Public Support for Chartism Essay

Which is more important in explaining the public support for Chartism: economic circumstances, or the tradition of radical politics? To explain the rise of the chartist political movement and the public support it received we need to consider the two main contributing factors at the time. Historians like Asa Briggs, W.W. Rostow and Gareth Steadman-Jones take differing views on which was the most important explanation for the dramatic rise in public support for the chartist movement. Briggs agreed with an economic based reason and Steadman-Jones agreed with the radical new policies that Chartism offered being the main reason for the growth in support for the movement. This essay will explore these two views and try to identify which is the most important. There is evidence of early political reformers dating back to the 1740’s, all wanting universal male suffrage and many of them agreed with parts of the charter. But, due to the French revolution in 1789 and the ongoing war between France and Britain, political change was resisted in case any of these events were repeated. The war had left Britain facing harsh economic circumstances and deep political divides. When Chartism was at its height economic issues were a major problem throughout the poor and working classes. These economic circumstances were a major factor in gaining support for the chartist movement. W.W. Rostow studied this connection to see whether this was a reoccurring theme. He gathered evidence to argue that economic problems caused tension in the lower and working classes. When economic pressures were low the tensions felt by the lower and working classes were low. This is shown in figure 17 graph of social tension 1790-1850 (Stevenson. J. (1978) Longman Atlas of Modern British History, London, Longman p.159). [pic] Looking at the graph it shows well the peaks and troughs of the economic downturns fitted in with the protests for parliamentary reforms and the peaks of chartist activities. One such parliamentary reform was the national petition of 1842 ‘†¦..your petitioners can produce evidence of the gradual decline of wages, at the same time that the constant increase of national burdens†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Parliamentary debates (1842) third series, vol. 1xii, cols. 1376 – 1381). This statement shows that economic conditions were crucial to the public support of Chartism as so many of the working class were seen as poor and in poverty. The cost of living and food increased whilst wages stayed low causing poverty and in turn Ill health and starvation. Dorothy Thompson’s view of the support for Chartism was ‘†¦why the British workers responded to hunger by forming a nationwide movement around a political programme†¦.’ (Thompson, 1971. P11-12). Thi s view of Thompson’s clearly links together both the economic situation and the increase of radical political ideas suggesting that the economy might have been struggling at the time but the main support for Chartism was rooted in the deeper political issues that were effecting Britain at the time. Gareth Steadman-Jones was in agreement with Dorothy Thompson as he saw Chartism’s support as a ‘political solution’ and saw Chartism as a continuation of radical political ideas from previous years. ‘†¦..a particular political vocabulary must convey a practicable hope of a general alternative†¦..’ (Steadman-Jones, 1983, p.96). The Chartists used a political vocabulary which was easier for the poorly educated and working class to interpret helping gain more attention and mass support across the country. The working classes were hearing solutions for their problems and liked the idea of change for the better. The general feel of the working class was expressed in the chartist newspaper the morning chronicle ‘we require justice before charity’. (Morning Chronicle may 3rd 1842). This was taken from a banner in the crowd of supporters. The speaker in the extract reflects the sentiment of the banner and the feeling of the crowd at the rally. This shows how political motivations were a major factor in the growth of Chartism and how the chartists used public feeling to garner support. In conclusion to explain the growth and mass support for Chartism and the rise of the political movement which gripped the nation A mix of both economic problems combined with radical political ideas left a nation wanting change the Chartists used the economic situation to tailor support for their cause and increase the idea that political change would improve conditions for the working classes. Chartism would not have had the same effect without a combination of these 2 factors. References O’Day, R., Hardy, W., Marsh, G., Padley, S. And Perryman, L.A. (2011) Making Sense Of The Arts, Milton Keynes, The Open University. Briggs, A. (ed.) (1959) Chartist Studies, London, Macmillan cited in Making Sense Of The Arts – Resource Booklet 1, (2011) Milton Keynes, The Open University, P36. Stedman-Jones, G. (1983) cited in Making Sense Of The Arts – Resource Booklet 1, (2011) Milton Keynes, The Open University, P37. Yeo, E. (1982) cited in Making Sense Of The Arts – Resource Booklet 1, (2011) Milton Keynes, The Open University, P38. Thompson, D. (1984) cited in Making Sense Of The Arts – Resource Booklet 1, (2011) Milton Keynes, The Open University, P39.

Methods of Learning: Advantages and Disadvantages

To design a learning activity or a learning program, there is a variety of learning methods which can be implemented to facilitate the learning process. These methods are divided into two main categories , trainer centered and learner centered. In the below table, I have listed different learning methods with the advantages and disadvantages of each one.Method Advantage Disadvantage Presentations 1. Save the time of transferring knowledge. 2. Gives the learners to compare their knowledge with the presented one . 3. Gives the Learner a chance to ask and discuss with the trainer directly. 2. Does not give the learners enough chance to control their own learning because it is trainer centered methodDemonstration1. Expose the learners to the best practice . 2. Considered as the first step to build the skills. 3. Save the time of sharing knowledge . 1. Unprofessional demonstrators can be a result of poor performance. 2. Does not show the reality on the work site .Group Discussions, meetings and briefings1. A quick way of sharing knowledge and skills. 2. Minimize the resistance of change 3. Learners can lead the meetings providing their agendas which meet their needs. 1. Does not involve practical part. 2. Discussions might miss the main topics and waste more time. 3. A few learners might control the discussions while the others are only listenersRole Play1. Learners can practice w hat they learn and share knowledge. 2. Build the sense of team work within learners . 3. Provide a safe environment for doing mistakes . 1. Might be over simplified , so does not reflect the real work. 2. It  requires a feedback from the facilitator. 3. It improves skills only .E-learning1. Provide time flexibility for learners . 2. The learner lead the pace of the learning. 3. Can be accessed in different ways and from different places. 1. Minimize the sense of team work and sharing knowledge with others. 2. Requires anIT access and good network3. Boring for some learners styles such as the activists . On the job training 1. Expose the learners to the real work . 2. Gives the learners a chance to practice. 3. Give the learners to share knowledge with experienced employees. 1. Requires an experienced mentor . 2. Cannot be applied in organization where there is a shortage of manpowe . 3. Learners might feel demotivated with a busy mentor or staff.Blended Learning1. Variety of metho ds combined together. 2. It addresses all learning styles. 3. Improves the competencies through learning and practice. 1. Very costly in terms of money and time. 2. Requires availability of several learning resources and facilities .Coaching1. Addresses the exact needs of a learner 2. Maximize the learners satisfaction and self-esteem . 1. Very costly because it is one to one approach. 2. Requires an expert coach because it is applied for the management levels in most of the organization.Criteria of Choosing between learning Methods: 1. Learning Objectives : after analyzing the gaps between the current capabilities and the required capabilities, learning objectives will be generated to fulfill the learning needs.2. The learning budget: It plays a main role in selecting the methods which are most effective and efficient . Organizations with very limited budget usually use the internal resources and not interested on the methods which are costly.3. Timing : the work hours and the avai lability of manpower are very important criteria in selecting the suitable methods. Sometimes, e-learning is selected due to time restrictions within the organization or the function.4. Learning resources and materials: facilities, number of learners , learning aids and IT issues are put into consideration to select the suitable learning method.Learning Resources ,Facilities and Equipments and their Advantages and Disadvantages:Item Advantage Disadvantage Power Point 1. Easy to use. 2. Support the structure of learning activity 3. Display photos, charts and statistics. 1. Requires other equipment such as data projector and a computer. 2. Might be boring for some learners styles.Internet1. Easy to access anywhere any time. 2. Include lots of learning references and materials. 1. Requires good network otherwise the learners will not be able to learn properly. 2. Learners might not be focused to the main topic when using the internet.Videos1. Interesting for most of the learners . 2. I t is not costly and does not need more spaces. 1. Contain some cultural issues. 2. It is not applicable for special needs learners such as deaf or blind learners .A flipchart1. Very cheap. 2. Useful for learning activities and preparation. 3. Utilized to get the learners involved in the learning process. 1. Requires a space in the room to be stocked up. 2. Needs clear colors. 3. Not applicable for some learning methods such as e-learning.Books and  Handouts1. Authentic references for learners. 1. New technology interference . 2. Need space or room for storing.Smart Boards1. Integrated technology 2. Interested for learner 1. Needs special training for users. 2. Very costlyClassroom or training halls1. Traditional and useful for group learning . 1. Requires a suitable preparation. 2. Not applicable for e-learning or mobile learning.Criteria for selecting suitable resources , facilities and equipment for learning activities: 1. Learners factors and learners styles : This selection is a result of analyzing the learners factors and needs such as deaf, blind, activists, theorists..etc. 2. Budget: After considering the assigned budget the suitable resources and facilities will be easy to identified . 3. Legislation : There are some learning legislations and policies which should be into consideration such as safety and health . 4. Nature of the learning activities or the learning methods : For example, e-learning requires the availability of computers or smart phone or devices. 5. Number of learners : This is very important criteria to identify the size of the class or the training hall . In addition, it enable the learning and development practitioner to identify the learning method .

