Impact of the Recession on Construction Contractors Essay

The current crisis in the world’s financial system has left the construction industry facing its toughest challenges for a generation. Salaries are falling; job cuts are predicted to reach 400,000 in England alone; and the impacts look set to get much worse before they get better. No country is immune from the impact of this and the UK, and much of the rest of the world, is already in, or about to enter a recession. Even buoyant construction markets such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are starting to feel the effect, with construction growth rate expected to slow from 20% to 15% in 2009 (Al Mal Capital). The United Nations (UN) predicts world economic output will shrink by as much as 0.4% in 2009 (UN’s World Economic Situation and Prospects Report, 2009). These are serious times, however, the industry needs to be prepared to contribute to the recovery by retraining workers, maintaining the highest of standards of quality and supporting innovation. Construction professionals must not lose sight of their commitment to issues of sustainability, health and safety, ethical business practices and improved building standards. These will future-proof the industry and allow it to grow after the economy recovers. Companies seeking to find an extra edge in an increasingly competitive marketplace are likely to employ greater innovation as they look to become more efficient. This could have far reaching benefits for the industry in the future, where innovation has never been more vital. Construction Output It is clear that construction is in for a period of deflation. Forecasts suggest that there will be a 7% decline in output over the next three years, however, this figure is heavily contingent on Government spending coming through as planned (Construction Products Association). In the second quarter of 2008 new order figures were at their lowest level since 2004; 14% below the average last year. Housing orders were down 30%, private industrial orders by 36% and commercial orders by more than  £1bn from 2007 (Construction Products Association). A rapid decline in private work has been partly propped up by more public sector spending, however the outlook for the private sector over the next few quarters is set to get worse. The Olympics will prop up the industry to a certain extent but the cessation of office development will have a much greater effect. Overall, even if all public sector funding was spent next year, the construction industry in 2009 would still see the largest percentage of fall in output since the early nineties, when over 500,000 left the industry. This has been brought about by the sharp fall in private sector investment in construction – offices, retail, entertainment, as well as private house building. Public Sector Spending The Government’s decision to bring forward  £3bn of capital spending on infrastructure was cautiously welcomed by the construction industry (Pre-budget statement, November 2008). Given the extremely high levels of borrowing that the Treasury is expecting over the next few years, there is a risk that Government will fund later debt repayments with cuts in capital spending on construction further down the track. There is also a risk that delays in the Government’s existing build programmes will lead to increased under-spend. Programmes such as the Building Schools for the Future Programme have already fallen behind schedule, and reports suggest that this is as a result of bureaucracy rather than lack of funding. Business Finance and Loss of Confidence According to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), more than half of British firms have seen a decline in the ease of access to capital since the onset of the credit crunch; 30% of businesses have been, or expect to be refused new credit; and 78% expect business conditions to be worse next year. The Government must urgently take steps to unblock the financial markets and improve the flow of capital to business. The fiscal mitigation measures that were recently announced by the Chancellor (Pre-budget statement, November 2008) were not sufficient to address the underlying loss of confidence facing all UK businesses (and people). More innovative ways could be investigated by Government to help the industry survive, such as providing credit insurance; relaxing bonding requirements on public projects; setting up project bank accounts; and providing tax breaks/concessions for sustainable construction R&D. At present, the latter has effectively ground to a halt largely as a result of the deeply entrenched uncertainty that abound. Jobs & Loss of Skills Almost 400,000 jobs in the construction sector in England could be lost over the next two years (assuming GDP shrinks by 2.2% in 2009 and rises by 0.75% in 2010). It is predicted that the worst affected area will be London, where 23% of workers are expected to be made redundant (Public and Corporate Economic Consultants for the Local Government Association). On the other hand, Eastern Europeans are responding to the downturn in the market by returning home, and this has eased the severity of the job situation in many instances. Given the forecasts for construction output in 2009, it could be assumed that jobs in the public sector may offer more security than those in the private sector. This reinforces the need for Government to establish how an accelerated public spending package will be implemented. It is essential that the government makes sure timetables don’t slip, and that it does what it can to speed up deal flows and bidding times. Through no fault of its own, the Construction Industry, in particular the house-building Industry, is having to dramatically re-structure and down-size merely to survive. The loss of technical resource and therefore expertise has been considerable and there are already signs that an upturn in the fortunes of the UK economy will not see these people return. This is a real concern, particularly as the science and technology that underpins UK sustainable construction is becoming even more complex and at a time when we need experienced people if we are to meet our sustainability objectives. Furthermore, it is not something that can be addressed overnight by short-term training and/or education. Procurement It has been reported that the credit crunch is likely to reverse the industry’s trend towards negotiated contracts and partnering. Instead, there could be a swing back towards single-stage, lowest bid tenders aimed at achieving the lowest possible outturn cost. While single-stage tendering may be seen as a quick fix during the economic downturn, this does not take the long-term view, nor adequately consider best value for money. It does however provide a more risky financial environment which is likely to become a fertile breading ground for claims and liquidations as contractors cut their profits to secure work in a decreasing market. Partnering has proved itself as the most efficient way of undertaking all kinds of construction work including new buildings and infrastructure, alterations, refurbishment and maintenance. Indeed the figures show that that in the four years from 2001 to 2005,  £700m of public money was saved, and the potential for two and a half billion in savings, would have been feasible had best practice been adopted across the board. When times are hard, best practice is at its most crucial to successful business. Fraud An unexpected knock-on effect of the credit crunch has been a dramatic rise in worldwide construction fraud. Evidence suggests that the average construction company’s loss to fraud has increased by 69% in the last year (Kroll Global Fraud Report), driven largely by tough economic conditions. A total of 890 senior executives participated in the worldwide survey, which covered 10 industries, with just over one-quarter based in Europe. More than 95% of the construction companies surveyed said they had suffered from corporate fraud in the past three years – up by 77% from last year’s survey. Most frequent types of fraud occurring in the construction industry include theft of physical assets or stock, financial mismanagement, management conflict of interest, and corruption and bribery. Companies will need to be even more vigilant than usual to reduce fraud in the construction industry. Sustainability Opinion is divided about the impact of the credit crunch on the sustainability agenda. A recent survey from the UK Green Building Council (UK GBC) suggests that while the conventional building industry suffers, the sustainable building sector is experiencing growth. Asked whether the financial crisis has impacted on their organisation in tackling sustainability, 56% of UK GBC members said sustainability had become a bigger focus. Only 18% said the credit crunch has had an adverse effect on efforts to address sustainability. On the other hand, a survey of small-medium sized contractors suggests that tough government targets on sustainable construction are being missed, as buildings fail to achieve the standards set by the Code for Sustainable Homes (National Federation of Builders). The survey revealed that contractors appeared to be quite knowledgeable about the driving issues and regulations for sustainability, but in over half (53%) of projects tendered for, sustainability was not a client requirement. Either way, it is important that new buildings, not least those procured by government, are of the highest possible environmental standards. Green building can be at the heart of a low-carbon economic recovery, boosting growth and creating green collar jobs. This is particularly true in existing homes and buildings, where we need a massive programme of refurbishment to cut carbon, reduce energy bills and produce more comfortable places to live and work. By continuing to build using sustainable technologies the built environment will be preserved for future generations, and a proven record in sustainable design will be invaluable in gaining new contracts in the growing sustainable market. Education and Training The future success of the construction industry depends on the availability of skilled professionals. The credit crisis poses a significant threat to the number of students enrolling in graduate construction courses. Students may be apprehensive about pursuing a career in construction in this unstable climate. This would result in a loss of specialist skills, which in turn would hinder the recovery and future development of the industry. Sandwich courses could be at particular risk because of the lack of available placements available. Many companies are reducing the number of placements they have for students or not taking on any at all. This could result in a reduction in the number of places available on the courses because they can not guarantee work experience placements. Apprenticeships in the UK house-building industry have also suffered as a direct result of the credit crunch. However, opportunities still exist in the bigger public sector infrastructure projects such as schools, hospitals, railways and roads. As a result of these risks the Government is working with Construction Skills to try and secure as many positions as possible for students. A new taskforce is being created to ensure that construction training is as effective as possible, and apprenticeship funding will also be increased to over  £1 billion to try and prevent skill shortages (Department for innovation, Universities & Skills). For professionals already within the industry, there is research to suggest that individuals with specialist skills or training could potentially gain a competitive advantage in the current economic climate (Chartered Institute of Management). The research predicts that professional qualifications could result in an additional  £152,000 in lifetime earnings. It also suggests that a working knowledge of sustainable building and other innovative methods will be a particular advantage, with major projects on the horizon requiring an extensive skilled workforce in these areas. It is important for employers to train and encourage further development if they want to secure the future of the construction industry. This will ensure that their workforce is properly trained in up-to-date techniques and will put them in a stronger and more competitive position to win new contracts when market conditions improve. Although it may be inevitable for some to make financial cuts to survive, it is crucial to maintain a constant number of new innovative minds that will allow the industry to recovery and continue to grow.

Chapter Review and Trace Essay

1. What are the five elements in the rhetorical situation? The five elements in the rhetorical situation are Text, Reader, Author, Constraints, and Exigency. 2. How can a reader use the rhetorical situation to analyze an argument essay? How can a viewer use the rhetorical situation to analyze an image? How can a writer use the rhetorical situation during the planning phase of writing a paper? In an argument essay using the rhetorical situation to analyze the essay will give the exact points of the subject, clearly define the intended audience of the essay, while seeing the authors argument on the particular subject and their position, motives, or degree of expertise. It will keep focus on the events or circumstances that cause analysis to reactions to the situations that lead to the argument, and clearly see the controversy or problem that needs attention in the first place. In analyzing an image, rhetorical analysis will help highlight what stands out about the image, how the text if there is a text ties into the influence of the argument of the image, and how the author of the image feels. A writer can use the rhetorical situation when planning phase of writing a paper to help think critically and make decisions about the writing. Focusing on what is the motivation and who needs to read the argument will help pick the influences and ways to persuade the reader. Deciding how to illustrate the attitudes, beliefs, or afflictions is important to keep the reader’s attention. 3. Why is the audience important in argument? What types of positions might an audience initially hold? What possible outcomes are associated with arguments directed to each of these audiences? The audience is important in order to create common ground and achieve some definable audience outcomes. The audience may initially be a friendly audience, an undecided audience, a neutral audience, a hostile audience, an unfamiliar audience, or a linked audience. Possible outcomes are convincing people to your cause, pushing people away from your cause to the opposing side, people could remain bias, and people could become angry and/or violent towards you and your argument. 4. What is a discourse community? To what discourse communities do you belong? How does a discourse community help establish common ground for its members? A discourse community is a group of people who share a set of discourses, understood as basic values and assumptions, and ways of communicating about those goals.  It helps to establish common ground for its members by having resources and peers interested and sharing in the same beliefs and ideals and having peers to converse with to learn and research subject matter that all or most members enjoy and share interest in. 5. What is the universal audience? What are the special qualities of this audience? Why is it a useful idea? The universal audience is an imagined audience that serves as an ethical and argumentative test for the rhetor. The universal audience is educated, reasonable, normal, adult, and willing to listen. It is especially useful when the audience is largely unknown and you cannot obtain much information about them.

