Handmaids Tale Essays (592 words) - The Handmaids Tale, Operas

Handmaid's Tale The Handmaid's Tale In Margaret Atwood's, The Handmaid's Tale, our eyes are open to an oppressive society of which seems to be the near future. Widespread sterility has led to the rich controlling young women of childbearing age, who are called "handmaidens". The tale is narrated by Kate, also known as "Offred", her handmaid name. She relates her struggle throughout in the most vivid of ways. The struggle around her: the oppressive Republic of Gilead, and the struggle within herself: her effort to maintain her sanity. Her narration is tainted with one main motive, which is her relentless pursuit for the past. The way things used to be things that were so basic to her. Moreover, it is her strive to regain the freedom she has been stripped of which guides her. It is her light at the end of a tunnel she has involuntarily been placed. In the republic of Gilead, women are categorized as Wives, Marthas, Aunts and Handmaids. The latter is considered to be the most valuable of their resources, for they are able to bear children. This society uses a systematic approach to produce offspring, in other words, for the republic to grow. The commanders, top- ranking officials of Gilead, are the wives' husbands. Every so often, "ceremonies" are held where the Commander would attempt to impregnate the handmaid. If successful, the child was claimed by the wives as theirs. The handmaid was not more than a means to an end result. Violation of the norms was not tolerated. The punishment in the most cases was death, which also served as an example to the handmaids. Thus conformity with the rules was a necessity to stay alive, something she questioned if it was worth or not. In the end, Kate is accused of attending Jezebel's with the Commander. Jezebel's can be described as a getaway within the republic. A gathering of people who are there to socialize. Something Kate had been deprived from. In the final moments of her tale, as she sees guards come for her arrest (or so she thought) she contemplates suicide as an alternative for her demise. It was an option she highly welcomed for she rather give up her life than her sanity and her freedom. The guards who took her over came in with Nick (the driver), a character who played a positive role in her stay. They hop in the van. Destination: Unknown. In the end, Atwood leaves up in the air the outcome of Kate's removal. More likely than not, it is a positive one hinted by Nick' appearance in the end. Aside from the story one can find the underlying theme to be one that is not defined with one word. It is the idea of us taking such a basic right as freedom, in its many forms, for granted. Many at times, the only time we acknowledge what we have is when it is taken from us. In addition, another thematic issue notable to mention is the classification or categorization of the female gender. In the story, the women carry on a label, which goes in accordance to the roles they play in this fictitious society. We must consider ourselves very fortunate for not living in a real-life Gilead. Nevertheless, the genre of this novel is not fantasy but rather fiction and thus implying this can actually occur. We must then recognize the problems that Atwood was trying to point out. The relationship between Gilead and our society is the fact that gender does play a major factor on the way we are expected to behave. Not drastically, such as in the novel but enough to coerce us to conduct ourselves distinctively and play the assigned role of our gender.

Critical Thinking Class Essay

Critical Thinking Class Essay Free Online Research Papers Every once in a while a class has the opportunity of going on a field trip. A field trip’s purpose is to expand learning that the students are already learning about. A teacher can expand on what the students saw by incorporating new learning into current lesson plans. Upon returning from a field trip, students are usually excited about what has transpired during the trip. Having the students complete a paper, right after returning if time permits, explaining what they thought to be interesting will give them something constructive to do. Also letting the students pick the topic of what they are interested in, will give them an opportunity to explain about something that they paid attention to. According to Smith Kosslyn, the amount of attention given to information when presented is very important (2007). When children are interested in a subject, they are more likely to pay more attention to that information relating to that subject. Getting children outside of the normal classroom environment will also give them an opportunity to become more interested in the information. Letting the students pick a topic they were interested in will give them an opportunity to write about something that they paid attention to. The more attention is given to information, the more memory is stored. Encoding is â€Å"the various processes by which information is transformed into a memory representation† (p.202). Giving students memories on a field trip will help them to â€Å"encode† more information, and therefore create meaningful learning. According to the Center for Advancement in Teaching in order to create long-term memory, a student needs to have a working memory first (Everson Hammer, 2005). Information is brought in by sensory memory that gets transferred to working memory. Then the working memory gradually becomes long-term memory. Periodically, the long-term memory needs to be pulled out into working memory in order for the information to stay as long-term memory (2005). A student’s chance at creating a working memory is increased when they are able to elaborate on what they have learned. Elaboration is when information is interpreted, connected to other information, and then is thought about over and over (Smith Kosslyn, 2007). An article from Barbara Knowlton and Larry Squire raises the question of what kind of memory supports category level knowledge (1993). It seems that category knowledge is entered through sensory memory. The different pieces of information are represented by some form of memory that later becomes long-term memory (Smith Kosslyn, 2007). These representations are gradually turned into categorical knowledge. Every piece of information is put into a category that has similar traits, but not all the same traits (2007). Long-term memory can turn into meaningful learning that can be used to apply in life. By having students elaborate on what they have learned on a field trip, they are using their working memory. The information can be applied to long-term memory by representing a memory. Smith and Kosslyn also talk about strategies that increase meaningful learning. The generation effect is the concept that â€Å"you are more likely to remember the information you retrieve or generate than information that you simply receive† (2007, p.209). Using flashcards is a good example of using the generation effect of remembering information. Having a student generate information through writing an assignment is also a good example. The more a student generates information in the mind, the more they are likely to remember that information. Reference: Barbara J. Knowlton, Larry R. Squire (Dec 10, 1993). The learning of categories: parallel brain systems for item memory and category knowledge. Science, 262, n5140. p.1747(3). Information retrieved December 14, 2008, from Expanded Academic ASAP via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/itx/start.do?prodId=EAIM. Center for the Advancement of Teaching, Bart Everson, Elliott Hammer, 2005. Information retrieved December 13, 2008 from http://cat.xula.edu/thinker/memory/longterm/. Edward E. Smith, Stephen M. Kosslyn (2007). Cognitive Psychology Mind and Brain. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Research Papers on Critical Thinking EssayDistance Learning Survival GuideStandardized TestingDeveloping a Computer Network for Bead BarThree Concepts of PsychodynamicYear Round SchoolingCo-Educational vs. Single Sex SchoolsThe Mechanics of Grading Grading SystemsExempt vs Non-Exempt EmployeesProbation OfficersEmployment Law Essay

Free Essays on Natural Rights And Herbert Croly

â€Å"They did it, no doubt, in the name of democracy; but of all perverted conceptions of democracy, one of the most perverted and dangerous is that which identifies it exclusively with a system of natural rights† (Croly 81). To Herbert Croly, in his book The Promise of American Life, God or nature cannot secure individual rights. The entire nation, as a whole, must work to make sure that all of the people have equal rights and equal opportunity. The American people’s loyalty to the idea of democracy, as they understand it, cannot be questioned. But what it means to them is more of an idea of popular sovereignty. The will of the people determines what the government should or should not do. For Croly, democracy means much more than just popular sovereignty. Although â€Å"there can be no democracy where the people do not rule,† a â€Å"government by the people is not necessarily democratic† (Croly 179). While individual freedom is important, the whole of a nation must create the future; thus no one person can do it. For this to work there must be equal rights for all individuals. â€Å"A community in which no man or no group of men are granted by law any advantage over their fellow-citizens is the type of the perfect and fruitful democratic state† (Croly 180). The majority of Americans would contend that this arrangement is perfectly fine. Individuals are free to pursue the interests that they want, and all individuals can enjoy any liberties that one person enjoys. Under this arrangement, there should be no room for permanent legal privileges for any class of citizens. Equality is then associated with individual rights, when in reality individual rights do not always mean equality in receiving such rights. The natural rights philosophy clearly won’t work for Croly. God or nature does not give equal rights and equal opportunity to all. Although all are born with the same rights, not all people are born with ways to att... Free Essays on Natural Rights And Herbert Croly Free Essays on Natural Rights And Herbert Croly â€Å"They did it, no doubt, in the name of democracy; but of all perverted conceptions of democracy, one of the most perverted and dangerous is that which identifies it exclusively with a system of natural rights† (Croly 81). To Herbert Croly, in his book The Promise of American Life, God or nature cannot secure individual rights. The entire nation, as a whole, must work to make sure that all of the people have equal rights and equal opportunity. The American people’s loyalty to the idea of democracy, as they understand it, cannot be questioned. But what it means to them is more of an idea of popular sovereignty. The will of the people determines what the government should or should not do. For Croly, democracy means much more than just popular sovereignty. Although â€Å"there can be no democracy where the people do not rule,† a â€Å"government by the people is not necessarily democratic† (Croly 179). While individual freedom is important, the whole of a nation must create the future; thus no one person can do it. For this to work there must be equal rights for all individuals. â€Å"A community in which no man or no group of men are granted by law any advantage over their fellow-citizens is the type of the perfect and fruitful democratic state† (Croly 180). The majority of Americans would contend that this arrangement is perfectly fine. Individuals are free to pursue the interests that they want, and all individuals can enjoy any liberties that one person enjoys. Under this arrangement, there should be no room for permanent legal privileges for any class of citizens. Equality is then associated with individual rights, when in reality individual rights do not always mean equality in receiving such rights. The natural rights philosophy clearly won’t work for Croly. God or nature does not give equal rights and equal opportunity to all. Although all are born with the same rights, not all people are born with ways to att...

