House of Hades

Now, in this next instalment in the Heroes of Olympus, The House of Hades, Percy and Annabeth must cross the most miserable place unimaginable with the help of the Titan Bob, hile their demigod friends aboard the Argo II still fghts their way through the Mare Nostrum-or as mortals call it-the Mediterranean Sea. Both are standing at crossroads. In about a month, the Roman demigods will march to Camp Half-Blood to begin war, and Gaea will finally rise.The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus. Our dear Uncle Rick has done it again. He has created the most gripping tale by far in his Percy Jackson world. The demigods not Just have to battle horrifying and terrifying monsters, but also their wn true fears – something much worse than having a physical wound. Even though we have met some of the characters in the last series, they still never fail to surprise us in every chapter.Rick carefully developed their personalities and characteri stics, such as when Percy & Annabeth's love was challenged as they travel through Tartarus, and also Nico's shocking revelation. Percy will also experience the consequences of what he has done in the past years that he thought at first was the ight thing to do-consequences involving losing Annabeth forever. For the new characters, Rick showed us their different sides and aspects.We may think we really know them, but we will find them walking the different path than they might have expected. Each character was written with care, showing their deepest secrets, and the friendships & relationships aboard the Argo II continues to blossom. The House of Hades will leave readers and fans anticipating for the next instalment, The Blood of Olympus, which is set to release next fall 2014.

One of the major characteristics that Beowulf and Hamlet Essay

One of the major characteristics that Beowulf and Hamlet share is the fact that they both rid Denmark of a treacherous monster who poses a serious threat to the land. Beowulf uses his warrior-like skills to fight and conquer a physical monster who literally haunts the swamps outside the state and plagues it with murderous acts. Hamlet’s monster is also one who commits murderous acts, though this is in the form of his uncle Claudius who kills the King (Hamlet’s father) and usurps the Danish throne. The two men, Hamlet and Beowulf, are thrown into these battles as youth, and both take on the challenge willingly. In fact, Beowulf travels from Geatland specifically to meet the challenge of fighting Grendel. Hamlet too takes it upon himself to kill Claudius as soon as he finds out that this man has been the agent of his father’s death. Another characteristic that both Hamlet and Beowulf share is their death and the method in which this occurs. Both are defeated in their final efforts at ridding their homelands of the evil that had infiltrated. In fact, both die though their efforts are successful. Beowulf dies at the hand of the final monster (the dragon) whom he succeeds in slaying, but who also deals Beowulf a deathly blow that eventually kills him. Hamlet also has a similar experience in that, while he is able to slay Claudius by the end of the play, he is caught with a poisoned sword and eventually expires after all his enemies have died. The two characters die by peripheral (yet fatal) blows given them during the melee. Both show bravery by continuing to fight even while they are mortally wounded. Eventually, both succumb to the serious wounds they have acquired, yet they die in the victory of knowing they have defeated their enemies. Beowulf and Hamlet also differ in many ways, one of which is the character that they show throughout the play. While Beowulf displays a warrior-like character, Hamlet shows himself to be fearful and awkward in acting out the desires of his heart. Beowulf is eager to come to the aid of the King of Denmark, and he pauses only to partake of the feast given in his honor before he sets out to kill Grendel. When he encounters the monster, he loses no time in indecision but immediately performs the actions necessary to kill the beast. In fact, Beowulf fights three ferocious beasts throughout the story with the same vivacity and fierceness. Hamlet differs from Beowulf in his character, and he displays the tendency to employ a much more subdued and stealthy course of action. Though he too determines to defend the honor of Denmark’s (former) king by killing his murderer, he demonstrates a greater portion of dalliance and indecision than does Beowulf. When he gets his first chance to kill Claudius, his idle thoughts concerning the condition of Claudius’ heart (while praying) leads him to forfeit that chance and allow Claudius to live. He fails in his pursuits far more than Beowulf does too, because in his second attempt to kill Claudius, he ends up killing Polonius instead. In these ways, Hamlet shows himself to lack self confidence in a manner that is vastly different from Beowulf the ready warrior. Beowulf and Hamlet show differences in the tenure of their lives and the fulfilment of their royal destinies. Hamlet, unlike Beowulf, fails to ascend to the throne to which he is heir. He dies before the throne falls vacant and also fails to prove King Claudius a usurper in any effort to gain his rightful place on the throne. Beowulf, on the other hand, is able to spend fifty years as ruler of his Geat kingdom. In addition to this, Beowulf differs from Hamlet in his ability to live out his live and to attain old age. He is able to demonstrate his strength as a ruler for many years and to gain the respect of his subjects. Hamlet, who dies young, is unable to do any of this. He is never able to command the subjects over whom he was destined to rule precisely because of the fact that his life ends tragically in his youth. Therefore, while both men perform in the role of princes during their youth, Beowulf becomes promoted to the level of king while Hamlet dies with all his potential. Works Cited Beowulf. The Harvard Classics, Volume 49. Frances B. Grummere (Trans. ) 1910. P. F. Collier & Son, 1993. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. London: Penguin, 1994.

An Analysis of Recruitment and Selection in IBM

An Analysis of Recruitment and Selection in IBM Chapter 1. Introduction Today the success of every organization or business company lies just not in the mission or the goals set by the management, but a lot depends even on the employees of the organization. Employees are an integral part of any organization and they are the biggest assets that any company can have. The entire image of the organization depends on the performance of the employees, their code of conduct, and how they take their job responsibility. Every company looks out for employees who have the required capability and the qualifications that just not suits the job requirements but also can add to the value of organization. Recruitment and selection of the employees thus becomes an integral part of human resources. In simple terms getting the right person or a deserving candidate is much easier when compares to getting the right candidate for the right position. Through recruitment and selection, an employer will be able to find and select the appropriate and the most deserving candidate for the job vacancy. Recruitment and selection process has been considered as the most important part of hiring a new employee and also for the organization. 1.1 About the company In this research we will be focusing on IBM (Internal Business Machines) located in India to analyze the recruitment and selection. Now lets see some information pertaining to Internal Business Machines (IBM). Even though IBM was present in India earlier to 1970s, they re-entered the business sector in the year 1992. IBM has it headquarter based on Bangalore and operates in 14 other cities throughout India. IBM is considered as the leaders in terms of industry based on Information technology. IBM has been offering various customer solutions which includes both hardware and software. IBM India is considered one of the important market for IBM and they ensure that there has been enough investments in this industry. 1.2 Aim of the research Through this research we are trying to focus on the recruitment and the selection process, taking example organization as IBM. Now in order to ensure that the research is progressing towards achieving this aim, we will need to set an aim for our research. Hence the aim of the research is as follows: â€Å"To investigate, describe and produce a research report which shows how the recruitment and selection process of International Business Machines (IBM) is different from other companies recruitment and selection process.† Before we can into the details of the recruitment and selection at IBM, we will highlight the main reasons why employees get attracted and enthusiastic about working at IBM: Employees who are working and also would be joining would always prefer to be known as the innovators. IBM is known as the best company and employees can always expect to have a very bright future ahead while working at IBM. IBM has been known for providing competitive environment for their employees which can help them develop on l ong term professional basis. Every employee gets to learn new skills and facts at IBM daily. IBM encourages their employees to deploy their unique learning style at work.

Strategies for Implementing Accounting Software Systems within SMEs Essay

Strategies for Implementing Accounting Software Systems within SMEs - Essay Example Under these circumstances it is essential to conduct a detail research all factors that help SMEs in providing good corporate governance while preventing accounting crime through careful selection of accounting software. This project, therefore, will provide advice on selecting and implementing appropriate information technology tools or software among hundreds or more available accounting software packages currently available in the market. AMI-partners tell "[in the U.S. alone] small businesses [] spent $86 billion on IT products and services over the past 12 months [in which] spending on IT products and services grew by 11 percent" (Small Business Computing, 2003).1 The project, for that reason, will discuss various considerations need to take into account for SMEs when selecting and implementing accounting software. In compliance with the issue, Lisa Kanarek (2004), the founder of HomeOfficeLife.com and the author of some books on home office business, says that deploying high tech technology like accounting software should consider several items in order to ensure increased productivity effectively and efficiently. For that reason, the product of this rese... ploying high tech technology like accounting software should consider several items in order to ensure increased productivity effectively and efficiently. For that reason, the product of this research is list of several appropriate considerations for SMEs in selecting and implementing accounting software packages that match their operational needs while taking into account strategic software implementation strategies obtained over the courses of the research. Problem to be Solved and Worth Selecting the best accounting software become challenging task since it will determine whether the company have spend money for useful software package or vice versa. There are thousands or possibly millions of standard and customized accounting software available in the market. To figure out the number of accounting software, we can try to use 'accounting software packages' as keywords word while searching out with Google. We might be surprised to see that there are about 1,690,000 sites about accounting software packages. Although the number does not reflect the exact number of accounting software, at least, it indicates the growing concerns on the development of accounting software packages. The vast number further implies that ones should have appropriate tools in selecting and then implementing suitable accounting software that match their diverse needs and characteristics. This situation suggests we should perform thorough research and understand what we needs and expect from accounting software packages so that the software will be supporting tools for managements in assessing the accounting performance while acting in accordance with good corporate governance. Unfortunately, there is no common rules determining the way we should take in selecting and implementing

