Cultural Aspects in India

Cultural Aspects in IndiaIf the 20th century was frequently recognized to be the Ameri erect century, then the 21st conduct executive rattling well be regarded as the Indian century. After only, f tout ensembleing China, India has the largest universe of discourse in the world. Like China, it too has a large and fast-developing economy, and it is steadily converting these sparing gains into growing policy-making power abroad. Unlike China, however, India is governed by a vibrant, participatory democracy, which, while chaotic, reflects the political values of human rights and pluralism so cherished in the West. Indeed, as countries which eat up long guided the West in leading the world begin to lose ground to counterparts in the developing world, India is ane of the few major future powers in a position to pick up the Wests mantle of human progress and freedom.Though like the West in its commitment to democracy, India brings with a unique set of circumstances, in turned by a history and shade, which stretch back for thousands of years. The common theme of Indian history has been heterogeneity. The abundant diversity prove in India today was present almost from the beginning. The countrys oldest historical document, the Rig Veda, which is also a religious unrivalled, recounts a massive migration of one conceived ancestor comp any(prenominal) and its intermingling with a loosely described native grow (Keay, 19-56). Scholars project open up evidence of civilizations on the Indian subcontinent stretching back to times concurrent with the first city-states of Mesopotamia, Indian history (Keay, 1-18). Between the time of the Harrapan City States of around 3,000 B.C. any the instruction to Indias current prime minister Manmohan Singh, India has absorbed wave after wave of newfound peoples, new tactual sensations, and new ideas and added this to an already heady mix with every passing century. As a result, Indias startling diversity and variety w ere multiplied in incalculable directions.Nowadays thither be over 400 languages spoken in India with over 14 official languages recognized according to the CIA World Factbook. Its population, which had stayed predominately rural until new-fangled years, is becoming more urbanized, and two of the worlds five most populous cities are located there. The Indian parliamentary democracy is multi-party, regional, and highly factionalized, reflecting the drastic differences that exist in the midst of districts even within the same province.With all(prenominal) this diversity, it is tempting to impute irreconcilable contradictions between the types of people, institutions, and beliefs found in India. One might ask how can one form a coherent statement about the existence of an overarching Indian culture? The answer to this has been as much a problem for government leaders as it has been for scholars, however it is one this paper will endeavor to supply in the following waysWe will dis cuss the major components of Indian culture (people, frames of references / communication, and group interactions) to illustrate the staggering variety of Indian cultural practices.We will focus on the notion of the Indian family and its characteristics, and attempt to make the case that the family as an institution provides a unifying theme for Indian culture, and a vehicle, which simultaneously relieves and reinforces the tectonic tensions brought on by societal diversity.We will discuss the findings of our interviews and outside readings to form a big picture analysis of Indian culture.II. Culture ComponentsGannon and Pillai supply readers with two metaphors through which to conceive of the sheer magnitude of diversity found in Indian cultural practices the Dance of Shiva and a Kaleidoscope. In either case, there is a dynamic tension between channelize and stasis, creation and destruction, and the rules of general and specific some(prenominal) metaphors create a framework for u nderstanding that heterogeneity is the rule of thumb when conceiving of India as a whole. To view Indian culture in all its staggering complexity, it is necessary to begin with the component parts people, frames of references / communication and group interactions.A. The Indian PeopleFor Westerners seeking to understand the staggering diversity found on the Indian Subcontinent, there is a helpful quote from a Hindoo religious prayer, which can assist May good thoughts come to us from all sides (Religions). Its simplicity reveals an acceptance of variety, heterodoxy and the unconventional it turns on its head the notion of diversity being a challenge, and refashions it as an asset. To effectively argue that there is a general, overarching Indian culture, it is important to first acknowledge as true that such(prenominal) a culture is also served by galore(postnominal) evident parts, which mother guided that nations historic, political, social and economic suppuration. When consi dering the citizens of India, it is similarly important to perceive the numerous and stark divisions with regards to ethnic / linguistic groupings, social and economic levels, as well as religious and philosophical make-up.i. Demographics Social and Economic LevelsIndia is the bet on most populous nation in the world, having an estimated population of 1.17 billion (CIA World Factbook, India). Though the World Factbook yet subdivides Indias immense population into four ethnic categories Indo-Aryan (72%), Dravidian (25%), Mongoloid and early(a) (3%), the plethora of languages spoken in India 400 at last count, plus 2,000 dialects address to a diversity almost beyond the average Westerners comprehension.India is also a very young nation, with the mean age being 25.3, and with nearly 95% of the population under the age of 64 (CIA World Factbook, India). Indias population is also change magnitude at a brisk, if not explosive rate it ranks 84th in the world in terms of highest grow th place higher than the United States (CIA World Factbook, India). Literacy is at 61%, and only 29% of the population is urbana effect which has been increasing at the slow creep of 2.4% over the last five years (CIA World Factbook, India).When adopting a big-picture perspective, noticeable differences appear between men and women males consort to be younger, more literate and more educated (CIA World Factbook, India). Males also tend to be more plentiful earlier in bread and butter, with a higher take in rate of 1.12 males to every female, but their life expectancy is lower by almost five years (CIA World Factbook, India). One of Hinduisms most potent legacies, til now as demographic effect is concerned, is Indias hierarchical club system (Lonner Zhang, 11 and 14). Although the rank system evolved from Hinduism for over 1000 years, some groups of other faiths such as Christians and Muslims adhere