The English Patient :: essays research papers

The English Patient Auteur Michael Ondaatje (12 september 1943, Colombo ~ Sri Lanka) is een Canadese schrijver, hoewel er ook Engels, Nederlands, Tamil en Sinhalees bloed door zijn aderen stroomt. Toen hij negen was, verhuisde hij met zijn moeder, zuster en broer naar Londen. In 1962 emigreerde hij naar Canada, waar hij Engels en geschiedenis ging studeren. In zijn studietijd begon hij gedichten te schrijven en in 1967 verscheen zijn eerste dichtbundel ‘The Dainty Monsters’. De eerste tien jaar van zijn schrijverscarrià ¨re schreef Ondaatje alleen gedichten. Deze waren veelal surrealistisch, waarvan zijn debuut ‘The Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left Handed Poems’ (1970) voor toneel werd bewerkt en tevens ontving hij hiervoor een prestigieuze Canadese literatuurprijs. Het is in feite een collage, waarin Ondaatje door middel van foto’s, gedichten, prozastukken, liederen en tekeningen een beeld schetst van Billy the Kid, de legendarische held van het Wilde Westen. Ondaatje b ewonderde de Canadese zanger en schrijver Leonard Cohen, zodoende schreef hij een monografie over hem in 1970. Zijn eerste roman ‘Coming to slaughter’ presenteerde hij in 1979, dat cinematografisch evenals poà «tisch mag worden genoemd. In deze levensschets van Buddy Holden, de trompettist waarmee de jazz begon, hanteerde Ondaatje dezelfde werkwijze als bij ‘The Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left Handed Poems’. Zijn jeugd op Sri Lanka (destijds heette het nog Ceylon) in een geprivilegieerd milieu schilderde hij in een kleurrijke mengeling van autobiografische feiten en fictie in zijn boek ‘Running in the family’ (1982). Zijn rokkenjagende en dranklustige vader speelt hierin een belangrijke rol. De pijn van zijn scheiding en het ontdekken van nieuwe liefde worden uitvoerig beschreven in ‘Secular love’ (1984), dat bestaat uit een verzameling van liedachtige teksten. Het werk van Ondaatje is vrij lastig in te delen, aangezien hij voor een postmodernistische combinatie van stijlen heeft gekozen. Zijn immigrantenroman ‘In the skin of a lion’ (1987) gaat over klassenverschillen in de jaren twintig en dertig. Zoals in zijn eerdere werk, hanteerde hij hier opnieuw de collagetechniek, waarbij stukje bij beetje alle onderdelen toch op hun plaats in het grote geheel vallen. Gedurende een nachtelijke autorit wordt aan het dochtertje van zijn pas overleden vriendin het levensverhaal verteld van de Canadees Patrick Lewis. ‘In the skin of a lion’ was zijn meest populaire boek tot de verfilming van ‘The English Patient’ in 1997 voor een groot publiek. Zo ontstond er grote belangstelling voor deze roman uit 1992, over vier personen in een halfverwoeste Italiaanse villa aan het eind van de Tweede Wereldoorlog.

