Murder in the Cathedral essays

Murder in the Cathedral essays I believe the conflict and change within the main character, Thomas Beckett, was very drastic. Thomas went from running away from his problems, to facing them and ultimate killing himself because of it. At the beginning of the play Thomas was running away from people that wanted to kill him or hurt him, because of his belief that the king didnt have power over the church. Throughout the play, Thomas questioned himself on why he was doing what he was doing, and in the end he decided that if death was coming he couldnt cheat it. I admire Thomas on how made his final decision based on what he truly believed. Thomass final decision, was what he believed in. I think that if he was content with his decision and if he felt that it was the best choice, than I am happy for him and dont disagree that he should have waited for the I think that the personification of the Tempters helped a great deal in the play. I feel that the tempters helped the reader understand why Thomas did what he did and they also helped the reader understand and put Thomas thoughts in order of importance to him. I liked it how they described how Thomas could have so much and be happy if he would just go along with the king, instead of against him. I feel that without the tempters, the play wouldnt have shown the reader the reason behind Thomass decisions. I feel that the significance of the Christmas Sermon was to tell the people that he would probably be leaving them and it would be his last sermon. Thomas talked about how a martyr is a special thing and that only special people that will remembered forever receive that great honor. To me, it seemed as though he thought maybe he would be a martyr or that he might not because of his reasons behind the decisions he made, either way he wanted the people to remember him. ...

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan Thesis

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan - Thesis Example Background Presently, in a world where globalization is of utmost importance, businesses are dependent on the domestic and international markets for their product line support. Business dependency on their supply chain is very critical and any disruptions could make a big impact. With the ever-changing weather, calamities, the global warming, terrorist attacks, human errors, utility failure, etc., the occurrence of business disruptions can happen with or without warning. Business disruption could also be the result of natural catastrophes like flooding, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados etc. Moreover, the need for effective business continuity plan and disaster recovery plan is driven by regulatory requirements, customer demands, new business practices and changes in technology. It is very important to maintain customer confidence as well as a competitive edge in these days of uncertainty. It is also necessary for companies to guarantee customers that their business is up to the task and running and it will not cause them to fail to produce and deliver products to their end customers in the event of a crisis. In this global world, vendor continuity management has become a vital part of business continuity. II. Introduction – ABC Company ABC has achieved worldwide status as a major supplier to electronics companies throughout the world. As a consequence, many companies depend upon ABC for their supplies. It is ABC’ responsibility to take this dependency very seriously and plan for situations which could impair ABC’ ability under adverse conditions to respond to our customers. As part of ABC’ responsibility to avoid an adverse condition, pro-active steps are taken, such as maintaining good housekeeping, non-overloading and periodic measuring of electric power circuits and periodic maintenance of sprinkler systems, etc. Preventive steps are a cornerstone to prevent self-induced hazardous conditions that can result in a disaster. However , there may be situations that are beyond the control of ABC, such as flooding due to hurricanes or other events of nature. Regardless of the cause, it is imperative that lost production be recovered as quickly as possible to minimize customer difficulties. Therefore, our actions for recovery should also include timely communication to our customers to apprise them the expected delivery situation and what is to be expected in the future. III. Methodology Overview Any business continuity and disaster recovery plan is made using a certain framework or methodology that makes that whole process systematic and easy to create and then implement. Depending on the type of company, as well as the field of business, each BC & DR plan relies on a good methodology to ensure success. In the case of ABC Company, a methodology is adopted to ensure the management of crisis when it happens. It enables those involved in the plan to follow a smooth flow of action in case of an event that can hinder th e usual flow of business. It also provides the actions that need to be taken when such an event occurs.

Baw2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Baw2 - Essay Example D. & Donghyun, P. (eds). London, UK: World Scientific Publishing. 25 Sanchez, V. (May, 2006). â€Å"A Comparison of EU-NAFTA Integration Regimes: From a Trade Bloc to an Institutional Development Model† [PDF]. Available at (Accessed: April 11, 2010). 25 Vega-Canovas, G. (1999) â€Å"NAFTA and the EU: Towards Convergence?† in Regional integration and democracy: expanding on the European experience by Anderson, J. J. (ed). Oxford, England: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 25 Young, S. (1998). â€Å"Globalism and regionalism: complements or competitors?† in International economic integration: critical perspectives on the World economy by Jovanović, M. N. (ed). London, UK: Routledge. 25 Soon after the wave of liberalisation pulled down the iron walls that various economies had built around themselves, the idea of conjuring trade blocs leapt up. Liberalisation had wiped out all notions which went against international trade and had highlighted upon the advantages that the participating nations could draw from it. It discouraged the past policies of implementing barriers to trade through unnecessary imposition of quotas and tariffs. Hence, a natural consequence of the measure had been the availability of a wider basket of consumption goods and eventually, a rise in the average standard of living (Jenkins, 2000). But one point that had been almost ignored at the time was that, opening up of the economies also made them susceptible to various external disruptions, so that the contagion effect which had been negligible so far, now became a significant problem. As the adjoining graph, capturing fluctuations in the economic growth rate of the world, would reveal, the dist urbances had been wider post 1990s than they had been in the period prior to that. The peaks and trenches in the growth rate are clearly evident, signifying that the economies

Empirical Evidence-Financial Systems and Economic Activity Essay