Theoretical physics questions answered Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Theoretical physics questions answered - Essay Example (see answer-3) The remaining questions are about the rest of the paper, it would be sufficient for me if you could quote a book and chapter where I could find an answer to the respective question: -page 5: what do you mean by "carry no energy or momentum however ha energy-momentum" This means that massless particles are meaningless in Newtonian mechanics because they carry no energy or momentum and cannot sustain any force. Now, the relativistic expression for energy and momentum which is: however allows for non-zero energy-momentum for a massless particle when and this requires |v| 1. Furthur, in order to relate the energy E and momentum p we can assume that the relation p2 = m2 is valid for m = 0, and so, a massless particle's energy E and momentum p are related by E = |p|. page 7: I do not understand the sentence: "mediator has to be given on-zero spin" This actually wants to say that in order to accommodate the observed properties of the long-range electromagnetic and gravitational interactions, we also need to give the mediator a on-zero spin. However, this is non-trivial. _ page 8: why does the P operator transform under the fundamental This is an intrinsic requirement in any space-time study dealing with real vector spaces. Here 'P' is the orthogonal parameter that is subject to fundamental representation whereas U(A) is the unitary parameter representing the Lorentz group. This stands for transformations of the vector space that preserve the length of vectors. There are two vectors having zero scalar product in one reference frame which will remain orthogonal in the rotated frame. Remember space-time is itself a fundamental dynamic variable. - page 9 : eq 14: it is not clear to me why it is sufficient to consider the... This means that massless particles are meaningless in Newtonian mechanics because they carry no energy or momentum and cannot sustain any force. Now, the relativistic expression for energy and momentum which is: however allows for non-zero energy-momentum for a massless particle when and this requires |v| 1. This actually wants to say that in order to accommodate the observed properties of the long-range electromagnetic and gravitational interactions, we also need to give the mediator a on-zero spin. However, this is non-trivial. This is an intrinsic requirement in any space-time study dealing with real vector spaces. Here 'P' is the orthogonal parameter that is subject to fundamental representation whereas U(A) is the unitary parameter representing the Lorentz group. This stands for transformations of the vector space that preserve the length of vectors. There are two vectors having zero scalar product in one reference frame which will remain orthogonal in the rotated frame. Remember space-time is itself a fundamental dynamic variable. The irreps corresponding to the massless particles are found using the irreps of the little group for the massless particles and thus this is a better option. This little group is actually isotropy group and is a subgroup of the Poincare. no "internal Yang-Mills index" ^a which in our case transforms under space-time SO(1,3) rather than internal

Commercial Lease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Commercial Lease - Essay Example There are two important aspects of a commercial lease agreement, the standard lease provisions and the business points. The former consists of insurance, condemnation, and events of default while the latter consists of the specified rent and term. The 'Business Points' identifies the various aspects such as the parties of the owner and the tenant, the said building or the said property which is to be leased. Exact details of the property needs to be provided and the building should be exactly identified in which the tenant will rent the space. It is also imperative to accurately describe the floor, location and the square footage of the property. The provisions further mentions the dates of the date of effect and the expiration (term) of the lease and in accordance to this term, the rents can be specified with the optional mention of renewal terms. Additional expenditures which can include operating expenditures and other real estate taxes exercised by different authorities need to be discussed and it needs to be clarified if the total rent includes all such expenditures. Another important service issue is parking. It is normally expected to accompany the specified rented place but might not be the same in every case. Therefore it becomes an important clause in the contract for commercial lease.

Explaining the Improbable Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Explaining the Improbable - Essay Example Dawkins agrees with Paley that the universe deserves a special kind of explanation because it is complex. He recognizes that a convincing work had to go through complexities just as the universe it tried to explain. The foundation of Paley’s arguments stems from his famous introductory explanation to the same. Paley imagines that he would be walking through a heath. In his first imagination, he would have come across a stone on which he steps on the same. If he were asked on how the stone came to be there, he would simply say that it had been there for a substantial time. He notes that he would not be able to further explain this answer. This means that he would not be able to account for absurdity of the answer. On the other hand, he would come across a watch. If he were asked on how the watch came to be, he would not provide the initial answer in the case of stone. Dawkins notes that it is essential, of the fact, that Paley recognizes the fundamental differences between natural objects, such as stone, and artificial objects such as the watch. This relates to the fact that watches are designed and manufactured objects while stones are natural objects. Paley strives to explain the intricacies of a watch through its cogs and springs. He argues that different entities make cogs and springs. The cogs and springs have their complexities by which they add onto the same of the watch. This regards the fashion and precision by which the watchmaker designs his watches. If an individual came across a watch upon a heath, one may not know of the origin of the same. However, one would be led to conclude that the watch had a maker who was responsible for its fashion and design. This maker conceived its construction and design. Paley argues that this is the foundation by which an atheist argues. An atheist would only regard works, of nature, as of better design. This means that atheists use the

CALIFORNIA HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CALIFORNIA HISTORY - Essay Example The gold rush saw the influx of people into the region, and the Native Americans found they were under pressure in their home. The native populations decreased at an alarming rate due to the destruction of natural resources. In the process of mining gold, water resources were damaged and the fish which the natives fed on died. Other game such as deers which were a source of food also left because of the increasing human population. Under this strain, the native population moved deeper into the forest areas as their numbers diminished. In 1911, however, a man belonging to this tribe emerged from the Mount Lassen region. Since he did not have a name the anthropologists named him Ishi. He was the last man of the Yana tribe. The story of Ishi is fundamental in the history of California since it gives the roots of the people in that region. It has, however, been said that retelling of the story by anthropologists such as Theodora are attempts to elicit sympathy for the Native American pop ulation. The Native American tribes that have since gone extinct are described as ignoble savages. They are believed to have had no art, religion, technology or government that warranted them to be called a culture. They are thought by some people to have been unworthy inhabitants of California region since they did not develop the natural resources of the place. This, in my opinion, is a mistaken view of the Native American. ... Culture takes into account the ability to learn. When Ishi came into contact with civilization, he was able to be integrated. He learnt their behavioural patterns, and started to act like one of them. This shows that these natives had the ability to learn. The only difference is that what he had to learn in his society was different from the things he could learn from the civilized world. Ishi was a man of Stone Age culture but that made him no less of a human being. The customs of the Yana separated males and females. At a tender age they were cared for by their mothers but at the age of ten, the separation was implemented. Boys and girls were then neither allowed to sleep, or play together. The boys left with their fathers or any other male relative so as to learn the necessary skills. This differentiation based on gender roles makes the Yana a society that understood what sex roles meant. This was a vital feature of their culture. The separation of the sexes was to the extent that male and female dialects of the language were different (Kroeber and Kroeber). Life and death was sacred to these people as evidenced by the practices they kept. When someone died, they were burnt and the remains buried under a rock. This marked the grave, and kept the animals away from the bones. This practice of burning the dead is still practiced in today’s society. The reasons are different though for this. They had their own way of acknowledging life and death. They realized the different genders and assigned societal roles along the same lines. Claiming that these people did not have aspects of life that warranted them to be a culture is a mistaken view. Art varies from society to the next. The Yahi community had a different kind of Art

Social Studies Thematic Curriculum Design and Assessment Assignment

Social Studies Thematic Curriculum Design and Assessment - Assignment Example Therefore, it is essentially important to use a blend of resources including field trip to the environmental conservation agencies to help in gaining the real picture of what is actually taking place on the ground. At the same time, is also important to make a good use of resource persons in the teaching of this topic (United Nations Environment Programme and New Energy Finance Ltd., 2007). Last, but by no means the least, it is important to understand that every teaching and learning process ends with evaluation. So, a combination of formative and summative evaluations is carried out. When doing this, a combination of lower level, middle level and the higher level cognitive questions will be used. This will be of a great help in gauging the extent to which the lesson objectives are achieved. United Nations Environment Programme and New Energy Finance Ltd. (2007). Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment 2007: Analysis of Trends and Issues in the Financing of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in OECD and Developing

Stress Management in Law Enforcement Research Paper

Stress Management in Law Enforcement - Research Paper Example Objective The Objective of this paper is to look into the importance of stress management in the law enforcement organizations and focus on the implementation techniques by the law enforcement agencies in contrast to the private organizations for managing this menace for their employees’ performance. Methodology Stress Management is quite generic topic which is wide spread over various professions. There is no profession or social activity in which stress is not produced. However there is an interaction among the people and there is a thinking capability of each person that distinguishes one from another, stress is there. Thus in order to approach the purpose of this paper, secondary research data is prominently used. There is a good material available online which needed to be carefully read and understood to extract the findings behind the main topic. Stress Management in law enforcement is interesting in the terms it has grown more important as the criminal activities around the globe are increasing nod thus more accountability surrounds the law enforcement personnel and police officers causing a state of mental stress. In order to find out the implementation activities by law enforcement agencies in order to train their staff to effectively cope up with the stress produced in their daily routine or in the cases of unpredictable incidents is studied through the journals and articles on this topic. As per Law Enforcement Stress Program, topics like anger management, self confidence, self esteem, performance stress; accountability handling and relationship building envelope the overall topic of stress management in law enforcement for which perception based strategies as well as action based strategies are employed. What is Stress? In any field, wherever there is a person to person contact, conflicts are the natural things to happen. People are reluctant to accept other’s opinions and the fact that every person is independent and different in terms of the perspective, he looks towards an issue creates conflicts. These conflicts are the primary reason of mental distress that we refer as stress. Stress keeps the person buy in unwanted distress of mental state and therefore it affects the capability of a person to focus or even think about a particular task. This advisedly affects the performance of a person in any activity he performs. This is also important to note that stress is not just an instantaneous state of the mind. Rather a mind can undergo stress that can affect the mental power and capability to focus for the lifetime. The state of stress keeps a person thinking about some particular issue with no direction and sometime even nothing is under focus but even then the mind is under stress. Mental stress does affect and propagates itself into physical stress too. Hence, a person under stress condition is unable to perform his or her tasks with a value addition input. There are various indications of persons who are under stress. However, these indications may differ from one person to another and also depend upon factors such as internal or external conditions. Some of these internal conditions are psychological pressure, cut-throat competition and incompetency issues. External conditions may be in the form of stressful conversation s with colleagues, bosses,

Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway Essay Example for Free

Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway Essay Hemingways story Hills Like White Elephants appears on the surface as a brief and unremarkable vignette written almost all in dialogue, with minimal action and an unclear final resolution, the story is actually a watershed of narrative invention and a radical shift from Hemingways usual perspective, as it is most often defined by readers and critics. As Alan Cheuse remarks in his essay Reflections on Dialogue: How Dyuh Get tEighteent Avenoo and Sixty-Sevent Street? American writers, possess an acute ability to create skeins of seemingly natural language that make up a world out of human speech (Cheuse) and also represent a special gift for create entire worlds through dialogue, as is readily manifest in Hills Like White Elephants. Hemingways style of natural language is an elementary base of his technique in Hills Like White Elephants. Another narrative strategy is that he strips away the expository writing or the direct information to the reader which would help the reader to place the action of the story in context. Rather than weigh down the narrative, Hemingway leaves his story lean and bare, primarily relying on conflict-charged dialogue between the storys two main characters. By refusing to included background information or even internal monologue on behalf of the two characters, Hemingway leaves virtually everything, even what is at issue between the girl and the American, for the reader to figure out, and this strategy includes the storys final resolution: whether or not the girl in story opts to have the couples child or whether she chooses as is the mans desire, to have an abortion. The lack of final resolution is notable enough that even critics are left to their own devices to decide what happens to finish the story and conclude the conflict between the two characters. As one scholar commented, the ending has seemed stubbornly indeterminate (Renner); however, the same critic, Renner, has forwarded a compelling theory as to how the resolution of Hills Like White Elephants can be deduced from a careful study of its narrative form, imagery, and symbolism, The conflict in the title: the burden of something unwanted a white elephant merged with the symbol of hills suggesting rich fertility extends throughout the story, forms its basic theme, and functions as an axis on which the changing attitudes and evolving conflict between the characters spins. In order to integrate the various levels of narrative along Renners theoretical lines in order to find the storys true resolution, the piece must be examined from a formal perspective with due note given to its imagery and symbolism a well as the nuances contained in the storys plentiful dialogue, (Renner) which leaves the reader able to deduce that the man in the story has indeed been sensitive to the womans situation. According to Renner, the story takes place in four distinct movements and these movements are the key components to understanding the resolution of the story. Renners distinction of the four movements follows an ascending structure of character development and character conflict: In the first movement we are shown the stereotypical passive female, not even knowing her own mind, accustomed to following a masterful male for her direction in life, the next movement illustrates the girls character development toward a dramatic realization of her own mind-her own welfare, dreams, and values; by the third movement, the girl begins to assert herself, and by the fourth and final movement, we see the result of her development toward self-realization which Renner insists reveals, also, the actual conclusion of the story, (Renner). To extrapolate a probable resolution for the conflict in Hills Like White Elephants it becomes necessary to examine the conflict which lies under the overt abortion-question of the story. If the story is, indeed, about the capitulation of the girl, then her refusal to capitulate is evident form the action of the story. When the girl says Would you please, please, please, please, please, please, please stop talking, her victory is indicated. The abortion will not be performed and the realization of her independence form the man has been attained. In this way, Hemingways story reveals a feminine point of view and a feminine dominance which is usually not associated with his fiction (Renner). Works Cited Cheuse, Alan. Reflections on Dialogue: How Dyuh Get tEighteent Avenoo and Sixty-Sevent Street? . The Antioch Review Spring 2005: 222+. Meyers, Jeffrey, ed. Ernest Hemingway: The Critical Heritage. London: Routledge, 1997. Renner, Stanley. Moving to the Girls Side of Hills like White Elephants. . The Hemingway Review 15. 1 (1995): 27+.

The Song of Roland Essay Example for Free

The Song of Roland Essay Count Roland was the epitome of everything a Carolingian knight should be. He was virtuous in every possible way. Bravery, piety, modesty, strength, and ability are all adjectives that aptly describe Sir Roland. In the work The Song of Roland a portrayal of 8th Century warfare and practices are given to the reader. We see a world were values such as loyalty, friendship, and piety co-exist with values such as ferocity in combat, eagerness to kill infidels, and lionizing of the sacking of cities and looting of the dead. What could bring about such opposing values into one moral code? Perhaps the system of values existing in 8th Century Frankish society is a combination of moral systems. Frankish knights of the Carolingian Era adhered to a strict moral code that drew many values from Christian doctrine, but also drew heavily from the moral system of a warlike barbarian people; such as the early Frankish tribes as portrayed in History of the Franks by Gregory the Bishop of Tours. During the time of Clovis I Christianity was just beginning as the state religion of the Franks. In Gregorys depiction of the Frankish people following the death of Clovis I, he shows a society were murder, incest and the killing of ones own son is perfectly acceptable. Treachery and ambush are expunged as virtues befitting a great ruler. The only mentions of Christianity in the text seem to be purposely placed there by Gregory. While the Franks claim to be Christian at this time they clearly do not understand the moral code that goes along with their Christian faith. Understanding of that Christian faith comes at a later time. Loyalty in particular seems to be a central virtue of Carolingian knights. Roland says once, It is fitting we should stay here for our king; a man should suffer hardships for his lord, and persevere in heat and cold; a man should lose if need be, hide and hair (Roland 83). This attitude of sacrifice for your lord, and loyalty unto death is very different from the attitude of the early Franks. In Gregorys account Frankish warriors care more for booty than loyalty. Theodoric knew that the men of Clermont-Ferrand were ready to betray him. Follow me, said he to his people, and I will lead you to a land where you will be able to lay your hands on so much gold and silver than even your desire for loot will be satisfied (Gregory 6). Roland and his twelve companions were ready to die for the honor of their king, while the men of Clermont-Ferrand fought only for the promise of booty. This ideal of loyalty and faithfulness can only have come from the influence of the Catholic Church. Piety is clearly very important to the Carolingian knight. Before their deaths many of the twelve companions seek penance and absolution so that they may enter Heaven. Roland begs Gods mercy as he dies saying, True Father, who hath never told a lie, Who resurrected Lazarus from the dead, and Who protected Daniel from the lions, protect the soul in me from every peril brought on by wrongs Ive done throughout my life! (Roland 124). This statement shows Rolands understanding of Christian doctrine. He comprehends the need for absolution in order to attain paradise, and he clearly has a thorough understanding and knowledge of scripture, as he quotes from the Bible in numerous places. During and following the time of Clovis I the Franks understanding of piety was simple. If you were pious, you won battles, if you werent, you lost. Gregory said in regard to successes, they have come to Christians who confess the blessed Trinity and ruin has come to heretics who have tried the same. (Gregory 1) So on the battlefield is were you proved your piousness, not in your life or during prayer. This is clearly a gross misunderstanding of Christian doctrine by the early Franks. Ferocity in combat is perhaps one of the most important characteristics of a Frankish knight. It co-exists with loyalty, friendship and piety, all Christian virtues. Roland who is the epitome of the Carolingian knight is the fiercest warrior of them all. His ability is thus described, the baron goes ands strikes with all his force upon the jewel-studded golden casque, cuts downward through the head, the trunk and the byrnie, the well-made saddle set with gems and gold, and deep into the backbone of the horse (Roland 100). This cleaving of a man in two is not deemed tragic or saddening as one would expect from a Christian society, instead it is raised up as an example of a good Christian activity. Killing infidels is never sinful. Indeed even the Archbishop himself engages in such activity, But Turpin strikes He spits his body (the Spaniards) through from side to side and throws him dead upon an open spot. (Roland 98) Even though many Christian ideals have sunk into Frankish society, the warlike nature of the Franks still endures during the Carolingian age. Sacking towns and acquiring plunder are not the chief motivation for warfare, as they were during early Frankish history, but these activities are still very central to warfare in the Carolingian age. Following the retreat of the Spanish Charles knights loot the bodies of the dead enemy knights even before pursuing the retreating enemy (Roland 126). Many mentions are made of the numerous towns that Roland had sacked prior to this story. The fact that Roland had killed thousands of innocents and burned hundreds of homes is not used to criticize Roland, instead it is used as an example of his prowess as a warrior. This attitude toward random slaughter and plunder is clearly not inline with Christian morals. Its origins must instead be from early Frankish society. When Christianity first entered Frankish society it was merely a new version of paganism for the Franks who practiced it. They viewed the Christian god as more powerful than other pagan deities, and so they converted to Christianity. At no point though did they embrace the moral code of Catholicism. However, later under Charlemagne the missionaries had mostly finished their work of educating the Franks. The knights portrayed in The Song of Roland clearly understand the morals of piety, honesty, loyalty and friendship. They also demonstrated a thorough knowledge of Christian doctrine and scripture. Even though the Carolingian knights were more Christian, certainly than the Franks of the 6th Century, they were still not totally inline with true Christian morals. Slaughter, plundering and mortal combat were still held in high esteem during the Carolingian era. These barbaric ideals still existed in Frankish society, despite the efforts of Christian missionaries. Clearly the moral code of the Carolingian knight was a combination of Christian values, and the value system of the early Frankish tribes.

