Defining Historiography Essay

Historians do not always agree about how to interpret the events and people that they study; this leads to multiple explanations, which at times, are diametrically opposed to each other. As students progress into upper-level courses in the Department of History, they must move from the mastery of facts and analysis of primary sources encouraged by lower-level courses to a richer and deeper understanding of how history is written and the fact that events and ideas are open to interpretation. Within History 420 (Readings in History), students then move into another level of explanation, where they read intensively on a topic and provide their own historiographical explanations for a series of events/ideas. Therefore, historiography can be described as â€Å"the history of history.† What this means in practice is an exploration of a specific topic, and how historians have explained events or people over time, i.e. how their explanations have changed due to their own worldview and/or ideological bent, due to re-interpretation of previously-viewed sources, due to the availability of new sources, previously unexplored, and/or due to the application of different questions and/or methodologies to sources. Revision of prior interpretations of the past is an implicit and important element of historiography. It requires students to not only be able to explain the different schools of thought or interpretations but also potentially to develop their own explanations, based on their assigned readings. The focus of a historiographical essay is not on the event or person itself; rather, it is on the interpretations of the event or person. Process: 1. Read and analyze multiple works independently on the same topic (assigned on weekly or bi-weekly basis), including an exploration of the sources that the authors utilize or do not utilize in shaping their arguments. a. Make sure that you are not merely summarizing the author’s ideas; rather, you are providing analysis of the work’s argument, sources, and conclusions and of the author’s own interpretation of said topic. b. In addition, each author is likely to provide an explanation of the fit of his/her work within the larger historiographical context; take careful note of this as well, particularly when he/she references other assigned works. c. Another element of this process is to have a firm understanding of who the author is; be certain to conduct research into previous publications, ideological background and/or current research interests. Are there any parts of his/her background that are directly related to the subject matter and if so, what are the pr os and cons of this? 2. Questions to consider as you write your historiographical essay: Individual Works †¢ What is the â€Å"main point† or argument made by each work regarding your specific topic? Think particularly about whether or not the author is trying to reinforce an earlier perception of history or argue for a re-interpretation of the past. †¢ What kinds of sources are used, how and why? How does the author deal with counter-evidence, i.e. information that seems to weaken or contradict the thesis? †¢ What are the strengths and weaknesses in terms of argument, analysis and conclusions of the work? †¢ How does this work relate to earlier readings, i.e. do they present similar or dissimilar ideas and how/why? †¢ How do these authors or works, as a group, contribute our understanding of this series of historical events and their outcome? 3. Bring these works together in an integrated analysis that incorporates and explains the different arguments, conclusions and evidence of various authors in order to build your own explanation of a central theme. An integrated analysis is one that not only draws on different books/articles but also explains how the works agree and disagree with each other. A particularly strong historiographical essay will do this by considering multiple points of view within discussion of a sub-topic, all in one well-crafted paragraph or series of paragraphs, which is then connected back to the overall argument. Then you would move on to the next connected sub-topic, again linking back to the overall argument. You want to avoid the temptation to simply discuss one work, then the next, and then another, with little explanation or analysis of how they fit together. 4. Questions to consider as you write your historiographical essay: The Big Picture †¢ How has the historiography of your topic evolved over time? What has changed in terms of interpretation of events and ideas? What was the initial interpretation of this event, idea or person? How has it changed and why? †¢ How have ideological shifts had an impact on your topic? Are the authors under study wedded to a particular â€Å"historical school† i.e. Marxist, Feminist, Neo-Conservative, Liberal, and/or how does the author’s main lens of analysis (cultural, political, military, social, etc.) have an impact on his/her interpretations? †¢ Have the â€Å"discovery† or re-interpretation of sources caused historians to ask new questions or take their research in new directions? †¢ Have historians used different methodological approaches (e.g. quantitative, linguistic) in their work and how was this had an impact on conclusions?

Product Development Specifications

1)a. When making patterns, they can either be produced in house or be outsourced. Both types have their advantages and disadvantages. The advantage to using in house pattern making is that the fit of the garment can be more customized. When a company makes its own patterns, it has years of experience with their target market and their needs. Also, companies that produce their own patterns can base new patterns off of previous seasons. However, a disadvantage is that is expensive, and a smaller company may not have the resources to use their own pattern makers.When outsourcing pattern making, a company can either use pattern making services, or full service contractors. Pattern making services create patterns without the product developer having to invest in their own computerized pattern making system. The other type of out sourced pattern making, full service contractors, are usually used by product developers looking to knock off a design. The product developer sends an already mad e sample to the pattern maker with size specifications. Full service contractors are more difficult to use when making original designs.Some disadvantages to outsourcing pattern making are that different countries have different methods of pattern making and different perceptions of the body. Also it takes time to check samples, and language and measurement system are usually different in other countries. b. When choosing materials, specifications can either be open or closed. Open specs are when the information provided is more generic and only contains basic facts. Closed specs are when the specifications are very detailed and specify an exact material and supplier.A disadvantage to closed specs is that they can become very expensive. However an advantage is that they ensure consistency of the end product. Some advantages to open specs are that they are cheaper and less time consuming, however the end product could be less accurate. c. Tolerances are variations from criteria that will be allowed when producing a product. If a product does not meet tolerances, it will be rejected. Tolerances can either be tight or loose. Tight tolerances have less room for variation.The advantages to tight tolerances are that products will be more consistent, and fit better. However, the disadvantages are that it is costly, and time consuming as it may take a few tries to meet tight standards. Loose tolerances are when specs have a wider variation. Products that have loose tolerances vary more often, but are cheaper and faster to produce. 3) Standards and specifications in the product development process are very important because they affect quality, cost, and the time it takes to produce an item.In general, when a product has more standards and specifications it takes longer to produce and is more costly, but it will be a more consistent, high quality product that fits better. When there are less standards and looser specifications, products can be made faster and for cheap er but will be of a lower quality. When choosing standards and specifications it is important for the product developer to keep the company and its end target market in mind. For instance, when developing product for companies such as Zara or Forever 21, the focus is on producing products quickly as fashion is always changing and trending up or down.These companies would use looser specifications with lower standards to get their product produced as quickly as possible. Since the product is at a lower price point, the quality of products is not taken into as much consideration. However, for products that set the trends and are sold at higher price points, more time would be taken on specs and standards as the target market expects quality. LIM College. (2010). Chapter 9: Translating Concept to Product. Product Development (pp. 262-279). United States of America: Fairchild Books, a Division of Conde Nast Publications.

Discuss some of the more cosmological traits of early Hebrew religion Essay

Discuss some of the more cosmological traits of early Hebrew religion - Essay Example They also believed in animistic worship, the worship of nature such as trees and other natural objects, eventually becoming anthropomorphic, that is god or gods took the human forms. In later Hebrew religion, Yahweh became a figure that transcends both human and material worlds. It is believed that individual tribes probably worshipped different gods, as there is no evidence of only one God being worshipped during that time. (2) Despite a few Babylonian texts that associate power with Maduk, Hebrew was the first religion to insist that their god was the only universal god. Judaism is known as one of the earliest monotheistic religions. It is believed that the Hebrew monotheism began with the introduction of Yahweh cult according to Exodus during the 1300-1200 BC in the migration to Egypt. It gave a concept of rule of law and also the concept that covenant that the god has a good relationship with the community of people (1) The Jews were also forbidden to idol worship or represent god in any sculpture or form and regarded Yahweh as the creator or god. Earlier Hebrews worshipped other gods but emphasized that Yahweh was the ruler of the universe. Another innovation by the prophets is righteousness where Yahweh became the ‘god of righteousness’ and in the eyes of Yahweh the good were always rewarded and the evil were punished. In this religion, ritual practices became unimportant and the requirem ent of doing right things, punishing evil was a means to produce and build a harmonious society. The monarchy brought about differences in wealth, poverty, subjective power and centralized state. The most cognitive crisis in the Hebrew History was the Exile. The Hebrews were exiled by Babylonians and Romans into wide spread colonies around the world and the scattering is often termed as Diaspora. (2) The most intense revolution in Hebrew religion took place during the migration from Egypt and Moses became the greatest