Racial Discrimination Essay

A strong, intelligent man, Martin Luther King Jr., once said, â€Å"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter,† and what mattered 50 years ago, was finding a sense of equality in the world. That each person could feel as if they were all equal to one another, without feeling misplaced, but at home. King took a stand for people too scared to let their words be heard, taking on the walls that stood between segregation and equal rights. His strong words gave a sense of realization, that all people, black or white should have equal rights, and feel just as safe and free as all of the others. After a long fight for equality in the world, racial discrimination is still hiding in the shadows, causing much conflict between our many diverse races in the world. In order to solve racial discrimination, every school in America, students and staff, will have to participate in anti-racial discrimination programs, to stop the advancement of racial discriminatio n. James T. Patterson educates his audience in his article, The Civil Rights Movement: Major Events and Legacies that about 7 million slaves were brought to America in the late 1600s. These slaves were sold to North America from the European settlers. Our country became dependent on the slaves for the production of crops, such as tobacco and cotton (Patterson Par. 1). Slavery ended in 1865, after the long battle of the Civil War, which began in 1861. The end of the war granted millions of slaves their freedom, citizenship, and the right to vote, no matter their race. Unfortunately, most white people were not okay with this occurrence, so they created certain laws that were designed specifically to give blacks unequal treatment. Along with these new laws, an organization called the Ku Klux Klan was formed to intimidate and stop the advancement of black people in society. Segregation then came in to play in 1896, when black people were said to be equal to white people in society but were made to be separated by their color. Whites and blacks all had their designated areas, where the different race could not enter. For example, public restrooms had signs outside that  stated which bathroom was for which race to use. Looking from the outside in, there was much realization that specific places for blacks were in bad condition in comparison to places designated to white people. Oppression was the basis of segregation. Two ladies, named Susan Bohmer and Joyce Briggs, defined oppression as â€Å"attitudes, behaviors, and pervasive and systematic social arrangements by which members of one group are exploited and subordinated while members of another groups are granted privileges.† Since black people were separated by the color of their skin, and not given the same rights and privileges as white people, it entitled them to be labeled as oppressed. There are still groups today that experience oppression. (Patterson Par 2). Eventually, in 1964 the Civil Rights Act gave way to protect citizens from discrimination, by prohibiting segregation in schools, public places, and employment. Within the following year, this act created equal voting rights between races (Patterson Par. 4). Robert M. Entant explains in his article, The Black Image in the White Mind: Media and Race in America, that after much hardship and fight for equality between races, our nation witnessed the first African American male and female become Secretary of State in 2001. Eight years later, Barack Obama became the first African American to become President of the United States of America. These explicit events gave proof of how far our nation has come to give all races the right to not be discriminated against (Entman 2). Although today many blacks have overcome the white domination, they tend to carry insecurities of their past with them, as they continue to feel lower than the white race. Racial discrimination is still in the shadows of today, but there are many potential solutions that could possibly eliminate racial discrimination altogether, but may take a lot of time. Such as the NAACP group, that started in the year 1909, that was formed â€Å"†¦to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination (Patterson Par. 2)†. My  potential solution will be similar to this organization, as it will be open to anyone that is willing to participate and wants to fight for equality. After the organization is put into action, members will be sent to different schools, from elementary schools all the way to colleges, teaching students about racial discrimination. These visits will include lessons based on the history of racial discrimination, examples of people who have experienced racial discrimination, and how they have dealt with it. Another important part of this aw areness will include involvement from the students. As I will ask them to partake in giving examples of personal experiences involving racial discrimination or inequality. Having students share their experiences will show that they are not dealing with this on their own, but that others have experienced it also, and they can then relate to each other. After each lesson, I will then have everyone brainstorm their own kinds of solutions that they can perform everyday to minimize racial discrimination, so that one day it can hopefully be completely gone. This solution will eventually solve the issue of racial discrimination in the aspect of society and single individuals. Many potential students may not want to participate in the lessons provided, for they feel uncomfortable or just do not care about the problem at hand, but will be forced to partake in the lessons. These lessons will be as mandatory as a math class or English class. They will have no choice in the matter, as they need these lessons to improve racial discrimination rates in our society today. Racial discrimination is a learned accusation, usually influenced by an authority in a person’s life. Even through not everyone recognizes this problem; it is still an issue in many lives. With that said, my solution will potentially give relief to the world, giving everyone the chance to feel equal to one another. This solution may not make dramatic change in a short period of time, but if the students I teach, give effort to making our world an equal place, lives will change. â€Å"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.†Ã‚  This inspiring quote came from the intelligent mind of Martin Luther King Jr., the man who took a stand for equality in the world. After his long fight against racial discrimination his life was taken for standing in the darkness of challenge and controversy. Our world may not be completely healed and safe from our history but we are learning that we are all human, no matter what race we are, or the history that trails behind us. Work Cited Entman, Robert M. The Black Image in the White Mind: Media and Race in America.The University of Chicago Press.2000.Web. 2 May 2014. Patterson, James T. The Civil Rights Movement: Major Events and Legacies. The Glinder Lehrman Institute of American History.2014.Web. 2 May 2014.

