Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Europe and the Suez Crisis 1956 Essay
How much was the military activity attempted by the British and French in the Suez Crisis 1956 extremely essential? This recorded examination looks to assess and think about the variables impacting the connections and conversations among France and Britain during the Suez Crisis and accordingly incited them to submit military power to the area. The mainbody will take a gander at the distinctions and similitudes in Britainââ¬â¢s and Franceââ¬â¢s goals in the Middle East, the inside circumstance (predominantly in Britain), Nasser㠯⠿â ½s activities, general conclusion in Western Europe just as American and UN approaches on the emergency. So as to complete his examination an assortment of sources will be counseled essential and optional, from which pertinent data will be chosen. Carlton㠯⠿â ½s ââ¬Å"Britain and the Suez Crisisâ⬠and Thomas ââ¬Å"The Suez Affairâ⬠will be of specific use. The sources utilized dependability (date of distribution, creator and so on) will be examined. An examination of the primary contentions of the creators just as an assessment of various v erifiable understandings will be completed. B. Rundown of proof At the point when Britain and France dropped the advances to the Egyptian president, Nasserââ¬â¢s hydropower venture, the Aswan dam, Nasser reacted by nationalizing the Suez Canal Company on the 26th of July 1956. Data given in the book ââ¬Å"The Suez Affairâ⬠discloses to us that the organization was to a great extent possessed by British and French shareholders.1 England and France considered the To be nationalization as an infringement of global law and expected this could make an intensity of vacuum, which could be filled by the Soviets, who were their socialist foe vulnerable War. Alongside this, the nationalization of the channel straightforwardly compromised British and French impacts in the region, which was rich on oilsupplies and made sure about Britainââ¬â¢s approach to India. In a letter to the US President in September 1958, the British Prime Minister Eden composed: ââ¬Å"â⬠¦We should in the principal occurrence to offer the most extreme political weight as a powerful influence for Egyptâ⬠¦ (yet) my associates and I are persuaded that we should be prepared, in the final hotel, to utilize power to carry Nasser to his detects. â⬠2 In ââ¬Å"Mastering Modern World Historyâ⬠it is uncovered that a mystery Anglo-American arrangement called Omega recommended to oust Nasser by utilizing political and monetary pressure3. Regardless of this arrangement, the issue of utilizing military power in Egypt stayed a consuming issue among the British Conservatives. As indicated by Carlton, the British Cabinet, seemed separated on the matter of ââ¬Å"straight bashâ⬠on the Canal issue by early September.4 The popular feeling was firmly ace military activities and considered Nasser another Hitler.5 The French Minister Mollet, didn't endeavor to keep in great terms with any Arab, whom he felt doubt towards, and was to be a solid supporter of the choice to utilize military power. They accepted that the cash of the Algerian agitators, which they battled against, originated from Cairo. Both the French and the British related Nasser㠯⠿â ½s nationalization of the Canal with recorded analogies, which was not going to be rehashed: Hitler㠯⠿â ½s control of The Rhineland just as his take over of Czechoslovakia. The US-president, Eisenhower, emphatically communicated his antagonistic vibe on the matter of powers being utilized in Egypt. As indicated by Peter L. Hahn, Eisenhower saw Nasser as a peril of Western danger however accepted that power just would encourage Soviet invasion in the region.6 So the Americans proposed a relationship of trench clients, the SCUA, when it was uncovered that the British and French attempted to look for endorsement in the UN, where their activities could be defended because of the Soviet veto. The British accepted the SCUA, yet its effect on Nasser was bound to be unimportant. With the finish of the SCUA Conference, French and British Ministers, occupied with exchanges with their Egyptian partner and consented to the Six Principles7 (see Appendix). In spite of the fact that this appeared to propose a quiet settlement, French and British military arrangements to attack Egypt proceeded. On 24 October the British and the French Foreign Ministers held a mystery meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister who was resolved to drive Egypt to perceive the province of Israel. Five days after this gathering, Israeli powers attacked Egypt. At the point when Egypt would not pull back from the Suez Canal, British and French besieged Egyptian runways and landed soldiers at Port Said. The British-French assault on Egypt was welcomed with furious fights everywhere throughout the world. As indicated by Keith Robbin, the UN collectively denounced the Franco-British activity on second November8 At last, the UN announced truce on November 6 and British and French powers pulled back. C. Assessment of sources ââ¬Å"The Suez Affairâ⬠was distributed in 1966 (most recent release distributed in 1986), and was composed by Hugh Thomas who left the British Government after the Suez Crisis. Thomas expressed reason for this book is that ââ¬Å"It is a between time Report.â⬠9 in which he has utilized materials accessible and talked with individuals, for the most part British, engaged with the Crisis. The estimation of this book is that it is a point by point and interesting portrayal of the British governmentââ¬â¢s treatment of the Crisis, expertly described by Thomas who himself encountered the Suez Crisis has an understanding in the inner circumstance in Britain during this timeframe. In any case, this may likewise make the source one-sided as it is a lot of composed from a British viewpoint. This strategy has certain confinements as recollections can adjust and are not solid. David Carlton, who likewise has composed a reference index about Anthony Eden, distributed ââ¬Å"Britain and the Suez Crisisâ⬠in 1988. The book is focused on students; school understudies and other keen on post war British history. The motivation behind the book is to advise individuals about the ongoing past, so as to forestall late political inculcation. In spite of the fact that it is recognized in the introduction that there are issues of inclination, subjectivity and points of view in contemplating the past, the benefit of perusing history ââ¬Å"outweigh the drawbacksâ⬠10. Carlton㠯⠿â ½s book is undeniably more logical than Thomas㠯⠿â ½ and incorporates distinctive recorded understandings of the Crisis, which is of convenience when considering the emergency from a more extensive viewpoint. Be that as it may, Carlton㠯⠿â ½s book may be very one-sided as it is a lot of composed from a British point of view. Albeit both Carlton㠯⠿â ½s and Thomas㠯⠿â ½s books are British, they present an alternate perspective on the Suez Crisis, presumably because of the diverse date of distribution of the sources first release. Despite the fact that Thomas changed a few pieces of the book in his most recent release, the most generous pieces of his book, depend on sources accessible when the judgment of the military activity after the emergency made the publicity betray the British and French. In Carlton case, he has utilized materials discharged during the 80s, which appear to be more amicable towards he British and the French. By taking the two sources in account they disclose to us how the historical backdrop of the Suez Crisis has been reshaped because of political contention and purposeful publicity. D. Examination In the event that the Suez issue could have been fathomed in a progressively conciliatory manner, British and French esteem during the Cold War would without a doubt have been all the more well after the emergency. As indicated by the American columnist Donald Neff the Suez Crisis was a ââ¬Å"hinge point in historyâ⬠as it ruined France and Britain as participators neglected War: it stressed the Anglo-American partnership, heightened Egyptian patriotism and expanded Soviet impacts in the district. Alongside that, the consideration was driven away from the Hungary uprising, for the Soviets advantage, as the shadow of Europe fell over the Suez. Hugh Thomas presents a view in his book ââ¬Å"The Suez Affairâ⬠that the French and the British at first were resolved to utilize military power in Egypt. He proposes that they acted in a crafty manner: Nasserââ¬â¢s nationalization of the Suez Crisis allowed them the chance to legitimize the utilization of military power. He recommends that the British and the French had solid aims in the Middle East and to weld whatever number nations of the region as could be allowed into an anticommunist barrier agreement. This can somewhat be valid, as the Suez Crisis was an occasion neglected War, when the British and French vote based systems attempted to, along with America, contain the extending Communist alliance. In any case, other potential understandings of the Crisis and the British and French expectations repudiate this view. The history specialist Lowe presents proof of the Omega plan, which recommends that Britain planned to dispose of Nasser by progressively quiet methods. Other proof additionally bolsters this view. For instance Eden, as cited in segment B, needed to utilize military force as just ââ¬Å"a last resort.â⬠As we can see from the proof given, the Americans attempted to seek after a progressively serene strategy in Suez. The Six Principles, just as the acknowledgment of the SCUA, gave indications that the British were moving toward a serene settlement, on Americaââ¬â¢s activity which, maybe, could have spared them from a worldwide annihilation. In any case, one can contend that these discretionary exchanges can be viewed as drawing out the procedure so as to persuade America to acknowledge the utilization of military power. They were not genuine but rather only a veneer, which secured the aggressor expectations of Britain and France. The more contemporary view proposes various conditions drew Eden take the deadly choice to utilize military power. ââ¬Å"Eden was confronted with remarkable weights (â⬠¦).â⬠11. As indicated by Carlton, the scheme among France and Israel was not so much in the possession of Eden. ââ¬Å"
Saturday, August 22, 2020
Race vs. Ethnicity Essay
If we somehow happened to go out on the avenues today and ask ââ¬Å"what is the contrast among race and ethnicity?â⬠, the vast majority would most likely answer ââ¬Å"I donââ¬â¢t knowâ⬠or ââ¬Å" They are the equivalent thingâ⬠. One of the most befuddled ideas of characterizing each other is the recognizing of race and ethnicity. Previously, individuals either thought one was the other or there was basically no distinction. Naming individuals on the planet is frequently managed without appropriate information and can prompt creation a misleading incrimination or culpable somebody. Race is related with oneââ¬â¢s organic predecessors, for example, your physical appearance. While ethnicity is the personality with individuals who share comparable social custom. Ethnicity and race are diverse from multiple points of view yet are still regularly befuddled by numerous individuals today. First and foremost ethnicity manages oneââ¬â¢s social foundation while race manages a progressively hereditary foundation. Geographers study where and why of ethnicity and its areas. Geographers likewise study where and why individuals of various races live where they are. Another contrast between the two is that ethnicity isnââ¬â¢t as simple to tell by simply taking a gander at somebody. Be that as it may, on the off chance that you saw somebody to decide their race you could simply tell by their skin shading. Let's assume you put a Caucasian male from Canada, Germany, America, and Ireland together in a line; it would be hard to recognize which one from which. Be that as it may, you can without much of a stretch confirm that all the guys are Caucasian. Ethnic gatherings normally look to characterize themselves by their language, customs, and religion; while race is generally characterized by skin shading. Characterizing individuals through race for the most part prompts preference and bigotry, the conviction of oneââ¬â¢s race is of prevalence than all the others. It is favored by a great many people to be distinguished through their ethnicity, since it speaks to their way of life and doesnââ¬â¢t can possibly be hostile. Taking everything into account, race and ethnicity are particularly unique yet are befuddled among the vast majority of the world. Race is dictated by skin shading and physical traits went down from progenitors. Ethnicity is relating to your social foundation including language, religion, and conventions. It is smarter to recognize individuals through their ethnicities rather than their race to maintain a strategic distance from offense. A great many people don't have the foggiest idea about the contrast between the two or think they are the equivalent. Ethnicity and race interface in a manner with one another, yet they are and will consistently be particular to each other.
