A Theory Of Justice By Rawls - 1569 Words

In Rawls’ book titled A Theory of Justice, Rawls aims to develop a theory of justice that brings new ideas and concepts to the traditional doctrines of philosophy. Rawls’ theory, justice as fairness, wishes to take the ideas of traditional social contract theories to a higher level of abstraction. His theory is thoroughly explained through a pre-societal position called the original position, the notion of the veil of ignorance, and the two principles of justice. Rawls starts out by describing the role of justice in a social cooperation and the basic structure of a society. Justice is said to be the first virtue of social institutions like the way truth is for a belief. Just as theories are rejected or revised if it’s not true, laws and institutions must be improved or abolished if it’s unjust regardless of how well arranged and efficient they may appear. Every individual is too important to be ignored with disrespect and all of us possess something that s ecures us from violation in justice that even the well being of society cannot influence it. Thus, justice cannot treat a small group of people unfairly for a greater good shared by a larger group. In a just society, political bargaining or social interests do not influence secured rights. The only time an injustice is accepted is when it’s used to prevent even greater injustice. Justice cannot be compromised. A society is created as a â€Å"cooperative venture of mutual advantage† and it is characterized by the identity andShow MoreRelatedRawls Theory Of Justice1598 Words   |  7 PagesFundamentally, Rawls aims to present a conception of justice that serves the social contract theory more generally and abstractly than such social contract theories provided by Locke, Rousseau, and Kant. In contrast to Locke, Rousseau, and Kant, Rawls’ conception of justice does not provide a specific layout for the intricacies and structure of each social institution. His abs tract concept of justness, however, provides the foundation from which a just institution must derive. Within Rawls’ theory of justiceRead MoreRawls Theory of Justice1853 Words   |  8 PagesThe conventional accounts of Justice normally begin by stating a fundamental rule of Aristotle – Justice is to treat equals equally and unequals unequally, and that unequal treatment should be in proportion to the inequality. In everyday life though, justice is seen as an attribute of law, while all laws are not necessarily just. Many great socio- political movements of the world have focused from time to time on unjust laws eg Apartheid laws in South Africa and Caste laws in India. ImpartialityRead MoreRawls Theory Of Justice1905 Words   |  8 Pages Rawls Theory of Justice Ming Chi Wang 36979110 University of British Columbia John Rawls in his work, â€Å"A Theory of Justice,† aims to make up a theory that will rivals intuitionalists and utilitarianism, which seeks truth in morality that cause results in maximizing utility for the maximum number of people. Rawls’ theory of justice is a distribution theory that maximizes primary goods for the worst outcome an individual could be in. By primary goods, Rawls informsRead MoreA Theory Of Justice By Rawls1317 Words   |  6 PagesIn his book ‘A Theory of Justice’, Rawls was dissatisfied with the traditional philosophical arguments about what makes a social institution just and about what justifies political or social actions and policies. The utilitarian argument holds that societies should pursue the greatest good for the greatest number. This argument has a number of problems, including, especially, that it seems to be consistent with the idea of the tyranny of majorities over minorities. The intuitionist argument holdsRead MoreA Theory Of Justice By John Rawls Essay909 Words   |  4 Pagesindividuals behind a veil of ignorance would assent to the two primary principles of justice found in Rawls’ ‘A theory of justice’. I will also analyse the extract, in particular debating whether various propositions made by Rawls in this extract are true. Initially it is important to situate the extract of discussion. Section 3 of ‘A theory of justice’ is the opening of Rawls’ argument in ‘A theory of justice’, where he introduces his ‘original position’, stating how rational individuals in a hypotheticalRead MoreA Theory of Justice by John Rawls771 Words   |  3 PagesOriginal Position â€Æ' John Rawls discusses the original position in his book A Theory of Justice. â€Å"The Original Position and Justification† is a chapter where Rawls persuades his readers into taking the original position seriously. The original position is a position where people are equal and are rational in order to make principles that they live by fair. However, there is a problem with rational decisions being biased, where people will choose principles to benefit themselves. Therefore, the veilRead MoreJohn Rawls : A Theory Of Justice Essay1339 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Rawls is a world renowned, American political philosopher of the twentieth century. His views on the state of nature, society, and politics were much more distinct from previous philosophers, and his more modern or progressive life experiences can contribute to the separation between him and others, such as Aristotle, Hobbes, or Rousseau. However, he does have certain ideas and point of views that correlate with the views of those that Immanuel Kant expresses, and more specifically Rawls wasRead MoreA Theory of Justice by John Rawls900 Words   |  4 Pagespassage of A Theory of Justice by John Rawls, he says that â€Å"No one knows his place in society, his class position or social status, nor does anyone know his fortune in the distribution of natural assets and abilities, his intelligence, strength, and the like. I shall even assume that the parties do not know their conceptions of the good or their special psychological propensities† (Cahn, 137 – 138). Throughout the entire passage moral theories, specifically about justice are discussed, Rawls explainsRead MoreA Theory of Justice by John Rawls526 Words   |  2 Pagescontext of international relations and economic development, the demands of global justice remain controversial in terms of the relationships between affluent societies and less well-off ones. Many questions have been raised in regard of what distributive justice en tails, what duty of assistance it requires, how much is owed, and to whom. In A Theory of Justice, John Rawls attempts to identify what principle of justice rational agents would choose if they were placed behind the â€Å"veil of ignorance†:Read MoreJohn Rawls : A Theory Of Justice Essay1726 Words   |  7 Pages1a. In John Rawls: A theory of justice, Rawls state that you must imagine yourself in an original position behind a veil of ignorance. I would say another word for the veil of ignorance can be the curtain of the unknown. I would say the curtain of the unknown because the veil of ignorance is just like a curtain that is put up and behind it no one knows who they are. No one knows their race, their wealth status, their intelligence, their assets, nationality, etc. You know nothing about yourself or

Beowulf - Profile of an Epic Hero Essay - 617 Words

Epic Beowulf A hero, in the traditional sense of the word, is generally a protagonist in a story whose overwhelming power is the only which can defeat the evil of the day. In a classic example of this comes Beowulf, a novel adaptation of the epic Anglo-Saxon poem by Robert Nye. The main character and namesake of the story is Beowulf, an adventurous young hero. When he hears the tales of the monster Grendel that terrorizes the Danish kingdom, he immediately has the urge to lend his assistance to the situation, knowing that he is the only one who can defeat the evil. Not only is Beowulf a hero, he is an epic hero. An epic hero, by definition, is identified by the following characteristics: 1. A hero of noble birth, sometimes†¦show more content†¦Beowulfs comitatus is common in nearly all epic heroes and showcases his devotion and loyalty even more. Beowulf giving up the treasures bestowed upon him by Hrothgar shows both his devotion to his king and his generosity, both classically defining traits in an epic hero. However, Beowulf does not exhibit all of the qualities of the epic hero. Beowulfs tragic foil is not that of a disgraced king, but that of one of the kings servants. Unferth, a knight of King Hrothgar is swayed by evil power of Grendel and his mother. This evil inside, and possibly a bit of jealousy, caused Unferth to kill Aeschere, a thane to Hrothgar. This evil desire within Unferth ultimately brought about his end, being decapitated by Grendels Mother. Unferth being the flaw in the story differs than that of a traditional epic her story, and is one of the few points that does so. Beowulf overall was a highly skilled and highly intelligent warrior with little fear and an overpowering stench of goodness. Beowulfs ability to get himself out of situations by thinking positively and somehow inflicting fear on those around him gave him much admiration. Beowulf was I am sure an idol and role model to many, and a disappointment to none; as was this story inShow MoreRelatedEssay on Beowulf - Profile Of An Epic Hero586 Words   |  3 Pagesmemory, but are lost in time, and some write them down to be remembered forever as a part of history. Beowulf is one such story that has been mysteriously remembered for many centuries. I’ve very much enjoyed reading Beowulf. However, since this story has been around for so long many people have added, reduced, or omitted bits and pieces of the story. In other words, it has become an almost epic legend, never knowing if it was real or if it is rumor. And like any rumor being told to others, the storyRead MoreThe Epic Poem B eowulf 3048 Words   |  13 Pages Given, the current high profile debate with regard to dating the epic poem Beowulf, it is quite surprising that some scholars go as far as placing it during the Vendel era around 550 - 793 CE. Eventhough it is considered as a kind of folk tale, many are those who believe it happened towards the early Vendel era. As a rebuttal to this point, it might be convincingly argued that this period is also referred to as the Germanic Iron Age. Moreover, this era saw the rise of Norse mythology, which is veryRead MoreThe Impact Of Christian Features On Beowulf3125 Words   |  13 PagesELMARRACHI 11 AMINE ELMARRACHI Professor: Dr. Robinson ENG-205 Research paper 11/21/2015 The Impact of Christian Features on Beowulf. Given, the current high profile debate with regard to dating the epic poem Beowulf, it is quite surprising that some scholars go as far as placing it during the Vendel era around 550 - 793 CE. Even though it is considered as a kind of folk tale, many are those who believe it happened towards the early Vendel era. As a rebuttal to this point, it mightRead MoreThe Impact Of Christian Features On Beowulf3125 Words   |  13 PagesELMARRACHI 11 AMINE ELMARRACHI Professor: Dr. Robinson ENG-205 Research paper 11/21/2015 The Impact of Christian Features on Beowulf. Given, the current high profile debate with regard to dating the epic poem Beowulf, it is quite surprising that some scholars go as far as placing it during the Vendel era around 550 - 793 CE. Even though it is considered as a kind of folk tale, many are those who believe it happened towards the early Vendel era. As a rebuttal to this point, it mightRead MoreThe Epic Poem Beowulf 3137 Words   |  13 Pages11 Given, the current high profile debate with regard to dating the epic poem Beowulf, it is quite surprising that some scholars go as far as placing it during the Vendel era around 550 - 793 CE. Eventhough it is considered as a kind of folk tale, many are those who believe it happened towards the early Vendel era. As a rebuttal to this point, it might be?convincingly argued?that this period is also referred to as the Germanic Iron Age. Moreover, this era saw the rise of Norse mythology, whichRead MoreEpic Heroes : The Ideal Hero873 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout history, epic heroes have defined the ideal characteristics of a society. Beowulf and Aenus are perfect examples of the ideal hero created from the mind of a creator, for the purpose of defining a society. Most epic heroes share certain character traits such as bravery, courage, determination, hubris or intelligence. It has been noted that sometimes epic heroes appear to simply be lucky or helped along by the gods and rely le ss on their own abilities. However, there are some heroes whoRead MoreWilliam Chaucer s The Wife Of Bath1347 Words   |  6 Pagesaccustomed angelic Christian that has to repent and believe in God. British literature begins to introduce a new archetype for women that writers follow in stories by describing them with motherly characteristics and taboo ideas in texts, such as the epic poem, Beowulf, Geoffrey Chaucer’s â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Prologue† and â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Tale† in The Canterbury Tales, and the play named The Beggar’s Opera, which brings forth the idea of what is morally acceptable characteristics for women in literature

