Teachings of the Buddha

Buddhism is has consistently been viewed as a religion and a way of thinking by its supporters and adherents. Its starting point and far reaching practice in Asia in any case, Buddhism has been very versatile to numerous societies that it has experienced. For a considerable length of time Buddhism rehearses had just been confined to the Asian nations and in spite of the fact that it display varieties in different Asian nations, there are still some basic highlights saw over these societies. Going toward the west, Buddhism and its adherents have confronted numerous difficulties to fuse their practices into the social standards of the west.However, regardless of whether Buddhism can adjust to the mentalities and estimations of the western nations and still keep up its extraordinary way of thinking is the progressing question among strict researchers. This paper will look at the foundation of Buddhism and its significance to the current followers in the United States where there are num erous various societies. I got an opportunity to go to a Buddhist pre-wedding function †well, it appeared as though one. I am informed Buddhism is all concerning straightforwardness and every one of its practices and customs mirror the equivalent. In contrast to different strict wedding functions, the Buddhist wedding is only straightforward and has no grandeur and color.It contains basically no ceremonies as we would expect of a wedding service. Their relationships are centered more around the confidence and conviction between consenting people than some other thing. Buddhists are increasingly disposed on guaranteeing an enduring and agreeable relationship is made between couples looking for each in marriage. I was additionally informed that Buddhists don't propel their supporters to experience some obligatory ceremonies before marriage and that the choice concerning whether to go the courts for marriage or to the couple of enrolled sanctuaries exclusively lies with the couple .Nevertheless, a Buddhist wedding would include two sections; the first part includes taking part in quite a while joined by offering blessings to the priests and the god-like. Furthermore, it is during this procedure that couples are required to make promises of comprehension and reliability. The second part which is viewed as a non-Buddhist segment comprises of every single conventional practice which are trailed by the particular groups of the couple and may include going to the soul house for petitions, a blowout or blessing trade. Back to the pre-wedding I attended.The function as you make call it, occurred at the groom’s family home. I was stunned that the wedding service was extremely basic not at all like some other wedding function I had gone to previously. There are no exacting strict principles or guidelines and not at all like different religions where such functions are viewed as strict undertakings, Buddhists’ service is simply a get-together. There was a little banquet composed by the groom’s families over which blessings were traded and individuals visited unreservedly and with no proper systems in the whole term of the ceremony.After the pre-wedding function the couple was announced spouse and husband by a companion of the groom’s family and the assembly scattered from that point. The couple was advised to conclude whether to visit a sanctuary or go to court the next day to make sure about a marriage testament. At the point when the service was practically finished, I secure a second a companion of the man of the hour and asked him a couple of inquiries in regards to Buddhism and here is the selection of our discussion. 1. Is your religion a genuine lifestyle for you? How fundamental is it to your every day life? Shimano Roshi: Very imperative to me.One of the satisfying parts of my religion is that it causes me to comprehend the genuine idea of life and the universe. Once more, it doesn't just instruct me to regard others yet additionally to be open minded of different people’s lifestyle. 2. What are a portion of the primary practices, or every day segments of your religion? Shimano Roshi: Normally Buddhist supplications in the sanctuaries would include priests recounting the suttas and lecture also. Notwithstanding, there are varieties across Buddhists customs. By and by, I do give proper respect to our otherworldly pioneer the Buddha and serenade (discuss the suttas) each morning and before going to bed.3. What are a few limitations in your religion, assuming any, for example, dietary, clothing standard, and so forth? Shimano Roshi: I don’t think about other religion yet I realize that Buddhism is one of the most pleasing religions on the planet. Buddhism lays accentuation on harmony and being innocuous. While a dietician may mention to you what to eat and a Muslim how to spruce up, a Buddhist will reveal to you that you are what you think. we are characterize by our inward co ntemplations and not what we wear or eat. 4. What is the most loved part of your religion? Why?Shimano Roshi: To me there is no single perspective I may consider as my most loved in light of the fact that my religion is basically widely inclusive. 5. Do you feel that you are upheld in your town, or in this nation, rehearsing your religion, or do you feel any separation? Shimano Roshi: American had issues before tolerating us and our lifestyle however things have changed nowadays. It is very basic to see a dark Buddhist in the sanctuary, and individuals of various races are changing over consistently. I feel Buddhism has been grasped well by the Americans. 6. What is the most misconstrued component of your religion?Shimano Roshi: I don’t know, however on the off chance that there is any, at that point I imagine that is there own concern. What I accept is very critical to me to consider how others think about me. 7. Is it imperative to you that your family/kids proceed with you r strict practices/custom? Shimano Roshi: Absolutely! Buddhism offers a decent and more grounded establishment for a solid living both profoundly and truly with others and I couldn't want anything more than to bestow such lessons on my youngsters. 8. Do you have any heavenly places or nations that are essential to your religion and that you have been to?Why would they say they are viewed as blessed? Shimano Roshi: I have been to the Gangetic fields in northern India and a zone in southern Nepal. Buddhist visit this spot since Gautama Buddha, our profound pioneer lived and educated there and along these lines we accept the spot is greatly associated with his life. 9. What do you believe is generally novel about your religion corresponding to different strict conventions? Or on the other hand do you feel there are more likenesses? Shimano Roshi: Just like Christian religion, Buddhism has got organizations, customs, genealogies, schools and numerous other littler groups.It has advanced throughout the hundreds of years and some considerably more changed than others. Notwithstanding, one interesting thing in Buddhism is the Enlightenment procedure. 10. On the off chance that there were just a single thing about your religion that you could impart to the world, what might it be? Shimano Roshi: Simplicity! We relate with each other and approach the day by day living with most extreme effortlessness while we are as yet dedicated to our god-like Overview Buddhism its extraordinary blend of strict and philosophical lessons envelops various convictions, conventions and practices got from the lessons of Siddhartha Gautama or Buddha ‘the stirred one†.According Buddhist, Buddha lived in northeastern piece of India somewhere in the range of sixth and fourth hundreds of years BCE. His supporters remembered him as a stirred one who utilized his insight to help the conscious creatures abstain from anguish (dukkha), achieve nirvana lastly get away from the pattern of affliction and resurrection (Robinson and Willard, 1970). The religion has two primary braches to be specific; the Theravada †the school of the older folks and the Mahayana †the incomparable vehicle.Theravada is viewed as the most seasoned enduring branch and appreciates a wide following in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka. The Mahayana then again has an overwhelming nearness in East piece of Asia and includes the conventions of Zen, Tibetan Buddhism, Pure Land, Shigon, Nichiren Buddhism, Tendai and Shinnyo-en (Fisher, 1997). Vajrayana which is a part of Mahayana is here and there arranged as the third part of Buddhism. While it has consistently been viewed as a religion of the Asian nations, Buddhism is today found in all aspects of the world.According to the ongoing evaluations, the Buddhists on the planet are numbering around 230 million to 500 million which the religion the fourth biggest on the planet. Various schools of Buddhists have diverse translation of the way to o pportunity, the significance and comprehension of the sacred texts and lessons, just as various practices. Be that as it may, the establishment of Buddhist practices and customs are essentially founded on the Three Jewels; the Buddha, the Dharma (otherwise called the lessons), and the Sangha (otherwise called the network) (Fisher, 1997).Adhering to the three gems is viewed as an assertion just as promise to the methods of the Buddha and for the most part recognizes a supporter from a non-Buddhist. Different customs would rely upon a specific part of Buddhism and incorporate practices like moral statutes, contemplation, ascetic mutual help, renunciation of customary living and turning into a devout, development of otherworldly knowledge and wisdom, reverential works on, concentrating of sacred writings and conjuring of Buddha and bodhisattvas basic among the Mahayana supporters (Keown and Prebish, 2004).Conclusion Buddhism will proceed infiltrate different societies in view of philos ophical and strict nature. The three Jewels of Buddhism are widely inclusive and answers the greater part of our issues. The Buddha gives us the otherworldly sustenance; the dharma gives thoughts to our most disputable issues like premature birth and bioethics while sangha gives comprehension of our public activity and world.Buddhism isn't just the lifestyle a couple of Asian populace yet would keep on spreading because of its all the more grasping and oversimplified nature. References Fisher, M. P. (1997). Living Religions: An Encyclopedia of the World's Faiths. I. B. Tauris: New York. Keown, D. and Prebish, C. S. (eds. ) (2004). Reference book of Buddhism, Routledge: London Robinson, R. H. and Willard L. J. (1970; third ed. , 1982). The Buddhist Religion: A Historical Introduction Wadsworth Publishing: Belmont, CA (Shimano Roshi,