Nuclear Technology

One question that has caused a great deal of controversy over the years is nuclear technology. Although it offers a number of advantages in world peace and green power, it is also a dangerous technology. In this essay I intend to show how these benefits outweigh that disadvantage. The opponents of nuclear power generally base their arguments on the danger it represents to the world. There are two main dangers: the risk of nuclear warfare and the nuclear disasters. If one thinks about Chernobyl, it is easy to understand why people are worried about nuclear power, as it can cause major suffering. There are, however, two good reasons for believing that nuclear technology is generally advantageous. The first of these is that there has not been a major world conflict since the invention of nuclear weapons. While there have been wars, they have not been on the same scale as the Second World War. It is possible to say that the world is a safer place because of nuclear weapons. The other most significant benefit relates to the environment. Perhaps the greatest danger facing our world today is a combination of global warming and the greenhouse effect. This danger is caused partly by burning fossil fuels which leads to our polluted atmosphere. Nuclear power, however, is a much greener alternative which does not have such negative effects. Furthermore, in the last 50 years there have not been too many nuclear disasters and many experts claim that it is in fact a safe technology. In conclusion I would say that nuclear technology is better than the current alternatives. However, I also believe we should keep looking for ways to make it safer.

The Gambia Visit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Gambia Visit - Essay Example He pointed out that the 1970 constitution divided the government into independent legislative. The constitution finds a safe bode in 1996, including a strong presidential government and protection of human rights. Regarding future political prospects, he was very optimistic. We got more than expected during this visit. Monday 2nd May: A lecture delivered by Dr. Emmanuel focused on Gambian law enhancement. He touched upon the sensitive issue of transatlantic diplomacy injuring the interests at home. Quoting a renowned work in this area, â€Å"states have traditionally from time to time reviewed the operation and effectiveness of their foreign ministries and diplomatic services. More often than not such inquiries have been occasioned by wide economic moves in the public sector or institutional rivalry.† His speech included issues harboring international peace and their implication, and foreign forces which are major players in devising the state’s internal policies. Recalling a piece of verbose from Dr. Emmanuel, â€Å"there is more to it than meets the eye†, brings to the forefront many of the devils at work. Nevertheless, the British ambassador in Tehran, Sir Anthony Parsons, does not support this. â€Å"The Embassy†, he notes â€Å"was primarily organized as an agency for the promotion of British exports and for the general commercial, financial and economic interests of the Britain†.... â€Å"The last incumbent also from Africa challenged the might of the empire, but Kofi Annan is known for his reconciliatory approach, than confrontatist posture. Like any other African congregation this one also brought out different diplomats in their colourful traditional attires. The accompanying music made every foot tap† (Gupta, 2005: page 123); A ground had been set for a positive and peaceful image of the country. â€Å"After 1871, political and cultural leaders recognized the instrumental and local music in cultural diplomacy† (Jessica C.E. Gienow-Hecht, 2009: page 36). This shows the impact art and craft has had on the nation’s subconscious mind of the diplomatic visage. This experience gave me some paradigms that had for quite some time remained at the back of my mind. Wednesday 4th May: The African Centre for Democracy and Human Right Studies was officially opened in 2001. During the visit, we were exposed to the eventful history gone through by the c enter. For the African Charter on Human and people’s rights to be effective, it was to be elaborated and comprehended by all Africa. This vision brought forth the formation of this center which was established to promote and insure respect of freedom, and to oversee that these freedoms do not go astray. â€Å"In order to find practicable solutions to institutional and existential problems caused by accelerating globalization diplomacy needs inter-disciplinary guidance by social sciences† (Bolewski, 2007: page 6). Adding to the already elaborated verbose in context of the need for social sciences to grow and take control of the growing diplomacy in trans-Atlantic relations, â€Å"Given that the issues cannot be ducked altogether, international human rights bodies have been reduced to

Role of securitization and structured finance products in the recent Essay

Role of securitization and structured finance products in the recent banking and financial crisis - Essay Example The paper describes the role of securitization and structured finance products in the recent banking and financial crisis. Financial institutions cater to the needs of different types of customers by providing relevant financial services. Financial institutions worldwide have been affected by the adverse market environment created by the US sub prime fiasco. Trouble began when the financial companies started relying too much on the innovation in the blind faith that it will yield returns. As it is common knowledge that banking industry has suffered the most due to the current meltdown, the symptoms of the malaise started emerging in the US mortgage business first. The cracks appeared in the banking system. Housing prices, according to Financial World started falling in the year 2005. Initial symptom appeared in the market for sub prime residential mortgage-supported securities as investment demand shrank in 2006. In February 2007, auctions to finalise rates on ARS instruments failed because of decreasing investor demand. Cracks in financial market became wide open in June 2007 with the failure to meet the lenders’ call on Collateralised Debt Obligations by two Bear Stearns hedge funds for subprime loans. ... After a reset period of two years, interest rates went higher as Fed interest rates also touched a high level, on which sub prime mortgage interests were based. Housing prices started declining sharply after the boom period. A wave of repossessions was behind this trend. Banks started taking precautionary measures, cutting back on credit to cover risks to their investments. Being forced to dry up the whole sale bond market and their balance sheets from the adverse affects, banks started shrinking their portfolio. The Pension Funds suffered the severe losses being the prime purchasers of sub prime mortgage bonds. As the banks have hidden their holdings of sub prime mortgages in off-balance sheet instruments such as â€Å"structured investment vehicles† or SIV’s, they were reluctant to bear the losses. 2. What caused the crisis? The US financial system was under observation, as reported for planning its restructuring and strengthening control but still there is no clarity on what regulatory policy change has been enforced even till June 2009. Limits on mixing of the investment with commercial banking within the financial market were put off by getting away with the Glass-Steagall Act. Investment banks were not regulated for levering up their conditions. Financial innovations promoted easy availability of credit. Loan s against mortgages were â€Å"securitised† and forwarded by associates of Lehman Brothers and other financial companies. The outcome was unhindered consumer spending and reducing household savings. (Schneider & Kirchgassner, 2009). In the US, internal policies and globalisation was responsible for the financial crisis, which was fuelled by innovative products like complex derivative securities,

Nobel memorial prize for economics 2009 elinor ostom Research Paper

Nobel memorial prize for economics 2009 elinor ostom - Research Paper Example In the context of the current global economic crisis that has been brought about due to a paradigm that celebrates unlimited growth and rampant misuse of the world’s resources, Ostrom’s work takes on a significance that goes beyond theory and if applied to the real world of ecosystems and how we can manage with the resources that have been bequeathed to us by nature, her work is indeed laudatory. Ostrom’s work is especially relevant when one considers the fact that our planet is in the throes of an ecological crisis due to climate change arising out of burning fossil fuels and that we as a species have used up most of the finite resources like oil, minerals etc. Hence, Ostrom’s pioneering work in the field of managing common pool resources can be said to be especially relevant for the times that we live in. To quote from a website that analyzed her work in the area of self governance and usage of common pool resources, â€Å"In general there are two main governance structures that are widely accepted in the literature; market or government oriented solutions. The eminent free-rider problem thwart social optimality when individuals do not coordinate their actions and cooperation cannot be accomplished internally. Ostrom argues against both of the external mechanisms and, through her extensive fieldwork, shows that self-governance is possible where communities develop their ruling systems to manage common pool resources. Her findings clearly indicate that rules imposed or dictated have little legitimacy and would be violated. On the contrary, when there is consensus on the governing principles or internal enforcement apparatuses people tend to obey them. This presentation aims to delve into more details of her criticisms of standard economic governance theories. Then, her contributions to collective decision making and her

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Education - Essay Example With education turning out to be one of the most important aspects of one’s life, educators, government authorities and other relevant stakeholders are increasingly concerned about the various challenges that may impede the educational processes. Although, countries of the world have their own educational systems to effectively educate their children and young people, there could be some problems in each of these systems. So, this paper focusing on the educational systems of United States and Middle Eastern countries, will discuss how there are certain inherent problems in both these systems, necessitating reforms. United States is regarded as the most developed nation in various spheres of human existence from economy to science and technology, media power, etc. United States is able to achieve that recognition, not only because of their innovative mindset and hard work, but due to a strong educational system. Although, the educational system is churning out equipped individu als, there are certain facts and issues, which clearly show that the education system in America needs reforms. One of the key facts is the inability of the children, students or young adult to read and write high level language in various fields from science to politics. Michael Moore in his book, Stupid white men-- and other sorry excuses for the state of the nation provides the statistics which depict the levels of literacy among the people in America. â€Å"There are forty-four million Americans who cannot read and write above a fourth-grade level-in other words, who are functional illiterates.† (Moore). He further states that even if the people are able to read, they rarely indulge in reading activities. â€Å"I've also read that only 11 percent of the American public bothers to read a daily newspaper, beyond the funny pages or the used car ads.† (Moore). This implies that though the Americans are educated, they are not utilizing their knowledge to increase their awareness about the world. If these shocking facts about the educational system are focused in an particular perspective, it is clear that the schooling system has some loopholes. Formal education of a child begins in a school and the quality of schooling depends on the variety of factors. The conditions of American public schools particularly regarding the treatment of teachers point towards the lackadaisical attitude of the American government towards education. Teachers and their dedicated efforts are very important in the education of the child. But even these teachers are neglected by the American government and society. They are not adequately paid and this results in low quality of teaching, as the teachers are not encouraged to perform better by recognizing their efforts in form of high wages. â€Å"The twin topics of teacher quality and teacher compensation have garnered considerable attention†¦motivated in part by the desire to increase the quality of individuals who select into the teaching profession, and to prevent attrition.† (). With these problems of underpayment and attrition, it is obvious that the education of children is effected to such an extent they are never able to comprehend true meaning of education. To correct these situation regarding the quality of education and quality of teachers, they have to be paid aptly. â€Å"One obvious policy tool to deal with the quality and distribution of teachers would be to increase teachers' monetary compensation, perhaps in a targeted

The success of the Singapore Education System Research Paper

The success of the Singapore Education System - Research Paper Example The lack of other natural resources left human resource as the only asset available for Singapore to achieve modern economy ambitions. These, therefore, left education as the only option for building both the economy and the nation through the delivery of human capital engine and in the creation of a sense of Singaporean identity. Nation building and the exploitation of the human resource was faced with a challenge of racial integration that sprouted as a result of the British colonial policies on education, language, and citizenship. In order to meet the needs, Singapore put a lot of focus in the education sector. According to the prime minister, the purpose of education at early days was to â€Å"provide a good man and a useful citizen†.This made the first phase of education which was dubbed â€Å"survival-driven† created in an attempt to expand the primary education and support the development of a literate and technically trained workforce. Schools that existed were merged into a single Singaporean education system, and a bilingual policy introduced so that children could learn their language as well as English. The expansion became so rampant that by early 1970, ’s universal primary and secondary education was attained, and a national system of public education established although the quality was not high. After the success of the first phase, the second phase of education based on shifting from the labor-intensive economy to capital and the skill-intensive economic country was formed.