Developing An Evidence Based Study Into Postoperative Pain

Developing An Evidence Based Study Into Postoperative Pain In spite of recent advances in pain management, postoperative pain still remains a major clinical problem (Gilmartin and Wright, 2007; Manias et al., 2005; Singer et al., 2010) with about 69% of patients experiencing moderate to severe pain after surgery (Apfelbaum et al., 2003). Postoperative pain, although expected is an undesirable experience after surgery (Good, 1995; Rosenquist and Rosenberg, 2003). When left untreated or inadequately managed, it can negatively affect an individuals physical, psychological and social well being (Vaughn, Wichowski and Bosworth, 2007). Thus, it generates additional responsibilities for the healthcare provider (Wilmore and Kehlet, 2001) as well as creating economic difficulties for ones family, society and the nation at large (Vaughn et al., 2007). Pharmacological interventions have been used as the mainstay in the management of postoperative pain (Dolin, 2002). However, these interventions are not without undesirable effects such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness and allergic reactions (Koch et al., 1998). Analgesic techniques for perioperative pain relief are therefore, being challenged by an ever-increasing demand for complementary and holistic therapies (McCaffrey and Locsin, 2002). Thus, several non-drug techniques can be used as adjuncts in managing postoperative pain (Good et al., 2005). The use of music as a nonpharmacological technique has prompted various research studies in the area of postoperative pain management (Ikonomidou et al., 2004). Resultantly, several studies have been published on this issue; hitherto, these have produced contradictory findings (Anderson et al., 2005; Good et al., 2001, 2002, 2005; Heiser et al., 1997; Heitz et al., 1992; Ikonomidou et al., 2004; Nilsson et al., 2001, 2003; Taylor et al., 1998). In an attempt to find solutions to the efficiency of music as a pain management intervention, an increasing number of systematic reviews (Cepeda et al., 2006; Dunn, 2004; Engwall and Duppils, 2009; Evans, 2002; Nilsson, 2008) have been published during the past years. Nonetheless, the conclusions from these studies may be questionable for various reasons such as poor methodological quality of included studies, limited search strategies, inclusion of studies from only developed countries and being outdated. With the evolvement of recent studies (Allred, Boyers and Sole, 2009; Cooke et al., 2010; Ebneshahidi and Mohseni, 2008; Good and Ahn, 2008; Hook, Sonwathana and Petpichetchian, 2008; Sen et al., 2009) which continuously report conflicting findings and the flaws identified in previous reviews, this issue needs to be addressed in a more rigorous manner. The aim of this dissertation is to ascertain the efficacy of music as a postoperative pain management intervention by systematically reviewing the available literature. With the aid of the evidence from already existing literature, this dissertation will commence with the rationale for the proposed systematic review and justification of the review question. In the subsequent chapter, the systematic review methodology will be explored together with the justification for the main decisions of the review. Following this, the results of the proposed review will be presented in the next section. This will be followed by discussions and conclusions on the review. Finally, I will reflect on the learning achieved through the systematic review process and the implications of the study findings for clinical practice, research and education. Literature Review A review of the literature identifies the trends, strengths and limitations of the methodological approaches of a study (Dunn, 2004). Thus, it provides an orientation to the known and unknown aspects of a subject area (Blaxter et al., 1996; Parahoo, 1997; Polit et al., 2001) and directs future studies (Stevens, 1993). In this section, the rationale and justification of the review question will be provided following the background information and literature on the use of music in managing postoperative pain. Epidemiology of Postoperative Pain It has been estimated that more than 73 million surgeries are per ­formed every year in the United States (Apfelbaum et al., 2003). Apparently, the tissue damage and trauma caused during surgery results in acute postoperative pain which may vary in intensity from mild to excruciating pain (Hutchison, 2007). Recent studies indicate that effective pain management remains elusive for a significant proportion of surgical patients (Dolin, Cashman and Bland, 2002; Svensson, Sjostrom and Haljamae, 2000; Werner et al., 2002). Many of them continue to experience unrelieved postoperative pain (Backstrom and Rawal, 2008) despite years of research into pain and its management (Botti, Bucknall and Manias, 2004; Hutchison, 2007). This may be partly due to the insufficient training received by healthcare professionals on pain management (American Medical Association, 2010). In addition, many patients have accepted the notion that acute postoperative pain is to be expected during hospitalisation. Thus, the resultant effect is the widespread poor management of postoperative pain (Warfield and Kahn, 1995). The ineffective management of postoperative pain has been highlighted in the literature (Abbott et al., 1992; Bostrom et al 1997; Donovan et al. 1987). A survey conducted by Oates et al. (1994) revealed that 34% of the 206 patients experienced moderate to severe pain postoperatively. Conclusions from the National Health and Medical Research Councils (1999) report also depicted that about 75% of patients experienced moderate to severe postoperative pain. An inquiry made by Watt-Watson and colleagues also showed that 51% of 225 postoperative patients following cardiac surgery reported of severe pain (Watt-Watson et al., 2000). Moreover, a random national study conducted by Apfelbaum and co-workers illustrated that out of the 80% of patients who reported of postoperative pain, 86% of them were experiencing moderate to severe pain (Apfelbaum et al., 2003). All these continuous reports of moderate to severe postoperative pain draw attention to the inadequacies in pain management (McCaffer y Ferrell, 1997). This is because patients often underestimate their pain due to their high expectations regarding postoperative pain experience (Hutchison, 2007). Some clinicians and patients also have misconceptions about the use of opioid analgesics which contribute to the inadequate postoperative pain management (McCaffery and Ferrell, 1991). Other factors also include the type of surgery (Rai, 1993), patients gender, age, preoperative pain and psychological factors (Bisgaard et al., 2001; Edwards et al., 2004; Granot and Ferber, 2005). Potentially, technical difficulties with intravenous (I.V.) access lines and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) devices also serve as contributory factors (Wickstrom, Nordberg and Johansson, 2005). Pharmacokinetic and pharmaco ­dynamic factors may also affect postoperative analgesia (). *A meta-analysis comparing the incidence of pain following three analgesic techniques: I.M. analgesia, PCA, and epidural anal ­gesia after surgery was conducted by Dolin et al. (2002). Data stratification based on the drug administration route revealed that the pro ­portion of patients with moderate-to-severe postoperative pain was highest in I.M. opioid administration group while this was lowest in the epidural opioid group. In recent times, pain management is gaining increasing attention among healthcare providers and professional bodies (Hutchison, 2007). Thus, January 1, 2001 was declared during a United States congress as the commencement of a decade of pain control and research (American Academy of Pain Medicine, 2010). Furthermore, the Ameri ­can Pain Society (APS) presently urges clinicians to consider pain as the fifth vital sign (Loeser, 2003). This initiative has stimulated more interest and attention to the management of pain. As a consequence of that, several professional and regulatory bodies have recently produced guidelines for managing postoperative pain (American Society of Anaesthesiologists, 2004; American Pain Society, 2003; European As ­sociation of Urology, 2003; Veterans Health Administration and Department of Defense, 2002; Joint Commis ­sion on Accreditation of Healthcare Organisations, 2001). Definition of Postoperative Pain The concept of pain has been a subject for discussion since antiquity. A universally accepted definition of pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage described in terms of such damage (IASP, 1979: 250). This definition emphasises on the subjective nature of the pain experience which can be influenced by multiple factors (IASP, 2003). As a result of this, McCaffery (1983: 14) defines pain as whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever she says it does. Postoperative pain is thus, defined as an acute form of pain which is experienced after surgery (Fine and Portenoy, 2007). Impact of Inadequate Postoperative Pain Relief Unrelieved postoperative pain can be detrimental to the physiological, psychological and sociological health of patients (Reyes-Gibby, 2002; Strassels, 2000; Vaughn et al., 2007). These negative consequences are derived from various body systems such as the cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal, neuroendocrine and the autonomic nervous systems (Duggleby and Lander, 2004; Tulay, 2010). Physically, longer periods of unrelieved postoperative pain can result in physiologic alterations which include the stimulation of the pituitary-adrenal system (Yeager et al., 1987), sympathetic nervous system (Pasero, Paice and McCaffery, 1999) and restricted mobility (Yeager et al., 1987; Murray, 1990) which may result in cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and renal changes (Puntillo and Weiss, 1994; McCaffery and Pasero, 1999). All these changes in a postoperative may serve as a risk factor for the development of adverse effects such as deep vein thrombosis, pul ­monary embolism, pneu ­monia (APMGP, 1992), coronary ischaemia, myocardial infarction (APMGP, 1992; Jacox et al., 1994; Puntillo and Weiss, 1994; Staats, 1998; McCaffery and Pasero, 1999), reduced immunity (Ikonomidou et al., 2004), poor wound healing (Shang and Gan, 2003) and chronic pain. Psychologically, unrelieved postoperative pain may result in stress, anxiety, depression and demoralisa ­tion (Murray, 1990). In addition, the undertreatment of postoperative pain has potential negative consequences for health systems (Hutchison, 2007). This includes extended periods of hospitalisation (Heiser et al, 1997; Miaskowski, 1993), readmissions (Ikonomidou et al., 2004) and patient dissatisfaction (Shang, 2003). As a result of this, additional responsibilities are placed on the healthcare provider which may lead to staff exhaustion and its resultant sick leaves (Wilmore and Kehlet, 2001). Subsequently, these may increase the overall costs of hospitalisation and place health systems at a disadvantaged position, especially in todays competi ­tive healthcare environment (Henry, 1995). Ultimately, these negative consequences have a enormous impact on the patients family, society and the nation at large (Vaughn et al., 2007). Pain Management The importance of addressing the complex issues of pain management cannot be overemphasized (Botti, Bucknall and Manias, 2004). Apart from reducing unnecessary suffering, effective pain control improves patient outcomes (Wasylak et al., 1990; Watwill, 1989; Sydow, 1989) and enhances their quality of life (Goudas, 2001; Reyes-Gibby, Aday and Cleeland, 2002; Rogers et al., 2000a; Rogers et al., 2000b; Strassels, Cynn and Carr, 2000). It is generally accepted that needless suffering from pain in any patient is unethical (Sà ¶derhamn and Idwall, 2003) and illustrates a betrayal of the healthcare professionals commitment to serve humanity (Ikonomidou et al., 2004). This is because patients are entitled to good quality care (Rawal, 1999; Idwall, 2004). Important goals for postoperative pain management are therefore to promote comfort, quicken recovery and avoid complications (Ready and Edwards, 1992). Pharmacological interventions have been used as the mainstay in managing postoperative pain (Dolin, 2002). Nevertheless, these interventions are not without unwanted adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, and allergic reactions (Koch et al., 1998). Thus, nonpharmacological methods have been used as adjuncts in the treatment of postoperative pain (Ready and Edwards, 1992). *Combining pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic methods of pain provides effective pain relief for the patient (McCaffery, 1990). Thus, the nurse may make a significant contribution to postoperative pain management by offering the patient various non-drug techniques that can be used concurrently with analgesics (McCaffery, 1990; McCaffery and Beebe, 1989). Nonpharmacologic interventions have been known to be valuable, simple and inexpensive adjuvants to analgesic techniques (Hyman et al., 1989). As a result, several non-drug techniques can also be used as adjuncts in managing postoperative pain (Good et al., 2005). Specifically, the use of music as a nonpharmacological technique has prompted various research studies in this area (Ikonomidou et al., 2004), leading to the publication of numerous studies (Anderson et al., 2005; Good et al., 2001, 2002, 2005; Heiser et al., 1997; Heitz et al., 1992; Nilsson et al., 2001, 2003; Taylor et al., 1998) and reviews (Cepeda et al., 2006; Dunn, 2004; Engwall and Duppils, 2009; Evans, 2002; Nilsson, 2008). History of Music Therapy Music, as a remedy for sickness is a prehistoric concept (Todres, 2006) that has been used to influence human health (Bunt, 1994; Nilsson, 2003; White 2000). It is the art of listening to sounds that usually have rhythm, pitch (Funk and Wagnall, 1998), melody and harmony (Steckler, 1998). Throughout history, music has been used as an alternative therapy to promote the wellbeing of patients (Guzzetta 1988). Thus, music therapy can be defined as the act of using musical sounds to support the physical, psychological and social needs of an individual during illness or disability (Aluede, 2006; Munro and Mount, 1978). Its main goal is to promote comfort by serving as a diversionary measure from an unpleasant occurrence (Nwokenna, 2006). Archaelogical findings reveal that the sick primitive man used music as a way of pacifying the gods (Henry 1995). Also, the Egyptians of 1500 BC used music to enhance their fruitfulness while the Greeks and Romans strove for human body and soul integration using music (Buckwalter, Hartsock and Gaffney, 1985). Thus, Apollo, the Greek god of mythology, was considered as the giver of medicine and music (Todres, 2006). There is anecdotal evidence from contemporary writings that music was used by Hippocrates to promote wellbeing (Storr, 1994). The sixth century Greek philosopher, Pythagoras, who is considered as the founder of music therapy and geometry, believed that music greatly influenced human health (Olson 1998). As a result, he often prescribed music and diet to reinstate and sustain the integration human body and soul (Bunt, 2001; White 2001). Also, it was demonstrated by the Renaissance movement group that different types of music affected digestion, blood pressure, respiratory and heart rates (Cook, 1986). In a nameless article that appeared in the Columbian Magazine in 1789, a case was made for the use of musical experiences to influence and regulate emotional conditions (White 2000). Subsequently, a book entitled the influence of music on health and life, which describes the use of music in healing, was written by Chomat in 