdejo-Garcia et al. 2007. They investigated the connection between prolonged marijuana and cocaine use and its effect on learning.

Amazon Rainforest Environmental Studies Research Paper

Amazon Rainforest Environmental Studies - Research Paper Example Amazon Rainforest Amazon rainforest is found to be the biggest forest and the biggest space which is covered by tropical animals and plants. Forest territory of Amazon is basically a tropical rainforest which is spread across the northern region of South American continent. The entire rainforest is shared by almost eight nations which are Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Columbia, Peru, Guiana, Venezuela and Suriname (Save the Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Rainforest). The largest section (almost 60%) of the Amazon rainforest can be found in Brazil. In fact, half of Brazil is covered by this rainforest. The rainforest of Amazon is also famous as Amazonia. It is seen as one of the most important greatest natural resources that are found on planet earth. Experts often call it the â€Å"Lungs of this planet† as it consistently produces oxygen by converting carbon dioxide of the environment (Amazon Rainforest, Blue Planet Biomes). It is found that almost 20% the world’s oxygen come fr om this rainforest. The nickname ‘rainforest’ signifies the humidity that is found in this region. However, rainfall does not happen all the time. Usually tropical rainforests are situated near the equator, as a result they are found to be very hot. All the heat leads to huge volume of evaporation of water into the air. The trees in the forest retain the water in their roots and branches. The combination of all these actions makes the entire area very much humid. The humidity, rain and heat have made the Amazon rainforest a rich ecosystem (Save the Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Rainforest). The magnitude of both rain and temperature is found to be consistent throughout the year. The average temperature in this region is 79 ° F (Amazon Rainforest, Blue Planet Biomes). It is already mentioned that approximately half of Brazil is covered by the Amazonia. A very crucial fact is that the canopy of the Amazon rainforest is less studied as compared to the ocean floor. Many exper ts believe that it is very much possible that the half of all the species in world can be found in the canopy of this rainforest. What is already found is that more than 500 mammals, 175 types of lizards and almost one of third earth’s birds live in the Amazonia. It is predicted that nearly 30 million types of insects live in this region (Amazon Rainforest, Blue Planet Biomes). The Amazon rainforest can be seen as the combination of four different layers. Each of these layers consists of unique plants, animals and ecosystems. The first layer is happened to be the tallest among all. In this layer trees having height of 200 feet are found. The leaves are often found to be small. Furthermore, a thick waxy surface is found over the leaves. This layer experiences significant fluctuation of wind, rainfall and temperature (Amazon Rainforest, Blue Planet Biomes). The next layer i.e. ‘the canopy’ is considered to be a major layer of Amazonia. Most of the trees in this lay er have oval and smooth leaves and almost 80% of sunlight gets filtered through them. The canopy acts as a home to hundreds and thousands of species. The next layer gets 3-5% of the sunlight. Plants in this layer find some unique ways of adaptability in this shadowy system. Due to very low movement of air, plants and their leaves greatly depend on the animals and insects for pollinating the flowers (Amazon Rainfores

Skunk Hour by Robert Lowell Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Skunk Hour by Robert Lowell - Assignment Example Connotation, on the other hand is defined as being what a particular word implies or is suggested to mean. Two words from â€Å"Skunk Hour† whose connotation brings greater meaning to the poem are â€Å"hermit† and â€Å"eyesores.† Both of these words invoke very strong imagery within the poem which, in turn, is helpful in understanding the piece’s overall meaning. The word â€Å"hermit† implies a person who is alone, a stranger to others, invisible, and perhaps odd looking. The fact that this word is used in conjunction with heiress is interesting as heiresses are not usually seen as hermits. Hermit influences the characterization of the heiress right from the very beginning of the poem. Eyesore is a word which connotes structures that are dilapidated, ugly, and vacant. It adds a lot of intrigue to the poem as the reader wonders why the heiress is buying up places that nobody else would want. Alliteration is a term which means that there are two words that begin with the same consonant in a group of words or a particular line. It can also refer to similar sounding words within the same group as well. There are several examples of alliteration within â€Å"Skunk Hour.† For example, in the fourth stanza, Lowell states â€Å"for fall,/his fishnets filled†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Lowell). The repetition of the â€Å"f† and the â€Å"f† sound in this group of words would be considered alliteration. Another example of alliteration occurs in the fifth stanza with the group of words â€Å"love-cars. Lights turned down, /they lay together, hull to hull,†(Lowell). Similarly to the previous example, this group repeats the letter â€Å"l† and the â€Å"l† sound in the words â€Å"love†¦lights†¦lay†¦hull†¦hull.† This repetition would be considered alliteration as well. Assonance is defined as the repetition of specific vowels or vowel sounds in a line or group of words. There are a few examples of assonance with the â€Å"Skunk Hour.† One example occurs between the two words of â€Å"off†