Empirical Evidence-Financial Systems and Economic Activity - Essay Example er, it was found that the expenditures over research and development, and not fixed capital formation, serve are the medium through which this impact takes place. It was also observed that the interaction amongst the structures and the industrial activity of the country greatly depends upon the levels of its economic growth. The concluding chapter of this paper explains the implications for the economic policy of the consideration that the institutional structure might be inter-related with the type of activity. 2. Review of Economic Performance and Financial Systems Joseph Schumpeter explained in 1912 that how the provision of loan was essential for the development and for the entrepreneurship. According to him, despite giving loan is not central to the normal circular flow, it is true that there exists a gap to overcome in the execution of new combinations. He further affirmed that the obligation of the lender is to bridge this gap, which he very well does by placing the power-to-p urchase developed ad hoc at the disposal of the businessman. Thorstein Veblen observed that the mechanism of assessing firms subject to â€Å"standardized bureaucratic routine† adopted by the entrepreneurs whom he referred to as the â€Å"lieutenants of finance† where as he dubbed the â€Å"syndicated bankers† as the â€Å"captain of finance† (Veblen, 1919). Nevertheless, Robert Lucas, among various others, debates that the economists poorly exaggerated the importance of financial attributes in economic performance (Lucas, 1988). While the significance of financial systems is doubtful, the efficacy of various sorts of financial systems has been found to be even more controversial. Clapham (1936) in his work agreed with the views of a principal officer of one of the Great Banks of Germany that... The paper includes the theoretical literature on the interaction among the financial and corporate mechanisms and the types of economic activities. Link of high risk R & D type activities has been established with the dispersed ownership financial systems and the market based financial systems, in case of the significant imposition of strict budget constraints. On the other hand, the financial systems with concentrated ownership and the bank oriented financial systems should be linked to long term investment with stimulated nature, in case of financial structures that require commitments to other stakeholders. This paper makes a conclusion that the empirical analyses of the relationship between the types of economic activity and financial and corporate systems are currently at its initial stage, they have significant policy implications if they are promoted through the provision of further evidence in this regard. Specifically, they indicate that there is not essentially a commanding financial system that is suitable for all economies or for all industries inside an economy. The financial systems or considerations that are deemed appropriate for a developed economy might turn inappropriate for a developing economy. Similarly what is appropriate for a highly innovative R & D economy might be inappropriate for a more imitative economy. There might be essential adjustments in making financial systems to comply with the countries’ stages of economic development, industrial bases, regulatory and legal policies.

The British Raj and the India’s Caste System Essay Example for Free

The British Raj and the India’s Caste System Essay The Indian caste system, known as Varnas, is a centuries old system of social stratification. It is a strict hierarchal system that determines a person’s occupation for them. It also determines what they can wear, who they can talk to, who they can marry. Those on the top of the pyramid have all the wealth, power, and prestige, while those on the bottom are treated no better than the trash that is thrown away. It consists of four Varna’s: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. There is also a class outside the Varna’s historically called the untouchable’s. The caste system is an ancient cultural tradition that is so deep-rooted in the India cultural, and backed by historical and religious text. After the conquering Aryans established themselves as the ruling class, they adapted a caste system that would keep the Aryan’s in positions that would bring them wealth and prestige, and keep those they conquered subordinate to them. To strengthen their power, the Aryans were able to enforce their strict social rules through religious texts and the Hindu ideals of Varnas and Karma. It has been exploited and altered throughout the centuries by invaders, conquerors, and colonizers to prevent unification for their own benefit. Some may argue that the British created the modern caste system to benefit themselves, however, If anything, the British tried to alter a system they saw as unjust to give all Indians equal rights and equal opportunity. The modern caste system has its roots in the Islamic-Hindu era. Outside the ancient Hindu texts, The Bhagavad Gita, translated by Eknath Easwaran, I use mainly secondary sources to prove my thesis, that the modern caste system has its roots in the Islamic-Hindu era. I think history speaks for itself it the numerous studies done by scholars: such as the Wiser’s who studied the caste system in tribes virtually untouched by the British; and Brian Smith who studied how the ancient Aryan texts support the ideal caste system. It existed long before the East Indian Company landed on the shores of India, and I am proving that Nicholas Dirk’s argument that the caste system is the result of modern colonialism as invalid. Culturally, India has been very diverse; India culture varies depending on the location you go to in the beautiful and vast country. Even though there are many different ethnic groups in India with their own social and cultural identities—they dress differently, speak different languages, have different religions, and eat different foods—depending on the region they are from, they all have the same â€Å"temperament.† They share the same values and â€Å"common bond† that shows a national cultural identity. The lifeline of that common bond is the Varnas, which evolved into the Indian caste system. Despite what religion Indian’s follow, their cultural values are highly influence by the great Indian epics: The Vedas, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata. Religious and spiritual thought has evolved from the Vedas, and reinforced cultural traditions. Many Indian Christians may still live by Hindu doctrines, such as the Doctrine of Karma, or practice meditation. These aren’t necessarily considered religious practices to all, but are cultural practices, or philosophies. The Indian cast system is so deeply embedded into this national cultural identity, and widely accepted as part of the Indian culture, that it is hard for Indians to escape it. As Nicholas Dirks says in his book Castes of Mind: Colonialism and the Making of Modern India† Caste defines the core of Indian tradition.