Education Is Life Iself

EDUCATION IS LIFE ITSELF Once John Dewey said, â€Å"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. † It is quite difficult, even impossible to contend for the statement. We should clearly understand that education is a long process which lasts for the whole life. More than that life is the best teacher we might ever have. In other words, we can denote that we live educating ourselves and educate ourselves for living. First of all, it is interesting to note that the notions â€Å"education† and â€Å"life† can be regarded as identical ones. The matter is that speaking about education we keep in mind that it is not just a period of life but a lifelong process of learning. As Albert Einstein once noticed, â€Å"Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at growth. † Keeping to the point it should be also mentioned that education can be given and taken anywhere – at school, university or home. It doesn’t matter. However, there is no better teacher than life itself. Nobody can dispute it. People learn much deeper and more effectively through their own actions and mistakes. Life motivates, directs, controls and evaluates us. Life teaches us. What is more important, life is always fair towards us. That is why we consider life to be the best teacher. To sum up, it should be said that every person has his own attitude towards education. For some people education seems to be an obligation, even a burden, for others it is the meaning of life, for the rest it can be a means to achieve some higher goals†¦ but there is no doubt, education is the most powerful tool that has a certain impact on our lives. The other question is how to use this tool. Nukhayeva Kamila

Demand and Supply Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Demand and Supply Analysis - Term Paper Example Economists assume all factors are held constant (ie do not change) except one – the price of the product itself. A change in a factor being held constant invalidates the ceteris paribus assumption. (Riley, 2006) There is an income effect when the price of a good falls because the consumer can maintain current consumption for less expenditure.   Provided that the good is normal, some of the resulting increase in real income is used by consumers to buy more of this product.  (Riley, 2006) There is also a substitution effect when the price of a good falls because the product is now relatively cheaper than an alternative item and so some consumers switch their spending from the good in competitive demand to this product. (Riley, 2006) Firstly, there is a profit motive. Whether the increases in market prices (for example, after a surge in demand), it is more advantageous for companies to increase production. Signs of higher prices for companies that can increase profits by market demand. Production and cost: With increasing production, increasing production costs of a company, so a higher price is necessary to justify the additional production and cover the additional costs of production. New competitors enter the market: rising prices create an incentive for other companies to enter the market leading to increased supply. The price where the demand and supply meet is known as equilibrium price or market price. This is the point where the buyers and sellers come together at a common point. In a market a good will always be traded at its market price as this maintains equilibrium between the supply and the demand. (Sloman, 2006) The outward shift in the demand curve causes a movement (expansion) along the supply curve and a rise in the equilibrium price and quantity.   Firms in the market will sell more at a higher price and therefore receive more in total revenue. Similarly a backward/inward shift creates the opposite

Bureaucratic problem by Human Resource Managers Essay

Bureaucratic problem by Human Resource Managers - Essay Example Bureaucracy, Taylorism, Fordism, and Post- Fordism and the shift towards post-bureaucracy Taylorism was concerned with applying principles of scientific management as propounded by Frederick Winslow Taylor was considered too inhuman. Fordism meant applying the mass production way of manufacture as originally envisioned by Henry Ford. The features of this type of management were specialization, formal management-labor relations (labor unions), low skill, low adaptability, uniformity of production etc. This too was thought unfit in a dynamic and competitive consumer market. Post-Fordism is explained by Brusco as â€Å"the emergence since the mid-1960s of a significant demand for more varied and customized gods, produced in short series†. It can be defined as â€Å"a system of administration characterized by specialization of functions, action according to fixed rules, and hierarchy of authority†. But as the above-mentioned definition denotes, the concept required high lev el of specialization, and adherence to rules and procedures, along with a strongly defined and elongated hierarchy with many layers between the worker and the top management. Post-bureaucracy, on the other hand, is a concept that removes these disadvantages in functioning as seen in the earlier management concepts. One of primary proponents of this theory was Heckscher and Donnellon, who argued that modern-day challenges of competition, cost reduction, and innovation cannot be met with the bureaucratic style of functioning.

Case Study in Exerise Psychology ( Msc ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case Study in Exerise Psychology ( Msc ) - Essay Example One such example can be identified in the case of Client A, a 29-year old male junior project manager in a multinational software developing company for almost two years. As he needs to work for five days from Monday to Friday and for 12 hours each day, it becomes quite difficult for him to continue with adequate physical exercise on a regular basis. Moreover, Client A is required to travel away for work frequently which again provides perceived barrier to the performance of regular exercises. Client A used to perform physical exercise regularly before joining the organization. Recently, he noticed an increase in body weight and reduction in the energy and enthusiasm in work. He was also becoming more stressed at the workplace because he was no longer able to devote sufficient time to his health which in turn started hampering his performance. The organisation encourages continuous professional development of their employees including constant monitoring and counselling by the prospe ctive senior officials. In one of the counselling sessions, the senior project manager found that the client was experiencing high levels of stress as a result of not being able to make sufficient time for personal development including regular physical exercise. Thus, he advised Client A to consult a sport psychologist who would efficiently guide him in maintaining his body fitness without compromising with his job responsibilities. Key Challenges Observed in the Case It is well-identifiable from the aforementioned case that the absence of physical exercise was creating a mental pressure on Client A signifying the effect of exercise on the mental health of a person. It was stronger in the current case as a result of Client A’s previous involvement in regular practitioner of physical exercise and has already been aware of its positive affects. This in turn influences his self-determination (the will to achieve a desired goal), self-confidence (the belief to achieve a desired performance) and physical anxiety (nervousness felt by an individual regarding his/her physical ability) to a certain extent (Weinberg & Gould, 2010). Due to the decrease in these factors, he tends to display emotional outburst in the workplace and possess an increased stress level. When first employed by the organisation, he was recognised as a consistent performer which is now noticeably reducing due to his increased stress levels and the resultant behaviour. Therefore, the key challenges for the sports psychologist are to determine ways in which Client A can participate in regular physical activity without compromising with his job responsibilities. These interventions should be based within the cognitive and humanistic approaches. In this regard, analyzing the various aspects regarding Client A’s psychological influence can also be termed a key challenge. Findings of the Case According to the self-determination theory, external environmental factors have a strong influenc e on the mental health of a person which determines their readiness for physical exercise (Ryan & Deci, 2007). The readiness can be further defined as autonomy, competence and relatedness (Ryan & Deci, 2007). It is worth mentioning that the various facets of self-determination theory are intrinsically related to the (Ryan & Deci, 2007). In order to implement the theory in the real practise to identify the various psychological and cognitive factors influencing Client A’s readiness to physical exercise, the psychologist implemented repetitive

Water consumption research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Water consumption research - Essay Example son with Nestle).Even for white-collar workers in big cities like Beijing and Shanghaiï ¼Å'it would be a considerable cost if they choose only Evian as drinking water. Bottled water is a ubiquitous commodity and its consumption continues to increase rapidly(Wilk, 2006). It is frequently studied with comparison to tap waterï ¼Å'or be criticized for single-serve disposable containers and not sustainable (Azoulay et al 2001; Doria 2006; Ferrier 2001). In Chinaï ¼Å'I was not a consumer of Evianï ¼Å'as there were many cheaper alternatives. And I would not be surprised if some rich Chinese drink Evian every day.Howeverï ¼Å'according to my memoriesï ¼Å'some young people, who were students and did not earn money, claim that they were fans of Evian, who never forget to take one bottle of Evian when they had group activities, like taking an LV. It seems that this kind of behavior is a new way of ‘conspicuous consumption’)in everyday lifeï ¼Å'which is definitely unsustainable (Wilk, 2006). On the other hand, irrational consumers just buy a product out of pulse and some of them are not aware of the forces that drive them to buy the product. For these consumersï ¼Å'the meaning of this bottled water is far beyond Marx’s use-value is more concerned with the benefits sought from using a particular product. The customers seek different benefits from a particular and this significantly plays a major role in influencing their behaviour to buy such product (Kotler & Armstrong, 2010). For those people, what kind of magic does Evian have to get them pay for it? With this in mind, I suppose researching the ways in which people consume expensive bottled water while much cheaper alternatives are abundant would provide a stimulating focus. This research aims to explore in the case of Evian consumptionï ¼Å'the kind of meanings the consumer creates and find them in Evian. Through this consumption, what information about herself does she want to communicate to others? Also, this research aims to

The Marketing Plan (optional company your pick) Research Paper

The Marketing Plan (optional company your pick) - Research Paper Example 1- 6). McDonalds primarily targets children and young adults for its products. This as a result identifies three major categories of the company’s audience. The first category is parents who take their children to restaurants. Another category consists of grown up children and youths who visit the stores on their own. Adults on tight work arrangements also form part of the company’s target population (McDonalds, p. 3). McDonalds’ pricing strategy is based on continuous research that identifies customers’ perceived value of its products. The company, as a result, builds its image and develops loyalty and utility among its customers. This is then used to determine prices at which customers are willing to pay for the products. Though the food industry is competitive, the company does not adopt pure price reduction because of it has marketing disadvantages (McDonalds, p. 5). The company is majorly a retail enterprise and focuses its distribution channels to its outlets. Strategic location of its outlets is therefore the main element of its product distribution (McDonalds, p. 1). McDonalds adopts a diversified approach to promoting its products. Its promotional initiatives include advertisements, â€Å"sales promotions, point of sales display, merchandising, direct mail, telemarketing and loyalty schemes† among others (McDonalds, p. 5). Advertising also employs different media forms that include print media in posters and magazines, audio media such as radio stations, and audiovisual media (McDonalds, p. 5). McDonalds major marketing strengths include its brand imaging and research based marketing strategies. Its major weakness is lack of innovation that leads to monotony in its product mix (McDonalds, p. 3). Wallace and Forte explains that a good market plan is economical, precise, â€Å"simple and easily understood, informative and customer oriented†

Benchmarking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Benchmarking - Essay Example Performance benchmarking provides a way in which organizations compare its performances with set performance metrics. Performance benchmarking takes the form of reviewing the company’s income statements and balance sheet to ensure they are made in accordance with the required standards. The performance gaps identified can be prioritized, corrected and follow-up can be made to ensure improvement in performance. Strategic benchmarking ideally is the comparison of companies to the long-term goals and objectives. It additionally involves identifying the winning strategies employed by top organizations and adopting them to the organizational strategies. Strategic benchmarking is majorly utilized by the top level management. Importance of benchmarking There are several key advantages of benchmarking. One major advantage is that it leads to cost-cutting for the businesses. Benchmarking lower the labor costs as a company can identify that a top company is used technology instead of la bor. Based on this review the company can adopt the technology has aided in cost-cutting. Benchmarking boosts a company’s product quality. A company can decide to purchase a rival company’s products for review. The information that will be acquired may utilize in developing a product whose quality is similar or even better compared to that of the competitors. Benchmarking can aid in increasing a company’s sales and profits. A company that is involved in benchmarking tends to improve its products, services, and even processes.