Twentieth century in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Twentieth century in America - Essay Example Its militarism snared for it various colonies such as Cuba, Mexico, Hawaii, in the Philippines, in Puerto Rico, Guam, and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The main political principle used by previous administrations to justify this expansionism was the so-called Manifest Destiny, that it was inevitable for America to rule the world. Many events comprise the twentieth-century for America, but some of these events admittedly are more impactful than others, in terms of their continuing influence on the course of events for the country even today. Some events were celebratory, victorious or triumphal, but sadly also, some events were traumatic which seared the American citizen consciousness. It takes great discernment for an expert of history and political science to connect or relate the significance of these events to the current happenings all over the world. However, it is also incumbent on a student of history to detect and realize the subtle changes occurring in the country, which if these are viewed over the long term, form a distinct historical pattern. It is the purpose of this brief paper is to discuss some of these events and their perceived impacts. The most significant events are re-examined and a major theme is propounded to explain it. Discussion Some of these big events were the two world wars (First World War, 1914-1919 and the Second World War, 1939-1945), first flight by humans due to the Wright brothers (1903), the rise of free-market capitalism with the advent of big business barons (tycoons) who in turn controlled most of the American economy during the years of the Industrial Revolution such as banking, railways, manufacturing industries, the telegraph, mining, and shipping, the Great Depression (1929-1941) which destroyed a big portion of the nation's wealth and its citizens. It was preceded by the stock market crash of October 29, 1929 but one positive outcome of it all was that monetary and fiscal authorities are now better able to control e conomic crises than before, by lowering interest rates instead of raising the rates which worsened the depression. The Vietnam War (1959-1975) is the only modern war which America had lost but it created a new awareness among Americans about how their country conducts foreign policy. The loss has cast a long shadow over the way America now avoids any long-term involvement in military conflicts, extricating itself from Iraq and soon, from Afghanistan too. Citizens keep questioning the ethics of a preemptive war that has no clear objectives; its bitter memories are a constant reminder to how mission creep can drag a war with no hope for a victory. This lead to a growing sense of pacifism and conservatism, how the nation should use soft power in its international relations instead of relaying on regime change by overthrow (Kinzer 552). President Dwight D. Eisenhower became the foremost proponent of this change to a reliance on diplomacy rather than military power alone, by warning abou t the ill effects of the growing military-industrial complex which drains precious tax dollars away from important projects like education, health care, and infrastructure (Eisenhower 7). Growing involvement of the federal government in the national economy and in society as well started with Franklin D. Roosevelt in his New Deal programs but which

Liberal Art Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Liberal Art Studies - Essay Example In these regards, rather than workers attempting to directly fight the oppressive nature of their employers they should attempt to work outside this sphere of struggle, and organize opposition that way. Today when one considers the nature of unions, it’s clear that this principles still remains a viable and working approaching to fighting workplace oppression. 2.Would absolute loyalty and unquestioned obedience be useful qualities in a modern professional community? In considering whether absolute loyalty and unquestioned obedience would be useful in a modern professional community, it’s clear that the answer is no. In blindly accepting the rules and regulations of a professional organization one allows the individuals higher on the organizational scale to make decisions unfettered by checks and balances, and allows themselves to be taken advantage of for individual and organizational profit. 3.What drawbacks, if any, might there be in a community dominated by such val ues? ? In considering potential drawbacks, it’s clear that there are a number related to a community founded on such values.

Wolverhampton - A car-free city, myth or possibility Essay

Wolverhampton - A car-free city, myth or possibility - Essay Example Nowadays every effort is geared towards conserving the little resources that are available for human beings. Furthermore, efforts are made to make life easy. One of the areas that tries to conserve the environment and at the same time benefit from its own program is sustainable mobility (Ozge, & Karaaslan, 2011, p 28). This roughly means that the project aims at holding to the resources that are available in relation to the movement from one location to another. In the current world, the aspect of globalisation has led to the jeopardisation and astronomical increase in the need to use transport and has turned mobility of people, their concepts and commodities into a very important feature in our current society. At the same time, the transport segment in most of the countries has become one of the largest contributors to the carbon dioxide that the vehicles emit. This transport segment over period of time has built a great percentage on the number of pollutants contributing to the en vironmental degradation and has increased the level of energy consumption (Thomsen, 2011). It is with this in mind that I set this research on the grounds explained above. I will look at Wolverhampton concerning whether there is a possibility of turning the city into an environmental conscious city. As for this aspect of a car-free city, I will be selecting a suitable and sustainable mobility concept that can work in the city and also explain the concept itself and how it will be implemented. This will be analyzed with the relevant literal materials (Shane & Graedel, 2000, p77). The first area I will tackle in this essay will be the sustainable mobility as a concept and thereafter I will chose the most appropriate concept for sustainable mobility in the Wolverhampton area. Sustainable Mobility The word â€Å"mobile† means that one is capable of making movement in a space, virtually like in the flow of information in a particular network, be it socially (in this case, climbing the ‘social ladder’ to be in a different level or status), or even being physically making the movements (Neuman, 2011, p 41). In a statistical perspective, it means that mobility is the movement between two places, from one place to another and this does not clearly emphasize which means were used. Therefore, in my case, I will assume that mobility involves different means of transport and the mode of transport used for the movement to be made. According to Staley and Ybarra (2008), sustainable mobility is â€Å"mobility which does not endanger public health or ecosystems and meets needs for access consistent with: a) Use of renewable sources below their rates of regeneration; b) Use of non-renewable resources at below the rates of development of renewable substitutes†. The concept of mobility in some quarters has a different definition. According to Kasanen (1994) and Berge et al (1992), mobility is the potential for movement. For instance, a product might hav e a high mobility which means it might have a potential for movements by having qualities and characteristics that will make it easy to make a move and through the existence of means of transport to carry the movement out. At the same time, the mobility in people will greatly vary depending on each person’s factors like the age of the person, gender, health of the person and the occupation among many other factors. At the same time, the different periods of time at individual disposal and varied accessibility to the correct means of transport play a major part too. This is further supported by Hoyer (1999) who also describes mobility as â€Å"†¦an expression for both the potential for movement and the volume of the actual movement taking place. It

The 1920's And the American Dream Speech or Presentation

The 1920's And the American Dream - Speech or Presentation Example In the 1920s, the viewpoint of the American Dream focuses on personal success in life regardless of their origin and social status. According to this perspective, the most important thing is for an individual to work hard in attaining their goals. Reference to this can be drawn from the book â€Å"Advertising the American Dream: Making way for Modernity† by Marchand Roland. In this work, the author gives a description of a character in which case he feels this figure represents the quintessential 1920s person who is living the American Dream. The writer says that this man not only succeeds in the fast-paced, contemporary urban milieu of tall storied structures, taxicabs, and luxury driven people, but also perceives himself well-experienced in the latest moves in fashion, modern lingo as well as popular activities. The book’s relationship to the American Dream is seen in the number of times it talks about the Great Gatsby. On the contrary, any reader of the work cannot d eny the link between the writers definition of the man living the American Dream and the Portrayal of Jay Gatsby, who works his way from a humble background to become a millionaire (Marchand, 99). In the Great Gatsby, the protagonist epitomizes the issue of personal success. We see an individual who is financially successful as well as in the social status, ultimately creating a novel individual out of himself regardless of his underprivileged past life. It is however evident that all the wealth that Gatsby acquires associated with the American Dream eventually lead to its demise. Consumerism and Excess material Wealth The 1920s and the American Dream is marked by consumerism and acquisition of excess material wealth. This identifies the culture of wealthy Americans as seen in Gatsby. At any moment Gatsby finds the opportunity, she displays seen through the lurid style of outfit. She has a huge mansion in which case she organizes frequent parties to show off to the rest of the Ameri can populace how hard working she has become. The American Dream in the 1920s can as well be referred to in terms of Veblen’s work, â€Å"The Theory of the Leisure Class.† He points out that a person gaining and sustaining the admiration of men is not sufficient through controlled wealth and power (Fitzgerald, 140). According to Veblen, the wealth and power should be put into substantiation. Veblen who advocates for the idea of conspicuous consumption that precisely describes the events in the Great Gatsby is attempting to establish that individuals that emanate from humble backgrounds and attain wealth through their hard-work, try to destroy reverence and admiration by showing off through purchases. Houses shown in the Great Gatsby are conceivably the most evident indicators of the inexorable completion to proclaim personal status. This is because a majority of the rich try to outshine each other in the size and amenities of their homes. It can therefore

Weekly essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Weekly - Essay Example As such, Roosevelt suspects culpability in the tradition of monetary culture whereby he holds prominent figures of trade as the ones responsible for the country’s failure to redress the unfavorable situations of American living in general. He specifically locates emphasis on the stubbornness, incompetence, and unscrupulous practice of the financial institutions at the time which brought about taxation imposed heavily, drastic lowering of income, unemployment, frozen means of exchange, industrial and agricultural conflicts, as well as ruined credits across the nation. Based on the overall thought and sentiment of the president’s speech, there occurs intent to summon forth concern and interest to realize how appalling the crises were which U.S. had been confronted by in the process of coping with major traumatic encounters. Roosevelt seems to encourage the citizens at depth to take a serious part in not just being critical toward such issues but for Americans to understand the purpose of inauguration remarks in the light that would engage them with the truth and deeds to sustain the goodness developed around this truth despite time and revolutionary changes in economy and