Popular Culture – 1900 -1970

Question: Evaluate the social, cultural and political context of an important and influential album release (or a collection of songs) in the period 1900 to 1970. Choose an artist from this period and examine their relationship to the cultural and social framework of their era with reference to an important or influential album (or collection of songs). Please note: the artist must be different to the one chosen for the short essay. Analyse and evaluate your chosen artist in relation to their associated genre, their lyrics, their musical creativity, their social and political context, their impact on music and popular culture and their relationship to the themes of this module (class, race, gender, world events, technology, religion, etc) as they are relevant. Answer: Introduction Popular music is an offshoot of mass music genre, a concoction of different musical genres having a mass appeal. For generation popular music, lyric and impressive songs served the purpose of voicing the mind and psyche of the tormented soul or caged spirit. It was in the 1990s when the tormented human soul suffered questions on mere existence, differences and role of God. Such turbulence gave birth to rebellious spirit and thus led to the emission of various artistic creations which addressed these social, cultural and existential issues in various forms and through development of different musical genres and sub-culture. Musical genres and subcultures in the 90s not only helped the rebellious mind and soul to raise voice against the existing system, but also gave the singers, the artists an identity of their own. It was John Lennon the founder member of the British band that was heavily popular in US, in the 1950s and 60s who not only sung in distress, but also questioned the socia l cultural issues in the society which not only creates differences among people but also leads to existential agony (Aquila, 2007). It was through the songs of Lennon the hollowness and devastation of war first reached the mass and questioned the reasons behind the war which leads to nothing else but death, destruction and endless suffering. The political and social messages became anti-war anthems and helped in ending war through aggressive campaigns. John Lennon his career as genre-defining artist from 1900 to 1970 It was during the war time when Lennon was born in Liverpool, soon estranged by parents was brought up by Aunt Mimi. John Winston Lennon born on 9th October 1940 was one of the most popular English singer and songwriter of the time. He is famed for finding one of the most commercially successful British band, the Beatles with Paul McCartney. His iconic solo songs Give peace a Chance and Working class Hero marked his inception as the rebellious singer, song writer artist of the time (Booth, 2006). His tool was music and with innovative lyrics he engaged the mind of the listeners. His songs were soon adopted as the anthems by the anti-war movement during the Vietnam War and carved out a niche of its own in the larger counter culture. Introduced by Aunt Mimi, at the age of 16years Lennon came under the influence of Elvis Presley and rock music permanently transformed his life. He formed the Skiffle group and played Spirited songs and it was during a performance at St.Peters Church that Lennon met McCartney and soon the band happened. Lennon was born with the gift of music, he showed his artistic talent at an early age. American rock and roll influenced the mind of the British singers and soon developed the creative impulses to performing music (Cohen, 2004). Critical evaluation of Lennons song in relation to societal and cultural changes in the period Soon after Lennon penned and recorded Give Peace a Chance it was instantly picked up as an anti-war anthem and was sung by millions of demonstrators against the Vietnam War in Washington, on 15th November, the second Vietnam Moratorium Day. Born during the war period, time and again Lennon voiced against social in-just and engaged requested peace from through his strong song lyric. His songs protested against the death of James Hanratty hanged unreasonably. Lennon picked a variety of grim social issues and protested through songs in a creative way. Therefore Lennon used music as a way of expressing a systematic hostility against a dominant culture and social issues, or war time England (Heel, 2008). Studies on culture and popular culture highlights the facts that Culture is a distinctive shared symbolic system and a unique of maintaining and modifying the existing system. Popular culture however is a mass culture that is completely different from the existing culture of the older people. The popular culture is the culture of the younger generation and is generally expressed and emphasized through fashion, art, lyrics, popular music, vocabulary etc. Lennon has been known and appreciated by others for his wit and creative word power. Thus it is the external forces of the society that constantly influences the culture and modifies the behaviour of the younger generation. With his path breaking style, rebellious lyric, capturing music Lennon successfully created a sensation among the music lovers around the world. Most of his songs were about suffering under an existing system (Lennon, 2002). His messages though highlighted the war story, pathos and emptiness, and were adopted as an ti-war anthem; his messages were not limited to England. He picked up themes which needed attention. It was a chosen way of educating the society about how innocent lives suffer, for example the campaign against the Hanratty death gained attention. His musical craftsmanship was one of its kinds. The lyrics first baffle the mind and then engage him to think about the wordplay. Discrimination, war and death were predominant themes. His songs are steeped in pathos, which sings the predominant tone of suffering and discrimination, a victim of unknown reasons however leading a life of pain and distress (Davies, 2007). The duo, Lennon and McCartney earned recognition and countless awards. They are known as the most influential as well as successful duos of the 20th century. The album sales records 14million in US dollars. Double Fantasy is the best selling album. The album won the Grammy Award in 1981 and in 1982 John Lennon won BRIT Award for extraordinary contribution in music (Lennon and Davies, 2009). Interaction between popular music and important cultural and/or social developments in the period The 1900 have been identified to have played a predominant role in the development of the society and culture in the civilised countries. The twentieth century was in many respect revolutionary. The changes affected both the civilised countries as well as the developing countries. It was during this time that the society slowly witnessed the commercialisation of various elements. Influential movements also emerged during this phase, the hippie movement to protest against the war in Vietnam that initiated in 1960s. Countless young men refused to join army, it was unlike the World War II and mercenaries were limited. Younger generation identified icons like Lennon and sung his songs as anti-war anthem. People wanted to live in peace and love and thus raised voice singing the peace songs (Lennon and Wenner, 2004). Hippies also evolved as the part of the particular generation and rebelled against the existing system. They raised voice against th exiting traditional system. Music evolved as the voice of younger generation and rebelled against the existing norms of the society. Popular culture soon evolved in this period and concentrated on different groups. It was came to known as pop revolution. Pop culture gained its pace in the sixties and countess young singers joined the group (Lennon et al. 2000). Music became a way of expressing an individuals mind and psyche. Protest song writers evolved around the world. In United States, protest song writers, such as Bob Dylan, Pete Seger soon became house hold names of the song listeners around the world. it was during this period that the key aim of entertainment became wring message oriented lyric and songs with message oriented lyrics became important than the tune. The primary aim of Beatles song was to entertain listeners through enlightening messages and informing the public about political and social issues. Beatles is undoubtedly the most important band of the era. Music historians such as Schinder and Schwartz mentioned about the influence of Beatles on popular music and said, revolutionised the sound, style, and attitude of popular music and opened rock and roll's doors to a tidal wave of British rock acts" (McClary, 1991). Even today people recognises his talent and idealises Lennon as the man of courage, who had the courage to raise voice against US President, Nixon. He even risked his career to fight for wrong attitude and it is for these reasons Lennon the man is still respected around the world. Other music researchers, Urish and Bielen, mentioned that the self portraits in the songs and ways in which he spoke about human conditions deserve special recognition (Monitor.upeace.org, 2015). Lennon, as an important artist from the period and review on his contribution The Songs of John Lennon or Lennonianism speaks a lot. When it came to use of word or writing, Lennon had a gift. His wordplay craftsmanship could be understood by exploring through his twenty-five greatest songs of all time. According to writer John Stevens, Lennons intuitive talent could be appreciated through the basic elements of his song melody, harmony and lyric. Lennon's love of wordplay and nonsense with a twist found a wider audience as he became singing and writing songs. McCartney said that the other Beatles idolised John: "He was like our own little Elvis ... We all looked up to John. He was older and he was very much the leader; he was the quickest wit and the smartest (Stokes, 1980)." Through an in-depth analysis, it was identified by the music researcher that Lennons music was politically and socially inclined in the 1960s. In spite of remaining steeped with rebellious messages Lennons songs are ageless and are relevant even today. According to John Lennon music was not only a tool for self expression but is to be used to influence social and political changes. The musician and social activists has spoken about empowerment of human rights as well as protested against war and hatred. Music is a unique medium that connects the written word with vehement social issues, it helps in conveying a message of hope to the audience. Music and song are a form of freedom for expression, it was therefore believed by the Beatles that it was their duty to entertain the audience and hence incorporated unique personas to entertain and enlighten the audience with influencing messages (Venezia, 1997). Lennon was key to stoking popular opinion against the war in Vietnam Lennon is oft en identified by his fans as the personality behind stopping the war in Vietnam through activism. World renowned musician and peace activist used his music and strong lyrics to fight unjust politics, raise voice against the death and destruction of the Vietnam War and express his sheer love for human race. According to music historians, John Lennons songs were not simply about entertainment and popular music, instead his songs walked the streets with peace protestors and voiced anti-war movements. The songs became voice of freedom and actively mentioned about oppression and ill-treatment (Booth, 2006). It was his music which soon helped identifying songs as a medium of communication in culture as well as historical period. Critics identified Lennons music as a form of paramount expression, the sound of protest, rebellion and even revolution. Lennon himself mentioned reality leaves a lot to the imagination, it is this eloquence which signifies his ways of adapting creative tool, the iconic music to raise voice against the existing system, politics and promote liberal leftist culture and ideologies. Cultural theorists often debated stating that Lennons music was a truly appreciated art form which could be understand by the elite. It is a derivative of elitist theories and Louis Althussers issues of power that ensures music to be available for a distinctive class. However, Lennon argued against these notion and invited every individual to enjoy music and art forms (Cohen, 2004). They went ahead and even, he along with his wife Yoko Ono posed nude for a CD cover to promote the natural as well as peaceful way of life and love. According to Lennon, people could be changed but by only changing the system. As far as the political awakening is concerned, many of Lennons songs became anthems and inspired young mind. Other researchers mentioned that Culture is music hence Lennon is a prominent part of the popular music and political culture. Others have mentioned that interpretation of work of art is the right way to identify whether the art has become a part of the popular culture or not. Lennons song lyrics were thoroughly read and understood by masses, those who are into active politics interpreted and adapted the lyrics. While most adapted his lyrics, some rejected his free thoughts and even protested his opinion like Beatles will be more famous the Jesus Christ. Others however celebrated his peace campaign through the Bed-In-Peace campaign for promoting world peace. Soon another song followed Give Peace a chance, this song was used in anti-war movements (Davies, 2007). It was even used during the Gulf War protest in 1991. Later he came with another song War is Over: If you want it followed by Imagine the lyrics of Imagine encourages the listener to envision a peaceful future in America by en ding the Vietnam War. The song Happy Christmas sing of hope and encourages hoping for a peaceful future without any fear and by ending the War. Researching on one of the finest singer, songwriter of the early 20th Century, John Lennon was mainly remembered as well as honoured for his introduction of the peaceful ways of endorsing passion for political activism. According to the thinkers, Guilbault and Cohen of political and lyrical activism Lennon introduced to a from of art, a music form which was closely related to the cultural identity, for example, in his song Revolution originally explored the inherent ideas of the changing world through evolution, speaks of solution about ways of incorporating changes in the society. Finally points out that changes could happen only by changing the institutions as well as constitutions. Music historians also pointed out that this song Revolution inspired a whole generation to raise voice against injustice and fight for impartiality (Monitor.upeace.org, 2015). Even today the song is used as the anthem of Nikes Revolution campaign. After using the song in commercial purpose and developin g a culture of engaging people into sports activities instead of encouraging war and futility, Dwite McDonald studied that in an age of popular or mass industry, culture is created in the similar fashion. It also goes through a process of manufacturing, for example, Nike is about consumerism, thus though the anthem engages the mind into a distinct activity and encourages the younger generation to indulge into productive activity, according to thinker McDonald, the true meaning of Lennons song is lost after using in Nikes revolution campaign. Others identified it as becoming assimilated with the modern mainstream or mass culture. While Nike campaigned against child labour, freedom, injustice its selection of Lennons song led to criticism from contradictory approach. Just as the trend begun, Lennons songs soon adopted in the popular culture (The art music of John Lennon, 1991). Thomas Frank also mentioned how or in what ways culture and capitalist ideology mixed in the 21st century. Lennons songs were picked and used in different aspects. For decades it was appreciated as mass anthems and remained a key player of popular culture. The songs of this legendary artist therefore shaped the politics of the 1960s, his melodies were sung through decades as anthem of protest. Governments appreciated the lyrics and people adopted the theme to embrace better living conditions in future (Cohen, 2004). His messages are still alive. As the years passed, Lennons popularity grew to new heights via popular culture. Whether he is remember through positive activism or selfish consumerism, Lennon left behind an impressive legacy and a collection of songs that will continue to Shine On (Venezia, 1997). Research on the singer song writer of the age, John Lennon, the political activist informs that it was the socio-message oriented lyrics and songs of Lennon which helped Pop Culture to be identified as a social force and not a kid thing. Lennon lived his life through the eyes of the public and changed thoughts of the society as a powerful performing artist. On one hand his songs became anti-war anthem, on the contrary his songs The Ballad of John and Yoko attracted severe criticism. His song Imagine became an international peace anthem and the record sale helped Lennon evolve as one of the finest solo artist of all time. According to Rolling Stone magazine, his creation was known as an enduring hymn of solace and promise (Aquila, 2007). Time and again Lennons song were listened for melody and harped for conveying the strong message in a lyrical form. Ballad style was his favourite. Strings of guitar were perfectly used to vibrate the inner chords of youth and trigger them to think about the social and political issues around the world. The messages were strong, yet conveyed in a subtle manner and hence they are relevant even today. The songs not only became anthem for anti-war campaign during the Vietnam War but also generated a revolutionary spirit among the youth. The Revolution metaphorically adapted as a symbol for change, a power driven strategy, perfected by Nike Revolution campaign to highlight ways in which an active life could be led in a peaceful manner (Cohen, 2004). An Active life may no longer have struggle in war fight for futility and hollowness, to bring death and destruction; instead the youth energy may be channelized to sports activities, thus the Revolution campaign initiated. Conclusion In may be therefore inferred after studying about the popular music genre of 1900s, that John Lennon was a legendary singer who penned some of the finest revolutionary songs in a distinctive manner. His songs were message oriented and in a subtle way raised issues that affected the society. Through his songs he informed listeners about Give Peace a Chance by ending war and destruction and thus his songs became anti war anthems. The socio political messages were conveyed through impressive lyrics and thus engaged young mind. As a popular performing artist he introduced a stage entertainment persona which was unknown before his time, he introduced this entertainment techniques to help connecting with audience and entertain them the way they wanted. Such unique ways of singing not only helped in gaining popularity, but evolve as a mass hero a legendary singer of all time, who continuously spoke about peace, anti-war and harmony. References Aquila, R. (2007). Why we cried: John Lennon and American culture. Popular Music and Society, 10(1), pp.33-42. Booth, P. (2006). Lennon Revealed by Larry Kane, John by Cynthia Lennon and John Lennon: The New York Years by Bob Gruen. J American Culture, 29(4), pp.499-501. Cohen, S. (2004). Ethnography and popular music studies. Popular Music, 12(02), p.123. Davies, H. (2007). The Beatles. 8th ed. New York: W.W. Norton. Heel, R. (2008). The Beatles and Their Influence on Culture. [online] https://is.muni.cz. Available at: https://is.muni.cz/th/108918/ff_b/The_Beatles_and_Their_Influence_on_Culture.pdf [Accessed 30 May 2015]. Lennon, J. (2002). The Penguin John Lennon. 5th ed. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin. Lennon, J. and Davies, H. (2009). The John Lennon letters. Lennon, J. and Wenner, J. (2004). Lennon remembers. 3rd ed. San Francisco, Calif.: Straight Arrow Books. Lennon, J., Herzogenrath, W. and Hansen, D. (1995). John Lennon. Stuttgart: Cantz. Lennon, J., Ono, Y., Sheff, D. and Golson, G. (2000). The Playboy interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York: Playboy Press. McClary, S. (1991). Studying Popular Music. Popular Music, 10(02), p.237. Monitor.upeace.org, (2015). Peace and Conflict Monitor, John Lennon's Political Lyrics in Popular Culture: From Resistance and Activism To Incorporation and Commodification. [online] Available at: https://www.monitor.upeace.org/innerpg.cfm?id_article=658 [Accessed 30 May 2015]. Stokes, G. (1980). The Beatles. New York: Times Books. The art music of John Lennon. (1991). Choice Reviews Online, 29(04), pp.29-2025-29-2025. The words and music of John Lennon. (2008). Choice Reviews Online, 45(05), pp.45-2527-45-2527. Venezia, M. (1997). The Beatles. New York: Children's Press.

