HRM (Relative Resource Manager ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

HRM (Relative Resource Manager ) - Essay Example I had the impression that the group members deny my point due as they did not want me to get supremacy over themselves. With this thought, there were several conflicts in the group each trying to deny other’s outlook. As the programme goes on, I realized that there is a better way of being listened to, and that is by listening first. By learning the learning styles I got to know different physic of people, and realized that everyone cannot be a cognitive learner. The group understood the psychology of each other and that helped in getting along smoothly for the rest of the programme. Conflicts were turned into constructive debates and that turned out in exploring different dimensions over issues of failed leadership, employees’ commitment, organization politics and several other topics. Watson (1878-1958) and Wiener (1894-1964) concept of Behaviourist and Cognitive Psychology introduced the programme helped me to determine the learning process and approach of different people including mine. I perceive myself as a cognitive learner as my decisions and problem solving approach is based more on my mental understanding of the problem based on the collected information (Green, 1997; Mcleod, 2007). My approach is different from few of peers in the ALS, as their decision making ability is more based on their personal and others’ experiences and less on the available facts. It is a very relevant concept in the perspective of organizational behaviour; as the Human Resource Manager (HRM) needs to understand the different psychological approach of employees towards a problem or issue (Euromed Info, 2013). According to my perception, cognitive learning approach is more beneficial in an organization, since in the fast pace of corporate trend change, past knowledge and experiences can become irrelevant and inapplicable. One of my peers believed that the cognitive approach of learning stimulates critical thinking on topics and issues, and its permits gre ater emphasis on self evaluation and continuous questioning. Another theory that justifies this argument is the E.L. Torndike â€Å"Law and Effect theory† (1898). My understanding of this theory is that people are likely to repeat actions which are followed with a positive behaviour like praise, awards or promotion. This can be a limitation for the behaviourist learners as they would not seek for options or solutions which were followed with negative results in the past, but do have the tendency to produce positive results in the current scenario (Roeckelein, 1998). However, the Law and Effect principle is helpful in understanding the motivation behind a behaviour or action. In relation to this principle, I personally feel that every person is working for a certain reward, either it be intrinsic or extrinsic (Yoon & James, 2012). If a person wants to make people do something, he or she has to clear vision of award or achievement to the targeted person. While working in the AL S, I realized that almost all persons like to be heard and appreciated. If a person is criticized and ignored every time, there is a probability that the person quit sharing his or her views. Applying this concept to organizational behaviour, I believe that one reason of turnover of employees is due to the absence or lack of appropriate reinforcement technique. Behaviours can be driven by positive and negative reinforcements (Dalkir, 2005). For example,

Reviewing TV Shows Essay Example for Free

Reviewing TV Shows Essay It seems today that all we see is violence, movies and sex on TV, but where are the good old fashion values on which we you to rely? The ironic opening lyrics to Family Guys opening theme tune. Family Guy is an animated American comedy programme that revolves around the Griffin family, who strive to cope with everyday life as they are tossed from one crazy scenario to another in each episode. Without a doubt, Family Guy has to be the freshest new animated comedy around and has been dubbed as the new Simpsons. However, I find that comparison fairly inaccurate as Family Guy presents its own unique style of animated comedy. In my opinion, the Family Guy creators and writers found their inspiration from the Simpsons, despite making more close to the bone scenarios and storylines. The Griffin household is comprised of two awkward teenagers, Chris and Meg, a smooth-talking yet cynical dog named Brian, parents Peter and Lois and a malformed baby called Stewie, who craves for world domination and the death of his family. Father Peter Griffin attempts to provide his family with the best but ends up in all types of sticky situations that are absurdly unthinkable. He often resembles Homer Simpson, whereas Homer is a clumsy oaf and yet loveable, its hard to find Peter Griffin adorable. Lois Griffin puts up with the tribulations that come with marrying Peter and rejected her parents millions to marry her love, much to the anger of them. Their strange children, Chris and Meg, both attend high school and often get trapped in Peters wacky and irreverent misadventures. Brian is the family dog whos more sophisticated than his owners. He has an eye for cocktails, spirits and fine wine. Out of all these unique characters, Stewie has emerged as my favourite after watching every episode at least three times. No matter who you are, two year-old Stewies witty remarks and his ultimate plan for world domination makes you think. Despite being raised from an American family from Rhode Island, Stewie talks with a posh, English accent with clarity and poise that pleasantly bemuses viewers. The programmes sheer disregard for political correctness can be a bit surprising at times, so surprising I find it difficult to believe certain jokes make the final edit. What impresses me the most about Family Guy is the use of ludicrous flashbacks, whether theyve actually happened to the family or not. This is what I think sets Family Guy apart from any other programme of its genre. The programme is also crammed with many subplots from the neighbourhood, following characters such as the womanising Glenn Quagmire and the Evil Monkey who lives in Chris Griffins wardrobe. The title of the show Family Guy is also interestingly named, as theyre referring to the father, Peter. Its slightly ironic as sometimes he brainlessly puts himself ahead of his family. You would expect a programme about a man who is family-orientated, but he certainly isnt! Overall, Family Guy is far and away one of the most audacious but clever television programmes Ive seen.

An Unconventional Identity :: essays research papers

An Unconventional Identity Symbolism is a relatively straight forward concept on its surface. It is a visible object or action that suggests some further meaning in addition to itself. Most literary works use symbols to expand on the meaning of the piece of work. "A&P" by John Updike, is a rich story presenting the main idea of man's struggle to attain individuality within society. Through his work, Updike uses the three girl’s sense of non-conformity as symbolism to enhance Updike’s theme of finding individuality and to identify the change in Sammy. â€Å"A&P† starts off with three girls walking into a grocery store â€Å"in nothing but [their] bathing suitsâ€Å" (14). The A&P is â€Å"five miles from a beach† (16), in the middle of town. They are having fun and enjoying themselves although the way they are dressed is not appropriate for where they are, but it does not bother them at all. Soon after their entrance, they catch the eye of Sammy. Sammy follows the girls around the store with his eyes, describing them very thoroughly, even describing one of the girl’s â€Å"sweet broad soft-looking can, with those two crescents of white just under it† (14). Sammy’s sharp and critical observations about the people around him confirms that he is discontent with the norms of society. When Lengel, the store manager, catches the three girls in his store breaking the dress policy, he confronts and informs them that "[t]his isn’t the beach" (17). He then Herber 2 subtly insults them by saying, "[w]e want you decently dressed†¦ here" (17). Although the girls say that they â€Å"are decent† (17), the reader recognizes the fact that the girls are breaking rules by their embarrassment and hurrying out of the store. Yet, even though their rebellion is not intended, because all they initially have to do is â€Å"pick up a jar of herring snacks† (17), their nonconformity makes a significant difference in Sammy's perception of them. In his eyes, the mere fact that they are different from the others, makes them more appealing. After being introduced to the beauty of nonconformity, Sammy is inspired to be the â€Å"unsuspected hero† (18) and quit his job. Sammy, on the edge of reaching his own identity, is presented with a perfect example of what he longs to be - different.

Rick Hansen in Grania Litwin’s Perpetual Motion

Defeating fear in our minds is the biggest challenge. In Perpetual Motion, written by Crania Litton, Rick Hansen defeats the biggest challenge in both his body and his heart, and teaches people to find and achieve their life goals. His courage, perseverance and generosity mark him as one of the most venerable role model in human history. With a firm ambition and consistent strive, Hansen conquers a hardship which almost destructed his heart before. His courage and confidence brings positive influences to those who suffer from predicament and illuminates people to overcome difficulty bravely.When trapped in endless pain and despair, he did not give up himself; instead, he chose to â€Å"focus on something [he] could do, set goals. â€Å"(paragraph 1 7) Trampling down affliction by turning to improve himself is a great victory. This action inspires people to face challenge and surmount it by themselves. Hansen encourages people by both using his impressive experience and giving power ful words. He proves to the world that he is never defeated by physical disability: â€Å"He pushed his chair 40,000 kilometers around the globe, wrought 34 countries, up mountain ranges, through freezing blizzards and along the Great Wall. (paragraph 2) Also, he tells people to be brave in stepping towards their ambition and never think about failure because ‘the only thing that stops people reaching for their dream is fear of failure. â€Å"(paragraph 23) His success not only rehabilitates himself but also emanates hope to people who hesitate to take their first step towards their goal. Never stopping going forward, Hansen does not satisfy in making only himself successful. He aims to help more people who ever encounter same problems.Hansen founded Rick Hansen Man in Motion Foundation, whose â€Å"consciousness-raising efforts helped raise funding of $158 million. â€Å"(paragraph 9) His role model is as significant as the money he has granted to better â€Å"specialize d treatment centers, new imaging technology, exceptional neural and spinal surgeons. â€Å"(paragraph 8) Hansen persists to change the world with his endeavor and inspire people to live a better life. Even though in wheelchair, Rick Hansen still lives a much more fantastic life than most people. Never being defeated by fear and pursuing ambition no

A Response to Historians in Cahoot by Tristram Hunt Essay

Political speeches are of course meticulously designed not to sound like, well, a political speech. Tristam Hunt had seen through the design of President George W. Bush’s inaugural speech in 2005. In Hunt’s article, â€Å"Historians in Cahoot†, he pointed out the heavy use of the term â€Å"history.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   President Bush had repeatedly mentioned historic events that range from the formulation of the declaration of independence to the tragic 911 attacks. Hunt’s article is seemingly arguing that history could be used as a political tool. People are attracted to history. It could be nostalgia, or it could just be that history is always presented in a packaged form—a packaged form in a sense that the past events are already modified and consequently stripped of the other details. Moreover, history is often accused of being biased.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Before the article had actually started, there was a suggestion for reading that suggests that there is a distinction between history as â€Å"inspiration† and history as â€Å"instruction.† Aside from the fact that the suggestion for reading had served its purpose as a guide, it leads the readers to a profound realization about history. There is a hint in Hunt’s article that the Bush administration would pattern its style of governance according to what had already transpired in history—a style of governance which is likely to be leaning to only a small portion of the society.

