Critically Assess the Uses and Limitations of Financial Statements Essay

Critically assess the uses and limitations of financial statements The definition for a financial statement is a written report which quantitatively describes the financial health of a company. (www. investorwords. com) It consists of a balance sheet, income statements and a cash flow statement. This essay will critically asses the uses and limitations of each of these types of financial statements for a business. A balance sheet shows the financial condition of a business at a specific date (Langemeier & Klinefelter 2008). It shows what is owned by the business, what is owed and the owner’s share (net worth) of the business. The balance sheet has three main uses. Firstly, it is used for reporting purposes as part of a limited company’s annual accounts. These must be shown to Companies House, HM Revenue and Customs and any shareholders unless agreed otherwise. It is also used to let potential investor’s or lenders asses the worth of a business at any given time. This way they can judge whether they think they should be investing money into the business according to how solvent the business is, how liquid its assets are, how the business is financed and how much capital is being used. Finally they can be used by the business itself to analyse how to improve its management. There are a few limitations of a balance sheet as some values of current assets are estimated (www. businesslink. gov. uk); therefore the balance sheet does not reflect a 100% accurate financial position of a business. Also, the fixed assets in the balance sheet have taken the depreciation of the asset into consideration and so the true value is not shown. Finally, intangible assets such as goodwill cannot be measured and are therefore estimated figures too and may be very inaccurate thus causing the whole balance sheet to be incorrect. Therefore a balance sheet is useful in many ways as long as whoever is interpreting the figures takes into consideration that a few of the figures are not accurate. An income statement, also known as a profit and loss account, measures the profits or losses a business has made over a certain period of time (money-zine. com). If a business wishes to expand and needs a bank loan they will need to produce their profit and loss accounts for the previous three years so the bank can see whether they will be able to repay the loan. These must be accurate records or it will be taken into account as fraud. There are many advantages of keeping accurate and up to date records. Firstly, it gives a business the information it needs to be managed and help it grow. If a business can see where its strong or weak points are then it can find ways to improve for example by cutting down on expenses. It also enables a business to produce their income statement quickly if required and filling in their tax return easier and quicker which in turn reduces the risk of interest for late tax payments. These financial statements are usually available to the public which means competitors can see how each other are doing, however very few people understand them when all transactions are recorded in larger companies. There are also some limitations of income statements one being that its data does not tell the user anything about what may happen in the future or factors that may affect future growth of the company. It is simply limited to accounting data. The second limitation is that not all businesses use an acceptable accounting method. An example from www. money-zine. com states that â€Å"if a business decides to accelerate depreciation then they hurt short-term net income and earnings (depreciation expense is larger). If they use straight line depreciation, net income in earlier years will be higher – but it will be lower in the future (all things being equal)†. The final type of financial statement is a cash flow statement. It records the inflow and outflow of cash over a period of time. The cash flow statement allows investors to understand how a company’s operations are running, where its money is coming from, and how it is being spent. According Hertenstein Article 26 there are three main people that want to see a business’s cash flow statements. Firstly stockholders want to know if the business is generating enough cash to pay dividends. Secondly suppliers want to know if their customers will be able to pay if offered credit. Thirdly investors want to evaluate future growth potential. These types of financial accounts are cheap to maintain because you do not have to be a trained accountant to produce them as they are not a complicated as the other types of financial accounts. Though the cash flow statement is a very useful tool of financial analysis, it has its own limitations which must be kept in mind at the time of its use. The main limitation is that the cash flow statement only records cash transactions and so ignores the basic accounting concept of accruals and tems bought on credit and therefore are not suitable for judging the profitability of a business. Also cash flow statements are prepared using historical information which is in the past. Therefore it does not asses what may happen in the future to a business’s accounts. In conclusion, there are many uses for financial statements as they provide a solid picture of a business’s performance when compared to each other, and the users can easily spot flaws in the entity’s financial position and manage these accordingly. However their limitations must be considered when analysing the data as they only supply the reader with past and present quantitative data and do not address any of the qualitative economic variables such as the morale of the employees or the quality of the management team. There is currently no way of measuring these intangible assets, even though a business’s human resources are some of its most valuable assets.

Jahangir

Sedimentary rocks in Pakistan range in age from Precambrian to Miocene i. e from oldest to youngest on the geological time scale form 542 million years to latest. Luckily for geoscientists all of them are exposed in different parts of the country. Lithologically they constitute sandstone, limestone, shale and mixed lithologies of them all. These rocks are exposed all along the mountain ranges from Islamabad in north to Karachi in the south. Igneous rocks are exposed north of Peshawar or only at Nagarparker in the southeastern corner of the country.You better study ‘Stratigraphy and historical geology of Pakistan' by Kazmi and Abbasi (2008), which will provide you a full knowledge about the rocks in Pakistan. ‘Geology and tectonics of Pakistan' by Kazmi and Jan (1997) also gives details of distribution of ores and minerals in different parts of the country. Names [de] Mergel [en] marl Description Marl is a sedimentary rock made of clay and limestone, which belongs to the f amily of pelitic rocks (clays

Sense and Descriptive Essay

Your second portfolio will be a descriptive essay about your favorite location. You will not be focused on building characters or telling a story in this paper – Your paper will purely describe. Remember that your descriptions should use imagery and sensory details, meaning that it should appeal to the five senses. While reading your paper, I should be able to picture your location.Your favorite room of your house Your favorite location in nature An event you have attended that was particularly fun, such as: A school field trip A youth retreat A summer camp A tourist destination Think about the following questions to help you brainstorm ideas for your description:– What places in nature, such as the ocean or mountains, do you especially enjoy visiting? Think about places you have visited with friends or family.– What unusual plants or animals in nature would lend themselves to being described in an interesting way?– What is an object or place that you see often without really thinking much about it—for instance, your backyard? Try observing it more closely.Observe and Record Details (Prewriting)A descriptive essay is most effective if it is packed with details that vividly portray the object or place being described. Set aside some time to observe your subject closely and write down the details you notice using the Sensory Chart Prewriting Activity Sheet (attached). Record sensory details (sights, sounds, scents, flavors, and textures) that you can include in your descriptive essay.As you record sensory details, it helps to pretend that your reader has never seen the object or scene you are describing. Even if some details seem obvious, write them down! Remember that your reader can’t see what you’re seeing, so you want to record as much detail as possible in order to paint a mental picture of your object/scene for your readerWhen you record what you see, record things like colors, textures, lighting, and movemen ts. When you record what you feel, describe textures & temperatures (bumpy, smooth, rough, soft, fluffy, warm, cold). Use similes to make comparisons between what you feel when you touch the object or objects in your scene to familiar things Example – The tree’s bark is rough like coarse sandpaper. When you record what you hear, smell, and taste (if applicable), close your eyes! This helps you to hone in on these senses.It is best to observe your subject directly if possible. However, if you are not able to do so—for instance, if you are writing about a faraway vacation spot you visited last summer—you can still take time to brainstorm details. Use photographs, letters, or conversations to jog your memory. Then write down the sensory impressions you recall.Your paper should consist of the following:1. Introduction: Begin with a memorable image or idea that sets the tone for your essay. Try to convey an overall impression about the place you are describing . For instance, a beach scene could come across as tranquil and idyllic or stormy and foreboding, depending on the details chosen.2. At least 3 body paragraphs: The details presented in the body of your description should present a vivid  portrait of your scene. This is where you need to load up on that sensory detail from your observations. 1st body paragraph – Explain one reason why you like your location & use at least one sense to illustrate that reason. 2nd body paragraph- Explain a second reason why you like your location & use at least one sense to illustrate that reason. 3rd body paragraph- Explain a third reason why you like your location & use at least one sense to illustrate that reason.3. Conclusion Sum up why this place is important to you and end with a memorable final image.General Guidelines: 2 pages in length At least 5 paragraphs (intro, 3 body, conclusion) Double space 12 point, Times New Roman font Heading in upper left hand corner with your name, date, and name of assignment (Descriptive Portfolio) Title for your essay, centered. Proofread for spelling, grammar, and punctuation.Descriptive Essay RubricCriteria Expectations Points Up for Grabs Focus -The essay is tightly focused on a single location/scene. -The importance of the scene is explained in detail to the audience. – Ideas and details in the essay are consistently relevant to the topic. Final – 20Content – Essay consists of an introduction, at least three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. – Essay consistently develops the description effectively with vivid details (including sensory images) and specific examples and explanations. Final – 20Organization – The essay is consistently well- organized and follows a clear pattern of organization. – Transitions are used consistently and effectively within and between paragraphs. Final – 20Style, Voice & Language– Vivid and specific details and explanations used. †“ Precise word choice and varied sentences used. – The voice of the essay reflects the writer’s feelings and personality and is appropriate to the subject and audience. Final – 20Conventions – Correct use of spelling, punctuation, grammar. – Heading included (name, date, title of assignment) – Double Spaced – 12 point, Times New Roman font Final – 20

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 66

Marketing - Essay Example These strategies include the reduction of the number of materials for packing used, the use of packages that are environmentally friendly, use of reusable containers and giving support to the services that involve the collection and recycling of packages (Murphy & Donald, pp 203 & 204). The improvement of the performance system can be affected by the reduction of packing. For instance, the carriers’ tariffs and carriers’ classifications affect the nature of packaging and the packing techniques that should be used. Moreover, the specifications of carrier for defensive packaging cut the probability of destruction to products during carriage; this decreases the loss amount and the damage allegations that do not favor the carrier (Murphy & Donald, pp 206 & 207). Among the ten principles of material handling, the most surprising ones are the ergonomic principle and the work principle. The ergonomic principle aims at adapting work to suit the workers ability. This principle is surprising because of the fact that it tries to encompass the workers mental tasks something that appears almost impossible. The other principle is surprising because the minimization of material handling work without sacrificing productivity is not an easy task and is tricky (Murphy & Donald, pp213). The fragmented logistics and unified logistic of the organizational structure are comparable because, in both, the multiple logistics activities can be put in the same department despite their differences. These two logistic structures, however, differ because, in fragmented logistics structure, the activities management is in multiple departments while in the unified logistic structure, all the activities are managed in one department. Moreover, the classification of unified logistics structure is based on the quantity and the action given to the department. The classification of fragmented logistic structure is, however, based on quantity and the activity given to

