Fashion Taste and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Fashion Taste and Ethics - Essay Example Each of the class has its own taste for the basic and secondary needs aspect that is commonly used by marketers as they launch new products in the market. In their efforts to emulate new consumption habits, members of the middle class as well as those at the lower social class imitate the taste of the upper calls members. This paper evaluates the relationship that exists between taste and class, one of the major aspects of identity. Class Social class entails the set of concepts that are adopted by social scientists to group individuals with similar consumption habits and taste into various categories. Being a vital analysis tool for the political scientists and sociologists, social class enables firms and governments to provide amenities and goods that are not only aimed at improving the living standard of individuals but also to improve economic performance of a country. According to Marxist theory, class involves the combination of subjective and objective factors. While the subjective individuals possess some perception of common interests and similarity among themselves, objectively members of the same class share common relationship to the factors used in the production of goods and services (Arsel and Jonathan, 2013). This implies that in most cases, the subjective factors play a key role in ensuring that members of a similar has have a similar taste towards a particular products. On his part, Max Weber, a reno wned sociologist formulated a major theory of stratification that depicted political power as a connection between class, status and group power. According to Weber, education and skills possessed by a person highly determines the class portion of an individual as compared to their relationship with the factors of production. Upper class Upper class is made up of the well-born or wealthy individuals. In most societies, the condition to enter upper class is being wealth. In others, individuals born in particular aristocratic bloodlines are taken to be the member of the upper class. As a result of the passing of the wealth from one generation to another within the upper class, their demand for luxuries and other expensive products remains constant. Some of the major factors that have resulted to high demand for expensive commodities by the members of the upper class include high generation of revenue from lands and rents among other sources of wealth. Even though the members of the up per class are not many especially for the developing countries, their implication on the aggregate demand for consumer products is significant in the growth for any economy. Middle class Middle class involves the group of people who fall between the upper and the lower classes. It covers the white collar employees who earn a significant income to cover their household needs. To ensure that their status is improved, individuals within the middle class have highly demand education and technologies the major aspects that enables them to enter the upper class. As compared to the upper class, members of the middle class have a lower taste for the luxurious products since their aim it to improve their economic status. In this regard, they look for employment opportunities that will expand their incomes and allow them to pursue further education thus enhancing their skills. One of the significant aspects of the middle cl

Holiday and Comfort Zone Essay Example for Free

Holiday and Comfort Zone Essay The scorching hot sun was beating down on my bare pale skin, the warm light breeze gently brushed through my blonde hair and the cool, shimmery, turquoise water soothed my skin. The smell of coconuts and pina coladas whirled in from the snack bar and the fresh salty air made my whole body calm and relaxed. This is just how the vacation of my lifetime would start and It would soon be my favorite place in the world to visit. My vacation in Mexico brought many exciting adventures and new experiences that brought a positive insight in me as it made me break out of my comfort zone, made me want to travel the world more often, and also to get involved and make a difference in the world. As I glanced out the window on the bus ride to the resort, I couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful scenery that was surrounded all around me. I was ecstatic because I was looking at the most alluring scenery I have ever seen in my life and I knew at this moment I never wanted to go back home. In the whistling wind, the palm trees swayed side to side while brushing against each other and slightly hitting my window. I heard a screeching, loud noise from the brakes and then I finally realized we had arrived at our final destination. As I stepped off the bus, I could smell the salty, clean and fresh air right away and an empty but warm breeze blew against my face. â€Å"Taylor wait for us! We don’t want you to get lost! † My family yelled as I had already started running over to the lobby in excitement. When we got assigned our room we walked around the resort and that’s when it all had hit me. With my mouth wide open, all I could say was, â€Å"this place is absolutely breathtaking. † As we went around to the back, there were 4 fairly large pools on both sides of me, and chairs directly around each of the pools. In the blink of an eye I noticed the beach up ahead of me and I have never seen something more beautiful, serene and relaxing. The sinking feeling as my feet step into the fine, white sand as it started to burn the soles of my feet, I dragged myself over to the shoreline and stepped into the water while it soothed my feet. The beach was a scorching furnace, as I felt it slowly burn my body and my face and the sweat on me was a river running down my forehead. As the day ended, I lay myself in my bed and my thoughts were consumed by all of the stunning scenery that I had witnessed that day in this beautiful and enchanting location and I started to think about it more and more and it made me realize that when I’m older I want to travel the world and witness all the different locations and the beautiful scenery they have to offer and learn about different cultures. I woke up the next morning and jumped out of my bed as I was thrilled to start off the day with a bunch of fun and adventurous activities that I’ve never experienced before. â€Å"Taylor, would you like to swim with the dolphins today and go zip lining? † my mom said as my eyes were wide open and had the biggest smile on my face, I couldn’t help but scream â€Å"YES! †. As we got our stuff packed and soothed the sunscreen all over our body, we were set to