Free Essays on A Running Experience

Pound, pound, pound. With each stride, fatigue accumulates. Lactic acid fills my legs, making every motion harder. My mind asks me, â€Å"Why are you doing this? Why put yourself through all this pain?† My heart responds: â€Å"Because I have to.† Running is a painful sport. Ask anyone. There are even shirts that say, â€Å"My sport is your punishment.† So it would be hard to comprehend why I would want to do this every day, running 10 miles, with each mile faster than a lot of people’s fastest mile. It’s because of the sense of accomplishment achieved, pushing through the pain and coming out on top. Never has this been most evident than at Cross Country League Finals. I was in the first race of the day. As I toed the line, thoughts were racing. Sweat was pouring. All I could think of was the great amount of competition in this race. But they say the time before the race is always the worst part, the anticipation, the nervousness. But once the gun goes off, all this anxiety is erased. Boom! Suddenly, all thoughts are erased. I start off slow, as my biggest problem has always been starting off too fast and getting tired early. I am in 30th place and the first mile marker of the three-mile race is seen up ahead. I decide now is the time to step it up. As I pass the marker, my stride lengthens, my pulse quickens, my legs get heavier, but I push on. Through the pain, through the tiredness, the shortness of breathe. Just one more. Just one more runner I tell myself, as I pass, runner after runner. Finally, there is only a quarter mile left. I realize it’s just me and a runner from a rival school. We are both exhausted, both hurting, but neither of us give in, then there is only 50 yards left. Somewhere inside me, a voice says, â€Å"GO.† I go. And I win. Through the pain, through the exhaustion, I win.... Free Essays on A Running Experience Free Essays on A Running Experience Pound, pound, pound. With each stride, fatigue accumulates. Lactic acid fills my legs, making every motion harder. My mind asks me, â€Å"Why are you doing this? Why put yourself through all this pain?† My heart responds: â€Å"Because I have to.† Running is a painful sport. Ask anyone. There are even shirts that say, â€Å"My sport is your punishment.† So it would be hard to comprehend why I would want to do this every day, running 10 miles, with each mile faster than a lot of people’s fastest mile. It’s because of the sense of accomplishment achieved, pushing through the pain and coming out on top. Never has this been most evident than at Cross Country League Finals. I was in the first race of the day. As I toed the line, thoughts were racing. Sweat was pouring. All I could think of was the great amount of competition in this race. But they say the time before the race is always the worst part, the anticipation, the nervousness. But once the gun goes off, all this anxiety is erased. Boom! Suddenly, all thoughts are erased. I start off slow, as my biggest problem has always been starting off too fast and getting tired early. I am in 30th place and the first mile marker of the three-mile race is seen up ahead. I decide now is the time to step it up. As I pass the marker, my stride lengthens, my pulse quickens, my legs get heavier, but I push on. Through the pain, through the tiredness, the shortness of breathe. Just one more. Just one more runner I tell myself, as I pass, runner after runner. Finally, there is only a quarter mile left. I realize it’s just me and a runner from a rival school. We are both exhausted, both hurting, but neither of us give in, then there is only 50 yards left. Somewhere inside me, a voice says, â€Å"GO.† I go. And I win. Through the pain, through the exhaustion, I win....

Jamacia Kincaid essays

Jamacia Kincaid essays Jamaica Kincaid is a West Indian born American novelist short story writer, essayist, and journalist. Kincaid began her legacy writing career as a magazine journalist. The Editors of the New Yorker found that Kincaid, an immigrant to the United States, could effectively distance herself from the insights on American culture. They often quoted her in their articles which eventually encouraged Kincaid to write for the magazines Talk of the Town column. When Kincaid began to write her fiction novels it proved a perceptive observer of her native Antigua. Jamaica Kincaids work is a large portion of autobiographical stories and most of the stories often draw attention upon her childhood experiences on the Caribbean. In her fiction, which she is widely and best known, Kincaid examines the intense bonds between parents and children and the effects of the growth process on both generations. Her writing exposes elements from West Indians language folklore, and voodoo. Kincaid is viewe d as a participant in the West Indian literary movement, but white colonialist values are rejected in favor of African or native West Indian modes of expression. Her emphasis on female characters and emotional truthfulness works in her feminist perspective. Kincaids fiction work centers on the intense emotional bonds between mothers and daughters and the feelings that sometimes result from such relationships. Kincaid seems to be a very modest writer, she uses pure passion, her past and curious events, her humor, her craft, her voice, and her instincts. Kincaid also appears to be mostly interested in revealing consciousness in her work. She is truly a great writer of her time and should be nominated for many awards regardless of her color and native. She has a kind of writing thats not only eye catching but eye popping. She gets her reader involved with her native land and her childhood. While one rea...

Coal in the Industrial Revolution

Coal in the Industrial Revolution Before the eighteenth century, Britain - and the rest of Europe - had produced coal, but only in a limited quantity. Coal pits were small, and half were opencast mines (just big holes in the surface). Their market was just the local area, and their businesses were localized, usually just the sideline of a larger estate. Drowning and suffocation were also very real problems.​ During the period of the industrial revolution, as demand for coal soared thanks to iron and steam, as the technology to produce coal improved and the ability to move it increased, coal experienced a massive escalation. From 1700 to 1750 production increased by 50% and nearly another 100% by 1800. During the later years of the first revolution, as steam power really took a firm grip, this rate of increase soared to 500% by 1850. The Demand for Coal The rising demand for coal came from many sources. As the population increased, so did the domestic market, and people in town needed coal because they weren’t near to forests for wood or charcoal. More and more industries used coal as it became cheaper and thus more cost-effective than other fuels, from iron production to simply bakeries. Shortly after 1800 towns began to be lit by coal powered gas lamps, and fifty-two towns had networks of these by 1823. During the period wood became more expensive and less practical than coal, leading to a switch. In addition, in the second half of the eighteenth-century, canals, and after this railways, made it cheaper to move greater amounts of coal, opening up wider markets. In addition, the railways were a source of major demand. Of course, coal had to be in a position to supply this demand, and historians trace several deep connections to other industries, discussed below. Coal and Steam Steam had an obvious impact on the coal industry in generating vast demand: steam engines needed coal. But there were direct effects on production, as Newcomen and Savery pioneered the use of steam engines in coal mines to pump water, lift produce and provide other support. Coal mining was able to use steam to go deeper than ever before, getting more coal out of its mines and increasing production. One key factor to these engines was they could be powered by poor quality coal, so mines could use their waste in it and sell their prime material. The two industries -   coal and steam -   were both vital for each other and grew symbiotically. Coal and Iron Darby was the first person to use coke – a form of processed coal – to smelt iron in 1709. This advance spread slowly, largely due to the cost of coal. Other developments in iron followed, and these also used coal. As the prices of this material fell, so iron became the major coal user, increasing demand for the substance vastly, and the two industries mutually stimulated each other. Coalbrookdale pioneered iron tramways, which enabled coal to be moved more easily, whether in mines or on route to buyers. Iron was also needed for coal using and facilitating steam engines.   Coal and Transport There are also close links between coal and transport, as the former needs a strong transport network able to move bulky goods. The roads in Britain before 1750 were very poor, and it was hard to move large, heavy goods. Ships were able to take coal from port to port, but this was still a limiting factor, and rivers were often of little use due to their natural flows. However, once transport improved during the industrial revolution, coal could reach greater markets and expand, and this came first in the form of canals, which could be purpose-built and move large quantities of heavy material. Canals halved the transport costs of coal compared to the packhorse. In 1761 the Duke of Bridgewater opened a canal built from Worsley to Manchester for the express purpose of carrying coal. This was a major piece of engineering including a ground-breaking viaduct. The Duke earned wealth and fame from this initiative, and the Duke was able to expand production because of the demand for his cheaper coal. Other canals soon followed, many built by coal mine owners. There were problems, as canals were slow, and iron trackways still had to be used in places. Richard Trevithick built the first moving steam engine in 1801, and one of his partners was John Blenkinsop, a coal mine owner searching for cheaper and faster transport. Not only did this invention pull large quantities of coal quickly, but it also used it for fuel, for iron rails, and for building. As railways spread, so the coal industry was stimulated with railway coal use rising. Coal and the Economy Once coal prices fell it was used in a huge number of industries, both new and traditional, and was vital for iron and steel. It was a very vital industry for the industrial revolution, stimulating industry and transport. By 1900 coal was producing six percent of the national income despite having a small workforce with only limited benefits from technology.

College Admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

College Admission - Essay Example So at the ripe age of six, I began with what would become a life-long pursuit of trying to be the best soccer player I could be. I tried my luck at baseball one year but found it too unexciting and dry. I also tried a year of football in order to meet my father’s wish for me to become as good a football player as he was, but it just was not meant to be. Soccer, it was! And I remember the awkwardness of stumbling onto the field as a young child. But I persevered and showed up for every practice determined to be the best player I could be. My parents have been super supportive of my soccer career and have taken me to those ungodly 8 am games to sometimes traveling hours to play in a tournament. One can say we made it a family affair. After many years of playing for our local recreational league I decided to try out for my high school soccer team. I was pretty confident knowing I would make a great addition to the team. After all I have been playing soccer longer than most of my team mates trying out. However what I did not count on was my lack of preparation. I had spent most of summer that year at home playing a lot of video games and hanging out with friends while my friends were preparing for soccer tryouts. My Dad strongly encouraged me to join the cross country team so I would be conditioned and get in shape for tryouts but I ignored his advice. So there I was again, staring at the list. How could this have happened? In the words of Abraham Lincoln, â€Å"My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure†. I can assure you that I was not content with my failure that day. Success for me is defined as preparation, commitment and motivation to achieve my goals. I hope to apply this valuable lesson to my college experience. I know there will be successes as well as a few failures but as long as I remember that there is always something to be learned by both. May be I will not