The death of Prophet Mohammed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The death of Prophet Mohammed - Essay Example It therefore follows that the holy book Al-Qur’an and the word of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) are the two most authentic sources of information for a practicing Muslim (follower of Islam). It is for this reason that the personality of Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is held in high respect and esteem throughout the Muslim world. According to the most authentic of historical records, Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was born at Mecca in the year 570 A.D where he led his early life. His father Abdullah died a few weeks before his birth and his mother died when he was six years of age. ‘Abd al Muttalib’, who was his paternal grandfather, raised him until he was eight years of age, at which point he also passed away. Later on, he was raised by his uncle ‘Abu Talib’. Muhammad (P.B.U.H) spent his early life at the holy city of Mecca, and later on migrated to the city of Madina where he spent the rest of his life. The holy Qur’an was revealed over a period of twenty three years during which time Muhammad (P.B.U.H) continued his preaching activities and managed to convert a lot of Arabs to the religion of Islam. A number of wars took place during this time, and some time before his death, the holy city of Mecca was conquered. This was a turning point in the history of this region and almost all of the tribes of Arabs came under the influence of this newly growing religion. In the eleventh year after migration (al-Hijra), Muhammad (P.B.U.H) started to have health problems which presented as a headache and fever. For more than eleven days he led the prayers of Muslims under these conditions of illness. As his illness progressed, he shifted to his wife Ayesha’s room where he spent the remaining days of his life. A few days before his death, his fever got worse, for which he told his followers to pour water on him. When his fever got better, he spoke to his people and forbade them from worshipping

Hospitality Industry Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hospitality Industry Management - Essay Example In their analysis, (Elliot et al 2012, 94) agree that Ku-De-Ta Hotels should assess the consequences of total customers in relation to other substitute products offered by rival hotels. It means they should introduce incentives for retaining loyalty program. This will limit the buyer alternatives enjoyed by most customers. Another significant implication involves expansions of economies of scale because of rigid government policy. Australia has complicated legislations of conducting business that often affect industry profitability. Consequently, (Gordon, 2012, 125) believes Ku-De-Ta Hotel deserve to invest in product differentiation to establish a strong brand and customer loyalty. In brand loyalty, threats should be averted by accessing equal distribution of products and services in the new market. It should also invest in modern modes of advertising such as the use of Facebook, Twitter, or blogs to establishing lasting rapport with middle-class clients frequently using technology (Knight, 2013, 114). However, this is only possible by having adequate capital requirements to sustain industry profitability that usually balances the absolute costs of conducting business. Accordingly, (Morrison 2002, 123) assert that capital requirements could be solicited through loans or savings. The entry of new entrants will lead to low threats because of setbacks such as expected competition and low cost benefits. Ku-De-Ta Hotel also has an edge over others because of its feasible location proves it difficult for new entrants (Knight, 2013, 124). In switching costs, Ku-De-Ta Hotel is faced with the threat of their rivals who offer substitute products and, thus, interfere with customer loyalty. This suggests that customers are susceptible to alternatives such as identifying hotels that have warm water instead of cold water. It, thus, is upon Ku-De-Ta Hotel

Product launch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Product launch - Essay Example Research on the market of this product had been underway for years and it was proven that the people of Canada were more than willing to install this radiant heating process in their homes so this will be a huge success due to the availability of a ready market. Twenty slides and video presentations were made to inform the prospective customers on how to use and install and maintain this system. The product manager also ensured of teamwork within the different departments of the company providing this service. This has contributed to the great success of this product in the market. With several trials of this product in the market, it was evaluated and the best model developed. The competition from competitors is low as the Can-A-Floor has been embraced by the people due to the massive campaigns and advertisement. The prices are also customer friendly making it affordable to almost if not all citizens. Highly trained sales and support people have been deployed into the market for customer assistance. The installation personnel is also highly skilled ensuring that customer satisfaction is achieved. It is a high time that people kicked cold floors out of their lives by using

Movie summary on Tough Guise Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Movie summary on Tough Guise - Research Paper Example Movie summary on "Tough Guise" When Katz asks young men to define what it means to be a man, he gets feedbacks like physical, in control, strong, athletic, stud, tough, and powerful. However, when men fail to conform, they are called emotional, bitch, fag, queer, and pussy. In this film, it is depicted that men tend to be more aggressive and physical, but women are the exact opposite. Towards the end in a section referred to as â€Å"Better Man,† Katz documents that America has made some positive attempts and features several earlier examples from more human and sensitive men and media content. Analysis of feminist theme in â€Å"Tough Guise† Masculinity and violence â€Å"Tough guise† was well-developed, using effective and interesting examples to bring out its main topic about masculinity and violence. The rest of the ideas presented were well supported to give good insight into the concepts of masculinity constructed by the current society. Regardless of these strengths, the movie over exem plified the idea of masculinity by merely addressing â€Å"toxic characters.† However, this does not erase the fact that the movie clearly shows the application of masculinity to violence and crime. The movie is really a challenging one especially when one thinks of the way films and the media marginalize men. While watching the movie, it is important to reflect on the discussion in the book, Women's Voices by Shaw and Janet Lee about gender and performance. They argue, â€Å"There are politics in sexual relationships because they occur in the context of a society that assigns power based on gender and other systems of inequality and privilege† (Shaw & Lee 46). Most of the critiques of masculinity may be inclusive of arguments that it disregards dissimilarities and outlines ideas in a heteronormative conception of gender. Such critiques are put forward by feminist thinkers who discuss this concept. The arguments by Shaw and Lee are very interchangeable and have a clear connection with the film because it is argued that masculinity can be replaced by â€Å"aggressiveness† and â€Å"femininity† with â€Å"passiveness.† The constant arguments constructed on ideas of femininity and masculinity proves the authors’ suggestions that none of these misconceptions are natural but mere performances. When the society scrutinizes dissimilarities between women and men as well as ideas of gender, it seems like people will often be performing to a certain degree. I agree with the theme of violence and masculinity in this movie that the two issues are part of the continuing crisis in America. The question that really arises when one watches the movie is â€Å"why do men behave in the way they do, and why is a huge percentage of violence committed by men and boys?† It is not merely in such few places like in video games that these happen, but it is in what is evident in normal culture. It forms part of the normal conditioning and training of

Does it matter whether or not firms pay dividends Why Essay

Does it matter whether or not firms pay dividends Why - Essay Example Those companies use that undistributed earnings to reinvest in the business and thereby increase the size of the organisation. Evidently, this practice may adversely affect the financial interests of company shareholders. However, the current market position of the firm particularly influences the implications of non-payment of dividends on the business. This paper will specifically discuss what happens whether or not firms pay dividends. Why some companies pay dividends while some others do not? Undoubtedly, a company tends to pass its earnings to shareholders as remuneration for their investments and hence to retain their interests in the company. When an organisation pays attractive dividends, existing shareholders can significantly gain from their investments. It forces shareholders to stay with the company, and the payment of dividends may also assist the company to attract new potential stakeholders (‘Investor Relations’ 2010). It is clear that dividends paid for a fiscal period is appeared on the consolidated balance sheet prepared at the end of that period. Investors mainly scrutinise current dividend rates so as to decide whether or not to purchase the stocks of the firm. Usually, if investors find that the company offers poor dividend rates, they would not be much interested in investing in that firm. It must be noted that the price of a share is greatly affected by the demand for that particular share in the stock market. Thus, poor dividend rates and non-payment of dividends may cause the firm’s stock prices to decline. Evidently, no company would be willing to accept a decline in its share prices. Therefore, today many of the companies strive to meet its investors’ interests and to attract new potential investors by paying attractable dividends to stockholders. In contrast, rapidly growing concerns would keep maximum money with them so as to promote further growth. Hence, those concerns would not pay dividends. Even a mat ure organisation which believes that it has further growth potential may choose to reinvest its earnings into the business. Companies that do not pay dividends may use the saved money to invest in a new project, acquire new assets, repurchase their shares that have been sold to outsiders, or even to buy out a running company. Many firms avoid paying dividends to eliminate the huge expenses of issuing new stocks. By keeping their full earnings with them, companies can get rid of the risk of raising funds to meet their various needs. Does it matter whether or not firms pay dividends? The implications of payment or non-payment of dividends on the business may vary according to the investors’ actual investment interests. If the business is still rapidly growing and the investor has long term interests in the company, then non-payment of dividends would not matter. More precisely, when an investor aims at high rates of returns on his investment in the long term, he would be willin g to sacrifice his short term financial interests for the long term growth of the firm. As discussed already, the reinvestment of earnings in the business would greatly assist a growing organisation to fuel its business growth. Therefore, a financially sound investor would support reinvestment of profits for the further growth of the business. From a tax perspective, non-payment of dividends can better serve the financial interes

Would you expect cancer to arise more often in types of cells that Essay

Would you expect cancer to arise more often in types of cells that divide frequently (such as skin cells) or in types of cells that divide rarely or not at all (such as nerve cells) Explain your reasoning - Essay Example Therefore, cancer is result of errors in reproduction or failure to separate genetic materials properly at the time of mitosis. Skin cancer is closely linked with cell mitosis because it is the process through which cells replicate, and without it, cancerous cells would not be able to form. Cancer begins with single regular cell shifting into a cancerous cell; this may be because of a transmutation within the cells genetic material that influences its development. Once a cell has altered in this manner, it is likely to reproduce at a much quicker pace than normal, â€Å"and the bad cancerous cells proliferate and pile up. They go through uncontrolled abnormal mitosis. These renegade cells escape the normal controls of mitotic cell division† (Picorino, 2012). Cancer cells as well have an abnormal form as well as behavior. This sort of cell is more likely to separate it from surrounding ones and shift to other parts of the

Analysis of the Kurt Vonnegut and Margaret Atwoods stories Essay

Analysis of the Kurt Vonnegut and Margaret Atwoods stories - Essay Example Although many of us uphold equality as an undeniable human right, the majority have their own subjective idea of what equality means. Prior to reading Vonnegut's story, I believed that I supported equality as a principle but never considered what type of equality I believed in. Following my reading, I discovered that I believed in equality before the law and equality of opportunity but, definitely do not support economic equality and equality of capacities. Economic equality entails denying people their right to succeed, just as equality of capacities ensures that people cannot strive to become all that they can be. Accordingly, I cannot support absolute equality although I most definitely do believe in the fundamental equality of all before the law. The equality to which I am committed is an equality of opportunity as would allow people to fulfill their ambitions and realize their potentials. As I am writing this, however, I cannot help but think of Atwood's story and the simple and absolute truth it conveys. That truth is that in the end, we are all going to die.