Smoking in ads Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Smoking in ads - Essay Example THESIS STATEMENT The thesis intends to argue on the fact that most advertising is made towards raising the usage of various products and on the same time, warning the viewers regarding the destructive behavior of smoking that can have unfavorable impacts upon the societal well-being at large. DISADVANTAGES OF SMOKING One of the common themes that many anti-smoking advertisements are based on intends to showcase the disadvantages of smoking on the health of the consumer. As depicted in these advertisements, the possibility of the smokers to suffer from several diseases, which can even cause significant threat to their lives. It is quite obvious that smoking affects both the physical along with the mental state of the regular consumers causing threat to various diseases. Theoretically, smoking is regarded as the habit or the action of inhaling the smoke of a tobacco or a particular drug. It is worth mentioning that smoking affects the physical state of an individual through the formati on of numerous diseases like emphysema, lung cancer and respiratory or heart diseases. At certain times, most of these diseases result in causing death of the individuals due to excessive smoking. Based on the above discussion, it can be affirmed from a broader understanding that negative consequences are observed from excessive smoking. Apart from affecting the physical state of an individual, smoking also affects the mental state of the regular abusers as well. This can be justified with reference to the fact that the biological factors engaged in smoking eventually affect an individual’s mental state by a considerable extent. It can be affirmed in this regard that the regular doses of a substance i.e. nicotine present in cigarettes eventually leads toward extensive changes in the individual’ brain, resulting in affecting their mental state at large (Mental Health Foundation, â€Å"Smoking and Mental Health†). Thus, showcasing these disadvantages of smoking, a ffecting the physical along with the mental state of regular abusers, anti-smoking advertisements tend to generate significant impacts on societal awareness against such destructive behaviors. SECOND HAND SMOKERS Another theme addressed in anti-smoking advertisements emphasizes the negative consequences faced by second hand smokers. In general, it can be affirmed that unavoidable smoking effects pertain not only on the abusers but also upon the second hand smokers breathing in the same air and therefore, reside within the periphery to be directing affected by the tobacco smoke. With this similar concern, secondhand smoking affects the lives of the individuals in the form of deteriorating their mental along with physical health. Conceptually, the notion of secondhand smoke is typically observed as the mixture of smoke that results from the burning end of a particular cigarette and also the smoke, which is exhaled by the smokers. It is quite evident that secondhand smoking distresses the people around the abusers in the form of causing several health related problems, even lung cancer. These problems may be related to respiratory along with ear infections, severe attacks of asthma and lung cancer among others. It can be apparently observed in this similar concern that the inhalation of secondhand

Issues Concerning Islam Essay Example for Free

Issues Concerning Islam Essay Muslims have been accused of mutilating women. This practice, however, is denied by the followers of Islam. According to them, â€Å"Female Genital Mutilation† (FGM), which is actually a surgical procedure performed on girls before they reach the age of puberty for the purpose of terminating or reducing their sexual feelings, is not an Islamic practice. They explain that FGM is a tradition of â€Å"Animists, Christians, and [some] Muslims in those countries where FGM is common. † Women are given equal rights under Islam. In fact, the Qur’an decreed that when it comes to public life, men and women should have equal rights and participation. During the time of Muhammad, women were allowed to participate actively in their baya which is the equivalent of today’s practice of political endorsements. Evidence of this Muslim women’s status is the voting rights granted to women in the predominantly Muslim countries like Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman. The women in Kuwait followed suit by earning their right to vote and get elected sometime in 2005. In fact, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, Kuwait’s Prime Minister, divulged a plan to appoint a woman minister in Kuwait soon (Robinson, 2007). Muslims as terrorists and pro-violence Yusuf (n. d. ) said that majority of the Muslims are convinced that while the U. S. government has been blaming terrorism on Islam for years, it was the 9/11 incident which dealt the most telling blow on the credibility and reputation of their religion. This was because the international media was able to depict that many Muslims around the world rejoiced after that incident. The truth is, however, that majority of the Muslim world was saddened by that incident and the repercussions it caused. They would like to tell the world that terrorism is not an official policy of Islam and that, in fact, Muslims also consider terrorists as enemies of their religion. He laments the fact that When a crazy Christian does something terrible, everyone in the West knows it is the actions of a mad man because they have some knowledge of the core beliefs and ethics of Christianity. When a mad Muslim does something evil or foolish they assume it is from the religion of Islam, not because they hate us but because they have never been told by a Muslim what the teachings of Islam are all about. Yusuf blames this lack of Islamic knowledge among Christians to the fact that there is a dearth of credible spokespersons who could defend Islam from its attackers. As a matter of fact, Yusuf stressed that â€Å"Islam is the middle way between excess and neglect† and that terrorism is the preoccupation of zealots and extremists who are, in fact, a plaque of Islam. According to him, there are two types of Muslim extremists whose acts destroy Islam. The first he calls â€Å"reactionary extremists. † This group rejects any form of religious pluralism. According to these reactionary extremists, the world consists of good and evil with nothing in between. Good, according to them, means the reactionary extremists and all those who oppose their actions are evil. Yusuf further explains that these kind of extremists are in the habit of â€Å"excommunicating† other Muslims who reject the way they interpret the Qur’an. However, this kind does not usually resort to violent acts to achieve their goals. Instead, they employ character assassination or takfir to ward their critics (Yusuf, n. d. ). The second type is the â€Å"radical extremist. † These Muslims extremists, according to Yusuf, are the ones who resort to violent acts and tactics to further their objectives. Yusuf stressed that these Muslims act as if they belong to some secret, wicked society whose members believe in the dictum that â€Å"the end justifies the means. † In other words, any method, even the most violent method, is acceptable as long as their â€Å"cause† is advanced. According to Yusuf, this is destroying Islam because the methods employed by Islam should be reflecting the noble ends of the religion. Secondly, Islam is not a â€Å"secret society of conspirators† – rather, it is open with its objectives and traditions which have already been accepted and recognized by people from other religious denominations (Yusuf, n. d. ). Muslims confused with Arabs Muslims object to their being confused with Arabs because it would never be accurate to equate Islam, a religious denomination, with Arab, which is an ethnic grouping. According to Muslims, the reason for this erroneous identification could be the fact that Islam emerged from the culture and society of Arab Bedouins of the 8th century. Another reason might be the fact that the Qur’an was written in Arabic. However, beyond these facts, Muslims should not be identified as Arabs, and vice versa because, according to statistics, â€Å"there are many non-Muslim Arabs, and far, far more non-Arab Muslims in the world. In fact, out of the estimated one billion Muslims worldwide, only about 200 million are Arabs (DHinMl, 2006). Looking at the table below of the top ten countries with the highest Muslim population, only Egypt (at number seven) is an Arab country (Aneki. com, n. d. ). References Aneki.com. (n.d.). Largest Muslim Population in the World. Retrieved November 26, 2007 from http://www.aneki.com/muslim.html Fisher, M.P. (2005). Living Religions, Sixth Edition. Prentice-Hall. Philips, A.A.B. (n.d.). The True Religion. Retrieved November 26, 2007 from http://www.islamworld.net/