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
A Few Lessons from FLL
A Few Lessons from FLL Spring is the season when students across the country are making choices: high school seniors are choosing where they are going to college (we just finished hosting Campus Preview Weekend to help our admitted students make their decision), high school juniors are choosing where they might want to apply to college, and high school freshmen and sophomores (and even my sixth grade daughter!) are choosing what classes to take next year. So this time of year I am asked all the time for advice on what choices students should make to help their chances of coming to MIT. As I recently wrote in an op-ed piece for the higher ed website Inside Higher Ed, the best thing a student can do is whatever will advance his or her personal growth and genuine enthusiasm for learning. In the piece I cite the FIRST robotics competition as one of many excellent and worthwhile activities a student might do. While many MIT students have participated in FIRST, last year I had the good fortune of experiencing FIRST through the eyes of my daughter, who was on a FIRST Lego League (FLL) team. And, as I am gearing up to head to St. Louis for the FIRST World Championships in a few days, I thought I would share a bit of my experience with the program. (Actually, my first experience with a FIRST-like program was in Woodie Flowersâ 2.70 design class at MIT â" a story for another day.) The FLL program is the elementary and middle school version of the FIRST robotics competition. There are two elements to the program: a robotics competition and a project where the team identifies and develops a solution to a real world problem. Each year there is a theme to the robot game and the project. Last yearâs theme, âFood Factor,â explored food safety and the challenge of keeping food from spoiling. But here is the key reason that I found FLL so valuable: the robot game and the project are overlaid with a third, arguably more important, element: the FLL Core Values. These core values, such as teamwork, discovery, and the notion that your competitors are really your collaborators, are the real insight into this program. Teams get evaluated based on how well they live these core values. You get judged not only on how many points your robot scores during the tournament and how good a solution you develop for the project, but also on your process â" the teamwork, intentions, and values that you bring to it. How accepting was the group to different ideas? Did all members contribute? Were your mentors appropriately involved (i.e., guiding, but not doing)? And so the winning teams are not necessarily the ones that have the highest scoring robots or the most elegant designs (although these are good things). The process, intentions, attitudes, etc. â" all the good stuff that allows teams to succeed and sets young people up for success in life â" is what is judged and what is rewarded. As every engineer knows, you get what you measure, and as every parent knows, you get what you reward. The key is to measure and reward the outcomes you want. And FIRST is doing exactly that. Imagine if sports championships were won not only based on how many points you scored, but by how well your team worked together and solved problems, and how much you respected and even assisted your opponents? My daughterâs team learned an enormous amount about how to design and program a robot. They learned that by jumping in and trying things, you can learn to do something that just weeks before seemed impossibly hard. They learned how to build things that wouldnât break (by building things that did), that it is actually good to change your direction once you realize it needs to change (by hanging on too long and then panicking), that getting ideas from others on the team actually didnât mess everything up, and they learned to focus, ultimately building a robot that did a few tasks well rather then one that did many not so well. They also learned a lot about food safety. They learned that it is not so easy to keep food from spoiling. They learned to do research before identifying a problem to solve. They learned how to brainstorm possible solutions, and then compromise to agree on one to focus. And they learned that everyone had something unique they could contribute to the solution (including a team member who contributed his ventriloquism skills to the presentation!). What is clear is that the learning that takes place in FIRST is not abstract: it is real and accessible. Indeed, it is not only real, it is aligned with what we want student to learn. Programs like FIRST get students excited about working together, emphasizing that competition is more valuable when it is not about beating your opponent but when it is used to lift everyone up. This is exactly the type of experience our students need to be prepared to meet the challenges that the world faces.
Saturday, May 23, 2020
The Controversial Issue of the Keystone XL Pipeline
The Keystone XL Pipeline has been a major controversial issue in the news lately regarding the expansion of a pipeline from Alberta, Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. This pipeline will cross six states including Montana, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas. This pipeline will transport 830,000 barrels of crude tar sands oil to the United States. Despite the immediately benefits for the economy with the installation, the decision is to decline the Keystone XL Pipeline proposal. This decision is based mainly on two factors: the environment and the economy in the long run. One of the main objections to the Keystone XL Pipeline is the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) it will release. James Hansen, one of the most-respected climate scientists at NASA, said, ââ¬Å"The tar sands of Canada constitute a deadly threat to our planet.â⬠He explains that producing oil from tar sands result two-to-three times GHG than conventional oil. It is projected that during the construction period 0.24 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MMTCO2e) will be released per year. During operations, ââ¬Å"1.44 MMTCO2e would be emitted per year...The total lifecycle emissions associated with production, refining, and combustion of 830,000 barrels per day of oil sands crude will release 147 to 168 MMTCO2e per year.â⬠These numbers add up to a potential increase of 200 parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere. According to Hansen, the safe level of GHG in the atmosphere is 350 ppm, andShow MoreRelatedKeystone Xl Pipeline1429 Words à |à 6 PagesKeyston e XL Pipeline A proposed oil pipeline project will have the capacity to transport thounsands of barrels of crude oil to refineries in Oklahoma, Illinois, and the Gulf Coast of Texas. The Keystone XL is a 1,711-mile pipeline delivering Canadian crude oil to United States oil markets. This project is a response to the market demand for heavy crude oil in the Unites States. The pipeline will also be used to transport crude oil to the Cushing tank farm in the Midwest region. Many refineriesRead MoreThe Keystone Xl Pipeline Is A Proposed 1, 1798 Mile Pipeline1670 Words à |à 7 PagesThe Keystone XL Pipeline is a proposed 1, 1798 mile pipeline that begins in Hardisty, Canada and runs to Steele City , Nebraska. It is designed to carry up to 830,00 barrels of petroleum per day. The Canadian company TransCanada initially proposed the pipeline in 2005 and applied to the State Department for a construction permit in 2008. There would be 329 miles of pipeline in Canada and 840 miles of pipeline in the Un ited States. Then, once the pipeline reaches Nebraska, it would connect to anRead MoreThe Keystone Xl Pipeline Is A Proposed 1179 Mile Pipeline Essay807 Words à |à 4 Pages The Keystone XL pipeline is a proposed 1,179-mile pipeline that would travel from the oil sands of Alberta, Canada, southeast to Steele City, Nebraska, where it would connect with a preexisting pipe. The pipeline would transport 830,000 barrels of oil daily, which is around 50% more oil per day than is currently transported from Canada. Supporters say that it will create thousands of jobs and reduce the United Statesââ¬â¢ dependence on foreign oil. 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I have followed the controversy closely for the six years it has been raging. The facts behind the storm point clearly to the problems associated with the project Building the proposed extension of the Keystone Pipeline would transport product that will place vital naturalRead MoreThe Keystone Xl Pipeline Project1695 Words à |à 7 PagesThe Keystone XL Pipeline has divided North America because it is an enormous environmental issue. It has divided us due to our opinions. Many Americans see the potential it could bring to our country and economy, but there are several environmental problems to consider and h ealth issues to think about before deciding which side to take. Not only do those factors matter but also how it could affect the lives of many Americans. There are two sides to this issue, to either approve or disapprove theRead MoreAnalysis Of Transcanadas Proposed Keystone Xl Pipeline1342 Words à |à 6 PagesIntroduction TransCanadaââ¬â¢s proposed Keystone XL pipeline would move oil sands from Canada and shale oil produced in North Dakota and Montana to Nebraska for further delivery to the Gulf Coast where many refineries are located. This pipeline would be 875 miles of 36-inch pipe with the capacity to transport 830,000 barrels per day. Since the pipeline would cross the US border from Canada to the United States, the pipeline requires a Presidential permit from the state department. This decision isRead MoreThe Keystone Xl Is A Controversial Oil Pipeline Extension2193 Words à |à 9 PagesAbstract The Keystone XL is a controversial oil pipeline extension that would travel from Alberta, Canada, to the United States Gulf Coast. The Keystone XL should not be built because of the damage it would cause to the environment. The oil would be found within tar sands that contain bitumen. The process of extracting the crude oil uses a lot of energy and causes a large amount of greenhouse gases. Many citizens, in Canada and the United States, are outraged because it can be detrimental toRead MoreThe Alberta Tar Sands: Factors Affecting Extraction and Production of Fossil Fuels1290 Words à |à 5 PagesAlberta Tar Sands have been a contentious issue in recent years. Although the tar sands is estimated to be one of the Earths biggest reserves of fossil fuels, the extraction of these resources is known to cause a variety of social and ecological problems. The extraction process itself is inefficient and the pipeline that has been proposed is subject to many environmental risks. Portions of the pipeline have already been approved and the construction of the pipeline is already begun in some areas. ThisRead MorePlanning For The Future : The Keystone Xl Pipeline2058 Words à |à 9 PagesThe Keystone XL Pipeline Mahatma Gandhi once said, ââ¬Å"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man s needs, but not every man s greedâ⬠(Lindley). Even today, people in this world still desire many things much more than they actually need. Several occasions people have failed to take the time and think about the consequences their greeds would have on society. Since 2010, Canada and the United States have built a pipeline that travels through both countries. This pipeline, known as the Keystone Pipeline
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Gun Ownership Should Be Banned - 1512 Words