Managing Legal Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing Legal Relationship - Essay Example This issue had not been addressed by SBL management even after the issue was raised by the staff and this had demoralised the staff. Tony, a four year old child who almost chocked to death on what appeared to be piece of string which had somehow been baked in a loaf and was contained in a slice of bread given to him by his mother. The mother has right of bring a case against SBL concerning the choking of her son. Cherie (Tony's Mother) can also bring a case against SBL for she had experienced trauma after she saw her son Tony being chocked by a string in the slices of bread she had given him. This lead he to being prescribed tranquilisers as she could not cope with as did before her son was choked. Annie, a sales lady who was selling SBL products from a van, door to door can also bring claims against SBL for falling to release her as she wanted to leave the company. She wanted to witch so that she can start selling Barrowmill's bread but she would not be released by SBL unless she paid them compensation for the remaining four months of her contract. The customer can also bring claims against SBL since they were selling inferior products. The customers had started complaining that the quality of bread was deteriorating and that they were selling inferior products. On the case where Stoneygro... The customer can also bring claims against SBL since they were selling inferior products. The customers had started complaining that the quality of bread was deteriorating and that they were selling inferior products. Chapter Two: Discussion Question Two Legal Rules governing the above legal Action On the case where Stoneyground Bakeries Ltd (SBL) is bring an action against Tyre Heaven for selling to them cheap imported tyres that cause injuries to the company's driver a week after they were fitted. The Van driver crushed into a wall after the tyre's tread came off causing him to suffer injuries. This was a clear indication that the tyres were of very low standards hence Tyre Heaven were liable for the injuries caused to the SBL van together with the driver since the van crushed as a result of tread coming of the tyre. When SBL bought the tyres from Tyre Heaven there was an implied condition. A condition is usually a term of greater importance going to the root of the contract. A buyer may waive the condition or may elect to treat the breach of such condition as a breach of warranty, and consequently claim damages instead of repudiating the contract all together. The buyer is bound to treat the breach of condition as a breach of warranty where the contract is not severable and he has accepted the goods, or part thereof or where the contract is for the sale of specific goods, and the property in them has already passed to the buyer. The parties are, however free to contract themselves out of this rule by including a stipulation to that effect in which case the terms of the contract will not be affected by the provisions. For the case of sale of tyres by Tire Heaven, there was an implied condition as to merchantability. A

Why Are Stereotypes Dangerous and What Can Be Done to Reduce Them Essay Example for Free

Why Are Stereotypes Dangerous and What Can Be Done to Reduce Them Essay Very often, in our everyday life, we tend to make certain generalizations about things and people around us. This is because we are constantly exposed to heaps of information, and in order to cope with the complexity of the world around us, we need to generalize and categorize. [1] Sometimes we do this on purpose, with some intention. However, very often we do this subconsciously, unaware of what we are doing. Many people generalize on others according to their clothes, profession, origin, way of speaking, and many other, outer markers. This sort of thinking could be very dangerous, and it can lead us to creating stereotypes. Stereotype is a term which most people â€Å"avoid† in our time, and many of us usually deny using them at all. However, we have to admit that stereotypes are present in every segment of our lives, on television, in newspapers, books, and even in cartoons. It is obvious that stereotypes are something we cannot escape from. They can sometimes even help us, if used as a first step towards learning more about other people and cultures, as long as we are aware of their existence. [2] However, if taken to be completely true, stereotypes can be very dangerous, and can lead to prejudice, discrimination, persecution and even genocide. 