Women, Aging and Health Care an Example by

Women, Aging and Health Care Current trends show that women now have a higher life expectancy compared to the past (Journal of Women and Aging, 2009). At the same time, they have a longer lifespan than men (Vamos s access to adequate health care. This point can be illustrated by looking at aging women and their experience with heart disease. Need essay sample on "Women, Aging and Health Care" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Ischemic heart disease (IHD) belongs to the top 5 leading causes of morbidity and mortality for older women. Recent trends show that IHD remains a health problem for women 75 years old and above but that it is now becoming common in women beginning at age 55 (Gender and Health Collaborative Curriculum, 2008). Although IHD is also prevalent in men, more women die from this disease compared to men or when they survive, women usually stay longer in the hospital and suffer greater disability (Davidson, Daly, Hancock, Moser, Chang & Cockburn, 2003). People Frequently Tell EssayLab support: I'm not in the mood to write my essay. Because I want to spend time with my boyfriend Professional advise: There Is Nothing Impossible For Essaylab Paper Writer Essay Paper Writing Service Custom Writing Top Essay Writing Essay Company Poverty is the main factor affecting health. In developed countries, older women tend to be poorer than their male counterparts and reflect womens economic status within the course of their lifespan (WHO, 2000). Insufficient income contributes to heart disease in terms of a greater probability of being uninsured/ underinsured and affects access to health services. Compounded with gender perceptions that their symptoms are not important or serious enough to warrant medical attention, they are more likely to defer diagnosis or engage in self-medication (Scott, 2005 and Richards, Reid s food choices and predisposes them to greater psychological stress (Warren-Findlow, 2006). As a modifiable disease, literacy contributes to how women understand the causes and development of ischemic heart disease. It also leads to the understanding of the rationale behind instituting lifestyle changes - involving exercise, diet, substance use and stress, for disease management or prevention. Literacy level is also a major determinant for early diagnosis and treatment compliance behaviors. However, data reveals that womens literacy rates are significantly lower than men (WHO, 2000). Concerning the quality of health care, the belief that women and men are affected by disease in a similar manner and so should be diagnosed and treated in a similar manner is due to womens underrepresentation in clinical trials (Franklin, 2002). This is proven to be untrue in terms of IHD as recent studies now show that it affects women differently from men. When subjected to the same diagnostic procedures, women are more likely to be underdiagnosed than men (Hellwig, 2007). Nursing interventions are also shown to be lacking in their responsiveness to the specific needs of older women (Davidson, Daly, Hancock, Moser, Chang & Cockburn, 2003). The understanding of disease as it occurs in men or conversely, the lack of focus on womens health has led to underdiagnosis, undertreatment and poorer outcomes. This gender bias reflects the general bias that society accords to women. Along with other factors such as poverty and lower level of literacy throughout most of womens lives, this impacts negatively on the health of women suffering from heart disease. List of References Davidson, P.M., Daly, J., Hancock, K., Moser, D., Chang, E. and Cockburn, J. (2003). Perceptions and Experiences of Heart Disease: A Literature Review and Identification of a Research Agenda in Older Women. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing 2(4), pp. 255-64. Franklin, S.S. (2002). Definition and Epidemiology of Hypertensive Cardiovascular Disease in Women: The Size of the Problem. Journal of Hypertension 20(Supplement 2). Gender and Health Collaborative Curriculum (29 July 2008). Gender and Cardiovascular Disease: Morbidity Rates in Canada. Hellwig, J. (2007). Diagnosing Heart Disease: Women May Need Different Tests. Nursing for Womens Health 11(3), pp.237-242.