Mini Cooper: Expansion and Launch in India

Mini Cooper: Expansion and Launch in India THE PRODUCT: MINI COOPER IN INDIA INTRODUCTION: The Mini Cooper is a small car that was produced by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered an icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout that allowed 80% of the area of the cars floor pan to be used for passengers and luggage influenced a generation of car-makers. In 1999 the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th Century, behind the Ford Model T[i]. This distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC by Sir Alec Issigonis. It was manufactured at the Long bridge and Cowley plants in England. The Mini Mark I had three major UK updates: the Mark II, the Clubman and the Mark III.The Mini Cooper is a sports car that was successful as rally cars, winning the Monte Carlo Rally four times from 1964 through to 1967. Initially Minis were marketed under the Austin and Morris names, as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini Minor, until Mini became a marquee in its own right in 1969. The Mini Cooper was again marketed under the Austin name in the 1980s. AWARDS AND POPULARITY: The Mini has won many awards over the years, perhaps the most notable includes: Car of the Century, Number One Classic Car of All Time and European Car of the Century. The Mini managed second place behind the Model T Ford for Global Car of the Century in that same poll. In the end 5.3 million Minis were sold, making it by far the most popular British car ever made. Thousands of these are still on the road, with the remaining pre-1980s versions being firmly established as collectors items. At its peak, the Mini was a strong seller in most of the countries where it was sold, with the United Kingdom inevitably receiving the highest volumes. It was a huge seller in the mini-car market. It was 16 years before the Mini received a serious threat to its sales success. INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRODUCTS: MINI HATCH: The new Mini First will be Minis most attractively-priced model on sale in India. Starting at just Rs.8, 76,000 OTR, and the Mini First offers customers the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a unique small premium car at an unbeatable price. Available only in Hatch form, the Mini First features the 1.4-litre petrol engine currently found in the Mini One, but with a power output of 75 hp. The frugal engine is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox as standard and great go-kart handling is ensured by the trademark sophisticated chassis of all Minis. A multi-link rear axle and independent front and rear suspension systems combine with Dynamic Stability Control to put a smile on the drivers face every time they get behind the wheel. SEGMENTING, TARGETING AND POSITIONING SEGMENTATION: refers to a marketing technique that targets a group of customers with specific characteristics. In the process of launching mini cooper in India the upper class people in the country are considered under segmentation. TARGETING: refers to the selection of a particular market towards which all marketing effort is directed. The targeted market for the mini cooper will be the young girls and the ladies sector in the country. POSITIONING: refers to the efforts of influencing a consumers perception of a brand or product relative to the perception of the competing brands or products. Its basic objective is to occupy a clear, advantageous and unique position in the minds of the consumers. With the help of newspapers, internet and hoardings the positioning will take place in the minds of consumers about the product. THE CONSUMERS: An individual who buys products or services for personal use and not for manufacture or resale. A consumer is someone who can make the decision whether or not to purchase an item at the store, and someone who can be influenced by marketing and advertisements. An official definition of consumer behaviour is The study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society. Mini Cooper in India will be mostly preferred by the upper class people of the society. This is because of the cost of the product. As the cost is higher people would prefer to buy a bigger and luxury car instead of a small and sporty car. Those people who are more interested and knowledgeable in brands and values would be influenced to buy a Mini cooper in India. Mini cooper is recognized as a girly car all over the world. Mini cooper is a car of status and pride. The type of consumers who prefer a Mini cooper will be a consumer of status and pride. It a sporty car as well as a statement symbol of status. Consumers do not make their decision in a vacuum. Consumer purchases are influenced by four factors. They are as follows Cultural factors Social factors Personal factors Psychological factors. CULTURAL FACTORS: Culture is the part of the external influences that impact the consumer. That is, culture represents influences that are imposed on the consumer by other individuals. The definition of culture is That complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man person as a member of society Culture plays an important role in the buying behaviour of the consumers. As India s rich in culture and tradition, this factor acts as a major role in launching of Mini Cooper in India. As the product Mini Cooper is focused on the young girls and ladies of the society, their decisions are based on the family situations. Some women are not able to decide on their own products and services in India. They have to be depended on their family and society. SOCIAL FACTORS: A consumer may interact with several consumers before buying a product. They may be different type of groups like membership group and reference groups. Family decisions are also very important in choosing a product. Roles and status also play an important role in influencing the buying behaviour of a consumer. As Mini Cooper is the symbol of status and pride the consumers can show their ostentatious behaviour. Those are people who are concerned about image. PERSONAL FACTORS: Personal factors are based on economic situation like his income, occupation, personality and self confidence and age and family life cycle stages. In purchasing a Mini Cooper in India a consumer has to take into consideration his level of income as the price of the product is high. He also has to consider his age and economic situation in the society. The major part in the personal factor is a person should have a high level of personality and self confidence to buy a product. Psychological factors like motivating consumers are mainly done by advertisements, road shows and other motivating factors. Attitudes and beliefs are very important in the process of launching a product. The Consumers have to be given more knowledge about the products. The Mini Cooper will affect the psychological factors of the customers when they see the advertisements. DECISION MAKING PROCESS: The act of making up your mind about something, or a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration is called as decision making. It is the process of selecting a logical choice from among the available options. When trying to make a good decision, a person must weight the positives and negatives of each option, and consider all the alternatives. For effective decision making, a person must be able to forecast the outcome of each option as well, and based on all these items, determine which option is the best for that particular situation. The below diagram shows the process of decision making, and also will explain about how the decision making process affects the customers of Mini Cooper. In this model, the consumer passes through five stages: problem recognition, information search, evaluation and selection of alternatives, decision implementation, and post-purchase evaluation. Problem recognition or need recognition: In the problem recognition stage, the consumers buying process begins when the buyer recognizes the problem or need. When a consumer of an upper class society is in need of a car he recognizes the problems and the need of it. This is the first stage of decision making process. When the consumers find the difference between the actual state and the desired state, a problem is recognized. In other words a need is recognized to solve the problem. Information search: When the consumers discover the problem they are likely to search for information. In this case the consumers who recognized the need for a car would search for more information about the different type of cars and they would be more attentive to car advertisements, cars purchased by their friends or relatives, and peer conversation about cars. Or they may be more actively seeking information by visiting car showrooms, talking to friends and reading car magazines etc. Through gathering information, the consumer learns more about some brands that compete in the market and their features and characteristics. After the search of information the consumers go to the next stage of decision making process. Evaluation and search of alternatives: Under this stage a consumers try to solve the problem and ultimately satisfying their needs. In other words, the consumers will look for problem-solving benefits from the product. The consumer, then, looks for products with a certain set of attributes that deliver the benefits. Thus, the consumer sees each product as a bundle of attributes with different levels of ability of delivering the problem solving benefits to satisfy their need. The distinctions among the need, benefits, and attributes are very important. In this case a person who wants to purchase a car will evaluate and search of alternatives to satisfy his needs. Decision implementation: To actually implement the purchase decision, however, a consumer needs to select both specific items that are brands and specific outlets that is where to buy to resolve the problems. In many situations, consumers engage in a simultaneous selection process of stores and brands. In the case of purchasing car a consumer will search a brand and in that brand they will search for different varieties in the showroom. It is also possible, that the consumer decides where to buy and then chooses one or two brands the showroom carries. Once the brand and outlet have been decided, the consumer moves on to the transaction. Post purchase evaluation: The final stage in decision making process is post purchase evaluation. It is common for consumers to experience concerns after making a purchase decision. This arises from a concept that is known as cognitive dissonance. The consumer having bought a product may feel that an alternative would have been preferable. In these circumstances a consumer will not re-purchase immediately but is likely to switch brands next time. Post-purchase evaluation processes are directly influenced by the type of preceding decision-making process. Directly relevant here is the level of purchase involvement of the consumer. Purchase involvement is often referred to as the level of concern for or interest in the purchase situation and how extensively the consumer searches information in making a purchase decision. These are the different stages of decision making process. With these levels a consumer decides when, where, why and how they buy the product. Mini Cooper is to be launched in India in two major cities of Mumbai and Delhi. Showrooms will be opened in these cities and customers can buy Mini from the showrooms. Perceived risk: Perceived risk refers to a functional or a psychological risk a consumer feels he/she is taking when purchasing a product. Negative or unexpected consequences a consumer fears may occur as a result of making the wrong purchase decision. A high-priced, complex, durable good like an automobile has a higher perceived risk than a low-priced, consumable commodity like hand soap. The greater the perceived risk, the more likely it is that the consumer will seek information about the product and the recommendations and experiences of peers before Buying. Educated, self-confident, affluent consumers are less likely than others to perceive risk. In a situation with high perceived risk, the consumer is more likely to purchase the same brand repeatedly or to purchase a leading brand or one with performance guarantees and warranties. New products or brands will be avoided. 4.0 LAUNCHING THE PRODUCT The primary goal of marketing communications is to build awareness of the business, its products, and its position through customer-facing materials such as brochures, press releases, internet, media, billboards, and road shows. Planning an integrated and consistent cross-team approach to these activities, one that reinforces a companys message with target audiences and motivates customers to buy is very important in launching a product. Mini Cooper is being launched in Mumbai and Delhi by positioning through customer facing materials like brochures, press release, web sites, media and road shows etc. Advertising is a form of communication used to influence individuals to purchase products or services or support political candidates or ideas. Frequently it communicates a message that includes the name of the product or service and how that product or service could potentially benefit the consumer. Advertising often attempts to persuade potential customers to purchase or to consume a particular brand of product or service. Modern advertising developed with the rise of mass production in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The major part in launching of a product is opening of showrooms. Showrooms of Mini Cooper will be more attractive and impressive for the customers. A showroom is an area where merchandise such as car can be displayed. It can also be defined as a room in a business set aside for the display of th e companys products. The three models of Mini Coopers in different colors will be displayed in the showroom. Customers can visit the showroom and book their minis hassle free without any problems. Customers are also offered with test drives if required. This will help the customers to understand practically about Mini and will also be helpful for them to buy the car with a clear mind as a result they will be happy to purchase the car without having any perceived risks in mind. Showrooms will be opened at the commercial area of the cities so that it will be easy for the customers. BROCHURES: A small booklet or pamphlet containing promotional material or product information is known as a brochure. Its a type of folding leaflet, literary advertisement. A brochure advertises about the location, products and services. They are actually in attractive slogans and eye-catching designs. Direct mails and trade shows are common ways to distribute brochures to introduce a product or service. The two most common types of brochures styles are single sheet or folded booklet leaflet form. Compared with a flyer or a handbill, a brochure usually uses higher-quality paper, more color, and is folded. In launching the Mini in the market, brochures are being used as one of the customer facing materials or advertisements. With the help of brochures, the people will come to know about the product and will take an initiative to visit the showroom and to check with the websites. The brochures will be made of high quality and will be printed in attractive colors and impressive slogans will be given. Free test drives will be added in the brochures to attract the customers. The address of the showroom and a map will be printed in the brochures for the customers. These brochures will be supplied to the public in the commercial areas and city centre. PRESS RELEASE: A public relations announcement issued to the news media and other targeted publications for the purpose of letting the public know about the launching of product and services is known as press release. A press release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having news value. Typically, they are mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to assignment editors at newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television stations, and television networks. Commercial press-release distribution services are also used to distribute them. A press release will be taking place one the showrooms are opened. Only the basic informations will be relieved to the public. In the press Release, the description of the product and services will be described to the public. The location of the showroom will also be relieved. INTERNET advertising is rapidly growing and is said to be the fastest growing sector within the advertising industry. The Internet has brought media to a global audience. Internet advertising ties together creative and technical aspects of the Internet, including: design, development and sales. Internet advertising is relatively inexpensive when compared to the ratio of cost against the reach of the target audience. Companies can reach a wide audience with the help of internet advertising. The nature of the medium allows consumers to research and purchase products and services at their own convenience. Therefore, businesses have the advantage of appealing to consumers in a medium that can bring results quickly. A website is introduced in the name of Mini Cooper. All the informations regarding the product is included in the website. The different models and the colors will be shown attractively to grab the attention of the customers. The customers will be given an option to book their car online through the website. The customers can also book for the test drives online. MEDIA: Ever since mass media became mass media, companies have naturally used this means of communications to let a large number of people know about their products. Two types of media advertisements are as follows: published media and visual or aural media. Newspaper, magazines and internet comes under published media and television and radio comes under visual or aural media. Advertisements in famous newspapers and magazines will be given for the Mini Cooper. Attractive slogans like MINI HITS INDIAN ROADS will be given on magazines and newspapers with colourful pictures of Mini Cooper. Advertisements in televisions will become livelier with the presence of celebrities with the Mini Cooper. Radio advertisements will also be given. Media will cover the major part of advertisement compared to the other types. BILLBOARDS: are large outdoor advertising structures. A billboard presents large advertisements to passing pedestrians and drivers. It is highly visible in the top designated market areas. Billboard advertisements are designed to catch a persons attention and create a memorable impression very quickly, leaving the reader thinking about the advertisement after they have driven past it. They have to be readable in a very short time because they are usually read while being passed at high speeds. Thus there are usually only a few words, in large print, and a humorous or arresting image in brilliant color. Attractive billboards with impressive colors and slogans will be placed at many places in the city. These will help the consumers to be aware of the car. The billboards will be very simple and clear for the public. The cars will be printed on the billboards. Billboards are very useful for the public to know about the launching of the product. ROAD SHOWS: are kinds of advertisement of the product. Basically a road show is nothing but a show of cars on the road in the public. These road shows will be attractive to customers as they see them on the road. Some number of Minis will be driven on the road in the city so that people become familiarized with the product launch. And they will also be parked alongside the road as a road show. Different colors of Mini Cooper will also be on the road show. Discounts and offers will be given to the customers on the early stage for the development of product in the market. It is very important because customers are more attracted towards discount and offers. Surprise gifts will be given to the first fifty customers who book Mini Cooper. The customers will be provided with the facility of Mini Cooper service stations in Mumbai and Delhi. First two services will be free of cost for the car. Cars will be picked and dropped at the customers place for service and it will also be free of charge. Accessories like seat covers, alloy wheels, music player etc will be available at the showroom. Customers can buy them at lesser prices. CONCLUSION: Thus the launching of Mini Cooper will be done effectively and efficiently. Customer satisfaction is more important for a sound business. We will promise to give our best to our customers to satisfy them. Mini Cooper will maintain its level of brand and will become a great success in India. With its great success Mini Cooper will be launched in more cities with more models in India. REFERENCE How the MINI Cooper Works, by Jonathan Strickland, http://auto.howstuffworks.com/mini-cooper.htm, retrieved 2009-12-12