3] This is the point when, apparently â€Å"hurtles† remarks and conclusions about other people, based on their appearance, way of speaking, job or nationality, become very serious. This is when people, led by some preconceived, over-generalized, and exaggerated images, start having certain expectations and assumptions about the others (prejudice), start acting and treating them in a cruel way (discrimination), or, in the worst cases, grow into something so dangerous as violation and killing of the stereotyped groups (persecution, genocide). In order for this not to happen, stereotypes should be reduced as much as possible. One of the possible ways of doing this is making people aware of the seriousness of using stereotypes, by propagating this idea through the media, introducing it in the education system, and by making people aware that every â€Å"group† is a group of different people, a group of individuals. Prejudice One of the possible dangers of using stereotypes is the fact that they can serve as bases for prejudice. Prejudice can be defined as an unfavorable opinion formed against a person or group, based on stereotypes. 4] This is dangerous because it leads us to having certain expectations about people in advance. We make our own conclusions, our own visions of those people. This can prevent us from â€Å"going further,† from exploring and getting to know more about the people we are stereotyping. One of the most common distributors of prejudice are national stereotypes. National stereotypes are usually created among groups of people who are â€Å"not so fond† of each other, and obviously, they are in most cases negative. For example, in our country, it is a common belief that all Americans are evil. This is because we have had many unpleasant situations, related to war and recent political clashes, where the Americans were â€Å"to blame. † However, this does not mean that all Americans are evil, and that all of them are war-mongers. However, many of us would not do anything to prove this to be true. There are many examples of national stereotypes found in films, and they can be a very powerful distributor of prejudice and ill-formed images of other nations. They are dangerous because they can influence viewers behavior and attitudes towards the stereotyped nations, since most people take everything broadcast on television for granted. For example, in many American Western movies, Native American people are stereotyped as savages. At first, they were noble savages, but when they became an obstacle for the Whites, they started to be stereotyped as wild, primitive, uncivilized, dangerous people who sadistically kill the Whites. These stereotypical portrayals of the Natives gave way to thinking that all Natives were cruel savages and villains. However, people who ever had any interest in American history know that the situation was quite the opposite. In a similar way, African American people sometimes happen to be the thugs- drug dealers, or even the murderers in the American films. In a recent American film Lakeview Terrace, a couple of young Americans move to a new town, where they are tortured by their next door neighbor, who is accidentally or not- Black. Although this is said not to be done on purpose, people who watch this sort of movies can subconsciously form negative attitudes towards African American people. Led by this wrong image propagated on television, people can subconsciously create negative opinion about them. For example, a person walking through a park at night, on encountering a group of Blacks, will probably not feel the same as if, for example, they came across a group of Whites. [5] Another example of national stereotypes that is a common basis for prejudice is the world-wide known English stereotype, a reserved, cold, stiff-upper-lips. [6] These typical English characteristics became so widely present in the media, that most people apply them as real English characteristics. This, of course, is not true, simply because all people are different, and we cannot apply one characteristic to a group, without considering it as a group of individuals. However, people usually believe in everything they hear or see on TV, and consequently form some kind of expectations and prejudice against the people they do not actually know. To prove this to be true, some of my colleagues and me had some people from our environment interviewed on this topic. It is interesting that most of them had similar answers, and almost everyone said the English were reserved, snobbish, and even evil. Americans were fat and stupid, self-centered. Although none of them would admit to be stereotyping, they all somehow knew this was true. Many of them, when asked if they would ever live in these countries responded negativelly, because the people were bad. Thus they had some prejudices formed against these people, and did not want to do anything to help them understand and appreciate the other culture. Discrimination When the stereotypes we have formed last for too long in our minds, they can grow and develop into something more serious than prejudice. This is when we start acting and treating other people in a different, often bad and inhumane way. [7] This is another possible danger of using stereotypes, which is called discrimination. There are many different types of discrimination, based on appearance, age, nationality, sex, etc. One of the most common forms of discrimination is based on a well known stereotype found in many movies, magazines, and even in cartoons. It is the stereotype of a dumb blonde. [8] It is an image of a girl who is physically attractive, but lacks brains. This stereotype is so powerful, that very often all blonde girls are considered to be stupid, and are not taken seriously, which in