Russian and Eastern Europe Essays

Russian and Eastern Europe Essays Russian and Eastern Europe Paper Russian and Eastern Europe Paper Essay Topic: Literature When Ivan IV took power, he named his vast territory Russia. Who is credited with creating the Russian Empire? Ivan IV The Byzantine influence can be seen in Kievs government because the legal code was created on the basis of Byzantine law. Moscow was given more power under Mongol rule because Moscow was loyal to the Mongols. The resurgence of Russia under Ivan IV began in the middle of the 1500s CE. What effect did the Mongol invasion have on Kiev? The invasion destroyed Kiev and power shifted to Moscow. Ivan III made an early contribution to the eventual resurgence of Russia by bringing in foreign architects to rebuild Moscow. What happened to Kiev when Yaroslav the Wise died in 1054 CE? Kiev was divided among Yaroslavs five sons. The most dramatic example of the influence of the Byzantine Empire occurred when Vladimir I forced all Russians to convert to Orthodox Christianity. After Ivan IV took power, how did he deal with the code of laws? He revised and updated the code of laws to make it more relevant.

10 Fascinating Facts About Spiders

10 Fascinating Facts About Spiders Spiders: some people love them, some people hate them. Regardless of if youre an arachnophile or an arachnophobe, youll find these 10 facts about spiders fascinating. 1. Spider Bodies Have Two Parts: A Cephalothorax and an Abdomen All spiders, from tarantulas to jumping spiders, share this common trait. The simple eyes, fangs, palps, and legs are all found on the anterior body region, called the cephalothorax. The spinnerets reside on the posterior region, called the abdomen. The unsegmented abdomen attaches to the cephalothorax by means of a narrow pedicel, giving the spider the appearance of having a waist. 2. With the Exception of One Family, All Spiders Are Venomous Spiders use venom to subdue their prey. The venom glands reside near the chelicerae, or fangs, and are connected to the fangs by ducts. When a spider bites its prey, muscles around the venom glands contract, pushing venom through the fangs and into the animal. Most spider venom paralyzes the prey. The spider family Uloboridae is the only known  exception to this rule. Its members do not possess venom glands. 3. All Spiders Are Predators Spiders hunt and capture prey. The majority feed on other insects and other invertebrates, but some of the largest spiders may prey on vertebrates such as birds. The true spiders of the order Araneae comprise the largest group of carnivorous animals on Earth. 4. Spiders Can't Digest Solid Foods Before a spider can eat its prey, it must turn the meal into a liquid form. The spider exudes digestive enzymes from its sucking stomach onto the victims body. Once the enzymes break down the tissues of the prey, it sucks up the liquefied remains, along with the digestive enzymes. The meal then passes to the spiders midgut, where nutrient absorption occurs. 5. All Spiders Produce Silk Not only can all spiders make silk, but they can do so throughout their life cycles. Spiders use silk for many purposes: to capture prey, to protect their offspring, to assist them as they move, for shelter, and to reproduce (more on that in a moment). Not all spiders use silk the same way. 6. Not All Spiders Spin Webs Most people associate spiders with webs, but some spiders dont construct webs at all. Wolf spiders, for example, stalk and overtake their prey, without the aid of a web. Jumping spiders, which have remarkably good eyesight and move quickly, have no need for webs, either. They simply pounce on their prey! 7. Male Spiders Use Modified Appendages Called Pedipalps to Mate Spiders reproduce sexually, but males use an unusual method to transfer their sperm to a mate. The male first prepares a silk bed or web, onto which he deposits sperm. He then draws the sperm into his pedipalps, a pair of appendages near his mouth, and stores the semen in a sperm duct. Once he finds a mate, he inserts his pedipalp into her genital opening and releases his sperm. 8. Males Risk Being Eaten by Their Female Mates Females are typically larger than their male counterparts. A hungry female may consume any invertebrate that comes along, including her suitors. Male spiders sometimes  use courtship rituals to identify themselves as mates and not meals. Jumping spiders, for example, perform elaborate dances from a safe distance and wait for the females approval before approaching. Male orb weavers (and other web-building species) position themselves on the outer edge of the females web, and gently pluck a thread to transmit a vibration. They wait for a sign that the female is receptive before venturing closer. 9. Spiders Use Silk to Protect Their Eggs Female spiders deposit their eggs on a bed of silk, which they prepare just after mating. Once a female produces the eggs, she covers them with more silk. Egg sacs vary greatly, depending on the type of spider. Cobweb spiders make thick, watertight egg sacs, while cellar spiders use a minimum of silk to encase their eggs. Some spiders produce silk that mimics the texture and color of the substrate on which the eggs are laid, effectively camouflaging the offspring. 10. Spiders Don't Move by Muscle Alone Spiders rely on a combination of muscle and hemolymph (blood) pressure to move their legs. Some joints in spider legs lack extensor muscles entirely. By contracting muscles in the cephalothorax, a spider can increase the hemolymph pressure in the legs, and effectively extend their legs at these joints. Jumping spiders jump using a sudden increase in hemolymph pressure that snaps the legs out and launches them into the air.

Bio project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bio project - Essay Example Treatment options are very few with varying degree of success percentage. This paper briefly explains Leukemia, probable reasons and treatment options. Exact reasons of blood cancer are still unknown, but genetic effects and exposure to retroviruses are generally considered as the reasons of blood cancer (Mamgain). Leukaemia means ‘white cells in the blood. â€Å"The white cells are part of the body’s immune system, and there are several sub-groups of white cells that have different sorts of roles in recognizing and dealing with ‘invaders’ such as bacteria and viruses as well as other types of foreign protein. All of the blood cells originate in the bone marrow and leukaemia is a disease where the bone marrow produces large numbers of abnormal white cells. This means that the normal marrow is pushed into smaller and smaller areas. This results in fewer normal cells being produced and gives rise to some of the symptoms† (Dr  Ã‚  Green) Blood test and born marrow test is used to confirm leukemia. Based on the nature and seriousness, Leukemia can be classified into four categories; ALL (Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia), AML (Acute Myelocytic Leukemia), CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia), CML (Chronic Myelocytic Leukemia) (CHRONIC LEUKEMIA TREATMENT INFORMATION) Symptoms of leukemia include’ Fatigue, Malaise (vague feeling of bodily discomfort), Abnormal bleeding, Excessive bruising, Weakness, Reduced exercise tolerance, Weight loss, Bone or joint pain, Infection and fever, Abdominal pain or "fullness", Enlarged spleen, lymph nodes, and liver etc (Leukemia Signs and Symptoms, 2009) It is difficult to diagnose blood cancer because of the similarities blood cancer symptoms have with other diseases. For example, fatigue weight loss fever etc is generally associated with many other diseases and the doctors will try to treat such diseases initially before going for a detailed

Participatory model in leading change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Participatory model in leading change - Essay Example Zink et al. (2008) found that failures result from the lack of planning for change management. Better results could be achieved from planning for comprehensive change management. The use of comprehensive change management allows overcome â€Å"lack of integration.† In order to achieve this, the relationship between policy and strategy has to be achieved, followed by logical fit between individual concepts. The participative approach allows planning for comprehensive change management. A comparison of participatory and autocratic leadership styles has been illustrated in table below. The comparison of advantages and disadvantages of both leadership styles indicate that participatory leadership could produce better results in the management of organizational change. Organizational change is a complex process, and the participatory style can enhance the change management process. Uhl-Bien (2006) argues that participation allows a relational leadership. This style of leadership allows focus on identification of individual attributes of individuals for engaging in relationships. The process views leadership as a process of social construction. According to Cummings and Worley (2008), a thorough diagnosis is required to reveal the causes of problems, or identify opportunities for development. There is complexity in change that could range from relatively simple processes to small workgroup for transformation of strategies and features of design for the whole organization. An overview of change management activities has been illustrated in the figure above. A critical issue is that people and organizations seek to preserve the status quo, and are willing to change only when there are compelling reasons for doing so. Creating a vision for change is aligned with leadership. The vision provides a purpose and reason for change,