14 Resume Strategies for Recent Graduates

14 Resume Strategies for Recent Graduates Writing a resume can be hard even for the most seasoned professional. Writing one to net you your first job out of college can be downright terrifying. Here are 14  tricks you can use to maximize your chances of getting the interview, and getting your career off to a great start. 1. Use a professional email addressIt may have been a great laugh to be longduckdong16@yahoo.com back in the day, but now that you’re entering the adult world, it is high time to consider something a bit more†¦ mature. It might even help to create an address dedicated solely to job searching and your professional life. When in doubt, lastname.firstname or firstinitial.lastname@gmail.com ought to do the trick.2. Link to LinkedInIf you don’t already have a LinkedIn profile, make one. It will be a necessary tool for you now and in the many work years to come. Once you’ve set yourself up nicely, follow the instructions on the site to make a customized link, i.e. www.linkedin.com/in/Yo urNameMBA and include it in your resume. This will be particularly useful if you’re submitting a pdf; the recruiter will only have to click on the link to find your profile.3. Don’t pad it with fluffBS might have worked in your sociology intro class, but a professional hiring manager is going to see right through buzzwords like â€Å"team player† and â€Å"ambitious self-starter.† Try to be a bit more unique in your word choice and show your experience rather than relying on keywords. If your job description is clearly showcasing your teamwork or leadership skills, then you don’t need to oversell the point.4. OptimizeThat said, keywords are an important and useful tool, particularly when your resume might be evaluated online before reaching a sentient human. Rather than just include the usual â€Å"hardworking† and â€Å"strong leader† terms you think you have to include, try using keywords included in the job listing itself. Thatâ₠¬â„¢s a sure fire way to catch a company’s eye. Give them what they’re looking for!5. Leave high school out of itHiring managers are much more interested in your relevant work experience and what sort of work (and grades) you did in college. Also any skills or certifications you may have picked up along the way. Including high school education only makes you look like you’re desperate for filler. When in doubt, leave it out.6. Include your GPAIf your GPA is 3.0 or higher, go ahead and brag about it. And if your GPA within your major is even higher than that, showcase that achievement. They won’t care if you got a C+ in Underwater Basket-weaving. But if you have a 4.0 in Economics, they’ll be sure to pay attention.7. Don’t include your schoolworkWhile your GPA or major can be an asset in your job search, no recruiter really wants to know how you spent your class time (unless you did something really unique and exciting and/or prestigious). Th ey pretty much know what college is about- even specific to your major. Internships are much more relevant and impressive; focus on those.8. Play up your strong pointsIf you have a big internship or some other work experience that’s super impressive, lead with that. If you don’t, it’s okay to lead with other things, such as your grades, your intensive software knowledge, foreign language skills, programming experience, etc. If you have tons of honors but little work experience, you still might have enough oomph to get your foot in the door for an interview.9. Include company descriptionsFor each employer in your work history, include a brief description of the company- particularly if it isn’t a well known brand-name company that people will already be familiar with. Just a sense of the industry, the work done, and the work environment should do it. Keep it brief to maximize space.10. Use bulletsBullet points are an assertive visual way to draw a recruite r’s attention to exactly what you’d like for them to focus on. Go ahead and use this to your advantage. Bonus: you’ll get points for clear and eye-friendly formatting.11. Use action verbsLet your language do the bragging, especially if you don’t have a whole lot of work experience. You can put all the work verbs into sections describing your other experience. We’re thinking: managed, led, supervised, developed, created, built, etc.12. BragGo ahead and include any honors, scholarships, or extracurricular achievements you might have under your belt. Can’t hurt, might help.13. List your relevant skillsRead the job description carefully and multiple times. And be sure to pick out and list all of the skills it says are required for eligibility. Failure to list that you do, in fact, have fluency in that programming language, is your error. The recruiter isn’t responsible for knowing what you assume they should know. Make sure to explicitly list the things they’re looking for as things you can do.14. Don’t include referencesDon’t waste space on the â€Å"References available on request† line. It’s already implied. If they get close enough to hiring you to need them, rest assured that they will ask. You can also include this line in your cover letter instead.Now take a look at TopResume’s infographic showcasing what a perfect resume for recent college graduates would look like:

Methodologies used for determining the sustainability of residential Essay

Methodologies used for determining the sustainability of residential and commericial properties - Essay Example The criteria are the following: Management – provision of a home user guide concerning the operation and environmental performance of the home, a considerate constructors scheme, a commitment on construction site impacts and a security conscious design. For Civil Engineering design and projects, the United Kingdom industry uses the assessment and awards scheme CEEQUAL. Like the the Code for Sustainable Homes, the CEEQUAL also use a points-scoring assessment but instead of 9 criteria, CEEQUAL is made up of 200 exhaustive questions relating to environmental and social impacts of a project including resource usage, ecological impact, waste management, community relations, landscaping and even archaeology. Projects are graded as Pass (>25%), Good (>40%), Very Good (>60%) and Excellent (75%). A CEEQUAL assessment is undertaken by a CEEQUAL-trained project member whose evaluations are checked by a certified CEEQUAL verifier. As with all point-rating system, the assessment can be affected by biases thereby leading to inaccurate points assigned. For example, the criterion MATERIAL in the Code for Sustainable Homes calls for a range of 0.3 to 1.8 points for sourcing building materials responsibly. While there is a technical guidance manual to help the assessor, the points assigned can still be subjective. There is also the question of whether the items such as composting facilities and rain water collection will actually be used. The Code seems to check only for its presence as having a home-user guide seems to be enough to earn points and not its actual application. Essentially, the assessment methods provides no guarantee on the degree of sustainability that could occur. Department for Communities and Local Government, 2006. Code for Sustainable Homes: A step-change in sustainable home building practice.[pdf] West Yorkshire: Department for Communities and Local Government. Available at www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/code_for_sust_homes.pdf>

The Themes of The Last Days of Socrates and The Death of Ivan Ilych Essay

The Themes of The Last Days of Socrates and The Death of Ivan Ilych - Essay Example Ivan knew very that he was going to die, and this forced him to re-evaluate his life in a painful manner. Ivan also asked questions and tried to hide whenever deaths, sicknesses and recoveries were mentioned in his presence and more so when the sickness resembled his own. Inevitability of death and immortality of human souls is also evident in ‘The Last Days of Socrates. In the novel, Socrates held a dialogue with Phaedo on the nature of the afterlife. Socrates offered supporting arguments on the reasons as to why soul is immortal. Socrates believed that the soul is made up of basic forms, which are eternal and unchanging and that there was a different between soul and body. He was however executed by poison hemlock an indication that death was inevitable since human bodies are mortal while human souls are immortal. Socrates says ‘...anyone who does not know, and cannot prove that the soul is immortal must be afraid, unless he is a fool’ (Plato 170). From the two s tories, it is quite evident that the acceptance of death, as well as the recognition of the unpredictable nature of life allows room for peace, joy and confidence at the moment of death. The two stories clearly show how the characters understood of the mortality of human bodies and the immortality of human souls. ... The authentic life usually cultivates mutual affirmation of human relationships, which usually break down isolation and give room for interpersonal contact. The artificial life is defined as the depreciation which usually hides the true meaning of life and leaves one terrified of death. The artificial life usually leaves people empty and alone while the authentic life fosters strength through comfort and solidarity through empathy and also creates a bond as it prepares people to meet their death. Gerasim is too confident and not afraid of death and is able to lessen the pain felt by Ivan by sharing with him. Gerasim provides spiritual support to Ivan an indication of authentic life. The virtue of authentic life is evident between Gerasim and Ivan a clear indication that authentic life is the right life. Right life is also evident in ‘The last days of Socrates’. Socrates brings in the theme of right life in the form of justice. In his dialogues, Socrates questions on the meaning of justice and whether the type of justice he went through were the right life. Socrates dialogues, which Euthypho, apology, Crito and Phaedo describes his trial as well as the execution. In his dialogue with Euthypho, Socrates finds it quite surprising on how someone would bring charges against his own father and finds it quite pious to bring charges against someone he loved. In ‘apology’ Socrates defends himself when cross examined by Meletus and said that he was to poor for him to be a sophist or a teacher of rhetoric as charged. He said it was unjust for him to be charged as his accusers were the ones who corrupted the youths and unjustly sentenced him using the laws. In his speech, Socrates said ‘...the jury has hadmany negative opinions from people about me long

Strategy for Mega Bastard Corporation - Bionic Limbs Essay

Strategy for Mega Bastard Corporation - Bionic Limbs - Essay Example How fancy is that? The most important factors to consider in the introduction of bionic limbs is the strategic management variable involved in product and business development. Namely; Market entry, research and development, pricing, designing the product and competition prosthetic limbs producers. MBC will most probably benefit from a market segment of people interested in comic books, superhero movies and video games. The macro environment directly related to competition. DEKA is an example of prosthetic limb maker. They have made progress in making bionic arms, which basically gives MBC the advantage of differentiating their market segment to only limb/ legs bionic material. The market analysis will assume that MBC management has taken care of the approval process through the Food and Drug Administration body. MBC has two choices, either to enter the market or not to enter the bionic market. Now does not enter the bionic limbs market, then their competitors will obviously maintain the status quo and barely change the prices of bionic limbs. However, if MBC enters the market, then its potential competitors will definitely start a price war and that may affect the level of sales of bionic limbs. MBC will obviously be a credible threat to existing competitors in this monopolistic market as noted by Baines & Fill (2014). MBC already has the technology for making the bionic limbs, hence labour cost for the business and product development is greatly minimized and the only challenge will be for the management to identify a profitable market segment for their product. Getting a priced contract with competitors can always help MBC avoid any price wars that may emerge after they introduce their bionic limb. This is basically done by MBC paying a premium to a specific competitor and in exchange, the competition won’t start a price war against MBC. For MBC to effectively market the bionic limb, the product must be FDA approved in order to gain considerable favour even in the ‘villain’ market segment.  Ã‚  

Against Solar Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Against Solar Energy - Essay Example Solar energy is harnessed light and, heat from the sun converted in electricity. It has a wide range of uses e.g. heating of water, producing electricity, heating and lighting in buildings, industrial and commercial uses etc. But it also has an opposite side. Some people may say that it is the most effective compared to other types of energy because the light and heat are natural. However, they forget that solar energy is derived from sun. This means that without the sun, no energy can be available. Making of photovoltaic panels there are chemicals used. These chemicals are elements that are harmful to the environment. â€Å"Cadmium† and â€Å"Arsenic† harmful to the environment and can bring bad side effects to people. They require good disposal to avoid pollution of the environment. Solar energy system plants need a lot of space that could otherwise be used for other things. The area needed needs to be free from all sorts of objects that can obstruct light rays. This shows that it can be problematic to people who have small compounds especially the ones who live in cities. It leads to depletion of animal habitats. It is also true to say that production of solar energy is dependent. The operation and effectiveness of solar cells depends on a balanced mixture of some compounds. This mixture harness light energy and then takes it to another contact that works electrically. More so, the life span of organic solar cells in very short. It can only stay for only 5 years in commercial applications.

