Comparative Paper Essay Example for Free

Comparative Paper Essay The welcome table and country lovers share the same theme but are adversely different in many ways, yet in some they are a lot alike. In this paper I will compare and contrast The Welcome table by Alice Walker and Country lovers by Nadine Gordimer. I will address how they both are written in form, context, and style. I will explain different literary elements the author’s used to give detail about the stories. The two stories being compared and contrasted are similar in that they both are written around the same theme, race, and ethnicity. They are also both written in third person. The two writers Alice Walker and Nadine Gordimer were both expressing stories of racial inequality. They also show the reader that when the story was written it was not allowed to have a white person and black person in a relationship. They also express how unequal it was for a white person compared to a black person. In â€Å"The welcome table† a black woman came up to the steps of a white church and the preacher of that church stopped her at the lobby and said â€Å"Auntie, you know this is not your church† (Clangston 2010).† In the story country lovers Thebedi and Paulus, the main characters, had grown up together and ended up having a sexual relationship. When Paulus finds out Thebedi had a light skinned child he kills it because a white and black relationship is not allowed. He is also ashamed about being in a relationship with her and denies all accusations against him. In country lovers the story is about a white male, Paulus Eysendyck, who is the son of a farmer, and Thebedi one of the black female workers on the farm. The story starts off with them as children playing together along with all the other children, but Paulus and Thebedi were closer than the others. As they grow up Paulus goes to school and brings Thebedi gifts and tells her stories about school. They eventually end up having a sexual relationship and Thebedi ends up pregnant. Paulus is away at school when she finds this information out along with finding out she is getting married to Njabulo a black male who also works for the farmer. Thebedi gets married and has the baby. Njabulo knows that the child is not his because it has straight hair and light colored skin, but still raises him as his own. Paulus returns from school and overhears the in house servants talking about the light skinned child. He then goes out to the living quarters to see it. He finds Thebedi and Njabulo’ s house and secretly kills the child. The author uses imagery, character, and third person point of view (bookrags.com) throughout this story. The author paints a very good picture for the reader by using very graphic details describing everything. She uses character to describe the people in the story. Nadine Gordimer writes the story in third person objective. She only speaks as an outsider looking down on the story unfolding. She does not tell the reader what the characters feel throughout the story. Using imagery she makes a visual image of the characters and setting. â€Å"down there hidden by the mesh of old, ant-eaten trees held in place by vigorous ones, wild asparagus bushing up between the trunks, and here and there prickly-pear cactus sinken-skinned and bristly, like an old man’s face, keeping alive sapless until the next rainy season†. (Country lovers Nadine Gordimer). This is one example of what the reader experiences throughout the story. In The welcome table the main theme is also about racial inequality. This story starts out with an old black lady standing on the stairs of a church. She walks into the church and the preacher says â€Å"Auntie, you know this is not your church?† as if one could choose the wrong one. (Clangston 2010). She just walks past him and sits down in the very back row of the church. All the white people sitting inside near the front starred at her in disbelief. The usher came up to her and told her she needed to leave she just waved him off and told him to go away. The white wives told their husbands to get her out of the church also. They acted quickly and went to her and put an arm under hers to pick her up and carried her out. The author told the reader about the smell the men had on their fingers after carrying her out. It was a musty smell from her under arms. While she was standing on the front steps she looked up the road and saw Jesus. She was excited waving her arms so he did not miss her. She started walking with him and talking to him explaining everything even singing at times. At the end of the story they never saw her again. Many people speculated that she had died walking along the road. Many people though she had family on the other side of the river, but no one knew for sure. The incident was never spoken of in the church again. Alice Walker used third person, character and imagery like Nadine Gordimer did also. Alice Walker used third person omniscient allowing you not just to observe the action, but to see inside the thinking of those involved. She described the main character in great detail. She described here clothing â€Å"the missing buttons down the front of her mildewed black dress.† She described her personal qualities more in depth. She described her eyes, skin, and smell. â€Å"Aged blue-brown eyes†, â€Å"she was angular and lean and the color of poor gray Georgia earth, beaten by king cotton and the extreme weather. Her elbows were wrinkled and thick, the skin ashen but durable, like the bark of old pines.† (Clangston 2010). She also used similes throughout her story. The author did paint a picture using imagery, but this time it was of the main character, not the setting like Nadine Gordimer did. To compare the two stories both authors used imagery, character, third person point of view, and shared the same theme. The theme of both stories is about racial inequality. Both stories involved a black female as main characters. Life in the days these stories were written was not what it is like now. The story The Welcome Table was written in a collection of stories between 1967 and 1973. (Bradley, D). The story Country Lovers was written in 1975 (Custodio, L). This story also won the literary Nobel Prize in 1991. (nobelprize.org). Life in this time was not equal at all. Blacks were looked at as to be less that white people. In most places blacks and whites could not eat in the same areas or use the same drinking fountains and in most cases as we see in The Welcome Table could not even go to the same church. These were called Jim Crow laws. (nps.gov) In Country lovers we see they definitely could not be in a relationship. Both authors used imagery to let the reader see what was going on in the story. They both used describing details. In the welcome table the author describes to use the frigid cold outside and inside the church. She also tells us about the color and texture of her clothing, even describing the greasy hair stain on the bonnet. She also tells the smell of the underarms of the old lady after the men pick her up to remove her from the church. In Country lovers the author also uses imagery to give the reader a visual image of the story. She describes how Njabulo has built his house, making the reader feel as if they were right there looking at it. â€Å"Thebedi appeared, coming slowly from the hut Njabulo had built in white man’s style, with a tin chimney, and a proper window with glass panes set in straight as walls made of unfired bricks would allow.† (Clangston 2010). Along with telling the reader how the hut was built the author also describes the setting down by the dried up creek with great detail. â€Å" It had always been a good spot for children’s games/ down there hidden by the mesh of old, ant-eaten trees held in place by vigorous ones, wild asparagus bushing up between the trunks, and here and there prickly-pear cactus sunken- skinned and bristly, like an old man’s face, keeping alive sapless until the next rainy season.