Critical Analysis on the book Tracks by James Welch Essay

Critical Analysis on the book Tracks by James Welch - Essay Example Misshepeshu, the underwater manito, "influences the abundance and availability f land and sea animals" which great effect the food supply (Vecsey 74). This matchi manito is credited with most malicious acts happening in or around the water. According to Chirstopher Vecsey, an Ojibwa religion scholar, "It could cause rapids and stormy waters; it often sank canoes and drowned Indians" (74). But it is also known to "shelter and feed those who fell through the ice" (Vecsey 74). The very dialectical nature f Misshepeshu is something in which Nanapush and the other tribesmen firmly believed. For example, when Fleur returns to the lake from Argus, the town experiences a period f good fishing and no lost boats. They attribute this to Fleur's ability "to keep the lake thing controlled" (Erdrich 35). Because the manito f the lake is appeased, people are hesitant to question the relationship that Fleur has with the monsters in fear f enraging him. Both narratives open with the introduction f Fleur Pillage, the heroine f the novel. Immediately, the reader notices a distinct difference in the two narrators' descriptions f Fleur's arrival to the tribe. The tribe elder Nanapush, also the opening narrator, is the first to find Fleur Pillager after an attack on her family. He notes that she is "about seventeen years old...[and] so feverish that she'd thrown off her covers, and now she huddled against the cold wood range, staring and shaking" (Erdrich 3). When the reader proceeds to Pauline's narrative, they realize that Nanapush never mentioned Fleur's relation to the lake monster. The absence f the Misshepeshu from Nanapush's narrative suggests that he is comfortable with his system f beliefs. His language and tone tells the reader that his is not searching for new meaning in life or religion. He was raised a pure breed Chippewa and he embraces these roots. To Nanapush, the lake monster has always been a part f his struggle for su rvival. He has seen both the good and the evil f Misshepeshu, never questioning its actions but living with them. In contrast to Nanapush's narrative, Pauline's is overshadowed by a preoccupation with the lake monster f Matchimanito. When she introduces Fleur, she shows no concern for Fleur's well being, but rather astonishment over Fleur's ability to evade the death f Misshepeshu. Pauline describes the monster: Erdrich's choice f the word "devil" suggests to the reader that Pauline has been schooled in Christianity. This is reaffirmed to the reader when it is learned f Pauline's desire to a join the convent. The Christian vision, now branded in her mind by missionaries, will not allow her to view the water manito as a contributing part f her life, but only as the ultimate sinner: the Christian Devil. Confused as to her religion and her identity, Pauline ultimately moves into a convent to live in seclusion f the tribe and Misshepeshu. But she is drawn away each day to visit the lake where Fleur and Eli live, unable to cease the thoughts about the monster who, she claims, is her "tempter." The dual nature f the lake creature goes against her new beliefs as a Christian and is the source f her misunderstanding. Whereas the nuns at the convent pray to one God representing the absolute perfection f

I will explain it in the instructions box below Essay

I will explain it in the instructions box below - Essay Example Students were taken from those with high anxiety towards math’s and those with low anxiety towards maths.This was also repeated on those with high and low beliefs towards the subject. The researchers grouped the children according to their perceptions on mathematics after undertaking tests on heir anxiety and beliefs. Teachers were also given tests and rated based on their performance. The main intervention was the use of Math Anxiety Scale-Revised Beliefs Survey), Number and Operation Task and Geometric Shapes Sorting Task as a way of collecting the data before analysis could be done. This was after getting the consent from parents, and the administrators of the preschool children under study. Questionnaires were administered to teachers and children. The questionnaires were administered in silent rooms in order for the children not to have distractions that could make them deviate from the questions. However, most of the data collected from the tests was used to get a clearer picture on the answers that the children and teachers gave and the outcome of the tests. Anxiety on the part of the teachers towards mathematics had no effect on the performance of the children towards math. Teacher’s beliefs on math, on the other hand had significance effect on the children’s achievement in mathematics. The findings of the study can be found to be significant and reproducible since they are consistent with other studies that show that teacher’s anxiety does not affect children’s performance in the subject. Hence, the findings indicate that math is learnt faster in the classroom whether the teacher is a filled with anxiety or not as long the teacher is giving out the right content. This implies the beliefs of teachers are of upmost importance pertaining the association and performance of children in mathematics in their later years. Also anxiety towards mathematics is of less importance as compared to belief in the same, hence,

5 porter forces Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

5 porter forces - Essay Example A company offering goods at cheaper prices tends to attract more potential clients than one whose prices are exorbitant (O’Shaughnessy, 2006, p.12). Michels Patisserie as a large industry faces rivalry from other enterprises in Australia which leads to fluctuations in the eventual gains. Competitors who try to drive the industry out of business are major rivals, and this can be achieved through bad rumours and law suits. In the long run, the competition reduces the profits and at times if healthy, causes gain in the industry. However, the firm ensures that strategies to control rivalry are maintained and that it ensures the highest levels where competition is involved by offering the best services. Differentiation of goods is common in the food industry, and this is no different in a cake firm. Substitutes provide an easy outlet to consumers of goods when prices of those that they consume go up. A large cake industry faces low gains when the price of cake goes down, and the clients opt to consume bread instead. Threats of substitutes in the markets will lead to low profits due to high prices that the customers cannot afford. The firm has however dealt with such threats by ensuring that the costs of production are low and that customers can obtain quality and cheap products. Various advertisements have been implemented to create awareness that ensures consumption of cakes even when prices are up. The income of a consumer at any point in time determines what and how much is to be bought. The purchasing power of a person is subject to income. A company should set up products and goods where people are able to get and access them. The products to be offered and the prices set should meet the ability of people to purchase. As a large cake industry based in Australia, Michels Patisserie has to ensure that the goods produced meet such abilities. The firm has ensures that the profits obtained are those projected by availing products to many consumers through branching

The Essence of Agape Love in the New Testament Essay

The Essence of Agape Love in the New Testament - Essay Example The majority of scholars have thought of this word to represent divine, self-sacrificing, volitional, unconditional, active, and thoughtful love. Despite the word not having a specific religious connotation, it has been used by a majority of ancient and contemporary sources which include the Bible authors and Christian authors. (Wahlde, 2010) In the Old Testament, the Hebrew used the word Ahab to describe love, it was also used in extensive ways and milieus as the English term: sexual love, love of humanity by God, love of spouse or child, friendship, and so on. In the New Testament, the word ‘agape’ was used without bringing in too much philosophical or theological baggage because the word was Greek. Thus, among the majority of early Christians, the word ‘agape’ was used to refer to the unearned love of God for humanity. This love is so immense that God sent his only son to agonize and pass away for the sake of the sins of mankind. The essence of agape love in the New Testament is, therefore, self-sacrifice. It does not denote the romantic or sexual love of English. It is unique and is distinguished by its characters and nature. According to the Book of John, it affirms that agape is love which is of and from God, whose exact nature is said to be love itself. The apostle affirms that God is love. This implies that God does not only love, but he is love itself. Therefore, everything that God does flows from His love. Therefore, agape has received a broader usage with the Christian writers. It has, however, been denoted to Christian love or charity or God himself. Agape has been expounded by on by various Christian writers some of which we are going to look at. The most common attribute of agape love that will be realized in their writings is that it is a high kind of love that is selfless, and contributes to a passionate commitment to the wellbeing of the other. With reference to 1 John 2 19-20, we try to realize the kind of commitment one is required to have in trying to demonstrate love to his community and faith in God. The book tells us that once we have a feeling of belonging to a community, family or part of any tradition, it is not worth to walk out of it. In this excerpt, the author writes to the Christian community trying to warn them of the advent of antichrist. It is not easy to tell when this book was written. However, it is known that it was written by John, one of the apostles of Christ at around A.D. 180. He refers to them – the antichrists – as opponents who depart or go out from the Christian community. According to the author, their departure means that they were actually never part of the Christian family. In order to understand the importance of this verse, one must first comprehend the setting and the background of the bone of contention that had been hugely reflected in John 1 and 2. 1 John 19 – 20 strongly suggests that there was – before the dispute at present à ¢â‚¬â€œ a time when those departing the Christian community considered themselves as part of the community. The antichrists have now departed from the congregation, the Christian community due to this cause of disagreement – disagreement over Christological doctrines.  

Fact Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Fact Paper - Essay Example Research outcomes show that more than â€Å"two thirds of children aged 8 year† use computers daily (Lucile Packard Foundation, 2000). This is because of the current high accessibility of computers. Its continued usage by children negatively affects their health. Studies show a positive correlation between obesity and the usage of computers. A study conducted in Australia revealed that children who spend more time on computers have a 2.5 percent chance of becoming obese (Subrahmanyam, Kraut, Greenfield et al, 2000). The rate of obesity among children is increasing in the US. One of the factors that contribute to the high rate includes the high usage of computers among other causes. Spending more time on computers implies that children are spending less time in physical activities. Physical activities are important because they help children to burn excess calories. Engaging in less physical activities leads to accumulation of fats and calories in children’s bodies which in turn leads to obesity. Obese children have higher chances of developing other health complications even in their adulthood. For instance, medical experts claim that children with obesity are at a higher risk of getting cardiovascular diseases and being diabetic in their adulthood. Apart from obesity spending more time online can damage the children’s eyes. It also makes them to strain their necks and shoulders. Since children are still developing, some of the effects can lead to long-term health issues. Moreover, technology addiction makes some children to have sleeping disorders. This especially occurs if children have computers in their rooms. Some children prefer shortening their sleeping hours in order to play games or chat with their friends online. If this takes place for a longer period, it disrupts children’s sleeping patterns that may in turn cause sleeping disorders such as

The Essence of Agape Love in the New Testament Essay

The Essence of Agape Love in the New Testament - Essay Example The majority of scholars have thought of this word to represent divine, self-sacrificing, volitional, unconditional, active, and thoughtful love. Despite the word not having a specific religious connotation, it has been used by a majority of ancient and contemporary sources which include the Bible authors and Christian authors. (Wahlde, 2010) In the Old Testament, the Hebrew used the word Ahab to describe love, it was also used in extensive ways and milieus as the English term: sexual love, love of humanity by God, love of spouse or child, friendship, and so on. In the New Testament, the word ‘agape’ was used without bringing in too much philosophical or theological baggage because the word was Greek. Thus, among the majority of early Christians, the word ‘agape’ was used to refer to the unearned love of God for humanity. This love is so immense that God sent his only son to agonize and pass away for the sake of the sins of mankind. The essence of agape love in the New Testament is, therefore, self-sacrifice. It does not denote the romantic or sexual love of English. It is unique and is distinguished by its characters and nature. According to the Book of John, it affirms that agape is love which is of and from God, whose exact nature is said to be love itself. The apostle affirms that God is love. This implies that God does not only love, but he is love itself. Therefore, everything that God does flows from His love. Therefore, agape has received a broader usage with the Christian writers. It has, however, been denoted to Christian love or charity or God himself. Agape has been expounded by on by various Christian writers some of which we are going to look at. The most common attribute of agape love that will be realized in their writings is that it is a high kind of love that is selfless, and contributes to a passionate commitment to the wellbeing of the other. With reference to 1 John 2 19-20, we try to realize the kind of commitment one is required to have in trying to demonstrate love to his community and faith in God. The book tells us that once we have a feeling of belonging to a community, family or part of any tradition, it is not worth to walk out of it. In this excerpt, the author writes to the Christian community trying to warn them of the advent of antichrist. It is not easy to tell when this book was written. However, it is known that it was written by John, one of the apostles of Christ at around A.D. 180. He refers to them – the antichrists – as opponents who depart or go out from the Christian community. According to the author, their departure means that they were actually never part of the Christian family. In order to understand the importance of this verse, one must first comprehend the setting and the background of the bone of contention that had been hugely reflected in John 1 and 2. 1 John 19 – 20 strongly suggests that there was – before the dispute at present à ¢â‚¬â€œ a time when those departing the Christian community considered themselves as part of the community. The antichrists have now departed from the congregation, the Christian community due to this cause of disagreement – disagreement over Christological doctrines.  