New venture development with the guidance of a mentor Essay

New venture development with the guidance of a mentor - Essay Example Cope (473-491) pointed out that how it feels like creating a new business venture without mentors? The question 1 also depicts the same question but in different fashion. Bakker, Curseu and Vermeulen (95-219) stressed on Social cognitive learning theory (SCLT) in order to highlight the fact that first-time entrepreneurs need support from an experienced mentor or suggestion from peer group in order to be succeeded. Cope (473-491) conducted research on novice entrepreneurs and found that in most of the cases, these entrepreneurs faced challenges while establishing new ventures. For example, one entrepreneur told that he was completely in dark about the future of the business in next 5 years while one told that she did not have the knowledge about how much resource to be allocated at what sector of the venture and other novice entrepreneur told that he broke down after his first attempt to establish business venture failed. Phenomenological analysis of the problems faced by these novice entrepreneurs reveals the fact that fear has created in the mind of these entrepreneurs due to failure of first venture and scope of infusing the social leaning through experienced mentor. Politis (399-424) argued that social capital theory and learning model can be used to understand lived experience of an entrepreneur while starting new venture. Politis (399-424) stated that enthusiasm level of entrepreneurs remains high while starting the new venture and it has been fuelled by the dream to grab the opportunity but in most of the cases, these entrepreneurs lack the social learning which can guide them to do the business. There can be four types of learning modes such as accommodator, diverge, converge and assimilator. Armstrong (527) argued that the four learning platform should be integrated in single frame in order to increase the risk taking capacity of entrepreneurs. Armstrong (527) stated that in most of the cases, a novice entrepreneur lacks the strategic thinking capabilit y, business knowledge, lack of idea regarding life cycle of the startup venture, business experience but such incompetence can be addressed by taking guide of an experienced individual. It is evident from the research works of Armstrong (527) and Politis (399-424) that ability to take calculated risk is essential for a novice entrepreneur to become successful. But, presence of a social group or mentor can help a novice entrepreneur to take calculated risk by transferring knowledge about risk management, enterprise establishment, metamorphosis from different stages of enterprise life cycle etc. Although, there are examples of entrepreneurs who established successful enterprise without having mentor but in other cases, novice entrepreneurs lacks all four kinds of learning phase such as accommodating, diverging, converging and assimilating necessary knowledge to establish a successful enterprise (Politis, 399-424). Hence, the researcher has found that Social cognitive learning theory ( SCLT) can be successfully used to understand the need of mentor in the life of a new entrepreneur while the theory should be further elaborated in order to frame the metamorphosis of a novice entrepreneur into a successful one. Question 2 Singh, Bains and Vinnicombe (389-405) defined mentoring as the asymmetric relationship between a more experienced and knowledgeable individual and protege. A mentor takes the protege under his/her

Visual Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Visual Art - Essay Example The Egyptians were the earliest people to invent pictorial forms of expression (hieroglyphs). These hieroglyphs were helpful in translating the complex human expressions into symbols, which had a more defined meaning for each symbol. A suitable sequencing of such symbols, thus became the earliest form of communicable written language. The society progressed, and so did this language. The system of symbols gave birth to the system of letters (or alphabets), and a combination of such letters (words) gave rise to an increasing number of possibilities of expression. Later, with the integration of the societies, it became necessary to extend the reach of this written expression by making it portable. Initial forms of portable writings, such as clay or stone tablets, gave way to the easily portable papyrus texts. With the advent of inventions like the printing press, and the development of paper technology, the written word acquired a universal reach through books, newspapers and other med ia, and became a firmly established form of communication and expression. However, human perception and expression is neither bound by the written word, nor by logic. The flights of human mind continue to depend on imagery, and the interpretation of its innumerable shades. This is emphasized by the strong presence of visual depictions, such as sketches and paintings of portraits, ceremonies and other events like wars, alongside written text, since ages. As the paintings and sketches were usually commissioned works, they had an element of glorification of reality. During the later half of the nineteenth century, the essential fabric of the society was undergoing vast changes due to the innovations in the communication technology, and the resultant progress in industrial and economic activity. Therefore the invention of the photograph during the same period found an instant appeal with the masses. It could stir up emotions like never before, because of its visual projection of reality. Unlike sketches and paintings, it projected the society in all its manifestations, the good, the bad, and the ugly. It could create the same impact on the literate masses and the 'not so literate'. Since language was not a barrier, it had a universal reach. Gradually, it became possible to transmit the photographs all over the world, at comparatively lower costs, giving it a universal appeal. Through the concept of photojournalism ushered in 1856, people got a feel of the real action, when they viewed pictures of war, grand ceremonies, accidents and other importa nt events from all over the world, sitting right in their homes. No amount of written matter could have produced the same impact on their psyche, as the visual one created by the photograph. Hence it would be apt to state that "Photographs may have placed greater importance on the visual over the written. A picture, after all, is worth a thousand words". Nevertheless, just as a masterpiece of painting still needs a title in words, the visual impact of a photograph, though superior, is greatly enhanced, if it is supported by written words. The spread of the Photograph and rise of consumerism: The nineteenth century saw a tremendous change in the lifestyles of people. The industrial and technological revolution spread to distant and remote places, facilitated by railways and other transport systems, so as to tap

Law and Conflicting Perspectives Essay Example for Free

Law and Conflicting Perspectives Essay Composers represent conflicting perspectives through their own unique experiences and values as their political and social contexts. Geoffrey Robertsons self styled memoir The Justice Game written in the late 1900s heavily reflects these conflicting perspectives in the Trials of Oz and The Romans in Britain through the employment of emotive and persuasive language and ridicule in the form of satire to which convey Robertsons view through his eyes. Such conflicts also portrayed in Charles Waterstreets article Its a long fickle road to justice which similar to Robertsons use of persuasive techniques utilizes satire to challenge and question the myopic procedures of the legal system. As society develops, along with it come the changes in values and beliefs this is evident in The Trials of Oz which displays the differing attitudes and conflicting perspectives between generation gaps. The Trials of Ozs Rupert Bear was one of great offence in Robertsons time, whereas today material similar to this is everywhere and is mostly socially acceptable which parallely reflect the beliefs of freedom of speech and individuality growing within society. Robertson himself believed these values which is evident in his view put across in a metaphor for describing the legal system as â€Å" the justice game† revealing the lack of freedom of speech and individuality acknowledgement within it, which is reinforced through the chapter through repetition, arising questions for the responder. In the Trials Of Oz, Robertson uses persuasive language to describe the defendants as â€Å"honest young men† and to characterise Oz as a â€Å"harmless coffee-table magazine for the revolution that would never happen†.

Physician Assisted Suicide Essay Example for Free

Physician Assisted Suicide Essay The controversy surrounding physician assisted suicide has dominated the public court for long drawing and evoking varying emotions whenever it arises. Not to be confused with euthanasia, physician assisted suicide refers to the act by doctors to provide a lethal injection to a patient at his or her request with an intention of terminating the patients life. It is closely related to euthanasia only that euthanasia can be carried out by doctors with or without the request of the patient. The debate on legalization of physician assisted suicide and its ethical appropriateness has at one time cropped up in most countries. It is always a sensitive topic to the policy makers and politicians thanks to the arguments and the counterarguments it attracts, pitting religious groups and the liberalists. Religious groups like the Catholic Church feel it is unethical and against God’s teachings and will. Liberalists believe it should be a personal choice and not to be left to the dictates of the politicians and religious fundamentalists. There are those too in the medical profession who see it as a grave violation of the professional requirements as vowed in the Hippocratic Oath. The Hippocratic oath refers to the oath made by medical practitioners vowing not to carry out any prescription that would jeopardize the life of a patient whether or not it is at the patients requestor not. Doctors are supposed to abide by this oath. This is an oath that owes its history to the pre-medieval period and may not have foreseen the sort of challenges facing patients, doctors and other stakeholders in the health provision sector. This is a debate that has reigned much in the 20th century and it is the high time it is put to rest. The position of this paper is that physician assisted death is an exercise of ones fundamental freedoms and allows a patient to die with dignity (Colesanto, 62). The activism towards legalizing physician assisted deaths dates back to the start of the 20th century. It is this period that would witness the rise and the formation of societies and organization whose intention was to agitate either for its legalization or for its complete legal prohibition. In spite of this decades’ long activism, in the United States for example, only the state of Oregon has legalized it. Other countries in the world with a clear law on its legalization are Netherlands and Belgium, which passed the law in 2002. In Switzerland, physician assisted deaths are legal but there is a strict demand for certification and a clear establishment of such a need. These countries have provided inspiration to the rest of the world and soon there is likely to be increased activism towards the enactment of such laws. This will give patients faced with extreme choices to make one last important choice regarding their life, choosing to terminate their sufferings or to continue wallowing in a miasma of immense pain in the face of a sure death. The much hullabaloo about the ethical acceptability of physician assisted suicide misses a very important point; it is neither moral nor immoral. It is a personal choice that should be given to every patient who certifies the minimum required conditions. What should be noted is that death under normal circumstances is never pleasurable, a decision to end life is made after hard considerations and in the knowledge that it is the only easy way out. Patients who make such hard choices are driven by the immense pain they are facing and with no respite in sight. That is the key reason why it is the patient that makes the call rather than the doctor. Wear notes that in assisted suicide, â€Å"the patient acts the part. † He further says that the choice to either take death or life in physically assisted suicide â€Å"rests fully with the patient in the sense that neither will take place without the patient’s desire† (87) This brings in an important point into the debate; choice. This is the key argument behind physician assisted deaths. They should be permitted in the respect of one fundamental freedom of making own choices regarding the direction of our lives especially faced with such insurmountable odds. It is the final freedom of choice to be exercised. A look at terminally ill patients leaves one with pity and grief at the pain some of them go through. Although there has been tremendous efforts brought forth by technology seeking to improving the conditions and the lifespan of these patients, it is apparent that they go through a lot of suffering. There is no known medication that can ease such pain. One noted complication id the feeling of breathlessness and suffocation experienced by a lot of terminally ill patients in their death bed. This is a complication that can not be alleviated through drugs and always leaves a patient with a feeling of helplessness. The bouts of pain that attacks such patients cannot be eased effectively through the use of medication. Patients have to brave through such suffering in the daunting knowledge that death is on the way. To such patients, it is without any doubt that death would be a welcome respite, and to know that they can have control of the hour that such a death would take place would be a great solace thanks to physician assisted death. Most hospices offering palliative care are filled with people living their last moments on earth. They are people who have failed to receive any improvements from the normal process of medication and some of them are meant to receive comfort in their last days on earth. It is important to note that many are in a vegetative state and no amount of medication, care and therapy can bring them back to their active life. They hence become a burden to their loved ones and to the society in general. Most of these, especially the aged are more than willing to die, they do not expect to hang on to life forever as John Hardwig notes, â€Å"to have reached the age of, say, seventy-five or eighty years without being ready to die is itself a moral failing, the sign of a life out of touch with lifes basic realities† (14) It goes without saying that anyone has reached such a point in time and is in a vegetative state requires a lot of attention from the spouse, family members and friends. He has to receive constant visitations and comfort to re assure him or her during the last moments. This inability to fend for oneself and the feeling that one is a burden to family members is degrading in itself and given a choice, majority would prefer death to such loss of dignity. This is where the concept of dying with dignity comes in. Though those who take an economic approach to this debate are accused of being mundane and hedonistic, it is an important issue that has to be tackled. Palliative care for terminally ill patients for example can be both financially and emotionally draining both to the patients and to the families’ savings. It is only a matter of time before the spouse or the family begins complaining of the huge bills and time that they commit to medication and care. Economics aside, this is usually an emotionally draining period, as Ackerman notes, â€Å"when this kind of care giving goes on for years, it leaves the care- giver exhausted, with no time for herself or life of her own†. 5) The amount of money spent during this period can eat up into the family’s savings and jeopardize the lives of those that are healthy. It has to be understood that the rest of the members have other obligations and plans such as bills and college fees. It is not prudent hence to continue paying for the care of a person who is willing to die rather than commit such funds to a more fulfilling venture with long term implications. In such a case, phy sician assisted suicide is the only way out. There is however lots of people who are opposed to physician assisted deaths. They cite various reasons such as ethics and the importance of human life over money and that it is against their religious teachings. One major argument is that legalization of physician assisted death will result into a devaluation of life (Low 37). It is true that there has to be effective laws in place to regulate the useless taking of people’s lives, to ensure that people do not end other people’s lives just because they feel like. However, when it comes to terminally ill and suffering patients beyond any medical salvage, the issue of devaluation of life does not come into play. They are suffering and death is fast coming, why not let them make that one important decision that will put a stop to their suffering? It is apparent that this debate has ranged on for long. Each time it is mentioned though, its benefits are more glaring than its disadvantages. It is an important way of easing the suffering of terminally ill patients by given them a chance to exercise their one final choice regarding their lives. This is a practice that eases both the patients’ and the family members’ economic and emotional strain.