Visual Information Essay -- Anatomy, The Retina

Visual information is seen because light passes through the cornea and is focused by the lens as an inverted image on the retina (Ellis, 2004). The retina is composed of photoreceptor cells; rods and cones with the greatest density of cones situated within the fovea, thus vision is sharpest for images and information projected to the fovea (Ellis, 2004). Subsequently visual information of lateralized foveal stimuli projects to the cerebral hemisphere within the brain. In the brain, the left visual hemifield projects to the right hemisphere and the right visual hemifield projects to the left hemisphere (Lavidor, Ellis, Shillcock & Bland, 2001). Generally for most individuals (in particular right handed), visual recognition of words and information is more efficient for display within the right visual field. However it is debated whether foveal information lateralized within the left or right visual field is double-projected to both hemispheres or unilaterally projected to the contrala teral hemisphere because the fovea is anatomically split and there is differential contribution of the two hemiretinae. Two theories have been put forward regarding how visual information is projected to the hemispheres. According to the split fovea theory, hemispheric division in processes occurs right up to the point of fixation. When the eyes are fixated within a written word visual information about the letters falling to the left of fixation initially projects to the right cerebral hemisphere, whilst visual information about the letters falling to the right of fixation project to the left cerebral hemisphere. Foveal processing is split so precisely at the vertical midline that all letters at either side of fixation project (unilaterally) to th... ...occurring in foveal vision away from the midline however this is not visible or obvious when recognition of visual information occurs. There is an overlap at the centre of the fovea where information projects simultaneously to both hemispheres, this being consistent with the bilateral theory. On the other hand, split fovea theory is an interesting theory of fixation effects that has been inspired by previous research unconnected with split fovea theory and thus incapable of providing appropriate evidence. More recently, split fovea theory has been based on experiments conducted specifically in its support but in which fixation locations were not monitored and stimuli exceeded foveal vision. It is good to see that research in the area is beginning to improve but it is difficult to be enthusiastic about any theory when there is no compelling evidence to support it.

The Chosen Review :: essays research papers

History plays a large role in shaping the character of Rueven and Danny’s characters because they each have strong spiritual fathers that laid a foundation for them, their respective religions have very different roots, and they find that they have differences from these religions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both Rueven and Danny have spiritual giants for fathers. While Rueven’s father is not as well respected or as well known as Reb Saunders, he is every bit as caring and spiritual. Mr. Malter has raised Rueven in the Jewish fashion and has taught him to love God. The love that Mr. Malter shows Rueven is evident when Rueven is at the hospital. When Rueven finally wakes up, his father is so excited that he rushes over without even preparing himself. â€Å"His sparse gray hair lay uncombed on his head. That was unusual for my father. I never remembered him leaving the house without carefully combing his hair.† In addition, Mr. Malter developed a cough and got sick, probably attributed to excessive worrying over Rueven. Reb Saunders also loves his son, but has a hard time showing it. Since, Danny and his father never speak unless they are studying; it is a very strained and painful relationship for Danny. Reb Saunders is known all over the Jewish community for being a strong spiritual advisor to all the Hassid and Danny is expected to take his place. Reb Saunders position as rabbi is something of a family dynasty and it has gone on for many generations. Danny has been groomed to become the next rabbi since he was a child. All of this seems too much for Danny and it seems that he just wants to escape his destiny and live a normal life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The roots of Rueven and Danny’s churches also play a role in their characters. Rueven is an orthodox Jew, and thus comes from very strict values. Rueven is expected to pray many times a day and to study the Talmud frequently. In addition, he eats kosher food, always observes Shabbat and follows Jewish law reverently. He is very faithful and hopes to be a rabbi someday. On the other hand, Danny comes from an even more demanding sect of Judaism. The Hasids have similar beliefs to the Orthodox Jews but hold to even stricter codes of conduct. One of the things that set the Hasids apart from other sects is their dependence on the tzaddikim or spiritual leaders of their communities.

The Character of Enorbarbus in William Shakespeares Antony and Cleopat

The Character of Enorbarbus in William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra Enobarbus’s character can be seen as the most striking invention of Shakespeare. As the lieutenant of Antony, he contributes to the drama in a number of ways. He is sympathetic to Antony from the start, loyal and fellow feeling. Instead of agreeing with Antony at the beginning where he says he wishes he had never met Cleopatra, Enobarbus replies that, had that been the case, Antony would have missed â€Å"a wonderful piece of work†. (I.2.154-5). He does not share the perspective of his fellow Roman soldiers Philo and Demetrius in the opening scene, in fact he seems to enjoy life in Egypt contributing with appreciative comments on Cleopatra. â€Å"Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety. (149 II.2.245) When Antony says of Cleopatra, â€Å"She is cunning past man’s thought†, Enobarbus disagrees, â€Å"Alack, sir, no: her passions are made of/ nothing but the finest part of pure love† (I.2.146-8). In their conversations at the beginning and in his role throughout, Enobarbus seems to represent an ordinary reflection of something in Antony himself, as in a mirror. His humour in response to the announcement of Fulvia’s death, anticipate the jovial side of Antony that will manifest itself in the galley scene. Before the triumvirs meet, the diplomatic Lepidus tries to persuade Enobarbus to keep Antony calm. Enobarbus however refuses saying that he much prefers that Antony should speak his mind. He reminds Antony and Caesar that there will be time enough to quarrel after they have disposed of Pompey. To Antony’s criticize, â€Å"Thou art a soldier onl... ...ssenger. In a soliloquy â€Å"Now he’ll outstare the lightning† (III.13.194-200) he sees through Antony’s bombastic rhetoric and comes to his decision to leave Antony. As Antony addresses his servants as if for the last time, Enobarbus protests that he is â€Å"onion-eyed (IV.2.35). Antony’s reaction to his desertion, â€Å"O, my fortunes have Corrupted honest men!† (IV.2.35) and his decision to send his treasure to him confirm all that is said of Antony’s â€Å"bounty†. The guilt felt by Enobarbus and his subsequent depression and loss of will are clearly shown. â€Å"No honourable trust. I have done ill, of which I do accuse myself† (239.IV.35) But his death in mental torment and the consciousness of disgrace are proof of the fact that Antony’s â€Å"fortunes have/ Corrupted honest men† give a wider dimension to the tragedy of the protagonists.