† India’s rich heritage can be seen in their literature; through the great epics: the Vedas (3000 BC-1000 BC), the Ramayana (1500 BC) and the Mahabharata (1000 BC). The Vedas weren’t only religious texts, but a prototype that philosophers and religious leaders used seek their beliefs; or law makers used to create a social and political lifestyle, such as the case with the Indian caste system. The Vedas seeks universal truths of cosmic functioning at all levels of existence. Knowledge and the identity of oneself in emphasized throughout its pages. The Puranas were later written to present and explain the â€Å"truth† of the Vedas. People pulled out what they wanted from it and used it to fit their needs. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are both â€Å"epics of the people;† they are ethnic stories that have been orally transmitted over the centuries and recorded in a collective text. They â€Å"reflect the ethos and the psyche† of the Indian people. These great epics have shaped India’s values, beliefs, and lifestyles. They are the origins of the social, religious and cultural history of India. The caste system didn’t arrive with the British East Indian Company in the 1700’s, but between 1500 and 2000 B.C., when nomads known as the Aryan’s started to migrate through the Hindu Kush passes and down into the Indus Valley. These tall, light skinned warrior types quickly subdued the short, dark-skinned indigenous peoples of northwestern India. These people, known as the Dravidian’s fled to the south for refuge. Taking control of their new domain, they forced their â€Å"Divine Knowledge†Ã¢â‚¬â€recorded later in the Vedas (1200-600 B.C.)—on their new subjects. The Rig Veda (1300-100 B.C.) was the main religious and socio-economic text. These philosophical and religious texts were said to have originated from the Gods—Aryan Gods—and later texts dated 600 to 400 B.C. were written by the Divine. Because of the domination of the Aryan people and the popularity of these texts, the period between 1500 B.C. and 500 B.C. is known at the Vedic period of Indian history—and this is where the caste system originated. Long before the Aryans arrived in the Indus Valley, they were already divided into three different classes: the warriors, the priest, and the cultivators; with the warriors on top of the social structure, and the priest, or Brahman, second. These light-skinned warriors had no desired to mix with the dark-skinned Dravidians that they had conquered. To prevent their ethic traits from being polluted by the dasyu, or slaves, they prohibited intermarriage between the two distinct ethnic groups; thus a fourth class was created to do most of the manual labor. As the Aryans and the local inhabitants mingled, Hinduism developed. The Hindu caste system would evolve from this ideal that ethnic traits, such as ones skin color determined ones social position—with lighter skin on the top, and those with darker skin on the bottom, and reinforced by the religious philosophies of the Vedas. Before the Vedic civilization of the Aryans, archaeological evidence suggests that the Harappan civilization was composed of many kinds of ethnic groups that were divided into different classes depending on their wealth. Because of evidence such as a permanent and sophisticated city structure and a â€Å"uniformity of weights and measures,† it is widely believed that this heterogeneous population had a centralized government who was ruled by a group of people, perhaps Brahmin, or priest. However, some people don’t believe that there was a centralized government at all since there were no holy temples uncovered, that the evidence just points to a sophisticated trade system. This second group believes that the Aryans weren’t invaders, but a group that lived amongst the existing Harappan civilization, who became powerful and were able to dominate the others. According to Robert Heine-GeldernIt, the second isn’t likely, because archeological evidence points to a people who were of Western origin; perhaps Transcaucasia. If the first were true, that would explain how the invading Aryans eventually adapted caste structure with the Brahmin class on top. After they already established themselves as the ruling class, over centuries, as they mingled with the indigenous peoples, they may have adopted elements of hierarchy of the local faith, with the priests, or Brahmin, on the top of the pyramid. There were four different castes, called varnas, in India: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. The highest caste was the Brahmins. They are the priests and philosophers. Originally ranked number two on the Varna system, but rose significantly above the warrior class to number one. The second ranking castes were the Kshatriya’s. They were initially warriors and highest ranking. The third ranking caste were the Vaishyas, they were the workers; farmers, artisans, metal workers, and trades peoples. The lowest ranking of the Varna’s were the Shudras. They are the peasants, servants, farm hands, and laborers. There were also subdivisions in every caste called jati, which further broke down people’s hereditary social status and occupational group. Historically, the vocation you went into was hereditary and passed down from your father. As the civilization expanded, sometimes one could get away with going into a different line of work, if it was within their same caste. The structure of the traditional Indian village economy was reliant on a hereditary caste system. William and Charlotte Wiser called it the jajmani system, where a wealthy Brahman landlord would provide annual sustenance of his harvest for services of the different village servants and artisans throughout the year. The heirs to each particular service member, whether it be the village barber, blacksmith, astrologer, accountant, doctor, or whatever their particular job was, would be expected to take over for their fathers. Women were only allowed to be married off to men in the same caste as they were. By keeping everything hereditary, those in power were guaranteed to stay in power, and their superior genes to remain unpolluted by lower caste. Within the Jamani system, there was no chance of upward mobility; each individual had a fixed economic and social status that was essential to village life. When the Aryans first arrived, the warrior class was on the top of the social structure, with the priest, or Brahmin, below them. As the conquering Aryans expanded eastward over the next five centuries, they took on some characteristics of the native Indians they had conquered, the tribal structure being one of them. Since it is known that priest-kings ruled the pre-Aryan Harappa, Wolpert suggests that the Aryans learned from their conquered subjects to place more value on the counsel of their own Brahmans. This â€Å"revelation† that the Brahmins had over the warrior class, and subsequently, the Raj who were born Kshatriyas, or warriors, can be found in the Rig Veda hymn, the â€Å"Sacrifice of the Cosmic Man.