Criminal Justice Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Criminal Justice Planning - Essay Example On the 16th of April 2007, this student went on a shooting rampage, killing 32 people, and injuring many others, before committing suicide by shooting himself. This shooting incident in campus shocked the entire world, and while the bereaved and distressed families are still trying to put their shattered lives in order, a lot of questions have emerged, chief among which are how a mentally disturbed and psychiatrically treated patient came into possession of guns and such large quantities of ammunition, to be able to murder and main by dozens. "Under federal law, the Virginia Tech gunman Seung-Hui Cho should have been prohibited from buying a gun after a Virginia court declared him to be a danger to himself in late 2005 and sent him for psychiatric treatment, a state official and several legal experts said." (Luo, 2007). Most significantly, it has raised questions about the current levels of security and safety available to students, faculty members and staff, in present day campuses. The incident has raised disturbing questions regarding public life in the surroundings and how harrowing a real life experience, such as this would be for its traumatic spectators and sufferers. In the light of the killings it became necessary to evaluate the problems in all its perspectives- social, medical, psychological and legal. The writer has made forays in order to establish a strategic Plans which could, alleviate the extend of damages and sufferings caused to innocents and also methods, by which these kinds of incidents could be avoided in the future, with the active co-operation of all concerned- the State and Federal Agencies, the student community and their parents/guardians, the teaching faculties, support staff and the administrative personnel involved in the day to day scholastic activities of the institutions. Most significantly it is also necessary for the law enforcement agencies to be able to deal effectively with the crisis and move out for relief and rescue operations with alacrity and speed and also take necessary precautions to reduce the levels of fatalities and injuries. Further the lacunae between the State and Federal laws have been glaringly mani fested in this case "Mr. Cho's ability to buy two guns despite his history has brought new attention to the adequacy of background checks that scrutinize potential gun buyers. And since federal gun laws depend on states for enforcement, the failure of Virginia to flag Mr. Cho highlights the often incomplete information provided by states to federal authorities." (Luo, 2007). Mission Statement: To minimize campus violence by planned, co-ordinated and effectively executed methods. One of the reasons why the Virginia killings took place was because although the killer was undergoing psychiatric treatment, as an outpatient, this fact was not considered when the guns were sold to him. The lacunae in the laws that provide that only someone who is "involuntarily committed" or a person "ruled incapacitated" could be disallowed from the purchase of firearms was not applicable in this case, as he was just an outpatient. He had undergone medication after psychiatric evaluation and assessment, but at the time of killings, he was not under drugs, as the post-mortem reports did not reveal any drugs in his body. Therefore, it is necessary

Psychology Vocab Essay Example for Free

Psychology Vocab Essay Anal stage: the stage at which children advocate erotic pleasure with the elimination process Archetype: an inherited idea, based on the experiences of one’s ancestors, which shapes one’s perception of the world Altered states of consciousness: conscious level, preconscious level, and unconscious level Amnesia: a loss of memory that may occur after a blow to the head or as a result of brain damage Biofeedback: the process of learning to control bodily states with the help of machines monitoring the states to be controlled Bipolar: a disorder in which a person’s mood inappropriately alternates between feelings of mania and depression Client centered therapy: an approach developed by Carl Rogers that reflects the belief that the client and therapist are partners in therapy Conditioning: a type of learning that involves stimulus response connections in which the response is conditional to the stimulus Central nervous system: Spinal cord and the brain Classical conditioning: a learning procedure in which associations are made between a natural stimulus and a neutral stimulus Collective unconscious: the part of the mind that inherited instincts, urges, and memories common to all people Consciousness: an individual’s state of awareness, including a person’s feelings, sensations, ideas, and perceptions Compulsion: an apparently irresistible urge to repeat an act or engage in ritualistic behavior such as hand washing Cross- sectional study: research method in which data is collected from groups of participants of different ages and compares so that conclusions can be drawn about differences due to age CS (Conditioned stimulus): a once neutral event that elicits a given response after a period of training in which it has been paired with an unconditioned stimulus CR (conditioned response): a response by the conditioned stimulus; it is similar to the unconditioned response, but not identical in magnitude or amount Defense mechanism: Certain specific means by which the ego unconsciously protects itself against unpleasant impulses or circumstances Dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality): a person exhibits two or more personality states, each with its own patterns of thinking and behaving Dependent variable: changes in relation to the independent variable Discrimination: the ability to respond differently to similar but distinct stimuli. 2. The unequal treatment of individuals on the basis of their race, ethnic group, age, gender, or membership in another category rather than on the basis of individual characteristics Depression: a psychological disorder characterized by extreme sadness, an inability to concentrate, and feelings of helplessness and dejection Superego: the part of the personality that is the source of conscience and contracts the socially undesirable impulses of the id Dopamine: Involved in learning, emotional, arousal, and movement Eidetic memory: the ability to remember with great accuracy visual information on the basis of short term exposure Extinction: in classical conditioning, the gradual disappearance of a conditional response because the reinforcement is withheld or because the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus Endocrine system: a chemical communication system using hormones, by which messages are sent through the blood stream, EEG (electroencephalograph): a machine used to record the electoral activity of large portions of the brain Extravert: an outgoing, active person who directs his or her energies and interests toward other people and things Electroshock therapy: also called (ECT), an electrical shock is sent through the brain to try to reduce symptoms of mental disturbance Ego: the part of the personality that is in touch with reality and strives to meet the demands of the id and the superego in socially acceptable ways Free association: a Freudian technique used to examine the unconscious; the patients instructed to say whatever comes into his or her mind Formal operations: the person is able to solve abstract problems Fixed ratio schedule: a pattern of reinforcement in which a specific number of correct responses is required before reinforcement can be obtained Fixed interval schedule: a pattern of reinforcement in which a specific amount of time must elapse before a response will elicit reinforcement Functional fixedness: a mental set characterized by the inability to imagine new functions for familiar objects Genital Stage: Freud’s fifth and final psychosexual stage during which an individual’s sexual satisfaction depends as much on giving pleasure as on receiving it Hypothalamus: regulates the autonomic nervous system Hallucinations: perceptions that have no direct external cause Hypothesis: an assumption or prediction about behavior that is tested through scientific research Identity crisis: A period of inner conflict during which adolescents worry intensely about who they are Id: in psychoanalytic theory, that part of the unconscious personality that contains our needs, drives, and instincts, as well as repressed material Independent variable: experimenters change or alter so they can observe its effects Imprinting: inherited tendencies or responses that are displayed by newborn animals when they encounter new stimuli in their environment Introvert: a reserved, withdrawn person who is more preoccupied with his or her inner thoughts and feelings than in what is going on around him or her Imitation: The third way of learning Latency Stage: the fourth stage of Freud’s psychosexual development at which sexual desires are pushed into the background and the child becomes involved in exploring the world and learning new skills Long term memory: the storage of information over extended periods of time Longitudinal study: research method in which data is collected about a group of participants over a number of years to assess how certain characteristics change or remain the same during development Lithium carbonate: a chemical used to counteract mood swings of bipolar disorder Maturation: the internally programmed growth of a child Meditation: the focusing of attention to clear one’s mind and produce relaxation Modeling: the process of learning behavior through observation and imitation of others Mnemonic devices: techniques of memorizing information by forming vivid associations or images, which facilitate recall and decrease forgetting Negative reinforcement: increasing the strength of a given response by removing or preventing a painful stimulus when the response occurs Neurosis: One of the most commonly used diagnostic distinctions Oral Stage: Freud’s first stage of psychosexual development, in which infant’s associate erotic pleasure with the mouth Object permanence: Child’s realization that an object exists even when he or she cannot see or touch it Operant conditioning: a form of learning in which a certain action is reinforced or punished, resulting in corresponding increases or decreases in the likelihood that similar actions will occur again Obsession: a recurring thought or image that seems to be beyond control OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder): an anxiety disorder consisting of obsessions and compulsions Oedipus complex: seems more like a literary conceit that a thesis worthy of a scientifically minded psychologist Psychosexual stages: 1. Oral stage, 2.anal stage, 3.phallic stage, 4.latancy stage, 5.ganital stage Psychosocial stages: 1. Trust vs. mistrust, 2. Autonomy vs. Shame and doubt, 3.initiative vs. guilt, 4. Industry vs. inferiority, 5. Identity vs. role confusion, 6. Intimacy vs. isolation, 7. Generativity vs. stagnation, 8. Ego integrity vs. Despair Pre-operational stage: emerges when the child begins to use mental images symbols to understand things Pituitary gland: â€Å"master gland† Psychosis: One of the most commonly used diagnostic distinctions Projective test: an unstructured test of personality in which a person is asked to respond freely, giving his or her own interpretation of various ambiguous stimuli Phallic stage: Freud’s third psychosexual stage, children associate sexual pleasure with their genitals Psychology: the scientific, systematic study of behaviors and mental processes Psychiatry: a branch of medicine that deals with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders Psychotherapy: a general term for the application of psychological principles and techniques for any treatment used by therapists to help troubled individuals overcome their problems and disorders Positive reinforce: a stimulus that increases the likelihood that a response will occur again Psychoanalysis: a form of therapy aimed at making patients aware of their unconscious motives so that they can gain control over their behavior and free themselves of self-defeating patterns Reli ability: the ability of a test to give the same results under similar conditions REM sleep: a stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movements, a high level of brain activity, a deep relaxation of the muscles, and dreaming Reinforcement schedule: an important factor in operant conditioning Random sample: One way to avoid a nonrepresentative sample Rorschach inkblot cards: 10 cards with inkblot designs and a system for interpreting responses Self –actualization: the humanist term for realizing one’s unique potential Shaping: technique of operant conditioning in which the desired behavior is â€Å"molded† by first rewarding any act similar to that behavior and then requiring ever-closer approximations to the desired behavior before giving the reward Short term memory: memory that is limited in capacity to about seven items and in duration by the subject active rehearsal Spontaneous recovery: the reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after some time has passed Selective attention: Focusing\ on only one detail of many Schizophrenia: a group of severe psychotic disorders characterized by confused and disconnected thoughts, emotions, behavior, and perceptions Separation anxiety: whenever the child is suddenly separated from the mother Superego: the part of the personality that is the source of conscience and contracts the socially undesirable impulses of the id Sensorimotor: the infant uses schemas that primarily involve his body and sensations Surrogate mothers: substitute mothers TAT (Thematic Apperception Test): This test consists of a series of pictures Thalamus: major relay station of the brain Unconscious: the part of the mind that holds mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories of which we are unaware but that strongly influences conscious behaviors UCR (Unconditioned response): an organism, automatic or natural reaction to a stimulus UCS (unconditioned stimulus): an event that elicits a certain predictable response without previous training Variable- ratio schedule: a pattern of reinforcement in which a specific amount of time must elapse before a response will elicit reinforcement Variable- interval schedule: a pattern of reinforcement in which changing amounts of time must elapse before a response will obtain reinforcement Validity: the ability of a test to measure what it is intended to measure Theorists Carl Jung: (1875-1961) believed that people try to develop their potential as well as handle their instinctual urges. He distinguished between personal unconscious and the collective unconscious Alfred Adler: (1870-1937) believed that the driving force in people’s lives is a desire to overcome their feelings of inferiority Sigmund Freud: (1856-1939) believed that our conscious experiences are only the tip of the iceberg, that beneath the surface are primitive biological urges that are in conflict with the requirements of society and morality Erick Erickson: (1902-1994) believed that the need for social approval is just as important as a child’s sexual and aggressive urges Abraham Maslow: (1908-1970) tried to base his theory of personality on studies of healthy, creative, self actualizing people who fully utilize their talents and potential rather than on studies of disturbed individuals Carl Rogers: (1902-1987) believed that many people suffer from a conflict between wh at they value in themselves and what they believe that other people value in them John B. Watson 🙠 1878-1958) psychology should concern itself only with the observable facts of behavior. Said that all behavior is the result of conditioning and occurs because the appropriate stimulus is present in the environment Ivan Pavlov: (1849 -1936) charted another new course for psychological investigation. Demonstrated that a neutral stimulus can cause a formerly unrelated response B.F. Skinner 🙠 1904-1990) introduced the concept of reinforcement. Attempted to show how his laboratory techniques might be applied to society as a whole Albert Bandura: people direct their own behavior by their choice of models. Harry Harlow: (1905- 1981) studied the relationship between mother and child in a species closer to humans, the rhesus monkeys Galen: Identified four personality characteristics called melancholic, sanguine, choleric, and phlegmatic Alfred Binet: Karen Horney: (1885-1952) stressed the importance of basic anxiety. She believes that if a child is raised in an atmosphere of love and security, that child could avoid Freud’s psychosexual parent child conflict b Lawrence Kohlberg: His studies show how important being able to see other people’s points of view is to social development in general and to moral development of moral reasoning Jean Piaget: Discovered that knowledge builds as children grow. Children develop logic and think differently at different ages Lorenz Konrad: (1903- 1989) became a pioneer in the field of animal learning. He discovered that baby geese become attached to their mothers in a sudden, virtually permanent learning process called imprinting Stanley Milgram: conducted the most famous investigation of obedience in 1963. Wanted to determine whether participants would administer painful shocks to others merely because an authority figure had instructed them to do so James Marcia: main contribution is in clarifying the sources and nature of the adolescent identity crisis Philip Zimbardo: made the Zimbardo experiment Solomon Asch: designed what has become a classic experiment to test conformity to pressure from one’s peers Hermann Rorschach: made the inkblot test   Wilhelm Wundt: he proposed that psychological experience is composed of compounds, much like the ones found in chemistry Phillipe Pinel: Father of scientific psychiatry   Dorothea Dix: Chief spokesperson for reform

