A Rejoinder to the Ethnic Democracy Essay

This paper aims to prepare four separated short summary and response papers for four different articles on Culturally Responsive Teaching. 2. Analysis and Discussion The following are the short summary and response to each of the given articles: 2. 1. Preparing For Culturally Responsive Teaching by Gay (2002) The article discusses how to improve the success of ethically diverse students via culturally responsive teaching. The article tells also about the success of same kind of students by preparing teachers in preservice programs with the needed knowledge attitudes and skills. The article also examines the five essential elements of cultural responsive teaching which include developing knowledge based about cultural diversity that includes ethnic and cultural diversity content curriculum, demonstration of caring, building learning communities, communicating with ethically diverse students and responding to diversity in the delivery of instruction. The article has further defined culturally responsive teaching to be using what are already possessed by ethnically diverse students (ETS) as conduits for them to learn more effectively. These possessions may include the experiences, characteristics and perspectives. The author has assumed that the lived experiences of students may sit well as frames of references. This would therefore make the learning more meaningful, would create more appeal in terms of higher interest and students could learn more easily and thoroughly. The author has also previous researches to prove the result of higher academic achievements of ETS if there previous experiences are used in teaching them. This concept of learning is consistent with principle in learning – that starting from what is known would more easily to learning what is unknown. Rather than starting from the unknown by using the experiences of other cultures, the use of the previous experiences has its basis in common sense. There is basis to agree with the author in discussing how to improve the success of ethically diverse students via culturally responsive teaching by her exposing the needed elements of the program. As in any other program there are criteria to evaluate it success. By exposing the needed five essential elements of cultural responsive teaching, there would be good bases for evaluation the eventual success or failure of the program in terms of compliance of the criteria. In terms of internal consistency among the five elements, there is no valid reason to disagree with author on the obvious simplicity and applicability of presentation. To illustrate one element this paper uses developing knowledge based about cultural diversity and ethnic and cultural diversity content curriculum. Knowledge on cultural diversity is a requirement since it would amount to knowing the premises in the syllogism by viewing the same under the principles of logic. The idea of teaching under multicultural program is the promotion of integration. How would it be possible to know what needs to be integration without knowing the differences of diversity of cultures among students under the program? Doing the same acquisition of knowledge from diversity as part of the premises is also with the definition of the author on what is culturally responsive teaching which is using what are already possessed by ethnically diverse students as ways s for them to learn more successfully. Surely it would be easier to extract from students with their experiences, characteristics and perspectives which would be used as frames for reference. The author may have assumed rightly that doing so would give more meaning to student and could be more motivated to undergo the program. There is also basis to agree with author’s conclusion that culture has great influence on attitudes, values and behaviors that participants will bring in the process. It is the use of frame of reference that would also afford solution to problems in the future in the same way that will help them understand that what will eventually happen is a function what has happened already. 2. 2 Spirituality, Cultural identity, and Epistemology in Culturally Responsive Teaching in Higher Education, Multicultural Perspective, 8(3), pp 19-25 by Tisdell (2006) The article gives it focus in the connection of spirituality and cultural identity in relation to culturally responsive teachers under the higher education. It looks at the philosophical theory of knowledge which takes the position that research and teaching partakes of the natures of both intellectual and spiritual realms. Transforming the students is the aim under the multicultural teaching and to accomplish the same it should allow learners to explore and reclaim their own cultural identities. To reach this end, spirituality is appropriate in unlocking the cultural imagination and creativity of the students under the program. The profession or process of teaching for multicultural awareness described by author is to be for social justice and one that involves a complex process. It is also described as controversial, rewarding and intellectually stimulating. For a big number of teachers under the program including the author, teaching the student is a â€Å"work of passion† which forms part of life’s reason in creating greater social equity that would remind the teachers about being true to themselves who are also wrestling with their very own cultural identity in the same way that other authors taking part of the teaching under the program consists in making students grapple also with their cultural identity. It is therefore the act of reclaiming which involves a choice that makes the process of teaching considered both intellectually and spiritually. The author found that there is indeed connection of spirituality and cultural identity if the learners are assisted to engage on different levels of human experience. These levels of experience of course include the personal level, the cultural level, structural level, political level and the artistic levels done by cultural imagination. By so doing the chance that the education process will bring in the need transformative change is greater not only for learners but even for educators. Diversity in cultures could explain how groups of people differ in their behaviour and their values and hence many conflicts could actually be arising from diversity of cultures. To attempt therefore to bring commonality in diversity is a serious job that would require too much creativity and patience. Fortunately, human beings are thinking beings whose lives had with them spiritual dimensions which allow them to go beyond that legal or what is readily to be in conflict. No wonder teachers are actually also grappling with the cultural identify along the process of their teaching. What must be needed to reconcile things is deep sense of spirituality or an attitude of looking beyond what seems to irreconcilable. By injecting spiritual dimensions in the teaching of diversity of culture, there is strong basis to agree with the author that it could be transformative for the participants not only to the students but also the teacher. The teachers must be persons with deep sense of love for seeing beauty in diversity. Detach spirituality from man and his capacity to reconcile difficult issues is detached. Applying and taking advantage therefore of the power of spirituality to reconcile conflicting issues is a power within the capacity of man to reach and benefit from. The issue of diversity of culture has been accepted by many people and the effects of living together has produced many conceived possibilities which are worth learning and educators may amply make use of their capacity of spirituality to reach great heights. . 2. 3. Preparing Culturally Responsive Teachers, Rethinking The Curriculum, Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 53, No. 1, January/February, 20-32 by Villegas and Lucas (2002), The article emphasizes the need to for teachers in articulating a vision of the reality of teaching and learning in a diverse society if the field of teacher education is to become successful. With that vision, the teachers would have to be guided in injecting multicultural issues while for the duration of the preservice curriculum. The vision of culturally responsive teachers will be socio-culturally conscious and will be affirming students’ different perspective from various backgrounds. Under the same vision, the teacher will take responsible and enabled to bring change for purpose of making schools more equitable and they also understand how knowledge are constructed with the view of further promoting knowledge construction. In addition the vision must allow the teachers to know about the lives of their students and that these teachers could continue designing instruction that edifies and improves from what the students already known or have built upon. The authors took the position that the preparation of teachers in a multicultural, the people who are given the tasks of helping these teachers must first set the direction by articulating a vision of diverse society where there is teaching and learning that are happening in the process. This vision is believed to make it conceptually coherent if these teachers are to be prepared for diversity. The author had in effect articulated a proposed vision which is characterized by six salient features as explained earlier. This vision will serve as framework to infuse and call attention to diversity while the teachers are involved in the educational curriculum prepared for the purpose. The elements of the vision will feed into the minds of the pre service teachers while undergoing the learning experiences. Together in fieldwork as well as in coursework the teachers will collectively cultivate the sublime characteristic of culturally responsive teachers. The authors of this article do not want their proposal be prescriptive. They proposed a need for dialogue to develop a group vision of teaching and learning in a multicultural society. They proposed a need to look at and evaluate and revise if necessary the present curriculum in a consonance with the collective vision that may be agreed upon. They also admit to the requirement to invest time in making coordination for the envisioned responsive teaching qualities to what can be found in the courses that they teach and field experiences that they offer. They admit the need to have professional development that will help them to model the responsive teaching qualities as would be found in the revised curriculum. They are in a sense saying the vision articulation which they propose to be collectively done will just constitute the start of the process in the long journey of educating under the multicultural program where students belong to diverse cultural backgrounds. . The first step if successful will therefore lead into integrating the vision in the education curriculum of the teachers and improving the capabilities to implement the said revised curriculum. This will also lead to more collaboration among teachers and administrators of the multicultural program. The authors are in effect making suggestions that would simplify the rather difficult task into manageable ones formidable task. However the suggested cannot be considered to be very easy as viewed by the authors since the framework that they are proposing will still require negotiation with present social and political structures and contexts. 2. 4. Learning Who We (and They) Are: Popular Culture as Pedagogy by Guy (2007) The article aims to discuss the popular culture becoming a major educational project, or the means through which people learn. The author also recommended that population culture is capable of being used in learning race, class or gender issues. He asserted that population culture can power shape people and be used to challenge structured inequalities and social injustices. He also argued that those educating the adults via pop culture can be an effective way of educational strategies by asserting critical position toward population culture. Population culture or pop culture is defined as â€Å"culture of the masses† as distinguished from higher culture. The author started his article by reflecting on the meaning of education as forwarded by Benjamin Mays, a well known teacher and college president in Atlanta. He particularly used May’s statement about man’s having to live his dreams, his ideals and what he aspires to be. In other words, according to Mays, living not by bread alone or taking inspiration from one’s spiritual life is very much important. It is therefore in the attainment of self knowledge and understanding one’s life purpose where one discovers the vital goal of education. Yet, the high-technology world has answered critical or important questions of using population culture as a means via the mass media. The author has seen how population culture was used in advertising and the fact that it is used is uncontrollable already in the lives of many people, has recommended therefore the use of the same in learning culture or issues of race, class or gender. He cited authors arguing that media has shaped people’s ideas about race through cultural production of meaning. He cited abundant pieces evidence of how social cultures are made again using media. He therefore cited other author’s work producing evidence of cultural meanings delivered through cinema, music, video, TV, radio and Video. It could be therefore easy to agree with the points raised by the author considering that the issue of population culture is easily accessible to many. There is such a thing what is desired by great number of people or what is popular has an effect of influencing attitudes. The author therefore emphasized the important role player of population culture in teaching students. He however warned of multiple interpretations of meanings that producers, consumers, educators of adult and adult learners take. To accomplish the goals of teaching, he recommended the employing activities and strategies as used in this article. As an example, when confronted with multiple interpretations of meanings conveyed by pop culture in race, gender and class, he advocates an attitude of developing a critical analysis and awareness of the ways that attitudes or behaviours may be constrained, controlled or on the other hand, liberated, created and expanded In whatever ways the population culture may be taken a strategy to teach issues on gender, class and race, the author emphasized about the importance of the goal which should establish imaginative and nourishing relationships with other people while encouraging them to live harmoniously and cooperatively. It is by this context that the author drives May’s statement that human has to live in accordance with ideas and unattainable goals. On the principle that the world has become a great nations of democracies which gives the power to the influence of many, it will not be hard to agree as well with the author that the use of pop culture to effect changes in attitudes and values of people through education is an ideal that is easy to accept as what the authors argues about in this paper. References: Gay (2002), Preparing For Culturally Responsive Teaching, Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 53, No. 2, March/April, pp. 106-116 Guy (2007), Learning Who We (and They) Are: Popular Culture as Pedagogy, New Direc1ions For Adult and Continuing Education, no. 115 Tisdell (2006), Spirituality, Cultural identity, and Epistemology in Culturally Responsive Teaching in Higher Education, Multicultural Perspective, 8(3), pp 19-25 Villegas and Lucas (2002), Preparing Culturally Responsive Teachers Rethinking The Curriculum, Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 53, No. 1, January/February, 20-32