1846 (Biley, 2000). From a nursing perspective, music has been used to promote patients health and well-being (Chlan, 2002). In the early 1800s, Florence Nightingale noticed the power of music as a vital part of the healing process for injured Crimean soldiers (Nightingale, 1992). After observing different types of music, she remarked that wind instruments with continuous sound or air created a positive effect on patients while those that lacked continuous harmony produced negative effects (Nightingale 1992, McCaffrey and Locsin 2002). Nightingale believed that, it was the nurses responsibility to control the environment for healing to take place (Nilsson, 2003; White, 2001; McCaffrey and Locsin, 2002; Nightingale, 1992). After the invention of the phonograph in the late 1800s, recorded music was used in hospitals to promote sleep and relieve perioperative anxiety (Taylor, 1981). An extensive account of this occurred when healthcare professionals concurrently used music with analgesia and anaesthesia (ibid). In 1914, music was used for the first time in the intraoperative environment to distract patients from the horror of surgery (Kane, 1914: p.1829). Afterwards, the National Association for Music in Hospitals was established in 1926 by a nurse named, Isa Maud Ilsen (Ilsen, 1926). After identifying rhythm as the basic therapeutic element, she advocated for the implementation of specific musical prescriptions (Ilsen 1926). An extensive study on music was made by Hunter, in 1892, after playing a piano in the Helensburg Hospital, Scotland. He noticed that there was a reduction in the patients report of pain and temperature following musical exposure (Hunter, 1892). An observation made by Coring (1899) and Tarchanoff (1903) also revealed that different types of music had an effect on the patients heart rate, respiration and bodily secretions (Light et al 1949). Also, a group of surgeons in 1949 studied the use of music together with psychosomatic factors. They discovered that music had a calming effect on those patients who were anxious and unresponsive to routine medication (ibid). With the advent of the technological advancements of the twentieth century, the link between health and music declined (Heitz, Symreng and Scamman, 1992). However, there has been an upsurge interest in music therapy due to its prominence in pain management (McCaffery, 1979) Thus, it is considered as a vital aspect of the nursing discipline (Paterson and Zderad, 1988). The Analgesic Properties of Music The mechanism by which music affects pain responses appears to be as varied as the research paradigms (Pricket and Standley, 1994). Music has been shown to affect the physical, emotional, cognitive and social aspects of the pain experience (Todres, 2006). *Thus, the question is: how does music exert its analgesic properties? In the search for answers to this query, various theories and hypotheses have been proposed (Gagner-Tjellesen et al., 2001). The auditory stimulation of music produces a biological effect on human behaviour by engaging specific brain functions (Thaut 1990). The effect of music is perceived in the right hemisphere of the brain (Thaut 1990, Lià ©geois-Chauvel et al., 1998, Myskaja and Lindbaeck, 2000), whereas a greater portion of interpretation occurs in the left hemisphere (Thaut 1990, Myskaja and Lindbaeck, 2000). Music stimuli serve as a distraction (Good et al., 2000; McCaffery and Good, 2000) and cause the prefrontal cortex to be conditioned to the music, which is more pleasant, (Nilsson, 2008), familiar, relaxing (Mok and Wong, 2003) and preferred (Siegele, 1974; McCaffery, 1992; Mok and Wong, 2003). Patients can thus, focus their awareness from the noxious input unto the music (Fernandes and Turk, 1989; Good et al., 1999; Willis, 1985) to aid relaxation (Beck, 1991; White, 2000; White, 2001; Thorgaard, 2005). Although patients are often in a transitional zone between consciousness and sleep during the perioperative period, the sense of hearing still persists amidst the impairment of other senses (Nilsson, 2003). As a result, music may be of immense benefit to this population. The inhibition of the afferent noxious impulses causes the activation of *endogenous opiates, descending nerve impulses, and neuropeptides in the in the central nervous system (Andy, 1983; Yezierski et al., 1983). Subsequently, excitatory neurotransmitters such as substance P, prostaglandins, bradykinins are inhibited leading to reduced muscle and mental tension (Good, 1995; OCallaghan, 1996; Taylor et al., 1998). On the contrary, it has also been demonstrated that music, which is inappropriately used, can aggravate pain sensation and thus can increasing pain perception and experience (OCallaghan, 1996). The Ghanaian Context Despite the fact that 3.5% of the worlds surgical operations are performed in developing countries (Weiser, Regenbogen, Thompson et al., 2008), the management of postoperative pain is poor in Ghana (Clegg-Lamptey and Hodasi, 2005; Murthy, Antwi-Kusi, Jabir et al., 2010). This may be due to factors such as inadequate knowledge, negative attitudes (Hall-Lord and Larsson, 2006), discrepancies between healthcare professionals and patients assessment of postoperative pain and the lack of relatively efficient analgesic techniques such as PCAs and epidural analgesia (Murthy et al., 2010). Moreover, the use of non-invasive, safe and cheap nonpharmacological interventions such as music is also underutilised. Music plays a vital role in the life of an African; however, the origin of music therapy in African societies remains a puzzle due to the lack of indigenous written records (Aluede, 2006). Although, many Ghanaians love music (FGMSA, 2010), music therapy in Ghana is currently at its embryonic stage (Kofie, 2004). Music, as the *stock-in-trade of traditional healers is used in the Ghanaian society. It accompanies their set of dances until they reach the semi-conscious state whereby they begin their communication with ancestral spirits. During this enterprise, music stimulates their ecstasy and they are being offered concoctions that may be used in healing the sick (Kofie, 2004). Music is also an effective form of therapy for patients who believe their ailments is a form of misdemeanour towards others and for that manner receiving punishment from the ancestral spirits (ibid). Rationale for the Proposed Review The use of music as a postoperative pain intervention has prompted various research studies (Ikonomidou et al., 2004), leading to the publication of numerous articles (Anderson et al., 2005; Good et al., 2001, 2002, 2005; Heiser et al., 1997; Heitz et al., 1992; Ikonomidou et al., 2004; Nilsson et al., 2001, 2003; Taylor et al., 1998). Nevertheless, these studies have reported mixed/ contradictory/ conflicting findings. While some show improved pain relief (Anderson et al., 2005; Good, 1999; Good et al., 2001; Good et al., 2002; Good et al., 2005; Heitz et al., 1992; Laurion and Fetzer, 2003; Masuda, Miyamoto, and Shimizu, 2005; McCraty et al., 1998; Mullooly et al., 1988; Nilsson et al., 2001; Nilsson et al., 2003), others showed no difference in pain management among study participants (Blankfield et al., 1995; Good, 1995; Heiser et al., 1997; Ikonomidou et al., 2004; Taylor et al., 1998). The approaches used in these studies have mainly been experimental, however, most of them lac k strict control with various outcome measures ranging from psychological (pain, anxiety), physical (sleep) to physiological parameters (heart rate, respiratiory rate, blood pressure). In an attempt to find solutions to the efficiency of music as a pain management intervention, an increasing number of systematic reviews (Cepeda et al., 2006; Dunn, 2004; Engwall and Duppils, 2009; Evans, 2002; Nilsson, 2008) have been published during the past years. Nonetheless, the conclusions from these studies may not be fully supported for various reasons such as poor methodological quality of included studies, limited search strategies, inclusion of studies from only developed countries and being outdated. Evans (2002) conducted a systematic review on the efficacy of music as an intervention for hospitalised patients. This review included postoperative pain as well as pain occurring after certain procedures. Of the four eligible studies, three of them found no difference in pain scores and analgesic consumption (Blankfield et al., 1995; Good, 1995; Taylor et al., 1998) while the remaining study (Koch et al., 1998) reported a reduction in analgesic consumption among the music intervention group. On this basis, he concluded that music may be an effective diversion in treating pain. This assumption may be obstructive due to limited evidence as at that time and its resultant myopic inference. A systematic review conducted on the efficiency of music in reducing postoperative pain (Dunn, 2004) was also inconclusive due to the poor methodological quality of the included studies. Moreover, it was also restricted to developed countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States of America. For this reason, such findings may not be applicable to other developing countries such as Ghana, where the clinical settings and management may be different. Cepeda et al. (2006) systematically reviewed the literature on the use of music for relieving pain. This review included all types of pain ranging from acute, procedural, cancer and chronic pain. It was concluded that music listening reduces pain and analgesic consumption, but the magnitude of these effects is small and thus, had vague clinical significance. Based on this premise, it was recommended that music should not be used as a first line management option for pain. Although the conclusions are quiet reasonable, this review is outdated (Kaveh et al., 2007) due to the publication of new studies that specifically report on the use of music in patients experiencing postoperative pain. Another systematic review (Nilsson, 2008) was also conducted on the efficacy of music in relieving postoperative pain and other parameters such as anxiety and stress. This review limited the inclusion criteria to studies conducted between 1995 and 2007. The review concluded that: approximately half of the reviewed randomised controlled trials favoured the pain reducing effects of music while the rest were not in support of this. In the light of this, the author recommended some additional studies to be conducted in this area [ibid]. A recently published article in 2009 concluded that music can be used as an adjuvant for pain relief (Engwall and Duppils, 2009). This conclusion may not be fully supported considering the fact that the review included other non-randomised controlled trials (which are subject to biases). Moreover, the review included the combined use of music with other nonpharmacological interventions (such as jaw relaxation, therapeutic suggestion, guided imagery and so on) which creates difficulties in determining whether the outcomes is solely due to music or the other interventions. The review also used few databases (Blackwell Synergy, CINAHL, PubMed and Elsevier/ Science Direct) and restricted the review to studies conducted between 1998 and 2007. Considering the publication of new randomised controlled trials that have reported conflicting findings (Allred, Boyers and Sole, 2009; Cooke et al., 2010; Ebneshahidi and Mohseni, 2008; Good and Ahn, 2008; Hook, Sonwathana and Petpichetchian, 2008; Sen et al., 2009) and the limitations identified in previous reviews, an updated version of a systematic review conducted on this topic will be of immense benefit. My review, therefore intends to include randomised controlled trials irrespective of the location, and will include only music as the nonpharmacological pain intervention. I will also expand my search strategy to include other databases and will not limit it to any year range since music is not an intervention that becomes outmoded with time and largely depends on an individuals preferences. Summary In this section the background information and literature on the use of music in relieving postoperative pain has been provided. Moreover, the rationale for the systematic has been thoroughly explained as well as the justification for the review question. Chapter Two Methodology Once a research question has been shaped, it is useful to think about its type, as this will have an effect on what kind of research would provide us with the greatest quality evidence. The review question concentrates on music as a postoperative epain management intervention for patients after all kinds of surgery. In providing the best evidence of effectiveness of an intervention, a systematic review is considered the most suitable way. This is because it summarises or draw conclusions from primary research on a specific subject, therefore increasing the number of subjects and enhancing the power to detect an intervention effect (Dickson, 2003). This chapter will discuss the systematic review approach and evaluate its role in evidence-based practice. It then outlines the strengths and limitations of systematic reviews. Following this, a description of the procedural steps is given. Finally, the method used to conduct this review is discussed. l Definition of Systematic Reviews Types of Systematic Reviews Systematic Reviews Process The Role of Systematic Reviews in Evidence-based Practice In an era of evidence-based nursing, care providers need to base their clinical decisions on the preferences of patients, their clinical expertise, as well as the current best available research evidence relevant for practice (Beaven and McHugh, 2003; Mulhall, 1998; Sackett and Rosenberg, 1995). Implications from the ever expanding volumes of healthcare literature (Beaven and McHugh, 2003) means that, it is impossible for a clinician to access, let alone understand, the primary evidence that informs practice (Glasziou, Irwig and Colditz, 2001; Handoll et al., 2008). As a result of this, useful research studies and valuable findings are concealed and abandoned as a whole (Beaven and McHugh, 2003). Systematic reviews of primary studies are therefore an essential aspect of evidence-based healthcare for practitioners who want to keep up to date with evidence in making informed clinical decisions (Lipp, 2005; Glasziou et al., 2001; Handoll et al., 2008; Schlosser/ FOCUS, 2010). Commencing with a well-defined research question, such reviews utilise explicit methods to systematically identify, select, critically appraise, extract, analyse and synthesise data from relevant studies on a particular topic (Handoll et al., 2008; Petticrew and Roberts, 2006; Wright et al., 2007; Sackett et al., 2000). This process helps to minimise bias (Cook, Mulrow and Haynes, 1997), eliminate poorly conducted studies, confers power to the results that may not be given to individual studies (Lipp, 2005) and thus provide practitioners with reliable, valid and condensed evidence (Glasziou et al., 2001) in a considerably shorter period of time (Mulrow, Langhorne, and Grimshaw, 1997). Systematic reviews may involve the use of statistical methods (meta-analysis) (Handoll et al., 2008) in estimating the precision of treatment effects (Egger, Smith and ORourke, 2001). Unlike traditional narrative reviews, systematic reviews allow for a more objective appraisal of the evidence and may thus contribute to resolving uncertainty when original research, and reviews disagree (Egger et al., 2001). By using an efficient scientific technique, systematic reviews also can counteract the need for further research studies and stimulate the timelier implementation of findings into practice (Lipp, 2005). They can also inform the research agenda by identifying gaps in the evidence and generating research questions that will shape future research (Eagly and Wood, 1994; Handoll et al., 2008; Lipp, 2005).