Advanced Research Writing Essay Example for Free

Advanced Research Writing Essay The topic of online education, specifically relating to teaching writing in a distant learning environment was covered by Professor Kate Kiefer. Kiefer is a Professor and Writing Integration Coordinator at Colorado State University. She has a PH.D in rhetoric from Carnegie Mellon University and has written numerous published articles, including three textbooks. In the book Brave New Classrooms, Professor Kiefer writes a chapter titled, Do Students Lose More Than They Gain In Online Classrooms? Professor Kiefer tackles the difficult questions of just how much are students getting out of online writing classes. What is the goal of an online student? Kiefer clearly has an issue with distance education and voices her opinion of its inferiority to a classroom environment. Her numerous assertions of distance learning students not getting the complete education experience must be taken for what it is, an instructor’s point of view and not a student’s. Online education is becoming more prevalent every day, because not everyone has the time or funding to get to and from a college campus. This method should be embraced by instructors and not talked down on, simply because there is no other option for so many. Professor Kiefer wholeheartedly states in her article, that she believes taking an online writing class is inferior to a traditional structured classroom environment. She states that she is not in the majority on this issue, but she speaks of the many difficulties that face a student and teacher online. One of Professor Kiefers most adamant points against online writing classes is the true lack of interaction a student can have. She talks of how so many online classrooms have students who do not participate and do only what is needed to pass the class. Kiefer suggests that on-line classes are often full of students who are looking to check a box and get that next check mark, which will take them to finish line and a degree. She also states how not having peer to peer interaction robs the online student of so much valuable education. In a writing class it is pivot al she states to have your fellow  students peer review your work and not just have the teacher looking at your assignment. She covers the issue of how universities are trying to add more and more students online, because when it all boils down to it, money is what they are after. Professor Kiefer goes over a few ideas of how to make an online writing class better, such as requiring participation in discussions, but eventually she feels that online instruction in writing classes, leave the student short of what a teacher would like them to learn in a class. Professor Kiefer is very adamant on the loss of personal interaction in online writing classes and how it diminishes the importance of personal interaction, which to some extent is very true. In a recent article published by the â€Å"Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks†, documenting over 125 traditional face to face classes, it found very strong support for the existence of a community of inquiry that is shared within each class section. (Fernandes, Oct 2013) While It may be almost impossible to capture the same type of peer to peer interaction in a distance learning course compared to a traditional classroom, the study does not take into account that many online students have a network of support they are able to bounce ideas off of. While the journal study names student networking as a weakness to online classrooms, it does not really mention the fact that many physical classroom environments have students that do not want to participate. Professor Kiefer also addresses the high dropout rate of online students. This makes me wonder if the dropout rate is due to non-flexibility within the school offering the classes of if it is students just not taking it seriously. A recent study published in â€Å"Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks† by the Dean of Online Education at Dallas Baptist University noted that their university offers thirty-four online degree programs and Dallas Baptist University has maintained a 92% course com pletion rate (Shelton, Oct 2009). I would have liked to have seen professor Kiefer give the standard dropout rate of traditional classroom students at a university. It is very possible that online education is still in such an evolving state, that there are many different factors leading to a high dropout rate. Many schools have not properly trained their faculty in correctly dealing with online education, while some of it is definitely the daily lives of online students that get it in the way. Professor Kiefer makes many valid points on her topics, however the reasons  she gives regarding why students take online courses, are the exact reasons they must continue. People with jobs and forty hour work week cant take time out to drive to the university every day. Online classes have been going for a number of years now, but it is still in its infancy compared to classroom instruction. There are still so many ideas created each day that can make this learning environment better. Professor Kiefer makes a good argument regarding the negative impacts of online writing classes, but the reason we have online classes to start with are why they cant stop. The goals of online students are the same as other students, they want to better their lives and further educate themselves. That lifeline cannot be taken away, because there are doubts about its effectiveness. It is up to everyone to keep making strides and improving the experience of online education. Bibliography Fernandes, B. R. (Oct 2013). Measuring the Community in Online Classes. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 17(3), pp 115-136. Kiefer, K. (2007). Do Students Lose More than They Gain in Online Writing Classes? In Brave New Classrooms. (Vol. 37, pp. 141-151). New York, NY: Peter Lang USA. Shelton, K. (Oct 2009). Does Strong Faculty Support Equal Consistent Course Completion?: It Has for Dallas Baptist University. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 13(3), pp 63-66.

Evaluating Treating Through Therapy For Borderline Personality Disorder Nursing Essay