Gun ownership should be banned in order to reduce crime rates and ensure the protection of our nationââ¬â¢s people. Throughout the United States, gun control has become a controversial issue due to gun advocates strongly believing their 2nd Amendment rights guarantee them legal access to guns. Although gun advocates view gun ownership as self defense, the government and gun control supporters have noticed that legal distribution of guns has been linked to school shootings, homicide, and violent crimes. Furthermore, legal distribution of guns increases the risk of harming innocent people while declining the policeââ¬â¢s power to establish safety in society. Overall, in order to prevent the destruction of our country, the people must work together to ban gun ownership and ratify the 2nd Amendment rights clarifying its purpose to the public. Gun ownership should be banned to reduce the 100,000 deaths of americans that are shot every year in the United States. Throughout Americaâ⠬â¢s history, we have been known as the extremely gun violent country unfit to protect our citizens from danger. The television news reports continue to display the violent crimes and school shootings that has harmed innocent people especially children. When the government allows guns to be legal in the United States, they are giving people the responsibility to use this weapon for self defense purposes and recreational sport such as hunting. However, gun owners have been unable to handle this responsibilityShow MoreRelatedWhy Gun Ownership Should Not Be Banned1361 Words à |à 6 PagesGun control has been an ongoing issue in the American way of life, even though gun ownership is a constitutional right of the American people. The issue dates back prior to the drafting of the United States Constitution. According to Thomas Jefferson, ââ¬Å"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms, only disarm those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things wors e for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than prevent homicide, forRead More Private Gun Ownership Should NOT be Banned Essays1056 Words à |à 5 PagesWould you choose to own a gun if your life depended on it? America has defended itself with guns since December 13, 1631 when the National Guard was born. We are a country that defends what we love. What do we defend ourselves with? Guns of course. Guns and America were discovered around the same time. Guns will forever be a part of America. Without guns the American Revolution would not have been won (Boehm). There have been some times in American history where guns have caused the loss ofRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control Essay1622 Words à |à 7 PagesGun Control Does Not Equate to Less Gun Violence Civilian gun ownership has been debated, banned, allowed, and limited for as long as firearms have been used as a weapon against another human. Many arguments have been proposed over time about why civilians should, or should not be afforded the right to bear arms. What seems to be the most common modern opposition is that there is truly no need for civilians to own a gun, in this day and age. Many who oppose guns simply think less guns, less gun violenceRead MorePublic Ownership Of Handguns Should Be Banned1500 Words à |à 6 PagesUnited States, private ownership of handguns ought to be banned. I AFFIRM the resolution that ââ¬Å"In the United States, private ownership of handguns ought to be banned.â⬠For clarification of todayââ¬â¢s round, I offer the following definitions: Private Ownership - According to Collins Dictionary, private ownership is the fact of being owned by a private individual or organization, rather than by the state or a public body. Banned - Also, according to Collins Dictionary, Banned means to prohibit, officiallyRead MoreShould Gun Ownership Be A Right For All Citizens?999 Words à |à 4 PagesShould gun ownership be a right for all citizens? Of the approximate 875 million firearms legally owned in the world, American citizens own one quarter of these. Our second amendment, ââ¬Å"the right to bear armsâ⬠, establishes this right for us. While this accounts for legally obtained firearms, those obtained illegally far exceed these numbers. There is no way to establish how many firearms are illegally possessed. Banning guns in America would only affect law abiding citizens. Criminals and those whoRead MoreGuns And Their Effect On Gun Control962 Words à |à 4 PagesGuns and the ability to use them have been under attack in the United States and many other places throughout the World. There are groups of people that believe that as long as we have the right to bear arms that many unprotected people will lose their lives due to gun violence. There are many trends that come with gun violence and where these mass shooting occur, but a main one is that when a place legally prohibits carrying a weapon then that is where the most gun violence happens. Where guns areRead MoreThe Argument Against Gun Control Essay1141 Words à |à 5 PagesIn this paper, I consider the topic of gun control. First, I present Dixonââ¬â¢s argument in support of gun control, which is that all personal guns should be banned. Second, I introduce Huemerââ¬â¢s argument against the regulation of guns, which is that banning personal firearms is not justified. Third, I critique Huemerââ¬â¢s argument against gun control on the grounds of three claims. First, the right to own a gun is nullified by its negative repercussions. Second, gun control does not violate an individualââ¬â¢sRead MoreNo More Guns729 Words à |à 3 PagesPaul Chung Transition English Four April 21, 2011 Essay No more Guns The year 1774 was pivotal in the history of the United States. It marked the beginning of the Revolutionary war, which lasted thirteen years and claimed thousands of lives. Fighting against the British, the Americans had to rely on individual citizens because they did not have a well organized army. As famers and hunters, many citizens already owned guns. These rifles proved indispensable in defeating the British. After theRead MoreAmerica Needs Gun Control Essay1149 Words à |à 5 PagesFor years proposals for gun control and the ownership of firearms have been among the most controversial issues in modern American politics. The public debate over guns in the United States is often seen as having two side. Some people passionately assert that the Second Amendment protects an individuals right to own guns while others assert that the Second Amendment does no more than protect the right of states to maintain militias. There are many people who insist that the Constitution is a livin gRead MoreGuns And Gun Control855 Words à |à 4 PagesThe rise in cases of gun violence and related incidences of assault has drawn the public to the issue of guns and gun control. Such has been evident within the spheres of politics especially with the last election period seeing the incumbent president Donald Trump suggesting on stringent gun control laws. However, despite the acknowledgment of the need to have better gun laws, much ground and consensus has never reached. Such, to an extent, contributed to the current lack of political goodwill within
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Roles of Women in the Early Europe Free Essays
In early, medieval Europe, everyday life and the duties of people were greatly different than they are today. Obviously, there was no technology and life was a lot simpler. However, some of the former ways of life are not always praised as something good. We will write a custom essay sample on Roles of Women in the Early Europe or any similar topic only for you Order Now For example, women during the time were treated very inadequately. Yes, this has happened in just about every society in history, but it seems like most women during this period were used and disrespected more notably than in others. In Philippa Gregoryââ¬â¢s novel, The Other Boleyn Girl, this theme is seen greatly. In the story, the narrator, Mary, is defending her sister, Anne, after she is sentenced to death for producing an incest baby instead of a son for the king, King Henry. Mary, pleading for her sister, yells out ââ¬Å"We did nothing more than that was ordered. We only ever did as we were commanded. Is she to die for being an obedient daughter? â⬠(Pg. 650). During this time period, many women in the royal courts were used to produce male heirs, mainly to keep the name of the king and the family continuing. I strongly agree with the quote by Mary because killing a human being for a reason such as that is immoral and women are not just objects for men. In the story, Henry did have a choice to kill Anne or not, but I understood why he did end up taking her life. When Mary claims that the two Boleyn girls ââ¬Å"did as they were commandedâ⬠, something drew to my attention. Mary was completely valid in saying that. Anne and Mary were mainly just used to birth a son. Several members of their family, including their uncle, demanded for one of them to bed the king. At first it was Mary who had an affair with the already married king. Even though Mary produces two children, one being a boy, it is not legitimate due to the fact that Mary is merely a mistress and not the queen. When he was done with Mary, King Henry moved on to Anne, who was more determined to become queen and have the child be legitimate. She eventually becomes the Queen of England, but it is proven that Henry was just using her for her child after he kills her. I do not agree with this concept by any means. However, this was a common role for women at the time. Kings and royal families were so concerned about keeping their name going in the court that they would risk the lives of women in doing so. You would think that one of King Henryââ¬â¢s seven wives would pick up on this trend at some point, or any woman in any court for that matter. It seems like women were treated as objects in the royal courts. The women were the croc pot that prepared the kingsââ¬â¢ stew. And, if that stew was not one hundred percent correct, the croc pot would be set aside and replaced with a new one. I do not feel this is morally acceptable at all. I understand that kings wanted to have a male heir to keep the name going, but they should have had to complete that task so viciously. In this case, I do not agree with King Henryââ¬â¢s tactics at all, but I understand why he killed Anne. I believe that it was so common to banish or kill a wife for such crimes as adultery or incest that Henry had no choice, but to kill her. He was a very strong, determined man with a bold reputation for being so. By beheading Anne, he was retaining his reputation, but also proved that it was never true love between him and Anne. He had women lined up to take the place of Anne. ââ¬Å"He is at her house every night. He is as he was in the old days, when it was her. â⬠(656). This quote just proves the fact that Henry wanted nothing more of Anne than a son, which is a common theme of the roles of women during this time period. I do not agree with the concept of using women for the production of male heirs because it is immoral and women should not be viewed as objects. That is a major theme in The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. It is prevalent throughout the story and in history that King Henry of England used women as devices used to produce male heirs. This was also seen throughout history. Kings were so determined to keep their name going that they would execute their wives for such faults as not producing a boy, or in this case, birthing an incest baby. The kings had to maintain a strong reputation. I understand that, but do not agree with how they did so. How to cite Roles of Women in the Early Europe, Essay examples
Sunday, May 3, 2020
Pure Cinema free essay sample