The African Slave Trade free essay sample

African Slave Trade and Slavery until the End The African populace from the 1500’s to the 1800’s was dealt with cruelly, oppressed and set to take a shot at estates, compelled to develop numerous merchandise for exchange. The Europeans picked the African individuals for a couple of reasons: There culture, construct and being utilized to hard work. The African Slave Trade was the biggest movement of individuals on the planet. Twelve million moved however just Ten million made it alive. There was a section that the Europeans utilized during the African Slave Trade called the Middle Passage for more straightforward transport.On this center entry, the treatment of the slaves was horrendous and many didn't endure the excursion. Once in the New World, treatment of the slaves didn't beat that. The Slave proprietor/Slave relationship was bad by any stretch of the imagination. Slaves contributed to the arrangement of their own social and strict ways. We will compose a custom exposition test on The African Slave Trade or on the other hand any comparative point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Numerous individuals believed that subjection was an inappropriate intention for an individual and upheaval of help opened far and wide. This thought of opportunity gave the slaves the fortitude to get away and had methods of doing as such. Haiti was a significant piece of the historical backdrop of subjugation and is essential to review.Why did the Europeans take the African’s for slaves? African’s utilized subjection as a piece of their regular day to day existence. At the point when the Europeans showed up abroad in Africa they were charmed by this thought of servitude. They felt that the African individuals were utilized to the blistering climate and long and dedicated days. They thought of the blacks as substandard too. They required individuals to do their work in the New World and were sent over in the African Slave Trade (Corretti). Subjection had an alternate significance in the New World than it did in Europe. Individuals were viewed as asset in the New World.This implies that one human was the property of another human. The Europeans expected to discover individuals to stay aware of the work on the manors in the new world (Corretti). There was a course that was taken from Africa to the new world during the Slave exchange. This course was named The Middle Passage. The Middle Passage had a triangular shape and now and then was known as the Triangular Trade. The section began in Africa and afterward could go either to Europe to drop off materials from Africa and to refuel then go to the New World to exchange out the slaves or the other way around (Corretti). The excursion was a horrendous time for the laves. John Barbot, an operator for the French Royal Company said â€Å"Many of those slaves we transport from Guinea to America are predisposed with the assessment, that they are conveyed like sheep to the butcher, and that the Europeans are partial to their tissue; which idea so far wins with a few, as to make them fall into a profound despairing and sadness (Barbot). † The slaves were stuffed intently without a great deal of air, food and no bathrooms. They were dealt with severely and some so terrible that they ended it all. Out of twelve million slaves moved, just ten million made it to the new world alive. They were totally marked, similar to sheep, with the proprietors marks† (Maryland State Archives). When the African slaves made it to the new world their excursion was not finished. The slaves were dispatched to the bank of the New World since it was nearer to the sea and had less illnesses than domains further from the coast. They went toward the south in light of the fact that there were bigger ranches and the North was progressively industrialized. Cotton, tobacco, rice and sugar stick ranches required work the most and were situated in the south. They were exchanged off to manor proprietors to begin their new life (Corretti).The way that the Africans were treated by their proprietors was negative. â€Å"These slaves are harshly and primitively treated by their lords, who remain alive them ineffectively, and beat them cruelly, as might be seen by the scabs and wounds on the collections of a large number of them when offered to us† (Barbot). Slaves were unloaded, families were part. They had little houses to rest and eat in. Work for the slaves began at sunrise and went until nightfall. They were administered by a work hand that beat and whipped them (Corretti). The African slaves were from every single distinctive zone of the continent.When they were brought to the Americas, they had to acclimatize into the American culture. A blended language called Creole was concocted by the slaves. They took the entirety of the various lingos of Africa and some American words and states and combined them. Not exclusively was a language developed yet an entire African/American culture was birthed. â€Å"Slaves sang spirituals loaded up with verses about salvation and references to scriptural figures like Moses, who drove his kin to opportunity (Sambol-Tosco). They had their own type of moving, music, cooking and living (Corretti).The religion that the slaves followed was European Christianity. Slaves considered submersion to be Christianity as an exit plan. A great deal of ranch proprietors guaranteed opportunity with the transformation to Christianity. This went on until 1667 when Virginia passed a law expressing that the transformation of religion didn't give the slave opportunity. Numerous states followed Virginia before long. In the 1800’s a huge scope change of subjugated people started to the religion of Protestant Evangelicalism (Sambol-Tosco). The Northerners in the New World felt that servitude was against god’s will.In the 17-1800’s a development against subjugation began to spring up in the North. This was known as the Abolitionist development. The Quakers and Puritans of the North began to voice their shock against subjection. In 1787 the North West Ordinance was reviewed. This restricted servitude in Northern Middle America. Abolitionism likewise existed in England and France. In 1807 the Slave Trade Act was passed in England. This made it Illegal in the British Empire for subjugation to exist. In spite of the fact that France partook in the slave exchange for quite a while, in the 1500’s the Abolitionist development began in France too (Corretti).The slaves attempted to escape the same number of times as they could. In France in the 1700’s an upheaval of San Dome was pronounced. The battling occurred until the success of San Dome occurred and they pronounced themselves free and changed their name to Haiti. In the Americas you could flee yet there were exacting laws in the event that you were gotten. The slaves disappeared toward the North where Slavery was not permitted. Fredrick Douglass was a slave that got away and got an instruction. Douglass composed a life story and contended for the finish of servitude. John Brown drove a revolt on Harpers Ferry in 1859.The Underground Railroad was a break course that white abolitionists and free blacks made to assist slaves with getting away toward the north (Corretti). Haiti, referred to in the 1600’s as Saint-Dominque, a name given to them by the French. The fundamental yield of this nation is sugar stick crop. This harvest is extremely difficult to develop and required a great deal of work. This is the reason the Africans had oppressed themselves. In 1789, Saint-Dominque made 40 percent of all the sugar on the planet and the greater part the world’s espresso. 80-90 percent of the populace was dark and basically slaves.The staying 10 - 20 percent were white men who investigated. In 1791 the Revolt of Saint-Dominque started and began a common war with France. As a result of the quantity of slaves they were effective. Whites were furnished and prepared and 4,000 were slaughtered in fight. At last in 1794, servitude was annulled in all French claimed states (Corretti). The African Slave Trade was the biggest movement of individuals on the planet. Twelve million moved however just Ten million made it alive. The Europeans were pulled in to them in light of the fact that their way of life had just been acclimated with hard labor.There was a section that the Europeans utilized during the African Slave Trade called the Middle Passage for less complex vehicle. The treatment of the slaves during the excursion was awful and many didn't make it alive. Once in the New World, treatment of the slaves didn't beat that. The Slave proprietor/slave relationship was not positive. An upheaval of help to the abolitionist development opened in England, France and America. Haiti was a significant piece of the historical backdrop of bondage. The African populace from the 1500’s to the 1800’s was dealt with cruelly, oppressed and set to chip away at manors, compelled to develop numerous merchandise for exchange.

Is Facebook Making us Lonely Essay Sample

Is Facebook Making us Lonely Essay Sample Social networks have changed lives of the ordinary people rapidly. The young generation doesn’t imagine their life without one of the most popular networks in the world â€" Facebook. It is a place where everyone can communicate, share music, pictures, and video, and get to know information about other people and about the world. Some scholars think that a great number of young people are addicted to this social network. Every day millions of them visit Facebook and spend at least a couple of hours there. They find dozens of reasons to be there, like friends, news, hobbies, and so on. An average Facebook user has about two- three hundreds friends. Yet, the question is whether this network really helps to be closer to people or it makes us lonely. From one side Facebook and other networks connect people even if they live far away from each other. It is possible to get acquainted with a person from the other continent and even become a best friend with him or her. Sometimes, it is very difficult for people to find a person near them who can understand them and help solve their problems. It is much easier to share your problematic situation with a stranger. Apart from this, most of the people are very busy nowadays. Very often they don’t have enough time to spend it with friends every time they want this. In this case, Facebook and other networks are very helpful. It is very easy to find some information about a person from the posts and short messages. It also helps to connect people who have a lot in common. Sometimes to find a person who listens to the same music as you do, or who has the same hobby as you have is much easier through Facebook. Yet, this method works only if you don’t have borders and are ready to meet dif ferent people personally. Looking at these arguments, it is easy to state that Facebook isn’t making us lonely. Unfortunately, this is only the part of the truth. There are a few arguments that can convince you that Facebook and other social networks are making us very lonely. First of all, it is essential to understand what loneliness mean. You can be alone, but it doesn’t mean that you are lonely. However, you can be in the middle of the crowd, but you still can feel loneliness. Therefore, loneliness is a psychological problem. Facebook is really making us feel lonely because it diminishes the personal communication. It isn’t enough to look at some photos and read some posts to get to know what a person feels. As a result, people get the false sense of the friendship and close relationships. Nobody knows how you really feel and what life you really have. In other words, 300 friends on Facebook are not real friends, they are just strangers, who know next to nothing about you, and you know next to nothing about them. It is good if you have at least a couple of real friends there with whom you not only chat but also speak and meet in person. Facebook usage has its advantages and disadvantages. From one side it helps to look for people, with whom you have something in common, easier. From the other side, it diminishes personal communication. As a result, it definitely has an impact on our feeling of loneliness. Yet, the problem isn’t in this social network or any other. The problem is in every person. It is possible to use Facebook and still feel yourself very happy. It is just necessary to understand that such problem exists and do everything possible to fix it by starting communicating personally as much as possible.