Milk Chocolate vs Dark Chocolate

Do you find yourself favoring your chocolate to be smooth and creamy or dark and beneficial? One might argue that dark chocolate in comparison to milk chocolate is similar to a Coca Cola and a diet Coca Cola. Whichever your chocolate preference may be, there are millions of different mouth watering assortments ready to be eaten. I am a fan of dark chocolate and the small, but significant health benefits it offers me. Safe to say the majority of people have encountered both milk and dark chocolate at some point in their lives. Immediately, one will recognize that milk types tend to be softer, sweeter, and addicting. The difference between the two is; milk chocolate is prepared with more milk powder or condensed milk rather than cocoa. This mix creates a smoother quality of chocolate, followed by the consumers’ taste buds instant cravings for more. Also, milk chocolate was introduced first; therefore, most candy bars on grocery store shelves will be milk based. Bear in mind, despite the luscious taste, any one who guzzles a candy bar of course has to work off the excess calories, saturated fats, and carbs later. In contrast, dark chocolate lovers are choosing a healthier route to treat themselves to. Although both types nearly equate in calorie consumption, dark chocolate, unlike milk chocolate provides antioxidants that are valuable to the heart. Also, for individuals with dairy restricted diets, there is nothing more to fear. Dark chocolate is purposely made lactose free; therefore lactose intolerants can refrain from avoiding those chocolaty deserts and enjoy! Regardless of the nutrients that come from dark chocolate, it is still advised to discipline your self around these tasty delights. Perhaps some devotees might find limiting servings of dark chocolate simple considering the bitter taste, but I on the other hand beg to differ. Under my jurisdiction, the pros of dark chocolate defeat the pros of milk chocolate by far. I would even consider opting dark a wiser decision because ones desires are met, with less of the consequences to deal with later.

The True Meaning of 'Push' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The True Meaning of 'Push' - Essay Example ontext of the protagonist’s life, because it symbolically represents the fact that she has been left behind and needs to push her way forward to survive in the world. At the beginning of the story, Sapphire sets the stage by providing indications that the protagonist lags behind others. â€Å"I was left back when I was twelve because I had a baby for my fahver†¦ I had got left back in the second grade too, when I was seven, ‘cause I couldn’t read†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1). In fact, Precious is considered such a hopeless case as far as learning is concerned that the principal of the school tells her teacher to give up and stop wasting time on her. â€Å"Focus on the ones who can learn† (39). Precious herself articulates the predominant view that exists about her learning powers. â€Å"The tesses paint a picture of me wif no brain†¦ the tesses paint a picture of me an’ my muver – my whole family, we more than dumb, we invisible† (33). Because Precious has been left so far behind, it is not even worth the time or effort for anyone to help her so that she can move forward. In having to push when giving birth to her first baby, Precious is, for the first time, encouraged to be assertive and aggressive rather than passive, drawing upon her basic, primal, female energy in bringing forth life (Marvel, 1996). The title Push, therefore, represents the basic energy of the female protagonist, who at sixteen, cannot read or write, still hasn’t completed high school and is already about to give birth to her second child. Nevertheless, she does not give up or submit to despair; she is always ready to keep fighting, as reflected in her attitude: â€Å" ‘N I really do want to learn. Every day I tell myself something gonna happen, some shit like on TV. I’m gonna break through or somebody gonna break through to me – I’m gonna learn, catch up, be normal, change my seat to the front of the class† (5). When the story commences and Precious is suspended from school because she is

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Art - Essay Example This enables the viewer to take a closer look on the art. This piece of art has asymmetrical balance and the right side of the painting seem to indicate movement and fluidity hence making the painting to appear real (Arnheim, 45). 2. Identify and discuss 3 elements of art in the work by Paul Klee entitled Landscape with Yellow Birds and explain how compositional organization of those elements is achieved through at least 2 principles of design. The colors used (primary colors) set the mood of the painting making it bright and capturing to the audience eyes. The different shapes in the artwork represented by the birds and plants make up the form of the painting and also the combination of the lines and the different shading provides a texture that brings the art to life and appear real. When it comes to the balance, Paul ensured symmetry in the painting making it less overpowering and complicated. There is repetition of the elements in the painting which brings about the feeling of harmony and also stresses similarities within the painting making it even more interesting to look at (Preble, Preble and Frank,

The Issue of Equality and Fairness between Employees Research Paper

The Issue of Equality and Fairness between Employees - Research Paper Example Inputs include all the rich and diverse elements that employees believe they bring, or contribute, to the job – seniority, prior work experiences and job performance. Outcomes are the rewards they perceive they get from their jobs and employers; outcomes include direct pay and bonuses, fringe benefits, job security and economic rewards. Employees analyze the fairness of their own outcome/input "contract", and then compare their contract with contracts of other workers in similar jobs and even with those outside their job. Fairness of rewards (equity) may even be judged in comparison with relative criteria such as gender. Pay was a symbolic scorecard by which an employee may compare his/her outcomes with his/her inputs. An employees' reaction may be one of the three combinations that can occur from social and pay comparisons - equity, over reward and underreward. If employees perceive equity, they will be motivated to continue to contribute at about the same level. Otherwise, under conditions of inequity, they will experience tension that will create the motivation to reduce the inequity. The UK labor sector is still composed mostly of direct hire workers and employees although there is no doubt that there is a constant increase in the emergence of agency workers who mostly get affected with the ongoing issue of inequality. With this situation, the agency workers are susceptible to inequality or abuse in the employment sector. It is apparent that the legal framework and constitution should be reviewed and understood in reference to the rights that these agency workers have and if they are indeed fully covered and sheltered from any maltreatment of any kind.

Uk Music Retailers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Uk Music Retailers - Essay Example Just like in any other economy of the world, the UK economy also suffers from quite a number of challenges. Being an important component of the economy, the UK retailers have not been spared from the difficult moments that occasionally characterize the economy. Therefore, some traditional UK retailers such as music retailers who deal with the selling of music CD and VCD have been critically affected. In the past few years, some famous music retailers went bankrupt one after another. Cases in point include the Towers, KPS, and Virgin. Whilst some of the aforementioned retailers were troubled by the market changes, the likes of Find-CD, which is an online music company, were flourishing. According to findings of Traynor (2013) in his research, nearly 140 music retailers are prone to perilous economic period in the near future. A case in point is the HMV music retailer. HMV is credited for having been one of the longest-serving players in the music industry with a history of music retai ling for approximately 91 years.Unfortunately, trends in the recent years spell doom to its operations. Currently, the company no longer accepts gift card payment as well as it has stopped issuing new gift cards in over 200 of its retail stores worldwide. In addition, the London Stock Exchange decided to suspend HMV’s stock trading due to a persistent poor performance of its shares. In a bid to salvage the sorry situation, HMV has contracted Deloitte to investigate the possible solution as well as chart a way forward for the company.... In addition, the London Stock Exchange decided to suspend HMV’s stock trading due to persistent poor performance of its shares. In a bid to salvage the sorry situation, HMV has contracted Deloitte to investigate on the possible solution as well as chart a way forward for the company (Savov, 2013). In 2008, the UK largest music retailer Virgin Megastore faced a host of challenges. This company had stood in London Oxford Street for 18 years. After struggles with its finances and the changing fortunes in the industry, Virgin Megastore decided to sell its125 music retail stores to Zavvi Retailer. This is just but an example of the music retailers that have slowly been fading into oblivion in the UK. The other retailers include MVC, MUSIC ZONE, and FOPP. This closures and acquisition serve to signify the changing market fortunes in this industry. Despite the fact that Zavvi Retailer acquired stores from Virgin Megastore, the prospects of the business seem to be bleak and black. Thi s is because Entertainment UK (EUK), which is the major supplier of music records to Zavvi, has also been struggling to survive. 2. The service delivered by the retailers of music bear a number of characteristics that distinguishes them from goods. These characteristics include intangibility, inseparability, perishability, variability, inaccessibility. It is from this nature of services that the marketers of music face quite a number of challenges as they market the service to the customers. These challenges are as discussed below: Intangibility of music makes it difficult for the customers to ascertain the risk factors involved before they receive the

Intro to businees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Intro to businees - Essay Example The taxes collected by government from businesses are used to finance public projects and social programs. Businesses also contribute to the well being of a society through their social corporate responsibility programs. Corporate social responsibility (CRS) is about how companies manage the business processes to produce an overall positive impact on the members of a society (Baker, 2004). The philanthropic initiatives of businesses are important for the economy because they directly help the social class that is in greater need in our country which is the poor people of the nation. Businesses are also important to the economy because they manufacture and create products that people need and desire. For instance the activities of businesses create the food supply people consume on a daily basis. The activity of businesses also impacts the world trade of products between different countries across the world. Profit and non profit organizations play some similar and other different rol es in the economy. Both types of organizations help provide the economy with jobs for the people. The non-profit sector is composed of the private non-profit organizations and the government. Profit organizations are the main contributors of tax revenue for the government. The goal of these businesses is to maximize shareholders wealth, while the goal of non-profit organizations is to provide free services to help social causes in a community. Non-profit organizations such as the Red Cross assist society whenever there is a disaster and there are constantly collecting blood from donors to help sick people. Often profit organizations donate money to non-profit organizations because these organizations are more adept at using money more effectively to help poor people. For example a $45 donation to the non-profit organization Feed The Children enables the entity to purchase $225 of food and other essential items. A major difference between profit and non-profit organizations is that b usinesses operate in order to maximize their profit, while non-profit organizations operate on a zero sum budget which means that any money they collect during a year is supposed to be totally spent to reach zero by the end of the fiscal year. The largest non-profit organization is the government. In the United States as of 2010 there were 21.29 million governmental employees (Numberof, 2012). This implies that the government is the largest non-profit organization in the United States. The money the government collects from taxes and other revenue sources is used to finance different programs including the military, education, and many other social programs. The monetary policy in the United States of America is set by the Federal Reserve. The two main aspects of monetary policy are the money supply and credit. The interest rates in the banking industry are dependent on the prime rate the Federal Reserve sets. The chairman of the Federal Reserve is Ben S. Bernanke. The fiscal policy in the United States is controlled by the Federal government. Fiscal policy deals with how the government spends its money. One of the biggest obstacles the Federal government faces is the accumulated deficit. This deficit has been growing a lot since the War on Terror that started in 2001. A product that I am familiar with is a new invention created by the company WildRavenModels. This firm created the world’

Comparison Between Structure and Function of Human and Animal Eyes Assignment

Comparison Between Structure and Function of Human and Animal Eyes - Assignment Example This essay stresses that the human eye is adapted to sense different colors and lights of various intensities and adjust according to brightness. Color and light vision involves the simultaneous interaction between the two eyes and brain. When light from the object hits the eye, it is focused by the cornea and lens elements that form transform it to an inverted image. The image successfully transverses the aqueous humor, crystalline lens, gelatinous vitreous body, and vascular ad neuronal layers before it is focused on the surface of the retina. Rod and cone cells found in the retina detect the image, translate the light into a series of electrical signals, and transmit the signals to the brain. This report makes a conclusion that vision is insidious in the animal kingdom since; it is the sensory organ that is relied upon in finding reproductive mates, suitable food, shelter, and escaping from predators and danger. The study of human and animal’s eyes show wild disparities in their mode of vision and anatomical features. Human vision is presented as sometimes ineffective as in detecting infrared and ultraviolet lights, or overly sophisticated than that of felines. This study is important to help researchers to find cure for human eye diseases and explain the adaptation of animals to their environment. The visual perception of living creatures is dependent on how they process light using their photoreceptors.