How Does Nutrition Affect Athletic Performance Physical Education Essay

How Does Nutrition Affect Athletic Performance Physical Education Essay Athletes are dedicated to their sport. They exercise daily, train with professionals, lift weights, engage in team practices, and compete against one another. All this commitment is made in an effort to make the human body work more efficiently. Continuous exercise and training, conditions the muscles to work better alongside the bones. For example, baseball pitchers would want to train the muscles in the arm to throw a blazing fast pitch, long distance runners would work to control the respiratory system in order to finish strong at the end of an extensive race, and football players build on agility and muscular endurance sequentially outrunning the opponent. The current generation of athletes has caused competition in sports to reach unprecedented levels. However, the burning question remains, are athletes consuming the right foods to fulfill their activities? Adequate nutrition is an integral aspect to athletic performance. Athletes that demand a higher performance in their respec tive sport and training should have a high nutritional value in relation to their activities. It is critical to maintain a balanced, healthy diet at all times in order to achieve maximum performance. A good diet with adequate nutrition such as vitamins, minerals, protein and water in terms of the proper amounts of calories support activities. Athletes acquire energy from the foods they eat. Food can be further divided into two categories: macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients supply an athlete with direct sources of energy for daily life activities and physical exercise. Macronutrients include proteins, carbohydrates, and fats  [1]  . Micronutrients aid in the processes of life, such as digestion and food metabolism. Although they are not able to provide energy, they are essential in generating energy for the human body. Some examples of micronutrients are vitamins and minerals  [2]  . Protein is a macronutrient involved in many chemical processes of life. Proteins are specialized for different organs and species. Proteins are combinations of amino acids that combine in various ways to make muscle, bones, tendons, skin and many other tissues. When proteins are broken down by the body at ingestion, amino acids are formed. There are 20 amino acids which help form human proteins, however only 9 are essential. Meaning 9 out of the 20 proteins are supplied by the food we eat, because the human body is unable to produce them through synthetic processes in the cell. Protein is one of the components in body tissues, necessary for cellular growth and repair, as well as in hormones, enzymes, the immune system, and bodily fluids  [3]  . Athletes need protein primarily to repair and rebuild muscle that is broken down during physical exertion. Working out breaks down muscle fibers and the body has to quickly rebuild those fibers for future performances. Through the process of restoration the body synthesizes proteins. The muscle fibers broken down during training will strengthen over time as adequate amounts of protein are ingested to facilitate the growth process  [4]  . Protein is the last source of energy used when other macronutrients are available. When the body lacks adequate carbohydrates, the body turns to protein as a source of fuel for physical activity. During extreme physical activity, muscle tissue becomes an energy source because there is an insufficient amount of fat and carbohydrates consumed. Therefore it is necessary to maintain an adequate protein intake everyday, to make up for the protein lost in the muscle tissue during an increase in intensity or length of training  [5]  . Research has shown an amino acid known as creatine, can help enhance athletic performance. Derived from other amino acids, glycine, arginine, and methionine, creatine is stored in the skeletal muscle as creatine phosphate. The job of creatine phosphate is to help facilitate the production of energy. With an increased store of creatine phosphate in the body, the ability to produce energy during high intensity training is improved. This is a result of muscles in the body that have the ability to store a greater amount of creatine than what athletes consume from their diet. Athletes can obtain creatine primarily from meat and fish  [6]  . Carbohydrates are the primary fuel for the exercising muscles and are essential for supporting the training and performance of an athlete. They are the major energy source for anaerobic and aerobic activity. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose molecules and stored in our skeletal muscles and liver as glycogen. The amount of glycogen stored affects stamina and endurance. After an athlete is done training, glycogen is released from the liver into the bloodstream to restore the glucose levels in the blood, and glucose is transported to cells for energy  [7]  . If the blood glucose levels are low, athletes may feel irritable, tired, and lack concentration, interfering with their performance. Glycogen stored in the skeletal muscles provides fuel for the exercising muscles during high and low-intensity activities. There are limited carbohydrate reserves in the body and exercising causes the glycogen stores to become depleted very quickly. During exercise, if muscle cells run out of glycogen, the muscles lack energy and fatigue sets in. Performance suffers accordingly, but will vary depending on the sport and its intensity  [8]  . Therefore, daily carbohydrate consumption and training is necessary to maintain glycogen for optimal performance. In order for athletes to obtain enough energy to maximize athletic efforts, carbohydrates also aid in fat metabolism. The presence of carbohydrates is essential in utilizing fat for energy, associating with the old saying, à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"fat must burn in a carbohydrate flameà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ Ã‚  [9]  . Increased fat-burning helps to conserve carbohydrates in the muscle, therefore the stored up amount is used to support athletes in later activities  [10]  . In general, endurance athletes use up more carbohydrates than athletes that use carbohydrates for strength and power. This is because endurance athletes are participating in physical activity over a longer period of time, meaning a grea ter amount of carbohydrates is required by the body to supply it with energy over the duration. On the other hand, athletes involved in strength and power events require fewer amounts of carbohydrates to supply a sudden burst of energy for powerful, but short-lived physical activities  [11]  . Adequate intake of carbohydrates will prevent the body from extracting other macronutrients from their desired jobs to become fuel for activity. Ideal sources of carbohydrates include whole-grain cereal, pasta, brown rice, and brown bread products. As part of a healthy diet, athletes should include at least two carbohydrate-rich foods accompanying each meal, and at least one with every snack  [12]  . Prior to competitions, athletes like to load muscles with glycogen to delay fatigue that occurs during endurance events. A diet that contains highly nutritious carbohydrates, covering 55-65% of total calories, is sufficient enough to provide adequate glycogen storages that will help support the athlete over the duration of their performance  [13]  . Fat is the predominant fuel source during prolonged exercise. The body has an unlimited storage capacity for fat, making it the largest reserve of energy in the body. It is integral for many metabolic processes such as energy production, synthesis of vitamin D, cholesterol, hormones, and transporters of lipid soluble vitamins. Fat can be classified into two categories based on its structure: unsaturated and saturated fats. Unsaturated fats are obtained from plant sources. Advantages of unsaturated fats include lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease. Saturated fats on the other hand, come from animal sources and cheese. Saturated fats are not recommended in large consumption to athletes, because an excess of this macronutrient will raise cholesterol and/or lipid levels in the blood which can lead to the development of heart-related diseases  [14]  . However, fats do hold a place in sports nutrition. Fats are less oxygen-rich, and they can release a greater amo unt of energy at a greater speed than other nutrients. This can provide an athlete with a concentrated source of energy. Fat is essential for longer and lower intensity, endurance exercise. Another role that fats play in the human body is insulation. Fats assist in insulating and protecting vital organs and parts of the body  [15]  . Athletes can obtain fat from food sources such as milk, butter, meat and oils  [16]  . Athletes need to keep in mind to carefully monitor the type and the amount of fats they eat. Vitamins are essential micronutrients athletes need to produce energy. Vitamins mostly come from the food we eat, with the exception of vitamin D. Instead of participating in the metabolic processes of nutrients, vitamins help to regulate the reactions in metabolic processes. They are responsible in facilitating energy release and synthesizing bone and tissue. Absence of a vitamin prevents certain metabolic processes from occurring in the cell, which eventually affects the metabolic balance in the body, as a whole  [17]  . Another micronutrient occurs naturally on earth. It is found in the water, soil, and the plants of Earth. This micronutrient is known as the mineral. There are seven key minerals: calcium, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, chloride, and sulphur. Two minerals that are important for athletes are iron and calcium. Iron is a main component in the blood. It is critical for red blood cell formation, function and myoglobin composition. Iron operates in the blood as an oxygen carrier, a key role in sport performance. If iron levels are low in athletes, they can develop fatigue, poor appetite and an increase in resting pulse rate. This occurs because an insufficient supply of oxygen is distributed to parts of the body. Oxygen combines with glucose to form ATP molecules, the main source of energy for the muscles. The greater amount of ATP stored in the muscles, the more powerful they will be when it performs work. Low iron levels in the blood mean that muscles do not receive enough ox ygen to support exertion. This results in lactic acid being produced and the athlete endures pain and fatigue in the muscles. However, excess amounts of oxygen in the body help athletes to metabolize lactic acid back into useful energy molecules after exercise. This allows the muscles of athletes to recover faster and be able to carry out physical activity again without having to rest for long periods of time. Iron can be obtained from many food sources, such as cereals, red meats, and bread products  [18]  . When athletes want to develop stronger bones, they need to consume calcium in their diets. Calcium is a micronutrient from the popular dairy food group, comprised of milk, yogurt and cheese. Ninety-nine percent of the calcium in our body is stored in the skeletal system, while the remaining one percent is accumulated in the muscle cells  [19]  . When muscles are at work, calcium ions are released to trigger muscle contraction. Calcium ions are released into the sarcoplasm and then they find their way to attach onto the troponin molecules. Without the attachment of troponin molecules and calcium, the interaction of actin and myosin leading to muscle contraction will not occur. Thus, if muscle contractions are not generated, athletes are unable to perform their activity  [20]  . Low calcium levels in the body are in relation to developing low bone density. This causes the bones of the body to become more fragile and vulnerable to stress fractures, as the limiting amount of calc ium will be used for muscle contraction. Therefore in order for athletes to withstand intense physical activity, an adequate amount of calcium is essential in their meals  [21]  . Finally, athletes need to stay hydrated for optimal performance. The human body consumes energy during physical exercise and creates heat. Bodily temperature would rise drastically causing the body to overheat, if heat was not released. In conjunction with the release of heat, the bodyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s sweat glands discharge fluid to the surface of the skin, where it eventually evaporates. This overall process occurs in an effort to cool the body. However, this leaves the body dehydrated  [22]  . Water comprises 50-60 percent of the weight of human bodies  [23]  . This portion of water in the human body helps to regulate heat and maintain a constant body temperature. Water helps to transport nutrients to cells and extract waste products. Water distributes the heat generated by physical activity throughout the body and enables the body to perspire. Fluids, not just water, are lost when humans perspire, urinate, defecate, and respire. A constant replacement of fluids is necessary for the human body to continue to operate and achieve its optimal performance. Research has shown that when athletes sweat, they lose 1-2% of body weight which is linked to a decrease in blood volume. This process causes the heart to work harder to circulate the blood, resulting in muscle cramps and dizziness  [24]  . Athletes establish proper hydration by drinking the right fluids during physical activity. This means drinking fluids properly throughout the day when thirsty, and especially before an activity begins. In the course of a long competition, where fluid is being lost in sweat, sport drinks are good sources of electrolytes. The sodium levels in the drinks are ideal replacements of sodium secreted in sweat. Low sodium levels can affect concentration. In general it is not advised for athletes to drink sport drinks such as Gatorade, on a regular basis or every time they participate in physical activity. These fluids can interfere with the body absorbi ng the proper nutrients and encourages thirst in the individual  [25]  . The principle that underlies healthy eating and enhancing sports performance is maintaining a balance between food consumption and the amount of energy that is going to be used for work. Since athletes participate often in physical exercise, they will need to absorb more energy in the foods they eat. The following principle is expressed as an energy equation: Energy storage = Energy intake à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Energy output. Energy storage represents the amount of energy left in the body after the amount of energy used is reduced from the amount of energy taken in by the body. If athletes absorb insufficient amounts of energy from food sources, optimal performance will not be achieved. Muscles will weaken without nutrients and negative health effects become a concern for athletes  [26]  . Athletes spend many hours training and undergoing physical activity so the body can excel in sports performances. It is important that athletes keep their bodies nourished in order to supply fuel for athletic endeavours. Athletes need to develop a focus on maintaining proper nutrition, so the hours spent during physical activity and rest are not subjected to waste. Good nutritional habits are necessary to achieve optimal physical performance, however it does not mean that we should categorize foods as good or bad. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, athletes should consume foods from various food groups and make better food choices at the same time. Daily food choices should include macronutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, and fat, micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals, and most importantly fluids, such as water. Athletes are better equipped to meet their maximum athletic potential if the right foods are taken in the right amounts to fuel the body. Great athletic accomplish ments are determined by great nutrition.