Evaluating Treating Through Therapy For Borderline Personality Disorder Nursing Essay Despite the many treatment options for people with BPD, Many professionals in mental health services continue to believe that personality disorders are untreatable. This essay provides evidence the effectiveness of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) with Borderline Personality Disorder. Background To understand BPD, I will attempt to give a historical overview of BPD. In the 1800s, Philippe Pinel first used the French term manie sans delire (mania without delirium) to designate those individuals engaging in deviant behavior but showing no signs of a thought disorder such as hallucinations or delusions, psychiatry began to think about borderline personality disorders as early as 1801. Although the meaning of the term has changed through many writings on the subject over time, the writing of Cleckley and his use of the label psychopath in The Mask of Sanity brought the term into accepted usage (Meloy 1998). The Mask of Sanity is a book written by Hervey Cleckley first published in 1941; he gave the most significant clinical description of psychopathy in the 20th century. An expanded edition of the book was published in 1982, when the name was changed from psychopathy to Personality Disorder. In 1972, newer editions of the book reflected a closer alliance with Kernbergss (1984) borderline level of personality organization, in particular defining the structural criteria of the psychopaths identity integration, defensive operations and reality testing. The diagnosis borderline was introduced in the 1930s to label patients with problems that seemed to fall somewhere in between neurosis and psychosis (Stern, 1938). In 1938, the psychoanalyst Adolph Stern first described most of the symptoms that are now considered as criteria of borderline disorder. He suggested the possible causes of the disorder, and what he believed to be the most successful form of psychotherapy for these patients, he also renamed the disorder again, and he named the disorder by referring to patients with the symptoms he described as the border line group (Freidel 2004). In 1940, the psychoanalyst Robert Knight introduced the concept of ego psychology into his explanation of borderline disorder. Ego psychology deals with mental functions that allow us to effectively combine our thoughts and feelings and to develop helpful responses to life around us. He suggested that people with borderline disorder have impairments in a lot of of these functions, and he referred to them as borderline states (Friedel 2004). The next important input was made by the psychoanalyst Otto Kernberg (1967); he introduced the term borderline personality organisation. He proposed that mental disorders were determined by three distinctive personality organisations: psychotic, neurotic and borderline personality. Kernberg has been a strong promoter of modified psychoanalytic therapy for patients with borderline disorder (Friedel 2004). Roy Grinker in 1968 published results of the first research conducted on patients with borderline disorder, which he referred to as the borderline syndrome (Friedel 2004). The next major advance in the field occurred when Gunderson and Singer (1975) published a widely acclaimed article that synthesized the relevant, published information on borderline disorder, and defined its major characteristics. Gunderson then published a specific research instrument to enhance the accurate diagnosis of borderline disorder. This instrument enabled researchers over the world to verify the validity and integrity of borderline disorder. Subsequently, borderline personality disorder first appeared in DSM-III as a bona fide psychiatric diagnosis in 1980 (Friedel 2004). Personality disorder categories are not firmly grounded in theory, nor are they empirically based (Livesley, 1998). Some critics say that personality disorder categories are so flawed that the best option is to abolish them and start afresh, but most pragmatists recognise that so much has been invested in them that they are very likely here to stay (Blackburn 2000a; Livesley, 1998). Borderline personality disorder is associated with significant impairment, especially in relation to the capacity to sustain stable relationships as a result of personal and emotional instability (NICE 2009). For many, the severity of symptoms and behaviours that characterise borderline personality disorder, correlate with the severity of personal, social and occupational impairments. However, this is not always the case, and some people with what appears to be, in other ways, marked borderline personality disorder may be able to function at very high levels in their careers (Stone, 1993). Paris (1994) stated that about one-third of patients with BPD report severe abuse involving an incestuous perpetrator; about one-third report milder forms of abuse; and about one-third do not report abuse. Personality disorders are common conditions; studies indicate prevalence of 10-13% of the adult population in the community and are more common among younger age groups (24-44 yrs) and equally distributed between males and females. However, the sex ratio for specific types of personality disorder is variable e.g. antisocial personality disorder is more common among males, and borderline personality disorder more common amongst females (DOH 2003). Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) can be seen as an umbrella term for many different therapies that share some common elements. The earliest form of Cognitive Behavior Therapy was developed by Albert Ellis in the early 1950s. Aaron T.Beck independently developed another CBT approach, called Cognitive Therapy, in the 1960s. Cognitive Therapy rapidly became a favorite intervention to study in psychotherapy research in academic settings. In initial studies, it was often contrasted with behavioral treatments to see which was most effective. However, in recent years, cognitive and behavioral techniques have often been combined into cognitive behavioral treatment. This is arguably the primary type of psychological treatment being studied in research today. One specific form of cognitive-behavioural therapy is dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), a broad-based, cognitive-behavioural programme developed specifically to reduce self-harm in women with borderline personality disorders (Linehan, 1993a; Linehan 1993b). Recent research has shown that dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is one of the first therapies that have demonstrated to be effective for treating borderline personality disorder as well as being effective in treating people who display varied symptoms and behaviours associated with mood disorders, including self-harm. DBT combines standard cognitive-behavioural techniques for emotion regulation and reality-testing with concepts of mindful-awareness, distress tolerance, and acceptance. 1.2 Rationale As a mental health nurse coming from a forensic background, I have experience of working with clients with personality disorder. I feel that by getting more of an understanding of CBT interventions, it will make a huge difference to my future practice in the future. McKenna et al (1999) state that it is unacceptable for health care not to be based on sound evidence of its effectiveness, and back up their practice with research-based evidence (NMC, 2008) to ensure effective clinical practice. Often nurses find it frustrating working with disorders of personality. These clients can be manipulative, socially inappropriate and difficult, for these reasons, such clients need all the patience and skills nurses have to offer. Until recently, personality disorder services in the NHS had been diverse, spasmodic and inconsistent (Department of Health, 2003). Besides functional impairment and emotional distress, borderline personality disorder is also associated with significant financial costs to the healthcare system, social services and the wider society (NICE 2009). 1.3 Aims and objectives The aims and objectives of this project are to review the evidence on the efficacy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy with people who have Borderline Personality. 1.4 Methodology and parameters This literature review was conducted using the following resources Electronic databases: Cochrane library, CINHAL, Medline, Psychinfo, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Academic Search Premier Key journals were hand searched: British Journal of Psychiatry, Journal of Personality Disorders, Mental Health Practice, Journal of Personality and Mental Health University and Trust libraries Google Google scholar The following types of literature were sought and reviewed where available Randomised control trials Systematic and structured review Quantitative and Qualitative research studies Position statements/guidelines from professional bodies Government policies (NICE (2009), NSF (1999) Text Books Inclusion and exclusion criteria Eligibility for this review was determined by the following criteria: à ¢-  Participants: adults with BPD (diagnosed according to DSM-III/DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, DSM-IV-TR or ICD-10 criteria for BPD), with or without co-morbidity. à ¢-  Intervention: psychological therapies, including CBT, DBT à ¢-  Comparators: CBT/DBT or treatment as usual à ¢-  Outcomes: self-harm, suicide, interpersonal and social functioning à ¢-  Study type: published papers were assessed according to the accepted hierarchy of evidence, whereby systematic reviews of RCTs are taken to be the most authoritative forms of evidence, with uncontrolled observational studies the least authoritative. à ¢-  Exclusion criteria: papers on personality disorder without separate BPD subgroup analyses. The studies were obtained through a number of sources, as above. Searches were performed by entering the key words Borderline Personality Disorder, Cognitive behaviour therapy into several databases, which yielded many secondary references of current best evidence. Search filters developed consisted of a combination of subject headings. The topic-specific filters were combined with appropriate research design filters developed for systematic reviews, RCTs and other appropriate research designs. These articles were selected after careful reading of the title and abstract to identify the most useful. I then limited my search to full articles which made my search a lot easier. The definitive text that will be used to aid my search will be NICE Clinical Guidelines for Personality disorder 78. This guideline makes recommendations for the treatment and management of borderline personality disorder in adults and young people (under the age of 18) who meet criteria for the diagnosis in prim ary, secondary and tertiary care. Borderline personality disorder is present in just under 1% of the population, and is most common in early adulthood. Women present to services more often than men. Borderline personality disorder is often not formally diagnosed before the age of 18, but the features of the disorder can be identified earlier. Its course is variable and although many people recover (NICE 2009). This search will comprise both British and international articles. When choosing which articles were going to be relevant, I found it impossible to ignore the amount of articles I had on DBT and as DBT was evolved from CBT and made specifically for BPD, I decided to bring it into my research project. The articles are mixed quantitative and qualitative research. The qualitative means of gathering subjective data is centred on an individuals experience, beliefs, empowerment and quality of care and does not solely concentrate on clinical outcomes for the individual. One could argue that this is the most appropriate aspect of research for mental health nurses as mental illness is individual for each person involved in the process and although BPD is not a mental illness The National Service Framework for adult mental health sets out our responsibilities to provide evidence based, effective services for all those with severe mental illness, including people with personality disorder who experience significant distress or difficulty (NIMH 2003). While these can be misconceived as an easy option form of research, qualitative research offers rich, reflective and exhaustive data that is invaluable and has a profound contribution to make to take to practice. The qualitative evidence was li mited with regards to the treatments reviewed, with an emphasis on DBT. Quantitative research is a formal, objective, and rigorous statistical process for generating information about the world (Burns Grove 1999), whereby the researcher would gather a range of numerical data in order to answer the research question, or prove, disprove a hypothesis (Parahoo 2006). Philosophies or schools of thought in research are called paradigms (Parahoo 2006). One such paradigm is positivism. Parahoo (2006) asserts that positivism relies on observations by the human senses to create fact (empiricism), and believe in the unity of science, and the notion of cause and effect (determinism). The positivist researcher will endeavour to test a hypothesis or theory using the deductive process of a course of experiments. This paradigm utilises a quantitative approach in its research methods. For the positivists, quantitative research is believed to provide hard evidence and objective fact that can provide knowledge on which to base best practice (Parahoo 2006). Efficacy studies focus on the usefulness of a specific helping methodology for a particular kind of problem. Comparisons are made between the methodology in question and some other methodology between clients with some disorder who do receive the treatment and those who do not or between two different methodologies for treating the same disorder. These studies are carried out under controlled conditions. Many of the studies are well designed and demonstrate efficacy. In a healthcare context, efficacy indicates the capacity for beneficial change (or therapeutic effect) of a given intervention. Chapter 2 The Literature Review Having undertaken a critical review of the literature, I have come to explore a number of issues which I feel necessary to consider, key themes emerging from this literature review are the impact of CBT DBT on suicidal behaviours, the impact of CBT DBT on self-harming behaviours, and the impact of CBT DBT on engagement. This chapter sets out to explore these themes in more detail. The most appropriate research design to answer this is the RCT; therefore the evidence base reviewed comprised available RCTs undertaken in people with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. The causes of borderline personality disorder are complex and remain uncertain. The following may all be contributing factors: genetics and constitutional vulnerabilities; neurophysiological and neurobiological dysfunctions of emotional regulation and stress; psychosocial histories of childhood maltreatment and abuse; and disorganisation of aspects of the behavioural system, most particularly the attachment system (NICE 2009). The history of specific psychological interventions designed to help people with borderline personality disorder is intertwined with changing conceptions of the nature of the disorder itself. Given the confusion that surrounds the nature of personality disorder, it is not surprising that this has impacted on NHS care for people with this diagnosis. Until recently, personality disorder services in the NHS had been diverse, spasmodic and inconsistent (Department of Health, 2003). Borderline personality disorder is particularly common among people who are drug and/or alcohol dependent, and within drug and alcohol services there will be more women with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder than men (Swartz 1990). Borderline personality disorder is also more common in those with an eating disorder (Zanarini et al., 1998), and also among people presenting with chronic self-harming behaviour (Linehan et al., 1991). 