go. The water was splashing against our legs and the warm breeze whistled through our hair and the smell of the salty clean air overhead as we walked over to the hut where I would soon experience one of my most memorable moments. As we got into the water, Melanie the dolphin came gliding across the water as we all lined up and pet her. The best part of this whole experience was getting a ride on the dolphin while I held onto her fins and she glided across the whole water.. Dolphins are definitely the most graceful and intelligent sea creatures and the way they interacted and understood us was absolutely outstanding. Also, it was really interesting and heartbreaking learning about the dolphins and how not many of them are surviving because they are being slaughtered and they are dying from toxic exposure. As a result, the dolphins made a huge impact on my life because once I heard what was happening to the dolphins it touched deep into my heart and made me want to make a difference in the world and stop the cruelness of people slaughtering and taking advantage of them. Afterwards, we went over to the zip lining and I couldn’t help but have that stomach drop feeling as we got there. I was standing at the very top and almost ready to go and my fear of heights was almost sickening me out but I knew I had to experience this. My feet lifted off of the platform and I felt pretty comfortable as I felt like I was a superhero for a couple of minutes. I was soaring over the stunning beach and the palm trees just below me and all I could say in my head was, â€Å"this view is just outstanding† and I wish I could stay in that moment forever. For the most part, today I took a leap of faith out of my comfort zone as there was a huge adrenaline rush in me as I was about to soar really high, but being able to experience this made me want to go out and try new things that I could eventually overcome my fear of because life begins just beyond your comfort zone. A day to remember, I will never forget these astonishing experiences that I spent with the lovely dolphins and zip lining over the most gorgeous view. The climate in Mexico made it the best part because without it I wouldn’t have enjoyed the memorable and adventurous activities that I will cherish forever. Since we were in Mexico in February it was sunny almost every day and when it did rain it would only rain for a short period of time during the day. Since it was hot and sunny most of the time, we got a much better experience with the friendly dolphins, zip lining over a tremendous view and other adventurous activities that we will never forget. Also, with this weather I got a golden brown tan from the beaming rays of the sun. However, some days the humidity was really high and it felt as humid as a steam room, as the moist heat stuck to my body. By the middle of the day temperatures can reach up to about 40 degrees, where the sun is just scorching on my body. Without the beautiful weather, my experiences and memorable moments wouldn’t be enjoyed as much and I got a nice golden brown tan. Also with this being said, the bright, warm and sunny summer days encouraged me to think about traveling to a numerous of warm climate places and also experience other vacations where the climate is different. Early in the morning, we exhaustingly started to pack our bags and head off to the airport and as soon as I got on the plane my mind was filled with reflections from my unforgettable vacation. My vacation in Mexico brought many exciting adventures and new experiences that brought a positive insight in me as it made me break out of my comfort zone, made me want to travel the world more often, and also to get involved and make a difference in the world. The lovely scenery made me want to stay in this gorgeous place forever, experiencing new activities in a different location made for a lot of memorable moments that I’ll remember forever, and without the comfortable climate I wouldn’t have enjoyed the trip as much as I did.

Freeganism: An Eco-friendliness Way of Living Essay -- Culture SubCul

The world is inhabited by numerous cultures consisting of different lifestyles. Freeganism is a subculture that is ordinarily unheard of. The characteristics are impressively diverse from those most would associate with everyday life. The capitalistic culture incorporates commodified food, organized structure, ‘hygienically clean’, easier accessible foods, and more individualization. On the other hand, a freegan culture is comprised of free food, a less organized structure, ‘dirty’ foods with a chance of being raw or rotten, slower food and lifestyle, and is more socially connected (Edwards and Mercer). Those living this standard of life are scavengers of the developed world, living off consumer waste in an effort to minimize their support of corporations and their impact on the planet. Grace Hutchins, a passionate supporter of this form of life, depicts it as dumpster diving to use resources that would go to waste, voluntary work that includes sharing huma n resources, such as time and skills, and finding ways to limit consumption and materialism in our own lives and those of others. A variety of reasons people choose to participate in the freegan lifestyle are more diverse than one would think. Uninformed bystanders may initially imagine the homeless scavenging bins to survive, but many members of the subculture dumpster dive with economic, political and environmental condition in mind. The primary purpose for most is to positively impact the environment by minimizing the amount of wasted food (Kurutz 3). By some, this act could be viewed as a symbolic, political act against capitalist overproduction and waste. Acquiring food from dumpsters can be for both individual consumption and the benefit of the surrounding community.... ...pollute the Earth with massive waste. Society has the choice between wasting life on working in order to purchase good which contribute to the destruction of the environment or living a ‘full satisfying life’, occasionally scavenging or working your self-sufficiency skills to obtain the necessities for contentment, eliminating waste, and boycotting everything. Works Cited Edwards, Ferne, and David Mercer. "Gleaning from Gluttony: An Australian Youth Subculture Confronts the Ethics of Waste." Australian Geographer Nov. 2007: 279-82. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Nov. 2010. Einem, Eric. Personal interview. 19 Nov. . Hutchins, Grace. Personal interview. 21 Nov. . Kurutz, Steven. "Not Buying It." The New York Times 27 June 2009: 1-4. Web. 13 Nov. 2010. Thomas, Sean. "Do Freegans Commit Theft?" Legal Studies 30.1 (2010). Web. 13 Nov. 2010.