Arts of the Contact Zone by Mary Louise Pratt Essay

Arts of the Contact Zone by Mary Louise Pratt The Arts of the Contact Zone by Mary Louise Pratt opened up a whole new concept for our class. The new term â€Å"contact zone† appeared and Pratt defined it as social spaces where cultures meet, clash, and grapple with each other, often in contexts of highly asymmetrical relations of power, such as colonialism, slavery, or their aftermaths as they are lived out in many parts of the world today. The idea of the contact zone is intended in part to contrast with ideas of community that trigger much of the thinking about language, communication, and culture. According to Pratt, the two distinctive phenomenon of the contact zone are autoethnographic text and transculturation. One of†¦show more content†¦It would not be fair or effective to simply teach students from diverse backgrounds how to write in the language of power while ignoring their culture and the fact that there is a language of power. It is important for writing instructors to teach students from the dominant community why their language is considered legitimate and why the dialects or languages of other communities are not. In doing this, the instructor can break down the barrier of the imagined community. If the instructor does not address the issue of power in language, they run the risk of silencing their students who are not from the dominant culture and be responsible for the students that are from the dominant culture. First of all, the contact zone class can be applied mainly to the extent of developing one’s thoughts and ideas because of its foc us on ‘conversation’ or speech. A writing process is much more than just to put what a writer intends to say into words. In addition, Pratt pointed out the utopian quality and abstract idea of the speech community. However, it is also true that in some contexts like academic setting that kind of uniform idea of speech community has functioned well to give necessary order and stability for the development of the community. In a contact zone classroom, we are encouraged to turn ourselves to the outside world that is full ofShow MoreRelatedArts of the Contact Zone by Mary Louise Pratt999 Words   |  4 PagesThe â€Å"Arts of the Contact Zone†, an article written by Stanford professor Mary Louise Pratt, discusses many different ideas about culture and communication by utilizing what she calls the literate arts. Pratt explains many terms that she believes are beneficial in gaining a further understanding of a literary piece. Key terms such as, contact zone, autoethnography and transculturation are introduced in her essay. She describes contact zones as â€Å"social spaces where cultures meet, clash, and grappleRead MoreEssay on Arts of the Contact Zone, Mary Louise Pratt1245 Words   |  5 PagesPittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During the conference Mary Louise Pratt a Stanford Professor delivered a keynote/lecture that revolutionized how people think about their social spaces. She introduced a re volutionary way to think about these social spaces, instead of calling them communities she started calling it the â€Å"contact zone†. According to Pratt a â€Å"contact zone is a place where cultures meet, clash, and grapple† (Pratt 487). While lecturing her fellow colleagues Pratt argues that our idea of community is stronglyRead MoreEssay on Arts of the Contact Zone by Mary Louise Pratt532 Words   |  3 PagesArts of the Contact Zone by Mary Louise Pratt In the Arts of the Contact Zone, Mary Louise Pratt has tried to explain the concepts of the â€Å"contact zone†, which she referred to as â€Å"the space of colonial encounters†. This social space that she speaks about is a stage where â€Å"disparate cultures meet, clash, and grapple each other, often in highly asymmetrical relations of domination and subordination†. Pratt aims to highlight these relations between the colonizer and the colonized â€Å"in terms ofRead MoreMary Louise Pratt Edward Said Essay1151 Words   |  5 Pageshomeland. Great opening sentences. Mary Louise Pratt, Kenji Yoshino and Edward Said all present very good methods of maintaining ones national identity in their essays. In Mary Louise Pratts essay Arts of the Contact Zone she gives examples of people who are in a contact zone. Contact zones are where people are meeting other cultures, and they have to remember not to lose their own. (this was a run-on so I made it into two sente ces)One of the Arts of the contact zone that describes what has happenedRead MoreThe Literate Arts: What is the Purpose?1334 Words   |  6 PagesNicholas Crawford English 103 10 September 2014 The Literate Arts: What is the Purpose? As a student I have read several essays, all in different but connecting points of view that explore in depth the diverse ways of education, educating in the literate arts, learning, using the information, and applying it to life. In reading the controversial opinions expressed throughout these essays, the question, â€Å"What are the literate arts good for?† has crossed my mind more than a few times. Four authorsRead MoreArts of the Contact Zone Essay1167 Words   |  5 PagesMary Louise Pratt wrote the essay â€Å"Arts of the Contact Zone† with the purpose of explaining that society would benefit if people were exposed to and understood the concept of â€Å"contact zones†. She refers to contact zones as social spaces where cultures meet and clash with each other, usually with one culture being dominant over the other. A person living in a contact zone is exposed to two different cultures, two different languages, and as a result is presented with a struggle i n each culture toRead MoreCultural Concepts: Appiah’s Ideas and Mary Louise Pratts Analysis745 Words   |  3 Pagesinteractions lead to adoption of new values as well as acceptance of the significance of the beliefs of others. All I all his views are that people will always been known, treated and segregated based on their beliefs, values and norms in their culture (Pratt, 1991). The view of the culture of a particular people will always be esteemed as long it does not create conflicts or imperialism among different societal cultures. The importance of cultural identity is that it gives length to the culture enablingRead MoreContact Zone Essay1766 Words   |  8 Pages2014 The Contact Zone The Holocaust happened because two groups of people were grappling with each and one was stronger than the other. Wars typically occur because two cultures disagree and choose to settle it, and the strong culture prevails. African American and Caucasian people used to be exiled for getting married, because they were different. There are millions of different cultures in the world today and every day is an example of how they clash. An author, Mary Louise Pratt, wrote anRead MoreContact Zones Essay1325 Words   |  6 PagesThe reader is introduced to a term coined and repeated by Pratt throughout the piece, contact zones. She uses this term to refer to social spaces where cultures meet, clash, and grapple with each other, often in contexts of highly asymmetrical relations of power, such as colonialism, slavery, or their aftermaths as they are lived out in many parts of the world today (Pratt 584). Contact zones were not necessarily a positive interaction because these social interac tions usually came out of ignoranceRead MoreAnalysis of States by Edward Said1162 Words   |  5 Pageswith the effects of transculturation. Transculturation, as defined by ethnographers, is â€Å"to describe processes whereby members of a subordinate or marginal groups select and invent from materials transmitted by a dominant or metropolitan culture† (Pratt 491). In other words Palestinians have absorbed parts of the different cultures they are now part of due to the nakba, or catastrophe, which marks the exile of more than 700,000 Palestinian Arabs from what is known today as Israel. On November 30,

Ethnography Review A Song of Longing An Ethiopian Journey - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 659 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/06/24 Category Culture Essay Level High school Tags: Ethnographic Essay Did you like this example? In the memoir A Song of Longing: An Ethiopian Journey by Kay Kaufman Shelemay, Shelemay describes her experiences of traveling to Ethiopia. As an American graduate student in 1973, she studied ethnomusicology and became interested in the music of the Falashas, a Jewish community located in Ethiopia with Israeli culture. To truly study the music, she decided to travel to Ethiopia and learn first hand about the culture. While she was there, she learned about the relationship between the Ethiopian Christians and Jews only to realize that the two cultures have a lot of similarities. While in Ethiopia, she spent time in the highlands working on her dissertation and learned the gender roles of the society. The women were mainly in charge of staying in the kitchen and keeping up with the household chores, so from the beginning of her stay, she started interacting with the men in order to have access to most parts of the religious experiences, for if she were to socialize with the women more, they would look down on her for her interactions with the men. After some time, she went into Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, where she met with a well-known Jewish businessman, Jack Shelemay, with the intention of learning about Jewish culture in Ethiopia. They developed a romantic relationship, which put her project on hold for a little. During her stay, the Ethiopian Revolution of 1974 began, which made it unsafe for her to return to the highlands to continue her project. She reoriented her dissertation to include the Christian culture as well as the Jewish traditions. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Ethnography Review: A Song of Longing An Ethiopian Journey" essay for you Create order When Shelemay first arrived in the highlands, she was warned that there could be trouble, which refers to local spirits that could harm someone. In order to protect the community against these spirits, the village would have zar rituals. She was told that since she wasnt from the village, and she was a woman, she could easily be a target. Although she was never invited to attend these rituals, she could always here the loud drumming that occurred (31). The highlands were mostly fields, so in order to keep the birds and the prey away from the crops, often the washint, a four-holed bamboo flute was played (30). Music was often used during religious ceremonies as well. Before the ceremony began, a priest would ring a repetitive rhythm on a flat, circular metal gong as a way to announce that the service was about to begin, and everyone should attend (39). The service continues with two-sided singing, where the second group would repeat the verse the first group sang. The instruments as sociated with this were often the drum and the gong in a steady rhythm. The society mainly uses music in rituals and religious services, while primarily using drums and gongs in these events. The author did not necessarily discuss the music of the culture most of the time, but rather she talked about her journey and reflections as she did her research and the daily life during her stay. Since she was writing her dissertation about the music of the culture at the same time, the majority of the musical aspects are possibly in her project, rather than her experience itself. Shelemay ended up marrying a successful Jewish businessman from Ethiopia, so her thoughts could have been easily swayed to show everything in a better light. As she continued to live in Ethiopia during the first part of the war, she still depicted Ethiopia in a positive manner, with only criticizing the rebel troops. I do not think I understand the society better after reading about the music in A Song of Longing: An Ethiopian Journey because I dont feel like Shelemay talked about the music enough, but rather she focused on her personal life within the village, and after she got married. I do believe I learned a lot about the culture itself and the history of the Ethiopian Jews and Christians from readying this memoir.