Health Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Organization - Essay Example The healthy centre has been in existence since 1965 despite the numerous challenges that it faces. Saint Anthony centre for diabetes handles various cases that are related to nutrition, obesity, and metabolism. In addition, the hospital handles chronic conditions that affect diabetes patients. This paper will therefore analyse the marketing strategies of Saint Anthony’s hospital. The marketing mix (4 Ps) is one of the most common tools used to explain marketing phenomenon. The 4 Ps of marketing are products, place, price and promotion. The main product that the centre offers is treatment of diabetes and related complications. This is done through medication, or putting the patients (clients) on diet programs. The hospital also offers counselling services to patients with chronic conditions or those who are suffering from depression because of their ailments. Other products that the hospital offers are testing kits that are used by patients to test the level of sugars in their blood. Unlike other health organizations, saint Anthony diabetes centre offer comprehensive services to its customers. The hospital not only treats the medical condition by giving its patients control and regulation medications, but it offers counselling service to its patient. This is a critical aspect, since diabetes is a chronic disease that leaves its patients exposed to psychological depressions. The hospital has also enabled its patient to be able to monitor their health condition using the blood-sugar level test kits. This enables patients to monitor their health condition constantly without going to the health centre. Finally, the hospital offers its services in both English and Spanish. This has enabled the hospital to serve a wide range of customers. Saint Anthony serves its patient through its main centre in Chicago and other affiliated centres and clinics that are found in other major cities. In addition, the hospital has outreach programs that targets corporate and scho ols. Through the outreach programs, the hospital offers education on healthy nutrition and the significance of physical exercise. Price is a critical factor that affects the sustainability of business. The price of the products also determines the class of customers that a business attracts. The centre has compressive price strategies that cater for all its customers. The government and other organizations that are concerned with diabetes subsidize treatment for diabetic patients. Promotion involves informing the customers about the products offered by the business. The hospital markets its products through the media and field practice. Outreach programs in schools and corporate are some of the strategies that the hospital use to market its products. The centre mainly promote its services and products through partnership with schools and corporate. Relationship with these marketing partners is based on the special requirement of each of the marketing centres. For instance, a corpora te has requirements and expectations that are different from those of schools. In addition, the marketing collaborates benefits from the partnerships and the services offered by the centre. Affiliate schools use the partnership as a platform to promote healthy behaviours among their students. For instance, drug abuse and poor eating habits promote chronic conditions such as depression and cancer. These factors are also known to promote diabetes. Thus, schools consider this partnership as an opportunity to educate their students on healthy lifestyles. Similarly, the partnership benefits both the hospital and the corporate. Most professionals are faced with the challenge of balancing their professional life and social life leading to health complications. Corporate have the responsibility of ensuring that

Research paper onAutism-- pathophysiology and diagnostic tests Essay

Research paper onAutism-- pathophysiology and diagnostic tests - Essay Example Autism is a life-long developmental disorder affecting as many as 1 in 500 children. The causes for this profound disorder are largely unknown (White). Several pathophysiological conditions are responsible to cause autism, and one of them is Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). HGF is a polypeptide growth factor which acts by binding to the MET tyrosine kinase receptor. HGF influences the growth, motility and morphogenesis of various epithelial and endothelial cells and functions as a trophic factor for organ regeneration. Accumulating evidence suggest that HGF and its receptor MET play a role in neuronal cell development. First, HGF and its receptor MET are widely expressed in the developing and mature mouse brain, with expression beginning as early as embryonic day 12 (E12) and E13, respectively Second, HGF promotes the migration of cortical interneurons from the ventral to the dorsal telencephalon in rodents,and HGF-MET signaling systems are implicated in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of cerebellar granule cells. Furthermore, HGF plays a role in regulating the morphology of cortical pyramidal dendrites in the early postnatal period, and endogenous levels of HGF are necessary for the normal development of these neurons. Taken together, these findings Sugihara et al., 2007 suggested that HGF may be a candidate for mediating interneuron development in vivo. In this study, these researchers studied whether serum HGF levels in subjects with high-functioning autism are altered as compared with age-matched healthy controls. Furthermore, they also examined the relationship between serum HGF levels and clinical symptoms in subjects with autism. The findings suggested that disruption of the HGF-MET signaling systems results in complex alterations in GABAergic interneuron development in the forebrain. Taken together, it is likely that decreased HGF levels may be

Exploring South Africa Culture Essay Example for Free

Exploring South Africa Culture Essay There are many countries that display various types and forms of communication, especially in some countries of Africa. One of the most toured and â€Å"rainbow† diverse country in Africa is apparently South Africa. Even though most of the country is predominantly black, it is also known to be one of the most multicultural countries in the world. In fact, there are many different ethnic groups that make up the countries’ population in urban areas. Also, it explain black people of South Africa colonialism and immigration have brought in white Europeans, Indians, Indo-Malays, Chinese and many more. The best the thing to do is describe some of South African culture, customs, manners, etiquette, values in order to understand the people better. You may be going to South Africa on business, for a visit or even hosting South African colleagues or clients in your own country. Remember, this is only a very basic prologue and is not meant to stereotype all South Africans you may meet! South Africa can be described as a social community that has a various types of communicational style, depending on the ethnic group or maybe the area At the same time they value human politeness over materialism. People living in the city live their life in the fast lane, which affects their outlook. People from the city Johannesburg can quite often be regarded as having materialistic values, and being more concerned in what you own rather than who you are in general. They prefer to see themselves as urbane and their country cousins as less sophisticated. However, in rural areas family ties, long-term friendships and social standing are all important to South Africans. The many rural black communities and villages are still rooted in the traditions of their heritage, whereas the increasingly urban black community combines their roots with the urban environment and international influences that surround them. In order to be accepted by the majority of South African culture, you must first understand their customs. South Africans are openly expressive when it comes to their customs. In fact, some of the countries customs are related to the United States in a way. For instance, the United States and South African share similar greetings, the English language and attires. When trying to get to know someone, South Africans, regardless of ethnicity, prefer meeting and greeting someone face to face instead of impersonal communication like email, letter, or telephone. Greetings are unhurried and can include time for social conversations and the exchanging of them too. â€Å"Currently, there are several greeting styles in South Africa, depending upon the ethnic heritage of the person you are visiting. When dealing with foreigners, most South Africans shake hands while maintaining eye contact and smiling† (Kwintessential 2004). Some women of South Africa don’t like to shake hands, usually they will merely nod their head, so it is best to wait for a woman to extend her hand first. Men can also kiss a woman they know well on the cheek in place of a handshake; something like France. Gender can also play a role in communication in some parts of South Africa. Traditionally, South African women have held second-class status to men. African social structures are centered on men, leaving women powerless (Martinez,1). Basically this called â€Å"Patriarchal†. This is mainly the belief of social communities throughout the entire racial and ethnic population of South Africa. Women roles is to cook and be the caregivers instead the household providers. Sometimes there are women in South Africa who have to follow their husband around or cannot go anywhere without them. Some continue to follow their traditional values; mostly are tribes and those living in villages. Sadly, Patriarchal societies remain prevalent today in South Africa. Another form of the South African culture would be celebrations. There’s one event that is celebrated in the South Africa called the â€Å"Rainbow† Cuisine (Hill, 1). The Rainbow Cuisine is meaningful and traditional to the country. It brings all ethnicity and culture together by using music, dance, cultural food and turning it into a big festival; something like Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl put together but bigger. In general, South Africans give gifts for birthdays and Christmas like Americans. However, South Africans only celebrate two main birthdays 21 and 40 while Americans celebrate 16, 18, 21, and 50. â€Å"Most South African’s birthdays are often celebrated with a large party in which a lavish gift is given† (Kwintessential 2004). It is common for several friends to contribute to this gift to help defray the cost. If you are invited to a South Africans home, bring flowers, good quality chocolates, or a bottle of good South African wine to the hostess (Kwintessential 2004). Wrapping a gift nicely shows extra effort. Gifts are opened when received. Just like the United States when you are invited to a South Africans household. A person must always arrive on time if invited to dinner. It’s considered very rude to show up late or don’t even show up to an invited dinner. Contact the hostess ahead of time to see if she would like you to bring a dish. Every guest have to be in casual wear or at least look presentable for other guest who are also invited and for the host as well. There are some ways to be appreciative of your host’s invite and that’s to offer to help the hostess with the preparation or clearing up after a meal is served. Most South Africans feel well respected when someone show kindness towards them and their family, especially over their food. Gentlemen can also get away with wearing jeans or shorts at a dinner, but they have to be pressed and not wrinkly. So before arriving to the dinner it is always a good idea to check with the hosts in advance. In the urban areas of South Africa, the casual is dressier than in other parts of the country so a person shouldn’t wear jeans or shorts unless you have spoken to the hosts. Now, there is some comparison with South Africa and the United States on some issues. One would be is how South Africa and the United States are conducting business ties with each other. Apparently, South Africans want to maintain agreeable working protocol relationships, so they shun confrontations. It is said that being imperative can help to develop mutual trust before negotiating with someone in business. Another rule in company’s or business negotiating it to never interrupt a South African while they are speaking. Interrupting can cause a huge fail between the buyer and seller, more over it can mess up business. South Africans strive for consensus and win-win situations. South Africans do not like bargaining over price, they believe in final decision- making. â€Å"Decision-making may be concentrated at the top of the company and decisions are often made after consultation with subordinates, so the process can be slow and protracted† (U. S. Library of Congress). However, in South Africa women today still have yet to attain advanced professional positions. If you send a woman, she must expect to encounter some condescending behavior and to be tested in ways that a male colleague would not. Women might have equal rights as men, however they are still treated unequally in higher business positions that’s ran mostly by men, like in the United States. South Africa and the United States are practicing friendlier connections in many areas. â€Å"More than 500 United States companies have more than US$5 billion in direct investments in South Africa in the mid-1990s, and trade between the two countries is increasing steadily† (U. S. Library of Congress). Despite the alleged disagreements in government between the two countries, they both learned to communicate and cooperate with each other by coming to verbal agreements on how business should be ran. South Africa can be an overall great experience for any tourist. Their culture can be easily understood by any ethnicity around the world. Hopefully South Africans will continue to expand traditions, culture, values, customs, and etiquettes in their country, despite diversity. The â€Å"Rainbow† nation will continue to shine their colors and will always be equally match to other countries, even the United States.