Donna Tartt’s The Secret History Essay

Nietzsche’s philosophy has made for itself a unique cornerstone in the sense that it is not involved with pedantic aspects of ethics and other branches of epistemology. This seminal German thinker moves swiftly along majority of philosophical schools of thought. His exploration of the classical elements in literature, as found in the ancient Hellenic society, is manifested beautifully in Birth of Tragedy. The longstanding debate between the subjectivity and the objectivity of art is addressed to critically by Nietzsche in this book. The basic idea he propagates in Birth of Tragedy involves reality with forms and the same without, and the comparison therein. Known as the Dionysian and the Apollonian, this classical Greek model sums up humankind’s perpetual struggle to arrive at a state of equilibrium. Nietzsche argues that in our effort to pursue a meaningful existence, we need to discard the preposterous viewpoints of the Apollonian and have to embrace the Dionysian. Similar thoughts are expressed in Hermann Hesse’s illustrious work Steppenwolf which thematically deals with the Nietzschean Apollonian versus the Dionysian. The protagonist Haller is psychologically preoccupied with two contrasting facets of personality – the sensible and logical faculty of mind as opposed to the passionate and appetitive. Nietzsche assigns the terms ‘Apollonian’ and ‘Dionysian’ to these two primal worldviews of Greek tragedy. This essay is going to make a comparative study between the Apollonian and the Dionysian with reference to modern literature. To make the comparison, we have chosen Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, one of the originative post-modern fictions from the fatalistic school of literary works. In many ways, this novel echoes the Athenian concept of fate as being an overpowering element responsible for altering the desirable course of events. Idiosyncrasy is the key conceptual component in Nietzsche’s ethical doctrines. Time and again, he questions the acceptability of the prevalent trends that outline the social norms and fashions. What is far less understood in a generic attempt manifests itself intelligibly when associated with a context. â€Å"Nietzsche does not present us with a systematic theory of knowledge. Any attempt to construct one on the basis of his scattered remarks, aphorisms, poetry, and myth would be a difficult, if not impossible, task. It would, above all, be contrary to the intention of his thought and lead to a distortion of his views. Nietzsche, as Walter Kaufmann rightly asserts, is not a system builder, but a problem thinker. † (Pfeffer, p. 95-96) Now in the context of the ancient Greek anthology, both the Apollonian and the Dionysian worldviews were present, resulting in a clash of ideologies. Nietzsche borrows these two terms from the two Greek gods Apollo and Dionysus. The former symbolically represents clarity of form and interpretation, and therefore is suggestive of a linear human personality. Dionysus, on the other hand, stands for frolic and extravagance, hinting at the presence of multiple personalities within a single entity. On one hand he is the god of chaos and unrestrained emotions. But at the same time, he is also the divine countenance of richness and productivity. Hence the Dionysian school of thought deals with formlessness of expression which is closer to art perceived from an unbiased and liberal standpoint. Greek tragedy in its heydays attained sublimity when the two distinctive art forms merged with one another to form a seamless continuum. The beginning of Athenian tragedy was hinged on the Dionysian tradition before the other one sprang up, neutralizing the discordant elements. In a way, fluidity of the Dionysian elements seek platitude through the Apollonian directness. It was a matter of great curiosity for Nietzsche that such contrasting ideologies should ever be able to define tragedy (Pfeffer, p. 32). The flowing nature of Greek opera is worth mentioning in the context of the Dionysian. Music to a great extent is governed by the freedom of form and expression. Normative aspects of the Apollonian do not comply with the ecstatic jubilance conveyed through music. It evokes directly to man’s impulsive and spontaneous nature and hence, is not limited to the external forces of reason and dependence. The ingrained harmony in music is therefore counterbalanced by the Apollonian concept of plastic arts and epic poetry. What makes Greek tragedy a culmination of the Apollonian and the Dionysian is that the poetic genre characterized by reasoning can actually strike a harmonious chord and reach a level of elevated intensity as well as greater profundity. So the expansive verticality of this blending highlights Nietzsche’s exemplary vision of thought and his engineering capacity to induct precision qualities into the philosophy of literature. His unique interpretation of art and tragedy is not based on the conventional techniques. Rather it dissociates itself from the content and creates an aura of universality which can be aptly applied to any epoch of literary practices: â€Å"After recognizing this immense antithesis, I felt a deep need to explore the nature of Greek tragedy which is the profoundest manifestation of the Hellenic genius; only now did I seem to possess the key to probe deeply into the essential problems of tragedy that were no longer derived from conventional