Monday, September 30, 2019

Nelson Mandela a Transformation Leader

Nelson Mandela A Transformation Leader This week we are asked to discuss a prominent leader that we admire, Nelson Mandela was an easy choice for me. An effective leader according to the text is â€Å"someone who works with, motivates, and helps followers to attain their common organizational goals† (Weiss, 2011, p. 234). This definition is true of Mandela and his transformational leadership style has impacted his followers and the people around him. I think he is a transformational leader that many leaders should inspire to become more like.Mandela used his ethical, charismatic, authority to inspire his nation to change and exemplifies transformational leadership. The four characteristics of a transformational leader, along with other characteristics like charisma, ethics, and being a servant are all embodied in the leadership of Mandela and make him a true inspiration. A transformational leader according to the text â€Å"influence, inspire move and latterly transform follo wers to achieve organizational goals beyond their self interest’(Weiss, 2011, p. 1). Nelson Mandela freed South Africa from the system of racism and violent prejudice to help the whole nation. He often said that â€Å"Courage is not the absence of fear–it's inspiring others to move beyond it†(Stengel, 2008, par. 5). This is one of the major components of a transformational leader, the ability to inspire others. He used his inspirational motivation to focus efforts and unite the entire nation. Nelson spent his life being the role model he wanted others to follow.When he got out of jail he included the people he despised such as his jailers and the people that imprisoned him in his cabinet because he knows the importance of elevating others. One article stated that Mandela did this because â€Å" leadership is not about helping those who already love you to love you more – it’s about convincing those who doubt you that you can be trusted† (Bar ling, 2010, p. 3). This is the example of idealized influence that Mandela used to be a transformational leader. He also gave individualized consideration to the people that he leads.Mandela was a very hands on leader, he took the time to learn the Afrikaans language so he could communicate with them. According to Stengel â€Å"  By speaking his opponents' language, he might understand their strengths and weaknesses and formulate tactics accordingly. But he would also be ingratiating himself with his enemy† (2008, par. 18). Nelson would attend funerals and call people on there birthdays. In using the personal approach with his followers he demonstrated the characteristics of individualized consideration in transformational leadership.He also has the last characteristic of a transformational leader, intellectual simulation. Mandela helped people even while he was imprison. He encouraged the other prisoners to educate themselves. He also helped to push the freedom charter. Ma ndela shared his knowledge and while he was in prison he would also use his education as a lawyer to help the warders with their legal problems. Mandela used his leadership style to bring changes to his country even at the expense of his freedom. Mandela also demonstrates the qualities of a servant leader.From the very beginning he had one goal of uniting both white and black Africans for the good of the nation, Nelson’s primary goal was helping others. He also was a good listener and would often be the last one to speak in conferences he had with his cabinet, he knew that letting other people think they were leading was often the best way to go. He inspired others through trust when he allowed the same people that imprisoned him to be a part of his presidency. He worked towards feasible goals and when he realized it was not feasible he let it go.For example Nelson wanted to change the voting age to fourteen but when he realized that he did not have support he let the issue g o knowing it would just be a waste of time. Mandela always helped people, even in jail he helped wardens and other inmates. Nelson used his knowledge to help people and never expected anything in return. Another great characteristic was he is authentic, what you see is what you get. Nelson Mandel is a transformational leader with ethical, charismatic, and servant characteristics that helped change a nation with a leadership style that was selfless and committed.He is the example of a leader that I would strive to be like. Having a charismatic, ethical image has helped him reach goals that others thought would not be possible. I would strive to be as inspiring as he has been in some of the tough situations he has faced. I think that he shows how positive a transformational leader can be for a country. References Barling, J. (2010) Transformational Leadership. Retrieved from http://www. iedp. com/Pages/DocumentManager/Transformational%20Leadership%20by%

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Gillette – Product Innovation

Question 1 : Evaluate product innovation at Gillette throughout its history. Gillette has invented the first safety razor with disposable blades in year 1901 which is one of the new-to-the-world products. This safety razor serves as a basic product, for the market segment of men who shave regularly, providing them high quality shaving experience. The safety razor differentiates itself from the razor used at that period of time– the straight razor with an open blade, with its cover over the two edged blades, make it easier to handle and prevent cuts while shaving. This safety razor can be evaluated as a successful product, with its outstanding market performance of 50%-70% over the next 7 decades, and achieving $6. 80 profit per share. However, due to the lack of focus on product development, Gillette lost its market edge to Wilkinson Sword-Schick’s Stainless-steel blade, a new entry to the shaving market with a significant reduce in market share to 49% in 1962. However, Gillette didn’t realize the importance of product innovation and it took them 12 years to introduce the world with another product, the Trac II razor , a safety razor with two blades whereby the second blade cut the number of strokes required & reduced facial irritation. Trac II is an improvement and revision of Gillette’s disposable safety razor. However, although being capable to continue its dominance in the razor segment, Gillette is unable to regain its past glory of high profit per share performance, and remained at the range from $1. 3 to $2. 83 in 1974. Later in year 1976, Gillette continued to innovate and introduced other products with improved performance, such as the Atra razors with a pivoting head which enable men to shave their neck. Other new products which continue to lengthen Gillette’s product line are the Good News! disposable double-blade razor, which is more convenient for men to use and Daisy razor, which serves the segment of wome n who shave regularly. These new product lines strengthen Gillette’s position in the global market by gaining 75% of the global market share whereby Gillette achieves for the first time in the history—the $2 billion mark of sales volume by the end of 1980. In addition, the Good News! brand had been the best-selling disposable razor in the United States each year since 1976 and with its moderate increase in sales enabled it to maintain its position as the number-one seller in this product category worldwide. In the effort to further widen the product mix of Gillette to capture other segments of the market, Gillette continues to evelop new products. The Atra-Plus shaving system, which featured a refillable Atra cartridge with a lubricating strip, is an example of another incremental innovation. Along the same revolution is the Good News! line to include a disposable razor with a lubricating strip. Other new product-mixes which carries Gillette’s brand name are the Aapri facial care produ ct, Dry Idea deodorant, Bare Elegance body lotion, Mink Difference hair spray, White Rain hair care products, and Silkience shampoo and moisturizers. These products help Gillette to serve other segments other than men and women who shave regularly and also build Gillette’s brand awareness and brand equity in the long run. In 1990, Gillette continues to strive for the dominant sales position around the world with more incremental innovative products. Gillette launched the original Sensor razor, the first razor to have spring-loaded blades which claimed that the blades receded into the cartridge head, when they make contact with skin, helping to prevent cuts and allowing for a closer shave. In 1993, the Sensor Excel was introduced with the added feature of â€Å"Microfins,† a piece of rubber with slits at the bottom of the cartridge and Gillette claimed this helped to raise facial hairs, making for a closer shave. Along the same product category which serves the women segment is the Sensor for Women system, launched in 1992, which is the revision of the Sensor and Sensor Excel product line. This system established a major hold on the market for female razor products in the United States. With such effort, I think Gillette succeeded in increasing Gillette’s brand awareness thus increased its brand equity, although the continued success of the Sensor family of shaving systems led to the gradual decline of the Atra and Trac II twin-blade shaving systems. Six years after in year 1998, Gillette introduced the world with Mach 3, a razor with three thin blades designed to provide a closer shave in fewer strokes with less irritation. The Mach3 featured five improved microfins and spring blades, a pivoting head with greater flexibility and a blue lubrication strip that faded with usage to encourage users to change their blades more frequently. The feature of the fading lubrication strip served as a great influencer to impact the consumer to buy more of Gillette’s product—the cartridges. The Mach 3 became Gillette’s most successful new product ever as sales hit $ 1 billion in only 18 months. Besides, being the winner of the American Marketing Association’s Grand Edison Award as the est new product of 1998 also proofs the success of this innovative product. Further innovation efforts in this product line are the Mach3 Turbo and the Venus system for women. Besides, Gillette is able to widen its market share to teens who shaves with a line of Sensor razors in a variety of colours in an attempt to develop lifelong customers at a young age. Due to the high profit margin Mach3 created for the shaving market and the uncontested market space, Schick’s enter the market with Quattro—the world’s first foue-bladed razor. Besides, another product which carries Schick’s brand is the Intuition razor, also suite as the close substitutes to the Venus and Sensor shaving system. The occurrence of direct competitor, competing for the same market segment has affected Gillette’s market share to fall 4. 3 % from 67. 3% to about 63%. Therefore, Gillette started to react aggressively by continuing its progressive geometry technology innovation by introducing the Fusion razor in 2005. The Fusion uses a unique five-blade design with a single blade on the back of the cartridge for use in trimming moustaches and sideburns. Initial sales were very successful as over 4 billion razors were sold within the first two months, 20% more than when the Mach 3 was launched in 1998. Despite many sceptical issues were brought up involving the pricing strategy, product value and the frequency to have to replace the cartridges, Fusion still gain its success by approaching the $ 1 billion sales within 3 years. However, the consumers reflected in the Consumer Reports whereby Fusion was no better than other razors, particularly the Mach3. In the later stage, Gillette continued to innovate by offering power versions of its razors that contain tiny electronic motors in the handle. These motors create a vibration in the blades that cause hair to stand more erect, thus giving a closer and smoother shave. The powered razors also helped promote each company’s batteries. Other products which contribute towards Gillette’s sales are the supplementary products, for example the chemistry if shaving creams, gels, and aftershaves in order to compliment the shaving experiences.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Progress women achieved in field of Math, Science and Engineering Essay