Do you agree with Andre Bazin that Ladri de Biccilette is an example of ââ¬Ëpure cinemaââ¬â¢? (Bazin [1971] p. 60). To what extent is such a pure cinema possible and, in your opinion, which Italian Neo-realist film screened on the unit comes closest to it? Explain your reasoning. This essay will address the characteristics of ââ¬Ëpure cinemaââ¬â¢ and the extent of its practical nature. It also seeks to analyse the film Ladri de Biccilette whilst exploring the traits of pure cinema in this film. The definition of pure cinema refers to a cinema where real life is projected onto the screen in way that creates the illusion of reality. The more the aspects of a film are closer to real life, the purer the cinema it will be regarded. Pure cinema does not concern itself whether the audience is bored, shocked, thrilled or satisfied, and also would not care much how the scenes are interpreted. It seeks purely to reflect what is going on in reality, without intentionally altering or cutting parts out in order to manipulate a specific set of emotions from its audience. In perfect pure cinema, there is no lighting added to the scene and things are filmed as they were perceived before the existence of the camera in the scene. The location and settings, which are the most important defining aspect of pure cinema, are real places instead of studio-based scenes, and the director does not manipulate mise-en-scene, either. The events are just the ones of ordinary issues and dialogues are simple and do not necessarily follow a good grammar. In other words, there is no exaggeration nor dramatization of the events. Using real people instead of actors, and allowing them to act and speak freely with a small amount of direction, is another characteristic of pure cinema. The position of the camera is random and the camera usually films everything in a long-take and wide angle (like looking through a window). In pure cinema, the director has not got a firm script, which he has to follow step by step. Instead he tries to be receptive to the world around him and films everything and leaves it up to the audience to draw the meaning themselves. These are the essential characteristics of pure cinema, ut how many of these characteristics can be found in the film Ladri de Biccilette is what that will explored in the next paragraph. Ladri di Biccilette (Vitoria de Sica, 1948) is one of the films that started the wave of Neo-realist films in Italy. The core target of this film, like other neo-realist films, was mainly to reflect the life of the worker, which up this point in Italian history, had been ignored in their films. The social position of the victims in the Ladri di Biccilette, in which the actors are only placed to move the story forward, is what carries the main message of the film. The actual story of the film, as Bazin believes, is not even enough to fill a paragraph of a news article. In the opening scene of the film, a crowd of unemployed men are waiting to find out that there is only one job available. All the people used in this film are normal people whose real lives were similar to the one in the film. The role of the worker was played by somebody who was working in a factory nearby, while the role of the son was played by a boy who was found in the streets of Rome and a journalist played the role of the wife. There are no studio-based scenes and all the locations are real places in Rome, which is in itself of historical value with the documenting of the landscape of Rome, post World War II. Events in the film look quite random and accidental. For example, when the worker is reporting his bicycle stolen to the police officer, another officer, who is leaving the station with a group of soldiers, suddenly calls upon the first officer. The camera moves its focus from the worker and the police officer and his colleagues, in a way that looks random and accidental. Another good example of the accidental look of the film and the existence of a kind of dead time is the rain scene, in which the rain forces the worker and his son to take refuge at the front of a building. A group of German priests joins them and start to talk in German, which again felt very accidental. The camera films everybody until the rain stops without a single cut, contributing to this aspect of dead time. Ladri de Biccilette is a very successful film in creating natural and believable moments. While the worker and his son are off searching for the bicycle, there is moment where the child tries to urinate in street. This is an indication of profound realism, where even examples of the most private behaviour and dialogue are shared with the audience. The connection between the worker and his son is one of the most natural relationships existing in this film. Poverty almost closes the gap between the worker and his child, as the father does not have money and education to make him considerably superior. The family needs to send the young child to work and the worker needs his help and company to search for his bicycle. The dialogue between the father and son is like dialogue between two adults. The worker talks about their income and his strategies to attempt to improve their lives, while the son criticizes his dad when he created a situation which caused the old man to run away. The most important part of the film is the last scene, where local people catch the worker as he runs away with the stolen bicycle. The child witnesses everything and later when his dad realises what has happened, the son grabs the hand of his father. From this moment onwards, the worker does not have anything superior over his child, because his child, as Bazin (1971) says, has suddenly become an adult. There are many moments where the film fulfils its mission, as an Italian Neo-realist film, to screen the daily life of the worker, their sad and happy moments, struggles and times of relief, plus their values and beliefs. In the church scene, there are many layers of meaning skilfully constructed. The organisers of the church services are all wearing new and expensive clothes and very clearly show their superiority over the lay/ normal people, all of whom are wearing old and dirty clothes to the service. When the worker talks to an old man (who wanted to buy his stolen bicycle), one of the locals tells the worker that ââ¬Å"talking is sinfulâ⬠. It suggests that the organisers of the services are all quite well off and disconnected from the poors suffering, while they are there to celebrate their relative prosperity in life by being able to give food away to the community. The religion advertised by these people does not allow for complaint, as it is said that ââ¬Å"talking is sinfulâ⬠. In this scene, the worker represents a group of Italians who are poor, but their dignity stops them from accepting charity. In the scene where there is a long queue of people waiting to ride the bus, there are some women who we see roughly pushed onto the bus amongst men. This scene, just on its own, claims that in extreme poverty, gender-roles lose their function in society and differences between humans and animals are also diminished. Not everything in this film has the character of pure cinema. In a few places, music is used to create a dramatic effect and imposes a particular state of emotion on the viewer. For example; the scene when the worker and his wife are carrying buckets of water into their home would not have the same dramatic effects without music. The camera position in this film, unlike the character of pure cinema which suggests a much more random and accidental placement, seems more carefully placed to effect a particular meaning. In the scene where the worker is waiting to get his newly-purchased bicycle, the camera, as the POV of the worker, films the man who is climbing the shelves to put their bed sheets in its place. This shot, for example, is very cleverly designed to convey the escalation of poverty. Another shot which suggests that the director is manipulating the camera position, and in some places the mise-en-scene, is where the worker and his friends are walking past the film posters. This shot helps considerably to create a contrast between reality and what is on the movies. I do not see Ladri di Biccilette as a perfect example of pure cinema, but I would partially agree with Basinââ¬â¢s statement that this film is one the first examples of pure cinema. This film certainly has many of the characteristics of pure cinema, but also has many of those belonging to artistic cinema. Bazin (1971) claims that in this film there are ââ¬Å"no more actors, no more story, no more setsâ⬠, but I believe by using non-actors in a film, you can guarantee that there is no acting in a film. There are a lot of people who have never been trained to become actors but who have an absolutely natural talent as actors. In this film, the lead actor was clearly was a natural actor in that he was able to become frustrated, angry, cry and joke in front of camera. As I explained earlier in my essay, the camera position is also manipulated in order to convey particular meanings, as well as mises-en-scene in some places. Pure cinema , in my view, suggests something perfect and a perfect thing does not exist. Filmmakers can only try to create a film closer to ââ¬Å"realityâ⬠.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Organism Adaptations Essays - Ecology, Systems Ecology, Fisheries
Organism Adaptations 1)stimulus: a change in the environment that necessities a response, or adjustment by an organism (ex. swirling dust) response: the adjustment or change you make to a stimulus (ex. blinking your eyes) 2)Protists respond to a negative stimuli by moving away from it. Protists respond to: light, irritating chemicals, temperature, touch, etc. 3)Yes, they grow towards the stimulus (ex. light). photoropism: it means the organism grows towards the light. no geotropism: it means the organism grows towards the ground. no 4)This is because animals have the most highly developed sensory systems of all organisms. 5)Three factors that affect an organism's response are the type, number, and complexity of an animal's sense organs. The way they affect the response is determined by the type, number, and complexity of the animal's sense organs. 6)positive: food, money negative: a man pointing a gun at you neutral: sound of traffic 7)In general, organisms go towards positive stimuli, and go away from n egative one. 8)voluntary: eating a bowl of hot chicken soup involuntary: watering of your mouth learned: talking 9)When an animal receives a scare, it can either Fight, Flight (go away from), Freeze the/from organism that is scaring that animal. The animal releases adrenaline that gives it the strength to do one of those things. pg. 136 #3,4,challenger) 3)automatic: i)blinking your eyes when dust gets in them ii)mouth waters when you smell food iii)moving your hand away when it gets burned voluntary: i)eat a bowl of soup ii)drink water iii)watching TV 4)The stimulus. You need the stimulus to make a response. b)No, it is not possible. This is because with an action, there is a reaction. No, you need a stimuli to make a response, otherwise it is not really a response. 5)i)it comes out of the ground ii)it crows iii)it barks and chases the perpetrator iv)it chases and eats a gazelle b)i)the flooding of its home ii)getting light iii)the person breaking in iv)its hunger Challenger It help s to keep the brain and heart from freezing. pg. 146 #1-5) 1)i)taste ii)touch iii)sight iv)smell v)hearing 2)The protists can only sense chemical. 3)This effect is called sensory adaptation. b)An advantage is that you aren't bothered by the smell. A disadvantage is if you are accustomed to the smell of smoke, the smell of smoke might not alert you if your house is on fire. b)cone: when it is light out rod: when it is dark out c)They aren't as developed as some other organisms. 5)Eyelid: this is because your hell cells are very tough from being walked on. This causes them not to be very sensitive. 5-6-1993 pg.13 #1-6) 1)environment: everything in an organism's surroundings biotic environment: all living things in an environment abiotic environment: non living things in an environment 2)When you breathe, your body extracts oxygen from the air. b) large animal eats smaller animal smaller animals larger animal dies and eats plants fertilizes ground soil grows plants 3)biology,ecology: they are the study of things on earth; ecology is the study of environment, biology is the study of animals b)producers,consumers: they live off the environment; pro. manufactures food, con. can't manufacture other food, but eat other organisms c)scavenger,decomposer: both live of off dead organisms; decom. break down the bodies of dead organisms d)habitat,niche: have to do with were an animal lives hab.=enviro. space were an organism lives, niche = way an organism reacts with its environment e)environment,ecosystem: were organisms live; enviro.= everything in an organism's surroundings, eco.= were organisms of a distinct group interact 4)a)auto b)hetro c) auto d)auto e)auto f)hetro 5)biosphere: layer of planet where living things exist and interact b)lithosphere: solid portion of the Earth's surface c)hydrosphere: layer of water that covers nearly 3/4 of the Earth's surface d)atmosphere: mass of air surroundin g the Earth 6)The scavengers come and totally eat the carcass. The decomposers decompose the carcass and it fertilizes the ditch. pg. 18 #1-6) 1)herbivore: animals that consume only plant material (ex. cattle, sheep) trophic level: how directly a consumer interacts with the producers of its ecosystem food chain: a feeding sequence in which each kind of organism eats the one below it in the chain (ex. grass -> mouse -> wolf) 2)Because the producer provides the food for the
Friday, March 6, 2020
Music 111 Chapter 16 Essays