Mr Kazimirs Valujs

NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Equality and Diversity Unit 1: Exploring Equality and Diversity Session 4: Prejudice and discrimination What does it mean? In a diverse society where each individual may have lots of different characteristics and qualities, there are many opportunities for people to label and stereotype others. When this happens, it can create an environment where prejudice and discrimination may be found. A prejudice is an unfair or unreasonable preconceived view or judgement that is formed without being based on any specific grounds or sufficient knowledge.Discrimination means treating a person or group differently, often in a negative manner, based upon one or a small number of characteristics. Stereotypes can sometimes be positive – however, this is not the case when it comes to prejudice. With prejudice, the views held about certain groups of people are negative, they are applied to an entire group and they tend to be strongly held. So, the group (with possibly a different gender / race / ethnic origin / sexual orientation or with a disability) will be described in negative ways.They will be called things such as ‘lazy’, ‘stupid’, ‘weak’, ‘dangerous’ and ‘untrustworthy’. In communities and societies where prejudice and discrimination are found, people will have fewer life chances and a poorer quality of life. Given that prejudices can be so damaging, it is worth looking at how people develop them. How people may develop prejudices There are many ways that people may develop prejudices. Two of the most common are: 1. Socialisation The most likely way that people will develop prejudices is to learn them from other people, such as family and friends.An individual will experience the views of these people on a daily basis, and there will also be the influences of the media and the views of high profile people. If a young person with no alternative points of reference is exposed to prejudices that are stated as facts, then he / she may accept them without any questions. If a particular prejudice is regularly presented, then it is difficult for people to question the viewpoint and challenge the prejudice. 2. Over generalisationA second way prejudices may develop occurs when a person has a powerful experience and then generalises it to a particular group. This is usually caused by a very strong negative experience. It may well be very sensible to dislike or distrust the particular experience, but the over generalisation is not always accurate. Different types of discrimination People can describe themselves or others in terms of one or more characteristics. At times, it is possible that a person will be treated in a negative way because of a characteristic or quality that they possess.This negative treatment is often referred to as discrimination. There are a few key terms that are used when talking about discrimination. These are: †¢ Direct and indirect discrimination †¢ Dual discrimination and multiple discrimination †¢ Positive discrimination †¢ Discrimination arising from disability †¢ Discrimination by association †¢ Protected characteristics. The effects that discrimination and prejudice can have on people When people are subject to discrimination they often end up with a quality of life far lower than they would reasonably expect.Historically, discrimination and prejudice has sometimes been a matter of life and death in some countries and cultures. Some of the effects of prejudice and discrimination include: †¢ People being killed because of their race, nationality, religion or sexual orientation. †¢ People being denied the right to vote. †¢ People being subjected to physical attacks and verbal abuse. †¢ People being deprived of legal rights. †¢ People being denied education, jobs and opportunities. †¢ People being generally treated as outsiders and second class citizens . †¢ People accepting the negative views of themselves. Communities and whole societies having greater conflict and being less efficient and harmonious. †¢ Communities and societies built on hatred and contempt. When people are classified (stereotyped) on the basis of one or two characteristics, they are stripped of many of their qualities. A stereotype reduces them to a one dimensional character. All the other things that make a person special and human will be ignored by the prejudiced people. This makes it easier to inflict pain and suffering on innocent parties. This is why prejudice and discrimination are so dangerous.