Progress women achieved in field of Math, Science and Engineering - Essay Example This paper takes into consideration the conditions of women in the professional spheres in India, a country that has been known to hold strong biases towards the female population and prefer the birth of males in their households. All throughout the long history of the country, it can be seen that gender inequality has prevailed in the societies of the region as a whole whose reflection could also be seen in the educational and professional spheres. The past century however, could be seen to have brought a change in this respect. People as a whole got more inclined towards working for the betterment of the status of women in India, and to make efforts for the positive development of women in the region. During this period there have been developments in this domain in regards to greater involvement of women in the public spheres, striving for more balance in the ratios of men to women in the school enrolments, and an increased visibility of women in the labour force etc. (Segran, 201 0). Although, these developments might signify the start of changes in the fundamental mind-sets of the people over there, but India still has a long way to go in terms of trying to somewhat suppress gender discrimination in the region as a whole. ... It all began with the British colonization in South Asia. Although, Britain had the initial policy of non-intervention, however, once it had well established itself in the region, it started reforming the constitutions and the legal system for the betterment of every strata of the society as a whole, particularly for women that had been observed to be subject to serious violence, both within and outside their households. This was an attempt to civilize the people of the nation. The efforts on their part, combined by the local liberals, started to bring about reforms for women, which in turn resulted in somewhat betterment of their status and lives (Dasgupta, 2002a). Previously, the women of India could not gain access to the justice system on violation of their rights, but ever since the British colonization, the need to utilize the legal system to combat violence against women has been greatly stressed upon. Over the past few decades, the Indian legal and justice system has brought about various innovations to cater to the disadvantaged population of the country, in terms of violation of human rights, particularly for women. This in turn, has also enabled them to create an increased awareness about the issues of women for creation of policies and developmental initiatives. Other than that, the courts have also been able to give the women a public voice and it has put in great efforts to eliminate discrimination of women on legal fronts at least, if not completely on a societal level, which would require a much longer time (Dasgupta, 2002b). Societal Norms: Gender inequality has always been a major issue for the women of India. The aspect of gender closely defines the roles and behaviours assigned to men and

Friday, September 27, 2019

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words - 1

International Business - Essay Example While doing so they have to be sensitive to economic, social political and legal factors with a country. To be effective, they need to tap all available sources of supply, both internal and external. Internal promotions and transfer boost the morale of people who have served the firm loyally for a number of years. External sources, too, need to be explored regularly to bring qualified people with lots of ideas into a firm. Induction is a procedure which a superior teaches knowledge and skills to subordinate. Manager briefs the trainee about what is expected of the latter and suggest how it may be done. He also checks his performance and advices him to improve his mistakes. Induction is the task of introducing the new employees to the organization and its policies, procedures and rules. A typical formal induction programme may last a day or less in most organizations. During this time, the new employee is provided with information about the company, its history, its current position, the benefits for which he is eligible, leave rules, rest periods, etc. Also covered are the more routine things a newcomer must learn, such as the location of the rest rooms, break rooms, parking spaces, cafeterias etc. In some organizations, all this is done formally by attaching new employees to their seniors, who provide guidance on the above matters. Lectures, handbooks, films groups, seminars are also provided to new employees so that they can settle down quickly and resume the work (Rao , 2007, 167) Objectives induction serves the following purposes a. Removes fears: A newcomer steps into an organization as a stranger. He is new to the people, workplace and work environment. He is not very sure about what he is supposed to do. Induction helps a new employee overcome such fears and perform better on the job. It assists him in knowing more about The job its contents, policies rules and regulations The people with whom he is supposed to interact The terms and conditions of employment b. Creates a good impression: Another purpose of induction is to make the newcomer feel at home and develop a sense of pride in the organization. Induction helps him to Adjust and adapt to new demands of the job Get along with people Get off t a good start Through induction, a new recruit is able to see more clearly as to what he is supposed to do, how good the colleagues are, how important is the job, etc. he can pose questions and seek clarifications on issues relating to his job. Induction is a positive step, in the sense; it leaves a good impression about the company and the people working there in the minds of new recruits. They begin to take pride in their work and are committed to their jobs. c. Acts as valuable source of information: Induction serves a s a valuable source of information to new recruits through employee manuals/handbook. Informal decisions with colleagues may also clear the fog surrounding certain issues. The basic purpose of induction is to communicate specific job requirements to the employee, put them at ease and make him feel confident about

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Business Strategy for H&M in Brazil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business Strategy for H&M in Brazil - Essay Example Hennes & Mauritz, hereafter H&M, is a well-known Swedish firm specializing in retailing and designing fashion apparels and accessories. The firm offers a variety of cosmetics, apparel, footwear, and accessories for children, teenagers, women, and men. The firm operates in Asia, Europe, and North America, having numerous outlets over 38 countries. The company employs over 87,000 people, with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. This paper presents a business strategy for H&M for the introduction of the clothing brand in Brazil, one of the rapidly emerging economies in the world (Doyle, Moore, and Morgan, 2006:275). The paper analyzes the company and clothing industry, market analysis, target group analysis, and entry strategy for the company into the Brazil, including the PEST and SWOT analysis. The paper concludes with a recommendation part for the company. Erling Persson established H&M in 1947 in Vasteras, Sweden. Over the years, the company has significantly growth in the clothing i ndustry, and currently operates in over 38 countries and an employee base of over 87,000 spread all over Europe, North America, and Asia. The central idea of H&M is to offer its clients a variety of fashionable products of good quality at an affordable price. One of the strategies of H&M is the continuous development of its collection such that each customer finds a new product o the next visit to the stores. In essence, the company uses over 100 buyer and pattern makers, and designers (Capell and Khermouch, 2002:107). Apart from the permanent designers, the company connects with other top-class designers in creating fashion campaigns, including reputable designers such as Madonna, Stella McCartney, and Karl Lagerfeld. Their collection includes children’s, teenagers’, women’s, and men’s apparel, cosmetic, footwear, and accessories. Moreover, the company has in recently developed a full interior design collection. Due to the nature of their products, the c ompany targets people at all ages and tastes, which has both its challenges and benefits (Chetty and Campbell-Hunt, 2004:62). Apart from the over 2200 stores spread across the world, the company also offers catalogue sales and internet shopping in Germany, Austria, Sweden, Finland, and Norway. One of the interesting aspects of H&M is that it outsources all its production (Larenaudie, 2004). The company boosts of over 700 independent suppliers, primarily situated in Europe and Asia with 16 production offices. However, their suppliers have their own subcontractors, thus the overall figure of manufacturer units sums up to 2700. In 2010, the company’s turnover was about 12 billion Euros. The company targets a 10-15 percent growth per year for all new stores. In this regard therefore, H&M plans to employ an additional 6000 or 7000 people (Capell and Khermouch, 2002:107). The head office in Stockholm houses the entire corporate management, as well as other departments including fin ance, expansion, advertising, communication, logistics, security, information technology, designing and buying, expansion, corporate social responsibility, and international relations. Nonetheless, the company’s corporate culture adapts to the conventional global corporation culture, treating the entire world as a single market. The company operates in different countries, but the operations and plans are essentially similar in all the stores. The company does not prefer any country from its market areas, but rather implements its business strategy similarly in all. The central idea here is to offer products to various segments, rather than marketing for one only (Dimitratos and Plakoyinnaki, 2003:191). This is common for companies like H&M that have resources to cover a broad market. Industry Analysis Analyzing the strong clothing imports and high expenditure on apparel items by Brazil, as well as the consumer preference for the latest fashion, it is evident that the country is a very attractive emerging

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

Globalization - Essay Example Of the two opposing arguments Moore’s although more optimistic is only partially convincing. Chossudovsky’s argument on the other hand, although pessimistic appears to be more realistic and appreciative of the world’s general state of affairs. Michel Moore is optimistic in his general outlook and draws on the difficulties of the past and how the world has grown in a positive direction as a result. He takes the position that as a result of world wars and the great depression a ‘new system of global structures’ (Moore. P. 1) such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the international Monetary Fund and the International Trade Organization help is available to those third world countries that cannot help themselves. It is true that world conflicts have resulted in the creation of global structures. But in the grand scheme of things they are powerless to eradicate poverty and the resulting health crisis. As Chossudovsky points out in his publication Globalization of Poverty ‘In the 1990s, famines at the local level have erupted in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and parts of Latin America; health clinics and schools have been closed down; hundreds of millions of children have been denied the right to primary education. In the Third World, Eastern Europe and the Balkans, there has been a resurgence of infectious diseases including tuberculosis, malaria and cholera.’ (Chossudovsky. P1) Moore argues that international solidarity is the key to lending aide to those less fortunate than ourselves and extols the virtue of trading with the lesser developed countries. He suggests buying coffee from Uganda and perhaps T-shirts from Bangladesh and goes on to say ‘embrace the outside world, not shun it.† (Moore. P.2) When societies are open to one another, they share their ideas and their culture. Moore offer the European Economics Community as an example of the results of opening

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Access to Healthcare as an Ethical Issue Research Paper

Access to Healthcare as an Ethical Issue - Research Paper Example These health conditions are proved to be very expensive to manage. Likewise, other chronic health conditions such as heart ailments are very costly to treat. Due to the elevated costs of maintaining these health conditions, the cost of health care has also plummeted. Consequently, some of the societal and collective courses of action aimed at improving and making healthcare accessible to everyone such as Medicare have been adversely affected by this costly management. This is the reason why a substantial percentage of Americans do not have health insurance. One of the issues of ethical or moral concern in the U.S. facing leaders in healthcare today is improving access to health. The issue of inability to access healthcare has remained an issue of concern in the field of healthcare over the recent past. According to Trotochaud (2006), â€Å"In 2002, almost 85% of the US population reported having healthcare insurance coverage from employer-based insurance (55%), Medicaid, other means-tested programs (17%), or Medicare (13%). The remaining 15% of the population had no health insurance coverage of any type.† (166). Many critics of the US health care system have been arguing that the US government does not deal with or tackle the ever increasing expenditure on healthcare. Americans on the other hand believe that issues of accessibility and expenditure incurred on health care are issues of great worry. According to Trotochaud (2006), the issue o f access to healthcare is concerned with issues of fairness and impartiality. Citizens of a democratic nation have the right to fair and impartial allocation of national assets. To effectively comprehend on the issue of access to healthcare as an ethical issue, it is important to categorize fairness and impartiality to healthcare into access and allocation. Access to healthcare means that individuals possessing the right to access healthcare are able to obtain it. Allocation on the other hand includes the procedures that are incorporated in deciding the percent of national income and assets will be dispersed to cater for healthcare services in the community. The issue of access to healthcare in the US is a political and policy problem. What makes it unethical or immoral is uneven and lopsided access. As a leader, it would be important to implement plans of action that would level the ground and ensure access to healthcare is even. In fact methodical studies conducted in the past hav e elucidated the fact that three quarters of Americans believe that the social order and the world in general is ought to guarantee universal and equal access to healthcare for all individuals. More than half of Americans believe that the issue of access to healthcare is more of a moral issue as compared to being a political and economic predicament. There are certain moral or ethical issues in access to healthcare including equal opportunity for all, fairness, as well as consideration and sympathy. Leaders have been involved in trying to make the American dream a reality. I believe one of the components of the American Dream is equal opportunities for all Americans in all aspects of the society. Therefore, individual well being is a significant component geared to attainment of equal opportunities for all. When some communities in the US fail to have an equal opportunity in accessing healthcare, then this becomes amoral issue. This is contrary to