Postoperative pulmonary complications

Postoperative pulmonary complications INTRODUCTION: Abdominal surgery involves a high risk of the development of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs). This is thought to be due to the disruption of normal respiratory muscle activity when a patient is anaesthetised, thereby impairing ventilation, expectoration and forced residual capacity (Auler et al 2002, Warner 2000). This may continue postoperatively leading to atelectasis, pneumonia and respiratory dysfunction (Richardson and Sabanathan 1997). Furthermore, abdominal pain resulting from the surgical incision may limit deep breathing (Dias 2008). Exercises which promote lung inflation may help to counteract the decreased lung volumes which patients tend to present with following surgery (Guimarà £es 2009). Incentive spirometry (IS) is commonly used as a prophylactic treatment to prevent pulmonary complications following surgery. An incentive spirometer is a device that uses visual feedback, such as raising a ball to a line, to encourage a maximal, sustained inspiration (Overend 2001). IS is often promoted as a useful tool for rehabilitation of the respiratory muscle function following surgery. It is hypothesised that inspiration to full capacity discourages the development of atelectasis by preventing the collapse of the alveoli, and encourages correct respiratory muscle control and coordination, thereby decreasing the incidence of PPCs (Overend 2001). Incentive spirometry is a low-cost intervention, and allows the patient to experience regular rehabilitation with minimal therapist hours (Hall 1991). However, recent arguments have claimed that this technique has little more effect than conventional physiotherapy, deep breathing methods or no intervention at all (Dias 2008). Several recent randomised controlled trials have attempted to determine the effect of incentive spirometry in comparison to other interventions such as deep breathing exercises, or no specific post-operative rehabilitation. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate recent literature to determine the prophylactic effect of incentive spirometry for the avoidance of pulmonary complications in patients recovering from abdominal surgery. METHOD: A wide-ranging search of the literature was carried out, utilizing a series of key words deemed optimal for recruitment of relevant articles (Table 1). Several databases were searched by this method (Appendix 1). These included PubMed, PEDro, CINAHL, Medline via OVID and Cochrane. Reference lists sourced from several of these articles were then hand-searched. Limits were set to locate randomised controlled trials on humans, published in English from 1985 onwards. Articles published prior to 1985 were deemed to be potentially unreliable and irrelevant due to the advances in technology and medical knowledge regarding respiratory physiotherapy since this time. Articles which fulfilled the inclusion criteria (Table 2) were then assessed for methodological quality using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) Scale. The PEDro Scale is an 11-item Scale devised to rate the methodological quality of randomised controlled trials relating to physiotherapy (Maher et al 2003). The components of the PEDro Scale are seen in Table 3. The PEDro Scale was selected to consider the value of the methodology used for each RCT because there is a high level of recent, independent evidence to indicate that the scores generated by this Scale are of sufficient reliability to support decision-making in physiotherapy (Maher et al 2003, Mosely et al 2002). The RCTs assessed by the author were all included within the PEDro database, thus had already been rated by persons with specific training in applying the PEDro Score to RCTs. The scores gained from this are therefore regarded to display a high level of accuracy. Prior to assessment, the exclusion criteria was set as a PEDro Score of less than five out of ten. A PEDro Score of five or greater is evidential of a study of moderate to high quality (Mosely et al 2002). A summary table (Appendix 2) was constructed to display the information retrieved from the four articles included in the review. This data included: PEDro Score, sample size and follow-up, outcome variables, intervention, limitations, results and clinical implications of the findings. This systematic review evaluated the benefit of the use of incentive spirometry in comparison to a control group or other intervention. This was achieved by considering the incidence of pulmonary complications (defined by a variety of outcome variables) between the groups involved in each trial. RESULTS: Search method and study selection: The initial search produced 85 non-duplicate articles of which 24 were screened. The criteria for inclusion into the review are documented in Table 2. After reading the abstract of the 24 articles selected, a further 16 records failed to meet one or more of the inclusion criteria. The remaining eight articles were then assessed for eligibility by applying the exclusion criteria (Table 2). One review article was excluded. Three RCTs were deemed to exhibit low methodological quality having produced a PEDro Score of less than five out of ten, and were excluded. The remaining four RCTs selected for the review are documented in Appendix 2. The complete search process is shown by Figure 1. Methodological quality: Table 4 shows the level of methodological quality for each article. All articles rated six or above on the PEDro Scale, and demonstrated competency in the aspects of random allocation, baseline comparison, assessor blinding, and adequate follow up. Those trials by Stock et al (1985) and Schwieger et al (1986) failed to include concealed allocation and intention to treat. Due to the nature of the intervention, none of the trials had subject or therapist blinding. Intervention and outcome variables: The four studies selected for the review include the use of IS as an intervention. Outcome variables were obtained from common methods used to diagnose pulmonary complications, including (but not limited to) blood gas analyses, body temperature, sputum analysis, chest radiography and spirometry. None of the studies documented in Appendix 2 found any significant difference between the intervention of IS and other intervention or control groups in the development of pulmonary complications. Pulmonary complications: Hall et al (1991) compared the intervention of IS to a control group of patients receiving conventional chest physiotherapy. Pulmonary complications developed in 15.8% (95% CI 14.0-17.6%) of those patients undergoing regular maximal inspirations with the use of an incentive spirometer, compared to 15.3% (95% CI 13.6 17.0%) of patients receiving conventional chest physiotherapy (Hall et al 1991). Similarly, Schwieger et al (1986) found no statistically significant benefit to promote the use of IS. 40% of those patients performing regular IS developed pulmonary complications. The control group, receiving no specialized post operative respiratory care, had a 30% incidence of the development of respiratory complications (Schwieger et al 1985). Two studies (Hall et al 1996, Stock et al 1985) compared IS against other interventions designed to have a prophylactic effect on the development of pulmonary complications following abdominal surgery. Hall et al (1996) found that IS has different levels of efficacy depending on a patients risk of developing a PPC. Post operative respiratory complications were found in 8% of low risk patients randomised to receive incentive spirometry, and in 11% of those who undertook deep breathing exercises. PPCs were detected in 19% of high risk patients receiving IS and 13% of patients who received a combination of IS and conventional chest physiotherapy (Hall et al 1996). Stock et al (1985) found no notable difference in the development of PPCs between patients randomised to IS, continuous passive airway pressure and coughing and deep breathing exercises. Post operative atelectasis All of the studies considered in this review included the presence of atelectasis detected by radiograph as a specific outcome variable to indicate a PPC. No studies showed a significant difference in the presence of post operative atelectasis between groups. Swieger et al (1986) found atelectasis to affect 30% of the IS group and 25% of the control group. Stock et al (1985) recorded a 24 hour postoperative incidence of atelectasis of 50%, 32% and 41% for patients receiving incentive spirometry, coughing and deep breathing exercises and continuous passive airway pressure, respectively (p FEV/FVC Two studies (Stock et al 1985, Swieger et al 1986) considered the change in forced expiratory volume and forced vital capacity following abdominal surgery. Stock et al (1985) noted an average decline of forced vital capacity to 49%, 62% and 69% of the preoperative value at 24, 48 and 72 postoperative hours respectively (p DISCUSSION: This systematic review provides a comparative analysis of the use of incentive spirometry for a prophylactic effect on the development of pulmonary complications following abdominal surgery. Four RCTs comprised the results analysed in this review. Two of these articles rated 6/10 on the PEDro Scale (Stock et al 1985, Swieger et al 1986) and two articles were awarded a score of 8/10 (Hall et al 1991, Hall et al 1996). While each study evaluated the use of IS for prevention of PPCs following abdominal surgery, the comparisons within each study varied. Only one trial (Schwieger et al 1986) compared the IS intervention group to a control group which received no specialised post operative respiratory care. Hall et al (1991) instead considered the IS intervention group to patients receiving conventional chest physiotherapy. Two trials, (Hall et al 1996, Stock et al 1985) compared the use of incentive spirometry to other specific respiratory physiotherapy modalities. Hall et al (1996) also investigated the effect of the patients putative risk factors on their incidence of development of PPCs. It is difficult to make comparisons between the selected studies, due to the high variance of intra-study comparison. Participants Two of the studies had high numbers of participants (Hall et al 1991, Hall et al 1996), allowing for the assumption to be made that the results gained from this are accurate and representative of the sample population. Two studies had comparatively low numbers of participants (Stock et al 1985; n=64. Swieger et al 1986; n= 40). The studies with low participation rate exhibited high levels of incidence of PPCs compared to the larger studies. This indicates that the low number of participants may have caused an exaggeration of the incidence of PPCs considered in these studies. The overall male: female ratio of the studies investigated was 679:758. The gender imbalance was particularly pronounced in the trials which had low levels of participation (Stock et al 