2.1 Defining Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a structured psychological treatment that focuses on helping a person make connections between their thoughts, feelings and behaviour. CBT was originally developed as a treatment for depression, and has since been modified for the treatment of people with personality disorders including borderline personality disorder. CBT focuses on altering the thoughts, emotions, and behaviours of patients by teaching them skills to challenge and modify beliefs, to engage in experimental reality testing, and to develop better coping strategies. The goals of these interventions are to decrease the conviction of delusional beliefs, and hence their severity, and to promote more effective coping and reductions in distress. This essay will attempt to assess the contribution of CBT the disorder by discussing reviews on efficacy and long term effects. Cognitive behavioral therapy  for borderline personality disorder (CBT for BPD) was developed on the premise that people with the disorder have learned distorted beliefs and thought patterns. These, in turn, result in the distressing emotional responses and behaviors that characterize borderline personality disorder. It is the initial objective of CBT for  BPD  to  identify the distorted, automatic thoughts and  beliefs held by the patient with borderline disorder.  Such beliefs outlined by Beck Freeman(1990) typically include those related to dependency (I am needy and weak),  distrust  (People will get me if I dont get them first), rigid, all-or-nothing (dichotomous) perceptions,  and other thought patterns  that characterize the main cognitive-perceptual symptoms of the disorder. These distorted thoughts are then modified by self-monitoring,  logical analysis and by questioning and testing them.  It is adapted for people with borderline personality disorder and pays attention to the structure of the therapy and the problems that can disrupt the therapeutic relationship , such as non-engagement in treatment, shifting problems and goals, losing focus on the aims of therapy, losing structure and lack of compliance with assignments (Davidson, 2000). In addition, CBT for BPD attempts to produce positive change by improving the attitude of the patient toward treatment, the enhancement of specific skills, and the reduction of hopelessness. The CBT therapist and the patient typically construct a list of specific problem areas. They then develop a set of tasks or exercises that generate and reinforce new attitudes, behaviors, and interpersonal strategies that replace the ones that have proven to be ineffective. Within the past 15 years, another, newer psychosocial treatment termed Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) was developed. DBT combines standard cognitive behavioural techniques with acceptance based strategies, as well as strategies designed to keep the therapy balanced between change and acceptance (dialectical strategies). Marsha M. Linehan, a psychologist from the University of Washington in Seattle, developed DBT specifically for people with BPD, especially those who engage in frequent self-destructive and self-injurious behaviours. DBT is based on the belief that the symptoms of BPD result from biological impairments in the brain mechanisms that regulate emotional responses. The early behavioural effects of this impairment are magnified, as the person with this biological risk factor interacts with people who dont validate their emotional pain and dont help them learn effective coping skills. DBT has gained considerable favour in the treatment of BPD because of the results it ha s achieved in several research studies. It has been shown that DBT can be taught to and used by many, but not all, mental health professionals. For the time being this seriously limits the broad use of this effective treatment approach. DBT seeks to validate feelings and problems, but it balances this acceptance by gently pushing to make productive changes. DBT also deals with other opposing or dialectical tensions or conflicts that arise, such as the patients perceived need for a high level of dependence on the therapists and others, and the fear and guilt aroused by such excessive dependency. DBT combines both cognitive and behavioural techniques and designed specifically to treat BPD. It is a combination of individual psychotherapy and psychosocial skills training that has been shown via controlled clinical trial to be effective in treating individuals with BPD (Linehan, 1993b). In practice, the limiting factor in providing access to psychological therapies is the very small prop ortion of NHS staff trained to deliver these to a competent standard. Fourteen women with borderline personality disorder were interviewed to ascertain what is effective about DBT and why (Cunningham et al., 2004).Participants reported that DBT allowed them to see the disorder as a controllable part of themselves rather than something that controlled them, providing them with tools to help them deal with the illness. Service users reported that DBT had had a positive effect on their relationships in day-to-day interactions, and although problems with friends and family did not disappear, they were more manageable (NICE 2009). Clients also expressed higher levels of hope and a desire to live more independently (Cunningham et al., 2004) 2.2 Suicidal acts Definition: deliberate; life threatening; resulted in medical attention; medical assessment consistent with suicide attempt. Suicide is common in people with borderline personality disorder and may occur several years after the first presentation of symptoms (Paris Zweig-Frank, 2001). A well-documented association exists between borderline personality disorder and depression (Skodol et al., 1999; Zanarini et al., 1998), and the combination of the two conditions has been shown to increase the number and seriousness of suicide attempts (Soloff et al., 2000). People with borderline personality disorder may engage in a variety of destructive and impulsive behaviours including self-harm, eating problems and excessive use of alcohol and illicit substances. Self-harming behaviour in borderline personality disorder is associated with a variety of different meanings for the person, including relief from acute distress and feelings, such as emptiness and anger, and to reconnect with feelings after a period of dissociation. As a result of the frequency with which they self-harm, people with borderline personality di sorder are at increased risk of suicide (Cheng et al, 1997), with 60 to 70% attempting suicide at some point in their life (Oldham, 2006). The rate of completed suicide in people with borderline personality disorder has been estimated to be approximately 10% (Oldham, 2006). A behavioural approach to self-harm and suicidality that incorporated skills training in emotion regulation and validation of client experience developed into dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), a specific intervention for borderline personality disorder. Cognitive-behavioural therapy along the lines of Beck, Freeman, Associates (1990) has been investigated in at least two uncontrolled trials. Brown, Newman, Charlesworth, and Chrits-Cristoph (2003) found significant decreases on suicide ideation, hopelessness, depression, number of BPD symptoms, and dysfunctional beliefs after 1 year of cognitive-behavioural therapy for suicidal or self-mutilating patients with BPD. Results were maintained at a 6 months follow- up. Effect sizes were moderate (0.22-0.55). Dropout rate was 9.4%. Arntz (1999a) found positive effects of long-lasting cognitive-behavioural therapy in a mixed sample of personality disorders, including 6 patients with BPD. Two patients with BPD dropped out prematurely, but the other four attained good results. A randomized clinical trial was conducted by Linehan et al. (1991) with 44 subjects to evaluate the effectiveness of DBT for the treatment of chronically parasuicidal women who met criteria for BPD. Patients who received DBT had an average of 8.46 inpatient days per year compared to 38.86 days for the control group. It was also noted that it did not appear that there were differences between the two groups on measures of depression, hopelessness, suicide ideation, or reasons for living. Linehan et al. (1993) conducted a naturalistic follow-up review of 39 of these subjects to determine whether the effects of DBT were maintained over one year post treatment. In the 12 to 18 month period, subjects completing DBT had fewer parasuicidal episodes and fewer medically treated episodes. In the 18- to 24-month period, there were no significant between-group differences on parasuicide measurements, although psychiatric inpatient days during this time were lower for subjects in the DBT group. Rathus et al. (2002) conducted a study with a group of suicidal adolescents with borderline personality features. Participants included 111 outpatient admissions. Eighty-two participants were assigned to treatment as usual (TAU) and 29 were assigned to DBT. The groups were not randomized, but it was noted that there was more severe pre-treatment symptomtology in the DBT group than the TAU group. The group treated with DBT had significantly fewer inpatient psychiatric hospitalisations during the 12 weeks of treatment. The groups did not differ significantly in number of suicide attempts made during treatment. There was a slightly higher rate of treatment completion in the DBT group. Hengeveld et al (1996) report a case series of nine female outpatients who had attempted suicide on at least two occasions and were offered up to ten sessions of group CBT. Seven of the nine met criteria for personality disorder and of these four had borderline personality disorder. Ten months after the last session, recurrence of self-harm was examined using telephone contacts with participants and examination of hospital records. Four of the seven participants reported further suicide attempts all four had borderline personality disorder. Linehan et al. (2006) conducted a one-year randomized controlled trial with one year of post-treatment follow up. The objective was to evaluate the hypothesis that unique aspects of DBT are more efficacious compared to treatment offered by non-behavioural psychotherapy experts. The study included 101 female participants with recent suicidal and self-injurious behaviours that met DSM-IV criteria. The subjects who received DBT were half as likely to make a suicide attempt. 2.3 Suicidal acts Definition: deliberate; resulted in visible tissue damage, nursing or medical intervention required. Self-harming behaviour in borderline personality disorder is associated with a variety of different meanings for the person, including relief from acute distress and feelings, such as emptiness and anger, and to reconnect with feelings after a period of dissociation. As a result of the frequency with which they self-harm, people with borderline personality disorder are at increased risk of suicide (Cheng et al., 1997). Service users have been positive about DBT because it has helped them to improve their relationships and their ability to control their emotions and reduce self harm. However, while some valued the structure of the approach, others preferred the programme to be more tailored and flexible. In a large sample, Tyrer et al (2003) found that CBT was equivalent to TAU for the treatment of recurrent self-harm and noted that this method was less effective for patients with BPD. Brown (2004) conducted an uncontrolled cohort study participants with borderline personality disorder who reported suicidal ideation or engaged in self-injurious behaviour received weekly CBT over a 12-month period and were followed up over an 18-month period. Individual sessions lasting 1 hour were supplemented by access to emergency telephone contact with an on-call therapist between sessions. Verheul et al. (2003) conducted a randomized controlled study for the purpose of comparing the effectiveness of DBT with TAU for patients with BPD and to examine the impact of baseline severity on effectiveness. The study included 58 women who were randomized to either DBT or TAU and who received treatment over one year. The results included: DBT had a substantially lower 12-month attrition rate (37%) compared with TAU (77%); treatment with DBT resulted in greater reduction of self-mutilating and self-damaging impulsive acts than TAU. Van den Bosch et al. (2005) published a follow-up review of this study that examined whether the treatment results in the Verheul study were sustained over six-month follow-up or up to week 78. It was noted that in the six months after treatment discontinuation, the benefits of DBT over TAU in terms of lower levels of impulsive and self-mutilating behaviours were sustained. However, it must be noted that parasuicide activity had been defined in slightly different ways in the RCTs and therefore might not be comparable across studies. Alper (2001) presents outcome data on a case series of 15 court committed women with a clinical diagnosis of borderline personality disorder that underwent treatment with nurse-led DBT in an inpatient forensic setting. There was a reduction in the frequency of self-harm over the 4-week period. In addition, the authors conducted qualitative interviews with four nurses to describe their experience of administering DBT; their responses were uniformly positive. Bateman Tryer (2004) state that the widespread adoption of dialectical behaviour therapy is a tribute both to the energy and charisma of its founder, Marsha Linehan, and to the attractiveness of the treatment, with its combination of acceptance and change, skills training, excellent manualisation, and a climate of opinion that is willing and able to embrace this multifaceted approach. It is not, however, justified by the strength of the evidence (Tyrer, 2002b) and conclusions about the long-term effectiveness of this therapy as a treatment for the personality itself are premature. Since the original trial which was handicapped by many methodological limitations, there has only been one randomised study that supports the findings unequivocally, that of Verheul et al (2003). 2.4 Non-engagement For effective treatment, commitment to therapy is required, and research shows that fewer people drop out of DBT than other therapies (verheul et al 2003) According to service users interviewed by Haigh (2002), services could be improved if: professionals acknowledged that personality disorder is treatable; they received a more positive experience on initial referral as this would make engagement with a service more likely; if the ending of a therapeutic relationship was addressed adequately; and if services were not removed as soon as people showed any signs of improvement, because this tended to increase anxiety and discourage maintenance of any improvement. In a study by Hodgetts and colleagues (2007) of five people with borderline personality disorder being treated in a DBT service, the participants reported that DBT was presented to them as the only treatment for personality disorder. This may have raised anxieties in service users about what was expected of them. While some valued the sense of structure to the treatment, others would have preferred a more tailored and flexible approach. There were also mixed feelings about the co mbination of individual therapy and group skills training. For one person the challenges of DBT proved too much so she left the programme. Another factor in her leaving was that she believed she was refused supp