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Do social networks encourage sport participation Dissertation

Do social networks encourage sport participation - Dissertation Example Individuals started to build online persona. In reality, some information is very confidential to the extent no one would want to share with their family and certainly not with a professional hiring manager. Individuals are using this new data base in of personal information in questionable ways ethically. The lack of regulations, clear guidelines, has led to dissemination of information across the internet for a purpose other than that intended. Employment screening is one of the more infringements to the rights to Facebook users. This is a paper that responds to the question: do social networks encourage sport participation? List of Contents Introduction Aim and objectives Rationale Literature review and theoretical framework Methodology Findings, Analysis and Evaluation Final discussion and Recommendations Recommendations for further research Do social networks encourage sport participation? Introduction Social Media is a great way to encourage sport participation by spreading the word about local sports and other general physical activity programmes. Social media can be used as a tool to further participation in sports. A social networking service is an online platform, or site that is used for social interaction. They focuses on facilitation of building social relations or social networks among people sharing same interests, backgrounds, real-life connections or sporting activities. A social network service is constituted of each user (often represented through a profile), the individual’s social links, and some additional services. Most social network services are web-based and provide an online form of interaction among the users through the Internet. Nowadays the world is changing rapidly and marketing styles should follow people trends. Social media has become a platform that is easily accessible to anyone with internet access. Increased communication for organizations fosters brand awareness and often, improved customer service. Also, social me dia is a cheap and effective platform for organizations to implement marketing campaigns. Social networking websites allow people to interact with each other and build relationships. Business organisations join these sites, so that people could interact with the product or company. That interaction feels personal to users because of their previous experiences with social networking site interactions. Social networking users are allowed to â€Å"retweet† or â€Å"repost† comments made by the product being promoted. In consequence, when people repeat the message, that company posted, all other users are able to see the message, therefore reaching more people. What is more, through social networking sites like Facebook or Goolge+, organizations can create their own group, where interested people follow the company and see different news and promotions1 every day, when simply checking their social feeds. As well as, the organisation itself can choose who to invite into the ir group, thereby reaching narrow target market. Cell phone is another aspect of social media marketing that makes it even more effective..Today, many cell phones have social networking capabilities: individuals are notified of any happenings on social networking sites through their cell phones, in real-time. This constant connection to social networking sites means products and companies can constantly remind and update followers about their

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Adults Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Adults - Essay Example He says that aphasia is a disorder that results from damage of parts of the brain that are coordinating language. He further adds that it affects both the young children and adults but emphasizes that it is very common among the older adults. The SLP tells me that aphasia is caused by the damage of the dominant part of the brain that controls most aspects of language. He says that the part of brain that is damaged by aphasia is the left hemisphere. After the brief explanation from the SLP, I went further to interview him about Sarah whom he met earlier having aphasia disorder. According to the SLP, Sarah, 29 years old had aphasia disorder. Before doing anything to her, he welcomed her to sit on a chair at his therapy room. The room was private hence there was no interruption from outside. Then, the SLP explains that he tried to create a rapport with Sarah asking her three general questions about her home, the current activities and her wellbeing. First, the speech-language pathologists established an ongoing relationship with Sarah and her family to provide security and reassurance through good rapport and trust. He adds that Sarah understood and communicated in English very well and that was the language used during their interaction. Just before the SLP could begin his therapy on Sarah, he assured her of the confidentiality of her therapy session and requested her to feel free to respond to his questions regarding her health. The SLP told Sarah that he uses codes in his therapy work to keep the secrets of her work. He also used codes to represent the wo rds expressed by Sarah. In their interaction, the SLP used memos to ensure that the emerging theories supported Sarah’s views about her condition. At the time of coding, the SLP made the memos regarding the relationship between codes. Coding involved the identification of codes using phrases, sentences, and words from their interaction

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Military Essay Example for Free