Fast food restaurant Essay

The fast food industry has been growing dramatically during the last few years. For this reason, we should try to find out what are the several factors why fast food consumption keeps growing among young people. Therefore, as we have seen, the popularity of fast food is spreading rapidly among many people due to the following three main reasons: good taste, convenient time, and price. â€Å"Over the last three decades, fast food has infiltrated every nook and cranny of American society,† writes Eric Schlosser in Fast Food Nation. In the beginning, the fast food restaurant started with a cafeteria-style restaurant known as the â€Å"Automat† in New York on July 7, 1912. Then, in 1921, White Castle restaurants were started in Wichita, Kansas, selling hamburgers for five cents. By 1948, McDonalds was opened by two brothers from Nashua, New Hampshire, who developed the concept of selling hamburgers, French fries, shakes, coffee, and coca cola in disposable wrappings. So from its humble beginnings, the fast food industry has become an undeniable factor in our society. Certainly, with our ever increasing and busy society, eating at fast food restaurants has become the norm. Families that have busy schedules, such as taking their kids to various activities, attending church functions, and late meetings rely heavily on fast food as a meal choice. For example, about one-quarter of adults and a third of children eat at fast food restaurants on any given day. According to the American Journal of Public Health, consumers have spent $16. 1 billion in 1975 to $153. 1 billion in 2004 on fast food. People are generally drawn to good tasting food. With fast food, it couldn’t of ever tasted any better. No matter how unhealthy it is, we cannot deny that we have a love affair with the value meals, the fast service, home delivery and of course the drive-through. We no longer feel the need to slave away in the kitchen; we can just save so much time by satisfying ourselves with a relatively cheap McDonalds meal. It is ironic that in order to achieve the ever-increasing financial goals that we set for ourselves needed to feed our individual families, we must restrict ourselves from high quality food, the very diet that defines success, in favor of food that can be seen as more cost effective, and fast food fits the part perfectly. Moreover, the fast food industry has created many job opportunities for people who in normal circumstances would find work difficult to come by. Many young college students take on the challenge of working in a Burger King or Taco Bell kitchen in interest of supporting themselves financially. There are a countless number of students who decide to apply for jobs in the fast food industry to help them pay off their tuition. Working in the fast food industry can also be viewed as a potential transitional job for certain individuals. For in the present economy, many people have now found themselves jobless, while working in a fast food chain might not be desirable to them in comparison to their former jobs, it could be seen as a perfect temporary replacement while one searches for a new equally lucrative long term job. Some individuals go for fast food as they consider it to be a treat for themselves. There are many people who like fun and one of the best places that they can always get that is at the fast food restaurants. A part from just eating, they also find the places as socializing venues where they can make many friends. The fast food restaurants also offer a lot of entertainment zones that make their clients comfortable as they enjoy their meals; this is one factor that will make many people to prefer going there as opposed to cooking food for themselves at their homes. People also love fast food because there are so many of them next to their work place, their homes, on the side of the road or in any petrol station. That’s an important point to many people, because when they feel like having a fast food meal, they don’t waste a lot of time searching for a restaurant to eat from. They just find the restaurant near the place they are in. We cannot deny the world has undergone a â€Å"fast food revolution† over the past few years, and I believe there is good reason for the immense popularity of this â€Å"fast food culture† we are presently living in. It maybe greasy and unhealthy, but it is ultimately cheaper than home cooking and its convenience to the incredibly busy urban lifestyle is too significant to ignore. Fast food should be viewed as a positive aspect of our society as a result of the advantages it presents to us in our hectic lives, but we should not abuse it. In the words of actress Mae West: â€Å"Too much of a good thing can be wonderful†, however in this case it is quite the contrary.