Shoplifting Effects on The Community Essay -- Theft Stealing Crime ess

Shoplifting is a major problem in today. The temptation of not paying for something, just hiding it away and saving your own money is a large factor for some people. The culprit just thinks he's getting a product for free and doesn't know what he's actually doing to himself and the community. Shoplifting effects everyone, yourself and the everyone in the local neighborhood.In this essay I'm going to explain some of the circumstances of stealing from local stores, or any store. After I've been caught stealing I found out how wrong it is and how it is a disadvantage to everyone. The stores are tying to crack down on shoplifters by making the punishments as strict as possible. Shoplifting effects the community in a big way. The stores get about three cents per every dollar purchased for an item. So if you figure that they don't make a whole lot of money out of profit. Every shoplifter that takes a product also is taking the product, which costs money by the store so that is also a set back and puts them more in debt. Some stores might even close down because of shoplifters making the store go bankrupt. The stores usually raise there prices and then causes more shoplifting, but the people that don't shoplift just end up having to pay more for the product or else go somewhere else to shop. If the customer goes to a different store because of the rising prices the store will also lose business therefore could cause them to go out of business if enough customers leave.From ...

Indecision, Hesitation and Delay in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay

The Indecisiveness and Hesitation of Hamlet  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Shakespearean drama Hamlet considerable literary critical comment swirls about the subject of the hero’s hesitation or indecision in the prayer scene. Is it weakness? Is it representative of a mental condition? Are there other incidences of hesitation? Let us explore the subject in this essay and interpret the key scene in light of other scenes, with input from literary critics.    David Bevington, in the Introduction to Twentieth Century Interpretations of Hamlet, eliminates some possible reasons for Hamlet’s hesitation in killing Claudius during the prayer scene:    Several limits can be placed upon the search for an explanation of Hamlet’s apparent hesitation to avenge. He is not ineffectual under ordinary circumstances. Elizabethan theories of melancholy did not suppose the sufferer to be made necessarily inactive. Hamlet has a deserved reputation in Denmark for manliness and princely demeanor. He keeps up his fencing practice and will â€Å"win at the odds† against Laertes. He threatens with death those who would restrain him from speaking with the ghost – even his friend Horatio – and stabs the concealed Polonius unflinchingly. On the sea voyage to England he boards a pirate ship single-handed in the grapple, after having arranged without remorse for the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. In light of these deeds, Hamlet’s self-accusations are signs of burning impatience in one who would surely act if he could. (5-6)    Harry Levin comments on Hamlet’s uncharacteristic hesitation in dispatching the king, in the General Introduction to The Riverside Shakespeare:    Comparably, Hamlet has been taken to task – or, perhaps more often, se... ...ilm, Television and Audio Performance. Rutherford, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson Univ. P., 1988.    Levin, Harry. General Introduction. The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1974.    Nevo, Ruth. â€Å"Acts III and IV: Problems of Text and Staging.† Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Rpt. from Tragic Form in Shakespeare. N.p.: Princeton University Press, 1972.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.

slavery in brasil Essay -- Slavery Essays

Because certain forms of slavery had existed for centuries on the continent of Africa, Brazilian historians used to say that blacks imported from across the Atlantic were docile and ready to accept their new status as slaves. This assertion is based on the unwarranted assumption that was true of a limited area of Africa was typical of the continent as a whole.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All slavery in brazil was essentially the same depending on the task or the labor the slave had to preform. In many cases the slaves was there to perform labor that was deplorable to the nobility. The Peninsulares born on the Iberian peninsular or even Creoles born in the Americas. During the 1500-1800's there were shortages of women from the peninsular. Some of the Conquistadors got married to the elite women of the Inca or indigenous women and a different class was born mestizo. There were even some cases that the house slave bore children for the master. The master was the father of the patriarchal society where the man was dominant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In other cases of slavery it depended on the region or the kind of work the slave had to do. Whether the slave worked on a Fazenda small plantation around a mill or an Engenho a large mill with Senhor de engeno a leading member of society . They had to have skilled workers to work the mill mo stly women occupied those positions. The sugar cane estates and fields were worked by manual labors . In th...