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Military Essay I.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Abstract Stoked by an adversarial media and the run-up to Presidential elections next year, the trauma afflicting our body politic often seems more important than the deaths, physical disability and post-trauma stress disorder that afflict servicemen on the frontlines. In this paper, I review the historical origins and verify the prevalence of what was whimsically called â€Å"soldier’s heart† in the Civil War and â€Å"disordered action of the heart† (DAH) or neurasthenia at the turn of the century and has now gained cognizance as â€Å"battlefield fatigue† or PSTD.    The etiology is vast, since combat stress seems to provoke a great many physical, physiological and anxiety-related disorders.   Lastly, I investigate the treatment options.   War is ever a violent business.   If the North-South Civil War shocked Americans with unheard-of casualty counts and the violence of battles waged at the dawn of the industrial age, World War I traumatized the world with the unremitting violence brought to bear in hopes of breaking the stalemate that was the Western front.   Poison gas, the machine gun, barbed wire, and massed artillery bombardment sent casualty counts sky high.   Besides the United States, 17 other countries on both sides of the â€Å"war to end all wars† suffered no less than 5.7 million soldiers killed and another 12.8 million wounded. Soldiers at the frontline were brutalized by the sheer violence of artillery bombardments, the random deaths these caused and the experience of seeing an unceasing number of their fellow soldiers slaughtered by gas or machine gun fire.   It was then that the nervous condition first termed â€Å"war neurosis† or â€Å"neurasthenia† manifested in great numbers.   Eventually, the equivalent term â€Å"shell shock† came into wider use. Combat stress reactions first came to the attention of the medical establishment (psychiatry was in an embryonic stage then) in the second half of the 19th century and early in the 20th when physicians came to recognize adverse reactions that had more to do with sustained exposure to battle conditions than any physical injury.   In retrospect, the Civil War condition then termed â€Å"soldier’s heart† was really a form of â€Å"combat stress reaction†. During the Boer War waged by the British in South Africa (1899-1902), due notice had already been given to either â€Å"disordered action of the heart† (DAH) or neurasthenia/shellshock.   Retrospective analysis of British soldiers who had been pensioned off for these conditions (Jones, Vermaas, Beech, Palmer, et al. 2003) found no especially significant difference in mortality compared to comrades who filed for disability owing to bullet or shrapnel wounds. The Russia-Japanese War of 1904 and 1905 gave Russian physicians their first reported exposure to, and the opportunity to try and treat, nervous breakdowns owing to the stress of warfare, compounded by the demoralization of losing to the Japanese. Later in the 20th century, the evolving nature of the battlefield and the enemy – World War II, the Vietnam War, the Iraq and Afghan occupations being the more prominent examples – created unexpected new sources of stress that complicated the combat fatigue syndrome and led to the broader â€Å"post-traumatic stress disorder† coming into wide use.   So whereas â€Å"combat fatigue† referred to â€Å"a mental disorder caused by the stress of active warfare†, â€Å"PTSD† revolved on post-combat â€Å"fatigue, shock or neurosis†. V.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Statement of the Problem: In this research paper, we review the available authoritative sources to assess: The continuing prevalence of PSTD in the varied conditions of modern warfare. Short- and long-term therapy employed to resolve the disorder. The extent to which familial and community support ameliorates PSTD and improves patient outlook. For a world that has experienced unremitting conflict since World War II, whether orthodox warfare, low-intensity conflict or insurgency, chances are that anticipating and providing therapy for stress disorders will be a continuing concern. VI.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Literature Review A.  Ã‚   The Character of Modern Conflict In the aftermath of the Great War many people believed that they had seen the most terrible war the world will ever see. History would prove them wrong. In the century that followed, war became even more traumatic and horrifying in its brutality. From the Russian civil war to the present conflict in Iraq, war took an ever-heavier toll on the human psyche. Technology improved the methods by which death might be delivered but it has done nothing to strengthen the minds of those who had to bear it. The Russian civil war that succeeded until after World War I was a horror to behold. Thousands died in the fighting between the White Russians and Red Russians. Thousands more froze in the winter for lack of appropriate gear. Worse, many civilians were murdered by both sides on mere suspicion of being collaborators. World War II was a litany of terrors. Whole societies were brainwashed into supporting the war from an ideological standpoint. Millions of Jews were gassed and burned in the holocaust simply being Jews. The SS, the KGB and the Kempetai would murder anyone at whim. Thousands of women were kidnapped and raped as â€Å"comfort women† by the Imperial Japanese Army. More than the individual or large-scale slaughter of men, the true horror of WWII was the torture it inflicted on societies. Entire cities were razed to the ground in terror bombing. Cities became prison cells where starving denizens were forced to labor endlessly. Men went off to war leaving women to tend the factories and leaving no one to care for the children. Then there was the Atomic Bomb. A scant few scores of thousands died. Both cities were leveled to the ground. The radioactive damaged would endure for years. Even those who tried to help the victims were themselves victimized by the radiation. In Korea and Vietnam, millions were fielded in grueling civil wars. Korean fought against Korean backed by Communist and Imperialist masters. The same would be true for Vietnam but with the inclusion of terrible chemical weapons that defoliated forests and would cause harm for generations to come.   In turn, the Viet Cong and Khmer Rouge executed savage campaigns against their own people. The Arab-Israeli and Iraq-Iran wars would institutionalize child-soldiery. Israel had a scant 4 million citizens to oppose over 200 million Arabs. When attacked by the Arabs, Israel would be forced to deploy all its manpower, along with women, to help fight off the invaders. Chemical weapons were also used. The Israelites were left to defend their small nation against all their neighbors. Iraq and Iran would field child soldiers in countless thousands. They would be given rifles then thrown into battle against hardened veterans in the hope of at least slowing down the enemy. Muslim killed each other over essentially religious disputes. But perhaps the worst war of the 20th century would be the War on Terror. In the past the enemy was a specific country or group of countries. If they bomb our territory we can bomb theirs. But today, the enemy is not a nation. Today, servicemen in Iraq or Afghanistan do not know where or when the enemy will strike. All they know is that the enemy is out there lurking amongst a hostile population. The war on terror also has another unsavory aspect. The ‘enemy’ resort to bombing civilian targets back home. Worse, the soldiers know that their victories will only make the enemy more desperate and make them retaliate more against innocent civilians. As if the violence of outright warfare and low-intensity conflict were not enough, American and British forces of occupation as well as the soldiers of every nation that serve in U.N. peacekeeping forces confront at least equal prospects of PTSD.   Whether in the Korean DMZ, the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Lebanon, Ireland, or Timor, every soldier on such assignments faces a multitude of perils. In many cases, peacekeeping forces are in a low-intensity-conflict situation but hampered by rules of engagement that deny them the right to shoot first and shrug it off as a mistake.   The potential for battlefield fatigue climbs higher with alien cultures and religions, a seemingly ungrateful, resentful and even hostile native population, suicide attacks, well-armed guerillas, booby traps, mortar and improvised missile attacks.   Such occupying forces are also apt to lose the public relations war for being unable to stop factions from slaughtering each other such as happened in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Lebanon, East Timor and Rwanda.   And perhaps the unkindest cut of all is when their own country’s media deliberately distort the casualty count from fratricidal or genocidal conflict as having been caused by the occupying or peacekeeping forces! B.  Ã‚   Incidence of â€Å"Shell Shock†, PTSD and Precipitating Events When â€Å"shell shock† came to be widely recognized in World War I, the initial hypothesis was that it was induced by an inordinate number of fatal casualties.   In fact, about 10% of all military forces then engaged succumbed on the battlefield, double the rate in World War II (less than 5%, in great part because the wide availability of sulfanilamide averted more deaths from battlefield infection).   Later came the realization that it was total casualty count that really mattered.   Historical research shows that around 56% of soldiers on the Western Front were either killed or wounded.   When every other fellow in one’s platoon gets hit, fatally or not, it is no wonder that stress casualties were as numerous as battle casualties. The term itself, â€Å"shell shock† reveals the ingrained belief that psychiatric casualties from the horrors of the battles of the Somme, Marne, Ypres, etc. had suffered concussion (physical trauma to the head or brain) from a close call with an exploding artillery shell.   Nearly a decade elapsed before a British War Office Committee realized (Military History Companion, 2004) that battle exhaustion and other varieties of war neuroses accounted for a far greater proportion of cases than concussion did. Great Britain having entered the fray early, the numbers of servicemen afflicted with â€Å"shell shock† and assorted neuroses were significant. By 1939, some 120,000 British ex-servicemen had received final awards for primary psychiatric disability or were still drawing pensions – about 15% of all pensioned disabilities – and another 44,000 or so †¦ were getting pensions for ‘soldier’s heart’ or Effort Syndrome. (Shephard, 2000) In the post-World War II era, the Vietnam war can be counted the most traumatic for the U.S. military, not least because of the failure to achieve a clear-cut victory and the dissatisfaction of the American public with a war that dragged on so long.   Since the fall of Saigon in 1975, estimates of the long-term incidence of â€Å"post-Vietnam syndrome† (now recognized as PTSD) among veterans varied from a high of 30% in 1989 and a slightly lower 21% in 1996 (Allis, 2005). The most authoritative review in recent years, by researchers from Columbia University and other institutions, suggested that the lower end of the range was the more realistic figure: nearly 19 percent of Vietnam War veterans succumbed to PTSD as a direct result of military combat.   In addition, The more severe the exposure to war zone stresses, the greater the likelihood of developing post-traumatic stress disorder and having it persist for many years, said Bruce P. Dohrenwend, an epidemiologist at Columbia University. (McKenna, 2006). Fast forward to the current occupation of Iraq.   The Defense Department reports, based on a sample survey of over 1,600 Army soldiers and Marines, that around one-third (30 percent) of those who had been in â€Å"intense combat† were diagnosed with such mental health problems as PTSD and depression.   Incidence appeared higher among soldiers deployed to Iraq at least twice and for more than six months at a time (Bookman, 2007).   So distressing is the occupation, according to an Army study, that one in six of close 1 million soldiers â€Å"surged† to Afghanistan and Iraq will very likely be afflicted with PTSD (Allis, op. cit.). The reality turned out to be worse.   Even more appalling estimates of incidence were reported by what has to be the most thorough accounting of the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and conditions resembling chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a survey by Kang, Natelson, Mahan, Lee, Murphy (2003) on the entire population of 15,000 Gulf War and 15,000 non-Gulf-War veterans.   Information was gathered in 1995-97. Gulf War veterans reported significantly higher incidence of PTSD (adjusted odds ratio = 3.1, 95% confidence interval: 2.7, 3.4) and CFS (adjusted odds ratio = 4.8, 95% confidence interval: 3.9, 5.9). Furthermore, â€Å"the prevalence of PTSD increased monotonically across six levels of deployment-related stress intensity (test for trend: p 0.01). Back home, the Department of Veterans Affairs reported on an investigation of principally Persian Gulf War veterans (79%) who had availed of the National Referral Program (NRP) and visited war-related illness and injury study centers meant for combat veterans with unexplained illnesses . Over the period from January 2002 to March 2004†¦ The more common diagnoses were chronic fatigue syndrome (n = 23, 43%), neurotic depression (n = 21, 40%), and post-traumatic stress disorder (n = 20, 38%). Self-reported exposures related to weaponry†¦ environmental hazards, stress†¦A small increase in mean SF-36V mental component scores (2.8 points, p = 0.009) and use of rehabilitation therapies (1.6 additional visits, p = 0.018) followed the NRP referral (Lincoln, Helmer, Schneiderman, Li, et al. 2006). The political furor over U.S. deployment in the Middle East has led to permutations, including what Baker (2001) refers to as â€Å"Gulf War Illness†.   The more combat exposure they had had, the greater the likelihood that veterans manifest depression, PTSD, fibromyalgia, anxiety, and have generally poorer â€Å"health-related quality of life†. For the British, a more sanguine view about involvement in Iraq may explain a finding that deployment to that strife-torn arena does not necessarily lead to increased risk of PTSD. Simon Wessely of the Kings Centre for Military Health Research at Kings College London reports that there is no evidence of anything like an Iraq war syndrome and that British troops returning from deployment were no more likely than U.K.-based soldiers to succumb to PTSD, anxiety or depression (New Scientist, 2006).   Wessely seemed heartened by the fact that PTSD casualties this time around were significantly lower than during the earlier, even less controversial Persian Gulf War of 1991. He also explained the advantage vis-à  -vis incidence of around 20% for U.S. troops on three facts.   First of all, British troops are more battle-hardened. Two-thirds of British troops have been in deployments elsewhere, compared with only 10 per cent of US troops.   Secondly the US also uses more reservists (in the form of National Guard units) and has responsibility for the worst of the hostile combat zones.   To an outside observer, the adversarial stance of the U.S. press and the inability of the American public to withstand sustained conflicts not amenable to victory over a visible enemy also count as contributing factors. It would take an Englishman to look into the topic but tongue-in-cheek analysis by Ismail et al. (2000) of U.K. Gulf War veterans revealed that the chances of falling prey to PTSD are greater with lower rank (and, presumably, lower social status) and if one leaves the service. Some research has shown that, far from being a steady state or amenable to permanent remission, PTSD has a way of recurring with the re-occurrence of the original precipitating factors or other less specific pressures, such as with serious illness or the sudden lifestyle change of retirement.   In Israel, reactivation is a constant possibility owing to the fact the nation is always in a state of war with recalcitrant enemies so this potential trigger has come under scrutiny (Nachshoni Singer, 2006).   Case studies suggested that PTSD can recur even when the call to duty is for a family member. C.  Ã‚   Symptomatology In World War I, â€Å"shell shock† was observed principally as nervous fatigue.   The famous photograph (see Figure 1, above) of a patient manifesting the â€Å"thousand-yard stare† became the enduring image of intolerable combat stress: glassy-eyed fatigue, slow reactions, indecisiveness, being detached from one’s immediate surroundings, and a certain vagueness about that needed doing first. So great were the numbers afflicted and so vividly did the novel phenomenon manifest itself that even the popular press in the U.K. could accurately report the symptoms of battle trauma: â€Å"Something was wrong. They put on civilian clothes again and looked to their mothers and wives very much like the young men who had gone to business in the peaceful days before August 1914. But they had not come back the same men. Something had altered in them. They were subject to sudden moods, and queer tempers, fits of profound depression alternating with a restless desire for pleasure. Many were easily moved to passion where they lost control of themselves, many were bitter in their speech, violent in opinion, frightening. (Shephard, op. cit.) The unfortunate circumstance of decades of unending small-scale conflict and insurgency campaigns post-World War II have enabled military psychiatrists to more fully define three key facets of combat neurosis and PTSD: fatigue, psychosomatic manifestations and neurotic symptoms. Fatigue is the common denominator behind indecision and inability to concentrate, memory loss, constant waffling about priorities, little initiative, significantly slowed reaction time, seriously downgraded alertness and thought processes, taking refuge in obsessing and nitpicking unimportant details, and, most telling of all, difficulty with even routine tasks. The element of neurosis crops up as fearfulness, anxiety, irritability, depression, confusion, paranoiac tendencies, fear of loss of control, and self-destructive behavior such as substance abuse or suicide. Consequently, PTSD patients manifest the entire spectrum of somatically-induced disorders: headaches, backaches, (see also Mayor, 2000) being constantly high-strung, shaking and tremors, sweating, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal distress, frequency of urination, urinary incontinence, palpitations, hyperventilation, dizziness, muscle and joint pain (see also Ricks, 1997),   insomnia and other sleep disorders.   Barrett et al. (2002) found this psychosomatic explanation incomplete.    In a telephone survey of 3,682 Gulf War veterans and control subjects of the same era, the authors revealed that â€Å"Veterans screening positive for PTSD reported significantly more physical health symptoms and medical conditions than did veterans without PTSD. They were also more likely to rate their health status as fair or poor and to report lower levels of health-related quality of life.