1985, Swieger et al 1986), with females outnumbering males. This makes the results more generalizable to females and decreases external validity (Juni et al 2001). This is particularly important to the analysis of respiratory function due the gender-related differences regarding function, shape and size of the lungs and the chest cavities (Becklake and Kauffman 1999). This can alter the respiratory mechanics and thus create gender biased results (Auler 2002). Publication bias is also a possible limitation of this review. Studies which obtained undesirable results are less likely to be published, thus the available literature may be biased toward a favourable outcome (Egger 1998). Intervention and outcomes The intervention itself may create bias with respect to using the comparability between the studies evaluated in this review. The administration of incentive spirometry varied slightly between trials. For example, in the trial by Schwieger et al (1986), patients were instructed to breathe deeply (with use of IS) for five minutes hourly, twelve times daily for three postoperative days. The participants in the study by Hall et al (1996) required patients to maximally inspire and hold ten times per hour. This means that broad term of incentive spirometry may actually correlate to a slightly different intervention for each study, so the incentive spirometry results evaluated in this review may not be entirely comparable. The comparable intervention of conventional chest physiotherapy is also questionable as this could also involve incentive spirometry, thus give the same results as IS whilst appearing as a separate intervention. There was inconsistency in follow up time between the four trials (see Appendix 2), which makes it difficult to pool results. Variances of outcome measures across the four studies were also a source of limitation. Outcome variables for each study are summarised in Appendix 2. The definition for pulmonary complication is potentially limiting as this would affect the diagnosis and thus results gained. The professional ability of those assessing the outcome measures (e.g radiologists) needs to be taken into account. Trial methodology Due to the nature of incentive spirometry, neither patient nor therapist blinding was carried out. This introduces the possibility of performance bias and detection bias (Juni et al 2001). Concealed allocation was missing from two studies ( Stock et al 1985, Schwieger et al 1986). A lack of concealed allocation allows for the possibility that an investigator may change who gets the next assignment, thus making the intervention group less comparable to the control group (Shulz 2000). Intention to treat analysis is also devoid in two studies (Stock et al 1985, Schwieger et al 1986), therefore clinical effectiveness may be overestimated in these trials (Hollis and Campbell, 1999). CONCLUSIONS: This review found that there is currently no evidence to support the hypothesis that incentive spirometry has a prophylactic effect on the incidence of pulmonary complications in patients recovering from abdominal surgery, compared to other physiotherapy modalities such as deep breathing exercises and conventional physiotherapy. Another recent systematic review (Guimarà £es et al 2009) has obtained similar findings. One study (Schwieger 1986) found that there is no significant difference in the development of PPCs between post abdominal surgery patients receiving incentive spirometry and those who received no specialised post operative respiratory care. This was the only study to compare incentive spirometry against a control group receiving no other form of physiotherapy, so it is difficult to completely rule out the possibility that IS may have some prophylactic effect which has been masked by an equal prophylactic effect of the other therapies. The clinical implications of this i s that if incentive spirometry does in fact provide some prophylactic effect on postoperative abdominal surgery patients, this benefit is no greater than that provided by other forms of physiotherapy. IS is less cost effective than deep breathing exercises, but requires less therapist hours than conventional physiotherapy. Therefore, a higher level of adequate and conclusive research needs to be done before incentive spirometry can be promoted as having a prophylactic effect on the incidence of PPCs following abdominal surgery. Articles used as a template for the review format: Andersson G, Mekhail N and Block J.(2006). Treatment of Intractable Discogenic Low Back Pain. A Systematic Review of Spinal Fusion and Intradiscal Electrothermal Therapy (Idet). Pain Physician; 9: 237-248. Dodd K, Taylor N and Damiano D. (2002). A systematic review of the effectiveness of strength-training programs for people with cerebral palsy. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 83: 1157 1164. Viswanathan P and Kidd M. (2009). Effect of Continuous Passive Motion Following Total Knee Arthroplasty on Knee Range of Motion and Function: A Systematic Review. Unpublished article. University of Otago, School of Physiotherapy. Dunedin, New Zealand. Articles used in review: Hall J, Tarala R, Harris J, Tapper J and Christiansen K. (1991). Incentive Spirometry versus routine chest physiotherapy for prevention of respiratory complications after abdominal surgery. Lancet 337: 953-956. Hall J, Tarala R, Tapper J and Hall J. (1996). Prevention of respiratory complications after abdominal surgery: a randomised clinical trial. British Medical Journal 312: 148-152. Schwieger I, Gamulin Z, Forster A, Meyer P, Gemperle M and Suter P. (1986). Absence of benefit of incentive spirometry in low-risk patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy. A controlled randomized study. Chest 89: 652-656. Stock C, Downs J, Gauer P, Alster J and Imrey P. (1985). Prevention of postoperative pulmonary complications with CPAP, incentive spirometry and conservative therapy. Chest 87: 151-157. Other references: Auler J, Miyoshi E, Fernandes C, Bensenor F, Elias L and Bonassa J. (2002). The effects of abdominal opening on respiratory mechanics during general anaesthesia in normal and morbidly obese patients: A comparative study. Anesthesia and Analgesia 94: 741-8. Becklake M and Kauffmann F. (1999). Gender differences in airway behaviour over the human lifespan. Thorax 54: 1119 1138. Egger M and Smith G. (1998). Meta-analysis bias in selection and location of studies. British Medical Journal 316: 61-66. Guimarà £es M, El Dib R, Smith A and Matos D. (2009). Incentive spirometry for prevention of postoperative pulmonary complications in upper abdominal surgery.Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews2009, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD006058 Hollis F and Campbell S. (1999). What is meant by intention to treat analysis? Survey of published randomised controlled trials. British Medical Journal 319: 670-674. Juni P, Altman D and Egger M. (2001). Systematic reviews in health care: Assessing the quality of controlled clinical trials. British Medical Journal 323: 42-46. Maher C. (2000) A systematic review of workplace interventions to prevent low back pain. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy 46: 259-269. Maher M, Sherrington C, Herbert R, Mosely A and Elkins M. (2003). Reliability of the PEDro Scale for rating quality of randomised controlled trials. Physical Therapy; 83: 713-721. Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J and Altman DG. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. British Medical Journal 339: 332-339. Mosely A, Herbert R, Sherrington C and Maher C. (2002). Evidence for physiotherapy practice: A survey of the physiotherapy evidence database (PEDro). Australian Journal of Physiotherapy 48: 43-49. Overend T, Anderson C, Lucy S, Bhatia C, Jonsson B and Timmermans C. (2001). The effect of incentive spirometry on postoperative pulmonary complications: A systematic review. Chest 120: 971-978. Richardson J and Sabanathan S. (1997). Prevention of respiratory complications after abdominal surgery. Thorax 52: 35-40. Schulz K. (2001). Assessing allocation concealment and blinding in randomised controlled trials: why bother? Evidence Based Nursing 4: 4-6. Warner D.(2000). Preventing postoperative pulmonary complications: The role of the anesthesiologist. Anesthesiology 192: 1467-72.

Moses Mendelssohn: A New Jewish Faith :: Religion Jew Judaism Essays

Moses Mendelssohn: A New Jewish Faith ‘Among the precepts and statues of the Mosaic law there is none saying â€Å"Thou shalt believe† or â€Å"Thou shalt not believe†; all say â€Å"Thou shalt do† or not do. Faith accepts no commands; it accepts only what comes to it by way of reasoned conviction. All commandments of the divine law are addressed to the will, to man’s capacity to act.’ (Glatzer 511). In considering who is a Jew, one must first gather a concrete conception of Judaism. Moses Mendelssohn offers some helpful material in â€Å"A Definition of Judaism,† which can be found in The Judaic Tradition. Mendelssohn’s interpretation agrees with the opinions of certain political philosophers, in his discussion of Judaism as a religion based primarily on reason. His belief that â€Å"revelation†¦ pertains to precepts of conduct and laws of action†¦Ã¢â‚¬  make Judaism appear as a very different religion from its relatives. Mendelssohn’s characterization of faith as an idea arrived at through reason and understanding reveals a great deal about individual Jews. â€Å"Among the precepts and statues of the Mosaic law there is none saying ‘Thou shalt believe’ or ‘Thou shalt not believe’; all say ‘Thou shalt do’ or not do† (Glatzer 511). Mendelssohn’s first goal with this passage is to develop a definition of Judaism as a religion with a different form than that of Christianity. Christianity, a religion deeply rooted in the traditional notion of faith, asks primarily that its followers believe in Jesus Christ as their savior and reaffirm this belief through custom. Mendelssohn rejects this concept of faith outright, arguing â€Å"true faith is based on reason alone and thus is equally accessible to all men† (Glatzer 509). Action and conscious thought in Judaism are held in higher regard than passive belief. Those who question their beliefs and begin to arrive at the reason for divine legislation develop a stronger conception of Judaism and move closer to God. In saying that â€Å"Faith accepts no commands†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mendelssohn intimates that those who develop their faith as a result of a forceful command (e.g. â€Å"Believe!†) lose the meaning of the concept. A Jew’s faith â€Å"accepts only what comes to it by way of reasoned conviction.† Mendelssohn highlights an integral part of what it means to be a Jew by discussing the acquisition of faith through reason. Moses delivered the Jews the Lord’s commandments of divine law without specific instruction to believe, but rather law â€Å"addressed to the will, to man’s capacity to act.