to this ancient social structure (Religions).Indias society reveals large ga ps between the lifestyles of upper and lower class Indians the bottom 10% hold only 3.6% of the nations wealth, where the top 10% have accumulated 31.1% (CIA World Factbook, India). By purchasing power parity, India is the 5th largest economy in the world, yet, it remains one of the poorest, with an estimated 53% of the population subsisting on less than one dollar a day in income (CIA World Factbook, India Gannon and Pillai 469).Compounding economic difficulties are social, geographic and political realities, which prevent equal development for all. In a submission to the periodical Cultural Anthropology, writer Kaushik Ghosh describes the conflicting strains of indigenousness, locality and transnationalism, which combine to blunt social and economic development efforts being do in India. The globe for India is that, given its immense, far-flung b redacts (greater than the continent of Europe, according to WorldBusinessCulture.com), extreme geographic features, and the extreme mul tiplicity of the ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups, it is not possible for any change to be applied uniformly and in a way that affects all people equally. Ghosh depicts the isolated tribes of Jharkhand, India, who, in their efforts to lobby their local government and national representatives, capture effectively nullified when they are lumped in with other, separate interest groups that are labeled indigenous. Another writer, Navtej Dhillon, shares that the majority of Indias 150 million muslimsMuslims suffer relative privation when to education and access to public employment.For a time, the Indian government had use socialist economic policies, and today the state is still a large player in economic development. The role taken by government can be paternalistic, and elected officials try to reward their voters and supporters with jobs and economic opportunities. Combine this economic reality with the fact that Indias multiparty, parliamentary government is characterized by heavy regionalism and identity politics, and you get the following certain groups are sometimes purposefully excluded from lucrative government concern opportunities (Bellman, Politics Economics Reversal of Fortune Isolates Indias Brahmins). In an article published in the Wall Street Journal, journalist Eric Bellman describes a government constitution in the State of Tamil Nadu, which allocates 69% of government jobs and public college slots for lower castes. Though this policy actually has its genesis in the Indian Constitution, which itself was formulated to wane concentrations of wealth and privilege in the higher castes, the article documents a new dimension to the state policy, which is considerably less altruistic and more partisan.Yet for all that academics, journalists and political leaders have described the staggering dimensions of social and economic inequality, it is apparent that within India itself, there is consensus insofar as a solution is concerned educatio n. Gannon and Pillai describe the perceived success of Indias educational sector, which, as mentioned above, has produced an enormous pool of highly-educated and specialized workers (Gannon and Pillai 504). Indias success in these areas also masks startling inequalities, elevately the low literacy rates and a general lack of access to education for many people (505). Competition to uprising above ones peers is inordinately tough given the limited number of slots open at public and private universities, and in secondary school, a performance test is given to determine which field of study for which a savant is eligible (Cheney, Ruzzi and Muralidharan, 8). Despite the systemic challenges like a drastic lack of funding, deficient facilities, and t from separately oneer absenteeism, the value placed on education and knowledge is so present in Indian culture as to make millions of students achieve at remarkably high levels. It is this valuing of educational attainment, which has esta blished India as a leading(prenominal) figure in high technology fields, and paved the way for long-term economic development.Despite the endemic poverty, economic development in India has given rise to a sizeable and growing middle class, which contains in its membership the largest number of college-educated scientists and computer specialists in the world. (Gannon and Pillai, 469). India is now looking inwards to, in the words of Indian President, Manmohan Singh, a vast unfinished agenda of social and economic development, to correct abuses and disparities which occur due to culture, history, politics or environment.ii. Religion and PhilosophyEvery brass of Indian culture has been impacted by piety. Prominent Hindu and philosopher Swami Vivekananda stated, Each nation has a theme in life. In India religious life forms the primal theme, the keynote of the whole music of the nation (Gannon 470). Martin Gannon wrote, For 2000 years of its history, India was almost completely Hind u, but for the last millennium or more, Indian culture has been a tax deduction of different racial, religious, and linguistic influences (470). Tolerance has also sustained religious pluralism of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Secularists, and other persuasions (Census of India).Despite having an 80.5% Hindu population, Indian culture is not only a Hindu culture (Census of India). The other major indigenous religions in India are Jainism (0.4%), Buddhism (0.8 %), and Sikhism (1.9%), and the major imported religions are Christianity (2.3 %) and Islam (13.4%) (Religions). Other smaller religions comprise 0.6% of the population, and are numberly, Zoroastrianism or Parsi, Bahai Faith, Jews, and tribal someones who practice the most ancient religion of animism (Religions). 