† D.  Ã‚   Long-term Effects No doubt, psychosomatic disorders are of a piece with another syndrome physicians like to point to chronic multisymptom illness (CMI).   Building on earlier studies that demonstrated CMI being more common among veterans who deployed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in contrast with those who had never participated in that campaign, Blanchard, Eisen, Alpern, Karlinsky, Toomey, Reda, Murphy, Jackson and Kang (2006) set out to assess the situation ten years after deployment and found that veterans were twice as likely to develop CMI: Cross-sectional data collected from 1,061 deployed veterans and 1,128 nondeployed veterans examined between 1999 and 2001 were analyzed. CMI prevalence was 28.9% among deployed veterans and 15.8% among nondeployed veterans (odds ratio = 2.16, 95% confidence interval: 1.61, 2.90). Blanchard et al. noted that those who did suffer from CMI had already been diagnosed for anxiety and depression unrelated to PTSD prior to 1991.   Common CMI manifestations comprised frank medical symptoms, metabolic and psychiatric disorders.   And those afflicted were more likely to smoke, besides reporting distinctly inferior quality of life. M Hotopf, Anthony S David, Lisa Hull, Vasilis Nikalaou, et al. (2003) carried out one of the more comprehensive and authoritative studies of long-term effects, a two-stage cohort study on British soldiers who had deployed during the 1991 Persian Gulf War or on peacekeeping duties in Bosnia. The study relied on four instruments: â€Å"self reported fatigue measured on the Chalder fatigue scale; psychological distress measured on the general health questionnaire, physical functioning and health perception on the SF-36; and a count of physical symptoms.†Ã‚   Military personnel who had been deployed elsewhere served as control group. Table 1 Prevalence of Categorical   Outcomes (Values are percentages [.95 CL] unless otherwise indicated) Gulf Bosnia Era Stage 1 Stage 2 Ratio* (new cases/recovered cases) Stage 1 Stage 2 Ratio* (new cases/recovered cases) Stage 1 Stage 2 Ratio* (new cases/recovered cases) Fatigue cases 48.8 (45.4 to 52.2) 43.4 (39.9 to 46.8) 0.65 (0.45 to 0.85) 29.0 (25.6 to 32.4) 32.7 (28.6 to 36.8) 1.21 (0.83 to 1.59) 22.8 (20.0 to 25.6) 22.0 (18.6 to 25.4) 0.91 (0.56-1.26) Post-traumatic stress reaction cases 12.4 (10.7 to 14.2) 10.8 (9.1 to 12.5) 0.73 (0.47 to 0.99) 5.7 (4.0 to 7.4) 6.0 (4.2 to 7.8) 1.07 (0.49 to 1.65) 4.0 (2.6 to 5.3) 6.6 (4.8 to 8.4) 2.45 (0.88-4.02) General health questionnaire cases 40.0 (36.8 to 43.2) 37.1 (33.8 to 40.4) 0.79 (0.59 to 1.00) 29.2 (25.5 to 32.9) 31.5 (27.4 to 35.6) 1.25 (0.84 to 1.67) 25.3 (21.7 to 28.9) 23.8 (20.1 to 27.6) 0.88 (0.56-1.20) Self reported Gulf war syndrome 18.6 (16.2 to 21.1) 15.8 (13.3 to 18.2) 0.58 (0.25 to 0.90) All prevalence estimates are weighted for sampling. * Values of 1 indicate declining prevalence. Ratios are weighted for sampling. Gulf veterans evinced a higher prevalence of fatigue, post-traumatic stress reaction, self-reported Gulf War syndrome and general health compared to the other two cohorts. The difference is consistent throughout stages 1 and 2. However, the veterans in question did show some improvement on all four measures over time. Table 2 Scores (.95 CL) for Continuous Measures, by Cohort and Stage Gulf Bosnia Era Stage 1 Stage 2 Difference Stage 1 Stage 2 Difference Stage 1 Stage 2 Difference SF-36* physical function 90.3 (88.3 to 91.3) 88.7 (87.6 to 89.9) -1.6 (-2.5 to -0.7) 95.4 (94.4 to 96.4) 92.9 (91.6 to 94.1) -2.6 (-3.8 to -1.3) 92.1 (90.6 to 93.6) 90.8 (89.2 to 92.3) -1.3 (-2.7 to 0.1) SF-36* health perception 65.8 (64.1 to 67.5) 65.9 (64.2 to 67.6) 0.1 (-1.2 to 1.4) 76.2 (74.4 to 77.9) 72.9 (71.0 to 74.8) -3.3 (-5.1 to -1.6) 76.8 (75.0 to 78.6) 74.4 (72.4 to 76.4) -2.4 (-4.2 to -0.6) General health questionnaire 14.5 (14.1 to 14.9) 14.2 (13.8 to 14.5) -0.3 (0.1, -0.6) 13.1 (12.7 to 13.6) 13.2 (12.7 to 13.7) 0.1 (-0.4 to 0.6) 12.4 (12.0 to 12.8) 12.9 (12.5 to 13.3) 0.5 (0.05 to 1.0) Fatigue 17.8 (17.4 to 18.1) 16.9 (16.5 to 17.2) -0.9 (-1.2 to -0.6) 15.6 (15.2 to 16.0) 15.3 (14.9 to 15.7) -0.3 (-0.7 to 0.2) 14.7 (14.3 to 15.0) 14.9 (14.5 to 15.3) 0.2 (-0.2 to 0.6) Total symptoms 11.0 (10.4 to 11.6) 10.7 (10.1 to 11.3) -0.3 (-0.8 to 0.1) 6.2 (5.6 to 6.8) 7.9 (7.3 to 8.5) 1.7 (1.2 to 2.3) 5.3 (4.8 to 5.8) 6.4 (5.8 to 7.0) 1.1 (0.6 to 1.6) All scores are weighted for sampling. For SF-36 scores, negative differences in mean indicate a worsening in health. For other scales, negative scores indicate an improvement in health. * SF-36 scales range from 0-100, with higher scores indicating better health.   Table 3- Incidence and Persistence of Outcomes. (Values presented with 0.95 CLs) Incidence Persistence Cohort Risk Crude odds ratio Corrected odds ratio* Risk Crude odds ratio Corrected odds ratio* General health questionnaire cases: Gulf 20.2 (16.4 to 24.0) 1.0 1.0 61.8 (57.3 to 66.3) 1.0 1.0 Bosnia 21.2 (16.7 to 25.8) 1.1 (0.7 to 1.5) 0.9 (0.6 to 1.4) 58.9 (51.9 to 65.8) 0.9 (0.6 to 1.1) 1.1 (0.7 to 1.6) Era 15.4 (11.4 to 19.4) 0.7 (0.5 to 1.1) 0.7 (0.5 to 1.1) 48.4 (41.0 to 55.9) 0.8 (0.6 to 1.1) 0.6 (0.4 to 0.8) Fatigue cases: Gulf 18.8 (14.4 to 23.1) 1.0 1.0 69.7 (66.4 to 73.0) 1.0 1.0 Bosnia 19.8 (15.1 to 24.4) 1.1 (0.7 to 1.6) 0.9 (0.6 to 1.5) 59.9 (54.2 to 65.6) 0.6 (0.5 to 0.9) 0.7 (0.5 to 1.0) Era 11.2 (7.5 to 15.0) 0.6 (0.3 to 0.9) 0.5 (0.3 to 0.9) 58.2 (53.1 to 63.4) 0.6 (0.5 to 0.8) 0.7 (0.5 to 0.9) Post-traumatic stress reaction cases: Gulf 5.0 (3.6 to 6.4) 1.0 1.0 51.8 (44.8 to 58.9) 1.0 1.0 Bosnia 4.0 (2.5 to 5.5) 0.8 (0.5 to 1.3) 0.8 (0.4 to 1.5) 38.9 (24.3 to 53.3) 0.6 (0.3 to 1.2) 0.8 (0.4 to 1.8) Era 4.6 (3.0 to 6.2) 0.9 (0.6 to 1.5) 0.9 (0.5 to 1.5) 54.8 (37.8 to 71.9) 1.1 (0.5 to 2.4) 1.2 (0.6 to 2.7) * Controlled for demographic variables (age, sex, rank, marital status). Comparing scores for continuous measures, one sees that Gulf War veterans were less healthy at both stages of the longitudinal study, though they were stable as far as health perceptions were concerned and reported a statistically-significant, if slight, reduction in fatigue. One concedes that physical functioning declined for all three cohorts. Additionally, Gulf veterans were more likely to experience persistent fatigue compared with the Era and Bosnia cohorts, a finding that remained significant after controlling for potential confounders (P = 0.009). Overall, despite being less likely to manifest less fatigue (48.8% at stage 1, 43.4% at stage 2) and a lower prevalence of psychological distress (40.0% stage 1, 37.1% stage 2) over time, veterans of the Gulf War reported a decline in physical function on the SF-36 (90.3 stage 1, 88.7 stage 2).   By all measures used, this group also attested to worse health indicators: a higher incidence of illness and more persistent symptoms. Twelve years after helping smash the Iraqi incursion into Kuwait, the authors concluded, â€Å"Gulf war veterans continue to experience symptoms that are considerably worse than would be expected in an equivalent cohort of military personnel. However, Gulf war veterans are not deteriorating and do not have a higher incidence of new illnesses† (Hotopf et al., op. cit.) E.  Ã‚   Treatment Recommendations and Best Practice 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   World War I Since little is known about the methods Russians used to treat their shock casualties during the Russo-Japanese War, the noted English psychologist Charles Myers – first University Lecturer in Cambridge (for the course Experimental Psychology) and appointed Consulting Psychologist to the Army in 1916 – is generally credited with the first systematic effort to treat PTSD (Bartlett, 1937). While espousing the benefits of a congenial environment, psychotherapeutic regimens and even hypnosis, Myers was very emphatic about the value of providing succor as promptly as possible.   Key to his proposals, therefore, was the establishment of special centers and rest homes close to the frontlines. By Christmas 1916, two developments led to modifications of Myers’ preferred regimen.   First, the British Adjutant General resisted physicians’ opinions that a soldier was a shock casualty and insisted on obtaining a certification from the victim’s commanding officer to the effect that the trauma was due to physical causes.   This attitude was shared by the eminent British neurologist Sir Gordon Morgan Holmes, CMG CBE FRS, who was put in charge of the very active northern part of the front in December.   Physicians reacted to the delays in committing victims to neurological centers by sending the men back to their units and urging their superiors to both monitor and engage with them. By 1917, therefore, treatment for â€Å"not yet diagnosed nervous† (NYDN) had evolved to embrace the so-called â€Å"PIE principles†: Proximity – treatment close to the front and within earshot of the fighting to convince the soldier there was nothing wrong with him; Immediacy treat without delay and give equal priority with wounded casualties; and, Expectancy – assure all victims of their return to the front after due rest and recovery. Reviewing the CSR toll after the war, the British War Office saw fit to recommend treatment programs that included: Physical therapy – baths, application of mild electric current (recall that medicine has advanced greatly in the eight decades since then), massage rest and general recuperation; Psychotherapy emphasizing â€Å"explanation, persuasion and suggestion†; and, Crafts and hobbies; Hypnotherapy in selected cases for inducing deep sleep and evoking repressed memories. As a rule, the British view of the time was weighted toward returning the afflicted soldier to useful employment in civilian life.   For the military establishment was gravely concerned about the battlefield dangers of patients who manifested severe anxiety neuroses, other neuroses that required confinement in a mental institution or expert treatment back in the U.K itself. Exhaustive research on combat stress reactions in the intervening years failed to prove conclusively that PIE-based programs were effective in forestalling PTSD (U.S. Dept of Veterans Affairs, n.d.).   Hence, American Armed Forces are now more likely to be administered some variation of the BICEPS model: Brevity Immediacy Centrality or Contact Expectancy Proximity Simplicity 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   World War II The catastrophic experiences of World War I did not   seem to adequately inform or pervasively improve Allied preparations as war clouds loomed in Europe.   A generation had passed and British army doctors had generally served in France in the earlier conflict.   Still, Shephard notes (op. cit.), they initially floundered about and it was not until 1942 that the first psychiatric hospital was even set up (for the then-beleaguered Middle East Force).   When the time came to invade Normandy in June 1944, British army physicians quickly forsook the expectancy principle and routinely returned battle trauma patients home over the Channel. For their part, the Americans initially imposed rigid screening pressures for mental ability in the rush of patriotic fervor that followed Pearl Harbor.   Soon enough, this was abandoned for having no validity.   Too many who tested well succumbed to â€Å"battlefield exhaustion†.   In late 1943, the U.S. military approved a plan to add a psychiatrist to the T.O. E. of every Army division shipping overseas but it was not implemented until March 1944, when the drive up the Italian â€Å"boot† was well underway. This late in the war, nonetheless, the Allies made an important discovery: camaraderie and unit cohesion were effective shields against â€Å"exhaustion†.   This finding naturally enough placed a premium on strong, effective leadership. The Germans were more unequivocal in placing great reliance on the quality of the officer corps.   In their view, the â€Å"war neuroses† that sapped the will of their fighting men was tantamount to cowardice and deserved to be treated as such.   Beginning in 1942, however, when the Allies started the counterattack and the Afrika Korps was stymied, hospitalizations owing to battlefield trauma became too numerous to ignore (Belenky, 1987). 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New approaches in the Post-War Period Among other developments, the Israelis simplified PIE procedures by heightening the degree of support administered but keeping therapeutic confinement short.   That this works at all is testimony to a nation of citizen-soldiers who must keep the economy working while perpetually staying on a war footing. F.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Treatment Success Rates There is some evidence that proximal treatment is successful   Despite the dual stress of fighting another occupying force, the Syrian Army, and Palestinian â€Å"refugees†, nine in ten CSR were reported fit to return to their units within three days but only 40% for those evacuated to a hospital ship cruising the eastern Mediterranean or back home (Gabriel, 1986).   In turn, the U.S. Army claims in its manual â€Å"Combat Stress Control in a Theater of Operations† a similar success rate for proximate treatment (85%) in the Korean War (U.S. Army, Combat Stress Control in a Theater of Operations, n.d.).   However, neither source tracked the long-term mental health of these soldiers, precisely the context in which one would expect PTSD to manifest. A ray of hope is, however, cast by an authoritative Columbia University study (McKenna, op. cit.) suggesting that the majority of Vietnam war veterans spontaneously recovered from PTSD over time, frequently without having recourse to treatment from mental health professionals. VII.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusions This review of the literature affirms that the advent of combat stress went hand-in-hand with the advent of industrial-era weaponry (in the Civil War) and mechanized warfare in succeeding conflicts.   PTSD has many manifestations, can recur without warning and is certainly debilitating. Even with the advent of psychotherapy, occupational therapy and tranquilizers, treatment centers still purvey variations on the BICEPS and PIE theoretical models, the latter developed by British physicians during World War I.   There remains a great deal of uncertainty about the proximity component of the PIE model – returning the soldier to combat – after suffering CSR.   It seems battlefront physicians take â€Å"successful cure† to mean being able to return warm bodies to the frontlines.   Critics assert that re-exposure to combat is likely to aggravate matters in the future and perhaps even precipitate PTSD altogether.   Though the longest available cohort study spanned just 10 years, there is no question now that PSTD has long-term effects. Future researchers need to investigate more thoroughly the psychosocial, military, and environmental risk factors that stimulate onset or, on the other hand, recovery.   One factor that bears investigation in-depth is the impact of victory or setbacks in a campaign. To the extent that high morale and good leadership have been shown to have a moderating or even protective effect, one wonders what are the effects of fighting for survival (e.g. Israel), of community and country united behind a war effort (the Korean War, the Malayan emergency), of service in prior conflicts (the British SAS), of guilt and angst over being the globe’s last remaining policeman, and of coping with feudal cultures whose people are just as willing to apply savage tactics against U.S. servicemen as against each other.   At the very least, further research might seek to determine the impact of attainable victory in sharp contrast with the ennui and self-destructive impatience over protracted conflict that mark American discourse today.   VIII.  Ã‚  Ã‚   References Allis, S. Globe Staff (2005). â€Å"Frontline† examines wars psychological toll  :[THIRD Edition]. Boston Globe, p .E.5. Baker, D. G. (2001). Diagnostic status and treatment recommendations for Persian Gulf War Veterans with multiple nonspecific symptoms.  Military Medicine,166(11), 972-81. Barrett, D. H, Doebbeling, C. C., Schwartz, D. A, Voelker, M. D, et al.  (2002). Postraumatic stress disorder and self-reported physical health status among S. military personnel serving during the Gulf War period: A population-based study. Psychosomatics,43(3),  195-205. Bartlett, F.C (1937). Cambridge, England, 1887-1937. American Journal of Psychology 50, 97-110. Belenky, G. (1987) Contemporary studies in combat psychiatry: (Contributions in military studies). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Blanchard, M.S. Eisen, S. A., Alpern, R. Karlinsky, J. Toomey, R., Reda, D. J. et. al. (2006). Chronic multisymptom illness complex in gulf war I veterans 10 years later. American Journal of Epidemiology,  163(1),  66-75. Bookman, J. (2007,  May  9). OUR OPINIONS: War strains troops, U.S. credibility  :[Main Edition].  The Atlanta Journal Constitution, A.14. Brits less fazed by iraq war.  (2006,  May). New Scientist,190(2552),  7. FM8-51: Combat Stress Control in a Theater of Operatio ns US Army Publication. Ismail K.,   Blatchley N.,   Hotopf, M.,   Hull L.,   et al.  (2000). Occupational risk factors for ill health in Gulf veterans of the United Kingdom.  Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health,54(11),  834-8. Lincoln, A. E., Helmer, D.A., Schneiderman, A. I., Li, M. et al. (2006). The war-related illness and injury study centers: A resource for deployment-related health concerns. Military Medicine, 171(7), 577-85. Gabriel, R.A., Ed. (1986) Military Psychiatry. Hotopf, M., David, A.S., Hull, L., Nikalaou, V., et al. (2003) Gulf war illness-Better, worse, or just the same? A cohort study. British Medical Journal. (International edition). London: Dec 13, 2003. Vol. 327, Iss. 7428; pg. 1370. Jones, E., Vermaas, R.H., Beech, C., Palmer, I. et al.  (2003). Mortality and postcombat disorders: U.K. veterans of the boer war and world war I.  Military Medicine,168(5),  414-8. Kang , H. K., Natelson, B. H.,   Mahan, C. M., Lee, K. Y.,   Murphy, F. M..  (2003). Post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome-like illness among gulf war veterans: A population-based survey of 30,000 veterans.  American Journal of Epidemiology,157(2),  141. Mayor, S. (1997). Gulf war research given go ahead.  British Medical Journal,314(7074),  95. Mckenna, Phil (2006). Stress syndrome affected one in five Vietnam veterans. (August 21) Boston Globe, C.3. Military History Companion (2004) The Oxford Companion to Military History. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Nachshoni, T. Singer, Y. (2006). Reactivation of combat stress after a family members enlistment. Military Medicine, 171(12), 1211-4. Ricks, T. E. (1997). Many military officers say gulf war syndrome results from the stress of war, not chemicals. Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition), p. A14. Shephard, B (2000). A War of Nerves. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. United States Department of Veterans Affairs Treating Survivors in the Acute Aftermath of Traumatic Events.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Google Drive: Functions, Security and Applications