† (Clangston 2010). Both authors used character in their stories. The characters were involved in racial inequality yet neither author said anything about race or inequality in their stories. In The Welcome Table the old black lady tried to attend a white church. Three different times she was told that she did not belong first by the preacher â€Å"Auntie, you know this is not your church?† (Clangston 2010). The second, by the usher, who had never turned anyone away for church, never thought he would ever have to turn anyone away, and also â€Å"whispered that she should leave† (Clangston 2010). The last time was when the white wives told their husbands to remove her and that they did. They picked her up under her arms as set her back outside. In Country Lovers the main character Thebedi is a worker on the Paulus’ family farm. She is a poor black child whose parents had worked on the farm also. In the beginning Thebedi and Paulus along with all the other children played together and it was ok. As they got older and Paulus went to school he brought Thebedi gifts but, none for the other workers and once again that was ok. It’s when they begin their sexual relationship that problems occur. When Thebedi gets pregnant by Paulus she refuses to tell him. It is when the baby is born and Paulus over hears the in-house servants talking about it that it became a problem for him. Paulus immediately goes down to the hut to see the baby for himself and sees that the baby is light skinned, green-eyed, and straight haired. He then becomes ashamed and says â€Å"I feel like killing myself† (Clangston 2010). The authors chose to write in third person point of view, which to the reader, in these stories, lets them see and get a better understanding of what is happening and also lets the reader form their own opinion of the situation. If Nadine Gordimer would have written her story in first person she would have only let the reader see and understand what Thebedi was seeing and feeling. This would have taken the story in a completely different direction. At the same time if Alice Walker would have told the story in first person the story would have been less â€Å"juicy† with details. To contrast the stories, the stories are written in different types of third person, using imagery the authors describe different parts in the story and the stories plots were completely different. In Country lovers the plot was a love story. In The Welcome Table the plot was an old black lady not being allowed in a white person’s church. The type of point of view used in Alice Walker’s story is third person omniscient which allows the reader to see the action but to know the feelings of those involved. She used this to let the reader feel and know what the main character was thinking and feeling, and at the same time still tell what everyone else is doing around her. By writing in this version of third person the story was more informative. Had she written the way Nadine Gordimer wrote her story the reader would not fully understand what the main character was feeling. The point of view in which Nadine Gordimer wrote her story is first person objective. First person objective is â€Å"an external narrator who takes a detached approach to the action and characters, usually to create a dramatic effect, and does not enter into their minds.† (Clangston 2010). By writing this way she made the story more dramatic and kept the audience guessing until the end. If Country lovers were written like The Welcome Table Paulus would not have been as much of an influence in the story as he is now. Using imagery the authors went two completely different ways. One described qualities of the main character and little about the setting the other described the setting at multiple times. Nadine Gordimer wanted the reader to be standing next to the characters, seeing and almost being able to feel the setting throughout the story. Alice Walker on the other hand, wanted the reader to see the qualities of the old lady. She wanted the reader to be able to visualize every wrinkle and weather beaten inch of the old lady’s body. Other items the authors did differently were similes and character names. The only character named in The Welcome Table was Jesus. In country lovers almost every character in the story was named. By doing this the author makes the reader create a picture of the characters and it helps them understand the story line better. The Welcome Table used more similes than Country lovers. Nadine Gordimer wrote the story as if it were unfolding in front of the reader’s eyes. Alice Walker wrote in a past tense type of way. She put different selections of words in to make it seem as if she was there and was telling it to a school class trying to make them think. Both of the literary works are short stories. The way they write involves setting and specific details. They do not use a lot of dialog between characters, which would be indicative of a play. Short stories are close to the being written like a play would. A play is written with multiple characters. They all have multiple lines that describe what the story is supposed to be betraying. There are multiple set or setting changes throughout plays. The setting changes coincide with acts. Acts break up a play into many different parts. They will lead the audience into the next set of events that is about to happen. Inside each act is a scene, multiple scene makes up one act. The way plays are written compared to the way short stories are written are very different yet close in some parts. When a play is written it almost like reading a conversation between the characters with some describing lines to give a setting. Both The welcome table and Country lovers are written in the same form as compared to a play. They both do not use acts or scenes in the stories. With that being said Country Lovers could be turned into a play with the details and characters used throughout it. The lack of dialog and setting details in The Welcome Table would make it very hard to be turned into a play. In Country Lovers the author describes the setting very well. This helps the reader visualize what is happening and what the characters are doing and how they are acting. In this paper I compared and contrasted many different ways of writing between Country Lovers by Nadine Gordimer and The Welcome Table by Alice Walker. Both writers used the same theme, race and inequality. They also used many of the same literary terms. Some of which were the same however most of which were not. They taught us that there is not a specific way every term or type of writing had to be written, there are many different ways to write the same thing. The welcome table and country lovers share the same theme but are adversely different in many ways, yet in some they are a lot alike. Some examples I explained were imagery, point of view, and character. The theme may be the same but Country lovers and The Welcome Table do not share the same plot or story line. Every story paints a picture, yet some paint in different ways. I also described how the forms of the short stories are written compared to a play. Country Lovers was written in great detail of the characters and the setting. The Welcome table on the other hand lacks the qualities and elements that Country Lovers have. Which would make Country lovers much easier to turn into a play compared to The welcome table. References http://leecustodio.hubpages.com/hub/Country-Lovers-an-Analysis Explore  » Books, Literature, and Writing (105,185)  »Books and Novels (16,746) Clangston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. https://content.ashford.edu/books Bradley, David (1984). The New York Times. New York Times Company http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/10/04/specials/walker-story.html Nadine Gordimer Nobel Lecture: Writing and Being. Nobelprize.org. 14 Aug 2012 http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1991/gordimer-lecture.html http://www.nps.gov/malu/forteachers/jim_crow_laws.htm The Welcome Table from BookRags and Gales For Students Series.  ©2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved.