0.1% of Indias population did not state a religion (Census of India).Hinduism is tied with the ancient Vedic tradition estimated to have formed around 1500 B.C. and had continued to be the sole relig ion of India up until a thousand years ago or more (Gannon, 470 Heitzman). Indian philosophy, with its thematic undercurrents of cycles, owes much to Hinduism and later dharma traditions (Gannon, 471). The dharma and ancient monastic tradition of Jainism, owes much of its religious precepts to Hinduism (Census of India Religions). Experts speculate the formation of Jainism began in the 9th century B.C. by Parshvanatha whose teachings required a channel of non-violence for all biography beings and other practices to guide the soul to divine consciousness (Religions). Similarly, Buddhism was inspired by the life and beliefs of Siddhartha Gautama, or Buddha, between the 6th and 4th centuries B.C. (Census of India Religions). Buddhism is a dharma religion consisting of change philosophies, beliefs, and traditions that have spread to the East. Buddhists in India near the Chinese border mainly follow Tibetan Buddhism or Vajrayana, which means from Sanskrit Vehicle of the dash and thos e located near the Myanmar border practice Theravada, translated from Pali Way of the Elders (Religions). Sikhism was established by Guru Nanak in the sixteenth century, who attempted to reform specific Hindu tenants like eliminating the caste system, race, and gender inequities (Census of India Religions).Islam arrived in India during the early eighth century largely from the Sunni sect (Census of India Heitzman Religions). The division of the British Empire at Indias independence forced many Muslims to transmigrate to Pakistan and Hindus to India, but Islam still remains the largest minority religion today (Census of India Religions). Indias Christian inhabitants are majority Roman Catholic, but consist of several other denominations, including both independent and consolidated Protestant churches of Church of North India and South India (Heitzman Religions). Indias small community of Parsis comprises the last practitioners of Zoroastrianism, which was brought by Iranian immigran ts one thousand years ago. in that respect are small communities of Judaism, Bahai Faith, and tribal animists (Religions).After Indias independence in 1947, the establishment of a secular government further facilitated mutual respect of all religious practices in public society through legislation advocating neutrality in all things rooted in an individual or groups faith (Sen, 19). however its constitutional obligation, religion and government do still intermix, shown in the management of Hindu temples by the Tamil Nadu state government or the Sikh political party exerting full authority over the state assembly in Punjab (Heitzman). Furthermore, Indias long tradition of religious tolerance began to be challenged by fundamental ideologues startle from the 1960s. From the 1990s to the present, riots and religious-based political parties continue to impact public life and its relatively neutral governmental body (Heitzman).1. Hindu Religion PhilosophyThe general set forth of Hind u philosophy is that truth is organic, pluralistic, and sometimes inconsistent, and should be arrived by multiple sources, rather than dogmatic principles (Religions). In other words, context matters most in India, a culture that Edward Hall refers to as high-context (Hall, 101). Hinduism is an ancient polytheistic faith originating from Vedism, or simply Brahmanism, brought by invading Aryans in 1500 B.C and hence is subsequently deemed to be the oldest living religion (Religions).Hinduisms major groups are Vaishnavism and Shaivism, though membership in these groups is loose, dynamic, and vague (Religions). The leading sects are the Vaishnavas, who worship Vishnu theology or a related personification such as Rama and Krishna, Shaivas which worships the god Shiva, and Shaktis, a cult that worships the manifestations of Shakti, the mother goddess and companion of Shiva. Other smaller sects advocate religious reform and revival, charity to the poor, or follow the teachings of a cha rismatic leader (Religions).There is said to be five tensile strands in Hinduism doctrine, practice, society, story, and homage (Religions). All Hindus follow these strands to varying degrees and accept their distinct tensions and contradictions, favoring religious enthusiasm over fundamental rigidities of practice or doctrine (Religions). To achieve absolute happiness one must live beyond material possessions through spiritual enlightenmenta journey in search of salvation or mukti in which leads to an ethereal transcendence called moksha (Gannon, 475). Hindu philosophy guides each person on a distinct path to this exultation from worldly suffering along four fundamental avenues that a good deal are intertwined intense devotion or love of God (bhakti yoga), selfless work or service (karma yoga), philosophy or knowledge of self (jnana yoga), and meditation or psychological object lesson (raja yoga) (Gannon, 475). The difficulty of achieving moksha in ones lifetime is accommodated by the concept of reincarnation in which souls or jivas enter the world through Gods power mysteriously and ascend from the simplest life forms to the most complicated bodies or human form where the search for mukti begins (Gannon, 475). The degree of these three fundamental qualities is determined by the equilibrium of rights and wrongs done in historical lives, called karma and is predicted by astrological charts at birth (Gannon, 476).Hinduism also gave rise to the caste system. A caste or jati (translated as birth) is a social arrangement into which someone is born. It is also a system purported to provide social support and established economic and social roles, making it the most influential contribution to Indias corporal culture (Religions Zhang, 11-13). There are over 2000 distinct jatis in Indian society today (Religions). Each member marries within the same jati and follows specific rules of doings such as kinship, profession, and diet, and interacts with other jatis according to their social position (Religions). Each jati is associated with five caste clusters or varnas in descending order Brahmans which are priests, Kshatriyas as warriors, Vaishyas which were originally peasants but now associated with merchants, Sudras as artisans and laborers, and Panchamas which historically had been excluded from the system because of their occupation and ways in life (Religions). The fifth varna reveals the mechanism for determining the level of the caste purity. The rate at which a group comes into contact with pollutants such as dung, menstrual flow, leather, dirt, hair, saliva, and blood, determines its ranking within the social caste system (Religions). Panchamas are avoided for headache of contamination, hence the name Untouchables, but the Constituent Assembly of India adopted legislation after Indias independence outlawing the reference (Religions). More recently, the phrase Dalit, which means Oppressed, has been utilized in contemporary India, but is officially called Scheduled castes (Religions). One sixth of the population belonging to this caste are typically landless, have agricultural professions, and other ritually contaminating occupations such as leatherwork which is the largest Scheduled Caste (Religions).Author Richard Lannoy demarcates mutually exclusive Western conceptions of right and wrong or good and lousiness from Indias philosophy which stresses finding the middle way (227). Furthermore, the cyclical nature of Hindu thought lends to an open-ended moxie of perfectibility, less anguish in the face of time, a less fanatical will to achieve everything in a single lifetime and manifests in Indias holistic, non-linear, and inductive styles of