Differences Between Pediatric and Adult Patients

Differences Between Pediatric and Adult Patients Sabrija Cerimovic Introduction The primary focus of this essay will be based upon the unique anatomical and physiological differences between a pediatric patient and an adult one, and how these differences may affect the treatment and/or presentation of a child in a pre-hospital environment. Furthermore, this essay will include and explore how these differences can affect the A-E assessment most importantly the underlying airway and breathing differences. Although one may think that treating a child is the as treating a grown adult, it is not. They differ in weight, shape, anatomical size and major bodily systems such as cardiovascular and respiratory. Similarly another aspect to consider is that children are often psychologically different to adults in many ways. For example, in interpreting pain; all which play a critical part in providing the best care for the patient. One of the biggest priorities and challenges when it comes to treatment as a paramedic is being able to maintain and control the airway of the individual regardless if its pediatrics or not, due to the anatomical challenges that are more prevalent in pediatric patients. Therefore, it is essential to understand and recognize these differences as they will have a direct impact towards the treatment/management of the patient. Respiratory failure is a frequent cause of cardiac arrest in children, regardless if it’s pre-hospital or not, consequently being able to r ecognize early respiratory compromise from airway obstruction is critical to prevent respiratory failure thus reducing the chance of cardiac arrest. The goal of airway management is to predict and recognize potential respiratory compromise and to provide support and stabilization of the airway in a timely manner. (Derek, 2007) Young infants/children have a relatively large occiput (back of skull); which when lying supine on a flat surface results in neck flexion and potential airway obstruction. Even a small degree of obstruction can significantly affect the pediatric patient’s oxygenation and ventilation (Seid, 2012). Along with this, neonates naturally breathe through their nose for the first 6 months, thus their narrow nasal passages are easily blocked by secretions or congestion and can be damaged by treatment methods such as a nasogastric tube (Macfarlane). Furthermore, pediatric patients have a smaller internal diameter when it comes to the upper and lower airways which in return predispose children to have a higher airway resistance. An example of this is described by Ponselle’s law where it is explained that if the radius is decreased by half the resistance is increased by sixteen times, this in its self is an example of how delicate the pediatric airway/breathing system is, where mild airway obstruction or even inflammation can present moderate or severe respiratory distress. (Weathers, 2010) Infants are largely reliant on a functional diaphragm for proper ventilation as opposed to the accessory muscles compared to adults which depend more on accessory muscles than infants. Therefore, a non-functional diaphragm often leads to respiratory failure.Additionally, the probability of respiratory difficulties in infants and younger children can be attributed due to infants having a relatively lower percentage of type 1 muscle fibers or slow-twitch skeletal muscle in their intercostal muscles and diaphragm; these fibers are much more unlikely to fatigue. (Santillanes, 2008) The position of the larynx can play a vital role of visualization of the airway, compared to the larynx of an adult which sits between 6th -7th cervical cerebrate. A young child’s larynx sits higher than an adults around the 2nd–3rd cervical veritable, making intubation much more difficult compared to an adult. (Adewale, 2010) Breathing differences not only vary between adults and young children but can vary greatly between different age groups of children. This is presented by the following example where the breathing rate for an infant of 1-3 years old can be between 30 to 60 breaths per minute compared to an adolescence teenager who has a breathing rate close to adult’s 12-16 breaths per minute (Anatomical and Physiological Differences in Children, 2012). Furthermore children have a much higher metabolic rate compared to adults, by body surface area children have much higher oxygen consumption in relation to their body size which can result in rapid hypoxia if respiratory distress is present. Pediatric patients breathing can account for up to 40% of the cardiac output, particularly in stressed conditions (Kache, 2013). Along with this smaller children are also at risk of developing acute hypoglycemia due to their livers being unable to store glycogen and usually have a reduced supply of glucose, coupled with the fact that the metabolic rate is typically higher in children puts the children in a much higher risk of hypoglycemic. Compared to adults and older children, infants produce approximately twice as much carbon dioxide and consume twice the amount of oxygen relative to body weight.