Personal Computer and St. Thomas Aquinas Essay

What are the possible effects of gadgets in the academic of the students of St. Thomas Aquinas? Is it positive or is it negative? Both sides are possible. It can be positive in the view of the students but negative on the view of the teachers. Either way, the researchers wants to view all side of the story, both positive and negative. The researchers also want to inform the readers that gadgets, brought by the advancement of technology can help and destroy their academic performance. II. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The researchers found out that there are several problems regarding their topic. A very obvious problem is that gadgets often distract the attention of the students. The researchers want to solve and give possible solutions to the said problem. How gadgets distract or get the attention of the students? Does it bring positive results on their academic performance and academic standing? III. HYPOTHESIS The researchers suggests that students should have less time in using their gadgets, especially their cellular phones, iPods, PSPs, Laptops, and their own personal computers. Why the researchers included personal computers? Because most of the time, students nowadays use their personal computers for gaming and entertainment purposes. The researchers formulated this as a possible solution because if the students lessen their time on their gadgets, then they will have more time in enhancing their academic performance by reading books, observing their environment, and by interacting with other people. IV. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK The researchers have assumed that using modern day gadgets often bring negative effects on students, especially on their academic performance. The reason why the researchers assumed this is because it is very obvious. They also observed to other people that the main reason why they fail their subjects is that they spent more time on using their gadgets, especially their personal computers. They use it most of the time playing computer games. Also, cellular phones is also a reason because they spend their time texting and calling their friends instead of reading and studying their lessons. V. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK INPUT: Cellular Phones iPod Personal Computer PSP OUTPUT: Failing Grades Less time in interacting with other people personally Gets distracted easily More Irritable VI. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The researchers conducted the study so for the reason that they want to inform the readers about the effects of gadgets on the academic performance of the students. Here are some of the reasons why they have conducted the said study: Parents – they should know the possible effects of gadgets on the academic performance of their children. This will help them on how they will control their children. Also, this will also serve as a guide for them how to discipline their children. Students – they should know their limits. They must learn how to manage their time. Students nowadays cannot manage their time. They use their time on things that distracts their attention on studying. They must learn that using gadgets is good but they must learn how to limit their time. VII. SCOPE AND LIMITATION The study is limited only on how gadgets affect the academic performance of the students of St. Thomas Aquinas. The study is focused only on how gadgets affect the academic performance of the students. The researchers want to inform the readers that using gadgets will cause many negative effects than positive effects. VIII. DEFINITION OF TERMS Academic Performance – this is how a student performs in class. This can be a positive or a negative performance. Academic Standing – refers to the rank of student in his/her class. Gadgets – refers on the things brought by technology. For example, computer, cellular phones, music players. Personal Interaction – refers on communicating with other person personally. Texting – refers to the act of communicating with other people by using cellular phones.

Indigo Book and Music Essay

Q1 When two organizations merge what type of structure issues doyou think might need to addressed?When Reisman was made a task to merging two organizations intoone, Indigo and Chapter both had similar organizational structure -afunctional based design.Indigo’s corporate structure, for instance consisted of departmentssuch as marketing, human resources, and retail. However, the neworganization suddenly had 90 big- box stores and close to 7,000employees. Moreover, with the take over, Indigo gained control of thenation wide.So when these two types’ organizations merge they can chose therecustomers and product mix and the assets which they have combined,the resources and the common functions which they have. They alsoset staffing numbers and decide salary levels. All customers, privateand corporate, no matter what size, are the responsibility of a localbranch. That means that even a large global customer such as Volvo ismanaged by a branch office. However, a branch office â€Å"buy in† specialist services it may need in servicing important customers likeVolvo. Each branch manger is also responsible for branch performance,which is measured by ratio of costs divided by revenues, and all thebanks branches are benchmarked against each other. if a branch startsunderperforming the regional office will offer advice and examples of what other branches have done. And to stop predatory competitionbetween its own branches, the company has set strict geographicalboundaries. Q2 What role do you think organizational structure plays in anorganization’s efficiency and effectiveness?Organizational structure is the formal arrangements of jobs within anorganization. When mangers develop or change the structure they’reengaged in organizational design. The challenge for managers is todesign an organizational structure that allows employees to effectivelyand efficiently do their work.

Fundamentals of Macroeconomics Essay

Some of the terms that are frequently used in economics are; gross domestic product (GDP), real GDP, nominal GDP, unemployment rate, inflation rate, and interest rates. Gross domestic product is the money value of the nation’s productivity. GDP is the value of all finished goods and services produced within the country’s border. Real GDP is the market value of the final goods and services produced in a year. Real GDP means that it was adjusted for inflation so it will show a more accurate figure. Without real GDP our market values would look a lot higher than they really were and this helps us when trying to see what our productivity was. Nominal GDP is also known as the current dollar amount. It is the gross domestic product that has not been adjusted for inflation. Nominal GDP can be misleading because it does not adjust the inflation amount. For example if the nominal GDP figure showed that it shot up 10% but inflation has been 5% the real GDP has really only increased 5%. The unemployment rate is a percent of people who are not currently working but are willing and able to work or currently seeking. There are three different types of unemployment. The unemployment rate is figured by dividing the number of unemployed people by the number of people who are working and then multiplied by 100. Inflation rate is when prices for goods and services are on the rise. Inflation results in higher prices for the same amount goods and services one could have bought the year before for a lower price. Inflation gives high prices and lower purchasing power from consumers. The dollar amount becomes less than what it previously was. An interest rate is a percentage of the principle, which is the total amount of a loan, given by a lender for the use of an asset. The asset could either be a house or vehicle. An interest rate is usually based on an annual basis so this is also known as an annual percentage rate or APR. Somebody who has a high credit score shows that they have a good track record with other loans and monthly payments and will be given a lower interest rate. Somebody who has a low credit score is considered more high risk and will be given a higher interest rate. The three sectors; government, households, and businesses all have a circular flow between the three. The purchasing of groceries affects each one of the three sectors in different ways. It goes along with the law of demand and supply and the price level or inflation. Households decide and control what and how much to buy for consumption. The income effect has part of what consumers buy also. If there is an unexpected change of price this will affect the purchasing power of the consumer. Since households have control on what they buy and how much this will affect each business that contributes to the grocery stores. The competition in the grocery stores will affect the price of each item will affect what the household buys. Distribution also plays an important role in the economy by getting goods where people want them. If goods are in high demand this may affect the price level which may affect what consumers will buy. The government in turn will make some of their money on sales tax from the groceries. This tax will be used for expenditures that will go back into the economy. A decrease in taxes could affect the three sectors in a positive way. If there is a decrease in taxes there is a chance that more tax revenue is generated. The reason is because if people are bringing in more money into their households they will likely spend more money which will help businesses. If businesses are busy and making more money they will be more likely to hire more people who in turn will also be taxed which will help the government. A massive layoff of employees would hurt the economy and the three sectors. If people are out of work they are bringing in less money for their household. Since they will not have as much money as they are used to they are less likely to spend money which will hurt businesses. If businesses are not making a profit they may be forced to lay more people off. Because there are so many people laid off they will likely collect unemployment insurance which will cost the government more money.