aesthetics. † (Pfeffer, p. 32) What is stated in the previous part of discussion is affirmed furthermore by Ansell-Pearson in A companion to Nietzsche. In Birth of Tragedy, he develops a style which is not only mechanical in discourse, but also highly sporadic in terms of articulating the individualistic notions so distinctive of Nietzsche (Ansell-Pearson, p. 58). The metaphysical utterance of Nietzsche deviates from what the contemporary philosophers such as Schopenhauer propagated in their doctrines. Many Greek authors, Euripides for instance, viewed the cosmos as a continuous process of creation primarily in accordance with the Apollonian traits. The Dionysian break down of form is not associated with the fictional content of human existence. The antithetical elements inherent in any human being are overlooked by Euripides in Bacchae. Claims made by Kant and Goethe that form and matter are irreversible in nature are given a refreshing new direction by Nietzsche in Birth of Tragedy. He establishes a linkage between what Euripides calls ‘organic fiction’ and plurality of human nature. He does not try to draw any kind of imposed distinction between the two incongruous constructs. Euripides’ Bacchae does not fit into Nietzsche’s delineation of metaphysics. If we strive to look into Bacchae in the light of the Apollonian and the Dionysian derivatives, we would be able to see clearly into the dubiousness of the latter one. Chronicling the historical event of Dionysus’ arrival to the royal court of Greece, Euripides presents a controversial topic involving man’s stance in relation with god. Even though this drama is written to question many of the old systems of belief, what remains extremely perplexing is the playwright’s ultimate focus. Euripides questions the vague borderline between intellect and feeling, reality and vision, and logic and craziness. But at the same time, he refrains from arriving at any conclusive outcome that would give a clue to the reason behind mankind’s endless misery. What Donna Tartt portrays in The Secret History resembles the thematic literary genealogy of Bacchae. The idea which is propagated through this novel involves the secularism of spirit as the ultimate winner in modern world. The sheer fatality of occurrences at random does not leave a chance of revisiting the past to find plausible explanations. In this sense, this novel is comparable with Birth of Tragedy and its promotion of the Dionysian worldview. This novel can be seen as a modernistic attempt to recreate the primitive world of the Dionysian rites and rituals. On the surface it is just a murder mystery which does not deserve any deeper analysis. But Tartt invests in this apparent murder mystery a profound understanding of the Apollonian versus the Dionysian, and the confrontation between reality and imagination, between social impositions and the human longing for liberation. Aristotle’s viewpoint on the Catharsis is also dealt with effectively, creating an opening for interpreting life outside the beauty of literary premises. A deeper understanding of The Secret History is bound to reveal the classical and literary elements explored in the novel. The etymology of this representative work is closely analogous to both Nietzsche’s Birth of Tragedy and Euripides’ Bacchae. It is indeed fascinating to find a connective bonding with two earlier works dissimilar in nature. First and foremost, Nietzsche’s confrontation with disillusionment in the context of Athenian literature dominated by the Apollonian worldview is stripped off in The Secret History. Events occurring within a timeline which is non-linear in nature do not imply Schopenhauer’s doctrine of the world as ‘maya’ (Segal, p. 361). The gradual disorientation of the lives of six students predates Nietzsche’s preoccupation with answering the question involving human individualism and its manifold expressions. The Secret History propels the earlier school of thought introduced by Schopenhauer: â€Å"Although Nietzsche frequently speaks of â€Å"illusion† in connection with Dionysus and tragedy, he has in mind Schopenhauer’s notions of the world as â€Å"maya†, the self-deception with which human beings (with the exception of the Nietzschean philosopher) mask the emptiness and meaninglessness of their lives, and hardly the kind of theatrical, and metatheatrical, illusion of my chapter on metatragedy. † (Segal, p. 361) It is clear from the three readings that The Secret History along with Steppenwolf is ideologically in proximity to Nietzsche’s Birth of Tragedy. What emerges out of Euripides’ Bacchae is a different doctrinal claim which does not provide any scholarly ground for either the Apollonian or the Dionysian worldviews. Euripides leaves it ambiguous as to which school of thought should the literary definition of tragedy comply with. It is rather a mixture of the Dionysian revelry associated with choir singing and the Apollonian poetry. However, the drama does not provide too much room for calculating the extent of each, therefore making the task of classification immensely difficult and problematic. References Pfeffer, R. (1972). Nietzsche: disciple of Dionysus. Lewisburg: University of Bucknell. Segal, C. (1997). Dionysiac poetics and Euripides’ Bacchae. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Ansell-Pearson, K. (2006). A compilation to Nietzsche. Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell.

Why did Charles V Abdicate?

