Economic Concern in Pride and Prejudice Essay

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice had a long and varied life before it finally saw publication on January 28, 1813. Austen began the book, originally titled First Impressions, in 1796. Economic concerns are all over the place in this novel. One of the things that Austen does so well is to poke fun of the whole social class mentality of England during that time. In the novel, the social and economic classes are drawn very clearly. For example, the Bennets are middle class and they are made to know it by their economic and social superiors – the Bingleys and Darcys. There is a sense of entitlement among the wealth and a sense of subservience among the others. One of the clearest examples of this dynamic based on social class is Mr. Collins who acts like a â€Å"slave† to his cultural superiors, like Lady Catherine de Brourgh. Finally, what makes the story so great is that this tension is teased out until love wins. The marriage between Elizabeth and Darcy is the resolution, but for this to happen Darcy has to overcome his pride and Elizabeth her prejudice. Both are rooted in class consciousness. In Pride and Prejudice, there are many characters who do not have financial concerns, such as Mr. Darcy, Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Mr. Bingley. Therefore I will restrict myself to talking about the Bennet family, and in particular, Mrs. Bennet, in this response. Key to focus on is the way that, at least in part, it is economic reasons that are behind Mrs. Bennet’s frantic attempts to marry off as many of her daughters as possible. Note what we are told in the first paragraph of Chapter Seven about the brute realities of the existence of the Bennet girls: Mr.  Bennet’s property consisted almost entirely in an estate of two thousand a year, which , unfortunately for his daughters, was entailed in default of heirs male, on a distant relation; and their mother’s fortune, though ample for her situation in life, could but ill supply the deficiency of his. Her father had been an attorney in Meryton, and had left her four thousand pounds. The exact details that we are given clearly indicate how important money is. The way in which the property of Longbourne is entailed away from the female line adds new understanding to Mrs. Bennet’s determination that Lizzie should mary Mr. Collins, no matter what her personal feelings are, as it would effectively provide for Mrs. Bennet and the rest of the sisters after the event of Mr. Bennet. Later comments made by Mrs. Bennet about the Mr. Collins and Charlotte â€Å"turning them out onto the street† when Mr. Bennet dies, although are clearly exaggerated, nonetheless accurately reflect the uncertain future of this family unless they can marry off some of their daughters well to provide for the rest. Economic forces are therefore shown to bear massively on the fortunes of this family.

Physical Education Lesson Plan Essay

1. Grade level: Second Grade 2. Estimated level of developmental stage: predictable, self-paced (Hastie, 2012). 3. Number of students: Twenty 4. Fundamental skill (to be taught): Dribbling a soccer ball with their feet 5. State standard for Washington State (NASPE, 2008) a. Demonstrates locomoter skills in a variety of activities and lead-up games i. Example: Uses walking/jogging/running skills in soccer ii. Demonstrates manipulative skills with stationary targets 1. Example: Kicks a ball toward a goal iii. Demonstrates mature form in manipulative skills in a variety of activities 2. Example: Traps a ball in soccer Section 2: 1. Student objective: a. As a result of this lesson students will be able to demonstrate dribbling skills while both walking and then jogging. Students will also be able to demonstrate trapping a ball and kicking a ball towards a stationary object. 2. Lesson description b. During this activity students will practice dribbling a ball with their feet; first walking and then jogging. Students will maintain control of the ball using the inside of their foot while dribbling the ball between cones towards the pop-up goal at the end of the field. Once the student reaches the last cone they will then trap the ball with their foot and take aim at the goal. 3. Classroom management system and student grouping c. Students will be divided into five groups with four students in each  group; each student will receive a shape card and will then be grouped according to the shape displayed on the card. Students will be reminded at the start of class regarding the class rules and consequences. Students will be reminded to use kind words, respect others around you, listen carefully, use equipment properly, and if in doubt ask. Consequences and rewards will be handled on a case by case basis meaning praise will be given to individual students and actions will be corrected as necessary. Ultimately the goal is to keep all students involved and engaged while ensuring the safety of everyone. As an educator it is important to be consistent and fair to all students using positive reinforcement and encouraging students to stay on task. 4. Equipment needed d. Twenty soccer balls, twenty-five orange cones for setting up the obstacle course, five pop-up goals at the end of the course, and a large outside grassy field. Section 3: 1. Content: Write a script of what the teacher would say and include the following for each task/skill. a. Task #1: Dribbling while walking first in a straight line, then through the cones i. Introducing the task/skill 1. Our first objective is to practice dribbling our soccer ball while walking. Remember to use the inside and outside of your foot when moving the ball down the field. I want you to first walk down the field dribbling your ball next to the row of cones and then return dribbling the ball while walking through the cones. When the first student begins the return trip through the cones the second student in the group may begin dribbling their ball next to the cones. ii. Safety concerns, rules and protocols to follow during the task 2. Watch out for other students 3. Be careful not to overtake the student in front of you 4. If the ball gets away from you quickly retrieve it iii. Teaching the task/skill 5. Educator will demonstrate the task once at the beginning and then again if students have questions or need extra clarification. iv. Questions to ask during the task as a form of assessment 6. What part of our foot do we use to dribble a ball? 7. Do we want to keep the ball close or far away? b. Task #2: Dribbling while jogging; first in a straight line then through the cones v. Introducing the task/skill 8. Our second objective is to practice dribbling our soccer ball while jogging. Remember to use the inside and outside of your foot when moving the ball down the field. I want you to first jog down the field dribbling your ball next to the row of cones and then return dribbling the ball while jogging through the cones. When the first student begins the return trip through the cones the second student in the group may begin dribbling their ball next to the cones. vi. Safety concerns, rules and protocols to follow during the task 9. Watch out for other students 10. Be careful not to overtake the student in front of you 11. If the ball gets away from you quickly retrieve it vii. Teaching the task/skill 12. Educator will demonstrate the task once at the beginning and then again if students have questions or need extra clarification. viii. Questions to ask during the task as a form of assessment 13. Was it easier or harder to dribble while you were jogging versus when you were walking? 14. Does the change in speed from walking to jogging affect your ability to maintain control of the ball? 2. Culminating activity: c. Class, now we are going to combine our soccer skills together. We are going to have a relay race with each group being a team. The object of the game is for all students in each group to successfully kick their ball into the goal. The first student in each group will dribble their ball through the cones, trap the ball with their foot, and then kick the ball into the goal. Once their ball has successfully made it into the goal they will run back and tag the next teammate in line. The key to success in this game is maintaining control of your ball at all times. 3. Assessment: d. In order to assess the students in my class I would use observational skills to determine if they are meeting the lesson objectives. I would use a scale rating system; based on a scale of one to five, with five being perfect and one being unsatisfactory. I would rate the students based upon whether they could maintain control of a ball while dribbling, trap the ball with their foot, and accurately kick the ball towards a stationary object. Section 4: 1. Home/school connection: a. I would send out an email to all parents suggesting ways students can practice dribbling skills at home. In the email I would include ideas such as parents setting up an obstacle course for kids to dribble through. I would suggest that parents can use household objects such as soup cans for the â€Å"cones† and any round ball would work for dribbling. I would encourage parents to practice with their kids by first demonstrating the skill and then just participating. When parents are involved with their kids in a physical activity the child is more likely to stick with it longer and of course it is an excellent way for parents to bond with their child. 2. Modifications and adaptations b. Inclusion of a child with a physical impairment (e.g. a child confined to a wheelchair, or a child that requires the use of assistive technology). i. One way to include a child confined to a wheelchair would be to have them hold the soccer ball in their lap and maneuver their wheelchair through the cones; upon reaching the end they can throw the ball into the goal. A second way to include them would be to have them use a paddle to â€Å"dribble† the ball through the cones and ultimately hitting the ball into the goal. c. Inclement weather or an altered schedule forces you to change your location. Choose a different location to discuss (e.g. a smaller classroom as opposed to a gym). ii. Due to inclement weather the lesson would need to be moved indoors to the gym. Since the gym floor surface is much smoother than a grassy field I would have the student’s only practice dribbling while walking in order to maintain better control of their ball. d. Several children from a  different grade are temporarily joining this class for this particular lesson. iii. In order to include all students fairly I would disperse the children in groups using the shape cards, but if one group was disproportionately older students or younger students I would need to rearrange a bit. In order for the relay race to be fair each group would need an even mixture of older students versus younger students. References Hastie, P. (2012). Foundations of moving & learning. San Diego, CA. Bridgepoint Education, Inc. NASPE (2008). Washington State K-12 state standards. Retrieved from http://www.k12.wa.us/HealthFitness/Standards-GLEs/HealthFitnessStateStandards.PDF.

Title Critically discuss the ways UNICEF engage media techniques in their communications’ strategy.