The Cult of Celebrity - Heroes & Celebrity Assignment

The Cult of Celebrity - Heroes & Celebrity - Assignment Example Whether it be a hero or a celebrity, each possesses the ability to draw intense loyalty from those who feel they are deserving of it. In most cases, celebrities garner far greater attention through media coverage but as is the case with heroes, each through action is taken, have the chance to make an impact on those around them. The similarity between celebrities and heroes would be the faithfulness they would draw from the general populous. A stark contrast between the two would be the underlying presence of garnering fame and attention, that many of those people labeled celebrities, seek to bring to themselves. For those in more of a hero position, they often times tend to do that which they do, from a standpoint of doing whats right versus whats wrong, instead of doing what may be socially acceptable and something that would give them great fame and power. In regards to an example of heroes, one that would come to mind, would be the men and women of the military that day in and day out, place themselves in harm's way for the greater good of all men. They seek to do so to assist others and not so that they'd be able to bring undue attention to themselves. With regards to the world of celebrity, those examples would include George Clooney and Julia Roberts. Individuals that place themselves in the public ey e and are attention grabbers. The individuals who grace the covers of magazines and newspaper advertisements. Especially in the era after September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City, when millions were left scared and bewildered, the need for heroes became far greater than it had beforehand. The need to have those individuals that seek to fight and defeat any foe that may cross their path. Whether it be a physical opponent or an inanimate object, a hero is someone that many seek refuge with when it comes to regaining a sense of security and normalcy.

Food Crisis Essay Example for Free

Food Crisis Essay According to World Bank, they blame that the food crisis in Africa are causing by trade barrier. A lot of countries in Africa are restricted importing food from the border. Due to unfertilized land in a lot of parts in Africa, it causes people to discourage to be a farmer, so the food supply is less. However, African population is increasing rapidly. Therefore, the demand for food will just keep increasing. As a result, the demand for food would exceed supply for food in Africa. Before I move on to the next examples, I need to explain about the result of the demand exceed supply. Identical products around the world should fix in the law of one price, which mean that the identical products should sell at the same price around the world. This is because if it is not the same price, the country that sell high price would go to buy the low price product from another country and sell it to their country. Therefore, the country that sell product for low price with get a result in increasing demand which result in increasing in price. The supply for the high price product will be more because people import to sell in country, which result in decreasing in price. At the result, both countries will sell product at the same price. This will cause the exporter by the rest of the world need to sell the product at the same price (world price). Therefore, we can draw it in the graph as vertical lines while the supply in the country as an upward-sloping and the demand is downward-sloping, but food is necessary product, so the line should be more inelastic. Now we can plot all of this in to a graph, and a graph will look like this. The import is horizontal because of the world price, so they need to supply at this price. As you can see from the graph, the import is restrict at only the small amount according to Africa, only 5 percent of the food import, which resulting in demand exceeding supply, so we can apply this to the food crisis by trade restriction. Therefore, the price of food is increasing because there is high demand for food than supply in Africa, while the farmer is not encouraging by the government because only a little profit goes to them even though the price is high due to the government policy, so he Africa people suffer from hunger due to the unaffordable price of food. Not only Africa that face food crisis, but also the world is suffered during 2008. According to Europe, they claim that the world food crisis is because the trade restriction of many countries in the world such as Argentina, Russia, Japan and South Korea. These trade restrictions cause the price of food in the world to increase. People cannot afford the high price. Thus, the food crisis occurs and suffers many countries around the world. Food crisis occur in the country may lead to other problem. For example, the protest in Egypt also cause by raising cost of food in the country because of trade restriction. In long term solution to solve food crisis should be that the government should not intervene food price because food is necessary product; they choose restrict on the unnecessary product such as cigarette or alcohol instead. 20 million people in Africa are suffering from hunger nowadays due to this food crisis causing by trade restriction.