Ancient Egypt And Ancient Civilizations - 1302 Words

As seen throughout time, one of the chief concerns of all ancient civilizations was to maintain order and stability. Civilizations such as ancient Egypt, ancient Rome and even the ancient Babylonian societies all set forth an effort to maintain stability. Influencing forces on this stability were religious, political and even geographical. I’ve noticed that many civilizations flourish for hundreds of years only to fall or be taken over by the next generation. Some cities today are remnants of these fallen empires such as Rome in Italy or Alexandria in Egypt. Our earliest signs of human civilization date all the way back to 10,000BCE, when we see the Neolithic revolution. First signs of farming are seen in the fertile crescent, along with the domestication of animals. The spread of agriculture allows for permanent settling in a single area. The Fertile Crescent was the perfect place for first civilization because it was located in major river basins which in turn made the soil extremely fertile. The Tigres and Euphrates river that surrounded the Fertile Crescent also acted as an easy source of transportation through out the area. This encouraged trade and the development of new communities. Around 5300BCE Sumaria is often accepted as the first civilization, it was a collection of city-states who shared common values and they also had Cuneiform which was the first documented form of writing. Sumaria also held the first government bureaucracy with laws which helped them holdShow MoreRelatedAncient Egypt : An Ancient Civilization1523 Words   |  7 Pages Ancient Egypt, an ancient civilization known today as one of the world’s greatest, would last over 3000 years thanks to the many Egyptians contributing to its success. One such Egyptian was the Pharaoh, Akhenaton. Born to King Amenhotep III, Akhenaton ascended to the throne at around 1353 BCE . He was also known as Amenhotep IV, but would later change his name to Akhenaton in order to worship the g od â€Å"Aton† . Akhenaton may be considered one of the most important figures in Egyptian history seeingRead MoreAncient Egypt : An Ancient Civilization1853 Words   |  8 Pagesapart of an ancient civilization? Well, if I had to chose an ancient civilization to be apart of I’d chose the Egypt (Nile) because of it’s great economic standards and it’s interesting culture and religion. In Egypt they had great agriculture resources, festivals, and lots of different customs and beliefs. This all sounds interesting right? Well, if you want to know more, keep reading! What was Egypt’s economy based on exactly? You’ve heard of the Nile River right? 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Hospitality Management Operational Plan

Question: Discuss about theHospitality Managementfor Operational Plan. Answer: Introduction Hotel industry is one of the most service-oriented industries. The success of this industry depends on the quality of services provided by the hotels to their guests. It is utmost important for the hotels to continuously upgrade themselves by providing the customers with excellent quality of services. The main objective of this report is to analyse and evaluate the various components of ABC Hotel. After that, the managers of the organization need to develop an effective plan for the hotel to increase the profitability of the hotel. Operational Plan Operational plan is a detailed plan that provides a clear picture about how to achieve the organizational goals (Altinay, Paraskevas and Jang 2015). There are four major areas of an operational plan. The first section is to ensure the requirement of necessary resources. It has been seen that there are two types of resources that are required for the smooth running of ABC Hotel. They are equipment for video conference and service buses. It is needed to introduce new video conferencing system in order to establish effective communication among the different department of the hotel. For this purpose, it is needed to install multi channel video conferencing system. The implementation cost of the video conferencing system will be $5000 for each department. The next resource is to buy more service buses for the hotel. The buses need to be purchased in order to make delivery service more effective. There is a need for five buses and the amount will be $1250000. Key Performance indicator, commonly known as KPI, is some specific values that show the extent of progress of the key organizational goals of any organization. The KPIs are chose based on the types of the businesses (Zwetsloot 2014). In case of ABC Hotel, there are specific KPIs that will assist the managers to measure the performance of the hotel. For the purpose of ABC Hotel, KPI software will be installed for the purpose of performance measurement. This software will record all necessary data and information regarding the performance of the hotel and will present them by graphs (Parmenter 2015). The organizational managers can judge the performance of the hotel by observing those presented data and information. Business metrics will be also be implemented for the purpose of performance measurement. Every business and operational area of ABC Hotel will have Business Metrics that will help in measuring the performance of every business process of the hotel (Sharda, Delen and Turban 2013). There will be a separate monitoring process of the hotel. It is utmost important to have an effective business monitoring process in the organization. In case of ABC Hotel, there will be a separate team for monitoring process. The monitoring team will be consisted of five managers from different department of the hotel. The monitoring team will report to the retail store manager of the hotel (Stavrou et al. 2014). There are various factors in the hotel that can affect the financial health of ABC Hotel. Hence, there is a strong need for an effective contingency plan for the hotel. In case of ABC Hotel, the financial contingency plan will be consisted of four steps. In the first step, the risks in the financial process of the hotel will be analysed along with the factors that have an adverse effect on the financial position of the hotel. After that, the impact of those factors on ABC Hotel will be analysed. The next step is to develop the financial contingency plan based on the above analysis. Lastly, the alternative approaches for mitigating the financial risks will be analysed. This is the process of making the financial contingency plan (Anwar 2015). Implementation Strategies for Staff Members It is one of the objectives of ABC Hotel to maintain the full staffing capacity with the help of rapid recruitment. It has been observed that there is a need for 13 staffs in the hotel. The main strategy regarding this matter is to develop a plan to for induction and training for those 13 new joiners within a time span of two months. For this purpose, the recruitment procedure of the organization will be followed. The HR manager recruitment agency will be responsible for the total procedure (Humburg and Van der Velden 2015). The total cost of this recruitment and training process will be $26,000. As per one of the major initiatives of ABC Hotel, the hotel is going to organize an annual professional development program. For this purpose, there is a need for physical resources and services. The physical resources are venue for the training, proper equipment for the program, sitting arrangements, beverages and many others. It has been decided that that there will be colourful decals containing the logo of the hotel in the on the sides and back of the buses. For this purpose, a graphic artist will be hired to make the colourful decals. There will be name of hotel along with the tagline. In the background, the logo and picture of the hotel will be in the decals. One of the most important aspects is the use of the logo of ABC Hotel. There will be a written legal document about the use of the logo of the hotel. It will be written in the legal document that the graphic artist will not have any legal right to use the logo of ABC Hotel apart from the decal in the buses. After the successful completion of this agreement, the purchase agreement will be done with the graphic artist. The KPI Software will be used for monitoring the operational plan. The KPI software will be designed in such a way that it can record all the details of the operational plan. The KPI software will analyse the collected data and information and will present them to the monitoring team as the form of graphical representation. Based on the provided graphs and information from the KPI software, the monitoring team will be able to measure the performance of the organization. The KPI software will assist the monitoring team by providing the relevant data and information from all the different departments of ABC Hotel (Keck and Ross 2014). Effective Communication with the Stakeholders It is utmost important for any organization to communicate the necessary plans of the organization with the stakeholders of the company (Pang et al. 2016). There is not any exception of this fact in case of ABC Hotel. There are various stakeholders in ABC Hotel. They are senior management of the hotel, managers, sales staffs, online and phone sales staffs, major customers of the hotel, customers and the recruitment agency (Bakker, Maat and van Wee 2014). A meeting has been organized make the shareholders of ABC Hotel aware about the operational plan of the hotel. In this process, agenda is an important aspect for this meeting. Agenda refers to the list of topics that will be discussed in the meeting. For this meeting, the agenda of the meeting is to discuss the operational plan with the relevant stakeholder of the hotel to seek approval from them (Rochefort 2016). Three parts of the meeting need to be taken care. The first part is to identify the participants of the meeting. The major participants of the meeting are the above-mentioned stakeholders of ABC Hotel. The second part is to check the availability of the participants of the meeting. For this purpose, a formal letter along with an e-mail will be send to each relevant stakeholders of the meeting informing them about all the details of the meeting along with date and venue. The invitation of the meeting will be sent to all the participants of the meeting both online and physically. The notification will be sent to them in their phones before one two days of the meeting. The project administrator team will give a call to every participants of the meeting before the day of the meeting to confirm their availability in the meeting. It is needed to record all relevant data and information that will be provided during the meeting. The whole meeting will be documented in written form. In addition, there will be video recording system to record the whole video. Every relevant data, information and document will be presented in the meeting along with proper proof. The meeting has taken place in the proper time. The responsibility for the smooth conduct of the meeting was on the chair of the meeting. During the meeting, the operational plan was presented to the stakeholders of ABC Hotel. The meeting was focused on the core topic that is to present the operational plan to the participants. Everything was as per the time schedule. All the necessary facts were presented in a big screen with the help of effective presentation. In addition, the overall budget of the plan was also presented in a convincing way. Some of the audiences did raise some good questions about the effectiveness of the operational plan. At the end of the meeting, the result was satisfactory. After the successful and effective presentation of the operational plan, the majority of the stakeholders approved the plan for implementation. The main two features of the meeting was that it was effectively constructed and within the budget. Details of the Plan From the above analysis, it can be understood that there is a fare scope of the project. The main scope of the project is to implement the operational plan for smooth running of the business of ABC Hotel. During the implementation of the plan, the members of the project team will get fair scope to work on different aspects of the operational plan. This process will increase the knowledge base of the team members. There are various stakeholders of ABC Hotel. They are senior management team, recruitment agency, major and ordinary customers, managers, sales staffs and online sales staffs. It is the responsibility of the stakeholders of ABC Hotel to coordinate the project management team in the implementation of the operational project (Verbeke and Tung 2013). It can be observed that there is a strong relation between the project and organizational objective of ABC Hotel. The main aim of the operational plan is to bring effectiveness in the various operations of ABC Hotel. The operational plan will provide financial stability to the hotel by increasing the revenue by 15%. The successful implementation of the plan will help the hotel in delivering better quality of products and services along with the introduction of new products. More importantly, this plan will assist ABC Hotel in gaining the number one position in the hotel industry (Heagney 2016). For the success of this operational plan, it is needed to have proper resources (Chevalier 2016). First, there should be sufficient money allocated for the implementation of the plan. The next resource is labour. There should be sufficient men in the project team. As an example, to meet the objective of the plan, it is needed to by five buses for delivery and advertisement. The total budget for five buses is $1250000. The head office-marketing manager will be responsible for the purchase of these buses. Risk Analysis There are always risks involved in the implementation process of any kind of plan. There is not any exception of this fact in case of ABC Hotel. It has been observed that the project management team could not acquire the required additional vehicles. This is one of example of the project risk. In order to minimize these risks the risks need to be analysed. In order to treat that particular risk, there should be a proper risk management strategy. In case of the acquirement of the buses, there needs to be a separate team consists of three members. This team will track the process of vehicle acquirement from the order placement to the delivery of the vehicles. In this way, the risk in the acquirement process of the vehicles can be mitigated (Reason 2016). Apart from the above case, there are other areas where risks are involved. There are fare risks involved in the process of seeking approval from the stakeholders. It can be happened that they do not like the plan at all. In addition, six factors have an effect on the risk factor of ABC Hotel. They are political, legal, social, technological, economical and environmental factors. The unstable political condition of the country can affect the business of ABC Hotel. Economical condition can affect the businesses more than anything can. Now-a-days, businesses all over the world are making strategies to encounter the environmental risks. These risks can affect the businesses of ABC Hotel. All these risks can affect the process of achieving the objectives of ABC Hotel. Hence, there is a strong need for making effective strategies in order to achieve the objectives of ABC Hotel. In addition, these strategies will help the organization to encounter the business risks (Sadgrove 2016). Training and Development It is important to implement proper training and development program to make the employee more skilled. One of the important training and development programs of ABC Hotel is to train the sales staffs in order to provide effective sales support. This process will allow the employees become more skilled in the sales process. This training and development program will be done in all the departments of the hotel. The service department managers will be responsible for this training program. For the success of the operational plan, it is needed to have an effective action plan. It can be observed that the implementation of the operational plan is a tough and long process. Hence, the total plan will be divided into small plan for the purpose of easy implementation. There will be small groups that will be responsible for each part of the task. For example, one team will, be responsible for the acquirement of vehicles; another team will be responsible for the smooth conduct of the meeting and others. In addition, there will be specific time for each task. Each task needs to be completed in that specific time. As discussed earlier, there will be a separate team for monitoring and they will measure the performance of the operational plan. In case of reviews, feedbacks will be taken from all the organizational people regarding the progress of the plan. Meetings will be organized in regular basis to discuss the progress of the plan. The plan will be reviewed based on the result. The senior management will review the progress of the plan. There should be a complaint resolution process in ABC Hotel. Problem regarding customer service can be raised from different issues like poor customers service, problem in the system and many others. When these types of complaints arrive, they must be resolved in an effective manner. For this purpose, there should be a problem resolution team. The aim of the team will be to investigate into the complaints and provide quick solution. Conclusion and Recommendation From the above discussion, the successful implementation of any plan depends of some crucial factor. These factors start from seeking approval from the stakeholders and ends at the successful implementation of the plan. In this total process, it is needed to divide the whole task into various subtasks. This process diminishes the extra pressure from the project team members. References Altinay, L., Paraskevas, A. and Jang, S.S., 2015.Planning research in hospitality and tourism. Routledge. Anwar, M., 2015. Contingency Theory and Its Implications to Corporate Financial Planning and Organization Structure.Jurnal Aplikasi Manajemen,13(3), pp.363-370. Bakker, S., Maat, K. and van Wee, B., 2014. Stakeholders interests, expectations, and strategies regarding the development and implementation of electric vehicles: The case of the Netherlands.Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice,66, pp.52-64. Chevalier, J.M., 2016. Stakeholder analysis and natural resource management. Heagney, J., 2016.Fundamentals of project management. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Humburg, M. and Van der Velden, R., 2015. Skills and the graduate recruitment process: Evidence from two discrete choice experiments.Economics of Education Review,49, pp.24-41. Keck, I.R. and Ross, R.J., 2014, February. Exploring customer specific KPI selection strategies for an adaptive time critical user interface. InProceedings of the 19th international conference on Intelligent User Interfaces(pp. 341-346). ACM. Pang, A., Shin, W., Lew, Z. and Walther, J.B., 2016. Building relationships through dialogic communication: organizations, stakeholders, and computer-mediated communication.Journal of Marketing Communications, pp.1-15. Parmenter, D., 2015.Key performance indicators: developing, implementing, and using winning KPIs. John Wiley Sons. Reason, J., 2016.Managing the risks of organizational accidents. Routledge. Rochefort, D.A., 2016. 3. Agenda setting, problem definition, and their contributions to a political policy analysis.Handbook of Public Policy Agenda Setting, p.35. Sadgrove, K., 2016.The complete guide to business risk management. Routledge. Sharda, R., Delen, D. and Turban, E., 2013.Business Intelligence: A managerial perspective on analytics. Prentice Hall Press. Stavrou, V., Kandias, M., Karoulas, G. and Gritzalis, D., 2014, September. Business Process Modeling for Insider threat monitoring and handling. InInternational Conference on Trust, Privacy and Security in Digital Business(pp. 119-131). Springer International Publishing. Verbeke, A. and Tung, V., 2013. The future of stakeholder management theory: A temporal perspective.Journal of Business Ethics,112(3), pp.529-543. Zwetsloot, G.I.J.M., 2014. Key performance indicators.