Clinical Reflective Journal

Clinical Reflective Journal The first day I visited psychiatric ward, I felt nervous and excited because of the psychiatric ward which is totally different from general ward. I sensed that all patients who are walking in the corridor and some of them keep murmuring, and those behaviors I seen are seldom appearing in the general ward. However, after I found that they can communicate with others normally and have no aggressive behavior after approaching the patients.I learnt we should establish therapeutic relationship in the communication with patients via using non-judgmental, empathetic, active listening and supportive attitude. But I found difficulties in approaching patients who are introverted due to their unconcerned response. However, I think that we should obtain their confidence through persistent contact with them.Besides, I realized that being a psychiatric nurse, the observational skills is very importance, as the emotional or mental condition of psychiatric patient can be fluctuated between day and night. Therefore, nurses can implement corresponding precautions beforehand. In the private hospital, there are seldom opportunities to perform those skills, but there provide many chances for me to practice the professional skills and of injection and physical restraint.For instance, choosing which type of restrained device should be applied on the patient and related assessment we should made. Moreover, through the guidance of the nurse, I could realize the rationales behind the intervention, weakness in my performance and how to improve it. After caring of psychiatric patient in these two weeks, it helps clear up my misunderstanding of them and I hope that the nursing care of psychiatric patient can be helpful for them to return the society.

Performance Management Problem Solving Research Paper

Performance Management Problem Solving - Research Paper Example This may occur when an organization releases products to the market without carrying out satisfactory tests for quality. This can cause considerable loss to market share of an organization. Performance management system is important in addressing such organizational problems. Benchmarking forms one of the most crucial components of the performance management system of many organizations. The benchmarking of performance index of products and services, processes, and performance gauges is effectively done using the statistical process control (SPC). The paper will present a discussion of performance index benchmarking by considering the statistical process control (SPC), Six-Sigma concept, and total quality management (TQM), in an effort to realize customer satisfaction. A case example of Hills Industries is discussed to emphasize performance-related problem solving tactics. Problem statement The problem to be addressed was indentified through the process of undertaking a study on the major factors that helps business managers in monitoring and managing their businesses. The study indicates that customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction is the major indicator of market perceptions and trends (Draghici & Petcu, 2010). This leads to the identification of customer dissatisfaction, as a problem, which can be addressed through the six-sigma methodology approach of problem solving. Managers can also identify a problem through time-evaluated approach by visiting places where actual production take place, delivery points or customers’ facilities to gain first-hand observation of how production is carried out and use of manufactured products. The organization can conduct consumer surveys on its products. The organization can select its customers on a random basis and administer questionnaires or conduct telephone interviews in order to gauge its satisfaction with its latest products or services. The company must respond to customer complaints. This is because custom ers tend to evaluate the complaint response in the current condition of dissatisfaction with organizations transactions. Even for customers who are satisfied, failure of transaction can occur. This is an indication that there exists overall evaluation of satisfaction with relationship when the customer encounters a problem transaction or a company’s response to complaint (Riesenberger & Sousa, 2010). Addressing customer dissatisfaction problem requires a problem identification technique that gives an analysis of the current product status. This helps in developing a management intervention useful in guiding the organization towards achieving the desired state in the future. The customer dissatisfaction problem can be identified using the benchmarking, statistical process control (SPC) or a time-evaluated management-by-walking around. SPC is more useful in recurrent manufacturing settings although can also be applicable to any service delivery organization. An effective SPC pr ogram helps managers become aware of how operational processes are performing and anomalies that may arise during the production process, which ultimately affect process outputs. SPC helps to identify flaws in performance. Identification of performance outliers in the course of production may inspire the organization to make necessary changes in the process and product in order to improve customer satisfaction. The SPC helps to benchmark a performance index. The statistical approach must take into account the effects of