The Importance of Facilitation in Group Decision-making Essay -- Group

The need for a facilitator arises from the dynamics of group decision-making. In real and everyday life in business, management, politics, crisis conflict, education, etc. group meetings, each individual in the group does not think in the same way (divergent thinking) in real life, humans tend to go off on tangents, lose the original focus for the group meeting. Facilitators are needed to get ideas to converge in a way that reaches the decision point (Doyle and Kaner, 2007). A facilitator is a person who creates an environment which allows groups or organizations to be able to be more effective; to achieve their goals. Facilitators have to be essentially neutral in their stance and they must also not have any decision-making authority (Doyle and Kaner, 2007). The lecture addresses: a) The meaning of Facilitation b) Core Values of Facilitation c) Role of the Facilitator d) Key Facilitation Skills and Methods e) The Benefits of Facilitation A facilitator is not allowed to advocate for a specific view point during the process. The facilitator could be from within the organisation as well from outside the organisation (Schwarz, 2002), nevertheless the chosen facilitator needs to be accepted by all parties involved in the meeting. Literature also suggests that facilitators are only there to lead the process, where the process refers to the dynamics of group work like communication, making decisions, solving problems and handling conï ¬â€šict and that the facilitators do not contribute to the meeting in terms of substance. The literature also suggests that facilitators need to improve the structure of the setting in which they operate, where structure can be seen as the makeup of the group and group roles and this leads to an improve... ...e ground rules for conduct and behaviour and the group members agree to them before any meeting even begins. Effective facilitation requires a certain level of awareness or discernment of personalities during the program. REFERENCES Bono, E. (1999). Six Thinking Hats, Back Bay Books Publishers. Doyle, M., & Kaner, S. (2007). Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision, Jossey-Bass Publishers. Heron, J. (1999). The Complete Facilitator's Handbook, Kogan Page Publishers. Hogan, C. (2002). Understanding Facilitation: Theory and Principles, Kogan Page Publishers. Rees, F. (1998). The Facilitator Excellence Handbook: Helping People Work Creatively and Productively Together, Jossey-Bass Publishers. Schwarz, R. (2002). The Skilled Facilitator: A Comprehensive Resource for Consultants, Facilitators, Managers, Trainers, and Coaches, Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Potemkin :: essays research papers

Setting: While originally filmed to commemorate the 1905 revolution in Russia, Potemkin was actually shown to rouse the masses against the Russian government. The film takes place on three major settings. The battleship Potmekin serves as the first backdrop where the revolution begins. The setting shifts to the Odessa Steps when the sailors arrive with Vakulinchuk ‘s body. Here the Russian soldiers attempt to squelch the uprising by shooting and trampling the crowds which had gathered on the steps. The final scenes take place on the water. The Potemkin sails out to confront the Russian ships, but the sailors eventually realize that the other soldiers had joined them in their revolt. Atmosphere: The atmosphere of the film is dramatic and therefore easily holds the attention of the viewer. Einstein effectively uses the element of suspense to involve the audience. At the start of the film, the sailors were not very willing to cause any commotion or problems. However, once they were confronted with the possibility of being hanged and became fed up with eating rotten meat, they rallied around Vakulinchuk. The mood of the film changed several times. While the main theme was rebellion against the Soviets, there were other emotions portrayed also. When Vakulinchuk’s body was brought ashore for viewing, there was overwhelming anger and sadness felt by many in the crowds. After the people decided to revolt, they mood became much lighter as they took food, coal, and water to the sailors. This joyous time was immediately brought to a halt when the Russian soldiers began marching down the Odessa Steps. Eisenstein again used suspense in these scenes by quickly flashing pictures of the mother with her baby carriage and the approaching soviet â€Å"machine†. Conflict: The film’s major conflict is between the revolting sailors and the Russian officers of the Potemkin. The Russian citizens also become involved in the conflict once Vakulinchuk’s body is viewed. The conflict continues until the Potemkin sails out to meet the Russian fleet. The climax occurs when the two ships face each other in a suspenseful moment.

My Philosophy of Education Essay -- Philosophy of Education Teaching T

My Philosophy of Education TEACHER ROLES: I believe that the teacher of elementary students has many roles. I will sometimes be a facilitator-guide, sometimes a supportive, nurturing mother-like figure, and sometimes a sage who imparts knowledge. I will encourage my students to become more self-aware and self-managing. I believe that elementary school teachers must focus significant classroom time on the acquisition of social and community skills such as mutual respect, cooperation, friendship-building skills, and kindness. INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT: In order to be prepared for our rapidly changing, global society, children must begin early to learn how to think critically and to question. I will plan a curriculum which demands my students to analyze and to judge, especially in the disciplines of writing, social studies, and science. MOTIVATION: I believe that teaching and learning are creative and very social. In order for classroom learning to take place at all, there must exist in the community a sense of order and rules. In order for order to exist, students must learn to become self-managers. I will need to convince my students that it is in their best interest to behave appropriately. I will need to convince them that good things will immediately happen to them if they make good behavior choices. In addition to motivation toward good behavior, I will often need to help motivate my students in their pursuit of learning. Providing motivation and persuasion are crit...

Effects of Smoking Cigarettes

tJonathan Manning ENG 103 Professor Brookins October 10, 2012 Effects of Smoking Cigarettes In this life many addictions or temptations can jump their way into the paths of many people. For example, some people get addicted to drugs, alcohol, and also money. Staying away from these day to day temptations is tough but is crucial to having a healthy lifestyle. Being a little more specific, people can get addicted to smoking cigarettes. Cigarettes contain nicotine, which is what people get addicted to and makes them want to have more. Smoking cigarettes can take a huge toll on someone’s life.People who smoke cigarettes have no idea how harmful it can be towards their life. It may not be known, but smoking can also lead to more than diseases, it could even lead to death. Cigarette smoking can affect a person’s life physically, financially, and socially. First of all, smoking cigarettes definitely has an affect on a person’s body as a whole. Also, many sicknesses or d iseases can result from smoking such as bronchitis, coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, prostate cancer, stomach cancer, bladder and kidney cancer, leukemia, cervical cancer, pancreatic cancer, etc.Also, by smoking a person is causing damage to their lungs, which will make it harder for them to breathe in the future, maybe even leading to live on the support of oxygen. They do not realize every time they bring that cigarette up to their mouth and smoke it, they are basically breathing in cancer and just throwing their lives away. Also, smoking can mess up a person’s physical appearance such as their teeth turning yellow, and also always having smoky breath, and smoky clothes, etc. People that smoke are so addicted that they become blind to what they are doing to their bodies and most importantly, to their health.Secondly, the addiction of smoking cigarettes can take a financial toll on a person, maybe a toll that takes control over their spending budget. Cigarettes are not cheap in today’s economy; the prices of cigarettes vary in price, but can and will eventually put people into bankruptcy. If someone were to by one pack of cigarettes every single day, the money yearly would add up to thousands and thousands of dollars. Finally, smoking can also cause damage to others and a person’s social life. Second hand smoke is a common disease that is affecting people’s lives today.Second hand smoke is when a non-smoking person inhales the pollution of a smoking person, taking in, unintentionally, the same fumes of nicotine and other toxic chemicals as the person actually smoking. Also, sometimes non-smokers reject smokers because they do not want to get affected by second hand smoke. From being rejected, smokers will end up friendless, stuck buying and smoking cigarettes, and maybe even stuck in depression. Getting out of depression is not an easy thing to do, it might even get a person think ing of committing suicide because they cannot keep smoking and throwing their life away.In conclusion, smoking cigarettes can harm a person in several different ways. A person’s physical life, financial life, and social life can all be affected by cigarette smoking. Another effect that smoking can cause to people is a mental disability. With so much toxic acid going into the bloodstream, which enters throughout the body and the mind, people could end up mentally ill. It is hard to grasp why people can still smoke even though they know the effects that are possible to come into play.