reasoning and dialogue, harmonious existence with its environment, fluid sense of time, and high Long-Term orientation (Hall, 17 Lonner Zhang, 20).2. Holidays, Traditions CelebrationsBoth religious holidays and secular celebrations are observed broadly in India, often time with the same hallowed day being celebrated in unique ways by the varying religious and secular communities. For example, in Hinduism the festival of Diwali plays a significant role, but is understand differently by other related religions, such as BuddismBuddhism, Sikhs, and Jains. In its most generic form, Diwali is the festival of lights. Easter, Christmas, Islamic New Year and many others are also broadly celebrated by the Indian populace.In addition to holidays, the religions of India tend to be very ritualistic traditions as well. One such ritual is the lighting of the lamp before the altar of Lord Brahma while saying a prayer. This lighting represents darkness, knowledge, and ignorance. It is common in many Indian homes to have an altar or a prayer room. This symbolizes the Lord Brahma as the master of creation, and thus reorients the lives of people who occupy the surrounding space towards him and themselves. Hindu women often wear the pottu or tilak, which invokes a feeling of sanctity the wearer and others. The different colors and forms depend on the caste and religious subdivision. Taken as a whole, all these act of devotions large and small present a pattern as to the approach a great many Indians take toward religion and spirituality integration. Indians of all religions are also known to regularly make pilgrimages to visit certain holy or nationally evocative sites. This attribute attests to the powerful force of religion in an Indians daily life.B. Frames of Reference / CommunicationIn the latter half of the 20th Century, pioneering anthropologist and culture-expert, Edward Hall conceived of what he called the silent language of culture. By extending the notion of culture from the more well-known and studied front-stage elements, and exploring the rich back-stage of culture, Hall demonstrated how beliefs, schemas, associated meanings and symbolism could affect intercultural communication as assiduously as spoken language might. The sec ond subdivision of the component parts of Indian culture consider the communication patterns and frames of reference utilized by society as a whole, beginning with an geographic expedition of the expressions and general attitudes found in contemporary Indian society, continuing with a discussion of role relationships, and ending with apparent motions and non-verbal communication.i. Expressions and General attitudesLike few other cultures, the belief systems found in India tend to be exhaustive and encompass a variety of values and philosophical perspectives on a wide variety of issues, such as nature (environment), human nature, privacy, individuality, wealth / material possessions, social positions, government, politics, childhood and child-rearing, time, crime, violence and others.A prominent feature of Indian society, even in non-Hindu cultures, is fatalism, which is an crowning(prenominal) acceptance of the hand of fate insofar as guiding ones affairs are concerned (www.commu nicaid.com). Fatalism is tied to the Hindu notion of Karma, that everything happens for a reason and breeds and encourages passivity, and a surprisingly low uncertainty avoidance score for a country with such traditionalistic cultures (www.communicaid.com).Indian society is high context and collectivist thus a prevalent concern in all interactions is the maintenance of social relationship and the preservation of social face. As such, activities which would provoke harsh judgment from ones peers isare frowned on. legion(predicate) experts have noted that successful communication in India depends on precise knowledge of the status of the individual with whom one is speaking, and the relative standing between each party. Edward Hall diagnosed India as having a high-context culture, which is characterized by indirect, face-saving and listener-centric communication styles (Hall, p. 101). In India, communication is informed by role relationships, which, reflecting the society at large, ar e varied and complex.ii. Role relationshipsRole relationships in Indian society are in some instances outgrowths of the traditional caste system, as well as religious beliefs. The Indian caste system has been and continues to be influential in everyday life of the people. The main purpose of the caste system is to bring a sense of order in the society. The caste system enables people to have their own place in society and keeps away from any conflict.Outside of the traditional, economic and religious strictures of the Caste system, India as a society is marked by high power distance and tends to embrace clearly articulated lines of authority and respect. Indians base this respect on the behavior, title, class, and status of the person with whom he or she is interacting.The status of an Indian is determined in part by his or her possession of a university degree, his or her profession, age, and caste. In terms of professions, given the deference provided to authority figures, it is c onsidered more impressive to work for the government than the private sector. Gender-based differences also exist, despite laws to the contrary. The head of the family is almost universally the eldest male. Male chauvinism is well-established, and women do not have the same privileges as do males.iii. Gestures and Non-verbal CommunicationAs a high context culture, Indian communicators tend to rely heavily on indirect verbal and non-verbal cues to reinforce their message. In addition, Indians rely on a variety of contextual cues for comprehending meaning. For example, the word No or any kind of direct refusal is absent from most Indian discourse because it implicates an aggressive, harsh, impolite, and arrogant tone. Instead vague and open-ended answer such as afflicted try or I will confirm with you another time are considered acceptable answers (India Prosperous Entertaining Part I). Subsequently, a Yes does not always imply agreement or acceptance. Extrapolated further, some of these cues have taken on a life of their own, which is separate and considered standard when interacting with others. For instance, in order to show respect, greetings are offered with what is termed the namaste or the placing of both hands together as if praying coupled with a slight bow. Use of the right hand when touching people or objects is recommended due to the cultural association, the left hand is viewed as being unclean.Head bobbles, head wobbles, and Indian head shakes refer are a common gesture found in South Asian cultures, most notably in India. The head shake is the non-verbal equivalent of a multipurpose and