The Journey From Education To Unemployment

The Journey From Education To Unemployment EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The jobs-skills mismatch in the country has been in existence since 1965. It was observed by experts following an imbalance of manpower training and manpower need (Bernardino, 1965, pp 3-4) and a great number of unemployed with college degrees (Limcaco, 1965, p. 8). It was reiterated in the 1970 report of the PresidentiaCommission to Survey Philippine Education (PCSPE) that found a mismatch between students college courses and the training required by the world of work (Santamaria, 1979). The prevalent mismatch between the educational system and the employment sector is a continuing concern in the country. The conduct of the National Manpower Summit and National Human Resource Conference in 2006 and 2007 respectively, which were spearheaded by DOLE and attended by various stakeholders, identified the gaps between supply of the labor workforce and market demand. These yielded several recommendations. Through personal interviews with the top management of various stakeholders such as DOLE, ECOP, TESDA, PMAP and other companies and employers, the team was able to gather comparative data to reinforce the presence of the mismatch. The facts are supported by figures in the websites. The study recognizes that the aggregate supply of graduates is greater than the market demand thereby resulting to unemployment or underemployment. This is where the mismatch occurs. The study identified three levels of mismatch: 1) on the number of graduates vs. the number of jobs available; 2) on the quality of graduates vs. industry expectations; and 3) on the skills acquired vs. skills required. The jobs-skills mismatch is greatly influenced by the macro environmental factors, namely; social, political, economic and technological. Included among the Social factors are high population growth and an increasing incidence of poverty. This high population growth cancels out the effect of economic growth particularly the creation of jobs to absorb the excess labor supply. As regards political factors, there is no central organization that brings all the stakeholders (Employers, Employees, Sector groups, NGOs etc.) under one umbrella to make sure that all the stakeholders work together. Also, there is a lack of government program to inform the potential workforce on the requirements of the market (i.e. what courses to take, what skills are needed, etc.). On economic factors, higher levels of sustained economic growth is needed to reduce the unemployment and underemployment rate. And finally, technological factors, educational institutions should acquire modern advanced technology t o match the requirements of the rapidly changing and the emerging industries. This paper proposes short and long term possible solutions to address the mismatch. Some of these recommendations are the conduct of National conference involving employer groups such as ECOP and PCCI as well as captains of industries to draw up one united and uniform comprehensive plan; creation of Human Resource Development; Partnership between education institutions and industries; and creation of National Curriculum Research Institute that will constantly study and review current curricula, develop and recommend revisions among others. In the evaluation of the education institutions and the industries, there is a significant mismatch between what the institutions produce and what the market demands. The jobs-skills mismatch is a major contributing factor in the unemployment rate in the country. Hence, addressing mismatch could remarkably decrease unemployment rate. More active participation and stricter intervention of the government is needed to address the mismatch problem in the country. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY This study seeks to: Examine the system of supply and demand of the labor workforce in the country; Identify the causes and effects of the jobs-skills mismatch; and Come up with recommendations in filing the gap between the supply and demand. SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY The scope of this study is limited to the mismatch in the Philippines job market. It focuses on the mismatch between the number of graduates in each course and the number of vacancies in each industry in the country. For the purpose of this study, let us clearly define that the skill acquired is the vocational course or college while the skill required is the job vacancy. METHODOLOGY The sources of information of the study are composed of two methods the primary and the secondary method. For the primary method, the team conducted interviews with the different key personalities of various stakeholders, i.e. Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) and Peoples Marketing Association of the Philippines (PMAP). The team used the same set of questions to test if the interviews will yield similar findings. For the secondary method, the team used company manuals, statistics and data gathered from the internet and other studies previously conducted by different individuals and groups on jobs-skills mismatch. DETAILED REPORT INTRODUCTION The jobs-skills mismatch in the country has been in existence since 1965. It was observed by experts following an imbalance of manpower training and manpower need (Bernardino, 1965, pp 3-4) and a great number of unemployed with college degrees (Limcaco, 1965, p. 8). It was reiterated in the 1970 report of the PresidentiaCommission to Survey Philippine Education (PCSPE) that found a mismatch between students college courses and the training required by the world of work (Santamaria, 1979). The conduct of the National Manpower Summit in 2006 and 2007 initiated by DOLE identified the gaps and made several recommendations. Government restructuring or the creation of a single government agency to address employment concerns is one of the common solutions recommended by various employment stakeholders. It is supported by the study of TESDA in their papers Skills development and recognition in Asia and the Pacific. An HRD Central Agency will be established to develop policies and programs for the establishment of a strong HRD sector in the government. According to the paper of Andrew Gonzales entitled Higher Education, Brain Drain and Overseas employment in the Philippines-Toward a differetiated set of solution, the Philippine case of mismatch between the manpower needs of the country and the output of the higher education system is an example of interlocking conflicts. Data show concrete indication of the gap between our educational system and the employment sectors. In 2010 alone, only 82% of the new graduates are new hires, 18.5% of the college graduates are among the unemployed and as of 2010, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) identified 54, 417 job vacancies. One of the notable causes of mismatch is the lack of infomration by families and individuals in the labor market requirements. Because of this, institutions may have provided the graduates the skills that are not necessarily required by the market. MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS EMPLOYERS CONFEDERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (ECOP) The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) is the single voice for the entire business community in the country on important national issues related to employment, industrial relations, labor issues and related social policies. ECOP was born on September 10, 1975. Before ECOP, the business sector and employers in the country were represented by two major business organizations, namely: the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CCP); and the Philippine Chamber of Industries (PCI). The creation of ECOP made tripartism a reality, with the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) representing a labor sector, and the Department of Labor and Employment and the other agencies as the state instrumentality. On May 1, 1978, the government through Presidential Letter of Instruction (LOI) 688 recognized ECOP as the single voice of employers, to be consulted by the government, together with labor, in the promulgation of a scheme which would promote and sustain an adequacy machinery for cooperation between labor and management at approapriate levels of the enterprise. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT (DOLE) The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) started as a small bureau in 1908. It became a department on December 8, 1933 with the passage of Act 4121. The DOLE is the national government agency mandated to formulate and implement policies and programs, and serve as the policy-advisory arm of the Executive Branch in the field of labor and employment. It consists of the Office of the Secretary, 7 bureaus, 6 services, 16 regional offices, 12 attached agencies and 38 overseas offices with a full manpower complement of 9,806. It operates on a current budget of Php 6.618 B and ranks 14th out of 21 departments. The vision and mission are consistent with the Platform and Policy Pronouncements on Labor and Employment of President Benigno S. Aquino IIIs administration, herein referred to as the 22-Point Labor and Employment Agenda, the DOLE is the lead agency mandated to develop the competencies and competitiveness of Filipino workers, to deliver employment facilitation services for full and decent employment, and to promote industrial peace based on social justice. It serves more than 38.51 million workers comprising the countrys labor force , including the 3.62 million temporary migrants working in about 215 destinations worldwide . The DOLE clients include trade unions, workers organizations and employers and/or employers groups (i.e., ECOP, chambers of commerce and industries, TUCP, FFW, etc). There are 123 existing Tripartite Industrial Peace Councils or TIPCs (13 regional, 44 provincial, and 66 city/municipal) and 128 existing Industry Tripartite Councils (46 regional, 48 provincial and 34 city/municipal) serving as mechanisms for social dialogue in addressing labor and employment issues. The DOLE also maintains linkages with non-government organizations (NGOs), government agencies, the academe, partner international organizations (e.g., ILO, IOM, IMO, UNDP, UNICEF), and with the international community, particularly the host countries where our OFWs are based. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DepEd) Education in the Philippines has undergone several stages of development from the pre-Spanish times to the present. In meeting the needs of the society, education serves as focus of emphases/priorities of the leadership at certain periods/epochs in our national struggle as a race. The DepEd was transformed from the former Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) to the Department of Education (DepEd) and redefining the role of field offices (regional offices, division offices, district offices and schools). RA 9155 provides the overall framework for (i) school head empowerment by strengthening their leadership roles and (ii) school-based management within the context of transparency and local accountability. The goal of basic education is to provide the school age population and young adults with skills, knowledge, and values to become caring, self-reliant, productive and patriotic citizens. COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION (CHED) The CHED was created on May 18, 1994 as an attached agency to the Office of the President for administrative purposes. The creation of CHED was part of a broad agenda of reforms on the countrys education system outlined by the Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) in 1992. Part of the reforms was the trifocalization of the education sector into three governing bodies. The CHED for tertiary and graduate education, the DepEd for basic education and the TESDA for technical-vocational and middle level education. TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (TESDA) The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) was established through the enactment of Republic Act No. 7796 otherwise known as the Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994, which was signed into law by President Fidel V. Ramos on August 25, 1994. This Act aims to encourage the full participation of and mobilize the industry, labor, local government units and technical-vocational institutions in the skills development of the countrys human resources. The merging of the National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). The Bureau of Technical and Vocational Education (BTVE) of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), and The Apprenticeship Program of the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) of the DOLE gave birth to TESDA. The fusion of the above offices was one of the key recommendations of the 1991 Report of the Congressional Commission on Education, which undertook a national review of the state of Philippine education and manpower development. It was meant to reduce overlapping in skills development activities initiated by various public and private sector agencies, and to provide national directions for the countrys technical-vocational education and training (TVET) system. Hence, a major thrust of TESDA is the formulation of a comprehensive development plan for middle-level manpower based on the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan. This plan shall provide for a reformed industry-based training program that includes apprenticeship, dual training system and other similar schemes. TESDA is mandated to: Integrate, coordinate and monitor skills development programs; Restructure efforts to promote and develop middle-level manpower; Approve skills standards and tests; Develop an accreditation system for institutions involved in middle-level manpower development; Fund programs and projects for technical education and skills development; and Assist trainers training programs. At the same time, TESDA is expected to: Devolve training functions to local governments; Reform the apprenticeship program; Involve industry/employers in skills training; Formulate a skills development plan; Develop and administer training incentives; Organize skills competitions; and Manage skills development funds. Overall, TESDA formulates manpower and skills plans, sets appropriate skills standards and tests, coordinates and monitors manpower policies and programs, and provides policy directions and guidelines for resource allocation for the TVET institutions in both the private and public sectors. Today, TESDA has evolved into an organization that is responsive, effective and efficient in delivering myriad services to its clients. To accomplish its multi-pronged mission, the TESDA Board has been formulating strategies and programs geared towards yielding the highest impact on manpower development in various areas, industry sectors and institutions. PEOPLE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (PMAP) PMAP is strictly profesional, non-stock, not for profit organization of over 1,800 member companies and individual management executives engaged or interested in Human Resource Management and IR works. UNIVERSAL ACCESS OF COMPETITIVENESS AND TRADE (UACT) U-ACT is a private sector-led, non-stock, non-profit, advocacy and research think-tank, affiliated with the PCCI primarily focused on issues relating to trade policy making, trade negotiations and agreements, economic, sectoral and human resource competitiveness. U-ACT is the driver of private sector in the conduct of trade policy and economic competitiveness activities by, analyzing trade policies and agreements, championing institutional reforms, and developing strategic interventions for economic, industry, and economic reforms and adjustment measures. Through established linkages with industry, government and the academe, U-ACT is able to provide the policy and operational support to bring forth measures that enhances the competitiveness of local production networks resulting to economic reforms that will enable global market access of Philippine goods and services. It also provides the structure to develop information and monitoring systems and capacity-building for trade negotiations, making private sector a better-informed group and take advantage of opportunities from trade liberalization. U-ACT is an independent think tank providing proactive, credible, balanced economic and trade competitiveness advocacy, research and training services to Philippine private sector. PHILIPPINE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRIES (PCCI) The Chamber movement in the Philippines has been in a constant state of evolution for over a century. One can say that the eminent position now being enjoyed by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) in the business community traces its raison d etre from a history interwoven into our nations own history of economic, political and social upheavals. The roots of the Chamber Movement can be traced to the 1890s with the formation of the Camara de Comercio de Filipinas. This organization was composed mainly of Spanish companies such as the Compania General de Tobacco de Filipinas, the Fabrica de Cervesa San Miguel and Elizalde Y Cia, among others. This was followed by the creation of the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CCP) in 1903, shortly after the countrys turnover to the United States. The rise of industries in the 1950s created the need for several industry groups to organize an association that would represent their interests and concerns amid the changing panorama of the economy. Thus, the Philippine Chamber of Industry (PCI) was formed. In July 1978, the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CCP) and the Philippine Chamber of Industry (PCI) merged to give birth to a single, unified private sector organization called the PHILIPPINE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (PCCI). That same year, by virtue of Letter of Instruction no. 780, then President Ferdinand E. Marcos recognized the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry as the sole official representative and voice of the entire private business community. MACRO ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS Social Factors attributing to mismatch High population growth and increasing incidence of poverty are some of the main factors for the mismatch in job market. The problem is aggravated when the rate of economic growth is less than the rate of population growth. High population growth led to repeated pregnancy which lowers the women participation in labor force. Higher number of children in a family with low-income level makes it difficult for the family to send all the children for higher education. Less dense populated provinces dont have good schools which results in less skilled workforce. Political Factors attributing to mismatch There is no central organization which brings all the stakeholders (Employers, Employees, Sector groups, NGOs etc.) under one umbrella and makes sure that all the stakeholders work together, are heard and have ownership. Also, there is a lack of government program to inform the potential workforce on the requirements of the market (i.e. what courses to take, what skills are needed, etc.) Labor code and existing work-related laws have not been reassessed and reviewed to adapt to the changing times. Government spending on Education is increasing (Annexure-Chart1) but major portion (approx 89%) of that goes to the maintenance of DepEd, wages etc. There is only small portion left for the improvement of infrastructure of existing schools or opening new schools. Economic Factors attributing to mismatch According to ECOP, the reduction of chronic unemployment and under- employment is not possible without higher levels of sustained growth. For families with low-income it is very difficult to send their children to attend costly courses. Further, low income individuals consider the duration of course as a major factor in the decision making as he cant afford to spend couple of years without any income. To ensure quality of learning, the quality of teaching must be met. Due to low salary, teachers of high quality choose to work abroad for higher salary. With low-quality of teachers one cannot produce quality workforce with proper skill set. Chronic unemployment and jobless growth also add to the problem of mismatch. Source: ECOP Problem of shrinking/stagnant formal sector and expanding informal sector must be addressed in order to tackle the mismatch problem. Source: ECOP Technological Factors attributing to mismatch In a fast changing world where technology and required skill-sets are changing very rapidly, it is very difficult for the schools and training institutes to match the requirement of the employers because they do not possess the modern advanced technology and the cost to invest in new technology infrastructure. Also sometimes the improvement in technology or processes in an organization led to reduction in the workforce. SUPPLY The Educational Institutes: To effectively fulfill the current and future needs of the economy, human resources must be competitive and must possess updated skills. Qualified skilled human resources must be available at the right place, at right time and at the right quantity and quality to meet the changing demands of the economy. Major Supply issues in Philippines are: Jobsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ skills mismatch English, Communication and Information Technology (IT) Skills Gap Brain drain Over supply of Nurses Supply of Skilled Workers Supply of Professionals Deparment of labour and empolyment had publised below Statistics vide its publication Labour Market monitor: For period 3rd Quarter of 2010, the cumulative total of professionals registered with the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) stood at 3,090,120. The top professions consisted of the following: By specific occupation, the top ten occupations in terms of the average number of registered applicants consisted of the following, accounting for more than three fourths (38.7%) of the total registrants during the reference period: DEMAND The Employers: Major Demand issues are: Retaining the best talents Medical tourism to generate employment for nurses Positioning The Philippines as a Creative Hub As shown in the table below are the average numbers of occupational vacancy available with the percentage share: The GAP between Demand and Supply: According to DOLE, the following are the in demand and hard to fill occupations in key employment generators from 2010 to 2015: INDUSTRY IN-DEMAND HARD-TO-FILL 1. AGRIBUSINESS Animal Husbandry, Agriculture, Economist, Aqua-culturist, coconut farmer, entomologist (plant), farmer (fruit, vegetable and root crops Feed Processor and Food Technician, Fishery technologist 2. CYBER SERVICES 3. HEALTH AND WELLNESS Nurse, Horologist, Optician, Optometrist Doctor, Physical Therapist, Pharmacist, Medical Technologist, Laboratory Technician 4. HOTEL AND RESTAURANT TOURISM Front Office Agent / Attendant, Baker /Food server /Waiter/Other House keeping Cook 5. MINING Geologist, Mining Engineer, Geodetic Engineer, Metallurgical Engineer 6. CONSTRUCTION Fabricator/Pipe Fitter/Welder Engineer (Civil, Electrical, Design) 7. BANKING AND FINANCE Operations Manager/Teller Accounting Clerks, Book Keepers, Auditors 8. MANUFACTURING Electrical, Technicians, Food technologist, Machine Operators, Sewers Chemist, Electrical engineer, Industrial engineer, IT specialist, machinist, Mechanical engineers, Mechanical Technicians, Chemical engineer 9. OWNERSHIP DWELLINGS AND REAL STATE Building Manager, Construction Manager, Construction worker, foreman, Mason, welder, real estate agents/brokers, Marketer Civil engineer, Mechanical engineer, Surveyor, Architect 10. TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS Checker, Maintenance mechanics, Stewards Gantry operator, Ground engineer, Heavy equipment operator, Long haul driver, operator, Pilot, Transport and Logistics Machinery, operator, aircraft mechanic and other related skills. Broadly, the DOLE survey defined hardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ fill occupations as job vacancies for which an establishment has encountered difficulties in managing the recruitment process. Reasons may include no applicants, applicants lack of experience, skill or license, preference for working abroad, seeking higher salary or problem with location and other reasons. The inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ demand occupations refer to active occupations/job vacancies posted/advertised recurrently by and across industries/establishments. DEMAND versus SUPPLY: 1. Agriculture and Fishery Sector Inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ demand occupations with limited supply of certified workers are horticulturists and fisherman. 2. Cyber services Shortages of supply are seen in animators (clean up artists, 3D animators, multimedia artist among others) .This scenario on animators is attributed to the continuous flight of workers to overseas (Singapore, Australia, US etc.) 3. Health and Wellness Nurses are shifting careers to become call centers agents because of the difficulty in finding jobs abroad, particularly in the United States, which has recently imposed visa restrictions. The United States will be more open to nurses because of its new law on expanded insurance coverage, which will drive the health care industry to create job opportunities for health workers like nurses. 4. Mining The mining industry is currently showing potential for job opportunities. This sector requires intervention, particularly in the academic and technical areas. This is evident as hardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ fill occupations for the sector is mostly professional. These include geologist, mining engineer, geodetic engineer, and metallurgical engineer. 5. Construction The sectors inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ demand occupations include fabricator, pipe fitter and welder. These welders are Shielded Metal Arc Welder (SMAW), Gas Metal Arc Welder (GMAW) and Gas Tungsten Arc Welder/TIG Welder (GTAW). However, very limited supply is seen in Submerged Arc Welder (SAW), Gas Oxyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Acetylene Welder, and Flux Cored Arc Welder. 6. Banking and Finance Under the sector of Health, Social and other Community Services is Banking and Finance. This sector listed inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ demand and hardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ fill occupations from the professional group. Among the inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ demand occupations are operations manager and tellers which are graduates of Banking and Finance or Business Management courses. Hardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ fill occupations include accounting clerks, bookkeepers, cashier, auditor, accountant, credit card analyst, finance analyst/specialist and risk management officer/manager. 7. Manufacturing The manufacturing sector includes critical skills such as machine operators, lathe operators, bench workers/fitters, technicians, machinists, sewers, and tailors among others. Machine Operator (Press worker) also an inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ demand occupation has no available manpower supply. 8. Dwellings and Real Estate The sector identified building manager, construction manager, construction worker, foreman, mason, welder and real estate agents/broker as inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ demand occupations. Professional occupations such as civil engineer, mechanical engineer, surveyor and architect are among the hardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ to fill occupations for the sector. 9. Transport and Logistics The transport and logistics sectors which cut across construction and mining industries identified checker, maintenance mechanics and stewardess as inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ demand occupations. Maintenance mechanics with occupational title such as automotive senior technician, automotive air-conditioning technician, automotive electrician, and automotive LPGà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ fuel technician among others have very limited supply of 21 certified workers. 10. Wholesale and Retail Trade The wholesale and retail trade industry continues to thrive in the country as general economic outlook improves and consumer spending rises. As more wholesale and retail enterprises are established, more job opportunities are provided. Problem arising due to mismatch Skill mismatch makes labor market inefficient and imperfect. Job hiring and seeking become expensive. Many vacancies and job openings remain opened. This results in increased unemployment and also hampers the growth of business and the economy of the country. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS CONCLUSIONS In the evaluation of the education institutions and the industries, there is a significant mismatch between what the institutions produce and what the market demands. The jobs-skills mismatch is a major contributing factor in the unemployment rate in the country. Hence, addressing mismatch could remarkably decrease unemployment rate. One of the causes of the mismatch is the lack of coordination between educational institutions and industry leaders. As a result, institutions produce more graduates that are not needed in the market. The setting up of a department that would link the education institutions to the industry could be a big step in addressing the mismatch. However, mismatch does not only happen when the labor workforce acquire skills that are not required by the market. Mismatch also occurs in the quality of skills that the graduates acquired vis a vis the demand of the industries. Graduates dont usually possess other skills that industries require interpersonal, communication, and leadership. More active participation and stricter intervention of the government is needed to address the mismatch problem in the country. The intention is simply to make the equation EDUCATION = EMPLOYMENT works. RECOMMENDATIONS After a careful review and analysis of available data, the team came up with the following recommendations: Short Term: In the short term, separate existing initiatives done in the area of addressing the mismatch by public as well as private entities can be consolidated with government taking the lead by way of bringing together various agencies like the Department of Education (DEPED), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Department of Labor in Industry (DOLE), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to spearhead a national conference involving employer groups such as ECOP and PCCI as well as captains of industries to draw up one united and uniform comprehensive plan. Long term: 1) A Department of Human Resource Development shall be established. This department will ensure linkage between the education and labor sectors. It shall formulate, among others, an employment plan which will serve as a guide for the education sector on what skills to produce to match the skills required by the industries. 2) Establishment of a central accreditation or re