Principles and Values of working with young children Essay

Principles 1. The welfare of the child is paramount. Within my role I have to support children and help them achieve their goals, from tying their shoe laces to providing skills to help young people to live in the community. I have to make sure all staff promotes a warm, caring, supportive, positive and tolerant atmosphere. This is to help work on raising the child’s self-esteem, self-confidence and self-worth. I have to be very creative in my role at a moment’s notice, adapting to different situations. It is essential that I have excellent communication skills when interacting with children, teachers, parents, social workers, police etc. I must show empathy, and make sure i am aware at all times of confidentiality 2. Practitioners contribute to children’s care, learning and development and this is reflected in every aspect of practice and service provision. Organise residential activities, onsite and offsite (making sure the risk assessment in complete) Carry out domestic duties, and encourage children to be independent by guiding and showing children domestic duties i.e. making beds, tidying their room Ensure you guide children to ensure they have a regular hygienic routine At all times, make sure the children’s individual primary social emotional and physical needs are met Assist with the breakfast and evening meals supervision and process, making sure they have a balanced diet, and are aware of the importance of a balanced diet Support children’s social and life skills including personal hygiene, social behaviour and independence. Key worker for individual children – Assist in assessments of pupil needs and  maintain pupil care plans and records. Contribute to annual reports and reviews and any other relevant procedure. Meet with Key child on a weekly basis to carry out support sessions, this enables us to address specific issues the child may have Identify specific pieces of work to look at with key child i.e. self-esteem work anger management strategies Ensure essential information file is up to date Ensure key child’s views are fully recorded Health requirements are to be fully up to date with any changes in medication or time of taking dosage etc. Plan and agree individual targets with key child (reward charts) 3. Practitioners work with parents and families who are partners in the care, learning and development of their children and are the child’s first and most enduring educators Promote effective communication between the school, children and their carer’s and ensure that children and their careers are involved with or are aware of children’s targets, complaints and other procedures Create and maintain a positive line of communication with parents Attend meetings where appropriate Produce reports on incidents, concerns etc. and communicate effectively as necessary. I.e. Child in Need Meeting Complete a daily log for every shift detailing how the child has spent there day noting: positive behaviour, negative behaviour, health, hygiene, what activities they have taken part in and diet. Values 1. The needs, rights and views of the child are at the centre of all practice and provision. On admission, each child is schooled for a period of time in the class room. During this time an in depth assessment of academic ability, social skills and behaviour is carried out. This is using a ‘boxhall profile’ which includes behavioural, work and social needs will be programmed specifically to the child’s needs. A keyworker is assigned to an individual child, so we can spend time with the individual child and find  out their needs etc This can be just spending time with a child playing football, or an organised support session, where we take them out of the building, maybe for a hot chocolate. All information is recorded and passed on to the relevant people, if needed. 2. Individuality, difference and diversity are valued and celebrated. At our setting when a child starts at our setting, we have a ‘care plan’ that we go through (A copy has been sent for evidence). This includes the following: Young person background Family contact Equality, diversity, culture, religion, language and race Communication – how they like to communicate Health Identity, self-awareness and emotional well being Mealtimes Hygiene, including bedtime and waking up routine Behaviour – how they view their behaviour and how we can help them Activities – What they would like to try Independence – There goals and what they would like to achieve Transition Plan – How they would like to move on, and what they feel is best for them Each Keyworker is assigned to get to know that individual child, this could be by creating the care plan, support sessions and activities. Each child is encouraged to thrive in what they are interested in, and try new things. If a child celebrates a certain religion, then we would always accommodate them in their beliefs. This could be in a casual way, either over dinner: where they would help make a dinner of their choice, or an outing that would show us how they celebrate their religion. When a child celebrates a birthday, we organise a birthday cake of their choice, and they have a present which is presented to them with everybody present. 3. Equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice are actively promoted. We do not discriminate against staff or pupils on the grounds of their gender, disability, race, religion or belief, nationality, ethnicity or national origins, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or  maternity. This is in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty from the Equality Act 2010 and covers both direct and indirect discrimination. We promote the principles of fairness and justice for all through the education that we provide in our setting.  Through positive educational experiences and support for each individual’s point of view, we aim to promote positive social attitudes and respect for all. Our school aim is to tackle discrimination and promote equality of opportunity and good relations across all aspects of school life. We do this by: Creating an ethos in which pupils and staff feel valued and secure; Building self-esteem and confidence in our pupils, so that they can then use these qualities to influence their own relationships with others; Having consistent expectations of pupils and their learning; Removing or minimizing barriers to learning, so that all pupils can achieve; Actively tackling discrimination and promoting racial equality Regular consultation with parents/carers and members of the local community, so that they are well informed of our policy and procedures; Making clear to our pupils what constitutes aggressive and prejudiced behaviour; Identifying clear procedures for dealing quickly with incidents of prejudiced behaviour; Making pupils and staff confident to challenge prejudiced and aggressive behaviour We do not tolerate any forms of discriminatory behaviour including direct or indirect discrimination, harassment or victimisation. Should an incident occur, we will act immediately to prevent any repetition of the incident and do all we can to support that person in overcoming any difficulties they may have. Incidents are logged on our online ‘sleuth’ system. Incidents could take the form of physical assault, verbal abuse, and damage to a pupil’s property. Any adult witnessing an incident or being informed about an incident must follow these agreed procedures: Stop the incident and comfort the pupil who is the victim Reprimand the aggressor and inform the victim what action has been taken If  the incident is witnessed by other pupils, tell them why it is wrong Report the incident to the headteacher or a member of SMT and inform him/her of the action taken. This should be logged on sleuth, and parents contacted Inform the class teacher and Head of Care, of both the victim and the aggressor 4. Children’s health and well-being are actively promoted. Children’s physical and emotional and social development needs are promoted. This is via our ‘care plan’ and organised support sessions. Children are constantly advised how to understand their health needs, how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to be independent, and look after their bodies. Children are encouraged to participate in a range of positive activities that contribute to their physical and emotional health. If a child is unwell, then they would generally go back home to their parents or carer, but if they can’t then we access the local doctors and other health professionals. Children’s health is promoted in accordance with their care plan and staff are clear about what responsibilities and decisions are delegated to them. If a child needs consent for medical treatment, this is issued before the child starts at our setting. Children’s wishes and feelings are sought and taken into account in their care plan. Care staff always receives sufficient training on health and hygiene issues and first aid with particular emphasis on health promotion and communicable diseases. Staffs receive guidance and training to provide appropriate care if looking after children with complex health needs. Our setting has good links with health agencies, including specialist services where appropriate, such as CAMHS and sexual health services. The availability of such services is taken into account when deciding on admissions. 5. Children’s personal and physical safety is safeguarded, whilst allowing for risk and challenge as appropriate While allowing for risk and challenge to the capabilities of the child. It is essential that we protect children from serious harm and injury. However, children must also learn to be independent and should be allowed to explore their environment according to  their age and ability. Within our setting it is everybody’s responsibility to keep the children safe, and the welfare of the child is paramount. We provide a safe environment that allows appropriate risks and challenges i.e., climbing frames. We allow children to take safe risks but always supervised. We always carry out a risk assessment and always follow health and safety rules. 6. Self-esteem, resilience and a positive self-image are recognised as essential to every child’s development. Self-esteem and positive self-image is recognised as an essential part to every child’s development. A child’s self-image is their view of who they are and what they are like. Within my den sessions we work on self-image and do a body map of themselves and we discuss how they feel when they are angry, sad, happy etc. We discuss the different feelings, and work on areas that are concerning them. It is essential to every child’s development that they have high self-esteem and a positive self-image. If they do, they are more resilient and are able to cope well with difficulties in life. Within our setting we always praise children’s efforts and achievements, and show them that they are valued, 7. Confidentiality and agreements about confidential information are respected as appropriate unless a child’s protection and well-being are at stake. Confidentiality and agreements are respected as appropriate unless a child’s protection and well-being are at stake. All staff has a responsibility to maintain confidentiality at all times. Maintaining confidentiality means that any information given to us should only be passed on in the interest of meeting the needs of the child, according to the policies of the setting. The sharing of information among practitioners working with children and families is essential. It is only when information is put together that a child can be seen to be in need or at risk of harm – The Children’s Act are the laws that aim to protect children from harm in any setting. This legislation is based on the principle that all children have the right to be protected. These are written procedures that aim to protect children in all settings. Confidentiality is also governed by the Data protection Act, which states â€Å"The storage, retrieval  and handling of confidential information verbally, written and electronically to protect the rights of the client. It identifies guidelines and practice and when certain information can be passed on; it serves to protect the child from harm. Within our setting all personal files are locked away and access is restricted to relevant people with the permission of parents, unless there are concerns about the child. 8. Professional knowledge, skills and values are shared appropriately in order to enrich the experience of children more widely. Professional knowledge skills and values are shared. Professional knowledge, skills and values are shared between professionals to enhance the experience of children more widely. Working within a team helps us to share profession knowledge, skills and values. This benefits the children and helps us to give the care the child needs. Within our work setting, we have daily handovers, so we completely understand how the last shift went. We have ‘care meetings’ at least once a month. This enables all staff to share relevant information, ideas and suggestions and plans for the month ahead. It also gives us all the opportunity to take suggestions from each other about their experiences of how they have handled certain situations; taken in a positive way, in can improve our own practice. 9. Best practice requires reflection and a continuous search for improvement. As a professional worker you must take responsibility for your own development and performance. Other practitioners can help and guide you towards best practice, but you will only make good professional progress if you become aware of your strengths and weaknesses. You must want to improve your skills and take responsibility for this. You should try to think about, or reflect on what you do, however, we all find it difficult at times to know how good or bad we are at something and to know our strengths and weaknesses. Most people need the help and feedback of others to do this. The most useful feedback will usually come from a Senior, Head of Care or an experienced worker. You should try to listen to others. Think about what they say to you and be open to suggestions about how you can change and improve how you work. During work appraisals is a good time to identify what your professional improvement needs are and to identify available training  that may be needed.

City Of Joy: A film analysis Essay

What happens when everything you’ve ever known seems to be a lie? When everything you’ve worked so hard for in your life seems to come crashing down on you, who do you turn to? You need to find yourself, to re-evaluate your priorities. What better place to do that than in The City Of Joy. The movie The City Of Joy is about a wealthy American doctor named Max Lowe. After he lost a patient on the operating table, Max spontaneously decides to leave America and travel to India in the hope of â€Å"finding himself.† Not long after he arrives in Calcutta, Max is attacked by a group of thugs and left without money or a passport. An Indian man named Hasari comes to Max’s rescue. Hasari had left his farming community to come to the city, only to be overwhelmed by its dirt, crime, and overcrowding. Despite their poverty, Hasari and his family take Max in and bring him to a medical clinic in the City of Joy, one of the poorest slums in the city. Max is brought to the clinic run by Joan Bethel, an Irish-American nun. When Joan discovers that Max is a doctor, she pleads with him to join her in running the clinic. Max declines, claiming he is a â€Å"non-practicing† surgeon. After an unplanned baby delivery for a woman whose baby is jeopardized, Max begins to see things in a new light. He signs on to help at the clinic, and his attitude about India’s citizens and its way of life changes drastically. The relationships in this movie are very moving. Hasari runs his rickshaw through a monsoon to provide for his daughter’s dowry, while Max defies the local godfather by staying in India to be with his friends and patients. Joan gives freely of herself to the patients in her clinic, day in and day out. By the end of the movie, the relationships established in this movie are unselfish, giving and stable. I really enjoyed discovering all the meaningful relationships being developed throughout the movie. Max and Hasari went through shaky times in order to develop their complete confidence in each other. Joan went from thinking of Max as a selfish boar, to appreciating him and seeing him as a comrade.  Through it all, the relationships made seem strong enough that the persons involved would risk life and limb to keep their relationships intact. I think this is where the beauty of the film lies; in it’s intricate relationships between the characters. Throughout the course of the film, the audience is exposed to the poor living conditions in India, the filth, the crime, and the poverty. At first glance, it would seem that India would not be a very suitable place to live, the smiles of the young children playing abou in the street seem to say different. This movie shows both sides of India, the good and the bad. Although the living conditions are poor, the spirits of the Indian people are high. It’s amazing to see that even in a city so poor, there is still joy to be found. The people of India do not have all the modern conveniences we have in our western society, and yet, they are happier than we are. It really makes us have to stop and appreciate all the things we have, and at the same time, we need to realize that our happiness is not measured by our material possessions. I think there is room for everyone to visit The City Of Joy.