Admiration by William Adolphe Bouguereau

Nineteenth century painting witnessed an unprecedented array of trends, ranging from Neoclassicism to Impressionism and Symbolism. In this variety of currents, there still were artists who managed to preserve their dedication to one trend throughout whole their life.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Admiration by William Adolphe Bouguereau specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of them is William Adolphe Bouguereau, a French academic painter who kept true to realistic genre paintings and traditional mythological subjects (Grove Dictionary 40). Bouguereau’s oil on canvas Adoration (1897) is a classical example of Academic-style painting, involving an almost photo-realistic depiction of the models in a pseudo-mythological scene. Bouguereau’s academism reveals itself in the way the artist employs visual elements and principles. The clear, transparent colors set off the main group against a dark er background and make it almost glowing, tinting the perfect translucent skin by the soft dark coloring of some clothing. The color palette is reserved and yet serene, which supports the general calm and tranquil mood of the painting. The gentle lines of the bodies merge in harmony, revealing the natural perfection of human stature. Draped in softly falling tunics, the female bodies remind of the contours of the ancient statues. Polishing the skin texture to flawlessness, by play of light and shadow Bouguereau creates rounded and soft shapes that attract and delight by their innocent grace. The center of interest in the painting, emphasized by the color contrasts, is definitely the central group of five young women, reaching out for a yet more important figure of a boy in the center of the composition. On the one hand, his figure is helping to balance the three female figures on the left. On the other hand, he is a self-sufficient central figure. This visual balance is achieved by placing the boy’s body exactly in the middle of the painting and leveling out the three figures on the left by painting one of them in dark clothing and making it less visible at first sight. The group of six is placed on a darker background of a forest — such â€Å"primeval woods† background is typical for Bouguereau (Van Hook 46); and yet farther at a distance one sees ancient temples placed on a hill. This three-level perspective reminds of the compositional principles practiced by the Renaissance artists.Advertising Looking for critical writing on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Together with the formal aspects, Bouguereau employs semantic elements to emphasize his academic orientation. The title of the painting refers the viewer to the religious theme of adoration of the Magi. In Bouguereau’s Adoration, however, the Biblical figures of the Magi and the newborn Christ are replace d by the group of young women expressing their admiration to a flaunting boy. This reminds, in its turn, of the ancient subject of adoration of Cupid by nymphs. The boy in Bouguereau’s painting possesses most of Cupid’s typical attributes: wings and arrow which he is still deciding where to shoot. Reminding of the Biblical Magi, one of the young women is holding a bouquet of flowers, as a gift to the newborn and a guarantee of his favor. As a symbol of the painting’s reference to antiquity, Bouguereau places the silhouettes of the ancient temples in the background. The non-conflict, placid atmosphere of the painting reminds of the pastoral images of the Greeks and provides yet another link to the classical art. Classified by his contemporaries as one of the most ardent followers of â€Å"academic realism†, William Adolphe Bouguereau confirms this title throughout all his creative life (Van Hook 43). One of his late works, Adoration, demonstrates how littl e his style changed, revealing impeccable academic professionalism both in visual elements and principles and in content and subject matter. Works Cited Bouguereau, William Adolphe. Admiration. 1897. San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio, Texas. â€Å"Bouguereau, William(-Adolphe).† The Grove Dictionary of Art: From Monet to Cà ©zanne: Late 19th-Century French Artists. 2000. Print. Van Hook, Bailey. Angels of Art: Women and Art in American Society, 1876-1914. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University, 1996. Print.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Admiration by William Adolphe Bouguereau specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This critical writing on Admiration by William Adolphe Bouguereau was written and submitted by user Kailyn Phillips to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Problem with Taking Too Many Vitamins essays