(Davey, 2012) In some situations the simplest factors can be over looked if you are not aware of the differences between adults and pediatrics. For exa mple, pediatrics patients can develop hypothermia much easier compared to their adult counterparts due to pediatric bodies having a surface area to volume ratio four times higher than adults and only one and a half times heat production compared to adults. This difference in ratio can leave children much more predisposed to hypothermia. Pediatric patients may have not fully developed the muscular system to deal with this drop in temperature, such as having the ability to shiver or vasoconstriction which is essential to produce muscular heat in such a situation. Furthermore children have smaller amounts of adipose tissue stored which is essential for insulation which results in the core body temperature dropping further.Interesting anatomical difference in children is that the head is comparably larger than the rest of the body and tend to balance out around the type of adolescence; this in return causes an unbalanced weight distribution between the body and the head, which can cause the head to act as a projectile and due to the larger head its prone to head larger head loss (Pediatric Assesment, 2012). Conclusion When it comes to the presentation of a pediatric patient in comparison to an adult patient, it is essential to be able to differ between the two. Although more can be said about the anatomical and physiological differences and how these affect further treatment, it is quite clear from a paramedic point of view that just from the airway and breathing aspect that pediatric patients are not like miniature adults. References Anatomical and Physiological Differences in Children. (2012). Retrieved 4 1, 2014, from Emergency Medical Paramedic: http://www.emergencymedicalparamedic.com/anatomical-and-physiological-differences-in-children/ Pediatric Assesment. (2012). Retrieved March 30, 2014, from Long Beach Regional Fire Training Center: http://www.lbfdtraining.com/Pages/emt/sectiond/pediatricassessment.html Adewale, D. L. (2010). Anatomical Considerations of the Paedatircs Airway. Retrieved 4 1, 2014, from Europian Society for PAediatric Anaesthesiolgy: http://www.euroespa.org/klant_uploads/berlinlectures/ANATOMICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF THE PAEDIATRIC AIRWAY.pdf Davey, A. J. (2012). Wards Anaesthetic Equipment. Elsevier. Derek, S. (2007). Pediatric Critical Care Medicine: Basic Science And Clinical Evidence. Springer. Kache, S. (2013). Pediatric Airway Respiratory Physiology. Retrieved 3 28, 2014, from Standford School of Medicine: http://peds.stanford.edu/Rotations/picu/pdfs/10_Peds_Airway.pdf Krost, W. (2006). Beyond the Basics: Pediatric Assessment. Retrieved March 30, 2014, from EMS World: http://www.emsworld.com/article/10322897/beyond-the-basics-pediatric-assessment?page=2 Macfarlane, F. (n.d.). Paediatric Anatomy and PHysiology and the Basic of Paediatic Anaesthesia. Retrieved 4 1, 2014, from Anaesthesia UK: http://www.anaesthesiauk.com/documents/paedsphysiol.pdf Santillanes, G. (2008). Pediatric Airway Managment. Retrieved 4 1, 2014, from Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics,: http://blog.utp.edu.co/maternoinfantil/files/2010/08/V%C3%ADa-a%C3%A9rea-en-pediatr%C3%ADa.pdf Seid, T. (2012). Pre–hospital care of pediatric patients with trauma. International Journal of Critical Illness and Injury Science, 1-2. Weathers, E. (2010). The Anatomy of the Pediactic Airway. Retrieved 4 1, 2014, from Respiratory Care Educational Consulting Service, Inc: http://www.rcecs.com/MyCE/PDFDocs/course/V7110.pdf

Robinson Crusoe Essay -- essays research papers

The Progression of the Eighteenth Century Novel Shows How Society Takes Over the Role of God The progression of the Eighteenth Century novel charts the transformation of the role of God into the role of society. In Daniel Defoe’s early Eighteenth Century novel, Robinson Crusoe, God makes the laws, gives out the punishments, and creates the terror. By the end of the century, the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror announce to the world that society is taking over the role of God and now people will make laws, give out punishments, and incite terror. Early Eighteenth Century novel, Robinson Crusoe, shows the development of a new self, one conflicted with the idea of both relying on God’s Providence while also realizing their own power to make things happen. The novel shows the development of Homo Economico, the economic man. With the voyages to the new colonies, many lower and middle class men prove able to create their own fortunes overnight. The concept of the Gre at Chain of Being becomes lost when members of the lower classes become wealthier than many of the upper class aristocrats. Now many men from the lower classes buy land and/or titles. When lower class members become landowners, the idea of Divine Right to rule over the land no longer proves valid. Defoe illustrates society’s changes through Crusoe, who battles with the notion of God’s Providence. At certain moments he thanks God for His Providence, but then later conceives that actually God did not cause the ...