After a nearly forty year rule over an empire of unprecedented size and complexity, Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire abdicated his throne in 1555-6. His rein saw much adversity yet he had great success and during his rein, the empire grew and prospered. However, a series of political, militaristic and health problems culminated in Charles’s retirement. To explore these problems and to fully comprehend why Charles relinquished his power is the topic of this essay. By and large, Charles V was the most powerful leader in Europe during his rein (Cavendish 2006). His realm was described as â€Å"an empire which the sun never set on† and it encompassed about 1,500,000 square miles. A Habsburg in his teens, in 1516 he inherited Spain, which had been unified by his grandparents Isabella and Ferdinand. In 1519 he succeeded his paternal grandfather Maximilian I as Holy Roman Emperor (Cavendish 2006). He was Duke of Burgundy and Archduke of Austria and he also ruled the Netherlands, Bohemia, Hungary, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia. Ruling Spain meant ruling Spanish America and in Charles’s time Cortes took Mexico and Pizarro conquered Peru (Cavendish 2006). The wealth of Spain paid for his efforts to control Western Europe. Despite sizeable incomes from parts of the empire, Charles’s rein encountered monetary difficulties attributing to military defeats. Encircled by the Holy Roman Empire, France existed as the empires great rival and had three major conflicts with the Holy Roman Empire during Charles’s rein. The first began in 1521 against Charles’s nemesis Francis I of France and was highly successful, driving the French out of Milan and defeating and capturing Francis at the Battle of Pavia in 1525. There were three later conflicts where the outcome was less conclusive and France acted as a constant oppose to the empire. Another great rival of Charles’s were the Ottomans, who put pressure of the Holy Roman Empire’s Hungarian border and from piracy in the Mediterranean, especially in the 1530s. The predominately Islamic Ottoman Empire had a longstanding feud with the H. R. E. who was seen as the defender of Christendom (Claydon 2009). Charles the V is among the many rulers since ancient times who desired to create a neo-roman empire and as a Catholic, Charles hoped to unite all of Europe in a Christian empire of which he would be ruler. Unsurprisingly, the notion was met with fierce opposition. Not only did the French and the English prove resistant to the idea, but in 1517 Martin Luther nailed his theses to the church door at Wittenberg: Charles’s ambitions deteriorated on the Protestant Reformation. Not only a factor for political defeat, his staunch religious belief also be attributed to his decision to abdicate. When something went right he attributed it to God, his failure to unite Europe made Charles V feel unworthy and that God must surely want another ruler to extend the empire and destroy Protestantism and Islam. In addition to the great stress of battling a multitude of enemies, Charles had to bear loyalty problems from within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1520, the Comuneros in Castile demanded lower taxes, an end to Burgandian dominion of Castile. They would have preferred Charles’s mum, Joanna the Mad to rule (Claydon 2009). Charles’s brother Ferdinand, archduke of Austria and king of Bohemia and Hungary placed higher priority on defeating the Ottomans than on France and getting rid of Protestantism which were Charles’s goals. Charles failed to control Germany and the Princes saw Ferdinand as their actual ruler (Claydon 2009). In 1529, the Diet of Speyer saw the Lutheran princes protest Charles’s catholic policy in direct defiance of the empire. The princes of Germany also largely adopted protestantism which Charles abhorred and considered heresy. Another factor for his abdication is that by the 1550s that Protestantism in Germany would have to be tolerated. The Holy Roman Empire saw major finance problems during Charles’s rein. The cost of training and maintaining the armies of the H. R. E. were vast and Charles struggled to find the money (Claydon 2009). Charles had to cancel a successful campaign against France where victory was near due to funding problems. A large portion of the empire’s income was through taxes but in certain areas people highly resented taxes due to feelings of localism, for example, the Spanish resented paying for Charles’s efforts on the other side of Europe whilst the German states saw Charles as a ‘foreigner’ and resented his rule over them and considered their own Princes as supreme (Claydon 2009). A similar situation existed in Burgundy where the Flanders estates rejected a 1534 plan to be organised into an imperial ‘circle’ to provide regular taxes and troops. Also, Charles’s claim of Italy was not profitable because Italy was financially dependant and contributed little to the empire monetarily (Claydon 2009). After a series of unfortunate militaristic failures and chronic finance and loyalty problems, in about his mid-forties, Charles was afflicted by severe health issues, most notably agonising gout, as well as epilepsy and chronic indigestion which was caused by his Hapsburg jaw, a condition where the jaw is deformed and creates difficulty eating. It was common to his family line due to aristocratic inbreeding. Tests have been conducted on a finger of Charles’s (which was preserved separately from his body) by researchers at the University of Barcelona who have concluded that severe gout was the main cause of Charles’s abdication (Emery 2006). They concluded that anyone with a condition that severe could not work. Historically, gout is seen as a ailment of the very wealthy due to food that increase risk are red meat. Such lavish food was not available in great quanities to people of medium to little wealth. He suffered from a particular severe gout and many scholars think Charles V decided to abdicate after a gout attack in 1552 forced him to postpone an attempt to recapture the city of Metz, where he was later defeated. This incident appears to have acted as the straw that broke the camel’s back in Charles’s decision to exit power. By now, Charles faced a great variety of tribulations. The implications from Charles’s failed was efforts, money and loyalty problems suggest he lacked full control of his empire. He felt that if God wanted him as ruler, he would have had an easier time. Overall, despite numerous reasons that probably influenced his decision, like failed military efforts, loyalty issues and his unwillingness to tolerate Protestantism in the empire, Charles’s health afflictions causing increasing inability to meets the demands of being Emperor, appears to be the key factor in his abdication. His epilepsy, gout and chronic