Native American Oppression in North America Essay

While many different cultures were and are oppressed around the world, many people tend to forget about the genocide of the Native Americans on the land we call home. In 1492, when Christopher Columbus first sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, he came into contact with the indigenous people of the New World. After returning to Hispaniola, he quickly implemented policies of slavery and mass extermination of the Taino population in the Caribbean. This became the first major impact on Native Americans and eventually led to further oppression of American Indians. The implication of the population as savages helped in the displacement and genocide of the indigenous peoples. The Native Americans faced a lot of discrimination in North America during colonization, consisting of different forms of propaganda causing short-term and long-term effects in the present day. In 1492, a Spanish expedition headed by Christopher Columbus sailed for India to sell, buy, and trade rich spices and other goods, inadvertently discovering what is today North America. European conquest, large-scale exploration and colonization soon followed. This first occurred along the Caribbean coasts on the islands of Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Cuba, and later extended into the interiors of both North and South America. Eventually, the entire Western Hemisphere came under the control of European governments, leading to profound changes to its landscape, population, and plant and animal life. From the 16th through the 19th centuries, the population of Indians declined from epidemic diseases brought from Europe, genocide and warfare at the hands of European explorers and colonists, displacement from their lands, internal warfare, enslavements, and a high rate of intermarriage. Epidemics of smallpox, typhus, influenza, diphtheria, and measles swept ahead of initial European contact, killing between 10 million and 20 million people, up to 95% of the indigenous population of the Americas. European expansion also caused many Native American tribes to lose their homes as they were forced by the government to live in certain areas called Indian Reservations. They were often poor and on the verge of starvation on these reservations. Many American Indians had to choose to assimilate to the culture of the colonists in order to live. The phrase â€Å"Kill the Indian, Save the Man† coincides with the assimilation. There were many tools to help with the assimilation of the natives such as boarding schools for Native American children, missionaries to introduce Christianity, and the strategic killing of their main food source, the bison. The Dawes Act was introduced in 1887 to get Native Americans to live like white Americans. Reservations were broken up into â€Å"allotments† that were given out to individual families and the families were supposed to farm and build homes on their allotment in order to support themselves. The plan failed due to the fact that some of the land was unsuitable for farming & ranching and some Natives refused to adopt a different way of life. Propaganda was a very powerful tool when it came to the oppression of American Indians. The term propaganda is derived from the Latin propagare, to propagate, to reproduce, to spread, with the meaning, to transmit, to spread from person to person. One form of early propaganda against Native Americans is the painting American Progress by John Gast in 1872. The painting depicts the iconographic image of Columbia, the American angel floating above the land, leading her pioneers westward. The angel image, intended as a personification of the United States, floats ethereally over the plains, stringing telegraph wire with one hand as she travels, and holding a schoolbook under her other arm. Ahead of her in the West is a great darkness populated by wild animals: bears, wolves, buffalo and Indian people. All are considered wild and savage, and fleeing away from her light. In her bright-light wake, as the figure progresses across the land, come farms, villages and homesteads and in the back are cities and railroads. The light of â€Å"civilization† dispels the darkness of â€Å"ignorance and barbarity†. American Indian people are portrayed along with the wild animals as the darkness, all of which have to be removed before Columbia can bring the prosperity promised to the United States. United States covert agencies working with the mainstream media often used â€Å"grey and black propaganda† to distort or fabricate information concerning the groups they had targeted. Grey propaganda efforts often centered upon contentions that the Indians’ main goal was to dispossess non-Indians of the home-owner, small farmer, or rancher type living within various treaty areas. For black propaganda there have been a number of highly publicized allegations of violence which, once disproven, were allowed to die without further fanfare. There were many short-term and long-term effects due to the oppression of American Indians. Many Native Americans were depicted as marauding, murdering, hellish savages who scalped women and children. They were seen as thieves, drunkards, and beggars, unwilling to work but willing to accept government handouts. The American Indian was often used as the antagonist in old country western films and portrayed in a negative, barbaric manner. Today a majority of the Native American population still resides on reservations. Despite helping shape America in their own way, the oppression of the American Indians is often overlooked in comparison to that of Jews during World War II and African Americans in the U. S.from slavery to the present-day Overall, the Native Americans overcame many things from when Columbus first came across them in the Caribbean in 1492. In the face of European exploration and colonization, genocide, epidemic diseases, and displacement among other things, American Indians managed to stay strong and hold on too as much of their culture as possible, working hard to dispel the false stereotype created by propaganda so long ago. While the discrimination of the past still affects them to this day, first nation peoples play a strong part in the development of this country.