Tuning Out to be Heard Loud and Clear Essay Example for Free

Tuning Out to be Heard Loud and Clear Essay There is a reason TVs and radios come with an on-off switch, so people can use them. TV and radio are as commercial as any other industry, and they should be.   Preserving the people’s interest in available public broadcasting by presenting information in a balanced manner is a nice ideal, but ultimately a foolish one if you want to maintain a free and capitalistic society.   It is drafted in The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that â€Å"Congress shall make no law.    .   .   abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.† Yet in 1949 the Fairness Doctrine was enacted which stifled this right.   It was a point of much controversy in broadcasting for nearly 40 years until it was repealed in 1987, but now there are discussions about re-enacting it.   The FCC should not require radio and television to comply with the Fairness Doctrine if they want to maintain the rights of U.S. citizens. At their core, radio and television are forms of entertainment.   One of the initial arguments of the Fairness Doctrine was that there were a limited number of frequencies available to license and that â€Å"there are many fewer broadcast licenses than people who would like to have them† (Rendall, 2005). Following that rationale there are a number of different entertainment venues people would like to operate, but they are limited by space or money or the abundance of that business present in their community.   Television and radio aren’t essential to life; they are a luxury, a form of entertainment and should be viewed as such. It is true that they also act in an informative and educational way, but it is and should be at the discretion of the broadcaster what to publish, just as it is and should be at the discretion of the recipient whether or not to tune in.   Radio and television may be available to the public, but stations/ frequencies are owned and operated by corporations.   What they offer will be driven by public interest in so much as the public will disengage if it doesn’t like what is available. Particularly with the advent of cable/ satellite television and digital radio the possibilities for viewers are virtually endless.   In 1984 the Supreme Court in FCC v. League of Women Voters concluded that the â€Å"scarcity rationale underlying the doctrine was flawed and that the doctrine was limiting the breadth of public debate† (Thierer, 1993).   Ultimately broadcasting is just another sellable product.   Mark Fowler, the FCC chair appointed by Regan in the 80s was quoted as saying, ‘The perception of broadcasters as community trustees should be replaced by a view of broadcasters as marketplace participants.’ To Fowler, television was ‘just another appliance—it’s a toaster with pictures,’ and he seemed to endorse total deregulation) ‘We’ve got to look beyond the conventional wisdom that we must somehow regulate this box.’ (Rendall, 2005). Fowler is right; it is not a broadcaster’s responsibility acting as a mouthpiece for entertainment, providing a marketable product that we have to ‘buy’ into, to act in the community interest.   Eventually the broadcaster will respond to community interest because they are the audience and essentially determine what is played on the air by their willingness to engage, but it is not a broadcaster’s responsibility to do so.   Government should not be regulating available information because broadcasting is a consumer driven market. The only discrepancy would be if we were talking about national or local government owned stations.   In the special case of those, it is in the best interest of citizens to have a balanced stream of information available particularly in a democratic political system.   Those stations would be used to inform and should be objective and/ or balanced because citizens would be using them as trusted unbiased resources.   However all other ‘public’ broadcasting sources currently available are privately owned by corporations and are and should be exclusively market driven to protect our right to free speech. It is interesting that PBS the touted public broadcasting station was generated out of a demand from citizens to create just such a network of more balanced and educational information.   It was created and driven by the market and is funded primarily by its viewers (it does get some government grant funding and private grant funding for programming), so it is clear that tuning out or more to the point demanding alternate forms of entertainment (ultimately even PBS is still a just an alternate form of entertainment) works and there is no need for regulations. The Fairness Doctrine addresses more specifically the coverage of political or current social issues. The Fairness Doctrine had two basic elements: It required broadcasters to devote some of their airtime to discussing controversial matters of public interest, and to air contrasting views regarding those matters. Stations were given wide latitude as to how to provide contrasting views: It could be done through news segments, public affairs shows or editorials. (Rendall, 2005). In enacting such a doctrine you limit the diversity available on the airwaves. In trying to follow regulations stations will be more guarded in what they present to avoid being fined or shut down by the FCC.   It actually stifles the opportunity for rigorous debate and challenges to opinion; by either not offering up the discussion of more controversial issues or by censoring them.   In 1974 the Supreme Court, while still upholding the doctrine in the Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo case concluded that it, inescapably dampens the vigor and limits the variety of public debate (Thierer, 1993). It also runs into the issue of who decides what fair coverage is.   .   .   a bunch of bureaucratic stuffed shirts at the FCC a board ultimately designed to enact ‘rules for censorship’.   How do we ensure that their own views wont taint their ‘fairness’ decisions. With the amount of available stations, forms of media, just access to get information in general, the concept of a Fairness Doctrine is outdated when people can just change the channel or disconnect all together.   Broadcasting whether for public or private availability is still just a form of entertainment and should be treated as such.   Its regulation should be deemed by its market segments because viewers are (or at least should be) more than capable of influencing what is available to them. Viewers should also be allowed to filter their own information, seek out differing opinions; after all just because an opposing view might be offered doesn’t mean that listener is obliged to stick around.   Just tuning out is the loudest and clearest form of speech and is all the regulation that is really needed. References Rendall, Steve. (2005). The Fairness Doctrine How We Lost it, and Why We Need it Back. FAIR, February 12, 2005. Retrieved March 15, 2009, from http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0212-03.htm Thierer, Adam. (1993). Why the Fairness Doctrine is Anything But Fair. The Heritage Foundation, Executive Memorandum #368, October 29, 1993. Retrieved March 15, 2009, http://www.heritage.org/Research/Regulation/EM368.cfm The Constitution of the United States. Amendment 1.

Diversity Statement - The Appalachian Mountains :: College Admissions Essays

Diversity Statement - The Appalachian Mountains    I was raised in an ultra-conservative Pentecostal Holiness church in the Appalachian Mountains. There were snake handlers in our church. It was thought that it tested one's faith to pick up a poisonous snake -- God wouldn't allow it to bite you if you had faith. However, I was always afraid that to pick up a snake would greatly increase God's propensity to smite me via death by snakebite. I did not have enough faith. I've never encountered a miracle -- I've never had a dream come true. I therefore can't help but lack faith.    To my great fortune, I've had many people help me along the way who didn't have to and who stood nothing to gain by helping me. Teachers gave me after-hours help; when I didn't know how I would pay for school, the financial aid office gave me a scholarship. These people helped me for no reason other than the mere fact that I am a human being, worthy of help when in need. Although I didn't have faith, they gave me hope.    This is why I have worked at a local homeless shelter for the past two years.   I feel like I can do the same thing -- help a person or two merely on the basis of our shared humanity. I enjoy paying back some of the help society has given me. I teach a computer class at the shelter, but everyone gets free therapy on the side. Most of those people aren't different in some essential way from the homed or those who have jobs, but life has often dealt them a losing hand to begin with. I tell them that I also had a losing hand, but I never gave up hope. Often, hope is all I had -- but it was enough to keep me pressing onward.