She Touched the Little Box in Her Pocket and Smiled

She touched the little box in her pocket and smiled†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Anne was playing all by her self as usual. Nobody bothered to play with her, for she was poor, so no one knew about her imaginative personality. Anne was used to it. she was roaming around the school alone, when she caught the sight of something shining. She ran to it-it was a little golden box with some carvings on it. She picked it up, trying to imagine what there was inside†¦.. an alien? Maybe some money†¦ or chocolates?Or better still†¦ a tiny alien which would grow and grow and begin to eat people! Anne put the box into her pocket. She decided to keep her little secret to herself; to open the school afterschool. after a boring history lesson, the final bell rang. Anne rushed home and locked herself in her rom. She took out the box. She was afraid to open it ,though. What if it had a bomb in it? She finally summoned all her courage to open it when she was disturbed b a soft knock on her door. It was her mother. Anne please come and lay the table for tea, because I’m tired and my head feels hot, â€Å" she said Anne groaned and thought it would not make a difference if she did not do it. They did not have enough to buy food, anyway, so it was just biscuits and tea. She was impatient to open her box. But she went down and laid the table, and waited for her father, a poor tailor, to come back home. When he came, he sat down immediately, exhausted from walking. He opened his newspaper and began sipping his tea. A jewelry case, belonging to Mr. mason, containing a diamond ring, was lost on her way home. Whoever returns it will get a reward,† he read aloud Anne opened the box that night. The next day, Anne went to school skipping. Her class had to write essays. She chose the topic â€Å"if I were a millionaire† to write on. The other children laughed at it. â€Å"you? A millionaire? † they asked She touched the little box I her pocket and smiled. It was Mr . Mason’s jewelry case with the ring inside