Censored Literature Essay

There are many reason why states or international countries ban and censor literature. The question that arise when literature are integrated into the curriculum is â€Å"is the literature appropriate?† The reason for censored or banned literature is culture, language, religion, and age. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is literature that has been challenged and censored by many schools because of what the literature represents and inappropriate for children of a certain age. Although many schools banned and censored the literature, the literature can provide a positive in-class discussion and encourage group projects. Censoring The Lord of the Flies by William Golding The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a fictional book about British schoolboys being evacuated on a plane to escape war. The plane is shot down into a deserted island. Challenges are faced, rules are broke, and new laws are established on the island. The main character, Ralph, becomes the leader of the schoolboys. Ralph tries to establish order on the island, but the schoolboys vote against Ralph. Instead of establishing order and a civil group on the island, the schoolboys become savages, violent, and mischievous. As Ralph tries to escape the mischievous boys who are after him, Ralph stumbles upon the beach, where a British naval ship arrived on the beach. The literature is seen as a controversial book. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding was challenged at the Owen, NC High School in 1981. According to the American Library Association (2010), the book was considered â€Å"demoralizing inasmuch as it implies that man is little more than an animal† (The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding). The literature brings up the discussion of what constitutes a government vs. savages. Although to some, the literature may seem barbaric with inappropriate language, the literature provides knowledge and uses of symbolism. I agree the literature may be unsuitable ages; the book recommended for high school students can be a great tool for English studies and in-class discussion. The use of symbolism helps students to learn the depths and meaning of literature. Symbolism adds ideas and different meanings in literary works. Use of Literature in the Curriculum. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding can be used in the high school reading curriculum for English studies. Students will discuss the literature after reading two chapters. Student will identify the symbolism used in the chapters. Students will then discuss the issue of laws vs. savages. Upon discussion, students will then write down what constitute a government and laws. Student will then discuss his or her ideas in front of the class. Conclusion Literature banned and censored in many parts of the United States and other countries contain content material that may be unsuitable for certain age groups. However, censoring books may not allow students to experience certain situations that he or she may not experience, but can experience emotions. Some literatures may even contain valuable information on history or the way government works. Other literatures can provide discussion that can provide different perspectives or views of the story. It is important to incorporate literature in everyday teaching to enhance critical thinking skills. Reference American Library Association. (2010). Banned and/or Challenged Books from the Radcliffe publishing course top 100 novels of the 20th century. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics/reasons

Fashion & Marketing †Individuality vs Conformity Essay

A seemingly intractable paradox underlies Westerners choice of fashion in the twenty-first century. On the one hand, the democratic and social progress made in the West in the past fifty years has led to radical revaluations of, and profound reversals of attitudes towards, issues such as gender, class, race, social stereotypes, cultural identity and so on: in short, the Western citizen of 2005 has far greater personal freedom for expression than could have been conceivable for a Westerner in 1905 or even 2005 (Craik, 1994). The modern student of Western fashion trends might therefore reasonably expect to notice in the clothing choices and styles of twenty-first Westerners ever greater diversity and individuality – to notice a kaleidoscopic and multi-coloured efflorescence of personal freedom in fabric and cloth. And, indeed, in many instances in Western society there is a profusion of individual styles mirroring newly liberated individual personalities. Yet, on the other hand, despite this potential for individuality, the fashion student notices, paradoxically, that Westerners are exhibiting an ever greater homogeneity and similarity in their clothing choice – for instance, the ubiquitous presence, amongst certain definable social groups, of trendy brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Zara and FCUK. The principal force behind this homogeneity is argued to be (Miles, 1998 & Radford, 1998) the massive and all-consuming power of giant global fashion houses and their resources for mass branding and advertising. To many fashion critics and scholars these hugely powerful companies have come to swamp the potential for personal and individual expression that was made possible by social changes in Europe and America in the past fifty years. In a further paradox, it was these very changes themselves, and the liberation and emancipation of consumer power and choice which they released, which provides the consumer markets and spending-power which make these huge companies possible. In other words, for the gender, class, and social revolutions of the twentieth century to