indigestion (caused by his Habsburg jaw) surely made an already stressful and life dominating role of ruling a vast empire overwhelming and the various problems he faced culminated in his abdication. Despite being only fifty-eight at the time of his death, Charles must have appeared a frail and crippled old man who could barely walk (in his later years, he was carried around in a sedan chair) or use his hands (Emery 2006). Not a desirable public image for a mighty Emperor. Peaceful retirement to holy surroundings must have seemed a welcome change to a life of constant travel, warfare and turmoil. Charles V’s abdication has been interpreted differently. While many condemned it an unsuccessful man’s admission of failure and escape from the world, contemporaries of the time thought differently. There is evidence that Charles himself had been considering the idea even in his prime. In 1532 his secretary, Alfonso de Valdes, suggested to him the thought that a ruler who was incapable of preserving the peace and, indeed, who had to consider himself an obstacle to its establishment was obliged to retire from affairs of state. Upon the finalisation of the abdication, St. Ignatius of Loyola had this to say: â€Å"The emperor gave a rare example to his successors . . . he proved himself to be a true Christian prince . . may the Lord in all His goodness now grant the emperor freedom. † By today’s standards, Charles’s abdication would be nothing extraordinary considering his ailments and the stressful job requirements of emperor. Charles abdicated as Emperor in 1556 in favour of his brother Ferdinand; however, due to lengthy debate and bureaucratic procedure, the Imperial Diet did not accept the abdication (and thus make it legally valid) until May 3, 1558. Up to that date, Charles continued to use the title of Emperor. Charles gave Burgundy, Spain and the American colonies to his son Philip II. He retired to the Monastery of Yuste, near Cuacos de Yuste. The monastery was expanded in 1556 to make room for the emperor and the fifty to sixty members of his entourage. Charles was occasionally visited by notable people, including his illegitimate son Don Juan de Austria, as well as his heir Philip II of Spain. Like many former men of power in history, Charles was deeply interested in politics and was routinely posted on the news of the empire in his retirement. Probably hoping for news that his successors had created a miraculous Christian unification of Europe! He lived his few remaining months on earth amid works of art, of which he had a keen appreciation (Titian was his favourite painter), amid the books which, as a cultured man, he studied and took pleasure in enjoying the music (Knight 2009). His health afflictions worsened and he died of malaria on September 21, 1558 (de Zulueta 2007, 107-9). He was buried in the monastery church, though his remains were transferred twenty-six years later to San Lorenzo del Escorial.

Indirect Speech Definition and Examples

Indirect Speech Definition and Examples Indirect speech  is a report on what someone else said or wrote without using that persons exact words (which is called direct speech). Its also called  indirect discourse or reported speech.   Direct vs. Indirect Speech In direct speech, a persons exact words are placed in quotation marks and set off with a comma and a reporting clause or signal phrase,  such as said or asked. In fiction writing, using direct speech  can display  the emotion of an important scene in vivid detail through the words themselves as well as the description of how something was said. In nonfiction writing or journalism, direct speech  can emphasize a particular point, by using a sources exact words. Indirect speech is paraphrasing what someone said or wrote. In writing, it functions to move a piece  along by boiling down points that an interview source made. Unlike direct speech, indirect speech is  not  usually placed inside quote marks. However, both are attributed to the speaker because they come directly from a source. How to Convert In the first  example below,  the  verb  in the  present tense  in the line of direct speech (is)  may change to the  past tense  (was) in indirect speech, though it doesnt necessarily have to with a present-tense verb.  If it makes sense in context to keep it present tense, thats fine. Direct speech:  Where is your textbook? the teacher asked me.Indirect speech:  The teacher asked me  where my textbook was.Indirect speech: The teacher asked me where my textbook is. Keeping the present tense in  reported speech  can give the impression of  immediacy, that its being reported soon after the direct quote,such as: Direct speech:  Bill said, I cant come in today, because Im sick.Indirect speech:  Bill said (that) he cant come in today because hes sick. Future Tense An action in the future (present continuous tense or future)  doesnt have to change verb tense, either, as these examples demonstrate. Direct speech:  Jerry said, Im  going to buy a new car.Indirect speech:  Jerry said (that) hes going to buy  a new car.Direct speech:  Jerry said, I will buy a new car.Indirect speech:  Jerry said (that) he will buy a new car. Indirectly reporting an action in the future can change verb tenses when needed. In this next example, changing the  am going  to was going implies that she has already left for the mall. However, keeping the tense progressive or continuous  implies that the action continues, that shes still at the mall and not back yet. Direct speech:  She said, Im going to the mall.Indirect speech:  She said (that) she was going to the mall.Indirect speech: She said (that) she is going to the mall. Other Changes With a past-tense verb in the direct quote, the verb changes to past perfect. Direct speech:  She said,  I went to the mall.Indirect speech:  She said (that)  she had gone to the mall. Note the change in first person (I) and second person (your)  pronouns  and  word order  in the indirect versions. The person has to change because the one  reporting the action is not the one actually doing it. Third person (he or she) in direct speech remains in the third person. Free Indirect Speech In  free indirect speech, which is  commonly used in fiction, the reporting clause  (or signal phrase) is omitted. Using the technique is a way to follow a characters point of view- in third-person limited omniscient- and show her thoughts intermingled with narration. Typically in fiction italics show a characters exact thoughts, and quote marks show dialogue. Free indirect speech makes do without the italics and simply combines the internal thoughts of the character with the narration of the story. Writers who have used this technique include James Joyce, Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, Henry James, Zora Neale Hurston, and D.H. Lawrence.