An Ecomomic Forecast :: essays papers

An Ecomomic Forecast Evaluating the bull market today, it is almost impossible to pick up a financial journal without seeing news on the bull market that some consider to be overvalued. Overvalued or fairly valued, only the future will show the truth. Either way, this market is one that has shown greater run ups and returns, than any other market in history. (Reference Appendix #1a) Recently the Dow Jones Industrial Average has reached historical highs and then receded back to previous levels, leaving investors who are used to consistent and record setting gains month after month, baffled. Both the Dow Jones and the S & P 500 indices have seen modest and even flat performances over the past three months. (Reference #1b) A recent article that was published on the front page of the Wall Street Journal emphasized that returns were flat due to the fact that investors were concerned of the possible on set of inflation. If these concerns are warranted and inflation is thus expected, the Bull market may ve ry well be over. This after all makes sense, inflation has slowed and stopped many run-ups in the past, and the onset of inflation now could very well do the same. While the article introduced some possibilities, it said nothing of the likelihood, the causes of, the Fed.'s reactions to, and the probability of expected inflationary increases in the future. This paper is thus dedicated to expanding on these ideas by exploring the rationality of these concerns by examining the circumstances surrounding inflation. It is my speculation that the Bull market may eventually correct itself in the future, but not in the short term due to immediate inflation. That is, that the market was in fact flat due investors concerns, but actual imperative inflation does not look to be expected in the near future. In order to begin to understand the nature of market trends and forces, one must first consider the current state of the U.S. economy relative to its' business cycle. Certain aggregates can be measured that tell us a great deal about this. These aggregates have a strong history of leading, coinciding, or lagging the relative business cycle with a high amount of regular correlation. Appendix 2a contains illustrations, which show graphically the trends of the leading, lagging, and coincident indicators over the past few years. These graphs are composites of each group, and upon examination it is clear that all the indicators are rising.

Tribunals of Inquiry in Northern Ireland :: essays research papers

Introduction Many countries have faced situations in which their citizens demand accountability for injustices or atrocities committed by their own domestic governments, which are in violation of their human rights. The manner in which varying nations have provided for and acknowledged these facts, on their various public platforms, have been both controversial and diverse. These problems tend not to fade into obscurity if left unaddressed. History has dictated that struggle for truth has been adopted by subsequent generations, who demand responsibility from their own government in power as, in many cases, the events will have occurred at the hands of a preceding government. The passing of time has illustrated that the quest for truth does not dissipate but can cause emotions to escalate and heighten the resolve of the aggrieved parties. Commentators suggest that establishing truth about the past is a precondition for preventing the recurrence of abuses in the future. This paper submits, in extension to this theory, that it is an essential ingredient in the desired passage towards restoration in public confidence and synonymous to the concept of justice in this modern legal world. The focus of this question is specifically the model of Tribunal of Inquiry which is governed by Section 1 of the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921 , which is the legislation used to handle inquiries involving an official element, and truth commissions, the alternative model that has been internationally adopted, largely as a result of military agitation or liberation coups. This paper will also touch upon inquiries hosted in other countries. Public inquiries themselves are rare and, this paper suggests, much resisted events, indeed Northern Ireland has borne witness to just three such inquiries under the aforementioned Act. These were the Scarman Inquiry in 1969, followed by the Widgery Inquiry in 1972, , the unsatisfactory outcome of which gave rise to the Saville Inquiry in 1998. Countries such as South Africa, Sierra Leone and Argentina, among others, have had their human rights redress distinctively characterized by the construction of truth commissions . Whether this type mechanism would be more conducive to the pursuit of truth, in matters of vast public concern within the context of Northern Ireland, is a matter for this paper to explore. The Character and Necessity of Inquiries Walsh states that an inquiry of this nature can be established under the Act where it is resolved by both Houses of Parliament

My Pawnshop

Course Project Introduction to Business (GEB 1011) Think of a small company you would like to start. Using this company, include the following components in your finalized submittal and use them as Section Headings for formatting your submittal. Put the Section Headings in BOLD. Then your responses in normal 12 point size type and write in complete sentences. 1) Provide an Introduction of your company. Include your main product and/or service. In what country and part of the world is your company located? Explain why your company is located there.With the economy struggling and more and more people loosing their jobs as a major source of income I believe that providing the service of small collateral loans would be a great idea for a business. In this economy the pawn industry is a business that is growing and taking a powerful jump in the economy. I believe that opening and place where people can get short-term loans against a collateral would be a very successful business. I would strategically pick locations in United States that really need this service the most. For example, low-income regions in Orlando such as Pine Hills, would be a good place to open a location.Last and more important,   Make sure to set up shop where the local population is interested in buying your goods Choosing a location with a population that has supply and demand for the specific products I am selling. 2) Describe the form of business ownership you would choose for this company and explain why. Give at least three advantages and three disadvantages of your chosen form of business ownership. The form of business ownership I would choose for my company would be Sole Proprietorship. A business owned and operated by a single individual — and the most common form of business structure in the U.S. The advantages with a sole proprietorship: 1. Ease and cost of formation: simply announcing you are in business and requesting any licenses and permits you may need; use of profits à ¢â‚¬â€ since all profits from the business belong exclusively to you, the owner. 2. Flexibility and control: you make all the decisions and direct the entire business operations; very little government regulations; secrecy; and ease of ending the business. 3. Sale or transfer can take place at the discretion of the sole proprietor. There are disadvantages, however, including unlimited liability: . All business debts are personal debts, meaning you could lose everything you own if the business fails or loses a major lawsuit. 2. Limited sources of financing: based on your creditworthiness. 3. Limited skills: the sole proprietor really must be a â€Å"jack-of-all-trades,† part manager, marketer, accountant, etc. ; and limited lifespan meaning that the business ends when the owner dies. 3) Describe how you would use Supply and Demand to determine the products/services your company would provide. Include how this affects the pricing of your company’s product/service. When supplies of goods and services become plentiful, prices tend to drop. When supplies become scarcer, prices tend to rise. †Ã‚  (Understanding Business, Nickels,McHugh and McHuhg P. 37. ) There are many factors that play a role in using Supply and Demand for the items that my company would be working with. The age of the item, current condition, market value, and ability to re-sell, are all taken into consideration. The market value of precious metals changes daily so this will give more flexibility to play with the loaning, buying or pricing of it.Furthermore, I would have to contemplate the supply and demand or desirability of your item. Perhaps a new product ahs made it obsolete or even decrease its value. For example, a video game system that was worth $300. 00 two years ago may be practically worthless today. With new technology in the market and depreciation of electronics an outdated platform is not going to be in high demand. Another example would be the Blue-ray player, since they have become increasingly popular and they have a high demand in the market the DVD player has depreciated in value.Therefore if a client brings a DVD player in the store the appraisal value would be lower hence the selling price. Taking these factor into consideration, the use of supply and demand would affect the pricing of my company and it would play a very big role because I am the one investing money on the collateral that the customer is bringing to the store, hence my responsibility is to have the knowledge to take smart decisions and to properly train the people that would be working for me to be capable to make smart pricing by using tools such, internet, blue book, catalogs and their experience.One advantage that my company would have is that because I am targeting low income communities the $300. 00 game system they could not afford would be selling for a much lower price at my store. The demand would be there still for the system but this time the used system would be price one third of the original price and there would be an option for that customer to put it on layaway and pay for it slowly something that is becoming popular on big retail stores now days. As the Chief Executive Officer of your company: ) Describe your company’s Strategic Plan. Include a SWOT, Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, analysis ((list at least three, (3) items per section)). 5) Describe how you would implement the Management Functions in your company. 6) Describe the process you would use to recruit, hire, and train your employees. 7) Describe how you would approach the marketing mix for your company (Product, Price, Place, Promotions, the 4 Ps,). 8) Describe how you would develop and use the basic accounting statements in your company.