Research Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Research Proposal - Essay Example This is a process which evolves from theoretical to conceptual in observation. The necessity of technology as a staple in our everyday lives led to the emergence of newer strategies to connect businesses and consumers. Such is the current popularity of e-commerce in conducting marketing. Upon careful consideration it is apparent that this is not merely a trend but will continue to be an indispensable marketing tool. Electronic-commerce also known as electronic marketing gives new meaning to the way business is done. Not only is marketing limited to the conventional marketing tools, it now paves the way to search for convergence with clients. The study calls for a deeper analysis of the marketing tools employed by Melbourne Zoo. First, the general attitudes of the visitors need to be identified to be able to know what are the current programs and features of the zoo that entertains them the most. This will be helpful as this could be the bannered attraction for Melbourne Zoo. This would also identify if they are doing enough in terms of satisfying the clientele. Once this is answered, the study aims to concentrate on the integration of e-commerce in the development of its marketing strategies. This is a way to modernize the brand image of the zoo as well as the utilization of current available technology to maximize the potential of the enterprise in its further success through the internet. The researcher feels this to be an important concentration of the study as it is one of the gaps easily identified through research of Melbourne Zoo. Melbourne Zoo currently has as its primary website http://www.zoo.org.au/ which is a comprehensive site that is directed towards the promotion of the zoo. At the same time it posts news and other relevant information. The main problem for this as the researcher sees it is that the website is dedicated to three zoos, collectively known as the Victoria Zoos. First,

Walden by Henry David Thoreau Essay Example for Free

Walden by Henry David Thoreau Essay In a modern America where â€Å"liberal† means â€Å"amoral,† and â€Å"idealist† means â€Å"hopeless fool,† cell-phones â€Å"ring† to the tunes of Ashlee Simpson and Eminem; SUV’s growl and vomit fumes during rush hour; TV’s blast continuous images of sex and violence, reality and fiction combined in a way to fool and entice and unify all under the blanket of consumerist conformity. Peace is an abstract concept and quiet is for the dead. The world is fast, loud, scary, and smaller than anyone ever imagined. In these fearful times, conformity and resigned desperation are the king and queen. Individuality in American society is looked upon with suspicious eyes, as even feigned unity is preferable to sincere integrity. Even â€Å"freedom† has a new meaning, as leaders repeat it like a mantra to justify the latest horrifically comical atrocity. What better time than to disappear into the woods in the pastoral tradition of the transcendentalists? Walden Summary In an 1841 oration, leading transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson said, â€Å"The universal does not attract us until housed in an individual,† and nowhere is this truer than with his friend, Henry David Thoreau, who came embody an enlightened sense of natural awareness. At a remote lake on his friend Emerson’s property, found the inspiration for Thoreau to create his masterwork about nature, individuality, change—life. Walden captured the two years he spent on Emerson’s Concord property in the mid-1840s, Thoreau created a literary escape for those alienated by the ills of â€Å"proper† society. From the construction of his simple house, to his natural diet, to the woodland creatures that became his neighbors and lone company, every aspect of his simple existence is detailed. In eighteen chapters, Walden covers the world around Thoreau and his little cabin. With chapter titles like Economy, Where I Lived, and What I Lived For, and The Pond in Winter, the simple aspects of existence are the most important. Thoreau begins with a long chapter on Economy, in which he explains his incarceration for refusing to pay a poll-tax he saw as unjust, and his desire for simplicity. Thoreau spends a great deal of the book discussing the simplicity of Nature and how it relates to humanity, morality, and knowledge. While insight runs all through the book, Walden possesses some chapters that are particularly powerful and deal with knowledge, individualism, and friendship. In the chapter Reading, Thoreau explains the importance of books saying, â€Å"To read well, that is, to read true books in a true spirit, is a noble exercise, and one that will task the reader more than any exercise which the customs of the day esteem. It requires training such as the athletes underwent the steady intention almost of the whole life to this object. † This quote is very important because Thoreau is saying that reading is not an easy task, but it also requires lots of practice and training just as athletes undergo. Throughout the chapter, Thoreau states how everyone should read books, and modern humans could end up like pygmies and manikins. â€Å"No wonder that Alexander carried the Iliad with him on his expeditions in a precious casket† (Thoreau). To Thoreau, reading and knowledge are the keys to civilization. In the chapter on Solitude, Thoreau explains how being alone is not at all a bad thing. â€Å"But for the most part it is as solitary where I live as on the prairies. It is as much Asia or Africa as New England, I have, as it were, my own sun and moon and stars, and a little world all to myself. † Thoreau does not look at solitude as being something bad or a punishment, but looks at it as if it were a gift. When he says that he has his own little world all to himself, it makes readers ponder their own solitude. To Americans in the twenty-first century, the concept of solitude is relatively foreign, but as described by Thoreau, it makes it more desirable. In the chapter Visitors, Thoreau talks about how having people around is just as good as being in solitude. â€Å"I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society. When visitors came in larger and unexpected numbers there was but the third chair for them all, but they generally economized the room by standing up. † When Thoreau said that he wanted to keep things as simple as possible, he meant it, offering only three chairs to his visitors. Thoreau says that it was amazing how he could fit twenty-five to thirty people in his tiny house, and how that brought him and all of his visitors closer together. â€Å"I could not but notice some of the peculiarities of my visitors. Girls and boys and young women generally seemed glad to be in the woods. They looked in the pond and at the flowers, and improved their time. † (Coleridge) Negative Criticisms Walden is required reading for many high school students unfamiliar with the things Thoreau discusses in the book. He explained the importance and necessity of reading, he showed how being alone is usually a good thing, and he also showed how great visitors can be. While many high school students appreciate visitors, reading and solitude are things they avoid. Today a majority of high school students do not read books because it is considered â€Å"boring,† and with todays technology, no one has to read. With news and TV, someone or something else often reads to most people. Despite the fact that many people in modern America do not read, Walden is still read by many reluctant students who would rather be online or on the phone. Thoreau defends his book against those who read and fail to understand what they are reading: â€Å"It is not all books that are as dull as their readers. † The people who might find the insights of Thoreau and the desire for the simple life boring, are in fact boring thinkers. Some others may find Thoreau’s distrust of modern civilization misplaced, as many find the progress of the industrial and computer revolutions to be ideal for humanity. The idea of sacrificing that for a rough life in the woods may seem ludicrous. Someone like Thoreau may be seen as a crazy hippie or mountain man, and today’s world favors the engineers, entertainers, and the high life. Society has not simplified one bit in the last one hundred fifty years, and this could signify that Walden has had little real effect on American culture. However, this is not the case in American literature. Positive Criticisms Few question the importance of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden in American literature. Thoreau’s descriptions of life in its simplest and most idyllic continue to inspire conservation efforts and serve as a testament to the value of Nature. From the construction of his house in the thick of the New England woods, to his diet, and to the woodland creatures that became his neighbors and lone company, every aspect of his simple existence is elegantly detailed. Much of his reverence for Nature leads contemporary Americans to believe Thoreau and Walden to be exclusively environmental and conversationalist, but those truly enamored with Thoreau and his transcendentalist ideals know better. Walden retains a timeless wisdom, reminding readers the value of smelling the proverbial roses. â€Å"Our life is frittered away by detail†¦ Simplify, simplify† (Thoreau 89). Whether in the throws of the Industrial Revolution as Thoreau, or in the era of ambitious terrorism and open-ended declarations of war as modern humans, details create confusion. Humans forget about life while they live it, often concerned mainly with conformity. â€Å"Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed and in such desperate enterprises? If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer† (317). Perhaps, the strongest issue put forth in the book is that of individuality, as themes of self-reliance and stoicism run throughout the work. Individualism, the importance of the individual, self-reliance, and personal independence is one of the leading characteristics of the era of Romanticism. Henry David Thoreau wrote about individualism and demonstrated his belief by the way he lived. Living at Walden Pond, standing up to his government, refusing to pay a poll-tax to a government with which he viewed as corrupt are examples of his fierce independence and individuality. Thoreau is a stellar example of what individuality can produce. A worthy goal is to make the effort to devote oneself to thought and work, to in fact nurture ones own individuality, rather than becoming lost in the mainstream of life. This will allow greater individuality and diversity to complement current day society. The true secret to Walden’s success and timelessness is that Americans still make the same mistakes and take the same things for granted as they did 150 years ago. Everything still applies, in nature and man. Only the details have changed. Technology still marches on; war still looms large over the landscape; America continues to grow and spread its influence, for better or worse. In the case of Thoreau, for better, at least according to George Eliot who said, â€Å"we have a bit of pure American life (not the go a-head species, but its opposite pole), animated by that energetic, yet calm spirit of innovation† (Eliot 46). In modern America, where the go a-head species lead us blindly into an abyss, it is the voices of Americans like Thoreau: peacefully simple. Perhaps, Emerson said it best when he eulogized his friend, â€Å"No truer American existed than Thoreau† (Emerson). And, there have been few books that have been more American than Walden. Conclusion Thoreau went to the woods to get to the most basic facts of life and to appreciate and enjoy everything about these most basic facts. Thoreau viewed the woods in particular, and Nature in general, as a teacher of life and living. Thoreau believed that the simpler his life became the greater his opportunity to appreciate life. Thoreau did not want to allow society to determine that which he knew as life. To live an existence based on the common experience of others would be as to neglect ones own experience. Individualism and an appreciation for nature and solitude do not necessarily mean living as a hermit. Thoreau believed that in order to truly appreciate life, to understand and experience life as ones own life, it is necessary to quiet the mind of all the surrounding trappings of society. To this day, Walden serves as one of the greatest examples of the benefits of living the simple life. References Coleridge, S. T. , (1969). The Collected Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. ed. Kathleen Coburn, Princeton: Princeton UP. , 6: 30. Eliot, G. (1988). â€Å"Review of Walden. † Critical Essays on Thoreau’s Walden. Ed. Joel Myerson. Boston: C. K. Hall Co. , 46. Emerson, R. W. (8 Dec. 1997). â€Å"The Eulogy of Henry David Thoreau. † RWE. org – The Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Accessed 29 Jan. 2007 from http://www. rwe. org/pages/eulogy_of_thoreau. htm Thoreau, H. D. (2004). Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition. Ed. Jeffery S. Cramer. New Haven: Yale University Press. (Original work published 1854)