Caring Theory

Swanson’s Middle Range Nursing Theory of Caring By: Shari Semelroth RN, BSN Mennonite College of Nursing Abstract Do we honestly make an effort to improve the environment, care, medical treatment, and interactions with those patients who are suffering a loss? Do we adequately provide the care that they need? These questions are answered in Swanson’s Middle Range Theory of Caring. We examine the five caring processes and their applications to one’s daily nursing routines. Many healthcare organizations have adopted the caring theory as their model of care for their philosophy and principles for nursing.Caring theory has also been the focus of many research articles that have concluded that caring is a natural part of nursing and it is based on evidence. All healthcare professionals should be able to achieve the concepts into their daily nursing profession. We care for patients, and what we are currently doing we can always switch to improve for more positive intera ctions. What is caring and why is it essential to nursing? What are the perceptions of caregivers, care receivers, and care observers regarding caring? A nurturing way of relating to a valued other person toward whom one has a personal sense of commitment and responsibility.Nursing has traditionally been concerned not only with the caring needs of individuals, but also with caring as a value or principle for nursing action. (Swanson, 1991) The underlying structure of the nursing philosophical system or grand theory of nursing as caring is created by the assumptions of the theory and their interrelationships. (Boykin & Schoenhofer, 2001) These assumptions develop the most fundamental belief that all persons are caring by virtue of their humanness, that to be human is to be caring.A deep understanding of the practical meaning of that foundational assumptions also organize the theory that personhood is living grounded in caring; that caring is lived moment to moment in relationships wi th caring others, and that nursing as a discipline and profession of caring is orientated not towards diagnosing needs nor compensating for deficiencies, but as its focus, nurturing persons living caring and growing in caring. (Boykin, 2003) Swanson suggests that a universal definition or conceptualization of caring does not exist within and outside of nursing as to the role of caring in personal and professional relationships. Swanson, 1991) Kristen Swanson is a native of Rhode Island, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Rhode Island in 1975. She went on to earn her master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1978 and PhD in nursing from the University of Colorado. Swanson worked as a Registered Nurse at the University of Massachusetts, as she was drawn to that institution because the founding nursing administration clearly articulated a vision for professional nursing practice and actively worked with nurses to apply these ideas while working with clients. Swanson, 1993) As a novice nurse she wanted to become a knowledgeable and technically skillful practitioner with an ultimate goal of teaching these skills to others. She pursued graduate studies. While studying she worked as a clinical instructor on a med surgical unit. Swanson studied psychosocial nursing with an emphasis on exploring the concepts of loss, stress, coping, interpersonal relationships, persons, environment and caring. As a doctoral student, she was able to experience hands on health promotion activity.She was involved in a cesarean birth support group. One historical meeting for her was on miscarriage. Swanson noticed that the discussion was based by the physician more on the pathophysiology and health problems of miscarriage. The women of the group were interested in discussing their personal experiences with pregnancy loss. (Alligood & Tomey, 2010) From that day forth she decided to learn more about the human experience. Caring and miscarriage became the focus of her doctoral dissertation and her program of research.She has since then received numerous awards, has taught fellow nursing students, became the Dean at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Associate Chief Nursing Officer for Academic Affairs at UNC Hospitals. In addition to teaching and administrative responsibilities, she conducts research funded by National Institutes of Nursing Research, publishes, mentors faculty and students and serves as a consultant at national and international levels. Swanson was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and received Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Rhode Island.Swanson used various theoretical sources while developing her theory. During her doctoral studies, she was influenced by other nurses and their theories related to caring. She took Dr. Jacqueline Fawcett’s course on the conceptual basis of nursing practice as a master’s prepared nurse, not only made her better at understanding the differences between the goals of nursing and other health disciplines, but also made her realize that caring for others as they go through life transitions of health, illness, healing, and dying was congruent with her personal values. (Swanson 1991)Dr.Fawcett developed the Language of Nursing and Metatheory; she displayed a distinctive role in caring for others and the importance of altruistic caring for the person’s well-being. (Fawcett, 1989) Dr. Jean Watson was also a mentor during her doctoral studies. Dr. Watson is known for her Theory of Human Caring. Even with the close relationship, they had, neither has ever seen Swanson’s program of research as an application of Watson’s theory of human caring. They do agree that compatibility of finding on caring in their individual programs add creditability to their individual programs of research.Swanson acknowledges Dr. Kathryn E. Barnard for encouraging her to make the t ransaction from interpretive to contemporary empiricist paradigm to convey what she learned and postulated about caring through several phenomenological investigations to direct intervention research and hopefully clinical practice with women who had miscarriages. (Alligood &Tomey, 2010) Dr. Barnard is recognized for her Parent Child Interaction Model. She encouraged Swanson to test her theory through randomized controlled trials.Swanson’s theory of caring is a nursing set of processes that are formed from the nurse’s own principles and his or her interaction with the patient, with five fundamental processes of knowing, being with, doing for, enabling, and maintain belief. Her theory was formed from three descriptive phenomenological studies from perinatal nursing. The five processes that help explain the concept of this theory has subcategories. The theory has four phenomena of concern: nursing, person, health and environment. Theory concepts of nursing are informed c aring for the well-being of others. Beatty, 1984) Person in theory concept is unique beings who are becoming and whose wholeness is manifested in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Health in theory is related to having meaning filled experience with wholeness. Environment is any situation that is influenced by the client or influences the client. Knowing is the first process of caring. Knowing is striving to understand the meaning of the event in the life of the other, avoiding assumptions, focusing on the person cared for, seeking clues, assessing thoroughly, and engaging both the one caring and the one cared for in the process of knowing. Swanson 1991) The second caring concept, being with emotionally present to the other. It involves simply â€Å"being there†, conveying ongoing availability and sharing feelings whether joyful or painful. Monitor so that the one caring does not ultimately burden the one cared for. The third concept is doing for others what would do for the self at all possible, including anticipating needs comforting, performing skillfully and unconditionally, and protecting the one cared for while preserving his or her dignity (Swanson, 1993) Enabling is the fourth concept.It is facilitating the others passage through life transitions and unfamiliar events by focusing on the event, informing, exploring, supporting, validating feelings, generating alternatives, thinking through, and giving feedback (Swanson, 1991) The final concept is maintaining belief. Sustaining faith in the others capacity to get through an event or transition and face a future with meaning, believing in others capacity and holding him or her in high esteem, maintaining a hope filled attitude, offering realistic optimism, helping to find meaning and standing by the one cared for no matter what the situation is. Swanson, 1993) Her later work introduced â€Å"Informed Caring†, aimed to provide structure for relating the five caring processes and describes ass umptions about the four main phenomena of concern to nursing. (Swanson, 1998) An assumption of nursing is informed caring for the well-being of others. Providers must be informed and regarding common responses to health concerns. The nurse will increase care given based on her experiences. Included is evidenced based practices, compassion, understanding of other structure of caring, and understanding of the nursing profession.Along with this assumption, the nurse may be affected by Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory. Persons are defined as unique beings who are in the midst of becoming and whose wholeness is made manifest in thoughts, feelings and behaviors. (Benner, 1984) Each individual experiences are molded by environment. Spiritual endowment connects each being to an external and universal source of goodness, mystery, life creativity, serenity and free will to choose a range of possibilities. Each person does have equal choices.Nurses are mandated to take on leadership rol es in fighting for human rights, equal access to health care and other humanitarian causes. (Hanson, 2004) Health and well-being is a complex process of curing and healing that includes â€Å"releasing inner pain, establishing new meaning, restoring integration, and emerging into a sense of renewed wholeness†. (Swanson, 1993) Bonds are created, free expression of spirituality, thoughts, feelings, intelligence and creativity. The well-being of health is negatively affected by actions of individuals upon the other that inhibit expression of wholeness.Environment is situational. Any context that influences or is influenced by the designated client informed. (Swanson, 1993) Any forces that exert influence upon or are influenced by the patient. (Hanson, 2004) Forces could come from cultural, economic, political, spiritual, social, physiological realms. Any disturbance or change in the environment or realms will affect the wholeness of the other. According to Swanson (1993), the te rms environment and person in nursing may be viewed interchangeable, therefore, what is considered an environment in one situation may be considered a client in another situation.Internal evaluation of the theory consists of clarity, adequacy, consistency logical development, and level of theory development. Clarity of the caring theory is straight forward and easy to interpret. Swanson’s definition of the environments clearly describes her thought process of how the environment and patient are interchangeable. Adequacy adequately addresses each process with thorough descriptions that bring the theory together as a whole. It recognizes nursing values and missions and uses prior theories and research as the basis for its formation.It is clear descriptions of its process allow it to be easily applied to practice. Consistency within the theory focus, definition and interpretation of relationships remain consistent throughout the description of the theory. Logical development is described as the formation of caring as an interaction process. It acknowledges the processes that affect each level of the interpersonal relationship between client and environment. Swanson included previous research and knowledge of caring, but later individualized her theory with empirical evidence that her processes can be used to form a healing environment.Level of theory development is displayed of components of a middle range theory including empirical testing applicable to direct practice, based on a specific phenomenon and narrower in scope because it focusses on the five processes of caring and their interaction, rather that focus on both the medical and psychosocial aspects of nursing. (Peterson & Bredow, 2009) External evaluation of the Theory of Caring include, complexity, discrimination, reality convergence, pragmatic, scope, significance, and utility. Complexity is easily understood with the simple definitions of the four concepts and five processes.Discrimination is not unique to the nursing field. There are many other theories based on caring. The theory does not have a precise boundary as it can be applied to many situations of nursing as well as outside the nursing practice itself. Reality convergences represent the real worlds of nursing and are true. The concepts and processes are described thoroughly enough to be understood by any professional. This allows the theory to be applied to a broad spectrum of human interaction meant to be caring. Pragmatic can be operationalized in real life setting which is seen in Swanson’s empirical testing.Scope is met by Swanson of a middle range theory by having the processes narrowly described for individual situations however it is broad enough to be applied to caring interactions that range from nursing to other professions. The components can be testes but remain concrete to be repeatedly applied to different practice setting. Significance of the caring theory is truly substantial to the nursin g profession. It has recognized and organized key values of caring that will help to provide improved client to nurse interactions.The theory clearly describes the importance of recognizing the situational environment, and the influence of a nurse’s interactions on the health and potential outcome of a patient. Utility is a clear with definition and descriptions and has allowed Swanson to continue to have her theory tested for further research. Each process stands on its own, but some also help to build and define the others. Knowing, being with, doing for, and enabling work together to have the path filled with meaning will be chosen and thereby meet the goal of maintaining belief. Limitation in theory was to show relationship between five processes.She recognized the limitations and worked to link all five processes in to Nursing in Informed Caring for well-being of others. Swanson’s theory is congruent with Benner’s theory of Helping Role of Nursing and Watso n’s Carative Factors. There is cross validation and rationale for perception. The University of North Carolina hospital has operationalized Swanson’s Caring theory. Swanson’s Theory has led to research based practicing. The initial investigation that launched this program of clinical research was a phenomenological pilot study of five women who had miscarried within fourteen weeks of participating in the study.The research questions were: â€Å"What is the meaning of miscarriage to the woman who has recently experienced it? † Another study was a phenomenological study of twenty women who had miscarried two specific aims were (a) to describe the human experience of miscarriage and (b) to describe the meaning of caring as perceived by women who had miscarried. This research study shifted the program of research from a qualitative, interpretative approach to a descriptive quantitative design. Kyle, 1995) Swanson was able to develop instruments to assist in t he measuring of her results. The Impact Miscarriage Scale was delivered from her research. (Swanson, 1999) The scale was developed in three phases, it was repeated, measures, and randomized. This scale measures significant aspects of suffering from a miscarriage. She developed an Emotional Strength Scale that measures the extent of how individuals view themselves emotionally and the Caring Other Scale which measures the received after miscarriage from one’s significant other and â€Å"others†.The Caring theory postulates that nurses demonstrating they care about it is as crucial to patient well-being for them through clinical activities such as preventing infection and administration medications. ( Bulfin, 2005) ) Implemented the Carolina Care Model is one approach to actualizing caring theory across a healthcare organization by systematically incorporating interventions that link nursing actions, caring processes, and expectations. The professional practice model for the University of North Carolina hospital completed in 2008 grounded in caring theory.A model was developed into specific caring behaviors and incorporated them in practice. Four key behavioral characteristics of Carolina Care were developed 🙠 1) multilevel rounding, (2) words and ways that work, (3) relationship service components, (4) partnerships with support services. Hourly rounds combine elements of the caring process of being with and doing for. Scripts may have an adverse reaction, so words and ways that work. Suggests key points to include in interaction that frequently occur that are individualized conversations.These words are linked to enabling. These may be linked to the other caring process, such as being with. A moment of caring is asked to be done with each patient for 3-5 minutes to talk about how they are coping with their illness while touching the patient's hand or arm. Moments like this exemplify being with, and information the patient shares may contrib ute to knowing. These links between caring processes and caring behavior suggested are grounded in a culture of maintaining belief. There are many healthcare organizations that use Swanson’s theory as their care model.Norton Healthcare, University of North Carolina, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Hudson Valley Sinai Hospital in Michigan and Meritus Healthcare in Maryland are a few that has adopted this theory into practice. A theory is an explanation and it is said that nothing is as practical as a good theory. Yet there is a persistent gap between nursing theory and practice. Theory guided practice remains and ideal versus a realized goal in most organizations. Swanson’s caring theory may be a notable exception in accelerating progress toward this goal.Caring theory postulates that nurses demonstrating they care about patients is as important to patient’s well-being as caring for them through clinical activities such as p reventing infection and administrating medication. By incorporating interventions that link nursing actions, caring process and expectations is an approach to actualizing caring theory. All areas of nursing should be able to incorporate the theory of caring into their daily routine with no barriers of resistance. My practice is initiated usually as an inpatient status.Our providers are called to consult any neurological concern that the admitting physician would like evaluated. We see pediatric patients and their families in the emergency room, NICU, PICU, and general pediatric floor. Some of the patients are new to their current health crisis and some are established patients of our service already. Knowing as defined in Swanson’s theory of caring could be implemented during our first initial visit that we center on the patient. We offer a realistic optimism that we will devote our services to properly diagnosing the patient.Taking a detailed history and searching for clues to why this admission came about and to determine the next step in helping the patient. Staying with the patient during this complicated and stressful initial consult can be related to Swanson’s being with. Nurses can take the time with our patients and explain in depth the diagnosis and testing that may need to be ordered. Many times we will spend hours with our teenage patients explaining the electroencephalogram. This age of patients can be scared of any testing and need to be told the truth on what is going to take place.Working in a children’s hospital it is a blessing that we have access to child life. These professionals are specifically trained in child development and can help with the education process with our children. We ask for their assistance to educate our patients. Many of times they have pictures or videos to show that can explain in a way a child or teenager may understand, visual and audio sometimes works in our modern technology generation. We enc ourage questions and let the patient and their families understand there is no burden on asking questions.Asking questions is the way our patients learn, and we want them to be educated so they are not scared. With our population, the more the patient knows, the easier the testing usually goes. Doing is applied to all our patients. When we have a seizure patient we have an abundance of education. Seizure patients need to be explained the many safety precautions. When they are being discharged from the hospital we are enabling setting up and scheduling follow up appointments at our clinic. Maintaining belief occurs as we are reassuring that if they are in need of anything before they come in to our clinic to please call and we can try to help.Many schools require a seizure action plan before students can come back in to class. This is why we try to stay in communication with the patients and their families before their follow up as many times they are scheduled out four months from d ischarge. Our patients are transferred to adult when they reach 18 years of age, and we hear too often that the adult world is not as caring as we were in pediatrics. I do believe that our services are being seen as a caring process. How can we enhance the theory of caring? Can the theory help us with research in the future?I believe that the theory of caring can be beneficial in care models, research and evidenced based practice. According to Johnson and Webber (2005), a model should capture central themes and theoretical relations in such a way to help guide nurses in their practice. Boykin, Smith, and Aleman (2003) believed that a model would help create a work environment for nurses that support their commitment to nurture and caring. This model would display the important values that nurses have stated to be critical in the practice of nursing. Caring is the foundation of nursing and defines the nurse’s professional identity. Boykin ; Schoenhofer, 2001) A caring-based nu rsing model, identified that care is an essential value for nurses and that being able to incorporate this value into their practice increases satisfaction of the nurse and the patient. A study by Bulfin (2005), using the care concepts developed by Boykin and Schoenhofer generated a model of care to patients in a large community hospital. In the Bulfin (2005) study, the researcher asked if a visual model would enhance and support caring in nursing practices and, thus, improve the job satisfaction of the nurse and impact the level of patient satisfaction.Following the implementation of the caring model, patient satisfaction increased and more positive comments were received from the patients and families (Bulfin, 2005). The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) issued domains and competencies for every NP graduate that included emphasis on the nurse-patient relationship, use of healing modalities, respect of the worth and dignity of the patient, and incorporat ion of spiritual beliefs into the plan. These competencies describe the core abilities of NP graduates.NONPF states that these competencies are a â€Å"gold standard† to maintain and shape quality graduate NP programs. NONPF's emphasis on caring qualities in the NP-patient relationship is further evidence that NPs do not practice from a medical perspective but, rather, as facilitators of holism and health with their patients. Theory of caring can be used to better understand how to relate to our patients. Each process slows for a nurse to formulate an intervention to better care for a patient. This is a theory for the future.Caring defines nursing and is moving to be an evidence-based profession. Swanson’s five caring process are first grounded in the maintenance of a belief in human kind, anchored by knowing another’s reality, conveyed by being with and enacted through doing for and enabling. When time is taken to observe and interpret nurses' actions, it becom es clear that nursing practice is the result of blended understandings of the empirical, aesthetic, ethical and intuitive aspects of a given clinical situation and a nexus of maintaining belief in, knowing, being with, doing for and enabling the other. Nursing caring†¦consists of subtle, yet powerful, practices which are often virtually undisclosed to the casual observer, but are essential to the well-being of its recipient†. (Swanson, 1993, p. 357) Swanson gives nurses a platform to base our caring foundation on. As nurse’s gain experiences we build small levels on the foundation. Like building a house, we all start with the basics of the foundation that we learn in nursing school. It is up to us what we do with that foundation.Every nurse in any clinical setting can use the theory of caring daily. They may not know the five caring process by name, but they are used in every situation, with every patient, by every nurse. References Alligood. M. R. , ; Tomey, A. M. (2010). Nursing theorists and their work. (7th Ed. ). St. Louis: Mosby. Beatty KD. Reflection on caring for a home care client using Kristen M. Swanson’s theory of caring. Int J Hum Caring 2004; 8: 61–64 Benner, P. (1984). From novice to expert. Menlo Park: Addison-Wesley.Boykin, A. , ; Schoenhofer, S. (2001). Nursing as caring. Sudbury, MA: Jones ; Bartlett. Boykin, A. , Smith, N. , St. Jean, J. , ; Aleman, D. (2003). Transforming practice using a caring-based nursing model. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 27, 223-231. Bulfin, S. (2005). Nursing as caring theory: Living caring in practice. Nursing Science Quarterly, 18, 313-319. Fawcett, J. (1989). Analysis and Evaluation of Conceptual Models of Nursing, 2nd Edn. F. A. Davis, Philadelphia, PA. Hanson MD.Using data from critical care nurses to validate Swanson’s phenomenological derived middle range caring theory. J Theory Construction Testing 2004; 8: 21–25 Kyle, T. (1995). The concept of caring: A re view of the literature. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 21, 506-514. Kavanaugh K, Moro TT, Savage T, Mehendale R. Enacting a theory of caring to recruit and retain vulnerable participants for sensitive research. Res Nurs Health 2006; 29: 244–52. Nightingale, F. (1859). Notes on nursing: What it is and what it is not.London: Harrison and Sons. Peterson, S. J. , ; Bredow, T. S. (2009). Middle Range of Theories: Application to Nursing Research (3rd ed. ). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer, Lippincott Williams ; Wilkins. Schoenhofer, S. , ; Boykin, A. (1998a). The value of caring experienced in nursing. International Journal for Human Caring, 2(4), 9-15. Swanson, K. (1998). Caring made visible. Creative Nursing, 4(4), 8-12. Swanson K. What’s known about caring in nursing: a literary meta-analysis. In: Hinshaw AS, Feetham S, Shavers J, eds. f Clinical Nursing Research; Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage; 1999:31-58. Swanson, K. M. (1991). Empirical development of a middle range theory of caring. Nurse Researcher, 40(3), 161-16 Swanson, K. M. (1993). Nursing as informed caring for the wellbeing of others. Image: Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 25, 352-357 Watson J. Caring theory as ethical guide to administrative and clinical practices. Nurse Adm Q. 2005; 30(1):48-55. Watson, J. (1988). New dimensions of human caring theory. Nursing Science Quarterly, 1(4), 175-181.