confounding factor or lurking variable

confounding factor or lurking variable Confounding variable, also known as confounding factor or lurking variable can be defined as an undesirable variable that has an influence on the relationship between the variables of an experiment. Although they are not the variable of actual interest (i.e. the independent variable), they can influence the outcome of an experiment and they are considered to be undesirable as they could add error to an experiment. A proper designed experiment should aim to decrease or control the influence of such confounding variables in order to avoid type 1 error; an error that raises a false positive conclusion that the independent variables have a casual relationship with the dependent variable. The relationship between the two observed variables is called a spurious relationship, hence a confounding variable is a threat to the validity of inferences made about cause and effect, i.e. the internal validity because the observed effect should be attributed to the independent variable rather than to the confounding variable. An example can be illustrated by the relationship between ice cream sales and drowning deaths. When these variables are entered into a statistical analysis, they may show a positive and potentially statistically significant correlation. However, it is a mistake to infer a causal relationship (i.e., ice cream causes drowning) because an important confounding variable which causes both ice cream sales and an increase in drowning deaths has not been accounted for: i.e. summertime. Although there is a body of literature of criteria for causality, Pearl claimed that confounding variables cannot be defined in terms of statistical notions alone; some causal assumptions are sometimes necessary. For example, when causal assumptions are being defined in the form of causal graphs, a simple criterion called backdoor will identify sets of confounding variables. Types of confounding variables Confounding variables may also be categorized according to their source: the choice of measurement instrument, situational characteristics, or inter-individual differences. Solution There are several ways to combat confounding variables in an experimental design by excluding or controlling it. Here is the following: Case control studies: by assigning the same confounding variables to both the experimental and control group can control for such confounder, for example, if the cause of multiple infarct dementia is being studied, age and sex could be the confounding variables, therefore these factors should be matched paired between the two participant groups. In addition, randomization is also another solution as having all confounding variables (whether known or unknown) will be equally distributed across all groups. Cohort studies: this is done by admitting a specific group of participants into the sampling population, for example a specific age range that may affect multiple infarct dementia, therefore only a certain group is chosen for the study design such as male aged 45-50 years old. This would limit the degree of matching between the groups and also cohorts can be comparable in regard to the possible confounding variable. Stratification: in the example of multiple infarct dementia study, physical activity is hypothesized to be a variable that can prevent this dementia from happening. With age as a possible confounder. The sampling data will then be stratified by age group so that the association between physical activity and dementia can be analyzed per age group. If different age group yields different risk ratios (this can be analyzed by statistical tools called Mantel-Haenszel methods), then age is seen as a confounding variable. Despite solutions for the controlling and limiting confounding variables, these strategies have limitations too. For example if a participant in the case-control study is a 47year old African-American from Alaska, avid tennis player, vegetarian, working as an engineer and suffer from multiple infarct dementia. Proper matching would require a person of the same characteristics but with the sole difference of being healthy. This is extremely difficult to achieve and there is a risk of over- or undermatching of the study population. Additionally, in a cohort study, too many people may be excluded with this criteria, and in stratification, single strata can get too narrow and contain only a small, non-significant number of samples. Randomization One of the most common reasons for the existence of confounding variable is when the experimental design does not randomly assign participants to groups or some types of individual difference such as ability, extroversion, height and weight. For example, studies involving a comparison between men and women are inherently plagued with confounding variables since the social environment for males and females is very different to start with. However, this does not mean that there is no value in gender comparison studies or other studies that does not employ random assignment but it implies that results interpretation should be done cautiously. In sum, random assignment is a useful and powerful tool in experimental design. Although it does not minimize the overall amount of extraneous variable in an experiment, it aims to equalize the error that may occur as a result of extraneous variable, therefore it can greatly decrease systematic error: error that varies within the independent variab le. Multivariate analyses Another method for controlling confounding variable is by the use of covariates in multivariate analyses. However, this only gives little information about the strength of the confounding variable compared to stratification methods. Furthermore, confounding variables are not always known or measurable which means residual confounding (term for incompletely controlled confounding) may appear. In an experimental design, covariate adjustment can help to reduce the noise in an outcome variation whilst enabling the manipulation effect to be performed. In sum, successful randomization can minimize confounding variables by bother measured and unmeasured factors, whereas statistical control addresses only confounding variables that have been measured and can introduce more confounding variables and other biases through inappropriate control. Mismeasurement and mis-specification Although it is important to spot confounding variables in a study there is often a risk of having a statistically controlled but imperfectly measured factor that may confound an association of the variables. This is termed residual confounding which describes the mismeasurement and an example is given to illustrate this. In a study example, it was found that people with higher rate of vacation is correlated with lower risk of mortality. Several explanations can account for this as vacation mitigates stress, diminishes anger and encourage more exercise. On the other hand, healthier people might be more likely to travel so vacation may not be a genuine causal factor but only a marker of initial health status that naturally predicts longevity. Consequently, vacation may remain to be a significant predictor even after adjusting for baseline health status as the covariate. It is therefore easy to construct a series of potential confounders but many would lack plausibility. For example, pe ople with more friends may have more vacations and friend was indeed the predictor variable instead, low-stress working environment and wide range of food (I.e. completeness of diet) may all attribute to prolong life too. However, because plausibility is a highly subjective factor for considering whether enough potential founders are included. To identify confounders Priori knowledge of the likely causal pathways are required. The major drawback of this is that observational studies imply that the strength of any causal inference will depend on the biologic plausibility of the putative factor, and the implausibility of uncontrolled potential confounders. In addition, observations contain some judgmental component which varies from experimenters. For example, vacation may prolong longevity because sick people tend to travel less, to deal with this. Measurements of participants initial health may be used as an adjustment but this