Reflective personal learning journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reflective personal learning journal - Essay Example These four subjects are motivation, leadership, conflict management, and teamwork. I will now describe each of these four areas in turn by showing what I have learned, how I have applied what I have learned to real situations, and how the insight gained has influenced how I will manage employees. One of the important topics covered in the course was motivation. Motivation has been described saying, â€Å"Motivation refers to the forces either within or external to a person that arouse enthusiasm and persistence to pursue a certain course of action† (Daft, 1997, p. 526). As a manager, an important part of my duties will be to ensure that employees are motivated. For this reason, I have considering how motivation applies within the organisation so that I can gain insight into methods I can use to motivate employees. The organisational behaviour approach to motivation includes considering how the organisation impacts on the motivation of employees and how employees can be motivated. This includes recognising that the characteristics that result in a person being motivated are not often simple or obvious. An approach to the issue that does not look at the behavioural aspects but only looks at the problem on the surface may see employees as being rewarded financially and assume that they should be motivated by this financial reward. The behavioural aspect goes a lot deeper than this and considers the complex issues that contribute to motivation. This approach may recognise that while financial rewards are received, employees do not receive adequate recognition or praise for their efforts. This approach may also recognise that employees feel pressured in the workplace and that this stress causes a decline in motivation. By focusing on the behaviour of employees, the many aspects that contribute to motivation are noted. I think this is important because it will allow me to take positive actions to motivate employees. I will

Italy Too Big to Fail and Too Big to Bail Essay

Italy Too Big to Fail and Too Big to Bail - Essay Example The huge economic deficit resulted in the restructuring of their debts. .The deficit could have reduced by austerity measures in former years, without considerably affecting the GDP. Lack of such foresight in fiscal matters has brought about the present crisis in countries like Greece, Ireland and Portugal. -Italy is a developed industrial country that arose rose from a sound agricultural background prevalent in the earlier years. Over the years,it had emerged into a developed industrial economy that was enviable even to superpowers like Germany and Greece. The debt crisis prevalent in in countries like Greece, Italy and Portugal the proved to be contagious to Italy also. During the second week of September 2011, Italy the third largest economy in the Euro zone plunged in to a debt crisis of slow growth in GDP and high debt. Italy has more than $1 trillion government debt which is in a high proportion compared to the total national output of $1.2 trillion. In this article, the author explores the present trend of higher rate of yielding of bonds that put the economy in such a serious condition necessitating to raise new bonds or to approach other financial institutions for a bail . The investors found it too risky to maintain their deposit in such a state of fiscal affairs. There was clear evidence of illiquidity in the financial market causing threat to investors. Italy’s economy is in a risky position now. In a regular circumstance, during the period of financial crisis in Eurozone countries, it is European Central Bank that takes the emergency measures to help the countries to overcome the crisis. crisis. However, with Italy, it is a very though task for both European central bank and for International monetary fund to bail out Italy. Very vigilant and highly expertise fiscal management is the need of the time. Prime concern is to be given to maintain faith in the investorsA budget management plan that does not affect the growth rate of the economy and restructure the debt is necessary. Italy is a huge economy and hence, any calamity can worsen the condition of its surrounding economies in the European Union. In Europe, economies of most of the other nations are also not in an enviable condition. Such a situation will also affect world economy. In this context, it will be helpful to examine the successful measures taken by governments such as Canada, Sweden, and Brazil etc where such negative signs of financial recession appeared in the earlier years. Italy can definitely overcome this situation, but once the control is destroyed a coming back will not be possible because the entire Eurozone as a whole would have been put into such a serious situation that is too difficult to manage. The author of the article tries to view the situation from the US perspective and the critical question that he raises is whether the US financial authorities have seriously taken into account the European experience in the debt crisis. However, recent developments in US economy have revealed that the US Treasury Department and White House has been paying rapt attention over economies all over the globe. The United States stands ready to help Europe with its debt crisis. Recently, in a meeting at white house, President Obama expressed his readiness to help the European Union in the present financial crisis. However, he has not put f orward any definite measures in