Democracy in Nigeria Essay

By May 2009, Nigeria’s nascent democracy should have been a decade. Thus, the thrust of this paper is an in depth analysis of the possibility of sustaining democratic values beyond any sudden reversal. The. paper however, takes a cursory look at the daunting challenges ahead and infers that unless the government increases social expenditure and truncate the current brazen corruption, the hope of democratic consolidation may eventually be a mirage. Key words: democracy, nascent, corruption, state law and order As rightly collated by Decalo1, the events in Africa took scholars by surprise, since most doubted Africa could move towards democracy. Even in the mid-1980’s, one argued that by reason of their poverty or the violence of their politics, African states were unlikely to move in a democratic direction. Another adding that â€Å"to have expected democracy to flourish would have been historical blindness†3, since ‘outside the core (industrialized states) democracy is a rarity, support for Tilly’s thesis ‘why Europe will not occur again – with a few exceptions, the limits of democratic development in the world may well have been reached4. However, despite the doubts and skepticisms openly expressed by scholars, Nigeria, like several other African countries, became democratic. On May 29, 1999 Nigeria became a ‘democratic’ state. Prior to 1999 political transition, Nigeria was under firm military autocracy and absolutism for close to 29 years (since 1966), when the military made their first incursion into Nigeria’s government and politics, following the collapse of the first republic5. It is vital to note that authoritarian governments were interrupted only by a brief period of civilian rule in the Second Republic (1979-1983)6. Thus, Nigeria’s march to constitutional democracy was a chequered one marked by anti-colonial struggles, crises, coups, counter-coups, and a thirty-month agonizing civil war between 1967 and 1970. So far, Nigeria has passed through several phases in her democratization bid viz: (a) era of colonial autocracy and absolutism, that is, period of formal colonialism till October 1st 1960, when the country gained ‘flag’ independence; (b) emergence of constitutional democracy – (1960-1966), (c) the return of military autocracy and absolutism – (1966-1979); (d) restoration of constitutional democracy – (1979-1983); and (e) the second coming of military autocracy and absolutism – (1983-1989) . 7 Since 1989, that Nwabueze made that observation, the polity has added more phases to her democratization bid. With the inglorious ‘stepping aside’ of General Ibrahim Babangida’s administration in 1993, an Interim National Government (ING) was put in place, headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan, handpicked by an unelected military President (General Babangida), thereby making the ING suffer a serious legitimacy crisis ab initio6. The interim contraption collapsed after eighty-two days, following the declaration that it was illegal by a Lagos High Court in a suit instituted by the assumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election – Chief M.  K. 0. Abiola. Cashing-in on the court verdict, General Sani Abacha staged a coup d’etat, dissolved all the extant democratic structures retained by the ING, and once again, returned the country to a fiilJ blown military dictatorship. It was in this state of confusion that Gen. Abacha died in June 8,’ 1998 in a mysterious circumstance. Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, who took over after the demise of Gen. Abacha, who h ad a transition programme reputed to be the shortest in the annals of military-midwife political transitions in Nigeria. Eventually, barring all odds, Gen. Abubakar handed over the reins of government to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (a retired general) in 1999. With the inauguration of Chief Obasanjo’s civilian administration in 1999, hopes were high once again that democracy would be sustained and consolidated. But alas, the military background of Chief Obasanjo became a serious liability on the system when the supposedly democratic government became a replica of dictatorship in its entire facet. By 2003, after the expiration of his first term, his administration conducted a general election, and handed over to itself. This election was generally perceived to have been massively rigged. 9 In 2007, at the expiration of his administration’s constitutionally mandated second term, another general election was conducted to usher in another civil government. This election was remarkable in a number of ways. First, it was after eight tumultuous years of democracy – the longest period since independence from the United Kingdom in I960. 0 Secondly, for the first time in the history of the country, there was a civilian-civilian transfer of power. It would have been even more remarkable if there had been a transfer of power from the ruling party to the opposition. † Meanwhile, the thrust of this paper is an indepth analysis of the major challenges facing the nascent democracy in Nigeria to prevent it from the threats of authoritarian repression or what David Beetham calls â€Å"reverse waves†. 2 It is to these anti-democratic forces that could lead to democratic reverse which had taken place in Mauritania recently via a military coup d’etat that we now turn to. (A) As I have argued elsewhere13, quantitative cross-national research on the economic determinants of democracy and democratization generally consistently reveals that a country’s level of economic development is associated positively and strongly with the extent to which the political systems manifest properties of democracy. There is, therefore, a two-way causal relationship between the economy and sustainable democracy; the state of the economy is the determinant of enduring democracy, but democracy is a key pre-requisite for sustainable economic transformation. The message is: ‘oroad-based economic prosperity sustains democracy, whereas widespread poverty and ignorance undermine it. To mimic President Clinton of U. S. when he was running for office in 1992, ‘it is the economy, full stop! ’14 No doubt. Nigeria is potentially Africa’s largest economy. Every year, the country produces over 200,000 graduates of tertiary institutions (including 65 universities), has the 6th largest gas reserves in the world, eighth largest oil producer (with abundant, but largely untapped natural resources – gold, limestone, among others), and with 60 percent of its arable land lying fallqw. In the words of Soludo (2005), Nigeria has also millions of its citizens in Diaspora (with estimated 100,000 Nigerian medical doctors and scientists abroad). Unfortunately, was not lucky in the first 40 years of its independence with sustained good political governance. In his perceptive public lecture, Charles Soludo, Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor,16 noted further that democracy has not been endured in Nigeria simply because the economic numbers did not add up; whereas, democracy and indeed any form of government must deliver tangible economic benefits to the generality of the citizenry to be credible and sustainable. In a seminal article on ‘What Makes Democracy Endure’, Prezeworski found the empirical evidence that: Once a country has a democratic regime; its level of economic development has a very strong effect on the probability that democracy will survive †¦ emocracy can be expected to last an average of about 8. 5 years in a country with per capita income under $2,000; 33 years between $2,000-$4,000 and 100 years between $4,000-$6,000 †¦ Above $6,000 democracies are to live forever. No democratic system has fallen in a country where per capita income exceeds $6,033. 17 Be that as it may, most African states have few economic potentials of any significance (many literally nothing) that could attract foreign risk capital, which is why entrepreneurs did not flock into them in the past, irrespective of ideology or level of democracy! And to rely on local capital to fuel development is to foredoom many to perpetual marginality. 18 Taking a cue from the same line of argument, Akintunde19, while rationalizing the reasons for the demise of democracy in the first republic, postulated that a democracy which is not founded upon a secure economic base is not likely to succeed because it lacks an essential condition of efficiency. It is unable to fulfill the expectations of its citizens; in the common parlance, it cannot deliver goods. So significant is the economic base that many people have surmised that even communist countries, as they become wealthier, will come to resemble western democracy more and more20. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, as in most of the developing countries, due largely to the poor economic base, the middle class is a very small minority of the population. Western democracy is, therefore, not securely founded because it lacks one of the essential ingredients of success – an influential middle class. This fact, which is sometimes a surprise to African leaders21, was well known to Aristotle more than two thousand years ago. According to Aristotle, ‘when democracies have no middle class and the poor are greatly superior in number, trouble ensues and they are speedily ruined’. The nexus between democracy and the strength of the economy reveals that those who are not rich usually confined to mere voting, political career thus become the privilege of those who are wealthy enough to afford the leisure to devote to politics in most western countries, until the advent of Trade Union M.  Ps. 23Thus, while blaming the politicians, it is worth repeating that, by embarking on western democracy on an inadequate economic base, the Fourth Republic was set on a death course, it was bound to be corrupt. 24 The same scenario is playing itself out in Nigeria presently. No doubt, it is a daunting task in the face of the aforementioned historical evidence to sustain democracy in an economy like Nigeria, where per capita income has been below the $1,000 mark. That, according to Prezeworsk25, poses a serious threat. Considering the nexus between democracy and the economy vis-a-vis the expectation of an average African, Claude Ake (of blessed memory) averred that: The ordinary people of Africa are supporting democracy as a second independence. This time they want independence not from the colonial masters, but from indigenous leaders. They want independence from leaders whose misrule has intensified their poverty and exploitation to the point of being life threatening. And they are convinced that they cannot now get material improvement without securing political empowerment and being better placed to bring public policy closer to social needs. [Nonetheless] democracy is being interpreted and supported in ways that defeat those aspirations and manifest no sensitivity to the social conditions of the ordinary people of Africa. Generally, the political elites who support democratization are those with no access to power and they invariably have no feeling for democratic values. They support democratization largely as a strategy of power†¦Ã‚  The people can (only) choose between oppressors and by the appearance of choice legitimize what is really their disempowerment. 26 In line with the above postulations, Jerry Gana (a one-time Information Minister) admitted, too, that: You know the mentality of our people. If democracy does not produce clean water, if democracy does not produce good roads, transform agriculture, cultivate industrial development, sanitise society, give us power supply, democracy will lose credibility and they may say, na democracy we go chop? 7 The caveat is that where democratic processes do not yield economic returns, a regression to dictatorship cannot be ruled out. This point is clearly stated by Larry Diamond thus: †¦ Many new democracies in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa will probably breakdown in the medium to long run unless they can reduce their often appalling levels of poverty, inequality, and social injustice, and through market oriented reforms lay the basis for sustainable growth. When this is juxtaposed with the admittance by the Central Bank in its 2008 firs’; quarter report released to the public29, the economy is in perpetual crisis. The Apex Bank attributed the high rate of inflation in the country to the erratic power supply. According to the report, the inflation rate on a year to year basis was 7. 8 percent, compared to 6. 6 percent and 5. 2 percent recorded in the preceding quarter and the corresponding period of 2007. The report noted further that inflation rate on a 12-month roving average basis for the first quarter was 5. 8 percent compared with 5. percent recorded in the preceding quarter. Indeed, nothing can be more soothing to the nation’s debilitating power crisis, largely fingered for stunting the economy, rendering it comatose and occasioning a declining industrial sector, whose capacity utilization nosedived to a paltry 20 percent by the end of 2006. Epileptic power supply, a very prohibitive business climate and in consistency in government policies, have combined to smother the country’s industrial sector leading to the closure of multinationals, like Michelin, Panalpina, and other notable firms. The shrinking of the textile sector from 170 in the 60s, 70s, and 80s to 10 in the 90s, also evinces the acute nature of the problem. The recent disclosure by the House of Representatives Committee on Power, which probed the power sector that the country now generates less than a pitiable 1,000 megawatts, makes mockery of the country’s vision of becoming one of the 20 largest and most resilient economies by 2020, compared to South Africa, a country of 42 million people, which generates over 42,000 megawatts. Much of Nigeria’s investment in the power sector has been enmeshed in corruption and enthralled in the lust of the political elite for primitive accumulation. 31 The concomitant effect of poor economy is lingering with the poverty problem. Nigeria’s poverty conundrum has assumed a frightening dimension. In the words of Dr. Magnus Kpakol, Senior Special Assistant to the President and National Coordinator of National Poverty Eradication Program, in a public lecture entitled â€Å"Poverty Solution: The Role of Government in Poverty Eradication† declared that: The number of poor Nigerians could be, put at an estimated figure of 70 million †¦ n 1980, the figure was 28. 1 million. 1985, 46. 3 million; 1992, 42. 7 million; 1996, 65. 6 million and 1999,70. 0 million, 2004,54. 4 million. 32 He gave the statistical breakdown along the six regional levels to be â€Å"North-East, 72. 2 percent; South-East, 26. 7 percent; South-South 31. 5 percent; South-West 43. 1 perc ent; North-Central 67. 0 percent; and North-West, 71. 2 percent†. 33 Undoubtedly, something must be wrong somewhere, for a critical official poverty statistics, which revealed that over half of Nigeria’s 150 million population are poor, is unexplainable going by the abundant human and material resources in the country. The economy was so gloomy that 2007/2008 United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP’s) Human Development Index (HDI) ratings placed Nigeria at 158th position out of 177 countries. 34 No doubt, democracy is endangered in Nigeria more than ever before. Poverty, want, and squalor are anti-democratic forces in the polity. The only exception is Indian democracy, which has long baffled theorists of democracy. Democratic theory holds that poverty, widespread illiteracy, and a deeply hierarchical social structure are inhospitable conditions for the functioning of democracy. But the historical novelty of Indian democracy was noted by Barrington Moore: Economically (India) remains in the pre-industrial age †¦ But as a political specie, it does belong to the modern world. At the time of Nehru’s death in 1964, political democracy had existed for seventeen years. If imperfect, the democracy was no more sham †¦ Political democracy may seem strange both in an Asian setting and one without an industrial revolution. 36 To avert recapitulation, my earlier work glaringly with empirical data proved the pathetic downslide of Nigeria’s economy over the years with the attendant threat to democratic sustenance. 7 Bruce Baker too in his perceptive piece emphasized much the strength of the economy and sustainable democracy. As a corollary to the aforementioned weak economy, the state, in terms of being weak or strong, matters to the study of threats to democracy both from within and without, as well as one of the common modes of failure of democracy and democratization. 39 Perhaps, the greatest manifestation of a weak state vis-avis sustainable democracy is that it cannot successfully administer a true and fair credible election which is the kernel of democracy. No doubt, one of the. fundamental problems that post-colonial African states are facing is that of how to sustain and consolidate democracy through credible elections. 40 In the whole continent of Africa, few states could lay claim to having genuinely conducted free and fair elections as universally perceived. Hence, election administration that will attain governmental legitimacy after polls has always been a serious concern to electoral scholars. 41 The reason for this is not far-fetched. It is well known that most new states in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are too weak for the assignment. This is why state capacity is one of the major prerequisites for democratic nurturing, sustenance, and consolidation. In the extant literature on democratization and state capacity generally, five elements are crucial to the strength of the state vis: (a) monopoly of the coercive power of society, that is, control of instrument of coercion; (b) the right to improve tax and collect revenue; (c) the power of legal enactment, that is, power to make laws; (d) sovereignty over territory and society; and (e) control of the institutions of the state or state apparatus, i. . bureaucracy. 42 These five elements taken together constitutes the basis of state power and they endow the state with the status of statehood. However, it needs be emphasized that nation states which qualify for the status of statehood may differ in their degree of stateness; some are strong states, and others are weak. No doubt, Nigeria falls into the category of weak or soft states. Like others in her category, Nigeria runs a system, one in which formal rules (laws, officially stated administrative rules and practices, etc. are applied copiously and in a lax manner rather than rigorously and consistently. It is one in which private advantage can be gained and private bargains struck concerning the enforcement or non-enforcement of the rules as when a businessman bribes a tax official. Besides money, another inducement is kinship sentiment while another is the favour of superiors. The consequential effect is that in several cases, individuals may be too powerful than the state in which the rule of law is abused with impunity. Cases of such were too numerous to be mentioned during the last Nigeria’s general elections in April 2007. 43 In a nutshell, the stronger the state in all ramifications, the better for deepening of democratic values in Nigeria. This can be achieved via the entrenchment of state institutions cum congruent political behaviour by the political elite. Perhaps the most crucial of all imperatives for the consolidation of Nigeria’s nascent democracy is the restructuring of the lopsided and structurally imbalance federal arrangement. As rightly noted by Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth: At the heart of the several conflicts plaguing the Nigerian state today is the consequence of the failure of the practice of true federalism. The power shift debate that characterized the politics of transition from military to civil rule and which has persisted several months after, rose largely out of the frustration of large segments of the population with the structure of the political system that has shut significant sections out of the corridors of power for most of the post-independence period. 4 With Nigeria being one of the most complex societies in Africa, federalism was adopted to integrate the plural and divided societies. This is in line with the perception of early generation of students of inter-group relations or plural societies, which considered federalism an effective way of achieving and preserving both integration and stability in deeply divided societies. Whenever events seemed to demand that a compromise is affected between the necessity for unity and cooperation on a wide territorial basis, â€Å"the temptation is to proffer catch all management formula, such as federalism .. >>45 This tendency to see federalism as a magic wand that can channel irreconcilable inter-ethnic hostility into conciliation and federal cooperation was subscribed to by Carnell, thus: â€Å"in tropical area characterized by extreme cultural and ethnic diversity †¦ federalism comes as something of a political panacea†. 4 In a nutshell, federalism is considered the most appropriate framework for governing multi-ethnic societies. However, recent events in Nigeria clearly demonstrate that the polity is far from being a federation, or alternatively as has been suggested, that Nigeria is not a true or real federation. 47 Since 1954, when the foundation of classical federation for Nigeria was laid,48 the system is still far from being problem-free. The story is that of both ‘political and governmental instability’. 49 Worst still, Nigeria’s ethnic make-up remains what Furnival calls â€Å"in the strictest sense a medley (of people) for they mix but do not combine†.