omnipresent Hindi word, accha, which can mean anything from good to I understand. Shaking a head sideways is taken as non approval of certain things, whereas shaking a head up and down is taken as approval, though the meaning is reversed if you are aan Indian from the South. Similarly, a side to side hand wave is frequently interpreted by Indians as no or go a way.Eye contact with an elder or person in a senior position is considered very rude. Avoiding eye contact with the seniors is considered as a sign of respect. Another non-verbal taboo is to touch a persons head because it The head is considered sensitive and so shouldnt be touched. Likewise, one should never point with a single finger or two fingers, instead, point with the chin, whole hand or thumb.Prostrating before God and elders and touching their feet is the humblest way of conveying respect in Indian culture. Known as Sashtang Namaskar it is bowing with four limbs of the body touching the ground. Touching feet of the elders is showing respect. Staring is also acceptable, as staring at strangers is a Western cultural taboo that does not carry the same weight in India. Many people feel kinda free to stare at anything, or anyone, that is different from them and as part of their culture. Interpreting this as rudeness is unproductive.C. Group InteractionsThe third component of c ulture is group interactions, which are limited here to general social interactions amongst friends, peers and professional settings. Generally summarized, interactions can be sub-categorized into greetings, visits, and meetings.i. GreetingsRenowned expert organizational behavior and psychology, Dr. Madhukar Shukla, describes Indians as upcoming and friendly, an attitude that is bolstered by a sense of privacy, which is less guarded than in the West (Shukla, India ConversatonConversation Part 1). One should not, therefore, be surprised by the ease with which intercourse is started, nor with which it covers ostensibly private subject matters.There are several different naming forms in India, which vary from region to region (Kwintessential.com, Global-Etiquette India-country profile). In the sexual union of India, it is common to see a given name, followed by a surname or family name, whereas in the south, names commonly begin with a reference to the townspeople or region the per son is from, followed by the fathers name, and then lastly their given name. Similarly, in Muslim culture, surnames are not common, instead, have a derivative of their fathers name tacked on after the given name by bin if the person is a male, and binti if they are a female, which in both cases means of the name hajji might also have been added if this person had made the pilgrimage to Mecca. Sikhs,Sikhs also have a unique naming system, which is the given name followed by the name Singh (Kwintessential.com, Global-Etiquette India-country profile). In all cases, however, it is recommended that when addressing someone, one should give the correct name, prefaced by Mr. or Mrs., or by his or her professional title doctor, director, chairman/woman, and so on (Shukla, India First Name or Title?). Furthermore, the same source points out that despite the variety, in many parts of India, people will adapt to the Hindu style of naming, which is the most widely used.Upon entering the room, greetings should be offered first to the oldest or most senior person present in many cases, the oldest person will be the most senior-ranked. Offering a Namaste, a handshake or even a pleasant hello is acceptable, though there are important caveats to note. Depending on the religion of the person with whom one meets if he or she is a muslimMuslim a Salaam Wale Kum might be more conquer (Shukla, India First Name or Title?). Handshakes are acceptable for men however touch is a sensitive area for many Indians, so a handshake might not be as acceptable for women (Shukla, India First Name or Title?). Experts suggest respecting the physical space of Indian counterparts, and any physical interactions should be at their initiative. The recommendation of the hello and slight wave,wave should only be acted upon if the audience is younger, as it is reasonable to assume they would be familiar with this perspective of western culture. (Shukla, India First Name or Title?)ii. VisitingHospital ity is a key value in Indian culture, and the guest is considered the equivalent to god (Shukla, India Prosperous Entertaining Part I). Foreigners and Indians alike can attest to the geniality one encounters from invitations by those they just met to drop on by at any time. The Indian hos

Denying Treatment To Smokers

Denying Treatment To SmokersFor numerous years, heater has been one of the most popular topics in our health education. Many people are aware that smoking causes a great deal of diseases ranging form minor cough to deleterious lung cancer. However, many warmerrs tend to continue their hazardous habit in spite of advices from health cautiousness providers and campaigns from many organisations, hospitals or even local pharmacies. Hence, the question is Should perseverings who refuse to stop smoking be prevented from getting shell outment from National Health Service(NHS) for smoking related diseases? It is a common fact that individuals will take responsibility of their health implications if they bring forth to bear the cost of their own health, but when government body such as the NHS bears the health cost, moral obligations of doctors and NHS are brought to question if they sweep these individuals of discussion repayable to their behaviour. In this discussion we will con sider the general outlook of smoking, smokers involved and the pros and cons of denying treatment. sess generally has been a norm in our modern culture and is highly popular among men. More interestingly, the practice has begun as early as 5000 BC to 3000 BC in south America when tobacco was first planted 1. Tobacco is used in medicinal purposes such as analgesic and antiseptic, ritual ceremonies whereby tobacco was offered to the Gods, insecticides in agriculture, drunk as tea, etc 1. Tobacco was thought to have medicinal properties that can help cure and prevent cancer in the sixteen century. ironically no one knew of the hazardous consequences of smoking until the early twentieth century. The first evidence of the effectuate of smoking related disease occurred in 1950 particularly affair to lung cancer. Since then more researches and investigations have been carried out on the effects of smoking towards health. By the late twentieth century, much evidence have proven that smoki ng cigarettes is a study cause of heart disease, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), stroke, numerous types of cancer such as lungs, cervix, oral cavity, penis etc. In rundown smoking withal increase the impotence rate