Introduction Communication strategies are designed to help governmental and non-governmental organisations communicate effectively to meet core objectives. In the new digital age, communicating through the media has become an effective way of targeting audiences and persuading them to act by either providing support or giving money (Goodman and Hirsch, 2010: 2). The non-governmental organisation (NGO) UNICEF provides an example of how the effective use of persuasive media techniques in a communications strategy can help to generate capital and support. UNICEF uses a number of different techniques, which all help to raise awareness of the objectives that are trying to be achieved (Dijkzeul and Moke, 2005: 673). With particular focus on children, UNICEF is able to communicate with audiences to obtain humanitarian assistance. A higher degree of financial independence is acquired and subsequently used for humanitarian and development activities (Dijkzeul and Moke, 2005: 673). It is unlikely that such assistance would be obtained without the use of various media techniques. This essay will critically discuss the ways UNICEF engage media techniques in their communications’ strategy. Media Techniques and Political Communications The main objective of most media messages is to persuade or encourage the audience to believe or do something (MLP, 2014: 1). In doing so, a number of different techniques are used to grab the audience’s attention and to establish trust and credibility (Erwin, 2014: 104). One technique that is used by the media is the use of direct quotations from identified sources. This makes the reader believe the story being told and is often used as a powerful motivator to encourage the reader to act, for example, by giving money or purchasing something (MLP, 2014: 1). Where direct quotations are used, it is more likely that the message being conveyed will be successful received as the audience will believe what is being said. Such techniques are referred to as the â€Å"language of persuasion† and are essential media literacy skills (Changing Minds, 2013: 1). This was recognised by Lippmann who believed that persuasion had become a â€Å"self-conscious art and a regular organ of popular government (Denton and Kuypers, 2007: 1). Persuasion is thus a way of creating consent from individuals about a particular premise and is capable of modifying political communications in a very influential way. Unless communications are persuasive, it is doubtful that they will be effective since persuasion is the main communication tool that is required by the media. Governments use persuasion as a means of obtaining consent from the messages being conveyed, also known as political communication. Political communication is considered to have the following four elements; 1) short-term orientation; 2) based upon specific objectives; 3) primarily mediated; and 4) audience centred. Political communication is not exclusive to the political world as non-political actors also use this type of communication as a way of communicating messages to the public. This is generally done by organisations that have a political objective such as; non-governmental organisations (NGO’s). An NGO is an organisation that is separate and distinct from governments and profitable businesses. Although NGO’s can be funded by governments and businesses, they are usually set up by ordinary citizens to further an agenda (Welch, 2000: 1). Whilst the agenda’s of many NGO’s will differ, the methods of communication that are used will be similar in that they will all seek to effectively communicate their objectives to the targeted audience. The primary objective of most NGO’s is to ensure that human rights are being fully protected. Although NGO’s from different jurisdictions will not always have the same goals, they will still be structured in a similar manner. This is because NGO’s generally seek to promote human rights worldwide, which requires them to co-operate with governments and the United Nations (Wong, 2012: 37). NGO’s are also important in helping to bring public interest matters before the courts (Wadham, 2001: 1). The ma ss media is a useful tool that allows political communications of NGO’s to be effectuated, yet social, cultural and psychological problems are usually associated with media content and use (Perse, 2001: 1). It was stressed by Young that modern society engulfs its members through the media, education and participation within the marketplace (Young, 1999: 82). The media is capable of articulating beliefs by adopting various ideological approaches. It has been said by Croteau and Hoynes that the media do not promote a singular perception of ideology and instead communicate a number of different ideological perceptions (Croteau and Hoynes, 2012: 154). They noted that social ideologies are more domineering of society than mainstream ideologies because of the fact that people pay as much attention to street scenes, housing and clothing as they do to the commentary when watching international news (Thompson, 1995: 176). Arguably, it is clear from these assertions that the media is e xtremely powerful in influencing the minds of individuals, which is why it is a form of communication that is commonly used by NGO’s to further their agenda’s. The media is capable of shaping an audiences subjectivity through the representation of ideological belief’s. NGO’s thereby benefit from using media techniques to persuade their targeted audience to act in a certain manner. The media is extremely powerful in persuading the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of society through the use of propaganda. Propaganda is a form of communication that influences an audience to act based on a particular agenda. Propaganda is used as a means of generating emotional responses to messages that are produced to influence societal attitudes towards a particular cause or position. NGO’s often use propaganda to fulfil their objectives and are thus considered effective cultural propaganda disseminators (Cull et al; 2003: 193). NGO’s have been considered politics of the poor on the basis that they represent political ideologies (Karim, 2001: 92). Political ideology is a set of ideas which represent the objectives, expectations and actions of a political party. A broad range of belief systems exist within different political parties and have generally been acquired from doctrines, ideals, myths, principles and social movements. Ideology is a system that is made u p of values and beliefs â€Å"regarding the various institutions and processes of society that is accepted as fact or truth by a group of people† (Sargent, 2008: 2). Political ideology therefore comprises the views of political parties on how the world should be. This allows political parties to allocate social values (Easton, 1971: 129) and determine what is considered an ‘ideal’ world. There are different views and opinions of ideological theory, though ideology is largely driven by competing groups in society who strive for hegemony (Hall, 1997: 13). Hegemony happens when the most dominant in society promotes, through the media and culture, a set of ideals that members of that society must conform to (Allan, 2004: 6). This is beneficial for NGO’s who use the media to establish an ideological perception of the rights in which they are trying to protect. In deciding whether certain behaviours conform to society, the set of ideals that have been created wi thin that society will need to be considered by the media when deciding what messages need to be conveyed. Many believe that this is unfair and problematic as ideology only serves the interests of one segment of society over all other segments (Curra, 2000: 6). This prejudices many parts of society as certain groups may not benefit from the established ideals that are created. As pointed out by Brown et al; ideology may only be beneficial to certain ethnic groups, genders or religions (Brown et al; 2010: 9). This does not provide an accurate reflection of the whole of society and whilst ideals are necessary in helping people to identify what is right and wrong, it seems unacceptable to segregate certain parts of society. This may, however, be necessary when protecting the rights of certain individuals. Political ideologies are subject to further critique on the basis that they do not consider the needs of modern society (Stankiewicz, 2012: 408), yet as pointed out by Selinger; †Å"There is no politics without ideology† (Selinger, 1975: 99). In effect, this appears to demonstrate that all political communications will have some element of ideology as moral judgements will be contained within them. Effectively, the objectives of NGO’s will be based upon ideological beliefs and will mostly have a political objective. An example of this can be seen in relation to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which is an NGO that provides humanitarian and development assistance to mothers and children in underdeveloped countries. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) created UNICEF on the 11th December 1946 to provide food and healthcare to children that had been affected by World War II. Although UNICEF is not operated by the government, it like many other NGO’s largely relies upon governmental support and political communications. NGO’s have, for some time, relied upon the mass media to expose violations of human-rights and encourage governments to put pressure on those found to be abusing them (Thrall et al; 2014: 3). This is intended to discourage human rights abuses from taking place and to help the perpetrators be put to justice. The effectiveness of this is arguable, though it seems as though greater support is being acquired by the likes of UNICEF as a result of this. Since the advancement of modern technology UNICEF is now able to establish new communication strategies for channeling information politics via the internet (Chadwick and Phillip, 2008: 3). It is arguable whether the strategies that are being undertaken by UNICEF are effective in persuading audiences to support their cause, though it seems likely given UNICEF’s use of the med ia. The media is largely proficient in influencing society of certain ideological perceptions through television programmes, newspapers, magazines, films and radio programmes (Long and Wall, 2009; 285). These forms of communication are used in a way that manipulates societal values and beliefs and will continue to influence the ways in which we think about things whether consciously or subconsciously (Kenix, 2010: 1). Not only does the media send out ideological messages to the public but media systems have also been intertwined into society’s ideological framework. This highlights the power of the media in shaping individuals values and beliefs within society. UNICEF’s campaigns are mainly in the form of mass media, radio programmes, posters, street plays and localised outreach (UNICEF, 2014: 1). Because of this, a wider range of support will be acquired. UNICEF is reaching out to a broader audience, which will generate a huge amount of support and funding that would not otherwise be available. Arguably, it is imperative that the media techniques being used in UNICEF’s communications strategy are effective in helping to shape ideological views on the rights of children. UNICEF is an advocate of children’s rights and so it is necessary for UNICEF to communicate how these rights are being violated and what protections need to be in place. This will help UNICEF to gain support and the message UNICEF is trying to put across will be better received by the public. Communications Strategy The communications strategy of UNICEF is vital in strengthening human development and avoiding missed opportunities. An ineffective communications strategy will generally yield poor results and stifle the development of UNICEF (UNDP, 2014: 1). UNICEF’s targeted audience will not receive the message that is being portrayed. This will prevent UNICEF from developing, which will impact its success.. Effective communications are important skills NGO’s need to survive and be successful (KDID, 2013: 28). To make an impact, UNICEF will thus be required to use effective means of communication to ensure that their views and opinions are heard. In doing so, they will most likely face a number of difficult challenges because of the fact that it has become increasingly difficult to deliver to society complex humanitarian crises. It is also difficult to explain to society who is involved in certain humanitarian crisis’ because of how widespread they generally are (ICRC, 2005: 673). A huge amount of NGO’s currently strive for media attention, thereby highlighting the need to have effective communication strategies in place (Thrall et al; 2014: 19). UNICEF must adopt a coherent and credible approach when conveying public communication so that its message can be heard. It has been said that in order to understand political communication, one must understand how consent is created (Denton and Kuypers, 2007: 1). UNICEF will thus be required to communicate messages in a way that allows consent to be obtained, which will need to be included within the communications strategy of UNICEF. A good communications strategy will help to certify good organisational branding and positioning, which will help to attract staff, donors and volunteers (KDID, 2013: 28). Successful branding through media communications will put an NGO in a desirable position within the community, which will help to garner support and belief from the public. This will require NGO’s to be completely transparent so that the messages in which they are trying to put across can be clearly communicated (Thrall et al; 2014: 19). Unless UNICEF adopts a transparent and clear approach, it will be difficult to gain support and belief from the public (Lilleker, 2006: 4). Public support is, however, crucial to the implementation of change (Rabinowitz, 2013: 3). Without public support, it is doubtful that UNICEF would be as successful as they are. It is debatable what the best techniques for gaining public support are, though an effective communications strategy that takes into account UNICEF’s agenda and identifies points that will require persuasive communication will most likely prove successful. It is important that the communications strategy identifies the appro aches and tools that are needed to make a particular event more effective. In developing a communications strategy, it first needs to be established what UNICEF is trying to achieve. Subsequently, it will then need to be considered what communications objectives will most likely support the objectives of the project (McManus, 1994: 58). The communications objectives of UNICEF will be those that are capable of being reached through various means of communications. Such objectives will also need a target audience. This will require UNICEF to consider who they are trying to reach. In reaching out to the target audience, UNICEF will need to develop appropriate messages which highlight the relevant issues; the actions that needs to be taken by the target audience; and the benefits of such action (KDID, 2013: 28). Once this has been done, UNICEF will then have to consider how these messages will be delivered. Different methods of communication will be considered depending upon the type of event that is being promoted such as; media conferences, social media, interviews, marketing, advertisements and news stories. Given that UNICEF targets underdeveloped countries, it is likely that difficulties will be faced when considering the political objectives of various countries. Political communications are likely to vary from one country to another, which will create a number of problems. An effective communications strategy will seek to address these difficulties, though it will remain arguable whether they will prove sufficient in achieving certain objectives (Thrall et al; 2014: 19). In Africa, for example, the media seems to control those in power by reporting to citizens. Whilst this demands a degree of institutional independence from the political system, it has been said that there is actually a â€Å"clear interdependence between the media and political systems† (Windeck, 2014: 17). Information from political systems is usually exchanged for coverage in the media system and vice versa. The media consequently rely heavily on the supply of information from politics, whilst political bod ies rely on the media to spread their messages and objectives (Windeck, 2014: 17). Political communication is an important tool in the political process, and will continue to influence politics. In effect, the political communications of certain countries will be driven by cultural and political factors, which may be difficult to overcome. Female genital mutilation is one area that UNICEF continues to campaign against, but is faced with many political objections from countries where FGM is prevalent; Asia, the Middle East and some parts of Africa (Gaber, 2007: 219). UNICEF are resultantly required to implement a strategy that is capable of strengthening the political commitment of governments. UNICEF’s Communications Strategy There are three components of communication that are used by UNICEF to garner support and funding. These are; advocacy, social mobilisation and behaviour change communication (UNICEF, 2008: 7). Advocacy is used to inform and motivate leadership so that a supportive environment can be created. This will allow the objectives and development goals of the program to be achieved. Social mobilisation seeks to engage support and participation from various institutions, social and religious groups, and community networks. It is intended that the development objectives of UNICEF will be maintained through the use of social mobilisation and that greater demand will be generated. Behaviour change communication involves face to face discussions with a number of individuals and groups to motivate, inform, plan and problem-solve. It is anticipated that by using this technique, the objectives of UNICEF can be met (UNICEF, 2008: 7). Various conceptual models are used by UNICEF to implement communica tion including ACADA, P-Process and COMBI. The ACADA (Assessment, Communication Analysis, Design, Action) model is frequently used by UNICEF to use systematically-gathered data to link communications strategies to development problems. The P-Process model, developed by The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs (CCP), is used for the strategic planning of evidence based communication programmes and contains the following five steps; 1) analysis, 2) strategic design, 3) development and testing, 4) implementation and monitoring, and 5) evaluation and re-planning (UNICEF, 2008: 7). The COMBI model uses a ten step process for communication planning, which are; 1) overall goal, 2) behavioural results/objectives, 3) situational market analysis, 4) results strategy, 5) plan of action, 6) management structure, 7) monitoring, 8) impact assessment, 9) scheduling, and 10) budget (UNICEF, 2008: 7). All three of these models seek to establish an effective communications strategy by analysing the different approaches that can be taken and considering the necessary steps needed. Analysis is integral to an effective communications strategy as it will enable any underlying issues to be identified and thereby dealt with accordingly. UNICEF undertakes a comprehensive analysis comprising of; the situation, the programme, the participants, the behaviours, and the communication channels (UNICEF, 2008: 7). The situation section describes the issues that are being addressed by UNICEF such as; child poverty, disease, malnutrition and trafficking. This is based upon data that has be en collected from local knowledge, programme documents and research. The data highlights the underlying social and cultural issues by demonstrating what changes need to be made to social structures and practices. The programme section is designed to establish where the objectives of UNICEF can be achieved by communication. The participant section establishes what people are required to achieve UNICEF’s objectives. The behaviour section focuses on setting behavioural objectives and analysing the behaviours or practices that have been selected for change. Finally, the communication channels section considers the available communication channels that are applicable in achieving the objectives. Once the analysis has been completed, UNICEF will have identified the participants, behaviours and channels of communications that are needed to encourage audience participation and accomplish its goals (UNICEF, 2008: 7). In order to ensure that the objectives of UNICEF are being met by changing the attitude and behaviour of individuals, knowledge alone will not be sufficient. Instead, a supportive environment will also need to be established (UNICEF, 2008: 37). Therefore, whilst the communications strategy of UNICEF will need to instil knowledge into the community so that support can be acquired, a supportive environment will also need to be created. This will involve creating policies that improve access to services and by using leaders that help to promote social and behaviour change amongst various members of society. Resources will also need to be allocated for the programme activities that are to be carried out and positive change will be effectuated by using a combination of communication techniques. UNICEF believes that communication goes way beyond providing information to the targeted audience and instead argue that communication is vital for development (Dijkzeul and Moke, 2005: 673). UNICE F has therefore set up a development programme, also known as C4D, which aims to engage communities through understanding people’s beliefs, values and social and cultural norms (Lenni and Tacchi, 2013: 16). This is achieved from listening to adults and children, identifying issues and working out solutions. This is considered a two way process that allows individuals to share knowledge and ideas through the use of various communication techniques that empower communities to take action in improving the lives of children (Lenni and Tacchi, 2013: 16). Advocacy is one technique UNICEF engages in its communications strategy, which is the â€Å"act of supporting a cause to produce a desired change† (Save the Children, 2014: 1). Advocacy is capable of influencing governments to effect change by communicating with the media, elected officials and influential leaders. Advocacy is able to encourage leaders to implement various changes such as; legal reform, policy decisions, addressing social and political barriers, and altering funding priorities. Advocacy efforts being used by UNICEF occur at global, national and sub-level and seek to influence the decisions of policy makers as well as political and social leaders. This is done through the creation of an enabling policy and legislative environment and by allocating resources appropriately to create and sustain social transformation (UNICEF, 2011: 1). For example, in 2010 when polio resurfaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there existed a lack of awareness of the disease and how it could be prevented. Influential leaders, such as Marco Kiabuta, did not believe that the vaccination of polio was necessary. After a number of debates with community mobilisers and leaders Kiabuta came to realise just how vital a vaccination was. This example demonstrates how effective communication techniques ca n make a huge difference in implementing change and possibly saving lives (UNICEF, 2011: 1). Advocacy is used by UNICEF to target political, business and social leaders at national and local levels. It is not used simply to create mass awareness but is also used as a means of generating change and leading to a specific action that is to be taken (UNICEF, 2010: 20). UNICEF uses advocacy to inform and motivate appropriate leaders to create a supportive environment by changing polices, speaking out on critical issues, allocating resources and initiating public discussion. Communication is a powerful tool, which is why it is important for various media techniques to be adopted by NGO’s such as UNICEF. Social mobilisation is another method of communication that is used by UNICEF to enlist participants, community networks, and religious groups to strengthen participation in various activities. This helps to engage and motivate partners and allies to raise awareness of UNICEFâ€℠¢s development objectives through face-to-face dialogue. Partners and allies subsequently work together to target audiences and convey certain messages. Social mobilisation is used as a way to facilitate change through a range of players that are engaged in interrelated and complementary efforts (UNICEF, 2012: 1). An example of this can be seen in relation to the training community health workers in Madagascar received from UNICEF. The health workers were trained to provide outreach to families on various issues including, hand washing, vaccinating children, and not defecating in the open (UNICEF, 2012: 1). This is clearly an effective communication technique that is used by UNICEF as it allows certain individuals to be trained up so that they can pass their knowledge onto others. This has a domino like effect and will enable the views of UNICEF to be conveyed to a wider audience than that which would have been possible through advertisements alone. Social mobilisation is therefore an effective way of spreading messages to targeted audiences and helping to achieve the objectives of UNICEF, which is to provide assistance to mothers and children in underdeveloped countries. Behaviour change communication is another method that is used to address knowledge, attitudes and practices that are linked to programme goals. This is done by providing participants with â€Å"relevant information and motivation through well-defined strategies, using an audience-appropriate mix of interpersonal, group and mass media channels and participatory methods† (UNICEF/INDA, 2012, 1). Behaviour change communication strategies focus on the individual to effect change. In order for behavioural changes to happen on a larger scale, social change communication needs to be employed. This technique helps to define and address social influences in life and is currently being employed by UNICEF through the Social Ecological Model framework† (UNICEF/INDA, 2012, 1). The media techni ques that are currently being used by UNICEF do appear effective in helping to persuade audiences to provide support. The more UNICEF does to spread its message, the more successful UNICEF will be in achieving its aims. The Meena Communication Initiative in South Asia gives an example of how mass media and interpersonal communication is used to enhance the self-esteem and self-worth of children by enabling them to become familiar with life skills that are essential empowerment tools. The programme is primarily school based and is centred around a nine-year old girl called Meena who seeks to fight against the stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS (UNICEF/INDA, 2012, 1). A radio station called ‘Meena Radio’ was launched in 2010 to communicate with children, their parents, educators and community leaders. This provides an effective means of communication and provides a platform for UNICEF’s political beliefs to be heard. It is intended that the radio station’s audience will be persuaded to act so that the voices of children and communities can be heard through the power of communication. This helps to promote child survival, development, protection and participation (UNICEF, 2014: 1 ). It is clear that UNICEF uses a number of different media techniques in its communications strategy to achieve its objectives. Without the use of such techniques, the voices of children and communities would not be heard and UNICEF’s message would not be delivered to its intended audience. It has been said that UNICEF â€Å"raises considerable funds and carries out strong communication on its own through its national committees, press centre and media team† (Dijkzeul and Moke, 2005: 683). This signifies the importance of having an effective communications strategy is in place as it can generate a significant amount of funding that would not otherwise be available. UNICEF also uses high profile figures to be its ambassadors who have been considered a highly effective in persuading society (Stromback, 2011: 42). Conclusion Overall, an effective communication strategy in an important tool for helping governmental and non-governmental organisations communicate effectively to meet core objectives. Given that UNICEF relies on voluntary donations from members of the public, government departments, charitable trusts and event organisers, it is important that they are capable of successfully communicating their objectives. In doing so, they will be required to persuade or encourage their audiences to provide support or funding so that UNICEF’s end goals can be achieved. Given that UNICEF uses a number of different media techniques in its communications strategy, the approach that is currently being undertaken does appear workable. The media is a powerful tool in the art of persuasion, which is what UNICEF needs in order to survive. The use of media techniques will help to raise awareness of UNICEF’s objectives and obtain humanitarian assistance. It is unlikely that such assistance would be obtai ned without the use of various media techniques, which is why UNICEF’s communications strategy does appear largely effective. References Allan, S. (2004), News Culture. Bukingham: Open University Press. Changing Minds. (2013). Persuasive Language, [Online], Available: http://changingminds.org/techniques/language/persuasive/persuasive.htm [07 July 2014]. Chadwick, A. and Phillip, H. (2008). Routledge Handbook of Internet Politics. London: Routledge. Croteau, D. and Hoynes, W. (2012). Media/Society: Industries, Images and Audiences, London: SAGE Publications. Cull, N. Culbert, D. and Welch, D. (2003). Propaganda and Mass Persuasion: A Historical Encyclopaedia, 1500 to the Present, London: ABC-CLIO Publishers. Curra, J., (2000). The Relativity of Crime. Thousand Oaks, CA. London: Sage Publications. Denton, R. E. and Kuypers, J. A. (2007). Politics and Communication in America: Campaigns, Media and Governing in the 21st Century, Illinois: Waveland Press. Dijkzeul, D. and Moke, M. (2005). Public Communication Strategies of International Humanitarian Organisations, International Review of the Red Cross, Volume 87, Number 860, 20-23. Easton, D. (1971). The Political System: An Inquiry into the State of Political Science, 2nd Edition, New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Erwin, P. (2014). Attitudes and Persuasion. London: Psychology Press. Goodman, M. B. and Hirsch, P. B. (2010) Corporate Communications: Strategic Adaptation for Global Practice, New York: Business & Economics. Hall, S. (1997). Representation Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. London: Sage. ICRC. (2005). Public Communication Strategies of International Humanitarian Organizations. International Review of the Red Cross, Volume 87, Number 860, 673-691. Karim, L. (2001). Politics of the PoorNGSs and Grass-Roots Political Mobilization in Bangladesh. Political and Legal Anthropology Review, Volume 24, Issue 1, 92-93. KDID. (2013). Develop a Communications Strategy for Your NGO, Communications and Media Relations, Civic Activits Toolkit, [Online] Available: http://kdid.org/sites/kdid/files/28.%20Develop%20a%20Communications%20Strategy%20for%20Your%20NGO.pdf [08 July 2014]. Lennie, J. and Tacchi, J. (2013) Evaluating Communication for Development: A Framework for Social Change, London: Routledge. Lilleker, D. (2006). Key Concepts in Political Communication. London: Sage Communications. Long, P., and Wall, T. (2009). Media Studies: Texts, Production and Context, London: Longman, 1st Edition. McManus, J. (1994). Market Driven Journalism. London: Sage. MLP. (2014). Language of Persuasion, [Online], Available: http://medialiteracyproject.org/language-persuasion [07 July 2014]. Oxfam. (2004). Towards global equity: Strategic Plan 2001-2004, [Online], Available: [07 July 2014]. Thrall, T. Stecula, D. and Sweet, D. (2014) May We Have Your Attention PleaseHuman-Rights NGO’s and the Problem of Global Communication, International Journal of Press/Politics, Volume 19, No. 1. Rabinowitz, P. (2013) Gaining Public Support for Addressing Community Health and Development Issues, Community Tool Box, [Online] Available: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/getting-issues-on-the-public-agenda/gain-public-support/main [14 July 2014]. Sargent, L. T. (2008). Contemporary Political Ideologies: A Comparative Analysis (14th Edition). London: Cengage Learning. Save the Children. (2014). Advocacy Techniques, [Online] Available: http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6152765/ [10 July, 2014]. Thrall, T. Stecula, D. and Sweet, D. (2014). May We Have Your Attention PleaseHuman-Rights NGO’s and the Problem of Global Communications. The International Journal of Press/Politics, Volume 19, Issue 3, 135-159. Selinger, M. (1976). Ideology and Politics. London: George Allen Unwin Ltd. Stankiewickz, W. J. (2012). In Search of a Political Philosophy: Ideologies at the Close of the Twentieth Century. London: Routledge. Stromback, J. (2011). Political Public Relations: Principles and Applications. New York: Taylor & Francis. UNDP., (2014). ‘Developing a Communications Strategy’ [09 July 2014]. Wadham, J. (2001). The Human Rights Act: Sufficient ProtectionNew Law Journal, 151 NLJ 1411, Issue 7001, 109-114. UNICEF Staff. (2010). UNICEF Annual Report 2009 London, UNICEF. UNICEF. (2011). Advocacy, [Online] Available: http://www.unicef.org/cbsc/index_42346.html [09 July 2014]. UNICEF. (2014). Communication for Development, [Online] Available: http://www.unicef.org/cbsc/ [09 July 2014]. UNICEF. (2014). Media Centre, [Online] Available: http://www.unicef.org.uk/Media-centre/ [09 July 2014]. UNICEF. (2012). Social Mobilization, [Online] Available: http://www.unicef.org/cbsc/index_42347.html [10 July, 2014]. UNICEF. (2008). Writing a Communication Strategy for Development Programmes, [Online] Available: http://www.unicef.org/cbsc/files/Writing_a_Comm_Strategy_for_Dev_Progs.pdf [10 July, 2014]. UNICEF. (2009) UNICEF’s Mission Statement, [Online] Available: http://www.unicef.org/about/who/index_mission.html [14 July 2014]. UNICEF/INDA. (2012). Behaviour and Social Change, [Online] Available: [10 July, 2014]. Welch, C. E. (2000). NGO’s and Human Rights Promise and Performance, [Online] Available: http://www.upenn.edu/pennpress/book/13418.html [09 July 2014]. Windeck, F. 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IFRS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