The Sport And Recreation Environment Physical Education Essay

The Sport And Recreation Environment Physical Education Essay This report as part of the ISRM Higher Professional Diploma in Sport and Recreational Management has been undertaken to both explore and look at the role sport plays in society, in particular how sport and leisure has developed in the last twenty years. It will also provide an explanation to the variations to the structure of the sport and recreational sector with an insight to the roles and functions of key organisations, organisations such as Clubmark, Inclusive Fitness Initiative and the English Federation of Disability Sport. In addition it will review the leisure industry as one of the fastest growing industries in the world, fed by an expansion of peoples leisure time and spending. It will also provide awareness regarding the various schemes that have been put in place by local and central government to help accommodate people from all backgrounds, gender, race and ability. 2.0 Overview In recent years the UK leisure industry has grown and become wide-ranging in terms of ownership, with a substantial input from commercial, charitable, public and voluntary sector providers. Leisure now accounts for almost 30% of total consumer spending, and has grown in significance to such an extent that a specialist government department has been established called the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to oversee and drive forward sport sector programmes and projects. Projects include the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and support the bid to bring the 2018 World Cup to England. Their main objective is to improve the quality of life for all through cultural and sporting activities, to support the pursuit of excellence and to champion the tourism, creative and leisure industries. (DCMS 2011) This is achieved by providing advice for Ministers to enable them to drive forward sport sector programmes and projects, and work with the sports delivery Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs). The bodies include, Sport England, UK Sport and UK Anti-Doping. In addition the DCMS also support initiatives to promote equality in sport and works closely with the HM Revenue Customs (HMRC) and the Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) to promote the Community Armature Sports Club which offer tax relief to local amateur sports clubs. The majority of sports that take place in society are structured and controlled by a number of contributing factors, these include Your location and environment Occupation Disposable Income Marital status Age Mobility Time Overview Continued The above factors surround that of an individual but more often than not both the environment and society we occupy dictate what sport we become most interested in. The rational being affordability, some sports tend to be out of the reach for some people especially those living in less lucrative areas. However Government strategies have changed over the last 10 years, they have now come to realise the health benefits to the nation in terms of both reduced costs to the National Health Service and lost time and its effects on the economy and production. The realisation has meant that sport has become affordable and available to more people. The objective is to encourage service users to take part in as much physical activity as possible taking into account, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, social inclusion and deprivation. 3.0 The Growth of the Leisure Sector The leisure structure has changed radically over the last ten years, there has been an intense shift in leisure development, basic sports and leisure facilities are no longer always the first choice of entertainment activities. Over the last decade the commercial leisure industry has been one of the fastest growing sectors of the UK property market. This growth has been underpinned by the dramatic growth in leisure spend and fuelled by a select number of leisure activities, particularly multiplex cinemas and the health and fitness industry. New attractions have also emerged that combine a mix of leisure and retail uses and draw visitors from a much wider catchment area. Examples include the Trafford Centre Manchester and Liverpool One. The leisure market has been the subject of some profound changes over recent years. The mix of social and economic conditions which prevailed in the late 1990s has triggered the arrival of a much more mobile and astute customer seeking not just value for money, but also increased choice in terms of leisure environments and experiences i.e. Chill Factor and Crosby Boating Lake Arena. 3.1 Factors that have helped contribute to Growth Improved standards of living. Increased sponsorship deals from televised sport Support from Advisory Sports Council and Independent Sports Council Education surrounding academic qualifications in sport Sport England, Clubmark and Inclusive Fitness to support people with disabilities Private company buy in and investment Local government realising the impact that sport and activity can have on a persons health and wellbeing. Local government investment in new facilities that they provide for local people. 3.2 Expected Market Changes. Obesity is an on-going problem and as such is predicted to increase in the future, this is likely to provide be an increase in GP exercise referrals to face this problem. This will increase both the revenue and participation within the leisure environment. With no likelihood of an end to the obesity problem the leisure industry will continue to be provided with a convenient supply of customers long into the future. Initiatives such as Fit for the Future aim to reduce the number of overweight people in the future by encouraging them to join a health and fitness club.   In support of this the Fitness Industry Association (FIA) has lobbied for tax concessions for individuals spending on health clubs. The argument being that a healthier lifestyle will reduce obesity and overweight-related treatments for The National Health Service (NHS). Over the last decade the mortality rate has increased, government statistics indicate the number of people aged over 55 by the end of 2010 will have increased. As the proportion and number of both time-rich and cash-rich customers increase the leisure industry will seize the opportunity and take advantage on the opportunities this will provide. The government, through Sport England and other regional bodies, are investing money into schools, community sports, elite sports, coaching provision and training for PE teachers. It is anticipated that job opportunities will increase in sport development and coaching. Hosting the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will have far-reaching effects on community regeneration, with a predicted 70,000 new jobs (including voluntary positions) and  £17billion investment in sports and facilities. 4.0 Participation in Sport A survey conducted by Sport England under Active People Survey, returned the following results. The fourth year of the survey, Active People Survey 4, started in October 2009 and ran continuously for 12 months until the middle of October 2010. The full year results were published on 16 December 2010.   Key highlights from Active People Survey 4: During 2009/10, 6.938 million adults (aged 16 and over) participated in sport three times a week for 30 minutes at moderate intensity (16.5% of the adult population in England). This is 123,000 more adult participants than the 2007/08 baseline. Compared with Active People Survey 2, sports participation among non-white adults has increased by 64,100, from 722,800 (16.1%) to 786,900 (17.3%). Since 2007/08, participation in athletics (including running and jogging) has grown by 263,400 to 1.876 million adults (4.5%) in 2009/10. Cycling has grown from 1.767 million adults (4.3%) in 2007/8 to 1.866 million adults (4.4%) in 2009/10, an increase of 99,200 participants. The Wolfenden report In October 1957, the Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) appointed an independent Committee led by Chairman Sir John Wolfenden to examine general position of sport in England and to recommend what action should be taken by statutory and voluntary bodies if sports were to play their full part in promoting the general welfare of the community. The decision to set up this Committee was made because of a general and growing feeling that some new initiative was required if sport was to be enabled to expand and develop to meet the present-day requirements. The C.C.P.R. itself works only in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, however the Scottish Council of Physical Recreation were happy to co-operate which made it possible for the inquiry to cover the whole of the United Kingdom. Sport Development Sport Development plays and essential role in the development sport activities available to young people. More than a decade ago the opportunities within the school curriculum were extremely limited and usually only covered basic PE or football. The culture has now changed within schools and they now encourage pupils to participate in a wide range of sporting activities, such as rugby, netball, hockey and swimming. The education systems has also embraced the changes offering academic opportunities to pupils within this subject. Local Government Sports Development officers work closely with schools to provide them with the necessary skills to engage alternative sports, in most cases their skills are provided free of charge. Sports Development are particularly involved with children at primary school age, at this stage the education system lacks resources in terms of PE staff to allow specialist sporting activities to take place. The Sports Development team also assist Teachers to arrange special events, such as school galas etc. They also maintain a balance to ensure that the pupils who are less capable at achieving high sporting standards still have the same opportunities. In addition Sports Development play an important role by both bringing groups of people together all ages and providing the necessary expertise to support funding applications via, Clubmark, Sport England and the National Lottery. Clubmark Clubmark is a multi-sport accreditation introduced in 2002 by Sport England to support amateur clubs with junior participants. Clubmark is designed to help sports clubs develop through proper planning and by making sure that proper procedures are in place to cover all eventualities. The aim is to empower parents when selecting a club for their children. When clubs achieve their own sports Award, they will also receive Clubmark which  allows parents to easily recognise quality clubs, whatever the sport, because of the one cross-sport quality kite mark. The Clubmark accreditation is only awarded to clubs that comply with the following four standards: Duty of care and safety Quality of coaching and competition Fairness of opportunity (equity) Club management The benefits from achieving accreditation can include, increased membership benefiting from the raised profile on the Clubmark database and parent confidence. It will also provide the necessary support for developing coaches and volunteers within the qualifying clubs. Social Exclusion Social exclusion has been defined by the Department of International Development (DFID) as a process by which certain groups are systematically disadvantaged because they are discriminated against on the basis of their ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, caste, descent, gender, age, disability, HIV status, migrant status or where they live. To address the issues the Government formed a Task Force in 1997 to identify the people most at risk. In 2006 the Task for was closed down and transferred to the Social Exclusion Unit, It is smaller than its predecessor and sits within the Cabinet Office. It concentrates on preventative policies for hard to reach children and families deemed to have been immune from the governments drives against social exclusion to date. Policy Action Team 10 (PAT 10) In 1997 the New Labour Government assembled the Social Exclusion Unit better known as the SEU. The unit was tasked with reporting on how to develop an integrated and workable method to deal with the problems of the worst housing estates and the report was also to include crime, drugs, unemployment, breakdowns in community and poor schools. The report titles Bringing Britain Together produced findings that led to the setup of a number of policy action teams, the team was known as PAT 10. The belief and outcome was that if youths were to take part in more sporting activities that youth crime figures would drop, this theory has now become the business focus for Sport Development. Inclusive Fitness The Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI) has been established to support the fitness industry to become more inclusive, serving the needs of both disabled and non-disabled people alike. IFI has been working in collaboration with the fitness equipment manufacturers i.e. Lifefitness and Profitness for more than eight years to ensure that the equipment available on the market is as inclusive as possible. The accredited equipment is intended for all users and is not specifically targeted at disabled people.  Ã‚  IFI has worked together with the industry to design a list of fitness equipment, the only list of its kind in the world.  Ã‚   In order to ensure that as many disabled people as possible can benefit from both a cardiovascular and resistance based workout, the IFI recommends a minimum package of fitness equipment is installed (please note that wherever possible, this minimum should be exceeded).   This minimum package includes the following key pieces to ensure a full body workout can be achieved by a wide range of users: Treadmill Upright and/or recumbent cycle Upper body ergometer Leg curl Leg extension/leg press Upper body resistance equipment including chest press, row, shoulder press and lat pull-down or equivalent upper body multi-station Package of small equipment Child Protection In 2001, the Child Protection in Sport Unit was launched and jointly-funded by Sport England and the NSPCC. The units responsibility is to help children play sport, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, It has set out Standards for Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport which national governing bodies and  County Sports Partnerships (CSPs) are required to adopt in line with their statutory responsibilities, and best practice. There are three levels of achievement: Preliminary, Intermediate Advanced. To qualify for the intermediate and advanced levels, organisations need to show commitment and action in keeping children and young people safe. The tiered standards give parents, staff and volunteers confidence that the overall sporting experience for young people is being actively monitored, and that safety and welfare issues are taken seriously.