however cannot be assessed without error. Moreover, hea lth can be measured in so many different ways and not all can be included and controlled for. This raises more and more questions such as: can the use of initial stress test be used to capture aspects of health confounded by vacation? Is body mass index relevant? Consequently, even if the optimal measure of confounder is used it is measured with error and adjustment for it may not eliminate the effects of vacations. From the statistical analysis perspective, poorly measured confounding variables causes more problems as its effect may not be linear, by assuming linearity on the outcome as specified by the model by entering confounding variables as a covariate in standard regression models may not fully adjust for the confounder effects are not linear on that scale. Mediators and confounders There is a common conflict that different causal explanations can be possible when adjustment is used to reduce or eliminate the predictive power of the independent variable. For example, a confounding variable may sometimes be a marker of some causal factors but it is not directly involved in the causal chain from one variable to another and there is a problem of over-adjustment. Considering an example on the hypothesis that high blood pressure (BP) reaction to stress causes Hypertension. To test this hypothesis, a longitudinal study should be conducted where BP reactivity and resting BP levels of a large group of participants should be measured. Result findings should report that excessive reactivity to be the risk factor for later hypertension but the problem is reactivity may just be a marker for elevated BP resting level and it is not important per se. consistent with this problem, those participants with higher resting BP may correlate with high BP reactivity scores. To control for the current confounding variable, the initial resting BP levels should be adjusted by regression analysis which llustrates whether BP reactivity is attributed to any predictive information beside just the initial resting BP level. This may show that reactivity is no longer a very predictive factor and most of the variation in the follow-up BP levels may be accounted for by the initial resting levels. However, this does not mean that reactivity is not causally related to future BP status, i.e. if increased reactivity preceded initial increase in resting BP level, it could also be responsible in part for the initial increase in resting BP level. This is a situation whereby a single variable may have both confounding and mediating roles simultaneously. The example of vacation and mortality is used to illustrate this: assuming that people who go on more vacations are less likely to die over a 5-year longitudinal study, including a factor: initial health status in the regression mod el could eliminate this association. Alternatively, if people in poor health take fewer vacations then this elimination may reflect the removal of a confounding variable by health status. However, if the participants tendencies to go on vacation are constant over the 5 year period then health status will reflect the cumulative health impact of a lifetimes vacation habits. This shows that health status will contribute partly as a mediator of vacationing effects. This confusion between a mediator and a confounder will be less apparent if the risk factor is not stable over time. For example if the participant has only just started having vacations, then these will not be reflected in the initial health status and may have higher opportunity to predict subsequent health with initial health status as a covariate in the analysis. However, if these changes become out of control, it can create a quasi-experimental design. For example, if people take vacations due to change in their company policy rather than the reason of making friends or have spare time, and other group have less vacation for the same reason. Then in this case, it is possible to assess the effect of vacation independently of initial health status. In sum, indiscriminate adjustment of covariates may result in erroneous conclusions and many socialdemographic variables can be mediated by other factors such as low income, unfulfilling jobs, no friends etc. moreover, there may also be other intermediate variables like self-determinations and release of stress hormones that may affect the results. Considering the wide range of variables listed, any inaccurate measures of them may lead to a reduction or elimination of predictive power. Moreover, by controlling a mediator may produce further confounding variables, which will then increase or decrease the associations of the independent and dependent measures. Furthermore, it may even create a new spurious association when in fact no effect is present. In sum, despite the number of limitations discussed in this critical review, they have an important role in behavioural research as randomized trials are sometimes found to be impractical and unethical. In spite of the hazardous statistical control of confounding variables will gain insight into special cautions in drawing conclusions and writing research in the future.

Domestic Violence and Health Promotion for Mildura

Domestic Violence and Health Promotion for Mildura In Australia, every 1 in 4 persons are affected by domestic violence, with Mildura ranking the second highest place for family violence in Victoria (Domestic violence resource centre Victoria, 2016). Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviour through which a person seeks to control and dominate another person, in which they may have relations with. It is not only physical, but can take on many other forms including sexual, emotional, social, spiritual and economic abuse that can be equally harmful. Violence against women is far greater with 17 per cent of all women and 5 per cent of men experiencing violence by a partner since the age of 15 (Phillips, 2017). 85-90% of incidents of domestic violence occur with children present, and impacts over one million Australian children a year (Sutherland, 2015). Victims suffer long term physical and psychological harm that can lead to negative behaviours such as drug and alcohol use, inherited grief and trauma, poverty and loss of traditional male and female role models within the community. Research has shown that the biggest contributor to domestic violence in regional Australia is the negative attitudes of men towards women, within a community that values traditional patriarchal gender roles, combined with increase alcohol consumption and the vulnerability of women and children (Sutherland, 2015). This essay will explore potential and past health promotion strategies for domestic violence that would be beneficial to implement within Mildura, how they align with the Ottawa charter, health promotion values and principles, and the contribution of occupational therapists. Health promotion strategies Mandatory school-based health programs School-based programs provide the strongest evidence of effectiveness in relation to violence prevention programs (Flood, Fergus, Heenan, 2009).ÂÂ   As a primary prevention plan, mandatory school based programs that take on a holistic approach through educating and advocating against domestic violence within both school and communities has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing family violence. Student-oriented activities including creation of DVDs, rap songs and other forms of media that raise awareness of domestic violence can be presented at different community events. Students are not only educated about negative effects of domestic violence, but they are influenced to feel responsible to advocate against it through community displays of their school work. The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation identified two programs in particular that were successful in influencing and empowering students to reshape their attitudes about this issue (Flood et al., 2009).