IFRS - Essay Example U.S. GAAP consist the accounting standards whose history date back since 1930s. The standards were put in place by the American Institute of Accountants following the stock market crash in 1929. Between 1938 and 1939, U.S. GAAP was established under the pressure of the chief accountant of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The chief accountant required AIA to provide substantial standards to be observed when performing accounting practices. A special committee was formed thereby recommending several accounting and reporting standards as well as introduced the concept of â€Å"financial statements.† This paper summarizes the difference between IFRS and US GAAP as well as gives you an understanding of what these two set of standards are. 1. Under US GAAP Inventory is carried at the lower of cost or market, where market is current replacement cost. LIFO permitted. Under IFRS Inventory is carried at a lower of cost or realized value. Realizable value is the best estimate of the amount expected to be realized considering the business purpose. LIFO is prohibited 2. Under US GAAP Inventory write downs are write down to lower of cost or market creates a new cost basis. Reversal of previously written down amounts are prohibited. Under IFRS previously written down amounts can be reversed up to the original impairment loss if the reason for impairment no longer exists. 3. When determining a method for long lived asset impairment under US GAAP you must use the two step approach. Must perform the recovery test and if not met you must then perform the impairment test. Under IFRS you can use a one-step approach. 4. Under financial documents, US GAAP required financial statements to incorporate a balance sheet, income and cash flow statements, changes in equity and footnotes. Also, US GAAP required that current and non-current assets be separated while interests are incorporated in liabilities on a separate entry