some cases can affect their lives, especially when it comes to their intellectual abilities. In one of the famous Hollywood movies starring Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde, the main character suffers the consequences of being blonde. Namely, the girl in the film enrolls in Harvard, but is immediatelly looked down on by h er colleagues, and considered to be stupid and superficial just because of her looks. However, at the end of the movie, she manages to graduate from Harvard, and proves the stereotype to be false. Although this fim is often considered to be teen-oriented and not very serious, it tells a story that can happen in real life, and it sends a message to people that stereotypes can lead to discrimination and affect peoples lives. Additionally to this, some national stereotypes can serve as a starting point for discrimination, too. In our country, Gypsies are often looked down on, and are stereotyped as dirty, uneducated, loud, and very often as thieves. Although many of us would decisively deny to be stereotyping Gypsies as such, reality is very cruel for them, and they are often victims of discrimination and even persecution. Beside this racial discrimination, in some cultures discrimination is based on the stereotypical portrayal of women as the ‘weaker sex,’ incapable of doing any kind of normal work but everyday chores. In cultures like these, (Indian, Egyptian, etc. ) women are discriminated against and their basic human rights are violated. In a recent documentary on ‘National Geographic,’[9] an American was obliged to leave his country, and go to Saudi Arabia to work. There he faced many differences between his and the Arabian culture. He was amazed by the fact that his girlfriend, who applied for a job of a photographer, was turned down with no obvious reason. However, later in the documentary, it was revealed by an Arabic woman that in their country, this was ‘not a job for a woman. ’ In their country, women are not supposed to be seen out very often, especially without their husbands, and they are supposed to take care of their home and children. This, of course, was a shock for the American, and he said he could not believe that things like this happened in 21st century. However, this proves again that stereotypes are dangerous and that they can lead to discrimination, in this case of women as a weaker sex, incapable of doing any proper job. Additionally, discrimination that results from stereotyping can even be more dangerous, if we do not take into consideration people’s feelings. Very often, especially in the age of adolescence, young people tend to stereotype their overweight friends as if they belonged to some different group of people. Although the young ones do not think about the effect of their stereotyping, it can be very painful and can cause harmful effects on the stereotyped group. Moreover, discrimination of the overweight can even be done by the teachers, the adults. For example, when I was in high school, at one of our physical education classes, we were supposed to compete in high jump. Just before the competition, the teacher told one of my friends that he did not have to take part in this, because he was aware he could not jump (he was a bit overweight). The fact that this was said in front of the whole class made him feel even more miserable. This is an example of discriminating overweight people, by stereotyping them as unable to perform things as well as the others. Situations like these can be very dangerous, and can have horrible effects on an individual, such as emotional stress and low self-esteem. [10] One of the most widely present forms of discrimination based on stereotypes is sexual discrimination. Even though we live in modern times, the issue of homosexuality is still considered to be something unacceptable, and people belonging to this ‘group’ are considered to be weird and are often stereotyped negatively. This varies from country to country, but they are generally stereotyped as effeminate, incapable of doing any serious jobs (except for fashion related ones), and many people feel some kind of inexplicable scorn towards them. This especially is the case in our country, where homosexuality is still a taboo, and where homosexuals are considered less than humans. Except for the emotional pain, these people are often turned down at a job interview, or are fired if their sexual orientation is revealed. A famous Hollywood actress, Ellen DeGeneres, in one of the shows that has been on TV recently, said that when she openly admitted she was gay, her TV show, which was at its peak at the moment, was suddenly cancelled. ‘The network executives blamed low ratings, but the reason was quite obvious,’ said the actress, alluding to her public reveal of being homosexual. This discrimination of homosexuals is an issue that has been discussed many times in the media. In a recent episode of ‘Oprah Winfrey Show,’ the topic of the day was the discrimination of homosexuals. People from all over the world were telling their sad stories, and there was even a girl from Brazil who talked about her terrible experience, when a group of angry youths attacked her, and raped her, causing her both physical and emotional injuries, just because she admitted she was homosexual. This leads us to the final and most terrible effects of stereotyping- persecution and genocide.