Google Drive: Functions, Security and Applications Table of Contents (Jump to) Introduction What is Google Drive and its function? How to start with Google Drive? How secure is Google Drive? How do people use Google Drive? What is the maximum upload limit of Google Drive and supported files? What is Google Drive’s storage plan pricing? What are Google Drive’s compatible Operating Systems? Conclusion References Introduction In addition to the development velocity of modern technology, the volume of information completing by or ingested by individuals all over the world maintains growing quickly. The storage units seem to incapable for holding increasing data quantity. In servicing, add-on and again-up of data are important just in case of automobile accident. To meet the requirements stated earlier, the cloud computing is produced especially cloud storing which have turn into a needed info storage for all fairly recently. There are 4 competitive large cloud storages from the IT sector Google Drive, SkyDive and iCloud Dropbox. With the advancement of the information technology the development of app has significantly elevated. The brand new age of online technologies have triggered need for the World Wide Web app in people’s everyday life. In this particular document we shall make an effort to assess among the many programs developed to make people’s existence less difficult. We have now s elected Google drive as our most fascinated cloud app and we are going to publish a comprehensive report about it. What is Google Drive and its function? Google Drive is really a central location where you may keep your documents. You have access to Google Drive from the desktop, the web or maybe the Google Drive app. Transform data online, on your computer system, or in your mobile device and it also updates on every gadget in which you have installed Google Drive. So should you use Google Docs, this application will let you gain access to your Google doc at anyplace and at any time. Google Drive is greatly used to exchange each sort of files and folders between individuals. Google Drive is really an Online-dependent document web hosting support run by Google, Inc. that utilizes networked storage space to permit users to hold and share folders and files with others throughout the World Wide Web making use of document synchronization. Google Drive is definitely the easiest, most classy document synchronization instrument actually utilized. The idea behind Google Drive would provide you with access to your data files no matter what per sonal computer or system you are using. The service merchants records with solid encryption on multiple hosts and lets you get at your records quickly and easily, and for the most part elegantly from practically any World Wide Web-empowered system. We begin by quickly describing the application and its features. How to start with Google Drive? What started off as just a few valuable on the web business office resources named Google Docs, has transformed into Google Drive, a workplace package with cloud storage. You get a small amount of everything with these services, together with a word processor chip, spreadsheet application, and display tradesman, plus 15GB of totally free storage area. You can enter Google Drive if you already have a Google account. You just need to head over to drive.google.com and start the service. You will get 15GB of storage space for everything you upload to Drive, such as photos, papers and videos, Photoshop files and a lot more. You will need to share that 15GB with your Gmail account, photographs you upload to Google+ , as well as any files you generate in Google Drive. While you can access any documents in the Google Drive site, you may also acquire the Drive desktop app for your computer to deal with your records through your laptop or computer. It is possible to organize all your files from the personal computer app, and theyll sync with the cloud to therefore you can have them with you all the time on all your devices. Chromium is a Web-based operating system which Drive is built into it, when you have a Chrome book, Google Drive is the best cloud storage choice. Like other cloud safe-keeping professional services, Google Drive has applications for iOS and Android, so you can control your files from the phone too. What we like most about Google Drive is that you can drag and drop files into the Drive Web site and theyll be uploaded automatically. You can also preview attachments from Gmail in Google Drive, and save those files to your cloud. Google Drive has the benefit of a built-in place of work suite, where you can modify documents, spreadsheets, and reports, even though you created the papers in an additional application. This service will also support other third-party apps than can edit and modify the documents. What we like about Google Drive is that you could drag and decrease records to the Drive Web site and theyll be submitted instantly. You can also review devices from Gmail in Google Drive, and preserve these records to the cloud. How secure is Google Drive? Google Drive is amongst the most extensive cloud-safe-keeping services, but between your National Security Agency (NSA) and Googles own overreaching relation to service, your data files might be available for being snooped from both organizations. The NSA asserts that its PRISM system focuses on only people of foreign nations and Not American inhabitants. In case the NSA at any time made a decision that it would be useful, with this particular technology into position, it would be simplicity itself to turn PRISMs focus toward People in America. Google denies granting the NSA unrestricted entry to exclusive data. Im unsure I could say this far more obviously: Were not in cahoots together with the NSA, mentioned David Drummond, Googles chief legitimate police officer, in the document on the Guardian. Regardless of whether you trust Edward Snowden, the NSA or Google, you will find good things about knowing precisely what Google gives many services a web email and internet browser, an internet search engine and worldwide menu, amongst other things. PRISM can supposedly acquire information and facts from these professional services as well as Google Drive, the companys cloud-storage foundation. Drive has two elements: Producing papers and keeping them around the Drive (Create), and importing your own personal documents (Upload). Googles online privacy policy weighs in at nine web pages, and states that Google can accumulate login, tool and location info. Google also gathers your browser past history, plants and cookies on the process and data the other applications youve been utilizing, in the event you entry Google Drive by way of Stainless. Googles Drive FAQs point out that the organization will not use any details of your tag as exclusive for advertising or advertising functions, nonetheless its terms of services tend to be much more freewheeling: Google can adjust, host, retail store, recreate and make use of create derivative performs interact, submit, openly execute, publicly screen and spread [customer] information. These permissions may appear terrifying, but theres actually an incredibly naive outline for every single one. So to keep you authorized-in on a cell phone or exclusive laptop or computer, Google needs to know your unit and logon info. Your physical location information and facts helps Google determine when someone has hacked your account in an unusual spot. How do people use Google Drive? Here are some examples of how people use Google Drive: 1. A harried item supervisor should proceed work towards a vital proposition within the weekend break. In past times, she could have dug about in the handbag to look for an old USB Drive she purposes of transporting documents. Or, she probably have emailed herself an attachment to open at home. Instead, she helps save the Word document and a Shine spreadsheet to Google Drive at her workplace. Later on that evening hours, in her home Computer, she starts her Google Drive folder to gain access to the Shine file. All of her helps save are updated to Google Drive. When she profits to operate the subsequent Monday, the up-to-date details might be considered in her work station. 2. The organizer of the family members’ reunion wishes to survey 34 relatives about attendance, accommodations personal preferences, and potluck meal preparation. He email messages everyone a link to web-based created Drive. The solutions are immediately transferred to Bedding, where he can view the reactions and the results. 3. An elementary university faculty makes use of Docs to team up on session plans. Every single teacher accesses the same papers from her or his houses or classrooms. Upgrades are quickly reflected, even if two teachers are all at once accessing the same record. Their principal is surprised by how quickly the faculty wraps up the plans, and the way properly the curriculums are incorporated. 4. At the identical institution, the fifth-level educators request their college students to distribute groundwork using Docs. The educators put remarks and modifications, in which the individuals can accessibility whenever you want via a Browser. It’s much more effective than emailing accessories close to, and the college students do not have to bug their parents to acquire pricey phrase-processing plans. What is the maximum upload limit of Google Drive and supported files? Documents: 1,024,000 characters, regardless of the number of pages or font size. Uploaded document files that are converted to the Google documents format can’t be larger than 2 MB. Spreadsheets: 400,000 cells, with a maximum of 256 columns per sheet. Uploaded spreadsheet files that are converted to the Google spreadsheets format can’t be larger than 20 MB, and need to be under 400,000 cells and 256 columns per sheet Presentations: Presentations created in Google Slides can be up to 50 MB — which is about 200 slides. Uploaded presentation files that are converted into the Google presentations format can also be up to 50 MB. Drawings: We’ve never seen anyone make a drawing that was too big (but that’s not a dare). Other files: Files that you upload but don’t convert to a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides format can be up to 10 GB each. (Daily News Analysis, 2012) What is Google Drive’s storage plan pricing? People can store up to 15GB of data on their Google Drive account for free. If they need more space they can purchase it and the pricing is as follows: What are Google Drive’s compatible Operating Systems? Google drive is compatible with Windows, Mac, Android phones and tablets and Apple iOS. Conclusion Google Drive is a free of charge service that allows you to take your images, docs, and video clips anyplace and share them easily. There are tons of optimistic features which can be addressed to the application. The Google Drive buyer allows end users to decrease any data file right into a chosen directory which is then synced with Google drives Internet service and to every other of your users units and computer systems with the Google Drive’s customer. Customers may also upload data files manually through an internet browser. With these usages, it can be a substitute for World Wide Web (physical transportation of removable media), and also other standard sorts of submitting exchange, like File transfer protocol and e-mail attachments. While Google drive capabilities are as a storage service, its concentrate is on synchronization and revealing. It facilitates revision record, so data files deleted in the Google Drive directory might be healed from any of the synced computer systems. References Google unifies cloud storage across gmail, drive and google+. (2013, May 15). Kashmir Monitor. Gaylord, K., Kavanagh, M. (2006, 04). Search your hard drive in a snap: Google it! Inside the Internet, 13, 5-7. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/191096234 Nivio launches google drive app. (2012). Wireless News Maltais, M. (2012, Apr 25). Google adds to the cloud with drive. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1009108737 Google introduces google drive quick facts. (2012, Apr 24). RTTNews All you need to know about google drive. (2012, May 01). DNA : Daily News Analysis. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1010363648 Google drive updates app. (2013, Nov 08). Telegraph.Co.Uk. Kleinberg, S. (2012, Jun 11). Google drive: A lot to love, room for improvement. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1019609166 Google drive slashes prices on storage. (2014, Mar 13). University Wire. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1507019544