Reflective practice journal of Mental health Article

Reflective practice journal of Mental health - Article Example But what was disturbing to me was that any child should have to have coping strategies – the parents were either ill with bi-polar, schizophrenia or even alcoholism. Reading the comments like â€Å"Sometimes my mom’s up, sometimes my mom’s down, sometimes she’s normal. I’m always nervous† (1140) are really disturbing. But comments like this in Mordoch and Hall’s study are just a tiny representation of what children have to go through as a result of the government’s initiatives to move caring for the mentally ill in the community rather than in an institution. The lecture notes show the process of how the government went from providing full care for people diagnosed as having a mental health issue, to the now virtually non-existent level of services available. If we combine that with an overworked GP service, the cost and lack of accessibility so many people face with even trying to get some form of help, and the shambles as government decided to try and get most mentally ill patients into some form of work by denying them any financial help and it would seem that the government has totally forgotten that there are more people involved than just those diagnosed with an illness – there are family considerations that should be taken into account as well. Sawyer has completed an extensive literature review on the topic of mental health practices and the challenges of finding a system that works for everyone. Through a review of published articles she isolated what I think is the most important thing that has been ignored by government to date – â€Å"Methods too come under scrutiny here to critique the assumptions behind service evaluation and the way that statistics might blinker our view of the broad social causes of mental illness† (116). Some of those broader social issues could include the number of children who are going to need treatment themselves as adults because of the coping mechanisms they have had to adapt while