happen this required the protests and emancipation of Western masses; but this very freedom itself created a mass homogeneous market that could be exploited by fashion corporations themselves made possible by these changes. In a final paradox, Rosenfeld (1997) and Davis (1993) argue that modern man is free to choose the clothes he wears and so is himself responsible for submitting himself and his individuality to temptations of mass production and consumerism that surround him. The fascinating question before this literature review is then: why is it that Westerners, granted at last a large measure of personal freedom for expression, ‘choose’ nonetheless to submit themselves to mass trends and to enslave themselves to perhaps an ever greater extent than when such freedom was not obtainable? Of further interest is the question: how have particular cultural groups, and fashion trends, resisted mass consumerism of fashion, and gone on to use these new freedoms to establish exciting and original expressions of their personalities? Section 2: Sources A few words about the origin and authority of the sources used for this literature review are perhaps necessary before turning to the main themes of the review. The principal type of source discussed in this literature review are academic books and journals; in addition, some internet sources are employed also. The academic books referred to in this review are amongst the seminal texts in the literature of fashion and marketing, their authors world-class experts in their fields, and therefore the reliability and authority of their material is extremely high. The fashion student can have high, if not complete, confidence in his employment of these sources to illustrate his themes and arguments. Likewise, those texts from other fields in this review, such as Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams (Freud, 1900) or Lacan’s Language of the Self (Lacan, 1998), are usually included by critics and scholars in their lists of the most important works of the twentieth-century. They too then may be used by the fashion student with a high degree of trust in their authority and reliability. A note of caution might be sounded however about the employment of internet sources in any literature review. Whereas the process of publishing work in an academic book or journal is a lengthy one, requiring considerable cost and numerous stages of scrutiny by fellow scholars and experts, thus ensuring the quality of those sources, nonetheless, the standards required for publication on the internet are often lower and less vigorous. The vast profusion material released daily on the internet requires the conscientious student to subject the internet sources he employs to greater scrutiny and doubt than might be the case with academic books or journals published in the traditional paper-based way. Consequently, the internet sources used in this literature review have been vigorously scrutinised and tested for their reliability in the fashion described above. Section 3: Review The following literature review is discussed according to the following thematic schema in five parts: (1) The Paradox of Individuality and Conformity, (2), Global Trends and World Markets, (3) Semiotic Theories of Fashion Promotion & Visual Communication, (4) Popular Cultures and Distinctive Identities, and, (5), Sociological & Philosophical Views of Class, Gender, Social Stereotypes and Cultural Identity. The Paradox of Individuality and Conformity The contemporary situation in Western fashion and personal clothing choice is one of apparently irresolvable paradox: Westerners are today endowed with ever greater personal freedoms, extending naturally to their choice of personal clothing and one would expect this freedom to lead to a plethora and profusion of individual styles and manners of dress: these freedoms should result in less conformity of style than was present in say 1905 when gender, class and social prejudices compelled and forced a person to dress in a particular way and style. Yet, despite these abundant new-found freedoms, Western clothing choice in 2005 seems to display ever greater conformity and homogeneity. That is, Westerners are ‘choosing’ to dress more and more alike one another – Westerners’ expression of their personalities through their choice of style is showing ever greater similarities to one another. How then could this be possible? This question is discussed at the general level in great depth by F. Davis (1993) Fashion, Clothing and Identity and by Fiske (1990) in Introduction to Communications Studies. Global Trends & World Markets The most persuasive and frequently given answer to the above question is that the rise of huge fashion houses – such as Louis Vuitton, Tommy Hilfiger, Armani, Prada, Zara, amongst many others – along with their massive resources for branding and advertising, have drowned-out the recently attained freedoms of Western individuals to reflect their personalities in their choice of clothing. This point is powerfully made in D. Crane’s seminal text Fashion and the Social Agenda: Class, Gender and Identity in Clothing. (Crane, 2004). Crane argues that just at the critical historical moment (the end of the 20th Century) when Westerners were finally endowed with greater personal freedoms in fashion and personality expression than ever before, that these freedoms were immediately smothered by forces such as globalization and capitalism which gave birth to vast fashion corporations whose financial resources and advertising capacity have become too great and powerful for individual expression to poke through and flower. This point is corroborated and reinforced by numerous other scholars and authorities in fashion and marketing. F. Davis (1993) in