† Division of occupational group into castes was applied according to the ancient Aryan-Hindu book, the Rig Veda. According to legend of the â€Å"Sacrifice of the Cosmic Man,† the first super-being, Purush, allowed himself to be destroyed to create a human society out of different parts of his body: the Brahmins from his mouth, or â€Å"thousand heads†, the Kshatriyas from his arms, the Vaishyas from his thighs, and the Shudras from his feet. The highest caste was the Brahmins, who were the priest, because the brain holds knowledge. The second highest caste was the Kshatriyas, who were warriors, because the arms resemble strength. The caste below the warrior class was the merchants, known as the Vaishyas. These top three were considered â€Å"twice born,† their second birth making them initiated into the Hindu faith. On the bottom were the Shudras, or the peasants, or serfs, who were on their feet doing the manual labor, and considered too â€Å"unclean† to be born again. The â€Å"Sacrifice of the Cosmic Man† describes how the caste system came into existence, not as a human invention, but one created by the gods. Later, as the Aryans expanded and more primitive people came into the mix, they were considered too â€Å"polluted† to be part of the four-fold Varna system, and would become regarded as â€Å"untouchables.† Out of fear of being polluted by these outsiders, strict rules were enforced to prevent any contact with the higher castes; to include strict communal procedures. These rules were designed to isolate the untouchables from the rest of Hindu society, but at the same time enforce their need to do all of the â€Å"unclean† work that was too polluting for the rest of the more dignified classes; such as butchering of dead animals, or disposing of the dead. The Hindu doctrine of Karma further rationalizes the caste system as duties one is obligated to by birth. Karma is the â€Å"moral law of cause and effect.† The position on is born into is a reflection of how they were in their previous life; if someone is born into a lower class, than it is because of their bad Karma from a previous life. If one abides by the rules given to them in this life, they will move up in the next life. As Smith puts it, â€Å"one of the main entailments of the caste system is â€Å"the belief in Karma and the cycle of rebirth whereby ones social position in this life is ethically determined by moral actions in past lives.† This belief in reincarnation prevented people from questioning, or even revolting against, the caste system. The caste system received further religious approval in the Indian epic, The Bhagavad Gita; which is part of the Mahabharata. They â€Å"prove† that the caste system isn’t just man’s law, but divine law. In the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu god Krishna says â€Å"the distinction of castes, guna, and karma have come from me. I am their cause† (4:13). When Krishna tells Arjuna that, â€Å"No creature, whether born on earth or among the gods in heaven is free from the conditioning of the three gunas. The different responsibilities found in the social order – distinguishing Brahmin, Kshatriya, vaishya, and shudra have their roots in this conditioning† (18:40-41), he is very clear that everyone must follow the caste system. He goes on to explain the guna’s, or acceptable qualities, in retrospect to the traits and roles of the four castes. By doing the duties one is born to, and not someone else, he can never come to grief—even if it is imperfect (18:42-49). Even though scholars like Dirk may argue that the caste system has its roots in colonization, ancient Hindu texts dating back to the Vedic age prove that the Indian caste system had its root deep in traditional Indian society long before the East Indian Company began to colonize India. The modern caste system has its roots in the Islamic-Hindu era. Under Munghal rule in the tenth century, many Indian’s weren’t encouraged to convert to Islam; it wasn’t until the 16th and 17th centuries that a mass conversion to Islam appeared. The religious system in India that was the basis for philosophical and ethical ideals that influenced the daily life of the India people did not have a name prior to the arrival of Islam in India. Even though there were many different religions in the different Indian communities at the time, they all had a common unity in their acceptance of the basic legends, myths, and moral teachings that formed the ideals, or world view, on the meaning of life. The name that Muslims gave this common religious unity was â€Å"Hinduism.† This disproves Dirks claim that â€Å"caste, as we know it today, is a modern phenomenon, that is, specifically, the product of a historical encounter of India and Western rule†¦making caste a central symbol of Indian society.† The Muslims made it the central symbol of Indian society when they named it Hinduism, to establish it separate from their Islamic society. As Muslims started intermingling with Hindus, it further complicated the caste system. Because Muslims rejected the Hindu belief of people born with inequality, the Bhakti movement sprang up from the 14th to 16th centuries; long before Dirks claims that the English started influencing, and putting a negative stigma, on the caste system. Inferior castes would find other forms of religious expression separate from Brahmin priest. Castes broke up, and new jati’s formed that would identify each caste based on their belief system. The great Indian epic, the Ramayana, that was popularized during the medieval period, describes how Rama and Krishna were incarnations of Lord Vishnu, and would repeatedly come down to earth and mingle with all of God’s people; not just the Brahmins. The Bhakti philosophers taught that all individuals, regardless of their status in life, could have an intimate relationship with God. This differed greatly from the Aryans concept that taught inequality in relation to God and only the priest, or Brahmins, could speak with God. Lower castes were even forbidden from reading the Vedas or entering Hindu religious temples. Medieval India also changed the hereditary occupation system. Men were no longer restricted to the position that was determined to them by birth. There was now chance of upward mobilization within each jati; not the main caste classification. Not just individuals, but Jati groups, were able to improve their status in society. In order to not go against religious teachings, families would have to save up enough money to pay poor Brahmin to preform rituals that would elevate the social standing of a particular family. They would then have to change occupations, and practices, appropriate to the social group that they were being elevated to. Another way to move up socially would be to serve in the military; military service wouldn’t necessarily allow you to move up to another Caste, but your jati (or social standing within caste) would move up accordingly. Life for Indian’s was very different under Islamic rule than it was under the Aryans. The arrival of the East Indian Company stirred up the traditional caste system; but it didn’t by any means â€Å"create† a modern caste system, as Dirks suggests; that was already underway with the arrival of Islam. The English tried to, either directly or indirectly, make life better for those that were discriminated against under a centuries old system of legal oppression. Even though the English had a hierarchy, people were able to upward mobilize and all citizens were bound by the same laws. Under the Indian caste system, there was no upward mobilization, people often died in the same caste they were born in. This was