ÂÂ   Positi ve Relationships and successful lives ran by Mallee sexual assault unit, was conducted within a mainstream secondary college, a specialist school for students who have an intellectual disability, and a local Indigenous KODE school. Students participated in a range of media based activities, in which they presented at community forums. Flood, Fergus and Heenan (2009) depicted that this program was successful due to: allowing students and the community to work together to advocate against domestic violence, the inclusion of indigenous and specialist schools, and being student-driven content that could be used in other prevention programs across the states. In addition, solving the Jigsaw, a program ran within schools of Loddon Mallee region educated children to understand the role of power and control over others to the culture of violence. They were to identify types of power, abuse and violence and acknowledge how violence should not be kept a secret. Milne (2006) stated in her clinical review that it challenged societys ideology e.g. gender issues, self-regard, culture of violence and providing confronting material that children can relate to. Children felt connected within the group, and at ease showing care to one another. It encouraged them to identify what actions were portrayed as violent, how to respond to situations and to speak out about their experiences. Both programs were successful in influencing students to view violence as unacceptable, and motivated them to seek help if needed. Behaviour change programs A behaviour change program that aims to change mens patriarchal ideology that men can take control over women, through teaching them to respond differently to trigger situations as well as counselling for alcohol driven domestic violence should be implemented in Mildura. Education and training can help perpetrators recognise their behaviour is abusive, and explore the use of non-violent strategies that promote intimate relationships built on respect, trust, and equality. A program in regional NSW called Taking Responsibility, has proven to have successful outcomes for men who wish to be better their relationships with partners and/or children. The program was evaluated using follow up interviews of men and partners of the men attending the program. Intended positive outcomes were achieved and expressed through quotations of the participants, and benefits included that men had learnt to change their attitudes towards women, and new ways to express their feelings instead of violence. M en felt they were accepted back by their partners which restored intimate partner relationships and strengthened family bonds. In addition, implementing cognitive-behavioural approaches has also proven successful in reducing alcohol related domestic violence. 53% per cent of women that have been physically assaulted by a male (in the past twenty years) reported that alcohol or drugs had been involved in their most recent incident (Phillips, 2017). Satyanarayana et al (2016) found that teaching cognitive-behavioral techniques including relaxation, anger management, assertiveness training and cognitive restructuring, is able to decrease alcohol consumption amongst men, and resulted in their partners having less depression, anxiety and stress from the DASS scores following intervention Mixed gender community sports programs A strategy that takes on a socio-environmental approach, is the use of well-known sports players to advocate against domestic violence through promoting positive relationships between girls and boys during mixed gender sports programs within the community. AFL football players can volunteer to participate within local football clubs to educate children about domestic violence, teaching them about what it is and why it is not acceptable, how to respond or avoid potential situations that could lead to violence, and access to help such as websites or phone lines. As children may view these players as role models, they will be more influenced to listen to them when out on the field.ÂÂ   An 8 week trial program called Equal Playing Field ran by the Rugby League used sport to minimise violence and assaults in less advantaged communities. This was first implemented for children in Papua New Guinea, and due to the high success rates, a school in Wollongong called Berkeleys Illawarra Spo rts High decided to also run the program. As a result, there were many positive reviews from both students, parents and the community when the well- known rugby players volunteered to educate the boys and girls during games of rugby. The mixed gender teams were encouraged to show good sportsmanship and positive behaviour and actions towards each-other, and acknowledge that violence between men and women within the home is not acceptable (Huntsdale, 2017). A similar program called Kicking goals for Healthy Relationships, created through the partnership of VicHealth and the Australian football league also depicted to be successful in engaging local rural communities and football clubs to promote respectful relationships between men and women (Loxton, Hosking, Williams, Brookes, Byles, 2008). Activities advocated and supported change in football club practises and policies to ensure safe, supportive and inclusive environments for women Both programs demonstrated the importance of usin g primary prevention interventions in highly masculinised environments (in this case sporting clubs), as boys attitudes are often shaped by other men they view as role models. The Ottawa charter and related health promotion values and principles The ability to create supportive environments and simultaneously strengthen community action is greatly shown in both Mandatory school based programs and community sports programs. These programs encourage people to care for each other through educating both students and the community to build healthy and respectful relationships with each other, and encourages change in attitudes towards domestic violence. This also strengthens the community actions as they are empowered to take ownership of these strategies such as advocating against domestic violence through displaying school work, or gathering at community sports events to advocate against domestic violence (The world health organisation, 2017). Through using methods such as education to empower youth to view domestic violence as unacceptable, both strategies align with Ottawa charter reorient health services as they focus strongly on primary promotion and preventative measures rather than secondary/tertiary. Establishing a policy where school based programs for domestic violence are made mandatory for all schools also aligns with building healthy public policy. It also greatly respects cultural diversity as students and/or schools from different culturally backgrounds i.g the local indigenous KODE school can implement the program. The community sports program mediates the ability for capacity building through collaboration and coordination of multiple parties within the community including local sports clubs and their teams, parents and AFL members. Therefore using pre-existing skills and resources within the community, not only encourages their participation, but also empowers them to feel responsible for this program which will help it remain sustainable in the long run. The behaviour change program supports Ottawa charter development of personal skills as it provides education and training for perpetrators of violence to develop skills, which enable them to have more control over their actions, so that they can respond appropriately to triggers that in the past would result in violence. This program takes on a holistic health approach through targeting perpetrators rather than the victims of domestic violence, in which far more programs for victims exist. Therefore, rather than focusing on treating consequences of domestic violence (i.e illness/injury) it takes into account the broader determinants of the people involved, such as their motivation for violence Occupational Therapy and health promotion Occupational therapists in Australia and worldwide can play a huge role in contributing to health promotion. They have the potential to raise awareness of domestic violence due to first- hand experience, however as there is little research available in occupational therapy literature, it is very difficult to single out well-known health promotion strategies. Some researchers have realised this, and conducted a systematic review of past programs/interventions implemented by occupational therapists who worked with victims of domestic violence. Carlson