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Analysis of Robert Graves Warning to Children :: essays research papers

The poet George Santayana once said, â€Å"The subject matter of art is life, life as it actually is, but the function of art is to make life better.† Robert Grave’s poem â€Å"Warning to Children† proves every aspect of Santayana’s quote. â€Å"Warning to Children† speaks of the wondrous, diverse aspects of our lives and our temptations prevents us from experiencing these aspects. Finally, the poem gives readers a warning towards these temptations, and with it, implicit instructions as to how to avoid them and to ultimately lead a better life. Throughout Grave’s poem, â€Å"Warning to Children,† a recurring theme can be observed – that life is full of diversity. This diversity is represented in the poem with the usage of colour, â€Å"†¦blocks of slate enclosing dappled red and green, enclosing tawny yellow nets, enclosing white and black acres of dominoes, where a neat brown paper parcel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This thematic material is repeated several times throughout the poem, and creates an image of a never-ending cycle of colourful, wondrous things. The theme and the image that goes with it creates an allusion of the life that everyone wishes that they have – one that is forever full of different things to see and do. In this sense, this poem reflects upon part of Santayana’s quote: â€Å"The subject matter of art is life.† The image of the perfect, diverse life that is described in â€Å"Warning to Children† does not translate into the reality of life, however. This is realized in the poem when the narrator begins talking about the brown paper parcel, â€Å"tempt[ing] you to untie the string.† With these lines, Grave introduces an aspect of greed to the poem. The poem then goes on to discuss the consequences of being greedy by describing what would happen if one wishes to greedily pursue the never-ending diversity that life has to offer: â€Å"Children, leave the string alone! For who dares undo the parcel finds himself at once inside it, on the island, in the fruit†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This time, however, the word â€Å"enclosed† is used to describe the fact that whomever should dare to undo the parcel will become literally trapped inside all of the colour things without the ability of actually doing anything with them. The message being conveyed here is that despite the colourful aspec ts of life, greed will always be there to prevent one from experiencing them. With this, the poem fulfills the second part of Santayana’s quote: â€Å"life as it actually is.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