The Problem with Taking Too Many Vitamins essays One of my friends is taking mega-doses of vitamin A, C, B-6, and E because she thinks they help her stay healthy. I had her sit down with me, so that I could explain to her more about the vitamins she is taking. I told her about the good things each vitamin does how she can get these vitamins other ways and what happens when taking mega doses. I started with vitamin A and told her that the dosage requirement each day is 700 mcg. Vitamin A can multitask; it has numerous functions in the body. All the cells in the body need vitamin A to develop and function properly. Normal bone growth and development, and even the eyes use this vitamin. It is very important to have this in her body, but she needs to be careful how much she puts in. There are easy ways of getting vitamin A in her body without having to take a supplement. I mentioned that animal foods such as liver, butter, fish, fish oils and eggs are good sources. There are even the foods that are fortified with the vitamin during processing. And for the rich sources of beta-carotene she could eat carrots, spinach, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and other varietys that are dark in color. Finally, I told her how I was concerned that she could be taking too much. If taking more than 3000 mcg a day, then her liver could be damaged because this is the main site for the vitamin storage. I told her to watch for any signs if she continues to keep taking large amounts. Those signs would be; headache, nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, hair loss, bone pain, and bone fractures. Vitamin C is only needed in small amounts. The RDA is at 75 mg a day for us women. Vitamin C performs a variety of important cellular functions, primarily by donating electrons to other compounds. It also participates in reactions that form and maintain collagen, plays a role in the bodys immune function, and the vitamin is necessary for the synthesis of bile and certain neurotransmitters. Also it is invol...

Global warming Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Global warming - Research Paper Example This letter contains precise and conclusive information as to how and why the scientific community, especially the American Physical Society have lead the general population to believe that Global Warming will melt the earth down and all life will perish. A certain word that has been included in the official statement on global warming by the American Physical Society regarding global warming that Lewis so rightly pointed out is ‘incontrovertible’. This word is such a powerful word that when it is attached with any idea, theory or any form of interpretation, it becomes the undisputed law. The authorities at APS have wrongfully attached this word with global warming which is simply unfair. This word indicates absolution or unanimity which is certainly not the case as Lewis himself is an example of an expert physicist who opposes and rejects the fearful propaganda about global warming. One reason for writing this essay is because of the enormity that it deals with and Antony Watts (a famous science blogger) asked to publish, promote and discuss this issue on every scientific blog or journal. In his letter of resignation Lewis reminds Curt, the president of APS, about the great past and the values that APS was known for when Lewis joined this association. According to Lewis, this organization wasn’t motivated by money back in the time when he joined it. Back in those days, being a physician meant a life of poverty and abstinence. World War II changed the game. Money got involved in scientific research and suggestions. As more money poured in, wealthy people and companies started influencing decisions and researches of scientists at APS. The whole system became corrupt. During the good old times, money or any kind of external factors never influenced the scientific research. It was objective and unbiased as it should be. Even when the research on Reactor Safety Study was in progress, Zealots were right outside the research center

Managing Uncertainty- How does the dollar affect the diamond industry Essay

Managing Uncertainty- How does the dollar affect the diamond industry in India - Essay Example In 2011, the amount of uncut diamonds was 120 million carats; as compared to the 150 million carats in 2007. This decline is alarming and is an issue of concern that needs to be addressed. The impact of the dollar on the diamond market in India Based on the complicated and complex forms of uncertainties, one can conduct an analysis of the impact that the fluctuation of the dollar has had on the diamond market in the United States. Before the 1990s, the Forex system used to be fixed; however, after the 90s, the Indian government changed the system to a model based on floating rate. The purpose of the fixed rate system was to ensure that rupee fared well against other major world currencies such as Euro, Dollar, as well as GBP. Under the floating rate, the market forces can be regarded as the determinants of supply, as well as demand of the currency. In this case, there is a decline in the value of the currency when demand is less than its supply. When the supply is less than the deman d of the currency, there is an increase in the value of the currency. ... When there are more payments made using dollars as compared to the amount of foreign currency received, what results is a huge supply of the dollar in foreign markets. Consequently, the value of the dollar will fluctuate compared to other world currencies. This has affected the diamond industry in India, which exports some of its diamond products to the United States (Poros 2011, p.65). The other reason why the dollar has witnessed massive fluctuation is because of the huge amounts of U.S dollars in foreign markets such as India. This high amount of the currency has led to its fluctuation, thus affecting the diamond market in India, which uses the US dollar as one of the major currencies while conducting trade. The fluctuation in the value of the dollar also emanates from the huge gap created by the balance of payments deficit. Over time, the U.S dollar has weakened, thus resulting to a huge BOP deficit. The fluctuation in the value of the dollar has also resulted to the reduction in the Foreign Direct Investment in India. This has significantly affected the diamond industry in India since few people wish to invest in the country. The decline in FDI does not attract investors; rather it keeps them away, thus resulting to low investments and little trade in precious commodities such as diamond (Eskeland et al 2003, p.73). The fluctuation of the dollar has also had an impact on traders who either supply the commodity to India, or import it from India after processing. The diamond market in India has also been affected by the diamond industry in China. Whereas India uses the dollar as a primary currency, China does not highly depend on the dollar. As a result, the Indian