Fashion, Culture and Identity, L. Rosenfeld (1997) in Clothing as Communication, and J. Craik (1994) in The Face of Fashion; Cultural Studies in Fashion all endorse Crane’s central premise that individual freedom of personality expression through clothing and style is suffocated by the capitally fuelled force of the major fashion brands to overwhelm this expression through relentless psychological pressure, carried by advertising, to conform to the style and choice ‘imposed’ and ‘decided’ by these companies and not by individuals themselves. M. Barnard in Fashion as Communication (1996) makes an interesting refinement of this basic premise by suggesting, in a further paradoxical statement, that it is the very freedom of gender, class, social status etc. , of the past fifty years which has led to ever greater conformity to popular styles and to an even greater imposition of style than existed before such freedoms were possible. In other words, to echo a sentiment expressed by Nietzsche in 1888 (Nietzsche, 1888) and Freud in 1900 (Freud, 1900) human beings have natural herd instincts which are present whether people are free or not, and these instincts generate the need for leadership and imposition from one source or another. Thus, whilst before the 1960’s style conformity was forced upon Westerners by gender and class stereotypes, nonetheless, after the 1960’s when these stereotypes were lifted, Westerners became susceptible to a new ‘authority’, ‘imposition’ and ‘leadership’ in the form of vast fashion corporations whose choice of style and expression is propagated through intensive branding and advertising. According to this philosophical view, endorsed by Bruce Stella and Pamela Church Gibson (2000) in Fashion Cultures Theories: Explorations and Analysis, the personalities of Westerners today and their choice of expression of their personalities through clothing, is largely decided by fashion corporations and advertising companies – thus resulting in the uniformity of style and expression which is so evident from a casual glance at our high-streets today. Semiotic Theories of Fashion Promotion & Visual Communication A interesting example of the practice of a semiotic theory of fashion promotion is that discussed in A. Rhodes’ and R. Zuloago’s paper ‘A Semiotic Analysis of High Fashion Advertising’ published in 2003. The chief motif of Rhodes’ and Zuloago’s work is that ‘Fashion advertising is an excellent example of identity-image producing media’ (Rhodes & Zuloago, 2003: p8). They state at the outset of their paper that ‘The nature of the product is tied directly to identity – those objects with which we encase our bodies for public display  ­- and fashion is acknowledged as a cultural language of style’; a little further on they add ‘Taken as a whole, high fashion media and advertising describe a spectrum of identity, unified in general types of signifiers – young women, high status, high sexuality – and through the constant repetition and variation of images on these themes serve to create this identity spectrum. ’ (Rhodes and Zuloago, 2003, p1). Thus, in their paper, Rhodes and Zuloago seek to define the symbiotic relationship between high fashion and the cultural and social identity of one particular social group: young, rich and sexually confident women. Rhodes and Zuloago argue that the advertising campaigns of companies like Prada, Donna Karen, Armani, Dolce Gabanna and others like them, speak so powerfully and seductively to these women, and that the images employed penetrate so deeply into their consciousness and social orientation, that they come to identify their personalities almost wholly with the product. Rhodes and Zulago recognise, nonetheless, that whilst the influence of major fashion brands over social groups like the one mentioned above is immense that these groups too, by their social characteristics and newly liberated personalities, constantly force the fashion brands to invent new styles and designs that evolve to reflect the changing consciousness of these particular and individualistic groups (Rhodes & Zuloago, 2003: p5). The symbiosis is nearly total; and similar relationships between major brands and other social groups are evident throughout modern Western culture. Popular Cultures and Distinctive Identities R. Radford points out in Dangerous Liaison: Art, Fashion and Individualism (1998) that the mass conformity of modern fashion style and personality expression is not of course universal, and many original and fresh styles – punk, gothic, ethnic, etc. , – have arisen from the social freedoms of recent decades, both in reaction to the preceding centuries of restricted expression and also in reaction to the monotonous uniformity of the mass-branded and consumer-based style. As suggested in the last sentence, Radford distinguishes between styles which are (1) a reaction to the restrictions of former centuries, (2) those which are defiances of the modern branded uniformity, and, (3), those which are a reaction to neither, but rather are healthy and original efflorescences of cultural uniqueness and individual expression. In the first category Radford places the astonishing growth in popularity of ‘gender-liberated’ products like bikinis, short-skirts and casual clothing which were, in other centuries, repressed by the authorities either because of gender prejudices or inequalities, or because of antiquated ideas about the morality or sexual imprudence of certain items and styles of clothing. To take an instance of gender discrimination cited by Radford (Radford, 1998: pp. 142-148), it was not socially or morally permissible for women in former times to wear beach attire (bikinis, swim-suits etc. ,) that revealed or celebrated anything of the sensuousness or beauty of the female