Music 111 Chapter 16 Essays Music 111 Chapter 16 Paper Music 111 Chapter 16 Paper Essay Topic: Literature The term Romantic was: used by writers of literature in the nineteenth century and adopted by musicians. The composer most responsible for elevating music to a new level of respect during the Romantic era was: Ludwig van Beethoven. Which is true of the relative status of music in the nineteenth century? Music rose to the same status as literature The Romantic movement in literature first arose in: England and Germany Who provided the Romantics with the ideal of the individual and was considered the ideological father of the French Revolution? Jean-Jacques Rousseau Which describes the emotional goal of music in the nineteenth century? a search for freedom of individual emotional expression Which is true of Romantic composers such as Beethoven, Liszt, and Verdi? As rebels against the social order, they associated themselves with revolutionary and libertarian politics. Which is true of the social revolution of the nineteenth century? Composers such as Liszt personally crossed class boundaries. Which describes Romantic composers view of form and harmony? Romantic composers did not allow form or genre to restrain spontaneous creativity. An early monument to supernatural Romanticism was the opera The Magic Bullet by: Carl Maria von Weber. In the nineteenth century, which of the arts was believed to be the most capable of expressing inner experience and emotion? music Increasingly, the focal point for the performance of Romantic music was the: concert hall. What musical genres became established on the concert stage by the end of the nineteenth century? lieder and string quartets Which is true of the relationship between Romantic composers and the public? Nineteenth-century audiences became more conservative and more critical of innovative composers. The composer who started a music magazine to defend the music of the Romantics against public indifference was: Robert Schumann. The quality most prized by Romantic artists was: the integrity of the expression of individual feeling The musical term applied to flexibility in rhythm is: rubato Which statement is false? Romantic melodies have more regular phrase lengths than Classical melodies. Which statement is false? Romantic harmonies were clearer and more diatonic, and they established a stronger sense of tonality than in earlier musical periods. What is chromaticism? using all twelve notes of the scale liberally In which stylistic period was chromaticism used the most? Romantic Romantic treatment of tone color included: combining and blending different instrumental tone colors in innovative ways. Compared to the Classical orchestra, the typical Romantic orchestra was: larger and blended tone colors in new ways The important new member of the Romantic orchestra was the: conductor. In nineteenth-century opera, the orchestra: increased in importance, sometimes providing special effects and overshadowing the voices. Music without singing but derived from a poem, story, or other literary source, is called: program music. Romantic treatment of form was: free and spontaneous Miniatures were usually written for: voice and piano or piano alone Miniatures were generally heard: as separate compositions. Miniatures were given all of the following types of titles except: formal titles such as sonata or rondo. In composing a Romantic grandiose composition, composers created works with: more movements and increased performing forces. Thematic unity occurs: when a composer uses the same themes in all movements of a work. The technique of having the same theme fragment reappear with some sort of variation at loosely recurring intervals is: thematic transformation. All of the following are characteristic of thematic unity in Romantic symphonic music except: using the same themes in several symphonies
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Argument style essay based on Judy Brady's argument in I want a Wife
Argument style based on Judy Brady's argument in I want a Wife - Essay Example At present, both women and men have equal roles in marriages. Women no longer have an inferior role in marriage. Women empowerment is largely seen in the societies around the world today. Several changes have taken place regarding the role of women in marriage since the time that Brady wrote this article. Harris and Firestone in 1998 stated that ââ¬Å"the documented shift away from traditional gender role attitudes among women of different race and ethnic groups in the United States may produce changes in typical gender power dynamicsâ⬠(479). They stated further that at the macro level, solutions could include creating programs that focus on social norms that favor female power in relationships. These findings prove that women are no longer considered second-class citizens; thus, their roles in marriages have undergone several changes. Even in the field of politics, the roles of politicianââ¬â¢s wives have significantly changed. Michelle Cottle in her article ââ¬Å"The Rea l Running Matesâ⬠stated, ââ¬Å"Let's blame it on feminism! With women empowered to do more than nurture their husbands, political wives--in whom women often seek a more polished version of themselves--are increasingly expected to be more than just the perfect helpmeet.
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Summaries Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2
Summaries - Assignment Example establishing research problems, attaining information by scrutinizing a variety of most important and less important sources, consolidating information by making graphic illustrations, evaluating facts to determine and elucidate patterns and inclinations, and presenting and authenticating findings verbally or in inscription. Geography plays a pivotal role in enhancing life skills (Butt et.al 2011). It enables learners to understand and comprehend the environment well. In the long-run, this enables learners with the ability to discern between what is virtuous and debauched towards the environment. Besides, it makes life easy and enjoyable to leave since the life skills and techniques enable an individual to think analytically and propose viable strategies to make life worth leaving. It facilitates research of geographical features, which have significance to human beings. Research facilitates growth of projects like; nuclear power plants, irrigation schemes, canals and dams roads and terrace farming. Indulgence in the aforementioned activities enhances life skills as it is through discovery of a single invention that leads to another. Besides, the technology sector continues to witness invention of applications like the google app the Global positioning systems among others. Successful invention of an in novation encourages inventors to research more and thus enhancing self-actualization and satisfaction. However, life without geography could mean nothing. Since, inventions like electricity came into being due to a critical analysis of geographical features. Electricity plays a significant role towards the economy since it is through electricity that industries are able to operate, thus high employees to work in industries. This in turn, ensures the economy runs smoothly since goods and services are readily available to the market. Justifiably, it is through geography that researchers were able to invent and develop their
Monday, January 27, 2020
Improving Eye Care In Rural India Communications Essay
Improving Eye Care In Rural India Communications Essay CATARACT refers to the clouding of the lens in the human eye, affecting vision. In the developing world, cataract is the cause for blindness in nearly half the blind population i.e. 50% of the recorded number of blindness cases. While problems of inaccessibility continue to plague many parts of the developing world nearly two-thirds of the population in many developing countries are unable to access quality medical resources infrastructure primarily because quality medical care or eye care in this case is still urban-centric all hope is not lost yet. In India too, where 90% of the cases are treatable, most Indians lack access to quality eye care. In the early 1990s, the country was home to a third of the worlds blind people and here too cataract blindness was the major cause in most cases. The World Bank decided to step in and help the Indian government deal with the problem, spending $144.8 million between 1994 and 2002 on the Cataract Blindness Control Project under which 15.3 million eye surgeries were performed. The World Bank-funded project was largely implemented in northern India and it helped reduce the incidence of cataract, in the states that were covered under this project, by half. But India is a very big country and it definitely needs a more sustainable approach to dealing with cataract blindness given that it has a sizeable ageing population. One such approach is the Aravind Eye Care System, a three-decade old campaign that has been fighting cataract blindness predominantly in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nad u. Working in the same direction is the L V Prasdad Eye Institue, operating from the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh. Both Aravind and LVPEI, setup in the mid 1970s and the mid 1980s respectively, have been focused on taking quality eye care to the rural masses from the very beginning, most of it free of cost. In the larger context, this paper discusses how private entrepreneurship is taking quality Eye Care to the rural masses in India. This paper will discuss the Eye Care delivery model aimed at fighting Cataract Blindness in the context of the Culture-Centered Approach (CCA). The Culture-Centered Approach advoates greater engagment with the local culture, ââ¬Å"through dialogues with community membersâ⬠, to ensure ââ¬Å"equitableâ⬠and ââ¬Å"accessibleâ⬠healthcare across communities (Dutta-Bergman, 2004a, 2004b; Dutta and Basu 2007 as quoted in Dutta, 2008). Furthermore, this paper will use the Extended Technology-Community-Management (TCM) model (Chib Komathi, 2008) to explain the intersections between technology, community and the management of information communication technologies (ICT) in the context of the CCA and the Eye Care delivery model adopted by the private healthcare players i.e. the non-governmental organisations (NGOs). According to the TCM model (Lee Chib, 2008), the intersection of ICT characteristics of technology, along with the dimensions of software and hardware, project management dimensions of financial requirements, the regulatory environment, and stakeholder involvement, along with local community participation ââ¬Å"will ultimately lead to sustainable ICTD interventions.â⬠Culture-Centered Approach Globalisation has led to an increasing realisation that the Biomedical[6] model of healthcare is limited in scope when engaging in issues of global health (Dutta, 2008). Furthermore, Dutta (2008) says that many societies now feel the need to ââ¬Å"open up the spaces of health communication to the voices of cultural communitiesâ⬠i.e. there is now greater awarness of the need for better engagement with marginalised communities. Culture is dynamic. That culture has an important role to play in health communication is better understood today. But this concept began attracting widespread attention only in the early 1980s, especially in the U.S. when healthcare practitioners felt a need to adopt multiple strategies to address the health-related issues of a multicultural population (Dutta, 208). ââ¬Å"This helped question the universalist assumptions of various health communication programsâ⬠aimed at the developing nations and the so called third-world nationsà (Dutta, 2008). The Culture-Centered Approach was born out of the need to oppose the dominant approach of health communication, located within the Biomedical model, where health is treated as a ââ¬Å"universal concept based on Eurocentric[7] understandings of health-related issues, disease and the treatment of diseasesâ⬠(Dutta, 2008). According to Dutta (2008), the CCA is a better alternative to understanding health communication because it is a ââ¬Å"value-centeredâ⬠approach. The CCA is built on the notion that the ââ¬Å"meanings of healthâ⬠cannot be universal because they are ingrained within cultural contextsm, he argues.