The Neurobiological Basis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

The Neurobiological Basis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) Family name:  Batty Personal Name:  Therese Major depressive disorder (MDD) which is also known as either unipolar depression or major depression is a common yet disabling mental disorder affecting over 400 million people worldwide with a higher incidence in women than men (World Health Organisation, 2012). Depression may be endogenous where there is no discernible cause or reactive whereby the depression is a result of an incidence such as the loss of a parent, loved one or stress. Some of the emotions that individuals may experience with depression are, feelings of sadness, anger, bitterness and resentment, emotions which can last a few days or in some cases, months and have a huge impact on the individuals life. Some individuals suffering from MDD are also more likely to have a substance abuse problem, other mental and physical problems, and are likely to have a greater suicide risk. MDD is a widely researched topic with a sense of urgency to find the exact aetiology and pathophysiology behind the disease so that a more tho rough understanding can be reached and treatment can be uniquely designed for each individual. Researches surmise that various factors are involved such as the chemical changes in the brain, genetic predispositions and environmental factors. The aim of this essay, although not comprehensive enough, is to try and bring together research material from various sources and highlight some key areas around MDD such as a synopsis of the aetiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, treatments and test available today. Aetiology The underlying aetiology (causes) of MDD is so complex with many gaps that it appears that no-one is quite sure what causes depression, however much research done to date into this condition suggests that a combination of factors are involved, such as genetics, an individual’s biochemical environment, personal experiences and psychological factors. According to Dr Michael Miller, a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard University (2013), several forces interact to bring on depression including faulty mood regulation by the brain, medications, medical problems, genetic vulnerability and stress. In as much as age related brain changes, disease related changes , for example, cerebrovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy, lead to disruptions in the circuitry of emotion regulation and can cause the onset of depression (Wryobeck, Haines, Wynkoop and Swanson, 2013). Areas of the brain underpinned by major depressive disorders such as the thalamus, the hippocampus and the amygdala (Limbic circuitry) (Figure 1. Miller, 2013 ) include several groups of neurons and white matter. Cell connections, nerve cell growth, and the functioning of nerve circuits in the brain have a major impact on how the brain functions, particularly in the way they communicate with each other. Several different chemicals and hormones working within and outside these nerve cells play a key role, with reduced levels of serotonin and noradrenaline posit to be a huge factor associated with the disease (Miller, 2013). Similarly, Villanueva (2013) through the construct of a survey used to assess the neurobiology of MDD, found that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDFN) along with expressions of miRNA’s (involved in neural plasticity), abnormal gastrointestinal signalling peptides and proinflammatory cytokines are all causative factors of major depressive disorder. What proinflammatory cytokines do, is stimulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, activate secretion of growth hormone and inhibits the thyroid stimulating hormone secretion, all of which are associated with depression. Whereas gut microbiota (flora), specifically leptin, ghrelin and cholecystokinin (signalling peptides), influence the central nervous system including modulation of neurogenesis which can influence brain chemistry and consequently an individual’s behaviour. According to Lopresti, Hood and Drummond (2013), as seen in figure 2 below, a bi-directional relationship is likely to exist between depression and lifestyle factors with key symptoms including changes in appetite, general energy levels, motivation levels and sleep, which in turn affect diet, exercise and sleep thereby creating a cycle of influence. A vicious cycle, all of which point to the necessity of promoting lifestyle changes Figure 2. Potential mechanism of diet, sleep and exercise on major depression. In Lopresti et al. (2013). Another avenue suggested by Dr Miller (2013), is that research has identified that genetics play a role, in that not only do certain genes make individuals more vulnerable to low moods, but it can influence how individuals respond to drug therapy. Likewise, Stanford school of medicine surmise that through its research on the study of identical (100% genetically identical) and non-identical twins (50% genetically identical) and major depression as a heritability factor, heritability shows to be a huge contributor in the development of this disease. Each individual inheriting a unique combination of genes, with a predisposition to certain illnesses (Levinson and Nichols, n.d.). Genes controlling either the production or utilization of serotonin plays and important role in the pathogenesis of depression and in particular with serotonin reuptake due to the fact that depressed individuals have a lower rate of serotonin uptake. In depression of the elderly or late onset depression, genetic s is less common or does not appear to play a role as genetic markers are not present (Halverson, Bhalla, Bhalla and Andrew (2014). In so saying then, non-genetic factors, many of which are not known, also need to be taken into account, as Levinson and Nichols (n.d) suggest, these factors also increase the risk and progression of depression. Pathophysiology Progression of the illness as indicated by Treadway et al.(2014), is linked to biological changes. Due to over-stimulation of steroidal and inflammatory signalling molecules by stress, structural abnormalities within the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, known for regulating behaviour and endocrine responses to stress, can be damaged. Moreover diet, sleep and exercise not only play a significant role in the development and progression of the illness, it also impacts on the treatment. One research analysis undertaken by Maletic, Robinson, Oakes, Lyengar, Ball and Russell (2001), summarised that MDD involved structural, functional and molecular alterations within the brain. Similarly research conducted by Halverson et al. (2014), speculates that although the underlying pathophysiology of MDD has not been clearly defined, studies show a strong interaction between the neurotransmitter availability and receptor regulation, with emphasis again on serotonin activity disturbances in the cen tral nervous system. Other neurotransmitters such as epinephrine, dopamine, glutamate and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are also implicated in depression. Cells within the hypothalamus are responsible for an individual’s emotional state which in turn link to the stress responses. Several studies , in particular Lopresti et al. (2013), show that during stressful times, the hypothalamic – pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), the neuroendocrine circuit that manages stress in the body, becomes activated. This then leads to the release of epinephrine and glucocorticoids (cortisol) to assist the body in its adaptive response to stress. However, if the body remains under a constant state of stress, excitotoxicity of neurons, particularly in the hippocampus can occur leading to dendrite atrophy and apoptosis of neurons (Wryobeck et al. 2013). Research shows that while cortisol helps the brain to cope with stressful situations, it also damages and kills cells in the hippoca mpus. So it can almost be said that stress excites brain cells to death. Furthermore research shows that individuals experiencing depressive disorders have a smaller hippocampal volume than individuals who do not from depression and that positron emission tomographic (PET) showed a diminished activity in the area of the prefrontal cortex in individuals with depressive disorders. Thereby underlying the functional and structural abnormalities in the brain regions of individuals suffering from depression (Halverson et al. 2014). Most individuals with MDD present with normal appearance however, individuals with more severe symptoms may present with more significant signs such as, poor hygiene, poor grooming and changes in weight. Individuals with MDD have a distorted view of their life whereby negative attitudes make it more difficult to see a positive outcome from a difficult situation. Other symptoms such as psychomotor retardation, agitation or restlessness, suicidal thoughts or atte mpts, social withdrawal and in the elderly somatic complaints may also be evident. These however are only some of the underlying signs and symptoms as individuals vary from one to the next. Risk factors / causal agents It is a widely held view that there is an unambiguous relationship between physical, psychological, environmental, genetic and social factors as well as a dysregulated response to chronic stress as risk factors for depression. Halverson et al. (2014) infer that stress plays a dominant role in depression due to the chemicals involved throughout the body such as adrenaline and cortisol which in abundance, leads to other health complications. With the various types of onset of stress being for example, the loss of a parent prior to the age of 10 years, parent-child relationships, due to poor interaction between the two and child stressors, which can contribute to depression or thought to be associated with both early and late abuse and neglect. In addition, stressful changes in life patterns such as a serious loss, difficult relationships, trauma or financial problems can trigger a depressive episode. Women with a previous history of depression are at higher risk of menopausal depressio n while low testosterone levels in older men also aid in onset of depression (Halverson et al. 2014). Likewise Martin (2014) highlights that women may experience more episodes of depression than men due to hormonal changes such as during premenstrual phases, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause. Coupled with this is the additional stress of work-life balance where women take on the added responsibility of tending to children and or aging parents whilst still trying to forge a career for themselves. Individuals with a family history of depression tend to be at higher risk of developing depressive disorders. Psychosocial risk factors according to Halverson et al. (2014) can include impaired social supports, caregiver burden, loneliness, bereavement and negative life events. Abused substances and pharmacological agents can increase depression risks due to altering brain chemicals. These include pain relievers, sedatives, sleeping pills, cortisone drugs and seizure drugs, to name but a few. Whilst in the elderly, neurodegenerative diseases particularly Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, stroke, macular degeneration (vision) and chronic pain can all contribute to higher rates of depression (Martin, 2014). Treatment strategies First and foremost, education plays an important role in the treatment of MDD as individuals may become aware of the signs of relapse thereby allowing them to seek early treatment. Family and support members also need to be educated about the nature of depression and the treatment involved so as to be able to give the support needed, ensure medication compliance and encourage a change in lifestyle such as keeping active (Halverson et al. 2014). Wryobeck et al. (2013), posit that with depression being a multi-factored illness, treatment should encompass a combination of therapies such as psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, lifestyle management, psychosocial therapy and pharmacotherapy. Pharmacotherapy such as anti-depressants being one method affects the neurotransmitters. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a new class of antidepressants, which allow for the increase of serotonin by blocking the re-uptake of serotonin into the presynaptic neuron, is according to Clarke and Gordon (2011), used as the first line of treatment. SSRIs allow for autoreceptors to be desensitised or down-regulated, nerve transmission and serotonin levels are normalised and mood is elevated. Figure 3 below, illustrates how the amount of neurotransmitters in individuals with depression are reduced and postsynaptic receptors are increased as a response to these lower levels. The re-uptake of serotonin adding to the decreased amount of neurotransmitters. When treatment of SSRIs take place, serotonin levels increase due to the blocking of the re-uptake and down-regulation of postsynaptic receptors occur (Clarke Gordon, 2011). Figure 3 Action of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor drug. In neurobiology of mental illness Clarke Gordon (2011). Psychotherapy can include behaviour therapy, cognitive-behaviour therapy, family therapy, interpersonal therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy and supportive psychotherapy. Psychosocial therapies according to Halverson et al. (2014) and supported by The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is often a first-line of treatment for mild cases of depression however, in more severe cases this should be combined with antidepressant medication. Other approaches according to Wryobeck et al. (2014) and Halverson et al. (2014), can include electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) which is thought to increase neurogenesis, reversing degeneration and decreased proliferation of nerve cells, regulate neurotransmitters and correct dysregulation of neuropeptides. Stimulation techniques such as vagus nerve stimulation which involves the nerve to be stimulated with electrodes resulting in the assumption that it may alter norepinephrine release and elevating levels of inhibitory GABA. Transcranial magnetic stimulation concentrates magnetic energy over parts of the brain allowing for either an increase or decrease in cortical excitability depending on the frequency. Stimulation over the right frontal lobe apparently reduces the symptoms of depression. Talk therapy as well as exercise are more non-invasive forms for dealing with MDD allowing the individual to develop problem solving skills, coping mechanisms and in some instances to form a suppor t group. Relevant tests To date there are no physical findings that are specific to MDD, instead diagnosis is dependent on the individual’s history and mental state exam. As depression may be linked to an underlying physical problem, both a physical exam as well as thyroid function blood tests can be done. A psychological evaluation is also of benefit to gather information around an individual’s feelings and behaviour pattern. In New Zealand a wide range of tools are available such as the Kessler 10 (K10) for assessing depression, anxiety and general mental health, the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression and the GAD-7 for anxiety assessment. According to the Best Practice Advocacy of New Zealand [bpac z](2009) these tools also allow for monitoring the response to an individual’s treatment regime to ensure that optimal health is being met. In conclusion, to date the specific causes of major depressive disorders (MDD) is still unknown, however a substantial amount of research has gone into and still continues in this area with a consensus that depression appears to be a multifactorial and diverse group of disorders involving the chemical reactions and nerve communication in the limbic circuitry of the brain and both genetic and environmental factors. Progression of MDD is linked to biological changes, diet, sleep and exercise. Treatment strategies appear to be multi-factored with underlying assumptions based on individual research results. Education is still an important element focusing on the individual and support structures while more up to date pharmacopeia such as serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, lead the market as the go to drug for antidepressants. Most literature to date however, underlines the need for more research to take place, in particular, within the area of the aetiology / pathophysiology of the disease and likewise specifically structured individual treatment strategies. References Clarke, G. Gordon, C. (2011). Neurobiology of mental illness. In J. Craft, C. Gordon A. Tiziani (Eds.), Understanding pathophysiology (pp. 1177-1180). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier. Halverson, J. L., Bhalla, R. N., Bhalla, P. M. Andrew, L. B. (2014). Depression. Retrieved from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/286759. Levinson, D.F. Nichols, W.E. (n.d.). Major depression and genetics. Retrieved from http://depressiongenetics.stanford.edu/mddandgenes.html. Lopresti, A. L., Hood, S. D. Drummond, P. D. (2013). A review of lifestyle factors that contribute to important pathways associated with major depression: Diet, sleep and exercise. Journal of Affective Disorders 148 (2013), 12-27. Maletic, V., Robinson, M., Oakes, T., Lyengar, S., Ball, S. G. Russell, J. (2007). Neurobiology of depression: an integrated view of key findings. International journal of Clinical practice, 61 (12), 2030 – 2040. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-1241 Martin, B. (2014). What are the risk factors for depression? Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/lib/what-are-the-risk-factors-for-depression. Miller, C. M. (2013). What causes depression. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/what-causes-depression.htm. The Best Practice Advocacy centre of New Zealand. Assessment of depression in adults in primary care. (2009). Retrieved from www.bpac.org.nz/BPJ/2009/adultdep/assessment.aspx. The world health organisation. (2012). Depression fact sheet. Retrieved from www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets. Treadway, T. M., Waskom, M. L., Dillon, D. G., Holmes, A. J., Park, M. M., Charavarty, M. M., ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, Pizzagalli, D. A. (2014). Illness progression, recent stress and morphometry of hippocampal subfields and medial prefrontal cortex in major depression. Society of Biological Psychiatry. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biospych.2014.06.018 Villanueva, R. (2013). Neurobiology of major depressive disorder. Neural Plasticity, volume 2013. doi: 10.1155/2013/873278 Wryobeck, J. M., Haines, M. E., Wynkoop, T. F. Swanson, M. M. (2013). Depressive disorders. In C. Noggle S. Dean (Eds.). The Neuropsychology of psychopathology (pp 201-220). New York, NY: Springer Publishing. List of illustrations Figure 1. Miller, C. M. (2013). What causes depression. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/what-causes-depression.htm. Figure 2. Lopresti, A. L., Hood, S. D. Drummond, P. D. (2013). A review of lifestyle factors that contribute to important pathways associated with major depression: Diet, sleep and exercise. Journal of Affective Disorders 148 (2013), 12-27. Figure 3. Clarke, G. Gordon, C. (2011). Neurobiology of mental illness. In J. Craft, C. Gordon A. Tiziani (Eds.), Understanding pathophysiology (pp. 1177-1180). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier.