Overview Of Krump Dancing Drama Essay

Overview Of Krump Dancing Drama Essay Krumping is an urban art form, reflecting the African American expressive culture and the street culture. The regional location and its history of violence has propelled the style into the mainstream. Born in 1990s from the slumps of Los Angeles, it blends elements of spiritual and physical energy. Krumping is an emerging movement that is quite fresh on the dance scene, exploding with positive energy it comes from a torn world of poverty and oppression. As a spiritual art form it encompasses core elements of its history and religion through its powerful movements and sounds. Through its spiritually Krump transforms its African American dance form to a communal public art form while incorporating its street culture through its music as a creative outlet for the hardships of urban life. Each element in Krump excretes pure energy in a unique way that releases the pent up frustration of each performer, from its highly energetic movements, expressiveness and the physical toll on the perfo rmers body, the art form has yet to hit its peak. The history of Krump and its spiritual energy originates from the hard streets of South Central Los Angeles, California, but can also be traced back to its African tribal culture. Born amongst the 1965 Watts riots, a large-scale riot which lasted 6 days in protest to the American Civil Rights Act leaving the African American community a feeling of injustice and despair, and the 1992 Rodney King riots, were the acquittal of LAPD officers in the trial of the beating of Rodney King sparked a further 6 days crime spree, the dance created an escape for the youth. Being brought up in a community upheaved by of violence and oppression blighted by racism, left the youths pursuing a sense of belonging and nurturance from there distressed families of substance abuse and violence. Turning to gangs for a sense of compassion, the ongoing harassment and recruitment of gangs left a sense of hopelessness, were within a dance movement emerge, from the dissatisfaction of their daily struggles, classif ied as an urban hip-hop variation, Krump like Capoeira started as a way for trouble youths to express themselves, and escape their gang filled lives. Krump dancers would form structured and organised crews or families, a tight-knit group of individuals whose loyalties and commitment extends beyond dance. These dance circles of fellow Krumpers provide the support and stability many in their community dont receive from their own families at home. Thus through their oppressed urban culture a sub-culture of Krumping immerged, providing an alternative to the gang life style. Seen as an aggressive competitive dance due to its release of the performers personal anger, hiding beneath the rebellious exterior, lays a religious imagery of enslavement calling out for protest. There is a spirit in the midst of krump-ness. There is a spirit thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦most people think, theyre just a bunch of rowdy, ghetto, heathen thugs. No, what we are is oppressed. (Julie Malnig, 2009) Krumping at its roots are connected by its history but also at its core there are traces of the African tribal culture, Dancers would perform in a circle, as a way for them to assert their wholeness. The circle is an arena of a warrior, the ring shout of slave times, in which slaves would move in a round circle while stomping and clapping. The circle of the dance is a permissive circle: it protects and permits. At certain times on certain days, men and women come together at a given place, and there, under the solemn eye of the tribe, fling themselves into a seemingly unorganized pantomime, which is in reality extremely systematic, in which by various meansshakes of the head, bending of the spinal column, throwing of the whole body backward -may be deciphered as in an open book the huge effort of a community to exorcise itself, to liberate itself, to explain itself. There are no limitsinside the circle. Frantz Fanon (1961) But also a spiritual ritual; combat, competition and artistry build a world within and the circle contains elements of a spiritual energy, a holy dance and religious trances. Even as their paths in lives may seem fray and unbound Dancers accomplishments in krumping gain them street credibility, earning respect and absorption from a life of violence. Furthermore embodied with competitiveness and spiritual aspect krumping provides sanctuary of the urban city, a state of mind with no boundaries, lines or limitations, just a sense of freedom. Rize follows the practitioners of krumping from its origins at childrens clown parties to the popular dance form that has reached mainstream audiences. LaChapelle never explores krumping beyond its inner-city setting, enforcing the krumping as an authentic art form in the city of Los Angeles in direct opposition of the materialistic, commercialism of mainstream. Beginning with Tommy the Clown, an American dancer and the inventor of clowning style, it quickly spread and evolved in to dance-battles serving as an alternative to gangs. Tommys performances developed loyal followers, growing throughout Los Angeles. Taking it upon himself he used this opportunity to give the youth a chance by being a model living positive at all times. As dancers got older the style continued to morph into even more outrageous styles. The