My Philosophy of Education Essay -- Essays Papers

My Philosophy of Education "It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." -Albert Einstein The foundation for my philosophy of teaching is very simple. I believe that if I am bored, the students are bored. I structure my teaching methods and strategies towards grasping not only the interests of my students but of myself as well. This enables my students to take away a positive experience from the learning process. Many times students enter my classroom with the attitude that English is a tedious and boring subject. I feel it is my duty as an English teacher to remove this negative point of view by creating a positive learning environment. This environment should awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge in the areas of language and literature. I also believe that the teacher is an artist. This artist produces inspiration in students to question, to develop their own ideas, and to express themselves. This enables the student to become more enthusiastic about learning in the English classroom and learning throughout life. Literature should be used to help students create contexts and meanings for themselves. Close examinations of literature enable students to think critically about literature itself, as well as their own lives and decisions. Literature in the classroom should contain a variety of genres, authors, and cultures to engage students in looking at the world and their lives from different perspectives. Teaching grammar should fit within the literature being read and the works being composed, with connections to student work. It should be approached functionally, deriving its meaning and relevance from the classroom context. As a teacher, o... ...is created. It is important for educators to provide students with the keys to success. The curriculum is simply a strategy to facilitate the knowledge that will lead to success. It should provide the students with a broad foundation of skills and knowledge that will guide them throughout their lives. The language arts curriculum should be centered on text and subjects that encourage students to think and make informed decisions. Ultimately, the curriculum should be used to help students understand themselves and to see the possibilities in the world around them. If the teacher is indeed an artist and the student his or her work of art, the curriculum is the tool that enables the production of a masterpiece. References National Council of Teachers of English. (2003). Secondary Home Page. Retrieved January 21, 2003, from http://www.ncte.org/second/

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Les Miserables :: essays research papers

Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo, starts out with Valjean saying how he is 19 years old and a thief. The novel goes through his whole life. It explains the many conflicts he faces. But mainly it shows how he tries to escape his past during the French Revolution. Valjean was not a very wealthy man. He stole a piece of bread because he was hungry. He got tried and committed as if he had done a major crime and served 5 years in prison. He ended up doing 19 years of hard labor because he had tried to escape and failed. After he got out he had no where to go. A forgiving bishop decided to take him in. He feeds him and gives him clothes and shelter. Even after all that the bishop has done for him, Valjean steals silverware from the bishop. Once the bishop found out it was him who had stole it, the bishop tells the police that he gave it to Valjean, so Valjean could get off. After this Valjean decides to shape himself up. He sold the silver and moved to a town up north. He gets a job and he tries to start a life. Not only did he change his name, but he becomes a changed person as well. He eventually becomes mayor of this town. However, his past comes to haunt him. A police officer, which goes by the name of Javert, followed him to this town. Javert accuses another man of being the thief, so Valjean, being a changed man, turns himself in to save an innocent man. Eventually, Valjean escapes. When he is out he meets this woman Fantine, who is a prostitute. She is very sick and Valjean helps nurse her. On her deathbed, Fantine asks Valjean to take care of her daughter who is now owned by a money hungry family. Valjean agrees and buys her daughter, Cosette, from this family. He then takes her and all of the money he has left and flees to Paris. The novel then moves to 9 years later. This is during the French Revolution. Cosette is now a young adult. She meets a student revolutionary named Marius. Javert, the police officer, is trailing Marius. That brings Javert back on the trail of Valjean. Once again, he can not escape his past. Cosette and Marius fall in love and plan to wed. Les Miserables :: essays research papers Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo, starts out with Valjean saying how he is 19 years old and a thief. The novel goes through his whole life. It explains the many conflicts he faces. But mainly it shows how he tries to escape his past during the French Revolution. Valjean was not a very wealthy man. He stole a piece of bread because he was hungry. He got tried and committed as if he had done a major crime and served 5 years in prison. He ended up doing 19 years of hard labor because he had tried to escape and failed. After he got out he had no where to go. A forgiving bishop decided to take him in. He feeds him and gives him clothes and shelter. Even after all that the bishop has done for him, Valjean steals silverware from the bishop. Once the bishop found out it was him who had stole it, the bishop tells the police that he gave it to Valjean, so Valjean could get off. After this Valjean decides to shape himself up. He sold the silver and moved to a town up north. He gets a job and he tries to start a life. Not only did he change his name, but he becomes a changed person as well. He eventually becomes mayor of this town. However, his past comes to haunt him. A police officer, which goes by the name of Javert, followed him to this town. Javert accuses another man of being the thief, so Valjean, being a changed man, turns himself in to save an innocent man. Eventually, Valjean escapes. When he is out he meets this woman Fantine, who is a prostitute. She is very sick and Valjean helps nurse her. On her deathbed, Fantine asks Valjean to take care of her daughter who is now owned by a money hungry family. Valjean agrees and buys her daughter, Cosette, from this family. He then takes her and all of the money he has left and flees to Paris. The novel then moves to 9 years later. This is during the French Revolution. Cosette is now a young adult. She meets a student revolutionary named Marius. Javert, the police officer, is trailing Marius. That brings Javert back on the trail of Valjean. Once again, he can not escape his past. Cosette and Marius fall in love and plan to wed.

Gandhian Model of Development

Gandhian model of development was emphasized by the Janata Party. The model emphasized the rapid development of agriculture and small industries. Village and small industries were emphasized from the point of view of production as well as employment. The model necessitated the following changes in the pattern of planning : (i) Employment-oriented planning to replace production-oriented planning : Nehru model by over-empathizing a capital-intensive pattern of development failed to generate enough employment. But unemployment and under-employment are at the root of the problems of poverty and inequality.There is a strong need to demarcate areas with high employment potential and investment should be directed in such areas so that the pattern of investment becomes employment-orated and the economy increases its absorptive capacity of labour. (ii) Emphasis on development of agriculture as a means of enlarging employment : Char an Singh, an ardent advocate of the Gandhian model brought ou t the hard reality that while in India only 39 workers were employed per 100 acres in 1971, in Japan, South Korea and Egypt, the number of workers employed per 100 acres ranged between 87 and 71.In case, intensive cultivation is done, India can enlarge employment by 50 to 60 million in agriculture alone. It is, therefore, necessary that agricultural development be taken as the foundation of the development process. The experience of the development in the states of Punjab and Haryana also corroborates the view that these states were able to achieve high growth rates via agricultural development and thus bring about a sharp reduction of population below the poverty lien as well as unemployment. (iii) Emphasis on small industries as against large industries :The Gandhian model emphasised that â€Å"no medium or large-scale enterprise shall be allowed to come into existence in future which will produce goods or services that cottage or small-scale enterprises can produce. † The main aim of following this path was to enlarge employment, have a decentralsied pattern of production which would ensure reduction in regional disparities in income and wealth. (iv) Heavy and basic industries to be developed by the public sector : The Gandhian model did recognise the need for the development of heavy and basic industries and assigned this role for the public sector.Gandhian model intended to tackle the problem of distribution of income at the production end and not at the level of consumption of fiscal measures. It did emphasize employment as the principal means of providing national minimum and removal of poverty . Rao-Man Mohan Model of Development Rao-Man Mohan Model of Development was introduced in 1991. It emphasised privatisation and globalisation of the economy. 1) Firstly, areas hitherto reserved fro the public sector were to be opened to the private sector.Although the government failed to transfer the ownership of public sector undertakings to the private sector in view of the strong opposition by the workers and left parities, it did liberate the economy and opened areas of heavy industry and economic infrastructure to the private sector – both domestic and foreign. 2)Secondly, the government abolished licensing in all industries except a small list of 10 industries. In other words, it removed bureaucratic shackles on investment. 3)Thirdly, it free the MRTP companies from the ceiling on assets.This implied that even big business, was allowed to invest without any ceiling being prescribed by the Monopoly and Restrictive Trade Practices (MRTP) Commission. Obviously, considerations of growth dominates more with the government than those of monopoly control. 4)Fourthly, foreign direct investment was facilitated. Automatic approvals for direct foreign investment upto 51 per cent in high priority areas were granted. Government was even prepared to consider proposals involving more than 51 per cent equity on a case-by-case basis. )F ifthly, performance of the public sector undertakings was to be improved by granting them greater autonomy. For this the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was devised and PSUs managements and boards were made more professional. 6)Lastly, to globalise the economy the government followed a policy of reducing import barriers and also one of encouraging export promotion. Such a course would facilitate the free flow of foreign capital and technology and thus help to modernise our economy.Rao-Manmohan Model of development has also been the subject of criticism. The main points of criticism are : i) The model was by passed agriculture and agro-based industries which are the major sources of employment generation. (ii) The model has a very narrow focus since it emphasises the corporate sector growth which accounts for only 10 per cent of GDP. 1. (iii) Although in the Industrial Policy of 1991, Multinational Corporation (MNCs) were to be permitted in high priority areas, the government has b een indiscriminately permitting them even in consumer goods industries. Need it be emphasised that MNCs follow a highly capital intensive pattern of production and have thus restricted the growth of employment. iv) MNCs after entry in various joint venture raise their equity to 51 per cent level or even more and thus push out the Indian partners.This has led to the Indian industry asking for protection against the onslaught of multinationals. MNCs after entry in various joint ventures raise their equity to 51 per cent level or even more and thus push out the Indian partner. This has led to the Indian industry asking for protection against the onslaught of multinationals. To sum up, Rao-Manmohan model has succeeded on growth by raising GDP growth rate to more than 6 per cent level, but it has failed on equity, employment and poverty removal.