Treatment Of Clostridium Difficile Infection Health And Social Care Essay

Treatment Of Clostridium Difficile Infection Health And Social Care Essay As a nurse working in acute medical ward for elderly, I work closely with patients with C. difficile infection. I have noticed the effect of C. difficile infection in elderly can be fatal. C. difficile is a gram positive anaerobic bacillus. They colonise in the oxygen deficient areas of the body. That can cause life threatening conditions, including diarrhoea, colitis and septicaemia and resulting death. C. difficile infection can cause serious illness and a significant cause of patient morbidity and mortality. It is a major cause of hospital acquired diarrhoea. C. difficile infection can cause serious illness and hospital outbreaks .It can cause significant financial burden on NHS. It is estimated that the increased length of hospital stay itself can cause an excess of around  £4,000 per patient. The number of death certificates mentioning C. difficile infection in England and Wales fell by 29% between 2007 and 2008 ,after increasing every year since records began in 1999(National Statistics,2008). According to Weston (2007), Clostridium difficile was first identified in 1935s, but until the late 1970s it was not identified as the cause of pseudo membranous colitis following antibiotic therapy. C. difficile infection is more common in elderly (over the age of 65). People who have a long stay in health care settings, those who have recently had gastrointestinal surgery and those who have a serious underlying illness that compromises their immune system are also at high risk to get C. difficile infection. In-patients are also at high risk if there are hospital outbreaks. Poor infection controls are also an important risk factor. Causes Antibiotics are considered as the most important cause for C. difficile infection. Any antibiotic can cause C. difficile infection, but Broad spectrum cephalosporins, broad spectrum penicillin and clindamycin are most frequently implicated. The second most commonly named antibiotic is Co amoxiclav (Health Protection Agency, 2008). The use of proton pump inhibitors such as lansoprazole, omeprazole and pantoprazole are also potential risk factor for C. difficile infection (Leonard et al., 2007). The disruption of normal harmless bacteria in the gut, because of antibiotic therapy also allows the C. difficile to multiply to greater number. The bacteria start to produce toxins. The antacids suppress the gastric acid secretion and as a result, C. difficile bacteria, including the spores are less likely destroyed. The reason for community associated C. difficile infection was unclear but it is become clear that the reasons for the majority of the infections are associated with antibiotic pr escriptions or hospitalisation (Wilcox et al., 2008). Transmission The transmission is through faecal-oral route. The infected patients acquire the organisms directly from other patients with diarrhoea. The route of transmission may be direct, via the hands of health care workers or via the hands of patients or via the environment. Asymptomatic people who are colonised with C. difficile are also can be able to transmit the disease. About 3% is the colonisation rate in healthy adults, but this increases to nearly 20 % in older people especially in chronic care wards. The spore form of C. difficile can survive in the environment for five months or more on hard surfaces. It is considered that the primary route of transmission of C. difficile infection via healthcare workers hand. Clinical features and pathogenesis The most important clinical feature is sudden onset of offensive smelling diarrhoea during a course of antibiotic or who had antibiotics with in the previous two months. Patients may pass soft or watery stool more than twice daily or in more severe cases more than 20 times accompanied by severe abdominal cramps (Weston, 2007). Abdominal distension, fever and dehydration may also be present in more severe cases. Unless C. difficile is diagnosed, the patients can be miss- diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. C. difficile infection is a major health problem worldwide that leads to increased morbidity and mortality. Healthy adults carry around 500 species of bacteria in the colon, 90% of which are harmless (Weston, 2007). C. difficile colitis results from the disruption of normal colonic flora and C. difficile colonises in the oxygen deficient areas of intestine. The spores are able to replicate and produce toxins that can lead to mucosal damage and inflammation. In a healthy adult t he normal colonic flora inhibit the growth and colonisation by C. difficile. The antibiotic therapy may disrupt the normal flora and allow the C. difficile to colonise very rapidly. After colonisation the organisms produces two protein exotoxins( Toxin A, an enterotoxin and Toxin B , a cytotoxin) in to the colonic lumen. These are responsible for diarrhoea and colitis. Toxin A binds to the receptors in the intestine and cause extensive tissue damage, inflammation and oedema. Both toxins posses cytotoxic activity against cultured cells by same mechanisms but they differ in cytotoxic potency, toxin B is generally 1000 times more potent than toxin A and to play a major role in activating inflammatory repose (Weston, 2007). Toxin B is more important than toxin A in the pathogenesis of C. difficile infection in man. According to lab test reports there are 100 different types of c difficile stains. The most recognised epidemic types is ribotype 027.The most important feature of ribotype 027 is hypertoxin production, 10 to 20 times more toxin than other stains. The C. difficile infection caused by ribotype 027 are more likely to be severe with increased complications such as renal impairment, severe colonic dilatation and sepsis (Freeman et al., 2007).The clinical features include increased severity of illness, failure to respond to antibiotics ,abdominal distension. Raised CRP and rising WCC particularly in patients who may have appeared to respond to antibiotics and deterioration in condition and appears to have higher mortality rate. Diagnosis Laboratory studies of stool sample will help to detect c difficile infection. Stool culture will help to detect the presence of difficile with toxin production. Stool enzyme immunoassay (ELISA)will detect both of the toxins ( A or B). For toxin B Stool cytotoxicity assay will be positive.Endoscopy may demonstrate ,but it is the least sensitive for diagnosing C. difficile as compared to stool assays., Sigmoidoscopy alone may not reveal any abnormality if the disease is confined to the right colon. Colonoscopy is more useful. Because of the risk of perforation Sigmoidoscopy and Colonoscopy is contraindicated in patients with colitis (Weston, 2007). Treatment The treatment of C. difficile infection depends on the severity of the illness. At my work place, the patient is closely monitored and isolated. A stool chart is maintained using Bristol Stool Chart. All antibiotics that are not required are stopped. This will help the normal bacteria to thrive again in the gut. If any patient develops C. difficile infection at my work place, we conduct a thorough investigation for the causes and we notify the antibiotic management team to review the patient. The team will review the patient in the ward (rounds Wed/Fri.) or via the phone. There will be a root cause analysis to find why the patient developed C. difficile infection? In some patients fluid and electrolyte replacement and nutrition review may also be necessary. In mild cases of C. difficile infection, patients are monitored for 48 hrs before starting antibiotics. In severe cases, antibiotics may need to be administered immediately. Metronidazole and Vancomycin are the two preliminary ant ibiotics used in the treatment of the infection (Weston, 2007). Usually a 7 to 10 day of therapy is required. Oral metronidazole 400mgs eight hourly for seven to ten days is the first line of treatment. It is contraindicated in women who are pregnant or who are breast feeding. The most recognised side effects of the metronidazole are an unpleasant metallic taste, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, headache, pruritus, rashes, dizziness and reversible neutropenia. Vancomycin is known to cause the spread of vancomycin resistant bacteria. Vancomycin is used for severe, life threatening cases of C. difficile infection. It is also used for patients unable to tolerate metronidazole and failed treatment with metronidazole. Vancomycin is expensive. Oral vancomycin is not completely absorbed or metabolized in the gut and is excreted in the stool unchanged. This is ideal in the treatment of C. difficile infection. The recommended oral vancomycin doses for adults are either 125mg or 500mg four times daily. The use of a rectal vancomycin enema (500mg diluted in 1000ml of 0.9% sodium chloride injection) is also an alternative. A recurrence of symptomatic disease with re infection occurs in 5-20% cases. Management of repeated relapses is more difficult. The options include slow tapering of vancomycin or metronidazole over a period of six weeks and vancomycin combined with rifampicin for seven days. There are also case reports of successful treatments with intravenous immunoglobulin which contains antibodies to c difficile toxins. The studies shows oral administration of limited bacteria or yeast helps to reconstitute the gut flora and there is a potential to prevent infection.The ability of these organisms to colonize and also to prevent and treat the c.difficile is unclear. (Department Of Health, 2009). Surgery may be needed for small number of cases especially if C. difficile infection progress to fulminant colitis and perforation. Loperamide (anti diarrhoea drug) is contraindicated for C. difficile infection because this will slow down the clearing of toxic bacteria (Weston, 2007). Prevention Control Preventing the spread of C. difficile can be challenging as hospitals tend to have an increasing population of elderly, debilitated and susceptible persons, which naturally increases the number susceptible hosts within the environment. Isolation Isolation should be implemented in conjunction with the infection prevention and control measures to minimise the risk of spread to other vulnerable groups. Private room/side room is recommended, especially for patients who are fecally incontinent. Cohort symptomatic C. difficile associated disease patients only with other symptomatic C. difficile infected patients, to minimise environmental contamination. Patients with C. difficile infection may be moved to other rooms or bays when the diarrhoea ceases (no diarrhoea at least 48 hours) (Department Of Health, 2009 and Health Protection Agency, 2009). Hand washing Barrier nursing Contact precautions should be used for C. difficile infected patients with diarrhoea. Proper hand washing is essential. Alcohol-based hand gels are not effective in reducing the spread of the organism and are not recommended. Disposable gloves and aprons should be worn when caring for the patients. It is recommended that not to share the equipments between the patients. It is a good practice to inform healthcare workers and visitors that a patient is on contact precautions, such as labelling the door of the room, without disturbing patients privacy. Last year we (My work place) spent  £1,280.32 for soap, alcohol, gel and moisturiser. Environmental Cleaning The environment of a patient with C. difficile infection should be cleaned thoroughly at least twice per day. An approved hospital disinfectant-detergent should be used for all environmental cleaning. Terminal cleaning (stage cleaning) of ward area is essential after the discharge or transfer or death of a patient with C. difficile infection. (My ward) Decontamination of equipment Do not share equipments among patients to prevent cross infection. Commodes and bedpans are heavily contaminated with spores and are considered as vehicles of cross infection in C. difficile outbreaks. It is ideal that symptomatic patients have their own commodes or toilet facilities. Proper disinfection must be essential. Transfer of Patients Transfer of patients with C. difficile infection or disease to another ward, unit, or to the long term care facility must be informed prior to the transfer that the patient has C. difficile infection. Same notice must accompany transfer of patients with C. difficile infection to a long term care facility (Department Of Health, 2009). It is not necessary to have absence of diarrhoea or negative stool cultures before the transfer of a C. difficile patient to a long term care facility. On the patients discharge, we need to notify the primary care physician (My ward). Rectal Thermometers Since the outbreaks C. difficile in hospitals and long term care facilities, rectal thermometers are restricted to use. For the routine use Electronic tympanic thermometers are recommended (Department Of Health, 2009) Education Ward should conduct training programmes to the health care staff. Ensure that patient / family information leaflets are given out. Anti microbial management team It is the responsibility of the hospital trust to develop anti microbial management team. That should consist of a consultant microbiologist, pharmacist and prescriber. The trust also needs to develop restrictive antibiotic guidelines. These guidelines specifically need to address to avoid the use of broad spectrum cephalosporin, broad spectrum penicillin and clindamycin especially in elderly and minimise the use of fluroquinolones, carbapenems,that we follow in my work place. It is also a good practice to have an infection control link nurse to each and every ward. It is their responsibility to do proper training for staffs and auditing the clinical area. Outbreaks of C. difficile infection in Long Term Care Facilities An outbreak of C. difficile infection is defined as three or more cases of symptomatic C. difficile infection mainly in the same area of the hospital ward within a period of seven days. Infected patients should be placed in isolation room or cohorted. Patient(s) can be removed from precautions if there is no diarrhoea .There is no need to wait for negative stool culture to remove the patent from precautions. An education program regarding C. difficile infection and its transmission and prevention should be conducted to all health care workers. Need to highlight the use of gloves and aprons and moreover proper hand washing. The health care facility need to monitor for any significant episodes of C. difficile infection, and then need to liaise with local health department for further assistance (Walker K et al., 1993). Possible Solution Conducting education programmes and workshops for health care workers and public to increase the awareness of C. difficile infection can contribute a major role in reducing the number of C. difficile infection cases within the healthcare system. Need special attention to personal hygiene. The primary route transmission is via the hands of healthcare workers and other patients and residents. It is very important to perform proper hand washing and barrier nursing (gloves, gowns). Environmental hygiene is also very important factor in controlling C. difficile infection. Regular and proper cleaning of patient rooms with anti bacterial cleaning agents is essential as C. difficile toxins can stay in the environment for several months. Changing the way doctors prescribe antibiotic therapy is also an important strategy in control the C. difficile infection. Because C. difficile infection is always associated with the use of antibiotics, It is also recommended to have an antimicrobial management team for each hospital (Department Of Health, 2009). In cases of recurrent C. difficile infection experts agree that the non antibiotic treatment have a positive impact. The use of toxin binders neutralises the effect of toxin producing stains and to helps the intestinal flora to restore .Tolevamer, developed by Genzyme Corporation is the first non antibiotic treatment approved for C. difficile infection (www.mediscape.com). Mandatory surveillance of C. difficile infection in the United Kingdom When looking at surveillance reports, many of the hospitals in the UK have been affected with outbreaks of C. difficile.  We can see that the large increase in the number is between 2000 and 2007.It is the responsibility of the  hospitals in the UK has to measure and report to the Department of Health.  The surveillance should include the number of positive cases, number of severe infections, the number of required surgery cases and number of deaths. The surveillance of C. difficile infection is taking to get a target for 30% reduction from 2007/2008 numbers by 2010/2011.  In 2007-2008, there were 55,498 cases reported across England. In 2008-2009, the cases reported dropped to 36,095. i.e., cases dropped by 35%. Last year our target (My hospital and my community) was 180. The number of cases reported was 171, 98 of which are from hospital (7 cases from my ward).This year, the target is 155. Social, economic and political issues. C. difficile infection is expensive to the NHS. The total identifiable increased cost of C. difficile infection causes an excess of  £4000 per case. Such high costs can be used to justify expenditure on personnel and/or other control measures to reduce the incidence of this hospital-acquired infection. There are notable outbreaks of c. difficile infection worldwide since 2003.Outbreaks was reported in Montreal, Quebec and Calgary, Alberta, in Canada. Approximately 1400 cases affected, death count 36 89.A similar outbreak reported at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in the United Kingdom between 2003 and 2005, in which 33 patients died. In 2007 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust was heavily criticized by the Commission, have heightened media and made public awareness. In 2009, four deaths reported at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Ireland also thought to have links to Clostridium difficile infection. The prevention and control of C. difficile infection in health care settings is bec ome a global public health challenge.(Health Protection Agency 2009) Conclusion C. difficile infection is a major problem in hospitals that is associated with the use of antibiotics. C. difficile infection also recognised as one of the major health care associated infection. It is estimated that C. difficile infection affects between 40000-60000 people in the UK every year. The prevention and control of C. difficile infection is very important. The three main elements of prevention are: Need to restricted use of antibiotics; Strict isolation precautions and barrier nursing when looking after patients with diarrhoea and Through cleaning of clinical areas. Poor hand washing is known to play a key role in the spread of infection. Hand washing facilities in the hospitals such as the number of hand washing sinks and their position, and type of taps are also need to be inspected. Hand washing protocols is low in many hospitals. C. difficile infection needs treatment only if it is symptomatic. Most of the people make full recovery and in rare cases the infection can be fatal. Infection control teams need to develop education programmes to improve compliance and regular auditing. It is everybodys business to participate to prevent and control C. difficile infection with in the health care system. The health care workers need to follow the hospital infection control policy.