Management of Melanoma Brain Metastases (MBM)

Management of Melanoma Brain Metastases (MBM) Abstract: Melanoma is the third most common cause of brain metastases, after lung and breast cancer. Common clinical manifestations include headache, neurologic deficits, cognitive impairment and seizures. The management of melanoma brain metastases (MBM) can be broadly divided into symptom control and therapeutic strategies. Supportive treatment includes corticosteroids to reduce peritumoral edema, antiepileptics for seizure control and medications to preserve cognitive function. Until recently the therapeutic strategies focused on local treatment including surgery, whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT), and stereotactic radiation (SRS). Historically, systemic therapy has had limited utility. Immunotherapeutic drugs like anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) and agents targeting BRAF- MEK pathway have revolutionized the systemic treatment of MBM. Recent clinical trials with these agents have shown activity against MBM and incre asingly being used in clinical practice. In this article, we will discuss epidemiology, biology of MBM and the role of surgery, WBRT, SRS in this patient population. An overview of the currently available systemic therapeutic agents that includes immunotherapy and targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and a practical multidisciplinary management algorithm to guide the practicing oncologist will be outlined. Introduction: Recent advances in the management of advanced melanoma have resulted in improved 5-year survival rates, however, MBM remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Approximately 20% of metastatic melanoma patients have brain metastases at diagnosis.   Overall about 50% of stage IV melanoma patients will develop symptomatic brain metastases (1-3). Cerebral hemispheres are the site of 80% of brain lesions from melanoma followed by the cerebellum (15%) and brainstem (5%)(4).Common clinical manifestations include headache, neurologic deficits, cognitive impairment and seizures. Until recently, patients with MBM had a dismal prognosis with a median overall survival (OS) of 6 months (5). The management of MBM can be broadly divided into supportive management and therapeutic strategies. Supportive treatment includes steroids to reduce peritumoral edema, antiepileptics for seizure control and medications to preserve cognitive function. Traditionally, therapeutic strategies focused on local treatment including surgery, WBRT, and SRS. Historically, systemic therapy has had limited utility in the management of MBM. However, the treatment paradigm has changed considerably with the advent of targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Approximately 50% of advanced melanoma patients harbor a BRAF mutation and a number of targeted agents for this mutation and downstream pathway have shown promise in the management of metastatic melanoma. Immunotherapeutic agents like anti- CTLA-4 and anti- PD-1 have shown clinical efficacy in MBM and now constitute first line treatment options for metastatic melanoma. Biology of brain metastases: Until recently MBM were believed to have the highest mutational discordance compared to the primary site (6).   However, Chen et al. reported molecular profiling that included hot spot mutations, global mRNA expression patterns, quantitative analysis of protein expression and activation by reverse protein array (RPPA) analysis of 16 patients (7). In this study, authors reported complete concordance in mutational profile between intracranial and extracranial sites. Despite these similarities crucial differences in the expression of PI3K/AKT pathway were noted by RPPA. Another study compared the expression of BRAF mutation in different sites of metastases in advanced melanoma and showed greater mutational concordance (16/20 patients) in brain compared to other visceral/subcutaneous metastases (8). These studies provide an initial understanding of the molecular characteristics of MBM. With the advent of immunotherapy, tumor microenvironment and immune infiltration has been a focus of intense research. Brain has been traditionally thought of as an immune privileged organ but recent studies have established the existence of a neuro-immune axis and questioned this belief(9). Our understanding of this unique interplay between the immune system and central nervous system has dramatically evolved over time. Berghoff et al. investigated the expression of PD-1, PD-L1, CD3, CD8, CD45RO, forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3), CD20, and BRAF V600E by immunohistochemistry in MBM samples (10). Varying degrees of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were reported in this study, 33 out of 43 specimens stained positive for CD3(+) T-lymphocytes, 39 for CD8(+) T-lymphocytes, 32 for CD45RO (+)memory T-lymphocytes, 27 for PD-1(+), 21 for FoxP3(+) T regulatory lymphocytes, and 19 for CD20(+) lymphocytes.   Significant tumoral PD-L1 expression (>5%) was observed in 9 specimens while 22 sam ples stained positive for PD-L1 suggesting role of immunotherapeutic agents in MBM. Prognostic indices Although the median OS of MBM is dismal, approximately 5% patients are long term survivors(2). Hence prognostic factors that predict outcomes and can guide the treatment decisions and enrollment in clinical trials are of value. Several large single center series have examined various primary tumor, brain metastases, and patient characteristics predictive of survival (2, 11, 12). Age, performance status, number of brain metastases, extra-cranial metastases, time from primary tumor diagnosis, presence of neurologic symptoms and elevated LDH are factors that determine survival. (13). Sperduto et al proposed a new disease basedscoring index based on 483 newly diagnosed MBM patients from 8 different centers (14). On multivariate analysis, performance status and number of BMs were prognostic for survival in MBM. The outcomes of ds-GPA MBM varied from GPA class I with survival of 3.4 months to GPA class IV with survival of 13.2 months. These prognostic indices have inherent limitations. All of them were evaluated retrospectively, had only overall survival as the end point, did not include molecular and genetic profile of the primary malignancy, and did not take systemic therapy into consideration (15). A large single institutional experience of 366 patients treated to 1,336 brain metastases has also shed some light on the interplay of important prognostic variables in patients with MBM. In this series, characteristics associated with survival included younger age, lack of extracranial metastases, performance status, and treatment with BRAF inhibitors or immunotherapies. This work specifically highlights the importance of modern out outcomes in patients who are eligible for and receive newer targeted therapies. For example, the 12-month survival estimate for patients treated with BRAF inhibitors was 37% compared to 23% for those patients who did not receive these therapies (p=0.01). Moreover, the 12-month survival e stimate for patients treated with immunotherapies was 47% compared to 22% for those patients who did not receive these therapies (p=0.04). Clearly, further work is needed to define the impact of mutation, targeted drugs and immunotherapy in the current era. Diagnosis: The neurologic symptoms associated with brain metastases include headaches, seizures, cranial nerve deficits to motor or sensory deficits. All melanoma patients with neurologic symptoms worrisome for MBM should undergo a gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, if no contraindications exist. Guidelines recommend routine MRI of brain with and without gadolinium contrast for patients with stage IV melanoma due to the high prevalence of asymptomatic brain metastases(16). Computed tomography of brain with and without contrast can be used as an alternate imaging. Management: The options available for management of brain metastases include surgery, WBRT, SRS, systemic therapy and symptom management. The management plan to treat these patients should take into account the overall prognosis, performance status and morbidity associated with the treatment. 5.1 Management of symptoms: Supportive care for patients with brain metastases is typically to control the cerebral edema with steroids. Due to minimalmineralocorticoid effect and long half-life, dexamethasone is the steroid of choice, however, other steroids at an equivalent dose can be used and tapered gradually over a two week period(17). A randomized trial in 1990s compared different doses of dexamethasone ranging from 4 mg/day to 16 mg/day and concluded that 4-8 mg/day would provide same degree of clinical improvement in 1 week (18). Routine use of prophylactic anti-epileptics in patients with brain metastases is not recommended(19). When patients have seizures several anti-epileptics are available including phenytoin, carbamazepine, valproic acid and levetiracetam. Non-enzyme inducing agents like levetiracetam are preferred to avoid interactions with systemic agents. 5.2 Neurosurgical Options: Surgery has traditionally been used for management of solitary brain metastases, or large symptomatic brain lesions. Multiple retrospective studies have reported improved survival with surgery compared to best supportive care(13, 20-22). Younger patients with good performance status, fairly well-controlled extracranial disease, solitary brain metastasis, lesions in accessible locations and of small size generally have better outcomes with surgery (21, 23). Surgery is usually followed by radiation boost to the surgical bed by either WBRT or SRS, with an intention of sterilizing the surrounding tissues and preventing local recurrence. Two randomized trials comparing adjuvant WBRT to surgery alone have shown improvement in outcomes(24, 25). Patchell et al. evaluated the role of WBRT post-resection of a single brain metastasis compared to surgery alone(25). Postoperative WBRT resulted in a significant reduction in local and distant intracranial failure. However, no difference in the over all survival or time duration of functional independence was noted. Similar results were seen in the EORTC 22952-26001 study with decreased 2-year intracranial and resection site recurrence without significant survival benefit. Multiple retrospective reports of post-operative SRS have shown improved patient outcomes however prospective data is awaited (26, 27). Bindal et al. showed benefit of resection in select group with multiple metastases in a retrospective review of 56 patients(28).   In practice, surgery plays an important role in debulking or removal of life-threatening lesions. Surgery also provides immediate relief from intracranial hypertension by eliminating the mass effect, and symptomatic hydrocephalus by reestablishing the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). 5.3 Whole brain radiation therapy: Melanoma brain metastases lesions are generally considered radio-resistant compared to other histologies (29). Randomized trials with WBRT have reported survival in the range of 2.4 to 4.8 months.(30) The ideal dose and number of fractions, balancing the intracranial control and cognitive decline, has been subject to intense debate.   WBRT fraction sizes of ≠¤ 3 Gy do not lead to significant neuro-cognitive decline. A retrospective study compared higher dose of radiation, 40 Gy in 20 fractions with 30 Gy in 10 fractions(31). The 40 Gy group had overall survival of 5.6 months compared to 3.1 months. However most of these trials were not melanoma specific and included patients with all tumor types. Patients who are symptomatic with change in mentation, headaches and seizures but are deemed unfit for surgery or SRS due to large number of metastases, poor performance and uncontrolled extracranial metastases are generally treated with WBRT(32). 5.4 Stereotactic radiation therapy: Stereotactic radiation has been increasingly used in the management of MBM in the last two decades. SRS in MBM results in local control rates of 50-75% at 1 year(33-35). SRS is generally limited to lesions smaller than 4 cm in diameter (36).   In a retrospective review of 333 patients treated with SRS showed a sustained tumor control rate of 73%(35). The 12-month cumulative incidence of local failure was 14% in another single institution experience of 191 patients treated to 793 MBM.   Number of brain metastases that can be treated with SRS has been intensely investigated. SRS for solitary brain metastasis was compared to surgery plus WBRT in a phase III trial that closed prematurely due to poor accrual. The overall survival, freedom from local recurrence and neurological death rates were similar in both groups(37).   Several studies have evaluated the role of SRS in patients with 1-3 brain metastases (38, 39). Aoyama et al. compared SRS alone with SRS followed by WBRT in patie nts with 1-4 brain metastases(38). No difference in neurocognitive function and survival was observed. SRS-alone arm had increased local and distant intracranial failure. A phase III trial compared WBRT followed by SRS to WBRT alone, in 333 patients with 1-3 brain metastases from different histologies that included only 13 MBM patents (40). Performance status at six months improved significantly with addition of SRS to WBRT. SRS for patients with 5-10 brain lesions was evaluated in a multi-institution prospective observational Japanese study of 1194 patients(41). The overall survival, neuro-cognitive function and post SRS complications did not differ for patients with 5-10 brain lesions compared to 2-4 brain lesions(42). 5.5 Systemic therapy: Traditional systemic therapy had a limited role in MBM due to challenges of drug delivery in the brain from blood brain barrier (BBB) with its tight junctions and efflux pumps (P-gp and MRP transport proteins) (43). The concept of localized disruption of BBB at the site of brain metastases has been proposed, as demonstrated on MRI by contrast enhancement (44). Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy agents have not shown good activity in MBM. Dacarbazine which is the approved chemotherapy for metastatic melanoma does not cross the BBB(45). A number of studies evaluated the role of alkylating agents with good BBB penetration such as temozolomide (TMZ), lomustine and fotemustine in MBM patients. In a phase II trial Agarwala et al. enrolled 151 MBM patients with no local radiation therapy for BM to receive TMZ (46). TMZ use showed a modest intracranial response of 6%, median PFS of 4.3-5.2 weeks and median OS of 3.2 months. Two phase II trials of WBRT with TMZ(47, 48); or thalidomide, WBRT with TMZ (49) failed to improve the response rates significantly. Lomustine in combination with TMZ showed modest efficacy in a phase I/II study(50).   Intracranial activity of fotemustine was first reported in a phase III trial of fotemustine versus dacarbazine for metastatic melanoma (51). This led to a randomized phase III trial that compared fotemustine plus WBRT to fotemustine alone in MBM (52). The response rates were 7.4% for fotemustine alone and 10% for fotemustine plus WBRT. Fotemustine is not currently approved by FDA for use in MBM due to delayed thrombocytopenia and leukopenia(53). Targeted therapy: BRAF, NRAS and KIT are three common, mutually exclusive driver mutations seen in metastatic melanoma (54, 55). Of these three, BRAF mutation is the most common mutation seen in approximately 40-50% of patients with advanced melanoma. The presence of BRAF, NRAS increases the risk of CNS metastases seen in patients with   advanced melanoma. Prior studies have reported 24% CNS metastases rate in BRAF and 23% CNS metastases incidence in NRAS mutant melanoma compared to 12% rate in those who lack these mutations(56). Dabrafenib and vemurafenib target BRAF V600 mutation and FDA approved for metastatic melanoma. A phase I trial of dabrafenib in ten patients with untreated asymptomatic brain metastases, intracranial response was seen in 8 patients (four CR, four PR) (57). This impressive 80% response rate prompted the phase II trial of dabrafenib in BRAF mutant melanoma brain metastases (BREAK-MB) (58). This multicenter open label study accrued 172 patients asymptomatic brain metastases with BRAFV600E or BRAFV600K mutation and one measurable lesion (defined as atleast 1 cm in diameter). Cohort A consisted of 89 patients who were radiation naive and cohort B consisted of 83 patients who had failed prior radiation therapy for BM. BRAFV600E patients had an intracranial response rate (IRR) of 39% (29/74) in cohort A and 31% (20/65) in cohort B, PFS of 16.1 weeks in cohort A and 16.6 weeks in cohort B with OS of 33.1 weeks in cohort A and 31.4 weeks in cohort B. BRAFV600K patients had a lower IRR of 7%(1/15) in cohort A and 22% (4/18) in cohort B. This trial supports the efficacy of dabrafenib in BRAF mutant MBM patients, especially those with BRAFV600E mutations with acceptable toxicity. In an open label study of 24 non-resectable, untreated MBM patients harboring BRAFV600 mutation, treatment with vemurafenib resulted in tumor regression of more than 30% (7/19)and partial response was seen in 3 patients. Median PFS and OS was 3.9 and 5.3 months respectively in this study. In a phase II study, 146 BRAF mutant MBM patients were treated with vemurafenib(59). The first cohort included 90 patients with untreated BM, the second cohort comprised of 56 patients with previously treated BM.   Complete response was noted in 2 patients, with 14 PRs, and a best objective response rate of 18%. In previously untreated MBM, the median intracranial PFS and OS were 3.7 months and 8.9 months respectively. Previously treated MBM had similar PFS and OS of 4.0 months and 9.6 months respectively. There is no prospective data of safety and efficacy of combination of BRAF inhibitors and radiation therapy. Most reports are retrospective in nature with increased incidence of dermatitis seen in extracranial skin associated with concurrent use of BRAF inhibitors and radiation (60). Rompoti et al. reported five patients with MBM treated with combined radiation and BRAF inhibitor(61). Two patients underwent SRS and three received WBRT. Patients treated with SRS did not experience any skin adverse effects while all three patients treated with WBRT noted grade1/2 dermatitis. A retrospective analysis evaluated effectiveness of vemurafenib and radiation in BRAFV600 MBM (62). All of them received vemurafenib, six patients underwent SRS, two received WBRT, one received SRS and WBRT and three underwent surgery and radiation. Thirty-six of the 48 index lesions responded with 23 (48%) CRs and 13(27%) PRs. Major limitations were the retrospective nature of the study, small number, and pretreat ed patients with radiation and systemic therapy including ipilimumab. Several small retrospective case series have reported outcomes of MBM treated with targeted agents and SRS/WBRT (Table-1). A recent study of 19 patients with BRAF mutations undergoing SRS and concurrent BRAF directed therapies has shown impressively few local failures (12-month cumulative incidence of 1%). Additional studies of combination therapy are clearly warranted. Immunotherapy: Melanoma is an immunogenic malignancy (63) with a high mutational burden that results in high number of neo-antigen(64). It has been proposed that the relatively high neo-antigen burden makes this malignancy more susceptible to immunotherapy. However, the brain has traditionally been considered an immunologically privileged site due to the presence of the BBB. Recent studies on the intracranial tumor microenvironment as elucidated above have suggested otherwise, showing CD8 T-cells, CD 20+ cells, T-regulator cells and PD-L1 expression within intracranial tumor(10). The intracranial activity of interleukin-2 (IL-2, one of the first immune modulatory agents) was reported in two retrospective reviews(65, 66).   A response rate of 5.6% was seen in 37 patients with untreated brain metastases within a larger group of 1069 metastatic melanoma and renal cell carcinoma patients treated with high dose IL-2(65). In a second report, two of the 15 brain metastases patients treated with high dose IL-2 showed CR (66). No prospective trials were initiated with high dose IL-2 due to concerns for cerebral edema and neurotoxicity. Two pathways that have revolutionized the management of advanced melanoma are those involving CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1.   The CTLA-4 receptor is expressed exclusively on T-cells and downregulates the interaction between antigen presenting cells and T-cells. Ipilimumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody against the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4)(67). The pivotal phase III trial that compared ipilimumab with or without gp 100 peptide vaccine to gp 100 vaccine as a single agent allowed enrollment of patients with asymptomatic and/or previously treated MBM (68). A non-significant trend towards better survival in the MBM subgroup was noted among the patients treated with either ipilimumab alone or ipilimumab plus gp 100 compared to gp 100 alone(69). In an expanded access program (EAP) in Italy, 146 MBM patients received ipilimumab and a global response rate of 12% was seen (70). An American EAP reported a 1-year overall survival rate of 20% among 165 MBM patients tr eated with ipilimumab (71). Margolin et al. conducted an open label phase II clinical trial of ipilimumab for MBM (72). The trial enrolled 72 patients 51 patients in cohort A (those who were not on steroids for cerebral edema) and cohort B of 21 patients (on treatment with steroids). According to the WHO criteria, the response rate was 18% (9/51) in cohort A compared to 5% (1/21) in cohort B, and by immune-related response criteria the response rate was 25% (12/51) in cohort A and 10% (2/21) in cohort B. The median OS was 7.0 months and 3.7 months in cohort A and cohort B respectively. The study concluded that ipilimumab can be used safely in MBM patients. An Italian phase II trial tested a combination of ipilimumab and fotemustine in patients with advanced melanoma including asymptomatic MBM patients (73). A total of 20 patients (out of 83 patients) had asymptomatic MBM, and among these patients the study reported a PFS of 3.0 months and 3-year OS rate of 27.8% (74). A randomized, 3 arm, phase III trial of fotemustine, versus fotemustine plus ipilimumab, versus ipilimumab plus nivolumab (NIBIT-M2) is currently recruiting patients (75). Several retrospective studies have evaluated the safety of combining ipilimumab and radiation therapy (SRS or WBRT), and prospective trial data is forthcoming (76-78). PD-1 receptors are expressed on several cells including T-cells and antigen presenting cells. Their interaction with PD-L1 ligands on tumor cells leads to T-cell exhaustion and downregulation of tumor-specific immune response(79). Nivolumab and pembrolizumab are two anti-PD-1 antibodies that are currently approved for the management of advanced melanoma, and several others are under evaluation. An open label, single-center, phase II clinical trial is currently enrolling patients with untreated brain metastases from melanoma or non-small cell lung cancer (80). In a published early analysis, a response rate of 22% (4 patients) was reported in a total of 18 MBM patients and the responses were durable. Authors noted a high concordance between systemic and brain metastasis responses. Additionally, 11% (2 patients) had stable disease. Intriguingly all responders lacked a BRAF mutation. Relatedly, 4 patients were not evaluable either due to rapid progression necessitating BRAF-targeted ther apy (3 patients), or intralesional hemorrhage (1 patient). Toxicities in the MBM cohort included grade 3 transaminitis (1 patient), as well as grade 1-2 seizures (3 patients) and grade 3 cognitive dysfunction (1 patient) from peritumoral edema. Leptomeningeal disease in melanoma   Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) is a subset of metastatic with extraordinarily poor prognosis and median survival of 8 weeks(81, 82). About 5% of malignant LMD originates from melanoma (Kesari) and up to 23% of melanoma cases develop LMD(1, 83). Primary leptomeningeal melanoma also exists as a separate clinical entity and should be a consideration in the context of a person with multiple congenital melanocytic nevi(84). Diagnosis of LMD is usually made based on the combination of neurologic symptoms along with corresponding leptomeningeal enhancement on MRI. While cytology from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is considered to be the gold standard for LMD diagnosis, sensitivity of this testing ranges from 50% to 80%, depending on number of lumbar punctures performed (85). Like with MBM, treatment of LMD with chemotherapy has low response rates(86). The clinical course of LMD is more treacherous in melanoma in other malignancies given the propensity for melanoma LMD to hemorrhage(87). Molec ular characterization of melanoma LMD suggests a higher percentage of BRAF mutations in comparison to the general melanoma population (68% v 45%), based on a single center melanoma LMD cohort of 60 patients(76). Several case reports have been published highlighting complete and partial responses as well as prolonged ongoing survival beyond 15-18 months with BRAF inhibitors (86). Immunotherapy approaches, including intrathecal IL-2, adoptive cell therapies with tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs), and immune checkpoint inhibitors, have also reported prolonged survival in comparison to historic medians (86). A single center study of 38 patients with melanoma LMD who were treated with intrathecal IL-2 reported a median survival of 9.1 months, and the best 15% of patients reached a median survival over 24 months(88). Ongoing survival over 18 months in a melanoma LMD case was reported with WBRT followed by ipilimumab, an immune checkpoint CTLA-4 inhib itor; in this case, treatment with ipililumab resulted in complete radiologic response(89). A phase II trial of combination immunotherapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab, a PD-1 inhibitor, in melanoma LMD has recently opened to accrual(90). In summary, these early data suggest that both targeted therapy and immunotherapy have efficacy in melanoma LMD and can result in durable responses well over a year. Upcoming trials addressing melanoma LMD with newer therapies will likely yield significantly improved survival data over the next decade. Conclusion: Despite significant recent improvement in the outcomes of patients with melanoma, brain metastases remain a major determinant of mortality and morbidity in melanoma patients, and patients with MBM remain in the worst prognostic category. The vast majority of clinical trials with newer agents exclude patients with MBM, thus data on the effectiveness of new drugs in the context of MBM is still lacking. Understanding the biology of MBM and its clinical response to newer agent and particularly combinations of agents and strategies is crucial to increasing the longevity of the poorest-risk melanoma. Appropriate care of MBM begins with diagnosis. In melanoma, the brain is a common site of metastatic spread, both early and late. It is crucial to begin screening patients for MBM at diagnosis, and NCCN guidelines have recently been updated to reflect this changing diagnostic paradigm. The frequency at which to repeat imaging is still not known. Several therapeutic options now exist for the treatment of MBM (A proposed algorithm is provided in Figure-1). Surgical resection, radiation therapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy all show some degree of efficacy with MBM.   Even in cases of LMD, perhaps the worst subset of MBM in terms of survival, treatment with targeted therapy and immunotherapy can induce prolonged survivals from historic means. Initial reports involving combinations of these therapies, such as radiotherapy with either targeted therapy or immunotherapy, appear promising, but will need to be systematically studied in cohorts with larger numbers. Equally important will be the parallel investigation of predictive markers in MBM with these therapies and combinations. Thus, whenever possible, patients with a new diagnosis of brain metastases should be enrolled in appropriate clinical trials. If an appropriate clinical trial is unavailable, treatment decisions should be made with input from a multidisciplinary t eam including radiation oncologists, neurosurgeons, and medical oncologists.