Satire in Animal Farm

Satire in Animal Farm The book Animal Farm, is a political satire of a totalitarian society ruled by a mighty dictatorship, in all probability an allegory for the events surrounding the Russian Revolution. The animals of Manor Farm overthrow their human master (Mr. Jones) after a long history of mistreatment. Little by little, the pigs become dominant, gaining more power and advantage over the other animals, so much so that they become as corrupt and power-hungry as their predecessors, the humans. Major (an old boar) tells them that the source of all their problems is man, and that they must remove man from their midst for hopes of a Utopia. After Majors death Napoleon and Snowball, two boars led the rebellion were soon things start to change. Orwell builds Napoleons career in reference to this quote, Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Napoleon cheated, manipulated, and killed because of greediness for ones place in power. Mr. Jones tries to reclaim his power but the animals pr event him from doing so in what they call The Battle of the Cowshed. After the battle, Napoleon drives Snowball off the farm telling everyone that Snowball was on Mr. Jones side. This is just the beginning of what Napoleons plans are for the future of Manor Farm. This is no surprise coming from Napoleon, based on what he has done before, always disagreeing with Snowballs plans and thinking of his own. Napoleon is further appreciated by the other animals for exposing and removing the traitor, Snowball, from their midst. ÂÂ  Animal Farm is a direct comparison to the Russian Revolution and its aftermath, as a result of Joseph Stalins Communism. Orwell substitutes animals for humans, so the big concepts of communism are shown on the farm. Communism is meant to be a society where all people are equal, yet the revolution of the Russians results in certain people having more power over others, but those people are the same kind of tyrants. The pigs take over because they think that they are the smartest and in order to protect them, its eventually decided to reserve the best food for them. George Orwells Animal Farm uses satire to show the political ideology and the misuse of power in communistic society. Orwell uses humorous satire by making the setting on a farm and the characters animals. Orwell, then, shows the perversion of political ideals and the corruption of power which occur in human societies. The power of the new society becomes corrupt and the people arent all equal. Napoleon, stalin, slaughters the animals that disagree with him and who dont follow his orders. Napoleon slaughters the animals to strike fear into the other animals so that they dont rebel. When napoleon accuses snowball of destroying the windmill, even though it wasnt him. This shows that Napoleon even lies when it comes to making snowball look bad to the other animals. The main characters are animals but their failings are all too recognisably human. They begin with an attempt to form a new society, separated from the tyranny of humans and established on the principle of equality and freedom for everyone, but it all goes wrong as the pigs take over. The animals, russian people, try to create a new society and government but the new system didnt work well as curtain groups took over. Protected by the brute power of the dogs, the pigs give themselves all manner of comforts and even luxuries for themselves, while treating the other animals in the same way as slavery and how they suffered under humans. Napoleon, stalin, uses the dogs, which is the kgb, to scare the people into obeying him and following his orders. Orwell uses irony throughout that goes hand-in-hand with satire. Majors words in the beginning of the book reflect throughout the novel, all men are enemies. . . we must not resemble them. . . no animal must ever tyrannize his own according to Robert Girards , because they become a blueprint for the very behaviors of Napoleon once hes established his dominance over his own. The commandments change as his control over the animals changes and erases the original purposes of the revolution. The farmhouse, a symbol of the evil of man, is co-opted by Napoleon as his own and helps transform him into the being indistinguishable from men. The windmill, a symbol of the Revolution, becomes the means to manage the animals. Rebuilding it certainly focuses their energies on one task and not on their health, but in making Snowball the enemy for its destruction, Napoleon convinces the animals into being more determined and faithful to their cause by telling them that they do not want to work under the tyranny of Jones or one of his agents. Yet, in the end, they are exchanging one tyrant for another. Throughout the whole novel a strong phrase is said, All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others., this phrase shows what the animals originally tried to create in the beginning of the novel. When the new society started to build it became less and less equal, this is stated when Orwell states,The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which., this shows that the original society was starting to resurface but the pigs being man instead. Orwells point that the pigs are really just the same as the human tyrants they replaced is expressed in the ending of the novel, as the pigs mingle with humans to the extent that it becomes impossible to distinguish between them and the humans. Although the specific animals and events that he uses clearly resemble particular parallels in the real world, their status as symbols allows them to signify beyond specific times and places. Work cited Kirschner, Paul. The Dual Purpose of Animal Farm.' The Review of English Studies, vol. 55, no. 222, 2004, pp. 759-786. New Series, www.jstor.org/stable/3661599. Letemendia, V. C. Revolution on Animal Farm: Orwells Neglected Commentary. Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 18, no. 1, 1992, pp. 127-137., www.jstor.org/stable/3831551. George Orwell. Encyclopedia of World BiographyÂÂ ¨, Gale, 1998. Biography in Context, libraries.state.ma.us/login?gwurl=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1631004982/BIC1?u=mlin_m_mwpsxid=e86493e0. Accessed 6 Mar. 2017. Animal Farm, by George Orwell

Resopnse To Revolution Essay example -- essays research papers

Book Review Response to Revolution Response to Revolution, by Richard E. Welch Jr., is an honest and unbiased look at America’s policy towards Cuba during the Cuban Revolution. It covers the general history of and preconceived notions about the revolution in depth and gives ample attention to both sides of the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba. In addition to this Welch analyzes the reactions of America’s various factions during the early years of the revolution. Upon taking this into a change of the status quo, and of one that only played the international game of politics on its own terms. The general idea underlying Response to Revolution is the evolution of the U.S.’s opinion of the Cuban revolution from good to bad. Yet to understand this, the author shows that it is first important to understand the events and attitudes that took place between the U.S. and Cuba in the years between 1958-1961. At the onset of the Cuban revolution we find that the U.S. government supported the Batista regime and that while it was technically a democracy it reinforced bitter class differences. Eventually various factions united under Castro and the Batista government was overthrown. While the United States for the most part stayed out of this war and even cut off arm sales to Batista before his overthrow, Welch shows that by then it was to late for the U.S. to ever create a good relationship with Cuba. The reason for this is that the years of and U.S. dominated Cuban economy, combined with the troublesome Platt Amendment, fueled the fire of class differences and created in Cast ro’s mind a distrust of U.S. involvement in Cuba. However, while Castro’s anti-American stance no doubt hindered relations with the U.S., it was more the fault of the Eisenhower and Kennedy presidencies reluctance to offer aid outright to Castro and accept change in Cuba. This unwillingness of Castro to adhere to the U.S. standard or democracy in turn led to unwarranted economic sanctions, which later led to Cuba’s need for Soviet economic support. â€Å"The U.S. government measures went beyond the retaliation warranted by the injuries American citizens and interests had up to that time suffered at Castro’s hands† (Welch 58). The author further contests that the problem was only furthered when Kennedy took the matter to be personal and put into act Eisenhower’s counterrevolution inva... ...nited States’ policy towards Cuba in the years between 1958-1961 correct and well thought out? According to the book’s evidence and my personal observation of our current relationship with Cuba I would say no. The U.S. failed to see that its ideals and values were not shared by the entire world, and in Cuba’s case our values and economy lead to more social oppression that Communism would have. We as a nation were one of mixed emotions and our leaders who made decisions concerning Cuba were largely uneducated on the history and politics of Cuba, leading to a trend of bad relations. This in effect showed the U.S. to be a nation only concerned with its own interests, rather than the heroic liberator and protector of democracy. If I got anything out of all this I must say it was the realization that the U.S. as a nation was in fact no better than some of the nations I sought to ward off. In conclusion Response to revolution is an honest book that takes no sides a nd simply exposes the fact that the U.S. Policy towards Cuba during the Cuban Revolution was one that was not well though out, and ultimately ended any chance of reverting to favorable economic relations with Castro’s Cuba.

Cubas Relations with Latin America Essay -- Cuban Revolution Foreign

Cuba's Relations with Latin America Introduction The Cuban Revolution of 1959 not only affected Cuba itself, it also had a strong impact on the island’s international relations. This was particularly the case with its relationships with Latin America. In the forty years since the revolution, the response to Cuba from Latin American nations has ranged from the severing of diplomatic ties with the island, to the reestablishment of relations at a later period. Fear of the spreading of similar insurrections, as well as feelings of Latin American solidarity, are examples of factors that have contributed to these shifts. Revolutionary Leaders Define Cuba’s Place in the Americas Even before the success of the revolution, Castro and his supporters had outlined their expectations for Cuba’s position in the Americas. Revolutionary leaders wanted to maintain strong ties with Cuba’s Latin American neighbors, with whom the nation shared cultural and historical similarities. In addition, as Castro proclaimed in his 1953 defense speech, Cuba was to be the land in which "those politically persecuted by bloody tyrants oppressing our sister nations would find generous asylum, brotherhood and bread in the land of Martà ­" (Castro 3). This desire to aid those whom it considered to be victims of oppressive regimes was used by Castro’s administration to justify its involvement in uprisings throughout Latin America. Castro’s 26th of July Movement also called for Cuba’s position in the Americas to be one of a sovereign nation allied with its neighbors who shared its democratic ideology. In its Program Manifesto, the movement stated that "the common ideals and interests which necessarily unite the republics of the hemisphere are a reality ... ...City, NJ. 1972. 113-140. Falcoff, Mark. "Why The Latins Still Love Fidel". The American Enterprise November-December 1990: v1 n6 42-49. Falk, Pamela S. Cuban Foreign Policy: Caribbean Tempest. Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath and Company, 1986. Kline, Michael. "Castro and the New Thinking in Latin America". Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs Spring 1990: 32:1 83-118. Nazario, Olga. "Brazil’s Rapprochement With Cuba: The Process and the Prospects". Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs 1986: 28(3) 67-86. Pà ©rez-Stable, Marifeli. The Cuban Revolution: Origins, Course, and Legacy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Wright, Thomas C. Latin America in the Era of the Cuban Revolution. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1991. World Marxist Review. "Latin America: New Chapter in International Relations". Canada. 1972: 15(1) 90-100.