à à The CCA has its roots in three key concepts i.e. ââ¬Ëstructure, ââ¬Ëagency and ââ¬Ëculture. The term ââ¬Ëculture refers to the local context within which so called health meanings are created and dealt with. ââ¬ËStructure encompasses food, shelter, medical services and transportational services that are all vital to the overall healthcare of various members of a community. ââ¬ËAgency points to the ââ¬Å"capacity of cultural membersâ⬠to negotiate the structures within which they live. It must be noted that ââ¬Ëstructure, ââ¬Ëagency and ââ¬Ëculture and entwined and they do not operate in isolation. Dutta (2008), in his book Communicating Health, further elaborates that the CCA throws light on how the dominant healthcare ideology serves the needs of those in power. Powerful members of society create conditions of marginalistaion. Therefore the focus of the CCA lies in the study of the intersections between ââ¬Ëstructure, ââ¬Ëagency and ââ¬Ëculture in the context of marginalised communities. To understand better the problems faced by the marginalised, the CCA advocates the healthcare practitioners engage in dialogues with members of the concerned community. Each community has its own set of stories to share and this is vital to understanding the local culture. The CCA also aims to document resistance, of any kind, to dominant ideologies as this helps strengthen the case of the CCA against the dominant healthcare model. The CCA, according to Dutta (2008), provides sufficient scope to study physician-patient relationships, in a bid to ultimately improve the healthcare deli very model. Adopting the CCA is just half your problem solved; the integration of the CCA with the Extended TCM model completes the picture.à The Extended TCM Model The TCM model (Lee Chib, 2008) argues that the larger question of social sustainability depends on both local relevance and institutional support. The TCM Model proposes that the intersection of ICT characteristics of technology, along with the dimensions of software and hardware, project management dimensions of financial requirements, the regulatory environment, and stakeholder involvement, along with local community participation, will ultimately lead to sustainable ICTD interventions (See Figure 1.1). The TCM model was further revised. Community was subdivided to include: modes of ownership of ICT investments and profits; training of community users both in the use and in technology management; and the basic needs of the community. Furthermore, Sustainability was also subdivided into financial and social (see Figure 1.2). Chib Komathi (2009) found that the TCM Model was inadequate as it could not examine the critical issue of vulnerability. Therefore, their study improved on this inadequacy by adding crucial factors and variables relating to vulnerability. They extended the TCM model, and called it the Extended Technology-Community-Management (Extended TCM) model (see Figure1.3).à à à à à à à à à à à à à à This new framework on ICT planning accounts for community involvement, the management components, the overall design of technologies such as telemedicine or tele-consultation, and evaluation of existing vulnerabilities in the community where these technologies are implemented. It identifies four dimensions of vulnerabilities influencing technology implementation among the rural poor: economic vulnerability, informational vulnerability, physiological/psychological vulnerability, and socio-cultural vulnerability. Chib Komathi (2009) further explain each dimension of vulnerability: Physiological and psychological vulnerabilities refer to the physical and mental well-being of an affected person, or a specific community. Informational vulnerability deals with the access to and availability of information within affected communities. Informational resources include personal documents, books and critical data, opinion leaders and professional experts,. The lack of such resources affects the capabilities of people who are dependent on them. In a rural setting, informational vulnerability is further augmented by the low literacy levels and lack of pertinent ââ¬Å"technological skills necessary to enable the learning and processing of information.â⬠The economic vulnerability is sparked off by the loss of livelihood i.e. a loss of activities that otherwise financially support households and sustain economic growth in a rural setting. The socio-cultural vulnerability of communities is determine d by ââ¬Å"the structure and values of a given society that define human relationships in communities.â⬠Hierarchies in any society (gender, race, religion, caste, age and class egalitarianism within communities) or a community often dictate access to resources and assets, and the decision-making power of people. Cataract Blindness in India At the outset, one has to understand the sufferings of the blind in India, in a rural setting blindness, irrespective of the cause, results in a loss of livelihood for an individual. In rural India, like elsewhere, this would translate into one less earning member in the family, making the blind person a burden to his/her family. This leads to a loss of dignity and status in the family. In effect, blind people in rural India, like in many other societies, are marginalized. Enter Aravind and LVPEI, who continue to strive to help blind people in rural India and empower them by giving them back their sight. There are many causes of blindness, like Diabetes for instance. But Cataract is one of the leading causes of blindness in the developing world. Records in India show that Cataract is the most significant cause of blindness in the country (Nirmalan et al. 2002 Murthy et al. 2001).Cataract, reports say, is responsible for 50 to 80 per cent of the bilaterally blind (Thulsiraj et al. 2003 Thulsiraj et al. 2002).The elderly are more at risk of developing Cataract. India aims to eliminate needless blindness by 2020 in line with ââ¬ËVision 2020: the right to sight initiative, launched jointly by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). Many organisations worldwide are also working in the direction of eliminating needless blindness (Foster, 2001). The government in India and the World Bank launched the Cataract Blindness Control Project in seven states across India in 1994.From close to 1.2 million cataract surgeries a year in the 1980s (Minassian Mehra 1990), Cataract surgical output tripled to 3.9 million per year by 2003 (Jose, 2003). In 2004, World Health Organization (WHO) data showed that there was a 25 per cent decrease in blindness prevalence in India (Resnikoff et al. 2004) the reason(s) could be the increase in Cataract surgeries countrywide. But there is a larger problem here, that of population growth. The aged population in India (those aged over 60 years) population which stood at 56 million people in the year 1991 is expected to double by the year 2016 (Kumar, 1997). This ââ¬Ëgreying of Indias population only suggests that the number of people ââ¬Ëat-risk of developing Cataract is constantly on the rises. In the larger sense, this paper aims to show how private entrepreneurship in India is taking quality eye care to the rural masses in that country. This paper aimed to discuss the same through two case studies, that of the Aravind Eye Care system as well as the L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI). Unfortunately, email correspondence with LVPEI failed to elicit responses from this organization. Given the limitations of this study, including time constraints, this paper will explain the Aravind Eye Care system in the context of rural Eye Care in India and the fight against Cataract Blindness all this within the framework of the CCA. Furthermore, this paper will critique the business model of NGOs like Aravind in the context of the Extended TCM model, including whether for-profit organisations are using the rural masses to support their business model. In particular, what is the role of the healthcare provider in this case disseminate knowledge to the grass-roots or live-off their healthcare delivery model? Aravind Eye Care Dr. G. Venkataswamy had a very simple vision when he first setup Aravind Eye Care in 1976: ââ¬Å"Eradicate needless blindness at least in Tamil Nadu, his home state, if not in the entire nation of India.â⬠Aravind began as an 11-bed private clinic in the founders brothers house in the southern Indian city of Madurai. Today, the Aravind Eye Hospital (AEH) at Madurai is a 1,500 bed hospital.à In addition to Madurai, there are four more AEHs in Tamil Nadu (Aravind.org) with a combined total of over 3,500 beds. By 2003 the Aravind Eye Care System as we know it today was up and running. The System continues to operate under the aegis of a nonprofit trust named the Govel Trust it comprises of a manufacturing facility (for manufacturing synthetic lenses, sutures, and pharmaceuticals related to eye care); eye hospitals; education and training (graduate institute of ophthalmology); research facilities (complete with an eye bank);) and a center for community outreach programs (Prahlad, 2004). A typical day at Aravind now has doctors performing about 1,000 surgeries including free surgeries; 5-6 outreach camps in rural areas where about 1,500 people are examined and close to 300 people are brought to an AEH for eye surgery (TED, 2009). How does Aravind do it? The organisation has setup ââ¬Ëvision centers or clinics in remote villages, fitted with basic eye care equipment. Each clinic is manned by an ophthalmic assistant and ââ¬Å"these clinics perform basic examinations; prescribe corrective lenses and treat minor ailments.â⬠If an eye ailment can be cured by the application of eye drops, these clinics are equipped to do so.à For more complicated cases, such as Cataract Blindness, the patient consults an ophthalmologist based at an AEH in a nearby city via the videoconferencing route. If the patient needs corrective surgery, he/she is asked to hop onto a bus waiting outside the ââ¬Ëvision centre that takes them to the nearest Aravind base hospital. The patients are operated upon the following day; they spend a day in post-operative care and then take a bus back to their villages all free of cost (Laks, 2009).[8] But it wasnt all gung-ho in the beginning; more hard work than anything else. There was no specific Outreach team. Everyone in the pool was asked to participate in Outreach programme. ââ¬Å"In the beginning (in 1976-77) Dr. V and a small team would visit villages and conduct eye screening camps. Those who required Cataract surgery would then be advised to visit the base hospital for surgery. But Dr .V found that a majority of those advised to undergo surgery would dropout, owing to socio-economic factors like fear of surgery; lack of trust on restoration of sight; no money to spend for transport, food and post operative medical care and (their) resistance to western medicine,â⬠according to the head of Outreach activities at Aravind, R. Meenakshi Sundaram in his email response to my queries. These barriers were gradually addressed through various strategies. ââ¬Å"We decided to involve village chiefs and local organizations to take ownership of the Outreach programmes, in terms of identifying the right location for the Eye Camp and providing the required support facilities. Their help was key to community mobilization. We organized a team to standardize the quality in Eye Care service delivery. Furthermore, Dr. V focussed his attention on building hospitals like ones home where we normally expect basic culture and values,â⬠said Mr. Sundaram. ââ¬Å"Fear of surgery was a common barrier in addition to other factors. Perhaps the acceptance for surgery was low in the beginning. But it was constantly explained at the community level whenever camps were organized as the programme aims to serve people at large. Particularly, in the year 1992 the Intra Ocular Lens (IOL) was introduced and the rural community did not believe in having a ââ¬Ëforeign particle in their eyes. We came across a lot of myths. Those issues were addressed thru counselling,â⬠added Mr. Sundaram. Realizing the impact of counselling, a cadre was developed within the System in 1992 and seven counsellors were trained in the first batch of counsellors training. They were given a basic orientation about common eye problems with a special focus on IEC. ââ¬ËPatient counsellors i.e. patients who had undergone eye surgery were asked to help the Outreach team. ââ¬Å"They played their role in explaining eye problems in the local language and tried to help others realize the consequences of failing to accept surgery. Considering the myths, a real IOL was used as education material to help the rural folk understand the concept of the IOL,â⬠Mr Sundaram said. The number of counsellors has steadily risen ever since and stands at 179 at present. How is the Aravind Eye Care System possible? Financial self-sustainability was the primary focus from day one at Aravind. Initially, the organization was given a grant by the government to help subsidize the treatment