Black Militia’s Formation Essay -- American History, The Civil War

In such a controversial period regarding the spread of slavery and state’s rights, the Louisiana black militia’s formation and involvement during the Civil War was not one without strife. The Union and Confederacy were both divergent in issues regarding the black population. It was only innate the black population would assist in the struggle which would determine their future to be free from subrogation. In order to review the history of the Civil War, it is only practical to view the involvement of black men during this struggle. James G. Hollandsworth, Jr. explores the social, political, and military aspects of the first, second, and third regiments of the Louisiana Native Guards during the Civil War. This topic of black militias is a rare narrative due to its lack of precedent over that of the white participants. The author begins with the Louisiana Native Guards representing the Confederacy during the siege of New Orleans and continues through the time of reconstruction. The basic initiative of Hollandsworth is to illustrate the discrimination of black soldiers by their white Union counterparts. By tracing some of the involvement of the Louisiana Native Guards during the Civil War, Hollingsworth is able to address some historical questions regarding the different sentiments towards blacks in the north and south. There are several smaller factors which Hollandsworth explores. One of these factors is the differences in sentiments amongst the white participants of the Union militias. The determination of the participants in the black militias is also exemplified to account for their devotion towards the conflict which surrounded the Civil War. Hollandsworth also explores the continued struggle and determination of the black... ...are that of superior authority, such as officers. Since a militia unit contains different hierarchies of participants, to contain the superior and not the inferior provides insufficient evidence on the topic at hand. In order to fully understand history, it is beneficial to gather information from both perspectives and all participants. A biased tabulation of history is compared to that of a victim and its offender. Historical events contain factual elements which may never be fully discovered, especially during times where documentation was some times scarce. Since history sometimes repeats itself, in order to learn lessons, one must identify all the elements which caused the initial conflict. Hollandsworth revives a portion of history which brings about a new perspective to his readers and with this a possible evolution in black military historical literature.

The Awakening :: essays research papers

In The Awakening Kate Chopin uses several symbols and motifs to reveal greater themes throughout the book. The protagonist, Edna Pontellier, goes through a series of â€Å"awakenings† in which she discovers her independence and longing for a life which is less conformed. Yet Edna ultimately finds that independence and solitude come hand in hand, and that the expectations of women in the 1800’s conflict with her desire to be an individual. Several events and characters influence Edna’s awakening such as Robert Lebrun, Adele Ratignolle and even her several visits to Grand Isle. Yet there is one character who seems to be the most influential in Edna’s development and that is Mademoiselle Reisz.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mademoiselle Reisz is an unconventional and somewhat unpopular older woman but also an excellent pianist. She is unmarried, childless, and homely, devoting all her time to her music. Even her living style reveals her character; an apartment above everyone else, with a view, but often disagreeable and cold. Mademoiselle Reisz serves as a muse for Edna representing independence and freedom, and she is thus also a foil for Adele who represents everything an acceptable woman would have been in the nineteenth century. Even though neither Edna nor Mademoiselle Reisz can really claim to have been very fond of each other, Edna seeks her companionship as she begins to pursue her independence and is attracted to Mademoiselle because of her blunt manner. Mademoiselle Reisz is the only character who knows of Edna’s feelings for Robert and therefore serves as an important link between the two characters. Mademoiselle Reisz also realizes that Edna is the only guest who s eems really touched by her music, made obvious in a passage in which Edna first hears her play â€Å"Perhaps it was the first time she was ready, perhaps the first time her being was tempered to take an impress of the abiding truth... she saw no pictures of solitude, of hope, of longing, or of despair† (chap.9 pg. 33). In this light Mademoiselle Reisz serves as a true confidant for Edna and these details bring these two contrasting personalities together.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As Edna becomes increasingly aware of her sexuality and need to be independent she realizes that Mademoiselle Reisz is the epitome of artistry and female independence, one who lives in eccentric isolation. Mademoiselle Reisz tells Edna that she must be brave is she wishes to be an artist, that artists must have a courageous and defiant soul, â€Å"Courageous, ma foi! The brave soul.

Feminists, Stereotypes and Stereotyping in the Media Essay -- Feminism

Feminists and Media Stereotypes      Ã‚   The media portrays feminists in unflattering ways. Largely because of the media portrayal, the word 'feminist' usually evokes images of crass, butch, men-hating, very masculine women. Many women believe in the feminist doctrine, but they would never consider themselves as a feminist because they cannot relate to the images of crass, butch, men-hating, masculine women.   In fact, it has only been within the past year that I've been able to accept the fact that I am a feminist and that my preconceived images of feminists are merely media stereotypes.    I'm now able to admit I care more about my own rights than whether or not someone will assume I fit the media stereotype of a feminsit. Feminism is the belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes. One doesn't have to hate men, refuse to wear dresses, or be homosexual to be a feminist. Feminism isn't about male bashing, but rather about equality. Now I can (and do) admit freely that I'm a feminist. People may think that means I'm lesbian. They may think that means I hate men. They may think I have some sort of secret agenda. They can be as misinformed or stereotypical as they chose, I just want equal rights.      Yet now I have to wonder why those stereotypes exist and where they stemmed from. Were early feminists "butch" man haters? No. Early accounts from women and men of the time prove otherwise.    *   ... the 1848 Seneca Falls convention for a female Bill of Rights provoked editorials about "unsexed   women"...which insinuated that they had become activists because "they were too repulsive to find a   husband....These women are entirely devoid of personal attractions."...When a supporter, Senato... ...lifetimetv.com/shows/specials/changingface/illusions2.html Life Time Entertainment Services. 2000 Changing Face of Beauty: Models http://www.lifetimetv.com/shows/specials/changingface/models.html Life Time Entertainment Services. 2000 Changing Face of Beauty: Views. "Sela Ward" http://www.lifetimetv.com/shows/specials/changingface/views5b.html Life Time Entertainment Services. 2000 Changing Face of Beauty: Views. "Maricia Gillespie" http://www.lifetimetv.com/shows/specials/changingface/views.html Life Time Entertainment Services. 2000 Douglas, Susan J. Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media. New York: Random House Publishing, 1994, 278. Starr, Bernard. IT AIN'T JUST PAINT:AGING AND THE MEDIA  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.longevityworld.com/justpaint.html. 1997 Wolff, Naomi. The Beauty Myth. New York: Doubleday Publishing, 1991   