A Predominant Social Barriers on Asian Cultures Essays

A Predominant Social Barriers on Asian Cultures Essays A Predominant Social Barriers on Asian Cultures Paper A Predominant Social Barriers on Asian Cultures Paper According to Health Resources Services Administration, sixty-five to seventy-five percent of all patients seen in a non-profit healthcare clinic live below the poverty level. Providing effective health care to low income families requires an understanding of the potential cultural barriers, which may be faced. These barriers include social, language, religion, and technological issues. The majority of our patients from foreign cultures are Hispanic or Asian. Due to this fact, we will discuss the barriers of dealing with those from Hispanic and Asian Cultures, and offer possible solutions to overcome these obstacles effectively. The number of immigrants entering the United States has been rapidly increasing over the last few years. For instance, the number of Asians in the United States has grown to more than 9 million in 1996. In 1996, there were over 28 million Hispanics in the United States, and the numbers are only increasing. The rapid growth of these two cultures in United States has made overcoming cultural barriers crucial in managing a non-profit healthcare clinic. A predominate social barrier in dealing with those from the Asian culture is their reluctance to disclose personal information to anyone outside of their family. Due to this, they may not be honest and forth coming in giving physicians or other medical staff personal or critical information needed for their treatment. When it comes to healthcare for Asian women, they do not seek out medical care for Gynecological exams because they feel it is an invasion of their body and considered improper and very humiliating for the women. Differences between Asian culture and the American culture are the majority of health issues of Asians are not often addressed in the American health care system. However, the Asian culture is not the only culture that is facing social and economic barriers to healthcare. With the numbers of immigrants increasing, what can we do to ensure that our clinic will be able to address the social and economic issues of all patients? First, we will need to hire someone to act as a cultural liaison, who not only has knowledge about the differing cultures, but can also speak the language. Second, we will need to address these issues and barriers with our clients to successfully seek out ways to eliminate any future barriers we may face. Our educational programs will address issues that range from preventing sexual diseases, use of birth control, and understanding your body all the way to addressing the needs of children. We plan to make our clinic accessible to all low-income families by assuring our potential clients that we are not interested in their legal status, but in the health of their families. We believe by making the clinic’s fees based on a schedule of one’s income, that we are making healthcare affordable for everyone. The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (1996 Welfare Act†) was the major overhaul of the welfare system that many Americans were looking for to decrease the many who are taking advantage of their hard earned money. One of the main points in the welfare reform legislation deters non- citizens from applying for public assistance. Even if they are eligible, they may fear that receiving public benefits will make them inadmissible or deportable. The many health problems that are prevalent in the Hispanic population are due to lack of adequate health care programs available to non-citizens. Due to that lack of citizenship, they are ineligible for federal health assistance programs such as Medicaid, even if their incomes are low enough to qualify. The lack of availability of health care in the Hispanic population is mainly due to their citizenship status; even with low incomes, Hispanics are ineligible for health care programs such as Medicaid. Non-profit health care clinics do not fall under the Public Charge Law, they are exempt from having to verify immigration status, even if they provide a federal, state, or local public service, and they may not be penalized for not verifying immigration status. State and local governments may not impose verification requirements on such organizations. To be exempt, an organization must be both nonprofit and charitable. With over 600 community and non-profit health centers around the United States, the undocumented populations are assured good quality care without having to worry about being turned into the INS. One of the first types of health center being excluded from the Public Charge Law were Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) with the average number of undocumented aliens served a month being 4,316, at the cost of only $3,258 for all (Bureau of Primary Health Care). Another common barrier between cultures is the difference in language. According to the 1990 United States Census Bureau, almost 2,300 people in Oklahoma over the age of 18 do not speak any English. Over 48,000 of Oklahomans are Spanish speaking. One problem language barriers create is the inability of the patients to communicate with the physician. Often, the physician is unable to clearly understand the symptoms the patient is describing. According to Charles Warren, an anesthesia technician at Mercy Health Center, only 8% of the doctors in the hospitals are multilingual. The breakdown in communication between the doctor and patient can multiply the possibilities of a misdiagnosis. This can cause harm to the patient and make doctors vulnerable to malpractice lawsuits. Another danger, associated with a language barrier, is the possibility of the patients misunderstanding the doctor’s instructions for the medication. A solution for this would be to provide an interpreter to assist the doctor while treating this patient. Many healthcare facilities, such has Mercy Hospital, have a variety of employees who are multilingual, so they may be called upon to provide translation between and doctor and a patient. The hospital’s MIS (Medical Information System) tracks these