abrasive nature of Krump makes it difficult to locate its sacred connotations; the spiritual energy brewing within its movements often convey sexuality, violence and suffe ring, but within the circle of Krumping this is the only way of making ourselves feel like we belong. (Julie Malnig, 2009) During these moments of belonging, the dancers become a contest of physical and spiritual energy, revealing their spirit and raw emotion that Krump demands. The energy and vigor of Krumping in a spiritual sense exorcises the demons and conjure spirits, but thought Krumping look wild and out of control to the unaware, it is actually self-governing and defies claims that youths are inherently violent and disruptive. The music in Krumping is danced to hardcore, beat-heavy hip-hop tracks, sometimes with no vocals. These amorphous circles and repetitive rhythmic loops entrances dancers to a spiritual state. During Rize a dancer falls under a trance which then she loses spiritual control and consciousness, collapsing into the arms of a fellow Krumper, when she is asked what has happened, she answers, I dont knowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I just let go. (Rize, 2005) The circle of spiritual energy is also used as organised healing and cathartic release, Krumpers channel their anger into a positive form , making Krumping more than a dance art form; its a coping mechanism that reveals this sub-culture to be something another than youths engaging in criminal behaviours and mentalities. Derived from Hip-Hop and Breaking, Krumping fires up people with its energetic enthusiasm of its powerful emotional expressiveness in certain Krump movements, it may represent elements joyful and painful emotions; in which can help the performer in alleviating anxiety and depression while also sharing emotions artistically. The movement exhibits an electric body shock which moulds and distortions in the body of the head, arms, face, legs and pelvis. Krump is intended as an outlet for anger or to release pent-up energy, the dance movements reflect this type of physical release, both males and females display combinations of movements similar to a blend of street fighting, moshing, spiritual possession and aerobic striptease. It is described as a volatile, warrior-like, spastic and quaking dance that involves the vigorous banding of the spine, the thrusting and popping of the chest. While the overall appearance of Krumping may look violent with battles between dancers a central compone nt, Krumpers hit each other to get energised to dance in the radical expressive and explosive ways the dance is known for. The Physical Energy is used as an outlet for frustration this passionate dance is adapted to each performers unique style, with the level of intensity differing by the emotions felt in that moment, giving the dance its own personality. When performing these actions I noticed the energy involve, initially it was about the visual actions of throwing, tossing, grabbing smashing, breaking and slashing but the more I performed these movements the more I noticed the actions that require a lot of energy, momentum and physical power to execute. In power moves, the dancers relies more on upper body strength and is usually on his or her hands during moves. An arm swing entails the arm to be tense up; as they tighten into a stiff plank, and the hand is crunched into a fist. The basic arm swing motion, the arm tended to rise and fall into the body, the movement is rhythmic with each swing. There is lift upwards and outwards where the swing is grasping for contact, each swing is flung with a strong and fierce force, while tearing at the arms socket. As the arm falls it loosens and bends, contracting into the body. The hands and arms in each one of these movements begin a chain reaction that spreads through the body, resulting i n being covered with a cloak of pure powerful energy. Wavelike movements in the torso, arms and hips are descendent from the African origin. Theres a sense of being, and a connection to your body but also a sense of power and strength. Each movement is skilfully controlled to the beat of the music. Form the Arm swing to the power moves the movements in Krump give you a sense of being untouchable while being empowering. Krumpers face off one-on-one and try to out-Krump one another, this fusion of sport, dancing and fighting With a semblance of physical combat and African tribal culture in their dance movements, Krumping allows dancers to pop their limbs, gyrate their torsos and stomp their feet to hip hop music (Rize, 2005) The pace and intensity of the music is so frantic that it suggests a kind of spiritual possession, dancers seemingly and often are instructed to lose control, this loss of control has been lyrically manifested allowing the dancers to slip out of their constraints and boxes and just let go. After losing control in the beats, they recognise that there are both limits and no limits within the circle. This expression of their true self runs on their remaining energy before passing out. The Krumping dance style makes explicit claims to the importance of its regional location and history of violence as a major propellant of the style. Spiritual Energy Religion Sound Physical Energy Movement Journal (in body experience) Expression Toll

The History Of Afghanistan History Essay