figure; women were therefore universally condemned (in Western countries) to wear a single type plain, non-sexual beachwear. But since the lifting of this social prejudice and stigma, there has been a profusion of designers, from Gucci and Dolce & Gabana to Zara and BHS, who have produced modern designs which allow women to celebrate the sensuality and beauty of the female figure. Women today enjoy the same rights as men to wear what they like either to the beach, to the disco or to work; thus, in this instance, despite the domination of the fashion brands, women now have the opportunity to, and do indeed exhibit in practice, a greater expression of individuality of personality than was possible or permissible before the last decades. In the second category, Radford places fashion styles like punk and gothic: styles which rebel against the conformity of modern mass-consumer culture and relish in the controversy and upsetting of convention induced by the difference of their style. Studded clothing, fluorescent coloured hair, male make-up, cross-dressing etc. , are rebellions against the usual fashion paradigm and make the personality statement that some people disagree with popular sentiment and convention and express this in clothing styles that are often shocking and scandalous (Barthes, 1983). In the third category are individualistic styles, such as ethnic, which are neither reactions to historical repressions or to modern mass conformity, but which are rather healthy flourishing of individual personality or philosophy. For instance, contemporary Western style permits a greater exhibition of ethnic clothing or pride in national dress than was acceptable fifty years ago. F. Davis argued as early as 1988 in Clothing and Fashion Communication that clothing could be a vehicle for greater racial tolerance and for multi-culturalism and racial integration in modern Western society. A concomitant of this toleration is a celebration and pride in the wearing of clothes of national dress; clothes that display part of the person’s personality repressed for decades. Sociological & Philosophical Views of Class, Gender, Social Stereotypes and Cultural Identity Jacques Lacan in Language of the Self (Lacan, 1997) gives a fascinating philosophical and psychological interpretation of the individuality vs. conformity paradox, filtering it the prism of class, gender and social stereotypes, to argue that human beings are essentially language-animals and can be manipulated if one finds the key to the use of this language. Lacan argues in his seminal text Language and the Self (1997) that the social freedoms attained by Westerners in the past half century have given them Westerners unprecedented opportunities to reflect their innermost ‘self’, their basic human constituency, through new cultural media such as television, the arts, and by derivation, fashion and our choice of media. Lacan argues further that the ‘self’ of previously repressed groups such as women, homosexuals, African-Americans and so on is now able to manifest itself in cultural forms that had previously been repressed for centuries, and which are now bursting out in the diversity of artforms prevalent in our society today. Nonetheless, through his principal scientific and philosophical investigation into the language-animal, Lacan argues that Westerners have been seduced by the clever and innovative marketing campaigns of the major fashion brands, who use slogans and images to target specific social groups. Thus Lacan explains the phenomenal seduction of modern Western man to the worded slogans of designer labels and celebrity endorsed products. Lacan suggests that the advertising campaigns of major fashion brands seduce the consumer’s unconscious directly and that this explains the phenomenon of mass conformity to such a homogeneous type of personal expression through fashion as is evident in our society. Section 4: Conclusion In the final analysis, the literature of the fashion and marketing texts on the subject of individuality vs. conformity, and the influence of branding upon this relationship, reveals the following points. Firstly, that a curious and complex paradox deeply underpins the dynamics between individuality and conformity. To the one side, the liberation of women, homosexuals, formerly repressed racial groups, underprivileged classes and others, in the second half of the twentieth-century, has led to a huge mass of people in Western society who have previously unimaginable freedom to wear whatever styles and types of clothing they believe best express their individuality and uniqueness. For instance, gender prejudices removed, women can now wear trousers ; race prejudices declining, repressed groups can wear a city suit or opera tuxedo; in many other instances Westerners are free to dress as however their mood, philosophy and occupation inclines them. On the other hand, the ceaseless ascent to prominence and immense power of the great fashion houses and fashion brands has led to a blanket of homogeneity being spread over the personal expression of many Western consumers. Philosophers like Lacan, and psychologists like Freud and Nietzsche, suggest that man has an innate herd instinct that compels him to conform to the trends of the crowd and to seek a higher authority and leadership to decide and impose his personal expression upon him. According to this view, despite the newly attained freedom of Westerners, they have substituted for the old imposition of gender and class barriers the new authority of the mass product and the famous brand. Thus ‘personal choice’ and ‘freedom of expression of personality’ through clothing are merely illusions that do not correspond to modern reality. Furthermore, the conformity of modern Western dress