and Streit (2010) found that O.Ts have worked in more secondary/tertiary prevention settings, and key areas where they have added value in addressing domestic violence included advocating the importance of social support systems, providing training for emotional and financial troubles, as well as education on safety. Ramsay et al (2009) and Gutman et al (2004) depicted the important of occupational therapists using advocacy to connect those who were experiencing or had experienced domestic violence with social supports around the community and giving them resources that can help them become independent. It was found that women who were able to use community resources to find shelters or programs where other women in similar situations were found, was beneficial in stopping or preventing domestic violence. Through providing a range of support systems women learn to become re-engaged within their daily occupations and increase community participation. A stress management program for abused women promoted improvement in emotional well-being (Gutman et al, 2004). Women experience stress due to emotional issues surrounding the violence including feelings of helplessness and believing they deserved. Through learning strategies to manage stress, many participants were able to generalise learnt strategies outside the clinic, and increased their participation in previous activities that they were not able to do beforehand. Gutman et al (2004) also illustrated the importance of safety education, to decrease risk of partners becoming victim to domestic violence. Occupational therapists worked with woman to develop a safety plan: identifying a safe place to escape and connections to support systems so they could safety escape violent situations. Employment skills were the focus of an intervention designed by Helfrich and Rivera (2006), which supported women who had left their violent partners. Group sessions taught victims how to search for, apply for, and maintain a job, including how to write resumes, where and how to apply, completing mock interviews, and ways to advance in a job. Feedback given by participants were mostly positive and felt that they had learnt necessary skills to obtain a job within their community. Common challenges for occupational therapists It is somewhat difficult for occupational therapists to take particular health promotion approaches to address domestic violence. More than half of occupational therapists work in hospitals or outpatient settings where they fill secondary or tertiary health promoting roles through empowering people through education, training and equipment. Their aim being that their clients can develop the necessary skills to manage their chronic disease or injury and prevent further deterioration and potential secondary conditions. If occupational therapists turned to a more upstream primary prevention approach, it would be difficult to maintain the quality of services in the traditional downstream approach, and thus time constraints is also a pressure to adopt preventative health promotion role alongside their current remit (Scriven, Atwal, 2004). Occupational therapists, like any health profession, need to work with not only the health conditions of the community, but also their attitudes and social/cultural norms which can be barriers to implementing new programs. Communities that support or encourage the use of violence will make it very difficult for occupational therapist to implement a program advocates against domestic violence. For example intimate partner violence is accepted across India, Nigeria and China, where men have the right to discipline female behaviour. Sub groups of communities, can also have differing views of family violence, for example the indigenous communities or isolated rural areas within Australia may accept violence as a part of their culture, compared to the majority of the population who condone it (World Health Organisation, 2009). Lack of partnerships to establish a health promotion strategy is also a limitation for occupational therapists. Evidence has shown that occupational therapists often use concepts and medical terminology that can be misunderstood and possibly misconstrued in health promotion partnership arenas (Wilcock 1999, Townsend 1999). It is also found that it is easier for an occupational therapist to implement secondary health promotion such as cognitive behavioural training for perpetrators of violence rather than working towards implementing primary preventative approaches that rely on other organisations. In conclusion, with domestic violence being a significant issue in Mildura, health promotion strategies such as mandatory school based programs, behaviour change programs for perpetrators and community sports programs can influence members of the community to construct or change their attitudes towards domestic violence, to foster for healthy and respectful relationships. Occupational therapists face many challenges in the area of health promotion, as its harder for them to adopt an upstream primary preventative approach, due to time constraints and demands for secondary/tertiary care, as well as difficulty building partnerships and working with the differing cultural and social attitudes of specific communities. Furthermore, for occupational therapists wanting to become more engaged with health promotion, they need to be prepared to go extra lengths to gain power and respect from others, and have specific skills and resources to be able to facilitate for an upstream approach, to pre venting domestic violence in Mildura.

The Importance of the Mare in Anton Chekhov’s Misery Essay -- Anton Ch

The Importance of the Mare in Misery  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Iona Potapov, the main character in Anton Chekhov’s short story, "Misery," is yearning for someone to listen to his woes. Every human he comes in contact with blatantly ignores his badly-needed-to-tell-story by either shunning him or falling asleep. There is, however, one character in this story that would willingly listen to Iona, a character who is with Iona through almost the entire story. This character is his mare. Renato Poggioli describes the story as being built "around two motionless figures, an animal and a man" (316). Iona and the mare are very much alike. They appear to be each other’s only companion, and they also act a lot alike. When Iona sits quietly, covered in snow that has recently fallen on him, his little mare is described as "white and motionless too" (17). Neither man nor mare cares move; both are still, frozen in time, waiting. Another example of the similar behavior between the two occurs when "the sledge driver clicks to the horse, cranes his neck like a swan. The mare cranes her neck, too" (18). As the story opens Iona sits in his sleigh desperately waiting for his first fare, and when that fare arrives he immediately starts to talk of his son’s death (18). Although his best possible friend – the mare – is already present to listen to his story, Iona does not come to this realization until much later in the story. At the beginning, he still believes that what he needs, and will be able to find, is another human being with whom to share his woes. The fare’s response to Iona’s story is, "have you gone cracked, you old dog? Look where you are going" (18). Iona, upset at this, continues to look around at the fare, in hopes of starting his story o... ... no longer keep silence about the death of his son. He speaks to the air, and the mare is listening. She doesn’t shun him, abuse him, or ignore him. She just listens, as any good animal would do. Works Cited Beck, Alan, M., and Aaron Honoria Katcher. "Animal Companions: More Companion Than Animal." Man and Beast Revisited. Ed. Michael H. Robinson and Lionel Tiger. Washington: Smithsonian P, 1991. 265-66. Chekhov, Anton. "Misery." The Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: HarperCollins, 1991. 17-21. Hildebrandt, Sherri. "Another Kind of Grief." St. Paul Pioneer Press 13 Sept. 1998: 1-4. Poggioli, Renato. "Storytelling in a Double Key." Anton Chekhov’s Short Stories. Ed. Ralph E. Matlaw. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1979. 316-317. Royal Bank of Canada. "Pets and Human Beings." Montreal: Royal Bank Letter, July/Aug. 1989.   