disrupted slightly during the arrival of industrialization and mass trade that the East Indian Company brought with it. The centuries old tradition of patriarchal hereditary caste occupation was disturbed by industrialization and imports from other British colonies. People whose occupations had a hand in producing goods that were now being imported or made in factories were now out of jobs. Factory jobs, or other Western type jobs, weren’t hereditary. They had no choice but to find new jobs, often jobs that weren’t classified under a particular caste, such as public works or factory type jobs. As English colonization expanded, there was further concern amongst the higher castes about intermingling between castes—especially where public works projects and service in the military was concerned. There was fear amongst the higher castes that physical contact between the pure and impure castes was inevitable in such crowded places as train stations, public wells, or closed quarters on ships. There were concerns amongst Hindu’s about serving in the British military. In the military, the â€Å"soldiers were of a different caste now—neither so fine, nor so tall as they were before.† In the military, the British were the only superior, and all Hindus serving were treated as if they were the same caste, having to work side-by-side with members of different castes. However, after the uprisings of 1857, sepoys who were of higher caste maintained their caste and religion. The later was extremely important, because any infringement on their religion could result in loss of caste. Those that continued to revolt were punished by having to clean the blood of the English men, women, and children, who were massacred. They were forced to do this dishonor, which would have resulted in loss of caste under their Hindu faith, before being executed for their heinous crimes. In this retrospect, the English used the Hindu caste system as vengeance for acts against their ‘white’ superiority. The British didn’t create the caste system, or intend to exploit it. They tried to make their new Indian subjects a functional part of their society, as well as rectify the aspects of the caste system they saw as unjust. Traditional Indian law was loosely based off of parochial and sacred law that was loosely interpreted by different Brahmin; there was no uniform justice system. There were also different sets of rules and laws for different castes. A lower caste could be severely punished for the same crime that wouldn’t be punishable for a higher caste. There is no doubt that the English exploit the caste system for personal gain, but they also made great strides in individual equality before the law. Under British Law, all individuals were equal before the laws; therefore if a higher caste and lower caste member committed the same crime, they were both subject to the same punishments; and discrimination against lower caste was now against the law. As the Rudolph’s say in there book The Modernity of Tradition: Political Development in India, the transformed state has helped, â€Å"India’s peasant society make a success of representative democracy and fostered the growth of equality by making Indians less separate and more alike.† In that retrospect, England colonization may have had a more positive effect on an already oppressive system. The spread of Christianity was promising for those born of lower caste. They were offered an education; that was formally punishable to lower caste members. Many of the lower caste and untouchables converted to Christianity to escape their given statuses. Those that converted were freed of their previous identity, and were no longer considered part of a particular caste; although their social status often stayed the same. This may not have alleviated their problems, but it was a step in the right direction. Those that converted to Christianity could now get an education, or apprenticing under a Christian missionary. They could now aspire to do something different than what they were ‘born’ to do. There was now the hope of a better life, that hadn’t existed before under Hinduism. Today people have mistaken Varnas for caste and treat them as identical. Varnas are God created and caste is not. Varnas are conditioned with one’s actions and desires based on Gunas. The caste is manmade. It is simply a social institution and can easily be changed and modified according to changing needs of society. Caste-by-birth was never the original intent nor it ever was the basis upon which the Varnas were constituted, Sutra says that a person should be engaged only in a field of activity that he is capable of doing. In 1891, the British established the Census of India as an attempt to better understand the caste system in relation to occupation, religion, and status. In 1935, the British in India finally came up with a list of four-hundred tribal groups and untouchables. Under British reform, they would be put on a list as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and would receive special privileges in order to â€Å"overcome deprivation and discrimination.† In that retrospect, the British government started affirmative action in India for those that had been oppressed under the centuries old Indian Caste System. The English threatened the Hindu way of life that had existed over centuries and was reinforced by Hindu scripture. When Muslims started mingling with the Hindus, the caste system was altered, but the basic beliefs of karma and existence remained a unifying factor. When the East Indian Company started colonizing India, they didn’t just stir things up, but threatened the religious aspect of the Indian caste system that kept those on the bottom subservient to the top castes. Without intending to, the English got the nationalist movement going; although it would go in two different directions depending on what side of the fence one was on. Mahatma Gandhi was an influential leader in the Nationalist Movement during British rule; he believed that he could change untouchability in the Hindu religion, and started calling them â€Å"Harijans,† meaning God’s children. When reform within the Hindu religion started to look bleak, Dalit leaders started to advocate for a separate electorate for the Dalit’s. On the other end of the spectrum from Gandhi was Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, who rose up from a community of untouchables and fought for political equality for Delits. Both continued their campaigns after Indian independence. But after independence, neither would be successful without the British to advocate for them. The British brought with them industrialization, urbanization, literacy, social mobilization, and political democracy. However, it is the Indian caste system today that is preventing India from progressing as a modern nation. Although people are now crossing vague occupational lines due to technology, India still has a long way to go to break the deep-rooted deep root belief that the Hindu religious texts, the Varnas, justify caste inequality as birth right. But thanks to the British, they got a kick in the right direction. Works Cited Armstrong, Karen. The Great Transformation: The Beginning of our Religious Traditions. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. Print. Easwaran, Eknath. The Bhagavad Gita. Canada: Nilgiri Press, 2007. Print. Dirks, Nicholas. Castes of Mind: Colonialism and the Making of Modern India. Princeton University Press, 2001. eBook. Judd, Denis. The Lion and the Tiger: The Rise and Fall of the British Raj. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. Print. Heine-Geldern, Robert. â€Å"The Coming of the Aryans and the End of the Harappa Civilization.† Man Vol. 56, No. 151 (Oct, 1956): 136-139. Hoover, James W., History of the World: India in the Islamic Era and Southeast Asia. Austin: Steck-Vaughn Co., 1997. Print. Lahiri, R.K., â€Å"Caste System in Hinduism† Boloji.com (November 2005) http://www.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Contentsd=ArticlesArticleID=1211, accessed, November 15, 2012. Lewis, Oscar and Victor Barnouw. â€Å"Caste and the Jajmani System in a North Indian Village.† The Scientific Monthly Vol. 83, No. 2 (Aug, 1956): 66-81. Malloy, Michael. Experiencing the World’s Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change. Calif ornia: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1999. Print. Warshaw, Steven. India Emerges: A Concise History of India from its Origin to the Present. Berkley: Diablo Press, 1989. Print. Wolpert, Stanley. A New History of India. 6th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Print. Mountjoy, Shane. Rivers in World History: The Indus River. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2005. Print. Rudolph, Lloyd I. and Susanne Hoeber. The Modernity of Tradition: Political Development in India. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1984. eBook. Sekhon, Joti. Modern India. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2000. Print. Smith, Brian K. Classifying the Universe: the Ancient Indian Varna System and the Origins of Caste. New York: Oxford Press, 1994. Print. [ 1 ]. â€Å"Lifestyles, Values, and Beliefs† (India, National Portal of India) http://india.gov.in/knowindia/culture_heritage.php?id=69, accessed 10 November, 2012; â€Å"Ethnicity of India† (India, National Portal of India) http://india.gov.in/knowindia/culture_heritage.php?id=70, accessed 10 November 2012; â€Å"Ancient History† (India, National Portal of India) http://india.gov.in/knowindia/culture_heritage.php?id=2, accessed 10 November 2012). [ 2 ]. â€Å"Indian Literature through the Ages† (India, Ministry of Culture, Government of India) http://ccrtindia.gov.in/literaryarts.htm, accessed 11 November 2012. [ 3 ]. Steven Warshaw, India Emerges: A Concise History of India from its Origin to the Present (Berkley: Diablo Press, 1989), 16-17. [ 4 ]. Stanley Wolpert, A New History of India, 6th ed (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 27; Warshaw, 17 [ 5 ]. Karen Armstrong, The Great Transformation: The Beginning of our Religious Traditions (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006), 13-14; Shane Mountjoy, Rivers in World History: The Indus River (Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2005), 17-21. [ 6 ]. Robert Heine-Geldern, â€Å"The Coming of the Aryans and the End of the Harappa Civilization,† Man Vol. 56, No. 151 (Oct, 1956): 136 [ 7 ]. Oscar Lewis and Victor Barnouw, â€Å"Caste and the Jajmani System in a North Indian Village,† The Scientific Monthly Vol. 83, No. 2 (Aug, 1956): 66. [ 8 ]. Wolpert, 29. [ 9 ]. Armstrong, 25; Michael Malloy, Experiencing the World’s Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change (California: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1999), 119. [ 10 ]. Wolpert, 29-30; 119. [ 11 ]. Wolpert, 119-120 [ 12 ]. Molloy, 67. [ 13 ]. Brian K. Smith, Classifying the Universe: the Ancient Indian Varna System and the Origins of Caste (New York: Oxford Press, 1994), 10. [ 14 ]. Eknath Easwaran, The Bhagavad Gita (Canada: Nilgiri Press, 2007), 117; 261-262. [ 15 ]. Dirks, 5. [ 16 ]. James W. Hoover, History of the World: India in the Islamic Era and Southeast Asia (Austin: Steck-Vaughn Co., 1997), 20-22. [ 17 ]. Hoover, 22-23. [ 18 ]. Denis Judd, The Lion and the Tiger: The Rise and Fall of the British Raj (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), 67-68. [ 19 ]. Judd, 74. [ 20 ]. Judd, 73-83. [ 21 ]. Lloyd I. and Susanne Hoeber Rudolph, The Modernity of Tradition: Political Development in India (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1984), 12. [ 22 ]. Judd, 63-64. [ 23 ]. Dr. R.K. Lahiri, â€Å"Caste System in Hinduism† Boloji.com (November 2005) http://www.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Contentsd=ArticlesArticleID=1211, accessed, November 15, 2012. [ 24 ]. Joti Sekhon, Modern India (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2000), 48. [ 25 ]. Untouchables thought the name Harijan, that

Effectiveness of an Oral Hygiene on Hearing Impaired Child

Effectiveness of an Oral Hygiene on Hearing Impaired Child Effectiveness of an oral hygiene instruction on the plaque score among hearing impaired children- A cross-sectional study Abstract Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of an oral hygiene instruction on the plaque scores among hearing impaired children. Materials method: A total of 56 institutionalized children with hearing impairment in the age range 5-17 years were selected for the study. Oral hygiene status was assessed using Turesky–Gilmore–Glickman modification of the Quigley Hein Plaque Index (MQPI), dentition status along with DMFS were recorded. Oral hygiene education along with the proper tooth brushing technique was demonstrated using a tooth model. Oral hygiene status was reassessed after 21 days and the data obtained was analyzed Statistical analysis: Results : Conclusion: Introduction Oral health plays an important role in the overall health of children, and, in particular it is more important for children with special health need. Children are prone to oral health problems when their oral hygiene maintenance is poor. Dental caries is the most prevalent and widespread disease seen in children and among the disabled it is the greatest unattended health need1. Children with hearing impairment (CHI) seem to be one such group lacking adequate oral health awareness to maintain their oral health owing to communication barriers2,3 Hearing impairment (HI) forms major disability affecting many children world-wide. There are 23,000-25,000 children (aged 0-15 years) who are permanently deaf or hard of hearing in UK4. According to National Sample Survey Organization in India, 0.4% of 1065.40 million children are hearing impaired and every child in 1000 live births suffers from HI.5 Hearing impairment primarily influences communication, on which it can have a devastating effect6. As the degree of loss increases, psychological, emotional and social disturbances generally become more pronounced.6The extent of disturbance also depends on age of onset, training, and acceptance of disability6. Various factors contribute to the significant problems experienced by this population group in accessing health care and in communicating with doctors such as lack of sign language and due to the lack of awareness training among health service staff and the shortage or absence of aids to communication7. People with disabilities deserve the same opportunities for oral health and hygiene as those who are healthy. Previous studies have found hearing impaired children have poorer oral hygiene than non-hearing impaired children8,9. Plaque and gingival indices in disabled children after a mechanical plaque control were significantly different compared with those of non-disable children10. Although numerous plaque control methods have been proposed, tooth brushing using a correct technique is effective in controlling plaque is safe, easy to use and cost effective.11 With respect to the importance of assessing the oral health care needs among these special groups of population and lack of studies carried out on this issue in the pertinent population, the aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an oral hygiene instruction on the plaque scores among hearing impaired children. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in National Residential School for Deaf, Bangalore , an institution for the deaf and dumb children which comprised of 56 children aged between 4-17years.Prior written consent was obtained from the school and also the intervention of the study design was been explained. Ethical clearance was obtained from A total of 56 children participated in the study which included both male and female. Children present on the day of the examination were included. Those who were not willing to participate or those unwell were excluded. General information about the respondent’s oral hygiene habits and frequency of dental visits were obtained using a questionnaire. Dental examination was performed using dental mirror and a probe in broad daylight in accordance with WHO guidelines12. Oral examination included: number of teeth, presence of caries, restorations and number of extracted teeth and plaque score. Acquired data was entered in the dental records for each patient. For the assessment of dental status, the DMFS (decayed, missing, filled) index was used and the Turesky—Gilmore–Glickman modification of the Quigley–Hein plaque index (1970)13 was used to assess the plaque score. Plaque was assessed on the facial and lingual surfaces of all the teeth. A plaque score per pe rson was obtained by totaling all the plaque scores and dividing by the number of surfaces examined. A score of 0 to 5 was assigned to each facial and lingual non-restored surface of the tooth as shown in Fig 1. Scoring was as follows: 0 = no plaque/debris 1 = separate flecks of plaque at the cervical margin of the tooth. 2 = a thin continuous band of plaque (up to 1 mm) at the cervical margin of the tooth. 3 = a band of plaque wider than 1 mm but covering less than one third of the crown of the tooth. 4 = plaque covering at least one third but less than two thirds of the crown of the tooth. 5 = plaque covering two thirds or more of the crown of the tooth. Figure 1.Tooth areas graded by the Turesky et al Modified Quigley Hein Plaque Index Following initial examination, oral hygiene instructions regarding the importance of maintaining a good oral hygiene, development of dental caries and the tooth brushing technique in the form of manual demonstration of tooth brushing on tooth models was given. The technique of tooth brushing demonstrated was dependent on the age group of the child. Children younger than 8 years, because of their limited manual dexterity were being demonstrated with the horizontal scrub technique and those older than 8 years, modified bass technique was demonstrated. A tooth brush and toothpaste (Colgate,India-1000 ppm of maximum available fluoride) was given to all the participants to standardize the process. After 3 weeks, once again plaque scores were recorded and statistically analyzed with baseline scores. Results Discussion The AAPD defines special health care needs as â€Å"any physical, developmental, mental, sensory, behavioral, cognitive, or emotional impairment or limiting condition that requires medical management, health care intervention, and/or use of specialized services or programs.14 Oral health is an inseparable part of general health and well-being. Individuals with SHCN may be at an increased risk for oral diseases throughout their lifetime.15 Physical disability such as hearing impairment can result in difficulties to reach an ideal health status of the teeth. Since children with hearing impairment are either dependent on their parents or care providers for their general and oral health care needs, it is the responsibility of the dental health care professional to design new and innovative ways to provide dental health education to these children.16 Education is one of the essential factor responsible for behavioral change in children. 17 Particularly, oral health education is the key t o prevent oral diseases and it is always appropriate to educate school age children 18 and through them education can reach their families and community members as well.19 To deliver quality health education, various approaches can be planned to have a better communication as communication is a key factor in conveying dental health education to the children with hearing impairment.16 According to the child’s development stage and motor skill oral hygiene instruction should be instructed. Variations in the ability of tooth brushing must be considered, especially with younger children. Intensive individual training of each child is also essential to achieve desired benefits of the technique. `In the present study, the higher plaque score before OHE confirm poor oral hygiene status in children with hearing impairment similar to earlier studies.3-5,20,21 Hence, the prime motive of this study was to instill appropriate oral health awareness in these children. After the initial examination, a sample of tooth brush and fluoridated tooth pastes were given to the children to motivate them toward active participation in the program. Oral hygiene education talk was given to children to make them understand the importance proper oral hygiene procedures and the development of dental caries. With the help of the school teacher using the sign language, and according to the age wise proper brushing technique were being demonstrated. It was seen that almost all of the children showed a keen interest to learn the proper brushing technique. Majority of the children in this study use the horizontal scrub technique and Fones technique. The use of the horizontal scrub technique has been reported as a method of choice in young children in various studies because of the inability to apply other tooth brushing techniques.22-24 Tooth brushing skill and the required manual dexterity for tooth brushing are developed in children aged 8 years and above.25Mescher et al26 reported that children age 6 years and younger do not have the hand functions which are required for tooth brushing, and hence concluded that the sulcular brushing technique could be mastered by children 8 years and above. Kropfl27 reported that modified bass method to be significantly more efficacious than horizontal scrub method. Kremers et al28 and Zhang et al29 showed that Bass technique effectively removed interdental plaque when compared to