is, according to D. Crane (Crane, 2004), even more intense today than in other centuries, since in 2005 particular styles and mass produced clothing items – Crane gives Levi’s jeans as an example – permeate all classes and genders of society and therefore have a ‘total sphere of conformity and influence’; in other centuries a particular item or style of clothing would only dominate one social group; today brands like Nike, Zara, Levi’s, Armani and so on, can penetrate the personal expression of every social group from top to bottom. Nonetheless, the flourishing of reactionary and rebellious fashions expressions such as punk and gothic, as well as the profusion of small individualistic designers and such styles as ethnic suggest that the mass produced fashion items have not and will not dominate totally and may even be forced back a little as personal expression is allowed to bloom in the new forms and clothing styles of the twenty-first century. Our final words might be these: that the question of conformity vs. individuality now hangs in a delicate balance and equilibrium, that Western society pivots at a vital moment in the history of its ability to be able to define itself. The opportunity exists for Westerners to dazzle the world with an efflorescence of new styles of clothing that reflect the cultural diversity, racial integration, and class assimilation achieved in the past fifty years. The danger remains nonetheless that these achievements and potential expression will be swamped by the relentless march of mass consumer fashion and our seduction to it. Section 5: Bibliography Academic Books, Journals & Articles – Barnard, M. (1996) Fashion as Communication, Routledge – Barthes, R. (1967, 1983). The Fashion System, New York: Hill and Wang. – Bruzzi Stella & Church, P. G. (2000). Fashion Cultures Theories, Explorations and Analysis, Routledge – Craik, J. (1994) The Face of Fashion; Cultural Studies in Fashion, London: Routledge. – Crane, D. (2004). Fashion and Its Social Agenda: Class, Gender and Identity in Clothing. Oxford University Press, Oxford. – Davis, F. (1985). ‘Clothing and fashion as communication’, in Solomon, M. R. (ed. ) The Psychology of Fashion, Massachusetts: Lexington Books. – Davis, F. (1993). Fashion, Culture and Identity, Chicago, IL: Chicago University Press. – Du Gay, P. (1996). Consumption and Identity at Work, London: Sage. – Fiske, J. (1990). Introduction to Communication Studies, London: Routledge – Freud, S. (1900). The Interpretation of Dreams. Penguin, London. – Lacan, J. (Reprinted 1997). Language of the Self, Baltimore, MD. : Johns Hopkins University Press – Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, Self and Society, From the Standpoint of a Social Behaviourist, Chicago, IL. : University of Chicago Press – Miles, S. (1998). Consumerism as a Way of Life, London: Sage Publications – Nietzsche, F. (1888). Ecce Homo. Peter Gast Books, Basel. – Quirk, R. (Et al. ). (1989). The Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, Oxford. – Radford, R. , ‘Dangerous Liaison: Art, Fashion and Individualism’, Fashion Theory, vol. 2, issue 2, Oxford: Berg, 1998, pp. 151-64. – Rosenfeld, L. B. and Plax, T. G. (1997). ‘ Clothing as communication’, Journal of Communication, 27: 24-31. – Smith, A. (1759/1976). The Theory of the Moral Sentiments, Edinburgh. Internet Sources – Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, Self and Society, From the Standpoint of a Social Behaviourist, Chicago, IL. : University of Chicago Press http://www2. pfeiffer. edu/~lridener/DSS/Mead/MINDSELF. HTML – Smith, A. (1759/1976). The Theory of the Moral Sentiments, Edinburgh. http://www. adamsmith. org/smith/tms-intro. htm – Rhodes, A. & Zuloago, R. (2003). A semiotic Analysis of High Fashion Advertising. www. garhodes. com/Semiotics_of_Fashion. pdf

Gun Control misc2 essays

Gun Control misc2 essays "I say all guns are good guns. There are no bad guns. I say the whole nation should be an armed nation. Period. This rather bold statement was made by Joseph Foss, former Governor, and current President of the NRA, or National Rifle Association (Lacayo 16). I could not disagree more. The NRA is a special interest group known by many. As a lobbyist organization, the NRA has a current main objective of protecting American citizens' rights, to possess and operate a firearm, form being violated by gun control laws. The same laws that 69 percent of the public support laws pushing for the stronger control of handguns and assault weapons (Gunfree). One of the NRA's main weapons in this crusade is the second amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. The Amendments translation in the eyes of the NRA clearly protects the individual rights of all citizens to possess and operate firearms. According to the Supreme Court, in the 1939 case of U.S. vs. Miller, the rig ht to bear arms is only applicable if it has some relationship towards keeping a regulated militia. The Court has also stated that today's militia is the National Guard (Gunfree). The United States Government believes that the amendment guaranteed no right for individual citizens to possess weaponry, but merely allowed the government to form and maintain an armed service. Because of these different translations of our constitution, gun control, and the second amendment can be viewed in different ways. Of the many gun control bans and laws under constant fire from the NRA are those pertaining to self-defense. The notion that guns are of great value to protect one's family is false. According to studies printed in the New England Journal of Medicine, households in which guns are present are five times more likely to experience a suicide, and three times more likely to experience a homicide, than gun free homes (Gunfree). ...