Process Improvement Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Process Improvement Plan - Essay Example The data that I was able to gather in the process of measuring the times that it took to perform these activities will serve as example in the succeeding discussion on Statistical Process Control. Statistical process control is the process of applying appropriate statistical measures to measure and analyze the variations or differences in the behavior that are present in a particular process (Oakland, 2007). The use of statistical process control has gained much popularity in today’s technological age because it has greatly improved the performance and corresponding outputs of a great number of processes. In applying statistical process control, one must have sufficient amount of data from which the required information will be derived. In the particular process that I chose, the important data would be the amount of time that it takes to complete each activity that is undertaken in preparation for going to work, together with the amount of time that it takes to travel to work when taking a particular route. Table 1. Recorded data for Identified Process. Â   Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Alarm set 5:00AM 5:00AM 5:00AM 5:00AM 5:00AM Time taken to complete pre-departure activities (in minutes) 78 91 100 47 39 Time left home 6:18 AM 6:31 AM 6:40 AM 5:47 AM 5:39 AM Travel time (in minutes) 142 134 140 118 121 Time arrived at work 8:40 AM 8:45 AM 9:00 AM 7:45 AM 7:40 AM Arguably, the best method for implementing statistical process control is through the use of control charts and observing the behavior of the data with regards to the control limits (Doty, 1996). Control charts are simply visual representations of the data points while the control limits are the imaginary lines within which the data points must lie to be considered acceptable (Stapenhurst, 2005). In order to calculate the control limits, it is first necessary to calculate the mean (x-bar) and standard deviation (sigma) of the data points. To get the Upper Control Limit, a multiple of the standard deviation (either 1-sigma, 2-sigma, 3-sigma) is added to the mean. Correspondingly, the Lower Control Limit is calculated by subtracting the same multiple of the standard deviation from the mean (Oakland, 2007). In the example, the mean time for completing my pre-departure activities is 71 minutes, with standard deviation of 27 minutes. Using the 1-sigma rule, the lower control limit is 44 minutes while the upper control limit is 98 minutes. Based on this information, we see that the Thursday set of activities falls below the lower control limit while the Wednesday set of activities falls above the upper control limit. In addition, the mean travel time is 131 minutes, with standard deviation of 11 minutes. Thus, using the same formula mentioned above, the lower control limit is 120 minutes while the upper control limit is 142 minutes. Travel times falling within these two values are considered acceptable. Thus, the route taken for Thursday falls beyond the control li mits. Human activities and sometimes, machine operations, tend to follow particular patterns that may be attributed to seasonal factors (Stapenhurst, 2005). These seasonal factors may be held responsible for the observed fluctuations in a control chart. Unfortunately, the given example only supplies information for one week thus, not much information regarding the effects of seasonal factors may be derived. However, personal experience would reveal that my pre-departure

Cease Fire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cease Fire - Research Paper Example Public health issues are diverse and dynamic, and they also impact differently communities and societies. Dr. Gary Slutkin, the person behind the project that saw the establishment of the CeaseFire program, holds that violence is a critical public health issue yet the most relatively ignored (Wilson & Petersilia, 2011). He also maintains that violence is deeply rooted in behavior and can, therefore, be prevented through changes in behavioral norms. In this respect, the program heavily depends on the intervention of outreach workers in the event of violence or conflicts in the streets. The duty and responsibility of these workers is to interrupt conflicting parties and mitigate conflicts that are likely to result in violence. The planned behavior theory can essentially explain the causes and trends in street violence. The variables that inform the theory of planned behavior include attitude towards a behavior, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control (Weisburd & Braga, 2006). The intentions of a behavior are critically linked to an individual’s beliefs. Therefore, street violence is driven by individual behavior in regard to the intentions and beliefs of the gangs or any other person who engages in street conflicts and violence. The anti-violence advocacy by the CeaseFire program in the benefiting communities targets behavior change in order to achieve its objectives. The process of changing behavioral norms must identify the subject matter and all its variables before addressing the underlying issue (House of Commons, 2008). Stakeholders must first identify the behavior that needs to be changed in order to act accordingly. Anti-violence advocacy and conflict mitigation at the street level have to change the mindset, beliefs, and behaviors of gangs and all other persons who engage in street violence, and that is essentially the role of interrupters in the

Corporate finance (Accounting) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate finance (Accounting) - Essay Example By capital budgeting of an entity we mean a detailed planning of capital assets. The decision about capital budgeting helps in determining whether or not the money should be invested in long term projects. When we consider the Research and Development projects of G&H PLC for the purpose of better decision making, we find that the fundamental project evaluation techniques like Pay back period, ARR (Accounting or Average Rate of Return), NPV (Net Present Value), or IRR (Internal Rate of Return) are applicable. The initial outlay or initial investment of the project of G&H Plc is 4m, i.e. 4000000. Pay Back Period= 4000000, i.e. ( '000s), Option A= 4000/468= 8.547 years approximately, and for option B= 4000/305= 13.114years approximately. If both options are considered in fact option A has 8.5years and B has more than 13years, but option B has a much higher return than option A, so it should be preferred. Assume that net income for the first year is taken for both options, and there is no scrap taking place. Both these options are not equal since the profit in Option B starts accruing at a much higher level as compared to the profits of Option A. So, ARR fails to give stress for the concept of Time Value of Money. 1RR= It means, the sum total of cash inflows after discounting equals to the discounted cash outflows. Under IRR, the discount rate makes the NPV of the project equal to zero. Assume that, here, in both options the discounted value is in between 10% and 12%. Take inflow of 10% given in the table above and 12% factor for Option A assumes 750.9 and Option B assumes 1750.3 approximately. IRR= r+ PVCFAT_ PVCO/PV*r Here, PVCO= present Value of cash outlay.

Professional Regulation and Criminal Liability Paper Essay

Professional Regulation and Criminal Liability Paper - Essay Example The person applying for fresh license should not be less than 21 years of age, should be of resolute and good character, and should possess sound physical and mental prowess. If the applicant is a body corporate, and not an individual, the above rules shall apply to the members of its governing body. The minimum standards in this regard are laid out by SBH (State Board of Health). The application shall be made in the prescribed form and shall be authenticated and should include such particulars such as type of institution, address, manager of the institution and such other information as is deemed necessary by the Commissioner. In the case of Association, body corporate etc; it has to be signed by at least 2 members of the management association for validation. The Application for the fresh license should be accompanied by Licensure Fees @ $10 per bed as per maximum bed capacity, which would include cribs and accessories. The fees paid cannot be refunded except in the case of the lic ense requisition having been refused, and normally, a issued license has validity for one year. The rates for such licenses would be based on its duration, and would be charged on the basis of whole unit US dollars. There are certain conditions governing the issue of licenses, and those are as follows: According to the prevailing laws available in Oklahoma, certain medical occupations do not need licenses. Services like body massagers, natural treatments etc fall in this category. But in such cases, the consumer has to give an undertaking that he has been fully informed about the nature of the relevant facts concerning the practitioner. These are: the address of the clinic, the type of treatment carried out, the professional qualifications of the practitioner, the fact that he does not profess to be holding certificate of medical practice, etc. It is the practitioner’s duty to inform the consumer regarding any changes in it. If there is any violation under this clause, it can

Human Communications Essay Example for Free

Human Communications Essay Everyone has a slightly different style of communicating this is one of the things that make every individual unique. As we know communication is a two-way process and effective communication requires everyone involved to be able to express their own thoughts and messages and to understand the communication of others. In a way it is our job to ensure that we find ways of communicating language needs, preferences can be quite wide ranging, someone may require an interpreter or signer or someone else may need communication to take place in a quite environment and at a slower pace. We had a little girl who’s first language was welsh and luckily I am fluent and was able to assist her a lot in communicating with others, also we now have a parent who has partial hearing loss and I ensure that the environment is quite when we talk. When working with adults, we can ask them directly how to accommodate communication or work out for ourselves that a person cannot speak English. My twins have a friend in school who is Turkish and their mother struggles with English, we communicate by using Google translate on our mobile phones. It is also important to establish a level of formality required as not everyone wants to be called by their first name, some will prefer to make appointments rather than just â€Å"turn up†. It is also useful to be aware that written communications can be daunting for some people, a home-setting link book is a good idea, but you must check that the parents or carer’s are comfortable with reading and writing. With children it can be challenging to decide the best way to communicate, for example babies and young children will still be developing speech and so talking alone will not work. This is why we use facial expression and gestures to point at things, so that a baby or toddlers are more likely to understand what we are trying to say. We also need to learn to interpret what a baby of toddler is trying to communicate when crying or what a toddler is trying to express when gesturing to some objects.