other techniques. Age comparison between older and younger age groups shows differences in the maintenance of oral hygiene which is also seen in this present study. Chronological age is a reasonable predictor of tooth brushing ability and manual tooth brushing skills are acquired better after 4-5 years of age.30 In the present study, it was seen that there was a significant plaque reduction in high school children (12-16 years) compared with primary school children (5-7years) and middle school children (8-11 years) indicating better motivational and performance skills in the older age group children compared with younger ones. This can be said to be influenced by the greater cognitive ability and the manner of learning and initiation in older age groups. The results of this study showed that the OHE program was effective in improving their oral health status significantly and was equally successful in improving their oral health. Conclusion . Bibliography Hennequin M, Faulks D, Roux D. Accuracy of estimation of dental treatment needs in special care patients. J Dent 2000;28:131-136 Stiefel DJ. Dental care considerations for disabled adults. Spec Care Dentist 2002;22:26S-39. Alsmark SS, Garcà ­a J, Martà ­nez MR, Là ³pez NE. How to improve communication with deaf children in the dental clinic. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal 2007;12:E576-81. Champion J, Holt R . Dental care for children and young people who have a hearing impairment. B r Dent J 2000;189:155-9. Jain M, Mathur A, Kumar S, Dagli R J, Duraiswamy P, Kulkarni S. Dentition status and treatment needs among children with impaired hearing attending a special school for the deaf and mute in Udaipur, India. J Oral Sci 2008;50:161-5. Tunis W, Dixter C. Dentistry and the hearing-impaired child. J Pedod 1979;3: 321-334. Champion J, Holt R. Dental care for children and young people who have a hearing impairment. Br Dent J. 2000 Aug 12;189(3):155-9. Barnett S, Franks P. Health care utilization and adults who are deaf: relationship with age at onset of deafness. Health Serv Res 2002; 37: 105-20 Oredugba FA, Sote EO. Oral hygiene status of handicapped children in Lagos. Niger J Gen Prac 2002; 5: 75-9. Reynolds WE, Blick BM. Evaluation the effectiveness of instruction in oral hygiene for mentally retarded boys. J Publ Health Dent 1974; 34: 8-12 Arunakul M, Kuphasuk Y, Boonyathanasit R. Effectiveness of oral hygiene instruction media on periodontal health among hearing impaired children. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2012 Sep;43(5):1297-303. WHO. Oral Health Surveys: Basic Methods. 4th Ed. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1997. Lobene RR, Weatherford T, Ross NM, Lamm RA, Menaker LA. A modified gingival index for use in clinical trails. Clin Prev Dent 1986;8(1):3-6. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Definition of special health care needs. Pediatr Dent 2012;34(special issue):16. Lewis CW. Dental care and children with special health care needs: A population-based perspective. Acad Pediatr 2009;9(6):420-6. Shetty V, Kumar J, Hegde A. Breaking the sound barrier: oral health education for children with hearing impairment. Spec Care Dentist 34(3): 131-137, 2014 Christensen GJ. Special oral hygiene and preventive care for special needs. J Am Dent Assoc 2005;136:1141-3. Flanders R A. Effectiveness of dental health educational programs in schools. J Am Dent Assoc 1987;114:239-42. World Health Organization. Oral Health Promotion through Schools. WHO Information Series on School Health. Document 8. Geneva: WHO; 2003 Brown JP, Schodel DR. A review of controlled surveys of dental disease in handicapped persons. ASDC J Dent C hild 1976;43:313-20. Kumar S, Dagli R J, Mathur A, Jain M, Duraiswamy P, Kulkarni S. Oral hygiene status in relation to sociodemographic factors of children and adults who are hearing impaired, attending a special school. Spec C are Dentist 2008;28:258-64. Kimmelman BB, Tassman GL. Research in design of children’s toothbrushes. J Dent Child 1960;27:60. McClure DB. A comparison of toothbrushing technics for the preschool child. J Dent Child 1966;33:205à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ10. Ruggà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ËœGunn AJ, Macgregor ID. A survey of toothbrushing behaviour in children and young adults. J Periodontal Res 1978;13:382à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ9. Das UM, Singhal P. Tooth brushing skills for the children aged 3à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ11 years. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent 2009;2:104à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ7. Mescher KD, Brine P, Biller I. Ability of elementary school children to perform sulcular toothbrushing as related to their hand function ability. Pediatr Dent 1980;2:31à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ6. Kropf JL. Clinical Evaluation of Magnifying Lighted Mirror and Unwaxed Dental Floss as Oral Hygiene Adjuncts. Master’s Thesis, Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, School Dentistry; 1971. p. 124. Kremers L, Lampert F, Etzold C. Comparative clinical studies on 2 toothbrushing methodsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ËœRoll and Bass technic. Dtsch Zahnarztl Z 1978;33:58à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ60. Zhang JH, Sha YQ, Cao CF. Comparative study of the effects of removing plaque by two toothbrushing methods. Beijing Da Xue Xue Bao 2005;37:542à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ4 Unkel JH, Fenton SJ, Hobbs G Jr, Frere C L. T oothbrushing ability is related to age in children. ASDC J Dent C hild 1995;62:346-8.

Influenza Essay -- essays research papers

Influenza   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Influenza, normally called â€Å"the flu†, the influenza virus causes an infection in the respiration tract. Even though the influenza virus can sometimes be compared with the common cold. It also can cause a more severe illness or death. During this past century, pandemics took place in 1918, 1957, and 1968, in all of these cases there where unfortunately many deaths. The â€Å"Spanish flu† in 1918, killed approximately half a million people in the United States alone. It killed around 20 million worldwide. The â€Å"Asian flu† in 1957, in the United States their 70,000 people died. In 1968 the â€Å"Hong-Kong flu† There where 34,000 deaths in the United States. The emergence of the â€Å"Hong-Kong flu† marked the beginning of the of the strand type A (H3N2) era Different strands of the same virus caused all these outbreaks of influenza. When this virus first emerged. It was associated with fewer deaths than caused by the two previous pandemic viruses that I mentioned. There are a few reasons for the hemagglutinin changed from the â€Å"Asian flu† strain. The neuraminidase stayed the same. Well the only explanation would be that people affected with the A (H2N2) strain (â€Å"Asian flu†), Built up immunity to the â€Å"Hong-Kong flu†. The influenza virus depending on the severity usually includes: fever (around 100 F to 103 F), cough, sore throat, headache, stuffy and running nose, muscle soreness and fatigue....