othello :: essays research papers

Othello   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this speech, Othello lets his mind take over all his self control. A usual cool tempered person Othello is inflicted with rage about the possibility of his wife sleeping with his lieutenant, Cassio. Iago has the ability to cloud the head of Othello with lies about the Desdemona and Cassio causing suffering and tragedy. A tragedy is a serious action or event that always turns out the worst way possible. Iago has setup Othello just enough for Othello to create his own disaster.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The literary devises that William Shakespeare uses in this play help us understand the many themes and symbols in the play. Alliteration is the repetition of the same starting letter to help the line have a smooth sound and good flow. In this play, it isn’t as used as much as some of the recent plays that we have read, but it can still be found. All the minor fights between Desdemona and Othello start a pattern that foreshadows the tragic ending of this story. â€Å"Tis destiny unshunnable, like death† (275). Foreshadowing are sometimes symbols or signs that usually predict events or overcomes in the story. The most prominent symbol is this play includes the image of the handkerchief. The handkerchief shows the love of Othello for Desdemona. Since she dropped and lost the handkerchief she no longer can understand the pain that Othello is enduring. The stress that Othello goes through because of the handkerchief tells of the faith and commitment of De sdemona. These literary devices help us interpret the play as it is meant to be understood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Several lines in this speech suggest that Othello starts to blame himself. One in which is â€Å"Haply, for I am black/ And have not those soft parts of conversation/ That chamberers have, or for I am declined/ Into the vale of years† (263 – 266). He thinks because he is of a different color that his wife is no longer in love with him. This bring into the subject of interracial marriage. To this day many oppose the marriage of blacks and whites. Not knowing what to think at this point in the play, Othello conjure ups the idea that the being blacks has caused his wife, Desdemona, to cheat on him with a younger, fit soldier. Not knowing that this is false he asks his wife many times if this is true.

My Journey Through Life Essay

When I started college back in 1994 I thought that this will be the last time that I would start my education at a new school, but life did not happen the way that I thought that it would. In this paper I will describe my past life experiences, and analyze my experiences that have made me the person that I am today using the adult development theories from this class. During this paper I will also state how I will look forward to accomplishing my future goals. I grew up in a small town in Massachusetts. As I child I grew up around my family owned garage. During this period of my life I saw my families get divided by the power of money. My father and uncle inherited the business when my grandfather passed away. Before when my  grandfather was alive everything was great in life, but ever since he passed everything changed. I saw how my uncle who was the eldest take control of the money, and how he treated my father differently than before. During this time of my life it me that money can change any person no matter who they are even if they are related. As a child growing up I played sports all year long. I played football, basketball, and baseball. Since I was the youngest one in my family I followed my older brother around and his friends. My brother is three years older than myself. I would always play sports with his friends, and it made me a better athlete competing against older kids. All I wanted to do since I was a child was to go out and play sports. Growing up my family took many vacations. My fondest times were when we would go camping all around the United States. During these times I got to see all different parts of the country and it helped us bond as a family. Each time we went on vacation my mother and father would never fight. These vacations were my fondest ones just for that reason that we seemed like the perfect family. Then once we got home my parents seemed to be the exact opposite then when we were on vacation. My dad had problems with his brother at the garage and took out his frustration on my mother. This was like night and day from the family that we were on vacation. Growing up my mother was my most influential person in my life. I remember her playing catch with me when my dad was not around. My mother would always attend my sporting events even though she did not understand any of the games that I played. My mother always told me to never let any person tell you that you cannot do anything in life that it is up to yourself what you choose to accomplish. Growing up I played sports all year long. During the course of the year I had my same coaches for many years and they became like father figures to me. They taught me that playing sports was a privilege that had to be earned. They taught that it did not matter how good you were at sports that if you did not have good grades that you were not allowed to play. Playing sports also instilled in me that you have to trust and respect others, because you cannot do everything yourself. As a student in high school I had many different teachers. I had one teacher Mr. Rice who would be very hard on me when I would make a mistake on my assignments. He would always call me out on my mistakes in front of everyone in class to let me know when I was wrong. Once I completed his  class he pulled me aside and told me that I was one of his best students since I learned from my mistakes and never quit. Growing up my parents made me get a job once I turned sixteen. Even though I played sports all year around my parents told me that not everything in life is giving to you. One of my first jobs was a stock boy at our local grocery store. During this time I had to schedule my work, sports, and school work around my work so I would not fall behind. This was a very important lesson in my life that taught me time management along with responsibilities that come along with growing up as a young adult. Once I left college after two years to become an adult I found a job at my brothers company being a micro-electronics technician. This job helped me move out of my parents’ house and become an adult. I learned some of my most valuable lessons in life. This job taught me that I was responsible for every daily activity. I had to provide my own food all the way down to paying each bill to keep a roof over my head. This was a very important lesson in my life that helped prepare myself for next job. After five years of being a micro-electronics technician I moved to Florida and found a job in the quality assurance field. This was one of my most important jobs that would affect my life. As I have grown into an adult and have integrated what I have learned. The â€Å"universal ethical principles state that ideas about right and wrong come from within after a long period of thinking, reasoning, and integrating what we have learned about life† (Witt & Mossler, 2010, CH 3, â€Å"Moral Development†). This job made me realize what I wanted to do in life, and helped me think about what is right and wron g. Before this job the only thing that I cared about was the money. This job gave me satisfaction of what I do on a daily basis. This job did bring me to Florida. I lived in Massachusetts for 26 years until I took my job in the quality field. It was a total culture shook when I moved here. Before this move I was accustomed to my environment in Massachusetts. I realized that things up north move at a faster pace than things in the south. This move was a big culture change for me. This moved helped me grow in many ways than I could have never imagined. I had to learn on how to adapt to different cultures and beliefs that I was not used to. One of the greatest achievements that I have made was moving to Florida and meeting my wife. At the time when I meet her I was unemployed and was running out of money. She brought back hope in my  life and me realize that I have a lot more to offer than just walking around with my head down. Since her belief in me when we got married, I have bought a brand new house, a new truck, and I have more money in my bank account than I have ever before. Meting my wife was one of the best achievements in my life. A few months after getting married to my wife we welcomed our daughter into this world. With her arrival she has taught me many life lessons that I did not have before. She taught me the importance of putting others first. Before her I never thought really about how I could improve upon my life. Since her birth I started to think about finishing my education so I can provide her and my wife with a better life. Going back to school is a very big achievement for me. I would have never thought about going back to school at age thirty eight. But since my daughter was born many of my past thoughts have changed. I realized that I need to set a good example for my daughter. I do not want her growing up thinking why daddy did not finish his degree. By continuing my education this will â€Å"result in employment and wage gains and has a positive influence on continuing education.† (National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, B. A. (2002). As a result of continuing my education my employment opportunities will open up as well as my daughter’s thoughts that you can continue education no matter how old you are. In Conclusion, I have discussed some of my life experiences that have made me the person that I am today. I have broken down some of my key experiences using adult development theories from this class. Finally I have presented my future goals and how I plan on achieving them. The experience and knowledge that I have learned throughout this course will help me as I continue in my journey throughout life. Reference National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, B. A. (2002). The First Five Years: National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, 1996-2001. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Witt, G. A., & Mossler, R. A. (2010). Adult development and life assessment. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/