Polyethylene and Polyterephthalate are Outdated Essay -- Polymer PET P

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Outdated: Is the World Ready for a New Plastic? Abstract: This paper explains the structure of polymer poly(ethylene terephthalate) also known as PET. It states the properties of the plastic as well recycling methods. My goal was to find out what makes PET the number one plastic, both in consumption as well as the most recycled. I also searched for new polymers that are being created by scientists and compare them to PET to see if there was a plastic out there that is better for the environment. I found a few alternatives that would be able to replace PET but aren’t being used. I also found a fire-proof polymer called BHDB which can replace the previously used polymer. Poly(ethylene terephthalate), a plastic found in soda bottles, peanut butter jars, and even pillow and sleeping bag filling [1], is the most used and recycled plastic. As Americans we use about 2.5 million plastic bottles per hour. Most of this plastic that we are using, though, ends up not only in land fields but in oceans and other undesirable places, only a small portion of it is actually recycled. Plastic are long chains of polymeric molecules. Unlike paper or other compounds, plastics are commonly used for their qualities such as durability weight, processibility, cost, corrosion, and impact resistance. 2 The basic composition of polymers includes oil, coal and natural gas though recently they have been more petroleum-based[1]. About 140 million tons per year are produced and a lot of that ends up as waste in land fields [1]. There are many characteristics PET has that contribute to the popularity of this polymer. Among those characteristics are lightweight, low density, low cost, mechanical toughness, dura... ...e motivated and helping me make my paper the best it can be. Thanks to Ryan Dill for the title idea and lastly the girls of Room 303, without them I’d still be writing the first sentence of my paper. 7 Works Cited [1] â€Å"Biotechnology Advances† Volume 26, Issue 3. ScienceDirect May-June 2008: Pages 246-265. 24 July 2008. 1&_user=4421&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000059598 &_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=4421&md5=34933854b44913198526946dc2afce 96> [2] â€Å"PET.† 24 July 2008. [3] â€Å"How to Recycle PET.† KenPlas. 24 July 2008. [4] â€Å"New Enviro-Friendly Flame-Retardant Synthetic Polymer† Posted 31 May 2007. 24 July 2008.

Recruitment and selection process for Boots Essay

The recruitment and selection process is used to employ new people for the organisation, company or business. The recruitment process can be quite expensive due to the work and staff involved. Money is needed to advertise the position in newspapers, replying to candidates, paying interviewers, and also if candidates are successful then money will be needed to actually train them. In the selection process there are five main areas which are completed – * Job descriptions * Person specifications * Advertising * Selection process * Interviewing Job descriptions A job description is a list of the main tasks required to full fill the position. I have gathered evidence of a job description from Boots. The job description which I have collected states all of the tasks which are required, but in an actual job description only the main tasks will be noted. I have also got a job description from my local job centre but the information given is not enough for what would be required by an applicant. The description does not show the days which will be worked or even the type of work which will be required. More and more organisations like Boots, Marks and Spencer and Tescos have job descriptions for every job, from a Cleaner to a Managing Director. There are three main ways in which a job description can be drawn up by the personnel department. These are – * Line manager can draw up a job description of what the job entails. * Actual existing job holder can do it. * Human resources manager can interview the job holder and the line manager to find out what the job involves. The best approach out of these three options would be to interview the line manager and the job holder because the line manager may miss out little things which may be included in the job and the job holder will be able to give more information. A job description also gives the applicants other details of the job which are necessary such as- * Actual job title * Location of the job * Duration and hours required * Main tasks required * Pay and other benefits * Person to contact and place to apply.

Virus and Bacteria

A virus is a capsule of protein that contains genetic material. A virus cannot reproduce on its own; it must infect a living cell to grow. Bacteria – Bacteria are one-celled organisms that live on their own. They can multiply and reproduce by subdivision Bacteria and viruses cause many of the diseases we are familiar with and may sound synonymous; they are greatly different from each other. [pic] o They differ greatly in size. The biggest viruses are only as large as the tiniest bacteria.Viruses are microscopic; they range in size from about 20 to 400 nanometers in diameter (1 nanometer = 10-9 meters). By contrast, the smallest bacteria are about 400 nanometres in size. o Another difference is their structure. Bacteria are complex compared to viruses. A typical bacterium has a rigid cell wall and a thin, rubbery cell membrane surrounding the fluid, or cytoplasm inside the cell. A bacterium contains all of the genetic information needed to make copies of itself—its DNAâ €”in a structure called a chromosome. In addition, it may have extra loose bits of DNA called plasmids floating in the cytoplasm.Bacteria also have ribosomes, tools necessary for copying DNA so bacteria can reproduce. Some have threadlike structures called flagella that they use to move. o A virus may or may not have an outermost spiky layer called the envelope. All viruses have a protein coat and a core of genetic material, either DNA or RNA. The main difference between viruses and bacteria is the way they reproduce. Bacteria, given the proper nutrients, can grow and reproduce on their own. But viruses cannot â€Å"live† or reproduce without getting inside some living cell, whether it's a plant, animal, or bacteria.Viral vs. Bacterial Reproduction Bacteria contain the genetic blueprint (DNA) and all the tools (ribosomes, proteins, etc. ) they need to reproduce themselves. Viruses are moochers. They contain only a limited genetic blueprint and they don't have the necessar y building tools. They have to invade other cells and hijack their cellular machinery to reproduce. Viruses invade by attaching to a cell and injecting their genes or by being swallowed up by the cell. Here's an example of viral infection. These are T4 bacteriophages. They are a kind of virus that infects bacteria.Here they are landing on the surface of an E. coli bacterium. The bacteriophage cuts a hole in the E. coli's cell wall. It then injects its genetic material into the bacterium. By taking over the E. coli's genetic machinery, the viral genes tell the bacterium to begin making new virus parts. These parts come together to make whole new viruses inside the bacterium. Eventually so many new viruses are made that the E. coli bursts open and dies, releasing all those new