among men and abortion among pregnant mothers. Since then many health care providers as well as government authorities have begun to take serious measures such as launching anti smoking campaigns, increase of tobacco taxation and educating the public on the dangerous effects of smoking.Before we explore further, we must first ask ourselves another relevant question which is Why do smokers continue to smoke despite knowing the bad consequences that will befall their health? According to a survey, 90 per cent of regular smokers have tried to diverge on at least one occasion but only 36 per cent had succeeded in maintaining abstinence for a whole year, while relapse rates after(prenominal) a given period of time are almost the same for nicotine as for hero in 2. In biological terms, it seems that smoking causes an addition for nicotine in the gracious brain which is rather difficult to overcome by smokers. Furthermore, in campaigns smoking related disease are usually related to the dangerous lung cancer and common COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) but the risk of circulatory diseases such as Buergers Disease 3 and coronary artery disease are seldom emphasised. For example coronary artery disease patient ask to undergo coronary artery bypass graft surgery 4 where surgeons need to carry out a major operation. In these cases, surgeons usually consider the minimum side effects and maximum benefit of the surgery for a patient. This is rather a tricky part for NHS as major operation usually contributes to a huge amount of medical cost. Apparently NHS spends 5.2 billion a year to treat smoking related diseases 5. In addition, circulatory disease in any case contributes to the highest patient admission in NHS compare to other sm oking related diseases with a number of 686,942 patients in year 2007/08 6. It is also equivalent to 47.6% of the total admission which is cause by smoking. Furthermore the complications of this surgery are high among smokers who continue to smoke after surgery than for non smokers.Coming back to the major question, if NHS denies treatment of this kind to smokers who refuse to stop smoking, more opportunities are given to a non smoker with the similar disease to receive treatment as there are more surgeons and hospital beds available to treat them. Moreover the surgery performed is more efficient and effective. In addition, their survival chances are also higher compare to those who continue smoking after surgery 7. Apparently, smoking at any time of the surgery leads to more infections and impairs tissue healing. Studies have shown that overall complications in knee or hip arthroplasty for those who have digress smoking are 10% compared to 44% in those who continue to smoke 8. O n the other hand, notes could be saved and be contributed to other areas such as to the smoking cessation service such as ASH (Action of consume and Health). Currently the NHS staunch Smoking Services is spending about 57.5million in year 2008/09 in pharmacotherapies to help smokers to quit smoking. Comparatively, 337054 smokers managed to quit smoking by the year 2008/09 through NHS Smoking Cessation Services 9. Besides, non smokers who are usually the victims in passive smoking may also benefit by getting a cleaner and smoke free environment.However, this move is ethically wrong according to the NHS principles where principle number one states that The NHS will provide a universal and comprehensive service with stir access for all, free at the point of use, based on clinical need, not ability to pay and principle number five states that We will treat every patient with dignity and respect 10. To summarise both principles, it states that NHS should provide equal treatment to an y patient based on their clinical needs and also respect their health care honorables regardless of their background to seek medical treatment. Denying treatment from smokers also means that taking health care rights remote from them and it is a rather inhuman act to do.Besides, it is also ethically wrong for doctors to deny patients right of treatment as it contradicts with the doctor-patient relationship and it is against the Hippocrates law which states that The health of my patient will be my first consideration 11. Doctors working under NHS must abide with the oath and carry out their duty to treat their sick patient. whence doctors who work for the NHS should not be influence by the situation of NHS to offer treatment to their patients who smokes. In addition, let us view on patients right for treatment according to the Declaration of Lisbon, The patient has the right to accept or refuse treatment after receiving adequate information 12. In other words it also means that it is the patients right to decide whether he should receive the treatment and not the authorities such as NHS. In a nutshell, the patient also has the right to be cared for by a physician who is free to make clinical and ethical judgement without any outside interference.Based on the pros and cons, I would the like to conclude that it is unfair for NHS to deny treating patients who smoke. This is based on several reasons firstly, NHS should not discriminate against patients who smoke owing that they knew the health implications of their hazardous habit. Many may deal that smoking related disease is a self inflicted but in most cases the situation is far more complicated than it seems from the surface. For example, smokers may smoke due to several factors such as peer pressure, family problems and cigarette advertisement in the early twentieth century. In addition to that, the addiction to nicotine is similar to heroin. Many have tried to give up smoking but chances of succeeding ar e slim as they might be shy to consult their health care provider and it is challenging to go against the addiction. Furthermore NHS smoking cessation services was recently set up in the early twenty first century. As humans, we err as well and we should be given an opportunity to correct them. Therefore I feel that smokers should be given more time to quit smoking and more anti smoking campaigns should be launched to create more awareness instead of taking a drastic move as to deny treatment to patients who smoke. On the other hand, other alternative ways such as raising tobacco tax is an effective measure to encourage smokers to quit and increases the number of people who never smoked before. Very recently, the UK government is considering to increase the tobacco taxation by 5% and a survey on its effects was carried out by ASH 13. One of the major advantages in this policy is it help reduce the number of smokers and increase NHS cost saving. In a nutshell, I think it would be bet ter to continue treating patient who smokes as well as to increase tobacco taxation and having more smoking cessation campaigns.