Wal-Mart Sex Discrimination

RUNNIG HEADER: WAL-MART SEX DICRIMINATION â€Å"Always low prices,† is the clever motto used by Wal-Mart to lure its customers into the supermarket. Wal-Mart serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week. They operate under 69 different banners in 27 countries (Frank, 2006). With fiscal year 2012 sales of approximately $444 billion, Wal-Mart employs 2. 2 million associates worldwide. Wal-Mart has created a facade declaring that their low prices have benefited all Americans.However, under its disguise of generosity, Wal-Mart has become an unethical workplace from which the workers, the society, and Americans are suffering. Wal-Mart Sex Discrimination: Dukes vs. Wal-Mart Inc. History of Walmart In the late 1940’s, Sam Walton had a simple but momentous idea. Walton was always looking for deals from suppliers. He realized he could do better than other retailers by passing on the savings to his customers and earning his profits through volume (Frank, 2006 ). This formed a cornerstone of Walton’s business strategy when he launched Wal-Mart in 1962.The decade that began from the 1970s was period of substantial economic growth, in the history of Wal-Mart. In 1971, it started off a huge expansion by opening a gigantic center and also a home office in Bentonville, Arkansas (â€Å"Sam Walton†). The 70s decade saw a substantial rise in the number of employees which amounted to about 1500 associates. 1975 the company had expanded to 7500 associated and had 125 operational stores. In 1977, in a massive takeover, Wal-Mart acquired the Hutcheson Shoe Company and also introduced a branch for pharmaceuticals by the name Wal-Mart pharmacy.By the end of the decade, Wal-Mart had become a giant in the American retail industry with a turnover of more than 1. 248 billion dollars in sales and 276 stores managed massive yet efficient staff of 21, 000 associates. When Walton died in 1992, the adjustment to a post-Sam environment proved diffi cult (â€Å"Sam Walton†). Although Wal-Mart executives had emphasized for years that their company depended on a set of principles and habits more than it did on any one person, Walton's death wound up marking a fateful shift in how the company was perceived.Before his death, Walton witnessed the rise of Wal-Mart becoming the biggest corporation of this nation and the world. However, he was unable to see the steady path of its destruction. Throughout its path to success, Wal-Mart has turned into a selfish vendor who has forgotten morals, ethics, and mainly America (Frank, 2006). However, the dependency of customers on Wal-Mart is so high that it is impossible to challenge their ways. Walton’s Wal-Mart has turned into dominating supermarket by crushing the rights of their employees, by destroying the jobs of many Americans, and by changing of the quality of life in the American societies.Sex Discrimination According to our book, surface-level diversity is the observable demographic and other overt differences in people, such as their race, ethnicity, gender, age, and physical capabilities (McShane ; Von Glinow, 2011, p. 21). Sex discrimination is part of surface- level diversity. Discrimination usually occurs when actions of an employer, supervisor or coworkers â€Å"deny to individuals or groups of people equality of treatment which they may wish. â€Å"( Stainback, Ratliff, ; Roscigno, 2011) Dukes vs. Wal-Mart Inc.In 1986, Walton was sensing some pressure to appoint a woman to Wal-Mart's all-male board (Frank, 2006). So he offered the job to Arkansas' first lady, one Hillary Clinton, who accepted. She would later quote Walton's pitch: â€Å"I think I need a woman; would you like to be her? † Today, Wal-Mart's challenges in the field of gender equality are not so easily addressed. The company keeps its payroll costs down by paying women less than their male counterparts for performing the same work. Evidence also exists that it fails to promote women at the same rate as men.In 1995, Betty Dukes took a job at a Wal-Mart near San Francisco, working as a cashier and greeter for $5 an hour (Frank, 2006). A â€Å"greeter† represents the face of the company as consumers walk through the door. Little did Dukes and Wal-Mart know that Dukes would ultimately become a face of Wal-Mart nationally, under much different circumstances. In 2000, Dukes found herself denied promotions filed a sex-discrimination suit. â€Å"The suit alleges that Wal-Mart violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), is the biggest employment discrimination case in the history of the United States.Furthermore, the suit hastens an eventual trial for women, who are seeking billions of dollars from Wal-Mart† (Hagen, 2011). The case now involves nearly two million women, and, in 2004, it was certified by Judge Martin J. Jenkins, of the United States District Court in San Francisco as a class action. Title VII prohibits empl oyment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. When the victim suffers a tangible economic detriment, such as termination or demotion, the employer is strictly liable under Title VII. (Lavin ; DiMichele, 2012).Discrimination is a difficult thing to prove. According to numbers compiled in 2003 by the plaintiffs, female store managers average slightly under $90,000 in annual income, while their male counterparts average slightly over $100,000. And while women make up 79 percent of the store's department heads (an hourly position), only 15. 5 percent are store managers. When the Supreme Court dismissed Dukes vs. Wal-Mart due to the complexity of proving such a large number of claims to be true, Wal-Mart likely believed that it could close the door on that decade-long (Levine, 2008) .However, Dukes and her peers haven’t given up, almost 2,000 current and former female employees across the country have filed gender discrimination complaints w ith the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Of the 1,975 EEOC complaints, the largest number of complaints came from Florida, with 284 filings, followed by Alabama with 142 filings and Georgia with 119 filings. The EEOC complaints preserve the women’s right to sue Wal-Mart for gender discrimination in pay and promotions, despite the dismissal of the Dukes class.Till this day, the women are still fighting this long battle and hoping it gets settled soon. Wal-Mart is Labeled as â€Å"Cheap† Wal-Mart is legendary for its cheapness across its operations. Wal-Mart forces its executives to share hotel rooms when they travel at their expense. The allegations do seem to whole some kind of truth to it. Wal-Mart single-minded devotion to lower prices, one might predict that they would only engage in employment discrimination to the extent that it serves efficiency goals. â€Å"A company that prioritizes low prices might lawfully provide limited benefits and pay low wages across the board.Such a company might also commit widespread, nondiscriminatory labor violations if it thought that the benefits of such violations would outweigh the probability and costs of detection. Thus, the charges of overtime violations that led to Wal-Mart's federal and state settlements are fairly unsurprising† (Wexler, 2011) A company desiring low labor costs might also engage in so-called rational discrimination by excluding or disfavoring workers who are accurately forecasted to raise costs for the company (Wexler, 2011). Some evidence suggests that Wal-Mart does in fact engage in such practices.In particular, Wal-Mart settled several disability discrimination cases in which it was charged with using pre-employment questionnaires to screen out employees with medical or other disability-related issues. Even after the entry of a 2004 consent decree in a class action disability discrimination case, over one-hundred plaintiffs have filed new charges contending th at Wal-Mart fails to provide reasonable accommodations, fires disabled employees, and uses a â€Å"leave of absence† bait-and-switch to force disabled employees out. ConclusionEthics plays a huge role in this decade long battle. One ethical principle that stands out to me is Distributive Justice. It’s a principle which suggests that people who are similar to each other should receive similar benefits and burdens; those who are dissimilar should receive different benefits and burdens in proportion to their dissimilarity (McShane ; Von Glinow, 2011, p. 53). The case, deals with distributive justice. I believe that everyone should be paid the same if doing the exact same job, regardless of gender.Women works just as hard a man if not harder in the corporate world. References. Awards. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://corporate. walmart. com/our-story/awards Hagen, W. (2011). Dissection and Analysis of the Recent Cases on Employment Discrimination Under Title VII of the Civi l Rights Act of 1964. Employee Responsibilities ; Rights Journal, 23(3), 171-186. doi:10. 1007/s10672-010-9163-x Frank, T. A. (2006, April). Everyday low vices. Retrieved from http://www. washingtonmonthly. com/features/2006/0604. frank. html McShane, S.L. , and Von Glinow, M. A. (2010) Organizational Behavior, 5th Edition, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, New York. Lavin, H. S. , ; DiMichele, E. E. (2012). Are You My Supervisor? : The Scope of Supervisory Authority Under Title VII. Employee Relations Law Journal, 38(3), 89-94. Levine, D. (2008, September 21). Walmart gender discrimination lawsuit allowed to proceed, judge says. Retrieved from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2012/09/22/walmart-gender-discrimination_n_1905204. html Sam walton. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://corporate. almart. com/our-story/heritage/sam-walton Stainback, K. , Ratliff, T. N. , ; Roscigno, V. J. (2011). The Context of Workplace Sex Discrimination: Sex Composition, Workplace Culture and Relative Power. Social Forces, 89(4), 1165-1188 Wexler, L. (2011). WAL-MART MATTERS. Wake Forest Law Review, 46(1), 95-121. Appendix * In the past 5 years at Walmart stores in the U. S. : * Female co-managers have increased by 143% * Female store managers have increased by 46% * Female market managers have increased by 49%

Benefits of Community involvement in Construction Literature review

Benefits of Community involvement in Construction - Literature review Example Findings from past studies on community participation have sometimes been applied in a wide range of service sections and types of settlement. It is, therefore, important obtain clarity in such findings. The following sections will look into an overview of community involvement and the findings from previous studies in relation to the effects of community involvement on construction projects and similar developments. Community Participation: An Overview A community’s conceptualization differs between projects, sectors, and regions (Memon, 2004). Typically, a community can be classified in terms of their administrative, social, and resource attributes. For example, legal communities refer to those that have been recognized by the local government, distinguishing a chain of command and arranging laws and codes in terms of political structures. The community members themselves are referred to as the social communities that signify the differentiation between the population based on social, cultural, and economic norms, such as farmers, traders, or local administrators. Finally, geographical communities can be defined by their planning terms as well as natural features and resources, recognizing communal interests (Kumar, 2005). Types of participation with which community members are actively involved in a particular activity can be classified into a number of forms. Passive participation refers to the type of involvement where in individuals who live within the project area participate by being told of future plans or current developments; other than this, they will not have any other contribution. Participation for material incentive is a type of involvement wherein individuals participate because they are paid by food or cash in exchange for their labor in a pre-determined project (Joshi and Moore, 2004). These individuals can also participate by offering a resource, including money or labor, to the set project, thus participation by resource contribution . Next, participation with consultation involves community members being consulted with their ideas and options regarding the decisions that have to be made for the project. Consequently, their views may either be accepted or rejected. People who are involved in interactive participation join external professionals to analyze the given situation; they also help develop action plans and decide for common projects. Finally, spontaneous mobilization enables community members to take their own initiatives that are not influenced by external professionals in order to contribute to the situation. As a result, self-help projects and requests for assistance to other relevant institutions may be carried out. Much of the empirical evidence with regards to the outcomes of projects in which community members are involved in have been based on the research on rural water projects (Prokopy, 2005) as well as from other public service sectors with which participation has been conceptualized as a ty pe of co-production. With this, citizens contribute their input to services which are typically and exclusively generated by public agencies. Support for community involvement has been evident in different sectors and one perceived reason for such is that social change, including the development of new habits and skills, or realizations of the service’