History of Policing Essay

The function of policing has played a considerable role in American history. The policing occupation has worked toward protecting citizens’ rights and helping America to become the free nation it is today. The United States of America is built from the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights, from this document we gather the rules of policing and make sure that every Americans rights are met. The evolutions of policing practices that officers have learned have changed American history for the better. As new problems in society arise, police must change and adapt to protect and serve the public. Early American policing strategies were based off of a similar British model. Law enforcement was not well organized or structured until 1200 A.D., after that time offenders were being pursued by an organized posse. In those times offenders were caught be the organized posse and were usually tortured and faced public execution. Rarely were the criminals or the accused of this time given the right to fair trail, and were not considered innocent until proven guilty like the laws we have today state, it was the other way around, where citizens that were accused of crimes were guilty before any evidence or testimony were ever provided. One of the earliest forms of policing came about in English cities and towns and were called night watches.(Schmalleger, 2009). The primary purpose of a night watch was to watch out for fires and thievery. There was also a day watch which basically was the same job as night watch, but in the day. Eventually this form of policing led to a written law being proposed in 1285 called the Statute of Winchester. This law created a watch and ward system that gave early watches a systems and structure to form themselves around. This law gave early English towns the policing practices and guidelines needed to produce a stable society, free of criminal activities, allowing the towns the type of policing that they needed to thrive. The Statute of Winchester law consisted of four main points, things that were specific to the watch of that town, the mandating of age eligible men to serve, institutionalizing the use of the hue and cry, and for answering the call of duty. Prior structuring and laws such as the Statue of Winchester propelled law enforcement into its future when prime minister of England Sir Robert Peel formed the world’s first modern police force. Peel’s model of new police became the model for police all across the globe. He formed the police with more of a military outline; giving uniforms for better origination and structure. Early American leaders followed the day and night watch approach, later American leaders followed Sir Robert Peel method, which is what American policing still utilize today. New technological advances and social reform for policing were brought about in the twentieth century. The invention of automobiles, telephones, and radios were developments of the twentieth century, which have helped police officers with their communications, speed of investigations and coordination of efforts. Automobiles allowed police a quick responds and allowed them to serve greater areas. Radios and telephones allowed for the communication and coordination of efforts between police officers. Teddy Roosevelt contributed his part of advancement of the policing system by organizing the FBI and helping to promote the first call box system, which is closely associated with the 911 system used today. The political era (1840s-1930) was an era that policing organizations were more concerned with the interest of powerful politicians rather than the rights and laws of the people. The next eras of policing came from 1930s-1970s where police became increasingly concerned with solving of more traditional style of crimes. The time from the 1970s to the end of the twentieth century is considered to be the third period of policing and the most contemporary of policing practices, acting on policing of each community. Finally present day policing is or the modern era has given way to that of homeland security, which grew after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the United States. All levels of law enforcement agencies, local; state; and federal have devoted more time and effort toward the protection of our nation and homeland security, in an effort to thwart any future attacks. Local, state, and federal law enforcement are tasked with the enforcement of the laws. Federal law enforcement agencies are government agencies whose primary function is the protection and enforcement of federal laws. State law enforcement agencies were created for specified set of needs. State law enforcement was built from one of two models. The first model combines major criminal investigations with the patrolling of state highways. The second model is the culmination of two functions which consist of traffic enforcement and other laws that need upheld. Today’s duties of the modern state policing are to assist local law enforcement in criminal investigations, operate identification bureaus, maintain criminal records repository, patrol states highways, and provide training for municipals and county officers. Today they have also stepped up to a role of homeland security, for identifying precursors to acts of terrorism. The third level of law enforcement is that of the local policing authorities, i.e. county sheriffs or town marshals. City and county agencies are both part of the local level, mayors or city council appoint the officers to their offices and their jurisdictions are limited only to the boundary of their communities. Sheriffs are responsible for law enforcement in unincorporated areas and for the operation of the county jail. Local police play their role in the new era of homeland security as well by ascertaining the changes in the community that are out of place or unusual. Local police help do this task by interacting with the public, and constantly patrolling neighborhoods and other parts of their community. The increases of population, crime, and the advancement of technologies have challenged our policing forces but it has also allowed it to make necessary changes and advancements in law enforcement evolve with the times, with each generation of Americans we continue to increase our knowledge, experience and technological advances. The structure and technologies of the policing may change over a given time but the ideal of protecting and serving the community will not. With increasing threats on the rise, the police force must be capable and flexible. Making sure they have the most innovative technologies to oppose impending threats and overcome the future challenges that may lie ahead. Reference Schmalleger, F. (2009). Criminal Justice Today: an Introductory Text for the 21st Century (10th ed.). New York, NY: Prentice-Hall. 2007. â€Å"DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Progress Report on Implementation of Mission and Management Functions.† GAO Reports i. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed June 12, 2011). Dodsworth, F. M. (2008). The Idea of Police in Eighteenth-Century England: Discipline, Reformation, Superintendence, c. 1780-1800. Journal of the History of Ideas, 69(4), 583-604. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Scott, J. E. (2010). Evolving Strategies: A Historical Examination of Changes in Principle, Authority and Function to Inform Policing in the Twenty-First Century. Police Journal, 83(2), 126-163. doi:10.1350/pojo.2010.83.2.490