The Two-Minute Speech

Lasting roughly over two minutes, the Gettysburg Address is one of the best known speeches in American history. In the Gettysburg Address, author Abraham Lincoln puts hope into the hearts of Americans of a new nation brought up from the ashes of the American Civil War and the noble men that fought to preserve its belief in liberty and the equality of all men.Lincoln’s words deliver a sense of unity and wholehearted purpose among Americans in his Gettysburg Address. In the first paragraph, Lincoln states his belief that â€Å"all men are created equal†, an allusion to the Constitution. He is asserting that freedom of all men, including slaves, is backed by the law of the land. Lincoln never uses the words â€Å"I† or â€Å"you† to address his audience, but instead uses â€Å"we†, â€Å"our†, and â€Å"us†, to establish ethos and connect with the crowd before him and Americans in general–the North and the South.Moreover, he repeat edly says â€Å"we† throughout his speech to emphasize his goal for unity. In the third sentence of the third paragraph, Lincoln uses parallelism in â€Å"little† vs. â€Å"long† and â€Å"we say† vs. â€Å"they did† to make a point that the fight to defend their country’s values of liberty and freedom from their soldiers will not be forgotten. Again he reveres their nobility in the first sentence of the same paragraph , repeating â€Å"we cannot† in front of â€Å"dedicate†, â€Å"consecrate†, and â€Å"hallow† (â€Å"this groundâ€Å"), using hyphens between each statement to create emphasis. Lincoln builds up to his ultimate message, the climax of the paper: That Americans shall make it their duty to see that the rights of man which Union soldiers so righteously defended shall never again be neglected.He goes on by addressing â€Å"the great task remaining before [them]†, which is â€Å"that†¦weà ¢â‚¬  give as much devotion to the cause as those who died for it, â€Å"that we highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain†, and â€Å"that this nation†¦shall have a new birth of freedom†, creating, with this use of anaphora, and intensity that makes his listeners feel proud while also giving them a sense of purpose/cause. Finally, Lincoln uses asyndeton to close off his speech by affirming that government â€Å"of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth†, promising a  brighter future. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address reassured Americans that their soldiers did not die in vein, for the freedom and liberty of man would never cease to be defended.

Ambiguity in Translation Essay

Abstract This paper deals with translation ambiguity and target polysemy problems together. many Words have more than one translation across languages. Such translation ambiguous words are generally translated more slowly and less Accurately than their unambiguous counterparts. Additionally, there are multiple source of translation ambiguity including within language semantic ambiguity and near synonymy, the present study examines the extent to which word context and translation dominance reduce the difficulties associated with translation ambiguity , using the primed stemming from the two source , especially translation ambiguity derived from semantic ambiguity (meaning translation ambiguity) and translation ambiguity derived from near synonymy (synonym translation ambiguity). Translation unambiguous pairs were recognized more quickly and accurately than translation ambiguous pairs. In this paper I have used qualitative and quantitative methods of research to investigate And describe ambiguities in the text translation. Key words: translation ambiguity – polysemy problems – ambiguous and unambiguous texts – qualitative and quantitative – semantic ambiguity . Introduction Ambiguity is a pervasive phenomenon in language which occurs at all levels of linguistic Analysis. Out of context, words have multiple sense and syntactic categories, requiring Listeners to determine which meaning and part of speech was intended. Morphemes may also be ambiguous out of context , as in English. Phonological forms are often mapped to multiple distinct word meaning, as in the homoPhonemes,( too , two and to). Syllables are almost always ambiguous in isolation , meanIngs that they can be interpreted as providing incomplete information about the word The speaker is intending to communicate. Syntactic and semantic ambiguity are frequent enough to present a substantial challenge To natural language processing. The fact that that ambiguity occurs on so many linguistic levels suggests that a far reachIng principle is needed to explain its origins and persistence. The existence of ambiguity Provides a puzzle for functionalist theories which attempt to explain properties of linguIstic systems in terms of communicative pressure . One might imagine that in perfect Communication system , language would completely disambiguate meaning. The communicative efficacy of language might be enhanced since there would be no danger of comprehenders incorrectly inferring the intended meaning confusion about ( who is on first) could not occur. Indeed, the existence of ambiguity in language has been argued to show that the key Structures and properties of language have not evolved for purpose of communication or Use. The natural approach has always been : is language well designed for use, understood typically as use for communication? I think that is a wrong question. The use of language for communication might turn out to be a kind of epiphenomenon. If you want to make sure that we never misunderstand one another , for that purpose language is not well designed , because you have such properties as ambiguity. If we want to have the property that the things that we usually would like to say come out Short and simple , well , it probably does not have that properties. Statement of problem Translation is a challenging activity and there are few difficulties that appear during translation process. so every language describes the word in different way and has its own grammar structure , grammar rules and syntax variance . During this process the following are the most particular problems : problems of ambiguity : these originate from structural and lexical differences between languages and multiword units like idioms and collocations. Problems of grammar : there are several constructions of grammar with rules that are poorly understood. Problems of language : these includes idiom terms neologisms , slang difficult to Understand, respect to punctuation conventions and proper name of people, organization And places. Problems of source texts: these are illegible text, spell incorrectly. It can easily be seen that language differ from one to another in terms of many ways and Not just in grammar subjects . for example, small words are hard to translate and the Meanings of common words depends on context. Besides, some words, are untranslatabLe when one wishes to remain in the same grammatical category that is why translators Face of with many problems. Another problem is that translators have a hard time to convey the same meaning to the Other language. For example: translation of literature, poems and songs are impossible To express their same meanings in another language. So these texts need to be familiar With two languages . Translation process is not only to translate the words, but also to Find ones that rhymes as well. Keep in mind , lack of vocabulary knowledge cause certain problems. for those reason Translators need and in-depth knowledge of two language to translate advanced texts and Avoid using dictionary that many times make this process very boring. The last problem is that translators will encounter complex grammar structures that they Must interpret correctly. Techniques to overcome translation problems In this part of article I have presented some techniques in brief to overcome the problems That could be useful in translation , such as : back translation , consultation and Collaboration with other people and pre testing or piloting such as interviews. Research question In case of translation ambiguity we are face with some critical questions and that most Important of them is the real meaning of ambiguity that can be designed like below questions. What does language ambiguity mean? Something is ambiguous when it can be understood in two or more possible senses or Ways . If the ambiguity is in a single word it is called lexical ambiguity, in a sentence or Clause, structural ambiguity. In the field of ambiguity we are face with two interrelated questions: 1 what is being denied? And 2 what would have been dissolved? One answer equates ambiguity within the semantic, given that equation ambiguity can be Overcome by resolving either the founding lack of clarity in the first instance or in the Second addressing and eliminating contestation posed on the level of meaning. Review of literature We tend to think of language as a clear and literal vehicle for accurately communicating ideas. But, even when we use language literally , misunderstandings arise and meanings shift . People can be intentionally or unintentionally ambiguous. Nevertheless , when someone uses a potentially ambiguous sentence or expression, usually the intention was to express only one meaning . As we know , most words can have denotations, apparent meaning , connotations and implied or hidden meaning . Also, we often use words in a figurative way. even though figurative language is more often used in poetry and fiction it is still very common in ordinary speech. Ambiguity is a poetic vehicle. It is human nature to try to find meaning within an exchange . a text is given to us and in Return we give our interpretation . Our own associations give understanding of what is Presented to us . The characteristic of the late 20th century, as well as of postmodern Literature , is that certainties are continuously called into question and thus allegory becomes a suitable form for expression. Allegory is a classic example of double discourse that avoids establishing a center within the text. Because in allegory the unity of the work is provided by something that is not explicitly there. In contrast to symbols, which are generally taken to transcend the sign itself and express The universal truths, allegories metaphors divided the sign, exposing its arbitrariness. ( I used sign here in the sense of the direct intended meaning). Thus, the allegorical impulse in contemporary literature can be seen as a reflection of the Postmodern emphasis on the reader as co-producer, since it invites the reader s active Participation in making meaning. Metaphors are indeed highly appropriate postmodern devices, because they are obvious Vehicle for ambiguity . A living metaphor always carries dual meanings, the literal or Sentence meaning and the conveyed or utterance meaning. A metaphor induces comparison , but since grounds of similarity are no t always given, Metaphors serve to emphasize the freedom of the reader as opposed to the authority of The writer . historically, we can point to Saussure as initiating the discussion related to the Arbitrariness of the sign as described in his course of general linguistics. The signifier may Stay the same but the signified will shift in relation to context. In terms of change over time, Saussure states whatever the factors involved in the change Whether they act in isolation or in combination , they always result in a shift in the relationship between the sign and the signification. Methodology Addressing qualitative and quantitative method appears to be rather ambiguous task, Especially when we consider our experience of working on the issue. On the one hand , we experienced fears that working on this topic may damage one s Reputation as a scientist: talking about oneself may appear indecent and self-aggrandizing Unless one belongs to a science studies disciplines. Additionally, the messenger maybe Called to account for the message. The message being that social sciences are inherently Structured by historical , local , social and personal characteristics of those involved in Them . anyway , we should not forget that quantitative approaches have been seen as more scientific and objective. discussion one problem with attempting to identify different kinds of lexical and semantic ambiguity is that there is not definitive consensus among commentators of how these terms should be defined . semantic ambiguity has a fairly wide range of linguistic concern . Palmer discusses ambiguity as an attribute of the discipline of semantics in general. Semantic ambiguity in Palmer s formulation would refer to potentially multiple meanings of the relations within language (sense) and relations between language and the world (reference) . In other words , it would refer to a pattern or structure of meaning of a linguistic presentation , such as a sentence , a paragraph, a poem, a novel, a scene from a movie. the ambiguity is to be found in the sense relationships of the piece as a whole or in parts of a whole . it is difficult to discuss lexical and semantic ambiguity apart from pragmatics . Because so many commentaries bring in all three kinds in their discussions. For instance , Poesio refers to semantic ambiguity as having simply a multiplicity of Meanings , but links it to the structure or grammar of a language in a way that assigns Responsibility for the ambiguity to the deliberate intent of the one who originates but Underspecified, what the language means or its rhetorical intent. tropes: metaphor, metonym, allegory, homonym, homophone, homograph, paradox these are only a few of the language figures of ( tropes) providing concepts useful to understanding ambiguity in language. Metaphor: This refers to the non-literal meaning of a word, a clause or sentence. Metaphors are very common; in fact all abstract vocabulary is metaphorical. A metaphor compares things. A metaphor established by usage and convention becomes a symbol. Thus crown suggests the power of the state, press = the print news media and chair = the control (or controller) of a meeting. metonym : a word used in place of another word or expression to convey the same meaning. (eg: the use of brass to refer to the military officer) allegory: the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalization about human existence. homonym: when different words are pronounced , and possibly spelled the same way. (eg: to , too, two) homophone: where the pronunciation is the same but standard spelling differs , as in flew (from fly), flu ( influenza) , and flue ( of a chimney). homograph: when different words spelled identically, and possibly pronounced the same. (eg: lead the metal and lead /what leaders do). paradox: the statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true . a self-contradictory statement that at first seems true. an argument that apparently derives self-contradictory conclusions by valid deduction from acceptable premises. Significant of research The significant of research about ambiguity is in clearing the real meaning of a word in Different situations . as I said before a word in English and any other language has many different meanings that its real meaning depends on the situation that those words are used . one word may have different meanings in sport , medical , computer, science , military fields and so on . But translators should have much more information about the target and source language till choose the proper meaning for the used words and should be much experienced at this field and had much researches to be in perfect position of translation. Conclusion We have provided several kinds of evidence for the view that ambiguity results from a Pressure for efficient communication . we argued that any efficient communication system will necessarily be ambiguous when context is informative about meaning. The units of an efficient communication system will not redundantly specify information Provided by the context. these units will appear not to completely disambiguate meaning. Language can not exist without ambiguity , which has represented both a curse and a Blessing through the ages. Language is a very complex phenomenon. Meanings that can be taken for granted are in  Fact only the tip of a huge iceberg. Psychological , social and cultural events provide a moving ground on which those Meanings take root and expand their branches. The overlapping meanings emerge from The tropes , ways of saying something by always saying something else. in this sense ambiguity in literature has a very dark side, when important documents are interpreted in different ways , resulting in persecution, oppression , and death . the meaning in each situation appears as an effect of the underlying structure of signs. These signs themselves do not have a fixed significance, the significance only exist in the individual . sign is only what is represents for someone . Disambiguation is a key concept in computational linguistics. The paradox of how we tolerate semantic ambiguity and yet we seem to thrive on it , is a major question for this discipline . at this time , there is no computer capable of storing enough knowledge to process what human knowledge has accumulated. It can be seen, there for that ambiguity in language is both a blessing and curse. references (1) Clare, Richard Fraser. (Historian) Informal conversations about historal consequences of different interpretations of the Bible (2) Engel, S. Morris. â€Å"Fallacies & Pitfalls of Language† from Fallacies & Pitfalls of Language: The Language Trap. Ed Paperback Nov. 1994. (3) Fortier, Paul A. â€Å"Semantic Fields and Polysemy: A correspondence analysis approach† University of Manitoba. Paper. (4) Frath, Pierre â€Å"Metaphor, polysemy and usage† Universite MarcBloch, Department d’anglais. France. (5) Freud, Sigmund â€Å"El sentido antitetico de las palabras primitivas† Obras Completas Ed. Biblioteca Nueva. (6) Fromkin, Victoria/Rodman, Robert. â€Å"An introduction to language† Ed. Harcourt. (7) Hobbs, Jerry R. â€Å"Computers & Language† SRI International, Menlo Park, CA.