The History Of Afghanistan History Essay After the September 11th attacks on America, many nations were drawn into the War on Terror. With this escalating conflict came the names of many countries that the American public knew little about. Prior to 9/11, Americans knew Afghanistan simply as a country in the Middle East. In the aftermath of 9/11, Americans now associate Afghanistan with words like Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Despite the recent press coverage on this land-locked nation, few understand the history of Afghanistan, including the rich cultural aspects, political climate, and society of this country. As the future of Afghanistan is being lived and written right now, a clear understanding of the countrys history is imperative in understanding the new global circumstances. It is for this reason that Meredith L. Runion has written this book, published by Geenwood Press. The author is a Program Manager in the Directorate of Science and Technology for the U.S. Federal Government and has been involved in several efforts regarding the Middle East. She is regarded as a specialist in the history of Afghanistan. The author has produced a volume that reflects her current research on Afghanistan. In addition to writing several articles on the subject, The History of Afghanistan, is her first published book. Meredith is a native of the Washington D.C. area, and holds advanced degrees in Decision Science and Business. The book is intended for students and general readers. It is also serves as an appropriate starting material for researchers trying to find concise yet all-inclusive text on the entire history of Afghanistan and the rulers that have governed it. The United States, being a superpower which attacked Afghanistan and is now embroiled in the War Against Terror in this region, shares a special relationship with this country. Yet, many Americans know very little about Afghanistan, its history and the people who occupy this region. Therefore the author has made special effort to keep the book simple, concise and easy to follow for the American readers. Among the many other questions the writer addresses some are as given: How did Afghanistan get to be the way it is? What kind of political systems have evolved there? What kind of influence does it have in the region? What are the dominant political, religious and cultural forces that move its leaders? These and many other questions have been answered in this volume. The book under review is a nonfiction account of the history of Afghanistan. It provides an abridged history of Afghanistan, from the emergence of civilization to the United States overthrow of the Taliban in late 2001. The history is almost entirely political and military in nature, recounting shifting dynasties and governments and successive invasions by empires and great powers. Major points in the book describe how modern Afghanistan is a melting pot of a multitude of cultures, tribes, and political influences all under the guiding belief of Islam. The author repeatedly stresses that due to the countrys strategic location along the crucial trade routes between Central Asia and the Middle East, Afghanistan has suffered repeated conquests throughout its tumultuous history. In spite of this, Afghanistan has proven to be a resilient force in the face of long term conquests, as the United States is experiencing today. It starts with an introduction to the country, focusing on its geography and people. It discusses its location in the region, its physical features and agricultural potential. It also discusses its economy and the ethnic groups inhabiting the country. It is interesting to note that the author has devoted a complete chapter to Afghanistans prehistory. While libraries and bookstores are filled with a multitude of works on the early life of Mesopotamia and Persia, very little can be found about Afghanistans prehistory. Further, most books provide only one or two paragraphs on the early civilization era of Afghanistan, usually after Alexander the Great conquered this region. By including a complete chapter on the countrys prehistory the writer has made the book appealing to general public as well as students of history. The next chapter discusses the early civilizations which flourished in this area. Brief yet informative material has been presented about the Aryan Civilization, the Medes Empire, the arrival of Alexander the Great in the region and the Greco-Bactrian rule in Afghanistan. Most books on the subject ignore the intermediate period between the early civilizations and the arrival of Islam in Afghanistan. However, the writer has discussed the Greek-Hellenistic culture prevailing in the area till the conquests led by Muslim invaders. The Macedonian Empire, the division under Seleucid and Mauryan Rule, the Greco-Bactrian and Parthian eras, The Kushan Empire and the Sassanid Dynasty have been dealt with by the author in this chapter before moving on to the advent of Muslim conquerors. Conspicuous, however, is the authors lack of attention to the rule of Islamic Empires in Afghanistan. The Islamic Empires of this region were some of the most powerful and influential ones during the period extending from 10th century A.D., and played a significant role in shaping the history of Central Asia, Persia and India. The indisposition of the author to handle this period of history in greater detail will come as a surprise to researchers and historians. The