Even Sigmund Freud participated Essay

Today the medical sphere may offer us good examples of how the existing diversification of approaches and methods towards the treatment of people is related to the fundamental shifts in our perception of the old problem of finding the connection between the human body and the mind. In fact, on one hand medicine as such is on the most fundamental level an inherently conservative filed of knowledge and practice because what is at stake for a doctor is often the very human life, the value of which overthrows any possible dubious methods of treatment that may lead to the lack of positive results, or even to negative ones. On the other hand, as we are constantly learning new things about such an intricate structure as the human body is, it becomes clear that phenomena that had been thought understandable in reality have a much more complicated nature, which requires elaboration of existing scientific approaches, or even demands refusal from some of the traditional medical postulates. To grasp challenges that arise from such shifts in our understanding of mind-body connection we may consider perhaps too extreme examples – numerous schools of the so-called New Age medicine which under the pretence of the break-through knowledge all too often advance simply untenable and absurd claims based on mere speculations (Reisser, Reisser, and Weldon, 1988, pp. 147-52), and the overly sceptical defenders of the traditional Western medicine who may tend to be too inflexible in their admission of the validity of alternative approaches to medical treatment of people. More specifically, the matter of the influence of human psychological processes on what has traditionally been considered purely physiological disorders is one of the most inflaming causes of disagreements between the mentioned approaches. This tension that in one form or another is ongoing between representatives of different medical camps to a large degree defines the modern discourse of approaches to the medical treatment (Miller, 2003, pp. 185-187). In this regard, it would be interesting to closely investigate the existing literature that represents the current state of affairs in the perception of the connection between the mind and the body. As a suitable object of our analysis may serve the book written by Doctor of Medicine John E. Sarno, a Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine at the New York University School of Medicine, and attending physician at the Howard A. Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine at the New York University Medical Center. His best-selling work â€Å"The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain† belongs to the list of the most popular books that highlight academic and practical achievements in the field of psychosomatic medicine, a school of medicine which is based on the principle of unity of the mind and the body, and which aims to examine the mechanisms of the interdependency between emotions and bodily functions and to promote psychological methods of medical care (Levenson, 2004, pp. 3-66). The combination of the academic approaches of the author to the support of his material and the popularity of the book among lay people to whom it is largely addressed suggests that on the example of this work we may judge the level of penetration of what could unanimously be perceived alternative medicine not long time ago into the modern medical discourse. With all this in mind, let us examine the volume of John E. Sarno in the context of its connection as of a textbook of applied psychosomatic medicine with the modern medical paradigms. For this purpose, we will briefly outline the history of psychosomatic medicine, then will try to link it with the book of Sarno, and in the main body of the paper will provide the book report with relevant comments on the book`s contents. Background on psychosomatic medicine The origins of the psychosomatic medicine can be found in the teachings of early Western philosophers and physicians who acknowledged that emotions played an important role for the human health (Cacioppo, 1989, p. 589). Still, the Western medicine has traditionally been more inclined towards the study of the significance of bodily functions (Loudon, 1997, p. 238). However, by the middle of the nineteenth century the level of attention to the involvement of emotions in diseases development grew as the observational evidence was accumulating that had suggested that some disorders were not always accompanied by organic affections (U. S. National Library of Medicine, 2005). For example, only since the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries such a neurosis as hysteria began to be linked with emotional factors and the nervous system in general. Even Sigmund Freud participated in the study of symptoms of hysteria, and one of his conclusions was that they are based on memories linked to mental traumas which under certain conditions may intrude in the processes of somatic innervation. In this way, a possible mechanism for the interaction between mind and body was offered that was reminiscent of mechanisms that Sarno would be describing in his book. The German psychoanalysts Georg Groddeck even went as far as claiming that psychological mechanisms engendering hysteria can be applied to all somatic diseases which from this point of view are the bodily manifestations of unconscious psychological processes. In the 1930s psychoanalyst Franz Alexander attempted to find a compromise between the Freudian theory, such views as those of Groddeck, and existing knowledge of physiology. He was against excessively psychological interpretations that ignored the automatic mechanisms in the body that to a large degree directed emotional expressions. The theoretical basis developed by Alexander contributed in the United States to the invigorated extensive research of psychosomatic mechanisms, and psychosomatic medicine as a separate field of study was formed in 1939 when the medical journal dedicated to this branch of medicine was published. After that time, psychosomatic medicine was only gaining momentum. For example, World War II spurred the interest to it due to numerous manifestations of psychosomatic symptoms in soldiers. Eventually, by the 1950s interest to psychosomatic medicine and its scientific background grew so much that its concepts entered the popular culture as media started to publish numerous articles and thus popularized psychosomatic theories (U. S. National Library of Medicine, 2005). Now, fast forward to today, and we can witness that many of the postulates of psychosomatic medicine are already among the undisputed popular opinions of many people, and for instance the maxim that in order to stay healthy a person should avoid excessive stresses and disturbing emotional states is among the most frequently heard ones in both media sources and in our everyday interaction. However, after the surge of academic interest to it half a century ago, psychosomatic medicine, in contrast to its successful penetration into the public perception, somewhat lost momentum within scientific circles in the second half of the twentieth century (Kennedy, 2004, p. 400). So, it is in such circumstances that the book of John E. Sarno â€Å"The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain† saw the light of the day. The book of John E. Sarno in the larger social and historical context â€Å"The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain† builds upon themes from Sarno’s previous book â€Å"Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection† that advanced the idea that the cause of back pain, headache, slipped discs, and other chronic forms of pain is actually rooted in our psychology (Sarno, 1991). In â€Å"The Mindbody Prescription† Sarno adds new knowledge about the psychology of emotionally stimulated physical manifestations, and elucidates how such emotions as anger, anxiety, guilt, and other negative mental states can cause mental stimulation of negative physical symptoms. Thus, in both of those books the author touches upon very urgent topics for the modern American society in which an increasing number of people are plagued by back, neck, or limb pain. In fact, this is a serious economic problem as well, as industries in which large percentage of people are working at computers bear significant health insurance burden due to a variety of similar disorders causing pain, like fibromyalgia or repetitive stress injury (Sarno, 2005). More generally, pain as such in its different forms is a crippling problem for many individuals in both their professional and private lives (Margoles, 1998, pp. 9-32). So, â€Å"The Mindbody Prescription† addresses precisely this disturbing epidemic as it analyses clinical data to find the main cause of the pain disorders, and elaborates methods to treat those disorders. Importantly, in doing so the author tries to fill the gap existing in the traditional methods of chronic pain treatment that are apparently unable to stop this pain epidemic. From the very beginning of the main body of the volume it becomes clear for a reader that the author adopts a holistic approach to his subject. More specifically, Sarno opens the first chapter of the book with construction of various typical and stressful scenarios that in one form or another take place in lives of many of us and contribute to chronic physical pain that people experience. What is untypical, though, is that Sarno from the very beginning of the book begins to draw our attention to what could be considered as a minor element of those scenarios, but what in reality, according to the author, underlies the different manifestation of the pain disorders. This significant element is the factor of unconscious anger or outright rage that Sarno envisions as inevitably accompanying all of the scenarios that he delves in, like our troubles with private life, or within family, or career-related frustration, and many other different â€Å"or† that Sarno repeats in succession to bring home to us his case of unconscious mechanisms that generate anger in so many people. Now, this initial attention to the emotional side of our life is in a good agreement with our above observations about the widely acknowledged role that our mind plays in our health, and the author as if resumes that the existence of the definite connection between our emotional experiences and our bodily health is factual. But, judging from the way he begins his work, what we can expect from Sarno is the elaboration on the exact mechanisms that keep the mind-body connection running, especially as the author immediately claims that the disorders that he is about to discuss â€Å". . . are neither illnesses nor diseases, but rather symptomatic states induced by the brain to serve a psychological purpose† (Sarno, 1998, p. 3). After all, while general public does not always bother to verify its views, practitioners of classical pathophysiology would surely expect solid support of any claim related to the emotional aspects of diseases and illnesses and to the connection between pain problems and stress. At the same time, having chosen the non-technical style of presentation Sarno procured the easiness of reading for common people whose pain-related problems are the actual target of the book. The structure and the contents of the book â€Å"The Mindbody Prescription† consists of three parts preceded by an extended preface and an introduction that deals with a historical perspective of the book`s theme. The preface and the introduction of the book summarize theories and experience of Sarno with treatment of back pain and other types of musculoskeletal disturbances. Naturally, already in the opening parts of the work the emotional foundation of the pain is emphasized. In the end of the book we can find a thorough appendix, which provides supportive citations for conclusions of Sarno, and a bibliography which refers to articles that cover physical and psychoanalytic issues related to chronic pain and its treatment. In the first part of the book Sarno reflects upon concepts underlying mind-body medicine, and exemplifies influences that physical stress and such psychological states as feeling of guilt, anxiety, depression, or personality disorders have on the range of symptoms manifested in patients. Sarno categorizes the range of painful symptoms that may arise due to psychological processes as belonging to what he terms Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS), which is a painful condition that develops in the back, shoulders, neck, or buttocks, and may equally arise in other parts of the body, and which throughout the whole book would be the main object of study for the author. But before shifting to investigation of concrete instances of TMS-related maladies, in order to justify his principal claim that chronic pain symptoms are in reality a kind of a defense mechanism used by our brain to distract our attention from our unconscious emotions of anger, Sarno copiously refers to the prominent figures whom we have discussed – Sigmund Freud, Franz Alexander, and some other defenders of the theory of psychoanalysis like Stanley Coen and Heinz Kohut. I believe that this approach is beneficial as it helps readers appreciate the historical inheritance that underlies basic conceptions of the psychosomatic medicine, and thus provides a firmer footing for beliefs held by many people who have had successful experiences with psychosomatic approaches to treatment of illnesses. Aside from the references to important figures in the history of psychosomatic medicine, the first part of the book also elaborates a distinct and well-structured explanation of the concepts constituting the basic principles of mind-body interaction. In the process of such explanation the author mentions such fields of study and such medical and psychological notions as neurophysiology of psychogenic disturbances, problems of psychosomatic origin, and reactions of conversion (which is one of the types of interaction between the mind and the body when unconscious elements of human psyche intrude into somatic processes) (Sarno, 1998, pp. 173-174). Sarno also mentions the findings of Candace Pert, a neuroscientist who found opiate receptors in the human brain, and who greatly contributed to the growth of our knowledge of links between biochemical processes in the brain and physiological phenomena. In this way, Sarno anchors the theme of his book in the history of psychosomatic medicine, and, even though he is mentioning some radical concepts that may be critically perceived by adherents of traditional pathophysiology, the style of Sarongs presentation is lucid and definitely absorbing. All in all, the first part of the book serves as a bridge between the general discussion of the psychological mechanisms of emotional influence on physical disorders and more detailed investigation of psychoneurophysiology that underlies psychogenic processes. In the second part of the book Sarno closely examines his clinical experience with emotionally caused physical disorders, and is primarily concerned with various manifestations of TMS and with the possibility to extend his theory of the mechanisms of TMS emergence to other diseases and illnesses. In fact, many of the clinical problems that he examines have already been known to have a connection to stress, which either produces them, or aggravates their effects. However, what makes the work of Sarno special is his approach to explanation of these disease states from the point of view of unconscious working of repressed anger and rage. To prove his case, Sarno has combined physical medicine with psychoanalytic theory in order to give what he believes is a proper account for TMS, which, according to his practice, is the main cause of musculoskeletal and back pain. For Sarno, the origin of painful manifestations of TMS lies in repressed emotions. And the pain in various parts of body as such is theorized by the author as being caused by a diminution of blood flow to the corresponding tissues. This process of blood flow reduction is mediated via the autonomic system as a stressful reaction of brain to repressed emotions. We may chart the TMS pathophysiology in the following way: The formation of unconscious repressed emotions (anger/rage); ? Abnormal patterns of autonomic