Project Management and Innovation Past and Future Essay

It is unsurprising that development of innovation is often run as a project. Yet, theoretically both project management and innovation studies have evolved over time as distinctively separate disciplines. In this paper we make an attempt to conceptualize the innovation project management and past as well as future of same. By doing so, we contribute to the nascent academic debate on the interplay between innovation and project management. This paper is concerned with three topics and the interplay between them, namely â€Å"Innovation†, â€Å"Research and Development (R&D)† and â€Å"Project Management†. The interest in these topics has exploded recently as they emerged both on the policy agenda and in the corporate strategies. The contribution of technological innovation to national economic growth has been well established in the economic literature. In the last couple of decades, new technologies, new industries, and new business models have powered impressive gains in productivity and GDP growth. While originally there was a tendency to equate R&D and innovation, contemporary understanding of innovation is much broader than purely R&D. R&D is one component of innovation activities and knowledge creation among others. Innovation emerges as a pervasive and complex force, not only in the high-tech sectors in advanced economies, but also as a phenomenon existing in low-tech industry of developing, or catching-up economies. Still, the link between R&D and innovation is often at the core of the innovation studies. Presently, we are witnessing â€Å"projectification† of the world as a growing number of specialists organise their work in projects rather than on on-going functional basis. The connection between R&D and project management has a long history. Most tools of project management have been developed from the management of R&D, often with military purposes (Lorell, 1995). The most vivid example of managing R&D projects in the public sector is the PRINCE2 method (UK OGC, 2005). Due to the above mentioned difference between R&D and innovation, R&D projects should be distinguished from innovation projects too. Innovation is a non-linear process, not necessarily technology-led and may not necessarily result from formal R&D investments. Innovation is the exploration and exploitation of new ideas and recombination of existing knowledge in the pursuit of sustained competitive advantage. Besides, both innovation and R&D projects by their nature differ from conventional projects. Thus, there is a need to examine the Innovation Project Management (IPM) as a distinctive area of managing innovation in projects, using the tools and methods of the project management. The Evolution of Project Management Theory The genesis of the ideas that led to the development of modern project management can arguably be traced back to the protestant reformation of the 15th century. The Protestants and later the Puritans introduced a number of ideas including ‘reductionism’, ‘individualism’ and the ‘protestant work ethic’ (PWE) that resonate strongly in the spirit of modern project management. Reductionism focuses on removing unnecessary elements of a process or ‘ceremony’ and then breaking the process down into its smallest task or unit to ‘understand’ how it works. Individualism assumes we are active, independent agents who can manage risks and create ideas. These ideas are made into ‘real things’ by social actions contingent upon the availability of a language to describe them. The PWE focuses on the intrinsic value of work. Prior to the protestant reformation most people saw work either as a necessary evil, or as a means to an end. For Protestants, serving God included participating in and working hard at worldly activities as this was part of God’s purpose for each individual. From the perspective of the evolution of modern project management, these ideas were incorporated into two key philosophies, Liberalism and Newtonianism. Liberalism included the ideas of capitalism (Adam Smith), the division of labour, and that an industrious lifestyle would lead to wealthy societies Newton saw the world as a harmonious mechanism controlled by a ‘universal law’. Applying scientific observations to parts of the whole would allow understanding and insights to occur and eventually a complete understanding. LITERATURE REVIEW In this paper we seek to establish bridges between two distinctive disciplines – project management and innovation management (innovation studies). Despite seemingly interrelated nature of both subjects, these two research domains have been developing relatively isolated from each other. Innovation Studies Innovation studies are rooted in the seminal writing of Joseph Schumpeter in the 1920s-1930s (e. g. Schumpeter, 1934), whose ideas started to gain popularity in the 1960s, as the general interest among policymakers and scholars in technological change, R&D and innovation increased. The field formed as a distinctive academic discipline from the 1980s. Scholars like Richard Nelson, Chris Freeman, Bengt-Ake Lundvall, Keith Pavitt, Luc Soete, Giovanni Dosi, Jan Fagerberg, Bart Verspagen, Eric von Hippel and others have shaped and formed this discipline. The seminal publications in the area include, inter alia, Freeman (1982), Freeman and Soete (1997), Lundvall (1992), Nelson and Winter (1977, 1982), von Hippel (1988). Regarding the definition of innovation – a general consensus has been achieved among innovation scholars who broadly understand this phenomenon as a transformation of knowledge into new products, processes and services. An in-depth review of the innovation literature is beyond the scope of this paper (refer to Fagerberg (2004) for such analysis). Our intention is to outline main directions of research. In a recent paper, Fagerberg and Verspagen (2009) provide a comprehensive analysis of the cognitive and organizational characteristics of the emerging field of innovation studies and consider its prospects and challenges. The authors trace evolution and dynamics of the field. Reflecting the complex nature of innovation, the field of innovation studies unites various academic disciplines. For examples, Fagerberg and Verspagen (2009) define four main clusters of innovation scholars. They are â€Å"Management† (cluster 1), â€Å"Schumpeter Crowd† (cluster 2), â€Å"Geography and Policy† (cluster 3. 1), Periphery† (cluster 3. 2) and â€Å"Industrial Economics† (cluster 4). For the purposes of our analysis we shall have a closer look at the â€Å"Management† cluster, since it is here where the connection between innovation and Project Management can be found. In fact â€Å"Management† is the smallest cluster within the entire network of innovation scholars, consisting of only 22 scholars, mainly sociologists and management scholars, with a geographical bias towards the USA. This small number of scholars (22) is in sharp contrast with the biggest clusters ? â€Å"Geography and Policy† (298 scholars) or â€Å"Schumpeter Crowd† (309). In terms of publication preferences, apart from Research Policy, the favorite journal for innovation scholars, members of â€Å"Management† cluster see management journals as the most relevant publishing outlets, particularly Journal of Product Innovation Management, Management Science and Strategic Management Journal. Fagerberg and Verspagen (2009, p. 29) see a strong link between innovation and management and provide a following description: â€Å"Management is to some extent a cross-disciplinary field by default and firm-level innovation falls naturally within its portfolio. †¦. So between innovation studies and management there clearly is some common ground†. Project Management The project management as a human activity has a long history; e. g. construction of Egyptian pyramids in 2000 BC may be regarded as a project activity. However, the start for the modern Project Management era, as a distinctive research area, was in the 1950s. Maylor (2005) determines three major stages of the PM historical development. Before the 1950s, the PM as such was not recognized. In the 1950s, tools and techniques were developed to support the management of complex projects. The dominant thinking was based on â€Å"one best way† approach, based on numerical methods. The third stage, from the 1990s onwards is characterized by the changing environment in which projects take place. It is more and more realized that a project management approach should be contingent upon its context. It is also noted that a shift is observed over time in development of project management – from focus on sole project management to the broader management of projects and strategic project management (Fangel, 1993; Morris, 1994; Bryde, 2003). Reflecting these changes in the managerial practices, the body of academic literature on PM has evolved and burgeoned. International Journal of Project Management and Project Management Journals became the flagship publication outlets for PM scholars and practitioners. A large number of (managerial) handbooks outlining the methods and techniques of PM have been published, e. g. Andersen et al (2004), Bruijn et al (2004) Kerzner (2005), Maylor (2005), Meredith and Mantel (2006), Muller (2009), Roberts (2007), Turner (1999), Turner and Turner (2008). Despite a growing number of publications, there is no unified theoretical basis and there is no unified theory of project management, due to its multidisciplinary nature (Smyth and Morris, 2007). Project management has a more applied nature than other management disciplines. Although the PM has formed as a distinct research field, there is no universal, generally accepted definition of a project and project management. Turner (1999) develops a generic definition of a project: A project is an endeavor in which human, financial and material resources are organized in a novel way to undertake a unique scope of work, of given specification, which constraints of cost and time, so as to achieve beneficial change defined by quantitative and qualitative objectives. There have been several attempts to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art research in PM and outline its trends and future directions (e. g. , PMI, 2004; Betts and Lansley, 1995; Themistocleous and Wearne, 2003; Crawford et al, 2006; Kloppenberg and Opfer, 2002). In a recent article, Kwak and Anbari (2009) review relevant academic journals and identify eight allied disciplines, in which PM is being applied and developed. These disciplines include such areas as Operation Management, Organizational Behavior, Information Technology, Engineering and Construction, Strategy/Integration, Project Finance and Accounting, and Quality and Management. Notably, one of these eight allied disciplines is â€Å"Technology Application / Innovation / New Product Development / Research and Development†. The authors found that only 11% of journal publications on the subject of project management fell under the â€Å"Innovation† heading. Yet, importantly, this area showed sustained upward interest, and hence the number of publications, since the 1960s. Overall, Kwak and Anbari (2009) conclude that the mainstream PM research proceeds largely in the â€Å"Strategy / Integration / Portfolio Management / Value of PM / Marketing† direction (30% of all publications examined by the authors). PM AND INNOVATION: THE PAST Projects in one form or another have been undertaken for millennia, but it was only in the latter part of the 20th century people started talking about ‘project management’. Earlier endeavors were seen as acts of worship, engineering or nation building. And the people controlling the endeavors saw themselves as members of groups focused on specific callings such as generals, priests and architects. There is an important distinction to be drawn here between projects: ‘a temporary Endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service or result’ and the profession of project management; or at least ‘modern project management’. For a discipline to be considered a profession a number of attributes are generally considered necessary; these are: †¢ Practitioners are required to meet formal educational and entry requirements, †¢ autonomy over the terms and conditions of practice, a code of ethics, †¢ a commitment to service ideals, †¢ a monopoly over a discrete body of knowledge and related skills. Within this context, project management is best considered an ‘emerging profession’ that has developed during the last 30 to 40 years. Over this period project management associations around the world have developed a generally consistent view of the processes involved in ‘project management’, encoded these views into ‘Bodies of Knowledge’ (BoKs), described competent behaviors and are now certifying knowledgeable and/or competent ‘Project Managers’. Certainly, if ‘modern