Human experience and moral Essay

To remember that it is human experience and moral values that will last forever and remained unchanged, and the growth of human conscience further awakens to a newer and better future experiences are not dropped to mere past rather they become a recollection and a refraction to a discovery of new you. The door: not just a big wooden barrier to the entrance of our house but also an explosion to my emotions. Goodbyes were being said as happy birthdays? It was confusion that began to consume my mind and heart as my parents walked out the door not knowing when I will see them again. Excitement, happiness and joyfulness flowing along my blood as I began to realize I am alone and everything my eyes spotted belonged to me. Heaven was the chosen word by my desensitized numbness mind. However, a feeling of guilt made this question interrupt my thoughts, `Do I have the right to enjoy this joyful moment of being alone, knowing that my father is going for a battle for his survival? ` As I was climbing the stair case to regain my nest, where all the gatherings and the devious planning of good times were held, I ignored my feeling of guilt and the purpose of my father’s journey and I started thinking, â€Å"Hey! Let the fun begin! † Little was my knowledge about chance and choice. To the very least, I only knew their denotations. What happened to my father was neither his choice nor of the family but certainly a chance and for what chance it was, I did not know and did not strive to know. I saw everything as a pure chance. With parents’ away and no exact time when to be home; it was a real chance to own my time – a chance to go party everyday, stay up late, go to school late, and skip classes, neglecting the fact that along chances are series of choices and the interplay of the two alongside my treatment determines the quality of my life. I allowed myself to be fully consumed with the false jollification of life. Partying with friends was a gauge for fulfillment. Shouts and yells became the expression of being fully alive. I was unmindful of my dad who was into a different tone of shouting and yelling for pain and survival. We were at the opposite poles on the single line of human feeling. Instead of reaching out, I moved away. Going to parties everyday meant staying up late at night. It resulted to going to school late and even skipping classes and the rest was a worse, if not worst, history of an irresponsible student and woman. The chain effects of my single unrecognized and unmeditated act delivered me to a world of guilt and shame and if nourished by pride, I will be lured forever into false happiness. I messed up my life! Where am I to start? Where do I begin? Never can a plant, young or not, die when its branches are cut. Roots have to be found and uprooted. The same is true with my case. What is the root of my insensitivity to my family’s case? Certainly, it wasn’t about going to party, cutting and skipping classes, etc. It was about how I viewed and dealt with what’s going on around. It was about having certain chances and making the right choices where decision making, anticipating, and understanding come in. True enough, it is only when I failed and committed mistakes that I came to realize: had I thought things over and anticipated before acting, I wouldn’t be this bad and guilty, and had I thought that I have the choice to do what is right and not act on emotional satisfaction and childishness, I wouldn’t be messing my life this way and made my parents disappointed. My life is a chance and how I live it is a choice – its quality is in my hands. How should I live it? â€Å"Wherever you go the sky will always be blue†. This line rang a bell to my ear. Certain things around are given for what they are and neither you nor I have the power to change them. And life is not about changing what we cannot but moving towards what is, for the whole humanity, true and therefore unchangeable. The truth is, what is true and unchangeable aims for ‘what is good’ and what is good surpasses any age, color, time, gender, religion, and whatever differences we have. The whole existence of life should be directed towards ‘doing good’, and its meaning is not our own selfish definition but the one true word – LOVE. It was sad to admit that I was not excuse for failing to recognize what good I should have done that very moment of my life, but it would be bitter if I continue to dwell in that past and live miserably. While I did that mistake of falling into that dark pit of human existence, I will always have the choice of going out and live life on the banner of goodness and all I need is the staff of caution and discrimination to continue living and making the right choices for every chances that come my way. To remember that it is human experience and moral values that will last forever and remained unchanged, and the growth of human conscience further awakens to a newer and better future, I will always, not just remember, do good for the rest of my life. Merge the whole of myself in my eyes, and go towards the vision, go towards the vision, go towards the vision.