Supporting people to express themselves

Supporting people to express themselves Discuss why it is important to support people to have a voice and express their views with confidence. How could care workers facilitate this? This essay shows why it is important to support people to have a voice and express their views with confidence. In this assignment I will use the case of Suzanne, a social worker who supports Jordan, aged 10 who lives in a foster care home (K101 DVD, The Open University, 2010), to talk about his past and to help Jordan to develop a sense of who he is, his identity and how this can help in developing his feelings of confidence and security. I will also use the cases of Mick and Owen (K101 DVD, The Open University, 2010), who were infected with HIV and will expand my answer with an overview of group support. I will also explain how care workers can facilitate this and the importance of care workers to do this. By expressing our views we are exposing ourselves to others. Our views are a mirror of our knowledge, feelings, thoughts, past or present experiences and everything else from what we are made deep inside, exposing our identity, revealing our individuality. McAdams et al states that â€Å"We are all storytellers, and we are the stories we tell† (cited by Bornat and Northedge, 2010, p.32). It is also very important that we do voice our views with confidence, some can do this independently, but some others need help. Children, who grow up in the families they are born into, usually have opportunities to find out about their parents and members of their wider family, the places in which they have lived and the reasons for any changes they have experienced. However, children who experience separation from their birth families often face obstacles when it comes to finding out about their birth families and early background. There may be gaps and painful areas in accounts of their identity, and they may have to work out ways of dealing with difficult memories and emotions (Bornat and Northedge, 2010, p.19). The case of Jordan is an example of a child who is not living with his birth parents and needs help to recover his past. Suzanne is using the â€Å"life story work† to facilitate this. Life story work is a method of working with people who for some reason are vulnerable, or who may be going through difficult or challenging life transitions (Bornat and Northedge, 2010, p.19). Life story work gives children a structured and understandable way of talking about themselves (Ryan and Walker, 2010, p.34). With her work, Suzanne is helping Jordan, to know better and talk about his past, with factual information from his files, family and carers, correcting wrong perceptions such as why he was moved from his first foster placement and the negative impression about his birth father. Reminiscing about the past is important even from early childhood. Mothers and primary carers deliberately set out to share memories and experiences, thereby helping children to build their own sense of who they are. By the time young people reach adolescence they begin to take control of the stories they tell about themselves. As they emerge from family life and make the first moves towards independent adulthood, they assemble a relatively coherent life story, made up of episodes selected for their significance in helping to define their identity (Bornat and Northedge, 2010, p.32). Suzanne also fully involved Jordan to build his life story book, using pictures, drawings and colours and effectively giving Jordan a voice and a way to express his views. Suzanne’s work is helping Jordan to establish his past, to get to know himself better, and to shape his identity with pride, confidence and security, forming an important foundation that Jordan will take into his future. Some of our experiences might have an adverse impact on our lives that affects our own identity. Some of us might find difficulty to discuss openly their identity, and need external help to build enough confidence to do so. This was similar to the cases of Mick and Owen who are haemophiliacs, and became HIV positive after receiving infected blood transfusions. Mick and Owen, who were interview by Sian Edwards, a specialised nurse, both narrate how their lives were conditioned by the stigma that their illness carried, mainly because of poor public awareness of their condition. Both Mick and Owen found it easier to hide this part of their identity and reveal it only to a restricted circle of people. Mick and Owen both explain how they were denied opportunities to speak out about their condition as Owen says â€Å"Because no-one really wanted to understand about my condition†. Sian Edwards work with Mick and Owen was not only important because it gave Mick and Owen a voice to exp ress their views on their condition, and an opportunity to discuss their true identity, but also because their experience is very useful to educate us. Greenhalgh and Hurwitz suggest that hearing how patients telling the story of their condition can provide ‘meaning, context and perspective for the patient’s predicament †¦ a possibility of developing an understanding that cannot be arrived at by any other means’ (cited by Bornat and Northedge, 2010, p.37). Mick and Owen had to fight with poor awareness and false perceptions that conditioned most of their lives. The more the public is aware about illnesses and their weight on people who suffer from such illnesses, the more patients finds it easier to open up, and discuss their views with more confidence without fear of being misjudged. The DVD activity itself started with a brief overview of Haemophilia and HIV, which improved my understanding of Mick and Owen’s condition, and the way I followed their case with empathy afterwards. Is not easy for care workers to support people to have a voice and express their views with confidence. In some cases even care workers need assistance from external sources too. A successful method is to involve a number of people who share similar experiences to discuss their feelings together in a group sessions. Professor Doel maintains that â€Å"In one-to-one work, the focus is almost entirely on what is wrong. In groups, members are often seen in a new light, with people’s strengths likely to emerge† (cited by Bornat and Barnes, 2010, p.64). People who have experienced traumatic and difficult events may find it difficult to talk about their experience. Care workers have to be very careful as people, who have experienced traumatic events in their lives, remembering the past may be very difficult and painful, and may evoke emotions that are difficult to deal with. A research by two psychologists found that ex-servicemen gained a great deal from membership of veteran associations which provided practical support as well as a safe context in which to remember dead comrades and talk about their own experiences with others who had had similar experiences (Hunt and Robbins, cited by Bornat and Northedge, 2010, p.44 45). Despite the problems that people with difficult memories face, opportunities to talk and to share feelings can be helpful. Talking in groups can help people to regain trust and feelings of shared understanding. Difficult memories become a part of identity. What seems to be important for people with disturbing memories is to be listened to and for their stories and accounts to be recognised and accepted by others (Bornat and Northedge, 2010, p.47). In conclusion, in having voice and expressing our views with confidence, our identity plays the most important part. So far I always taken for granted that everyone had their own identity, but today I learnt that some people may be insecure of their identity because they were never told who they are, others may hide their identity as they fear of being wrongly labelled and a traumatic experience can threaten or undermine people’s ability to sustain or communicate their identity. People who have poor sense of identity may feel, unsecure or uncomfortable among others and may isolate themselves in deep silence. It’s important to people to seek support, as help is available. As I pointed out above, different strategies were used by different professionals to assist people to have a voice and express their views with confidence, from individualised care to group support. Finally I believe that many of us experience episodes when our voice isn’t heard or we couldn’t express our views with confidence. We all feel the frustration and the weakness that this inability brings with, like when we pass through a moment of uncertainty, and we would appreciate even if one good listener helps in. (Word Count 1,412) References Bornat, J. and Northedge, A. (2010) ‘Unit 5: Identities and lives’, K101 ‘Block 2: Working with life experience’, Milton Keynes, The Open University Bornat, J. and Barnes, F. (2010) ‘Unit 6: Group lives’, K101 ‘Block 2: Working with life experience’, Milton Keynes, The Open University Ryan, T. and Walker, R. (2010) ‘6: Why do life story work?’, K101 Resources, Milton Keynes, The Open University McAdams, D.P., Josselson, R. and Lieblich, A. (2006) ‘Introduction’ in McAdams, D.P.,Josselson, R.and Lieblich, A. (eds) Identity and Story: Creating Self in Narrative, Washington, DC, American Psychological Association, p. 3. Greenhalgh, T. and Hurwitz, B. (1999) ‘Why study narrative?’, British Medical Journal, 318, p. 48–50. Doel,M.(2006) ‘All in the same boat’, Community Care,20–26 July, p. 34–5. Hunt, N. and Robbins, I. (2001) ‘World War II veterans, social support and veterans’ associations’, Aging and Mental Health, vol.5, no. 2, p. 175–82. TMA 03 – Part B Care Skills: Barriers to Communication – Based on Andrew Rodger’s case. PHYSICAL Andrew opts to communicate a private message to Rodger in a public place, where other people could overhear the discussion in full. This has bar Andrew from delivering sensitive information with a more sympathetic approach. Disability and impairment Roger is hard of hearing; he also seems to not recall his memories well. EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS Rodger indicates that he is an uneasy position and far from comfortable to have this conversation with Andrew. Rodger expresses these feelings by withdrawing and rejecting Andrew’s attempts to talk. (Word Count 86) TMA 03 – Part C Self-Reflective Notes Even in this occasion, I struggled to compile the essay using material from block 2, and keeping relevant to the question asked. The main difficulty was to adapt material that covered identity, past experiences, etc. and use it to answer a question about supporting people to have a voice and express their views with confidence. Found it a bit tricky. (Word Count 60) Page 1