Notebook: Love and Noah

The Notebook By Nicholas Sparks Major Characters * Allison Hamilton – seventeen year old heiress, who shared an epic summer romance to Noah. * Noah Calhoun – local country boy who fell in love to a city girl, Allison. * Anne Hamilton – Allison’s mother. * Lon Hammond – Allison’s fiance. Minor Characters * Martha Saw – a war widow, Noah’s girlfriend. * Frank Calhoun – Noah’s father. * John Hamilton – Allison’s father. * Fin – Noah’s friend. * Nurse Esther – a nurse working in the nursing home. Setting of the storyIn the movie, the setting took place in a modern day nursing home and in the story of the elderly man, the setting took place in Seabrook Island, North Carolina in the summer months of year 1940. Mood of the story The movie begins with an elderly man begins to read a story to his fellow patient. His story starts with a light and romantic moments of two young lovers sharing both their epic summer romance. As the story goes, the couple face conflicts and the characters are developing various emotional themes.At the peak of the conflict, the antagonist finally ceded on letting go and decided to make the protagonist chose her path essay writer site. It is revealed that the fellow patient is her wife and is suffering from a disease essay writers world reviews. The movie ends with gloomy scene and at the same time able to show the meaning of unconditional love. Biography of the author Sparks wrote his first novel in 1985 which never got published and another one in 1989, also not published. Sparks experimented with various careers trying to fit in but didn’t succeed.After trying his luck in publishing, law school, real estate and even waiting tables, he finally co wrote a novel named ‘A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Self-Understanding’ with Billy Mills Wokini. It sold about fifty thousand copies in the first year of being published. I n 1992 he tried a business in pharmaceuticals and the next year moved to Greenville, SC. That was when he wrote his renowned novel ‘The Notebook’. This novel was to become a launch pad for Sparks. A literary agent Theresa Park discovered his novel from her agency and offered to represent him.In 1995 Sparks had one million dollars in cash for ‘The Note Book’ from the famous Time Warner Book Group. After being published in 1996, ‘The Notebook’ made the best seller list of The New York Times instantly. Following this successful novel were exceptional writings one after the other out of which six were made into film adaptations. In 1999 ‘Message in a Bottle’, in 2002 ‘ A Walk to Remember, ‘The Note Book’ in 2004, ‘Nights in Rodanthe’ in 2008, then in 2010 ‘Dear John’ and ‘The Last Song’ . Nicholas Sparks has written 16 novels till 2010.His last novel till now ‘The Safe Hav en’ was published on 14th September 2010. His books ‘The Best of Me’ and also in the list ‘The Safe Haven’ are made into films and released in 2011. Another one of his book ‘The Lucky One’ is currently being filmed and will be released some time in 2012. Currently Nicholas Spark is living with his wife and five children in North Carolina. Being a religious man and firm believer in God, Sparks constantly contributes to various charities and schools. He also promotes writers by funding different scholarships, intern programs and fellowships.Sparks also started ‘MFA’ that is a creative writing program at the university he studied in (University of Notre Dame). He donated more than ten million dollars for the building of a Christian International School. Summary At a modern-day nursing home, an elderly man, whom people call â€Å"Duke† begins to read a  romantic love story from his notebook to an elderly woman, fellow p atient. His story begins in 1940. In  Seabrook Island. North Carolina, local country boy Noah Calhoun) is smitten with a seventeen-year-old heiress named Allie Hamilton after seeing her at a arnival, and they share an idyllic summer romantic love affair. Noah takes Allie to an abandoned house, which he explains he intends to buy for them. Later that evening, she asks him to make love to her, but they are interrupted by Noah's friend Fin with the news that Allie's parents have the police out looking for her. When Allie and Noah return to her parents' mansion, they ban her from seeing Noah, whom they say is â€Å"trash, trash, trash not for you! † The two break up, and the next morning, Allie's mother announces that the family is returning home to Charleston.Noah writes a letter each day to Allie for one year, but her mother, Anne, intercepts them all and keeps them hidden from Allie for an unknown reason. As each sweetheart/lover sees there is no contact from the other, Noah and Allie have no choice but to move on with their lives; Noah and Fin enlist to fight in  World Was II and Fin is killed in battle. Allie becomes a volunteer in a hospital for wounded soldiers, where she meets an officer named Lon Hammond, Jr. , a young lawyer who is handsome, sophisticated, and charming, and comes from old Southern money.The two eventually become engaged, to the delight of Allie's parents, but Allie pictures Noah's face when Lon asks her to marry him. When Noah returns home from the war, he discovers his father has sold their home so that Noah can buy the abandoned house, fulfilling his lifelong dream to buy it for Allie, whom by now he has not seen for several years. While visiting Charleston, Noah witnesses Allie and Lon playing cards at a restaurant; he convinces himself that if he fixes up the house, Allie will come back to him. Later, Allie is startled to read in the newspaper that Noah has completed the house, and she visits him in Seabrook.In the present , it is made clear that the elderly woman is in fact Allie, who is suffering from  Dementia   and cannot remember any of the events of the film so far. Duke, the man who is reading to her is, in fact, her husband, Noah, but Allie cannot recognize him. His children on a visit to see them, tells him that he needs to accept that she can't remember anymore. Duke tells them that the more he reads to their mother, the more she'll remember and he won't give up on her. Back in the 1940s, the day after Allie arrives in Seabrook, she and Noah renew their strong romantic relationship and make love.In the morning, Anne appears on Noah's doorstep, telling Allie that Lon has come to Seabrook to take her home. She takes her out for a drive and reveals that, twenty-five years earlier, she also loved a common man. Her parents disapproved of him and after banning her from seeing him again, she married her father whom they approved of being from a rich family. Anne leaves Allie with a bundle of le tters—all of Noah's letters, revealing that she had intercepted them as an attempt to protect her from getting her heart broken and hopes that she will make the right choice.Allie and Noah have an argument with each other and she leaves. While driving upset with him, she reads the last letter that he wrote her and feels betrayed by Anne for what she did in keeping the letters away from her. Allie returns to the hotel and confesses to Lon that she has been spending time with Noah. He is angry, but says that he still deeply loves her. Allie tells him she knows she should be with him, but she remains indecisive. In the present, Duke asks Allie whom she chose. Becoming lucid, she remembers that the story Duke was reading is the story of how they first met.After reading all of the letters, young Allie appears at Noah's doorstep, having left Lon at the hotel and chosen him. Elderly Allie suddenly remembers her past; after finding out about her illness, she herself wrote their story in the notebook with instructions for Noah to â€Å"read this to me, and I'll come back to you. † But minutes later Allie relapses, losing her memories of Noah again. She panics, not understanding who he is, and has to be sedated. The elderly Noah has a heart attack, and Allie is alone for a time.However, as soon as he is sufficiently recovered, Noah (â€Å"Duke†) goes to Allie's room one evening to find her lucid again. Allie questions Noah about what will happen to them when she will not be able to remember anything anymore, and he reassures her that he will never ever leave her. She asks him if he thinks their strong and mutual romantic love for each other is strong enough to â€Å"take them away together†; he replies that he thinks their strong romance could do anything. After telling each other they love one another, Noah adds â€Å"I'll be seeing you†.The next morning, a nurse comes into Allie's room, only to find Allie and Noah dead in each otherà ¢â‚¬â„¢s arms. As the camera pans out, we see they died holding hands. Interpretation The Notebook, a novel of Nicholas Sparks, his first published novel, and was based on true story. According to him, he was inspired to write this novel by the grandparents of his wife who has been married for a long time, and he tried to express that long romantic love in his novel. In the story, the socio economic status played an important role in an individual, as in the case of Anne Hamilton, on barring Noah to Allie and describing him as a trash.Much of her attitude is revealed when she believed and told Allie, that â€Å"Status is more important than feelings and our future is dictated by what we are as opposed to what we want†. This serve as antithetical statements regarding important themes in the story. Understandably she is an antagonist. In this case she acted to keep Noah away from Allie but also succeeded for 14 years. Fate and destiny is also showed in the movie which also happ ens in the real world. The one scene in the movie effectively shows the image of long lost lovers reunited.Fate may lend a hand in Allie seeing the newspaper clipping, she chose to lie to Lon and seek out Noah. The movie also embraces the exploration of love, the author also provides complications of the messiness that makes up real world love. The kind of love depicted in the movie clearly shows that it is more than a word, it covers the actions that accompany with words. Elements of the Novel Character Analysis Noah is the main character (protagonist) of  The Notebook. In many regards, Noah is the ideal man — he is faithful, idealistic, strong, good looking, a poet, and helpful to those in need.The Noah of the main narrative is almost too good to be true. He has a strong relationship with family and friends and is respectful to both nature and authority. He seemingly has no faults. Allie wants the best of both worlds as she represents the different types of love that exis t. In essence she is the embodiment of a thematic topic. As Allie grows and matures, so does her understanding of love. Her growth symbolizes the development of real love. Lon s the stereotypical, self-obsessed individual who realizes too late that his self-absorption is going to cost him his fiancee.Lon is also the embodiment of the conflict in  The Notebook. As a character, he is the one readers know as the obstacle to Allie's love. He is a dynamic character, but his change is a little too late. Anne is the antagonist. Although she works to keep Noah and Allie apart, she cannot be considered a villain, for she is not evil. Anne represents the difficulties that many parents have when trying to steer their children to adulthood. Fourteen years later, she attempts to atone for earlier mistakes, first by preparing Allie for Lon's impending visit, then by offering her support without being pushy.She also finally gives Noah's letters to Allie, and her final words may be encouraging Al lie to follow her heart. Point of View Instead of starting at the beginning and telling the story in chronological order, Nicholas Sparks beginsThe Notebook  near the end of what would be a linear narration and then employs both the framing technique and flashback to tell his tale. The main storyline is the reunion of Noah and Allie and the conflict that they face as they must decide the path their lives will now take.This particular event only lasts three days in 1946; however, important information that shapes their reunion occurred weeks and years earlier. If you imagine a picture in a frame, the reunion is the photograph. And the opening and closing chapters of the novel are set in the present, some 49 years later. The present-day storyline frames the reunion story. Although the frame represents the present and current storyline and the picture represents the reunion, within these two main storylines are other stories, some are episodes and others are vignettes, which are told in the form of a flashback.These stories, told within the context of the other storylines, fit within both the picture and the frame. And some of these smaller stories of earlier events frame even smaller stories of other events. Each story is distinct within itself while simultaneously being an integral part of a greater whole; every individual picture is a part of a bigger picture. This framework technique provides the structure of the plot, and flashback is the technique Sparks uses to tell the stories.Characters reveal these â€Å"framed† stories through their shared and private memories. Often the reader shares a flashback with a character that is not shared with any other character. The narrator also provides information. The narrator of  The Notebook  in the opening and closing chapters is Noah. But the narrator of the middle chapters provides a limited, third-person omniscient point of view. This perspective sometimes allows the readers into the mind of a charact er — typically Noah and Allie — but sometimes does not — such as Anne and Lon.This technique is important because it allows the storyline to flow seamlessly from past to present and back again. Stylistically, the narrative techniques work well because  The Notebook  is not just a love story; the novel also explores the nature of fate and free will and the way people interact with one another. The intricacies of relationships parallel the intricacies of poetry and the framing technique enables Sparks to weave the past together with the present, leading to the emotional climax and creating a compelling read along the way.