Diversity and Difference in Early Childhood Essay

Personal interest: My first awareness of racial identity and diversity occurred when I was in Year 3. Having being raised acknowledging acceptance of people of racial or cultural difference my thoughts of children of colour were positive and impartial. However, one day a boy in my class of Sri Lankan descent got into trouble with another student, but only the Sri Lankan boy was asked to go to the principal’s office. During our lunch break he came over to a group of us and told us that he thought he was the one that got into trouble ‘because he was ‘black’’. I remember thinking to myself, ‘why would he get into trouble just because he was black? ’ It was in fact that both boys went to the principal’s office, just on separate occasions. This was my first memory of someone thinking that they were being singled out or getting into trouble due to belief of skin colour dissimilarity and racial stereotypes. I’ve been aware of racial diversity ever since. Now that I have an opportunity to be a part of children’s learning and development I want to learn more about diversity and make a difference in children’s perspectives of themselves and others. Discussion: As educators in early childhood, it is crucial that we acknowledge and respect that children’s personal, family and cultural histories shape their learning and development. The increase in racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity in educational centres is reflected in many early childhood classrooms. Although the diverse composition of early childhood classrooms may bring challenges, it also introduces many opportunities for educators, parents, and children as we need to value and appreciate difference and variety as a positive attribute in all educational and social environments (Ashman and Elkins 2008). As adults, being ‘different’ is a decision to make a personal statement; such as deciding to change a hairstyle, get a tattoo or by wearing alternative clothing. It is one thing to be different by choice, and another for a child to discern themselves as being different based on their physical features, cultural of religious differences. One of the most stimulating aspects of early education is observing and supporting young children as they develop their individual identities. This development takes place within different social contexts where issues relating to human diversity and difference impact significantly on children’s understandings and ways of being in the world. Arguably, our education begins when we are first able to detect causes and consequences, and continue to form the basis of our identity, behaviours and knowledge of the world around us. Glover (1991) in the early 1990s found that as 2-3 year old children became aware of difference they simultaneously develop positive and negative feelings about the differences they observe. For example, racial awareness impacts on their perceptions of skin colour and on their preferences in the social relationships they initiate and foster with other children. An Australian study conducted by Palmer (1990) exemplifies how preschool children were able to make negative judgements based on racial characteristics of young Aboriginal children. Children were reportedly saying ‘You’re the colour of poo†¦ Did your mum drop you in the poo? ’ This observation suggests that children as young as 2 years old are becoming aware of diversity and differences of others, and these judgements children are making are often affecting their ability to make sound judgements of others as their perceptions of reality are distorted. Although Palmers study was conducted in 1990, there has been a significant increase in racial awareness since the 1980s of the importance of early childhood education policies, practices and curriculum aiming to positively reflect the diverse cultural identities of children and their families. Today, the embracing of children’s lives is a central focus of the different philosophies which foster early childhood education in Western society, such as the ‘anti-bias curriculum’ which emerged from the United States (Derman-Sparks and the A. B. C. Task Force, stated in Robinson 2006 p 2) and also in the perspectives of Reggio Emilia. In Australia there has been a broadening of cultural influences which has been referred to by Ashman (2008) as ‘the cultural mosaic’, which refers to those who have migrated maintain their homeland traditions while embracing the new norms, values and practices within the country. Furthermore data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2008) show that around 25% of Australians were born in other countries, nearly half the population has direct links with relatives born overseas, and over 2. 5 million people speak a language other than English at home, which should clearly illustrate to educators that learning developmental experiences need to be appropriate for multicultural children to be involved in. As stated by Robinson (2006), the early childhood years are fundamental years in the growth and development of a child’s cognition, language, social, emotional and physical competence. Early childhood educators are in an ideal position to make a positive difference in the lives of children and their families. My emerging philosophy would be to teach children to be critical thinkers specifically about prejudice and discrimination to encourage children to develop the skills to identify when something they have said or done is unfair of hurtful to another. Also to model the behaviours and attitudes I would want children to develop, particularly in situations that can either promote prejudice or inhibit a child’s openness to diversity. Furthermore, I would aim to expose children to role models from their own culture as well as to those from other cultures to encourage appreciation of their own cultural identity, as well as different cultures. As professionals who work with families, our willingness to talk openly about identity and to help foster a positive sense of self in children can make an enormous difference in affirming the rich diversity within our community and help children form bridges across cultures and traditions. The more that children have a solid grounding and understanding about who they are and where they came from, the more they learn to value differences of cultures different from their own, and the closer we get to building a world of respect of multicultural differences. Ashman, A F, Elkins J 2008, ‘Education for Inclusion and Diversity’, 3rd edn, Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest, NSW. Davis, B M 2009, ‘The Biracial and Multicultural Student Experience: a journey to racial literacy’, Corwin, Sage Ltd, USA. Glover, A 1991, ‘Young children and race: a report of a study of two and three year olds’, Australian Catholic University, Sydney. Pulido-Tobiassen, D, Gonzalez-Mena, J 2005, ‘Learning to Appreciate Differences’, Early Childhood Today, vol. 20, issue 3, viewed 2 April 2011, retrieved from Victoria University Database. Robinson, K 2006, ‘Diversity and Difference in Early Childhood Education’, Bell and Bain Ltd, Glasgow, viewed 1 April 2011, retrieved from Ebrary database.

Difference between monopoly pricing and competitive rricing Essay

Essay #1 – Congress is discussing the possibility of removing patent protection for life saving drugs in order to reduce the cost of the Medicare and Medicaid systems. Discuss both the short-run and long-run implications for the economic situation of the drug industry. Include in your answer the impact on prices, new development, etc. of drugs. Include appropriate graphs showing the difference between monopoly pricing and competitive pricing. The drug industry currently takes on both monopolistic and competitive market structures. When a drug company develops a new drug, there are patent laws that allow the company to have a monopoly on selling the drug. In the short-run, the company is able to charge the monopoly price (above marginal cost) and maximize profit by producing the quantity where marginal revenue equals marginal cost. Once the patent runs out, other drug companies have an incentive to enter the market causing it to become more competitive. These new companies produce generic versions of the drug and charge a price below the monopolist’s price. As more and more competitors enter the price is driven down to marginal cost. If congress were to remove patent protection on life-savings drugs, drug company’s profits for life saving drugs would decrease. More companies would be able to begin producing the drugs without waiting for the patent period to end therefore, the original drug maker would not be able to charge the monopoly price for very long because competitors could quickly engineer generic versions. The original producer would no longer be a price maker and instead need to follow profit maximization rules of a competitive market by producing the quantity where marginal revenue equals marginal cost and charge a price equal to marginal marginal revenue. Since the original drug maker will not be able to benefit from monopoly pricing during the patent period, there will be less incentive for them to create lifesaving drugs. A part of the benefit of higher profits during the monopoly period is the ability to recoup some of the research, develop, and testing costs of producing these drugs that the generic makers do not incur. Consumers on the other hand would benefit from competition in the market which prevents a single drug maker from dictating the market price of these newly developed lifesaving drugs.