Alzheimers Disease: Biology, Etiology and Solutions

Alzheimers Disease: Biology, Etiology and Solutions Introduction Alzheimers disease (AD) is a type of dementia characterized by the progressive loss in cognitive function due to neurodegeneration that results in gradual memory loss and eventually the inability to carry out tasks of daily living. The two types of AD are distinguished by age of onset and etiologies; early-onset AD develops prior to age 65 and has strong genetic associations while late-onset AD develops after age 65 with a more complex etiology. Late-onset AD accounts for 90-95% of AD cases (Harman 2002). Aging is a strong risk factor for developing late-onset AD. Given that the global population of people ages 65 and up is expected to increase from 26.6 million in 2006 to 106.8 million by 2050 (Brookmeyer et al. 2007) AD is a growing public health concern in regards to disease management and development of innovative treatments. The prevalence of AD globally is 4.4%, with 1 in 10 people over age 65 and nearly one-third of people over age 85 affected by dementia in developed countries (Qiu et al. 2009). AD prevalence is the greatest in East Asia, followed by Western Europe, South Asia, and North America (Prince et al. 2015). Disease burden is anticipated to be the greatest in low and middle-income countries with the fastest growth in the elderly population and limited access to care (Prince et al. 2015). By 2050, the U.S. population of adults with AD is projected to increase to 13.2 million. With 43% of AD patients requiring a high level of care, the financial and healthcare burden of AD is expected to rise (Qiu et al. 2009). Given that the burden of AD will increase over the coming decades with costly impacts on health care and social services, it is necessary to continue AD research to identify a cause and develop novel therapies. Etiology Alzheimer’s disease is a multifactorial disease with several genetic, person, and lifestyle risk factors that contribute to development of disease. Although many risk factors for AD have been identified a cause has not yet been found. Of the genetic risk factors identified, apolipoprotein E alleles, with ethnic and sex variability in risk of developing AD, and TREM2 gene mutations have the strongest associations with AD. Lifestyle risk factors include hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and education. The development of AD requires a combination of these risk factors that induce the production of neurotoxic amyloid beta (Aß) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), the agents of AD. Apolipoprotein E (apoE) has been identified as playing a role in AD pathology. ApoE is naturally produced and is involved in lipid transport (Ridge et al. 2013; 2018 Feb 27).   In AD it is thought that apoE regulation of Aß is altered (Kanekiyo et al. 2014). There are three apoE alleles that differ in the risk they confer to AD; the ÃŽ µ2 and ÃŽ µ3 alleles are protective but the ÃŽ µ4 allele increases risk for AD (Ridge et al. 2013). Additionally, it appears that ethnicity modulates the risk of AD conferred by the apoE ÃŽ µ4 allele, conferring greater risk among Caucasians and Japanese than African Americans and Hispanics (Ridge et al., 2013). The apoE ÃŽ µ4 allele is an established risk factor for the development of AD however it is not causative and the risk that carrying this gene confers is likely modulated by other factors such as ethnicity and lifestyle.   Mutations in the TREM2 gene have also been implicated in AD pathology. The TREM2 gene codes for a receptor expressed in myeloid cells, the principal innate immune cell in the brain (Hickman and El Khoury 2014) and in greater abundance in the hippocampus and neocortex, brain structures affected by neurodegeneration in AD (Guerreiro et al. 2013 Jan 9). A rare missense mutation in the TREM2 gene was identified in Islanders that confers significant risk of AD (Jonsson et al. 2013 Jan 9) and a loss of function mutation increases the risk of late-onset AD in heterozygous carriers (Hickman and El Khoury 2014). This loss of function mutation promotes the production of Aß and reduces Aß phagocytosis and degradation (Hickman and El Khoury 2014). In addition to the genetic risk factors discussed above, several lifestyle risk factors for AD have been identified including cardiovascular risk factors and obesity. Cardiovascular risk factors (smoking, hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes) in mid-life are associated with a 20-40% increased risk of AD in a dose-dependent fashion (Whitmer et al. 2005). Hypertension that develops in mid-life and persists into late-life is associated with a greater risk of dementia (McGrath et al. 2017). Furthermore, the risk of hypertension for AD in late-life might be influenced by sex, with females having a 65% increased risk of developing dementia if hypertensive in mid-life but no such association among males (Gilsanz et al. 2017). Midlife insulin resistance is also a risk factor for Aß accumulation (Ekblad et al. 2018 Feb 23) and patients with diabetes and the apoE ÃŽ µ4 allele have more Aß plaques and NFTs in the brain (Peila et al. 2002). Obesity is linked to AD via several singl e-nucleotide polymorphisms (Hinney et al. 2014). In people who are obese, leptin and adiponectin lose their neuroprotective role as the brain becomes resistant to leptin and the levels of adiponectin decrease (Letra et al. 2014). Research conducted by Nuzzo et al. (2015) further supports this association, finding that obese mice fed a high-fat diet had elevated Aß accumulation. Addressing these modifiable risk factors in mid-life may help reduce the risk of developing AD in late-life. Higher educational attainment and continued cognitive stimulation in later life are protective against AD. Amieva et al. (2014) found that individuals with AD who had education beyond 6 years of primary school showed delayed cognitive decline before diagnosis compared to individuals with less education. Participating in cognitive leisure activities in late-life, like reading books, newspapers, and magazines, solving crossword puzzles, and attending courses and professional training, has a protective effect as well (Sattler et al. 2012). Higher educational attainment may be associated with reduced risk of AD and delayed cognitive decline if AD develops because of its association with increased hippocampi and amygdalae size. In individuals with AD, the hippocampi are larger in those who had 20 years of formal education compared to those with 6 years (Shpanskaya et al. 2014). The role of education in hippocampal size is further implicated by Tang, Varma, Miller, and Carlson (2017) who f ound that the left hippocampus is larger than the right, possibly due to education honing retrieval of verbal memory by the left hippocampus through increasing intellectual ability and literacy skills.   Biology   Alzheimer’s disease results in the progressive loss of neurons in the cerebrum. The first structures affected are the hippocampi followed by the amygdala (Pini et al. 2016). As the disease progresses so does neuronal loss throughout the cerebrum. In AD, Aß peptides and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) formed by tau protein cause synaptic damage that leads to apoptosis. Additionally, the innate immune system in the brain does not function properly in AD and therefore does not remove Aß peptides before they aggregate to form plaques.   Amyloid beta is naturally produced in the brain by the cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP), but when APP is cleaved by ß-secretase Aß peptides are formed that can cause synaptic and mitochondrial damage and aggregate to form plaques (Querfurth and LaFerla 2010). In healthy individuals, Aß peptides are cleared by microglia and enzymes but these mechanisms deteriorate in individuals with AD and the Aß peptides accumulate and result in neurodegeneration (Sarlus and Heneka 2017). Aß plaques cause neuronal cell death by accumulating around neurons, impairing normal function and inducing an inflammatory response. More attention recently has been given to Aß peptides, which lead to apoptosis in neurons through synaptic damage and inhibition of mitochondrial function. Aß peptides cause synaptic damage in the hippocampus by aggregating and creating pores in the cell membranes that allows calcium ion entry into the cell. Over time, these pores become non-selective and allow flux of large molecules like ATP and glucose that alters cell metabolism and disrupts homeostasis resulting in apoptosis (Sepà ºlveda et al. 2014). Aß also produces reactive oxygen species that initiate oxidative stress which leads to mitochondria in the cell releasing cytochrome C and inducing apoptosis (Querfurth and LaFerla 2010). Both Aß peptides and APP can enter the mitochondria where they disrupt the electron transport chain and ATP production (Caspersen et al. 2005; Reddy and Beal 2008). Synapses are sites of high mitochondrial activity because ATP is needed for neurotransmitter release (Reddy and Beal 2008), so inhibition of mitochondrial activity by Aß also results in synaptic damage. NFTs are intracellular aggregations of hyperphosphorylated tau protein and also cause neurodegeneration. Tau protein is a component of the cytoskeleton of neural cells but when hyperphosphorylated tau proteins have an affinity for themselves and destabilize the cytoskeleton (Iqbal et al. 2005; Spillantini and Goedert 2013). Tau protein is phosphorylated by glycogen synthase kinase -3ß (GSK-3ß) (Rankin et al. 2007) which can be activated by Aß peptides (Takashima 2006). Tau protein mediates synaptic damage by inhibiting extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling that is key in cell survival (Sun et al. 2016). Approaches Current treatment of AD relies on two types of medications: acetylcholine esterase inhibitors (AChEIs) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists. AChEIs work by slowing the degradation of acetylcholine (ACh) by inhibiting acetylcholine esterase which allows more ACh action at the synapses (Nelson and Tabet 2015). When cholinergic neurons are lost during the course of AD, ACh synthesis and receptor signaling are reduced (Auld et al. 2002). AChEIs are most effective in slowing progression of cognitive decline in mild to moderate cases and less effective in severe AD (Gillette-Guyonnet et al. 2011). Memantine is an NMDA receptor antagonist (Tariot et al. 2004) that helps mitigate the loss of NMDA receptor function due to Aß peptides (Snyder et al. 2005). Memantine is not effective for mild cases of AD (Nelson and Tabet 2015) but it is effective in moderate to severe cases, especially when used in combination with AChEIs (Tariot et al. 2004). Although AChEIs and NMDA receptor antagonists are the current pharmacological treatments available for AD, they are only able to slow the progression of the disease and lose effectiveness as AD progresses. The challenge in designing a drug to prevent or cure AD is the multifactorial nature of the disease with genetic and lifestyle risk factors. Even when non-pharmacologic interventions (controlling blood pressure, cognitive stimulation therapy, healthy diet and exercise, and maintaining social networks) (Nelson and Tabet 2015) are used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan and initiated early in disease progression, the best that current treatments can offer is to slow the natural progression of the disease With AD prevalence expected to increase worldwide across all races and ethnicities, the culture of different populations is an important consideration when designing intervention strategies. Social and economic barriers that prevent access to health care and social services among different populations need to be understood to identify and implement the best treatment specific to that population. Cultures also differ in how they view AD-related cognitive decline and may consider the memory loss a part of normal aging and therefore delay seeking treatment. An awareness of how cognitive decline in older age is defined culturally, how cultures differ in caring for the elderly, and how barriers to AD care services impacts each culture’s choice of treatment is key to developing successful interventions. Proposed Solutions The greatest challenge in developing treatment for AD that can prevent AD development or progression is that a specific cause has not yet been identified. However, recent research has identified new pharmacologic targets involved in the production of Aß and new therapies to reduce Aß and tau pathology. Research by Hu, Das, Hou, He, and Yan (2018) identified the ß-secretase BACE1 as a potential pharmacological target for the treatment of AD. In a mouse model of AD in adults with BACE1 inhibition, it was observed that synaptic function improved and Aß plaque formation was prevented. Although some clinical trials of BACE1 inhibitors have stalled, with Merck stopping its clinical trial of verubecestat in February 2018 (Merck 2018), there is still hope of developing pharmacologic treatments targeting Aß and tau proteins (Amgen 2017). A novel therapeutic approach being researched is the use of optogenetic stimulation to reduce Aß and tau phosphorylation. Using a light flickering at 40 hertz, (Iaccarino et al. 2016) found they could stimulate brain waves called gamma oscillations in a mouse model of AD and observed reduced Aß plaque formation and tau phosphorylation. This may lead to new non-invasive AD therapies, but more research is needed to investigate its effectiveness in humans. With treatment approaches that target the production of toxic Aß and abnormal tau phosphorylation, it is conceivable that in the future we may be better able to prevent and stop the progression of AD. References Amgen. 2017 Nov 2. Amgen and novartis announce expanded collaboration with banner alzheimers institute in pioneering prevention program. Amgen. [accessed 2018 Mar 19]. http://www.amgen.com/media/news-releases/2017/11/amgen-and-novartis-announce-expanded-collaboration-with-banner-alzheimers-institute-in-pioneering-prevention-program/. Amieva H, Mokri H, Le Goff M, Meillon C, Jacqmin-Gadda H, Foubert-Samier A, Orgogozo J-M, Stern Y, Dartigues J-F. 2014. Compensatory mechanisms in higher-educated subjects with Alzheimer’s disease: a study of 20 years of cognitive decline. Brain 137:1167–1175. APOE gene. 2018 Feb 27. US Natl Libr Med. [accessed 2018 Mar 5]. https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/APOE. Auld DS, Kornecook TJ, Bastianetto S, Quirion R. 2002. Alzheimer’s disease and the basal forebrain cholinergic system: relations to ÃŽ ²-amyloid peptides, cognition, and treatment strategies. Prog Neurobiol. 68:209–245. Brookmeyer R, Johnson E, Ziegler-Graham K, Arrighi HM. 2007. Forecasting the global burden of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimers Dement. J. Alzheimers Assoc. 3:186–191. Caspersen C, Wang N, Yao J, Sosunov A, Chen X, Lustbader JW, Xu HW, Stern D, McKhann G, Yan SD. 2005. Mitochondrial Abeta: a potential focal point for neuronal metabolic dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease. FASEB J. 19:2040–2041. Ekblad LL, Johansson J, Helin S, Viitanen M, Laine H, Puukka P, Jula A, Rinne JO. 2018 Feb 23. Midlife insulin resistance, APOE genotype, and late-life brain amyloid accumulation. Neurology:10.1212/WNL.0000000000005214. Gillette-Guyonnet S, Andrieu S, Nourhashemi F, Gardette V, Coley N, Cantet C, Gauthier S, Ousset P-J, Vellas B. 2011. Long-term progression of Alzheimer’s disease in patients under antidementia drugs. Alzheimers Dement J Alzheimers Assoc. 7:579–592. Gilsanz P, Mayeda ER, Glymour MM, Quesenberry CP, Mungas DM, DeCarli C, Dean A, Whitmer RA. 2017. Female sex, early-onset hypertension, and risk of dementia. Neurology 89:1886–1893. 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McGrath ER, Beiser AS, DeCarli C, Plourde KL, Vasan RS, Greenberg SM, Seshadri S. 2017. Blood pressure from mid† to late life and risk of incident dementia. Neurology 89:2447–2454. Merck. 2018 Feb 13. Merck announces discontinuation of APECS study evaluating verubecestat (MK-8931) for the treatment of people with prodromal Alzheimer’s disease. MERCK. [accessed 2018 Mar 19]. http://www.mrknewsroom.com/news-release/research-and-development-news/merck-announces-discontinuation-apecs-study-evaluating-ve. Nelson L, Tabet N. 2015. Slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease; what works? Ageing Res. Rev. 23:193–209. Nuzzo D, Picone P, Baldassano S, Caruana L, Messina E, Marino Gammazza A, Cappello F, Mulà ¨ F, Di Carlo M. 2015. Insulin resistance as common molecular denominator linking obesity to Alzheimer’s disease. Curr Alzheimer Res. 12:723–735. Peila R, Rodriguez BL, Launer LJ. 2002. 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Rwanda: Mamdamis Argument and Suggestion for Reform :: essays research papers