project management’ does not qualify as a fully fledged profession at this point in time, it will evolve into one fairly quickly. The Evolution of Project Management Tools The central theme running through the various project management concepts is that project management is an integrative process that has at its core, the balancing of the ‘iron triangle’ of time, cost and output. All three facets must be present for a management process to be considered project management. The evolution of cost and scope control into relatively precise processes occurred during the 14th and 18th Centuries respectively. Time management lacked effective measurement and control until the emergence of ‘critical path’ scheduling in the 1960s. The branch of management that gave rise to the development of the Critical Path Method of scheduling was Operational Research (OR). OR is an interdisciplinary science which uses methods such as mathematical modeling and statistics to assist decision making in complex real-world situations. It is distinguished by its ability to look at and improve an entire system, rather than concentrating on specific processes which was the focus of Taylor’s ‘scientific management’. The growth of OR was facilitated by the increasing availability and power of computers which were needed to carry out the large numbers of calculations typically required to analyze a system. [pic] Figure 1. The Iron Triangle The first ‘project’ to add science to the process of time control was undertaken by Kelley and Walker to develop the Critical Path Method (CPM) for E. I. du Pont de Numours. In 1956/57 Kelly and Walker started developing the algorithms that became CPM. The program they developed was trialled on plant shutdowns in 1957 And the first paper on critical path scheduling was published in 1959. The critical meeting to approve this project was held on the 7th May 1957 in Newark, Delaware, where DuPont and Remington Rand jointly committed US$226,400 to fund the project. The foundations of modern project management were laid in 1957; but it took another 12 years before Dr Martin Barnes first described the ‘iron triangle’ of time, cost and output in a course he developed for his UK clients in 1969 called ‘Time and Money in Contract Control’. PM AND INNOVATION: THE FUTURE Defining PM for Future The biggest challenge facing project management is answering the question ‘what is a project? ’ Until this question can be answered unambiguously the foundation of project management cannot be defined. Current definitions such as the PMBOK’s ‘a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result’ can apply to the baking of a cake as easily as the construction of a multi story building. They are both temporary endeavors to create a unique outcome but in all probability the baking of a cake is not a project. The traditional view of projects embedded in the various BoKs is derived from both the management theories underpinning ‘modern project management’ and the industrial base of early project management practitioners (construction / defense / engineering). The BoKs tend to treat projects as naturally occurring entities that need to be managed. This is an easy enough assumption when focusing on a building or a battle ship. There is a physical presence that occupies a defined space that needs creating in a defined timeframe to a defined scope. This view assumes project exists and project management is about transforming the raw materials of the project into a finished and useful form. Consequently it is the presence of the project itself that defines ‘project management’. The PMBOKs version is ‘The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements’. However, if we cannot precisely define a ‘project’, there is no basis for project management and consequently no foundation for a useable theory of project management. Researchers and academics are starting to reverse the idea that a project is necessary for project management to exist and suggest it is the application of ‘project management’ to an endeavour that creates a project. Some of the ideas being discussed include: †¢ Projects as ‘Temporary Knowledge Organizations (TKOs)’. This school of thought focuses on the idea that the primary instrument of project management is the project team and the recognition that predictability is not a reality of project management. Some key ideas include: o The concept of the project team as a ‘complex adaptive system (or organism)’, living on the ‘edge of chaos’; responding and adapting to its surroundings (ie the project’s stakeholders) offers one new set of insights. o The idea of ‘Nonlinearity’ suggests that you can do the same thing several times over and get completely different results. Small differences may lead to big changes whilst big variations may have minimal effect. This idea questions the validity of ‘detailed programming’ attempting to predict the path of a project (the ‘butterfly effect’, constrained by ‘strange attractors’). The concept of ‘Complex Responsive Processes of Relating’ (CRPR) puts emphasis on the interaction among people and the essentially responsive and participative nature of the human processes of organizing and relating. According to the modern trend in these field, consequence of accepting these theories is to shift the focus of ‘project management’ from the object of the project to the people involved in the project (ie, its stakeholders), and to recognize that it is people who create the project, work on the project and close the project with all innovation. Consequently the purpose of most if not all project ‘control documents’ such as schedules and cost plans shift from being an attempt to ‘control the future’ – this is impossible; to a process for communicating with and influencing stakeholders to encourage and guide their involvement in the project. Notwithstanding the advantages of project management, it would be unreasonable to expect all innovation to be carried out through projects. In fact, many ideas are generated by employees in a company on a regular basis, not only within project teams. Thus, there is certainly a room for functional, on-going organization of innovation process. Even more so, in certain situations project management can be detrimental to innovation. Aggeri and Segrestin (2007) show that the recent project development methods in automotive industry can induce negative effects on collective learning processes and these effects have managerial implications for innovative developments. Argument for Managing Innovation in Projects The origins of project management in the manufacturing and construction ndustries determine an engineering perspective, viewing a project as a task-focused entity, proceeding in a linear or similar way from the point of initiation to implementation. This view prevailed until comparatively recently. This view is seemingly in stark contrast with the nature of innovation. It is increasingly being acknowledged that the innovation is a complex non-linear process. The earliest view on innovation process as a pipeline model (whereby a given input is transformed to a specific output) has been largely abandoned. Presently, however, project management is increasingly recognised as a key generic skill for business management (Fangel, 1993), rather than a planning-oriented technique or an application of engineering sciences and optimization theory, in which project management has its roots (Soderlund, 2004). The â€Å"management by projects† has emerged as general mode of organizing for all forms of enterprise (Turner 2003). This new conceptualization of project management enables to embrace the non-linear nature of innovation. Even a creative and non-linear nature of innovation is often characterized as an organizational or management process, rather than spontaneous improvisation. Davila et al. (2006) state, â€Å"Innovation, like many business functions, is a management process that requires specific tools, rules, and discipline†. Hence, a project, with its defined objective, scope, budget and limitations, can be an appropriate setting of innovation. The other closely linked element in the new world of project management with innovation is embracing uncertainty. Writing on paper cannot control the future! Schedules do not control time; cost plans do not control costs. Plans outline a possible future and provided a basis for recognizing when things ‘are not going to plan’. For innovation project management to succeed, both project and senior management are going to need to embrace uncertainty and learn skills to manage it rather than expecting predictability and inevitably being disappointed by the variability of ‘reality’ as it unfolds. Challenges of Empirical Studies Scarcity and unreliability, or even lack of data poses a big challenge in research in both innovation and project management. A macro-level research n PM is obstructed by the lack of data on the number of projects, carried out by firms and public institutions, and their characteristics. Problems stem from the definition of a project and the non-disclosure policy of most companies. In such circumstances, PM research has tended to rely on case-studies or on small-scale tailor-made surveys. There i s a widely acknowledged lack of large-scale empirical research in PM (Kloppenborg and Opfer, 2002; Soderlund, 2004). It is claimed that the Independent Project Analysis (IPA) is the market leader in quantitative analysis of project management systems, i. . in project evaluation and project system benchmarking (IPA, 2007). All IPA analyses and research are based on proprietary databases. As of mid-2009, IPA’s databases contain more than 11,000 projects of all sizes ($20,000 to $25 billion) executed across the world. Each year, approximately 1,000 projects are added with representation from the many different industries served by IPA. Each project in our databases is characterized by over 2,000 project attributes, including technology, project scope, project type, project costs, year of authorization, and geographical location (IPA 2009). All information contained in the IPA databases is carefully protected and kept as confidential proprietary data (IPA, 2009). Due to the issues of confidentiality, access for academic researchers is restricted. In the innovation field, academic community has been increasingly using several sources of data, such as granted patents, tailor-made surveys, as well as other data provided by national statistical offices. European research on innovation uses several instruments to obtain data on innovation indicators and to assess national innovation performance. The two main instruments are the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) and the European Innovation Scorecard (EIS). As of 2009, five successful CIS surveys have been carried out: CIS1 (1992), CIS2 (1996), CIS3 (2001), CIS4 (2004) and CIS 2006. Each new round was characterized by an improved questionnaire, in line with the evolution of understanding of the phenomenon of innovation. The more recent surveys embraced understanding of innovation in a broader sense, and for example, paid more attention to service innovations. Further, it is expected that the future surveys will also include management techniques, organizational change, environmental benefits, and design and marketing issues. We argue that, taken into consideration the growing relevance of innovation projects, a clearer and explicit wording should be used in CIS questionnaire for determining whether innovation is organized and carried out in projects or functionally. CONCLUSIONS Innovation studies and project management as distinctive disciplines have been developing in a relative isolation from each other. The analysis in innovation studies domain has rarely explored the mechanisms and patterns of innovation in projects in contrast to traditional (functional or hierarchical) organization. However, since innovation management in companies is increasingly organized in projects, it is of utmost importance to directly address the interplay between innovation management and project management. In this paper, based on the relevant literature and insights from practice, we conceptually examined the relationships between these two research areas aiming at bridging the gap between them. It is widely acknowledged within the discipline of innovation studies that there is a high percentage of failure of innovation initiatives, in other words, failure is inevitable when managing innovation. The key skill set of the competent project manager will be identifying and managing stakeholder expectations using tools such as the Stakeholder circle to help identify the project’s key stakeholders. Innovation is perceived as a luxury, not as a necessity. Therefore, it is of high priority to manage innovation effectively and efficiently with constrained budgets.