How does Betchman portray the weakness of English Middle Classes in Ess

How does Betchman portray the weakness of English Middle Classes in Westminster Abbey? In the poem 'In Westminster Abbey' the poet (John Betchman) speaks in from the view of a lady living in the English middle classes in the period, in which the Second World War took place. The poet has set the poem in the head of the heart of England's church, Westminster Abbey. The poet narrates to the reads the feelings of this lady and her feelings of the war, but what the poet does in mainly stereotype all women in the English middle classes at the time. In the following I shall talk about how poet portrays the weakness of the English middle classes. The poem starts of with the lady talking to god and continues through out with this lady talking to god. The poet sustains a continues rhythm through out with a regular four beats in each line, for example 'LET me TAKE this OTHER glove OFF' , this technique retains the readers interest in the poem since the this technique has been used consistently through out the poem. An additional technique that the poet has used is couplets this is another method that stays persistent through the poem, for example in the first stanza lines two and four; 'Let me take this other glove off As the vox Humana swells And the beauteous fields of Eden Bask beneath the Abbey bells.' This is another example of the poet trying to keep the reader attracted to the poem through out, and keep a persistent flow. As one reads the poem they expected to realize that that the lady has a selfish attitude, this is shown in many aspects of the poem one of which is shown in the second stanza; 'Gracious Lord, OH BOMB THE GERMANS, Spare their women for thy sake, If that is not too ea... ...mpire, this I think the poet also narrates this fact in the third stanza; 'Keep our Empire undismembered Guide our forces by Thy Hand,' Here the lady is asking God keep the Empire united and to guide them to victory. In conclusion the poet portrays a major weakness of the English middle classes in the poem 'In Westminster Abbey', although they were wealthy, well educated for the time's standards and considered as of a superior status than others. One is led to believe that they lacked the understanding and wisdom that people generally have today, also they were selfish and ironic which have learnt from lines like 'Don't let anyone bomb me' and 'If that is not too easy'. I have made these statements from the assumption that the reader is led to believe that this poem is a stereotype and a generalized view or opinion of the English middle classes.