Importance Of Sound In Movies Film Studies Essay

As we know, the movie sound design is divided into two chief classs. The first is sound effects design, largely non-musicals. The 2nd is movie tonss composing, in other words, the background music that is written specifically along with a movie, largely musicals. Film mark ought to incorporate cue paths. Each path is an single piece, which will typically be a composing from instruments. Nowadays, a turning figure of movie tonss include a mixture of orchestral and electronic instruments. The impression of a point of hearing can hold two significances: 1. A spacial sense: from where do I hear, from what point in the infinite represented on the screen or on the soundtrack? 2. A subjective sense: which character, at a given minute of the narrative, is hearing what I hear? ( Chion, 1994 ) Sound is indexical in our natural manner of listening. Sound conveys clip information more accurately than visuals. When sound occurs, an event of stuff interaction is taking topographic point. Sound fertilises and enhances the ocular landscape, makes us able to do an lineation of information about the beginning every bit good as the cause. In short words, sound reflects the physical world of the scene, immerses the hearer into the universe, which makes the environment comes alive. What is of import to the audience is to cognize what produces the sound and where it comes from. Diegetic sound is sound whose evident beginning is in the space-time continuum of the scene onscreen. Diegetic sound is sound that the movie leads us to believe the characters can hear. ( Chion, 2009 ) For bespeaking the materiality of the sound beginning more accurately, the dimensions and distances more exactly, sound effects design has more to be considered. While some sound effects are recorded while they are produced, most of them are added or created afterwards. Production sociables usually ask that all action cease for a few minutes on each location so that they may enter the uninterrupted background ambient sound in that infinite, such as H2O lapping on shore. Editors will subsequently hold to reinsert atmosphere under duologue and effects created during postproduction for continuity with production sound. Sounds from disparate beginnings must be adjusted with tools like equalizers and filters to fit and flux seamlessly. Choices of features imparted to the sound in echo, tempo, timber, volume, and commixture of sounds with each other may non merely make up one's mind our sense of the physical world of the infinite, but besides suggest a figure of feelings, such as solitariness, joys, paranoia and so on. Echo is an indispensable tool for puting a sound in a infinite to bespeak how far we are from a sound ‘s beginning. You can clear up an component of the secret plan with sound, or you can do things more equivocal, which is frequently what you want to make. In such close-ups of sound we must be careful, nevertheless, to bear in head the specific nature of sound which ne'er permits sound to be isolated from its acoustic environment as a close-up shooting can be isolated from its milieus. Music played in a eating house can non be wholly cut out if a particular close-up of say two people quietly speaking together in a corner is to be shown. The set may non ever be seen in the image, but it will ever be heard. The close-A ­up will incorporate the whole acoustic ambiance of the eating house infinite. Thus we will hear non merely the people speaking, we will besides hear in what relation their speaking is to the sounds all round them. We will be able to put it in its acoustic environment. ( Weis, 1985 ) Sound can rise pragmatism or it can decrease it. Sound can pull attending to a item or draw attending off from it. ( Sider, 2003 ) The mike is non as selective. The sound interior decorators have to extinguish that unintended blare from planetary for audience. The camera shoots straight at a clicking clock, we may hear the ticking. But a few seconds after the character looks off, the ticking will be bit by bit dropped out. â€Å" Origin † is a movie that tells a narrative about origin of thought in dream. The film itself is a head changing insight and an intelligent experience. It implants much secret plan hint utilizing a really good sound design. In fact, it is besides a successful aural origin. This is a traveling through of all the interesting proficient points in this movie. The thing that differs â€Å" Inception † from the other movie is the coincident hierarchy architecture. It is common in this movie that multilayers of sound happen at the same clip in the film. And in different degrees of dream, the audience acquire different gait of sound. You can state person what portion of the universe they are in, depending on what sorts of sound you play. The basic timeline and secret plan are based on dream within a dream. Even if the characters are in dreams, we expect them to follow the Torahs of natural philosophies. The really usage of sound in this movie is that the sound is used for linking the different beds of dreaming. The vocal used for the â€Å" musical countdown † to do the dreaming characters cognizant of the at hand boot is â€Å" Non, Je ne Regrette Rien † by Edith Piaf. There are 3 versions of â€Å" Non, Je ne Regrette Rien † , which are the original, the slowed version and the super-slowed version. When clip is switching between the dreams, the original â€Å" Non, Je ne Regrette Rien † is decelerating down and being cross-faded with Zimmer ‘s mark. When the musical countdown is heard down a degree from its beginning, it ‘s slowed down by 300 % , and when it passes down another degree, it slows by 300 % once more. By decelerating down â€Å" Non, Je ne Regrette Rien † by 300 % , the sound becomes really similar to the slow horns in â€Å" Half Remembered Dream † at the beginning of the movie. When Cobb and Ariadne descend into oblivion, without any earphones on to re-adjust the pacing of the music, that same mark is heard slowed down by 300 % . As Cobb and Ariadne wash up on the shores of Cobb ‘s subconscious, the loudest and most extended horn subdivision of the full soundtrack takes topographic point in the terminal of the mark â€Å" 528491 † . The audience is non the lone portion involved hearing the slowed mark, but so are the characters in the movie. Many different movies have made usage of first individual positions. It is merely like sing life from theA firstA personA point of position ofA Malkovich in the film â€Å" Being John MalkovichA ( 1999 ) † . The first-person aural position has an huge impact on sing movie. The first individual positions will certainly do the audience feel in the characters ‘ manner. The audience hears what precisely the characters hear. Since the characters can hear the music with us, the mark itself is a intimation at what bed of a dream we are sing. Knowing this, it becomes possible to separate between dream and world by simply hearing the music. The fact that score ne'er dips into the slow monotone in the world degree is a reasonably good cogent evidence that the top degree in the film is so world. The better-defined movie sound became in the high frequence scope, the more it induced a rapid perceptual experience of what was onscreen. This movie has a really good dynamic frequence scope. As for low frequence, there is the shaking of the edifice and the boom sound. As for high frequence, there is H2O lapping and the gun shooting recording. Cryptic electronic sound at the beginning implies that it is traveling to be a really unusual movie. The H2O imbrication and moving ridges sound on shore goes from right to go forth harmonizing to the H2O fluxing on screen. It can be a unrecorded record, but more likely is reinserted when station production. â€Å" We Built Our Own World † begins when Cobb is lying on the shore. It provides a strong sense of devastation when Cobb is looking at his kids, which means he is non in the world. The sound of whirling top is much louder than it should be because the film maker wants us to concentrate on the whirling top but non anything else. Then the whirling sound bit by bit fades out after exchanging positions. Recording the background voices in a eating house where Cobb was holding a repast with Saito was a cagey manner of presenting the thought that they were in a really large edifice. We can hear low-frequency noise which sounds like the land that is agitating at the same clip. And so it gets louder and louder. All the above information that sound conveys is a hint that they are really in dreams and lay the basis for the edifice prostration shortly after that. Subsequently the audience can hear the agitating sound of the tabular arraies and the spectacless really clearly. Then the clicking sound of the clock goes faster and faster, which means we are going from dream to world. Without sound, the audience do non even cognize what is traveling on. Sound necessarily carries much utile information in this fall ining scene so. The audience can hear background riot voices when there is merely inside-house shootings taking on, which means these background voices come from the public violence people outside. Then we hear a fake detonation sound which makes us experience we are in the scene. When Cobb is speaking with Mal, we can hear ambience sound of H2O lapping sound once more while we can non see the shore, which means the shore is right beside the edifice. â€Å" One Simple Idea † takes topographic point when Cobb is seeking to steal an thought from Saito in dream. That is evidently a on the job subject that calms the audience down and tells the audience that Cobb is in the procedure of making something of import. Sound interior decorator should enter the edifice fall ining sound or imitate it in post-production in order to immense the audience into a environment ambiance of danger. The background music â€Å" Dream Is Collapsing † is a brilliant piece that we can experience the dream is in the procedure of fall ining. In the gun changeable scene, we can non see the slug or the fire visible radiation but we can hear really loud gunfire so that we know they are firing at each other. When Cobb is falling into H2O, it seems that we can hear what Cobb is hearing. Because Cobb is woolgathering, so really he is in two beds of universe. In the upper bed dream, we here the H2O bubble sound when Cobb is submerging into H2O and H2O is running into his ears, therefore doing a echo. But in the dream within a dream, the H2O is oppressing into the edifice from everyplace, and so we should hear a sound like monolithic H2O bead on the land, which is really similar to waterfall sound. When the scene goes back to submerging Cobb, we hear a pulsation with its frequence acquiring faster and faster, which means he is traversing one dream bed up. We can hear the sound of a traveling train when we see the characters are kiping and woolgathering together, which means in world they are really woolgathering in a moving train. The sound interior decorator absolutely builds up three beds of universe utilizing sound as a hint to the audience, but it is difficult for the audience to detect these small hints. Anyhow the sound hint will go clear when the audience watch the movie a 2nd clip. When the dreaming character listens to the music on earphone, the audiences hear â€Å" Non, Je ne Regrette Rien † as if they are the dreaming character. Again there are two beds of sound at the same clip. In the dream bed, the character can merely hear a extremely filtered version of â€Å" Non, Je ne Regrette Rien † in a low voice as if person is whispering beside the ears. Sound images are frequently used in the movie for the intent of making an ambiance. Merely as the movie can demo ocular landscapes, so it can demo acoustic landscapes. ( Weis, 1985 ) Sound can depict an acoustic infinite. ( Sider, 2003 ) Sometimes sound is simple plenty to state the audience what is go oning, we do non necessitate an excess ocular image demoing the item. When Cobb drags Saito to the land, there is no image demoing Cobb has loaded the gun, but the audience hear a slug loaded sound, which means Cobb is endangering Saito and likely he is traveling to kill Saito if Saito does non state the secret of his company. That same thing happens once more in the scene when Cobb is about to kill himself in dream. When Cobb is playing the whirling top, we hear the familiar â€Å" Old Souls † once more. Every clip when Cobb is non certain if he is in dream, the subject â€Å" Old Souls † will look. It feels like a iteration paradox. We can ne'er do it right ; we can ne'er travel out of the paradox. That is what Zimmer tries to convey to the audience through â€Å" Old Souls † . When Cobb is holding conversation through telephone, we hear Cobb is talking usually, but evidently echo is added to the voices come from the other terminal and these voices are so clear as if we are hearing it from Cobb ‘s first individual position. The sound interior decorator has to do it clear so as the audience will non lose any information or emotion that Cobb receives from the telephone. When they mention Mal in the telephone, the background music all of a sudden changes into a soft and sad piece. That means Mal ‘s dead is truly a incubus for Cobb. He can non halt his eternal grieve about Mal. The mike is placed in two topographic points to enter the address in a large concert room between Cobb and his designer instructor. At first it is a close-up record. When the scene changes into a broad shooting, the audience can hear a distant record version with more reverberations which makes the atmosphere sounds more realistic than earlier. And that genuinely helps force the audience into the universe. During the conversation, the background music â€Å" Old Souls † comes up once more because they are speaking about the thought of planing dream. â€Å" One Simple Idea † is a good pick of background music when Cobb is learning Ariadne how to plan a dream universe like labyrinth. That music merely draws the audience ‘s attending to hard staff they are traveling through but non itself. That is to state, when background music goes off or goes down without any back uping emotion, it leaves the infinite for the audience to remain in the ocular and the profound thought of course. To do the narrative more logical and each secret plan scene connected better, a good, logical and complicated sound design is required. Even if it is in dreams, the atmosphere sound goes like it is in world. When Cobb is speaking with Ariadne, the voices of the other people around are still available. In order to surprise the audience with a ulterior detonation scene, the interior decorator would instead allow the audience believe this is a world scene at first. So everything sounds every bit normal as day-to-day life at the beginning. In fact few people can detect that the â€Å" Non, Je ne Regrette Rien † is â€Å" melting in † in the detonation scene when the dream is fall ining, which means the earphone on Ariadne ‘s ear is playing to wake her up. A land traveling sound is simulated in the scene that Ariadne is turn uping the land upside down in her dream. Everybody knows there is no manner to enter this sound in existent life, we have to enter the other sound, such as stone traveling on the land, to replace the imagined sound in the scene to do it sounds like what it should be. â€Å" Extremist Impression † is on the manner when Ariadne makes everything working extremist and incredible in her experimental dream. The two bit by bit exchanging chords make us experience the manner like â€Å" How could it be like that? † â€Å" What an astonishing thing! † If the scene has a large alteration, it is a good pattern to infix a background music which is in wholly different manner from the music in the scene before. Actually the â€Å" Mombasa † subject has already begun long before the chasing takes topographic point, but once more it is a bit by bit attenuation in, which means something excited should be merely around the corner. We can hear sound similar to chopper and besides the sound of air current when Mal is sitting on the window. The minute when she jumps out, the background music all of a sudden changes into a sad melody. That seems to state it is non in dream but in world. So it deserves to be a calamity decidedly. And this subject lasts until Cobb ‘s narrative is over. When they are taking action to commandeer the boy of the company ‘s caput, the music becomes really intense from that clip. When Arthur is holding gun fire, we hear the sound from his angel but non enemies ‘ angel because we merely necessitate a first individual record. The sound the enemies are hearing is non that of import to the secret plan. We can detect that whenever the address between the characters is over, the background music will shortly acquire louder. The sound interior decorator does non desire the background music cover our semantic hearing. It is ever a serious concern to enter the sound when several drive autos are firing at each other, because there is frequently fast exchanging shooting. In the movie, the auto braking sound, the gun fire sound, the braking glass sound because of the gun shooting and the H2O lapping sound, every sound mix with each other at precisely the same clip. So post production edit for the recorded sound is evidently needed at this specific minute. Some portion of the sound is reinforced while some is reduced or diminished. It is the manner to choose utile sound information for the audience. When we see a close-up shooting of a glass of H2O is agitating, we get a glass agitating sound. After the shooting switches to people ‘s face, we still acquire that glass agitating sound. This clip we know what it is the glass that is bring forthing the sound. And besides we can judge the shaking strength merely by the geting the volume of the glass agitating sound. When the glass hits the tabular array and interruptions, we hear a sound which is similar to metal tintinnabulation and the ringing supports enduring for a long clip. And that is the clip when Cobb ‘s attending is extracted by his subconscious. That pealing is a hint that he may lose himself in believing about Mal and his kids. He merely can non run off from the thought. The sound interior decorator has to believe of a best manner to present the sound in a practical environment. When the scene is exchanging between two degrees of dream, particularly at the concurrence point, sound effects do non necessary have to finish a sudden alteration. Sometimes for the consideration for continuity the sound from the upper degree will go through on to the following degree. The air current blowing sound and H2O lapping sound from the upper degree go the boom sound causation by the unusual conditions in the following degree. This is a really good illustration of planing sound harmonizing to the demand of secret plan and environment. I have to state that this is truly a really smart sound design. A close-up shooting on Robert Fischer ‘s face with a boom sound above makes the whole scenery more nervous. Robert Fischer decidedly feels dying about being in dream with a unusual go oning boom sound above. The really clear fast take a breathing sound of Robert Fischer besides reveals his anxiousness. We can hear about all the item from Robert Fischer ‘s oral cavity so clear that it sounds like the mike is merely around the oral cavity of Robert Fischer. Thus it has to be a later recorded version of syncing facial look with a close-up recorded sound. The mussy footfalls sound is a good manner to demo a helter-skelter scene, therefore reflects people ‘s tenseness. When Robert Fischer is get awaying with Cobb from the work forces who were sent to kidnap Robert Fischer, the sound of footfall is acquiring louder and quicker. At the best portion of the movie when five degrees of dream are interacting and the shootings maintain exchanging between these five degrees every few seconds, there is no address, merely the sound effects with brilliant background music which sounds like orchestra March. That peculiar background piece makes up the best portion of the movie, stating the audience this should be a dramatic minute that they would ne'er see in any other movie. In a word this piece stirs the emotion to the flood tide of the whole movie. When the characters on the 3rd and 4th degree of the dream put on earphone on the 2nd degree, they hear a deformed version of â€Å" Non, Je ne Regrette Rien † . All the perceptual experience on the upper degree has a contemplation effects on the deeper degree. In here, the music contemplation consequence is distortion music sound. The music at the shore of Cobb ‘s subconscious is a dizzy piece. It makes us do n't cognize where we are. In fact it is the 5th degree of dream. It is besides desolation piece that few people can come in this degree of dream so far. It becomes a strong boot with a long horn when the music â€Å" Non, Je ne Regrette Rien † is on. This clip it is non a deformed version, it is a new recorded slow version of â€Å" Non, Je ne Regrette Rien † . Let us take a expression at the movie score portion of sound design. What can movie mark does to the movie? The obvious first thing to state: It makes you experience a certain manner. It adds emotion, it evokes feelings, and it creates a temper. They can set up the gait of a scene. Directors are invariably inquiring composers to compose a piece of music which will do the scene seem to travel faster, or slower, than it goes. ( Sider, 2003 ) A good movie mark will force the audience into the film ‘s secret plan. It should make the perfect interaction point between audio and visuals. Normally the composer is shown an unpolished â€Å" unsmooth cut † of the movie, and negotiations to the manager about what music manners should be followed. Once a composer has the movie, they will so work on composing the mark. Some composers prefer to work with traditional paper tonss, but if it comes to hit like â€Å" Inception † that contains uneven ambient and electronic noises, it has to be written in a computer-based environment. In some cases, movie composers may be asked by the manager to copy a specific manner. As seen in many movie DVDs, the orchestra performs in forepart of a big screen picturing the film, helping the music director to synchronise the music with the movie. Movies frequently have different subjects for of import characters, events, thoughts or objects. So we divide the whole soundtrack into pieces of tonss. By convention, the movie soundtrack is constructed so as non to pull the audience ‘s attending to itself but to attach to the movie unless it is portion of the secret plan. The manager, composer, and music editor will hold a staining session, running through and holding on where and what sort of music is needed. The composer of the â€Å" Inception † scores is Hans Zimmer, whose music is characterized by high hearable. Because â€Å" Inception † is based on the pattern of come ining dreams and seting an thought in person ‘s caput, the soundtracks to â€Å" Inception † should be designed as dream-like and make a complete sonic universe to plunge the audience into each beds of the dreams. The original soundtrack album is mostly an atmospheric album. The soundtrack has to be composed in ways that are rather unrealistic so that the audience will non detect the background music. Listening to this soundtrack truly steer me to remember most of the chief secret plan, at the same clip music is the perfect incarnation of the movie ‘s subject. It is an aural journey into one ‘s imaginativeness which creates images and narrative lines in my head. It is a soundtrack to the imaginativeness, or possibly, dreams. In sing period, the movie mark will ne'er catch the spotlight of the movie itself, but to assist the audience construct up the bravery of the dream and advance the development of the secret plan. Inception film scores rely more on existent unrecorded instruments instead than digital audio samples. The whole soundtrack is a combination of electronic and classical. Traditional orchestra can be heard here and at that place in each path. Some cues even play with electric guitar, uneven ambient and electronic noises. â€Å" Dream Is Collapsing † is one of the most powerful paths in the mark. It is seen as absolutely rational that all characters in this scene maintain composure and act of course with holding a house prostration. This technique increases the contrast of the characters ‘ rational behavior against the powerful background mark which tells the audience that it deserves to be a nervous scene. â€Å" Dream is Collapsing † is really good done and improbably habit-forming. â€Å" Dream is Collapsing † is the most memorable vocal. â€Å" Extremist Impression † begins with bosom round which makes the audience lulled into a false sense of security. Those low chords that switch up and down earlier lie underneath strings as if a animal is quietly eupneic, or possibly, it implies that it is the dreamer who is take a breathing, and ever with a slowed down version. Recuring figure, musical fragment or sequence of notes that has some particular importance in or is characteristic of a composing â€Å" Extremist Impression † is a path that walks in familiar district in footings of the twine ostinatos. It is a motive which is persistently repeated in the same musical voice. It is a sequence of equal sounds, wherein each note ever has the same weight or emphasis. The perennial thought may be a rhythmic form in itself. Starts off playing the chief motive instead dramatically so dips into some excessively cool for school material before playing around with the small motif some more. The last minutes of the path gets aggressive. â€Å" Old Souls † reflects Mal ‘s dying about life in dreams. It makes the audience puzzled, inquiring if they are populating in dreams. And the vibrating electronic underscoring is used in such a particular manner. It is a long and effectual path that continues the atmospheric feelings of the album. â€Å" Old Souls † is a cue that leads us into the conversation between Cobb and Mal and do every audience puzzled with what they are making and why they are moving like that. Most of the original background cues have something in common, but some of cues have slight differences. â€Å" Mombasa † is the lone percussion in the mark, which has typical spirit from the remainder of the mark. What is happening on screen is a trailing scene which lasts about 4 proceedingss. Thus the attach toing soundtrack should be a really fast ongoing beat in order to arouse audience ‘s emotions. The Hi Octane component provides intense personal experience and delivers a paranoid sense of being chased when Cobb is running to acquire out of the pursuers. It has a reasonably light start, but it shortly explodes into an action cue. â€Å" Dream within a Dream † brings back the motive heard in â€Å" Dream is Collapsing † but adds some excessively cool for school percussion. â€Å" Waiting for a Train † is the longest cue of all, which feels really cryptic and nostalgic when there are excessively many musical elements and emotion altering blended in. Around 3 proceedingss, it changes the feeling wholly and the ambiance becomes a small darker in nature. At around 5:30, it gets more dramatic as there are about merely synths left. In blunt contrast, Edith Piaf is in there at around 7:04. â€Å" Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien † is a authoritative, but it still sounded unusual at that place. The female voice aftermaths up the dreamers. All of these signifier 9 proceedingss and 29 seconds of uninterrupted admirability. Great inspirational tonss and soundtracks should all hold the quality of independency from their intended movie. â€Å" Time † may be one of the most beautiful heroic poem vocals in the soundtrack that can be appreciated independently from â€Å" Inception † . It gives a sense of closing by constructing up an emotional yarn from get downing to stop. There is no uncertainty that â€Å" Time † should be the chief rubric in this original soundtrack album. The piano gets the position feeling sentimental, which brings cryings to the eyes, particularly at the really terminal after the audience has experienced all the dreams in the movie. This is likely the 1 that most people will truly love and listen to a 1000 times without being tired of. What Time did was no pure sensationalism, the destiny of a sense of devastation in which the tune is along with the whirling top, so that we can non separate if it is a dream or non. It is non merely orchestral music, but every signifier of music because you ne'er know when you might necessitate to utilize some electric guitars. Great composers adapt to the narrative and to their manager ‘s vision. It can be said that sound ‘s greatest influence on the movie is manifested at the bosom of the image itself. ( Chion, 1994 )