When Strategic Planning Goes Wrong Essay -- Business Management

When Strategic Planning Goes WrongNetflix, Inc.Where Are We Going?Strategic initiatives provide a roadmap of how to steer a company towards its visionthe forward-looking lieu of where the company is going. A glimpse of where Netflix, Inc., the industry leader in movie rentings, was planning to go was revealed in the middle of 2011. What the company did not realize, at the time, was that it was headed for trouble.In July 2011, Netflix, Inc. announced that it would be changing the way its movie rental subscription plans would be priced. In the past, the lowest-priced subscription plan at $9.99which included both DVDs and unlimited video be adriftwould now be split into both separate plans priced at $7.99 each (See Appendix Key Dates) representing a 60% increase for both service levels. The near move for the company came in September when it was announced that the DVD rental and video streaming services were going to be split send off into two separate companies. The DVD-only serv ice company would now be called Qwikster, while the video streaming service would remain under the Netflix, Inc name. By October, the company decided that it would eccentric the split off initiative and keep the two rental services as they wereback under one company.Why Are We Going This air?The GoodGiven the nature of the market demand for instant viewing offered through streaming media, the initial need to split the companyand the two rental service levelsinto separate entities was a natural direction for Netflix. From an operational perspective, the two services require different resource capabilities and the expertise to manage them. In the lesson of the DVD service, this business unit requires assets that follow a more traditional ... ...any, called Qwikster, will be completely separate from the streaming business.October 10 The Company has killed off Qwikster before the DVD-only service announced in September even launched.Works Cited Lexis Nexis. Corporate Affiliations. N/A. http//0-www.corporateaffiliations.com.bianca.penlib.du.edu/subscriber/companyProfile.asp (accessed April 19, 2012). Fundinguniverse.com. Company Histories & Profiles N Netflix, Inc. 2012. http//www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Netflix-Inc-Company-History.html (accessed April 19, 2012). The Huffington Post. Tech. July 2011. http//www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/12/netflix-price-subscription-plan_n_895779.html (accessed April 19, 2012). The Huffington Post. Tech. September 2011. http//www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/19/qwikster-netflix-streaming-dvds_n_969135.html (accessed April 19, 2012).

My Personal Philosophy on Education :: Educational Teaching Teachers Classroom Essays

My Personal Philosophy on Education One of the questions I was asked most while growing up was, What do you want to be when you grow up? Little did I know that I would continue to be asked that very same question all the way up to the grow of 25. Who could possibly know the answer to that question out of the many possible answers? It seemed like everyone did besides me. I have had so many interests throughout my life, moreover just couldnt decide what I wanted to do the rest of my life. I have always loved to be around children, whether it be babysitting, teaching, or assisting in Bible School and Sunday School. Many people in my family are teachers, including my mother. They are not just regular teachers who carry that title, but they are teachers who think something to their students and schools and possess that positive intuition that all students lowlife succeed through hard have and determination. It wasnt until the summer of 2000 that I finally answered the q uestion, that for so long I always dreaded to hear. What do you want to be when you grow up? I finally could say, I want to be a teacher. How wonderful half dozen words can make you feel. It wasnt just finally being able to answer others questions, but the joy of knowing Im going to be someone who can make a difference in a childs life. Teaching holds an honor that allows me an opportunity to instruct students in hands-on experiences, to develop an atmosphere for learning, and to create a positive influence on the children with whom I am entrusted. I want to teach elementary aged children. What should be taught in school varies from individual to individual. However, the students topper interest must be kept in mind while planning a curriculum suitable to their needs. I would really like to work with the third and fourth grades, but that could change due to having experiences with the other grade levels. After graduation, I would like to work towards my masters and ea rn a stop in reading. I feel that reading is the basis for all learning. After receiving my masters, I would still like to continue with my education and be active in teacher supportive groups.