Total Hospital Information System Hospital Selayng

1. 0 Hospital Information System (HIS) – Overview 1. 1 Definition Hospital Information System (HIS) is an integrated information system which spans through the organization crafted to manage clinical, administrative, financial and operational functions of a hospital. HIS strives to achieve the most effective support for patient care and administration through various different electronic data processing and analyzing tools (Ismail, et al. , 2010). HIS serves as a platform to provide the required information to each level of the management at the correct time, in the correct form, and in the correct place, contributing towards improved decision making. HIS plays a pivitol role in planning, initiating, organizing and controlling the operations of the subsystems of the hospital and thus equips an organization with synergy and integrity required for it to function. More importantly, HIS also enhances patient care and comfort by offering personalized suggestions for care and enables a hospital to move from retrospective to a concurrent review quality (Ismail, et al. 2010). 1. 2 Global Trend in Hospital Information System (HIS) In early 2009, the market value of Hospital Information Systems (HIS) market was $7. 8 billion worldwide and this figure has been predicted to leap to an alarming $18 billion by 2016. The boom is primarily driven by governments’ dynamic motives and hospitals continually trying to increase workflow effi ciency Hence, hospitals are confident that embracing HIS will result in increased efficiency and reduced medical errors, which later translates into uplifting the quality of care provided to patients (Global Data, 2010). Growing evidence has demonstrated that the current systems fail to deliver adequately safe, high standard, efficient and economical healthcare. This can be curbed through computerization, with electronic medical record (EMR) as the fundamental component. This has resulted in clinicians and healthcare organizations around the globe scrutinizing into adopting more EMR technologies in their respective hospitals. France, UK, US, Canada, Finland, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand and several other countries have proposed plans to construct a fully intergrated computer-based hospital infrastructures with the electronic medical record systems laying the cement work. In the Asia-Pacific region alone, umpteen successful HIS implementations have taken place in various hospitals such as in Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia (Global Data, 2010). 1. 3 The Malaysian Outlook The federal government had adopted a national-level strategy to create a paradigm shift in the nation’s healthcare system. The Federal Government aims to revamp the healthcare system so as to produce a county of healthy individuals and communities through the adoption of information technology (IT). Major projects which has been undertaken include Multimedia Super Corridor Telehealth Project and MSC Telehealth Blueprint (1997) (Malaysianmedicine, 2004). Dr. H. M. Goh, secretary of both Malaysian Health Informatics Association and Asia-Pacific Association for Medical Informatics mentioned that it is impossible to provide good, safe and efficient healthcare ignoring IT, thus the the cost of healthcare would rise. He also stated that without computerisation, we won’t be able to retrieve timely information. ( Malaysianmedicine, 2004). Following this, Malaysia has witnessed several significant developments in the health care sector. One such eminent development is the establishment of total hospital information systems in Selayang Hospital (Malaysianmedicine, 2004). 2. Overview of organization – Selayang Hospital 2. 1 Brief History Located along the Kepong Selayang road of Gombak District, Selayang Hospital is a 960-bedded hospital which has been in operation since 1996. Selayang Hospital (SH) is the pioneer in being the paperless and filmless hospital in Malaysia. Though classified as a government hospital, it has sophistication of a luxury private medical center with a leading-edge on technology. The need for this ultra-modern hospital came about as Hospital Kuala Lumpur (KLH) was already bursting to its limits with its overworked staffs. Organized and accurate documentation and archiving was impossible with mislaid or missing patients' records. This had resulted on KLH being entangled in legal matters. Increasing number of patients expressed their displeasure and quality of patient care was deteriorating. These circumstances surged MOH to come up with SH project with proper incorporation of HIS (Yook, 1999) 2. 2 Clinical services at Selayang Hospital Among the services offered at Selayang Hospital are Gastroenterology, Hepatobiliary, Cardiology, Nephrology, Urology, Hand and Micro and Surgery. All the rest are categorised under secondary services, outpatient services and supportive services. The core business of Selayang hospital is providing a exclusive tertiary referral services to patients across Malaysia and a broader range of clinical services to customers who rely on Selayang Hospital as their regional or local hospitals. High quality specialist services in a large number of other fields is also a highlighted aspect of this hospital (Yook, 1999). 2. 3 Vision The Selayang Hospital project was designed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in accordance with the Malaysia’s Vision of 2020, where the country would become a developed the country's Vision for Health was formulated proposed a national health policy. Besides, it was particularly mentioned in the Seventh Malaysian that there will thirty three paperless public hospitals launched in Malaysia. More specifically, eight of these hospitals will be using Total Hospital Information System (T. H. I. S), Selayang Hospital being one of them (Yook, 1999). 2. 4 Mission The mission of Selayang Hospital is to be a role model for Malaysian hospital, in using innovative, dynamic and cost effective technology and delivering a friendly, caring, compassionate and humanistic service. This wiIl be achieved through teamwork in partnership with the community to provide quality care to the satisfaction of our customers (Yook, 1999). 2. 5 Organizational Structure Patients at Selayang Hospital are of top priority so the structure is designed to maximize patients/customers' satisfaction with emphasis on staff efficiency. The Board of Directors (BOD) with the assistance of Total Hospital Information System and a Medical Advisory Board committee oversees the hospital overall operation. There are five distinct divisions in the hospital administration. The total medical and non-medical staffs amounts to 1090 people. The BOD is accountable to the State Health Directors (Image could not be retrieved) (Yook, 1999). 3. 0 Total Hospital Information System (THIS) in Selayang Hospital Selayang Hospital, the pioneer paperless and filmless hospital in Malaysia, uses Total Hospital Information System (THIS) for its fundamental operation. THIS combines aspects of clinical, administrative and financial management, enabling continual data flow between separate areas (Ismail, et al. , 2010). THIS would aid in meeting the objective of enhancing productivity, effectiveness, efficiency, quality and safety. THIS facilitates communication between care providers through sharing of information, enables automation of work processes, integration and interfacing with other components of HIS in addition to providing clinical decision support and maintaining a permanent record as a medico-legal requirement (Abdollah, 2011). For the incorporation and functionality of THIS, Selayang Hospital had opted to vendor solutions like Cerner for electronic medical record, Seimens for radiology department, Spacelabs for critical care unit, Oracle for materials management, finance and administration and Microsoft Office for internet and intranet usage (Li, 2010). Figure 1 depicts the system architecture as well as the technology partners that associate to Selayang Hospital (Abdollah, 2011). Figure 1 : Information Technology System Support and Technology Partners in Selayang Hospital (Abdollah, 2011). Figure 2 illustrates the structure of THIS in Hospital Selayang. Selayang Hospital incorporates clinical, administrative as well as financial processes as their total hospital information system within their hospital operations. There are various information system being deployed to cater specific needs and wants of patients and care providers as described in the following sections (Abdollah, 2011). Figure 2: Structure of Total Hospital Information System in Hospital Selayang (Abdollah, 2011) 3. 1 Types of Hospital Information System 3. 1. 1 Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Clinical Information System (CIS) is thought of as the system that mediates direct patient care. Within it, also lies the mechanical framework for capturing, storing and displaying the data generated by all clinical care activities. A defined portion of patient-specific collected from disparate sources by care-providers working in the various clinical services is put together as the Electronic Medical Record (EMR). EMR essentially provides for the recording of the following groups of data: a. profile of the patient b. information gathered regarding the patient’s illness, allergies and health status c. ctivities performed on the patient d. events that occurred (planned and unplanned) e. results or findings emanating from these activities and events (numeric, text or images) f. communications between care providers i. e. instructions, opinions, referrals and advice g. decisions and plans both immediate and long term (diagnosis, treatment plan) This consolidation is essential for the availabililty of future data for tracking puposes which in turn governs clinical management and patient data mining, in addition to report generating (Abdollah, 2011). EMR largely benefits government and health care providers. The need and requirement to document is both professional and legal as documentation enables care providers to communicate with each other thus facilitating continuity of patient care. Thus, in the form of the EMR, documentation satisfies the legal requirement of maintaining a record of events. It is accessible from multiple access points and units within the hospital and selective access outside the hospital. This largely reduces the time taken to retrieve medical records. Hence, the time taken to retrieve patient records are reduced. This would pave the way for increased productivity and quality of care. In the mean time, it would contribute towards better knowledge in clinical practices. Besides that, administrative benefits include easier report generation, better organization of clinical information, enhanced claiming and ordering processes, reduced billing timings which translates into providing better service to patients. Futhermore, THIS improved clinical decision making and disease management, patient education in addition to better documentation, increased time allocated per patient, and rejuvenated perception of care and quality of a healthcare institute. The incorporation of DSS into drug management, result generation and disease management are essential in good clinical practise. On the other hand, for researchers and policy makers can utilize EMR to device long term strategies for towards development country’s health care and proper allocation of resources (Haslina and Sharifah 2005). The workflow process such as the improvement of data inputting by avoiding duplications of data’s, reduction is transcriptions costs as well as improved communication is also benefited by Selayang Hospital due to the successful implementation of EMR (Erstad, 2003). Hence, in a nutshell, implementation of EMR such as improved decision making, disease management enhanced records and has made it possible to eliminate the use of papers for medical records. As a result, medical records become more trustworthy and easily comprehendable. Figure 3 : Electronic Medical record system . Source : http://level8systems. com/page. php? 3 3. 1. 2 Patient Management System (PMS) This system encompasses Patient Registration, Client-Resource Management and Charging, Billing and Payment system. For example, during patient registration, a identification number unique to that particular person is issued. This would act as the Medical Record (index) Number (MRN). It allows data regarding a single patient to be kept in a single record, shared between systems and used for subsequent visits and encounters without the need for repeated data acquisition and entry of static data. Staff job assignment is be part of the Client Resource Management System. It should enable all categories of staff to be allocated to work areas, rooms, wards, cubicles, beds, machines etc. according to dates and work shifts. Care providers need to sign in to confirm that they are available. The system should allow for constant updating of staff assignment. The Patient Tracking facility through PMS would also provide real-time status display and reports on attendances, location of patients, status of service provision and discharges Next, The Charging-Billing System would be able to calculate charges based on factors according to policies set by the hospital. It would be able to charge differently based on the service delivery such such outpatient service, emergency service and Inpatient service in addition to scrutinization by financial class. Figure 4 illustrates a typical Patient Management System software which stores and updates patient records. Hence, PMS enables patient’s records to be compiled and accessed in an organised manner. Besides that, subsequent processes like patient administration, clinical support tools and generating reports also is made easy. In addition, it also enables quicker diagnosis with proper relevant treatments available (Netripples, n. d. ). Figure 4: Typical Patient Management System. Source http://hpathy. com/software/hompath-classic8. asp 3. 1. Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) Pictures Archiving & Communication System (PACS) is majorly used in medical imaging unit. X-ray, echocardiogram, ultrasound machines capture digital images of a patient’s clinical condition. These images are sent to appropriate destinations using this system. It can be imagined as a pipeline network which carries water, which in this case are the images. Every laboratory at Selayang Hos pital is equipped with a high-end resolution computer screen to view these images captured from the machines. This service is provided by Siemens in Selayang Hospital. With the help of PACS, images are viewed on screens rather than the conventional x-ray images which are as bulky as a spreadout newspaper. More importantly, PACS reduces the radiation exposure in both patients and care providers. This leads to a healthier working environment; better image distribution; timeless retrieving of data and images; image quality improvement as well as easier handling of images Dr. Zaharah (n. d. ). Thus it can be understood that PACS is not a stand alone system but a subsidiary support system of Radiology Information System (RIS) described in next section. 3. 1. 