system`s activity; ? Decrease of the level of local blood circulation; ? Development of mild oxygen deprivation; ? The resulting pain in muscles and other possible symptoms (for example pain in tendons, tingling, numbness, weakness). Having established such a mechanism of the emergence of pain, Sarno surmises that this approach from the TMS formation theory can as well be applied not only for the fixed number of cases of muscle and back pain, but to a wider range of physical disturbances. In this light, Sarno earlier pointed out that in a 1975 survey it had been found that â€Å"88 per cent of patients with TMS had histories of up to five common mindbody disorders† (Sarno, 1998, p. 29). And, indeed, Sarno manages to extend his theory of the emergence of pain disorders to migraine, to such various conditions as carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, colitis, peptic ulcer, post-polio syndrome, infections, skin disorders, and even to more unusual instances like the chronic pain that accompanies Lyme disease, which is caused by bacteria transmitted through ticks. The author also mentions disorders in which emotions might be involved, among which are atherosclerosis, hypertension, one of the most common heart problems termed mitral valve prolapse, and even cancer. Of course, with such a broad scope of concern at hand Sarno has to offer an adequate methodology for unambiguous diagnosing of emotionally induced pain. For this purpose, his requirement is that the TMS diagnosis can be ascribed to a patient only if traditional physical exam failed to uncover existing abnormalities. However, according to the author, even in the presence of an abnormality TMS still can be working in a patient and exasperate the pain to the higher level than the found abnormality itself would be capable of. In the third part of the book Sarno discusses approaches that may effectively treat TMS and related physical disturbances. From what we have observed before it should already become clear that Sarno essentially assigns to the pain the function of a defense reaction that aims to divert our consciousness from the need to face repressed anger or other unbearable forms of emotional strain. On ground of this, as the only possible way of treatment of the real cause of TMS symptoms Sarno postulates the examination of the physical origins of repressed negative emotions as the way for the deliverance from pain. Generally speaking, a person has to find ways to single out those harmful emotions and roots of the unconscious anger that are undermining his or her psychological well-being. And what also makes the theory of Sarno special is that, according to him, the mere acknowledgement of certain emotional concerns, and not of any bodily abnormalities, as the ground of the deteriorated physical state is in many cases already a sufficient condition for healing. One may not even have to remove the psychological problem itself in order to procure a visible clinical improvement. This contrasts with some of the New Age schools of psychotherapy that also associate unconscious repressed emotions with various maladies, but which require that before the healing can take place such unconscious `problem spots` must be dissolved, like is proposed, for instance, by the so-called primal therapy, a school of psychotherapy elaborated by psychologist Arthur Janov (Janov, 1999). For Sarno, the identification of a problem is the main task for people suffering from emotionally induced physical disorders, and such identification can normally be implemented by means of an insightful self-examination, perhaps with the help of such techniques as meditation or self-affirmation (a method of compensation for the lowered self-esteem in one area by consideration of one`s proficiency in other areas (Sarno, 1998, p. 22; Nezu and Nezu, 2004, pp. 182-188). In this regard, from the point of view of Sarno it is also very important that a patient should have no doubts about the correctness of the TMS diagnosis, and that he or she fully realizes the exclusively psychosomatic origin of pain. To bolster this indispensable perception in patients, after the mentioned thorough physical examination needed for the elimination of possibility of the presence of real physical problems, Sarno accentuates the need to educate people and to assure them that the influence of repressed emotions is a sufficient condition for the reduction of the flow of blood to the affected areas of the body which leads to the pain and other troublesome symptoms, which nevertheless should not be viewed by people as those inflicting permanent damage to the body. Even if some structural abnormalities related to ordinary changes due to physical activity or aging are found, the patient should have a clear understanding of their nature. Basically, what is demanded from a patient is in no way the denial of the presence of the pain but rather the acceptance of its genuine origin. To help maintain such an attitude to chronic pain, Sarno recommends to patients who know that they have no physiological abnormalities to suspend physical therapy and to return to normal physical activity. In addition to that, patients should on the daily basis remind themselves the following points: I only have a mild oxygen deprivation and not structural abnormalities; my condition stems from repressed negative emotions and is not physically harmful; TMS exists to divert my attention from emotions; there is nothing to be afraid of for me; the physical pain is not dangerous; I will not allow pain to trouble and intimidated me; I will change the object of my concern from pain to emotional experiences; it is my conscious part that will have control, and not my subconscious mind; I have to think about psychological aspects of my life, and not so much about physical. When such a set of attitudes towards the role of one`s unconscious emotional experiences and towards one`s own body is obtained, Sarno believes that the brain that aims to contain the repressed emotions will no longer be able to fool us by drawing our attention to body. To illustrate how psychological relief may have a radica l influence on the chronic pain, the author offers examples of some practical cases. In one of such cases a patient knew about the most probable origin of her back pain but still did not have an improvement, and even had increased level of pain. According to Sarno, the worsening of the pain was brought about by the last efforts of the brain to keep hidden emotions unconscious, but when the feelings finally burst into the patient`s consciousness the pain, as if miraculously, went away. Sarno documents the account of this patient: â€Å". . . in an instant, I started to cry. . . Out of control tears, anger, rage, desperate tears. And I heard myself saying things like, Please take care of me, I don’t ever want to have to come out from under the covers, I’m so afraid, please take care of me, don’t hurt me, I want to cut my wrists, please let me die, I have to run away, I feel sick-and on and on, I couldn’t stop . . . And as I cried, and as I voiced these feelings, it was, literally, as if there was a channel, a pipeline, from my back and out through my eyes. I felt the pain almost pour out as I cried . . . I knew . . . that what I was feeling at that moment was what I felt as a child, when no one would or could take care of me . . . the feelings were there and they poured over me and out of me† (Sarno, 1998, p. 13). However, as in order to get rid of pain we have to use our insight to understand its foundation, one may wonder that if the real cause of the pain is the repressed anger, how helpful psychotherapy may be in the healing of TMS symptoms? The author says: â€Å"The therapists to whom I refer patients are trained to help them explore the unconscious and become aware of feelings that are buried there . . . When we become aware of these feelings . . . the physical symptoms . . . go away† (Sarno, 1998, p. 161). Still, according to Sarno, the need for psychotherapy should not arise too often. The author reports numerous cases when people did away with pain simply after having read the book and having followed suggestions contained there. In fact, Sarno claims that the percentage of those who report the improvement of their condition is as high as 90-95 percent, and that many of his patients had been living with physical disorders and pain for a large part of their lives and could not be treated by the traditional medical approaches. General critical observations Even though the belief that emotions and stressful circumstances are related to physical conditions of people is today generally accepted, the extent to which Sarno emphasizes the role of psychological factors will nevertheless surely seem too extreme for many clinicians. Indeed, formally speaking, the author of â€Å"The Mindbody Prescription† gives some reasons to relate him to those practitioners who denounce the traditional medical approaches as outdated ones, as he says that â€Å". . . poor medical advice . . . keep[s] your attention riveted on your body, which is your brain’s intention† (Sarno, 1998, p. 147), or that â€Å"Modern medical science studies the details of maladies but rejects unconscious emotional processes as the cause†¦ † (Sarno, 1998, p. 117). On the other hand, the effort of the author to extend the validity of his TMS theory to a range of disorders which in combination are shared by significant fractions of Western societies` populations may also seem to be too ambitious and at the same time not sufficiently verified according to strict scientific standards (Wilson, 1991). In this light, while Sarno rightfully remarks that â€Å". . . proper management [of TMS and related disorders] would alleviate much suffering and reduce the enormous cost of medical care that now burdens modern society† (Sarno, 1998, p. 126), he perhaps should also pay more attention to the fact that the majority of physicians still have doubts about the ability of psychological processes to cause chronic pain in the first place, and are more ready to agree that emotions may only aggravate physiological problems, but still in most cases should not be considered as their primary causes. In his turn, Sarno disputes that such processes as osteoarthritic changes and herniated vertebral discs are always the immediate sources of the pain and suggests that very often they may just be coincidentally present close to affected areas that due to emotional causes are deprived of oxygen. Such views further distantiate him from the conventional approaches to treatment of these disturbances. Moreover, Sarno insists that traditional medicine has no valid methods of TMS treatment because â€Å"If you thwart that purpose by taking away the symptoms without dealing with its cause, the brain will simply find a substitute symptom† (Sarno, 1998, p. 39). In any case, despite the unconventional elements of his methods of treatment, Sarno has numerous adherents who attest to the practical applicability and effectiveness of the theory of connection between psychological processes and manifestations of TMS. Therefore, I believe that even if Sarno is not able to provide a completely reliable from the academic point of view account of the mind-body connection, he may be practically exploring the mechanisms of the human body that the fundamental science is only beginning to test experimentally (Brush, 2005, p. 259). For example, consider the recent finding related to the famous placebo effect in which it was again confirmed that such a purely psychological factor as our expectations has not only psychological but as well physical effects on health. But in this particular research a new variety of the placebo effect was found, actually a kind of an anti-placebo effect, as it turned out that â€Å". . . once Alzheimer’s disease robs someone of the ability to expect that a proven painkiller will help them, it doesn’t work nearly as well. . . † (Neergaard, 2005). This fact testifies to the power of our psychology to intervene in the what might seem as purely physiological realm of our bodily functioning, and the data is being gathered to prove that at least such a psychological factor as the placebo effect â€Å". . . actually is physical, and that expecting benefit can trigger the same neurological pathways of healing as real medication does† (Neergaard, 2005). Now, this conclusion is in a perfect agreement with the principles underlying the theory of TMS origin advanced by Sarno. However, quite ironically, the specialists involved in the mentioned research were quick to point out that positive expectations â€Å"aren’t a substitute for real medicine† (Neergaard, 2005), which contradicts the reliance of Sarno on psychology as not only the cause of many physical disorders but at the same time as the only means of their healing. But I suppose that if Sarno produces an impression of being too confident in the self-sufficiency of his conclusions it could only mean that due to his extensive observational experience he may just be a little bit ahead of the vanguard of the mainstream medical science. And, after all, if we want to find what unites Sarno with the conservative part of the medical establishment it is his traditional recommendation for his patients to resume full activities of daily life, including physical exercises. Critical observations about Sarno`s view of migraine as an equivalent of TMS While Sarno devotes a large portion of his book to back pain, among other painful physical disturbances related to mechanisms that lead to TMS he mentions migraine, which is a very common condition that causes headaches, and physiological mechanisms of which are currently quite poorly understood (Cochran, 2004, p. 156). Sarno confesses his personal experience with migraine as he had had this condition for quite a long time before he was introduced to medical research which suggested that â€Å"migraine headache was the result of repressed anger† (Sarno, 1998, p. 111). As he was already amassing evidence in support of the significant influence of psychological factors on many widespread medical problems, he was inclined to test that idea. After trying to find out what anger that he could be repressing was causing his migraine, Sarno allegedly got rid of migraine headaches for the rest of his life. However, he himself acknowledged that some symptoms of migraine still continue to happen to him, which brings us to a question whether the method of the author of the book can be applied without reserve to all the types of chronic pains that seem to have no accompanying physical abnormalities. Indeed, it may be that our lack of understanding of the causes of migraine simply leaves us ignorant of possible physiological mechanisms that underlie it, and even though approaches borrowed from TMS treatment may often be effective for removal of painful symptoms, purely psychological vision of the migraine origins may hide from us its genuine cause. Besides, it may be somewhat alarming that the definition of migraine that Sarno advances is different from the one offered for example by the National Migraine Association. Sarno says that migraine is supposed to arise from â€Å". . . sudden constriction of a single blood vessel within the substance of the brain† (Sarno, 1999, p. 111), while on the website of the National Migraine Association it is stated that: â€Å"Migraine is disease, a headache is only a symptom. Migraine pain is caused by vasodilation in the cranial blood vessels (expansion of the blood vessels), while headache pain is caused by vasoconstriction (narrowing of the blood vessels). During a migraine, inflammation of the tissue surrounding the brain, i. e. , neurogenic inflammation, exacerbates the pain† (Coleman and Burchfield, 2006). Therefore, at least in the case of migraines it seems warranted to say that physiological mechanisms may be working to produce migraine independently from psychological processes, and that without knowing the exact causes and possible consequences of migraine-related tissue inflammation it is perhaps risky to adopt a strategy of assuring oneself that the pain is not physically harmful. The National Migraine Association again confirms this worry by pointing out that â€Å"The Migraine disease is a serious health and disability problem that affects approximately 11 to 18 million Americans .