Music Essay - America Needs Rap and Hip Hop -- Expository Exemplificat

America Needs Rap and Hip Hop Ever since it became popular in the late eighties, hip-hop harmony has been a target of moral disapproval. Many critics have labeled the symphony as an offensive, vulgar, misogynist form of expression, which negatively influences its listeners, peculiarly children. Early in rap musics development concerned citizens and various government officials held protests against the release of certain rap albums. Rap musics opponents demanded strict censorship. But hip-hop was increasingly attracting large audiences and its supporters were ready to fight the censors who they believed were taking away their constitutional right of freedom of speech, and the freedom of the urban black culture to express itself. What critics of rap music dont comprehend is that rap music is a part of our culture, which is impossible to ignore. Although it may be untraditional, it is a very eloquent form of expression that illustrates the conditions and feeling of a vib rant African -American young culture Hip-hop is constantly attacked in the music world. Many music critics argue that rap is not a legal form of music. This attack on rap music isnt only restricted to critics, many people of older generations have similar attitudes regarding this style of music. Those who stick to the customary definition of music argue that Hip-hop has no melody, and that since at that place is no singing it isnt true music. Rap music is also criticized for its lack of originality, because rap artists atomic number 18 constantly sampling beats from pre-existing songs. . In response to the argument that hip-hop isnt a true form of music, one would ask who and what defines music? Is there a canon which all contemporary m... ...eve Im in the right place/ showed her my boarding pass/ then she short of gasped/ If white boys doing it , well, it success/ If I fasten on doing it, well, its suspect/ ( for rest of song see appendix 2) In spite of the cont roversy the hip-hop culture encounters, its significance cannot be overlooked. Rap music is an authorised cultural phenomenon that represents a part of society that, after many years, has found a voice. It would be a mistake to think of all hip-hop as monolithic in fact it could be seen as a continuous dialogue within a community. Despite some of the controversial elements of hip-hop, rap music is an essential tool for the African- American communitys search for identity. Be a native/ get creative/ original and designated -A tribe called quest( youthful expression) 1 The eloquent essay, king of beasts Marx. P.88

Should Marriage Be Left To The States? Essay -- essays research papers

My short answer is "no", but let me explain. Before answering what I think the situation should be, it is helpful to look at what the situation is. Currently family law is a consider left to a great extent to the submits. situates impart the power to decide who may marry, the legal process required to do so, and what the legal consequences of that marriage are within the state. In all these matters states differ from apiece other. The state is limited in its actions, though, to the emergency of its own composing as well as the governing body of the United States. What those constitutions require is often a matter of great debate, but the ultimate judge is the states highest court for matters pertaining to its own constitution, and the Supreme Court of the US for matters in the US Constitution. In either case the constitution can be amended by a process laid out in that respectin. So, for example, the US has ruled that a state may not keep interracial marriages, or forbid inmates from marrying (except under compelling reasons). I am not aware of any argument claiming that the US Constitution currently forbids same-sex marriage, although there are arguments that it requires it either as matter of a fundamental right to marry, or as a matter of equal protection. It has been noted that the federal presidential term has banned polygamy, but I dont believe this is quite true. The US Congress is ultimately responsible for the laws in DC and the territories. It thus banned polygamy in doh when Utah was a territory. The Congress besides the power to decide whether to admit a new state to the Union (both these powers are in Article IV, Sec. 3). hence Congress refused to admit Utah to the union unless its state constitution perpetually forbade polygamy. If Congres had thought it had the power to ban polygamy in the states, this would not have been necessary. There is also the issue of section 1 from the above Article IV which guarantee Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. (Section 2 could also lead to some issues, but as it has been interpreted these issues seem minor). Here is concisely my understanding of how the SCOTUS has interpreted that clause, based primarily on my reading from Andrew Koppelmans book (see left sidebar) which devotes all of chapter 5 to this subject. Fulll Faith and ... ...ough a process they decided upon. As I said, Im not a big fan of the state as sovreign concept, but its what we have right now. Unless we are going to abandon that concept, it is up to the state to deal with matters of how their own constitution should be interpreted. Other than prohibition (which many say in hindsight was a terrible idea) the only time we limit what a state can do within its own territory is when otherwise it would violate the right of an individual as a US citizen.In summary, if I could write the constitution as I saw fit, stat es wouldnt have rights and marriage policy would be set by the federal government. If we are going to move on marriage policy to the states, as the constitution currently does, I see no reason to carve out an exception for same-sex marriage. States already have the requirement to provide equal protection in all of their laws including marriage, and I believe this would require same-sex marriage. I have no problem with somebody pushing for an amendment to the constitution if they see a change as necessary. I would hope the amendment would be narrowly tailored, though, to address the specific problem or problems it is designed to address.

Zagreb, Croatia :: essays research papers

SUBJECT ZAGREB, CROATIAWelcome to one of the most beautiful cities in Central Europe, Zagreb Although located in a democracy plagued by war, it offers safety, a strong history, and many tourism destinations. It is considered to be the focal point of culture and science, and now of commerce and industry as well in Croatia. HISTORYOriginally a suburb of the ancient Roman town of Andautonia, the Mongols invaded it in 1242. It became an important city of Croatia and Slovenia, which at the present time were provinces of Hungary, in the subsequent part of the 13th century. In the 19th century, when Croatia was fighting for independence, Zagreb became an integral part of the nationalist movement. It became the capital of the Croatian Republic of Yugoslavia in 1945. When, in 1992, Croatia became and independent state, Zagreb remained as the capital.PLACES OF INTERESTZagreb has three major regions. The Upper Town, Gornji grad, is over one thousand years old. It contains most of the citys m useums, galleries and churches. It is also the home of the Presidential Palace, Banski Dvori, and Sabor, the Parliament. The gl atomic number 18 Town, Dolnji grad, mostly developed in the 1900s, is home to most restaurants, cafes, theatres, parks, shopping, and more importantly the nightlife. Of least liaison to tourist would be Novi Zagreb, which hosts many skyscrapers and nothing of major interest .Zagreb is called a city of museums as there are more of them per square foot than any other city in the world. Some of these are the Strossmayer Gallery, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Ethnographic Museum, and the Mimara museum which, with almost 4,000 priceless objects, is one of the finest art galleries in Europe. Other interesting artifacts located in Zagreb are the longest beak of writing in ancient Etruscan, and the remains of the Krapina prehistoric man.The main square in the city is Trg Bana Jelacica. Once there all sights are within base on balls distance. It hosts a number o f churches and cathedrals, which are very important to the Roman Catholic religion. Such as the Archbishops Palace, which is attached to the beautiful St. Stephens Cathedral. Ivan Mestovic, a Croatian storied sculptor, has many works in St. Marks Church, another important sight. Located in Upper Town is the Stone Gate of the 13th century, on it is a painting of the Virgin Mary, which survived the great fire of 1731 and also serves as a place of pilgrimage.