4 Radiology Information System (RIS) The Radiology Information System (RIS) is a system, which enables care providers who to capture, store and distribute images by interacting with the machines that produce these images and also the clinicians who request for the images. The Radiology Information System (RIS) is a system, consists of the following major functional areas: 01. Ordering of examination 02. Scheduling of appointments for examination 03. Creation of work lists 04. Tracking of examination and reporting status of cases 05. Image Tracking and Management 06. Clinical Result Reporting, 07. Storage and retrieval of reports To summarise, RIS which belongs to the radiology department, is a huge database which can be used to perform x-ray imaging, echocardiograms, computerized axial tomography (CAT) scans, positive emission tomography scans (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests when necessary ( Dr Zaharah , n. . ). The RIS creates and schedules the patient order for an image study. The RIS allocates a unique accession number to the order, sends a message to the PACS and the imaging modality to maintain accuracy in patient demographic details (Figure 5). Figure 5: Integration of RIS and PACS in acquiring and processing of images Source:http://www. pukkaj. info/NewsArchive2007/SendingradiotherapyimagestoPACS/tabid/1111/language/en-GB/Default. aspx) In a fully functional THIS system, RIS must be a high degree of integration between with EMR, PACS and PACS. In this sense PACS is a sub-set of RIS. Radiology images are considered as part of each patient`s EMR. Images need to be treated just like other patient data. Images as data are managed by Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS). RIS is also linked with scheduling system to schedule appointments for patients. Figure 6 shows the schematic representation of functions and relationship between RIS, PACS and EMR (Abdollah, 2011). Figure 6: Schematic representation of functions and relationships between RIS, PACS and EMR (Abdollah, 2011). 3. 1. Pharmacy Information System (PhIS) Pharmacy Information System (PhIS) operates in the pharmacy department for numerous activities which includes clinical screening, inventory management, prescription tracking etc. PhIS are elaborate computer systems that were structured to meet the needs and wants of a pharmacy division to function effectively and efficiently. Pharmacists will be able to overlook how medications are used in a hospital usi ng insights from this system (Biohealthmatics, 2010). Clinical screening is one of the most important usage of PhIS. Drug interactions, allergies and all plausible drug-related disorders can be monitored using the assistance of PhIS. When a prescription is issued, the system checks for all possible interactions between all the drugs prescribed together to a patient at one time or with any particular food, reported allergies to the drug, and even if the sufficient and appropriate dosage has been given based on the individual’s body mass index (BMI), age, and other physiological factors. Instant alerts and warning messages are displayed if adverse drug interaction is detected (Biohealthmatics, 2010). Inventory Management is a another major component of the PhIS. Pharmacists need to know the drugs available, usage pattern and balance of stock. This inventory can be separate from or be a part of the Procurement and Storage Information System of the hospital’s integrated Management Information System. Continuous inventory monitoring is an essential requirement of a pharmacy in order to ensure that drugs never goes out of stock. Besides, multiple dispensing locations and manual inventory keeping is not only tedious but can also lead to inaccuracy in inventory management (Biohealthmatics, 2010). In addition, prescription management for both in patients and outpatients is also a vital segment of PIS. For instance, when the issued prescription arrives to the pharmacy, the orders are checked and matched against available drugs in the pharmacy and then dispensed accordingly to respective patients. More interestingly, prescriptions that passes through the system that can track the physician prescribing the drug, date of prescription, to whom was it prescribed and when was it was dispensed. Automated label printing which bears directions on how medication should be followed is also possible (Biohealthmatics, 2010). Besides, patient drug profiling can also be achieved through PIS. These are patient profiles and holds particulars of their present and previous medications history, known allergies, family history and other parameters. These profiles are also during clinical screening. A physican who prescribes a particular drug to a patient would be able to instantly see the patient’s profile and decide on whether or not this drug is appropriate (Biohealthmatics, 2010). Figure 7 shows a typical pharmacy information system modal provided by Siemens. This includes relevant information such as patient name, name of the drug, route of administration, dosage and frequency of administration. PIS works hand-in-hand with EMR to detect contraindications due to drug allergy, streamlines workflow in addition to assisting billing and charging in administrative and financial system. Figure 7: Pharmacy information system modal by Siemens Source:http://www. medical. siemens. com/siemens/en_US/rg_marcom_FBAs/files/presskits/SiemensMAC. pg 3. 1. 6 Laboratory Information System (LIS) Laboratory Information System (LIS) manages all the laboratory faculties which includes clinical chemistry, parisitology, hematology, immunology and microbiology in terms of receiving orders, performing tests and producing results. It also provides modules for sending laboratory trials order to the appliances through its multiple instrument interfaces so that the results can then be anal ysed instantly and a reports can be generated. Patient management is an important aspect of LIS. Patient particulars such as the date of admission, consulting doctor, and respective reference number would be maintained by this system. Data pertaining to the patient’s samples including the consulting doctor, corresponding department, specimen type, method of collection and the technician-in-charge of the collection can also be monitored (Nationmaster Encylopedia, n. d. ). In summary, LIS is used for processing and storage of information generated by medical laboratories. EMR, PMS as well as order management system are customized in order to allow interferences between LIS which supports in-patient as well as out-patient services. Moreover, the system produces barcode sample labels which are therefore used for acknowledgment of test samples. In Selayang Hospital, there are around 150 barcodes readers that are being widely used daily (Abdollah, 2011). 4. 0 Impact of Total Information System (THIS) 4. 1 Benefits of Total Hospital Information System (THIS) Total Hospital Information System (THIS) is an enterprise-wide system which spans the organisaton, designed to enhance clinical outcomes, operational efficiency and to improve financial management for healthcare industry. THIS serves as a secured and dependable meticulously integrated system that allows hospital officials to record, store and selectively disseminate clinical and other patient related information to appropriate entities (Netripples, n. d. ). T. H. I. S. provides effective solutions to hospitals which plan on reducing the administrative burden and clinical transactions, in addition to providing compassionate services to their patients. On a typical day in Hospital Selayang, the inpatient admissions reach 150/day whereas outpatient visits would reach upto 1000/day amounting to 250GB of patient records. T. H. I. S has enabled effective management of such high flow of patients, data storage, processing and retrieval. Figure 8 illustrates the daily usage of T. H. I. S shows the heavy reliance and interdependance between Selayang Hospital and the information systems. Figure 8: Daily Utilization of T. H. I. S (Abdollah, 2011). With the presence of THIS, most of the patient care demands can be met because it computerizes the process of collecting, arranging, filing and retrieving patient information. Furthermore, world class patient care can be provided by the hospital when equipped with good decision support system from THIS. Additionally, T. H. I. S. benefits in various other methods such as comprehensive patient record keeping, much lesser paperwork, quicker information sharing means between various departments, more flexible organization, reliable and timely information and adequate inventory management. A user satisfaction survey conducted in 2003 among staffs of Selayang Hospital revealed that T. H. I. S was appreciated and well received among nurses and doctors followed by allied staffs and clerks as depicted in Figure 9. (Abdollah, 2011) Figure 9: User satisfaction survey 2003 (Abdollah, 2011). Productivity wise, Selayang Hospital has evidently shown higher productivity after the successful implementation of Total Hospital Information System (T. H. I. S. ). As Selayang Hospital had incorporated T. H. I. S. from the start of its operation, studies analysing the effectiveness of T. H. I. S. before and after implementation is not possible. However, a comparative study comparing T. H. I. S. n Selayang Hospital with a traditional government hospital, Hospital Klang is currently being carried out. Few early findings from this study shows implementation of T. H. I. S. has managed to reduced time taken for admission by 40%, patient stay by 10% and discharge processes by a remarkable 70%. Qualitative benefits of this system highlighted in this study include easy availability of data, bett er patient record management and improved workflow (Abdollah, 2011). The ability of Pharmacy Information System (PIS) to keep track of the entire drugs inventory within the hospital is commendable. The PIS head manager is also able to make orders when an alert is raised on a particular drug. This therefore ensures proper inventory management and that all drugs are always in stock. In addition to the privileges that pharmacies’ will get through the implementation of T. H. I. S, doctors of the hospitals are also able to reap off its benefits as well. For the clinicians, EMR and PMS aid in clinical management of patients. A medical officer no longer requires the doctor-in-charge to be physically present but still can receive consults from him/her utilizing EMR and PMS. All these systems has indeed helped Selayang Hospital to manage the hospital effectively with efficient decision making. Moreover, T. H. I. S. aids hospital administrators whereby it significantly improves operational control. Lastly, in addition to enhancing patient care, T. H. I. S also increases the profitability of the respective organization. In summary, there are a number of direct benefits of THIS in hospitals. The most important advantage of this system is the ability to meet patients’ demands in a timely manner owing to the automation involved in data collection. Other uses include great reduction in paperwork and more efficient patient particular collection and management. Considering the unwavering benefits from implementation of Total Hospital Information System, it will soon become a necessity in terms of hospital management. 4. 2 Ethical Concerns The number and the magnitude of challenges faced by healthcare organizations are unprecedented. Selayang hospital is no different. Increasing financial bruden, rising public an payer expectations and increasing number of consolidations have placed these hospitals under immense stress. Heavy usage of information systems have provided record-keeping which is otherwise impossible. However, this leads to rapid and easy access to medical records raising issues of privacy against expediency (Boyle, 2001). In Selayang Hospital, these issues are handled with utmost priority. Patients’ privacy and confidentiality is protected through several measures. Only authorised users are allowed to access these information. Authorised users who are found to be misusing their access would be tracked in audit trails and stringent disciplinary actions would be taken against them. Therefore, patients are assured of their personal data protection (Abdollah, 2011). 4. 3 Drawbacks and challenges of Total Hospital Information System (THIS) Like any other information system implementation, in T. H. I. S. , users’ resistance to change is one of the major concerns. This is largely related to individual acceptance of IT application particularly by doctors and nurses. Though this is now not an issue in Selayang Hospital, failures in HIS has been repeated reported over the years. Unrealistic goals, complex user-interface, lack of clarity on the functionality required and lack of sensitivity to the local systems were some of the key reasons contributing towards failure of THIS in many fledgling hospitals (Cassels, 1995). The developing countries face even deeper problems such as inadequate electricity supply, lack of proper infrastructure, unsustainable funding, and the inadequate educational levels of the hospital staffs who are likely to be the primary users of the system rather than doctors in these countries. Other concerns include slow response time, absence of easy login-procedures, and tedious data entry (Chandrasekhar and Ghosh, 2001). Selayang Hospital though comparatively better in IT receptiveness, initial reluctance was present. Even today, reluctance to change and accept an IT application especially the EMR system in a conventional society still persists. Appropriate strategies like IT training and incentives need to be deviced to make both patients and hospital officials more receptive towards these systems (Haslina and Sharifah 2005). 5. 0 Future Plans Following these victorious execution of T. H. I. S, Selayang Hospital is currently looking a step ahead into developing a entirely automated Pharmacy Information System (PIS) with Decision Support System (DSS). Besides, management is also emphasizing on improving reporting and data analysis, enhance clinical documentation module with decision support and introduce mobile computing function to facilitate better hospital management (Abdollah, 2011). 6. 0 Conclusion It is beyond doubt that T. H. I. S has been the backbone in assisting hospital administration to ensure Selayang Hospital runs smoothly. However, without the staunch commitment from top management, physicians and other users and adequate number of IT professionals, this success would have remained as a dream. Thus, information systems only when coupled with good recipience would prove beneficial. 7. 0 References Abdollah, 2011. Hospital Information System in Selayang. [Booklet] September 2011 ed. Selayang Hospital Information Technology Department. Biohealthmatics, 2010. Pharmacy Information System, [online] retrieved from http://www. biohealthmatics. com/technologies/his/pis. aspx [accessed on the 2nd October, 2011] Boyle, P. 2001. Organizations ethics and healthcare: principles, cases and practical solutions. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Cassels, A. ,1995. Health sector reform: key issues in less developed countries, Journal of International Development [online] retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/12290761/ [accessed on the 3rd October, 2011] Chandrasekhar, C. P. and Ghosh, J. , 2001. Information an d communication technologies and health in low income countries: the potential and the constraints, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Vol. 79, No. 9, [online] retrieved from