Foreign and Traditional Music Fused Together Essay

The United States is certainly one of the most diverse countries in the world from a cultural perspective. Capable of speaking 300 languages, the Native Americans were the early settlers of the American land. Hundred years after that, the Europeans, Africans, Asians and other ethnic race from across the globe arrived and settled in America. These migrations have contributed greatly to the patchwork of modern day American Society. Carrying not only their belonging and property, various cultures from around the world merge with one another through friendships and inter marriages of races. Through these racial interactions, various cultures took different shape and evolve into what we known today. To examine and describe them all would take years to accomplish and tedious since culture co exist with time, it evolve as time goes by. This paper would then focus on two dominant races and their respective cultures, namely, Hispanic and Caucasian. Since culture is a vast term to explore, this paper would then focus on the musical culture of Hispanic and Caucasian race. It would focus on how foreign cultures have influenced the growth and development of traditional music. Hispanic and Caucasian culture have influenced each other throughout history. It is often said that both cultures were the patchwork of different cultures put together during the colonial times. Hispanic culture basically speaks or pertains to a larger community that is comprised of different subgroups, such as Mexicans Americans, Cuban Americans and other races that originated from the Latin American continent. Caucasian or American culture is also a patchwork of different cultures originating from various parts of the world. This was brought by immense immigration during 17th up to 21st century and spread, through interactions with various races. This is the basic theme that these two cultures share together and its music, architecture and literature are deeply influenced by foreign culture. The land of America became a melting pot for these two cultures, a place for previous identities to be melted down together with other cultures to create an integrated, uniform society. Their culture was not forgotten; it was just shaped through the influence of foreign culture. E: Hispanic Culture Since the 17th century, Hispanic people have been living in the United States. Some of them were forced to come as slaves and those who could afford the expenses of immigration settled in the United States driven by the opportunity presented by the new found land. Though years have passed since the colonial times, most of them still cannot forget the trademarks of their former masters. Aside from their native language, most of them could speak the Spanish language and to some extent has been incorporated in their native language as well. Another characteristic of Hispanic culture that was influenced by the Spanish regime is the mestizo lifestyle (Gallarga, 2007). The term Mestizo describe Latin American whose lifestyle combine ideas, values, practices and other cultural elements both European and indigenous (rural and urban) of origin (Latin American Culture, 2008). Aspects of the mestizo lifestyle are widely diffused in the musical culture of Latin America. Violin, guitar and other stringed instruments are of mestizo origin (Garfias, 1996). Over time, these instruments were combined to those of traditional instruments being used by the people to create new ensemble types. Rural band from villages started to include playing the guitar, vilhuela, one or two violins and a harp. This kind of ensemble was an example of the changes that were brought by mestizo lifestyle. Additionally, hemiola, a common feature in Latin America music originated or a product of mestizo lifestyle (Mintzer, 2005). A hemiola is the simultaneous or sequential juxtaposition of duple and triple and rhythmic patterns with a moderate or quick 6/8 meter. This kind of rhythmic pattern is present in different musical performances of Mexicans, singers in Chile, and other Latin American performers (Mintzer, 2005). Not only in music does this mestizo trend is present but also in dances genres such as contra dance, waltz and the polka. March based music was widely diffused so as Catholics songs and processionals. Dance drama was another feature of the mestizo musical life. Being influence by 16th century missionaries, people in the rural and also in urban areas perform dance drama to honor individuals who are connected to local history, myth, legend and religious stories (Musical Migrations, 2002). Accompanied by local ensembles and dance genres, drama like this gave new kind of entertainment and meaning to rural town festivals throughout Latin American Aside from the Spanish Language, the musical style that was heavily influenced by the mestizo trend attributed greatly to the creation or identity of a Hispanic musical culture. Though different in use and meanings, Mexicans, Cubans, Chileans and other individual of Latin Americans origins, could understand each other through these customs. Moreover, this musical trend has become a tool of understanding and unification for these groups of people in a foreign land. Caucasian or American Culture Just like the musical lifestyle of the Hispanic, the performing arts in the United States began to incorporate wider groups of people (American Root Music, 2008). For instance, the Latin American dances such as tango from Argentina and rumba from Cuba during the 1900 and 1940. The afro-Cuban mambo was the first step in incorporating jazz music with Latin elements and was later on refined by the Brazilian bossa nova singers (Jones, 1999). There are also the African American communities who greatly contributed and refined jazz music. There are also innovative Americans who incorporated both foreign music and traditional American music to create unique music style. Aaron Copland, for example, developed a unique musical style through incorporating certain jazz elements with American folk music (Five 20th century American composers: 1900-2000, 2002). Influenced heavily by traditional Greek dances, Isadora Duncan redefined the rigidity of classical ballet and promoted self expression, resulting into an expressive and free form kind of dance (Marcus, 2007). These innovations and fusions probably lead to the creation of the Broadway musical. Unlike the Hispanic musical culture, American music was not the product of colonial times but was the result of immigration of various races in the United States. They brought their culture to this place without the intention of changing or creating music genre or style but to serve as a remembrance of their family and native land. It was for this sake that foreign musical style and other foreign cultures were introduced to American people. New musical genres and styles were a mere product of racial interactions. If clearly analyzed, this new musical genre or style removed boundaries and limitations imposed by racial differences. For instance, it is a well known fact that the African American community was discriminated and received less recognition from American society since their origin implied the idea of being a slave. However, when it comes to jazz music, contributions from performers like Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong and other African American jazz-blues singers were recognized and accepted by white and black audiences alike (Titon, 1995). Whether it was a European, American or other race, their performances were cheered and enjoyed by thousands of people. Through music, people forgot their differences and simply enjoyed the beat and melody produced by the performers in front of them. Performing arts in the United States representsed the acceptance not only of these people but also their culture. F: Similarities of Hispanic and Caucasian Culture Based on the facts presented thus far, it could be said that both cultures, when it comes to their musical trend and lifestyle were heavily influenced by foreign subjects. Hispanic music reached new heights during the Spanish rule. Elements of European and Spanish music were introduced to the traditional style of Mexican, Cuban and to the rest of Latin American. It gave new meaning to entertainment and performances reached greater heights. On the other hand, the Caucasian musical culture was refined through racial interaction that was the product of immense immigration that occurred during the 17th up to 20th century. Most traditional styles of music evolved and took greater form when they were incorporated with foreign elements (Titon, 1995). Another similarity that these two culture share in the music world is that their music were usually directed or composed for religious practices. In Hispanic culture, festivals were always accompanied by performances that always involved characters and values taken from religious stories. These performances were a direct influence of Spanish missionaries trying to convert local people. On the other hand, early religious sects in Native American such as the Ephrata, Cloister, the Shakers and the Moravians have produced music that somehow grow and influence other people outside their communities. One example of this was shaker melody entitled â€Å"Tis the gift to be simple† which was used by the composer Aaron Copland in one of his plays and which instantly became famous. The Moravians, who were considered as the most prolific and sophisticated when it comes into their music eventually helped in recreating instrumental music that was used in Old world German culture. Though it was quickly forgotten when the jazz and other musical trend came in during the early 1900’s, it proves that early music developed and was influenced by religion of early times (Jones, 1999). Difference between Hispanic and Caucasian music One significant difference between Hispanic and Caucasian music lies on the foreign influence that they received. Hispanic music was the result of long Spanish rule that they experience during the colonial times. A Hispanic performance was characterized by Spanish style of music and was later on refined through incorporating traditional and foreign music. It was only the Spaniards that introduced the European style of music to these people. On the other hand Caucasian music was the result of immense interactions of various races living in America. Some musical culture was able to make it way into the American society and was adhere by the people. There are other musical cultures that were adopted by American performers and incorporate them into their works that resulted in some unique and different kind of music style. Second difference that these two have lies on the venue of their performances. Most Hispanic performer took their shows on the street and urban areas. Performances on these places are always characterized by loud music and cheery audiences. Public performances were the product of festival shows that was always played during festivities and continued in big cities. As it develop Caucasian music reach greater heights in theatre or stage plays. Most broadways musical for an instance was perform on large theatre house and places commonly located on large cities like New York. Lastly, the difference of these two culture lies on how they perform their music. Hispanic based music is well known through their colorful sound that is always accompanied by different instruments. This kind of performance started in festivals and was later on carried through streets by artist who seeks fame and fortune. Caucasian on the other hand is mostly highlighted by the use of different genre of music and dance style to create one stage performance. Broadway musical for an instance used rock and roll genre to capture the heart of young audiences who have been introduced to this kind of music genre during their early years. Use in Classroom Education Using these similarities and differences, instructors could create a surrounding in which learning could be easy and comfortable both for Hispanic and Caucasian students. First, they could create music lessons that would break down cultural differences that exist not only Hispanics and Caucasians but also to other ethnic race. Second, it is possible that social relationship could foster and grow through incorporating music in their daily life. Lastly, through music, it is possible that children could recognize and acknowledge the importance of their cultural heritage. Children nowadays tend to forget their history and culture which is unfortunate. Personal and Professional Relevance Since culture is a vast topic to be covered, it was best that this paper concentrated on each culture’s music history. The first thing that needed to be researched was the influence of foreign music to Hispanic and Caucasian traditional music. The primary tool that was used to gather the necessary data was the Internet. Up-to-date articles and journals can be found in the internet and it saved substantial time researching using this rather than going to huge places such as the library. The books that were used for this paper were accessed through an online directory for textbooks. Since the paper was set to discuss foreign influence on traditional music of Hispanics and Caucasians, the research began through a search of sources that explained the influence of foreign interventions and immigration, since it will clearly show how the traditional music of each culture was changed and developed when foreign factors exerted their impact. The article â€Å"Latino music: A View of Its Diversity and Strength† by Dr. Garfias summarized the important facts about Hispanic music and provided a detailed explanation about the influence of Spanish rule in Hispanic countries. The book â€Å"Blues People: Negro Music in White America† by Titon gave a detailed explanation about the influence of African American music and how Jazz developed in the United States of America. Since this paper was set to discuss the influence of foreign music to Hispanic and Caucasian traditional music, sources that contained useful information were saved for the purpose. To be able to review them carefully, information that may be useful were highlighted and were noted down in a sheet of paper. For organizational ease, the information were outlined just like how the task was outlined. For teaching reference, this report has set a new meaning for being a teacher. The profession of teaching does not exclusively lie on the need to produce a lesson plan that would cater to the educational needs of the students. Being a teacher also means that one must some how create an atmosphere and environment that would enable the student to enjoy learning and would support the growth of social relationships. This realization was brought by the cultural differences that exist not only between Hispanic and Caucasian students but between other races. Cultural differences somehow impede the growth of education and social relationships of students if not managed systematically. Being able to manage cultural differences is also a way of promoting effective inclusion. Positive interactions among teachers, as well as students, contribute to a sense of school and classroom community. Inclusive schools seek to encourage collaboration among teachers for the purposes of planning, teaching, and supporting students. With adequate support, collaborative teaching leads to positive outcomes for learners in heterogeneously grouped classes (Cipani, 1995). Implementing effective teaching collaborations, however, is time-consuming and complex. Teachers often express concern about changes in their roles and responsibilities; differences in teaching style and philosophical orientation; and logistical issues, such as scheduling, planning time, and resource allocation. There are a number of school-wide strategies to support collaboration, including (a) developing and adopting a set of rules, responsibilities, and privileges pertaining to collaboration, (b) providing teachers with designated time for co-planning and reflection, and (c) offering preservice and inservice training in collaboration. In all of these collaborative efforts, understanding culture is a critical backdrop that the teacher must fully comprehend (Cipani, 1995). G:References American Root Music. Retrieved on May 2, 2008 from Public Broadcasting Services: http://www. pbs. org/americanrootsmusic/pbs_arm_itc_historical_background. html. Cipani, E. (1995). Inclusive education: What do we know and what do we still have to learn? Exceptional Children, 61, 498 – 500. Galarraga, J. (2007). Hispanic-American Culture and health. Retrieved May 2, 2008 on http://www. case. edu/med/epidbio/mphp439/Hispanic_Healthcare. pdf Garfias, Dr. R. (1996). Latino music: A View of Its Diversity and Strength. Retrieved May 3, 2008 on http://www. pps. k12. or. us/depts-c/mc-me/be-hi-mu. pdf. Five 20th century American composers: 1900-2000. Retrieved may 3, 2008 from Boisestates: http://music. boisestate. edu/mus100/american_music. htm Jones, L. (1999). Blues People: Negro Music in White America Latin American Culture. Retrieved May 2, 2008 from Ipedia: http://www. ipedia. net/information/Latin+American+culture. Marcus, K. (2007). Music and American Culture. Retrieved May 2, 2008 on http://www. blackwell-compass. com/media? id=pdfs_HICO_Sample_Article . Mintzer, R. (2005). Latino Americans in Sports, Film, Music, and Government: Trailblazers (Hispanic Heritage) Musical Migrations: Transnationalism and Cultural Hybridity in Latin America, Volume I. (2002) . Titon, J. T. (1995). Early Downhome Blues: A Musical and Cultural Analysis (Cultural Studies of the United States)