Anorexia and Bulimia :: Eating Disorders, Anorexia, Bulimia Nervosa

Why does food become a deadly enemy for some people? Well, society continues to send the message to young women and even to a small number young men (more and more men are becoming victims of eating disorders these days) that to be happy and successful one must be thin, which causes them to starv and/or binge and purge themselves in an attempt to gain what the media considers an ideal figure. The media is full of "toothpick" thin models, in which women desire to be like. Women often need to be in the feel of being in control, it is an ongoing battle they encounter with perfection. Bulimia nervosa is a disorder with psychological, and physiological effects. It is an eating disorder, common especially among young women of normal weight, that is characterized by episodic binge eating. Bingeing is defined as the rapid consumption of a large amount of food, often a bulimic person will eat more in two hours than a normal person would consume in an entire day. Binges are often followed by feelings of guilt, shame, loss of control, anxiety and depression. These negative feelings, especially anxiety and shame lead to bulimic behaviors, such as purging. The most common purging behavior is vomiting, which is a way to dispose of the calories and fat taken in that causes weight gain orally. The other way of diposing calories and fat are the use of laxatives, it is not as common as vomiting. There is more pain caused to the anus when using laxitives, then there is pain to the throat when vomiting, thats why laxatives are a less common way and vomiting is a more common way. Exact causes of bulimia nervousa are unknown even though in studies there is some evidence that an occurring brain chemical may influence eating behaviors, because it is in connection to the regulation of food intake. Growing/constant peer pressure is also a big help of causing bulimia, as well as low self-esteem. Young women with an older sister, mom, or even friend that has an eating disorder is ten times more likely to develop one herself, than any other child on their own. There are psychological factors of body dissatisfaction, self-esteem (as said before), perfectionism and abuse-associated with bulimia nervosa and women. While perfectionism and abuse have been risk factors in the models of bulimia, body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem seem to contribute more to bulimic behavior.

Franco Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrmanns Romeo and Juliet :: William Shakespeare

Franco Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet Sex, drugs, and violence are usually a potent combination, and only William Shakespeare could develop them into a masterful, poetic, and elegant story. In the play, "The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," all these aspects of teenage life absorb the reader or watcher. It is understood that Hollywood would try to imitate this masterpiece on screen, and it has done so in two films: Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 "Romeo and Juliet" and Baz Luhrmann's 1996 "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet." The updated Luhrmann picture best captures the essence of Shakespeare for the present-day viewer. Through the ingenious use of modernization and location, while preserving Shakespearean language, the spirit of Shakespeare emerges to captivate a large audience. Shakespeare's plays were designed to adapt to any audience: with this in mind, Baz Luhrmann created a film that applies to the modern audience through this updating. Luhrmann modernizes "Romeo and Juliet," through constant alterations of the props, which entice the audience into genuinely feeling the spirit of Shakespeare. First, the movie starts with an prologue masked as a news broadcast on television. This sets the scene of the play by illustrating the violence occurring between the two wealthy families, the Montagues and the Capulets. In Zeffirelli's film of "Romeo and Juliet," the prologue takes the form of a dry narrator relating the story of the Montagues and Capulets over a backdrop of an Italian city. For most modern viewers (especially teenagers), the Luhrmann picture is fast-paced, keeping the spectator intrigued, while the Zeffirelli picture is dreary and dull, an endless maze of long and boring conversations, foreshadowed by the prologue. In Luhrmann's film, the actors, instead of carrying swords with them, hide guns in their shirts and wield them expertly. The death of Romeo and Juliet is (as always) blamed on the post office, for not delivering the letter properly. And, to be politically correct, Mercutio appears at the Capulets' ball dressed as a large woman. The actors in Zeffirelli's version of Shakespeare wear colored tights and bulging blouses; thus they appear more comical because they are outdated. By modernizing these aspects of the play, and reconstructing the prologue, Luhrmann creates a movie

Nectar In A Sieve & Don’t Be Afraid Gringo

The relationship between core and periphery nations can be observed by looking at the experiences of the people in the books, â€Å"Nectar In A Sieve† by Kamala Merkandaya and â€Å"Don't Be Afraid Gringo† by Media Benjamin. In both the books Rukmani and Elvia narrate the changes caused by the various stages of capitalism brought by Great Britain in India and by the United States in Honduras respectively. The core periphery relations between these countries lead to many societal problems and these two women deal with these problems, especially the issues pertaining to land and education. In both Rukmani and Elvia's case land was the most important resource required for producing staples, which was used as a source of revenue and food. Education, in this context refers to the level of awareness people had about the influence of core countries on the peripheral nations and how the people viewed this dependency. Rukmani and her family lived under a feudalistic system and the arrival of the British tannery resulted in segregated industrialization in a rice farming village which led to family disintegration, abuse of power and land and to a minor decrease in feudalism. It also led to a shift from peasantry to proletariats. Elvia lived in a semi-feudalistic system in Honduras with highly unequal distribution of land and wealth. The whole of Honduras, including various institutions like the Government and the church were under the influence of the U. S who with their political and economic influence used Honduras for the extraction of resources and also for its own political security in the North American continent. In â€Å"Nectar In A Sieve† Rukmani was married to a tenant farmer called Nathan who worked on rice fields and earned his livelihood by selling his harvest to the landlord. He did not have his own land and so whatever he earned went towards paying for the rent on land. Most of the villagers there, including Nathan were tenant farmers who produced for their own basic needs and not for the market. The village put up a leather tannery in Rukmani's village whose arrival led to segregated industrialization and also to a change in feudalism. Rukmani and the whole village's life were affected, as their village became a â€Å"growing town† (Merkandaya 50) The tannery owners bought the land from the landlords and paid good prices for it. This segregated industrialization weakened the unification of the village and caused great turmoil for everyone, especially Rukmani and her family. It disintegrated her family by creating a need for her sons to go work in the tannery. The expansion of the tannery also led to a loss in user rights as many people, including Rukmani and her family was kicked off the land they used to live on for years, with nowhere to turn to. Thus they were forced to go to an urban city and become proletariats. Arrival of colonialism in the village led to capitalism, while keeping the feudalism intact. Though both systems worked simultaneously, capitalism slowly outdid feudalism as the tannery â€Å"grew and flourished and spread†(51), it got the power and became economically prosperous which allowed the expansion of the tannery. Capitalism in the village changed some of the villagers from peasants to semi proletariats as they started working in the tannery. On the other hand the cost of living went up and so did the level of poverty due to partial urbanization. The tannery extracted the resources using cheap and surplus labor and repatriated the profits for capitalistic accumulation and deprived the village of if. In â€Å"Don't Be Afraid Gringo†, Elvia Alvarado talks about the lives of the â€Å"campesinos† living in Honduras. She was a poor peasant living in a rural village and belonged to a very poor family that could never own land. Most of Elvia's life revolved around social work and helping the fellow campesinos who were facing harsh times due to the influence of the core. Elvia was proactive and resisted to changes brought about by the powerful elite of their society. So her primary job was to recover land which rightfully belonged to the campesinos but was in the hands of a few elite who were using it for their own benefit. Education as described later in the essay created awareness about the injustices done by the powerful elite and helped in her fight for recovering land for the campesinos. The campesinos depended on land, as it was the primary source of food and revenue. Staples produced in Honduras were exported to the U. S markets at very low prices. The U. S had also monopolized capital by bringing technology into Honduras but this was only being used to extract resources. This resulted in unemployment as automated machines as in the case of the banana companies replaced manual labor. Honduras was under a semi feudal mode of production with an unequal distribution of land. Although capitalism was present in urbanized areas, most of the land was under feudal control with peasants fighting for land which was taken away from them. The government did not â€Å"do anything to make the campesino's life any easier. â€Å"(Benjamin 25) The rural areas did not have god transportation and bringing the harvests to the markets was very difficult. Campesinos without land worked â€Å"as day laborers, either for a landowner or for another campesino†(Benjamin 20) for minimal wages. U. S using its influence on the Honduran government and the local elite extracted some precious resources like coal and precious gems and the profits associated with them were never reinvested in Honduras. The U. S also used Honduran land for maintaining regional security. Using Honduras strategic position in Central America, they established military bases and sent troops to Honduras to help government maintain internal control. The societal issue of education brought about by the core periphery relationships in both Rukmani and Elvia's life, in this context deals with the level of awareness both women and their respective societies have about the influence of core nations and their dependence on them. Although Rukmani was semi literate and could read and write, she was not well versed with what was happening around her. She was a very passive resistor and never offered any resistance to the development of capitalism. She foresaw the implications of capitalism by the arrival of the tannery and the dependency associated with it. Therefore she wanted to give all her children education because she knew education was the only thing that could make her children realize the effects of dependence on core. Her suffering along with the suffering of the other villagers shows the lack of awareness they had about the harmful effects of the British colonization. Elvia only received proper schooling till the second grade and so she was basically illiterate but she always had the inclination to learn. As she grew up, she became aware of the harmful effects of Hondurans' dependency on the U. S and how capitalism from the part of the U. S in Honduras was robbing the resources out of Honduras. Although she never had proper schooling, the eagerness to learn about the current affairs made her more and more inquisitive. Elvia took some courses with the church and then started working as a social worker that traveled to different places and created awareness about general issues pertaining to their lives and society. She also took some courses from the Agrarian Reform Institute, which greatly improved her writing skills. Later on in her life, when the church also influenced by the Honduran government that was under the influence of the U. S reduced the support to her group, she became independent and began educating and organizing the campesinos to fight for their rights. She began recovering land that belonged to the campesinos but was in the hands of the elite. Her knowledge of the Agrarian Reform Laws helped her fight with the government for the injustices done to the campesinos. She was thus able to recognize monopoly capitalism by the U. S as being the cause of poverty in Honduras. Looking at the argument presented in this essay it can be seen that both Rukmani and Elvia's lives were greatly affected by the effects of core periphery relations and they faced great problems with issues of land and education.