costs for eye camp patients (Prahlad, 2004) and the Govel Trust also pledged properties to raise money from banks in the early days. Prahlad (2004) states that the Madurai AEH, the first, was always self-supporting as far as recurring expenditures were concerned. Within the first five years of operation, the Madurai AEH had accumulated surplus revenues for further development and for the construction of four other hospitals in the Tamil Nadu state. He adds that over the years, the patient revenues generated from its five hospitals located in five cities finance the Aravind Eye Care System to a great extent. Furthermore, Aravind has also taken to the management-contract route and it manages two hospitals outside of its home-state. While city folk are charged market rates for each consultancy and for surgery, patients in remote villages pay just Rs. 20 for three consultancies or SGD 0.60. (TED, 2009). Those who can afford to pay, the urban folk who visit Aravinds hospitals in urban locations on their own, do not get discounted rates. Such a system of cross-subsidies ensures that only 45 percent pay while the rest are not charged at all i.e. about five out of every 10 patients examined at Aravind can be provided free eye care, including eye surgery (TED, 2009). A cross-subsidising financial model is not the only mantra[9] to Aravinds success. Having been in the business of delivering quality Eye Care for over three decades now, the System is well-positioned to leverage on the Aravind brand-name to attract donations. Over the years, the organization has received international recognition for its work and this includes the 2008 Gates Award for Global Health, and this years Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize that carries a US$1.5 million cash award. Last but not the least is the money that flows into Aravind in the form of specific project-funding. One such sponsor is the London-based ââ¬ËSeeing Is Believing (SiB) Trust, a collaboration between Standard Chartered Bank and the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). Since 2003, ââ¬ËSeeing is Believing has grown from a staff initiative to raise enough money to fund a cataract operation for each member of the Bank to a US$40 million global community initiative. I wrote to Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) asking them why they decided to partner with Aravind and LVPEI. ââ¬Å"LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, as well as Aravind Eye Hospital are premier eye care institutes in the country.à India has a vast geographic spread and both these institutions work in different geographic zones of the country.à LVPEI is prominent in the south-eastern states of the country while Aravind is prominent in the southern states of India,â⬠said Pratima Harite, Manager (Sustainability), Corporate Affairs- India in her email response to my queries. The rationale behind the India Consortium Project is the ââ¬Ëvision centre concept that a significant proportion of eye problems corrected or detected at the primary care level has substantial savings to the individual and to the communities.à ââ¬Å"Based on the success of LVPEIs Vision Centre model, the India Consortium Project proposed scaling up the development of Vision Centres in a co-ordinated matter in six states across the country.à For this, LVPEI sought support from four key implementing partners premier eye care institutions themselves across the country,â⬠added Ms. Harite. Singapores Temasek Foundation (TF) part-funds SiB activities in India, particularly in capacity building i.e. in enhancing the training component of the SiB programme. Is this a viable business model? Aravind has perfected the model over the last three decades. They have the technology, behind the video consultation, in place ââ¬Å"a low-cost wireless long-distance network (WiLDNet)â⬠put together by the Technology and Infrastructure for Emerging Regions (TIER) research group at the University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.[10] This was done to overcome the issue of zero internet connectivity or slow connections that do not support video consultations in remote villages (Laks, 2009). In 2004, a mobile van with satellite connectivity was introduced to facilitate Tele-Consultations. The Indian Space Research Organisations (ISRO)[11] help was sought to this extent. The ââ¬Ëvision centres can easily communicate with the base hospital (some 30 to 40 kms.) via satellite. These ââ¬Ëvision centres effectively address the issue of accessibility, affordability and availability of quality Eye Care. ââ¬Å"A series of centres were started across the Tamil Nadu state. Each base hospital is connected with a group of vision centres. At present, we have 10 ââ¬Ëvision centres that operate on WiFi. The rest run on BSNL[12] broadband connections,â⬠Mr Sundaram said. Aravind has the delivery system in place. A sound understanding of the local culture that in many cases is averse to western medicine and where modern-day medicine is not the first and only option to treat any disease or ailment. Why would a villager trust a doctor who drives down one fine morning and says he would like to operate upon them? Aravind begins by appointing a volunteer group for each community; some of these volunteers are further trained to serve as ophthalmic assistants and even as nurses in Aravinds hospitals. In a rural setting, rural folk trust their friends, neighbors, and their own people first. It is about creating ownership to the problem, like Mr. Sundaram said, and then partnering with the community to solve the problem. Aravinds financial results for the year 2008-09 were healthy. It raked in (income) US$22 million and spent (expenditure and depreciation) US$ 13 million.[13] Discussion That Aravind and other NGOs working in a similar direction, like LVPEI for instance, use the Culture-Centered Approach, as elaborated by Dutta (2008), in delivering quality eye care to rural India is quite clear. Aravind, in particular, has successfully integrated the CCA with the Technology-Communication-Management (TCM) model, as elaborated by Lee Chib (2008) to create a sustainable model for Eye Care delivery. ââ¬ËAccessibility and ââ¬Ëaffordability are the key factors in such healthcare models. In taking this route, one has to ensure that the technologies chosen for the job are cost-effective and easy to implement because capital expenditure and operational expenditure do play a vital role in determining the cost of healthcare services. Aravind has been able to keep the cost of Eye Care delivery considerable low consistently for many years now. Critics argue that organizations like Aravind are feeding-off their model. At this point, it is important to understand the ground-realities. In India, the divide between the urban ââ¬Ëhaves, and the rural ââ¬Ëhave-nots is only getting wider with each passing year. According to UN projections released 2008, India would urbanize at a much slower rate than China and have, by 2050, 45% of its population still living in rural areas (Lederer, 2008). The Government in India is not doing enough to address the plethora of health issues that plague [the various regions and communities in] the country. The flagship scheme to improve healthcare services in rural India, the National Rural Health Mission à launched in 2005 as a seven-year programme has many of its goals yet to be achieved, and the government is now considering extending it to 2015, according to recent media reports. Despite many a government claims and many a government schemes several villages in states across India co ntinue to depend on the private sector for quality healthcare or in this case Eye Care. Given this situation, Aravind and LVPEIs work in the direction of providing affordable Eye Care and free eye surgeries to five out of every ten patients they examine is a commendable feat.à A second question raised in this study is, what is the role of the healthcare provider in this case disseminate knowledge to the grass-roots or live-off their healthcare delivery model? Aravind is doing its part in disseminating knowledge to the grass-roots. Most ophthalmic assistants who man the ââ¬Ëvision centers are community members trained by Aravind. But one has to understand that the act of knowledge dissemination in a remote rural setting has its challenges i.e. tackling illiteracy, basic awareness among others and these challenges cannot be addressed in just a few years. The India Consortium Project, sponsored by SCB and Temasek Foundation, set a target to set up 40 ââ¬Ëvision centres by 2010. So far, 32 ââ¬Ëvision centres are operational and the remaining will be operational this year, according to Ms. Harite.à On the flip side, a study by Murthy et al. (2008) argues that the goals of the ââ¬ËVision 2020: the right to sight initiative to eliminate Cataract blindness in India by the year 2020 may not be achieved. But this should not deter those working in this direction. Both the public and the private sector must continue to fight Cataract Blindness because that is the only way to tackle the problem at hand. Last but not the least, this study recommends that NGOs operating in the healthcare space look at both the CCA and the TCM model to ensure better service delivery. References Chib, A. Komathi, A.L.E. (2009). Extending the Technology-Community-Management Model to Disaster Recovery: Assessing Vulnerability in Rural Asia. Submitted to ICTD 2009. Dutta, M. J. (2008). Communicating Health. Polity Press, Cambridge, U.K. Foster A. (2001).Cataract and Vision 2020 the right to sight initiative. British Journal Ophthalmology, 85, 635-639. Jose R, Bachani D. (2003). Performance of cataract surgery between April 2002 and March 2003. NPCB-India;2:2. Kumar S. (1997). Alarm sounded over Greying of Indias population. Lancet, 350, 271 Lee, S., Chib, A. (2008). Wireless initiatives for connecting rural areas: Developing a framework. In N. Carpentier B. De Cleen (Eds.), Participationand media production. Critical reflections on content creation. ICA 2007Conference Theme Book (pp. 113-128). Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Lederer, E.M. (2008). Mint. Retrieved April 16, 2010, from http://www.livemint.com/2008/02/27231012/Half-the-world8217s-populat.html Laks, R. (2009). Videoconferencing and Low-cost Wireless Networks Improve Vision in Rural India. Comminit.com. Retrieved April16, 2010, from http://www.comminit.com/en/node/301452/307 Minassian DC, Mehra V. (1990). 3.8 Million blinded by cataract each year: Projections from the first epidemiological study of incidence of cataract blindness in India. Br J Ophthalmol, 4, 341-3. Murthy GV, Gupta S, Ellwein LB, Munoz SR, Bachani D, Dada VK. (2001). A Population-based Eye Survey of Older Adults in a Rural District of Rajasthan: I, Central Vision Impairment, Blindness and Cataract Surgery. Ophthalmology, 108,679-85. Nirmalan PK, Thulasiraj RD, Maneksha V, Rahmathullah R, Ramakrishnan R, Padmavathi A,et al. (2002). A population based eye survey of older adults in Tirunelveli district of south India: Blindness, cataract surgery and visual outcomes. Br J Ophthalmol, 86, 505-12. Prahlad, C. K. (2004). The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid. Wharton School Publishing, Pennsylvanial, U.S. Resnikoff S, Pascolini D, Etyaale D, Kocur I, Pararajasegaram R, Pokharel GP,et al. (2004). Global data on visual impairment in the year 2002. Bull WHO, 82, 844-51. TED. (2009). Thulasiraj Ravilla: How low cost eye care can be world class. Retrieved April 16, 2010, from http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/thulasiraj_ravilla_how_low_cost_eye_care_can_be_worl
Saturday, January 18, 2020
Clinical Reasoning: Combining Research and Knowledge to Enhance Client Care