following chapter discusses the Mongolian Invasion, the Timurid Empire and Safavid Rule leading up to the creation of the first Afghan state under Ahmed Shah Durrani in 1747. A complete chapter has been written by the author detailing the Anglo-Afghan Wars from 1839 to 1919. Once again the author very concisely narrates the history of Afghanistan during this period ensuring that no important event is left out. Events leading up to the Soviet Invasion, Retreat of Soviet forces and the Afghan Civil War have been described by the author in a succinct manner. Since the history of Afghanistan during this period has been covered by a significant number of books, and that too in great detail, it is relieving to note that the writer has not presented extensive material reproducing the same events in the book. Instead the author sticks to presenting the events briefly. The next chapter in the book discusses the rise of fundamentalism in Afghan society. This covers the role of the Mujahideen, the rise of the Taliban, their war with the Northern Alliance and finally the advent of Osama bin Laden on the global scene. This chapter will be of particular interest to Western readers, especially those in the United States who are not clear about the origin of the Taliban. Afghanistan is a nation about which Western readers knew very little about till the events of 2001. Overall, Runion gives an insightful overview of such a country. In general, the book lays greater stress on the historical events occurring in the past 30 years. According to Frank W. Thackeray and John E. Findling, both professors at Indiana University and foreword-writers for the book, the past 30 years have been witness to a great deal of historical change, and it is to this change that this book is primarily addressed. The material in the book has been presented in an orderly manner, with the author focusing on the chronological order of the historical events. The language used is simple and helpful for students wishing to acquire knowledge about the subject matter in a short time duration. However it must be noted that the book presents a very brief overview of the history of Afghanistan, with the overly plain language at times becoming simple even for high school students. As the reader moves towards the more modern history of Afghanistan, it becomes perfectly clear that this book was written for Americans who wanted to know more about Afghanistan after 2001. If that is the only purpose of the readers, this book will prove fine. But if the readers are history students or researchers, they will find vast other eras of history getting ignored. The book contains additional chapters that add useful detail to the historical narrative. One chapter is a thorough chronology of important historical events, making it easy for readers to follow the flow of Afghanistans history. Another chapter features biographical sketches of the nations most important figures who have contributed to the historical development of the Afghan nation. The book also contains a comprehensive bibliography, so that those readers interested in the subject matter can find more about the nation and its history. Each chapter is followed by detailed notes explaining the contents of the chapter, making extensive references to works of other writers and historians on Afghanistan. Included alongside these items is a glossary of frequently used terms, and a guide to further readings. The author apparently did a great deal of research and references multiple sources to provide an unbiased look into Afghanistan. It was noted that the chronology of this book moves in a haphazard fashion, and the areas the author chooses to focus on are sometimes puzzling. Even though Afghanistan was a neutral nation during WWI and WWII, those wars are discussed in a paragraph. The authors style of narrating the events which have not yet occurred in a specific section becomes irritating at times. For example, the author writes: That king ruled until the war was over in 1967 Then the next section will begin: The war of regicidal independence began in 1960 This is fairly common, and has the readers sometimes struggling to put their mindset back into chronological order. The absence of maps was greatly felt, which could have assisted in explaining the historical contents of the book. Similarly, the book contained no illustrations or images, making it a tiresome and unamusing read at times. Inclusion of maps and illustrations could have added to the appeal and quality of the book Overall, the book makes a satisfactory attempt to explain the major historical events of Afghanistan very briefly. Some historical details have been ignored by the author. For an introductory history to Afghanistan, this serves its purpose, but it will probably pique rather than satiate the readers search for knowledge, which may have been the authors point all along. The book has about 150 pages, so if the readers want an in depth material this probably isnt recommended. However, this is a great starting material for those wanting to gain more understanding on the country and the current focus on modern events and conflicts It is recommended for general public wishing to acquire elementary knowledge and background information about the history of Afghanistan in a concise manner. Students of history and researchers looking for in-depth material on the subject however will be disappointed.