employees. One option currently available is known as a translator box. It is a service available where the attending physician calls an 800 number and is connected with the interpreter company, the physician informs the company what language he/she needs, and within minutes an interpreter for that particular language is online and ready to assist the physician as needed. Another problem is if the patient cannot read or speak English, they cannot understand the forms they must fill out in order to receive financial assistance for healthcare. The government or insurance agencies that require these forms should distribute these forms in needed languages to all health care facilities, or make them available on a website where the language needed can be chosen and then the forms can be printed. A non-profit health center must have a strategy for dealing with religious barriers. For instance, the Mexican cultural mainly practices Catholicism and attends mass regularly. Catholic doctrine states, â€Å"Direct action to prevent the possibility of human life is impermissible in all circumstances, both when a person is living, dying, or yet to be conceived. Thus contraception may not be used because it is direct action against the possibility of life†. Catholicism even goes so far as to publish an online directory called â€Å"Ethics and Meds†. In â€Å"Ethics and Meds†, they offer books that can be purchased like â€Å"Ethical Principle In Catholic Health Care† which adds the point that the Catholic Church wants its congregation to follow guidelines set by the Church. The physician who is legally and morally bound to follow a set standard in providing health care will provide the patient with the needed information regarding birth control. The responsibility should rest, however, on the patient to inform the physician about their religious beliefs regarding birth control Society usually looks towards a licensed doctor to get advice and heal us. When dealing with the Asian person who practices Buddhism, they must take into account that some strands of this religion have a potential for incorporating religion into their beliefs of healing and restoration of health, for example; healing of the soul, and Acupuncture and Bowen Therapy may be two of those ways to heal the soul. Using acupuncture releases the energy channels by putting pressure on a diseased area. Doctors or a therapist uses a needle to prick the skin regulate and correct the flow of energy in the body. The second one is Bowen Therapy, a subtle muscle/nerve/ connective tissue technique. Unlike massage and other manipulations that try to force a change, Bowen simply resets the body to heal itself. The results are profound and lasting, and usually apparent within two or three sessions. A clinic may want to incorporate these different services for its Buddhist patients. When dealing with these two different religions a non-profit health care clinic must find different ways of helping the patient. The patient needs to be forthright in mentioning how they need to be treated. For instance, a practicing Catholic needs to mention to the doctor that they will not need any information on birth control or family planning. A practicing Buddhist should mention they use holistic medicine. The doctor needs to take the initiative to learn about the religious issues so that he/she can practice, or employ a licensed alternative practitioner to provide these services. Today’s medical technology, if available and used properly, can be a huge benefit in operating and managing a low-income healthcare center. Doctor’s skills, along with the latest medical technology have accounted for saving many lives. Many of the Latino counties are considered third world countries and the people there often do not have access to the latest advances in medical technology. Most are not aware they exist. Many times a person of the Latino culture will not seek medical assistance due to the fact they believe there is nothing the doctors can do for them. Many low-income Latinos suffer for a long time with ailments that can result in permanent effects and even death. Not being aware of the latest advances in medical technology, many feel they are better off attempting to treat themselves with a homemade remedy. These remedies are often ineffective and can even make matters worse. Medical education programs that inform people of advances in medical technology need to be more readily available for patients. These programs inform the patients of the benefits of today’s medical technology, and educate them on the numerous ways the doctors can treat the patients effectively. In doing this, patients from less advanced cultures are often willing to seek medical attention promptly. Often a doctor who went to medical school in a third world country is not instructed in the latest in medical technology. In extenuating circumstances, these doctors are allowed visas to the United States as long as the doctor works in an area, which is designated as a HPSA (health physician shortage area). These doctors, not being aware of the technology available to them in the United States, often rely on older and less effective methods of treating patients. In conclusion, we have addressed the social, language, religion, and technological barriers facing a non-profit health care center that affect the Hispanic and Asian cultures. We have also provided solutions to overcome those barriers in providing health care. If non-profit health care centers will incorporate the resolutions, they would be able to effectively provide quality health care to the Asian and Hispanic population. 1. Factors Affecting the Health of Women of Color, 4women. gov/owh/pub/woc/ hispanic. htm 2. Karen A. Woodrow and Jeffrey S. Passel, Post-IRCA undocumented immigration to the United States: â€Å"An Assessment Based on the June 1988 CPS†, p. 53, 3. Bean, Edmonston, and Passel, Undocumented Migration to the U. S. Washington, The RAND Corporation 1990 4. Miller, Theodore Jr. , Holistic Health, â€Å"Medical Irony at Its Best†, http://reikimaster. net/holistic 5. National Catholic Bioethics Center, Ethical Principle in Catholic Health Care, nbcenter. org/cubs_ethicalpriciple. html