Making sound and client-centered clinical decisions in an area that demands accountability and evidence-based practice requires not only scientific knowledge, but also a deep knowledge of the practice of oneââ¬â¢s profession and of what it means to be human in the world of combined strength and vulnerability that is health care. Every clinician must understand the importance of applying best research evidence to client care, the essence of evidenceââ¬âbased practice, to improve the overall quality of healthcare. Research continues to find that using evidence-based guidelines in practice, informed through research evidence, improves patientsââ¬â¢ outcomes (Dykes et al, 2005). The literature is replete with definitions of evidence-based practice. Simply stated, evidence-based practice is the process of applying research to practice. Originating from the medical field in 1991, the term evidence-based medicine was established to ensure that medical research was systematically evaluated in a manner that could ââ¬Å"inform medicine and save lives and that is superior to simply looking at the results of individual clinical trialsâ⬠(Wampold & Bhati, 2004). An evidence-based practice is considered any practice that has been established as effective through scientific research according to a set of explicit criteria (Drake, et al, 2001). The term evidence-based practice is also used to describe a way of practicing, or an approach to practice. For example, evidence-based medicine has been described as ââ¬Å"the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patientsâ⬠(Sackett, Rosenberg, Gray, et al, 1996). Evidence-based medicine is further described as the ââ¬Å"integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient valuesâ⬠(Sackett, Straus, Richardson, Rosenberg, & Haynes, 2000). Rather than a relationship based on asymmetrical information and authority, in evidence-based practice the relationship is characterized by a sharing of information and of decision-making. The clinician does not decide what is best for the client, but rather the clinician provides the client with up-to-date information about what the best-evidence is regarding the clientââ¬â¢s situation, what options are available, and likely outcomes. With this information communicated in culturally and linguistically appropriate ways clients are supported to make decisions for themselves whenever and to the extent possible. According to Burns and Grove evidence-based practice is nothing more than a problem-solving approach to the care that we deliver that takes into consideration the best evidence from research studies in combination with clinical expertise and the patientââ¬â¢s preferences and values (Burns & Grove, 2004). Pierce described in ââ¬Å"Evidence-Based Practice in Rehabilitation Nursingâ⬠that ââ¬Å"making patient-care decisions with current information and oneââ¬â¢s clinical expertise enhances the ability to provide the best practiceâ⬠. The author added that ââ¬Å"evidence-based practice is a process that begins with knowing what clinical questions to ask, how to find the best evidence, and how to clinically appraise the evidence for validity and applicability to the particular care situationâ⬠. Then, the best evidence must be applied by a clinician with expertise in considering the patientââ¬â¢s unique values and needs. As stated by Law& MacDermit, ââ¬Å"evidence for practice is not only about using research evidence, but using it in partnership with excellent clinical reasoning and paying close attention to the clientââ¬â¢s stated goals, needs, and valuesâ⬠(Law & MacDermit, 2008). Although the terms best practices and evidence-based practice are often used interchangeably, these terms have different meanings. Evidence-based practice can be a best practice, but a best practice is not necessarily evidence-based; best practices are simply ideas and strategies that work, such as programs, services, or interventions that produce positive client outcomes or reduce costs (Ling, 2000). In order to bring research and knowledge into someoneââ¬â¢s practice, itââ¬â¢s necessary to think critically. Becoming a critical thinker is a prerequisite of becoming an evidence-based clinician. But what is critical thinking? Critical thinking involves the application of knowledge and experience to identify patient problems and to direct clinical judgments and actions that result in positive patient outcomes. Critical reflection requires that the thinker examine the underlying assumptions and radically question or doubt the validity of arguments, assertions, and even facts of the case. Critical reflective skills are also essential for clinicians; however, these skills are not sufficient for the clinician who must decide how to act in particular situations and avoid patient injury (Wheatley DN, 1999). Critical reasoning is a process whereby knowledge and experience are applied in considering multiple possibilities to achieve the desired goals (Noll et al, 2001) while considering the patientââ¬â¢s situation (Fowler, 1997). According to Simmons itââ¬â¢s a process where both inductive and deductive cognitive skills are used (Simmons et al, 2003). Each clientââ¬â¢s problem is unique, a product of many factors, including the clientââ¬â¢s physical health, lifestyle, culture, relationship with family and friends, living environment, and experiences. Thus, a health care professional does not always have a clear picture of the clientââ¬â¢s needs when first meeting a client. Because no two clients have identical problems, a clinician is always challenged to observe each client closely, search for and examine ideas and inferences about client problems, consider scientific principles relating to the problems, recognize the problems and develop an approach to clientââ¬â¢s care. When clinicians make healthcare decisions for a population or group of clients using research evidence, this can be described as evidence-based healthcare practice. Another prerequisite to becoming an evidence-based clinician is to be a reflective professional. Reflection is an important aspect of critical thinking. As described by Miller & Babcock reflection is ââ¬Å"the process of purposefully thinking back or recalling a situation to discover its purpose or meaning. With reflection, a clinician seeks to understand the relationships between theoretical concepts and real-life situations. The importance of reflecting on what you are doing, as part of the learning process, has been emphasised by many researchers. The concept of reflective practice was introduced by Donald Schon in his book named ââ¬Å"The Reflective Practitionerâ⬠edited in 1983, however, the concepts underlying reflective practice are much older. John Dewey was among the first to write about Reflective Practice with his exploration of experience, interaction and reflection (Dewey, 1933). Schon described the concept as a critical process in refining one's artistry or craft in a specific discipline. The author recommended reflective practice as a way for beginners in a discipline to recognize consonance between their own individual practices and those of successful practitioners. He also stated that reflective practice ââ¬Å"involves thoughtfully considering one's own experiences in applying knowledge to practice while being coached by professionals in the disciplineâ⬠(Schon, 1996). As it was earlier said, there are a few steps toward evidence-based practice and rehabilitation. The first and the most important step in evidence-based practice is to determine a well-designed question that not only affects quality care but is of interest to the rehabilitation clinician and is encountered in practice on a regular basis. A useful ramework for formulating an appropriate clinical question is suggested by Sackett & colleagues. (Sackett, 2000). They proposed that a good clinical question should have at least three and sometimes four components: Patient or Problem; Intervention; Comparison (not mandatory); Outcome of interest. This has been referred to as the PICO (Patient /Problem, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) or PIO (Patient / Problem, Intervention, Outc ome) approach. The question usually comes from diverse sources. As stated by Pierce, ââ¬Å"the most common source is the rehabilitation practice itselfâ⬠. Once the question in searching of evidence was formulated, the next and probably the most important step is to find the relevant evidence in the literature that will help in answering the question. It can be difficult to distinguish relevant from irrelevant information and to decide which source contains the most credible information and research data. Using research findings in practice improves care. Research utilization occurs at three levelsââ¬âinstrumental, conceptual, and symbolic: 1. Instrumental utilization is the direct, explicit application of knowledge gained from research to change practice (Gills & Jackson, 2002). 2. Conceptual utilization refers to the use of findings to enhance oneââ¬â¢s understanding of a problem or issue in nursing (Gills & Jackson, 2002). 3. Symbolic utilization is the use of evidence to change minds of other people, usually decision makers (Profetto-McGrath, Hesketh, Lang, & Estabrooks, 2003). According to Hameedullah & Khalid, ââ¬Å"all evidence must be appraised in the following areas: validity, importance and applicability to the clinical scenarioâ⬠(Hameedullah & Khalid, 2008). Performing the previous steps will result in the appearance of a concrete piece of evidence which should be valid and important for the question in consideration. Now is the time to combine the clinical expertise and experience with the evidence generated to improve the outcome of specific client scenarios. It is also important to remember clientââ¬â¢s values and circumstances while making such decisions. The evidence regarding both efficacy and risks should be fully discussed with the client in order to allow them to make an informed decision. This approach allows the formation of a decision in consultation with the client in the presence of good evidence and is consistent with the fundamental principle of evidence-based practice i. e. ntegration of good evidence with clinical expertise and patient values (Hameedullah & Khalid, 2008). Whether the intervention was appropriate and resulted in good clinical outcome for a certain group of clients, in a particular clinicianââ¬â¢s hands, will only be answered by careful prospective outcome research. As Strauss and Sackett have suggested, we need to ask whether we are formulating answerable qu estions, finding good evidence quickly, effectively appraising the evidence, and integrating clinical expertise and patientââ¬â¢s values with the evidence in a way that leads to a rational, acceptable management strategy (Straus & Sackett, 1998). Although the importance of research-based practice was identified decades ago and has gradually been adopted by rehabilitation professions, there are a number of challenges for clinicians who are attempting to be use research to aid in clinical decision-making. According to Bohannon and Leveau most challenges can be grouped under one of three areas: research methods, cliniciansââ¬â¢ skill, and administrative factors (Bohannon & Leveau, 1998). The research procedures of randomly assigning patients to an experimental or control group, using standardized outcomes measures that may not have real-world relevance, and the difficulty of blinding investigators and clients to the research procedures all make research results difficult to be implemented, interpreted and utilized clinically (Ritchie, 2001). Evidence-based practice requires clinicians to read current research literature, understand research methodology, and incorporate best evidence into practice as appropriate. As Sumison noted in one of his studies, it may be difficult to use in client-centered practice. The research literature may be difficult to access and relevant information is often not compiled in one place (Sumison, 1997). Interpreting and implementing research evidence also requires clinical skill, judgement, and experience. Deciding what constitutes evidence that justifies a change in practice can be challenging and the opportunity for bias exists at every stage of the process as Pomeroy observed in one of his articles from 2003 (Pomeroy, 2003). There are many other factors that present challenges to clinicians who are attempting to use evidence to guide their practice. Time constraints are almost universally identified as a primary limiting factor. Schreiber and Stern stated that ââ¬Å"clinicians refer to pressures of todayââ¬â¢s health care environment and administratorsââ¬â¢ emphasis on productivity as factors that directly inhibit their ability to seek out, gather, read, and integrate cientific information relevant to daily practiceâ⬠(Schreiber and Stern, 2005). The concept of evidence-based practice is of great importance for rehabilitation and physiotherapy to allow for increased insight for all involved including patients, clinicians, third-party payers, and government and health care organizations, into the clinical decision-making processes. The purpose of promoting this paradigm is optimum quality of care with conservation of professional autonomy.
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