â€Å"Hegel once said that how humans are distinguished from animals is the fact that they are willing to give life for a reason higher than life. He should have added that humans, unlike animals, are also willing to take life for a reason they consider higher than life† (Mamdani, 2001, 196). Why was America under terrorist attack on 9/11? Why was Hitler obeyed? Why did hundreds of thousands of ordinary Hutu kill hundreds of thousands of ordinary Tutsi in an attempted genocide that lasted 100 days? To answer these questions it is important to distinguish between who are the subordinate and superordinate groups involved. In order for an oppressed group to have complete political freedom, the oppressor must be exterminated. Mamdami attempts to explain why the genocide of 1994 occurred by comparing people who identified as either Hutu or Tutsi and how historical, geographical, and political components made these identities. A colonial term for genocide is â€Å"ethnic cleansing†, making the world new again so change can occur (Mamdani 12). HISTORY: To understand the Rwandan genocide, it is crucial to look at the historical events that lead up to 1994. The Hutu and Twa were the original inhabitants till the 1300’s when Tutsis’ migrated into Rwanda. By the 1600’s the king of Rwanda was Tutsi. In 1916, Belgian forces occupied Rwanda and Tutsi kings become indirect rulers. By 1957, Hutus’ develop political parties and in 1959 the Hutu’s force the Tutsi king and thousands of other Tutsis out of the country. A Hutu president comes to power in 1962 and in 1963, about 20,000 Tutsis are killed. Tutsi forces invade Rwanda from Uganda in 1990. Hutu Rwandan president attempts a peace treaty signing monitored by the UN in 1993 to share the power. In 1994 the Hutu president is killed by an unknown group and the genocide begins against the Tutsi lasting 100 days. Eight-hundred thousand Tutsis are murdered. (BBC.com) Of course, this is only a brief historical breakdown written from a eurocentric standpoint, but it does help explain the political identities of the opposing groups within Rwanda. The main motivators that drove Hutu groups to kill their Tutsi neighbors were, a.) The Hutu who killed were entitled to that Tutsi person’s property and material goods.

Essay --

Popular representations of war encompass how different generations and societies have seen, witnessed and explained or justified wars through the use of language, literature, visual arts and later, films. Contemporary war refers to the new concepts, weaponry, and technologies that have been used at the beginning of WWII to the present time period. Over the years that have passed, the methods and concepts have assumed newer complex forms, mainly due to widespread use of information and technology and also modern armies that have constantly upgraded to preserve their battle worthiness. Furthermore, contemporary war has sought the greater inclusion of civilians and civilian infrastructure as targets in destroying a nations capability of waging war. As an apt corollary of popular representations of war, Homer’s epic poem, ‘The Iliad’, tries to show its audience the suffering and loss caused by war, in his time period. In addition, some of the main themes in popular re presentations of war are, for example, the theme of wrath and revenge, motives that have been the start of many wars; and the theme of military prowess. However, ‘The Iliad’ can also be seen as a misleading corollary that disconnects from popular representations of war through the centuries, due to the fact that it excludes the theme of battle or combat suffering, since in ‘The Iliad’, soldiers die instantly, whereas the author does not expose to the readers the suffering accompanying so many wounded soldiers, who die a slow and un-hero like death. Using adequate quotes from ‘The Iliad’, Lokesson, Shay, and other outside sources, we will try to understand how ‘The Iliad’ is an apt and a misleading corollary to understand popular representations of war. The Greek ancient ... ...wn us a less tidy affair, involving many conflicting needs and many more possibilities of dissent. Overall, one thing remains clear, whether in The Iliad or in other depictions of war through the times, it is the young that are sent to the battlefield, either to gain glory or to die, thus, as Herbert Hoover once said: â€Å"Old men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die.† The Iliad is no different, as it clearly shows us that war is waged by those that can physically fight it, that show the bravery and masculine love for the affair and that have something to gain (or lose) from it. The Iliad thus, becomes perhaps, one of the greatest depictions of how war is fought and why it is fought, and the pathos it brings to all it touches. If we still read it 2,500 years or so, after it was written, it must conjure powerful feelings with which we still identify. Essay -- Popular representations of war encompass how different generations and societies have seen, witnessed and explained or justified wars through the use of language, literature, visual arts and later, films. Contemporary war refers to the new concepts, weaponry, and technologies that have been used at the beginning of WWII to the present time period. Over the years that have passed, the methods and concepts have assumed newer complex forms, mainly due to widespread use of information and technology and also modern armies that have constantly upgraded to preserve their battle worthiness. Furthermore, contemporary war has sought the greater inclusion of civilians and civilian infrastructure as targets in destroying a nations capability of waging war. As an apt corollary of popular representations of war, Homer’s epic poem, ‘The Iliad’, tries to show its audience the suffering and loss caused by war, in his time period. In addition, some of the main themes in popular re presentations of war are, for example, the theme of wrath and revenge, motives that have been the start of many wars; and the theme of military prowess. However, ‘The Iliad’ can also be seen as a misleading corollary that disconnects from popular representations of war through the centuries, due to the fact that it excludes the theme of battle or combat suffering, since in ‘The Iliad’, soldiers die instantly, whereas the author does not expose to the readers the suffering accompanying so many wounded soldiers, who die a slow and un-hero like death. Using adequate quotes from ‘The Iliad’, Lokesson, Shay, and other outside sources, we will try to understand how ‘The Iliad’ is an apt and a misleading corollary to understand popular representations of war. The Greek ancient ... ...wn us a less tidy affair, involving many conflicting needs and many more possibilities of dissent. Overall, one thing remains clear, whether in The Iliad or in other depictions of war through the times, it is the young that are sent to the battlefield, either to gain glory or to die, thus, as Herbert Hoover once said: â€Å"Old men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die.† The Iliad is no different, as it clearly shows us that war is waged by those that can physically fight it, that show the bravery and masculine love for the affair and that have something to gain (or lose) from it. The Iliad thus, becomes perhaps, one of the greatest depictions of how war is fought and why it is fought, and the pathos it brings to all it touches. If we still read it 2,500 years or so, after it was written, it must conjure powerful feelings with which we still identify.