Ruscha Formalist analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ruscha Formalist analysis - Essay Example The logo is coloured in red and orange tones, deferring to realistic lighting effects and shade variations as the colours appear slightly muted towards what is presented as being the logo's foreground. But other elements of the work are strangely inconsistent, perhaps in the interests of theoretical allusion, with what would be expected if the scene were viewed in reality. The eight yellow spotlights inter-crossing each other behind the logo are traditionally seen - when the logo is depicted before movies or on television - to penetrate, cross over and intermingle with the sturdy commercial monolith. In Ruscha's depiction, however, they are shown as being unable to penetrate the white opaque light source that projects the wording, and instead are partially blocked by its presence. The spotlights - supposedly for the purpose of illuminating desired features and drawing the attention of spectators - are feeble in comparison to the generating light force behind the imposing logo. Intrinsic within the marketing insignia itself seems to be an otherworldly, ethereal body of light - white and pure and absolute, while the accompanying spotlights possess a yellow, opacity that fails to lighten the nightscape, nor impinge upon the density of the red/orange hues of the logo. The juxtaposition seems to assert a difference between what is real, what is not real and what is contrived - what is genuine, and what is manufactured - positioned against the backdrop of the movie industry and its many illusions. Stylistically, Ruscha has adopted a rigid assemblage style without mergers - a compositional approach that adds to the artwork's impact with its clear lines and sure geometric delineations. Ruscha - Psychoanalytic analysis Ed Ruscha's Large Trademark with Eight Spotlights (1962) may at first appear to be a cultural snapshot of a piece of recognised movie industry iconography. But within this seemingly simple representation of a familiar symbol lie a plethora of contextualised meaning, sub-meanings and allusions.Within Lacanian psycho-analytic theory, the power of images as vehicles for multiple meaning is central to understanding the creative impulse. According to Kelly Oliver (177):"Lacan establishes a parallel between the figures of metaphor (the substitution ofone term for another, as in 'Juliet is the sun') and metonymy (the substitution of thewhole for the part, and the contiguous relations between chains of signifiers).These are described as the two main axes of language, and they are likened tocondensation and displacement (respectively the condensation of multiplemeanings into a single dream image, and the transfer of libido from one image toanother) . .In other words, for Lacan, the unconscio us is structured like alanguage." Within a Lacanian understanding - Trademark is a potent image reflecting a group consciousness that is interconnected with our own individual identities - and subsequently merging the

Referee report for paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Referee report for paper - Essay Example Each group occupied different geographical locations in the country. Autocratic form of government did not change even under president Jomo Kenyatta, but transitions came after the second president, who turned it into democratic government. However, during the autocratic form of government, ethnic favouritism was highly practice by political leader. This is supported by the data on road building, found across various districts in Kenya during the period of 1963 to 2011. The data indicates that across the 1963-2011 periods, the co ethic districts with the president received more roads expenditure as compared to non co-ethnic group. However, the new democratic government changed these kinds of biases and brought a lot of changes in the country that led to economic growth (Schwartzberg, 1987). This paper has clearly revealed the importance of democracy in Kenya, a country which is vulnerable to ethnic favouritism. It has defined the term ethnic favouritism and examined the effects it ha s on the country’s economy. According to the paper, ethnic favouritism has being used in most developing countries by political leaders. However, the way this paper has examined the efforts of reintroducing democracy in order to tackle ethnic favouritism, is quite interesting. It has also provided evidence to illustrate how ethnic favouritism is practiced in developing countries. ... For instance, according to ethnic data it is reported that Kikuyu consist of 18.8%, Luhya 12.7%, Kalenjin 10.8%, and Luo 13.4% (Anderson, 1999). During the pre colonial period, these ethnic groups did not exist because the authority at the time was personal and local. However, after independence new rules and leaders emerged and led to development of provincial administration. This administration divided the country into provinces, districts, divisions, sub locations, and locations. Ethnic homogenous districts, therefore, emerged in the course of the country’s evolution, leading to segregation and geographical targeting by various races to form ethnic groups. 2. Ethnic favouritism as a political strategy The paper reveals ethnic favouritism as the main strategy used by political leaders in many developing countries. Political leaders may use ethnic favouritism with the fear that without proper tactics in political games, they may lose their positions to other competing politic ians. They, therefore, believe that practicing ethnic favouritism increases strongholds that propel them to higher positions in the government (Anderson, 1999). However, since ethnic favouritism is a political game, I would expect the author to elaborate more on the issue. For instance, explaining how politician utilizes ethnic favouritism in weakening their political opponent through silencing their ethnic groups. This can be done through weakening or shutting down the electoral institutions. If a political leader practices ethnic favouritism then he or she is unaccountable and unrepresentative to his or her own people. This is because there are a few people who are favoured while others are being taxed, yet these leaders manage to remain in power for decades. It is possible for a president