viruses to infect more cells! Some diseases caused by virus and bacteria:Name of the disease |Caused by |Name of the microbes | |Polio |Virus |polio | |Pneumonia |Virus / Bacteria |influenza virus (flu) | | | |r espiratory syncytial virus (RSV) | |Hepatitis |Virus |Hepatitis A Virus | | | |Hepatitis B Virus | |Mumps |Virus | | |Bronchitis |Virus |respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) | |AIDS |Virus |human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) | |Tuberculosis |Bacteria |Mycobacterium tuberculosis | |Tetanus |Bacteria |Clostridium tetani | |Anthrax |Bacteria | | |Diphtheria |Bacteria | | |Chicken Pox |Virus |varicella-zoster (VZV) |How bacteria and viruses enter the body To cause disease bacteria have to gain access to the body.The ways in which a bacteria can get access to an animal body are:†¢ Cuts†¢ Contaminated food or water†¢ Close contact with an infected person†¢ Contact with the faces of an infected person†¢ Breathing in the exhaled droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes†¢ Indirectly, by touching contaminated surfaces – such as taps, toilet handles, toys and nappies.Viruses are spread from one person to another by:†¢ Coughs†¢ Sneezes†¢ Vomits†¢ Bites from infected animals or insects†¢ Exposure to infected bodily fluidsCuring a bacterial infection The body reacts to pathogenic bacteria by increasing local blood flow (inflammation) and sending in cells from the immune system to attack and destroy the bacteria.Antibodies produced by the immune system attach to the bacteria and help in their destruction. Serious infections can be treated with antibiotics, which work by disrupting the bacterium's metabolic processes. The body's response to viral infection Viruses pose a considerable challenge to the body's immune system because they hide inside cells. This makes it difficult for antibodies to reach them. However, special immune system cells, called T-lymphocytes, can recognize and kill cells containing viruses. Many viruses, when released from infected cells, will be effectively knocked out by antibodies, produced in response to infection or previous immunization.Antibiotics are useless against viral infecti ons. Antiviral drugs are available only for few viral diseases, such as influenza, herpes, hepatitis B and C and HIV, but research is ongoing. However, immunization is helpful in fighting viral infection. The large scale immunization has led to the eradication of small pox once one of the most feared viral disease. How to Know When You Need Antibiotics Don't expect antibiotics to cure every illness. Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections. In the past antibiotics were prescribed â€Å"just in case† the infection was bacterial rather than viral because it was thought that taking them â€Å"couldn't do any harm†. Wrong.This very practice has contributed to the development of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. While the use of antibiotics depends on the specific diagnosis, basic guidelines include: Colds and flu are caused by viruses. They can’t' be cured with antibiotics. Symptoms can last two weeks or more and should be allowed to run t heir course.Cough and bronchitis are almost always caused by viruses. However, if you have a lung condition or the illness lasts a long time; your infection may be caused by a bacteria instead. Your doctor may decide to try treatment with an antibiotic.Sore throats are most often caused by viruses. Strep throat is caused by bacteria and requires treatment with antibiotics. A throat swab and a lab test are needed before your doctor will prescribe an antibiotic for a sore throat.Ear infections often require the use of antibiotics. However, not all ear infections are bacterial infections.Sinus infections do not always indicate a bacterial infection.Even if you have a runny nose, or yellow or green mucus, you may not have a bacterial infection. Antibiotics should only be used for severe infections or infections that last more than two weeks. What is diarrhea? Diarrhea can be caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Children can also have diarrhea without having an infect ion, such as when diarrhea is caused by food allergies or as a result of taking medications (such as antibiotics).A child is considered to have diarrhea when the child's bowel movements are both more frequent than usual and looser and more watery than usual. Children with diarrhea may have additional symptoms including nausea, vomiting, stomach aches, headache, or fever. Swine Flu: Swine flu is an infection caused by a virus. It's named for a virus that pigs can get. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. The virus is contagious and can spread from human to human. Symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, chills, weakness and general discomfort.Figure: Electron microscope image of the reassorted H1N1 influenza virus photographed at the CDC Influenza Laboratory. The viruses are 80–120  nanometres in diameter. There are antivir al medicines you can take to prevent or treat swine flu. There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. You can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza byCovering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.Washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. You can also use alcohol-based hand cleaners.Avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way. Trying to avoid close contact with sick people.Staying home from work or school if you are sick. Prevention of food to contaminate Here are four major tips recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) to prevent contaminating food.Use caution when buying food. o When at the grocery store, pick up perishable food such as meat, eggs, and milk at the very end of your shopping, so they will stay cool. o Take food home right away so that it doe s not spoil in a hot car. o Avoid raw or unpasteurized milk. o Because eggs, meat, seafood, and poultry are most likely to contain bacteria, do not allow their juices to drip on other food.Store food properly. Store eggs, raw meat, poultry, and seafood in the refrigerator. o A refrigerator should be set at 40 ° F. o A freezer should be set at 0 ° F. o Regularly clean and disinfect the refrigerator and freezer. o Use containers to prevent contaminating other foods or kitchen surfaces. Do not store food uncovered in the refrigerator or freezer.Use special precautions when preparing and cooking food. o Wash your hands and clean and disinfect kitchen surfaces before, during, and after handling, cooking, and serving food. o Defrost frozen food on a plate either in the refrigerator or in a microwave, but not on the counter. o Cook food immediately after defrosting.Use different dishes and utensils for raw foods than you use for cooked foods. o Wash raw fruits and vegetables before eat ing them.Cool and promptly store leftovers after food has been served. o Because harmful bacteria grow at room temperature, keep hot food hot at 140 ° F or higher, and keep cold food cold at 40 ° F or cooler. This is especially important during picnics and buffets. o Do not leave perishable foods out for more than two hours. o Promptly refrigerate or freeze leftovers in shallow containers or wrapped tightly in bags.Figure: (a) Components of virus, (b) components of bacteriaFigure: Reproduction of T4 bacteriophage Virus